White Coffee (Lucien)

 “I’ll have a coffee as black as my soul please” Isabelle tells the innkeeper as we sit down at the bar and he nods, looking her over for a moment before going to make the drink, unfortunately looks can be deceiving. At least Issy likes her coffee black with little to nothing added? Generally not being a fan of coffee or alcohol I end up with a snack instead, it was a long trip, and I’ll never pass up an opportunity for certain foods one can only find in Bruma if they live in Cyrodiil. Nords might not have the best food but there are a few exceptions to the rule, and Bruma seems to have most of them easily at hand. Issy and I met by accident at a crossroads, I was coming up from the south and she was returning from further up north very close to the Skyrim border, and we decided to head to Bruma for a bit of a rest before parting ways again.

Issy sips her coffee in between telling me about her recent adventures while still trying to warm up- clutching the barely holding together ceramic cup like her life depends on it. Skyrim gets quite cold, even in the southern parts, and such a climate extends into Cyrodiil by way of the mountains all the way to the city of Bruma and a little beyond. Bruma is an interesting city, a mix of Nordic and Imperial styles and customs and home to a variety of different groups- from smithy’s, armorers,and fighters, to mages, artists, and courtesans. I like Bruma, though I wish it were not quite as cold. “Where did you learn the coffee trick?” I ask Issy in between her sips of the bitter beverage. “People judge a book by its cover, my cover reads very dark- people make assumptions.” she replies taking a brief break but never loosening her grip on the cup. I suppose that makes sense, her demeanor and choice of dress generally makes the darker and more macabre things of the world come to mind, but beneath that exterior layer is a much more colorful picture. Sometimes I wonder if there’s some part of an ogre in there somewhere, after all they’re frequently compared to onions and Isabelle is certainly very layered when it comes to uncovering the personality hidden underneath the cold and uncaring facade. I make a mental note to try her trick sometime, even if only out of curiosity.

“Do you want anything?” Vicente asks as I sit curled up in a position I don’t know how I got into and have no clue how I’ll get out of “A pound of fresh minced garlic please and thank you.” I reply jokingly as I shuffle the pile of papers spread out in front of me to find what I was looking for. The vampire is not amused, aside from the vampirism he was already allergic to garlic, an ironic fact I will never not take the chance to point out. “Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny- do you actually want anything before I leave?” I think for a moment until Issy and her trick from a few weeks ago comes to mind. “I’ll have a coffee as black as my soul.” I tell Vicente confidently to which he smiles and agrees, leaving me to get back to the annoyingly difficult task of organizing contracts. Who decided to make me have this job?! It’s my least favorite job- I’d be better off counting the weapons on the armory rack over and over, that’s at least fun! Vicente returns with a mug and places it on the table so it won’t spill and ruin the papers that have been sorted into haphazard piles in various places. Executive dysfunction, my old enemy, how I loathe you. Deciding to take a break before the workload overwhelms me I pick up the cup from where Vicente had placed it and without looking take a sip before swallowing and looking up with confusion before glancing into the cup itself. “This is a glass of milk.” Vicente grins “You’re welcome.” he says leaving the room with a wave, the bastard. Well, coffee never made me feel all that well anyways and it’s a free drink. Picking up the cup again I take a quick drink before grabbing my pen again and getting back to work. It’s going to be a long boring day of paperwork on a cold dreary day. but at least I have Vicente’s special ‘white coffee’ to keep me from going completely insane…now who should get this contract?