didn't come here for the coffee...(arabella + liz)

[Elizabeth Wright]

Elizabeth Wright walked into the Starbucks and headed over to the counter, ordering a banana mango blend smoothie. She could stand coffee, and wasn't much of a fan of tea, so it seemed odd that she would be in a Starbucks of all places, she loved their smoothies. And the store she was in now was a nice little place. Although it was normally qieter than it was today.

Today it was bustling, and she found herself standing, smoothie in hand, looking around for a seat. Everywhere seemed to be taken, an she really didn't want to have to go back out into the rain. If she did that, it would mean either going back to her apartment or the Torchwood Hub, and the whole reason she loved the little shop was because it got her away from that, and her freaky, hectic and exciting life. There had to be somewhere. She saw a table, occupied by only one other person, and headed over.

"You don't mind me sitting here do you? "She asked with an apologetic smile.

[girlfrommars]

Arabella sat in Starbucks, one of her favourite places in Cardiff, with her hot chocolate. Starbucks had one of the best hot chocolates, at least according to her. The steam rose up and warmed her face. Looking around the store, she noticed that the place was pretty much packed. In all her years in Cardiff at this Starbucks, she’d never seen so many people at one time. Arabella decided it was because of the rain. Coffee shops are good places to be when it’s raining.

She stared out the window, wishing she could be outside in it, but she had to help her aunty with her shopping later and she couldn’t be bothered going back home and changing before meeting her. She loved the rain, partly because no-one else seemed to like it, and partly because it reminded her of home.

Her thoughts were interrupted by someone asking her a question. “No, it's fine, have a seat,” she replied to the girl who had asked. The girl sat down with her smoothie. “You not like the rain?” Arabella asked, after a minute. “You seem to look outside with a kind of towards it. Either that, or you don’t like someone over in that general direction,” she smiled.

[Elizabeth Wright]

Liz grinned as she sat down, and the girl spoke.
"Oh, I don't mind it. It's just a pain when you have to be out in it. And silly me forgot my umbrella. " she said as she took her coat off and slung it across the back of the chair to dry. "It's not the rain I'm detesting. It's just work, and by boring old apartment. "

"Oh, I'm rude." She held out her hand to the girl. "Elizabeth Wright. But any form of shortening is insisted" she said, for what seemed to be the two-dozenth time in the last week and a half.

- { : I'm sorry, it's short : } -

[girlfrommars]

Arabella took the hand that was offered to her. She liked the name Elizabeth. It was, in a way, comforting. It reminded her of London, and of her brothers. Quickly shaking off the thought, she replied.

“I’m Arabella. Arabella Willow. Nice to meet you Liz.”

She took a sip from her hot chocolate. It warmed her up. She thought about what Liz had said, about her job and her apartment. She wished she had a job. It was boring and miserable sitting at home all day, with no money to pay for anything.

“I’m sure your work is better than mine, well, more like my lack of work. Being a psychologist with degrees isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I feel terrible about it. I’m swamped over with rent payments and I’ve had to borrow off my aunty so the water and electricity aren’t cut off. Just out of interest, if you don’t mind me asking, where do you work?”

~*~Im sorry if it's too short, I'll try posting more next time~*~

[Elizabeth Wright]

Arabella Willow. Nice to meet you Liz

"Nice to meet you too Arabella." she grinned as she rolled the name on her tongue. It was pretty. It just, flowed. "It's just as much a mouthful as Elizabeth. Not in a bad way though. Arabella is nicer then Elizabeth."

Being a psychologist with degrees isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

She laughed. "Tell me about it. I was top of my class at Harvard for medicine, and I still couldn't get a job. I was lucky to land the one I had."

Top of her class at Harvard. When most people said that, it would sound like they were bragging, but Liz didn't sound like she was boasting. She was just stating a fact.

if you don’t mind me asking, where do you work?”

In the crash course of Torchwood, they'd not told her quite how to answer this question. Best wing it.
" I'm a medical officer at one of the smaller government organisations. " she said with a friendly smile, her gut twisting as she begged whoever was listening up there for the girl, Arabella, to not ask anymore questions. She was good at many things, but lying wasn't one of them. There was a reason she only sent her parnets post cards and letters. If she actually called them, there wasn't any way she could lie and tell them she was somewhere she wasn't. People could just, just tell, when she was being outright untruthful. It was fine when it was just part of the truth. And Torchwood was a government organisation. Kind of. Well, the queen. She was part of the government wasn't she?

[girlfrommars]

I was top of my class at Harvard for medicine

Arabella recognised that name. Harvard. America!

“You from America then? You don’t sound very American, but then again, I’m not the best with accents,” she laughed.

I’m a medical officer at one of the smaller government organisations

Arabella smiled back after Liz answered her question. Liz had seemed slightly awkward answering it, so Arabella thought she wouldn’t ask her any more questions, even though she really wanted to know which organisation.

She looked at her phone. “God it’s late! I’m really sorry to leave you, but I have to go. Here, take my number. It’d be good to have someone else who lives in Cardiff to catch up with. Oh, and by the way, while you’re working at your government agency would you mind seeing if they have any room for a psychologist? A neuropsychologist even? Thanks so much, I wouldn’t normally ask anyone that, but I’m really desperate for a job. And I hope you really don’t mind me leaving so suddenly. I really do hope to see you around. Once again, it was lovely to meet you Liz.”

She felt awful at having to leave Liz on her own, but she was running really late to help her aunty. She hoped she hadn’t seemed too nosy or unwelcoming during her encounter with Liz, because she really did like her and she would have liked to have someone to talk to other than her aunty.

She half walked half ran out of the coffee shop into the rain, not realising she had left behind a photograph.