The café door chimes again, and a man in a dark coat steps in. His gaze finds Mara at once, then Otto beside them, and he slows like he has just walked into a hard conversation already in progress.
Julian
Mara. I did not expect to see you here.
Mara pushes up from the booth, pale and tense, her hand sweeping the fallen napkin aside as if she can clear the moment with it. The booth lamp makes everything feel smaller, sharper, more exposed.
Mara
Julian, not now. Please.
A young barista behind the counter pauses mid-wipe, watching in quiet alarm. Otto stays caught between them, the little table suddenly feeling like the center of the room.
Julian
I am just here for a coffee. And maybe an explanation, if you are offering one.
Mara glances at Otto, then back to Julian, still standing as a shield. The air tightens, but nobody moves to break it.
✓ Quest Accepted
Learn why Mara is hiding her notes
✓ Quest Accepted
Find out what Julian wants from Mara
“"Why are you doing today or tomorrow or Tuesday?"”
SUCCESS (Mediocre Conversation, rolled -1)
Otto Com-Peterson
Why are you doing today, or tomorrow, or Tuesday?
Julian blinks, then lets out a short breath through his nose. The question lands sideways enough to cut the tension for a second, and his shoulders loosen before tightening again.
Julian
I am trying to find out what Mara has been keeping from me. And from you, apparently.
Mara
Because I was trying to get this right before I said it out loud.
Her hand closes around the hidden notes at her side, then drops when she realizes she has given the secret shape away. The folded paper rustles against her fingers.
Mara
I wrote down what I should have said days ago. I did not want to walk in here and make it worse.
Julian
So you were hiding the notes because they are about me.
Mara looks from Julian to Otto, and the answer seems to sit in the air between them before she speaks again. Her voice is smaller now, but steadier.
Mara
They are about both of you. And I was scared you would hear them before I could explain.
Quest Complete
Learn why Mara is hiding her notes
Quest Complete
Find out what Julian wants from Mara