communication breakdown, it's always the same [nikola]

Penny finally rolled up the parchment she was working on, satisfied. There weren’t many days in her new job where she truly felt like she finished something, but today was such a day. On cue, her stomach rumbled, and a glance at her watch told her that it was just about dinner time. She didn’t usually stay so late at work, but it had been worth it this time to finish her first project. Curry time she thought with excitement. She grabbed her coat and Flooed to Diagon Alley.

Muggle London offered more options for regional Indian cuisines of all kinds, and were often better, but there was one magical establishment that was worth the trip to Diagon Alley. Magical Masala. Penny always rolled her eyes at the positively cliche and unimaginative name, but she couldn’t deny that it was good food. The restaurant was located quite a bit away from the Leaky Cauldron where she had Flooed in from, so Penny set down the street, her coat closed tightly against her. She was dressed plainly today, as she usually was. Under her dark green robes she had simple black slacks on and a button down shirt that matched her robes. At least she was branching out from all black! Her coat, however, was black and a little shapeless. She had been wearing the same coat since her sixth year. Her scarf of deep purple was a recent purchase, and reflected Penny’s half-hearted attempts to look like she cared about what she was wearing. She hadn’t bought gloves yet though, so her hands were deep in the pockets of her coat as she hurried on. Penny hated the cold, and really just the outdoors in general, so she was relieved when she finally arrived at the restaurant.

Magical Masala’s storefront decor reflected the price of the food within it; expensive. The storefront had three large floor to ceiling windows arched and scalloped at the top to try and emulate what westerners probably thought Indian windows looked like. The sign Magical Masala was in deep orange coloring on a background of purple so dark that it looked black in the evening light. The restaurant was softly lit within, and from the street Penny could see the intricately set tables. This was the kind of restaurant people go to be seen. From the street Penny could see that the restaurant was pretty packed. Well, it was a Friday night after all, what did she expect? She walked inside anyway. If they didn’t have space she’d just order food to bring home; she was pretty close anyway.

As it turned out, there was only one available table; a small one for two just to the right of the entrance to the restaurant. She had arrived just in the knick of time as it was the last free table in the whole restaurant. It was a prime table, looking out one of the massive windows, and Penny couldn’t believe her luck. Sometimes waiters looked at her weird for dining alone, and even refused to sit her at a table during a busy time. Penny was happy to be at a table, however; she was in a celebratory mood, and didn’t feel like going back home to her parents quite yet.

Penny barely glanced at the menu in front of her; she knew exactly what she was going to order, so she just sat back and looked around while she waited for a server to approach her. She enjoyed trying to guess some aspect of the other diners’ lives. Was the couple to the left of her on their first date? There was a slight familiarity to them that made her think maybe third, or fourth date. Not that Penny would know, having only been on a handful of dates herself.

Directly in front of her was a stand that had the menu on it. Penny saw a tall woman looking at the menu intently. She had dark hair and was wearing a gorgeous dark blue coat. A year or two ago Penny wouldn’t have looked twice, but she was starting to get more curious about what people wear. This was a woman who looked like a put together adult. And Penny felt she was anything but that.

Penny spotted a server walking towards her, and she tore her eyes away from the other woman. “I’ll have Shahi Korma with an order of Chapatis and chutney assortment” Penny said confidently to the server. Today was going to be a feast.

She turned her attention back to the woman who was still looking at the menu, looking thoughtful. She looked like just the kind of woman Penny wanted to be, or at least look like. She wanted people to look at her like she was looking at this woman, and think gosh, she looks good. The problem was, Penny didn’t even know where to buy nice clothes.

“Excuse me, but I love your coat! Where did you get it from?” Penny hated starting conversation, but she always felt a little bolder when she was dining alone.

Nikola had spent most of her day doing final adjustments on a set of robes for a woman she was pretty sure insisted on living well above her means. But the german woman was not one to judge, so long as she got paid. And since this was the final fitting, and the project was now complete, she’d left the meeting with money in hand. No matter how that woman chose to live her life, or spend her husband’s money, it was of no concern to the designer. She only had a few more paid contracts left to round out the month, and for that she was glad. She’d be able to continue working on her collection, which she hoped got approval for the show she was looking to participate in come January. She’d origionally debated asking this woman if she’d wanted to walk for her, but the woman’s attitude had just soured the german woman to her completely, and quite frankly Nikola was glad to be rid of her.

On most occasions, these sort of things took two or three days, so the dark haired Meer always found herself a place to stay nearby, well within her own price range of course, but her wealth actually was where the grouchy housewife she’d just left wished hers was. Nikola smiled to herself a little, contemplating just heading back there for a long soak in her tub and ordering room service; but it was too nice of a day. She hadn’t even bothered with a hat, her hair pulled back in a somewhat intricate french braid so the wind wouldn’t bother her and a deep blue coat that she had designed herself. This was nothing compared to Germany. So Nikola found herself in Diagon Alley, looking for something new to try. She loved the experience of finding something decidedly un-german, and getting to experience the variety of foods that could be found in the world. London was usually good for that, more so if you were willing to set foot in the muggle part of the city. That however, was not where Nikola wanted to end up. Last time she’d gotten lost, and pretty badly, and had to walk quite some distance before she found herself somewhere she could apparate back to her hotel suite.

Magical Marsala caught Nikola’s eye, and she stopped, pressing her lips together in thought. She had never tried indian cuisine before, though a cousin had once warned her that it had the potential to be quite spicy. She smiled, pushing open the door to find herself in an incredibly colorful place, almost traumatizing in its sudden change from dreary london outside, the bright red and purple cloth hanging from the ceiling and the dancing gold lanterns that cast everything in flickering light only accentuated the effect. Nikola would have called it overdesigned, but there was something… comfortable and exotic about it, even if they were slightly overselling the entire cultural aspect of it. And of course the place was packed, but that didn't matter. A few galleons in the right hands and a spot could be found for her, she was sure.

Thankfully there was a floor stand with the menu on it while she waited for the hostess to finish speaking to another couple that had just walked in. their argument about wait times gave her a chance to look over the menu. She blinked a few times, before realizing that she was having so much trouble, not because she had difficulty reading and understanding English, but because a good half the menu simply wasn’t English. Well she had wanted an adventure… perhaps the waiter could be of some assistance, if she could manage to get a table.

A voice interrupted her thoughts and she turned to see a rather plainly dressed woman at one of the tables nearby. It took her a moment to process what had been said to her, but she smiled, giving a half spin in it. “Thank you.” she replied, her accent heavy german and her tone that of one who wasn’t a native speaker by any means. “I've done it myself.” she smiled a little proudly, before glancing helplessly back at the menu. “And realizing that… bad English skills are not good here.” she gestured to the menu with a slightly sheepish grin.

Penny was now officially feeling out of her element. Not only was this woman fashionably dressed, but she had actually made the coat herself! Suddenly Penny’s exciting Unspeakable job didn’t seem so impressive after all; especially because she couldn’t actually tell anyone her real job. Penny was further out of her comfort zone when she heard the other woman’s heavily accented English. Despite her father’s name, and her own surname, Penny considered herself to be just plain old English. She had never been anywhere outside of the U.K, and she didn’t know any other languages. Which is why she was embarrassed that she couldn’t quite place the other woman’s accent. Russian, maybe?

“Wow, well it is beautiful! Do you make clothing for a living?” The coat didn’t necessarily look like the product of a hobby.

Penny smiled at the other woman’s confusion; she sometimes took for granted the fact that she more or less knew all of the dishes at an Indian restaurant, especially if it was North Indian, like this restaurant. She could only imagine how much more difficult it was when you couldn’t quite understand the little English explanation there was on the menu.

“Don’t worry” Penny added, trying to speak slowly and clearly, “A lot of English people don’t even know some of these dishes either. If you want I could help you choose something.” By now the hostess was arguing heatedly with the couple in front of her. She saw them point at her and squirmed uncomfortably in her seat. Here she was, alone, taking up this table. Would the couple’s anger force the hostess to kick her out? By now there were a few more people behind the fashionable woman, waiting to be seated.

“You’re not likely to get a table, but you are welcome to join me. I ordered too much food anyway, and that way you can try more.” Penny thought she would die of embarrassment if she got kicked out now, and besides she was curious about this mysterious well dressed foreign woman. Penny’s boss had been hinting at her that she might travel for work in the near future, so Penny thought it prudent to get better at talking with other other people, and learning about different cultures. After all, it could be her one day in a foreign country, unable to figure out what to order.

NIkola couldn’t decide if the young woman was shy, or if it was the potential awkwardness of trying to communicate when one of you barely spoke the language that made her seem uncomfortable. Of course her sickles were on it being a little of both. The complement made her smile as she smoothed down the front of it. “I Do, yes… I was in England because of a…. Client. A Client, but finished faster, so i have a whole extra night.” she grinned a little before glancing at her surroundings as if to make a point. “I decided to try something new. For Celebration.” Nikola decided not to bring up the fact that she only designed clothes because she wanted to do something with herself independent of her family, and not really for the money. That was a nice side benefit, knowing she could support herself, but really she lived off Meer money same as the rest of her family. But people were likely to take that as bragging, rather then a simple explanation.

She really appreciated the girl slowing down her speaking, as she was able to keep up with their conversation much better, and she wasn’t like some who slowed way down and tried to enunciate every syllable. “That is reassuring.” she replied, glad to hear that even native speakers often had trouble with the menu. “And I would like that very much.” though the shy woman’s offer surprised her, Nikola was grateful. Most people were not so kind to a complete stranger, but this woman didn’t seem the sort to be able to hide an ulterior motive, unless she was a very good actress.

Both of them glanced at the angry couple at the same time, and the german woman saw her new aquaintence’s brow furrowed. The suggestion did not have to be made twice, and Nikola slipped past the menu sign to smoothly take the open seat across from the young woman. “Not to worry. If they ask us to leave, I will simply tell them that I am a Wealthy Foreigner and want to spend lots of money. They will not make us go.” she grinned a little, slipping out of her coat to reveal the deep purple top underneath, flowing sleeves and a vest made of what looked like shining black scales no bigger than a pea. “So what is good to try? I am very anxious...” she muttered something under her breath, as though not sure that was the correct word. “Excited. Yes. I am very excited. I love to try new things when I travel.”

Penny was relieved when the other woman agreed to sit with her; intrigued to know more about this fashionable woman, and happy that she wouldn’t now likely be kicked out of the restaurant. And that’s how Plain Penny found herself sitting across from an apparently wealthy foreign fashion designer.

“I’m also celebrating. I just finished a project at work.” Penny hoped that the other woman wouldn’t ask her about her job. Her cover story was so, so lame. Apparently the Department of Mysteries decided that the more boring the cover story, the better. Perhaps this was to discourage people from asking further questions about the kind of work they did, but it also had the unfortunate side effect that people immediately lost interest.

“I’m Penny, by the way” She added, realizing that she hadn’t yet introduced herself. She wasn’t sure if she should extend a hand to shake, but decided against it. This wasn’t a professional meeting, and Penny hated handshakes. She just didn’t really see the point. Penny tried not to gawk at the woman as she took off her coat. Her clothes were absolutely exquisite, and the vest looked like something that Penny might even wear herself. She was a beautiful woman, the clothes hanging on her thin frame elegantly.

Penny tore her eyes away, not wanting to make it seem obvious that she had just been checking her out. She wondered how old the woman was; she seemed only a few years older than Penny, but she couldn’t be sure.

“Right then. The most important question is: do you like spicy?” At this Penny pantomimed fanning her mouth, in case the woman wasn’t familiar with the word spicy.

“I ordered lamb in cashew sauce. Only a little spicy. An interesting dish is Palek Paneer; Indian cheese in spinach curry. Chicken Tikka Masala is classic, also not so spicy.” Penny could talk on and on about different dishes, not just in Indian cuisine, but decided to keep things simple so as not to overwhelm the woman. She was intensely curious to see what she would order, and if she would like the food.

Nikola smiled when the other girl said she was also celebrating the finishing of a project. “Then we can celebrate together.” she smiled, relaxing in the comfortable cushioned chairs that the restaurant had. She was used to most places having wooden ones, with maybe a cushioned seat, but these chairs were almost completely fabric, and easy to relax in. of course in a magical establishment it was easier to clean the upholstery she supposed. When the girl introduced herself, the german woman came very close to laughing, realizing they’d been chatting this entire time and were even having dinner together now, not knowing each other's names. “Nikola Meer. I am from Germany.” she added helpfully. “It is too much to hope that you speak Russian or German?” she highly doubted it, but it was worth a try. “Did your project go well?” she asked, curious about her companion for the evening. What did she do? Was she a native englishwoman? To nikola it was obvious that she had some or a lot of indian heritage, but was definitely interested to know if the woman had grown up here. But that was a conversation that could be had later, over food. Probably while Nikola was burning her mouth off.

“My cousin told me it was very spicy. His friends did not warn him.” she grinned a little at the thought of her cousin downing glasses of water. But she’d always been able to handle the heat a bit better than he could. “I know Spicy. I like it in moderation.” she added, amused at the woman’s attempts to pantomime clarification. “I understand much better than I speak. But slowly is still good.” she figured she would clarify herself, so the woman would not have to embarrass herself with silly antics in an effort to make herself understood. “I like lamb. It is my favorite meat.” she added with a smile, amused that she and the girl had similar tastes. “Both of those two also sound good...” she picked up the menu, looking through the other options more confidently now that she was certain to have help.

She raised her eyebrow at one of the menu items, rather intrigued by the sounds of it. “What is this Chicken Biryani?” she asked, pronouncing it like Berry-Yani, uncertain if she was saying it correctly and pointing at it on the menu so the woman could see what she was looking at. And there were several other Lamb dishes on the menu as well, though Lamb Vindaloo both sounded like a musical instrument to Nikola, and from the description would probably be entirely too spicy for her tastes. “Does India have their own special Teas? Or is it like normal English tea?” she asked, noting the drinks and wanting something warm to go with her meal, completely unaware that Muggle Britain had taken over India for their Tea and spices ages ago.

Penny smiled at the other woman; it was relatively easy to talk to her. She was relieved; Penny wasn’t great at holding a conversation, so it was just her luck that the other woman made it easy for her, despite the language gap. She was thankful to now have her name, but felt disappointed that she had guessed the accent wrong. Penny generally hated being wrong about things, and was frustrated that she wasn’t cultured enough to tell where people were from.

“Sorry, I only speak English, for now.” Penny said, apologetically. She felt her face reddening; Nikola probably thought she was one of those British people who never bothered to learn another language. Well, wasn’t she? I am also proficient in several Ancient Runic languages, she thought to herself, but knew she could not divulge this fascinating tidbit about herself.

“It went well, I think. I’m just out of school so I’m hoping to impress my boss and move up the ranks.” Lied, easily. One of the things Penny had learned in Unspeakable training was that when lying, include as much of the truth as possible. She had hoped that her project about Ogham Runes strengthening anti-Muggle wards would impress her boss, and she was trying to move up the ranks.

Penny was surprised to hear that Nikola liked spicy. Was there even spicy food in Germany? Penny was skeptical that the fashion designer truly experienced spicy like she was about to tonight. Penny tried to not look embarrassed at her blunder of over explaining; Nikola didn’t seem offended that Penny assumed she didn’t know the word, so she was probably just trying to be nice.

“Biryani” Penny said, trying to say it correctly. Her father was able to say all the names of the dishes correctly, even though he hadn’t spoken his mother’s language. Penny hadn’t inherited this ability, however, but she was at least able to get the vowels right, pronouncing it bir-yani, with the first syllable rhyming with fir.

“It’s a rice dish, very tasty. There are many….” Penny was going to say spices, but that could be confusing. Spices aren’t all spicy, and would she know the difference?

“…flavors. There is also cashews, and this one has chicken in it as well. The biryani here is ok, but I think the curries are better.” In all truth, Penny just didn’t like biryanis all that much. She preferred the complexities and layers of flavor in a curry to the carby comfort of a biryani.

At the question about tea, Penny resisted the urge to subject Nikola to a thorough lecture about colonialism, the histories of tea and spice trade routes. Penny’s favorite subject at the muggle primary she went to for a few years was history, and Penny had continued that love afterward, as well.

“India actually had tea before Britain, so yes, there are very tasty teas!” Penny tried not to sound as if she was judging the other woman for not knowing these basics of history, even though she was. Germany had its own history of colonialism, so it’s not like the phrase would be foreign to her! And this is why no one likes you, Ms. Know-it-all Penny admonished herself. She put on a smile for the other woman’s benefit, not wanting to seem rude even as her esteem of Nikola went down a few notches.

“You’re in for a treat! Masala Chai, which means spiced tea, is an Indian tea, served with milk. It’s very tasty. It’s also known as Chai in the UK, which is funny because Chai simply means tea in Hindi-Urdu” Penny cursed inwardly; she was doing it again, lecturing at people! She was grateful to see the waiter come by with her chapatis and chutneys.

“Can we also get two chai please, and…” Penny gestured to Nikola to put in her order, figuring that she had given the woman enough information to choose.

Nikola nodded understandingly as the girl said she only spoke English. “Understandable. Many Durmstrang Students speak two, at least. Many countries attend and must learn Russian… now Sweedish. Hogwarts… most already speak English.” she was glad however, that her uncle had insisted she at least get a working knowledge of the English language, and that she had listened to him, even if she wasn’t currently on speaking terms with him. She repeated the word when the girl said it, matching her pronunciation and amused that while she was getting plenty of practice speaking english, she was also learning a few new words in another language  entirely. Even if they were just food items. But that was the important part, was it not?  That and finding the bathroom. That question she could ask in about 7 different languages.

She listened as the girl chatted on about the different foods Nikola was pointing out, making recommendations and offering encouragement. They all sounded good, though Nikola was a little concerned about the spice. Since what the girl was ordering and had offered to share with her was lamb and cashews, Nikola considered going for something different as well, so that she’d have more of a variety. If she remembered correctly, it was curry that had her cousin insisting that he had turned into a fire breathing dragon, so she stayed away from those, eyeing up the rest of the menu while they continued to talk.

“So if someone asked for Chai Tea they would just be asking for Tea Tea?” she grinned, amused at the thought and wondering how many other dishes and beverages had similar little turns of phrase like that. Language was interesting like that when it came to food.  She was also pleased that her companion seemed much less shy now that they were sitting together and talking, even taking the initiative and ordering her drink for her. “Chicken Tikka Masala, please.” she asked politely, at Penny’s prompting, the waiter leaving with their more recent orders and leaving a dish in front of Penny. The chicken dish seemed like a safe bet from what the girl had been saying, and she would still get to try the lamb. “What is this that you got?” she asked, intrigued and interested, enjoying the smells coming from Penny’s side of the small table.

“So, you went to Durmstrang? I've always wondered what kinds of magic are taught there. Maybe once we get eating you can share?" Around Hogwarts, Durmstrang had the reputation of being a school that basically churned out dark wizards. Penny looked at the beautifully manicured woman in front of her. She didn’t seem like a dark witch, but then she guessed they didn’t always advertise. And what if she was a dark witch? Penny was surprised that the thought sent a shock of thrill through her, and not disgust or fear. Durmstrang students probably knew all sorts of interesting magic that Penny was never allowed to learn. What’s wrong with me?

Momentarily lost in her thoughts, Penny almost missed the next thing Nikola said. She smiled at the amused tinge of her voice.

“Yes, it would be tea tea!” Penny chuckled, showing that she shared in the other woman’s amusement, but it was half-hearted. Her mind was still wondering what exactly she could have missed out in her Hogwarts education that she would have gotten from a Durmstrang education. Penny wouldn’t admit it to anyone, anyone, but as much as she had hated the Carrows, they had taught some interesting things. Well, Penny wasn’t an Unspeakable for nothing; she was still able to carry one the conversation, even as the thoughts raced in the back of her mind.

“This here are chapatis, an Indian bread, and these are some chutneys. They are like sauces, or pickles.” The chapatis looked excellent as always; puffed up indicating that they were freshly baked, and steaming slightly.

The chutneys were, in Penny’s opinion, Magical Masala’s strongest dish. They were arranged in a circle, in small ceramic dishes. “This is a mango chutney. Very tasty, actually not so sweet” she said, pointing to the bright orange dish. “This one is a mint chutney. Save it for when we eat the curries; it is good for calming down spicy food.” She added, pointing to the beautifully green dish. “The rest I don’t actually know what they are, but they are delicious!” She ended, rather lamely.

“Please, try them all! You tear off a bit of the chapati, the bread, and put some of the chutney on it.” Penny tore into the still hot chapati and took a bit of mango chutney, in demonstration. The chutney was beautiful, as always; slightly sweet, but still retained the natural sourness of the mango. She could eat bucketfuls of this stuff!

Nikola blinked a little at the girl’s reaction before remembering that half of Germany also went to Beauxbatons, and of course that other school she couldn’t be bothered to remember. She was a little impressed by the girl’s look of excitement rather then concern or fear, and smiled when she was asked to share some of what she had learned there. Nikola was always thrilled and willing to speak about her alma mater, but at the moment, food took priority.

The variety of color in the food caught her off guard, unused to seeing such vibrance in food, unless it was a desert. This really would be a whole new experience for her. She was grateful to hear however, that they’d have a way of mitigating spice if it came down to it. Though she was confused by one thing the girl had said. “Pickles? I thought… green vegetable. Very salty...” she raised an eyebrow, but eyed up the dishes instead, following suit and taking a piece of the bread and also trying the mango. She let out a little moan of contentment, her eyes half closed as she savored its flavor, smiling. “Delicious… very good. ” she was tempted to ignore the others and just eat that one, but instead, she went for the brightly colored yellow one, finding it tangy and a little spicy, but not so much that she was reaching for the mint chutney. All in all she was rather pleased with her descision to stop here for dinner. A good meal, and plesant company. And the girl was easy on the eyes as well.

But she’d agreed to tell her about Durmstrang’s more unusual classes, and Nikola could certainly talk about that. “Many classes at Durmstrang are similar. You have plants, and a seperate class for animals… we have both in one, but focused on more deadly...things.” she would have sounded so much more eloquent in german or russian… even polish she could have done better. “We have Sigilmancy… you have Ancient Runes, I believe...” she’d once had a penpal at Hogwarts who spoke Russian, so she at least knew a little. This was a conversation she’d had before. “I was very good at that. Top marks.” she smiled  almost cockily, but she couldn’t help it. She was proud of her grades. “And we learn to fight both with and without magic. With swords and other weapons… many keep favorites with them. I have a Dirk. a small blade.” she hoped she wasn’t being too boring, and paused to allow the girl time to comment while she tried one of the others, a chunkier one wich after about three bites sent her frantically reaching for the mint, and then her glass of water.

“Perhaps…. Not that one. No good. Like Necromancy. I was no good there.” she grinned at her little joke, keeping the conversation going.

Penny ignored the comment about pickles, mostly because she didn’t have the energy to try and explain in a simplified way. Some chutneys were lightly pickled vegetables and/or fruits, and some were more sauce like. Different areas in India had different kinds of chutneys, and Anglo-Indian chutneys tended to include more vinegar and pickling processes. And then of course you had British chutneys, which were basically like jams and had little to do with actual chutneys. All in all, Penny didn’t think this was information that Nikola actually cared about, and Penny was far more interested in talking about different magical classes than she was about chutneys. She smiled politely though, at the other woman’s enjoyment. Nikola was very beautiful, indeed. She ate sensually, making all sorts of exciting noises, and her eyes softly framed by delicate eyelashes. Penny shifted a little in her seat: Stop checking out your dinner companion!

At the word “Sigilmancy” however, Penny’s attention was immediately brought back to the conversation. She politely waited until Nikola finished her review of classes to jump in, though she was dying to interrupt.

“Oh, sigilmancy, how fascinating!” Penny chose her next words carefully. Her Unspeakable training instructors always warned her that her love of Ancient Runes would be the thing that gave her job away. After all, her cover story didn’t involve working with Runes in any capacity.

“I got a N.E.W.T in Ancient Runes. I did some research on Sigilmancy while I was at Hogwarts. At least I tried to; most of the books had been removed even from the Restricted Section!” Penny remembered how annoyed she was at this; it’s not like there was anything inherently dark about Sigilmancy; it was just more….open. She neglected to mention of course that she continued this line of research on the job, and found it even more annoying that the Ministry continued the trend of removing books. Penny knew there were whole entire fields of magic that she could incorporate into her research, but the Ministry had strict rules and regulations. Somehow she thought that the Department of Mysteries would be different, but she found it just as limiting as Hogwarts.

“It’s so fascinating to me how much more flexible it is than Ancient Runes. Especially the use of different…” Would she know the word media? “… materials used in sigil marking, it’s really very interesting!” Penny desperately wanted to ask the other woman if she had any textbooks to lend her, but she thought that was pushing it for a first time meeting. She had also heard rumors that practitioners of Sigilmancy often marked themselves with Sigils; markings of the skin being one of the more powerful, if inflexible forms. Penny was burning with curiosity but a voice in her mind (that sounded remarkably like her mother) told her it would probably be rude to ask someone she just met if she had any sigils on her skin.

“Do you have it on you? The dirk?” Penny asked, lowering her voice. The idea of Nikola carrying a weapon on her excited Penny for reasons she couldn’t even being to fathom. It reminded her of muggle spy stories her father read to her when she was a child. Now as an adult, Penny felt like she was living a spy’s life to a certain extent with her job, yet she didn’t have any of the cool aspects of being a spy, like carrying a weapon or having an exciting cover story. Nikola, however, looked exactly like what Penny would imagine a spy looked like, with her trendy clothing and her classy manners.

A keenly observant woman, it did not take Nikola long to notice the subtle way that the woman was looking at her. She made no outward sign of having noticed, but she was laughing inwardly. That would have been an interesting turn of events, happening to sit down with a woman with similar tastes to herself. But the german woman was nothing if not overly cautious. She did chuckle a little at how the woman became suddenly alert when she mentioned Sigilmancy, and made it a point to pause there. That was obviously a subject, even before Penny opened her mouth, that the woman was deeply interested in.

The waiter returned with their tea, but did not interrupt as he had obviously noticed that the young women were deep in a very interesting conversation and simply left them to it. Nikola made a mental note to give the man a decent tip when they were done. She’d already made up her mind to pay for the meal, and hopefully Penny would not protest too much. “I have thought that Sigilmancy should be the next step from Ancient Runes. It is sad that they would not allow you to read it for yourself.” she brushed her long black braid over her shoulder before taking a sip of her tea, the milk helping to remove the last of the bite from the chutney that she had tried, before going back to the few that had not been as spicy.

“It was one of my favorite classes in school.” she smiled a little, almost sheepishly. “After the first two years… all classes were favorite classes.” Nikola was usually cautious, both when it came to her intelligence (which was more, in her opinion, due to pouring herself into her studies, ignoring after school activities, and having few friends. She was horribly envious of people who didn’t study and could just do well without trying) and her family’s wealth. But in the case of Penny, it seemed like being smart was more of a good thing then her bragging about it. “I use it in some of my work… I do not have any of it on me though...” there was of course the Tattoo on her hip, but Nikola did not feel like getting into that explanation, or revealing that one in the middle of a crowded restaurant. People, especially in england seemed overly sensitive about the subject of blood status. Not that she blamed them after what had happened. But anyone who cared about their own personal blood status was lumped in with the more violent extremists. She did not care to be compared to them.

The woman across the table leaned a little closer, and Nikola did the same, so as to hear what she was asking. Were they talking in German reading lips would have been an option, but that was not a skill she had in any language but her native one. A wicked little grin crossed her face. “Would you like to see my dagger?” there was almost a flirtatious way to how Nikola asked the question, well aware that swords were used as a sexual reference in many cultures.  She gave a subtle nod to the side of the table that faced the wall, and pulled it from its scabbard deftly, holding it where Penny would be able to see it but no one else would, while keeping one eye out for the waiter, just in case, so she could put it away before he returned.

“Yes, exactly!” If there was anything to get Penny animated in a conversation it was talking about Ancient Runes. Or research of any kind, really. “There’s nothing bad about Sigilmancy! Ancient Runes looks like nothing compared to the possibilities of Sigilmancy!” Penny had reverted to speaking in her normal speed, too excited about this subject. In the back of her mind she knew she should stop talking about this, and that it likely didn’t excite anyone as much as it did her.

Penny was disappointed to hear that Nikola didn’t have any sigils on her body; she was excited to see some. She had only seen sigils drawn crudely in textbooks, but to see one in person? On a person? Especially a person as beautiful as Nikola? Penny put a warming charm on her Chai; she preferred to drink it after the meal, but had ordered it with the rest of the food for Nikola’s benefit. It really did help with taming down the spice.

Penny was going to launch into a long winded interrogation of how exactly the other woman used Sigils in clothing designing, but was distracted by the prospect of seeing her dagger instead. Nikola had a grin on her face that sent flames up Penny’s cheeks. Merlin’s beard, is she flirting with me? Penny thought in disbelief. Well, maybe Penny could do some flirting herself! She was usually too shy to flirt, and besides she didn’t really know how. She never tried because she didn’t want to make a fool out of herself, but this was a pretty low risk situation. After all, when would Penny ever see this German fashion designer again?

“I would love to see your dagger” she said, leaning in even closer. She was happy that she had earlier removed her scarf and that her robes were mostly open; her shirt was somewhat modest but she reasoned that leaning forward would offer the other woman a peak of what lay underneath. Penny’s eyes followed Nikola’s nod to under the table, and she saw Nikola unsheathe her dagger. It was a beautiful, ornate and expensive looking, rather like Nikola herself. Penny’s heart seemed to speed up. What was it about this dagger that excited her so? Maybe it was the idea that Nikola could either bed her or kill her.

“You…it’s very beautiful” Penny cursed inwardly; she had almost said “You’re very beautiful!” Penny wasn’t sure how in the world she had ever passed Unspeakable training when the mere sight of a beautiful woman had her blubbering like a teenage boy in the middle of a crowd of Veelas. Penny was glad at the arrival of the waiter with their food, and at the smell of curry she was able to snap out of it.

“Thank you” She said to the waiter politely, and set to explaining the food on the table.

“This is Shahi Korma. It’s lamb in a cashew curry” She said, pointing at the darker of the dishes.

“And this is the chicken tikka masala. A favorite here in England” She said, pointing at the brighter of the dishes. She didn’t feel the need to point to the rice piled on a dish, as it was self explanatory. Usually she’d order Naan, but they had chapatis left, so she thought it would be a bit too much bread.

“Feel free to eat the curry with rice, or with the chapatis.”

Penny helped herself to some Shahi Korma and some rice, and set to eating. The food was delicious as always, but her head was elsewhere. So far, this random encounter with Nikola had been somewhat of a whirlwind for Penny. For one, she didn’t usually find herself actually engaging with strangers, and no less with wealthy beautiful foreign fashion designers. Who had attended Durmstrang and studied Sigilmancy. And was beautiful, did she mention that? Penny wondered if this was a sign of how her adulthood would look like; talking with interesting beautiful people about all sorts of exotic magics. Well, Penny thought to herself then I guess I like being an adult.

The other girl’s excitement over runes and sigils was something that Nikola could get behind, laughing a little as the girl started going off so fast that she could only make out some of the words. But it was enough, and she could almost understand what the other woman was saying. She knew she got like that when she started speaking about swordplay, or color theory, or how to properly manipulate the seams on clothing to create interesting shapes simply with the lines and folds in the fabric. Being passionate about something was important to Nikola. Edyta had her dragons, Nikola had many things, and Penny was obviously passionate about ancient runes. “Do you get to use runes in your work?” she asked, curriously.

Of course she really didn’t expect the girl to answer, since she’d successfully distracted her with the prospect of seeing her dagger. “When in a city… I wear the dirk only, but my… way to fight, I use a dagger and shortsword. Though I have my wand next to my dagger. I have used both.” she paused. “In duels of course.” in her excitement over, she had nearly slipped up herself. There was no need to alert this sweet girl to the fact that she’d had to defend herself. That would only lead to questions, and Nikola had no intention of sharing that she moonlighted as a black market artifact smuggler. After all, she knew nothing about the girl. What if her parents were Aurors. What if she was an Auror. The girl’s distraction by the dagger hid the German witch’s twitch of the lips at the thought. This girl was far too shy, sweet, and almost delicate. She couldn’t be an Auror. But Nikola prefered her women like that, in any case.

She smiled at the complement, slipping it away as the waiter approached. Though her gaze had definitely drifted downwards as the young woman had leaned closer, catching a hint of lace beneath her shirt. “Yes. thank you.” Nikola echoed, though far more heavily accented. yes thank you for showing up at the exact moment I was-- Nikola chose to end that line of thought. For all she knew, she was reading entirely too much into the situation. And it wasn’t the waiter’s fault. He was doing his job and bringing them the food they’d ordered. Still, it didn’t stop her from swearing inwardly in german as the girl launched into an explanation of the two dishes they had ordered.

“My cousin told me Curry is spicy?” she phrased it as more of a question, a little worried about trying what looked like thick brown paste. Did they grind up the lamb? Or was it just buried underneath. She was sure she would find out eventually, but she at least wanted to know what she was in for when she tried that. So instead, the German witch took one of the small dishes they’d brought as well, and helped herself to some of the rice and a small amount of the Tikka Masala, trying it herself as the other woman began to eat as well. There was a bit of a bite to it, but not too bad, and it was definitely delicious. Penny had certainly not steered her wrong with that choice. The earthiness and the heavy use of spices she couldn’t even begin to name was interesting, creating a complex flavor she wasn’t sure if she could describe. She would definitely have to tell her cousin that not all indian food was overly spicy. Perhaps he would like this one. But her cousin was the last thing on her mind as she looked back up at peggy,  both to continue their fascinating conversation, and enjoy the view across from her.

Penny hadn’t quite bought the other woman’s addition of “in duels of course”. It seemed quite clear by the way she spoke animately about using her dirk and wand that she fought outside of controlled venues. A less observant person might not have noticed, but Unspeakable training included learning body language, so Penny had a pretty good idea that the dirk she had just seen had seen action. Interesting Penny thought to herself. What use could a fashion designer have to fight with wand and blade?

“Yes, in duels only…of course” Penny responded with a wink evident in her voice, and a smile of amusement on her face, indicating that she approved of fighting. Penny didn’t quite know what she approved of, but she left the conversation open for the other woman to either tell her the truth, or not.

Penny smiled at Nikola’s question about curry. Not all curries were made equally spicy, but unfortunately Penny had ordered quite a spicy one, as she had ordered it before Nikola had joined her.

“Yes, some curries are spicy. This one is spicy, but it is worth just tasting. If it is too spicy you can eat some bread, some mint chutney, and drink chai. It will help.” Penny reached over and spooned a little bit of the curry on to Nikola’s plate, making sure to get a nice chunk of lamb for her, and just a little sauce. Of course she had an ulterior motive; to bend over again and be closer to the other woman. Penny was officially Trying to Flirt, but had no idea how.

“For me, Runes are just a hobby” Penny casually answered the question asked of her before. Not truthfully, of course.

“But I am curious; how do you use sigils on clothing? Do different fabrics have different effects?” Penny wondered how much clothing with sigils on them cost. She had never even seen such garments, and knew that in England she would be unlikely to see any.

As the other woman replied, Penny focused on her food. All of the conversation had somewhat dampened Penny’s appetite, and well, she had indulged quite a bit on the chapatis and chutneys earlier in the meal. She didn't eat nearly as much as she usually would, and with a final bite of lamb and chapatis she finished her meal, leaning back and sipping on her cup of hot chai.

Penny relaxed into the comfortable seat, watching Nikola eat. Who knew that watching a woman eat could be so… exciting? For about the tenth time that night Penny wondered if Nikola had been flirting with her. Did she even like women? On one hand Penny was still rather shy with flirting, but on the other hand, she believed that being honest and direct was the only way to get information (and it was truly the only way she knew how to get information).

“So, Nikola; are you married? Or do you have a boyfriend?….” Well, might as be hanged for a sheep as a lamb “…or girlfriend?” Penny could hardly believe herself; a year ago seventh year bookworm Penny would never believe that she was asking a wealthy foreign fashion designer if she fancied girls or not.