"Oh, good. I didn't want to have to go out to the alley for a cat anyway." She's laughing now too, all attempts at pretending she was not just being a troll herself abandoned. "Hi, Remy. It's nice to meet you, too. Excuse me for just a minute, okay? I'll get everything together."

She moves down the counter, checking on one patron, picking up a tip left at another seat, and then she starts gathering things. She makes a few quick trips back to where Remy waits, setting down a pot and removing its lid, then bringing over a large glass jar of tea leaves.

"So," she says, glancing up from replacing the lid on the jar and plucking a sand timer from below the counter, "are you new to the city, or have you been here a while?"