Zeke looked into his cup of coffee.  The biscotti bobbed at the surface, starting to dissociate into several pieces.  [color=8882be]"Oh, no, it's fine,"[/color] he brushed crumbs and liquid off the card.  He would have to throw it away.  [color=8882be]"The biscotti will just be a little soggy, that's all."[/color]

Putting away his cards and drawing pen to avoid further damage, he introduced himself, glancing between the two.  [color=8882be]"I'm Zeke, by the way."[/color]  He appreciated that Alex spoke a bit louder, so he didn't have to dispel the circle.  This place was unbearable without some kind of noise suppression.

He took a sip of his biscuit-espresso, looking toward the dracon.  She seemed unbearably anxious, so he gave her a polite smile.  Zeke hadn't really paid attention before, what with his all-absorbing black hole of a math textbook, but she seemed nice enough.  When the waitress she'd flagged arrived at their table, he requested a napkin for his spilt coffee to save the poor dracon the embarrassment of explaining that she would no longer be ordering a meal.  Why did she offer to buy an entrée for a stranger?  That was a bit excessive.

He turned to Alex, nodding at his lightly charred jacket.  [color=8882be]"What do you do for a living?"[/color]