[open] ☽ Tea Room Mingling Log

[judgmental]

Who: Anyone who'd like tea or company.
What: An open mingling log.
When: In the days shortly after Baldr's post
Where: the Hrafn Tea Room (in Odin District, near the library)
Rating: Likely G, but PG at most?


The Hrafn Tea Room's design is simple and shows its owner's taste for blues, greens, and grays. It's only here and there that the warmer color of Odin district shows itself in brief glimmers, such as on the aprons of the staff. Most of said staff are natives, but they have rather more color than most. Perhaps it's Yuri's influence, but like him, they are also quite polite, prompt, and dedicated to their jobs. They are welcoming in manner without being overly cheerful.

Located so close to the library, the tea room is very friendly to readers. Off the main seating area is a separate, quieter reading room, with many comfortable chairs for the use of those who wish to read or study in relative peace and silence.

There is a hand-lettered sign in the window that reads "Help Wanted", in neat, elegant script.

The proprietor himself can be found at a table at times, sitting alone more often than not, thoughtfully enjoying one of his own blends and perhaps a book.

[[ooc: Open for all to linger and mingle, to relax after recent troubles. Anyone in search of employment need only approach the counter and ask for the owner, and he shall appear. If you'd like to have a closed thread with someone, no problem! Just mark it as such.]]

Comments

[madamemoiselle]

[She looks at his hands, judgin'. Because seriously, have some table manners, gosh!]

...Well, I guess that one doesn't really have a season. People eat that all the time, you're right. But some things kind of do, I guess is my point.

[hotshit]

[He gets a beat goin here, FUCK YOU DIVA.]

That's pretty human of you.

[madamemoiselle]

[o...mg... she is going to like stab in the hand with a fork

except not really because Claire is a godmod, but she is glaring at his hands, even if she still sounds pretty lightly interested]

Is it? I'd never thought about it much. But I mean, I've lived in a human's world my whole life, so of course some things about me are pretty human, right? I... can appreciate things they do. Like opera, naturally.

[hotshit]

Opera? [THinks: That's lame.] Isn't that lame? [Oh, yeah, he always says what he thinks aloud. At least his hands have stopped drumming against the table.]

[madamemoiselle]

What?! No, it's not lame!

[You would think you'd just called her fat or something with how offended she is.]

Opera is beautiful! It's the most difficult kind of singing there is, because it requires so much practice and technical ability! You can't just learn how to sing opera, like those amateurs who have been singing on the network, you really have to be born with the talent!

[Rude and passionate! A new combo for her! But she kind of realizes how loudly she was talking, so her voice softens, though she's definitely still upset]

I've practiced every day, for as long as I can remember. You can't just insult it like that...

[hotshit]

Talent? There's no such thing as talent. [Of course, Claire picks the topic of interest that relates most to him. He gives a shrug.] Some learn easier than others, but that doesn't prove anything about natural skill. If you want somethin' you gotta work towards it, through practice and knowledge. Nothin' falls into your lap just like that. There's nothing special about you that separates you from anybody else, besides not bein' human. What separates your skill from the skill of others is the fact that you worked hard to achieve that ability.

[The waiter sets his cup of tea down!] Though, I gotta agree with ya, that opera is definitely a lot more fancy than any other type of genre. Which is exactly why it's not my cup of tea. I prefer listening to words I can understand, you know?

[madamemoiselle]

[She frowns as he explains, because she completely disagrees. Honestly, she would probably be alright with the explanation if not for how she came to learn opera, but she feels very strongly that she couldn't have been able to sing so well without formal training without talent. But she doesn't really want to tell that story or care enough to argue, so she'll just go with his second point.]

I guess that part's fair. A lot of it is lost if you don't know the story. But, really, people should learn more languages. I know more languages than most humans do, and that's just strange.

[She sighs softly] But that's why a lot of operas have a summary, at least, nowadays. I heard of one that even gave the full libretto with a performance, but I thought that was a little too much... I'd actually really like to perform here, but it's kind of like you said. No one is really interested anymore!

[hotshit]

Maybe people don't listen to opera because it's not available to 'em! I know I've never had any particular interest in it for that reason; I'm a jazz kinda guy. [He takes a sip of his tea and makes a face... he doesn't like it!]

[madamemoiselle]

Ah. Well, jazz is nice too.

[She looks a little surprised, but at least she's less huffy. She'll just take another sip of her tea to get... even less huffy]

I don't really have a voice that's well suited to it, but I listened to it a lot when I was in Germany. American music is pretty nice, actually. I thought I would hate it when I listened to it for the first time, but it's not bad at all.

[hotshit]

[Sliding his cup away from himself, he waves to the waiter again.]

I'd say! I haven't listened to much foreign music, aside from French, but what's not to love about Jazz and blues?

What makes you think you don't have the voice for it, by the way? Too smooth of a singer or somethin'? [Claire makes a concentrated face as the waiter waits for his order. He's not sure what he should get! He still wants to try something new.]

[madamemoiselle]

It's too high. I'm a mezzo or spinto soprano, and I can sing dramatic coloratura if I practice the part for a few days. F is about the top of my range, but I've hit G a few times. It's hard, though.

[She shrugs, like this is just common knowledge, though she is looking at his discarded peppermint tea now...]

Jazz is usually an alto part, and sometimes really deep! Without manipulating my vocal cords, it's out of my range.

[hotshit]

Um... Diva could I get a suggestion over here? [He waves a hand, gesturing to the waiter.] You'll have to show me what these notes are, by the way, since I got no idea what you're talkin' about!

[madamemoiselle]

[She sighs, exasperated]

Why are you asking me? You know I can only taste strawberry and peppermint out of anything.

[She nods to the waiter] Ask him.

[hotshit]

Ah... somethin' spicy, then! [The waiter nods and leaves...] Ah...? He didn't even say what he was gonna bring back!

[madamemoiselle]

Well, I guess it'll be a surprise, won't it? It seems like you'd like that.

[She sits back, looking at him doubtfully]

...Do you really want to hear the notes? I won't be able to do G, but I can get to F.

[hotshit]

I suppose so... and yeah, let's hear! [HE DOES A DRUMROLL ON THE TABLE. Enthusiastic!]

[madamemoiselle]

[The drumroll actually makes her laugh, but it allows her to straighten to a perfect posture, including positioning her hands elegantly. There's a few moments of silence, because she's imagining the music, but then she goes through an altissimo with the impressive high note, her hands clearly expressing with the notes

It makes a few people stare over at their table, but she is completely oblivious, and just looks at him with her frown returning, the stage smile now gone.]

That was the high F. Anything above that I really need to practice for.

[hotshit]

[Claire watches her hit that note with this sort of face! He blinks rapidly...]

Ah... Wow!! [He perks up after a moment, throwing his hands up into the air.] You mean you can go higher?! Why don't you start practising, then? You don't wanna get rusty, after all!

[madamemoiselle]

It's not a matter of getting rusty or anything. It's just something you really have to practice and prepare for, because hitting a note like that, it takes a lot of power and control. If I were actually performing, I'd be acting too, so it's a little complicated...

[But she's actually kind of curious/hates to be called rusty, so she stands for a better posture]

But I am not rusty.

[It's really only then that she acknowledges the fact that there is... anyone else there at all, and she bows with that stage smile before she just sings the highest part of the aria, though she does immediately plop back down in the chair so that she can catch her breath. Diva, acting like a diva? who would have guessed.]

...There! G6.

[hotshit]

[THIS FACE.]

[madamemoiselle]

[She takes another sip of the tea, which finishes it off, but then sighs heavily]

That was pretty bad, though. There was too much vibrato... When I really practice, it comes out much clearer. [She also has ridiculously high standards for herself, but, well. She purses her lips as she looks at him, and... without asking takes his peppermint tea for herself. lmao.]

But the technical aspects are boring. You should hear a whole aria! Hey, they're what's really impressive.

[hotshit]

Ahh, are you kiddin' me? If I tried to scream that loud, my voice woulda cracked immediately. [He taps at his throat in a gesture.]

I always thought I was a pretty okay singer, too!

[madamemoiselle]

[scream...]

Well, that was my point. Even a good singer can't just pick up opera. You have to be talented! Or, since you don't believe in that, you have to be really well taught.

[hotshit]

If I wanted to, I could learn and be good at it! [The waiter sets down another cup of tea. It's Chai! Claire takes a sip...]

[madamemoiselle]

[Her expression actually softens somewhat, since the idea of having a tenor to sing with regularly is pretty nice...

But then she remembers that she actually did hear him sing, and all of her romanticized ideas fade away. She frowns again, shaking her head.]

In a hundred years, maybe.