asgardmeridiem | [open] ☽ Tea Room Mingling Log

Entry tags:

[open] ☽ Tea Room Mingling Log

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.]]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You're welcome. [ He accepts the gratitude gracefully, no pretense of being too humble to take it. He watches her smile closely, his blue eyes appearing somehow clearer as he stares. ]

I felt the other melodies were too sad. You deserved something happier. More loving.

[She makes a soft noise of surprise, and for a moment, she's speechless. It's frustrating, because she's supposed to be able to accept things like this from any number of suitors with a gracious smile, then crush it in her hands. How many engagement rings had she taken with a smile, then dropped right in front of them as they knelt before her? She can think of any number of things to say, but they just don't seem genuine.

Her fingers tighten slightly around the box, but she smiles, shyly]

I'm really glad that you think so.

[wow that sounds lame, and she realizes it, so she gets a little flustered. she should have just gone with one of her stock phrases to sound cooler and more elegant!!]

It really means a lot!

[ He bows his head, in a halfhearted attempt to hide how soft his smile became at her sudden inarticulacy. ]

Would you sing for me tonight?

[Oh, this is a better conversation topic! Her grip on the music box relaxes, and she sets it in her lap, though she still keeps her hands on it.]

Of course. Is there anything in particular you'd like?

[ Without pause! ]

La Marseillaise. I believe your voice could hit such strong, passionate notes for it. I know it's an odd choice, and that you'd probably prefer an opera ballad, but ... my heart is quite the historian, you see.

[She's surprised by the choice, but she nods]

It is odd, but of course. Mm, it's really been a long time since I've sung anything like that...

[She looks thoughtful, as she tries to recall, but then remembers with a laugh]

My, it had to have been Horst-Wessel-Lied, but that's pretty much the opposite, isn't it? Ah, but I'll do my best. Definitely better than Horst-Wessel-Lied, since I was only singing it at a party.

How much experience you've had. [ He says it more to himself, musing softly as he wonders how terrifying it must have been for people to meet their ends at her hands (or teeth). That image of the decapitation can't leave him. He wants to see it in action. ]

You must dance, right?

[Brightly,] Of course. Court dancing is what I'm best at, since Grigori made me practice it a lot, but...

[She trails off lightly, because she's so used to saying something like "I'm sure I'll know any dance that you do," but Johan is a bit more cultured than most people she dances with. Her pause is brief, since the thought pleases her.] I'm good at most kind of dance.

Hmm. We need to find a nice ballroom, then. One that's accessible to us. Wouldn't you agree? [ Oh yes. Has been to fancy social events since he was fifteen, and is quite practiced in all of that boring high society stuff. ]

[She nods, and her tone becomes warmer]

Yes, that would be lovely. It was fun, going to the ball they had here a while ago, but... [She laughs a little, remembering] That was a busy day for me, you can imagine.

Leave it up to me to find a suitable place, then.

[Her head bows lightly, and her eyes turn, briefly, to the music box in her lap. Her fingers run over the wood, and she laughs slightly. Because, really, how could she have imagined a scene like this before? Or, no, she could have imagined it. But to have it take place, that seemed impossible.

It was surreal. This was what it felt like to be loved, she was sure.

Diva's eyes return to his after that brief look away, and she nods again.]

I'd love that. I can't think of anyone that I'd like to dance with more.

[ He leans back in his seat a bit, glancing from one side of the shop to the other shiftily before he turns his attention back to Diva.

And begins to text something to her communication device. Yes, he's texting...

like a bf ]

There are other matters I would like to discuss with you, but I suspect we have an eavesdropper.

[How rude! Texting at the table, gosh!! Except no, she's not thinking that at all, she's just happy with being generally around him.

She's surprised to get the notification of a message in her inbox, and similarly not thinking much of it, checks it. Her eyebrows raise lightly in surprise, but otherwise her face stays even as she quickly texts him back.]

Well, we can leave. It's not a big deal, right?

[ Johan nods his head, looking more serious-minded as he brings himself to stand. He smooths his coat out and lifts his chin, taking his time to adjust his tie and push his seat back in, before he offers his hand to Diva. ]

[As he collects himself, she collects her two books and the music box, neatly holding it all in one hand so that she can delicately take his when he offers it. Yes, she totally expected him to do this, because any gentleman would, duh.]

Thank you, Johan.

[And once she stands, she's able to resist the urge from immediately latching onto his arm, since... Well, that would say too much to the eavesdropper that he was worried about. But she'll at least engage in idle chatter until they're outside.]

Ah, you know, I'm happy that the weather has been getting nicer. Winter is my least favorite season, so I'm really looking forward to it getting warm again.

[ His fingers furl delicately over hers as he takes a look around outside of the tea shop, smiling in agreement at her words. ]

My sentiments are similar. I've always preferred spring and fall, myself. [ He was so used to weather talk. He should abhor it by now, but it had always been so useful in lulling others a false sense of the mundane, not knowing just who they were interacting with. He doesn't stop when they're out the door, though (which he totes held open for her), instead continuing to lead her away from the tea shop. ]

There's someone I'd like you to meet.

I've always preferred summer, myself.

[And unlike most weather talk, there's a story behind why. When you spend your time locked up in a cold, stone room with burlap as your only cover from the elements, any warmth the weather provided was a great relief. Compared to the months of huddling in on herself with the burlap clutched as tightly to her skin as possible in winter, summer was a great relief, and even comfortable. It was a sentiment that hardly applied anymore, but it was one that had been somewhat ingrained.

She would have been glad to tell him the story, but of course, her curiosity completely overrides it. Once they're a bit farther from the tea shop, she clings more to him, looking up to meet his eyes.]

Ah, really? Who?

[ His eyes glide over to chance a glance at Diva, and his voice catches in waiting as he takes in the visible enjoyment she's experiencing to go along with what seemed to be, on the surface, inane statements during that weather talk. Johan searches her expression for traces of humanity, but also what lacks in it about her appearance, and wonders if a person like her can truly find happiness. Although he had secured an attachment from her, he wasn't quite sure if she could recognize whether she was truly fulfilled or not. Did she even have a frame of reference to judge that on?

The silence on his end lasts only for a moment, as they begin crossing the street. He looks ahead to prevent his glance from outright becoming a staring problem. ]

It's a child that I often read to. Now, she's going through quite a lot recently [ I put her through it ], so she might be a bit shy.

[Even if he had ended up staring, it wasn't as if she would have minded at all. She would have just interpreted it as a loving gesture, a sign of admiration. After all, she was used to stares. Whether it was her Chevalier or just people she passed by, she relished in the attention nonetheless.

Her eyebrows raise slightly, and she doesn't even realize it, but she grips his arm a little bit more tightly.]

Ahh, that's too bad. What is it that she's going through? [There's only a slight pause before she continues] But it'll be fine. I'm really good with children, surprisingly, I guess.

I had a feeling you would be. [ He slows to a stop when they hit the other side of the street, turning to face Diva and place a hand on her shoulder. His other hand still holds hers, gently lifting it to press a soft kiss against her fingers, before lowering it beneath his chin. ]

Her Mother has recently awoken from her illness. But, you see, her Mother is quite unkind to her. She doesn't seem to love her. Perhaps she never wanted her.

[Her expression stays just as cool and even at the affectionate gesture, but her heart races. It was still so strange to her that he could manage to do that, because it wasn't anything new. Hardly, considering it this was the gesture that her Chevalier often used to greet her. Diva just focuses on his words instead of how much the gesture means to her as an attempt to push the reaction away.]

How sad. [Diva's head tilts slightly, but she really doesn't sound that sad at all.] Being unwanted, that's really the worst thing. No wonder she's having a rough time.

[ Their hands drift down between them, entwined, as Johan begins to walk backwards with a sympathetic look. ] It really is. Do you think it's better to be dead, in some cases?

[ His other hand rests at the lamp post once they're fully across the street, and he gives a glance of discretion over at the tea shop, before a gentle tug will pull Diva close in towards his chest. ]

[Diva is more than happy to step closer, and probably would have gotten slightly flustered, if not for their topic of conversation. It was one thing, after all, for her to desire that closeness and initiate it herself, but him doing so was a reminder that her feelings were returned.]

Well, of course. Who would want to suffer like that?

To wake up alone. You see, she's been expressing the strangest wish, Diva. [ He wraps an arm around her waist, to bring her in almost flush against him; the movement seems to come naturally to him, in stark contrast to how often he avoids touch at all costs. ]

She seems to regret waking up. [ He seems to be searching her eyes for an answer. ]

She used to be quite talkative, but I think my stories have upset her.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

wth I didn't get a notif for this >:I

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject