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#Post#: 202--------------------------------------------------
Staffing the Café, Chapter 1 (accepting applications here!)
By: Chance Date: December 5, 2024, 9:42 am
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The mysterious figure of Lucien is known at the café for never
missing a trick. He catches the nuances, never overlooks the
moment... but uses his best judgment to decide when to address
those truths, and when to let them rest.
The dark-haired figure has a feeling, you see... a feeling that
an opportunity is about to present itself. He's not omniscient,
of course, but he misses so little that people assume he knows
it all. He simply has moments of insight more often than most.
It comes from all those years of trying to enlighten the minds
around him, to gently guide them to the place where they can
find the spark of something new that could change their entire
existence.
He surrounds himself with mages of a wide variety, as well as
other supernatural entities who could be considered mostly-human
at the core. The beautiful variety of humanity is what draws
him, sparks his own joy, and gives him his purpose in his
existence. To him, it's always been about the choices, the
moment when those minds make the decision and commit to its
execution.
The moment of Awakening is a coming-to-cosmic-truth decision; a
would-be Mage can always turn his back on the Awakening and
remain asleep. Every sort of supernal being has a moment of
truth, a moment of choice -- come to the other side of the
decision and accept, or turn aside and deny. Even if the moments
after those lead to something... less than wonderful.
He knows a thing or two about choices that lead to dark places,
having been cast out of his own home and life for his decisions
to offer the open hand of knowledge and sight to those with the
potential. Regrets, he's had a few... more than a few, perhaps.
The jukebox switches to a song that suits his melancholy mood,
and he frowns, but leaves it go. An occasional rain is needed to
appreciate the sunshine.
Lucien makes himself a complex coffee drink as he thinks; the
open room of the Cafe is bustling even at this odd hour, but
then, what difference does time make in this place? More kitchen
staff, more floor staff, and some more people to staff up the
bar side of the place are needed. They'll wander in when the
time is right, he's sure, but in the interim, there's a huge
bulletin board toward the front of the place with a HELP WANTED
sign.
He sips, and smiles. The pub/bar side of the place is darkened
and a sound barrier shimmers between the two halves of the room,
keeping the loud bar music in the bar and the quieter sounds
from the jukebox/sound system in the café proper.
Someone like him for the bar would be a good start to his search
-- a friendly soul, someone who'll remember the regulars and can
handle themselves if needed. There will, of course, be bouncers
on hand, but most situations can be de-escalated with the right
words, in his experience. Someone to head up the bar staff,
perhaps?
Good start. Also, kitchen staff, gifted kitchen staff who can
pull together tasty food in the wink of an eye. Wait staff who
are swift and attentive. Other random staffers to help with
managing the boring parts, which Lucien personally hates doing.
Another barista or three.
Maybe some bands to play in the bar occasionally?
Never a dull moment, here. He smiles as a pair of Mages from the
Pacific Rim approach. He assesses, then greets the two in
Tagalog. His hunch was correct, as the two young Filipina Mages
reply with cheerful voices and order drinks. His hands move
swiftly to make the concoctions as he considers the list of
staff he'll need, but smiles, offering a flirty wink to the
elder of the two women and presenting the drinks with a
flourish.
They, in turn, come out with a selection of currency; he winds
up taking a handful of assorted coins from each and tossing them
in the directions of the cash register, where they land in a
suddenly-open drawer. They already have tokens, so no need to
hook them up with them at this point.
The two take their drinks to a table, sharing eager gossip as
they settle in.
Lucien smiles. Humanity hath wrought so much... and there's so
much beauty to find in it, despite the darker parts of these
choices. Where the darkness comes, he always finds a way to
guide the powerful and the highly-competent to deal with it.
There's so much to be said for being a Muse.
#Post#: 231--------------------------------------------------
Re: Staffing the Café, Chapter 1 (accepting applications here!)
By: thesadiecat Date: December 5, 2024, 10:19 pm
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[float=right max=45%][img
width=300]
HTML https://sharedalbums.b-cdn.net/911d012e-908d-4d7b-bcf9-e44eb4dfad7a.jpg?class=display[/img][/float][center]Maddie<br
/>Abbot
I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high and life worth living[/center]
[hr]
Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But there is a night when
the right tale is told, and the right palm is greased, and
finally the right door opens. Lies that are truths are powerful
things. They get me into places that I may not otherwise see,
experience things that I might not otherwise get to touch. And
the magi, oh, the magi are a fruitful bounty of secrets ripe for
the picking, perfect food for the ears and eyes.
See, hanging out with my latest group of magi, snookered into
thinking that I had some fledgeling psychic powers, landed me
the big fish of a rumor… a place, somewhere that is everywhere
and nowhere and anywhere all at once. Where people come and
people go and there is always a story to hear, always a dream to
bloom or a wager to make. A protected rumor.. At least, until I
danced the dreams of a sometimes lover, a friend-with-bennies,
as it were. I saw the door, a secret zealously guarded, an
anywhere place that existed at all points, and no points. Oh,
and how I wanted to be there… So I found the door, and I opened
the door…
And I found a bar… and not-a-bar. I gravitate to the darker
sector, drifting with light grace into the bar. I am what I
seem to be, on the surface: an average-height, green-eyed
red-head. The things that mark me as different are irrelevant.
The Veil hangs around my neck as always, my safeguard against a
world that believes me and mine dead, or insane, or worse. I’m
merely a dreamdancer, a mortal woman. And right now, I’m
looking for a drink.
Sauntering over to the bar, I peer around. I’m immediately
jiving to the music, head bobbing and singing along as I peer
over the bar. Maybe the bartender’s taking a nap on the floor?
Nope. Not at all. Another look around reveals a shimmering
barrier between the rooms. This whole place smells of magic so
deeply that I might sneeze… I can feel it crawling over my bones
if I think too much. Oh, there’s someone behind the counter
over yonder.
He’s dark-haired, dark-eyed and certainly benefit-worthy. He
gets a bright, toothy grin. I see you seeing me, sir! But I
also see the terrible lack of bartenders. I mime taking a drink,
and point at the liquor bottles behind the bar. That point is
followed by two more gestures: my right fist, thumb lifted,
landing on my flat left palm, then both being raised up before
me; and tapping myself in the chest twice with the thumb-side of
a closed fist.. I don’t seem to wait for an answer though..
Bold as brass tacks, am I. In my defense, I did just tell him
that I was going to Help Myself.
I vault over the bar, still grinning madly, while running my
fingers along the bottles to decide what I want. Ooh, gin! And
lime juice in the cooler, and of course, can’t have a gimlet
without bitters! I know I’m being watched, I can’t help
showboating a little bit. I mean, really, doesn’t every little
girl dream of being like Tom Cruise from Cocktail at some point
in their lives? I don’t attempt the behind-the-back bottle
toss, but I do spin them on my palm, dancing and singing along
with the music. In short order, I have a gimlet to enjoy!
But it gets set off to the side, as some poor haggard looking
soul, drenched from rain somewhere (huh, he smells like four day
old newspaper and mushrooms…) slumps into a seat and asks for a
whiskey, neat. For a moment, I look around. No bartender
behind here. No bartender over there. No one even sleeping at a
table that could be a possible bartender. I shrug, and pull a
rocks glass from under the bar.
“You look like you have a story or six to tell, friend. A
burden shared, can be a weight halved.”
#Post#: 233--------------------------------------------------
Re: Staffing the Café, Chapter 1 (accepting applications here!)
By: Chance Date: December 6, 2024, 9:22 am
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Lucien
HTML https://anywhere.infinimata.com/ooc-information/room-host-and-staff/chance/
"There is freedom waiting for you,
On the breezes of the sky,
And you ask, 'What if I fall?'
Oh, but my darling,
What if you fly?"
[float=right
max=45%]
HTML https://anywhere.infinimata.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/lucien325.jpg[/float]
[hr]
There is a moment when the fellow at the opposite bar, one made
for coffee and similar drinks, looks like he's about to
intervene to make her a drink, but Maddie's gestures are clearly
understood. The snackworthy fella from the coffee bar grins at
her, points at her, and then gives her a thumbs-up. In other
words, go for it!
He shoots her a wink as she plays, watching the bottle-tricks
with a mien of singular delight. He seems unremarkably handsome,
except for something about him that sort of screams 'I'm more
than I seem.' Who knows which sense it is that makes him stand
out? There's a faint aroma of something that smells golden and
sacred on the air, a smell her cat-senses cannot name or place,
and then it's gone, whisked away on the nonexistent breeze.
[hr]
The tired-looking man offers her an equally careworn smile, and
sinks into the barstool a little more readily. "You're new," he
says in some sort of mid-European accent, the observation meant
as friendly, from the tone of it. "I just got caught in a
downpour, and I was supposed to present my work to gain my Adept
rank in front of the ranking Magus of my House, and literally
all my materials got caught in the rain and soaked, so I had to
reschedule, and now I have to come up with another four thousand
Euro to buy more reagents for the proof... it's been a bad day."
He sighs and accepts the glass once she presents it, and takes a
grateful swallow. "Thank you, kind lady. I'm Bartholeus. I'll
probably be a regular here, if I make rank. Otherwise, I'm back
to the tutorials again for another year." He groans softly. "My
mater is demanding."
He fishes in his pocket, coming up with a handful of coins, a
mix of Euros and British currency, and puts them down for her,
not heeding how much they come to...
...and come to think of it, how much is a drink here? There's no
sign or anything of the sort. A little searching turns up a menu
of more exotic cocktails offered, including ones infused with
Quintessence, Glamour, or Gnosis.
Bart goes on: "Do they have the Quint-Whiskey twist here that
they had in the Nexus way back when? I was told at one point
that the right Resonance in the Quintessence lends the whiskey a
lovely spicy-spiky taste on the tongue."
A group of 'special' crystal-cut bottles on the top shelf have
homemade labels: Q/Spiky. Q/Smooth. Q/Spicy. Gn/Bloody.
Gn/Spiritual. Gl/Effervescent. Gl/Moody. And more, and more...
the longer she looks, the larger the shelf seems to get, but
when she sticks her hand out, whichever bottle appealed to her
is in her hand.
This place is weird.
The music on the bar-side jukebox shifts to something a bit
moodier, RHCP with "Under the Bridge." On the sound system,
Anthony Kiedis comes forth with "Sometimes I feel like I don't
have a partner, sometimes I feel like my only friend is the city
I live in, the city of angels..."
Bart hums along, offering Maddie a half-smile.
#Post#: 254--------------------------------------------------
Re: Staffing the Café, Chapter 1 (accepting applications here!)
By: thesadiecat Date: December 6, 2024, 8:43 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[float=right max=45%][img
width=300]
HTML https://sharedalbums.b-cdn.net/911d012e-908d-4d7b-bcf9-e44eb4dfad7a.jpg?class=display[/img][/float][center]Maddie<br
/>Abbot
I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high and life worth living[/center]
[hr]
I’m new. Well isn’t that just a dandy observation to have on my
first day on the job. My lips curl into a wicked smile, even as
I toss a casual glance across the room to Tall, Dark and
Mysterious over in the corner. See, this is how you get adopted
by a cat. Really? Don’t people know better than to dangle
tantalizing enigmas in front of us.
“Mmm, I am new. My first day today, so be gentle with me,
please?” It’s practically purred while I pour his drink.
Adept. Magus if my eyes hadn’t been sparkling before they are
now, blue-green facets of fascination. Have I mentioned that I
love the magi before? They are so fascinating with their
structures and rituals and yet, so, very vivacious with the
scope and breadth of their magics. “Oh, that sounds just
disastrous!” But it makes sense now why he smells like wet
mushrooms, doesn’t it? “It is quite a pleasure to meet you,
Bartholeus. They call me Maddie.” There’s so much inherent in
a simple phrase.
I want to pry. I want to ask what his work is, and I want to dig
into his brain and find out what goes on up there. But, I have
to play it cool. Because they never give up information quite
so easily. Instead, I tut softly in sympathy while corralling
the coins he’s laid down. His payment matches his accent at
least. Hmm, I scan the bar, looking for something that
resembles a till, or even a secure box for coin. I know how to
break into most things. But, Hi. Mage Bar. I remind myself not
to tamper with anything that might grow teeth and bite me.
While poking around under the counters: “Demanding can
sometimes be a good thing, you know. Doesn’t she make you want
to strive to be greater, and live up to her expectations?”
Oh! Found a list. There's… oh, I know that word, and that one.
Okay, so I have a menu, now somewhere there’s probably a recipe
book too. I don’t want to distract from my first customer too
much, so I resign to looking for that while doing everything
else.
“Spicy-spikey,” I muse tapping my lower lip with a thumb. In my
initial inspection, I hadn’t paid attention to the top-shelf
liquor. But magic-infused alcohol would certainly be a
top-shelf thing after all! On my tippy-toes, I scan the labels.
And then realize there’s another row behind it, and another row
behind that, and… well, a tesseract of shelves and bottles and
flavors of magic. Yes, magic has flavors, you cannot convince
me otherwise.
Just like Barty here smells like mushrooms, Tall, Dark and
Mysterious across the room there, smells like the first
brilliance of the sunlight. And I don’t mean sunrise, or dawn…
something predating that, even.
“Spiky!” I exclaim as I spot the right bottle label. Reaching
my hand up, I expect to have to stretch or jangle bottles, but
my fingers close around the cool crystal without effort. With
my back turned to Bart, I squeeze my eyes shut and wiggle in
contained, but giddy glee at the development. Putting back on
the cool and collected mask as I turn around, I set the bottle
just to the left of Bart’s slowly emptying rocks glass, keeping
my hand loosely on the glass. The music here is moodier than
the bottles.
“No promises that this is what it had been back in the day… but
we may be able to get closer than you think.”
#Post#: 260--------------------------------------------------
Re: Staffing the Café, Chapter 1 (accepting applications here!)
By: Chance Date: December 7, 2024, 8:36 am
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Perhaps... every place like this needs a resident cat of some
sort to give the place character?
Bart smiles back, unable to help himself from meeting that
wicked little grin with something that is at least an attempt.
"Of course," he says, that plummy, posh English accent taking on
a new sort of indulgence. "And thank you, you've been so
terribly kind. It's been such a disastrous day, indeed. Thank
you, Maddie."
Well, if nothing else, she's made a happier customer... and
learned a little bit about the Magus Bartholeus. His rank, his
situation... all good things to have in mind when you're dealing
with one of the Magi, indeed.
The pub side of the huge room shifts a bit as Maddie looks
toward the bottles or the counter; as she searches for a
cashbox, one appears under the countertop, with a tablet perched
on a small stand nearby to allow her to enter data about the
purchase. The place seems to be adjusting to her expectations or
needs, instinctively, as she pounces upon those moments of need.
Perhaps like so many other Umbral realms, it has a mind of its
own?
"That is true," he agrees, thinking about it as he sips
infinitesimally from the whiskey, just enough for the taste to
spread across his tongue. "If she wasn't demanding, it'd have
taken me twice as long to get to where I am, starting late as I
did. So many of the others at my level are so young, and all of
them making Harry Potter jokes about the whole thing...
sometimes I think they don't give enough gravitas to the
business of world-weaving, but perhaps I need to develop more of
a sense of humor."
He chuckles with that, an ironic but not-unpleasant thing. He
has enough room in his ego to hold a moment of self-examination
without difficulty, at least.
"You found the spiky?" He sounds delighted at this, and as she
presents the bottle to him, he uncaps it just to inhale the
scent. "Oh, my... I must try this." He fishes a bit more for
additional coin and paper money, because Quintessence can't be
cheap, but afterward, a measure of the bottle is poured neatly
into his whiskey, and he gives it the official trial.
His sip brings forth a blink, and his head moves backward a
titch, and then he laughs headily. "Oh! Indeed, that's spiky...
it feels like being licked by a cat-tongue!"
Does he know? No, it seems not... just the kind of observation
one might get from drinking spiky quintessence-laced booze.
"Oh, Maddie, m'lady, you are a genius indeed to have found a
memory that isn't even mine!" He laughs again, and then shifts,
reaching into his other pocket to dig out a solid-gold coin and
place it onto the counter for her. He's an alchemist, it seems,
because the gold is perfect to the eye, unmarked, shining like a
sun against the dark-wood bartop.
"For you, then. Thank you. You've added delight to a disaster of
a day."
#Post#: 275--------------------------------------------------
Re: Staffing the Café, Chapter 1 (accepting applications here!)
By: thesadiecat Date: December 7, 2024, 8:44 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[float=right max=45%][img
width=300]
HTML https://sharedalbums.b-cdn.net/911d012e-908d-4d7b-bcf9-e44eb4dfad7a.jpg?class=display[/img][/float][center]Maddie<br
/>Abbot
I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high and life worth living[/center]
[hr]
I’m doing a good job! Internally, I’m dancing a little jig
about that. Externally, I still want to look calm and cool and
collected. Good bartenders are always that kind of person after
all. More information is filed away… Bart’s an anomaly among
his kind, just like I am among mine. That makes me like him
even more.
Oh! Hey, a thingy just showed up! That wasn’t there a moment
before, but, I am in the Other Place, after all, so I should
expect that. Far be it from me to be disrespectful of the
powers that operate on levels I don’t fully grasp, so I think a
silent thank you out to the bar, while tapping the screen and
finding what I’m looking for.
“I do hope you get to become a regular. Just so I can hear
stories of you showing those punks up.” He gets a wink at that.
I’m wishing him good luck, hoping that he’s able to succeed. I
like people. Of course I want to see him succeed!
While he sips the infused whiskey, I sniff it. Squinting my
eyes, I try to puzzle out what it smells like. There’s whiskey,
yes, but spiky isn’t a smell that I find inside my capacity to
describe. So I sniff the bottle contents again, and then a
third time, while watching Bart’s facial expressions. Oh! It
reminds me of something…. Small and spiky.. Little balls of fun
in fact…
“It smells like a hedgehog, and tastes like being licked by a
cat?” I mock a shudder at that concept. “Mm, I think I’ll pass
on experiencing that one for now.” I laugh with him, because he
is actually and truly delighted by the discovery of the
top-shelf bottles. His dourness has lifted, and despite being
wet, at least he’s enjoying himself. I call that a win. I
mean, I’ve seen what the magi can do when they put their minds
to it, and I’d hate to see what a depressed one could wreak on
the world…
The coin he sets on the counter has me momentarily gobsmacked.
Is that…. gold? Real, actual gold? No.. it can’t be.. Despite
the split-second falter of disbelief and a heartbeat or two of
being tongue-tied, I manage a grateful smile. The coin slides
from the counter into my hand with almost a magician’s flair.
Stepping back a little, I offer him a bow.
“Ah, thank you, Bartholeus! You are far too generous to the
likes of the new girl. I am beyond tickled that you’ve been
able to recover something of the day. Silver linings after
all!”
Oh, man if that coin is real… and that’s the kind of tips I’m
going to get around here? You bet your sweet bippy that I’m
staying!
#Post#: 289--------------------------------------------------
Re: Staffing the Café, Chapter 1 (accepting applications here!)
By: Chance Date: December 8, 2024, 9:56 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Lucien
HTML https://anywhere.infinimata.com/ooc-information/room-host-and-staff/chance/
"There is freedom waiting for you,
On the breezes of the sky,
And you ask, 'What if I fall?'
Oh, but my darling,
What if you fly?"
[float=right
max=45%]
HTML https://anywhere.infinimata.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/lucien-1.jpg[/float]
[hr]
Bart is, indeed, an anomaly -- but that's also how it usually
goes with Mages. They tend to be strong-willed and definite
sorts, even though they are as varied as the creatures beneath
Helios' bright eye. Maddie definitely is fitting in nicely with
this weird-ass place, and for the weird-ass cat-woman, that's
probably a welcome sensation.
Smelling like a hedgehog is not a bad thing, so much; hedgehogs
are tasty, after all, once you get past the spiky bits, and
their innards are tender and juicy, but then, she's not wearing
her fur-forms right now, so likely that sounds less appealing
than it might when she's on four paws.
Bart does laugh again, though, and says, "I have never sniffed a
hedgehog. Zoos don't tend to let you sniff the animals, do they?
Huh." He takes a smell of the special liquor again and relaxes,
cares temporarily chased away.
The coin does, in fact, appear to be real gold; it has the right
sheen, and the right weight, and the right feel to the fingers.
He notes, as she examines the coin, "My specialty is alchemy,"
by way of explanation. "While we can't transmute willy-nilly, I
keep some of it on hand for the sake of commerce among..." he
waves his hand to take in the bar. "The nonstandard places. But
you've helped turn my day around, and given me some good food
for thought, and an experience I'd hoped to someday have, so...
call it even." His smile turns into a full-on grin, and the
mid-thirties man seems boyish in that moment.
He might have said more, but the door opens again, and a group
of three young women dressed in club attire enter; they look
more Goth than Clubkid, but they all seem merry despite funereal
clothes. "I told you the coin would work," one of them, the one
with pink braided locks and rich dark skin, says to the other
two. "I knew this place was back! My mentor told me about the
old place, the Nexus, said the owner back then was a VA named
Taliesyn. Her coin that she gave me turned into this."
The three all seem to be in their early 20s, cheerful, possibly
coming in from a night at another bar. The tallest of the three,
a sharp-featured young woman in a tophat and tails over leather
pants, laughs and sort of bustles all of them over to the bar,
not too far from Bart. They wave affably at the man and then
smile at Maddie with expectant glee.
The first woman says, "Does this place have the same
quint-infused wine as the Nexus did? My mentor told me all about
the best Syrah he'd ever had that was from vineyards in
Australia with Quint from the Dreamtime infused in the grapes."
Lucien is watching in the moment, but he doesn't answer for
Maddie. However, the wine assortment is similar to the 'special'
liqueurs; a large shelf all its own, with endless selections.
The young woman adds, "It was called... um... Didgeridoo
Vineyards. Which is apparently some sort of aboriginal
instrument? A wind instrument, like a pipe of some sort?"
And sure enough, as soon as she says the name, the label
appears, a whimsically-brightly-colored label with a map of
Australia in soft outline under the lettering. It bears the year
2021.
"I was figuring we could split the bottle," she says to the
other two girls, who nod agreement.
As for Lucien? He's just smiling and nodding with approval.
Apparently, he's pleased with the job Maddie's doing all on her
own, because she's a clever cat.
#Post#: 363--------------------------------------------------
Re: Staffing the Café, Chapter 1 (accepting applications here!)
By: thesadiecat Date: December 10, 2024, 9:33 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[float=right max=45%][img
width=300]
HTML https://sharedalbums.b-cdn.net/911d012e-908d-4d7b-bcf9-e44eb4dfad7a.jpg?class=display[/img][/float][center]Maddie<br
/>Abbot
I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high and life worth living[/center]
[hr]
“I had a friend who had a hedgie for a pet. Little bugger was
the cutest little ball of spikes…” I cup my hands slightly to
mimic the size of the hedgehog in question. “It smelled vaguely
like that!” The bottle is indicated. Vaguely medicinal,
vaguely earthy, and vaguely spikey. All good solid smells
really, but so hard to define.
It’s a good reminder that I like making people laugh; I like it
when those around me are feeling good, and comfortable. It’s
not that Bart is drunk, not by a long shot, but he’s relaxing.
As he said, his day has turned around. The coin has my rapt
attention, giving him the opening to explain it a little more.
I wonder, if I were to sniff it, would I be able to scent the
magic it took to create this? I need to resist that urge here.
Maybe later. I turn the coin over in my hands, echoing his
boyish grin. I only have enough time to nod in agreement before
my first customer is joined by three more.
Oh frabjous day! The flit of Lewis Carrol through my mind
happens as I slip the golden coin into my pocket. It’ll bear
further examination later on, of course. I’m exceedingly aware
of its weight in my pocket as that smile stays in place to
welcome the newcomers.
I’m going to have to step up my outfit game, aren’t I? The
music is upbeat and bright, giving me reason to
shuffle-spin-dance away from Bart over to the gleeful trio of
women. “Welcome! Welcome! I’m called Maddie, and it is your
distinct pleasure to be served by the new bartender on staff!”
It’s a joke. I’m joking. But only slightly. It’s fair warning
that I might be a little slower to find what they want… but if
the menu and the register and the Spikey Whiskey were any
indication: the answers will come to me.
“Oooh,” I breathe low as she begins to describe what she’s
looking for. I saw a wine section… down yonder a few steps.
She brings up keyphrases, much like Bart had done. Australia.
Dreamtime. Ah, there’s wine glasses, hung by the stem over by
the shelf of wines! I breeze that way, pausing at the tablet to
toss in the description, one bottle of infused wine.
Quintessence, the stuff of magic, does it taste and smell
different depending on where it’s from? That’s what these girls
are insinuating at least.
Curiouser and curiouser… As I retrieve three wine glasses for
them, a label catches my eye: brilliant yellow with ochres and
reds shot through, patterned like some ancient cave painting.
Purring to myself in contentment, three glasses as clasped in
clever fingers, while the bottle is snagged with my other hand.
One, two, three, the wine glasses clink softly as I set them on
the bar.
“I’m no sommelier, but… does this appear to be what you’re
looking for?” I display the bottle in my hands, making sure the
label is up. As soon as it’s confirmed, much to their delight,
I twist a corkscrew into the cork, before pausing. “Would you
like to do the honors?” I ask curiously of the pink-haired one,
offering her the bottle, neck first. As she takes it, I glance
over and wink at Bart, just because.
“Too bad this place already comes with the name Anywhere,” I
muse thoughtfully, recalling the logo on the tablet. “It could
make a run for being the Garden of Lost Delights…”
#Post#: 384--------------------------------------------------
Re: Staffing the Café, Chapter 1 (accepting applications here!)
By: Chance Date: December 12, 2024, 1:08 pm
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Lucien
HTML https://anywhere.infinimata.com/ooc-information/room-host-and-staff/chance/
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"There is freedom waiting for you,
On the breezes of the sky,
And you ask, 'What if I fall?'
Oh, but my darling,
What if you fly?"
[hr]
"Awww," Bart says, affably, imagining the little creature. "Have
to be careful how you pet them, I imagine, but still. Adorable.
Hrm. I wonder how a hedgehog would work for a Familiar? It would
be a different sort of choice, I think. A lot of mages choose
cats, and cats are clever, but they also don't take well to
being servitors. Lots of bargaining involved. Which is probably
worth it, in the long run, keeps you on your toes..." He's
mostly musing aloud, it seems. "What kind of personality did
your friend's hedgehog have?"
He seems to be sanguine with the arrival of the new trio; he
looks over, watching them with the curiosity of an idle mind.
The ladies, in turn, watch with eager joy as Maddie finds
glasses, and then locates the bottle they were seeking -- just
what the Mentor ordered! Once the bottle id deftly displayed for
the women, the first one nods eagerly. "That has got to be the
right one, it's just like how she described it!"
When presented with the corkscrew, she doesn't hesitate; she
takes it and twists deftly, clearly someone who's used to
opening wine bottles. She beams and makes a show of sniffing the
cork, and then sighs happily and unskewers it from the
corkscrew, offering it around to sniff.
The other two make happy noises as well, their smiles genuine,
and the first woman pours into the glasses, and then says to
Maddie, "Well, you should try it too, even if just a little
taste! Just so you know what it's like if someone asks for a
recommendation, right?"
Or maybe... just because?
She waits for another glass, and pours, then picks up one of the
wine glasses, tilting it to and fro to enjoy the color and the
texture as it moves, and occasionally taking another sniff as it
breathes.
Once she's given it a few minutes to take on the air, she takes
a testing sip and ohhhs contentedly. "Oh, it's so velvety but it
also tastes like desert and dreams, too..." The other two also
dive in, making similarly happy noises -- they must be close
friends, because their joy brings with it in-jokes and
merriment. "Oh, Maddie, I'm Deirdre, this is Chloe and Polly,"
she says, motioning to each of the others. "And you must try it,
it's delightful."
Jonesy
HTML https://anywhere.infinimata.com/ooc-information/room-host-and-staff/chance/jasper-jonesy-jones/
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"People they come together
People they fall apart
No one can stop us now
'Cause we are all made of stars..."
[hr]
[Dex + Stealth, 11d10] Roll: [8, 5, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1]
As they're talking, off to the far end of the bar, there's a
mild bumping sound and an OOF!, and two barstools fall over,
with a sprawled man landing atop them.
He's Native American by the look of him, and he's dressed in
jeans, a leather jacket, and a black t-shirt with a black
t-shirt with an image of a cat destroying a city, labeled
CATZILLA. He looks hapless and forlorn. Apparently he'd been
trying to sneak over, but... that didn't quite work how he
planned. His long hair is splayed over his face, and as he
raises his head, it falls back to reveal strong bones and keen
eyes.
"So... um..." He pushes himself off one of the fallen barstools
and rises awkwardly, wincing. "So, how about a little something
to kill the pain? Ouch."
The three women make sympathetic noises toward the new arrival,
and he offers a lame smile, and a curious glance toward everyone
near the bar, each in turn. Those eyes don't seem to miss
much... except maybe barstools when he's trying to be stealthy.
#Post#: 410--------------------------------------------------
Re: Staffing the Café, Chapter 1 (accepting applications here!)
By: thesadiecat Date: December 13, 2024, 9:18 pm
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[float=right max=45%][img
width=300]
HTML https://sharedalbums.b-cdn.net/0b47b93f-354f-4740-aade-9f6ef2232889.jpg?class=mediumSquare[/img][/float][center]Maddie<br
/>Abbot
I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high and life worth living[/center]
[hr]
“He was a wee timid little thing… scared of his own shadow, but
hella cute. Very food motivated; he was brave if there were
raspberries involved. His name was Oly, as in Roly-Poly Oly.”
There’s a fondness in the way I smile talking about the animal,
a sort of deeper emotion than the indulgent expression I’ve been
flirting with most of the interaction. “I think I’d prefer
myself a cat though. If I could have a familiar… that is.
Independent, no-nonsense, able to let me know when I’m being a
right boob, as it were.” The wink this time is because I can’t
devote myself to Bart alone, now that there’s new faces at the
bar.
It’s a challenge! Ahah!
No actually, not really. It’s just me, floating between
conversations and interactions with the grace of a practiced
dancer. Being cajoled about the wine, I heave a mock sigh.
“Oh, oh, if I must!” The skim of my gaze over to the cafe side
of things, and that scruffy handsome baristo, who I
intentionally assume is the owner or manager, shows no outward
negativity when it comes to the concept of me sampling the
wares.
My gimlet is probably melting by now, but oh well. The novelty
of this infused wine is enough to make me forget the mundane
libations I had my heart set on earlier. A fourth glass is
added to the spread, and a spare portion served for the
bartender. (that’s Me!) I take my queues from the trio,
letting the wine air for a few. Sniffing it, I’m intrigued by
the smell, but fascinated by the reaction of the magi ladies.
Deirdre, Chloe and Polly all seem so absolutely enthralled.
Bart gets a glance, and I give him a little shrug, as if to say
When in Rome… But the first little sip is the reminder that
wine just isn’t for me… it’s simply a preference thing. Wine
always tastes vaguely medicinal to me.. But oh, there are the
desert notes… and they mentioned dreams… But, I don’t get
dreams… I get the fear and agony that exists in the Dreamtime,
the horrors that have gripped Australia for far too long. “Mm,
not dreams, no… dreams are more ephemeral, ever-changing… and
too short-lived. This tastes… ancient.” There’s a better term
that I’m looking for there, but I can’t grasp it. That
inability to grasp it becomes a flinch as the barstools nearby
topple.
All eyes are on the newcomer. Almost automatically, one hand
comes up to touch the silvery chain that disappears beneath my
blouse. Selene’s Veil shrouds me, but… there’s another cat
here. Here in a place for magi. There goes my monopoly on the
secrets of this place. There’s no huff, no indication of
frustration. I was simply startled, and like most women do, put
my hand up in a shock-reaction. I size him up and down a
little, and decide that he looks like a frilly-drink guy.
Something about the more intense ones, the ones with the crazy
eyes… they’re the most unexpected types.
[quote]Int + Carousing 6d10: 9, 6, 4, 4, 2[/quote]
Pondering my options for a moment, I give the wounded one a sly
grin. “Mm, a little something indeed.” Shaker, ice… dark rum,
ooh, there’s Coruba! A little bit of cream of coconut, and a
little bit of orange juice, and a lot of pineapple juice. As
I’m shaking the contents, green eyes gesture to the offending
barstools. “I hope I won’t have to take those out back to have
them disciplined… I haven’t sharpened the axe recently.”
With a flourish, and a garnish of nutmeg… this place will never
cease to amaze me, a duster was right where I expected it to
be…. Our newest patron is presented with a: “Your Painkiller!”
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