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Cafe Fina [Monday]

It was really easy to forget your troubles when you had something to do. Despite the lack of Looking Glass, the lack of Alice and the unfamiliar oysters that seemed to be crawling around, Hatter was in a very good mood today. The little business that he'd taken over seemed to be ready for his grand opening. The dust was gone as most of the leftover decor. In its place, Hatter had gone for color. Lots and lots of color. And they were bright, vivid colors designed to make the walls and floors pop. Hatter had an eye for these things (or so he thought).

The tables and chairs were all done up in a dark, shiny black accented with white napkins and bright flowers. Hatter had installed a chair in one corner for himself (and he really missed his chair from Wonderland) so he could both look out over his new restaurant and have a good view of the kitchen while doing so.

His new pride and joy was a special section designed just for tea. He made sure he was close by said section and that the selections on that menu were all chosen solely by himself. The door to Cafe Fina was open and a sign was placed outside to herald the grand opening and advertise the special teas and foods within.

GRAND REOPENING
Under New Management

Today's Tea Specials
Chocolate Decadence Oolong Tea
Golden Monkey Black Tea
Opus Rouge Rooibos Tea

Cafe Fina was now open for your enjoy!

[And open, of course]

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Enjoy the food or the tea!

Want a more personalized experience? Hatter'll help you out with your tea or food selections. He's very helpful. Or something.

On his way to his office, Hannibal noted the newly opened (and rather creatively decorated) shop, then caught the specials board and raised an eyebrow, surprised and pleased.

He stepped inside and looked around, interested.

Hatter had been conversing in a rather animated way with one of the waiters when he noticed a new arrival. He gave the waiter a gentle nudge towards one of the tables before popping out of his seat and wandering over.

"Hello! Welcome!" Hatter said, touching the brim of his hat in greeting. "Welcome to Cafe Fina. Not sure on the name, though. Sounds a little cutesy but it'll do for now."

"Hello." Hannibal nodded pleasantly at the man. "You're the new owner, then?" He held out his hand. "Doctor Hannibal Lecter. I teach at the school."

"Is that what's going on in that big castle?" Hatter asked, reaching to give Dr. Lecter's hand a shake. "I wasn't quite sure, actually. Glad to hear that there's no king or queen up there."

He had some experience with those.

"And yes, I'm the new owner. Hatter's the name."

"Not so far as I'm aware, no," Hannibal answered. He hadn't met Elsa yet.

"Pleased to meet you. Particularly if you can live up to your promise of Golden Monkey tea," he added with a smile.

Hatter put a hand on his chest and pretended to be oh so offended. He wasn't, really, but he so wasn't used to people doubting his tea.

"I wouldn't put something on the menu that I couldn't live up to," he replied confidently. "If it has my name attached, I wouldn't want to tarnish my reputation just yet. I like to give that a few months."

He winked.

Hannibal chuckled. "I warn you, I'm extremely fussy." Still, despite this man's devil-may-care behavior, Hannibal had a feeling he knew what he was doing.

"Pfft, warnings," Hatter said, waving a hand. "Never take those too seriously. Too dour, too bothersome. Anyway, is that your order? One cup of Golden Monkey, then?"

"Please." Hannibal nodded. "How are you finding the island so far?"

"Bit curious, really," Hatter answered, wandering back behind the counter to start work on Dr. Lecter's tea order. He looked up and shrugged. "Haven't met too many people just yet but this wasn't where I was trying to go, you see. Haven't been able to leave either."

So, he'd just made the best of a weird situation. "It's hot here. Lots of sunshine."

"At the moment, yes. You've missed quite a bad winter." Hannibal eyed him curiously. "Where were you trying to go?"

"Somewhere else," Hatter said vaguely. He looked up and shrugged. "But, what's it matter, right? I found this place and I think I might like it. And no use thinking about lost opportunities."

He did that enough while he was in private.

"What do you teach?" he asked, meticulously working on the tea but doing it effortlessly. "Forgive me, I'm not sure what's even being taught at schools these days."

Fair enough; everybody had their secrets, after all.

"This school is somewhat atypical, in any case," Hannibal answered. "And I teach the finer things in life," he added with a chuckle. "Music Appreciation at the moment; generally, cooking and food appreciation."

"Good things to know," Hatter said with a nod. "Wouldn't have thought impressionable young minds would want to necessarily learn it but guess they don't have a choice, right?"

He smirked widely. "Are they receptive enough to the finer things in life?"

"Some of them quite enjoy it," Hannibal answered. "Some learn to see its value. And some," he noted, grinning back, "are susceptible to bribery with food."

He was under no illusions about why some people took his classes.

"Bribery with food?" Hatter repeated, putting the finishing touches on the tea while he looked up at Dr. Lecter. "Bit different than the bribery I'm used to. That better be some damn good food."

Hannibal raised his eyebrows. "How good is your tea?" he asked pointedly.

It was something of a trick question, as he could smell the quality of it already.

"The bloody best," Hatter said, sliding the cup across to Dr. Lecter and leaning both hands on the counter. "Take a sip and feel free to give me your honest opinion."

Hannibal smiled and picked up the cup. He took a moment just to inhale the aroma before sipping, then closed his eyes to savor the taste.

"Very good," he told Hatter with a small bow. "I would serve this to my friends, and as I said, I am very picky." He took another sip. "With a custard, perhaps, to complement it without being overwhelming."

"The custard is something I can't really help you on though my friends back in the kitchen might be more equipped to handle that," Hatter said, gesturing back towards the kitchen. "But, I'm very glad you like the tea. Not that I doubted you would though it's always nice to be told so."

Hannibal gave him a look. "I'm as confident and proud in my food as you are in your tea."

Then he smiled. "And deserved praise is always good to hear."

Hatter smirked easily at him, leaning a hip against the counter and crossing his arms.

"Seems a shame to keep that sort of talent cooped up on such a tiny little piece of land," Hatter mentioned, glancing around. "Don't get me wrong, it's lovely, but small."

"I could say the same of you," Hannibal noted. "But no, I live in Baltimore and have a practice there. I merely come here to teach."

Okay, he'd bought a place here, but he had yet to make it habitable.

"And I merely came here by accident," Hatter returned with a slight shrug. "Took a wrong turn by the ocean. Should've gone left."

Or something.

"There are worse places to end up," Hannibal told him. "The people here are quite accepting and used to any number of oddities, and the island itself keeps things interesting."

Bada bump.

Looking at the Alice cast list, it looks awesome. But Rotten Tomatoes says 22%... to buy/rent or not to buy/rent?

Ahaha, well I can say that it's definitely not high cinema but I found that it's a lot of fun and an enjoyable popcorn miniseries.

Hey, I'm a Jürgen Prochnow fan. I've watched a LOT of enjoyable pap! :D

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Cafe Fina [Monday]

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