Cafe Fina [Monday Afternoon]

[teashopconman.livejournal.com]

Today, Hatter was slightly distracted by looking through a catalog full of horribly looking furniture. His apartment had come with some furnishings but they were all so dull and boring that he'd finally gotten around to looking replacements. It wasn't going well. Everything was just too homely or too yawn inducing. He literally thought he might fall asleep if he saw one more floral patterned chair. That or he'd burn the catalog.

TODAY'S SPECIALS
Zingiber Ginger Coconut Tea
Blood Orange Sorbet Oolong Tea
Matcha Japanese Green Tea

"Bloody hell, is everyone on this planet completely and utterly daft and dull?" Hatter muttered to himself, shaking his head. "I figured an oyster could do better than this."

The wait staff left Hatter alone to his muttering and his browsing. Nothing had been set on fire. Yet.

Comments

Mod Your Service [CF 07/07]

[teashopconman.livejournal.com]

If you'd rather avoid the muttering madman, feel free!

Hatter [CF 07/07]

[teashopconman.livejournal.com]

The hat wearing madman is in and will gladly talk with you!

Re: Hatter [CF 07/07]

[begmetwice.livejournal.com]

"What're you reading that for?" was Irene's greeting when she wandered in. She hadn't known that this was his restaurant, of course, but there was interesting tea advertised, and she needed a break from her own shop.

Her phone was persistently dinging in her handbag every couple moments, though, since her phallus-shaped-edible-goods vendor was still trying to get a commitment out of her, but Irene was ignoring it. Best to leave him on the hook for awhile longer.

Re: Hatter [CF 07/07]

[teashopconman.livejournal.com]

"I am making a rather futile attempt at furnishing my apartment," Hatter said, peering up at her from over the catalog. "It's not going well but this -- "

He held up the catalog again and gave it a shake. " -- rubbish is what the staff could find me when I asked about furnishings. I think I'd rather live in a tent then buy anything in here."

After his little tirade, he did finally hear the noise coming from her handbag and he gave it an amused look. "Busy woman, aren't we?"

Re: Hatter [CF 07/07]

[begmetwice.livejournal.com]

"Of course you're not going to find anything in there," Irene said, wrinkling her nose at the catalog. "Who even orders things via catalog anymore? It's the twenty-first century, you know."

Her phone dinged again helpfully as a reminder of that fact, and Irene pulled it out to switch it to vibrate. "I have to keep myself entertained somehow," she added, slanting a look at him as she did so.

Re: Hatter [CF 07/07]

[teashopconman.livejournal.com]

"I hadn't noticed that at all," Hatter said, pushing himself to his feet so he could toss the catalog in the wastebasket. "I feel much better."

He dusted his hands off and then shook them out. "But back to my problem," he continued on, holding up a finger, "of furnishing my apartment. I'm not exactly from the area so a catalog was the best I could come up with. My staff wasn't exactly helpful."

Said staff were now making themselves scarce so Hatter couldn't really glare at anyone to drive that point home.

Re: Hatter [CF 07/07]

[begmetwice.livejournal.com]

Irene was clearly trying not to laugh and doing a poor job of it. "Have you tried the internet?" she suggested mildly. "You can find anything there. Even non-boring furniture. 'Course, then you have to trust that it's quality, since you never see it in person first, but that's also the woe of the catalogs of yore and you don't seem to object to that."

Re: Hatter [CF 07/07]

[teashopconman.livejournal.com]

"Are you laughing at me?" No, she wasn't but he could tell she wanted to. "Are you laughing at my predicament? That's bloody unkind, isn't it?"

And he really didn't care. "What would you do if I decided to laugh at you? Shoe on the other foot sort of thing."

Re: Hatter [CF 07/07]

[begmetwice.livejournal.com]

"I haven't done anything befitting laughter," Irene pointed out. "But if I did, and you laughed, I'd probably laugh with you."

Not necessarily true, but she did try to keep a good sense of humor about herself.

"And I'm laughing less at your predicament and more at the sense of fear you seem to have inspired thanks to it," she added, glancing around. "What staff?"

Re: Hatter [CF 07/07]

[teashopconman.livejournal.com]

"They're in the back, I would assume," he said, pointing to the curiously quiet kitchen area. "And if they're back there, they'd better be prepping today's specials."

He gave the kitchen one last glare before he glanced back at her. "It's very hard to find good help these days, isn't it?"

Re: Hatter [CF 07/07]

[begmetwice.livejournal.com]

"Don't I know it," Irene sighed. "If you want anything done correctly, it simply has to be done yourself. At least, that's how it's always been for me."

It was easy, when you worked on your own almost entirely.

"Did your flat come furnished, at least?" she checked, because that whole problem still amused her. "Or have you been sleeping on the floor like some sort of sad little Dickensian transient?"

Re: Hatter [CF 07/07]

[teashopconman.livejournal.com]

"Please, I'm not that lowly," Hatter said, tilting his hat back a bit and smirking as he did. "I've at least been able to make myself a little nest of borrowed blankets and pillows that I've managed to pick up from a local donation bin."

That wasn't the truth at all. "Every morning I wake up cold and hungry. Sing a sad song for me, will you?"

Re: Hatter [CF 07/07]

[begmetwice.livejournal.com]

"I will," Irene told him solemnly. "I shall sing it from the comfort of my very nice bed and it will be all about how sad I am that you don't know how to shop for furniture properly."

She raised a brow. "There's an IKEA near here, you know. You could always try there." Not that she would, thank you. Ew, IKEA.

Re: Hatter [CF 07/07]

[sharp_as_knives]

"Good afternoon." Hannibal came in today with a smallish leather bag and a smile. "How is the matcha today?"

Re: Hatter [CF 07/07]

[teashopconman.livejournal.com]

"It's excellent of course," Hatter said, rising from his seat to greet Hannibal. "I made it. I don't let the staff touch the teas. Far too delicate a process."

Re: Hatter [CF 07/07]

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal smiled back. "If you would care to join me for a cup, I thought I might share a bit of my own labors with you." He held up the bag.

Re: Hatter [CF 07/07]

[teashopconman.livejournal.com]

"Ah, you've convinced me to actually do some work," Hatter joked, gesturing Hannibal to a nearby table before going around the counter so he could get started on the tea. "What have you got there?"

Re: Hatter [CF 07/07]

[sharp_as_knives]

"Well, I've had the benefit of your tea several times now," Hannibal answered, unpacking the food, "but it occurred to me that you haven't yet had the pleasure of my food."

He set it out neatly, presentation as important as taste. "Please," he waved Hatter towards it, "join me."

Re: Hatter [CF 07/07]

[teashopconman.livejournal.com]

"You definitely do not have to try and convince me any further than showing me your food," Hatter joked, finishing up the tea quickly though without rushing. He didn't want to ruin anything there.

Once done, he slid a mug towards Hannibal and then sat down, settling his own mug down. "I haven't seen food presented so well in a long time."

[Apologies, I passed out unexpectedly last night!]

Re: Hatter [CF 07/07]

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal toasted him with his mug before taking an appreciative sip. "I believe food is an art form, and I take great pride in my art." He set out tiny shellfish forks and smiled. "You will have to let me know what you think."

[np! SP is always love! :) And here is the recipe, if you want to know what Hatter's eating, though Hannibal isn't about to tell him yet. LOL]

Re: Hatter [CF 07/07]

[teashopconman.livejournal.com]

"Taking pride in one's work is a sign of confidence," Hatter said, taking a sip of his tea before reaching for some of the food. "I'd never eat at a place where the chef doesn't stand before his work."

Re: Hatter [CF 07/07]

[sharp_as_knives]

"A wise attitude to take," Hannibal answered. "And I never feed anybody anything I wouldn't want to eat myself."

Except for flamingos, but that had been an accident.

Re: Hatter [CF 07/07]

[teashopconman.livejournal.com]

"Good man," Hatter said, nodding and taking a bite of what Hannibal had brought with him. It was spicy but not overly. The taste was immense and like nothing he'd ever had before. "Oh my, where have you been all my life?"

It was just that good.

Re: Hatter [CF 07/07]

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal chuckled. "I take it you approve?" He ate one himself, following it with the tea, which made an unexpected but interesting accompaniment.

OOC [CF 07/07]

[teashopconman.livejournal.com]

Hello.