middaeg | DiplomaTea | Grand Opening!

Entry tags:

DiplomaTea | Grand Opening! | Mingle Post

Who: Any and all!
When: December 1st.
Where: The Haven.
What: Grand Opening of a new, mirrorbound owned shop!
Warnings: None.

DiplomaTea, a Florist and Tea Shop, is located on a street corner in The Haven. Today is its Grand Opening, complete with festivities to mark the occasion. The shop has a cozy and welcoming atmosphere, though a gothic aesthetic permeates throughout. Skulls, thorns, and lace are in much of the decor.

Above the main entrance hangs a dyed elk skull, decorated with white carnations and tea leaves. Entering leads one to a tidy shop, flower arrangements filling every possible surface. The air within is warm and scented by whichever section one might be in. Even the smells filling the shop are well organized and complimentary.

The floor plan includes plenty of space to walk through and admire the floral displays. Double doors are locked open, leading out to a covered, outdoor porch. Many are sitting to enjoy a cup of tea. The whole shop is pleasantly heated, the porch space a middle ground between the warm interior and cold, rainy streets beyond. A small stage accommodates a single performer with a compact instrument. Live music is playing throughout the opening day. Inside the shop is a long bar to take orders for fresh brewed tea and to make sales.

I. Enchant me by the Mistletoe

Over the door frames and upon the tea tables are a peculiar little plant, wrapped in ribbon. Being near to these cause a certain reaction. It's not so much a compulsion as an idea. An idea to kiss or hold the person nearest to you. Whether platonic or romantically depends on your ideas of them.

If they are a perfect stranger, well, it's likely to fall romantic. The magic is funny like that, keen to fluster!

It is only an idea, lasting so long as one remains near to the mistletoe. Or... until the idea is so indulged. Guests are more than welcome to take the enchanted bundle along with them, the effects should last a couple days. The staff have more on hand to set out in replacement... and magically woven ribbons of their own, which block such ideas from forming in their own minds. They don't need such distractions! It's a busy enough day as it is!

II. Illusory Flowers

A Grand Opening special! Roses and lily flowers with peculiar properties. Everett grows all the flowers stocking the shop himself and his magic mixes with the witch he's bonded to, Sokie. Some of her illusion magic affected this batch, in fun and often times unpredictable ways.

These flowers are still closed, waiting for the right moment to bloom. They are being given away freely, a single flower at a time, both inside and out front of the shop. When they pass hands, the petals open to blossom, and a small illusion springs forth!

Never harmful, but always surprising. Sometimes the illusion is visual, sometimes with a sound or a smell to accompany. Rarely do the aspects seem well matched, fire cracker like eruptions may leave behind the smell of ocean water. Small, ghostly creatures often springing forth, as if born from the flower itself. There's a wide variety that can manifest, even Everett's not sure of all the possibilities.

No matter what it is, it fades from the senses within a minute. All that's left then is a lovely, if ordinary flower.

III. A Springtide Blessing

The shop has much to offer with flower arrangements, but the tea blends are the real centerpiece on display. Everett prides himself on his perfect flavor combinations, which he assures have as much significance to them as any flower. For the grand opening, there are three specialty blends. Blessings of the Springtide, he calls them. All are available for tastings and purchase.

a. Adelheid's Heart

A floral, sweet tea. This is served with lemon and fresh honey, pairing well with tea biscuits. Easy to drink, even for those without a fondness for tea. Refreshing and said to always uplift one's spirits.

b. Enki's Ambition

A sharp, minty tea. Though it is served warm, it leaves a strangely cold feeling when swallowed. Soothing, all the same, and very brisk. Any congestion of the nose or throat is sure to be remedied by a cup of this. The ideal tea when in need of focus and clarity.

c. Ardric's Warmth

This tea is an absolute kick in the teeth. It's harsh and bitter. There's a spice to it that builds on itself, making it more and more difficult to drink in time. The caffeine is highly concentrated, there's no getting to sleep after a cup of this. Everett will reward a free tin of it to anybody who can get down an entire cup in the store. Most people cough or wretch after a single sip, a sure sign that it's been well crafted. It's said to burn out illness and boost one's fortitude against curses.

IV. Warmth in more than Tea

To mark the occasion, there's more than tea blends on offer this day. In two warmed barrels is a bounty of apple cinnamon cider. One with alcohol and one without. The former isn't very high content, just enough to warm the belly and relax with.

This is served throughout the day, but becomes particularly tempting once the sky darkens in the afternoon. Overcast weather settles above the city, then. Rain will begin pattering down over the covered porch come evening, which is bright with lantern light and tea candles set out on the tables.

Grab a seat, if you can, it's the perfect hour to watch people go by or cuddle up with a companion. That or merely pop in to escape the rain, warm up before going the rest of the way home.

All prompts are open to any and all to play around with! The Grand Opening is from morning on the 1st of December well into the night. OOC Questions can be asked on the permanent locations post or Everett can be asked ICly in his TL here. DiplomaTea's permanent open post available through the Location Page is open to anybody who wishes to use the setting in the future. Have fun and tag around!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Nothing to be sorry for, you've been ever the diligent worker. You deserve a rest. [Everett will reach for Wataru, placing his curved fingers beneath the young man's chin, lifting it to inspect his face more clearly at his height.

More fatherly than that, he puts his bare wrist to Wataru's temple, checking his temperature]

A tad warm, but nothing alarming.

[ ... Uh, this is bad! Red alert! Hyper aware that Everett has come closer and is now touching him, Wataru is startled and lets out a shaky gasp. ]

I-I'm fine, just a bit overheated, is all.

[ It's so hard to speak while he's so close to the man who's causing such turbulence in his heart. In fact, his face turns darker shades of red the longer they stay in this position.

Unwittingly, he leans in even closer, urged to do something to Everett, but still holding back with all his might because he can't trust himself not to screw up somehow. ]

[The flustered stammering and leaning further in does catch Everett up to speed. Ah. No ribbon on the young man? That would explain it. Everett can only chuckle softly, pressing a gloved finger to squish against Wataru's lips, playfully tsking.]

Now, now. Did you misplace the bow I gave you?

[ He freezes at the realization that Everett noticed, and the finger on his lips causes some sparks to jolt down his spine. ]

I... lost it?

[ Memories are fuzzy right now. What occupies his mind is just the image of Everett's face, and his lips... ]

And now you've got some funny thoughts in your head, don't you? [he has to tease, especially given Rich did the same thing. Not paying much attention when Everett briefed them over the enchanted mistletoe... and how they would be warded from it, with the uniform ribbons.]

That will fade if I indulge you, be still.

[Everett leans in and it's a quick peck of a kiss, on the cheek!]

[ Regret and embarrassment for his mistake are briefly replaced by pleasant surprise when Everett makes his intention known and leans in, stealing a chaste kiss on his cheek. Wataru had, shamefully, hoped for something more than that, even though he's aware that those feelings have been imbued into him by the plant.

His disappointment is brief, and he tries to chase it away as he takes a step back and slowly covers his steamy red face in both hands, letting out a groan. ]

I'm so sorry...

[The embarrassed display only draws a rather pitiful laugh from Everett. Haha, awww... oh no. He gives the young man a firm pat on the shoulder,]

Wherever could you have misplaced it? In storage? I didn't have many made, unfortunately. I'll need try and find it... or you'll be red faced all the evening long!

I... think I'm not going to get better even if you find the ribbon.

[ The laughter has the effect of mortifying him more, unfortunately. He wants to hide somewhere and calm down. Only positive thing is that he's not straight out hyperventilating. ]

But I went to the restroom at some point, so I think I misplaced it over there...

Oh... I didn't mean to genuinely upset you, my dear. My truest apologies. [Everett's ever earnest and much as he likes to tease, it's only fun if it's not taken too seriously. He wouldn't want to truly mortify the poor young man.

He puts a palm to Wataru's back with a gentle pat and ushers him towards the storage space, where the restroom was anyways.]

Let's get you away from the mistletoe for now. Get off your feet a moment, while I'll go on search for your ribbon.

It's alright...

[ Oof, he's so going to staple that ribbon on his clothes once he finds it again so he won't lose it like a fool. All it took was a bit of distraction and he found himself in such an embarrassing situation with his new boss! Shameful.

He rubs his face, feeling a bit more at ease once he's out of the public view and standing alone with Everett in the storage room. ]

Thank you. I hope it didn't get lost somewhere hard to find.

[ If he accidentally flushed it down the toilet he's going to regret it for the rest of his life probably. ]

Let's see if it's an easy discovery... [the bathroom, he said, so that's the first place Everett will duck into to look. It's not on the sink, but after a quick moment looking around, he spies it. Swiftly, he leans to down to grab it-

Thunk!

.... oh no. He bleats-]

Lad! My lad, a little help! Please!

[he forgot about his horns and... thoroughly lodged on into the cabinet when he went to lean down. He jostles his head a bit, but it's really rather deep into the wood, dug right beside a knot in the grain.]

[ ...

Did he just hear his own boss bleat—

Wataru rushes quickly to the restroom, sees the scene, and... stares for a good half a minute. Everett got stuck just like that and it's only his shame that doesn't let him burst laughing. ]

Ah-... yeah, sorry, I'm here!

[ He finds the ribbon, grabs it and puts it in his pocket for now, then observes the situation. What a time to be alive. ]

What do you want me to do?

I can't see- how it is stuck. Lad. I don't want to crick my neck thrashing my head about. [about the last thing he needs opening day is to throw out his back like a real old man. Especially with his young employees looking to him for something like guidance.

Though, this scene likely doesn't fill Wataru with the most confidence.

... At least it's not Rich. He'd really be laughing. And probably take a picture with his watch. Lets avoid that!]

Mind grabbing the horn and giving it a pull?

[ This poor old man. Wataru can't deny the display is pitiful and not something his boss deserves at all. He bets it would be humiliating if anyone saw Everett like this, so he steels himself and moves closer to the cabinet. His one hand reaches for the horn, then another joins it.

For a moment, Wataru's glad he doesn't have his full strength back. Even just a small lack of attention might have broken that horn off. ]

Alright. [ He decides to set up a warning so Everett can brace. ] A the count of three, I'll pull... One, two, three...!

[ And he pulls, trying really hard to get the horn off its wooden prison. ]

[The count is effective, Everett knows when best to shift his own weight then, pushing himself in the same angle of the pull from Wataru. It's successful in popping the horn from the wedge in the wood, though it does take a small chunk out of the cabinet as it splinters away.

And leaves a rather heavy faun falling backward into poor Wataru. Sorry, he's all dense muscle and his feet don't grand great purchase on the floor, slipping him around like bambi on ice.

Hopefully Wataru left the door open so it's not so suspicious when these two tumble out in a heap together. People here know Everett pretty well, they're going to assume he was getting frisky with his employee day one.......]

[ Really, he should have realized from the first tug that both gravity, imbalance, and a pair of unstable goat feet, would have costed him a big chunk of his air.

A choked up "oof" comes out of Wataru as he hits the floor and Everett lands on top of him. His noodle body instantly shoots up in pain, but his lungs are what got the worst brunt. He coughs a little, dizzy from also hitting his head. Really, oof. It just sucks when he can no longer tank a hit so easily like he did countless times back home.

Yes, fortunately the door was left open. But Wataru is now coughing a bit, rubbing the pained side of his head. ]

... Hn... are you hurt, Everett?

[ Sure, let's worry about your boss while ignoring your own sorry state. ]

Ah, I'm more worried for you, lad! You've hit your head- [Everett is hoisting himself up and around, at least onto his knees. Getting up from there took... a bit more concerted effort with stilts to wrangle. He can be on them a moment while he reaches to pull Wataru to be sat up, patting gingerly through the young witches hair to be sure he didn't crack anything open. Everett's a caring man, accidentally hurting his friend and staff (day one, no less) has him flustered]

Do sit still a moment... catch the breath I knocked out of you.

[ His head is, thankfully, all in one piece. Still, Wataru feels like he can see the entire galaxy when Everett helps him sit up, and he can't stop himself from coughing to catch air.

What a way to start his job here. Day one, and he almost cracked his head open, all because of dumb mistakes. ]

Uh, I'll... be fine, in a minute... a few minutes.

[ He has to correct himself once a sharp pain in the back of his head has him wince. ]

I've honestly gotten worse blows than this one.

I admire your fortitude-! But- I should not be doing any blows to my employees. [Everett... think about how that sounds for two seconds, before you speak.

He doesn't catch it, too flustered with the circumstance to realize innuendo.]

Take a break, my lad. I've made quite a day out of all this, for you.

[ ... In fact, that confuses Wataru more than it hurts his head. Thankfully he's not taking a minute to understand, because he knows that'd make his brain ache worse.

Without realizing, he's grabbing Everett's sleeve. ]

But the day has yet to end, I-...I don't want to take advantage of this situation.

[ It wouldn't be fair for Everett or his other coworkers, since this started off because of his inattention. ]

I'll be more careful in the future, I promise...

Haa, ever dutiful, aren't you? [Everett will pat at Wataru's hand on his sleeve, before finally bracing himself to stand... which takes some help from the surrounding shelving the get him fully onto those tall, tall legs of his. Luckily, it's all very sturdy, adding tipped and entire storage unit onto them would be far too much for one day.

Once he's on his feet, he'll offer a hand to help Wataru back onto his own feet, strong arms able to lift up the young man with ease. Both his hands are there to catch him by the shoulders, being sure he didn't wobbly too dizzily and fall right back down.]

... did we actually get the ribbon, after all that? Between the two of us floundering about like so?

[ Everett is back on his feet, which thankfully aren't tricking him again, so Wataru can also get up with the help of his boss. He winces visibly at another sharp pain in his head, and he still needs a bit of support, but he's not falling. The care Everett is giving him is something he really doesn't think he deserves, after what he had caused.

Speaking of which, he weakly indicates his pocket. ]

I picked it up after you got... stuck. [ In all likeliness Everett doesn't want to recall that again, so it's a quiet mention. ] I'll be sure to wear it again when I resume my duty... again, I'm so sorry.

I should be apologizing far more than you, lad! Losing track of ribbon is one thing. Knocking the wind out of you is another...

[Everett pats the young man's shoulders some more, before reaching to the indicated pocket. He'll pluck the ribbon out and straighten it, before taking Wataru's wrist and looping it around to tie in a bow. A gentle pat there, it should hold just fine.]

Thank you for you help. Take a moment off your feet. Bosses orders, that.

[ Wataru watches submissively, reacting very little when Everett puts his ribbon back in place. He'll remember to make a double knot or glue it to his own skin if necessary.

Another apology tries to make its way past his lips, but he stops it. Not necessary. He needs rest, even if he doesn't want to. ]

Alright. I can't go against that.

[ A somber nod, his eyes downcast. ]

[Everett doesn't like to leave things on somber notes, not one bit. He considers a moment, before snapping his fingers. He'll pick up a bar stool from the storage area and gesture Wataru follow]

I know what to do with you, lad. Get your violin! You can sit on the porch and play. It's a fine hour for music, don't you think? Are you up to playing?

DiplomaTea | Grand Opening! | Mingle Post

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