[01] A Day at the Cafe -- Open Mingle

[sociallyarcward]

Who: John Miles (Jaune) and/or WHOEVER
When: May 14 [day]
Where: The Blue French Horn Cafe
What: Open Mingle for anyone wanting a place to do an open mingle for in person interactions! Doesn't even have to be with John/Jaune unless you want to -- maybe let me know if you're wanting him specifically. Feel free to set up threads between other characters. Hoping to establish this as a cool hang out |Db


Option 1 - Breakfast/Brunch Crowd
The Blue French Horn was usually a busy breakfast and lunch destination, but Sunday seemed to be even busier than usual. John was in charge of opening today, so if you got there between 6:30 AM and noon, John probably wouldn't have much time to socialize. He had to take orders and bus tables, running plates of their famous beignets or cups of coffee to various patrons. If he saw a familiar face he'd stop by to chat, but otherwise he let the customers have their conversations and hope that staying busy would keep his mind off of the app.

This proved difficult as it insisted on beeping at him occasionally if he didn't check it between rushing from table to table. Normally his mom (the owner and manager of the restaurant) would scold him for having his phone make so much noise, but strangely enough she never said anything. He didn't have time to ask, nor did he really want to draw attention to it. Maybe his mom was preoccupied with her own work. Whatever the case, feel free to take a seat and John will be by to take your order shortly!

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Option 2 - Lunch/Dinner Crowd
A little later, around 1 PM John is out of his uniform and slumped at a back table. He's exhausted from his morning shift -- but he has some homework to finish up before tomorrow. Not to mention eat some lunch of his own, check his phone, and just relax for a second. The restaurant is still experiencing its lunch rush (or at least the end of it), but now you won't get John as a server. That doesn't mean he won't say hello to a familiar customer or face though. He should start pulling out books, but instead he pulls out his phone. A familiar orange app greets him as usual and he takes a few minutes to check what's been going on.

He won't be on his phone the entire time though, you might also catch him at his homework, though honestly he doesn't want to spend his whole day at the cafe and will probably head out around 2 pm to get some fresh air.

Comments

[probablynoteren]

It's considerably busier than when Haruka came in, though he hadn't noticed that, either in his morning stupor; else he would have been a bit more conscientious about deadeyeing his coffee for so long. But what's done is done: he ends up nearly jumping out of his skin when Michelle's books land in front of him, but luckily for both parties and the books, he, the coffee and the table all successfully stay upright.

Haruka blinks a bit bemusedly at the books that have magically appeared on his table, and half-expects to see John himself at the other end -- except for, you know, belatedly registering that the voice was female. And that he's still not all that far away from dunking himself like a donut.

"Ah... Thanks. I didn't think it'd be this hard to stay awake." He's as much of a morning person as a high schooler can be, but the whole fiasco with that strange app and its side-effects had kept him up longer than would have been advisable on a regular Saturday. He'd been tempted to sleep in, but... slacking off this close to the blossom festival wouldn't be a good call. He gently nudges his cup a little further in. Just in case.

[1in_perfection]

"We're closing in on the end of the school year. I think it's to be expected that fatigue is a constant companion." Michelle answers... and perhaps scoots her books off a bit to the side. now that they've done the task of waking her booth neighbor up. No point in tempting fate, and nearby coffee cups with toppling over.

"Granted, I'm having a difficult time placing you, without the uniform. But... I believe odds are, we attend the same academy." She finds herself saying, and quietly marvels in the back of her head at how easy socializing is, for it being this early in the morning. Maybe the amount of time she's spent puzzling over her own phone app has worn down the more cautious sides of her personality.

Or maybe it's just the prospect of receiving beignets. She doesn't hesitate to put in an order for them, once one of the staff drops by the table.

[probablynoteren]

"That's true. The closer to the end it is, the more tests." Though tests aren't his primary concern just at the moment; it's true that coming off spring break they're going to get hit with more and more going forward, but Haruka's perhaps a bit too focused on his gardening club activities just now. He works hard on his grades, certainly, because that's who he is -- but they aren't where most of his heart is set.

He seems to perk up a little when the waiter drops by, reflexively nudging his coffee cup a little further away in response to Michelle's care with her books; seems to also realize that he hasn't yet ordered breakfast despite his lengthy beverage communion and attempt to roleplay a baked good, and quietly parrots his boothmate's order before turning back to her.

"I'm talking about Green Valley. You're probably right." It is the biggest and most sought-after school around. He's not especially surprised to be approached by strange students, though his own social circle isn't very large. For someone relatively involved in club activities, he tends to keep to himself. "Haruka Sorazawa, senior cycle."

[1in_perfection]

Michelle's eyebrows raise at the order, and near head dunking in coffee or not... she finds herself smiling a bit. She can appreciate the company of someone who enjoys a good morning pastry.

"Ah, likewise. Michelle Chastain, also on senior cycle." She tilts her head to the side, considering for a moment. "I... believe I've seen you outdoors a time or two, after school. If you'll pardon me saying it, usually looking a touch more awake. Though I realize I'm not much one to talk."

In fact, she only hopes that another evening of rest will help with those dark circles that are all too obvious under her own eyes. She hasn't resorted to caffeine yet, but the siren song of it is starting to sound tempting. Which is evident in how her eyes drift to that lonely coffee cup.

[probablynoteren]

Haruka has his faults, but no one could ever accuse him of being a picky eater -- there's few things indeed that he won't eat off the Blue Horn's menu. Beignets, though. Beignets are magic and bring people together: he and John had determined this at some point over the past couple of years, and it miraculously continues to hold true.

There's a beat, before he answers, where Haruka finally takes a good look at whom he's talking to. Now that he isn't scrambling to recover from being half-asleep, there's something about the head of bright hair and the vaguely remembered purposeful gait near his table that rings a very small bell somewhere. Green Valley is one of the biggest schools in the country, but Michelle is fairly hard to miss -- even for a transfer student.

"I'm with the gardening club," he explains finally. "Falling asleep in the flowerbeds would be bad."

Which at least explains why he's attempting to put coffee in his face rather than the other way around, more or less successfully. It's a little bit rueful; it hasn't happened for a long time, but there is the distinct possibility that he's done a literal faceplant in the past.

"... The coffee's okay here. But better with beignets." He did notice her wandering eyes; he'd never knock anything John's family makes, but sometimes you have to be realistic at too early in the morning.

[1in_perfection]

"Ah. And with the upcoming festival, it seems like you have your work cut out for you. I'm afraid my only excuse is studying for finals, and keeping the dorm room at an acceptable standard-"

At that, the phone in her book bag gives an impatient buzz, and Michelle turns her eyes to it. Half distracted, her attention and conversation ends up a touch divided.

"And dealing with a few online distractions."

She blinks at the last part that leaves her mouth. It seems she really is getting tired, and is in need of caffeine; however standard the coffee at this café might be.

"It... to be honest, it's the first time I've ever had such a thing come up." She hurries to add, to try and make up for that half drowsy slip of the tongue.

[probablynoteren]

"It's something I've been doing every year. I should be used to it by now." Keyword being: should, as it seems Eddan's flower festival becomes more and more extravagant by the year. Some of the recent ones have been more subdued due to the rash of murders plaguing the city in years past, but this year, despite the resurgence they seem to have doubled down on celebrating in spite. He quickly stifles a yawn that freezes briefly halfway through at the phone's buzzing.

Honestly, at this point he's starting to develop a nervous Pavlovian response to the sound of his phone going off that he hasn't ever had, even when the club was at its busiest and he kept getting frantic texts from the members under his cycle about things like the incorrect temperature settings. He takes a moment to shake it off, nodding gratefully when the waiter pops up with divine timing and even more divine beignets.

"I've heard about the dorms," is the somewhat ominous follow-up, but really he just means that he knows one of the RAs and there are Stories. He hesitates for a moment, then, absurdly unsettled by the idea of talking about online distractions. Ends up finishing a whole beignet before continuing, "Maybe because the new phone model is out, they've had trouble with that, too."