[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

Option 2! OTA

[1in_perfection]

It’s not often that a café inspires fear and dread in Michelle. Especially when she was only just here for breakfast. And yet here she is, standing at the entrance and doing her best not to have that spooked feeling show on her face.

“Come on, stop delaying. And act like someone your mother can be proud of,” Michelle whispers to herself, using that to steel her nerves.

“And it’s a baking assignment. You don’t need to overthink it.” But saying as much does nothing to slow the breakneck speed her mind is working at. It DOES however get her feet moving into the café and up to the counter. She clears her throat, remembering she needs to inquire on one thing.

’Ask about the pasty selection, and if they can share how long the dough is set out to rise. That’s the one thing you need to do.’

“Excuse me… I need to ask-“

And in a blink, her confidence is gone.

“N-never mind. I need a spot to study and order a drink, that is all.” She sighs out, and finds herself beating a hasty retreat over to a booth nearby. She doesn’t seem to even notice that there’s someone sitting there, already.

[themortalhalf]

Ren rarely eats out, especially in the mornings, never the type to roll out of bed unless something or someone makes him. Like responsibility. Or a very persistent cat. If Ren had a choice, he’d rather sleep the morning away, wait until the sun was more awake than he was to stir. But that’s an opportunity he’s rarely able to indulge, and today was no different.

Today, he has things to do, last-minute errands to run, and with the city under strict curfew, he has less hours available to him than he used to. The café is one of his stops. And when Michelle approaches his booth and finally notices him, she’ll find Ren already there, sitting at the booth with a cup of coffee, and two creole muffins, already finished with his breakfast wrap, the plate pushed neatly off to the side.

He’s writing words down in a small notebook he’s brought with him. It’s a list of ingredients, cooking times, random bits of information. His notebook is a bit disorganized, handwriting rough, but legible. Perhaps it’s for an assignment exactly like hers, or for something else entirely. Either way, it takes Ren a few seconds to notice her, but when he does, he looks up, eyes registering the young woman in front of him. He thinks he recognizes her. From school, probably. Not that he knows why she’s suddenly at his booth.

“Need something?”

[1in_perfection]

She... she doesn't flinch per se, because that would show how off-guard Michelle is. And she'd prefer to think she has better control than that. But there is a twitch in her shoulders, and Micelle's head snaps up more quickly than she'd prefer.

"I-I was simply..." And telling, how she doesn't deny straight away that she doesn't need anything.

...And after a moment, she gives out a sigh. Because he's managed to catch her flat footed as is, so she may as well speak a bit. And maybe regain a grasp on her situation, in the process. (There is the small factor this boy seems familiar to her, too. But she decides that for now, it should be only a small factor... and little else.)

"...Out and about, for school assignments. And I was stopping by here, as it was on my way."

[themortalhalf]

Brows lift, like there’s something odd about the entire exchange that he can’t quite put his finger on. Part of him wonders if she had even been paying attention, and there’s a part of him that’s concerned somehow, though he sees no real reason to be.

“Homework?” His gaze turns pensive. Maybe he had seen her around the Green Valley campus before. But was she here for schoolwork or for the food. Or both. “Is that what you’re here for? Or are you just having trouble finding a place to sit?”

The place did seem awfully busy, after all, thanks to the festival. People were enjoying the day while they could. Ren normally prefers having a table to himself—he's hardly a master at what one would call proper conversation—but if she was having trouble finding a place to sit (hell, maybe crowds rattled her or something) what's it matter? He'll be done soon, anyway.

"If it's the latter—" He gestures to the opposite side of the booth "—then you can sit there, if you want."

[1in_perfection]

"Thank you; it's appreciated." Indeed, Michelle still looks a touch pink in the face over her oversight. Usually she's much sharper at picking out details than this. Normally she can identify the traits of a room with a quick glance, and figure out a plan of attack.

...And typically she doesn't have some mystery app eating into concentration. That count down still looms in the back of her mind, a constant reminder either in or out of school. And she's still made painfully slow progress in understanding it, or preparing for it.

Being reminded of that puts a bolt of frustration into her, and she frowns at the carefully patterned tablecloth. Her lips move without her permission, as they seem to be desperate to get at least ONE thing to fall into place.

"And as to why I'm here... I'd like to say it's business and pleasure that brings me here, given the quality of the food. But right now, I have an assignment deadline looming, that I've procrastinated on." And if anything, she goes a bit more red in the face after admitting that. "I admit that Home Economics isn't my strongest subject... so being told to go out and do research from different sources places me outside of my comfort zone. Which is what brings me to here."

And at that she gestures at the table and café in general.

[themortalhalf]

It's funny, how he almost balks at the idea of her procrastinating when he doesn't even know her. It’s weirder still, watching her redden, like he’s witnessing something fundamentally wrong. So she found it uncomfortable, being here? Did she not like crowds? One of those nervous introverts? Ren knows he’s always preferred solitude to the hustle and bustle of a busy café. He supposes they can be similar than that. Though he didn’t feel that outside of his comfort zone.

"Home Ec?" He stares at her, for a bit longer this time, not willing to admit he was at least somewhat interested in what assignment the class had given her. “What kind of research? Food prep or something?”

[1in_perfection]

"Ah... something like that."

Michelle's fingers drum and tap on the table for a moment, and she focuses her eyes on her nails. Like if she stares at them long enough, she'll figure out some way to phrase this. Or look at least a little more at ease.

If Ren doesn't want to admit he has an interest, then she also doesn't want to admit that she's having a difficult time in the class. And between the two of them, there's certainly enough servings of awkward at the table to go around.

"It's an assignment to go out and compare different chefs, and how they prepare things like bread dough. It's supposed to be a... a sort of cross reference, I guess you'd say."

And telling, how concepts like cross referencing research comes to her MUCH more easily than the actual baking.