| Details for Schlafzimmer-Technik |
| Summary: | Magnus asks Rhyeline to meet him for dinner at Cafe Tasseo where she shares with him what he learned from Cassius Malfoy regarding the upcoming trial. Cooper soon joins them, and finds as many ways as possible to embarrass herself. |
| Date: | Saturday, December 15, 1937 |
| Location: | Cafe Tasseo |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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It is a fall night. The weather is cool and clear.
Café Tasseo – North Verdic Alley - London
Named for the art of Tasseomancy (Tea Leaf Reading), the posh Cafe Tasseo offers complimentary tea leaf reading to its customers. The cafe has a sort of French elegance to it, but it is much less flagrant, which makes it pure British. The chairs are all padded dining chairs of mahogany and golden embossed fabric one would expect to find in a Louis XIV style without all the pomp of leaves and flanges, just smooth curvaceous lines of mahogany. The use of mahogany, gold and pristine white is throughout the spacious room.
The ceiling is a floral mosaic of white and gold with chandeliers and light fixtures dangling from the mosaic in appropriate places. The gold gilding continues into the walls, accenting raised relief panels on the columns between the windows. The panels share the floral motif of the ceiling, intricately crafted down to the last detail. The windows themselves are just as magnificently turned out; the top quarter is draped in gold shades, the bottom half covered by white sheers, allowing the patrons privacy yet letting ample light through the uncovered section of glass.
At 6 o’clock, the sun set many hours ago, but the streets of Diagon Alley are alive with lamplight and laughter in its usual hustle and bustle of the early evening. The Leaky Cauldron is close to bursting with patrons, and of course, Café Tasseo, with its far more exclusive prices, allows its patrons a calmer, more private atmosphere in which to dine.
Having received an owl from Magnus with instructions to meet him for dinner at Café Tasseo, Rhyeline immediately cancelled anything else she was intending to do and made her way to Diagon Alley. Now she sits in the most secluded corner of the Café, slowly sipping a cup of coffee. The host stands near the door, ready to escort the Ambassador with the greatest deference to the girl’s table.
The door to the cafe swings open, and the tall, sparse man that enters spends only a few seconds looking around before he's recognized by the host. When he's approached, Magnus smiles and allows the man to point Rhyeline out, but immediately waves him away afterwards. Rather than heading immediately for the table, he stops quickly at the counter to get a cup of hot tea, then makes his way over and sits down carefully in the seat across from the small witch. "Good evening, Rhyeline." He lifts the cup to his lips and takes a slow sip; the liquid is still hot enough to send curls of steam up around his hollow cheeks. Then he lowers it. "Thank you for meeting me."
Rhyeline gazes out the window, lost in thought, as Magnus steps into the Café. It isn’t until the man joins her at last that she looks up. Blinking at his thanks, she bows her head. “Of course, s-“ there is the most subtle of pauses, but the waiter is still there. The girl hasn’t forgotten her punishment, but in public she still finishes, “-sir.” Once the waiter has taken their orders off to the kitchen, the little one peeks up at him and hopefully before he can say anything, she murmurs, “Magnus. Does the evening find you well?”
One of the man's dark brows ticks up incrementally at the girl, but he doesn't admonish her. There's something to be said for maintaining appearances, certainly. The waiter receives only the coolest, most cursory of glances from him before he leaves. Magnus sets his cup of tea down on the table between them and folds his hands on its wooden surface, his pale eyes looking straight past Rhyeline for a few seconds as some concealed emotion passes across them. Eventually he produces a thin smile and nods. "Yes, I'm well enough. And you?"
Rhyeline watches him in silence from behind her cup of coffee. Though normally there are few flickers of emotion that go unnoticed by her keen gaze, she hasn’t been able to read him well recently. “I am well, thank you.” Another small sip of coffee, and then she places it upon the table. Still warming her hands against its sides, she lowers her gaze and murmurs with calm composure, “I was able to find the information, you wanted. I have a name. And a bit more.”
"That's good. And your health - you're making certain that it remains in good stead?" Magnus keeps his hands folded, his gloved fingers gradually interlacing with each other. He sounds genuinely concerned about the girl's well-being, though when she mentions having information, his fingers clasp together with such force that the sound of his knuckles popping is audible over the low background murmur of conversation throughout the cafe. "Did you, now? Very good, Rhyeline." Slowly, with a measure of forced control, he unlinks his fingers and picks up his tea, then brings it to his lips and smiles. "Tell me."
Rhyeline gives a small nod as he inquires after her health. However, as the conversation turns to the information that she gathered his quiet praise sends a subtle shiver through her, and he may notice the light pink hue emerging in her cheeks. Peeking up at him, she catches his smile and has to quickly lower her gaze once more.
“When I met Cassius Malfoy in the lobby of the Ministry dungeons, he invited me to join him for lunch in his office.” She has begun much like she always did in Berlin, trying to paint a picture for him of the circumstances of the encounter before telling him what actually took place. Context for content. However she leaves out most of their visit, skipping right to the end. “Just as I was leaving, I turned back to him and voiced the anxiety I have felt over the upcoming hearing. After all, if it weren’t for me, none of this would be happening. I asked him if he knew anything about it, so that he might calm my fears perhaps. He said he didn’t know much, but that it was curious how a new prosecutor was brought out for you at the last minute. It seems that this is why the hearing had been postponed. He remarked that it was highly unusual."
"His news… it worried me. I asked him what he thought it meant, asked him who the prosecutor was. He said her name is Ursula Shacklebolt, and then he added that she has quite a record of convictions.” Rhyeline manages to keep her voice level and calm, though it’s clear from how she clings to her coffee cup, that whatever anxiety she had displayed to Cassius was quite genuine. “He added that she is a fairly private woman, but that she had opened up at a Christmas party once after a few glasses of wine. He had no more information than that, but asked me to send you his regards.”
Magnus - who is seated across from Rhyeline, his back to the door, at the far end of the cafe in a secluded corner - has just finished listening to the young woman offer up a lengthy explanation. He nods slowly, his hands tensing around the cup of tea held between them, before he exhales and takes a slow sip of the hot liquid. "Very good, Rhyeline. I already knew about the new prosecutor, but I wasn't aware that it was Shacklebolt. Thank you." His pale eyes have drifted off again, looking out of one of the rear windows and into blank space. The man seems lost in thought for a good while, though he eventually tears his attention forcefully back to the situation at hand and curses mildly when a small stream of tea drips down his leather glove and on to his bare wrist. He puts the cup down and dabs it off, then shakes his head. "This will help me immensely."
Rhyeline peeks up at Magnus as the man falls silent. Bringing her cup of coffee to her lips, she watches him in silence as she slowly sips. Nodding, she murmurs, “I am pleased to have been able to help. I hope-“ she hesitates. “I hope that it all goes smoothly.”
What is this fresh air stuff? Why is it so wonderful? The stars? They seem a bit brighter than she remembers. And the feeling of London rain, why is it so cool and refreshing when it was so dreary and miserable before? Because Genevieve Cooper has been stuck in fluorescent lit quarantine for a about a month, that's why! They dipped her nude in a barrel of eel's eyes under the full moon not too long ago and after keeping her there a few extra days to recover, she is fully back to normal.
In fact, she just left the doors half an hour ago, and the thing she's pining for this evening is coffee. At the counter, the server hands over an obscene mug full of joe, and the Auror takes such a close whiff of the sweet aroma it fogs up her big glasses. But through the distortion, she spots an ever familiar figure and without hesitation, floats on over to their table. "Ahh Mr. Troy. Just the man I've been looking for," she greets him with a nod, "Yes, Maggot. I will be needing him back." Emphasis on the needing. But she pauses upon seeing Rhyeline and instantly gives the woman the bright smile she always gives. Perhaps it a bit brighter this evening because of her new freedom. "Oh hello there, I'm sorry was I interrupting something important."
"Smoothly," Magnus says, his expression kept relatively neutral - although his lips seem to twist up at the corners with another concealed hint of emotion. "Yes, I hope so, as well. I suppose there's no reason that it should be otherwise." The words leave the man's lips smoothly, though his pale eyes betray some degree of dissent with the statement. He's about to add something else when a voice at his side startles him, and he glance sharply towards Cooper with a scowl that quickly disappears when he registers the auror's face. "Ah - Miss Cooper. Your dog is fine, though I've taken the liberty of renaming him 'Puant', in your absence. He seems to have taken to it quite happily." The ambassador clears his throat and motions to the seat next to him with a casual smile. "Not at all. Miss Cooper, this is Miss Diderot, my assistant at the IMC. Miss Diderot, Genevieve Cooper, MLE."
Rhyeline's steady, dark stare lingers upon Magnus' features until suddenly a woman drifts in a state of bliss at her newfound freedom from the crushing oppression that is St. Mungo's Hospital. As Magnus is greeted, Rhyeline gazes at the woman for just a moment with a silent, impenetrable stare before she averts her gaze in favor for the view of the street. The little assistant does not wish to intrude into the Ambassador's personal affairs. Something about a 'maggot' makes her blink, but it isn't until Cooper greets her that the little one ventures to peek back up at them. Nodding politely as Magnus makes introductions, Rhyeline murmurs, "Good evening, Miss Cooper. I am most pleased to meet you." Her accent sounds delicate and proper except for a subtle French influence.
"Wait, what? Why? That completely inappropriate for him, Maggot is loads better." No Cooper. It isn't. Still the Auror can't help but pout at the ambassador with slight irritation while she settles into the seat next to him. Leave a man with your dog and this is what he does! With a sigh she, simply removes her brown cloche hat off her head to reveal a messy mop of blonde hair that only goes to perfectly with her dowdy attire. "It'll do him a load of good to come home with me. I'm sure you treated him with the utmost compassion," she says dryly, taking a sip of the hot coffee before smacking her lips together. "It's missing … something - oh!" And out comes the flask from her jacket pocket, from which she pours a nondescript brown liquor and puts it away. Another sip, ahh. The perfection of its taste is apparent all over her face. "Ahh I see, you're Miss Diderot then. Mr. Troy here has mentioned you, though he didn't disclose how young you are!" And picking up on her accent she transitions into French, "I suspect you must be very accomplished then. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Well, we'll let Puant decide." Magnus smiles amicably as Cooper sits next to him, clearly willing to make this something of a challenge. Yes, some poor puppy is going to have to choose between 'Maggot' and 'Stinky' for its moniker. The world is truly unfair. The ambassador picks up his tea again and takes a long, steady sip, and switches into French with the same simple ease as the auror. "Miss Diderot is quite an accomplished linguist, Miss Cooper. There's no need to test her. On the other hand, I, for one, won't object to speaking a more eloquent tongue…"
The subtle pink warmth of the girl’s cheeks deepens at Cooper’s observation and subsequent compliment. Bowing her head, the little one speaks with a soft smile. Of course her Parisian French is as flawless as only a native speaker can accomplish. “Thank you. You are most kind. I consider myself most fortunate to have been chosen by the Ambassador as his assistant. Even more fortunate to continue here in London.”
Cooper narrows one blue eye at Magnus and with a half scowl, assures him with confidence, "He liked Maggot, and he will be sticking with it. And I'm not testing her. I'm merely using her to practice." She gives Rhyeline a toothy grin and a wink after that, only in true used car salesman fashion. "I suspect that you're a native speaker then. However, I am not as you can tell by my subpar accent. I'm sorry you have to put up with it, and even more sorry that you have to put up with this one of course," Cooper switches to that said eloquent tongue. And when she says 'this one' she gestures to Magnus himself. Taking another heavenly sip of that spiked coffee. "So tell me Miss Diderot. Why come all the way over to London to slum it with us Brits when it's clear all that all the action is happening on the continent? Isn't it rather dull here with Monsieur Troy?"
Magnus says, "Yes, your accent really /is/ rather subpar, Miss Cooper…" Magnus takes another sip of his tea and cocks an eyebrow, though he seems to be glancing at Rhyeline quite frequently, as if he were somewhat worried about the young woman. His expression remains carefully composed despite the slights, and he leans back in his chair and allows the conversation between the two witches to go on relatively unhindered… at least for now.
Rhyeline cradles her cup of coffee close to her chest, warming her hands against its sides as she watches Cooper. The girl takes in her words and every detail of her manner with that steady stare of hers. Continuing in French, she murmurs, "While it is much quieter here in London, there is still work for me here. Communiques to translate and summarize, reports to write." After all, what else would an assistant be doing? "But you see, while my mother is from Paris, I was born in Cornwall. My father is a British wizard. An author."
"Oh well that's…really fun," Cooper tries her best to be sincere about that statement, but the way she says it through her teeth makes it apparent that Rhyeline's job description doesn't sound fun at all. "An author though. How exciting, do you write then too just like your father?" And if the auror recognizes just how deeply she's being observed by her company, then she's doing quite a wonderful job of acting like she doesn't notice. Her manners remain happy, warm, and Hufflepuffic as they always are. With a brief scowl thrown over at Magnus, she dead pans, "Yes, well your bedroom technique is rather subpar. But I forgive you." Up until now, Cooper's words have been in flowly unnatural French. But this lewd sentence? German, and it's fluent. And she has NO idea that Rhyeline can understand what she's saying too.
Magnus's tea is almost empty. In fact, it /is/ empty by the time Rhyeline finishes her explanation and Cooper goes on to make that /extremely/ unfortunate accusation in Deutsch. Magnus sets his cup down with a clink, rises to his feet, and sets his hands on the table with a crooked smile. He switches into German, following the auror's transition once again without pause - though this time there's more than a little irritation in the cool tones of his voice. "Miss Cooper, I think it's time for you to come fetch your mutt. Miss Diderot - I apologize for the interruption. Thank you once again for meeting me, your assistance has been /extremely/ valuable. You have earned a reward." His pale eyes linger on the waifish girl briefly, then flick back to Cooper as they narrow a bit. He stands free of the table and pushes his chair back into place. "Shall we go get Puant?"
Rhyeline lowers her gaze and takes a slow sip of Café Tasseo’s excellent coffee. Having been Magnus’ assistant during his time in ‘Berlin’, of course the girl would have needed to speak German perfectly. However it isn’t until Magnus rises and addresses her directly that the little one lifts her reserved stare once more. At the praise, the girl bows her head with the utmost respect before then lifting her gaze to Cooper. In English she murmurs, “Good evening, Miss Cooper.”
Even though Cooper picks up on those icy tones, she seems to take a bit of pleasure out of them an impish curve of a smile making it's way to her lips. Basking in what she thinks is her triumph, she takes a finishing gulp out of her spiked coffee as she watches him rise. That's right Mags. Pay back for his similar misdemeanor a few moons ago involving a truck full of Jaeger. Only, she freezes mid-sip as soon as Magnus speaks in the rough language to his assistant, and that's when the realization hits her. Well shit. This is embarrassing. Cooper lowers her mug back onto the table, unable to look at Rhyeline, and she clears her throat before she too stands up. With a finger, she pushes her thick frames back up her nose and pushes the hat back on her head…hard so that the brims may obscure her face. "Yes. Let's go get Maggot," she nods quietly and with a polite smile that strains to hide how mortified she is she says, "Good evening. A pleasure to meet you."
"Good evening, Rhyeline," Magnus says, his tones measured and nonchalant. He tugs his coat slightly tighter around his gaunt frame and waits for the two women to make their farewells, then smiles and paces towards the entrance to the cafe. He casts a sidelong glance at Cooper along the way - perhaps a bit accusatory - and then smiles at the waiter as he passes the younger man. It's not long before he's slipped outside into the cool autumn air.