(1940-05-20) Chat Over Tea
Details for Chat Over Tea
Summary: Graham and Antimony talk about the risks of their professions over tea
Date: 05.20.1940
Location: Café Tasseo
Related:
Characters
GrahamAntimony

Cafe Tasseo

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.


If there is anything more British than afternoon tea in a tea shop and more wizardly than having it at a teashop that specializes in divination via tea leaves, one would be hard pressed to find it. The little shop would probably make a killing in the muggle world, just on kitsch factor alone. Just as it does in the wizarding world. Customers dot the landscape of the cafe, amoung them, Antimony in company with an older woman, who by appearances is probably relation. The older woman though appears to be taking her leave "Of course mother. I will make sure to find someone suitable, no need to go to the trouble to do it for me." there is a quick exchange of motherly affection, "Do say hello to father for me." there is a finger wave as she older woman leaves. As soon as she is out the door Antimony breathes a sigh and refills her cup of tea from the steaming pot on her table.

Graham is indeed wearing his work robes this time though if he's on lunch from work or free from it for the day it’s hard to tell. He enters into the tea shop apparently wanting the more quiet scene instead of the cauldron. The auror glances around to see if anyone he knows is here he spots one though not well known he makes his way over offering her a warm smile "Miss Blishwick, it is good to see you again." He says firstly nodding to her in greeting "Would you mind if I joined you?" he wonders.

Stirring a bit of sugar into her tea, Antimony looks quite content now that her meddlesome mother is out of the picture. Lifting the cup she spots the familiar man coming toward her and offers a polite smile to him "Isn't it though." her tone is light as she greets him "Oh please do Mr. Cohen." she gestures to the seat across from them and then beckons for a clean tea service to be brought over for her new companion "And how does the day find you?"

"Thank you." The young man says and pulls out the chair and plops down into it. Graham looks back to the other at the question and nods first "It has improved since I left the ministry, it was a paperwork day which can be tedious you can probably imagine." He chuckles lightly "How about yourself?" he asks in return he'll look over the tea menu a moment though not ignoring the other of course he's paying attention as well.

Antimony takes a sip of her tea as she is joined and then gently sets the cup down in its saucer, "Truely." she seems to agree with him about paperwork, "It makes one wonder, if you were told when you were in school about all the tedious paperwork you would have to do, would you have still have chosen your current profession?" she gives him a curious look as if there was nothing in the world she wanted to know more.

Graham will order a tea and some biscuits to go with them its light but it will work for the moment. The question bring an odd look to the man and he sighs lightly. "I wonder if my other idea of being a healer would have had less paperwork?" he asks chuckling but it fades. "I enjoy being able to help people that was the reason I became an auror, but when I second guess that choice it isn’t the paperwork which makes me do so. Though I don’t wish to ruin your tea-time with that." He regains a little smile or does his best "I know you enjoy acting is there any part you don’t care for?

"I would think not. Probably even more of it, but at least as a healer you have apprentices to pass it along to." Antimony does give an airy laugh, "Sadly you have to still deal with all of that as an apprentice first." she does nod as his explanation "Wanting to help people is the reason most people get into their chosen field." she of course can't say that, but she's not most people, "I don't really care for when it's over.

"Well drat." Graham says with a grin and chuckle at the healers conversation though he shrugs nodding about more paperwork. "It’s a good reason having a passion for something and wanting to help. I am a big believer that the arts helps people as well though singing, dancing, acting, painting all of it." he says honestly though her words about what she doesn't like makes him consider. "Hm I can see that the people in the show probably become like family spending all that time together."

"Well, yes, you could say that we actors are helping people. Especially now. With the war going on and the divisiveness amoungst our peoples about unity and what not, being able to bring people some happiness, even if it is fleeting is a good thing. A helpful thing." Antimony smiles, perhaps that's a new perspective for her, and she just needed someone to help her see it. She looks at him quizzically for a moment, that wasn't quite where she was going but she won't correct his assumption "Yes, there is a certain amount of camaraderie amongst actors. When you work that closely with people attachments naturally form. Do you not find that so at the Ministry?

Graham nods accepting his tea and food turning back around "Exactly, help people escape all of these even if just for a couple of hours." He says about helping people. The auror notices the quizzical look though he isn’t sure he should ask. He will instead answer her question. "I do I’ve become friends with many in the ministry different departments and of course in the Auror office, we have to watch one another’s backs of course."

She nods, "That makes sense. You have to be able to trust your fellow aurors and you can only do that by getting to know one another at a level not normal in other careers." Antimony takes a sip of her tea before continuing "You won't find that level of trust in actors. The people that seem to be as close as family one month are also the same people that you will be competing with for other parts once your show closes and you have to move own. There are quite a few actors and actresses out there that will resort to underhandedness to assure their part in the next big show." whether she is one of those is debatable of course.

The auror takes a drink from his own tea nodding though he takes a moment to look up to the other once more. The words hit a bit close to home given he's had experience with trusting the wrong person while at work. "Yes you do, it’s good to know you won’t get hexed from behind while in the field." Graham listens about the actors and actresses and nods "I suppose there’s always more people then parts in shows, but it’s too bad that underhandedness comes into play all the same."

A smirk plays at her lips, "At least not on purpose." Antimony is familiar with the phrase friendly fire it seems "In most cases yes, that is how it works. And everyone wants the title role, or to at least be the supporting role. You have to grow a thick skin if you want to make it in the business. Do you go to the theatre often?

Graham chuckles "Yes at least not on purpose, I find other ways to get injured on the job without that personal best is catching the dark wizard but getting bitten and stabbed by his "pet" dragon in the process." He grins though he takes another drink of tea while listening about the roles and the fight for them. "I try to go whenever I’m able last I went a friend of mine who's a singer was performing in La Boheme, it was very interesting opera."

Antimony winces as he talks about the dangers of his profession "I'm sure that is a rousing story. I'm sure one of many you could tell and leave people of the edge of their seats." and eyebrow arches upward "I truly enjoy operatic theatre. I would love to be able to sing like those performers and the vocal range." she is truly in awe of opera singers. "La Boheme is a wonderful one. Certainly one to see if you had the chance. Opera is not for everyone though. Did you not enjoy it?

"I suppose so, though pardon me not really a good story for chatting over tea I suppose." he smiles a bit sheepishly at this mistake. Graham isn't trying to scare the other off clearly though he does take another drink while listening to her. "I really did enjoy it, and not only for the parts my friend was in. Though she did quite well she normally sings at the Natrix club here in London."

Antimony nods, glancing at the customers that could easily overhear such a tale "Or for mixed company. I dare say it does put things in perspective. All I have to worry about is falling off the stage or tripping on some stairs or at most the set catching on fire." okay that later one could be quite dangerous, but it rarely happens "Is that the blonde one with the sultry voice? I was there the other night, and that's the one that was singing at the time. She is quite good. Makes me regret not taking singing lessons when I had the chance."

Graham listens and nods "Yes, perhaps that too, though usually it’s just me and a partner if I get turned into a rooster or something, where yours involves a large audience so I don’t envy you that." He chuckles and takes a drink and a bite to eat while listening further. "That's the one Signe, though she sings as Sydney when she's at the club." He explains though he looks across the table "Perhaps I’ll have the chance to hear you sing. I'm sure you do so quite well."

The mental image that brings up is enough to bring another laugh from the woman, "Now that one is a story I would love to hear one day." Antimony's laughter fades as she nods at his understanding "An accident like that can set you back quite awhile, especially if you are injured." the clock on the cafe wall chimes the hour and she gives a glance toward it with a frown, but then sighs at his confidence in her singing skills "I am capable of carrying a tune well enough, but I am a much better dancer."

The auror chuckles "That's more example then story, but I will still tell another story someday in compensation." Graham says though he looks across the table and nods "Well cheers to neither of us having accidents." he'll hold up his cup in salute to her before taking a drink. "Nothing wrong with that either." he comments easily he glances at the clock himself wondering if times run out though before he's back down to the other.

"Oh come now, I am sure you could do it justice." Antimony will drink to that and she lifts her own cup, saluting him with it and then taking a sip. "Not at all. I find dancing quite enjoyable." she sets her cup down and gives a bit of a moue of lips "Sadly the time has come for me to depart. I am meeting with a director this evening before his final showing of "As You Like It", to discuss a part in his next production. She gets up gracefully from her chair and holds a hand out for a delicate, on her part, shake of hands, "It was lovely chatting with you Mr. Cohen. We must do it again some time." she then makes sure she is paid up with the waitress and departs.

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License