June/July Open Top Levels

[ask_whydunit]

Who; Waver Velvet & Anyone
What; Waver shopping for teaware and spending time in the Historium
Where; The Market & The Historium
When; Late June-Early July - Afternoon for the market, late evening for the historium
Warnings; None to start, but will update if things come up
Other; Feel free to tag in however you’d like, I am happy to match action brackets if those are preferred. Also if you have any rp wishes or ideas please let me know by either PM’ing the character journal or messaging me over on discord (WhimsicalSpook)! I’m happy to write personal starters and stuff.


I. A necessary trip to the market - open to all

It was odd to see Waver out and about. Usually sightings were limited to the Historium or the Academy, with rare intermittent trips to the market to pick up the few things he needed. Which… Well, Reines would tell anyone that Waver rarely did things purely for enjoyment, so he didn’t seem to need much beyond the obvious.

Though he would argue that it wasn’t strictly true, his life was a lot busier than it had been before the lordship had been dropped on his shoulders. There was too much to do, too much to think about, and he was eternally exhausted. It wasn’t even that he did nothing for fun. He had his research and his video games, after all! And there were quite a lot of other things he used to do before everything became a chaotic tornado of messes needing to be dealt with.

Which was why he was, in fact, out on one of his rare trips to the market in search of something. The rushed, weak cup of tea he’d become accustomed to on his way out the door wasn’t really cutting it anymore, plus it was quite clear Gray (who was too kind and usually made him tea while he was working) probably wasn’t going to just show up given how long he’d been here for now…

So he was currently looking over a market table of handmade teaware thoughtfully, the frown on his face less stern and simply focused as he looked for something that suited his tastes and felt right. He doubted he would find exactly what he was looking for here, but even a nicely made teapot would do. Sometimes, after asking the stall keeper’s permission, he might pick something up to turn over in his hand and get a better look at…

So, do you bump into him accidentally? Do you spot the elusive Waver in the wild and decide to approach? Who knows, but it’s usually amusing to surprise the mage! Hopefully, he doesn’t drop anything, though…



II. A little late night reading - open to all

It was late in the evening as a certain clock tower lord slipped out the door of the red building and walked the short distance to the Historium. Originally he’d intended on spending the night in at his apartment for a change, rather than ending up in his workshop… But that hadn’t quite gone to plan, and now he needed something to focus on.

With the weather and the situation in the city, he’d been more careful about longer strolls. So actually changing plans and ending up in the harbor district was out. He wasn’t keen for a repeat after the very bad month involving wererats with whatever new creatures were being spoken of instead. Tempting as it was, sometimes was capable of making good decisions. At some point, his luck was bound to run out, after all. He already owed a handful of people for rescuing his sorry ass…

That was all to say that the Historium was his second choice in distraction. It was near enough and there were plenty of reading materials he could get lost in for however long it took to settle his mind, or at least give it something new to focus on.

Walking down aisles, he reached out to gently tug the odd book from a shelf, flipping through a few pages before closing it and tucking it under his arm. Sometimes he wondered if he might be lucky enough to stumble across some rare tomb on magecraft from his own world, but so far that was a no. Tonight he’d snagged a few varied subjects ranging from some theory on magic, from places he’d never heard of, to mystery novels, to things… decidedly not serious but curious, nonetheless. Like chocobos, given how he was one of the arrivals more used to horses and yet he noticed plenty of people found them rather normal.

Sometimes Waver was forced to stifle a yawn that betrayed his own fatigue, which usually ended with him frowning at himself for a moment. Comically it almost looked almost like he was cross with whatever bookshelf in front of him rather than the yawn. It never lasted long, before he resumed his stroll through the Historium.

Maybe you spot him sitting at one of the tables he liked to settle, or maybe you find him wandering down aisles.

Comments

[ask_whydunit]

Waver rolled his eyes a little at the couple things she apparently didn’t excel at according to people at the tavern… “People always do nitpick about the stupidest things.” Listen, he always did hate performing for people. It was bad enough he had to watch what he said and be respectful of the other lords who looked down their noses at him. Also, as someone who didn’t smile much, it always annoyed him when people tried to force someone to do so unnaturally. “Unfortunately, customer service tends to expect a certain… performative nature to dealing with customers. Makes them want to come back. A smile here, a personal touch there. Took me a while to get used to that, and… Well, I admit I probably never quite got the hang of it completely myself.” Just enough to be useful in his current situation, to an extent. But hey, the attention to detail and excellent memory went a long way to making you worth keeping in someone’s employ too!

Eyeing the books she had gathered, there was a small spark of nostalgia born of the notion that he would have done the same thing… All while knowing there was a much simpler way to go about learning what one needed to know. He could almost hear someone chastising him with a deep rumbling laugh in the back of his mind about it. “There is a lot to consider when it comes to alchohol, so many varieties and options for mixed drinks depending on where you are.” He started, leaning forward a bit to get a better look at one. “I admire the dedication, there’s a lot to be said for going out and studying on your own.” But… There was always a but… If he didn’t bring this up, he really wouldn’t have changed from his teenaged years. “Have you considered asking the tavern bartender about what they have to offer and what options are good to recommend?”

And yes, he knows how damn hard it is to actually go to someone else and ask for help. It is far easier to walk into a library or bookstore and find information and try to read in secret. At her age, he did that far too often. … and even now, a little.

The fact that Mitsuru had enough manners to not laugh was actually quite nice, as she imagined him in a silly hair net. It was an embarrassing memory, after all. He’d been struggling a lot back then! That aside, he had shared it while knowing it would at least brighten the mood and give her an idea of how everyone started somewhere. He was smiling, albeit a little awkwardly, in embarrassment. “Yes, that’s a well guarded secret that none of the other mages need to know about. It’s an… especially unique experience for people like my colleagues in general.” God… Some people would have been insufferable. The smile shifted to something a little less awkward though as she shared her experience. “It’s nothing fancy, but it does the job when you need a meal and you don’t have the time or money for something more elaborate.” He agreed, though he wouldn’t ruin it for her that some fast food places were less enjoyable than others.

[bufus]

"Is it a nitpick if it's true?" She gave a tiny, exasperated, sigh. "I have begun to see that. It would seem many want a positive and upbeat attitude at all times." Which was, quite frankly, fairly exhausted. There were certainly times where she'd had to pretend to like someone a part of her duty, but this felt entirely different. "It's odd to me that anyone cares. If they receive their order correctly in a timely manner you would think that would be sufficient." And yet evidently it wasn't.

"I had not realized quite how much there was to it." There was actually a part of her that was finding the entire part (the research part) interesting. It was a subject she knew nothing of, which made it a fresh dive into new things. It was something to focus on, something she was used to, and it brought her a strange sense of calm. Even if his question did bring out a tiny bit of embarrassment. "Ah, no, I haven't wanted to bother him with that." He seemed like he had enough to deal with and besides that, she wanted to do it on her own.

"I'll make certain to not disclose this secret to any others." Not that there was anyone to really tell here. "Truthfully the most interesting aspect was just how inexpensive it was. It's amazing they can make a profit charging so little."

[ask_whydunit]

“Personally speaking, yes. But I’ve never cared much about service with a smile so much as receiving what I ordered correctly in a decent amount of time.” He’d rather see a job well done than a force smiled… And Waver has seen a lot of forced smiles in his time, and forced more than a few of his own. “Unfortunately, from a professional standpoint, I suppose it’s not. People are happier with their own meal if the person waiting on their table is a little more upbeat and engaging. Some enjoy the illusion that you're happy to be there for them, even if you’re just trying to make a paycheck.” And they tipped better too, if they enjoyed the experience.

There was far more to alcohol than he’d realized when he’d starting to finally try a drink here and there. Though in the end, he’d gotten as set in his ways about what he drank and when as he did with most other things. “It can be a fascinating subject, especially once you get into regional options. The varieties offered or kinds preferred shift depending on where you are in the world. Even the way they enjoy it changes.” He frowned lightly. He didn’t want to embarrass her… But the professor in him, and the much younger Waver who’d had to learn the hard way, wanted to help. “In this situation, it wouldn’t be a bother. It both shows that you’re taking the job seriously and it’s part of their job. They owe a level of training and education on the subject to their employees.” Brushing a stray strand of hair aside, he sighed. “I was the same, of course. Still can be, sometimes. Research is an enjoyable way to spend an evening, after all… So it definitely has its own value that will go a long way to help; but someone often pointed out to me that it was silly to stick your nose in a book endlessly when there was an expert right there that you could ask.”

And in the end, he regretted not asking more.

“I appreciate your discretion.” He responded with a serious little nod. Sure, there was no one here to tell, but that didn’t mean there never would be… At least in theory. Better to cover that now rather than regret not doing so later. “The quantity of customers looking for said inexpensive food helps with that in some cases, I think, and getting things in bulk often means a discounted rate from the supplier. Of course, there are other factors as well.” Though Waver would also point out that some places didn’t necessarily pay their staff enough either to make up for it… But that depending on where you were and the company.

[bufus]

“While I do understand the importance of a good attitude at work..." She shook her head. "I also believe that doing things correctly should weigh much more than faking a smile for their enjoyment" It was entirely perplexing to her that some would actually place such weight on something as insignificant as that. Customer service truly was a baffling field. The idea that someone would put more behind her smiling than her getting their order correct in a timely manner just seemed so foreign to her. Particularly if that order was brought promptly as well!

"One of these books was speaking of that. It would seem that in some regions alcohol can be quite a significant part of their culture." That had been quite the thing to have learned. "The production in particular is something I'm rather interested in, though it doesn't seem as though it would be as beneficial for me to learn at the moment." Yet the academic side of her had very much wanted to read more about that. It had taken quite a lot for her to pull herself away from that topic.

"They seem so busy so often though..." But, he did have a point. Those above you were meant to act as mentors for those below them. "I thought if I could learn myself I would be of more help to him and the others there." Rather than causing them a further hindrance by asking questions that were probably quite obvious to them. "You are probably correct though, asking might have worked out better. Perhaps I'll ask on my next shift. If I have any questions that is." She wasn't going to make something up just to ask of course.

"Buying in bulk does seem like it'd be a productive way to lower costs, particularly if deals were struck with suppliers." Which she imagined they were.

[ask_whydunit]

It seemed they really were like-minded on that particular subject. It was unfortunate that neither of them would probably ever win with others concerning it. Waver only hoped she fared better by adapting to that particular downside to customer service than he had. It was especially jarring when you were raised in an environment that suggested one should show a more calm, confident, serious demeanor to those around you to garner respect.

“I admit, it is curious to wonder what it might be like here or if there ever was something specialized or traditional here.” He mused thoughtfully, but it often seemed like the traditions and origins of this place would forever remain a mystery… He certainly hadn’t found anything to indicate specialized studies where magic was concerned, so it wouldn’t be odd if it was the same with everything else. “The process can be fascinating to learn, though you probably have a good point.” It was interesting to study the subject, of course! But it may not prove too useful, which seemed to be her concern of late.

“While I’d never discourage research, I do encourage you to try asking in this situation.” He agreed, knowing how hard it was to even bring it up and ask. There were always a half a dozen excuses to not, and all of them sounded good… But how true they were when you looked at things a little more closely really varied. If the bar-tender was too busy, he’d probably make time when he wasn’t busy. “So I hope you will. I think you’ll find yourself surprised by the response.” He added quietly, before failing to stifle a rather wide yawn again.

Shaking his head lightly, he agreed. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the places here haven’t struck some deals with local farmers and shops to supply them if they buy a great amount.”