Bar and Service Counter

[sweetpinkpixie]

Behind the counter is one of the most approachable people in Diagon Alley. Feel free to walk up to the counter and order anything off the menu.

When ordering at the Leaky Cauldron, the staff will fill your order as quickly as possible. However, if you want to order food the wait may be slightly longer. So feel free to, after having placed your order, take a seat in any of the appropriate areas. Once your food is ready, it will be delivered to you.

The owner has kept the menu widely the same since he took over the shop— however he does like to offer samples of new experimental recipes as they are available. The owner has a fondness for the sweet stuff, and his specialty has always been double chocolate brownies which have been added to the menu. Sphinx Snacks are cookies that come with their own individual riddle. If you are finding yourself unable to answer the Riddle of the Sphinx Snack, just eat it and the answer will magically pop into your head. The Gingerbread Men are a lively bunch that will argue with you as to why they shouldn't be eaten, so do be careful when ordering them and make sure that they do not try to run away and fall off the counter. No one is fond of picking up cookie men remains. Arguably the biggest hit with customers is the Dementor's Kiss Delight; a tooth-rottingly rich chocolate cake that comes with your choice of hot beverage for an additional 5 sickles.

The drinks have also stayed largely the same. Exploding Lemonade may be hazardous to your health and should be drunken with extreme caution. Vampire Venom is a drink not for the faint of heart and the Leaky Cauldron is not responsible for any fire breathing that may occur due to the intense spiciness of the drink. Perhaps what you may find the most shocking drink on the menu is not what it appears to be, but instead is a lovely blend of orange, snowberries, lychee, cranberry.

To order at the Leaky Cauldron, come up to the station and tell the staff what you want. Paying is key and mandatory, plus tips are always accepted.

Be mindful that certain beverages are only available to adult witches and wizards and there are NO exceptions to this.

Text Cut: menu & guestroom form

Drinks:
8 sickles
Cider
Orange Juice
Pumpkin Juice
Exploding Lemonade
Tea Hot or Iced
Vampire Venom
Moon Milk (Vanilla, Strawberry, or Chocolate)

10 Sickles
Thestral Tea
Incendio Hot Chocolate
Mandrake Root Tea
Unicorn Urine
Latte or Espresso

1 Galleon
Butterbeer
Firewhiskey
Gillywater
Mulled Meade
Red Current Rum
Edlerflower Wine
Sherry

Salads: 1 Galleon 4 Sickles
Garden Gnome Salad
Auror Salad
Cesar Salad
Chicken and Grape Salad
Mermaid Salad


Sandwiches: 1 Galleon 4 Sickles
Avocado and Bean Sprouts
Turkey and Cheddar
Meatball
Ham and Swiss

Starters and Sides: 8 sickles
Chips
Mashed Potatoes
Steamed Seasonal Vegetables
Onion Rings
Fried Tomatoes
Jacket Potatoes (served after 5 pm)
Roasted Doxy Eggs (sweet and sour, or spicy sauce)
Rice (Brown or White)

Entrees: 2 Galleons 7 Sickles
Fish and Chips
Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes
Hippogriffburger
Veela Hair Pasta
Pork Chops
Roasted Chicken
Pixie Pizza
Sea Serpent Sushi
Cornish Pasties
Shepherd's Pie
Lamb Chops
Steak and Kidney Pie
Beef Casserole


Desserts: 1 Galleon
Apple Pie
Peach Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Rice Pudding
Double Chocolate brownies
Gingerbread man
Dementor’s Kiss Delight
Red Velvet Cake
Strawberry Cheesecake
Hot Buttered Rum



A copy of the application you'll need to fill out upon requesting a room is posted on the wall behind the counter:

Full Name:
Age:
Guests (names and ages of all others staying with you):
Date of Birth:
Address (town, country or just country):
Length of Stay (how many nights):
Pets (number and type(s) of pets staying with - 4 galleons per pet):
Balcony (yay or nay - costs more per night):

* Sunday - Thursday = 15 galleons per night; Friday - Saturday = 17 galleons per night.
* 1 week stay = 80 galleons for up to 2 people (85 galleons for rooms with a balcony)
** 2 week stay = 160 galleons for up to 2 people (165 galleons for rooms with a balcony)
*** Other deals include dinner service and evening wine service. See Louisa for special pricing.
**** Prices include breakfast: unlimited toast with jam, two strips of bacon or sausage, and whatever fruit is in season with yogurt

[jinnyweasley]

Leon Kim walked up to the counter to order a drink. He had just applied for a job at the Ministry of Magic and was a little anxious, which was unusual for him. He tried to forget about it by focusing on the menu. “Vampire Venom…?” He muttered to himself, wondering what that could be.

[Krel Ansell]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jinnyweasley

Leon Kim walked up to the counter to order a drink. He had just applied for a job at the Ministry of Magic and was a little anxious, which was unusual for him. He tried to forget about it by focusing on the menu. “Vampire Venom…?” He muttered to himself, wondering what that could be.

A groan similar to the type that one might hear from a ghoul echoed off the glassware behind the bar. It was promptly followed by a clatter as a case of butterbeer was dumped on the counter. ”Firewhiskey and pomegranate juice with a smakerale of gillywater for a,” Riley made a snicking sound as her lips smacked together. ”Kick. Care for one?” She reached for a glass that looked as if it might have sat on the shelf for a month. She held it up to the light and made a face that highlighted her wrinkles. The glass was then deposited into the wash tub behind the bar as she reached for another glass. ”So?” she asked, putting the much cleaner glass down on the bar in front of the young man. ”I haven’t got all day. These butterbeer won’t put themselves away.” There wasn’t a coolness to her tone, just a matter-of-fact I’m rather busy sort of air about her and as if she was trying to prove she wasn’t so brash, she gave the young man a smile… that might not have done much to help her case.

[jinnyweasley]

Leon looked around when he heard a groan from behind the bar. He was surprised when a case of Butterbeer landed on the counter before him but hid his emotion as he listened to whom he thought must be the proprietor of the Leaky Cauldron. "Yeah, that sounds good. I'll have a Vampire Venom," he answered and gave a small smile back. He was surprised again by her urging him to order, but found it understandable because she did look very busy.

[Krel Ansell]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jinnyweasley

Leon looked around when he heard a groan from behind the bar. He was surprised when a case of Butterbeer landed on the counter before him but hid his emotion as he listened to whom he thought must be the proprietor of the Leaky Cauldron. "Yeah, that sounds good. I'll have a Vampire Venom," he answered and gave a small smile back. He was surprised again by her urging him to order, but found it understandable because she did look very busy.

”Good choice.” Riley’s reply came with a slightly bigger smile as she reached for a couple of bottles. They were plunked down on the countertop in front of the young man as she pointed her wand at something behind her on the wall. There was a flurry of movement while the bottles set about pouring themselves into a shaker. While they barware did their thing, Riley started unpacking the case of butterbeer. ”I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before.” It wasn't a question. Riley might be old, but she had a pretty decent memory (most days). She paused in what she was doing to eye the man across the counter as the shaker started making a ‘shik-a-shik-a-shik’ noise. ”Are you in town for work or pleasure?”

[Helios Sunrider]

"Make that two Vampire Venoms." A voice called out. "Back when I fancied myself a young bard, the lads and I would bet on who could down their glass without making a face." The wizard that approached was not a bard, despite still being able to carry a tune. Damian Pendragon was many things, an unspeakable, a Ministry vampire hunter, and the first of the Atlantis twelve who still smelled faintly of seawater. What he was today, was thirsty.

[jinnyweasley]

After placing his order, Leon took a seat at the bar. He watched for a while as the bottles made his drink, then returned his attention to the proprietor. "For work. Just applied for a job at the Ministry of Magic," he replied. Talking about it helped him feel less nervous about hearing back from what was hopefully his new workplace.

What he overheard from the older wizard, a new customer, surprised the former Gryffindor. Was it so difficult to down the Vampire Venom without making a face? "Was that because of the Firewhisky's burning sensation? Or something about the taste?" he asked curiously when the wizard approached.

[Krel Ansell]

Text Cut: Damian and Leon

Quote:

Originally Posted by Helios Sunrider

"Make that two Vampire Venoms." A voice called out. "Back when I fancied myself a young bard, the lads and I would bet on who could down their glass without making a face." The wizard that approached was not a bard, despite still being able to carry a tune. Damian Pendragon was many things, an unspeakable, a Ministry vampire hunter, and the first of the Atlantis twelve who still smelled faintly of seawater. What he was today, was thirsty.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jinnyweasley

After placing his order, Leon took a seat at the bar. He watched for a while as the bottles made his drink, then returned his attention to the proprietor. "For work. Just applied for a job at the Ministry of Magic," he replied. Talking about it helped him feel less nervous about hearing back from what was hopefully his new workplace.

What he overheard from the older wizard, a new customer, surprised the former Gryffindor. Was it so difficult to down the Vampire Venom without making a face? "Was that because of the Firewhisky's burning sensation? Or something about the taste?" he asked curiously when the wizard approached.

Why was she smelling seaweed? Or was it fish? Riley’s nose wrinkled just a little as another man approached the bar. She gave him an appraising eye, but not for as long or as thoroughly as the other, younger man. No, Pendragon wasn’t new to her pub, even if she might not have waited on him before. Riley wasn’t usually the bartender and barback. She usually left that up to her employees choosing to spend most of her time with the bookkeeping and other - responsibilities of being a Diagon Alley proprietor. She gave her wand another wave and a second glass floated over to join the first. The shaker finished with the first drink and set about making a second after draining its reddish liquid into the first glass. She picked up the full glass and placed it in front of Leon. ”And have you heard back about it yet? What sort of work?”

The second shakerful of vampire venom finished pouring itself and Riley handed it to Damian. The action brought her close enough for her to realize the fishy-oceany smell was coming from him. Did he know he smelt like a dockworker back from a long day of hauling in nets? ”Spent time near a harbor have you?” She had thought he was a Ministry worker too. Maybe her mind was going. She wasn’t a young duck anymore after all.

[Helios Sunrider]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jinnyweasley

What he overheard from the older wizard, a new customer, surprised the former Gryffindor. Was it so difficult to down the Vampire Venom without making a face? "Was that because of the Firewhisky's burning sensation? Or something about the taste?" he asked curiously when the wizard approached.

Damian had grinned at the inquisitive young man before speaking. "I would say it is the exuberance of youth. The desire to drink in new experiences to the very last drop as quickly as possible. Even the bite, though mildly discomforting, only adds to the fun and excitement when you have some lads to laugh with."

The unspeakable placed a galleon and four sickles on the counter to cover the two drinks and a tip before taking a sip from his cup. "Me? I sadly have to admit I'm into my sipping years. Now, down the hatch, boyo. May your adventures at the Ministry of Magic be tales worth telling over a drink!"

His eyes that were as blue as the sea he smelled of blinked at Riley. "I recently returned from an extended vacation in Atlantis with eleven of my coworkers. Perhaps it was in the papers. They don't have papers down there, so I haven't been privy to the news, or whether I was news." Damian spoke rather casually of his imprisonment, but there was a depth to the look in his eyes.

[jinnyweasley]

Leon picked up the glass of red liquid placed before him and looked at it curiously. "Thanks. I haven't heard back yet, but I'm hoping for something less dangerous and more influential than my former job. I worked as a Curse-Breaker," he explained before taking a sip of the Vampire Venom. It seared his throat at first, but when the burning sensation passed he enjoyed the taste that the other ingredients added.

He licked his lips and nodded in understanding when the older man spoke of the exuberance of youth. Leon thanked him for covering the price of both of their drinks and for the good wishes at the Ministry. He thought about the mention of Atlantis and his mouth opened in surprise. "I do remember reading about it in the papers," he said cautiously. He did not remember the details of the news though, so did not say anything else for the time being.

[Helios Sunrider]

Damian nodded sagely. Perhaps this young man was wise beyond his years. "You do not meet many old curse breakers." Taking another sip, he shifted slightly. Leon seemed a little young to be losing his taste for danger. "Some of us can't get out of bed without the black dog nipping at their heels. There is plenty of room for careful wizards at the Ministry of Magic. There is also a capacity for danger, if you ever get that old itch." Damian laughed and gave Leon a small nudge.

"Keep your head down, and you won't end up in the papers like me." He figured he was the only one of the twelve that was willingly taken. The unspeakable made a distraction of himself so that his chamber partner. and his department head could escape the gala.

[SilverTiger]

Perhaps it had been a longer lunch break than proper, but Astraea had let her boss know that she’d planned on getting the tattoo, and today had been the first appointment she’d been able to make. The former Gryffindor may have neglected to tell them that it was a bit more of a complicated image than she imagined they’d assumed, but either way, it was done. The bandage covering the depiction of the goddess Astraea on the left side of her ribcage was covered by her top, of course, but it was done.

And now she was celebrating with a glass of elderflower wine, seated at the bar because it just seemed more appropriate. She’d have to go back to LakeStar soon enough. Probably before they sent a Patronus to look for her. She wouldn’t but it past Sky to do something like that, or even better, the big bosses.

[ArianaBlack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilverTiger

Perhaps it had been a longer lunch break than proper, but Astraea had let her boss know that she’d planned on getting the tattoo, and today had been the first appointment she’d been able to make. The former Gryffindor may have neglected to tell them that it was a bit more of a complicated image than she imagined they’d assumed, but either way, it was done. The bandage covering the depiction of the goddess Astraea on the left side of her ribcage was covered by her top, of course, but it was done.

And now she was celebrating with a glass of elderflower wine, seated at the bar because it just seemed more appropriate. She’d have to go back to LakeStar soon enough. Probably before they sent a Patronus to look for her. She wouldn’t but it past Sky to do something like that, or even better, the big bosses.

Long-distance was so horribly terrible. Like. All of it was bad. Her siblings were far. Her friends were far. Her boyfriend was far. Why couldn't everyone just live in Milan while Kins finished her last two years of uni and various internships? It was totally unjust. She missed living a couple of meters away from everyone she loved. In fact, it was the only thing she missed about Hogwarts full stop. Kinsay did make a point of visiting London when she could though. Especially if it meant that she could see a handful of her loved ones in one go.

Her visit today would consist of drinks with N & C, a stop at WHiM, and a family visit to wrap the day up. And yet, even with the jam-packed day, she was feeling some sort of way she couldn't explain. It was like this gray cloud overhead, something she couldn't wish away.

Having arrived at the Leaky a little early, Kins allowed herself to pout as she made her way to the bar. She'd put on a face later, but seeing as no one she knew was--

.... "Astraea? Heey," she said, putting on a brave face. She should've known she'd bump into someone she knew.

[SilverTiger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArianaBlack

Long-distance was so horribly terrible. Like. All of it was bad. Her siblings were far. Her friends were far. Her boyfriend was far. Why couldn't everyone just live in Milan while Kins finished her last two years of uni and various internships? It was totally unjust. She missed living a couple of meters away from everyone she loved. In fact, it was the only thing she missed about Hogwarts full stop. Kinsay did make a point of visiting London when she could though. Especially if it meant that she could see a handful of her loved ones in one go.

Her visit today would consist of drinks with N & C, a stop at WHiM, and a family visit to wrap the day up. And yet, even with the jam-packed day, she was feeling some sort of way she couldn't explain. It was like this gray cloud overhead, something she couldn't wish away.

Having arrived at the Leaky a little early, Kins allowed herself to pout as she made her way to the bar. She'd put on a face later, but seeing as no one she knew was--

.... "Astraea? Heey," she said, putting on a brave face. She should've known she'd bump into someone she knew.

At the very least, she planned on finishing her glass of wine before reporting back to work. It had occurred to Astraea that letting them know she was on her way would have likely offset the possibility of Patronus summoning, but she’d conveniently forgotten. Or chosen not to. The reason hardly mattered because either way, she hadn’t. She’d just taken an extremely long lunch break, and the fact nobody had contacted her before now told her things weren’t imploding.

Maybe next time she ought to look for possible artists they could bring in. Pretend she was actually working when she wasn’t really. It wasn’t like it wasn’t unheard of that upcoming musical artists might be wandering around the Alley, after all.

The footsteps that had approached from behind had her thinking the Daniaus had sent an actual person to collect her, but the voice was decidedly not one of her fellow employees. “Kinsay?”, she responded, swiveling on the stool to look at the blonde more fully. “Everything going okay with you?”

It seemed like an appropriate question. Maybe.

[ArianaBlack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilverTiger

At the very least, she planned on finishing her glass of wine before reporting back to work. It had occurred to Astraea that letting them know she was on her way would have likely offset the possibility of Patronus summoning, but she’d conveniently forgotten. Or chosen not to. The reason hardly mattered because either way, she hadn’t. She’d just taken an extremely long lunch break, and the fact nobody had contacted her before now told her things weren’t imploding.

Maybe next time she ought to look for possible artists they could bring in. Pretend she was actually working when she wasn’t really. It wasn’t like it wasn’t unheard of that upcoming musical artists might be wandering around the Alley, after all.

The footsteps that had approached from behind had her thinking the Daniaus had sent an actual person to collect her, but the voice was decidedly not one of her fellow employees. “Kinsay?”, she responded, swiveling on the stool to look at the blonde more fully. “Everything going okay with you?”

It seemed like an appropriate question. Maybe.

Kins really didn't want to do this. No offense to Astraea. But Kinsay Cassandra James would have loved even just, like, the tiniest moment to herself at the bar. She had thought about brushing past without saying anything, but she'd feel horribly rude if Astraea noticed. So. Yeah. She didn't have much of a choice, did she?

Smiling (though it was a tiny forced), she replied to the question with rehearsed ease. "Yeah, totally." It wasn't exactly a lie. Most things were going okay. She had the most beautiful flat in the best part of the city. Her internship was a dream. She was at the top of her class. She had a boyfriend who constantly showered her in designer clothes. From the outside looking in, her life was perfect. So yeah. Yeah things were going okay with her. Even though there was that weird feeling. It would pass. Hopefully.

To help it get there, she ordered herself a drink. A STRONG one. And then turned back to Astraea knowing it would be rude to drop the conversation there. "How about you? Are things going well for you?"

[SilverTiger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArianaBlack

Kins really didn't want to do this. No offense to Astraea. But Kinsay Cassandra James would have loved even just, like, the tiniest moment to herself at the bar. She had thought about brushing past without saying anything, but she'd feel horribly rude if Astraea noticed. So. Yeah. She didn't have much of a choice, did she?

Smiling (though it was a tiny forced), she replied to the question with rehearsed ease. "Yeah, totally." It wasn't exactly a lie. Most things were going okay. She had the most beautiful flat in the best part of the city. Her internship was a dream. She was at the top of her class. She had a boyfriend who constantly showered her in designer clothes. From the outside looking in, her life was perfect. So yeah. Yeah things were going okay with her. Even though there was that weird feeling. It would pass. Hopefully.

To help it get there, she ordered herself a drink. A STRONG one. And then turned back to Astraea knowing it would be rude to drop the conversation there. "How about you? Are things going well for you?"

No offense taken. Astraea wasn’t surprised in the least that Kinsay had responded to her question the way she had, considering it was entirely possible she’d have done the same if things had been swapped. If the question had been asked of her. She’d noticed the forced nature of the smile, though. It was just filed away as a thing that obviously wasn’t something that would be pushed. Not yet.

Weird feelings happened. She felt them often enough herself, and in fact her idle concern that her bosses were about to track her down to make her get back to work nearly counted as a similar thing.

She’d asked for a refill of her wine as Kinsay had ordered a drink of her own, before turning back to the blonde. “Well enough. Kind of taking a bit of an extended lunch break in order to get a tattoo, if that counts as things going well”, she replied with a bit of a laugh. Honesty wasn’t always a bad thing, after all.

[ArianaBlack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilverTiger

No offense taken. Astraea wasn’t surprised in the least that Kinsay had responded to her question the way she had, considering it was entirely possible she’d have done the same if things had been swapped. If the question had been asked of her. She’d noticed the forced nature of the smile, though. It was just filed away as a thing that obviously wasn’t something that would be pushed. Not yet.

Weird feelings happened. She felt them often enough herself, and in fact her idle concern that her bosses were about to track her down to make her get back to work nearly counted as a similar thing.

She’d asked for a refill of her wine as Kinsay had ordered a drink of her own, before turning back to the blonde. “Well enough. Kind of taking a bit of an extended lunch break in order to get a tattoo, if that counts as things going well”, she replied with a bit of a laugh. Honesty wasn’t always a bad thing, after all.

If only she wasn't so awful at hiding how she felt. It was such a total curse. She was no good at this stuff, even though she liked to think that she was. She really did try though. So. So it was appreciated that Astrea let it pass without further questioning.

"Oh?" she tilted her head, questions already forming in her mind. "What tattoo are you thinking to get?" Kinsay had several of her own and already had plans to get more. She just couldn't decide which ones she wanted to get next. It was a whooooole thing, really.

[Harron Peasley]

Tommy didn't miss school. He didn't miss the lessons, the numerous detentions, the living with a million other people. But he did find himself missing certain things, like the fact that it didn't necessarily matter. If he'd overslept and missed his lessons, he didn't care. If he 'forgot' to do his homework and got punished, he was completely unfazed.

But having a job? And having a job that wasn't glass collecting at his - at Corbin's club was a whole other matter. Luckily his shifts didn't call for him to work early hours, so he didn't struggle too much with the whole waking up and getting there on time. But he knew that he had to be presentable. He knew that he had to be polite, and bite his tongue when customers were idiots (which was often), and he knew that this mattered. He needed to pay Noah some rent, some compensation for letting him crash there, and he also needed to save up so he could potentially afford some place of his own.

Of course, as Lori and Adam liked to remind him, there was a bedroom with his name on the door at their place. But as much as Tommy's relationship with Lori - with his Nana had improved (and then got worse, and then got better again), he still wasn't ready for that. The feeling that he owed them for everything they'd done since he'd ended up at Stemp House more than twelve years ago was very much present, and he was struggling to get over it.

So here he was, pouring drinks and forcing smiles and pretending that he loved working here a whole lot.

[SilverTiger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArianaBlack

If only she wasn't so awful at hiding how she felt. It was such a total curse. She was no good at this stuff, even though she liked to think that she was. She really did try though. So. So it was appreciated that Astrea let it pass without further questioning.

"Oh?" she tilted her head, questions already forming in her mind. "What tattoo are you thinking to get?" Kinsay had several of her own and already had plans to get more. She just couldn't decide which ones she wanted to get next. It was a whooooole thing, really.

Astraea herself wasn’t cursed with an inability to express how she was feeling, but she also had empathy that didn’t always get shown in public. Not that people were particularly falling over themselves to find out how she was in private. It would come. She had faith in her charms, yet those weren’t exactly necessary at this moment. Just the empathy part of it all, and the excitement over her new ink.

Well, and the vague anticipation of being tracked down by her employers. So far there hadn’t been any sign, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t coming. “Mhm”, she responded, taking another sip from her drink before reaching for her side. “It’s an artistic interpretation of the goddess Astraea, actually”, she continued, revealing part of the bandage as she lifted the hem of her shirt. “I didn’t want it to be anything usual, like a star or something like that, but I wanted it to represent me. Y’know?” Symbolism and all that.

[astrocat]

SPOILER!!: Tommy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harron Peasley

Tommy didn't miss school. He didn't miss the lessons, the numerous detentions, the living with a million other people. But he did find himself missing certain things, like the fact that it didn't necessarily matter. If he'd overslept and missed his lessons, he didn't care. If he 'forgot' to do his homework and got punished, he was completely unfazed.

But having a job? And having a job that wasn't glass collecting at his - at Corbin's club was a whole other matter. Luckily his shifts didn't call for him to work early hours, so he didn't struggle too much with the whole waking up and getting there on time. But he knew that he had to be presentable. He knew that he had to be polite, and bite his tongue when customers were idiots (which was often), and he knew that this mattered. He needed to pay Noah some rent, some compensation for letting him crash there, and he also needed to save up so he could potentially afford some place of his own.

Of course, as Lori and Adam liked to remind him, there was a bedroom with his name on the door at their place. But as much as Tommy's relationship with Lori - with his Nana had improved (and then got worse, and then got better again), he still wasn't ready for that. The feeling that he owed them for everything they'd done since he'd ended up at Stemp House more than twelve years ago was very much present, and he was struggling to get over it.

So here he was, pouring drinks and forcing smiles and pretending that he loved working here a whole lot.

Ashley Fox was working. Working meant finding a table somewhere, then writing or painting and continually ordering herself more snacks and drinks. She looked a little strange- each limb covered in purple and grey and blue tattoos, alternating between intense periods of work and intense periods of staring at the wall or doodling on the napkins- but at least she was happy. It wasn't hard to tell that she wasn't always in a good mood like this. But today she was very happy, and very productive. She was lost in a world of her own that nobody else could see.

She wandered to the counter again. "Hm. I've met you before," she noted absent mindedly to the guy working there. She may have been referring to ordering fish and chips fifteen minutes ago, or to when she gave him money from her brother at the Hogwarts station, or to when they were arguing over access to the music room piano. Her tone didn't make it clear. She might not even know herself. She paused, trying to remember her train of thought, then smiled delightedly when it came back to her. "Oh! Right. May I have another latte, please?" It was not the first latte of the day and probably would not be the last. But she paid and left a big tip, so... pretty please? She definitely needed a latte in order to keep writing. It was inspirational, and also it tasted amazing.

[Harron Peasley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by astrocat

Ashley Fox was working. Working meant finding a table somewhere, then writing or painting and continually ordering herself more snacks and drinks. She looked a little strange- each limb covered in purple and grey and blue tattoos, alternating between intense periods of work and intense periods of staring at the wall or doodling on the napkins- but at least she was happy. It wasn't hard to tell that she wasn't always in a good mood like this. But today she was very happy, and very productive. She was lost in a world of her own that nobody else could see.

She wandered to the counter again. "Hm. I've met you before," she noted absent mindedly to the guy working there. She may have been referring to ordering fish and chips fifteen minutes ago, or to when she gave him money from her brother at the Hogwarts station, or to when they were arguing over access to the music room piano. Her tone didn't make it clear. She might not even know herself. She paused, trying to remember her train of thought, then smiled delightedly when it came back to her. "Oh! Right. May I have another latte, please?" It was not the first latte of the day and probably would not be the last. But she paid and left a big tip, so... pretty please? She definitely needed a latte in order to keep writing. It was inspirational, and also it tasted amazing.

Even though he served them, sometimes repeatedly, Tommy didn't really take much notice of any of the Leaky's customers. Occasionally he would do a double-take if someone particularly attractive walked in (sorry, Ari - he's not blind), and if Lori was there he was hyper-aware of her, but otherwise he just didn't care enough. Call it bad service, call it obliviousness, but it was why he'd not really noticed the girl who was now talking to him.

Dragging his gaze from the ring he was twisting, he looked up and blinked almost sleepily at her. "Huh?" he asked, registering her statement after he'd spoken. "I work here, so if you've been in here before...." he trailed off, wondering what she wanted. Eyes flicking briefly to the clock (counting down the hours, minutes, seconds until his shift was over was second nature), Tommy was about to prompt her when she spoke again. "A latte. Sure." He repeated her order before turning to the machines behind him, grabbing a mug and getting to work.

[astrocat]

Ashley took notice of everyone, though it was more an aesthetic interest than her being observant. She didn't remember when or why she saw people as well as she remembered their face and whether she had or had not painted it, and what exact shade she thought their hair was, and also if their eyes were or were not happy, and what colors they were wearing. Especially if they were wearing purple. Or grey. Or blue. Those were the colors she wore the most.

Ash thought she'd seen this man about a million times before, and maybe even knew his name, or had at some point. (After all, she'd been hanging out here for hours and ordered several times.) It all sort of blended together when she was so focused on doing something else. It was all under the surface. "I think I was here earlier. Twenty minutes ago. Or maybe an hour. I forget which." She clearly found this to be an incredibly interesting fact, and she had probably also stated it the last time she'd ordered from him. Her attention drifted to a clean napkin and she forgot how interesting it was that she'd saw the same server multiple times in the same day. She drew some very beautiful flowers on it while she waited, then signed it "Ashley Fox", then went back to make the flowers even better! Maybe Amabel would like this as a present. As she waited for her latte, she quietly hummed a song that popped into her head- where was it from? It was her favorite-song-on-the-expensive-tape-her-brother-had-song, she remembered. It reminded her of the coffee man here. She didn't remember why but it seemed relevant all of a sudden. Wasn't that interesting? Ash thought it was.

[Harron Peasley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by astrocat

Ashley took notice of everyone, though it was more an aesthetic interest than her being observant. She didn't remember when or why she saw people as well as she remembered their face and whether she had or had not painted it, and what exact shade she thought their hair was, and also if their eyes were or were not happy, and what colors they were wearing. Especially if they were wearing purple. Or grey. Or blue. Those were the colors she wore the most.

Ash thought she'd seen this man about a million times before, and maybe even knew his name, or had at some point. (After all, she'd been hanging out here for hours and ordered several times.) It all sort of blended together when she was so focused on doing something else. It was all under the surface. "I think I was here earlier. Twenty minutes ago. Or maybe an hour. I forget which." She clearly found this to be an incredibly interesting fact, and she had probably also stated it the last time she'd ordered from him. Her attention drifted to a clean napkin and she forgot how interesting it was that she'd saw the same server multiple times in the same day. She drew some very beautiful flowers on it while she waited, then signed it "Ashley Fox", then went back to make the flowers even better! Maybe Amabel would like this as a present. As she waited for her latte, she quietly hummed a song that popped into her head- where was it from? It was her favorite-song-on-the-expensive-tape-her-brother-had-song, she remembered. It reminded her of the coffee man here. She didn't remember why but it seemed relevant all of a sudden. Wasn't that interesting? Ash thought it was.

As he set the machine to its work, he grunted non-committally. If she'd been in here for the last hour, the chance was that Tommy had served her, and that was a good enough explanation as to why he would look familiar to her. At least, for him. He wasn't sure why she seemed to find it fascinating, and nor did he care, though maybe if he'd been wearing a name tag it might have made the situation a lot more straight forward. He picked up a cloth and wiped the steam wand before turning back to the girl and setting her latte in front of her.

That's when he noticed her humming. Tommy paused, tensing on his side of the counter, and then leaning forward ever so slightly to hear her properly. Because he recognised that song, and no one else should know it. Somehow, the kid he'd sold the recording to (for an extortionate fee that he was still shocked had been paid) didn't count as anyone else, because he figured he'd never see him again now he'd left school.

"Where'd you here that song?" he asked after a pause, voice as stiff as his shoulders.

[astrocat]

Ash had buried her attention into her drawings (again), completely losing any train of thought she had about the possible identity of the server. She was busy tying her hair into a messy bun when he passed over her drink- hesitating for a few seconds, she decided to finish tying her hair back, then pocket her drawings, then grab the latte. In that order. Hopefully. "Thanks very much," she said with a grin, paying and tipping. She was turning to leave when he spoke again, and she turned back towards him. She raised a curious eyebrow. "Hm? Oh, I don't know what it is. It just popped into my head, I suppose." She scrunched her forehead, thinking. It was obvious that she really wasn't sure, and had no idea why he was asking. "Oh! I know where I heard it. My brother listens to it all the time. I don't mind it." She went off on a little tiny tangent about her favorite sequence of notes and then returned to sipping her latte. "Why?" Ash was not aware that she was currently speaking to the musician behind the song- not consciously, at least. Somewhere in her mind, she might have remembered giving her brother the money to buy it, and connected the seller's face to the server's face, and honestly it was quite likely since she always remembered people's faces. Her conscious mind, however, simply thought it was humming a good song.