Open The Art of Wine

[Izuyanai]

29th of Winter, 515AV Izuyanai's cloak snapped and flapped sharply in the cold air as she strode briskly through the snowy streets of Lhavit. The dark fabric stood out in stark contrast against the bright ice and light walls of the surrounding buildings joining ranks with the encroaching shadows. The brusque mannerisms and alert eyes of the wearer, however, matched the crisp winter evening. Truth be told, she was running a little late. It was never a good idea to be late for the first day of work and she would be doing just that if she didn't pick up her pace. The consequences of tardiness would be a ruined first impression, and Izuyanai didn't have the time to deal with that kind setback. Speaking of time she didn't have, the bells that signaled the end of dusk rest started to ring over the city just as Izuyanai swept into a narrow alleyway. She paused briefly to look up to the hanging sign that heralded the tavern as The Scholar's Demise. Dim light shining from one of the windows cast a glowing patch on the layers of snow. One wouldn't have expected such a popular establishment to be tucked away in a side street. Then again, looks can be deceiving. She should know this to be true more than anyone else. How ironic that she be drawn to this place, considering her intellectual pursuits. Izuyanai's lip curled into a small smirk. More than likely, it was her twisted sense of humor that led her to the Demise. She had met with the owners of the establishment, asking if they were looking to hire. The raven had warned the proprietors that she wasn't experienced but would like to learn, being very interested in the form that their religious devotion had taken. They, Aleah and Roric, had been slightly hesitant. Apparently business this winter was not optimal. Nevertheless, they bade her to come back the next day so that they could guide her through the work. Izuyanai was to replace the intermediate shift in the tavern as the owners took their rest. For now however, she would shadow the professionals. It would be wise not to keep them waiting. Izuyanai unpinned her cloak and stepped inside the establishment. Immediately, a much warmer and welcoming atmosphere washed over her. Slipping past the narrow entryway, she skirted the spacious lounge and made her way to the counter where Aleah was tending to business. Or would have been anyway. The Lethborn Ethaefal was an ethereal beauty. Even without having to focus her auristics, Izuyanai could feel the maturity and quiet sadness weaving around her being. She was intriguing, Izuyanai concluded. While Roric was much more outspoken and easier to read, which was interesting in its own way, Aleah had to be considered more carefully. Aleah looked up from her work and picked out the newcomer who had just entered her establishment. She didn't smile or give any friendly greeting, but Izuyanai caught her expression go to a split second of recognition. "Good, you're here. Come around and you can put your things over there," she said, getting straight to business. Izuyanai went behind the counter and set her belongings down where she had been directed. From this position, the interior of the tavern could be viewed with a new perspective. The walls and carved furniture were all bathed in a cool blue light from the special candles that flickered from each tabletop. There were very few customers sitting in the lounge and at the bar. However, of what people there were, Izuyanai picked out a vast diversity among the patrons. Aleah, who had disappeared from view for a few short moments, returned with a slim booklet. "You will need to familiarize yourself with the menu. I expect accuracy and good service when responding to a customer's orders. For today, it's been very quiet so I'm going to ask you to fulfill tasks such as taking orders and cleaning." Izuyanai nodded, complying to the demands, and accepted the booklet menu from Aleah's hands. Seemingly satisfied the Lethborn glided away adding, "If you should have any questions please feel free to ask either myself or Roric."

[Izuyanai]

Left to her own devices, Izuyanai tucked away the menu and stepped over to the nearest table to start clearing away empty glasses that had been left by some previous customers. Carefully balancing the fragile objects, she made it back behind the counter to gently drop them off. She grabbed an old strip of cloth used to wipe down the counter top and made her way around the room, performing simple cleaning tasks and occasionally returning to home base with dirty glassware. Some might call it a thankless task and Izuyanai could agree to the fact that it might get tedious quickly. However, she wasn't just performing mundane cleaning. The raven was watching. She watched Aleah's practiced movements as she mixed drinks and noted how orders were relayed then payed for. She watched as Roric prepared various side dishes to go with complementary drinks. Though the tavern was unusually quiet, it wasn't all bad. There was a sort of weary peace curling in the air. Just as she was about to start actually washing the glassware, Izuyanai caught a flash of movement from the corner of her eye. Looking up, it seemed to be a pair in the corner of the lounge waving slightly to get her attention. Glancing over to Aleah revealed that she was already nodding at her encouragingly, so the raven trotted over to the two customers. Apparently they wanted to order from their seats. The reason they wanted to do so became apparent as Izuyanai neared their table. The pair were obviously a couple and they seemed loathe to part with each other for even a short moment. The woman with light hair gazed starry eyed at her partner while his eyes flitted hopelessly from the menu to his lover. Trying not to smirk too knowingly, Izuyanai spoke up. "Did you have your order?" The man didn't bother to properly look at his server when he replied. "Oh, actually, we're having trouble deciding so we'll take your recommended wine." Izuyanai grimaced internally as she walked away from the couple busy locking eyes once more. Great. Just fantastic. On her first official day as well. She really didn't have a clue to the intricacy of the various vintages. Though, she couldn't imagine that such a distracted customer would be able to tell the difference even if she served them Lhavitian tea. Aleah would hardly approve. Pulling out and holding the small menu like a wilderness guide, Izuyanai slipped behind the counter to peruse the wines lined there. As far as she knew, the love birds weren't ordering any side dishes. So unless the scattered bird brains decided to make changes at the last second, she needn't worry about pairing the right beverage. Disregarding the shorter bottles of distilled spirits, Izuyanai contemplated the two types of wine bottles that seemed to be prevalent. One type was made of a darker kind of glass. Tilting them to the light revealed a dark, rich liquid inside. The other type was constructed out of more translucent glass. The substance inside being pale and surprisingly clear. Red reflected the flames of passion, no? The raven drew on her djed to focus on the contents inside the different bottles to confirm her elimination. The darker wine was indeed a lot bolder than its paler cousin. A well defined taste rushed into her senses through her Auristics. Not only did she detect the taste but a headiness that she supposed cane from the fermented beverage. Of course since the wine hadn't been consumed, only a carefully simulated version of drunkenness flitted through the corners of the raven's head. Now the problem was in which of the red wines she would pick, and since Izuyanai doubted that Aleah would allow for taste testing, her current form of investigation was continued. The vintages with the labels reading Cabernet and Shiraz both had a very pronounced and bold flavor. They seemed simple and perfect for many occasions. However, the raven felt that it didn't bring everything possible to a romantic evening. Moving on to the next, Izuyanai dipped her magic against the wine inside the bottles labeled Merlot and Pinot Noir. The Merlot could be one of her favorites. The taste was mildly sweet with the fresh tang of dark red fruit. Auristics revealed a smooth and velvety texture that must be easy to drink. The Pinot Noir however seemed to be the one right for the evening. Though the liquid itself was rather pale and translucent, a bright floral scent permeated the bottle. Fresh and soft, a hidden tartness coiled around the raven's senses. Snatching up the selected bottle, Izuyanai fished out two glasses and a wine opener from the counter and proceeded to her customers. They didn't seem to mind their server's prolonged absence as they continued their conversation. The man looked up and reached out for the items that Izuyanai had brought. "Thank you. We'll do the honors ourselves." Smiling, Izuyanai drew away from the corner, saying "Enjoy your evening." Now that there was less pressure for her to do her job perfectly, the raven felt far more accommodating toward the young couple. It was good that they seemed so happy. Wishing the pair luck, Izuyanai commenced her chore of washing glasses. They were going to need as much luck as they could possibly get. Standing in silent companionship with Aleah, Izuyanai watched over the tavern and its flickering energy.

[Izuyanai]

Taking the lull in activity to examine the menu, Izuyanai laid the booklet on top of the counter and perused the contents. She had to say that the cocktails were tastefully named. It was a mystery as to who the titles had sprung from, but the raven took a guess that it had been Aleah. All the drinks seemed interesting. She was especially curious as to the effects of all the spices in The Stolen Night, but chose to resign herself to Auristics should Aleah ever make the mixture. Afterall, ravens and alcohol did not mix well. At least, not this one. She remembered that the results had been rather volatile the last time she had tried. No, she wasn't keen on repeating that disaster. Flipping to another section of the thin booklet revealed the selection of foods the establishment had to offer. The collection seemed very simple. From salads to fried onions, the dishes looked to be easy enough to prepare. Should Izuyanai ever be faced with such an order she was confident that she could get the job done without burning down the tavern. Though perhaps she should leave the frying to Roric for awhile. A small scuffle sounded from the entryway and the smart closing of the door came echoing from the narrow hallway. The Kelvic raised the glass she was wiping out to eye level in order to view the new customer. The tall woman stood in hesitation by the outskirts of the lounge. Her dark curly hair swayed slightly in its haphazard bun as she turned her head from side to side. It seemed as though she were looking for someone. The woman's tired hazel eyes flicked from figure to figure in the bar, trying to determine the right person. From the considerable smattering of snow on the cloak around her arm, Izuyanai guessed she'd been outdoors a while. "There you are, Bria! I was starting to think you wouldn't make it." Izuyanai watched detachedly as the woman, Bria, turned toward the one who had called out to her. A younger looking woman by the bar had twisted around in her seat to wave over the newcomer. She had a gentle round face with bright eyes that twinkled happily at the sight of her friend. Bria's taught expression relaxed slightly as she moved toward her acquaintance. Small particles of snow broke away from her attire and landed on the worn floor, quickly melting into small droplets of water. Dragging up a stool closer to her companion, she apologized. "Sorry, I was just finishing up at the site. It was a little frustrating, actually. There's so much to be done, yet no way to finish it. Snow is coming in this winter and for all we did there's still a gaping hole in the peak." Letting out a small sigh, the woman shook her head disappointedly. The small frown on her features revealed delicate worry lines woven by her brows. Her friend, meanwhile, reached out to pat her comfortingly on the shoulder. "You did what you could. Don't worry! I'm sure, in spring, you'll have the problem all fixed. Let me treat you! You look exhausted." The other woman waved a little to get the attention of the Kelvic who had been standing inconspicuously nearby, drying glasses. "We'll have a Time's End and The Sun's Glory, thanks." Izuyanai nodded moved away to relay the order to Aleah. While she waited for the drinks to be prepared the raven alternated between observing Aleah's work and the two patrons who had resumed their chatting. Bria leaned her elbows on the counter with her head turned toward the second woman who was talking animatedly. The other had the habit of gesturing with her hands so that there was a constant flurry of movement around her. It greatly contradicted the weary aura of the worker but seemed to cheer her up nonetheless. People revealed all sorts of interesting tidbits if one payed attention and knew how to decipher the intricate web of information. A sense for subtlety never failed in gathering knowledge and scraps of fact, as well. Izuyanai had a feeling she now more properly understood why the Mistress of Shadows was also the Goddess of stealth. Not just because of the obvious fact that darkness obscured vision. It was because people never suspected the shadows. To them, shadows were merely reflections of more solid objects. Mundane, normal, part of everyday life. Similarly, stealth was not always about lurking in the darkness. It was about blending in and being passed over. Meanwhile Aleah had finished preparing the order for Time's End and had moved onto the second drink. She poured richly colored brandy into a clear glass and gently added an orange aperitif. A dash of syrup was included before she deftly affixed and orange to the glass. The finished product was layered dark amber to bright orange, reflecting the image of Syna's light. Taking the colorful cocktails from Aleah, Izuyanai made her way back to the two customers and set their drinks down on the counter with a soft clink. "Two kina," she said politely. The younger woman paid and each woman took their respective drinks. Bria, the Time's End and the other took The Sun's Glory. Izuyanai wondered if they frequented the Demise. As far as she could figure, this was a regular location for them to meet. If so, she would make note of remembering their orders. Retreating a slight ways from the pair, Izuyanai took up another glass and resumed eavesdropping on the murmurings of the tavern. OOCCriticism is welcome! Please be gentle

[Bee]

What's that sound?

 

Izu

Skills

• Observation +3
• Auristics +1
• Cleaning +1

Lores

• Lore: Waitress work: Cleaning off tables
• Lore: Waitress work: Taking orders
• Lore: Auristics: "Tasting"

Miscellaneous

None!

I loved your descriptions of the wines. I love wine. I also really enjoyed your "tasting" the wine, ah ha! That was neat! As for criticism, I think you're doing well. Don't be afraid to try something new. You're very clear cut with your writing. Although most people need to cut down on "fluff" you might like adding a little bit to your writing. Atmospheric writing, if you get what I mean. Not that you NEED it by any means, I think you'll grow the more you write. Also, it never hurts to read a good book to help get pointers on writing, I find a lot of my best writing comes right after I've finished a book because I try to mimic their style.

It's your grade!