Front Counter

[Administrator]

Feel free to take some time at the front counter and talk with Jephtah, and don't be offended if he start's chewing tobacco - it means he likes you.

[oldmanelliot]

Jephtah walked out of the kitchen and wiped his brow with his maroon handkerchief. He opened his pocket watch - it was only seven thirty in the morning. He tucked it back in and smiled to himself. He always marveled at how his wife had managed to wake up every morning at her age and health to make bread. Of course, she would always make it at the apartment to give Jephtah a few more hours sleep. It was a labor of love, he knew it. He always felt a little closer to her when he was kneading dough or stirring batter.

The kitchen had warmed up the entire shop, but that wasn't a bad thing, since there was a gentle breeze that morning as he walked to the shop, and he was sure it wouldn't change much throughout the day. 'Perfect day for some tea" he thought. He walked to the front door and unlocked it, a loud 'click' breaking the silence. He then walked back over to the front counter and sat down on the wooden stool that gave him the perfect view of the kitchen and the tea room. He took a sip of his already prepared tea - a new variety of black tea, and pulled a book out from under the counter, The Picture of Dorian Gray. A book always sat next to his gun, his pail, his tobacco, and a small stack of outdated newspapers. Though he enjoyed novels, he always waited for a newsies to make their way to this side of town. He knew it wouldn't be long before he would hear their voices yelling headlines at the top of their lungs. He smiled to himself and opened the book, awaiting what the day would bring.

[Thera Noble]

Sometimes Thera simply couldn't stand her brother. Of course, as the future heir of the family business, money, name, and property, she should have respected him, but he certainly didn't make it easy. His embarrassing fixation with 'the common man' never failed to bring her shame and misery. Even when he wasn't around, it seemed that he could manage to ruin her day. Like, today for example, Bertrand had taken ill during the night, not seriously so, but enough that he would have to miss school for a day or two. At first, she had been quite pleased with the news and was hopeful that it might give her a few days respite from his constant foolishness and his less than reputable acquaintances. However, her hoped were dashed almost as soon as she entered the carriage which she thought was to take her directly to school so that she could get an early start on her day. She was immediately informed by Karl, the family driver and, unfortunately, one of Bertrand's closest confidantes that they were to stop off at a tea shop that he and her brother frequented to pick up something for 'the patient' as he so infuriatingly put it.

She had argued and insulted him the entire way over, but to no avail. About six or seven minutes later, she found herself sitting in the carriage, staring a a filthy, disgusting little shop that he brother was apparently mad enough to actually want to go into on a regular basis. Worst of all, all of a sudden Karl was insisting that she actually come inside with him 'for her own safety' rather than staying with the carriage an the horses. Ridiculous! If that stupid oaf cared at all about her safety, he wouldn't have brought her to such a deplorable part of town and he definitely wouldn't be forcing her to enter that cesspool that he called a shop just to get her pest of an older brother something that would likely only make him sicker.

Finally, after several minutes of arguing, she conceded and agreed to enter the shop on the condition that she not be expected to touch anything while inside or consume anything produced there. True to his word, at the very least, Karl held the door open for her as she walked inside, her eyes scanning around the shop for a few moments before landing, with an air of pointed disgust, on an old man sitting at the front counter. "Ugh! Please tell me that that's not the person who actually makes the food around here!" she exclaimed in a mixture of outrage and disgust. In her opinion old people were, by definition, terribly unsanitary. They were all degrading before everyone's very eyes and they had absolutely no business being involved in food preparation, especially when that food was to be fed to her poor, sick brother. No matter how obnoxious he could be, she didn't want him to die and that was exactly what they would be asking for if they fed them anything made by such a disease ridden old... thing. "That's it! I demand that you take me to school this instant, Karl. We are not now, nor will we ever be purchasing anything from this hovel that you call a store and that's that!" she insisted, turning on the spot to face the towering bear of a man before her.

Bet, to her great surprise and outrage, he simply ignored her and walked up to the old man. Se was practically in shock at his blatant disregard for her authority as she heard his deep, heavily accented voice coming from near the counter "Good morning, Mr. Elliot" it rang softly off of the walls of the small room as Thera struggled to come up with a new plan of action "I'll have my usual and whatever part of Bert's that you can make transportable. Unfortunately, he is feeling somewhat under the weather today and is unable to come in person" It was then that Thera sprung into action again, storming over to the younger of the two men with fire in her eyes "You have some nerve, Karl! First you disobey me and now, this! How many times do mother and I have to tell you not to call Bertrand by that detestable nickname!? If Mother had wished for him to be called that, then that's what she would have named him!" She fumed, more confident now that she had her mother's name to throw around. "Let's not forget who pays you!"

This time, she received a response, but it was hardly what she expected. "Yes, your father." she heard rumble softly through the air, quickly followed by a slightly louder "This is Bert's sister, Thera, by the way. I don't believe you've met."

((Okay, so, just to clarify things, the things that Karl says are all italicized, while Thera's are just normal. Karl's accent is German and this is what he looks like, just in case you were wondering. Also this is what Thera's brother looks like, again, just in case you were wondering.))

[oldmanelliot]

Jephtah had just met Lord Henry Wotton in the novel when Karl, one of his most pleasant customers, walked in the door with a rather distraught young girl by his side, or rather, behind him. From the window only a few moments before, it seemed as though she had been insisting they not enter the shop and - once in the shop - her voice reached a pitch that made Jephtah know that she did not want to be there.

"Good morning, Mr.Elliot, I'll have my usual and whatever part of Bert's that you can make transportable. Unfortunately, he is feeling somewhat under the weather today and is unable to come in person."

The young girls displeasing attitude caused Jephteh to ignore her all together and address Karl directly. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that Bert is ill. You know, I've been playing with a new blend of chamomile and lemon leaves, and I think it may be just right for aiding his recovery. And, you know, I have an old pot that I've been meaning to give to him anyway, sort of an early birthday gift, I'll just place the tea in that, and you can add some hot water later." He started to head into the kitchen when the girl stomped over to Karl, her frilly dress a wave of angry motion.

"....If Mother had wished for him to be called that, than that's what she would have named him! Let's not forget who pays you!" Jephtah did his best to keep quiet, he certainly did not want to provoke the girl into a higher pitch, but he was finding it very difficult.

"This is Bert's sister, Thera, by the way. I don't believe you've met." The poor man looked angry and annoyed all at once. Jephteh felt for him - there was a reason he and Esther had never had children.

In all his years, he knew that bringing out the sharp tongue was only for necessary circumstances. If the girl had been much older, he may have even spoken out against her immediately. Though she wasn't his responsibility, it made him very angry that such a young person would feel such authority over and older and considerably more well behaved person, or that this girl could be the sister to such a kind young gentleman. Still, Jephtah held his tongue and offered his hand to her. "Hello Thera, my name is Mr. Elliot. Is there a tea that you'd like to try?"