Mad Tea Party

Participants:

mika_icon.gif nadira_icon.gif evan_icon.gif nadal_icon.gif

Scene Title Mad Tea Party
Synopsis Nadira's brother is everything he was said to be.
Date August 14, 2010

Through the Looking Glass

Through the Looking Glass inhabits the first floor of a small building here in West Village. The cheerful jingle of a bell greets those entering the shop, along with a wave of pleasant scent coming from the tea. To the right of the door is the counter, behind which contains shelves upon shelves of glass containers with various flavors of tea. The front section is host to a variety of tea pots, tea mugs, jewelry, clothes and various other nick-nacks; stained glass decorations are hanging from the ceiling with price tags on them.

The back room has been changed into a sitting area. There are a few tables, some comfortable chairs, as well as book shelves containing a small variety of different books for customers to peruse while they enjoy their tea.

The tea comes in an enormous variety of flavors, and is served hot or cold, by the mug or glass, or by the pitcher. Tea is also sold by the ounce for those who can't get enough of the owner's delicious blends.

There is a staircase that leads up to a locked door, which contains a simple sign: 'Do Not Enter'


Through the Looking Glass is currently in its Grand Opening weekend. The quaint little tea shop in West Village just opened yesterday, freshly filled with tea gifts and other kitschy things. It's a pleasant little shop, not too big, but that's what gives it that special place feel.

Behind the counter, a young woman, perhaps in her early twenties, is seated, fiddling around on a computer as she waits for customers to come in. She's currently looking for advertising options, since at the moment, business is looking extremely slow. With a bored sigh, she leans back in her chair, tucking her arms behind her head as she stares boredly at the ceiling.

"Well, I'm out on the road right now," a harried-looking Evan says into his phone as he steps inside, "but you can meet me here if you need to? Rabbit Hole— 9th near Tompkins, can't miss it. Okay." Or is it? In addition to the name being wrong, that intersection is at least a mile away.

Two seconds after he hangs up, his tone switches from forced politeness to self-indulgent amusement. "Some asshole in budgeting," he explains to Nadira, holding the door for her as well. "They know they're not supposed to bug us directly, that's what the department head is for."

Nadira's gaze moves inside the building as she steps in, door held open by Evan. "Sometimes I'm glad my job is simple. It's a lot easier to just pour a glass of something or slide over a beer." She peers inside, offering the woman behind the counter a very friendly smile. "Hello." She offers before taking in a deep breath. "Mm.."

The young Japanese girl blinks up as two new faces arrive, a bright smile forming on her face. Yes, customers! The pair are greeted by Mika's cheerful voice. "Hello! Welcome to Through the Looking Glass!" She smiles brightly. "Feel free to have a look around. If you need any help with anything, ask me!" The girl seems almost practiced when it comes to practically sweating out charm.

Evan's attention switches over to Mika for the time being, and by extension the shop in general. "We'll do that, thank you— do you have any recommendations? May as well get something a little out of the ordinary, as long as I'm here." There are a thousand supermarkets and convenience stores selling Lipton, after all.

Nadira's not fond of generic tea. She's been spoiled over the years due to having British relatives. "Someone had said something about a rosebud tea or something or another to me once…"

Mika's response is a smile, laughing softly. "Well, we hardly have anything ordinary here. We blend our own teas. There's quite a bit to choose from!" She grins. "Do you guys normally like green tea, black tea, white tea, or oolongs? Sweet or fruity, or more for the earthy tones? We have just about anything you can think of." As Nadira speaks of rosebud, the girl brightens. "Oh, we have that! Would you like that iced or hot?" So cheerful.

Evan scratches his head. "I've had green tea before— pretty plain, but considering what it usually goes along with, that's not a bad thing. What's the difference between that and oolong?" At the same time, he absently clears through a couple of text messages, nothing earth-shaking from the look of it.

Nadira clearly knows a bit more about tea than Evan, but she's no expert herself. She nods a bit. "I'll take some of that hot, if you please." Indeed, the woman was exceptionally nice. Sure, nothing big considering she was trying to sell things, but… she was very friendly.

The girl smiles kindly to Evan, even as she sets to work preparing Nadira's tea, pulling a jar of loose leaf tea out and placing a spoonful into a tea strainer. This is put into a measuring cup, and hot water is added. "Well, Green tea is the closest to natural tea leaves as you can get. Oolong is kind of a mix between black tea and green tea." She smlies. "If you want something that isn't so plain, we have flavored black tea. If you like strawberries, I recommend Berried Treasure. It's strawberry tea, with peppercorns in it to cut the strawberry flavor. Probably one of my favorites."

Evan nods. "Well, I'm not sure what peppercorns would taste like there, but— sure, let's try it." It's a day for bold experimentation. The silly name, eh, he can live with.

And there goes his phone again, and he steps away to answer it, silently excusing himself. "Hello? …yes, this is— …yes, the normal cap is fifty, I don't have the override forms with me, lemme get your number?" He grabs a napkin and the nearest pen he can find, stepping to one side to make room as the front door swings open again.

Nadira laughs at the silly name for the tea, watching as Mika goes ahead and makes hers. She glances up as Evan's distracted by the phone, shaking her head a little as she moves out of the way of the door to make sure not to interrupt any other potential customers.

With a cheerful nod, Mika goes about quietly making the teas for the two, humming some strange foreign song as she works.

Nadal pushes open the door to the tea house and steps in from outside. In doing so he reaches down to his blackberry to make sure he got the address right from his sister. He looks mildly out of place until he spots Nadira in the establishment. He is in his usual uptight wall street like attire his hair fixed perfectly. He offers a little wave to his sister before he slowly walks over.

From his vantage point near the entrance, Evan glances idly toward Nadal as he writes down a string of numbers - then a little more closely as the man approaches Nadira with an obvious air of person I already know. One of her customers? The unexpected brother, maybe? After finishing up the phone call, he remains where he is, waiting for a cue— it shouldn't take long, one way or another.

See, there was one thing Nadira didn't mention to either Evan or Nadal. She'd invited the other there. Nadira smiles charmingly to her brother, giving him a bit of a smile. "Nice to see you here.. care for some tea, Evan and I already ordered." Oh, yes. There's another guy. She smiles over at Evan and beckons him over.

It isn't right away that Nadal begins to comprehend. Instead he works slowly towards Nadira a warming smile flashing across his face. "My sister…I am so happy you are…." Then the words the action towards Evan clicks. His head snaps coldly in the direction of Evan. The look of a very over protective and insulted brother bares down on him. He continues to make his way to his sister. Nadal attempts to do his best at cutting the distance between Evan and his sister. His hand quickly extending in a cold offer of a handshake.

The few seconds' head start is enough time for Evan to put his things away again, politely returning Nadal's handshake as soon as it's offered. He doesn't have much of a specific plan for dealing with him, based on what he's heard, but at least he can play defense long enough to buy some more thinking time.

"Nadal, this is Evan… Evan, this is my brother, Nadal." Nadira introduces, looking between the two, cautiously. This will be interesting. She'll just leave it blank just who Evan is to her. She'll not purposefully rub salt into the wound. "You can order some tea, Nadal, and we can all sit and chat, if you'd like."

The ridges of Nadal's nose flair as he begins to speak. "Hello I am Nadal Kamir it is quite nice to meet you….Evan" The name rolls off his tongue in his british accent tinted with arabic pronunciation. He holds rigid with his grip tight as he is allowed. His eyes cast over him from head to toe sizing him up the way fathers and brothers tend to do. "Yes I think I am going to need to smoke before I drink any tea sister." His eyes cast and glance in her direction. Then they return back to Evan. "Yes a smoke then we have much to talk about." His words drip with angst as he steps away from Evan and begins to hover around Nadira closely.

The lopsided introductions offer Evan another clue: either Nadal already knows that they're going out, or he doesn't and Nadira isn't telling him. Well, he's not going to bring it up either, at least not yet. "Likewise. We'll see you in a couple of minutes, then?" Unless Mika is cool with him smoking indoors, which he'd guess is not going to be the case.

Nadira didn't need to do the filling in the blanks. Evan was a man, Nadira was talking with a man, which naturally meant things. At least, Nadira figured that was what her brother would think. She glances around, peering at Nadal for a moment as she edges closer to Evan. "Well, go on and have a smoke outside then. We'll wait for you here."

After Evan evokes the obvious non smoking rule Nadal becomes visibly uncomfortable. He bounces from one foot to the other. The idea of stepping away from his sister or his need for nicotine being debated. Finally he snarls under his breath and pulls his hands free from his pockets. "Well smoking is a nasty habit, best to abstain in such polite company." His fingers tap impatiently against his pockets jiggling the contents within. "No do not worry sister I will be fine surely fine company will offer me a better fix." His eyes continue to cast towards Evan while closely bouncing to his sister to watch her reactions to him.

"You're sure you wouldn't rather?" Evan glances once more toward the exit, then shakes his head and motions toward a nearby booth. There's enough room there for four, two on either side. "You've had a long day, I'm sure I think we all have. Things are starting to get really busy again this month." The polite demeanor isn't absolutely rock-solid, but he does seem a good bit calmer about the situation than Nadal does.

"Are you sure?" Nadira suggests as well, peering over at Nadal. "If you want to have a quick smoke we'll be fine in here. We're just waiting for our tea." She gives a nod to Nadal, then glances over to the counter. "You can always put your tea order in that way once you come back we can all sit down together?" She glances back to Evan for a moment, watching him carefully before looking back to Nadal with a smile.

Finally Nadal breaks his hand snatches the pack of smokes from his pocket. With a death grip on them he shifts on his heels. Then glares at Evan coldly as he heads towards the door to smoke. On his way out he turns back casting several glances towards Evan. Letting the door slide closed behind him as he stands outside pacing and chain smoking.

While Nadal indulges his addiction, Evan turns his attention back to Nadira. "You could've warned me, you know," he murmurs under his breath, waiting for her to pick a seat before following suit. Mika gets a brief apologetic glance as well: sorry we had to have drama in your shop, it seems to suggest.

"If I warned you I would have gotten nervous and chickened out, and it wouldn't have been fair for me to warn you and not warn Nadal." Nadira sighs a little bit. "Sorry for springing this on you." She frowns a little. "In any case, the major damage is done."

Nadal continues bowing down before his habit in front of the tea shop.

Mika silently stands behind the counter, watching the interaction with a thoughtful look on her face, her head tilted to one side. The short little Japanese girl pulls the tea out of the cups, and pours them into mugs. These are brought out and set before the two, and for some strange reason, the young woman is offering them a wise look, one that suggests she's lived many years in her apparently short life.

"Here you go, you two." She glances toward the door, raising her eyebrows for a moment, before turning a small smile to the couple. "You two need anything else right now? We have some cake and pies." She pulls a menu from her apron, setting it on the table.

Evan inclines his head to Mika as she stops by, reaching for the menu and setting it down on the other side of the table, unless Nadira reaches for it first. "Thanks, I think we're just waiting for him," he replies, gesturing toward the smoking man just outside.

And there's a chime from Nadira's phone. She pulls it out of her purse, staring for a moment. "That would be my brother. Evan… excuse me for just a moment. I believe I'm going to go get yelled at." She rubs the back of her neck, moving to get to her feet. She does, however, take a tiny sip of tea before she moves to slip outside for the moment.

On the otherside of the glass the moment Nadira steps outside and the door is closed. Her brother flicks his cigarette. His demeanor is erratic as he begins to rapidly speak. His hands reaching out and cupping her shoulders to try and comfort either her or himself.

From outside the window Nadal attempts to try and hug his sister. It is quite obvious whatever they are speaking about its very animated.

Mika smiles warmly at the pair…then blinks at the jingling phone. She blinks a few times, before offering a small bow to Evan. "If you need anything, sir, just let me know. Feel free to peruse our jewelry selection while those two talk? If you find anything you like for the lady, I'm pretty good at hiding things." She smiles brightly to Evan, before returning to her spot behind the counter, watching the two interact.

The hug is allowed, then Nadira quickly pulls away from her brother and heads inside without another word.

Nadal quickly chases after her trying to regain his composure while doing so.

The mime theater visible through the glass is intriguing, in a car-crash sort of way, but it's not like Evan can do much of anything about it while it's still going on. If Nadira wanted his help, she would've let him know.

"Jewelry?" he echoes, turning back to Mika for a second. "I heard this was an eccentric tea shop, but—" But the idea will have to wait, now that the others are heading back inside. Besides, it's a little early in the relationship for jewelry of any sort. He thinks.

In heavily accented arabic Nadal snipes at Nadira. He tries to keep his cool as he follows Nadira to the table. He gives a slight nod to the woman behind the counter as he stops there to order. "Do you have hibiscus sabdariffa? If so I would quite enjoy it if you do. If not perhaps a chai?" He speaks to the asian woman warmly flashing her a smile whenever he can. The only distraction is the casting glances he throws towards his sister to watch her response.

Mika blinks at Nadal as he stops to order. "No, I don't have that, sadly…but I can be sure to order it for you, if you would like! It sounds like it's delicious, in any case." She offers Nadal a warm smile, before pulling a glass container labeled 'Elise's Chai' from the shelves. "I'll get you a Chai right away, sir. Feel free to go sit with your friends, and I'll bring it to you when it's finished." She flashes a practiced, charming smile up at the man.

Nadira settles back down at the table, glancing to Evan. "Sorry about that. Sibling matters. I'm sure you can understand." She moves, sipping her tea lightly, expression entirely too hard to read.

Evan winces, reaching a hand out briefly toward Nadira's as she sits back down. "I can imagine," he offers, with a sigh - then waits for Nadal to come over and present his side of the story, having little else to go on until then.

With a clearing of his throat Nadal attempts to interrupt the hand touch by Evan. "So Evan how is it that you have come to know my sister?" He stares at him trying to disect him. Then turns away only to snipe in arabic at his sister. Then finishes with a tsk'ing of his tongue as he pulls the packets of sugar close to him. Slowly he arranges them before replacing the container to its previous position.

Nadira sips at her tea, looking between the two. There's a scowl at Nadal, a quick response in Arabic before she turns back to Evan. "We met at a restaraunt, actually." She notes, rubbing the back of her neck.

Evan inclines his head, acknowledging the opening. "Until the roof collapsed, then we had to make a run for it." He's well aware of the rapid juxtaposition of the mundane and the what-the-hell elements of the story - but for him, it's just the sort of year he's been having.

With a fake plastered smile Nadal nods. "Yes a restraunt how lovely." Again he spouts off in arabic at his sister with a very concerned look. His fingers folding in front of him as his eyes cast from her to Evan then back again.

Nadira's eyes narrow. The teacup is clenched. The Arabic is a simple answer, but it's clear the Egyptian woman is no longer happy. "Evan, I apologize if my brother's being rude. I think it's terribly rude to converse in another language that you don't understand in front of other people."

"Who said I didn't understand it?" muses Evan, reaching for his cup and drawing it closer. He doesn't, in fact, but Nadal may or may not be able to figure that out.

With a slight tip of his head towards his sister he again gives a light smile. "Yes excuse me I apologize Evan. My sister is very important to me I at times underestimate her. She is much stronger then I give her enough credit for. Which is a fault that I am not sure I will ever get over." He stirs his drink slowly. "So Evan do you speak arabic as a tenant of your faith?" His eyes cut sharply towards his sister with an accompanied teasing smile.

Oh lord. Nadira stares into her teacup, taking a deep breath. "This was obviously a mistake." She mutters softly. The smile was teasing, but it didn't help soothe the situation any. "Nadal's only visiting for a few months on business, then he's headed back."

The tension is cut by the petite Mika coming over, setting Nadal's tea before him with a warm smile upon her face. "Here you go, sir!" She smiles brightly, before glancing about the table. "If I may interject, folks…and please, pardon the interruption…" She glances to Nadal specifically for this. "Life is far too short to begrudge your sister her chance for happiness." She gestures toward Nadira and Evan. "She seems happy with him, from what I have seen as an outsider. Is that not the most important thing?"

Mika offers a twinkling smile to the trio, and with that, she slips back over to her countertop.

As a tenet of what, now? This smells like a setup for 'no one but a Muslim could possibly be good enough', and Evan can't help but make a sour face for at least a moment - long enough for Nadal to spot it, unless something else manages to distract him at just that moment.

He's just about to say something, but then Mika does interrupt. And with style, too. How's it feel to be outnumbered three to one?

A quirked eyebrow is the first response given to Mika. "Ah no I do not begrudge her happiness. I will not lower my standards or expectations. Nor should she, if Evan here proves to be a worthy suitor then so be it. Infatuation does not always lead to love or good things."

Lifting his tea to his lips he sips slowly. Once he sets it down to the table again he turns to Mika. "A truly talented conniseur madame. I was having my doubts about what this city considered coffee." His eyes return to Nadira with a tilt of his head following. "She knows I love her even when she is most stubborn. There are somethings that I can share only with her for better or worse."

"Yes, Nadal, but my standards may not be the same as your standards." Nadira states clearly. Her tea is still quietly sipped, her eyes flickering over to Evan quietly before looking back at her teacup.

The petite little Japanese woman would say more, really, but she tries not to get too involved in the relationships of her customers. She simply offers a wise smile toward the trio, sitting back in front of her computer and going back to work. She still keeps an eye on the three, though…

Wow, the overprotective brother actually acknowledge that Evan might not suck! It's still a long and unlikely haul from 'might not' to 'doesn't', but at least it's a good first step. "I think we can agree on that much, at least," he murmurs, declining to press the issue any further than that.

With a snort Nadal quickly responds. "Well being young allows one to know everything instead of knowing nothing. It is my job to protect you. Whatever has brought you here means I have failed at least once. I will not do so again." His hands grasp his mug on both sides before raising it to his lips for another long drink.

"I'm not in need of any protection, Nadal. If anything, you should be protecting me from your own mistakes." Nadira eyes her brother carefully. "I appreciate your care, but I'd rather live my life without intrusion."

"I know I haven't known Nadira for very long," Evan adds, "but I think she's right— she's well able to protect herself. I understand that you feel differently…" He trails off at that point, leaving the implied second half hanging in the air: but I don't have to agree with you.


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