1051/Wine is in her blood

Wine is in her blood
Date of Scene:	20 June 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Ravenna Levesque, Lucifer

---

Ravenna Levesque has posed:
Ravenna has been working her ass off trying to get this wine tasting off the ground. The date has been picked, a chef has been hired and she has had to cash in several favors to get some very exclusive wines on her list. She knows that she needs to impress The Bartender so he'll put in a good word with whomever is in charge. At this point, all of her hard work has paid off, everything is set and ready to go, all she needs to do is show up, set up and impress.

Which means tonight she is taking a little break. She can't have herself stressed out on the day of the event, that's to be saved for the day before. Since she still has her wax seal, she'll find her way into the club, dressed in a deep red cocktail dress and matching red heels. She waves to a few people that she's noticed as regulars, before she walks over to the bar, seeing if 'The Bartender' is working this evening.

Lucifer has posed:
The Bartender's working on... something when Ravenna arrives. A few different liquors are out on the counter-- along with fruits, spices, some milk, and a few other things.

At the sound of those deep red heels clicking along the floor of the lounge, the Bartender looks up and whistles once, appreciatively. "Wowzer. Looking good, Ravenna," he tells the woman. Already, there's something familiar in the way he addresses her; a cordiality extended to fellow employees, /never/ to patrons. "Come here and give this a try, will you?" he requests, beckoning her to perch on one of the bar-height stools. He finishes whatever he's working on and slides it to her.

"Give that a try. I call it Happy Honey Saffron," he suggests. "Ginger, thyme, some bourbon infusion, honey-- well, try it, then I'll tell you what's in it," he says, eyes dancing with the mischevious anticipation of an artist wanting to see their creation consumed and appreciated.

Ravenna Levesque has posed:
Ravenna's noticed his change of familiarity, but she doesn't question it. Perhaps it has something to do with her temporary wax seal, or maybe it has to do with him accepting the inevitability of her joining staff. Still she puts on a bright smile that still has a hint of being reserved for customers over friends. "Well it was either this, or my pajamas. I figured that might not have fit the dress code." She says casually and when offerd she hops up on the barstool crossing her long legs.

"Well if it's from your brain, than I am sure it will be fantastic." She says, her accent laying on thick in preperation for the event. When the drink is passed over she lifts it to her nose to get a scent of it, it's almost an automatic gesture after all her years of tasting. "This is very different." She says after her first sip. I am getting the ginger and burbon, but there is something hitting the back of my tongue that I just can't place."

Lucifer has posed:
"Vanilla, lemon zest, and cinnamon," the bartender appends. "But it's missing /something/. Not quite sure what. Like..." His thumb and forefinger rub together slowly, eyes narrowed in thought. "Bah. It'll come to me," he says, flicking his hand through the air. "Not quite ready for primetime, but it'll happen."

He cleans up his little workstation while leaving Ravenna to finish the drink or set aside as she likes. "I got the call from the guest chef, and the wines'll be delivered tomorrow. You're really pulling out all the stops here," he says. He hooks a glass up to a tap and draws himself a beer, pulling a perfect head of foam without taking his eyes off Ravenna. "Anything else last-minute you can think of that needs to be arranged on our end here?"

Ravenna Levesque has posed:
Ravenna takes another sip and lets it linger on her tongue for a moment before she taps her finger to her lips. "Maybe a touch of freshly ground nutmeg? It would compliment the vanilla and cinnamon with out taking away from the ginger and lemon. Just a hint." She also makes a pinching motion with her fingers before she settles in withthe drink, obviously pelased enough with it as it is.

"I have to." She says with a wink. "I don't like doing things in half measures. Besides, the price I am charging everyone, I need to make it worth their while. Lux will get it's fair share of course, after all you're doing the hosting."

Lucifer has posed:
"Hmm. You might be on to something there," the Bartender says, frowning thoughtfully. "A little /kick/. Something bitter just to round out the flavor profile."

He flashes that effortless grin at Ravenna's knowing wink. "I'm not terribly worried about a profit margin on this," he assures Ravenna. "Even breaking even on something like a wine tasting just builds up our reputation for sterling customer service. Members /expect/ to have rare wine tastings and vintage artwork on display. Special little things that make them appreciate how much it costs for a membership here. Pin a five percent surcharge onto their yearly tab and they'll spend ten thousand more per person than they would for a door fee."

Ravenna Levesque has posed:
"But be careful with it, the line between a bitter flavor and overpowering nutmeg is very fine. I should know, I have failed enough Pumpkin pies for a lifetime." Ravenna admits with a smirk. Hearing about not wanting a profit she raises her brow just a tick, but nods her head. "Five percent, that's nearly a car." She teases lightly before she nods her head. "Well if that is what they expect than I can do my best to provide for them." She leans forward on teh bar, watching him pour that beer with expert ease. "Is there a wine you're looking for? Not that I doubt your skills, I just aim to impress."

Lucifer has posed:
"Impress? You want to impress me?" The bartender grins at Ravenna, amused by her brassy confidence. "I don't know, that's a pretty high bar to set," he remarks, sipping his beer. Weirdly, once again, it seems like no one else is coming to the bar for drinks while he and Ravenna are talking.

"I've been craving a bottle of Italian wine lately. How about... an Italian Piedmont," he suggests. "A '62 Vega Sicilia," he suggests, pursing his lips. "I've got the /perfect/ spot picked out for it in the wine cellar-- though it'll be /your/ wine cellar soon enough," he remarks, flashing a grin again.

"Assuming this all goes well, of course. Not that I have any doubts about your ability."

Ravenna Levesque has posed:
"Who wouldn't want to impress you?" Ravenna asks with a tilt of her head. "You know the effect you have on others, I see it in the way you smile at them." Oh yes, she's been watching. She has noticed that the bar itself is empty but the room appears not to be. A private conversation? Not that she's going to turn that down. When he lists the bottle she lets out a low whistle and nods her head. "62? I have heard rumors of this bottle, but I said I would impress you and impress you I shall. Give me time, and I will find it." It'll take all of her contacts for sure. "You're teasing me with this wine cellar and I have yet to even see it." Though she only shrugs her shoulders. "I could be blowing smoke up your arse, but we're just going to have to wait and see."

Lucifer has posed:
"Hey, any bartender worth his salt learns how to make people feel good about themselves," the Bartender says, demurring her suggestion with coy, almost sly grin. Not saying she's /wrong/, which is a most subtle distinction one might not easily make.

"You want to see the cellar? I suppose I could give you a sneak peek," he says, tapping his chin at Ravenna. He digs in his pocket for keys and walks out from behind the bar, closing the door/shelf behind him, and beckons her to follow him. He pulls on a section of shelf and the whole things swivels open, revealing a sturdy, well-sealed door behind it.

"We keep the common drinkables near the restaurant, but this is the private winery. Members have to pay a premium to get in here, and it's a very selective crowd we permit inside." He unlocks the door, admitting a draft of cool, perfectly conditioned air, and invites Ravenna to head inside.

Ravenna Levesque has posed:
"I suppose that's where sommelier's differ. We're not here to make you feel better, we're just here to know more about wine, and act smugly when our pairings are pefect." If she caught that subtle note, she doesn't call him out on it. That would be crass after all, and he is going to let her see the cellar.

"Well what if I don't like it? It would be wrong of me not to peek at it, incase I don't find it to my liking." Her words are coy and while ther eis only a hint of hesitation, she finishes off his drink and slides off the stool. She memorizes where it's hidden and smiles to herself as she feels the cool air hit her face. She closes her eyes for a second before she slips in past the door.

No amount of smugness or confidence can hide the fact that she is awed by the room, and she's barely through the door.

Lucifer has posed:
"I ... don't think that'll be a problem," the Bartender says, grinning at Ravenna as she walks past.

It's stunning. A library of wines, organized meticulously by region, by grape, by date. Glass racks roll on silent bearings, allowing a person to easily examine hundreds of bottles of wine in moments. The shelves are at least twelve feet high and the walls themselves are, also, covered in indivdiual cabinets fitted for each bottle. Some of them are old that even the ideal climate control hasn't prevented the deterioration of labels faded into obscurity.

A statue of Dionysus is perched in a small alcove and one corner is set up with a tasting shelf-- glasses, silver-plated spit buckets, decanters.

But it's all about the wine.

Ravenna Levesque has posed:
For a full thirty seconds, Ravenna says nothing. She walks along the rows of bottles, with her hands clasped behind her back. It's almost like a child who has been scolded to only touch with their eyes. The few labels she passes cause a few hurried words in French, impressed at what is here, knowing that there is little she could bring in that would compare to what is already here.

Her face still filled with awe when she reaches the tasting bar and how far into detail it is. Finally when she turns back to him, the awe has morphed into determination. If she wasn't convinced she had to get a position at Lux, she is now. "This is far beyond anything I could have thought it would be. There are bottles I haven't even heard of. Well of course there is, I haven't heard of any wine but.. the organization, the detail, the thought put into it." Her hands finally unclasp from behind her back and gesture around her. "Are you sure you want to let me have free reign dodwn here?"

Lucifer has posed:
"Can you think of someone better suited?" the bartender asks, leaning against the inside of the doorway, with the door shut behind him and the air circulators already humming. "It's all over your face that you love wine and you're wasted at your current job-- believe me, I called around. You've got the chops for it and you need a break. THat's precisely the kind of person I want running the wine cellar," he tells her, hands in pockets. "Someone who loves wine and respects it. I'm a pretty good judge of character, Ravenna. I can tell this is something you want-- and need. Or should I find someone else?" he asks, hiking a brow.

Ravenna Levesque has posed:
There is only one shred of doubt in her and while a name or two comes to mind, she shakes her head to clear thema way. "I cannot." She says confidently. Hearing his judgement of her, and one that is more accurate than she likes to admit she nervously smooths down her skirt. When is final question rings through the air and she answers quickly with out hesitation. "No. This room will be my domain, all I need to do is prove it to you. You will not regret what magic I can work in here. Prick my finger and I bleed wine, it's been in my blood for generations. No one is better suited for this room than I am."

Lucifer has posed:
The bartender grins again, and if there was such a thing as a bucket of warm approbation hidden overhead, the contents of it must surely pour down over Ravenna. "A lovely turn of phrase. I hope it's not -literal-. Bleeding wine-- it's hard to be a sommeliere if you're -that- drunk," he teases.

"You'll do well here, Ravenna," he assures her. "You've got potential. Anyone can see that you're hungry to succeed. Sometimes all it takes is being the right person in the right place, and having the right opportunity land in your lap. Sure, you might crash and burn-- but I'm willing to put money down that you'll just rise to greater heights."

Ravenna Levesque has posed:
That feeling washes over her and she can't help but shiver. It's an amazing feeling and she can't help but to enjoy it. "Well no, of course it isn't litteral. It takes a lot to get me drunk, it's occasionally frustrating." Ravenna teases, but the conversation returns to what it started with. She gets that pride, knowing that it is like he says, she would do very well here. Perhaps well enough to finally get a place of her own and be a proper adult instead of crashing at her aunts like she has been for years. "I'm far too busy to crash and burn." She extends her hand, looking to shake his. "But there is something about your faith in my abilities that assures me that I wouldn't get to that point."

Lucifer has posed:
The Bartender shakes Ravenna's hand willingly, making no effort to crush her grip. And when her fingers brush his, /something/ brushes against her senses. It's monumental-- truely staggering in scope. A pinhole held up to the sun. Mortal talent can always sense its own, particularly with a touch of bare skin to skin, but the sensation crawling up Ravenna's flesh is like touching a live wire. Power with a capital P, primal, wild, barely fettered. For just an instant there's a sensation of being utterly and fantastically dwarfed, as if standing aside a mountain or a tree older than human civilization.

The bartender just smiles slightly at Ravenna, making no excuse and offering no explanations. "I'll give you every chance to succeed spectacularly or fail miserably, Ravenna. What you do with those opportunities is up to you."

Ravenna Levesque has posed:
Ravenna has felt power before, but nothing on this scale. That sensation causes her to gasp, remove her hand and take a step back. Idly she rubs her hand as if there was an ache in it. "You are more than a Bartender." Ravenna states plainly as she lets her hand fall back to her side. She knows he isn't going to give that answer, at least not yet. She can be a patient woman, she'll find the answer sooner or later. "I'll do what I always do." She says with a smirk as she gestures toward the bar. "For now, we should leave this room before I move in." There is a fine spot for a bed over in a corner some where, at least she thinks so.