Lease on Life (Vivian)

[honey satheesh varma]

February 6, 2027

In comparison to some of the other business owners of Horizont Alley, Honey had never felt the need to use aggressive marketing tactics. The cat café wasn't the sort of place where people went to buy, buy, buy, and she intended to keep it that way. There was no real upselling of anything or unnecessary pressure, and Honey knew that her café's patrons liked it like that.

The same principle applied to the Lunar New Year festivities that were happening right outside her door. Her plan was to do what she always had: Create a welcoming environment, and the rest would follow. That morning had been spent straightening up the café and preparing for what Honey hoped would be an influx of new customers—and she'd added a lucky beckoning cat figurine near the door for an added touch.

With the café open for the day, Honey was glad to see that business picked up from the moment she unlocked the place. Even with no shortage of food and beverage options available at the street festival, people were still excited to have a cup of tea and spend some time with the cats.

Vivian River Jordan

[Vivian River Jordan]

6 February 2027

So Vivian hadn’t actually gotten to enjoy Lunar New Year because she’d been busy only pretending to enjoy it. That was one of the downsides of working in media, sometimes – everybody only really cared about how something looked, and Witch TV was no different. She got to pitch ideas sometimes, but she just as often received assignments from the producers about off-site locations and special episodes. Viv had been thrilled to be sent to the Lunar New Year festival, but filming was never-ending. They’d spent several hours at the market, except she hadn’t actually been allowed to buy anything between interviewing stall owners and gushing over the displays of their cultural heritage. And then she’d gone to see the dancing, except she hadn’t actually gotten to see it because all her attention had to be on the camera and if she was reacting the ‘right’ way.

It was annoying and exhausting and Viv was done. So at some point she’d ditched the cameras and wiggled into the crowd to escape their notice. She hadn’t let herself breathe until she’d made it several blocks away, and it took a moment longer to shoo away the guilt eating away at her. It wasn’t right to feel guilty though, she reasoned, since they’d gotten more than enough content to edit together for the episode. And she’d even go back to film some more, once she’d had a proper break. Yes, that sounded alright then. She let herself walk off with a small spring to her step, admiring the storefronts before she finally let herself stop wide-eyed in front of a cat café. Merlin and Morgana, the cats were adorable. Viv usually couldn’t spend any time around them, since Drizzle was possessive and didn’t like it when she showered attention on anyone except her beloved puffskein.

But the producers had made her leave her pet at home, which meant Viv was a free agent. She pushed open the door and hummed happily at the smell of spices. So they sold food here too apparently. She approached the counter and leaned against it tiredly, although that didn’t stop her from shooting her trademark smile at the woman behind the register. “I’ll have a cuppa. Whatever you’ve got is perfect.” She glanced behind her shoulder at the throng of people pushing past the storefront in a never-ending push to reach the festival. She turned back to face the woman with a questioning expression on her features. She couldn’t help striking up a random conversation with whoever she met – that was pretty much what she did for a living. “Don’t fancy being packed like sardines with the rest of ‘em, hey?”

honey satheesh varma

[honey satheesh varma]

February 6, 2027

Business was moving along about as quickly as it possibly could at the cat café, though that speed fortunately wasn't as rushed as cafés that lacked the additional feline element. Regardless, Honey had been busy taking orders at the counter so that her employees weren't having to do everything themselves. She might have been the owner, but that didn't stop her from chipping in where needed. Maybe it was unusual for her to take such an active role, but Honey had done the same while owning the tea room at the hospital, too.

At some point, one of the customers in through the door was a young woman whom Honey recognized as one of the hosts from Witch TV, Vivian Jordan. Though Honey didn't spend a lot of time watching Witch TV, she knew who Vivian was. Instead of ordering something more specific, however, Vivian simply ordered "a cuppa", saying, "Whatever you've got is perfect."

Honey made note of that, though fortunately it wasn't an uncommon occurrence from her time over at St. Mungo's. Even at the cat café, she kept a wide variety of different tea blends on offer to cater to different tastes. Just as she was about to ask Vivian what she preferred to drink, she saw that she was looking at the crowd outside and how packed Horizont Alley was.

"Don't fancy being packed like sardines with the rest of 'em, hey?"

"I don't mind. It's good business, isn't it?" Honey noted pleasantly. The madness of the crowds outside wasn't reflected in how things were going inside her café, touch wood. "I was watching them set up everything all week. It's much bigger than anything I've seen here since I opened the café, though."

Vivian River Jordan

[Vivian River Jordan]

Viv spent a moment watching the crowd outside, although she found her gaze wandering over to the cats soon enough. Her mum had always told her off for being too flighty, and her professors had continued the lecture once she’d left home. This time though, she reasoned she had a really good excuse for not being able to keep her eyes fixed on any one spot. Even with the chaos outside, the cats looked relaxed and spoiled as they lounged on pillows or played with their toys. Viv itched to join them, but she’d just struck up a conversation and the woman behind the counter looked thoughtful as she considered the question. And, she remembered a moment later, she’d only just ordered and hadn’t actually paid for or got her tea yet.

“No kidding,” Viv agreed with an easygoing smile, “To some people those are just walking Sickles out there, huh? Honey must be right pleased.” She’d noticed the name of the cat café while walking inside, although she wasn’t sure if Honey was a real person or just some marketing ploy made up by the owner of the café. At any rate, the festival must be good business for all the shop owners lining the alley, not to mention the stalls that were set up just a few blocks away. Even Witch TV was getting in on the action, and Viv knew she wasn’t the only one they’d sent to cover the Lunar New Year in some way. The festival was one of those events that could make everyone happy, although Viv wouldn't fancy living in one of the flats above the storefronts during a week like this.

The girl behind the counter went on about watching them set up outside, and Viv realized with a sheepish laugh that this must be the owner. “You’d be Honey, then,” she noted, going with the flow and not lingering too long on the discovery, “Can’t have opened too long ago, am I right? You’ve still got that look of hope in your eyes, which is a real gem to find in the world of sales.” Viv laughed a little at her own joke – a habit she’d started ages ago just to make sure there was at least one person in the world who thought she was funny, even if it was just her. But she wasn’t only making a joke. One of her best traits, in Viv’s not so humble opinion, was that she genuinely liked to talk with other people and hear what they had to say. And she wouldn’t ask if she didn’t want to actually hear the answer.

honey satheesh varma

[honey satheesh varma]

February 6, 2027

Honey didn't mind that Vivian was talkative—or that she hadn't realized at first that she was Honey. It was an easy mistake to make—and not the first time that Honey had encountered it. Her name was uncommon, and she had had people assume that Honey had to be one of the cats. She wasn't a cat, however, and she smiled politely at Vivian despite the confusion.

"I am Honey, yeah," Honey nodded.

"Can't have opened too long ago, am I right?" Vivian asked. "You've still got that look of hope in your eyes, which is a real gem to find in the world of sales."

Laughing a little bit, Honey shook her head. "Erm," she recalled, pausing to think. "I've been here for over a year now?" Though that wasn't terribly long anyway, it didn't feel as though it had been more than a couple of months. "I owned the tea room at St. Mungo's before this," and she had worked there for even longer than she had been its owner, "but it's different, yeah." She didn't think that having hope was a bad thing at all. If she hadn't had some hope that her idea would work beyond her head, she wouldn't have been standing there.

"Sorry… Have you got a preference for your tea?" Honey asked then, since she had been asked solely for a "cuppa" without any additional description. "Flavor profile? Type?"

Vivian River Jordan

[Vivian River Jordan]

Viv gave a low whistle of surprise as Honey paused to do the math on how long she’d been running the cat café. A year might not sound like much time, but it could feel like a lifetime. After all, hadn’t it been just about a year now since she’d rebooted Potterwatch? She loved the show like it was her baby (which it pretty much was) but she felt like she’d aged five years since starting it (even if she didn't look it, because she still looked fabulous thank you very much). That kind of commitment, much like a real human baby, required constant attention and dedication. It took all of Viv’s days, and all her nights, and her weekends, and her holidays…and well, you get the drift. She wouldn’t go back and do it again any different, but yeah – a year was a long time. “I’m sure they frown at the idea of bringing cats into a hospital tea room,” Vivian agreed with a laugh as Honey noted that her new enterprise was quite different from the last one, "Can't complain with the results though." She swept her gaze around the cozy cat cafe and nodded approvingly.

She rubbed her hands thoughtfully to ward off the chill as she considered Honey’s impressively detailed questions about her order. Some places would just pour her whatever they had sitting nearby, but she appreciated the follow-up questions. “You got anything strong to warm me up?” she asked after a moment’s thought, expression brightening at the thought of a strongly-spiced tea. Her face morphed into her usual mischievous grin as she observed, “It’s colder than an Ice Mice’s arse out there, and I’ve no interest in freezing mine off.” The offsite Potterwatch staff that had accompanied her to film a segment on the Lunar New Year festival had been working outside for several hours already, and it was the middle of winter in London. There was no doubt in Viv’s mind that she wasn’t the only one who hadn’t been having a good time, not that that was ever taken into account much when the producers from up high gave her an assignment. TV was all about the ratings, and Vivian was lucky that hers were so high right now. If she wanted things to stay that way, like the executive producers always loved to warn her, then it would serve her best to listen to their directions.

honey satheesh varma

[honey satheesh varma]

February 6, 2027

It was hard to believe that it had been over a year since she had decided to switch gears and open the cat café, but it wasn't a drag. Occasionally, it got frustrating; Honey couldn't deny that, but she was, overall, happy with the decision she had made despite not knowing in the beginning if it would pay off.

As Vivian pointed out, too, she was sure that bringing cats into the hospital tea room would have been frowned upon. A lot of people were allergic to cats, and that made the likelihood of being able to bring them into a hospital setting far lower than in a café, even though they weren't just walking around amongst the patrons while they ate. (Honey knew that some cat cafés did that, including right there in England, but she didn't want people to be more skeptical about something that was novel for the magical world.)

Vivian said that she couldn't complain with the results, though—presumably the cat café itself—and Honey smiled. She wanted a place for people to go where they could feel relaxed, at least for a little while.

Of course, figuring out what Vivian wanted to drink came first. Honey could have gone with a classic builder's tea and called it a day, but she didn't work that way.

"You got anything strong to warm me up?" Vivian asked her. It was only early February after all, and it was still cold outside. "It's colder than an Ice Mice's arse out there, and I've no interest in freezing mine off."

Honey laughed slightly at the description of how cold the weather was. She had spiced teas that would work, definitely. "Hmmm… How about a cup of masala chai, then?" she offered. "Or maybe a cinnamon spice tea?"

Vivian River Jordan

[Vivian River Jordan]

Viv quite liked the vibe of the cat café and the cozy atmosphere Honey had created. The place wasn’t too packed, there was a pleasant aroma wafting through the space, and the cats were devilishly adorable. They all wore picture perfect expressions of innocence as they lounged on pillows or pawed at toys, but Viv wasn’t fooled. Drizzle also had become quite adept at appearing like a little angel until the moment you realized the pie you’d set down on the counter had since gone missing. Still, the cat café seemed like exactly the kind of place you could escape to for a while when the daily grind began to wear you down – not to mention the owner had a way of matching the warmth of her café.

Ordering tea had mostly been a way of delaying the inevitable, buying some time until Viv would be obligated to track down the crew again. But, she couldn’t deny that both options Honey offered did the job of cheering her right up – much better than your garden variety black tea, at any rate. “Well,” Viv began thoughtfully, “It’s not quite the culture I came to document, but masala chai sounds smashing!” In fact, Vivian couldn’t quite remember the last time she’d sat down to enjoy her tea instead of bringing it along in a takeaway cup. Her life seemed to go at double speed, and she was always hustling from place to place with little time to stop and smell the proverbial roses. It was the life she’d chosen, and Viv didn’t like to complain anyway, but the thought of sitting down with tea in a real mug sounded heavenly.

It was too bad they’d sorted out her drink order so fast, because Viv still had a million and one questions on what it was like to run a cat café. Still, it seemed rude to linger and tie up the counter for anyone that might wander in after that. “Join me for a mo’? Sometimes you don’t realize you’ve been on your feet all day until you sit down. Merlin, I’ve been there.” She flashed a smile at Honey while she dug through her bag for her gold, finally counting out some sickles and stacking them haphazardly on the counter.

honey satheesh varma

[honey satheesh varma]

February 6, 2027

"Well," answered Vivian, "it's not quite the culture I came to document, but masala chai sounds smashing!"

"Er, well… Tea came from China originally, I think? But one masala chai it is." Honey offered with an awkward smile. It was sort of related to the street festival in that respect, she supposed.

As Vivian paid her, she asked her if she could join her for a moment.

"Of course. Yeah. One minute," Honey said almost automatically. She motioned for Vivian to wait and then caught the attention of one of her employees, both to relay Vivian's order and so that they would know that she wasn't just walking off.

Had she just agreed to an interview? Honey had a slight moment of panic with that thought, but she got over it quickly. Being interviewed wouldn't be the worst thing. She didn't think that she would be very good at it, though. People had never come through St. Mungo's looking to interview her for anything, after all. The cat café had gotten a bit more attention than the hospital tea room, so maybe it was only a matter of time. If she were being interviewed, would she know where to look? Looking directly at the camera would look awkward, probably. She would look at Vivian, unless Vivian told her not to do that. In that case, well…

"I'll just clean up a table, then?"

Vivian River Jordan

[Vivian River Jordan]

Viv smiled brightly at Honey’s positive response to her question, especially since she answered barely a beat after Vivian had finished talking. Now look, given her line of work, she’d gotten quite used to rejection. Guests who didn’t want to appear on her show, venues that didn’t want a werewolf around to contradict their ‘family-oriented atmosphere,’ and that didn’t even count the radio silence from people who didn’t even bother formally saying no. It could be enough to wear anyone down, so Viv had learned to happily focus instead on every ‘yes’ and accept the ‘no’s’ as a sad fact of life. “Smashing,” she responded cheerfully as Honey flagged down one of her employees.

She didn’t move but instead let her gaze wander around and note random details of the place. Viv certainly didn’t do anything archaic like pull out a notepad and quill, because come on – what was she, a Daily Prophet reporter? No, Vivian was firmly planted in the 21st century and she used her phone when she truly needed to work. Not that this could really be called work, though. Viv liked to hear stories, and the nature of her lifestyle meant that she met a lot of random people with rich backgrounds that slowly emerged from casual conversation. Sometimes those conversations did turn into something formal – like her special episode in Egypt about cursebreakers with Dahlia – but most of the time it just inspired her to keep doing what she was doing (and remember that life wasn’t all full moons and sharpened claws).

So after Honey turned back to her, Viv nodded her head and then bounced over to an empty table. “Merlin, I’m positively knackered,” she announced (somewhat at odds with her seemingly endless energy) as she threw herself into one of the two seats and stretched languidly in place. After spending hours in the freezing winter temperature, Viv could finally feel her fingers again (no gloves allowed if she needed to be on camera) and she flexed them experimentally. It’d probably feel even better once she got that cuppa in front of her too. Honey looked a little nervous (which meant she probably knew who Viv was, at least, and what she did) so Viv just smiled again as a gesture of goodwill and unwound her scarf to toss it casually on the table. “I don’t bite,” she informed Honey as she gestured at the seat across from her.

honey satheesh varma

[honey satheesh varma]

February 6, 2027

Vivian made her way over to an empty table and expressed how tired she felt, even though she certainly didn't look as exhausted as she said she was. Some people did have lots of energy, though, and Vivian seemed to be one of them. As the younger woman seated herself, Honey made sure that the table was clean. (Even if it had been cleaned once already, going over it again.)

"I don't bite," Vivian assured her then, taking off her scarf. There wasn't much need to keep it on indoors.

"Oh," Honey replied, not realizing that she had given Vivian the impression that she thought she would bite, because she didn't think that at all. "Just wanted to make sure the table's clean, that's all," she explained, putting her wand away.

She then sat down at the table in the place across from Vivian. While she didn't think that Vivian was going to bite her, it would be wrong to say that Honey wasn't a little intimidated as she readjusted her glasses. "Er, so did you want to have a chat," she wondered, "or is this more of an interview?"

Vivian River Jordan

[Vivian River Jordan]

Viv supposed that there must be people out there that liked to be thorough, and that wouldn’t move on to the next task until the previous one was done…but since that didn’t describe her at all, she’d never thought about it much. Her life did seem filled to the brim with that type though, on reflection. She rolled her eyes to herself at the thought of Temperance or Nova relaxing and taking the wand out of their ass for an evening, but it was simply too outlandish. Odder than a unicorn missing its horn or a smiling Unspeakable. Still, Viv gave a solemn nod as Honey wiped down the table and she took the time to stretch languidly and wiggle her fingers until they felt warm again.

“Oh nah,” Viv said casually as Honey tentatively asked if this was supposed to be an interview. The cat café owner’s caution made more sense now – as a business owner, she obviously wanted good press, but this had come from nowhere and with literally zero warning. Still, Vivian was officially on the run from the cameras (at least for another hour) which meant she’d also clocked out until the moment where she’d have to drag herself back for more. But her career in entertainment had come from her love for stories, and that was a neverending treasure trove if you weren’t afraid to ask people for them.

So Viv only shrugged and tapped her fingers on the table. “Interview’s such a formal word, innit? Nah, I just wanna chat.” She held up a finger in thought as a contemplative expression settled on her face. It was a more serious expression than could usually be found on the energetic girl, but it quickly changed away from 'academic Ravenclaw' to something more light and casual. “There was something ‘bout this place that caught my attention, but couldn’t put my finger on it.” Then she turned said finger she was holding up so she could instead shoot a finger gun at Honey, which she accompanied with a triumphant smile. “But now I got it! I don’t see any magical creatures here. Ever considered adding some kneazles or knarls to the pack?”

honey satheesh varma

[honey satheesh varma]

February 6, 2027

Vivian denied that it was an interview, describing "interview" as being "such a formal word". They were just going to "chat" instead, she claimed, but Honey wasn't sure that that put her mind at ease.

She waited as Vivian remarked that there was something that had caught her attention about the cat café, yet she hadn't been able to put her finger on it, she said. Honey was curious about what she meant, though the concept of her business itself wasn't one with which the majority of magical people were familiar. Maybe it was something to do with that?

"But now I got it!" Vivian exclaimed. "I don't see any magical creatures here. Ever considered adding some Kneazles or Knarls to the pack?"

It wasn't the first time that Honey had been asked about the inclusion of Kneazles—or the lack thereof—at the café, so she felt more confident as she replied. "I own a Kneazle myself," she answered, starting there first. She had nothing against the more magical felines. "It's too difficult to have Kneazles in a setting like this one," she clarified. It was a bit of a disappointment, true, but she hadn't made the rules. "The Ministry require more licensing and paperwork for that sort of thing just to own one full Kneazle." Having Kneazles at the café would only complicate matters, Honey thought. "Plus, there's the aggression," she noted. That was a possibility with ordinary cats, too, but it was a little less likely. "And I don't think Knarls and cats would, er, mix very well," Honey tacked on. Knarls were sort of similar to hedgehogs but were considered household pests for the destruction they could cause. It wasn't something she wanted to take a chance on, either, especially when she hadn't set up the café with Knarls in mind.

Vivian River Jordan

[Vivian River Jordan]

Honey’s answer was perfectly well-reasoned, logical, and had managed to account for everything. But that just bummed Viv out and she pouted a little as the cat café owner pondered that it would be quite a bit of red tape to authorize Kneazles at the café. “Probably not,” Viv agreed easily as Honey decided that cats and Knarls wouldn’t mix very well. That wasn’t a crazy assumption, but that also meant that it was a little boring. Merlin and Morgana, who wanted the same ole routine in life with absolutely nothing exciting to jazz it up? “But the not knowing is half the fun! You fail, you know, you try something else. Then sooner or later you find some crazy combo that works and everyone thinks you’re a genius for finding out! AKA the scientific process, eh?”

There were so many (former) Ravenclaws that were so afraid of failing, they stuck to the tried and true definition of genius. Nail the textbooks, nail the class, rinse and repeat. That was a pretty good recipe for success, but it was also. Just. So. Boring. Viv found a thrill in the experimentation, in trying and failing and accidentally coating a classroom in glitter until you figured out what went wrong. Her pranks weren’t funny because, well, fireworks are exciting and all that. Nah, she always went for the ‘maybe this won’t work but it’ll be hilarious if it does’ approach. But she supposed some people liked to play it safe. And they generally went most of their life (if not all) without something exploding in their face.

She took a good look around, and then glanced back at Honey with a questioning look on her face. “I’ve never seen your ads for this place. What accounts do you use? Vibe? Oooh, maybe you’ve got your own blog? Or you found some other influencer to do the dirty work, eh?” It never occurred to Viv to ask about more traditional media sources – radio ads, the Prophet. As far as she was concerned, that was for witches above the age of 50 that hadn’t yet figured out how to turn on their phones. But it seemed a shame that this cute little café didn’t get more attention – for the cats’ sake, of course.

honey satheesh varma

[honey satheesh varma]

February 6, 2027

Vivian's questions went from easy to hard in no time flat, and Honey was grateful when Vivian got off the subject of adding Kneazles and Knarls to the café. (The "not knowing" part of it wasn't exactly fun, Honey would have countered her if she were more confrontational, when the creatures they were discussing were living, breathing beings that happened to be tied to a business that she was running.) She didn't think that she would be switching things up in the name of the scientific process anytime soon, though. The Magizoologists who actually studied creatures for a living could come out with their publications on that, and then maybe she would have reason to reconsider.

Adding that she had never seen the cat café advertised, Vivian asked her what accounts she had been using. "Vibe? Oooh, maybe you've got your own blog? Or you found some other influencer to do the dirty work, eh?"

Some influencer to do the… Huh? Honey stared blankly at Vivian. It was her eyesight that she had trouble with and not her hearing, but she began to question that. "Oh, er, I-I don't really…" she started, not totally sure that Vivian was even listening to what she had to say instead of coming up with all sorts of possibilities for how she could run her business. She knew that social media had become more popular ever since the Ministry had started allowing people to purchase and use modified Muggle technologies in the magical world and had a mobile phone in case she needed it, but she wasn't spending her time on "accounts"—unless Vivian had been talking about something to do with Gringotts.

Vivian River Jordan