(Untitled)

[precocioustilda]

Little girl behind the bar.

Specials board inscribed with:

DRY HAPPY HOUR
No alcohol will be served.
Half off any drink ordered in trochaic octameter.

Have at.

Comments

[mr_v_and_mr_c]

"How many people even know what trochaic octameter is?"

"Not many."

The two men grin at her.

"And how many drinks can even be ordered in it, much less non-alcoholic ones?"

"Just a few?"

"Something like that.

"It's dry hour, so Darjeeling?"

[precocioustilda]

"Oh, hello again."

Polite smile.

"I always explain the poetic form for the specials if someone asks. I'll be just a moment with your tea."

She doesn't even have to rummage around under Bar for this one, just turn away and obtain two mugs and two teabags followed by two visits to the hot water spout.

Some of these objects move around without Tilda bothering to touch them.

[mr_v_and_mr_c]

"How absolutely fascinating. Telekinesis?"

[precocioustilda]

"More or less. Here's your tea."

[blinkandyoumiss]

"What is trochaic octameter?"

[precocioustilda]

"It's a poetic meter made famous-- well, sort of-- by Edgar Allan Poe. Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary. A stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable, that's the trochaic part, repeated eight times, that's the octameter."

[blinkandyoumiss]

"Huh.

"I dunno if I can do that."

>>, sez the narration.

[precocioustilda]

"Well, why don't you give it a try and see, then?"

Optimism!

[mogget_cat]

"I would like a glass of goat's or cow's milk, if I may please, bartender."

...so it has an extra syllable. Sue him.

The not'cat grins.

[precocioustilda]

Tilda grins back.

"Absolutely."

Hey, if Poe is allowed to toss in the odd anapest, who is she to complain when the patrons do it?

And the milk is kept... just down there, about five feet to her left, beside the large dusty pineapple.

It only takes her a second or two to track it down, pour a glass, and return to hand it over to the not'cat.

[mogget_cat]

"Thank you kindly," Yrael smirks, taking the glass.

Milk's cheap, but that wouldn't keep him from getting it half-priced when he can.

[precocioustilda]

"You're very welcome."

People who manage to order the specials always make Tilda happy.

[mr_gaeta]

Trochaic octamawhat?

Gaeta blinks in abject puzzlement at the menu board, then at the girl behind the bar. Letting alone that she can't be more than eight, it's the first time he's seen an actual tender at Milliways.

(And seriously: are those even real words on the specials board?)

[precocioustilda]

"Hallo! Can I help you?"

[precocioustilda]

[Absolutely! :)

Man, LJ, way to suck there. *shakes head*]

[licensed_pro]

Charlie cocks his head at the sign and laughs. He actually knows that particular meter--he liked Poe as a kid--but ordering drinks in rhyme seems a little beyond his reach, today.

"Can I get a drink of coffee, if you know how to make it well?"

[precocioustilda]

"Of course. Just a moment."

With a friendly smile, she turns away to locate the appropriate materials. The organizational system behind Bar is somewhat haphazard, but Matilda's been here long enough to know where everything is kept.

[licensed_pro]

"Thank you. You're the first I've seen who puts a specials board up for how you order something, as opposed to just a few drinks themselves."

It's somewhat odder that she requested trochaic octameter, but hey. That he at least knows about. "Especially as you look so young." (He's been around this place long enough to realize that just because you look like something doesn't mean you are.)

[precocioustilda]

"I've been doing it since I started. The first few times it was whim; now I've established a precedent, and besides, it's a lot of fun."