Close Encounters of the Employer Kind (78)

[victoriousscarf]

His brows inched higher and higher. "Lord? I ain't that."

[littlesongbird]

She winced when she realized what she said after he corrected her. /Dieu../ What was with her today? She honestly had no idea why she would even call him that. "Well," she weakly began. "You do outrank me so.. Dieu..." she said quietly. "I apologize. It is a force of habit from my youth in France. It was meant as a mark of respect, nothing more."

Maybe she wasn't working tomorrow so she could hide until she could figure out how not to embarrass herself in front of her employer.

[victoriousscarf]

"I'll 'rant you a different upbringin', but technically I don't outrank anycat," he replied. "I'm just richer."

[littlesongbird]

She gave a small nod, trying to come up with how to word her response in English and have it make sense. "In France," she began slowly, "lords tended to be the richest so I," she paused, hoping she was wording it so it made sense, "assumed it was the same here in America."

[victoriousscarf]

"You should never assume things about a culture," Macavity scolded, smirking to show he was half teasing. "Sides, you'd be surprised how many lords are poor and how many commoners are rich."

[littlesongbird]

She gave a bob of the head at his comment that she should never assume things, especially with the American culture. At some point things /had/ to make sense. She quirked her brow at the last bit. "Oh?" she asked, looking very much like a curious kitten. Something she should have outgrown, especially with the warnings when she had been in France, but.. it was so tempting to ask, to learn, to understand. Surely, a few questions wouldn't be amiss. "Then.. how do you know who is who and of what station?" she asked.

[victoriousscarf]

"Technically? We don't have stations," he said, not looking impressed. "We have those that made it and those that didn't. Just because you start one place doesn't mean you end in another."

[littlesongbird]

She nodded slowly. "That ...does make sense," she offered slowly, trying to wrap her head around the concept. "I will assume that, for the sake of an example, it would be like a woman starting out as a chorus girl and ending up a famous soprano, while another woman starts out as a soprano and later decides to change careers and become a maid?"

[victoriousscarf]

He shrugged. "Or more subtle variations, sure. Why, you a soprano?"

[littlesongbird]

"Oui, I am," she said, blushing slightly at being caught. She had thought she had been vague enough - but well, he was a very wise and very clever tom. "Formerly of the Palais Garnier. I was principle soprano for a year."

[victoriousscarf]

"Hell of a thin' ta 'ive up," he remarked.

[littlesongbird]

"So I have been told," she said softly. "But," she paused, and a slow smile formed. "People will remember my voice as the best it had been, and not watch it being ruined with age. Too many elder sopranos and tenors linger far too long once their voices start to go because of their pride."

((I'm looking at you, Pavarotti))

[victoriousscarf]

"Hey," he shrugged. "If you're alright with the decision then it can't have been ta bad."

[littlesongbird]

"I am all right with it," she said, nodding once in agreement. "The Démoniaque," which came out sounding terribly French, "is a very lovely place, and I feel honored to be working here." Why could she not say the name without the accent? Granted, his younger brother, Mssr Munkustrap, said it did sound proper when she said it but, still.. She gave a tiny embarrassed blush at how she pronounced the name of the hotel.

((love the text on the new icon))

[victoriousscarf]

He arched a brow and chuckled slightly. "Well, I suppose it's ostentatious enough ta count as bein' lovely ta an opera soprano. Must make you feel right at home."