Realistic or Modern Something Sweet, Something Bitter (Rp Thread- Open)

[River Rose]

Another morning. Another day to live. Another walk down the street, another class at the local university. Another job, another customer. And on and on and on. Life had a funny way of working in that town. Of course, life was always rather funny.

Sebastian Grant, current literature major, always up early. Job down at the coffee shop, baking in the back room. Just so no one could see him. Classes were online, never had to show his face. His scarred, quite frightening, face.

He unlocked the door to the coffee shop, turning on the lights. He did a quick evaluation of the coffee machines, cleaned them up if they needed it. Sebastian set up the register, counting the earnings from last night. He emptied the register and put the money away in a secret place. Finally, finally he could get to his kitchen. Yes, his kitchen.

Another day, another dawn. Another morning at the coffee shop.

 

[Deredere]

Small fingernails lightly press against the door to signal a tiny bell chimed with its delightful ringing echoing through the quaint coffee shop. It's small ding was cut off by the gravel of a heavy groan. Brooke's intense eyes cut through the nearest person that see had contact, which so happen to be Sebastian Grant. Her body stood elongated and a bit arched over. She then straightened herself up and gracefully gaited to to the counter. She then peered over to where Sebastian was after he walked away from the counter. She then narrowed her eyes at him and had a small grimace.

She caught another glimpse of his face once he turned around. She had a much deeper frown and stared at him more. She saw the scars, freckles, and all. She had a feeling of his economic status. To her, he had untamed hair of the feral kind; freckles that looked like a cow farted through a screen door, and a gaping scar through his face. Despite the dapper look, he wasn't fooling her for a second. She then spoke out to him ''Do you have any reason why you look like that? Honestly, tell me.''

 

[River Rose]

Small fingernails lightly press against the door to signal a tiny bell chimed with its delightful ringing echoing through the quaint coffee shop. It's small ding was cut off by the gravel of a heavy groan. Brooke's intense eyes cut through the nearest person that see had contact, which so happen to be Sebastian Grant. Her body stood elongated and a bit arched over. She then straightened herself up and gracefully gaited to to the counter. She then peered over to where Sebastian was after he walked away from the counter. She then narrowed her eyes at him and had a small grimace.

She caught another glimpse of his face once he turned around. She had a much deeper frown and stared at him more. She saw the scars, freckles, and all. She had a feeling of his economic status. To her, he had untamed hair of the feral kind; freckles that looked like a cow farted through a screen door, and a gaping scar through his face. Despite the dapper look, he wasn't fooling her for a second. She then spoke out to him ''Do you have any reason why you look like that? Honestly, tell me.''

Sebastian nearly jumped out of his own skin when he heard the bell jingle. The store wasn’t officially open for another ten minutes, and he wondered for a moment who could be there. Clearly none of the regulars. He was about to tell her about their hours, how she would need to wait outside. But then she commented on his appearance.

He went a shade paler, anxiety welling up inside him. “I-It’s from wh-when I lived in my o-old n-n-neighborhood.” he spoke softly and as calmly as he could. “N-Now you’ll h-have to w-wait outside. W-We don’t open for a-another ten m-minutes.” he turned quickly and ducked into the kitchen, behind a closed door.

 

[CommodoreOlaf]

Outside, Tyler parked his old Honda Accord at the far end of the parking lot. The sky was waking up, stretching deep orange hues above. The beginning of the day was always nice and quiet. Striding towards the coffee shop, he saw the lights had been switched on, which was normal. However, instead of seeing just Sebastian, he saw another figure.

A customer came in too early. Tyler thought. He slowed his pace as he neared door, catching the last part of their conversation. As he entered, he saw a startled Sebastian and a shorter Caucasian girl with brown hair, an unimpressed look on her face.

"We don't open for another ten minutes." Sebastian replied and then hurried through the kitchen door.

Poor Sebastian... There's a sign on the door for a reason, lady. He thought as he made his way around the counter. Tyler smiled at the customer without a word and then continued with his morning routine, going into the staff room to put away his jacket. Tyler entered the kitchen area and grabbed an apron, saying to Sebastian,

"Hey." Tyler tried to give him a comforting smile, although Tyler wasn't too great at those. "Thanks for wiping down the machines."

Pushing through the kitchen exit, Tyler tied his apron tight and emerged to the barista and cash register area.

With another smile, he said, "Good morning, what can I do for you?"

 

[Tamriel]

Sophia studied the shop from the outside. It didn't seem so bad, it actually looked nice which was a surprise to her because all the others she's been to before were all so bad.

After looking at the exterior, she began to look more on the inside which was pretty much the same, a good looking place. Hm? Is that lady a customer? She doesn't look like one, but what is she doing inside, it's still a few more minutes before this place opens. Sophia thought as she looked at her watch

10 minutes until they open, see? Jeez, people have to respect when a store opens and closes. Oh well, I'll wait until it's time. She thought as she leaded up against a post outside of their window.

Sophia was earlier as usual since a reporter has to always be on time.

"Alright, think Sophia, think." She muttered as she tapped her pen on her bottom lip before writing something down in her notebook.

 

[tamarapasek]

Abigail was holding on for dear life. Though she wasn’t late per se, she overslept, and didn’t get to make the early impression she wanted.

She considered herself a lucky person. She got a scholarship after all! Sure it wasn’t Ivy League, but it was a pretty good school. Why shouldn’t she think the world was on her side?

Which was why oversleeping on the first day of work was unexpected, and kind of jarring.

As soon as she spotted the coffee shop, she started running faster, and faster. In other circumstances she would have stopped, and said hello to those congregating outside, but this wasn’t one of those days.

She slammed the door open, and began to approach the closest employee in her vicinity. “Am I late?” She asked, slightly out of breath from running the whole way there.

 

[LowkeyLovingLoki]

Abigail was holding on for dear life. Though she wasn’t late per se, she overslept, and didn’t get to make the early impression she wanted.

She considered herself a lucky person. She got a scholarship after all! Sure it wasn’t Ivy League, but it was a pretty good school. Why shouldn’t she think the world was on her side?

Which was why oversleeping on the first day of work was unexpected, and kind of jarring.

As soon as she spotted the coffee shop, she started running faster, and faster. In other circumstances she would have stopped, and said hello to those congregating outside, but this wasn’t one of those days.

She slammed the door open, and began to approach the closest employee in her vicinity. “Am I late?” She asked, slightly out of breath from running the whole way there.

Romir had walked to the coffee shop, despite not living nearby. It would have been easier to get a lift from his uncle, sure, but he preferred to spend as little time as possible with that man. Plus, walking meant he could put in his earphones and listen to music, drowning out the rest of the world and being transported into his own. After walking for a good 20 minutes, he arrived at the coffee shop, pulling out his earbuds as he stepped inside and inhaled the homey smell of caffeine and baked goods.

He stopped just in front of the door when he spotted a customer, and pulled out his phone to check the time again, thinking he might have been later than he thought. But, nope, the customer just seemed to be too early. Rome rolled his eyes; they had a closed/open sign for a reason. He thought it was pretty useful. He was about to step into the back to grab his apron and served the woman, but his co-worker, Tyler, was one step ahead of him. Rome shoved his phone and earbuds back into his pocket and started to enter the kitchen area, but turned around as the door slammed open behind him.

The girl who'd obviously slightly exerted herself on the way over came to him, and Romir just smiled. "Just enough for it to be fashionable," he assured her with a wink. "You're new, yes?"

 

[tamarapasek]

Abigail wasn’t quite sure what to make of his comment. Was she late, or not? This guy was being weirdly ambiguous, and it worried her. She thought of pressing the issue further, but she was intent on being as lowkey as possible on her first day. At least he thought that she was fashionable in some way.

Letting the weird statement go, she responded to his question. “Yes. I’m new” She continued, remembering she had to say her name. “I’m Abigail.” She stuck her hand out, remembering that she was supposed to do that with coworkers.

 

[LowkeyLovingLoki]

Abigail wasn’t quite sure what to make of his comment. Was she late, or not? This guy was being weirdly ambiguous, and it worried her. She thought of pressing the issue further, but she was intent on being as lowkey as possible on her first day. At least he thought that she was fashionable in some way.

Letting the weird statement go, she responded to his question. “Yes. I’m new” She continued, remembering she had to say her name. “I’m Abigail.” She stuck her hand out, remembering that she was supposed to do that with coworkers.

Rome’s smile didn’t fall from his face, even as he noticed Abigail’s confusion. He just wasn’t for some people, but he was okay with that. He reached out and shook her hand happily. “I’m Romir, but call me Rome,” he told her, before letting her hand go.

“Normally we are open later than this, but, well...” he looked over at the woman that Tyler was serving, and then shrugged as if to say ‘what can you do?’. He turned back to Abigail. “You are barista or baker?”

 

[tamarapasek]

‘Did this guy ever stop smiling?’ She pondered. It was seriously creepy, but admirable. “Nice to meet you Rome” she said offhandedly, her mind preoccupied with counting the appropriate amount of seconds for a handshake.


“What?” She saw a baker serving a woman, but not much else. “Did she show up early or something?” She asked . “I’m a barista.” She answered. “I could never be a baker. When I was a kid I tried to make a chocolate cake for my parents, but nobody told me that chocolate, and mud were different, so I ended up baking mud in a bowl with my grandma who thought it was some kind of syrup. And then in high school-“ She paused. Oh no. She was supposed to hold her tongue! “Sorry that was a dumb story.” She mumbled.

 

[River Rose]

Deredere CommodoreOlaf Tamriel tamarapasek LowkeyLovingLoki Fiddle_Leaf_Fig

Sebastian took a deep breath, settling himself into the kitchen. He took the brownies out of the oven, laying them out on the counter. He checked the shelves, made sure they had everything they needed for that day. Well, more just him. He was the only one in the kitchen.

A chill ran down his spine. The customer outside had unsettled him. He breathed in the smell of fresh brownies to calm himself. He couldn’t afford to have a panic attack on the job. He picked up the tray of brownies and carried it outside.

The display shelf opened easily. He started putting the brownies in, one by one. Avoiding everyone’s eyes. And then he drifted towards the door, turning the sign to Open before going back to the kitchen. Just another day at the cafe.

 

[Fiddle_Leaf_Fig]

-Aarohi-
Mentions: Everyone

​

Aarohi quickly scrambled out of her car, the clinking of the car keys increase as she looked at the time. She knew that it hadn't been too late but Aarohi was the type of NEEDED to be punctual. She climbed out of her car with the same positive smile that she has every morning, she makes sure to stay positive so that her friends at the cafe will be positive. She sets off towards the cafe with a slight sway in the hips and a joyful look in her beautiful dark chocolate colored gaze, her ponytail swaying side to side with each step she took. She saw Sebastian flip over the sign and quickly picked up the pace- it seemed customers were already inside? She tilted her head a little as she opened the glass door, and the tinker bell greeted her as she stepped foot into the safe haven.

"Good morning everyone!"

She greeted the customers with a small head nod and a good morning smile, she hurried to the back in the kitchen and put on her worn-out black apron and her little name tag. She looked over to see Sebastian, she was upset at herself for not noticing him and saying good morning sooner! She walked up to him and her soft narrow yet plump lips form a smile, her eyes squinting.

"Hey, Sebastian! Thanks for cleaning everything and taking inventory out...sorry I'm kinda late."

A nervous chuckle escaped her as she fidgeted with her fingers. She always got awkward when it came to confronting others about her own mistakes, makes her feel like she is always a mess up.

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

An alarm blares into Jayme’s eardrums. She groans. She forgot to take off her headphones when she fell asleep. If this day couldn’t get any worse, her friend even forgot to wake her up. They were supposed to both go out to the movies today. “That selfish little-..” she sighs and forces herself out of bed to get dressed in her usual attire. It takes her a few hours to get dressed, put on her jewelry, and do her makeup.

As she nears the Cafe she shoots her friend a quick text letting them know where she is. Still a bit groggy, she can’t help but let out a small smile as she sets her sights on the coffee shop. Since she forgot to charge her phone, it was lower that 50%. She notices the commotion going on inside, but shakes her head- her curiosity got her in trouble many times before. She’s not gonna do it again. She sits on the ground, cross-legged, in front of the cafe, waiting for permission to enter. She plugs her earbuds back in and nods along to her music.

 

[Deredere]

Brooke slowly turned her head behind her to see a crowd of adoring customers waiting outside the shop. She then gave a sly smirk, looking down them. She then saw Tyler making his way to the counter with a cheery smile on his face and a perky attitude. Her body then cowled up when he walked by her and puts her hands by her side. She then lowered her shoulders, but her body was still tense. She gave a disingenuous chuckle ''Why yes, you can help me. I'd like a classic mocha, add whipped cream. Make it fast, I have somewhere I need to be. Got that?'' She was about to seat herself before turning back to the counter and said ''One more thing;are you the manager? One of your employees is inappropriately dressed, he's an absolute mess. He should be ashamed to look like that.'' Her voice then started to raise like the pit of hell she was born from, before having a nagging voice in her head told her 'That's not how girls behave.', and took a breath ''Do you let your employees look like that? Don't you have a dress code in place?''

 

[Tamriel]

"No...that's not right...wait...that might be right." Sophia muttered to herself as she wrote in her notebook. She was trying to figure out what to write about. If she doesn't have a story made in a few days, she'll be fired.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a boy turning the sign over, indicating that the shop was open for business. "Bingo, that's my cue." She said as she stuck her pencil inside her notebook before closing it. As she was about to go in, she saw a girl sitting on the ground with earbuds in. Sophia chuckled as she walked over to the girl before leaning down and tapping her on the shoulder to get her attention.

Interactions: Caffeine_Obsessed

 

[Deredere]

Brooke finally went to sit down at one of the chairs. She then sighs to herself before tapping her fingers on the table, similarly to a spider eerily walking across. Despite being only 5,4 she appears tall from her high waisted jeans and long sleeves. She tries to get a look at Sebastian again for she couldn't believe the audacity of his appearance. She then pulls out her phone to ease her mind, scrolling through stories of successful and milestones of achievements while they have a smile plastered onto them. They all looked so normal and conforming, it was to be admired.

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

While she was listening to her tunes, someone taps her on the shoulder. Her shoulder slightly jump in surprise. She hesitantly takes one of them out.
“...yes?..”
Her tone came off harsh and rude. Once she realized she tightened her jaw but said nothing else.

 

[Tamriel]

"Oh, you sure do like to fix yourself up." Sophia said as she smiled warmly. She looked the girl over another time. Pretty and has a great sence of fashion. Sophia sighed. Too bad I'm not writing an article on beautiful people, then i could've already have been with this.

Sophia shook her head to get herself out of her thoughts. "Anyway, nice to meet you, I'm Sophia Ellet. You may know me from my articles online, but probably not." Sophia extended her arm toward the girl for a handshake. "Oh, and the shop's open. That's why i tapped you to begin with, i didn't wanna leave you sitting out here."

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

She gives Sophia an awkward, crooked smile. A smile that anybody could tell was made from discomfort. “Oh.. thanks. I guess I should’ve figured that out sooner.” She mentally cringes at herself. Her Spanish accent came out a little too thick. She was born here, but her parents-whenever they were home- always spoke mainly in Spanish or if not, English with a really heavy accent.

She gets up, and places her phone in her pocket. “I’m Jayme Ruiz. Unlike you, I’m not known for anything.” She tilts her head. “And.. i’m sorry but I haven’t heard of you. I’m never really on the news that much..”

 

[Tamriel]

"Jayme? That's a very pretty name and it's unique, at least to me." Sophia announced as she fixed her glasses. She strocked her chin as she listened to what Jayme had to say. "Oh, but you could be known for something. I mean, look at you. If you wanted, you could easily become a model." She gave Jayme a warm smile before quickly looking toward the shop. She then heard the last thing Jayme said about not reading the news. Figures, not many people do read the news anymore, but that wasn't gonna stop Sophia.

"Well, i better get in there and nab me a good seat before they're all taken up." Sophia rubbed the back of her neck as she looked back at Jayme. "Care to join me? Or are you waiting on your boyfriend?"

 

[Deredere]

Seconds felt like hours as she tapped her fingers more vigourusly on the table and looks at the cafe's clock. Her mind paces back and fourth to Sebastian, her coffee, the happy smiles and achievements, and the time. During the transition to looking at Sebastian to looking at her phone, her eyes then focused on two young women in the cafe. They were just in the moment, there was no past or future for them now here and now with small moments. Her narrow and scolding eyes softens, almost mesmerized by them. She then clenchs her jaw again and swiftly looks back at her phone.

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Jayme glances around nervously, before slowly nodding her head. “.. sure. I guess. I have time.” She walks in after Sophia, a bit of a distance away still. The smell of the coffee shop always eased Jayme’s mind. It made her feel at peace. At home. Since it was still quite empty for now, the silence helped.

 

[tamarapasek]

A bit unsure of what to do, she enters the kitchen, and approaches Sebastian. “Excuse me?” She says as professionally as she could.(Even though she couldn’t). She wracked her brain for what to ask. “I’m supposed to start work here. Where exactly do I begin?” She asked.

 

[Tamriel]

"Great, then let's go." Sophia said as she walked through the front door. She heard that familiar ring of the bell that she had heard from other coffee shops she's been at. "Ah, that smell! There's nothing like it." She said the last part while glancing back at Jayme and smiling. "Well, what are you wanting? I'll be paying and don't try to change my mind." Sophia smiled as he poked Jayme on the nose playfully. "Soooo...what'll it be?"

 

[CommodoreOlaf]

The girl turned to Tyler and said, ''Why yes, you can help me. I'd like a classic mocha, add whipped cream. Make it fast, I have somewhere I need to be. Got that?'' Tyler paused.

Hmm.. clearly somebody's not a morning person.

"Sure thing." He said plainly while turning around to start prepping her drink. Mildly irritated, warmth began to climb the back of his neck. She wanted a classic mocha with whipped cream; a recipe he knew well because the mocha was his favorite drink (although, in the iced variation). Having made thousands of mochas before, Tyler began working on autopilot. Not a second passed before the girl spoke again. This time, about Sebastian and his appearance.

Tyler looked back and saw the girl leave the counter, without waiting for an answer. Tyler continued prepping her drink and sighed under his breath. Internally, he was shaking his head.

Jeez lady, you don't even know him. Tyler hastily finished the drink, topped it with whipped cream, and went to the pick-up counter. Tyler sighed again. He called out the drink loudly enough so she could hear, "Classic mocha with whipped cream!" He left the drink on the pickup counter and returned behind the counter, hoping to not see this customer for awhile.

He had noticed his co-workers begin their morning tasks, namely Rome, who had started talking to another girl he didn't recognize.

Huh. New girl? Tyler observed them for a moment. He then noticed Aarohi bouncing into their work area. A smile instantly appeared on his face.

Ah, finally! Aarohi was always known to be one of the more energetic and friendly baristas. She really was able to bring life to the coffee shop and interact with all of the customers and for that Tyler held a certain admiration for her. Plus, she was very pretty (customers seemed to comment that often) and she had this positive energy radiating from her. Today was no different.

"Hey, Aarohi. I'm not saying you did it, but yesterday I put away four coffee-flavored cake balls in the fridge. Today, there's only one left. " Tyler brushed his hands on his apron and then greeted her with a grin and a chuckle.

Interactions: Deredere and Fiddle_Leaf_Fig