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 Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 7:40 am
The day was mild, but the tables outside the café remained mostly empty. It was quiet all over today, Gigi reflected, gazing out the wide front windows as she wiped down the counter. If the rest of the populace were anything like her, she thought, they were too busy worrying about the new government proclamations to go for a nice lunch out. Permits, seriously? They were brazen! The news would trickle through soon enough, though, and that was when she expected to see some customers gathering. Customers who would need comfort, solidarity, or maybe a place to vent. She shook her head, curls coming free beneath the scarf she used as a headband when in food-safety mode. Maybe it was for the best that they were quiet.
Gigi surveyed her domain as she cleaned, noting the few customers still sipping their drinks, letting their conversations roll over her as she prepared for the next orders, always hoping for some snippet of information that would save a life, or help an ally. She was very happy with the Coffee Berry café. The huge industry espresso machine had pride of place in the centre, the counter beside it littered with post-its of past orders. She’d set a vase of fresh daffodils on the pastry cabinet to keep it bright. By the register, the optimistically large tip-jar stood mostly empty, with the charity box close by. The contents were all going to the same place, of course. Not much point curing diseases or saving rainforests while the Negaverse was calling the shots.
A small hand-painted sign hung over the register, bearing the message ‘Order Here!’ It was the most lovingly decorated service sign in the café world.
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Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 8:37 am
Considering how adamantly she'd once shunned caffeine, it might seem surprising that Paris was now an avid coffee drinker, but if the years could change Destiny City so much that it was almost unrecognizable when compared to the city of her childhood years, those same years could encourage some changes in Paris's habits as well. Gone were the peaceful early mornings spent nursing a cup of herbal tea. Nowadays coffee made up a rather large part of her diet.
Paris entered the coffee shop that morning with her little sister in tow, the very picture of perfect citizenry, with Paris fashionably attired even in such a dismal time, and her little sister appearing almost as a miniature copy but for the fact that her eyes were gray-blue instead of turquoise and her curls were more golden than platinum. To the casual passerby they might appear as mother and daughter, an illusion Paris liked to promote when possible if only to protect Lilah from the stigma inherited from their mother's exposed identity as a knight.
Coffee Berry café was not an unfamiliar establishment, particularly as Paris knew it to be a place supportive of her allies. She approached the counter with a genuine smile and pretended to peruse the menu she was already moderately well acquainted with.
“Good morning,” she said. “Could we get a small hot chocolate to start out with? Generous on the whipped cream, if you could. And I'll have a caramel mocha latte. Medium, please.”
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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2014 5:32 am
Gigi set aside the cleaning rag, smiling back at the customers, then brightened further when she recognised Paris’s familiar face. Repeat customers were a wonderful thing. They meant someone liked her coffee. They meant someone who liked her coffee was still alive. Still surviving in this whole mess the Negaverse had made of their city. After the recent announcements, it was a huge relief to be reminded of that. “Good morning!” she responded brightly. “Yep. And yep!” She made a note and stepped over to the big machine, starting on the hot chocolate first. “Extra cream? Someone’s lucky!” she shot a smile at Paris’s adorable little girl. “Coming right up, ladies! Have here or take away?” “So, how’s your day going?” she asked while milk frothed.
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 8:28 am
“For here, please,” Paris said.
Lilah remained quiet beside her, quirking a small smile in response to Gigi but saying nothing more for the time being. Paris stroked her hair comfortingly, concerned by her reticent behavior as she always was, but not unaware of its origins. Truly happy children seemed a rare thing these days.
Eventually Paris ushered Lilah over to one of the nearby tables to take a seat while she herself remained at the counter awaiting their drinks. The less Lilah heard about the conversations Paris had with her allies, the better, as far as Paris was concerned. A six-year-old couldn't be entirely depended upon to keep her silence when questioned by people who may want to use the information they gained against her. Though Paris wasn't one to lie to her sister about who she was, she was nonetheless protective as far as what further details Lilah was made aware of.
“Wonderful, thank you,” Paris answered, putting on the show of casual chit-chat as if they were lesser acquaintances. “The weather's so nice we thought we'd get a little shopping done for the start of the school year. It's been so dreary lately, seeing the sun out is a nice change.
“Business still doing well, I see,” she continued, sparing a brief look around the establishment to make sure no one was paying too much attention to her. “I was a bit worried when they announced they were instituting the clearance permits. Doesn't seem too good for business no matter what the politicians say.”
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Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2014 8:07 am
Gigi nodded and began setting out a tray for the pair, neatly arranging saucers, napkins and spoons before pulling down a china cup from between the piles of cardboard ones on top of the espresso machine. She wasn’t fazed by the little girl’s quiet response. Some kids were just shy, and after all, she was just a shop lady, a stranger. But it seemed so sad that such a little cutie had to live in their messed-up, secretive world. Paris was brave for trying to raise her here. “We’re getting by. We’re really lucky to have so many good customers." "Oh, you heard about the permit thing?” she said, tone still chatty as if it was trivial news, not the allegedly-government tightening the noose. Closing the borders was just another excuse to detain people, keep the real civilians scared and off the streets so they could see who was working against them. “Yeah, it’s definitely a nuisance to businesses, extra paperwork and everything. It’s great that they want to ‘end fear’ and ‘stop the terrorists’, but I don’t think they’ve really thought it through. I don’t see it stopping the disappearances.” Gigi glanced around to the nearby tables, before continuing in a quicker, lowered voice, “not unless they promise to stop murdering people. Didn’t see that in the election campaign, though.” She set the hot chocolate cup onto its saucer with a little click, and began covering it with cream. “But the permits themselves, I’m sure it won’t be that bad. They really only want to keep track of people going out, so getting deliveries in should still be fine. I feel sorry for the export guys, though.” She tried to find the bright side but it was pretty clear that smuggling, both supplies and people, was definitely going to get harder. “What about you? I heard there were changes to the energy collections too?”
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