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Post by Vaitris on Nov 29, 2019 10:46:46 GMT -6
The cafe, normally bustling, had hit a low point in the day. The atmosphere, typically so alive with sound Hau could hardly hear himself think, was soft with murmurs. You could even hear the low music being piped through the building's stereo system. There were only a handful of tables occupied, mostly by couples of various composition, a pair of friends here, an older husband and wife there. And of those small groups still eating, only one was seated in his assigned area. He should feel relieved. Working some of the busiest shifts he didn't often have a lot of downtime at work, it was nice to have the time to take a breather, but he was just... bored.
He enjoyed the rush and the people, it kept him busy and there was more conversation to tap into. Plus, the tips were better. The motel where he was staying wasn't cheap and minimum wage didn't leave him much left over for food or other necessities. But he and the other employees were free to whatever day old pastries didn't sell by closing time, so there was that. And his stomach was gently reminding him that he hadn't eaten since that morning. He eyed the day olds lined up at the end of the counter, wondering what would be left later, when the bell above the front door jingled. Immediately he straightened, bringing his attention round to the front of the store, already reaching for the stack of menus next to him. "Welcome to Brewed Awakening, how many?"
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Post by Marshmallow on Dec 2, 2019 6:18:49 GMT -6
"Nagi? It is you! Hey, Nagi! Wait up!"
Nagi flinched. The voice suddenly calling down the sidewalk was familiar, but the attention was unwanted. Hoping to dodge an uncomfortable encounter, the blind man left the footpath and ducked through the first door he hurriedly fumbled into. Okudo squawked indignantly at his master's sudden change of course, just managing to dart through the closing doors to settle on on the kirin's shoulder.
They were greeted by the pleasant aroma of coffee and pastry. While Nagi wasn't necessarily hungry, he wasn't about to complain. A cafe wasn't a bad place to hide out, as pleasant as it was public. It sure beat standing awkwardly in the corner of some business lobby like last time...
"Welcome to Brewed Awakening, how many?"
Nagi straightened when he realized the employee was speaking to him, and not another patron. He turned to face their voice and put on a polite - if somewhat flustered - smile. "Sorry, I'm not-"
The bell chimed a second time. A tall man with a million-dollar smile was abruptly much too close for comfort. "Table for two, please!" the voice from the street cut in before Nagi could finish speaking. He had to suppress the urge to turn tail and sprint out into traffic, and somehow managed to keep something like a smile on his face while he weighed his options.
A hand settled on his arm. The grip was uncomfortably firm. No escape now. Guess it was a lunch date...
If someone could beg for help with nothing but a wilting smile, Nagi was surely trying.
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Post by Vaitris on Dec 4, 2019 17:42:49 GMT -6
A few things about the young man that walked in the door immediately caught Hau's attention. First was the bird. The cafe owner did take a service animals only stance in the shop, but he wasn't around today. And neither was Hau's supervisor. He figured as long as the bird didn't cause any commotion it would be fine. The second thing of note was the young man's eyes. They were a peculiar shade that seemed to suggest blindness but he couldn't be sure of that with only a few seconds of observation. He'd keep a watch, see if any extra help was needed.
Behind the young man a second customer squeezed in through the closing door. A companion that was running late, apparently, and a jolly one at that. "Table for two, please!"
"This way." Hau smiled with practiced ease at the pair, following the script he'd had memorized since day one of this job. He could have easily turned on autopilot, the whole exchange was something he had done before without actively thinking about it, but something in the expression of one of his new customers caught his attention this time. Looking at that, then considering the way the second man had swept through the door so suddenly, Hau hesitated just a moment. He recognized something in this situation - an uncomfortable aura, an unequal dynamic - he'd witnessed similar situations a time or two before.
Hau guided the pair to an empty table in the middle of his section, deliberately picking one that didn't offer much privacy, and laid out the menus. "Is there anything I can get you to drink?" He asked. "Coffee, tea, juice, water?"
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Post by Marshmallow on Dec 22, 2019 19:09:37 GMT -6
The jollier of the two young men was eager to follow behind Hau. Nagi was hesitant, but the hand on his arm subtly squeezed. Reluctant but aware of the public space, he could only follow along for now as the two were led into the cafe proper. It seemed the chosen table disappointed the taller man, however. Hazel eyes darkened with a frown as he peered around the room, and raised a free hand to question their waiter. "I don't suppose you have a booth-"
"This is fine, thanks," Nagi interrupted cheerily. There was a short beat of silence, and then the grip on his arm vanished.
"Nevermind then," the other man conceded. His smile made a quick return as he rounded the table to pull out a chair for his date.
Nagi heard the footsteps, and deliberately moved to the opposite side. Okudo took flight, perching himself on the top of the chair. The jay proved his purpose by rattling his beak against the chair's back panel; Nagi felt his way around the table's edge toward the sound, and seated himself without assistance. He heard the stifled sound of indignance across the table, the short sigh. And then the scuff of the chair legs as his 'date' sat down without a word.
"Is there anything I can get you to drink?"
The taller man spoke up first, smiling brightly over the edge of the menu in his hands. "A large iced coffee for me, and he'll have a chai latte."
"Actually," Nagi interrupted again. "I'll just have an iced tea. Sweetened, please."
The silence again. The man's smile faltered. Nagi could almost sense the cold glare emanating from across the table.
"But, you always get the chai..." he argued, almost sounding hurt.
Nagi shrugged. "Thought I'd go with something different today."
Silence answered him.
Nagi pretended to ignore the uncomfortable feeling in his gut, and inclined his head toward the waiter. "Do you have any menus with braille?"
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Post by Vaitris on Dec 31, 2019 19:42:31 GMT -6
As the pair sorted out their chairs, Hau felt a little flutter of vindication to realize that the one young man was indeed seeing impaired. The bird obviously functioned as a service animal and Hau would argue as much if anyone tried to challenge him on it tomorrow.
"A large iced coffee for me, and he'll have a chai latte."
"Actually, I'll just have an iced tea. Sweetened, please."
"But, you always get the chai..."
"Thought I'd go with something different today."
Only control forged through years of serving hordes of tourists back home kept Hau from making a face at this exchange. He knew a cold shoulder when he saw one and it said something about this man's determination, or his ignorance, that he didn't seem to notice how unwelcome he was. Clearly the man needed greater persuasion. The fox part of him gladly offered up ideas and Hau found himself tentatively considering. In the meantime though, it was uncomfortable to watch the way he was pushing himself on his date. And if it was this hard to witness as a third party, Hau could only imagine how grating his behavior might be on the other young man. Hau felt a swell of pity for him, but hid it beneath a veneer of pleasant waiter-liness.
He reached into his pockets, looking for his order pad and pen, but came up empty. Of course. He must have left them back at the front counter. Or so he hoped, cause he wasn't sure where they might be otherwise. The order was easy enough to memorize at least. "Large iced coffee and sweetened iced tea." He confirmed, making a point to look at the white-haired young man as he did so even though he wouldn't see it. He could probably sense the volume of Hau's voice though and know he was being addressed directly instead of through his date. "We might have a braille menu, let me see what we have in the back room."
Leaving their order with another employee to fill while he shuffled through the back office, it wasn’t long before Hau returned to their table. “You’re in luck, I found one.” It was an older version of the menu, but most of the options were the same. “Just ignore everything on the last page.” He made sure the menu and the drinks both made some noise as he put them down, just in case that might help young man find where they were. “I’ll be back in a bit to take your order.” Hau smiled at both of them, then headed to check on his other table. While he was attending to that one he’d still be keeping a close eye on this one, just to make sure the other man behaved himself.
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Post by Marshmallow on Jan 27, 2020 21:27:31 GMT -6
For Nagi there was some small measure of quiet satisfaction when their waiter addressed him directly, instead of focusing on his self-proclaimed 'date'. Even the cafe staff could see that the other man's presence was undesireable. If only it were so easy to get Braxton to recognize it himself...
When their waiter returned, polite and helpful and a blessedly pleasant distraction, Nagi smiled brightly at him. He made sure to thank him sincerely for the menu, even patted the stranger on the hand to show his gratitude. He knew, just knew, that the man sitting opposite him would just be beside himself with jealousy at even the slightest bit of contact. But this was a very open, very public space. He'd have no choice but to keep up appearances as much as Nagi had.
Sure enough, he heard a stifled cough from across the table. Perfect.
"Oh dear me, you're not coming down with something, are you Braxton?" Nagi feigned concern with sarcastic levels of sweetness in his tone. "Maybe you ought to head home and get some rest?"
The man cleared his throat. "It's just Brax, remember? And no, no- I'm fine," he replied, casting the retreating back of their waiter a sideways glance. "You know, it's been a while since it was just you and me. I swear, I can never seem to catch you these days! Work must keep you pretty busy, huh? You know, if you'd just move in with me like we planned..."
Oh here we fucking go again. "You know that was never my plan," Nagi muttered. He set his jaw and put all of his attention on the menu. He was practically counting the minutes until their lovely distraction- lovely server, that is, returned.
"You know, I find it funny..." Braxton started. Nagi cringed inwardly, and braced himself for another entry in the ongoing series of 'Things I Just Can't Fucking Let Go' by Braxton Davies.
The approach of footsteps was a godsend.
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Post by Vaitris on Feb 3, 2020 20:25:06 GMT -6
His second table now departing, Hau was gathering up the leftover dishes when he heard the conversation behind him becoming tense. Time to get back to his other customers, it sounded like. Making hastily for the kitchen, Hau brushed past Braxton's chair, catching his foot on the leg of it as he did so and stumbling.
Crash! The plate in his left hand dropped from his grip, showering Braxton in leftover food as it tumbled over his shoulder, into his lap, and then onto the floor. The man gave a cry of surprise and shot out of his seat, shoving his chair back into Hau almost hard enough to send the rest of the dirty dishes he held flying as well.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Hau fumbled the leftover plates onto the couple’s table before they fell too. Braxton had been showered in mostly dry pastries, but as the man attempted to brush away the flaky crumbs now peppering the front of his shirt, his hand snagged in a sticky swathe of jelly. "Let me clean that up." Hau offered, grabbing the hand towel he had just used on the dirty table, and tried to wipe the man's shirt clean.
Braxton grimaced and quickly seized his wrist. "No!" His face twisted into a strained smile. "No, it's alright. I'll go clean this up myself. Where's the restroom?" He was trying hard to inject his words with sincerity but Hau could still hear the tension strumming beneath them. Hau directed him towards the back corner of the store.
After a few words to his date, Braxton hurried off. Once he was out of sight Hau felt a tiny smirk break his facade. The kitsune rarely indulged the more foxy side of himself, instead opting to hide that ever present, deep down desire to play tricks and wreak mischief. But once in a great while it felt so good to just let it out. He felt like humming as he went about collecting the dropped plate and the scattered pastries, but he didn't want to do anything that might tip off the man's date. "I apologize for that, so clumsy sometimes. I hope cherry filling doesn’t stain."
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Post by Marshmallow on Feb 29, 2020 19:00:06 GMT -6
Nagi straightened with a start when Braxton's monolgue was abruptly interrupted by the crash-clatter of falling plates and silverware. He picked up his drink, but otherwise sat perfectly still; he was incredibly wary about brushing a fallen dish or lost pastry, lest he stain a sleeve - or worse, cut himself on anything potentially broken.
Braxton was up and away a moment later, having apprently taken the brunt of the avalanche of dirty dishes. It took a concentrated effort not to laugh at the man's misfortune, but that didn't stop a smile from curling at the corners of his mouth. 'I hope that was your favorite shirt!' he thought viciously as he sipped on iced tea.
Blessed quiet returned in the wake of Braxton's hasty exit, to be broken only by the soft apologies of the waiter and the clink of ceramics as glasses and plates were returned to the serving tray. Okudo hopped down from his perch and took up a discarded fork in his beak, helpfully returning it to the server.
"Apologize nothing, I'm just sad I couldn't see it," Nagi said with a hint of a smirk and a dismissive flick of a wrist. "You just saved me from an hours-long rant about my bad decisions. I don't suppose you do encores?"
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Post by Vaitris on Mar 2, 2020 16:46:48 GMT -6
Hau's eyebrows jumped a little in surprise at his customer's words. "I assure you, it was a spectacle. I'm sad you missed it too." He finally let himself chuckle, stacking the last of the plates and preparing to take them back to the kitchen. "Thank you," Hau murmured to the jay when it went out of its way to offer him one of the discarded forks. Considering it had made the move to come towards him first he took the chance to pet it, using a single finger to stroke it along the head.
"You're really not fond of that guy." It had the lilt of a question. "If you'd like, I can ask him to leave. I can pretend the manager made the decision or some such." He almost accompanied the statement with a vague hand wave, then caught himself. "If he's really bothering you."
"But if it's an encore you want, I can do that too." Hau grinned and he was sure a note of pleasure seeped into his words. He glanced warily in the direction of the restrooms to make sure Braxton wasn't on his way back already. "I do have a few tricks up my sleeve."
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Post by Marshmallow on Sept 13, 2020 6:16:17 GMT -6
The bird made a soft croaking noise as it was pet and leaned into the waiter's hand to demand more attention. Nagi tutted softly under his breath but allowed his familiar this indulgence as he drank his tea.
"I am so glad it's obvious to someone, at least," the blind man said with a dramatic emphasis in response to the baristo's statement. He sighed and shook his head. "No, no, don't ask him to leave - it never works." The tone of bitter defeat in his voice spoke of many previous failures in such regard. "He needs to think leaving is his idea, otherwise he'll just get riled up and make a scene. Well, a worse scene."
Nagi continued a moment later, lips curling with a mischievous smirk. "But, if enough 'unfortunate events' were to occur, which might compel him to vacate the premises on his own accord, then maybe... Maybe I can have myself a decent afternoon yet."
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Post by Vaitris on Sept 14, 2020 16:41:10 GMT -6
Balancing the tray of dirty dishes nimbly in one hand, Hau gave the bird a few more gentle strokes, enjoying the sleek feeling of the feathers. "One order of unfortunate events, coming right up." He smiled, ignoring the more reasonable and responsible part of him that insisted he shouldn't be enjoying the idea as much as he was. It would be harmless fun. Well, except that shirt had been harmed. Hau didn't think it would ever be the same.
As if called, the door to the bathroom opened and Braxton marched out, nearly barreling into another waitress as she passed by. The man's white shirt was marred by a thick streak of pink which was haloed by dark, damp fabric where he'd tried, ultimately in vain, to clean it off. To his credit, he looked only slightly ruffled and not outright angry, but his gait was too quick and too stiff for someone who wasn't deeply annoyed under the surface.
"Hang in there." Hau encouraged the blind man before he hustled the dishware back to the kitchen, giving his customers a little time to get resettled and figure out their order. The kitsune replaced his missing notepad and pen, intermittently glancing back at the table to check on the occupants, especially interested if Braxton made any motions towards the iced coffee in front of him. Eventually he returned, armed and ready to take their order. "I apologize again for that mishap." He said with a hint of genuine chagrin. "Are you two ready to order?"
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Post by Marshmallow on Nov 12, 2020 5:45:17 GMT -6
The Braxton-free break was unfairly brief. It was almost as though the man suspected Nagi might try to make a sneaky exit while he was occupied - and he wouldn't have been far wrong, the temptation was there. "So, what's the damage?" Nagi asked against his better judgment as his "date" returned and seated himself. The kirin barely feigned sympathy for the fate of Braxton's shirt, but managed to keep from smirking.
"It's fine. You'd barely notice it."
Nagi could hear the bitterness as the man lied. There was a certain tone of voice Brax used when he was annoyed. Clipped, sharp, and cold as ice. It brought the kirin some satisfaction to hear it. This time he did smile, but managed to strategically hide it behind his glass as he sipped on the iced tea.
Now, rather than the rant Braxton had been prepared to deliver before, there was instead an uncomfortable silence that sat heavily over the table. Okudo sat perched on his master's shoulder, pinning the other man with a glare that matched the deteriorating atmosphere of this so-called 'date'.
Still, when prompted by their returning waiter, Braxton cleared his throat and forced a level expression. He even smiled - though the cold look in his eyes betrayed how he truly felt about Hau.
"The chicken club for me, aaannnd..." There was only a brief pause as his gaze slid to Nagi, then back again. "BLT for him."
Nagi pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Some things never changed.
"Actually, just a fruit salad, please," he corrected politely, keeping his tone pleasant for the waiter's sake. "I'm a vegetarian." He let the statement hang in the air, and tried not to let his expression falter when he heard Braxtons exasperated huff.
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Post by Vaitris on Nov 13, 2020 18:34:34 GMT -6
Hau didn't miss Braxton's subtle glare. "Coming right up." He beamed a smile, trying to kill with kindness despite the needling frustration he felt at the man's continued attempts to control his date. Ripping the top page off his notepad he took it back to the kitchen, waiting until he was out of sight to scribble a few more words beneath the chicken club entry - "customer wants it HOT". Let the cook decide how to interpret that. Hau liked surprises. Braxton probably wouldn't though.
As he waited for the order to be filled, he bustled around the restaurant, seating a newly arrived family at a table in the corner of the main room and handing them menus. By the time he had taken care of the drinks for his newest customers, the pair's food was ready and Hau swept back to their table with a tray of plates.
"Chicken club..." He said, placing each item on the table with a little flourish. "And a BLT. But, oh, I seem to have replaced the bread and everything inside with fruit and a honey-lime drizzle. Silly me." He chuckled. "Can I get you anything else?"
It was no surprise when Braxton shooed him away almost immediately with a pretend smile smothered over a flat, unamused look. Hau gladly left to take up a place behind the front register, from here it was easy to observe the pair without drawing too much attention. Pulling out his notepad and pretending to be busy, he watched out of the corner of his eye, waiting for the man to dig in. He honestly felt a little bad for Braxton, but this was hardly the cruelest thing the kitsune had ever done, he and his siblings had visited worse on each other growing up. The man would probably enjoy a few bites of his sandwich at least, before he realized anything was wrong. And if he thought he was going to get relief from that iced coffee, well, Hau had a plan for that too, ready and waiting with his abilities. The man would probably rail and complain about Hau’s clumsiness and the incorrect order, but could he find fault if his drink was too cold? Hau was eager to find out.
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Post by Marshmallow on Sept 23, 2021 19:41:04 GMT -6
Nagi had laughed softly as Hau described the "mistaken BLT" set before him. His smile was perhaps a touch too smug for his own good, though; he could almost feel Braxton's glare as a physical force. The fine hairs on the back of his neck bristled with a sense of future doom. He mentally apologized to Future Nagi. Tormenting his tormentor was much too entertaining for Present Nagi to pass up, and as he settled in with his fruit salad he kept a wary ear out for whatever ploy the server had up his sleeve next.
Braxton, predictably, went right back to his passive-aggressive, 'I know what's best for you' brand of nit-picking and criticism as soon as Hau was shooed away. Of course, everything was in that sickly sweet tone of voice used by someone who believed - or pretended to believe - they were being helpful.
'You really need to learn how to handle constructive criticism better.' That was a favourite of Brax's lines, which usually followed on the tail of some insult or complaint, and preceded further comments on how Nagi could best 'correct' his behaviour.
For a few minutes, nothing seemed terribly off besides the pair's unhealthy dynamic. Nagi fell back to old habits and simply lapsed into silence, puting his attention elsewhere while his ex needled away between bites of sandwich.
Braxton began to lose momentum mid-way through his rant, pausing to take breaths through his mouth in an attempt to cool a rising burn he had not expected. "Jeez, what did they put on this?" he complained, having resorted to fanning himself while he eyed the sandwich suspiciously. He went for the iced coffee a moment later, when it was obvious the burn was only getting worse.
Nagi quirked an eyebrow. "Everything alright?" He quite hoped it wasn't.
From his shoulder Okudo warbled something akin to laughter, able to see the colour flushing Braxton's face where Nagi could not.
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Post by Vaitris on Sept 30, 2021 18:23:46 GMT -6
It was lucky no one in the café was looking his way because Hau couldn’t hold back a frown as he listened in on the blind man’s conversation. His date was a grade-A jerk. Hau had read up somewhere on the hallmarks of a manipulative relationship, probably at his mothers’ overly protective behest, and this guy was using all the classic lines. It wasn’t enough to just torment the man a little now, Hau was determined to drive him off.
From the flush on his face, he’d clearly gotten a good taste of his sandwich. The kitsune watched carefully, eyes narrowing as Braxton reached for the iced coffee, and then with the subtlest of crackles the liquid in his glass froze solid. The man tipped it back, tried to suck down his drink for some relief from the heat, but didn’t get even a drop. The confusion and frustration that chased each other across his face made Hau bite back a chuckle. How he wished the blind man could have seen it.
“Waiter!” Braxton coughed on the word and raised his voice. “Waiter!”
Hau composed himself and approached the table. “Yes? Can I get you anything?”
“My coffee is frozen.” The man growled at him, throat scratching like he had a cold.
Hau gave him a dumb look. “You did order the iced coffee.”
“It’s not supposed to be all ice! And the sandwich tastes like someone dumped hot sauce on it! Take it back.”
“Oh, I apologize. Jalapeno chicken was the special today, the cook must have put some on your sandwich by mistake.” Hau took the plate, flashing him a look of faux concern. “Are you okay? You’re very red in the face. You’re not allergic are you?”
“No,” he snapped, then croaked out, “water. Now.”
“Right away.” As he left, he heard Braxton complain under his breath and mutter the word “idiot.” Hau had been acting dumb, sure, but the word still cut a little. He would certainly take his sweet time getting that water. Hopefully in the meantime Braxton wouldn’t take his frustration out on his date.
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