Nell's characters: Ari Jasinski & Loveday Morley

For a guy who's pretty mellow, Ari spends a lot of time working. It's not so much that he's a workaholic, as that he really, really loves baking, and he likes people in general. He's very emotionally open, and is perfectly okay with letting people know how he feels about them, although he rarely wastes much time on people he doesn't like. Life is short, after all.

Ari has spent his whole life doing what he loves, but he also feels like he's getting into a rut; part of starting his own business is about learning more about himself and what he really wants from life.

Who he's hoping to meet:
He's used to having a fairly busy, if not especially deep, social circle; in his new home, he's looking forward to having fewer, but closer, friends. He likes people who like to talk and socialize... but he has a secret weakness for people who are shy, who have trouble opening up, or who just prefer to let other people do the talking. (Ari himself can talk enough for at least two people, maybe three.) He also likes people who are creative, whether with words, paint, Photoshop, whatever, since he considers himself to be decidedly art-inept.

While the coffeeshop has just opened, sooner or later he's going to need to hire employees. A student might find working at the Velvet-tone just what they need to make ends meet.

It's also been a long time since he's been in an intimate romantic relationship with anyone, mostly due to the many, many hours he spends working. On some level, he's a little worried that he really doesn't know how to be close to anyone. (He considers himself straight, but at the same time, he sometimes maybe kind of sort of wonders if that's because he just hasn't had the time to really look around.)

Plots:
Nothing especially exciting, really. Ari is constantly on the search for new recipes, or variations on ones he already loves. Occasionally, his enthusiasm results in minor kitchen fires.

He's also determined to learn... something new. He hasn't really decided what yet, but by god, he's going to learn to do something outside of his comfort zone. Rock climbing? Roller skating? Playing the banjo? Your guess is as good as his.