Like Everyday -open-

[Kali Caraway]

The sign said open. Business was running as usual. There wasn't anything particularly noteworthy about this Saturday. The customer stream ran pretty steady, like normal on a Saturday. She knew she wouldn't do as good of business on the crappy weather days, and that was fine with her. Less people, meant less things she needed to do, since her other cashier was out on her day off and one of her cooks came down with Bronchitis, well it was just better that things weren't extremely hectic.

Like last night. Kali was still trying to find out exactly how a pair of men's underwear wrapped itself around one of the lights on the ceiling, a good twelve feet above the floor. Kali had to send her cook home to get a ladder so she could climb up to get it down. It didn't seem to have anything on it...but she still threw it away. If someone came asking for a pair of underwear, she'd give them her sympathies but that would be as far as it went, because seriously. She got into music, too, but damn. That was excessive.

She hummed a tune to herself while she flitted about the establishment, straightening a picture here, scooting a chair under the table there, wiping off a half-face on the glass front here, and checking on the food in the counter there. When the front door opened (usually a bell would jingle, but Kali found that annoying, so she hooked up the door so every time it opened a guitar riff would fill the store she could change it from a metal riff or a soft riff-depending on her mood), bringing in with the sudden gust of cold air was also the promise of at least two coffees and a muffin, maybe the special, if Kali's judgment had anything to say about it. Kali grinned and nodded her head in greeting to the would-be patrons. "'Morning," she cheered while she moved around to the back of the counter. "What can I get for you today?" She asked while she moved to the sink to start washing her hands, most of the things she sold to eat for food was sitting on display beneath the counter, cold, then she'd heat it up to the customers specifications then fork it over on a plate with a napkin and good silverware (if someone takes another, though, she's gonna bite someone).

They tapped their lips as they looked at the black board above and behind the counter. It was on a black board because Kali changed her mind about the menu. A lot. And because she changed the special everyday; one item from the stove, one item from the oven, and one item from the fountain for two dollars. The stove counted for both the grill and the deep fryer so basically someone could get a big ass order of fries (because small medium or large is just a price scam anyway) or a burger, any kind of roll, or muffin, or cookie, and any sort of drink, all for two dollars. The special combination today was a cinnamon raisin muffin, waffle fries, and a vanilla coffee with whip cream and Carmel dribble and a shot of espresso.

You see, because Kali liked to mix things up.

The customer decided to go with the special, so she turned around and yelled into the kitchen (she had to, to get over the volume of the radio) that she needed an order of waffle fries, she got a nonchalant reply and she laughed while she moved over to the display and picked out a particularly yummy looking cinnamon raisin muffin and set it on a plate and asked if the customer would like to heat it up, they declined so she set it on the counter then went over to the wall of coffee-things and went about making the vanilla coffee. Usually people tried to negotiate with the special, like for instance maybe this customer didn't like the Carmel dribble. She'd give them a look and shake her head. The special applied to what she wrote down on the board to the period at the end of the sentence, no negotiating. Most regulars knew that and didn't bother, but she usually had to deal with a butthead.

She was glad this guy was different. She set the fresh coffee up onto the counter and peeked into the kitchen and asked if it was done yet. The cook flipped her off and told her she knew how long it took to make fries. She wagged a finger in their direction, but that was how she was with her employees. This place was a getaway--a haven. She didn't want the people she was giving money to, to regret working with her. It was a privilege all around, right? She told the customer the fries would be a minute, they handed over two dollars (if people pay in cash she usually doesn't charge tax....it might be illegal, but what the cash register doesn't know won't land her in jail), and went to go sit down with his muffin and coffee.

She returned to humming until the kitchen bell dinged. She jumped to pick up the plate of fries and carried it over to the guy who took a happy sip from his coffee with wide eyes and a 'mmm!' (That's why it's the special) "You just hollar if you need anything." Kali moved back behind the register. A guitar riff filled the room and she looked towards the new customer. Today was a normal day.

(Outfit)

[Xander Green]

Xander had snuck off campus for the day. He only had one class and he had an A in it anyways. Sure it was hard to get away with that. Between the telepaths and the fact he lived there it was tricky. But he simply needed a break and wanted to get some time to himself. Then again alone time wasn't possibly when he was followed around by at least one ghost everywhere he went. Not to mention others were drawn to him for whatever reason. He sighed as he walked the street, today it was only Nate, his usual one. Paul wasn't as common lately, which neither him nor Nate complained about. Of course Paul still popped in at very inopportune times. As he walked, enjoying an interesting conversation with Nate, he began to get hungry.

"No, no. Ok sure Superman's powerful but Batman has actually beaten him. Not to mention his movies are a lot better."

He stopped in front of a little cafe he never noticed before and shrugged. They probably had something pretty sweet he could have, not to mention coffee. Today his insomnia was running rampant. He adjust his black hoodie over his white T-shirt before opening the door, reaching into his baggy dark jeans to see just how much he had to spend for some eats. He yawned wide and despite being inside his breath was still visible. He sat down at the counter before the chair next to him turned and creaked as thought someone were now sitting in it. He began to look up at the board, trying to see if he couldn't settle on something. The special wasn't appealing to him, well not too much at least. He smiled and nodded his head to the woman with red hair who seemed to be running things for the day.

[Kali Caraway]

Kali, with towel in hand, worked hard to work off a smudge that had somehow managed to survive under Kali's cleaning radar. Once it was gone, after a few under-the-breath swearing, Kali straightened up and worked the kink out of her elbow. In that time, a boy younger than her youngest brother walked in. Kali had a good eye for meta's and guessed this guy was a student at Hammel. She leaned against the counter, across from him and smile.

"Decide on something you like?" She asked as she turned on one elbow to look up a the menu as well. It was nearly time for her to take a lunch, so maybe she'd have the cook throw her something together. If her other cashier was here today, she'd just go back and make it herself, but it was only her manning the fort. After a moment of looking up at the menu, she turned her gaze back to the boy, a genuinely friendly smile on her face.

[Xander Green]

He glanced up at her after looking at the menu. He hadn't decided on much. There were a lot of choices so that naturally made it hard. However he was hungry so he needed to have something to eat and drink.

"Umm...I'll start with a frapuccino. And then can I get a bacon cheeseburger with waffle fries?"

He asked with a friendly smile. He always seemed to be in a friendly mood, it was just his nature. Sure he was tired a lot and seemed to be cold. As was evidenced by the fact his breath was visible, but still he was always happy and laid back. He glanced over at what to everyone else would be an empty chair and began speaking to it.

"You know you can't eat so I'm not ordering you something......... Fine I'll make you a sandwich when we get back, deal?"

He was used to people thinking he was insane so this wasn't that big of a deal to him. He knew he wasn't and knew he was just having a conversation with someone.

[Kali Caraway]

"Good choice!" Kali expressed her approval of his order with a fist pump. She turned and leaned her head inside the swinging door to the kitchen and yelled the order. Once back behind the counter, she went over to the coffee machines and set about making his frappucino. "You want anything extra on it? Whip cream, sprinkles?" She asked over her shoulder. Once she was done making the drink to his specifications, she turned and placed the drink in front of him with a smile.

One of her eyebrows quirked upwards when he turned to the (empty) seat next to it and spoke to it like there was a hungry person sitting there. "Your friend there hungry?" Kali wasn't sure if there was actually a person there who was invisible, or the poor kid was seeing things (or maybe that was what his power was? Kali was an expert on using invisible things.) Kali rested her elbows on the counter as she surveyed the shop around them before she turned her attention back to the kid.

"You like it here in Pilot Ridge?" She asked with a friendly tilt of her head. Kali didn't like silence, even if it was comfortable.

"Your burger and fries'll take a minute. Condiments are located over there." She gestured towards a separate station from the counter they were at that had glass shelves with all sorts of toppings, condiments, napkins, and utensils.

[Xander Green]

"Naw, just a simple frapuccino will be fine, thanks though."

He said with a smile before listening to what else Nate had to say. He then began to give specifications on the sandwich he wanted and rolled his eyes. He glanced over at Kali before smiling and taking a sip of his frap.

"That's...complicated. I keep telling him he doesn't need to eat and...yeah."

He said shaking his head. He fell into an odd silence, well between the two of them. Nate just kept talking since that's how he was. Some thought Xander was talkative only because they'd never met or talked to more accurately, Nate.

"Yeah, it's pretty sweet. Nice than Minnesota where I'm from."

He said with a smile before glancing over at the condiments.

"Would you mind?"

He knew Nate liked showing off and freaking people out. And secretly Xander did too, it was always fun. The chair moved and creaked as Nate got up and began to walk towards the condiment section.

"So what about you? Are you from here or did you move here like everyone else?"

He asked as Nate began to gather condiments and napkins and began to carry them back. Of course to everyone else it would look as though they were just floating. Xander's attention however was on Kali the whole time, trying to keep the conversation going.

[Kali Caraway]

"Plain Frap, then," Kali replied as she set the drink in front of him. In all actuality, Kali wasn't even that much of a coffee drinker, if she needed a boost of energy, she would run across the street and get one of those five hour energy shots. She usually mixed two of them into a drink and sipped it all throughout the day, one of which was located next to the cash register in one of those GNC drink containers with the metal coil. She took a sip from it.

She looked back at the kid when the kid answered her about his imaginary friend. It was complicated? "Ah," she replied because she didn't exactly understand, "how can he be hungry--want food at least--and not need to eat?" Kali asked while she looked at the air space next to the teenager, she couldn't even see an outline of a person there--if his friend could turn invisible, he had mastered it.

"ooh, Minnesota has a beautiful countryside," Kali replied with a small approving nod. Her parents had often taken the lot of kids on vacations around the U.S., which caused Kali to be pretty familiar with each state--at least bits of them. "Vermont in general is a bit slower than most states, it's a lot like the South in that sense but the weather is more predictable." Kali paced a bit behind the counter because holding still was pretty hard.

"Would I mind what?" Kali asked with a quirked eyebrow, she hadn't noticed that Xander had spoken to the person next to him. However when the chair creaked a slow grin spread across her face. So there actually was a person there. Cool. She was still a little confused about the whole eating thing, but the chair was proof that someone had occupied it. She watched the air for any movement, but when the guy asked her a question she looked at him before she answered.

"I went to school here and after I got out of college I decided to come back--and not just because I wanted to keep a close eye on my younger two brothers." Kali just loved Pilot Ridge, which was why she moved here in the first place, but keeping an eye on her brothers was her more often used explanation. "I am assuming that since you are from Minnesota, you go to Hammel?" She asked it offhandedly instead of directly asking if he was meta. She didn't know if the other Kafe patron was comfortable around them (or was one himself), so she decided the safe side was better.

Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed the floating condiments and she broke out into a grin. "Don't scare any customers away, or I'll be angry." She wagged a finger at the floating things, figuring by the way they were stacked they were leaned against a chest. It was at that moment, the kitchen bell dinged. Kali vanished for a moment to pick up the order and brought back a tray that had a bacon cheeseburger on one plate and another plate with waffle fries. Kali sat the tray on the counter and pushed it towards Xander. "That'll be... eight bucks," Kali spoke as she added up his order in her head. She glanced over her shoulder at the menu for a moment to make sure she got the prices right before she turned to look back at him. "That cash or credit?" She asked while her fingers drummed on the edges of the cash register.

[Xander Green]

"Well, he's a spirit and spirits don't require food."

He said with a shrug like it was the most normal thing to say. Well then again for him it was. He dealt with ghosts every day, as did his few friends and his roommates. While his friends didn't seem to mind too much his roommates did, well one in particular. Which of course caused them to mess with him even more. So he really had been asking for it all those times. And of course Xander showed no sympathy, although he did feel kind of guilty about it.

"Yeah, the country side is nice I just wish I'd been able to go somewhere warmer. I mean I like Vermont and all, but the weather's too much like home."

And truth be told he wasn't missing home at all. Well he missed his younger sister Michelle and still kept in touch. But his parents, well that was a different story all together. His parents loathed their son for being different. And he knew at the first sign of difference Michelle would be joining him here, which wouldn't be that bad. That way it'd be easier to keep an eye on her.

"Ah, I feel ya about younger siblings. I've got a little sister at home that I do my best to keep an eye on. Naturally it's not easy, but we make do."

He said with a smile. He caught her little 'hint' that she was a meta too. He glanced over at the other guy, unsure what he thought about Metas. He was looking for a relaxing day off, the last thing he wanted was to be persecuted.

"Yup, I go to Hammel, just as you did I'm guessing."

He said with a smirk.

"So what was your...'specialty' while there?"

He asked smiling a bit. He had been trying to figure out if she had a power what it would be and so far hadn't come up with much. He laughed a bit at her warning and smiled at her.

"Don't worry, Nate's cool. Sure he may enjoy messing with people from time to time but really he's harmless."

He said as the condiments were placed in front of him. Sure it was funny but next time he'd go and get them himself, just to be on the safe side. As the food was placed in front of him he grabbed his wallet. He pulled a 10 out and set it in front of him.

"There ya go, it's all you."

[Kali Caraway]

"Oooooh. Spirit. Right on." Kali nodded her head a little in approval. So his power was he could contact spirits. A Ghost Whisperer. Kali went to school with a girl who had a similar power (instead of being accompanied by spirits she dreamed about them), so now that the invisible person turned out to be a spirit, she wasn't any less comfortable about it. It was just another thing that was different and 'not normal' in her life, which is what she liked.

"Yeah, it does get pretty cold all year round. At least it isn't humid. Let me tell you, growing up in a southern state-with hot and humid afternoons was horrible! People up north just don't know how lucky they are to avoid humidity, really." Kali shook her head in exasperation. Humid weather was the worst in her book, throw snow, hail, or a thunderstorm at her and she wouldn't mind it. She just hated that saturated heat making it hard for her to breath and sweating up her hair.

She grinned as he admitted he did go to Hammel; what a great place. "I did in deed. Graduated class of '05. Shit has it really been that long, already?" Kali's brow furrowed as she counted back the years, but she definitely was twenty-four now. Sheesh she was getting old. "My specialty, huh? Cute." Kali nearabout snorted at his alternative word than 'power' or 'ability' that was most often used. She stretched her arms out in front of her and cracked her knuckles while she thought up the best way to demonstrate that didn't bring too much attention from the man in the corner (or that wouldn't make a mess). She looked up to the ceiling above her and then glanced around, to make sure nothing would get destroyed by her brilliant probably bad idea. "Okaay. See this rope right here?" Kali asked as she reached out a hand and wrapped it around a rope--or at least she just made the motion she was because there wasn't actually a rope there. She tugged on it, as if to make sure it was secured tightly to the rafter above her. It was. She then held onto it with both hands and lifted her feet off the ground so she swung back and forth a little, she started to rock her feet so she would swing slightly along the side of the counter, after the third swing she let go and landed soundly on her feet.

"I'm a pantomime," she explained with a gesture of her fingers. "Taa daa~" she grinned a little to herself, she always got excited after using her power--though of course the side effect was a bit more annoying. She thought things were in places they weren't, her eyes played tricks on her, and she was just generally disoriented for a little while after. Of course she had barely used her power for a minute so the side-effect spell would be brief.

She glanced between the teen and his spirit friend and grinned. "That's good to know. He'd be great to have around Halloween or April Fool's Day." As he set out the money she nodded her head in acceptance to his tip. "Thank you very much." She smiled as she lifted the bill from the counter and went to the register. That small spell of disorientation decided to work up and as she looked at the register buttons, she could not for the life of her find the button that would open the register. She slid it underneath, she'd do it later. On an order slip (she it to use on really busy days) she wrote down what the guy had purchased and the tip in change he had given, she also scribbled down the previous man's order and his even two dollars. So when she counted out the register, everything would match up.

[Xander Green]

"Hey, I'm from Minnesota and we have humidity too. I mean we can't have 13,000 lakes and not get moisture in the air to make humidity. So we get that in the summer and freezing cold winters."

He said nodding his head and smiling a bit. He knew people had preconceived notions about Minnesota and he enjoyed destroying those. He didn't miss Minnesota at all, primarily because of his parents however. He enjoyed Vermont primarily because there were people like him here. Not to mention for some reason the women in Hammel were more attractive. He couldn't understand why but that just seemed to be the way it worked.

"05, wow."

He said nodding his head. It was good to see there was an alumni near by. he knew there had to be some but most alumni he met still worked at Hammel. He took a bite of his burger and watched as she showed her ability. He smirked a bit and nodded his head. It was interesting, really interesting. Not to mention it was really impressive.

"So you're a super mime."

He said laughing a bit. He noticed her seem dazed and confused and nodded his head. No doubt that had something to do with her side-effect. He felt for her but knew all about bad side effects. He smiled and took another bite, washing the burger down.

"Oh yeah, he does get handy. Although Halloween the spirits tend to drive me nuts. I mean I still like Halloween and all, it's just easier for spirits to continue. So that tends to make it kind of annoying at times."

He said before looking over at Nate.

"No offense Nate."

He said with a smile.

[Kali Caraway]

"Aww that's no fun," Kali's face pulled into a frown for a moment. She knew not every northern state escaped the crappiest weather of all time, but she wasn't sure which of those it applied to. She figured all the ocean bordered states did but not much place else.

She snorted a little at his 'wow.' Five years ago was not that much to 'wow' at (she told herself that). "I wonder if anyone I went to school with gravitated back to Hammel." She stroked her chin in thought, because it honestly hadn't crossed her mind before. Once she went away to college, she lost contact with her friends. It would be nice to run into them again, after these handful of years.

"Super mime, indeed. That was even my nickname in heschool--er high school that is." Kali corrected herself immediately on her verbal mistake--her disorientation seemed to still be around. She leaned against the wall behind the counter and did her counting and thought exercises that helped ease her side effects. She was pretty sure that after she completed her exercise, she wouldn't be as discombobulated.

Her expression peaked with interest when he mentioned spirits and Halloween. "So Sam Hain and all that stuff is true? Spirits are more active on Halloween and stuff?" She grinned when he looked sideways at Nate, and she had to hold back a small laugh.

[Xander Green]

He gave a light laugh at her snorting. Apparently he'd hit a sore spot by his reaction to the fact she graduated five years ago. Clearly there was a bit of a misunderstanding...but oh well. He thought it was interesting, but that was just him. He didn't mean to offend her but it seems that was just inevitable. That was something he learned quite awhile ago. Offending people can be incredibly easy.

"Heschool?"

He asked with a raised eyebrow. Although noticing what she did after that he soon realized it was merely a way to deal with her side effect. Or, more accurately, what he assumed was a side-effect.

"But I kind like super mime, it's better than my nickname of Ghosty."

He said with a shrug. He just wished his nickname was more creative, while it wasn't. It was just so....normal and uncreative.

"Yes, it's all true. I don't know why exactly, just that it is. Then again all the Pagan religions had to be on to something."

He said with a shrug.

"I've learned to deal with it over the years. Although when they interrupt my shower that's what annoys me."

[Kali Caraway]

It wasn't exactly a soft spot, so to speak, just a topic that was best left alone. Kali had a sort of complex about her growing age. Her youngest brother was about out of Hammel (if he ever got his act straight) and that meant she wasn't young by any means anymore. That. somehow, being old was a bad thing--which it really wasn't (not to mention that she wasn't even old yet)--and that by being of a certain age, she couldn't be who she was anymore. Thought quite honestly, nothing had ever stopped Kali from doing what she wanted before.

"Uh yeah, dyslexia is a side effect--in a slight form I say the wrong things, or thing at a different pace than what I am saying.....and then...forget it. Uhm, it's momentary though, and will pass. Promise." Kali sipped at her mixed drink of energy and went over to the counter, to if anything peaked her interest as a short snack.

"Ghosty. Honestly? Kids now have no sense of creativity. I would go for...Wendy, if you're strong in your sexuality, if not, go with Dan Aykroyd? Bill Murray would be another good one. You know? The GhostBusters?" Kali shook her head in her disapproval and tapped her chin as she thought of ghost related names.

"I wonder if the rest of the Pagan stuff is true, then? Like the cast circles of salt and wind chimes made of bones and shit. Or maybe that is Wiccan. I can't remember--I had a roommate in college that was aaallll into that stuff." Kali shrugged her shoulders at the entire thing. She had once held a small interest towards stuff like that, but she never liked the feeling she got when those topics were brought up, 'bad juju' her mother called it.

"Shower? Damn. Tough break." Kali tried not to laugh, but she just had the image of ghosts that looked like Casper's three uncles busting in a shower.

[Xander Green]

"Hey trust me, I feel your pain. One of mine is insomnia. I usually only get an hour or two of sleep a night. Ya know just enough to not go insane...hopefully."

He said with a laugh before yawning. He stretched a bit before putting some mayo on his burger and taking a bite. He knew she wasn't old but had just responded improperly. He'd have to make that up to her at some point. He just didn't know how...well not yet at least. He was generally pretty clever so he'd figure it out.

"I dunno, Dan Akroyd or Bill Murray? Not THAT creative. Wendy I get but I'm not a witch and I don't like how I look in red."

He said with a slight laugh. He wondered how many people his age would actually get that, odds are not many. Sadly the humor of Casper was lost to most who only remembered the fairly decent movie and horrible sequels. However he idea for a nickname wasn't that good either.

"And I'm not really a Ghostbuster. I have no control over them."

He said with a shrug. He listened as she talked about Pagan stuff and nodded his head.

"Not sure. But Wicca and Pagan are the same thing, in a broad sense. Think of Pagan as Christianity and Wicca as Lutheran. Just a small part of the same thing. I subscribe to Paganism I just don't practice."

He said with a shrug before taking another bite of his burger and washing it down with his frapuccino. He did usually get into religious discussions with people. Especially considering it seemed as though there was no afterlife other than roaming the world in ghost form. Of course he hadn't been able to learn much as the ghosts he met knew as much as he did.

"Yeah, it is. But I'm sure your powers might trigger in random and inopportune moments."

[Kali Caraway]

"Well, I read in a medical magazine that if you get three hours of sleep a night, it's actually supposed to stimulate your brain or some shit. So maybe it's not all bad. And! Look at it this way, at least you aren't sleeping your life away, like the rest of 'em." That was Kali, not the optimist, per say, but the people-pleaser (when the mood struck).

"It's a shame that Casper never had any friends that were boys. Hm." Kali tried to think of a better one, but there just weren't that many famous people that were involved with ghosts--that signed ghosts in a good light, anyway. "There was a girl in my class, we called her the Ghost Whisperer." She shrugged a small shoulder at it, as far as creativity went, it wasn't so amazing, mostly because she often complained about their whispering voices in their dreams.

"Paganism is certainly the more natural--and older idea. I could see how you say they are the same, but Wicca is mainly used to cast spells, some of protection but most for love and hate relationships--at least that's what I learned from my roommate. I understand that while there are spells and rituals in Paganism, they are still definitely more natural, and I guess benign. I think saying that Wicca and Paganism are the same based on the fact that they have spells and rituals, you might as well throw Satanism in the bunch as well. In a broad sense." Kali was known to go off on tangents, but she did so with a smile. It was just a nice conversation she was having with a customer. She was enjoying herself.

"Most certainly. When it first manifested, I was always trapped in things, tripped over them, the works. Now though, it doesn't happen so often unless I use my power a lot in a short period of time. Stocking day is when it gets the worst." Why use a dolly when she can just imagine one, right? She only used the actual latter today, because there were normal Pilot Ridge patriots and Kali wasn't about to black her name. "But that is every power for you; they all got side-effects."