Grabbing some coffee(OPEN)

[JJ Reneir]

It was about noon and JJ had just woken up. Which oddly enough was pretty early for him. Normally he didn't get up till around 2. But his headaches were stronger than usual. And when combined with the wine he had last night that made it worse so he had to get to the doctor to get his pills. That taken care of he decided to stop off at this cafe he'd heard a lot of people talking about. His long dreads swung freely around and covered part of his black 'Ramones' hoody. He never tied his hair back as it felt constricting to him personally. His dark blue ratty jeans were baggy, but not hip hop annoyingly stupid baggy.

As he entered the cafe he heard a guitar riff.

"Interessante, mi piace!"*

He said smiling before walking up to the counter and sitting down. He was looking for something good and strong and began scanning over the menu on the board.

"Si, yes, I shall have a......chocolate peanut butter espresso. Sounds very good."

He said with a smile before putting a five down on the counter and leaning back. He knew how hard it was for some to make only tips so he usually tipped well. Then again he used to work for just tips when he first came to America.

*"Interesting, I like it!"

[Kali Caraway]

Kali's noon was generally spent fluttering around behind the counter, working hard to keep the line moving at the lunch break rush. As it happened, today wasn't exactly as busy as it usually was. In part, it was a good thing because she was the only one working at the counter, with the cook behind the scenes. She could probably afford to hire another person, that didn't attend Hammel, to help with the during-the-day rush, but she'd been doing the job by herself for almost eleven months, so she was pretty good at it now.

She couldn't help but smile when a very interesting man walked into her store, upon hearing the guitar riff, comment about it. She always liked it when people responded positively to her oddness, but seriously. That bell that normally sounded when the front door of a store opened was annoying as hell. She didn't know exactly what he said, but she knew enough about European languages (and body language) to get that he liked it. "Welcome to the Kafe. I'm Kali." This week, her hair was more crimson red than anything else--as last week she had an orange thing going on. She rubbed her hands together as the man looked over the menu and she smiled, again please with herself, when he ordered her newest creation, the chocolate peanut butter espresso. She'd thought about it on the drive over from her house, as she munched on a pb and j sammich she had made for breakfast To make this expresso involved a blender and hot melted chocolate. The expresso and coffee kept the chocolate hot enough so it didn't solidify again, unless of course the person drinking it took forever. "How many shots of espresso would you like?" The default was one shot, but she had had a few people ask for five shots before, so she generally asked.

She didn't notice he had placed a five down on the counter until she turned around with his created concoction in hand. She slid it towards him when she noticed the bill she went to ring it up and started to pull out the change. Yes, people did often tip, but this establishment wasn't exactly a restaurant so she didn't always expect it. "Three dollars is your change," she told him as she held out the single bills towards him with a smile on her face.

[JJ Reneir]

He smiled as the woman approached him. Very interesting hair style for starters. Then when she introduced herself he liked her even more. A business owner that wasn't all seriousness and boring like the actual owner of the club he worked at. He wouldn't be surprised if the owner had never been to a club before in his life. Odds are he just opened it because he knew it makes money, especially with all the younger people here thanks to the school. 16+ night was always nuts and usually resulted in a couple people being kicked out.

"Buongiorno Kali."*

He said with a smile and slight bow of the head. He would've kissed her hand as well but she worked with food so that would just cause more problems for her. And that definitely wasn't the way to flirt. Especially given the fact he was maybe twice her age.

"Three shots please, something....simple."

He was always huge on caffeine. But coffee and other coffee like beverages when made well, always interested him. And this was something completely different. He sat down with his drink and looked at her with a raised eyebrow when she offered him change.

"No, no. That is a tip for you mia bella donna."**

He said before taking a sip of the drink and nodding his head.

"Umm....awesome I believe is the word."

It was funny. He'd been in the country for 20 years but had retained his accent but had also not fully grasped the English language, primarily slang.

*"Hello..."

**".............my beautiful woman"

[Kali Caraway]

Kali gagged at the idea of a business owner taking themselves too seriously, it just wasn't a good way for anyone to live in her eyes. It was a huge waste of having fun, and Kali liked having fun. Her Kafe was her way of having fun, and having a career that benefited others as well as herself. The environment she had created here was a relaxed, happy place. Even if someone walked in for three minutes, she'd hope to give them something to remember and cheer them up through their day by visiting her place, just as much as she wanted her employees to actually like coming to work.

When he greeted her, she gave a little bow of her own. On most days she didn't mind shaking hands, or giving hugs (should she know the person well enough), she would just have to wash her hands afterwords. She was a big stickler about handling the food and making the drinks, as it was against health code and she definitely didn't want to get shut down because of a violation as preventable as that. On the busy days, she pulls on those cheap, see-through plastic gloves because she can't always take the time to clean off her hands.

"Three it is!" She confirmed before she mixed in the appropriated amount of shots. It might come as a huge surprise as someone who owns a mainly coffee oriented place, but Kali wasn't that partial to coffee. Every time she drank it, she could hear the enamel of her teeth scream in pain. Kali generally had a drink with a 5-hour mixed into it on hand should she get a little tired.

She smiled when he said the tip was for her (and something else, she was pretty sure bella was beautiful[/i]) and the slid the bills in question into the tip jar next to the counter (on the front of the jar, a little Yoda was taped to it with the words "Appreciated, tips are." Kali giggled every time she caught sight of it. It was the little things like that she liked throwing around her store. At one point, she had those Rock'em Sock'em Robots crazy glued into fighting stances in the boy's and girl's bathrooms. They'd fallen down though.

She smiled when he called her creation awesome. She always loved being complimented (and to hell with those that didn't like her stuff). "Thank you very much. We do often serve here in the key of awesome." She smiled a little, in spite of herself.

[JJ Reneir]

He watched as she put the tips into the jar and smiled a bit when he caught sight of the Yoda. He always liked seeing people who enjoyed having fun. Especially when they could have fun at their job. He didn't understand why people took business jobs in offices. Having to wear a suit and tie everyday, something very uncomfortable, and always look professional. That definitely wasn't for JJ. Sure most called him a slacker but he didn't care. He came to this country with barely anything and now has a decent sized apartment and a good job he's had for 20 years now. He knew he was up for a promotion and could leave the DJ booth behind...not like he wanted to.

He sipped his drink and looked around the place, taking in the sight of it and getting a feel for it. He noticed the stage and smirked a bit. He might have to come here when they had music. Naturally he loved music and if they had booze it was even better.

"Ah, where are my manners? I am Jiovanni but you may call me JJ."

He said with a smile before taking a sip of his coffee.

"So Kali, when does the....owner get to leave her place?"

He asked with a raised eyebrow. He got the feeling she spent most of her time here. He kind of felt bad and knew she needed a night to relax. But then he heard her joke and laughed slightly.

"That was very....how you say....cheesy?"

He asked with a slight laugh before taking a sip of his drink again. He liked jokes as much as the next guy but, in the key of awesome, was a pretty bad joke.

[Kali Caraway]

Kali, even when the health inspector showed up, went out of her way to have fun, whether that was playing lava-floor (the black colored tiles only) or talking to the costumers in an accent, Kali tried to laugh throughout the entire day. It was almost a goal for her to make sure she never once regrets putting all the work into making this shop.

She followed his gaze to the stage and she smiled a little. He looked like he enjoyed some music, she wasn't sure if the kind she had here would quench any death metal thirst (if that was his taste, though if she was going by appearances, that guy looked like Rob Zombie...). The bands she had here were strictly local, though she has had one or two traveling bands stop in for a set here and there. She's gaining notoriety each Friday night, and if they way things keep increasing, she might have to expand. How awesome would that be?!

"Nice to meetcha, JJ." She tipped her own drink, spritzed with a grape 5-hour, towards him before she took a drink. He seemed like an awesome person, and not just because he had dreds, she'd never met an Italian that she had a sour conversation with (her roommate in college had a like a whole clan that always came to party).

"Leave? What's that?" Kali nearly snorted. She wasn't as glued to the spot as she had been two months prior, thanks to the hiring on of some teenagers to take over on the afternoon and weekends, but Kali honestly didn't mind she only went home to shower, do laundry and sleep. She loved this place--but if her cook had anything to say about it, she needed a vacation before she worked herself to death.

"Yes, it was very cheesy, but that's what makes it great." Kali was proud she had thought of it. Her mind was usually jumbled from pantomiming something, but she had yet to use it today, so her thoughts were clear and she hadn't bumped into anything that wasn't there yet, which was always good.

[JJ Reneir]

(OOC: BAD JOKE! LOL)

"No no, the pleasure is all mine."

He said with a smile before tipping his drink towards her. He then took a sip and smiled. He had to admit he did like American women more. Well some he did. The ones who weren't overly obsessed with looking the way everyone thought they were supposed to. He could tell Kali marched to the beat of her own drum and he liked that. He still liked sheep, though, it was just the way he was. It caused a lot of confusion among his friends considering almost everyone considered themselves a friend of JJ.

"Tsk, tsk. My dear you must try and get some time off."

He said before taking a sip of his drink. His hair then began to move around in his pocket. One dread then came up holding a small stack of business cards. JJ grabbed one and the stack went back into his pocket. He then handed the card to her with a smile, having no intention of referencing what just happened.

"Here it is my card. You must come see me sometime when you get a chance."

The card read 'Jiovanni Joshua Reneir DJ/Manager for Xscape Night Club' and then had the address. He leaned against the bar and took another sip of his drink.

"After all, what was the line from that movie? All work and not enough play makes Jack a dulling boy?"

He asked with a smile, sure he had the line right.

[Kali Caraway]

(-gigglefit-)

His insistence made her grin and hide behind the cup in her hands. She had enough sense to know when flirting was afoot. On most days she was in a good enough mood to reciprocate it, should the flirting be tactful and respectful, and this was one of those days. She batted her eyelashes, a bit on the girly side before she placed her drink back on the counter with an audible 'aaah' after she swallowed her sip.

When it came to Kali's relationship preferences, she really only had two major ones (and like everyone else, varying stipulations that were related to the main two); she had to have fun with them, and they didn't try to order her around. She grinned when he said she needed time off. This topic came up a lot when talking to others, but she wasn't the one that minded her work hours, it was her coworkers that grumbled at her when she passed out on the couch next to the front window, or worked all day. Something about it 'being bad for your health.'

"I think I have a weekend off, in a month or two," she waved her hand vaguely as she spoke, but she actually had the weekend mornings and afternoons off so she could focus on her busiest bar nights where she gets the bands to come in. She noticed movement but the counter obstructed her view before she got too curious, until she saw a dread of his lift up and hand him something. She held still as her mind processed this. "Medusa!" She couldn't help but say, as she thought of the mythological woman with snake for hair--not that she was calling him a woman. She could easily register that he was a meta, and his power gave him the ability to use his hair like arms and fingers. Which was so bad ass.

She took the card from him, now with keen interest and looked it over. A DJ! Awesome. He looked like he knew how to work a crowd and Kali could already see herself fashioning an excuse to go clubbing, as she hadn't gone...well since she opened her store. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't gone on a date or threw a party since she opened for business. The sadness hit home with sudden realization and she then promised herself to actually start taking time off and trusting her employees.

She mirrored his movement as he leaned against the counter and she grinned when he quoted/misquoted the movie. As the cheesiness continued, she couldn't help but reply, "I am Jack's complete lack of a social life." It certainly wasn't from the same movie, but Fight Club was one of her favorites. She grinned though and nodded her head. "I'll take you up on that Mr. JJ. I'll see you at," she checked the card for accuracy, "Xscape." She smiled again.

[JJ Reneir]

"A month or two?"

He asked with a raised eyebrow. He'd have to work on that. He caught her flirting back and was glad to see it reciprocated. Usually he got the ditzy girls who simply giggled and acted, well slutty. Sure he didn't mind those now and then but they got very annoying after awhile. He took another sip of his drink and sighed a bit. When he heard her call him Medusa he busted up laughing, pounding his open hand on the bar.

"Ok, ora che era buono."*

He said with a smile before wiping a mock tear from his eye.

"Although sadly I do actually get that quite a bit."

He said smiling and nodding his head. He got a lot of hair nicknames. Although Locks was the most common one he got. Hence why he usually went by DJ Locks. Although now that he thought about it DJ Gorgon might be pretty sweet. He'd have to talk to the owner when he got a chance.

"Well it is good to see you are taking me up on my offer. However the question is, when will I get the pleasure of your company?"

He asked with a smile.

"Perhaps your cafe needs a DJ on my days off....."

He said with a smirk.

*"Ok now that was good."