From children to the old granny's everyone is welcome in this teashop. Passed down through generations it is now Riku's turn to take ownership of this shop.

Rules:
1. No godmodding
2. Follow Menewshan ToS
3. Have fun
4. This is a realistic fiction story, NO fantasy elements whatsoever
5. Don't go off on a random tangent, this entire roleplay will take place in the teashop or the apartments next to the teashop. The teashop is its own independent building.
6. If you want your character to work in the teashop, PM me about that. Otherwise, if your character is just a regular customer/new customer, just go ahead and post ^^

besides that, start posting~
~~~~~~~

Riku woke up to the sounds of his alarm blaring in his ear. He sat up after accidentally knocking his alarm to the floor and groaned, running a hand through his hair sleepily. finally, he cracked his silver-white eyes open, blinking quickly to adjust to the sudden brightness caused by sunlight streaming into his room through the curtains. It took a few moments before he worked up enough energy to slide out of his bed and pad his way into his adjoining bathroom.

After finishing his morning routine, Riku changed into a black button up shirt, brushing his slightly-longer-than-shoulder-length blue hair back and out of his eyes, and a pair of white slightly skinny jeans on. With that finished, he filled in the five piercings on his left ear and the three piercings on his right ear. The single black lip piercing was already in and he yawned as he pulled on a pair of black buckled boots.

Finally done with getting dressed, Riku left his bedroom and slid down the banister, hopping off at the landing and unlocking the door at the end. He stepped out into the main room of the teashop he owned and closed and locked the door behind him. Looking around he smiled softly to himself. After setting everything up he moved to the front doors and flipped the sign around to say 'open'. He smiled to himself before retreating to sitting behind the front desk, flipping through the music he had on the computer set up there. It was the only piece of modern technology (besides his cellphone) on that floor. Now, he just had to wait for customers.

Camilla sighed as she literally rolled out of bed that dreaded morning. She would have to find a job eventually. Why not now? She figured that if she got a head start on making money, paying for living expenses would come easier for her. She walked to her bathroom and took a shower to wake her up from her daze. Mornings weren't her thing. She padded to her room again and rifled through her drawers for something professional-looking instead of her usual vintage attire. She threw on the most decent thing she could find. It was a pair of black jeans with no rips in them, a simple white t-shirt, and a black blazer with pink lining. She took a glance in the mirror and then realized that she had nothing but sneakers in the front of her closet. She sighed and dug through to the back where she found a pair of pink flats that matched the lining of the blazer. She applied her standard makeup-mascara with dark eyeliner-and walked out the door with her mustard colored bag.

Camilla approached the teashop next to her building and carefully opened the door leaving the autumn air behind. She let the door close behind her and looked around. She saw a guy behind the counter and squinted. He didn't really look like he belonged there working in a teashop. To Camilla, he looked like he belonged in some type of band. She just shook it off and thought of the possibility that he could become her employer. And no one wants to piss off the boss.

After working up the nerve to move further in than the front door; step by step she approached the counter. Unlike most people there, she was looking for a job, not a cup of tea. She placed both hands on the counter and said, "Hi...I was looking for a job and...well...I was wondering if you're hiring."

Riku looked up from where he had begun flipping through a music magazine, his own music playing softly from the speakers in his computer. The auburn haired girl in front of him looked a bit nervous as she asked if he was hiring. Riku let his magazine flip shut and to drop onto the table as he leaned forward to inspect her attire. A guitar riff burst from his speakers and made Riku wince slightly as the loud music rent the silence apart. He smiled quickly at the girl before turning to pause his music.

"Well, technically I'm not hiring. But tell me, have you ever worked in a teashop before?"

After hearing her response he leaned back in his seat. A moment later he hopped out of his seat and stepped around the counter, looking down at her. Not that he was being mean or anything, he was just taller than her. He tapped his chin thoughtfully before cracking another grin.

"Well, my name's Riku. Might I know yours?"

Camilla didn't exactly know how to respond to this guy's question. She didn't really have any experience in working in a teashop, but she didn't want to say that straight up. She wanted the best chance she could get at this job. She bit her lip nervously and thought about it for another second. "Uh...well I've never really worked at a teashop specifically. I've been a waitress before so I'm good with people...and...I learn fairly quickly." She responded.

Camilla made an attempt to not make eye contact with the guy because frankly, she was a little weirded out. She looked around at the signs and the people sitting, drinking their tea. She kind of wondered why she went to the teashop to look for a job. After all, there was a restaurant a few blocks down she could have tried. Then she thought about the convience on cold snowy days in winter. She would just have to leave her building, bear the cold for a few seconds and then be saved in her workplace.

Her train of tought was interrupted when the guy behind the counter announced his name to be Riku. It wasn't a name familiar to her ears like Daniel or James. "My name is Camilla." She smiled at him trying to be friendly. She didn;t know what else to say so she just waited for his response.

"Camilla...that's a pretty name."

Riku murmured before turning and motioning for the girl to follow him. He entered the backroom and started pointing at random things on the shelves.

"Over there is where I keep the towels and cloths to wipe the tables and things. Over there is where we keep the generic tea brewing items. Over there are the generic tea flavors and over there are the house specialties. I do all the brewing myself so you'll just be helping out in the main body of the shop."

Ruki led the way back out of the back room and into the front area again. He appraised her outfit before reaching behind the counter and pulling out a pad of paper and a pencil. Then he also pulled out an armband emblazoned with the teashop's name.

"You needn't dress so formal next time. Just so you know. This teashop is a place for someone to come to just unwind. The only uniform here that you would need everyday is this armband." He grinned again before settling back into his seat. "There are a few tables in the back that need some wiping down, after that you'll just have to wait for a customer or something." He picked his magazine back up and flipped it open. A moment later he lifted his head again to say, "And before I forget, welcome to the TeaShop."

Camilla eyed Riku strangely as he led her through the shop. She comprehended everything just fine. She was just taken aback by the calmness of the place. There was no uniform? So she could show up in whatever clothes she wanted? At the place she waitressed at before, there was a dress code and uniform shirt. She was not used to being casual at work. Se liked that idea though. It was something she wouldn't have trouble getting used to. Dressing formally sometimes annoyed her. The lack of expression in uniforms wasn't her style.

She nodded. "So I just wipe down the tables...and see how it goes from there?"

Riku chuckled, eyes still scanning the words in his magazine, "Mhm, that's about it. I'm the sole owner of the place and I've never seen much use in putting up strict rules. This is the way my father ran the place, and my grandmother before him, and so on and so forth." He looked up then, his eyes twinkling. "My family had always been big on self expression, so even for the paid hand there hasn't been much rules. Except for the one 'don't steal from us' thing. Haven't had much issue with that though, everyone that's worked here has left with a happy expression."

Camilla raised an eyebrow at this leniency. She was raised under a certain set of rules-which she didn't follow, but she was still surprised. She wondered how old Riku was considering the fact that he seemed like he actually knew want he was talking about-and that he owned the place. It was a pretty big responsibility. "So...no rules...no uniform...how do you maintain order around here? You're just...in command in a...laid back way?" Camilla wondered. Then she asked the first question that came to her head after that. "Uh, how old are you?"

"Nope, no rules or uniformity. As to how I maintain order..." Riku propped his head up on a hand as his expression turned thoughtful. He'd never really thought about it. There had never been any issues with the workers or his customers, they'd all been pleasant people to say the least. If any problems did arise, he was quick to take care of it. And he was pretty efficient at it too. "I really don't know. I guess the laid-back air around this place makes it seem like a place that you'd feel less likely to want to cause a scene in." Her next question caught him by surprise and he laughed outright, catching a few customers' attention. He waved at them and they smiled good-naturedly before returning to their own conversations. "Erm...twenty-one last I checked. Why?"

Camilla nodded at Riku's response. She was relatively impressed. The teashop was a pretty mellow place. She figured that she would probably like working there after all. "Yeah, less likely-not completely unlikely. has anyone ever caused a scene in here before?"

The answer to her other question surprised her. She thought that he would be one of those people that looked younger than they were. It turns out that he was as young as he looks. She figured that she shouldn't have been so surprised, being only seventeen herself. She was surprised that it wasn't really a factor so far in hiring her. She shrugged at his reply. "Just wondering. You seem a little young to deal with all of this. That's all."

"Once or twice, but it wasn't anything that I couldn't take care of." Riku shrugged nonchalantly. "Like i said, me and my family, we've never really given anyone reason to want to cause a scene in this teashop."

Teruki could see that his age had surprised her and that caused him to chuckle lightly. "Yea, I suppose it is quite young. But...my parents were only around long enough for me to finish highschool, and this place has been in my family so long...doesn't seem right to let anyone else run it, you know?"

The shop bells chimed once more, bringing in yet another face into the rustic setting. Alden did love the quaint setting. Such a change from the horrid Starbucks around every bloody corner. He laughed silently. He supposed that was why he started coming here (that and the shop owner was cute, to an extent). He paused in front of the counter, gazing upon the vast selection of tea...Earl Grey, then...waiting...he sighed. "Umm, excuse me...?" he timidly called, his smile soft...

Camilla nodded as to seeing that Riku actually finished high school. Most of the people that she know didn't make it that far. Though she was finishing up her last year. That seemed to be the biggest problem: balancing school and work. She knew that she needed only passing grades to make it by. It was still a lot of pressure being emancipated and all. Her grandmother's will that funded her apartment would only last so long before she was completely on her own. "There's no age requirement to work here, right?" She asked just to make sure that it wasn't illegal or anything. The last thing she needed was a run in with the law.

Camilla noticed someone's presence by his greeting. She looked at the guy then back at Riku. "Well...I guess I should get started then. I don't want to be taking up too much of your time."

"Age limit...well, just so I don't in trouble, you are at least over sixteen yea? It shouldn't be much of a problem..." Riku's eyes darted to the door as the bell rang and he watched Alden, a regular at his shop, walk in. "Alright, you know what to do." Riku said, smiling at Camilla one last time before turning his attention to Alden.

"Hey there Alden~" Riku said, leaning against the countertop, folding his arms across it. "What can I get you today?"

"Hmm~, I'm surprised you remember my name, Riku-san," Alden chimed, his smile soft as he glanced at the menu once more, confirming his want. "Earl Grey will do for today~" He chuckled at the rhyme, reaching into his wallet for the correct amount of payment...and sighed tiredly. An artist, sometimes, didn't exactly have that great days.
This, unfortunately, was one of those weeks. "Will credit do?..." he asked timidly, his low hanging glasses making him look more foolish (at least to him. He'd be surprised by how many people would say he looked cute with them (but cute and foolish were close in that matter)).

Camilla headed into the back and got one of the towels to wipe down the tables. She thought that she was missing something...maybe forgetting something. She went to the empty tables and flopped the towel down and wiped in circular motions. She paused, remembering one very important question that she forgot to ask. Since in a week, she would have to go back to school, she had to make sure that it was okay if she only worked certain hours to not interfere with classes.

She finished wiping all the tables before approaching Riku again. "Uh, Riku? What hours am I set to work for?"

"Surprised? Really Alden-kun? I'm hurt, of course I'd remember the name of my best customer." Riku turned to write down the order on a piece of paper before turning back to the artist. He cracked another grin at the cute image in front of him and shook his head. "Just keep coming by and you can forget about the pay. Need you even ask anymore?" Riku turned around and picked up a simmering teapot after reaching over a low divider. Then he turned and set that on the counter before snagging a traditional teacup from a shelf under the counter and setting that down as well. He filled it up with the tea before sliding it across to Alden. "Why don't you pull a chair up or something? I get bored just sitting here by myself."

Camilla's voice made Riku turn in his seat and he tilted his head in thought, tongue playing slightly with his lip piercing as he ran a hand through his hair. "Hours...hours...whenever you can come in I suppose. Just make sure to tell me when you get here and when you leave."

"But of course I'm teasing you," Alden replied, smiling at his own friendly remark. Then he looked up, surprised by the notion...he smirked, shaking his head. "You treat me too well, ne?" he stated, pulling up a chair to his friends table. He grinned, his hands clasping together before chiming "Itadakimasu~", his spoon dipping into the sugar and letting the small amount fall into the simmering drink...he let it sit there, softly sighing as he stared into it...

Camilla nodded at Riku's answer. "Thanks." She said, returning to her work. She headed back to the tables, quickly spotting out which ones needed cleaning. She didn't exactly knew how it worked considering how it looked like Riku would take everyone's orders and make them. She didn't see much of what she could do. In result of that, she continued to wipe down the tables until there was no trace of use on them. She made sure that all the tea residue was off and everything was set up for the next customers to arrive.

Riku shook his head, hopping out of his seat and stretching his arms above his head. He raised a finger before disappearing into the back room. Once there, he made his way over to the fridge and opened it, appraising the assortment of tidbits he had in there.

When he reemerged into the front room, he carried a plate of sweets and small cakes in front of him. As he passed them, he greeted his other customers. When he finally made it back to his seat, he placed the platter in front of his friend and sat back down with a sigh. "Now you can officially say i spoil you~" He said, a hidden undertone of laughter in his voice. "Tell me what you think of these, neh? It's a new recipe, so this is my first attempt at making them."

Camilla paced around for a while then stopped to think of something to do. She didn't know many people in the neighborhood so it's not like she could call someone to meet her at the shop. She also didn't want to try to talk to Riku. He seemed busy with his friend and she didn't want to annoy him. She leaned on a table that she just finished cleaning. She glanced around looking for something to do, but she had already finished cleaning all the tables. She sighed and walked to the place where she got the towels kind of wondering where to put the dirty ones. She didn't see a sink or...washing machine or anything close by. So she just stood there, thinking of what she should do.

...Alden couldn't help bug smirk. "Truly you do, dear." He laughed, gingerly picking up one of the sweets with the ends of his two fingers, plopping one into his mouth...and practically dies. "...are you sure this is your first attempt? Because it appears your subconscious mind created these many times before..." His eyes spoke the truth, showing that yje delicacy was beyond the simple measurement of oishii. He soon took another bite, smiling to Riku. "So tell me, how might be life?"

Since Camilla was so close to Riku and his friend, she couldn't help but overhear their conversation. It wasn't that she cared, but it would be easier to figure out when they were done so she could ask Riku what else she needed to do without interrupting his conversation. It didn't seem like a lot of work to work at the teashop. She was just curious.

Riku laughed again. "Now you're just flattering me." he said, a grin on his lips. He reached out and took a sweet himself, taking a small bite of it and practically melting in his seat as it melted in his mouth. Right...new undiscovered talent. He grinned sheepishly. "well, if my dear teashop ever goes into a financial rut, I now know i can sell sweets." Riku joked. He listened to the rest of Alden's questions as he finished off the sweet in his hand. "Life's normal. Nothing exciting or new, I'm just taking it as it goes along." From the corner of his eye he noticed Camilla standing around, looking a little awkward. He chuckled before motioning for her to come over when she looked over. "Actually Alden-kun, there's someone i want you to meet." He motioned to Camilla, "Alden-kun, this is my new helper, Camilla." Then he motioned to Alden, "Camilla, this is one of my regular customers, Alden."

Camilla glanced over at Riku from the corner of her eye and saw him motion for her to come over. She slowly inched forward awkwardly. That didn't help her already awkward personality. But she did as she was instructed and walked over. She smiled as Riku introduced her to Alden and vice-versa. She did a small wave and said. "Hi." She figured that the shop was doing well business wise for there to be a regular customer good enough to just sit down with the owner and hang out there.