De Lou Café

[Dan]

Despite living in a townhouse with four other roommates, the young male found it pleasant. Living in the city of New York City was risky, given the dwindling economy and trash that piled on the streets. Rent, however, was relatively “cheap” for what he saw in the newspaper in late august. One round trip on a greyhound bus from California was more cheap than he’d remember. Crossing the entirety of the states within a week or two was something he wouldn’t pass up to attend the uni who’d given him a scholarship.

“Yuri!” One of his roommates yelled from the living room.

Yuri, as his name is, was passed out on his desk. Textbooks sprawled out everywhere with a static television playing beside him. He spent a fortune on it, but it was worth it if he was going to become the next big director in Hollywood. Yet, even this passionate filmmaker needed sleep.

“Yuri!” His door was shoved open, “Tch. Should’ve known...this damn kid…” His male roommate crosses the distance to shake the sleeping student awake.

In his tired state, his eyes fluttered open to reveal blue-grey opals. He slowly lifted his head, groaning to fix the crick in his neck, mumbling incoherent words in Russian as he cracked several bones back into place.

“What is it… Jason?” He rubbed the tiredness out of his eyes, getting a better view of the towering giant looking back at him with a worried look.

“Bro, you’re late for work...like late, late.” Jason spoke.

Yuri’s eyes widened at the time. 7:30 AM. Work started an hour ago. He quickly smelled his shirt, his face screwed up in disgust. “Shit…” Letting out a sigh before fully getting up to wander over to his closet and pull out his uniform. “Well, better late than never.” He murmured as Jason left his room.

Despite reminding himself to invest in an alarm clock, he never did.

Yuri quickly changed, haphazardly fixed his bedhead, and shoved his feet into his worn sneakers. His paycheck mostly went to food and rent, never enough left over to buy anything new. Once he grabbed his jacket and keys, he was out the door. A farewell from Jason, who was the only other person in the entire building. His other roommates were already at Uni or working on this fine Saturday.

Out on the busy streets of Manhattan, the searing sun burned his eyes, forcing him to squint as he made a break for the bus that was just now loading passengers. Lucky for him, he made it in time to pay for the fare and find himself the first seat available. Unlike the bleary-eyed passengers, Yuri was now wide awake. Watching the scenery changed from buildings to cars, then toward the epicentre of tourism, toward where he’d need to walk a short way to his workplace; De Lou Café.

Shortly after arriving, he was near one of the first out the doors. Earning glares from tired passengers and stand-byers, making a run down the sidewalk. Yuri weaved his way in and out of the crowd, muttering apologies when he could to finally arrive through the backdoor of the 50s-style café. Barely clocking in before, his boss gave him a knowing look. Despite his late morning, this was actually Yuri’s first time being late to his shift. The older male softened his look at the young film student, then gestured him to go inside and start his shift.

Yuri gave a quick smile before entering the near-crowded place, not realising how busy it was today. Either way, he was ready to dive into the action.

---

@Bunnthulu ​

 

[Bunnthulu]

So much had changed in so little years. The bustle of the sidewalk crowds had gotten noisier. The clothing styles changed. The music. The entertainment. Vehicles on the streets. Dirt and soot from said vehicles and daily life had begun to accumulate in the air. And that was just the basics. The gray-eyed male standing on the corner, classifieds gripped tightly in his hand, looked around in quiet astonishment. New York City was a far cry from California, though he barely remembered that place. He remembered the heat and glamor, the rush of people moving to find fortune and riches taking on oh so many ventures.

In the other hand, one Donohvan was shoving his papers into the deep pocket of his coat. Forgeries, of course, he was there merely to observe these New Yorkers. To see firsthand how the passage of time had affected the country and affect it it had. He had been given new paper money, folded neatly in his pocket, to help him get established- clothing, lodging, food. But that was a one time payment. Donohvan would need to procure employment to earn wages to sustain himself through the remainder of his time in the city. Currently, he was supposed to be there for a year, and then he would move on, again, to give yet another report.

Tedious work, yes, but important. Valuable. Relevant. Unlike when he was a youth the mission filled him with a sense of pride now. He was doing something worthwhile for those just like him.

His handlers had decided on New York City to place him because of how far it was from his first assignment as a young boy. Clear across on the other coast where the the idea of him running into someone from before was ludicrous and thought to take nothing short of a miracle.

Messy brown locks fell across his vision that he pushed back with his fingers, looking down to the circled Help Wanted ad in the paper he held.

De Lou Café.

Sounded promising. He would be able to both attend something called university and work at the same time giving him two different opportunities to observe these outsiders. He himself was more than what he appeared to be, a secret he kept guarded close to his heart. No one could ever find out..would ever find out. Though...there had been that one boy in his youth that had gotten close...but Donohvan could no longer recall his name. Nor did it matter. He had a mission to fulfill.

Walking down the street, maneuvering through the throng of people he sidestepped and whistled until he came upon the cafe. At first glance it was...quiant. Certainly popular. Well lit. Clean. It conjured images of artisans and street performers. For him, anyway. He could hear a bell overhead as he pushed the door open and entered, immediately greeted by several voices engaged in overlapping conversations, the clinking of silverware on china and the bustle of a kitchen. Slipping his hat off and into his hand, he made his way to the front counter where the register was and politely chimed the hand bell sitting there, waiting to speak to someone about the job being offered.

 

[Dan]

Yuri quickly caught his bearings. It might’ve been the weekend, but everyone and their mother liked this cafe. One of few like it were left in the expanding metropolis of New York City. He was lucky to even land the job even though there was still an ad in the papers—it was like he was the only one to answer it. Or at least, was being the keyword here. Yuri moved about the floor—taking orders, rushing back out with ‘em—dancing around like it was a waltz.

He entered the backroom the same time another customer came in. The young student made his way to scoop up some cleaning supplies, children loved making messes and boy, did he hate them. Yuri wiped the sweat from his forehead, letting the water fill the yellow bucket. As he did his own thing, at the front of the cafe, Anna was taking orders from those there. Clearly a woman in her mid-twenties to early thirties, she poured coffee for one gentleman to the next. Snapping orders on the wheel for the cooks. Once she finished that, Anna turned around to tend to the newer customer who made himself at home.

She put on her million-dollar smile, one that made her cheeks hurt. Pulling out a menu to place it in front of him. Anyone who came to the counter, she always assumed, was a customer to begin with. “Hello there, sir. I’m Anna. I’ll be your server for today. What would you like to drink?” Her voice was quite chipper as she spoke, pulling out her pad and pencil.

Yuri made his way past the counter, briskly weaving his way through the tables with the cleaning supplies. Apparently, the family that sat there already left, not even leaving a tip. One rude customer to the next. Internally moping to himself whilst he cleaned the table up. Another server—Tiffany—joined his side, opting to mop up the spilled milkshake underneath the booth’s table. It was a tedious task yet apart of his job.

 

[Bunnthulu]

A head of hair and a side profile that gave him an almost clear view of blue-gray hues caught his attention. Donohvan's brow creased as an eyebrow perked, then his own gray hues narrowed. No...it couldn't be... he thought to himself. At first glance one of the waiters looked vaguely familiar that put an immediate pressure on the man's chest but then it quickly passed as the drow convinced himself that it wasn't possible. The odds of him seeing someone he had known years ago was astronomical..

Dismissing the waiter from sight he resumed to studying the cafe's atmosphere and what working here may be like. It took a near herculean effort to not curl his lip back peering around at the gathering of humans. Noisy. Some were messy. Many just downright rude. Leaving messes behind as if they thought too highly of themselves to dare pick up since the cafe wasn't their own personal abode. Maybe applying here would be a bad idea...

He shook his head. No. He needed a job that would put him as close to the otherside as possible to learn all that he could. The ins and outs. However, he had been waiting at the counter for several moments and was beginning to contemplate other options when a young woman stepped behind the counter and became all smiles and chipperness. Looking down at the menu placed before him for a moment he lightly shook his head and slid the menu back across the counter towards her.

Instead, he placed the newspaper in front of her and tapped at the Help Wanted ad with his forefinger. "Not a customer. Tell me, is the job position still open? I'm a student but I can still work most hours. Any kind of work that needs to be done, I'm your guy," he said, a confident smile on his lips and a voice to match as he held Anna in his gaze.

It only took a few more minutes for a very impromptu interview which left Donohvan with the impression he could've shown up disheveled and drunk and probably still been hired. Just first...a form to fill out for wage purposes and his school schedule. Anna directed him to a table in Yuri's area to sit so he could fill it out, and asked again if he wanted anything. This time...he relented, asking only for a coffee and an order of cut up fruit as he began the tedius task of remembering his cover story as he filled out the form, just that much closer to completing the next step of his assignment.

 

[Dan]

Tiffany spared a thrice glance under the table, running her damp hands between the seats of the red booth seats. Letting out another sigh, finding food caught between ‘em. On the other hand, Yuri wiped down the cleared table, resetting it to its default setting of having the spices settled on near the window and a card of desserts settled behind it. The male server ran a dry cloth over the damp table to make sure it was sleek enough to see his reflection staring back at him. Temporary thoughts of regret flitted through his mind before Tiffany set her bucket on the table to catch his attention.

“Return these. I’ll clean the rest up here.” She instructed him.

“Are you sure?” He asked, seeing her somewhat exhausted already. Tiffany wasn’t one to back down from challenges and rarely asked for help.

“Yeah. Now, go. We’re sure to have a rush soon.” Tiffany reminded him of the overcrowded cafe.

Yuri gave a curt nod and gathered up both the buckets in his hands. As soon as he turned, he nearly collided with another server. Yelping out an immediate apology, some of the water sloshed onto the ground. Some of it got into the secondary booth’s floor, where another customer had sat.

“Way to go bozo.” Tiffany muttered clear enough for him as she passed on by. With the dry cloth, he immediately went to work on drying up the floor as best he could. Not noticing the customer’s face in fear of said customer wanting to report him to the owner (and who was also the manager). Once he finished, he stood up and finally saw who it was in the booth. A wave of familiarity washed over him like cold water.

Those blue eyes he could never forget, even if he wanted to. Almost in a state of disbelief, he couldn’t muster a word before Anna returned with an order.

“Well? Get on with it!” She whispered to him.

Yuri stuttered out an apology before rushing away. Buckets making a sloshing sound, yet none of the water spilling out this time. Turning into the back room as he went to work on cleaning out the buckets once more.

‘That customer…’ Yuri’s mind briefly flashes those same eyes, ‘There’s no way...right?’ Continuing to rinse out the rags, he set them up on the wooden rack to dry out. It was only a few minutes before his name was being called out from the staff lounge. ‘Right...back to work.’

 

[Bunnthulu]

Donohvan had been off in his own little world as he filled out the form and waited on his small order. No wonder this place needed help, it was crowded. Customers came and went and by the looks of it, the joint was sorely in need of more servers. That gave him a good idea of what he would be doing. It took the sudden feeling of a wet pants leg and shoe to shake him out of his own mind and back to reality. Great...he had wet pants now.

His ears barely made out words being muttered between the servers near him but he thought one of them was vaguely familiar. A head perked up from the floor and the male stood and turned to look at him. Donohvan didn't hear the clumsy apology, he was too fixated on the blue-gray eyes that greeted him. A sweet face that still held familiar features even though years had changed it somewhat. Hearing Yuri's voice any and all anger over the accidental spill had dissipitated.

Before he could had said anything though, the frazzled server disappeared across the cafe carrying the two buckets of water and the young man turned in the booth seat to watch him go. A mixture of disbelief and panic settled into his bones. On one hand, he really couldn't believe that that boy of all people would've been here. A well of memories clawed at his mind demanding to be allowed to bubble to the surface after years of being forcibly forgotten. He felt panicked because...it seemed like Yuri recognized him. What if he demanded answers? Or was angry? Or made a scene? Would it even be possible for the two of them to work together if his suspicions were true?

His heart thundered in his ears making his head spin.

He had to know. And what better way to find out than to get hands on? Quickly he finished filling out his form and unbuttoned his blazer to take it off, leaving him in the white button up shirt and slacks. No classes today, so...

Donohvan had to wait another round of five minutes before he was able to get an audience with the manager and it took very little convincing on his part to start right then. Taking orders and running them, clean up...simple enough. Didn't take a rocket scientist. He could always just never show up again if things went badly for this one day.

The manager tossed an apron to Donohvan and he tied it around his neck and waist so his clothes were protected. No taking orders but he could run them, and he could clean. While giving him a rundown, the manager led Donohvan to the staff lounge, adding to the calls for Yuri.

"Yuri! Come along...got you a helper for today, show him the ropes, would ya?"

 

[Dan]

Yuri emerged from the back, wiping his hands down on his apron, leaving damp marks. He looked up to see his manager and- a brief flash of recognition shot down his spine. Almost in disbelief that this new guy looked like the same boy he used to play with as a child. There’s no way, right? Gulping, Yuri looked from the male to his boss.

“Show the new kid the ropes. He won’t be doing any making today, just the basics, alright?” The older male didn’t even wait for his response before moving past them and back to his office. The door could be heard shutting behind them.

Yuri’s gaze had followed his boss before he turned back around to face the new employee. He wasn’t aware they were hiring anyone new. Well, he’s the boss, and he’s just a student trying to get buy for the year. Unsure what to do for a moment, he put on a warm yet small smile.

“I’m Yuri.” He reintroduced himself, letting his hand out in front of him. Hoping he’d make the same move to shake his hand. He didn’t want this kid’s first day to be hazing like he was on the first day of the job. “I wasn’t aware we were hiring still, but… anyway… What's your name?” He inquired. The strange familiarity this guy resembled. If he was who he thought Yuri was, then this is just a major coincidence, right? It had been so long since he last saw him.

 

[Bunnthulu]

Donohvan's brows shot up in brief mutual recognition. The similarities were uncanny but the stranger still refused to believe that a face from the past and so far away could really be right there. It took him a moment to get over the shock and stuff those memories and misgivings away. He looked to the manager as they he went back to his office and just took a minute to himself. His tasking for the day sounded pretty simple. This would be a cake walk. Provided that the one showing him around wasn't as clumsy as he had displayed out in the dining room.

Yuri...he had to breath in quietly. This guy had the same name. Same name, same face. What were the odds that there would be two guys in this world wth the same look and the same name? As far as he knew, his childhood friend didn't have a twin. Unless Yuri made any mention he wasn't going to bring it up. Chances were, he wouldn't even remember him.

He put a smile on his face and reached to shake the offered hand firm and politely. "I'm Donohvan. I'll try not to get in the way too much."

 

[Dan]

Yuri's heart briefly stopped when the male introduced himself as the same name regarding his childhood friend. 'This guy... there's no way...' He pulled his hand from his. His smile grew wider, "Since it's your first day, think we'll just be having you do runs." He motioned for him to follow him into the back. Entering into the kitchen, there was a small hall where a coat rack alongside the wall was filled with coats, jackets, and other personal effects like purses belonging to the female employees. Yuri mentioned getting individuals lockers that the Owner dismissed the thought of when he had voiced it out to him.

"Here, you can put your things. If you're lucky enough to have a car, you can just leave them out there. If anything turns up missing just mention it to the manager though I doubt he'd do anything about it anyway." Yuri informs Donohvan, giving a small chuckle before continuing further into the kitchen area.

"As you can see-" Yuri stops to move to the side, letting one of the waiters rush out of the side door, "This is where you'd get the trays and food, remember the order and table- if you can't, there's the wheel." He points to the metal wheel that hangs just between the front bar and where the cooks are. "The orders usually have it written down there with the table. You'll remember the layout of the place once you start taking orders." He continues.

"If there's messes, you can get the supplies back behind us to the door on the end hall, right-hand side. We have a sink in there to fill up the mop buckets. Don't expect any clean rags, we rarely have those when the Owner bothers to buy anymore. Otherwise, you're stuck with whatever's drying on the rack in there." He gives a smile before turning back to him. "I think this is where you can start. You won't be to shadow me for the rest of the shift, but you'll get the hang of it. I have to do the orders, you can do runs for the others. We're kinda short-staffed today so... make sure to take a break now and then. Can't run this cafe with ragged staff, now can we?" He rhetorically asks before rubbing his neck.

"Yuri!" Tiffany exclaims, startling the young man. "If you're done showing the newbie the ropes, we have customers." She says in an earnest hurry, clipping orders to the wheel. "You, newbie. You come here and help run these orders out to the others. The trays are marked with the table numbers, so shouldn't be too hard for your pea brain." She points to the trays filled with food. "Hurry!"

Yuri gives Donohvan an apologetic look before he grabs his own pad and pen. He gives a 'Good Luck!' thumbsup to him before heading out the side door.