#inscribed 'mixture' and two mundies in that order

[mythandlaur]

Epithet Erased Week - Day 6

I admit, I don't really have OCs for this beyond side characters in various RPs and future stories (which is what these three are). I'd love to actually play in or run an EE campaign once the new rulebook comes out though.

--

Sometimes, Peyton gets unlucky. Sometimes, a customer shows up with the gall to wear a Banzai uniform in public, and sometimes, they have to deal with very long and arduous conversations with the uniform's wearer.

But, of course, they'd rather they have said conversations than any of their coworkers. So when they catch sight of the girl with the sailor collar marking her as a Senpai out on the street, they quickly tug the barista at the counter out of the way by her apron strings and situate themself at her spot.

The girl marches through the door with all the unearned self-confidence typical for a relatively high-ranking Banzai, and Peyton glances away to roll zer eyes. Ze turns back just as she reaches the counter, and offers a standard customer service smile.

"Hey, welcome to the Lovely Latte Lounge, what can I get you."

The girl's smug smile abruptly twists into a scowl, and she squints at them as if they're some sort of alien.

"Excuse me. Do you know who I am?"

"...A customer," Peyton replies, flat enough to be sarcastic but pleasant enough to give zer plausible deniability. "Would you like to try any of our new--"

The senpai slams her hands on the counter loud enough to make several heads turn and several struggling writers and college students in seats nearby grumble before going back to their laptops and triple espressos.

"Don't play stupid with me," she snaps, tugging pointedly at the string tie around her neck. Now that she's closer, Peyton can see her collar is slightly bedazzled and she's wearing too much eye shadow for the weather. It doesn't really add to the uniform at all.

"...Lilly...?"

The voice is masculine and absolutely pleading. Peyton raises an eyebrow, glancing around the senpai to see a meek-looking boy in a green sweater with a camo shoulder bag half-hiding behind her. He catches zer eye with a silent apology. "Can we please just...order and go?"

The senpai--Lilly, apparently--turns to him and scoffs. "No one respects me." She sets her cold blue gaze back on Peyton, and Peyton braces zemself for whatever nonsense order is about to come out of her mouth. Sure enough... "I want a chai tea latte, medium but in a large cup, extra milk foam, two scoops matcha powder, three pumps vanilla, and whipped cream."

"...Uh-huh." Not for the first time, Peyton wonders if their customers still have functioning taste buds. "And you?"

She nods at the boy, who looks like he wishes he'd clip underneath the floor. "Uh. Just an everything bagel. That's it."

"Okay...12.50 for you both."

"WHAT?"

Another round of grumbles from the current patrons. Even Peyton can't suppress a wince. Ze knows what's coming next and speaks up first. "You are going to have to pay for this like everyone else."

"So you DO know who I am!"

"Yes, and you do know this is a small coffee shop with absolutely nothing worth stealing, including the coffee?"

"Hmph." Lilly spins on a heel, making her caramel curls bounce. "Fine. I'll be outside. Waiting."

She proceeds to strut right back out the door, seemingly unbothered by the dirty looks she's getting. Peyton sighs through her nose and looks to her companion. He's got a sad, mousy kind of face. Not quite Australian, but could probably pass for one.

"...Can I get a name for the order?"

The boy lets out his own sigh, thankfully just as loud and annoyed as Peyton wishes ze could afford to be. "Uh...Tad."

"Got it." Peyton finishes the order on their register and prints it off, handing it back to the barista ze'd pushed away from the counter (who's wearing an expression like she'd just barely missed being hit by a truck). Tad doesn't move away from the counter, and neither does Peyton, looking him over.

"So, is she your..."

"Sister."

"Thank god. I was gonna have some words otherwise."

He laughs, genuine but strained, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah...no, I can't just leave. Sorry about her."

"Honestly, I've dealt with worse."

"She's--not actually that bad, the Banzai stuff just went to her head, y'know, and..."

Peyton shrugs. "As it does for all of them, in my experience."

"Well...kind of, yeah."

It sounds like the guy's pretty used to having to say this spiel, and ze feels bad. Ze glances off to the side for a moment, pressing zer lips together in consideration.

"...Hey, kid." Ignoring the fact that Tad has to at least be zer age, if not older. "You got a favorite drink? Coffee?"

"I'm more of a hot chocolate guy."

"Give me one minute."

Peyton ducks back to the machines, quickly starting on a bog-standard hot chocolate, the kind of thing you'd get if you just ordered "a hot chocolate". Before adding the whipped cream, however, Peyton returns to the counter, setting the cup down and pulling a black plastic coffee stirrer from a cup near the register. Tad's brows furrow, and he leans over to watch as Peyton squints down at the hot chocolate, twirling the stirrer between zer fingers.

For half a second, zer eyes and the coffee stirrer flicker lavender. Ze rapidly stirs the hot chocolate, leaving a line of deep purple in it that quickly fades back to the hot chocolate's natural color. Satisfied, they toss the stirrer and gesture at the cup.

"You want whipped cream?"

"...Yeah. What--what was that?"

Peyton grins, clearly pleased with themself. "If your sister had let me finish, I would've mentioned the stamina-boosting drinks we just put on the menu. They're on the website, haven't gotten around to updating the board yet. You look like you could use one."

"Oh?" Tad brightens significantly. "So that's an epithet thing?"

"Yeppers. You want me to drink it first? Promise it won't turn you into a spider or anything."

"No, no, I believe you. And no whipped cream, just--"

Tad reaches into his bag and pulls out a wallet. Peyton quickly raises a hand. "Pay for your sister's stuff. This is on the house."

"Seriously?"

"Like I said, you look like you could use it."

"You're a lifesaver."

"Least I can do," Peyton replies, capping the drink while the other barista returns with the tea and bagel. Tad digs around in his wallet and pulls out a few bills.

As he returns the wallet to his bag, something shiny on it catches the light. Peyton assumes zer interest must be obvious, because he smiles and holds up the bag to zer. It has a lot of pins of logos ze doesn't recognize, along with--

"Soccer?" Ze points at the slightly iridescent ball pin.

Tad nods. "I've got tryouts for the local team next week."

"Hey, good luck, kid. Don't bring her."

Tad laughs for a couple seconds, before his face turns grim and voice turns solemn as the grave. "No one. In my family. Is coming. Period."

"Good."

Tad throws his bag back over his shoulder, thanking zer profusely and taking the drinks and bagel. Peyton watches as he heads out the door and meets his sister on the sidewalk. Ze can't hear their conversation through the doors, but they have to assume it's very loud.

"...Dude."

Peyton turns to find the barista from earlier staring at them. "Yeah?"

"You can't just keep doing that. The manager's gonna--"

"Fire me?"

The barista opens her mouth, then shuts it again. Peyton shakes their head. "Look, I do my job well enough, I have a relevant epithet. I'm helping where I can."

"I'm just saying you should be worrying about things besides giving people free coffee."

"I could say the same to you." Peyton brushes past her easily, leaving the counter open for her to return to her post. Ze smiles, a little bitterly, once ze's sure she can't see zer face.

"At least free coffee I can do something about."