Not the owner of KHR, all I am is someone who seems to think I am being productive (I'm not). Cover image was made using the Mega Anime Avatar by Rinmaru-games because I chose to hone my writing skills instead of my drawing skills
"Get me a caffè crema, lackey. Get me tiramisu while you're at it, lackey. What if I don't want to get you an caffè crema, René? Ever think of that?" Skull muttered under his breath as he weaved through the crowded cafe, hands stuffed into his pockets. "And then Fon has to ask for tea so politely, and he's really not that bad a guy, so naturally I have to get him his stupid tea as well. I'm not even getting paid for this nonsense."
The cafe the trio had stopped at was a relatively small place that the locals congregated at, but tourists often passed by. The floor was made of shiny, slightly worn, dark wood planks. The tables and chairs were made of a similar dark wood and were spaced evenly throughout the room. However, Skull still had to squeeze between occupied chairs on his way through the cafe. The walls were painted a light cream and were framed by wood that had been freshly painted a dark green. Windows were set in the walls high enough for someone to look out of them easily while sitting at the tables beneath them but didn't let in much light. Instead, the cafe was lit with old fashioned gas lamps attached to the wall and set on the tables.
Skull stopped at the end of the line. His left leg bounced as he stared up at the chalkboard menu sitting on the brick wall behind the counter. He breathed out through his mouth as he took a step forward.
"Hey there, gorgeous."
Skull rolled his eyes.
"Not interested."
Skull took another step forward. He glanced over his shoulder. A few tables away was a woman with her dark hair carefully pulled up into a bun and a stack of papers in front of her. She was pointedly not looking at the man leaning on her table with one hand and giving her a "charming" grin. As Skull watched, the man laughed and tucked his other hand under the woman's chin, forcing her to look at him.
"Sir, sir, are you going to order?"
Skull turned away from the man, who was now moving the woman's papers to the side and turning her chair towards him, to look at the barista. "Uh, yes, sorry. Could I get a caffè crema, tiramisu, and an oolong tea please?"
"For here or to go?"
"For here." Skull looked back the woman. She was holding her bag on her lap and was leaning back slightly away from the man. Her dark eyes darted around the cafe. The man, in contrast, was looking down on her with a wide leer on his face as he rolled one of her curls between his fingers. "Actually, could I also get a caffè crema to go?"
"Certainly, sir."
Skull looked away for a moment to pay the barista. He then leaned against the counter while he waited for the drinks. The woman stood up and began to gather her papers with a fake smile on her face. The man stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him.
"Here's your order, sir."
"Thank you." Skull picked up the to-go cup. "I'll be right back for those," he said, pointing to the more fragile drinks on the tray. The barista's eyebrows furrowed together as he walked away from the counter towards the "couple".
The woman pushed the man back and took a few steps away from him. Her purse was slung over her shoulder and her papers clutched tightly to her chest. Skull, not one to let opportunity slide, tripped over his own feet as he reached the man, spilling the hot coffee down the man's shirt. "I'm so sorry, sir. Here, let me help." Skull grabbed napkins from the woman's table, giving her a small smile and a wink. The woman returned the smile and quickly pushed by him.
"I don't need your help, foreigner," the man spat. He shoved Skull into the table as he stalked out of the cafe.
Skull grinned. He straightened and walked back to the counter to collect the remaining drinks. "Apologies for the mess," he said. He tilted his head towards the barista. The barista gave him a smile and a piece of paper fluttered onto the tray as she walked away. Skull shrugged, picked up the tray, and walked back to the table where René was staring at him in astonishment.
"You did not just spill my coffee." René's black eyes held a weight of their own as he stared Skull down.
"No, I spilled a spare. I'm not that dumb." Skull set René's coffee and tiramisu down in front of him and passed Fon his tea.
"Thank you for taking care of him." Fon blew on his tea. "I was still attempting to find a way to deal with him without having to deal with the body."
Skull smirked. "Not the first time I pulled that trick," he said, tucking the paper into his pocket. "Doubt it will be the last."
Not sure what time this would be set in. Personal headcanon is that the Arcobaleno were cursed in the late '60s, but the crema caffe didn't really show up to the '80s. As for the reason that it isn't expresso, straight up expresso comes in a cup that probably isn't much bigger than the one Reborn uses in the anime. However, his drink of choice here, does have a healthy dose of espresso
