Hello one and all! Welcome to my newest experiment. This is influenced by many things, such as Coffee Talk, Night Call, Service with a Smile(the RWBY fanfic by Coeur Al'Aran), Persona 5, my personal enjoyment for coffee, coffee shops and the ambience they oftentimes foster. And many many more things that I can't quite list-off the top of my head. This'll be rather laidback for the most part, and I hope a smooth read overall. Of course, there will be conflict and drama(oh the sweet sweet DRAMA) but I'm aiming for a relaxed and mellow, slice of life-esque read with an entirely first-person POV.

Well... guess there's no point in dillydallying, is there? Here goes~!

/--/

I pushed trough a heavy-set pair of swivel doors. Their hinges old, worn and squeaking with every move but sturdy nonetheless. I then found myself in a cold, dark but strangely nostalgic and very familiar room.

The rhythmic noise of said doors behind me, not altogether unpleasant as it helped fall into an all too familiar pace with practiced ease. Flipped light switches on. Set chairs in place. Arranged tables, the works. All of this is routine for me, has been for the last 10-odd years now as a daily endeavor. And yet, not once have I felt myself tired or burnt-out by it.

Even still, today is of special importance... I tore my eyes away from the small calendar hung against the wall that marked today's date as June the 3rd and continued with my routine.

'Perhaps that's the reason for the extra spring in my step today...' I mused to myself as I started up the large and loud machines all proudly arranged across the back wall.I then turned around reached for the landline set upon the counter next to the till. Dialed an all too familiar number but was greeted by an all too unfamiliar voice I couldn't quite place.

A high, squeaky and distinctively girly voice reached my ears.

"Hello? Who is this!?" The voice commanded with childish imperiousness. My mind was still not fully awake so I dumbly asked. "Sorry... is this Kenny's? I think I dialed wrong". In the moment I took to consider if I should redial i heard a new voice spill over the phone. "Carla!? Is someone on the phone! I've told you many times! Don't answer that phone." This voice, unlike the first one was gruff, loud, deep and heavy, also unlike the first one, this one was distinctivelymanly and I one I instantly recognized. A smirk unconsciously creeped across my lips as I heard the commotion over the phone andwaited.

"...brat." I heard the man mutter under his breath as he wrestled away the phone from a giggling girl.

"Heya, Kenny! How're the girls?" Damn, I really must be quite distracted if I forgot all about Kenny's girls there for a moment. I was ripped away from my thoughts a moment later by a grumbling voice."Yah heard for yah' self! Same pain n' the ass they've always been!". The man tried, he really tried his best to sound annoyed at them but even trough just the grainy phone I could practically hear the man grinning from ear to ear as he said that... his girls were everything to him after all, I doubt he could ever genuinely be mad at them.

"I can tell. Just wanted to ring you an order for today." Quick scribbling on paper could be heard over the phone.

"Mmh hmm... anythin' else? Or can i get tah work now?". After a moment's thought I added. "Actually... make that twice my regular for today." A surprised hum could be heard from the man. "Expectin' something big?"

"Here's hopping..." I hoped the unsureness couldn't be heard over the phone. "humph, well... dunno who in their right mind would visit yer dump, but hey! More money for me!" Kenny laughed himself hoarse I couldn't help but share in some of his mirth. "Yeah yeah... I'll got pick it up same time as always, see you later Ken." The man on the other end could already be heard barking orders around and arranging countless other things all at once, followed quickly by a loud click and I was greeted with the dial tone.

All I could think was. "That son of a bitch hung up on me..."

/-/

"Thank you so much! Please come again soon." I smiled and waved as the last customers of the day left, an elderly couple on vacation and apparently visiting a daughter of theirs over summer.

"Well, no rest for the wicked now, better get to it." I muttered to myself as I busied myself with picking up and wiping clean their table and arranging everything back to the spotless state it was in earlier today in the morning. Now, even from inside my tucked away little shop, surrounded by impossibly tall buildings and skyscrapers all around, through the windows facing the street I could just about see the orange streaks of golden sunlight stretched all across the sky and bathing the outside in a gorgeous twilight. And just about right when I was going to lose myself in the calming visage and daydream, the serene nature of the scenes was broken by some kid with a comically huge bag slung over his shoulder, trudging through the streets. He stopped for a moment, read the address for my shop, double checked and only then did he reach in his bag, rummage for a moment and then slid a rolled up piece of paper under the front door. I chuckled at the scene, searched for a piece of chalk and then made my way towards the door and the thick, bundled up piece of parchment beneath it, and set in on a table.

I breathed in the crisp afternoon air of summer as I stepped outside my store for just a moment.

The side-walk was deserted now, completely empty but for a small black board propped up right I front of my shop, on it was a scribbled-on cup of steaming coffee and a quick list of my most popular items and some recommendations. After a moment's though I wiped all that away and set to writing again. After just a moment stepped away, the mug remained. But below it now read "Any and all welcome inside!" And a bold arrow just below it pointing towards my shop, it was just a few paces away... but considering who or what might be reading that soon. Well, you could never be too sure for now, better play it safe.

"Well... that should do it..." I muttered, I don't usually speak to myself. "And here I am still doing it" I muttered again. Argh! Must be nerves.

Just before I walked back inside I fished for something in my pocket for just a moment. A small, dark stick came out my pocket, grasped in my hand. The stick as it turned out, was a small control for a new light system I had installed just the day before just for this occasion. I clicked it and above my head, the sign for my shop lit up.

The words "RHEA'S" shined proudly and brightly in a dazzling and eye-catching manner. The display was so bright, it managed to light up the rest of the store-front, I was met with a small but cozy looking coffee shop. A tiny thing compared to the large and tall buildings that surrounded it, but despite it all it had stood the rest of time. This tiny shop and the simple apartment just above it that acted as the building's second and last floor, were home to me. I could feel my chest swell with pride as I looked upon my own little slice of this city, something I could call my own. Well... hopefully that'll be enough for now. I finally shrugged away any thoughts of uncertainty and made my way back inside, and finally reached for the bundled up piece of parchment from earlier and sat it down on my counter as I got to work on the machines and arranging different cutlery, all ready for service and spotless once again after the day-long stream of customers. As I unwrapped the package, it unfurled and a few words could be picked out. The name of the newspaper publication and other irrelevant information, all that mattered to me was the bold tittle and alarming headline that stared me back, almost defiantly...

"Well, I'll be. Guess it's real" I mused aloud to an empty shop. Ever since I heard the news months ago I never quite believed it, I always thought it was TOO far out there to be real, but here it was. Starring me straight in the face, no way to deny it now. I was so lost in my own racing thoughts that the newspaper slipped from my fingers and landed with a dull thud on the counter once again. That was enough to snap me out of it. My eyes were affixed on that headline once again. It's words, some I'll never forget.

It read.

Humans alone in the universe? NO.

Other intelligent life, discovered!

World-wide friendly inter-species coexistence, starting June 3rd!

/--/

/END/