Shifter Paradise Cafe

DuskRaven

DuskRaven

Bookworm with a pen
Original poster
MYTHICAL MEMBER
Posting Speed
  1. One post per day
  2. Multiple posts per week
  3. One post per week
Writing Levels
  1. Intermediate
  2. Adept
  3. Adaptable
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Male
  2. Female
  3. Futanari
  4. Primarily Prefer Female
Genres
Fantasy, romance, yaoi/yuri, vampires (non-twilight vampires preferred) though right now I'm VERY interested in finding a romance fantasy

It had been almost eight years since he'd visited home. Sixteen long semesters of college. How ever many holidays spent studying books in order to get his degree early so he could return home and begin his work.

Anthony Ulri walked into the diner with the intention of eating, paying, and going back to his car to get to his parents house without having to eat the meal that would be laid out for him. It would be great, sure, but why not help the people of the town make a little money while he was there, huh?

He slowly took a table where the hostess told him he could and relaxed down into the seat with a sigh as he picked up his menu, quickly ordering. A million things were running through his mind. How many in the town would need a full time doctor that did in-home visits? Would he be able to make the practice work even though this town wasn't all that wealthy?

And was there anyone he could talk to that would be able to point him in the right direction? Did he have any friends left here? He thought of finding Her email and giving her a little note telling her he was back in town, but refrained. The last they had talked had been well over five years ago. Things had slowed after he'd left for college. The last he knew, she was working somewhere trying to make a living for herself.
 
Suzuhira.Hiro.240.790587.jpg
Ever since the graduation, Kayla Larobi had been working in the diner. At first it was a temporary job - just something to do, to save money for a year while she decided if she wanted to go to college or not. After that, it was just supposed to be until she found something better. Now it had been eight years, and here she was. A waitress. Not a manager, not a supervisor, not anything above minimum wage. The diner had changed hands over the years and they didn't care how long she had been there, so they treated her like some first-day idiot. She was working sixteen hour days and still picking up extra shifts just to cover the rent of her one-bedroom apartment.


Tonight, she was exhausted. She had worked sixteen hours and then Jamie had called out because her son had the flu. The poor boy was only three, so Kayla greed to cover. She was on her twenty-first hour at work, and she felt dead. There was absolutely no need for this diner to be open twenty four hours a day in this small town, but the new owner swore up and down that they turned a bigger profit this way.


Her supervisor screeched at her across the kitchen to tend to her booth that had just been seated. The customer had been there ten whole seconds without being accosted with menus and demanded to place a drink order. What a tragedy. Amy was only grouchy because Kayla had managed to break four plates earlier by dropping a tray. She sighed and pulled out her order pad and pen. Wandering over with a tired smile, she barely glanced at him. Honestly, she was too tired and unfocused to even recognize him after all these years.


"Good evening. Can I take your drink order?" she asked, her tone kind and polite even though she wanted to just clock out and go pass out in her cold bed.
 
((Um, I saw the picture earlier somehow and now it's not working <3))

At first Anthony didn't look up, considering the menu carefully. He'd been in the middle of thinking about his other problem. The problem that would keep him from having to deal with a relationship ever. He wasn't really able to join that group of people for a relationship without them knowing about That and if they knew about That then they would never want to be in a relationship and this town prided itself on being a very great town for starting relationships and keeping them.

He groaned a bit and sighed. If there had been one person in this town he would have wanted to try and make it work it would have been Her. How could he have let her disappear from his life like that? He'd had always wanted to return home during college and pick upw here they left off--as best friends and then perhaps make it more. But after eight years could she even still be here? There was always the chance that she'd moved and simply not told him.

Finally he looked up from his menu saying "You don't by chance have any..." Speech failed him. As he stared up at the waitress, as if his mind had conjured her for him especially. "Kayla?"
 
[That's strange.. I can see it o_o]


Kayla waited for the man to respond, her mind wandering. Three more hours. After that, she could go home, strip off this ridiculous uniform, and pass out. She pondered that, deciding to wedge a quick hot shower in there too. Working for a day straight made her feel disgusting. There was no way she was climbing into her fresh clean bed like this. Her attention turned back to the customer as he started to speak, and her pen was poised over her paper until he stopped talking. She waited, and then he said her name. She blinked in confusion and looked at him, this time actually seeing him.


"Anthony?!" she exclaimed in disbelief. It really was him! Eight years hadn't changed him too much to recognize - especially those eyes. She smiled and put her hand on her hip. "Well I'll be damned. When did you get back in town?" she asked curiously.


She felt a little guilty, deep down. They had sworn to keep talking and keep seeing each other after graduation, but it just didn't happen. When he went off to school, they tried to keep up. Some phone calls, some letters. Once she had visited for the day just to walk around and have lunch. That was it. After three years of him being gone, everything had faded. She didn't want him to know that she was still here, still struggling. Now it had been five years without a word, and he was sitting in her diner. What a messed up world it was.
 
[o-o I can go see it on this computer but my home computer is all 'zerochan can't be something or toher' o-o Weeeeird]

Anthony stared at the woman before him. She looked so much more tired then she had when he'd lasted hung out. He couldn't quiet understand how she could look so much different than what he remembered. Well he could, medically, but she had been so full of energy when he'd known her it seemed impossible for the Kayla he knew to be so tired looking.

He blinked out of his worried medical thoughts and shook his head. "I just got into town ten minutes ago," he told her before smiling, "You remember how Mother was when you'd come over after a long absence. Large meal that would fill you up to being sick. I wasn't looking forward to that so I thought I'd stop here and get a smaller meal and then plead not being hungry when I got home. How have you been? It's been ages."

'Since either of us spoke to one another,' he thought to himself silently and winced inwardly at the admission. He knew he should have spoken to her over the years that had passed since her visit.
 
[Weird O_o]


"Ah, yes. There was more than one time I actually thought my stomach would rip open if she forced another plate on me," Kayla recalled fondly, smiling to herself. She wasn't really sure how to answer his question. Truth or lies? Lies would sound better, and he probably wouldn't be around long enough to find out anyway. Maybe he was just home for a week or so to see his parents before going off again to see the world. The thought pained her, but she smiled and shrugged.


"Oh, same as always, I suppose. Things have been good. Always predictable in a town like this, but it's nice," she said simply, looking away. "So, how h-" she started, then stopped as her supervisor yelled her name across the diner. She blinked and turned with a frown, getting a look that was basically a serve-your-other-tables-or-die scowl. Three more hours, just three more hours she reminded herself. She turned back to Anthony and gave him an apologetic smile.


"Sorry, today has been.. hectic. Lots of customers. What can I get for you?" she asked, trying for the first time in hours to not let her utter exhaustion show.
 
"Um," he said, blinking, for he had forgotten what he had been planning on having with the appearance of his childhood friend. Quickly he scanned the menu and chose something large but not something that would make the doctor in him cringe with each bite. "I'll take this chef salad Kayla. And a cup of water please." He smiled up at her and then looked around her at the owner with a scowl of his own before smiling and holding the menu up. "And tell the owner I'll willingly pay for your time over the next hour if they'll let you sit and talk with an old friend. Or I'll do a free exam, or something, whatever they want. You look exhausted and deserve a small break I think."

It wasn't supposed to show how much money he had. He was more interested in having a chat with the girl. He wanted to make sure she was okay because the doctor in him was yelling that she was not in any capacity of the word 'alright'.

[ -bows repetitively- I am so sorry]
 
Kayla nodded and wrote his order down quickly, knowing that Amy was probably going to flip out on her the second that she got to the kitchen to deliver this order to the cooks. That wasn't going to be fun. Most of her focus, however, was on Anthony. She still could hardly believe he was here right now.


"I'll tell her, but.. well, don't hold your breath. She's worse than our old English teacher was," she said, smiling a bit. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine," she added, then turned and made her way to the kitchen to drop off the order. As expected, Amy started raving about talking to 'personal friends' and using 'company time' and 'wasting money'. Kayla just nodded and took it, saying nothing in return to the insufferable woman. Finally she gave up at the lack of response and stalked off, muttering to herself.


Kayla went and got a glass, then went over to get Anthony's ice water from the pitcher. On her way across the kitchen, though, her gaze caught on the back door. A couple breaths of fresh air would wake her up. Less than three hours left, that's all she needed. She set the cup down and went out the back door, propping it open a few inches with a brick. It was nice and chilly out, and she relaxed with a tired sigh. She ached in some places and was numb in others. Rubbing her face slowly, she went back inside and got the water, then went to drop it off.


On the way, a twinge of pain in her stomach distracted her. She didn't see a small boy dart in front of her until she was nearly on him, so she quickly leaned back. Amy was behind her and fell over, and Kayla ended up dumping ice water all over her supervisor's shirt. The woman gasped and started yelling, seeming to forget they weren't out back anymore. Kayla just cradled her face in her hands, feeling lightheaded.

[It's okies!]
 
At the crash, Anthony looked up and blinked a few times. Standing, worry on his features, the young doctor walked over and smiled at the supervisor as he put his body between Kayla and her. "Excuse me, but you probably didn't notice that it is obvious this girl isn't feeling well. If you had heeded my offer, she wouldn't have dumped the water all over you," he said, scorn in his voice as he turned, gently raising a hand to put the back of it against Kayla's neck, necking for her heartbeat. It had been obvious to him at least from across the room that she was not doing well.

"Kayla, as a doctor, I recommend that you come and sit down for a little bit," he said before turning icy eyes on the supervisor. "And if you complain I will call the cops and report you for ignoring the obvious poor health of this young woman and making her continue to work when she obvious needs a doctors exam and a few minutes, if not more of rest. Hell, I may just sue you for maltreatment of your employees. Now, if you could go and get her a glass of water and stop your bickering, I'd greatly appreciate it and reconsider my accusation."
 
Amy blinked in surprise as her rant was cut off by an attractive man. She stared at him in shock for a moment, then was about to interrupt him when he turned away from her. The woman was definitely not used to being brushed aside so easily, and she gaped speechlessly at the back of his head. Meanwhile, Kayla looked up as Anthony checked her pulse. She knew it was probably erratic. As he advised her to sit down, she was going to say that she was fine and just needed to finish her shift, but then she caught sight of Amy's face as he scolded her and threatened to sue. In an instant, the woman was gone, going to get water.


"I.. Thank you," Kayla said, blushing a little since everybody was staring at them. She got up and dusted herself off, then looked up at him with a tiny smile. "I'm off work in two hours. I should wait and just sit down after my shift. Amy's probably having kittens out in the kitchen right now," she said softly, glancing back to see if her supervisor had appeared yet.
 
Kayla's heart rate scared him as a doctor. He wouldn't let her continue to work if she was like this in a few moments. Hell, he'd take over the womans job if he had to to protect her head. "Hush Kayla, you are obviously not doing well, and you are going to sit down and rest for ten minutes and then if my medical opinion is better, then you can get back to work," he told her as he led her over to his table. "And I don't care if Amy is having kittens. I don't know her, I know you. You'll keep working until you are sick--remember the time during high school?"

He looked back for the woman he had threatened. If there was one thing that he didn't like it was people that had sticks up their bums and would work a girl to death without giving them adequate breaks. "Kayla, how long have you been working today? In the last twenty-four hours? And how many breaks have you had?"
 
"That was one time! I was only out of school for three days," Kayla objected, but she allowed him to lead her over to his table anyway. She sat down in the opposite side of the booth that he had been sitting in and rested her cheek in her hand as she gave him a bit of a smile. "I remember you came and visited me for so long that your mother was convinced I was going to get you sick too. And then she sent me all that food! Ugh, I think it made me sicker eating all of that than working so much did!" she recalled, shaking her head. Amy came over and set down a class of ice water along with one for Anthony and his dinner order. She left without a word, clearly miffed. Kayla sighed and shrugged.

"I've been working since 10pm last night. I'm on twenty-two hours now, and I'm out at ten. I was only scheduled for a sixteen-hour, but one of the girls called out so I took her shift," she explained. "I had a breakfast break at about five this morning," she added. It was the only break she had taken, and she doubted that he would be thrilled about that, but she really didn't see a problem with it.
 
Anthony ignored the supervisor as he stared at the girl across from him as he listened to how long she'd been working. His back went rigid, his eyes flashing dangerously. Any that had seen him before would know those signs of him getting angry. However, he quelled the urge to walk up to the supervisor and throttle her. Instead he bit his tongue and clenched his teeth for a moment before he glared at his food and started to shovel it into his mouth.

"As your doctor and friend, I am ordering you not to work another moment. A it isn't healthy, and b, it's just insane. And so help me I'll report that woman for this. It is illegal to make a woman work more than a sixteen hour shift. For anyone to work more than that," he growled through mouthfuls of food.
 
Kayla blinked at Anthony as he stared at her, recognizing the shock in his eyes. That, however, was soon dimmed by another emotion. She hadn't seen him tense up like that since the day before graduation, when she had gotten into a fight with some guy. Now she didn't even remember the reason, but at the time she had been in tears and all upset because he had slapped her. She tilted her head a fraction and watched him gain a bit of control back and start eating like a starving man. And he wondered why his mother always overfed him. It obviously made him happy.


"Piggy," she commented softly with a bit of a smile. She still had her cheek in her palm as she watched him, absently tapping the table with her free hand. "It's not insane. You can't report her, I volunteered. My coworker stayed home with her sick child. And you aren't my doctor," she added, sitting up a little. "Honest, I'm fine. It's just two more hours. What's the worst that could happen?"
 
The man stopped eating and looked up at her with a serious look. "You honestly want to ask a doctor telling you what can happen? Shall I spell out every single detail of what might happen if you work for twenty four hours straight? Not to mention the time you were up before getting ready," he said before reaching out and taking her hand in his in a purely friendly way. "But I am your friend Kayla. There are far too many risks for you to continue working. You can't honestly tell me that it's just the two of you working here. I meant call someone else in, or have the supervisor work--that's what they are here to do, not just order people around."

He released her hand and looked at his food. "As a doctor then I prescribe you to take the rest of the night and tomorrow off. And technically your boss should have called in reinforcements when you approached the sixteen hour mark, no question," he said a bit nicer before he started to eat again.
 
"I was only up an hour before coming here," Kayla tried to protest. She was stopped from continuing as he took her hand. It wasn't that she didn't like it, she was just a little worried. Her hands were always cold these days, and thin from all the weight she had lost. It definitely wasn't the same as when he had taken her hand back in school to tug her clumsy self along down the hall. She sighed and nodded a little. There was no way he was going to give up now that he was in Stubborn Anthony mode. Maybe going home now would be best anyway. She was aching to shift..


"Alright, alright. I'll call in somebody else. No guarantees about taking tomorrow off, though.. but I won't work the opening shift," she said, cocking an eyebrow at him. "Is that good enough for you, Doctor?" she asked teasingly, smiling.
 
Anythony considered the woman, having taken note of her frail hand. He didn't speak for several moment before looking out over the diner. "I suppose," he said slowly before looking at her again with a far more gentle smile than before. "I will be checking up on you though Kayla. I'm back to stay for the moment, if the people of town will have me as their local doctor. Personal friends and family get free check-ups. That includes you. Once I get settled in with my own place and office, I want you to come see me for a general physical all right?"

He was sort of glad to have run into her. His worry for her had tripled in the last few minutes alone as he'd seen the clumsiness, the weight loss, and many other signs that something was definitely wrong with his childhood friend.
 
Kayla grimaced and made a face at him. There was no way he could have forgotten that she despised doctors with a passion. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate what they did for people, it was just that she would prefer to never, ever have to visit one. She wasn't sure if it was her wariness of needles, or a fear of somebody discovering her secret. Perhaps both. It was Anthony, though. Surely she'd be okay with just a quick check-up. Wait, weren't physicals done naked..? That was an odd thought, and one that made her feel different than she was just a moment ago. She quickly pushed those thoughts away and sighed.


"You're pulling me out of work, disrupting my shift, telling me to go home, and now you're going to demand a physical? You've been back five seconds and you're already acting worse than you did last time I saw you," she complained with a smile. She checked her pulse - it was still erratic and a bit slow, but she ignored that. "Alright, pulse is normal. I'm going to go use the phone and call in some coverage. I'll be right back," she said, getting up and walking back into the kitchen. Hopefully somebody would come in last-minute.
 
Anthony winced at her complaint and looked away from her. Was it so wrong that he wanted to protect his friend? He supposed he was being a bit overwhelming but the doctor part of him, as well as the friend side of him were up in arms, raging at the injustice at how the woman he knew was being treated.

Eating the rest of his food he pulled out a cell phone and called his mother, telling her that he was going to be a bit late and not to make him a big meal for when he got back because he'd already eaten. He wanted to make sure that Kayla got home and nothing else got in between her and some sleep that she obviously (to him) needed. It was just as he was flipping closed his phone that he felt the familiar ache of a tail being smashed against pants that wouldn't give.

Cursing softly he shifted so that his back was shadowed and he closed his eyes as he relaxed back, trying to get the stupid object to go away and let him go the rest of his meal without the urge to mew or scratch his ear.
 
Thankfully, the first girl that Kayla called agreed to come in. Even better, she was already dressed and could be there in ten minutes. After hanging up, Kayla went and told Amy that she was leaving early. It was obvious that her boss was holding back some very insulting words, but she was apparently scared of being overheard, so she just scowled and nodded before stomping off. Tomorrow there would be hell to pay thanks to all of this. She winced, hoping that Amy didn't get her revenge by scheduling three straight weeks of double shifts every day like she had the last time she got really pissed off.


She shook her head a little and turned to go back out in the dining room, rubbing her arms absently without realizing that she was shaking. All that was on her mind now was getting home. She started planning exactly what she'd do. Walk in, lock the door, strip on the way to the shower. Ahh, a nice, long shower. After that, she'd shift and curl up in bed. Maybe she'd even let herself sleep in tomorrow morning. She smiled a bit at the thought and sat back down across from Anthony, nudging her untouched glass of water off to the side.


"I got coverage. No need to fret now. I'll be going home in around ten minutes when she gets here. What about you? Going to go home and see if your mom makes your stomach explode?" she asked, tilting her head a fraction.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back