Baristas of Japan (Philosophical Comedy, IC) - OPEN

by **Talchyon** » Fri Aug 16, 2019 4:42 pm

BARISTAS OF JAPAN

Japan is not historically reputed for its coffee. In fact, coffee is a rather recent beverage for mainstream Japanese society. And yet, it is currently taking the nation by storm. The steam rising from a freshly prepared mug of espresso, the soft silky cream resting upon the surface of rich brown liquid, the scent it exuded...this is the story of Coffee Shop and their journey to interpret the cosmic mysteries through the medium of coffee.

Coffee Shop Music | OOC page - Sign up there

First, there were some shenanigans. Read up on it here. This story picks up exactly where that left off.

Bu Liao put his hand to his forehead. Something was really odd. It was as his whole life had ended, only for it to begin. As he looked around at the impressive group of people wanting jobs at Coffee Shop and wondering the hell happened, he noticed that the others had noticed those odd sensations.

All the others noticed. Except his overweight, unmotivated employee Chin. Chin didn't seem to have any ill effects from whatever cosmic event had just happened, that ended up in a death of some kinds but a resurrection in others. Chin didn't notice. It wasn't the first time Chin was oblivious. Bu hated that guy and wanted him to quit, and if not that, wouldn't have shed any tears if some random Yakuzo chose Chin as assassination practice. Having Chin working for the Coffee Shop was like hiring a broom to rest in the closet.

Except, somehow Chin had somehow weaseled his way into helping Bu do the hiring. Mentally kicking his newly "reincarnated" self in his mind, and making sure he was wearing some good mental combat boots to do it, Bu just sighed when Chin said to the lady who had just performed an amazing feat of acrobatics without spilling a drop of coffee, "Ok lady. That's a neat party trick, but if you really want to work here, then you have to be willing to sub in whenever I need a day or three off."

Bu just shook his head and said, "You're hired. Fill out the form. Who's next?"

by **Alchimia** » Fri Aug 16, 2019 5:54 pm

First thing this morning...

Otobai Kado's eyes slowly opened as the sun streamed over them, urging him from his sleep. Otobai sighed, looking out the window at the building across the street. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he realized that he wasn't staring at his wallpaper, nor was the comforter he was under his. After a few seconds, an arm draped over him. His eyes went wide as he recalled what had happened the night before. Otobai slowly slipped out from under the arm and out of the bed, looking back at the girl he had spent the night with. She was a blonde girl, probably American. From the looks of the room they were in a fairly nice hotel. He quietly began putting his clothes on before slipping out the door.

Slowly Otto left the hotel, doing what he could to figure out where he was. His phone was dead, so that was out of the question. After a few minutes, he saw the familiar glint of his motorcycle in the hotel parking garage! He ran over and hopped on, smiling as he slipped the helmet on. Otobai revved the engine, his smile turning into his signature smirk as he took off, riding through the streets of Tokyo. After a little while, he made his way to his apartment. After a quick shower and a change of clothes, that looked remarkably like the ones he had worn the day before, Otobai hopped back onto his motorcycle and drove to work.

Now...

Otobai smirked as he walked into the Coffee Shop, neglecting his green apron as usual.

"Hey guys," he said, clocking in.

Otto took a step back, looking around at his surroundings, suddenly hit with the strongest sense of deja vu he had ever experienced.

That was... weird... he thought to himself.

by **The Verdantderm Lands** » Fri Aug 16, 2019 8:13 pm

Kōhīyama Ahmya

Ahmya's serene face momentarily turned cold and her eyes seemed to become hard as the fat co-worker attempted to intimidate her and make demands. The only danger in killing the fool might be that her blows could bounce off of him and back at her. She quickly regained her composure.

The shop owner, a young man with a shaven head, seemed appreciative.

Listening to the other applicants proved boring and Ahmya's mind began to wander....

"Ahmya. Ahmya!" said her grandmother. "You're not paying attention. If you don't learn this, you might spill the coffee."

"I'm sorry, O bāchan," little Ahmya replied. "For the briefest moment, I thought I imagined myself older and about to kill a fat boy with a blow to the neck."

"Study now, kill later," her grandmother admonished....

Her mind snapped back to the present, and Ahmya waited....

by **Castelia** » Sat Aug 17, 2019 1:45 am

Disturbance in the Force.

A disturbance in the Force, also known as a disruption in the Force, a Force Disturbance, or a tremor in the Force, was an anomaly in the currents of the Force, the powerful energy field which bound all beings, that could be sensed by Force-sensitives, such as Jedi. Feeling a disturbance in the Force let the one who felt it to know what was happening elsewhere in the galaxy. It channeled through the heart and mind. It could be caused by events of a cataclysmic nature, such as a large group of people dying at the same time. One sensing a disturbance in the Force might react in pain and confusion, due to feeling empathetic mental anguish at the time.

Okay, wrong universe. But still, this piece of knowledge lifted directly from the "Disturbance in the Force" page of Wookieepedia applied to what was happening here. Kudos to you, writers and contributors of the Star Wars fandom wiki of Wookieepedia. Check them out here!

Well, to be exact, no one actually screamed out loud, let alone Kappa. But it was clear that everyone, except perhaps NTR Man, felt the tremors in the space-time continuum that just happened. Kappa didn't let it distract from the train of thoughts Kappa was brewing though.

This woman that just went ahead was using a familiar fighting style. Well, rather than familiar, Kappa just instinctively knew this by astral projecting to the OOC page and taking a look. It was called Kappa-Kara-Te.

Kappa then knew that someone was stealing the totally-not-really-trademarked "Kappa". As far as Kappa knew, there had been no royalties paid by this woman for using Kappa's name. Thus, Kappa's first target for elimination was chosen.

...or rather, the second one, as the fat man still had to go first. But then Kappa had a thought: why not play this to its logical degree?

There was a cute woman, seeking work at a Coffee Shop. And then there was a sleazy fat POS who was working in the shop. Any Kappa worth salt knows where this could head. And then, Kappa could be the hero of the day and eliminate two competitors for Employee of the Month at the same time! It was perfect!

With the plan brewed, Kappa now could look to stirring this around...

by **Danceria** » Sat Aug 17, 2019 2:46 pm

Carlos AKA "Rau"
Coffee Shop...?

Where was the lady he was holding the door open for? It was still raining, he had his umbrella open (the Hispanic was absolutely certain he did, why would he have an open umbrella inside an establishment?). Every part of his body screamed that something went wrong. From his Santero background to his training as a marine, he knew when something was slightly off. Trying, and no doubt failing to secretly leer and asses the strange Kappa-clad individual, he realized that in spite of the quaint coffee shop's tidy interior...the poor owner had to take whatever he can get in order to stay afloat and not get bought out. Luckily, it seemed he wasn't the only professional here, the brown haired lass seeming to glide across the room with impossible elegance.

Sr. de Lucumí, or "Rau-san" as the Japanese would know him, was a breath of fresh air no doubt to the bald owner. Well kept, with ironed button down shirt and khakis, pleasant and easygoing attitude, and a surprising wealth of references from both the United States, though as well as his records of service in the American bases in Okinawa. He also appeared to be studying commercial law at Hitotsubashi University...why someone who clearly could afford such a prestigious university would work in some hole-in-the-wall cafe may be beyond Bu Liao. Or he may just not give a damn.

Any fears of "Rau" not understanding Japanese, or being unable to speak it were quickly dissuaded, and Rau would speak with a slight Okinawan dialect but that would be understandable. Aside from occasionally flubbing vowel pronunciation, his grammar overall was stupendous, and could carry his voice over a busy room.

by **Electic** » Sun Aug 18, 2019 11:23 am

A Coffee Shop

H. Decker -- A Coffee Pot

Time is funny when you're a coffee pot. Or any 'inanimate' object really; days blend together into one continuous march, like a movie on permanent replay. No cuts of unconsciousness; but a constant stream of events. And there was no credit roll to tell you the movie ended; no finality. It just kept going, on and on. So while 'morning' held very little meaning to him, he began associating this with the time he was most used. Which made it his favorite time. Anticipation began to warm his carafe, as the warming plate beneath him began to buzz with electricity.

Soon his glass would be equally buzzing, but not with electricity, with the balmy warmth of dark coffee. Reflecting in content silence, Decker gave an inner sigh. He hoped it was the regular house brew. Hans was not a fan of the senior special blend. To the ewer of German production and American branding, non-caffeine was a Corporate plot. 'But I drink it for the flavor!', was pure propaganda said by retirees and hipsters who had swallowed the marketing of Big Coffee. He tended to look down his spout at anyone who ordered such. They were almost as bad as the heathens in Tea Set Row, three cupboards down. He avoided thinking of those pinko leaf-water drinkers, concentrating rather on the steady dribbling liquid that entered him. Wouldn't do to get worked up, and make the brew too bitter!

by **The Verdantderm Lands** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 12:22 pm

The Coffee Shop

Ahmya was experiencing inner peace, as she filled out the legal paperwork for being a Coffee Shop employee, when the bell at the shop door chimed and announced the arrival one one or more persons. An unexplained chill intruded on her peace that caused her to look up from the page to survey the newly arrived. It looked like trouble....

Coming into the Coffee Shop were about a dozen green apronned men and women, not with the hopeful countenances of slaves escaping to freedom, but with faces of grim and confrontational determination. They were armed with metal spoons, stirring sticks and pouches containing packets of various sweeteners....

Ahmya calmly put her paperwork in a safe place. She stepped behind the counter, giving the newcomers an untroubled and serene smile. She was ready for their order or for trouble. The choice was theirs....

by **Talchyon** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 7:58 pm

The confrontation begins

Just as Bu was getting ready to interview the next loser who wanted a job, all of a sudden in walked trouble. Trouble in the form of several smug looking semi-professionals with characteristic green aprons. Bu knew them right away, and his eyes glared at the unwanted intruders. The six smug green-and-black clad interlopers were none other than the hated Starbucks employees. Bu despised them, and anyone who dared support Western coffee in an Eastern world. Especially when they could have the finest coffee beans grown in wonderful Eastern Asian locations, such as Siberia, the inner gulags of North Korea, and their own Hiroshima. But as Bu was wanting to strike his fist into the solar plexuses (plexi?) of his mortal enemies, he barely was able to restrain his rage against them, hitting Chin beside him as a way to have some kind of release on his pent-up wrath. Chin responded with, "What was that for, boss?"

The leader of the rival baristas walked with his group up to Bu, and they halted about 3 feet away. There was a time of silence, where the rival tribes of baristas eyed each other up and down. Taking their measure was an old established trait of rival lions, jackals, and hummingbirds. Somehow, baristas either knew those customs, had been trained in them, or just stumbled upon doing those same animalistic customs by sheer dumb luck. Finally, their leader spoke.

(Translated into English, with bad voice-overs)

"So."

Bu responded, "So."

"So so."

Bu: "What the hell are you guys doing here? You're not welcome." And he pointed to a sign saying in Japanese, "No shirt, no shoes, wearing the Starbucks logo, no service."

Their leader smugly responded, "We're not here to buy something. Like anyone would want to buy a cup of that drivel you call 'joe.'

Bu growled at them. How dare they! But before he could threaten to tear their arms off and beat them to death with their bloody former appendages, the cocky leader spoke up again, "Look. We didn't come here to fight. We came... to propose a challenge. A competition, if you will."

Bu looked, wary-eyed, not sure where they were going but certain it wasn't going to be as much as ripping their arms off might be. "What are you talking about?"

Their leader grinned while his eyes belittled the Coffee Shop employees. "We at Starbucks propose... a prank war."

Bu's eyebrows went up. Chin's practically skyrocketed up. "Prank war? That sounds good."

The leader said, "Ok, here are the rules. For one week, from the time we leave to this exact time 1 week from now, our rival coffee shops and their employees agree to prank the other. Nothing is off-limits, but just be aware, that if you do anything illegal to us, we will call the police and they will call the secret police, and you might lose your business and your license. And whoever succeeds in pulling off the best prank, so that both sides agree, wins. Now do you want to make a bet? You want to bet something for the winner?"

Bu was liking where this was going. Chin was absolutely ecstatic. His lazy mind had gone into overtime thinking of various pranks they could pull on Starbucks, and how they could pull it off. They would have to plan. Maybe buy things. Somehow, they had to do this and not get thrown into jail in the process. But whatever was needed, Chin was certain that this crew and even the new guys would help contribute to make this a prank war for the ages.

Bu nodded. "Let's bet then. If we win, Starbucks has to close all their shops in Tokyo."

Their leader scowled. Some of the Starbucks employees actually hissed. But eventually he held up a hand, and they quieted. He responded and said, "Fine. If you win. Which isn't going to happen, but whatever. But if we win, not only do you guys have to close your pathetic coffee shop. You also have to work for us for a whole year, doing the most menial jobs for practically no pay. And, whoever wins will have the ultimate bragging rights over the other as long as they shall live."

Now it was Bu's face to scowl. He looked around at the few employees he had, and the large group of prospective employees who hadn't yet been hired but were going to be immediately when these goons left. Bu was going to need their help, and that soon.

Bu roared, "Deal!"

And the leader of the Starbucks baristas smiled. "Good. We will take our leave, then. Challenge delivered. And the prank war begins... now!" With a hideous laugh (that sounded like he could have used a few extra throat lozenges and maybe voice training), the Starbucks employees left.

Bu looked around at all the potential employees and said, "Ok, all of you guys. You're now hired. We got to make a plan. We need to come up with an epic prank, and figure a way to pull it off! There is no way we are going to lose to these jerks!"

Chin simply beamed. This was turning out to be one of the best days at work he had ever had.

by **The Verdantderm Lands** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:50 pm

Gracefully, Ahmya walked, no glided, to over where her Boss stood.

She softly cleared her throat and got Bu's attention. When he looked at her, Ahmya gave him a respectful bow. Standing straight, she said, "Bosu, what you have done is honorable and understandable, however, I would urge you to be on guard immediately. Our enemies did not think of this challenge at the time of their arrival. They certainly thought about this challenge well before they came here."

Ahmya bowed once more to her Boss and then busied herself with cleaning up the shop, picking up left-behind newspapers. Among them were flyer/inserts for some kind of Otaku/Cos-Play 50 kilometer walk-a-thon. Furries? What were Furries, she wondered. Whatever it was, it looked embarrassing.

It looked like a divine sign. Once again she got her Boss's attention and handed him one of the flyers. "Bosu, maybe we can do something with this...?"

by **Newark Aristocracy** » Thu Aug 22, 2019 7:56 pm

Tickles had slept the night before off without a hitch.

He woke up and started his usual cooing noises and sat.

He recognized someone in Coffee Shop. "Was that Dr. Jack Bright's son?" he asked to himself.

Then came the effect.

He hid behind a trash can out the back door of Coffee Shop.

He noticed something gleaming in his eyes,they looked like MTF Epsilon-11 otherwise known as "9 Talled Fox"

He hid more.

Then he went to sleep after finding M&M's in a dumpster.

by **The Twelve Isles** » Thu Aug 22, 2019 8:11 pm

Kanon Ito
The model who's more than a pretty face

Kanon sighed as she trudged towards Coffee Shop, brushing her hair out of her face and back behind her ear. She had been excited at first, this new job would be easier than working in Akira's restaurant and would provide her with much needed cash as the last of her modeling money floated away. But now she was thinking maybe she should have just asked Akira for more hours. She looked awful every time she left the shushi shop, her hair straggly and with bags under her eyes. Such was the consequences of getting up at 4:30 every morning, and then being on her feet non stop until 3:00 PM. At least in the shushi shop, she wouldnt look so out of place, just another haggard cook. But in a coffee shop, as a Barista, she was expected to deal with customers and be a good host. And that was hard to do when one was tired and more than a little ragged. She turned a corner, bumping into and quickly apologizing to a man she bumped into and came face to face with her new part time job. It was small, but charming and cute. It felt almost similar to Akira's shushi shop, only they served coffee and she hoped wouldn't call her intelligence into question every time she didnt place an esoteric little piece of fish just right onto a little circle of rice and seaweed. "What are you fucking stupid? The fish goes on to the middle, not to the right," Akira had whispered angrily into her ear.

"Its is in the middle," said Kanon, gesturing at the sushi she had been working on. Akira had given her an indignant look, before reaching over and moving the fish so imperceptibly that Kanon had to wonder what had gone wrong in Akira's life to make him such a pedantic jackass.

"Who do you think you are? I'm the master here, and you're my student, so listen when I tell you something. You cant get away with being sloppy just because you're pretty forever, stupid girl," Akira had said, before moving on to serve another customer in his little shop.

"Asshole," Kanon whispered to herself as she stepped towards Coffee Shop. Still, Akira hadnt fired her yet, and even if he was an asshole he never said she couldn't do it. He simply demanded perfection in his craft, and expected the same from her. She could respect that.

Pushing open the door to the little cafe, Kanon looked around as she made her way towards the back, where she saw Bu Liao standing with a fat kid who wore a stupid grin on his face. Still, the kid seemed charming enough in his own way, though he also gave of the impression that he may have a distance BO about him. Walking towards the back where the others were, she strode up to Bu Liao and made a short, curt little bow before extending her hand to shake. "Mr Bu Liao," she said, keeping her voice to an even timbre and respectful, but also confidant. "Im Kanon Ito, I believe I talked with you on the phone last night about possible getting a job here? Though it looks like Im not the first person to try for one today."

by **Talchyon** » Thu Aug 22, 2019 9:13 pm

Coffee Shop
Bu Liao

So that was that. The new recruits had all been hired. Who knew if any of them were actually competent? Who knew if any of them would actually be competent after that fat moron Chin trained them? But it's not like Bu himself could walk the noobs through the complicated steps of acting interested in customers when in all reality, you despised them for basically being them while at the same time, greedily hoping they ordered the grande with extra scones.

He couldn't do that, because there was work to be done. Work, in the form of figuring out how to prank those Starbucks punks real good. That's why when Ahmya approached, Bu began to get the glimpses of a beautiful plan.

Taking the fliers for the Cos-Play walk-a-thon, Bu nodded. "Yes..." he thought. "That might really get them."

Out loud, he had the semblances of a plan. "Ok, guys. We need to prank Starbucks and we need to prank them so they can never raise their head in honor in respectable company again. And these fliers might be just the thing. There's going to be a 50 km walk-a-thon. A Cos-play walk-a-thon. And this Walk-a-thon just happens to walk
a block away from Starbucks. So here's what we're going to do. We're going to put up signs all along the walk-a-thon route that says Starbucks will serve Furries free coffees. And just to help matters, how about we conveniently redirect the walk-a-thon to have to go through the Starbucks place, in the front door and out the back? That could work!"

But just then, a very beautiful woman entered and said those magic words that Bu had long wanted to hear.

The Twelve Isles wrote:Kanon Ito
The model who's more than a pretty face

Kanon sighed as she trudged towards Coffee Shop, brushing her hair out of her face and back behind her ear. She had been excited at first, this new job would be easier than working in Akira's restaurant and would provide her with much needed cash as the last of her modeling money floated away. But now she was thinking maybe she should have just asked Akira for more hours. She looked awful every time she left the shushi shop, her hair straggly and with bags under her eyes. Such was the consequences of getting up at 4:30 every morning, and then being on her feet non stop until 3:00 PM. At least in the shushi shop, she wouldnt look so out of place, just another haggard cook. But in a coffee shop, as a Barista, she was expected to deal with customers and be a good host. And that was hard to do when one was tired and more than a little ragged. She turned a corner, bumping into and quickly apologizing to a man she bumped into and came face to face with her new part time job. It was small, but charming and cute. It felt almost similar to Akira's shushi shop, only they served coffee and she hoped wouldn't call her intelligence into question every time she didnt place an esoteric little piece of fish just right onto a little circle of rice and seaweed. "What are you fucking stupid? The fish goes on to the middle, not to the right," Akira had whispered angrily into her ear.

"Its is in the middle," said Kanon, gesturing at the sushi she had been working on. Akira had given her an indignant look, before reaching over and moving the fish so imperceptibly that Kanon had to wonder what had gone wrong in Akira's life to make him such a pedantic jackass.

"Who do you think you are? I'm the master here, and you're my student, so listen when I tell you something. You cant get away with being sloppy just because you're pretty forever, stupid girl," Akira had said, before moving on to serve another customer in his little shop.

"Asshole," Kanon whispered to herself as she stepped towards Coffee Shop. Still, Akira hadnt fired her yet, and even if he was an asshole he never said she couldn't do it. He simply demanded perfection in his craft, and expected the same from her. She could respect that.

Pushing open the door to the little cafe, Kanon looked around as she made her way towards the back, where she saw Bu Liao standing with a fat kid who wore a stupid grin on his face. Still, the kid seemed charming enough in his own way, though he also gave of the impression that he may have a distance BO about him. Walking towards the back where the others were, she strode up to Bu Liao and made a short, curt little bow before extending her hand to shake. "Mr Bu Liao," she said, keeping her voice to an even timbre and respectful, but also confidant. "Im Kanon Ito, I believe I talked with you on the phone last night about possible getting a job here? Though it looks like Im not the first person to try for one today."

Bu looked her over and nodded, hoping she hadn't heard anything about Furries and gotten the wrong idea. "You're hired. Fill out the paperwork eventually and get it back to me. But instead of training for now, or setting a schedule, we have something not so typical. For years, we have an ongoing rivalry with Starbucks. We at Coffee Shop hate them. They hate us. It's a vicious cycle. But now? Now, it's on. We have a week to prank each other. Whoever pranks the other the best by mutual consent wins big. And we have just the thing to start." He told her the plan.

Chin looked outside, out the back window. "Uh, boss? I'm not sure, but I think Starbucks might have already started to prank us." Of course, he was looking at the abnormal form of Tickles, dumpster diving for M&Ms.

by **The Frozen Forest** » Sat Aug 24, 2019 5:34 pm

Miyoko "Chi" Yuki peeked around Coffee Shop from behind a particularly tall girl waiting to get her Coffee. Boring, Boring, Boring. Every face she met belonged to a stupid human-coffee addicts and coffee sellers. So many ugly faces all gathered in one ugly place (though not quite as ugly as the nearby Starbucks was). She was here at Coffee Shop for a job, not that she needed one. She was a succubus, so sleeping and eating were foreign activities for her. Her survival came from draining the lifeforce from those around her. Cities were ideal since they gathered so many people in one place, meaning that she could drain off vast amounts of lifeforce with little effect to each individual she met. Unfortunately for her though, it also meant that Vampires and other leaches were more common. They were pests, and dangerous to her beloved.

The sound of a commotion near the front caught Chi's attention. She recognized several of her old coworkers and what she presumed to be the manager of Coffee Shop arguing. When everything was said and done, the Manager announced that they were all hired. Convenient for Chi, considering she didn't have most of the paperwork required for hiring. Chi stepped out of line and walked to the other newly-hired employees.

Her heart sank when she didn't see Kappa Chino anywhere near the counter. Maybe Kappa was passing out fliers? Chi crossed her arms and frowned at the strange dumpster diving "Tickles."

by **Newark Aristocracy** » Sat Aug 24, 2019 5:55 pm

Tickles had made it out front of Coffee Shop and had desided to sit by the front door to see those who worked there. He had also dumpster dived for M&M's behind several Starbucks,to each Starbucks's amazement.

He saw a customer enter Coffee Shop and desided to follow him.

He was in now.

He decided to sleep on one of the tables for a few hours before sitting underneath it.

by **Talchyon** » Wed Aug 28, 2019 11:12 am

Coffee Shop
Chin Tu Fat

Chin didn't know when time had begun to slow down. In reality, time was progressing just as fast as it normally does, second after tedious second. But upon seeing Miyoko "Chi" Yuki make her presence known, Chin became convinced that he was now in one of those slow-motion clips that movies play during romantic scenes. The guy on one side, the girl on the other, maybe running through a forest towards each other and collecting lotus blossoms, the guy wearing whatever, and the girl wearing the most engaging of outfits that was both stylistic, as well as evocative. Yep. Time had definitely slowed to romantic slow-motion scenes. And Chin was convinced that if there was a thing such as love at first sight, in this case love had been elbowed out of the way by love's not so pleasant cousin, lustful appreciation.

Who knew how this would end up? Guy meets girl, girl flirts with guy, guy tells girl he wants to know her better, girl invites guy, guy blows girl off, girl says whatever, guy goes out and gets American fries. Yep. Had the classic ingredients for a great potential romance. Because, she was very beautiful, and he... he was a guy.

The first problem with this is when Tickles entered the coffee shop. Bu's reaction cut short any hopeful romantic interludes. "What the crap is that? Chin! Get that... thing... out of here, and then clean up the mess." His statement would have made Immanuel Kant proud, and being the boss, Bu was more than content to dish out future categorical imperatives.

The second problem with the whole romance angle came when several police cars drove up and men wearing hazmat suits stepped out. They began to announce to the employees and the customers over a bullhorn: "Everyone, come out quietly and in proper order. A bomb threat was called in. Please vacate the premises."

Chin looked around. "A bomb threat? Here?"

Bu glared. "It's those Starbucks guys taking the first shot in our prank war. Wait here." He went outside to the lead figure in the hazmat suit. "I think there's been a mistake. There is no bomb here, never was. Never will be. The guy who called you must have been mistaken. You can just go and concentrate on a real threat."

Hazmat said, "No can do. We're the bomb squad. We get a threat, we have to treat it seriously or sometime, someone will get hurt."

Bu could barely contain his anger. "And where did the anonymous caller say this bomb was?"

Hazmat responded, "The caller made sure to tell us that he was certain the bombs had been placed in this store's coffee makers. Sorry, but we're going to have to take them apart so we can see."

Bu could just see dollars running away as Coffee Shop had no real way to make coffee until the bomb squad was done. "And how long will that take?"

Hazmat said, "We want to go extra slow just in case. Give us about 4 hours. Just in case."

Four hours! Bu could only shake his head. Calling the customers out and giving them a discount to come back later, he had the employees stand off to the side outside. Bu had words. "Guys, Starbucks just got us pretty good. It was a good first shot, we got to give them that. Calling in the bomb squad for a fake bomb threat and having our coffee makers dismantled is cute. Nice. But it's on. This prank war is not going to be won by Starbucks! We are going to get those guys and their crappy Western coffee too! Let's get going on our first prank!"

Baristas of Japan (Philosophical Comedy, IC) - OPEN

Baristas of Japan (Philosophical Comedy, IC) - OPEN

Outside of Coffee Shop

Out front of Coffee Shop

Who is online