Lights, Camera, Orc-tion!

3: Coffee

It took Avicia ten minutes to get to Sunset Boulevard and an additional ten minutes to find Java Brava. Crowds thronged the streets, bustling from one store to the next. Traffic lumbered and sped down the street, in a litany of mechanical noises. Somewhere, she heard a tour guide's megaphone give a garbled explanation. She almost passed the unassuming coffee shop as she anxiously sought it.

It was a surprisingly small storefront, wedged between an old bookstore and an antique store. Through the window, it gave off the typical air of a coffee shop. Warm, earthy reds and browns; cozy lighting; shelving that housed books and knick knacks. She noticed, while peeking in, a shelf ran along the perimeter of the store, set up with tiny chairs and tables. Further back, there were large stalls, made for larger bodies like centaurs, minotaurs, and more.

An indie and accessible coffee shop was really not what Avicia expected. She glanced down the street, at the corner, where a more corporate BuckStar stood in bright, flashy glory.

Kahdreg seemed more the quantity over quality sort, when it came to caffeine. Vaguely, she wondered if the BuckStar was new, if Kahdreg didn't know of its existence, before shrugging and pushing into Java Brava.

A burst of pleasantly cool air licked over Avicia as she entered. Inside, an array of people sat, quietly sipping and talking over baked goods. Behind the counter, two workers - a demon and a human - flitted between refilling products or cleaning. The scent of vanilla and caramel and coffee filled the air, making Avicia's stomach grumble a little.

As soon as the baristas saw Kahdreg's order, they knew where she had come from. They both flashed her sympathetic smiles.

"Newbie?" asked the demon, their lips quirked in a cockeyed grin. Their work visor hung across one horn, as if they couldn't be bothered to put it all the way on.

"Is it that obvious?" She laughed, pushing a strand of hair out of her face.

As the two baristas started on the orders, Avicia dropped a tip in the jar and situated herself in a chair not far from the counter. She watched the two work for a moment, envying how they seemed to easily work around one another. There was a sense of camaraderie and, briefly, she wondered what the pay was in this shop.

Probably nowhere close to a personal assistant's salary.

Pulling out her personal cell phone, her eye gleaned over messages from friends and patrons. She shot off a message on her Bellamy Bluebell social media; vaguely explaining her change in situation and how she wasn't sure if it'd put a hiccup in her schedule, just yet.

By the time she was done with that, the demon barista called her name, listing off her orders. As she came up to the counter, the barista winked at her and pushed the full cup carrier. After taking a second to scrawl something on the paper, the receipt also slid across the counter. They grinned down at Avicia, pointed teeth gleaming in the light. "Chin up. First day is always the hardest, right?"

When Avicia glanced at the receipt, she realized they'd given her their personal number. Her eyes flickered up to them and, for a fraction of a second, the demon's flirtatious smile faltered with nerves. The appearance of her smile eased their shoulders. She gave them a nod while thanking them, before steeling herself to make the journey back to the film studio.

Though, she could've done without the hot drinks on such a sweltering day, she felt she'd grappled well with this sudden gofer order.

Until she came up to the production lot's gates, realizing she didn't have her badge, yet.

"Badge?" The guard on duty monotonously asked, stepping outside his guard post to address her. His nametag said 'Frank' and, in smaller font below, 'he/him.' He was human, but his build could put many minotaur's to shame. She could easily see him as a bodybuilder in his off-time and briefly wondered if he also worked as a bouncer during the evening.