thunderstorming

VIVIENNE PARIKH ( SHE/HER ) is a CIS FEMALE, THIRTY FIVE year old OWNER OF DELIA’S CAFE who has been living in Moorbrooke for FIFTEEN YEARS. They were born on DECEMBER 18TH and right now, they are currently residing in COPPINGFIELD CRESCENT. It has been said that they look suspiciously like RICHA MOORJANI and if they had to choose a song to describe themselves, they would choose YOU’RE ON YOUR OWN, KID by TAYLOR SWIFT.

tw  for  drunk  driving  accident  mention  and  parental  death 

“In the spirit of entrepreneurism,” Tony began without any explanation, “I think I’m going to offer my services out this holiday season. Think about it – people are extra lonely during the holiday season. That or they’re visiting family and not looking to explain why they aren’t in a relationship yet. So, why not bring me along? I’m good at charming parents. I’m a decent actor. I think I’m fake boyfriend material, don’t you? It’s the perfect plan.” 

           well ,     that’s  an  interesting  thought .     not  one  that  had  crossed  vivienne’s  mind  before ,     really ,    but  it  was  one  worth  entertaining ,     at  the  very  least .    her  sisters  have  been  on  her  case  lately  about  being  single  ----  moreso  than  usual ,    that  is .    it’s  not  that  viv  feels  particularly  pressured  to  truly  find  a  relationship ,    but  it  almost  feels  like  she’s  disappointing  them  at  this  point .    ‘  honestly ,    why  not ?    start  early ,    you  can  corner  the  market ,  ’    she  laughs  at  the  quiet  ridiculousness  of  it .    ‘  you  must  have  a  lot  of  faith  in  your  improv  skills .    i’m  terrible  at  lying  on  the  fly !    i  have  to  plan  everything  out  first .  ’

Dougie grinned pulling up into the parking space. He’d been more than happy to let his friend borrow his truck to move a few things but he wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to borrow their bike in return. He couldn’t help but consider getting his own. He was certain his brother would kill him but there was something about it that he found freeing. His head lifted as a shadow passed over the bike. “What do you think? Should I get one or does it seem like I’m headed into midlife crisis range?” 

        vivienne’s  yamaha  is  parked  in  the  spot  directly  beside  douglas’ .   the  minute  her  sisters  were  old  enough  to  drive  themselves  places ,   viv  bought  herself  a  bike  and  left  their  trusty  minivan  to  the  younger  girls .     she  never  felt  the  impulse  to  go  back  to  a  car ,   either  ----  to  this  day ,    her  motorcycle  is   her  primary  transportation .    ‘  truthfully ?   you  might  be  toeing  the  line  of  midlife  crisis .    but ,   as  a  counterpoint ......    who  cares ?  ’    

Shane glanced down at the flyer being waved around. Growing up in NYC had taught him not to catch the gaze of anyone who was peddling something, but he’d made the grave error of looking, his ears perking up at the word cake. “Never met a cake I didn’t like,” he replied wistfully. A quick perusal of the flyer had him offering it back though. “Sorry. I’ve sworn off Delia’s. Someone I knew a while back works there, and it’s probably better if I avoid him at all costs.”

        well ,     that’s  certainly  not  the  response  viv  was  expecting .    her  eyebrows  shoot  upwards  as  she  repeats  incredulously ,    ‘  sworn  off  delia’s ?  pierce  me  right  through  the  heart ,   why  don’t  you ?   ’       the  explanation  checks  out ,    though :    viv  loves  her  employees  dearly ,    but  big  personalities  are  pretty  much  always  polarizing .    she  doesn’t  take  the  flyer  back  from  the  man ,    silently  insisting  that  he  takes  it .    ‘  that  just  won’t  do .    who  is  it ?    i  can  at  least  tell  you  if  he’s  working  or  not .   the  coast  might  be  clear  for  you  to  stop  by .  ’

Silas had been deep in thought, mentally checking off all of the things he still had to do before the week ended. Being Mayor was all paperwork and meetings, and even when he was out of his office, the sheer amount of things he still needed to do still bounced around in his thoughts. It was beginning to consume his every waking moment. So much so that he’d hardly been paying attention and had barely stopped short to grab the offered flyer. “Can’t see myself dying for cake,” he answered, glancing down at the sheet. “Brownies, maybe. But cake? Ehh.”

‘because i’m just a kid!’ quade argued, knowing full well he was an adult, not even a young adult anymore. unfortunately for him, he didn’t know if vivi was pulling his leg or if she was serious. but at the same time, all press was good press… so even if he ended up going viral on tiktok, at least he’d get his name out there. ‘i’d say you suck, but you’re like a mother to me. fuck my life, though. but oh well! thank you for letting me snooze here. do you need any help? i can offer my free labour.’

       '  wrong  answer  ----  do  not  collect  200 ,    do  not  pass  go .  ’    she  shakes  her  head ,    despite  the  amusement  in  her  eyes .     ‘  but  i  respect  the  attempt .  ’    you’re  like  a  mother  to  me ?   vivienne  can’t  help  the  startled  laugh  that  escapes  ----  she  does  tend  to  foster  lost  souls ,    get  people  back  up  on  their  feet  so  they’re  ready  to  be  sent  out  into  the  world ,     but  it’s  rarely  stated  in  such  plain  terms .    it  caught  her  off  guard .   ‘  you’re  something  else ,  you  know  that ?   i  was  just  picking  on  you  ----  i  don’t  think  anyone  actually  noticed  you  were  sleeping .    except  me ,   of  course .  ’    she  waves  off  his  offer ,    though  it  is  appreciated .    ‘  no ,    we’re  doing  alright .   i  was  actually  planning  on  heading  out  here  in  a  minute  since  my  manager is  here  ----   did  you  need  a  ride  home ?  ’

“You can never ever tell me I’m a shitty worker ever again considering I’m here on time at 5am completely sober after a terrible break up. I’m literally your perfect barista.” Not that it mattered that Viv had never called him a shitty worker because Andrej had certainly called himself that many times. Sure, he sometimes took the piss but he genuinely cared about this job and he was determined not to ruin the one part of his life that was actually not completely fucked up. The fact that he was a morning person anyway and actually tended to be on time for his opening shifts also didn’t matter, he just wanted a pat on the back for SOMETHING, even if it was the bare minimum. “Even put the stock order away, although if anything is in the wrong place it’s not my fault and somebody clearly moved it to sabotage me.”

         the  worst  part  about  owning  a  cafe  with  the  most  popular  coffees  &  teas  in  town ?    the  early  hours .    nothing  like  waking  up  as  the  ass  crack  of  dawn  to  sell  drinks  to  fuel  the  zombies’  9  to  5  commute .   she  hates  the  morning  shift ,    but  sometimes  it’s  just  unavoidable .    naturally ,    she  has  to  make  andrej  suffer  with  her :    heavy  is  the  head  that  holds  the  crown  of  being  the  favorite  barista .   ‘  then  what  the  hell  am  i  supposed  to  tell  you ?  ’    viv  teases ,   though  they  both  know  full  well  she  holds  a  much  higher  opinion  of  him  than  that .   ‘  very  impressive ,   though .  ’    she  wants  to  offer  some  comfort ,   knows  how  hard  it  is  on  andrej  to  force  himself  to  see  things  through  when  times  are  rough ,    but  she  goes  about  it  in  her  distinctly  vivienne  way .   ‘  thank  you  for  that ,   actually ,   because  i  was  dreading  dealing  with  it .   i  appreciate  you .    i  don’t  think  it’ll  be  crazy  busy  today ,    so  we’ll  have  some  down  time  and  you  can  tell  me  all  about  it .    i’ll  ban  the  douchebag ,    whoever  they  are .    boom ,   immediately  banned  for  life .   we’ll  hang  a  picture  up  with  a  big  red  circle  with  a  line  through  it ,   and  if  they  try  to  come  in  anyway  i’ll  chase  ‘em  off  with  my  hockey  stick .   sound  good ?  ’

Savannah looked at the time as she clocked in. 8:02, when her shift started at 8. “Shit,” she swore, hastening to the kitchen and getting her apron on as she mentally reviewed what she had to do that morning. Scones were definitely on the agenda, and so was banana bread… or was it pumpkin bread? As she began sprinkling flour on her workspace, she looked up and saw Viv enter the kitchen.

“So sorry, Viv. I ended up getting a small cut on my way out the door and had to get a Band-Aid for it,” the young woman apologized, as if to explain why she was a mere two minutes late for the start of her shift. While Savannah was an excellent employee, she felt as though she slipped up somehow in this instance. “I can stay late if you need me to, I promise.”

       as  the  sun  begins  to  break  through  the  clouds  &  morning  settles  over  moorbrooke ,    vivienne  has  begun  to  prepare  delia’s  for  the  brunch  rush .  with  a  coffee  in  her  favorite  insulated canucks  tumblr ,    she  heads  to  the  kitchen  to  get  herself  a  snack .  viv  has  already  raised  a  hand  to  stop  sav’s  frantic  apology  as  soon  as  it  begins :    as  far  as  employers  go ,   she’s  a  surprisingly  lenient  one .    over  the  years  she’s  forged  positive  relationships  with  her  workers ,    and  truly  cares  about  each  and  every  one  of  them .    she’s  understanding ,   but  not  an  idiot :    she  knows  when  she’s  being  taken  advantage  of .    savannah ,    bless  her  soul ,    is  not  even  on  the  radar  when  it  comes  to  people  who  push  boundaries .   ‘  come  on ,   sav .   don’t  even  worry  about  it .    is  your  finger  okay ?  ----  and ,   words  of  wisdom  here ,    if  you  ever  work  for  someone  who  makes  you  stay  late  for  clocking  in  less  than  15  minutes  late ,   quit .   ’  

 “TO  DIE  FOR,  HUH?  you  reckon  they’re  better  than  beachwood  diner’s  cinnamon  banana  cake?”  luke  inquires,  eyes  focused  on  the  flyer  in  hands.  he  looks  up  at  the  younger  woman,  a  slight  smile  on  his  features.  though  the  cinnamon  banana  was  a  luke  special  recipe  at  the  diner,  they  weren’t  exactly  known  for  their  cakes  but  for  their  home  cooked  meals,  so  he  already  knows  the  answer  for  his  own  question.  “a  one  day  only  special?  now  that’s  too  good,  can’t  miss  it.  but  what  kinda  cakes  we’re  talkin’  here?”

        ‘  oh  yeah .    lightyears  better .  ’   her  words  are  dead  serious ,    though  the  glimmer  in  her  eyes  betrays  her  impish  sarcasm .   ‘  right ?   i  thought  it  was  a  good  idea ,   at  least .   trying  to  get  asses  in  seats  since  i  want  to  do  something  special  for  my  family  this  christmas .  ’    she  doesn’t  have  any  idea  what ,   but  once  she  has  an  idea  of  what  the  financials  look  like  for  the  end  of  the  year  she’ll  at  least  have  a  budget  to  go  off  of .   ‘  i  went  with  a  chai  pumpkin  cake  with  maple  browned  butter  frosting  ----  i  was  torn  between  that  and  apple  cardamom  cake  with  a  caramel  drizzle .    seriously ,    it’s  so  good  ----  if  you  don’t  make  it  tomorrow ,   i’ll  have  to  bring  you  a  piece  myself .  ’

“just one is fine,” hannah said, a smile taking over her face. viv was half the reason that hannah tended to hang out at delia’s, the comfort that the older woman exuded, the poise that hannah quietly envied. “do you want to play as yellow or red?” she asked, settling the pieces into two different piles as delineated by their colors.

when leela wasn’t at the beach or working, she was with one of her sisters. particularly eating the pastries vivi had whipped whenever she was around in her elder sister’s bakery shop. of course, her only request was that it be vegan friendly. given the amount of sweet treats she consumed, it was perhaps a good thing leela not only had a wicked metabolism but also kept herself pretty active. all the surfing and running the brunette did was certainly paying off because she never looked better than she did these days, if she did say so herself. now, she wasn’t vain, she still had her moments. one her day off that sunday she was propped up on the kitchen counter as vivi did her thing. “this was great, my only complain is that it wasn’t sweet enough.” she was kidding of course, vivi’s creations were flawless.

              you  know ,    cheesy  as  it  is ,    vivienne  is  really  proud  of  delia’s .   she  may  not  have  built  the  business ,    but  in  the  time  she’s  owned  the  place  she’s  watched  it  grow  into  a  home  away  from  home  for  a  lot  of  patrons :   including  her  own  sisters .   it’s  a  shining  accomplishment  to  her ,   how  safe  her  family  feels  in  this  environment .    it’s  really  sweet .....    when  they’re  not  underfoot .    leela  is  perched  safely  out  of  her  way  at  the  moment ,    though ,    so  it’s  not  currently  an  issue .   oftentimes  she  finds  herself  having  to  shoo  the  girls  out  of  the  kitchen ,   but  in  the  quiet  lull  of  the  afternoon ,    leela’s  presence  is  welcome .    viv  watches  leela’s  expression  intently  from  where  she  stands ,   flour - dusted ,    trying  to  gauge  her  reaction  to  the  new  pastry  she’s  testing  out .   ‘  yeah ,   yeah .    but  nothing’s  ever  sweet  enough  for  you ,  so  i’m  going  to  take  that  as  a  yes ,   viv ,    it’s  perfect ,   you’re  amazing ,    i  love  you .   ’

‘if i had an office, you could!’ quade pointed out covering his mouth in his arms to yawn. he actually didn’t know how he managed to stumble in here, but seeing as viv was one of the people he considered like family, it made sense. ‘i didn’t drool! but fine. thank you.’ he took the water and downed it, suddenly parched. ‘how long was i asleep? did someone cute walk by and see me asleep and gag? please tell me my one true love didn’t walk right by me and think ew. why is he sleeping on a table?’ 

                 ‘  wait ,    why  am  i  being  punished  for  your  lack  of  office ?  ’   viv  laughs ,   shaking  her  head  slightly .    she’d  much  rather  quade  have  ended  up  here  than  trying  to  drive  home  in  the  state  he  was  in ,    but  that  doesn’t  mean  a  free  pass !    the  price ?  viv’s  teasing .  ‘  just  under  two  hours .    i  figured  i’d  let  you  finish  your  rem  cycle .   ----  i  hate  to  be  the  bearer  of  bad  news ,    but  you  had  a  crowd  gathered .    i  think  someone  even  made  a  tik  tok  of  you .  i  would’ve  shooed  them  away ,   but  if  it  goes  viral  that’s  free  publicity  for  me .  ’  

she was aware of the idea that it was strange to set up a game of connect four in a restaurant, but that implied a very strong attachment to what society dictated might qualify as strange. instead of caring about that, hannah set up her game almost every time she came into the cafe, paying for her coffee and breakfast and playing the game as people came up to play with her. the real strangeness was how often people looked at her, that childhood yearning on their face, and didn’t come play. “wanna play one?” she asked.

           viv  loves  her  regulars .    every  single  one  of  ‘em ,    even  the  ones  who  would  usually  be  considered  offbeat  elsewhere .     vivienne  has  always  sort  of  been  leader  of  the  island  of  lost  toys ,    if  you  will ,     collecting  &  befriending  all  kinds  of  little  weirdoes  over  the  years .     hannah  is  on  the  far  less  extreme  end  of  that  scale ,    and  viv  isn’t  bothered  by  her  quirks .    her  employees  have  everything  covered  at  the  moment ,    so  she  was  doing  a  lap  around  the  place  to  check  on  all  the  customers .    a  fond  smile  curves  her  lips  at  hannah’s  earnest  question .    ‘  i  would  like  that .   but  just  one ,   okay ?   i’ll  have  to  get  back  to  check  on  my  crew .  ’

​

Topher sat in his home studio with Vivienne to play her the latest track he was mixing, trying to get the beat down before putting lyrics to it. “Pretty impressive, no?” He was a little full of himself. He had to be. A natural born salesmen of his own body since he was 16, or rather his entire life, but professionally since then. “What do you think so far?” 

           vivienne’s  love  for  music  is  something  she  holds  close  to  her  chest .    it’s  a  vulnerable  thing ,    isn’t  it ?    to  create ?   either  way ,     she  has  found  someone  she  can  trust  with  this  part  of  herself  in  topher .     viv  sits  with  her  guitar  on  her  lap ,    idle  plucking  of  the  strings  ceasing  when  the  boy  hit  play .     her  head  bobs  along  to  the  beat ,   unable  to  stop  the  smile  from  curving  her  lips  as  she  listens .    ‘  that’s  actually  sick .   what  kind  of  vocals  were  you  thinking  for  it ?   ’