Back to Work (open)

It was five in the morning and was shaping up to be a beautiful day. The morning chorus of birdsong drifted through the air under the pink-tinged clouds of the sunrise. Inside to darkened dining room of the Cross-Time café worked a russet furred pegasus nursing a migraine.

Jack went about the daily tasks of helping the café be ready for the coming work day with the same level of discipline and attention to detail as keeping his home in order. It felt like months had gone by since he had last swept the floors clean, to menial work easing the sharp pain in his head.

By half past six, all three of the Laytons had arrived and started on creating the first meals of the day.

At exactly seven am, Jack flipped the little sign in the window over.


"Open"

Lucy Jane walked down the street hiding behind her trench coat and cap. She attempted to ignore the looks she was getting from people.She was surprised that no one had reported a suspicious looking person walking down the street. To be honest she was on the run, Lucy had stuffed up on her mission big time and was now being hunted down. Maybe she could pass as a vampire hiding from the sun. Most shops were closed, some began to open. Her eyes landed on a cafe with an open sign on it. Maybe I could stay there for a while She thought as she pushed the door open with her shoulder, her arm was still sore even though there was no mark on it. Looking around she spotted a table in the corner and walked towards it.

Jack noted the woman entering the cafe as he finished putting away his cleaning equipment. She wore a heavy trench coat despite the lack of chill in the air and hid her face behind the bill of her cap.

Jack trotted up to the table she sat at.

"Good morning and welcome to the Cross Time Café, is their anything I can help you with?"

Lucy looked up, towards the voice, it was a pegasus. She didn't see them often. She kept her face down. "Could I get a green tea please." She asked softly.

Jack nodded and walked to the back room to make the woman's tea. From what he saw, she was either a very shy person or she was hiding from something. It was still far to early to call either way, so he contented himself with watching her from the corner of his eye.

Lucy careful started to do some light stretches with her arm. She bit the bottom of her lip whenever she felt pain. Normally she was careful when she was working, but she learnt her lesson today to always be careful. She looked around to make sure no one else was there as she continued with her stretches, she didn't want to be gaining any unwanted attention.

Jack walked back into the dining area, a teapot with cup and saucer balanced perfectly on his left wing.

He set it down in front of her, having noticed the slight grimaces she gave as she stretched her left arm when she thought no one was looking.

"That's $6.35 for the tea. How's the arm treating ya by the way?"

"Eh," She turned around and quickly relaxed her arm, "Here" she said while passing the money to him, "It's just a bit sore, might have pulled something." she laughed as she lied. But what else could she say. If someone was to look at it they would say it's normal, that's the problem of not being able to wound, no battle scares, no proof. So she wasn't really hurting anyone with her lie.

Her haste in lowering her arm told Jack that she wasn't being entirely honest with him, he'd seen ponies act like that before. Old warhorses that been wounded in combat but were to proud or stubborn to slow down.

So he decide to buck a thunderhead.

"Who was it you where fighting?"

Lucy stopped drinking her tea. She looked at the half full cup, it was a waist to leave it like that. She pushed the sleeve of her coat up to revel a pale unmarked arm. "If I was in a fight wouldn't it be bruised or have some markings?" She asked calmly, "Like I said before I must have just pulled something. She really didn't want to be caught in the middle of her tea. She shacked her head to allow her blond hair to fall out of the cap and fall around her shoulders, it got annoying having it stuffed up in the cap and having to place it all in again, but she kept it on to hide her face.

"Okay, okay. Sorry for assuming. It just that we've had our fair share of strange happening linked to those that walk through that door. Somepony coming in with a normal problem is a bit rare."

Lucy chuckled, "It's okay. It's always good to look out for others." She smiled as she took a sip of the tea. She looked out the window from the corner of her eye, careful not to move her head. Everything seemed normal outside which was a good sign.

"The name's Jack by the way, call if you need anything."

Jack swept up the money on the table and went back to buffing one the tables on the other side of the room.

Lucy nodded as she watched Jack move off. She faced the wall as she took the cap off and placed her hair in a ponytail before placing the cap back on. She now had to plan what to do next. She couldn't really return without getting the job done and fixing the problem she created.

After a life, using the term 'life' loosely, he should have found a decent play to get a cup of milk but nope. Whenever he appears everyone always runs away screaming scared. People now are just week and pathetic. in his day he stood up to a reaper and starred him right in the eyes, granted that could of ended better as seen by the current situation but still.

as he walks down the main street 'unseen', this being an ability to clock oneself making him just a flicker in the corner of your eye, or that ghost that was there a second ago. In one hand his scythe and in his other an ancient scroll, deaths list. But seeing how there were no names currently on it he was free and clear to do as he wanted, within the rules.

Stopping outside this interesting looking café, the Cross-Time café. As he walked in the door he decided to have a little fun, if he was still unseen he could walk in unnoticed but dropping that he opened the door and walked in, in full view and un hidden walked across the floor and took a seat agents the wall in one of the empty corners, still scythe in hand.

Jack lifted an eyebrow at the cloaked sycthman, now the day was proceeding as expected.

"Good morning and welcome to the Cross Time Café, is their anything I can help you with?"

Grim was both relived and shocked at the response of the worker, finally someone didn’t run but to be that calm something must be odd. Looking back at him just a cup of milk cold would be best thanks reaching into his robe and pulling out a hand full of money which he took from his latest victim.

he seem to be able to actually relax, placed the scroll down and opened it slightly so if a name did appear he would see it, laid his head back and the hood came off revealing he was completely nothing but bone underneath.

Demon Lucy thought to herself when the other person came in. She was used to them being adopted child to a demon, but this one was different some how. When she first heard the bells she almost jumped, thinking that it was the people who were looking for her, but no it was just a demon.

Grim sitting back looking over his list, reading the names that have been crossed off. He hasn't done that in a long time, it’s easier if he doesn’t, better to just cut them down and walk away then read back over the lives he has taken.

Granted as the grim reaper death typically only sends him after people who deserve it, or the unlucky ones whose fate was sealed by those who make a deal with death. But as the end of the day dead is dead, how else can a reaper look at things especially a servant of death it’s self.

Reaching into his robe he pulls out a black stick of metal and starts to grind it agents the blade of the scythe, not that it really matters theirs no new name and no one to strike off, may as well be ready.

(hey can i join am rp mad lolz?)

(Berry, you work here too.)

(yea i just realized i dont know what to do lolz)

"Here's your milk sir, apologies for the wait."

Jack's ceremonial training limited his reaction to a faint lifting of his brow when he gazed upon the revealed visage of the Café's latest customer. He'd met Mort (know variously as the Pale Pony or the Grim Galloper to world at large) a few times on business and a few more on leave, the lanky fellow in the booth must have been this worlds version of him.

Walking back behind the counter Jack's ears pricked when he heard a low rumbling, almost but not quite exactly unlike purr of a cat. Ears swiveling about, Jack traced the sound to one of the Cafe's pantries far at the back of the building. He opened the door.

While not loud, the sound that now assaulted his ears perfectly emulated a Changeling choir singing hymns. In other words, it sounded like an active quarry. Navigating to the rear of the room uncovered the source of the noise. A sleeping Neko wearing an apron for the Cross Time Café. It was Berry, sleeping on the job. She must of snuck in here sometime after the Jack had taken stock.

In keeping with the code of conduct of the Equestrian Royal Guard, Jack decided to wake her up as gently as possible.

"Wake up fatcat!"

grim let out a little snicker as the waiter started yelling at someone. placing the black metal stick on the table he picked up the milk and had a little sip, he was quite pleased nice and cold, and even more it tasted fresh.

the last time he had truly fresh milk he literal had to kill someone for it, it was so nice not having to worry about any contracts and he could just sit back and drink his milk.

Lucy jumped at the sound of the yelling for a moment she thought she was caught, that the people had found her. It was the word 'cat' that made her calm down, she wasn't a cat so it must have been someone else looking around she saw that the only customer was the demon. She adjusted herself carefully to see what exsacly was going on in the back room.