Try the pumpkin Who: Rictor, OTA What: Shopping and coffee When: Thursday afternoon Where: Uncommon Grounds in Mutant Town Warnings: Language Ric was not a big shopper. In fact, he may have done more shopping the past week than he had his entire life. Still, his room at Omega Base was so empty he could not hardly stand it, and the prices on things in this day and age rather astounded him. He had planned to pick up a few beanbags to toss in the corners of the room and provide some additional seating, but the things were so damn expensive! He had left the mall grumbling to himself and puffing on a cigarette to try and relieve his annoyance. The trip to Mutant Town had been quite the let-down, and the apartment he shared with Shatterstar would remain more empty than not for a while longer. It annoyed him, but there was little he could do about it.
"Maybe I should dig through a Goodwill," he murmured to himself as he headed for Uncommon Grounds. Right now they had a bed, a minifridge and that was it. They could seriously use a table, Ric thought, and maybe a chair or four. Star was already seriously looking at paint colors, but cash on hand was an issue, and given his lovely family, Ric was not going to put his name down on any credit cards, that would only paint a giant bulls-eye on him. Such were his thoughts when Rictor snuffed out his cigarette, pushed the door to the coffee shop open and tucked his hands under the tails of his untucked shirt to slide his fingers into the pockets of his jeans. The familiar scent of coffee helped drag his mind away from his furnishing problems and to his need for something warm and caffeinated.
Absently scratching at his scruffy jaw, Ric studied the large sign naming the drinks and their respective prices. The coffee here was good, if not a little overpriced in Ric's mind. Then again he tended to just go for black coffee, but today felt like a day to experiment. New team, new apartment, may as well try a new coffee, right? He stepped up to the counter, still looking less than sure as he put in an order for a peppermint latte.
"You don't look like the mint kind," The girl behind the counter smiled at him, shooting him a quick wink. "I think you'd like the pumpkin more."
Dark brows shot up slightly of their own accord as Ric studied her. "Oh? Why's that?" He had to wonder if she was flirting, it had been so long since he had really flirted that he had almost forgotten how the game went.
"It's too sweet," she announced sagely. "You seem like you've got a taste for bitter stuff. Try the pumpkin, it's not so sweet. Besides, it's in the spirit of the season!"
Ric shrugged his shoulders, he could not deny that he liked his coffee bitter. "A'right," he agreed with a nod. "Pumpkin latte, then." He handed over a few bills and dropped some change into the tip jar before he cracked a small grin and added, "but I better like it."