TASK #10: GET BOLD

"They are," Leyla assured, "I've sampled them all myself before putting them on the menu, so you can't go wrong." She was leaving nothing to chance, putting her whole being into making this concept work. There were a couple of bars in the area, so she had competition but no one was doing exactly what she was doing. They might have non-alcoholic options, though. That's why she had to work extra hard to make her place stand out as something special. "Great choice!" She replied, beaming, "I leave that menu then." As she began to make the drink herself, she decided she should probably strike up a conversation like any other bartender would do. What would Sam Malone do? "So what do you do?"

"They all sound kinda good," Che said, eyeing up the menu. He'd often spend time like this at bars with alcoholic beverages, but it was early and it was a work night and he was trying not to be the worst. "Go with the strawberry basil one, then." He smiled over at Leyla. "And then maybe something more smoothie-like afterwards for my second drink."

WHO: Leyla & @chvndlr WHERE: Pause for Paws WHEN: September 29, at some point in the day

Leyla was starting to wonder if the guy who worked here was going to think she was aiming for his job for the amount of time she spent in here. She had seen him in her shop with his blonde friend, so they were sort of even. In a not at all way. He had a few more visits needed to catch up on work place visits. Her laptop bag slung over her shoulder, she gave him a little smile as she approached, offering a "me again." She also wondered if she said the usual if he'd even remember what that was or if he didn't pay that much attention to what guests ordered. He didn't exactly scream 'customer service is what I live for'. "Cinnamon latte," she said, looking around before asking, "hey, this is probably a stupid question, but are the cats here adoptable?"

WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING (2022) dir. Olivia Newman

Leyla smiled warmly, though it had been a little jarring to have a ball flying at her face, it had clearly not been intentional. Following his gaze for a second, she wondered if one of the kids over there was his. "Very," she answered his question first, "it's a book for female entrepreneurs, Girl Code. I read a lot of business books these days. Is one of those kids over there yours? I saw you do a Dad check."

"You got it," Wesley couldn't help but chuckle at Leyla's response. Well, at least she wasn't upset. He glanced over at Ary for a second then back over at Leyla. "Good read?" he asked, head tilting in an attempt to make out just what book she had been reading anyway.

Leyla paused for a moment, trying to figure out how best to describe the trip which had been a rollercoaster. "Um, it's family," she decided to go more vague, "but I did enjoy connecting more to parts of myself and my family's history." She didn't completely regret going, but she did try to reflect too much. "I enjoyed learning them and then practicing them. I wanted to be connected to all parts of myself, language included, besides I loved learning, always have." The work had always made sense before the people. "I hope so," she remarked. She did want to leave an impact on the town with her business, a good one. "I'll add it to my list," she said, all the more wanting to go based on his recommendation. "We're alike in that, sometimes new beginnings are important. Clear the slate and build something you're proud of, which you clearly have."

"Oh!" he nodded his head with understanding when she mentioned that her parents were Iranian, that it had been a trip to visit relatives. "Did you enjoy it, getting to visit family?" Sometimes it was a pleasure visit, sometimes you wanted to pull your hair out. Rafael had family in both Italy and Mexico, loved to visit both, but knew that by the end of it, sometimes he was happy to get back home and not be social. For a little while, anyway. "That's very handy, being able to speak both languages. I know from experience that it's always respected and appreciated when you visit a place and speak to the people in their own language, rather than expecting them to understand yours." Maybe not something entirely possible for everyone, but still worth a shot. "It does, absolutely. You're doing a good thing for the town," he assured her with a sincere smile. "I grew up on the Amalfi Coast, so I'm biased… but highly recommend it," it was, after all, a gorgeous town. Whether living there, or visiting. "A change. I just needed to get out of the city and start over."

Leyla had decided to set up a booth at Creek Fest to let the town sample some Fall flavors she'd created. It was a great way to get some good publicity and feedback for her drinks. Stopping into the Supply Sack to grab a few things for the signs she needed for the booth, she tried to be in and out but she was a bit dazzled by all the options in here. It was truly a hobby paradise. A voice she recognized caused her to pause, but this time the familarity didn't make her what to take a running leap into the ocean. "Mills?!" She exclaimed as she turned around.

who: cemile & open (1/3) [ @merrock ]

where: the supply shack

Cemile wasn't artistic in any way. But she'd begrudgingly go to the craft store to pick up some paints for her students. They'd been excited about their upcoming performance and wanted to make posters, and she had a bit of a soft spot for them, so she found herself here. Unfortunately, she didn't know what kind of paint to buy. After all, if she brought something that stained, she'd be hearing from their parents, and that was the last thing she wanted. So she stood in the aisle, glancing at her options, when she noticed someone nearby. "Excuse me?" she spoke up, hoping to catch their attention. "Do you think puffy paint would work for posters, or is there a better option?"

Some people were more health-conscious than others, neither necessarily better than the other. It had taken Leyla some time to get there, to not over-think everything, but she did want most of her drinks to be on the healthy side to open that up to those who wanted it. Behind the booth was safe, but she didn't come here to be safe. She knew she had to push herself forward or she'd go backwards, even when everything still screamed within her to push people away. "I may have to hide the jam, I have three roommates and one is definitely a snacker," she joked, not actually thinking Darrius would come for her jam but who knew. She laughed about his comment on the grape juices. "Is the pumpkin patch worth adding to my list?" Speaking of things she could see Darrius or Aisha doing, she might need a pumpkin for roomie carving night or whatever they'd call it. "I bet it's fun for the kids. Do you have any?"

"That's very true!" Josh agreed with Leyla on the health ingredients, knowing that he always felt better about being hooked on a soup or salad, or a new smoothie than he did on something fried or full of sugars, not that he was ever someone to try to judge another person's food interests. Josh was very 'eat what makes you happy,' about life. Or more accurately, 'do what makes you happy' in terms of pretty much anything and everything. "Got it… alright," he nodded, taking a sip of the apple cider first, and then reaching for the next one while listening to her talk about her own experience at Creek Fest. He knew from many, many festivals and events spent working with the center that sometimes it was tough to get away, and was glad to hear that she had gotten some time for herself. "Oh, the jam is always so good! And I did see those crochet pumpkins, they're adorable," he beamed. "Just keep them away from any grape juices if you buy them and head that way," he teased, smile on his face. "I think I'll try to do some pumpkin picking after this. Got my fuel, now."

"I've heard that about pregnancy," Leyla said, "but I can't say I blame you on the French Toast. I don't have the biggest sweet tooth, but I will cave for some of that, especially with a raspberry compote on top."

It was important to her that everyone have a place where they can feel safe. Though it seemed like the small town provided a lot of that already, she still wanted to be adding to that, not taking away. "Exactly, depending on what I'm looking for in a day, and I'm always trying to create new flavors and ideas. After seeing how much the town loves a bonfire, I'm hoping to create something that tastes like s'more."

"I don't know if it's really weird, but my sweet tooth has gotten much worse since," Alice giggled. "So I always want something like ice cream at random hours of the day. I don't know how much of that would be considered to be normal," she grinned. "Well, last week I really wanted some French Toast after dinner..."

Alice smiled. She knew that different people had different reasons for not drinking, and she could respect that. And when she was younger, she could have used that thinking as well. If there were more places like Mawk Tales, she'd probably still have had a lot of fun. She nodded, listening to Leyla list off her different favorite drinks. "Understandable. I get that completely. So you'd say that you'd probably have a different favorite everyday? Nothing wrong with some variety!"

A laugh bubbled from her as her latest customer popped up, almost literally. It was like the sunshine coming in through the window was right in front of her. Besides, Leyla liked when people treated this the same as any bar, made her feel more like she was Sam Malone in Cheers. "You seem a girl who likes a seasonal specialty," she replied, a touch playfully, "so I would say our Pumpkin Pie Martini mocktail or my personal favorite at the moment, which is the Autumn Spice. But I'm a sucker for a cinnamon flavor, paired with the cloves and nutmeg, it's the season in a glass."

WHO: Nari & @leyla-tehrani

WHERE: Mawk Tales

WHEN: September, 2023

"Alright, hit me," Nari swung onto one of the bar stools, tucking her legs underneath herself, feet finding perch on the run as she looked up at the menu behind the bar. There were far too many good drinks to choose from, something that she had learned a long time ago, but that was why it paid to have a bartender to help you out -- at least Leyla would know what to suggest. Hopefully. Or maybe she would just flounder her way through trying whatever looked good on the menu. "What's the best option for a girl like me?"