Elite Comic Universe PBP

Bea had a morning shift at Elite Chai today.

She got right to work - dutiful and customer-focused. She didn't know as many of the morning customers by name yet, but she was determined to learn the names as she went along.

She smiled at the smoothies being sold. Their video had gone well! She personally wasn't going to win (or really earn any points or acclaim for her part) but she had participated in a way that felt true to her values, and LD had been sweet throughout. And she'd noticed that he hadn't actually flirted with Ynez much at all. All business. Maybe his type wasn't solely about sex appeal?

She fretted about the unsolved mysteries of the prior night. The ... what if I had... She'd heard third hand that Frankie was back so she wasn't panicked, but could she really trust that report? She'd feel better when she saw her in-person!

As she worked, she happily interacted with anyone else - baseline or elite - assigned to the shift.

Miles stopped by the coffee shop for his morning pick-me-up.

"A dirty sugar-free chai, please, with almond milk and a shot of vanilla," he requested, flashing his Elite Chai frequent chai-er loyalty card.

"Oh hey!" Miles added, recognizing Bee Haw from the Elite House. "You're the bee lady, right? I'm called Thousand Miles."

She smiled.

"Howdy neighbor! Yes, from Academy House. I'm Beatrice Hawkins. Or Bea for short. Or 'Bee Haw'. From Oklahoma in the United States."

She passed along his order to the folks making the drinks.

"Nice to meet you. Are you on your way to classes? Do you study at the University?"

Frankie was creating a concoction that was mostly sugar, hot chocolate, almond milk, and covered in a tower of whip cream. She smiled and said, "I call it the Frankie Deluxe."

"It's gonna be amazin', bruv."

Bee Haw wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 21, 2025 12:24 pm

"Nice to meet you. Are you on your way to classes? Do you study at the University?"

"Yes, I'm in Elite studies at the University," Miles affirmed. "But I'm hoping to make a name for myself in the UNJE competition. How about you? I heard you were filming some promo shots for Elite Chai yesterday, is that right?"

Frankie wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 21, 2025 12:53 pm

Frankie was creating a concoction that was mostly sugar, hot chocolate, almond milk, and covered in a tower of whip cream. She smiled and said, "I call it the Frankie Deluxe."

"It's gonna be amazin', bruv."

"Whoa, WTF Frankie, is there any actual coffee or tea in that?!" Miles said, laughing and taking a quick picture of the towering monstrosity with his camera.

"There is sugar," she admitted. "That's good enough for me, bruv." She said to Bea, "Bruv, want me to make you a Frankie Deluxe?"

She smiled at Miles.

"I think all the Academy competitors were tasked to do promo videos individually or in teams. I worked with LD, Ayana, and Ynez. She's a model, rather than a competitor. We promoted the veggie smoothies! Perfect cool drinks for a day at the beach. It was nice. I hope the judges like it."

"I'm not a student. Just a competitor! I work here, and I'm going to start a volunteer role at an animal shelter later today."

"Oh, so you like other animals besides bees?" Miles asked conversationally. "What kind of animals will you work with?"

She nodded enthusiastically.

"I grew up on a ranch. So horses are my first love! The animal shelter helps cats, dogs, donkeys, and horses. Any animal abandoned on the streets here, but those are the most common ones."

"Sounds like a good cause," Miles said, nodding. "I bet hanging around animals is really good for the soul."

"Thinking about it, I wonder if they would let us adopt a house pet at Elite House?" he ventured. "Maybe it'd be a good visual, having house members come by the shelter to pick an animal to adopt. What do you think?"

"Oh! That's a wonderful idea. As long as the producers don't mind, I think it would be great! We could maybe show all the animals being considered so the other ones got some visibility, too."

"I'd gladly help take care of an adopted cat or dog for Academy House."

"Perfect!" Miles nodded. "The publicity should be great for your animal shelter! I bet every animal that shows up on camera will get adopted."

"And we'll get a fuzzy mascot to hang out with at Elite House."