middaeg | (open mingle | purramid cafe)

Entry tags:

monster duchess: leslie

(open mingle | purramid cafe)

Who: Anyone (including fourth wallers!)
When: Throughout the month
Where: Purramid Cafe (Entertainment District)
What: Mingle post
Warnings: None!

grab a meowcha latte
Perhaps you came here intentionally. You need a spot to meet a friend, somewhere to study magic, or you just want to spend some time rolling around on the floor with some cats. Or it's entirely possible that you simply wandered in upon seeing the divine beasts loafing in the window and curiosity got the better of you. Regardless of how or why you ended up here, you've found yourself in this cafe. Now what?

While that's entirely up to you, it's definitely recommended that you order something to drink or to eat. (The menu is entirely cat- and Egyptian-based puns, but anything you might order is of quality and worth purchasing, promise!) Maybe you're wanting to sample everything on the menu at least once or you're developing a favorite. The counter is also where you are able to purchase catmint and treats if you wish to spoil the sphinxes (or if you've got a feline at home).

Otherwise, make yourself comfortable. There's plenty of seating with small tables or pillows to cushion you as you sit on the floor. Play with the sphinx kittens or see how many you can coax onto you. Or suffer when one decides to hop into your lap at the precise moment you're about to stand and leave and only a horrible person would ever disturb its impending slumber.

study group/monsters nights (alternating wednesdays)
Let's be honest, the transition from everyone's world to this one is a bit of a rough one. There's a lot to adjust to and some have it a little more intense than others. Everyone could likely use a little help trying to figure things out. That's why every other Wednesday night for this month is either Study Night or Monsters Night.

During Study Night, individuals with proficiency or deficits in the various schools of magic in Aefenglom can convene with one another to practice spells, discuss magical theory and research, or otherwise troubleshoot difficulties/challenges together. Guests are not allowed to test their magic directly on the sphinxes, but if it can essentially create some play with the cubs, that's allowed. Successful mastery of a spell while at study group will earn one a free drink for either that same night or during their next visit!

Monsters Night, however, is more of a Monsters only event, including for the staff. (Even Ozymandias stays out of the cafe after the event begins.) The night is intended to provide Monsters with the opportunity to have their own space to discuss their challenges and successes with adapting to their changes, or other concerns they might be experiencing. It may also be a place to discuss some of the concerns that are often raised about Bonds, especially from those who have heard about or witnessed Dorchacht. All Monsters receive a discount on their first purchase of food or drink and pay regular prices for all subsequent purchases!

board & card game night (every friday)
To also promote the cafe for its first full month of business, Friday nights are reserved for board & card games. The cafe provides its own selection of games that one could find for purchase in the city itself and provide rule explanations for those who might need them. Customers are also free to bring their own copies of these games or, if they've taken the time to make it themselves, games from their own worlds! (Ozymandias, for example, has provided the cafe with a few Senet game boxes if one is feeling adventurous enough to try what is essentially ancient Egyptian backgammon.) Tabletop nerds are also welcome to bring their character sheets and get rolling and storytelling. For games where it might be appropriate, customers are free to get a little competitive and create their own mini-tournaments if desired, or keep it completely casual. Play with strangers or with friends! Just be careful not to get locked into a several hours long friendship-ruining real estate-based game because you decided use house rules instead...

Customers should be warned that the sphinx cubs are not going anywhere though! There may be a few disruptions as there is attempted thievery of game pieces or someone decides a board looks like a good place to lay down. Or maybe you decide to team up with a sphinx cub and they provide you with terrible financial advice in the aforementioned real state game. (Note: Sphinxes don't talk and they definitely have not been educated on real estate, so please don't seek that sort of advice from them.)

Drinks are also discounted the entire night. So, maybe be a little careful about getting too much of a caffeine high, but otherwise, have fun!

((ooc: this is an entirely open mingle post for everyone, including fourth wallers! the sphinx kittens behave more or less like cats, so go wild with whatever goofy cat nonsense you want to get into. if you'd like more information about the cafe or are interested in having your character work/volunteer there, please see the info post. you will also see there are opportunities for business partnerships or posting fliers there as well! feel free to ask any questions on that post or hmu via PM!))

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i. meowcha latte

[Ozymandias is not as frequent of a visitor to his own cafe as one might anticipate, but at the ned of the day, he doesn't feel the particular need to hover over his staff and make sure they're doing their jobs. Nepotism with those he considers as his own children aside, he wouldn't allow them to set foot through those doors and be in charge of customers or his precious sphinx cubs if they were not capable of such responsibilities.]

[Still, Ozymandias must be there early on Sunday every morning to resummon the kittens and he tends to stay awhile afterward. He's not entirely fatigued using that much magic at once, but not rushing off to the next thing immediately helps a bit. Sometimes he stays talking with staff behind the counter or he takes to sitting on the floor and figuratively enchanting 2-3 sphinxes with a worm on a string, slowly moving the string across the floor as each cub begins to do calibration wiggles.]

[And it's not that uncommon for Ozymandias to be there in the evenings after a long day with Council or Parliament meetings. Sometimes he sits with his legs stretched out, occupied by celestial loaves all the way down to his feet with a cup of tea nearby. (If his legs are falling asleep at any point, Ozymandias will never let it be known.) Sometimes, he has a bit of a harder time letting the previous conversations go and continues to flip through papers he carried back with him in his bag, seated and hunched over at a table. Like that, he may not look like he would necessarily welcome a disruption, but he could probably use it.]

[It's also not entirely out of the realm of possibility he intends to meet someone there, too. He hasn't forgotten the advice to not work so hard all the time, to make space for the people who bring him comfort.]

ii. board game night

Don't expect me to take it easy on you simply because you're a beginner.

[Ozymandias is in the process of resetting the Senet board after his explanation of how to play. So far tonight, he's managed to remain undefeated. The throwing sticks may add an element of luck, but Ozymandias is clearly blessed by the gods and a skilled player. Even if he never actually found his way to the correct afterlife when it really matters, he keeps making it there before his opponents. He's quite confident this will be no different.]

But I am fine playing at your pace.

[The rules were quite complex and until one had good familiarity with them and the board, a slower pace would likely be needed to give his opponent a fighting chance. And despite Ozymandias' arrogance, he would actually prefer that his opponent have even the smallest potential to defeat him. How else are they to improve?]

You may go first.

[He slides the throwing sticks across the table and sits back in his seat, scratching beneath the chin of the kitten that has taken occupancy in his lap with little half-purrs. He clearly thinks of himself as incredibly generous.]

iii. wildcard

((if neither of these tickles your fancy, feel free to go off script and riff on one of the above prompts, make up your own prompt entirely or request something specific! in addition to the above, you may feel free to assume that ozy is available to discuss business partnerships or potential employment. if you've got questions or wanna run something by me, hmu via PM or on plurk at rebreather))

(attempted) study group

[Diarmuid isn't overly familiar with cats. It's not that he dislikes them, more that he's spent most of his life surrounded by dogs- you can hardly take a cat hunting with you, after all, no matter how well trained it is. But these aren't normal cats, are they? With their unusual celestial patternation and oversized paws where they have yet to grow into them, he's found himself quite thoroughly charmed.

Though he had come along to study and help newer witches along where he could, he'd soon become completely distracted by one of sphinx cubs. At some point during the evening, one had taken a liking to his little curl and, after a good fifteen minutes of batting at it excitedly, had demanded his full attention. Even now, his spellwork seems mostly focused on whatever will best entertain the cub. With a short incantation, he creates a small sprinkling of snow, laughing when she jumps at the icy sensation on her nose.]

I'm sorry, little one, did that startle you?

[As he speaks, another leaps up onto the table beside his, rattling the cup atop it without any regard for its occupant. Curious, it begins to snuffle at his coat where it rests over his chair.

Immediately, Diarmuid flashes them a weak smile.]

Ah, I'm sorry, they must be able to smell dog on me.

Edited 2020-05-20 14:22 (UTC)

[ Honestly, she was drawn in by the cute creatures almost instantly. There were so many wonders in this world, and her stark awareness of its transience gave her all the more reason to fully experience all it had to offer, as much as she could. And there was, so far, nothing quite as joyful to her as the idea of a cat cafe. It seemed like the perfect place to unwind and relax after a day in the wild, fighting against the Shades.

So of course she plopped herself down, ordered a hot, blood warming drink, and settled down with a stellar little sphynxie friend, contently petting and humming to herself as she just let herself soak in the atmosphere. ]

Ah, this truly is a knight's paradise...

[[ooc: she's available for any prompt, including beast night and game night!]]

i. here is a picture

[It's finally happened. Giorno has acquired gainful employment. Via nepotism, but it's the intention that counts, probably. He certainly seems to be taking it seriously, although the fact that he's getting paid for it is probably at the bottom of the list of reasons why. It wouldn't do to disappoint Ozymandias, and he likes the cats, and most importantly—]

[Coffee. Giorno takes coffee very seriously.]

[When he's at the cafe, always in the evening hours (or late afternoon in long sleeves and a wide-brimmed hat), he can be found in all conceivable states of bustle. Organizing behind the counter, managing the till, rearranging cat furniture for optimum effect — he even cleans once in a while, believe it or not. Regardless of his activity, though, he's extremely likely to have a sphinx kitten on one shoulder, balanced absently on his hip, or tucked under his chin. Call him on it and he might not even notice; it's just a fact of life here.]

[The only times he isn't being mobbed by at least one kitten are when he's working on The Coffee. The house stuff is good, of course — the best in Aefenglom, and he won't say a word against it without a great deal of pushing, because he's not stupid. Anyone he's on friendly terms with will be offered a house blend on him, with a peer-pressurey smile, because one thing he's dead certain of is that a taste of this over the standard swill will have people coming back.]

[However, his greatest passion is the espresso experiment. If this is to be a cafe, it must be a cafe that would meet the standards of his home. So in lulls, Giorno can be found hunched over a strange contraption, watching unblinking as it dribbles out dark liquid that, every time, manages not to meet his standards.]

[Oh, no. Have you made a sound? Can he simply sense the presence of a victim? He spins on his barstool, alert and wide-eyed.]

You! Come test this for me, would you?

[. . . Would you? If the answer is yes, anything could happen — 1 it's amazing, 2 it's brutally dull, or 3 it makes your insides want to curl up and die.]

ii. add to the pile

[He's never understood the appeal of board games, frankly. Card games yes, but he's never really enjoyed them; they aren't very dynamic, for the most part, despite his good poker face. And he's never had the brilliantly chaotic experience of a night ruined by cheating at Monopoly.]

[So he thinks game night is a dumb idea, basically. However, he's come up with a way to entertain himself. As he goes around bringing players their food and drink, then cleaning up as they finish, he also pockets playing pieces to redistribute around the room. Not more than one from each game at first, although even that is puzzling — why is this little dog going around the Parcheesi board? Soon enough, though, he's sprinkled enough random pieces into each game that it's getting visually very confusing.]

[Somebody's got to stop him. If not now, when? He's only becoming more powerful.]

iii. light a match

[Conversely, Giorno deliberately causes no trouble at all on Monsters Night. There are more than a few reasons for this; it's meant to be a quieter event anyway, for one. More than that, though, as good an idea as it is, he's nervous about having a designated Monsters-only gathering. Maybe that's paranoia. Maybe it's not. Either way, he can't help but be reminded of how hostile this city still is to Monsters, even down to Parliament.]

[So perhaps quiet is the wrong word. Tonight, Giorno is somber — at least until he recognizes that this is the wrong take, that it would be very easy to take this from an evening of reflection and solidarity into one of misery. At that point, he smooths his expression over into something gentle, empathetic, attentive and forces himself to push past his own concern.]

[After this, he's a gracious host. Apron and all, he joins in on discussions from time to time as it seems appropriate, although most of the time he doesn't speak on his own experiences. If any of the guests seem to be growing upset or overwhelmed, he does his best to take them aside in a moment of quiet to check on them, asking with a gentle touch to the elbow,] Do you need to get some air? I'd be happy to walk with you.

[As people begin to trickle out at the end of the evening, he installs himself outside the front door with a small table holding a pad of paper, a pen, and a lit candle.] If there's anything you discussed here that you'd like to leave here, [he explains, holding out the pen and paper and nodding to the candle,] write it down and light it up.

[Is this a good idea? He doesn't know. Does it feel like the right thing to do? Close enough to it, anyway. At least he's trying.]

iv. wildcard

[Hit me with whatever! PM if you'd like a specific starter.]

[ Speaking of people that bring him comfort...

She's not exactly snuggled against him, but still pressed shoulder to shoulder, letting herself rest slightly against him, though more of her weight was on the backrest. It was an improvement in how much public affection she'd been showing without him moving first, all in all. And considering all that they'd been through the month prior, even this little bit was just... good. It was good, felt good, and helped her soul start to let its blossoms see the sunlight again.

And it helped that the coffee was pretty nice, too. ]

It looks like things are going well.

i. meowcha latte

a. on the job, technically speaking

[ Technically Leslie is an employee here, though you mightn't know it from looking at her sitting on the floor surrounded by sphinx kittens. One has even climbed up to her shoulder and appears to be preparing to scale her head.

That job is "Royal Cat Petter," so she's doing her best to try to split her attention between all of them despite only having two hands.

If she sees you sitting without any kittens, though, she might feel a little guilty and call out. ]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hoard all of their attention. I can bring a, um....

[ She looks down at the kitten currently curled up in her lap, which will make it very difficult to bring a kitten over to this kittenless person. Especially when the kitten on her shoulder places both front paws on her head as the first step of climbing up her head. ]

b. hope coffee stunting growth is a myth

[ It seems that Leslie has fallen victim to the pun-based menu, because she's ended up guess-ordering a "Pharaoh Trade" drink, which is to say she's been served coffee by one of the shop's local employees.

As she sits down at a table, she takes a drink from the mug, her face demonstrates Instant Regret. She shudders but does not spit it out. After she forces herself to swallow, she makes a quiet "blech" sound, her tongue sticking out. Bitter.... ]

Do people really like drinking this?

ii. wednesday study night

[ Leslie takes study group very seriously most of the time. Not even the kittens can regularly distract her from her work (which usually involves a dry-looking book from which she writes notes), though if she sees someone struggling, she is always ready to try her best to help! If they don't mind having a child who has limited experience with actual good teaching tutor them.

This lack of experience is part of why she's not really sure how to study in a group, used as she is to solo student experience. She might not be inclined to reach out first herself very much, as much as she enjoys talking about magical theory.

However, she doesn't remain stuck for the entire evening. Towards the end of her time at study nights (which isn't even close to the end of the study time, because Child Bedtimes, but also is likely still after dark because Vampire Guardian), she can be found laying down on the ground entertaining a kitten with some spell or another. Today, she's discovering a fantasy version of a laser pointer, as she watches a kitten trying to catch the tiny ball of light that Leslie is making float near the ground. Every now and then, the kitten will do something especially silly and provoke a laugh from Leslie as she moves an index finger around to direct the light. ]

iii. board & card games

[ Neither of these things are things that Leslie knows about, like, at all. The only time she's been in a toy store, she got completely distracted by the plush animals and wooden toys. She can be found looking through the boxes or trying to make sense of a deck of cards.

She doesn't look like she's making much progress with figuring it out by the extremely puzzled look on her face. What is this...game thing??? ]

iv. wildcard

[ She will be found at the cat café fairly often, especially since she's being paid. Plan your own scenario! ]

Edited 2020-05-20 21:49 (UTC)

[Leslie is someone who will actually agree with that assessment of his generosity, but her response is to nod very seriously.]

Thank you. I don't think it would be fair if you didn't play your best.

[She...assumes. She's never actually played competitive games before??? But if it's a competition, then it must be to judge who is better, which would mean that comparing her best to what is not her best would be unfair to him, right?]

[Picking up the sticks, she tosses them...kind of more vigorously than she probably should. She's been starting to build any muscle whatsoever and she's not expecting them to go quite that high. It's still Leslie, though, so it's not so high that they go flying everywhere. They all initially land on the table, but one hits it at a weird angle and bounces off onto the floor.]

I'm sorry!

[It's basically a reflex at this point.]

That's, um. Two black, one coloured.... [She ducks her head under the table to check the one that is now under the table.] Um, two coloured.

[The person that Giorno attempts to coerce into being his test subject can sense danger when they see it and they immediately back up. Nope nope nope.

However, Leslie is crouched down petting one of the kittens that has wandered up to the counter and she witnesses the exchange. She can see which way this is going and feels bad for Giorno not having anyone to help him with his experiment and she can't imagine him offering anything dangerous to a stranger. So she stands up, suddenly popping up to be seen over the counter.]

I can do that, Mr. Giorno.

[She reaches out to take the cup.]

[Ramesses hums his agreement with her assessment.]

I don't believe it shall be long before I am able to fully recoup on expenses for opening.

[Not if he's able to keep a steady stream of patrons like this, which seems entirely possible so far. The sphinx cubs are a draw, of course. Even people who are not particularly fond of cats can't help but be a little curious about the creatures. And Giorno's sensibilities about coffee allows for the cafe portion to offer something that competitors simply can't replicate.]

[As he continues scratching along the cub's back in his lap, the cub begins to stretch and flatten itself out further. It starts resting one paw on Chariot's lap. She is now also officially trapped possibly forever.]

I imagine I shall begin seeing profits within the next month or so. Especially if Giorno is able to have any success with his machine.

[Granted, Giorno has been acting like a goblin or some equivalent monster about it, but Ramesses sees that similarly paying off in the long run. And it keeps Giorno out of trouble.]

[Leslie's reflexive apology is entirely unnecessary, but Ozymandias is quick to bend down and pick it up once she's seen which side it landed on. A stick is the perfect sort of thing for a kitten to make off with if one is not careful after all. As he sets the stick down with the rest that managed to remain, he asks,]

Which means you move how many?

[If his opponent were an adult, Ozymandias wouldn't bother with asking. He would only say something if they were making a mistake and offer a gentle correction. It's not so much that he doubts Leslie's ability to retain the information, but children do learn best with repetition. The more she has to recall it, the more likely she will retain the rules and be able to focus more on strategy.]

[And besides, Leslie always seems to settle a little bit more when she's provided an opportunity to review information. He'd rather she not remain too flustered about accidentally tossing the sticks with a little too much gusto.]

Giorno... Could I have a word with you?

[Ozymandias is content to let Giorno fiddle with his little contraption all he likes when the rest of the work in the cafe is taken care of. And at this point, there really isn't anything that needs immediate doing. But Ozymandias feels a little compelled to speak up when the customer he opted to use as a tester begins hacking almost to the point of retching and stops putting away some of the cat toys that didn't make it back into their bins.]

[The part of Akko's brain that registers herself as more prey than anything else can't help but feel a little unnerved being around all these cats. But the teenage girl part of her brain is infinitely more powerful at the end of the day and she really wants to take one of these cubs home with her. She's honestly even beginning to contemplate asking Chariot if she can convince the owner to let her because honestly? What is the point of your professor dating a pharaoh if it's not to wrangle a sphinx or two out of him?]

[But for now, Akko is content with getting all of the kittens near her to some degree or another a little high. And by that, the narration means a lot. Akko giggles as one of the cubs begins inch-worming on their side across the floor. It's not a very effective form of locomotion, but it's certainly adorable and getting more of the catmint leaves everywhere.]

I don't think it's exclusive just for knights!

That's true! All apologies, my lady, hardly meant to be rude. [ The knight giggled, sipping her drink again and feeling too damn content to really fuss over words. She'd have to try to get something like this started in Chaldea, to be sure... ]

But to take off my armor and just relax like this... definitely a treasure.

[He has learned well about what makes her tick. The question has the desired reaction to distract her from her fluster.]

Two black and two coloured sticks means that I can move one of my pieces two squares, but I can't do anything else after that until my next turn.

[She gathers up the three sticks that did remain on the table and holds them out to Ozymandias. She doesn't have to think about strategy yet since all of the pieces are in the same place right now.]

[Edelgard walks up just in time to hear that question, and finds it hard to avoid a smile as she lifts a mug of warm tea to her lips to hide the response.

Leslie...]

Some do. Hubert, especially.

[not her though.]

Did you put anything in it to take away the bitter taste?

You're really a knight?

[Akko actually looks away from the kitten. One might assume that was already well-established by now, but.]

[Well.]

[Maybe it was just a weird saying wherever this girl was from?? How's Akko supposed to know!]

[He smiles, pleased both with her correct answer and that she has settled down. Ozymandias nods as he takes the remaining sticks from her.]

Very good! [With his free hand, Ozymandias gestures to the board.] Now, which of your pieces can you move?

[Not knowing about its alertness-granting properties, Leslie looks at the black, bitter liquid and comments with utmost sincerity.]

It does seem like something he would like.

[She looks back up at Edelgard.]

Do you mean that they served it unfinished?

[~~oops I missed that it starts out with the pieces on the first row~~ She looks over the pieces.]

The last one is the only one that can get anywhere, because all of the other pieces would just swap with my own pieces. Right?

No, it's something you have to do yourself. Like adding honey and sugar to tea.

[She holds up a hand, walks over to a condiment station, and returns with a milk container and some sugar.]

Milk and sugar sweeten it, and remove some of the acidity. Put in a little both, and stir it, then give it a try. Add more if that's not to your liking, and just experiment.

Oh.

[It's here that Leslie realizes that Lorenz has been spoiling her a little. He's done any sweetening himself ahead of time, quickly learning to match the young girl's tastes. She came to assume it was just part of the preparation process. But when she thinks about it:]

I've seen people doing that for so long that I stopped noticing by the time I could ask why.

[When she saw her sister do it as she served her and the prince tea, there wasn't anyone she could ask and expect to get an answer. But the good thing is that she's seen it enough to have an idea how much is appropriate to start with, carefully mimicking the motions she remembers to add the right amount of milk, sugar, and stirring.

By her expression when she sips the sweetened coffee, she's going to need to add a little more, but at least it's a much less dramatic distaste this time.]

It is better. Thank you.

[She reaches for the sugar again, though.]

[Edelgard nods, pleased with how quickly Leslie seems to pick up on it. It's not complicated, but it is just something that one needs to learn. figuring out preferences is important, and this is apparently a step Leslie needed to take.]

I'm glad. Just...try different amounts till you get it where you like it.

[Sitting back down, she leans in her seat and takes a sip of her tea.]

The other reason why people drink coffee, especially Hubert, is that it is a stimulant that's stronger than tea. It will keep you awake.

[Leslie concentrates first on adding a little more milk and sugar (and sugar — look, she has a way to go to fit her preferences) before looking back up at Edelgard.]

Is that why he seems to always be awake? I thought he must be taking naps in his lab somewhere, though I hadn’t seen anywhere comfortable in it.

[She could see Hubert sleeping on a hard floor if he felt it was more efficient. She takes a sip that is not accompanied by making a face. It’s now...okay. She wouldn’t go looking for it unless there weren’t as many choices as there are here.]

Um, does that mean that people don’t have to sleep as much when drinking this? Like if they’re busy and need to get things done quickly?

[As often is the case, her body language is an open book. She’s clearly interested, maybe even a little excited, by this idea. She hasn’t been working through the night in Aefenglom, but it’s an option she wants to have.]

He sleeps. I know he does.

[She can feel it. she knows he does. But she has yet to pinpoint where.

Funny, that. Huberts are mysterious creatures.

And oh. No.

No way missy. Edelgard leans forward, lips twitching in a smile.]

People who drink it need to sleep. It doesn't make you less tired, it just makes your body not feel it. Young people especially need to get their rest, and should limit their coffee drinking.

[HINT, HINT.]

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Page 1 of 6

(open mingle | purramid cafe)

ozymandias | witch | ota

diarmuid ua duibhne | witch | ota

gareth | turnskin | ota

giorno giovanna | vampire | ota

i

leslie | witch | ota

ii. 1/2

2/2

i. I rolled but you'll have to find out what it was when someone drinks it

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this precious angel...

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a beacon of goodness in these trying times

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we don't deserve her

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but she deserves us loving her

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