Limelight Pregaming

[themightybosstone]

ESTABLISHING SOME BACKSTORY THREADS!!

Comments

[Percy]

[themightybosstone]

[It's a hell of a storm today, actually. Sett really hadn't expected it - but well, it's not like he looked at the weather report either. It HAD been just nice and breezy, overcast, maybe sure! But great for a run.

So he hadn't taken his car.

So, there he is, a drenched cat man with several pounds of fish wrapped in newspaper walking off of the docks, against the backdrop of deep black clouds and lashing waves.]

Great. Well, suppose that's the worst of it.

Re: [Percy]

[audacity]

[ well

supposing, as he's about to step off the docks, a hand grabs his ankle out of nowhere ]

[ Ruan Mei ]

[abaogenesis]

[ Now, it's not as if Peony needs to make her deliveries by hand. She certainly has an employee or two she could send on such busywork errands, but she's never been one to simply pass things she considered "important" onto others.

The importance of hand-delivering her confectionaries to her ex-husband's cafe, well... who could say. A matter of "keeping her work in satisfactory condition", she might say. They were quite delicate, after all, so it's not that strange.

In any case there's a cheery jingle to announce perhaps her less cheery arrival (from someone's perspective, anyway), a double-stacked set of boxes in her arms balanced carefully as she delicately steps over a cat lounging near the entryway. ]

Pardon the interruption.

1/2

[themightybosstone]

[There's no mistaking the FIRST reaction. Those ears perk up, tail lifting and swishing behind him (he doesn't even notice the kitten pounce it.)]

Re: [ Ruan Mei ]

[themightybosstone]

[And THEN he checks it properly.]

Oh, hey Peony. I uh... didn't expect you to drop by.

[ Jing Yuan ]

[lionsleeps]

[It was a nice day today. A great day, because Jing Yuan was free of work from all three of his overlapping careers! He slept in til mid-morning, worked out at home, and spent most of the afternoon on a park bench in front of a duck pond, enjoying takeout and tossing the birds some fresh peas. Finally, an hour or so before sunset, he parked himself at the cat cafe for a relaxing evening of petting kitties and talking to people he enjoys.

It is now technically past closing time. While Sett is getting everything shut down for the night, he'll notice a few of the cats hovering around one of the couches/tables. Underneath... is Jing Yuan, dead asleep on the floor with another several cats sleeping on top of him. He may have gotten a little too relaxed...]

Re: [ Jing Yuan ]

[themightybosstone]

Hey Dingus, Sir King, Trashcan...

[He tries to call a few of the cats in the odd lump, but at BEST he gets an ear flick letting him know that, yes, they DID hear him. And Yes, they ARE ignoring him.]

Comeooonnnn I got churuuuuuu....

[He's balancing a tray of dishes on one arm, the other, he's blindly reached down to pet a cat and-

Pets a person???]

Uh?

Blade

[subcutaneous]

hey do you want to go for a hike at the reservoir this weekend?
ill bring sesame

Re: Blade

[themightybosstone]

dude of course if sesame is goin
sweet i got coverage at the shop
which day

[Dan Heng]

[themightybosstone]

[There was a series of events that happened before this. Such situations didn't arise out of nowhere, after all.

It's just that the VERY MOMENT that Velveteen opened the door to the cat cafe, several things happen at once.

The most immediate being a cat leaping RIGHT AT HIM, with a loud bit of plastic caught on their tail, and all of the overstimulated FLIGHT REACTION that entails.

And Sett yelling:]

VEE DON'T LET HIM OUT!!!

Re: [Dan Heng]

[lifeban]

!

[Brocade is very lucky that Velveteen has extremely honed reflexes. Why? Who knows? But they're there, and he's managing to snag the cat out of midair just before panicked claws can sink into his face, his own tail whipping around to slam the door shut behind him.]

[ Princess ]

[foxtouched]

[ Well. She wandered off again...

After (Dan Heng) Velveteen brought her over while she was- yes, wandering around, it may have been hard to tell that this otherwise very well-dressed woman wasn't touched in the head with the strange things she said. Besides (accurately) being able to talk to the cats and their commentary, to being startled by all the electronics around her, then fascinated, or asking if she could have a nibble of the regulars, she probably belongs in a facility more than a cafe.

Much like right now, when she's decided to follow after a pretty bird, chatting with it, and also attracting the attention of some ne'er to do wells who seem to be interested in the very visible gold chains and bangles and cuffs she has on her arms.

They do have her stopped to demand she hand them over as payment, but she's found ways to confuse them in response by just asking what she's paying for... she'll give them a bangle, but they should sell her something? ]

Re: [ Princess ]

[themightybosstone]

[ Brocade had been watching the movements placidly, if not with a vague sense of amusement. Fresh out of the sea, maybe? Blessed, certainly. Maybe cursed, if the airy approach to life was anything.

She seemed harmless except for a vague possibility of electrocuting herself, but hey, he has apple bitter on all of the cords for a reason-

It's when he doesn't see he drifting around that- Oh SHIT. Vee's gonna MURDER him.

He hands the counter off to one of the parttimers and heads out, following the pleasant smell that seemed to linger around her.

Brocade really only catches a little bit of the conversation happening by his shop.

But it's frankly more than enough.

The nearest stops mid grab at her arm- gaze going up, and up, and up. ]

Yeah, boys, whatcha selling? Lets see the goods.

Now.

[ Geto ]

[fullcursemeal]

[anybody who knows him should ideally know this by now, but Shura is generally not the social type. not even at the gym. he will be polite and engage in small talk (more than small talk, even, if cornered by the right people), but for the most part he isn't the type to initiate nor to hang around longer than strictly necessary.

this time though, it's definitely been fifteen minutes since he should have left and he keeps wandering in and out of the locker room, seemingly looking for something.

he's not asking for help though, he's fine. everything is fine.]

Re: [ Geto ]

[themightybosstone]

[It IS weird though. Like, Shura's social battery should be CLEAN OUT. And didn't he already do his cooldown? Bro always takes his exercise high and bounces.

So, naturally, Sett, being a discrete and experienced individual with introverts does the best thing possible:]

SUP SHUR! Lost yer phone?

[hi it's me]

[skullmemoryleak]

[It's almost closing, and let's be honest - well past the hour where anyone should be having caffeine, but here we are. 'Trey' doesn't stop working until his boss clocks in for the night. Not that he ever seems to mind the lack of free time. What else would he be doing? Having a life? Ha.

He waves at Sett with his usual nonchalance.]

Heya barkeep.

Re: [hi it's me]

[themightybosstone]

[It is, most of the cats are actually in the back getting their evening meal, so really, the ones out here are the gluttons that are done already. Or the one or two that require coaxing.

It's one of the latter, a little tortie, who spots Trey and trots over, angling for a bit of lap time with a favorite.

The cat man looks up from where he was wiping down the counter and grins, easy and warm.]

Sup Trey! Workin' late?

[He's already pulling cups down and a plate.]

Whatcha feeling, my man?

[Traumerei]

[bittytorrent]

[ it's not a text, exactly. you know when those B-movie typewriters start churning out words all by themselves, as if possessed by a ghost?

it's like that, but digital.

no matter what Brocade is doing, no matter where he is... if he's looking at a screen — any screen — the words will appear. 7pm sharp, just as promised. ]

ICARUS: Hey, tiger. Heard you had a job for me.

Re: [Traumerei]

[themightybosstone]

[Which means that Sett has a moment, a long moment, where he is staring at the digital screen on the icemaker and torn between

"Yeah? Um? Ice?????? That's all you DO!"

and

... there's no keyboard. Shit.]

...


[He presses Cycle.

Give him a second, he'll remember that it's 7 o clock in a sec.]

[ Alciel ]

[demonicdomestic]

[He's not here as a customer. He never comes as a customer; the drinks and food here are extravagantly priced, and more about their cute shapes and bright colours than their nutritional value.

But, due to Brocade's large and varied social network, at least once or twice a month he ends up walking through the door with some delivery or other in hand. Today, it's a par of large bark-covered branches, cast offs donated from the Forge's workshops that cracked as they were drying.]

Delivery for the proprietor of Little Meowcenaries.

Re: [ Alciel ]

[themightybosstone]

[He's not here for the food. He's never here for the food.

Even so, Sett's expression brightens up seeing the man with the Resting Unimpressed Face. He's ALWAYS got work for the man.]

Hey Twill, whatcha got for me-

Oh damn, Queso's gonna LOVE that!

Forte (Till)

[untilldeath]

[The cafe is dead tonight. Usually, it is bustling, but this evening it is slow on account of some of the summer celebrations taking place. With no customers in sight, and growing more bored by the moment, Till finally drags a small stand-up mirror out of his bag to make shop and begins to apply some eyeliner.

Tonight, he has a concert. Once the cafe closes he'll change immediately and head from here to his gig down the road. So if there's nothing else to do, he may as well just get ready a bit early.

. . . With a little help.

One of the resident cats stares at him intently as he tries to focus on his eyes and ignore her, while two of the cats behind him bat at the bottom of his wings.]

Hey-! How many times have I told you not to touch the wings?

[It is spoken with more fond exhaustion than anything, before he lifts them up and behind him in an attempt to lift them out of their reach.]

Re: Forte (Till)

[themightybosstone]

[ Brocade doesn't do well with boredom himself. In fact, this is probably the third time he's finished cleaning up the equipment, made a trip to the door and back.

UGH that tasting festival two streets down is making a killing. And murdering them this week.

Though, on the way back he can't help a snort and a grin. And absolutely no help with the cats. Sir King, in particular, takes the raising of the wings as a challenge.]

They can't help if yer 1/4th cat toy.

Red (val)

[vitainmorte]

[ It's very, very early when she comes into the cafe. It almost always is; she seems to prefer being there at its quietest hours before the morning rush. So she enters quietly enough-- fortunately quickly enough to prevent one of the little bastards from escaping between her legs-- and maybe Brocade's in the back still preparing things, or something, because she doesn't see him immediately. ]

Good morning...?

Re: Red (val)

[themightybosstone]

[The morning shift means the boys aren't in yet. It's just Brocade handling the donuts and coffee crowd. He's clearly just come off a workout, by the still-damp shower fresh hair, and the one sweat band, forgotten, on one wrist.

Today's outfit isn't so much an button up but an open blouse with the suggestion of a button somewhere at beltline. Ridiculous. As usual.]

HEY! Good timing, Red. Pot's suuuuper fresh.