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[F1 - PP] Slower Day Than Usual


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On a certain warm day on the first floor Aincrad, there is a nondescript building. This building is known as Slow Days Cafe, and inside would be the owner who is usually hard at work. Usually. Let's see how he's doing?

...

Upon entering the building, anyone can notice that Mason is just kneeling behind the counter with his head resting on it. Praise the pillow that is making sure his knees won't kill him later. He had finished working a bit for today, so he's feeling pretty good about just resting...

After all, he's waiting on gear! And, well, doing any quests that require tedious work is just a bad idea without good gear to make it easier. Nonetheless, he's still having a good time because that's just how he is! Hm. I need to redo the incense. The messy one gets up from his pillow and picks out an incense stick from behind the counter. Light it, then place it into the holder... The pleasant smell begins to fill the room once more. Mason just smiles even more now, going back to his pillow and placing his head back down.

The faint scent of tea from the work earlier begins to join the scent of incense. Ah. What a pleasant smell~!

Spoiler

GetComfy's Stats

LVL: 5 | HP: 100/100 | EN: 10/10 | DMG: 4 | MIT: 0 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 0

LD: +3

Equipment

  • Weapon: Vanity Katana
  • ArmorVanity Rags
  • Trinket: Wayfinder (+3 LD)

Items

  1. Starter Healing Potion (50 HP) x 3

Skills

  •  

Passive Skills

  • [Rank 1] Curved Sword (+1 DMG)
  • [Rank 1] Katana (+3 DMG)

 

Edited by GetComfy
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Xin had her hand placed on her chin.

[Slow Days Cafe? I guess I'll give it a shot.]

Xin entered the cafe and was quickly greeted with the heavy scent of incense with the scent of tea lingering in the background. In the real world, it might've been a little too much for her, but she was fine for now. The interior seemed a little bare, at least compared to the two previous shops she'd been in, but that itself added to the atmosphere. Xin noticed the owner laying his head atop a pillow on the counter. She raised an eyebrow and walked over to him.

"Uh, are you...okay?" Xin asked him. She was tempted to poke him, but if he really was catching some Z's, she didn't watch to ruin his nap. She knelt down in front of the counter, making sure to tuck extra dress under her knees for extra comfort.

Spoiler

Stats

LVL: 4 | HP: 80/80 | EN: 8/8 | DMG: 4 | MIT: 9 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3

LD: 3

Equipment

  • Weapon: Knight's Reprisal | Accuracy III
  • Armor: Widow's Garments | Evasion II, Mitigation I
  • Trinket: Everlasting Devotion | Recovery II, Evasion I OR
  • Trinket: Wayfinder | Loot Die III

Items

  1. Starter Healing Potion (Heal 50 HP) x 3
  2. Immolation Potion x 1
  3. Rare Health Potion (Heal 40 HP) x 5
  4. Uncommon Damage Potion (+1 DMG) x 1
  5. Special Over-Health Potion (+50 Max HP) x 1

Active Skills

  • [x2 AoE] Blast (2 + 2x EN)
  • [x2] Straight (2 EN)

Passive Skills

  • [Rank 1] Two-Handed Straight Sword (+3 DMG)

 

Edited by Xin
NIGHT monkaS
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The young blonde hummed to herself as she made her way along the cobblestone streets of the first floor. In her arms, she hugged a wrapped package about the size of her chest. She heard of a new cafe that just opened outside the first floor. Rumor had it, their tea selection was unique, and the shop has a humble eastern aesthetic. 

Being new to owning a restaurant, she understood the pressure. She also wanted to support new shops and get her own word out there. When she arrived, the Slow Days Cafe matched every little detail she heard. Simple and easily ready to be the next hidden gem.

The struggled with her payload as she slid open the door. The waft of pleasant incense hit her immediately. Soothing piano filled the room and the low tables surrounded with pillows and stools exuded comfort. So comfortable, in fact, that the only tenant seemed passed out on the counter.

Excuse me?” Snow began. Her soft accent danced on each syllable. “Are you the owner?

She shifted the package in her hands a little.

I brought a little gift for them if they’re around...”

Edited by Snow
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Whoops. The idea of having Starbucks just the other night with the group of adventurers round that campfire just made Basuke interested in the idea of grabbing a nice drink to enjoy today. But for some reason, despite Andromeda's mentioning of a store like that being open, he couldn't find it on Floor 1 for the life of him! Maybe he was misremembering a crucial detail somewhere. Either way, to satisfy his craving, Basuke would have to make do.

"Yo--!"

Here came the bull in the china shop. With a hearty push of the door into the cafe, what greeted the young boy was the idea of serenity and comfort, and immediately the youth felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him. Especially since there were a handful of players present in the store whose attention he might've grabbed just from his entrance alone. Mouth agape, his sights traveled through each person present, ending on looking at the homeless-looking man behind the counter. A hand traveled to the back of his head as he scratched it, shutting the door gently behind him.

"Oops. Sorry. Bad habit. Um... Coffee?"

Spoiler

Lv: 10 | Basuke | HP: 200/200 | EN: 20/20 | ACC: 3 | DMG: 3 | LD: 3

- - - Equipment - - -

  1. [T1E3] Tri-Hexagon Metal Pin
    > Accuracy III | +3 ACC
  2. [T1E3] Wooden Omamori
    > Loot Die III | +3 LD
  3. [T1E3] Supreme Yeezyz Pen Ultim8 Shoez
    > Evasion III | +3 EVA

- - - Skills - - -

  1. 1H Straight Sword | RANK: 2/5 | +2 DMG
  2. - - -

- - - Battle-Ready Inventory - - -

  1. - - -
  2. - - -
  3. - - -
  4. - - -
  5. - - -

- - - Misc. - - -

  • - - -
Edited by NIGHT
# NIGHT here, please enjoy my baby boy's company he's very daft pls no bully
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Mason swiftly raises his head as things started to happen in a matter of seconds. Immediately, bombarded with three different questions, his eyes begin to swirl as his tired hamster brain tries to process it all. Uh. Uhhh. Uhhhh... "Yes, yes, and yes." Pushing himself up and briefly stumbles into the kitchen. Yet again, his peanut brain still has not fully processed everything that transpired. Something about gifts? Being okay? Coffee? Loud? Maybe that tiny nap wasn't a good ideaaaa~ Whatever.

He starts setting things out... then pauses as he realizes that he had finally caught up to the most recent event. He pokes his head out of the window to look at the blonde bearing gifts. "Gifts? Just set them on the counter, I'll sort them out later. Probably." Then he turns to the hypebeast. Honestly, this was a trend he DID not get. Nonetheless, he still gets to be served. "Uh... Coffee, right? Any preference?" Another swift turn to the other blonde kneeling at the counter, only giving her a questioning glance because she had only asked if he was okay.

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Xin almost jumped at the sudden burst of activity in the cafe, especially from whoever shoved in the door; in one second, it was as dead as her love life and in the next, the exact opposite. "Oh, hey!" she said in the owner's direction but it wasn't really for anyone in particular.

"Um," she tapped on her chin. There didn't seem to be any sort of menu yet so she'd have to think of something off the top of her head and boy, was that hard. "How about some...jasmine tea, and...a plate of chocolate chip cookies!" She smiled gleefully. It wasn't something she'd have often in the real world, but here she was fine to do it whenever she wanted.

When she was done, Xin arched her back towards the other guests. "How're you guys doing today?" Her eyes drifted toward the blond woman. "Do you need any help with that?" Xin asked with concern.

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For a new shop, this place saw more traffic in these few moments than hers had since she opened it. A brief moment of self pity donned over the girl before she returned to the humbling reality. Her blue eyes traced to the woman that offered to help and Snow politely bowed her head.

"No thank you. It's big but not very heavy." The blonde did as instructed and set her gift on the counter. The content of several maki rolls, nigiri, katsu, and little baked goods would keep for at least the afternoon -- a sample of what she offered at her bar. Hopefully they would be worthy enough to get some word of mouth at the cafe. 

The owner went from half-dead to frazzled barista on the turn of a col. His unkempt hair and lackluster replies betrayed his sudden work ethic. Snow smiled.

I'm sure he'd still rather be sleeping, she thought.

"Well, don't let it keep too long. It's some samples from my restaurant on the fourth floor. A little welcome present for a fellow shop owner." She tried to speak over the sudden company and clink of ceramics as he worked. She took in the interior of the cafe piece by piece. Humble, minimal, and compact. Her soft gaze fell on the third of the tenants to enter and she took two takes. He seemed out of place.

The fair blonde turned to the only other female present now that her hands were free. 

"I'm well. Thanks for offering to help. Would it be rude of me to join you? Tea always tastes better with company, I find."

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Preference? Basuke hadn't thought this far. The boy glanced behind the counter, checking to see what sort of equipment the cafe had. Most likely, the shop owner wouldn't have the chilled dessert in a cup he was dying for, but with any luck the man would have a blender and some sweeteners. His best bet for the moment. "Dalgona," Basuke relayed, as he stepped towards the counter to offer his col. "Do you know it? Was trendy a few years ago." Through his menus, he materialized his payment in a purple pouch, handing it over to the barista. "Honey, crumbs, cinnamon. Thank you very much."

His gaze fell over the other patrons of the shop, one of them speaking aloud to the room with a cheerful disposition. How curious. And here he'd thought he was being rude by being loud. Maybe since he hadn't made his intentions clear, it would've been -- here, the woman speaking was being friendly with the other players. Basuke shot back a smile as he hovered over the counter, hands digging back into his hoodie's pocket. "Doing alright!! You?"

-- Wait, the woman ordered cookies?

The kid materialized what was left of his allowance and set it upon the counter, wide-eyed and excited. "Can you make drink crumbs cookie? And another plate for me too! Appreciate it!"

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Looooooooud~

He doesn't mind though. Just have the piano be a little louder... and... There we go! Alright. Time to get to work- Cookies? Dal-Dalgona? Cookie crumbs on the drink? Isn't that unhealthy? Is-is that all he heard? Hmm... Whatever! It's not something he was prepared for, but certainly something he can do - after all, it's just a hurdle to jump over!. Nonetheless, Mason swiftly pulls his hair back, reaching for a hairtie out of sight. Wrapwrapwrap~. And now he's left with a bun. Pull up the sleeves, slap an apron on, washing of the hands... He's all ready to work~!

Alright, set the tea out first... Fill the kettle, over the fire... Now for the cookies- Ah. Right. Mason pokes his head out to look out the kitchen window to look at the blonde offering sushi. "Any preference on the tea?" With that, he immediately goes straight to the dough. After all, the window is there so he can easily hear things.

Butter first, then the sugar... Then he starts to hand whisk the mixture - he wishes he had an electric mixer, but whatever can you do - and gradually adding the rest of the ingredients necessary to making the cookie dough. He occasionally glances over at the three new customers that are currently residing in his shop, somewhat interested. They seem... strange enough, but hey, he doesn't mind!

...

His stomach growls at a bit at the thought of eating some of sushi offered. Yeah. I'm gonna get some tea for myself too... Surely I have some wasabi around here right? And now his thoughts are occupied by food, while making food. Fun.

Edited by GetComfy
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"No no no, it wouldn't be rude at all!" Though the counter had plenty of space, Xin made sure to compress herself even more. "It is as you say, the more the merrier!" She wanted to tell Snow that her samples looked absolutely delicious, but they were for the owner and Xin didn't want to give off the impression that she wanted a taste, though admittedly, she did.

She suddenly became aware of how loud she was being and made sure to tone herself while maintaining a positive demeanor. Xin turned toward Basuke and smiled, her ears perking up at each utterance of Korean amid his English vocabulary. "I'm dandy! And nice choice." She gave him a thumps up. Xin reached her out her other arm across her body and held out both, inviting them to shake her hands.

"By the way, my name is Xin. Pleasure to meet you!"

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Snow smiled and shook her hand.

"Snow, likewise!" She stated in her soft accent. She took a seat besides Xin and gestured to the shop owner as he busily worked.

"I'll take whatever the house is brewing! Thank you!" she called back to him. House tea was always a good test of their tried and true blends. It also defined the character of the place. Would it be standard fare, like a hearty green tea or breakfast blend? Or would it be something more exotic and spicy? Maybe a mellow herbal mix with notes of flowers or berries? Snow prepared herself for a relaxing hot cup of whatever-it-was.

"It looked so quiet on the outside, how quick it picked up!" She commented, eyes forward but with no particular recipient in mind. She politely folded her hands in front of her atop the counter as she patiently waited. Then, tilted her head and turned to Xin. Her peripherals caught the louder gentleman just beyond her.

"So what has the two of you out and about today?" She asked the other two patrons.

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At Xin's offering of a hand shake, the boy took the woman's hand with his own. "Basuke," he replied, grip firm, before withdrawing quickly. "Here for snack, craving something." He'd raised a curved finger and waved it in a gesture, trying to recall. "Heard about Starbucks from another player. Can't find on first floor... So maybe is elsewhere?" Maybe he should track down the girl he was speaking to another day for more information. Local brew would make do for now -- at worst, they'd match chain institutions (he'd hoped). At best, he'd find a new place to frequent and delicacies to indulge himself in.

Basuke took a seat on a pillow at another table, sitting next to the two women as he waited patiently for his order to arrive. He'd some curiosity as to what other players were out and about doing as well, given his leave from the Town of Beginnings for such an extended period of time. With a cock of his head after he'd listened to Xin's answer, he turned to Snow with a question himself. "Snow, bag earlier of food -- you know owner? Good friends?"

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Mason just softly hums along with the piano in the background. Though, it's obvious he has no sense of music whatsoever, so it doesn't sound quite right. Nonetheless, he does so anyways because it's a nice way to pass the time while he gets things done. Occasionally, he'd pause to listen to the conversation occurring at the counter top right outside the kitchen window, but his focus is always on what he's making. Now, how do I want to this...? 

He eases up on whisking the mixture, but sort of taps his chin in thought... After a few seconds, he prepares the dough and gets ready to put it into the oven. In a few minutes... Then let's go to the tea. Hm... Jasmine... How about green tea for the other? Yeah. That sounds fine. Keep it simple and all. Alright, get the leaves, bring out the serving bowl... He peeks through a few of the cupboards - it's still rather messy considering the fact that the initial condition of the store wasn't great - and pulls out cylindrical ceramic teacups. Putting them to the side for now, he just waits for everything to come together-

Ah. Right. Need to prepare for this Dalgona thing. Done it a few times, but not much...

Back to peeking through the cupboards for additional ingredients!

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Xin's arms slithered back to her sides.

She scratched her head. "Yeah, that may have been my fault. Hopefully I didn't ruin the atmosphere!" she chuckled in response to Snow. "As for me, I was just out for a stroll. The weather's beautiful after all," she entering a thinking pose, "though I guess the weather's kinda always like that on this floor."

Xin's ears again perked up, this time at the utterance of 'Starbucks'. She turned toward Basuke and laid her forearms on the counter. "Someone made a Starbucks in here? I can't believe I haven't seen it yet! Though now that I think about it, I'm surprised I haven't seen more copies and homages to stuff. I guess people have enough on their plate. Can't blame 'em." It dawned on her that she might be messing with the atmosphere again. "Anyway! If you find it before me, let me know; I'd like to check the place out!"

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A sense of normalcy washed over her. Being with strangers in a cafe and striking up conversation became such a foreign concept in the death game. Yet, the blonde now sat in the company of new faces as conversation blossomed. She felt warm and happy. Perhaps thanks to the welcoming and comfortable cafe?

"I do love it here," Snow replied to Xin with a smile. "It's always so full of life. It's hard to be upset or sad when the sun is always warm and the flowers always bloom. Winter gets a little bit of snow, but the little sprouts and blossoms quickly find their way through."

Snow did that awkward thing where she leaned into the counter to get a better look at Basuke past Xin. 

"No, I don't know him," she clarified. "I also own a bar that is pretty new. I'm trying to get my name out there by bringing free samples to other establishments. Maybe I'll get some customers if my food is good enough! You guys should come check it out. I built it on the fourth floor. I have a nice little private meeting room with a kotatsu table."

Snow turned her attention to the small opening to the kitchen. The owner busily worked away trying to fill the orders for his sudden rush of clientele.

"When he's done, maybe we could break into the box and you could all try some together. That is, if he's okay with that. I'm sure he'd like a short break after he's done -- looked so comfy before we all entered." Snow giggled a little bit. He must enjoy relaxing in this shop frequently. Who wouldn't? Lovely piano, mellow aromas, soft lighting... Not to mention all the pillows. It was like nap central.

@Xin, @Basuke, @GetComfy ((Thanks for the wait guys. ^_~ ))

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Basuke chuckled -- it was nice to hear that he wasn't the only one longing for something as simple yet reminiscent of the outside. "That is what I heard. Had a talk with them and some red tea at night; ru-roibos?" His face scrunched up at the pronunciation, head raised to the ceiling for a beat as he tried to recall. "... Something like that. Am keeping an eye out for the store. Wonder if they have frappe."

To Snow, he nodded, interest peaking at her profession. A chef! He'd contemplated the idea of picking that up for his side job at some point, but still found himself hesitant to commit, unable to decide fully for himself. Floor 4 meant he was going to need a jacket or two for the winter, though, but it was thematically fitting for the woman he spoke to. "If am in the mood for food," he reassured the player. "What kind do you serve?"

With quick finger work, the boy pulled up his friends list, sending friend requests to the two patrons at once. "To let you know of the Starbucks, if find it," he said to Xin, before turning to Snow. "And to remember to visit food shop." A grin, and he turned over to the owner in pleasant interest now, watching the man work his culinary magic. "Oi boss, come join us when you done! If not for share present, for chit chat. Sure we want to know you better too."

@GetComfy

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After finally pulling out everything he needed, he looks out in curiosity once he was called out. "Eh? Hm..." He just starts taking out the freshly baked cookies and starts pouring out the appropriate teas as he thinks about it. "Mmm... Yeah. If you don't mind me." With all the simpler stuff out of the way, he starts to prepare the dalgona - man, how convenient that he has the more out of place ingredients here. Thank you game developers! - and he starts to crush up some of the smaller cookies that came about from the leftover dough. The crumbs now layer the outer rim of the glass... Mason proudly looks at the tray he has before him!

Two cups of the hot teas, dalgona (though not his best work), and a batch of cookies for the blonde and the.. the hypebeast. Lifting the tray and backing out the door, he gently places it onto the counter as he starts passing out everything. As if he was used to this, he swiftly passes out everything with efficiency. "Jasmine and cookies for one lovely lady, green tea for the other." Mason smiles at the two, passing out what they had asked for - then he turns to the hypebeast. "Here's your cookie and dalgona, my man." 

Returning the tray to the kitchen window, Mason gently plops his knees down to the pillow as he gently unwraps the gift of food - sushi! He turns his head to the blonde and bows his head a bit to show gratitude. "Thank you for the gift!"

Then he pulls out chopsticks out of nowhere and prepares to chow down.

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Xin leaned back to give Snow a little more room to talk to Basuke. "On the fourth floor, huh? I'll be sure to visit sometime when I get the chance! It already looks delicious enough; I'm sure it'd taste that much better straight from the source." Xin took a moment to think about what she'd said. "Game mechanics aside."

She turned her head toward Basuke. "I'll make sure to keep an eye out too!" Xin said as she opened her menu and accepted Basuke's friend request. "They better have frappes. Otherwise, why even bother!" She raised her arms up into the air, her hands condensing into fists as if asking for the gods to smite that Starbucks imposter should they not be accurate enough to the real-life counterpart. "Oh, and I guess while we're at it," Xin sent Snow a request as well, "There we go."

Xin clasped her hands as owner came out with all of their orders. "Thank you very much!" She said with glee. Xin sent a gentle breeze over the top of her tea and took a sip. "Mmm, delicious."

@Snow @Basuke

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The other...? Snow repeated as she looked to the rippling cup of hot tea. She turned to Xin and then down to her own chest. The other?!

Snow's deviation of context quickly corrected as the invitation window snapped into the middle of her vision. Xin's name appeared followed shortly by Basuke. The blonde accepted both despite the feeling she now had a secret competition with the other blonde in the room. Cleared of notifications, Snow lifted the cup of tea to her lips. With a soft sip, the beverage rushed over her taste buds. Mellow tones mixed with earthy notes and hints of floral. The slight bitterness of antioxidants lingered at the back of her tongue -- a sign of a fresh, hearty tea. Snow's lips parted and a hot breath of satisfaction escaped as a pleased sigh.

"Very good."

Snow turned to Basuke.

"I serve sushi and eastern fare. Sometimes I mix in a few flavors from home. Usually slow cooked meats and the like," she replied. "You should try my Uzene Roll. It's like a mix of both!"

Snow watched as the owner plopped down with her gift and prepared chopsticks for attack.

"You're welcome!" Snow smiled. "Itadakimasu!"

@Xin, @Basuke, @GetComfy

 

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"Mmm, delicious."

"Very good."

As Basuke raised his head from the women to meet the shopkeeper's gaze, he accepted the cup of coffee he was offered. Presentation aside, when the brew met his lips, it was a pleasant mix of mild sweetness and frothy cream. Plus, the crumbs on top of his drink was a nice touch, giving the sip he took a crunchy touch. On their host's servings could the boy concur to his patron's approval. There wasn't an exact science to dalgona, but if there was, this cup would definitely have been in the right direction.

The boy was ecstatic as he let out an exhale, before shooting the man a thumbs up and a toothy grin. "Nice, boss!"

And hey! How could he have forgotten his cookies, too? Basuke dug in to the snacks, listening in on Snow's explanation of her restaurant. It sounded lovely in between his munches, and the boy nodded back with vigor, just thinking about the lovely variants of sushi in his mind. "Rad...! Already want some, and I have cookies!"

The rest of the afternoon trickled by in a slow, relaxed manner, as the players conversed and enjoyed their meal before taking their leave one by one. When the chef finally found the sun setting, it was all but him who'd already stepped outside. Alone in his shop, what else was left to do, but to enjoy the comfort and quiet in the red glows of the evening light?

All in a good day's work.


Thread Summary

Quote

[Total]
+ 2SP
+ 100col

Spoiler

[Thread Progression]
+ 1SP
+ 100col/participant

[Misc.]
Quarantine SP Bonus!
+ 1SP

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