thenearshore

Entry tags:

open.

Who: Ken Kaneki

savor and you.
What: Word is you all like cat cafés...
When: 4/16 - 4/30
Where: Cat Café Calico
Warnings: Felines.

[There's talk of a new cat café having just opened in town. Sharing the name of an already popular business, it seems they're expanding to a second location. As with the original, the café occupies two stories of a building in the shopping district. Taking the stairs or elevator to the fifth floor leads one to the front doors of this new establishment, name bright and bold.

This first floor is the actual café area, offering beverages and snacks for purchase. Treats can be bought for the cats as well, who mill about the location in great numbers. Taking the stairs up to the second floor, yet more cats can be found, along with televisions and video game systems. If someone wants to spend time with cats, they've found themselves the right place to be.

Now, the thing is — they're really understaffed. And walk-ins may be encouraged (if not outright coerced) to fill out a job application. The business is doing well enough that they're hoping to get more hands on deck, so those wandering in or playing with the kitties a bit too long might just find themselves face to face with an application]

[ooc: Treat this as a cat café mingle. Toplevel and tag around to your heart's content, become an employee or a customer. Or try to smuggle cats and see what happens]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ It's just been disaster after disaster since he's started working here…how he'd gotten talked into this job he'll never know.

The napkins are, alas, not enough to fully rid her of the worst of that delicious cat-shaped dessert, and Jakob frowns—just as much for that as it is for her sudden concern over the cat.

Really. He sighs. ]

I assure you, Snuffles is quite well. He might even think twice about getting underfoot the next time.

That's good to hear.

[She looked somewhat cheered by that fact, at least. Somewhat, as she says, a bit apologetically and sincere]

Thanks, really, but I don't think I'm getting clean till I get back to the temple... [After a beat, she took in the tray and remembered what Axel said about shinki getting part time jobs. A different sort of concern appeared as she said]

Oh-I'm sorry. This was...for someone else, right?

Never you mind, Psyche. I can easily make another. [ But he catches her by the arm anyway—just in case she’s still thinking about getting away from him… ]

In the meantime, you are a customer, and I will see to it that you leave our establishment in the same way as you have entered it—if not better.

[ Run while you still can. ]

[Psyche's arm instinctively tenses a little at the contact. And from his insistence. She says, quickly]

Oh-um-you don't have to. I mean, I can always just clean up part of it in the washroom or something.

[~~If only she knew.~~]

Nonsense, we have perfectly serviceable facilities right here. I assure you, I am quite excellent at…what are they calling it here? “Giving people a makeover.”

M-make over?

[That wasn't quite the direction Psyche was thinking about. At all, if the look on her face said anything. Maybe she was just misreading some things]

Like...what do you mean, exactly?

By making you look more presentable, of course. [ Figures he’d used the wrong kind of lingo to get him all in with the hip and cool crowd. ]

Having you leave here in this state would reflect poorly on this establishment.

Oh.

[That would actually get her to stop and think, briefly. She felt gross but she didn't feel like she couldn't manage looking like this for a while. However, the possibility of making the cat shop - and maybe even Jakob - look bad twinged her instincts. She thought about it a moment longer, debating with herself, before saying carefully]

I guess that makes sense. I mean, I'd hate to cause you trouble that way.

[ He beams. ]

I’m glad we understand each other. Now, come along. [ Now that he’s piled most of the mess onto his tray, there’s very little reason to linger here. He motions to the kitchen downstairs. ]

We won’t take long, Psyche.

Right... [He seems happy, at least. Then, a thought occurs to her] Oh-wait a sec-

[She quickly looked around the floor where she'd been playing with Snuffles. An unconscious furrow of worry appeared on her face, followed by a sigh as she found it: one of her two ribbons, covered with a bit of mousse icing but still in-tact. She quickly pocketed it and followed]

So-um-no one's going to notice your absence, right?

Hmm? [ He glances back at her, taking note of her actions with very little interest. People are bound to drop things when the server collides against you, after all. ]

Hardly. I am the epitome of excellent service— [ wait ] —barring such unfortunate occupational hazards such as these, anyway. [ You cats suck tbh ]

I am quite capable of multitasking.

Yeah. You seem the type.

[Based on how confident he was about things. Either that or he was just the type to wholly throw himself into things ~~cat hating aside~~. As they walked down the stairs, a Near Shore Resident with a full tray nearly walked into them before, a look of confusion flickered across his face, unconsciously moving a step over and continuing on his way. He didn't quite carry himself with the same finesse as Jakob and she found herself adding]

Or at least, experienced in this sort of thing.

It’s all practice, Psyche. Though I am quite glad that it appears to be paying off. [ said he in a tone that doesn’t even try to be modest. As a consequence, he pays even less heed to the Near Shore mortal than usual. ]

In any case— [ Whilst balancing that tray in one hand, he opens a door for her with the other, ever so gentlemanly. ]

After you. [ The place he is leading her to is, quite unimpressively, a mere kitchen, but it’s got a sink and it’s close to the employee lockers so it’s good enough!! ]

Please make yourself comfortable. [ Setting the tray down, he nudges a stool with his foot her way. ]

I shall be back shortly with the appropriate materials. [ Excuse him while he ducks out of sight for a little bit. ]

Thanks, I'll try.

[As he left though, she went to the sink and tried washing the residue off her ribbon. Bits of icing and whipped cream came off for the most part. However, she frowned as she saw spots of marks that threatened to stain and it bothered her for some reason. She scrubbed a little harder, hoping they wouldn't mind that they were borrowing their soup for this...]

[ Jakob arrives moments later with an extra apron and a clean shirt—one of his own, since there’s a dearth of female employees here to borrow from, it seems. Regardless, it’s hard not to catch the sound of running water as she begins to clean herself—or…

He clears his throat to catch her attention. ]

I’ve brought you a clean shirt, Psyche. [ Don’t get any ideas about trying to launder your own clothes in the kitchen sink, now… ]

Oh-

[She wasn't thinking of using the sink like that but there was a tinge of embarassment on her face anyway. She surreptitiously placed the ribbon (she hoped the soak would give it a chance to lift things off) on the counter behind her as she said gratefully]

-Thanks, really. [She stepped forward and looked it over. It'd be big on her but it was only temporary.] Just give me a sec.

[She turned away a little as she undid the blouse, revealing a camisole underneath.]

Um, is there anything else you want me to do?

Excellent. [ With a flush and a cough, he politely turns away as she begins undressing herself. ]

We will need to wash up your hair afterward, of course, although it would be unsanitary to do so within the kitchen itself. If you would follow me, there is a bathroom further in.

I see...That makes sense, I guess.

[She tried not to sound unsure about this idea, especially after agreeing already. But then again, maybe the baths Forrest's temple had probably spoiled her. For now though, she simply finished up swapping the blouse with his shirt. It hung loose in areas, size difference aside, so she made do adjusting it and tucking it in as best she could. It was still an awkward fit but, once relatively satisfied, she turned back]

As long as we don't leave a big mess or anything...Or mess up this person's shirt before then.

[To her credit, she'd tried to not brush any icing or cake on the shirt when she put it on. For the most part, she'd succeeded...save a small smear where her long hair had brushed near the collar.]

You needn’t worry. [ He can feel his ears reddening, even as he leads her inside. ]

It is only my shirt. And I am quite capable of taking care of any messes left after this.

[ And well, the employees’ restroom might not be the most luxurious place around, but it is comfortably unisex, and has a mirror and a sink in it—which is all they need, really. ]

I do apologize for the lack of shampoo on hand, however. I was unable to locate any within the premises.

Oh-I guess that...explains a lot.

[Especially in terms of fit and feel and, well, other things she couldn't help but think about right now. That just made her feel more self-conscious. She unconsciously fiddled with a strand of messy hair before brushing it away from the shirt collar. After a moment, she said]

That's fine. Even being able to wash out some of this now would be nice. And the temple's got enough I can do a more thorough clean later.

Er, yes. Well— [ He’s not blind to how awkward their situation is, being a man and a woman alone in a back room with her wearing something of his…but his devotion to his duty comes before his embarrassment, no matter what…

He just hopes that he doesn’t look too embarrassed in front of her— ]

Of course, given that there is much of your hair that will need washing, you will have to take a seat— [ here he positions against the sink a chair he’d dragged in for that purpose ]

—and lean your head back, like so, that I may be able to rinse the whipped cream off of your hair…

I...see. That makes sense. Basically, like at a salon does it.

[Unfortunately, his awkwardness feeds into her awkwardness. As such, even as she nods and moves for the chair, she accidentally kicks it off course. She quickly stammered]

Oh-um-sorry... Give me a second.

[She moved the chair back, again unconsciously fiddling with a hair strand. Once it was in place, after a few moments, she took a few calming breaths as she gathered her hair behind her, carefully lowering it into the sink as she sat back. It'd be a lot of hair - enough a part of Psyche would briefly worry about accidentally leaving some strands for some unfortunate worker to find - but that was probably why the rinse was a good idea. She awkwardly tilted her head to face Jakob and asked]

Like this?

It’s no trouble at all— [ He’s quick to reply, the blow to the chair startling him some. Gods, but he’s better than this—has breezed through plenty of such awkward situations and turned them around, he’s sure. It’s the cats, then; it must be the cats, to put him so out of turn like this. ]

Yes, that will do. [ He takes a few calming breaths, before assessing the mess on her hair more critically. And as he takes his gloves off and begins the rinse, kneading and combing through those long strands with his fingers, he can’t help but remark, ]

You have lovely hair, Psyche. I feel that much more ashamed to have soiled it so.

[The splash of water made her neck curl a little, as it accommodated for the increased pressure on her scalp. The touch of fingers through her hair made her shoulders to, briefly, jump up against the sink, for reasons she wasn't fully sure of (probably because she wasn't used to this sort of thing? She assumed).

[After a few breaths, she made her body relax. She found it a bit easier to close her eyes a little and focus on the sensation of her hair being smoothed and combed, shaking loose water droplets and earlier's mess. It wasn't...entirely unpleasant, at least. She almost felt like her mind could've drifted off for a while, until the comment startled her back. She blinked and then replied, a bit quickly and embarrassed]

It's okay, really. It's not like you were aiming for it. And hair's easier to fix than other things...

Oh, of course. I will be sure to launder your clothing more properly.

[ It won’t take him long to finish cleaning out those bits of dessert anyway, even if it makes such an unpleasant squelch between his fingers. It’s sad how the best of desserts can go… ]

And if you prefer, I can also compensate by providing you with a new wardrobe. I will only need to take your measurements—

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