The Roost

[FireFox]

In the Blue Zone of Inside is a cozy little place that, aesthetically speaking, combines a Persian Coffeehouse with something like the European Café. It does this by having a large central room for dining and social gathering--where customers can have breakfast or desserts while playing games, telling stories, and meeting new people--and a line of tables and chairs on the sidewalk outside the building--where people can drink their coffee and engage in the traditional Italian pastime of spending your entire lunch hour(s) people-watching--as well as the quaint wood stove behind the counter. One entire row of tables inside the main room have a different game on each wood surface: chess, mancala, cribbage, a deck of cards with chips, along with some more modern tabletop games. A short hallway off of the main room leads to the restrooms and kitchen, which in turn leads to the back office and locker room. A pair of French doors opens onto the adjacent "gift shop".

This particular establishment has a quirk, in that the waitresses frequently dress up in different costumes. Which makes this a cosplay cafe. The typical maid outfit is the default, but Naku and Ally agree upon special theme days and then generally tend to do whatever they want. The guests and patrons are welcome to come wearing their own costumes, but the average Nexus PC's attire is practically a cosplay unto itself. Please do not sexually harass the maids, or Naku will make her next outfit with your skin.

The gift shop is a pawn shop. Ally is spreading the word that she'll buy anything. Dire rat pelts (20), arms and armor you upgraded from last level-up, precious gems, all the clothes and sundry items looted off of murder victims heroically slain monsters, the bottom line is: if you need some quick cash and have a bunch of stuff filling your inventory, come here! The stuff will then be reasonably marked up and sold to anyone interested, along with basic adventuring supplies like healing potions and the whatnot. Capitalism, ho!

Spoiler: Menu

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Coffee
Coffee is Aiden's specialty. The blend that he serves is a pure blend of Jamaican Blue Mountain arabica coffee, brewed in a french press. Because of the meticulous brewing method of choice, coffee is not served in varying sizes, though customers can add sugar and creams all they like. But they'd be doing a disservice to the flavor of the coffee itself if they did - rather than the stereotypical bitterness of coffee, the drink served here as a much more earthy, rustic taste.

Actual Food
The food served by Aiden's kitchen isn't too far from what any Earth person would have in the morning. Eggs, pancakes, hashbrowns, etc. If someone orders a familiar breakfast item, chances are they'll get it.

Desserts
In the evening, Ally offers a wide variety of sweets. Most are store-bought goods like cake, pie, and cheesecake. She's trying to learn how to make her own desserts, but for now all she can manage are cookies and parfait. Hopefully cute girls in cute outfits will help satisfy your sweet tooth.

[Mee]

Naku, the tall, vampiric, purple haired waitress, clears her throat a few times, and adjusts her costume a bit, trying to get the still fairly new outfit to lie more comfortably. She also has her katana belted onto her waist.

Then she waits for the first customer, eagerly bouncing the balls of her feet slightly.

[Devixer]

While Naku waits for customers, the faint smell of roasting coffee can be heard from the kitchen. Won't be long before she starts hearing a popping not unlike popcorn from there too.

[Mee]

"Heeeeey." Naku says, giving up for a while and heading over to the bar. She hits it a few times, or rings the bell, or whatever is in place for getting the attention of someone important. "I have a customer out here demanding coffee."

[ThePhantom]

Walking into the central room, is a man wearing an eyepatch over one eye and looking very drained. It's Mil, coming to see Aiden's new place of business, and hoping for a pick-me-up.

[Devixer]

"Alright, I'll get right on it," Aiden says, done with the day's roasting. He'll take a few minutes to grind up the coffee beans, and to actually brew the coffee itself.

Meanwhile, a woman dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt heads inside as well. Ashley looks around with a faint smile on her face before heading to a chess table. She gazes at the board, with no clue what it is.

[Mee]

"Alright, I'll get right on it," Aiden says, done with the day's roasting. He'll take a few minutes to grind up the coffee beans, and to actually brew the coffee itself.

"She wants it later, turns out! Actual customers now!" Naku says, hopping up to her feet, and turning to face the two new customers that arrived at just about the exact same time.

Walking into the central room, is a man wearing an eyepatch over one eye and looking very drained. It's Mil, coming to see Aiden's new place of business, and hoping for a pick-me-up.

Meanwhile, a woman dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt heads inside as well. Ashley looks around with a faint smile on her face before heading to a chess table. She gazes at the board, with no clue what it is.

"Irassahaimaseee!" Naku says, hands together, and bowing at the two newcomers. "My name's Naku, find a free spot, and I'll be right with you!" She says to the two, smiling a very happy smile at them.

[Devixer]

"Wha- oooooh. Oh," Aiden says. He gets it now. Well, the coffee will be waiting for Naku when she has a minute.

Ashley's quick to take a seat at the chess table, picking up a bishop and taking a close look at it.

[ThePhantom]

Mil gives Naru a brief wave, and slides into table with a deck of cards on it. He is quite tired.

[Mee]

"Wha- oooooh. Oh," Aiden says. He gets it now. Well, the coffee will be waiting for Naku when she has a minute.

Ashley's quick to take a seat at the chess table, picking up a bishop and taking a close look at it.

Mil gives Naru a brief wave, and slides into table with a deck of cards on it. He is quite tired.

Naku stands over by the counter, not ooooverly sure yet how to approach the situation. Does she go talk to them and ask how they're doing? Or just wait for them to call her over? She contemplates this while nibbling at her lower lip in through, before finally deciding on going over to Mil, and asking "You look tired. Are you all right? Can I get you anything?" In an honest, sincere sort of way.

[ThePhantom]

Naku stands over by the counter, not ooooverly sure yet how to approach the situation. Does she go talk to them and ask how they're doing? Or just wait for them to call her over? She contemplates this while nibbling at her lower lip in through, before finally deciding on going over to Mil, and asking "You look tired. Are you all right? Can I get you anything?" In an honest, sincere sort of way.

Mil looks at Naku, a exhausted smile on his face.
"I'm just worn a bit from my work. But I should be fine with some of Aiden's coffe in me."

[Mee]

Mil looks at Naku, a exhausted smile on his face.
"I'm just worn a bit from my work. But I should be fine with some of Aiden's coffee in me."

"I think we can do that." Naku replies with a pleasant smile. "I'll bring it right out." She says, and bows slightly, before heading over to the counter to let Aiden know that they will need another coffee for Mil.

Then it's off to Ashley's table while Aiden works! "Welcome! Can I get you anything?"

[Devixer]

Aiden is quick to work on that cup of coffee. It's nice not having to go over and take the order himself, he can focus on the kitchen.

"Oh, I don't know what I want yet," Ashley says, still taken in by the chessboard. What is it for?

[Mee]

Aiden is quick to work on that cup of coffee. It's nice not having to go over and take the order himself, he can focus on the kitchen.

"Oh, I don't know what I want yet," Ashley says, still taken in by the chessboard. What is it for?

"Aaaall righty. I'll be back in a few minutes then!" Naku says, bowing slightly at Ashley as well, before going and getting Mil's coffee, and delivering it to him.

"Can I get you anything else?" Naku asks him, smiling again.

[ThePhantom]

Mil takes the coffee and after a moment, drinks a good portion of the coffee in one go.

"Thank you. As for that, got any meals? Its been a while since I ate, and I don't know what the menu is here yet."

[FireFox]

Bienvenue, demoiselle! Voulez-vous un baiser? The pretty redhead's maid outfit might have been more of a shock if Ashley hadn't already seen her wearing it. Or perhaps a quick game?

[Devixer]

"Un baiser de toi est plus que bienvenue," Ashley says, in what is likely very poor French. She's only recently started to learn it. She looks back at the chess board. "Oh, that's what this is?"

[Mee]

Mil takes the coffee and after a moment, drinks a good portion of the coffee in one go.

"Thank you. As for that, got any meals? Its been a while since I ate, and I don't know what the menu is here yet."

"We offer mostly breakfast items. If you'd like something light, I can personally vouch for the cranberry bagel with cream cheese. But it sounds like you want something larger. I could suggest the Plate of Plenty? It's got eggs, pancakes, hashbrowns, and a muffin if you want."

[ThePhantom]

"Plate of plenty sounds great. The muffin would be good."

Mil's one eye is starting to dilate in and out.

[Mee]

"Plate of plenty sounds great. The muffin would be good."

Mil's one eye is starting to dilate in and out.

"Absolutely! I'll be back in a few minutes when it's all ready!" Naku says, bowing slightly at Mil again, before retreating to tell Aiden that he needs to do more work.

[FireFox]

It takes a few seconds for Ally to mentally translate that. She doesn't speak French any better than Ashley does, but at least she knows all that vocabulary. So she leans down to oblige the customer. Service with a smile, and all that. You don't know chess? It's pretty popular with the mages, clerics, and other smart people back home.

[Devixer]

Ashley is happy to receive such stellar service, but her attention's quickly drawn back to the game board. "No, I've never seen it before. Funny looking pieces," she says, holding up the bishop she grabbed earlier.

[FireFox]

That's called a bishop. They can move and capture diagonally, at any distance, but are bound to their color. You get two, though, one for your light squares and one for your dark squares. She points this out on the board. The pieces look different, because each type moves and captures differently, and is used for different things. There's a ton of tactical and strategic complexity in this game.

[Devixer]

"So you want to capture the other person's pieces? Sounds fun," Ashley says, moving the bishop she took along the black squares. "So what, all the different pieces move differently?"

[FireFox]

The goal is to capture the opponent's king, well, to threaten a capture while leaving no escape... that's usually made easier by taking the other pieces. Ally sits down at the other side of the table and starts demonstrating how the pieces move. These are the pawns, the skeleton of your army. They can only move one square forward, except for two at the beginning, and capture diagonally. They seem like the weakest, but they support your other pieces and can still take any piece that gets in range. A good player uses them to control the center of the board. If a pawn makes it all the way to the last line, you promote it to any of the other pieces. These are the rooks, which move vertically or horizontally any distance and so are very powerful. Knights are weird because they move in L shapes like this or this and they can jump over pieces without taking them. They tend to be very useful, especially in the early game, but bad players over rely on them. And here's the Queen! You only get one of her, because she's the best, of course. She moves like a bishop and rook combined, going any distance up, down, or diagonally.

[Devixer]

Ashley hmm's for a moment, considering the uses of all the different pieces. "So you could use the pawns and knights as bait for people who are trying to take all the pieces, get one of their better ones..." She may be a complete amateur in chess, but she does have a mind for something like strategy.

[Mee]

"Plate of plenty sounds great. The muffin would be good."

Mil's one eye is starting to dilate in and out.

Presumably, Naku comes back reasonably quickly with the food. Especially the muffin.
"Here you are, sir," she says, placing the food on the table, before hugging the tray slightly, and asking "can I get you anything else?"

[ThePhantom]

"No, I should be fine."

During the small wait, Mil took to flipping the top card of the deck over. He starts to eat, his eye starts to remain steady in size.

[Mee]

"No, I should be fine."

During the small wait, Mil took to flipping the top card of the deck over. He starts to eat, his eye starts to remain steady in size.

"All right. Just let me know if you change your mind at all." Naku replies, before bowing again and backing away. She goes off to place the tray she had carried the food over back where it belongs, before sitting back at the bar and debating if she wanted to pester Aiden for coffee.

[ThePhantom]

"I will."

After eating, Mil shuffles the cards back into the deck, and then starts laying them out in a pattern.