[open] cafe serving

[Ringo Shiro]

Ringo adjusted his uniform one final time before closing his locker. He sighed in relief. It is pretty bad when this waiter job is considered a nice change of pace next to his current life issues that involve him fighting supernatural abominations that devour the minds of innocents. At least Ringo finally obtained the power of Persona though that means he has catch up to do since he isn't up to speed with everyone else in using supernatural powers. Ringo walked on out to perform his shift.

...

Ringo placed down another cup of coffee for another group of happy customers. He smiled as he went over to behind the counter to place the tray back. Ringo turned around to see someone going up to the counter. He looked over to see no one there at the moment. He guessed he could take care of it at the moment.

"Hello, is there something I can help you with?"

[Phoebe Minola]

Phoebe had entered the cafe on a whim. She'd been busy scouring shops for any video game that might catch her fancy and relieve her of a bit of boredom, with little success and she'd gotten tired and a bit thirsty. The cafe she stumbled onto would do. Walking in, she smiled a bit. On atmosphere, the place got her approval.

She approached the counter in order to order something and hopped onto a tall stool-- well, she tried. She slid off the leather cushion with a squeak on her first go and had to try again with a pink, embarrassed flush on her face. Once she managed to settle on her high perch she smiled awkwardly at the waiter.

"Um... hello. I'd like a hot chocolate, please and... um, a chocolate-chip muffin?" she ventured. 

[Ringo Shiro]

Ringo's customer was a lady with shoulder length hair. One notable thing about her features is the purple and hot pink streak in her hairs. He shuddered when she slipped off her stool. He quickly looked over the counter for a moment to check she was okay but she managed to get herself back up. She smiled awkwardly at the waiter before placing her order.

"Um... hello. I'd like a hot chocolate, please and... um, a chocolate-chip muffin?" Ringo gave the lady a reassuring smile as if that embarrassing moment didn't even happen.

"Right away." Ringo started to go to the back and started to prepare her order. It didn't take long given the simplicity of her order. By the end of about a good four to five minutes, he has presented his customer with hot chocolate and a warm chocolate muffin. "Here you go. Please enjoy." He then turned around with an arched eyebrow. Seriously where was the counter guy? It shouldn't be a problem since they're right now three people doing waiting...hold on a second was there a job misunderstanding?! Oh well, it looked like he was on the counter.

"If you need anything just let me know."

[Phoebe Minola]

Phoebe, recovering from her display of awkward clumsiness, studied the young man while waiting for her order. He was actually quite cute, now that she thought about it, in a boyish way. His hair stuck up a lot but it was quite attractive as such and he looked quite nice in a waiter's uniform...

She beamed at him when her order was ready. "Thanks cutie," she said cheerfully.

Oh God did I really just call him a cutie? Whatthehelliswrongwithmetoday...

She took a sip of her chocolate to try and hide her embarrassment. It was delicious, almost on par with that maniac, Kyle's spin on the beverage. She curiously watched him look about with a quirked eyebrow. Was he looking for someone? Checking that nobody else needed their order taken? Kyle usually did that, except with a deadpan, bored expression...
 
"Have you worked here very long?" she heard herself say and blushed. She just felt like talking to the cute waiter.

[Ringo Shiro]

"Thanks cutie,"

"Pardon?" Ringo blinked for a few times to make sure he wasn't seeing or hearing anything wrong. Did she just call him...? Nah, it must've been his imagination. He wanted to ask for clarification but the way she was sipping her hot chocolate makes Ringo no longer want to further question it. He looked around. There didn't seem to be anyone else who wanted to sit over at counter. He guessed if there was one good thing about being counter boy is being able to talk to customers.

"Have you worked here very long?" The lady was still red from her earlier statement but Ringo won't press on it. He felt a bit awkward himself.

"I started to work here not long after moving here for college." Ringo began. "So really I only worked here for about four months?" Ringo still remembered the days of working here before the lock down, shadows, and personas became a thing. "All and all I have enjoyed my time here."

[Phoebe Minola]

Phoebe felt kind of dumb, having said that earlier, but she really did quite like the look of the guy and he did seem like a fairly nice person from the sound of him. She really did try not to seem like she was staring at him but she couldn't help it. The uniform really did suit him quite nicely and she always appreciated guys in crisp and formal working uniforms.

"Four months..." she mused. "Ah, that's before the lock-down occurred," she sighed. "I miss those days. I think everyone probably does. It's been so goddamn long since I spoke to my family. I hope they're all alright. Everything's just been so crazy in the city, really. Makes you wonder what the outside world's doing and whether they know what's happened here."

She shook her head and took a bite out of the muffin. Quite delicious! "It's a great thing to work somewhere you enjoy," she said thoughtfully. "I think there's a Chinese proverb that goes 'give a man a job he likes and he'll never work a day in his life'... That's a nice kind of thought, isn't it?"

[Crux]

This cafe was quoted by a passerby as a "hippin'-est, hoppin'-est joint" with "killer coffee". With nowhere else to go, the 'young man' walked through the door without much that would distract others from their meals. He was practically invisible unless someone just so happened to look his way. The 'man' was still in a school uniform with a maroon beret as a bonus touch. If you looked really closely, it would be possible to see the ends of bandages dangling from his sleeves.

Crux sat right next to Phoebe, looking up to Ringo with a big smile. He wasn't good at hiding his emotions. While everything including his body language fit perfectly with how he wished to look like he was feeling, his grey eyes were always burdened by utter agony. No matter what he seemed to think, a part of his mind constantly functioned around something that troubled him. "Good day. I'd like to order a cup of coffee." Clearly, it did not occur to him that the word 'coffee' encompassed more than a few varieties.

He had managed to catch the proverb that was delivered by Phoebe when he first came in, and it was his interest in what she had just said that prompted him to sit as close to her as possible. This was all for the sake of conversation, not for some other ulterior motive. "Confucius. The Analects... am I correct?"

[Ringo Shiro]

"Four months...ah, that's before the lock-down occurred," Ringo nodded as the lady sighed. "I miss those days. I think everyone probably does. It's been so goddamn long since I spoke to my family. I hope they're all alright. Everything's just been so crazy in the city, really. Makes you wonder what the outside world's doing and whether they know what's happened here." Ringo was starting to realize that his parents must be sinking into a world of worry. His teacher...okay not so much, if anything she'd laugh and say everything will somehow work out.

"Yeah...maybe we'll get help eventually?" Truth in the matter, Ringo wasn't exactly sure. HE was sure that there wasn't much most can do against the shadows. Not to mention the persona users still need to figure out what was up with those powerful shadows that show up every now and then in the inner circle.

"It's a great thing to work somewhere you enjoy," Ringo nodded in agreement. "I think there's a Chinese proverb that goes 'give a man a job he likes and he'll never work a day in his life'... That's a nice kind of thought, isn't it?" Ringo once more nodded in agreement. He'd add more but he was about to get another guest at the counter. He had short black hair and in a school uniform he hasn't seen around here. Ringo took note of the fact that he was smiling but something about his eyes felt off. He can't place his finger on it but it was something to take note off.

"Good day. I'd like to order a cup of coffee." Ringo scratched the back of his head at the boy's order.

"Um...what kind of coffee?" Ringo pointed to the menu displayed high up on the wall behind Ringo. "If I may make a recommendation, our Café Bombón is well liked by numerous customers." He might as well make a recommendation. His request for just "coffee" is already a good indicator he wasn't sure of what to order.

[Phoebe Minola]

Phoebe watched the young man coming to sit next to her. She's never seen him before, either. She studied him for a moment then smiled at him. "Yeah, I think that's where it comes from. Nice call. Oh, if you're not sure what to order, cappuccino is also a safe bet. It's always delicious."

She propped her chin in her hand and her elbow against the counter. "I don't know about outside help. You'd think they'd have noticed by now. Someone would've come in. Or we'd have gotten some kind of communication," she huffed and gently stirred her hot chocolate. "It's really looking more and more like we're going to have to help ourselves..."

Of course, that was truer than either of the two young gents knew... or did they? Phoebe kept running into Persona users everywhere and she knew there were more of them. So really, you could never really know just who was a Persona user in this city anymore. And she worried about openly telling people. You never knew who would be listening in or how they'd react to the whole thing.

 Probably not very well.

[Crux]

Of course, there would be questions regarding what he wanted in terms of coffee. One recommended one choice, while the other recommended the other choice. The decision really didn't matter. Café Bombón or cappuccino? It was like asking whether he preferred purple or violet: there was no real difference and it didn't matter what he chose. The truth of the matter was that he wasn't able to consume what humans would be able to consume. He was a robot, and robots don't need to be fed.

"Café Bombón. If that is what the staff here recommends, then I shall try it. There will always be a next time when I can try another." Crux gave a smile to the two and looked down at the counter. "Books on philosophy are among my favorite items to read." It's the truth. Non-fiction intrigued his artificial mind and sated his desire to read better than others, though he liked them all. Reading is awesome.

The two then broke into a conversation about whatever was happening in the city, and how there appeared to be a lack of external intervention. That made him smile just a bit, remembering that he was part of the 'interventionary force' that supposedly doesn't exist. However, he wasn't supposed to tell anyone. "I hope it doesn't have to come to that. Maybe they just have trouble getting in? Or... maybe they're already among us. But, the latter is unlikely."

[Ringo Shiro]

"Yeah, I think that's where it comes from. Nice call. Oh, if you're not sure what to order, cappuccino is also a safe bet. It's always delicious." Ringo nodded in agreement to Phoebe though ultimately it was up to this new customer.

"Café Bombón. If that is what the staff here recommends, then I shall try it. There will always be a next time when I can try another."

"Coming right up." Ringo went over to start creating the drink for his new customer. He continued listening to the conversation, though unable to contribute due to mostly concentrating on the creation of the drink for his customer.

"I don't know about outside help. You'd think they'd have noticed by now. Someone would've come in. Or we'd have gotten some kind of communication," That was true he guessed. If they did noticed and were able to do something about it then their situation would be a lot lighter so to speak. "It's really looking more and more like we're going to have to help ourselves..." Ringo solemnly nodded. Only the people within with the power of persona can really do any good against this disaster.

. "I hope it doesn't have to come to that. Maybe they just have trouble getting in? Or... maybe they're already among us. But, the latter is unlikely." Ringo finished up the coffee he had for his most recent customer. He turned over and smiled, trying to lighten up the mood. A drink can be good at doing that. He gently placed the cup before the boy.

"Here you go. One Cafe Bombon." Ringo's smile still shone even in this situation and conversation. "I don't recognize that school uniform. Were you on a school trip from another country or the like before this lock down? He might as well switch to a more pleasant topic of conversation.

[Phoebe Minola]

Phoebe fell quiet for a bit, after the young man suggested help might have trouble getting in. No shit, Sherlock. The trouble was, they knew that the outside world couldn't get in! But the ever-maddening question was, why?

Phoebe'd read Stephen King's "The Dome". She was very much afraid of what might happen if food shortages started. They still had running water alright and electricity but... they'd eventually start running short on raw materials.

She shook her head a bit and tried to stave off that thought. She grasped upon the waiter's observation. A foreign student uniform, indeed. Where had this young fellow come from? She knew that there were lots of outsider people in Mosaic when the perimeter dropped. They were all stranded in there with them. The student was quite good looking but decidedly unfamiliar to her and--

...were those bandages trailing from his sleeves?

[Crux]

Nodding, Crux accepted the coffee and... looked back up, apparently more interested in conversing a little more before consuming that which he cannot consume. The school uniform that he wore was obviously not one from the schools here, so he was prepared to answer promptly when the question came up. Since he wore it almost every day, it was common for some of the citizens of this city to ask him for the sake of making idle talk.

Giving them his response was like reading off of a memorized script. "I am a student from America. My friends and I were on vacation before the lock down. While I was here in the 'safe zone', my classmates thought that they could play the heroes and crossed into the outskirts. The result of this is quite obvious: they died." The delivery was executed without any cracks of emotion. The 'student' seemed to regard his friends as if they were fools though, even within, he agreed that humans running into the unknown is foolish.

Crux glanced down at his hands, waiting for them to say something. Just as he turned his eyes, he noticed his bandages sticking out from the uniform's sleeves. As discreetly as he could, Crux slipped them further into each of his sleeves. Then, he averted his gaze from this to the coffee. For realism's sake, he sighed a sad sigh. "'Let us learn to appreciate there will be times when the trees will be bare, and look forward to the time when we may pick the fruit.' What else can I do besides remember them and then move on to the next day?"

[Ringo Shiro]

"I am a student from America. My friends and I were on vacation before the lock down. While I was here in the 'safe zone', my classmates thought that they could play the heroes and crossed into the outskirts. The result of this is quite obvious: they died." Ringo's eyes widened. Well, it was no longer his eyes that felt off...the fact that he could speak about his fallen classmates with such nonchalance is another. "'Let us learn to appreciate there will be times when the trees will be bare, and look forward to the time when we may pick the fruit.' What else can I do besides remember them and then move on to the next day?"

"Don't blow it off with some flashy saying." Ringo turned around. He was trying to hide his expression...it was the eyes he usually only showed to his enemies. "Anyhow...my break is almost coming up. Give me a minute to be out of uniform." It was impractical yes but most would still think he is on duty if he stayed out here in uniform.

Ringo came out, wearing jeans and a gray short sleeve shirt. Something he can get into and out of fast. He sat down next to the free side of the girl. Quite frankly he didn't want to think too hard about the boy at the moment. For now Ringo just sat in silence, staring blankly forward.

[Phoebe Minola]

Phoebe almost dropped her cup when she heard the boy's tale. The deadpan way in which he explained it rattled her. Had this guy just seen too much that it had sent him into an emotional lockdown? Or did he really just not give a damn? Actually, just sitting there next to him made her feel weird. A lot of kids had gone batty in the city since the perimeter lockdown.

Apparently, the boy behind the bar felt the same. Even though he tried to appear even, Phoebe saw the flash of raw anger in his expression. What the student had said probably touched a very sensitive nerve. She didn't blame him. The student's attitude unsettled her as well. She tried not to chuckle though when he went to the trouble of changing before he came and sat right next to her. Seems he took shifts and job time quite seriously.

Well now she just felt awkward. She took a sip of her chocolate and tried to figure what to do.

"Um...I'm Phoebe," she said, looking at the former waiter. "Thanks for the chocolate, it's real good."

Is that the best subject I could come up with? Uuuugh...