【MAID WEEK / open mingle】

[berriah]

MAID WEEK

SHRINES LORE DROP LOCATIONS NPC CONTACT FAQ CLAIMS LIST

❤

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Welcome to Starsand

The city's atmosphere has lightened up since the cherry blossoms were revived. Talk of Fallen Stars being "omens of misfortune" and "out to replace us normal folk," have died down to mere whispers. In their place is louder talk of an event affectionately called "Maid Week," which has captured the attention of gossip and activities alike.

When prompted, cityfolk will explain that the event is actually a citywide cleaning event. Everyone in the city gets together not just to clean the streets, but to repair things and decorate. It's common for walls to be set aside for drawing on with chalk or for entire art projects. People who specialize in repairs or building will loan their skills to the public in order to better the city. Friends often get together to repair and clean each other's homes as well.

These efforts are given mostly for free... "Mostly." You see in Starsand, there is no longer a use for money. Spirits can provide most anything that you need in exchange for prayers, so coin money is becoming irrelevant. But when you work hard and passionately in Starsand, your emotions create something called a "Starling." These magical items look like konpeito and they have the same magical value as an hour of intense prayer. Starlings can be given to spirits for quick miracles, so they've become a sort of "faith currency."

During Maid Week, a lot of Starling is produced. When your character lends their help, they will produce Starling equal to how passionate they were about the task. For example, hating your job will result in one or two tiny Starling pieces per hour. But if you are doing something that you brings you joy, you will create bigger and more pieces. Because of this, people are encouraged to make the act of cleaning and helping as fun as possible. Some turn it into a game or a chance to hang out with friends, while some get playfully competitive.

Oh, but the most important part?

Maid outfits. Normally, the amount of Starling produced when doing household chores is minimal. You get more Starling at licensed places of business, where a special shrine is built to amplify the power. In order to make "Seasonal Cleaning Week" produce more Starling, a special enchantment was made... This enchantment triples the amount of Starling a person produces, which makes Maid Week more profitable (and appealing.) And, you guessed it... The enchantment only works on maid outfits. Wow. Weird.

So grab your maid outfit and earn yourself some magic konpeito! This isn't a fabricated excuse for maids at all!

!

Out of Character Notes

The enchantment on the maid outfit will not wear off, so long as the owner of the outfit is not changed. (Ex.: Don't trade it or give it away.)

Your character can keep their outfit and continue profiting off household chores, even after the event.

Maid outfits are given out for free at various shops. No one will force your character to wear one, but people will explain why it is beneficial and gently encourage it.

Only spirits get a magic boost from eating Starling. For humans, it will provide a temporary energy boost.

(A) Dressing Up

Starting on Saturday the 7th, most clothing stores and boutiques will open special "Maid Day" sections. Here, customers can pick an enchanted maid costume to wear for the rest of the week. There are numerous styles, which vary depending on the type of store you are visiting. It's also possible to try them on. Everything will be fitted specifically to your character once they pick their outfit as part of the enchanting process.

If you're passionate about fashion, it's also possible to volunteer at these shops for the weekend. Volunteers can help modify details to make the outfit perfectly suited to each customer. They may even learn a thing or two about the enchanting process! And, of course, Starling will be created from their efforts.

!

Out of Character Notes

Maid outfits are physical pieces of clothing, but magically altered to fit each client.

Characters can only keep one enchanted maid outfit. The enchantment transfers from outfit to outfit. But they can collect multiple free dresses this week.

The enchantment cannot be transferred to non-maid themed clothing. It can be added to a headdress, sleeve cuffs, or apron if you don't want a whole maid outfit.

Butler-type outfits are included, but everyone still calls them "maid outfits."

(B) Volunteer Activities

There's a lot that needs doing during Maid Week! The activities will seemingly never end, so characters should have no trouble finding work to do. Streets need sweeping, buildings need repainting, structures need mending, gardens need tending... If your character sees something that needs to be fixed, then they can self-assign themselves the task of doing it. They're also encouraged to help others with tasks in-progress. Strangely, Starling amounts increase when more than one maid works together. So teamwork is literally valuable!

But there's more to Maid Week than cleaning. Shops will not only hire temporary workers, but shop owners are eager to share their craft with newbies. Bakeries are offering baking lessons, for example, or teaching people how to manage a store. Boutiques are teaching fashion and basic sewing, sports teams are teaching their games, clinics offer first aid, etc. Taking time to sit down and learn a skill can also produce konpeito, so why not try something new?

!

Out of Character Notes

Skills should be beginner-level. Characters can return to establishments for part-time jobs to develop new skills further.

Go wild with cleaning/fixing projects!

You can assume that your character earns a sizable amount of Starling. It can be handwaved for buying housing, restaurant meals, nice clothes, and other luxuries.

Starling does not expire, but it does lose its potency within a week of being produced.

(C) Maid Cafe Break

Another aspect of Maid Week is pop-up cafes. Buildings are rented for limited run Maid Cafes, with some additional theming. There are animal-themed cafes (cats, owls, foxes, etc.) or design themed (alice in wonderland, gothic, cottagecore, etc.) The point is: There are a lot of them. And they're hiring!

Maid Cafes offer a space for the not-so-cleaning-inclined to make some spare Starling. They earn more Starling if they're having fun, so it's suggested to work somewhere that you'll enjoy. Refreshments are free. After all, hard workers need to refuel and relax between helping the city!

Starling is produced for both the maid and the customer if they have a lively conversation, so be sure to chat up the staff!

!

Out of Character Notes

You may handwave various types of cafes.

Characters may be able to open their own pop-up cafe if they get support from a local. Locals are very happy to help bring new ideas to the city and will assist in keeping the cafe safe and up to code.

(D) The Reblooming

It's a well known fact that the cherry blossom trees "rebloom" every night at midnight. During this event, the blossoms that had fallen will float backwards and reattach to their respective sakura trees. Then the process of blossoms falling repeat until the next reblooming. During the hour after a rebloom, the petals glow like stars.

During Maid Week, this event receives a lot more attention. Tiny wooden shrines, looking a lot like bird houses, are set at the trunk of every tree in the city. At midnight, people gather to watch the reblooming and to give thanks to the hardworking sakura trees. They leave Starling in the shrines and potted flowers around the base, to "keep the trees company." It's common to throw midnight picnics at the trees, where people laugh and sing. They say that the tree's spirit is an honored guest. It's a joyous event, held under a canopy of glowing cherry blossom petals.

!

Out of Character Notes

Reblooming picnic baskets can be picked up at cafes.

Reblooming parties produce Starling.

(E) Maid Day / May 10th

On May 10th, the formula of Maid Day switches up a bit. Rather than the citizens working to repair the town, this is a day when the spirits spoil the maids. Apparently this is why everyone wears maid outfits when doing work: It's so that the spirits can tell who they need to thank.

When characters wake up on May 10th, they'll find their breakfast has been prepared by spirits. If they've been giving a lot of Starling to the nearby shrines, then they will find a fantastic and luxurious meal. If they haven't then, well... the spirits will do their best, but they may not have the power to create something amazing.

This pattern of spirits trying to thank maids will occur all day. Sometimes the result is amazing: Your clothes are laundered and folded, your home is clean, you have great luck with everything that you do... But sometimes, it's not so great. A spirit tried to brush your hair and turned it pink instead. All of your clothes, except your enchanted maid outfit, have been ruined. The food in your fridge all expires at once. The spirits aren't malicious, but the weaker ones have a success rate of 10%. May the spirit gacha be in your favor.

At the end of the day, when all of the damage is done, some of the cleaning efforts are also undone. You may find spirits sulking in dark corners of the city, ashamed of how poorly their efforts went. A sulking spirit does not produce a glow, but creates a speck of darkness. Those with strong empathy can hear them crying wordlessly. You have a lot of Starling from working hard, right? Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to feed these spirits..? Or maybe you hold a grudge over their cluminess. Up to you.

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Out of Character Notes

If you want to give sad spirits konpeito, reply to the Sad Spirit top-level for an NPC response.

Spirits are not malicious with their clumsiness.

Clumsiness should not break the city, but it can be very irritating and borderline dangerous.

Stronger spirits will step in to prevent injury, death, and widescale disaster.

Extra Notes

Maid Week takes place from May 7th until May 13th. Characters will be able to earn a decent amount of Starling from this event, which can be exchanged for luxury items. You can handwave your character paying for permanent housing, nicer clothes, going out to fancy restaurants, etc. by using their Starling. We don't track exact amounts, so no need to do math to tally up what your character earns.

Feel free to invent extra prompts & be a bit silly with the concept. This event should lean light-hearted.

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Comments

QUESTIONS

[berriah]

[aupologizes]

I actually have to ask because it is relevant to Hanyuu. Given that she's not exactly human due to her "kinda being a spirit as she's dead" and also kami status, does her eating the Starling do anything odd in particular?

[berriah]

Hanyuu will mysteriously find that the Starling gives her a slight increase in power, put it fades within a few minutes rather than when she uses it. If she eats a lot of them, she'll be able to hear humming sounds and feel a vibration when spirits pass by.

Concentrating on these senses may help her read the mood of the spirits.

SAD SPIRITS

[berriah]

[rejectedchain]

...Uh.

[Elliot starts, uncertain of how to handle the spirit he's run across on his way back home. He frowns severely, as he does when he's secretly concerned.

Well. He's not very good at handling these things delicately, so he might as well ask upfront.]

You, moping over there. Why do you seem sad?!

[And why did he stop? Maybe it's because they seem lonely. Spirit or not, he can't ignore someone who seems in need.]

[ai_nnihilate]

[The moping spirit cries wordlessly, its small power making the air cold and heavy. They are tucked off the most walked pathway, towards an elevator shaft that extends all of the way to the first level. A sign by the elevator door indicates as much. This city is made-up of a series of stacked levels, 5 to be exact, so that is bound to be a very long ride down.

Not that it matters. If Elliot takes a longer look at the scene, he'll see an overturned picnic basket a few feet away. Its contents are spilled all over the ground, ruined to the point that the picnic cannot be salvaged. Which may be odd, given that spirits cannot eat to begin with.

They've used all of their power to move this basket, only to have dropped it. A small tragedy, and yet the urgency with which the spirit buzzes around the scene suggest a deeper meaning. Their blue light becomes dimmer as hopelessness sets in. ]

Fauna/Night Wild | OC

[nightwild]

[In which Fauna misses the point of... literally everything.]

a. dressing up

[Fauna has absolutely no interest in helping out, or in being a maid. Especially not in being a maid- Would these outfits even have a place for her tail? And she has no interest in participating in this weird farce.

... But everyone is giving out free clothes.

And Fauna, to be blunt, hasn't worn clothes that fit in literal years.

So for now, she'll sneak into one of these stores. Scope it out. Even try to get one of those dresses for herself... and as soon as she does, she's immediately removing the apron, cuffs, and everything that might make it look like a maid dress instead of a normal dress.

And then she's just bolting out with her ill-gotten(?) gains.]

b. new skills

[Fauna hasn't learned... much in the way of skills in her life. All she's good for, in her own words, is violence. But now that she has a new (singular) outfit, she should probably learn to take care of it.

So now Fauna's trying to learn how to sew. It's.... it's going poorly. She doesn't seem to be very good at the small, fine movements, and you can see her patience slowly breaking.]

c. cafe

[Okay, so, the new skill didn't work out. But, what else can she do? This seems like the best chance to save up on money. So she should. But the idea of serving others as a maid... Having to force a fake smile, pretending she cares about this... It's enough to turn her stomach.

But on the other hand, there's a fox-themed cafe. And Fauna has actual fox features attached. One of the fox cafe workers is practically begging her to work, to be the perfect fit for their cafe, and Fauna's trying very hard to run away.

Help her?]

B

[marshmallowpurgatory]

[It's a ways into the class when one girl walks over to Fauna.]

Erm, hey. You're new to this too, right?

[Pidonus Marasia's maid outfit is probably a bit on the showy side. It is also being worn properly in the maid style. She's enjoying the theme, overall.]

Any chance I could help you? I think I'll learn more joining someone else at this point, honestly.

[The lines on what looks like a spare normal dress are clean, but shifting in ways that indicate she wasn't handling the fabric properly before working with the needle.]

[nightwild]

Yeah?

[Who the hell is this. Fauna is immediately scanning her, trying to tell what her angle is. What's she doing? There's no way she's just asking to help. The showy maid outfit, the horns... What's her deal?]

... Sure, if you want, but I can't imagine I'll be much help.

[She sets down the practice cloth with a sigh.]

A

[omichron]

[Chron will naturally have wanted to be a part of getting Fauna dressed up. She loves fashion as much as she likes to practice martial arts. Fauna will have only been in the store for a few minutes by the time that Chron has picked out three dresses.]

There are so many styles, but maybe we should start with a colour? I mean, not every maid outfit has to be a normal French maid outfit~!

[nightwild]

[Fauna, on the other hand, is somewhat overwhelmed. Are you sure she can't just... take the dress and bolt? That's how she normally does things!]

I, uh. Something that I can wear after all this that doesn't look like a fetish? Black?

Kami of Curiosity | NPC

[goldenmage]

(a) looking for library volunteers

[If you're looking for work to do, then perhaps swing by the Shrine of Curiosity. It's more or less a public library and it could use some tlc. The kami here isn't exactly good at this cleaning business due to his obsession with books and research. There's a list of tasks that need to be done, written neatly in expert handwriting:

• Straighten Bookshelves
  
• Return Books to Shelves
  
• Clean Study Rooms
  
• Restock Tea Room

And then, written in messy doctor handwriting: "Research Assistant."

The kami himself has been made to sit at the reception desk (not something he normally does,) and accept volunteers. He has a collection of books stacked around him and is leaving colourful bookmarks in them as he reads. When someone enters, he barely looks up from his reading;]

... Welcome to the Shrine of Curiosity. Sign your name and let me know if you have any questions.

Reading on the job is fine, as long as there's a job happening somewhere in there.

(b) Reblooming

[There are five trees around the Shrine of Curiosity, which Shugo is obligated to look after. Unfortunately for him (&his slow moving research,) he is but one person. He cannot picnic at all five trees at once. So if you stopped by the shrine during the day, the kami probably asked if you'd like to attend one of the picnics for the sakura trees outside his shrine. Should you accept the offer, you'll be able to pick up a basket of supplies that night at around 11. Shugo has included not just snacks and bottled drinks, but an empty journal for the volunteers. wow, so generous.]

Thanks for coming. Sorry that it's quieter around here. Not exactly the party atmosphere of the other parks... but the sakura will appreciate your company.

(c) Maid Day

[On May 10th, disaster naturally strikes the library. Many spirits had come there to give thanks for all of the free storytimes. Unfortunately, most of the spirits who visit the library at quite weak and clumsy. In their attempt to organize and clean the bookshelves, they threw random books all over the place.

Shugo is finding it very hard not to be annoyed when he enters the shrine that morning. He holds his head, groans in annoyance, and goes to write something on the "help wanted" list that has been posted all week:

"Straighten Bookshelves" *****
"Return Books to Shelves" *****

He adds some stars to these tasks. Then adds one final task at the bottom:

"Loan Kami of Curiosity Some Patience" ******]

I am not angry. I am not angry. I am not angry, I swear it to hell, I am fine, this is fine- [he continues to mumble as he begins picking up the books scattered around the receptionist desk.]

A

[dereban]

You know, you could have just asked if you needed a research buddy, mister 'I have a diary'.

[ She absolutely is going to make fun of him for this for a bit because it's funny but also because it's a nice, easy, lighthearted jab to start her conversation off with. ]

[goldenmage]

Journal!

[Because that's very different!

Shugo drops his reading material flat on the desk, scowling across the room to Inaba.]

And it's not that easy an ask. People come here for their own research projects, not mine.

A

[veileddreamer]

[Tau has most definitely been waiting for this week to come and help organize, even though she would have wanted to before. She signs her name, and straigtens her cute blue maid dress, but doesn't actually get to work just yet.]

Are... you sure it is a good idea to say such a thing to me? I will most definitely take advantage of it. If I put back the books I finish that is technically reshelving them.

[goldenmage]

[To anyone who frequents the library, this side of Shugo may seem foreign... No, more like an entirely different person. He's usually a grouchy old man who tells people to stop dog earring his books, dammit!

But when he sees Tau at the desk, Shugo's personality does a near 180. He smiles fondly and laughs genuinely at her comment.]

I don't punish people for being smart here. You outsmarted me. That's your win, Tau.

[aupologizes]

( OOC: As a precursory warning - unless stated otherwise, Hanyuu is currently hiding her horns--whether it be with a hat or her long hair. Also if your character has any sort of spiritual sense, feel free to notice that Hanyuu does fall under the category of both A Dead Spirit but Also A Kami. )

fragment one.

[When the rumor seems to die down, there's a sense of relief that rolls in for Hanyuu.

She can't help but feel rather thankful for the change of pace.

It's been quite some time since Hanyuu's done housework--being an invisible spirit who could only watch things for over a hundred years does that to you, for better or for worse.

But upon hearing that there's an enchantment that only works on maid outfits, she's -- well, skeptical at first. She knows that if Riku were here, he'd probably be extremely enthusiastic about it and probably even beg for her to wear one.

Hanyuu, however, doesn't seem to have such attachments to the idea. Maybe it's because she sees herself as a kami still, but she's content with watching along the sidelines; her physicality had just simply been a single day's Cinderella dream, back home.

And while she can go in between, here... she's not the human 'Furude Hanyuu' in this place, either.

But eventually, people beg for her to try on a maid outfit.

And that, of course, is met with surprise as she's quickly ushered into a changing room and eventually brought back out in a dress that seems to share both her miko style, but also modern maid tendencies. To hide her horns, she's put her hair in nicely folded buns along the side of her head, and she looks rather flustered and embarrassed as she looks towards the nearest person.]

Auau... how do I look...?

[It's not weird, is it? She doesn't look strange in an outfit like this, does she?]

fragment two.

[There's a lot of skills to teach, and while Hanyuu finds herself rather excited to learn--and finds herself drawn to the baking lessons, wanting to learn how to further her cooking skills into the pastry department especially--Hanyuu herself actually finds herself also wanting to assist in teaching others, too.

But it's a little embarrassing to just hold a seminar, or even advertise herself for that sort of thing, so instead, she goes into the stores (secretly. sorta.) and decides to help any struggling newbies with some of her crafts. Which include cooking, cleaning and sewing.

Even when she's not actively trying to help others, she's bursting with energy and excitement. She's happy, truly so, to be able to participate in things, to thrive with other people. Of course, she does miss a lot: her family, her home, the club members.

But she also truly believes that it might be better this way.

Nevertheless, she does wind up being interested in learning things that she's never had the chance to learn in the past hundred years, too. And she can be found basically doing everything.]

fragment three.

[At some point, her buns fall apart and one of the locals notices. She's about to panic, thinking that perhaps someone would think awfully of her...

...only for the opposite to happen as she's ushered into.

A monster maid cafe?

What.

But apparently, this is a thing where it basically feels like Halloween all year long and she's allowed to have her horns out. If someone comes in, she smiles in her fresh maid outfit and speaks (albeit nervously with a flush on her cheeks):]

W... Welcome in, um... ghoulish masters! Would you like to partake in our spooky menu? Only the -- what was it again? [she looks at her cue card] Only the children of man whose hearts and wills are strong enough may delight in our treats!

[#nailedit]

fragment four.

[So.

At some point, Hanyuu finds herself actually eating the konpeito-looking currency by sheer accident. Which actually gives her a boost in her power -- something that's a rather strange feeling, as someone who's felt like a weakling for so long.

And as the sugar nut that she is, for better or for worse, she finds herself eating more and more.

While she probably should be stopped, the fact that she eventually hears a humming sound and finds herself more in tune with the spirits... huh. That's pretty interesting, isn't it? Actually, she probably should go and follow some--]

fragment wildcard.

[Want to play something else entirely different? Feel free to ask for a custom starter! You can also alternatively plot with me at tsundereban as needed.]

3

[nightwild]

[Fauna just walks in. Hears Hanyuu's speech.]

...

Never mind.

[TURNS AROUND TO LEAVE.]

[aupologizes]

A-Ah, wait--!

[She can practically feel the small whines of 'auau' on the tip of her own tongue, but she bites it back, hesitant.]

Fragment 1

[fifthdomonion]

[As a wandering priest, Kevin wasn't restricted by dress code. In fact, he enjoyed dressing up in various disguises to get him into some high class places. Right now, he was wearing a suit and a mask that would make him look like a mysterious butler. This was something that all ladies enjoyed in mystery novels, right?

He hears a familiar voice speak over to him. Ah, it turned out that it was the Kami that he met not too long ago. Kevin had to wonder if she'd be able to see through his disguise, so he decides to tone down his usual accent for something more classy.]

Ah, I'd say that it's a elegant outfit befitting for a pretty lady like yourself. A shining radiance that would match a goddess, I'd say!

two

[denouefate]

Thank you for your help today, Ms Hanyuu.

[Its still quite early in the morning, but that’s when Mikale has to get up and start baking. All of the pastries taken out of the ovens and set out to cool, but work has only just begun.

At least the two hour gap between now and proper opening will feel good. As thanks for the help, Mikale is preparing tea and breakfast pastries.]

We always get so many orders for the maid week cafes. This event really blew up over the past year.

four - pick your poison, hanyuu

[ai_nnihilate]

[The candies seem to give Hanyuu some sort of sixth sense for the spirits. They cannot be seen physically (beyond a glow,) or heard through her ears, and yet there is a feeling associated with them. Like a soul-deep hum, sending vibrations through the air.

Many of the spirits are vibrating with excitement. There's warmth to their humming and their glows are brightly coloured. They zip in and out of shops and illuminate maid costumes, as if they are admiring the festivities. And they're quite 'talkative' in how they show more interest in some items or shops than others.

But there are a few spirits who do not share that enthusiasm. Their hums are softer and harder to pinpoint. When Hanyuu does feel them, they are more like sharp and sudden stabs of emotion. The feeling fades quickly, then repeats some minutes later. It may be possible to follow the source by chasing where the stabs hurt worse, but really... Why chase the pain of a lone spirit?]

three

[goldspecktacles]

[Not to be dramatic or anything, but Leo is the world's worst servant. He is hopeless in the kitchen and full of shit personality-wise, so he stood no chance with most 'Maid Week' activities. Still, he needs that konpeito stuff. So he finds a loophole.

Cafe reviews.

He stands at the entrance of the cafe with a notebook and pen in one hand. The opposite arm is obscured from view with a coat draped over his shoulders like a cape. Leo has no idea how to rate a cafe beyond its menu, so he proceeds to BS his way through reviewing her show.]

And if I'm not strong of heart and will, what do I do here? Watch other people eat?

Elliot Nightray | Pandora Hearts

[rejectedchain]

c - cafe

[Elliot honestly has no idea what he's doing, but he hadn't chosen Leo to be his servant because of his household skills, and of the two he's certain that his cooking would at least not leave someone ill. Hopefully. As awkward as it is for him to begin, they do need money if they're going to live here comfortably, and he does have some choice in the matter. If he's going to work, he's going to work in the cafe of his choosing-- which happens to be a cozy cafe with an abundance of cats.

He doesn't tell Leo about this, not wanting to hear any teasing when this is already awkward for him, and makes up excuses that he's helping volunteer at a library, or something else, anything that may be believable. Despite how unfamiliar it is though, he can handle it.

What he can't handle is being told he needs to wear a maid outfit in order to make the most Starling. Even if his outfit is technically a butler outfit, they keep calling it a maid outfit, and it's driving him mad.

The job itself isn't very difficult. The cafe is small, which means there aren't many orders he has to remember, and he basically just carries the tray to customers and refills their drinks while they gush over the cats, so luckily for him they don't always notice how impatient he is with their conversations.]

Have you decided on what you want yet?

[He asks, voice monotone and bored, tapping his foot impatiently until a cat rubs up against his leg and he gets distracted and starts petting it.]

[goldspecktacles]

[Likewise, Leo had not expressly told Elliot about his plans for the week. He knew that he was rubbish at servant duties, so working at a cafe was out. Most of the other household tasks were incredibly difficult with one hand and no patience. And even if the library was an option, it was also distracting to be surrounded by so many books. When Leo decided to try cafe reviews, it was an experiment: Could he gain the system and turn getting free food and drinks into a job? Apparently the answer was 'yes.'

He'd been to a few other cafes by this point and found it enjoyable enough. The themes could be interesting and the food was good. Leo decided that he might bring Elliot out later, but that would require the perfect cafe. Something small, quiet, and probably with cats. Nothing extraordinary or awkwardly flashy: Leo just wanted a place to sit with Elliot and soak up his company.

Unfortunately for them both, he hit the mark when deciding to test this particular cafe.

Leo had tied his hair back (with some difficulty,) and taken one of the free butler outfits to increase his earnings. He was seated by a different staff member and already had cats at his feet, distracting him from Elliot's approach. When he hears a familiar voice, Leo looks up from the menu in surprise.]

... Ah?

[There's... a lot to process here. The outfit, the fact he's already distracted by cats, the mere fact that Elliot is working... Leo stares, mouth ajar. For once, he's caught completely off guard.]