Welcome to Gaia! ::

Summer allowed for the Outdoor space to become indoor space at need. For the Catfé, this meant the allergy-afflicted, those just there for the food and drinks, or for any number of reasons didn’t want to directly interact with the cats in the catroom could do so at an increased patio space outside the front door at 4 new cafe tables provided with a gentle oscillating fan, sun umbrellas and fenced in with custom ironwork fencing decorated with cats. The inner cafe area with its two tables and barista stand were left open for a BYOC, bring your own cat, that so many patrons desperately wanted- if modified so that there was decorative, colorful epoxy lattice ‘fence’ that humans could pass but which would give time for a human to prevent a personally owned cat from accessing what was off limits to animals in the way of Food Service.

Only one of the inner tables was taken by an elderly woman with a persian in a harness, and Quenton spied new customers on his way back to the stand with emptied dishes from her table. Not any of the regulars- From the University? Word of mouth friend-of-a-friend? Oh, they brought whiskers of their own as well. A cute one, though smallish. I wonder if it is soft...

“Welcome to Catfé, “ He called over, getting the dishes put to the washer. “A special welcome to your furry VIP, as well. For the summer we have toys, cat hats, and catwalks installed here in the front. Let me know if you have any questions, would like a catroom reservation, or if I can get anything started for you. “

Suri didn't have much reason to dress up, outside of looking professional for work. She was never going to outshine the gaggle of beautiful women Chase chose to surround himself with, so she never veered outside of the safety of neutral toned slacks and well-pressed blouses and a set of pearls that were just loose enough to not restrict her throat. Swiftly approaching thirty, she'd set aside her hair clips and embroidered cardigans and patterned stockings for a more professional look, one where her edges had all been smoothed out and tamed by the work that she did. But then again, here she was accompanying one of her superior officer's projects and her Mauvian gone incognito, heading to somewhere feline inspired and entirely too trendy for her adopted drab sensibilities.

(Suri wanted to go pet cats and wear coordinated pawprint hair clips and feel good in her skin, but then someone might see her.)

Still, it was an exercise in camaraderie, which was something that Suri distinctly lacked with most of the team that she claimed to be second-in-command for. She followed behind the other girl, a way to keep tabs on their surroundings even as they passed through the doors for the cafe inside. Suri shouldn't have considered Regan to be a threat to her safety, at least not any more so than any of the other witnesses of her performance of the tourney. And why should she be afraid of that? She had still shown up to fight, even if her mind and body weren't still fully recovered. It was something to be proud of, not a point of shame, a point she'd reminded herself of multiple times. But she still remembered the way she'd choked, the way she'd froze both times, the pain and humiliation of having her own prosthetic ripped from her...

Before she had the chance to spiral into one of her moods, Suri caught sight of the leashed persian, and a little color returned to her face. She was certain, more than anything, that Maverick would hate this, and yet it was delightful.

"How does a catroom reservation work?" Suri asked in quiet awe from behind Regan, her attention up in the rafters where the catwalks were. Somewhere between her need to be taken seriously and the want to dress cute for the occasion, she wore a patterned cat blouse and an A-line skirt that covered most of the ugliness under her left knee, taking only marginal interest in the server that greeted them at the door.

She was too distracted. This place was beautiful. She was never compiling data at home again.

“The catroom is our back half, “ he motioned with a chisel-worn hand at the antique, art deco partition of wood and glass that fenced off the back lounge from the front cafe.

“Reservations are taken online through our website for half-hour slots at $8 each per person and a limit of 10 people total in the cat-lounge itself. We do accept walk-ins, but open spaces are rare and handled first come, first serve. We have 6 cats here from Pawsome Friends no-kill ready to help you relax. Food and Drink can be taken into the cat lounge, we only ask that you do not feed the cats or allow them to sneak anything. There is also the VIP Room, there in the corner of the Cat Lounge, which can be reserved for a more private experience. While personal cats aren’t allowed in the larger cat lounge, you could reserve the VIP suite and take your cat in there to still get a great view of the other cats- it’s a matter of veterinary safety. We cannot legally ask after personal pet vaccinations; we still have to protect all our furry friends from the spread of FIV and FelV. The front-cafe has a Bring-Your-Own-Cat this summer and fall, hence the extra playitem installation and the catwalks, in anticipation of our BYOC lounge up on the second floor that will be ready for Octopurr. ” Hopefully they were both into cat puns enough to enjoy the play on the month.

“We did have cancellations today from reservations, so there are openings if you wanted to tether your Companion Cat or take turns enjoying the catroom. Our seasonal mug cakes are Lavender vanilla, Lemon-blueberry ricotta, Vegan Pecan Butter, and Molten chocolate, and our selection of coffees, teas, and cold-pressed juices from is here on the wallboards. “ A look at the cat, as they held still to listen, showed plain the little star on its forehead. There was no telling if they knew what a Mauvian was, or if the Mauvian was filled with chaos or free from it.

Quenton fished the little basket of offerings on the counter to produce a small, red ushanka to hold out to them. “This might match your cat?”

For all our safety here. “Has he had much practice in verticals? The cat paths we’ve installed here in front are set up as an agility course and puzzle. There's a complementary 2 oz. serving of farm-raised, premium cut salmon to any cat that can successfully navigate the agility maze in under fifteen minutes. "

"Yes. We would like to take those reservations." Suri didn't look at her companions for opinions, or care a consensus from all parties present. She was too focused past the man at the counter, where beyond them two cats batted at each other in the lounge. They had bows tied around their necks. It was precious.

"And a tea, I think," she added, moving her gaze away from the felines at play just long enough to glance at the menu, just for a moment. "The lemon ginger." She gave a passing glance to the counter-worker, but her eyes didn't linger on the scar any longer than the rest of him. "And then whatever she'll drink, just put it all on one tab." Suri fidgeted with her purse, brow furrowed at her clumsy, shaking hands, and then she produced a thin wallet and a glossy black card, the kind made from metal and not plastic.

The look Suri gave the tiny ushanka was nothing short of delight, though she was quick to reign it in behind an impassive nod. "That should be fine," she mused, passing her gaze from the hat to Silk and back. She herself was unsure about having a mauvian so brazenly on display, but the average barista wasn't likely to recognize what a black star on a forehead might mean. But Regan was the one more familiar with Chase's cat companion, and Suri saw no reason to interfere with that pecking order. "Regan, if you would...?" She gestured vaguely to the hat basket and then waited with her hands crossed against the counter, tapping the toes that she could.

How could she be patient when there was only a glass door between her and cats she had permission to pet?