Welcome to Gaia! ::

"[[Pleasure to meet you, Yuri,]]" Yukio replied with a tiny bow. "[[Yes, my apartment is a few blocks away, so I'll be making this a regular stop on my daily walks.]]"

Then he switched back to English. "I'm sorry, I've been talking away at you and you have customers." He turned and nodded apologetically to the young women next to him at the counter, his expression never changing. "Sorry about that. Go ahead, I can wait for my order back here." Detaching his hand from the cat, he stepped back a bit so the others could see the pastries and talk to Yuri.

He smiled inwardly, very glad he'd decided to stop in this place. Another cat wandered by, and he bent over to pet it. Yes, this was a good place to visit regularly.

“Pleasure to meet you as well.”

Yuri was glad he was getting to know his customers. Despite it getting a bit busy with orders, he enjoyed being able to talk to people as they entered. A fresh tray of pastries was just coming out the kitchen and he grabbed some and started putting them out.



✪

Tama saw another guardian cat enter and he beamed. First the extra attention and now not one but two Mauvians! The cat was having a great time of it posing on the counter, but he stopped to look down at Coco and mew a greeting to her.

He too wanted to talk, but knew better. Perhaps if he could get the two Mauvians together he could lead them to the back room where they could chat.



☆

Tama saw another cat walk in and his nub of a tail perked up. Could he be so lucky to see so many cats on the opening day?

He looked down from the counter and saw the striped cat head for the display case next to him. He could see the other cat’s short tail quite a bit fluffier than his own. The cat seemed drawn to the treats inside.

Tama mewed in greeting and jumped off the counter. Perhaps this one needed suggestions on which treats were best?



☆

Yukio had all but forgotten about his tea and scone order. He knelt on the floor of the cafe so he could give the little calico cat all the attention she wanted. "Sweet little girl," he murmured to her as he stroked her soft fur and scritched between her ears. "Such a pretty little girl."

He saw another cat wander in and make a beeline for the display at the counter, another bobtail. This place was attracting almost as many cats as it was drawing people in! This made Yukio happy, because he wanted the cafe to succeed for Yuri as well as for the cats that also occupied the space.

“Thanks!” He hadn’t thought he’d see Eion again. Hadn’t he had the tea when they were at that pop-up shop? “I’ve got tea here as well as coffee, if you want some.”

He looked over to the two cats grooming themselves on the shelves just as Tama excused himself from the counter.

“The cats here are from the local shelter. They send cats that are ready for adoption, but haven’t found a home yet. Hopefully, someone will want them from meeting them here. That’s the goal, anyway. I’ll keep them as long as needed.”

He pointed to the manx/bobtail mix that just hoped off the counter.

“That one stays here permanently.”

Yuri just hoped that particular resident was not drawing too much attention to himself as he led some other cats to the back cat room.



✪

Tama now had quite the collection of guardian cats in his little shop. Perhaps it was time to have a little chat?

The tailless cat jumped off the counter and spotted the three cats still in the cafe portion. He mewed to each and waved his paw, beckoning. In that way, he signaled them, but also looked a lot like the cat on the sign to enter the store.

There was a backroom with a cat door and the grey-furred cat put his head and then rump through the opening. A second latter, he poked his round head back out to see if they were following.





☆

Liryn (cat form)

Liryn spotted the male with the bright-blue hair (Yukio) and for a moment he had considered changing direction and making is way over to the table where the other was sat.

Because the other had hands - and hands came with an increased chance of scritches–

And if Liryn played his cards right then maybe the other would be happy to treat a cat in need to one of the pastries.

He had half-turned before he spotted the other cat (Coco) with the blue-haired male, but it was enough to change Liryn's mind back to the original plan of scoping out the tasty smell coming from the glass display–

After all he could always try again when the blue-haired male was less occupied.

A nearby mew, took his attention from the pastries, Liryn's purplish eyes taking in the other cat (Tama) - and in particular the star that marked the other as a mauvian just like him. He cocked his slightly at the way that the other waved a paw in a gesture that looked very much like a 'follow me' gesture for a long moment because his head glanced lazily around the cafe–

And then one purplish eye closed in a quick but deliberate wink as Liryn abandoned then cabinet with the pastries for now and trotted after the grey-furred cat (Tama).

He spotted the other cat from before as he did (Coco) and gave the other cat a friendly mew in return as he spotted the star and then gave another friend mew as he spotted the brown-furred mauvian with the golden star (Carmen)–

Two more fellow mauvian - what were the odds...?!

The little calico Yukio was petting trotted off to join a group of other cats, including the grey bobtail from the counter, and he stood again, watching them. Cats were wonderful creatures, soft and mysterious. He idly wondered what kind of cat conversations they would have with each other.

His stomach reminded him that he had actually ordered something from the cafe, so he made his way through the small crowd gathered around the counter and went to the end. Gently clearing his throat to get Yuri's attention, he nodded at the young man. "Is my tea ready yet?" he asked as politely as he could. Poor man was a little overwhelmed, it seemed, by the number of people paying a visit to the newly-opened cafe. Yukio chuckled to himself; Yuri had spent time in Tokyo, he surely knew how popular a cat cafe would be. Especially the first one in a major city.