aterat | Be our guest!

Entry tags:

Be our guest!

Who; Haru and Yusuke
What; A cafe adventure.
Where; The Noble District
When;10/05, afternoon
Warnings;None

A lot had happened since Haru's arrival in this place. Some good and some bad, but certainly enough to make her feel like this was a place she was going to be for quite some time. There was nothing inherently bad about that despite the few bad things that had happened. After all there were some good things to be found. Like the little hideout the Phantom Thieves had been making for themselves in the Harbor District and the sandsharks. The sandsharks had certainly been a good thing! They were cute but deadly and utterly fascinating! The mirror realm had been a bit...unsettling but fighting with Yusuke had been exhilarating to say the least. That situation was made less awful by the fact that they had both felt the same in regards to it. Or perhaps not the same, but similar enough that any embarrassment she may have felt had been soothed.

It was strange really. In some ways she felt she knew him a bit better here than she did back home. They had shared experiences there that they hadn't here, but they had considerably less one on one time there. Certainly less time for them to discuss their more personal likes and dislikes. They had things in common, that much she was certain of, however it felt like here a whole other world of similarities had opened up. Her own artistic endeavors were quite different from his but they seemed to come from the same curious and introspective place. A place that spurred her to actually consider bigger possibilities. The possibility that weighed heavily on her mind the last few weeks had been that little dream of a café that she had spoken to both him and Ren about.

That was a dream she had back home too. A cute little wholesome place where people could gather, sip tea or coffee, maybe buy some homemade crochet crafts, and just relax and feel safe. Safe and comfortable. After several days of daydreaming about color palettes and what she might serve she finally got the courage to seek Yusuke out. She wanted his opinion and maybe his help looking at places. A creative person to bounce ideas off of seemed perfect. Plus she could check on him! She still didn't particularly like the idea of both he and Ren living there, but they seemed to accept it. That hardly meant she didn't worry about them and if they were eating right (Yusuke probably wasn't).

With that in mind she showed up to his room at the orphanage with an awkward knock on his door.

"Yusuke! It's Haru, are you in?"

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Truth be told she was more than happy to accept that he simply hadn't heard it. If she did ever realize she'd sent it to the wrong person she'd be quite embarrassed and she seemed to spend enough time lately being embarrassed. "I'm happy to hear I'm not interrupting." Though...she did lean around a bit to try to get a better look at what he was painting. "Oh! It should look lovely when it's done." Everything he did was quite lovely though, at least in her opinion. He put his heart into it all and that was really what mattered most.

Her face was still lightly red when she spoke but she was at least trying to pull herself together. Somehow it made her feel even more awkward to realize just how awkward she must look. Why was it so difficult to just talk about something she might want to do? Everyone else seemed to do it with such ease and then there was her. Shifting her weight from one foot to another while hoping nobody noticed how dumb her idea might actually be.

"I wish to think about more seriously," she corrected with a hint of a smile. "I'm still not entirely certain if I have the knowledge to run one successfully but...it seems likely that we might all continue to be here for quite sometime. And if that's to be the case then perhaps it's best to start trying new things. More so if they are things that might be able to help us here." A cafe would bring them all money and they could all probably use a bit more of that. It would be nice to feel useful to the others in such a way.

She nodded enthusiastically. "That's precisely what I think! Only having taverns and a few pastry shops seems like a tragedy. Where does one go when they just want a quiet place to have tea? Their only option is their own homes." Which was nice to do of course, but sometimes you wanted something prepared for another. Something special!

"Thank you! I would love your help with it all! I'm afraid I'm not particularly stylish." Certainly not like him or Ann.

“Thank you, Haru!” He responded to the compliment with a pleased, flattered tone. It was nice to hear such things about his art, even if he was still feeling a little stuck sometimes… He was continuing to try, working towards a point where he could feel… not satisfied, one always had improvements to make… But to feel happy with his progress, and as though he had finally freed himself of the feelings that had been plaguing him before arriving at Aterat. The words of that art critic were still rather stuck with him… But he was starting to feel a little more confident in the last few months, even if he realized what happened here had little bearing on what happened back in their own world.

“It’s still a step forward, Haru. A sensible one, at that!” Yusuke responded with a thoughtful nod. It was a first step towards opening one, if she decided to go through with it. More sensible than simply diving in before she was completely ready. “And I expect most people are uncertain of such an endeavor before pursuing it. Perhaps you could even ask for advice from those who have opened businesses here?” It seemed like a decent suggestion while she was trying to figure things out and get things in order. Those who had already been through the awkward early days of starting a business might have advice or pointers to make the experience a little more smooth. Things she could do to make it easier or to avoid to prevent unpleasant bumps along the way. “And you’re quite right… It seems as though the duration of our stay is to run a little on the long side, given how long it’s been already. It seems like it would be a good opportunity to at least try!” And probably easier than doing so from the ground up in their own world where there was a lot of competition and complications to think about… Here, there really wasn’t anything like that to spend time in.

Which Haru seemed to agree on, so he nodded vigorously. “Quite right! And not everyone is good at making tea or coffee from home, so it might be appreciated to have a place to go to enjoy it.” There were the odd murmurs of disappointment around the city he’d heard. The taverns were good enough for some for a meal, but it was a specific environment that not everyone liked. Then there were those of them who probably shouldn’t be in taverns, at least not yet.

There it was again, Haru’s particular way of talking something about herself down… “You have a unique style, Haru. One that suits you, but it would be my pleasure to assist with the aesthetic and design based on your own thoughts.” Because he would offer opinions, but he could genuinely see Haru’s unique style working out quite well in a cafe. It might just need a little adjusting to make sure everything flowed in a pleasing way. Ann’s was stylish to be sure, but it was a different kind of style from Haru.

“I'm just telling the truth as I see it," she said with a smile that perhaps bordered on something almost sly. Was she teasing him based on what he'd said to her in that Mirror place? Perhaps. Perhaps she was. Gentle teasing of course! He'd been so kind and supportive to her that it only seemed right to echo his sentiment. All of her life she had tried to keep a distance between herself and others of her own age. No matter how kind they were to her she had always wondered if they weren't just doing it due to her name. There was such a relief in finding friends where that was never a concern.

"I'm glad I could at least put something Father taught me to use." A speck of sadness managed to make it's way into her tone but she quickly forced it away with a smile. This was not a time to get bogged down by memories of the past. It was a time to focus on making steps into the future. She gave a nod to him. "Someone else suggested that as well! I wonder how many here actually have? I know there's a girl with a flower shop and another boy with a delivery service I believe?" Were there others beyond that? She really had no idea. Nor did she know how they came into their current businesses.

"Long and rather unpredictable. Going by what others have said some stay here for a very long time while others disappear with little warning." That last part was a bit trouble. All in all she didn't particularly mind this place. Not while she had such great friends around. However, the idea of one of them simply disappearing with no time to prepare was quite troublesome. The more she thought about it the more worried she became until she came around full circle to thinking she just shouldn't think about it at all. Starting a business would be both a distraction and a way to make the best of the time they might have.

"Even if you're an expert at making it you often lack some of the flavorful ingredients that make a cafe's drinks unique." It was hard to make things quite as creative while at home. There was always a particular flavor about drinks from a specialty location, though perhaps that was also something to do with the atmosphere.

"Thank you," she said with a very tiny smile. "Well then shall we be off?"

Yusuke paused at that, eyes darting back to Haru with a sneaking suspicion that his very own words had been turned back against him. That was an odd feeling, now wasn’t it? It was hard to not smile a little at the expression on his friend’s face, though. Supportive teasing was a new experience, but not a bad one. “I suppose in that case I am flattered by the truth, as you see it.” He responded with a tilt of his head.

It was easy to understand the tinge of sadness to her voice, knowing what he did now about her father… Her feelings were undoubtedly complicated on that front, especially with his death on top of the other things she’d dealt with thanks to the man. He offered a sympathetic expression to that, but nodded quickly as she continued. “I have met the woman from the flower shop. She’s quite lovely to speak to! Her name’s Aerith. I’m sure she’d be happy to offer advice based on her experience, and I think I’ve had a word with Tommy, who runs the delivery service. He may be able to give some pointers on starting something as well. He seems to manage a rather large staff of letter carriers.” But he tapped his chin lightly, “Hm… I am unsure how many others opened a business, though. I think I’ve heard that Gullwings office was opened early on when people started arriving here?” That seemed like a different kind of business, though.

Yusuke nodded, knowing well what she was thinking of on the subject of this place’s unpredictability with those who arrived… He had been so very surprised when they had suddenly shown up, and overjoyed, but it was hard sometimes to not wonder when the reverse might happen instead with one of them. That seemed terribly sad, to have people and then see them disappear while you remained. The teen couldn’t help but think it must have been slightly lonely for the people who had experienced it. “Then we must enjoy such opportunities and endeavors all the more while we can, mustn’t we?” He added with a smile.

On the subject of lacking ingredients, he offered a slightly awkward nod. “You’re quite right, in both beverages and food alike… Missing key ingredients can throw the whole thing off, if not create something entirely different and not at all pleasant.” He added, clearly having learned from experience on that at least. Sometimes being on a budget meant… odd substitutions… But it made for a unique experience! But at least while here, people would have one more place to go for something special, if Haru did open her cafe!

Making sure everything was set, and tucking his tell-phone in his pocket, he offered a bright now. “Yes, let us be off on our search for a perfect location!” He gestured for the door before holding it open for his friend to follow.

His acceptance of her statement got a light giggle from her followed by a rather satisfied expression. She wasn't entirely used to having friends she was so familiar with but it was certainly a change she was enjoying. It felt somewhat invigorating to be so bold as to tease someone like that! This was completely new and exciting territory.

"I will keep both those names in mind!" Even still she tried to force a smile, trying to make it seem natural and failing for the most part. How strange it was that despite everything she still wished her father were here for her to ask a question of. Or...perhaps even for him to be proud of her. Though that was probably a tiny bit silly on her part. "Two is still an impressive number! I do wonder if they ran a similar business back home or if this was their first venture." Should she actually try to speak to them she would need to make certain to keep that question in mind.

"I think so. I think if we didn't we might find ourselves filled with regret." And there was little else worse than being weighed down with guilt. "Not so pleasant, hmm" She tilted her head and gave a curious little expression. Was he somehow experienced in that? Come to think of it she wasn't entirely sure how well he knew how to cook. For the most part he seemed to have a terrible habit of spending all his money and then not having anything left for basic necessities. It was quite a problem really.

She stepped through the door and then immediately started in the direction of the noble districting. "I hope we can actually find a perfect location!" But was there really such a thing?

Yusuke was glad he could at least offer a couple of possibilities for her to look into for advice, though he wished he could give her a little more information on the subject. Perhaps those who opened local businesses might benefit from some form of contact or meet up in general, to help one another out or assist new people in their own endeavors? It was a little hard to not notice the slight strain of a forced smile on his friend’s face, but… well, he wouldn’t blame her for feeling the way she did. To wish for help or approval from one’s parent was only natural, and she didn’t have that option now… But she had him and Ren, and while that wasn’t exactly the same… They would surely do their best to support and encourage her!

The musing from his friend gets a slight shake of his head, though. “That I can’t say, I’m afraid. I only met Tommy once at the potluck, so I haven’t gotten to know him well… But I do know Aerith a little better? She did speak of having a big garden for flowers and vegetables both! But I think she was caught up in some things around her own world as well, so this might be her first flower shop.” But she clearly was doing well with running her shop, and her experience with plants and flowers seemed quite unmatched in his opinion. That she was running the business and keeping it going for as long as she had seemed proof enough that she might be helpful with advice for running a business!

“And it would be terrible to acquire such regrets simply because we didn’t take the chance on something we were inspired to pursue!” Yusuke responded in an animated, pleasant tone. He was glad she seemed to have caught on and agreed, because Haru deserved to pursue her interests as much as the rest of them did! The comment gets a slightly awkward shift in his smile, and he rubbed the back of his neck lightly as he gestured with the other hand. “I’m afraid it does. Some foods do not substitute in ways one might expect… Edible! But not necessarily pleasant.” Not always edible, but he was not one to waste food because… Well, as Haru well knew, he wasn’t great with his money and had a rather small budget to begin with.

Yusuke would point out that it might not seem perfect to some, but if it suited their needs and had the potential to become what Haru had in mind? That was perfect in a sense, even with whatever imperfections there might be now. “It shall be an interesting challenge, but I’m sure there must be something that would be suitable! There seems like so many empty spaces that are just waiting for people to use them. They even seem to encourage it of those of us who’ve arrived.” He had heard of people moving into houses, and certainly the newer businesses needed places to operate as well.

And at least the noble district was known for being a little nicer than some parts of the city, they might not even need to worry as much about repairs if they found a solid building!

"I see. Well, perhaps I'll learn more if I reach out to them both." Though...that was easier said than done. Despite the attempts she'd made here to talk to others she still found the task a bit more difficult than she would like. In the back of her mind she always found herself wondering if she were simply bothering them or asking stupid questions or one of a million self-doubts. There was also a tiny part of her that still found herself just a bit suspicious of others. It was something she tried not to think of too much but there always seemed to be whispers in the very edges of her mind that suggested perhaps they would just use her. The thoughts were ridiculous, she knew that. After all what could they get from her here? But after having had them for so long back home...well, it was difficult to get rid of them completely. One specific and unrelated thing had stood out to her about what he'd said though. "Isn't it strange how many of us seem to come from a situation we'd gotten caught up in back home?" Was there anyone here at all that hadn't come from a situation like that?

"I don't think I want to ask for examples of edible but not pleasant." Because yes, she did indeed know him well enough to know he had eaten something (probably several somethings) that fit the description. She shook her head as they continued to walk and then moved a hand up to cover a light giggle. As they entered into the noble district the entire atmosphere seemed to change to match the more upscale nature of this area. "And it seems like few people have come here to live or start businesses!" So it seemed like they had a head start on a nice location.

Yusuke hoped they would at least be able to help, and if not, their small group would simply have to pull together and see what they could find out themselves, wouldn’t they? It would hardly be right to let a friend’s dream die before it started, and they were together here… So they could at least offer such support, especially when they all had the amount of time and freedom they did here to explore such endeavors.

That said, he had to admit she made a good point. “It truly is odd, is it not? It almost seems as though it’s some kind of a strange prerequisite for people chosen to be brought here, as I cannot think of anyone I’ve met who’ve come from somewhere that nothing of note was going on in their lives.” Perhaps there was… But Yusuke really didn’t recall meeting anyone like that so far. Perhaps it meant something? Or perhaps it was simply a coincidence…

Her comment (and the following giggle) gets a slightly dramatic sigh and a shake of his head. “It would probably be for the best if that was left to the imagination, rather than described.” He certainly did not wish to relive the memory! Potentially lovely meals turned to some kind of mystery dish that perhaps was not meant to be eaten so much as observed with an unsettled curiosity. Instead, he swept the thought from his mind and focused on the matter at hand as they entered the noble district. It really was a lovely part of the city. Even in its current state, it was nicer than the others somehow. “Quite right! That rather fancy shop that sells chocolates and desserts isn’t far from where we are now, I think…?” So it meant there were already businesses that did well enough, and a cafe might fight right in!

"It seems like a strange coincidence doesn't it?" A bit too strange if you asked her. Which was probably a bit odd for her to even think about considering how many coincidences had to align for the Phantom Thieves to find each other. That wasn't really something she'd ever thought about though. Haru was far too focused on how lovely it was that they had found each other to ever find herself thinking too much on the strange chains of events that had to happen to bring them together. The people in this place were something she could be a bit more objective towards though and she did see it as at least a bit too coincidental. From all she'd been told people were allegedly picked up and placed here at random and yet they seemed to all share at least that one trait.

She turned to look at them as they walked with a little smile on her face. "That's a very ominous statement." A part of her was suddenly even more curious about what he'd eaten in the past and yet at the same time she wasn't one to pry too much. Certainly not to things that might otherwise be poor memories.

"Oh, is it? Should we go there first? Perhaps we could get something!" Something easy to carry along the way as they went to look at empty buildings. That would be nice wouldn't it?

Yusuke was honestly in agreement. The things he’d heard about the lives of their fellow other-worlders since arriving really was an entirely strange thing to realize. “It does, know simple coincidences can occur but…” He offered a small shrug of his shoulders as they walked, “The ration is rather high to simply be a mere coincidence, for all that I hardly understand how this place works and operates.” Some seemed sure their arrivals were random, while others thought otherwise… But it was hard to rule out the idea that perhaps there were at least certain conditions for those brought here, if the amount of people who’d been pulled to this place from complicated situations of their own were anything to go by.

It was an ominous statement, and he offered a slightly awkward smile in return. “I suppose having put it that way, it does sound like rather cursed knowledge, does it not?” It was cursed though, and should someone get him in a kitchen and in the odd situation where a substitution might be necessary? Well, they might see why one day. Not that it wouldn’t be a fun experience. Yusuke’s creative flair might go either way in such a situation, and perhaps with the proper guidance and ingredients to pull from, it would be fine!

“Now that is a most wonderful idea, Haru!” He responded with a bright tone, “Something to fuel us in our search for a nice location. Perhaps we’ll even spot something near it that might also be in decent condition for a business?” He offered with a bright tone, liking both the prospect of a snack while they searched and the potential discoveries it might lead to. After all, streets where there were already businesses might be better taken care of and cleaned up already?

She scrunched her face up in a frown and sighed. "True. It's hard to figure out how this place operates so I guess we can't really count coincidence out." It'd seemed like a good train of thought but with how strange this place was it was really hard to say. It would be nice if they could figure out conditions, but it just seemed so unlikely. Oh well, that would be something to think on another time. For now she was happy to simply move on. There were bigger fish to fry today!

"It does," she said continuing to giggle. Clearly, this mystery food had not been fried fish. Though...she wasn't entirely certain if she wanted to see Yusuke try to fry fish in the dorm room he lived in back home. Or here. Definitely not here. That place was far too artistic to not risk fire if he tried to cook it. Her lips curled into a small smile that she kept trying to hide behind her hands as the image of him with a little burner in the room setting the fish on fire entered her mind. It was probably awful of her to think that was funny but sometimes you just couldn't help it.

"Ohh a good point!" It wasn't too far to the dessert place though there seemed to be a distinct lack of any sort of coffee shop or anything of the life along the way. The only thing she'd spotted that sold food at all seemed to be a very upscale restaurant that looked like the kind of place her father might have gone to. In order to keep the mood light she'd chosen to ignore that place entirely. There was a small strip of buildings on the other side of the place that seemed almost entirely empty save for a few shops that seemed to sell extremely high end custom clothing items. She pointed over to where the builds were. "Maybe we should look across the street at that strip of property once we've picked out a snack. There's a number of empty buildings there and it's right across from a restaurant and this place." That seemed like a good location, maybe. She wasn't sure which building might be best suited, but well, that's what she'd brought him along for. But maybe the location in general would be decent? If not there were also an empty shop or two here on this side.

Yes, there were some things that would definitely be a terrible idea for the teen to try, especially in either his living space here or the one back in their world. The chance for ‘creative disasters’ was a bit high, for all that he probably would be willing to try should the opportunity arise.

Yusuke smiled to hear she agreed with this thought, though. “I can imagine it might even be nice to see the area spring to life with convenient places to draw people in!” The restaurant had been noticed but given how upscale it looked, he doubted they could afford it anyway, and the dessert shop had been quite nice to stop in to. It seemed like a small snack easy to carry would be smart, given the current challenge for the afternoon. Something they could eat while they searched would give them time to check places thoroughly before the afternoon turned into evening.

But it did paint a rather nice mental image of the street alive with people coming and going to get something to eat, or to stop in to the cafe between one point or another. Perhaps stopping in on their way to some other business that might open as more people expressed an interest in starting something up in the area. It had a lot of potential, and it would be nice to see things take off. Especially if it meant that Haru’s cafe would get the traffic and attention it deserved and needed.

Following Haru’s hand as she pointed, he tilted his head at the strip of buildings just across the street from their first destination. “Oh, that is a rather good idea! It’s still near enough to the other businesses, but gives a little more space and perhaps will draw interest to that side of the street as well.” He beamed, tone light, as he nodded in agreement. “And there appear to be a lot of nice looking buildings to choose from. I am rather curious what the inside of some of them will look like.” A couple struck him as a cafe-like location from the outside, but you never knew what it was like till you seen inside.

"Thank you," she said blushing at his compliment. Even though she was starting to get a bit more used to compliments it was still somewhat new. It was quite nice to have someone tell her that she had good ideas like that though. It helped her to feel more brave with her suggestions and it certainly perked her mood.

"We can only hope we find a few that look as good inside as out. Though even if they don't I think if we put our minds together we can polish something up!" After all they'd managed as Phantom Thieves cleaning up the inside of a building for a cafe shouldn't be that difficult right? All things considered it should be a rather easy task. And they had some experience with their little hideout too! Maybe things really could come together.

When she walked into the little dessert place she was immediately taken by the adorable little cakes, cookies, cupcakes, and various other sweets they had. "Oh dear..." She hoped they wouldn't be stuck here all day trying to figure out what to get. Haru could imagine herself doing just that though. Debating with herself on what delicious treat to take with her. Oh it was certainly a valid possibility! "What do you think you'd like?"

“They cannot be in worse shape than some of the places we looked at in the Harbor District for our gathering place, at least?” He commented thoughtfully. Things here did seem at least somewhat less dilapidated and likely to be condemned than some buildings around Aterat. “And you’re quite right, even if it is a bit lacking to start, that just means there’s more freedom to change it and turn it into the ideal cafe, isn’t it? To transform it into something more inviting than it may be now!” And they could do that, here, with a little hard work. It wasn’t as though any of them weren’t at least stubborn enough to try to carry through with plans.

Yusuke’s eyes wandered the cafe with interest, his stomach growling lightly as he realized that he was (as usual) a bit hungry now… The sight of such beautiful confections was a good reminder of the fact. “There is much to choose from, and they’re all like small pieces of art themselves… I confess, I am unsure what to choose.” He commented in a slightly dramatic tone, leaning over one case with a curious tilt of his head. He did like traditional flavours, but the interesting combinations were rather intriguing themselves. “Perhaps something that’s easy to eat while we walked… Perhaps one of those cupcakes in that case near you?”

"That's very true! A good bright side to keep in mind." Those places had been well....kind of awful. Not that Haru wanted to just insult the buildings like that! It hadn't been their fault they would have been better off condemned. That was the fault of the people at the Harbor District who hadn't taken proper means to try to clean the area up. She smiled at his addition. "True! It would almost be like a blank canvas, right?" A potentially very dirty blank canvas but it was the same idea, wasn't it? Or at the very least it was close enough.

She nodded enthusiastically and then took out a small bit of money. "I have an idea! Two cupcakes, please surprise us with the flavor!" That seemed appropriate since they both couldn't seem to pick a flavor. The person at the register didn't seem too bothered by the weird request and took out two cupcakes at random and handed one to Haru and one to Yusuke. She took hers and smiled brightly.

"Oh! It's tiramisu!" What an appropriate choice for her. With that she started out of the little shop and back onto the street, holding the door open for him. "What did you get?"

“That’s what I was thinking, something you can start upon fresh and use to paint your masterpiece, hm?” He responded a touch dramatically, but no less honestly. Even if the canvas wasn’t perfect to start, he was sure that Haru’s vision would unfold with a little time and work. Yusuke, for one, was quite interested in seeing what that vision was. If she had colours or a design in mind, how it might reflect herself and the energy she wanted the establishment to hold. For all that she didn’t seem to have much confidence in some of her hobbies, Yusuke got the sense that there was a creative soul in his friend. One that had the potential to make such lovely things with the right encouragement. Perhaps it was the artist in him, recognizing the artist in another, even as their mediums and interests differed some.

Yusuke was happy to let her go forward with the idea, rather than continuing to puzzle over what they might get… And it seemed like her idea was a fun one, both saving time and presenting them with a mystery. “How clever. This saves the decision and gives it a whimsically fun element to the snack.” He commented with a light smile, standing aside and watching as the person at the register took two cupcakes at random.

Accepting his own with a brief word of thanks to the counter attendant and one to Haru as well for purchasing it, he looked at the cupcake in his hand curiously as he tried to discern what the flavour was. A small, delighted hum escaping. “Ah, I believe mine would be Dulce de Leche? They both look quite delicious.” The teen commented as he moved away from the counter. “These should do wonderfully for fueling us in our search.”

"Everyone can do with a little bit of whimsy in their lives," she said with a bright smile. Sometimes it was nice to simply let go and be a bit spontaneous and playful! While Haru was often reserved and quiet there were certainly moments where that side of her shined through. One could even say her attire had a certain amount of it all on it's own. What she usually wore combined comfort with patterns and shapes that she found cute or welcoming. They might not always go together perfectly, but they worked for her and made her happy. Sometimes the little things were very important.

Once they were back outside she stretched her free hand out and then moved it back and forth in a rather dramatic fashion. She did this a few times with her eyes squeezed shut and then froze her arm in place as a finger pointed directly at a building across the street and slightly up and to the right of them.

"How about we start there?" For the first time Haru didn't even seem embarrassed by her slightly eccentric way of picking a place to start. Maybe she was getting at least a tiny bit more comfortable around him in this place. Even back home she still had moments every now and then where she worried about what others would think of her ideas or choices. It was lessening now that she'd grown more comfortable with the Phantom Thieves but it was hard to not worry a bit. But this time she just did it and then looked at her friend hopefully for some sort of input.

“Agreed!” He responded with a smile, though perhaps some might say that Yusuke tended towards that a little more than one should when it came to some creative endeavors… But there was a particular honesty to his actions most of the time, sincere and serious about whatever it was he was attempting, and it could draw people in on more than one occasion. Yusuke found he rather liked to see glimpses of something similar in Haru, even if she was more reserved until a situation allowed for it to shine through. It almost made it exciting? Never knowing when it might appear, but knowing when it did that it would be something interesting and fun.

Which proved to be true as they left the shop behind and she began a rather random method of picking their first target. His brows rising with interest and following her gesture curiously until she finally stopped on one particular building.

His eyes resting on the building and raising his hands to frame (albeit awkwardly with a cupcake balanced in one) the building and closing one eye as he tried to get a sense of how it might look fixed up… Before nodding with a brilliant smile. “I believe that is the perfect place to begin! Your method of selection today seems to be quite on point, Haru!” The teen smiled brightly, thinking about how the choice in cupcakes and buildings both had presented an interesting and potentially excellent result.

Haru took a bite of her cupcake getting just a bit of frosting on her nose in the process. This sad fact was lost on her though and so she started off towards the building she'd pointed at. Once they got closer she noticed that the outside looked pretty decent, basically the same as the others save for a bit of grime built up on large windows outside. Of course they couldn't really see the roof of the strip mall from here so there was no telling if there were any problems there. Luckily this area was generally a bit nicer than other places in general.

She laughed at his compliment. "I'm not certain if that's entirely true. My methods all came down to me being very terrible at making decisions on my own." So she left it up to chance. Maybe it had seemed creative or interesting, but really it was just an easy way to get out of picking directly. There was probably something to be said about how negative towards herself that was, but Haru tended towards that anyway. It was nothing new really, was it?

"What do you think of the outside? Does it fit your frame?"

Yusuke had begun to realize that about her, that she tended towards painting her methods, talents or dreams in a more negative light. It was rather sad, and made him wonder all the more what her situation had been like back in their world… Yes, he knew what had happened with her father, of course… But that was a little different from knowing the details about what Haru had dealt with personally before that. That said, it only meant that they all had to help her push past such feelings about herself, right? Friends supporting and encouraging one another. Yusuke at least found himself wanting to, now that he had people in his life. Even if he was a bit unskilled and unpracticed, at least when it came to creative endeavors and wishes? He had experience with both discouragement with yourself and the importance of bouncing back to keep trying!

“Sometimes leaving a decision up to chance or taking a risk can be quite rewarding!” The teen didn’t notice the frosting on his friend’s nose at first, though. Eyes still focused on the building itself through the frame of his hands. Tilting his head one way, and then another. “In fact, I believe that this is a prime example of that.” He hummed, pleased with what he saw. “I believe it fits my frame well, especially for a start?” He commented, finally lowering his hands to focus on taking a bite of his cupcake while he explained. “I believe the outside does show promise. With a little cleaning and aesthetic decisions such as colours and decoration, it would be a rather inviting display for people to happen upon?” He finished a bite and then glanced to Haru to see what she thought.

That was when he noticed the frosting on her nose and instead found himself tilting his head at her with a curious expression. It was an odd thing to see, perhaps, someone who was quite well put together with frosting just resting on her nose rather out of place. Blinking, he reached up to gesture awkwardly at his own face to indicate where it was. “Ah, you seem to have a little frosting on your face? Just around here-ish.”

"I think you might be right!" She took another small bite of her cupcake, pleased with herself over how well the not quite decision had turned out. This was precisely the flavor she had wanted and yet she hadn't even realized it. She nodded enthusiastically as he spoke.

"For the first location it's not too bad!" She was just about to say more when she noticed him looking at her with a rather curious looking expression. Heat started to rise on her cheeks as she wondered what he was looking at precisely. Of course, she didn't seem to have to wonder long before he awkwardly said something to her. "Oh...oh no," her entire face turned a vivid red as she quickly put a hand up to wipe the frosting off. "D-did I get it all?" This was so embarrassing! How had she not noticed? It had felt a bit like something was there but she figured maybe it was the dust since coming over into this section? (Not that there was really dust outside...) "Thank you... It would have been terrible if someone else had noticed first." There weren't too many people around but that would have been even more embarrassing.

She cleared her throat and then opened up the door to this first building. The door itself was pretty insecure as it swung open. Inside the floor was dusty and there were a number of chairs and broken boards thrown about. "Oh dear." Well at least there didn't seem to be mold or anything like that! The sound of her shoes clicked against the floor as she walked, tossing dust up.

"Well...there's a nice counter that looks a bit like the one at Leblanc..." If Leblanc's cafe counter had a hole in the middle of it.

“What a brilliant shade… I was unaware one could take on such a hue.” He commented with a curious tilt of his head, watching as poor Haru’s complexion turned a rather vivid shade of red with embarrassment. Should he have pointed that out? Probably not… But It was the colour that caught his attention, and he hadn’t really thought before speaking up. Alas, his social skills still had a rather long way to go, even as he’d been learning from being around more people since joining the thieves… And, well, some things never seemed to change.

At her question, Yusuke leans slightly to get a better look and then nods with a smile. “Yes, your face is now free of frosting for now!” He confirmed, glad to have been assistance on that front. “I’m happy to have helped. It seems like the risk of cupcakes. Frosting seems a bit tricky that way.” He added as though he hadn’t said anything particularly odd before, moving easily on to the subject of the building again.

It really did look like it had potential from the outside, but admittedly the inside… Was a little sad. “Hmm…” He took a bite of cupcake, carefully picking his way by the broken chairs and boards scattered about. “It still has… promise? Though I daresay the inside needs a little more work than the outside does.” Moving to the counter, he winced a little at the hole in the middle of it. “Though the counter does put one in mind of Leblanc… I wonder how easy that would be for us to repair.” He added, looking at the hole with some concern.

It still had potential, but perhaps one of the other locations might be a little less… Rough inside.

"Yusuke! You don't need to point it out!" If only she didn't still have a bit of cupcake in her hand! Then maybe she could just burrow her face into her hands. It was hardly surprising he'd just pointed it out like that, but it didn't make it any less humiliating. Maybe...maybe now they could just move on from it! Forget about it forever. Hide her embarrassment behind looking down at the dusty musty floor like it was beautiful.

"At least there's that..." At least it was gone...She heaved a sigh. It truly was going to just be a better idea to move on. Quickly and swiftly from it all. Maybe he'd just forget about the color of her face.

"It'd just need a bit more polish! And love!" And care. And a lot of time. And to figure out how you fix a hole perfectly in the middle like that. "Hmm," she looked at it thoughtfully. "I'm not certain. It seems like it'd be quite difficult to find an exact match to patch it up with." She sighed and turned around on the small heel on her shoe. "Maybe the next location will be a bit less work on the inside!"

Yusuke blinked in surprise at her reaction, tilting his head with a slightly confused expression. “Oh, um…! I simply couldn’t help but observe it. My apologies, Haru. I shall try to remember that in the future.” He responded in a little, slightly dramatic, rush. Also accidentally indicating that such an incident might happen again in the future. Alas… They were both a bit awkward at times, weren’t they?

To the teen’s credit, he at least moved on rather quickly and gracefully from the blunder. Although that might also have something to do with how easily he shifted focus to things of interest. Which, at the moment, was the state of the building as he tried to see the potential in it. A small frown crossing his lips as he studied the hole in the counter again.

“I admit, I’m not particularly knowledgeable concerning carpentry… But I believe you’re right? The whole counter might be easier to replace than repairing it, which would be less than ideal for moving in and getting set up.” He shook his head lightly, but smiled at her optimism. “Quite right, there may be a jewel among these buildings that will be far more convenient. Let us continue the search!” He gestured with the cupcake in his hand, before heading towards the door. “Shall we try the one next door? Or shall we rely upon random chance again?”

"It's...it's alright. I think I was just very embarrassed..." she gave him a tilted half smile that still betrayed a degree of embarrassment. Ah, why did they both have to be so terribly socially awkward? Perhaps that was just the fate of two people that hadn't really had many friends their own age.

"Mmm...you're right. Unless we wanted to make the counter different styles or colors...? But...I'm not sure if patchwork is quite what I'm looking for. I think I'd prefer something more...appropriate for the area." Patchwork might look cute in some ways, but it somehow didn't seem quite appropriate for the upscale area of the Noble District.

She headed out of the building and looked to the next one. "Lets just try this one right next door." It was also empty. This one had a door that definitely needed paint of some kind, it seemed like previously it'd been painted a nice white but it was peeling and more grey than white now. Opening the door was a lot more sturdy this time at least. This one had a counter in the back that was actually completely whole though the state of the paint was about as bad as the door. It'd probably been some hideous shade of green before, but now it was kind of a puke color from how it'd faded and peeled.

"Well, at least the counter doesn't have a hole in it..." The walls had a wallpaper on it that looked like it might have, at one time, been in a green and gold pattern that was probably pretty at the time. However, now, it was peeling and looked a bit like something out of a horror movie. Though...all in all, things weren't in terrible condition. It was a bit smaller than the one they'd just been in, but not by too much.

"There'd be a lot to polish up here." But maybe it'd be a decent blank canvas? Haru went behind the counter and looked very confused by what she found there. There were pieces of something that looked like an old coffee machine. It was rusty, dusty, and broken apart to point that it definitely wouldn't be useable but still an intriguing find.

Following Haru to the next building, he considered the space compared to the last one. “Hm… It does have that going for it.” He mused, eyes looking over the counter before they returned to the rest of the interior. “And while you’re right, it does need more polish than the last location… I think the work that needs doing is actually cleaning and painting more than anything? Which would be easier than having to make repairs to the counters or furnishings, I expect.” He closed his eyes after a moment, trying to picture what it might look like with a fresh coat of paint in some pleasant shades.

“Considering the fact that everything needs repainting means you could choose the colours and coordinate the whole space!” So, following her train of thought, they could treat it as a blank canvas for her to work with. Yusuke rather found that more appealing than the potential repairs that none of them may know how to do, after all.

Yusuke tilted his head and looked at what had caught her attention as he leaned over the countertop. “My! What a lovely old machine, or at least it could be with some work, perhaps?” Following her behind the counter for a better look, he smiled a little. “Even if it’s not operational, perhaps it would make a nice decor piece? And it does show this place was once a cafe to begin with. Perhaps that’s a good sign?”

She nodded rather enthusiastically at his observations. "That's quite true. It might take us a while to remove everything, dust, and clear it all up but it would still be easier than figuring out how to repair the counter. It is a bit smaller than the other place though..." Was that actually a big problem though? She wasn't entirely certain. "I think I'd kind of like to have one wall have maybe a few things for sale." She tilted her head as she looked at the walls. "Do you think that'd work here? Or would it be too crowded? The small size is a bit more cozy though and I did want this place to be truly cozy!" That was a big sticking point, she wanted it to be homey and nice.

"I'm not even certain what kind of colors I'd want to go... but being able to decide all of it might be quite exciting." More than likely she'd just default to just asking him what he might think looked best.

She looked from the machine to him and then clapped her hands. "Oh! That's a lovely idea! Using it as décor might be really cute!"

“That is a good point… But I think your wish for a cozy atmosphere would be helped by the size of the space. Cafes are usually more of a comfortable atmosphere than wide and sprawling, are they not? And I think… It’s not too small a space, much smaller and you might run the risk of overcrowding, but I don’t know that it would be a problem here?” He responded, holding up his hands to frame the wall in question. “Depending on how you wish to display things, it might actually work. Perhaps putting up some shelving, rather than a wide table or something, would save on space, and stop it from getting too crowded to browse?” And a nice display could be viewed even from the tables while people enjoyed their drinks and food!

Yusuke would absolutely be thrilled to help pick out colours, of course! He would even assist with cleaning and helping to cover the walls in whatever lovely shade she went with. “Then perhaps we’ll have to see if we can’t find a shop that sells paint and consider what might suit the space well?” He tapped a chin before continuing. “We should take a picture of it with our phones, and then perhaps it will help when choosing if we can better visualize the space alongside the colours.”

Smiling brightly, the teen was glad to see his idea had been a good one! “Then we shall have to see about getting it cleaned up. I’m sure some polishing will at least make it presentable!” Even if she didn’t choose this spot exactly, they could always… Remove it… No one was using it, after all!

"That's very true." She looked around the place and then nodded. "I don't think overcrowding should be an issue in this place!" She watched him and then looked at the spot and tried to imagine shelving there. It was a bit more difficult for her than it was for him to imagine it but she thought she could see it in the back of her mind. "Shelving would probably work a lot better to not have it be crowded...." Oh this was starting to sound like a lovely idea. She put her hands together in excitement.

"There has to be a place or two in the market that sells paint!" The more she thought about this all coming together the more excited she was actually getting. "Yes! Lets take some pictures so we can plan better. It'll be easier to put colors and see what goes together that way." Better than her plan of just picking a color and going with it and hoping for the best. "That's such a good idea!" She was definitely glad she'd thought to invite him.

"I think...perhaps this spot may be it then? Maybe this little machine was the sign? What do you think?"

Yusuke smiled, letting her try to imagine the space, and it could be with a little work. After all, it was going to be her business! It was important for her to decide if it was right for her and if the space was large enough or suitable for her vision. Even if she wasn’t a hundred percent sure yet, he had faith in her ideas and wanted to encourage his friend and offer suggestions when needed. “Then I believe we should add the carpentry shop to our list of places to visit to see about getting shelving installed once the painting is finished if you decide to keep this place!”

But it felt like it was a pretty done deal, at least based on her excitement and confirmation that it was a large enough space to avoid overcrowding. The suggestion gets a nod, waving his hand lightly. “I can say with the utmost certainty there are a few places to buy paint! I’ve had to replenish some of my own supplies and came across places that sold paint for walls and furnishings as well.” Tugging out his phone, he backed up slightly to capture the space at various angles. “A wonderful idea. It will be easy to show the paint shop and get an idea of how much they might recommend covering the space as well as give you a canvas to consider while coordinating colours!”

Her question gets a small pause, though, halting his excited motions before a smile crossed his face. “I think I’m of the same mind on the subject. This place seems quite perfect, and the machine seems like a good sign that this place was meant to be a cafe!” So they had their location. It just needed work!

"Drat," she said with a small frown as she fished around in her pockets. "I should have brought a small notebook to make notes!" Oh well, she couldn't think of everything right? Still though it feels like something of a small failure on her part.

"Thank you! And thank you for taking the pictures. Perhaps we can return to my place and stat doing some work on potential color schemes if you're up for it?" She was already extremely excited about it all and ready to dive even further into work on it. Although maybe that was too much in one day? Oh she really never knew.

"Wonderful! I'm so happy we came to a conclusion!! This is so exciting. I really never thought we'd find something. Certainly not something that called out so much."

At Haru’s rather sad dismay, Yusuke blinked and shuffled around the satchel he usually carried around. Tugging out a sketch pad and flipping to a blank page and offering it over with a pencil. What kind of artist would be he be if he didn’t have what he needed on him should he get an itch to sketch? “You may use this if you like, Haru.”

Her thanks get a smile though, once the pictures were taken and texted to her as well to have as reference. “Of course, I’d be happy to assist with that! Colour schemes are important to work out before we find paints, after all.” The teen added with a nod, figuring that was a good next step now that they had the location picked out. It was really quite exciting to think they had gotten this far already, and to think about what they could accomplish next.

“It would seem that luck has been on our side today.” Yusuke added with a light grin at her comment. “Though I admit, I had a rather good feeling about our search. Your idea was excellent after all, and this was a good part of the city to start, I think.”

She took the pencil and the sketchpad with a bright look in her eyes. "Thank you! You always seem to be prepared for such things." Sometimes she wondered if he actually went anywhere without it. Not that it was a bad thing, it certainly came in handy here and she was certain he got a lot of inspiration.

"I appreciate you saying so many nice things and agreeing to help with me. This will be a wonderful project to do together!"

Yusuke smiled a little at the comment. “You’re more than welcome! One never knows when inspiration may strike, so I like to have something convenient on hand, even if only to sketch.” And here, he found there were so many unique sights to see, it kept him rather busy on that front.

“I only say what I see to be true, of course.” He smiled, though, glad that it had helped bolster her confidence in the project some. “I’m in agreement, though. I’m quite eager to see how this all turns out.” To see the opening day would be rather exciting when it did happen. “Let us be off. We have much to work on now, I think!”

"Let us be off then! This has been an extremely productive day, hasn't it? I really do appreciate you coming and at least starting this project with me. I hope we'll be able to do something wonderful with it!" And she really did think they would. Between the two of them maybe her little café dream could actually come true.

“Indeed!” He responded, following her with an eager sense of purpose. “We have truly gotten much done, even if there is quite a lot left to do… It’s hard to not feel a sense of accomplishment, isn’t it?” As though they had this all well in hand, and it was a good sign for what was to come. He could almost imagine a nice afternoon spent in the space, all cleaned and painted up. A much needed, good cup of coffee and pleasant company of their friends all together in the welcoming cafe, it was wonderful.

"Indeed it is" She started out of the building and on the path back towards the main city. "I'm...well, I'm rather excited to be honest. The thought is exhilarating! I had always wished to do something like this back home but I knew it would be quite some time before I would be truly prepared." Things were quite different here after all and she wasn't quite certain if she'd need the education she felt she did back home. At the very least she had a lot of help here. "I was actually off to college to try to learn the managerial skills I might require for it. Here though I'm not certain if that will entirely matter. Oh...I mean...I do hope it won't!" She smiled at him though, practically beaming.

"I think it'll go fine. I suppose our next step is picking out paint and then the decorating. Once that's complete we can try to come up with an event for our grand opening. Father always said you must have some sort of memorable event!"

Yusuke followed after Haru quickly, long strides out of the bounding and down the road to keep up with her excited pace. “A new experience, a chance to accomplish something you’ve wanted? I would be quite surprised if you weren’t excited!” He smiled, supposing she had a point. This world was different from theirs, more modeled after an older time where one didn’t necessarily need to go to college to open a small business like a cafe. Which was interesting to think, really… But in a good way. It gave people more opportunities, and in turn helped make a city trying to rebuild itself after disaster expand and fill in needs that hadn’t been met yet.

“I believe it will go well! You’re learning through experience rather than at school, and you won’t be alone in the project.” He responded, knowing there was a lot to be said for learning on the job. Plus… Well, she had them! Yusuke didn’t doubt that they would be up to the task of helping to get the cafe in shape to open, and help out with the cafe itself after the fact. “Picking out the paint colour is definitely a starting point. Have you considered what kind of shade might fit your mental image of the cafe you wish to open?”

"It seemed so silly when I first started thinking about it..." she shook her head with a wide grin. "But now I think it'll really happen and we'll manage to make something great! I hope...at least." All she could really do was hope at the very least.

"I think..." she tapped her chin and looked deep in thought for a few seconds. She didn't want anything like Big Bang Burger, that was too loud and bold for the kind of atmosphere she wanted to create. "Something cozy, warm and inviting. Maybe...pink? Or pastel colors? I've always really liked pastels!" Which was probably obvious from how she dressed most of the time.

“Hmm… Cozy warm colours, pink, could certainly be a focal point. A softer shade like a pastel would probably give it a softer quality as well, I think? With something to accent it perhaps, a shade that matches the wood of the counters, perhaps.” He responded with a thoughtful tone, trying to imagine what shades might go best with what they had to work with already.

And it definitely would make it feel more like Haru, given her obvious taste for those shades in particular. That in itself would give the atmosphere a warm and inviting quality, he thinks. Quite like the soon to be owner of the establishment!

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