hugtopia_logs | Affurgato Mingle: July edition

♥ Who: Open to all
♥ Where: Affurgato
♥ When: This week
♥ What: An open mingle at the restaurant which is... mysteriously celebratory!
♥ Rating: who knows, probably PG/13ish?

Regulars of Affurgato might notice things have spiced up a little bit in the last several days; the decor is a little brighter, the staff more upbeat, and the food, while tasty as ever, is a little different. The restaurant is advertising a summer menu of slow-cooked BBQ sliders, sweet potato fries with honey butter dip, grilled pineapple and watermelon slices, and warm peach cobbler with ice cream. The prices are slightly more premium than usual, but ooh, doesn't it all smell worth it? Newcomers might even get a discount, if the right elf twin gets their bill. But how do you know which one's the right twin? ...Yeah, good luck with that.

For this week, the menu will include two curious additions as well: a Thanksgiving-esque meal including fresh slabs of turkey and stuffing, flavoured with bacon grease, and a slice of rainbow layer cake. The cats are very attentive, especially to recognizably good tippers, and there's a display sign outside the door with a doodle of a binicorn in flashy sunglasses shouting the words "ONE YEAR MORE, NERDS", which might be weird to those who know that Affurgato opened about six months ago. Ah, well.

Also noteworthy is the fact that an actual, tangible magical bicicorn will be running around for the first 45 minutes of every daily shift that the restaurant is open, trying to scoop people up onto his back and deposit them in front of the shop. You're here now, so you might as well get a meal, right? Don't question it.

Come one, come all! Enjoy some good food and the company of your neighbours, maybe visit the elves and see what's up.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I don't understand the affinity. What do you get from the cats?"

It was so bizarre, people coming here and poking animals. Maybe once, sure. Curiosity was a thing. But why sit around touching animals instead of getting things done?

"What don't you get from cats." Never has he heard a more absurd question. They're cuddly, they make great company, they're tiny fuzzy space heaters, they're antisocial picky eaters which makes them absolutely kindred spirits. Cats are perfect.

...Purrfect.

Though, for him to ask a question like that... "Have you even pet one before?"

...

"Why would I do that?"

Genuine confusion marred his face. Already being disconnected from normal feelings, and on top of that never having a pet nor anything like it, he knew of pets but he didn't get the point. Not unless they served a purpose, like mousing or riding. All he could do was attempt to find a scientific reason for petting cats.

"Is there something unusual about their texture?"

"Ugh, you're the worst. Isn't science all about discovering things for yourself?"

Seriously, where is this man's sense of adventure? It's not even like petting a cat takes that much effort. Takes no more energy than lifting food up to your mouth. You can even do both at once. He gestures down at the sleepy creature in his lap.

"Just try it."

Why did that make him the worst? He was so confused. People accused him of many things, but being horrible for not petting cats had never been one of them. He quirked a brow at Noctis, giving him a once over.

But, then he neatly pulled at the glove on his right hand and slipped it off, setting it perfectly straight on the table in front of himself before reaching over. One would think he'd never touched a cat before by the unusual hesitation, despite some curiosity. They'd probably be right. He had no reason to ever bother.

He treated it much like a wild beast that might attack, tips of his fingers lightly touching the side, and confusion still apparent on his face.

He looks like he's touching barbed wire, good grief. Noctis sighs through his nose, mildly exasperated. This is not where he saw today going.

"No, no- here-" He grabs Verstael's hand and moves it under the cat's chin. "Scratch here, gentle but firm. They don't like it if you're too soft about it."

Unused to having his hand grabbed, he instinctively resisted the tug at first, but went along with it in the end. One might think he was pondering a scientific wonder of the world by the way his brows furrowed. His fingertips touched the underside of the cats chin, and he moved them in a short strokes, but he appeared absolutely baffled.

"Why am I doing this?"

He needed an explanation. What was he supposed to find under the cat's chin?

Good grief. For a scientist he really is dense. "Just shut up and listen for a minute. Can't you feel that?"

The cat, who'd been purring since Noctis sat down, is rumbling contentedly against Verstael's fingers, eyes closed.

He pursed his lips, shooting Noctis a slightly irritated look, but he gave it a try. For a time he scratched under the cat's chin, wondering what he was accomplishing, staring at the cat like he would find an answer if he looked hard enough.

Noctis waits for what feels like it might be an appropriate amount of time before he speaks up again. "So? Learn anything?"

Hmm.

What was he supposed to take from this?

Pulling his hand back, he slipped the glove back on to it.

"It is intriguing how an creature from another planet can be so similar to a species present on our own star. The mandible feels to be the same as a standard cat."

...Not exactly what he'd had in mind, but better than nothing. "Yep. In most ways the cats here are as normal as ever, but at least one of 'em is magical and another is an alien. Learning something new isn't a waste of time, right?"

Affurgato Mingle: July edition

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