[Elise Bell]

Litten-Kaboodle or, better known as the Kitty Cat Café by its regulars, was by no means a large space but not small and cramped either for something that existed on main street.

From the street, a sign hung above the door with its name along with an iron rod cut out of a Litten, Skitty, and a Purrloin playing with a ball of yarn. There were two windows on either side of the glass door. The first had a word board of positive messages and cat puns including but not limited to ‘Purrfect’ and Happy ‘Catturday’. The other window actually had a cat tree and a more ‘private’ area for the cats to rest while still being perceived now and again by the street. Right then at the very top of the tree was an absolutely tiny Kantonian Meowth curled up comfortably. The door itself was made of glass and had the name again in calligraphy across the front followed by the words ‘Happy Catturday’ once again.

As one pushed open the door, the jingle of the gold bells hanging above it would ring. The warm air, contrasting the cool outside, would be inviting enough. The walls were a soft off white and mint green, the latter of which would trail over to the bar where one actually ordered their drinks and foods. The bar itself was simple enough with a register and a glass case to look in at the sweets that were offered. Behind that was the list of ordering options on a board. Off to the side was a black board reading the special of the day. Today’s special was something called the Kitty Cream Cup which below was described as a hot mocha frap with extra cream and chocolate.

The tables in the area sat mostly two and four person with one long booth along one wall and multiple small tables set at it with a singular chair opposite it. Behind that was a wall full of wooden perches for the cats climb and sit on. Rather than have regular cat trees stretching up in the area, there actually appeared to be framework built from the walls stretching out to provide high wire walkways across one part of the shop to the other.

And then there were the cats themselves: a mix of Pokemon cats and actual cat animals that strode around happily searching out new hands to pet them and new comfortable spots to steal. They were all rather content aside from one that was currently being played with by a child with a stick.

Numerous baristas walked about making sure orders that weren’t necessarily taken in at the front were none the less handled and the like. Among them was Elise wearing the familiar white button up with a cat paw print on the collar. The vest over it was interchangeable and a brighter green than anything else seen so far. On the back it read ‘Spring’s Here!’ in a similar calligraphy to the door. That along with her black dress pants and simple shoes made the uniform surprisingly professional.

As someone came in, Elise turned and smiled. “Welcome to the— Oh hi Elliot!”

[Elliot Sunderland]

Elise might have noticed that her guest for the day was looking a little bit tired. His skin still had the paleness of someone not ready to face the morning sun, and the tiniest bags under his eyes made themselves known against that paleness. Yet, nonetheless, he returned Elise a bright and energetic smile as he looked at the humble yet appealing decor of the cafe. "Morning, Elise! Sorry if I'm late," he said. Apparently to Elliot, "late" meant "a minute after he agreed he'd show up." Oh the humanity. "Echo had me up at the crack of dawn, and I needed to do something for her before I headed over."

As if on cue, the Ralts popped up from behind Elliot, waving cheerfully to Elise. In place of the normal hoodie she wore, she had on what seemed to be a Skitty-themed onesie. The hood of it flopped over her head as she bounced excitedly in place, making noises that almost sounded like "nya!" all the while. "I think she misunderstood what cat costumes meant. So I had to buy a onesie and pull out some of the stitching so it wouldn't be too bulky. Took a good bit of time, but, hey. We're here now." Echo was far too busy enjoying her new costume to pay that fact much mind, excitedly hopping off of Elliot's shoulders and toddling around on the ground. For right now she was content to basically pace back and forth between Elliot and Elise, as if hoping one of them would lead her to all of the promised sweets.

Yet for now, Elliot was content to stand around and look at the decor. The word boards, the soothing colors, the designs, pretty much everything about this place was designed to get you as feeling as warm and relaxed as possible. That is, of course, until the cat anarchy began. At least three had wandered over to Elliot when he entered into the door, meowing at him and leaning over to his hand for pets. Elliot stooped down, laughing warmly and tucking his walking stick behind his arm so he could pet two of them with both hands. Echo was able to help the third, giving it a tentative, soothing pet before giggling and giving longer, warmer strokes. "You weren't kidding, this place is great already," Elliot said, sighing happily. "Thanks a bunch for the idea.

How's your day going?"

[Elise Bell]

A small giggle escaped from Elise. “It’sok,” she assured— only to immediately switch her attention to Echo as the named Pokemon appeared. “Good morning Echohgoshcute!” She recognized the Skitty theme almost immediately. As the predicament was made bear, Elise slapped a hand over her mouth to hide the giggling smile behind it. A Skitty onsie for a cat costume, oh dear, oh cute.

As Echo hit the ground, one of the animal cats looked over, stretched, and slowly made her way over to observe this strange new toy. And then another… and another. Some were interested in Elliot. Some were interested in Echo. All of them had Elise grinning a bit. They were such social and loving animals, and as one brushed up against her leg, Elise too bent sideways to pet it. “Of course!” she answered.

At the question, though, she smiled and shrugged. “Off to a good start,” she smiled. “Just waiting to try one of dad’s new experiments…” she admitted right after looking towards the kitchen and giggling. “We might be introducing a new Cheri Berry coffee soon….” If everything went right, anyways. Shaking her head, she looked back at Elliot again. “You can order at the front or find a place to sit down and I can bring you a menu?” That ended more as a question than Elise had intended, but ah well.

[Elliot Sunderland]

Echo giggled as she was fawned over by Elise and the cats alike, all too happy to bask in the compliments and affection. She was starting to get a bit more used to emotion now that she's been out of the egg for longer, especially with how she was already accustomed to Elise's general idol cheerfulness. Yet all of the laughter and fawning just meant more cats were being lured over, like moths to the flame. Soon Elliot and Echo were pretty much knee deep in cats, giggling up a storm as they tried to give each of them enough affection. It was as if they'd start making jealous nyehs the second they turned their backs!

"I'll find a place to sit soon, don't worry," Elliot said, attempting the arduous task of wading through the cat pile. It was too late for Echo. The poor thing was pretty much getting crowd surfed away by them, her immaterial, flexible body at least allowing her to gently twist and move through the crowd. Soon she was able to at least lunge for Elliot's leg, holding on for dear life as the boy waded out of the cat pile. He gave each one a last pet as he made his way to the tables. "Don't worry, I'll be back. Yes, yes, you're adorable. You're all such great cats! I'll see you all soon, okay?" he cooed, before finally worming his way into a chair. Victory!

That said, as he sat down, the last thing Elise said to him kept running through his mind. While he would examine the menu once it arrived, he had to ask her one last question first. "Think I could try the experiment, too? Or is that employee only for now?" he asked.

What could he say? He loved new things!

[Elise Bell]

A soft laugh escaped from Elise before she nodded and started towards the bar. The cats knew better than to crowd her and gave her ample space, however. Walking over to the bar, she grabbed a sheet off of the counter and started back over— followed very slowly by a lazy Alolan Meowth. When she stopped in front of Elliot’s table and handled him the menu, the Meowth brushed up against her legs again and gave a low meow.

“Huh?” Elise paused and then grinned a little. “I can ask, I don’t see why not.” She answered. “Though I guess it also depends on when taste testing is ready…” She glanced back to the kitchen again and then turned back again. “If you have an idea of what you wanna order, though, I can try and point you in the right direction.”

The menu itself, however, was pretty well divided. Hot coffee, cold coffee, espresso, and the like were on top. Below that was the list of numerous sweets and foods that were offered including a time of day special that Elliot was actually in time for. “Oh! Oh if you’re looking for breakfast the paw print pancakes have fruit in them, it’s one of my favorites.” Elise couldn’t help pointing out.

[Elliot Sunderland]

Elliot beamed as he heard Elise offer to check on his behalf. "Perfect! Thank you so much," he said, eagerly flipping through the menu. "If I can't get that, I think I'll go with a black coffee, then. But either way, I'll definitely have the paw print pancakes with it. Can't go wrong starting your day with some fruit, right?" With his own order set, he started looking through on the behalf of the rest of his team. He didn't want to send them all out at once and end up overwhelming the cats here, but he wasn't going to leave them out while he and Echo ate! "I think the baklava'd actually be really Joule's style? So one of those for her. And the hot chocolate a la mode with sea salt ice cream for Murex. I bet that'd really remind her of home. And Lord Beerus-"

First, Elliot realized that Elise hadn't met Lord Beerus yet. Oh no, would the cat make a good impression? Elliot was very worried about the disobedient Espeon's conduct, but at the same time it'd just feel mean leaving him out. And what would he event want, anyway? He's known Lord Beerus the least out of the group, and it seemed like his preference boiled down to "good food, and a lot of it." He could be so fussy at times, yet as soon as he found something he liked he'd gulp it down as if afraid it'd vanish. This was going to hurt his wallet, and yet . . . "Could I get the breakfast bonanza, along with a slice of the king kitty 5-layer cake? Sorry, I know that's a lot. But he's a pretty big eater."

Echo, with a menu of her own in hand, waved Elise over while making excited squeaking noises. When she had her attention she'd proceed to point to literally everything on the menu. Every hot drink. Every cold drink. Every pastry. Every special. Even the catering menu! Elliot paled a little, realizing how big of a hit this would be. But how could he disappoint Echo on a special day like this? Okay, so the day wasn't special at all. But every day was special to Echo, and he couldn't risk that smile. "T-two bonanzas, actually," he said sheepishly. "And the midnight meowth mind mocha." That seemed to content Echo, the Ralts excitedly clapping along to the answer.

He looked at his table, realizing now that maybe it was woefully inadequate for the level of gluttony his Pokemon were prepared to embark on. "I should probably move to one of the big tables, huh?"

[Elise Bell]

“Ok!” Elise fished out her notepad and scribbled down the order only to pause as Elliot began to make orders for his other Pokemon. Oh! Fair enough. She made a note for each as it was ordered and even made a couple doodles to remind herself which Pokemon were which. At least until—

“Lord who-now?” Elise wouldn’t get an immediate answer. Instead, she was floored by the order of the most expensive thing on the menu and then a slice of the most expensive thing on the menu. “Are you sure?” And then it was one upped again by a double order. Elise looked at Echo and then back at Elliot.

She didn’t want to judge, but he didn’t look like the sort to have that much pen on hand. A thought occurred to her, however, and she scribbled down something before nodding her head. Right then. “Definitely,” Elise agreed shifting to fold the pad of paper into her pocket again before grabbing one of the tables and promptly pushing it into Elliot’s. Her sheer strength was not only a testament to her dance, however. “There…Ok! I’ll go put this in!”

And with that, she’d skipped back to the back and would be there for an extended period before coming around again with…. A sort of mischievous look? Perhaps? Folding her arms behind her back, she leaned forward. “So are you going to hang around the city today or?”

[Elliot Sunderland]

"Yeah, I'm sure," Elliot admitted. "I know, it's a lot. But it's the first time my team's checking out a cafe like this, you know? I'm okay with needing to do a few more odd jobs along my journey if it means making their first time here special. And, hey. That means more support for you and your family, right? That's a win for all of us!" It seemed Elliot counted his wins more in smiles than in cents, even if there was a slight bit of nervousness in his eyes from the financial impact that it'd have. He may've been optimistic and naive, but he wasn't completely clueless. He just thought it'd be worth it.

That said, he sure didn't expect Elise to be able to slam the table together so easily! Elliot perked up a little in surprise before smiling at her. "Oh! Thank you," he said. "Guess that's your cue, guys. Come on out, but take it nice and easy, okay? There are a lot of other cats and guests here, so let's not startle them too much." With that, Elliot gently eased his Pokeballs open, not wanting bright flashes of light to disturb everyone else present. Murex took one look at all of the others present and clamped down, shivering nervously. It wasn't until Echo hopped over to her, picked her up, and plopped her into a seat next to her that she started to ease herself. Joule settled into a cozy seat of her own, giving Elliot an appreciative smile. And Lord Beerus?

Well, as soon as the Espeon see tons of cats getting pet, fed, and cooed over, he realized that Elliot was capable of making good decisions sometimes. He laid down besides Elliot's side of the table, drumming his toe beans on the floor as he waited for his pampering to begin.

Whether due to being happy about his team coming on out, or due to his general obliviousness when it came to subtleties, Elliot didn't really notice the mischief behind Elise's smile. Yet Echo did, finding the urge to snicker too contagious to ignore. "So long as I don't miss the ferry, I should be good to hang around here longer," Elliot said. "And, I mean, it'd be a shame not to, right? I didn't really have a lot of time to check the city out last time. There was a lot of . . ." Elliot paused. Chaos? Terror? Someone important to bot him and Elise almost getting bitten by a snake? "Stuff on my plate. And it'd be a shame to let that be all I really knew the city for. So, yeah, taking some time to check it out actually sounds good to me!"

[Elise Bell]

The cats, both animal and Pokemon, including but not limited to the very Meowth that had been in the window earlier, seemed to all take notice of the new arrivals. The Meowth eyeballed Lord Beerus especially and hopped a few times from her original tree and down over to him sniffing carefully. Yep, that was a cat. He bat at him playfully and gave a mischievous grin. One of the animal cats wandered over to Murex and gently bat her shell a couple of times trying to figure out just what she was while another immediately started preening Joule.

As she came back and noticed the Ralts’ response, Elise remembered what they were known for and couldn’t help but grin a bit to herself. Her eyes, however, settled on Elliot right after. “Cool!” she answered pausing as he explained there had been a lot to… do? At the previous town. “Oh…” She slowly smiled and nodded after.

“There’s an aquarium up the street that might be good to see and uh….. plenty of shops here,” Elise went over again nodding to herself. “Or you can always hang with us and the cats.” Speaking of cat, one of them made a flying leap up to her shoulder. Elise straightened to keep from falling forward and immediately reached back to scratch some ears. “I’m sure they’d enjoy some new faces heheheheeh.” Right after, another cat hopped up on the table and then proceeded to hop into Elliot’s lap. Elise immediately giggled.

Another jingle caught Elise’s ears, and she immediately looked up to see several people coming in. “Oh hang—“ Thankfully another young blonde girl was quick to seat them and get them settled. “On.” Well, that worked.

[Elliot Sunderland]

Joule sighed in relaxation, leaning into the preening and making soft, buzzing coos in response. She looked towards Lord Beerus, who was currently shooting the mischievous Meowth a a dirty look. She gently chided him, but ultimately it was Elliot who picked up what she was putting down. "Y'see, Lord Beerus? The most kind and playful cat here gets to be pampered at the end of the day," he said, Elise's own mischievous grin being echoed in his own. Lord Beerus eyes widened as he lowered his guard, listening intently. "That's right! A coat grooming, some warmth and quiet, and all the food you could want. So be good, okay? And I promise, you'll get your chance."

Echo gasped a little as her trainer told a rare half-truth. He sure wasn't going to tell Lord Beerus that he'd be the one doing the pampering, and that there was no actual cat cafe prize! Yet fear of missing out seemed to get to Lord Beerus, and he promptly switched his entire demeanor. His ears flickered back and tail swished in an almost cute fashion as he turned to the deep-voiced Mewoth, batting at it in equally playful fashion. His rump shook back and forth playfully, Joule and Echo finding the urge to snicker at the display irresistible, and his perpetually-cranky voice turned upwards for a few playful yips.

As he did so, he turned over his shoulder to give Elliot a death glare. This had better pay off.

Murex, meanwhile, pried her shell open ever so slightly to see the cat that was facing her. She reached out and gently batted the cat back with her tongue, letting out a gentle laugh. Frankly, it warmed Elliot's heart seeing how well his team was getting along with everyone! He and Echo turned in unison to watch the displays, both sighing in relief. "You guys are just the cutest," Elliot said, cooing softly.

At Elise's soft oh, Elliot tried not to let too much sadness seep into his smile. "Yeah. Yesterday got . . . a bit rough," Elliot admitted. "So you're right. I should take the time to treat myself today." His smile reinforced slightly. Whether this was due to Elliot trying to force it down or the silver lining that Elise offered, Elliot wasn't sure.

The cat on his lap helped. Elliot stroked its fur softly, smiling down at it.

"An aquarium sounds really relaxing," Elliot admitted. "But I think I'll be spending more time here first. I mean, I'm pretty sure with all those bonanzas, I'm gonna be here for a while!" It was hard not for him to laugh at the absurd image of how much food was coming his way. There was going to be so much! It was going to be great! "These cats are really cute, you know. And so well trained! Look at that jump!" He pretty much immediately started cooing over the one that hopped onto Elise. And with how she just accepted the jump like a champ? That was impressive too!

[Elise Bell]

A goofy smile flashed across the Meowth’s features as the Espeon played back. Oh now it was on! Pouncing forward, he aimed to roll them both right up against the human! How fun! The cat animals were just as happy where they were and settled into a calmer atmosphere around the rest of the Pokemon.

Elise’s features fell a little as Elliot described what had happened. “Rough?” she repeated. She kind of wanted to ask him about it, but at the same time, she wasn’t a fan of prying. So instead, she did her best to be perky with Elliot’s choices! Another laugh escaped from her at that. “Lemme check how things are coming,” she answered before nodding and starting off in the direction of the kitchen again. The cat in her arms climbed up and ended up sitting over her shoulder, staring back at Elliot until Elise disappeared back into the kitchen.

It would be a few minutes before Elise actually returned… and the reason why would become self-evident right after. She balanced a large platter well above her head and carried a little stand for it in her other arm. Setting the stand up before lowering the platter, she revealed the start of the onslaught that was to come.

The coffee came in a little pitcher with a smaller mug and saucer ready. On the mug was a soft paw print pattern that traced up and down it. If Elliot raised it before it filled with coffee, he would see the mug had a little painting of a smug Purrloin at the bottom. Otherwise, Elise was pouring from the pitcher immediately after. The smell of fresh… cheri berry coffee whiffed up into the air for a moment before settling again.

After that came Elliot’s paw print pancakes…. on an absolutely massive plate. The three pancakes themselves went from rim to rim and were each almost an inch thick. The numerous strawberries, banana slices, and blueberries were visible even then clearly all shoved together. If Elliot moved a single pancake around, he would find they were sealed together with some Nutella and some kind of jam. Atop it was also Nutella but drawn out in the form of paw prints. It came with not one, not two, but three pitchers of syrup each with a label of flavor: strawberry, blue berry, and original maple.

Smaller than that was Joule’s baklava that also came with its own small well of honey to be dipped in. The hot chocolate alamode came in as a large mug but offered several bendy straws. It was perhaps the least audacious aside from the mug itself sporting more paw prints and a similar theme.

And then… last but not least was… a pair of smaller plates with what appeared to each be tiny squares of something chocolate and sprinkled with sugar? “First on the breakfast bonanza is one of the appetizers, choconeko,” Elise breathed out. “I’ll have to get the rest in a sec.”

[Elliot Sunderland]

Lord Beerus' eyes widened in shock as the Meowth suddenly pounced at him. He was completely unprepared for this level of rambunctiousness, and he was left a mess of flailing limbs and yowls as he was suddenly being bounced around the cafe. Did using psychic powers to counter-tumble the Meowth count as play? Lord Beerus would've loved to have found out. A pity that would've jeopardized the surprise he had already deemed worthy of his attention. Instead, he'd need to get his paws dirty himself. He counter-rolled the Meowth, forcing a smile and a laugh so the magic food lady would see just how much fun he was having! Wasn't it just delightful?

Making matters worse for Lord Beerus, the food had just arrived! Elliot smiled widely at Elise as she gracefully brought the food over. "Thank you!" he chirped, setting out thr portions for all of his Pokemon before even thinking of taking a look at his own. Joule, at the very least, was kind enough to give him a hand. The two of them were able to pass plates and cups around the table with stunning speed, turning the bare table into a full-on meal spread in seconds. The others weren't quite so courteous. Echo and Murex already started digging in on the food, and even Lord Beerus tried swiping at his plate with one paw while batting at his playmate with the other.

Against all odds, Murex was the first to dig in. She dipped her tongue into the hot chocolate for a taste, perked up, and immediately tipped half of the drink down her mouth. For a deep sea creature used to temperature extremes, the sudden shocks of hot and cold were almost soothing to her, and a sweet saltiness lingered on her tongue long enough to counteract any pain. She let out a happy keening sound, then started taking smaller, more reasonable sips from there.

Echo, in contrast, proved to live up to her big eater reputation right out of the starting gate. She opened her tiny mouth, tossed the choconeko in, and chewed it merrily. It was the most delicious thing that she had ever tasted! For now. She wiggled back and forth, blushing a little as she savored each and every chew. She looked at Elliot, as if trying to see if he'd order a thousand more for her, but he just laughed warmly. "Oh, trust me. You have a lot more coming," he said, sighing in relaxation.

Joule wiped some spare chocolate off of the Ralts' mouth as she finished, then swept up some hot chocolate stains Murex left behind before toddling over to her own baklava. She chewed at the sweet, earthy pastry, taking little nibbles at the corner and slowly working her way towards the center. Before continuing too much, however, she made sure to turn to Elise and give her a grateful bow.

That left Elliot to his own devices. He took a sniff of the coffee, its aromatic, flowery scent already getting him relaxing. "I can already tell this experiment's gonna be a hit," he said, sighing dreamily. The first sip got Elliot perking up quite noticeably. The usual bitterness was cut with a sweetness and tartness that made this coffee feel even more energizing than usual. The shock to his palate, and the shock to his system, was very appreciated after such a tiring morning. He then decided to sample each of the syrups, localizing one on each toe bean to see which he'd end up preferring. Original maple seemed to be the winner here: between the berry coffee and berry pancakes, this was already a berry intense meal! Nevertheless, he was clearly in love from the first bite. "Good thing I'm gonna be in Bass a lot. I've gotta keep coming back for these!" he cheered.

[Elise Bell]

The Meowth eased up just a little as the food arrived but did not stop the onslaught of paw batting entirely. Elise watched with some excitement as Elliot and his Pokemon dug in. Looking at Echo specifically, she gave a head nod to assure her that Elliot’s words were true. One little sweet was only the start. Her eyes then fell to Joule just in time to notice the little bow. A soft giggle escaped from Elise right after. “You’re welcome!” she bowed back briefly.

As Elliot piped up, though, Elise was quick to turn her attention back to him. A wide, warm smile flashed across her features as he assured her that the Cheri berry coffee was a hit. “Really? I’ll let Dad know!” she beamed happily.

Elise’d wait a moment longer before disappearing back in the back again to come out with a platter again but these with individual, smaller plates and cups filled with sweet creams and sauces. They came in pairs, mirror images due to two orders of bonanzas.

The first appeared to be a small set of three donuts, each dusted with a different sprinkling and filled with different flavors. There was a creamy base for dipping. The second was a bowl of cereal flakes that had been roasted with almonds and caramelized to perfection. The third was a light flaky wafer with a paw print on it that could be dipped in a strawberry syrup. And it just kept coming. Elise giggled. “Hope you’re hungry…” she looked at Echo and then Beerus. 

Her arms were sure getting a workout just lifting these plates! But that was part of the job! 

[Elliot Sunderland]

Fortunately, the lapse in the Meowth's assault gave Lord Beerus just enough time to snag a sweet of his own. A groping paw flipped the Choconeko, plate and all, right into the air. He leaned up, catching the treat in his mouth, then stopped the plate from shattering on the floor with a quick grasp of psychic energy. He set the plate down gently as he finished the snack, letting out a self-satisfied sigh . . . and turning right into a bat. Clearly, the game wasn't won yet! Lord Beerus slid the plate over to Elliot, who put it back on the table in a single, smooth movement, as the Espeon prepared to return to the batting-and-rolling battle.

As he did, more parts of the bonanza started rolling in. Just how many of these were there? Elliot watched as the plates set down, whistling a little. "That's a lot of food. You sure you're up for this, Echo?" he asked, Echo puffing her chest out in pride and putting her hands on her hips. At the doubt she let out a high-pitched, excited war cry, then promptly dove right into the strawberry syrup. "Uh, Echo?" Elliot asked as Joule and Murex laughed up a storm. "I think that's a dipping sauce. I don't think you're supposed to . . . oh, who am I to say anything? She's having fun." He waited patiently for her to finish and start toddling over to her actual food.

Joule continued to nibble away at her baklava, but she couldn't help but cast a longing look at the caramelized cereal mix. She scuttled over to Lord Beerus' portion, sniffing carefully at it, before turning to him and tilting her head curiously. She squeaked a few times in his direction, whiskers twitching curiously. He shook his head, waving her off, but before he could lean his muzzle into the bowl he saw she was still looking at him. She smiled softly, and Lord Beerus finally relented. He rolled his head and moved on to the donuts instead, letting Joule have her fill while he was otherwise occupied. She didn't take too much, but from the way she scuttled over to affectionately ruffle his hair it was clear she appreciated it greatly.

At this point, all of Elliot's team was snacking away peacefully. Even Murex, who was nearly done with her drink, was now occupying herself by rolling a big ball of ice cream around on her tongue. After another sip of coffee and bite of pancake, he found himself looking back towards Elise. "I know you said the pancakes were your favorite thing on the menu," he started. "But do you have a favorite little bite? Like, something you could easily have while on the go? Or, like, really really busy?" A bit of excitement shone in his eyes as he started to formulate his question. Just what were you planning, Elliot?

[Elise Bell]

Watching the Ralts dive right into the syrup, Elise blinked a couple of times in rapid succession. Well, well that was one way to eat? Kind of?? A small puff of air escaped from her before an outright laugh chimed right after. “If you need more napkins let me know, ok?” she asked with a sillier grin now. “Or I can just bring you a roll of paper towels I guess.” This was probably only going to get messier, huh?

“Ellie, can you help me with this?” One of her sisters briefly called, and Elise took a moment to step back and see what was wrong.

After a minute or two, though, she was back again to check in on everyone. Looked like they’d gotten through parts and pieces of their food, but the bonanzas were still being worked on. Better go check with Dad and— “Huh?” Elise paused and considered the question. Hmmmm well, when she thought about it. “Gotta be the single-paw chocolate Razz berries,” she decided with a sagely nod. “They come plate-decorated, but if you get them on the go, they come in a little card board box!” she explained.

[Elliot Sunderland]

"As much as I'm sure Joule would clean us all with her bare hands if she had to, I think paper towels'd be a smart idea," Elliot admitted. As if to confirm the point, a very red-faced Echo popped out from her jar of topping, using the accompanying wafer as a towel before biting down on it with a crunch. She sighed in relief, before looking at herself in the reflection of Elliot's coffee cup. How could she not giggle at such a silly sight? And when she started to giggle, how could Elliot resist laughing along as well.

Yet as Elise confirmed Elliot's suspicions, his eyes continued to twinkle. Especially once Elliot saw that there was a break in the brief onslaught of plates. "Can I buy one or two of those?" Elliot asked, the grin on his face getting bigger despite his best efforts at hiding it. "You've been working so hard today, you know? So I figure the least I can do is buy you a snack you can sneak on shift." Yep. Elise would see her own mischievous grin reflected on Elliot's smile now. Would this be another blown thrown in their war of generosity?

[Elise Bell]

How could Elise not giggle at Echo’s and Elliot’s giggles? The answer was she couldn’t. A small shake of head was given after a moment, though, followed by a nod. “Some paper towels coming up then!” she smiled. As she was dealing with the brief problem her sister brought up, she also snagged a roll of paper towels and brought it back to Elliot’s table. Setting it down amongst the plates, she had to pause and giggle at how it all looked crammed onto one table.

As Elliot spoke, however, Elise straightened. “What???” Color touched her features as she registered his mischievous expression then. He was… he was seriously wanting to buy something for her on her shift? A hand reached up to cover her mouth, and Elise was quick to shake her head. “That's ok! I’m good! Promise! Since Dad owns the café, I can get everything I want anyway so! Don’t worry!” Her eyes were just a little glossy, but it could easily be missed.

[Elliot Sunderland]

Elliot smiled softly at Elise. "Are you sure? I mean, I know you probably didn't expect such a huge order being dropped on you out of nowhere, and I feel kinda bad for hitting you out of the blue with all these Bonanzas. Besides, this could be an excuse to sneak in a little snack break, so you don't need to keep running back and forth with my hundreds of plates." he said. " 'Sides, if anyone asks questions, then you could say it's just the customer's idea. And then, boom, you're in the clear!" He really thought this plan out, didn't he?

That said, he also knew Elise was a working professional right now. Even in his theoretical world of using "the customer was always right" for good, not for evil, he knew there were limits. "Still, if now's not a good time, or you'd rather I don't, that's totally okay too. Hopefully the thought helps give you a bit of cheer, at least!" he said, smiling merrily. He then returned to his pancakes, which he was actually putting quite the dent in despite their massive size and surprising thickness. Clearly, he and his team had come hungry! Especially Echo, who was currently . . . cutting the donuts apart and assembling them into hybrid donuts. What a strange little thing.

[Elise Bell]

Elliot was entirely too sweet. He was probably right at home here in a sweets café, huh? No wonder. Elise shook her head a couple more times and lowered her hand from her mouth to smile at him again. “Well….” Elise paused trying to think up any good argument against it but coming up short. It was true; it was a huge amount of orders out of nowhere but….but still! A smaller, goofier smile managed to hit Elise’s features before she shook her head again. “That’s silly…” she answered. But wasn’t that what Dad always said too? The customer was always right, ehehehehe. Still. Still. In this case, he was both a friend and a customer, yeah? Yeah.

As Elliot relented a little bit, Elise breathed a little easier. “Maybe another time then…” she spoke it quietly, more to herself than Elliot or his team. Deciding to go check on the kitchen’s next set of servings, she turned and headed that way. Shortly after, the bonanza fest would continue. This set of dishes was a marvelous set of different chocolate truffles and cakes all cat themed and mixed with all kinds of berries. As Elise set everything down, however, it would become clear that one dish was not like the others. One had quite a few chocolate strawberries on it, and rather than stand up right away again, Elise shifted and pulled over a chair. “Fifteen minute break!” she declared.

[Elliot Sunderland]

Elise ducked out, and by the time she returned there was another set of food coming at Elliot's partners. Echo was still diligently working her way through her Bonanza, and she flailed a little in panic as more plates were set down in front of her. Yet when Lord Beerus loomed over her plates, ready to lick them all to claim ownership of them, she promptly gasped and flung herself before her plates to protect them. The two squabbled at each other, even as Lord Beerus swished his tail from side to side to prevent his butt from getting swatted at by the other cats.

Yet in their argument, neither of them noticed a third entrant in this fight. Murex slowly, clumsily shuffled her way across the table, her tongue stretching inch by inch towards one of the Bonanza plates. Before the two spotted her she rolled up a line of truffles, fishing them into her mouth and chewing blissfully. Both psychic types turned to their clam chum, looks of shock and betrayal on their face. Yet while Lord Beerus snatched his plate up and began tucking away at twice the speed, Echo recovered from her shock and started giggling away. She brought her plates over to Murex, giving the clam a pat on the head and offering her an equal portion. She gave over some truffles, some cakes, some remaining Frankendonuts. Yet as she prepared to grab the next dish, she suddenly stopped. There was only one set of these chocolate strawberries! And the pretty food lady was about to sit down! These weren't part of the Bonanza at all, were they?

That's right. Elise was sitting down, and Elliot realized that maybe he was trying to help with a problem that had already been solved. He looked at the plate, looked at his friend, and then blushed slightly. "Oh. Huh, guess you were thinking three steps ahead of me!" he said, now starting to feel a little bit silly about his scheming. But minor embarrassment aside, he was just happy to have the chance to enjoy some lunch with his friend! He took a last bite of his pancakes, toasting his Cheri coffee with Echo's mint mocha before the two shared a quick drink. "I'd ask how your day's been going, but I'm pretty sure I've gotten a good preview so far," he teased lightly. After all, poor Elise had been running back and forth for him all day! "Any plans on what you'll be doing next?"