The Muse

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

"You got it." Reya rounded the corner and peaked her head into the kitchen through the door, "Ben - omelet, toast and bacon, please." From inside the kitchen the cook could be heard acknowledging her, "On it, boss!"

Returning to the bar, Reya grabbed a carafe and a coffee mug from behind the bar. She poured Chris a cup and set it gently down in front of him. "You need any sugar? Cream?" She asked, pulling out a neatly stacked container of different brands of sugar packets to offer to him. "How've you been by the way? Busy? I haven't seen you by in awhile."

Hearing the tavern door open, Reya raised her gaze to find another acquaintance walk through the door. Reya's mouth opened in surprise as she watched the redheaded woman walk in and quietly take a seat at the bar, as if nothing abnormal was going on. "Phoenix!" She exclaimed, looking the girls outfit up and down. "Look at you! Wow! You got a hot date coming or something?" She laughed, knowing that Phoenix usually tended to lean more on the tom-boy side as far as fashion went and this outfit was highly unusual for her. Although Reya did not know Phoenix extensively, she did know of her and they had met in passing more than a few times. In high school, Reya had known Phoenix as the "redheaded bomb shell" who was a few years older than her. Redheads seemed to always stick out no matter what, and Phoenix was no different, but she at least had many people fawning over her - at least from Reya's perspective. Nonetheless, Reya had never seen Phoenix in a dress before, and it did not disappoint! The woman was gorgeous on her own and the dress seemed to further enhance her naturally attractive features. "Wait..." Reya looked over towards Chris, raising a brow. She looked back to Phoenix, then back to Chris. "Is Chris the hot date?!"

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_{@Pilatus@Almalthia}

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

"Time?!"

"U-Uhm... 8:15, chef!"

Levi nodded to himself as he meticulously decorated the top of a boston cream donut with oreo cookie crumbles. Taking a step back, Levi put his hands on his hips and smiled proudly to himself. "Perfect. That's the last one! And we've still got plenty time to spare, see? Better safe than sorry!" He grinned and turned towards his fellow coworker, a young man named Nathan who was about the age of nineteen and had been assisting Levi since about six in the morning. The young man nodded back in response, a sheepish smile on his face. No doubt he was exhausted from all the work, but Levi's energy so early in the morning was difficult to keep up with in and of itself, plus Levi's energy levels never seemed to waver.

Satisfied, Levi carefully placed his newest pastry onto some wax paper and carried it to the walk-in cooler for storage. As he placed the donut down, Levi took a moment to admire the entirety of his masterpiece. Sprawled across nearly every shelf were several dozen different varieties of unique donuts that Levi himself had spent the previous night and this entire morning working on. These were no ordinary donuts, either! Oreo Boston Cream, Maple Bacon Bar, Cheesecake stuffed, S'mores glazed, Peanut Butter & Jelly, plus some regular donuts for those who weren't so adventurous. Levi had spent many hours crafting unique creations that would catch peoples eye and surprise their taste buds. He had woken up at nearly 4am to come to the cafe and get the ovens firing, as he knew it would take much time to bake this many donuts and have everything be ready by the time the festival started. Sure, he overshot the time and he could've let himself sleep for at least another two hours. Not to mention he would most definitely start crashing by 3pm, but who cared?! Not Levi - that's what coffee was for! He was determined to put together something fun for the festival that the cafe had never done before. Plus, if there was one thing Levi was passionate about - it was pastries!

"Alright!" Levi left the walk-in cooler to see Nathan on his phone, clearly trying to take a break from all the hustle that Levi had him doing from the very start of his shift. "Let's start bringing these out by fives to present to people at the register, in the cooler." Nathan quickly straightened up and put his phone into his back pocket. "Yes, chef. On it!"

"Be careful with my babies now..... or you're fired!" Levi paused, watching Nathan with a straight face who looked back at him with confusion, wondering if he was serious. Levi chuckled to himself and began to wash his hands off in the sink. "I'll be careful, don't worry!"

Drying his hands off on his light blue colored apron, which was currently speckled with flour patches, Levi left the kitchen to go check on business at the front of the cafe. He was happy to see that people were already steadily flowing into the establishment for coffee and a quick breakfast. The Cozy Bear was fortunate in that it was located right on Main street which is where the festival happened every year, so even without the donuts the cafe was bound to be bustling with business during the event. This time of year was typically the most profitable for the cafe. Still, Levi wanted to do something special. What was a festival without outrageous food?!

"You doing okay up here, Alice? Do you need any help?" He circled around the back of the register where the woman was taking an order from a man who was ordering an everything bagel and tea. Hearing the mans accent, Levi eyed him over curiously. "I'm okay, Levi. Thank you!"

"Ohhh, you're that guy, huh?" Levi leaned against the register counter, a playful smirk on his lips as he addressed the man. He did not know his name, but Levi knew of him. The man with the heavy accent who put up a night club in a country town. He was the talk of many people in town. "The business guy, right? Uh, What's it called again? Uh... Eu.. Eulogy? No, that can't be it... Eugenics?" Levi looked up as if he was trying hard to recall the name of the club. "Ah, you know what I'm talking about. How are you liking Sanctuary?" He grabbed a large cup and began to pour out the tea that the man ordered while the woman at the register went to the back to grab a bagel. Levi in truth knew what the club was called, but what was the fun in that? Putting three sugars into the tea, Levi put a top on the tea and slid it across the counter to the man. As Alice returned with the mans bagel, he gently took it from her and slid that over to the man as well. "This one's on the house. Welcome to town."

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_@Zora

Small Town Slice of Life RP

Just bumping this to see if anyone else would like to join :)

Beyond Nirvana - The God Eater Calamity

Sybil listened intently as Amaterasu and Mitsuko spoke, trying her best to understand the history of their world and the type of world that this group was about to walk into. As Mitsuko spoke about the powerful spell that could destroy cities with one blow an image of fire and destruction flashed through her mind. Sybil closed her eyes, focusing in on the memory. Black smoke, screams, and the smell of death lingered in the air. Sybil opened her eyes again, realizing that she had previously been to this world that Mitsuko spoke of. Not physically, but Sybil could remember seeing the world through another mortals eyes when she had entered her dream realm. It was a place she was guided to by Cetia some time ago, though she did not understand why at the time. Although Sybil was still not sure why Cetia wanted her to see those atrocities of another realm, she trusted Cetia. Perhaps she would know the reason in due time.

"Preparations? Sybil thought, glancing around at her fellow comrades to see what they would do or where they would go. She watched Illistrianna disappear through a portal and then turned her gaze onto her Goddess for direction. Cetia had already told Sybil to come prepared and before they left she had gathered everything she could possibly think of that she might need for her magic spells within her satchel. Not only that, but she had cast a spell onto the satchel that linked it back to a chest in her temple which had ample amounts of reserves that she had stored over the years. She prayed that the magic link would not break as they moved from one world to another; her magic had never been tested to this degree before. Other than that.. Sybil did not know what to do with herself. Cetia met her gaze, as stoic and silent as ever. Knowing that Cetia was not about to give her a whole pep talk, Sybil opened her satchel and began to inspect items that she could see from the portal within. Herbs, animal bones, ink, charcoal, an assortment of gemstones, feathers... As she browsed, her mind began to wonder why she was chosen for such a dire mission. "Truly, Cetia, what are you thinking? These are mostly great warriors. I am no warrior. I am a priestess. A woman of magic and visions. How am I to be useful here?" She thought, almost angry at Cetia for not outright telling her what her purpose is in the grand scheme of things.

"Trust." Cetia's ethereal soft voice entered Sybil's mind, only for the two of them to hear. Sybil looked up at her Goddess, staring at her in silence for a few moments as she thought about the statement. "Hm... Trust." She whispered in agreement, nodding her head once in a self-assured fashion.

"I am ready as well."

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

Taking a sip of her long awaited coffee, Reya closed her eyes and savored the moment as she leaned up against the kitchen counter. She took in a deep breath to smell the coffee and let the warmth of the mug warm her hands, taking the moment to center herself and calm her nerves. "Okay... festival. You love the festival! Martha's funnel cake..." She thought, reminding herself of her favorite part about the festival - Martha's famous funnel cake! She got it every year and every year it was the best funnel cake she had ever had. It was basically traditional at this point to get the cake, even if her dad wasn't around to enjoy it with her. It had to be done!

Hearing the kitchen door open, Reya opened her eyes to see her lead chef walk in through the door hastily. She smiled, "Good Morning Ben." She took another sip of her coffee as she watched the older man set his things down and grabbed his white apron off the wall. Ben had been working at the Fox Hole for almost as long as she could remember. The portly man was in his mid 40s and had been originally hired by Reya's father and so Reya grew up thinking of Ben as family. She knew he must have been going through conflicting emotions today just as she was, but Ben wasn't exactly the type to talk about his feelings.

"Good Morning, sunshine." Ben smiled back at her, heading over to the kitchen sink to wash up before he began his prep work. "Listen, I know today is the festival. You go on and enjoy it, I'll watch over the tavern today." He washed his hands and then nodded over towards the kitchen door, "Oh, and, the pilot kid is out front. I saw him walk in just before me."

Reya nodded, taking another sip of her coffee. She had already figured that Ben would offer to work while she went out - he almost always did as he wasn't big on "social time". The man liked his kitchen, cooking, his family, and that was about it. He was a simple guy, which Reya loved him for. "Thank you, Ben." She replied and set down her coffee mug. "I'll bring you back some funnel cake!"

Leaving the kitchen, Reya immediately noted the somewhat familiar face sitting at the bar. "Well, good morning there, Chris." She slid behind the bar, gently smiling at the man. Although she had not had extended time to get to know Chris, he was well-known around town as one of the few pilots of Sanctuary. "What can I get started for ya?"

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Mentions:@Pilatus

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

@Expendable Looks good, go ahead and post her in the character tab :)

Beyond Nirvana - The God Eater Calamity

@Martian I'm sorry to hear that but I'm so glad you're starting to feel better! I recently lost someone too so I understand that pain, I'm really sorry for your loss. Keep your head up!

Adventure Awaits! - Prompt Voting CYOA (Always Open)

As for my choice...
• Write in: Check for Traps, Secret Doors/Passages, or any other secrets.
-As a Rogue, we know how to check for traps and we need to make sure that we don't get ourselves killed by our own carelessness.

@Guardian Angel Haruki

Great idea! I'll put my vote in for this too.

Adventure Awaits! - Prompt Voting CYOA (Always Open)

>Inspect the illuminated table on the right.

@Duthguy

I'll put my vote in for this one as well.

Beyond Nirvana - The God Eater Calamity

"BUWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Cetia, you can't be serious! This little lost lamb is your champion?!" Sybil felt her heart sink and her face flush red once again as she listened to Dominus laugh at her clumsiness. Sybil remained quiet, her eyes on the ground as she mentally scolded herself, reminding herself that she needed to be more calm and calculated. Despite being sought after for her wisdom from people all across her nation, Sybil had never been in front of so many people all at once.

Cetia slowly turned her head towards Dominus, her pale emotionless eyes staring at him for a few moments. "Dominus," her voice was soft, though just as cold as the rest of her essence, "you put far too much weight into appearance alone." She turned away from him, making her succinct judgement and moving on from the conversation. Sybil briefly glanced up at Cetia, interested in what her Goddess had to say considering she was a deity of few words. Immediately her attention was broken as she felt a hand on her shoulder, her eyes darting up to see that Dominus' champion had been the one to touch her in what felt like an attempt at comforting her after Dominus' mockery. She smiled and nodded her head to the tall woman, "Thank you, Cynthia. It's a pleasure."

Before Dominus was able to come back with some sort of quip, the Goddess Amaterasu and her champion Mitsuko began to speak. Sybil listened intently, feeling empathy towards Mitsuko as she spoke of growing up in less than ideal circumstances. Despite her hard upbringing Mitsuko was able to turn her life around and sounded extremely accomplished which Sybil admired. She was certainly strong in both the mental and physical compacity; definitely someone that Sybil was glad to have on her side of the fight.

Next up was the silver creature that went by the name of Zero. Sybil had never seen anything like him in her life and in all honesty it was difficult for her to listen to what he was saying while she examined his body and wondered just what kind of abilities he had. By the end of his speech she felt that she was left with more questions than answers: What did Genesis look like or act like and why weren't they able to attend?

The next to step up was a beautiful regal looking elf. Sybil had seen elves before so she was less distracting, but Sybil did take note that the woman seemed to embody the aesthetic of a moon goddess. Sybil raised a brow after hearing that Illistrianna was a queen. Although she did not inherently hate all royal people, it was difficult not to make a quick judgement about the type of person Illistrianna might be due to Sybil's own personal experience with royalty being one of decades of abuse.

Soon after it was Cynthia's turn to speak and Sybil smiled as she listened to her, feeling a comradery for the woman already despite barely knowing her. Sybil glanced over at Dominus as Cynthia stated that his views were not necessarily hers. She almost expected a quick outburst from the behemoth god, but it seemed that they both had a playful smirk on their faces and enjoyed the challenge.

Just then Sybil felt a chill creep down her spine; she could feel Cetia's gaze rest upon her. Obviously, it was time for Sybil to become the center of attention once again. Feeling her heart rate pick up, Sybil cleared her throat and stepped forward. "Thank you all for sharing about yourselves, I look forward to getting to know you all more." She paused and took a deep breath, her heart pounding against her chest. "As for me," She clasped her hands down in front of her to keep her hands from noticeably shaking. "My name is Sybil. I am choosen by Cetia and dedicate my life to her and am grateful for all that she has gifted me, and my world. I come from a kingdom called Valoria and serve their royal family with guidance as needed." She paused, unsure of how much to say about the true nature of how she became in service to the royal family. "When I was young I was taken away from my family to be of exclusive use by the royal family. These days... I spend most of my days in Cetia's temple." She bit her bottom lip, becoming more unsure of herself by the second. "This is the first time I have been in front of more than two people for... more than six decades by now." She let out a nervous chuckle, her eyes moving to the ground as she tried to center herself. "Uhm..." She turned her gaze back to the group, "I suppose that is all... Thank you, everyone."