𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 | 𝖲𝗉𝖺𝗆𝗍𝗈𝗇 𝗑 𝖱𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫

As soon as you stepped in the Color Café, you were greeted by a taller bird-like monster. He was a colorful fellow, his outfit was what stood out more than anything. It was a half-black-half-white collared shirt, a red tie, and a half-white-half-black vest on top, with a red circle on the right side and blue, green and yellow squares on the left. It was, in a word, unique.

* Welcome to the Color Café.

* Let us warm your day.

The man eyed you curiously up and down, and tilted his head slightly to the right, his mannerisms reminded you of the way pigeons bob their head when they strut.

* Do you happen to be a Lightner, dear customer?

* I have never seen you in our establishment.

Was it that obvious? What exactly stood out so much that every Darkner could tell you were not of this world?

"Yeah, haha. It's actually my first time visiting the café, sir." you laughed nervously.

His eyes widened a little behind those orange-yellow tinted glasses of his.

* How wonderful!

* We offer one-time deals and discounts for first time customers.

* Would you like to be seated now?

He brought his right hand in front of you, waiting for you to take it and let him guide you to your table. You obliged without protest, and let him take you further in, to a small table for two. You curiously looked around, taking in your surroundings. The walls and furniture were a warm shade of cream, which made for the coziest of atmospheres. The smell of baked goods filled the air around you, reminding you that you needed to eat again. Just like the man that greeted you, there were more bird-like monsters, all dressed in a red suit and tie, serving drinks and food to other customers.

As you sat down on the comfy chair, you were given a menu from the man in the colored suit.

* Feel free to choose any item off the menu.

* Your first time is on us, dear customer.

And with that, he left your table and disappeared in the vast sea of faces that filled the café. Your eyes lingered on the many colorfully items listed on the menu. Your stomach was once again growling, anxiously waiting for you to decide on what you'd eat. You were glad that for just this once, you wouldn't have to pay. Your options were becoming more and more limited every day. Soon, you'd have to find a way to secure a stable income and a place to live.

"Oh! They have pancakes!" you yelled excitedly inside your mind. Many different types of pancakes to choose from. You felt your mouth watering as you scanned each and every option.

The bird man approached you again some time later and cleared his throat before speaking.

* Have you decided on what you'll have?

Honestly, how could anyone choose between strawberry banana pancakes and blueberry cream cheese pancakes? However, you didn't want to make the man wait too long, seeing as the café was pretty busy at this hour and he had more customers waiting.

"I'll have the strawberry banana pancakes, please."  you requested politely, your stomach began to grumble even louder.

The man nodded and took the menu with him as he once again vanished. The wait was honestly not that long, but you really needed to eat, and that made it seem like an eternity.

Soon enough, the fluffiest pancakes you had ever seen were placed in front of you, decorated with sliced strawberries and bananas and drizzled with warm caramel syrup. You were basically drooling at that point.