A Quick Snack

Gwen has been looking to catch up with Haru and has invited him to Pela's while she was in town and she's already here. She's sitting at a table in something more casual than normal her Mystic knight outfit as she calls it and she's thinking about what drink and sweets to order. "Doot dee doo."

Haru is always around Shibuya these days. He has been seen more around city planning and development than he has in the New World Alliance HQ. The exception being the state of the Alliance talk he did recently. Since then he has been a bit more disconnected. He loses track of the time since Gwen's last chim as he makes another ring in his Atelier. The idea that 'it is just next door' combines with 'just a little more' until it has been more than a few extra minutes.

He steps into the cafe with a quick fix of his hair, hand running through it as he spots Gwen. Gwen has easy to identify features in the maid cafe. "Hey Gwen. Hope I you didn't have to wait long," he says, grabbing a chair and taking a seat.

Gwen looks up and smiles at Haru. "Naw you didn't and you'd be worth waiting for anyway. It's good to see you. So your shop been keeping you busy I take it?" She's still looking over the menu. "What to get, any suggestions Haru?" She seems to be in good spirits also she's not babbling about Fashion...odd.

Haru is rarely not in a 'I have a lot on my mind' state of mind. Its very Haru. Workaholic with something to provide. Very chique. He is looking /through/ the menu for a moment. "Hmm?" Suggestions. Right. "They have scones that go well with the house blend. It has a lemon glaze on it that brings out the acidic notes of the arabic blend," he says, like he is some coffee expert.

"Sweets are good brain food," he adds in, thinking he needs a cup before settling on Gwen with the one blue eye and the purple monocle. "You know how rings are. When you start making one, you have to see it through. Letting the metal cool or form differently would be the same as starting over, if you can, given the flux is used up." A finger taps on the table. "Guild and Alliance matters are more pressing. Had a big speech. Didn't go that well."

Gwen says "I'll take a plate of scons then and the house blend. I still think we need to do thank Merik properly somehow on the finding of Coffee though I'm glad I invested in his company. That is something I have come to learning with making stock for my own shop. I'm thinking about expanding at least the clothing to here, Est and maybe elsewhere too.

"There is a reason I won't take officer rank I'm not suited for it. I'm too much like my old man in that respect. It didn't I'm kinda of shocked you always been pretty good with words..."

"I think Merek gets a free cup everywhere he goes," Haru believes, "or he should if he doesn't. There are a lot of things we took as commodities that don't exist still. Did you know that art only existed in earlier eras because of spiritual and religious reasons? Because materials and paint are expensive. Even those wood blocks..." he starts to ramble. And stop rambling with a, "You should open a branch here in Shibuya. Its a good economic hub."

When he gets his drink, he takes a sip. "The words were good, Gwen. The people however, were," he sets it down, "absent. It speaks to a different problem. If I offered every member a hundred gold to leave, how many would?" Its not a new problem. It even speaks to, dun dun duhn, what happens to the Silver Sword in Log Horizon. "In my previous life there is a way to handle this kind of situation when a branch or a child company acts in this fashion. Rarely is it pretty." A sip. "Its a deep wound."

Gwen says "I had some idea of that yes, though if we follow my ancesots back far enough tattoos were the name of the day and body paints. Celts are wild what can I say...As for that it's like hearding cats that's what my guild is a giant pile of /cats/. Never operated at your level, so I wouldn't have a frame of ref for that but sounds like it would be a blood bath."

The Artificer uses air quotes, "Creative restructuring," when using the term his family liked to use. "It moves people to new projects. New ideas," Haru says as he sips on his coffee. "People generally quit and its designed to be that way. They were already checked out and needed a nudge." The eye closes and then it slowly reopens. "Its fine," he says as he looks at the coffee. "Its just not an organization. I'll try my hand at Shibuya instead. Elly and Eas are already great partners and we have a good relation with Carmina and Uruk. Just need to establish more trust with Eastal." He hums, "And there is the matter of what lies beneath Shibuya."

Gwen says "That's a fun way to put it and huh less bloody minded than it hought. That might work better become the quest hub and learn to direct cats." She grins at this as her order comes in and she'll start to enjoy it for a moment as she sips. "Got like a hell mouth or a super dungeon?"

"That is the idea," Haru says with a smile about a quest hub. He reaches for a scone, taking a monch of it. "But short of that, it will be a place to explore and secure. The city has been through enough with a foreign occupation. I don't like the idea of adding 'monsters erupt from the ground itself' like," he points a scone at Gwen, "a hell mouth. Into the depths of El Dialbo itself." All they need is a church and a district called Tristram. "Its a super dungeon, I imagine. Li Gan isn't being specific beyond the whole traps and 'hive of baddies' down there."

Gwen says "Well you have my interest there, maybe if we're lucky your alliance might find a way to make the city into an actual kingdom or city state. Or even just a root town. So as my old man would put it. GET THE FLAMER... the HEAVY FLAMER." She even mimics her dad's voice. "So what your saying is you would indeed need a good gear supply place..."

Haru shakes his head as he explains, "Not my alliance," as he puts a hand on the table. "It goes back to my earlier observation. Its not a group that organizes, so it can't be relied upon to do... anything." The hand raises, "Not that it isn't welcome or warranted. Not that this may give the three guilds a reason to rally around, like the war or the statue. But at its core it would be a personal project." He lets it rest back down, "Not to dissimilar to Eas. And yes, Shibuya would need a good supply of gear. I want the city to feel safe and alive after the occupation. Now its time for economic strength and a hub for downward adventures." A short laugh after that comment, "Good impersonation. Fortunately I have the fire of a Divine Beast on my side, no?"

Gwen grins for a moment "I'll see about focusing on a branch here first then in Eas." She nots having made up her mind. "Yeah, we got to bring back life to things don't we? That you do Haru, and I think it stoked the fire that was already there. I'll be glad to help up with your plan for the city. So lets finish up her and you could show me around town?"