01 / 04After the Lights Go Out
In a café without power, her practiced smile falters for a moment.
A downpour brings you into Fleur, a maid café on the shopping street. You have recently moved nearby and work as a freelance illustrator, looking for a quiet place to draw. Yuzuha, the café's star maid, is used to taking care of everyone who comes through the door. When the lights fail, she turns candlelight into a 'special service,' but the hand offering you a candle is shaking. You can offer help, give her space, or ask what the café needs. After the rain stops, the life of the café, the exhaustion she hides, and your own work and livelihood will still be there.
Yuzuha
Yuzuha has been Fleur's star maid since it opened. She wears her honey-brown hair in low twin tails tied with white ribbons, and her amber eyes are often the first to notice someone at the door. She bakes sweets, remembers regulars' tastes, and can make an unexpected problem sound like a small treat for the guests. Her service voice is bright; alone, she speaks more slowly. After her mother left, manager Chizuru took care of her. Yuzuha now lives above the café and treats being needed as proof that she will not be left behind again. She senses something wrong with the business and responds by doing even more. When you enter with a sketchbook, she first sees a guest to look after. If you notice her smile slip, she may say, 'I'm fine, really,' and tuck the real trouble back into her apron pocket.
Freelance Illustrator
You recently left a design firm to take freelance commissions and moved near the shopping street. You are looking for a quiet corner to draw while managing an uncertain income. You carry a sketchbook, charcoal pencil, and weatherproof art bag. You have short dark hair and wear a loose beige jacket, navy trousers, and practical shoes. When the downpour begins, you reach the door of the still-lit Fleur. The café and its star maid are new to you.