They ran out of food very quickly that day. Maxine’s guests were ravenous and ordered over and over again. Sandy was so caught up with them that she sometimes had to ignore other guests. She ran between the stove, the cutting board, the pantry, the register and her new loud guests over and over until there was nothing left to give, all in the name of “keeping it coming.” Mora, an immense and forward bovine, and Reiko, an uninhibited and playful rabbit, were so deep into Jill’s offered drinks that they lost what little of their humility they had left.
Yahoo! This place is great!
Mora
Reiko
Mmmm! And this is delicious! Keep ‘em coming, Sunny!
Coming right up! They’re all on the stove!
Sunny
Reiko
I can’t believe we can come here any time we want!
Oh my goodness no…
Sunny
Mora
Aaaahaha! Drinks all around! This Maxine sure knows how to throw a business lunch!
Where is the service around here? This is such a bummer.
Fulvus
Merankhes
I’d been looking forward to Kemono Café ever since I heard of it. How long can it take to make Foxy Coffee?
I’m trying!
Sunny
I’m so sorry, I’ll be right back!
Sunny
Fulvus
Can I just pick up the donut? It’s right there…
It’s really just her working here, isn’t it?
Kin
Jenelle
Shameful. They should hire more.
Maybe they have an opening…
Shaze
Sunny
Sorry! Sorry! Please make way! Hot food coming through!
Oh my god. Now she’s running in that sweet outfit!
Reiko
Sunny! Come on back! Drink with us!
Reiko
Sunny
I don’t drink!
Where’s that squirrel that made my night?! My drink’s getting low!
Mora
Sandy’s apologies felt paper thin as she’d yell them to customers she’d then have to ignore just to dig deeper and deeper into her food reserves to feed them. They were bottomless! Sandy was actually worried the welcome cupcakes would spoil their meal, and now they were more than a dozen meals in, almost as much as the entire morning crowd combined. Sandy was sweating hard when she finally made it back to the register to handle the growing line, where Kona had been waiting five minutes just to talk to someone who worked there.
So…
Kona
How’s it going?
Kona
Sunny
Oh, Kona. It’s… fine!
Sunny
It’s all under control.
Sunny
I’m just worried we will run out of food at this rate.
Not even one brownie left?
Kona
Sunny
One brownie with nuts… Will you like a Foxy Coffee to go with-
Hey cutie! You know how to play that guitar?!
Reiko
Terrific
This is my moment!
Terrific
On it!
Someone hand me a mic!
Stratus
Mora
No… No. I got this…
Mora
I looked at the bar, at the bartender-
Mora
And he said hey Mora! What’re ya havin’?!
Mora
BUUURP!
Where’s my lighter?!
Reiko
Sunny
Don’t bring fire into this!
All under control…
Kona
This is so typical for Maxine. She just loaded all this on you and then went looking for another way to make a buck.
Kona
Sunny
Here’s your coffee. And it’s fine, Kona. It really is.
No it isn’t. You should tell Maxine that things are this wild here and get some help.
Kona
Sunny
Do you really think so?
I know so.
Kona
Otherwise, she will have gotten away with this. And we can’t have that.
Kona
Sunny
I… Guess I’d better tell her about the food situation.
Maxine was handling her own morning crowd when Sandy arrived. Just like Sandy, Maxine’s worst hours were from sunrise until lunchtime as people depended on her to get the rest of their own days going as planned. So Sandy felt a little awkward interrupting it. Sandy even waited anxiously in line with the other customers until Maxine saw her and pulled her out.
Sandy! What are you doing here?!
Maxine
Has something happened?
Maxine
Sunny
It… It’s…
Out with it, sweetie!
Maxine
Sunny
I just had a question about what to do. Sorry. The pantry is running out and I don’t think I’ll be able to fulfil all the orders.
But you were stocked just two days ago.
Maxine
Was there a problem with the order?
Maxine
Sunny
N-no, I just- I just was worried and-
Oh, Sandy… If you ran out that quickly then there must have been something wrong with the order. You need to be more careful when performing inventory.
Maxine
Sunny
I… *squeak*.
Hurry down to Pageturner Ranch. Look for someone named Elizabeth there. She’ll give you a booster shipment if you ask. Say we accidentally ran out and we need something quick.
Maxine
Don’t look too desperate… Or she’ll charge me through the nose.
Maxine
And then hurry back! Don’t let our star guests know you’re gone.
Maxine
Things are going well, right?
Maxine
Sunny
Yes…
Oh good. I knew I could count on you.
Maxine
Please hurry and get that food!
Maxine
Sunny walked down the road out of town feeling miserable. Her café was out of control and with no one taking care of it. Sunny had to turn around the closed sign while customers still laughed loudly inside, bouncing wildly to music that shook the glass. Mora and Reiko were certainly entertained… But something else shook Sunny a little deeper than she was expecting today to go.
Sunny
I thought I had this…
Sunny
I thought people could count on me…
Sandy!
And don’t call me Sunny!
