BagelsOrZeth

For someone who's been in this fandom as long as I have, I shouldn't be surprised by the vigor with which we can assemble and put something together, and yet, I always am. I remember when a few years back, a group of fans attempted to organize a pop-up cosplay cafe in Harvard Square that was going to be themed around my then-favorite JRPG, I was really bummed when that had to be canceled at the last minute. So when I heard that my now-favorite fandom was going to attempt something similar, I was eager, but not optimistic, and can I just say I was BLOWN AWAY?!

First of all, how was this the way that I first learned about YOKBOBS (Ye Olde Kinship Born Of Boston Shifters, née BS Guild (Boston Shifters Guild))? They've apparently been a small, but prolific Boston-based contingent of Shifters, dating back to its pilot in 2013. What started as a small watch-party based out of some members' apartment turned into a multi-media celebration of the fandom that has produced some pretty fantastic fic, vids, and even cosplay! Who knew that all these BNFs were BFFS?! (Apologies for the parentheticals and interrobangs, I'm just really excited?)

Anyway, they'd decided that the way to celebrate the most current iteration of their fandom was to organize and promote a small-scale popup cafe. Tickets were pretty reasonably priced for what was advertised as a series of small plates served over the 90 minute seating, though the chosen venue was a little off the beaten path and T routes, just a few blocks from Magoun Square. (I imagine real estate for this sort of thing isn't a common find, but I'm glad they made it work). While I would have liked to sit for both, I had to resign myself to just the ZANGER seating, and hope that the next time they run this (and I hope they get to do so), I won't be stuck having to run to work and can instead catch the NEGAPARTY seating as well D:

But yeah! Once we found the venue and got inside, we were greeted enthusiastically by our host, a rather fabulous Votwdrig cosplayer, sporting his sleeveless, peacock-blue look (including that ridiculous goatee) from his first appearance. He (and I'll use character pronouns rather than performer pronouns by their consensus request) confirmed our group's reservation, and led us over to one of the six tables that had been spaced out within the small hall. We were initially confused by the extra chair, but were assured not to worry about it (which made sense shortly), set up with some water, and left to our own devices while waiting for the other parties to arrive.

And speaking of devices, dear reader, this is when disaster struck - franklydeer, my lovely date for the party, decided that my phone (and sundress) needed to be drenched in ice water. I was able to shut it down before any lasting damage occurred, but it did mean that through the quick thinking of the host dressed as Zakki, my phone spent the rest of the party in a ziploc baggie of rice, rather than being able to take pics to share with you all. With any luck, Bagels will have posted her photos by now on her feed, so at least somebody will have evidence of this grand fete!

By the time 2pm came around, all six tables had been seated and our Votdwrig introduced himself as the MC for the event, and explained the way this would work. Their cast of ZANGER plus Votdrwig would bring out a course and each sit with a table for 15 minutes, rotating between the tables as they'd bring out each subsequent plate. We were welcome to discuss any meta, though the cast would be doing their best to remain in-character throughout.

Zakki was the first to introduce a course - a trio of baked brie (of course!), one for each of their dads. They were sad to concede they hadn't yet perfected the hell-friendly version and that they'd not been able to secure a reliable rothe supplier this far north (SO CUTE) but hoped we'd enjoy the variety. Warm from the oven, the pastry on these was buttery and flaky, and it was with great trepidation I discovered that the first one I'd chosen to sample was indeed the spicy habanero one, but at least the champagne mocktail was sweet and glittery and helped ease the tastebuds. As they wandered around, we got to chat a bit with Ghaery who'd sat with us (I felt kinda bad for the host beneath that mask? I later got to see the posts about how they'd repurposed a fencing mask for it so it'd remain breathable and have points of attachment for their LEDs and eyebrows, but it must have been rough sitting around all this great-smelling food and drink and not being able to do anything with his polite company food hole), and he regaled us with tales of the monastery, occasionally helping with the making of herbed cheeses and butters for service to the squishier residents and visitors.

Alieldrenne, prim and proper in her gambeson and with a plush Ajora on the shoulder, introduced her offering of a traditional Mileth afternoon tea course, featuring cherry (her favorite!) marzipan scones and a fancy, hand-rolled black tea. Unfortunately, I am not a tea person, so I think some of the subtleties were lost on me - but at least I was not alone in that, as we were joined by Everard for this course. This host had obviously practiced the accent, and had done a beautiful job rendering out the tattoo on his forearm. We bonded instantly over our ink and sad tea, and our fifteen minutes were over far too quickly.

Nemei's course was one they said they'd worked with Zakki to adjust to be tolerable by Material Plane palates. The hellish influence was immediately obvious, with the smoky aroma of the tea filling the room as cups were poured and brought out to the table with our tea sandwiches. Raetha explained that she'd been allowed to assist with the preparation of this course, though mostly only with the initial pickling of the eggs and the sourcing of the volcanic bread - and I feel bad, because although she was nervously babbling some great tales, I was really distracted by the special effects work that the host had done because GOSH did she really nail the texture and coloration of now-healing scars across the collarbone and cheek.

Ghaery was very proud to share with us all that his tartlet was a recipe he fondly remembers mastering during his time at the monastery, and usually was made with vegetables and herbs he'd tended in the gardens. The crust was savory with a crunch to it, a neat change from typical flaky pastry crust, and though Zakki who sat with us tried to convince us that the cheesy center was the star here, we had to counter that it was the fresh squash and onions on top that really brought it all together. Our host really embodied the just-need-to-hug-them quality that is Zakki, and I could have spent the whole time gushing over the whole menu with them while secretly admiring the utensil bouquet tattoo on their arm.

Ev apologized that he wasn't able to quite do Jillian Tealeaf's blueberry cake justice, but hoped we'd enjoy the attempt nonetheless, especially paired with his lady's affogato. As a plate, this appeared a bit intimidating, but somehow this combo of sweet vanilla and blueberry, fruity espresso, and dense, rich chocolate balanced out just right! It was a joy gossiping with Alieldrenne over this dessert - she was more than excited to talk (in-character) about the logistics of organizing such an event and the details of her outfit, (and later, as a hostess, to chat more about the behind-the-scenes efforts for the menu, decor, and costuming). Through her, we heard more about the famous blueberry cake that might make an appearance on their next menu (hint hint!)

Raetha offered us an almost-apologetic introduction to her offering - the shortbread and matcha were both things that she could easily lug around in a backpack when out for excavations or longer expedtions, but still felt like a treat. Nemei, seated with us, assured us with a polite smile (it was polite, but I have NO IDEA how the host managed to make it appear that unnervingly wide and pointy while remaining perfectly-measured), that the cardamom and ginger we were enjoying in the cookies had been their idea. Pairing this with the lightly-sweet maple matcha latte, I think I've found my new PSL replacement for fave fall treat!

It was with some obvious sadness that our dear Votdriwg informed us that our time together had come to a close, or at least until their next event planned for Barduary. There were some gentle implications that Evneaphi had foreseen unfortunate consequences for anyone who overstayed their welcome, just for good measure (who, ugh, I wish I could have met later).

I swear, fifteen minutes was not enough time with each course. I kind of loved this as a format for a fandom tea party, though it would probably work better for when you're sharing a table with strangers and not just your immediate friends? Having a host at the table helps ease that social space, and gives a focal point in case the company or food doesn't quite hit the right notes. Like, Deer and I ended up not getting too deep into our regular AU or meta chats, but it was a bunch of fun to be able to sink into this little world for a Sunday afternoon.

I had the most amazing time, and wanted to just thank YOKBOBS again for all their work - this was clearly a labor of love and I hope that next time they run something like this, I can get involved sooner (HINT HINT).

Major kudos to the YOKBOBS crew for such a fantastic experience!
Votdrigw - The_W_Is_Silent

Zakki - Scribe

Alieldrenne - Flite
Nemei - Filiabelialis