Food For Thought

“Good morning, Ma’am. What can I get you?”

“A cup of tea, please.”

“Sure thing. What flavour would you like today? Well-seasoned wisdom? Oriental humour? Mournful reflection?”

“Just the usual, takeaway.”

“A comforting proverb it is then.” The Server behind the counter types in the order, and the marble machine rings with a delightful sound. “Anything else?”

The woman leans in, almost as if to steal a kiss, and whispers in his ear.

“A bitter revelation for a Blue Blazer. 'Cecilia lost her lover long ago – not to Fading, but to John Doe. Now she finally knows.'”

The Server nods and makes her a flaming cocktail in silence. The woman downs it, grimaces in pain, then grins.

An encounter in the Café on a usual busy evening.

Food For Thought, or just “the Café”, is the best café in the whole of the Dreamscape, if not also one of the weirdest. It is famous for providing food that tastes like literal thoughts, and thoughts that are as delicious as the best delicacy one can find.

With a strange combination of antique beauty and modern casual comfort, the gleaming white marble café is the perfect meeting place for the odd crowd that makes up its Regulars. Here, Muses of different Ideals mingle with Impressions of wise old folks and child prophets and exchange whatever they feel like for the day, from casual gossip to theological debates.

Carved into its marble walls, are the rules - or messages - left by the elusive founder of the place:

I Fight not with your neighbours. If you have to, order them something funny instead.
II Pay fairly: a thought for a thought; no more, no less.
III Enjoy your thoughts!

Food For Thought was founded about the time Jo was in University. The place was based on a café they frequented at the time, but it has since expanded.

The founder - and owner - of the Café is Reminiscer, a Muse of History. So they say. He first discovered the way to condense thoughts into taste. So they say. Not much is remembered of those early days of the Café, and very few people claim to have met him.

The Café runs smoothly without the need of Reminiscer's intervention. Servers composed mainly - though not solely - of Impressions ensure Food For Thought can always provide the provoking food it has promised to deliver, and the Regulars ensure that it never lacks lively debates that form its background track. It is also no great secret that the Servers and Regulars alike are gatherers of information, and would sell any knowledge for the right thought.

So far, despite its members having their own agendas and often meddling in other people's affairs, as a group Food For Thought has remained impressively neutral in all great matters in the Dreamscape. That is likely due to the fact that the only person that could possibly be their leader - Reminiscer - has never showed up to any event or made any announcement. Such neutrality is perhaps what has protected them from both the Censoring of the Academy of Thought and the wrath of the FIF (though not their suspicion or contempt).

However, not all Regulars are happy about this. Some think it may be time for Food For Thought to have a “true” leader.

• Reminiscer: The founder and owner of the Café. The technical leader of the “faction” since its existence, though arguably only due to a lack of challenge. Apparently a Muse of History.
• Justitia: A young Muse of Justice. A relatively new Regular. Critical of Reminiscer's passivity and wants the group to be more active. Has gathered quite a following amongst the Regulars.
• Madam Song: An Impression from a story set in a tea shop. The Head Server that basically runs the Café. One of the few people said to have spoken to Reminiscer. Loves gossip. Likes fortune telling but doesn't seem to be good at it.
• Zeno: A Muse of Pattern. A Regular that has been around for longer than anyone can remember. A somewhat amusing hardcore sceptic that has always had a following in the Regulars. Recently his behaviours have been even weirder than usual, and his followers are behaving just a bit like cultists.

There is no clear dress code for the Regulars - after all, it's just a coffee shop. However, many of them dress like comic book philosophers, wearing stuffy suits, togas or himations.

A Server will usually wear some sort of uniform, quite often carried over from a Vignette. But again, there is no official uniform for Food For Thought.

• Enjoy philosophising about random things.
• Enjoy metaphysics but with a more mystical flavour than sci-fi.
• Enjoy information trading and espionage, or potentially messing with the affairs of other factions.
• Basically want to be a philosopher spy.