Well you got one and I think I saw others say so too

I came here for a date, not what looked like a convention for eldritch deities, yet here we are.

I glanced around the coffee shop for a sign of anybody human, however, there was none to be found. Everyone there was in many shapes and sizes: some looked like truly eldritch horrors with twisting limbs and thousands of eyes, some looked just like animals, and some looked humanoid but with one thing or another off about them.

I mean… It’s too late now to back out, though, isn’t it?

I sighed as I approached the barista. Their eight spider-like limbs focused on making different drinks of many kinds. Their eyes focused on me, before they asked me with a scratchy voice, “Welcome to the Primordial Cafe. What can I get you today?”

“Yeah, can I, uh…” I paused as I glanced up at the menu that was written out. It was entirely in a language I couldn’t understand. “A large hot chocolate, if you have it?”

“We do, just a minute, sir,” the spider-like barista replied, before turning to fix my drink. To my surprise, the barista was surprisingly fast, and watching them make my drink with their lightning-quick machines and reflexes was almost like magic. Or, probably was magic. One of the two.

Once they were done, the barista passed my drink over to me. “Thank you, how much will that be?” I asked them.

“Nothing,” they replied, “You mortals aren’t even supposed to be here, nor do you have the currency we use. How did you even get here?”

I felt the urge to flee, but stayed in place as I answered, “I, ah… I’m waiting on a date of mine. His name was Calam. Would you know him, by chance?”

The barista’s many eyes seemed to warm as they chirped, “Oh! Calam’s my little brother. You’ll love him, I promise. Have fun!”

“Thank you,” I chirped, before sitting down at an empty table. I felt like I could feel thousands of eyes staring deep into my soul. I took a deep breath in and out, in an attempt to calm myself down.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Calum arrived. At first, his appearance startled me, but I could soon make the connections between the human disguise I saw on our last few dates and the bug-like deity I saw before me.

He still had his pale green eyes, though they were now large and insectoid. His hair was still long and an inky black, though it was now literal ink that somehow managed to remain on his scalp. He had feather-like antennae that reminded me of quills. His moth-like wings were made of paper, and had written words from many languages on them.

“I hope you don’t mind my new appearance,” he whispered as he sat in the chair across from me.

I shook my head, as I chirruped, “Oh, no, no, I don’t mind at all! You look great, really.”

“Okay, good!” he chirped. He passed over an entire book to me, and excitedly squeaked, “I wrote a few love poems for you! Or, a lot… But I’m a literary deity, how could I help myself?”

Please take me on your next quest.
But not as your steed, and not as your guest.

Instead as your partner, as we have long been.
We'll journey together, through thick and thin.

[removed]

Fucking phenomenal

Thanks! I just might.

Oh, this is good. I hope you’ll continue this series!

Now add a first day in the field. What would happen if someone had learnt a little on their own? Critical mana levels and their head explodes? Maybe they could see some of the fallout from mana at play.

"Welcome to your first day at the Federal Bureau of Magic and Enchantment, or the F.B.M.E. We are the Men in Black."

This has to a hoax right She thought. Just a weird migraine fueled dream, this is just too much. She felt the throbbing pain inbetween her eyes, and winced at the light. Well, not a dream then...

"You there, Imogene Pettit, it is very important that you listen very carefully to my next words."

Oh man, what did I do now... and can he please be more quite. Crap, this is turning into a full blown migraine. "Yeah, ok." She winced.

"Hold up your domainant hand, and repeat, "Lux!" And imagine a ball of light."

"Yeah ok sure whatever." Imogene held up her left hand in the same manner as the sharply dressed man in the charcoal suit, and black tie. "Lux!" And two things happend that surprized her, there floating in front her was a ball of white light writhing like she often imagined the sun doing, and the pain behind her eyes evaporated! No amount of medicine ever made her migraines go away, the only thing that ever worked before this was a hot bath with epsom salt, while listening to celtic folk music, with the lights off, and then even only take the edge off long enough for her to go to sleep. By the light of her little sun she could see that he once had an earing in his left ear, but it had healed over due to none use, and a faint scarline above his left eyebrow, "How?!"

"As we mentioned when we picked you up, migraines are your mana reaching critical levels. If you do not use it and expell the mana in some fashion, it will cause physical pain. Its similar to when your laptop overheats and shuts off."

"Ok, but why all the secrecy? Why do we all believe magic is fantasy, if its real?"

"That will be covered later at Quantico. But short answer is: We dont know. People often see magic and ignor it, or think aliens or drugs. To the best of our knowledge, someone or something is making it hidden."

"Weird. But people like me, who suffer from migraines, we are somewhat immune?"

"To a certain extant. For now though we need to determine what sensitivities you have, and how best you can serve the F.B.M.E. We will determine this with an aptitude test."

Now you need to work with the system to hire as many ‘mages’ as possible

Good story. I like your take on it. Thanks for sharing

"Could you imagine how catastrophic it would be if people learned to use magic?" Director Bell asked me and the other new hires. "That's why it's of utmost importance that we find and use ways to reduce mana in the environment and in people."

I couldn't help but speak up. "What about the terrible pain migraines bring, that you said is mana building up to dangerous, even critical, levels?"

"What about that pain in particular? I don't understand," responded the director.

"People have killed themselves over agonizing migraines before."

The room went silent as the fact I had stated hung in the air. The director gave a sad smile as she said, "Some day, you will understand, their deaths were for the better. It allows for built up mana to safely return to the environment."

The icy hand of stark realization placed itself on my back, unsettled goosebumps spreading from the top of my spine, down. "... for the better? Does... does this department advocate suicide?"

"It is an unfortunate side effect of critical mana overload," said Director Bell. "It isn't as if we are going to these people suffering migraines and suggesting they kill themselves."

"You kind of are? The current treatments out there for migraines are inadequate. What is this department doing to mitigate the damage from mana overload?"

The director smiled tensely. "We have better things to spend our time on, as do you. You will learn to adapt and overcome that conscience that guides you, at this job, in exchange for vast knowledge of mana and techniques that will help you manage it."

One of the other recruits asked, "What if we release those management techniques to the public?"

"You will never have to worry about being employed ever again. On that note... if any of you wish to quit now, it will not be held against you. I'm sure nobody will believe your stories of your time here, so you are free to go."

I watched as the other recruits all left without a second thought. I turned to leave as well, but my feet failed to propel me forward. I was stuck in place.

Director Bell came and placed a hand on my shoulder. "There's a lot of learning to be done. Let's get your paperwork finalized."

I felt a sinking, sickening feeling in my gut. What had I just signed myself up for?

Jesus Christ! Love the apocalyptic twist...makes sense, though. That's the only thing a Waffle House would close for.

I mean I live in the states and have never seen or heard another person talk about waffle house outside of the internet

I burst out of the car in a state of panic. I stare in disbelief at the 'Closed' sign hung on the door. I look up at the dark red sky, coughing at the stifling, rancid air. THIS IS NO HURRICANE! Suddenly, there is a noise behind me. I spin around, and am horrified at the sight of a mangled, deformed humanoid with a dozen arms. It lets out an animalistic screech. I run, terrified and utterly confused. The creature lets out another horrific screech, and I begin to run faster, but I stop at the sight of more of these things. I step back, and my foot touches something warm and slightly... sticky? I look back, revealing that what I had stepped in had been the blood of a police officer who had gotten their throat torn out. Though this sight was also extremely horrifying, right now I only had survival on my mind, so I snatched up his gun. It was surprisingly heavy, and I struggled to aim it at the approaching creatures. I fired once, twice, into one of them, but it seemingly had no effect. My arms sore from my first two shots, I lowered the gun and glanced around, at a loss of what to do. I took a step back, over the corpse of the police officer. I heard more cries of animalistic rage and hunger behind me, and knew that I was surrounded. It seemed.. I had no choice. I began to cry as I placed the muzzle of the gun on the roof of my mouth. I looked around at what was left of everything. I squeezed the trigger of the gun.

​

​

^(And everything went black.)

[removed]

Isn't this a plot point in Dragon Quest 8, except the King and mute MC are aware of it the whole time?

You win today. :)

OP hurricanes.

u/Fullspectrum84 did. And you doubted them.

A fallen deity attempts to reacquire their divinity.

I don't smoke and I don't have this ludicrous attitude towards people who smoke, a writing prompt is not a place for your manifesto against things you don't like.

[WP] You enter a coffee house which patrons are... far from mortal.

Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.

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If people want me to keep going, I can.

This is amazing is there going to be another?