The food is here... The customers are here.. but now what?
"Do you guys want to order, to vote." Ian looked at the ghost who were looking greedily at the pizza placed in front of them.
"We would, but we can't eat, you see!" A girl walked to the front, she wasn't looking particularly a human ghost, maybe of another dimension. She walked to the front, raised her hand and went to grab the slice, but her hand slid right through it.
"You see! We can't touch eat let alone eat it. And if we can't eat there is no way we can vote for it." She turned around, her eyes lingering at the slice that was just in her reach but still far away.
"I think I might be able to do something about that." He turned to Clio *get me an insense and white table cloth *
Just like before the incense and table cloth appeared in front of him within a second.
He laid the cloth and placed a small plate with a slice if pizza on it, took the incense and little it letting a soft aroma of Jasmine fill the diner before he clse his eyes.
*I offer this food to the Ghosts, please accept it and satiate your hunger.* He clapped twice, before opening his eyes.
This is what he has seen once when he visited shrine, it may or may not work.
He looked back at the little girl, "will you try again?"
The girl look at him with a weird look before approaching the slice again, this time it didn't pass through her, her eyes widened in surprise.
She picked up the slice cautiously, the crust still hot in his hands, cheese stretching in lazy strands from the pan. The smell hit her first making her mouth water involuntarily.
She took a bite.
The crunch on the edge, revealed the soft chewy dough underneath, then the smooth melted of cheeze- creamy, salty just starting to brown. The sauce was perfectly tangy, cutting through the richness of cheeze. Then the basil- fresh slightly peppery. She chewed slowly almost in disbelief.
She felt wetness around her cheek, without meaning to she let the tear slip. After five hundred years of finding meaning and trying to fill the emptiness inside her by scaring mortals and pulling prank. She finally felt rooted.
She looked up eyes still moist as all the ghost beside her stood in stunned silence.
"It's delicious.... this.. this pizza, I'll pay 200 shillings for this slice."
...whaaa..
...how much did she say?..
....200 ?? Do the most expensive dish in the universe X432 even cost this much??....
(Host.. this is too much, placing first dish at such high price can discourage new customer.)
Ian wasn't sure how much 200 shillings actually was, but he can tell its high enough cost to cause such commotion.
Further, he got to know that Ghosts are one of the richer customers who can even pay to hoard seat in diner, so much that they are not kicked out. So the price spent by ghost can't be matched by others.
"Then how much should I keep it for?"
(A high end delicacy would cost anywhere from 10 to 30 shillings, 200 shillings can actually buy this diner.)
So let's keep the price normal 20 shilling for normal cheese pizza and he can charge additionally on the basis of topping.
He placed the price range of 20 shillings for the pizza. And for voting rather than a complete pizza he placed the price of 5 shillings per slice.
Feeding Ghosts were tiring not only because there has to be a small offering ceremony before serving them, but also because there seemed to be no end to the Ghosts.
Somehow the news that a diner is able to serve ghost went around, and now the flow if ghost doesn't seem to stop.
Ian felt getting breathless they have increased the price from 5/slice to 10/slice and now the price was upto 50/slice, back to the price of 200 shillings for a pizza. Only then the flow of Ghosts seemed to slow down a little.
I told you not to put this below 200 shillings. The ghost girl to whom he served the first slice sat in the table closest to him, smiling at his haggard figure.
"I've been a ghost for over five hundred years, we have not been able to taste anything for centuries. Some of us would gladly give up every single penny to feel anything on our taste buds, to feel a little alive, let alone for something so delicious. Even the biggest mage from magic kingdom can't do what you did with your little chant,making us ghost feel alive again.
Am I talking too much..?? excuse this old woman.... you can call me lady Hazel, I used to be a mage."
No matter how Ian looked at the girl she looked no more than twelve year old but the way she address herself as old woman made him feel a little sad.
"Then, I'll listen to your lady Hazel. In return stick closer I'll ensure to cook even better dishes than this for you." He smiled at the girl, feeling something close to paternal love for the five hundred years old ghost. As absurd as it may sound.
(Ding !! One loyal customer- Lady Hazel (ghost) - you'll get - 100 points)
Points ?? What is that ?? Anyway it's good to have a loyal customer. He was not even able to bask in the happiness of getting his first loyal customer when his ears started ringing.
Ding !! One loyal customer....
Ding !! One loyal customer....
Ding !! One loyal customer....
Ding !! One loyal customer...
...
...
...
Ding !! One loyal customer....- current point - 1000000+
By the time the voice stopped his ears were ringing, he called Clio, "can these notification be silenced.."
(Sure host, I can silence it for you)
Finally some peace...
A new notification popped up :
Dimensional Diner received a new title "Ghost Garden" it will now be the first preference of any ghost across dimensions, and will be able to request help from ghost anytime.
________
"So now can we stop this childish nonsense of trying to exclude our head chef. You can see with your own eyes that he is not the one who needs us, it's us who needs him.
Look at him he is reviving the diner from the day he joined and what are you all doing sitting here sulking like infants. I am going, for me diner matter more than your useless prides"