As the warmer months descend upon the North American Data Center, many people find their thoughts drifting towards dreams of summer. While it might not be beach weather just yet, the allure of the sea is something that few can deny.
Perched near the shores of Mist, a cozy little café called “Otter by the Water” offers patrons a coastal refuge to enjoy their days in. The warm welcome and sunny disposition of the staff contends with even the brightest of summer days, while the atmosphere itself offers a sense of calm and relaxation on par with the most serene beach getaway.
Whether you’re looking for charming café themed roleplay, a place to relax between queues, a stage to enjoy music or perform music, or just a place to sit in and afk while you get some work done; Otter by the Water is a fantastic choice all around, and one we would highly recommend!
The owner of this delightful establishment, Safir Atkascha, was kind enough to conduct an interview with us. If you’re curious about this lovely Locale, please read on below for more information; and check out their Nook today!
• What is the name of your Locale?
Otter by the Water
• Where are you located?
North America, Aether, Jenova, Mist, Ward 7, Plot 4.
• Is your Locale a personal property or a free company property?
Personal.
• If you had to briefly describe your Locale, what would you describe it as?
A SFW RP-friendly café that’s decked out in all things Odder Otter!
• If you have staff working at your Locale, we’d love it if you told us a bit about them!
Yes! So, I own and operate Otter by the Water out of my personal plot, but we do have five staff members and are always looking to expand our team. If you don’t see me, the next person you’re likely to see is Enninisotera Papylon, short for Enni. She was recently promoted to assistant manager, and she likes to do a bit of everything around the venue. She takes orders, she plays bard music and she engages in banter (sometimes)! Enni has a very comic roleplay style and definitely values charm.
We also have Kou Lef-ja and Mashlae Urabe, two of our servers. Kou is a Very Good Girl who’s small in size, but big in spirit! She appreciates gently gnawed bones and biscuits, and all tips go towards her schooling. (She goes to Doggo Colleg, but I don’t actually know where that is…)
Mashlae is the newest addition to our team, and is an absolute sweetheart! She’s always ready with a friendly welcome and is incredibly attentive towards our customers.
Finally, you might see my alt, Ahldfohc Sylbrymmsyn; or one of our regulars and “unofficial” staff member, Wixx Akuji. Ahldfohc is a former seafaring Roegadyn who might be a little too big for the Otter’s tiny kitchen, but he manages to make do. Meanwhile, Wixx often comes by to enjoy the atmosphere, but he’s been an immense help and is often willing to throw on an apron when things get busy and we need an extra set of hands.
• What inspired you to create your Locale?
Last autumn, I was finally able to relocate from a small plot to a medium; and with all of that extra space, I knew that I wanted to create something others would enjoy seeing. I’ve always been a big fan of housing, and as far as making gil goes, it’s been my bread n’ butter for a long time! Crafting the newest and/or most popular furnishings is typically pretty lucrative. I’m also really inspired by other designers’ builds, and have been challenging myself to decorate my own space better. All that’s to say, even before Otter by the Water became a venue, aesthetics and a welcoming atmosphere were always my top priorities.
When Otter by the Water first opened, it was a space where I could relax, either while I’m working or just enjoying some peaceful downtime. I started advertising it on Party Finder in case anyone else wanted to do the same, and I offered a very limited menu of tea and sandwiches just to give the place that little extra touch of being a café. Pricing was always “suggested donation,” meaning folks could pay what they wanted (even if they didn’t want to pay anything) and the money would just go back into making more for next time. The space was mildly popular as an AFK venue, but the best thing I got out of that was feedback from visitors and other venue owners. The design has changed a lot since then.
As more people started to come, it’s become more than an AFK venue (although our original regulars still visit). People come for some SFW roleplay or just to socialize, which has prompted the need for me to expand: creating a Discord, hiring staff, having a carrd, etc.
• What were your goals when decorating, and what were you trying to achieve with your design?
So, the aesthetics and atmosphere were meant to go hand-in-hand in a very particular way. My goal for the space was to make it welcoming, open, and relaxing. I want someone to actually feel at ease in the space physically, mentally, etc. Even though I have redesigned several times, I would ask myself that question any time I made a change: is this still in line with what I want the atmosphere to be?
In general, that means being very intentional with use of space. The booths, the stage, the counter, etc. had to be placed in such a way that guests could navigate very easily. The rooms and walls had to be decorated just enough that the place didn’t feel boring, but also not so much that it feels cluttered and chaotic. (The walls, for example, don’t have much on them besides windows and wall lighting.) If it’s not decorated with Otters or food items, it’s probably a plant… again, to give the place a very calming feel.
• Did you do any concept sketches or make a list of key features or items to include for the build?
I didn’t do any sketches, but I knew that I wanted the place to be Odder Otter-themed, because I love those little guys. (I also think otters in general are adorable!) That really helped me limit the kinds of things I’d place in the house, because everything that’s *not* otter-themed has to complement everything that *is*. My favorite color is also green, which you’ll see throughout the house. I wish I could say my concept was a little deeper than that, but it really was just “otters and green things,” hahah!
• Can you explain the different areas of your Locale in a floor by floor breakdown?
Sure thing! The top floor is residential, but sometimes doubles as a staff lounge. It was designed to suit Safir as a character: he tries to be very particular about his things, but tends to overwork and often lets clutter pile up. The main area has some seating and a dinner table, but no kitchen—after all, he can just cook himself a meal downstairs! There’s also a little reading nook where he stores all of his books. Tucked behind a trick bookshelf partition, you’ll find Safir’s very sparsely-decorated bedroom. (He’s a form-over-function kind of guy.) In addition to a bed and one very messy closet, his room has a fireplace and desk. Finally, he has a bathroom with a sink, toilet, shower, and tub.
The main floor is part of the public venue! As soon as you walk in, you’ll see a little food display shelf, one of two stages for bards, and seating. Just beyond that, you’ll see the counter, cash register, and kitchen on the right-hand side; and additional seating on the left. The main floor has three booths for patrons, but they can sit at the counter too.
The basement is just an extension of that! Downstairs, you’ll find four more booths just like the ones on the main floor. There’s also another food display, and a public restroom. Finally, the basement also has a large stage that spans the width of the basement. Like the mini-stage on the main floor, it’s open for anyone who wants to use it. It’s just much wider than the mini-stage, and therefore more suitable for group acts.
• Was decorating a group effort with placement and crafting, or a solo build?
Crafting was an entirely solo endeavor, and the decoration was *almost* a solo build. I did give a friend temporary tenant status in the house to help me with the walls, so that’s the only thing I didn’t do. (If I had to guess, maybe 10 of the 50+ white screens weren’t placed by me?) I also got assistance from friends and other housing enthusiasts when it came to glitching techniques. So it was definitely a group effort when it came to learning, but I did the bulk of the designing if that makes sense.
• Which area of your build was done first?
I started from the outside in, in a way. I did the exterior first, then got the interior walls to a place I was happy with. Once I felt I had a good bare-bones foundation, I started actually laying out the Otter and decorating.
• How long did the build take?
I’d say the original build took me a weekend of nonstop work, but I remodeled several times over the first two weeks of operation. Those changes were made based on early patron feedback! While I didn’t incorporate every change my customers requested, I finally stopped at a point when I decided I was pleased, and that I had found a happy medium between what I liked about the design and what other people wanted to see.
When I first opened the Otter in early March, the layout was markedly different; the downstairs was ice-themed and used Unmelting Ice Lofts/Partitions all over the place. It also had no seating and a larger stage with different lighting and amenities. This was originally done as an homage to a bar on Fire Island called the Ice Palace, even though my build looked nothing like the real-life venue. Ultimately I scrapped this idea because only one person understood the reference, and most people thought it was kind of creepy!!
On the main floor, the counter/bar area was front and center, making it the first thing you see when you walk in. It was significantly wider than the current bar area, and only allowed for me to have stools lining the counter as seating. The kitchen was also open and visible, whereas now it’s its own separate room.
The upstairs has changed the least since I first opened the Otter. It’s also not patron seating, so it’s always been roped off. It’s Safir’s living area, and doubles as a “staff lounge” when folks need somewhere to park themselves and take a break. Visitors are welcome to go up there and check it out, but I ask that they do so only when it’s quiet at the Otter. Otherwise, more people take notice and go up there too.
The upstairs is maybe 90% done since the last time I remodeled, but I’d also like to relocate to a plot that’s even closer to the water, so I’ve decided not to change anything else until then. (We’re pretty close as it is, but there are some Shirogane mediums that are right on the beach.
• Did you encounter any unique design challenges during your build, if so can you explain?
Yes! So, this also happens to be 1. the area I got the most help with, 2. the most challenging part of the build, and 3. my favorite part of the build.
Personally, I’m not a fan of the default Mist housing interiors. In particular, I don’t like those bulky columns, and they really didn’t fit in with the “fantasy-meets-modern” design aesthetic I envisioned for the Otter. I wanted to use wall partitions to completely cover the columns, and I found that the most seamless way of doing that was by covering the entire interior.
I chose the White Screen housing item for most of the interior. The white screen is what you’ll see in a lot of in-game photo studios, because it gives you that sloped… well… white screen (hah!) that covers both the wall and floor. But when you turn it around, you get this rich dark brown wooden wall!
You also get an added bonus in the sense that the game doesn’t recognize the White Screen as a “partition,” so you’re able to glitch certain housing items through it and the game won’t force them to snap to the surface.
Still, there are challenges and downsides to doing this! One, it takes up a ton of item slots, which means fewer slots for furniture and decorating. Two, the white screen is a large item, and it’s really hard to get it flush with the actual wall… not to mention getting them to line up with each other! The hit box is in a weird place, because it includes the part of the white screen that’s lying on the floor, too. There’s also the challenge of lofting the white screens so that they cover areas on the stairs.
I did eventually learn how to place certain furnishings flush with the walls, but it takes a lot of trial and error. This is the point at which I had to surrender my desire to be the Only One who built this house and have a friend help me, hahah. When I say that this build took about a week of work, most of it was just figuring out these dang walls!!
• What is your favorite part of the design?
So again, the walls. Partly because I’m proud of the effort I put into doing it, the help I received, the way some of my friends and FC mates would stop by and cheer me on as I placed them, the things I learned, etc. I like that it really sets the house apart from other interiors. It might not be the flashiest part of the house, but it was a rewarding experience all-around.
My second-favorite part of the design is actually the booths, but for a rather different reason. Those weren’t always there. I added those once I moved the kitchen/bar area on the main floor, and when I scrapped the ice-themed basement. I knew I wanted seating down there and I played with a couple of options before settling on booths, which my early customers seemed to like. Still, those early booths felt kind of… plain. I couldn’t figure out why, until I started putting decorations back on the walls. As I was putting the Odder Otter Wall Lanterns downstairs, I said to myself: “… wait a minute, you’re Otter by the Water. You should use the Odder Otter tables!”
I started out by making just one booth in the basement, with two Leather Sofas and one Odder Otter Dining Table. The second I saw the turquoise green sofas with the table against the walls—and since I had switched out the chandeliers for warmer lighting—I knew I had perfectly captured what I wanted the Otter to become. It’s simple, but not so simple that it’s boring. The tables add a cute decorative touch that’s in line with the whole otter theme, and the colors make it all feel so calming and cozy.
• How long has your Locale been open to the public?
Just about two months now! It’s wild to think how much has changed in a short period of time, and how quickly a community has formed around it.
• Do you have set hours of operation, if so what are they?
Yes! So we’re open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 12PM to 5PM Eastern Time. If we ever need to change up the schedule, we usually announce via Discord. If you’re not in there, no worries! You can just look for us in Party Finder. As long as you see an ad up, we’re open. If there’s no ad, we’re closed.
• Does your establishment offer any services, if so what are they?
Right now, we offer food and beverage at pay-what-you-can pricing. Our staff will engage in SFW-only roleplay, usually around the process of seating, serving, etc. But they’re also just lovely people who make great conversation! So feel free to stop on by and say hello. Beyond that, we have two open stage areas that bards are welcome to use, but we typically don’t book people in advance.
• Does your Locale offer different things on different days? Do you have any specials?
Our menu is pretty standard! Sometimes things fall off the menu when they sell out, and sometimes new items get added just to see how customers like them. We’re still relatively new, so we’re testing out different items to see how popular they are. Every now and then we’ll do special offers: for example, we celebrated the launch of 6.1 by giving away Adventure Basket minions to customers! (Sadly, we’ve since run out.)
• Does your Locale have a menu available for guests?
Yes! Our menu is available at otter.crd.co and reflects our current availability.
• Do you have any recurring events that you have on a weekly/monthly/yearly basis? If so, can you tell us a bit about them?
Not at the moment, but it’s something we’re thinking about. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to run additional events myself, but I’m open to letting people use the space for their own events! Some of our staff members are currently brainstorming events they’d like to host in the space, so hopefully we’ll be able to expand our activity soon.
• Do you have any upcoming events that you would like to promote?
Yes, actually! We’re still brainstorming, but we do have one coming up. Enni is actually going to be hosting a quiz show in the near future. She calls it Family Fantasy, due to the format similarities to Family Feud, and is expecting the first round to take place sometime in mid-May. Rather than families, however, teams will be assigned based on two sides to a silly argument, such as whether the couch is blue or green, or whether pancakes are better than waffles. She is hoping to make this a monthly thing.
• What is the typical atmosphere like at your Locale?
That really depends on the group of patrons who show up, but we intend for it to be a very chill and cozy spot. We do allow some room for shenanigans and tomfoolery, but we do have rules against NSFW in place.
For the most part, Otter by the Water is very calm and relaxing. I think people are friendly without being overly energetic, so it’s not an intense environment to walk into. Sometimes things are a little busy depending on the day, and we especially get bigger crowds when someone comes to play on one of our stages. Usually, that just means that people are more chatty than normal, or people might be up and dancing more than they do on other days.
• What recommendations do you have for people visiting your Locale?
First I’d say make sure to tip your staff! They do get paid an hourly rate, but they also get to keep any gil patrons give them. I really love our team, and I think they all work so hard to make Otter by the Water the special venue that it is. Our patrons do, too, which brings me to my second recommendation: bring your friends! There’s plenty of room to sit and hang out, and we’d be happy to have you.
Finally, while we don’t have specials, we do offer “surprises!” If you come to the Otter and ask your waiter to surprise you, you’ll get a food and/or beverage item that’s not on the menu. Each of our staff members have “secret recipes” that are unique to them, based on what they personally like, what represents their character, etc. You can also request it multiple times, because what one server gives you will likely be different from the next! If you’re not sure what to order, or if you’re not really hankering for a specific menu item, the surprise is always a fun option.
• Do you rent out your Locale for private functions? If so, do you offer any services along with the rental? (E.g. would you provide staff to tend to patrons, or perform music?)
Yes, in theory. It’s something we want to do and we’re available for rent, but we haven’t had anyone do it yet! The way I see it, I’m really flexible depending on the person or group, the type of event they’re looking to host, the date and time, etc. There are just additional details I want to work out, especially with my staff, so that we could potentially offer services along with the rental.
• Do you have any words for the community?
Well first, Enni would like you to know that she is not a sandwich. Personally, I’d like to say thank you to the people who’ve come by so far. I love our regulars and am always happy to see them. It feels like a kind of Cheers, “everybody knows your name,” kind of vibe. I also love seeing fresh faces! Whether you’ve only been by once or you’ve become a dedicated regular, everyone contributes to the overall feel and atmosphere of Otter by the Water. There’s never a dull moment. Without our staff and patrons, I couldn’t say that. So thank you!
