5tar
Active Member
ON: Kyoto Civilian Sector - Tengoku Resort
It was actually quite a long drive through the city after the Pride Wing had left the military sector. The Tengoku Resort was nestled in a peaceful section of land on the outskirts of the city where it was surrounded in an acre of groomed forest and relaxing hot springs of various types and sizes. After passing through the gates, the weary gaze of the Senbu's elite trouble makers could see the large castle-like resort a short distance away, greeting them with beautifully welcoming architecture. The limo slowed down as it allowed the passengers to get a lingering view of all the luxurious area had to offer.
Masako just shifted a bit and leaned back to look out the window to take in the environment around her. "Well, at least the area has a lot of offer, but I have no clue what to do while I’m here." She smiled a bit and began to memorize the landscape itself, getting a bit of an idea of what she could do. Then there was her plan to head home for a while; she’d probably have to use another limo or transport.
Hiroko reclined far, shooting back a comment at Masako, dryly, just letting it fall off her lips without much in the way of elocution, "Then don't." This was... why did she dislike this leave so much? Was it because she had an aversion to... fun? As if being forced to enjoy herself felt artificial? Or did she just... not care?
Sakaki sat at attention like she normally would, not giving herself an inch to the comfortable chairs and their nice cushions. Seeing she had nothing else to do, she decided to ask Masako something, "Masako, what is your family like?" Since she was probably going to visit her home, Sakaki thought it would be good to have some advance intel.
Masako looked over at Sakaki and blinked a bit, smiling. "My parents are almost as normal as it comes," she said with a little smile. "My mom's a simple librarian of sorts; she's big into military history and such. My father's an engineer and is a bit eccentric about machinery," Masako said. "My Twin's a bit of a ... " she paused to think of a way to explain it, "actually, I don’t' really know what' she's doing now. Last I heard she was still looking for a job."
Ageha turned off her data pad and returned it to the side pouch of her duffle bag. She slid out of the limo and stared in amazement at the hotel. "Wow," she breathed. "It's beautiful." She looked around at the members of the Pride Wing to see if they were as impressed as she was.
The limo pulled around a circular parking spot where a decorative fountain sat; there were a very few other vehicles in the area and a driveway that led around back gave a clue as of why. "Ladies and gentleman, we have arrived. Please feel free to leave your luggage in the car, as it will be transported to your room. For now, we will take you inside to enjoy a meal which was prepared for you and a welcome party," the hostess said as the doors simultaneously opened up and pushed out for the new guests to disembark.
"I see," was Sakaki's reply to Masako as she moved to leave the limo. Getting out, she wasn't too impressed by the display, architecture was not a prevailing pursuit of hers, nor were vacation resorts.
Hiroko was just as blasé as before, and, in a way, that somewhat matched Sakaki's mood. Though Hiroko didn't even say anything as she left the car, she just... sniffed slightly, and stood tall, hair flopping flat in an unusual-for-her flourish.
"It'll be alright," Masako said and shifted some to exit the limo next and stretched her legs out some. She just left her rucksack in there to have it transported up by the bellhops. "Man, what a beautiful place," she said, looking around the area. "The architecture doesn’t impress me but the landscape is truly memorable isn't it?" she asked the others.
Kuriko also stepped out. Up until this point, Kuriko's life had been filled with what the military perceived as 'beautiful'–smooth, sleek starships and power armors that could decimate anything in a matter of seconds. Now, as she looked at the Tengoku resort, she learned a new meaning of the word beauty. "Un, it is," Kuriko responded to Ageha as she caught her breath. Mentally, Kuriko took a snapshot of the resort and the grand view of it before turning to Masako. "Doesn't impress you? I haven't seen anything so beautifully built in my life," Kuriko said to Masako. "What could be better than this?" the Neko asked rhetorically.
"Experiencing what it has to offer," Masako grinned at Kuriko. "The onsen... the other natural features of it, they cry out to be explored on foot," she said. "I like to paint settings like this, so it helps me," she explained.
Ageha nodded in response to Masako's question. "Beautiful..." she repeated. The scenery, the architecture–everything. Ageha completely forgot she was technically still on assignment and just admired the scenic vista.
"The sight is pleasing..." was all Sakaki had on the matter and began to walk in. She was really not looking for a sightseeing adventure, but more into what there was to eat. Then, of course, there was an onsen adventure as well as shopping later on.
The hotel resort before them appeared to be a reconstructed feudal Yamataian castle, complete with a sprawling court yard filled with various buildings for a dizzying assortment of activities. Every inch of the area was devoted to the ideal of creating a little piece of heaven in the heart of the empire. The guide led them by foot through a pathway lined in sakura trees and then to their destination, which was a paper-walled building with traditional mat flooring and pillows lining two sides of the room with personal tables set for a banquet. The hostess gracefully kneeled before the door and slid it open for the guests to enter, though she watched closely to see who removed their shoes and who didn't. "Please go ahead and be seated, the meal will be coming in a few moments."
And so Hiroko entered the very, very, very traditional room, leaving her shoes where she right well was supposed to, and sitting herself in a far corner. She... tried to look neutral, neither aloof nor excited–though she wasn't as totally unmoved as she was before. There was at least a sense of peace here and the promise of food to sate her hunger.
Masako looked around the heavily traditional dining hall and blinked in surprise, talk about tacky... or strictly formal. She would remember to remove her boots at the door and walked in with bare feet and took a personal table near the wall, actual position didn't matter overall to her. "I haven't been in a place like this in a long, long time," she mused.
Still very impressed with everything, Ageha made sure to remove her standard-issue boots before stepping up onto the wooden floor. She followed her fellow soldiers, not wanting to be left behind while gawking.
Kuriko took her boots of at the door before padding over to a place to sit. As she walked, her socked feet made a soft thumping sound against the wooden floor, which only added to the Neko’s experience. On starships there was no hollow thump from the ground below you, only the tough click of your boots hitting the cold floor as you moved from place to place. Kuriko had been planetside before, but this was the first time she had been in anything considered remotely traditional. Heck, this was her first time in a place that wasn't related to the military. Once Kuriko found a nice cushion to sit on, she looked around at the Wing while smoothing out the hem of her skirt. "Sakaki, did you train your kenjutsu at a dojo?" Kuriko asked seemingly randomly.
Sakaki had removed her military footwear and walked softly upon the wooden floor. She had once experienced this, unlike Kuriko, a long time ago, as in her home Sakaki would have to remove her shoes before walking inside, even having to wear sandals sometimes. Ushimo-hei then still stood after Kuriko's drop into a nice seat, if not just a few feet away. "I did not, Shifuda-heisho, instead I was trained by a master," was her emotionless reply.
Masako sat with her legs tucked under her with her toes pointing to the wall behind her, her ear twitching slightly as she listened in a bit on what was going on. Her blue-eyed glare shifted from its spot on the far wall to the Heisho and Sakaki. "So... Hiroko... what are you hoping they bring out for you? What’s your favorite food?" she asked, sounding a bit shy for a moment. She was trying to make light conversation by starting on the topic of the moment.
Hiroko blinked at Masako, thinking. She didn't... usually answer this question! So, with a bit of a lingering pause, she only responded after a time. "Well... I... I usually like noodle soups... with chicken. Spicier. There's a few. I could also go for some sukiyaki, though... I don't really have a sole favorite."
Masako smiled at her, happy to get something out of the ordinarily stoic crewmember. "Sukiyaki sounds good and so does the noodles," she said. "I'm not really picky, but I'm fond of fruit like oranges and grapes," Masako shared. "Though natto can be quite good if prepared correctly, I just hope they have salmon," she giggled a bit, sounding silly for a moment, her stomach rumbled in agreement.
Hiroko tilted her head. "Fruit, I figured. But you like natto? Hm..." She seemed almost genuinely contemplative, like some basic character trait of Masako turned out different from her concept.
The lights inside the room dimmed, all except for a section towards the front. A wavering flute swelled in volume, melodically drifting into a kabuki tune. An assortment of various traditional Yamataian instruments played in accompaniment, as then entertainment shuffled before the crew members. A trio of traditionally dressed geisha with flashy fans gracefully moved in perfect synchronicity to the music and each other. They beautifully danced and performed dexterous tricks with the fans; they had disciplined skill as a martial artist would.
Kuriko was unsure of exactly what Sakaki had meant. "I see. You were his only pupil then?" Kuriko asked before playing with a strand of her hair that had waywardly fallen in front of her face. "What is it like learning kenjutsu? I haven't ever learned a martial art per se." It was about this time that the music started and Kuriko quieted herself as she turned to watch the performance, afraid that speaking would be rude while they played.
"Umm, something like that..." Sakaki attempted to reply, but could not in full as the display began. She was being captivated by the performance, seeing how well coordinated and skillful they were in their dexterous movements.
Food. That must be it. Or that they're recovering from the ride. In any case, it appeared to Ageha that the atmosphere was lightening up. She turned and watched as the entertainment had arrived. Another exciting surprise. Suddenly, she felt very guilty for enjoying herself so much during this assignment. After all, this was all for the Pride Wing's accomplishments.
Masako nodded to Hiroko and was about to respond to her, but stopped and glanced toward the front when the lights dimmed and the entertainment began. Talk about unexpected, they were just a power armor wing... they hadn't done anything yet to warrant such a spectacular display. At least that's how Masako thought about it, but she kept quiet and watched nonetheless.
Hiroko watched the show and most definitely had the same thought as Masako. What the hell had Pride wing done to warrant this?
The dancers had finished up the display and the room seemed to have a wonderful scent of food about it. Then, as they took a bow before the wing, the light undimmed and before the crew was a banquet fit for emperors. "Welcome, Pride Wing, to Tengoku... where we hope each and every one of you will find your little piece of heaven," they said in unison with a flourish of winks and flirty gestures. The entertainment seemed to be a clever distraction, as it was obvious that no one could notice who or what had placed the meals before them. The dinner comprised of many sorts of delicately prepared seafood and luxurious traditional dishes, all served with water and expensive sake.
The blonde Neko blinked and tilted her head a bit at the entertainment and how it finished up, her nose detecting the pleasing aroma of food in the room. A brow rose a bit as she heard what they said about finding a little piece of heaven; that seemed like a little much. She didn't pay too much heed to the winks and flirty gestures, she didn't swing that way. Masako's attention was almost instantly drawn to the delicious smell coming up from the table she was at and the cleverness of it just made her chuckle. But she'd request someone to get her some orange juice instead of sake.
Hiroko actually smiled slightly at the presence of food, taking what dish she'd prefer–turned out to be a rich soup with steak cutlets–and a glass of water. She knew it was a bit impolite to refuse lavish gifts, but she also knew the presence of the gifts themselves was strange.
Taking a seat, Sakaki would request tea instead of the sake, but did take part in the meals. This was the one time to try out an assortment of high-class food and she wasn't about to pass it up, besides, of course, her like towards Yamataian-style meals. She would quickly see if crab was among the foods and try to snatch it up before someone else got a taste.
Seeing the beautiful spread, Ageha felt even guiltier. Though, she didn’t want to seem ungrateful, either. She pondered for a bit what exactly she should do and eventually the smell and watching the others eat caused her stomach to overrule her brain and she began to enjoy the food as well. The expensive sake caught her eye too. Don't want to let this go to waste, she thought happily as she made sure to fill a small cup for herself.
END
It was actually quite a long drive through the city after the Pride Wing had left the military sector. The Tengoku Resort was nestled in a peaceful section of land on the outskirts of the city where it was surrounded in an acre of groomed forest and relaxing hot springs of various types and sizes. After passing through the gates, the weary gaze of the Senbu's elite trouble makers could see the large castle-like resort a short distance away, greeting them with beautifully welcoming architecture. The limo slowed down as it allowed the passengers to get a lingering view of all the luxurious area had to offer.
Masako just shifted a bit and leaned back to look out the window to take in the environment around her. "Well, at least the area has a lot of offer, but I have no clue what to do while I’m here." She smiled a bit and began to memorize the landscape itself, getting a bit of an idea of what she could do. Then there was her plan to head home for a while; she’d probably have to use another limo or transport.
Hiroko reclined far, shooting back a comment at Masako, dryly, just letting it fall off her lips without much in the way of elocution, "Then don't." This was... why did she dislike this leave so much? Was it because she had an aversion to... fun? As if being forced to enjoy herself felt artificial? Or did she just... not care?
Sakaki sat at attention like she normally would, not giving herself an inch to the comfortable chairs and their nice cushions. Seeing she had nothing else to do, she decided to ask Masako something, "Masako, what is your family like?" Since she was probably going to visit her home, Sakaki thought it would be good to have some advance intel.
Masako looked over at Sakaki and blinked a bit, smiling. "My parents are almost as normal as it comes," she said with a little smile. "My mom's a simple librarian of sorts; she's big into military history and such. My father's an engineer and is a bit eccentric about machinery," Masako said. "My Twin's a bit of a ... " she paused to think of a way to explain it, "actually, I don’t' really know what' she's doing now. Last I heard she was still looking for a job."
Ageha turned off her data pad and returned it to the side pouch of her duffle bag. She slid out of the limo and stared in amazement at the hotel. "Wow," she breathed. "It's beautiful." She looked around at the members of the Pride Wing to see if they were as impressed as she was.
The limo pulled around a circular parking spot where a decorative fountain sat; there were a very few other vehicles in the area and a driveway that led around back gave a clue as of why. "Ladies and gentleman, we have arrived. Please feel free to leave your luggage in the car, as it will be transported to your room. For now, we will take you inside to enjoy a meal which was prepared for you and a welcome party," the hostess said as the doors simultaneously opened up and pushed out for the new guests to disembark.
"I see," was Sakaki's reply to Masako as she moved to leave the limo. Getting out, she wasn't too impressed by the display, architecture was not a prevailing pursuit of hers, nor were vacation resorts.
Hiroko was just as blasé as before, and, in a way, that somewhat matched Sakaki's mood. Though Hiroko didn't even say anything as she left the car, she just... sniffed slightly, and stood tall, hair flopping flat in an unusual-for-her flourish.
"It'll be alright," Masako said and shifted some to exit the limo next and stretched her legs out some. She just left her rucksack in there to have it transported up by the bellhops. "Man, what a beautiful place," she said, looking around the area. "The architecture doesn’t impress me but the landscape is truly memorable isn't it?" she asked the others.
Kuriko also stepped out. Up until this point, Kuriko's life had been filled with what the military perceived as 'beautiful'–smooth, sleek starships and power armors that could decimate anything in a matter of seconds. Now, as she looked at the Tengoku resort, she learned a new meaning of the word beauty. "Un, it is," Kuriko responded to Ageha as she caught her breath. Mentally, Kuriko took a snapshot of the resort and the grand view of it before turning to Masako. "Doesn't impress you? I haven't seen anything so beautifully built in my life," Kuriko said to Masako. "What could be better than this?" the Neko asked rhetorically.
"Experiencing what it has to offer," Masako grinned at Kuriko. "The onsen... the other natural features of it, they cry out to be explored on foot," she said. "I like to paint settings like this, so it helps me," she explained.
Ageha nodded in response to Masako's question. "Beautiful..." she repeated. The scenery, the architecture–everything. Ageha completely forgot she was technically still on assignment and just admired the scenic vista.
"The sight is pleasing..." was all Sakaki had on the matter and began to walk in. She was really not looking for a sightseeing adventure, but more into what there was to eat. Then, of course, there was an onsen adventure as well as shopping later on.
The hotel resort before them appeared to be a reconstructed feudal Yamataian castle, complete with a sprawling court yard filled with various buildings for a dizzying assortment of activities. Every inch of the area was devoted to the ideal of creating a little piece of heaven in the heart of the empire. The guide led them by foot through a pathway lined in sakura trees and then to their destination, which was a paper-walled building with traditional mat flooring and pillows lining two sides of the room with personal tables set for a banquet. The hostess gracefully kneeled before the door and slid it open for the guests to enter, though she watched closely to see who removed their shoes and who didn't. "Please go ahead and be seated, the meal will be coming in a few moments."
And so Hiroko entered the very, very, very traditional room, leaving her shoes where she right well was supposed to, and sitting herself in a far corner. She... tried to look neutral, neither aloof nor excited–though she wasn't as totally unmoved as she was before. There was at least a sense of peace here and the promise of food to sate her hunger.
Masako looked around the heavily traditional dining hall and blinked in surprise, talk about tacky... or strictly formal. She would remember to remove her boots at the door and walked in with bare feet and took a personal table near the wall, actual position didn't matter overall to her. "I haven't been in a place like this in a long, long time," she mused.
Still very impressed with everything, Ageha made sure to remove her standard-issue boots before stepping up onto the wooden floor. She followed her fellow soldiers, not wanting to be left behind while gawking.
Kuriko took her boots of at the door before padding over to a place to sit. As she walked, her socked feet made a soft thumping sound against the wooden floor, which only added to the Neko’s experience. On starships there was no hollow thump from the ground below you, only the tough click of your boots hitting the cold floor as you moved from place to place. Kuriko had been planetside before, but this was the first time she had been in anything considered remotely traditional. Heck, this was her first time in a place that wasn't related to the military. Once Kuriko found a nice cushion to sit on, she looked around at the Wing while smoothing out the hem of her skirt. "Sakaki, did you train your kenjutsu at a dojo?" Kuriko asked seemingly randomly.
Sakaki had removed her military footwear and walked softly upon the wooden floor. She had once experienced this, unlike Kuriko, a long time ago, as in her home Sakaki would have to remove her shoes before walking inside, even having to wear sandals sometimes. Ushimo-hei then still stood after Kuriko's drop into a nice seat, if not just a few feet away. "I did not, Shifuda-heisho, instead I was trained by a master," was her emotionless reply.
Masako sat with her legs tucked under her with her toes pointing to the wall behind her, her ear twitching slightly as she listened in a bit on what was going on. Her blue-eyed glare shifted from its spot on the far wall to the Heisho and Sakaki. "So... Hiroko... what are you hoping they bring out for you? What’s your favorite food?" she asked, sounding a bit shy for a moment. She was trying to make light conversation by starting on the topic of the moment.
Hiroko blinked at Masako, thinking. She didn't... usually answer this question! So, with a bit of a lingering pause, she only responded after a time. "Well... I... I usually like noodle soups... with chicken. Spicier. There's a few. I could also go for some sukiyaki, though... I don't really have a sole favorite."
Masako smiled at her, happy to get something out of the ordinarily stoic crewmember. "Sukiyaki sounds good and so does the noodles," she said. "I'm not really picky, but I'm fond of fruit like oranges and grapes," Masako shared. "Though natto can be quite good if prepared correctly, I just hope they have salmon," she giggled a bit, sounding silly for a moment, her stomach rumbled in agreement.
Hiroko tilted her head. "Fruit, I figured. But you like natto? Hm..." She seemed almost genuinely contemplative, like some basic character trait of Masako turned out different from her concept.
The lights inside the room dimmed, all except for a section towards the front. A wavering flute swelled in volume, melodically drifting into a kabuki tune. An assortment of various traditional Yamataian instruments played in accompaniment, as then entertainment shuffled before the crew members. A trio of traditionally dressed geisha with flashy fans gracefully moved in perfect synchronicity to the music and each other. They beautifully danced and performed dexterous tricks with the fans; they had disciplined skill as a martial artist would.
Kuriko was unsure of exactly what Sakaki had meant. "I see. You were his only pupil then?" Kuriko asked before playing with a strand of her hair that had waywardly fallen in front of her face. "What is it like learning kenjutsu? I haven't ever learned a martial art per se." It was about this time that the music started and Kuriko quieted herself as she turned to watch the performance, afraid that speaking would be rude while they played.
"Umm, something like that..." Sakaki attempted to reply, but could not in full as the display began. She was being captivated by the performance, seeing how well coordinated and skillful they were in their dexterous movements.
Food. That must be it. Or that they're recovering from the ride. In any case, it appeared to Ageha that the atmosphere was lightening up. She turned and watched as the entertainment had arrived. Another exciting surprise. Suddenly, she felt very guilty for enjoying herself so much during this assignment. After all, this was all for the Pride Wing's accomplishments.
Masako nodded to Hiroko and was about to respond to her, but stopped and glanced toward the front when the lights dimmed and the entertainment began. Talk about unexpected, they were just a power armor wing... they hadn't done anything yet to warrant such a spectacular display. At least that's how Masako thought about it, but she kept quiet and watched nonetheless.
Hiroko watched the show and most definitely had the same thought as Masako. What the hell had Pride wing done to warrant this?
The dancers had finished up the display and the room seemed to have a wonderful scent of food about it. Then, as they took a bow before the wing, the light undimmed and before the crew was a banquet fit for emperors. "Welcome, Pride Wing, to Tengoku... where we hope each and every one of you will find your little piece of heaven," they said in unison with a flourish of winks and flirty gestures. The entertainment seemed to be a clever distraction, as it was obvious that no one could notice who or what had placed the meals before them. The dinner comprised of many sorts of delicately prepared seafood and luxurious traditional dishes, all served with water and expensive sake.
The blonde Neko blinked and tilted her head a bit at the entertainment and how it finished up, her nose detecting the pleasing aroma of food in the room. A brow rose a bit as she heard what they said about finding a little piece of heaven; that seemed like a little much. She didn't pay too much heed to the winks and flirty gestures, she didn't swing that way. Masako's attention was almost instantly drawn to the delicious smell coming up from the table she was at and the cleverness of it just made her chuckle. But she'd request someone to get her some orange juice instead of sake.
Hiroko actually smiled slightly at the presence of food, taking what dish she'd prefer–turned out to be a rich soup with steak cutlets–and a glass of water. She knew it was a bit impolite to refuse lavish gifts, but she also knew the presence of the gifts themselves was strange.
Taking a seat, Sakaki would request tea instead of the sake, but did take part in the meals. This was the one time to try out an assortment of high-class food and she wasn't about to pass it up, besides, of course, her like towards Yamataian-style meals. She would quickly see if crab was among the foods and try to snatch it up before someone else got a taste.
Seeing the beautiful spread, Ageha felt even guiltier. Though, she didn’t want to seem ungrateful, either. She pondered for a bit what exactly she should do and eventually the smell and watching the others eat caused her stomach to overrule her brain and she began to enjoy the food as well. The expensive sake caught her eye too. Don't want to let this go to waste, she thought happily as she made sure to fill a small cup for herself.
END
