RP: Cirrus Station [Episode 9] The Silver Lining

[Kokuten]

"Eh... Really?" asked Kokuten, as he watched everyone at the table walk away. There wasn't much indication why the hostility sudden left the situation, with the exception of all the stares thrown to his hand's glow. He brought the more decorative hand up to his face and looked it over. The veins on it's surface were always glowing, so why did the patron's put so much attention on it? Then there was Blake's strange string of words, and his exit as well. It was all a tad off.

The Captain walked back over to Tweak, straightening his his full-suit and flattening his jacket. Clearly, the way that had turned out had unsettled him. He bit his lip and looked at the Freespacer, who had settled herself against the wall.

"Ah, Tweak." he started, unsureness lining his voice, "May I ask you a question?"

 

[MissingNo]

Tweak watched Kokuten defuse the situation developing around Morris, unsure what to think about his parting words. As the rest of the party made themselves scarce, her attention drifted back to the music.

She was absently scratching the side of her head through her hat, only half-listening to the music and trying to sort herself when Kokuten walked back and stood next to her.

The Captain walked back over to Tweak, straightening his his full-suit and flattening his jacket. Clearly, the way that had turned out had unsettled him. He bit his lip and looked at the Freespacer, who had settled herself against the wall.
"Ah, Tweak." he started, unsureness lining his voice, "May I ask you a question?"

The neko looked up at Kokuten and studied him a few moments before looking ahead again. "Sure," she said, barely managing to say it loud enough to get over the music while keeping her voice steady.

 

[Kokuten]

Kokuten looked out over the dance floor, and at the DJ. He stuck his right arm behind his back and grabbed his left arm, looking a little befuddled. Following was a sigh, and then turning his gaze back onto the trusted Freespacer before him.

"Do I look intimidating?" asked the Captain, a curious twirl coming over his face as he waited for an answer, "... or I have a threatening disposition, or am I unsettling?"

 

[MissingNo]

Surprised at the question, Tweak shook her head. "No, you don't...at least, I don't think you do." She looked back at the now-vacant table where the dance punk and his friends had been; a club employee was cleaning up the bit of mess that Morris had left.

"Why?" She looked up at Kokuten, her head tilting to the side and a mix of curiosity and concern replacing the remnants of her earlier confusion.

 

[Kokuten]

"It's just... I've been getting strange reactions from people as of late. One of which was that group over there at the table." said Kokuten, bringing his hand up to his face to inspect the glow if his palm. He flipped it over to look at the veiny design on the back, then looked over at Tweak, the blue luminescence flooding on his face. "I offered them drinks to ease their minds about getting vomited on by Morris. The take a look at me, look at my hand, and then talk amongst themselves! They acted as if I threatened them!"

 

[MissingNo]

Tweak looked at his hand too. Maybe they thought he had threatened them, even if he didn't mean to. The lines may have been decorative, but they brought attention to the cybernetic and gave an impression of power, even if there was no danger intended. Speaking of impressions of power...

"You are the only one here in a suit." Tweak looked out at the room, the tables, and dance floor. "Maybe they thought...maybe they thought you had connections. Or that you were the one in charge of this place." Another reminder that her status as a "Freespacer" was an adopted or honorary title only; native citizens of the Free State would have a difficult time understanding what Tweak was considering. Tweak folded her hands behind her back, putting her palms against the wall as she leaned against it. She shrugged while glancing up at Kokuten to see what he thought.

 

[Kokuten]

Kokuten sighed as he tilted his head off to the left. That was something to think about, dressing himself so formally in such a relaxed environment. He liked the weight of a nice jacket, and the style accompanying such an official looking bit of wear. Still, was it that same style that off-set such a meek group of hipsters? He gave it a further thought, and removed his jacket off his person, throwing it over his shoulder.

"How about now? Do I seem to blend in a little more now?" said Kokuten, holding a hand over his chest, and the turtleneck he was wearing, as his other hand held the jacket. Was asking a recluse like Tweak even a good way to judge this? It was something to think about, but she seemed pretty spot on so far.

 

[MissingNo]

Smiling and shrugging, Tweak looked back out at the club floor before she sighed and pushed away from the wall. The music was no longer interesting. A strange moodiness was overriding any desire she had for just sitting down and enjoying it. Glancing back to Kokuten a moment, she wandered out of the club, remembering to grab her shopping bag of clothing on her way.

Ah yes, the late-afternoon crowd was still out there. The disguised neko stopped inside the entrance, just behind the field-of-view of the two bouncers still standing post on either side, and wondered where she should go next. Maybe I should leave. But now I wouldn't fit in where I wanted to go, would I?

She needed to find something to keep her mind busy. Lack of activity lead to too much thinking, and too much thinking lead to brooding. Even with less than twelve hours of memories that were actually hers, she was still able to think herself into depression...how sad was that?

 

[Kokuten]

Kokuten watched Tweak turn and head towards the door to leave. Though she 'did' shrug, she didn't offer any much more of a smile. That little smile... he didn't see it very often, or often enough. Compared to her usual curious gazes and sometimes doubtful looks, it was a very warm replacement. He knew the value of such expressions with his own uses of it, and was sure Morris did too with his uses even in inappropriate situations for it. Though, it left him dry with the desire of a more audible expression.

The Captain caught up with her, right next to the door, and looked up at one of the bouncers, who returned the expression. His eyes clacked a blink before looking back down at Tweak. He clasped his palm on her shoulder for just a second to tap her there.

"Hey, why don't we get some coffee or something? Go somewhere quiet and less crowded?" Kokuten chuckled cheerily as he thumbed off towards another way down the mall, "That way if Morris vomits again, he's less likely to do it on someone else."

 

[Lamb]

As if on cue, Morris appeared between the the two bouncers in front of Tweak and Kokuten with a broad smile plastered on his face. He looked happy to see them, even though his eyes were puffy, narrowed, and bloodshot. Following close behind him were two mangy alleycats that each had just about as much scarring and dirt on them as they had fur. One of them curled itself around Blake's leg, causing him to scoop it up in his free, non art-supply delegated arm and hold it close to his chest. The other, however, found a lot more interest in Tweak. It wove its way between Blake and a bouncer to sit on the floor in front of her, staring up with a stony gaze. After a moment, it mewed.

"Hotohori seems to like you, Tweak." Blake explained, nudging his own cat with his chin. "I'm more partial to Evan, myself." In response, Evan mewed contentedly and nudged back.

"Did I hear you guys mention something about going some place with coffee?"

 

[MissingNo]

The Captain caught up with her, right next to the door, and looked up at one of the bouncers, who returned the expression. His eyes clacked a blink before looking back down at Tweak. He clasped his palm on her shoulder for just a second to tap her there.

The tap brought her out of her thoughts. That was again that she wasn't paying attention...Tweak gave herself a mental kick.

"Hey, why don't we get some coffee or something? Go somewhere quiet and less crowded?" Kokuten chuckled cheerily as he thumbed off towards another way down the mall, "That way if Morris vomits again, he's less likely to do it on someone else."

Why does he have to go too? Tweak looked uneasy for a moment before The One Just Spoken Of appeared with...what were those?

As if on cue, Morris appeared between the the two bouncers in front of Tweak and Kokuten with a broad smile plastered on his face. [...] Following close behind him were two mangy alleycats that each had just about as much scarring and dirt on them as they had fur. [...] The other, however, found a lot more interest in Tweak. It wove its way between Blake and a bouncer to sit on the floor in front of her, staring up with a stony gaze. After a moment, it mewed.

"Hotohori seems to like you, Tweak." Blake explained, nudging his own cat with his chin. "I'm more partial to Evan, myself." In response, Evan mewed contentedly and nudged back.

Hotohori. Why did he name it that? Calling the cat "mangy" was an understatement. Tweak backed up half a step as the one Morris had named "Hotohori" walked up to her. Is it safe? she wondered. The cat's behavior seemed tame, a stark contrast to its appearance. Tweak stared back at it.

If she had only thought Morris odd before, this was edging on insane. She cautiously chalked it up to his...recreational choices.

"Did I hear you guys mention something about going some place with coffee?"

"He was asking." Tweak diverted her attention from the stray animal -- the way it was looking at her was unnerving -- and glanced at Morris before turning herself so she could see both him and Kokuten. Looking down at the bag in her hands, she didn't want to keep carrying it everywhere. It had a lot of things she didn't want to lose, though, so she decided to keep it around.

"And...I don't know." What was coffee anyway? Tweak found a definition, and then searched her memory unit for a reference. She found dozens of them...apparently it was a popular drink in the kitchenette that Squad 35 had, with another variation in the vending machines Administrator Montreal kept stocked around the station. It was a bitter-smelling concoction, in most versions (which seemed to be numerous...almost as many ways to take coffee as there were people), and Tweak didn't think she would like any of them. She'd stayed clear of the drink so far... "I don't think I like coffee."

 

[Kokuten]

"Ah, well, it's always something worth trying, Tweak! I find it rather tasty myself, especially the kinds you find in coffee shops." commented Kokuten, squatting down next to the cat in front of Tweak. He placed his hand on the dirty animal's head, and patted a few times, before looking up at her. "Though, if you don't like straight coffee..." He gave that a few seconds to think about. "Do you like chocolate?"

"And Morris." the Captain looked in Blake's direction, "Are you sure it's good for your health to be carrying around stray cats who haven't been properly cleaned?"

 

[MissingNo]

Chocolate, she knew. A series of chemical formula and recipes streamed past Tweak's field of vision as she considered it while Kokuten posed the other question to Morris. Hmmm...

"...Yeah," she answered, drawing the word out a bit. "Coffee shops have chocolate too?"

 

[Kokuten]

"Even better!" said Kokuten raising an declaring finger in the air, turning his attention back to Tweak again, "They put chocolate in the coffee, and mix it! It's called a Mocha!" The doctor put his free hand back into his pocket, still holding his jacket with his other. Once again, he had a warm, morale-infused smile. That sort of grin was something some could find rather infectious. "What better way to try something new than with something you already know? It'll be 75% unknown, 25% known, and if you don't like it, I'll drink it for you. All we need to do is find a cafe." He let that part off with a little chuckle.

 

[MissingNo]

Tweak smiled too, but it was an reluctant one, more in reflection of Kokuten than any indicator of her feelings on the matter. Mocha, huh? She mentally combined the scent of one with the scent of the other (having found a memory file on the candy bar that someone had eaten near her once) and got...an inconclusive result. When she forced the matter, it came up with a rather weird flavor that she wasn't sure she wanted. But...

"...Alright. I'll try it." It could be worse, though, she thought, and it's better than most of the stuff from the vending machines at the station. She could always get something from another place, since there seemed to be a sizable selection of food service places in the building. A list of them, gleaned from the map she had scanned when they first arrived, scrolled through her mind as Tweak narrowed that list down to the ones with that other word Kokuten had mentioned in their name: "cafe". The captain seemed very confident that it was a good place to go, and he had mentioned that it would be quiet. So she would give it a chance.

There's a cafe...that way. Tweak blinked after a few seconds of her eyes having a glazed-over look as an indicator beacon appeared in her vision. She looked in a direction further down the concourse from where they had come from. It was about three...no, wait, the next floor down and three stores over, near the next elevator. But...maybe some of the restaurants had better coffee. There weren't any menus to look over, so she didn't know. She decided to hold off on suggesting the place she had found and see if someone else had a better idea.

Shifting her grasp on her clothes bag to hold it with both hands in front of her, Tweak looked back and forth between Kokuten and Morris, waiting for them to either ask for directions from someone or start walking.

 

[Lamb]

Blake placed his new friend back on the floor next to him and started off towards the elevator. He waved Kokuten and Tweak on to follow behind him. The cats seemed to follow as well. He must've fed them.

"Come this way, guys, I actually saw a coffee shop on my way to meet the Hotohori and Evan! It's just down a level!" There was the wide grin of a child plastered on his vomit-encrusted face. Within the hour, the young Nepleslian had went from upstanding Care Corps bodyguard to some sort of mad catter. None-the-less he was genuinely enjoying himself for the first time in years; free from the squalor and worry of his parents. This time, he was going to make friends who weren't the dinner-party sort. It was this mood that made him chatter as he walked.

"I'm so glad we all got to do this. Squad 35 is the best squad that there is in all of the squads. There's so many charming people! The rugged, yet understanding Captain Chiaki; The mild-mannered and elegant Tweak; The intellectual and understanding Hotohori, a new addition; and his life-long parter Evan! And there's also a whole bunch of other people I haven't gotten to know."

He stopped in his tracks and turned slowly back to Tweak and Kokuten.

"Do you think they don't like me? We went through a lot on this last assignment... you'd think they're would've been some bonding. Or at least a card game."

 

[Kokuten]

"I think you won't be disappointed!" said Captain Chiaki with a light grin. He wiggled his glowing hand in his pocket a little bit just to feel some movement in the limb.

"Come this way, guys, I actually saw a coffee shop on my way to meet the Hotohori and Evan! It's just down a level!"

As unsure as Kokuten was about following Blake in his current state, he stepped on after him. While the Captain had remained rather silent thus far about the deterioration of the man's rationale, he had been mentally noting the progressing stages. This sort of thing was common for him, since one of his duties in Abjection was to monitor the mental health of certain inmates. Blake was a far cry from a hopped up ID-SOL beating a woman to death with her own arms. Still, the Hypolathe in his jacket would be a nice precaution should Morris lose any more fiber.

"You know, Morris. Perhaps if you cleaned yourself up a little bit, washed your face some, you might make a pretty good impression on them next time you see them!" recommended Kokuten, pointing at a water fountain just near the elevator.

 

[Lamb]

"An excellent suggestion, Captain!" Blake said, bounding enthusiastically to the fountain and splashing the cool water over his face. He used his pullover to wipe up and dry, not wanting to get any paint or vomit on his new suit. To cover his breath, Blake lit up one of his herbal cigarettes and took a slow tug from it. Perhaps it was the nicotine, or maybe just the cold water; but for whatever reason, it was a slightly sobering moment for the young Morris. His wide grin was replaced with the usual soft smile. Evan mewed at him from below and in response, Blake put him on top of the water fountain and let a stream of water fill it for the cat to lap up. The mangy beast slurped happily and mewed again before jumping off and squeezing between Blake's legs affectionately. Hotohori stayed still near Tweak, still stone-faced and silent. The older cat turned his head up to Tweak for a moment before continuing his glare at Blake and Evan.

Blake himself turned back to smile at Tweak and Kokuten.

"That was a good idea, Captain. I'm starting to feel a little better, now. Shall we go on to the coffee place?"

 

[MissingNo]

Tweak followed Kokuten and Morris as the latter took the lead. When they paused for Morris to wash his face, Tweak happened to notice one of the cats was pacing itself...himself, she figured, judging from what Morris said and leaving it at that...the feline was ahead of her and keeping pace with Tweak's stride. She lagged behind her squadmates a bit as a test and noticed the cat paused as if waiting for her to catch up.

This was a new puzzle. Tweak poked around her memories and, again, found only pre-programmed data on the beast. She scrunched her lips to one side and frowned slightly, perplexed, while watching Hotohori. Why would it follow her over the other two? And it was very unlikely that it was the two major differences between her and Morris and Kokuten -- her gender and her species -- that attracted the cat because the other one was trailing Morris in the same way. "I don't know what you want," Tweak murmured, half to herself and half to the cat who she knew could hear her...unless his hearing had been damaged. Given the scarring on the rest of him, that wouldn't surprise her. The neko decided to ignore him, for now.

At least he didn't seem aggressive.

 

[Kokuten]

Kokuten stood, watching Hotohori pester Tweak. He chuckled a little bit, watching her try to figure out the stray. Cats were weird in general, at least to Kokuten they were. Generally the little beasts would only be around should they want something. Of course, considering Morris has been caring for them for the past ten seconds, they probably think he's going to care for them more.

"You know, Tweak, perhaps Hotohori sees a common feature in you. Seems like the feline takes to examining the situation before him just like you do." commented Kokuten before thumbing the button for the elevator. "Come on now, let's get going."

The elevator opened, revealing the brilliantly etched interior that carried the lucid designs of the building into it. It was like where ever you went, there was something for your eyes to absorb. Kokuten went in first, and waited for the rest of them. "I'm guessing that if they have no problem with strays on this floor, they shouldn't have any problem with them on the ones below."