Soresu
Well-Known Member
- RP Date
- YE: 43, 1:48 PM
- RP Location
- Planet Yamatai
Planet Yamatai
Tsubomi, Sodachiyuku-ku (Ward Five)
Sutādasuto Coffee House, 1:48 PM
Tai sat quietly, her horns gone. replaced by the soft furred ears of the Nekovalkyrja. Snow White, with just the barest of tinges of violet to them, just as was the long, straight hair that went to her waist. The glasses she wore, purely for aesthetic held the expensive lenses one would take for correctives. But as a Nekovalkyrja it was utter foolishness for one to need them. Yet the wireframed silver worked accouterment seemed to work for their mistress. This little spot, a relative niche in a city of close to a hundred thousand or more wasn't too well known to outsiders and even the townies who lived within the city limits. It was a place for the more bookish, intellectuals that roamed the halls of the upper school programs, professors, and teachers. Or even some of the less hotblooded students of the 'Fighting School'. This drew a soft snort. Her mothers had taught her combat. And over the course of her life she'd accumulated enough experience that she could probably have ground those instructors to dust beneath the high-backed heel of her sandals.
The murmured conversations around her were welcome. The ears she wore, purely for show, yet functional felt woefully inadequate for her highly unusual biology. But even to the cellular level, she appeared above-board as a Neko. True mastery of her body had come with time. Like a puzzle. It had held its mysteries. Each one she picked up and unlocked bit by bit in between her ever-increasing and secretive workload for the secultionist Iromakuanhe. She had never shared Yamataian technology with them. Wouldn't. The Empire was too paranoid, vehement in their pursuit of such things or even the slightest sneeze taking it as a declaration of war. It was sad really. The Democratic Imperium of Nepleslia was only a few generations behind them in some areas. Lagging. Yet in others, they had been almost on par. Even after Glimmergold, where Yui and the others extolled the virtue and valiance of the Star Army and its allies, she knew the old bitch was moving on to the next problem.
The friends of today were the potential enemies of tomorrow. And she had worked feverishly to keep the Iromakuanhe out of the sector's politics. For they never changed however much makeup they put on the cratered cheeks and wastelands of the worlds or battlefields. You just couldn't dress up that millions had died by the score. And sadly, she also knew a lot of those souls would never return. Their Soul Transfers lost for all time in the vicious battle that had ensued.
History always went to the victor and the victor always made themselves out to be more than they were. Her alien tastebuds registered the faint taste of bitterness and ash on her tongue at the unbidden thought. It was comforting to have that feeling, but utterly foreign as well. Sitting comfortably at a table all her own, the deep brown mahogany tabletop, the almost, blood-red grain visible, polished, and lacquered to protect it from scratches, wear, and age was beautiful to her eyes. But that wasn't her main focus. Instead, the eldest of the Shichou children merely gazed out of the crystal clear window and watched. Tsubomi was always busy. Students and staff. Tourists. She was a philanthropist here. Sinking tens of millions of KS into students. School supplies, teaching apparatus, expansions to buildings. She wanted the finest for the orphans. For which she knew there were surely more now after the familiar devastation and loss of life Yamatai tended to leave in its wake in war.
With a slow blink of her crimson, sharp, and intelligent eyes, a further injection of cash was sent to the administrative arm of Tsubomi. More psychiatrists and counselors for the children, wives, husbands, and lovers who had lost someone, or everyone. They to deserved the finest. Of course, she had to route everything through the Lazarus network. PANTHEON likely wouldn't be happy at such a foreign mind trying to make a handshake and establish a connection. But then again, when you had nearly endless capital and head for her profession, it was easy to find the loopholes. After the blink, her eyes never closed again. Instead, continuing to watch the people.
It wasn't until one of the waitresses, a pretty slip of a thing, a Minkan if she had to guess cleared her throat with a delicate sound. Out of pure instinctual habit, one of those snowy white ears turned in her direction. Then her head followed in a slow, languid motion. The girl was quite the looker as she waited attentively, a beatific smile on her face.
"Ma'am? Welcome to the Sutādasuto Coffee House! Where we aim to please." the girl held a little datapad in her hands before bowing deep. Tai couldn't help but lift an eyebrow at that. Neigh on a decade later and the simple Yamataian gesture of courtesy when dealing with someone above their station had become a foreign concept to her. But the Shichou elder rolled with it and offered a spooky little smile in answer. As if she knew something none of them did. A private little secret.
"Thank you." came the response as Tai tore her eyes away from the people moving about their business outside and on the streets of the student city. Looking up at the woman. A girl really. Likely a student trying to make the scratch for her schooling or just to survive.
"I would like a coffee. Do you have a dark roast? Less acidity. If possible. Something of... quality. Nothing artificially grown or cloned."
The waitress smiled brightly, waiting a moment before Tai spoke. The seated woman's question caused the girl to smile all the wider as she checked the cafe's inventory wirelessly.
"We do miss..." the waitress began before her customer cut in with 'Tai'. "Tai. Several choices. We carry a dark roast made from small batches here on Yamatai, specifically from near the forests of Xiuluria." this caused Tai to slowly shake her head.
The waitress' bottom lip seemed to quiver just a little as her first offer was denied.
"There is another from Jskita. Very earthy, with toasted not-" Tai shook her head again, her hostess seemed to quiver just a little more before the snowy-haired Neko spoke.
"Something from Malifar?" the scientist asked, which caused the girl to bob her head enthusiastically.
"Of course! Sweet body, dry with hints of raisin and baked peaches." she seemed to have connected with the store's inventory again and was reciting it all from rote memory. "Ends with a finish of exotic woodsy flavor. Would you like a cup of this... Miss Tai?" with an affirmative nod from the much older Neko, she turned to leave before the woman cleared her throat.
"Yes, ma'am?" her smile bright and lively once more as she stood at attention.
"Cardamom, cinnamon with vanilla sugar. Two spoons. Orange flower water and a bit of cream. And please have them not burn the beans during the roast. Or over-saturate it with water. I want it thick and strong." her request caused the girl to stare a moment, mouth open just a bit before closing once Tai added an apologetic look.
"I can be picky with my coffee. Please see to it? I will pay extra due to my request. Also. Almond cookies. Something... with a hint of amaretto if you would. Fresh the almonds slivered, not chunked or ground up. I cannot abide them stale." her waitress cleared her throat. Clearly perplexed by this in-depth order but she returned to her well-practiced demeanor and trotted off to fulfill it.
Once alone again, Tai pulled a little leather-bound book from a coat pocket. It was a non-descript thing. It looked subtly cheap but still of superb quality. An actual pencil came next while she thumbed through the pages with her free hand. Each page held equations. Complex, mindboggling things seemingly too radical for the more rationally minded scientists and mathematicians working for SARA or civilian firms to fully grasp or comprehend. Oh. She would so enjoy seeing Yaichiro's face as he tried to crack them.
Even as she began to jot down more and more ideas, adding to the recent addition to her book of mathematical formulae, the smell of coffee invaded her enhanced nose for she could even taste the rich aroma through her skin. It just made the experience more enjoyable to let that particular part of her anatomy work instead of being suppressed. And she did something, something Rikun, her twin, the hotheaded loud mouth for which her heart belonged to had been aghast at. Tai hummed contentedly. The melody something entirely her own but it still sounded sweet, seductive, a little sad yet exotic all at the same time with a pitch that one might find odd. Yet to her it was absolutely perfect to her.
@SageShooter
Tsubomi, Sodachiyuku-ku (Ward Five)
Sutādasuto Coffee House, 1:48 PM
Tai sat quietly, her horns gone. replaced by the soft furred ears of the Nekovalkyrja. Snow White, with just the barest of tinges of violet to them, just as was the long, straight hair that went to her waist. The glasses she wore, purely for aesthetic held the expensive lenses one would take for correctives. But as a Nekovalkyrja it was utter foolishness for one to need them. Yet the wireframed silver worked accouterment seemed to work for their mistress. This little spot, a relative niche in a city of close to a hundred thousand or more wasn't too well known to outsiders and even the townies who lived within the city limits. It was a place for the more bookish, intellectuals that roamed the halls of the upper school programs, professors, and teachers. Or even some of the less hotblooded students of the 'Fighting School'. This drew a soft snort. Her mothers had taught her combat. And over the course of her life she'd accumulated enough experience that she could probably have ground those instructors to dust beneath the high-backed heel of her sandals.
The murmured conversations around her were welcome. The ears she wore, purely for show, yet functional felt woefully inadequate for her highly unusual biology. But even to the cellular level, she appeared above-board as a Neko. True mastery of her body had come with time. Like a puzzle. It had held its mysteries. Each one she picked up and unlocked bit by bit in between her ever-increasing and secretive workload for the secultionist Iromakuanhe. She had never shared Yamataian technology with them. Wouldn't. The Empire was too paranoid, vehement in their pursuit of such things or even the slightest sneeze taking it as a declaration of war. It was sad really. The Democratic Imperium of Nepleslia was only a few generations behind them in some areas. Lagging. Yet in others, they had been almost on par. Even after Glimmergold, where Yui and the others extolled the virtue and valiance of the Star Army and its allies, she knew the old bitch was moving on to the next problem.
The friends of today were the potential enemies of tomorrow. And she had worked feverishly to keep the Iromakuanhe out of the sector's politics. For they never changed however much makeup they put on the cratered cheeks and wastelands of the worlds or battlefields. You just couldn't dress up that millions had died by the score. And sadly, she also knew a lot of those souls would never return. Their Soul Transfers lost for all time in the vicious battle that had ensued.
History always went to the victor and the victor always made themselves out to be more than they were. Her alien tastebuds registered the faint taste of bitterness and ash on her tongue at the unbidden thought. It was comforting to have that feeling, but utterly foreign as well. Sitting comfortably at a table all her own, the deep brown mahogany tabletop, the almost, blood-red grain visible, polished, and lacquered to protect it from scratches, wear, and age was beautiful to her eyes. But that wasn't her main focus. Instead, the eldest of the Shichou children merely gazed out of the crystal clear window and watched. Tsubomi was always busy. Students and staff. Tourists. She was a philanthropist here. Sinking tens of millions of KS into students. School supplies, teaching apparatus, expansions to buildings. She wanted the finest for the orphans. For which she knew there were surely more now after the familiar devastation and loss of life Yamatai tended to leave in its wake in war.
With a slow blink of her crimson, sharp, and intelligent eyes, a further injection of cash was sent to the administrative arm of Tsubomi. More psychiatrists and counselors for the children, wives, husbands, and lovers who had lost someone, or everyone. They to deserved the finest. Of course, she had to route everything through the Lazarus network. PANTHEON likely wouldn't be happy at such a foreign mind trying to make a handshake and establish a connection. But then again, when you had nearly endless capital and head for her profession, it was easy to find the loopholes. After the blink, her eyes never closed again. Instead, continuing to watch the people.
It wasn't until one of the waitresses, a pretty slip of a thing, a Minkan if she had to guess cleared her throat with a delicate sound. Out of pure instinctual habit, one of those snowy white ears turned in her direction. Then her head followed in a slow, languid motion. The girl was quite the looker as she waited attentively, a beatific smile on her face.
"Ma'am? Welcome to the Sutādasuto Coffee House! Where we aim to please." the girl held a little datapad in her hands before bowing deep. Tai couldn't help but lift an eyebrow at that. Neigh on a decade later and the simple Yamataian gesture of courtesy when dealing with someone above their station had become a foreign concept to her. But the Shichou elder rolled with it and offered a spooky little smile in answer. As if she knew something none of them did. A private little secret.
"Thank you." came the response as Tai tore her eyes away from the people moving about their business outside and on the streets of the student city. Looking up at the woman. A girl really. Likely a student trying to make the scratch for her schooling or just to survive.
"I would like a coffee. Do you have a dark roast? Less acidity. If possible. Something of... quality. Nothing artificially grown or cloned."
The waitress smiled brightly, waiting a moment before Tai spoke. The seated woman's question caused the girl to smile all the wider as she checked the cafe's inventory wirelessly.
"We do miss..." the waitress began before her customer cut in with 'Tai'. "Tai. Several choices. We carry a dark roast made from small batches here on Yamatai, specifically from near the forests of Xiuluria." this caused Tai to slowly shake her head.
The waitress' bottom lip seemed to quiver just a little as her first offer was denied.
"There is another from Jskita. Very earthy, with toasted not-" Tai shook her head again, her hostess seemed to quiver just a little more before the snowy-haired Neko spoke.
"Something from Malifar?" the scientist asked, which caused the girl to bob her head enthusiastically.
"Of course! Sweet body, dry with hints of raisin and baked peaches." she seemed to have connected with the store's inventory again and was reciting it all from rote memory. "Ends with a finish of exotic woodsy flavor. Would you like a cup of this... Miss Tai?" with an affirmative nod from the much older Neko, she turned to leave before the woman cleared her throat.
"Yes, ma'am?" her smile bright and lively once more as she stood at attention.
"Cardamom, cinnamon with vanilla sugar. Two spoons. Orange flower water and a bit of cream. And please have them not burn the beans during the roast. Or over-saturate it with water. I want it thick and strong." her request caused the girl to stare a moment, mouth open just a bit before closing once Tai added an apologetic look.
"I can be picky with my coffee. Please see to it? I will pay extra due to my request. Also. Almond cookies. Something... with a hint of amaretto if you would. Fresh the almonds slivered, not chunked or ground up. I cannot abide them stale." her waitress cleared her throat. Clearly perplexed by this in-depth order but she returned to her well-practiced demeanor and trotted off to fulfill it.
Once alone again, Tai pulled a little leather-bound book from a coat pocket. It was a non-descript thing. It looked subtly cheap but still of superb quality. An actual pencil came next while she thumbed through the pages with her free hand. Each page held equations. Complex, mindboggling things seemingly too radical for the more rationally minded scientists and mathematicians working for SARA or civilian firms to fully grasp or comprehend. Oh. She would so enjoy seeing Yaichiro's face as he tried to crack them.
Even as she began to jot down more and more ideas, adding to the recent addition to her book of mathematical formulae, the smell of coffee invaded her enhanced nose for she could even taste the rich aroma through her skin. It just made the experience more enjoyable to let that particular part of her anatomy work instead of being suppressed. And she did something, something Rikun, her twin, the hotheaded loud mouth for which her heart belonged to had been aghast at. Tai hummed contentedly. The melody something entirely her own but it still sounded sweet, seductive, a little sad yet exotic all at the same time with a pitch that one might find odd. Yet to her it was absolutely perfect to her.
@SageShooter
