RP [Open RP] Welcome To The Kikyo Sector

Delmira will give out a purr and smile "oh i know we should have a nest cuddle party as a send off since we all like to cuddle." the smokey haird Neko's cheeks where starting to get as red as her natural hair color. one and half drinks seemed to be this Neko's limit.

"Just asking," Cassie frowned. "This is Ternifac, I expected to see a bunch of ripped, sweaty, tattooed Nepleslian quarter ID-SOLs I guess." Maybe they saw the uniforms and decided to lay low thinking we'd try to recruit them," he joked. "I can't wait to get out of this uniform but the only other clothes I brought on the trip was my T-shirt and exercise shorts. I have some fancy outfits but they're all at my apartment in Kyoto. Cassie got up and stretched his arms out over head hand and let out a yawn. He had wide hips and a big, round butt and a cat tail that was dancing in the air. "I got a ton of junk I have to get rid of before I get shipped off into space. I even got a shipping container full of viral bioweapons in a salvage giveaway. What the hell am I supposed to do with that??"

"Maybe not tell anyone, for starters?" Euikoshi suggested.

Irchaet put on some rock music in the background, but in the lively crowd its was mainly just the bassline that was audible. "There's a lot of visitors coming through town today," she said. "Troops and tourists." She poured a mixed drink of Cannon Cola and Hanako's Spiced Rum 151 on rough, asteroid-shaped chunks of ice and put the cold, fizzy drink on the bar counter, where it bubbled emanated a sweet, fragrant smell that begged to be gulped down.

Pidole blinked at Thia and gulped down her margarita. She wasn't sure how to answer that so she just sort of started at Thia with her big blue eyes, uncertain about how to feel about this woman suddenly focusing her attention on her. Finally she ran both hands through the top of her red hair and have Thia a giant shrug with her arms out in a deliberately exaggerated fashion.

The interaction make the goth little Nekovalkyrja laugh out loud. "I love you, Pidole," Kinie said, hugging Pidole. "This is a great night!" She chugged down her second maragrita and flagged down Irchaet for another drink. "I love you all," she gushed, hugging Euiokoshi next, and then Delmira.

- - -

Town Outskirts

The Nepleslians told Steiner they were members of a robot combat league that had fights out in the Jhuniata desert and sold the experiences as entertainment including as buyable memories.

The old man thought for a moment; while he was no tourney fighter-those were mainly done on foot, as from his experience only a fool would gamble a valuable mecha on such an endeavor; these people seemed to have the resources to keep their machines in decent fighting shape. And the mercenary side of him figured that there would probably be money involved-something he needed at the moment.

"I suppose I am then." As he spoke a voice called out; "Albert Steiner?"

He checked one of the axillary cams and saw a weedy little man. "Yes?" The man was tapping on a data pad. "Got yer salvage here." Oh, he'd forgotten about that-it had cost him what was left of his funds after he had arrived on world, but he figured something useful might come out of it. After the mechanoid signed for it, the man transmitted the list, and the pointed to a car. "Everything's in there." He handed him the keys the vehicle and left. The car was of little use to him at the moment, though if he managed to bio-transfer before his court date-which he needed to check the ticket for it would be useful-though he hadn't driven a vehicle in decades. Realizing he wasn't going to be able to open it easily, he fabricated a small bar that ended that curved upwards at a seventy-five degree angle. With a surprising gentleness that belied the massive battle worn hand he unlocked the trunk and using the bar opened it.

Inside was what looked like some kind of computer drive-though he wasn't sure what it did-he would likely have to study it later. A shirt that looked to be made of fine material, a cloth of some kind-probably a rag and a box that read... "What on earth?" He lifted the box-military grade optics, aged as they were, brought it into focus. On front was a woman, possibly of the same species as the one in the city; dressed in leather thongs and a mask. He read then read the box itself: 'A Fine Example of Leather Crafting and Erotic Design.' Steiner stared for a moment, shock still. And let out a disgusted sigh, tossing the box back in the trunk and shaking his head. "Degenerates, every one of them." He grumbled under his breath, closing the trunk as he shook his head. At least two, maybe three of them would be somewhat useful. He looked back at the pilots as he carefully closed the trunk, and placed the keys in a special compartment he kept for the few possessions he had.

"Now, about the league."

Ternifac was probably Sanda's favorite place on Yamatai. It was about as close to a Nepleslian city as you could get on Yamatai. Real cybernetics shops and weapon stores that any true Nepleslian born would feel right at home. She sighed as she looked down at her new Star Army uniform. Well it was the path she had chosen. A long story too, but she was too hungry to dwell on it for long. She only had a few more hours before her train left anyway. Might at well make the most of it.

She chose one of the smaller restaurants. A more homey place that catered more to the regulars of the city instead of the those just passing through on the train. Sanda stepped inside the door and the quickly took a step to the side while taking a quick look around the place. The restaurant had door she just walked through plus one that most likely led back to the kitchen. There was another door to one side marked exit. There were several large tables with benches set up down the middle of the place with about a half dozen smaller tables along the wall plus a bar with about 5 stools. Most of the patrons were setting at the large tables. Men probably just getting off their shift at the factory, a couple of families with their children and two men and a woman at the bar laughing as they ordered another round. Sanda identified all that within 2 heartbeats of stepping inside. She had picked up that habit when she had run with a gang for awhile, but that was nothing compared to the special training she had received as a ranger. She took a seat at one of the booths at the back where she could both doors. Old habits died hard but some had there advantages.

A young girl came up to her with a smile and said, "Howdy, would you like to order something?" Sanda looked up at the girl smiled back. "Howdy yourself. I'd like to sample whatever you've got local and a tot of rum." She paused and took a deep breath through her nose. "And whatever you've got smoking back there. It smells amazing." The waitress's smile grew bigger. "That is our 2 time award winning brisket. Dad has had it in the smoker for 14 hours and it is just falling off the bone. Would you like some?" Sanda felt her mouth watering. "Yes. Bring me a pound of that award winning brisket, some teriyaki and barbeque sauce, some potatoes and whatever you've got that is green." The young girl laughed. "Yes ma'am. Coming right up." Sanda sat back a little in her chair and smiled. This sounded very good indeed. She hadn't had a good meal like this for about a week. Just quick bites at stops of train food. She hadn't had something home made since she shipped out. She thought of her sister and niece. They had been excited for her new orders but a little sad too. Her brother in law had just been reassigned to his old ship about a month ago and she knew her sister, Estrella, was really missing him. It had been a great comfort to her having Sanda around. Her niece, little Elanor Aeon had been especially heartbroken that Aunti Sandi was leaving. But this was her calling. And Sanda had given her servis to the Star Army and if there was one thing Sanda was it was loyal to whom she gave her loyalty.

Thia turned back to Cassie and bit her lip.

"Mmm," she moaned gently, then moved back over to the counter to retrieve the drink that Irchaet had made. "Cutie pie, all this talk about ripped, sweaty, tattooed ID-SOLs is making me thirsty."

Thia sipped at the simple drink and moved back to the space she had occupied between Cassie and the red-haired technician.

"You can begin by calling me Thia," she told the technician. "And continue by telling me your name, ginger bug."

---



At that moment, Kwabba-an walked into the bar. She stood almost exactly 5 feet in height, though she did everything she could to make herself seem smaller and avoid attention. Nervously, she tugged at the fabric of her ankle-length navy blue dress. The dress was very modest, in that it covered everything from a tight collar at her neck, along each of her four arms down to her four delicate wrists, and even descended to her ankles, though it had a slit up her left leg that ended above her hip for mobility. The slit made her deeply self-conscious, but she was glad the dress left her abdomen uncovered at least.

In three of her hands she carried what looked like plain leather cases for musical instruments. The case she held in her left lower hand was huge, seemingly bigger than she was, though it was hard to tell since she was standing vertically and the case was held horizontally. In her right lower hand she carried a slightly smaller case, and finally in her left upper hand she carried the smallest case of all. If it was a musical instrument, the body looked like it was no larger than her head, though combined with the instrument's neck it was bigger.

Kwabba-an looked anxiously at the crowd then checked the corners of the room. Picking the corner between the entrance and the windows, she moved quietly along the wall and deposited her cases. Then she turned and plotted a course between tables and denizens to the quietest edge of the bar, preferring to move along the edges of the room if possible, but navigating through the crowded open space if necessary to reach an optimally uncrowded section of the counter. She set off along her course, meekly stepping aside and apologizing to anyone she ran into along the way.

Once at the counter, she tried to quietly catch the attention of the green-skinned barmaid.

"Oh, erm," she spoke with her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm here to perform."

Walking in with a look of being turned around, the feline anthro was not really one to usually find herself in Yamatai. Afterall, she was a runaway at one point, not like she wanted to come back. But the igit of a captain had ordered the fiery lass to take a vacation. She still couldn't believe she agreed with him, especially with something so cliche as visiting for the hotsprings of all things!

With a sigh, Fiamma Pouncer found a seat at the bar. She looked like a space farer, dressed in clothing for rougher work. A leather half jacket, tank top, leather utility pants, and boots were a bit stand outish. The poor feline couldn't look more out of town, or outlandish in this place or minimalist clothing, and overly tight suits. Not to mention having grown pretty used to starship life aboard the Brimstone.

"i'll take a wheskey, and make it a dooehble please.", She said to the bartender with her thick accent. Her ashen wood colored fur almost matched the wood of the bar, save for that it was darker. A stark contract from the fiery reddish, orange hair that was semi wild on her head. There seemed to be a lot of flirting, some slurred as she overheard on her way in.

Bar Interior

Ichaet nodded to Kwabba-an. "Let me know when you're ready and I'll turn the music off," she said, handing the half-insectoid a KS Card with a few hundred credits on it. She flipped a switch on a control panel behind the bar and a neon sign lit up over the street that said "LIVE MUSIC" She then poured Fiamma the whiskey as requested.

"She's Pidole the red haired wrench wench," tipsy Kinie answered for Pidole. "She works on starship power systems and engines. And watch out for the beetle!" She still had her arms around Delmira. "I believe you are blushing!" said, leaning back a little touching one of Delmira's cheeks with two fingers.

"Pidole Henitot," Pidole told Thia. "Santo Hei," she added. It was Yamataigo for 'third-class soldier' and was the basic starting rank for everyone who had joined and finished their initial training.

"Wow, that's a pretty anthro," Euikoshi observed. "is she your type, Cassie?"

Cassie laughed. "I don't know but you're right, she is pretty," he said. "But we gotta get back on our train soon."

"Yeah," Euikoshi pouted. "Although we could grab our luggage and stay the night in a hotel here. I think there's actually one above the bar, although it looks a little like a prison with all the tiny windows."

"It's that Nepleslian Block War Architecture," Cassie explained. "They build their buildings like bunkers. If we all chipped in together a room wouldn't be that expensive to share and we could take a plane or shuttle to make up for the lost time."

The screech of brakes outside the bar signaled that another train full of soldiers was arriving, and soon some of them started filtering into the bar as well. There was a Star Army cook with long red-brown hair, a purple-haired medic, a Latina Kitsune, a Teal-haired Asian starship operator, and a big buff black infantry Nepleslian. There was also a blond in a dress that came in. At this point the bar was getting a little crowded and there was a lot of shoulder rubbing happening.

"An early Happy New Years, everyone," Irchaet shouted through the crowd, before being deluged in a bunch of drink orders.

The young waitress soon brought out Sanda's food along with a pint of the local brew. The Nepleslian woman sipped the beer and nodded approvingly before tucking into her smoked brisket. It was good, it was all very good. Sanda couldn't quite tell what kind of rub they had used on the meat, but she could easily see why the waitress had been so enthusiastic about them. It wasn't long before Sanda had finished her meal and drained the last of her drink. She could see that the restaurant was almost empty now. Because it was a smaller establishment that catered mostly to locals, she wasn't surprised to see that it wasn't opened late. She paid for her meal and gave the young waitress a nice tip before putting her beret hat and back towards the train station.

Sanda passed by a bar just access the street from the train tracks. A glance at her watch told her she still had some time before her train came so she decided to make the most of her time. Again she stepped to the side as soon as she entered the bar and took a careful look around. A lot more people here, and a lot of different types. Cybernetic arms and legs shone all over the room, dozens of cat eared Nekos, and even something that looked like a giant ant. She saw a spot open at the bar and headed to it. She leaned her elbows on the bar and took another look around. Next to her was an orange haired cat looking anthro who finally got the bartender attention and ordered a whisky in what sounded like a heavy accent. "And a tot of rum please." She added before the bartender could get away. Just then another train arrived with a whole new load of people trying to get in and have a drink. "Great." Sanda said. "Just what we need, a bigger crowd of people all trying to get in a get a drink."

Thia appeared to pay close attention as Cassie and Pidole spoke, but she carefully watched a pair of newcomers out of the corner of her cybernetic eye. One was some kind of cross between an ant and a human that made Thia recoil a little internally at the thought of the copulation that had produced such a creature. The other was a cat anthro with brownish gray fur and fiery orange hair, who spoke with a curious accent.

---

"If you don't mind, I would like it if you cut the music now, if that's possible," the ant anthro said meekly as she picked up the KS card. "I won't take long to set up. Please and thank you."

Kwabba-an disappeared back outside for a few minutes before returning, laden once again with equipment. This time three of her hands carried speakers of different sizes, but in her fourth she carried something else. Rather, she carried it on her shoulder and balanced it with her fourth hand. The item was wrapped in a long bolt of simple fabric that had once-upon-a-time been white but had developed a sickly yellow tinge and faded smudges of dirt up its entire length. At either extreme of the large object, the ends of the bolt of fabric hung unhemmed, ragged, and threadbare. The size and shape of the thing wrapped in fabric were evident despite the wrapping. It was T-shaped, as tall as she was along its longest side, and a little over half her height perpendicularly. The long section of the item had approximately the girth of a stout tree trunk but the cross section was much more narrow. Considering the way in which this tiny insectoid girl moved while she carried all this equipment, it didn't seem to weigh very much at all.

In fact, the apparent lightness of her wrapped object was an illusion that was broken when she put the speakers down, then bent over and let the wrapped object fall. It struck the floor with roughly the same impact as a section of tree of comparable size, causing the floor of the bar to shake slightly and the collection of bottles behind the counter to clatter against each other. Once it was firmly against the floor, she tipped it gently against the wall and began plugging in her speakers, deftly using all four of her hands at the same time in quite evidently practiced motions. These motions quickly transitioned into opening her instrument cases and plugging them each into their speaker of appropriately relative size.

Once this was done, she turned around and found an unused stool, which she dragged over to the corner in which she was setting up. With her upper right hand and lower left hand, she picked up the smallest and largest of her cased instruments respectively, which were hollow-bodied with long necks that had a curved, fretless fingerboard along which ran metal strings that reflected the bar's lighting. With her opposite hands, she picked up devices from the same instrument cases. The devices were bows for the stringed instruments she now held: identical rods with hair running from tip to base. Once she had both instruments and both bows in hands, she sat down on the stool, carefully crossing her legs to maintain her modesty.



She braced the small instrument between her right shoulder and her cheek while balancing the large instrument against the floor. While she held a bow in each of her opposite hands, she began by plucking her instruments one string at a time. As she did so, the body of the instrument lit up - at first a red colour then, as she turned knobs at either end of the strings, the illuminated instrument transitioned smoothly to bright green. All the while, her notes rang out in the bar, projected by the speakers into which the instruments were plugged. It was audible above the din therein, but only just. Once tuned, she began a classical duet written to be performed by two individuals, one on a long stringed instrument covering the lower register, and the other on a shorter stringed instrument covering the upper register. The piece began slowly and softly. Kwabba-an modulated the volume of the melody by the way in which she drew the bows across the strings. As the piece drew on, her fervour increased steadily. As it reached its climax, she was practically hammering the bow hairs against the strings, though she was still careful not to completely drown out the sounds of the bar. This was still a bar, she thought, people came here to drink not to listen to music.

Delmira will lean on Kinie giving a happy purr and sips the last of her drink resting her head on the others shoulder. "My first time drinking and i have succeeded in getting drunk." she says with a smile. She will try to pull up a few of her brain sub routines and set up a contingency plan before giving a chuckle "Oh i forgot i already set up those sub routines so i actually wake up tomorrow." she will look at Kinie and giggle "no im just drunk silly, though i know some ways you can make me blush." she says and curls her tail around Kinie and turns to face the goth neko.

"Ah, I see," Thia nodded sagely. "You're not used to whatever you're screwing talking back."

"Screwing with your wrench, I mean," Thia added after a pause for effect. "You are a wrench wench, I understand?"

At the mention of the pretty anthro and the brief discussion of Cassie's type, Thia took the opportunity to stare at the grey-furred and orange-haired anthro with the accent.

"I thought Cassie's type was more," and she paused again, still looking directly at the anthro lass. "How did you put it? Ripped, sweaty, tattooed, and manly?"

As the topic of conversation turned to sharing a hotel room for the night, Thia became uncharacteristically quiet at the thought.

Sanda turned around and leaned her back up against the bar so she could see around the place. Recon school had taught her to always be aware of your surroundings. Not that that was anything new to her. She had doing that since she was a teenager. She noticed that the ant lady she had seen earlier was setting up her stuff on the stage. Look like she was going to be some live entertained. Sanda wondered what kind of talent the lady had. Sanda remembered when her brother in law had started playing the fiddle. She had never whished for cybernetic ear implants that she could turn off more in her life than that first month. He was terrible. But he had started to get the hang of it after that. In fact, he wasn't half bad the last time she had heard him play. She wondered if the bug lady would be any good.

Sanda was surprised when the bug lady began playing two instruments at once, but she had to admit, it was a lovely sound. Sanda found herself tapping her foot along with the beat. She turned to the orange-haired anthro beside her and said, "She actually pretty good. Don't you think?"

As the piece came to an end, Kwabba-an spread her fingers softly over the strings of her smaller instrument, an action which silenced it. Meanwhile, she held the final note on her larger instrument and used her bowing hand to turn a small dial causing the timbre of the note to change considerably. The held note turned harsh as the dial distorted the signal from the instrument's pickups to simulate an amplifier circuit being pushed past its limit. The ant anthro pressed another finger down on an adjacent string and drew her bow across both strings simultaneously. Though the instrument had four strings, the curved surface of its fingerboard only comfortably allowed two strings to be drawn at the same time. However, in overdriving the sound, the distortion created a virtual note in between the two bowed notes creating what was colloquially referred to as a power chord.

As she let the power chord ring out, her face finally seemed to relax and she looked out across the crowd. For the first time since she arrived, she made eye contact with anyone looking her way. Some part of her processed all these faces and wanted desperately to shy away, but that part of her was no longer in control. In particular, this part of her noticed the tall, caramel-skinned woman in Star Army uniform whose eyes she briefly met. But something deeper within her was in charge now and took the utmost pleasure in exercising her control over how people felt.

It's time, she thought to herself, to awaken the spirits of rock. She silenced the larger instrument and in the same moment, her fingers flew across the strings of her smaller instrument as she sawed it furiously with her bow, making the pure tone of its voice wordlessly cry out into the acoustical void of the suddenly quieter bar. The final note in the lick rang out for a beat before she replied to the call with the larger instrument, as if the voice in the higher register were some sorcerer compelling the now snarling demon in the lower register to unveil its secrets. This sequence of call and response continued for a handful of turns before the sorcerer and demon finally sang out together, the notes of the sorcerer's voice ringing out in a clarion call above the demon's growl.

Sanda clapped along with everyone else as the bug lady seemed to be wrapping up her song. She couldn't tell if the song was just good, or if it was so impressive that the bug lady was playing two different interments at the same time. When the song suddenly took a unexpected turn, Sanda was just as mesmerized as the rest of the patrons in the bar. "Now that is quite a trick." She said to no one in particular. When the final note ended there was silence in the bar for a pare of heartbeats then Sanda began clapping and the place erupted. Sanda even put her fingers in her mouth to whistle. "That was quite a show. If I get a chance I'm going to buy that bug a drink. Assuming bugs drink."

Sanda turned back to the bar to see if the bartender had gotten around to getting her drink yet. Alas no. Sanda caught her own reflection in the mirror behind the bar and took a good look at herself. Her long curly hair was as usual tied back in a pony tail and her red rose earrings sparkled in her ears. The blue lightning bolt tattoo over her left eye caught the light as she turned her head slightly side to side, giving the allusion that there was actual electricity flashing down her eye. She loved that effect. Her sister had come up with that dye when she got the tattoo. She smiled at herself in the mirror.

The music reached its penultimate chord and Kwabba-an let its tense energy fill the air of the bar. The chord teased at the resolution to the melody, but she just held it and looked out to the eyes of her audience, whom she hoped were suitably on edge. While she did her best to maintain a professional detachment, the corners of her oddly shaped mouth curled upwards and her pupils visibly dilated. She struck the final chord, the one that anyone with any sense of musical progression would have predicted, the same chord that had started the piece, and now ended it.

With this she stood, lifting her instruments and bows in four different directions around her, crossed her one leg behind the other and took a bow.

"Don't nobody go nowhere," her bright soprano voice projected out, ringing in every piece of glassware and reverberating from every corner of the room. "I'm just getting warmed up."

Turning back to her equipment, she replaced her instruments and their bows in their cases, careful to turn off their respective speakers before unplugging the instruments and sealing them against any potential damage that they might endure while laying on the floor of a busy pub.

Once this task was completed, she desperately tried to walk to the counter of the bar without making eye or body contact with anyone.

"Uhm, excuse me," she waved at Irchaet. "Please may I have some water, please? If it's not too much trouble. Thank you."

Sanda could see the bug lady approaching the bar in the mirror. It was funny seeming the short red semi-humanoid, semi-insectoid creature move through the crowd. Her demeaner was completely different to confident musician that was just playing on stage. Some people were just like that she guested. Confident in their own special field, almost helpless everywhere else. The bug lady came up almost beside Sanda near the end of the bar and the tattooed Nepleslian could just hear her asking the bartender for a some water over the din of the crowded bar. In the mirror Sanda could see that just underneath her, on the other side of the bar, were several water bottles. Since the bartender was on the opposite end of the bar Sanda just leaned over the bar and reached down under it to grab a water bottle. She turned to the bug lady and extended the bottle towards her with a friendly smile. "Here you go. You sounded really good up there." Nodding her head towards the stage. "Can't wait to hear what else you've got for us. Do you take requests?"

Ternifac Bar

"Cold or room temp? Do you want ice?" Irchaet asked from behind the counter while she was pouring shots for someone. She then brought Kwabba-an what she asked for.

The blonde who'd recently came in in the ocean sundress came behind the bar with Irchaet. She grabbed an apron that was longer than her hemline and put it on.

"Alice! I'm glad you could make it," Irchaet said. "We got a full house tonight!"

"Clam party by the looks of it," Alice snickered.

Irchaet giggled and shrugged. "Good," she said. "It's a refreshing change."

"Do you have any Limoncello?" asked Agrippina the cook.

"I think so," Alice answered. "Let me check the freezer." She disappeared for a moment into a back room and back with the bottle and came back with two obvious signs of being cold.

"Sorry," the yellow-jacket apologized with a blush. She paid for the whole bottle and gave Alice a nice tip.

Kinie the little goth neko straightened up a little when Delmira's tail curled around her, but she avoided moving too much because she didn't want to move Delmira's shoulder. "I think she likes me," she thought out loud as Delmira snuggled up against her. She enjoyed the feeling. Something deep inside her was stirring now and she wanted to keep going. "I'm okay with staying here longer," she told her friends. "Do you want to move to a booth? There are a lot of people trying to get to the bar now."

"I'll get the luggage," shy Pidole immediately volunteered, sensing an opportunity to escape Thia's probing questions. It looked like she'd be staying in Ternifac tonight. "I fix starships...I will be right back," she told Thia.

"I'll help," Euikoshi nodded. "I wouldn't leave my little sister behind. I want to observe everything!" She got up and went with Pidole to the train to grab everyone's things.

Cassie gave Thia a look. "You got to give her actions not words," the androgynous anthro offered, "and I think she's afraid of you because you're coming on too strong. As for my type, I like strong people with guts. The only way to get anywhere in life is to have courage!" Cassie threw a fist up in the air for emphasis like they were some sort of mecha anime hero character.

The muscular Nepleslian carefully pushed his way into the spot where Pidole and Euikoshi had been at the bar and ordered a beer called Funky City Foamy. "Damn, I missed these in basic," he said. He looked around at all the hotties filling the bar tonight and added, "among other things." As the anthro bounced next to him he lowered his eyes and scoped out Cassie's jiggling butt. "That catgirl is thicc!" he said aloud to himself.

Meanwhile the purple-haired medic took advantage of the break in the music to place a call. "Yes, I'd like to report a dead body..." she started.

Kwabba-an, who stood at an unimposing 5 feet in height, looked up at the tattooed nepleslian woman and her long curly hair, tied back in a pony tail. The other woman practically towered over Kwabba-an, and she suddenly gave the impression of an animal caught in the lights of a rapidly-approaching vehicle. Kwabba-an then looked down at the proffered bottle of water, and took it without thinking.

"Oh, erm," she sputtered.

Before she could reply, Irchaet approached and asked what kind of water she wanted.

"R-room..." she began. "No ice."

Suddenly, she had another glass of water, for which she thanked the bar tender with a silent smile and nod. She turned to look up into the eyes of the much-taller nepleslian woman, but only for a brief moment before she looked away.

"A request?" She repeated, then smiled and nodded, and stole a glance upwards again to indicate to whom she was replying.

Kozakura who had been busy minding her own business and just watching the vid screens while drinking was finally knocked out of her solitude by someone stepping upon her tail as the bar became even more crowded. <"ow!"> she muttered rather loudly in Yamataigo before pulling her tail up so that she could gently caress the wounded tip with her hands. Though soon enough the sounds of the bar changed as live music filled the air. The way the sound was amplified by the speakers caused a soothing feeling within her sensitive antlers. That was when she noticed the half insectoid, half humanoid woman who was playing. The uniqueness of her appearance immediately struck Kozakura and she was keen to learn if she was an alien or if she had chosen to look that way.

After the set was over Kozakura's red reptilian eyes watched the shorter woman as she navigated the bar. It was curious, the way she played vs the way she seemed to meekly make her way about the bar and interact with the busty bar maid among others. With a long and quick sip, Kozakura polished off her drink, setting it down on the counter along with a couple of bellflower notes. She then made her way past the throngs of people towards Kwabba-an. Though by the time she reached the woman, she was presently engaged with another individual. Wiggling her way past another couple of bodies, she managed to find some space next to both Kwabba-an and Sanda.

"Pardon me miss, but when you're free I'd like to talk to you," the dragonesque Kozakura said to Kwabba-an before adding "please forgive me if I am interrupting you two as well."

Kwabba-an's look of shock returned when someone else addressed her. She turned to look at the second woman, shorter than the first but still nearly a head taller than the ant anthro. For a moment, she was transfixed on this other woman's features: her antlers and reptilian eyes in particular. Then her noseless pink face resumed what seemed to be her default expression of surprise and mild fear.

For the first time tonight while not on stage, she put together a complete sentence. "Am I in trouble?"