RP: YSS Eucharis [Post Mission 20.1] Dinner at the Princess Dunes Restaurant

"Stop calling me that..." Suzume gently asked Mitsuko. "I'm not sure where you got the idea that you needed to call me anything other then Suzume... You know as well as I, this rank is most likely temporary until I screw up next." She sent to her roommate.

Misato set her fork down on her plate and looked around the crowd at the table. A lot of friends here, and for some reason she felt that each one was looking at her like she was the enemy. With a sigh she wiped her mouth with her napkin.

As she scooted out she arm brushed Mitsuko opening a quick link. "I'm sorry for everything. I really am. With a quick apology for getting up, she walked over to the bar and ordered a whiskey double on the rocks. Once the lovely young bartenderess served her she took the drink and returned to the table. The warm liquid burned its way down her throat. Soothing both the fading buzz and her nerves.

Princess Dunes

Ayumi was late, very late, and this much was obvious by how much into the swing of things the dinner was. She crossed her arms over her front, hands clasped together on her lap, and picked her way through the restaurant to where Sune was. She bowed deeply to her superior, though she knew he wouldn't be for very much longer- At least in regulation terms.

"I humbly apologise for my lateness, Sune-Chusa." She stated softly, before straightening up and setting her shoulders back. The medic glanced nervously around the restaurant for a moment, trying to decide where to sit. Instead of wandering off though, she turned back to Sune.

"It was an honour to serve under you." She added, a shy smile on her face, before she actually did wander to sit in a spare pace.

Table

Chieko looked around hoping someone would speak up about the bar hopping, but it seemed things went back to their quiet state again. That is, other than the girls with the music, which eventually freed the young woman enough to start sipping on the wine she had. The scientist then looked over at Ayumi presenting herself for the occasion finally.

Sune looked at Ayumi, "It has been my pleasure and honor to serve with you as well. I have enjoyed my time in the service. Thank you for joining us. There is plenty of food and drink. Shortly we will start with some games to help lighten the mood."

"I'm sorry, Misato-Heisho." Her reflexive apology came before the transmission. Mitsuko tensed up. She was contemplating what the other Neko meant when Misato stood up, bumping her with another message. She felt so confused. The short break she had before her roommate returned wasn't nearly enough time to sort everything out. What was she sorry for? If she hated her new rank, why was she treating Mitsuko like this? Why was she pushing her aside in favor of the other officers?

She just shook her head, before perking up as she noticed something about the conversation Ayumi and Sune were having. Why was everything in the past tense? What was going on?

Princess Dunes

Akane pulled herself from looking out the window and finally started to approach the buffet itself. There were so many smells, scents that gave the impression of being sweet, cooking aromas that carried a savory undercurrent. For once, she could really feel the saliva form in her mouth, her hunger had become that strong all the sudden.

Yet she didn't give into the sensation just yet. She noticed one of her crewmates--whose name Akane thought was Ayumi--talking to someone else. Akane wasn't the best with names, but she knew she needed to improve in that regard. Seeing Ayumi's sleeveless dress gave her the perfect opportunity, if only for a moment.

Walking over, Akane tapped Ayumi on the shoulder and smiled. "I just had to come over and tell you that I love your dress. It's beautiful and looks perfect on you."

Table

Sienna looked over at Chieko, then at the others at her sudden question, obviously waiting for someone else to answer her. She took another faux-ladylike bite of her meal, and when it seemed like no response was forthcoming, she swallowed it and spoke up. "I think they were suggesting it, more than saying it was a done deal," she replied casually, only looking up from her plate for a moment. "Sounds like it was some kind of tradition y'all had, I guess," she added, glancing at Natsumi and Misato in turn as if for confirmation.

Ayumi's belated entrance only drew her attention for the span of a disinterested glance. She picked up her margarita and took another drink around the time that the young girls had fired up the karaoke machine, and began singing a soft melody in a minor key. The Nepleslian's eyes immediately went to the source of the singing, slightly mesmerized by the bittersweet and vaguely familiar tune, and a wistful, muted smile pulled her lips upwards as she listened.

Table

Junko's eyes had snapped over to Bors as he had muttered before leaving the party. She hadn't quite been able to make out what he said, but was half-glad that she hadn't. The mood of the dinner party was a little off and she rather doubted that having to bawl out the infantryman again would help.

She leaned back in her chair, trying to relax as the girls began singing. She wasn't quite sure to make of the song but could hardly begrudge the girls for trying to have a good time. As for the crew, judging by their discussion and present copious consumption, a good time seemed to largely revolve around drinking. Junko had never had the requisite social experiences to get a taste for alcohol of any sort and had found her tolerance rather low the few times she had let her guard down in the interests of experimentation. Still, even if she had no particular desire to partake herself, she could readily understand the benefits of a social lubricant.

"Tradition is all well and good," she said, glancing around, "but does anyone have any plans for leave beyond the consumption of intoxicants?" Her tone was dry with a hint of NCO chastisement but the wrinkling around her eyes revealed her feelings to be more of amusement than disapprobation.

Mitsuko's reply nearly set Suzume off. Why was it so hard for Mitsuko to let her be with the rank. It was like she was trying to torture her, she had to wonder if Mitsuko had wanted the rank and was pissed Misato had got it. Never did the thought that her roommate was thinking Misato was trying to replace her enlisted friends with officers. If the thought ever crossed her mind she would have died from the laughter.

She looked up across the table at Sienna. "Well I can't say tradition, we did it last time we were here. most of us were just kittens and kids then." She smiled thinking back on the whole leave then. "I got this jacket then too. Miss Kline bought it refusing to let us new folks spend a credit."

She let her elbow touch Mitsuko lightly as she took another bite. "You look lost. What is confusing you here? "

Table

"It was a lot of fun though, last time we werehere" Natsumi agreed. She took a long sip from her margarita, again enjoying the fruity drink before downing another bite of steak.

"Maybe it should be a tradition, hmm? I think that's a great idea" she grinned, then saw the change in look on Sienna's face. "Song you know?" she asked.

Table

"Klein-Chusa was very nice to us. Once we were all off-duty." Another former member of the crew she hadn't seen in so long. "It seems very likely the Eucharis will continue to visit regularly. For obvious reasons." Mitsuko tensed up again, as Misato pressed against her. She resisted the urge to lean back against the larger Neko. "Everything is changing." She couldn't think of a better way to say it.

Table

"You make it sound so dry and unpleasant, Heisho," the academic smiled, "The inebriative effect is but only a portion of the joys one can have from fermentates, distilates, and brews. This also includes their combination with each other and non-alcoholic drinks as well as a myriad of flavourings, conditions, and preparations - a list that grows frequently.

"I otherwise have no real plans laid out past a few ideas. These I have been mulling over while browsing travel sites on SYNC and the options are many to narrow down. I may need to include others much sooner in the process if it takes too long."

Chieko then gave Kale a wicked side glance and took another, more ladylike, sip of her wine, before returning more of her proper attention to Junko.

Table

Kale was currently making his way though some very nicely prepared seafood. Listening to the conversation around him. He merely raised an eyebrow at Chieko as she grinned at him.

"Well, I guess its as good an excuse as any to sample the local nocturnal wild life." he stated. "Besides glowy lights can sometimes lead you to very interesting places."

Deciding to have a little fun he put on his best officers voice and changed posture becoming much more rigid and haughty looking. "The city is large gentlemen. She has many defenses, but under cover of nightfall may we conduct our covert intrusions into her interior and gain intelligence upon what awaits us within." he relaxed from his pose and smiled. "What say you?"

Table

It took a second for it to register in Sienna's head that Natsumi was talking to her, and a pause had already passed before her eyes gradually drifted over to see the Neko looking expectantly at her. "Hm?" she asked reflexively. "Oh. Yeah," she continued, looking back over at the children singing. "At least I think so. Can't remember the song or how I know it, but it does sound pretty familiar." She did know why it sounded familiar, of course, but she wasn't about to let on more than that. It wasn't anyone else's business.

She continued to listen to the girls' singing, swept away in her mind by the comforting, somewhat sad melody sung by the untainted voice of innocence. Once or twice, she had to pretend to be softly clearing her throat when she caught herself almost silently humming along with the tune in perfect pitch. She paid no mind to the conversation going on around her while the song continued, lost in her own little wistful world, at least until Kale's impersonation of a stiff-laced ship's officer snapped her out of it, making her blink and look down the table.

It was probably because she hadn't been listening to the conversation leading up to it, or perhaps it was some variation of Yamataian or military humor that she was unfamiliar with. Whatever the reason, her only reaction to Kale's little act was a slightly befuddled stare.

Table

Ayumi looked up as her shoulder was tapped, recognising Akane as someone she had not introduced herself to properly. She remembered seeing her in the medbay. "Thank you very much." Ayumi said softly, glancing down at her self with the slightest hint of red on her cheeks. "I am Satonaka Ayumi, I don't believe we were properly introduced in the medbay." Ayumi stated, glancing back up at Akane blankly.

"I appreciate your traditional style as well." She added, nodding to Akane's kimono. She hadn't been able to purchase something so lavish, and she certainly didn't have anything like it from her schooling days. For a moment she fancied being able to buy something like it in the future, and then it was gone, just like that, her idle mind thinking of medical procedures all over again.

For a moment she wondered if she actually wanted something to eat, perhaps she could find something which wasn't too big.

"All thing change, can't be alive if it wasn't the truth. Though I see you concern. I wasn't all that hot with the latest changes also. Though with change comes new experiences. And never fear, change is scary , but you always got a friend in me dear. With use facing it, change should be afraid." Misato's response was the closest thing she could say to the pure truth without breaking out in tears as she sent the message.

"Yes Heisho, drinking is the first step in this grand operation that is leave. Why not, it causes us all to loosen up, and forget the restraints we deal with aboard the ship. Once those inhibitions are gone then we are just friends out enjoying the world at hand." She beamed as if she just gave the most deep philosophical statement of her life. "Last time we were told not to address our keeper by rank. I was strange at first, and I nearly got a fat lip form the Ma'aming. Such drilled in habits were hard to break."

She grinned as she took a large drink of her whiskey, Bors had tainted her taste booze.

Mitsuko had to hold still as the message drifted into her mind, resisting the urge to twist and look at Misato. It wasn't like anyone else could hear her, or know why Mitsuko was starting to get misty herself. As her roommate began to speak out loud, she gave in to the desire to press closer, not wanting to lean away even after the private communication ended. "It might be nice to drop the ranks, just for a little bit. We're on leave, after all..." She tried her best to carefully, covertly take Suzume's free hand in her own, using the other to lift her drink. She slurped out the last of the frozen margarita, now smiling again.

"...um, another drink sounds good, too."

With her roommate touching her had Suzume damned near jumped out of her seat. She hadn't expected it, and as much as it felt nice she wasn't sure she wanted it. Though with the lovely boozahol worming through her system she couldn't care less at the moment.

Table

Chieko was so flabbergasted by Kale's display that as she laughed, she pulled out her large paper fan from the back of her dress through the neck opening. She then tapped the technician lightly with the implement before laying it across her lap. The scientist smiled broadly, thinking herself rather clever for what she had just done.

Table

Kale's eyes crossed as they attempted to focus on the fan coming towards him. Having not quite expected it he instinctively tried to move backwards. He only realised the potential for trouble with this manouvre when the chair reached its tipping point and became unstable. The technicians eyes widened at the realisation that the toppling was near as out of control. With a little windmilling of arms and a subtle inertial push and he was once again able to swing back into his place at the table.

Sighing in relief he flushed red somewhat before picking up his drink and taking a long quoff from the glass.