RP [Yamatai] Year-End Winter Holiday Party, YE 42 [Open RP]

[Ametheliana]

The warm glow of the lanterns above matched the hot amber color of Sakaki's wide eyes as she took in a breath through clenched teeth, figuring a way to get out of downing the sake in one go in as few words as possible.

"Respectfully, Chusa," the Nekovalkryja began in a hushed voice. "If I'm not scaring Minkan boys away it wouldn't feel like a real night out in Kyoto."

 

[hyralt]

Takashi made a sound of rumination as he reflected on her question, giving it the same considerable amount of thought that he had when she had asked if he had been trying to get her attention for long. Having spent most of the last 5 years studying several different branches of science, he couldn't recall ever having considered what separates a scientist from a mere student of science.

"No," he finally answered, but he drew out the vowel sound and spoke in a descending tone as the answer was only now occurring to him. "I've studied science but I'm not actively engaged in it. I've only recently finished training."

When he turned his youthful face turned to her he wore a hopeful expression and his bright eyes, temporarily unclouded by intoxication, shone with unbridled excitement.

"Someday," he divulged. "Soon, I hope."

The figuratively bushy-tailed student of science turned to look at a group of people including one wearing a black aloha shirt. In doing so, Takashi's cherubic features were illuminated by the amber-coloured lanterns hanging from the eaves. Takashi turned back to Kozakura.

"If you're not all that good at science and glad that your mothers sent you to art school," he put the pieces together and tilted his head quizzically. "Are you all that good at art?"

 

[raz]

Tanngrisnir and the Tonakai Bar, Downtown Kyoto

Saiga laughed toward the lantern above him with his mouth wide open and it made a thick cloud of steamy breath fill up the air around them for a second. He pat the meek operative on her back just hard enough to jolt her forward a couple of inches and make the bangs that framed her face pop up abruptly and then fall back to her head.

"I'm over here drinking every sip to my shining star off fighting the Kuvexians," he mused in Yamataigo, saying "Hoshi" so wistfully in his aristocratic Yamataian accent that the little buzz on his voice disappeared and sounded more like he should be at some haiku reading in the palace than at a dive like this, "while you sit and don't even know what you're missing!"

The Chusa's buzz clearly wasn't all gone, though, and Saiga grabbed the nearest soldier he could by the arm and wedged the poor Neko between himself and Sakaki. If a Minkan boy would not do for her, then perhaps a Nekovalkyrja would. The new girl's face grew as red as the technician's jacket that peeked out from underneath her long Star Army overcoat's open front, and so did the faces of another other Neko and Minkan man she'd been enjoying Yuletide with.

"Hohei," Saiga said officiously to the captured Neko, searching her uniform with his eyes for a moment until he found her rank. "Itto Hei. My friend here is Yuu Sakaki and it's your job to show her a good time. You and your friends can manage to thaw out this icy SAINT operative, can't you? She's a legendary commando! At least a thousand Kuvexian bodies lay at her feet!" he exaggerated, raising his quarter-full 16oz glass of beer in a quick toast to Sakaki.

The Neko technician's blush had faded and turned to a more receptive look now that her initial surprise disappeared.

"Yes, Chusa!" the technician said happily and not wanting to disappoint, addressing Saiga in the way she'd overheard others do a few times earlier in the evening. "We," she continued flashing a quick smile back to her bemused companions behind them, "can handle even two SAINT operatives if we have to!"

Saiga chuckled again, having no intention of being handled.

"What do you say, Sakaki-hei?" Saiga asked. He beamed a wide smile at his operative with an arm around the Itto Hei, who seemed glad enough to have a white-capped Chusa act so familiar with her. "This one's surely more fun than me."

 

[Ametheliana]

The prospect of the unknown technician and her two friends being Sakaki's companions until she could find a way to slip away from whatever revelry they got into made the corners of Sakaki's tight lips twitch. Her wide eyes darted from the Nekovalkryja, to Saiga, then down to the porcelain sake cup with all but a sip left in it. With a flash of teeth akin to a forced smile, she grabbed at it, sloshing the clear liquid just enough for it to wrap around the rim before it was thrust into her opening mouth.

She dropped the cup onto the table with a heavy breath out that made her shoulders drop too. Warmth spread from her belly to her cheeks as they lifted a smile up on Sakaki's lips.

"Fun," Sakaki said with that genuine smile the sake had lifted. "You're plenty fun, sir! Not that you're not-" Sakaki said, attention turning to the red paneled soldier. "It's just- excuse my rudeness!"

 

[Yandere]

As Takashi took his time thinking of his answer, Kozakura just waited patiently. Though her eyes occasionally wandered to the throngs of people having fun together they eventually returned to her companion in the great nog hunt. They bore a slight sense of sadness as she thought upon how she lacked friends, having never really made any due to long hours spent working and training. Though when she looked into his hopeful eyes a small smile came to her face, and the way he phrased his question made her laugh slightly.

"Well that depends really, do you think acting is art and would you call only ever getting supporting roles good?" Her voice was without bitterness, in fact she sounded rather jovial about it. Though her once sad eyes were now brimming with a bit of curiosity, she wondered how a man of science would feel about her past career.

 

[raz]

Tanngrisnir and the Tonakai Bar, Downtown Kyoto

Saiga's grin dropped to a flat grimace when Sakaki made her reply. He'd tried, probably a bit too hard, and that was enough for him — as well as for Sakaki.

"Well, you heard Yuu-hei," he said apologetically to the Itto Hei with a glance back to her friends. His smile had returned, for it was The Season and this failure didn't weigh to heavily upon him. "It was my mistake. I'll make it up to you with another round," he offered, releasing the Neko back to her friends.. It was something he had already promised the whole street's full of people, of course, but nobody would care.

"It's no problem, Chusa!" the technician assured Saiga, still addressing him in the sharp way a hei should address a senior officer even as she tipsily scratched the side of his torso and back on her way off. "You can bother me — u-us — anytime, Chusa!"

Saiga had no intention of it. Unable to shake Sakaki, the last thing he wanted to do was fraternize with a stereotypically unbashful Neko. So he just smiled and waved and shifted his attention back to his beer, his silent comrade, and laughing along with whatever passing celebrations happened during their night out.

 

[hyralt]

"Is acting art?" He repeated the question, and stopped walking in the direction he had chosen at random earlier. "It seems as much an art as dancing or singing. It's a performance that can be beautiful or at least appreciated. And your ability to perform can be developed. Your craft can be developed. That seems like art."

Nodding, he felt satisfied at least in at least that much of his answer.

"I'm not sure about the rest," he admitted. "Only ever getting supporting roles seems the same as saying a dancer was only ever a background dancer, or a singer was only ever a...what's the term?"

His eyes went skyward for a moment until it came to him, at which point he snapped his fingers and looked into her eyes again.

"A backing vocalist," he continued. "Maybe that was enough to show your skill, and maybe not."

 

[Yandere]

Kozakura stopped about a step after Takashi stopped walking, causing her to do a little awkward lurch forward. That movement almost made her trip as she was still getting used to wearing heels. Still as he spoke her smile widened. His analysis about whether or not acting was art pleased her greatly. When it came to his thoughts on what qualified as good she winced a bit, potentially misunderstanding him. She'd like to think her skill was greater than her roles suggested but his assessment did sound fair at least.

"You know you're pretty perceptive," she commented before pausing in thought. "You mentioned you had a uniform too, are you part of the Star Army like me?"

 

[hyralt]

Takashi felt himself blush and adopt an uncomfortable smile, bringing his hand up to brush his fingers through his short hair.

"Ah, that's very kind," he spoke hesitantly. "I wish I were perceptive enough to find the eggnog stand."

"Yep," he replied to her query. "I'm a science officer on the YSS Kaiyō II. But I'm not really an officer, just a Santō-Hei."

"And I'm not on the YSS Kaiyō II currently," obviously, he added in his mind. "I'm on leave for the festivities. What about you?"

 

[Yandere]

Kozakura glanced away as Takashi blushed. She honestly found the way he was acting kind of cute, and it brought a light blush to her own sober cheeks. Though when she heard him say something about the eggnog she couldn't help but giggle. It was funny right? After all she had embarked with him on this journey on a lark and now here they were, presumably lost and nowhere near the desired nog.

Though the the moment he said he was an officer she snapped out of it. She was about to apologize when he added the part about being a Santo Hei. "Huh so we're in similar boats then," she replied.

As for her posting well, "I'm posted here on Yamatai actually, I belong to SANDRA and I was actually covering the festivities right before you came along. Truth be told I was going to head back home since I have nobody to celebrate with... but hey you're here now right?"

 

[hyralt]

"I am here now," he confirmed wholly without need.

"And by some fortuitous coincidence, I also have nobody to celebrate with," he stated without any indication that he felt badly about it. In fact, quite the opposite: the tone of his voice rose in delight, and his face lit up like a small child finding a shiny bauble. His expression turned more inquisitive before he continued. "Unfortunately, I have no idea how to properly participate in revelry. I've lived in Kyoto for as long as I can remember, but I've never been given leave before."

"Although I did go away without leave once, shortly before I enlisted. I spent a week walking around town and sleeping on the streets," he stated in a flat tone, as if this was barely worth mentioning. "But I can assure you that I wasn't celebrating anything that week."

Takashi looked around, causing the diverse lighting around them to cause a procession of colour and shadow across his face, before he turned back to her.

"Before I discovered eggnog, I was watching the crowds. Mostly people seemed to be celebrating by standing around and talking. Much as we're doing now," he laughed, then donned a puzzled look. "I fear there may be more to celebrating than met my eye."

With this, he surveyed the masses around them again, his wandering eyes eventually sticking to a group of revelers sitting on stools drinking from small porcelain cups at a table under some lanterns. In this group a black-haired Type 33 Nekovalkyrja was clearly becoming increasingly uncomfortable as she spoke to a tall man with shaggy hair. Takashi recognized the man's black aloha shirt that was printed with Yamataian bellflowers and what appeared to be sprigs of holly. The thin shirt stood out in a crowd of people who were bundled up in standard-issue black jackets to buffer themselves from the cold.

Just then, Takashi's eyebrows perked up. He looked back at Kozakura and tilted his head. "Why can't you celebrate with Sandra? Is she off-world?"

 

[Yandere]

Kozakura looked away again as he mentioned that he had nobody to celebrate it with either. Her cheeks flush with color and feeling slightly stung by the cold. At first her eyes lit up with concern when he mentioned going AWOL, but when he mentioned it was before he enlisted she just got a little confused. Though Kozakura was not one to press and as he began to speak and share again she remained silent.

Eventually she found the courage to turn back to him, her cheeks still rosy and a smile upon her face. "Well celebrating is pretty easy. You just eat food, maybe take a walk through a park together, or share some drinks, when people are closer they exchange gifts and the like but for people like us in this area well there's eggnog of course, and plenty of restaurants and bars serving special fare for tonight. Oh and there's mistletoe but...." she trailed off while her eyes looked away again. "It's sort of funny but I've never actually gone out to celebrate either...." she laughed nervously to change the subject. The usually confident Kozakura was entirely out of her element right now.

Though when he asked her why she can't celebrate with Sandra she burst into laughter, after a moment she calmed down and looked at him. It was then that she started to realize that Takashi might be a wee bit drunk. Between the swaying and that question that is. "SANDRA isn't a person, it's the Star Army News Distribution and Reporting Agency. Which now that you mention it there's probably a party back at the HQ... but um they sort of sent me out here on assignment so it sorta feels like I'm not invited."

She looked around at the crowds and the buildings lining the streets for a moment while she also realized that her feet were starting to hurt. "Say um., would you want to maybe grab a drink or some food? There's probably an open table somewhere around here right?"

 

[hyralt]

Takashi paid close attention as she described the various methods of celebration. The idea of taking notes crossed his mind, but he hadn't had the foresight to bring anything on which to take notes. Instead, he made a futile attempt to memorize what she was saying so he could write it down later when he had the chance.

"Oh. When you said «I belong to Sandra» I thought..." He laughed.

"Unlike eggnog, an open table isss something I have perceived recently," his swept around as he tried to recall. For a moment, it occurred to him that he was having trouble with short-term recall. Thankfully, the trouble he was having with focusing prevented him from thinking about it for too long. He caught sight of an open table and he led the way through the streams and lakes of revelers, narrowly managing to hop up onto a stool at a table before another couple took it. Turning back to Kozakura, he beckoned her over.

 

[Yandere]

Kozakura just laughed with him when he laughed, she was having a pretty good time all things considered. When he suddenly started moving again she was a little slow to respond and had a harder time navigating the streams of revelers. Though when he beckoned her over she was quick to pick up the pace and move to the table before somebody decided to steal her spot. She too hopped up onto her stool with a bit of a smile as her long tail quickly wrapped around the legs of it.

They were barely seated before a waiter brought a special holiday menu over and asked if they would like anything to drink. Kozakura quickly chimed in with a "some hot sake for me please," before she looked to to her new acquaintance asked, "anything for you? I'll take care of the drinks if you don't mind that is."

 

[hyralt]

"Anything hot sounds good right now," he smiled first to Kozakura and then to the waiter while rubbing his hands together and blowing warmth into them. "So I'll have the same thing. I've never had sake before."

"Let's get experimental!" He exclaimed, his face once again alight with the same level of excitement he had shown at the prospect of contributing to science after years of study. "If you get the drinks, I'll get the food. Are you hungry? Is there something particularly appropriate for the occasion?"

Takashi explored his memory for any occasion on which he had eaten holiday-specific food, but he drew a blank. For the last couple of years he had eaten whatever was in the mess hall, and for his entire life before that he could only ever remember eating bento boxes his mother gave him. Did she make them? As far as his memory served, he had never seen her in the kitchen.

Takashi looked the holiday menu up and down, frowned, then turned to Kozakura.

 

[Yandere]

Kozakura just smiled and looked to the waiter, "Make that a bottle please," she then grinned happily while as the waiter walked off to put in their drink order. Her ruby red eyes drifted to her festival companion, "Now that you mention it I am kind of hungry." She seemed to try and collect her thoughts for a moment before adding, "Well in the past my mothers would prepare a ham or goose for us..." she trailed off as she inspected the menu. Her eyes finding a plate of turkey with mash potatoes and vegetables too. A hand rested upon her stomach, thinking about eating such a large meal was slightly off putting.

"I'm not sure I'm hungry enough to eat a large plate like that though..." she mused out loud. "Um... oooh! How do you feel about takoyaki?" As she spoke she sounded rather excited, like it was her favorite kind of appetizer or something. Her serpentine eyes were lit with joy at having spotted the dish as well. "Apparently they've got a festive version with green mayo and red fish flakes."

 

[hyralt]

Takashi's frown vanished when she mentioned eating a ham or goose. He imagined at first a bento box with ham or goose, but that didn't seem right. Next, he pictured his mother handing him a ham sandwich, but that too seemed wrong. Then he saw a plate loaded with goose cuttings, but it sat on the corner of the desk at which he would study long into the night. Finally, he mused about sitting down to eat as a family. Each of his daydreams seemed closer to what Kozakura seemed to imply, but each was harder to imagine than the last.

Her excitement roused him, and though he hadn't recognized what she had suggested, he couldn't help but reflect the joy she emanated, so he beamed back at her.

"That sounds wonderful," he spoke somewhat awkwardly as the muscles of his face strained against his enthusiasm. Really, he considered it wonderful to be so interested in food. This prompted his next words, which entirely failed to capture this sentiment. "Do you like food?"

 

[Yandere]

Kozakura nodded in response to his agreement that takoyaki was wonderful. However before she could answer his question the waiter returned with a large carafe of sake and two small cups; steam wafted up from the top of the open carafe. "Thank you," she smiled to the waiter, who then asked if they were ready to order. "Two plates of the takoyaki please!"

"Thank you miss," the waiter replied before walking off again. Kozakura returned her gaze to Takashi, she had a happy smile on her face and her cheeks were actually beginning to hurt from smiling so much. She was quick to carefully fill each cup about three fourths of the way to the top before gently pushing one to Takashi. <"cheers"> she called out in Yamataigo while raising her cup before downing the hot liquid in one quick go. It never really tasted great to her, but it sure did help to warm her up inside.

"So um where were we?" she asked with a nervous laugh. "Oh! Right. Food," she answered her own question. "Well um I think everyone sort of likes food right? But well I would say that after my time at Fort Victory I really appreciate eating out like this."

 

[hyralt]

Takashi realized as soon as he had asked the question that it wasn't exactly what he meant, but he couldn't think of how to improve on the question so he just hoped that she understood. When the sake arrived, he was relieved for something other than his own poor communication skills on which he could focus.

The carafe and cups were made of a delicate white ceramic, which was not at all what he had been expecting. Every drink in Takashi's recent memory had been in a plastic vessel, with glass being reserved for special occasions. As he continued to admire them, he watched as Kozakura picked up the carafe and poured sake into each cup. Something tugged at the edge of his consciousness. Was there some significance in her pouring a drink for him? The idea teased at his mind, but he couldn't quite grab hold of it. Before he had much time to wrestle with the idea, she pushed the cup towards him and he picked it up out of sheer instinct.

Takashi bowed his head to her and replied <"cheers"> before following her lead and tossing the liquid into his mouth. The warm fluid first touched the tip of his tongue giving him an immediate sweet sensation, then he felt the warmth fill his mouth, then a pleasant sour note in the back of his mouth before it hit the sensitive part at the back of his throat, almost making him cough before he could swallow. The floral aroma lingered momentarily, but quickly escaped out his nostrils leaving his mouth with the taste of...mushrooms?

"Whew," he said finally as the mild burning sensation dissipated in the back of his throat. "What a marvelous substance you've introduced me to. That was a flurry of sensation."

"Oh," he replied after she mentioned Fort Victory. "I did my training there. It was quite similar to the school I was at before I enlisted, so I suppose the food seemed...normal."

"Was it especially good?" He asked, but then considered. Her time at Fort Victory had given her an appreciation for eating out. Eating at the Fort didn't seem like eating out. "Or especially bad?"

 

[Yandere]

"Really?" she asked with a mixture of shock and surprise. "Truthfully I always try to drink it as fast possible, and the burn always makes me shiver," she chuckled. "Still, on a cold night or when grabbing a meal with work associates nothing warms me up faster," she smiled at him yet again. Her eyes lingering on his for a few seconds before she looked away again.

Though her attention quickly snapped back to him when he mentioned training at Fort Victory as well. Though she was rather curious as to what this school of his was like. Hers was a private institution, one that her parents worked their assess off to send her to. It was an interesting experience to say the least, one filled with petty brats and the truly talented all mixed together in a confusing social bubble for the country tomboy. Though the questions she had could wait a moment.

"Hmm, well let's just say that I lost a kilogram or two until I got used to military food. It's not that it isn't nutritious, just not what I'm used to." A very diplomatic answer to be sure, she didn't want to bad mouth her employer too much but the truth was she had been spoiled a little and it did show from time to time. After saying as much Kozakura picked up the carafe again and refilled their cups.

With his questioned answered she returned to her curiosity, "What was your school like?"