kitty at my foot and i wanna touch it.

[headandhand]

WHO: Open to all residents
WHAT: Your regularly scheduled NAPs event for the month
WHERE: The RoCocoa Cat Cafe
WHEN: Aug. 10-14
WARNINGS: Please use these if applicable!


Look at all of these bright, shining new faces! There’s even a few less bright, less shining faces, but hey, this city welcomes all types. Chances are, if you’ve just arrived, you're seeing some pretty crazy things, unless you're used to an eye-blinding amount of neon, robots, weird-ass technology, magic, and an omnipresent police force...and hey, if you are, congrats, you're gonna settle in juuuuust fine. But for the rest of you, the Head knows this has gotta be pretty overwhelming, right?

Well, since your quaint individual processing units are probably having a hard time, why not link up with another one? By which the Head means...

Hello, new citizens of Dualis,
and welcome to your monthly Network Adjacency Protocol~!

NAPs are a monthly community networking event similar to the Earth concept of speed dating! Two citizens (new arrivals and old hands alike) are placed at a table together with a handy cue card of queries to help break the proverbial ice. Ask queries and receive results, or ignore the card and yeet yourself straight into a brand new friendship! But don't be too shy, you've only got ten minutes together, and if you just sit in silence for the whole ten, the Network Admins are likely to come supervise and try to repair the uplink through a mild shock to the ol' central nervous system. You might find yourself saying all sorts of unintended facts about yourself if that happens...probably better to just make friends, right? Who doesn’t like friends?!

This month’s event is held at the brand new RoCocoa Cat Cafe, a sparkly new establishment that caters to children and the young at heart with iced and hot cocoa drinks of all kinds, delicious pastries, age-appropriate live music, and of course many friendly kitties who love to lounge in laps. The cats are of all shapes, sizes, and colors, including some who may look a little different from what you expect, or may look like an ordinary cat but are actually anything but ordinary underneath that adorable fur coat. All cats in the cafe are adoptable, too, if you meet a new furry friend and just can’t bear to go home without them!

So pull up a chair, get to know your new neighbors, and enjoy a sugary treat or two with the resident furbabies. You might just meet your new two- or four-legged best friend!

Comments

Rinoa Heartilly | Final Fantasy VIII

[etherealsage]

That's new. It's true that Rinoa has gotten the rundown of the situation since her arrival, but has taken a little to wandering only so much as she's comfortable with to get accustomed to how things work. She's obviously still not very in the know, as it were, about some of the things going on. After what she's seen where she's from, however, there isn't a whole heck of a lot that's caught her completely by surprise.

Really, it's nice that there's a lack of Time Compression, and maybe not quite so much political turmoil. Or so she thinks. She's beginning to think that second thing might not be as true as she'd like it to be.

The cafe is not exactly a new place to her. It is, after all, where she's been situated to work. It's kind of nice to be here without the overhanging concept that she'll have to have an instrument in hand while she sings to sugared up children and what are definitely not your typical house cat. Angelo would have a field day with these little darlings.

She likes the hot cocoa there, though and that's right where she's heading to. Until she bumps into you. Or you. Possibly you over there. Either way, it's a wonder she doesn't spill it.

"Jeez, I'm sorry," she begins with an awkward and stilted laugh. "I didn't get any on you, right?"

Because Rinoa has always been the queen of perfect first impressions.

[skyward_eyes]

Well, it helps when it isn't a first impression. The man she almost bumps into turns around and smiles at her, warm and fond. And, of course, amused.

"Now that doesn't look like the grace I saw you using when you and Squall danced at the Graduation Ball."

[etherealsage]

"Oh, come on."

Rinoa manages to come to a stop without swaying too much. It's clear with how she's been eying the ground that she probably hasn't been paying a lot of attention to where she's going. But she can't help it, okay.

"That's unfair. At the inauguration, there weren't cats all over the place. I don't wanna step on them!" But when she looks up to Nida, she's all smiles. "Hi."

[skyward_eyes]

“I don’t know. You sure picked up the lion cub fast enough,” he immediately teases. And she’s been graceful through it too, in spite of the two of them bumping into Nida and his own dance partner.

But she doesn’t need to know, nor does Squall for that matter, that he had front row tickets to that. He’ll save her childish tongue sticking out for another day.

“Flow with the cats. Move when they move. It is it’s own kind of dance.”

[etherealsage]

Rinoa takes a moment or two to simply stare at Nida and then she starts laughing. She wants to say he's kidding and maybe he is, but... What if he's not?

"I have nothing against alien cats, but I'm not dancing with them," she chortles.

Taking a moment to look around, she turns her gaze back onto Nida. "Do you want some cocoa? I can get you some, or you can have mine. I'm not so attached to it that I wouldn't give it to a friend."

[skyward_eyes]

"I'll pass on cocoa. I made my caffeine addiction worse after eight months in Deling City, and having the chance at it again has only made it worse," Nida smiles, but he is grateful of the offer. And he smiles warmly at Rinoa as he gently nudges a cat away form her feet with a foot. Means that the thing is now playing with the laces of his combat boots, but he doesn't care.

"So... About your new roommate."

[silentnarration]

Squall is super sure normal cats don't have tentacles stretching out of their mouths. But this orange tabby sure does. One very gross, very large (how does it fit inside the cat??) tentacle that's currently wrapped around Squall's ankle as he half-drags the clingy creature over towards his newly-arrived girlfriend. A couple other cats (a cyclops and one that looks like it was recently electrocuted) seem to have taken to him too as they trail after him.

"I'd worry about spilling them on these... cats." The 'cats' is added rather reluctantly. In the meantime, he's just going to casually rest a hand on the small of Rinoa's back so she doesn't bump into any more people.

He shakes his foot to see if it'll dislodge the cat but nope. Still there. He looks miffed as he wonders if it's actually safe to be in a cat cafe.

[etherealsage]

Rinoa casts a look over her shoulder toward Squall and for a moment, pauses when she sees his expression. He doesn't appear to be having a good time. And to be fair, the pause in how he calls them is warranted. Strange little things they are, right?

She takes a long drink from her cocoa before she finds words to speak up. And then: "I guess you're right, but somehow I think they could take it. To be fair, I have yet to see any of them go for it, so maybe they don't like chocolate?" Or maybe it's kind of like Angelo where one isn't supposed to be feeding chocolate to animals.

"Let's go sit. You can bring yours with you. I'm sure he just wants some pets!" Leave it to her to have an interest in just petting animals. The initial arrival might have been a strange one, but meeting new faces in a cat cafe? That is super cool.

[silentnarration]

A cat with tentacles coming out of its mouth is worrying, especially when said tentacle is wrapped around his ankle.

"I don't think they're supposed to eat chocolate..." He still sounds distracted. Another tinier tentacle is casually curling up his shin as the cat (is it still a cat at this point?!) purrs more and snuggles. He hopes he doesn't have to take it home.

He sighs at her suggestion. "Yeah." Sitting sounds good. It's an awkward half-limp half-drag towards an open table while escorting Rinoa. There's been a spiked sense of protectiveness since he ran into her at the dorms. He had clung to her for a while, happy and relieved to see her before he could regain his composure and just talk to her, catch her up on as much as he could. It's only been over a month but he missed her. He didn't even bother hiding that.

In a way her presence here and the time frame she was kidnapped from confirmed the things he'd been told about this multiverse business. He still doesn't trust this city though, for all that it's given him opportunities to catch up with Seifer and Nida (kind of). He's glad she's here but also wishes she isn't because he's not sure he can protect her from everything. It's complicated.

He rests an elbow on the table and leans his face against his open palm, bored with this social event already. His other hand is stretched down beside him to awkwardly scritch at the top of the cat's head. He stills suddenly when something on the wall catches his eyes.

"Your name's on the performer's list..." He looks back at her, confused. She found a job already?

[etherealsage]

Rinoa could not help but chuckle, witnessing the most difficult task that was him dragging his poor feline friend along. But at least he was coming. Worst case scenario, she could always pick up his little furry companion and give him some snuggles. What cat didn't want a lot of attention? And to be fair, Rinoa had a lot of attention to give, which was probably best considering she otherwise would have spent it all likely nagging Squall in some way.

Honestly, he should have been adopting every tentacle cat for his very over-eager, yet cute, girlfriend.

Once seated, Rinoa wasted no time in burying her face into her cup of cocoa. Yet she came back up for air when Squall addressed her. Peeking over the edge of the porcelain rim to him, she grinned, though it was a bit sheepish. Music never really was her forte, though she supposed she could hum a bar or two.

"Oh, yeah," she began, "That's what I was assigned? Or whatever you want to call it." She paused for a moment, wondering if they knew anything about her past. It might beckon as to how she got into such a position, after all. "I get to entertain the kids here. And the cats. I'm really happy about it. Not... that you seem to like this place much, but that's okay. We can go on dates in other places."

[silentnarration]

Sometimes Squall wonders if he's the only one with a normal view of the world, or he's surrounded by people with odd taste. Rinoa gets a sour look when he sees her laugh at his predicament. Tentacle cats are distressing. Why can't one of the normal cats latch on to him? Things with tentacles are usually trying to do some variation of killing him!

... which this one doesn't seem to be trying to do (yet) but still.

He blinks and sways when the cat latches on to his wrist and tugs to get him to continue petting its head. He sighs and reluctantly resumes, receiving a loud purr in return. He supposes it's kind of cute.

He tilts his head, his blue eyes wide and oddly expressive as he listens.

"I can come here." He doesn't really like a lot of other places, except the warehouse they're fixing. And if Rinoa is happy in this cafe, then it's good enough for him. "What do you play?" He didn't know Rinoa played any instruments, not that they've had any opportunity to talk about things like that. He can't help but picture her on the piano and a look of confusion crosses his features. Why did he think that? Just because of Laguna's dream with Julia... Oh.

Oh.

[merged]

"Shit!" Heather hisses out when Rinoa bumps into her, stumbling to narrowly avoid stepping on the tail of a cat with a few too many eyes. It takes effort for her to not shoot a glare at the other out of pure instinct, aware that it likely wasn't entirely her fault. Heather had been too busy dodging cats to remember she needed to pay more attention to the people, too.

"Fuck, it's... It's fine," She manages, shaking her head at Rinoa's apology, a deep sigh bundled away in her chest,"I don't think you spilled anything, anyway."

"Not that it'd make this experience much worse for me." She adds with a huff, running one hand down the dark, cat-fur covered sleeve on her other arm. She winces at the amount of fur that comes away. She's going to need to buy a lint-roller after this.

[etherealsage]

Rinoa's not really sure what she's more surprised by—the intense reaction from Heather or the fact that she quite possibly just spilled really hot liquid on someone. She seriously hasn't been here long enough to start that kind of nonsense, really. The least she could do is wait a few more weeks, right?

But the reaction that comes after does make Rinoa's own concern eventually fade away. If not face, then at least it's put on a proverbial back burner for the time being. Protectively hugging her cup of cocoa to herself, she can't help but be amused by Heather's attempt to free herself of the fur that's become... rather attached. "Not an animal person?" Rinoa asks, lips curling into a sheepish, if not still genuine, smile.

"Seems like I'm seeing a lot of that today. I guess this probably isn't the best place to have a meet-and-greet, after all." Rinoa is a little biased, though. Considering this is her new workplace, she's had some time to get accustomed to the awkward felines who... may not actually be felines at all. For her, there's a sense of familiarity, which is better than nothing.

[merged]

"Yeah, no kidding," Heather mumbles in agreement, crossing her arms across her chest, trying in vain to ignore the cat that dances between her legs (no doubt leaving streaks of orange fur on her dark leggings). It's not so much that she isn't an animal person as she never grew up around them, never had the chance to. She nudges it away gently with her foot,"They're kind of distracting."

As if that's a bad thing.

Rinoa's sheepish, slightly awkward smile helps Heather realize she's being unnecessarily harsh. The other girl has no control over this shit and certainly doesn't deserve her bite. She inwardly kicks herself: just apologize, stupid. She doesn't, though, just looks away and says, much more softly than her previous statements,"I... uh, never really spent much time around animals, don't really know what to do around them."

Or people. Them or people. This event is a double whammy to her confidence.

[etherealsage]

Rinoa can't help but laugh. "Distracting is one way of putting it," she agrees with a genuine curve of the mouth. She takes a long drink from her cocoa, whatever awkwardness she possessed fading with the turn of their conversation.

As Heather continues, Rinoa tips her head and she eyes her new-found companion with interest. What kind of world does one come from where they don't have much association with animals? Rinoa thinks it and realises that even back where she comes from, it's not like there are animals everywhere. It'd be silly to make that expectation. Not that... it wholly stops her from making it, of course.

"Hm... I think everyone views animals differently. For instance, my boyfriend is here and he doesn't seem to like the cats at all, but I have a dog where we come from and I'm pretty sure she's smarter than some people I know. These cats, or... whatever they are, seem pretty smart, too. I guess it all depends on what you want out of an animal. If you like that kind of companionship. If you're not allergic."

[merged]

Heather has spent the last several years of her life on the run, moving from city to city, state to state, using a new alias every time. A life like that isn't made for things like pets. Or friends. Here, it's different. She's gotten a few tips but it's still tough.

A pet used to sound nice but she can barely take care of herself. There's no way she could take care of anyone or anything else.

"Yeah, I don't really know if these things are cats." There's a touch of a laugh when she speaks as she looks to one of the kitty-like cuties. A cat would've been nice. She'd never be able to handle a dog, though. She looks back to Rinoa. The girl seems sweet enough, nice to know she wasn't stuck here alone.

"It must be nice to have your boyfriend here. Shame your dog didn't end up coming with you, though." To know you've left anything behind you love is fucking rough, she knows that much.

[firacrux]

It's not hard to do, bumping into Seifer, given that he's approximately the size of a wall. Especially when he's spacing out himself crooning over one of the stranger looking cats, some yellow creature with one huge green eye and a faint light emanating from its fur. This place was great!

It was when he felt the bump he'd began to turn with an ill-tempered remark on his tongue that was promptly bitten back at the familiar sight and voice. "Rinoa?" Oh yeah he was definitely startled to see her there. Maybe a little less alarmed than he might have been, thanks to the last science experiment he was in, though still wary.

Honestly he didn't even register if she did or didn't dump hot cocoa on him now, too stunned just seeing her there.

[etherealsage]

He wasn't the only one a little stopped in her tracks. Neither Nida nor Squall had said anything to her about him. Now, they'd not said he wasn't there either. Regardless, she stood in some very evident quiet moments. Where she normally had some kind of something to say, it was kind of as if any word vomit that possibly could have come up just sort of sat. Right. Where it was.

Until she sucked in her breath, every single one of her memories, and the very nature of their history between them.

"Hiya," she managed to reply with something of an awkward and stilted smile. Tipping her head, she lifted a hand to dust him off, though he had nothing on him. "Looks like you're cocoa free."

[firacrux]

No one had mentioned Rinoa to him, either, so this was a hell of a surprise. Their friends suck at the information sharing thing. The silence weighed heavy between them, the weight of their shared history as well as that she didn't recall stretching for miles between them. For that time Seifer searched her face, gauging her reaction for anything familiar, anything that might tip him off that she remembered...

She didn't. It was clear with that one little greeting that she didn't. And the lead weight that had been poised in anticipation finally dropped into his gut. That was when he realized he really shouldn't be there. The smile he offered in return was wary, perhaps even a little sad, as he ducked his head in a show of gratitude that she'd at least checked. Yup, no cocoa.

"...I should go."

He wasn't sure he was ready to do this again.

[etherealsage]

"Wait."

Cradling her cup against herself, she reached over and snagged him by the wrist. At least, she attempted to. If he'd let her. Seifer wasn't the sort who was a coward, but she could understand marginally why. Except couldn't they...

Well. No. Maybe it was too much to ask of him. It would have been unfair of her to assume otherwise.

"Is that all you have to say to me? You aren't happy to see me. Not at all?" But was she. Happy to see him. She'd wanted to. Of course she had. She'd wanted some time to speak with him for... for a long while. It just never seemed like the right time. She couldn't say she thought now was the right time either.

...But it was better than nothing. Right? Right?

[firacrux]

He does let her catch him, even if he looks increasingly uncertain. While maybe he wasn't a coward, could she really blame him for not wanting to stick around for this? It's hard for them both, harder still that he'd gone through it once already and now she didn't remember all they'd already been through. Not to mention the whole Sorceress thing which just added an extra layer that made her incredibly terrifying to him. Not that he'd ever tell her as much.

Fleeing would just drag this on. He knew it, she knew it, didn't stop him from wanting to avoid it anyway. Especially with Squall around whom he was now distinctly certain could come down on his head at any time. This changed things, drastically.

Of course... Rinoa being Rinoa wasn't content to let things lay the way they were. He'd always admired that about her. He shook his head. "It's not..." It wasn't. He was happy to see her. It also hurt, a lot, to see her like this again. "Can't imagine you're that thrilled to see me." You know, the crazy asshole who threw her at Adel's feet and all that jazz.

Was there such a time as a right time?

[ichoosefight]

Steph isn't really here for the event, though the people in charge are giving her the stink-eye for opting out when she's right here.

No, she's here for the cats. The coffee too, of course, but she hadn't known she could have the two of those at the same time until the invite for the event came. Which is why she's so distracted when Rinoa bumps into her.

"Whoops, sorry," she apologizes automatically. She checks herself, but doesn't see even a single spot on her shirt.

"Uh, no, I think we're good," she finally answers, shooting a smile Rinoa's way. Then she pauses, frowning lightly.

"I know you, don't I? From the village?" She can't be sure, but the face is definitely familiar.

[etherealsage]

Rinoa issues an evident sigh of relief. Considering how not all of her first impressions have been good ones in the cafe thus far, it's nice to have one that's going right. Even if it comes with a nice helping of proper confusion. She raises her eyebrows at Steph and for several moments, doesn't respond, because she's not sure what she should respond to, first. And second, because she has no idea if this is another Nida, Billy, Seifer (?) situation where the Rinoa Steph knows is in another castle from a different timeline.

But there's really no other way to know but to ask, even though Rinoa's stomach knots up at the thought.

"I... Uhm," she begins feeling not quite in her element when she doesn't have a ready response to something. "I don't know what village you mean? So maybe not?"

[ichoosefight]

It's been long enough and their association brief enough that Steph can't really be sure if this is the same person or not. It hasn't been long enough since somebody looked at her like she was legitimately losing her mind for her to push the matter, though. Instead she chuckles sheepishly.

"My mistake, sorry. It was a long time ago, and stuff was weird, and we didn't really know where we were anyway- definitely the kind of thing you'd remember if you'd been there." So why couldn't she remember a face properly? Good question. The better question is how much explanation is too much when you're trying not to look like a crazy person. Probably less than she's already offered.

"So, uh, you here for the event?"

[etherealsage]

Rinoa makes a note to ask Nida later about a village. If anyone would know, it would probably be him and right now, it seems like Nida has the answers to pretty much everything. Regardless, she tries not to look too blank at Steph's response, though she suspects that they are likely mirroring one another. As she puts herself back together, she grins.

"Yeah," she replies with a nod. "I actually work here, so it was sort of coincidence that they had this going on. I mean, I'm not working today, but you get it. Not my first time here. Not my last. I love the Cat Things." Because she's still not really sure anyone can call them cats. "But it sure seems like a lot of people aren't that keen on them. Maybe it's because they're kind of weird?"