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(Setting) Fisherman Jones's Fish Tank
| >Shortly after the older man, Zee entered the restaurant, her straight, blonde hair styled in twintails today. She's wearing cuttoff jean shorts on account of the warmer weather, matched with a graphic tee featuring a chibi illustration of *Kira* Miki. Her outfit is completed by thighhighs and a pair of white sneakers. As always, her left hand is covered by a thin, black glove.
>She waits patiently to be seated, fiddling with her phone.
| >After scanning the entire hall, grumpy man made his way to the bar.
"Hello Aquarius, one big beer if you would be so kind, — >he addressed the girl in the sailor uniform behind the bar,
— Is Jones upstairs? I don't see him around."
| >Aquarius tosses up a beer from behind the counter
"He's off getting something."
>she seems less...enthuesiatic than normal
|
| >Jósef catched his beer and leaned on the counter, his height making it look rather comical.
"Something happened? You sound rather down." >He asked before taking a sip.
| >she cracks her wrist
"Just a lot of bad news."
| >A tell, young man arrives in the restaurant, and after waiting a minute, is seated in one of the nearby booths
| >A woman with long pastel pink hair stands near the entrance of the restaurant. Her appearance is quite striking - a white/pink lolita dress accompanied with matching pink babydoll shoe, a cute bow in her hair, and a lacey parasol in hand.
| >>265220
>She walks over to the man, standing in place once she's near the booth. Face completely blank, she doesn't seem like she's moving any time soon.
| >>265220
"....Yes."
>She sits down carefully, placing her parasol on the side of the booth.
"Hello."
| >>265256
>She tilts her head,face expressionless.
"I'll be sure to remember that next time. Did you enjoy my last puzzle?"
| >>265271
"Well it was certainly trickier than the last couple of ones that's for sure, are they like a hobby?"
>>265275
>CN waves back at Aquarius
| >>265301
>soon Douglas McScot makes his way over with his machinegun leg clinking against the faux wood floor.
"Aye. What can I get ye both?"
| >>265301
"Aren't you mysterious..."
>>265302
"Oh I'll have the crab legs with a Sugar Rush please."
| >>265310
"Seawater is generally not recommended for consumption due to it's high quantity of salt."
| >>265319
"But wouldn't the rate of your customers decrease due to overall dehydration and the unsavory choice of refreshment?"
| >>265323
"I-Ive just met her in person..."
>He sighs and turns towards Isabatha
"He was just being sarcastic I'm pretty sure."
| >>265324
>Isabatha looks towards CN, then back to the man, face blank.
"Oh. I see."
>She looks down to the table.
"Just normal water, please."
| >>265364
"Well I suppose so but that's not universally true, ultimately not everyone ends up learning how the people they talk to online look like after all."
| >soon he comes back with the giant crablegs and a sugar rush and a glass of water with a straw
>he places them down on the respective sides of the table.
| >he nods and goes to wait on other customers
| >>265381
"Okay well then is the reason you wanted to meet the 'universal' reason or something else?"
| >>265412
"Just kind of used to it being some start of a conspiracy of something given how this city works, things aren't usually as simple as a meet and greet."
| >>265415
>Isabatha pauses.
"...Sometimes things are simple. Sometimes things are not. In this case, this one is simple."
| >>265434
"...Only a few blemishes here and there. You are very young, and your skin looks very....squishy."
| >>265442
"I am not transfixed with the elasticity - just more so remembering your face. You seem to be very popular on that site."
| >>265448
"I am thinking of...gaining a 'hobby'. I'm alone in my room quite a bit. It gets lonely sometimes."
| >>265467
>She tilts her head slightly.
"A hacker by trade? That's interesting. I also sometimes hack occasionally, but I am most suited to editing and creating programs. Along with many other things."
|
| >>265475
"Nothing you've seen on the market, most likely. People contact me when they want something specific to be built for them."
| (tfw irl means you can't post all day)
>At this point, Zee has snagged a drink at the bar and hears CN and Isabatha talking over the din of the restaurant. She slips a credstick onto the bar and wanders over to their table.
"You two are both into code, huh? World's a small place, I guess."
>She gives them a charming smile.
"Got space in your booth for another hacker girl~?"
| >>265493
"I see... I mostly just code for myself to be honest, since I'm for the most part self taught."
>>265497
"Well I don't mind particularly but its up to Isabatha I suppose."
| >>265522
"Ya'know, you'd be so much cuter if you learned to smile more!"
>Zee pouted at Isabatha as she plopped down next to CN.
"So you're the famous chicken nanny, huh?"
>She leans in rather close to him, but avoids actually pressing up against him.
| >>265541
>Zee giggles a bit at CN's carefully neutral expression.
"Relax, buddy, get a drink. No need to be so stiff."
>She leans back into the booth, turning back to the girl.
"So, I hear you're in need of a hobby?"
>She asks casually, eyeing Isabatha's outfit.
| >>265578
"...Something just to pass the time, yes."
>Isabatha stares intently at Zee, face never breaking from her blank facade.
| >>265578
"Yeah, yeah..."
>He states, drinking his Sugar Rush
>>265587
"Trying to memorize their face as well?"
| >>265587
>Zee takes a swig of her drink, which seems to have changed colors since she set it down.
"You ever consider cosplaying?"
>She asks, waving her gloved hand carelessly at Isabatha's outfit.
"Bonus points if you made that yourself."
| >>265593
"Cosplaying? As in dressing up as fictional characters for fun?"
>She turns away, perhaps in thought? It's hard to tell.
"....No, I haven't considered. I don't have a lot of time to do leisurely things."
| >>265597
>>265607
"I apologize, how I spoke must have made an implication that I do have free time - I shall clarify. I have roughly 32 minutes of free time every two days."
| "She could probably pull off a Jullianne cosplay from that show. Souldn't take too much work!"
>you all hear Aquarius say from the middle of her bar
| >>265611
"That's not much time for a hobby... hmm... unless you do something simple like play video games. Jeez you really do have a tight schedule"
| "Nevermind!"
| >>265620
>Isabatha nods.
"Yes - my internal components would overheat in a matter of seconds if I try to multi-task for too long."
>>>265541
>She looks over to CN
"I decided to use my 32 minutes to introduce myself to CN. He cracked a few of my puzzles. It was fun."
| >>265626
>Zee snaps her fingers.
"Ah! So you're the one who posted those puzzles for CN. Isabatha, was it?"
>Zee lets the foreign name roll off her tongue before introducing herself properly.
"What exactly do you mean by 'overheat?'"
>Zee imagines the girl's cute, pink hair burning slowly towards her head like a fuse.
| >>265773
"Yes. I found the site by happenstance. By overheat I mean that my central processor would be running too quickly to try and handle all the incoming data I receive. It is an unpleasant feeling."
| >>266639
>Zee scratches her head.
"Maybe it's some kind of neural augment?"
>>266591
"Are you able to interface directly with the net?"
| >>266639 >>266651
>Isabatha...seems confused, as confused as an expressionless face could convey.
"...I apologize. Is it not apparent that I am a lilim?"
| >>266760
"I am very special, I am told. I run a multitude of programs and many other things...I apologize - I made it seem that I can do only one or two things at a time. Let me clarify. Things such a socializing is not my strong suit as I am continuously running through algorithms and the like."
| >>266786
"Feels like that's becoming more common lately with how mainstream lilim have become in GC."
| >>266788
>Isabatha tilts her head.
"Common in unique lilims or not connecting to the collective unconscious?"
| "I guess Lilim just keep getting more and more lifelike all the time. Even your skin seems like a more natural pale color than the usual white."
>Zee signals the bar for another drink.
| >>266834
"I suppose yeah, even so we've kind of gotten off topic. Well what kinds of things do you like Isabatha?"
| >>266848
>Isabatha goes quiet.
"Things I like? ....I like cute things. I also like the color pink. I like soft things too. What do you both like?"
| >>266854
"I usually like video games and stuff, nothing to special. Hmm... well if you like cute things, why not become a collector?"
| >>266854
>Zee raises her nearly empty glass.
"I like good alcohol and cute boys."
>She giggles.
"Maybe you could collect plushies. Those are soft and come in pink."
| >>266886 >>266870
"Collecting things? Hm...."
>Isabatha looks down.
"...That doesn't seem like a bad idea. I do enjoy things that are soft and pink...I could easily plushies online as well..."
| >>266889
"Yea you can get a bunch during your free time or just admire the ones you bought, simple as that."
| "They're also pretty easy to find online. I bet you could scour the net for some pretty rare finds too."
>Zee chimes in.
| >>266905 >>266898
>It's very small - incredibly so, but you could almost swear the ends of her lips twitched upwards.
"Thank you. I think collecting is a good hobby for someone like me to have."
| "Bonus points if they're pink?"
| >>266967 >>266977
>Isabatha nods her head.
"Yes. Cute, fluffy, pink sheep."
>Suddenly, she goes to look at the door.
"....It appears that my time is up."
>She carefully shimmies out of the booth, mindful of her dress, and grabs her parasol.
"Thank you for meeting me here today, CN. It was a pleasure to meet you as well, Zee."
| >Zee waves cheerily.
"It was nice meeting you too! I'll see you around. Hopefully not on the business side of things."
>She chuckles.
"If I find anything interesting, I promise I'll DM you a link."
>Zee adds with a wink.
| >>266991
"Even while the probability for us meeting again is very low, it would be nice if we could."
>>266998
"Yes. When I have free time."
>She begins to walk away when she stops.
"Oh. I almost forgot."
>She looks over her shoulder to CN
"Please say 'hello' to Iroha and Markus for me, please."
>With a small wave, she leaves.
| >>267005
"Hm?"
>Isabatha slows down, eventually coming to a halt.
"Oh. I'm sorry. Did I forget to pay for the water?"
| >>267011
>Isabatha is quiet for a moment.
"I know Markus and Iroha because I have met them before. Someone told me you knew them."
| >>267024
>Isabatha looks as if she's having trouble answering.
"You...will never meet this person."
| >>267036
>Isabatha looks as if she wants to answer, her mouth slowly opening, then closing.
"S..."
>Her grip on her parasol tightens.
| >>267056
>Isabatha opened her eyes.
"That was a very good guess. Correct."
>Isabatha looks towards the door once more.
"I apologize, but I really must go now."
| >>267063
"But I thought he was..."
>He looks down as he thinks
"Huh? O-Oh right... I still need to pay as well..."
| >By the time CN has made his way back into the restaurant, he finds that Zee has already foot the bill.
"Quite rude of you to barge past a girl like that, no?"
>She raises a hand before he has a chance to respond.
"Don't worry about the bill; you don't owe me anything. Call it payment for giving me an audience with such a renowned decker."
Brushing past him, she waves her hand casually.
"I hope you find what you're looking for, geekboy..."
| (forgot the >REEEEEE)
| >>267109
"Huh? Oh yea... still I'd feel bad about the bill so I'll make it up sometime if we meet again."
| >>267515
"Have it your way, then."
>She calls back, without turning around. With that, Zee takes her leave.
| >Jósef kept silent for awhile. He drank his beer slowly, throwing glances at the people moving around the restaurant, spotting a couple familiar faces. It took him a bit, but eventually he finished his drink and turned to Aquarius.
"I understand if neither you or Jones trust me after the whole Five Minutes War, but this time I genuenly wish to help. I am a doctor, damn good one. I think we both know about a certain someone who could use some medical treatment right now."
| >He put a piece of paper on the table in front of the girl.
"That's my phone number. Call me if you need my help. Thanks for the beer."
>Grumpy man turned away from the counter and went for the exit, taking out a small handkerchief from one of his pocket. He used it to wipe his lips, leaving a big stain of blood on the fabric.
>Jósef went through the door and vanished into the crowd.
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| >On the side of one of the many streets in West Port stands a particularly weird building. Big wooden restaurant with a weird, huge, stupid-looking blue fish figure on top. Time being lunch time, only a few tables were still empty, and smell of fish from all the orders was particulary strong.
>A short, grey-haired man in grey suit entered the hall. His stern, deeply wrinkled face was more grumpy than usual, and he seemed to be looking for something.