crescentview | CATCHALL ✧ NEWLY INITIATED.

[ John Steinbeck continues to be our only bachelor farmer.

He steps in after. He likes this cafe, so he's spent some time in it. Not an impressive amount, but enough to be familiar. ]

I think I'll just get a coffee. What are you feeling?

( May his grapes save us all... )

I think I'll get a coffee, as well. I've never had one, but I've been curious about the idea of it since you mentioned it. It seems to be a drink?

( One of many, according to the menu. Hmmm... )

Let's see... There's the ice cream... Perhaps a sugar-dusted crêpe? Fruit danish? Cheesecake? Ah, and a chocolate croissant? Not a clue what they are, but they all sound appealing.

( He's clearly just reading off the dessert corner. He seems to be pretty relaxed, but there's no doubt he's incredibly enthused about this entire portion of the menu. )

Well, that's quite a few things, but I'm confident I'll be able to manage. I wouldn't mind sharing, if any of them strike your fancy.

( He's gonna put in his order, yayyyy )

Edited 2023-01-06 08:18 (UTC)

It is, but -- do you like bitter things? Coffee is pretty bitter on its own. We can make it sweeter with milk and sugar, or cream, if it turns out you don't like it.

[ Ryuki blinks slowly as Mishka goes through the list on the menu, seemingly enthused to try everything. It's pretty endearing, and he has an easy smile on his face. It's simple, and it's down-to-earth. Stress-free! ]

Yeah, would be happy to split a pastry with you. You can take some home with you and just eat it later, if you want.

[ He'll also get them both waters... not the best pastry companion, but hey. Drinking liquids is good. ]

Oh? Well, well. I'll brace myself, but I expect I'll want a sweetener soon enough.

( He appreciates the heads up! How novel all this is... )

I'd like that; I don't think I've eaten with another for some time. I certainly hope your line of work before coming here wasn't so solitary as mine.

( Sitting down to have a meal with someone is, at least, one thing he can say he has done before - albeit, not in a nice establishment like this, but still. He won't like to admit it, given how vulnerable a person is when they're eating, but he's taken a liking to it.

When their drinks and desserts are ready, he takes up the tray and plates. It's all so convenient... So efficient... And the pastries look so charming ?? )

These are so... How should I put it - adorable? The distribution of their design seems inefficient to their purpose, and yet, visually effective...

( sry he became a commentator in a cooking manga for a sec )

I'm a police detective, with the Tokyo MPD. Though I haven't done anything big in a while...

But I've got a partner, so I'm never alone. Not anymore. We're kind of inseparable.

[ What nice cafe food! Ryuki likes small shops, so this is nice already. Especially being able to enjoy it with someone who seems enthusiastic. ]

They say you eat with your eyes, first.

[ "Hell yeah they do." ]

Oh? Is that a sort of law enforcement; civil servant? ( Half of that title is gibberish to him, but he's working with context clues. ) That must be a dangerous job, if so... All the more important to have someone reliable at your side. You can't trust others much in my line of work.

( He offers Ryuki an ice cream spoon once they're all settled! All the desserts are incredibly tempting, but this one is actively melting. )

You know, I can't deny that. I'd often eaten in a perfunctory style, but this is one of the rare few times I've been eager to eat.

( The power of presentation! He digs his spoon into the ice cream, taking up a respectable spoonful, and, )

( See, he'd expected cold, but not brain freeze. Ah !!!!!! >< !!!!!!! )

Well, that, was not an affliction I expected a food to give me.

( But it was so sweet though??? He presses his free palm to his forehead to soothe his head. He can feel the insects getting wriggly between the liquid sugar and overbearing cold. )

Yeah. Law enforcement.

[ He fiddles with his coffee cup quietly at the latter half, not responding to that. Dangerous...

Oh! Spoon for him. He snaps out of it, accepting it with a slightly sheepish smile. Tuning back in just in time to see Mishka SUFFER...... ]

Ah -- maybe slow down a bit on the eating?

[ Ahaha, he pushes the other warm coffee over to him as an offering. And also pushes forward the little ceramic of milk and glass container of sugar cubes while he's at it. ]

Here, maybe this will make it better. It's hot, though, so careful.

( SIPS AS SUGGESTED, paced, and he makes a >< face - honestly, not as bad as it could've been since he only drank a little, but still. )

Ah, it's exactly as bitter as was promised...

( He was immune to the adverse effects of polluted food and water, so he was pretty confident there wasn't a consumable he couldn't conquer... not so. Ice cream and coffee are worthy adversaries...

He sips it again, like he's just checking if maybe it'll be better the second time around... and he goes >< again,

Gonna pour in an excess amount of milk and pops a sugar cube into his mouth, )

You don't require sugar in yours? You're far mightier than I am, that's for sure.

It's not so bad! I just don't have much of a sweet tooth, is all. It's how my parents liked it, so it's just what stuck for me...

[ Which means Mishka is free to all the milk and sugar he wants for his drink. Though, he didn't expect the cube to be eaten straight on. That's pretty funny. ]

You're meant to dissolve the cube in the coffee, but that's also one way to do it.

[ He sips on his own coffee in minute mouthfuls. ]

( He doesn't seem to mind that Ryuki finds amusement in his shenanigans - if anything, he seems pretty happy to just vibe with someone while he fumbles through these basic things. )

Oh? This is charmingly complex.

( Dropping a plural number of cubes into his milked-out coffee, stirring gently. )

Were you close to your parents?

( Very tentatively taking another sip... Yes !! Seems very pleased with the result. )

[ This is so sweet. Its simple on such a molecular level that it eases his mind.

Things are too complex, these days. Layers and layers where each one is a mental, psychological, moral labyrinth.

He holds onto his coffee, even though its warm outside, his palms subtly burning as he tries not to grimace. ]

Yeah. I was. For what I can remember of them, at least.

Oh, are they not with you anymore? My apologies.

( That's pretty normal in Ostoya, but he can still be polite about it. Hurt is the same, no matter how used to it you come to be.

He takes a less ambitious spoonful of ice cream this time around, once more pleased with the result. What's better than this... Creamy liquid sugar... )

I don't recall mine at all, I think. My siblings and I were taken in by the church when we were quite young... Ah, that was awhile go, now. Time passes quick.

No, haven't been for a while. We were pretty young when it happened.

[ Mishka did say this was shared, right? He tentatively takes a fork to the cheesecake. This sounds like a metaphor but it's real. He perks up at the conversation. ]

You have siblings?

( wow ryuki... this is a sfw game... jk, Mishka seems pretty pleased Ryuki is indulging, so safe to say he considers everything on the table shared. )

Ah, I did.

( Hmm, let's see, how do we not make this topic too heavy... )

They're no longer with me, unfortunately, but... I do have someone who's a little bit like a student, a little bit like a brother, so... I suppose, in some vicarious way, I have one. Do you have siblings of your own?

[ He got sexiled. This game stopped being sfw for him a bit ago.

He's eating the bit of cheesecake quietly, looking down at the glass container of sugar cubes. Tama is having fun by trying her best to zoom in on a cube, but frustrated as she can't get his vision to function. He should look into getting some of that fixed, if for Tama's sake...

He empathises with Mishka. ]

I... did. Twin brother, actually.

Ah, that must have been much harder. Mine were all just younger. Was it an accident?

( He was never a twin, but he's heard things and seen things. Losing his siblings was in itself an affair - losing a mirror of the self seemed a different genre of difficulty. )

Ah, you don't have to answer if you wouldn't like. It's much more common for my people to talk of these things, but I haven't much certainty that's the case here.

( He takes his fork to slice off a bit of the cheesecake, tasting it for himself. A fan, he cuts off as lightly larger slice. )

N-no, no. It's fine. It was... years ago.

[ Still playing with his mug of coffee, no longer wearing. Just numbly hot. ]

Yeah, it was an accident. We were eighteen, and... my brother was the one, who wanted to be a police officer, actually. He wanted to be able to help others.

We saw a robber fleeing a store, and he took off to go catch him. Right out into the street... in front of a truck.

[ Shit's fucked up. The image of him dissociating a bit while Mishka just enjoys a nice cake is very funny. ]

I don't think I'll ever get to be half the guy he was. [ Badumtss... ] But I couldn't imagine not at least trying.

( What can he say, dessert good. Crêpe slice time.

It's easy enough to infer the gravity of the scenario even if he doesn't know what a truck is - the point is, the creature killed him, and there was a personal tragedy to that. One of thousands of tragedies in an indifferent universe, but still formative. )

You've done well for yourself, haven't you? It sounds as if you have, at least. I think it's worth finding proud in that. It may not be wrong, either, to think he might be proud, too.

( Assuming souls of the deceased aren't probably damned in Ryuki's home, which would be quite unfortunate, but also, samesies. He lets his coffee come to rest at his lips, contemplative. )

Do you think you can forgive criminals, after what happened?

[ The universe is vast and indifferent to the plight of a singular. But if that singular could find the intersection, and become a frayer, then anyone could...

But probably not him. He swallows down the regret and guilt from buried memories down his chest with bitter coffee, and wishes it stung more. He chooses not to broach the first set of comforting answers Mishka offers -- it's better to let it be. ]

No. Of course not... how could I? I can't stand... no, I hate all evil, in this world.

But I can't do anything about it...

That's a good attitude to have. It's important to have strong convictions.

( He munches a bit of chocolate croissant. )

Have you ever killed a person before?

[ ... ]

...No... I haven't. Why would I do that? I'm supposed to stop killers. Not be one.

( He laughs a little. )

Such is the law in my home. Public executions are common.

( Rotating back to the ice cream! )

This might be the first time I've heard someone say they were against the deaths of those they hate.

Public... execution.

[ He makes a bit of a face at that. Yikes. He thought those were outlawed in most countries, but most is still only most. Capital punishment is still around, after all.

He glances down, tapping his fork on his plate. ]

I wouldn't be any better than them if I did the same, right? I'm not better than a robber if I steal his money.

( He can't help but grin a little at how the idea repels Ryuki. He's so used to jaded Ostoyans, it's quite fresh to see someone have such a contrary reaction. )

Some believe they have the right to balance the scales. Bestowed by superior morality, they may be the sole judge, jury, and executioner in the face of perceived wrong.

( He digs his spoon into the ice cream, letting it linger there for a moment. )

If the question is whether your guilt would match the weight of his own should you mimic his crime, I'd say I can't say.

( He knows it was largely a rhetorical question, but he has no strong opinion either way, really. He doesn't see the merit in quibbling over some global sense of morality. )

There are only things you feel are right, and things you feel are wrong, and the satisfaction you feel from following your tenants. I simply respect those who follow what they believe with sincerity.

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