Kah’lad looks at the lump of bug for a moment before cutting a slice and eating it. He was expecting that it was going to be all awful and because it was a Pax meal it might taste of robot oil. However, he was pleasently surprised.
“Hmm…actually not bad…” he mumbled to himself. He continued to eat away at the slices of bug.
“Acutally, what kind of bug is it?” he asked Noi. The taste seemed to remind him of something but he was not able to figure out why. “And can someone explain the rumours I’ve been hearing of this fire breathing chicken. Some of the more religious recruits back home keep saying it is the spawn of Ne’valu (OOC: Dannistrian equivalent to the devil/satan). Anyone heard of it?”
Kah’lad took another chunk of bug and started munching away on it.
“Actually, it smells awesome. Do you mind if I try a bit?” she asked the Neko. “I’m Karen, by the way. First year here.” She sliced off a piece, and chewed thoughtfully. “Not only does it smell awesome, tastes the same way. What is it?” She looked at Kah’lad. “And what’s this about a fire-breathing chicken?”
“I’m not sure myself,” Kah’lad said between mouthfuls, “I thought it was my fellow cadets back home winding me up. But they keep insisting that one of the students has a fire breathing chicken as a pet. Other rumours I heard about it are that it is 50 feet tall and eats people for breakfast…”
An awkward silence followed. Kah’lad looked around.
“Well…that is what I heard…how should I know if it’s not true?”
He takes another bite off the bug thorax. He still wasn’t able to tell why it seemed so familiar. Nonetheless he continued eating.
Outside another taxi had shown up. Someone stepped out. It was a very attractive looking female. “Keep the change,” she said as she paid the fare. She swung a backpack over her shoulder and hauled a large holdall with her. As the taxi left she headed for the Admin building. She was wearing a Dannistrian Army officer cadet’s uniform, which looked like it was chosen to be a size smaller than needed to cause provocation, with a large officers cap over her head. When she reached the building she handed her papers to the receptionist. “Could you direct me to my room please?” the female officer cadet asked.
“Certainly Miss, just go out the building and to your right. That’s where the dormitories are.”
“Thank you,” said the mysterious female officer and left. She entered the dormitories and took the lift to the fourth floor. On leaving the lift, she turned towards her room, number 410. Hearing some commotion she stopped and instead turned towards the kitchenette and found several people in there and a strange smell lingering in the air. Suveying the crowd she spotted Kah’lad, who did at a double take at the female officers presence.
“Well, well, well…” she began, adjusting her cap with her free hand, “Hal’vo ho’mah’m, Kah’lad. Fancy meeting you here!”
Oh no… Kah’lad exclaimed.
OOC: Hope you don’t mind me adding a second character to the mix.
“Well, that would probably be Nei. Those things generally hail from the Loop regions.”
She swallows what was in her mouth.
“And this is a larval T’srian. It’s just a bug that we managed to harvest in the war on the frontier. They are quite nutrisious. Id prefer it if they didn’t tast so much like nuts, but what can I do. This is what I was provided.”
She crunches through the shell to get at the meaty center.
“It’s the nutty taste I love,” Karen replied, helping herself to another piece. “You’re welcome to some of my fruit if you’d like. I won’t offer you the bezel spread – it’s got a nutty taste as well. I met Nei and Jill earlier. So the fire-breathing chicken’s probably Nei’s?”
The female lieutenant (Her rank) stepped further into the kitchen.
“Well, hello everyone…” she deliberately spoke in a provocative manner, mostly to make Kah’lad squirm, “We having some sort of dinner party here?” She looked at the fried bug. “I think I’ll pass…” she said, “But I wouldn’t mind having some of you for a meal…” the lieutenant said in Dannistrian to Kah’lad.
“Knock it off already, I’ve already had enough of you back home,” Kah’lad said, pushing her away from his face, again speaking in Dannistrian so that no one else could understand.
“What a shame,” she continued. She turned to everyone else in the kitchenette.
“Thought I might say hello to everyone here. I’m Shelia or Sha’la as the Dannistrian transliteration goes. I’m the second of the Dannistrian exchange students sent here, along with…Kah’lad here.” the pause was noticible. “And you lot are?” she asked the others.
“Pleased to meet you Karen. You can call me Shelia if you like,” she removes her cap to reveal she has neko ears, which are just poking through her hair. Brushing some strands aside, she winks at Kah’lad, who simply mumbles some Dannistrian curses and continues eating the bug meat, trying to avoid her glances.
“My, my…you’ve changed alot since I last saw you, Kah’lad,” Sha’la said in a slightly teasing tone. Kah’lad ignored her. Sha’la giggled at his attempts at being aloof. “Last time I saw you, your hair was somewhat longer,” she said as she walked up to him and sat on the worktop beside him. Kah’lad, feeling less than impressed with Sha’la’s attempts at flirting, jumped off the worktop and walked off.
“I’ll return the plate when I’m finished!” he said and walked off to his room. He cringed as Sha’la blew a kiss after him.
“Hal’vo hav’nar! What is her problem? Why did they have to send her out here?” Kah’lad thought as he returned to room 440 and slammed the door shut.
Anna had never been in an onsen before, so she watched Nei’s actions and tried to pick up an understanding. She gave up after about ten seconds and just turned on a shower. Sorry, I’m not getting tongues involved here! She gave a sort of chirpish giggle at the thought and walked into the stream of hot water. “You know, this is like heaven to me, my entire country is about ten degrees, and then they stuck me on a fourteen-hour flight with all the air-conditioning you could cram onto an airliner.”
“that must be awful” replies the nekomim as she scrubs her ears and tail,
“I was born in Okayama, it is in the south, a bit warmer with mild winters, but it is nice,” she picks up Piyo and rinses his feathers off and scrubs his feet,
“I personally love the warm, this summer I was on a , , walkabout of sorts, and was up north, there was a little field in teh hills covered in small flowers, I stretched out and I think I slept there for a few hours, it was heavenly”
she rinses the little chicken off, “piyo just hunted insects,”
“Now that just sounds perfect. I’ve got to find that someday.” Anna set about cleaning off dust and a few stubborn bits of silk. “Don’t get me wrong, Kandarin has got to be the most beautiful country on earth. There certainly isn’t anywhere else like it. But there’s nothing like warm sunlight.”
“Hmph…typical of Kah’lad!” Sha’la sulked, “The poor boy still gets flustered when around me…” Sha’la stroked one of her ears repeatedly.
“If you don’t mind, I’ll be in my room,” she said in a sing-song manner and walked over to her room, 430. It was also marked as a single occupancy room, like Kah’lad’s. “Shame I can’t share a room with him…” thought Sha’la.
After spending several minutes unpacking, she decided to go to the Hot Spring for a quick soak in the hot spring. She had heard that Shiro had one and was looking forward to it. “It’s been a while since I was last in one,” thought Sha’la. Neating her har and ears, Sha’la left her room and took the lifts down to the spring. “Shame Kah’lad isn’t going with me,” she said to herself as she smiled at mischievous thoughts.
Carrying her toiletries and robe, she entered the showers and started singing as she washed.
Aleksandr walked into the small kitchen area, clicking his well-shined heels together as the other students ate. He stood for a brief moment at the entrance, as though about to salute. He instead spoke.
“May I ask what you are eating, comrades? I am rather hungry.”
“Is that witch of a nekomimi gone yet?” asked Kah’lad, who appeared unexpectedly behind Aleksandr. Kah’lad was referencing Sha’la. “Oh…hello…er…Aleksandr, is it? We are eating some form of Pax bug, I think.”
Kah’lad reached over to grab his fifth helping from the large pan.
“It’s actually pretty good…to me anyway. Want some?” he said through a full mouth…
“#kaze yo, Kiss me, kuchidzukete# #sora yo, Hold me, dakishimete# #sou itsudemo watashi-tachi wo mamotte# #kabe wo, Break down, koeru made# #yume wo, Touch down, tsukamu made# #sou shiawase ni naru tame ni umareta kara…#”
Sha’la continued singing several choruses of several anime songs. She may have been living in Dannistaan for some time, but her roots didn’t go away that easily. Although she did have some surgery to change the look of her cat ears to make them less imposing and had her tail docked, you could still tell where she was originally from. Finishing her shower, she made her way to the soaking spring.
Karen looked up with a smile. “Hi, Aleksandre. The bug truly is awesome, but if it doesn’t appeal, I’ve some bezel nut spread, crackers and fruit you’re welcome to, and perhaps these other three ‘gentlemen’ wouldn’t mind sharing whatever they’re having.”
“What’s with you and Sha’la, Kah’lad? Or is that a question I shouldn’t ask?” she added with a grin.
“I…I’d prefer you didn’t ask,” Kah’lad said, “Long story…”
His face started to blush heavily. He continued to eat more portions of bug, aware his cheeks were getting really warm and it was nothing to do with the food he was eating.
