Cafe du Harpe Stellar

[onemorebounty]

*On the fringe of the forum district of the Nexus, a small sidewalk cafe abuts the green space, its sign a cup of coffee whose steam twines through the strings of a harp that also seems to have caught several stars. The service is brisk, but it's almost always possible to find a table. There are even times, like now, when it's fairly quiet. Samus claims a chair and invites Verity to do the same.*

Comments

[brave_heart_verity]

Verity sits after giving the sign a looking-over, then gives her new friend a questioning look. "Harp of the stars? The coffee must be really good."

[onemorebounty]

Harps are apparently significant on Toril. And yes, the coffee is good--ah, they call it kaffet, about half the time.

*A server approaches, curling horns freshly waxed, with an expression of polite inquiry.*

[brave_heart_verity]

The server gets a smile that almost doesn't hesitate. "A glass of red wine, please, and... some kind of cheese-based appetizer?" She doesn't know, she hasn't seen a menu yet.

[onemorebounty]

A cup of akh, hot, and a plate of the grillons cabine. And leave a menu, it's her first time here.

*The server makes notes, nods, and presents Verity with a menu before clopping off to get their drinks.*

[brave_heart_verity]

She's going to be wondering what Samus just ordered. Does the menu explain?

"...was that a satyr?"

[onemorebounty]

Probably. Might've been a bariaur.

*The menu describes the dish as "cabin crickets," and goes on to describe how they've been lovingly seasoned and gently toasted, served on a plate of some kind of leaves.*

[brave_heart_verity]

Okay then. She did mention bird people raised her.

"I don't know what that is... I have a lot of reading to do, don't I?"

[onemorebounty]

*But does she crow at sunrise?*

From what I understand, it's basically a satyr from one of some universe's good afterlives. Might be what satyrs in that Facet become after they die, I don't know.

*Her tone is wry, relaxed. For all she knows, she can still admit ignorance. It's meant to be like reassurance.*

[brave_heart_verity]

There're only two ways to find out and she's not particularly interested in either of them at this time.

"Satyr angels. Huh." It is reassuring to know Samus doesn't know everything.

Hmm, menu menu, what to have?

[onemorebounty]

*Samus lets her peruse the menu in peace. While she does, their drinks arrive--hot akh smells like cinnamon and caramel and baking bread. The cabin crickets are plump and brown, with a dusting of powdered sugar, each impaled on a little skewer for ease of dining. Verity's been brought her wine and a croissant with some soft cheese and slices of apple.*

[brave_heart_verity]

Ooh, perfect. She'll spread some of the cheese on an apple slice. Although she's eyeing Samus' drink. "That smells really good." The crickets get a somewhat more cautious look.

[onemorebounty]

It's like drinking a cinnamon roll. Would you like a cup?

*Samus will be having a cricket like they're just delicious. Crunch, crunch, mmm.*

[brave_heart_verity]

"I didn't know drinking cinnamon rolls was an option," she admits. "I will definitely want a cup when I finish my wine."

She's going to be trying not to watch the cricket-eating.

"So... the places you mentioned, where the cuisine here is from?"

[onemorebounty]

*The desire for a drinkable cinnamon roll gets a knowing smile and a nod.*

Which, Toril, or Avuk'gaard? Earth, I think you know.

[brave_heart_verity]

"Yeah, those. Toril and Ave, Avook," hang on she'll get there, "Avuk Gaard? Where are they?"

[onemorebounty]

Toril's a continent on a world with magic--elves, wizards, dragons, that sort of thing. Avuk'gaard is a late Carbon Age planet working on fleshing out the infrastructure between their offworld colonies. Better spacer food than most.

[brave_heart_verity]

"That's... diverse."

[onemorebounty]

That's the Nexus.

[brave_heart_verity]

"Right. Must be a heck of a story behind it though. Think they'll tell me someday?"

[onemorebounty]

Probably, if you hang around often enough. But I promised you a story, didn't I?

[brave_heart_verity]

"When you're ready." She's trying to be better about these social things.

[onemorebounty]

*Samus crunches another cricket.*

I'm ready, now I've got something in front of me. This started when three other Hunters and I were exposed to some... exotic radiation, as part of a mission. The radiation comes from something that's part mineral, part life-form. It infects ecosystems, plants, animals, gradually twists everything around itself--and now we had some growing in each of us. Of course, in the Federation's eyes, this was brilliant: our bodies were self-producing a hard-to-refine, high-energy isotope. We could power our guns with our blood!

*She rolls her eyes in disgust, sighing, before she has another cricket and a sip of akh.*

[brave_heart_verity]

Verity listens with her usual quiet attention, studying face and hands as much as tone and words. It's not a good story, but she wasn't expecting one.

"And then you started getting sick?"

[onemorebounty]

Hah! Sick, we could've dealt with. I wish we'd just gotten sick.

*Her hands flex around her cup, before she forces them to relax. Time for another cricket.*

I mentioned this stuff was part life-form? Well, it has a mind of its own, and when it's in you, it starts trying to influence you. We got hit, I woke up a month later with someone explaining to me how they'd given me a shiny new way to run my armor off of my blood, and could I please go see what had happened to the other three Hunters, who'd all been out of contact.

*She makes no attempt to hide the bitterness in her voice, or her disdain for the inability of Fleet Command to connect what she considered some pretty damn obvious dots.*

Oh, also, this stuff was poisoning three planets, could I do something about that if I wasn't too busy?

[brave_heart_verity]

"I'm sorry." It seems like not enough. What could be enough? "I hope... there weren't too many casualties?"