In the early morning hours, a little black cat Neko was on his way to get his morning cup of strong, dark coffee. Then it would be off to the bookstore to look for more blueprints for his latest ideas. It was a repetitive schedule, but Ru Zhi didn't seem to mind the droll. After all, even when he wasn't studying the ideas of others to glean inspiration for his own inventions, there was always something different to read about. As long as it had pages and words, it was worth reading to him. As he came to the top of the bridge in the center of town he stopped for a minute to clean his glasses with a hanky and admire the crystal clear water running through the stream below. He was quiet but contented, his tail wavering back and forth in a gesture of pure happiness. 

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On the other side of the village, a badly damaged biplane had been rolled over into a dark corner underneath a tree. Tools and machine parts where scattered about haphazardly, along with a few dwindling, precious cans of soda. Preston was passed out in the cockpit, twisted up and looking exhausted. After a while, he stirred and yawned, and then frowned when he remembered where he was. The day before had been another long day of struggling to make the repairs he needed to get airborne again. When he first came here the strange cat-eared people hadn't alarmed him too much, nor had the odd black and red gemstone he'd found shortly after the crash. After all, he'd seen plenty of weirder things in his life. Still, he didn't have any intention of sticking around, although he was starting feel like he didn't have a choice in the matter.