Shuyi was pleasantly surprised when her wandering thoughts were interrupted by a cute “meow” and finding the cat that was on the young man’s shoulder had sat down in front of her. The swaying of its tail caught her attention. While the dissonance between the cat’s polite attitude and the connotation of a wagging tail drifted across her mind, it was quickly replaced by how cute and fluffy the cat was. While petting the soft blue fur on and off, she talked to the cat in a voice just above a whisper. [color=bd2600]“Hello there, little friend. Nice to meet you, I’m Shuyi. What’s your name? Well, I guess you can’t tell me that. I’ll have to ask your owner. Hopefully both me and your owner can stay for the job, and I can pet you every single day. Ooo~, you’re cold.”[/color] At this point, Shuyi has planted her face into the cat’s fur. [color=bd2600]“Hmmm~. Are you a variant species or a spirit? I mean, I don’t care either way, as long as you’re soft.”[/color] The nuzzling continued. 

Soon, an arrogant voice pulled Shuyi back to reality. Of course, it was the gnome. It was time for introductions, so Shuyi removed her face from the cat, and straightened herself out reluctantly. Her hand was still petting the cat on and off though. As she listened to gnome talk, well, now he has a name attached, she had to admit that he did have the right to be arrogant. Goods from Wilben’s café are delicacies sought after by many ladies-of-the-courts. After Wilben was Meeka, the other target of Shuyi’s lust for softness. [color=bd2600][i]Her personality’s as soft as how she looks! Would her father be as soft as she is?[/i][/color] The oni went next, along with her spirit. [color=bd2600][i]More fluffies![/i][/color] Eshima’s skillsets intrigued Shuyi. Not only were they diverse, they also included knowledge on plants. Shuyi was delighted to find someone with a common interest.

A Greater Beastfolk interrupted the introductions and turned everyone’s attention to the young man. Although Shuyi was happy to see another fluffy joining the group, she grew up in a culture where close contact with the opposite sex was frowned upon, especially for females. Her pale cheeks showed a shade of pink as she remembered the encounter with a certain... well, person. Yuuris spoke of fighting, but Shuyi hoped that it wouldn’t happen that often. She knew that it was inevitable for this quest, but, as someone who had zero fighting skills, it was a situation she’d like to avoid. At least, many in this group seemed capable.

After a short silence in the room, Shuyi decided it was her turn to speak. She stood up from her seat, while picking up the cat. [color=bd2600]“My name is Shuyi Zheng. I am an apprentice of the Imperial Kitchens of Xin Lu. I am well-trained in the basic cooking techniques and specializes in working with plant materials. I also do research with plants, mostly for the purpose of cooking, but occasionally I get results that are better suited for other purposes. This cat here,”[/color] motioning to the bundle of fur in her arms, [color=bd2600]“appears to be the pet of Mr. Yuuris. Nice to make acquaintances with you all.”[/color] With a small bow, she sat back down. Even if she disliked acting formal, it was trained into her.