"Ah jeez, how lame can I get?? Not only did I mess things up with Scarlet but now I'm hitting up a stranger's first hot springs visit and she goes and tells me [i]that![/i] Ahhhhhhhhh, this is so far away from cool it's not even funny!"

Spikes clutches her head in her hands and messes with her hair in an act of raw frustration. Amazingly, this technique is so practiced that despite the erratic motions of her fingers she only manages to mess up her hair in a 'cool' way - that is to say, the messy sort of 'yeah I woke up like this' mop that you very very [i]definitely[/i] use a wet brush in the morning to make happen on purpose. But carefully, carefully! S'gotta look like an accident. But she's just done it here, possibly by actual accident. 

She is trembling in her disgust with herself.

"I'm real sorry, lady. You've clearly been through it and here I am dragging you into my nonsense. I'll be fine, don't worry about it. Me 'n Scar go through spats like this all the time, I'll owe her dinner, we'll get past it. Though maybe I need a break. Feel like I'm losing sight of... argh, stop it, she doesn't need your backstory, man!"

Spikes takes a breath before going in for a friendly fistbump. She changes her mind and the gesture turns into an invitation for a high five before Dyssia can do anything about it, then a very timid handshake, before finally melting into a sad and sorry excuse for a thumbs up. She covers it up with a cheesy grin that does not hide the flush of her cheeks at all. She is not, uh, doing well at the moment. But it's not your problem Dyssie, don't worry about it~

"My name's, uh, well you can [i]call[/i] me Violet. S'not my real name but what mom and dad thought was a cool thing to call their daughter's between me and them, so like, yeah. Anyway I know I'm butting in but you sound like you're really in the middle of it with something and, uh, yeah. Maybe I can help? Or I can just... get out of your way. If talking to the wall'd be more helpful and all."

Violet is already standing, half out of the water but turned in your direction with a hopeful look in her eyes. It could be a chance encounter with nobody, or you might have met a new friend. But it's not like Violet's the only person with an opinion on water, so you do you Dyssie.

*****

Kat grins a little fox grin and deftly lifts her own egg out of her bowl with her spoon. She blows on it once. And then twice. And then if you can believe this she blows on it a third time! Like phewwww, phewww, phewie! So amazing!!

She brings the spoon up to her lips, mouth opening wide to show off her darling foxy teeth, and pops the whole thing in her mouth in one go. Her attempt at a smug look is immediately thwarted when her eyes flutter shut in ecstasy. She has (of course!) already finished her vegetables and noodles! There's an order to this stuff and it just doesn't do to ignore it. With a final flourish, she picks up her bowl and drains the broth in a series of long but equally dainty gulps. If a gulp can in fact be dainty, [i]which it can![/i] It can if you [i]believe[/i], ok?

She sets down her finished meal, first finished as she is first cutie'd, and leans on one elbow against the bar to watch Dolce work his way through his own.

"Y'know Shana, I think--"

"Yes, I prefer this new one as well. He is quiet, which suits the temperament of my current position better than my current customer. You may leave, Katherine. It is not necessary for you to darken my doorstep any longer."

"Suits your," sputters Kat (ignoring the jab), "Shana you're thinking about killing him! You're imagining all the ways to explode him [i]right now![/i]"

Shana cocks her head to one side, possibly trying to peer a the pair of them from underneath her blindfold. She picks up her knife and very serenely wipes it clean before placing it on a hook behind her with a clean toss that she does not bother to turn around for. Or aim. She smiles. Which is to say her lips make the [i]shape[/i] of a smile. It's maybe more accurate to say she doesn't frown.

"Hm. And if I am? What then, fox?"

"Shana, Shana, [i]Shana[/i] we've been over this! If people come here to eat you can't just duel them unless they ask you to! You're never gonna get any repeat customers if you keep tryin'a slice 'em in half!"

"Ramen is its own reward, Katherine. It merely requires a sharp enough blade that I do not fall behind the demands of my craft. What use have I for patrons that cannot serve as my whetstone?"

"She's, uh, kidding buddy. Ok? Don't worry about it. That Shana, always tellin' jokes hahahaha... ha."

Kat's hand drops down to the sword at her hip. And this is perhaps the best proof that Shana cannot see anything through her bindings, because if the woman who had made this revengeoriffic ramen had put eyes to that kind of gesture she would surely have pounced over her own bar counter and started brawling. It would be madness and chaos and deep, edgy laughter. Just an endless string of teleporting behind someone with a quick 'heh' and a 'nothing personnel'. And Kat would counter, and there would be counter-counters, and maybe counter-counter-counters on top of that, to say nothing of the counter, which would of course still be there holding a mysterious space sheep's lunch across the whole thing. 

But none of that happens at all. Shana does not even tense in response, but merely shrugs her shoulders and chuckles like a proud aunt.

"I was in fact quite famous for my sense of humor, once upon a time. But those days are behind me. If it is given to me to assist in a young woman's revenge then however much or little she deserves it I will of course lend my full assistance. I trust you are not satisfied with just this, Katherine? Be certain to carry out the thing to the end, lest the flames consume you instead, mmhmhmhm."

"Oh natch! Don't you worry about a thing, I've got him dancing in the palm of my hand! Isn't that right, buddy?"

Heh. Heh heh heh! Heh, even! You can pretend we're dueling as equals all you want, Dolce. But after this? After this we're going to the [i]arcade![/i] The arcade, Dolce! You're gonna get revenged so hard there won't be anything left of the spiky mess masquerading as a cloud who betrayed me so in front of the Supreme Ruler. 

Not after... video games! Nyehehehehe~!

*****

Bella's heartbeat is strong and steady, even after several duels and a series of increasingly passionate dances where she gave herself wholly over to love. Her body is firm and solid to the point where it is once again possible to believe the myth of her invincibility. But she is also soft, especially where Redana rests her head. 

Her fingers tease their way through her wife's hair, and deadly claws that can gouge quadronix plates here pick their way precisely through golden tangles without severing a single thread. Up, down, and through. Up, down, and through. Her whole being relaxes into this soothing gesture, for once without pretending to do it in the name of making her princess presentable, or for any other reason other than that she is with the woman that she loves, and it is a good thing to touch someone that special in this way. 

Yue watches the whole thing with undisguised awe. She is constantly tapping Chen on the shoulder and pointing to the pair of them with little nods like, "look, look, look, look at this! Look at [i]this![/i] Isn't it the most precious and beautiful thing you've ever seen!?!?"

When Bella wraps her arms around Redana and leans in to breathe in her wife's scent, it sends Yue over the edge. Her hands cup her mouth to muffle (poorly) her squeaks and her goshies.

And it is a very long moment before anything else happens. And this is just fine, isn't it? There's no reason to rush at all.

"I had been planning on leaving this place as soon as I could. It's obvious to anyone with eyes that I don't belong here. Even if my ship's unfixable I figured fuck it, there's a space elevator not too far from here. And I know there's an old shipyard just a few planets down. If I held my breath I'd make it that far, and from there... it's not like it's my first time putting one together myself. I'm sure Dany would like another adventure. Just as long as it wasn't [i]here[/i]."

She looks at her wife and smiles, fresh as dew and softer than sunrise. And then she lifts her arm and flashes her claws at Chen and Yue, mouth twisting into a horrible, toothy smile.

"But after meeting you two little cretins, I've changed my mind. I am going to stay right here. And I'm going to find myself a teacher and learn this qi-whatever-the-fuck for myself, and I'm not going to stop until I beat both of your asses senseless. You don't mind, do you Redana? It sounds kind of nice to me: having some place to come back to."