2024-06-27: Line Law
- Log: 2024-06-27 Line Law
- Cast: Arianna Passerini, Miorine Rembran, Elan Ceres, Luanova Luckwright, Stella Loussier, Secelia Dote
- Where: Asticassia School of Technology
- OOC - IC Date: June 27, UC 0099 (2024)
- Summary: Arianna and her staff come by the Asticassia front every so often for various business. This time, that business includes a full public opening of Tempo Profundo, space Italian restaurant. Various students come to enjoy a meal with absolutely no drama whatsoever.
<Pose Tracker> Arianna Passerini has posed.
Acticassia strives to provide an excellent experience for students, visitors, and staff, and part of that is having novelty -- a sense that you are truly among the world. One of the ways this is done is by rotating events.
This event in particular takes place in an empty space, often host to festival grounds, farmer's markets, and even once in a while, weddings when love blooms among the hearts of graduating students. Today, most of the space is occupied by a spaceship - tech heads might recognized a refurbished Cosmo Robo -
But the real star is the canopy-enclosed and string-lit space where one might enjoy authentic cuisine rather than the trusted and true cafeteria. A wooden sign-board set on the pedestrian sidewalk and only occasionally knocked over by speeding Haroscooters is simple:
TEMPO PROFUNDO
ITALIAN CUISINE
& ESPRESSO
<=== THIS WAY
The counter is at the top of a cargo ramp, past several rows of the outdoor tables. The queue, at the moment, is minimal. The counter itself is manned on the 'DINNER' side by an East Indian woman of middle age and great chear, and on the 'ESPRESSO' side by an African-Britannian man with a cloth wrapped round his forehead.
MENU:
GNOCCHI PUTTANESCA (Vegan)
AUBERGINE PARMIGIANA (Vegetarian)
PICCATA AL LIMONE (Veal)
SPAGHETTI CON VONGOLE (Shellfish)
ESPRESSO - AEU REFRESCAS - BISCOTTI
(Underneath, in deft additional letters added to the chalkboard:) Your meal plan cards are accepted here.
<Pose Tracker> Miorine Rembran has posed.
When love blooms?
You mean when someone's no good lousy father decides that your hand in marriage belongs to whomever can pilot a mobile suit the best.
But Miorine's meta-narrator digresses.
Miorine is riding on a Haro scooter, and almost passes by the sign, but then abruptly, almost violently swings it around with a skid of tires.
The Haro Scooter leans to one side as she examines it, critically.
And then Miorine just hoists it onto the sidewalk, parking it, and shouldering her bag, as she moves up the ramp, to stand in line, once at the front - she asks the East Indian Woman.
"What kind of sauce do you use in your Gnocchi Puttanesca?"
It's perhaps asked a touch abruptly, but there's not that terse tension that usually surrounds anything Miorine Rembran inquires about.
No concept of confrontation.
She's actually genuinely curious. And no - she's no Vegan either.
"What about the Aubergine Parmigiana?"
For some reason... it's important to her to know the details.
... No she doesn't have allergies either.
<Pose Tracker> Elan Ceres has posed.
Elan Ceres was just here yesterday--but not in this particular spot. Indeed, when he is passing by after classes and Dueling Committee responsibilities, he pauses at the sight of the sign on the sidewalk and the refurbished Cosmo Robo. His yellow-green eyes travel from one to the other, his usual impassive mien a touch thoughtful. Then he turns and enters Tempo Profundo, passing under the string lights and opening the door with a soft touch. He pays the parked Haroscooter no mind.
The menu greets him, along with the two handling the counter on each side. Elan nods to them in acknowledgement, then regards the menu options for today while getting in line. The contemplativeness brings a touch more engagement to his pretty face; whether that enhances or detracts from it depends on what you're into.
But then a certain someone reaches the front of the line he's in, and it's a voice he knows. He focuses in on her, though there's no particular change in his expression--either at her in general or at her asking questions about the menu. He doesn't pay much mind to that; the sauce doesn't really matter to him. That's not why he came in here. But, since she is here...
"Miorine Rembran," he says in his usual soft voice, by way of greeting.
<Pose Tracker> Luanova Luckwright has posed.
Lua's seen that ship before. If the ship alone wasn't enough to recognize it, the signboard does the rest. It wasn't too long ago that she happened upon this 'pop-up cafe' in Orb. A nice surprise to see it come to her temporary backyard.
She quietly queues up behind Elan, quietly noting the presence of two of the students in business management ahead of her. She's wearing the uniform of the Asticassia University graduate school together with an expensive handbag, and in her hand a textbook - a physically printed book, a luxury usually exercised by the more fashionable or the more particular of the scions of Asticassia.
She leaves the younger students alone for now, and leans around instead to smile and wave hello at the cafe staff.
<Pose Tracker> Stella Loussier has posed.
"Hey! Watch it!"
Screeech! Clatterclatter.
"Crazy chick!"
Lost in her own world as per usual, Stella accidentally walks into the path of a random student on their scooter, causing them to swerve to try and avoid her and knock over the wooden sign-board. As was foretold.
Seemingly unphased by the near collision and the resulting comment, Stella seems drawn to the sign lying on its side. She crouches down to look at it closely, admiring its state of existence at a ninety degree angle to where it normally is. It's while admiring it that she notices something is written on it.
Stella tilts her head. She studies the text for a few moments, before raising finger to her cheek in thought and murmuring to herself, "Italian?" Does she like Italian cuisine? She can't recall...
Stella stands again, leaving the sign to its unnatural ninety degree existence and walks up the ramp towards the counter. She walks past all those in line, seemingly completely oblivious to it, and stops to stand at the counter for a few moments. She stares at the menu and the images, before pointing towards the one depicting the Piccata al Limone and saying, "That one. Stella wants to try it."
<Pose Tracker> Secelia Dote has posed.
Secelia, as always, keeps herself going along. Dueling Committee activities done and dusted (appropriately so, in contrast to that lax demeanor of hers), classwork properly organized and catalogued, the quick checks on the higher-ups in Burion Group properly placated and appeased, it's an open-book sort of evening. Hands laced behind the head, mentally ticking on things to do, people to prod, check up on Rouji's handiwork, see what the other Houses might have going on-
That's a spaceship. She can't exactly place which one off the top of her head...Cosmic? Cosmos? Casutic? Ask Rouji later. Still... "Hooooh..." One can't complain about Italian. How long's it been? A few months, minimum. The move in to adjust that sign, helping keep it upright against whatever nefarious bulldozer came its way. Honestly, whoever did this should've used a stake or something...
Up the ramp, fingers tapping against the back of her skull with the usual catty smile. A parked Haroscooter meant a few things, none of them negative. Up and up, opening the door...And staying silent. Ah, the stench of something is in the air. Call it the intuition of someone well aware of societal situations.
That, or being able to recognize the sight of Miorine and Elan. She'll just keep quiet for now, observe the situation, and just join the line.
"What do I want...spaghetti's good enough on its own, and..." A check of her phone. One espresso won't hurt, right?"
Queue: Set. Destination: Espresso. Stella's own entrance, however...
"Oi, girl in front! There's a line, you know!"
<Pose Tracker> Arianna Passerini has posed.
The woman, Sureti, answers Miorine. "The gnocchi is orthodox, potato and wheat dumplings. The sauce is tomato, olive oil, chili, capers, garlic, diced olive and fermented mushroom." She tilts her head forwards slightly to say, with conspiracy, "If I hadn't told you, you'd take it as anchovy. It's really something."
Another question. "Cutlets of eggplant, breaded, fried - it comes with some gnocchi too, but the sauce is a simple marinara. Tomato, onion, garlic, oregano and some other herbs, I would have to ask Rose exactly which--"
Elan steps forwards. Sureti lets herself fall quiet, perhaps sensing something she didn't wish to speak over.
Meanwhile, the guy at the Espresso side - Oscar - looks over and brightens up when he sees Luanova. He raises a hand and seems about to say something, when other things come together. Thoughtful, he still doesn't call out, but the vigorous wave turns into a slightly camp waggle of the fingers.
Sureti turns her head as Stella approaches. Stella has a decisive attitude, and Sureti nods, poking at the merchant tablet in front of her. "Wonderful. If you have your phone with you, just tap it on the pad and the waiter will bring it out soon." The tap-pad in question is next to the card-swipe device. (There's also a tip jar with some miscellaneous bills and coins in it, but these are students. They don't all have folding money, even if they are stacking that paper in spirit.)
Oscar's attention turns towards Secelia. "I think I heard you say Espresso," he says. "Single or double?" Maybe this is a way to distract from the violation of LINE LAW.
<Pose Tracker> Miorine Rembran has posed.
Sureti answers her, and Miorine keeps track, before nodding thoughtfully, "Hmmm. It must be challenging to source so many high quality ingredients for a small business here."
If indeed they are high quality, but perhaps that's why she was asking, "I'll take the Gnocchi. Do you offer to-go options? As I'll take an order of the Aubergine Parmigiana as well, for later."
Miorine turns fractionally, to look at Elan with a single grey eye. "Elan." She views him as the enemy even now. Even if he hasn't stanced himself to challenge Suletta, she feels it has to be coming. "Here for a meal? Or just for the novelty?"
Like all schemers at this school, he is perhaps waiting for the right time to strike.
But Stella walks right by her to the counter, and Miorine whirls around, "Hey, Space Case! What's your problem? I was at the front of the line!"
Granted, she's a little hesitant to antagonize her after what happened last time, but she's also not touching her.
And plus Secelia is joining in, so it feels like she can do it by rule of the two of them ganging up on them.
Without missing a beat, Miorine produces her phone pad, "I'm not sure she even knows how to use a phone." She grumbles before asking Sureti, "Do you have my order rung up yet?"
She seems more than ready to just reach over and tap ahead of Stella.
<Pose Tracker> Elan Ceres has posed.
Elan doesn't pay any mind to who's behind him--not until Stella strides up to the front, wholly eschewing the line, and puts in an order. That can't help but draw his eye, and so when Secelia yells at her about it, he glances behind himself, spotting not just her but Luanova.
And that's about it. They're minding their own business, and he does likewise, turning back around. Sureti doesn't seem to mind the line-cutting, so neither does he, though he doesn't try to imitate her. He listens to the explanations of the food, too, though it doesn't change what he'd decided he would order--or his purpose in addressing Miorine in the first place.
"For a meal," he replies. He pauses long enough for Miorine to also yell at Stella; then he continues, "Some time ago, we did a joint project together. When asked, I said I'd delegated the work to you and treated you like my subordinate." He bows shallowly with eyes shut, bangs and tassel earrings both dipping down. "That was callous of me. I apologize for the hurt I caused then."
Then he stands straight again and resumes waiting for his turn to order, paying no mind to the drama in front of him--or the drama his apology may be about to cause.
<Pose Tracker> Luanova Luckwright has posed.
"I've been here before with somebody who's very into cooking," Luanova interjects to Miorine's comments about high quality ingredients, "and he found the fisherman's stew very authentic. Real traditional cooking."
Here comes Stella, gliding right through the line. Lua doesn't really seem like she cares, and in fact, uses some subtly graceful footwork to quickly move around Stella where she might have knocked into her otherwise. That leaves her in the back of the line, still waiting behind Elan, as he tries to deliver an apology for an incident she remembers she was present for. It hasn't escaped Lua's notice that he only began this apology after spotting her behind him, and so if anyone takes care to try to read her expression, she's quietly guarded about it. But it's an apology for Rembran, and it's going to be her decision whether this escalates again or not. For now, light on her feet, pleasant smile on her face, no worries in the world.
<Pose Tracker> Stella Loussier has posed.
Stella twists her head to look out the corner of her eyes at Secelia. Not someone she recognises. Her eyes then dart over the rest of the line which has been brought to her attention. Lua is another she doesn't recognise. But ELan and Miorine she does. Despite being made aware of the line's existence, her expression remains fairly flat, almost as if she doesn't care.
Such sentiment is only made more obvious as Stella looks back at Sureti, who appears to validate Stella's violation of line law, listening to the explanation and then nodding, "Understood."
Even as Miorine is asking what her problem is, and questioning her ability to use a phone, Stella does indeed pull a phone out from her pocket. She simply replies matter-of-factly to Miorine, "Stella is hungry." Evidently that's her problem?
Stella gets in ahead of Miorine to tap her phone to the reader, before turning to go find somewhere to sit.
<Pose Tracker> Secelia Dote has posed.
She's content to lay back and watch the chaos a small bit; There's nothing happening, but there is the sweeping gaze of the student counselor afoot.
The clear violation of the LINE LAW...Is one that's easily overlooked, though it doesn't invalidate the minor stinkeye that's sent Stella's way. Well, whatever. She's out in the open, the glint of predatorial intent in her gaze. "Double-shot. Tonight's going to be a long one." Said with the tinge of knowing she's going to lightly pay for such a drink the next day. A pull of her own phone, tapping a few things to check the meal plan...Yeah, this'd work.
"Make sure the beans are ground up finely, mmh? It'd be bad if one of the more tempermental people found grounds in their coffee." It's a barbed suggestion, one she barely glosses over.
"Not to mention, I didn't expect to see you-" Her voice is clearly directed at Miorine. "-without Suletta. What happened, did another person try proving their worth~?" The lightest jerk of the chin towards Elan.
She's patient enough to wait for the others to pay for their orders. A prodder, not a stirrer!
<Pose Tracker> Arianna Passerini has posed.
Sureti looks at Miorine. "Of course," she tells her. "We'll pack your parmigiana up so it will come to you a few minutes after your gnocchi. Do you want -"
Sureti pauses when Stella is Addressed. "Don't worry, I can handle several orders at once," she offers, with an attempt at a smile, and then does more fiddling. There is a little screen on the contact point - it says GNCH / PRM2GO -- hurry, Miorine...!
"You know, we usually don't get repeat customers at different places," Oscar observes to Luanova. "This where you live or did we get lucky when you were visiting?"
Meanwhile Stella advances - the order screen flips - it flips back - Sureti's sweating a little more than she had been in order to see if she can -- piiiin~! Miorine makes the score! And it's the right order!
Probably!
Oscar then laughs when Secelia urges him to ensure the beans are ground fine. "Don't you worry," he says. He opens a small glass jar and holds up a scoop of what looks to be quite fine-grained dark-roast coffee, before putting it and a second scoop into the espresso machine. "Just give it a moment to heat up."
The espresso is pulled with the usual noises and hisses. Sureti, meanwhile, looks towards Elan with upraised eyebrow - the decks are clear. His order is almost surely not going to get mixed up with Miorine's or Stella's.
<Pose Tracker> Miorine Rembran has posed.
"Hmmm. Is that so?" Miorine responds to Luanova's comment on the ingredients, "Surprising. Usually we have to travel off the Front if we want something so authentic."
Miorine just eyes Sureti as she assures her, then looks towards Stella, like it's Sureti's fault for not handling line control correctly.
Stella tells Miorine that she's hungry, matter-of-factly, "How is that my problem? That's no excuse." It's not like she doesn't have sympathy for hunger though. Before Stella can hit her phone however, Miorine slides her phone under Stella's and taps the pad.
"Wait until she rings up your order!" Fortunately things don't escalate further. She's careful not to antagonize Stella beyond her phone at least.
At Secelia's jab, she answers drily, as if unconcerned and Secelia wasn't going to get a rise out of her, "Noone tried anything. Suletta knows who the enemy is." Because that is, what she regards Elan, and told Suletta outright.
Miorine doesn't say anything at first when Elan apologizes, but then looks at Elan again, a single eyebrow raising strangely. "You apologize?"
It seems sincere enough, but she seems to be looking at him like 'what's your angle'? Then her eyes grow genuinely surprised- "Wait, you and Suletta didn't hold some kind of secret duel right?"
Miorine suddenly whirls around, as she furiously dials something, and puts it to her ear- "Pick up! Pick up SULETTA! What's could be so important that you're not answering?" With the phone plastered to her ear, she eyes Secelia, "Secelia, the committee didn't arrange some kind of off the record duel?"
Now, it could be Secelia lies because it's a secret, but she figures given what she knows of Secelia Dote that she'll do whatever is funniest to her.
And what's funniest would be wrecking this like a cat seeing an easy cup to knock off a shelf.
<Pose Tracker> Elan Ceres has posed.
When Stella looks his way, Elan catches her eye very briefly. But her expression remains flat, and so does his. He continues to not weigh in when she resumes inputting her order-slash-annoying Miorine. Similarly, he doesn't look back at Luanova again. If he's apologizing because she's there, he's very cool on her reaction.
"No," Elan tells Miorine of secret duels, which is by coincidence just as much a response to Secelia. But anything else he might have to say is cut off when Miorine whirls away to dial a number, then yells at Secelia when Suletta doesn't immediately pick up.
He pays it no mind, stepping up when Sureti looks at him. "Gnocchi puttanesca and an aeu refrescas," he orders, retrieving his phone to tap the pad like Stella and Miorine did before him. (One thing he's had already and one thing he hasn't.) "Please tell Rose I said hello."
Then he too walks off to select a table. Not one to linger, this young man.
<Pose Tracker> Stella Loussier has posed.
The grand battle of the phones comes to a head with Miorine proving victorious. Though thankfully for her Stella doesn't seem to mind that much. As long as she gets her food.
Stella plops down into a seat. Although she's not really included in the conversation. She nonetheless hears it and part of it causes her to wonder, "Suletta... Suletta... Sue. Let. Ah." She scrunches up her face a little bit, then her eyes go a little wild in recognition, "Oh... The girl who got arrested."
Stella props her head up on the table, "Stella hasn't been told about her. Is she someone important to duel?"
<Pose Tracker> Secelia Dote has posed.
Ah, to be able to luck into such situations every so often. The business student makes no inhibitions of where she's looking, tapping her chin while inspecting over Oscar's grounds. Looks fine enough to her. "Do what you need to. Who's running this thing? I hope it turns more permanent." Anything that pressures the cafeteria to try and improve their food past the lowest quality for the highest price was good.
"The enemy?" A quizzical headtilt, finger pressing light on her own chin. "Huuuuh? When did I ever say anything about an enemy?" Suletta knows? "Does anyone know?" Moving on.
To watch Elan step away is to know that once again, she can't get a rise out of the pretty boy. Business as usual for him! There's no reason for her to pursue down the (Platonic) Elan Route, striding forward to pay for her own espresso. "Ah, give me two piccatas and one spaghetti. Two to-go."
Secelia's gaze could only narrow a bit with the accusation of such...a thing. "An off-record duel? Don't be ridiculous. Even if there was a duel to be done like that, you'd be detained as soon as you went up to the Dueling Committee. But, if little miss ojou thinks its worth the trouble, I can try to make it happen." And right back to that pointed grin. "Maybe~!"
Stella's question does prompt an answer, since she's already on a roll to begin with. "Yes! And this girl, Miorine Rembran, is currently slated to be her bethroed!"
Wait, isn't this skipping multiple steps in explaining the situation.
<Pose Tracker> Luanova Luckwright has posed.
It's finally Lua's turn in line after Elan! "I think... aubergine parmagiana is something I haven't had in... no. No, spaghetti con vongole, for here. What do you have for refreshments today besides the espresso? I remember you had some nice things last time." Too much coffee is a vice. Her mother smells like coffee. As she draws out her phone, she smiles back to Oscar. "I think I'm the one who got lucky today. I travel a lot, which is what landed me in Orb that day, but I'm back to the alma mater for postgrad this year, so you just kind of pulled up on my doorstep today from my perspective."
Lua has to size up Elan for a moment, before being temporarily satisfied with his aloofness. Miorine's complicated situation is something that she feels peripheral concern over, and she looms behind Secelia. (When did she cross over there? Did Secelia notice?) "Settle down batting at the cat toy. We all know something like that would be hell to arrange and make stick. You'd be dropping in on the old man himself just over a prank." Teasing is fun and all, but you have to pick your targets, and Lua seems to have a soft spot for the porcupine here.
<Pose Tracker> Arianna Passerini has posed.
"Oh ho," Oscar answers Luanova. "Well, it's good luck, isn't it? Hopefully we'll meet a third time." He smiles at her, but then turns back to his coffee-pulling.
Sureti keeps her eye on Miorine as she stalks off - evidently angry - and calls someone. What is the fruit that will come of this? Sureti has perhaps seen angry rich girls before. After this, Elan, though, who did not get looked away from too long.
"Of course," she says. And indeed, she seems to already be... one hand typing something into the screen she's working on. "She'll know, don't worry. The soda has citrus if that is an issue?" Sureti says. Oscar, meanwhile, overhears this while pouring out the double shot into one of those tiny little ceramic cups -- once the pull is done, he reaches into an under-counter cooler and pulls out a glass bottle, doing an imposing but not-too-fast 360-degree turn, and leaving the ice cold soft drink near Sureti.
Oscar answers Secelia - "Oh, this is a part time thing, raising revenue between shipments. You see a lady walking around like she's the hero of a romance novel, that's her. Here you are." (The quality of the espresso is quite good, though perhaps not superlative.)
Sureti hands the drink off, and Oscar does too, even as Secelia speaks a dire word.
Oscar says "-- Congratulations!" in the general direction of Secelia and Miorine, even as Sureti's attention turns to Luanova. "They're both quite lovely," Sureti tells Luanova. Beep boop - "Just tap your card or phone so we can find you to drop it off."
<Pose Tracker> Miorine Rembran has posed.
Miorine gives Secelia a suspicious look, figuring she's just playing coy rather than her just potentially misreading what Secelia said.
Miorine instantly doesn't believe Elan's 'No' because Miorine is frankly, crap at reading Elan and just assumes he's a snake.
It's not an unfounded assumption.
Then at her answer... Miorine just tells her to her face.
"It's never worth the trouble to deal with Burion House's Disaster Daughter."
Before stalking off, and, waiting on her Gnocchi, just tapping on her phone until then, sending a text message.
She doesn't even answer Stella at first, until Secelia continues her roll, "It's 'betrothed'." She corrects. "It doesn't matter, someone like you has no business dueling anyway."
Oscar though... poor Oscar accidentally involved himself, "There's nothing to congratulate." Miorine snaps at Oscar, "I'll be long gone before you ever hear so much as a single wedding bell."
Dropping her elbow on the table, she props it up on her cheek, looking at Lua as she upbraids Secelia...
Her eyes look somewhat bored as she asks drily, "Who do you think you're impressing anyway, interfering in on a matter between students?"
Unfortunately, Miorine just doesn't seem to really trust adults in authority here, even despite Luanova's earlier efforts to reach out.
Then again, she's not angry at least. So that's an improvement? ... Maybe. It's hard to tell when a Porcupine has such long and sharp spines.
<Pose Tracker> Elan Ceres has posed.
"It isn't," Elan tells Sureti. Her confirmation about Rose is met with a single nod, before he looks over at Oscar. A soda, Sureti says... So that's what it is. He'll accept the drink before walking off.
At least Secelia didn't lie about a secret duel for her own amusement, but if Elan trusts her about anything, it's that she does carry out her duties properly. This doesn't mean that she won't gadfly someone, but better it be Miorine than him. And better that Luanova intercede with the two of them, even if Miorine doesn't appreciate it. It's not Elan's business.
"Suletta Mercury. She's the current Holder," he tells Stella as he sets down his drink and sits at a nearby table. He pulls out a book from the drape of his school uniform and opens it up to read. Still, even though he isn't bothering to actually look at Stella, he completes the thought by saying, "To many, the Holder is the most important one to duel."
Many isn't all, though.
<Pose Tracker> Stella Loussier has posed.
"Mmmmmm?" Stella closes her eyes as she considers, "Miorine Rembran. Suletta..." Pause. "Mercury." Thank you Elan. "Marry... Or not?" Stella opens her eyes again to look at Miorine as she speaks of being long gone, "Miorine doesn't want to marry Suletta?" Stella murmurs, "Romance is difficult..."
At the mention of the Holder and how many want to duel them, Stella actually agrees with Miorine, waving her hand and saying, "Stella doesn't duel. Stella doesn't see the point. Fight to live. Everything else is just playing."
<Pose Tracker> Secelia Dote has posed.
"Heeeeeeh." Miorine's answer continues being the same obstinate self. "If you say so."
Secelia had a bit of instinctual notice. The sort of notice of "someone's over behind the shoulder", but nothing more concrete than that. The sort of cognition that does force a jump out of her by pure surprise. No, she didn't notice at all. "I take the sanctity of the Duels seriously. If trust were to be eroded on that, what use is it? Just another playground for those supporting us." She's saying that as she sloooowly sidles away from Lua, grumbling to herself. Some people can just sneak up every so often...
"Part time?" Espresso, accepted. A sip. Passes her quality standards of "not being total garbage". "I can imagine the logistics of it all. Burion's...I don't think we have a hardware division lined up, but some of the locals are a bit of an enthusiast. You wouldn't mind if we sold you some more exotic beans, right~?" The nose for business never stopped.
Granted, she's already paying for the Espresso. Tap.
"Fight to live, huh?" Would securing business deals count as 'fighting'? The meaning escapes her for a tad. Just a bit. "There's people who'd fight for Suletta. For their own reasons or others." Another sip of the espresso. Ah, there's the kick she needed.
<Pose Tracker> Luanova Luckwright has posed.
"I'll have the aeu refrescas too, then," Luanova says, tapping her own phone for the cash-out. She smiles at the description of the boss of the shipping-cafe. "What kind of romance novel?" she asks. Some of them do more swooning. Some do more swashbuckling. Sometimes they have swords. "She must have her hands full keeping you guys paid." Miorine wasn't wrong. Authentic ingredients like this are work to hunt down without a mighty premium.
Secelia takes the opportunity to drop her teasing gracefully, but Lua feels that slight jump she makes, and she has to admit, that's pretty satisfying. Still, she just nods with respect for Secelia's concern for protocol. "Most of the duels are frivolous," she tells Stella. "Gigantic wastes of money to serve a corporate ego. But a handful are attempts to negotiate and de-escalate. Better agree to send two people to fight than two thousand."
"I don't think I'm impressing anybody," Luanova says. It's true, she certainly doesn't seem to be an actual authority in anybody's mind here except Miorine's. "Unless the cafe folks really like the tip." She does tip well, though she's not quietly picking up the tab for everyone like she did last time at Orb. Then, she exercises her long practice in making a question appear to be casual and spontaneous, following the flow of the conversation around her. "What kind of person is Suletta?"
It's strange that Miorine went on her phone so quickly over the very idea that her new Holder might have lost when she wasn't looking. If she can get a gauge on that, she might be able to walk away with those peripheral concerns eased. But the porcupine values her space, so the question is not directed to her alone, but if anything to Secelia and Elan, who seem to have met her. She just needs a reaction to pick up on and read.
<Pose Tracker> Arianna Passerini has posed.
"Oh," Oscar says, looking off to the side with an awkward expression and a nervous tightening of his lips.
Miorine sits, and has time enough to get out her phone and chat. We'll return to her shortly.
Sureti provides the soft drink and looks with some curiosity out as the words pass them. Suletta Mercury. The 'holder'. Someone important. The top dog of the duels. Must be tough, Sureti thinks as she looks down to reconcile some figures.
Oscar seems glad to move topics. "I can't do any purchasing myself over a hundred and fifty, but that's the ship policy, not the law or something," he tells Secelia as the intricate cleaning process - at which Oscar is quite skilled, skilled enough to carry on a conversation while doing it - and which is very difficult to physically summarize. "If you have a catalog site, though, let me see it. Got a business card?" But Secelia's got other things to deal with, so business cards may come later... if she remembers.
Oscar can get Luanova's question answered as he gets out another bottle. (Luanova may notice it's apparently from Neo Romania. However, it's blood orange juice-based, which is pretty Italian.) "One of the ones they sell you on a chip in the spaceport book stalls," Oscar tells her.
A woman with wavy black hair and carrying a tray comes out of a side door. She is holding up a tray. She has the perfect poise and lack of food spatter on her loose-bloused workpants ensemble to say 'she hasn't been waiting many other tables.'
Arianna sweeps next to Miorine, sets down a rolled up napkin around a fork, and with another flourish presents a broad plate with a central 'bowl' that is filled with rugose little gnocchi drenched in deep-red sauce with a homestyle texture and dusted with Parmesan cheese, a touch of black pepper, and a small sprig of parsley. "Enjoy! The parmigiana will be out in a while - insulated box. Call if you need anything!"
Then, to the kitchen again with her.
<Pose Tracker> Miorine Rembran has posed.
Elan unfortunately... unfortunately explains what the Holder is to Stella, and Miorine grunts in annoyance, before...
... Stella asks if she wants to marry Suletta, "If I had no other option. It'd just be a marriage of convenience anyway." She waves a free hand, the one that isn't propped almost dismissively, "Suletta wouldn't make a big deal about it, and then we'd just go our separate ways."
Her eyes glance up at Luanova again as she says she doesn't think she's impressing anyone skeptically, not really commenting on the exchange between her and Secelia.
"A complete moron."
Is instead her answer to what type of person Suletta Mercury is that Luanova says. In her mind she thinks it's true at least.
It's just... she's a different kind of moron than other people around this school.
"Ohhh?" Miorine sounds off to Arianna's presentation, and flourish. Because... it smells annoyingly good. So much so that she can't offer any complaint off the top of her head.
The fact is, she can't cook at all, and enjoys a gourmet tomato base, but given that she can't cook, she'd have to rely on someone else around campus for her to get it, or utilize her father's resources to leverage them.
Which is why she saw an opportunity here to enjoy it without relying on anyone but the business selling it.
Picking up a fork, she gravely takes a bite, and...
... chews for a moment, swallows.
"It's good." She reports, softly.
That's the full summation of her compliment, but one might not understand how high a compliment that is from Miorine Rembran.
<Pose Tracker> Elan Ceres has posed.
Romance is difficult. That's why Elan wants nothing to do with it. Fighting to live still doesn't describe him, but it's at least closer.
Nonetheless, when Miorine states matter-of-fact that Suletta would absolutely not make a deal out of marrying her, Elan slides a side-eye her way. It only intensifies when Miorine describes Suletta as a 'moron.' It does abate soon enough though, and once it does, he returns his attention to his book.
While he does silently agree with Luanova on the nature of the vast majority of duels, he doesn't offer a response on what Suletta is like. She'll just have to rely on Miorine and Secelia's takes.
He'll set that book down when it's his turn to be served, which is also when he opens up his soda. He doesn't say that the gnocchi's good. He already knows that it is.
<Pose Tracker> Secelia Dote has posed.
"Smart policy." Price gouging was, after all, valid in the endless battle royale of commerence. He'll get the card later, after dealing with...her other preoccupations.
"I'm supposed to be impartial, but whatever keeps them going, no? That's the intended law of the land." A shrug; CANON saw to that, and she saw no reason to contest their rulings whenever one decided to utilize the system. "Most of them looooove using the Demi-Trainers. They agree, it's binding, so its on their dime, technically." A hint of boasting in that, flipping her hair in that slightly pompuous manner.
She doesn't bother commenting on Miorine's declaration. Just the sight of her stating such a thing was amusement enough on its own. Settling herself down onto another table, waiting, and pinging a few things on her phone.
A business card is left on the table. No sort of direct deals, but Burion House is willing to support the right type of deal, mechanical or otherwise.
<Pose Tracker> Luanova Luckwright has posed.
A complete moron.
Lua glances subtly at Elan, then at Secelia. Then Lua conjures back her pixie smile. "Mm hm. Just curious!" She unscrews the cap on her blood orange soda, gives it a sniff, and oohs at the faint smell. "This does look good. Well, I'll stop bothering you. Nice running into you all!" She wiggles her fingers to everyone as she walks her way to find her own seat and settle into reading while she waits for her meal.
One last interaction is saved: a look at Elan that lasts just a tick too long. Then, it's over, and no further elaboration is made. If Elan Ceres insists on this ridiculous charade Lua seems to perceive him to be on, she's done trying to pry at it. She knows what he's doing, and she's annoyed by it, and she's not going to be the one to escalate that annoyance into something greater.