2025-07-21: Tiger, Tea, and Talk
- Log: Tiger, Tea, and Talks
- Cast: Miho Ijuuin, Yua Ooshiro, Remi Ryuuja
- Where: Miho and Yua's Apartment, Aoba Ward
- OOC Date: July 21, 2025
- IC Date: Wednesday, June 13, 2012 (Evening)
- Summary: Miho and Yua invite Remi over for after-dinner tea, snacks, and conversation. Also, a very handsome cat by the name of Tiger is present.
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Miho's penthouse apartment is high up (naturally) on a beautiful building, with pale yellow walls that offer a soothing backdrop for paintings and photographs vases of flowers and other Nice Things. Miho is here, naturally, seated on her couch with Tiger in her lap for the moment. She isn't getting up just now; she's in casual attire for her, which is a dress shirt and slacks that cost more than most people make in a day's work. And they have cat hair on them!
The evening is in progress; the workday is over for most, and Miho has come back to Yua.
But they are not planning to be alone tonight!!
...The door is so nice that it has a bell.
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
After yesterday's crimes, Yua doesn't particularly want to be alone. Luckily, she's surrounded by people who are happy to accommodate her!
She also went to some extra effort with cooking this afternoon, preparing a platter of easily-munched foods, canapes and devilled eggs and mignardises, alongside a pot of tea. It's for after dinner, but it's still terribly fancy!
Yua is not terribly fancy in her house, at least; for once, she isn't dressed in a dancer's leotard, but is in a pair of short-shorts and a v-necked top made of light, breathable material. (It also attracts cat hair.) She sits beside Miho, petting Tiger as he lounges on Miho's lap. "Who's our little man? Who's our precious baby boy?"
They're both terribly distracted, but luckily, their blue-haired maid, Eiko Ikeda, is here tonight to cover for them. With the doorbell, for instance.
<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.
Remi lives in teh same building, though she does not have a penthouse. Or anything nearly as big.
And her clothes, much to her chagrin, are in fact rather... affordable. She has had to learn to be creative, both with mixing and matching her limited wardrobe, and with managing her everpresent chill.
She is dressed quite warmly, in a black beret, turtleneck, skirt, and boots, along with gray thermal tights and a red cardigan for today's splash of color. She rings the bell, and smiles pleasantly at Eiko when the door is opened. "Thank you, dear."
She walks in, making note of Miho, Yua, and Tiger. (And said cat hair.) "Good evening, darlings." She takes a seat in a comfortable armchair. "How were your days?"
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
For Miho it's just normal to have these things. ...And it's also just normal not to want to leave Yua alone, even if she has an especially good reason for tht today. There are snacks, and Miho has some tea. And...
A cat.
Eiko opens the door when Remi knocks. "Welcome, miss." Eiko is a shadow for the moment, handling things as needed unobtrusively, though Miho acknowledges her when she comes by with a look and a nod.
"Hello," Miho says to Remi. "It is good to see you."
A pause. "Say hello, Tiger," she suggests. "...My little precious man." She pets him, then.
"Come, join us. We have tea."
A beat, "Mine was uneventful enough. The norm for work. And yours?"
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
Yua didn't always have these things, and it's still something of an adjustment that she does, now. But now, she can cook anything she wants..!
Is that really the most important part of wealth? You know you can get people to cook for you, Yua. ... but no, she wants to do that herself, even if she needed Eiko's help to get everything ready today. Thank goodness for Eiko!
"Thanks, Eiko-san," Yua smiles warmly, to her, when she escorts their friend in too. (She established pretty early that she'd rather be on a first-name basis with their servants, even if their nurse still insists on calling her Ooshiro-hime.) Her attention orients to Remi quickly, though, her face brightening. "Recchi! You came!!"
She turns to Miho, lifting herself up to smooch her on the cheek in apology as she says, "I'm stealing him!" With that, she gathers Tiger up in her arms -- he kind of spills out over the sides of them, Yua's quite a small woman and Tiger is an immensely large Norwegian Forest Cat -- and picks the both of them up, so that she can gently place him on Remi's lap, instead.
She gives her a hug, while she's here, and Tiger is remarkably tolerant of getting squished in the process. "Baby delivery!" She chirps, as she moves back around to sit next to Miho again. "Careful, he likes the eggs too!"
(Eiko slides in, shadow-like, to pour them tea. If you weren't looking for her, she'd be easy to miss.)
She takes one of those little mignardises and nibbles at the little slice of cake. "These were Eiko-san's work," she gives credit where credit is due, "since I didn't have enough time to bake them properly after work... oh, but I prepared the canapes and the eggs myself!"
Monch. "Teaching is much easier now I don't have that brace slowing me down!" Yua enthuses, brightly. "I was kind of tired this morning," she got home late, after the Dark Hour, "but I had a nap after Mimi left for work and I was all good again! What about you, Recchi? How was today?"
<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.
Remi is used to having a maid around. Or rather, she was. She's had to get used to doing rather a bit more herself these days.
"And you as well, Miho," Remi says in reply, about seeing her. She does quirk an eyebrow to see Miho babytalk Tiger, but lets it pass without comment. "And a good evneing to you as well, Tiger." She leans over to give him some brief ear scritches. "You are looking quite handsome today."
She then turns to Yua and smiles. "Of course I did, dear. How could I not?"
Then she goes to take a seat. "Some tea would be lovely, thank you." And then--she chuckles softly as Yua delivers a baby in the form of a rather large cat. "Why, how thoughtful of you, Yua-chan." She also accepts the hug. She then pets down Tiger's back and pulls him close.
He's quite large, and quite warm, which is more than fine by Remi's. She does nod briefly to Eiko as she sneak in with the tea. "Thank you, Ikeda-san," she says quietly.
Yua didn't cook everything. "I'm certain you have already done far more than expected, dear. Noone here doubts the amount of dedication you have to your culinary craft." The brace. "I imagine it would be, dear. I am full glad that your wrist has mended."
She's quiet for a moment, though, as she thinks of how that injured occurred, and her eyes slide over to Miho. There is a momentary frown, but--no, later, in private. It wouldn't due to worry Yua.
This morning... "Quite understandable." She takes a sip from her tea for a moment, savoring the warmth. "Mmm..." She sighs. "Work was alright, if a bit tedious. I have endeavored to learn more about these card games Myunghon sells, but I am afraid it is all rather mystifying."
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Miho's babytalk for Tiger is for Tiger alone. It's fine.
But Yua is stealing the cat and Miho assents, which is the truest sign of her love yet. Squish! Remi is now becatted, and Miho smiles. "He does like you," she points out.
The cake is obviously very good, and Miho said as much when Eiko brought it out. She is not so first name with all of the servants, but Eiko of course she has known the longest of them.
"And they're also quite good," Miho points out for Yua. Then, "Yes. It's good to see it gone and your wrist better." A pause. "I am glad you were able to nap."
Then to Remi, "...Hmm. Yes, she does sell rather a lot of those, doesn't she? More than the books she would prefer to offer her customers."
Miho remembers!
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
"He's our handsome little guy!" Yua enthuses, despite Tiger not being 'little' in any sense of the word. Is the real reason Yua lifts weights not so she can spot Miho, but in fact just so she can carry Tiger?
Yua is much more effusive with her baby talk, but, well, she's Yua. "Mm-hmm!" She chirps, when Miho declares Tiger's affections, as she takes her seat next to her girlfriend again. "Tiger loves you! Just like me!"
She smiles, brightly, when Miho and Remi compliment her hors d'ouvres. "Thanks!" She takes her tea, and takes a sip; hers has been sweetened with sugar cubes, just as she likes it, of course. "Dinner was pork ramen, so I prepared these while I was getting everything ready," she adds, to Remi (and Tiger, who looks very comfortable over there). "Luckily, Eiko-san made sure we had all the ingredients ready! It really saves a lot of time!" How would she have all the time to work and get everything sorted in the house if she didn't have a maid to help out? No wonder most housewives quit their jobs.
"Tiger helped with the napping," Yua adds, to Miho, which is a very important detail they both needed to know.
She tilts her head, though, thinking to herself. "Things like... ummm... Faerie: The Beckoning, right?" She asks, trying to remember those card games. "I asked one of my students about it the other day, and... well, they were very enthusiastic, but... I think I understand less than I did before I asked. It's nice the children have so much fun with it, though!"
Yua takes another sip. "Maybe Myucchi should make their own card game," she proposes. "They could make cards based on all those old authors, like Victory Huge, and Marie Shell Lay..."
<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.
Remi has thought, more than once, about stealing Tiger. Aside from the problem of facing Miho's wrath and Yua's disappointment (and it might honestly be the latter she fears more), she's not really positioned to take care of a cat.
She's still figuring out how to take care of herself.
Miho points out that Tiger likes her, and Remi casually brushes some hair behind her ear. "Yes, well, I suppose I most compliment his refined sense of taste." And not the fact that she is willing to bribe a cat with a deviled egg on purpose to entice him and his warmth to stay in her lap more. She does smile to Yua, though. "And I am quite fond of you as well, dear." (Luckily she doesn't need to bribe Yua with her own deviled eggs.)
"Ikeda-san certainly is indispensable, isn't she?" comments Remi as Yua describes how she prepared the ingredients. "It's truly wonderful she can support efforts." Napping help--also very important. Remi keeps petting Tiger as she uses her free hand to sip tea and delicately eat snacks.
Remi nods to Miho. "That she does, dear... I do rather suspect I may be responsible for the majority of her book sales recently." She sighs, perhaps a bit dramatically. "If only we could do more to spruce up the place..."
There is a nod to Yua. "I do believe that is one of them, yes..." She nods. "They sell sets that come with these little instruction books, but it is quite... much, to suss out on one's own." Cards based on old authors. "Well, that would certainly be an improvement over... what was it Myunghon said, 'anthropomorphic bikini armor anime girls'?" There is a shake of Remi's head. "I do suppose the art on some of these cards is rather vivid and imaginary, at least."
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
He's very handsome.
Also Miho would counterattack without mercy.
Miho takes a moment to stroke Yua's hand. "Yes," she says. "You have so much love."
"Dinner was delicious," Miho adds. And she laughs darkly at the matter of Tiger's tastes. "I'm certain that's it," she says, and there's even a little levity in it. Miho isn't always only serious!
"Yes," she says of Ikeda-san. "I rely on her quite a lot. She's indispensible."
Tiger did help with the napping, and Miho nods. "He's an expert."
Faerie! "The cards I've seen are at least pretty," Miho says, noting Remi's experience with them. "Hmmm." Bikini armor anime girls...
"Hmmm, those books have plenty of subject matter to draw imaginative cards from, too. I don't really have time of course for such a game, but if you happen to acquire some of the cards, do let me look at them."
A pause. "But you buy her books? I'm not surprised. ...The place certainly..."
She recalls a certain bleach day.
"Yes, it could use 'sprucing up' for certain."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
Yua isn't entirely sure how taking care of a cat works, either, but that's just one more area where Eiko fills in the blanks for her. Thanks, Eiko!
(Don't steal Tiger, though. Yua would cry.)
Luckily, the devilled eggs are cat-safe. Yua made sure to make them with Tiger-friendly ingredients because she knew he'd try to steal one if he could. She smiles, resting her weight against Miho's side as she strokes her hand. "I'm glad," she says, because it's nice to know her friends and not-actually-just-a-friend care so much for her.
"Yes!" She agrees, on the heels of Miho's own reliance, when Remi compliments Eiko's skills.
The Faerie cards are pretty! She wrinkles up her nose, though, when Remi describes the cards Myunghon's selling the most of. Anthropomorphic bikini girls! Honestly! "That game really doesn't seem like it's for children," she huffs, being quite concerned about providing a good environment for the youth.
Beat.
"Though... some of those outfits are very nice. I could bring some cards back for you to see..." Yua glances sidelong to Miho, as she offers. Is she imagining her glorious amazonian girlfriend in bikini armour? No one can prove that.
She puffs out her cheeks, though, leaning forward to grasp a devilled egg and pop it in her mouth. Right in front of Tiger! Tragic! Chomp, chomp. "It's a dump!" She exclaims, frustrated. "I'm worried they're going to inhale some mould and get sick! Or, or get sick from the ant infestation, which they were encouraging, by the way!!" Apparently, Yua missed the memo that these statements are supposed to be subtle and unsaid. "But it's their place, so how they want to present it is important... I just wish they'd take care of it a little more." Or maybe she just hopes they'd take care of themself a little more.
<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.
A mercilessly counterattacking Miho is indeed fearsome... but the guilt of a crying Yua might still outweigh it.
Remi scritches at Tiger's ears. It's definitely not all of the attention Remi is willing to lavish on Tiger to keep the lapwarmer close.
Remi nods to Miho. "Yes, some of them paint quite vivid tableaus. And I am given to understand that they have quite detailed settings, as well. Even if I do not understand the games, I suppose I can understand why they may hold appeal, nonetheless."
"I really don't have time for such a game either, but if I should find some striking works of art within them I shall bring them by." A nod. "I do. My library at home would rather... sparse, otherwise." She sighs. "They do capture a niche, if only we could capitalize on it."
She grew up the daughter of a businesswoman. Some things just don't leave your blood that easily.
"I imagine they rather aren't," agrees Remi of the age-appropriateness of the anime bikini armor girls. Her cheeks flush, as Yua mentions the outfits, however, and she is suddenly very fascinated with Tiger's fur and the petting thereof. "Mmm," is all she says, trying to be noncommittal.
She lets out a small sigh of relief as Yua just comes right out and says it. She might have missed the memo, so to speak, but Remi is used to that by now. "Yes, well... I am doing what I can to offer them what care and encouragement I can."
It's not at all complicated by the fact that they occasionally have to fight each other.
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
A litterbox exists in this penthouse. Whether or not anyone but Eiko Ikeda sees it, however...
Yua's tears are very guilt-inducing.
Miho enjoys deviled eggs too. She has another! While the others speak. The vivid tableaus... Hmm. "Though I suppose the 'game' portion would be much of the draw to the youth," she surmises. "After all, they aren't simply pieces of art."
But that game does not seem it's for children, and Miho laughs faintly. "Probably not." A pause, as she peers back at Yua--and smiles. "Hmmmm. You should."
As for the niche, "Quite. ...Well, perhaps it's something to consider. If you can find a good artist..." Miho would be willing to consider helping, if Remi had a more detailed plan. But it's probably just idle talk, and she treats it as such.
Tiger!! And--the dump.
"Quite," Miho agrees of the place. "It is small, dingy, and terribly messy. ...But they do seem to enjoy it. And that does count for a good bit."
"I appreciate that you work to care for them," she says to Remi then. "It is... not my place, to do so in the same way."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
Tiger is a very good space heater. It's a real problem for Yua, but she's willing to put up with it for the affection of a cat. ... there's a reason he's always in Miho's lap if there's a choice between them, though.
Maybe Yua's tears could even move Satan himself to remorse...
"They bring me books, too," Yua smiles, to Remi. "I'm getting quite the little collection...!" They're all romance novels, of course. Don't be fooled by her cute nature! She appreciates battle bikinis, when they're not being peddled to children! Luckily for Remi, she just winks to Miho, and doesn't say anything more on the matter.
For now, anyway. It's the wrong time of night for talk like that.
"It's a space for them," Yua sighs, taking a canape to nibble on, too. "Maybe it just reflects their mindset... messy inside, messy out!" Is that how the saying goes? Nibble, nibble. "Yeah, I'm glad you're helping," she adds, smiling to Remi, and betraying the fact that she wasn't always this fancy in her word choice. "It's a big adjustment to be teaching the children like this, so it's hard for me to get by often enough... but they saved us, you know? I don't want them to struggle on their own, either..."
Yua is not quite sharp enough to realise that Myunghon is great at using Yua's desires to support the people around her to help her get out of her own shell. Is fussing over Myunghon just the next stage of evolution to teaching them how to dance? Yua would be very impressed by it, if she realised it was a possibility.
<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.
Remi is eating maybe 75% of the deviled eggs she's picking up, and letting Tiger take the other 25%. Or just giving them to him outright. But she does still make sure to enjoy some herself, of course.
"Yes, well, I suppose that is rather true," Remi concedes to Miho of the game aspect. "But it cannot be said their playing pieces are drab, if nothing else."
"Perhaps," she says to Miho. She has thought of business plans, but... it simply isn't her business.
She does smile to Yua. "That is so wonderful to hear, dear." She says of Myunghon bringing books. "Perhaps we should trade books between us sometime? A greater variety of reading material would suit both of us, I would iamgine."
She will ignore that wink for her own sanity.
"I do rather suspect that the location suits their purposes in other, less obvious ways. But still, I worry." She nods to Miho. "That is rather alright. We are all... Mm... doing our best in the ways we can in these trying times, non?"
She nods to Yua. "Perhaps so, Yua-chan." It's close enough. "And don't worry about it. I'm glad your teaching career is going so well. My employment may not be... as conventional as I had once imagined it, but... it is straightforward, for the most part. And that suits me just fine."
Remi had actually been pondering if the aesthetic might lend the store a certain amount of 'street cred' for Merry's Rumormonger efforts... it might have helped save the store from drawing too much attention during that sale, for instance.
But if it is also a ploy to help Yua, Remi will be glad of that, too.
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Tiger is spoiled. This is fine.
"True," she says of the playing pieces. But the books! Yes, Miho has seen them. "You are," she confirms. "It's pleasant to see the shelf space filling."
To trade... Hmmm. Perhaps so. But that's between the two of them. Just like the wink is between her and Yua. Well... maybe not just like.
The location suits their purposes... "True," Miho agrees. And then, "It is natural for one's space to reflect one's person. It's why I'm pleased that our space looks more like our space, these days." As opposed to only her space. She liked her space. ...But she likes this better.
But hmm. "Struggling is their nature," Miho says, not at all ominously.
As for employment, "It's good to hear that. Straightforwardness, consistency... they make for less stress in work."
Miho knows there are always ploys. ...She's fine with them.
But for now, she sips at her tea.