As it was morning, the dining area of the Blooming Nightshades was serving its breakfast selection, and the Spider celebrity was one of the patrons there. Of course, Yakumo knew she could get whatever meal she wanted sent to her room, but one thing she had appriciated during her touring days the past months was to sit in the public dining area; observing people and maybe striking up a conversation with some other important visitor.

She was lounging on a comfortable chair, the jacket of her black and gold designer-attire draped over the chair as she sipped her morning-tea while listening to the news from her densai, observing the other people in the dining area as she did so.

Having woken up just recently and at a hotel he didn't remember getting in last night, the business suit clad man enters the breakfast area at the hotel trying to find something to get his soul back into his body.

"Ah! Continental breakfast." He mentions to someone at his side as he sits down with a bowl and two plates filled with things to nibble at. Some which he had never seen before. Fancy place, after all. He gets chopsticks on and says a prayer to the same person, "Itadakimasu."

Yakumo looked up from her newsfeed as someone sat down on the chair next to hers, briefly wondering if the standards of this hotel had slipped over the night. Well, at least he was wearing a suit.

"Rough night?" she asked with an amused smile, partially shielded behind a raised cup.

He nods a couple of times as he chews on something rather sweet before replying, "Definitely. It has been a long time since I partied in an all-niter such as yesterday."

Looking up to connect voice to face, Setsu mentions, "Work hard, party hard. That's the motto around here –– especially during celebration days. Such a destructive purity. Isn't it?"

He darts his eyes back to his food, indecisive about the next flavor to pick. Fancy place, indeed.

--
Yakumo is recognized by Setsu https://sakkaku.org/d10-rolls/3370

Being a professional, Yakumo resisted the urge to groan. Wasn't the first time a fan had used a song of hers for a pickup line or the likes on her.

"Yes," she replied a touch dryly, sipping her tea once more and gently placing down her teacup. "You seem to have the advantage over me, samurai-san, knowing who I am..."

"Me and half of the universe... or a tad more?" Another bite and takes time to savor before adding up, "I am Kaiu Setsu. I work as Chief Engineer for Kaiu Heavy Industries. I am a bad singer and even worst showman. I mainly deal with tech projects and some talented people getting them developed."

After the introduction, there's a seated bow and the Crab offers one of his business cards as decorum dictates. A a very simple white card with dark blue printed letters and a very rigid paper.

Considering the casual affair of the dining room, Yakumo opted for a bow of her head in return to the seated bow, and she accepted the business card. It was given a look over on both sides, then tucked away into her nearby purse.

"So you're also visiting for the winter court then, since you're staying at the hotel here?"

“I brought some of the overplanetary team mates yesterday and decided was best to crash here than to return to the Embassy.” He mentions, “I have been working with them virtually for quite a while now. It was good to connect in person. Also, this hotel has a real good breakfast.”

Yakumo blinked, wondering if she hadn't phrased her question understandably enough. It was, after all, early in the morning still.

"I see..." looking away, she flagged one of the servers to bring her a refill of tea. "So there's, uh, a team of Crab samurai staying here at the hotel?"

At this point, she did question herself why she was still talking, but on the other hand it was awkward to just drop off a conversation.

“Some of the visitors for the festival. Yeah. They fly back to headquarters today, and some stay for a week. I’ve been here for longer, though. Kind of a quasi-permanent asset in the World of Dreams for the Crab Embassy for some time now.”

Noticing a potential discomfort, he puts the chopstick down after another bite and says, “Let me know when you need to leave, if I chat too much. I forgot how busy celebrities often are.”

She waved it off a little. "No, no. You're not talking too much, Kaiu-san. Let's just say I don't have much experience with Crab samurai, and the experience I do have tend to not be too good... with the exception of my darling fans, of course."

Her cup was refilled by one of the servers, and she also told them to bring her some more of the sliced fruit.

"But as a Crab, you probably have some poor experiences with Spider, I wager?"

He takes a moment to consider that and shrugs, "I've never worked with a Spider, or battled against them. I am more of the studious kind of Kaiu that works on defense. Actually, maybe because of the Spider –– and other adversaries –– I actually had some good experiences in making sure projects I worked at got some good spotlight."

He takes a sip of his coffee and considers, "I guess Susumu-san... it is Susumu, correct? I kind of only know you by Kumohime."

Setsu adds, after the honest question, "I guess you wouldn't do well in that wager."

"Correct. Susumu Yakumo."

It was strange how the two Crab she had met in the span of a planet's cycle had been oh so very different. "That's an interesting way to look at it... few would speak so well of their clan's adversaries, the ones responsible for the deaths of family, or friends."

He nods at her given name with a smile appearing up his lips.

Then, he confirms. "True." Putting the cup down and looking back at his plate, Setsu mentions, "When done dutifully, death is kind of part of our journey to a better path. That's what being a samurai is all about, is it not?"

"I guess that the focused anger is what makes things move to the right direction, most of the times. So, the death of family and friends will fuel that anger, that in turn, makes the right things to happen. With the righteous side showing the defeated one the way of how things should be, as the kami have demonstrated so long ago."

He puts a hand over his mouth and yawns. "Speaking about kami, this coffee here is surely packed with some extra energy. Can't keep my mouth shut, eh? Lecture on existence early in the morning wasn't part of my plan."

She smiled slightly, unconcerned with the weight of such a topic early in the day. Her tray of fruit was brought to her, and the server vanished silently as before.

"And who are the righteous ones, if I may ask?" Yakumo kept her vibrant eyes on the Kaiu as she skewered a piece of kiwi.

“That’s a very good question. I defer to my superiors to get that answer almost all the time.” He says, picking a grape with his chopsticks, but having to try a couple of times to do so, which turns it a bit of an awkward display perhaps caused by her vibrant gaze, or to confront any hidden innuendo with the fruit skewering.

"Come now, Kaiu-san, we both know that is shying away from giving a real answer," Yakumo teased before biting into the fresh slice of fruit. The kiwi was chewed, and swallowed. "Unless you have no opinion of your own, of course."

"Can't blame myself. Who doesn't get shy in front of a diva such as yourself?" He says, biting the grape that spills out some juice up. Then, he chews, trying to get eyes elsewhere. Kami damned Spider and their sticky entangling tricks.

Hmm... what a pity, she thought, frowning slightly. The Kuni had at least seemed willing to spar verbally and match wits.

"Mm, my apologies then, Kaiu-san, for causing you such discomfort." The Spider woman offered him a polite smile for a brief moment, then stood calmly as she picked up her tray of fruit and densai. "Well then... I bid you a good day."

Yakumo bowed, and calmly sashayed away.


/exit unless stopped

"Oh. No need to apologize. It was nice to meet you. Have a great day." He says, as he lifts himself up to provide a parting bow.

/scene