Private Eastern Brisshal Meeting some lovely friends again

[Chako]

Chako had been coming to Arcia for a small while now. She was pretty happy with her experience there so far, but she was still a bit scared of going out too far on her own... Courtesy of some wolves and a certain prankster faerin she met a small time back.

So, Chako still spent most of her time in Honeyhome and its immediate surroundings. She still had plenty of fun just staying in this area, as there was plenty to explore, and it felt much safer than trying to explore the unknown beyond.

In one of the days she was just chilling and talking with some people in Honeyhome though, she ended up meeting up with Bluebird again! Chako was excited! It had been a while since the two of them talked!

Aaand... Bluebird said that her dancer friend wasn't far from here, so she could introduce Chako to her!

Chako was very excited about it. She loved practicing with Ruby, but she felt like asking Ruby for help all the time would be troublesome, like... Even Ruby had to have a limit to those things, right? And she didn't want to be a bother, so... Having a new friend that could help her practice dancing was really exciting for her!

So, with a fast-beating heart and perked up ears, Chako walked while holding Bluebird's hand, "Are we close to her now? How much longer do we need to go?"

@Crimson Ruby @Bluebird

 

[Bluebird]

Mail

Greetings, Ruby,
I hope you are doing well! It has been some time since we last talked, but I have unfortunately been quite busy. But things are calm now, so I will have more time to visit.

In fact, on my last venture I met a novice Starcalled who expressed interest in the art of dancing. She has potential, so I told her about your skill, and that you might be able to give her some mentoring.

Would you be amicable to meeting in Honeyhome? The cafe is still friendly to our kind, and they have the most delightful summer treats!

Regards,
Bluebird

---

Bluebird hummed as she walked, Chako's hand in hers. Not a magical tune, for once - it was simply the only way she could vent her excitement to meet her friend.

"She should be quite close," Bluebird said, smiling down at Chako as she led her. She didn't even care about the occasional sideways glance from the Landers, not today. "In fact, the cafe is just around this corner... oh, watch your step, the stones shift here."

The cafe itself was a simple building with white walls and a small porch. A few planters adorned it, as did some small tables on the porch itself. Bluebird searched the tables for any sign of her friend - she had done what she could to be on time, but she didn't know when Ruby herself would arrive, if she wasn't already waiting for them...

@Crimson Ruby, @Chako

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Mail

Birdieeee <3

Of course! Meeting you and a newbie would be amazing. I'm not too far from Honeyhome, so I will be there for sure. I miss you so much!

With love, hugs, and everything good,
Crimson Ruby

After sending the reply, Ruby looked at the small group of adventurers she had joined, that were just removing their climbing equipments after a long climb across a Providence mountain. "Oh, something came up. But you guys can handle it all by yourselves from here, right?" Ruby's tails swayed as she received a couple puzzled looks before she grabbed a map case and tossed it to the nearest one. "If things go South, just follow to the North. That's where Neridan is... And... Well, obviously, don't go even more to the North unless you want to become a crystal statue. If you have any questions just toss me a message." She turned her back to them before shooting a side glance and a grin. "Good luck~"

---

Even if her leave was abrupt and as fast as possible, she still couldn't get there faster than @Bluebird, only fast enough to catch a glimpse of the blue, blurred shape from afar getting inside of a cafe along with another small figure that seemed to be holding her hand.

Ruby slowed down as she finally reached the more 'dense' spot of the little hamlet, rotating her tails a few times to help her to brake before stepping into the café as well, wasting no second to go straight to her friend. "Birdie!" She beamed with ears all perked up. "How much I've missed you and this blue, how have you been?" Ruby offered a hug, and when her tunnel vision finally spreaded to the rest of the café, her eyes finally caught the small girl, blinking surprised to see it was no one else other than @Chako.

"Chako? What a—!" Ruby smiled, but then paused, looking at Birdie, the hands, and then back at Chako again. "Ah, so you are the novice interested in the art of dancing? You are looking for other teachers, huh? Am I not a good teacher~?" She jested.

 

[Chako]

Chako panicked a bit when hearing that they were meeting in a cafe, like... Chako had no money. 0 coins to speak of. How was she going to pay her part!?

It was a bit too late to back off now though, so she just heard Bluebird's advice and watched her step to not fall on her face before meeting this new person... It would be a pretty bad first impression.

... Though she had this kind of first impression with a lot of people, Bluebird included, so maybe it wasn't that bad? She met some nice people by tripping, after all.

However, what she didn't expect... Was hearing a sonic boom from afar. Luckily enough, it was a bit farther away from her, so her ears weren't feeling that horrible numbing pain, but more like just a very annoying buzzing feeling.

And when she turned her head into the sonic boom's direction, she saw a familiar red-headed catgirl slowing down and coming their way... This can't be-!

Chako was both astonished, happy, and a bit let down by it... Like, she was happy that Ruby and Bluebird were friends, but... That also meant she was not going to meet someone who could maybe teach her to dance besides Ruby... Well, she was still happy with the chance meeting though.

After Ruby finished hugging Bluebird, Chako let go of Bluebird's hand and glomped Ruby, "Ruby! What a surprise! I didn't know you two knew each other!" And she was pretty sure everyone here was surprised.

Ruby's statement made her panic a bit though, "N-n-no! It's not that! I-I just..." Chako's voice quickly went very quiet, "I just didn't want to be a bother by asking only you all the time, so I was hoping I could get more help..." Only to then go up again just as quickly, "Y-you're still the number 1 in my heart though!"

And then Chako blushed heavily as her own words dawned on her... "A-a-a-a-anyways, I'm glad the three of us could meet like that..."

@Crimson Ruby @Bluebird

 

[Bluebird]

Bluebird barely had a chance to react before Ruby ran into her. Her wings ruffled with her shock as she accepted the hug, but shock quickly turned to joy. "Ruby! You are as swift as always!" It was rare to see such a genuine smile on Bluebird's face - surely it was the first one that Chako had seen on her since they had first met.

"I have been well! I must say, I was surprised you could meet so soon!" She released Chako's hand and clasped her own behind her back, rocking back and forth on her talons. "You always seem so busy... I suppose fortune smiled upon us all today."

She then turned to Chako, ready to introduce her, only for Ruby to... beat her to it? Bluebird blinked, face awash with confusion.

"Oh...? Oh! You two have met?" She tilted her head, pondering... and then burst out giggling. "I suppose I never did tell you the name of my friend, did I, Chako?"

Bluebird didn't seem upset, at least, as she clapped her hands in front of her. "Well then! Seeing as we have already been introduced... shall we find a place to sit and talk?"

@Crimson Ruby @Chako

 

[Crimson Ruby]

"Swift?" Seeing @Bluebird smile like that made Ruby avert her closing eyes for a moment. "To see this smile I could run across the world in a second..!" Missed it so much— She clenched her fist in joy, but quickly went back to their conversation, smiling at @Chako. "Don't you worry. I'm just teasing you. I think learning from different people will get you new experiences, and that's great." She ruffled the little girl's hair, tilting her head to look at her dear friend. "Me busy? Well, that's right. But you have been quite away lately too." Her ears dropped slightly.

"I think our schedules clash way too much." Ruby shrugged with a sigh. It didn't help that she got some extra job that has been taking much longer to end than she expected. Exploration League works were rather time consuming as well.

An ear twitched at the suggestion to follow up with the table, and Ruby nodded.

"Sure can do, let's grab one in the corner." Her tails swayed in excitement. They were going to have a lot of talking done, so a corner would cause the least trouble for the café. Pulling the chairs for her friends, Ruby sat right after them.

"So, how did you guys meet so we could have this amazing coincidence today?" She asked with a curious tone in her voice.

 

[Chako]

"Oh, yeah! We did meet! Ruby was the first friend I made in Arcia!" Chako told Bluebird, then turned to Ruby, "And Bluebird was the second one!"

And then Chako started purring once her hair was ruffled by Ruby... She really did enjoy the sensation, but it never stopped being any less embarrassing than it was the first time she found out she could purr.

Also... Hearing Ruby's words, and the way she referred to Bluebird... Wait, are they more than just friends? Chako suddenly started worrying. It was possible, right? T-then... Was Chako just being a third wheel here!?

She was suddenly very self-aware and worried that she was getting in the way, but... At the same time Bluebird had been planning on introducing her to Ruby from the start, so it wouldn't be alright to leave all of a sudden...

... Though Chako was still worried about having no money to spend at all.

Either way, she turned back to Ruby as she told her about the learning thing, "Ah, right. New experiences are certainly nice." Chako nodded, "Kinda like making a friend in a music recital and then starting to share tips with one another that we learned from our own teachers." It was one of the favorite things that happened to Chako on recitals. Even if she just liked the chance of playing for a public in general.

Well, with that said, Chako followed them to the corner table while still wondering how to bring up the fact she had no money on her, when Ruby asked how she and Bluebird met, "Oh, right, so... A bit after you took me to Honeyhome, I ended up going exploring again and... Well, I totally got lost!

"So, I ended up climbing a tree to get a better view of the surroundings," mostly because she wanted to see how beautiful the sight would be, but details, "only... I kinda forgot how was I supposed to put strength in my legs after getting all the way up there, yanno? So I tripped and started falling, and was going to hit my head on the ground!

"And that's where Bluebird came in! With a really nice song that stopped my fall! And then we started talking, and she took me back to Honeyhome later!"

@Crimson Ruby @Bluebird

 

[Bluebird]

Bluebird took the offered seat with a smile. She sat in it stiffly, making room for her tailfeathers to drape off the side as she folded her hands in her lap.

"Unfortunately, I do not have as much control over my schedule as I would like. But it is what allows me to live in the other world, and so I endure." She smiled sadly, but it was gone in a flash as Chako relayed the story of their meeting. She covered her mouth and giggled as Chako described her fall and rescue.

"A familiar situation, don't you think?" Memories of the past flickered through her thoughts - some positive, some negative, but all precious. "I could not be as swift as you, but the wind was a suitable substitute. Chako was quite lucky..."

"Good afternoon, ladies!" A young man approached their table with a polite smile before setting down a menu. "I'll be helping you today. Would you care for any drinks?"

Bluebird smiled back. "Tea for me, please." She took the menu and glanced over it, then pushed it towards the others. "Here, take a look! Get whatever you desire - I intend to pay today."

@Chako @Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Ruby's ears dropped slightly at @Bluebird's reaffirmation that there was nothing that could be done about the schedule conflict, but she didn't intend to let the mood go down just because of it. Instead, she wished to enjoy as much as she could before they had to part ways again—

Her ears perked up at @Chako's story, and the familiarity along with Bluebird's reminder made Ruby's cheek flush, despite similarly being reminded of the sad memories as well, she held on tight at the dear ones. "It really does. You are quite swift too, Birdie~ Good job saving our cute and lucky little girl here." She winked with a giggle.

She clasped her hands, waving her tails. "And seems like we are lucky once again, Chako! Well, I will have a coffee, please!" She ordered to the man, deciding not to engage on any food until they went for it. Her stomach wasn't particularly empty either, so her appetite wasn't up for anything right away.

"I'm glad to know you are still into exploration, Chako. In fact... What have you guys been doing lately?" Ruby bent against the table, resting her chin on her hands, curious about what has been in her friend's agenda.

 

[Chako]

Chako looked back and forth between Bluebird and Ruby. Ruby's ears going down when hearing Bluebird's words... Chako was totally being a third wheel here, wasn't she!?

She started feeling like she was really doing something bad... Maybe saying she had no money would be a good excuse to leave the two love cat and birds alone.

"I was pretty lucky for sure! Both with meeting Ruby and B-Bluebird!" She almost said 'Birdie' there, but maybe it was a lovers' nickname... Chako internally reprimanded herself for almost making such a dumb mistake, "I can't even imagine how I'd be managing without the two of you!" Despite her internal thoughts, Chako was still smiling. She was happy to be with them here, even if she wasn't happy about probably being a third wheel.

Oh, come on! Chako's excuse was busted when Bluebird offered to pay. No easy way to leave them alone now, "I'll have some black tea and a strawberry cake slice, please." Chako ordered, figured she might as well go for something she enjoyed if she was already getting in the way anyways.

Chako then turned towards Ruby, "Oh, I have... Had some wolf troubles, I guess..." Chako averted her gaze, "They're way scarier than I thought they would be, but I'm working on that..." Her tails started going up and her pupils started dilating as she started remembering... Calm down. There are no wolves here... Just two lovely friends... Chako took a deep breath, "I also started learning how to echolocate! It's pretty interesting! Turns out there are ways even humans can echolocate! I learned it by looking at the wikip*dia page and then trying to mimic the methods! It's being a slow process, but I think I'm getting the hang of it!" Chako started calming down as she talked. The memory of that time she first met Magi slowly fading from her mind... This is better... Let's not trouble them with that...

@Bluebird @Crimson Ruby

 

[Bluebird]

"Will that be all?" The waiter scribbled the orders down on a notebook, and responded to Bluebird's chirped "Yes, thank you," with a quick bow. He soon retreated, leaving the three to their own devices.

"She is quite adorable, isn't she?" Bluebird covered her mouth as she giggled. "It is quite rare to see young Starcalled in this place. It would be a shame to let her experience be a poor one."

She folded her hands on the table, listening to Chako's story of wolves. Speaking of which, it sounded like she'd already encountered some hardships. Her frown was quickly replaced by a smile, and the placed a hand on Chako's. "That sounds frightening... but you are here and well, it seems. That just proves that you are strong enough to face them."

Bluebird pulled her hand back soon after, wings fluttering as she tilted her head. "...echolocate? What does that mean?"

@Chako @Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Ruby's tail waved at the cute words of the girl. Saying meeting the two of them made her lucky was so adorable, and @Bluebird's words made it clear she thought the same. "Right? I didn't even think someone that young would play—" Ruby's words faded as she reminded herself of her own little sister. Though she didn't know how old @Chako was, the behavior and maturity of the two girls was more or less the same. "Well, but we sure can't let her having unfun times~" She smiled, one that faltered slightly at the mention of the wolves.

"I see, you need to be careful. I'm glad you managed to be safe and sound, but make sure to go around with other friends, alright? If you need to go somewhere new and don't have someone to go with you, let me know." Ruby said, leaning her back against the chair in a carefree fashion.

"Echolocation is like those things bats do to see, right? Can humans really do that?" She frowned.

 

[Chako]

Chako felt a bit embarrassed being called adorable, and then this was followed by both Bluebird and Ruby talking about her as if she was a small child, "I'm not that young. I'm already 14, yanno...?" She pouted a bit.

More importantly though... She did feel a bit more at ease having Bluebird's hand rest on hers. It helped her calm down a bit... Chako took another deep breath, "Well, I actually got help... Don't think I would have gotten out of that without Magi coming to my rescue..." Took her a second to realize she just blurted a name they might have not known, "Ah, Magi is a magical girl. I met her by chance nearby."

She then turned towards Ruby, "Ah, well..." How to say it... "I'm just... A bit too used to always needing to rely on others to do anything on my day to day life? I just... Kinda want to be able to be independent here in Arcia."

It's not like she was doing a good job at this whole 'be independent thing', but this really was something she didn't want to give up on.

"Ah, yeah, it's the bat thing." Chako nodded, "It's basically like this..." Chako then started clicking her tongue at a high frequency. It's not like she needed to do this at frequencies humans couldn't hear, but she just practiced like that before, so that's how she made it work, "The waiter from before is already coming back to our table. And he is carrying something with him." Chako smiled. It wasn't perfect yet, but she was happy to see the results of her practice come to fruition.

@Bluebird @Crimson Ruby

 

[Bluebird]

"Oh, my apologies! I did not mean to imply your age makes you less capable." Bluebird clapped her hands together and smiled apologetically. "But I cannot help but admire your potential! This world has so much to offer to you."

She continued to listen, tilting her head and fluttering her wings in response to Chako's words. Her frown was slight and brief. "Independence is good, yes... but relying upon others isn't weakness. It is only together that we can truly move forward."

For a moment, it was the Bluebird Chako had first met sitting at the table - that strangely serious woman with dark words and a darker worldview. But it was gone in an instant. "Oh, bats! I haven't seen them in so long... is that what those sounds they make are?"

As Chako predicted, the waiter arrived, tray laden with the group's orders. Tea, coffee, cake... and something none of them had ordered - a plate of small, brightly colored candies that some might recognize as konpeito.

"The chef learned how to make these recently," the waiter explained. "A Starcalled recipe, she said. And since you are all Starcalled yourself, perhaps you can give us a review? She calls them 'star candies'."

Bluebird smiled and nodded, and the waiter left them with their orders. She took one of the candies and examined it before popping it in her mouth. Her face puckered with surprise. "...ah, it's very sweet!"

@Crimson Ruby @Chako

 

[Crimson Ruby]

"Riiight, you aren't that young~" Ruby smiled warmly, tugging @Chako's cheek in an affectionate squish before leaning back and twitching one of her ears. "Magi? Someday I will meet her and thank her for keeping you safe then." She took a mental note, and then nodded eagerly to @Bluebird's wise words.

"Birdie is right. Being independent is different from doing everything by yourself." Ruby added.

When the waiter returned with their orders, Ruby's tails swayed back and forth as she anticipated chomping down her order... But as soon as she noticed the colourful sweets and the introduction of the waiter to it, her ears perked up.

"Oh thank you. Let's see~" She followed Bluebird, taking one of the candies but not doing much ceremony before placing it in her tongue and chewing it. Her ears perked up immediately, with her eyes widening slightly. "Very sweet indeed, but very tasty too. I like that! It is like a refreshing sugar rush." Ruby giggled, looking at her two friends to see their reactions.

 

[Chako]

"Eh? You didn't imply that at all!" Chako told Bluebird. Even she could tell when someone was insulting her, and Bluebird was definitely not doing that right now!

Ruby, on the other hand... Chako was pretty sure she was mocking her... So she pouted a bit once her cheeks were let go of, "You're being mean..."

Although... Chako couldn't help tilting her head to Bluebird and Ruby's words, "Weren't you the one who saved me from my fall and helped me go back to Honeyhome?" She asked Bluebird, then turned towards Ruby, "And you have helped me learn how to dance and get used to my legs, and you also gave me a piggyback ride to Honeyhome too...

"Why are you two thinking I'm trying to do everything by myself?" Wanting to be independent didn't meant she wasn't willing to rely on help... "I just... Don't want to rely on others 24/7, yanno? It's just tiring to live like that..."

She didn't want to dwell on this topic too much though, so she latched onto Bluebird's topic change, "Ah, yes! They make ultrasonic sounds with their mouth, hear the noise that reflects on the surroundings, then figure out where's what like that! I've been learning how to do that!"

And then... Candy? For free?

Well, Chako was not going to turn that down, she instantly popped a candy into her mouth, "Yummy..." She muttered with a blissful smile, before quickly picking up another candy, and then another one... It didn't seem like they were going to last for long.

@Bluebird @Crimson Ruby

 

[Bluebird]

Bluebird still seemed a little put off by the possibility of insulting Chako. Doubly so when Ruby tugged Chako's cheek. "Ruby, please be kind!" She puffed her cheeks and fluttered her wings, but there was no real anger behind her words, and her expression returned to normal quickly.

She watched Chako as she ate the candies, but didn't reach for another herself. They were far too sweet for her tastes, and she had her own tea. "I see! That sounds like quite a useful skill. I suppose cats and bats must not be that different."

She turned towards Ruby, covering a mischievous smile with her hand. "When you master it, perhaps you can teach Ruby! It would be quite interesting, seeing the both of you chittering away."

In fact...

"Perhaps after this meal, you could demonstrate what you've learned to us! I would love to see your new skill in action.

@Crimson Ruby @Chako

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Ruby giggled, raising her hands while looking at @Bluebird. "Sorry, dear!" She apologized with a wink, then looked back at @Chako, tilting her head for a moment and humming at the little cat's words, looking at her intently while resting her chin on her hands.

"Well, that's a good point." She nodded.

When the topic returned to echolocation, Ruby's ears perked up. "I agree! I would love to see how you do your echolocation. I do wonder if our feline features make us a bit better at it..."

She pondered for a moment, then glancing at her blue friend.

"Birdie, would you say you are able to see better in here than out there?" She asked, curious about Bluebird's perspective on it. She, at the very least, felt a considerable difference in a lot of things. For Chako, that question had an obvious answer, considering everything she told to them so far.

 

[Chako]

That feeling of being a third wheel came back to Chako in full force once she heard Ruby say 'sorry dear', but... Well, Chako figured there was no point in dwelling on it if the two of them seemed fine with her there.

So instead, she just kept on munching on sweets, quickly emptying the tray that was given to them, "Eating without worrying about the impacts the food will have on my health sure feels nice..." Chako mumbled.

... That was not meant to be said out loud... Chako thought... Oh well, they'll just think I'm talking about gaining weight, so it's fine. and so, she decided to not worry about it.

After gulping the last sweet, Chako replied to Bluebird, "I think there is plenty of difference? Like... What do we even have in common other than having good ears? Cats can't even hear ultrasonic sounds, you know?" Well, Chako could, but that was because Arcia allowed her to.

Then, she turned to Ruby, "Well, I think the good ears do help. I tried it a bit back home, and it didn't work out... Though well, I also can't make nor hear ultrasonic sounds back home, so I guess I'd need to try adapting the method...

"Anyways, I don't mind going out to do something if that's what you both are suggesting!" Because well, she had just shown what she could do, so uhn... Chako figured they just meant going out and seeing what they could find.

"Ah, I don't think we can communicate with this kind thing though... It seems more useful to locate things and people more than anything else... Uhn... Sorry to disappoint." Chako meekly told Bluebird.

Well, they could still communicate with ultrasonic sounds if Ruby or Bluebird learned how to hear it, but... Based on their reaction to Chako's echolocation, she figured they didn't really know how to.

@Crimson Ruby @Bluebird

 

[Bluebird]

"My sight is indeed far sharper here," Bluebird said, eyes darting as she looked around the area for something to demonstrate. "For example, I can see the leaves being shaken by the birds in that tree."

She pointed a finger towards a tree visible outside the cafe... one that was at least a block away. Even with 20/20 eyesight it would be hard to discern one leaf from the other, let alone anything hiding behind them. "I believe they are chickadees, but I cannot hear their calls from this far away..."

She lowered her hand, then turned back to the others. At Chako's question, Bluebird tapped her cheek in exaggerated thought.

"Cat and bat... they sound nearly identical, do they not?"

Bluebird did in fact know the difference between cats and bats. She'd seen both of them quite a bit in her childhood. But she found her own little joke too funny not to commit to, and she couldn't hide the smile on her face.

@Crimson Ruby @Chako