The Noodle Incident (D5EE)

[Leo Knight]

Meetings. Takeout. Apartment. Television. Maybe a beer. Maybe two. It was a routine of sorts, if an interesting one. In some ways, uninteresting was good. Interesting meant angles, and angles could be exploited.

Still, as Leo watched the machine begin to assemble the spicy noodles he ordered, he wondered if he might prefer more interesting. It wasn't the first time he'd wondered. Wouldn't be the last. On the bright side, he'd almost filled out another punchcard for this place.

Somewhat surprisingly, it was quiet in the restaurant. If you could call it that. Leo took a quick glance around, his cybereye scanning automatically.

[Jane Doe]

Meetings. Takeout. Apartment. Television. Maybe a beer. Maybe two. It was a routine of sorts, if an interesting one. In some ways, uninteresting was good. Interesting meant angles, and angles could be exploited.

Still, as Leo watched the machine begin to assemble the spicy noodles he ordered, he wondered if he might prefer more interesting. It wasn't the first time he'd wondered. Wouldn't be the last. On the bright side, he'd almost filled out another punchcard for this place.

Somewhat surprisingly, it was quiet in the restaurant. If you could call it that. Leo took a quick glance around, his cybereye scanning automatically.

Noodles_50.jpg (9.48 KiB) Viewed 500 times

A familiar looking woman enters the restaurant and collapses her umbrella before stepping up to the counter.
"Ceviche de pulpo with the extra chili and a bottle of nuca-cola thanks."

She turns to Leo, waving her commlink over the machine as it beeps in acknowledgment

"Oh Mr Knight, fancy seeing you here. You're a noodle fan too?"
Jane smiles with a raise eyebrow.

[Leo Knight]

Leo's eyes narrowed for a moment, but he relaxed as he recognized the woman. "Oh. Ms Doe." He inclined his head politely.

With a beep, his machine deposited his noodles. Unfortunately, the bowl was upside down. "Error detected. Gomen!" Leo sighed as the mess was swept away, and the machine started prepping a new bowl. This, too, was fairly routine.

He glanced back to Jane. "It's something to eat." He shrugged. "You?"

[Jane Doe]

Leo's eyes narrowed for a moment, but he relaxed as he recognized the woman. "Oh. Ms Doe." He inclined his head politely.

With a beep, his machine deposited his noodles. Unfortunately, the bowl was upside down. "Error detected. Gomen!" Leo sighed as the mess was swept away, and the machine started prepping a new bowl. This, too, was fairly routine.

He glanced back to Jane. "It's something to eat." He shrugged. "You?"

"I'm a fan, did some work in the Yokohame Metroplex way back and developed a taste for them. Although recently I've been getting into tapas."
Holding up long fingered hands
"Now, I know a lot of folks are against the whole 'share every dish' thing. But tapas are really just an excuse to eat a whole bunch of snacks and entrees as a meal and pretend you're civilized while doing it. You can just sit there eating a deep fried ball of bacon and cheese and nobody can judge you for it."

[Leo Knight]

There was a momentary pause, and then Leo tilted his head, giving her a faintly amused look. "Isn't that pretty much all we do? Do something, and pretend we're civilized while doing it? Like downsizing, or rent to own, or other terrible things."

He shook his head. "Or automation." He watched as the bowl of noodles was, once more, set down upside down. Reaching out, he gave the machine a thump. It beeped in complaint, but didn't otherwise react.

[Jane Doe]

There was a momentary pause, and then Leo tilted his head, giving her a faintly amused look. "Isn't that pretty much all we do? Do something, and pretend we're civilized while doing it? Like downsizing, or rent to own, or other terrible things."

He shook his head. "Or automation." He watched as the bowl of noodles was, once more, set down upside down. Reaching out, he gave the machine a thump. It beeped in complaint, but didn't otherwise react.

helpfully "Sometimes you gotta sort of rock it a little to get the bowls reset."
She makes a rocking motion with both hands

"I like to think we're a bit more civilized than that, but maybe not quite as much as we give ourselves credit for. Is that what you do Mr. Knight, downsizing and other terrible things?"

[Leo Knight]

That bowl was lost ("Error detected. Gomen!"), but Leo followed her directions, gave it a little shake, and the next bowl came out the right way. "How about that?" He murmured, smirking just a little.

"Something like that." He said, chuckling dryly, giving Jane Doe a look. "Aren't we all? Seems like everyone's working for a corp these days. Or not working." Eyes narrowed, just a little bit. "And what about you? Ms Jane Doe?"

[Jane Doe]

That bowl was lost ("Error detected. Gomen!"), but Leo followed her directions, gave it a little shake, and the next bowl came out the right way. "How about that?" He murmured, smirking just a little.

"Something like that." He said, chuckling dryly, giving Jane Doe a look. "Aren't we all? Seems like everyone's working for a corp these days. Or not working." Eyes narrowed, just a little bit. "And what about you? Ms Jane Doe?"

"Oh I'm a corper too, Optical Fundamentals. I'm a procurement specialist when I haven't been sent to help the Mayor colonise my home."

[Leo Knight]

A brief double-take, and then Leo nodded. "Oh, okay." He finally accepted his bowl of unspilled noodles, ignoring the arigato gozaimasu! that came from the machine. "So what's that like? I mean, is it a lot different?" He waved a hand around.

A quick glance around, and then he found a seat. He expected that Jane would probably join him, although he wasn't too concerned one way or another.

[Jane Doe]

A brief double-take, and then Leo nodded. "Oh, okay." He finally accepted his bowl of unspilled noodles, ignoring the arigato gozaimasu! that came from the machine. "So what's that like? I mean, is it a lot different?" He waved a hand around.

A quick glance around, and then he found a seat. He expected that Jane would probably join him, although he wasn't too concerned one way or another.

"Different. Pretty different from what I usually do."
The machine starts beeping and there's a brief battle of Loonie vs noodle dispenser as she struggles to ensure a bowl comes out right way up. When she finally succeeds there's a brief pause to inhale the scent before she pads over to Leo's table and sits down opposite, opening up a pack of cheap plastic chopsticks as she does.

"I spend most of my time down here on earth but Luna is still home. You know what I mean?"
She looks over to see if he does.

[Leo Knight]

It wasn't really clear. Leo's face didn't really express much besides I've seen some shit. "Sure." He said, noncommittally.

He, too, broke out a pair of chopsticks, poking at the noodles with them. A moment, and he sighed. "I mean, I guess. I'm from here. I travel. Haven't been to the moon. But when I'm gone, do I miss here?" He shrugged. "I don't know. Not really. Maybe." It was a noncommittal sort of answer to go with his expression.

[Jane Doe]

It wasn't really clear. Leo's face didn't really express much besides I've seen some shit. "Sure." He said, noncommittally.

He, too, broke out a pair of chopsticks, poking at the noodles with them. A moment, and he sighed. "I mean, I guess. I'm from here. I travel. Haven't been to the moon. But when I'm gone, do I miss here?" He shrugged. "I don't know. Not really. Maybe." It was a noncommittal sort of answer to go with his expression.

"I guess it depends. You're from New Angeles but do you have family here? Is there stuff you enjoy doing?"
Jane slurps a particularly long noodle with gusto

"I can't really recommend Luna. Climate is pretty rough and it's corp exploited like you wouldn't believe."

[Leo Knight]

The look Leo gave her was strange. Uncertain? Surprised? It was really hard to say.

"Everywhere?" Leo said. "I got the idea that it was a bit of a frontier. People out mining or putting lunar farms together, no one watching over their shoulder."