ramen stand

@Rhydian E. sorrel nodded a few times at rhydian's words, having heard the whispers of people who couldn't handle the shortage and then disappearing. it was something that happened often, with only a handful of people ever returning after each shortage, and he couldn't help but wonder if the syndicate took advantage of that before he blinked himself back into the day. he looked up with a small smile on his lips when rhydian spoke, and he bit his lip to hide a smile. "oh, are you worrying about me? i'm okay, i promise." sorrel's voice softened at his last words, and he reached out to pull a piece of ramen off of his beard before letting it drop to the ground, his hand then coming up to push his glasses back onto his face. "really, i am. but it's cute of you to worry. if you're so worried, you can let bastet follow me around and i'll show her what a /real/ fun day looks like."

@Sorrel N. In an ideal world, Rhydian would have gladly given Sorrel some of his water stash to help, but the mechanic had more to think about that just himself. He had to think of Bastet, who already received the majority of his water rations at times like this. He would rather short change himself than let her suffer. "Hopefully that shipment will come in any day now... I've already seen some of the workers down in engineering pass out. Some haven't come back." He muttered with a frown, stirring his noodles around absentmindedly before bending over the bowl to take bit. When he sat back, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, not wanting to look silly with any remnants that might be clinging to his beard. "It could be worse. I only go down there when I'm short for work on the docks. If ships come in, I'm good usually." Turning to Sorrel, his gaze flickered to the adorable birthmark on his cheek. He hadn't really questioned it before, but it only dawned on him then that Sorrel's skin lacked the greenish tint of most Khun. At least the ones he'd known. "You shouldn't go down that way anymore. Pretty flowers might wilt down there, you know. And I wouldn't want that happening to you."

@Vyctor X. It had been a low weak for Ra'seca. She had preformed a larger shipment then usual of her saliva to the Syndicate, more then a couple girls had been brought into the brothels' over the weekend at the red district and got a harsh reality check, and the best doctor she could find charged a hearty sum for a simple under-the-books procedure on her spine. What would take another years worth of the undercover work she preformed to get credits. Spending the afternoon at the ramen shop after her cooking shift, she ravegly ate up her bowel of lovely spicy noodles, back in her usual garb of a tight black dress, thigh high boots and some clips in her hair, reading over a newspaper article on some elitist melo-drama. "Poor Doressi." the short gal mummered into her bowl, as she slurped up the last of the juices to her first round (which was free because she worked).

@Rhydian E. sorrel giggled when he noticed the blush on rhydian's cheek, tugging his bowl of ramen towards him with a hum. he asked for a pair of the sticks and used them to eat his ramen, slurping it up with big eyes as he looked at the other male with a nod. "you might be right. this water drought has been killing me lately. usually i can ration my water pretty decently but lately it's been harder to do so. there's so many people on the station now." the khunqaell huffed quietly and rubbed his eye before tapping the daisy on his cheekbone (it simply looked like a mole with his glasses on), pouting cutely for a moment as he looked down at his soup. "it helps with work, that's for sure. but i couldn't imagine being down there every day for five years in a row."

@Sorrel N. Rhydian hadn't expected that his joke about Sorrel calling him 'pretty' would actually stick and he felt his cheeks flare hot when the word fell from the other's lips. Never in his life would he ever have thought those term would be associated with him, especially when someone who was literally beautiful was sitting right at his side. He was so taken aback by it that he almost didn't catch Sorrel mentioning that he would just pay for the next /date/. If he wasn't already so flustered, he definitely would have been then, but he found himself grinning dumbly. "Yeah... Yeah, you've got it." He agreed, his blue eyes studying the other intently once he removed his mask. It almost seemed like a crime for someone like Sorrel to be around a wastrel like him, in the dirtiest parts of the station. He should be somewhere as beautiful as he was, surrounded by the flowers that sprouted from his fingertips. "I think you might just be particularly susceptible, maybe." He wondered aloud, waiting to dig into his soup until Sorrel's arrived as well. "I get sick sometimes from it, too. I'm just lucky I've only been dealing with it for five years. There's people that have been at it their entire lives and you can hear them wheezing from a mile away."

@Rhydian E. Sorrel grinned cheekily and dropped the required coins into the worker's hand before leaning into Rhydian'a side, shaking his head. "Too bad so sad pretty boy. It's okay, you've got the next date." The Khunqaell hummed before reaching up to tuck his fingers under the mesh mask that he wore over his nose and mouth, tugging it down to his neck, and he his bottom lip into his mouth before letting go with a smile, the mole on his lip clearly visible now. "I don't know how you stand being down there for so long. My air filtration mask can only handle so much before it stops working."

@Sorrel N. Getting talked up by some strangers was, unfortunately, something that was unavoidable when one ventured into the lower levels of the station where people with less morals tended to flock because the police presence wasn't as strong. Many scantily clad men and women often waited for the workers to be done with their shifts, seeing if anyone wanted to cough up some credits to take them home to blow off some steam between the sheets. And, for many, that was honestly a preferable way to end the day. But when one approached Rhydian while he waited for his food to cool, the Striettall felt less like a beast tamer and more like the prey they hunted. "Sorry, I'm waiting for someone." He murmured with a kindly smile and a wave of his hand, his anxiety making Bast's tail flick in annoyance even though she was busily eating her meat. It was a relief when Sorrel settled next to him and the tension visibly went out of Rhydian's shoulders. "You made it." He sighed, little lines appearing around his blue eyes as his smile brightened. "No, no! You already came all the way down here and returned the wrench. I can get it."

@Rhydian E. Sorrel had finished up with his mail early for the day and decided it was good to get to the ramen stand early, but Rhydian and Bastet were already there by the time he arrived. He ran a hand over his hat to fix it where it had gone askew and paused when he saw the way he was sitting on the stool, biting his lip. What a sight.

The Khunqaell wiggled his fingers at Bastet and giggled to himself at the way her tail swished in greeting before sliding onto the stool beside Rhydian with a smirk at some woman who needed more clothing on, crossing one leg over the other. "I'll take the same bowl please, all on me."

Rhydian made his why across the steamy concourse that connected the docks and engineering with Bastet at his side. The large Zerval let out a bellowing yawn that echoed in chorus with the groans of metal and whirring machinery. "I feel that. Been a long day." Rhydian agreed with a chuckle and reached back to scratch the feline behind one tufted ear. While he never had to struggle for work, whenever he finished one job another popped up and there was a part of him that was beginning to feel to weight of too much unfinished business. There was a satisfaction with knowing everything was completed at the end of the day, but Rhydian just had more of the same to look forward to tomorrow. And the next day. Until he paid off his blasted debt.

At least he had this, though. The rickety ramen shack was like a beacon in a storm, it's red and yellow lanterns glowing through the haze of polluted air. Thankfully they'd missed the rush from shift change and Rhydian was able to settle on one of the empty stools. Bastet stretched out behind him, her long body an impassive road block. "I think I'll do the tonkatsu ramen today. And a plate of meat for that one." He asked with a dazzling smile and gestured to the Zerval laid out behind him.