D8 ME -(Itsuka's Apartment, Expecting) - A trip down paper lane

[Utaku Itsuka]

A mix of 'practical minimalism', rustic wooden furniture, and 'exotic Unicorn world' details here and there, framed maps of Shiawase Island and other parts of the Tango Province hanging on walls, a stylised map of the Imperial Worlds, a few more detailed maps showing the location of Asteroid fields in different parts of the Empire, and some detailed maps of a few of them. This was definitely the house of someone who liked going places - whether now or in the past, that wasn't clear.

Balcony, large living, a corridor leading to bedrooms - probably at least three from the looks of it. The harbourfront right ahead from the balcony window, Azuma Beach a suggestion in the distance. This wasn't a penthouse, and there was no overt show of affluence - but this wasn't a cheap place, by far.

The sound of smell of something sizzling came from the kitchen. Seafood, probably. Squid? Some spices, too.

On a large wooden table, around some tables that had been moved aside to allow easier access, were a number of folders, notebooks, sheets with notes, among other things. One personal informator as well, and a comm.

[Kitsuki Ichitaiyo]

A mix of 'practical minimalism', rustic wooden furniture, and 'exotic Unicorn world' details here and there, framed maps of Shiawase Island and other parts of the Tango Province hanging on walls, a stylised map of the Imperial Worlds, a few more detailed maps showing the location of Asteroid fields in different parts of the Empire, and some detailed maps of a few of them. This was definitely the house of someone who liked going places - whether now or in the past, that wasn't clear.

Balcony, large living, a corridor leading to bedrooms - probably at least three from the looks of it. The harbourfront right ahead from the balcony window, Azuma Beach a suggestion in the distance. This wasn't a penthouse, and there was no overt show of affluence - but this wasn't a cheap place, by far.

The sound of smell of something sizzling came from the kitchen. Seafood, probably. Squid? Some spices, too.

On a large wooden table, around some tables that had been moved aside to allow easier access, were a number of folders, notebooks, sheets with notes, among other things. One personal informator as well, and a comm.

Ichitaiyo expected business, thus walked in like meaning business, with one of her many sharp suits she used on the job. She held a briefcase with her own personal portable computer, a fancy-feeling model too. Her gaze was gently more gaunt that usual, worn by the long day and long hours at the Magister's office.

But it was the good kind of tired, she was helping people now.

She knocked on the door with a quite twice over.

[Utaku Itsuka]

Ichitaiyo expected business, thus walked in like meaning business, with one of her many sharp suits she used on the job. She held a briefcase with her own personal portable computer, a fancy-feeling model too. Her gaze was gently more gaunt that usual, worn by the long day and long hours at the Magister's office.

But it was the good kind of tired, she was helping people now.

She knocked on the door with a quite twice over.

"Just a minute!", came Itsuka's voice from inside, a bit muffled by the door and the sound coming from the harbourfront outside.

A short wait, and the door opens, revealing Itsuka in a comfortable tee-and-jeans look; red t-shirt with a watercolour-like picture of the sun setting over the sea.

She bows, respectfully. The smell and the sounds coming from the kitchen suggest something is still on the stove.

"Thanks for coming, Kitsuki-san. It's very appreciated." She bows again.

"I've left what I found on the table", she points towards the pile of documents and other things. "Just give me a while and I'll get us something to eat while... " she doesn't finish the sentence, gives her a weak, but thankful smile. "Please feel at home and choose a seat while I finish things", she bows again, her voice slightly apologetic as she steps back toward the kitchen.

[Kitsuki Ichitaiyo]

"Just a minute!", came Itsuka's voice from inside, a bit muffled by the door and the sound coming from the harbourfront outside.

A short wait, and the door opens, revealing Itsuka in a comfortable tee-and-jeans look; red t-shirt with a watercolour-like picture of the sun setting over the sea.

She bows, respectfully. The smell and the sounds coming from the kitchen suggest something is still on the stove.

"Thanks for coming, Kitsuki-san. It's very appreciated." She bows again.

"I've left what I found on the table", she points towards the pile of documents and other things. "Just give me a while and I'll get us something to eat while... " she doesn't finish the sentence, gives her a weak, but thankful smile. "Please feel at home and choose a seat while I finish things", she bows again, her voice slightly apologetic as she steps back toward the kitchen.

"Thank you very much for the hospitality you present, Utaku-san." Ichitaiyo bowed in return, drifting slowly over the apartment and leaving her shoes at the entrance. She looked around, as if she could read the walls and items around, not hiding that she was observing and making little conclusions on her head.

She set near the pile of documents, pulling out her laptop and a notebook to form her little office, and starting to sort the papers in a more organized fashion. After straightening the towers of paper, she began to give a preliminary read to each one, just to glance over to classify the papers in different piles.

[Utaku Itsuka]

"Thank you very much for the hospitality you present, Utaku-san." Ichitaiyo bowed in return, drifting slowly over the apartment and leaving her shoes at the entrance. She looked around, as if she could read the walls and items around, not hiding that she was observing and making little conclusions on her head.

She set near the pile of documents, pulling out her laptop and a notebook to form her little office, and starting to sort the papers in a more organized fashion. After straightening the towers of paper, she began to give a preliminary read to each one, just to glance over to classify the papers in different piles.

Some ten minutes go by before the sounds from the kitchen change, a few 'clinks' are heard, and Itsuka comes back to the living room. First bringing a pair of plates and glasses, then a jar with water and a couple cans of KINSENKA LAGER, then finally a plate and a large bowl, the former with what looks like a large diamond shrimp okonomiyaki, the second a salad, also dressed with seafood of different types.

"So..." she says as she finally sits down close to her. "Yeah. This is everything I could find. Mostly notebooks, some newspapers she'd left around, documents..."

She looks at all those things, her eyes now as hollow as Ichitayo has ever seen them.

"Anything call your attention, Kitsuki-san?"

[Kitsuki Ichitaiyo]

Some ten minutes go by before the sounds from the kitchen change, a few 'clinks' are heard, and Itsuka comes back to the living room. First bringing a pair of plates and glasses, then a jar with water and a couple cans of KINSENKA LAGER, then finally a plate and a large bowl, the former with what looks like a large diamond shrimp okonomiyaki, the second a salad, also dressed with seafood of different types.

"So..." she says as she finally sits down close to her. "Yeah. This is everything I could find. Mostly notebooks, some newspapers she'd left around, documents..."

She looks at all those things, her eyes now as hollow as Ichitayo has ever seen them.

"Anything call your attention, Kitsuki-san?"

Ichitaiyo read dilligently, going over and over the detail, the informs, the disaster reports..

"I will have to derive the date related to mechanics to someone who knows the workings of ships in detail, but this is plenty to work through. Still, I will need to look for more documentation about her travels up to this ship." Ichitaiyo commented idly, all too focused with her work over the delicious food on display.

Compared to last time, Ichitaiyo didn't look.. better. She paler, slightly gaunt. Maybe the stress of the bidding events had started to get to her.

"Did Kirara get to live here with you as well? I could use the whole story of your relationship for contexts.."

[Utaku Itsuka]

Ichitaiyo read dilligently, going over and over the detail, the informs, the disaster reports..

"I will have to derive the date related to mechanics to someone who knows the workings of ships in detail, but this is plenty to work through. Still, I will need to look for more documentation about her travels up to this ship." Ichitaiyo commented idly, all too focused with her work over the delicious food on display.

Compared to last time, Ichitaiyo didn't look.. better. She paler, slightly gaunt. Maybe the stress of the bidding events had started to get to her.

"Did Kirara get to live here with you as well? I could use the whole story of your relationship for contexts.."

When everything is ready, Itsuka takes a seat as well, not far from Ichitayo. She looks at some of the newspaper articles for a moment, gets one of the notebooks, opens it, her eyes start scanning through it. A small smile forms on her lips, only to fade a moment later.

"The Luminous", she answers, not no question in particular, to no-one in particular. "Maybe the Glowlight, if they changed ships for some reason... although Kiki hadn't been on it lately." She points at some of the documents - the ships Kirara would have been on last, probably.

The last question brings a smile to the Unicorn's lips - an honest smile, not quite bright, as some pain dulled it, but full of... pride? Fulfilment of some sort? Past fulfilment?

"She did. We did. Whenever she was back home. Kiki would always spent weeks, often months on end away for work - you've probably heard of the Firefly's main lines of work, ne, Kitsuki-san? Kiki's an asteroid prospector, mostly. Sometimes worked in full-blown mining. This trip... it was supposed to be an exploration and prospecting of some asteroids allegedly with high rare metal contents at the edge of Spider space. She mentioned it might take a while."

She looked at some of the maps displayed on the walls.

"When she was here, this was home."

For Kirara, she probably means. Maybe for herself, as well?

A while later, she raises her head and properly looks at Ichitayo.

"Oh. You.. I..." she stops, then starts again. "I hope the food is to your liking, Kitsuki-san? Can I fetch you something to drink with it?" She stands, goes get a bottle of sake and a carton of juice and places them on the table.

"Ah... I... hope I'm not making you overworked with my own problems, Kitsuki-san."

(OOC: Slow but hopefully steady... thanks for your patience! )

[Kitsuki Ichitaiyo]

;_;

As the Unicorn began to tell the story, Ichitaiyo quickly shifted to the booklet, and began to write everything down, every detail. Everything could be relevant or draw a clearer picture- to sort the data came later, first she had to have it at hand.

After the words of apology were done, the Investigator shook her head. "The food is very good Itsuka-san, thank you for it. And as for the 'overwork', I decided to help, and I will honor my word. Part of the best way I can help, is to listen to everything you can give me. By knowing Kirara-san better, I can do better research as well."

She raised her notebook. "Can you be exact about how often did she have to work on space?"

[Utaku Itsuka]

As the Unicorn began to tell the story, Ichitaiyo quickly shifted to the booklet, and began to write everything down, every detail. Everything could be relevant or draw a clearer picture- to sort the data came later, first she had to have it at hand.

After the words of apology were done, the Investigator shook her head. "The food is very good Itsuka-san, thank you for it. And as for the 'overwork', I decided to help, and I will honor my word. Part of the best way I can help, is to listen to everything you can give me. By knowing Kirara-san better, I can do better research as well."

She raised her notebook. "Can you be exact about how often did she have to work on space?"

The Kitsuki's answers were met with a thankful nod, a deep breath, and yet another 'thanks'. After a while, she starts talking again.

"It... varied, really. But usually ... four, five missions a year? Sometimes fewer, longer ones. Once she spent almost a whole year here, doing paperwork and planning, but then had to leave some three weeks before the New Year, on particularly long trip at that."

She took some notes on her hands, opened a box, revealing some some photographs, took one in her hand.

"She was usually out for something between three weeks and two months before coming back home. At times she'd come here, spend a week, then already start preparing for the next mission. Still... now and then she did spend months on end here. We'd make plans, get new things for the house, make a change or two at the Wherever... it's how we built our world here, y'know?"

There was a smile on her lips, a happy, heartfelt smile, as she looked at those things, felt that time coming back to life, maybe.

(OOC: Again, sorry for the snail's pace )