( voice )

[secrowtary]

Hello everyone. I am truly sorry to bother you at this time, but I have a favor to ask of you. We have all been here for quite a while, so I assumed that some of you might have become quite familiar with this city. That is the reason why I would like to ask for your top five fun activities and/or places in Shehui. It might be anything, I am just curious what you enjoy doing in your free time here. Please do not feel obliged to reply, but I will be truly grateful for all the answers.

[ Teach him how to have fun, please??? ]

Comments

[talim]

Well, there's the arcade/casino, which is a lot of fun as long as you don't go and blow all your credits. It's easy to lose track of time when there are so many different games to play.

There's also the botanical garden. 9S took me there a short while ago, and I don't think I've ever seen so many flowers in one place. Plus, compared to the hustle and bustle of the city, it's nice and quiet there if that's what you're looking for.

[secrowtary]

[ For a while here, Hibiki wonders if he's been too obvious. ]

Arcade is quite fun, I have to agree. Thankfully, I have some credits to spare so it shouldn't be a problem. The botanical garden sounds quite tempting, though...I'll definitely keep it in mind.

[ It's time for some derailing. ]

So you've been on a date...

[talim]

[ jude did not expect that derailment, but considering that this is hibiki, he really should have. ]

W-Well...

[ he's a bit bashful, but not too much to tell him. hibiki is a friend, after all. ]

Yeah, it was a date. How does that relate to this, though?

[secrowtary]

It doesn't. I just wanted to make sure.

[ More like he wanted to tease Jude because it's his favorite pastime. ]

Do you need to reserve tickets for entry to the botanical garden?

[talim]

I'm not sure why that's something you'd need to make sure of, but anyway... no, you don't. Anyone is free to visit.

[secrowtary]

One day you'll understand.

[ There's not much to understand in the fact that he likes to tease him but he needs to make it sound vague enough. ]

I'm glad to see that you take breaks from your games, actually.

[talim]

Of course I do! I do have a life, you know.

[ rude. ]

[secrowtary]

I'm glad to hear this. I was afraid that you might have forgotten that you do. Last event in Hate Die was quite...memorable.

[ He almost broke his finger—WAIT WHAT IS HE TALKING ABOUT ]

[talim]

I almost didn't make it to tier one... it was brutal. A bloodbath. But I somehow managed.

[secrowtary]

You made it to tier one...?!

[ Such dedication. Hibiki is that loser who was literally 5 ranks away from tier one. ]

You're serious about this, aren't you.

[talim]

[ jude nods, even though hibiki can't see him. ]

Very.

[secrowtary]

How did you do this? Did you get any sleep the night before the end of the event?

[talim]

Sort of. I just set an alarm on my phone every time my LP refilled. Smart, huh?

[secrowtary]

That's ridiculous. You should sleep at night.

[ He's just salty because he didn't come up with this idea. ]

[talim]

I went back to sleep after I used it! This isn't a difficult concept to understand, Hibiki.

[secrowtary]

Who do you take me for, seriously. I understood how does it work, but still...you should be sleeping, not waking up every three hours just to play a game.

[ Read: he's going to try this next event. ]

[talim]

You just have too much pride to admit that it was a good idea.

[ he's on to you. ]

[secrowtary]

[ WOW ]

It was a good idea. See, you were wrong about my pride.

[talim]

Wow. Well, I can admit to being wrong, then.

[enflame]

It's not so much a place, but there are businesses that will deliver food right to your house. Fun enough for me!

( This is mentally sent as he eats vaguely Asian-inspired takeout, in bed watching tablet television. True millennial shit. This restaurant also brought him sticks with his meal, which he doesn't understand, but the pork is good so it gets a pass. )

[secrowtary]

[ Emil has priorities. Good ones at that. ]

But that's... [ How should he break it to him, hmm. ] Have you never seen such restaurants before?

[enflame]

No...? Is that not something exclusive to Shehui?

( How dare people get to indulge in this while he has been deprived!!! )

[secrowtary]

How should I put it...well, not really. There are such restaurants in my world too. And in many others, I believe.

[ Emil be the change you want to see and open your own restaurant!! ]

[enflame]

( That would take away precious time from eating at restaurants. )

Are you kidding me? My world has nothing like that! ( God damn apocalypse. )

[secrowtary]

[ Good point. ]

Wait...there are no restaurants at all?

[enflame]

Of course there are restaurants! ( He's not some Finnish forest creature, only eating food from the trees and slop buckets!! ) They just don't bring anything to your house.

[secrowtary]

[ A moment of silence for Emil and his world. ]

Live your life to the fullest here, then. Just don't get used to it too much.

[yancat]

The cat cafe.

[ That's. That's it. That's the message. ]

[secrowtary]

There is a cat cafe here?!

[ Jumin...now they're going to have this conversation in a bigger than usual font. ]

[yancat]

Why wouldn't there be?

[ Look, it's pretty important. His words almost feel as if they're sparkling... ]

[secrowtary]

That's...a good question. Where is it? Are you working there by any chance?

[ He wouldn't be surprised, honestly. ]

[yancat]

No...

[ Wait.

Wait for it. ]

Un-fur-tunately.

[ YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH ]

1/2

[secrowtary]

[ ASDFLJLHJGJGKML]

Jumin-san...

[ Hibiki's given up on him— ]

[secrowtary]

[ Okay, not really. ]

Would you like to go there with me right meow? Or whenever you have time.

[yancat]

Yes, meow. 🐈

[ ... ]

I meant now, in case that wasn't clear.

[secrowtary]

[ Hibiki remains silent until he can't hold back the chuckle anymore. ]

I understood, don't worry. Could you show me the way there? If you're in your apartment, we can go together.

[yancat]

[ He's glad Hibiki is laughing at his HILARIOUS jokes. One blue heart for you, Hibiki. ]

I'm in my apartment, yes. I'll meet you at the lobby in five.

[ Jumin is there on time, looking his best as usual. ... Probably irritatingly so. ]

[secrowtary]

[ You gotta look good for the cats, that's understandable!! Hibiki appears there on time as well, wearing his usual ridiculous uniform. ]

Hello. Let's not waste any more time. They're waiting for us.

[ SO BOLD ]

[yancat]

[ His uniform has always been fine. Jumin doesn't want to question the culture of other worlds. Doing so would be unwise. ]

Hello. Yes, let's go. [ SO CURT!!

Without missing a step, they begin walking. ]

It isn't far from here, though I must admit that I had qualms with meeting at the apartment. [ He eyes the patrolmen around the apartment building. They aren't being intrusive, but Jumin has a particular distaste for being followed. And he thought he had it tough with the media... ]

But it doesn't matter. It'd be the same anywhere.

[secrowtary]

Is it because of your roommates or—

[ Hibiki's gaze lays on the patrolmen as well and he sighs softly without finishing the sentence. It might not be even necessary at this point. ]

I see. I can't blame them for being wary of us, though. We're quite a large group, all in all.

[yancat]

There must be other large groups like us. Migrants, refugees... Perhaps people far more dangerous than us. Are we so important to warrant this?

[ ... ]

I suppose we do have a dragon.

[secrowtary]

I suppose this is the answer we've been looking for.

[ Sighs... ]

I'm not sure what is worse, this or the hospitality of the Palai.

[ It's been a wild ride back there. ]

[yancat]

I would rather be openly hated than receive excessive flattery.

[ The fear of the unknown is the worst of all. ]

But at least with the Palai, they had the decency to keep their guns away. Let's turn here. The Giggle Maps say it's a shortcut.

[ The Giggle Maps... ]

[secrowtary]

[ The Giggle Maps....Hibiki looks triggered for a moment here. ]

I just hope that we'll finish our mission here fairly quick.

[ Not that anyone has given them any pointers or anything of the sort. Maybe that's just Genette and Brie's mo. ]

And that the next world we're going to visit will have cat cafes as well.

[ Priorities... ]

[yancat]

[ You're talking to a 40-year-old soul in a young man's body here, Hibiki... ]

Yes, I hope so too.

[ He's talking about the cat cafes, but the mission works too.

ANYWAY, THEY'RE HERE. The cafe has a cute shop front, a menu by the entrance, and a clear glass window through which passersby can see the cats with their customers, leisurely roaming around the establishment. ]

It's quaint. But... not bad. Let's go in.