[Kodai]

Ah... This one is thanking you for your support, Olive, Kai nodded to her, smiling gently. He kept his human form out here in the streets, both for the ease of movement in the crowds and because he was closer to Olive's height, which made him feel a bit closer to her emotionally. Oh, food? Yes, we may be getting something to be eating. But... this one is not knowing of anywhere to be getting food around here. You would have to be leading the way. The dragon didn't know exactly if he would eat, though... It wasn't that he was picky; he just didn't eat all that often. But perhaps today, after prayer, with Olive...

[Moofius]

"I am not the most familliar with this town," Olive admitted, "But I do know of a street not to far from here with many shops and places to eat. We can pick a small place to eat and talk." the gyrraptor chirped as she lead the way onto the bustling sidewalk.

There was not a lot of people out here, but the streets weren't empty either. Everyone going about their day and their lives. Work, school, so many things people did in these societies, the same yet so different from her old tribe.
"I'm not too too hungry so we do not need to go to a restaurant or anything. Maybe a small cafe or something like that..." Olive suggested before, rather suddenly, turning to her human form with her, uh, traditional tribal garb. She fit in less then she had as a gyrraptor but this way she would beable to have soup and a sandwich without looking too too strange. Besides, sitting in chairs was very difficult with a tail.
She smiled to kai, the look was less... toothy and vicious looking then usual.

[Kodai]

Oh, a small place is sounding good, Kai agreed. He didn't know exactly what a restaurant was beyond that it was a somewhat fancy place to eat meals, and the two didn't need to have a small lunch in such a place. Still, there was the question of what they were going to order, but that would have to come later, when they knew the items on the menu.
Even though he had seen Olive's human form earlier at the orange house, he had been preoccupied with other thoughts, and so now he looked over Olive with an innocently curious eye. She appeared quite different from most other humans he had seen, but then, she was from Barakka, and so Kai guessed that Barakkan humans looked this way. Her clothes, too, were different, but he figured that transformations such as theirs came with a set of clothes, and so did not think too critically of them. They were actually quite beautiful, in their foreign way, and so was Olive, for that matter...
Blinking, Kai smiled back at her and swooped his hand in a 'lead on' gesture.

[Moofius]

People looked although Olive was rather accepting of it, she wasn't dressed in the norm. Rougher, earthen tones with hand made clay beeds and feathers for decoration; she couldn't blame these people for looking at something different. So the story teller lead the way through the streets of this marvelous and strange city.

She was still loyal to her tribe and her duty as storyteller and keeper, but she'd also learned all about this "civilized" (a terrible word to use. As was "more advanced" but describing this world would take more than one word, even one sentence) world and their gods. Their gods were kinder and made much more sense then the gods of her own tribe.
Perhaps to them she would not be apart of the tribe but in her heart...

She was a part of two worlds but part of neither completely. A strange place to be; it was also strange that she was on the street without realising it.
"Oh! Sorry I... I became a bit distant there, did I not? Apologies."
She pressed her pointer and middle finger of her left hand to her forehead and then lowered her hand.
"This is the street..." Olive said, looking around. There were a few cafes here and there. One jazzy, one with less atmosphere but faster service it seemed, one that had classical music floating out the open door and a few other fun, fast, or calming establishments.
"There seems to be... more places then I remember. It has been some time since I last visited."

[Kodai]

That is being all right, Kai replied gently. It is being no trouble. Things is changing all the time in places such as this, with many people. He looked around at the nearby cafes, wondering which one would be best to go to. The types with fast service but little atmosphere he didn't much care for, as they weren't really coming here to eat, but to chat. Cafes with music, he thought, might be better for setting a mood, but... what sort of mood did he want? Kai wasn't really 'feeling' the faster jazz tunes at the moment, but he also wasn't sure how long he wanted to listen to the calmer classical music. Something light and fun, he thought, something merry, would be perfect. You is having any suggestions? he asked Olive, turning to her. This one is thinking perhaps someplace with light, cheery music.

[Moofius]

(( And now something from one of my first RPs on the old Eamped forums. 8D;; ))

Olive frowned thoughtfully as she looked around the street for a cafe that looked just right. All of them seemed to be too loud, not good for talking at all. Or busy or fast or... Just not made for their current need. None of them, anyway, until she saw a small, dark building.

It was made of rich woods and held a sort of old air to it. Unlike the other places the music from the place was barely audible from here; it would not be a huge distraction or too loud while they spoke. Though the place seemed rather... deserted or at least not busy like the other places. Olive gestured towards the small, easily missed building just across the street.
"It seems rather quiet, perfect for talking and there would be less people there... If they are even open." Again Olive frowned. Maybe the little cafe was not in business anymore? But the sign on the door said open and even though the building looked old it also looked as if it was being taken care of. The only way to find out was to go in, right.
"Alright, let us try it, at least. If they are closed or the service is bad we can go elsewhere." Olive said, taking his hand and crossing the street. Traffic here was mostly pedestrian then vehicular and people crossed the small road back and forth without needing to look.

[Kodai]

Kai looked across at the small yet somewhat commanding building when Olive pointed it out to him. Perhaps it was just him, but once he had seen it, it was difficult for him to ignore it. Perhaps it was that old air that lingered about it, along with the dark, rich wood and the subtle signs that said it was cared for. It almost seemed to him that this building was an old friend, welcoming him in.

Yes, yes, that place is looking perfect, Kai agreed, allowing Olive to lead him across the street. How much more intriguing the building was close up! He could have spent a good amount of time looking over all the tiny details, but that was not what they were here for now. He pushed lightly against the door, wondering if the sign was right...

[Moofius]

The door swung open easily inward, knocking against an old silver bell that chimed in a tiny voice announcing their arrival.
She may have stood out on the street in her traditional garb, but here she didn't seem near as strange. The first thing that made the space feel off was how empty it was. The street was packed with people looking for a place to eat and had line ups in many of the locations. Here though the only ones here to eat were Kai and Olive. The other three here worked at the cafe (which was made obvious by the fact that they all wore matching black aprons with strange blue and red designs).

The first to look up was a short, squat and strong looking girl with skin that was a dark reddish-brown colour; darker then Olive's own human skin by quite a bit. Her eyes were white and glowed. Around her neck and one ankle were gold bands. On her shoulder was a mark that pulsed at a rhythm that probably matched her heart beat. The marking was that of someone cursed.
"Oh! Welcome! Most people would have turn tail and run off by now," the girl explained in a no-nonsense tone, "sorry if you felt ignored. Please, sit where you like."

As this girl spoke the other two looked up. One had ashy skin and perfectly round, glowing blue eyes. He wore a mask, marking him an anthromorphic garudor. Glowing blue lines that sat on his stony skin pulsed a blue, steady light that did not match a heart beat (or if it did it was a very strange, slow beat). He looked willowy and shy. As if to prove this he looked away from the two who had entered, moving long white hair to shield his face from view. The second was the exact opposite.
The other girl had a scowl on her face and scar across the bridge of her nose. She sat on the table of one of the booths with crazy black hair. The hair was cut short and stuck up at crazy angles. Her shirt wore short sleeves that revealed dark, snaking black tattoos and scars of varying degrees of pink and white colouration.
Eyes the colour of a raging fire turned their heated gaze towards Olive and Kai and the girl slipped off the table with the deadly grace of a predator before turning away from both of them.
"Come on," she purred, grabbing the temple boy by the collar of his shirt. He looked grateful to be away, but terrified to be with her as the two went to a door marked "staff ONLY!"

Olive watched the scene unfold, surprised by the strange group and the strange atmosphere of the place.
"Ah... It is no trouble at all. We did not," Olive assured, quickly glancing at Kai, "Why do you say most people would turn away from here?"
To this Olive got a sort of half smile, which made the storyteller frown in confusion. Was there a story here, too?

[Kodai]

Hmm... Such a curious air! And even more curious employees. Or perhaps it was the employees that were creating the air? ...But now was not the time to get lost in thought, or in the design of the place (truly, he could get lost in examining everything, silly dragon that he was that had never been in such a place).
Yes, why you is saying that? he echoed Olive's question to the humanoid Bruma while trying not to stare too long at her marking. Just like his heart in Hollowheart form, it was, except for the shape. Quickly glancing up to the girl's face, he added, And what your name is being? This one is being called Kaibutsu. Kai gave a small smile, and then went back to being absorbed by his surroundings. Ohh, the 'Staff ONLY!' door... How he wished he could see what the other two were up to. But no, he and Olive had to go choose a place to sit and wait and talk. Maybe he could ask about what went on on the other side of the door later.
Olive, where you is wanting to be sitting?

[Moofius]

The dwarfish woman laughed as she stepped around the counter there, waving a hand, “Ah well most people are scared of the cursed.” Tapping the pulsing mark with one finger as she watched the two, Olive leading Kai to the booth the other two staff members had been sitting at (er, on) moments before.

She scooted in, watching her skirt, looking curiously at the girl who was handing the two of them menus.
“Oh yes, now that you mention it I do know that marking. I have never met one who is cursed, but I do know that it is not something contagious. I wonder why people would avoid you.”
The girl laughed as she pulled out a small notepad, “Not everyone thinks logically like you, Ma’am, that’s why. And my name is Bete, it’s a pleasure to serve the two of you today. And don’t mind Nanashi in the kitchen, she’s just... irritable.”

A window behind the counter where the register was let one see some ways into the kitchen where the two from earlier were, the girl with the scar flipping the bird towards the co-worker taking our two love birds (who said that? What?) order.
“Shut up, Bete.”
“Manners, Nanashi,” Quipped the garudor boy, which had the chaos serraptors attention on him, giving him a whap on the head. Or she tried, clearly he was use to this as he dodged away, out of sight.

Olive smiled, looking worried, “Oh, I see... Is it that people avoid people like you and the two in the back, or something?” she had heard stories but she knew never to judge one by their outer shell. It was what was inside that counted; like a good story.
Bete nodded, “Unfortunately. Though some like temple others find them creepy and chaos have a sort of ‘trouble maker’ stereo type. Though the stereotype perfectly fits Nanashi, ha. Is there anything you two would like to drink?” Bete asked, adding that they did have a liquor license as well.

[Kodai]

Kai was quiet as he listened to Bete's words. It was the same old thing that he had experienced in his childhood; people would avoid him because of the misfortune that seemed to mark him. For Bete and the other two, though, the avoidance was based more on appearance than anything. Well, perhaps not Nanashi, but regardless...

This one would not be judging on appearances only, Kai remarked, looking up from his menu to address Bete. Personality is being far more important than marks being given by birth... Having said this, his thoughts now turned to considering a meal order. To him, it felt impolite to enter this restaurant and order nothing, even though he didn't really want any food. But all the food sounded so fancy! Perhaps that was just because he didn't have any prior experiences with restaurants, however. Erm.... This one is just having water, is thanking you, he began, figuring that he would start with that since Bete had asked for their drink choices. Perhaps he'd wait to see what Olive would order before making a decision.