Scene #1016: Working Title

Owner	Pose
Rashmi Terios	< TXT to Setsuna Meiou > OMG OMG OMG Setsuchan d'you have free time? Michiru-chan showed me this amazing place you have to come see it and I have to go back.
Setsuna Meiou	< TXT to Rashmi Terios > Sure thing, Rashmi-chan. When and where?
Rashmi Terios	A time and a place was set, but Rashmi confessed to not really knowing how to get there. Someone else's driver, apparently, was the person to make the journey, so all Rashmi could give were a street address and the advice that they'll probably want to travel by henshin. And it makes sense, because while the four various wards surrounding Radiant Heart were sizable on their own... 'Tokyo' consisted of thirty-seven wards. And all Rashmi could offer by way of temptation was 'It's the most amazing bookstore there ever was.' Which, on its own, might prove to be enough. But eventually, studiously following Nicomachea's guidance, Rashmi leads Setsuna to... the mouth of an alley. A fairly shady alley, to boot. The kind that one would probably not bring a friend to.
Setsuna Meiou	When Setsuna gets Rashmi's text about it being 'the most amazing bookstore there ever was', she pauses for a good few minutes and actually thinks about that for a moment. She knows Rashmi and is well aware that the younger woman is a bibliophile whose love of books very nearly matches her own. Hrm. Words will be have to had with her housemate. Holding out like this on here is...unacceptable. Still...discussions with housemates is a thing for another time. NOW is for books! After sending a text with a time in the near future and a place to meet up, Setsuna runs deeper into her house to make preparations. Sailor Pluto meets with Rashmi in henshin a short time later and follows her along to the place indicated...and she looks back and forth down the alley from the roof overlooking it, "...well, I suppose that if Nicomachea can spoof any cameras that might be looking, we can just drop down, dehenshin and go in?"
Rashmi Terios	"I mean he can't, but magic'll do that for us?" Rashmi says, tilting her head to one side. "I mean I don't like relying on just 'breaking eye contact,' but... oh I have an idea." And the redhead just... motions for Setsuna to follow her to the next rooftop-block over, where she simply sets up a Barrier that shunts them out of the populated dimension entirely. "Now we can just drop down, change back, and go on in!" Seriously, sometimes Device Mages are bullshit.
Setsuna Meiou	Sailor Pluto blinks, then nods, "Yeah, that'll do." She thus drops down...and then there's the impression of an explosion of ribbons and 'cosmic nonsense'...and once it's gone, Setsuna Meiou is standing there...though dressed a bit different? When she's at home, she usually dresses VERY casually, and when she's at work, she generally has something more or less professional under the labcoat she's always in. This, however, is a rare instance of being neither situation... Currently, she's wearing what appears to be a longsleeved white button down blouse with a red necktie underneath a dark brown vest and a black skirt that goes down to a bit below the knee. Over that, she's wearing a cream colored duster with what appears to be leather panels reinforcing over the shoulders and around the ends of her sleeves. As she lands, she makes a bit of a gesture, and a folded-up luggage gets dropped out of her dimensional pocket to be pulled along behind her. Thus, properly attired for a trip into a good bookstore, Setsuna says, "Well, then...let's check out this bookstore."
Rashmi Terios	Where Setsuna's transformation involves ribbons and cosmic nonsense and an effects budget... The moment Rashmi's feet touch sidewalk, her Barrier Jacket simply glows opaque yellow, then shatters into shards that flake away into nothingness, all on their own. She grins at the luggage, though, and chuckles. "...You might actually find that to be more trouble than it's worth, inside. C'mon, let me show you." The Barrier drops, and the girls merge smoothly into the newly-reappeared foot traffic, their steps ending them up back at the alleyway they'd scouted from above. Without hesitation, Rashmi leads Setsuna in, walking a surprisingly large fraction of the block to get to the entrance. When she opens the door, Setsuna sees... a bookstore. An old, cramped, stuffed to the rafters bookstore, the kind of used-books place one could find anywhere in Tokyo; run for love, not for money, and not a bare shelf in sight. The surprise starts when Rashmi reaches out to take Setsuna's hand -- "I've only been here the once, I don't want either of us to get lost." -- and starts walking. And walking. And walking. And after the fourth hallway, it becomes plausible that the owner of this bookshop owns the entire block, and turned it into his own private librarynth.
Setsuna Meiou	Setsuna smiles and mentally adds something to the 'watch' list for Rashmi, then follows her in. She'll understand the purpose of the luggage dolly later. As the door is opened and the two walk in, the taller woman stops and looks around...then just takes a moment to close her eyes and take a deep breath in through her nose...and one can see an obvious little shudder as she recognizes that subtle scent that any good used bookstore picks up. The scent of old paper and cardstock and cardboard and bookboard and all other manner of paper products all stacked together in vast, tight spaces. To a bibliophile, the NOSE will usually tell you if you're in a good used bookstore before the eyes do. A point made even more clear as Rashmi takes them on a winding path to the main 'counter' area. As the extent of the place becomes apparent, Setsuna just smiles more and says, "...okay...this is the kind of place I think one might need to watch out for passing orangutan in."
Rashmi Terios	Yeah, Rashmi knows that look. And that flare of the nostril. It was the same thing she did, last time, and already that look makes this trip worthwhile. "...Yeah uh... I don't actually know now to get to the counter from the door," Rashmi admits. "When Michiru-chan brought me, we went right to poetry, then a hike to Fantasy that inolved two different staircases -- I know it was two, the books by the bottom were different -- And then a short expedition to the counter, because... Oh hey here's a room." And as she turns into a random doorway, a fairly large room opens up; perhaps a living room, were this a standard apartment. And it is not just crammed wall-to-wall with books, the very window frames are surrounded with used books. Rashmi leans back, scanning a burnished brass plate above the doorway. "...Do-It-Yourself. Huh!" And after a short pause, there's a very, very quiet 'ooku' from Rashmi's lips. Okay so she's read at least one Discworld book.
Setsuna Meiou	Setsuna looks around, "...hrm..." After a moment's thought, she goes on, "...well, you might want to have Nicomachea check to make sure we're still in euclidean space...and if so, perhaps they can provide you with a proper mental map of the area? Otherwise, we're going to have to go on a bit of a spelunking expedition." There's a beat and she grins a bit, "...not that I suspect either of us would mind TOO much..."
Rashmi Terios	"I... may have asked him not to record," Rashmi admits, cheeks aflare. "...Mostly because the idea that it might be magic is even more interesting than the reality of whether or not it is. I just... like a world where I don't know some things, y'know?" Lifting a shoulder, she looks around the room, and grins. "Besides... Michiru-chan learned the place... we can too! It'll be a fun day, and if we accidentally find the counter, well... Mr. Watanabe's very kind, to boot!"
Setsuna Meiou	Setsuna looks over at Rashmi and arches an eyebrow. She tilts her head a little as she thinks that over, then says, "...well, on the one hand, I can kind of understand the impulse...but on the other hand, I would very much like to spend a LOT of money here...so perhaps asking if you can just get a mental map to the checkout counter would be useful?" She looks around a little at the various titles in this room, "...because I think we should probably treat this like an expedition into uncharted regions...and having a base station to come back to would be most helpful." There's a beat, then she says, "...and every minute spent looking for the checkout is one we can't spend looking for the books we want."
Rashmi Terios	"Yeah," Rashmi sighs, "you're probably right." << BONG! >> << GUEST USER 'Setsuna Meiou' IS CORRECT, MASTER. WILLFUL IGNORANCE IS A TRAP BEST AVOIDED, >> comes Nicomachea's stentorian -- if perhaps lower in volume, perhaps out of solidarity? -- voice says, accompanied by the flashing of the 'glass' gem of Rashmi's charm. "Wait, Guest Use--" << PASSIVE SENSORS MAPPED MASTER'S PREVIOUS JOURNEY. THEY WILL SUFFICE AS A NAVIGATORY AID. >> The gem gleams a final time, and there's... a faint yellow sparkle in Rashmi's left eye, for a moment. Presumably as the map settles into Rashmi's vision, and she looks left, then right, and frowns a bit in mild confusion. "I mean okay, both of you are right... Okay. So left out this door, then right, that'll get us back to the hallway, then right, left, left, right, poetry... Okay. Okay I think I can put us on our old path, but we'll have to not miss any turns to get to the front counter from here..."
Setsuna Meiou	Setsuna blinks at the 'guest user' statement as well, but then she giggles and says, "Well, tht makes me feel a lot better about reality as a whole." She then winks at Rashmi, "Apparently some rules are truly universal if even an alien AI like Nicomachea knows that you're supposed to be quiet around large concentrations of books." "After a moment, she waves ahead, indicating the path into the store, "Lead on, oh possessor of the most holy map of the bookstore. I know what I want to look for, and it'll involve going to sections you didn't mention last time...so let's get our central base established and maybe get some vague directions to help us along."
Rashmi Terios	"Well I mean," Rashmi chuckles back at Setsuna, as Nicomachea's lowered volume is commented on, "I imagine it's at least a little bit of kinship. I guess when Devices are given a particular form, it's to mean part of their purpose. And if I were a book, I'd definitely want people to respect books!" She then hunches her shoulders, almost instinctively waving off all the titles flung at her with a laugh. "C'mon then," she says, reaching out for Setsuna's hand. "There's a hike ahead." And oh boy, is there ever. No less than seven turns, up a stair, three more turns, down a different stair, and she kind of peters out as they get to the plaque announcing the Fantasy section, looking on with juuuuust a bit of longing. "So uh... I mean, I definitely want to do more shopping elsewhere, but um... Could we? Just for a bit?"
Setsuna Meiou	Setsuna gives Rashmi a stern, imposing look, as if about to berate her for even SUGGESTING that they stop... ...for all of maybe five seconds. Then she's holding her hand up to her mouth to cover a fit of giggling as she wavewaves acceptance, "...of course, dear." After a few moments, she manages to regain her composure, then looks around a bit herself, "Anything in particular you're looking for, or are you just going to skim the titles until you see something that jumps out at you?"
Rashmi Terios	And by the look on Rashmi's face, for those five seconds? It's clear that if Setsuna had said no, Rashmi would have moved on, because now that she knows she can't get lost she can always come back on her own. But then the stern look shatters, and Rashmi cannot help but chuckle as she darts into what was probably a dining room, before. Just like the rest of the shop, wall-to-ceiling bookshelves take up all the space that the windows don't rudely encroach on, and the redhead is just bopping from shelf to shelf, checking to see what's on offer. "So I have a few older light-novel series I'm trying to finish the collections of," she says, as she liberates a slim volume here and there from its shelfly prison. "Um... 'Rune Sky Rhapsody: Princess of the Sea of Stars' is the one I'm closest to finishing, and it's surprisingly goo-- ooh, 'Desolation O-Ki-Bo' volume 13! Been looking for that!" She's got three books in hand now, none larger than two hundred pages, before she brings herself up short, clearing her throat. "...I think I'm good for right now. What were you gonna look for, Setsuchan?"
Setsuna Meiou	The tall, greenhaired woman absently skims over the various titles, and she idly grabs a couple that look interesting to her. ...because, sure...she wasn't coming here looking for any of these...but half the reason to GO to a good used bookstore is the magic of finding something new... After a few more cursory moments, Setsuna nods to herself, then waves on, "I recall hearing about a series I was interested in looking over...but as I recall, it'd be wherever they keep the science fiction books." She then hrms and taps her chin, "...On the one hand, I'm not inclined to hold my breath that they have them, since I seem recall seeing something mentioning that they were never translated into Japanese...but on the other hand, with how big this place is, there's a decent chance they have a substantial English Language section." After a moment, she shrugs, "Either way, I'm certain that I'll find SOMETHING in here that catches my fancy." Another glance is given around, "...hrm...I might end up having to put in some more shelves at home."
Rashmi Terios	And in fact there is a smattering of several languages among the titles; two of the Narnia books, for example, in the original English and with a decidedly vintage cover. The books are slightly battered for their age... But there doesn't seem to be anything that couldn't take a good several years of hard reading. "Science fiction," Rashmi murmurs... "Well... We can definitely go to the desk and see if Mr. Watanabe has a map!" And Rashmi grins, upon hearing that Setsuna needs more bookshelves. "Setsuchan you need all the bookshelves. You've definitely earned the right to build yourself a little book lair, like with a huge overstuffed chair next to a bay window on one side and a fringy swing-arm lamp on the other..." Rashmi's mental image of the ideal library seems to borrow heavily from an amalgam of 'Victorian decor' and 'slightly cracked codex hoarder.' "Aaaanyway... I think it's only a five-minute walk from here to the counter. C'mon!"
Setsuna Meiou	Setsuna snorts, "Oh, I already HAVE a bit of a book lair at home. I just underestimated how much shelf space I'd use and failed to properly plan for how much space I'd need so soon." She shrugs, "Then again, I've only been living there for maybe six months, and they've been a kind of busy six months to boot...so I guess it can kind of be forgiven." As the two go back in search of the 'front' counter, the older woman absently enquires, "Oh. What did your parents think of the gumbo I left with you all?" After a moment, she grins knowingly, "Are we hopefully going to get a new menu item at Khorma from it?"
Rashmi Terios	"I think we have maybe a cup's worth left," Rashmi laughs. "And Papi is guarding it like a jealous dragon, he's been looking up every single scrap of information he can find about Creole food. I think next weekend he's gonna see if mitsuba can substitute for celery, but he has nothing but complaints for how hard it is to get the exact kind of sausage, and we just don't have the equipment to make it, y'know? But if you wanted Papi to have a new obsession until he can come up with something in the style, well... lemme tell you, mission complete." This narration holds up as the pair winds through more twists, turns, and staircases, ending up in a room with a glass counter, and an old, bald Japanese man quietly smiling behind it. And the door to the alley is visibe on the other side of the room. Perhaps Rashmi shouldn't have left quite so much to mystery. The redhead has the good grace to look a bit embarrassed at her oversight, at least, as she approaches the counter. "Hello, Watanabe-san!" The old man peers, a benevolent smile lighting up his face. Ah, Kaiou-san's friend! So glad to have you back!" Then his friendly, lined eyes find Setsuna. "And welcome to my shop, customer-san. Have you found what you're looking for?"
Setsuna Meiou	Setsuna snorts, "Best I can tell you about sausage is there's a guy over in Nagoya that does just about everything sausage...but I'll grant that's probably an annoying amount of shipping. I know the Chief cheats a bit, since all of the stuff he uses gets stocked regularly on the base at Yokosuka." She frowns and taps her chin, "...though I do seem to recall him mentioning that the sausage is the one thing he gets early and keeps frozen for when he needs it." She shrugs, "Anyhow, let your Papi know that if he comes up with anything even close, he'll have no end of orders from us...and I imagine quite a lot of others as well...so there's a unique menu item for him." When the counter comes into view with the front door easily seen on the other side, the taller woman quite quickly puts a hand over her mouth to conceal her grin...and to help supress the fit of giggles that threaten to well up. After a few moments of getting back under control, she gives a little bow to the owner, "Not as yet...so far I've just been taking in the ambiance and grabbing a thing or two that caught my eye...but I noticed you've got quite a lot of books in foreign languages...I was looking for some science fiction that I don't think was ever translated into Japanese...it'd probably be most easily found in English. I'd heard the series was called Honor Harrington?"
Rashmi Terios	Rashmi does not appear to be made any less embarrassed by the giggling, but it's more of a 'well that was a silly thing, wasn't it?' kind of embarrassed. "'Honor Harrington,'" Watanabe repeats, tapping the counter as he looks to the ceiling in thought. "Yes... I do recall finding some books of that series, though... I am embarrassed to say, it may require some exploring. So, so much science fiction comes into my hands, and only so much room to expand at a time. I regret to say, there are two rooms for that, and they are unfortunately quite widely separated. If you'll allow me the generosity of a moment, I can draw you a map to both rooms from here?" At this, Rashmi just stares, shocked into silence. Two whole rooms devoted to nothing but space and aliens and zappy guns?
Setsuna Meiou	Setsuna nods and smiles, "Of course, Watanabe-san...and I don't mind at all. I'm quite certain some books will likely accost me on the way to each location...as was meant to be." As he starts making a map, she reaches down and leans her luggage dolly against the counter and unfolds it, "...I kind of had a feeling I might need this when I was told about this place...and after having spent a few minutes in here, I'm glad I brought it...because I'm almost certain I'll need it on the way out..."