Techno x Punk (SL) [Dandanni]

The tone chimed following by solid footfalls as Ritsuko strode into the Cipher Cafe, lugging her guitar over her shoulder. She passed by this place all the time around work (just 2 streets down from Shimaki Clean & Press), just... never ventured to come in it. Until tonight that is. Normally this wasn't Ritz's type of scene. Fancy coffee and service was often beyond her means, and this place didn't offer her anything else the MorBurger down the street did. She wasn't one for tech since she'd never learned to use it properly, having a clamshell phone she hardly every used as anything other than an alarm clock and a watch. On top of all that, the cafe was a little... intimate? She guessed? The young adult was used to crowded fast food joints and dive bars. Places she could disappear. The air here was more... social. She didn't see many corners she disappear into among the loads of display screens and open tables. Doubtful she could find a booth, either. It was quite the popular joint, a good amount of the seats were filled already, mostly by groups no doubt starting her evening just like she was. How unfortunate.

Ritsuko slunk in with her head down, aimed toward one of the smaller 2-person tables. It didn't look like anyone was supposed to seat you, to her relief, and she quickly seated herself. Precariously balancing her guitar against her seat, the young lady sat down herself, keeping her head low. In truth she was nervous. Ritsuko could handle crowds and people, but didn't particularly enjoy being the center of attention. It was much more satisfying to be anonymous. But that wasn't going to happen tonight. Aoide had convinced her to break some new ground tonight and try to find a group to play with or start a session herself. She'd even gotten herself gussed up for the occasion, choosing a black long-sleeve shirt with a silver rose design underneath a cream vest. She actually took a chance and wore her plaid skirt tonight with black leggings and her familiar boots. To stand out a little she donned a grey knit cap over her mop of hair, her earrings being ones she made herself out of go-en.

To be quite frank, Ritz didn't want to be here. Her night was better spent at the bar with something cold to drown her misery, but Aoide was right. She came to Endymion after all this time for answers and she was wasting her time, getting complacent. Art was passion and passion didn't give a shit what you had going on, it had to be satisfied. Ritsuko had been ignoring that. If she followed her heart with a sound mind and a plan it'd be a step in the right direction. Besides... she'd been craving good coffee ever since the little blonde boy at that bakery in Little Tokyo made some for her. She really didn't get to enjoy it all that much, what with everything happening how it did, and wanted to give it another shot. She was afraid she couldn't afford it in the long run. She'd just gotten paid, but Ritsuko only brought $15 with her to keep herself from overspending. Successfully having erected an "I don't want to be talked to" barrier around herself, Ritsuko turned her head toward the... menu? ...the fuck was this thing? It was, like, one of those stupid skinny book laptop things. ...how the hell did these things work again?

"Yes Mom, I'll be fine! Yes mom, I'll be fine, I promised, you taught me how to take care of myself! Mom, if I'm in trouble, I'll call your work phone. Aaaaah, you feel better now that you have my unspoken permission to potentially arrest someone, huh? I'll be home soon, I just need to finish my shift. Okay, you be good too, alright? By Momma! Be safe! Love you!"

With that, she hung up the phone on the receiver. Night shift, not an easy thing to handle. It was when most people came out, and it was when it dug into her time to spend with family at night. But what could she do? This was where she worked, and she intended to make the most of it.

So, she got up and decided to survey the surroundings.

Packed as usual, it seems. Whelp, better get to it. No sense in dilly dallying and the boss don't appreciate me wasting the times! Just gotta get to those ord- hold the phone?

Her eyes immediately set sight on one in particular. They were a bit of a stand out, yes, and they did manage to command her attention. However, it was not for the conventional reasons. It was not the way she was dressed that caught her eye. It was not the guitar that made her noticed. It was not how out of place she seemed in a location such as this. It wasn't even her "Do not bother me" attitude that she seemed to have set up.

It was that look of utter confusion at the laptop menu that caught her eye.

Don't tell me she actually doesn't know how to use computers... she said, almost smiling at the thought. Whelp, she might as well offer some aide. Besides, the "doesn't want to be talked too" shield was practically useless against someone who had the "I want to get to know you better" passive ability.

"Need some help?" she asked as she approached, wearing the cafe uniform apron over her uniform shirt and pants. Not her favorite thing to wear, but in all honesty, baggy cloths were a work hazard. It was for the best that they supplied her with a not as baggy attire.

The hell was wrong with this thing, it doesn't have any buttons! It's just a picture of the logo, there's not even any kind of options on it! Wait... do they lock these things? Is that how they reserve tables, by only opening the menu to whoever has a seat? Damnit, now I'm gonna have to walk up to the counter and- Wait, there's a button on the side.

...

...it doesn't do anythi- Shit! Shit, shit, shit, I broke the screen! Goddamnit I can't afford to replace this thing! Okay... okay... don't panic. Should I leave...? No, no they've gotta have cameras somewhere in a place like this, I'll get charged AND fined. I'll... just... say it was broken when I got here! Yeah, they won't be able to prove anything one way or the other, it'd be my word against theirs. M-maybe... maybe I can fix it before they notice...? I mean, that'll look good on me, right? Alright.... okay... so the button broke it, right? Maybe not press that again, uuuuuh... there's, like, no other fucking buttons here! What the hell?! ...fuck it. Can't break it any worse.

As Ritsuko struggled to comprehend that she had simply powered down the tablet, her focus was taken away from the staff approaching her.

"...Need some help?"

Ritz nearly jumped in her seat at the sound of her voice, and then again when her eyes peered up to run across her cheek scar. Not exactly what she was expecting.

Fuuuuuuuuuck! Do they have friggen microchip sensors that tell them when people break their shit...!? ...C'mon, stick with the plan. It was like that when I got here.

"Yeah, the damn thing's broken, I don't know what happened," she thumbed her nose at the staff in a slightly irritated tone. As if from divine intervention, the tablet chimed to life as soon as she finished her sentence. The young rocker performed a quick side-glance to witness it spring to life, displaying a bright blue Welcome! screen.

...

...Fixed it! FUCK yeah!

"...I was just waiting for it to restart. That's all..." she admitted in a not-so-confident façade. That's a thing, right? Like when you unplug the cable box and have to plug it back in again? Ritsuko loathed computers and other techie bullshit. None of it was intuitive and she'd never had the chance to learn when it was easy. The stuff people took for granted, like which part of the... mouse? Whatever it was, which side thing you had to press. Everyone took it for granted. Comp. Studies wasn't part of her particularly abusive curriculum, partner that with a rocky few years in foster care and the rest of her adulthood jumping from motel to motel and Ritz just never saw the point. All that crap was good for was playing stupid games and wasting time anyways. Buuuuuuut she already got what she wanted. Wait staff. She could order a small cup of whatever was the rage with coffee, chill out for a bit, and loosen her fingers for a performance tonight. Really get her muse running. Anxiety wasn't a good emotion for art, she'd need something she could use.

Ritz sighed loudly. She'd need just a bit more time to compose herself. Admitting that she didn't do this very often would make her sound like a lost child and asking what they had would give the impression like she didn't know what she's doing. Wait. ...Yes. That'll work.
"Sooooo what's popular here?" Ritsuko asked earnestly, traces of her negativity yielding to a neutral tone of voice, celebration in her own mental battles won. "I pass by this place pretty often but I usually don't have time to stop in."

Already, she could tell at least one thing from this one. This person was not a very confident liar.

This person was also, apparently, easy to spook if you snuck up on them. No doubt, part of the spooking was the scar on her face. She couldn't help her inward sigh.

At least they played it off fairly well.

"Well, we do have a few that people frequent quite a bit," she stated, getting her facts together. "If you want to go by gossip, the pumpkin spice set is the one that people talk about the most. Apparently you haven't truly tried Endymion's flavor until you've tried that. We have it in coffee form and in frozen-cino if you want something cooler. Statistically, I've seen the strawberry and whipcream coffee get quite a lot of orders, just about on average with the pumpkin spice set. The third most popular is for the adventurer in all of us. The Lava Blaster seems to be a popular choice for dares, since it's the spiciest of our hot drinks."

So let's see what I can learn from this one on just observation, she mentally thought, already trying to uncover the mystery of this new customer.

The fact that they didn't bother with the menu and claimed it to be broken... was the touch screen unresponsive? That would explain why they had to restart it... but with that in mind, why did their excuse about re-starting it sound so doubt-filled? I need to explore this further. First we see what this fella wants, then we'll try to complete the order and use it as our "foot in the door."

Ritsuko placed a hand over her mouth, appearing as if deep in thought for a moment. No doubt she would need some time to think, but that wasn't what her display was about. Honestly, she was waiting for her waitress to leave so she could attend her thoughts and book/laptop thing in peace. Ritz tended to be stubborn under pressure, she liked to take her sweet time in making a decision. Reflection was quite a bit easier when no one was rushing her. She wordlessly waved her attendant away as the young lady with the scar moved to assist another customer and Ritsuko felt at peace once more. Something about the look in her eye made her feel as if she was being... dissected... but she wrote it off on paranoia and her already frayed nerves. If she could practice for her upcoming performance she'd feel quite a bit more at ease, but Ritz felt subconscious bringing her guitar out. She was out-of-place enough already. Looking around, she realized she was the only one sitting alone, not grabbing anything to go. Everyone else had a group of friends or were a couple. Whether they were playing online games, listening to music, or surfing the web, everyone had someone to talk to. Everyone except herself.

Ritz let go of the breath she'd hadn't known she'd been holding and went to browse through her... fucking piece of cybernetic bullshit, who was she kidding? This thing was IMPOSSIBLE to figure out! How could anyone reasonably expect t-!? Oh. You drag your hand up and there's the menu. That was kind of clever. She took a moment to familiarize herself with the technological marvel, thumbing her way through screens as shew browsed through the shiny new tech. Hey, this was actually kinda cool! There was a selection of coffees, teas, and cakes and pastries to offer. Each one was paired with a brief description and a price. Ritsuko didn't go for any of the sweets. They weren't filling, weren't rewarding enough, and she didn't have the cash to burn. Hopefully she'd end the night somewhere in Little Tokyo with a drink in hand and free grub after a show. Instead she burned through the drinks. Something hot? Something cold? Something seasonal? None of it would do. Though the public might've preferred pumpkin spice, the sheer numbers wanted strawberry and whipcream, and anyone with a spine tried the Lava Blaster, Ritsuko would find her own road. Green bubble tea with tapioca, that was the way to go. Something to sip on for a while without bowing into the trends, spending a lot of dough, and something that would keep her perky for Suzy Q later that night. It'd take a while, sure, but Ritz had time to kill and nowhere to spend it. Besides, the more time she procrastinated the better. If the night drew on long enough, the only place she could turn was Little Tokyo. ...and it was only six dollars.

Ritsuko would spin her tablet to face the wait staff, proudly displaying her chosen beverage as the wait staff returned.
"Bubble tea, green, tapioca. If you don't mind," she'd rasp, certain of her choice. She'd been confident enough in her selection and of her mastery of... okay, it was still cybernetic bullshit. Either way, Ritsuko was adamant in her selection.

I need to see what else I can learn from her... so... what can I tell... she's... very... very... um... stoic. Kind of... punky, I guess. No, that's baseless conjecture. I need to work off of facts. She's waving her hand at me... is... is she trying to shoo me away?! Now observation, she is not very social. If it were not for the fact that she did have other customers to tend to, she would have stubbornly stayed just to see what she could learn.

Though she tended to her customers well, bringing orders and taking orders, she kept glancing at the woman from before. Seemed she was still trying to figure out the menu. Oh good, she was figuring some of it out. Her sheer determination to not ask for help was nothing short of admirable. Maybe she should make it easier for her next time? If only there was a way to order anonymously.

At last, an order was made!

"Ah, someone is taking the high road," she said, jumping in before any other wait staff could take the order. "I'll just need your name." Plenty of places ask for a name so they can call out when the order was ready. It was the perfect excuse! Whether she obtains said name, she would set to work on getting that bubble green tapioca tea ready for fair customer!

"...it's Ritz. R-I-T-Z," the anti-social young adult answered curtly, sounding out her name for easier spelling. She'd face down the exuberant intruder within her personal bubble with an icy glare of pure, unfiltered GO AWAY before she left to fulfill the order Ritsuko gave. Ritz let go of her breath as soon as the happy-go-lucky server was a comfortable distance away, sighing audibly. Well, at least she didn't have to deal with the Demon's Puzzle Box any longer after finding out what she wanted. As Ritsuko sat in silence among the clamor, it would become increasingly obvious how out-of-place she was in the cyber cafe. Not a soul was dressed even remotely close to the way she was and most of the faces were highschoolers. She could probably count on one finger the people there that were older than she was.

To busy herself and seem like less of a nobody, Ritsuko would rifle through her guitar case, producing a well-worn notebook and just-as-well-chewed pencil. The notebook, a simple forest-green spiral bound mess of loose leaf paper, was covered in random designs and drawings of eyes. She wasn't really good at drawing, but she was sort of good at eyes and practiced them quite a bit when she was bored. Which was frequently. If she didn't have anything else to do, she might as well spend her time coming up with lyrics. Her thoughts began to turn inward as she tapped her boot against her seat to an imaginary rhythm while trying to find her center.

What's her deal anyway? Ritsuko ruminated, She's working rush hour at some nerd cafe on a weeknight, there's no way she can honestly be that happy. Is everyone here like that...? ...no. Well, not most of them. I don't think this is one of those cafes either, but that would explain a lot. I should've never come here, this was a dumb idea. I didn't wanna be bothered so naturally I made the genius choice of showing up at one of the more popular cafes when it's busy. I haven't paid yet, I can just leave. I haven't been to Spirits in three weeks, maybe they forgot my tab already. Fuck everyone, I don't even wanna play tonight, I just wanna get plastered and go home.

Her anxiety would lift slightly, but Ritsuko was aware that wasn't how she really felt. Aoide wanted her to play, and she always got what she wanted. Maybe she was right. It wouldn't kill her to suck it up for a while. She'd go til ten or eleven and set herself free to get wasted in peace and quiet. Pensively chewing on her pencil, Ritz's eyes wandered over toward the barista's stand to patiently observe how her bubble tea was coming along and... Wait, what was that? That... was she staring at her? Ritsuko averted her gaze, but had to look again to be absolutely sure. She was! Why!?

Why the hell is she looking at me like that? the loner seethed, Shit! She knows I broke the computer, doesn't she!? Wait... no, that can't be it, I fixed it. Well if that's not it then what IS it, then? Geez, she was looking at me like she wanted to fight me or fuc- H-Huh!? I-Is she coming on to me...!? Th-that's, u-u-umm... Fuck, why did I wear this skirt today!? Damnit damnit damnit this is gonna get REEEEAAAALLY awkwa-a-a-aard... Okay, okay don't freak out! Just, think about it for a sec. I'm alone, she was really pushy to get my order, she's looking at me like she's got some kind of, fucking, mission objective or something... Ah, okay. Hah, she thinks she's getting a tip! Sorry sweety, I don't have money for tips, I can get smokes with that cash. Okay, she's coming back, I'll find out what she wants.

Hah...

...I should've just stayed home and got drunk in my room instead...

Underneath the surface the gears in Ritz's head were frantically turning and grinding, but all anyone from an outsider's perspective would see is an intensely furrowed brow from a college-aged punk holding a focused glare at words on crinkled paper, furiously gnawing on the end of a pencil and taking cursory glances at a member of the wait staff.

Admittedly, she couldn't help but be a little entertained by this woman. She seemed every bit the type who did what she could to not get noticed, a hilarious hindsight considering her choice of attire and guitar.

Okay, mirth aside, she was here and she was a mystery! Liberty loved mysteries, and more than that, she loved solving them. She feels she at least has an initial idea of what this one was like.

At last the tea was ready, but she didn't really have a plan of attack, not quite yet.

For now, she'll play it by ear and adapt as she learns.

"Your bubble tea, miss," she replied as she gently set it down on the table. The closer look at what she had in her hands gave her new information.

Eyes... lots of eyes... what did that mean? A theme? Was she also a writer of music lyrics? The guitar case did lend to that idea.

"Is there anything else I can get for you?" she asked with a friendly smirk.

The young punk useless-ly tapped her pencil against her notepad. The words weren't coming tonight. No surprises there, she wasn't feeling particularly inspired, it was more about keeping herself busy. That and the anxiety. Not exactly a real creativity-helper. And she couldn't bring her guitar out to try some chords or a tune, so it was all mental. Just an exercise in futility, really.

-bass kick, slow guitar int.-

If you think you're ri-ighteous
be prepared to fi-ight this
Walls crashing dO-own
to the grO-ound
when the high hits
Break the mold of monOtony
Burn away Give yourself to the an-archy~~!

-guitar kick/crash drums, cut to guitar hook, set pace-

Misunderstood, you put on a show
-echoscream: put on a show
Bringing it back, taking it home
-es: taking it home
They don't comprehend, they'll never know
-es: never know
That you're all al-o-one/
/guitar hook quiet/ harmony scream?
/ in the driving snow with agony not shown and it aches in your bo-ones! (fuckit, later)

-bass fill, guitar grind. pickup-

If you think you're ri-ighteous
be prepared to fi-ight this
Walls crashing dO-own
to the grO-ound
when the high hits
Break the mold of monOtony
Give yourself to the an-archy~~!
(x2)

-guitar flash (change drum tempo)-

None of what she'd written had a point, anyway. She wasn't a vocalist except for fem backup vox and echo and she didn't have anyone to play with besides. Ritsuko didn't even like taking lead guitar the majority of the time. She didn't doubt her own talent, of course. Ritz blew every other guitarist she'd heard out of the water. Without even giving an effort. None of them had her... unique... sort of training and talent situation. Being spliced with a Muse and forced to play for over a decade against her will as far back as she could remember would do that. Music was a hobby or a calling for everyone else, but it was her entire life up to that point. She much rather preferred bass or backup guitar. Frankly she was better at keeping a band on sync and didn't care for the so-called "Lead Guitar Rock Queen" spotlight she knew she'd get, so she intentionally handicapped herself in public. Lead guitar sleazebags didn't have souls anyway, they traded it for finger picking.

Ritsuko was prepared for the server's intervention, turning her dull brown eyes upward in a judging look as her cold beverage was gently placed before.
"...thanks. I think I'm fine," she'd respond neutrally, pretending to turn her attention back to her notebook and grasping at her chilly drink. Tch, not likely. Ritz couldn't think properly in crowded, noisy places like this. She was more focused on making judgement calls of her own, as she often did.

...maybe I'm reading too much into this. Short professional response, asks me if I need anything. Nothing out of the ordinary, she probably just wants a tip. She's still not getting one, I just don't have the money for that. At least she curbed the cheer a bit, I'm really not up to dealing with that right now.

The delinquent would shift uncomfortably in her seat slightly, feeling the eyes on her. It was totally frickin' weird. What did she want!? Her irritated tapping would speed up on pace as she felt herself being dissected by the waitress. It felt like eating nachos with a dog in the room, just glaring at you with some crazy sense of hope and want! She considered fishing her headphones out of her case and throwing on some Almost Dead to make herself even less desirable to speak to, but she was sure it wouldn't work. Direct approach it is. Taking a quick deep breath, Ritsuko would glance over at the tomboyish waitress.
"...can I help you with something?" she inquired, irritation creeping into her voice.

Drat, she couldn't get much information this time around. The most she could get were maybe the lyrics, but her angle didn't exactly give her a clear enough view. She did make out the word anarchy.

Ah, Anarchy. One day...

For now, she needed to bide her time. Besides, there were present things to worry about, such as this one immediately calling her out with a simple question.

Still, that on it's own was a wealth of information. Maybe she could use this?

"Oh, sorry," she replied, "I'm kind of new here. Just started recently, so I'm still kind of getting a feel for things." Well, it wasn't a lie. She did just recently start. It was just also a convenient excuse for any poor behavior she may have displayed. "I'm just also surprised. We don't exactly get your type around here. It's kind of a crowded place, and there are a lot of distractions." While she didn't think it would be asked, it did bring up the question of how did she know what kind of people normally frequent this place if she only got started, or for that matter, what was popular to order. Thankfully, she had a ready answer for that. After all, she was always crazy observant of things.

Ahhh, so that was it then. She was new there. It explained quite a bit. Retail hadn't brutally beaten the optimism out of her yet. Ritsuko would shift her notebook closer to herself when she noticed the nosy waitress attempting to sneak a peak at what she was writing, angling it away from her. She didn't like to share her artwork until she felt it was finished unless she was screwing around on the guitar. Not that it mattered much, no one would ever see any of her songs anyway. At least not until she had a group she felt she could stay with, but with the government strict on what they allowed to be put on display down in Suzie Q that wasn't likely. Her kind of music was difficult to find and not exactly approved of.

The rocker chick would squirm in her seat slightly, instincts telling her to shrink a little farther down and try her hardest not to be noticed. Difficult to accomplish while in the middle of a conversation with someone, but there was an effort made. Ritz snatched her bubble tea from the table and took a long sip to collect her bearings.
W...What exactly did she mean by that!? her thoughts scrambled, imagination wildly spinning as her heart fluttered anxiously, M-my type? She's gotta be, like, calling me a loner or loser or delinquent or something! O-or... maybe s-something else...? I-I mean, why does it even matter, anyway?! I know it's loud and crowded, I don't care! Uuuuurgh, I shouldn't of thought this was a good idea. If I wanted coffee it could've been Irish, this is one of the better places for that. B-but... it's... it's crowded, yeah? And I... I'm all alone... i-i-is she asking if she can si... if she can sit with me...? I mean, she was looking over here an awful lot! THAT's what was really dis... d-distracting...

...am I the one that's distracting...?

Blood pumping, mind racing to pick out hidden meanings that never existed in the first place, the sip of Ritsuko's drink took uncomfortably longer than it probably should have. It almost seemed intentionally rude. However, Ritsuko's icy exterior noticeably changed to something slightly more fearful. Less spiteful, more... shy. With the sweet and satisfying beverage rushing past her lips it was easy for Ritsuko to forget that she was speaking to an actual person in real time vice made-up conversations in her head, but a sideways glance was enough to break her of that trance.
"Ah-a-*cough cough*! sputtered as she attempted to speak, quickly hiding the fact that her voice started to break. She'd try to play it off as choking on a tapioca bead.

"Mmf... So what type do I look like, then?" Ritz more or less demanded, her voice an odd combination of irritation and embarrassment. Her dull eyes would float up to the waitress's bright ones, only to dart away quickly lest they linger too long. They were soft and warm, like the bakery that morning, but with a piercing intensity Ritsuko was afraid would see too deep through the walls she was building.
"Do... you wanna sit down or somethin'?" she'd inquire, attempting an impatient tone to mask the nervous quiver her words belied as she drummed nervously on her take-out cup.

Her first instinct was to try and be ready to offer aid in case Ritz was choking, but it seemed to have passed rather quickly.

With a sigh of relief, she figured she may as well answer her question.

Well, both questions, actually.

"Well, that all depends on if you'd like me to sit with ya," she replied. "After all, you seem like the type who came here, maybe wanting to try something different, only to discover that it's more crowded and not as inconspicuous as you'd like. I'm surprised you took one of our tables here and not one of the booths. Forgive me if I'm being presumptuous, but I think I can get you a booth easily enough."

Maybe a little pushy there, she thought to herself, Okay, whatever happens, if she decides she wants you to back off, you back off for the night. You'll get another chance to break through to her later. I think this is the most I can safely do without being too invasive...

Ritsuko's felt her face grow flush at the waitress's response.

A-a booth...!?

Her blood began to pump harder as her already turning mind began to fill with more subjective thoughts. She'd chosen a small, two-person table as a way to take a seat without being harassed and because it was open... but all it seemed to do was make it painfully obvious that she was here alone, not part of a couple or a group. And it somewhat did, although, to mixed results. Ritsuko had found herself face-to-face with someone who wanted to politely intrude on her aloof facade, seeing she was without partner or conversation.

B-booths were for couples, right?! Well, couples and groups. I-I would've taken a booth if I saw one open! I mean, I like my privacy! Th-th-there weren't any open when I walked in! S-She...! She's kinda right... I came here to have coffee and enjoy it like I didn't get to do in the bakery, and this was totally different. B... B-b-but how did she know that?! Fuck! And I got bubble tea instead! Okay, focus! I-I-I mean, this isn't a bad thing, right...? She is kinda... with that scar... U-uh, u-um... Damnit, why did I have to come here tonight? This is so hard! *haaaaa...* Like, th-this is totally normal, right? This is, um, w-what people my age do, r-right...? They... they go to coffee shops and they meet people. T-totally... t-totally normal. A-a-and then they g-go into booths... alone... t-to...

...I can't do this, I can't! It's too much, I'm not ready for this! I'll pay, take my tea, and leave! I-I'll just go out to Salamander's and get fucked up where no one will bug me and never come here again!

"..."

...*haaaaa...* ...n...n-no. She's... she's pretty... p-pretty cute... A-and when am I gonna get another... another shot at this? I... *haaaaa...* ...I can do this.

Ritz squirmed in her seat, breathing becoming quicker and more rapid, clearly uncomfortable with her new company. Her gaze didn't dare even cross the sight of the waitress's, let alone meet her eyes, and she'd sunken even lower in her seat with a hand to cover most of her face to mask her growing flush.
"S-sure..." she squeaked in a shaky voice, not-so-much of a hint of earlier icy tone, "Th-that sounds fine..." The awkward young woman would allow her server to lead the way to the booth, feeling much to vulnerable to want to move while she was staring at her lest it prompt any response.


Affection is sooooooo sweet, like the soft scent of rain before a gentle storm. Warm, gentle. Awe-striking in its uninhibited radiance. Affection can blossom from a budding flame to a powerful inferno, unmatched in its passion and magnanimous glow! It is this pureness and innocence that makes it beautiful...

Or... it can develop into heartbreak.

And heartbreak is nearly as lovely...

What in the world did I stumble onto?  I may have found some pay dirt on mystery girl here, Libby thought, Where did that abrasiveness go suddenly?  Was it something I said?  Something I did?  Did I somehow cause a misunderstanding?  Things to investigate later.  For now, she asked for a booth.  Hmmmm... who can afford to give up their booth?

A sense of mischief overcame her as she looked towards the booths.

One group caught her eye.  It looked to be a chess sorority.  Oh hey, I'm part of that sorority!  That's a bit of a... contrived coincidence...

"Wait here," she replied as she went to the booth in question.  A conversation was taking place.  She was sitting with them now.  Were they playing?  And yet, it ended in two moves.

Suddenly, the sorority packed up their things and left.  With that, Libby cleared the table, made sure it was clean, then went back to fetch her mystery girl.

"Your table awaits," she announced confidently.

Ever since Liberty discovered the Fool's Mate, she had won countless bets with it.  Maybe it was her own luck, but not once did she meet a chess player who believed her when she said she could lose in two turns, let alone bet on it.

Wordlessly Ritz would stand and meekly follow her waitress until instructed to halt. As her c... companion... left her side to fix up her booth Ritz would standby awkwardly, wringing her hands, chewing on her straw, and staring at her boots. Her face began to feel hot and it was all that she could muster to keep from fainting in the cafe or sprinting out never to return. The bustling and inviting atmosphere started to feel oppressive, to choke her with its energy. She could feel dozens of eyes on her even if anyone wasn't looking. Inwardly, somehow, the panic was even worse.

I-I...!

...Ican'tdothisIcan'tdothisIcan'tdothis! I-I've never done this before, what the fuck d-do I do!? I don't talk to anyone, fuck them, what the fuck do I say!? Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck I'm gonna fuck this up! I-I've never even gone on a date b... before and I-I'm getting invited to... i-invited t-to... I don't even know! D-does everyone here know about this, is this some kind of hook-up cafe!? I-I-I don't, I-I-I m-mean...! Sh-she's...!

The young adult would continue to have a panic attack as her server cleared the two of them a booth. Her complexion would dramatically shift from rosy red to something paler and her head grew light. She faced away from the booth for a moment so she could hyperventilate without fear of embarrassment. And hopefully not collapse in a public setting. That was good too.

*haaaaa...! Hi-hi-haaaaa...!*

C-c'mon, get a damn grip...! *haaaa...!* This i-isn't a big deal, people d- *haaaa...!* ...people do this all the time...! *...haaaa...haaaa...* Just... just think about things for a sec...!

Gaining some modicum of control over herself, Ritz would turn to the occupied booth to find... the fuck was this?! Her cute waitress had involved herself in a game of chess with the geeks at the table, carrying on like she'd known them for a bit. If she hadn't been so panic-stricken she would've given a look that would've killed the entire table out of the sudden jealousy that hit her like a speeding truck... but it gave her more control over herself and a moment to think.

...did she just ditch me...?

...

...you gotta be fuckin' kidding me, what happened to getting a booth!? Who the hell are those nerds, anyway?! I've got half a mind t-...

...

...they're leaving. Huh. That was... weird. Did she...?

...Did she make them leave so we could have a booth together...?

...O-okay, let's not do this shit again! I'm in control, I can make choices, this is my decision. *haaaa...* Alright, so... what do I know about... u-um... p-picking... picking up women? Okay, I don't know jack shit, that's okay. Let's... let's treat it like I'm... making a new friend!

...

...fuck. That'd work better if I had any friends. Okay, don't freak out! We'll, uh, find something to talk about! Yeah! So she... she's good at computers I think and really good at chess...

...

I don't know anything about any fucking nerd shit! Damnit! Wait, history! M-maybe she'll want to talk about General Lee's campaign or the Chernobyl Incident? ...it's a stretch, but... that's all I got. Um, politi- naaaaaaah. Most people tend to hate me when I tell them that the government is a fear-mongering fascist shit show. I, uh...

Me. I'll let her ask me questions. She approached me, right? I've, like, gotta be her type. B-but... what kind of type is that? Is it the punk rock thing? I could see that. Or maybe just musicians? Am I the brooding tortured loner? I dunno, fuck! She... said I looked like I wanted to try something different but didn't like the crowd, so... someone who goes against the flow? Hah, I guess I could go with the strong, silent artist. That might work. But she has to ask me questions. I can't really ask any. If I say a word about chess or computers it'll start into a conversation about it and I don't know anything and it'll get awkward.

I need to... I need to be sure about this. I'll... I'll try my best and see where I get. I'll let her start asking questions first.

After calming down and once the chess players had left their table, Ritsuko took to scribbling in her notepad as her server cleared the booth. With her breathing still slightly rapid, stomach uneasy, and face glistening slightly with fear sweat, the delinquent made her best attempt to seem composed and aloof. As if being where she was inconvenienced her, like she'd accepted the fact that the crowd would take no interest in her and so showed them the same courtesy.

"...thanks," she responded as Ritz's waitress happily relayed that the booth was finally theirs. She could feel her pulse rise as she returned, but Ritsuko had some time to collect herself and didn't allow her anxiety to show. She carelessly tossed her guitar in the seat beside her, having a plan in mind. Well, more of a purpose. For one it'd be impossible for someone to run off with it since they'd need to reach over her to nab it. For two, it would keep her waitress in the free seat across from her. Any seat with her was bound to be uncomfortable, but if she got all... t-touchy with her Ritz was sure she'd get panic nausea.
"...you really didn't need to kick someone out of their seat if you wanted to talk to me that badly," she stated dismissively after her hostess had grown comfortable, the need to stay dominant in the situation (and thus in control of herself) overriding the small plan she'd formulated. Either way she was still in control, and she could play up her previous attitude if that's what her server found interesting. Or at least find out if that's what she wanted in the first place. It was a risk, but so was coming here. The ball was in her court, but Ritz still felt like she held possession.