2011-03-24 - Breaking Down Walls

And now we return you to our show, already in progress...

It has been about a week since Sinya began training the hangar crew of the SuiKyosha. Since then, a few more of the Gunmen have been put into working order, rounding out the battleship's fleet to a good even number. However, there are the husks of a couple that have been determined inoperable - if only for lack of parts. One of them, which looks like a giant monster's head, has been propped open by steel posts, the fangs making a neat little inner office space. There is a desk pressed up against the teeth, and a make-shift bed made out of a pile of bean-bag chairs.

Sinya, tending to board the SuiKyosha after her daily shifts at the Raven's Nest, has taken to falling asleep aboard the battleship at some ungodly early hours of the morning. Still, there is definite progress. The crew has begun to understand something about modern technology, and after some of the lessons, are now capable of at least attempting repairs on their own units and those of others. It's a work in progress, definitely.

Even so, there is a bit of quiet dissention. It isn't anything said to the catgirl's face, but a few have brought questions to the captain and XO about the wisdom of her decision to train the barely eighteen year old Ling to be the the chief hangar officer. Still, things had quieted down a bit after the young man managed to repair one of the gunmen that had previously been thought a loss.

It's early morning, though. The sun is just peeking over the horizon, starting to light up the water of the SuiKyosha in advance of another day. Most of the hangar staff is off duty except for a skeleton crew. However, Sinya is there, curled up on her bean-bags and lightly purring to herself as she sleeps, her tail twitching. Even the occassional bangs and sounds of metal being thrown about don't bother her or wake her. She simply slumbers on, oblivious ot her surroundings.

With the morning sun, also comes life to some of the central parts of the SuiKyosha. She had been laying moored at the Hawaiian islands, though its hangar doors were currently closed. The city life starts, the smell of food begins to spread through the ship. But in general, most of the men and workers are still asleep. It's mostly the women that are up, that, and the captain of course. And it is him in specific that is walking into the hangar. He's heard the recent 'complaints', but even with them having quieted down, he still worried underneath that calm mask of his.

The stiffly faced, though somewhat sleepy, Emperor wanders down the ramp all the way from the seventh floor, until finally he is approaching the spot which he /knows/ has become Sinya's new place of rest and makeshift office. It was rather amusing to him, how a thing as dangerous as a Gunmen could become someone's office. He sometimes wondered what other plans this beastwoman might have with it.

So, it is, that the emperor finally arrives before this little makeshift office, standing right before those large teeth, casually staring inside. He wondered if he should wake the feline, but she looked so peaceful. The tail twitching et cetera just was... abit amusing in a ways. However, instead of speaking her, the first sound that gets made near him is one of the engineers that approaches him. "Sir?" An older man wanders up to Xiang, who turns back towards this particular tech. "Yes?" He asks, simply. "Anything we can help you with, sir?" It wasn't common for Xiang to actually /be/ in the Hangar. "Do we need to prepare the Azure Dream for you?"

If the clanging sound of metal isn't enough to wake up the catgirl, it might seem as if nothing is. Well, nothing short of the smell of food that seems to waft towards her nose. One could almost imagine it like one of those old cartoons, where the smell has hands that slowly lift her head up, her nose twitching as she follows the tendrils as if transfixed. Sniff, sniff. Groggily, Sinya opens her eyes, blinking sleep from them as she stretches her arms out in front of her, extending her fingers fully, along with her claws in a distinctly feline way. Then, with a yawn, she arches her back, flopping sideways onto the beanbags before licking at the back of one hand, grooming it over her ears.

It's difficult work waking up, "Mrrow... one thing I could get used to is the fish for breakfast." Well, it /is/ one of the SuiKyosha's staple foods, and it just happened to be just the sort of thing she couldn't say no to. Of course, that's when voices seem to filter through to her ears, and she pauses mid-grooming to focus them in the direction of the sound. "What is he doing..." She asks to herself, and then groans, rolling herself out of bed and onto he feet. The girl has a definite case of bed-head and looks as if she slept in her clothes from the previous night.

Peeking out from the shadow of the giant skeletal mouth, Sinya stretches once more, and then steps out, still eeming quite sleepy. "Combat today, Captain?" She asks, rubbing at her eyes. "They tell me that one is yours, but I can't say I've seen it move since I got here." She looks at the older tech that Xiang is talking to, eyes half-lidded with sleep, and then back again without addressing him directly. "If not, what's the occasion?"

When Sinya begins to wake up, both men slowly turn their heads and quite silently watch the catgirl do her morning waking up ritual with strange entrancement. Each muscle movement, leg movement, arm movement, even the licking of the paw, it gets eyed with scruteny. Though between the two men, one of them seems a bit more interested than the other. And it's not the engineer. Perhaps it had to do with those claws showing.

"I dunno." The engineer puts one hand through his hair and moves his hair back, looking at the feline, before giving his captain another look. There was no way he was going to tell his Captain that he wasn't sure about bringing a beastman on board, especially having been told recently not to doubt his decisions, and to listen to this Sinya person. But she was still a tiny bit of a stranger to them, and the whole beastman thing didn't help. As if knowing what is going on in the engineer's head though, Xiang turns and just shakes his head at him, then moves his hand slightly to dismiss him.

With Sinya having finished her ritual now, and made her claims about fish, he turns back to the feline. "No, no combat." Xiang replies, giving her a knowing nod, seeming to imply that he did not fault her for thinking along those lines. "But you are right. The Azure Dream is mine." The captain turns his head for a moment towards the largest of the blue Gunmen, before returning his attention to Sinya. "I came here for you, in fact. I wanted to invite you to my room. That is, if you have time."

Sinya's eyes follow the retreating tech for a moment, her tail twitching at her side before she lets a sigh hiss through her teeth. "It's bad enough to get mistaken for them by humans who don't know better..." Yes, even without anything being spoken aloud, she knew exactly what was going through the old tech's head. The racism had been something she'd fought for two years now - and a hard fought battle at that - trying to earn her place among the mechanics. Now, she's starting over again at square one. "Pssh." At least she wouldn't be here much longer, and they'd have one of their own to run things.

Then, with the man dismissed, her eyes settle on Xiang. It's early enough that she doesn't quite have her guard up, so her face is just a little more expressive than normal, shifting from disappointment to curiousity. There is a flash of her green eyes towards the blue gunman, but then they are immediately back on the Chinese man. "For me?" She asks, head tilting quizically. "Hrm. Sure thing. Could I get you to order up some coffee and some of those fish-pastries I can smell them baking?" How could she smell those from here? It was a good distance from the hangar to the kitchens. She starts towards the ramp, not waiting to be lead - the catgirl had mostly learned the lay of the ship in recent days, even if she hadn't been to the Captain's quarters before.

"Don't worry too much about him." Xiang catches the annoyed hiss and tail-twitch on Sinya. "He is the one who thinks the worst off beastmen, as opposed to..." He ponders, "Catgirls?" He offers hesitantly. After all, that was the best way to really distinguish them. "You will have to forgive him. He lost his wife and daughter during an assault." Was that a hint of sadness within his voice? Yes, and it came through quite clearly in fact. He was not trying to hide it, letting Sinya purposely sense some of his weakness. "It will take some more time, but I am sure he'll come to trust you. He has no reason to do otherwise." The man smiles lightly - which... looks at tad weird on the Emperor. "In fact, I am certain of it." He knew more than that man showed to Sinya, or others. "If he trusts you, nobody else will see any more reason to show any similar distrust."

The man then finally places his hands at his sides, being asked to /pick up/ coffee and fish-pastries. For a good moment, it looks like he is giving her that 'that is under me' look. After all. He's the Emperor. But then, nobody ever really... asked him such things. What would the people say if the Captain did something as common as going to the shops? "Very well. But before you go!" The Captain turns about, and with only a few big steps - almost unnaturally so - he is right besides Sinya again, even when she had passed him up before. "Bring young Ling with you too." He adds, then proceeds to wander past him.

Cue to the captain, standing in the middle of the third floor village center, with women surrounding him, staring at him, as he orders fish pastries and coffee, and then gets into a whole conversation on the topic of whether or not he should pay. With Xiang of course, wanting to pay, and the villagers trying to show their thankfulness. In the end, it is one of the villagers paying the shopkeeper and demanding their captain to take it as a gift from them, for him to take it.

Knowing a bit more about the old mechanic's story seems to cause Sinya's ears to drop backwards, slicking against her skull. The truth of the matter - she felt a bit bad about her comment now, although in many ways it still wasn't fair for her to get grouped along with the beastmen of the spiral plains. "Usually our tribes had names, rather than our races, but I suppose cat-people would be better suited. We did have males, you know." As much as anime would have people believe that catgirls were nymphomanics and all catboys were gay, Sinya's own kind were a far stretch from that stereotype.

Somehow, though, that little bit of emotion slipping through the Emperor's normally serious exterior is enough to make her feel quite bad for her words, placing her hands in her pockets as she walks. She actually hadn't asked him specifically to get her breakfast, but it's easy enough to mistake her words. "Ling?" She stops abruptly, and then gives a nod of her head. "Sure, let me see if I can drag him out of bed."

What she doesn't say is that she hadn't actually ever been to Ling's house before - or his parent's house to be more exact. It takes her quite a while to actually find the place, and then longer for his parents to manage to drag the teenager out of bed. At the very least, none of them question an order passed down by the Emperor. "What does he want with me?" Ling whines, looking just a bit taken aback by the sudden summons. He hadn't actually talked one on one with Xiang before, so it is just a bit intimidating. "No idea, but you're my apprentice, so I'll make sure nothing happens, okay?" Sinya's reply isn't that comforting to the young man, who follows along behind her as she heads up through a passageway. Even if he hadn't talked to Xiang before, he knew the way, which at least saves her from having to ask for directions - because women don't do that.

Having attained Sinya's breakfast, partially due to a misunderstanding, Xiang had moved back to his room. And thanks to Sinya taking longer than him on her errand, the captain of the SuiKyosha finds himself within his room before her. It's an ornate looking house on the outside. Red roof, golden outlining, two big stone Foo Dogs standing outside, whose eyes were made out of blue diamonds of sorts, which made it look like they were constantly watching passerbies. Yet... the house is fairly small. It's not too much bigger than most other houses on the SuiKyosha. It's simply prettier looking, yet at the same time humble. It fit Xiang quite well.

When she and ling appear into the passageway, the Emperor is waiting for them outside of his little palace however. He bows his head at the two of them, inviting them in with that simple gesture, before opening the big thick-metal door that leads into his 'royal palace'. When Sinya and Ling would enter, they'd find that the inside was even more humble than the outside. A stairway leads to the back of the room, which looks like it is made from wood of sorts, and there are red banisters that seperate it from the rest of the room. A simple bed in the back, and a large ornate (and beautiful) blue dragon gauntlet lays between two candles.

The main section of the room however is a cozy blue-metal walled and black stone-like material ground bald area. There are some chests at the edges of the rooms, and in the middle is a small gathering area with a teapot cooking and some floorpillows situated around it. Xiang is sitting in the one that faces away from the door around this particular little 'fire', drinking from a mug, giving a stern stare towards the door.

While being in the presence of the Emperor is enough to have Ling going wide-eyed, Sinya seems far more interested in the architecture. It's kind of a strange mixture of worlds - Chinese, but from another place and another time. She stops before the doorway, looking closer at the komainu as she touches the ball underneath the right one's paw with an almost reverant bow of her head. Did statues like this mean something to her kind? The moment passes all too quickly, and she ends up following Ling into the small chamber.

Under that stare from Xiang, Ling seems to slouch, trying to make himself look small, even if he's taller than Sinya herself. The catgirl's tail bristles just slightly, but the rest of her remains impassive. That is, until she finds the food that she'd requested. While Ling slouches near the entrance to the room, Sinya walks right on over, sitting down as she grabs up the coffee a fish pastry. "So, what is it you needed, Captain?" Her tail curls around her legs, and that is when she realize Ling isn't there. Looking up, she pats the floor next to her. "Sit. He isn't going to bite. And if he does, I'll bite back." Ling seems a little worried that she might actually /mean/ it, but does come to sit down, fidgeting nervously.

As Ling wanders in and slouches in response to his presence, Xiang's gaze softens up slightly. After all, Sinya had previously pointed out just how 'scary' he came across as. And there was no reason to be that harsh in front of a child. The 'aura' of seriousness fades slightly, but it is not done away with entirely. The food the Emperor had gotten from the market on board his own vessel had indeed been sitting in rather plain sight: right in front of the tea kettle, enough away from the fire. The Emperor's eyes fall onto Sinya when she wanders his way, following her movement and the signs of her emotional state - such as her tail and ears.

But when she finally sits down and is about to eat, his eyes move to Ling, who is looking rather afraid. "She is right. I will not bite." Xiang then explains, nodding his head kindly, and waits for the child to sit down, before turning towards Sinya. "I invited you to ask you how your progress is with young Ling here." Well, that really was just a way to get the conversation started, but he didn't want to immediately start tossing things on both of them. "And to ask Ling how he feels about his own progress, and how he feels about working under you." He looks at the young man. "And make sure you are honest." Though he was sure he didn't have to ask.

Regardless of how stern Xiang's expression might have been, it doesn't seem to phase Sinya in the least bit. She crunches down on one of the fish-stuffed flacky pastries, her eyes lidding in obvious enjoyment. The whole mouthful gets washed down with the only container of coffee in the entire lot - it seems most of the people on board are more used to tea. For the most part, her outer expression is relaxed, although her ears are slightly set back, and the end of her tail seems to be thumping a steady beat at her side. In many ways, as good an actress as the catgirl might be, there were always signs of her true feelings visible if you knew where to look.

It's Ling who looks up, glancing first to Sinya and then back towards the emperor. As the catgirl has her mouth full, she motions for him to speak first. "I... I'm humbled to be chosen. There are so many others more worthy, and I'm just trying to prove myself up to the task." He's speaking quite formally, choosing his words with care. "I'm learning quickly and well, but there is still so much to learn. It's a little overwhelming at times." The boy looks back down at his hands, too nervous even to take a cup of tea.

By the time Ling finishes, Sinya has already polished off two fish pastries. One thing that always seemed to surprise people is how much the catgirl can eat in one sitting. Although, usually she tends to eat only when she remembers to do so, which isn't often at all. Brushing a hand over her mouth to clear the crumbs, she clears her throat. "He's doing fine. It's going to take time to get everyone up to speed, and it's not something that is going to happen quickly." She had only been training him maybe a week, a week and a half at the most, so it would be unlikely for the boy to be proficient quite so soon. Her tail twitches slightly faster though, perhaps due to the comment about being honest.

Xiang patiently listens to Ling as he comments and stammers, trying to explain to him, the 'Emperor', about being under Sinya. He nods his head now and again during the explaination, keeping his eyes thoroughly fixed onto Ling. And when he finishes, he simply nods. He does not speak yet, for the feline then also speaks up. Slowly his head turns, so that he may properly face her, whilst moving the cup of warm green tea to his lips and sipping on it. There is almost no sound as the liquid moves down his throat.

Of course, he noticed that she was not entirely too comfortable. And he realized that such a thing might very well be impossible as long as he didn't loosen up. But in this environment, that was perhaps a bit too much too ask. It was his palace after all. And one of 'his people' was present. When she too finishes speaking, he finally nods. "I am glad progress continues. And I am quite amazed at how fast young mister Ling is picking up on things." Had he been watching? Or perhaps its just the rumors. Yet, he hadn't been in the hangars. So what was up with that? Maybe it was just Yu.

"I was wondering if the two of you could perhaps work together on my Gunmen. It has recently been repaired, but it has felt rather off to me. But since it is attuned to me, it will require that you work with me directly." He pauses for a moment, looking at the both of them. "I was wondering if you believe Ling is ready to work with you on such a thing - if I am going to be involved as well."

"He has a knack for it. That's part of why I picked him in the first place." That, and as one of the youngest members of the hangar crew, Ling had very few set ways of doing things - something that would make it hard to learn about the machines of the outside world. She reaches for a third pastry, but holds it in her hand, allowing the lingering warmth to seep into her fingers. There is still that eerie feeling when the captain seems to know things he, by all rights, shouldn't know, but is starting to get used to it.

"Not to question your judgement captain, as you're the one paying me to be here, but... I think it would be better if Ling focuses on the upper-world mechs for a while." Ling's eyes go wide as the catgirl says this, making it all too clear that almost /no one/ questions Xiang on the ship. Well, perhaps she would be the first. "I've got a gundam that Edward brought to me a while back that needs to be finished up, and it's going to be good practice for him to work on it." Crunch. She bites down into the pastry, taking a bite and chewing it thoughtfully before she continues. "I could certainly take a look at it, if needed. We don't see many gunmen up here, other than the Gurren Brigade folks. So I wouldn't mind taking a closer look."

Xiang looks at Sinya as she denies him, but not with shock or annoyance. Ling's response however do catch his gaze for a moment, before he returns his attention back to Sinya. "It was not a judgement, merely a request. If you wish for young mister Ling to work on the mechs as found outside of La Gias, then I have no issues with this. I trust your judgement, miss Leland." He pauses for a moment, "I mean, Sinya." You have got to give him at least some credit for trying. "As for your offer to work on the Gunmen with me, that would very much be appreciated.

The Emperor nods at the catgirl, then turns to Ling. "That will be all for you, Ling. I forsee a bright future for you. I know you are an intelligent young man, and with... Sinya... as your tutor..." He does not finish that sentence, but instead nods at the young man and giving her a slightly commanding look, assuming he will understand to take his leave. "Please, don't be a stranger. I will be coming around the hangar more from now on."

The shocked look on Ling's face changes to one of surprise when the Trailer mechanic isn't sent packing or at least reprimanded. The boy's parents had always raised him to have the utmost respect for the Emperor and he would never imagine questioning Xiang's words. He has to make a conscious effort to close his mouth, sitting up a bit straiter. Sinya simply nods, "The whole point of me coming here was to get your crew up to speed. As much as I can understand wanting your own unit repaired, I think it's best that they focus on the exerises they've got." Her own unit had taken a back-seat to working for the Raven's Nest, and now is probably off of her priority list with the addition of work on the SuiKyosha. The faulty energist was going to prove more and more trouble over time.

Sinya pauses in her breakfast to nod towards Ling, making sure he gets the hint that she is also allowing him to depart. "Since you're up, you might as well get started early. I want that Gundam finished and ready for delivery and don't forget you've still got diagnostics to run on those spare parts." Ling's expression changes a third time, to one of a disappointed child. Normally he wouldn't start work until noon, so his day just grew much, much longer. Even so, he gets to his feet without complaint, bows to the Emperor, and seems to have no qualms about making haste out of the palace.

"He's a good kid. He'll grow into the role, it'll just take time." She pops the rest of the pastry into her mouth and then turns her eyes back to Xiang, head tilting ever so slightly. Once the food is washed down with another long draught of coffee, she clears her throat to speak again. "Maybe Miss Leland is best, Captain. It just sounds strange when you actually use my name." She shrugs at this, not quite able to place the reason why - other than perhaps the ackwardness of his tone.

"Of course." Sinya gets a nod from the Emperor as she speaks of getting his crew up to speed. He wasn't aware just how much time Sinya was being 'forced' to dedicate to everything else but her own things. If he knew that she was as busy as she was at the Raven's Nest, he might have offered her some time off - though who knows if she'd even take it. "And I appreciate your continued efforts." The Emperor adds, knowing that it would be rude not to recognize what Sinya does for him and his crew.

When Ling finally leaves, after being told by Sinya to do some extra stuff, he can't help but smile. Seeing that disappointment, even though it might be rude, still brought a smile to his face. Of course, it quickly washes away when Ling bows at him, to hide this, before it returns again as the youth leaves. And it remains, giving Xiang a slightly more youthly look somehow, as he turns back towards the feline beastwoman.

"I am sure he will do well." Xiang states, nodding at her, watching her eat that pastry with a bemused look on his face. With the child gone, he seems to... loosen up slightly. But when she asks him to just call her Miss Leland, that smile disappears. Was that disappointment in his look? "I appologize. I'll... just refer to you as Miss Leland then." For a moment, his gazes escapes her, before coming back to her.

"I... heard you are working on a new video for my crew?" He attempts to start a different topic, attempting to restore his 'mask' at the same time. "I don't quite remember if I inquired at the time, I believe I did not, but could you perhaps tell me what it is about?" She had offered it for free after all, yet he'd insisted on paying for it. Yet at the same time, he didn't particularly know /what/ he was trying to pay /for/.

The catgirl's eyes linger on the boy a moment longer, her lips quirking into a faint smirk. Ahh, to be young and just finding your feet. Even if she isn't exactly old, Sinya had been an experienced mechanic since she was an early teen. It's because of this that she only catches the briefest of hints of that smile on the captain's face. Her head tilts, in that usual confusion. Sometimes the chinese man was so hard to read. "You're paying, it's the least I could do to make sure I do a good job at it." Even so, she had been putting in more hours than strictly necessary. Her own personal interest in helping others who came from La Gias adjust to the upper world certainly plays a part.

She catches that moment of disappointment before it is hidden away again, and it causes her to sigh and set down a half-eaten pastry. "Please don't get me wrong, Captain. I really appreciate you trying to loosen up a bit, but sometimes I just don't know if you're here or there." She holds her to palms out, looking between them, then over towards Xiang as she folds them back into her lap. "You don't seem very comfortable with the whole... people thing." It isn't a great way of describing it, but - it is what it is. "It feels a little forced. So don't bother yourself over it. Use it when it actually means something." It's hard to tell just what she means by that, as cryptic as the words might be.

Still, she latches on to the change of subject as much as he seems to, offering one dry laugh before shaking her head. "It's your radio discussion that prompted it mostly, to be honest." She seems to avoid direct eyecontact for a moment, only giving one flash of her green eyes before reaching for the coffee. "The world you come from was isolated and pretty safe, but there are things in this world you don't know about. The last thing I want is the young people of the SuiKyosha going out and having some fling and ending up coming back with a kid, or worse - some disease because they weren't careful." She takes a drink from the coffee, and then nods once. "Especially those spending time land-side, they need a real sex-ed lesson to get up to speed and quick before you end up with trouble."

This time, she does glance over the rim of the cup, casting at look at him that is almost shy. Her ears twitch back, having already been aimed that way after his disappointed expression. "It wouldn't hurt you to get a lesson in that, and in women in general. Maybe ask Yu if she'd be willing to give you a run down. If you're looking to make a marriage of business contacts, then you want to be very careful you don't end up screwed. In more ways than one."

Xiang gives another disappointed nod at Sinya when she tells him that he doesn't seem very comfortable with people. She was misunderstanding him, and in a way, that hurt a little. But at the same time, he wasn't entirely sure how to give her the nescissairy him that things were not as they seemed. Or did he really even want to give her this hint? His expression becomes pensive whilst the Emperor continues to listen, thinking at the same time. And she could probably follow that his emotional state was changing - visibly - as his mind passed them. Regret, hesitation, sadness, loneliness, hesisitation again as he looks at her. And then, embarassement as he snaps out of it and she makes clear what she speaks of.

"We have doctors." Is his initial defense. "And the women eat a special seed once a month that prevents unwanted pregnancy." He tries to keep a straight face. But with turmoil in heart and mind, he doesn't manage to reassert his 'mask' properly. It was a youthly shy look about the subject, but his voice remained straight. "But I've been learning about these diseases you mention. And they do indeed seem like something my people have to be aware of." His gaze turns away from Sinya, who at this particular moment, knows more than he does; something that embarassed him. On this ship, he'd always commited to the role of a wise man, granting others his knowledge and teachings. But before her, he felt just as he once had as a child. Just a boy.

"I do... not have any intent on marriaging as part of a... business contact. Nor do I... feel like I should bother Yu with such a subject." If he'd had ears like Sinya's, they'd probably be laying flat and back as well. Much like her, his expression remained shy, young, innocent. But also embarassment. "I am aware that my ways around women are not that which would attract them. But if I am to choose someone..." He cuts himself off there and grabs for his cup of tea which he'd set down, and pours it full again with the kettle before him. His hand however shakes, and he almost knocks it down. But the refill is a success, and when he puts the tea back to his lips, finally he seems to calm down and... begins to slowly straighten his expression again - though with lapses and twitches. It felt both good... and awful... to be so 'exposed' before this catgirl's eyes.

Watching the unusual play of actual emotions on Xiang's face is enough to cause Sinya's ears to perk slightly, and her head to tilt again in that expression of cat-like confusion. That eerie feeling in the pit of her stomach returns accompanying that duality in his nature as if the two went side by side. She'd only felt that way once before, but had disregarded it after all this time. "You know, walls are only helpful when you want to keep people out." Wise words, and not the kind that come from any great teacher or book - just the experience gained from living.

She pulls her legs up underneath her indian style, letting out a tiny yawn. The catgirl is still quite tired - working on a short few hours of sleep. The coffee is helping, though. "That's all well and good for them, but it doesn't mean your boys can't go out and sew their seeds and cause a whole lot of trouble for themselves." She shakes her head from side to side, "The fact is, I'm no great expert either. No matter how much 'catgirls' get a bad reputation." She air-quotes the word catgirls, as if referring to human interpretations of her kind, rather than the real thing. "I just hang around guys enough to know often they tend to be idiots. And yours won't be much different, and there are plenty of men and women out there all too willing to take advantage of that kind of inexperience."

With a sigh, she drains the last of the coffee and looks down at the bottom of the cup with an almost sorrowful look. Then, without even asking, she reaches for the tea pot and refills it from there. Caffeine - in whatever format she can get it - is better than nothing at all. Her eyes do have a quality of looking into someone, perhaps only because they are a bit larger than those of a normal human. "... it would be for the good of your people, I'm sure. You'd said before how important a decision it would be, and about your culture." She continues where he left the sentence off, her tail twitching at her side even as her ears stay mostly slicked back.

Still, she does reach out a hand, her clawed fingers light on his arm. So rarely does Sinya actually reach out to others physically, so it is a more unusual gesture. "Just don't be afraid of letting your heart play a role in things, too. You're human, as much as you try to pretend not to be. And what is good for you is what is going to be good for your people." Since when did she start being the one to spout wisdom? The truth - she simply didn't want to see him miserable because he felt obligated to follow some tradition. Being a slave, that freedom is ever so important to her and enough to make her share her views on it.

Xiang nods as the feline beastwoman speaks, nodding his head in reply to what she said. He keeps his eyes closed and continues to drink more tea, trying his best to stop himself from reaffirming his mask... loosening up those facial muscles, relaxing a bit. But what did that mean though? He didn't know if Sinya would pick up on the fact that he was heeding those very words - that he was not trying to keep her out. At the back of his mind however, there was something that tried to keep making him re-erect that wall, to show her his frozen self. He raises his body up whilst remaining seated and taking in a deep breath, then slowly releases this breath, complexion softening. "Of course, you are right once more."

Those eyes remain closed however, though he still manages to catch her movement by the sounds she is making. "And of course, they probably do need an education. Before this time, they were always on this ship. Only minor trading was done, and everything was overseen. However, within this world, I cannot restrict them." There is a pause there, "Nor do I have the intent to. I want my people to be free, to slowly get used to a life away from the village. Many of them still fear the outside world, and hunker inside of the city." He pauses for a moment, then continues. "But if they are going to go outside, there are things they must know. And that which you are offering to teach, is indeed important." The comment about foolish men shapes a light smile on his face again.

His ears twitch slightly, when she refills her coffee mug with the tea before him, and with his own mug still at his chest, he can't help but a slight twitch to be visible. Though if that was about the 'importance' of the decision to have a child, or her taking some of that tea, was not certain. Then he catches the tail. That unnerved way she was before him. Xiang wonders for a short moment, why it is that it bothers him so much that she is unnerved around him. Many of his people are not too comfortable around him. Was it because he ignored this, that he enjoyed this distance? Perhaps so. Another twitch of his fingers, then his eyes open slowly as she touches him. There was a slight jerking motion on his arm, like he was not used to being touched, but he stops himself from pulling entirely away from her.

There is a soft look in his eyes as he looks at that hand. "I... am indeed a human. And some things I follow - set by olden traditions - that are supposed to set me apart from my people have been around since years old." There is a pause again, as he tries to find the right words to say... before hinting, "Some of them outdated and useless, going against the way humans work - to an extent that I've pondered abolishing them many times. But my people..." Again a pause. A longer one. His gaze rises up to meet those big feline eyes of hers, before shying away from her again. Xiang takes another sip of his green tea.

If nothing else, one can at least say that Sinya knows when not to push things. That still focus, the way he seems not to open his eyes, it is all too clear that he is trying to keep something under control, although she can't quite guess what it is. Perhaps she had angered him by questioning his methods and was trying to keep from saying so? It's hard to guess when she knows so little, so for a time, the catgirl is simply quiet. "I apologise if I said anything to upset you." Her words are softer, quiet, ears sliding back along her skull.

She also catches that jump in his movements, something that is all too familiar to her. How many times had she done the same? Still, that quick twitch is enough to have her drawing her hand away, tucking it back around the larger cup of tea as she takes a drink, expression not quite hiding her own disappointment. So much for trying to reach out to people - failed again kitty. "I'll make sure that the vid covers what they need to know, at least for the adults. After that, it'll be up to them to figure out how to pass that on to the next generation." Afterall, there are fourty-something children on the ship.

She seems to drink a bit faster, draining down to the bottom of the cup before setting it down. Perhaps her discomfort is trying to give her any reason to escape the situation. Fight or flight - and she's definitely in flight mode. "It's... going to take time for everyone here to adjust. Old ways will die out, and new ones will replace them." The smile she offers is a bit wan, not quite reaching her eyes. "I've been through it, myself. I'm sure you and your people will manage." Drawing her hands back, she seems to be preparing to leave, but at least offers a polite pause, "Was there anything else you wanted to talk to me about my services?"

"No... no, you haven't upset me." After all, there'd been a smile on his face. "No, it wasn't that you upset me." Still trying to find the right words, but failing. He doesn't like coming out and saying things. Or rather, it's almost as if he's not capable of doing that anymore, due to the way he is used to speak and show himself to the outside world. Especially when it comes to his own feelings. Especially when it goes against trying to do what is 'right for the village' -- or rather 'being what the village expects him to be'. Yet some words of advice of his master whisper within the back of his mind.

"I... hope the Old Ways will die out. Or at least, some of them. I've seen much of this world already, and I believe my people could learn a lot. And perhaps, that would set me free as well." Set him free? What was he talking about? He bites his lower lip for a moment, having come out and said such a thing. He watches her quickly finish her cup, recognizing that sense of haste. Wanting to leave, because she was feeling some kind of emotion through a misunderstanding. "Also." He pauses, looking her over again, with her still sitting. "You must not misunderstand. --" Altering his speechpatterns was hard, but at least he kept managing to keep his voice softer, with a bit more energy and tone in them than his normal way of talking.

"-- I appreciate that you reached out to me." Emotionally or physically? Perhaps it was both? Xiang doesn't clarify. "I guess that was the first time in a while for me. You will have to appologize me for my unfitting response." After all, he hadn't quite known what to even do. Unlike Sinya though, it wasn't like he was afraid of a touch - he had no bad experiences with them. "Anyhow. I can see you are... rather uncomfortable. You may go if you so wish - or you may stay to enjoy some more tea with me." Xiang nods at her, and finally gives her an honest smile. One that actually looked... happy.

For all that Sinya may be an experienced mechanic, with more knowledge under her belt than those who had studied for a great many years, people were still largely a mystery. To make matters worse, Xiang was even more of a puzzle. That strange duality between the stern exterior and something almost... fragile beneath it. She'd felt it once before, with the strange white-haired young man who served in the Zaibach army. She couldn't place where it came from then, although perhaps this one she could come to understand. "Oh." Letting out a small breath, one she had been holding in to fight back if he had actually started yelling at her.

Her expression remains perplexed though, brows drawn downward as she looks at him curious, "Set you... free?" Freedom. It is something her father had died for, and something that Sinya valued enough to seek her own path. Then, it seems to come to her, slowly though. "You aren't a prisoner, but.." Her voice comes in a whisper as she hesitates, still seeming caught between sitting and standing. "... there are more ways of being trapped than just with shackles and chains." Her right hand slides down to her left wrist, claws hesitating over the bracelets there. If one looked ever so closely, they would see the imprint of the Zaibach seal on them - marking her as a slave.

Closing her own eyes for a moment, Sinya settles back down to the ground, ears swiveling forward. Then, when her eyes open again, they seem... softer somehow. The flight response has passed, her tail curling calmly against her leg. "You confuse me so much sometimes..." She explains, licking at the back of one hand before running it over her ear. It's a quick gesture, one used by cats when easing their own stress. "But I do understand that much at least." She reaches out and scoops up a pastry, they'd gotten cold by now, but were probably still edible. "Ask Yu sometime... what they do to females of my kind in the Zaibach empire." Her ears droop a bit, a bad memory. "My father and Michael were really the only people I was ever close to. I guess, I'm just not a lap cat." She gives one dry laugh, and then bites down on the flakey crust, not wanting to let them go to waste.

"I am indeed not a prisoner." That wasn't entirely the truth. He was a prisoner to this ship - honorbound together with Yu to serve on it until its destiny would be fulfilled. But that was simply a subject he didn't strike up much. In fact, the only one who knew about this - and to very basic extents at that - was Havelock Auros, another captain of a God Battleship. "But I am indeed still trapped in a different manner. By traditions and expectations." Xiang replies, expecting her to have figured that part out already. His gaze slips towards her wrists as she claws over the bracelets, catching that there seems to be writing on it, but can't make out what it says on a first glance.

Another sip is taken from the green tea, before he finally places the cup onto the ground, and proceeds to pour the last bit of green tea out of the hot kettle. It doesn't fill the cup all the way, but it is enough for him. He smiles at the mug, lifts it up, and drinks from it again whilst looking at her grooming herself - showing a little smile. "I am glad you understand part of me now." Xiang then adds, still showing that honest happy smile he'd begun to show earlier, thought it is slowly fading. It's not something he's used to doing, after all. "As for what happens to females of your kind..." He ponders for a moment. Ask Yu? "Can I not..." He was about to ask her if he could just ask her, but he catches her ears drooping. "Very well, I will ask Yu at a more appropiate time."

The Emperor then quiets down and continues to drink on his tea. He is not entirely too sure what to talk about, and his expression - though still soft - fades. He knew there were bad memories on the lane of the current subject, both for himself, as well as Sinya. And he didn't wish to touch upon them. It didn't seem to be the right time. "Let us change the subject, perhaps?" He tilts his head slightly as he says this. "I see you made a rather interesting 'office'."

Looking down into her own cup of tea, Sinya can't help but consider her reflection. She'd lived around humans all her life, and other than her father she had sparce few memories of her own kind. Perhaps, in another world, she might have lived to be an inventor like her father, or a hunter - but in this one, she is largely alone. In moments like this, seeing the differences between cultures and how much her own had been lost to that of humans, it's a hard pill to swollow. But she does, washing down the bitter taste with the last of her own tea.

"That's what it means to be a leader, I suppose." Reaching forward, she sets the mug down, then turns to look towards Xiang, "That's one of the good things about being a wanderer. You never settle places, and people don't expect much of you." She hesitates, and then shifts, stretching her legs out in front of her as she switches positions. The catgirl is just unable to sit still for very long unless she's asleep. "But it's lonely. It's actually been kind of refreshing being around people for a change."

She refrains from any further comment about her past, knowing full well that Yu should be able to fill in the uncomfortable blanks. Instead, she nods, quite glad of the change of conversation, her ears even perking upwards. "The systems are pretty well shot on it, and unless we happen to run across a few more with salvagable parts, it's a loss anyways." Her tail lightly sways at her side, relaxed. "It was your crew who brought most of it. I think they felt bad after I fell asleep in a gunmen, and across one of the work tables." She laughs softly, seeming a little embarassed about her habit of falling asleep in odd places.

"It's not that I always listen to them." Xiang adds, when Sinya comments about what it means to be a leader. "I just have to be careful with what I say on the trailer radio, as some of my men are tuned into it." Except for the secure channel. Only he and Yu had access to that one - but it was barely ever used for them - aside from organizing Trailer Dissuasion Force things. He does seem to be hinting at something, but again - he doesn't actually go into it. Instead, Xiang silences himself with more of his tea.

"But I am glad. I am glad you find some comfort being around people -- " And with the gunmen wreckage being mentioned, "-- and that my people are accepting you. I know they are not all the way yet. But if they are caring for you to that extent..." It made him happy. He'd hated to see that he'd forced Sinya to tour around the SuiKyosha whilst his people carried such negativity towards her. But even with his wisdom, he could not prevent his people from having racist inclinations or opinions.

"That aside - it should not be hard to get more parts. I am planning on taking a trip to La Gias soon. I... am not sure if you want to come with us for that trip... since we will basically be raiding the Spiral King's wastelands." The man pauses. "But that is how and where we get our Gunmen parts really. And... well... if you fix one up for yourself - I would not mind giving you a Gunmen."

"Yeah, heaven forbid the people found out you have a heart behind that wall of stone." Sinya muses, her comment light, almost teasing. Still, she does offer him the faintest of a smile as she nods her head, understanding all too well what it is like living with expectations. She'd dealt with pilots who judged her for her gender, and even more who automatically assumed she was /that/ kind of beastman. "But all teasing aside, I know what you mean." She raises a hand before he mistakes her words.

"In some ways, I'm more human than beastman, to be honest. I barely remember my village. I was still pretty young when it was taken." Perhaps it is a sign of her own trust that she is willing to even talk about it, and without that tension she had the night of the party in Neo Japan. "I grew up around human mechanics, and when I came here, it was humans who took me in." She lifts her shoulders in a shrug. How much of her own kind's behaviors and instincts had been lost in the attempt to become more like those around her.

"But it's a work in progress here, like almost everywhere I go. I'm fighting a stereotype that isn't even me. I've never been to the Spiral lands and my kind have nothing to do with what happened to your people." Her tail gives a single twitch, and then curls closer against her side. "Somehow, I don't think me piloting a Gunmen would be exactly the way to go about proving myself. Still..." There is a considering tone to her voice as she lightly takes her lower lip between her fangs thoughtfully. "If we could find the parts, I'm sure I could get it back in order. It just might be a bigger task than it seems. Until then, it's a good office, and a good use for the space."

A mysterious smile appears on Xiang's face, "There's a lot of things you, nor the crew, don't know about me." Claims the Emperor; Though she probably already knew him better than his own people did, and that was quite something. And he realizes that it makes him somewhat happy. Especially as, by her very obvious tells, he realizes that Sinya is becoming more comfortable being around him now. "Of course, you know I will not show myself like this before my men. Not even young mister Ling." That is, not for now. They weren't ready for such a sudden change.

"It's a shame." After listening to the rest of her story, he finally speaks up again. "To lose so much of your old culture, that is." Again he looks at those bracelets, like he'd done each time she'd put her hands on those gold-metalic braces. "But if it is an issue of the identification as a... slave... --" The word was hard for him to say so casually, as he knew what importance it held to Sinya. What undertones there were to that very word. "-- can you not simply get them removed?" Or were they perhaps a memento, or a reminder, of a time long lost?

Xiang's gaze trails back up towards her big eyes, his smile slightly fading. Ah yes, the Guymelef. "Well, the model you are sleeping in, while not common, isn't rare. We can easily hunt for one of its type. Or just see if we get lucky." Xiang comments on the topic of the Gunmen, before moving his gaze away and to his cup. It was empty. Normally, that meant his talking time was over. So... he becomes somewhat silent.

The catgirl's head tilts again, showing that same sort of curiousity on her face as she lets slip a small, questioning 'nya?' She rarely used more cat-like sounds around human beings, although it seems to come quite naturally to her at the moment. "You're just a bundle of mysteries, Xiang Yuan." As mundane as the statement is, it is the first time since their initial meeting that she has referred to him as anything but 'Captain' or 'Captain Xiang'. Still not quite informal, but it's certainly a step in the right direction. "And I know very well I'm not even scratching the surface." A smirk plays on the catgirl's lips, showing a hint of one fangy canine tooth. The amusement doens't last though, replaced by another of those quizzical expressions.

The fact is, that enforced duality between /this/ version of Yuan and the enigmatic Captain Xiang is the key confusing source of a whole lot of confusion in Sinya's life as of late. The worst of which being this cat-like sense of when she needed to be somewhere - like when your cat knows when you're upset and choses just then to curl up at your feet. "Hrm." She doesn't react to his words, simply looking at him with that same curious expression, her tail swaying.

Luckily, it's easy enough to push that issue to the side as she rubs lightly at her right wrist, shaking her head. "Trust me, if it were that easy, they'd have been gone a long time ago." Holding her hand out, she turns it so he can visibly see the fact that there are no seams or clasps or anything else that might be pryed or released. "They're pretty much right against my skin, so cutting them off is dangerous. On top of that, liquid metal core. They essentially 'heal' themselves when cut." She wraps her hand around it, giving a tug to show how little it moves against her skin. "I thought about trying to freeze it off, maybe liquid nitrogen, but... that's a dangerous gamble." The high risk of the cold temperatures causing irreperable damage to her wrist and hands ... isn't a risk the mechanic is willing to take.

"If I could get a hold of a Zaibach Teiring, or at least the arm of one, I might be able to reverse engineer something to control the liquid metal..." Like so many of the thoughts that filter through her mind, it requires going someplace she isn't likely to go, and getting something she isn't likely to get. So, the catgirl shakes her head. "It's a long shot, even at that. These were always meant to be permanent." She leans back, propping herself on her hands as if to draw attention away from them.

"Who did the work on your Gunmen anyways? I mean, it obviously didn't /come/ that way. Seems kind of unlikely that your hangar crew did those kind of modifications to it." She isn't putting them down, simply stating a fact. They had come a long way since her arrival, but she can't imagine they had a lot to do with such a customized unit. "Besides, none of them will go near it. Like it's something divine that they aren't allowed to touch." She looks over at him, that smirk returning. "Kind of like you."

A bemused rumbling sound is made by the captain as Sinya declares his mysteriousness, using his full name. It wasn't often he heard that name being used like that. After all, all of his people called him Captain, or Emperor, or any of those titles with his last name - Xiang. But when that amused look falters, he can't help but tip his head a bit in confusement himself, wonder what is causing that response. But with her not actually commenting, or otherwise saying anything, he decides not to say anything himself. He'd just let that curiousity in her linger. Besides, the topic gets changed again.

"Hrrm. Zaibach..." Zaibach was a whole different monster from Lord Genome. They were actual humans, soldiers on the front lines. And stealing one of those machines was a lot harder than taking out a few Gunmen. After all, the Beastmen tended to be much easier to frighten. "... I will converse with miss Yu about that." He did not want to make any promises that may get broken. And also, as much as he 'knew' about the Zaibach empire, it was still the issue that he'd never physically visited it, aside from flying over it. The political and military system there was quite a bit different from other places.

"Either way, as much as they are a reminder of your past, most of us recognize you with it. The status of it indicating you as a slave is hardly something that lives within our hearts or minds." The man tries to speak in a refined manner, and it does come out rather kindly. "As for my Gunmen..." That smile disappears again a bit. "My men worked on it for a long time. It's composed of about three different Gunmen that had their parts interchanged and replaced." He pauses... "For the longest time, it didn't work. But then, one night, it suddenly was repaired. We never figured out who managed to do it, or what was wrong with it. I've used it since, as my personal unit. But with it now being 'mine', they don't like to touch it - lest it might break. Gunmen are finicky."

The rumbling sound draws Sinya's ears upwards, it's the same sort of reaction she had when Edward had made a similar sound a few weeks back. Some sort of instinctual response that comes with it. "You... aren't really used to people calling you by name, are you?" She asks, folding her hands into her lap. The clawed fingers tap toether, making a faint clicking sound. "I'd wager the only one who ever does is Yu Zhi Wu." Her way of speaking the Chinese names is a bit strange. It has perfect pronunciation, but still sounds oddly foreign. After a moment of clear consideration, she takes a breath. "The elders of the tribe named me Siniyana. It means, one who gives clear advice in my people's tongue." She shrugs one shoulder slightly, clearly not taking much stock in that. "My parents always just called me Sinya, so I dropped the other name a long time ago."

Still, she shakes her head at his offer to talk to Yu about trying to track down a Zaibach unit. "Don't. You're right, and I'm not denying that. What matters most is how you see yourself, and I don't see me as a slave. I never have." She looks down at the bracers, reaching out to clank one on the edge of the table. "Someday I'll find a way to be rid of them, but it doesn't change who I am." This time, she actually smiles a little bit, although it is all too quickly replaced by another tilt of her head.

"Wait a minute, you're telling me you have a Gunmen that magically repaired itself?" She eyes him skeptically, and then blinks to herself, actually laughing outright. "What am I saying, I'm on a battleship where the walls have fish living in them." She flops backwards, actually laying on the floor as she looks up at the ceiling. "Nothing should surprise me." Her hands are drawn up lightly to her chest, "But you should at least get someone to understand how to repair it. You can't exactly depend on the spirit of the SuiKyosha to fix it every time you go into battle." Wait, what did she say? Oh, of course she had no way of knowing much about the god inside the great battleship, but if someone repaired his unit and claimed no recognition, they must be a spirit, or a ghost, or a goblin. That was the way of things.

"I'm not." Xiang nods his head once in agreement with that statement. "And indeed, she is the only one who does - but only rarely. We barely meet ouside of a situation within the ship that is simply part of ours jobs. And even if she meets me here, in my home, that name doesn't really get used fully." Usually when she is angry at him and is trying to yell at him as if she were his mother. But that was neither here nor there. Then, realizing something, he adds; "Not that I mind." After all, she'd misunderstood him before.

The emperor then proceeds to repeat Sinya, at a whispered tone; "Siniyana." He couldn't say that it was a bad name, not in the least. However, trying to impart his own wisdom, as he had already a few seconds ago, "I believe Sinya fits you better - especially as it is what you identify yourself with." And the man proceeds to nod whilst he says this, seeming to agree with himself. "Though you do seem to give clear wisdom at times, even if those things 'seem' to some to be mere common sense." After all, common sense was not that common, especially on the Mystic Moon.

Then there's the skepticism. He just smiles as she talks, waiting for her to reach the exact same conclusion he had. "I know some of them know how to repair it, now that it works. But I believe, according to Yu, that you saw how well this goes." After all, they were trying to put one of the fingers in the wrong way around. It probably still would have worked though. "But I've noticed that the Gunmen are rather strange units. I've seen my men make mistakes in their repairs, and somehow, they still work perfectly." The Emperor shakes his head, not quite sure what to think about this fact.

Sinya seems to consider the Chinese captain for a moment, really looking at him for once. When he talked more freely, and wasn't using that emotionless mask, he seemed... younger somehow. She had initially mistaken him for a man of maybe fourty? Now, she's not quite so sure. Her head tilts, as if showing some inward confusion, but it passes without her bringing her thoughts to light. "I'll admit, Xiang comes to the lips more easily than Yuan." Laying her head back against the floor, she seems to ook at nothing at all for a time. "I think it might be meant that way, though. In Chinese, the surname comes first because it's supposed to honor family first, self second."

With a sigh, she pushes herself back up to a sitting position, trying to ward off the sleepy feeling that seems to accompany eating a big meal. "It is kind of like Chinese, just slightly different in the pronunciation. Wan instead of ee-en." The two words sound close, but are distinct and careful. It seems to explain the strange accent she uses when speaking the names on the SuiKyosha. "Michael's wife is Chinese. She used to call me Xiao Iaohu, 'little tiger'." The smile shows more willingly on Sinya's features, giving no real comment to her own name.

"As for your Gunmen... that I think I can explain in two words: spiral power." While no expert on it, Sinya had heard the word whispered among mechanics, usually in baffled tones. "I don't know much about it, myself. I've heard people say that it has more to do with the spirit of the pilot than the skill of the craftsmen or mechanic who built it. It's kind of like I can't explain where the energy comes from in Gaean energists either, or why it grows more condensed when purified by a dragon." She glances at the empty tea kettle, and then at Xiang, realizing that perhaps that means she's overstayed her welcome. "The mysteries of La Gias, bound to confuse even those who come from there." She lets out a breath. "Anyways, I'm sure you have better things to do than chatting with me. Empire to run and all. Just... let me know when you're free to show me what the trouble with your Gunmen is." She pushes herself up, seeming about to leave.

Xiang had heard his people be compared to this 'Chinese' culture that was spoken of at times. Indeed, the naming conventions and pronounciation keys were slightly different, but there did seem to be a lot of similarity. So when it gets brought up, Xiang doesn't seem especially surprised. "Correct. The family name..." He looks at her laying her head to the floor. That confused him for a moment. Not too bothered, he just continues on, "-- The familiy name is indeed meant to be more important than one's own." Though in his case, he had no family. It was a name given to him by his master.

He smiles when she names herself. "Little Tiger." He claimed at the same time as Sinya stated it. "Yes, I can see it." Obviously, the language he used was so close that he understood Chinese. That, or it had to do with his master's teachings. After all, it had been him who'd named him, so obviously that man too had held some kind of Chinese heritage. "I've been told the same by a few now. It is quite interesting how much similarity there lies between the two cultures." That is, between the Chinese and SuiKyosha's crew. "Though my people do not know the language." Okay, so it was through his master after all. After all, he /had/ known.

"And Spiral Power, yes, I've heard the term being used. I admit, I know it works, and that's as far as it goes. I know that my people likes to think I know everything." And sometimes it came across as if he indeed /did/, "But the Azure Dream moves because I want it to move, and that's really as far as my knowledge goes." He pauses, then nods at Sinya. "I did wish I knew a bit more myself." Xiang himself then stands up, as the catgirl does the same. "Let me walk you out." It really was only a few steps to the exit, but he wanted to show his appreciation for her time. "I do have some things to do today, and I have some things to..." Why does he pause there? "Discuss... with miss Yu." As much as he claimed not to be in a special relationship with her... he really did sometimes talk a bit too secretively about her.

If nothing else, perhaps having that connection to Chinese heritage in the human side of her family is an explanation enough for her behavior with the ceremonial lions outside of Xiang's palace. "That's why I still use Leland, at least for business reasons. It's in respect for my human father." She inclines her head. With the strange similarities, it wouldn't be all that surprising if perhaps some Chinese people from the upper world had wandered through to La Gias to form the culture of the SuiKyosha. "There are many strange similarities between worlds."

Her ears twitch back, a strange emotion when they both say the words 'little tiger' at the same time. There is a faint bit of color that rises in her white and orange cheeks, but it passes quickly as she looks away, seeming to focus her attention elsewhere. "In Zaibach, many of their words seem to be sourced from Latin, which is an old upper-world language. It makes me think people have been passing back and forth between the worlds for longer than we know." Even in her own world, there were the Ispano - the remains of ancient Atlantians, who were upperworlders.

Still, she shakes her head, as if dismissing that line of thought. Knowing so little of her own world certainly didn't help in matters of trying to sort through distant past. With a nod, accepting his walk to the door, the catgirl makes no real comment about his need to have a discussion with Yu. Try as she might, she couldn't /quite/ understand the relationship between the two. She obviously was not tightly bound to whatever the relationship is, especially with her flirtations with Archangel, but at the same time. It was odd. "I should get back to the 'nest, myself. I've been spending too much time here lately, and I can't let my work slack."