video

[originalshen]

[The feed opens to a trio of pretty prismal girls in what appears to possibly be a Caihong brothel, judging by the aesthetic. Another young woman can be heard from the recording end: "There, it's on! Say hello, girls!" The girls happily wave at the camera!

"And now if you press this right here—" Ah there we go, selfie mode! Instead of those other girls, we now get a vision of another local lady with a curious-looking man in soft green robes.]

That easy, is it?

["That easy!" as she hands the communicator back to its rightful owner. He stares at the screen for a moment, contemplating whether he should just turn it off - but those girls are coaxing him to try saying something, so eventually he relents.]

So people can see this, is that right? [Awkward!] ......Well. I suppose if anyone here knows of quiet areas to visit or stores that serve good tea, I'm...open to suggestions. [Ahem.]

That is all.

[Aaand after some fumbling (and more help and laughter from his friends), he manages to turn the thing off. All replies will be in voice from here on out!]

Comments

[thedarkbond]

Who said they put more thought into that? I can't help but feel like you're looking for excuses... [And doesn't he sound terribly wounded about that. Or fake wounded, as the case actually is.] You need both for a good tea, of course. High quality leaves brewed badly is a waste of its potential.

[originalshen]

Would it matter if I was? [They're definitely excuses, he's just being difficult because it's Ren.] As much as I appreciate your dedication to the craft, my original question was asking for good stores, not a speech on the proper way to steep leaves. Unless needling people before offering help is simply how you operate?

[thedarkbond]

Well, it would make it seem like you don't really want help... [An innocent observation, of course, which is also why he sounds definitely hurt at the idea that he's needling anyone.] I thought I was giving you a little insight into how the stores here might compare to what you're used to...still, I can't help but feel that might make my list not as useful to you.

[Since it's catered to Ren's more modern tastes and considerations. Clearly, he finds this a shame.]

[originalshen]

Ah, I must offer my sincerest apologies if that is the impression I gave. To think you would know what I'm "used" to well enough to offer comparisons...and here I thought the world you came from was a vastly different one from mine.

[Like a cow offering tips on the best grazing spots to a beached whale.]

[thedarkbond]

Oh, did I not say? I've had tea with Qingqiu-san a few times before you arrived, so it's come up. I talk to people about their home worlds quite often. [And he's met a decent number of cultivators in his time here, so he has a sense of where their world is somewhat congruent to in Earth history terms.

Also, an obvious note he treats the other Qingqiu with at least marginally more respect than this one, if also more familiarity.] It'd be strange for me to not try to find out about other worlds in a place like this.

[originalshen]

["Qingqiu-san" is about as familiar a title as--what was it again? "Shen-tan"? He still hasn't learned any Japanese and honestly can't tell which of these is worse, so he's going to mentally lump them together as equally disrespectful until further notice.

Which begs the question, why does the other Shen Qingqiu allow this? Is he just that much of a softy, that he can't bring himself to argue these things? Then again it's not like Ren would ever listen to reason.

He's got the lowest of expectations in regards to this man's manners.]

You are free to make logical assumptions or hand out arbitrary criticisms at your own discretion, based on what second-hand knowledge you may have gleaned from overly trusting strangers. This is a public forum, after all. It would seem to me, though, that you have a much greater interest in those criticisms than in answering my original request.

If you have no intentions of actually offering the information you seem to eager to share, then I suppose there is no more reason for us to continue this conversation.

[ugh he just wanted a quiet night with a nice girl maybe he should turn in early]

[thedarkbond]

Oh? That's disappointing. I was hoping we could talk about a shared interest... [Ren's disappointment at least sounds sincere, though it is kind of a shame that he's not interested in more modern concepts of tea.]

But I guess you're right. Good luck with your teahouse hunt, I suppose~

[The cheery wave that would normally come with that can almost be heard in the tone as Ren signs off.]