Private Finished Give Me That Tea

Keen · Mar 5, 2019

Already Sprinkles' new job had him meeting interesting people. One of which was Natalie Kurono, a journalist who had been hanging around the arena for some time. Sprinkles always took a particular interest in those who had cat-like features. Considering the black ears Natalie sported and the yellow eyes with slit pupils, he made no hesitation to chat it up with her.

The two hit it off fairly quickly, especially after Sprinkles mentioned being a NEK0, one of the catpeople recently rescued from their old lifestyle as slaves. Natalie was particularly interested in that topic, Sprinkles noticed. Unfortunately, they had to set aside their chat so he could return to work. Before he left, however, Natalia invited him out to a café so they could talk about this more in detail.

And that was why Sprinkles sat in a small, cute café that had a woodland feel to it. In front of him were a cup of water and a few slices of ham. He seated himself further back in the café where it was warmer. With his colorful appearance, he was sure Nat wouldn't miss him. Even if she did, he was on high alert for her, excited to chat with her once again.

@Lotharingia

Lotharingia · Mar 5, 2019

Natalie's job necessitated that she remain up to date on all the major happenings on the island. The Nek0's liberation caused quite a stir among the island's populace, which was enough for her to already be interested. However, she'd be lying if she said she didn't have some personal interest in the case as well. She wasn't a housecat anymore, and she knew that she couldn't be more different from the youngsters in both life experience and genetics, but some small irrational part of her thought she should try to keep an eye on them, see how they were adjusting to their new lease on life.

Plus, the more cynical part of her brain reasoned, they were bound to have some stories to tell, and Nat was always looking for a story. That was enough for her to justify making contact.

She sauntered into the cafe, casting a quick look around. It wasn't the sort of place she normally visited, but she hoped the cozy feel would be comfortable for Sprinkles. She quickly spotted the Nek0, his bright colourful appearance a sharp contrast to her own, and made her way over, sliding into the seat across from him.

"Good to see you again so soon, Sprinkles." She said as she sat down, flashing him a smile. "Thanks for agreeing to talk to me."

Keen · Mar 5, 2019

As expected, the two spotted each other almost immediately. After she was seated and they were both comfortable, Sprinkles returned Nat's smile with one of his own. "Couldn't pass up the chance to help out a reporter. How else will I rise to fame?" he joked. "I'm ready for any questions you have for me. Never been interviewed before. I'm pretty excited."

Lotharingia · Mar 5, 2019

"Right down to business then? I wish all my interviewees were so eager." She chuckled, digging one hand into her pocket and procuring a small notepad and pen. "As long as you remember to give me an exclusive once you've risen to the top, of course."

Nat gave Sprinkles a wink, before straightening in her seat, crossing her legs under the table, and putting the pen to paper.

"So, I suppose the best place to start would be from the obvious. How are you adjusting to life on the island? Most of our readers already know about the trading post, about how the scouts brought you all here. Living here must be taking some getting used to, yes?"

Keen · Mar 5, 2019

Sprinkles did not expect to ever see himself ready to have an interview about his life as a NEK0. Nowadays, he was pretty neutral to his situation. Not particularly angry, happy, sad, or anything. He was still figuring out his emotions after his deal with Penelope. Yet that lack of any specific emotion made it that much easier for him to cover it up with enthusiasm.

"I was a mess when I came here. The island was too overwhelming. Imagine being stuck in a house for five years with only one human and the internet to keep you company. Now imagine being taken to an island full of beings you thought were fantasy and beings you never could have imagined. Nowadays, I'm much better at handling the island. Still, you can imagine all the panic I had when I arrived. Hard for me to get out of the mindset that this is all a dream."

Lotharingia · Mar 5, 2019

"I can imagine." She nodded, scribbling a few notes down. "The island is already shocking enough when you're unaware of the veil, coming from somewhere so sheltered can only make it worse."

Nat figured he was likely hiding something, she'd been doing her job long enough to where she could make an educated guess. But given what she knew about most of the Nek0's she thought it more likely to be something more intense then apathy.

"But that does lead me into my next question. Your old home. I understand if you would rather not get into too much detail. But I would like to know more about your old life. What kind of man was your old owner? What was your day to day like?"

While the Nek0's themselves were well known, their individual stories seemed less so. Something more personal was bound to be more interesting for readers, so she decided to see how much she could learn.

Keen · Mar 5, 2019

That was the question Sprinkles had been waiting for. There was no beating around the bush here. The audience always liked to hear a traumatic, sad story. No point in hiding it. It wasn't as if Sprinkles was particularly subtle about his old life.

"I certainly had a nicer life compared to some of the other NEK0s I've met. I also don't consider my owner an owner. He raised me, so I consider him my dad. Not a good one, mind you." Sprinkles looked outside distantly as he replayed his memories through his mind. There wasn't any particular emotion in his face, other than a smile as empty as the cheerful tune with spoke with.

Might as well start with a summary of who his dad was. "My dad's name is Hideyoshi Tanaka. He was a rich businessman. Then he got arrested. I was ordered to be cat-like and very unique in appearance. I also used to be a girl, for the record. Sometimes he'd have me play the role of a son, but I'm getting sidetracked. He was pretty smart, really. He spoiled me with clothes, computers, the use of the internet, and I could get away with making a mess around the house here and there."

Then he frowned and let a sad, ashamed tone enter his voice. It wouldn't look good to seem too out of it. "For the record, I'm skimming over the parts including sexual assault. That happened... a lot. It took me until recently to understand how small the good he gave me were compared to the bad. Uh... Not sure how much your readers like those types of stories."

Lotharingia · Mar 6, 2019

Part of being a journalist was being able to maintain a certain level of emotional distance from her subjects. It was difficult to report on a topic if you let it bother you too much. So despite her distaste for the man Sprinkles called his father, Nat maintained a neutral expression on her face throughout his explanation.

"There's no need to go into too much detail if you don't want to, but I would like to get as much of the story as you're willing to tell." She said, observing him closely. "I'm sure my editor will keep me from printing anything too graphic, anyway."

There was a momentary pause in conversation, and Nat used that time to quietly flag down a nearby waiter. After asking for a cup of coffee and waiting for them to leave, she addressed Sprinkles again.

"So how long did this go on for?" She asked. "Did anything change with your father before the scouts found you?"

Keen · Mar 6, 2019

"I don't mind telling my story. The island has done a lot to help me figure out how I feel towards it."

Sprinkles was thankful Nat used the pause to get some coffee. It gave him time to think through his story and how to look. Removing his bond with his father did a lot to improve his outlook on life, but looking back on his memories made him feel empty. It was... unnerving.

"I'm chronologically five-years-old. I was made to age fast, then stop when I reached my late teens. So this was my entire life. I don't remember much about the time when I was a child, only that he really did treat me like a normal daughter. Things became romantic and sexual when I reached the age he wanted."

He gave a soft sigh, then took a drink of his water. Talking about this always reminded him of how much of an actual childhood he missed out on. Back then, he was barely his own person.

"Other than that, I don't think anything changed. I was absolutely dedicated to my dad, and he was dedicated to me. We always planned that if anything happened to separate us, we would kill ourselves before then. The, uh, scouts did a good job at keeping me from doing that..." A light, uncomfortable giggle escaped him. Ending his sentence on that dark of a note felt rude, somehow.

Lotharingia · Mar 6, 2019

If Nat felt any awkwardness or discomfort from listening to his life story, she gave no sign of it in her expression. She simply nodded once he was finished, taking a sip from her drink.

“I suppose that’s another reason for us to be thankful towards the scouts.” She said, with a gentle smile. “I think all I have left to ask now is, well, what are you planning to do now? You don’t have your father deciding things for you anymore. What does the future have in store for you, Sprinkles?”

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