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It was almost as if Yukio had some kind of preternatural sense for tea shops. He had been mourning the closing of Nekosuke, his favorite place, which in truth was a cat cafe that mostly sold coffee, but they also served tea that was as good as he'd ever had. Walking past the shuttered shop nearly every day out on walks (or slipping past while out on patrol as his Moon Knight alter ego, Spei) was mildly depressing. He liked the owner too, a fellow named Yuri who was half-Japanese like he was; the guy seemed to love cats and providing caffeinated beverages to people in equal measure.

So when he ambled past on one of his walks and saw the OPEN sign, he stopped so suddenly he nearly got knocked over by people behind him. Nekosuke was open again? He had to stop in and get a tea. And maybe pet a cat and talk to Yuri, if he was still the owner.

Slipping in the door, he made a beeline toward the counter. There was Yuri, looking tired but happy. "Konnichiwa," he said, nodding his head by way of greeting. "You have no idea how glad I am that Nekosuke is open again. It's been hell trying to find a decent cup of tea in this part of town." His manner and expression may have been flat, but there was genuine delight in his words.

"How have you been? What happened, if you don't mind my asking?"

If Yukio was disappointed there were no cats to pet, he didn't let it show. "Take your time, I'm sure you'll find some good cats to bring in." Honestly, the cats were one of the big draws of Nekosuke for him, but the tea and the company also played a major role in why he was so delighted the shop was open again. Yuri was a nice guy, friendly and kind, and he knew how to make Japanese-style tea, which Yukio hadn't been able to replicate since his Japanese mom moved with his dad to San Francisco. All big pluses for the place.

He listened to Yuri's explanation of what had been going on in his life, raising an eyebrow at the mention of the permit issue the shop owner had had with the city. "But you own this building, right? You shouldn't have had such a fight over fixing it up. I mean, I guess meeting code is a good thing, but the hassle…" He shrugged and gave Yuri as much of a smile as he ever managed. "At least you have a proper home now. That's what matters."

Jerking a thumb over his shoulder, he added, "And yeah, I noticed the door. Love the teal. It almost matches my hair."

The DJ gave another little shrug. "I've been well," he said. "Keeping busy with gigs and parkour training. I've gotten a little involved with this 'Keep Destiny City Weird' movement that started a few weeks ago, too." He didn't mention that Destiny City was already pretty weird, what with Chaos agents and youma and aliens running around – he didn't want to freak Yuri out too badly, or disclose his sideline as a Moon Knight. "You know, keep Destiny City funky and freak-friendly and artsy and stuff. Might get a few gigs out of that. At least that's what I'm hoping."

Yukio tilted his head slightly and raised an eyebrow. "Do you remember my usual?" he quipped.

Yukio gave Yuri a small wry smile. It had been awhile, after all, and the shop had been popular enough that he couldn't be expected to remember all the customers. "Royal milk tea. A nice black Assam or Darjeeling, milk and brown sugar. I'd be interested in trying some of the new Japanese teas you have in, though another time. I haven't had milk tea for awhile -- can't seem to get the recipe quite right at home."

He watched Yuri begin to prepare the hot beverage. "I wouldn't want Destiny City to get too normal either. I'd lose gigs." Though fewer youma would be a nice thing. Fewer youma, more guardian cats. "They're planning a festival and parade near the park this summer – I'm going to be spinning there, if you like dancing or music in general. One of several DJs and bands, but still. Maybe you could set up a stand, sell some tea and adopt out some cats," he said, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.

"Speaking of festivals, have you made it to Star Fest yet? I'm heading over there after I'm done here. They have new star charms this year. Gotta collect them all."

Yukio nodded at the warning about StarSweets. "Duly noted. I'll keep my star charm collecting to the other shops and food stands and avoid StarSweets."

There were always odd things going on at Star Festival, and apparently this year was no exception. He'd heard about some of the other weirdnesses like the Fairy Grove and the multicolored fireflies returning from the previous year. But weird candy was a new one.

He watched Yuri make his tea, attempting to really study the steps involved so he could try to replicate it at home. Yeah, he could always get the powdered mix from the Japanese market in town, but fresh was better. Always better. Of course, it would probably be better yet with Hokkaido milk, at least that's what his mother said. But that was nigh unto impossible to get here in the States. And he'd never had it that way, having never been to Japan himself (except once as a very small child, to meet his grandparents, a trip he barely remembered). He knew what he knew, and liked it well enough.

Speaking of Japan… <<"Have you practiced any more Japanese?">> he asked, switching to his second language. <<"I know you've been very busy…">>

<<"Well, now that you're open again, I can be your practice partner.">> With a little half-smile, Yukio gave a slight bow to Yuri. <<"It will be good for both of us. Your Japanese has definitely improved, by the way. While mine has gotten… rough? I don't know the word. Disused?">> Switching back to English, he amended, "Rusty is what I meant. See, even someone like me who grew up speaking Japanese can stumble a bit."

Speaking of the shop, as Yuri was, Yukio looked around the cafe for the first time since he'd entered. The interior of Nekosuke looked revitalized and refreshed to him, with lots of places to sit (as demonstrated by the customers already present) and plenty of terrain for cats in the future. Bright and welcoming and what he imagined a cat cafe in Tokyo would look like.

"You've really done a nice job here," he said, nodding in approval. "I'm sure the cats you end up with will enjoy it. It's pretty clear that people already do. How's the tea coming?"

"Ah, domo," Yukio thanked Yuri, accepting the steaming cup of tea. Cradling it in both hands, he took in the aroma, then brought it up to his lips to gently blow on it to cool that first taste off a bit. He took a sip, eyes closed, really concentrating on the flavor. "It's perfect. Even better than I remember. The brown sugar makes all the difference."

Taking another sip, he heard a gentle cough behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see a queue formed behind him. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I'm in the way," he said. "Blocking the progress of business." He stepped aside, allowing the next customer to approach the counter. Maybe he'd better take a seat.

He waited until the customer had placed their order, then turned to Yuri. "Well, you're busy now, so I'll leave you to it. It was so nice talking to you, in both languages. And congrats on a successful re-opening."