Atlantis

[Apollymi]

As Kou held out his half to the winged lass, Miki did the same watching as she excitedly took them and bounded around the room with them. "Yay! They're mine... all mine!~" she chimed, seemingly happy with her own acquisition. "Wait, I don't know what these are...." she said staring at the items in her hands while trying to think of their purpose. Only after a few moments did she shrug it off casually figuring it would come up whenever she figured out how to use them. She happily bounced around as Kou mentioned that fun and clothing should be primarily on their list of things to do. "We should be getting a visitor pretty soon about the clothes... I talked to her about meeting up with us here, before I came back yesterday," Miki mentioned, with a relaxed nature.

Soon enough a woman was found standing in the doorway a squeal would ensue. "SQUEEE! SHE'S ADORABLE!" these were the words of the same magical seamstress who'd made their bathing suits in the time that they'd been working on hatching their egg the week prior. Large glasses glinted upon her face as her green hair swayed in the breeze. The dancing naked child came to a stop and managed to look confused. "Yep!" Fiona mentioned standing triumphantly, apparently she had no shame and understood please but not thank you. Magically, around this seamstress an entire bag began unpacking itself revealing an entire table set up complete with a strange spinning wheel and all the materials she'd need to sew this child a new outfit, minus actual thread. "I have so many ideas, I assume you have the necessary materials..." she said which made Miki look up and chuckle. "Always... maybe making the thread will bring her back down to normal levels of excited..." she mentioned casually floating a bag full of crystals which could be spun into thread over to the woman. "Oh yes, these will do nicely. You, Lovely Angel, come here; we have work to do!" she mentioned, which made Fiona smile brightly. "Work?! What do I do!?" she seemed excited by the prospect as the woman began talking her through the creation process, it would leave Miki able to have a quick and private conversation with Kou. 'I figured, after she gets dressed we could take her out for a bit. There is a pretty interesting festival for the day set up, we could get her some food and see if she has interest in anything. Just spend a bit of time with her,' she mentioned of her general plans for the lass, telepathically to avoid ruining any potential surprises.

[Bloodedge]

Another answer took a backseat to another yawn. His reaction time was a bit slower following this one, but he was still managing well enough. Fiona took the items, but wasn't sure what they were. That made sense, he supposed. She had no reason to understand the concept of hair ornaments and the like, so it seemed it would fall upon Kou to explain their purpose. "You've got long hair, like I thought you would. That's what those are for. Slip your hair through those, and it won't be so loose and in the way all the time," he explained. Soon enough, the seamstress their group encountered to obtain their beach attire could be seen entering the room. Surely, if Fiona still had issues with her ornaments, this woman could be of use. As such, Kou could relax where he sat, not bothering too much with the process just yet.

During this moment of relaxation Kou took for himself, he was addressed directly by Miki, using their usual incognito method of conversing through minds. Not having to use physical words, he found it a bit easier to uphold the discussion right away. 'Yeah, seems like a good plan to me. I don't know anything about the festivities they've set up and all, but given how Fiona is all the time... especially now... I'm sure she'll have a good time with it regardless of what's going on.'

[Apollymi]

Kou's answer to the Filolial gave her pause. He spoke of hair and it being in the way she looked between the lad and Miki and seeing her own hair decorated by bows she couldn't help stare aimlessly for a few seconds. "Hm... okay..." she said though managing not to sound too certain one way or another. Soon after her mind was distracted by other things, and within moments, while her parents had their silent discussion, she'd be seen, making use of a magical spinning wheel, exerting her own Mana into the crystals for them to then be made into threads by the seamstress' gentle guiding hand. "Yes, hair will be part of the whole look. Don't worry, I'll take care of that myself as well..." she mentioned having a great idea for the lass, that she'd only really be able to put into practice once her outfit was complete.

Moving right along, though Kou had been yawning through most of his responses this morning, their quiet conversation would happen without so much as a hint of lag. He claimed that though he didn't know what kind of activities were popping up today, Fiona would likely have a good time and agreed with her general outlook about it. 'Hai hai, apparently it is set up like a carnival. Game stalls, food, general activities and introductions to Atlantean Specialities not seen in a while. I thought about it a while, and figured if we walked around a bit and let her pick the activities she'd have a decent bit of fun, I want her to have good memories of being young...' Miki said softly within their shared space. As a child, what she remembered most, and thought the best, were things she did with her parents, not that things that were expensive or outrageous. Instead, she remembered best the moments where a decent bit of time was spent with her, and those memories were the fondest ones she'd held before. With that said, she was also content to relax and let time pass along. It'd take about 30 minutes of time for the seamstress to get the necessary threads from Fiona's work, but after she did, the barricade went up and the designing began at maximum speed. Strangely, it was set up in front of Kou and Miki, as if she intended to present the lass after she was done, for dramatic effect. As such, a wide eyed Fiona watched as the seamstress worked maniacally, first on the dress then on her physical form, including making sure her hair ties found their way to her person. At the very end, she'd be standing with a triumphant look on her face as she prepared for the grand reveal. "Darlings, I have completed what has to be some of my absolute best work. A stellar canvas you present to me, and I will present a work of art to you in turn!" she exclaimed as a very overly dramatic introduction.

[Bloodedge]

'Oh? I didn't expect them to go to those lengths, but it sounds like a good time. I'd be pretty interested in seeing a bunch of that stuff too. If they keep it up for tomorrow, I might even take Hikari around to some. It's... been a while-' he replied, trailing off at the end to let his mind wander. In wandering, though, Kou's mind also slipped. He just about lost consciousness altogether, but in that moment... the exchange he shared with Miki became something odd, something visual. He seemed to be standing within a room devoid of both items and color, Miki being the only other entity within. This was no physical shift, but instead a mental one existing only for the duration of their mental discussion.

Odd as it was, Kou was pulled out of this by the words of the seamstress. He snapped to reality and consciousness in a single moment, looking toward what would soon be the reveal of Fiona's new - and first - ensemble. "Eto... Alright, let's have a look."

[Apollymi]

'Hai, I'm sure it will last. Apparently, the festival is supposed to be good for bonding so they offer a lot of activities for everyone to participate,' was Miki's only thought about what Kou had to say. She was quite pleased to know he'd agreed with her plan of action, and beyond that she was more than a little relieved he'd likely be able to have a bit of fun with it too. She couldn't help but wonder what all had kept him and Hikari from doing such things in the other world. But she decided it best not to question it too much, lest she prod at raw memories. As she allowed her mind to wonder she too would seem to shift a bit mentally, though she was quite fine with being quiet in the moment, she wasn't sure how to take the shift in the room. But it didn't matter much as the call to attention also brought her back from her own mind space. "Hai hai... " Miki mentioned, she really wasn't a very patient person most of the time, that being said she was a bit excited to see the first look of their dressed young Filolial.

"Yes! Now that I have your attention, might I reintroduce you to, the little Angel, Fiona!" she said. At these words Fiona appeared from behind the barricade head held high. She did a complete model walk (obviously couched), hair swaying in the breeze. She walked all the way up to the end of the bed and turning before heading back towards the seamstress. As this occurred the seamstress came with full commentary. "She's wearing one of my penultimate designs, the flair of a little black dress with the innocence of a child," she mentioned as the girl walked. "Made to be functional with a large opening in the back for her growing wings...." she said as the girl turned. "Complete with enough leg room to avoid flashing the crowds should she need to kick anyone! And a halter top in case she needs to swing her arms freely!" the Seamstress had some very strange commentary but Miki couldn't help but giggle. "Your crafted hair accessories complete the look, I decided a nice set of pigtails would balance her look. Full ones... so she'd have her own individual style..." she mentioned giving a wink to Miki who rolled her eyes playfully. 'Of course, this one goes way overboard in such moments,' she thought absently. "Kawaii! Fiona, you're so cute... do you like it?" she asked of the lass. "Yep! I like it! It's great, I'm really hungry though..." she said happily as she sprang aiming to hug both of these two where they sat at the end of the bed seemingly, more than a bit amused by the whole of the situation. A bit of a passing comment would come from the seamstress. "Oh and because her dress is made from the crystal threads created with her own mana, she won't break the dress when she transforms nor if she happens to grow a bit. So you have a lot of time before you'll need to settle on getting her anything else. She'll even be able to channel her abilities through the dress if they happen to work like that..." she mentioned seemingly proud of her own work while looking at this young family.

[Bloodedge]

What was that room he'd seen? Did Miki see it as well, or was he already hallucinating from a lack of sleep? There had to be something more to it. Surely, his extended time being awake couldn't have such a massive impact on him this early. Whatever the case, he wasn't quite capable of addressing it just yet. Now was the time for Fiona to be unveiled in her first ever ensemble, and with hair ornaments to boot. This little runway show carried on in a grandiose fashion, though the seamstress appeared to have such a nature about her own craft even in their previous encounter.

He had to admit, at least, that it was an excellent garb. There was an air of Gothic Lolita fashion about it, while also retaining a friendly amount of modesty and innocence. Even as tired as he was during the moment, Kou found it within himself to appreciate the woman's work by clapping gently. "Sugoi, sugoi! I like how it all comes together," he commented, managing to stifle the yawn which attempted to escape him this time around. "Gotta agree, though... I could use a bite or two myself. Maybe we can make a food stop first when we head out. Apparently, there are some delicacies available right now."

[Apollymi]

It seemed that the lass' new outfit was a bit hit. The applause gentle though it was, came not only from Kou but from Miki as well and it was more than enough to warm this woman's heart. She pushed her glasses up onto her nose and began to pack her things magically back the way they were. "Then it seems like my work here is done. Thank you," she offered. Handing Miki back a bag filled with the unused crystals from the garbs created. In turn Miki handed her a prearranged amount, complete with a worthwhile tip and a smile on her face. "Hai hai. Since you're here. You could probably stand to see the festivities as well. Ja ne..." she mused as the seamstress bowed and left without another word her work station going with her. Miki was then left to absently play with this bag of crystals as they discussed their first actions for this particular day. It appeared that hunger was shared both by Fiona and Kou and Miki hadn't had breakfast either so it seemed like food would be their first stop.

"Hai hai food sounds good to me. Let's go see what its like then~" she mused standing still playing with that bag of crystals. She didn't exactly need it perhaps an idea would come to her in a few moments. Fiona got up immediately impatiently bouncing and waiting for this pair to accompany her. If she had her way within minutes they'd be walking in front of several food stalls in the middle of the Market Place hearing the sounds of frying foods and all sorts of other things being pitched. It smelled really nice and Miki's own mouth would water as she took in sights of things the likes of Extra large deep fried lobster claws, deep fried sea cucumbers, sea salad on a stick and a litany of fruits and sweets in deep fried stick form as well. "Sou ka, not vegetarian... that's good I suppose. Hm, anything tickle your fancy?" she asked of the group at large. This would cause Fiona to stand in front of deep fried sea cucumbers and point excitedly. "This... this... this..." she exclaimed which would make Miki do an exchange of coin for potentially three servings of this depending on how Kou felt about it.

[Bloodedge]

"Hai hai," Kou said as he finally pulled himself off the bed's edge. It was quite the internal struggle, but not too much of a bother visibly. He seemed fine enough to walk alongside Miki and Fiona, out into the streets of Atlantis where the festivities were being held publicly. There was so much going on out in the streets, Kou wondered when they managed to get it all set up. Seriri was certainly making the best of the opportunity she'd been granted, that much was true. Where to start was a question in the lad's mind, but as they wandered about as a group, it seemed a quick prod from Miki spurred Fiona into making a selection of her own.

Kou stepped up as well, having a look at this... deep-fried sea-cucumber. He had to say, it was very far from any sort of list he had in mind, but he also didn't expect to see anything resembling food from the Earth he knew. "Sou ka. It looks... pretty good, actually," he said, feeling the rumble of his own stomach. At this point, he'd eat just about anything, really.

[Apollymi]

Three orders of these deep fried sea cucumbers were ordered. And they were cooked a bit like fried tomatoes. A bit tart but creamy in the middle and the size of chips to be easily eaten. Fiona received hers first and ate one immediately. She would make a strange face, "It's like sour... but..." she'd eat another one, "Still good though..." she mentioned happily munching away thereafter. Hearing out the lass' explanation of the food, gave Miki a bit of an idea of what it would taste like and as such she'd have no problem eating while they walked around. "I haven't had fair food in years... it's pretty good though," she mentioned with a casual wave to the food stand, as the last of servings was handed to Kou. Miki or rather Kimiko had experienced something like this once, on an unsupervised and unplanned outing with Tsukiko, where the lass had wanted to attend some street carnival and Kimiko had done what was necessary with the help of the lass' brother to get her out of the house and have a bit of fun, much their her parents initial dismay. As she thought fondly of that moment she ate her food happily waiting to see what kinds of fun Fiona would like to have.

In the meantime, Fiona ate and watched the other Merfolk and how they dealt with the situation. She saw many situations similar to her own. A small child or two strung between two happy adults who were giving them things and eating together with them laughing. The wheels were turning in her head as she watched this situation. She saw herself in a similar position to these two children, that would make of course Kou and Miki her parents. They'd gotten her presents, and were feeding her now. They were even spending time with her right now. As such she'd be sure to live the fullness of kid potential. "When we're done with this... can I have something sweet too?" she asked as she finished her own food and waited for the pair to catch up. Miki smiled at the lass and nodded. "Hai hai, sweets, games, more food... whatever you'd like," she mentioned which made the Filolial's eyes widen. She looked to Kou as she'd seen other kids do, as if in disbelief of the free reign she'd been given.

[Bloodedge]

Right. Three deep-fried sea-cucumbers were ordered, and provided in sequence to the members of this trio. Kou, the last to receive his, stood in wait while observing Fiona from the perspective of a bystander. The Filolial's expression portrayed neither pleasure nor distaste, from what he could tell initially. Her following words cleared things up well enough. "Sour, but good? Sounds more like a pickle. Well... I guess it is underwater, so..." he rambled not long before receiving one of his own. With it in his possession, he could move along with the others while taking the occasional bite.

Along the way, Fiona expressed a clear desire for sweets. It was such an innocent and childlike moment that Kou could hardly stop himself from laughing aloud. Miki took the liberty of acquiescing to the Filolial, who then looked to Kou. Staring and blinking intermittently, he chewed on about the fourth bite of his deep-fried treat, wondering why she found this to be so unbelievable. "What? You heard her. It's your day today; we're here for whatever you want to make of it."

[Apollymi]

The deep fried sea cucumbers did indeed taste like pickles. A bit creamy, with a bit of tang involved with every bite. Even so, Miki was more than content to consume such an item finding it to be outside of her normal food choices, but not something she couldn't enjoy. As they moved along in the conversation and in steps it would seem that though Fiona had requested sweets, she seemed to be in disbelief about the freedom she'd be allowed in making her own decisions this day. When she looked to Kou for confirmation she received it a second time making an excited utterance as she finished her most recent bite of food, and thus her entire serving. "Yay!" she exclaimed that one word was it for a few moments. Miki watched as she finished her own food and shook her head gently, if only all situations were so easily resolved. "Sweets, games and food... and and..." whatever she was about to say was lost for a second as she smelled something delicious to her. "Oh, oh... what's that?" Fiona asked as they passed by the first confection of a long string.

This was also a frying place, but it looked like they were frying batter into big open circles and covering everything with powdered sugar and fruits or chocolate. "Oh, oh, oh! I want that..." she said to Miki who only nodded to the lass. "Excuse me, I want some of that please..." she managed to sound outright polite much to the happiness of the worker, who looked up, Miki looked to Kou and would motion for the number up to three while preparing to pay for it seeming to have already know the kind of money which would be spent on such experiences. 'Aww, she's so cute... I might die,' Miki shared with Kou while waiting on the next bit of food. She watched as Fiona bounced on her toes as she watched the food which was stunningly similar to funnel cake be fried up.

[Bloodedge]

Fiona expressed an interesting amount of excitement at the prospect of being able to make decisions freely this day. Kou supposed, even if she had been left to learn for herself in infancy, there was still a fair bit of coddling done early on. This had to be something very new for her. Moreover, she was being exposed to things new to most people, be they from outside Atlantis, this world, or even Atlantean locals. The latter rang true in one shining moment, when Fiona jumped at the first opportunity for something sweet to consume.

That smell was heavenly. This was no mere confection, but a deep-fried treat created for those who truly wished to experience bliss. Kou seemed entranced as he followed along, eventually being drawn in by his own nose. "That's..." he muttered. Closer and closer he stepped, until he stood beside Fiona in a state of excitement that matched her own. "Fried dough! Sugoi! Same here! Extra powdered sugar, mixed berries, no chocolate!" And there he was. He didn't even acknowledge the message sent his way by Miki. No, he was far too gone, far too quickly. "Good nose, Fiona!"

[Apollymi]

It seemed Miki's commentary would go unheard. Why? Well, rather simply it was because Kou was just as excited as Fiona. Miki watched this for just a second longer than she needed to. Something about this was rather heart-warming and she couldn't quite explain it in the moment. Perhaps it was simply that she enjoyed with the lad was happy, or perhaps it was the look of these two individuals having fun together. Regardless the order for three was given with very specific specifications for Kou's in particular. "Yosh!" the winged lass mentioned at her good nose, but there was more to be said than this. Fiona looked at the lad and then at the cook and thought about it. She didn't know what came on this creation, but she could trust the man who was just as excited as she was, to have good taste. "Yeah! I want mine like that too, please!" she exclaimed seemingly excited by the prospect. In the mean time Miki took note of something very peculiar... the lad had ordered his sweet without chocolate. It made her wonder if he didn't like it at all. When it came time for her to say something, she had in mind what she wanted. "Salted caramel, brown sugar and powdered sugar.." that was it, rather simple but with a different taste entirely in mind. She liked berries well enough, but figured she'd get enough of them over the long haul.

All things noted and accounted for these plates would be prepared, they'd be handed the confection while it was still warm atop an open shell like plate which could be easily disposed of. They were also handed single use chopsticks to eat with, much to the surprise of the blonde lass. Miki forked over the cash and thanked everyone present while, Fiona took hers and Kou was offered his as well. Miki would be the last to get hers, and Fiona would lead them to a small table to sit and eat this mostly because she was unsure how to attack such a dish and wanted to witness it being eaten first hand.

[Bloodedge]

"Fried dough underwater in Atlantis! Lucky!~" Kou mused aloud as he watched the confections being prepared. Taking his, the lad seemed almost as if he could break out into song and dance at any given moment. Instead though, he joined Fiona at the table she had the wherewithal to choose for the group. If Fiona sought a learning experience for use of her chopsticks, she would certainly not get it from Kou. The white-haired male placed his chopsticks on the table, bringing a hand directly to the confection while also lowering his face.

Indeed. Kou would shovel the fried dough directly into his mouth, toppings and all, biting intermittently as more and more was forced into his face. He didn't even think much of it, but he did thing this dish would meet its end by his hand.

[Apollymi]

Fiona watched as Kou sat down to eat, after the lad nearly danced waiting for it. What she found from him, was the sort of method of eating she could have come up with herself. He practically shoveled food into his face, using just his hands, strange though this might have been, Miki herself seemed unbothered by it. Something about it was rather fun, and maybe a little familiar. Still, she couldn't bring herself to do such things. Instead she attacked with chopsticks using them to break apart bite sized pieces she could pick up the topping along with it and take nice and balanced bites without getting her hands messy which was a necessity considering her topping choice. "Hm... " there was a puff to Fiona's cheeks as if she didn't like the idea of eating like either of her parents. A few moments of thought she began to eat in her own way. She'd use both her chopsticks and her fingers. She'd break apart pieces pick them up with the chopsticks then pack on toppings for good bites. It was marvolous. Within her first bite her eyes were wide and she was dancing to herself happily. "Yummy!~" she sang happily to herself, bemused as she devoured her own food with a truly happy disposition. "Hai hai, I'm glad you're happy..." Miki mused enjoying it herself. "Um... you got different stuff on yours... can I have some?" asked Fiona with bright eyes. "Sure, why not?" she said letting the little bird girl attack her plate as well. Now that she had a taste for this one as well, she squealed tasting that one too. "Wow!! That's good too~" she said before going back to her own. "Are you... okay over there?" she asked of Kou having not heard from him since the start.