Charles Patricius

[Apollymi]

While they made their way out to Takao's tour bus, Miko made peace with being recognizable to at least a few people who could call themselves fans of hers. She had little worry about anything related to Seiya, they'd had quite the fun little adventure on their way to Takao. "It's fine. I quite enjoy him, though I didn't ask for a loyalist, I wouldn't leave him hanging or anything. I know he's good. We had a lot of fun wandering around, so I'll be sure to look out for him~" she mused happily. As an aside Seiya was a Sei and thus had a certain amount of freedom in dealing with Miko that many would never get to experience. Moving on from that the whole of the group arrived at the tour bus and were welcomed inside and told to make themselves at home. Surprisingly enough the first to do so would be Kaguya who found a couch took off her shoes and stretched out. "Hai hai, thanks for having us~" she mentioned as Miko slipped inside as well, dropping multiple things on top of her as she relaxed. "So invasive, Kaya-sen. You could at least pretend a little," mentioned Miko only for Kaguya to scoff playfully. "I take invites seriously and fully." she commented as Shutara came in and chuckled while Ai took up a place on the same couch as Kaguya. "Seriously, you make it seem like I didn't teach you manners at all, Kaya-tan," she scolded her briefly. "These for us?" Ai asked about the dango still in Kaguya's lap. "Hai hai, there is one in there for each of you," she said pointing around only to find herself inching towards the keyboard having pressed her remaining boba tea into the hands of Takao. "This is great!~" Shutara claimed finally happy to have some extra people to hang out with while Miko and Takao became the biggest pair of musical nerds on the planet.

According to Hiroshi both Miko and Rita shared a lack of experience, but Rita understood her niece's problem much better than her own situation. The talk of the town, not here, not now. "My niece has innocence on her side and being small initially. Her situation makes sense to me..." Rita said. Her own was rather complicated, she'd been in a committed relationship for most of her adult life, she'd long since stopped acknowledging words as anything other than platonic. She'd also spent quite a while being equally unsure of herself so it made no sense. She lived in a small town and a close knit community. Standards were being upheld. She was quite sure of the man as he stood nearer obviously to observe and began work on that second beer. She took a moment to peek from her corner of her eye, 'Jeez he's tall. What were they feeding him?' she wondered mentally, though obviously height wasn't a bad thing. She quite enjoyed it as a trait in men in general. Still their conversation progressed, and vegans were brought up... "Yeah, I had the privilege of having one of my roommates in college become a vegan while we were living together. It was not pleasant and the rest of us all thought she was crazy, she became a bit unbearable towards the end. We all made the joke that it was because she was hungry," she said a smile coming to her face. With at least one of roommates currently present in town she'd have to make some time to hang out a bit more. "Anyway, you can't get good cakes without the fats and proteins. Real chicken eggs, real full fat cow's milk, cream and butter..." she stated firmly. At the same time she began measuring out flour, taking a small amount of baking soda and sugar, measuring and mixing them before setting it to the side. A different whisk and that bowl of egg whites were soon picked up. "Basically the composition is wet ingredients, dry ingredients mixed up separately and then appropriately mixed together," she explained of the process. This was before moving on to that bowl of egg whites. "And this is where properly fluffy cake comes from~" she explained. "Cream of tartar, vanilla extract and whisking. We're making meringue..." she explained, and she began whisking, as she did so, the egg whites would begin to stiffen becoming opaque and gaining air increasing their volume.

[Bloodedge]

"Well, you've got one now. You already had him, but now... he knows your face~" Takao said in a slightly teasing manner, complete with a gesture of wiggling fingers for a faux horror element. With that out of the way, he began moving to a couch adjacent to one chosen by Kaguya and Ai. It seemed some issue was taken with Kaguya's instant comfort, but he had no problems with it. "She's fine; I'd rather have someone relax around me. It's always weird when people are too uptight. It's good to see someone being comfortable," he insisted. Before Takao could even reach for a guitar, a partial cup of boba tea was being forced into his hands. He didn't give it much thought before that straw was placed between his lips. Miko would obviously be too busy to care in a moment. "Bonus boba for me, huh? That's cool, but... I'll take a full one next time~" he said whether Miko remained capable of processing statements or not.

Rita believed Miko's situation was more sensible than her own. Hiroshi thought the exact opposite, as Miko had a particular constitution which made her more appealing. In truth, the one more likened to a magical 'sponge' would receive more attention... though perhaps Rita herself would be hailed as a goddess or demigod in most areas of Alaya. Things were inverted in this world, apparently. "Hmm. Whatever the case, acknowledgement should be given. You have all the signs of one who has yet to receive what you require. You should also be seen in the proper light," he said. Well beyond baking ability, there were many reasons Nara Rita deserved acknowledgement ─ he could feel them in her soul from such close proximity. Whatever occurred in her life recently did her no favors... and in Hiroshi's opinion, neither did being associated with a vegan. "Utterly repulsive. Omnivorous creatures are such for a reason. Moreover, I hear some claim it to be a kindness toward animals, completely ignoring the damage done to plants in exchange. I have countless things to say about these vegans ─ none of them good," he commented, nearly grunting. Hiroshi continued to watch the mixing of ingredients, eventually taking interest in how similar to potion-making the process looked this way. In due time, Hiroshi and his beer can were leaning over Rita's shoulder for a closer look. "Fascinating. This is more like my work than I previously gave it credit for. This thing with the eggs, is it something you came to realize yourself... or is this knowledge passed along somehow?"

[Apollymi]

The creepy hand movements of Takao and the acknowledgement that Seiya knew her face was something that Miko shrugged off. "I can't say I get it but if it makes him happy, I don't mind. Besides, this face is getting more and more common by the day~" she claimed which was true. Both her mother and aunt could pass for siblings of hers at various stages of aging. Not to mention how many, Avatars she'd already created in the other world. As for the relaxation of Kaguya and its jabs by her friends Ai could only shake her head, "Yeah, I mean I get it but you have to know how extreme she is that her taking these permissions is so odd~" Ai mentioned. Miko could only nod as both girls went on to begin eating their dango passing the container with its remainders along to Shutara who fully knew that Miko had intended to share. "Hai hai, I'll remain this comfortable around you always. Thanks for having me!~" Kaguya said in that slightly flirty way she seemed to enjoy talking. Of course, soon after she was left watching as Miko pushed her half-empty cup into Takao's hands making her way towards what was obviously the keyboard she was meant to be testing out. While Miko was settling in behind it on a couch abandoning shoes and allowing her feet to remain balanced on her toes, Takao spoke of his half a drink. She'd not even thought about that indirect kiss, but Kaguya was keeping her eyes on the lad and noted that he shied away none while consuming what Miko left for him. Her left brow rose as she watched the goings on with slightly narrowed eyes and watched for the second time in a week as Miko began inspecting an instrument as if she was encountering an old friend. "Hello, beautiful... I'm sorry it's been so long, I need a minute~" she mused as her fingers ever so gentle danced across the keys not pushing down on a single one. She pressed down on the key that should have been a single note 'C' and heard the standard C-chord instead Her fingers would have normally been spaced to play it, but... just one press made a harmonious sound in her ear. A full extension of her finger, one which the feeling told her was 'standard' but it'd been quite a long time since she'd last played piano, though she still remembered every nuance it held. An unboxing was taking place as she ran through the scales and chord progressions in her mind. "Sou ka... that's really great, so..." she moved to the next key and it played, the D minor chord. With just two keys pressed she was sure that every key would play these chords but simply wouldn't do. But each of those presses were firm, normal... just practice strokes for her. Surely one Kabia Seto didn't create an instrument which could only play chords? Matching harmonies would be far too difficult, the noise too much. "I heard you," she muttered to Takao, she'd heard his musings about his half drink, but her hands could have only held so much. Speaking of only holding so much, after going through an entire scale's worth of notes, in triplicate, she found herself with closed eyes, feeling the tension in the key completely with her next press of it.

At the same time, Hiroshi continued to speak in a way which brought only gentle confusion to the face of Rita. She'd yet to receive what she required? "Hm, that is an interesting phrasing, I'm not quite sure what it means, but I am also pretty sure it's right. Weird." she mentioned in passing. As the conversation progressed the ideations of Vegans was something which apparently truly upset Hiroshi. He saw humanity as the biological species they were and accepted their dietary necessities as such. And also managed to have the sort of brain which allowed him to see past the initial convictions. "Yeah, I had similar arguments with that particular roommate, no need to upset yourself with someone who is going to talk about the rape, murder and torture of innocent animals while there are plants that are renewable and hurt no one," Rita said while rolling her eyes. "And while we should probably treat animals better, I don't think the answer is eating only plants. Besides, it also completely ignores how many vegans want to make their plants into meat like substances. If meat honestly isn't good and animal products don't taste good, then don't try to make your plants taste like meat," Rita asserted. "Also don't try to bake without the necessary fats, you'll just end up with bread," she mentioned knowing it had happened a few time. As for the actual cooking it seemed that it was far more scientific than Hiroshi initially thought. "Iia, I didn't come up with it. It's a fairly popular French method, mainly to get air pockets back into the batter. And spread the flavors evenly throughout. It's pretty commonly taught more advanced pastry or baking classes..." she said. "But after you learn things like this you have to use them," she mentioned. Speaking of once the stiff peaks were reached in the meringue she would begin mixing together the yolks and flour mixture into a smooth batter with the whisk. Once that was complete, the next step would be to gently place in a third of the meringue and fold it with a plastic spatula. "The cake will be too dense if you knock the air out of it. It's folding the whites in when they are like this that keeps everything fluffy." she added in the explanation and moved on.

[Bloodedge]

According to one of her own friends, Kaguya was just... extreme. Takao still saw no issues. Being around people who let themselves be uncomfortable could make a person uncomfortable by proxy. What Kaguya did in letting herself relax wholly was good for any group of people around her, if they simply let it be. "It's really fine though. That kind of thing sets an example, and I really don't mind. You could change into pajamas for all I care," Takao stated. Such was the lifestyle of a modern idol on a tour bus. Moving on, Takao grabbed a nearby acoustic guitar with one hand while casually drinking from Miko's cup with the other. Listening to her test that keyboard was taking him on a nostalgia trip. To follow up her D minor chord, he put aside the drink and strummed a gentle B flat before joining her progression properly. 'A few minutes' was seeming like an overestimation already. "Yeah~♪" he started. Takao wasn't one who could resist the call to sing, nor could he stop his mind from producing song lyrics in the heat of a moment. "Ooh... ooh-oooooh... Ah-ah-ah-ah~♫"

Nara Rita may have been in possession of some extrasensory abilities after all. Her understanding that his words simply felt 'right' was one sign; Hiroshi would be keeping track in future. First though, those filthy vegans had to be addressed. They were kindred in their beliefs. If one asked Hiroshi, their shared opinion was objectively accurate in every way. "I will not become upset. As bothersome as those individuals are conceptually, I'm finding refreshment in conversing with one who understands the Order of Nature. It does disturb me that humans can think that way about other creatures, however... considering how humans treat themselves and each other. No matter. It is interesting to hear a shared perspective," he claimed sincerely. With that, Hiroshi witnessed firsthand the differences between cakes he knew, and the cakes of Gaia. It wasn't so much the ingredients, but the methodology using even simpler components. Rita's cooking ability would be the stuff of legend if utilized with more magical ingredients, he believed. Just as she'd taken him into her kitchen, he would take her into his workshop. Ah, but that was destiny, was it not? Having already noted such powerful similarities to his apprentice, Hiroshi realized there were allowances to be made simply because a similar path would be taken regardless. That thought process solidified the moment Rita spoke of using knowledge that was learned ─ another concept he firmly believed. "But of course. All knowledge has its value. The only wasted knowledge is knowledge never utilized. I will find a way to incorporate everything you're teaching; you can be certain of that. In fact, I should return the gesture by teaching you something as well. We will have to discuss your interests to see if I have knowledge of equivalent value."

[Apollymi]

The extreme behaviors of Kaguya were something that her friends understood and others came to understand in their own time. Even so, Takao claimed he wouldn't have minded more extremeness either, mentioning pajamas and comfort which he was fine with other people expressing in his space. A smirk came to Kaguya's face as she snickered. "Eh? Mi-chan must be far more comfortable here than even she let on~" Kaguya said teasingly. Still Miko said nothing as all of her concentration was on the keyboard in front of her. "If that's the case she's going to have to bring replacements," Ai said as if being helpful, though in this case, both were just having a bit of a laugh at Miko's expense given both knew how she liked to wander around. "Hm, you two are great to have around. And finally I have someone to keep me company while they fall into the musical abyss!~" Shutara mentioned already seeing the signs as that acoustic guitar was the one taken. And with a certain note, and harmonizing the singing began. But it wasn't just notes. With the D chord being the one chosen, a movement of Miko's fingers finally occurred a much more gentle press of several keys which would have aligned to the sound to match that voice in the moment. And it happened... only singular notes were played with her right hand, as her left index finger was used to keep the harmony up around it. It was a simple almost waltz like beat which flowed into the sound of the voice she heard and the face that entered her mental vision from her closed eyes. 'Takushi, I missed you!~' she thought as a small smirk came to her face, Still her eyes opened and a single tear slid from her left eye. Of course it would.. it'd been three centuries since she'd last composed for her favorite insturment. It was a homecoming she'd waited for and this keyboard she was using was beyond the perfect catalyst.

At the same time, one Nara Rita was being introduced more and more to the philosophy of Hiroshi. "Happy to be interesting, but most people even here don't like vegans. So like-minded people are bound to be a bit easier to find on that topic," she mentioned as she began mixing in the next bit of the meringue. Each second seemed to soothe the batter a bit more adding lightness and shifting the color just a bit. Odd was it to have an offer of returned knowledge on the table, "Iia, you don't have to put yourself out like that so much," she explained. "You've already been sharing quite a bit helping me run my store and fix it up and all that... I am glad you'll be able to put what you're getting from this to use but you don't have to do more for me," she explained. It was very Japanese of her to be doing something for someone else, and not immediately want recompense or compensation. Accepting more wasn't something that she nor any native Japanese person with moral standing would take lightly. With her mixture prepared Rtia pulled those pre-readied baking dishes back to her, pouring the batter in with a smile. The amount made being split between the two was just enough for them to be only 3/4 of the way full. She'd clarify why that was inherently. "You have to leave room at the top for the cakes to rise, so remember not to overfill the pans," she mentioned as a handy tool tip. "Then into the oven at 190 for, 35 to 45 minutes. Try not to open it too much, if you don't have to, I have one of these..." she said pointing to the display window on her own oven as she slipped the cake pans into the space and set a timer. And with those in the oven she began rinsing dishes and loading them into the dishwasher, no need to leave a mess in her workspace. Besides she'd left out a few clean bowls to make filling and frosting with after she was done with the first part of the cleaning process.

[Bloodedge]

Nothing more was being said by Miko. The same could be said of Takao, though he was not silent at all. No, he was the one to string words together while Miko, Museion, established the sound. Such would be what the others had the pleasure of witnessing here and now. Dreameater's concert may have been over, but nothing could stop moments like this.

"A breakup pass... through the other side of the monitor♪
The movie begins in the scene where you and I ended♫
The build-up of a farewell walking along with you~♪
Opening sequence that rewinds back the incident, ah...♪
This familiar pain~♫"

The fact that most people here were against veganism was irrelevant to Hiroshi. It wasn't simply that she agreed with him; it was the way she did so which determined his reaction. Had he not chosen an apprentice already, he would be making the choice presently. Alas, it seemed Nara Rita was not one to easily accept knowledge exchanges. His student had a similar issue originally, albeit with a very different reason. Either way, Hiroshi would be having none of her naysaying. "It was not an offer I intend to let you refuse. If I have learned something valuable, I must teach you something of value. Knowledge and the opportunity for knowledge are the most valuable currencies here, or anywhere else. It isn't simply something I would do for you; spreading information is the only way to further a species. Even baser creatures understand as much; instinct is an evolution of wisdom ─ knowledge and understanding deemed useful to such an extent that it becomes ingrained in a society. As I am a well of knowledge, I insist you take advantage of the opportunity," he ranted. What a strange turn of events. On the world of Alaya, any who knew the name Ailen knew to take any offer of information he had to give, big or small. This was going to be an interesting second life for him... but perhaps it would earn him some peace and quiet for a change. He knew a few other elves that would appreciate the same.

[Apollymi]

The silence of Miko was expected by anyone who'd ever seen her fall into a moment of concentration. What wasn't expected, at least by the two other girls was the coming song which seemed to be coming straight out of Dreameater's mouth without provocation right after the melody was established. It was magical in nature watching two pieces of a song come together with neither person directly influencing the other. There seemed to be a bit of simple understanding, but for the two girls who knew of magic, it was more than that. Perhaps Miko had been far too accurate when calling Takao her 'musical soulmate'. And it would only become more obvious as the beat and rhythm remained steady for an apparent number of bars only to suddenly change as Miko became even more comfortable with the piano under her fingertips. She'd figured out the true genius of Kaiba Seto and decided he was a man worthy of praise and a few other things. As she pressed keys gently, single notes rang out and as she pressed them firmly whole chords shifted. She was able to change the timing of things in just a second without thought and the only thing she could hear was Takao, and all she could feel under the tips of her fingers was the smoothness of those keys. Well all of that was fine, whenever he was singing Takao was the only thing she could hear...

Speaking of hyper-fixation, it seemed an exchange of information wasn't something that would be avoided in the case of Nara Rita. It wasn't that she was unwilling to learn or take advice, it simply seemed like a lot for an unrelated individual to go through. But, she wouldn't even be given the opportunity to properly turn it down. No, Hiroshi fully intended to exchange information with her on some subject should she need it. She found herself looking at the man as she put the last of the dirty dishware into the dishwasher. While she expected some pushback she'd not expected it in so forthright a manner. "Sou ka, you really live the way you say... that's refreshing too," she said as if that was something wholly new to her. And perhaps it was a tiny bit. There were many who held convictions of strength and many more who claimed them but did not have them. Since she'd met Hiroshi he'd been nothing but amiable and content to share and exchange information. Odd though that was in the era of information always being readily available he was still content to make the exchange as he saw it. She'd shown him how to bake a cake. It was far from the most skilled use of time and it was something she would have done regardless. "I suppose if you are this insistent about it, I won't argue... though you might be overvaluing this information a bit," she said aloud. Ah, but there was something in her mind right now. An exchange just for information in the last few hours held more meaning than the last year of her marriage. A perfect stranger respected her abilities more than someone she'd spent most of the last 10 years of her life with, it was such a waste. And an emotional tipping point. She couldn't help but feel useless but with those around her encouraging her to believe this wasn't the truth... how could she make sense of her husbands pursuit of a worse version of her. While she'd voiced nothing a gentle trickle of water from the corners of her eyes began.

[Bloodedge]

As per usual, a bit of mental musing on Takao's part was quickly blossoming into a full song. It took nothing to craft lyrics for a song normally. When Miko decided to play keyboard or something of the sort, the words flowed with similar ease to Takao's very breath. Others were in the tour bus presently, but it seemed they were suddenly somewhat... nonexistent. He was there, Miko was there, and the only other thing present was a shimmering road made of music. So long as Miko would fuel their vehicle, he would steer it.

"I can see you in my memory~!
Dance with me, dance with me, dance with me~♪
Take one more chance on me, chance on me, chance on me~♪
I'm bleeding painfully, painfully, painfully~♪
You in the fa-ded film, your gaze that e-rased me♫
Stay for me, stay for me, stay for me~♪
I can't get used to it, used to it, used to it~♪
It repeats bru-ta-lly, I can't stand it,
I cry-y-y-y-y-y, ooh, yeah~♫"

Meanwhile, Hiroshi continued to be baffled by Gaia's humans. Rita's surprise over his demeanor was strange already, but it wasn't the only of such oddities he'd seen. Apparently, Gaia's residents were less true to themselves, as one such as Hiroshi would expect. Without knowledge of their own spirits, there was hardly another way for them to be. "We should all be that way. Being anything else is damaging to oneself," he stated plainly. Moving on, it was time for Hiroshi to consider the knowledge he'd be sharing with Rita. It didn't seem she would have any requests to make just yet, but it did seem she was due for some sort of breakdown in mana flow. Hiroshi quirked a brow and stared, as Rita's eyes started leaking for some reason. Humans were very emotional creatures, but what sort of emotion was spawning this reaction? Surely it couldn't have been the idea of learning which brought her to tears. "I take it something is the matter? If you are overwhelmed by the possibilities, the learning doesn't have to take place this very moment. But, if it is something unrelated, perhaps I might lend an ear? That seems the proper thing to do."

[Apollymi]

As she played this new keyboard, Miko heard only the words sung by Takao. All other things swiftly faded from existence to her, even the voices of her other friends. There was a certain bond shared by the two when music was being performed. And it was one of few times in her life where Miko felt fully accepted while hyper-fixating. She added fuel to the words gave shape to the melodies that were presented by voice and matched them in aggression and tempo. She could shift easily but wouldn't until the time was perfect. And that made sense, making music with Takao was one of the times in her life where she felt completely uninhibited. During these moments where he sang and her fingers moved over keys a certain harmony was reached and there was nothing more worth pursing in that moment. 'I needed this, I missed this!~' she thought happily. She could practically see the notes dancing inside her eye lids, being matched with words and written into full sheets of music. She was doing it all and boxing it up for later to share with him again. When they were together, the jumbled mess of her mind, had order had something to give it direction and that was perfect. All the while Shutara watched with a smirk, "Haven't seen that in a while... we're in for a quite a second show... they aren't even going to know we are here~" she said seemingly amused. "Normally this part gets crazy, and I don't have anyone to talk to..." she mentioned. Kaguya watched what was happening and felt it deep inside herself like when Miko vibrated her fingertips. She imagined it could get quite awkward to be the third wheel in this kind of party. "Sou ka, it makes sense... they've got their own world going and we're outside looking in~" she said cheekily. "Hai hai, but... this is like super cool to see right? Watching two creative just bounce off each other, is amazing!~" Ai chimed in. Of course, she was enjoying this process it was like something out of a romance novel.

Hiroshi's thoughts on life were lessons many could use. Rita herself took them all when they were presented though not with full youth and innocence. She could understand it from a point of experience, of knowing what it was, to be less yourself and go back into being more of yourself as time went on. "Yes, it should be like that, but there are way too many reasons why it isn't..." she said. "Though some people have a better time of it than others," she said remembering her time with her roommates and that being one of the absolute best times for her to be herself. But that was just another drop in the bucket of her thoughts about her wasted time. Her friends and gone on with their lives, careers and all and she'd made a life with someone only to slowly lose things she was truly interested in and having... nothing to show for it at the end. All that wasted effort... brought literal tears to her eyes. And it seemed they were noticed. Most wouldn't just address a crying strange woman. Rita was sure most of the male population would have casually left figuring they weren't going to be able to pick the mood up enough to try advancing or something like that. But no, as with all things, Hiroshi had approached this as a matter of learning. Wondering if she found the options of learning overwhelming and then claimed he'd simply lend an ear as it might be appropriate. A laugh came from the still crying Rita. She couldn't even stop her tears, she'd barely been able to try. "I haven't been worried about learning since I had to declare my major... I take things like that as they come..." she explained away that first giggle in a fit of laughter. "I just had one of those... invasive thoughts, borrowing that term, that made me remember that I've kind of been on the verge of spiraling out for the last few days now. My life is falling apart..." she managed to speak those words. While she'd spoken to her sister and brother-in-law about it earlier it'd started from a point of anger, now she was simply... a bit despondant, sad and showing active signs of regret.

[Bloodedge]

Despite the beginning of a conversation in the tour bus, there was still no acknowledgement. Shutara was right; the others didn't exist presently. Another realm had been constructed around two people, two instruments, one sound, one voice. That would continue to be the case, at least until the impromptu song ended. For now though, several months for Takao and several centuries for Miko were being fulfilled in a few minutes.

"Why'd you laugh?
Your vi-sion can see me smiling,
The calendar that takes a step backwards,
It drives me e-ven more cra-zy~♫
Countless memories fade and dissolve~♪
Someone stop this opening sequence, no~♪
It's running through my head~♫"

Meanwhile, it became clear that Nara Rita's waterworks were not caused by worry of knowledge. Hiroshi found that both relieving and disturbing. As one he would liken as being close to the divine ─ at least as close as mortals could naturally be ─ the woes of a world like Gaia should have eluded her. At the very least, she could manage laughter during some sort of mental breakdown. "Strange. You seemed to be stable enough. I suppose credit is to be given in that case, but you may have been compounding the issue by letting it fester. As it is now, you seem to be reaching a boiling point. What could put a single life in such a state?" he observed with a bit of curiosity at the end.

[Apollymi]

The conversation between the other girls in the room was one thing, but the song was another. Miko let her fingers dance across the keys with purpose. That main purpose, which was mainly feeding Takao notes to sing along with while the created music in their own little world. Miko felt like her soul was dancing and she was beyond elated to finally be doing something she loved absolutely. At the same time, Kaguya, Shutara and Ai, were listening to the sifting beats and watching the pair of vocalist and instrumentalist come together in epic fashion. "Yeah, they definitely make you consider the whole creatives coming together thing differently," Shutara admitted. She'd long since understood what it was to watching them literally create something out of nothing but notes and gentle nudges in conversation. She could have said she'd watched them dozens or even hundreds of times dance this same dance, to a different beat and with a different outcome. She always thought it was worth it to witness though. "Ai-nee's gushing. I didn't expect you to be so much of a fangirl about it~" Kaguya teased gently. "You either, Shu-nee~" she added afterards. She was busy understanding it from a magical perspective, and figuring how how they'd managed to keep such a thing secret for so long. Just the same another shift was coming, Miko could feel it and played a melody to match what she felt.

While a consensus was being reached, Rita's kitchen became the site of a different kind of talk. She was breaking down, but that was about normal for what she was going through. Earlier in the day she'd been seeing things through her anger, and in having it validated had mostly let it go. That being said she'd been moving through the stages of grief in quite the chaotic order since even before this issue became completely obvious to her. She was bargaining and in denial initially. She was next visited by anger and depression simultaneously. All she had left to do was accept, but she had quite a few hang-ups left to deal with. Still, there was Hiroshi willing to hear her out, seeming both genuinely curious and a bit sympathetic. It was all so surreal. She'd tried wiping her tears away and eventually found herself with he head leaned back and those same tears pooling into her vision as if she could stop them the way human's stopped nosebleed. "Yeah, I was... and then I started thinking and I wasn't. And I know I let it build up my niece almost mentioned it being a problem but I hadn't figured out how I felt aside from angry at first," she explained of herself. Much like her earlier conversation with her family she wondered if she was truly as easy to read as some people made it seem. Well, if the same logic was being used on HIroshi that was used on Iino Sousuke, it was simply a matter of understanding her reactions, wasn't it? "It's nothing completely out of the ordinary, I'm just not handling it as well as I thought... I am in the process of divorcing my husband. I found out the other day that in addition to his infidelities, he also quit his job and has been spending my money to spoil his mistress so... I've been really angry..." she said as tears flowed down her face and towards her ears. "But I am mostly over that part now, I'm not just disappointed, for having wasted so much time and energy on something so useless. I could have been doing anything and everything with my life... and I realized it a second ago and it all kind of bubbled over, and now I am crying and I can't stop," she said that last bit with a hiccup. It was obvious even getting that much out was pretty difficult. But that was it... all she felt over the last few days laid out in front of a stranger.

[Bloodedge]

Another shift was indeed right on the horizon. Soon enough, the pair would be reaching the end of that musical road. Whether they found parking or took an exit was for fate to decide. For now, they were taking the proverbial freeway for the second time this journey.

"I can see you in my memory~!
Dance with me, dance with me, dance with me~♪
Take one more chance on me, chance on me, chance on me~♪
I'm bleeding painfully, painfully, painfully~♪
You in the fa-ded film, your gaze that e-rased me♫
Stay for me, stay for me, stay for me~♪
I can't get used to it, used to it, used to it~♪
It repeats bru-ta-lly, I can't stand it,
I cry-y-y-y-y-y, ooh, yeah~♫"

Just then, there was a slight lull which Takao fully believed Miko would take advantage of as well. His fingers were no longer strumming, but his voice continued. "... Ooooo-ooooh... oooh ye-e-eeeah...oooh yeah~♪" The way Takao sang implied an outro, but that was not to be the case. Once more, he'd enter the hook in his usual fashion... but with a difference in lyrics.

"There's nothing I can do♪
Blame on me, blame on me, blame on me~♪
You and my tragedy, tragedy, tragedy~♫
It's full of sadness, sadness, sadness♪
This scene that locked me up,
The sequence that's like forever~♫
Stay for me, stay for me, stay for me~♪
I can't get used to it, used to it, used to it~♪
It repeats brutally, I can't stand it~
I cry-y-y-y-y-y, ooh, yeah!♫"

Hiroshi wasn't gaining much headway in his understanding of Gaia woes. As Rita's weeping continued to evolve, she spoke of her ongoing crisis of divorce and all things connected to the situation. Hiroshi sipped slowly from his beer can for several moments while processing all she had to say. Few things made sense. Much like a close relative of hers, Rita was the type who could find high compatibility with most other living beings. "Such an unexpected predicament. It should defy all logic for this to happen. I'm willing to wager this husband of yours would classify as... let's see... a number-based system would be sensible, I suppose. With that being the case, I would say two and eight have met with this man being the former. The value of ten cannot be utilized by that which inserted less unless total harmony is achieved. In that way, your time would indeed have been better spent with a more matched individual. Of course... there are some other related thoughts that make more sense of this theory, but I can't put them into understandable words or phrases here. The point is, you will only waste more of your time and energy being baffled by a severed, faulted bond. You have much more life to live, and it is best spent moving forward. Deconstruction is in process. To give an understandable analogy, I would say the egg is separated; you may now find a way to make your cake."

[Apollymi]

There was a certain amount of intensity between the shifts. It was one noticed by the other young women in the room even when they weren't the topic. "They really do bounce off each other nicely," Ai said with firmness. At the same time, Kaguya had a question based on witnessing a song come together without any real equipment, aside from the two instruments currently in the pair's possession. "How do they remember what they're doing to make the song officially?" she wondered aloud. "I was curious about that myself... " Shutara started finding it interesting. "Apparently, Miko-chan will write up the music later having stored them in her head, full sheets of it. And Takao will always remember the words... So she'll send him sheet music after they've done a few songs this way, seemingly at random," she explained of the situation as she saw it. At the end of the song there was a softening. Those light key touches shift, it would have been back towards reality but, those lyrics didn't imply an ending just yet. 'Sugoi! That's so nice~' she thought absently. Feeling like this song, even with its depressing message was rubbing itself against her soul. Well, such was always t[he case when Takao sang in general, still that didn't stop a tear from escaping the corner of her eye. It'd been far too long since she'd known this particular kind of happiness.

Speaking of tears, there was a certain other young woman who was having something of a mental breakdown in her kitchen. The man she was with currently continued to sip beer and observe this situation as the perfectly strange outsider he was. If she'd not still been crying she might have wondered why he seemed so detached about the whole thing. Most guys made a huge deal of not liking to see women cry but he had nothing but logic to offer. He came to a certain conclusion about her husband and what he had to offer to the total of their relationship, only a mere two out of the total ten. He was truly insignificant overall. She was mostly upset having not realized it long before she committed her life to it. There was a claim that she was young enough to have more life to live, and that thinking about the faults of her relationship was only wasting more time. Her eyes widened at this final words. The analogy he came up with, making absolute sense in her head. "Sou ka, it's like that..." she murmured. That flood of tears coming from her eyes had slowed down to something of a trickle as her mind processed his words. "You're really good at that. I figure you didn't really mean to be, but you're very comforting... in an honest sort of way," she mentioned. She worked towards wiping own tears away. "Though if you hadn't said that I probably would have spent a few more days lamenting. And eventually would have ended up being dragged about by my friends as I mentally worked through the rest. I suppose this more efficient," she said in a lightly joking tone."Arigatou gouzaimasu," she finished, not wanting the man to think she didn't appreciate his comfort or advice, even with it being odd.

[Bloodedge]

One final rendition of this new song's chorus left open a chance to wind it all down. Takao didn't even bother playing additional chords; he merely stopped playing and leaned back into the couch, clearly content. "Ahh! It feels like it's been years!" he sighed. Once his guitar was lowered, Takao relaxed as one would after finishing a large meal. The satisfaction of music was always as such. Only one thing could truly make the experience better, but that was a thing he could only hope for. "I think that one's another keeper. Probably won't make it to the next release, but it'll definitely be a fun one I think," he mused. "I'm guessing you like the board?"

While Takao was taking that guess, Hiroshi was busy making assumptions of his own. The humans of Alaya may not have been as stupid as elves thought, but he was sure the humans of Gaia were even more idiotic than that. He didn't see many signs of outside influence on Rita at all, so this husband of hers had to be the weak link. This situation had to be equivalent to Hiroshi, or rather Ailen himself, abandoning the goddess who added him to her roster. According to Rita, he was good at being comforting via that analogy. It was just as she presumed; his intention was not to comfort. Hiroshi saw things as logical matters of pure dissection. Any advice he gave was simply, as much as he could offer, objective thoughts. As such, he thought nothing of Rita's offered gratitude. "You have no reason to thank me. Even if you hadn't been listening, I would have said those things. From a point of sheer observation, your ideal partner would likely be the more 'giving' sort. It seems you fit that criteria already, but... there are some who must give to givers, and vice versa. It may be rare, but that form of symbiotic relationship is among the strongest there is. However, a leech will not give back. The mutualism of coral and algae would be more fitting here. As the coral, yours is the burden of establishment. Though I'm sure if the arrangement was determined or otherwise understood beforehand, someone like you would have no issue essentially choosing your partner from most people on this planet. Your requests and demands, I imagine, have never been rejected much."

[Apollymi]

Content spread within the tour bus as the pair seemed happy to let the song dwindle in its final moments. By the time Takao stopped playing chords, Miko had all but wrapped her own up as well. In that moment they both seemed like they'd enjoyed something which provided them maximum content and satisfaction. Miko at the same time noted her own tears rubbing them away rather quickly. She'd found herself crying quite a bit since coming back, but those rekindled memories and the comforts of home were bound to do that, at least a little. "Yeah, it definitely felt overdue♫~" Miko chirped her own relief. At the same time Shutara smiled, "And just like that, they are back among the living for a little while at least~" she claimed. "It's only been a couple of months but even I feel like it's been ages~" she claimed. As for the nature of the song itself, according to Takao it was a keeper, and the other two girls agreed. "Definitely a keeper! I also guess there is an explanation as to why you remember so much music~" Kaguya managed. "Yeah, it's awesome!~" Ai followed up, which only made Miko blush. Right, her friends were here. "Box it, still needs a name... but I also think it's a happy sad song," she mused about the song itself. But about the keyboard she had nothing but pure excitement. "You're guessing? You don't have to guess! I love pianos! I practically built my own but this... oh, it's a fucking masterpiece. Really it's a marvel of technology. It plays chords on keys with full presses, and single notes of the same position on partial presses. It has flawless transitions into different chord progressions. Ah! It's my favorite thing!~" Miko exclaimed after a mini-rant. Her eyes were sparkling again, Kaiba Seto was a genius of this she was certain and this keyboard felt almost like it was made for her to enjoy.

Rita's understanding of Hiroshi seemed to be fairly accurate. He claimed he didn't need to be thanked for his input because he would have made the same observations objectively. He did seem to drone on about things, even if no one else was listening, she'd noticed that over the last few days. His observations of situations seemed to come from a place of sheer curiosity which wasn't something which happened often. So her thanks would remain, but before that, she'd hear out his complete thoughts, about her situation and his advice to her was interesting. Though she didn't quite think he meant his words the way she'd interpreted them, it seemed that she should be looking to be more demanding and looking for someone who matched her energy someone who gave more than they took would be ideal for the type of happiness she wished to find. "You say I don't need to thank you, but you still helped even if it wasn't your intention. In truth you helped me past one of the sticker parts of this sort of thing... I fully expected to completely crash and have to be dragged out of this apartment by my friends sometime later. Since I already did the hair cut, wardrobe change, can't drink alone in public part," she explained of herself in a rather rushed manner. "Sometimes, an objective opinion is a nudge in the right direction. Or a layer of icing to fill the cracks and keep the cake together," she clarified. "Also your analogies are odd but I still think I understand them. You're saying I should look for someone who matches my giving nature more equivalently. And that I should make sure I am getting what I am looking for by being more firm about what I am actually looking for be it by request or demand," she confirmed her own thoughts. "I do get that, though I don't often make demands, it's not like I've been on dates or anything like that in ages," she sighed, perhaps that would be the better use of her friends afterwards.