Charles Patricius

[Bloodedge]

Miko had some commentary to offer in the wake of her kiss with Marisbury. She hadn't expected things to go the way they did, and neither did Marisbury... but their expectations were different extremes. "Hmm. I was actually expecting something more intense. Our connection may be even stronger than I anticipated... unless you've just become adjusted to resisting~" Marisbury said with a hint of teasing in his tone. The clerk would not be recovering naturally any time soon, and according to Miko, he'd shown something of a scary side when interacting with the other girl. He didn't think that was the case at all. Alas, Miko was entitled to her opinion. "I didn't intend to do anything frightening. That was a necessary showing of human limits. I feel... she will learn from this, for better or worse. Time will tell," he assured. No longer bothering with the now unconscious girl, Marisbury walked alongside Miko to exit the shop. In doing so, he kept one hand extended. "I can carry your bags for you," was the offer he made.

Surely the unbathed players knew there was a negative attractiveness rating attributed to their lack of hygiene. On the other hand, they probably didn't care. "Err... I think when you see the guys who are like that, you'll understand... they probably had a reason to give up on attractiveness a long time ago," he said prior to having his photograph taken ─ apparently twice. Once he was out of the camera's view, Kazu heard Sakura comment about liking something. "Yeah, it's a great way to register," he said, misinterpreting the purpose of her words. As for her question, it made sense that understanding was lacking. "It's an acronym," Kazuhiko started. In that moment, the clerk beside them was already opening his mouth to explain. "Most Effective Tactics Available. It is a standard in all forms of gaming that refers to the best builds and strategies. In the current meta of AoE, Assassin-focused decks and other Cavalry Classes are leagues above Knight builds," the older male explained. "That was my reason for warning against that card. Assassins especially focus on dealing damage directly to the opposing player's Ruler, so they have been favored for some time. Now, miss, you may have your photo taken while I register..." A brief pause was taken as the clerk typed away on his computer. Kazu knew the purpose of this, and gave the necessary information immediately. "Kimura Kazuhiko."

Humans were so tiresome. Hiroshi would be doing his best to avoid or ignore them. It seemed he could acquire some sort of gear to help his cause. Ah, but he would not do well with such things. "I'd rather keep my senses open; they are limited enough in this form. Not to worry, though... I'm sure I can find another method," the former elf assured. Based on the looks of most people here, he had to still be considered an adult. With that being the case, he supposed this curfew system would be no issue for Kaguya in his company. Now then, what was this convenience store? As they entered the parking lot, Hiroshi was not very impressed. Even so, he kept moving forward until the front door was reached. Much to his surprised, the door opened itself. "Interesting. I thought it would be more showy, but I suppose it is already proving its convenience. These doors open themselves, almost as if by magic. I wonder why I was meant to come here. . ."

[Apollymi]

A blush would settle on the face of Miko. It always would when she was faced with her own level of resistance. One could say she did have a bit of practice resisting, but it wasn't as if it was her goal to do so. In the case of Marisbury, she'd all but thrown herself into him, "Maybe, just a little... I don't think I'd mind being overwhelmed though..." she mentioned in a slightly flirty way. Yes, that was about the right tone for her to take in the moment. Still that woman now sitting on the floor still hadn't regained control of her body. Miko would have felt almost bad for her, if she hadn't been so absolutely antagonistic. While Miko was a bit of a pacifist she still wasn't the type to fully tolerate disrespect against herself nor people she liked. "I'm sure she will... but that doesn't mean it wasn't a firm handed lesson~" Miko mentioned. Some things were harder for some people to grasp than others, as such she was willing to leave all of this behind. Her bag was in her hand and she and Marisbury were moving towards the exit, but he left his hand extended and offered to take her bag for her. She looked up at him in near awe. Here he was still being absolutely gentlemanly to her even after all of the weirdness that had transpired. There was something rather heartwarming about it, and more than that... it gave her hope for the rest of her date. "If you don't mind, arigatou gouzaimasu..." she offered the man her bag but still took his unoccupied hand in her own so that they could go on the search for udon. She was still a blushing mess but the light in her eyes was practically dancing with delight, she enjoyed Marisbury's company.

Meanwhile, Kazuhiko shared a bit more knowledge of human condition. He claimed the unbathed had reason already to stop believing in their chances. Sakura could only show a bit of confusion in her face, her brows coming together as she gave it a bit of consideration. Perhaps she was confused about the animal nature of people, they should still be trying to be looked upon favorably, even if they had shortcomings. "If they're not going to try why do they want to live?" she asked genuinely confused about what kept people motivated in this world. Perhaps her speech style was a bit too blunt, but even so, the lass was soon in the same place Kazuhiko had been. Sakura was looking at the various background options and decided upon one featuring a large crimson moon and a wasteland full of torii gates. She didn't know why but it appealed to her greatly. Kazuhiko seemed to miss her point, but as she had her picture she decided it didn't matter if he fully understood what it was she liked in this scenario. At the same time the term Meta was explained and it was apparently another acronym. Letters which meant other words were strangely common among humans, and this one was explained by the shop keeper. Sakura turned her unnatural gaze towards that man and listened fully to his explanation. "Sou ka, I suppose that makes sense. Though using the same tactics as everyone else in a game in which you aren't cooperating seems counter-productive," she said giving it a bit more consideration. "Arigatou gouzaimasu," she said to the man though her face was lacking all the emotion she'd previously been showing to Kazuhiko, even the picture she was about to take, was far from expressive in any way.

At the same time, Kaguya and Hiroshi were conversing while getting settled the idea of ignoring the general population. He seemed confident that he could find another way to manage putting off people without hampering his senses further. "Sou ka, well... I have faith you'll figure it out," she said. Given his own confidence she had no reason to question him and was content just to help him as he needed. As for the convenience store itself apparently something more showy was expected and the automatic doors were worthy of note. "Showy is saved for big shopping districts, malls and department stores. We can show you those later if you like," she said carefully. "I couldn't tell you how the doors worked, but it's definitely electronic..." she said about the doors. Once inside a breeze from the overhead air-conditioner lowered the temperature appropriately and they were left with the sights and sounds of the store itself. It had a pretty standard layout toilets and offices in the back. A side with hot foods. A side with cold food storage... and various items in aisles in the middle. ATMs and newspaper machines lined the front walls under the windows and baskets and the like were available for pickups that needed more hand space. "Irasshaimase!" yelled a young woman from behind one of the hot counters. She seemed to be a bit flustered but such was usually the nature of businesses like these.

[Bloodedge]

"Oh?" Marisbury questioned after a most interesting admission from Miko. She didn't mind being overwhelmed, did she? How interesting. "Then I should keep that in mind. Duly noted, Iino-chan," he replied, a prolonged glance in the girl's direction as he claimed her purchases for the trip. His hand was taken, and they were soon out of the building to begin... presumably the part of their date that didn't involve unwarranted interruptions.

Meanwhile, Kazuhiko found himself failing to find a response. Sakura implied that those who gave up, simply shouldn't be alive. She may not have used those exact words, but the feeling was there. Maybe if he didn't say anything, there wouldn't be a strange and awkward conversation with the clerk. Besides, there were even stranger things to address. He watched Sakura step into place for her registration card photo. It seemed she found a background image easily enough, yet she also seemed ready to take the photograph with an expression of pure apathy. "Eh? Not posing?" Kazu questioned. Their guide for registration did not appear to have any issues with this. Instead, he chose to comment on her opinion regarding game metas. "There are many players who think the same. Judging by that card I saw, your friend here is one of them," he said about Kazuhiko, who rubbed his nose with one finger while snickering goofily.

Hiroshi stepped into the convenience store and immediately had a look around. There were many objects on display, only a few of which were even vaguely familiar. He no longer cared about the door and its non-magical ridiculousness, as he was immediately assaulted by the voice of some woman. Worse yet, there were so many issues to take with this building. "This is atrocious. Why are the displays like this? I am immediately assaulted by the feeling of heat from one side, and cold from another. All of these things in front are producing unnecessary clutter for the persons entering. I was told the purpose was convenience, and I am already inconvenienced for being here. The heated foods should be closer to the back, far away from the entry point. The cold should be against the rear wall to avoid disrupting the visitors' senses. This is a place of business, is it not? A few simple visual changes could enhance the experience overall, at least tenfold," Hiroshi observed aloud in his usual rambling way.

[Apollymi]

Miko and Marisbury were already going on about their business. In the meantime, it would seem that Sakura's statement about people dying instead of allowing themselves to stagnate would go unanswered. She supposed that was the way of this world. Apparently, people held a great deal of concern about dying on Gaia, though it was likely due to their own ignorance. No, instead, it would seem that Kazuhiko held a great deal more concern over whether or not the lass would be posing. "Iia, I think this is more like how I will be most of the time so it will better represent my general demeanor," she answered his question. Still, the shop keep was ever present. That man seemed to think such a response like hers, to the idea of a 'Meta' was shared by one like Kazuhiko. Kazuhiko for his part in this seemed to think the same and seemed quite smug because of it. A smirk came to the lass's face in that moment. "I do wonder about that... it's probably at least part of the reason we get along so well, huh... Kazzun~" she teased just a bit.

While that happened at the card shop, a convenience store was home to a new kind of woman. A purple eyed woman with brown hair and a busty figure appeared from around one of the counters. She heard all of the things that were being said by Hiroshi and looked quite surprised. She listened to the entirety of his rant and seemed to be quite stricken. "Hai! I didn't know I could get feedback like that... anything else you think needs to be changed?" she asked immediately. There was a movement and a clipboard was produced from beneath one of the registers. She'd never heard such a list of complaints but had no intention of ignoring a potential customer's feedback. At the same time, Kaguya could only giggle. "You could hold back a little Hi-aniki... it's is actually a pretty standard set-up for one of these places," she added soon afterwards. "Iia, he doesn't have to, a remodel was supposed to happen a while back, but I had no idea what to do about it so I've been pushing it off. The locals don't ever want changes so they wouldn't say anything constructive. So... I'll take all the help I can get," she added quickly seemingly pleased by the prospect. "Nara Rita desu, Yoroshiku!" she exclaimed. How interesting. Kaguya looked at the woman and there was a certain familiarity, as she looked at this woman.

[Bloodedge]

Sakura alleged that her current posture would be more fitting for the registration photograph. Frankly, Kazuhiko could only agree after seeing her usual demeanor. Though there was no room to argue Sakura's point, Kazuhiko remained scratching his head over the thoughts passing through his mind. In actuality, the thought of Sakura making any kind of pose for pictures made him think things that he... probably shouldn't have been thinking. "Sou ka. Well, if you're sure," was all he said. None of the things in Kazu's head would be spoken aloud ─ certainly not in any public venue. Regardless of that, it was made clear that they shared opinions about metagaming and the like, much to Sakura's satisfaction as she pointed out their similarities. "Well there's no fun in just doing what somebody else has already done, right? And... a win is only half a win if it's completely on someone else's game plan. I'm not totally anti-meta, but I don't plan on copying anyone else's deck either," he admitted bashfully.

All the while, Hiroshi remained baffled and annoyed by the organization, or lack thereof, of this convenience store. It seemed the establishment's current representative was a seeker of knowledge and improvement, as apparent by her swift approach and notetaking. "For starters, one might consider..." Hiroshi was prepared to answer the woman's curiosities, but Kaguya decided to advise against his griping. Ah, but the brunette introduced herself with the idea that his advice would be appreciated. With that in mind, he'd gladly continue complaining about the current setup. "Very well. For starters, these walkways are too narrow. What will you do if multiple people are searching for similar objects? There is so much dead space here in the center, extending the aisles would allow them to be widened, which would allow higher traffic in each. I assume that area over there is where a customer's final exchange is made? It should be farther away. If one were to try stealing from this establishment, they could currently make a simple beeline toward the exit, and the workers would have no chance of stopping them. One should desire a clear path toward the exit, but also distant enough to lengthen an escape... and clear enough to not mix with the customers that are trying to enter, which is another issue I see presently," he complained freely. Ah, but Hiroshi was not one to ignore a fair-minded individual who sought self-betterment. The woman introduced himself, so he would at least politely do the same. "Ai─... Fukuyama Hiroshi... desu," he greeted, also finding something strange and familiar about this woman's visage.

[Apollymi]

The light menace applied to Sakura's look she felt was good for all things. The thoughts that Kazuhiko was having about her visage shifting weren't ones she was familiar with, but she still had a pretty reasonable understanding of this. Perhaps it would be well within boundaries to ask him to take a few more pictures of her later... or maybe she would set up her camera herself for the sake of capturing more lively reactions from herself. Yes, that sounded like a goo idea. "Hai, I'm sure," she said with a fair bit of confidence. Whenever her picture was taken she'd be stepping away from that spot. "Tohsaka Sakura..." she added in knowing that the man would need to know her name. For the rest of the conversation she'd be having a bit of fun speaking with Kazuhiko specifically about the nature of his thoughts on meta-gaming and how cool or uncool it could be. "I can understand your point. Doing things yourself is important. There are also some potential issues I can see with trying to use strategies completely devised by someone else. Like not knowing how to respond when variables are introduced. But I assume such a thing is part of the strategic aspects of this game," she concluded. Still looking at the bashful lad she couldn't help but smile at him. How cute. The fact that her smile was one of the ones she seemed to favor for a point of torment was neither here nor there. "Kawaii!~" she murmured seeming to find his reaction rather cute, but she would do that regardless. Things he felt strongly about were of interest to her.

At the same time, Kaguya was looking at a woman with a very familiar face. The fact that she looked so similar to someone else in her memory was at the forefront of her mind. Even so, much like her other friends, she had no problem following her own line of thought as well as the long rambling of Hiroshi. Ah, it seemed he took issue with a lot of the organization of the store. "Sou ka, I didn't think about those things. I'm pretty sure this place was put up at a time where some of those concerns didn't exist. Still, this is great information, some of it could even be put to use rather quickly," she admitted while looking into things. "Fukuyama-san..." she murmured his name committing it to memory "And..." she looked to Kaguya a happy smile on her face which put the black haired girl at ease and also cemented her thoughts. "Shinomiya Kaguya desu," she said. "Kaguya-chan?" she asked with an upward inflection. "Hai, that's fine. You know... you look a lot like my best friend... Nara-san," she said only to make the other woman flush. "Oh no. You can call me Rita... it feels so weird to be referred to so formally," she expressed immediately. She was fine just to meet both of them and get some feedback for improving her store. Obviously, she hadn't encountered anyone in a long while and was more than willing to entertain this pair. Actually, looking at both of these people they were quite eye catching. A tall well built man and a young woman with proportions that rivaled her own at similar age. These were just the kind of customers she needed to be trying to appeal to in order to make her business prosper.

[Bloodedge]

Having the names of both teens, the card shop clerk typed and typed away to complete their registrations. Soon enough, he was pulling the files of their photos and placing their blank cards within a special printer. "Kimura-kun and Tohsaka-chan. Your registry cards will be done in just a moment," he said to the pair. All the while, they were discussing meta ─ or rather, being against it for personal play. That didn't come without another outburst from Sakura about whatever expression Kazu wore at the time, but he was more easily capable of moving past it of late. "There are usually guidelines and all for that kind of junk, but it's kinda boring. I don't want to learn how one, two, or three decks work and be able to expect every combo that happens. I like playing my own deck with the occasional tweak, seeing random card combos I didn't even think of when I assembled it. Winning on something like that is one of the best feelings ever!" he declared happily. Just then, the printer produced two cards: Sakura's selection, and Kazuhiko's image with a background of sunlight and moss-covered stone pillars. "Your cards. Remember to return for deck registrations after finishing your preliminary matches, or you won't be able to enter a regional tournament. Happy Summoning," the clerk said. Kazuhiko took his own card and stored it in a special, single-card slot in his deck box. "Awesome, thanks! We've got to get you a deck box soon, but let's get your deck together!" said Kazu. Ah, but the clerk realized Sakura had no deck box to speak of. Before her card was claimed, he silently slipped an inexpensive red box onto the counter. After doing so, he had only one thing to say. "Players should always take care of their cards. Deck boxes and sleeves are a must."

Nara Rita, as she was called, had a reasonable head on her shoulders. She lacked the foresight to develop the shop to a more suitable state, but she did have the ability to take constructive criticism. Munetsuchi would have welcomed her as a citizen, Hiroshi thought. "It could all be executed quickly. Whatever methods are being used to chill or heat the food may prove difficult, but that should also be easily done with some understanding of functions," he rambled further. Kaguya spoke the words they had both been thinking for a few moments now. This Rita woman looked very similar to one Iino Miko, whom they were both intimately acquainted with. "I've been thinking that as well. The similarities are uncanny. No matter. Na─... Rita-shi? If you heed my instruction, I'm willing to assume you will see a minimum tenfold increase of customer retention and satisfaction. A comrade of mine would demand feng shui be adhered to fully, but... there are some tweaks within feng shui that lead to improvement in how humans interact with their surroundings."

[Apollymi]

Sakura would end up nodding at the words spoken by the shop keeper in this card shop. She was continue to show curtesy, if only because she'd not been given any reason not to. Even without the amount of expression she showed to Kazuhiko, she managed to be fairly friendly to this man. Still there was also a discussion taking place between her and Kazuhiko. She took note of his words, and gathered that Kazuhiko was genuinely happy about skipping over the more boring aspects of playing the meta in favor of a more organic experience. One which led to more learning and more variation. This was something she could respect and more than that, the amount of excitement he showed was almost contagious as well. "Sou ka, you make it sound very exciting," Sakura mused seemingly pleased by his excitement. Soon though the man behind the counter had cards for both of them with their registration completed. "Hai," Sakura said to the man as she gained her registration card. She watched as Kazuhiko put his own within his box's front and mentioned that she would need one. She noted this as well but was more than willing to put together her deck first and deal with everything else soon after. Ah, but today was apparently her lucky day. The glasses wearing shopkeeper slid her an inexpensive deck box. This was an unexpected turn of events. She looked at the man much more directly and hearing his words about it, decided one thing. "Arigatou gouzaimasu..." she said acknowledging the gift for what it was, and choosing to take his advice. "I like that man. He's a good man," she said with a nod to Kazuhiko and soon they'd be ready to being work on building her deck of choice.

Apparently, Hiroshi thought it would be easy to start implementing things. The only point of potential discord would be the items used to cool and heat things and their functionality. "Well, I don't think it would be too much of a problem. The coolers and hot stations are individual and movable if a bit heavy. And the wiring and all here is sound so it shouldn't be too much of a problem to move things into the places you wish to," she said thoughtfully. This advice was some of the best she had. Even if this man only helped her reorganize the store, she would definitely benefit overall. What was more, Kaguya claimed she bore some visual similarity to someone else. What was more there was a claim about the movement forward and increased profits. She was more than willing to put in the work to help make that sort of thing happen she also wasn't particularly stingy. "Really?! That kind of growth is exactly what I'm looking for!" she seemed exceedingly excited about the claims being made. "Look this might sound a little presumptuous but would you like a job. I could hire you only for the consult here if you don't want to lock in, but if I am being honest, I could definitely use the help if you want to work. We could spend a bit of time getting plans together and I could hire some people for the heavy lifting part," she said seeming to understand the necessity of spreading tasks. "Well, if you need some arms and bodies for cleanup and remodeling, I have a list of people who'd willingly take up such a job if it payed a bit," added Kaguya. "Really? I have the funds for that, it'd be great!" she said happily a wide grin spreading across her face. Yes, it was too much the likeness between the face that Kaguya knew were far too much. "So, Rita-nee, do you have a sister or something because I know I've seen that face before?" Kaguya asked the woman more directly.

[Bloodedge]

Kazuhiko moved onward to a table, locating a space clear enough for two players. They managed to be far enough away from those who abandoned bathing in favor of card games, but they were certainly not entirely alone. Actually, it went without Kazuhiko's notice how many eyes were on them... though perhaps them was not the proper word. In typical fashion, a trading card shop was heavily dominated by patrons of the male persuasion. Sakura was the only girl in the building, and what a girl she was; most eyes couldn't be peeled away from her. In his blissful ignorance, Kazuhiko merely opened and sorted his collection for Sakura's perusal. "So, here's the guidebook for a rundown of missing information. I've got a ton of good cards in full playsets here, and my deck's already good to go. Just remember to keep a good ratio in mind when building. In most cases, you want more Servants than Magecrafts," he explained while others in the shop whispered amongst themselves ─ some speaking of desire, some speaking of jealousy, and some... plotting.

Speaking of plotting, the plot of one Marisbury Animusphere was unfolding as intended. Rita eventually spoke of hiring Hiroshi, which happened to fit the needs of their group. As much as he'd like the idea of acting as a mere consultant, there was a notable requirement for this world's currency. "Ah, I understand now," he said, finally grasping the reason he was sent here. "You are in luck. As I am without employment and in need of funds, I can accept your offer. Shinomiya-chan here and her friends are more than capable of helping with the manual labor required. Your money would be well-spent by utilizing them," he continued. The suspected relation between Rita and Miko was no concern of Hiroshi's. Even with his senses dulled, the likeness between them was so very similar that Hiroshi all but confirmed some familial ties. Alas, family bonds were irrelevant to him as well; he had only one concern. "What are the terms of employment I should be aware of?"

[Apollymi]

Kazuhiko and Sakura moved towards a table away from the more offensive players who would be present. Sakura was also given a rulebook which she'd begin perusing while a blissfully happy Kazuhiko gave her access to his collection to build her own deck. Looked over the collection with a glance only to go back to her rule reading, all the while feeling the number of eyes on her in this place. Unlike most human women who would have been completely off-put by the amount of attention they were garnering, this was a normal day for Sakura and as such she could only continue what she was doing as if there was nothing amiss. And for here... there wasn't. "Sou ka... these rules seem to be very well thought out. Your explanation earlier wasn't lacking either... I think I understand how to construct a deck..." she said. She's also keep his advice in mind while doing so, making sure that she didn't end up with too many Magecraft cards in her deck. She first went looking for a main servant to call upon, this was the key piece of her deck and upon looking over Kazuhiko's collection her choice servant was... Metis. A fiery haired goddess whose image contained a giant snake and flaming sword. She smiled recognizing this person by both name and appearance and wondered if humans truly didn't realize what they were looking at when seeing these cards.

At the same time, Hiroshi came to understand the greater plot of Marisbury Animusphere. In this case, he was being led into a steady form of employment for the duration of their stay in this world. As for the offer of Kaguya she figured everyone currently with them could use an influx of cash, the only potential exception being someone like Miko whom she knew to be capable of acquiring a bit of money just by getting in direct contact with her parents. "This really is going well suddenly. If you have people that can help with the remodel. I'll leave myself in your hands and I've already budgeted for the hiring even temporarily so everyone will be paid, there isn't anything to worry about," Rita said having at least planned part if not the important bits. Kaguya could do nothing but smile, this was going to be a bit easier than she thought. Terms of employment were something he seemed to be concerned about... Rita would make sure to address these and then she'd get back to Kaguya, as that bit was slightly more complex a situation to explain. "There aren't really any terms. I should say, I own this business. I inherited it from the previous owner along with enough money to keep it running for a while so I can hire you at a salary similar to my own with a chance for bonus increases as the profits increase. I would need to know what kinds of days you'd need off and which shifts you'd like to work whether day or night. In truth I'd like to free up my own evenings a bit if it's possible, I haven't been able to spend much time with my husband lately. But I wouldn't push them all off on you or anything. If business increases enough I'll need to hire more staff and I wouldn't want any conflicting personalities so you could be privy to that sort of thing as well. I could also pay you weekly to avoid any issues, with a bit of a bonus at the start for your early ideas and work, I'm not trying to cheat you out of anything, but I will definitely accept any help you could provide," Rita expressed as a bit of a rambler herself.

She signed soon after and remembered that she'd not quite addressed Kaguya yet, and went on to do that as well. "Oh, and I have an older sister, her name is Risa. But we are estranged. It is nothing bad but I haven't met her because she's 10 years older than me and she didn't come back after boarding school and college. My parents said she ran off with a man. Not in a malicious way just that she probably wasn't coming back and they hadn't seen her much either... though... she apparently started coming by the shrine some but I was off to college myself by then and well... getting married and stuff," she said her own life had been rather busy and she only got to think of her elder sister in passing. She prayed for her well-being and all of that but they hadn't met yet. Kaguya's grin widened after that speech. "Hai hai, Ri-nee, that's great... I'll introduce you to someone interesting when we come to help with the remodel~" Kaguya said seemingly pleased. She was always happy to see families together, but that was because her own homelife was always in shambles. "Hai, I'll look forward to it Kaguya-chan. And if you come across anyone else you think might be a good fit for this kind of work please feel free to send them my way... I can be pretty flexible with hours right now," she offered the lass. Seemingly taking her at her word and excited to befriend her. This proved a few things for Kaguya which let her know this woman wouldn't be a terror of any sort, but she as looking for human badness throughout this exchange, but there was none. She even mentioned being married which was always good when overly attractive people needed to be places.

[Bloodedge]

Sakura went about inspecting the guidebook and making selections for her deck. Meanwhile, Kazuhiko looked through his own cards to ensure he was familiar with whatever strategy he'd been going for over a thousand years ago. Everything seemed to be falling back inline for the lad; he'd probably be able to play this deck with ease. Every now and again, he was looking toward Sakura's end of the table to check her progress. It all started with the choice of a Ruler, and her particular choice was... interesting. "Metis, huh? She's a powerhouse with a lot of potential builds! I've got Jormungandr somewhere in there too! He's one of her best legendary Servant matches," Kazu mentioned. Soon after, another boy was encroaching upon Sakura from behind. Kazuhiko wasn't looking at the time, busying himself with the cutting of his own deck. This young man with short, neat, black hair stared at the purple-haired girl from behind before finally approaching ─ perhaps a bit too close as their bodies just nearly touched. Oh well. Most of the guys sitting in the shop presently were fully erect due to Sakura's presence anyway. "Ohayou! I'm Sakamoto Junpei! Are you new to the game? It's great, isn't it? I've been playing since day one! If you need any tips or just a fun match, you can come to me!" he said excitedly, albeit with an undertone of sheer nervousness. Kazuhiko never looked up, but he heard the introduction and commented absently. "Always a wholesome atmosphere in a card shop. I miss friendly intros like that."

Hiroshi was given the details of this hiring process. He nodded throughout Rita's explanation, deciding their arrangement would work spectacularly. He never had use of free time, and often filled it with work or study anyway. "Nights would be most suitable for me. I suppose, given the current setup, the only free time I require should align with a student in this area having free days. I am... not quite from here, you see ─ I don't yet know what sort of freedom they are given. You may relieve yourself of evening work for your..." Hiroshi paused, staring at the woman for some time. Some of her words were infinitely strange to him. Husband? "It surprises me. Perhaps it is a difference in customs, but I couldn't tell you were married. Regardless, I do heavily advise seeking permanent employees for this establishment. I will be available for an absolute maximum of two years before my attention is taken elsewhere. With that being the case, however, I do believe I can begin work at your earliest convenience."

[Apollymi]

Sakura's choice was Metis, and as she began adding pieces to Metis to make a more cohesive deck with full amounts of strategy... Kazuhiko was commenting. it seemed he liked the choice and had other cards which would make her work better. A smile crossed Sakura's face as she began looking, "World Serpent and personal familiar of the goddess of wisdom... Jormungandr, does he spread her attack points to other servants? Oh, or it could be a skill buff of some sort. Also serpent might be the wrong word, more like wyrm," she wondered thinking about what she knew about that from talking to her mother. As she gave it thought a boy stepped very close to her and made some sort of introduction. She didn't even look up initially. Though the tone and cadence of his voice was rather disturbed. It was obvious to her that this lad seemed to be preparing some sort of proposition, but perhaps she was misreading this era a bit? Her father did say things weren't exactly what they appeared. As she picked up Jormungandr she turned to the boy and gave him an empty stare which was by its very nature quite penetrating. "Tohsaka Sakura. Yes I am new. It appears to be interesting. If you understand it well, I wouldn't mind learning more..." she said in a slightly non-committal way. It would seem given Kazuhiko's statements that this sort of start was a common thing to occur in a card shop. "Wholesome... Do you know these people or do they only introduce themselves to new players?" she questioned. She thought it was fair enough given that there was only a light difference between herself and Kazuhiko but perhaps there were different amounts of curtesy provided between new and old players. She figured this world was way more interested in personal space given the initial reactions of people like Kazuhiko.

There was a pretty interesting conversation happening in the convenience store. It was going to be an undertaking changing the store up, but Rita thought it would be worth it. The conditions for hiring Hiroshi were already established and he seemed fine with them. He claimed that he only needed to be off on the days that aligned with students being off. Kaguya would be the one to explain that one. "Seven days in a week students attend Monday through Saturday which is six days. There are exceptions for those who have to attend cram school or certain kinds of club activities, but in general students aren't in school on Sundays. So...probably Sundays...." she offered Hiroshi the information and it was a bit weird to hear. Maybe he was from a really rural place that had slightly different customs. Still, his name sounded pretty easy to accommodate. "I can give Sundays easily... and any others with enough notice," Rita agreed to that term rather easily though the confusion on her face was initially very clear. It would only serve to become more obvious a few seconds later when Hiroshi claimed that she could spend a bit more time doing what she wished and claimed to not know she'd been married. "Oh, well he isn't around here and I don't wear my rings at work. It's not that odd... my husband is a salaryman so we don't get to spend a lot of time together. I'm hoping to change it," she said seemingly optimistic. Kaguya's eyes shifted slightly before she immediately covered the look on her face. She had no reason to make assumptions in this case, this was an adorable lady who'd proven herself to be quite nice, but given that it would also be fairly easy for her to get taken advantage of. "I'll put up some hiring signs and do some interviews. But I'd rather wait for the store to be reorganized before the hires come on, it will make the transition a lot easier for all of us. So, any more changes you are thinking about making. I can make sure we have everything we need for the changes you wish to make," she added willing to continue the process of learning what this man had to offer and making sure that everything went as smoothly as possible.

[Bloodedge]

Sakura would rather call Jormungandr a wyrm as opposed to a serpent. As Charlemagne, Kazuhiko heard a fair amount about that creature as well... though not nearly enough. Even so, he knew of the card. Patterns found between the card game and Alaya implied that Jormungandr was something greater than wyrms and serpents both. "Fought wyrms. If that thing actually counts as one, the rest should be ashamed," he joked. Moving on, Sakura was greeted by another player. The look she gave him upon turning around was eerily empty, but the lad called Junpei could not call it negative. No, he'd still call it... somehow lascivious, at least in the way his body responded to seeing the girl's face. "Hai hai!" he said after Sakura agreed to learning, passive though it was. Kazuhiko looked up briefly upon being questioned ─ lifting his gaze only enough to view Sakura's cards and see her via periphery. "I was here last year. The owner has changed since then, but my picture should still be on that wall over there. Maybe I even played against some of the people here now, but yeah... this community is usually really welcoming to new players," he said absently. Noticing how little mind Kazuhiko was paying anything around him presently, Junpei acted on a blend of impulse and bravery. He leaned forward, 'accidentally' rubbing his erection against Sakura's shoulder while pretending to look at her in-progress deck. In actuality, he was watching her face through the corner of his eye. "That's going to be a good deck, Tohsaka-chan! I hope we can play soon!"

Meanwhile, it seemed the hiring process for Hiroshi was reaching its end. His free day would be Sunday, and seemingly whatever other days he gave proper notice for. The workforce of this world was similar enough to what he observed in Alayan humans, so adjusting would be a simple matter. "I will be sure to notify you in advance," he stated plainly. From there, Hiroshi was somewhat stuck on Rita's lack of signs as a married woman. She spoke of an unworn ring, which he equated to the same ring-sharing tradition on Alaya. Seeing someone go without it was strange indeed. "So rings are worn here? Then not wearing it ─ is that not an advertisement of availability? If I were to suggest any changes, I would start there. Based solely on your appearance compared to others I've seen since our arrival, it should be easy to say men should be throwing themselves at your feet. Perhaps I'm misinformed? Is this how polyamory is shown here? I've so many customs to learn about, and so little time to make necessary observations myself," he rambled.

[Apollymi]

Jormungandr was something of wyrm of this Sakura was almost certain. Perhaps he was the first of such creatures or what they were based off of? Those were always likely, "Could be the first, a certain status upgrade is usually given to things that start others..." she offered seeming to understand the subtly of discussions they could have about their other lives without alerting the humans. Not that she assumed that the humans would understand he meant it literally. She made the assumption that if humans thought the magical world didn't exist, they'd likely just assume some relation to a game or something else. Whatever the case, the lad known as Junpei hadn't exited Sakura's general circle, but the kind of behavior he exhibited wasn't entirely odd to her either. He was rubbing against her while she was talking to Kazuhiko about his appearance the previous year. Junpei rubbing against her shoulder garnered him no extra attention, he didn't hit her senses as anything worth pausing her current conversation for. Her face retained devoid of emotion but there was a certain ominousness, that made her aura scream rejection as her eyes turned to see the picture, she didn't like being blocked from seeing things. "We can play later. Move, I'm trying to see a picture of Kazzun," she said without emotion as she tried to see this picture of Kazuhiko. This lad truly didn't matter to her and her own kind of oddity. But she was more excited about potentially seeing a different picture of Kazuhiko than she was for anything Junpei thought he had to offer her related to his physical self. He was far too underwhelming, but she expected that of humans.

Moving on, Rita was given a confirmation of receiving notice before Hiroshi took any time off. This was about all she needed, but it would seem some other changes came from the man's mouth. These were mostly concerning the idea that to her she appeared single. He wondered about the nature of relationships and how this all should work. He thought she should wear her ring as part of the custom and should be fighting off potential suitors. He wondered over the idea of polyamory and her open-ness potentially being part of that. "Yes, rings are worn here. You are given one for engagement then bands are exchanged on wedding days, but they are quite expensive and the stones can be unset for physical labor which is why I don't wear them here..." she said which was very humanly reasonable. "It's flattering that you think it might be a problem, but I'm 30... it's not like people are propositioning me while I'm at work or anything," she said in a manner which was almost innocent enough for Kaguya to chuckle immediate. "As far as I know, polyamory isn't something that is normal at all here... I could be a bit out of touch though..." Rita admitted. "Regardless, I could wear my wedding bad, it just feels a bit odd without the other one," she added. "Hi-aniki, it isn't that much of a problem. Part of society at this point is letting people work and not being too weird about it. Rita-nee might be a bit on the oblivious side, but she's super nice, so she's more likely to turn down suitors who appear at random. That's pretty standard for women in this world, besides wearing a wedding ring might have the opposite effect... Sometimes single women wear them to discourage, and sometimes, people try harder because someone else already wants them. It's a pretty complex topic," Kaguya added to hellp clarify a few points. "Also, Rita-nee definitely doesn't look thirty, she must have great genes. Your husband is a lucky man~" she complimented in her usual slightly flirty way, but she also knew a human woman wouldn't really take her very seriously. "Aww, stop it. You're far too young to be buttering up somoene like me..." she managed making a blushing face which definitely made her look like her niece. Yeah, this woman likely didn't come across too many people who flirted with her in this little place and even if she did, she only had eyes for her husband really. Her response didn't imply at all that she saw any potential romance in the other girl's words.

[Bloodedge]

"I've heard about that, but it always sounds a little weird. Like... is it really worth calling something its watered-down form? It just feels almost disrespectful, you know?" Kazu bantered for no particular reason. He didn't have a hard opinion in one direction or the other, but a bit of blabbering was common in such venues as this. Such would be seen on Junpei's end as well, at least as Kazuhiko observed in his limited way. Human as he was, Junpei did not register the aggressive aura Sakura emitted... but her sudden demand that he move served its purpose well. Junpei stepped back quickly and nervously, while Kazuhiko looked up at last. Kazu felt that energy, but the cause was a little extreme the way he saw things. "Wow, no need to be rude to the guy," he said in defense of the boy who was quickly scurrying away for reasons unknown. "It's just a picture, and that guy was just being friendly. You could've just said you couldn't see past him," he said. From Kazu's perspective, Sakura was doing a lot just to see the blandest image ever taken of him.

While this exchanged happened between the pair, Junpei was meeting with another group who were already whispering among themselves. There were talks borne of jealousy and spite. That last reaction made it obvious those two were dating ─ or at least that Sakura was very interested in the male she accompanied. "He's got some nerve pulling a girl like that and coming here to show her off," one boy said. "Who does he think he is? He's not even keeping an eye on a hottie like that?" added another. "Dude, I wouldn't even be here. I'd be at home clapping her cheeks all day long!" a third declared. Upon returning to this group, Junpei seemed far more satisfied than bothered. "Guys! I rubbed my dick against her and she didn't even budge. If that guy wasn't with her, I swear I could have gone all the way!" he boasted. And so, the plotting continued. Several moments of discussion passed among that group of lads, eventually leading to the decision of one. "If anybody's gonna do it, it'll be Kakihara over there. We'll get him to show fuckboy the error of his ways. As long as someone distracts him, we can get her hooked up with the bitch-breaker!" For whatever reason, that male's idea resonated with the rest of the group. "Yeah! Then once she's been turned into an onahole like the others, we'll use her as a fucktoy mascot for the shop!"

Speaking of shops, Hiroshi was having quite an interesting time figuring out Rita's overarching purpose. Engagement rings and wedding bands as separate entities was a new concept to him, but that was alright. On the other hand, Rita's claim that others did not express much interest in her was an absolute impossibility that he refused to believe. Just the same, her age made little sense. "Thirty? I find that hard to believe as well. You make it sound like that age is something old and useless, but all observable features here say you are at or above the pinnacle of appeal in all physical regards. I am also inclined to agree that your husband is very lucky. Dedication despite an obvious distance is rare for any species. I've seen many men since arriving, and unless he happens to be another anomaly, it's obvious he is the victor in this proverbial exchange," he observed, rambling to no one in particular once more ─ even though the tone of his voice hadn't changed at all. "Physical ability notably lacking, but presumably not to the detriment of sexual prowess. I'd wager an underlying tone that belies a love of mischief, which I've discovered is a very desirable trait as well. Eyes, skin, hair and nails all speak to great health and longevity. Very likely to live well beyond normal expectancies without signs of decay in the body, so more reliable in a partnership than... ninety percent? No, humans ─ likely ninety-nine and beyond. Surely a specimen that would be worth studying for any scholar, should the opportunity present itself. If not for societal conventions... no, I suppose those are limitations that apply on all sides."