Charles Patricius

[Apollymi]

Miko also seemed to understand her likeness to the boy she'd been hanging out with. It wasn't beyond her comprehension that he had quite a few odd habits, not the least of which seemed to be centered around his eating, but that didn't mean much if anything to her. This was especially true after she came to fully understand the magical implications of personality based oddities on Gaia. "It would be," Miko confirmed as a person who'd been tethered to another. Still it wasn't the worst thing that could happen. But now that Miko had explained herself and Seiya's appearance, it would appear that the first response was... laughter. Dreameater was laughing and Miko found herself staring at him with awe in her features. The light behind her eyes seeming to flicker for quite a few seconds as a blush crept up onto her face. But that wasn't all, 'Special Snacks' was supposed to be 'Special Effects' well after hearing that it all sort of made sense. But she'd taken the boy at her side at his word, because it made sense, "Sou ka, I suppose special effects does make more sense, but... special snacks didn't sound impractical at the time," she said softly, still that little cheek chewing pout returned. "Happy to make you laugh..." Miko murmured feeling slightly more abashed than she normally managed to feel. "Hm, Mi-chan going to look for special snacks sounds right to me~" Kaguya finally said after managing to recover just enough to only have one of those wicked little smirks on her face. Well, she did know of Miko's snacking preferences, all in all the minor misunderstanding was far from the worst thing that could happen. "At least I was right to assume you could help," she said sheepishly sipping on that boba tea she'd ordered.

The belief that Hiroshi had been living his life as a hermit was something confirmed by the man himself. He claimed it'd been many years he'd spent in seclusion. "Many years, huh? I guess that clears that part up..." Rita said thoughtfully. She looked at Hiroshi carefully and figured him to be about the same age as her elder sister and brother-in-law. A forty-something who was still young enough at heart to not care about so many of the established rules of socializing. Actually that would make quite a bit of sense. A nice man who'd already gotten comfortable withimself enough to know what he was, but have hard opinions about things, was typical of a person in the 'proper' adult age range. Speaking of they were having a meal which she tasted for the first time. It was quite delicious already and she was being given some pretty sound advice about her own nutrition. Such advice came from a voice of reason and resonated with her quite a bit, "Hai hai, I know I should it's just a bit difficult sometimes. Not so difficult when the food is great though... this really is delicious!~" she offered as she continued to go through the motions of eating, finding it easier to consume the more she ate. Perhaps all that seclusion led this man to being some sort of new age nutritionist. She could see that, if so his talents were definitely being wasted making fast food for people in a convenience store.

[Bloodedge]

Dreameater had a rather difficult time getting over his fit of laughter. Things were bound to get worse once he saw the pouty expression Miko donned. "Ahahahaha! No... no, you can't make special snacks a thing. They're not a thing, except... well... I guess there is that one guy," he said. This wasn't the best time to be exhausting his breath; he was still recovering from the show. Actually, he realized the tea had yet to arrive. By the time he reached said realization, Seiya was holding out his own cup. "It's kukicha!" the boy stated. The musician reached out to take the cup. "Arigatou, Sei-kun," he said before taking a couple of sips, clearing his throat and passing the cup back. "Anyway... I wouldn't really call it help, per se. Sei-kun's mom will always be able to find him; it's nothing to worry about. As long as he doesn't go finding trouble, it's alright," he assured. "Though... it's been about half an hour. Jokes on you two; the four of us are about to go on a special world tour right now~" he joked.

While jokes were being thrown around at the stadium, serious topics were being casually addressed at Nara Rita's convenience store. All the while, ramen was tested and, seemingly, enjoyed. Hiroshi knew precisely what Rita needed to set her back on track, but he also knew humans of Gaia wouldn't understand his meaning. Nutrition was the best translation for his meaning. She didn't have need of a massive mana influx; she needed something that would correct the flow of her circuits. The ramen bowl would at least accomplish something to that effect, if only due to its healthy mix of ingredients and mana types. "It's good that you like it. This recipe will be attributed to you, so it should have your approval above all others. If any changes are to be made, yours is the opinion of importance," he stated.

[Apollymi]

More laughter graced Miko's ears today. It seemed she wasn't allowed to make 'special snacks' a thing. "I can definitely make it a thing. You have no idea..." she said huffily. It seemed that her good deeds wouldn't go unpunished as she was teased almost mercilessly by a man she'd come to check on. Well at least he was having a good time even if it was at her expense. Well, until that breath stress became something that hit her ears, but Seiya was ahead of her, offering his tea to the lad whose vocal cords needed lubrication. "Kukicha? That's a refined palate for a face that young~" Kaguya commented absently. Her understanding of the situation was growing by the moment. "I said the same thing..." Miko mentioned. Still she was eyeing Dreameater, he recovered nicely and she took a deep breath as well. Whatever the case, it appeared Seiya's mom was always able to find him and it wasn't a big deal. "Sou ka, well... I couldn't find what we were looking for and since he was here for the pre-show I figured you would know... and you did. He didn't seem very stressed about it, but I couldn't leave him alone..." she said with a shrug, it simply wasn't in her own nature. Still the jokes continued and these four were about to go on a world tour. "Oh? Is that right? Well, don't let me get in your way, I don't know what a special world tour is, but it sounds pretty important. Well, I guess I chose a bad time to come see you after all~" Miko mentioned which only made a chuckle escape the others as well. It was likely code for something but now knowing where they were headed Miko had every intention of making sure Seiya ended up where he needed to be.

Meanwhile a more serious conversation was happening while two more adult people in the back of the convenience store. Rita was also enjoying her first full meal in the last... two or three days. As she consumed more words were spoken by Hiroshi an she could only shake her head as she finished a bit. "Iia, I wouldn't change anything about this. It's really great. It's really unusual I don't usually have that much of an appetite to start with, but I definitely feel like I could eat all of this without any problems," she mentioned as she continued working her way through the bowl. "Still, this is quite the varied list of skills, great cook, good managerial skills, willing to work late night... any random place would hire you without question and to be honest, your skills could even be called wasted working in such a small place with such a limited scope of things," Rita mentioned. If this man was a true recluse she wouldn't keep him from expanding his potential horizons he should know that there were many options for those with a great number of skills. And his weren't even just limited to work options, in the modern world a man who could cook like this could likely have any woman he wanted. Add to that his tall lean build and direct manner of speech and she imagined he could go anywhere and do anyone or anything.

[Bloodedge]

"No way. If anyone's going to make it a thing, it's not going to be you. You'd call something a snack and top someone's last meal," he countered. He was sure that in Miko's case, anything food-related couldn't be special enough due to an excess of variety. Regarding the lost Seiya, there were no real issues at hand. In fact, his mother was expected to appear at any random moment before the crew's full wrap-up. He still couldn't have been in better hands if he went searching for them, though. Ah, but speaking of Seiya, he seemed a bit huffy after hearing Kaguya mention the maturity of his tea choice. He wasn't actually much younger than the girl he'd been in the company of for half an hour. Alas, he wouldn't have much chance to mention that. "Of course it's a bad time! We just got a brand new band together, didn't we? It's going to be the biggest tour the world has ever seen; no party crashers invited~" Dreameater said while pulling down his bottom eyelid.

Rita had no changes in mind for the ramen recipe. Neither broth nor toppings came up as a topic of potential alteration, both to Hiroshi's satisfaction and dissatisfaction. He had no issues offering the recipe in its entire form with all necessary details, but it seemed there was no extra personality to add by its owner. Well, such things did happen at times... though the elves of his era would have banished the woman. "I'll take it as a compliment. I assumed you would enjoy it, though not this much. Interesting..." he mused between bites of his own. A slew of observations came from Rita. All were accurate, but one major inconsistency remained in her understanding. She thought his skills were wasted on this little shop. Whether as Hiroshi or as Ailen, the male could not agree with that. "If a task isn't done by someone exceptional, it will never be done to its upper limits. In that case, production quality will never improve. Knowledge and skills are acquired to be used. If I am in a position to do something, and have the ability to do it, it should be done excellently. No skill used well could be called a waste. Wouldn't you agree?"

[Apollymi]

"The quantity of the food I eat and its quality aren't on trial here. I'm a growing girl and the specialness of a snack isn't negated by its size. Keep talking and I am going to eat your share too!" Miko said almost defiantly. All the while, Kaguya was listening and realized that Miko and Dreameater were quite familiar with each other. This playful banter of theirs came off more like an old married couple than two friends. "Eh, she talks to him like she talks to us, right?" Kaguya asked of Ai in hushed tones. "Yeah, it's a bit weird because you'd think knowing him would have definitely come up in conversation before now..." Ai murmured back to her. Shutara seemed the least bothered by all of conversations going on, and she was simply rather happy to see these two together again. Meanwhile, Miko was staring at Dreameater as if he'd grown another head. "I introduce you to my friends and that's your response? I've not seen you in ce... months and that is what you have to say, okay. I'll keep the new ones to myself then... since I'm just a party crasher~" she said, having a minor speech hiccup which was oddly common in her currently given her life. "Also I can hear you." she said to the pair in the corner who just shrugged. But her eyes remained on the young man in front of her as the light in her eyes flickered several times over. She took another step forward but eventually someone else would be watching, a dark haired woman with glasses in a labcoat was standing in the open door. There were plenty of new faces around some of which she'd seen directly and some she'd not, but the situation unfolding in front of her wasn't one she felt the need to interrupt after all, she'd already seen her son here and he was obviously in good hands, if the foods present in his hands were anything to go by.

Just the same while the antics of old friends grew and shifted over the course of a conversation, Rtia found herself enjoying the food prepared for her without the need to change it. "It's definitely a compliment. You're underestimating what a good meal is like, if you thought I'd do anything but absolutely enjoy this..." she said absently. "The only thing that I would even think about adding is a cold beer and that is just because it will feel more nostalgic that way~" she mentioned absently. A warm belly full of comforting food she'd not cooked herself was something she'd not experienced since she was in college. But that was a story for a different time, as such she'd find herself listening to Hiroshi speak of the lack of waste of his position in this place. "That attitude is quite surprising. I can't discredit anything you're saying... but you shouldn't sell yourself short either. Someone like you could definitely do just about anything you wanted, based on the skills you've shown here alone and make way more money than you will working for someone like me..." she pointed out. But if Hiroshi was truly happy in his new job, she wouldn't discourage him. The truth was, he'd been quite the breath of fresh air since he'd appeared...

[Bloodedge]

"Not by size, no. But, it's definitely less 'special' if it's just a bit of everything on the menu. That's not a specialty; that's a giant sampler plate~" Dreameater continued. Ah, but there was also a threat from the likes of Miko. If he kept at it, she'd apparently be eating his share as well. One thing hadn't been addressed as of yet, but there was no time like the present. "Seems like you already had my share and everyone else's. Went a little crazy in a few months, didn't you?" he asked, finally acknowledging the ridiculous growth spurt that made him nearly question Miko's identity. "And yes, that's the response. You said it yourself; months. None of my concerts lately have been more than a few prefectures away. One of them was even in Tokyo, so... excuse?" he replied. All the while, Seiya was stuck on the matter of Miko eating everyone's share of special snacks. The more he looked at her, the less he could see that sort of thing being true. Of course, he assumed it to be a more normal form of weight gain being referenced. "I don't get it. Are you fat? I don't think she's fat," the boy stated.

Though Rita's belief in the unchangeable state of Hiroshi's recipe remained, she did think something alcoholic would pair nicely with it. As they were in a convenience store, she could have exactly what she desired. Desires were meant to be met, after all. With that in mind, Hiroshi set his bowl aside and stepped toward the rearmost refrigeration units of the shop, grabbing a small case of canned beer. "You should indulge," he urged upon returning with the alcohol of choice. "I assume you have no issue taking the cost of this out of my wages? Also, I must have you know I've not 'sold myself short' in any regard. I am fully aware of my skillset and limitations. The amount of money made is of no concern. It is, and always should be, about putting one's all into something one can resonate with at a high frequency. My personal calling is of an alchemical nature, but that is why I primarily cook these meals for customers. A good meal can be as impactful as any draught."

[Apollymi]

"Sampler plates are inherently great, so long as everything on them is one of your favorite things! You can have everything all at once, what's not special about that?" Miko countered. A good sampler platter was the height of food for one Iino Miko, whether she realized the meaning of such a thing truly or not currently wasn't even a part of her counter. As the bickering continued, Kaguya and Ai were left wondering exactly what kind of friendship actually existed between Miko and Dreameater. Obviously by virtue of how they spoke to one another they were quite familiar with each other, enough that Dreameater would be commenting on the change in Miko's body, in a rather direct manner. "I finally started making headway towards being normal. I haven't changed my own habits at all. And you have no idea what crazy actually is anymore!" she stated almost bluntly. The truth of the matter was, food was far from the only thing that Miko currently indulged in, and she'd take no slack on the craziness of her current figure, as far as the world could tell, she'd gotten it honestly. Months, for people on Gaia months was a long time, but for Miko as she saw life now, it was hardly a breath. What had she been up to that she'd not gone to see Dreameater before she'd gone 'missing'. "Ugh, I was busy you know? Winter exams and all. I am a high school student. Now President of the Student Council. I was running for that, preparing and freaking right the fuck out about giving speeches. And I was still writing, hanging out with friends and going through a whole bunch of things I can't even explain right now!" she said her brows drawn together. Meanwhile, one Seiya was confused about the nature of Miko's weight gain. "Seiya-chan, you shouldn't bring that up that way. But she's definitely not fat," his mother said from behind him reaching around him to hand him his phone, which he'd left when he'd wandered off. Kaguya stepped over to the lad with a grin on her face as she'd already been looking at a few of her own pictures of Miko, "Mi-chan's a late bloomer, though I suppose a general question would be what she eats if you consider that she looked like this..." she said brining up a picture of the same girl from a few months ago when she'd been caught in a weird position on the floor. Her body quite small and her looking up at the camera as if she'd been caught doing something wrong, a bunch of papers scattered around her. While that picture was consumed Miko explained from her own perspective. "I was just small the last time he saw me. But I'm glad you don't think I'm fat. Hanging out with Sei-chan he's always nice to me," Miko said while sticking her tongue out at Dreameater.

While one person explained her indulgences another was being told to explore them. Hiroshi got up from the food they were consuming together to make his way to one of the coolers after Rita mentioned beer turning this meal into something of a comforting nostalgia trip. He encouraged her to do so, and wished to pay for the beers at least this time. "I want to not, but I was once told by one of my roommates that if a hot guy wants to buy me a drink as long as I don't hate him, I should accept. Arigatou, Hiroshi-san~" she said plucking a couple of cans from the case and opening both so he could have one. "Condition dictates I'm not drinking alone though, kampaii!~" she offered the man a little wink. Of course there was more to dissect from his statements. He wasn't selling himself short, he by his own words was fine with exerting himself for this particular task and found it suited the skills of his 'alchemical leaning'. "Alchemy, ka? That's a strange thing to say, outside of one of those fantasy novels or video games, but people's personal interests make them who they are," she said not giving it much more thought. "But someone working for efficacy and not money is something I can say I honestly enjoy is never a bad thing. I bake and enjoy photography for the same reason so... I'll leave you to it~" she offered. Something about this meal coming together this way reminded her of a much simpler part of her life. Before she was bogged down by responsibilities. Perhaps it was time to return to something more enjoyable like that?

[Bloodedge]

Little by little, an argument of sorts was growing. Dreameater insisted that there was nothing special about the sort of 'snack' Miko would produce, while she insisted that a massive sampler plate would indeed be special. They simply wouldn't agree on this matter, but that wouldn't stop the discussion. "No way is that special! I mean, sure, it's special the first time. What happens when you definitely have that same plate again tomorrow, and the next day, and literally every chance you get? Now nothing on that plate is special anymore, and now you need a new 'special snack' to fill the gap," he rambled. Moving on to the busy state of Miko in the past few months, and her apparent 'growing out' event, many things were listed. Her list was full of justifications for an absence, though not for other things. "Uh-huh. That's a pretty busy life. Definitely too busy for a call, a text, a casual review of the latest album... Way too busy for little stuff like that," he griped while waving one hand about overhead. In the meantime, Seiya's mother finally made her presence known. The boy was instructed to avoid his weight-based questions, even though Miko herself didn't seem to mind it. "... Hai," he said, seeming slightly downtrodden during the reclaiming of his phone. It was then that he saw a photo on Kaguya's phone ─ one taken of Miko only a few months prior. Suddenly, there was hope in the small male's eyes. If she managed to bloom so much in so short a time, perhaps there was hope for his growth spurt as well!

According to Rita, she was never to turn down the offer of drinks from a 'hot' guy whom she didn't hate. Hiroshi thought that was a very simplistic approach to life from whatever person advised her. Even so, he didn't think it was a bad one. He was also expected to partake of the beers. In the spirit of camaraderie, Hiroshi supposed he would indulge Rita as she indulged his instruction. "I suppose one wouldn't kill me. Admittedly though, I don't have very high expectations for this beverage," he said before popping open a can of his own. "Perhaps there is some other side to that belief system. I've heard before that one should not turn down the offer of a woman in high standing; that must have come from somewhere." With that clause addressed straight from his mind, Hiroshi took his first sip of beer. It wasn't good... but it wasn't bad. He certainly wasn't a fan of its aftertaste or the extreme carbonation and foam, but the initial feeling it provided his mana circuits was noticeable and... interesting. As it wasn't the immediate potency of the Holy Grail's wine, he could even observe its effects properly firsthand. "This is... interesting. As are your hobbies. Baking is much like what I do, by my understanding. There is something infinitely satisfying about having the perfect quantities of different ingredients come together, creating something that shows no immediate signs of its cumulative parts. The tiniest change to one ingredient, or its time of inclusion, could ruin the entire end product. However... if you get it right, you've made something truly incredible. That final moment of creation is such a beautiful thing, especially when viewed in retrospect as one who knows the creation's base parts in detail. That is the difference between alchemy and... chemistry, or something silly like that. That is why I fully respect your choice of baking. Photography eludes me, but I am also no stranger to some additional hobbies or crafts."

[Apollymi]

"Everything can be as special as you want it to be, repetition doesn't change that either. I could eat everything on a platter in a different order and it will drastically change the taste and texture of the objects in it. And if even one thing is added or taken away it could technically make things way better or different by virtue of the sheer number of combinations. Even right now, the three dango on this stick are sweet, spicy and mild and the order they are eaten in drastically changes what they taste like and each combination is individually appreciable and special!" she expressed a rather firm opinion. Even if they wouldn't agree there was a certain interesting nature to the way this pair discussed things. Shutara watched with a happy smile on her face, knowing the boiling point was approaching. It'd been four months and neither of them had heard from the girl directly. Shutara did a bit of stalking on Instagram but that was simply more in her nature than most. And what did Dreameater have to say, she was quite busy, with dozens of things but that didn't stop the potential for communication. She looked at the young man before her, griping over a lack of communication her eyes widening as she took him in. Miko was a fairly rational individual, she realized that though she didn't necessarily bother others, some may not have seen it as a bother in the first place. "Sou ka, that part is on me. I will admit that when I throw myself into things, I do so with full tunnel vision and concentration until those tasks are completed. It is both a good and bad habit I am trying to be more conscious of... sumimasen on the radio silence," she admitted. "Though you also haven't called or texted me either. And phones work both ways... I am always willing to make time for you regardless of how busy I am if you want to hear from me or need me. I thought that much was obvious," she said clearly. Meanwhile Kaguya who had shown that picture of Miko smiled seeing the boy she'd come in with having a hopeful expression. She supposed that meant he was indeed a lot like her friend. "Everyone grows into themselves eventually, gamebareyo, Seiya-chan~" Kaguya said offering the lad a quick wink. She also hadn't missed that conversation happening between Dreameater and Miko either, how interesting. It seemed Miko might have been ignoring something else, right in front of her own face. Seiya's mother was content to wait on the lad, mostly wondering about the how he'd come to be found and why Dreameater was having such an interesting conversation with someone.

Rita noted that Hiroshi didn't seem completely put off by the idea of sharing a drink with her. Apparently beers weren't normal fare for him, but that was fine as well. "Beer isn't a drink to have with high expectations. I'm just old enough to not want a hangover... just to relax and maybe have an easier time sleeping," she claimed which was the truth. She had a sip after cheers and it did exactly what she thought. Her whole form relaxed as much or maybe even a little more than it did during that family lunch. Inclusion was great, but happy memories did something else. She could eat contentedly and listen to Hiroshi talk, which he was apparently going to do. And while she at he spoke of alchemy and its base understanding as he saw it. "Sou ka, when you're really into something you have a lot to say," she commented first. "I can see your point, in the case of making something which is almost unrecognizable from it's original ingredients, baking and cooking do seem a bit more magical than scientific, the fantasy element makes a bit more sense in that case," she said deciding that anyone who was comfortable enough to call their work something fantastic while still loving it, deserved that happiness. "Photography, its a bit more about the truth. Capturing a single moment and all the information that can be gained from all the details in a singular instance in time. I'm not as fond staging pictures but... I do quite like capturing a something candid expressive. Those are the most interesting things to see. I took some of my family like that earlier and they are quite interesting to me for those reasons. It's why I enjoy photography." she explained of herself. She pulled out her phone and popped open Instagram where she'd uploaded quite a few pictures of the Iino Family, several leading up to a slightly traditional family photo in a nearby park, but one in particular she found amusing caught, the deviousness of Iino Risa, staring at her husband while he look cast a similarly meaningful gaze at her. All of that with Iino Miko in the middle, with a slightly furrowed brow but appreciative light in her eyes. "These moments are the ones I think are great."

[Bloodedge]

Unexpected was the coming rant of Miko. Obviously, her belief in special snacks was strong and unwavering. At long last, there was some progression in their little argument ─ progression in favor of Miko's point. He supposed if one were to change the order of consumed items at times, or even shuffle around some things entirely, a sampler plate could be considered 'special'. "Fine, I guess I'll give you that. That was a pretty long rant over a hypothetical snack plate, though~" Dreameater claimed teasingly. He hadn't been on the receiving end of a tirade like that in quite some time. Of course, the last one he heard was also from one Iino Miko, but... that was neither here nor there. The 'here' at present was the simple fact that he'd received no form of communication during this long absence. True, phones worked both ways as Miko stated, but his was the burden of remaining hidden as dictated by her lifestyle. "Right, so I guess I should just shoot a text or call randomly, even when you're potentially surrounded by people. 'Hey, who's Takao? Isn't that Dreameater's name? Huh, that's crazy! Hey, how do you know Dreameater!'" he rambled in a series of imaginary quotes.

All the while, Hiroshi would be slowly discovering the appeal of common beer. The extreme carbonation did have a rather interesting interaction with the mouthfeel of ramen broth, as if it were meant to reactivate the umami and marry the toppings' flavors anew. Intoxication would elude him for a while yet, though the wait wouldn't be as long as his elf body's experience. "I'm not sure what sort of sleeping benefits this could have compared to many other methods that have less side-effects... but I suppose it isn't my place to argue a preference," he muttered absently between bites and sips. Onto the similarities between baking and alchemy, Hiroshi learned he was more similar to Nara Rita than he previously assumed. In fact, one could say he underestimated the similarities between the woman and her niece, his apprentice. The family photos shown to him revealed that Miko's mother was also starkly similar to the pair, furthering a theory of Hiroshi's at a glance. "That is so strange. The relation between you three has been made obvious to me, but... seeing you all in one spot, and knowing both you and my app-... student... you're all more like twins who each walked a different path, but still have a point of convergence. As a trio, it's as if you're all one big target of study. Look at these expressions. Stark similarities appear in places one doesn't see via familial relations alone. You're also estranged, aren't you? That makes matters more interesting still. You're all virtually interchangeable in a way no three people should be without emerging from the same womb. Fascinating."

[Apollymi]

If Miko was capable of one thing, it was creating rants about any random subject matter that she felt strongly about. She'd not even realized she felt so strongly about sampler platters until the conversation started and once it started she couldn't stop herself. Such was the nature of her apparent personality defects. But... instead of ridicule for her oddities she seemed to find, acceptance and understanding. The truth of her words seemed to resonate in someway with Dreameater. "Hmphf!~" she acknowledged his acceptance with her nose turned up in victory, such was always the case. "Hypotheticals become real in blinks," she asserted which was the truth of her life as it was. Still, there was a certain serious conversation they were also having about the nature of contact between them. To counter the point that phones went both ways, several more hypotheticals came from Dreameater about the nature of his name popping up on her phone and her having to explain their relationship. "You are making several assumptions about my life," Miko said. "In order of importance... I am never around that many people. Crowds still freak me out. Even if I was in a crowd you are still laboring under the idea that I have you in my phone under your name which is far from the truth... I wouldn't have anyone I actually talk to in my phone under their legitimate name and Takao isn't even that uncommon as a name to start with..." she asserted purposefully leaving out exactly how he was named within her phone. "Though I guess, thanks for the extra consideration. Still, you shouldn't do so to your own detriment..." she said thoughtfully, knowing through her own experiences that artistic types often felt more than even their more flippant responses let on. She'd been told she should be a bit more selfish about certain things, she also believed this to be the case for others, she'd be spreading it to anyone who proved they could use such a thing.

At the same time, Hiroshi expressed confusion about the sleeping benefits of alcohol. Rita looked up at him with a raised bow, "Well, it's a downer so you can relax and just kind of drift off as long as you don't overdo it," she mentioned. Maybe hermit life meant he slept well and often? She could only assume this was the case. Still, she'd easily continue eating, enjoying her meal and her beer while having a casual conversation, which became something of a rant from Hiroshi. She didn't miss the hiccup in his speech and she'd noticed something similar in Miko she'd spoken of that boy on her Instagram. "You talk about alchemy like an excited student, biological genetics like a researcher and food like a nutritonist. Conversing with you is random but really refreshing," she concluded before sipping her beer. "Also you have a similar tick to my niece. She also seems to stumble over what she is calling people or increments of time..." she said having observed the girl a bit today and being observant enough to know that such things weren't truly normal. It could have been blamed on the girl's medical diagnosis. "To answer your question though, yes... I was estranged. Not on purpose, I am just much younger than my sister and my parents may have forgotten to mention me to her for a while. But they are super friendly and welcoming. I suppose with us... Sharing a face as Miko-chan put it, it makes sense for someone outside of us to see more likenesses between us than we might be able to see ourselves," she spoke on the situation as a whole.

[Bloodedge]

According to Miko, transitioning from hypotheticals to reality could be a very easy and instantaneous thing. Dreameater, or rather Takao, believed that was a direct spin on something he once claimed. Nothing could be said against the notion, as such. Either way, it seemed he was making some inferences regarding how Miko titled him in her phone. That didn't matter; the possible end result wasn't necessarily shifted by such things. "Semantics. You're in a crowd right now. So, how many people in this 'crowd' would be a little curious if the girl who ran from crowds was getting calls and messages from someone the rest of us have never met? Doesn't matter. Cat's outta the bag now, so I'll just get dropped off outside your class next time you're disturbingly distant," he threatened.

Alcohol was referred to as a... 'downer', whatever that was. Hiroshi would have to commit that clause to study, as he knew it to be a very active participant in its own form of mana transfer with the body. That study aside, the time had come for Rita to make an observation of her own. She spoke of the way he commented on alchemy, genetics and even food, touching on multiple things Hiroshi could easily consider himself. The life of a student was an eternal one. Research was the greatest purpose of said student. Nutrition, to an alchemist, was just another level of understanding that came with the job. "It is easily worthwhile to consider all aspects of life both random and refreshing at best. I firmly believe that to be true," the male commented. Moments later, he was drinking even more of that beer by the swig. Each sip he took became easier... or perhaps even better somehow. What a strange concoction it was. The strength of similarity between Nara women was beyond all comprehension, and certainly beyond Hiroshi's ability to explain outside of Alaya. Still, nothing would stop a scholarly elf from explaining. "It's so much more than I can explain in an understandable way. If I had to wager and delve into the fantastical, I'd say this is an otherworldly family. I imagine if two of you were in closed quarters for long enough, you would literally become a single person. If that were possible... it would be incredible to see. No specimen could be more worth observation than that."

[Apollymi]

There were no arguments about the transition from hypothetical to reality, of course, Takao wasn't in any position to argue that point anyway, as he said something similar once. It was all fine and dandy but he claimed her current clearance for his appearance in her life was semantics. He posited more situations in which she was in a crowd and people would still be curious if someone popped up that they didn't know. Moreover at the end there was a threat, she frowned deciding to both answer his questions and discourage any atrocities. "They would ask questions, they probably still want to right now, but I'd handle it like I do most things... with completely truthful but vague answers...." she said and upon saying that aloud she had a realization. "Sou ka, I am actually the aloof friend... twice. I need to commiserate..." she said realizing that she was the aloof friend in her high school friend group and the same in the group that included Shutara and Takao. But his threat wouldn't be unanswered either... "Showing up to a high school, Mr. International Superstar, would get you swarmed by every person within the school grounds, just to talk to me? That's extreme and you know it," she mentioned assuredly. "Speaking of, Mi-chan, excruciating details should be forthcoming. You didn't actually explain how you know him, or why you two are so familiar or why you never mentioned this before?" Kaguya mentioned in a teasing manner but there was a certain seriousness in her face. "And I thought mama and papa were bad this afternoon and that the emergency meeting would be the worst of my day," Miko said aloud almost absently. Lately her friend groups had been overlapping quite a bit and by her own approximation at some point she'd be having a very strange conversation with Takao about the nature of her life. But for now, she'd answer Kaguya's questions, exactly the way she'd mentioned she would. "There are a lot of reasons, but at least part of them are explained by what I said the other day. I compose music, he's my musical soulmate... it isn't so difficult to understand. As for why I didn't mention it, how am I suppose to bring something like that up without it turning into a whole thing or making me seem like a crazy person?" Miko said using one of her more extreme methods of reference for people. All the while Shutara realized something important, the two girls that Miko had with her, didn't know what she actually was, who she actually was in relation to music. She couldn't believe that Miko actually managed to separate the parts of her life so decisively. Nor was she letting slide the ideation of Takao being her 'musical soulmate'.

While Miko made logical and vague statemetns which inched her closer and closer to revealing her 'secret identity', Hiroshi and Rita were busy getting to know each other over beers and dinner. Hiroshi shared his life philosophies and Rita could resonate with them quite a bit. "Hai hai, I kind of like that... I might keep it for myself," she said in a somewhat teasing manner. Perhaps what she really needed out of life was a better outlook and some time to lick her wounds so to speak. In the meantime, Hiroshi went on another tangent, exploring the nature of the relationship between the Nara women from a hypothetical fnatasy realm. Such was a fine thought experiment and she didn't mind such random dinner conversations. "Sou ka, you seem really into that idea. It sounds outlandish to be honest, but also like it's super flattering that you'd be interested in something so random as three people who happen to be from the same family and similar. Like that sci-fy idea about raising clones in different conditions and figuring out how they become different people. There are a couple of movies like that... " she rambled herself. "Or, or like the weird hive-mind type of thing where all the like minded compatible things assimilate. What you describe sounds like that to me, but magical and with a specific focus." she said figuring this man would have enjoyed the type of movie nights she and her roommates participated in when they were younger.

[Bloodedge]

However Miko would answer the curiosities of others was of little importance. What Takao considered imperative was avoiding unnecessary additions of complexity that were not previously agreed upon. Well, he supposed that was now officially a moot point as well. It was obvious to Miko's friends that they were associated, though the full truth had not yet come to light. He could now interact freely as he wished... though perhaps not in a high school. "It wouldn't be too bad. If I just went with bedhead and a blazer, I could trick everyone for long enough to get by," he claimed, knowing he'd managed to fool paparazzi once or twice with that trick... though not for very long. Moving on, one of Miko's friends finally brought into question her hidden relationship with Takao, causing her to utilize the very same partial truth she'd been talking about moments before. Since she obviously wasn't keen on revealing her hidden secret, he figured a bit of saving was in order. "Composing music is a gateway; you're bound to catch someone's eye eventually. A lot of my songs take inspiration from her music, if not the entire beat. I pretty much just do the guitar stuff myself," he stated as a matter of fact. "Anyway, we never got around to the important part. What brings you all to Osaka, and why didn't you just call ahead of time instead of wasting yen on tickets? Oh, and I've got a new pin now! I could hook you guys up, backstage access for any concert I do. Show 'em," he added, urging Shutara to chime in with another distraction.

Meanwhile, Hiroshi was finding one who agreed with his state of mind. Rita seemed the type who would do very well for herself; her mind was quite open. That was yet another feature which seemed to spread through the Nara family thus far. As for his interest in studying the group, Hiroshi couldn't pretend to have any other intentions. When something was worth observation, he would observe it to the best of his ability. Case in point, Rita had an example from Gaia humans' media to exemplify his intentions. She wasn't off at all in that belief. "That is incredibly accurate. Actually, I would directly compare it to a hive mind... Perhaps one that isn't fully active at the time, but certainly shows all the traits. Perhaps you could call it a subconscious hive? It could be the case that all members share an instinct beyond the base for humans, all acting on them based on individual experience, and thus altering the end result just slightly in each case. As the one between the other two, I believe yours may be a more volatile end result... but also the one with the most points of connection or similarity to the others," he rambled. Strange as it was, the Nara family seemed even more closely related than elves... and elves were a race of beings who consciously tried passing on everything but their flesh to the next generation.

[Apollymi]

The cat was out of the bag, but as far as the world was concerned it'd only poked its head out a little. Iino Miko didn't tell lies, but she would avoid babbling the full details of things that were meant to be secret, not only for her own good but for the good of others as well. There was a claim that Takao thought he could pretend to be a student under the right circumstances and get pretty far with it, it triggered a memory in Miko that made her chuckle. "Oh, like when you avoided the paparazzi by wearing that one hoodie for weeks so they couldn't prove the pictures were new~" she mused. It was a really easy way for him to get around, she admired his ingenuity. "I still don't think it's worth it, you'd be better off sneaking into my house... to ambush me when I get home," she said which was much easier than what he was trying to do in the first place. Not that it mattered there was a certain amount of freedom present in her life right just now. Still there was a conversation happening that now included Kaguya and she wasn't the type to let go of the notions she was processing. For her part in this Ai had been rather quiet but she too was thinking about the nature of Iino Miko and wondering about how deep her Gaia side secret could run. "Sou ka, that's what you have to say about it. That's a really smooth answer there on your part too... Taka-niisama. I suppose we all spend a lot of time, covering for Mi-chan. I wonder if that's a skill~" Kaguya said as if she wasn't thinking about it. "We are under a trial period for the Ashikaga Corporation, so it's a spur the moment trip for us, which involves us, living in Osaka for some unknown time period. They even set us up with temporary schooling but, it's still spring break so we have time to goof off a bit," Kaguya gave the generic version of the truth which had been fed to them by Marisbury Animusphere a couple of days ago. "That, but Kaya-sen and I left a bit earlier than everyone else in a rush. And I heard your music quite a bit yesterday while I was out and it made me think of you. I offered to bring Kaya-sen and when Ai-sen showed up I brought her too, that's all..." Miko added the rest, again leaving out some key details as to what they'd been up to the previous day exactly. But she couldn't help but notice the evasive tactics being given off here. It was like Takao was trying to move attention back to him and off of Iino Miko. Shutara would only serve to make the same situation more obvious, "Hai, he's definitely right about that. These are so much cooler than the last set too. And I always enjoy the company at the shows~" she said showing off a pin that was clipped to one of her hips, also willingly throwing herself into the fray. In normal situations, Miko would have been happy to fall back and allow others to take all the heat for her, but she'd been practicing bravery a bit lately and knew that both sides knew exactly what they were doing. "I mean I am down with taking one," Ai mentioned immediately. "Anything to get another chance to run into more Aeon's cover faces... I am working on a collection I think!~" she said pleasantly. "Yeah, I want one too. You guys are fun, though there is only one celebrity I really want to meet~" Kaguya said lightly. Everyone in their friend group knew that Kaguya was a fanatic about one specific musician. And that little hint left Miko going completely still, as if she thought not moving would keep her out of this conversation. 'I'm going to have to tell her my Gaia secret. And then sometime later I am going to have to tell Takao my Alaya secret... I didn't sign up for this much stress in such a short time period! I mean I already told my parents, and they seem to handle all of my secrets pretty well, maybe it won't be too bad. I mean, we've already been naked together a lot lately so what's one more thing... Though I'm never going to hear the end of this once she knows. She's going to be so mad.'

While Miko quietly came to the conclusion that she'd be maybe outing herself to her closest friends, Rita was making friends with an elf from another world over the supposed research he was doing into her family. Her own ideations about hive minds seemed to fuel the man's thoughts. And the more he spoke the clearer his ideations became to her. Odd though it was, she'd never been one to shy away from a thought exercise and she was always willing to suspend her belief in reality to help along the next person. "I would be the most volatile. Risa-nee could be a path of the hive towards stability, both for the sake being emotionally mature and comfortable in herself," she said giving it some thought. "Meanwhile, Miko-chan is still young and malleable with less fixed tastes... but still far more emotional maturity than one would expect of a teenager. She's still open to searching and accepting of the outcomes. Not quite comfortable with herself but that usually comes with life experience, making her more favorable if variety is something that is needed for that whole hive mind," she said. "Meanwhile, I am the most open to outside influences and less stable emotionally. I'm pretty open-minded but I'd say my own path is pretty unstable beneath my feet presently so....most likely to lash out and destroy myself as a matter of cleaning up after my own bad decisions, which I acknowledge the faults of but still punish myself over more like a hive clean-up crew and monitoring given my own passive habits and hobbies. Yeah, that makes sense~" she said before taking her last bite. "Gochisosamadeshita!~ I haven't had something so good before. I'll end up spoiled on food like this~" she claimed leaning back for another sip of beer. "I should tell Risa-nee about this, she writes fiction she'd probably find it interesting. Oh and slightly unrelated since you fed me and all... I did bake a couple of cakes the other day. I gave one away but I still have one if you wanted to try it." she said giving the man an open offer for dessert.