Charles Patricius

[Bloodedge]

The general consensus about pipe organs was not a positive one. Fair enough, they often sounded horrible even when they weren't anti-demon machines made by a tyrant god. Those problems aside, the exchange was now officially worthwhile. "They weren't so bad the last time I heard them. I'm not sure if any of you know the guy, but... one person plays it well," he commented. In a matter of moments, Yugi pinpointed the time in which he'd be delivering Johanna's most recent... or rather, her first child. Strangely enough, it would be shortly after Johanna herself was created. "Damn. Younger you is an understatement. Looks like I'm dropping this off at the start of your origin, so... I guess we'll meet on the night of your birthday. Literally," he said while pulling the soul of Johanna's unborn child into a tangible sphere, which he'd proceed to pocket in his own magical storage. "Job's done... for now. You can go back to doing whatever you want. Or whomever~" he urged, freeing the lass to seek whatever additional pregnancies she desired.

All the while, Akira stared at his phone with the strangest form of curiosity. He really couldn't figure out which direction this exchange was leaning in, as had been the case since he'd met Nanami Mami. The most important thing now was avoiding a situation in which Mami and Chizuru's arrivals overlapped. Worse still, there was a chance of Mami appearing while Yuusuke was nearby. He'd never stop feeling the physical pain from that one. Sadly, Mami had the opposite intended reaction to his diversion, even believing his desire for her visit was apparent. Well, he wasn't totally against the idea; there was still a chance of success with her. "I'm begging for the opposite! Really, the doctors are just doing their jobs to help me get back on my feet!" he replied. Of course, if he had the opportunity to bug a doctor for company, Akira had a long list of reasons he'd want to do so now. Alas, those reasons had nothing to do with his attempt to dissuade Mami.

Whatever the case, Mami would have to wait around for half an hour more. Slightly winded with the lingering effects of the previous night's alcohol, Hiroshi seemed to finally be in a state to move downstairs into the convenience store. He stepped out of the washroom and began donning clothes right away, turning around in the midst of dressing just to check the state of Nara Rita. "Hah... I'm surprised. I thought that would be a much longer study, but... that peculiar move when you turned around last may result in a longer session than either of us intends for the moment. You have a new worker beginning today, correct? I think I should put off my additional curiosities for the sake of responsibility for now."

[Apollymi]

Though everyone seemed to hate pipe organs, one person of Yugi's knowledge could play it well, likely post the break. Miko perked up at that information, she doubted the possibility of that after they still sounded weird to her post destruction. "If there's a guy who can make that sound good, I'll fuck him," Miko confirmed without hesitation. Well, this one did understand her ability to feed others, if she really wanted to fuck someone she could make it work... even if she had to pump someone full of the mana from one of her stomachs. Of course, she'd have sex with many people but musicians held a special place in her desire box. Meanwhile, Yugi was sliding through Johanna's Origin looking for the right place to pin her 'first' child. His commentary made her laugh just a little, "Yep. Thanks for the birthday wishes~" Johanna said jokingly. Her arrival in the world had been less good than it could have been but there were a few good things that happened in her life. Still her little one was pocketed and the job was complete. She was sent off to amuse herself as she wished, which mostly involved the creation of another baby in most cases. "Thanks! Us later or are you taking the IOU from the younger me?" she asked as she began the process of wandering off likely to assault at least one Wise during this game. She was still interested after all.

Meanwhile, Nanami Mami was reading into a text conversation based on her own interpretation of a personality. Her logic said a soft person would try not to worry others and not to be obtrusive as much as possible. Still his next message seemed almost panicked. Was he trying not to be seen? Or was it simply a matter of not wanting to appear desperate for attention? It could be either, she did tease him a lot. He'd obviously be so relieved to see her. No one else would go, well there was the eccentric and the adopted sister, but that would only be curtesy. "Calm down, you're so needy, Akira-kun. I'll be there around 5. I'm on a short shift~" she texted seeming to have missed the point completely. Oh well, that wait would continue on for Mami but at least there was the teasing of Akira. She'd of course stop by, say hi. Show off a bit and maybe play up a bit of sympathy? That seemed about the right thing to do, he'd be grateful to see her and she could then have ab it more access to him.

In the meantime Rita had finally exited the shower, seemingly pleased by that long term experience of the last night. Her own hangover wasn't anything to worry about, she didn't often get those from drinking beer, and a decent amount of exercise had indeed worked out most of the issues. She'd have a bottle of water once she was downstairs and maybe some cake and feel fine. "Yeah, can't really afford to be so irresponsible initially. Under other circumstances, since it is Golden Week I might have actually just closed the shop for the day, but new hires, and adding a bit more of a buffer to the payroll is necessary~" Rita said as she walked towards a dresser wrapped in a towel. She pulled out several articles of clothing, including a matching bra and thong, a violet colored lace with black trim. She'd also find herself some comfortable clothes a light sweater dress and some leggings would be her choice in clothing today. Of course, she didn't have to do anything but run her fingers through her new short haircut and she was mostly ready to go.

[Bloodedge]

The number of people surprised by Miko's assertion was, in all likelihood... a whopping zero. Everyone knew who she was, how she was, and what she was. There was a cumulative sigh from Yugi, dozens of Wises, Hiruko and more when she spoke those words. "We know, Cle─ah!" was the call-out of Kazu, who seemed to be both surprised and silenced in a corner of abusive behavior. Why? Well, that was the fault of his partner for the time being. Yugi had nothing to add there, keeping his attention on Johanna. Birthday wishes were not his intention, but he'd keep that major event in mind and throw in something special. "Don't thank me now. Thank me in the past~" he joked. Regarding her offer and whether he'd take it later or in said past, Yugi would make only one choice. There were certain things he wouldn't do, and among them... was ruining a good thing. "Future, not past. What you and your husband have is a special thing. I'm not going to show up early and ruin that ─ not in this timeline. Maybe bend it over for me and we'll keep the party going a little longer today♥~"

Speaking of things going a bit longer than normal, or perhaps longer than originally intended, Akira much preferred the idea of Mami's visit having a much earlier window. 5pm may have been the most terrible time for her shift to allow visitation. Had she chosen to approach the hospital during morning hours, he would have found it more acceptable. Surely his doctor would allow something like that before any consultations or such things, right? "You're not already working though right? Wouldn't it be easier to get it out of the way before work if you're so set on it? I might be sleeping!" he said in a desperate attempt to make something else work.

Meanwhile, Hiroshi fenagled his way into a pair of trousers with only minor difficulty. A human body with such long legs was truly problematic; he didn't understand how they functioned under these limitations. While he adjusted and moved on to slipping arms into sleeves one by one, Rita's words reached his ear. The thing called Golden Week could have been an excuse to leave the shop closed? A mental note had to be taken about that; perhaps he'd question the others about this world's festivities later. Regardless, the shop would open even if at a later time than intended, and a new youngling to guide would begin their journey. "Even with the loss of time, I'm sure I can manage excellent profits for your sake today. It would go against my pride to do anything but succeed with someone under my tutelage," he assured while... interestingly enough, struggling to look away from Rita. One thing Hiroshi found difficult was dealing with human undergarments and how they accentuated magnificent forms such as hers. The mature demeanor Rita boasted added a different form of appeal more relatable to the known divine as well. "Ahem. For the sake of propriety, it may be best if I don't see this part of your morning routine. Even I have difficulty with restraint under some circumstances. Shall we go?"

[Apollymi]

Miko was, exactly what she was... and at the point she was at in her life, she was... unabashedly honest about it in certain company. As Miko was in such company currently such things kept slipping from her mouth, it probably also helped that she was beyond intoxicated. So what would she have to say, when Kazu tried to say something to her and seemed to be stopped on her name for reasons she thought were obvious? "You can't say my name like that when you aren't inside me♪! Punish him♪!~" Yep, that was all she had to say on the matter, a happy chuckle escaped Kimiko as she floated around still watching the on going game. It would be the one who caused the speech problem with Kazu, who was riding him, against that wall where she'd forced him to the floor at some point to ask a legitimate question. Though she'd follow through with the punishment as well, slamming herself into his lap while she choked him just a little harder. "Who let Mi-pai pregame?" was all she wanted to know. They had rules against that sort of thing on Jupiter. Meanwhile, Yugi and Johanna were having a conversation, in which she was to thank him in the past, she thought she did, well... she wasn't rude so that was likely. "Sure," she said about that. As for their IOU, it would appear that it was being taken from her future, if only because Yugi wasn't going to interrupt the balance in the relationship between her and Kazu during this particular time line. That was fine, his flirt registered and she chuckled, "I'll make sure you see it, I have another thing to make right now~" she claimed knowing there were quite a few contributions she could have to this party.

Meanwhile, Akira was trying his best to dissuade Mami, but for her it just sounded like pining. It was cute and worth giving him a bit of the carrot from the stick she'd once dangled over his head. "Don't be silly. My shift was supposed to start an hour ago, the store is late opening up. No biggie, but I can't leave right now. Don't worry about it... I'll show up to see you even after work~" she aimed to calm him down but all the while she held a sadistic little smile. How cute was it that he was so worked up? No random doctors or nurses to talk to and an opening all day. He was practically telling her he didn't have anything going on in his life. How could she do anything but give him a bit more happiness?

Ah, but eventually she'd find that convenience store opening, if only because Hiroshi and Nara Rita were actually managing to get dressed the second time around. So assured was Hiroshi about gaining profits and doing his best with someone under his tutelage. "Well, she has experience as a cashier already, so it probably won't be too much by the way of teaching but I'm still relying on you," she said about the working function of their relationship. Apparently though, it wasn't just that, he claimed not watch her morning rituals as a man who had difficulty with restraint. A deviant little smirk came over her face, "Well, that is definitely esteem boosting as a compliment... we'll circle back to that later~" she claimed as she was now fully dressed in that loose sweater which clung to her curves and a pair of leggings she'd slip on shoes as she headed down with him. "We can go, thank you~" she claimed as they made their way down, she'd flip a few switches, the lights would turn on within the store as well as some other things. She had grabbed her keys on the way down to unlock the doors and start them as well and would leave Hiroshi to his setup.

[Bloodedge]

Apparently, there was an issue with Kazu trying to address Miko as 'Clea' without being inside her at the time. That was news to him; he called her that name almost exclusively in his own timeline. "Woah, party fo─ah─howl!" Interrupted once again by a meteoric slam down onto his pelvis. It seemed he wouldn't be capable of many words for a while, but... that was to be expected. As for the question of who let Miko pregame, the answer would come from one who kept himself beyond the rules of planets, organizations, and... well, most things. "Let is a very specific word. I made her do it. Diplomatic immunity," Yugi commented. Having something of an arrangement with Johanna, Yugi would be seen shooing the lass away to whatever endeavors she sought for the moment. While she sauntered off, his eyes shifted toward the scene of a Kazuhiko being mounted into the dirt. "Oh, punish him extra by the way. Cosmic level," he goaded for completely separate reasons.

Akira met nothing but critical failure when dealing with Mami. It seemed his every attempt to redirect any visit she intended only solidified her plan to do so after work. He couldn't even think of another response to send. If nothing else, he'd have to figure out another way of managing the situation some hours into the day's future. Life had become so annoying lately. "Ugh. This isn't the kind of issue I thought I'd have. I should figure out how to manage these things better," he mused aloud while lowering the phone to his chest. That half an hour would pass without Akira sending another message. In that same time, Hiroshi was getting past his issues with... well, simply maintaining his own demeanor in certain situations. Apparently, Rita thought that was something to address again at a later time. Hiroshi cleared his throat. "Yes, I suppose that would be acceptable. As you were then," he said. Glasses were pushed up onto the bridge of Hiroshi's nose as he and Rita moved downstairs. As the owner herself went about setting up lights and the like to open the store, Hiroshi took his place at the pot to assemble necessary ingredients for the day's ramen broth. He figured that would be the first thing this new employee was taught whenever she was let in. "I'll be here assembling necessities. The girl should at least be shown how to concoct this broth; patrons seem to obsess over it."

[Apollymi]

Apparently, Kazuhiko took issue with a punishment being issued for the choice of name he called Miko. Her admonishment was not for the name itself, but simply how it hit her ears, but before she could speak this the call of 'party foul' was somewhat uttered. "Psssh! Not about what was said but how it sounded... another♫!~" Miko gripped but given how she currently felt and what she was currently doing it was far from purely serious. Well, that didn't matter as Jean's question would be answered by none other than Yugi while she continued that rather dangerous ride she was going on. "Diplomatic Immunity... sure, but the Party Monster is...well, I guess you'll see or you know, whichever~" Jean said, it was a party, so surely a drunk and aggressive Miko was well within parameters since, she'd been made to become that way. Whatever the case Kazu was supposed to be punished extra up to the Cosmic level. "Hm, I mean... I'll do it, I should probably know why though..." Jean said as her movements continued. The aggression within the movements was one thing but her big deal thing was an applied pressure which stuck her to things. For the sake of the current example, Kazu's cock would be grasped completely within her being forced to meet her pull, shape and turns in an exact sort of way and forced to shift perfectly with the movements she chose. An almost magnetic force which covered the whole surface of her insides would be applied as she rode making her stick to him and him stick to her. Just the same that hand which had grabbed his throat shifted just a bit, "Do I want to know what you did? Do you even know?" she asked of Kazu with a knowing smirk on her lips as she leaned him to give him just a little kiss but that didn't change the power of the collision happening between their loins, magical or physical.

Meanwhile, Akira was learning that it would be quite difficult to balance his different forms interaction. Regardless of the form of it he chose, that was likely true, but until then, and with no more responses coming to Mami, she waited outside. To the final commentary of Hiroshi, Rita had something to say, he'd been quite cute in his studiousness, she'd have to make sure to continue being nice to him. As for his plans, "That does seem fine. But I can't say cooking experience was a requirement for hiring... new age kids don't always do that sort of thing," Rita added to soften the potential blow. What she'd gotten from her earlier talks with Mami didn't imply that she did a lot of things for herself but she wouldn't form any hard opinions about that from the start. Many were surprisingly adept whether they mentioned it or not. She'd only warned Hiroshi as he seemed to lack worldly expeirence with the 'normal youth'. Soon enough, Rita was opening the main door and letting her in. "Nanami-chan, sorry to keep you waiting it's a bit of a rough start today," Rita offered with no deals. Mami, in the moment schooled her face, playing at being the acceptable cute and innocent girl in a job. "Don't worry about it. It's a holiday week, I'm sure lots of people are having rough starts..." she said smiling at the woman and having a quick look at her. She turned her head down and aimed to follow her in, but there was something annoyingly familiar about that woman's face, and that body was beyond rude to everyone else in the area. 'Late start? Yeah, right... long night is more like it,' she thought having to fight the urge to scoff. "Good of you to be so forgiving. Fukuyama-san is making the broth for the ramen so he'd like to teach you that... since you know how to cashier the rest will be pretty standard stuff," she said pointing Mami towards that area to start her day. "Hai, I mean if it's part of the job, I'll try." Mami said trying her best not to seem annoyed.

[Bloodedge]

At the call of another, Kazu was put at the receiving end of yet another dick-breaking slam ─ or at least what would have been if he wasn't so awesome! Well, that was how he thought about it at least. Alas, he'd have nothing else to think about for quite a while, as Jean's aggressive treatment of his lower half and neck would only be goaded further by Yugi. First addressing mention of the 'party monster' as Jean called the other Jovian lass, Yugi floated upright and crossed his arms in a manner most casual. "Mm. No need to finish that. You just gave my response. This is a party," he declared. In that time, Kazu was unable to truly answer Jean's question. In truth, he had no idea what he'd done to earn any sort of punishment ─ at least apart from what he'd already been sentenced to the Boundary for. Yugi had an answer, though. "If you want to know why, I'll tell you. Or... I'll let everyone figure it out. Why, when I spoke with Guin, did she start with a Spade? Why did I have to awaken her first Diamond? And why ─ and this one is really important ─ why is Paradox specifically targeting Kazu and Anna during a date in Venice instead of... I dunno, literally any other time and place on your planet full of paradoxes? Anna, got any clarity for me? I do wonder what Venice looks like. . ."

While that indirect interrogation was happening just outside of natural causality, Hiroshi was assembling an assortment of ingredients. He set out things such as mushrooms, nori, bonito flakes, miso paste and so-on. There, with a large pot filled with broth and another containing nothing, he waited and watched. Understandable though it was that human youth had such limited skill sets, he believed this simple recipe had already become too integral to the convenience store's business model moving forward. It was knowledge he had to impart, lest this new girl be incapable of properly serving customers in his absence. Ah, but what would the girl's opinion be? Rita let her into the building in due time, so Hiroshi was able to watch her demeanor. Something about her was just slightly off, yet he couldn't quite place it. Whatever the case, he waited patiently for Mami's arrival. "Nanami Mami, yes? You seem studious enough," he commented, noting that she seemed to be contemplating and working through a few things just moments prior. "Fukuyama Hiroshi. For this first segment, I'll be sharing with you something that has quickly become favored by our patrons. Come. For starters, you should try this for yourself." As he spoke, Hiroshi was already preparing a small bowl ─ one in which he poured a sample size of tare, broth and oil before dipping a pinch of noodles into a small pot of boiling water.

[Apollymi]

Jean was playing the role of enforcer as she rode Kazu. It was something which happened from time to time, and even with a Miko from a prior time, she felt the necessity of answering that particular call when it was made. Kazu got to feel the greatness or torment of that moment, whatever what he thought about it. Speaking of the 'party monster' as she was being called by Jean was apparently allowed due to the fact that this was a party. That was fine, as this wasn't a Jupiter specific issue Jean didn't feel the need to mediate, apparently Miko was free to her behavior. "It is a party, have fun, Mi-pai!~" Jean encouraged, she was the type to want everyone to have the best time possible. A cute little chime came from Miko as she continued the actions she was taking. But what about Kazu? He was on the receiving end of cosmic level treatment while Yugi questioned him. Jean was right... there was something he didn't know what he'd done. Jean kissed him, knowing he was likely in trouble and the line of questioning from Yugi made it sound like he was indeed in trouble. The list of questions Yugi asked were noted by others, and there were a couple who wouldn't activtely participate in thinking about it, but Makima was sitting in her chair looking mildly amused. She looked towards Peldio and found it odd that she wasn't a bit further along. Meanwhile, Anna, who'd wandered to a far edge was looking a bit wide eyed. "Eh? Venice? It looked like Venice I guess, I hadn't been there before... just buildings, and good food, and a lot of canals everywhere, and boats, nice boats weird names. And people with big sticks..." confirmed Johanna, though she wasn't sure why this was a problem. "Hm, someone's been naughty~" Makima mentioned those ringed eyes of hers darting towards that corner of the room.

Meanwhile, Mami was having her first day of work. She was thinking through her own look and finding the idea of cooking a bit daunting. In truth she wasn't really a 'kitchen' person. She'd never been around while her mother cooked and her father was the type of man to bring home dinner on his way back, this wasn't in her normal skill set at all. In fact, she even ate out most times as a college student. According to this man he saw her as studious enough, she wasn't sure exactly what he meant by that, but he did at least know her name and seemed to be pretty solid on his feet. There was a decent amount of business in here the previous days and she could see he'd had something to do with that. She was apparently, first going to taste this new recipe. Ramen was pretty common, though she preferred meat dishes she could see he was serious enough about it. She'd play dutiful student and have it hopefully cover any inconsistencies in her abilities. "Hajimemashite, Fukuyama-san... did you make this recipe yourself?" she presented the question while looking at this concoction of pieces. If building the bowl was all she had to do, it wouldn't be too bad. Within a certain distance of Hiroshi the faint smell of alcohol was recognizable. 'A late night, together? I didn't seem him arrive...' she thought absently. 'Which one started it?' she was left to wonder as she waited for this taste test.

[Bloodedge]

While Kazu was being abused and managing little more than grunts and gasps beneath Jean, Yugi was gradually floating closer and closer. Of course, he kept himself in position to be near Johanna as well, as she'd be quite relevant by the end of his questioning rant. According to her, Venice was quite the normal place... in regards to historical accuracy. Buildings, food, canals, boats and 'big sticks' were what one typically noted when visiting Venice, but there was something strange about Johanna's description specifically. "Gondolas. Those boats are called gondolas, which are one of the first things people envision when they think of Venice. Crazy thing though, gondolas..." he mused while turning toward Makima. She seemed to know where things had gone south, and perhaps how south they'd gone. "Right? You were there, weren't you? Or... you will be there. Venice? The first 'last' carnival? Flood? The reason nobody knows what a gondola is anymore?" he questioned, recalling a few trips to Venice's final moments above the water's surface. At least one of those visits in time involved Makima and a gondola that should never have existed, well after the 'last' one sank into a crack in reality. Such a thing happened long before the time from which Kazu and the others in his era were pulled.

Hiroshi seemed to treat the accumulation of ingredients like it was second nature. Nonchalance took him as he picked this topping and that, setting them aside for use in the near future. He grabbed a pair of chopsticks just to stir the noodles, all while keeping a curious eye on Mami. Her introduction was quite standard. He saw no excitement for learning something in her visage, nor did he see any semblance of interest. How strange; something told him she was the studious type. How did she register as capable of absorbing and regurgitating knowledge without having some of the more basic traits? Perhaps he'd find out in time. First, there was the question about this particular recipe. "It is not entirely my recipe; I merely made some adjustments. Now, I do have a question," he mentioned while swiftly twirling chopsticks to collect every noodle in that pot at once, fishing them out and dropping them straight into the broth-filled bowl. A few toppings were artfully placed near the bowl in an appealing display, though none were placed inside as he slid the bowl toward Mami. "You seem to have a very active mind, but I don't think it relates to learning this recipe. Why might that be?"

[Apollymi]

Johanna was being told about the weird boats, apparently known as Gondolas. "Right, that's the word," she said while watching this exchange. It seemed to be quite a bit more problematic than it could have been. Was there a problem with them visiting Venice? Well, Johanna wouldn't have known, she'd never been before and didn't know what it was supposed to look like. Still she was learning and it would seem that Makima knew an exact problem and so did Kimiko. "I knew I felt something weird earlier... but how many times does a gondola come up in random conversation?" Kimiko murmured. Convergences were always a bit odd, and fishing up a specific Kazu was something she did with the intention of getting a specific personality, but it seemed she'd fished up one who'd done something rather strange, which he'd been telling them since his appearance. Jean for her part in this continued that abusive ride, context clues said Kazu had done another 'bad' thing, how bad was up for debate. "Sounds like trouble...you've done it now, Kacchan~" Jean said. Just the same Makima chuckled, "Yes, I was there... when I ask for things from you they are always worth it, in the end..." she mused. They had been on a date during that time period in answer to a specific request and during that date 'gondolas' had ceased to be.

Meanwhile, Mami was trying to figure out the nature of the relationship between the owner of the store she worked in, and the store manager. Such an exchange meant either one of them was getting power over the other, or one of them was looking for security. That was the only thing that made sense. She wasn't truly interested in the work, but that was fine, she only worked for spending money anyway. Apparently, there was a question to be posed to Mami, framed by Hiroshi while he put together the bowl of ramen for her. She looked at it and it did indeed look appetizing. It smelled nice and seemed like it'd be reasonable to eat, if nothing else, she figured it was worth a taste as intended. There was also the dexterity of Hiroshi and his general attitude to consider. Why would a man that tall, and that attractive be working in a store, fixing recipes and acting as store manager? Was he a criminal? A foreigner? Did he have some game he was playing? The options were plentiful, the bowl was placed in front of her and she found herself on the receiving end of a rather, direct question. She paused as she looked at the bowl. Briefly, did her eyes flicker over that man's face. He wore glasses, had sharp features and overly intelligent eyes behind those lenses. His tone, was calm, even, factual... familiar. 'Ugh, he reminds me of Dad, while he's at work,' she decided mentally. That gave her a better place to work from mentally. "Fukuyama-san, you're really putting me on the spot, it's only my first day, take it easy on me?" she questioned gently offering big eyes and a small bit of shame it was an emotional plea the kind that generally worked on most adult men, when a cute girl seemed to be a bit soft. "It does look quite nice, maybe the best of such a thing I've ever seen," she said softly, choosing not to answer the question really, but feigning innocence. "I'll try this now, itadakimasu," she murmured. she got her spoon and tasted the soup first, it was interestingly deep for something one could get from a convenience store. Then she moved onto the noodles and toppings seeming to enjoy a few bites of each. Actually, this was really good. If nothing else, if she learned this she could use it later... a single dish could be used to lure in a man who was hungry, though she didn't want to cook, it could be a cute gesture to use at some point. All the while, Rita was checking a few things on her laptop. Mostly checking the active feed on some cameras she'd set up around the store, including a few hidden ones for everyone's protection. There was a sign up about CCTV so she wasn't violating anyone's rights. And she could protect the employees and not just herself.

[Bloodedge]

Gondola was the correct word. Of course it was. Yugi sighed immediately after Johanna gave that final confirmation. The rulers of Pluto were far too early in their timeline for some of the things that happened during this event. As a result, Yugi himself may have heavily altered the timeline, whether for better or for worse. He'd see what sort of tweaks needed to be made in this version of history later, but for now... "I knew it too, but I didn't realize what it was until something major was already done out of order. And oi, gondolas come up a lot! Well... maybe not as gondolas, but starskiffs and a bunch of other spinoffs have to count, right?" he said to Kimiko as they happened to float past each other and a somewhat natural-looking orbit had a circling occur. "This could be a major offense ─ like an actual one. It could be good though, depending on a few other things done by certain people. I was thinking of quarantining Jupiter. Do we have room for all those people at home? I'm not sure if we want that many of them in the vicinity of Cas and Lil for that long," he mused. Ah, but the commentary of Makima did not escape him. What she said about her requests of him was precisely what he aimed for. As anyone could expect, he'd be flirting in response. "Glad you think so. You can ask me for some other things anytime you want. Nudge nudge, wink wink~" he urged, almost always ready to do Makima's bidding. "Me too!" said quite a few Wises in the vicinity. Kazu tried to speak, but he couldn't get the air up his throat past Jean's hand. If he could though, he would have concurred; such was the nature of the 'Good Boys' as they called themselves.

Hiroshi slid that bowl over and moved right along to pouring bone broth into that previously empty large pot. The way Mami gave her opening response to his query was... deflecting. At no point did she actually react to the question with anything resembling an answer. How strange. Visually, he'd place this human in the same age category as his daughter, his apprentice and their comrades, but she may have lacked some key traits he attributed to her capacity as he perceived it. "Hm? Have I missed some social cue? I'll have to request your patience, as I am still adjusting to local behavior," he said first and foremost, seeming to abandon the question for the moment. Alas, Hiroshi was an identity born into this world only days prior. At his core, he remained Ailen: an elf of great renown. As such, his next words were... "Allow me to rephrase my query into an observation. You seem more than capable of absorbing more knowledge than one can use in a human lifetime, but your curiosity now appears unrelated to your duties in this establishment. That is something I may seek further understanding of while we work together. Nevertheless, how do you find the dish? As of yesterday, we should assume sixty percent of our patrons for the next two weeks will be here simply to try it."

[Apollymi]

Kimiko was floating naturally around the room and as context filled in the gaps it became obvious that Pluto's rulers had been more than a little to immature for this particular party. Like an elementary schooler dragged along to a high schooler's activities, she'd call it. Especially given the early behaviors of the little Jovians by comparison. "Well, some things happening out of order doesn't hit the senses the same way. Starskiffs sure, but when is the last time you were on the Luofu? It's good that they make their comebacks and all but it's not something any one thinks about regularly. And Venice itself was kind of a giveaway thinking about it in hindsight..." Kimiko uttered. As the Venus pair talked and floated their natural orbit led them to circling each other, which was interesting to see from the perspective of the others. "I don't see the fall out being bad in this case. A few tweaks and we should get the best suited outcome from the materials we currently have access to. Just a few little suggestions, a couple of moments to make sure certain personalities stick," Kimiko uttered quickly. Managing resources was a bit easier in this case, and knowing one of them for as long as she had it was easier for her to make a few assumptions on how certain events would be more effective this time around. "We technically have room, and Cas and Lil would both enjoy the company given what the group would be like. It's a relatively safe time as well," Kimiko stated of time on Venus right at the moment. That particular pair of individuals on Venus liked physical contact but the weaker in the universe couldn't always touch them without negative consequences. Meanwhile Makima's statement got her a flirt in return. She could only chuckle at the antics of certain young men around her, and she was always mused by it. "I suppose, I'll ask for something else when the time is right~" she answered back to both Yugi and Wise. Kazu normally included was being choked by Jean as she rode him, each movement seemed to be causing a shift. Paler blonde hair was peeking through, growing downwards. A skimpy black dress was replacing those light colored tights and formal attire. And even that hand around his neck had black slightly clawed nails as she continued to pummel him with the force of her body. Inside her became noticeably denser and oppressively hot as well, only contributing to the punishment he was feeling based on the other things. "You've been fucking up hard, huh? Can't let you off the hook!~" she claimed as she continued roughness just for the sake of it, while punishments and the like were being decided.

Meanwhile, that convenience store likely held in it, one of the most 'human' individuals this world could currently offer for observation. Mami, had tried more normal tactics, diverting attention away from herself and making an emotional plea. Most adult men would have stopped figuring that they were pressing on a touchy subject. In her own experience, most wouldn't want to do that as they tried to figure out how to get into her pants. But... Hiroshi wasn't a normal human adult by her understanding of him in this moment. He asked if he'd missed a social cue, 'Foreigner.' she decided mentally. 'Or someone from the boonies, his language skills are really good. But he's lacking normal social interaction. Like the lab nerds but a grown up, weird.' she decided in the moment. She kept eating from that bowl only to slow down her chewing process as it became obvious that Hiroshi wasn't going to give up on his line of questionilng. No, instead he was going to rephrase it into an observation. "Fukuyama-san, has anyone told you... you are too smart to hold this job? Because you are..." she offered, but was that a compliment? Well, from her it was something else. Still there was a certain amount of lightness to retain, she simply had to figure out how to make this one less curious about her and she could move on. Or maybe him being curious was a good thing? "Missing social cues sometimes is normal... there is a bit of an age gap between us. Don't worry about it too much. It's normal though the way you think about things is a little odd everyone is different," she said aloud going the pensive but cute route instead. As for the meal she'd continued to eat. "It's delicious, really," she said in a genuine way. "Way better than anything I'd expect to find in a convenience store so I guess that makes sense of why it's so busy here..." she said. Admittedly she was still deflecting from several of his points about herself, but it seemed he might be some sort of outcast. It would be easy to make him side with her so long as Rita herself didn't interfere, and it seemed the big boss was busy.

[Bloodedge]

"Not too long ago, actually. And everywhere you go, it's 'hop in the starskiff' this, or 'I got a new starskiff' that. Though I guess that could have been not long after they became mainstream," Yugi surmised about recent trips to the Luofu. Regardless of gondolas and their eventual variants, Yugi wondered how to properly address the issue of Kazu's recent mishap. In doing so, there was also the matter of Pluto's leaders and their desynchronization event. Kimiko thought things would be managed easily enough. As they floated around each other, he decided that was not untrue... though it was no less annoying. "Blech. All things considered, I guess it won't take much intervention ─ if any at all. Either way, I guess I've got an explanation to finish. Probably getting rid of the third infant while I'm at it," he said while finally breaking orbit and floating slowly past Makima, all to eventually reach the still silent Arthur. "Ho? If you're waiting for another time, I'm guessing it's gonna be a good one," he commented while passing Makima. Once he was near Arthur, Yugi gazed upon a face that had no additional understanding of the earlier lesson. "Ȳdragon," he said, freeing Arthur's voice and prompting an immediate utterance ─ something he did only to silence Arthur in a less-magical way with a raised hand. "You didn't get any of it, huh? The answer is... it's all bonds, and the strongest one wins. What I'm telling you is, your ideals don't hold any weight. At any point, the strongest bond to a soul wins and determines the most suitable path to evolution in the other. That's not necessarily the case for Clovers, but that's more a mutual growth and benefit thing. But... even a Clover can lose outright. The reason I say this isn't your fault, is... it's not your fault. It all started when Lancelot came knocking at your door. Since then, your girl's been a natural Spade attributed to the Void ─ to the way of Destroyers. If you don't wreck her shit at least every now and then, you're not doing what her soul needs. That's where we come in," he explained. Arthur was catching his breath and wracking his brain. "So you're telling me that's what these meetings have all been? Those 'treatments' were all─" Arthur attempted to speak. "Yes. Mostly. One has to wonder though, if somebody else is getting the job done in your place... what's the point of you? Not that it matters. Guin is the weak link of entities in that body, but I think even she agreed to make a transition. That's what I was supposed to take from that, right Pel?" Yugi finished, flipping upside-down to glance in Zmeya's direction.

According to the new-hire, Hiroshi was too smart to work in a convenience store. Objectively, there was no arguing her point... but Hiroshi was still the elf Ailen, and thus had a counterpoint to offer. "In its current state, yes, I suppose you would be correct. However, it is through a mind capable of bringing innovations that things, and people alike, may grow. There is much unrealized potential in this establishment, and I intend to have it realized during my tenure. Since you will be working here, I assume you are willing to help the process? Surely your compensation will increase alongside the revenue," he rambled. The oddities between them notwithstanding, Hiroshi saw enough potential in this young blonde to ignore the initial hiccups for now. There was, however, the fact that she continued avoiding the original topic. Perhaps there was a different form of tact necessary in this situation. "Hmm," he mumbled, leaving that matter where it lay. If nothing else, Mami acknowledged the quality of this store's newest product. "It's good that you enjoy it. Though I must say, you seem to require a different form of nourishment than something like a soup can provide. I would recommend looking into an expansion of your diet to address those needs. For now, look here. This broth is made better with time, so the current production will be for tomorrow, barring any emergency shortage from an influx of requests today. These here are the ingredients to assemble in the pot. Any questions, or missing knowledge about the ingredients or processes?"

[Apollymi]

Apparently, Yugi had been to the Luofu recently enough and claimed the mention and usage of Starskiffs was high, likely due to their recency. "Ara? Might have to stop through, it might be time for the War Dance if they are that popular~" Kimiko stated. It was always worth stopping through to see certain events, and that one was one of her favorites for its fanfare. As Kimiko and Yugi remained in orbit of each other, their discussion of the Pluto Pair's situation was something that Yugi obviously found annoying regardless of relative ease. "Definitely have to finish the explanation. And calling him an infant might be rude to the infants. He's more an egg at this point, with only a little crack in it," Kimiko stated almost objectively. There was always a bit of spunk missing from that one, a bit of grit, a bit of intuitiveness as she saw it. Such a thing had her hiring a second person to cover part of his duties and it seemed his wife had technically done the same thing as well. While Yugi floated off breaking the comfort of their orbit, Kimiko allowed her eyes to shift around quite a bit. Number of Wises was on a steady decrease while Makima could only chuckle, "Of course, I wouldn't waste an request.. or an opportunity," she claimed, as she turned to look at Arthur. He'd be speaking again soon and she wondered what he'd have to say. Instead of using the metaphor of infants or eggs, she'd call him an untrained dog. Maybe even a puppy whose eyes hadn't opened just yet. It seemed by Makima's own observations his eyes were at least taking in the light now, but it was blinding. He wasn't processing well the information that his wife had been deeply sexually active with various other individuals to fix her spiritual needs which he would not or could not do on his own, whichever was actually the case. As for the question posed to Zmeya she looked up from her position of comforting affection she was receiving at the hands of her best friend and gave a brief pause. Though her head wasn't filled with voices like Miko's she had a pretty reasonable understanding of her other selves through a different kind of sensation. "Yesss, that isss it. Ssshe was the last hold out. Myssself and the center were the firssst to pull away..." she explained the situation. As for what Arthur actually offered, Zmeya strangely knew, that the version of her who'd grown up on Alaya, had a certain human sentimentality which required emotional support. It wasn't that it couldn't be found elsewhere, but that she preferred it from Arthur. And she saw herself as protecting him from how bad the world could be, to be comforted and needed was a different sort of experience for that one... one she'd not been keen to let go of, even at the risk of all others within her form.

Meanwhile, Mami was given more information by Hiroshi, but she wasn't using it to process anything specific. No, he spoke of his placement being one for the growth and future of this place not a simple matter of him being too smart for this particular job. 'Sou ka, so... she started in on him and now he is putting his all into keeping up the store, even though it's well beneath him...' Mami thought. It was such an easy to see manipulation as she watched Rita move around the store taking notes and looking at a couple of common spots for the cameras she could already see. Oh well, places like this needed theft prevention, but by Mami's own logic Rita was definitely hovering and insecure. "Well, no one would say no to a raise. Doing my part while working here is only fair..." Mami said, with rehearsed casualness. Such was normal for what the older types wanted to hear from the 'youth'. Whatever else he was thinking of, there was obviously something going on here. She'd get to the bottom of it eventually and figure out how to leverage it for herself later. For now, she would be learning how to put together some soup, but not before an utterance about her nutrition or lack thereof. A sharp shift, made her lower her head and continue eating instead of answering immediately, if only because she was mentally furious for a moment, 'I can't believe he said that! Does he think I'm under developed? Any normal person would look that way compared to cow-tits fat ass over there...' she thought for a moment. After finishing the soup she could only shrug it off, looking up again with her more normal and innocent demeanor. "I'm a college student, we eat what we can most times. But I appreciate the sentiment. As for your explanation, are we just putting things into the pot in a specific order? I don't really have cooking experience but that doesn't seem too difficult..." she mused willing to at least look like the active participant if it would keep this man from prying into the state of her mind or commenting about her physical form. Time would pass as she tried to follow his instructions and do what was necessary, what the result of that would be after the prep-time was... yet to be determined.

[Bloodedge]

"Is it? Isn't that still a centennial thing?" Yugi wondered about the aforementioned War Dance. He'd missed the opportunity to attend during multiple visits to the Luofu, but perhaps he should have remembered its frequency as a very important figure at that location. Regardless of the Luofu and its celebrations, he couldn't find anything pleasing while having to guide Arthur. This should have been a much easier transition; Arthur should have been much farther ahead in his journey before this party. Well, it didn't make too much of a difference. Zmeya offered confirmation that only Guinevere held true to the blonde king of Pluto, but even that connection was now snapped. Of course, Yugi knew some things he'd never tell ─ things that would affect events heavily. That effect was precisely why Arthur wouldn't know a thing just yet. "There you have it. Even Guin's gone now, so I guess you dropped the ball. It all could have worked out if you two just had a conversation that didn't involve someone being set on their own decision before negotiations started. Anyway, this party's for filthy degenerates. Go have your boring dinner," Yugi concluded with the snap of his fingers, banishing Arthur back to his own time at long last.

If nothing else, it seemed Nanami Mami could be motivated with the idea of a raise. She also seemed a bit too focused on Rita for someone who'd already undergone her orientation. Whatever the cause of that was, Hiroshi would not concern himself with it. He had tasks to do, and ensuring they were done was the key to enabling Mami's continued efforts; failure and distraction were not options on his end. Her mention of being a college student was a strange attempted connection to lack of diet, and she appeared to react strangely when having her missing nutritional values addressed. "Hmm, I see. College must be a terrible thing if students are merely getting by. You seem to have been in brief contact with all the right things, though. Maybe there's just something you haven't had prepared properly?" he mused while stirring the pot. Mami did have a question; this was good. Questions came from inquisitiveness, and inquisitiveness led to wisdom. "Ah, yes! It really is that simple for this part. The ingredients over there are for the tare; they are almost as simple. In that case, you need only hydrate the mushrooms beforehand, and mind that the paste not be mixed into the rest while there is still heat above ambient temperature. From there, it will be the ratio I showed you with the sample bowl," he explained, seeming pleased to do so. With that, the morning process continued as Hiroshi worked to exemplify broth and tare production.