Charles Patricius

[Bloodedge]

Kazuhiko burst into the changing booth without so much as a second thought. He even placed Kei down on a bench inside, right next to the box of clothing without registering the strangeness of what was happening. Tunnel vision, she said in Russian. The moment he realized her voice was coming from within his dressing room, Kazu was already halfway through the stripping process. His shirt was flipped off as easily as his shoes were kicked away. He was in the middle of pulling down his pants when everything stopped. From there, he stared at the white-haired girl. Was this acceptable? Their first meeting resulted in more than a full day of awkwardness because he bore himself in front of her, and here he was about to do the same thing again without thinking. "Uh... my bad. I got excited and uh... rushed in. It's really not what it looks like!" he pleaded without hesitation.

Hiruko and Kama would be seeing a more specific movie later in their adventures. She saw it as a learning experience, but Hiruko thought it was best to curb any unnecessary expectations... if only a little. "Since it's you, I'm sure you'll learn a lot about how humans work. Remember though, it's just for enjoyment," he stated. Moving on to the phone call with Miko, she first noticed something strange about the quality of his voice... followed by that of Kama's when she spoke as well. Hiruko could figure there was some sort of magical sensory afoot, which made sense of multiple oddities surrounding that girl. No matter; he was quite interested in the request she'd messaged him for. Apparently, their group had grown quite a bit recently, despite already being quite large for their current resting place. The 'kids' she spoke of weren't all children either, strangely enough. "So magic makes insta-growth babies too? That's nifty," he said half-sarcastically, laughing as best he could. "To answer your first question... yeah, I'm kinda fine. I got a crash course on this whole magic thing, then immediately met some bombshell who almost killed me with sex. Sakucchi here says you're a healer and could maybe help me out with something related to that. As for a place to stay... you don't really have to ask me, even though I'd like you running it by me first. Don't forget you and Kayacchi are partial owners of Osaka's Diamond Casino... and Resort," he said with particular emphasis on the latter part. "Why not take a penthouse? They each take a whole floor. Your names should have enough clearance; and if they don't, just call me."

[Apollymi]

Kei watched after being placed on a bench, as Kazuhiko began stripping out of his clothes. She pointed out his tunnel vision in Russian and watched as he paused, mid-motion to look at her. The first thing out of his mouth was an apology and more pleading. There was something about that she found cute... even though she wasn't at all upset with him, it seemed like he'd been a bit compromised by their earlier interaction. "Iia, I get it. I'm not upset... I promise that contrary to what happened, I don't always just burst into tears... and I've already seen the show and I understand you more so go ahead. Show me how awesome you're gonna look in your new festival gear..." she mused as if this was simply a normal day to day activity. It wasn't, and her face still contained a stark blush but she wasn't actually upset this time. They'd moved on to something like more proper flirting and all so it wasn't like she'd be upset about anything at this point either. All the while she could almost forget their little date had an extra visitor who would undoubtedly be quite annoying when they returned outside. "Though, it's probably going to get a bit more annoying for you at this point... pests really don't know when to clear out," she said sighing... oh well, it could be worse.

At the same time, Hiruko was giving Kama a bit of advice about enjoyment. Apparently these movies were for entertainment purposes. "Sou ka, I'll keep it in mind," she vowed without hesitation. If it was supposed to be mostly for fun she could work with that, but she still didn't understand the complete reference to Science Fiction or why so much of human life seemed to be about entertainment. Soon enough there was a conversation with Miko about the nature of quick grown children. "Hai hai, if you are willing to ignore the natural order, Magic does some awesome stuff♪~" Miko replied with her own set of sarcasm. The words from Hiruko hit her ears and made her think... "Oh, right... that part completely slipped my mind. I've had a day not too different from yours... but also a smidge crazier than even I was prepared for, welcome to magic... once it starts it's not going to stop," Miko mused gently. "I'll run it by Kazuchii when he gets back and see about the ability to get some of us over there. So it would probably be late tonight or sometime tomorrow... I'll definitely let you know," she said feeling a bit dumb. "Kazuchii? That's a pretty quick turn around..." Kama observed knowing the girl had been quite stringent about the boundary she'd drawn between them before. "Hai♪~ It was so worth it♪~" Miko chimed about that particular boundary cross. "Oh, I also need a gun... but I can help you stabilize and make sure nothing is too off with you. I've gotten a lot of experience with it recently. Where are you?" she asked knowing that she now had her shoes on and could just make her way over if need be.

[Bloodedge]

According to Kei, things weren't nearly as problematic as Kazu assumed. That first night involved tears and a massive freak-out, but this... was different. She'd already seen all there was to see, and now wanted to see how great his new festival getup would be. Well, he wasn't going to keep her waiting for the awesomeness! "Really? YOSH! Badass incoming!" Kazu exclaimed, stripping away his pants with a single hop and tug. Once he was without clothes, full musculature and endowment on display, Kazu began pulling articles out of that box. "Gah! I haven't worn traditional Japanese stuff in... I guess a couple thousand years?" he mused. Either way, it didn't take much to figure things out. In about five minutes, he stood in that dressing room sporting an outfit consisting of a gray short-sleeved kimono, a black haori coat, red hakama pants with maple leaf designs, and black sandals with dark red tights. Half of his haori coat was worn normally on his left arm, with a flowy orange sleeve decorated with orange and red maple leaves, while the other half he chose to wear draped behind his waist and secured by an obi belt on top. He also sported a black and red scarf with gold accents, and a slanted belt that went under his right arm and over his left shoulder. Upon donning the new outfit, he felt... strange, not unlike the odd sensation of equipping enchanted gear. It was peaceful, but with an underlying... combustibility, so to speak. Regardless, there was one important opinion he was waiting for. "Well? Freakin' awesome, right? Is it the coolest thing ever?" he asked, all while Rindou was still outside baffled by the fact that those two went into the dressing room as a pair. Why hadn't Kei left? Were they making some sort of statement?

Hiruko entered a very casual conversation with Miko about magic and... the fact that she had on-demand housing if she wanted, which Miko seemed to let slip her mind. "No worries. I've never seen a crazier day than today. I can't imagine what it'd be like for somebody who's already in the thick of it," he commiserated. With that, Miko decided to run the idea by her friend... whose name was one he heard from Kama as well. "Kazucchi, huh... I'm gonna have to meet with him too. My... well, let's call them my boss... needs to see him," he explained. Ah, but Miko did want something else: a gun. People with magic had use of firearms? That was an interesting discovery. "I'm... incapacitated on a tour boat, technically. Gotta ask though: why do you need a gun? If magic doesn't involve offensive spells and all that jazz, I might be losing interest♥~" he joked.

[Apollymi]

Kei had actually managed to get out all of her own feelings and statements lately. Aside from the annoyance of dealing with Rindou she was having a good time bonding with Kazuhiko. His excitement at her crying not being a normal thing and knowing that she just wanted to see him in his new outfit, was heartwarming. "Hai, let's see it!" she exclaimed waiting to see what came of it. "2000? That's an awful long time. It'd been a while for me too... not that long though," she said. "Still doesn't seem like you missed a day~" she offered. By the time he completely finished getting dressed she was awed. He looked so soft and comfortable but also stood out with his own form of elegance. "Definitely cool. It has like wandering samurai vibes... but like without the armor I guess," she said. "That is definitely some designer gear though.... that stall has to have some great people behind it! And they definitely chose the right model, I don't think anyone would look better in it," she said in absolution. While he'd dressed she'd gathered his other clothes and placed them in the box instead, so he could keep track of them. It didn't matter to her, how long Rindou waited, but she was sure he was imagining something strange happening in that dressing room. Whenever he was ready, she'd be ready to leave with him again, her feet could take a few more steps by now, she'd had a long bit of rest after all.

Meanwhile, a casual conversation was happening between Hiruko and Miko... with occasional interjections from Kama. Apparently, he wouldn't be taking personally her missing thought processes for the day. "I appreciate it. it was fun, but I've had so many issues today and I lost some time somewhere..." Miko expressed. No matter what, there was the matter of a mention of Kazuhiko resulting in a statement from Kama which she answered and one from Hiruko, who apparently had a boss that wished to meet Kazuhiko. "Ah, that should be fine, he is on a date right now thought... I'm sure he took responsibility for that thing earlier so I'm sure it'll be fine," Miko said. Regardless of who Hiruko's boss was, it was unlikely to be a problem for Kazuhiko so long as they weren't already a magical entity, and that kind of thinking was only a problem if things were to get violent. "A tour boat? That might take a little bit to find," Miko mused. She slipped into her jacket and headed towards the door. She'd leave Soma to his recovery and aim to go grab both of her bags, since once was meant to go somewhere else anyways. "Magic can do anything. The gun isn't for me, but for someone who needs a bit more personal protection and to keep them from beating another person to death. They were just born today," Miko mentioned absently while moving around and shutting the van up behind her after she hopped out of it. "I could just pull you here. I can feel you..." Kama offered at random, seeming to have tuned in to the conversation more fully. "Really? I don't even know why I am surprised, Saku-chan, your magic is always outrageous. Just let me pick up my bags first...." Miko uttered quickly. "Hai hai... just let me know when you are ready," She'd give a quick word when she was ready. All the while, Kama held her hand up in the air and manifested a string which she played with... it seemed to run directly into Hiruko and was oddly colored for some reason, but it definitely connected directly to Miko, of this she was certain.

[Bloodedge]

"Yeah. Well, it wasn't really 2,000. More like... a thousand actively, but another thousand passed when I got Angie through the Nexus earlier this week," Kazu explained briefly. He wasn't sure if aging even counted within the Nexus, but he'd definitely been conscious for over 2,000 years overall. Regarding a seemingly flirtatious comment from Kei, Kazu laughed and gave a bit of realism. "Magic life's weird. It's like, the stronger you are, the longer you just stay in your prime. Before we found Saku and Yuuya, we were in the lands high in the sky... which is basically where higher-level people and things go. Somebody past level 50 is probably from, or has been to, Chaldea," he chattered while getting dressed. Once that process was done, Kazu awaited Kei's input... and was not disappointed by the outcome. He did like the wandering samurai look. If Kei liked it as well, he was content to keep it... and perhaps even use it for something else down the line. Everybody else was getting new Avatars; it was high time he got one as well. "I think I'm gonna keep this and get some armor pieces back in Munetsuchi. You know, finish the vibe. Anyway, let's go!" he said excitedly. Kei may have been good to go after a bit of rest, but Kazu had no intention of letting her annoyance build up unnecessarily. He picked her up again without so much as a word, even taking a slightly different approach based on the previous hold. As they were now, he could easily leave her sitting atop his forearm as they exited the changing booth and returned to the clothing stall. "Obaa-san! This is the coolest thing ever! Props to the seamstress!" he announced while Rindou grimaced on the sidelines.

The man Hiruko needed to collect was not currently reachable... because of a date. Hiruko considered that a respectable reason to be left alone for the time being. Besides, it wasn't like he had the time or ability to make that move now anyway. "Busy guy. I'm interested in meeting him for my own purposes, so I'll catch him when he's free," he decided. Miko thought it would take some effort to find the boat he and Kama were on, but Kama herself made a very magical suggestion. She could... 'pull' the girl to them? Hiruko figured she meant some form of teleportation magic. "Now that's what I want to hear when it comes to magic. That aside, sounds like you've got a wildcard adult toddler on your hands. If guns are gonna be the safer thing to use for that one, I can make it happen. There won't be a serial, so extra care should be taken to avoid being caught with it."

[Apollymi]

According to Kazuhiko there were a few caveats to his 2000 year claim. Kei had made decent friends with her fellow tsundere Angelica so she was a bit familiar with how... she'd come to be in the non-magical world. "Hai hai, I am a bit familiar, Ruri-chan and I made friends. Details aside though, that's still a lot," she expressed easily. Still, she could agree that magical life was weird to live with, she'd not even spent that much extra time in her prime, but she'd definitely spent a lot of time in that dungeon and had taken a whole different like of progression. "Hm, Munetsuchi is a special exception... everyone there is born around level 30 at least and goes up. I worked up as a normal person in Ragunna. And then... I was able to level up quite a bit as a spider, I was about level 60 by the time I was found. And I had lived over 500 total years," she mentioned. Still the wandering samurai was a nice look and one he apparently liked as well. He claimed he'd keep it and add some armor to it. "That's a great idea...eeep!~" Kei squealed once again as she was carried in a slighly different hold. It was a pleasant surprise and she couldn't help but enjoy the extra vantage point and enjoy the fact that her feet wouldn't be hurting either. Meanwhile that older woman looked when the lad and his date emerged from the dressing room. "Oya? That's a nice look for you... " she said her eyes traveling the whole of his attire. "Oh my quite nice indeed. I'm sure she appreciates it..." she mentioned. Only to have that same brown haired girl peek out from behind the curtain. That 'oh my' had a specific kind of implication, because though those close were perfectly tailored to draw the eye away from certain aspects of physical form for overall appeal... if one knew what to look at, certain things were quite clear, including the bulge in the lad's shorts which was well beyond massive. A rather sudden decision was made and a girl with a ponytail and ornate kimono with bright red eyes appeared. Her skin pale and her disposition a bit angry. "You wear it well... so you're welcome. Also pull out your phone. I'll give you my number so you can call me in case you need... " she paused for just a second, as her gaze shifted right down to his manhood and she approximated its size. "Tailoring later..." she mentioned. This young woman might have been recognized as the reclusive, Ito Chiori, the owner and proprietor of the Chioriya Boutique.

Meanwhile, Miko was discussing several things with Hiruko, including the fact that he apparently wished to meet Kimura Kazuhiko for himself. He claimed that he was a busy guy which was true, but it was also good to know the interest in meeting him was already there, hopefully not just because of the whole 'card shop' fiasco. "Oh, that's good... I was planning to introduce you regardless. I think you'll get along," Miko mentioned easily. Hiruko was a rather easy going guy, but she saw some likeness between them that she could tell even from their limited interactions. At the same time, Miko was popping her head into the house, and picking up both her regular messenger bag and the newly packed bag from Peach John, if only because that one was meant for somewhere else, and if she got the chance she planned to drop it there. "Kaya, I'm popping out for a bit. Also... we could stay at the casino as I was reminded earlier... I'm going to run it by Kazuchii when he gets back. Oh, and no worries, Soma is recovering in the van. He's awesome♪~" Miko said that last part with a grin on her face. "Oya? You look happy about that... I'm glad. We'll have to talk a bit more later. I forgot about the Casino and Resort thing, it's oddly hard to keep track of privileges in non-emergency times," Kaguya admitted. Ai who was beside her had something else to offer. "Don't wander around after curfew without a man or an adult," she pointed at Miko specifically. "Hai hai... I'm out." she said. "Saku-chan, I'm ready when you are..." she said. As for the last part of Hiruko's statement she'd be answering it after Kama tugged that string, pulling her and her bags clear towards them from the other side of city through magic. Miko would be standing directly in front of Hiruko phone in hand feeling a bit wobbly. "Weird. That's sudden... awesome though. Also he's not so much a wildcard. He's ambitious and impatient but not a bad lad, clever as hell but his magic is necessarily offensive and he's really pretty so giving him an easier way to kill people is a better choice," she said as she hung up her phone. "Hello...Sa..." she paused looking at Sakura fully and noting the difference. "Sou ka, whole new Avatar. New face, who's this?" she asked of Sakura. "Kama is this one's name, that's a very interesting clothing choice..." she said her eyes now on Miko but she was still holding that string what a strong connection there was.

[Bloodedge]

It wasn't surprising at all that Kei and Angelica became friends with each other. In a way, they were two sides of the same coin ─ both adorably prickly on the outside and fluffy within. "That's so awesome. I'm glad Angie's got more friends coming in. Don't leave her hanging, yeah?" he requested earnestly. Of course, Kazu understood that his constant disappearances likely caused or fueled a form of complex in Aincrad's Holy Princess. If others were better friends than him, however, there was hope yet. Moving on, Kei mentioned her own level after becoming a spider in the Labyrinth. Sixty was quite a feat; 500 years sounded about right. "That Labyrinth has to be pretty strong if you were able to reach sixty from normal after half a millennium. That'd be normal in Chaldea, but the lower world... it takes going after some legendary monsters," he mentioned. Moments later, they were outside again and addressing the old woman at the stall. She liked the look on him as well... but there was something else in her follow-up that seemed quite familiar. Where were her eyes going? Either way, that was all it took for the designer herself to come out of hiding. Kazu was stunned silent initially. This woman looked like a dress-up Kokeshi brought to life and given divine visage. How did he keep stumbling upon such incredible women?! This one was immediately demanding that he produce his phone for a number exchange, claiming it was just in case he needed... tailoring. That also sounded familiar, though only thematically. Kazu did pull out his phone. Naturally, he wouldn't deny this woman his number for any reason. "Sure... I was just thinking about something like that, actually. Kimura Kazuhiko... desu..." While that exchange took place, Rindou went from silent brooding to a near-rampage. "GAH-PPFFFF!" he muttered incoherently. Who was he even going to speak to? Well... no one in particular, really. "Ito Chiori herself! She never makes appearances! What sort of setup is this?!"

All the while, Hiruko was awaiting the apparent teleportation of Miko. After only a short wait, he saw something that had a bit less fanfare and the like than he expected. Miko seemed to just... appear ─ no flash, no glow, no sparkles. Hiruko immediately ended the phone call and let go of the phone entirely. He, too, had an observation to make about Miko's current outfit. "That's a good look on you, Kocchi. Bold, sexy, commanding! Nice choice~" he praised before moving on to the gun-wielding child they were already discussing. "Ambitious and impatient, clever, not focused on the offense... sounds familiar. I used to be like that. Well... sort of. Like I said, I'll get something with no serial number. Can this kid be trusted? I'll believe it if you say he can be."

[Apollymi]

Apparently, there was no issue with the idea that Kei and Angelica had become friends. If anything, Kazuhiko encouraged her to stick with the blonde lass, she simply scoffed, "Of course I won't leave her hanging, she's cool..." she mentioned of Angelica. There was a certain earnestness to the former shut-in goddess and Kei wanted to expand their friendship. As for the challenge of the Labyrinth she could say it was high level for humans, given the number of them who didn't make it out of the place. "Yeah, the lowest level where I respawned had a Queen Teratect," she explained of the situation. It would be fun to go back through it and see what kinds of problems the creatures actually posed her human form that was more ready for combat. But such a conversation, would be lost as they went outside. The older lady behind the counter appeared to be hitting on Kazuhiko, but even someone like Kei couldn't say anything... she'd been trying to do the same all day. But the emergence of the brown haired girl from behind the stall seemed to make her eyes sparkle. Too bad, after Kazuhiko made his introduction it'd be Rindou who said more."Yes, I'm Ito Chiori, and people like you are the reason I don't go outside," she said cutting her eyes at the man. "As for you, Kimura Kazuhiko... you could be the inspiration for an entire men's clothing line. But you seem quite busy right now, maybe some other time. But you do wear that quite well... enjoy it, no one else will be getting one," she said with a smirk coming to her face. Kei had something to say, "I really like the shoes you design. A friend of mine bought a couple of pairs the other day and the scissor pair are amazing!" Kei complimented. "Oh? The kind I sell in the stores are always spiked heels, sou ka..." she started at Kei for a few moments her eyes traveling over her body and settling on her feet in those little flat shoes but she clearly had arches higher than many would ever know. "Give me the the clogs from the Tengu line smallest ones..." Chiori said to the lady behind the stall. "Hai!" the pair of shoes grabbed by the older woman were a white pair of clogs with a single stiff platform off a flat shoe. It'd mimic the high arch but have a very steep learning curve for normal people. She handed the box over to Kei. "Have these... you look like you can make them work..." she offered the girl whose eyes sparkled.

Meanwhile, Miko disappeared from the house she'd been inside and popped up in front of Hiruko and Kama as she was being called with little fanfare. Well, that wasn't entirely true. It would seem that Hiruko and Kama both had something to say about her outfit. Kama found it interesting and Hiruko had a full assessment of her new attire to give her, making a steep blush come up on her face as she rubbed the back of her head while sitting her two bags aside. "Chiii♪~" she chirped in a tone that held quite a bit of magical power. "Not just ears, also voice..." Kama commented. "I'm glad you like it... I don't remember how I ended up with it though... it's part of my lost time. I thought it might be a bit too much. But I am appreciating the feedback, Hiru-nii♪~" Miko chimed accepting the compliment despite her sheepishness. As they moved on from that the thoughts of Soma came forth, Hiruko claimed he'd shared the traits Miko had pointed to this individual having and wanted to know if he could be trusted. He claimed he'd believe her if she said so, "That's the second or third time someone has said that to me... I don't know why my opinion holds so much weight," she said. "Honestly, he's too ambitious to create problems for himself. He won't make any enemies he doesn't have to... his goals are a bit too wide for him to cross anyone..." she said honestly. "He's trust-worthy, just... don't cross him. Some of the first words out of his mouth after being born were that he'd repay both kindness and betrayal alike 1000 fold. And he said that to his mother... he won't take betrayal at all... and I'm being honest, I want nothing to do with anything he'd consider a real punishment. Demons are dangerous but they are all about their word. If he says he won't do something... he won't," she explained. "Sou ka, a little demon was born among the children then. An-chan didn't send me pictures..." Kama complained. "Don't blame her, I doubt she'd dived fully into the tech, and Kaya couldn't help her with it. Kazuchii and I also disappeared in the middle of the shopping trip so... it was probably a bit traumatic for her. Besides that the kids are all of their own minds they may not all agree. I've got pictures of everyone though, well, except the one I was most recently talking about..." she said handing over her own phone which she unlocked so Kama could scroll through her pictures for the day. "Now, then... how are you feeling, Hiru-nii? I'm here to help!" Miko offered as she walked over to the man. She stared in his eyes placed a hand against the open spot on his chest and felt both the beating of his heart and the movement of his mana, as she was preforming something of a diagnostic on him, he'd feel the gentle warmth and tingles from the tips of her fingers.

[Bloodedge]

"Awesome. I'm counting on you," Kazu said regarding Kei's friendship with Angelica. As their discussion continued, Kei made clear a very questionable form of monster that appeared within the Labyrinth. Queen Teratect was a well-known spider monster, perhaps the most dangerous of them all by no small margin. "Those are way up there in terms of threat level. One could probably beat a Wyvern without much difficulty," he chattered. By the time they were met by Ito Chiori herself. Kazuhiko didn't have a clue who she was or why the name was so important, but he did know she was yet another ten-out-of-ten. Rindou knew quite a lot about this woman... but lo, she was also another who hated his ilk. Her focus was more on Kazuhiko than the annoying male, as she claimed he could inspire a male clothing line. "Eh?! I thought I looked cool in this, but that's a bit much, isn't it? And what do you mean no one else? Obaa-chan said it was a prototype," he expressed. They would stick around for a bit longer. Kei expressed an adoration of Chiori's shoes, mentioning a pair purchased and worn by Miko. While Chiori was having her employee collect a pair for Kei specifically, Kazu was piecing things together. "So... big designer? I've never heard of it, but those shoes were really cool," he mused.

Miko's current outfit choice would have had Hiruko feeling a bit frisky... but alas, he couldn't manage anything like that. In fact, Hiruko's movements of his hand just to call her required some hard tweaking to the way he approached his own movements. "Well, some people think enough is too much. Maybe too much is enough?" he philosophized. Regarding the faith two or three people had in her, Hiruko had no real answer for the conundrum. Well... he had one from his own perspective, but that was about it. "You're skittish and have an honest face even when you try to conceal parts of the truth. Even if you tried to lie outright, I could tell what you really meant," he explained. "But you're not like that. If you have faith in someone, you've got a good reason," he added. More information about the 'child' they spoke of was given, all sounding more and more familiar to Hiruko. That sort of attitude and those kinds of morals were well-suited enough for a bit of faith. Hiruko himself offered others the freedom to screw him over, but even then... he knew failure to backstab him properly would allow similar retaliation. "That's enough info. Every detail makes it sound like this kid came from me," he mused absently. Moving on, there was Miko's approach and wellness check. For starters to give an example of what was happening, Hiruko lifted his left arm and repeatedly extended his ring finger. "How do I feel? You tell me, doc. I'm not sure this is what swinging my leg and winking is supposed to be like~"

[Apollymi]

"You can count on me... Ruri-chan, is one of us now. The Student Council doesn't abandon members~" she said confidently. She even had no problem speaking for the others in this case, knowing that they all felt the same when they made friends. Moving on from that point, Kazuhiko knew enough about the legendary spider known as Queen Taratect to know that such a creature could defeat a wyvern. "Yep... they definitely can... there is also a different evolution line if one understands how they can become human," she with an amount of pride which would likely make it obvious that would hint at her enjoyment of such a creature on a deeper level. At the same time, Kazuhiko was definitely proving that he wasn't thinking about the regular parts of this scenario playing out in front of him, the older woman chuckled behind the counter. "Ito-oujou says prototype but she's an artist... she means she doesn't plan to mass produce that particular look. It's one-of-a-kind for a one-of-a-kind," the lady mentioned. "Mass producing looks so tailored to a specific individual doesn't feel right. I work on my own terms... always," Chiori said casually. Besides, that she had a standard for customer behavior and as such she wouldn't be making a look like that for anyone else, even if the asked for it directly. As for the shoes, she handed over a pair to Kei who squealed with excitement, she tapped Kazuhiko's shoulder to be let down so she could wander over to a bench and change them. "Ooh~ Arigatou gouzaimasu!~" she chimed happily. "Yeah, I'm a designer... I own a couple of boutiques and I make custom designs for people I like and mass produce other things to fund my hobby. I am glad you get enjoyment even out of pieces that aren't made for you..." Chiori stated earnestly. All the while, Kei was slipping into shoes which looked way too high for normal standards and didn't seem like they should be easy to balance on, and yet when she stood she walked with much greater ease than she'd managed before. Poor Rindou seemed to be rendered completely speechless or maybe there was too much going on for him to interject currnetly.

Meanwhile, Miko heard the philosophy of Hiruko and decided something about it hit her ears just right. "Sou ka, I like that. I think I'll keep it... box it♪~" Miko chimed. Still the amount of faith that everyone placed in Miko's judgement of others was something she couldn't understand. But... Hiruko had an insight she'd not yet considered. Miko stood while Kama scrolled her phone looking at the pictures she'd taken on their exit of the house to keep track of everyone. "Aww... you guys did a good job, for your first goes at making children the magical way~" Kama mentioned while scrolling. "Arigatou, but I needed a lot more help... I really can't focus on creative projects very easily," Miko mentioned. But what of Hiruko's assessment. she heard and processed his words. "Sou ka, that's... a fair assessment of me as a whole. Miko doesn't tell lies. It's a good perspective to have... thanks♪~" Miko mentioned. She'd keep in mind why people asked things of her, and be conscious of what she backed to keep from leading anyone astray with her wildness. As for Hiruko's understanding of the situation surrounding one Asakura Soma... he was right, but that wasn't a her conversation to have, and so silence would be her option. Moving on from that point... Miko asked about his wellness, and listened to his movements. He could hear what moved and feel in her hands what he was trying to do. His body and soul were on inverted controls currently. She chuckled, "Ehehe♪!~ No, those things aren't supposed to work like that. Seems like you have your signals crossed a bit, Hiru-nii..." she mentioned as mana pulsed in her finger tips and she continued talking. "You're slightly out of sync between your newly forming mana circuits and your already existing magical body. It also doesn't help that you were already using magic anyways♪~" Miko mentioned. "So, I think we just have to get your soul and body in the same rhythm," she said while tapping a gentle beat into his chest with her mana pulsing ever so gently to the same beat she could hear coming from his heart. "Have you experienced any shifts in your sensory perception, extreme changes in temperature, sight, smells or sounds?" she asked, mostly just to keep him talking while she worked.

[Bloodedge]

Monster Spiders could become human? That was news to Kazu, who'd been adventuring for a millennium. Information like that was either amazing, dangerous, or both ─ probably the latter. If he had the chance, he'd really like to see one of those. For now, he was still awaiting the information transfer with Chiori while hearing the old woman's explanation about the outfit being a one of one design. If that were the case, he'd definitely be going through with the original plan if possible. That 'tailoring' session wasn't a bad idea at all. Well... perhaps that was never the intention, but he still wanted it in those terms. Moving on, he was being tapped by Kei to suggest a release. Some rather intriguing new clogs were offered to her, so he could confidently let her take care of things herself from there. While she did that, he'd be speaking with Chiori himself. "That's cool. I've never seen a uh... local who makes things by those rules. Some old blacksmiths in the boonies, maybe, but it's an awesome outlook! I'll take care of this outfit forever, but... are you able to do armor visuals by chance? I'm gonna eventually want some mix-ins for situational use. Does that count among tailoring needs?" he asked. All the while, Rindou remained silent... but only outside of his own head. Inside, he had infinite questions. What was happening? Why was this happening to him? Was this all prearranged? Was Ito Chiori taking an official stand against the IPC?

Miko latched on to the philosophy of too much being enough. Hiruko laughed, figuring she'd like it. "There's a joke to make there, but I don't think I've got it in me right now. Or... maybe I do? Maybe magic's just got me backwards~" he joked moments before the clause of Miko telling no lies. He completely believed her... though much like many others, Hiruko fully understood that she often withheld the entire truth in place of lying. Whatever the case, Hiruko showcased his functionally dysfunctional body, and Miko claimed his signals were crossed. Hiruko laughed once more. "Damn. Sakucchi said I needed a healer, but you're telling me I should have gone for an electrician? I could have done that easily~" he said. Some weird sensation was coming from Miko's fingers while they discussed and she performed her 'checks' if they still counted as such. Mention of 'mana circuits' had him chuckling again, as if he didn't have enough reason already to make the electrician joke. Oh well; she made it seem like an easy enough fix and further expressed her own knowledge of his prior, albeit accidental, magic use. Then came the question about his sensory abilities. Was everyone meant to have some innate heightened sense? If that were the case, his may have been askew for years. "Since this happened? No. But if it counts, I could always feel a lucky streak coming along. Sakucchi made it sound like that was the kind of magic I've been using."

[Apollymi]

Monster Spiders could indeed take on more human forms as they evolved, it was a unique possibility which Kei could confirm. But that was a conversation for another time, for now, Chiori was speaking with Kazuhiko, while using her phone to transfer her information to him, and expecting to receive his in return. It would seem he'd have every reason to give it as well... the lad had quite way of speaking and definitely wasn't discouraging her initial thoughts about him being a himbo. He liked her outlook and compared it to blacksmithing, the likes of which she could only compare to old Samurai movies. "Sou, you mean like for a cosplay type of thing? I design those occasionally. I usually don't do the accessories but... I also didn't always make shoes. Give me some time to work on the design a bit more. I can add it to the tailoring, I like challenges. It's not often I get to make those kinds of upgrades.~" Chiori mentioned as if she was excited. She also noted the approach of Kei and she seemed to be much more comfortable in those high clogs with the single point around the arch of her foot. "These are totally awesome~" Kei chimed. "Good, I'm glad you can make use of them... text me sometime and enjoy the rest of your date..." Chiori said. Looking at both individuals side by side she could appreciate the contrast between a wandering samurai and the first daughter of the shogunate, or something similar.

Meanwhile, Hiruko was making a joke about magic having him backwards, which earned him a laugh from Miko. "Ehehe♪!~ That's terrible, Hiru-nii♪~" she chimed but it was all in good fun. She'd easily accept the logic he gave her whenever it was possible. More jokes were coming from him as he lamented his present state, her words bringing up the idea that he could have called an electrician. "I mean sure, but I doubt they'd allow themselves to be teleported straight to you," Miko said joking right along. The entire time she was having a good time and coming to understand the state of his mana and those mana circuits which weren't quite ready yet. "Not naturally creative, nor naturally destructive... I can see how you might have had issues. But you made two... and they came out properly aged, that's great really," Kama said. There were three images she couldn't identify as children but she could make assumptions about, "This blonde, the pink haired girl and the white haired one... are they your friends?" Kama asked of Miko as the girl herself continued to scan the body of Hiruko. "Hai, Hayasaka Ai, is our oldest friend. Great, a bit of a shut-in... really into tech and writing, is the blonde. Totsuka Chika is the pink haired one... she's... Ast...I mean Saika's twin, I feel like that explains enough. She requires adult supervision but her heart is in the right place. The white haired one is... Shirogane Kei, she's the youngest of our friend group, a bratty crybaby, tsundere tendencies. Wait that might not make sense, she acts a bit like Angelica... that might make it clearer, but good at managing things, especially numbers. They're my besties and the other apprentices, weird how that works out..." Miko explained of that trio. According to Hiruko he'd not had any major changes since this happened but would call himself possessing the ability to feel good luck coming on... Miko heard him and nodded. "Hm, yeah... I'd call it luck too. Actually ingesting your mana as a side-effect which makes one lucky even after leaving your presence directly. For a while yesterday I felt like absolutely nothing could go wrong... I accomplished so many important things," Miko mentioned. "Still, do you have regular upgrades to your senses, like do you know what we taste like, can you hear the magical quality of my voice, do you feel the tingling of our skin contact..." Miko asked. All the while that tapping of her ring finger on his chest seemed to have found a steady rhythm, and now she was feeling his mana and pulsing back against it. As if she intended restore sensation from his lower extremities upward, since his mind was apparently still working already. Left leg, right leg, torso, left arm and right arm... would feel the pulse of her mana in that strange beat, aiming to pull all his parts into harmony.

[Bloodedge]

The best way to explain his desire for armor pieces was, indeed, for cosplay purposes. "Something like that, yeah. As realistic as possible though, if that makes sense. I'll make a call later and we can work something out?" he asked while sending his information into Chiori's phone. By the time that exchange was done, Kazu's gaze was shifting to meet the arrival of Kei in that new pair of clogs. She thought the new pair was awesome, and Kazuhiko was shamelessly checking out her feet until... he realized that was probably a weird thing to do. "They are. No idea how anybody walks around like that. Oh! It's like you've done that pillar training thing!" he claimed. Being urged to enjoy what remained of their date, Kazu was content to move on with it right away. "Hai hai! Arigatou!" he said to Chiori and the elderly woman, bowing to both. Upon rising, he looked to Kei once more. It seemed he'd actually forgotten about Rindou's presence entirely when speaking. "Anywhere specific you wanna go next?"

The electricians Hiruko spoke of may have actually enjoyed being teleported directly to him, in spite of Miko's assumption. It seemed the laughter wasn't stopping any time soon, as he even laughed about that idea. "I wouldn't be too sure. My favorites to call are massive nerds, and I say that lovingly. You'd probably have to shut them up long enough to explain that it wasn't some experimental teleportation pod that got them here," he mused before hearing Sakura mentioned the details of Miko's friend group. As Miko gave the list, something caught Hiruko's attention. "Totsuka...?" he whispered. He knew that name, and he knew of some individuals with pink hair. How strange. That would likely become something he had to revisit later, but first came the healing process and the reveal of how his 'luck' affected others. Though this magic stuff seemed to work on strange mechanics, Miko alleged feeling like she could accomplish anything after her time spent with him. Well... that made an interesting mental image. "So it's not just those guys? What, mana is carried by bodily fluids ─ stuff like that? I put mine in you, you feel lucky. I get yours... and my car karaoke gets better?" he said with an upward inflection, though it was less a question than it could have been. Further questions from Miko could be easily answered as well, even as Hiruko was noticing his fingers twitching in sequence. "There was always a taste; I just couldn't rationalize it with anything I understood. I don't know about any magical voice stuff, but I'm feeling a bunch of tingles from whatever you're doing right now," he answered.

[Apollymi]

Kazuhiko, asked Chiori for cosplay armor pieces as real as possible. Such an odd request, but it was made with such a good natured tone. Usually special requests annoyed Chiori beyond all reason, but for this lad, and a few others... she'd easily acquiesce. Besides, there was always something interesting about taking on a new challenge. "I've not tried it before, but... I'll do some research and do my best... later, Kimura Kazuhiko~" she said giving a little bow to him and Kei before going back to her little unnamed stall to continue her work. She would not even be bothering with Rindou and it seemed the pair of teens wouldn't be bothering either. Both seemed content to walk and talk, but Kei noted the look towards her feet and had something to say, "Prodolzhay tak smotret', budesh' putat'sya pod nogami." she uttered in Russian for the sake of their continued conversation. Moving on from that, what did she want to do? After a bow to the shop keeps she shrugged, "Festival Mochi Dango!~ I have a taste for something sweet!~" she exclaimed. Her movements in those clogs were definitely more relaxed and she was content to ignore someone like Rindou. Him not speaking was actually a great relief, if he wandered off in the moment, she'd have willingly let him off the hook for barking like a dog, just to keep having a good time.

Meanwhile, Miko was finding out that the 'electricians' that Hiruko spoke of, were probably just his tech people. The kind who were so deep into the science and science fiction world that they'd been called nerds in a loving fashion. "Love a nice nerd..." Miko muttered happily. That whispered utterance of Totsuka was one which was weird, "Not going to question that one," Miko uttered. At the same time, her hands starting to tap. Her fingers individually moving so that she could finish tuning the man sitting in the chair. "No, not just those people... everyone's mana seems to have different potency and effects. Some are alcoholic, some are mood enhancers or drugs, but some are just like sweets or something nourishing. Good on you, keeping track of the most important points... though I feel weird about the music being what anyone gets from me," Miko said as it was very weird to pass along her own mania... it would also make keeping her musical secret difficult around the truly clever people. Not that she worried about it in Hiruko's case, he'd definitely keep her secret whenever it was revealed or he figured it out. "Sexy brain is indeed a thing~" Kama mentioned. Her other questions were answered as well, "Sou ka, that's fine. Not being able to rationalize is a pretty normal initial reaction. I was really surprised to stumble upon you, I didn't expect a non-magical person to exist so fully after coming back here. Enhanced senses are pretty normal. You'll more than likely find it easier to use mana sensory abilities through your most naturally enhanced sense, but you can use others as well. Your natural training and instincts will likely lead you in the best direction once your mana circuits are complete and working properly," she explained. "As for the tingles, I am spreading my mana around and forcing pulses to reinforce your building circuits and using sound to tune them so they work in conjunction with your body... I'm almost done by the way, you've been among my most reasonable patients so thank you, Hiru-nii♪~"

[Bloodedge]

A quick farewell to Chiori and her coworker, or perhaps subordinate, was given before Kazu and Kei both decided to move right along. Just before that, however, Kei spoke Russian once more... for the purpose of threatening him if he kept staring at her feet. "Uh... it wasn't like that," he insisted. Kazu was telling the truth, but he was also being just as untruthful. It really wasn't like that... but it was quickly becoming like that at the time ─ something further enforced by Kei's threat. Kazu figured the best thing he could do at the time was shutting up and going ahead with the idea of seeking mochi dango. He could enjoy a set of desserts as well, but... Kazu was the only male present who thought shutting up was the right idea. Indeed, Sukoto Rindou had the opposite opinion. "Ho?! Do you think you can both just wander off like I don't exist now? There's still my victory tour ahead, I'll have you know!" he shouted haughtily. Only just remembering Rindou existed, Kazuhiko turned around, surprised. "Oh, damn. Too much awesome stuff happening... I forgot about that whole thing," he admitted.

Of course Miko heard that little whisper of the Totsuka family name. She decided it wasn't to be questioned, and frankly, that was the right decision in Hiruko's opinion. "Best not to," he stated plainly. While she continued her work on his body and mana circuits, he continued taking in information. This magical knowhow was going to be useful, he believed. Everyone with mana had some sort of flavor, some sort of effect, and clearly potency differences. Miko had her own opinion about the acquisition of musical talent from her mana. Hiruko had an opposing one. "Why have a problem with that? My steering wheel appreciates the quality improvement," he joked further. With Miko's explanation of magic functionality, he had much to think about. It seemed whatever magic he developed for active use had some innate flexibility based on his own instincts, perspective and general mentality. That was going to be interesting. More importantly though, Miko was almost done fixing his body. Hiruko could tell as much; those movements of his fingers were conscious efforts for once. The feeling was even looping back to his wrists and elbows, with the same being the case in his other extremities. "I can tell. Not a hundred percent just yet, but still somehow better than ever. Looks like I'll be able to go out and get my son's first birthday present today after all. I thought I'd be stuck here for ages otherwise~" he said, casually revealing his conclusion about the boy who needed a gun.