<Nocturnal Harmonia>

[Apollymi]

Kaguya wanted more, in her mind, her body and her soul. She couldn't even quantify that last feeling but she knew it by the movements Yugi took. She didn't usually accept a battering of her womb's entrance, but when this lad was the one giving it, it felt natural to let him have his way. So odd was that as a thing to notice, but it was so very worthwhile. She felt herself, slipping so easily into his clutches. He was saying something by the time he was trying to edge himself deeper, when a push forward continued instead of withdrawing. She could feel herself stretching feel the acceptance of a sensation which shouldn't be at all. "What's the point holding back, I don't mind being yours♥~" Kaguya gave herself the freedom in this man's care to simply throw away caution at every turn. Except... it wasn't just him. No, a car door shutting drew her brain back to the moment at hand. She'd just given herself away, she'd let someone begin invading the deepest parts of her body and forgotten she was supposed to be getting dressed and out of the bathroom. "Oh shit!" she exclaimed, pulling away quickly leaving that entrance yet unexplored, though it pained her to do so. A sudden empty feeling overtook her core as she made the mad scramble to extricate from the bath. She'd pick up that potion and down it while grabbing a towel and quick drying herself. A bit damp but she could make it as she grabbed her sweater dress out of the dryer and threw the towel in instead. She couldn't stop herself, in the moment and now she was suffering for it, by making the mad dash towards the front door with only a dress and one stocking to show for her work.

At the same time, Miko had heard the scamble to the phone. She'd heard the heavy breathing and the unmistakeable voice. It calmed her, but something about it felt wrong. She could tell she'd caused him a lot of stress and somehow he sounded even more messed up about her disappearance than Kaguya had. That didn't seem right, she wasn't a necessary part of his life like that, she was sure he had to just be a bit worried with all the craziness surrounding her parents. "Yeah... gomennasai, Onii-chan♪~ I know it's been a while and that you probably have a lot of questions," Miko muttered quickly. She couldn't fully explain things, but she could hear things. He had something to say... but she heard an interruption a familiar voice even. "Was that Chelly? Wait you guy are probably busy right now, I forgot to look into that before I called. I just wanted to hear your voice. Don't miss anything, just save my new number and call me when you're free~" Miko told the man. She was never one to be unnecessarily disruptive, and she didn't want to get in the way of anything he was up to.

[Bloodedge]

A pivotal moment was quickly approaching for Yugi's route with Kaguya. In his periphery, he could see a System screen teasing further developments in their relationship. From 45% to 46%, and further to 47... 48. 50% Intimacy was in reach, seemingly tied to Kaguya's latest decision. She didn't mind being his. That single admittance had the bar at 49%, and further thrusting beyond her cervix showed the occasional flash, the teasing idea of 50. Alas, it was not to be. The shutting of a car door brought her back to reality and locked Yugi's progression... while also locking him out of a proper entry to her womb. Just before Kaguya managed her quick retreat, she had a chance to witness the disgruntled grimace of Yugi. He'd then be flopping back in the tub with a deep sigh while she rushed to prepare and meet some lesser individual at the door. Oh well; the foundation had been set. Yugi could bide his time and actually check recent notifications, including a longer-than-expected series of images from Miko. All the while, one Shirogane Miyuki would be stepping through the front door with two bottles of premium scotch in hand. "Tadaima♥~" he announced while turned away to shut the door.

All the while, Takao continued struggling. It wasn't a sole issue of being at a loss for words now, but the additional issue of being strapped for time. He had so many questions. Among them, there were many curiosities that would serve the sole purpose of confirming this moment was real. Alas, he did have things to do for the safety of all. Miko recognized the other voice and offered Takao freedom... but it was freedom he didn't really want. "I... Yeah. That's Mitty. I have more questions than I can count, but this is really a bad time. Listen... I'll call you as soon as I can. Make sure you're actually there to answer this time..." the man said somberly, as if only hope allowed him to think a call would be answered. He wouldn't wait for anything else. No, he'd just hang up the phone right then and there. At the same time, that brown-haired male who looked startlingly similar to Miko herself was seated on a park bench not far from her present location. He'd been loosely observing her for the duration of that call, merely waiting to see what happened when it was over.

[Apollymi]

Kaguya's progress with Yugi stopped in an instant. She'd not even known how she'd feel about it when it happened, but once again, she didn't feel pleased to have walked away before something pivotal. No... instead she felt strangely about the whole of it. And looked back to see a bit of a disgruntled grimace on Yugi's face as she tried and failed to fix herself up properly before she made her way to the door. Off went the towel, on slipped the sweater dress, surprisingly the right way around and even right-side out. But for every good there was a bad, she'd only slipped into one thig-high not realizing the other had been lost in the depths of the dryer. And her hair usually worn in a rather neat bun was half free from the passionate kisses and hair pulling that had taken place. Her lips were flushed from a heavy make-out and still pulsing with gentle vibrations. But still, she managed to slide into place, skin mostly dry and plastering on a happy face to greet the blonde man holding to bottles of scotch. "Okaerinasai♥~" she managed. "Looks like we're having a bit celebration today!~" she said seemingly pleased but ordering things to fix her thoughts in her head, and wondering how much Miyuki would notice.

At the same time, Miko was on the phone, she could hear something odd about Takao. He didn't seem his usual self and she felt like she was somehow responsible for that. Miko truly didn't want to be a bother, she simply wanted to talk to her friend and let him know she was okay, figuring he might have had a bad few interactions with her parents not being freely available either. No matter, she'd listen to how he spoke and feel something strange, a slight twist in her chest, as his words seemed hopeful but somehow not the same that she was used to. She didn't even get a chance to say anything else before he hung up. She'd definitely be waiting for that call. A sigh escaped her as she looked at her phone screen. "Aaah♪~ He sounded so mad. I didn't mean to..." Miko murmured softly mostly to herself but the oddity of the man on the park bench hadn't escaped her notice. She'd been pacing but stopped some distance away from that man her senses on high alert. "I know I probably don't have room to talk but it's really weird to randomly sit in front of a person pacing like that so randomly in a public space," Miko mentioned unable to keep the observation to herself. She had no reason to talk to this man, but upon looking at him... she felt he looked familiar but she couldn't quite place it.

[Bloodedge]

While Kaguya met with her fiancé in whatever way she chose to do so, Yugi sat in that tub and scrolled through his phone. He got to see what became of Hayasaka Ai after a few years of growth, and was beyond satisfied with that. He'd definitely take her route if it appeared. Ah, but now that he thought about it... there was a System notification earlier ─ one he didn't view. Upon looking for it, what he found was a simple pending quest whose unlock conditions must have been met without proximity to actually start the event. That was going to be something to look into later. In the meantime, Miyuki was turning around at the door to see Kaguya in... the strangest of states. She greeted him as normal, yet she was both visibly and audibly out of sorts. Only a single stocking, hair a mess, lips looking like she was trying out some new makeup and... the wetness of one who'd been in the shower recently. "Ah... that's a look. Did I miss something?" the blonde wondered as he stepped forward, kicking off his shoes and leaning toward Kaguya ─ clearly intending to peck her on the lips.

Out in the park, Miko's phone call was over. What she decided to afterwards was... address the young man who'd been sitting nearby for its duration. How strange. Most people didn't speak to him so directly while remaining frank. Most people also wouldn't have called it weird for him to sit near a lone person in a park at night. Of course, most people in Japan, or at least in Tokyo... actually knew who he was by now. Whatever the case, the male brunette wore a gentle and bashful smile as he offered a reply. "Is it so strange? You're a girl pacing the park at night, on your phone. I believe anyone should be worried enough to keep an eye on you, if only for your safety. You should also be more careful. There are four high-ranking Gates in the area, and three of them haven't been properly tracked yet. There could be a Dungeon Break at any moment from one of the two A-rank Gates. But anyway, I'm getting off track. You're not in any trouble, are you?" he asked, seeming genuinely concerned for a total stranger.

[Apollymi]

Kaguya was now greeting Miyuki and this man's reaction said she looked far more out of sorts than she meant to in meeting him. She couldn't even use her normal valid excuses as she was definitely hiding something. But just the same their greeting would continue as if nothing was truly amiss. He pecked her lips and she pecked his back, but found herself expectant of something more which may or may not have been coming. As for her appearance, and what he may have missed. "There is huge news... and I got dressed in a hurry. It's complicated. Mi-chan is back!~" she said her eyes sparkling with excitement which was true and earnest. Her best friend returning was still one of the major highlights of her day. Regardless of everything else going on... she could easily use the excitement of the moment to give herself a bit more time to freelance a response of some sort. As long as Yugi remained in the back she had a bit more time to work through things and he'd already promised not to interfere and in this way she could play up one end while keeping the other under wraps.

While Kaguya worked through her strange appearance the like, Miko was confronted by a new man. He was gorgeous by her own approximation and she honestly had no idea who he was, if she'd met him in any other circumstances she might have had a much harder time breaking the ice while she internally freaked out. "Just a little... people normally ignore me," Miko mentioned honestly. Still, she was looking at him and listening to him and couldn't help her mind wandering, 'Ah, nice guy prince archetype!' her mind screamed. As if on cue, her phone lightly vibrated as a System Notification Popped up...

〔SYSTEM NOTICE — BOND ROUTE DETECTED〕
Compatibility threshold met.
Unregistered resonance acknowledged.

Target: Akechi Rikuya
Initiator: Miko

Bond Route Status: Initialized
Route Name: CROW AND MIRROR
Starting Intimacy: 30%

Observation:
This connection is not born of desire alone.
Shared shadows, unresolved intent, and mirrored ambition detected.

Warning:
This route contains volatile convergence potential.
Outcome paths may diverge sharply from standard projections.

Proceed?

Accept [Y/N]?

Most times she went unseen, her person not worth the secondary glance. Granted she'd made quite a few adjustments to her body, this man didn't seem as outwardly interested in that part. And it would seem the notification she was reading hinted at the same thing, her brows furrowed, but... how could she not take a route? While reading the points of it she responded to words spoken the way she would naturally all while pressing yes, on her phone enthusiastically '30 percent start is so fucking high... it probably has a strange lead in or a grand reveal, worth it regardless. Besides I don't know that name or anything, how shocking could it be?' she questioned internally. "I haven't seen one of those, I meant to have a look but I'll be careful..." Miko clarified realizing she was doing the thing where she strung together ideas that had her talking to herself and someone else at the same time. "I'm not in any trouble. I was just visiting a friend I haven't seen in a while, and calling another one for similar reasons... I'm a bit awkward though so I can't always read the situations between me and other people easily. I'm being brave today," Miko stated honestly. She found herself having way too much ease conversing with a young man she'd never seen before this moment. Oddly enough she didn't know him. "Oh, right... I'm oversharing again. Gomennasai... I'm fine though, you probably have a lot to do... no need to worry about me," Miko confirmed. At the same time she really wanted to keep talking to this young man.

[Bloodedge]

There was nothing at all normal about the way Kaguya looked presently. The more Miyuki looked at her, the more disheveled she seemed. Actually, it could have only been weirder if she had her dress on inside-out or backwards. She definitely wasn't wearing a bra under it today, but maybe she hadn't gone out all day? That may have been the most normal thing. Before he had much time to question things, Miyuki had some information dumped on him. She'd been dressed in a hurry, something was complicated, and there was news: the one she called Mi-chan had come back. "Huh? Iino?" he questioned immediately. That one had been a long time coming. Miyuki hadn't given any real consideration to that girl's return for several months, thinking it was impossible by now. Even with that information given, Miyuki only connected it to the strangeness he saw in Kaguya. "Oh... is this the result of that 'weirdly close' relationship you two have? What was it... skinship or something?" he wondered in a desperate attempt to justify whatever that look was. Meanwhile, Yugi was letting water out of the tub ─ something surely audible down the hall.

The very first claim Miko made after a conversation officially began, was that people normally ignored her. The male had a good enough look at her while waiting for that phone call's conclusion, and that statement seemed entirely illogical. "You'll have to forgive me if I don't understand how that's true," he replied without much hesitation. Regardless, Miko went on to claim she'd not seen any of the Gates he mentioned. It was easy to assume she meant the current Gates, as opposed to Gates in general. Something was strange below the surface of that claim, though. Well, there were more important things to acknowledge, like the girl's safety. She was fine, just in a couple of situations that might be misinterpreted from an outside perspective. Her claim of awkwardness however, registered to the man just as strangely as her claim of being ignored. Everything seemed completely normal to him thus far. Where was the alleged awkwardness? "Sou ka. Ignored, awkward... and being brave," he repeated observationally. Miko's 'oversharing' never crossed his mind as an issue. He'd shown concern, and she simply gave the necessary answers. The way she spoke was no different than what he would have said in the same situation. "I don't see any overshares. But... I tend to have a habit of rambling myself, and it's much worse than that. I guess I wouldn't be the best to judge then, huh?" he asked rhetorically, keeping a chipper mood about it. "But I can say: if this is you being brave, you're doing a great job! You don't seem the least bit awkward or ignorable to me, for whatever that's worth. I'm still concerned for your safety though. You're not a Hunter, are you? Do you need an escort back home, or to your friend's house? I don't have any pressing matters to attend just yet."

[Apollymi]

"Yes, there isn't another Mi-chan♥!~" Kaguya chirped. It may not have escaped the notice of many than she could have called Miyuki the same thing but simply chose not to address him in that sort of way, but there was no need to harp on that. she was definitely more out of sorts than she planned to be, but she could piece together something closer to a normal interaction if she didn't harp too hard on the details. She supposed she could only hope that Miyuki also didn't spend too much time thinking about the small things and also hope that Miko didn't get too distracted on her way back, but that didn't really matter. No, because in the oddest turn of events yet, Miyuki remembered some random piece of information Kaguya had shared with him months ago. "You remember that? I'm actually touched," she said earnestly. Though she began to wonder if he remembered all she'd said about Miko and her oddities, only time would tell. Perhaps she'd made the right choice somewhere inside it felt like that. "Skinship is Mi-chan's thing and she'd definitely want that but it isn't really what happened, I just had to rush to get ready..." Kaguya explained vaguely.

At the same time, Miko was being woo'd in a different way. Distraction was always present where Miko was, and in this case, it was the princely young man looking out for her who managed to have her attention now. "Waaah♪~ Really?!♪~" Miko questioned aloud almost immediately. She didn't expect her change in visage to mean so much but this young man didn't seem to be lying at all, he also didn't know that this physical form was only a recent development for her and she couldn't really explain it. The acceptance of that route was something that Miko did without hesitation but there was something more. He didn't seem to find her as awkward as Miko herself remembered being. Was that really true? Or was he also just as weird. "Well, if you want to ramble you can do so in front of me. You have a really nice voice I could listen to you talk all day♪~" Miko chirped with an odd observation. "Also if you don't find me awkward that's probably for the best, we can chat then♪~" Miko concluded. what was more, there was an explanation of this young man's understanding. It had Miko looking at the young man stunned. 'Waaah♪~ He doesn't think I'm weird, he's hot, and he thinks I've done a good job being brave. Winning!~' Miko couldn't help but feel proud of herself. "I'll take your opinion, it's easier to accept since you don't really know me that well already..." Miko mentioned. "I'm not a Hunter or anything... my friend thinks I might be at some point but I haven't gotten so far yet, I am not far from where I need to be, but I still have to run an errand or two before I go back," Miko said honestly. What she meant was that she had to buy magical groceries but that wasn't necessarily something she'd share. "It's weird, though because I really want to keep talking to you, but I can't drag an uninvited guest back when I've promised to cook my friend dinner and catch up," Miko explained of herself in the moment. "At the risk of being too brave today would you want to meet up and chat a bit more later?" she asked earnestly.

[Bloodedge]

There was no other Mi-chan, Kaguya claimed. True enough, he'd never heard her speak of anyone else by that name. Miyuki himself would have been someone who could answer to it, but he completely understood her not allowing two while keeping fond memories of the first. Kaguya seemed quite pleased with this new turn of events, so he couldn't be upset about anything. That would especially remain the case if Miyuki's current thoughts proved true... but according to Kaguya, the 'skinship' wasn't to blame for her current state. She had to rush to get ready? What could she have been doing before? Miyuki's confusion was quickly becoming... something else. "Just now? But you knew I was coming," he replied. Yugi was drying himself off at the time, checking Inventory for something to wear after sending back his original outfit. He also made sure Kaguya's undergarments were stored to avoid the situation that happened with his first trophy. As he did so, he noticed a new tab flickering into existence. It read as: 〔Bond-Linked Storage: Shinomiya Kaguya〕

'Hm? That just appeared,' Yugi thought as he viewed the new tab. Naturally, he went looking through it. He saw within it nothing more than her sweater dress, greyed as if locked in place within the video game-style System interface. He could store a few items in that tab if he wished, but it seemed Kaguya's access was currently marked as restricted. Perhaps that 50% threshold would mean something else whenever it was reached. 'I'm gonna go shopping later,' Yugi decided.

All the while, Miko's interaction with that young man in the park resulted in a surprised reaction. He truly didn't see or understand how the girl could ever be ignored, yet she seemed so shocked by his expression that the original belief had to be true. She went on to talk about his rambling, making the claim that he could ramble at her all day thanks to the quality of his voice. He laughed. It was melodic, harmonious almost to a fault for someone who didn't make a living in audio. Still, his response was deflective. "I can hardly take praise like that from you. It sounds like a professional artist praising a child for macaroni art. It might be genuine; the macaroni picture might be good for what it is. But... it isn't the same," he pontificated. "Ah! There I go already. Gomennasai," he followed, leaving Miko to her expressions of current state. She wasn't a Hunter, but she had some things to do before returning. It seemed his offer was being tentatively rejected. She couldn't bring an uninvited guest back with her. Upon hearing that, the male seemed confused. "Haha! I wasn't trying to invite myself over, or to give that impression. Please, I insist. Café Leblanc is open late tonight, so I was just going to hang out there until they close. If you're nearby, I wouldn't even be going out of my way to keep an eye on you."

[Apollymi]

Miko was an irreplaceable part of a friendship. Her name was her own and Miyuki was indeed familiar with that aspect. Yet, Kaguya was still placing together pieces of a tale which didn't make this look terrifying. Well, it would look bad regardless, she would just have to vague enough and give a bit of casual blame to Miko which was something they tacitly agreed to a long time ago. "Yeah, I knew you were coming that's why I was having a shower in the first place, but... my bestie showed up after a year I wasn't going to turn her away. I had to make sure she was real, that this was actually happening," Kaguya wasn't necessarily lying in a moment like this, no... she was just moving around the events in time by a few hours. "It was a mad scramble and she offered to make dinner and so... I figured it would be fine. I just haven't gotten around to not freaking out yet, ya know?" Kaguya mentioned. Well... Yugi was going to pop up soon and that would need explaining but she felt like she could trust him a bit... Miyuki's reaction would be something else.

Meanwhile, Miko was having an interesting conversation with a young man in a park. One she didn't know aside from the System's offer of information but that didn't matter at all. He was so nice, and his words swept her ears in the sweetest possible way. Miko complimented this young man's voice and received in return the type of compliment that made her ears flush and her loins twitch. "Uuooh♪~ That is such a fucking compliment... I don't know what to do with that, but I know what I want to do♪~" Miko murmured softly. A young man so attractive, with such a calming energy about him and soft voice, she could just imagine the extra sounds and never wanted more to not have something to do in just a few moments. "Don't ever applogize for saying something like that to me... keep doing it and we'll have a different kind of conversation♪~" Miko found herself incidentally flirting only to realize she should probably not be doing that thing without at least knowing this man's name from his own lips. "Oops, that just slipped out. Should probably do introductions before flirting with the so hot compliment giving man..." Miko muttered to herself. "Aoyama Misaki is what I'm called. Yoroshiku..." she said using some very specific words to introduce herself. Ah, but she didn't tell lies, how would she introduce herself while not using her actual name. It would seem the awkwardness of Miko was making it's appearance just the same, as this young man wasn't intending to invite himself along but just to make sure she got where she was going safely. "Eto, that's not it... I would invite you, simply because I'm not ready to stop yet. I do that sometimes... I can be a bit disruptive to people's lives so I try to be mindful of what other people have going on so as not to drag them into stuff or make things weird for them," Miko clarified of herself. "I didn't know LeBlac's was still open it's always had such weird hours... I am headed in that general direction, if you insist you can walk me to the corner while I make my grocery list and we could meet up after dinner for coffee or something like that?" Miko adjusted her desires a bit to go along with something more flexible and give them time to do a bit more talking. At the very least, she could get a better hold of everything and do some scrolling through the shop and get the food items together. She knew that she wanted to make hamburg steak.

[Bloodedge]

Kaguya knew Miyuki was coming home soon, hence the shower she'd taken. That tracked. Based on their last conversation, she must have been preparing for an interesting night. Ah, but her missing friend's return had come during that shower. Rushed dressing and an incomplete dry made sense. He couldn't blame her for being frazzled when the friend she'd spoken of at such length was randomly back in the picture, though... Miyuki thought timing could have been a bit better. Actually, perhaps this was for the best? He did like the way Kaguya looked presently, at least behind closed doors. "Well... you know what? If her showing up makes you look like you do now, I hope she does it a lot," he casually flirted. The sound of water draining was something Miyuki attributed to Miko's arrival, but he'd soon be in for a rude awakening. "I'll have to reintroduce myself properly. That must be her I hear in the..." Miyuki paused. Why? Well, he looked down the hall... and that couldn't have been the Iino Miko he'd casually seen when they were all attending school functions unless some very drastic changes were made. Yugi stepped out of the bathroom sporting more "junk" items from the System shop that seemed more like designer pieces in this world. His getup consisted of grey cargo pants with strange symbol designs lining the leg pockets, a black belt through its loops and another belt-like addition hanging from his right hip. For a top, he'd gone for a black A-top with those same almost runic additions to its left breast, finished with a thick royal blue stripe on either side of the article. He'd even picked up a couple of necklaces that... may have been silver, white gold or platinum, but surely couldn't have been either of the three. Before Miyuki could even voice his immediate concerns, Yugi spoke, already having his façade ready. "Careful Shinomiya, you've still got water on th─oya? This must be him," he said. Miyuki was in utter disbelief, merely looking at Kaguya skeptically as if he expected a thousand answers.

The one widely known as Akechi Rikuya had given a simple compliment, a standard bit of lip service regardless of its genuine nature. In response, he received a most interesting streak of honesty from Miko that featured compliments of a different sort. He laughed casually, but didn't let her words fall by the wayside. "Dare I ask what that might be?" he inquired about what she 'wanted' to do. Of course, things were made clear when the lass spoke of having a different kind of conversation. There weren't many things that could mean in current context ─ especially with her nonchalant mention of accidentally flirting... just to do it again in the same sentence. "Sou, sou. Don't worry about it. I've been getting used to people skipping introductions, but this is a new situation entirely. I'm actually not sure what to do now," he admitted. With Miko's following explanation about her 'disruptive' nature, he felt a kindred bond of sorts. He, too, had a habit of inserting himself and others where they needn't necessarily be. Whatever the case, Miko did accept his offer eventually. One less person in potential danger was good enough for him tonight. "That's a lot to unpack, but not for any bad reason. It's nice to meet you, Aoyama-san. I'm Akechi Rikuya. If you'll have me, I'd gladly accompany you until you're safely where you need to be. And, yes, I wouldn't mind if you joined me for coffee. Company is always an improvement to the experience, and Leblanc is usually pretty empty at night. After you?"

[Apollymi]

A frazzled Kaguya at the return of her new friend was apparently normal enough for Miyuki to put to the side any extra questions. That was good, Kaguya was actually legitimately still frazzled, though it wasn't simply about Miko's return. No... but that was something that'd be taken up later. "Mi-chan is a disruptive influence, she'll cause a lot of things~" Kaguya mentioned lightly, that flirty tone of her base speech making its way back in response not that it would be a problem. No, because the male voice from down the hall, would be resounding, saying her name in the more formal method but still with an added edge of comfort which was more attitude than anything else. Kaguya looked at the lad completely decked out in a different kind of outfit. "Oh right..." Kaguya said seemingly remaining in her frazzled state if only for the sake of having someone else to play off of. "Yeah, this is him..." Kaguya mentioned. "Shirogane Miyuki, my fiancé. This is Mi-chan's boyfriend. She actually left a few minutes ago to grab food for dinner, she wanted to cook. And if Mi-chan offers you food, you accept it, it's a life rule," Kaguya slipped that in because it was the truth and Miko could be counted on for quite a few things, including being completely believable in a chaotic situation. "Sorry about the water... I well you know," Kaguya apologized lightly, referencing the chaos leading up to this moment.

Meanwhile, Miko was indeed living up to her side of this arrangement. That casual laugh of Akechi's was one which Miko found lovely and beyond that he questioned what she wanted to do. "I want to make a meal out of you♪~ But... I promised real dinner to my friend," Miko said seeming to find the desires overlapping and wondering if her meaning would even be clear but... whatever the case, she was willing to move past it having gotten that out there. Whatever the case, apparently this lad was used to people skipping the introductions, "Waah♪~ I can't imagine someone doing something like that. It's okay you can take your time... I know what it's like to need to work through things to find the right way to proceed♪~" Miko spoke lightly. She understood better than most what a brand new situation did in the wrong kind of moment. Still she wouldn't stop herself from flirting pretty directly with this young man. Still an introduction was made and it matched what the System called him so she could be calm about him giving his actual name. "Hai hai, Akechi-san♪~" Miko said, Aoyama would likely take a bit of time to get used to being called. Miko would being her walk. Seemingly headed towards a grocery store around the corner from her childhood home. Such a place was on her normal walking route and all the while she'd be putting together an order in the shop from her phone. Casually plucking the necessary ingredients for Hamburg Steak, at ridiculously low prices. She noted the shared funds had decreased by a little but that wasn't really a problem. She'd pick all those things and a couple of resusable grocery bags for the sake of making sure she had everything she needed. "So, Akechi-san, do you make it a habit to maintain general safety of the public?♪~" Miko wandered. All the while she figured she could stop by the store pick up the bags and then head for the house without arousing unnecessary suspicion and managing to get a few more casual words in with Akechi.

[Bloodedge]

Once the black-haired male stepped out of the bathroom, everything changed. Tone, energy, demeanor ─ all were different in the clearest possible way. Miyuki did listen to Kaguya's brief explanation. She claimed Miko wasn't here presently because she'd gone shopping. That was fine, but then what was her alleged boyfriend still doing here... just for Kaguya to look the way she did? "Don't you both think that's a little inappropriate? I come home, my fiancée is in this kind of state, and a strange man comes out of the bath right after? If I didn't know any better, I'd assume─" Just then, Miyuki was interrupted by Yugi himself, who spoke with the flattest expression. "I spent the last few hours fucking your girl's brains out. We even went raw. Just a few minutes ago, she was fucking begging me to go deeper, telling me how she didn't mind being mine ─ all that good stuff," he claimed. Yugi left a few moments for his speech to really sink in. Miyuki's face contorted in about six different ways, but he was interrupted once again before moving or speaking. "That's the kind of thing you're thinking, right? Relax. I'm not interested in your girl. You should know she was also freaking out about how things would look. There was a weird pacing thing too. Anyway, I had to use your bath, or you'd have to deal with me funking up the house before dinner," he explained. Miyuki couldn't make heads or tails of anything currently. He did know one thing, though, and he'd share it after clearing his throat. "... Oh. Dry humor. OK, I get it. Still, that's very inappropriate. Is there anything else I should know about before I process all this?" he asked, seeming to direct the question Kaguya's way.

Akechi Rikuya was in the middle of receiving an even more brutal form of honesty from the likes of Miko... or Misaki, as he knew her. His eyes widened slightly, and remained as such upon hearing her claim of making dinner... out of him. For the past several months, he'd heard it all. Of course that included claims like what the brown-haired girl recently said, but never in such a way. "... Oh. That's also new. Should I assume you're just really good at telling jokes? In spite of everything, I'm not known for being the best at social cues. I'll spare you the diagnoses on my mental state," he said half-jokingly. Regardless, they'd soon be on their way toward whatever shop Miko had in mind. Rikuya followed closely along, only a single pace behind at her left side. While they moved, the discussion continued... featuring a question about Rikuya's habits, such as maintaining public safety. He hesitated after such a question. Why would she ask that? It was so strange, he could only laugh nervously at first. "So you are good at jokes. I should try learning something from you. I guess you could call it a habit if you really wanted to. Though I'd call it a little more than a hobby at this point. What about you, Aoyama-san? Do you often make late night grocery runs in dangerous areas to feed your friends? I wasn't aware friendships could get that strong~"

[Apollymi]

Miyuki instantly cued in on the fact that Yugi wasn't Miko and went down the path that Kaguya assumed he would. Miko going shopping wasn't an odd thought, but the fact that this young man had stayed behind was an issue, one he brought up in exactly the way that Kaguya figured he would. It would have been quite ironic if she'd actually done thing as she'd intended to do upon meeting Yugi, 'Always an accusation.' she thought, such feelings are exactly how she'd ended up at the why not part. But Yugi did have something to work with. He came out and confessed everything in the most deadpan manner possible. Allowing a pregnant pause to let the absurdity of the accusation sink in. "Of course there was weird pacing. Mi-chan doesn't think about the social implications of her actions, even now..." Kaguya said seemingly huffily but in truth she was thanking her new godless religion that her friend was such a reliably off-center person. Kaguya also hadn't missed that pointed wording, there was something prickly about how he referred to Kaguya in that moment, but that wasn't even worth the extra thought currently. "I knew it'd look bad but I also can't be rude. Also, I didn't get a chance to tell Mi-chan about you, before she went in search of food. She may or may not be a little prickly initially," Kaguya gave that warning alone but if he wanted time to process things she didn't see a problem with it.

Meanwhile, a walk had began and Akechi and Miko were having a conversation while on the move. In this particular set of movements Miko had a fair bit of tunnel vision and hearing. She was hyper-fixated on Akechi's voice, but mostly moving around people and traffic as if they were merely objects in her way. This young man thought she was joking and claimed she was really good at it. There was something so familiar about that kind of reaction it made Miko smile, but as a person who existed in a bubble of awkwardness she'd easily help him out. "Iia, I've a pretty hefty psychological evaluation myself... between the OCD and the ADHD I have a hard time interacting with people properly, I miss social cues and forget what is and isn't appropriate. Still, I don't joke about food, I meant that as the flirt it was, Akechi-san♪~" Miko admitted softly. Just the same all the ingredients she'd wanted came to a very small handful of gold overall, even with the included shopping bags. Still the only oddity would come with the light conversation occurring and the lad making a claim that his escort was more than a hobby and not a habit. "Ooh♪~" A little chirp escaped the girl as she drew her eyes up to him. "Is it your job? Did I miss something?" she questioned choosing to deal with his words in reverse order. "I am more of a night person anyway... I end up with the most energy after the sun goes down regardless of everything else, so yes. I mean I wouldn't have gone out if she had the things I wanted to make, but friendship with me is a bit intense. You can consider that a warning, Akechi-san♪~" Miko offered the man a knowing little smirk full of lightly smug energy. "Still I definitely missed something. You look a little young to be a cop. Well, it wouldn't be completely out of the question but if so that's one hell of an achievement♫~" she congratulated but what was she missing. Well there were strangely quite a few references to this young man across billboards and screens in the area. He was actually quite popular, but Miko didn't know that.

[Bloodedge]

Everything was getting a little too freaky for Miyuki. His mind hadn't even gone to the extremes this random lad listed, but... that was Yugi's plan. At times, the truth was more ridiculous than any assumptions one could make. He figured Miyuki saw something bedroom-related, missionary, steamy and romantic ─ but nothing with any major detail. By giving real details, he'd thrown the blonde off his rhythm entirely and diffused the situation. In the end, all Miyuki could do was make a comment on propriety. "Never cared much for what's appropriate and what isn't. Every social norm is just some dumb way for people in power to force conformity," Yugi asserted. Miyuki scoffed. "I'll be frank; I have to disagree. Following social norms is a way to show kindness to each other. But we can debate that some other time," he said, sighing and turning toward Kaguya. "I believe you. Let's focus on the good things, shall we? I've got two good bottles here from the guys. Since your friend is back and offering to cook, why don't we all share them tonight in a joint celebration?" With that question on the table, Miyuki intended to hand Kaguya the bottle in his right hand ─ all to extend that same hand toward Yugi afterwards. "Shirogane Miyuki, by the way. A-rank Tanker under the Stoneheart Guild. Pleasure," he offered. Yugi hesitated, but raised his hand nonetheless. He'd yet to even look for that false identification, being distracted by lewd images and new System updates. So then, how would he introduce himself? There was one thing that wouldn't get him caught. "Leeroy Jenkins."

". . ."

While Miyuki was silently entering a handshake with a boy who'd introduced himself by the strangest name, Miko and Akechi were sharing brief mentions of their mental issues. With Miko commenting on her own psych evaluations, the male merely raised a hand. "You don't need to say another word. I know exactly how it is," he said initially. More importantly though, Miko reinforced the flirt that managed to confuse him slightly. She didn't joke about food, apparently. Stunned by the reference, he blinked thrice and pointed to himself. "So is that to say I'm food?" he questioned. Rikuya's confusion wouldn't end there. Miko asked if his current activities were his job. Had she missed something? He'd certainly say so. "Umm..." That was all he could mutter for a moment. Perhaps he'd do best acknowledging the warning Miko gave, as if teasing a friendship offer. "I suppose you want to be friends then. That's... an offer I would be more willing to accept than normal, considering..." Ah yes, that created the proper opening to make another point obvious. It was so unbelievable that she didn't know who he was, but it made sense of the fact that she wasn't freaking out like most other girls meeting him. He had to believe her. In the same respect, he had to inform her... which he'd do by stopping where he stood and pointing up to a billboard. "You probably did miss something, I think..." What was on that billboard? Rikuya's face, and the headline: The Detective Prince Does it Again!

[Apollymi]

It seemed that at the end of it all, Miyuki was completely thrown off. What had looked like it might turn into some kind of massive argument had instead become an interpretation of dry humor and a discussion on the lack of propriety. Ah, but even Miyuki was willing to set that aside and focus on the good things. Two good bottles of scotch and her friend making dinner lead him to believe celebrations were in order. "A celebration would be nice, there is a toss up on whether or not Mi-chan will agree to drinking but I could use a couple after the the tension of the last few minutes~" Kaguya said lightly. Of course, she was the type to enjoy a casual drink or two. "Congratulations by the way... did everything go okay?" she wondered about the nature of the actual dungeon clear, but there was something else, a shaking introduction which made Kaguya's face scrunch up. 'Obviously there is a joke here I missed,' she thought, perhaps Ai would be able to explain it, or Miko whenever she returned.

Speaking of the return of Miko, she was presently meeting someone just as socially awkward as herself. Apparently, Miko didn't have to explain more of her oddities she was simply understood. What a relief that was, the smile which broke out across her face was quite wide. "Whew♫~ That's good to know. It usually takes me a while to get people to understand, I like being understood♪~" Miko chirped happily. Still there was a matter of Akechi's question and she looked at him, finding the innocence of his understanding to be, cute. How strange, "Hai♪~ It'll be fun figuring out what kind♪~" Miko flirted having already cleared up her own explanation. She wondered if this kind of flirting was successful, but she supposed they'd figure it out together. "Of course I want to be friends, it isn't often that people get me... I can't go letting them slip away♪~" Miko claimed of course, she'd be finding out soon enough why this man didn't make friends easily. By the time he was pointing upward she was pausing to look at a billboard with his face on it. She missed something huge. It was kind of terrible considering she'd been out for hours, but she had specifics in mind. Looking into dungeons, seeing Ai, figuring out the nature of the world, she'd forgotten stuff like this, "Sou ka... I'm blind too♪!~" she chirped seeming to shame herself just a bit. "The Detective Prince is a great name though... I thought you gave off princely vibes♪~" Miko said carefully. "I guess me not knowing who you are is actually quite weird for you, huh? I mean I still want to be friends if it wouldn't be too awkward for you. Even famous people need reliable people around them and a chance to decompress. And I can promise I won't treat you any differently from the rest of my friends♪~" Miko happily offered of herself open companionship.