Charles Patricius

A casual discussion about other individuals who resided in the magical world was not allowed its proper continuance. Such was a point of legitimate annoyance, albeit only lightly, for Kazuhiko. There hadn't been much time or freedom to discuss Alaya, and it seemed half of the chances that came about were interrupted. This time, at least he knew the interruption was coming eventually. Sukoto Rindou thought it was finally his time to shine, his chance to claim victory over a lad he didn't even know the name of. For Rindou, this would be the last time he even saw the young brunette. The parcel he carried contained the IPC's newest leisure device: a pair of augmented reality glasses that he was sure he could interest Kei in! "Prepare to be wowed!" Rindou announced upon offering the box. "What you have in front of you now is the latest in augmented reality technology! More vivid colors, greater depth of field, UV protection strong enough to view a solar eclipse through the lens! Enjoy the IPC's latest as a personal gift from me, Sukoto Rindou! You see, this is what you can look forward to in the future: an endless flood of such luxury items! Keep them on you; the fireworks will be starting soon. You won't want to miss it!" he announced while Kazu tried his hardest to ignore every word the man was saying. For some reason, Rindou's sales pitch was inherently annoying to the lad.

Miko went on to explain what she needed. Moreover, she indirectly admitted to a topic equally indirectly raised by Hiruko. There were three autographs worth acquiring in the upcoming meeting. As an added note, she expressed her distaste for the two sides of her life blending together. "What parts of your life? I've got no idea what you're talking about, Kocchi♥~" he said. As far as Hiruko was concerned, he didn't know a single thing about her double life. In the next moment, he was at the receiving end of Kyoka's... oh-so-pleased voice. "Kyoppi, when have I ever asked you for anything difficult? You sound like you've been having it rough. I'd offer a massage, but let's talk shop. I need some masonry for my job and everything you've got for a headache. Concerts are getting loud, and I've got a few coming up. Think you can hook me up if I can secure you some autographs?"

Kei had finished her food, and once it was done Sukoto Rindou made... what she could only call a sales pitch. She sat looking at him, as he explained a new product being pushed by the IPC. Augmented Reality Glasses, which he got for her so she could watch the fireworks show with enhanced visuals even in real life. It was a gift and perhaps it could even be considered a thoughtful one but... once again it fell a little flat. Not because the product wasn't pitched well, but simply because the audience was wrong. Kei didn't want a life where she was given things just because she was attached to some random man. She'd take no satisfaction from a life of things without real experiences attached to them. "That was actually a reasonable product pitch..." Kei admitted. Still this wasn't a pitch meeting. It was for better or worse a date. The fireworks would be beginning soon, so she took the glasses but as she looked at Kazuhiko she could see more annoyance in his visage than he'd shown the entirety of the date so far. "What's wrong?" she asked of him, wanting his legitimate opinion on the matter given his lack of emotional care towards most of Rindou's interference for the duration of this date.

At the same time, Miko realized she didn't have to make full confessions or the like to Daikichi Hiruko. No, he figured out all necessary information and even when hearing her discuss not liking her lives intersecting, chose to ignore the obvious point. A soft smile came to her face in that moment. "Have I mentioned you're one of my favorite people, Hiru-nii♪♥~" Miko chirped. She definitely meant that statement, and at the same time, Kama had been putting together pieces of the conversation but she was still missing quite a lot of context. Concerts, people playing music and doing drugs. She'd heard the radio thing... but what did this have to do directly with Miko? What was wrong with the one called Mitchel? What was Miko's relationship to the one called Takao? A number of curiosities were presented and even with her advanced sight and understanding of bonds, it wasn't exactly clearing up. Beyond that the phone call to a certain green haired girl would be answered in a no nonsense kind of way. Kyoppi was what she was called and she scoffed at the childishness of that name, but still wouldn't really argue with it. "Ugh... I wore a white dress all day. And you often ask me for things that aren't easy..." she muttered, knowing he would fully understand the implications of her words. Ah, but he always paid well, and she enjoyed the things she got that weren't exactly easy to come by, so what was she doing this time? The code he spoke of had him receiving quite the hefty sum. And what he offered in return were autographs from a set of musicians currently in town. What was a few kilos of narcotics and some pills compared to rare gifts? Nothing really. "You're lucky, you know that? I'll definitely take the autographs, bonus points if you can snag me the rarest one. I'll obviously take that massage too, but not tonight, I'm working late. Anyway, I'll have that ready for you in a few, swing by and pick it up..." she claimed casually. "Oh, and while I am thinking about it. Anything else?" she asked as she always would in case the deal would be sweetened further in her favor.

Having his offering called a reasonable sales pitch, Rindou actually took it as a massive positive in his favor. Based on Kei's usual reactions, he counted this as an absolute win. How could that boy ever compare to an IPC product exclusive, and an immediate improvement to the part of a festival most people got excited about? Well, Kazu wasn't thinking of competing. In fact, he was taking a while catching up to the fact that fireworks would soon start. Well on his way to catching up, Kei stopped to ask him what was wrong. "Huh?" he answered quickly. "Oh... nothing, it's just not something I really get or vibe with. I just don't get the point of taking something awesome, running it through a filter and saying it's better. Like, what's the point of making a great memory if there's something fake about it? What's wrong with fireworks as they... are..." Near the end of his clause, Kazu's speech slowed. He finally realized what was going on, sprung up immediately, and exclaimed: "Shit! Fireworks! We gotta go!" With that, he'd be reaching out to grab Kei immediately. There was no time to lose. Kazu would be sprinting toward Nakanoshima Park at ridiculous speeds, knowing he'd found it to be a good vantage point earlier. Rindou didn't have time to get a word in before the sudden exit. The marketing 'expert' was left shocked and failing to follow along while Kazu was bringing Kei toward what he deemed the perfect location. He even managed to snatch a blanket along the way, leave a couple thousand yen behind for it, and lay it out on the grass upon reaching the park. There they could sit among the flowers. "Whew! Made it! I did a lot of looking around earlier, and this should be an awesome view! Not a lot of people here with them walking the stall areas, but there's a clear line of sight that way to where the firework equipment should be launching. Besides, it smells like flowers! Who doesn't like when it smells like flowers?"

Had Miko mentioned that Hiruko counted among her favorite people? Maybe she did, maybe she didn't. Regardless, his answer wouldn't change. "Not enough~" he said with a wink. Moments into a phone call with Kyoka, he learned at least part of the reason she sounded so upset. Someone like her being forced into a white dress for a full day... had to be some sort of punishment, or it had to feel like one at least. "White, huh? Not that big a problem. Dye it red and tell Kimacchi it was my fault. You'll be off the hook~" he said about the dress issue. As for his allegedly frequent difficult requests, he vehemently denied all allegations. "That was ages ago. I haven't made one crazy request since I moved out," he argued. It seemed Kyoka would accept the autographs he spoke of ─ especially one that most people didn't know existed. Hiruko was already getting up to stretch his legs and prepare for movement. "Massage later, three celebrity signatures, no problem. If I'm short on the autographs, consider me in debt... but I've got one guaranteed. Just grab three things you want signed, and I'll get them handled. Oh! There is one more thing though, personal request. Got any Nighthawks laying around the place? Scratched, of course."

One day, maybe Sukoto Rindou would gain enlightenment, but today probably wouldn't be that day. Still, it seemed Kazuhiko had some ideologies to share with Kei. The thought that the creation of memories didn't need filters to make them better. He figured that things, moments, could be appreciated as they were that things didn't have to be made fake or 'enhanced' to be good. "Sou ka, I agree with that quite a bit..." she said finding his words refreshingly grounded. Ah, but Kauzhiko's excitement would be striking again, the fireworks which they all knew to be coming at the end of this festival day were something he wanted to see. Kei was soon brought along at top speed. All so they could head to Nakanoshima Park. He'd even grabbed a blanket to set up. And what was he saying? He's scoped this place out as the best place to see the fireworks from, and it smelled of flowers. "Sugoi!~ I love the smell of flowers!~ This is going to be great. Take a selfie with me?" she asked pulling out her phone to take a quick side by side selfie with the lad to help commemorate the moment among the flowers. If he acquiesced she'd snap a few and allow to a few to be snapped in return. Afterwards she'd be prepared to sit down calmly and watch the show... she'd not even bothered with those glasses or anything else at the moment. They'd even get to enjoy it with quiet between them since Sukoto had been lost somewhere along the way.

At the same time, a teasing jab was sent to Miko, she'd not told him enough he was one of her favorite people. Obviously, she'd be making that up to him posthaste. But he had a conversation to have mostly for her personal benefit, so she wouldn't be interrupting him. Kyoka was on the phone with him and after revealing the issue of the white dress, Hiruko claimed she could blame any impromptu dying on him. "Hm? I mean that is a good idea, but aren't I bit too old to be letting you take the blame for stuff like that?" she said in a manner which seemed almost teasing. Meanwhile, right along with that age question was the thought that he'd not asked her for anything crazy since before he 'moved' out as he put it. "Uh-huh, well I'm still traumatized," claimed Kyoka. Of course, she knew the truth, she could very well get anything he needed and then some in exchange for the right kind of items. "Done and done. Items already ready..." the girl said. She'd been moving around her own bedroom, slipping into flipflops and picking up three different CDs in mint condition, each belonging to one of the three artists that she wanted to sign things for her. With those in mind she headed towards the hidden bunker of the property she currently lived in, to get the rest of the items he'd asked for. Last on his list, a Nighthawk? "I mean... I have a few. They are still my favorites if I'm feeling nostalgic... I'll pack one up for you..." she said easily. "It should all be ready in about 10 minutes, pull straight down... 3658." she said giving the rolling password for the gate which would allow him to enter the property at his leisure.

Once they were in the right place, Kei made the best suggestion possible. Alas, that same suggestion was also the most unnecessary. Kazuhiko scoffed playfully upon hearing the request for a selfie. "Is that a question? We gotta take the selfies!" he exclaimed. The moment he had that blanket down, Kazu was right beside the girl. While one hand flashed a peace sign toward her camera, his other hand kept his phone out of view behind her back. He'd be putting it forward to take a snap or two of his own once she was done. At such a time, he also switched from a peace sign to the equally-known 'rock' hand sign with a faux serious expression. With both sets of selfies out of the way, Kazu also seated himself atop the blanket and awaited the moment streetlights in the distance began dimming. "This is gonna be awesome! I wonder if they've got special shapes and stuff for this festival. . ." he mused while leaning back against his own arms.

Hiruko knew his suggestion to the green-haired woman would work to her benefit. She seemed to believe so as well, though there was the question of her being a little too old to let him shoulder the blame. "That's for you to determine. If you're asking me though, I think you're never too old for a well-deserved spoiling from time to time♥~" he stated. Apparently, Kyoka was still traumatized by the requests he used to make of her. He never intended such a thing, but he equally didn't have other options at the time. "Then hold me accountable if you like. You know the deal," he mentioned before one final request was made. Hiruko intended to get gun acquisition out of the way if possible, and it seemed Kyoka did have a good one to spare. He was given a ten minute window and a passcode for entry, so he nodded to Miko and Kama to signal the coming departure. "Bet. We'll be there in five. See you soon~" he said before ending the call. With that, he was already on the move. "Time to go shopping. Sakucchi, you might want to switch off the magic hair. Nobody's gonna buy that look~" he warned.

Was her question about selfies, really a question? No... not really but that didn't mean she wouldn't be responsible about taking pictures of other people. That part was just residual politeness. "You make everything sound so exciting..." she mused. She'd find herself with a normal selfie of her own with him. A matching peace sign in one of them and her tongue out with a wink, punk rock style with his rocker one. With that part out of the way she'd happily sit with him on that blanket and wait for the show to begin. At the same time, Kei had her legs tucked beneath her looking up at the horizon and considering his question. "I mean probably? Micchan said this festival was put together by the residents. I assume they went all out..." she mused. Most of the people she'd seen here were doing their best, selling their wares and making sure the atmosphere was probably festive. But soon enough the street lights were dimming, and the show was about to begin. The first shot cracked the night sky with a peony bloom, a perfect globe of red sparks that faded almost as soon as it appeared. Many onlookers across the festival venue seemed to be looking up and gathering closer and closer to spots with a great view. But for Kei and Kazuhiko it seemed a little preparedness had gone a long way.

At the same time, Hiruko was making a claim or two to a green haired girl. It was up to her to decide if she was too old to abuse the 'it wasn't me' style excuse. That being said, it would see another scoff escaping her. "Ugh, if you're going to say it like that... I guess I deserve a little reprieve every once in a while~" she claimed seeming to relax just a bit. Still, she was told to hold him accountable for her trauma, she knew the deal. "Hai hai... " she said as she reached the basement floor and began moving around. A new van was opened and then she began moving around with a cart in the bottom for several items, including an empty duffle bag, an organizer for pills and several other things. "Oh, see ya'." said the girl on the phone before a clicking noise. Miko and Kama both saw that particular motion and Miko paused to pick up her bags and one item which probably looked odd which was a rolling hard case with little ball bearings. Kama thought about her hair, most normal humans wouldn't be able to see it, but it was rather easy to shift her appearance a bit. "Sou ka, how much do I need to change it?" she wondered? "Hm, if you like the dual color dark on the inside light on the outside that can pass you off as a bit eccentric... the starry sky thing isn't possible with just hair dye," Miko gave context, but was soon enough ready for departure and everything else.. "Sou ka..." And with that and just a moment of thought, the twinkling lights in the underside of Kama's hair dissipated. "I can't fully change from this form yet.. it's still a bit unstable, but I think this should do fine. Also I have questions," Kama mentioned as the underside of her hair became a plainer purple hue and she finally fully sat up and stretched her clothes shifting back into place and her physical form looking as undisturbed as it had originally.

"Everything is exciting! Just gotta make the time to enjoy it!" Kazu insisted. Even in his roughest moments, his darkest hour, Kazuhiko as Charlemagne found himself thoroughly enjoying everything in front of him. Sure, he had negative thoughts attached to said enjoyment at the time... but even that came to pass after getting a bit of advice in the Nexus. "This is a two-year adventure with a lot of darkness ahead, so I'm gonna light every torch I can on the way to it!" he added. Shortly after that claim, the firework show began. There was first a crimson peony explosion to catch attention, and indeed Kazu's attention was there. Before he could even utter satisfaction, there was a golden chrysanthemum following up as the second major explosion. For some reason, Kazu decided to slap himself on the forehead. "Ack! Stupid! I said torches! I could have said fireworks! That would have been so much cooler!" he complained to the universe, lamenting the slowness of his own brain in prior moments.

With the end of a phone call, came the beginning of a trip. Before heading out, Hiruko figured it would be best for Kama to do something about her magical glowing hair. Though she allegedly couldn't risk shifting back to her other form just yet, an alteration was made easily enough. Hiruko even whistled appreciatively when seeing the change. "A low-key operation could be made so much easier," he observed. Feeling like a million bucks as he sauntered around the boat's dining table, he even had a flirty suggestion to make en route to the dock, and by virtue of that, the car. "Off we go then. You know the deal, ladies. Only one spare seat, but I'm feeling like my lap's free if anybody wants a five minute run~"

Kazuhiko had some interesting life philosophies. Everything was exciting according to him. Kei could understand this and even appreciate it. Making time for fun, during such events was also very important So she could only nod, "I like thinking about it that way..." she said of his words initially. What was more, he spoke of the upcoming journey. She knew herself and the rest of the girls would probably be tagging along. She knew her friends weren't the type to abandon anyone, if this lad was going to face the darkness... they would likely all be going along. She turned to look at him in the moment before the fireworks started really appreciating his attitude. He was putting a lot of himself into these moments and that was really appreciable. This kind of genuine emotional depth, wasn't something Kei truly encountered given her own family life. Before she could comment though.... the fireworks drew her attention. As if timed perfectly for this point, only after the second round did he claim he should have used the word fireworks instead of torches. "Eheheh~ No... torches, fireworks, sparks.... all of them light the way. I think what you said was pretty cool~" she added. Just then a bright blue explosion happened over the horizon as the golden chrysanthemum was dispersed and then a palm shaped set of fireworks immediately after. As if to put one in mind of the beach or some other such atmosphere. "Sugoi!~" Kei chimed. It wasn't just about the words shared or anything else. They had such a great view, she could see all the shapes and details so clearly. Nothing was blocking her view and all was well in the world. It truly was great to see it from just this level. While on this date, she felt like she had a reasonable time bonding with Kazuhiko, even with the interruptions, but now she felt quite at ease, she leaned into him to be more comfortable and continued to watch as sparkles lit up the sky.

Meanwhile, Hiruko's call ended and everyone was ready to go. Kama managed to change her hair color to one which was more reasonable though not her form. Hiruko, commented that low-key operations could get very easy, and Kama nodded. "Hai, once my body settles I can take any of the forms I have so far, or make minor adjustments as needed. I can potentially control the size and shape of my form as well... this one is already a bit leaner than normal, but I am fond of it, I think..." Kama mentioned almost casually. True enough though, Hiruko's car did only seat two comfortably. Miko looked at Hiruko and really wanted to sit in his lap. Kama for her observations and understanding of Miko, also knew that girl wanted to sit in his lap. But... Kama also did to, she figured this could be a good problem-solving moment, considering the trajectory of their lives together potentially. "Sou ka, how is this sort of thing normally decided between humans, when two or more people want to do the same thing?" she asked of Miko. "Well, in some cases, is a first come, first served situation. Ah... when people want to ride in the front seat in a car full of people they call shot gun before each other. There is a nose goes, rule for stuff you don't want to do depending on the friend group, and the last person to complete the action has to do the thing they don't want to... If you wanted the choice to be random, flipping coins, drawing straws, throwing dice... picking random numbers between two others and having a judge decide are also all ways." Miko explained several variations. "Hm, I didn't assume humans had this many methods... interesting all of the tools of problem-solving," she mentioned. "But for this sort of thing, how about jankenpo. Paper beats Rock. Rock beats Scissors and Scissors beats Paper," Miko mentioned. "We use our hands to make the gestures and the person who beats the other gets to do the thing. It will also work if there are multiple people because it can be shifted around and people can be out in rounds," Miko offered without thinking much about it. She explained so that by the time they reached Hiruko's car, she could pop her things into the trunk since they were just some small bags and her keyboard. "That sounds fun. Let's do that..." Kama mentioned.

Though Kazuhiko lamented the use of torches instead of fireworks, Kei was willing to offer a bit of reprieve. She didn't see enough of a difference between the two words due to the items' similar functions, and believed what he said was cool enough on its own. Still, he would have felt more satisfied with a different turn of phrase. "Well if you think so, sure... but I'm still farming for cool points over here~" he said. Of course that could be a general statement applied to Kazuhiko's entire existence, but it was primarily a matter of the 'reward points' he was getting from dealing with Kei. Ah, but it seemed he was making good enough progress regardless. The fireworks continued with normal explosions happening between each special shape, their numbers increasing by the round. As that happened, he felt Kei leaning against him suddenly. Was this a time to reach? Maybe it was... or maybe it wasn't. Despite all of his experience with her archetype because of someone like Angelica, some moments were always difficult. In the end, he decided a silent gamble was best, and extended the very arm she'd made contact with around her back.

In the meantime, Hiruko was learning about magical features that would be infinitely useful to his line of work. If he found the time, he'd probably be asking one of them about this form-changing magic. Before any of that, however, they were on their way to the car. Hiruko popped the front-end trunk to leave Miko plentiful room, realizing his special order was probably going to require another decision in the next five minutes or so ─ especially with his car so full already. Miko explained problem-solving methods used by humans, and they decided to go with a widely-accepted favorite in the end. Hiruko sat in the driver's seat with both doors still lifted, starting the car. "Using magic is cheating, by the way!" he added, half as a joke... and half just in case Sakura actually needed to know before the game started. He didn't know the upper limits of magic, but he'd seen enough ridiculousness to make assumptions.

Meanwhile, Kazuhiko was happy that Kei found his statement cool enough, but he was still farming for cool points. She'd almost forgotten that particular part of their arrangement, but in keeping with her own tsundere pretense she could only chuckle. "It's fine, I sometimes award those quietly too... you got so many for that jump. a few for looking cool in your outfit, and definitely some for picking out such a cool spot to watch the show from~" she added as her eyes remained on the horizon. Explosions of colors happening in rapid fire had definitely attracted the crowds. Many people stopped moving about to stand and watch and a few had even filtered towards the gardens as well for uninterrupted views and the like. Purples and blues pepper the skies as time drags on but soon all else disappears for Kei. Why? Well, she'd found herself leaning against Kazuhiko comfortably enjoying his warmth and soon, it was enveloping her as an arm would be found around her back and she... snuggled in closer. "A point for taking a chance, and for being comfortable..." she mused as the sounds and lights continued. Soon enough a giant heart would be exploding in pinks and red in the sky and it would be Kei's turn to be bold and place a kiss against Kazuhiko's cheek, embarrassing as it was, it simply felt right to do as that heart shape faded into the night sky.

Hiruko was busy picking up extra bits about magic, in a way that was apparently quite digestible for him. He could definitely ask anyone of them about changes to form, except perhaps Chika and get a reasonable response out of them. While Miko dropped her bags and her keyboard in the case into Hiruko's trunk, Kama claimed that she'd be enjoying the Janken method of placement resolution. A joke from Hiruko made Kama look towards him, "Sou ka, no magic then..." she added. Miko for her part in this only laughed, "It's so easy to forget you started from the opposite side of the spectrum," she added. She closed the trunk and slipped her phone into a pocket that was obviously made for it, before holding her hands out in front of herself. Her left hand was palm up her right was in the rock shape and she gestured for Kama to do the same. "So hand up and down three times, we say, jan ken po. And then we throw..." Miko explained. "What if we get the same hand gesture? And why does a blade not beat a rock?" Kama questioned with an obvious magical brain. "Human blades aren't going to cut through a mountain or a rock in most cases. That takes magic... and if we get the same one... we go again until one of us wins. That's also technically how it works when there are more than three people playing." Miko added. After a nodded understanding. Both girls were mirroring each other and moving their hands. "Jan ken po!" they said at the same time. They'd been making eye contact and their hands had moved quickly but... in the end both girls were holding their hands flat. Both paper. "Jan ken po" both girls were holding scissors afterwards. "Jan ken po" Kama quickly thought after the first two results, that it was likely for Miko to choose Rock. So she went with paper. But... Miko chose scissors instead. "Lap seat♪~" she chimed. "Sou ka... that game is more complex than I gave it credit for... how did you know I'd choose paper?" she asked as Miko slipped into Hiruko's lap and Kama slipped into the passenger seat.