Charles Patricius

At long last, the time had come to depart from an increasingly-cramped house. It seemed Miko would be taking the helm of organizing their outing. Kazu watched and listened, thinking this was the demeanor of a class president in full effect. He required no deference; everything in her plan sounded more than solid. "Good plan. Let's do it!" he said. As the last person who needed to be told about having his cards handy, Kazu pocketed his phone and became the... second person ready? Yes, one was ahead of him somehow.

Soma was the most prepared to move on. He had no phone, no cards, and all of his clothes in place from birth. He'd be the first to encounter Miko near the door. What of the picture, though? Well, listening to someone else wasn't really Soma's style. He did stop right in front of the girl; however, he would not have his picture taken normally. "If you want a picture so bad, you should say so," he commented while grabbing the device in her hand. Uninterrupted, Soma would proceed to stretch out the beltline of his pants, enable the flash on Miko's phone, and snap a photo of his cock stretching down one leg. With that, Soma would toss that phone into the air and be on his merry way outside, irrespective of anyone else's accompaniment. Kazuhiko was stepping up mere seconds afterwards. "... Huh. Not just the Peers' plans, I guess. . ." he commented.

Miko's plan, if it could be called such, was approved without much hesitation from Kazuhiko. She was at least, used to being in charge of this sort of thing, so it was easy to shift her focus into the mode for this particular outing. "Hai..." Miko murmured. The instructions she gave would oddly enough not be followed by Soma. That was almost expected given his parentage, but what she didn't expect was for the first boy in line, to grab her phone from her. What did he plan to do? Well his words implied he'd give her a picture, but not of the variety she originally had in mind. "I..." she paused... The flash was turn on her camera and the lad undid his belt and took a picture down his pants. "Not what I meant. But this is only really a problem for the flightier of the group," she mentioned as her reasoning might not have been clear. Miko wasn't being perverted, she was just trying for a recent image of everyone in the group in case anyone wandered off. Imagine her surprise at the lad's actions, but she didn't stop him either. With her phone back in her hand, she looked at the image her head tilting to the side and the tiniest bit of drool forming at the edge of her mouth. "Uh-huh, just going to move that..." she uttered as that picture was saved to a folder called, 'Special Snacks' and Kaguya giggled. "Oya, Mi-chan, is that approval?" she wondered in an innocent way, as she didn't actually have sexual interest in her own son. "He just added himself to the menu. Nice job, Kaya-sen, moving on~" she said quickly. which only made Kaguya giggle as she realized what all of that actually meant. "Well, I won't discourage~" Kaguya mentioned, knowing that if one had to have sex with someone, Miko was one of the best choices.

After Soma, was Kazuhiko, who'd Miko would also focus on. "Yeah, someone always throws away the plan. I'm used to it now... Smile, Charlie!~" she said. Intending a quick upper body shot of the lad before sending him on his way. After him, was Angelica who'd borrowed a pair of sneakers from Saori which completed her look for the day, cute as it was. "Smile, Princess~" Such would involve a smile from her as well, as she tucked her own phone into her pocket as she moved out of the house as well. Chika was up next but would have an immediate follow up, "Chika deck, phone, baby?" she asked knowing Anya wasn't with her. "Oh right, I'll hop in back~" Chika said as if this was perfoectly normal. She'd be holding Anya's hand and slipping into the back of the line as Kei was up next. "Smile!~" Kei instead stuck her tonuge out at Miko but had her picture taken nonetheless. She knew the drill after all. Emirie was next in line, and would be seen smiling before hand gently, "Atta girl, that ones really cute!~" Miko encouraged as that girl stepped out. Sena gave one more hug to her mother, before hopping into line as well, somewhere behind Chika.

Soma appeared to operate in a very whimsical way to some present, but his every move was calculated to great extent. He had a reasonable understanding of some ─ particularly one Iino Miko. She'd be one he heard from again after that little stunt, surely. Just for icing on the proverbial cake, though, a few more words were shared on his way out. "It doesn't have to be what you meant. Your turn next~" Soma stated, tossing a casual wave over his shoulder. Kazu stepped up next and spoke, opening a moment of understanding between Miko and himself. They'd be fine as a group regardless, he thought. Moving on, an instruction to smile for a picture was given. Kazu flashed a nonchalant thumbs-up and a smirk to the camera before moving on.

Others had fallen in line as well. After that first oddity and the return of Chika, things seemed relatively normal. Behind Emirie was Seiichi, with Yuuya behind him. Seiichi showed a peace sign from the back of his hand and smiled. Yuuya then approached with closed eyes, an awkward wave to the camera, and an equally awkward smile in place. That one still needed a bit of work toward inclusion. "Yo, Tenjou!" Kazu called out, ushering Yuuya toward himself, Seiichi and... Soma, sort of. "Uh... I guess he's already in front. Tenjou, Seiichi, can you guys take up either side? I'll fall in back while we're on the way," he suggested. With a large group of mostly girls, he felt it was best to establish something of a formation for the trip.

Soma was whimsical but that wasn't a problem. For the most part this was fine, but it seemed that he wasn't quite done yet. Miko's commentary about her intent was taken and given a reply which hinted at some later intentions. It was her turn next, huh? 'Aggressive and hot!' she thought as she found herself wiping the corner of her mouth just a bit. She'd become conscious of the gentle wetness in the corner of her mouth and maybe somewhere else.

Whatever the case, Miko now had a thumbs up and a smirk from Kazuhiko to go along with what she as sure would eventually be enough pictures of him to be their own album. The girls she'd taken pictures of previously soon had others behind them. Emirie was once again followed by her brother. That boy seemed to have a mild form of his parents photogenic nature as well, a peace sign was cute. "Nice one, Sei-chan~" she encouraged the lad and sent him on his way. Immediately after him, Yuuya made his way up and gave one of the most awkward photos of the day, but it was an honest effort, "Very nice, Tenjou-kun. Arigatou~" Miko encouraged him as well, knowing that such a thing wasn't something he did all the time. After him, was Ai, who surrounded her left eye in a peace sign and grinned for the camera. "Always nice, Ai-sen!~" Miko mentioned.

Chika was up next, "Phone, deck, baby!~" she said about all the things she had. She was wearing a pair of sneakers she'd stolen from Kaguya. Her mouth gently wrinkled and she played at having a cat paw for her picture. "Hai hai! Chi-chan. Be good today!" Miko said taking the picture. Anya for her part in this stayed in line behind her mother and stood posing with her hands on her hips and looking up at Miko. "Ara? You're adorable, say Cheese~" she said offering the girl a goofy face so she could see a fun face too. Miko's mind was something being read by Anya who found it nice that she was being like that. A smile came to that girl's face as well, and Miko got a nice picture. Soon after she lowered herself to the little one's level for some happy words. "We're going to be out for a while today, okay. I have snacks if you get hungry but let us know if you need a break or if walking with us is too much. I'm sure someone can carry you for a bit if it gets rough," Miko mentioned earnestly. "Hai!" the little one agreed and with that her hair was fluffed and Miko stood back up to face Sena who covered one eye and posed in typical Chuuni fashion for her picture. "That's a great one, Sena-chan~" Miko said snapping that photo. A great number were taken before Kaguya stepped out in front and posed for a picture as well. "Kaya-sen, report!" she said to the girl who gave smooches as her picture. "Hai hai, phones are needed for Sena, Seiichi, Soma, Emirie maybe Anya but limiting young kid screen time might mean she'd be better off without one," Kaguya offered. As she stepped outside. Miko now had a picture of everyone's face, except Soma who gave her a different kind of picture.

One by one, the group filed out of the house. Kazuhiko was hanging around behind the other males, waiting for everyone else to collect. In that time, he began wondering how a group so large would continue fitting in such a small house. Did they have the means to make anything else work? Time would tell. In the present, he'd be indirectly handling another problem. Miko had given some advice to the smallest of their collection, including the notion of someone carrying the child if necessary. Alas, necessity had already been swept off the table.

Anya was among the last to leave the house. Whenever she did so, Kazu was there, waiting on one knee with both arms stretched backwards. There were obviously very few opportunities to enjoy having a child... at least one physically in a child state. No way was he going to miss an opportunity for the well-known piggyback ride. "Anya!" he called out during her exit. Both hands were open and ready to grasp, all to keep the girl atop his shoulders if she were to take the lift. All the while, Soma seemed to be leading the charge. Rather, he was ahead of everyone else that was moving down the street. He had no clear idea of direction, yet still, there he was.

With all of those peopled headed out and Kaguya and Miko stopping to talk everyone else had been taken care of. A group of teens needed phones, and perhaps crash courses in how to use the if it wasn't obvious. But that was something easily taken care of. Miko and Kaguya were the last on the trip slipping out of the house, but right before them, Anya slipped outside and then found her father down at her level with his back out. He even called to her... with the chat she'd had with Miko she didn't know he'd pick her up immediately, but somehow this seemed like something she definitely wanted to do. "Hai!" Anya mentioned as she ran up to take her place on her father's shoulders. How could she not? Still she clung to the top of his head rather tightly, as she realized she was about to be moving from this angle.

And now with everyone outside of the house Miko and Kaguya knew where they'd be going. Soma was wandering out ahead and but that wasn't a problem. As she slipped up and into the group Miko would pause and look at Anya on Kazuhiko's shoulder. There was something innately attractive about the 'good' dad thing, which Miko couldn't have explained if she wanted to. It was also rather cute to see Anya clinging for dear life. "Sugoi..." she murmured just a bit. But Miko wasn't the only startled by a sight, no Angelica was busy looking up into the open sky for the first time in her entire life and right now, looked every part the tourist of the group as she stared at nearby buildings, cars passing on the street and even other people moving around as they started their day. "WOW!~" she squealed. She'd not been outside in ever and now... she was actually outside, actually free to do go places and do whatever she wanted... it was surreal as an experience.

"Alright everyone, first stop is the electronics store four blocks up!~" she said aloud. Kaguya took the opportunity to slip up a bit closer to the front of the group, passing information along more directly as the group began moving. Several of the girls would be peeking into store fronts and looking around while Miko mentally calculated the cost of their first stop. A high end phone could be quite expensive, but she wasn't worried too much about it. One couldn't be a teen in modern times without a phone so she'd make sure they were at least prepared not to look like a crazy person by not owning such a basic item.

Just as he'd hoped, Anya hopped onto Kazu's back and took her position atop his shoulders. He stood, keeping the girl steady by grasping her legs at the shins. "Going up!" he said. Kazu's rise was just quick enough to provide a little bounce at the end, just for a bit of fun. After that, he thought it best to make a simpler move ─ one toward Angelica. He'd made a promise, and he had every intention to see the moment it was fulfilled properly. Angelica was outside, truly outside, for the first time in her long life. Damned be every adventure and card game; he wouldn't miss this moment for anything.

So then, what was Angelica's reaction to her first outing? A simple, albeit loud utterance of... wow. Of course there was also the staring, the clear experience of wonder as so much information was taken in and appreciated. Kazuhiko thought it was worthwhile to give her a moment. Beyond being Angelica's first time truly outside of Aincrad, this world was very different from Alaya. Motor vehicles, skyscrapers and the like were common occurrences here. In terms of architecture and technology alone, there was no outright comparison between the two worlds. "Awesome, isn't it? This is the place to go for entertainment... but that's just here in Japan. You've got two whole worlds to see; this is just the start," he assured. All the while, it seemed Soma was actually walking in the right direction to reach the electronics store Miko spoke of. He'd even be continuing precisely to that mentioned location.

Anya hopped up onto Kazuhiko's shoulders, and though she'd been clinging to him, an announcement was made about going up. Once this happened a rise would occur and the small girl would find herself able to see the entirety of the group from her new perch. "Wooow!" she uttered after that first little pop. Her hands would finally release Kazuhiko's head as she declared her own victory over the group with her arms in the air and extended. "Hehehehe!" she giggled happily as a child could while looking down upon the rest of the group. Miko could only smile, she had a few of those kinds of happy memories from her own childhood.

As for Angelica she was trying to take in the full oddity of this world compared to her own understanding. Technology like this didn't exist within Aincrad and what was more, the builds and noise were also very different. In terms of the awesomeness of this whole situation, Angelica could only agree. It was quite different and though it was only the beginning it was still so much. "I am going to be honest with you Chuck, I don't even know what counts as entertainment in this case. There is so much to see already I think I'll end up overwhelmed before the end of it all," Angelica mentioned. She remembered her first outing from a floor when she was able to finally leave it within Aincrad, this looked entirely different. "Right, you said there aren't floors here, but then how big is everything? How do you get from place to place? Like how far can you go?" she asked curiously. She was used to a world with definite boundaries, and this world didn't seem to have those. Anya listened from her perch as the group began moving towards the shop, and she seemed interested quite a bit. Angelica didn't know much about this world or even the one she came from, but had a genuine interest in seeing the sights.

Kazu never took his eyes off Angelica as she took in the sights of this new world. That sense of amazement was the reason he adventured, and the reason he advocated for adventuring. She didn't know what counted as entertainment. For that, there was no full explanation. Too many things could be found entertaining, depending on one's outlook and preferences. "Well... anything from games to parties, shows and everything else. You're bound to find something you like. Just take it easy and enjoy whatever seems cool along the way," he advised.

Delving deeper still into Angelica's experience, she had no idea how the world functioned beyond Alaya's Aincrad. It would have been a nice time to be in possession of a globe, Kazu thought. Well, it wasn't too ridiculous to explain how planets worked. How far could one go? Easy solution. "You can go as far as you want... sort of. The planet is a sphere. Technically, if you pick a direction and go in it long enough, you'll end up back where you started eventually. You'd have to deal with oceans, mountains and all that... but that's what boats and planes are for. As for how big everything is... uhh... we're in a pretty small country now; it's just islands here. I'd say Japan is about the size of all Aincrad's floors combined? Maybe?" he rambled. "Tell you what? We'll find a globe somewhere that shows what the planet looks like. I'll show you where we are on that~"

Kazuhiko was quite open to answering Angelica's questions, which was how she'd always known him to be. The things he mentioned sounded a bit odd to her but he claimed she should just enjoy anything she came across that struck her interest. Parties, games, shows... and everything else. Several people had mentioned shows, and media and music. Even just yesterday Miko, Ai and Kaguya had gone to a concert and the night she'd showed up Miko and Kaguya had been to a casino. All those words didn't mean very much to Angelica but it still seemed like it'd be a great deal of fun eventually. "Yeah, I'll... try," she said her eyes still being drawn into various sights as they moved around. In truth this world without magic seemed way more complex than the one she'd grown up in.

And that would only be further proved as she spoke to Kazuhiko. He claimed that there was no technical end to this world. That if you took off in one direction and kept going you'd eventually end up back where you started, but you'd have to cross whatever obstacles came with it. He explained that the planet was a sphere and that this country they were in presently was currently about the size of Aincrad's floors combined. "A sphere, so like a marble or a ball? And you can't hit a hard border or... fall off the edge?" Her understanding of this object was... lacking. But Kazuhiko still offered to help her see it though a globe. "Yeah, I think I'll definitely need to see it... I can't visualize this at all," she said with certainty. From Kazuhiko's shoulders Anya stayed almost gently patting his head as she looked around too. She had a better understanding of the world, but not by very much.

Just the same, the group was stopping at a light to wait for cross traffic. A couple of blocks had already been crossed but on the last one they got stuck by traffic. Once again, Angelica was staring trying to figure out how this entire world worked. "So like planes, and cars? You explained stuff was like carriages but not with animals or magic to pull them... is that what these are?" she asked for clarification. How did one attain on of those? Did you get to get ride wherever you wanted? Every time she saw something new she was awed and confused.

"No... you absolutely can't reach the end or fall off the edge. The world is round; I promise," Kazu said as if to silence a belief he found ignorant beyond all reason. No way would he allow Angelica to be one of those flat-Earth believers. "You can reach the end of the land, but there's always more land eventually. Water bodies can just be way bigger than what you've seen before. Like... massive," he explained further. Brief distraction came in the form of Anya's movements, drawing Kazu's gaze upwards for a moment. She didn't seem to want anything though, so he merely added a bit of bounce to his step again.

Soon enough, they stopped for oncoming traffic. Angelica had more questions, not from ignorance, but instead from newfound understanding. She remembered what he said previously about vehicles. For them, that conversation was so very long ago. He figured she must have been very excited to get out and see the things he'd mentioned back then. "You remembered that? Yeah. Most of those things right there are cars. That one there," he said, nodding toward a truck. "Truck. Two behind that, there's a bus. You'll see things like trains, but they have their own tracks to travel on; they don't veer off certain paths. If you want to see a plane, you'll only catch them moving in the sky. They're loud as all hell, and really fast with, like... wings and stuff. The wings don't flap; they're just for aerodynamics or whatever."

More understanding of the world came Angelica's way. According to Kazuhiko, the end couldn't be reached. There were no ends in the way that she thought of the boundaries of Aincrad. Instead, one could reach the end of a landmass and see a vast ocean but if that was crossed eventually more land would be found. "I understand what you're saying, but that's really hard to grasp by description alone," she said seemingly pouty. Like whenever she tried to make a comparison, her mind didn't go far enough. If the biggest thing she'd seen was lakes, oceans were far bigger and connected landmasses. Things like this sounded fine as comparisons, but what did it actually look like? Well, she supposed she'd be seeing eventually.

Beyond that point, there were things she recognized from descriptions given by Kazuhiko when they'd been discussing things before. He even went so far as to identify certain things by name. "Of course I remember!" she said quickly. "It sounded strange, but seeing it is relieving but also somehow more strange I guess. Still, it's good to be able to confirm things with my own eyes and all..." she said. Ah, but she was learning about other things, like trains that followed specific tracks. She saw the huge buses and trucks, all of these different kinds of vehicles and there were still more, planes. "So, this world has mechanical winged creatures but their wings don't flap?" she mused. That was somehow really hard to imagine. At the same time, those little bounces set Anya to giggling and as she did Chika would be turned around and walking backwards waving to the small girl who appeared to be having fun. Anya waved back as they started walking again. And finally crossed into the area which had the phone store they were looking for. All the while a conversation about phones was taking place, "I mean we could just put them in Ai's name... mine will attract attention. You aren't currently old enough for one either..." Kaguya mentioned. Ai for her part in this was shrugging casually. "What an interesting way to think about that... I thought maybe you two were going native but still worldly sensible~" Ai mentioned but she didn't agree either, but maybe she knew it wouldn't come down to that? Time would tell... "I was going to say we shouldn't just volunteer Ai-sen. If worse comes to worse I could always have my parents do it. They know enough that they wouldn't question the additional phones. And they are in town so it wouldn't be too long if we needed direct assistance," Miko stated. There was a certain faith that was maintained in the goodness of her own parents, after all, they'd taken the whole magical world information pretty well.

If they discovered a globe at some point during this journey, Kazu would definitely be giving Angelica a better view of the world in its entirety. He could have pulled a visual from the internet using a phone, but that wouldn't do it justice at all. In this case, nothing could beat a real, physical, three-dimensional object. "Just relax and don't worry too much about that part right now. I'll show you what I mean soon," he assured. With that, he was content to carry on about planes and the like. "It's not a creature; it's more like a flying carriage. Those weren't in Aincrad, but you get the concept, yeah? Wings keep it stable in the air. It moves with... uh... oh! See that?" he asked. As they were entering the electronics store, Kazu pointed toward a spinning fan. "Imagine that, but really big and really strong. The wings of a plane have those; they spin fast enough to make it move. Can you picture that?" he wondered.

Meanwhile, some of the girls were discussing the phone issue at hand ─ specifically how these newborn entities would be acquiring them. Once again, an issue was not an issue. One might soon witness Marisbury Animusphere exiting the back of the store alongside the manager. He'd somehow gotten here ahead of the others. Now that he was in sight, he had nothing to say. He did, however, have something to make obvious. There was a nod toward the group as Marisbury made himself obvious. It would be Soma who picked up on his meaning and addressed it. "The guy with all the answers has all the answers. Go figure. Just use his name; problem solved," the black-haired male stated plainly.

Angelica was told to relax and not worry too much about trying to visualize this world without perspective. That seemed almost counter productive, but she could trust Kazuhiko to keep his word to her always. As such, if he claimed he'd show her, she knew she'd get to see it. "Alright, I won't worry about it then," she claimed without hesitation. That for a second caught Anya's attention as she ducked her head down. Angelica's belief in Kazuhiko was strong within her mind, it seemed firmer than most thoughts she'd read so far. What else was being discussed? Planes weren't birds or creatures, but instead machines with specific kinds of builds. As they entered the phone shop, a mechanical fan showed up and Kazuhiko pointed that one out as part of his explanation. Angelica looked at thing and was more confused as to how it helped something fly. "Nope, definitely confused, I mean it's blowing air around so I could see it being connected but not how," she said frowning slightly. This world was odd, of this she was certain.

As they entered the shop, they were greeted by a front end worker. "Welcome!" they chimed without hesitation. The group walked in, uttering thanks, but it would seem that something had caught the eye of a few. Marisbury Animusphere had apparently beaten them here and seemed to be nodding towards the group for whatever reason. Their earlier discussion heard by Soma and this combined to let that lad give his own take on the conundrum they discussed. "Hm, using his name would solve all those problems. Soma that brain of yours is definitely something~" Kaguya teased as she always would. "A lot of him is something," Miko muttered only to immediately follow up with something else. "Woops, that one slipped..." she uttered immediately. "Inside voice is on the outside again~" Kaguya teased. "Hai hai, one more of those and you'll be the subject of the next emergency meeting~" Ai teased, not even bothering to confirm. Miko looked at that one, and wondered if she had the same kind of clairvoyance that Solomon had... if it was the case, she'd simply not been saying anything... "Box it," Miko muttered. "I need four lines, added to Marisbury Animusphere-san's contract..." Miko mentioned pointing to the man currently talking to the manager in case that was necessary. Of course, she'd be turning to the kids who needed them, "Sena, Emirie, Seiichi, you guys need to pick phones or would you rather we do it for you?" she asked of them. "At the very least you can choose any accessories you want..." Miko mentioned knowing that devices would have to be activated and all that. "Doesn't explain how he beat us here though," Chika said popping up from behind to add herself to the conversation. That point might have been a valid one.

Things still weren't making total sense to Angelica. Kazu wasn't surprised; such things took engineering degrees and such for most humans in this world to understand the finer details. The best he could do for the princess was a basic explanation of functionality. "By being strong. So strong, they move what they're attached to. It'd be like... using a burst of magic to launch yourself, and keeping it up to move forward in the air," he explained.

While the struggle of making planes understandable took place, Soma caught one of his targets having a slip-up. Following a compliment from his mother, Soma heard another of a different sort from the brunette. He responded with a glance through the corner of his eye, and of course... a bit of cheek. "Keep slipping. Start a list if it helps," he said as if wondering how many things were 'something' according to the lass. He could consider himself a step closer to finding out very necessary information about this one, and perhaps determining where his own list was going. There was confirmation of something regarding Chika, though. Anya's mother was not the brightest ─ not by a longshot. Her question was unbelievably lacking in common sense. "Obviously, he drove. It's the most sensible conclusion."

Strength was what Kazuhiko claimed those things had in the context of planes. Enough to lift a vehicle of some sort and propel it forward. His comparison did her a bit of good, as she could imagine using magic the way he described with a great deal of ease. "That one makes more sense to me..." Angelica said giving a healthy nod. Anya continued to enjoy her time in the place called up, while her mother joined her friends.

Miko had one of her baser thoughts slip from between her lips. She was teased for it mercilessly by her friends, but the lad in question seemed to take it in stride. No, that wasn't quite a strong enough understanding, he seemed to be encouraging it. "Careful... I might take that as permission~" Miko said, that one, wasn't a slip it was oddly direct. She'd already added the young man to her list, he could only make himself more of a target while acting like this in front of her. "Also it might already be a box," she mentioned which only made Kaguya chuckle. Ah well, she knew what her friend was like now more so than ever before... that kind of interest was normal for her. In the meantime, Chika was having one of those smooth-brain moments that had been mentioned earlier. Even the other girls hadn't actually questioned how Marisbury managed to get here before them. "Oh, right. He's a realer grown-up than us..." Chika said while rubbing the side of her head in a playful way with two knuckles and her eyes closed. In that moment she looked so much like her twin that Miko had to close her eyes shake her thoughts around. A few moments later, and Sena and Emirie were approaching with the boxes of the phone models they wanted and appropriate cases. Sena's featured a purple and red background with a golden starburst on it. While Emirie's was a case which featured flowery filigree in mint green and a darker green background. Both girls had newer model Kaiba Corp phones Sena's the active edition and Emirie's a deluxe edition. Miko planned to let Soma choose his own device, but if he didn't she simply had it in mind to pick him one similar to her own.

Permission? Soma rather liked the sound of that. One who was given permission, was one placed in the lesser position. Soma's goal was the top. The top of what? Well, any and everything he could seek. His thirst was not for victory, but for supremacy. "You need permission? Fine. I'll allow it," he said plainly. Whatever she thought to do, he was willing to witness. Even if he was somehow crossed in the end, Soma welcomed the opportunity. As for the 'box' she may have already established... Soma found boxes quite useless in the situation. "Boxes are for storage. Lists are more immediate, and I don't think I was born with the patience to not see progress," he said. Soma may have been interested in establishing long-term goals and schemes, but he had no interest in progressing things at anything but his own determined pace. "Basically... open the box."

Chika's lack of mental fortitude continued even in a moment of understanding. She called Marisbury Animusphere a 'realer grown-up' than the rest of them, and Soma could only think there was a bit more to tell than that. If he wanted to make use of Anya, he'd have to take on the job of ensuring she didn't become too much like her mother. "More so than you, at least. That has to be a disability of some sort," he groaned. Meanwhile, Seiichi was selecting his phone and case alongside Emirie. His was also green, but featured white flower petals over green-tinted, rippling water. As for the phone itself, he chose the 'active' variant just as Sena did. Soma, however, hadn't selected a thing; he'd just be waiting.

It was obvious to Miko that Soma was the type of person who walked to the beat of his own drum. It was also clear that he didn't take orders or follow direction in a traditional sense. Back in this world, she'd compare him to the dark hero type... or even the delinquent love interest. Someone who did what they wanted and acted according to the actions given to him... she could work with that as she could work with most types of personalities. It just required a bit of observation to know the proper approach. "Oya, you'll give her permission without knowing fully what she wants~" Kaguya teased the lad knowing that Miko took permission very differently from most people. Even as she accused Kaguya of being far too lax, Miko would never assume permission was temporary. No, if someone told her she could do something, she'd do it without hesitation from that point forward if she believed them. "Doesn't matter, I'll take it~" Miko claimed and she meant that in several ways.

His words about her boxing and why it didn't fit the way he worked made sense to Miko from an outside perspective. "Goal oriented, progress monitoring, self-motivating... impatient. Working on it," Miko had a light murmur going, but still took time to answer him about opening that box. Why, because the box that was now dedicated to Soma was being filled as she came to understand him a bit better. Without realizing it, she'd started comparing him to one of the main conquests of an Otome Game. In this case, could see him as one of those noble bastards, keen to move up in the world on his own power and crush underfoot any doubts about his ability. Even when there was no innate animosity, those types were always aggressive, and threw themselves into things without hesitation, it was admirable. Miko decided as she browsed. In this time, she found herself picking up a phone case with a large fanged snake in white with purple outline as its main motif, and for the phone model she decided upon one which was touted as being most easily modified by users and physically up to similar kinds of damage. It was one which came with a fully expandable memory and the most processing power for apps and programs. Yeah... that seemed about right. As her other children and Sena had their devices picked out, she was doing mental gymnastics to remember the specs on models of phones that this one might enjoy, and settled on it, a Capsule Corp model with similar camera functionality but way more modification options a phone that would completely bend to whatever the user wanted from it. As for Chika and her potential disability there was a very simple answer to that... "Iia, completely normal. I made a choice~" she claimed. There wasn't much to worry about Anya, she'd likely grow her own way, but Chika and her twin, made the choice to be the way they were... it wasn't anything sinister. And with that, if everyone had what they ere looking for Miko would be ushering them up to the register for phone activation while a very confused clerk took care of everything without any more questions than necessary. As the devices were brand new, they took very little to start up. Phones were activated, screen protectors and cases were placed and device accessorties would be handed back to the individuals who placed them. One by one.

Soma's mother had the strangest things to say. Of course he was giving permission without full knowledge of intent. What better way was there to find said intent? "Don't think for one second that it matters, Kaa-san. Whatever the outcome, I'm ready to face it. Anything done to me, I will pay back a thousand times. That goes for friend and foe alike," he vowed. That belief would accompany Soma for his entire life and beyond, and had been with him since he was a mere thought within Kaguya's soul.

Eventually, Soma would have that chance to return any 'favors' sent his way. Right now, there was no such chance immediately ahead of him. One day, he thought. Miko may have even been setting herself up to be the first receiver, given her ability to create interest simply by analyzing him. The few observations she made were accurate enough to earn Soma's approval of the girl. He was thinking of adding more brain to his collection. "I like how your brain works. Keep working," he said. Ah, but Chika wasn't quite done being... herself. She claimed her problem was no disability, but a choice. Still awaiting the delivery of a phone, Soma pinched the bridge of his nose firmly. "I don't believe you. Blissful ignorance to that extent is a dream. Anyone who wants it, can't just choose it," he argued. Something had to be wrong with the genetics or souls of that girl. If that wasn't the truth of it, Soma had a thousand other issues with... well, everything.

In the moments surrounding Kaguya's teasing, Soma's motivations in life became clear. Or maybe it was better described as his creed. Soma decided at some point during his inception that he'd repay friend and foe alike a 1000 times over. That was interesting as a thought, Kaguya heard his words and grinned from ear to ear. "Hoh? I didn't expect something so solid so early, but I suppose you did basically make yourself~" she mused. She felt a strange sense of satisfaction for having a hand in the creation of a child who was well past experiencing the kind of difficulties she was even still capable of feeling now. "A thousand times over sounds kind of fun..." Miko muttered. Of course, Miko had different sorts of values but none of that mattered in context.

No, instead she was being complimented rather directly. It seemed those rambling words of hers had been heard and Soma was content to comment about how he liked the way her brain worked. "Hai, arigatou..." Miko said. She'd just recently become the type to have those sorts of observations slip out, given what her own mentor was like. It was good to know she wasn't doing anything bad by letting them be heard, even if she'd not meant it to be so easily observable. Sena's phone was finished, by the time Miko joined the other kids at the register. And Emirie's was being finished as Miko stepped up. Seiichi could go next or she could place Soma's regardless, eventually all four kids would have their own numbers, phones in easily identifiable cases. "If anyone else wants a phone case, I'll buy it..." Miko mentioned. Customization was important after all, and she wanted everyone to feel like their item truly belonged to them. At the same time Chika heard what Soma had to say and only smiled, "You can choose anything so long as you push forward with it~" she stated as if she wasn't talking about her own ignorance. "You'll give yourself a headache trying to figure it out," Kaguya mentioned. "Or age yourself several decades as I am sure this day will do to me," Miko followed up. Just the same, when that phone with snake on the case was ready, she walked over with the bag and the device to hand it to the lad in question. "Here... this one is yours," she stated, having given him a fully kitted and modifiable phone with an extra memory expansion.

Phone and case purchases were being processed one by one, all while Soma dealt with the likes of Miko and Chika. Between those two, there was the occasional mention from his mother. She spoke first about his state of completion, as if she didn't think it rational before seeing it herself. "Credit to you. You established the framework and everything I needed to finish the job. You'll be repaid for that too," he assured. Soma had yet to determine who the first receiver of his repayment would be, but Kaguya was undoubtedly the first he owed. That fact was never to be forgotten. Speaking of things not forgotten, it seemed Soma wasn't allowed to forget Miko's greater motivation. Every speck of information she shared could be taken as part of a path toward sex. "It could be fun, it could be terrifying. Speaking of terrifying... I'm going to need something soon. I'll need one of you to make it possible," he said, passive body language becoming a slow, sweeping gesture of his right hand. By the end of it, Soma was pointing a finger pistol forward and pulling the imaginary trigger.

Chika alleged that one could choose anything, provided they kept going forward with it. The logic was something Soma agreed with innately, but... 'anything' wasn't supposed to mean everything. Kaguya and Miko were both right; this girl was a one-way trip toward a headache and unnatural aging. Just the same, she was a shining example of why normal people couldn't observe that level of blissful ignorance. "... Right. Enjoy your decision, then. If you can enjoy yourself to that extent, no one has any right to stop you," he decided. Moving on from that, Soma was offered a phone by none other than Miko. He stared at the activated device for several seconds before taking it in hand. "Is it mine?" he asked. In that same moment, Soma was handing the phone right back to Miko. He wasn't going to take it in its current state.

Soma was full of interesting ideas. If anything many regular people might mistake him for an edgy chuuni who was deep in his roleplay. That was fine for general purposes. Of course, this was for the best in this context. Still, his words resonated pretty well with Kaguya even though she'd originally be trying very hard not to create life with her own actions. "Passing credit for something like that, what a sweet boy~" she said in that same teasing tone she always had. No matter what, he'd done for himself something she wouldn't have done on her own and already had the ability to deal with the sorts of betrayals her heart was still healing from. Moving on, apparently repayment could be either fun or terrifying. "I assume you get what you deserve, you seem like that type," Miko observed, since he didn't mind those coming from her. Though the other thing he wanted was... likely strange for one to hear, both his mother and Miko gave it a bit of consideration. "Those things are hard to come by here... but I assume you don't mean in the most legitimate way," Kaguya thought. "I actually think that request might be easier to manage than most," Miko mentioned. They knew at least one clandestine type individual, he could probably procure some less than legal things for them, for the right price, and given their friendliness that price was something Miko herself was willing to pay time and time again.

At the same time, Chika was picking out a new phone case, this one with a weird little cat creature on it. Miko nodded her consent as Soma told the lass to enjoy her life, "Hai!~" she said, in a way that was for obvious reasons similar to how Anya spoke. Ah, but Soma wouldn't be taking his phone, in fact he placed it back into Miko's hands. Was it his? absolutely but, "Sou ka, adding meticulous and demonically specific to that list," Miko uttered. She pocketed that device for the time being. "I guess it will be an exercise in patience today. Not to worry, I will make it yours..." Miko mentioned. At the same time, Kei chose a new phone case with a pink and white spider on it, and Ai chose one that looked like the cosmos. All of these would be easily purchased and switched out or equipped. Miko also bought an extra phone memory expansion for Kazuhiko having remembered that passing mention while he was snapping pictures of her the previous day. She'd pass that along to him as well. Meanwhile, Angelica would be wandering up with two cases, one for herself that had a golden rose on it, and one with a red flower, black moon and large white skeleton. "It reminds me of Saku..." Angelica mentioned. "Very nice~ Gift exchanges like this are great!" Miko encouraged and paid for all items before they were ready to lave. "Alright, seems like that wraps up about everything, are we all ready to get moving. Arigatou Gouzaimasu~" Miko uttered to a still bewildered register person as the group filed out with numerous purchases and the weirdest phone contracts they'd ever put together.

"It's not passing credit. I know better than anyone else what goes on in there," Soma said to Kaguya, taking the time to place a forefinger at the top of her sternum ─ as if to point not at her heart, but the shell of her soul. "A thousand times," he promised. Miko had a good enough grasp of his intent. Moreover, she seemed willing and able to acquire a gun ─ something he knew would become very useful. Whenever he got that, his plans would enter a new phase. "Quick as you like. It's going to be a game-changer."

Speaking of game-changers, another was presently in the works. Soma was given a phone, but he didn't want it in its present state. No, he was owed an exchange, an image the likes of what he'd personally taken with Miko's phone. Without that, given the nature of that forced deal, that phone couldn't truly be called his. Patience was not part of Soma's identity... but this was already part of a long-term plan. He could wait a little while for the phone's return. "I'm sure you will. Don't waste too much time; I'm going to need it," he said.

In the meantime, Kazu was scanning phone cases, only to hear Angelica mention Sakura in passing. He turned to look, and there he saw... disappointment. "Eh?! No fair; I was just looking for one!" he announced. Well, perhaps he'd just have to find something different for the one sacrificing her presence for others. While Kazu was mulling that over, their trip came to an end. Then, just as before, Soma became the first to exit. "Alright, falling back in formation. Annie, where next?" he asked while Soma stared in his direction curiously.

Soma wasn't one to pass credit, and he made that abundantly clear by his next set of words. He knew better than anyone what went on inside of her soul. A thousand times, he claimed, making a little smile tug at the corners of Kaguya's lips. "If you say so... I believe you~" she claimed. Kaguya wasn't one to randomly believe in others anymore. No, she was far past that, but what she was, happened to be capable of belief, in a few rare instances. Speaking of beliefs, Miko thought it possible to obtain a weapon for her son, who called it a game-changer, and wanted it, as quickly as possible. "Hai hai, I'll give it priority and do my best," she said adding it to a building list of odd request she'd potentially have for Hiruko when they next spoke.

Beyond that point there was the matter of Soma's phone. He didn't want it back without at least something equivalent from Miko. He claimed he'd be needing his phone soon, so she shouldn't take too long. "No worries, I'll be able to give it to you after our next stop," she mentioned almost casually, well except that blush on her face, which seemed to appear whenever she thought too hard about what her actual intentions were. There was no point in being particularly coy about what she'd decided to do in this case, she'd make sure to take care of Soma as he was currently in front of her with a certain kind of attitude that she felt the need to explore.

Meawnhile, Kazuhiko was a bit slower on the upkeep and didn't pick out a phone case for their missing individual. Miko smiled lightly, "I'm sure you'll think of something good Charlie. Also this is for you... " she mentioned while handing him a small bag with the expanded storage chip for his phone a couple of terabytes should at least hold him over for his current photography spree. "Given our current placement and shopping needs, Peach John is next, It's down several blocks from here, but it should be open by the time we get there... also my apologies in advance," Miko mentioned heartily as the group began to move again. But why did she apologize? Well, because unbeknown to most, Peach John was a shop which sold lingerie and women's accessories. Four people in this group, maybe five, might not actually enjoy this part of the trip, but it had to be done. For every girl here who was of age, including Miko, who needed to pick up a new set of lounge clothes for a place she acknowledged as a secondary home. And eventually whatever amount of traveling time later, Miko would once again approach that store, with a musicians blacked out poster picture not fifteen minutes after it opened for business.

Kaguya believed Soma, just as he figured she would. He knew of her problems and the accompanying lack of trust in others, but he also knew she would place faith in those who were close enough. As one who was undoubtedly close enough, being her literal child and all, Soma had no questions about the chance of her believing him. In the same regard, he fully believed Miko would be making an effort to acquire that firearm. 'I believe both of you. Especially the one willing to be so horny this early in the morning," he said casually. Either way, he'd be getting both a phone and a gun at some point in the near future. Before that, they'd have to reach the next stop. What would that have to do with his returned phone, though? Well... he could make some assumptions while walking the street again.

Kazuhiko had a bit of thinking to do about multiple things, not the least of which was something for Sakura. Angelica may have beat him to the proverbial punch with a phone case, but he wouldn't just give up because of that. There were other things to find for other people anyway, so... a change of plans was in order, but no abandonment. Perhaps the next location would be suitable? Well... no. Miko had given a warning, but their arrival to the place in question had Kazu realize exactly why it'd been given. This 'Peach John' was a lingerie shop, very mature in nature... and very much not a place four teenage boys were accepted easily. Kazu stepped in hesitantly while Seiichi and Yuuya heavily considered waiting around outside to avoid the wayward glares of dozens of women. Soma, however, walked right in as if he owned the place and everyone in it. "Uh, Annie? This isn't the kind of place you warn people about when bringing them. This is the kind of place you just don't bring some people to. Also, there's a baby!" Kazu chided.

Kaguya stated her belief in her son, and he in turn stated his belief, in her and her friend. He also comically confirmed that the latter was due to her early morning horniness. That brought something of a pout to Iino Miko's face, but... it was mostly in good fun. "Peas in a pod," she said with her nose up, but that was essentially admitting that she had no problems with Soma's antics in the slightest. After all, she was quite fond of Kaguya to begin with and would never keep someone from being themselves at all. "Oya, is that extra Mi-chan approval~" Kaguya teased once more finding Miko's reaction rather funny. He'd done thing she didn't like so far, and as such she'd be keeping her own pace up.

Eventually they'd reach the store in question and Soma walked in, Kaguya walked in, Emirie walked in, Sena walked in, sticking rather close to Emirie for obvious reasons, Kei and Chika also filed in, but Miko hung back if only to speak with Kazuhiko. Angelica waited around if only to become ever curious "Is this really a store that just sells underwear?" she asked. "Hai, women's underwear, you can go on in too Princess. No worries, underwear are basically a necessity in this world and it's best if you know the size and style you like for yourself," Miko uttered which seemed to encourage Angelica a bit. As for Kazuhiko's points she did have a perfectly logical reason for doing this, and completely understood, the general taboo applied to this kind of thing. "I had to give the warning because we need to go... that being said, i realize there is a baby and also that everyone might not want to come in but, these things are necessities given the sheer number of us that there are. Besides all that we can also get normal pjs and house clothes so no one has to be uncomfortable and all that..." she said with logical reasons for shopping itself. "I know the taboos around places like this, which is why I decided we could fill it up early and get it out of the way. There is also the potential safety thing, since a group of model level girls filing out of a place like this midday would definitely attract way more street attention than they will right now," she expressed of the situation. "I also figured that anyone who didn't want to come inside, could hang out with the baby for a bit, I have snacks and drinks for whoever undertakes that one. Or I could get what I need really quick and pop back out and take over in case the responsibility is too much," she offered clearly. Miko had considered the potential problems and worked through most of them.

Most of the group walked right into the lingerie shop, either because they belonged, or because they didn't care to some extent. Soma and Kazuhiko were the latter for two different reasons. Luckily, this wasn't a decision made in the spur of a moment by Miko. Most of the girls here did have need of general house wear and things to wear out. Moreover, she made a very good point about making this part of the trip early. "Ugh... yeah, it makes sense. This still could have been an early trip made with a specific group, but I guess we're already here now," he agreed reluctantly. The logic of this trip couldn't be argued against for the most part. Of course, there was a pair of lads with no interest in entering.

"Ehh... Anya-chan is like my half-sister, right? I'll stick with her in the lobby," Seiichi offered as Kazuhiko let the pink-haired girl down. "I figured you would. Arigatou, Seiichi," said Kazu. Yuuya also hadn't moved beyond the entrance, thinking the lobby was the farthest he'd ever go. He didn't even want to go that far, but another male and a child present would possibly make things look like a family outing of some sort. With that being the case, he decided to stick with those two. "So, three out and all others in? Shouldn't be too bad. Though this wouldn't have been alright for me just a few days ago. I'll catch up soon guys! Anya, stick with your brother and Tenjou-san. Be good!" he said to those who were staying behind. Why was Kazuhiko himself going ahead though? Well, there was a large group of girls shopping for lingerie. Most of them were points of interest, or people he'd already been involved with. Why would he miss an opportunity like that?

Kazuhiko did make the valid point that such a trip could have been made with a specific group of people at the same early time in the morning. Technically Miko agreed with this point but this morning had kind of spiraled out of control already. "Hai, I do get that, and I did figure the group wouldn't be so hard to manage. At this point, I also didn't expect the baby but, I've been able to alter the plan instead of throwing it away," she said with a smile.

Beyond that it would seem her accidental son Seiichi was willing to spend some time with his younger half sister. Miko could smile and appreciate him for offering such a thing and she, dug through her messenger bag for appropriate things. She pulled a box of pocky flavored strawberry and a small bottle of water for each of the boys who was staying out along with the girl. She handed the snacks to Seiichi and beamed at him. "Arigatou gouzaimasu, Sei-chan, Tenjou-kun" she offered both since they'd be spending some time together. No matter what, she'd make sure to not be rude to them. Anya looked at her father after being placed on the ground and smiled. "Hai, I'll be really good!" she claimed. And she would, she walked over to Seiichi and held her arms up to that boy and pointed to a bench the three of them could sit at while they waited for this leg of shopping to be over. "Arigatou, still... I'll make sure we stop by somewhere fun for you too, alright... Anya-chan?" she offered the small girl who smiled and nodded as well. This would be a fruitful day in childhood.

Once inside with the rest of the group, Miko greeted the cashier, whom she'd met the previous day while making exchanges. "Oh? Back again, you really like this place huh?" she greeted seeming to be one of those early morning people who were quite rare. "Hai, these are all my friends, and I'm going to be paying for this stuff... I'll try and organize them to make it easy for you, but we still might need a bit of help. Sorry about the potential inconvenience," she stated being apologetic. "Iia, this place is usually dead until late, I'm glad to see so many people in here..." she stated honestly and that would be all. Then Miko would be clapping her hands together for the group's attention, which she would get. "Minna. We're shopping for underwear and house clothes. Grab a duffle bag for each of you. Get the things you think you'll like. Ask this nice lady to help you, if you need sizing advice or anything like that..." Miko mentioned. "Also if you really like something get two..." she added after the fact. Oddly enough, she'd be grabbing a duffle for herself, branded with Peach John's logo in a pale yellow and she'd be gathering a few things. "Hai!" everyone chimed, with Kaguya and Ai making themselves available for questions from Angelica and Emirie helping Sena.... shopping for lingerie seemed to be starting off well enough. "Chika don't forget tights or socks." Miko added after a moment all while the shop keep watched a shopping trip that looked like organized chaos.

With Anya's promise to behave, Kazuhiko comfortably separated himself from the small group at the entrance. This plan may have been one worth throwing away instead of repurposing, he thought... but he also thought it was one he'd rather see in action than anything else. Perhaps Kazu had gone fully native, but there was no point looking back now. No, he'd look forward. There remained two girls on his list, just from that student council friend group. Surely they weren't going to be shopping just for undergarments, so he'd likely get to see something of interest before their card shop trip. With that in mind, he meandered about while generally sticking close to Angelica. He could at least play off being dragged into the shop by his girlfriend if any local had something to say. Besides, Angelica was one he'd known for ages without seeing in certain states... and that was another opportunity he couldn't miss.

Meanwhile, Soma moved about as if he were still walking the streets. Not a single stray glance was sent his way, unlike the other male teen entering the store. In truth, the few people looking at him had him confused for a flat-chested, yet gorgeous woman. He didn't even shy away from inspecting a number of pieces that were of no interest whatsoever to him. Why did he bother? Well, there was one point of interest. Knowing about some connections he'd have to make in the future, Soma thought it best to prepare for the proper investments. If things were made more interesting for him, he could more easily dedicate himself even in less-favorable situations.

Kazuhiko might have thrown away this plan, but Miko thought it was worth it to get it out of the way with as little fuss as possible. Her instructions had everyone picking out duffle bags as well as staring to pick out underwear. Kazuhiko attached himself to Angelica, while Ai and Kaguya hovered nearby. Both of those young women were having a reasonable time picking up a few things. "Try those they'd be cute~" Kaguya mentioned, pointing to a pair for Ai which were pastel blue. Ai picked them up and added them and a matching bra to her bag. Miko on the other hand was picking up lace thongs, nighties and long tights. Mostly because she was already sure of the kinds of things she wanted. "Also don't forget to try on anything you aren't sure about..." Miko called out to her friends. Speaking of, Miko picked up a few things and motioned to the register person that she was going into a changing room, if only because she needed to take a few naughty pictures and thought that would be a reasonable place to do so.

At the same time, Soma managed to move around rather freely, but that made sense at least, given his appearance he was likely mistaken for a girl. At the same time Miko was within a dressing room sitting in front of a mirror with Soma's phone in her hand. She began to strip none to subtly enough to give the lad a short reel of peekaboo shots as she pulled her clothes off, until she was fully naked and took that picture within the mirror to make sure he got a full body view of her. All that done, she slipped back into her clothes and thought to give Soma back his phone. She also programmed her number into his phone and got his for the sake of making sure he had it. All in all it would take her about five minutes and then Kei would be approaching and was looking at the slightly older girl now. "How do those even count as underwear they don't cover anything!" she demanded. "They count, and you might like them... get a few pairs," Miko encouraged. Who else had gone into a dressing room? Chika, she never knew what size she wore so she was busy trying on a new set of pajamas.

While Kazuhiko accompanied Angelica for the sake of managing appearances, Soma gradually moved closer to the pair. He had words to share with Kazu based on an earlier observation. Once he was within earshot, he started scanning a rack and spoke. "What is it about that one that makes you defer?" he asked bluntly. Kazu took a moment to process being addressed so suddenly, and to realize what the black-haired male was talking about. "Huh? You mean Annie?" he asked. "The brunette, yes. You're supposed to be the leader here, right? You've been letting that one make all the calls this entire time. Why?" Whatever Soma wanted this information for, Kazu didn't know. He took a moment to think, but the answer was clear in his mind all along. "Well it's easy, right? I didn't decide to be leader anyway, but besides all that... deferring to the person who knows what they're doing is just the better choice in general. I'll do that before I try to pull something out of my ass," he said.

How interesting. Soma's take on the matter was quite different. He much preferred the idea of acquiring knowledge from the experienced, but not leaving them the stage. Perhaps there was something he didn't understand quite yet. "Sou ka. I guess I'll..." Just then, he was interrupted by a young clerk with long, dark hair held in a ponytail. "Miss! Your friends are already starting to try things on. Did you need any help picking something?" she asked, assuming Soma was a young woman as well. He realized quickly what was going on, and made a decision without hesitation. "Actually... I need something very showy. Something that'll make any normal guy lose his mind the moment he sees it," Soma instructed. "Oh I have just the thing!" the woman answered before gesturing toward a selection of teddy-style sets with openings at the nipples and crotch ─ one that seemed right enough for most of the girls in this group. Soma picked out a black version with matching stockings and partial sleeves. He said nothing more to the clerk, choosing instead to make a casual beeline toward the dressing rooms. He wouldn't be entering an empty one, but instead one occupied by... ah, it seemed Chika was the lucky random walk-in victim.

Angelica in this moment, became privy to a second hand conversation. One between Kaguya's son, Soma and Kazuhiko. The former of which was curious about why Kazuhiko chose to let Miko be in charge while he was supposed to be the leader. Did he not understand the necessity of task management? Well, even if he didn't it would seem that Kazuhiko had a pretty reasonable understanding of why he had nothing to say to Miko while she was taking charge of making sure this group got everything it needed. Soon after Kazuhiko responded some random woman walked up who worked at the store and asked the black haired boy if he needed help referring to him as female. Angelica looked at Kazuhiko and found herself whispering, "Does he look like a girl to her?" she whispered?

Miko had taken pictures of herself in her clothes and then all the way down to pink lace panties and then naked. That intense blush on her face was one thing, but it wouldn't be going anywhere any time soon. After trying on a cute teddy, she was sure that she was getting the right sizes and redressed to by a few more. By the time she was redressed she emerged from a dressing room to find Soma peaking his head into one. She'd wait outside of that one, with his phone in her hands. Meanwhile, Chika who was within this particular dressing room looked up to find Soma and apparently thought nothing of it, "Oh? Do you need something?' she wondered while looking at herself in the mirror. Shopping was taking place as Sena seemed to be finding some more sporty options for herself with Emirie's help. While Emirie seemed to be looking for subtly mature pieces in pastel colors.

A woman walking up to Soma as if he belonged, and in fact as if he were a woman, was odd... but not so odd in hindsight. Kazu had a look at the lad while Angelica asked if he looked like a girl to the clerk. Angelica wasn't very well-traveled even in Aincrad, so he supposed that question was normal. "Well, yeah. Guys aren't supposed to be that... pretty. Not at any age. If you just look him in the face, he's actually prettier than most girls you'll find in this world. 8, maybe 9 out of 10 overall," he explained.

Meanwhile, Soma was stepping fully into the dressing room occupied by Chika. She didn't seem very bothered at all. Perhaps it was a stroke of luck that led him to this one. His intention was to utilize Anya, but the higher tier afforded by linking one's mana to another would not be reached with her. As such, he committed to shutting himself inside to answer her question. "I need a lot of things. More importantly, you need this more than... whatever the hell that is," he said regarding an odd choice of pajamas, offering instead the teddy he'd brought along. While holding it on offer, he shifted his gaze slightly toward the entrance. A knowing smirk appeared on Soma's face, and he left it alone to pursue another part of an overarching plan.

Angelica's whispered question got a straight forward answer, that Soma for all intents and purposes would have made a very high attractiveness female person. According to Kazuhiko men weren't supposed to be pretty, that was an odd thing to note. Angelica considered Kazuhiko to be among the more attractive men she'd laid eyes on, and she saw Soma as being very attractive as well, but she didn't see it as a non-masculine sort of attractiveness. "Hm, I feel like that means I haven't seen enough people to understand what you're talking about. Though I would describe his face as pretty too," Angelica decided. "Though by that logic you're pretty too..." she decided, she'd picked up several different pieces already. Thongs, in lace and satin with matching bras. Lots of pieces that were the royal blue and white that she enjoyed so much. But also some blacks and whites with various amounts of coverage. Though Angelica's bag was royal blue based on her own taste.

Meanwhile, Soma was busy barging into the dressing room that currently was being occupied by Chika. He claimed he needed a lot of things, but that she needed the outfit he was currently holding. She looked at it and shrugged, "Hai!~" she said accepting it. She'd begin trying to slip into it, without anything considered common sense. Meanwhile, Ai and Kaguya had g-athered a decent amount of things. Ai had a white bag, while Kaguya had a black one, they'd both collected a decent amount of undergarments, but Kaguya had managed one of her other magical abilities so she'd only be getting a single one of each of the items she liked most. Ai, had several different sorts of things collected, but she was looking for button up pajama shirts which she found most comfortable. Miko tapped on the dressing room door occupied by Soma and mentioned outside of it. "Your phone is ready!" she was content to hand it over and then... go back to organizing shopping and starting to pay for important things.

Angelica's limited experience didn't afford her much chance to see most of humanity. Most people she knew were right here in this group, or among a small segment of Aincrad's population. That list was full of the exceptional. "Yeah, you haven't even seen the Gilleses of the world..." he said. Of all the people he'd seen in both worlds, Gilles de Rais was a special kind of concerning to look at. As for Kazuhiko being pretty, he could hardly argue that he lacked the more conventional masculine features. "Thanks, I guess? Most guys would rather go for handsome, which I don't think I could pull off any more than... well, however much I have as Charlemagne. Either way, I'd rather leave the pretty to you guys and... stuff like that," he said, a careful wayward glance falling upon the articles Angelica chose.

Soma didn't even have to convince the pink-haired girl. With no prompting whatsoever, she was taking the lingerie he offered. Soma was content to watch for the time being, but fate wouldn't be allowing that. No, it seemed someone was keen on putting herself right in the way due to their earlier arrangement. Miko, who had his phone, knocked and called out. What an annoying time it was for that. Soma groaned audibly from beyond the door. He had plans for Chika now, but he didn't intend to take that phone until he had time to take a proper look at it. Well, there was always a solution for everything. "I'm busy. Why don't you bring it in? I'm dressed," he said deviously.

Apparently, Angelica really hadn't seen very many people even in her extended life time. There were a few she saw, but they were all within the realm of attractiveness that she considered the standard high for humans, with a few outliers in the positive sense. Even humans like Renaud and Roland weren't ugly to her, they were simply not as pretty as Kazuhiko was as Charlemagne. The Gilleses of the world, as Kazuhiko called them were apparently on the low scale of attractiveness but she recognized that name, "Gilles? Wasn't he hanging out with Jeanne, I assumed he was at least regular attractive, which I count along with people like Roland... if he was hanging out with Jeanne I wouldn't expect anything much lower," she commented. Maybe that sounded shallow but the orders of the world existed for a reason, and it was kind of odd to her the idea that someone unattractive would attach themselves to someone as attractive as Jeanne d'Arc. Ah, but beyond that apparently pretty wasn't what men went for, in their odd sense of masculinity they preferred handsome as a descriptor and Kazuhiko thought that he only really achieved that as Charlemagne, "Hm... I think the future will see that handsome advance though nothing wrong with having a pretty face. It's what most people will see of you," Angelica decided. As for the prettiness of women and the objects they were holding, Angelica understood. "Still, it makes sense I guess..." Angelica decided, technically speaking standards of beauty were much easier for her to understand than anything else he'd tried telling her today.

In the meantime, Chika was busy changing into a very open teddy for Soma when a knock came to the door. It was Miko and she had Soma's phone. Well, that didn't require anything resembling a response from Chika. Miko had seen Chika naked plenty of times, she probably wouldn't even react to such a thing. So long as she kept her hands clean her friend probably wouldn't be upset with her. And what did Soma have to say... he was dressed so she could come in, but he was also busy. "That statement is anxiety inducing, shitsureishimasu..." she mentioned opening the door enough for her to slip inside. Once she did she was looking up and had Chika enter her senses physically. She took in the sight of exposed nipples and undercarriage as the pink haired girl was sleeping on the associated sleeves. She didn't say anything, but her grip on that phone tightened instictively as she opened it and immediately snapped a picture of the pink haired girl. "Ooops, I did that without thinking... I am going to need that," she mentioned as she handed the device over to Soma. Instead of harping on his phone she was developing a bit of tension in the middle of her forehead. "You didn't even think about it did you? Just put it on..." she said of the outfit the girl was currently wearing. "Nope, and yep. It looks good right Mi-chama?!" she said giving a twirl and big imploring eyes. "Yes of course it does. That isn't the point, this is why you aren't allowed to go out by yourself. You didn't even think about the details before you did this..." she chided the other girl who shrugged. "Eh, you guys already did that. And besides, he's Kaguya's kid... there isn't that much to worry about," she said with surety. A sigh escaped Miko, she was sure she was aging again... Could she even explain this in a way that would make the lesson stick? Whatever the case, within Soma's phone, besides that picture of Chika were a series of pictures of a progressively more naked Miko, staring in her outfit of the day, and stripping down to just heels and tights though a series of peekaboo shots. her panties and bra in that case, were red and black lace.

Kazuhiko and Angelica continued a discussion about human attractiveness while the former let his eyes continue passively perusing hanging lingerie. He'd never been able to consider Gilles attractive by any standard, but the worst came with the passage of time. "No way. You're the only person I've ever seen still look as good while standing next to Jeanne. Even with that being the case, Gilles was a little below average in the beginning, and only looked worse as time passed. I can't imagine what he looks like now... though I know what he will look like if I see him again," he growled. Moving on to the matter of his 'prettiness' as Angelica insisted, Kazu could do nothing but accept whatever she found positive. "I've got no room left to think about how I look to myself anymore. The number of people who seem interested in what I look like keeps growing. Even if it didn't... as long as your opinion's good, I've got nothing to worry about."

Despite her interruption of a plan in progress, Miko was easily persuaded into entering the changing room. She obviously didn't realize Soma was not its only inhabitant, but lo... she obviously wasn't displeased with what she found within. Another picture was added to Soma's camera reel within seconds, much to his satisfaction after the interruption. According to Miko, she also needed that picture. Soma took a moment to scroll through the images in his phone, also realizing a number had already been saved to the device. It couldn't have been anyone else's. "Asking for favors now? Well, since this is a lot more than I expected from you... fine. I'll send it, and I guess I still owe you. Ready to cash in?" he asked. In that moment, Soma was sending that picture to Miko with the one hand on his phone. His other hand was busy loosing his trousers while his crotch pointed in Chika's direction. "We were just about to make sure this lingerie passes all the necessary tests... including the activity check. Right?" he questioned further, shifting his gaze toward Chika momentarily. "That's the rest of the details, by the way. You clearly have an eye for both of us, and I've got enough room down here to fit both of you... with some caveats."

According to Kazuhiko the only person who ever looked the same amount of attractive around Jeanne was Angelica. That might have been a bit of an overestimation, or maybe it was just the Aincrad bubble life speaking in that case. Whatever he meant, he spoke of a man called Gilles, who started off below average in looks and only got worse over time. That was disturbing for magical reasons, but given what they'd learned of the betrayal of Jeanne made a bit of sense, "If he wasn't elevated by being around her... then there was something wrong with him at a deeper level," she commented almost absently. "And you just made animal noises," she said as they moved past the tension. Of course, she understood the amount of anger to be aimed at someone like Gilles who'd defiled and betrayed Jeanne, but that was something to be taken care of at a different time. There was likely a more human way to explain how Angelica understood the world, but at present, she was still picking out underclothes to wear, including tights which she'd seen on several of the others now and thought had some real potential. As for his statements about himself she scoffed just a little, "You've got plenty of room to look at yourself, but if you'd prefer the rest of us do it for you... I'm sure there is a group willing to do so~" she encouraged the boy she'd decided to attach herself. They'd had this sort of conversation already and whether he was Kazuhiko or Charlemagne he was someone many should adore, Angelica understood this.

At the same time, that dressing room was rapidly becoming a little den of debauchery. Why? Well, because Soma wasn't one to stop at the thought. Apparently what he'd received in his phone was more than he expected and he claimed he still owed her so he'd send her that picture she'd so recently taken of Chika. Oddly enough, Chika didn't seem to cause the same kind of innate no response and anxiety that her twin brother did in Miko. Perhaps it was exposure or maybe it was because a buffer was obviously present and they didn't have to interact in a direct sense. "I just didn't think I liked idea of taking that one picture without the context of the others. I've gotten oddly obsessive about that in the last couple of days. Still, arigatou gouzaimasu~" Miko admitted sheepishly. In the meantime, Chika was finding herself in a situation which was oddly normal for her. "Hai!~ Mi-chama did mention still being thirsty!" Chika said which was a surprisingly lucid sentence and understanding for her. She wondered if she should worry that her usual wariness was missing, but decided that she could figure that part out a bit later if need be. "I feel like I should be more annoyed, not less. So moving on, caveats? Like how are you trying to do this?" she specified as she moved to help him with his pants. She'd become very good at the undressing part of sex in her recent experience.

Something was definitely wrong with the man called Gilles de Rais. Most knew that much after first meeting him, but none seemed to understand the true extent of his eventual fall. All Kazu knew now was that his growling was certainly an accident, but not something he'd ever take back. "I'll do it again when I rip him in half," he said in eerily calm fashion, fully seething beneath the surface. There was nothing to be done about that now, though. As such, Kazuhiko moved on rather quickly. "Nah, no room at all. There's literally no point doing it if everyone important is satisfied. There's an old saying: don't try to fix what's not broken. Obviously I'm not broken," he finalized. "Anyway, how's your collection coming? Those look like some uh... err... interesting pieces."

Speaking of interesting pieces, Soma was finding two interesting pieces... of flesh. Between Chika and Miko, he would have a very full morning before their journey even continued. He already had a certain fullness in his phone, given Miko's preference for context to a single picture... which she obtained by adding over a dozen more pictures to the list. No one could rightly complain about an entire strip show in a camera reel. He'd have even less room to complain if his suggestion was taken properly. Chika seemed interested, much to his expectation. As for Miko, she wanted to know about the aforementioned caveats. Well, she was still reaching for his pants to help him be rid of them either way. "That's obviously not important to you, or you wouldn't be getting involved already. The major caveat is that this one is my primary target right now," he said, nodding toward Chika. "I have my own reasons for that. But as long as that connection is made, I don't care about much else." With that, Soma officially finished getting things started. His breeches were loosened enough for his cock to spring forth, held in one hand and waved between the two girls. "So... you'll have to share any 'drinks' no matter how 'thirsty' you are."

It would seem that Kazuhiko wasn't taken back that noise made because of thoughts of murdering Gilles de Rais. Angelica also understood to some extent that the one who betrayed Jeanne didn't deserve sympathy, but it was always odd to see the more serious form of the man she knew as Charlemagne. In general, the princess was used to him in him good temper, or flustered or even playful. The part of him that was a warrior or warlord or dictator were quite foreign to her as an idea. She didn't begrudge him the ill feelings he had though, she only slapped him against the back as part of her own playful sort of comfort. "Aye!" she offered. Moving on, he wasn't interested in thinking about himself because of the existing satisfaction of everyone who already mattered. "I suppose that is fair. Also trying to change yourself too much can be bad for you so yeah I get that," she said thoughtfully while picking up some more tights with interesting designs at the top. Their conversation was moving through normal things and as Kazuhiko asked about her collection she could only smile. "I think it's coming along nicely. I didn't expect to find these clothes so interesting and though I don't really get this obsession with layers, I do think these are interesting," Angelica mentioned. Well, layers were things often missing from the minds of gods and their progeny. They were too perfect from birth to consider covering up for modesty sake, so they'd get the surprise of that in their later lives.

Meanwhile, Soma, Miko and Chika were getting into something deviant within that dressing room. While Miko helped Soma with his pants she was given the details of his caveats. He mentioned that she obviously didn't care, and that wasn't entirely true. "Iia, I need to know where the line is, to avoid accidentally crossing it," she said in answer. "But this is fine, sharing is caring after all..." she said of her own understanding. Of course, she'd share simply because it was in her nature to do so, and she'd take if it was offered to her, such was how Miko understood the world. Too bad in this moment she was busy watching a cock spring forth and suddenly that bit of drooling she did returned with a vengeance, right in the corner of her mouth. "Hai, Mi-chama always shares with us!~" Chika said, making Miko's eyes shift towards her for just a second. She wondered if Chika like Astolfo was simply managing to say something that was very true without realizing the depth of that truth. Regardless, if the only line was that she had to share because he wished to establish his connection properly, she could manage that though if she could entice him into seeking her out again on her own after such an experience well, then she'd win by her own understanding. As if this thought was something which settled into her mind, Miko leaned forward and licked down his cock. Would she prefer a full course and exploration? Yes, but she could take a snack for now. Meanwhile, Chika was watching with wide and sparkling eyes, she hadn't known Miko would act so forward, it was almost shocking to see. "Sugoi! Always leading the way~" she confirmed as Chika went about a similar practice if only to see what happened and continue observing from any perspective.