<Nocturnal Harmonia>

[Bloodedge]

As he pinched the bridge of his nose again, Makima noted for the younger lass that Yugi was upset ─ with her, specifically. In truth, he wasn't that bothered. It seemed a heavy bit of information to randomly come clean about with no extra thought, but... the thought he applied made it fine enough. "Head," was his only spoken phrase for a while.

Shortly afterwards, the time came to have another exchange with Makima. The Dungeon that Ember Skull Guild was sent to didn't have much time before a natural break, but it was also possible for a total failure to result in Dungeon Breaks. "Long tutorial. Starter Dungeon, follow-up Dungeon Break. That's fine; I'm working on a thing anyway," he babbled. As for the information Makima wanted, it all started with the details of the Players' routes. They had some useful data about that, in actuality, so Makima could have her answer quite easily. "The routes are confirmed full hetero. As for whether activation can be forced or not, it seems possible with nuances. If somebody has interest in us, it's logged as a starting Intimacy percentage in the System and placed as a route. But... you've already proven there's an exception. Your route didn't appear until I said what was necessary to make it a worthwhile thought in your head. Even then, accepting it was more like... accepting a trial quest whose success would open the actual route," he explained with his gaze averted, not to view the System screens this time, but instead to watch Miko ditch that slingshot bunny getup. Even Satoru was casually observing the process as he lay across Makima's desk.

[Apollymi]

Miko knew her partner would be mildly unhappy with her giving away information but she figured giving it to Makima was a way more sure thing than most others. Her desires were clear and the System didn't mark her as a danger to their lives, so... she'd not hide anything non-essential. As if to prove this the only thing he wanted as recompense for her blabbing was 'head'. Miko gained a cheeky little smirk and winked at Makima as if she knew that was going to be the ask. And she carried on with things from there. As for the Ember Skull Guild and the problem it created Miko sighed, she felt bad for the support types that Guild had, as they were probably overworked and underappreciated. "Good to know. I would have preferred mind finding out what you two are like in a challenge, but it seems you'll have to settle for something a bit more at your current level than my initial plans. Though this has the ability to work out better long term," she explained. They'd be taking a different C-ranked Dungeon instead, with just the two of them and Gojo entering for obvious reasons. There wasn't expected to be any decent materials to gain from it, so letting them muck about inside wasn't a problem.

As Miko stripped though, Makima's question was answered, all eyes in the room however were observing the girl. Dancing to the beat of music no one but her could ear, she'd eventually be rendered naked but not before that answer was given. And a momentary break was made while Makima realized she'd been at least mildly manipulated by the pair over all, even though to her knowledge they'd not spoken to each other much at all. "Sou ka, that's interesting but manageable. And what about you little one?" she asked of Miko. Miko kept dancing but gave it a thought, "Go-sei was a bit weird. It almost seemed like he had to approve it before it started. And it also basically started a challenge quest. Other than that guys seem to be pretty easy. Low starting percentages if they are only interested in me visually but it seems to ramp up pretty fast," Miko explained the gender bias. And once she was naked her dance came to it's natural end and she was standing at Makima's side accepting pieces she pulled down like a good little shopper. Initially the woman's hand was on her head and it came with a spine tingling extra weight. It wasn't physically harsh, it was just a feeling Miko found overwhelming. But she didn't pull away from it, which made Makima's brow raise. A veil, a dress, a pair of undergarments. A specific garter and a very specific pair of thigh highs. Makima picked out each piece with care while looking at Miko's tiny frame out of the corner of her eye. "You mentioned quests, are those random as well and what kind of rewards to you receive?" she questioned the pair once again.

All the while the necessary pieces were picked out. "Equip everything but the thigh-highs, garter, shoes and veil. Then sit on the unoccupied corner of the desk," she said. All the while Miko was equipping gear and looking at her completion rate for the quest. She looked to Yugi, "You'll be putting on the garter and thigh highs and I'm going to fix her hair. Hair brush and hair ties." Makima said, with a demand for things, which Miko would give from the System Shop. And since she was there already in her phone, she switched to voice readout to see if she'd enjoy it, choosing the male voice. Once Miko was mostly dressed she situated herself on the corner of the desk as instructed. There was a gentle blush on her cheeks now and she was trying very hard not to react to yet another gentle yet menacing touch by Makima. Being around that woman was confusing to her but she also really wanted to hold up her end of the bargain. All the while, as Miko calmly followed directions and the like, a very soft look came together. A short dress with an ankle length train and a fit bodice showed off her curves and petite body.

[Bloodedge]

Makima's preference and Yugi's were aligned. He had much more of an interest in getting out there to raid a proper Dungeon, seeing what kind of loot they could acquire beyond the System's instances. Settling for less was fine, though; they could get a better feel for mechanics under less stress. "It'll work. A grind is a grind. As long as it isn't too easy or literally impossible, it's good activity," Yugi commented on the matter. All the while, Miko's stripping progressed with an extra beat beyond whatever she heard in her head. The extra, of course, was Satoru clapping along without a care in the world.

Makima would have Yugi equip the 'most important' parts of Miko's current outfit on. He sighed, but took a step toward the desk anyway. As he took up the garter, Yugi also considered the chairwoman's other question. What was the deal with their quests? "Situational. We have Daily Quests that have been on weird maintenance since we got back. There have been Instant Quests that have to be accepted and done within a certain time frame, Urgent Quests like dealing with an attack or something, yada yada. From the looks of things, this is a quest right now... though I don't know what the deal is with it. Usually the reward will be something like an equip title with abilities related to the quest or connected person, skill points... temporary buffs, straight-up abilities, et cetera," he rambled while slipping that garter onto Miko's hips to move along to the better part: rolling up the stockings. "And yes, your orders can show up as a quest, and have done at least twice now, I think. If the System sees an opportunity to advance us, it will generate a quest. That's how it seems to work."

[Apollymi]

Even though they'd get a less 'lucrative' place to explore, according to Yugi a grind was a grind. There was a gentle nod in Miko's head as well, she agreed with that to a certain extent, besides they'd have plenty of time to work out the kinks if it wasn't as dangerous as their interaction with the Riverglass Phantom. "That is good to know, and you both seem to agree. It's also manageable," Makima mused as she heard that little clapping and could only smirk about Gojo's interesting tendencies. While, Yugi began the work of Miko's lower half, Makima began working on the girl's hair. Her touch was fair, not too gentle not too harsh, but it still came with a strange oppressive sensation that made the hairs on the back of Miko's neck stand up. Such a thing would only become worse, as while Makima casually listened to Yugi give an explanation of questions she touched the girl's ears. An instant jolt almost impossible to detect shot down her spine. 'No... don't touch me there,' she thought almost absently.

This was around the same time that Yugi was at her lower body and he likely saw those little toes curl in direct response. "That all sounds quite useful... I do hope you take them when they pop up," she said to both teens. "Titles, buffs, items..." Makima repeated as her finger lingered. Gently did she trace Miko's ears and the girl herself remained perfectly still, trying to both not pull away or relax too much but the sensation itself seemed to be burning from that ear straight into her core. Makima for her part in this had figured out something so as she fashioned the girl a slightly loose ponytail she made sure the contact lingered. "This quest must have a very good reward for you to be behaving so well," she determined by taking in how very still the girl had gone. Not a single reaction out of line, even though it was painfully obvious that she was exceedingly uncomfortable. "Yep♪~" Miko ended up chirping. Just the same the woman wouldn't stop. No matter what by the time Yugi found the satisfaction of rolling up both the girl's thigh highs, Makima had finished those two loose ponytails. Redoing the girl's hair in a fashion that seemed to bring back the memory of her face that she had from before, aside from that wayward tuft of hair at the top which she found amusing. "Aww~ What a pretty little doll~" Makima seemed pleased tilting the girl's head up to make very direct eye contact with the girl which she couldn't have looked away from. "Show me, you being undeniably cute," Makima demanded and with that she stepped away from the girl and waited, to see what she'd do.

Miko did things by ear, her whole premise in life was acting on her own instincts and the way things felt. So when even such a specific order, she submitted herself to being a cute well dressed little doll. Her reddened face lowered she tucked herself into Makima and allowed her face to rest around the woman's stomach and looked up at her with those big imploring eyes like a bride who needed her motherly influence and head pats on her wedding day. There were even lightly accumulated tears in the corners of her eyes for good measure, and because it'd taken a lot for Miko not to respond to the caresses applied to her ears and neck. It was a picture perfect moment, which made Makima actually smile as she rested a hand atop the girl's head. "Good girl~" she said which make Miko's heart skip a beat and her loins do the same. It also completed all her quest parameters, awarding the pair an additional 15 percent resonance, and a bonus buff to gaining it, by 10 percent. She let go of Makima seeming pleased with herself. It wasn't what their Resonance had originally been but it was back up by most of the amount lost. Makima was just bemused that the girl still acted while being frightened and obviously mentally tortured. "Alright, we'll get you two measured for Mana and then I'll send you along," Makima said. Her base curiosities had been answered. She now knew what to look for and what kind of arrangements to make so... she'd take care of those as well. Makima walked to her desk and pressed a button, doing so made a wall open up showing a mana crystal, a ball and a digital readout which worked as a way for her to privately confirm the information she could normally tell just by looking at someone. It would be under these circumstances that the teens would be tested most often.

[Bloodedge]

"Most things are," Yugi said casually about the situation being manageable. He went about equipping Miko's stockings just as casually, noting throughout the process her reactions to Makima's touch. That much was to be expected with such sensitive ears. Toe-curling at such an early stage and simple act, however, was indicative of the 'submissive and breedable' moniker often attributed to Miko. "Easy," Yugi observed by the time that first stocking was securely in place. He move don to the second and made quick work of it, seeming mostly disinterested in the act now that it was the demand of another with no deviant undertone. Satoru, however, was flat on his back, head toward the brunette as he nonchalantly tugged up the bottom of her dress like a child or cat merely playing about.

Once clothes and hair were in place, and an act of submission granted, Yugi received a minor alert to the raised Resonance. "Sou ka. Special quests with the other Player's companions can enhance Resonance. That makes sense; get along with your partner's partners, build the overall relationship, blah blah. That's a pretty sweet deal," he observed almost absently. Regardless, the time was finally coming for their evaluation of the morning. Yugi had been waiting for this since the moment of their arrival, and stood in wait for the test. It seemed to be the usual isekai trope involving placing one's hand on a mana-reading apparatus of some sort. He didn't bother hesitating before approaching the revealed sphere to place a hand upon it. Initially, nothing happened. Yugi would have rated quite low on the scale normally, but... he anticipated that. It took a bit of direct focus to bring his mana to the surface, allowing something to register in the machine.

[Apollymi]

Most things were managable. That was Yugi's stance, Makima agreed, and in the rare occasion where it wasn't possible to manage something, it was usually possible to kill it. Currently there was only one exception to that... no matter. She enjoyed making the little girl she dressed terribly uncomfortable and wondered if she was aware she was so easy to read. No matter what, Makima had gained quite a bit of information and amusement through teasing the girl. She also noted that though the lad liked his thighs and thigh-highs, making it a demand for someone else, seemed less interesting to him. Yet, he'd still done it without complaint and with a great deal of care. He claimed the girl was an easy point and she was... no matter, it was part of what made her cute. Beyond that a playful swat or two was aimed at Gojo who seemed content to also play with the girl, who seemed fairly close to sensory overload.

Yugi's observation after the moment of submission was heard and now Makima was looking at the girl who had only recently let go of her. "You took a quest you knew would make you uncomfortable to add to your Resonance?" she asked of the girl. "Yeah, it was my fault we lost any in the first place, and I'm not completely irresponsible. Self-regulation for my emotions is part of what I hold myself to... Also you don't make me that uncomfortable, not in a negative way," Miko expressed earnestly. That girl really was cute and would be fine to be part of the mainstay of harem management, which is what Makima saw their combined activities as doing. But they were soon able to move on from that, with Miko in a wedding dress parading around in the utmost comfort while that short dress showed off her rear while she pranced on her stocking covered tip-toes over to Yugi to have her own mana measured. "Given that amount of concentration you two would function as 'False Rankers'," Makima stated as she observed a C-ranking for the lad. "Switch." she offered afterwards which would prompt Miko to take up the same place, after she unequiped her title and the like she'd also place her hand on that stone to see a similar readout only slightly lower because she had less invested points currently. "You both actually read as C-ranks. I'll have Kaito, print your ID cards," she said moving back to her desk prepared to make a call.

[Bloodedge]

Yugi had his hand upon that orb. He could feel it responding to the touch only after he applied mana directly, solidifying his hypothesis that they were merely using 'borrowed' power from the System. If they were to also awaken at some point, things would become rather interesting, Yugi believed. Regardless, Makima claimed they would classify as False Rankers based on the way he registered. Yugi took a moment to consider that odd term. "False Rankers, huh? A machine that reads your mana output on contact, only reacting to us when we focus because the System is a dipshit. Let's see... normal person, awakened Hunter... good at mana control ─ good enough to reduce their output to be evaluated as a lower rank than they should be..."

Pontification continued on Yugi's end while Miko had herself scanned as well. The notion of False Rankers was an interesting one, especially when he already figured Makima had a good enough read on normal Hunters. "That's interesting. There's no reason you wouldn't know how strong somebody is, but if I'm right about what they are... you still let False Rankers exist. I'm guessing there's a sizeable file on all of them, and you've got some crazy continency for when they act out. Maybe something to do with the secret power you've got? Dunno, doesn't matter. I'm guessing that machine says C or low B. It'd be in all of our best interests to go as low as possible, I think. You'd make the best call about that, so I'll just leave you with that tidbit. I'm ready to get a move on."

[Apollymi]

Miko had sent the rest of the wedding dresses and materials back to their inventory. The set she was wearing she added to it's own loadout, from her phone. Just the same by the time her hand was on that orb, Yugi was in full force. His words carried in her ears, she loved hearing him rant about random things, the technical definition of a False Ranker was both useful and a bit novel. What he had to say about what Makima did with that information made the red haired woman's face shift slightly. "Sou ka, that's very good. You figured all that out just based on a name and observing my behavior. You'd end up in a file like that if you hadn't submitted yourself to me, the clever ones are the most problematic after all," Makima mentioned nonchalantly. She made a decision in the moment, one which would increase her Intimacy with Yugi by about 5% as she was beginning to think his submission was one of pure personal interest. "It's been only a year, machines can't be that accurate yet. There are barely enough scientists who can handle mana to do the research. The files have been organized into those who aren't threats, those who are mild threats and those who are openly malicious. That last group is tied to my power... the other two are allowed to exist. Some simply don't want to risk their lives on harder combat. Some aren't mentally stable enough to be ranked properly anyways and others are up to something and simply either purposefully or accidentally put themselves on my radar," she explained of the situation.

That explanation came with some odd things in Miko head. The fact that she'd shared such information meant it would likely come up as part of a thing fo the pair of them to handle. Control freaks would aim for control even vicariously so long as they didn't lose face, Otome games and tsunderes taught her that. No matter, she managed to focus enough just to let a bit of mana out and also registered similarly to Yugi though a bit lower. "Both of you are registered as C-rank, hers a bit lower, but I assume that's a controlled outlet given she's bursting with mana right now," she paused before pressing the dial for Kaito if only to hear the lad's opinion. "I mean I could rank you E but it'd be social suicide. I mean I can mediate it a bit but you'll definitely be uncomfortable on any mission aside from one's I send you on. And even those could be a bit problematic..." Makima said, but she seemed almost amused by it as an option. Watching people squirm was always fun. They couldn't know how much E-ranks were looked down on, unless they did and they really wanted to punish people for thinking badly of them. "Kaito, print the IDs for Kiriya Haruto and Aoyama Misaki as E-ranks. He's a Fighter and she's a Healer." that was all that was said over the phone with no more room for arguments. "You're going to the C-ranked Dungeon on Meguro. Go with them and keep watch. I'll leave your involvement up to you... but I do want to know what they're capable of..." Makima said to Gojo shoo'ing the lot off.

[Bloodedge]

Once again, Yugi's assumptions were proven right. He had less doubts about this one than even most others, given how simple the naming pattern had been thus far. As for landing himself on some sort of file, Yugi's initial response was a mere shrug. He didn't think it was right to say the clever ones were problematic. "If they were really clever, either you'd never find out in time to call them problematic, or they'd instead be your greatest assets," he asserted. Beyond that, he had a correction to offer in light of how Makima categorized False Rankers. "Mild annoyances, heavy annoyances, and those who are so annoying they have to be sacrificed. Got it," he said.

Moving on, they both had their mana read by the machine. They were officially C-rank before any additional stat allocations that would otherwise catch them up to level... but Makima toyed with the idea of ranking them E after Yugi's suggestion. The way she called it a social suicide implied that E-ranks were just barely superhuman, perhaps even comparable to martial artists or bodybuilders ─ but with the ability to use mana, which was likely a requirement for fighting monsters in this world. As amused as she seemed after giving it some thought, the announcement was made to assign them E-rank. Yugi shrugged again; the rank itself didn't matter to him as long as it didn't bring positive attention his way. "Sweet. Always wanted to be a Bronze Saint," he said, chuckling. Whatever the case, they were being sent off. Satoru launched himself from the desk, seeming to float his way down to stick the landing. "Meguro Gate? On it. Off we go!" Satoru exclaimed with an unnecessary arm aimed at the exit. He started walking immediately, not even bending his knees as long strides took him forward. They could pick up their identifications by the time they reached downstairs... which wouldn't take very long at all, as Satoru intended to magically drag the teens along, grab their identifications, and ever so casually... 'fly' to Meguro and the destination Gate.

[Apollymi]

Makima heard Yugi's amendment and smirked just a little. She couldn't help it, he was amusing. Perhaps she'd show them the ones she had locked up, and make sure they didn't have any potential bond mates among the executables. If they did, she might let them go in exchange for them submitting fully to the children. "Mm, owning that cleverness then?" Makima said her words almost teasing. As for his new understanding of her classifications of False Rankers. "Well, when you say it like that it's a bit too simple," she said, but she didn't correct his understanding. 'Sou ka, that almost sounds like an OCD reaction, like not being able to control something is the problem, not the thing itself,' Miko decided but she'd say nothing about it.

And apparently they were to be ranked E even after qualifying as C-ranks. Makima called it social suicide which might have been true but Miko could only chuckle a bit as the reference to Bronze Saints was made. "Yeah I wonder how long it will take to get tired of, "E-ranks have no place here' types..." Miko said thinking back to that doomed guild's strike team leader. "Though I also operate better if people aren't looking at me. It might get annoying when I'm hitting on people," she said her face slightly puffy. She looked outrageously childish in a wedding dress while pouting. Makima was on the other hand very proud of the pair, there was no negative reaction to the coming challenge. No, both individuals joked about it, seeming not to care if it became a little more difficult for them to operate. No matter, they were on their way out, and Miko turned to go with the others as well even still wearing that wedding dress. She'd wear that until they were stopped in front of the 'Meguro Gate' as it was being called. Miko's little legs moving fast, but not quite double time as she had a very active set of passives currently.

But soon enough they'd have their IDs and be outside of a large gate at the entrance of the Meguro Park in the middle of Tokyo. It was an expanse of nature trails and the like, and Miko couldn't help but wonder what kind of Dungeon this was. She even managed not to be sick, though she was a little wobbly legged upon stopping movement. "It's like you were trying to make me oogie," Miko said holding her stomach still in that wedding dress. She'd be switching her clothes with a simple command, back into something way more comfortable to fight in, choosing to go back to the sweater dress while she allocated her stats. Passives active, current not barefoot in a wedding dress and a good all around build with a hyper focus on her Intelligence. Which of course, lead to her chest increasing in size right in front of everyone.