Otis didn’t understand why the others dragged him into the group, not when he hadn’t really spoken to any of them at all. He wasn’t lonely, nor was he particularly bored, and the strigidae would have been perfectly content with zoning out in a relatively nice-looking temple while he mentally reviewed all that he had learned. Well, that wasn’t to say that he couldn’t just do his review in a group instead of by himself. While Helena discussed tea and Rodrick discussed smells, Otis craned his head backwards, letting his eyes fall into the depths of the sky. The heat of the day was comfortable, and the buzzing of the insects enjoyable. The tantos he had forged and inscribed at the Kirizanto Forge weighed heavily against his shoulders, the pleasant heft of time well-spent. Maybe he’ll get Rodrick or Helena to test them out later. It had always been his intent to utilize the inscriptions in his bullet crafting, but if Otis was going to make a bunch of weapons in the meantime, he may as well make them good.
Who knew, maybe his gun will get a blade one day.
Such thoughts would have to be entertained at a later time though. Sensing a disturbance behind him, Otis turned his head all the way around, seeing the girl that summarily used their group to evade capture by suspicious individuals in suits and shades. Kaganomiya Seirin, was it? His horrifically twisted head tilted to the side at the name, but he couldn’t place it. She had to be some famous person’s daughter though, if she was forced to sit on the stage of the conference without actually being allowed to speak. His eyebrows raised up slightly, before saying, rather flatly, “We need someone to take pictures for the group. Join us and stop diving into other groups. That’s what Japanese people find rude.” Maybe it was strange, an otherworlder like him lecturing a native like her on cultures and all, but Otis was never one to linger…
“We’re mostly Arcanis though, so it’s fine. What’s the Kaganomiya family? Do you know any locals’ secret sites? Got money on you? What can you do? Are you in trouble? Will you be in trouble? There a place for pinicking nearby? Would assassins go after you if you’re unprotected? You need a better disguise. A moustache will help.”
…but perhaps that was a problem, in and of itself.
The practice probably could've went better with the room being covered in flames and the instructor stifling his laughter in the background. But hey, basics learned so that's all that matters. Once Ultana gets some free time, she'll have to go through the scrolls and study material again but she definitely found it enjoyable. With the end of the lesson, she left the estate while feeling a nice breeze across her face. Well, for Ultana anyways, other tourists seemed to be complaining about it. Sissies....if you complain about this, wait until you see how hot it is back home.
Though, aside from the complaining she did hear of another shrine, Kiyomizu-Dera. According to the very little she was able to overhear, it apparently was a famous Buddhist with over a 1000+ years of history. Ultana was always a sucker for history, it was clear that Kiyomizu had to be the next destination.
Naturally, with the temple being a famous tourist location it was bound to have a big crowd and quite lively. Ughhhhhhhhhh. Inwardly complaining as she pushed through a wave of people before recognizing someone from her class. Naturally, it was the spear wielder that was in the 'vanguard' with her in that battle with the vampire, Lorelai. Fortunately they were able to group up and managed to pick up Asta and a couple of others she barely knew. But hey, in times like these it's better to go out and meet new people, right? Though, one of them was kind of forced into the group but that's of little importance.
While they walked Ultana noticed Asta frantically waving a fan next to her, sweating bullets. Which is no surprise considering where she's from. If it was winter, the situations would probably be reversed and she'd be the one complaining. Thinking that fan might not be enough, she decided to 'borrow' a fan from an unsuspecting tourist they passed and helped fan down Asta. As they moved about along the temple, a little girl crashed into them and immediately hid behind them. Considering how desperately she tried to hide and apologized, she figured it must've been serious. Saying nothing, she nodded her head and kept her covered until the people left.
Well, so much for being serious. It didn't take long after they went away for that assumption to be proven false. It was just another case of another kid sneaking out to have fun and hiding from those trying to bring her home. And from the sounds of it, she seemed like a kid from a well off family. With a sigh, she couldn't really blame the kid. Everyone wants to have fun, it's a part of growing up after all... After the kid introduced herself, she thought it was only fair that she'd introduce herself as well. But just as she opened her mouth to speak, Otis beat her to the punch.
Though, he was rattling off questions like a machinegun. Once he finally stopped talking, he gave him a good whack on the back of the head. "Way to give her the third degree! Sheesh, give the kid a break. No need to bombard her with questions like that. Nor ask a kid for money, who asks that?! You'll definitely give off a shady vibe ya know? I frankly don't care who she is, what she can do or if she'll bring trouble, no sweat. As long as she's wanting to have some fun, she can come along. By the way, I'm Ultana Whelen and like Otis here said, we're from Arcanis. To be specific, I'm from the Vulcanis Region, Igneus Caute in Arcanis."
Like the sunflowers of her family home, Lorelai was a radiant beacon of hippieness in an otherwise restrained, culturally appropriate locals and ogling tourists. The reason being left at her hotel room, her gorgeous Yari just begging to be practiced with when they returned to the academy- though she held out some small hope she'd find a dojo suitable to train with it while here and had her eye on a temple that still taught the ways of Yagyu Munemori!- and the phone numbers of the smith and his sister to bombard with messages.
She didn't think she'd be able to get any good pictures of the spear in action should she have another encounter like the class' moonlit battle with the vampire, but she'd keep an eye out for great marketing opportunities and restore the Muramasa clan's honor!
Such happy thought kept her bubbly and excitable as they toured the Kiyomizu temple, it's pleasant atmosphere enveloping her, the wind over the hills like a welcoming embrace that had her splayed fingers grasping at passing breezes while the group ambled about in search of a good place to rest and take it in. It left her amenable to the sudden intrusion of a girl she only had the faintest recollection of from the prior days, most of the conference tuned out and the lack of ornate hair styling made recognition sluggish.
"Ah, the more the merrier. You can tag along with us. We're all responsible hero types, right?" Speaking with her overwhelming sincerity at full blast she clasped Kaganomiya's hand, hardened callousness meeting unmarred skin as she nodded in answer to her own question. That doing so had her braid whip about and strike Otis' chin moments after Ultana humbled him with a customary whack was pure happenstance. "My name is Lorelai and I'm happy to be your friend, even if only for a day."
The silence after asking the question that bothered the young kitsune filled the room with awkward and tense aura. Regardless of the older kitsune's response, Koyuki HAD to know! The sense of familiarity, she couldn't quite put her finger on, triggered her curiosity to know. A moment later, the lady gave a simple answer. Blue eyes blinked twice before staring at the fox lady before her. Wait... It finally clicked in her head. The person before her was the being that had saved her as a fox dozens of years ago!
Before Koyuki had the chance to voice out her appreciation, the nine tailed fox continued, showing the application form for the school trip that she had signed and explaining that the young fox spirit was to work for the inn. It was not what the silver haired girl had expected from the trip at all, but experiencing the work life at an inn was new and exciting!
"I will do my best, oka--" Koyuki was interrupted mid sentence when two other kitsune ladies appeared and swept her away from seemingly the head mistress of the inn. Before she could catch her breath to take in the events that had transpired afterwards, the young fox spirit was now dressed in similar kimono attire as the other fox ladies'.
In preparation for her to be ready to serve the patrons of the inn by night time as the mistress had instructed, Koyuki had to learn what 'service' really meant. Having 0 experience, it was definitely going to be a long and painful day ahead of her.
"I'm from Solitum, so this might not apply to every phoenix," Icarus said, trying to find a better way to sit now that he wasn't trying to compete in a game he had no hope of winning, and instead could compete in a new game he had no hope of winning. "It's a bit hard to appreciate board games when your competition has a few hundred years of board games on you, even if they decide to go easy on you, they've been inventing new strategies while you're still learning the basic ones. So, sorry if I don't give you any recommendations. "I've no idea how things are on this side, but in the Solitum desert, there aren't too many things that can compete with an older phoenix, and the things that do are temporary...so most of the adults are just busy dealing with other phoenixes. Mortal friends are just so...nobody likes to talk about it. Even the longed-lived ones don't live long enough. But all those old phoenixes also bring a lot of history with them, and a lot of them have been all around Arcanis, so we can kind of stand out even with how colorful the desert cities are. Like, my great-great-grandmother, who is I think like 30-something at the moment, remembered a lot about some time in Crystis Talon in a previous cycle, so a lot of her stuff is based on her time there, which is a few hundred years out of date from now. Honestly I think the best way to describe it all is probably just a few hundred years out of date, pulled from everywhere. Remembering your time off in a far off country can include forgetting a few details too. Me, I, well I mostly read when I was home. I've been so interested in this world, which is a place none of my immediate family can give me a two-hundred year rundown on."
The fine young lady seemed a little surprised and taken aback at first. The blank yet inquisitive stare of the young boy introducing himself as Otis was a fair bit surprising. Just as soon, the other two made a bit more space and introduced themselves as well. Arcanis they said... Normally people may not know where that was or what it was, the existence of Arcanis was still largely a secret after all. Still, it seemed that Seirin was not unfamiliar with those words. The other two in the group Rodrick and Helena piped up too,
"I am Rodrick, and this is Helena, we too are from Arcanis... Hmph, I understand those sentiments, many young nobles I knew in my childhood dealt with such constraints",
"Mhm, and you were always caught by them. Are you jealous of our new friend's skills of stealth?", Rodrick shot a glare at Helena and the two began to bicker amongst themselves.
As she was given her breathing space, her face of surprise changed to an elegant yet jolly laugh, her hand by her mouth with a look of genuine enjoyment.
"Of course! I'd be happy to", she responded. She pursed her fingers together, her voice soft and almost like a little rabbit with the way she spoke, "I surely hope we can be friends for longer than a day, and Arcanis... Hm, I had heard of that before but I've never been there. The stories I have heard and read from that place seem quite delightful! There was one about a famed Arcture General who fought the Kingdom of the Northern Seas during a naval campaign, known for the red lightning that he wielded they called him the Lightning Count, and his incredible prowess in battle and tactics led to a sound victory.... Ahhhh I do love tales of battle and war...! My home's stories are just as amazing, but what historic battle in Japan has an army of dragons?... Oh!", throughout the little tirade, she seemed to have gone into her own little world, placing her hands on her face and closing her eyes in delight, but as soon as she realized her own habit, she turned back to the group.
"I'm so sorry, when I get talking I... Don't seem to know how to stop. For much of my duties required as little of it as possible", Seirin seemed to have calmed down a little bit as she handed the stage over to the group.
Tsurara found herself in a Flower Arrangement class, they pick flowers, based on meanings, appearance, as well as numbers and size, and arrange it into a vase. Prior to this, she was learning how to cook with varying results, the basics of cleaning and cleaning chemicals, how to mix them to get a better wash, and apparently after flower arrangement it was a lesson for calligraphy and dance. Much as she'd like, anything she attempted to express to Tsukihara would be immediately met with dismissal unless it was related to the class at hand.
It was strange though, every task had a little something... She wasn't sure what, but for some reason she found herself quite focused by the time she was here in flower arrangement. Something about knowing how things flow together... Maybe it wasn't so bad? Even if it was still supremely boring for her, there was something that told her it would not be for nothing...
The... Sort of smarmy phoenix man Hinoyama watched and listened with what appeared to be genuine interest. To think, phoenixes on that side lived what sounded like more normal lives. Here, as a Suzaku he was both feared and worshipped, as a bringer of destruction and fire, or as the avatar of immortality and a protector of the land. He had been both many times over... Yet not a single time, not a single memory in his mind, was one regarding family.
"Hmmm, interesting. So there is family over there? Now I just want to meet them and ask them questions. But yes perhaps Go had been a... Poor choice. Maybe something more familiar, chess? Checkers? Or this game "Monopoly" that a young child had recommended to me during a shrine visit? Well, whichever we may play next, I must make good on my own word. Your first little lesson for the day... Are you able to generate flames on your own?", he asked. He held his hand out in front just a bit in front of himself. A flame emerged from the palm of his hand, with embers flickering in the shape of feathers.
"When we generate our own flames, they may appear different... Of course, if you can't generate your own, that will be the first thing we do today", he stated.
Koyuki's work was strenuous, her first day's tasks constituted mainly of cleaning duties. This meant scrubbing the floors, putting away clothes for the wash, cleaning the rooms after guests had left as well as changing the sheets and amenities. By the end of the day she was also doing room service deliveries, as soon as it appeared as if she knew the etiquette. Still... One of the most tiring things of this job was that the sky outside did not change. It felt as if time had stood still, she had no sense of how much time had passed... But eventually, she was told by her manager she was free to rest and get herself dinner. A relief, she may think.
As she sat down for a rest before changing, a tiny black and gray fox with purple linings and patterns appeared before her, prancing around in the air. The golden rings along the tails were also an eye-catcher. In an echoing voice she heard Kuzunoha speak through it,
"My my, the young fox appears to have made it through her first day. I had assumed a cushy life ever since becoming a kitsune would have meant a less than desirable constitution... Well then, perhaps it is time for your first lesson, and before you panic, it's only a thinking exercise. I don't want any of my employees to find themselves unable to work on account of me", she began. The little what she would assume was a familiar pranced around her head before standing only several inches from her face.
"Now... Lesson one. I hope you had familiarized yourself with illusions over today. Did you notice how your seniors had conducted themselves in front of patrons? The otherworldly gratitude and happiness our guests felt. A simple illusion to appear more desirable or welcoming. We kitsune employ illusions with grace and beauty, artificial charm we create for ourselves to have an edge. If you can prove yourself capable, perhaps you can get a promotion tomorrow... Oh and, you will be getting paid for this, in case you had any questions, now then, enjoy yourself", and with that the little fox was gone, leaving Koyuki her own little thing to think about.
Seirin's youthful spirit dazzled Lorelai, the sunflower opening as the rabbit emerged from her hole and reveled in the sunlight of freedom. Even Rodrick and Helena were loosening up, feeling free enough to bicker as they had only come to do after days of settling in with the student group. "You've got nothing to apologize for. Friends don't apologize, they just keep on enjoying each others company."
"Though you shouldn't sell wonderful Nippon short when it comes to mythology and history. Arcanis doesn't have an Orochi, and I've yet to hear a tale as tragic as Tamamo No Mae's....though I guess I could do to read more." The blonde faltered, twisting a finger beneath her chin as she tried and failed to recall any really fanciful story from Arcanis, being rather busy. "But hey, who needs to hurl lightning when we had kooky Nobunaga! My family is tied back to the Dutch settlers who fought against that violent uprising in Shimabara, and we've got all sorts of personal accounts passed down from the liberation of Hara Castle. Really captivating reads, I'd love to show you sometime. Let's exchange phone numbers and emails so we can talk more."
Good thing she had practice with the blacksmith, his sister, and about half a dozen associated family members and apprentices who she couldn't pass up a chance to have lunch with while the Muramasa scion hammered away at the Yato.
"Oh, and we should change your profile a bit. Make it harder for those suits to spot you. Hmm....oh, I know!" She chirped, reaching back for her braid and the ribbon tying it together at the end. A tug began the cataclysmic unraveling of her hair, a sharp breeze pulling it sidelong and smothering Otis in a wave of golden strands. "Here, wear this like a hairband and they won't spot your beautiful hair in a crowd."
Otis accepted Ultana’s violence gracefully, his head snapping forwards from the hearty thwack before rolling back into place. His head rotated to face the redheaded magical martial artist, a blank-eyed stare directed towards her. Lorelai’s hair, which was curiously light for something so long, tickled him as well as she hopped in to grab the newcomer’s hand. It smelled of sunflowers, her hair, Otis’s nose twitched at how closely it resembled the fumes of a busy kitchen…a smell that only became more potent when she untied it and a gale force wind blasted her voluminous hair backwards. Strange company brought forth by strange winds, hm? When the wind settled, Otis calmly grasped Lorelai’s hair, picked out the leaves and twigs caught in it during that miniaturized windstorm, and then braided it quickly, looping the end through a hole within the braid to circumvent the need for another tie. After a second’s worth of consideration, he pulled a pin out from one of his pouches and slide it into the lower end of the braid and through the folds of the back of Lorelai’s clothing. It wasn’t a permanent job, but it would be bothersome to others if a foreigner’s hair started smacking everyone everywhere at the simplest swing of the head.
Wiping his oily hands on his pants, Otis’s attention turned back onto the newcomer, wondering if Ultana was going to smack her head any time during that rambling. Didn’t seem like she would though, and it didn’t seem like Seirin was going to answer any questions too. Which he wasn’t particularly against, but the lack of acknowledgement bothered him. He would have to interrogate that emotion at a later point. Was it because she ignored his questions and segued immediately into the same sort of conversation and interest that most foreigners expressed regarding Arcanis? Was it because her voice just reminded him of how hard it was to find small game meat in Japanese butcher shops? Hrm.
He stepped to the side of Lorelai, and spoke up again.
“You speak a lot. You also answered nothing. I will repeat myself, with questions recategorized for easier understanding. Who are the Kaganomiyas? Are you in trouble right now, or will you be in trouble after? Are you of such importance that assassins will go after you, now that you are away from your escorts? Do you have money on you right now? Do you know this place well? Do you know any places for pinicking nearby? You were at the conference; were you there because of your duties, or your self-interest?” The strigidae’s tone was more measured this time around, but his gaze remained eerily sharp and unblinking. His head tilted slightly. “A change of clothing would be better at avoiding pursuers than a change in hairstyle. One's attire is often more unique than one's natural coloration.”
Nodding at Lorelai's words, "She's right. Friends don't need to apologize, if anyone does, it would be him. I'd be happy to be friends beyond today." Ultana tilted her head towards Otis to indicate him. Granted, if the girl rambled on like that regarding normal topics she'd be more annoyed. But considering it was regarding stories of myths and legends, she decided to let it side. Besides, Otis and his many questions annoyed her....It also justified her whacking him without repercussions, so that's nice as well.
Though, he didn't seem to learn his lesson from a moment ago as he, once again, decided to repeat himself with the same questions. Does he honestly think changing his tone makes her any more likely to answer him? Glaring at him, Ultana nonchalantly tripped him as she moved past him and towards Seirin. Ignoring Otis completely, She put her arm around Seirin's shoulder. "As friends, we should look around and have some fun, ya?" Ultana was never a fan of standing around doing nothing. Seirin ran away to have some fun, so they might as well do just that and have some. It was about time they got a move on.
EiseikatoTsurara felt agonizing pressure from the teachings of Tsukihara but the payoff might just be what she will show gratitude later on.
A glimpse of her childhood, Tsurara was stacking cups with her mother. The cup stacking proponents of instills cooperation, ambidexterity and hand–eye coordination just as how these flowers are uniformly arranged. Something was so sudden that bothers Tsurara and how fast that something was within her reach but it's on the tip of her tongue.
"So Tsukihara, I see the exquisite beauty in unity through flower arrangement. Just as how the legacy of our kind wants us to be good wives. I wanted something greater than just being an obedient wife and I don't see anything wrong with that. You see, it pains me that other Yōkai have legends and not a single Yuki-Onna is written in the footnote of history. Those damned foxes have Kuzonoha ya know? "@Sho Minazuki
In not long the young girl of supposedly high class found herself having her hair style being altered. Before long her hair was not tied into a pony tail, peeking out from behind her messenger hat. She thanked Lorelai briefly, but before she could pipe up about more on history she was interrupted by Otis, who seemed to repeat some of the same questions. She seemed to freeze for a moment, but as soon as anyone tried to get a reaction from her she managed to respond. It appeared as if she was just processing it.
"Classified information, they're trying to prevent me from being in trouble, not that I'm aware of, I am allowed an allowance for personal spending, yes I do there are many lovely places in Kyoto, and that was for my duty... Hm? How do you know about that? Ah... That makes sense, you all are from Arcanis after all you must've been there. Why else would you be in Kyoto", she clapped her hands together in revelation. So these people were also from the conference? What a coincidence. Though she answered the questions like that, she was told earlier this morning her life was in danger... Due to her status and what she was, this was one of her only opportunities to explore Kyoto without an entourage.
"Hm, well, in such a case I can show you around to some of the trails around this shrine. There are some sitting areas along the routes if you have packed food", she suggested.
Lorelai was blessedly oblivious to most social graces that contradicted being friendly and forward with people, but she was getting a sneaking suspicion that Otis was just plain oblivious. She might have even had a complaint if he hadn't managed to reform a semblance of her impressive braid without snagging her hair, a feat even her father couldn't have taken, all calloused hands and tugging strokes as he was. Deciding to let it go, especially as the young lady had seemed to answer him with aplomb, the blonde rose fully with a shrug.
"Oooh, I'd love to have a guide for a trail tour. Fresh air and packed dirt beneath my feet, just the way I like to spend my day." She crowed, dreamily clasping her hands beneath her chin and swooned with exaggerated glee. "And if we have time after we can go souvenir hunting. Imagine all the cool shops they must have here, oh, and the street food too. You can't even find a takoyaki cart back around Silvergate."
The shrine within the mountain of Japan was beautiful, giving Lady goosebumbs but, Aurelius had found another reason to enjoy the mountain. A man in red, named Akimoto as the other men had stated, began to show off his own skills with swordsmanship. Aurelius could barely keep up with the man, his abilities quick, ending the fight in one blow..or so it seemed. He had never seen anyone fight in this manner before. Most sword users of his kingdom used pure strength or a mix of magic to show off their skills but this man was faster than any he had known. Slowly his hand began to reach for the sword at his side, his body shaking in pure anticipation and excitement.
"Aurelius, I don't know about this."
"Don't worry. I'll be fine." Aurelius responded in a calm tone, he knew Lady was worried of him getting hurt and even he knew that this man was beyond him in skill. Even so, he still pulled his blade from his sheath as dramatically as possible. The sun gleamed from from the blade's damaged form, the wraps hanging limply from the handle. He walked up to Akimoto, giving them only ten feet apart. He assumed his standard posture for sword play to show that he indeed wanted a duel. Calming himself, he let his voice carry the same strength as the metal that created his sword. "Excuse me, sir. I would like a duel. Your abilities are impressive. Would you honor me?"
Ultana's foot tapped against Otis's. It did nothing. He was standing still, and because it did nothing, he responded with nothing. After all, Seirin was speaking, and if she was, he intended to listen.
Her answers were in parts in parts illuminating and in parts evading. The Strigidae's amber eyes flickered to the rest of the group, but they too were silent, unresponsive to this whole chain of events after their initial comments about runaways and such. Were they as cautious as he was, or were they simply thinking of other things at this point? While Lorelai continued to be excited, and Ultana was no doubt priming herself to start moving her legs again, Otis drew out his smartphone, doing a quick search of the Kaganomiya family. Nothing at all, not even rumors or stories. There were a few random Facebook profiles that popped up with that name, but judging by their appearance, they looked unrelated to this Kaganomiya Seirin. He turned his eyes to the sky, recalling the many names and faces that popped up during the conference. Any Kaganomiyas introduced themselves?
No? No.
Otis untwisted his head, craning it to the side to stretch out the tensed muscles. Good. Now things were getting interesting. Though political explorations weren't his forte nor his main interest, it was nice to exercise different parts of his brain. And if they were going to be hauling around the daughter of a confidential magical family based in Kyoto...well, friends looked to just be same-aged bodyguards, if things went in interesting directions. A breath escaped his lips. He hunched his backpack to a better spot on his shoulders, feeling the comforting weight of tempered steel, and nodded.
His immediate and long term goals were clear then: get a picture of Seirin and uncover this confidential information through roguelike means. And as for the first one...
"Well," Otis said, face as blankly owl-like as ever, "Do you have LINE, Seirin? So we can share pictures taken and such."
It didn't take long for Ultana to get the response she was hoping for. "Music to my ears, all this standing around was irritating as hell." Walking around was better exercise than standing around playing 100 questions with Otis. It seems like every time he opens his mouth is another question. She was eager to learn more about the area, after all, after living in Igneus Caute practically all of her life, way of life in this country is a totally new experience...... and the fact she was getting quite bored.
"As a local, and someone who loves stories, got any stories of the area?" She asked Seirin, considering the girl loves to talk and is quite fond of stories. Since Ultana was from Arcanis she wasn't too familiar with the area and it's legends. Lorelai brought up hitting the street food racket and got her interested. Takoyaki is sounding real good right now.
The day would continue on with chatting in such a way. "Oh, no what's LINE?" she would say answer Otis, "ah, souvenirs and takoyaki sounds nice! I haven't tried those before", which was almost a surprise to hear, considering their accessibility, and "well let's see...", she pondered... What stories did she have? Seirin seemed to really be enjoying herself as they went around Kiyomizu-dera.
The summer heat of Kyoto proved to be a bit much for Asta, Rodrick, and even Helena who hailed from the warmer regions of Arcanis. For the time being they found themselves resting at some benches along a lonely path around the shrine.
"I suppose this would be a good time to get food and eat, I am also becoming a bit tired and hungry, perhaps we could have that 'takoyaki' you mentioned?" she asked, hands clasped together as she looked up hopefully at the group. Seirin seemed to have stars in her eyes when they were described to her before, so her eagerness was noted. There was a stall somewhere just a stone's throw outside the entrance to the shrine, the total trip back and forth would be only around twenty or thirty minutes. Not all of them had to go, maybe 2 of them to have enough hands to carry the bags if they were intended to get some for everyone.
"Please... Bring drinks too...", Asta appeared to be suffering a little. Duly noted one might say.
As Akimoto sheathed his blade again he turned and noticed a boy stepping up to the metaphorical ring. He sighed before the boy would ask to challenge him. His eyes quickly sized up the lad, his stance was open, he felt hesitation in those blades, and though it appears he has trained his body much, he was lacking in various other areas. Normally just that would be more than enough for him to turn it down, he had nothing to learn from such a green swordsman, but there was a hunger in those eyes... He was a little interested, but this would certainly not be one to the death.
"Alright, but I'll only use this stick", he answered back, bringing the stick he had used earlier to a mid-stance in one hand.
"Come at me whenever you feel like it", though he would prefer sooner, but he wasn't about to admit that. He would prefer to not be here when that man from earlier returned with more cronies.
No LINE? Otis explained the phenomenon of social media to Seirin as they walked, before gradually slipping to the back of the group and letting Lorelai do her direct contact thing. Well, there were other ways to achieve his goals. Seirin was sheltered and had some money, and the weather, though just pleasantly warm for the Strigidae, looked to be doing a number on the others.
Unlike Asta, however, Otis always made it a point to be prepared, and sat down beside her. There was basically a 100% chance that someone else would be volunteering to go get food and drinks anyhow. He plopped his backpack on the ground and pulled on a small tube, lengthening it until it could reach his mouth. Back in Arcanis, he’d have to pull out his waterskin, but thankfully, Earth-tech offered more eloquent solutions. Flexible straws were a wonderful thing, really. He sucked in a mouthful of cool water (tasted a bit plastic-y, but that was just how it was), and then offered it to Asta.
“Heat strokes are annoying. Drink.”
The afternoon heat would be worse, and taking into consideration Seirin’s existence, Otis said, eyes flickering from one face to another, “After we eat, let’s go visit an arcade. Air conditioning is nice during the afternoon. Seirin hasn’t gone to one, yes? Photo booths are there too. Crystallizes memories.”
While Lorelai wasn't exactly proficient with computers, even she knew how to get by enough to perform school work and research on it. Granted if she ever did more then that and looking at pictures of cats, she'd probably brick a computer from clicking targeted adds. So to hear Seirin had no idea whatsoever really solidified the image of a cloistered noble withdrawn from the world by responsibilities she was borne to without any regard for her own choices. No wonder she snuck away the first chance she got. Being told assassins where after her was probably what they told her since she was five to get her in bed on time.
Well, if there was a credible threat, Lorelai was confident they'd be a match for any thugs sent to rough up her pretty head.
While she was entertaining thoughts of righteous walloping, she looked back only to find half the group had collapsed, somehow tired from their leisurely stroll. Weird, maybe they can't handle the mountain air?
"Alright, I'll go get food for everyone. There will be more takoyaki then I can shake a stick at, and Helena knows that's an awful lot!" Came her nonsensical decree, eyes aflame with passion as she thrust out her hand, as though beckoning another soul to join her. "Since I have nothing to balance it on my back with, who shall lend me a hand carrying it back?"
"Wimps..." Ultana muttered as she looked over at the ones that were lagging behind on their little stroll on the trails. Asta she could understand not being able to handle the heat, given where she's from and all, but the others have no real excuse. Ultana seems to forget that she's from the hottest region of Arcanis and that her definition of 'hot' isn't quite normal. After some internal grumbling, she relented at the mention of food. The mention of hitting a arcade and playing some games didn't hurt either.
When Lorelai volunteered to get food, Ultana glanced around and seen that half of them was in condition to move another step while another bum didn't seem interested to offer his help. Despite looking at Lorelai like she was some form of circus freak, she sighed and offered to help her get the food. "Might as well, sitting around isn't my style." Ignoring her hand, she walked past her before stopping, "If you got preferences for drinks, Speak now or forever hold your peace." flashing a playful grin that ended up being more ominous than intended.
Shaken and excited, Aurelius had not felt like this in a long time. His otherwise stalwart personality slowly started to fade as the rival swordsman got into his own stance. He raised his blade to assume his most basic of stances, blade held to high to his chest, blade pointing at the sun itself. His fingers wrapped tight around the hilt, his legs spaced apart, and his eyes focused on the man. He could see just how calm the aura of the man was and just how skilled he was from his stance. The many years of rough training with his father gave him an eye of sorts for those more skilled than himself. The moment he exhaled, Aurelius launched forward like a cannonball. Closing the gap, he brought the down to his legs to attempts a quick diagonal cut. His arms felt stronger than usual, his body almost enhanced by fighting alone. The blade looked at though it would strike low until Aurelius quickly brought upward in a diagonal motion toward the chest.
