Eureka!

    There is a bit of a ruckus... maybe a fracas... no no fighting going on so definately a ruckus. One tall albino bunbun woman is dancing around the Hunter's Guild library. "Who's got enchanting workin, who's making progress?" the bunbun woman is attracting some attention of the Landers and Adventurers in the guild HQ. But then over six feet (if you count ears) of fluffy white bunbun woman dancing and singing with a sword is likely to cause some concern.

    Mizuki is passing by outside, but those sensitive cat ears pick up a familiar voice! She rushes in to see Wisteria dancing and runs up to take her hands and dance with her. "You made an enchanted item? That's so cool! How'd you do it?!"

    And then, theres a golden-scarved, red-haired and -scaled Salamander moving on outsde. As it happens, Atif just manages to see Mizuki charging into the guild hall, and that alone perks up his interest. Slipping inside, he peers curiously at the bizarre scene of Mizuki dancing with a bunnygirl -- but he can't help but smile at it, in the end. "Ooooi," he calls out after a moment, as he moves on approaching further to the two, through the gawking crowds. "What's going on? Hey, Mizu, Mizu, who's your friend?"

    The news of someone acting a bit of a fool and spouting stuff was certainly something that would attract attention. Giganpor makes his way into the crowd, then blinks as he spots someone waving a sword around. Pushing through to get closer, he comments, "While I am sure there is some excitement, I am not sure if waving a sword around in a library will endear you to others. Can you explain what you mean by getting enchanting to work?"

    Wisteria sticks her tongue out at Giganpor and inventories her newly crafted sword and hugs Miz oh so tight. Looking at Atif "Oooh hi I'm Wisteria." she says squeezing "Mizuki-chi doesn't talk about me?" she says with a playful pout and then laughs brightly. "I mean what I said fluffyface." she says to Giganpor "Enchanting things was making the items explode into pixels... but that wasn't cause I was enchanting wrong. It was cause I was fixing the enchantment wrong." she says "Enchanting is like... well you have to form the wave, then cram the wave into the object, then before the object can go all PFfft you have to start applying reagents that fix the wave in the object, and when it's all done you have an enchanted object."

    Giganpor, being in human form, glares at Wisteria. "The joking name is not appreciated." He says simply before considering what she said. "So... we can enchant items?" He looks considerate at that one. That opens up possibilities. "Do you know which reagents go with which spells? And did it take longer than trying the menu system like before the Apocalypse?"

    Mizuki is squeezed again. She presses against Wist briefly. Technically she did mention Wis to Atif, but not by name. "This is Wisteria! She's a fellow Odysseia Knight and she's really friendly! And apparently she's also just gotten enchantment working!" She hmms. "We /all/ have fluffy faces. A reagent is something consumed in a reaction... perhaps a better word for the stuff to hold it in place would be binder? Or fixer? Or maybe reagent does work, hmm... So, what did you enchant?"

    "Hi!" the red lizard calls back to Wisteria cheerfully, with a raised hand and a wiggle of red-scaled fingers, grinning wide. "I'm Atif! Nice to meet you!"

    His head tilts slightly at what Mizuki said, however, and... "My face isn't fluffy, though..." He points out, with a light poke given to his cheek. Nevermnd that Mizuki must have been talking about were-fangs and such.

    Wisteria "But his get's REALLY fluffy." she says making mane hand motions around her head. "It's a good day don't be too serious, if we don't have fun we'll break before we reach the top." she says "My friend taught me that, and it helped me become women's all Japan champion in the highschool age bracket." she says "Climbing the tower is like climbing the kendoka rankings... preperation, practice, focus, and like a good blade. Tempering." she says seriously. Then drapes her arms over Miz's shoulders and rests her chin atop the girl's head. "I made a sword that projects a wave." she says "It's like my sword arts.. but it's wave art. It's not terribly impressive yet... but it means that I've got the process figured out. And well it's taken me since the crafting fair... but I think you could speed it up with more skill or more power... we're still pretty low level."

    Mizuki is a headrest. This is her life now. But it's for a cute bunny... "That's pretty cool! What wave does it project?"

    Giganpor seems to consider, then frowns. "... I'm a bit curious as well. What does it project? A wave doesn't exactly describe it so well."

    Giganpor shakes his head as he looks at Mizuki, then to Atif. He looks over at Wisteria again. "The idea of enchanting objects is very appealing. Can you do it again so we can see how it's done?"

    The red-haired giant of a were fang tilts his head one side to the other, obviously curious on it just from his expression. But looking unsure if he is understanding it right.

Well, at least one other person here has a fluffy face. With his part of the Dun Loireag construction project momentarily held up waiting on a permit, Dareshetani has been finding other means of making himself useful today. The dire hyena were fang pushes his way in the front door, a string of some type of small wild fowl slung over his shoulder "Okay, I'm back," he announces at first to one of the Landers behind the bar, then realizes the place is a lot more crowded than it was when he left this morning. "Oh, hi everyone," he greets, as he flings the string of dead birds off of his shoulder and onto the countertop in front of the quest-giver, who looks a bit taken aback.

    Wistera sighs a little "A wave art... you know rather than a blade art. I haven't gotten a chance to exactly test it in combat yet... but it should be a darkness based mind numbing wave." she says "Since The base wave art I used to enchant it was Mind Shock."

    Giganpor stares at Wisteria. "Wait... you're saying you can swing that sword now and create some wave that hits the mind?" He points at Wisteria's supposedly enchanted sword. Looking very much surprised at that one.

    Mizuki nods hello to Dare. Then she rubs her chin at Wis's description. "Is it every time you swing the sword? Is an effect added to the swing or does it fire as a ranged attack? Does it still cost MP to use?"

Dare steps away from the counter, leaving the hapless Lander to sort through his monster parts to tally up his reward, and closer to the gathered Adventurers, head tilted slightly in curiosity. Someone's managed a proper item enchantment? This he'd like to see. Thinking back on his own at-best indifferent results from attempting to manually craft fire arrows, he'd very much like to know how they got a spell bound to an item.

Actually, what he really wants to ask is for a demonstration, but since he just got here, he hangs back for now and waits to hear the answers to the questions already asked.

    Wisteria shrugs a little "It won't use MP, but I think with the ammount of magic I used I might be able to use the effect once or twice in a fight... not positive yet. Needs testing and analizing." she says with a shrug "But if I understand the way enchanting works as well as I think I do that's going to be it, one maybe two MP free wave arts." she says "I'm going to try something stronger... but I want to craft the weapon from scratch before I get into the enchanting... the reagents are not cheep." she says "Remember my spending spree in Dun Loireag Mizukichi?" she says with a giggle "That was for what I needed. And so far as I can tell which reagents you need relate to the wave being fixed into the item but it's pretty easy to figure out which ones you need when you go to the dealers in ninetails and tell them what you're working with and ask for reagents."

    Mizuki listens, nodding a little. "We got some base metal materials in Ninetails, but are those good enough to hold magic or do you need, like, mythril or something? And... I guess there would be lander enchanters who know what reagents to use, huh? I wonder what else we could learn by asking them... I kinda wish I had craft skills..."

    Mizuki blinks. "Oh! That reminds me... can I see your new sword for a moment?"

    Giganpor looks interested. "Hm... wonder what I could do with my shield now?" He taps the buckler against his side, looking thoughtful before he considers, then looks to Mizuki, "Hey, aren't you the one that asked about katars at one point?"

"Does the effect recharge on its own? Or do you have to feed it more reagents or re-enchant it each time?" Dare inquires. "If it does recharge naturally, how long does it take? Basically I'm wondering if it'd be possible to enchant a bow to fire an elemental arrow now and then, which would be a lot easier on inventory management than constantly crafting special arrows."

    Wisteria produces the katana now with a dark aura about it and gives it Mizuki. Of course she's still draped over the other girl like a big fluffy white cape that would probably squish the smaller girl if she weren't werefang stronk. "It's just getting the right reagents, I'm sure higher level metals will be better at taking the enchanments... that's why I want to craft a Yari from the bit of shattered sword we got from the one pirate. And THEN enchant that."

    Mizuki opens the appraisal interface. "...Well, it sure is a magic item but beyond that... I think I'll need to try again with a higher appraisal skill." She hands it back.

    Mizuki looks to Giganpor and nods. "Yup! I also think a tonfa sword or two would be cool... you know, like Falchion." She switches to her dark purple ninja gi and red scarf outfit. The reference may or may not get across. Her tail twitches. "Why, did you figure out how to make them??"

    Giganpor shakes his head, "Not yet. I need actual drawings for ideas there. Tonfas... like... umm... shoot, what was that sentai I watched one time? I think I know what you're talking about, a stick about forearm long with a handle on the side? I'm not sure how that would work as a sword. You might cut off your own arm before you learn how to use it."

    He shrugs, "It's something I've been experimenting on. Making different weapon shapes, designs, even some armor here and there. I'm no where near making a fully authentic katana, for example. But curved blades, pretty close. All actual hand forged. I'm willing to experiment if you're able to make a drawing or two of what you want."

    "Yah, that's what I got too but my apraisal isn't very high, luckily I crafted it so." she shrugs and vanishes the blade back into inventory. "As for the sheild... well.. I mean if you start off with that spider boss armor. Maybe line it in gnoll skin.." she glances at the gnoll were "Uhmm not yours." she says with a grin that suddenly shows off far too many ragged razor triangle fangs in multiple rows.

    Giganpor grins, "Already done. Don't try to line it, however. I actually considered that, but most lining requires a lot that could compromise the integrity of the shield with those plates."

    He hums, then looks around, "That reminds me... do any of you know where the scrolls or books on forging are? I'm kinda interested in seeing if there's new techniques, as well as if we can make brass or other mixed metals now."

    Mizuki explains, "You don't ever put the blade against your arm, I figure... or you could make it single-edged I guess. You keep the blade forward and swing like so..." She holds her arm out with a fist and mimes swinging it. "I guess the advantage, compared to to a regular sword, would be less strain in the wrist so you can put more muscle into your swings... you could block with a hilt extending down in front of your forearm too." She mimes holding up a forearm defensively. "But fine control of the swing would be more difficult. You'd use it pretty much like a katar, I guess."

    She draws her daggers from their sheaths. "I'm still using the daggers you made for me. Hard to find anything better so far."

    She looks towards the library. "I'd imagine if such books exist they'd be here... not like libraries are exactly common here... in a society like this, would trades like weaponsmithing be passed down from master to apprentice, rather than written down?"

    Wisteria "You might want to speak with the Merchant Princes.. they seem to have a finger in everything."

    Dare pffts. "Anyone who tried to use my hide to line their armor would only end up itchy, anyway. You'd want something soft and fine, like rabbit or mole, if you could find it." He sticks out his tongue at Wisteria. Then, with a tone that indicates he's actually trying to be helpful, "when I was taking martial arts, tonfa were mostly used for blocking and disarming. If you're looking for stabbing functionality there, maybe a sai or kama?"

    Giganpor rubs the back of his head, "That's unfortunately the major trouble I seem to be having. And a lot of the Landers don't understand not wanting to use the menu system so far..."

He seems to consider, then frowns a little. Looking at Mizuki, he hums before shaking his head, "The katar might be simpler. I have been experimenting a little with that. Someone in my Alliance supplied a diagram. The problem I have had so far is working without the tang itself."

    Mizuki hmms at Dare. "It's not the same. Tonfa swords just /look/ cool. I'm thinking a slashing weapon you can swing like that... but perhaps I should experiment with more weapon types. As far as I know, I can equip regular swords..." She nods to Giganpor. "And at least katars are real, so... maybe they're more practical anyway. ...Were you a bladesmith in real life...?"

    A light bulb seems to go off for Giganpor, "What if you shorten the blades, but keep the tonfa?"

    At the real life, Giganpor looks at Mizuki, "Actually... no. I was a high school student. All of this is stuff I'm having to learn. To push myself to figure out. Because, seriously... we're going to need it."

    "It's true," Dare smirks, "looking cool is at least as important as the weapon actually being practical. I was thinking about mounting some kind of blade at on my bow myself; so I could slash at something in a pinch if it got too close. But I expect that'd be about as practical as nipples on a breastplate."

In the background, some Lander snorts with laughter at that mental image, and Dare grins, because as long as at least one person appreciated the lowbrow humor, it was worth the effort.

"Most of what I know, I know from reading about it, myself. This whole fire arrow project I've been working on? Ugh, what I wouldn't give to have access to Alexandria again."

    Mizuki hmms. "Why would shortening the blade help? Then your reach is the same as a katar, isn't it?" She sheaths the daggers and giggles at Dareshetani. "I suppose nipples on a brestplate might distract your opponent with laughter!"

    "Perhaps I really need to like... practice with different weapons, learn martial arts, see what's good. I took one kung fu class in college and don't know anything about using melee weapons in real life. I could try ranged weapons but why bother when I have magic and fire breath?"

    Giganpor looks at Mizuki, "Because, the part that makes it impractical is the whole blade being one piece on a handle. But, say, if you were aiming to swing with a blade the size of a short sword mounted on the tonfa? Or even a dagger?"

    He grins a bit, "I think that might be easier to learn, and better for you overall. You can still block, and use them for other things as an example. Just instead of one big swing with the arm, you're trying to aim with whatever the blade is, or stab something with it."

    Wisteria hmms "Well.. mostly I know Japanese weapons but I did do some looking in the encyclopedia and saw some Indian weapons." she says and pulls over some paper and charcoal stick. Lookie a library. "They had some stuff like..." she sketches what looks like a long stick with a knife on the end. "It was like this... it was like a stick about as long as your arm but with a knife on the end and not like a spear tip or anything." she says

"I got as far as green belt in shorin-ryu karate in high school," Dare remarks. "Only weapons I really got to practice with were the bo and nunchaka - and I was garbage with the latter. But I did learn a lot about how to balance and move. Only reason I gave it up is I had bad knees in the old world. Since that's not a problem here..." he looks thoughtful. "I'll have to talk to my Lander contacts, see if anyone knows of an old hermit somewhere who'll teach the secret of the white crane ooga booga technique."

    Mizuki hmms at Giganpor. "I think we need a visual aid because I'm not understanding what you mean and I'm not sure you understand what I mean." She rezzes some scribing tools and paper from her inventory. She may not have Scripture, but you can still use it for taking notes and such. She nods at Wisteria, "That's a naginata, right? Basically a glaive... Hmm. You know, staves are kinda cool too, though not really on-brand for ninja. But if you put a blade on the end like a bardiche or lochaber axe, you could swing like a staff and use an edge, too... In real life that'd be heavy as fuck, but here we're super-strong..."

    She passes a paper and charcoal to Giganpor, then sits down at a table with paper and ink and starts scribbling.

    Giganpor looks at Dare, "I'd actually try to do it on your own. See what skills you can figure out."

    Giganpor considers, looking at the sketch that Wisteria makes, "I could see that... I was thinking instead, keep the tonfa shape, but mount blades on either end."

He hums, then starts to draw out the design he had in mind. A tonfa with blades on the non-handle ends. Once he finishes, he passes it over.

    "Kinda odd, but I think it might work. The only problem is how big to make the blade parts." He says.

    Wisteria shakes her head "Nono not like... well okay it's like the naginata if the naginat was a knife... not a sword, and the shaft wasn't a spear but was like this long." she says mesuring her forearm out.

"See, that sounds like a kama to me," Dare's brow furrows a little bit and he moves to get a better look at Giganpor's sketch, and hrms. "Well - with the kama, you don't have the handle; you just grip it by the main shaft. I think it had something to do with how you wanted to angle the blades."

    Mizuki ohs at Wisteria. "Seems like a weird way to structure a weapon, but I'm not sure why..." She brings her sketches over to Giganpor. "See, it's laid out like this..."

    Sketch: https://puu.sh/Gksda/9c9d01ae1b.png

    She turns the paper to where she's drawn stick figures next to the sketch. "And it's used like this."

    Sketch: https://puu.sh/GksdI/bed7cf87ee.png

    "Well. In addition to swinging overhead, you can do horizontally, but that's harder to show with a stick figure. So what were you suggesting. Blades on both ends? Isn't that how you'd cut yourself?"

    Wist puts on her best 'um actually' tone. "Kama are made from rice scythes." she says "So it's a different intent."

    Giganpor hums as he looks at it. "I can probably do that. Perhaps I can shape a tang out to the second handle." Looking thoughtful, he eyes the drawings. "I do not think a blade that big will work, however. A part of the appeal of a tonfa is the blocking and disarming."

    Sighing, he looks very thoughtful. "You are right, and the same could be done there. The idea of it being less stress on the wrist is probably right. Perhaps a thinner blade?"

"Oooh, I see," Dare exclaims once Mizuki actually sketches it out. "So it's more like a sword with a modified grip, then." He makes a couple of slow air-swings with his arm, trying to imagine how he'd move with that. "I think I'd mostly be worried about the stability of the grip. It's adding another vector apart from the tang. Seems like a break risk."

    Giganpor hums, then eyes it. He nods. "If we could solve the tang problem, it could be done."

    He rubs his chin, then shrugs, "Could ask around in Ikegai, maybe? They might have some ideas."

    Mizuki shrugs. "I was just making clear where the blade is on the sketch. The exact optimal length and thickness and stuff, I dunno. It's not a real weapon, and I don't know the principles of sword design to guess. And yeah, it's not really so much 'a better tonfa' as a sword with a weird grip and some of a tonfa's ability to block. Slashing weapon, different purpose. We DO have more strength in here than real people, though, so that'd be a factor too."

    Mizuki hmms at Dareshetani, stroking her chin. "Fair point. I guess you'd need kind of a T-shaped tang that extends into both parts of the handle? But it might be a lot of stress on the metal... I have no idea what it could take... Maybe that's why these don't exist in real life, though... I guess you could also lash it to your hand but that would make it hard to quickly draw or put away outside of using the menu... Hmmm..."

    Wisteria nods "Well... You could make it.. uhmm.. like the katar or one of those other Indian swords that has the whole arm sleave thing? Then it would change where it's taking stress."

    Giganpor sighs, "Making sure I have it right, but the katar..."

    He draws out the basic katar shape. A handle with an A shape to it, blade pointed.

    "I'm a bit curious how they fitted these. All of the handles I've tried don't seem to stay. Were the blades and the guards one piece or something?" He asks.

    Wisteria "Well metal bracers were involved, that's why the bars spread out so far." she says SO it locked your wrist and let you punch... the fancier ones that open and close were like... show peices made for thier daimio...er whatever the Indian equivilant was."

    Mizuki hmms. "A pata or whatever it's called? I don't think the arm sleeve looks as cool." She hmms at the katar sketch. "I don't know... I guess it must've been? Like with the tang and the grip, though, you could incorporate a ring-shaped tang into the blade and then put a better-fitted grip over it... I guess I really need to try more weapons..."

    Giganpor looks over at Mizuki. Blinks a few times. And has a look on his face as if he was totally stupid for a second or two. "Thank you! That might work!" He drops what he's doing, and stands to hurry on out. Like without even saying bye or anything. Just... charging giant red-headed... make that lion form were fang going stage left exit ASAP.

    Wist sits down and relaxes. "That was a good chat... I like when I get to talk things I know about and not all the game stuff that I'm just trying to get good at now."

    Mizuki collects her scribing tools "Yeah. Shame there's no computers in here for me to talk about." She looks at Wisteria for a moment. And then tries to sit in her lap. "You did use me as a headrest earlier."

    Wist curls her arms around Miz and uses her as a chin rest again "It's a privilage of the tall." she says "And in here, I don't even get teased for being tall." she says happily.

    Hug get! Mizuki was hoping Wist would do that. She closes her eyes and leans back into it, just enjoying the embrace and human contact. She didn't get a lot of hugs outside. "Oh right... I guess it's really unusual in Japan. Well... in here people can look so different... I'd say it'd be silly to single out any one trait to make fun of but I bet people do it anyway. People are people..."

    Wisteria squooshes lightly. "It's nice though around here, I'm the bunbun girl, or the albino girl... not the tall girl." she says softly. "And that's.. nice. It was nice even before the wave. We could walk around and hang out and no one thought I was weird cause as a were fang most people just figured I used random on my avatar."

    Mizuki ohs. "I see... I guess most Japanese who didn't use body scan would be taller, and those who did would be shorter. Of course, someone who really wanted a tall avatar could get much taller than you if they kept hitting random till it rolled near the max... so you're probably far from the tallest person in here."

    She opens her eyes again. "...I'm glad you could find a silver lining in here too. I just wish Jazz could..." She holds up her furry hands and looks at them. "This body is so different, but the world is so different too. It's just... all different. My mind is the only thing from outside."

    Wisteria pats Mizukichi lightly "Hey, I'm sure she'll come up with something. I'm starting to realize that even if we can snowball the whole tower getting faster each floor... we're going to be here for over a year... since we know they get harder..." she shrugs "I'm going to keep trying my hardest to get us out without finishing the tower but... well... we're still gona be here a while."

    Mizuki nods a little. Purring between her words as she's patted. "I hope she does. Honestly, being able to swim freely without needing to breathe seems pretty cool, but... I guess it's just not to her taste."

    She looks at her paw again. "Imagine if I hated cats. I guess this would be hell... every advantage it gives me just reminding me of it... is that how she feels...?"

    Wisteria shrugs a little "I duno really." she says "But I guess I'm use to that too... not knowing how other people really feel about things." she laughs. "I guess maybe I'm the apple." she says and sings softly.
    "Akai ringo ni kuchi biru yosette
    Dama a te mi te iru aoi sora
    Ringo wa nani mo iwanai keredo
    Ringo no kimochi wa yoku wakaru
    Ringo kawaii ya, kawaii ya ringo
    Ringo kawaii ya, kawaii ya ringo."
    She chuckles softly and rests her chin on Miz.

    Mizuki mms. "I'm not good at telling others' feelings either." She listens to the song. "...Others understand you despite you saying nothing? ...I probably wouldn't, honestly..." Case in point, she's missed the metaphor entirely.

    Wisteria sighs "I guess more... that people seem to see me and think that I feel a way when I don't. Like... this." she says squooshing Miz again. "Lots of people would think that I like you as more than a friend cause I squeeze and hug and hang on you and stuff."

    Mizuki ahs at Wis's explanation, then the insides of her ears blush at the more specific example. "W-well, we are both girls, so maybe they'll think you're just huggy..." Her facial expression gets awkward, not that Wis can really see it from this position. "I admit... a cute girl hugging me all the time... I can't help but feel some attraction..."

    She trails off, fumbling for words.

    "But... hugs can be nice all on their own! I know it doesn't mean more from you, it's still nice. It's like... cuddling with a pet doesn't mean you want to do more with it..." She frowns, that was a pretty awful analogy. "Hugs are just nice..."

    Wisteria giggles softly. "I know what you mean." she says "I just, well I just wanted you to know." she says and squeezes again.

    Mizuki nods, ears still blushing, and starts purring again. "You too. I wouldn't want to hide anything from you."

    Wisteria smiles and squeezes softly. "Just don't go confessing or anything kay?" she say with a soft chuckle.

    Mizuki chuckles nervously. "It's good that you told me you were ace before things could get to that point, yeah."

    Wisteria smiles and sighs happily "I'm glad you understand... it's gotten... weird before. In kendo club and stuff."

    Mizuki nods. "I can imagine. They didn't take it well?" she asks.

    Wisteria shakes her head and sighs "Not really." she says. "Then tourney trips, and practices got wierd and it takes a while for people to stop being.. strange." she says. Of course she feels she's the strange one but doesn't have a good way to say that.

    Mizuki sighs. "The heart is... complicated. I was an awkward nerd in high school and didn't really have to deal with that... I didn't date anyone until college."

    Wisteria smiles and nuzzles "Don't remind me you're all old and stuff." she teases playfuly and squeezes "You're my Mizuki-chi." she says and one might almost think she was talking about a stuffy to be cuddled

    Mizuki's ears splay. "You don't want to hear about-- wait, OLD? I'm 27!" She sighs with exagerated annoyance. "Teenagers." She's not THAT upset, but she is a little. "...When you picture me out of the game, what do you imagine? Or do you not think about stuff like that?"

    Wisteria "I just think of you as my Mizuki-chi." she says "My cute fluffy friend who gets excited and has fun raiding dungeons and fighting monsters." she says happily.

    Mizuki stopped purring at the earlier comment and still seems a little put out. "You talk about your life outside all the time... Would you not want to be friends with the real me?"

    Beat.

    "...Okay, true, you're a high school girl and we probably never would become friends if we weren't stuck here together, but... everyone in this world, all the adventurers I mean, they had whole other lives, and that's part of them. Some of them might want nothing to do with that old life, but some of them are trying to return to it, including you. Isn't it a little odd to ignore that part of them?"

    "If we didn't have our memories... if we were only what we appeared to be... we'd be entirely different people. You don't think Wisteria would be trying to leave this world for one she's never known, do you?"

    Wisteria pffs "It's not that I don't." she says "And I'm sure that outside, I'd still see you as my Mizuki-chi." she says "It's still who you are, it's who you are now." she says "That's who I became friends with. Just like you became friends with a bunbun girl with a sword who pokes every corner of every dungeon." she says "You didn't become friends with who I was before the wave, and when we get back... we won't be who we were before we'll be who we are then." she says softly "So... I'll do like I've always done... I'll acept who people are now and worry about who they will be, when they change."

    Mizuki blinks. "Okay, that's a surprisingly good point." She looks at a hand again. "Right now, Mizuki-chi is all anyone else can see." Well, anyone but Att anyway. "And I guess I did kinda ask for that when I made this character. I wanted a place where I could be bubbly and enthusiastic and looking for fun adventures, instead of always playing it safe or worrying about the optimal move. And picking this body was part of that. How could the cute kitty be too worried or serious?"

    "...I didn't expect it to become my whole life, though. I can't be just Mizuki all the time. But, planning seriously and talking about outside, that's part of the Mizuki you know too. So it's okay."

    Wisteria nods her head "The Wisteria you know is still a kendoka, still driving forward, practicing every day." she says "Just... she's also able to dance across the sky and use wave and sword arts, and she's a bunbun and that's okay." she says "She's who I am right now... and when we get out I'll be starting from where she stops."

    Mizuki nods. "Maybe that's part of why Jazz is so grumpy all the time. She has to be Jazz all the time, she barely talks about real life or... anything but the more worrying parts of our situation. I wanted Mizuki to be cute and happy and enthusiastic but if I felt like that was all I get to be... it'd just feel wrong, like a big part of myself is being discounted or ignored or cut out. Jazz is more than just a cute undine."

    Wisteria nods "Yah, I think she just sees what she looks like and doesn't embrace it or reject it. She could just act.. I duno like she's not a cute undine maid." she shrugs "But she doesn't pick and that I think is part of why she's so upset here."

    Mizuki nods. "At least I wanted to be a catgirl part-time. ...Man, 'I Only Wanted To Be A Part-Time Catgirl' sounds like a light novel title. But..." her ears splay. "Yeah. Even if she covered up and wore a mask, she'd still be, y'know, having to cover up and wear a mask because she doesn't like how she looks."

    Wisteria nods "But then she'd at least be... rejecting it rather than just grumpily living with it."

    Mizuki grunts. "I guess. I wish we could help her more."

    "Yah." the bunbun girl says "We can only be here and let her lean on us when she needs to and go off and rant when she can."

    Mizuki umms, "Even if we are cute and fuzzy, I don't think she wants to lean on us. She's got a thing about personal space. ...I know what you meant, but I'm not so sure she's comfortable with that either."

    Mizuki looks at the table where Wist was working. "...I wonder what profession she has? Maybe if she could work on enchanting or something, that'd help take her mind off things?"

    Wiseria smiles "I don't know that'll help... uhm... from the way her friend was dressed up... I'd say her profession is probably maid I mean.. why would you dress that way if you weren't?"

    Mizuki ohs. "Right. Cooking and tailoring...? I guess if either interested her she'd be doing it already. Still... maybe we could set up a grill, some magic flame, and she could grill some monster steaks. Barbequeue's not very maid-ly, is it?"

    Wisteria smiles and shrugfs a little "I do not know." she says and shrugs and squeezes Miz. "But I wouldn't mind steak..."

    The catgirl leans back into the hug. "Yeah... I've kind of gotten a taste for raw meat from the month of no food, but cooked is still... hmm, I wonder what spices are available. Do they have garlic in Yamato? How readily available is salt?"

    Wisteria "I don't really know but salt should be everywhere... I mean if we had to we could just make a salt pan." she says.

    Mizuki nods. "Still, it was rare and valuable in the ancient world... weren't roman legionnaires paid in salt or something?"

    Beat.

    "...Did you ever try raw meat? You've got those sharp teeth... sorry, I just worry that I'm weird for trying it."

    Wisteria laughs softly "I ate fishies." she says and squeezes again "Salt has never been a problem in Japan, we've known about salt pans for.. well ever." she says with a shrug.

    Mizuki nods. "I tried to catch fish but I guess without the skill you mostly don't get to keep them."

    She looks around. "As tempting as it is to take a nap in your lap, the Hunter's Guild probably doesn't want people sleeping here... I guess we should head out. Do you stay at the inn or go back to camp?"

    Wisteria laughs "Yah I ate the fish the sailors caught." she says "But yah should get going. I've been sleeping at the castle...sure it's not done yet but it's plenty good enough for sleeping."