EVENT #2: HEARTS LIKE YOURS (ACHAMOTH)

[aionmods]

Achamoth

A DEITY'S WELCOME

After only a day or two on the river, the newly christened Kenoma will arrive in the city of Achamoth. The architecture is the more striking things about it, as if its skyline has been built up and constantly improved over many centuries. It's clear from even the riverside view that there is an artistic tendency towards building humanoid shapes into the supports and detailing of structures here, creating the strange effect of placing hundreds of silhouettes in your peripheral vision. If you ask the sailors why its like that, they will simply say it's the way its always been. Any metaphorical seed was planted long before anyone here was born.

The Citadel can be seen even from the entrance of the city, a towering spiral that looms over the rest of the land around it, lit from within by various magical energies. That's your destination, you are told. Soon, you will be passed into the care of the Citadel's staff, and will be sure to meet with city's elites not long after.

They aren't wrong. When you show up at the port closest to the Citadel, the street are always lined with people waiting to greet you. It's easy to recognize now how diverse the population of Horos can be, with many of those waiting showing off unusual heights, colors, and appendages, though appearances that are typically 'human' are still the most common. Most of them wear dark outfits with a gothic flare, with mask-like facial adornments apparently being fashionable. They cheer and chant as you come down from the boat, tossing flower petals and small gemstones onto the path you walk upon. This continues all the way to the Citadel.

Once you are inside, up winding paths of stairs, you will be shown to your new quarters to rest. You're each assigned a lavish bedroom with servants stopping by ever so often, offering to bring you food, clothing, or other items of comfort. There are a variety of soaps in your room's private bath. You are told that if you take a liking to any individual servant that you may claim them as your permanent retainer, though you are not required to. Their dispositions range from euphoric to be serving you to quiet and shy, but there is a notable lack of resentment.

After about a day of rest, you will be brought an official invitation by one of the servants. Apparently, the Regent has requested your presence for supper that evening. It is not optional.

THE FEAST

A few hours before suppertime, one of the servants will arrive to take you 'clothes shopping' for something appropriately formal to wears for your meeting with the Regent. In practice, this means taking you to one of several changing rooms filled with costly formal wear. The styles and sizes are diverse, which makes sense when you are informed that they are a collection of offerings from local weavers and seamstresses, some of which have been waiting for an owner for quite some time. From an Earthly point of view, there is a wide spectrum of cultural aesthetics, though most of them lean towards the same dark colors and gothic sensibilities that you saw the citizens of Achamoth wearing. Headpieces and artistic masks are plentiful, but not mandatory though the servant will tell you they are in vogue. A servant will be able to make alterations to your clothing with magic to achieve a proper fit.

After that, you have a couple more hours to prepare before you are invited to a lounge-like area for pre-meal drinks. You can get almost any kind of cocktail you can imagine, including some you can't, and will be allowed to chat each other up for about an hour before the feast begins. Some small appetizers are available, and soft, rhythmic music plays in the background. If you look for her, Xishen is present as well, dressed in a black evening gown with golden accents that flicker like stars in the night sky, her long hair pinned up into a messy bun and decorated with hair-sticks. As usual, she seems to be avoiding company for the moment, though she is keeping an eye on everyone. Perhaps she's counting heads to make sure there are no stragglers.

When the time arrives, two huge doors are opened, leading you into a room that looks like a mixture of a dining room and a cathedral. Ahead of you, three long takes are connected together in the shape of a triangle, with a large throne positioned at the point furthest into the room; it is presently empty. You'll be instructed to take a seat, basking in the multicolored flames of the candles and torches lighting the room. As you find your places, all seats will be filled except for the throne up front, with Xishen at its side. All you can do now is await your host.

[Mealtime interactions with the Regent can be threaded here. They will arrive right after the first course has been served.]

EXPLORATION

Having survived supper with the Regent, the next few weeks are essentially yours to plan. Though the Regent indicates that there is work for you to do on the Horizon, for now your orders are to simply rest and prepare. You'll have access to the Citadel's armory to acquire any basic armor or weaponry you could need; though none of what's on offer seems to be enchanted, it is undoubtedly the work of a master. Clothing is much the same as it was for the formal wear you picked out, though you will find there are more practical offerings available as well. If you don't find anything to your tastes, you are also welcome to go out on the town with a generous allowance from the Regent's own coffers.

Clothing isn't the only thing you can get out in the city, though. While there are material goods of many kinds available, the most tempting thing for many residents is the raw hedonism of the city's entertainment district. It has just about anything you could imagine, from day spas to gambling to brothels, and none of it is contained by the burden of law. Any Achamite entertainment seen as too intense to face daylight would certainly not be for the faint of heart.

The locals haven't had enough time to recognize the city's new Aions on sight, but if they see your shard or or any other sign of your status, you are bound to attract a lot of attention. You're a celebrity in these streets, and while it can get you plenty of favors or even unsolicited offerings, it can also be quite overwhelming. In many cases, Achamite's religious fervor exceeds their survival instinct, at least in terms of the ones most likely to bother you. They will back off if threatened by you, but they will take politeness as an invitation to continue.

When leaving the Citadel, a servant will usually try to accompany you, though they will stay behind if you order them to do so. They insist that it will be easier for you to get around with a dedicated guide, but in the end you're the one in charge.

QUESTIONS

How does my character picking a retainer work?
All Kenoma are offered the opportunity to take on an NPC retainer after arriving at the Citadel. This retainer will be an NPC created and played by you. They will be available day and night to attend to your character's needs. These servants understand the Regent largely from a religious perspective and will not have any outspoken anti-Regent sentiments, though they may or may not be nervous about their new master. Generally speaking, though, this is in a new job jitters sort of way, as working in the Citadel is considered to be a job of great cultural and religious significance. They want to do a good job! You are free to develop your retainer's personality and relationship with your character. If your character (or you) are not interested in having a personal retainer, they will instead be served by a rotation of unattached servants.

How much money are Kenomas given for shopping?
They will be given an emerald's worth in jools, which is 1000 units. This is about how much a minimum wage worker makes in two months. They will continue receiving spending money on a monthly basis, though the Citadel itself will take care of all of their needs. On an OOC level its safe to say that average city expenditures will be covered by the money they are given, though they are welcome to invest that money in making more money if they have to skills to do so.

What sorts of things are there in the entertainment district? Is anything illegal?
Almost everything is legal in Achamoth when it comes to entertainment, and there is not much government oversight in the way anything is run. This means that most 'entertainment' you can imagine is both present and largely unregulated, and it doesn't need to be underground on account of how permissive Achamite law is. Brothels, drugs, and even bloodsport are all fair game... technically, participants in brothels and bloodsports must be willing but that 'consent' can be pretty nebulous. 'Extreme' bloodsport is generally hush hush (those that are particularly graphic and unpleasant, or basically torture) and behind closed doors mostly just to avoid causing a fuss.

The one thing there is official rulings on, straight from the Regent, is the enforcement of 'age of consent' and laws against child abuse. Children are generally not allowed to participate in those skeevier activities and there is a cultural expectation for people to raise their children properly, though this still goes wrong fairly frequently. It's just one of the things that is actually punished. Adults, however, have fewer innate protections.

Comments

[lifespanned]

[ What she wants to say is you think you're so grown up just for having sex, but unfortunately, things get derailed by Gen putting one of her gravest fears into words. Uncharacteristically, Misa hesitates to respond to that. For once, her cheery expression falters, and she purses her lips into a dramatized pout to hide it, her eyes avoiding Gen's. Truthfully, this is something she's tried extremely hard not to think about. The vague sense they'd all had of the world ending. If she didn't think about it, then it didn't happen, right? She could continue on like normal. ]

Even if that's true... [ Her brow knits with the effort to think her way around any genuine acceptance of the world ending. Gently, she places the blue pair of bracelets back on the display, clutching the other red one tight to her chest, to her exposed shard. ] That's just more of a reason for me to do anything I can for the Regent.

[ And honestly, she hadn't thought of things this way until this very moment. Now that she considers it, if the world did end, thus killing Light, then that means... ]

We get to remake the world however we want when we win, right? So I'd just bring him back. No matter what.

[epiprocta]

[ ... well okay, now he feels a little bad.

Only a little! Only a teeny tiny bit! But really, he does. He's not a sociopath, after all, and though Misa's brand of saccharine devotion to her boyfriend is honestly kind of baffling and nauesating for him ... He does flinch ever so slightly when he notices the way she suddenly averts her gaze, brow lowered and fingers wound tight around those bracelets. Crass as he is, he's not blind to those very obvious signs of turmoil, and though a part of him has to resist the urge to roll his eyes at how fragile girls always are, he at least knows to hold his tongue.

Besides, it's not like he doesn't get it at all. That desire to see someone important again. ]

Yeah, yeah, I get it.

[ Ugh, girls are such a pain to handle. Given how aggravatingly cheerful she's been all this time, it feels weird hearing her sound relatively subdued, and Gen looks away as he rubs a hand at the back of his neck. His voice a touch lower as he mutters, ]

Guess there's a chance he might end up here, too. Like we did. Who knows how they're choosing who ends up in this place.

[lifespanned]

[ In the back of her mind, she can recognize what Gen is trying to do - and honestly, she finds it a little sweet. She'd pegged him as the totally unattached and aloof type, who probably would find this kind of talk annoying, not that it would have stopped her from going on about her love life, anyway. But... he didn't have to try to reassure her, but he did. She manages a weak smile, blinking her eyes quickly - upon closer inspection, she's trying to will away tears that have welled up. ]

Oh, yeah, you're right! That'd be awesome. If Light was here, he'd know just what to do to help us win in a heart beat... he's so smart.

[ God, she shouldn't have thought about this at length in response to just one question - she's feeling a little nauseous. Light can't be dead. She can't let that happen. Or she'll have no reason to go on anymore... she can feel the cold grip of despair latch on to her core, and her only trustworthy response to it is to abort, abort, abort, so she shakes her head faintly once, and quite unnaturally, plasters a smile back on her face. ]

But I won't count on it. We might be the only Aions! Which means we'll have to get super, super strong to finish this on our own, and save the ones we care about. I'm all pumped up to become stronger after talking to the Regent at dinner— I bet you are, too.

[epiprocta]

[ The fuck kind of cringe-ass name is Light. ]

... sure. But not 'cause I'm looking to save anyone.

[ Too bad that tiny glimpse of non-shitty attitude is quickly squelched in favor of that ridiculous tough-guy response, droned out at a deadpan as he saunters forward to take another glimpse at the jewelry on displace. At least he has the good sense to take the cue and move on from the subject of Misa's boyfriend, mostly because she seems a bit like she's going to start crying if he doesn't. The less effort he has to expend on keeping her from kicking up a fuss in public, the better. ]

If my home's gone, it's gone. I'm not gonna think about it any more than I have to. [ He says, like a liar. The hard edge to his words does have a slightly forced quality to it, and he tries to distract from it by picking up a truly horrendous bracelet to look over. ] Just not interested in getting my ass kicked again. Next time I see those guys I'm gonna fuck'em up.

[ And then, pause. A blink. Then he looks to Misa with eyebrow raised. ]

-- how're you planning on getting stronger?

[ Because he really can't picture her doing, like ... pushups or whatever. ]

[lifespanned]

[ That gets a short snort out of her, a sharp exhale. Spoken like a true delinquent. She has no doubts he truly will go fuck them up the next time the Pleroma clash with them all, because he just seems like that kind of person. Besides, she can understand the need to avoid thinking about something, so she lets the moment pass, pawing through the display herself. ]

Magic, of course. I'm sure there's some cool ability I can get for some kind of price... for blood, or ingredients for potions, or something like that. That kind of myth is pretty popular in the occult, but I bet it's real here.

[ Misa seems totally serious, not thinking it's too suspicious of her to say something like this given she can always say she's just super into creepy witch stuff (and it's kind of true, anyway.) In either case, she speaks like she has a firm belief that nothing powerful will come free - and that it won't take a ton of training, either. Really, she's nearly nonchalant.

Then, she holds up a silver ear cuff to the air, eyes flicking between it and his face, trying to decide in her mind if it would suit him. Did he ask for her styling consultation? No, but he's getting it. ]

It'll be way faster that way. [ ... ] Don't tell me you're just gonna do some workouts?

[ One gets the sense she's trying to find the biggest shortcut to power - and sees no point in the training montage of it all. ]

[epiprocta]

[ ... she has a point, he supposes. Half a point. Enough to earn a low grunt and a noncommittal shrug, at least, and he thinks for a moment before responding. ]

Dunno much about that kinda occult shit, I was never into it. But I guess if it'd exist anywhere, it'd be here. Lemme know if you figure out anything about it.

[ There's the clink of metal as he puts back that hideous bracelet and returns his hands to his pockets. Yeah, nothing here that'd suit his girlfriend's tastes. ... not that he cares. Not that he thinks about her at all. ]

But I dunno if that's reliable. There's no guarantee, is there? [ He glances towards her once more, noticing what she's doing with the ear cuff, but ignores it for now. ] That guy who left during the dinner -- Emet-Selch? Been trying to get him to show me how magic works, but there's no guarantee I can get that to work quickly, either. So I did start training for now. 'm better with that kinda thing anyway -- I'm used to fights, and if I can learn to use a weapon properly, I'll at least have that to fall back on.

[ His approach runs opposite to Misa's. Despite his shitty delinquent attitude, he's perhaps surprisingly pragmatic and prepared to get his hands dirty when there's work to be done; he's not about to rely on any luck with shortcuts or miracle abilities, either. ]

You should probably at least start carrying a weapon, too. Just in case.

[lifespanned]

Oh! That's right. That's the other thing I was going to come buy today... a dagger. That worked well enough in the cavern. I guess we'll just have to go somewhere where there's weapons next.

[ Yes, this genuinely slipped her mind until this very moment. Jewelry and thoughts of her boyfriend had completely taken precedent over the real importance of arming herself for the upcoming conflicts, and she doesn't even seem ashamed of this fact. Actually, now she seems a little excited over having an excuse to be annoying and drag Gen around the city for longer.

She goes back to finding some kind of cool piercing for his other ear, keeping the cuff she'd picked out balled up in her palm. ]

And, I'll be honest, I want to learn magic too, but there's no way I'm learning it from that guy. Can't you try learning from Ciel instead?

[ And like the mean girl that she is, she says this like Gen himself is crazy for even getting near him - that guy has to be the most scorned person in Achamoth. She's way more concerned with maintaining her favor with the Regent than she is with trying to learn whatever magic he allegedly knows.. it's just not worth it. ]

[epiprocta]

[ He gives a noncommittal shrug. ]

Not like I'm against learning it from this Ciel chick. But I don't know her, I don't know what she can do. I talked to the guy on the boat ride here, and he directly showed me his magic. It's just easier talking to him -- and it's not like I'm asking to be his best friend.

[ Because, ultimately, Gen isn't so generous as to ignore the possible risks of associating with Emet-Selch too much. The Regent's harsh treatment of the man had been obvious, and he's not excited to earn that same sort of scorn. This much should be fine, though, shouldn't it? He just wants to learn what he can so he can fight better for the Regent next time, so ... shouldn't it be okay?

... what a pain in the ass.

Gen sighs as he rubs a hand against his jaw, then raises his voice a notch. ]

And hurry up, if you wanted to go look at weapons. How long're you gonna be looking at this junk?

[ Did he originally plan on going to look at weapons with Misa? No. But he should probably go look at them anyway, and the thought of being accompanied by someone who knows just as little about weapons as him is more appealing than going alone. So -- yeah, just gonna take that 'we' Misa said first and pretend it was his idea in the first place. ]

[lifespanned]

Hey, what gives? I was trying to find something that would look cool on you! Since you said you don't know anything about picking this stuff. And your girlfriend didn't either.

[ She rolls her eyes as if her good intentions are totally being spat on, putting a hand on her hip. Frowning, she gives up on her quest to finding something else for him, plucking a jewel from her black, velvety purse, handing it to the seller who seems to barely contain their excitement at touching hands with a Kenoma Aion. Soon after, she makes motions to leave the stall with him. ]

There, happy? Stupid Gen. [ Petty and obviously overplaying her annoyance, she puffs her cheeks out, flicking her hair over her shoulder before holding out the cuff to him. It's simple, dark, with no gaudy decorations. ] You would look way cooler if you wore something like this, you know. Don't all delinquents have piercings nowadays? If you won't wear it, I will, so you hurry up.

[epiprocta]

[ He'd already been glancing down the street the way they'd come, trying to remember if the weapon shop they'd passed was one or two turns ago, and turns back to Misa with a raised eyebrow at that. ]

And why would it be a problem to me if you wear it?

[ Still, even as he says that, he does languidly reach forth to take the cuff, rolling it idly between his fingers for a moment before holding it up to squint at it. It looks ... fine? Probably? And while he's not really interested in this kind of frou-frou nonsense ... something tells him the fuss Misa's going to kick up if he tosses it back to her just isn't going to be worth it. (And maybe a small part of him doesn't mind just how mundane and boring dealing with stupid jewelry is.)

So he sighs and awkwardly fumbles it on, brow furrowed in concentration as he tries to get it to slip into place. ] Dunno about big-city punks, but I helped work construction, alright? Wearing jewelry on worksites is asking for trouble, so I never got into this shit.

[ So he says, but once the cuffs properly on, he does pull his hand away to give Misa a look that silently asks, 'so how is it?' ]

[lifespanned]

[ Before answering, she turns up to appraise her styling work, tilting her head this way and that as if it made a huge difference. Then, after several long moments of consideration: ]

Hmmmm..... yep! You look a little more intimidating now.

[ Not that she particularly finds him that intimidating, despite their huge difference in height, and Gen's overall prickly behaviors. It's nothing out of the ordinary for her, really. He seems like a meaner, more easily annoyed member of the investigation team, and she's never let those guys yelling at her make her scared. Seeming pleased with herself, she returns her gaze to the roads ahead of them, paying no mind to the stares the both of them are attracting. And in actuality, she's fully just going along with wherever Gen leads them, because she 100% forgot the direction from which they came. ]

I didn't know you worked in construction though, so you get a free pass on not knowing about this stuff. Is that a family thing?

[epiprocta]

[ Somehow he doubts that an earring (? this is still an earring, right?) is going to make him look any more intimidating, but -- sure, fine. It not as uncomfortable as he thought it would be, and it's unobtrusive, so he'll wear it for a while. ... and he'd never admit it out loud, but having her pick something out for him like this isn't a bad feeling.

Horrible, ungrateful youth that he is, of course Gen doesn't express any actual thanks to Misa. But it's telling enough that he raises no further complaint, only touching a hand to his ear to get used to the feel of metal against his skin. And after a moment he gives a noncommittal grunt, then jerks his to indicate that Misa should follow as he starts leading the way back down the street. ]

Yeah, our family ran a company. I was supposed to take over whenever my old man retires. [ It's said pretty flatly, though. Clearly, he'd never been that attached to his future of following in his father's footsteps. ] Never thought I'd end up in a situation like this, instead. -- there. C'mon.

[ Lucky for Misa, he's always had a fairly sharp eye for directions and geography. The sign for a weapons store hangs overhead two, three blocks further down the street. ]

[lifespanned]

[ The fact that he didn't rip it off and throw it back at her while telling her to stop being annoying is a win in her book, since she's typically getting met with all kinds of resistance to her antics. Yay, mission accomplished, is what's going on in her mind, while she blindly follows Gen around to the weapon store. ]

I don't think any of us expected it, [ She hums, keeping close to him in the crowd. ] But we're getting a big chance to change the world. I don't mind.

[ Getting dragged into all this, that is. She's sure most of the people take her happy and bright demeanor in the face of the circumstances they've all been put in to be the result of her not understanding the weight of it all... and that'd be fine, if that were the case. But really, she finds that she just doesn't care that they were all ripped from their normal lives, so long as they all get what they were promised. Far off, she wonders if that's the impression Gen has of her - and then, once they've walked for a short bit, her eyes brighten up like a lightbulb went off in her head. ]

Hey, I know, maybe you can help me pick something out, since I don't really know anything about tools. [ Knowing about tools is the same as knowing about weapons (?? in her airheaded mind), plus he's a delinquent, so she imagines he's like, beating people up sometimes? Hopefully only bad kids. Anyway, she's annoyingly tugging at the elbow his sleeve along with her attempts to cajole him into it. ] Or else I'll just end up buying whatever isn't too heavy for me.

[epiprocta]

[ Yeah, that's roughly the impression he's getting of her -- though gut instinct and a life spent surrounded by fucked-up and/or conniving people means he has a nagging suspicion that that's not quite it. Especially since she's apparently done enough to have earned the Regent's approval, which isn't something he can easily dismiss.

Though -- that's mostly only if he stops and thinks about it. On a day to day basis, he figures it's probably okay to just write her off as a bubbly idiot. Like right now, when she goes tugging at his sleeve like she's asking if they wanna go buy ice cream together. ]

S'not like I know how to buy weapons in a place like this either. [ Probably unsurprising that Gen immediately grumbles in response. But she did buy him that earring (that he didn't ask for), and they'll be stuck in the store together anyway, so. ] ... ugh, fine.

[ Rude shit that he is, he doesn't hold the door open for her as he enters the store or anything. But he refrains from immediately walking off, only casting a brief look towards the wall lined with maces and bludgeons before grudgingly slinking towards a cabinet lined with daggers and short swords, instead.

Notably, he hangs back a pace or two, hands shoved in his pockets as he squints at the display. ]

... picking something you can carry easily's probably most important. And if they're that small, knives probably really are the most reliable. I don't know guns, but they probably need too much maintenance if you're not used to them. [ Gen looks aside, taking in the rest of the store as he continues listlessly, ] Try picking one up, I guess. See if it's comfortable enough to swing around.

[lifespanned]

[ Grumbly attitude and not holding the door open for her aside, she still got what she wanted, so she's pretty chipper while she walks through the door, humming a bit under her breath, even. She hadn't thought about it much before going into this, but she should be careful about coming off too knowledgeable or too serious about the world of weaponry and killing. Well, the weaponry part is easy - she really has no clue about the specifics. But she has an idea of what type of blade she should go after, and for what purpose. It's to her advantage the longer everyone sees her as some harmless teenage girl - this isn't so different from the investigation, she thinks. Just have to act natural...

So, when she waltzes on over to the display, listening to his explanations, she immediately goes for the dagger in the cabinet with the most ornate, gothic handle, turning it this way and that in her hand. ]

"Swing around?" I'm not gonna have to do anything that messy.

[ Because ew, blood splatter, right?? Poor little Misa would never get involved in such a thing. She makes a show of picking up all the shiniest and prettiest knives, before settling on one that's quite small - about the length of half her forearm. Then, quite foolishly, she holds it out vertically in front of her with a sudden bout of triumph, her grip tight around the handle. ]

Soooo, I'll just get this! That was easy.

[epiprocta]

[ He'd planned on letting Misa do whatever she wanted. He really had. But watching as she pores over the knives with all the gravity of his girlfriend choosing which ridiculous designs to get painted on her nails, he can't help feeling annoyed. Stabbing someone, potentially killing them, is a serious matter. Even if she seems like kind of a stupid airhead, shouldn't she get that? Is she really that dumb?

It's that indignity more than any real worry for her that has him stepping forward with a sigh. (Or at least, that's what he tells himself. It's mostly true. Mostly.) ]

Not that one, stupid.

[ He plucks the knife out of her hand with ease; he's a lot stronger than her, and it's not hard to tug it away. But Gen looks uncomfortable as he holds the knife, eyes narrowed and fingers wrapped gingerly around the hilt, like he's holding something unsavory. ]

Look -- you hold a knife real tight when you're using it. Like this, right. [ Gripping it tight to demonstrate for a moment before going right back to holding it uneasily. ] This shit -- [ He taps the knife's handle against the cabinet as he speaks, the various ornate decorations around the guard quietly pinging off the wood. ] -- is gonna dig into your hand the moment you use it. It'll fuck up your hand almost as good as it fucks up whoever you use it on. So not this one.

[ And with that, he tosses it back into its place on the cabinet. ]

Pick something else. I'm not getting dragged back here just 'cause you made a bad choice.

[lifespanned]

[ Her eyes widen, her face softening into genuine surprise when he takes the knife away and gives her a lecture. She'd actually felt pretty confident in her choice - but she's taken aback by his detailed input. He's not stabbing other boys after school, is he? Her curiosity just deepened by a considerable margin, honestly sidetracked from the low-hanging fruit of telling him if she wanted to drag him along she'd do it no matter what. Because they're friends, obviously. ]

What? Really? I guess I never thought of it that way... wow, Gen really does know about these things.

[ That's said mostly to herself, just slightly awed. When she returns her attentions back to perusing the cabinet again, her lips are pursed, and she seems a little more focused, now. Even her words seem more weighty than her typical breezy, airheaded tone: ]

I want something small that I can hide, you know? [ She finally decides to say something honest about her quest - as she's actually given this a fair amount of thought. It'd be suicide for her to try to attack anyone first in her current state, she thinks. So she needs something small enough that she can hide away - only to be used an opportune moment when she has the element of surprise on her side. ] It's better to keep things a secret. For someone like me, anyway...

[ And that's all she offers in her defense of her initial choice, sounding quite convinced of the fact, even if she trails off while she inspects a few knives of similar size with smoother looking handles. ]

[epiprocta]

[ Maybe she's not completely stupid? She does look like she's putting a little more thought into her selection now that he's stepped in once, and she seems to have some modicum of self-awareness, but it hasn't escaped his notice that Misa seems remarkably lighthearted about this whole ordeal. Not like that other girl, Lottie, who'd seemed high-strung about just being here despite ostensibly being quite similar to Misa in terms of both age and occupation.

He's a little suspicious, but at the same time, he realls the matter-of-fact way Misa had previously mentioned her past. Makes sense something like that would fuck a person up. Probably. ]

... that one. Or that one.

[ Gen bluntly points to two other knives on the rack. They're frankly very uncute, almost utilitarian in design. But after a pause, he wearily points to one more -- this one a little fancier in design, not completely unlike the gaudy one Misa had first chosen. They're all small and look light enough for Misa to use. ]

Or that one. Should be fine, probably. S'just common sense.

[ And with that he takes a step back and starts turning away. ]

I saw belts and stuff on the shelf near the door, so you should probably get one of those if you're looking to hide it. [ Implied approval of her tactic to keep her weapon hidden. His assessment of her intelligence has gone up one (1) point. ] I'm gonna go look over there for my own stuff.

[ 'Over there' being a shelf of maces and flails. They're more his style and, importantly, they're not knives. ]

[lifespanned]

[ Predictably, when he points out the prettier option, she goes right for it, lighting up considerably. Truthfully, Misa feels better to have heard some advice on this stuff, even if she finds herself a little uneasy not knowing where his knowledge comes from. Then again... she can look past it pretty easily. The two of them are on the same side. Misa cares less about his past than she does about his convictions in the present, so in the end, she reminds herself to not go pondering about where his experience may come from too deeply. And, she's already accepted they'll all get blood on their hands in this ordeal, too, so she doesn't blink twice when he heads off to that wall of scary looking weapons. (If she doesn't imagine in detail, it's fine, right?) ]

Aw, fine. No fun.

[ Because in her mind it'd be more fun to pick and choose together... however, she also accepts her lack of knowledge on the topic, and the likelihood that he probably wants to do things by himself. With a singsong tune, she smiles broadly, her words an even mix of genuine and teasing. ]

Thanks a bunch, anyway. You're a big help, so I'll have to bring you along next time too.