Étaoin dragged themselves over the bridge that lead to the hotels, it had been a long morning for them, running around this new city asking anyone they came across during their search adding in the actions as well; if they have seen a young boy, about yay high with blonde hair, super cute but if they laid a finger on him, then Éta would cut them because no one was allowed to touch Kisei like that ever! Eventually though, Éta realised that no that was not the way to ask around if people had seen the boy they wanted to visit, but somehow they had been dragged shopping with a bunch of girls from the crescent and by god did Éta regret going to that area of the city, although they didn’t venture further, it wasn’t time to dwell into that area of the city, but apparently being dragged to the adultery section was just as fine.

“Kiiiiseii~ Where’d ya goooo~!” Whining probably was not going to help them, and that fact that they haven’t even told Masami about the nickname also made the shouting absolutely pointless, but they were tired, donning a stupid dress because they were mistaken for female once again and was forced into feminine clothes, which dont get Éta wrong, were fine and all, but just not today, they were not feeling feminine today. They just wanted to see Masami, it had been, wait how long had it even been since they last met? “Masaaamii~!”

After passing the bridge, Étaoin gulped at the streets that were lined with hotels and bath houses. Frowning, taking a deep breath, Éta trudged onward, but never relented the grip against the skirt of their dress. God they really couldn’t wait to get out of this dress, purple eyes glancing between the curtain like doorways to the hotels and bathhouses, without even stepping inside, biting their lip, as they still didn’t know which one to even approach there were so many, and nothing had any familiar vibes like Étaoin was hoping, that could help them remember their time in Joya. Sucking it up, Étaoin just closed their eyes and spun around before stumbling to a stop, and nodded at the bath house entrance in their line of sight, walking forth towards it.

“Haaah… Please be here…” Muttering to themselves, Éta sighed stepping inside, just to hear a familiar voice, raising their head, Étaoin smiled widely, before running over to the small blonde that was standing near the reception area. “Masa~! I found you finally!” Taking the younger's hands into their own, Éta rocked back and forth on the heels of their feet, in excitement, the exhaustion from before disappearing now that they had found the boy.

"There is no LOVE...
When there is no JEALOUSY."

Étaoin paused for a second as they thought over their reply, it had been awhile since they had seen Masami. Tilting their head, the green strands slipped over their shoulder, as a quiet hum left Éta’s lips, purple eyes blinking, just as they allowed the grin to slither across their expression, releasing Masami’s hands. Lifting one hand, Étaoin extended their right forefinger as they said one syllable of; “Mi.” and then lifted their left hand and extended their left forefinger, finishing the nickname off with it’s last syllable; “Ji.” A cute chuckle left Éta after they had done this, because now they were hoping that Masami knew exactly who they were. “It’s Miji~” This was a specific nickname that Masami had given Étaoin, and now Éta had one to give in return to the kid that they held dear to themselves.

Glancing around the place they were in, Étaoin blinked a little before looking at themselves and eventually everything did click in on why Masami probably asked. The last time Masami saw them, Éta was pretty sure they looked more like a guy than a girl, and then they suddenly showed up at a bathhouse and acted like they did around Masami, in a dress nonetheless. It probably looked suspicious or whatever other words people used to describe these sorts of situations. “Ah… I’m sorry Masa…” Rubbing the back of their head, Éta took a couple of steps back from Masami, giving him some space, allowing him breathing room.

Honestly they just wanted to get out of this dress that they were forced into. Awkwardly looking at the workers and other customers, Éta decided to just approach the receptionist and ask if they could try the baths out. This question on its own brought up a whole new problem for the young mage, when the receptionist respectfully did her job, only to direct Éta to the female area. ‘W-wait…!’ Flustering a little, because they weren’t female, although they weren’t male either, so where did they go? ‘Which way should I go? It would be very impolite to go into the female baths, but then… It would be strange for me to go for the male ones too, considering I am in a dress…’ Purple eyes turned back to Masami with a cry for help, though they looked like this, Étaoin came to Hosenka looking for Masami and now that they had found their younger friend, they wanted to spend some quality time with him, but this stupid dress had obviously made that plan go sideways. Time to think of a plan B and maybe Masami could help them with it.

"There is no LOVE...
When there is no JEALOUSY."

Étaoin chuckled nervously when the younger boy asked what had happened. It wasn’t a long story, but it was an embarrassing one. Scratching their chin slightly, Éta hummed as they tried to think of a way to explain why they ended up in a dress and not the clothes they first entered the city in. “Well… Let’s just say, it was all down to a hopeless case of no sense of direction and women.” Pausing, Étaoin nodded before they froze. That didn’t sound right. “Not like that way. I got lost… in uh… that area of Hosenka…” Lifting their hands, Éta covered their cheeks as they flushed a little, because even though they had done some grunt work in that area, and befriended one of the brothel owners, it didn’t mean that Étaoin liked that area of town.

Following, well more like being dragged by the receptionist before they could even finish explaining, then again, they had asked about trying the baths, but it would’ve been nice just to talk a little more before being dragged away from Masami. “Ah!” Nodding, hearing Masami’s words to the receptionist, the lady paused as the younger explained Éta’s situation when it came to things like gender orientated stuff, lets just say public restrooms were the bane of the mage’s existence. ‘Thank you Kisei!’ So when Masami approached, and freed Éta from the receptionist’s grasp, they instantly stood behind the younger, and smaller boy, not that height mattered in a situation like this, Masami seemed to be in his 'zone' of explaining and settling the problem, and to push the point a little more, hopefully to show that Masami wasn’t fibbing to the receptionist about it, Étaoin spoke up in a quiet voice. “Mhm. I can speak… but I don't know the rules…”

Shrugging after, Étaoin followed Masami further to a room so they could change, just to be shoved into said room with a small confused noise leaving them, just to turn back to the door, hearing the younger explain what was happening. “Y-You are going to wait right?” Their purple eyes glanced around the smallish room, as they stayed near the door before walking to where the younger said the clothes would be, and picked them up. It was only when it came to removing their own clothes, that Étaoin glanced over their own dress and tilted their head on how the hell they were meant to remove the garment. “What the… oh…” Muttering to themselves, Étaoin eventually found how to get out of the outfit, and began to change into the other clothes, at least that is what Étaoin assumed Masami meant. Once they were done, Éta just kicked the annoyance to one side for now, only to pause realising that they had now made a mess, which was something they were brought up on to never do. ‘I should actually pick that up… It is kind of cute after all…’ Sighing with a small frown on their face, Éta knelt down collecting what was actually a skirt and a turtleneck shirt, which made up what they thought was a dress, as well as neatly setting the boots to one side, and the tights folded neatly with the other clothes on one of the shelves. ‘I think that should be fine…’

Walking back to the door, Étaoin opened the door slightly and peeked out to see if the younger was there, “Uhm, Kisei…” Wait had they told Masami their nickname yet? Oh well, the younger would ask about that if they remembered that side of the promise too. “Was I meant to change into the clothes on the shelf… or not?” They did do that, but if they weren't meant to do that, it meant changing again and honestly they’d just rather jump into a bath than have to change for the fourth time that day.

"There is no LOVE...
When there is no JEALOUSY."

Étaoin blinked at the sudden teary expression of their younger brother, tilting their head a little confused before reaching out and wiping the wet streak from his cheek. Usually Éta wasn’t this bothered by people, in fact most of the time they didn’t really give two cents on another person's feelings, but there are a few people that Étaoin felt like they should take the feelings off into consideration, and Masami was one of those people.

“Are you okay? What happened?” When they were nudged back into the room and the door closed Éta just stood there confused, before glancing down at the clothes that they already had on. “Ahh I think they are okay… I-I’m not that much taller than Kisei~”

Smiling a little Étaoin did pull out the yukata that the younger was on about, before humming to themselves, it’s not that they didn't want to go into the baths, it’s more that they were confused on where to go as the baths are gendered and well, Éta was a confusion on their own. Shrugging, Étaoin moved to grab a towel at least, not knowing if they did need one of those or not, and opened the door once more, before stepping outside. The clothes were a little small but not that it mattered to Éta, considering that they were pretty sure before they went into the baths, the clothes had to be removed anyway, or was that also wrong. Blinking at the younger when the mentioned their condition, Éta hummed, tapping their lip with the forefinger in thought, before frowning slightly. They wanted to spend time with Masami, considering that was one of the reasons they came to Hosenka in the first place, because they remembered that Masami had something connected to a theatre here or something along those lines at least. Glancing back to the younger with their purple eyes, a small smile replacing the frown that was once there.

“I came here to see Kisei again, so I’m fine with being with Kisei…” Pausing for a second Éta lowered their head, “Though I am still nervous about what has happened to me sometimes, I’m also okay with it, and I’ve come to terms that I’ll be like this for a long time…” A nervous expression laced their face, before Étaoin lifted the towel and covered the bottom half of their face with it. “Though, it is a difficult thing to explain… I try my best to do so and move on.”

Nodding to themselves, Éta glanced at the younger with the decision set that they would follow the younger wherever he was going, as well for starters, he is the one who knows about their condition, even if he doesn't understand it that well, and two Éta just felt safer being where Masami was, as it was their first time using a bathhouse in general.

"There is no LOVE...
When there is no JEALOUSY."

Blinking at the younger male, Éta stood there for a couple of seconds confused by Masami's question. Kisei was him of course, how had the younger not realised this? Opening their mouth slightly to answer, before closing it again, and scratching their head. It wasn't this hard when they came up with the name or how to tell Masami that he was now ‘Kisei’ but now the moment had actually arrived, Étaoin was having a bit of trouble getting the words out. “Kisei is you?” Just go the blunt route. Shrugging Étaoin continued in their steps to the room that Masami was leading them too. “Just like how I am Miji.” Glancing towards the younger once again, a tiny smile setting itself along Éta’s lips, “I promised I would give you a nickname, in return for my own.” Stretching a little, they wondered if they should explain the name to Masami or not, or wait to hear whether the younger wanted to hear the meaning behind the name. Actually they’d just do it when they both were more relaxed, because it had a very deep meaning to it on Étaoin’s end of the nickname.

Humming a little at the thought of eating mooncakes, they didn’t know what they were, so Éta wasn’t sure whether to get them before or after. Honestly it was probably better to get them after, because if they didn’t like the mooncakes, Étaoin didn’t want to accidentally be sick in the bath. “Let’s wait till after.. I’ve never tried them, so I don’t know how I will react.” A nervous chuckle left the elder mage as they scratched the bridge of their nose in mild nerves.

When they entered the room, Éta glanced around, their purple eyes widened at the sheer size of the room, but not just that, how the room was laid out and the interior design of the area amazed them. “Woah…” They had never been to this place, and a chuckle left their lips at what Masami had said, it was almost like the younger was reading their mind, because it was honestly way too close to what they were thinking as well, except Étaoin’s was more on the side of wishing they could go back to being a kid. “R-right!” It wasn’t that Éta was bothered about that, they were used to their appearance, but it would be rude not to take Masami’s worries into consideration, so maybe sitting on the separate sides of the bamboo screen would be better. “I mean, if that is what you want to do, then we can do that?” Tilting their head at the younger, when Éta noticed him going to mess with something near the door. Since he was going to explore that area, Éta decided to wonder in the opposite direction and explore around there. Humming a little tune quietly to themselves as they peeked round corners and over some rocks that sat around the sides of the bath to give it more of that exterior bath feel, and more of an outside like approach.

It wasn’t until the sudden change in smell that Éta really stopped looking just to groan and cover their nose. They heard what Masami said about requesting what kind of water they would like for their bath, but this was definitely not the right option. 'Oh what the? What did you ask for Kisei?' Making their way back to the younger, before pointing at the door, suggesting that they maybe just step outside for a few minutes before approaching any baths. “Next time… Maybe we should decide together on the type of water?” Stepping outside themselves, Éta nervously smiled at the younger, before letting out a soft laugh.

"There is no LOVE...
When there is no JEALOUSY."

Standing there Éta nodded to Masami’s reply about the water, just to follow the younger back into the room, making their way to their side of the springs, parted by the screen. Relaxing is what today was about and then enjoying the moon buns that Masami spoke of previously. All Étaoin wanted to do was spend as much time as they could in the busy schedule that the two had acquired before parting ways once again. Hearing the fire mage perk up about the water actually being nice despite the smell that had attacked both of them by mistake, Éta turned their purple gaze towards the water, before stepping into the bath. Instantly a shiver ran through their body at the sudden warmth that graced the skin up to their knees, and quickly removed the robe before dunking themselves straight into the rest of the water.

Eyes tightly closed, as they stayed under the water for a good minute, just to rise up again, and let out a much needed inhale of air. Masami was right, the water was perfectly fine even with the smell. “It is nice…” A soft chuckle left them before they moved back to the edge of the tub, just to peak around the screen. “Neh, Kisei… Wanna know what your name stands for?” A grin laced their lips, as they pushed a few strands from their face, that was sticking to the skin. “It is Ki from Kisho, and which means rare, and the character of Hoshi, meaning Star.” Folding their arms against the floor around the tub, Étaoin rested their chin on their forearms. “It means rare star, and I like to think that when we go, we become another star in the sky, but i chose rare because I have no family, and it is rare for me to call a person family, let alone a friend.” Slipping back into the water, Étaoin quietly mumbled to themselves before sinking further into the water. “That’s why you are Kisei.”

Falling quiet after their explanation, Étaoin just laid back in the water, and gazed at the ceiling enjoying the movement of the liquid around them. As a water mage, being in water was a natural thing, but it also made Étaoin feel a little safe, because then they had a weapon around at all times if something bad decided to happen. They wondered if they should get something to eat now, or let Masami decide on that one, they younger had been quiet for a bit now, maybe he had fallen asleep, if so Étaoin didn’t blame his younger brother, the water was relaxing enough for anyone to want to sleep in, dangerous or not.

"There is no LOVE...
When there is no JEALOUSY."