674/Only the best girls

Only the best girls
Date of Scene:	29 October 2023
Location:	Pikarigaoaka Ward
Synopsis:	Chrono introduces Rashmi and Setsuna to a new friend, Fenyx. While she's a little... confused about being human/midchildian, she gets to experience a lot of new and thrilling new things.
Cast of Characters:	Chrono Harlaown, Rashmi Terios, Setsuna Meiou

---

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown had, once again, called a meeting. At Sailor Pluto's place...

Okay, so, maybe it was strange that he did that. But she was rich, and alone. She could stand to have more company over. Also, eat some meals that weren't take out. Also, he was an alien. On the basis of being an alien, anything he did was richer and financially more valuable so her house having an alien call meetings in it only made the value go up.

Either way, he arrived and... waited outside the door, leaning against it and giving a light knock. He'd asked Rashmi to meet him here...

...

... Okay and he was, maybe, taking a moment to adjust his barrier jacket... and make sure his hair looked nice before she got here. And he might have possibly gotten a pair of little keychains that he'd heard one of their classmates were making and so he'd asked what they could do about 'dresden files' and something 'page magey' and now he felt a little self conscious because he didn't even know if people on this world LIKED that kind of stuff but they were cute and the keychains were cute so it fit so... GAH!

But he, at least, looked as unflappable as ever... The keychains hidden in his pocket.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
The weird thing wasn't that Chrono asked Rashmi to meet at Setsuna's house. It's that he didn't pick her up so they could both *go,* which was a question Rashmi mulled over on the relatively short flight from her family's place, closer to the center of the ward, to Setsuna's house on its outer edge. When one's boyfriend has zero chill on matters concerning, one can at least count on a surprise like this to not be an *unpleasant* one, at the very least.

Not long after Chrono knocked on the door, Rashmi touched down, the wings on her ankles shattering into shards of light. A moment later, her Barrier Jacket followed suit, leaving her in a simple, green light sweater and charcoal-grey woolen skirt. "Hi, Chrono!" she chirps, taking a moment to brush dust off her skirt, and get her hair out of her eyes. "So... what's up?"

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Sadly, the timid, light knock that Chrono has laid upon the door is insufficient to alert the madwoman that dwells within.

Either a phonecall will be needed...

...or perhaps use of the doorbell.

Alternately, walking around the house to one of the side entrances might work as well.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown smiled when he saw Rashmi, and... then she landed. He gave a soft, slightly... crushing sigh. She was so pretty when she landed. Not like a proper TSAB agent, the landing was kind of light, kind of awkward, kind of precious, kind of... adorable. The perfect mix of inexperienced and talented...

"I have a surprise for both you and Meiou-san. Well, two surprises. I'd like to introduce you two to someone as well as... well. I got a gift for the pair of you. Since... I thought they'd be the things you'd both like... heh..." He, slightly nervously, rubbed the back of his head.

Then locked a liiiiittle harder. "Should... we ring the doorbell?"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Surprises?" Rashmi asks, tickled by the look on Chrono's face, stepping forward and taking his hands. "Gifts? Awwww, you didn't have to!" Chrono's thoughtfulness is rewarded with a kiss. "But thank you, I'm sure I'm gonna love it."

The idea of introducing someone, does catch her attention, and she tilts her head to one side. "...And we need to be here? Um... Probably want to ring the doorbell then, yeah." And she squeezes Chrono's hands, then lets go with one to hit the doorbell. "This is a pretty big place, I'd be *shocked* if she heard a knock."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Even with the doorbell being rung, it's a short wait for a response.

It's a big house, after all...and Setsuna probably didn't realize off the top of her head that she was alone at the moment.

Still, after a few minutes, the sound of footsteps approaching can be heard...and then the door opens.

And this is perhaps the first time that either of the two students will have had a chance to see Setsuna when she's at home in normal 'bombing-about-the-house' wear.

As is usual for her, this is a stupidly oversized t-shirt...long enough so that the bottom hem comes all the way to almost her knees...making it, in effect, a simple, one-piece dress. Said shirt has writing on it that SEEMS to allude to her profession, as it reads in large letters over the top 'You Never Forget Your First DOCTOR'...however, the picture below might be confusing to at least one party there, as it's a large blue box with 'POLICE CALL BOX' written in large letters across the top. (The learned of these things will note that, given the fact that this one sports the badge with 'St John' written on it, it must be Smith's)

As the door is opening, Setsuna can be heard to mutter, "...a bit early for trick or treaters...that's still DAYS away..."

Then she blinks and spots Chrono and Rashmi and she smiles, "Why hello there, you two. What brings you to these parts? Come in, come in."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown lightly shook his head. "I know I didn't have to... if I had to, it wouldn't have been special. Which you deserve," he said. "And no, we don't have to be here. But I'd like to Meiou-san into the habit of expecting visitors. The last thing I want is for her to think it's okay to be alone for extended periods again. Though... admittedly... I'm surprised that she doesn't have sensors or something to alert her the door was knocked on. I... guess that... may be a limitation of this world's technology?" he said sheepishly.

Then... saw her shirt. And... "Oh. What a fascinating shirt," he said. "Those are the... phone booths I'd heard about, right?" Like superman would go into. Which was something he'd heard.

"Hello, Meiou-san. I've come bearing a gift for you and Rashmi. I also have someone I'd like the two of you to meet," he said, following Setsuna to the... well... where ever she took guests.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Aaaaah," Rashmi says, as at least one thing is cleared up. "So you want to keep her from being isolated, got i-- hi Setsuna-chan!" Rashmi says, beaming brightly as the owner of the house traverses its vast expanse, to open the door.

When invited in, she follows Chrono, peering for a moment at the shirt. "...No I think it's a Doctor What thing," she 'corrects' with a grin. Nothing ensures a lively discussion more than getting a thing Obviously Wrong and waiting for the TED talk that inevitably follows."

But then Chrono talks again about introducing someone, and she looks over her shoulder to the door. "...Shouldn't we meet them outside, then? Or, did you find a new Device?"

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna leads the two down the hall with the dishwater blonde curlicue arrows printed on A4 paper to the kitchen. Whether to stay there or to grab snackage on the way somewhere else is a bit up in the air at the moment.

In better light, it's obvious that whoever put this kitchen together didn't skimp. It's fully stocked with all the gadgets...and it's perhaps an open question whether the one she has or the one Adrien has is more full-featured.

There's a large island at the center that apparently does double duty as a preparation station AND as a de-facto kitchen table, given the stools arrayed around it.

Rashmi's comment about 'Doctor What' gets a flat look from Setsuna...and after a moment she shakes her head, "Nice try...but there's no way YOU would get that THAT wrong unless you were trolling me, Rashmi-chan."

Unsure at the moment of what developments approach, Setsuna pauses in the kitchen with the two, before offering, "...would you like something to drink? I've got most kinds of tea and coffee, soda, and a few flavors of ramune..."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown nodded to Rashmi's understanding of the situation. Indeed, she wasn't just talented, but smart. And read his signs well. She was wonderful.

However, Rashmi's comment on the shirt made him more confused. "Wait, Doctor WHO? Is it... like... a pun? Wordplay? 'Doctor What Is Wrong With Me?'" he asked, genuinely confused. "And no. I'll summon them," he said. Yes. He wanted to show off a little bit.

He glanced around the kitchen and... he lived on a spaceship. And was from a hyper advanced alien planet. All of the fancy stuff was lost on him. "A ramune would be fine," he said. He then... pulled out two keychains. Offering one to Rashmi, the book one... and one to Setsuna, the Brighter Future Society. "I uhhh... don't understand all human culture things very well, but I was told these would be... nice?" he said.

"Now... for who I wanted to introduce you two to..." He held up his staff and, a moment later... a summoning circle appeared under his feet. He did the incantation, and...

... It would take a few minutes.

But, once he finished (yes, he WAS in fact showing off, he didn't get to that often but he wanted to be cool!) "Allow me to introduce to you... Fenyx!"

And then she appeared. The woman. As tall as Setsuna, with blue hair to compete with Setsuna's green in length. And wearing a barrier jacket and... And...

She was chewing on a bag of chips. And Chrono just blinked. "Ummmm... what are you doing?" he asked.

"I was hungry," she said, pulling out another chip and eating it. "Sorry, boss."

Chrono just sighed. "... This is Fenyx. My familiar. She's a lidth jay."

"... Hello," she said, before putting another chip in her mouth. She... certainly... looked human.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
And Setsuna's glare just gets a bright smile in return, but the gifts take priority! Taking the keychain offered to her, she lets out a pleased, impressed noise as she examines it. "Whaaaa~! Chrono it's *beautiful!* I love it!" And indeed, she retrieves her cellphone immediately, clipping the keychain to it. Now, she has a *fashionable* phone!

And then she cannot hold up against the wrong reference herself, and her confession comes out in a rush."Okay yes, the character *is* actually called Doctor Who, and I never watched the show but apparently he's a time traveler and wait, summon?"

And as the circle opens up at Chrono's feet, Rashmi hurriedly hops a couple steps back, as pop-culture knowledge butts up against Mid-Childan magic understanding, and the reflex to *never stay inside a summoning circle* wins out. But she is, quite obviously, duly impressed at the magical theatrics, and waits breathlessly for the Creature of Awesome Power And Hopefully Very Precise Movements Because We Are Indoors to show up...

...And Chrono summons a woman. An extremely tall, beautiful woman, and for *just* a moment Rashmi's face belie her brainworms. Luckily, Chrono almost instantly supplies the explanation, which goes a very long way toward soothing feelings she knows are irrational, and instead of getting upset, she turns to bow deeply to Fenyx, in greeting. "It's very, very good to meet you, Fenyx-san. ...Um... You're a bird?"

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna stares at Rashmi and points at Chrono as if to say 'Even WRONG, he's getting it more right.' Then she shakes her head, "No, Chrono. She was trolling. The proper name for the series is 'Doctor Who'. Mainly because the only name ever given for the main character is 'The Doctor', and thus many other characters then ask 'Doctor Who'? It's one of the longest running shows ever aired, and there's a whole story about it."

As he gifts her a key fob, she looks at what it says, then smiles, "Oh, whomever it was steered you well, Chrono-san."

With that, she gives her wrist an odd twist...and a set of keys drops out. Most of the keys on the chain look fairly normal...probably for various locks at the infirmary and here at the house...but one of them is quite prominent and shaped kind of like a Key and kind of like a large, silver, lowercase letter K...and that's the one she attatches the fob to before making that twist of her wrist again and dropping her keys...somewhere.

They certainly don't hit the ground.

The Summoning Circle gets an arched eyebrow, but not much more reaction from Setsuna.

Though the look she gives Chrono makes it clear that if he summons something messy in HER kitchen, HE'LL be the one cleaning up after it.

As the summon ends up being a tall woman, Setsuna blinks a few times, then goes on in VERY dry voice, "...Mister Harlaown...do we have to have a discussion about kidnapping random strangers off the street?"

Truth told, she doesn't think anything untoward is going on...but...well...she's among friends, so chain-yanking is VERY MUCH a thing.

Though the biologist in her forces her to almost automatically correct Chrono, "...and it's LIDTH'S Jay. After Theodore Gerard van Lidth de Jeude."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown just blinked a few times. "Wait, Doctor Who? Why would... no, more references I wouldn't get. I swear, sometimes I truly do feel like a Golden Regiduke here." Well, he could make his OWN references too.

Still, internally he preened a bit at the fact his gifts were appreciated. Nay, liked. It was one of those special things, where he just... wanted to give the people in his life something special. And these two were special to him, if for different reasons.

"... Funny you should mention kidnapping, actually," Chrono said. "I did, technically, steal her."

Fenyx put another chip in her mouth, before glancing to him. "I think the ones you took me from kidnapped me." Then her eyes turned to Setsuna and she glared. "Don't correct my boss. He--"

"Fenyx," Chrono said.

"... Sorry," she said before crushing the empty bag and holding it out to him... He sighed, took it and... tossed it in the trash. He really had to get her to understand that one day. He then held out his arm and, before their eyes, the woman changed. Going from rather tall woman to... very, very big bird. Which rested on his arm.

"Thank you, Meiou-san. Lidth's jay. When I found her she was in a cage, apparently poachers. They've... been dealt with. But she wasn't in a fit stage and, frankly, a flying familiar seemed like it would be useful. So I made a contract, she accepted." He then, finally, dehenshined. Which allowed him to use his now freed hand to stroke her head feathers.

"Fenyx, this is Rashmi Terios, my, uhhh... girlfriend," he said, with a little blush. "And this is Setsuna Meiou, immortal, possible planet pilot, likely breaker of many TSAB laws and probably the closest I thing I have to a TSAB administrator on this world," he said in a teasing tone. "And sorry about her human form. I meant to have her come like this but... well... I told her she could go human and grab snacks whenever she's hungry."

She was a really, really big bird. Nearly a foot and a half, with the most vibrant blue and red feathers they'd likely ever seen on a lidth's jay. "Is it okay if they touch you?"

"... You may pet me," Fenyx said after a few moments of consideration.

"She's... still a bit wary of... people. But she's getting better." Well, a poacher. And the 'condition' he found her in... it wasn't hard to imagine she was a bit curt for a reason.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
'Boss,' Rashmi mouthed in echo of Fenyx, shaking her head. "...So... you can just *do* this? Use magic to make a whole person out of an animal? And there's a contact involved? ...Chrono if I didn't know you better, I'd think you might secretly be a devil. As it is... This is pretty cool!"

Carefully approaching, she dips to look the bird at eye level, head tilted to one side. "...It sounds like Chrono did an amazingly kind thing for you, Fenyx-san. So... Chrono is the most important person in my world, next to my parents. I can *promise* you that if you tell me you don't like the way I handle you, I will stop immediately and never do it again."

With that grave oath made, she carefully extands a hand, palm up and fingers curled inwards -- a way that can't ever look like a reaching claw -- and slowly strokes one knuckle through the feathers of Fenyx's chest.

"...Chrono, can I even ask what the terms of the contract are? Because if I'm going to help fulfill them, I'd like to do it right." ...And jut like that, Rashmi declares her intent to look after the mistreated-bird-turned-battle-administrator whenever Chrono can't.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna gives Fenyx a bit of an arch look, then waggles a finger at her, "I'll correct your boss anytime I like...but only when he's WRONG. Better a friend corrrect him than him running around and looking the fool by repeating wrong things. Now behave and I've got some treats I think you'll like."

With that, she waits to see what else Chrono wanted to show, then she ooooohs as Feynx changes back into her bird form and then she steps over and examines her, "...well...I can see why poachers might have gone after her...she's got some of the most intense coloration I've seen on a bird outside the tropics...just the shades of blue and red she has are rather stunning."

If she's surprised by a magic contract doing something like this, she's not showing it, and in fact she looks over at Rashmi, "Don't be TOO surprised. She's a Corvid...and as birds go, the Corvid family tends to be wicked smart. Whatever spell Chrono used is probably less 'creating' and more 'uplifting', as it were."

She's REASONABLY certain Rashmi's got enough scifi background to grasp or have heard of the concept of uplift.

As it stands, she doesn't try to touch the bird just yet...not wanting to crowd and letting Rashmi get the closer look first.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown gave a small nod. "It's not quite as impressive as it looks. Basically, she draws a lot of knowledge through the magical bond we share, it also allows us to talk telepathically. But in many ways, basic knowledge she acquires from a mix of me and the information in my device. The form is constructed primarily through mana and while she doesn't really have much mana of her own, she can draw on my mana to cast spells I know. Once the contract ends, she will revert back to her old form and much of the knowledge will be lost, likely not all of it."

"... Okay, I guess on this planet it likely sounds more impressive than it is, but I assure you, most of what I've seen here so far makes this look like child's play," he said with a light chuckle. "I could teach you, though it would put a strain on your mana at times. It's useful to have backup like that when needed. And an eye in the sky is always helpful."

Fenyx glanced to the hand and... didn't object. In fact, she leaned into the pettings a little. "They'll do," Fenyx finally said. Standing up a little straighter on his arm at Setsuna's comment about how intense her colorations were.

"The terms are simple. Either of us may break it at any time, so long as it doesn't put the other in danger. With both our agreement, the contract can be extended. The current time frame is until the crew of the Arthra are found. Her role will be as an assistant, to aid in my cover on this planet and to help locate the crew of the Arthra. It turns out that in many places an 'adult' is expected to join me, so this seemed a convenient partnership. On my end, I offer her food, shelter, protection, access to my mana as well as ensure the person who kept her in that cage faces justice. The latter has been dealt with."

Fenyx let out a low squack.

"Oh. And I may never put her in a cage. You should have seen the thing I found her in. I ended up cutting the roof off just to get her out, the door was almost too small to fit her through. She has a much smaller form she can take around the dorm room, to avoid Adrien's allergies. We're actually going to try to setup a little... doll house thing, as it was, for her and other magical critters that may come through. I figured that might be the kind of thing you two were interested in."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Interesting," Rashmi says, giving the bird a gentle smile. "I mean it *does* sound really impressive, Chrono, but... more important it sounds like you were *incredibly* kind to someone who really needed it."

Listening to the terms, Rashmi nods slowly. While she was certain she wouldn't find anything in the contract to object to, it's... always nice to have *verification* when you think well of someone. Especially someone who gives you cute presents on a whim. As she moves back to let Setsuna get her turn admiring Fenyx up close, Rashmi circles around to put an arm around Chrono's waist from the opposite side, idly considering the kind of gift that would be a match for an adorable cellphone charm. "So... Fenyx-san, you can eat things people can now, right? It doesn't upset your stomach? Also... Setsuna-chan, I'm not at *all* surprised that Chrono's pick would be a beautiful corvid. I guess he just has a type!"

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna takes a few moments inspecting Feynx, looking over any bits that might have been missed in whatver general tune up took care of any obvious wounds the young bird may have had.

Then she makes sure Rashmi and Feynx are quite occupied before she steps over to one of the cabinets.

She rummages around inside for a few moments before she remembers a bit earlier and, after grabbing two bags within, reaches into the fridge and gets three...then after a moment's thought, a fourth bottle of strawberry ramune before stepping back, handing one each to Rashmi and Chrono, sets a third down not far away from Feynx for when she changes again and after finding that the familair can eat human food normally says, "Well, then...I think she might appreciate these, then..."

And she presents a pair of small packages...of both regular and sour gummy worms.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Fenyx, for all the treatment she HAD received... looked immaculate. The magic itself was REALLY good... But... When he saw the look that Setsuna was giving the bird... he did send an image through his device to her phone. A picture of what the bird liked pre-contract. Feathers missing, and... and the rest didn't bear repeating. The poor abused thing.

"... Nothing should be treated like that," Chrono said. "Animal or otherwise. It was cruel. I wouldn't be me if I could ignore such a thing. As for her diet, well, as a human she can eat anything a human can. But as her default form, she should likely stay to standard food for her body. In the human form the food will just be broken down by the magic and used to help maintain said form. She uhhhh... might experience some... interesting reactions to things, though. New taste buds. So... will likely limit them a bit so she doesn't make herself sick. But yes, I'm sure she'd enjoy those."

Fenyx flew up and... once more, she was a tall lady. She took the ramune and reached down, slowly, gingerly taking te lid off. Then paused... and slowly lifted it up to drink from. Chrono gave a relieved sigh, before doing the same to his own...

And now that he was sure his familiar was taken care of, he leaned a bit into Rashmi's arm, resting his head against her side. "Mmmm. Well, what can I say? I... actually know very little about the birds of this world, so I couldn't say what that means about my 'type'. But avian familiars are incredibly useful. There will be a small bit of time where she learns to adapt to 'human' intelligence and I may need to get her some 'adult' clothes, but that can wait until she's more comfortable."

He then paused and took a drink of his Ramune and... "Just in case there is any concern, she'll be able to dress herself by the time it becomes relevant." No, there would be no silly anime shenanigans in his life for that.

Of course, Fenyx then slowly reached out to take the gummy worms. Once her hands were on them they snapped back quickly, like she was worried they'd be yanked back. But well... Either way, she stared at them for a few moments, then slowly opened the sour ones.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"...I meant smart and cute, Chrono," Rashmi says, poorly hiding her amusement. "Given everything you've said, look around at everyone else in this room, and tell me you don't have a type." Chuckling, she rests her cheek against Chrono's hair. "Y'know... this means that sometime soon we're *gonna* need to go clothes shopping for her, once she's used to clothes that aren't a Barrier Jacket."

The sight of gummi worms make her snort over her soda, the redhead shooting Setsuna a look like 'I'd call you incorrigible, but you'd just quote Aslan at me.' "Careful," she says when Fenyx opens the sour ones. "Those can be pretty strong, the other ones *aren't* dipped in treated sugar if you don't like those. So... people food for human form, real food for normal form. I'll have to look up what'd be good for her, but to start I'll see about mixing a big bag of seeds, nuts, and maybe dried berries? And Fenyx-san... please *do* let me know if there's a food you particularly like, I'll make sure to get more of it for you."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna briefly looks at the front and back of her hands, then arches an eyebrow at Rashmi...then she blinks, "...I have not had a chance to do a good clothes shop in...a while."

The look that Rashmi sends her over the gummi worms just causes Setsuna to, in a moment when only the redhead is looking at her, briefly stick her tongue out at the shorter woman in a silent 'BIIIIIDAH'.

Feynx's snatching the bag also just causes her to smile, "It's okay, Feynx-chan. You're among friends here...though I understand the habit may be difficult to break."

At Rashmi's comments about food, she hrms...then heads back to her cabinets for a few moments to rummage around before coming back and handing Chrono a box of granola bars, "...these should be fine to give her in either form if she needs some food in a pinch."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown let out a small ohhhh. "I... guess I do. I hadn't thought about it much at the time. I guess I do like to be around people who are smart and competent. And you two are quite beautiful. Her feathers were quite radiant, I can't deny I was impressed when I saw them."

However, the clothes shopping thing... made him sigh. "Yes. I imagine it'll happen once she's gotten better acclimated. Believe it or not, I've never been much of a clothes shopper. Fortunately, my roommate is a model so I can probably get him to assist. He's a lot better at these things than me."

Fenyx, meanwhile, gave a nod to Chrono and then... pulled out one of the worms. And looked just a hint disappointed.

"Humans rarely eat worms, they're candy," Chrono told her.

"Oh," Fenyx said. Then put it into her mouth. The whole worm. And dropped the bag, coughing, hacking and...

"Yeah, new taste buds," Chrono said with a soft sigh. "I'll clean this up. She'll get used to it, with time. So please don't take it personally," Chrono said before, sadly, pulling away from Rashmi. He then picked up the bag, the lost piece she'd spat out. Chucking it in the trash, he then... washed his hands, the bag. "Mind if I borrow a knife and a cutting board?" he asked Setsuna.

And then the two would be privy to watching the TSAB enforcer... literally cut up and prepare sour gummy worms for the lady who looked old enough to be his mother. Handing them to her in small, tiny bits so she could get used to the flavor. Like he was taking care of a really tall child.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"*Or,*" Rashmi points out, chuckling, "you could ask the *girls* for help, buying clothes for a *girl,* where you *or* Adrien probably wouldn't be allowed to help her *put them on.* Which, the fact that that didn't occur to you really proves you've never been much of a clothes shopper."

The moment Fenyx tries the worm, Rashmi is off to the kitchen proper, opening and closing cabinet doors until she finds glassware, and filling a glass with water. And as Chrono prepares his familiar snacks like a parent cutting the crusts off a sandwich, Rashmi is kneeling down next to the woman, offering the glass of water. "Just drink a little at a time, Fenyx-san," she says gently. "You don't want to get water where you're supposed to breathe."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
As Setsuna watches Chrono cut up the gummy worms (...and from up close, he'll probably note that the butcher's block on the kitchen island is cracked all the way through...it's pushed together very well...but from close, it's noticably broken along a seam), she looks over at Rashmi with a look that just screams, 'OH MY GOD THAT'S ADORABLE!'

Then Rashmi is helping Feynx drink...and she gives Chrono the same look for a different reason.

As it is, she slowly edges back just a bit so that she can get the whole panoply in the shot...then subtly takes a picture with her camera's phone.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown nodded and... "I mean, I would. Except I imagine the two of you would get her a bunch of clothes stock full of references that neither of us would get. Then she'd be questioned on them all the time and we'd both be left in the lurch, possibly causing issues." Pause. "That and I figured it'd be greedy of me to ask you for too much help in this as it is."

And yes, he was babying the crud out of Fenyx. And he definitely nodded to Setsuna when she mouthed it about Rashmi. Rashmi was adorable.

Fenyx, at least, looked a bit embarrassed. "Sorry..." she said softly.

"Your life and awareness of the world has shifted in the last twenty four hours," Chrono said. "It would take time for anyone to adapt," he said before giving her another piece to try. This time she held it in her mouth. "I wouldn't worry too much, the first week as a familiar can be a bit... intense for the familiar. But after that, it's usually fairly smooth."

He then... eyed the cutting board. "Meiou-san, you know this cutting board is damaged, correct?" he asked, motioning along the seam. "And just wait until the first time she tries your family's cooking, Rashmi. Her tongue may fall off."

"... That... that won't actually happen, will it?" Fenyx asked, a little worry in her voice.

"No, it won't."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Let's actually build up to that," Rashmi says hurriedly. "I read somewhere that birds don't actually have any way to taste capsacin, so the feeling of 'hot' on her tongue would be a *massive* shock. And Chrono... it won't be greedy if we're *offering.* I mean, we can get Adrien-san too, make a whole thing of it! I'm sure it wouldn't be the first time Setsuna-chan's shopped with supermodels, right?"

The stuck-out tongue is answered briefly, as Rashmi apparently feels comfortable enough to tease Setsuna about the rarefied air she seems to exist in. Then there's a pause, as Rashmi considers something. "So if we're going to get you acclimated to the human world, Fenyx-san, and especially the food... Who feels like sushi?"

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna rolls her eyes, "We're not THAT bad. Anything with pop culture references will just be casual wear for 'about the house'"

She then gives him an arch look, "Have you ever seen me wear anything other than professional clothes in a professional setting? Rashmi-chan here is much the same."

She frowns, "...though to be fair, you and she have uniform requirements, so I'll admit I haven't seen either of you in much else."

At which point she blinks...and steps a bit closer to Fenyx...giving the familiar in human form a bit of a critical look-over. She then nods to herself and says, "I'll be right back..."

But before she makes it out of the room, she hears Rashmi make her suggestion, then she spins around, hands Rashmi her phone with the DoorDash app already opened, then walks right back out of the kitchen and towards the bedrooms.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown nodded. "I suppose. And... no, I suppose that's true. I don't think I've actually worn anything aside from professional clothing. Honestly? I was thinking about getting a casual version of my barrier jacket so I didn't need to be henshined all the time when I was on duty."

... 'On duty'. HE WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO COULD PUT HIM ON DUTY!

"But sure, I suppose we could go and do that. I'd need to procure some funds, or just make Meiou-san pay for it all. Having friends on a planet who are rich in that world's form of currency is very useful, at least." Yup. He just out and said it.

"... As for Sushi, however, I believe that is a fabulous idea. Positively delightful. If we got her some of the basic pieces, it would be a perfect way to expand her palette, by adding different styles and sauces, without overwhelming her."

He then handed her another piece of worm, a slightly bigger one, which she could eat down. "I'm not a baby..." Fenyx mumbled softly. "I'm a pet..." she muttered.

"Familiar," Chrono said. "NOT a pet. Well. Not entirely a pet. You have the same legal protections as any other citizen of the TSAB."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"...You need a bomber jacket, Chrono" Rashmi declares, bobbling the phone for a bit. Once her grip is certain, she starts swiping over the menu. "Okay then, simple, simple... Nigiri, lean tuna, salmon, yellowtail, shrimp, four each... Rolls, cucumber-plum, tuna-scallion, three each... ...oh hey there's an inarizushi sampler, that too..."

There's a bit of hesitation before she hits the order button, and without even thinking about it she extracts a clutch purse from behind her skirt, and counts out three thousand yen. Because she's *not* gonna at least make a token attempt to pay for her part, perhaps as part of an unconscious rebelling against Chrono's assertion that rich friends are useful. Bills are put on the counter, the phone to weight them down, then the money is promptly ignored as she turns back to help Chrono with Fenyx. "'Pet' is a word that doesn't apply to you, Fenyx-san," she says gently. "You're Chrono's assistant, but that's *way* different from a pet."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna walks back in a few minutes later with a small shoulder bag, "Alright then, Fenyx-san...I've got a few plain blouses, a t-shirt or two, a few skirts, a pair of shorts, and a spare sweatsuit I had lying around. You're close enough to my size that all this should fit well enough, though I can let things in or out if you need to make it fit a bit better until we can get you a proper wardrobe. They're yours, now."

The only thing with a logo on it is the sweatsuit's top and the two t-shirts, all of which have the 'PROPERTY OF USS RONALD REGAN ATHLETIC DEPT XL' written on them...which is a common enough thing that just about anyone seeing it will probably assume it came from a gift shop at the base down in Yokosuka.

Setsuna's phone is retrieved...and a surreptious glance is given at the cash...but it all disappears with a little twist of her wrist.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown just looked at Rashmi and... "I... I'm not part of demolitions. Why would I need a bomber jacket?" ... Oh. Oh my gosh. He. He was serious. "Though, I suppose having one ready in case I need to perform a strafing run isn't a bad idea. But I'm not sure how that's relivant?"

He then glanced when Rashmi took out her money and... then looked a little confused. Then... "Uhhhhh... have... I been going about it... in the wrong way?" he asked, just a hint nervously.

... Chrono... really, really didn't... fully... understand 'money'. Like, he had... ways... of getting it. But he admittedly tended to 'cheat' a lot when it came to such things. It was why it was rarely a good idea to ask where he got his money from.

He then smiled to Setsuna and bowed his head politely. "Thank you very much, Meiou-san."

Fenyx nodded and picked up one of the blouses and... started to put it on.

Over the barrier jacket.

Chrono sighed. "Was wondering how long it'd take. Don't worry, Fenyx. You'll understand as more things kind of get locked into your head."

She looked a little embarrassed, but he didn't speak about it again. At least, not like that, however... "And no, it's not troublesome, Fenyx."

"I didn't say anything..."

"But you were feeling anxious about it, weren't you?" Chrono asked."

"...."

"I've researched familiars before," Chrono said. "I was well prepared for all of this when I took on your contract." He then looked to the other two ladies. "In the first week the emotions can also feel strange to them, as new ones become apparent, new thoughts and ideas spring to mind. It's an emotional time for them. Many can have feelings of guilt, anxiety and, often, self conscious. It's very important to assure them during this time."

... He was in such 'dad' mode with this familiar.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Watching Chrono be a dad to a new Familiar is, indeed, *absolutely adorable.*

And they've been dating for two weeks, *do not get that kind of mushy* about it Rashmi. Instead, focus that powerful 'dawwww' into being *helpful.*

"Hey Fenyx-san?" Rashmi says, placing a hand on the Familiar's, "would it be okay if I helped you get dressed? Just to show you how to put the things on. There's an order to it that makes it a lot easier, is all, and we can go to another room so you don't have to be embarrassed."

She blinks as a thought occurs to her, and Nicomachea's charm *bongs* as she casts a quick Telepathy spell, for Setsuna alone.

    << ...Are there underthings in that pile? Or do we just stick with sweatpants for now? >>

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna blinks a few times as the telepathy spell connects with her...and for a moment, things get a bit...WIERD.

Namely, the response Rashmi gets sounds like an almost incomprehensible squeal of noise. Then a moment later, she gets a very stretched out, low tone...this goes back and forth a few times in rapid succession before finally things resolve to normal and Setsuna sends back.

<< Sadly, no. I mean, I have stuff in my room that's just out of the wash so should be fine if we really need...but I know that some people get really wierd about that kind of thing and I wasn't about to do the measurements to get her a proper fit just yet so I left it out. >>

While saying nothing, she visibly taps her chin, << The t-shirts are jersey-knit cotton, though...so they'll work well enough until at least tomorrow. >>

She then snorts, << ...though I'm pretty sure I have the cloth for a sarashi around here, I have NO idea on how to properly tie one. >>

While Fenyx probably won't catch that there's byplay...it's likely that Chrono will be able to tell there's a private conversation going on.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown cringed when Rashmi offered. "No," Chrono said quickly. "I appreciate the offer, Rashmi, and I know it comes from a place of love. But trust me. At first? It's definitely better to not. People who have been people their entire lives sometimes have issues with clothing, getting arms stuck in shirts, tripping up their legs, all manner of things."

"Imagine that, but then imagine not being familiar with your new limbs. The strange sensation of having your body impeded by your new clothing, while not being altogether familiar with the sensation of having these new limbs. She already has a lot of new sensations she's learning about. That's actually why I had this clothing designed when I chose her."

He then motioned to her legs. "Notice the stockings, they don't go all the way up but they do offer protection and warmth. Additionally, the long skirt is open in the front, making sure she won't trip over it, while covering the back, side and, when she stands, the front, a lot like a bird's wings folded over. The upper regions of the outfit leaves her shoulders bare, so she doesn't feel any restraint on her arms, but the sleeves of the outfit do maintain a proper covering, keeping her both warm and protected, while not impeding those limbs either. The cloak part also ensures her back is covered as well as her shoulders, without actually impeding the limbs either. While putting clothing like this ON would be a nuisance, the barrier jacket aspect allows it to form on her body WITHOUT her having to struggle with the issues of trying to understand a new body."

Meanwhile, Fenyx just stared at him before, slowly, taking half a worm from him and chewing on it. "You... put a lot of thought into this."

"Of course I did," Chrono said. "You're my familiar. It's my responsibility to ensure you are safe and taken care of and that you're not hurt due to my negligence."

Fenyx just stared, then finally... looked to Rashmi. "When... I... feel better about this... I wouldn't mind having you help me with... things. Changing. You're... you're not as ummm... serious, as he is. Are you?"

... Was anyone?

Rashmi Terios has posed:
The feedback, and subsequent mental 'tuning in' is weird enough that Rashmi kind of cringes away for a moment, shaking the resulting gnats out of your head. "...Owwww... Okay note to self, don't surprise-telepathy Setsuna-chan. Nnnnoted."

While the fact that Chrono has put a *lot* of thought into this isn't quite as surprising to Rashmi, the chain of logic was *definitely* one she hadn't thought of. So, rather than be upset, or insulted, at having her offer of help rebuffed, Rashmi simply listens to the explanation, briefly rubbing one ear, nodding her understanding here and there, then smiling broadly. "Got it," she says at the end. "Then when you *do,* Fenyx-san, just ask and I'll help. And, no," she finishes with a laugh. "It's kind of hard to be *more* serious than Chrono, but it's also hard to be more *reliable* too. Also he's an absolute squishy under all that serious, you'll see. So... Clothes are for later, food is for soon."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
For her part, Setsuna smiles and snorts, "Rashmi-chan has the right of it. Our Mister Harlawon here is FAR too serious and uptight for his own good. I'm counting on you two girls to each help him to relax more in your own ways."

She pauses, then glances at her phone, "...that said, food appears to be here. I'll be right back."

And with that, she walks down the hall to the front door, where an interaction with the delivery driver can be heard.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown cocked an eye and merely chuckled, shaking his head. "Indeed, I imagine Setsuna-chan has quite a few... interesting reactions to that," he said. "And yes, I think she will be very helpful with that."

"Indeed," Fenyx said. "I'm able to actually... kind of feel my bosses current physical state. If his mana is low, if he's hurt. For example, every time you come close or touch him, his heart rate rises a little bit."

And that knocked the smile right off Chrono's face and his cheeks went bright red. "I... well... I mean... she's my girlfriend and--"

"Oh, it is going very fast right now," Fenyx said. "And I believe he has dry mouth, now. And--"

"Ahem!" Chrono said quickly. "Fenyx, I think she understands!" Chrono said, his voice a liiiiiittle squeaky.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"That," Rashmi says around a grin, "is because having a girlfriend is *new.*" Oh while she normally tries not to tease Chrono, and in fact makes a very special habit of *not* encouraging his embarrassment... some things are just too good to pass up. Which is why she swoops in behind the poor flustered boy, wrapping her arms around his chest and squeezing.

"For example, I'm gonna bet his core temperature's just spiked, and he's getting a little dizzy right now! That's because *he* still needs to get used to *affection,* but because I want him to feel safe, the moment he asks me to stop, I will. And it won't upset me, because the point isn't *just* to make him flustered, but to know that he can put a stop to that whenever he likes!"

Rocking side to side with her chin atop Chrono's head, Rashmi beams at Fenyx. "Because this squishy, absolutely romantic boy means the world to me, and I *like* it when I can prove that."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
From over next to the doorway into the hall comes the sound of a camera click.

And looking over will reveal a hugely grinning Setsuna smiling with some bags in one hand while taking a photo of Rashmi hugging Chrono with the other, "...and this is me saving the image for posterity so that we can look at the two of them being adorable again and again whenever we like, Fenyx-chan."

Making her phone disappear with a twist of her wrist, she steps over and starts unpacking the food, laying it out on the kitchen island, "It looks like Rashmi-chan's picked a pretty good spread of things for you to try...I'd just recommend avoiding that green paste there whenever you see it for now...it's probably a bit too intense for you until you're more used to mammal taste buds."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown blushed, but... leaned into the hug when she held him. And...

"Actually... it calmed down," Fenyx said softly. "The core temperature didn't spike and there was no dizzyness. His heart rate is faster than its baseline, but slower than it was a second ago. I think... he does feel safe."

... If that wasn't the highest praise. She... had a calming effect on him. And then Setsuna took a picture and he squeaked. Then... "Nobody else sees that picture. You three I guess it's fine, you're like family. Business family," he said. "You can let go, though. Uhhhh... Fenyx, you can use your hands or the chopsticks, don't overdo it though. It's still a lot for you to learn. But..." He gave her a thumbs up. "You're doing well so far. But yeah. These two are good, Fenyx. If you can't find me... if you need help, these two are always good backups you can trust."

And when Rashmi let her go... He moved up and stood on his tippy toes, to give her a little peck on the cheek.

"... I wonder if I like you both, or if I am just... feeling his like of you two," Fenyx mumbled.

"That's a whole discussion and psychological discussion I do not think you're ready for," Chrono said quickly.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Letting go does happen, right *after* another smooch on top of Chrono's head, and the peck on the cheek elicits a brief giggle. "Yeah, sushi is perfectly okay to eat with your hands," she affirms to Fenyx, poking through the cupboards until dishes reveal themselves, then setting one each out for the diners. "It's a lot easier to dip in the sauce with your hands, unless you've had lots of practice with chopsticks. So... To start, sushi *is* mostly marinated fish on very slightly seasoned rice. The ones wrapped in green are mostly vegetables, but it's all... gentle tasting? Most of it, anyway."

Then she looks to Fenyx, and her comment on the feelings, and she nods slowly after Chrono's quick kicking of the can. "There's a *lot* that's gonna be hard to sort out for awhile, I think... Maybe it'd be a good idea to just kind of... examine those feelings for awhile, until you have a better handle on what comes from you and what comes from him."

Setsuna gets a quick glance, and a text message pops up on her screen.

    << I want that picture for my home screen, please. >>

Devices are *so helpful!*

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna has already picked through the entire order and located the Philadelphia Rolls and is busy applying the wasabi paste for that roll over all 12 pieces...with her finger.

Because that's the way she's used to doing it since when you're all by yourself, who gives a crap.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Fenyx nodded, taking a seat and starting to... put a piece into her mouth. She then let out a soft, happy sigh. "It has been a long time since I've had fish. Longer since I've had fish I didn't need to hunt myself and pull apart with my beak and talons," she said.

Chrono sat down a moment later besides her... and then glanced over to Setsuna and... A moment later Rashmi's device would get a ping. As would Setsuna's phone.

It was a picture of her applying the wasabi paste. And a playful grin on Chrono's lips. "But yes. The first week is going to have a lot of new experiences for you, Fenyx. You'll spend a lot of time with me and the people I trust the most." Well, in the end, Setsuna was his medic. Sorta. He literally trusted her with his life. And... he needed to be sure Fenyx had someone she could trust like that too.

"..." Fenyx paused for a minute and looked up at the three of them. Then, she smiled. "I... think I'm going to like this. So long as there's never any cages."

"Never any cages," Chrono assured her.

And while it was going to be a while, before they left, Fenyx.... was going to have a gift for the other two girls. A red and blue feather for each. After all, they were like family now, right? In this weird, dysfunctional way.

"... I also like being able to shoot fire and ice everywhere. I think that's pretty cool." Then she stuffed a whole oversized piece of sushi into her mouth. Her sushi. Hers.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"*Never* a cage," Rashmi agrees, vehemently, as she carefully dips a bite of yellowtail sushi into a wasabi-soy mix -- she may not be as feral as Setsuna, but she *is* a teenager -- and stuffs the entire piece in her mouth, at which point she checks her phone, and promptly has to navigate a snrk and food without choking. It takes a moment, but she manages!

"I think it's safe to say that *all* of us have a deep interest in making sure you never feel trapped, Fenyx-chan. And, yeah, magic is *fun* when it's new. And sometimes even after!"

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna glances at her phone. Hrms...sends Rashmi the requested photo, then calmly gets up and walks over to the sink.

No words said, she just ignores everyone else in the room for a few moments as she thoroughly washes and dries her hands...then goes back and sits right back down where she was before.

Then she looks over at Rashmi and Chrono, pulls down one eyelid and sticks out her tongue at them, "BIIIIIIIDAH!"

After a few moments, she then goes back to eating her sushi as if nothing had happened.