Scene #8134: Spooky Night is Serious Business

Owner	Pose
Stanley Padgett	The nice part about having an entire Multiverse open up to you is that now you can go Thrifting almost anywhere, at apparently any point in time, if you want to. You just have to sort out payments when and where you are. Thankfully, tonight, Stanley is doing the most sensible thing he can do. He's invited his friends out to ENGAGE IN CONSUMERISM AND CREATIVITY. But not at Spirit Halloween, that's for chumps. Stanley is currently 6 aisles deep in the largest thrift store he could find in his region of the Tapestry, which coincidentally is some sort of dumping point for store returns and donated clothing and all of that sort of thing: Saint George's of the Glen Charities. The young man is currently carrying a stack of old vintage suits that are vaguely his size, and looking over the racks at his compatriot Rider and Weird Rider. "...What do you guys think, is plaid out of the question? I need something I can still fence in, but all of the suits that are big enough for that are like... straight polyester."
Timespace Riders	"Where suits are concerned, plaid should be approached only with the utmost purpose and vision, dear Stanley," warns Woz, his expression one of grave counsel. Twirling his wrist in one of those iconic flourishes, "A plaid suit, like any other, tends to look better when it fits your form." Looking Stanley up and down, he extends a hand to halt him, grabbing gently but firmly at the shoulder and attempting to coax him into turning in place. "However," he then notes, with an inclination of his head towards Stanley's own, "Your preference for loud hair colors may mitigate the looseness of the outfit, giving off a 'punk' appearance." It doesn't need to be said that Woz is in his usual outfit. Sougo, however, is just as excited to be here as Stanley, as his wardrobe is often just as varied. Today, he's got a navy peacoat, overtop a pink-and-blue baggy button-up, matched with rolled khaki jeans and low-cut boots. "Mm... tie or no tie, for that suit? If you want to fence in it, maybe go for something like a matching turtleneck instead of a tie?"
Remee Halcyon	"I think plaid is out of the question, unless you're doing it ironically as a joke or unironically as a clan thing?" says Remee, peering at the suits. "And if you're wanting to actually fight in formal clothing you actually need to get it tailored, otherwise you're just sort of... handicapping yourself." Among the shelves, she's found an old plastic extendo-grabber toy, but otherwise is just along for the ride instead of doing any shopping for herself.
Stanley Padgett	Stanley dutifully turns in place, as instructed by Woz. He's thankfully out of his school uniform tonight, but still wearing a damn shirt and tie, because he's that sort of dork. At least he too is wearing khakis, rather than blacks. His garish Aqua hair is still got a healthy amount of the color still in it. "...Right, no plaid then. I'm just trying to get the right amount of sleeze into my 'Used Car Guy' look, so like..." His words drift off as he looks over the racks at Sougo, before turning again to look into Woz's eyes. "...how much is it going to cost to get one of these tailored by next week?"
Kukuru	By sheer coincidence, Kukuru is at this specific store as well! Why? Returns. Why returns? Because teleportation means it's incredibly easy to just go to the places with the best deals or, in this case, one of the few places that'll actually take a return that's several months out. Instead of beelining for the service desk, however, she happens to spot multiple familiar faces, and she lets out a slightly droning 'heeeeeey' from way over that-a-way before slowly dragging herself over to where they're looking at suits and toys and figuring out wardrobe upgrades. For once, Kukuru's even wearing something that isn't her usual white-and-green fare. Instead, she's wearing a yellow sweater and blue jeans with a loose black jacket over everything. "A tie would look pretty dashing if you're gonna fence in it." She nods in agreement with Sougo, then furrows her brow. "Oh, but if someone pulls on it, you could lose your head real easy." She suggests, then taps a finger to her chin while yawning. "But... If that happens, let me know. I can fix that right up." How she expects Stanley to do that sans head is anyone's guess.
Timespace Riders	Woz purses his lips. "It depends upon the tailor, where they are located, and how much is required. On the low end, for this time period..." He ponders a moment, hand on his chin. "Slightly less than a new video game on the low end; slightly more than a home appliance on the high end. If Lampport has a tailor, I might recommend going there, as they may be more affordable." Sougo dips around the rack, interposing himself between Stanley and Woz. He flashes his Concord Dorado Black card, smiling wide. "But don't worry about that! It won't cost you a thing, Stanley. Just let me know where you'd like to have it done," he says, wrapping an arm around him, "And we'll make an afternoon out of it! I--oh, hi, Kukuru! How are you?" He waves merrily at her.
Remee Halcyon	"I mean, it's worthwhile to get it tailored right, but then some of these are-" She reaches out to brush her hand over one of the suits Stanley's picked out, and pauses on feeling the fabric. "Oh- wait, this one's actually pretty nice, I take that back. How much is it?" She checks out price tags. "Ahh - you know, probably someone died in this one. I bet that's why it's so cheap." And there's a Kukuru. "Hi Kukuru!" she says, waving.
Stanley Padgett	Stanley laughs a bit at Sougo's statement on 'an afternoon of it' and he grumbles. "At least something cool will be happenign in Lampport then. I'm just happy to be out of town for a while, actually." A beat. "Actually, let's not talk about that, the less said right now the better." He blinks at bit at Remee and Kukuru, who both decide to go right to him dying or someone dying in the suit, and he turns slightly pale. "I mean... I don't mind that? I just am wearing this for Halloween, and then like.... I dunno, I'm still growing a little so I'll have to get it tailored again at some point." He swishes around the suits, before shuffling over towards... the TIE RACK. All ties, $5. "....ooooh."
Ozhira	Something rustles inside Kukuru's left pocket. A certifiably nasty red sludge spills out, though somehow doesn't stain the lovely sweater at all. Rather than pool on the floor, though, it starts 'filling in' a human outline as if pouring the shape into a mold. Once it stops, colors resolve first on the clothes and then the body, leaving a human-adjacent figure standing beside the behorned woman, clad in their usual black blazer and plaid skirt. Ozhira's eyes travel upward first, out of habit, glancing across various signs and light fixtures-- and ventilation outlets. Seemingly satisfied, their attention returns to ground level, hands raising to show non-threatening intent to some startled staff and guests. The Beast nods once to Kukuru in thanks, then trots off into the sea of thrifty clothing aisles.
Kukuru	"He-llo, Sou-go! And Woz and Remee and Stanley and..." Kukuru takes a breath as she prepares to bet out some more names, then stops once she realizes that she's actually done with greetings. "I'm doing okaaay. Are you all shopping for stuff, too? I heard there's good cheap stuff here, so..." Reaching for her pocket, Kukuru holds it open briefly as something oozes right out of it without looking surprised in the slightest. Once it's done, she leans over briefly to give Ozhira a gentle pat on the head, then digs back in and takes out a crumpled-up circular. "The last one I got for my parents broke, but I hear these types are supposed to be pretty good even for the price." She sounds hopeful about that as she opens it up to a page showing cheap rice cookers (with a specific one circled). "If you need a suit fixed up to fit better, though, I could take care of that. I've done it for the kids back home plenty of times." Kukuru offers with a sleepy smile, then hops in place a few times while trying to peer over the aisles. "Which section are we in, anyway...?"
John Doe	When did John arrive? Hard to tell because when he speaks he's likely to make everyone jump at the fact he was just suddenly 'there'. "Plaid is awful, why would you ever subject yourself or anyone to it?" John says from an isle over, sticking his head over the top of it to look down. He's likely climbing on something. A second later he leaps over and lands, flicking the tip of his hat to move it up so he can see better. "But I ain't an expert on good suits. Well, maybe the birthday ones, ha," He says, in an obvious joke. That is until Ozhira climbs out of Kukuru's pocket. He just stares at the danger spaghetti for a moment. "Uh...nice to meet you I guess?" To the mention of someone having died in the suit, he thinks about that. "Mmm. Might be! Or maybe too many suit outfits at the funeral home and they sold it off."
Remee Halcyon	Remee's nose wriggles. She glances over at the oozing... thing, as it appears. "Oh, you know," she says, casually and straight faced to Stanley while all of this is going on. "If you're still growing, you generally buy all new clothes instead of getting them tailored..." "... I can't speak on ties, though, that's all you. Anyway, excuse me for a bit," she says, heading off in a different direction than Ozhira went... ... And then still ending up somewhere not too far from where Ozhira happens to be, casually browsing the racks.
Petra Soroka	A sourceless voice calls out to the group, seemingly emanating from somewhere past the aisle that everyone is congregated in. "Remee! I thought I heard your voice," The disorganized rack of clothes bordering the aisle rustles, and a hand reaches through to push them aside, revealing Petra standing in what seems to be a hidden, secret aisle between two others. "And there's a whole crowd here! Hi everyone!" Petra's cart is piled full of various clothes, mostly heavy sweaters of the maximum cozy variety. She herself is dressed in a brown sweater patterned with white flowers, with wide leg jeans resting on top of her chunky combat boots. She scoots herself out of the rack, and looks Stanley up and down. "No way you're pulling off plaid, dude. You're built like a twig."
Ozhira	The Beast is Engaged. While holding up a dress to themself, John addresses the girl that arrived as slime. Their head rotates towards him and, for the briefest of instants, it's like locking eyes with a ravenous predator. In one blink, it's gone, Ozhira's face a more neutral expression. "Hello," the girl? offers, "We are Ozhira. Kukuru. Is our friend." They certainly don't smell like a person. More like... salt, and blood, and some indescribable gelatin. They offer John a very valiant attempt at a smile smile of perfectly interlocked triangular teeth. Their eyes glance towards Remee, someone else who gives off the vague vibe of Predator, but is quickly distracted by Petra's more bombastic arrival energy. Glancing down, Ozhira tugs out the hem of her plaid skirt, a thoughtful look on her face when the pattern is criticized, "What is. It good for, then?"
Remee Halcyon	Sir, you are being hunted. ... Well, being watched. Being... observed. Being considered. Being... appraised. Being- Remee gets knocked right out of hunt mode by the new arrival. "Oh! Petra! Hi there!"
Stanley Padgett	Stanley blinks a bit, as a bunch more people he KNOWS are Elites come piling in as well, and a few he doesn't recognize. Be thankful he wasn't aware enough to start to spot Ozhira at first. "Oh uh..." He's jostled out of his TIE HUNTING by all the arrivals and just sorta waves awkwardly at people, before remembering who he is, and putting on his best COOL GUY FACE... and then holding up a swatch of 8 ties to Woz and Sougo and Remee. "....uh... help?"
John Doe	John's eyebrows rise up when he recognizes Ozhira's voice, and when she confirms who she is by her introduction. "Oh hey. I'm John, but I won't hold it against you if you don't remember. We talked over the radio. I guess that explains the pronouns and the prey talk." Petra gets a wave as she shows up, though they barely talked at the investigation. He's also pretty forgettable. When Stanley starts getting overwhelmed, he leans on his shoulder. "Bro, you're trying too hard. You gotta be loose, go with the flow instead of asserting yourself if you're trying to be a cool dude."
Kukuru	"Aw, plaid can be okay sometimes. Like when..." Lacking an answer for that, Kukuru promptly doesn't and instead turns to greet John instead. "He-llo again~ Wow, everyone's meeting up today, huh? Now we've got Ozhi and..." She's pretty sure his name starts with a J, and that there's an N in it. Luckily, John introduces himself, and she can just work with that. "... John! And a new friend, looks like." She speeds right past that forgotten name, instead peering at Petra when she emerges from the clothing rack. "Oh, you've got a couple of things already, too. He-llo there. Are you a friend of them... Their's... Them, too?" It's time for the usual greeting: A pat on the head, a light dip at the waist, and a stifled yawn. "My name's Kukuru. Ku-ku-ru. Nice to meet you..." She yawns again, then picks out a red tie for herself on a whim and tries it on. It doesn't really fit with a sweater. "I guess it wouldn't be a bad idea to pick up some of these, too..."
Petra Soroka	Petra turns away from Stanley, completely disinterested in his tie hunt, and sizes Ozhira up. She didn't see her emerge in slime-form, so her assumptions about Ozhira's awkward speech and strange smell are... distinctly wrong. Coming to some conclusion, Petra puts on an enthusiastic smile and rushes to console her. "Oh, don't worry, plaid's good when it accents a solid color, like what you're wearing! You look fine, girl-- girls--" Petra visibly cycles through the five stages of grief after remembering that Ozhira referred to herself with plural pronouns, then finishes lamely, "You look good." Petra looks like she's been here for hours, her hair is a bit unkempt and her face is flushed. On closer inspection, she's actually got dust and spiderwebs caught in her hair and on her shoulders, for some reason. "So, Remee, these are friends of yours? What are y'all here for?" And because there's like six people here she hasn't met, "Oh, and I'm Petra, by the way."
Timespace Riders	"Mm!" Sougo nods brightly in confirmation of Kukuru's earlier question. "I do a lot of my clothes shopping at places like this. You know," he then says to Remee, "Not everything in these places has a story like that! Sometimes people just outgrow things. Or they move, and can't justify taking certain things with them. There's a lot of reasons people bring their stuff to stores like this." "Felicitations, Petra Soroka. Your arrival was foretold in this book," the retainer explains with a satisfied smile, motioning as he rises to a strange hardback book tucked under the opposite arm. Turning, he observes the ties Stanley has picked out. "Let us see. Hm." His previous advice had been given purely from the standpoint of fashion, but this is for a costume. "If the stock character of 'untrustworthy car salesman' is the costume you've set your mind on, dear Stanley, then I might recommend this one," He points out a garish tie with a chaotic, geometric pattern ranging from brown to blue to yellow to orange, somehow also spangled with white stars.
John Doe	John turns his attention to Woz, "If you're going for untrustworthy, you should listen to him," John mentions to Stanley. "So what about me Woz, was I in that book? Don't lie now." He smiles at Kukuru, despite the fact she can't remember his name he can't stay mad at her. It's impossible.
Ozhira	Ozhira lets out a distinctly inhuman chirping sound when things click together, "Oh. We spoke before. You are--" John, as he introduces himself while the Beast's thoughts are aligning, "Yes." It's accentuated with a nod, "We will not forget this heartbeat now that we have heard it." Petra's compliment at least mellows them out a little bit. Ozhira's eyes close for a moment, "We understand. But we do. Wish for variety, too." Raising a hand, they gesture, "The things humans wear. There is a lot to choose here. So we come." Their head snaps towards Woz and Stanley picking out ties, then glances down at themself. Plucking their own tie between thumb and forefinger, they hold it out. The pattern starts changing, warping from a solid color to a replica of the one Woz has recommended. It takes a moment for Ozhira's disappointment to show, the faintest tip of their tongue poking past their lips, "Oh."
Timespace Riders	"Always, I act in accordance with what would best serve my Demon King, and assist him on the road to his coronation. As such, I am the most trustworthy person here, for I am ever in his service," says the retainer, taking a knee before Sougo. The 'Demon King' blushes, fussing with the hem of his button-up and placing a hand on his retainer's shoulder. "Woz," he quietly urges, "You're embarrassing me..." It doesn't sound like he minds too much, given the very Normal chuckle he lets slip thereafter. Woz does rise, turning to John with his head held high, smiling smugly at him and gesturing in his direction with a delicate twirl of his index. "There are many things contained within this book, John Doe," he coyly answers. So, maybe, maybe not. There is the sense that this man would be absolutely insufferable on dating apps, were he not so clearly sworn to Sougo. "Nice to meet you, Petra!" Sougo says. "Stanley invited Woz and I along! I like thrifting, and I like Stanley, so I came right over," he says, smiling warmly.
Stanley Padgett	Stanley considers things, and then plucks up three ties. One of them seems to be pearlescent with how wildly the color shifts, but there's just... it's pretty like a trainwreck is pretty. The other two are just good, solid vintage ties. For 5 dollars. "Here we go." The tie does not start talking to Stanley Padgett.
Petra Soroka	Watching the scene of Woz proclaiming his devotion to Sougo makes Petra's eyes light up with a Dangerous Fujoshi Glow. Her smile widens to bare her teeth a little bit, and Ozhira can feel Predator energy start to radiate off of her. "Ohohoho. So you're Woz's Demon King? I had such a different image of you in my head. From the way he talks about you, you sound like the coolest and most important guy in the Multiverse, he really must think so highly of you." She bites her knuckle and gestures at the pair. "So you're together?" To Ozhira, after she changes her tie. "Oh my God, you can do that?? That's literally the most useful power ever; can you change all of your clothes like that? I mean, I guess it'd get boring not needing to shop ever, but that's so cool!"
John Doe	John stares at Woz, rolling his eyes. "See, that's the thing that makes you seem so untrustworthy. You feel the need to keep announcing that you are...also the smugness," John says, pushing himself off of Stanley and giving Woz a smirk, "What a roundabout way to say that I'm not," Though he looks a little annoyed by that. Not even the book of future history knows his name. He turns to Ozhira because of the heartbeat comment. "Uhhh, thanks???" he says, not sure how to take that particular message. Though he does place a hand on his hip when he notices her disappointment. "What's wrong?" John feels more predator energy as Petra is also engaging with the fruit of Woz's decisions. Poor Sougo. He's feeling very...trapped all of a sudden, with all of these predators around. It's fine, just play it cool. Also curious about Sougo's answer to Petra's question.
Kukuru	"It's a lot easier to pick when it's cheaper, right? Then you don't have to worry as much." Kukuru nods in agreement with Sougo, going through the ties a bit more before switching gears once she picks out a few lighter colored ones. Woz's book predictions get an intrigued ooh-ing noise from Kukuru, too, and she eventually chuckles again when Ozhira starts doing funky things with a tie. "... Oh, that /would/ be super convenient. You could try on anything like that, and you wouldn't even have to spend money if you remember it good enough." Kukuru chimes in after Petra, then pauses to go through a rack of shoddy vests, then tries it on with a little twirl. It's a little tight on her, especially since she's wearing it over her jacket and sweater instead of taking anything off like a sane person would do first. Only after she strains the vest a little too long does Kukuru finally turn her attention to Petra firmly. "I don't think I've seen you before, though... Are you doing okay? Eating enough? Getting enough sleep?" She asks with the tone and general energy of a fussy aunt or something, complete with invading Petra's personal space to circle around her a few times.
Ozhira	John thanks Ozhira. Ozhira returns it with another of those awkward attempts at a smile. Surely this was a positive interaction! And not something awkward and offputting. When he asks her about the disappointed face she's put on, though, she gestures to the tie again, "These colors. Make us feel gross." In an instant, the colors bleach out to white, then their tie turns black again. This is about when Petra leans in, drawing the Beast's attention back to her face with a clueless, "Ah?" sort of sound. After a moment to process it, they raise their hands in a surrender-like manner, "Yes. We can change our appearance. We think. Being human is 'cool' too."
Timespace Riders	"It is of little concern to me regardless, John Doe. I stand by the accuracy of my predictions--which may indeed account for you, in their way." Still incredibly vague. Are they together? Woz seems to recognize the glow in Petra's eye with an almost wary expression; Sougo is far too innocent. Even he knows what that question means, however, as evidenced by the way that they look at each other following a brief pause. Woz's expression shifts from searching, to timid. Sougo's just remains that warm, almost beatific smile. Of the two, Woz breaks away first, unable to keep eye contact with Sougo. "Ye--" "Hark!" Woz interrupts, foisting literally any shirt within his reach upon Sougo. "A garment truly worthy of your radiance, my Demon King." A petite "Eh?" of confusion escapes Sougo, holding a tacky sweater that is not at all his style, and probably came from some suburban cat lady judging by the abundance of kittens embroidered upon it. "Well, if you really think it suits me... I guess I could give it a try!" He reaches out and takes Woz's hand. The retainer looks like he might die. Woz mutters something under his breath. "Persephone Kore... I know not whether to praise or curse you." "Huh?" "It was nothing, my Demon King," says Woz, who realizes a few seconds later he's still holding Sougo's hand and gently withdraws in a feeble attempt to regain his composure. Either way, Petra probably has her answer. "That's not all Ozhira can do," says Sougo, oblivious. "She's a huge help in a fight because she can change her limbs up, too! And I bet she could be pretty sneaky if she wanted to..." So he definitely didn't see her entrance. "Oh! And you've got to try Kukuru's cooking sometime. And Woz's, for that matter..."
John Doe	"Uh huh," John says with an edge of snark to Woz. However, as the situation plays out with 'the question', and both Woz's attempt to circumvent answering as well as Sougo's innocence, John can't help but laugh a little at this. "Wow, that sweater is...something alright," he finally says about Woz's poorly picked garment. Thankfully, he doesn't know Persephone well enough to make a follow-up comment about that not being her kind of sweater. Be thankful, Woz. Be thankful. John manages to find on one of the shelves a wide-brimmed hat. It flops at the sides and he places it on his head. "What'da think?" he asks nobody in particular. When Ozhira explains herself, he nods. "Yeah..." a pause as she changes the color without much effort. "That /is/ pretty rad that you can do that," then thinking when Sougo explains more about what she can do. "So...you're a shapeshifter?"
Petra Soroka	"Are you doing okay? Eating enough? Getting enough sleep?" Petra immediately raises her hands up defensively, and flushes at the fussing. "I, er, yes?? I'm doing okay? I'm, I've got," She flounders, and she actually does appear kind of worn down; looking past her excitement about being here, she's got distinct bags under her eyes and doesn't look like a paragon of health otherwise either. She keeps protesting, weakly, "I'm eating," "Being human is 'cool' too." "That's what I'm always saying!" Petra pokes up from behind Kukuru's hovering, "Everyone else at the station was always like, trying to find new ways of being human, or stop being human altogether, but I think it's fine like this, you know? Humans are cool!" Either way, Petra probably has her answer. Petra seems barely able to contain herself with excitement at these boys' display of clumsy affection. She's clasped her hands over her mouth and is quietly giggling, "Hhhhhh, 'your radiance', ehehehe," She's absolutely beside herself. Cooking? "Oh, you two are cooks? I'd love to have a good meal sometime. Not--" She quails, glancing at Kukuru, "not that I haven't been, already, myself."
John Doe	John hears a certain set of words from Petra. "Damn right being human is good. I mean, be whatever you want, but people who go around saying 'oh but humans are weak' never met me," John says with a thumb to his chest. "Man, I don't remember my last home-cooked meal. I mostly just steal whatever I can grab at whatever restaurant I come across whenever I'm hungry."
Ozhira	"'Shape shifter'... We do not have a shape to shift," Ozhira admits to John, "There is no. True form. For us." Lowering their hands, the girl admits, "Sougo is correct. We do it more on missions. It seems. Incorrect to casually change ourself otherwise." Pausing, they glance upward in thought, "...Impolite? Perhaps that is closer." Animals often seek seclusion when molting, maybe that's where the instinct comes from. >"That's what I'm always saying!" Ozhira brings their arms up, leaning forward a bit. Perhaps it's because they aren't Trying To, but the smile that crosses their face this time feels so much more genuine in spite of all the pointy teeth, "Yes..! You are. Intelligent. Creative. Fascinating things. We wish to be more like humans. We are a monster now. But we grow more. Every day."
Kukuru	With Sougo's reminder, Kukuru digs into her pockets and pulls out a full-sized takeout container full of... Meat? Fried meat and vegetables, with crispy bits from the pan and all contained in some kind crispy batter that looks kind of like tempura if whoever making it didn't know what tempura was. There's also some kind of grain in there, too, but it's clear that the bulk of the effort went into the meat and vegetables portion of the meal. Naturally, that container gets shoved right at Petra. "Are you sure? You look like you could use a break. It's important to rest just as much as you work, you know? You won't be able to do stuff good if you don't." She scolds gently, finalizing that invasion of personal space by reaching forward to try and tug Petra's head into her chest for a gentle hug and stroking of hair. Somehow, it doesn't actually feel like this is coming from someone with enough strength to tear a bus in half. It's soothing, if likely a little too affectionate for someone Kukuru's literally just met. Everyone else doesn't go without food, of course, as she's soon pulling a whole buffet-line's worth of packed meals from her pockets to hand out to Sougo, Woz, Ozhira (although hers is probably a bit more raw), Remee, Stanley, and even John despite the pockets looking like... Well. Jeans pockets. Women's jeans pockets. It seems Kukuru might have forgotten that they're still in a store.
Timespace Riders	"It's a good look for you," says Sougo of John's hat pick. "I think you could pull off a mysterious vibe, with the right jacket to match it!" He gives a thumbs-up. "Maybe something liiike..." Sougo heads a little further down the aisle, pulling a heavy coat from a rack at the end. It's long, and he pops the collar up before offering it to John, for that extra bit of drifter energy. "Indeed," says Woz to Petra. "For the art of cooking falls within the purview of rejoicing." He makes this statement as if it is a perfectly normal thing to say, uttered with the utmost confidence. Turning an eye towards John, "Now that you are aware, take advantage of my skills, or of Kukuru's, more often." He makes a sweeping hand gesture towards Kukuru's container. Now back within earshot, Sougo takes some from her, as does his retainer. "Thanks for thinking of us, Kukuru," he warmly offers. "Did you mention a station, Petra? Like... a space station?" he asks between bites, eyes aglow. Sougo reaches for a garment to examine it, but Woz halts his hand. "Please wipe your hands first, my Demon King." After this gentle chiding, the retainer peers at Ozhira, brow furrowed in thought, as his non-book-occupied hand strokes his chin. "The next time we meet on the feild, I shall keep a close eye on you, Ozhira." He smiles in a way that might be called conniving.
Petra Soroka	Petra gapes at John, horrified. "Stealing? That's horrible! You're going to get in so much trouble! Just buy your food like everyone else!" She cocks her head in confusion, "Sorry, I feel like you mentioned it, but not directly to me, what was your name?" "Oh, so you're a shapeshifter? And that extends to your clothes?" Petra hesitantly reaches out a hand to touch Ozhira's tie, but pulls back at the last moment. "That's interesting that it's not just your body. I think I'd be scary to be a shapeshifter, never knowing what the true you looks like. It's like not having a proper identity to hold on to." She seems oblivious to the fact that saying this might hurt Ozhira, just rambling about her own opinion. "You seem pretty human to me already though! If there's anything about being human that you're confused about, I could probably help, I'm kind of an expert on it. Sort of studied it for most of my life, indirectly." Petra dissolves into Kukuru's chest for just a few seconds, all the fight leaving her, but abruptly she pushes her away. Her eyes are a little shiny and her jaw is set in what almost comes across as hostility. "Sorry, Kukuru. Um, Thanks for the food, though. It looks good. Do you just, carry this on you all the time?" Petra takes delight in every weird, fruity thing that Sougo and Woz say now, and accepts his bizarre sentence without protest. "Yeah, a space station. Kind of like a lab. It's where I grew up, and learned how to pilot, though most of my knowledge about my current mech comes from my own research." She points to one of the walls of the thrift store. "It's parked outside, though this place is so big you probably didn't see it. I plan on packing it absolutely full of loot by the time I leave here."
John Doe	John takes the coat from Sougo, placing it on over his shoulders and then the hat. "Feels like I need a harmonica or something. Ha, I like it. Massive drift vibes with this one, you're right!" He raises an eyebrow at Woz, but shrugs. "Alright, I'll take that as an invitation. Hohoho!" he laughs maybe trying to mimic Woz a little. All in good fun. He takes the container of food from Kukuru. "Thanks!" he says, not minding the handout, especially of good food that he barely gets a chance to partake in. To Ozhira he smiles, getting that feeling to a degree. "Well, I hope you find one you're comfortable with eventually. It's all about what you feel, and how you want to present, yeah?" Petra mentions that stealing is wrong but then asks for his name again. "I've introduced myself twice. Once when we first met at the mall in Lampport, and tonight. I steal because I'm just a tourist in this world, neither in it nor quite apart of it. Elite can see me, but it's not fool proof."
Ozhira	Ozhira is given food, in a stylish plastic container. When it is pressed upon them, they hold out both hands ot accept it, then stare down at it with wide eyes and a slightly slacked jaw. Just, awe and appreciation. After a moment the beast looks up, making eye contact with Kukuru and murmuring "Thank you," in an awestruck whisper. Petra attempts to touch the Beast's tie, when the bit of cloth moves on its own-- to remove the lid of the food container. They then simply... bury their face in it in a fashion that is completely, bizarrely clean of any splatter whatsoever. "The clothing is also part of us," talking is apparently not hindered by this. They aren't even muffled, "Our harmony has little discord for this appearance, so we further our identity in this way." There's a pause, as the Beast rising from the food dish. Turning it, they shake it a few times-- not only empty, but utterly spotless. The lid is collected from where it dangles and the dish is offered back to Kukuru. "You will watch us?" She swivels her head towards Sougo and Woz. It's a little too far to be the way an ordinary human's neck should be working.
Kukuru	With the food distributed, Kukuru lets out a pleased little hum and cants her head slightly when Petra manages to break away from the hold. She doesn't force it, and instead lets out a cheerful noise before nodding. "Mhm! Everyone's gotta eat, right? And sometimes, you don't really have time to make stuff, or you gotta bring some for a tribe in a cave. I've got other stuff here, too, if you ever need something patched up." She gives her a quick thumbs up, then beams a bit more at Woz's bragging about his and her skills. "That's right! We've all gotta help each other, you know?" She semi-explains semi-glosses over while finally deciding on a pack of ties and a few vests in colors nobody sane would ever want to be seen wearing. "The Concord's full of people like us, too, if you're ever worried about not having enough... Anyone or anything." With that recruiting pitch done, she giggles lightly at Ozhira's whisper and gives her another pat on the head during the eating process. Kukuru certainly doesn't mind that display at all, either, and she takes the container back before long to close it up, then pack it away. Even if it's a shitty takeout container, she's still going to reuse it. "That reminds me... Where's the checkout here?"
Petra Soroka	"I've introduced myself twice." "Oh, gosh, sorry," Petra looks embarrassed at this, but not to the extent of beating herself up over it. "I can totally remember your name, just give me a sec. It's uhhh," A shot in the dark, "Jorts?" "The Concord's full of people like us, too, if you're ever worried about not having enough... Anyone or anything." Petra lets out a bitter laugh at this, a discordant sound with her demeanor. "I've had enough of the Concord, actually. I don't really have any useful skills like that, so..." She shuffles uncomfortably, fiddling with cart. "I don't belong in the Concord. I have enough right where I am. I love the meal you made though, I'll totally eat it when I get back to my mech." She shifts in place, tapping a foot on her cart restlessly. "I should probably get going though, there's other passageways in the shop I want to check out before I leave. It was nice meeting all of you though!"
Timespace Riders	"A mech... Oh!" Sougo exclaims, pointing an index excitedly at Petra, "That sounds like Sapient Heuristics! My armor is a little like a ship-self," Sougo says, reaching into his pocket for a futuristic pocketwatch to show her. The face is white and pink, the bezel and frame silver. An LCD chronometer displays AU30 at the bottom. "I'm still figuring out some things about myself, and I have a ways to go before I'm king," he says, slipping the watch back into his pocket. "But when I do, I hope you'll be there to see my true and perfect self! Take care, Petra!" Woz, meanwhile, inclines his head obligingly at John. He approves of this--something something imitation, flattery, and so on. "I shall," he says to Ozhira. "My Demon King's nascent power over time allows him to create armors spun from the temporal footprints of others. There are certain... troublesome actors which might be thwarted by your power," he explains further, smiling coyly. "And who better to instruct on its proper use than you yourself?" With a regal hand flourish, he turns up his chin, smiling down at them. "I'll be rooting for you," says Sougo to Ozhira. "But for now, I think I'm going to pick up a few more things and head home. ...oh! It's that way, Kukuru." After pointing out the register, Sougo tucks the garish kitty sweater close, takes Woz by the hand again and the two of them venture further into the store. Maybe he'll even convince his retainer to wear a different outfit finally.
John Doe	John just gives Petra a blank expression. "No. It's John." However, he shrugs after a moment, accepting that this is how things are. He tips his new hat to the group though and leaps up onto one of the racks. "Well, I'm off. Catch ya later!" And he leaps towards the front. To literally walk out the door with his new threads and food.