Having slept like tossed away marionettes, much of their lethargy and weariness faded. It would take a while longer for their internal clocks to realize when was day, but it was a good first step.
Jotou opened the door to her room and behind her Hotaru buttoned her blue cross tie above her white blouse and carried in her arm an azure blazer. Her tail swayed through the gap of her long plaid skirt of blues and light greys.
"Do I look academical~?" she posed—her hair curled and strands from the front pinned to the back with a circular bluish hair pin.
Jotou took a glance, "A cute drama teacher the students all have a crush on maybe; just missing the glasses." she smirked. "Or a popular senior."
"You’re one to talk," Hotaru tipped Jotou’s chin up with a finger. Rose gold blush, mascara, thin eyeliner, nude lipstick, golden eyeshadow—all in very light amounts.
Atop her head sat a yellow headband with her long ponytail behind, her bangs combed properly for once—a lavish white blouse with frills going down her neck and around her wrists.
Her short plaid black skirt connected to the corset around her waist. Warm black leggings went around her feet and she carried a pair of leather boots with tasteful patterns that went up the ankles in maroon hues.
"Adding a little fashion and flair are we?" the redhead glistened her fangs.
Jotou nudged her head away from Hotaru’s finger, "This is just so nobody can recognize imdiately."
"If only Daiyu was here to tell that was a lie~"
"It’s not a lie," she blushed.
"What happened to most people in Burnetrout probably not recognizing us, hm?" she toyed.
"I said I might be wrong. Besides, it’s not like the papers can’t spread here. And people won’t recognize us as much if we just lightly disguise ourselves."
"Soone is just giving in to becoming more pretty~"
"Shut," though her tone went cold, the blonde gave the hint of a smile.
A queen size bed of whites lied a few steps from the door—nightstands to either side. Dark wood wardrobe and a vanity at the end of the room, beside a large desk and chair.
A few empty shelves hanging on the walls, alongside a bookshelf with nothing in it. The small window granted the view of the window of the neighbouring house.
Their luggage was scattered about, clothes and belongings yet to be arranged. Between the pillows sat a plush puppy, to which Jotou gave one last look to as they left the room.
Fuko descended down the steps from her room, in her usual look, but her twin-tails looked a little more styled. Her nose twitched and her brows furrowed from the stairs down to the two exiting the room, "Who’s wearing expensive perfu?"
"The one ’disguising’ herself," Hotaru bumped Jotou forward.
"Ai, ai, ai, it’s a present, I have to use it at so point! It’s not that strong is it?"
"I just caught a small whiff, but I’m just a very keen detective," she flaunted her hair.
"ko, you’re blocking the stairs." Fuko looked up and then blinked onto the second floor. Asobi walked down in her adventuring attire in full, her top hat she flipped and placed atop her head. "Breakfast done, outfits adorned, we’re ready to go!"
Daylight glimred through the window as they put their boots and gloves on. A pair of earmuffs for the lot and a beanie for the redhead.
"Hold on kiddo," Fuko’s father called; Kineko stood holding his hand in a red winter coat and a hood around her head as she waddled from side-to-side.
"What is it?" the brunette glanced over.
He held out so neatly folded clothes, "Your school’s winter uniform. I thought it’d be appropriate."
"My school..." Fuko shook her head. "Surprising I’ve never seen it and yet need to wear a uniform all of a sudden."
"You don’t need to, the new term doesn’t start till spring in mid-February. I’m saying, if you want to fit in a little more," he extended his arm over.
With a pout and a glare, she took the clothes from his hand. "Because I’m not an outsider; not at all," she rolled her eyes and blinked up the stairs to go change.
A few minutes later ca down the sa brunette with the sa purple headband. However, she wore a bright carmine blazer with a brass-hued phoenix on the left breast pocket with a D and an A to its sides.
In between the deep red lapels and above the white shirt was a reddish-black tie she loosely wore around her collar—the sa school symbol on the middle.
Faint scroll patterns were embossed at the bottom of the blazer going upwards, sa hue as the fabric itself. A mostly black plaid skirt with reds across, before black over-the-knee socks took over till her usual flat black shoes. "Happy?"
"Don’t be pouty, it looks good on you," Hotaru looked up the stairs.
"It does have a good place for a dagger," Fuko opened her blazer with warm lining to show her dagger in the inner pocket.
"Kid, you can’t carry an unauthorized weapon in public... Maybe in South End, but not here," he sighed. "Especially not to school."
"Well," Fuko cared not to button her blazer nor her top collar, "Best to keep it hidden then. Can we go now?"
Kazuo Namora held Kineko’s hand and gave a glance to Fuko, before he opened up the door. The chilling morning breeze whizzed past their attire.
Their steps out was welcod by beaming sunlight under swirling clouds—enough for warmth to hit them. Dark grey pavents and the road of black bricks. The elaborate streetlamps adorned frost on the glass.
People walked up and down the street, carriages took upon the roads. The distant sound of a roaring engine they could hear. Rows and rows of three-storey houses past the alleys and at the end of the road.
"D’you get us a carriage?" Fuko queried.
"No. It’d be a good idea to go on foot," Kazuo Namora looked around. "We can be leisurely; the academy’s open day doesn’t start till nine. We have an hour fifty-four to kill," he checked his watch.
"It’s a good way to explore the city," Hotaru chuckled.
"Glad I’ll be able to do that, finally," the brunette narrowed her eyes to her father.
"Alright, off to Orchid Borough then," Kazuo led Kineko along, with a few passing glances to Fuko as they trekked north up the street.
"So, Fleur Boulevard is in Fleur Borough, have I got that right?" Jotou watched the people go by.
"That you have. There’s a total of eight boroughs—Orchid being the most populated. It has the Burntish Houses of Parliant, the Supre Court of Burnetrout and the most prestigious school in Burnetrout, Dolpool Academy."
As he spoke, they sauntered out to the road to the right and past the gated and guarded boulevard. Kineko waved to the guards before continuing to skip along, puffing out white breaths in front of her to mimic a dragon.
Beyond it was a public square and Fuko took a good look of it all in the daylight—she could count how many tis she had this view on both her hands.
Trees flanked the black-brick roads and bustling pavents; they had lost most their leaves, leaving a few bird nests that hadn’t been blown away by the wind.
Walls and more walls—buildings for the shopping lots were abundant. Each with unique roofs—so slanted, so upturned, so with awnings, so with not.
Voices upon voices from all those who walked by. So of them red by the cheeks from the cold and others sitting by a café table outside, sipping their morning coffee with a paper.
Not only could they hear engines, but they could see cars making their way behind and in front of carriages of horses, and horsaroaches that made a certain blonde shrivel her nose; horns honked from car drivers and coachn alike.
Right next to the pavent and onto the road were crimson lines that blended in well with the black bricks. Within the limited space, dozens of cyclists would dash past them—all on similar red bicycles with a couple of exceptions.
The people wore fur, wool and warming clothes to stave off the season. And yet even so, all sorts of colours and patterns—stripes, plaid, plain, floral, argyle, checkered, polka dots—you na it, soone was bound to pass by wearing it.
A thick vest over a long-sleeved shirt, a tasteful scarf going down one side, hats with floral decorations—to each their own, they flaunted their flair.
Of course, the sa could not be said for those who were, honestly trying too hard; the zebra stripe suit wasn’t exactly going to be the new fad...
And those who looked would point and judge with a giggle, as the man wearing it would pass. It seed belts, buckles, corsets, suspenders were all the rage by their abundance.
Most older n preferred the suits and such, while the older won had the sense for dresses with flowy movent and fancy hats.
While a glance at whoever was younger said sothing completely different—the won would wear more skirts, stockings and leggings, shirts with coats. Most notably, bows in their hair, if not headbands or hair clips.
The younger n would opt for a fedora or a bowler, so form of a hat. Winter coats over their shirts and jeans.
Of course, trench coats were worn equally by both by a large margin, so with chains and decorations connecting from pocket to belt. Not to ntion, the need for earmuffs and gloves in the winter.
Tailor shops were present around every corner. Cafés gave off the scents of fresh brew into the air, so with custors lined all the way out till the entrance.
Bakeries displayed their freshly made goods at the storefront’s window display—as if the scent wasn’t alluring enough. Plus all the warm and crunchy desserts that sat in trays.
The general store right next to the deli sold fruits in box crates outside, as a few young schoolboys would run by and nab a few apples and run off before the store owner inside would notice.
A lady exited the store after paying for the morning paper she bought—’Phoenix News’, it read at the top as she flapped it open; she walked past the magazines with models displaying the latest news on fashion and trends.
"Welco to Orchid Borough," they had walked the entire way, taking in the sights. By the end of the walls and roads, was an open park, where people walked their dogs or got their morning runs in.
"Krink! Krink!" Cyclists rang their bells before they would cycle by people. In the distance, much wider and taller buildings could be spotted.
"Should we be more careful with our identities?" Jotou looked around to every passerby. "Wouldn’t they know Kazuo Namora?"
"By na, sure. I’m fairly sure not many people would recognize by face. I recognized you of course, Hotaru included, but I keep an eye out for things like pictures on the paper," he replied.
"Stalker," the brunette uttered.
Kazuo held back from groaning, "Regardless, you shouldn’t be too worried. Unless soone is looking for you specifically kid, you should blend in well, in the place where everyone tries to stand out as much as possible."
"That’s good news then."
"Dad, dad, ups!" Kineko put her hands up. "My feet awre getting tied."
"Kid, you’re getting older, I can’t keep doing it forever," Kazuo lowered down with a grunt and picked Kineko up. Kineko mumbled in annoyance and swung her little brown shoes slightly. Fuko glared, then looked elsewhere.
Hotaru’s watch had ticked a quarter past nine, "Are we running late?"
He checked his watch with Kineko in his grasp, "The open day’s started, but it won’t be over till four, so we have plenty of ti. It’s," he looked around, "about a sixteen minute walk from here."
He pointed with his free arm to a long building of red bricks in the near distance, "That’s Dolpool Academy."
A gasp made their heads turn. Asobi pointed to a little boutique across the street, selling an assortnt of sunglasses with different shades of lenses and the tal coiling in different patterns—so with little trinkets and jingles on them.
"It’s winter, why do we need sunglasses," Fuko retorted.
"Eh," Jotou squinted to the Sun covered by clouds, "I’ll take them," she walked off to cross the street.
"That’s a cute beret over there," Hotaru glanced to the shop right next to it and proceeded to walk with Asobi across the street.
"Can I get sunglasses too?" Kineko queried.
Kazuo Namora’s eyes waned, "I guess we have ti for shopping then..."
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