Fool Bloom (A Magical Woman Quest)

[Miyako's Emotional Intelligence has reached the Rank of Lady]

Miyako didn't have the soundest sleep, whether it was down to excitement over having met a Hanazakari, the chill of having to face that she'd ran away from home, or simply being in an unfamiliar bed. The sun hitting her right in face the moment she woke up felt like if the cherry on top was poisoned.

At least she'd packed light-ish, much as she was tempted to stuff as much as possible into her bag. Her wallet, phone, laptop, some Hanazakari memorabilia she couldn't do without, hard-gotten HRT meds, that was it really. No change of clothes for instance, although she doubted that Koyomi would take much issue with smell, for everything she did take issue with.

Having that light a load meant Miyako could rise early even for her, but any spring in her step was halted by her realising she'd have to find a job today. And get back to applying for college, and finding somewhere new to live, she shuddered. But like, even if I can't find anywhere, Arisugawa-sama wouldn't just kick me out on the street… wouldn't she?

And on top of that, last night she'd lied to the Hanazakari fan chat and told them there wasn't one living in Hinodeharu. Miyako maintained this was the right decision, a veteran like Koyomi much in need of privacy… but she still just flat-out lied to one of the few connections she had left. Miyako pushed that last thought out of her mind, going with what was done was done.

That settled, she then paced all over the house waiting for Koyomi to wake up, learning the older woman in contrast was no morning person. The moment Koyomi did slowly drag herself out and opened the door, Miyako pounced on her in a second.

"Hey, I was thinking we should go out somewhere for breakfast, since I'm new in town and all," Miyako said, trying not to let her own opinion on last night's dinner slip.

"Nozawa, you are aware you're a grown woman, right?" Koyomi had to ask her, at which Miyako cautiously nodded. The Witch then said, "So why are you asking for permission from me to go out for breakfast?"

"Hey, it wasn't that I need permission," Miyako said, though realising she was an adult was still an 'Oh yeah, I guess' moment for her. "It's that, er, I was asking if you'd like to come along with me. You know, like adults ask each other."

"And because you only have so many yen on you," Koyomi said, not even phrasing it like a question.

Miyako struggled to think up something else to say, but in the end said, "Yeah, you got me."

"I only go out on the town when I have to, but I can accompany you for now," Koyomi said, then pressed upon her, "But we go straight into finding you a job or another place to stay afterwards, no sight-seeing or loitering you hear?"

"I hear," Miyako mumbled.

It took a while longer for Koyomi to truly 'wake up', but once she was ready Miyako was right out the door. It was still a fair walk back into town, but not having to lug any firewood made it a much smoother trip.
It was a little way into town that Miyako came across a plague detailing Hinodeharu's history. Or rather not detailing, since there didn't seem to be that much to go over. A list of dates when local shrines and temples were established, which samurai fiefdom the town technically fell under, a couple of celebrities whose parents or grandparents came from here, the usual. It ended with how the town's population had shot up after the Frost Decade, as the destruction in larger cities had people fleeing for the countryside.

"Why do you need to look at a sign for town history?" Koyomi suddenly asked her, "You've got me right here, I could just tell you."

It was weird for Miyako that she would ask this, her looking up town history wasn't something she thought Koyomi would care about. Unless she's just looking for another excuse to be mean again, she thought. "Well, doesn't hurt to get a different perspective on stuff," she settled on replying.

Koyomi just nodded at first, but then looked at the sign herself and muttered, "'Big cities destroyed'. Yeah, I used to be a Tokyoite, no need to tell me that."

"Oh, I-I didn't know," Miyako said, like she was somehow at fault for an informational sign. She tried to perk up again by going, "But they say Tokyo's thawing out now, people are even moving back into the outer suburbs."

"You think I hadn't heard?" Koyomi said, not perking up with her, before she mused, "Even still, it… won't be Tokyo. You can't go through something like that and call yourself the same city. Or maybe you can, like I was born long after the Great Kanto Earthquake, maybe people really did just continue. Except that earthquake wasn't caused by interdimensional immortals…"

Miyako couldn't disagree there. She didn't really know what to say, Tokyo having already been frozen over by the time she was born, so she said nothing and kept walking.

Now in the town centre, bustling by country standards, it took Miyako a while to settle on anywhere to get breakfast. Part of it was choosing between all these eateries she'd never been to before; she'd only settled on that one café yesterday because they had melon-pan right in the window display. But the other part was that in every other, at least one customer or even staff would glare at Koyomi. Not that she cared, as she told Miyako, "It's fine, people act like that at me all the time."

"Yeah, they stared at you yesterday too. But that doesn't make it alright," Miyako had to say, even clenching her fists, before she walked out of another eatery. On the bright side, at least the problem of people not liking Koyomi was solving the issue of eatery choice paralysis.

They were able to settle on a historic looking, wood-panelled unagi place, the warm smell of sizzling eel wafting out, where everyone was indifferent to Koyomi the Witch. Not that Miyako wolfing down eel after eel while shrieking from being too quick to drink her coffee didn't cause something of a scene. Koyomi meanwhile said she was fine having just a black coffee and a cigarette outside.

When she came back in, she was holding a local newspaper that she opened on a list of a job adverts before Miyako could finish eating. "See anything?" Koyomi asked.

Miyako glanced them over, none were that appealing but she expected that, neither was any part time job she had back in high school.

Article:

She decided she'd have a look at:
[ ] "House-cleaning. Wow, would that make me a maid?"
[ ] "Retail at a convenience store. I suppose they're always looking."
[ ] "Shrine maiden, well I've got the right name for one, especially if it's out on the moors."
[ ] "Er, couldn't I just be your assistant, don't novelists have them? Or maybe your publisher's hiring?"
[ ] "Ahah, I'll turn to a life of crime, make a ton of money stealing stuff! I'm only gonna target the rich anyway, it's not like they can't handle it." [Miyako does not have the Emotional Strength to go with this]
[ ] Write-in

"Wait, aren't we doing this backwards? Shouldn't we look at accommodation first?" Miyako asked. "Like, wouldn't employers be happy to know I've got somewhere to say, so I won't be gone the next day?"

"You're seriously planning to take up a part-time job long term?" Koyomi asked, despite her pushing Miyako to get one in this first place.

Article:

"Alright, I know a few places.
[ ] Town's got an apartment block or two, probably the only place a part-time worker could rent."
[ ] There's a few cheap hotels in town, you should be able to stay there at least a while."
[ ] I know an upscale ryokan, though you'd be there less than a week. I'm not made of money, you hear?"
[ ] Maybe one of these jobs provides accommodation? Unlikely, but you never know."
[ ] Tent in the woods, maybe?"
[ ] Look, fine, you can have a little while longer at my place."
[ ] Why not just go back to your parents already?" [Koyomi has too much Heart to say this, being aware Miyako ran away for bigger reasons than just meeting a Hanazakari.]
[ ] Write-in