Auspicious Discoveries

That morning, with the power back on and another sun to greet us, Minamoto wasted no more time in calling us for our next meeting.

"I have some news for you. As I'm sure you recall, during our last mission, Anya informed us that there had been an infiltration on the island. No, in fact, I'd go so far as to call it a provocation. The robot we discovered could easily have made it further into the island, but it seems one that would easily be identified was sent to us. This... Unahara may be intending to lay a trap for us."

Minamoto's face was a mix of concern and conviction. I'd never seen her so conflicted, but that didn't dampen her resolve.

"Regardless, we cannot tolerate the secrets of RepliCors being stolen from us, even if it is simply a threat. We must go to Unahara Robotics and confront him ourselves. After some extensive background research, we managed to locate the main branch which Chiren Unahara frequents as his place of business."

Anya stepped forward, after looking to Minamoto for confirmation.

"...Extrapolating from previous data, I was able to determine what day would be suitable for us to leave the island for the mission without risking it being attacked by Leviathans. While the power outage yesterday is... concerning, considering that our equipment is supposed to be resistant to the elements, there was no direct correlation of a Leviathan being the cause, and even if it was, it hasn't shown signs of returning soon."

Minamoto cut in again.

"This gives us today to finish preparations. While this will consist of training and weapon maintenance for yourselves, and planning for myself and Anya, I've also deemed it suitable for a shrine trip today. A year has passed since our last one, and saving them for atypical missions means we don't exhaust our favour with the Gods. If you believe such things, of course."

There's a shrine on the island?

"Everyone should still have their kimono from when Uriel tailored them for you last time. The only exceptions to this should be Eri and Beryl. With that being said, the both of you should report to Uriel's quarters after this meeting so that he can present them to you."

He's already made them? How fast does this man work? More importantly, how does he have that much free time?

"With that, return here again this evening for the pre-mission briefing. For now, meeting adjourned!"

---

Eri had started walking away, and I followed her under the assumption it would lead me to Uriel's place. When I caught up to her, she looked flustered, clutching her clothes.

"Are you... alright, Eri?"

"Me? I'm... I'm fine, okay!"

Continuing along the path opposite to the one that led to our dorms, Eri eventually spoke up again.

"I... I haven't worn anything to a shrine before. And..."

She wrapped her fingers around her neckerchief, as if she were hugging it with her hand.

"I don't think it'll look good on me. So what's the point?"

"I haven't even been to a shrine before. Uriel seems competent enough, he'll have made something that will suit our styles."

Not that I had much of a style anyway. As long as it's not crab-inspired, I think I'll be fine with what he's made. 

"I guess so, but...

Don't you get it? We're just containers. We're not even anything as prized as a weapon or a soldier. All we do is act as meat bags for the machines inside of us, and they slowly take our bodies away from us. Why bother making the sack on the outside look nice?"

"I...

Try not to think about that. Minamoto said this is for the mission. Besides, if we spend every day thinking about work, we'd never get any rest."

"...Okay, fine. Only for today. You got that?"

Why are you asking me for confirmation?

Eri came to a stop outside one of the ground-floor buildings. It had a stone exterior, a rough light grey, with deep windows. I took the door we'd arrived at as being the entrance to Uriel's quarters. Eri, however, stayed still and fidgeted on the spot.

"Uh."

"Hm?"

"Knock."

"Knock?"

"Could you knock?"

"..."

"...Please?"

I approached the door and tapped my knuckle against it. After some shuffling from inside, it creaked open, revealing Uriel inside.

"Ah, good morning, Miss Beryl, Miss Tsukumo, ahem, I mean, Miss Eri. I take it you have come for your kimono?"

I nodded, while Eri looked away, her cheeks puffed slightly.

"Wonderful. Please, step inside."

I entered under the low ceiling of Uriel's small abode. Lining the walls, hanging from anywhere there was an edge or catch, were various styles of clothing, but at the moment it was dominated by different types of kimono.

From behind a stone divider that separated the living area from the tiny kitchen space, a familiar face popped out. It was Maeve, whose face lit up when she saw me, already dressed in her kimono.

"Big Sis Beryl!"

She rushed over, hugging at my waist. I stood there, my face beaming as red as my hair, a blank expression washing over my face.

Child. Child. Touching me. Help. What do I do?

I must have subconsciously gazed over at Uriel for assistance because he was able to diffuse the situation.

"Now, now, Madam. Beryl has come to try on her kimono. Do not disturb her."

Maeve released me, much to my relief.

"Okaaay. But you have to show me when it's on!"

She did a twirl, her sleeves fluttering in the artificial breeze.

"What do you think of mine, hm? Cute, right?!"

Her yukata, as Uriel told me this type of kimono was called, was primarily white and decorated with green accents that filled and surrounded lilypad-like designs that covered it front and back. 

"You have yet to tie your hair appropriately, however."

"I... I tried, but it's so hard!"

In an instant, she flashed her eyes toward me. I knew what I was in for.

"Would you help me tie my hair, Big Sis Beryl?"

"I... I'm not sure I'd know what I'm doing."

This time, Uriel made no attempt to spare me from my fate.

"There is a printout with instructions on it on the table in the kitchen area if that would be of any assistance. I had intended it for Maeve, but since she seems to be struggling on her own, so if you follow them from a third-person perspective, it may provide an adequate outcome."

"I am not struggling. It's just whoever came up with this hairstyle is some sort of alien with like 5 hands!"

I found the paper with the instructions on it, and as I skimmed through the diagrams and notes, I found myself agreeing with Maeve.

I didn't even know hair could make this shape...

Regardless, I steeled myself to make an effort. Maeve plonked herself down on the seat in front of me, and I got to work.

So... this goes here. And you fold this part up with a comb... and this tucks under here... No, wait, that bit was supposed to go there. Agh, and now it's tangled. Which part was this ornament for again? Oh god, now my finger's stuck. Am I bleeding?

After a short while, Maeve started to giggle.

"Hehe, even an adult can't do it."

"I'm trying my best here..."

"Pff, I know. You don't have five hands either. But... thanks for helping me."

I was strangely put at ease by that, and so I was able to continue my attempt calmly. Following another period of quiet struggle, and Maeve getting bored enough to sway her feet back and forth against the seat and start reading a random book she found in the kitchen, which I think was a cookbook, I was able to create something that resembled the final image.

Noticing my hands were away from her head, Maeve spun around to face me.

"Oh, is it done? Is it done?"

"Uh, try not to move about so much, it might fall apart..."

"Oh, sorry, hehe."

In the time I'd been spending with Maeve, Eri had been fitted into her yukata by Uriel. I couldn't see much from where I was sat just yet, but I could easily see the expression of embarrassment she wore along with it.

I held up a mirror in front of Maeve so she could see my handiwork. I'd managed something akin to the bun that was in the instructions, but I'd been unable to make some parts of Maeve's obscenely long hair fit inside it, so I'd added a custom side-hanging braided ponytail to make up for it.

"Ooh, I like it! It's not what was in the picture, but... I think I actually like it this way more. Thanks again, Big Sis Beryl!"

Maeve's innocent smile reflected off of my stagnant indifference, but it did start to crack it. I'd been an only child all my life, so the idea of having a sibling, a younger sibling that might possibly have, in some way, looked up to me or respected me, I'd never even considered it. But it was a feeling that, at that moment, I thought I could get used to.

"Let's go see Eri's yukata!", chimed Maeve.

"N-No, it's not ready yet!", she replied from around the corner. But it was too late, Maeve had already dragged me there, and Eri was in full view.

Her yukata was shorter than usual, ending in a frill below the knee instead of at the ankles. The base colour was a medium-grey with a heavy dark blue tinge to it, but the entire outfit was lined with red, including the inside of the material which was visible in the sleeves and collar, and along the rim at the bottom. The lower half of the yukata was decorated with vines and flowers, as well as on the obi, the belt holding it together, which was a cream colour edged with the same red. There was also a red flower in her hair with thin, spindly petals, held there with pins. You could tell from the colour scheme that Uriel had attempted to mirror the only other thing he'd seen Eri wear: her sailor uniform. The red on her yukata matched the blush that was now rising up her cheeks at a rapid pace.

"It looks good on you."

Maeve chirped up from beside me as well.

"Yeah, yeah!"

"Go away..."

She tried to hide her face with her sleeve and grasped her waist with her other hand, running her thumb along the obi to adjust it. She lingered longingly on her sailor uniform, which was now folded in a pile on the chair beside her.

"I will finish Miss Eri's hair once she has grown accustomed to her new attire. For now, Miss Berl, if you could please join me, I will fit you with your yukata."

"Good luck, Big Sis Beryl!"

Good luck? Is there some sort of test involved?

Fortunately, I didn't have to change in the open, as Uriel had erected a modesty wall in the form of a folding screen in the corner by where he knelt.

I unbuttoned my shirt and slipped it from my arms, peeling it off my back. It was an unusual sensation, wearing a different set of clothes, after a period of entering a routine where I would simply switch in and out of my uniform. But it was liberating.

Once I'd wriggled out of my trousers, which were still faintly uncomfortable, Uriel carefully handed me my yukata. The material floated down onto my shoulders as I slipped into it, the weightlessness of it catching me by surprise. Holding my arms out straight to my sides, I raised each shoulder, wondering what to do next.

"The next step is to wrap the right side around your left hip and, conversely, the left around your right hip."

I did as I was instructed, pinching the front to hold it together.

"You will also need this."

He passed me my obi.

"You will need to wrap it two or three times in order for it to be secure. Ensure that there is enough material remaining to tie the bow."

I held the sash against my back, lifting it up and down, trying to find a comfortable angle.

"I would recommend you tie it at your waistline, Miss Beryl."

After being told this, I settled on the position and started to tie it. While I did struggle with the bow, it eventually resulted in something passable, and I stepped out from the folding screen.

I was met with claps from Maeve.

"Hooray! It looks so... snazzy."

I raised my heel and lurched my head around to inspect myself. My yukata was predominantly blue, of a shade that lightened the further down the piece it went. The edges of the flaps that I had used to fold over the yukata when I wore them were grey, and the colour of the obi was purple, edged with red. I appreciated that Uriel had shown some restraint in only going that far with including red. When I lifted my arm to see, there was also a bright butterfly pattern that trailed along my sleeves.

"Wow... you made this all by yourself Uriel?"

"I did indeed. It is one of the many skills required for me to be Madam's retainer."

"I'd say this is... a bit more than just a skill. I'd go so far as calling it a talent."

"Well, I must admit, it is one of my most preferred, and one of the few that I maintain as a hobby."

"He even fixes and sews me clothes!", jubilated Maeve.

"I avoid making clothes for the Madam if I can, her parents... preferred to grant her that pleasure instead. But repairing them is of no issue."

Standing from his position on the floor, Uriel approached us and, after asking permission, started to style our hair. While I waited without a fuss for Uriel to finish, Eri couldn't stop twitching and turning away, which resulted in us taking longer than we should have.

"Excellent. Well, we should begin our departure, everyone will be waiting at the shrine for us."

"Yay! Come on Big Sis Beryl, Eri, let's go!"

"This is ridiculous...", I heard Eri mumble.

"Please do not run so fast, Madam, you will trip if you are not careful."

---

"What took you so long?"

Hoshizuna was stood at the front as everyone crowded outside the entrance to the shrine. To arrive here, we had walked up to the north side of the island, which was a more mountainous area littered with pine trees. I specifically remember the desponded look on Eri's face when she saw the impressive staircase we had to scale through the forest path in order to make it to the shrine. We had been beaten to the top by Maeve, who insisted on making it into a race. Eri made no attempt to play along, but I did run for a short while at the beginning before tiring myself out. By the time Eri and I arrived at the top of the stairs, we were both gulping for air, our hair falling apart slightly. Maeve jeered at us.

"I win, I win, hehe."

Uriel followed shortly afterwards, his constant and methodical pace allowed him to save his breath. His calm arrival only made us look even more unfit.

"The walk is quite taxing, lapachka, but you'll get used to it."

Anya had approached me, her sleeve sagging as she reached out an arm for me to hold on to. Her yukata was orange with a yellow obi, decorated with light-green leaves.

"Most of us have prayed already. Next will be you four."

From behind her strode Minamoto. Unlike everyone else, she was wearing a more traditional kimono, as well as a haori jacket and a pair of hakama added to the ensemble. She also, for some reason, continued to wear her cap, which sat atop her new hairstyle: a tight, neat bun with a few strands hanging from it. For the first time, her forehead was visible. What was visible of the kimono was black with white accents, and her obi was a maroon colour.

"Make sure it's something good. I'm sure we've got nothing to worry about, but there's no harm in asking for divine power."

Hoshizuna's yukata was a sleek black much like that of her uniform's shirt. It was splashed with a sea of different constellations all the way across, and her obi was dark blue.

As I shuffled through the crowd toward the shrine, I did my best to swat away the feelings of self-consciousness that were welling up inside me. I watched Eri bow at the gate, and I did the same, taking a step inside the grounds. I passed Saga on the way in, and she titled her head at me, catlike.

"Uriel's handiwork is as impressive as ever. That is quite the piece he created for you", she commented.

"Your yukata is... pretty nice too."

She was dressed in a lilac and white yukata, with petals falling from her shoulder that resembled eyes. Departing beyond Saga with a wave, I saw Rinko was still standing at the shrine, her hands clasped together for a moment before she released them, turning to me.

"You're up, Beryl."

Rinko's dress stuck out to me because it was exactly that, a dress, with short sleeves. Despite that, it had a kimono-inspired design, with a dark-grey base adorned with a complex floral design consisting of yellows, oranges and greens toward the bottom of the legs, with the same design visible on the thin fabric strip of a belt around her waist.

"Wash your hands with the ladle at the water basin first. Then... remember, bow twice, clap twice, bow once. Got that?"

"I think so."

"I hope you enjoyed my three-step course on talking with the Gods. Alright, I'll see you back with the others in a moment."

Eri was already washing her hands with a ladle when I arrived. When we were in close proximity, both tipping water over our hands, she started to speak, facing the pool but directing her words to me.

"I really don't suit this yukata. Actually, I think it'd be better to say it doesn't belong on me. It would have looked much better on... her."

"Her?"

"Mhm. She had the figure for it. The purity, the poise, the decorum. I'm just... a messy delinquent. All of the things that have been given to me here belong to her."

"But Uriel still made you a yukata. He didn't know who this other girl was. But he still gave it to you."

"..."

I saw Eri's eyes force back tears before she filled her palms with water and splashed her face.

"I'm going on ahead."

With that, she wandered toward the shrine and took her turn to pray. In her absence, I took time to gaze into the pool and saw my distorted reflection. I didn't know whose reflection I was looking for, though. Beryl McNeal was dead, nothing of her remained here. And the new Beryl, the one I claimed to be now, I couldn't say for certain how she looked. All I could see in the water was the image of a girl with red hair that I'd never seen before.

Eri walked back along the path to the gate, signalling my turn to pray. I angled myself to face the shrine directly. I bowed twice. I clapped once. I bowed again. The effect of these actions, the ringing sound of my clap and the gentle gusts of disturbed air that I'd generated in my bows, floated in the air, amplified by the great openness that was the shrine courtyard. Becoming more aware of the space around me, I wandered toward the edge of the courtyard and looked out at the island. Lain out before me was miles of trees, sea and rock. The shrine truly was one of the highest accessible points on the island.

I decided to join the others again, not wanting to keep them, walking alongside Maeve who had also finished praying with Uriel. As we approached, different clusters of people were chatting. Raphaelle, with her pink and cream yukata, was the closest to the entrance and absorbed us into her conversation with Berrak and Tsubaki.

"That covers everyone. I know it's not allowed but... nnngh I can't hold back my curiosity of what you all wished for."

Berrak replied with a nonchalant attitude.

"I prayed for what I always pray for. The chance for things to go my way. Will the world bet on me or will it not? Who knows. Just like rolling a dice, you'll never know the answer of the Gods till it happens."

Satisfied with that answer, Raphaelle spun around to Tsubaki. She was met by his leer, but after realising that he couldn't escape her, he lowered his resistance.

"You would really like to know?"

For some reason, Minamoto and Anya, who were stood within earshot, became incredibly tense. Hoshizuna started to skulk away from the group.

"I prayed that the gods would finally recognise the wish I've held ever since the day my father died. The chance to deliver justice to his killer.

To kill Reika Hoshizuna."