Eriko held the reaver by the tail like it was a club and bopped her on the shoulder with its head. "Actually, I was talking about the reaver swallowing rocks being adorable. It's good that you don't swallow rocks, you'll last longer, I hear. But what the hey, while we're on the topic, I think you're adorable too."

The Matsu just blinked slowly, not fully processing Eriko’s words fully for a good few seconds. The moment Hide realized what was said, her eyebrows rose up and a slight smirk crossed her lips. “Adorable enough to go with me to the Tanabata festival?”

"Not anyone," she said with a little smile, and a true nod. Ichika laughed at first but furrowed her brow when he didn't immediately pull it back, "A-aren't we here for your sisters Tsuruchi-san? I-" she paused, not quite sure what she was going to say.

"Yeah, but this one is for your help." Hayato replied with a shrug, might as well get this out of the way. "I think I prefer the drifter for my sister anyways."

"Might get the reader for the other. They're a bit of monsters on their own after all." Headded with a smirk.

Eriko placed the reaver back in its place under her arm again. "You know, you're not supposed to ask these sorts of things while I'm working right now, Hide-san..."

After a pause, she smirked at Hide and shrugged with her hands. "But sure, why not. It might be the only way I'll show up for these events, actually."

Hide had a hard time keeping the excitement hidden, but she somehow pulled it off. Still, she couldn’t help but genuinely smile. “Perfect! Also, you’re also pretty adorable yourself.”

Eriko pursed her lip and clutched her plushie, not wanting to make a habit of bopping a Matsu with a plushie. It was perhaps by sheer luck she was able to get away with it twice already. She merely gave a small dismissive shake of her head. "Uhm, so! Do you see any suspicious characters here? It seems everyone is a fashion designer here but I think not the sort we're looking for."

“Oh, suspicious figures huh...” Hide looked around... Ultimately not seeing anything super suspect. Too many people in weird costumes so that’s just normal for this kind of thing. “Costumes make this hard, not gonna lie.”

"A-are you sure Tsuruchi-san?" she asked, looking at the fun little guy. What was most damning for her little display was that she was already smiling about it. "You know.. you do sound like an older brother, I think," she said laughing into the back of her hand.

"Certainly." He replied, plopping the plush into her arms. "This guy is just a tad bit too cute for them." Little sisters got lesser levels of cute plushies, it was the hierarchy of things.

"Thr monsters part?" He asked tilting his head to the side a playful smile. "It's what they get for sending me here with a densai full of romance magazines."

With her only hope to hold onto the plush, she leaned down and laughed into it. Looking up with the plush still covering the bottom half of her face her voice was just a little muffled, "They sent you here with romance magazines?" she giggled into the plush.

"Yeah, fashion magazines too." He ran his hand through his hair. "Apparently they thought big brother was going to need some help if he was going to find a wife."

He turned his head to look himself over. "I guess they think I tend to look a bit frumpy?"

"Do they not know how Miai go?" she asked, laughing into the back of her hand a bit. "And what does frumpy mean?" she laughed a bit more, unrestrained in it's nature as she leaned into her hand a little.

"Miai aren't really all that common, so I suppose not? I mean they seemed to be under the impression that I was supposed to whoever caught my heart?" He smirked. "Though they were likely just teasing me."

"Frumpy?" He chuckled and shook his head. "It means I don't spend enough time on my appearance. My hairs not styled." He lifted a hand to tug another a few strands. "And my shirts not pressed. That sort of thing."

"Apparently I need to dress like some sort of pop idol instead?"

"Maybe not a pop idol.." she said, stepping back to get a fuller picture of him for a moment. Still hugging that plushie tight and looking over it. While it rested in her arms the wings stretched out to either side and she rested her head on the back of it's head so she and the plushie were both looking at him.

"But.." she laughed a few notes, "You could maybe do with a little more care to your appearance, yea?"

Hayato ran his hand through his hair, lips curled into a wry smirk. "Probably." He agreed with a soft chuckle. "And I suppose I do too, if I've got the right reason."

His head tilted to the side, his smile becoming a bit fuller. "The problem is finding it, right?"

"Finding a good reason to care for your appearance?" she laughed a light little laugh. "Pretty sure that's just so you can feel good, Tsuruchi-san," she said, a few more soft little chuckles.

"It does..." she frowned, "It does make it the perfect hiding place, unfortunately. Maybe we should have thought through our plan extra hard and game in costumes ourselves. Would be pretty lousy if they could see us before we could see them, don't you think?"

“I mean, probably. Not even sure what I would have dressed up as...” Hide glanced at the various costumes again, trying hard to picture herself in any of them but to no avail. “I mean, it would have to be convincing and I don’t think I can pretend to be interested in a half-convincing manner.”

"You mean, it's not to impress the ladies?" Hayato replied a look of faux shock on his face. "I suppose you do have a point though, it can be nice knowing you look good."

He smirked. "It's why compliments can be so nice, right?" He set aside a few more plushies, obviously meant as presents for family and paid for them. "They help, what's the word. Validate how we feel maybe?"