The big rush of the gaming earlier had died down, and Hyeon-ju had found herself spending way much more time in the arcade than she had planned. A lot of it had been waiting in lines though to get in a few minutes of play at all the popular machines.

Ok, she had to admit that arcade games weren't wholly stupid.

Wandering around the arcade in her casual attire she was trying to get an idea of what to play next now that the lines were getting shorter. Maybe that dance game? Ugh... it looked like it needed two players...

Nozomi looked around, up and under the machines, for any spare tickets lying around. If she could only just get a lot more for all the plushies in the world.

She looked up, straight at the legs of the Utaku before her. She stared for a bit more before looking back up. "Wanted to say longer?" she asked with a warm smile.

"Hm?" She turned her head first to see who was talking to her, and then a glance down to finally spot the talker.

"Oh... yes." Hyeon-ju gave an almost sheepish nod. "I think I like it better here when there's not as many people as earlier. Uh... do you need assistance, Lion-sama?"

Maybe the Lion girl had lost something?

"Ah. Not a fan of crowds?" Nozomi guessed. She rose to her feet by herself and fidgeted with her glasses. "I don't need help with anything." She wasn't going to straight up say what she was up to unless asked, apparently.

"No problem with crowds. Just gets too hot with too many people in one place, and the lines to the games are much shorter now."

The Utaku gave her a curious look, but did not press the issue. If a samurai said that they didn't need help, then they didn't need it.

"I'm Utaku Hyeon-ju, hohei of the 7th Sky Rider Wing."

"Oh yes. Too much body heat mingling together," Nozomi affirmed. She went for a polite bow when it came to introductions. "Kitsu Nozomi, priestess of the Lion."

"An honor, Kitsu-san. It is the first time I've met a member of your family," she gave a courteous and efficient bow in return.

"Were you looking to play some more games too now that the crowd is gone?"

Nozomi tilted her head and said, "Oh! Wait! That wing. I met someone else in it earlier when there were more people here."

She smiled meekly and shook her head. "Well, not exactly why I was here. Though, come to think of it, I would not be opposed to doing so."

"Ah," a small twitch of the lips. "That must've been Shinjo Yul-san. We're both part of the same squad. He is also here for the miai, but I assume you already know that."

She did smile a little. "Well, what about this game?" Pointing to Hyper Dance Stars. "It's a cooperative game from what I can tell."

"Yup! That'd be the guy." Nozomi smiled meekly. "He's nice."

Her eyes went to the machine and they lit up behind her glasses. "Oh! Yes, I've done that one before. It is indeed cooperative."

"Really? I haven't had the chance to try it yet, but at least I have someone who is somewhat experienced with it."

At least there wasn't much of a line there now, considering that there were less people and this one hadn't been part of the prize-winning games available.

"Yul-san isn't too bad, I guess. But I am bit biased since we spend time together in cramped environs on warships, so it's easy to find things to dislike about the other people you are stuck with."

"Oh I wouldn't say I'm super experienced with it," Nozomi interjected, followed by a bit of nervous laughter.

"I think I understand what you mean. I get sick of my fellow priestesses easily back at home."

"And yet you respect them, and their abilities," she said, feeling as if Nozomi understood.

Their turn came quickly as a couple left the machine, and it was now available.

"So, hm, the challenge is to match eachother's move-set, yes?"

"Exactly! They can just be a little much outside of their job duties."

Nozomi nodded. "Yes! Apparently it likes it even if you both fail together." A smirk came up her lips. "I was theorizing with someone else that maybe the nakodo will end up using the data for matches."

"Really? Hmm... that is an interesting idea, but there is a flaw in the thought there. The nakodo isn't deciding the matches, from what I understand?" Hyeon-ju pursed her lips as she considered the possibility of the theory's potential to be an actual theory and not a hypothesis.

"Maybe it's part of their research though? Like if two suitors end up with each other and the dance data correlates," Nozomi guessed, half-serious.

"... Ok, now that is actually an interesting thought." It seemed to have some merit, when looked at it that way. And the Phoenix were nerds who put a lot of faith in such absurdities.

"Maybe this miai is an experiment in determining successful ways of establishing couples and matches?"

"Maybe. And has the added benefits of being a miai in the first place." Nozomi shifted her look to the machine and then sighed. "Of course, this could be me supposing random ideas in order to make this game a little less ridiculous."

"Hm, no, there could be something to it..." the Unicorn seemed to at least take this speculation seriously, and eyed the dance-machine with a healthy dose of scepticism now.

"Why else so many challenges with debilitating side-effects, like the poisonous ikebana, or the dangerous climb? It's a set up for how one can attract possible mates by being wounded or in a weakened position."

"One would be indebted, verbally or otherwise, to the ones who helped them," she said. She rubbed her chin in deep thought. Her cheeks first turned a little red but then her bow furrowed. "Yes. That might be it."