"Did you really think that?" Nozomi asked with a wry smile. She then propped her glasses with a bit of flair. "As it turns out, the glasses did come afterwards. It fit the look."

"Aiming for the cute librarian chic?" He asked with an amused chuckle. "I met a kuni here that might agree that you pull it off quite well."

"She was kinda leaning that direction in her fashion choices at least."

"I guess so," Nozomi said, admittedly a bit flustered. She looked upwards in thought. "Oh! Kuni Eriko, perhaps? I haven't met her but I've heard of her."

"That's the one." Hayato replied with a smirk. "She didn't have the glasses to completely pull it off though."

"Not surprised you haven't met her though. She seems a bit difficult to pin down."

"I seem to remember one fellow Lion being in her company," Nozomi commented. "But I cannot confirm it. She does certainly appear to be busy though."

"Yeah, I would expect to see her more at some of the social gatherings. But, I suppose she has other interests."

"I think she mentioned doing a lot of studying?"

"The Crab have been difficult to predict here," Nozomi admitted. "Ah well. Reminds me of some of the other clans."

He smirked at that. "Is this where you bring up the Spider instead of the Crane?" Hayato asked, a bit amused as how all this was working out.

Nozomi laughed awkwardly. "Well, I am no courtier, huh!" She chuckled some more and took a step away. "Well I mean they're apparently buddy buddy now! Really weird."

"Yeah, they seem to have little time for anything but each other." Hayato offered with a wry smile. "Leaves us apparently very eligible Mantis bachelors very lacking in possibilities." Nozomi might tell by the way he said it that the Wasp was a little frustrated.

"Yes, that does sound annoying. The Crab and Spider have also seemed way friendlier than I ever expected," Nozomi said, less as a diplomatic matter and more out of pure surprise.

Hayato sighed softly. "I am begining to wonder if there is something in the water."

"Perhaps it's wise I have only been drinking canned drinks and alcohol." The shrooms had probably somehow managed to contaminate the water supply.

"There is always something in the water," Nozomi conceded with a light smile. "The canned drinks might be rough on the teeth and the alcohol on the liver!"

"True enough, but if you shoot at enough people eventually someone is going to shoot at you and make it count." He took a bite of his food before turning back to the lion with a smirk. "Could be they take out my liver and the priests have to call on the kami to grow me a new one."

"I... I don't think that's how that works," Nozomi murmured. "I mean, it comes with war, but I don't see how it works here." She laughed it off nonetheless, willing to be wrong on her part.

"Oh please don't do that. If anything, be proactive and have them cure you earlier! That's a relatively simple spell."

He stuck his tongue out at her. "Well you can argue with me after you've been shot twice too." The mantis said somwhat playfully.

"Is it?" He really had no idea. "I suppose, if you ever feel like showing a bit of kindness to a Mantis. I might take you up on that." He didn't drink as heavily as some of his squad, but his liver could likely use a pick me up. That was thing right?

Nozomi smiled faintly. "I have never been shot before. Comes with not being deployed close to any battles."

The priestess shook her head. "It's not something to aim for," she corrected with a small giggle. "The kami don't like that. It's more if it's an accident, really."

"I wouldn't strongly suggest it, well at least not for some people." Lion clan Librarians were likely included.

That last comment caused him to pause. "I guess that means no accidently drinking too much and asking for your aide in the morning?" Hayato asked, his hands coming up to make air quotes when he said accidently.

Nozomi sighed. "Yes, none of that please. I will, of course, do it for an actual accident."

"No raging parties with expectations of relief the next day then." He said with an overdramatic sigh. "Ah well, i suppose I've suffered hangovers before."