The Cheery Cherry ~ Fashionably-Minded Garments

[Cherry Milerand]

This shop is owned and run by semi-famous Noble-Turned-Fashion Designer, Cherry Milerand. The Shop is a bright, Jade color on the outside, shaped like some kind of miniature Mansion, though only large enough to really be called an average-sized house. The bricks shine as if they had just been polished minutes ago, and the roofing is a Cherry-Red color.

The inside is decorated in a way to appear both lavishing and homely, in a rather....interesting mesh of the two, with high-end, Pink-colored curtains with gold embroidery looking to mingle with simple, bright but soft yellows on the walls. Black and white tiles adorn the floor, the bright lighting of the shop glinting and shining off of them, and little hearts and other fruits can be seen decorating the walls all over the shop.

Finally, there are a multitude of Clothing racks all over the store, various garments slung along them in prominant displays (all charmed, of course, to prevent theft), and one circular counter with red-colored Granite countertops can be found domianting the center of the store.

Located in: Matiera

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Cursed Skull Ring
One must be careful around this object... tailored at the request of an aristocratic, power-hungry man in the hopes of inspiring fear in others, he was found dead with this ring on his finger a week later. The Skull-emblazoned design made it popular enough to continue circulation, but... be careful about relying on the magic inside this ring.

1 in stock ---- 8 750 Gold

Dashing Cape
Well, isn't this fetching! And it supposedly has the magically tailored ability to help protect those who are victimized by brutal assaults.

1 in stock --- 3 400 Gold

Elegant Gown
It seems like a rather impractical thing to take into battle, but supposedly its inherent magic can assist those who love to take the spotlight! It would be a little weird, though certainly not unheard of, for a man to wear this...

0 in stock --- 15 370 Gold

Mirrored Bracelet
A shining, reflective surface bent into a gorgeous bracelet - it can reflect all kinds of things, and simply looks dazzling!

1 in stock ---- 3 400

Mystical Bejeweled Earrings
How fabulous! This pair of silver earrings are studded with a magical Gem stone that changes from day to day! Ruby one day, Sapphire another, Emerald, and even Diamond! Each jewel supposedly possesses a magic power, but who cares about that when they look this good? For the more masculine-inclined, a smaller, "studlier" version is also available.

0 in stock --- 16 775 Gold

Rose Bangle
A pretty little rose-colored accessory to add a finishing touch to any outfit - you may want to lean on the more elegant side though, as it just has that air about it. It's great to wear to a social occasion.

1 in stock ----- 2 200 Gold

Snowflake Necklace
A silver necklace, ornamented with a beautiful, crystalline Snowflake. It's cold to the touch, but we all must make sacrifices for fashion, yes?

0 in stock --- 1 130 Gold

Snow-White Traveling Cloak
A beautiful, silken traveling cloak of the purest white, it is embroidered around the edges with golden, vine-like designs. Surely, one wearing this white cloak aims to reflect the purity of their hearts?

1 in stock ---- 350 Gold

Stylish Shirt
A long-sleeved shirt with detached sleevelets, leaving a portion of the upper arm exposed. The design is popular among young girls, and the sleevelets can even be removed on hot days! How versatile!

1 in stock --- 740 Gold

Stylish Specs
Oooh, what a fetching pair of eye-glasses! You won't have that nerdy, scholarly look with these lookers! And better yet, they really do enhance your sight!.

1 in stock --- 1 130 Gold

Stylized Belt
A pitch-black, leather belt, with a buckle shaped like a Dragon's head. It's popular among adventurers, and can even produce holsters for hand-held weaponry at will, making it great for people who switch between weapons often.

1 in stock ---- 890 Gold

Valorous Gauntlets
A pair of gauntlets that are more for show than practical use. However, they can still possibly be used in combat in the hands of a skilled fighter. They command an impressive design, and the wearer may get the sensation that they can take all comers!

1 in stock ---- 900 Gold

[Kiku]

Enter Kikuriku Gouken. Sort of. Today was a special day for him, because it was the day that he was going to enter Cherry's shop. She had made mention of this a while back when they met up underwater in Submiere, back when Kiku was still looking for Tehodis. She had made mention of the shop, and Kiku thought that it was his duty as a friend, as well as his duty as a man who wants to see her naked, to go and check things out. Hell, if something is there, maybe he could buy something for Tehodis in order to win her over to his side. One could always dream, and dreaming was something that Kiku did very well.

"This shop is very... not Kiku," he started, speaking to himself because no one was around him. He began to regret making the journey to this shop, because there was other places he could go the yielded a higher chance of female nudity, but Cherry was one of his only friends he could truly trust. "I guess it can't hurt, but at the least, I want to have a little bit of fun." As he said those words, he focused his mind to the Astral Plane, where he kept all of his items. He began to sift through every item he owned. He had a lot of useless crap, some items for his plans with Ichabod, some for his plans with Tehodis, and some just because he thought they would be fun. I really need to get all this shit organized he thought to himself, before finally focusing on the item that he wanted; The Chimerical Cloak. It was an item that allowed him to be invisible as long as he wore it. He purchased it so he could look at girls in the shower, but playing pranks was a suitable substitute. He threw the cloak on, and surprise, he was invisible.

He slowly pushed open the door, hoping to get the spooky creaky sound that is typical of haunted houses and murderers, but because of how new and nice the shop was, there was nothing. It was silent. Too silent. "...eeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrr" Kiku said in his best 'door' voice, hoping to spook Cherry, or whoever she had hired to work for her. When the door was open enough, he quickly tip-toed inside, keeping low to the ground. Even though he was invisible and he could walk normally, Kiku didn't leave anything to chance. He had to be ninja at all times for this operation. He quickly crept up to the counter and slid, as to be hidden by whoever was on the other side.

"GET OUT OF MY HOME! OR YOU WILL BE HAUNTED BY MY GHOST, FOREVER!" Kiku screamed, changing his voice to a very deep, booming voice. He had to be scary, and didn't want Cherry to know that it was him until she was cowering in the corner, and Kiku would come in and save the day. "LEAVE THIS PLACE, OOOOOOOH."

You know, Kiku, it's things like this that make her not want to take her clothes off around you..[/i]

[Cherry Milerand]

Pulling one over on Cherry Milerand was not one of those things that was easy to do. As much as she didn't like to think of herself as 'old', she had certainly lived for long enough that parlor tricks usually didn't faze her.

Usually.

Still, it was a bit of a surprise when the voice sounded behind her. She raised an eyebrow in suspicion when thew door opened, making not a sound, only to be accompanied by a voice that was looking to accomplish the creaking effect. Her eyebrow shot up in amusement at that antic.

Still though, best make this fun for both of them. So she leaned against the counter, nonchalantly, pretending not to notice. But then the voice boomed up right next to her, and admittedly, she jumped a bit. However, after her initial shock subsided, she took a glance to her right, where the "threat" had come from, and boldly reached out. She touched fabric, and smirked. "Come on, you'll have to do better than that-" she started, yanking on the cloth and pulling away the cloak. "- Kiku?!"

Well, at least THAT was a surprise. She hadn't been expecting to show up like that. She figured he'd prefer a ruckus entrance that would make his presence known to any and all in the area. She chuckled, putting one hand up near her mouth as her other reached out to smack him on the shoulder. "what do you think you're doing, mister? Trying to sneak up on me like that?"

After another moment of laughing, she offered him his cloak back. "Here," she said through her giggles, shaking her head in a hopeless fashion at him. "Now then, am I allowed to greet you with a hug, or will your lady friend call infidelity?" she asked, hands now placed firmly on her hips and eyebrows raised at him. "Honestly Kiku, I always knew your taste was questionable, but I didn't think you went for the naive, conclusion-jumping types."

Of course, she was joking with him. But there was just a trace of seriousness there - after all, seeing as how Tehodis had wandered off with tears in her eyes at their last meeting, Cherry was hoping that Kiku (whom she assumed was her "man", seeing as Tehodis had certainly made it seem that way, and Cherry doubted that another Kiku existed in Setsuwa) could maybe talk to her and smooth things out.

Cherry didn't like to hold a grudge, but it was sort of hard to forgive and forget if the person you were arguing with wouldn't believe a word you told them. However, thoughts of this conversation were abandoned a moment later when it occurred to Cherry that Kiku was in her shop. And that meant she had much more important questions to ask.

"So! What do you think of the place, huh? Isn't it awesome? And check it out, I have some living quarters here too, so I can even sleep here with my precious designs~!" she explained, her face gaining a dreamy expression as she let her mind again wander to how lovely it was that she had her own store.

Yes, important questions indeed.

[Kiku]

At first, Kiku was upset that Cherry discovered his presence so quickly. He had thought that the plan was perfect, and the voice was spot on. Even the door noise was perfect. She must have noticed the sounds of my footsteps. I knew I should have been more Ninja! Kiku thought, as he smiled at his green friend in front of him "Haha, yeah, it's Kiku," he responded, because really, that was all he could say. "I wasn't sneaking up on you. I was coming in to say hello, and conveniently forgot that my cloak was still on." Kiku smiled as Cherry slapped him on the shoulder. It was sort of a playful thing that she did with him, something that deep down, Kiku cherished.

Kiku smiled at Cherry's comment about Tehodis being the 'jump-to-conclusions' type of girl. He agreed completely. "You know-" Kiku went in and hugged her, giving a big, 'I-haven't-seen-you-in-so-long/Let-me-feel-you-up-with-my-chest' hug, "After talking to her, I can see how she came to that conclusion. I'm sorry that she went ape shit on you though. But what can I say, I make the girls go crazy." Kiku released the hug and produced a big smile, knowing that Cherry of all people would understand the hidden message from his statement.

"Yeah, the place is nice babe. I remember you were talking about how you wanted to open it with that Jacob guy way back when, so I figured I'd come in and check things out. Maybe buy a sort of, how should I say this... 'I'm sorry you think I cheated on you with a little green girl, here's a present, am I out of the doghouse' type gift. I just, you know, won't tell her that the gift is from the little green girl's store." Kiku began to browse the store, looking at each of the garments that Cherry had in stock.

He came across a particular item that reminded him of Tehodis. It was a beautiful necklace, with a big large snowflake on it, appropriately named the Snowflake Necklace. he reached out and went to touch it, but just before he did, he felt a chill in his hand, similar to how his Frostbite felt in his hands. Huh, it's cold. I guess that is how it reminds me of her.

"Listen, Cherry. There's something I wanted to ask you. I went to the Tablet, to that Daisy Wright person to try and getsome of the story, and I left with more questions than answers. I want to know; what happened at the New Years' ball? What went down between you and her... Tehodis? I need to know, because I need to see her... and I want to be prepared."

Kiku was sincere. He was planning on seeing Tehodis within the week, and he wanted the be 100% sure of what happened at the ball. All he had at this point was what Daisy wrote, and that wasn't very credible. All he knew for sure at this point was that the fight was likely about him, and now apparently, that Tehodis was pissed and didn't believe that Cherry and Kiku were just friends. Of course, he could have gathered this from the previous meeting he had with Tehodis, or perhaps the letters that she sent, but there was (hopefullly) some hidden information in there that Kiku could use to his advantage...

[Cherry Milerand]

She rolled her eyes at him. Typical Kikuriku Gouken, always trying to talk himself up. Although, it was part of his charm, and she'd be lying if she didn't think it was amusing. He proceeded to offer her that greeting hug, squeezing a bit too tight to the point where she had to laugh and kick a little bit to signal that she needed some oxygen. Cherry was no fragile flower, but that didn't necessarily mean she could handle a crushing bear hug from someone who obviously worked on his physical strength.

After being set down, she patted herself down, putting her clothes back in order as she smirked at him. "Yeah yeah, real nice mister. Get her a gift." she chuckled. "I'm definitely behind that idea; a present might put her back in a good mood, hmm? And for the record," she corrected him, poking him sternly in the chest. "I'm teal, not green. Big difference, buddy."

She then turned on her heel and hopped over the counter, eying the items she had on display and trying to find one that would suit Tehodis - she may have only had a brief meeting, but she could still perfectly picture the woman in her mind. Tehodis was, Cherry could admit, very beautiful when she wasn't fuming. And Kiku would probably need help deciding on something nice. Men usually did.

Kiku was also browsing now, mentioning that foray in Submiere with Jacob Aege and Cherry's potential plans with him. She chuckled. "Yeah, I saw that he could change things' color at will, and thought it would be awesome for him to help me out. But we both saw how that turned out; kid's dull as dank. I'm probably better off without him. And by the way, I agree that you should probably omit that your gift came from my store at first... but I do wanna bury the hatchet with her, so eventually letting her know about it would be nice. After all, I'd certainly like her to be a valued customer here, you know~"

And then right on cue, having been talking about her, Kiku had his questions. It didn't surprise Cherry, he would obviously wanna know the specifics of what exactl- wait, what? She turned to face him, clutching a dress in her hands that she had forgotten she was looking at. "Come again?! Did you just say Daisy Wright?!" Cherry asked in an excited, chipper tone. Her eyes must have surely looked like stars. "You MET her? Omigosh! What's she like? What's her fashion sense like? Is she as awesome in person as she is in writing?!"

She had drawn progressively closer to her Red-headed friend as she berated him with questions, not really noticing. "I've wanted to meet her forever! How did you manage that!?" she asked, grinning ear to ear. "Could you like, introduce me?"

And then she remembered her composure. She didn't have MUCH, but she was still breaking what little she had. So she straightened up, coughed a moment, and smiled softly. "Well, I guess that can all wait till later. Now then, you wanna know what went down, right?"

Goodness, how embarrassing of her to just fly off the handle like that! She skipped over to a bench that was bolted to the ground nearby, taking a seat and patting the spot beside her, just in case Keeks felt like popping a squat. "Well, I guess there really isn't all that much to tell. I saw her from across the room and got all interested because she had on this gorgeous dress, and I just had to know who had made it for her. It was custom stuff," she added, glancing meaningfully at Kiku, despite him obviously not understanding the finer nuances of fashion. "The good stuff."

"Anyway," she continued. "I got a good look at her face and recognized her, and then I got kinda ticked off. I guess I never told you, but you remember that trouble I had with Cowell a while back? Well, the whole reason he flew off the handle at me and caused all that crap to happen in my life was because she left him at the alter. Granted," she went on, with reason in her voice, "My anger was PROBABLY misplaced. I know it really isn't her fault that Tristan did what he did, but... well, I guess I've been searching for a while for an outlet for my anger, you know? I couldn't take it out on Tristan, because let's be real here, he'd destroy me. So I took it out on her because she was directly related to it all. I know, I probably shouldn't have done that.

But she sort of had it coming, too! She was friendly with me at first, but I guess she recognized me from somewhere or something, which is strange since I'd never met her before then. Anyway, she made some remark about ME causing TURMOIL in her life. Naturally, I was confused, but before I could ask her about it in a composed manner, she went and pissed me off!" she flayed her arms out in the air for dramatic effect, and then turned back to Kiku. "She made allegations that I was some kind of whore, or pirate, or both! Without even an explanation! Now I'm sorry, Kiku, but I was not brought up to just take that kind of behavior. So, I slapped her." she explained with a shrug and a sheepish grin. "She then sort of started explaining herself, which is how I found out she was apparently with you and thought you were cheating on her or something, but let's face it, at this point she wasn't even going to listen to me anymore. I tried to smooth things over by offering her a new dress, custom-made, for free, but she just kinda wandered off. I didn't see her again for the rest of the night, and then lo and behold, the story was in the tablet the next day."

She rubbed the back of her head in mild guilt. "I guess, in the long run, I was probably out of line, but no more than she was, you know! I know, two wrongs don't make a right, but...sigh. Sorry." she finished, looking over at Kiku and waiting for his reaction. He wouldn't get all pissy over this, now would he? It certainly wouldn't be very Kiku if he did.

[Kiku]

At first, Kiku didn't know what to think. His head was swirling with thoughts of what Cherry had just told him. Finally, the answers laid themselves out in front of him. The reasoning behind Tehodis' sadness towards Kiku, and the truth behind the article that Daisy had written; all of the pieces were coming together. However, there was still one thing that he had to take care of: Kiku needed to get Tehodis back. At the very least, he had to tell her, to confess to her that he needed her like he needed air, or something else to that sappy effect.

He looked at Cherry with stern eyes. It seemed that she expected him to be angry, or something to that effect, for she had apologized. Perhaps she was just being polite, but she was one of the few people in Setsuwa who knew Kiku; therefore, she should have known that there was never a need to apologize to him. "Fuck!" Kiku shouted loudly, feigning anger, "For Deity's sake, Cherry. What were you thinking!" Kiku gave Cherry a playful push on the shoulder, "How could you go and start a catfight about me, without me actually being there!" It was at this point that Kiku could no longer contain his jest, and he let out a small laugh, stuck his arms out, and embraced Cherry. "You don't need to apologize, you know. It's me we're talking about. I'd only be pissed if you somehow removed her clothes at this ball, and everyone there saw her naked except me. That didn't happen, did it?"

Letting go of Cherry, Kiku proceeded to walk around the store a second time. He was extremely interested in purchasing one or two items, for Tehodis, as well as for helping out a friend. Nothing here really interested him personally, but girls always liked gifts, and what better gift to give a girl than jewelry? They always went nuts for it. "Hey Cherry," he started as he came across a gown. It was truly and elegant gown, one that would truly make Tehodis absolutely stunning, "This gown is extremely elegant. What do you call this gown? It's simply so... just so... elegant. Only word that comes to mind. Anyway, how much would this be, if some red-headed manly man were to buy it? One who you love with all your heart in a non-sexual, yet sexually attracted-to-him kind of way. Is there some sort of discount there?" Kiku put on a great big smile, obviously trying to get Cherry to lower the price. Kiku was probably going to buy the gown anyway, but every gold coin helps.

This plan to get Tehodis will be... difficult, to say the least. She needs to see that over time, I have changed, you know? Kiku thought to himself. I need to be different. I need her to see that I've matured. How can I do that? Kiku paused for a second, and looked around the store. There was definately nothing there that Kiku would consider appealing, but then again, he was not a woman. Perhaps, those earrings over there. They say they come in a manly version

[/i], Riku offered jokingly. Such a good idea Riku! Ugh, thanks man. You're a real pal. "Cherry, I'd also like to get a look at the manly version of those earrings over there, if you wouldn't mind." Are you serious? I was ki-[/i] "And yeah, I think that's everything. I don't want to spent my entire life savings here." Kiku ended with a laugh, despite the fact that he was somewhat serious. Like, Tehodis is my life and all, but this is my money. Money is more important that my life, right? Money buys women, and women are my life. Wait a minute Kiku, I thought you just said that Tehodis was your life. Yes, and Tehodis is a woman, therefore she is still my life. You gotta keep up Riku...

And so, Kiku smiled and waited patiently for his friend slash store-owner to get back with the items he had requested.[/blockquote]

[Cherry Milerand]

At first, Cherry was taken aback by Kiku's reaction; she hadn't caught on that he was joking with her until after the push and the comment about a cat-fight. She let out a breath she wasn't sure she had been holding - it would have really sucked to have Kiku mad at her. But he seemed to be taking the news alright, what with him chuckling now.

He then asked, in jest of course, if she and Tehodis had gotten nude whilst fighting, all while treating Cherry to a friendly embrace. She smiled, giggled, returned the hug, and then pulled back to look Kiku dead in the face, looking completely serious.

"Oh yes. That totally happened." she confirmed, giving him a stalwart nod. Silence. But of course, she couldn't keep a straight face for long, and just as it seemed Kiku might possibly be ready to say something about it (or at least, it seemed that way to Cherry), she burst out into laughter, smacking him again on the shoulder (she seemed to do that often, she noted to herself). "No, no, of course not! You know me, Keeks - I like to show off my clothes, not lose them."

But his attention seemed to be elsewhere now. He was back on his thought of getting back on the good side of little miss Kitai, and he was checking out a particular gown that Cherry grinned from ear to ear over. She was hoping he'd notice that one.

She giggled as she approached him, practically dancing over as she began using hand gestures to show off the pretty thing, playing up her performance like some sort of Game Show Wench. "I'm glad you ask, mister Gouken! It may surprise you to hear this, but this gown is actually known as a *gasp* Elegant Gown!" she chirped with mock surprise before applauding herself, as though now in the audience of this splendid show, accenting it with cheers and whoops.

Dropping the act, she turned to Kiku with her hand on her hip, smile at her lips. "Yeah, I've decided to just go with simplistic names for my designs. It's too much work coming up with some clever name that no customer is going to care about, am I right? Now then, as for a discount..." she said, mock apprehension in her voice. She closed one eye, crossed her arms, and placed a fingertip on her chin, looking Kiku up and down.

"Weellllll, I suppose you are studly. And I suppose you are irreplacable.... but then again, you're just so....uncivilized. And pretentious." she added, turning away in an over-dramatized huff. "I just couldn't offer you a discount. It's sooooooooo hard. In fact, I'm charging you double." she began walking over to the counter, glancing at her fingernails uncaringly before popping up to perch on the edge of the counter top.

After she felt she had let that go on for long enough, she laughed again, deciding that she really had way too much fun playing around with Kiku as she shook her head. "But then again, I guess I like uncivilized. Lucky, lucky you, right? I guess I could offer you.....30% discount?"

And then she was on her feet again, marching over to jab him in the chest with a finger in a mock display of reprimanding him. "And don't you complain that that isn't enough, now~! I need to turn a profit too, you know. Oh, and here." she added, producing a small jewel box she had grabbed while sitting on the counter. "It's the male version of the earrings you wanted. They're more like studs. Hmmm..." she gave him a quick glance, moving some of his hair with her fingers for a moment before smirking. "You'd look good with one on your left ear. Both ears would look kind of weird, so just wear one at a time, alright? Anyway, did you still want that necklace, too?" she added as an afterthought, gesturing at the Snowflake Necklace Kiku had been looking at earlier.

She then hopped back over to the counter, jumping behind the desk to drum away at her fancy new register. "Let's see.... Earrings, Gown, Necklace...minus the discount....aha! Your total, with the necklace, will come to 29,515 Gold." she whistled, bobbing an eyebrow at him. "Big spender~ Tehodis is lucky to have you." she cooed.

[Kiku]

It was reasons like this that Kiku valued having a non-sexual relationship with girls. Sometimes, they did good things for you that benefited you with another girl, instead of trying to cut off the magic stick so they remain the only ones who get to wield it. Jealousy had it's downside; the upside being how fun it was to watch when jealous girls fight. But having a friend, who was a girl, who also had no (or at least, a very mild) interest in sleeping with you was turning out perfectly for Kiku. Cherry would give him a discount on all the merchandise he had purchased, and Kiku would woo Tehodis, and he would get laid. The world was perfect.

Perfect, that is, until he heard the price. 30,000 gold. Kiku's face was expressionless. He didn't know what to feel at that exact moment. Like, I have the money, that's not the issue or anything. It's just... Kiku thought to himself. Like, shit. 30,000 dollars for a chick that I'm not guaranteed to bang and slash or live with for the rest of my life? It's like, an investment in this Frostbite... it's so risky. Kiku stared at Cherry, trying to decide whether or not to say something along the lines of 'Can I pay you 10,000 Gold, and the rest in sexual favors?' However, that would get rid of the whole 'friend-Kiku-isn't-sleeping-with thing. Decisions decisions...

"Well, damn. 30 big ones, huh? Well, alright. Here's 10,000," Kiku said, keeping his empty expression on his face. He conjured up 10,000 worth of Gold coins on the counter. He looked at Cherry like he was expecting her to just give him the items right at that exact moment, with a look on his face saying "Why aren't you giving me my shit?". That was when Kiku let out a chuckle, pulling out a bag from behind his back that he also had conjured up. "And here's another 22,000 Gold. The extra 2,000 is just because you're so pretty." Kiku placed the bag on the table, and waited for Cherry to count them.

"And I don't think she's the lucky one. Don't tell anyone I was this sappy, but I'm the lucky one. She's a babe. I never expected to be able to possibly wife a babe, you know? I thought my only gift was giving them countless orgasms for what seemed like an eternity... but you know, love is a weird thing, and hits us all in different ways. It just took one super babe-y-babe who wouldn't sleep with me to make me see how awesome monogamy can be. Even if you have to deal with crazy suicidal brothers and ex-fiances and ex-boyfriends, writers and journalists, homosexual boys looking for flowers and lusty bar maids. I don't remember what I was talking about, but the fact is, I'm lucky." Kiku was bumbling. Probably because he just laid down 32,000 Gold for Cherry... and she wasn't even putting out"

(Admin note: Transaction made.)

[Cherry Milerand]

Cherry was getting misty-eyed.

She stared at Kiku for a moment. A long moment. Then, she quietly scooped up the money he had offered and sent it away to her vault. Then, she grinned.

"Oh, Kikkuuuuuuuuuu." she whined, small little tears poking at the corners of her eyes. "That's so beautiful!" she cried, leaping across the counter to give him a hug. "You know, you may say you're the lucky one, but by saying all those things, she really IS the lucky one!"

She couldn't help herself. She was always a sap for love stories, even if she wasn't on good terms with one of the people involved. But then pulled back and her voice became suddenly stern, poking Kiku in the chest with her finger. "But you listen here, you! If this girl really means that much to you, if you REALLY love her, then damn it , you KEEP her, you hear? You and I both know we have our fun, but we both know we're platonic. And a girl like Tehodis can easily misconstrue that, evidently!" she explained with a slight laugh, a small grin on her face. "So you need to be mindful of her feelings, okay? I know this will be very hard for you, but Kiku, you need to stop flirting around so much. Prove to her how much she means to you, and devote your feelings to her, okay?" she finished, softly, hoping Kiku might take her seriously for once.

She gave him a smile, leaning forward to hug him again. "I love you, Keeks, in a totally platonic way. I'm very happy for you." she pulled back then, wiping her eyes a bit as she bagged up his purchases in a neat little sack. "Here ya go! Now go sweep her off her feet, you!" she commanded, back to her old self as she held the bag out. "And when you're in the good house, let slip that I made these and am very, very, very sorry for what I did. And let her know I'd like to get together sometime." she added.