"What's this?"

"Coffee brewer."

"What's that?"

"Ice machine."

Kajai cracked several eggs over a bowl on the counter while Himiko inspected every inch of the kitchen. "And this is an Ice box...No, the modern thing is a refrigerator, right?"

"Yes." Kajai chopped a piece of onion.

"And this is a stove..." She pulled on a handle and peered inside. "With an oven."

"It's not very different from yours." Kajai replied. "There's just an ignition process."

"And...electricity." Himiko pronounced the word slowly. "No runes."

"Nope." Kajai poured the mixture into a skillet and adjusted the flame on the stove. He walked over to the sink to wash his hands. "Why don't you watch something on the television? I'll be done in a moment."

"The television!?" She had heard of those before.

Kajai turned off the stove and gave her a brief tutorial on how to use the television.

"...This button controls how loud the sound gets, and this button changes what channels it displays..."

It took no time at all for Himiko to become absorbed in playing with the device. By the time she had figured out the remote, dinner was ready.

They sat at the kitchen's counter table on a pair of stools. Kajai had whipped up two matching runny omelets, sitting on beds of rice.

Himiko poked at her dinner with a spoon. The fluffy structure ruptured, with egg yolk and pieces of sausage dripping over the rice. She scooped a small amount onto her spoon and took a bite.

"It's good." She said in a tone that suggested she thought it wouldn't be.

'Oi, I'm a healthy bachelor you know. I have to take care of myself.' Kajai thought as he gave her a sideways glance. 'Of course it's good.'  "I'm glad."

Himiko shoveled another spoonful into her mouth. "It's really good!"

Her smile caused him to reel back and hold his knees. When was the last time someone had smiled at him directly? Was she even real?

He remembered desperately clinging to the end of Petalbroom.

Oh, she was definitely real...

Her words of praise were not lost to him as he stared at his own meal until nothing was left on either of their plates.

After dinner was finished, they returned to the living room. Himiko sat mesmerized at the wonders of television. "So even advertisements for products are shown and made to be entertaining. Interesting..."

"I think we could do with fewer commercials, actually." He looked at the front door. 'Petalbroom is still out there...' "What now?" He asked.

Himiko clasped her hands together. "Dessert?" She queried.

He blinked twice. 'Not what I meant, but when she looks at me like that...'

"Well, there's flan..."

"Uh,Himiko-san?"

"Yes?"

"There are some things I don't understand..." He scratched his head sheepishly. "This might sound invasive, but do you mind if I ask a few questions."

Himiko raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure what could be left for you to learn after reading my inner thoughts, but I've been inquiring about mortal things for hours now. I suppose I'll answer a few." She frowned. "As long as they aren't weird."

"Okay...Uh. So I know you're a witch and all, but witches and magic are thought to... you know...not exist? So, is there some sort of secret society?"

Himiko raised her eyebrows, her smile curling in amusement. "Secret world, more like. Casters and fey don't live in the mortal world. We live in the second realm, the gift of deities--Feyland." She crossed her arms. "I suppose there are some Fey and Casterkind here somewhere, but most left after the great migration."

"Migration?"

"It's said that centuries ago, when mankind ostracized the ways of casters, the voices of our deities directed us to leave the first world, the mortal plane, behind. At this time the veil between worlds became thin, and we relocated to Feyland."

"You keep saying casters. I'm guessing that refers to people with magic?"

"Yes and no." Himiko shook her head. "I guess there's a lot to explain isn't there? Let's see...Okay. So a very long time there was one plane, and then it split. There were two types of beings...the Fey and the mortal kind. The fey are naturally gifted, those who can bend things to their will. The mortals are just...people. They don't possess any abilities outside their deus."

"I saw that word in the journal a lot. Is it some sort of power?"

"Well, I suppose. It's...like a skill. Everyone has a thing they can do. Every living thing is given a deus. Some aren't common, some are very simple. It can be anything, from pottery making to pyrokinesis." 

She sighed. "Where was I? Right. The Fey and mortal kind. So, at some point the Fey uh...mingled with mortals, and casters came to be. Casters can affect things like Fey through craft or spell work. I suppose in your world there should still be casters of some kind...You know, your local priest or priestess, shamans, healers. But the Fey and Mortals were not content with the imbalance of power, so the veil split the plane in two." Himiko stopped. "Wait, where is the flan you promised? I'm giving a whole lecture! I'll probably get hungry all over again!"

"Uh, right. Flan." Kajai had forgotten all about it. "I'll get it."

Once she was presented with the plate of flan, Himiko continued. "It's so bouncy! Oh, er...the split. Okay...So some of the casters and fey were sent to live with Mortals on one side, but over time, their numbers dwindled. The mortals began to hunt them for their power, or worse, destroy them." She eyed him suspiciously. " Let me guess, the mortals of today don't know that, do they?"

Kajai scratched his head. "Oh they do, unfortunately. But these days, it seems like people will attack each other over anything. My country is in a state of peace, but I can't say the same for others."

"So now the mortals are attacking themselves? Ludicrous."

Kajai shrugged. "Yeah. But what happened to the non-mortals? You mentioned a migration?"

"Yes. The veil was weakened, and many crossed over to the other side." She punctured the flan with a spoon. "That's where I came from."

"And now you're here."

"Yes." Himiko stuffed a spoonful of flan into her mouth.

"Why?"

Himiko frowned."That doesn't matter anymore. But I don't feel like being mad, so I'll leave it at that." She continued to eat her flan in silence, leaving Kajai to ruminate on his own.

"Ah, I'm stuffed." Himiko rubbed her stomach. Her eyes fell on the television again. "The shows are still going...When do they stop?"

"Never, actually." Kajai yawned. It was already past his bedtime. "They go on and on..."

"Hm? What's this? What sort of animal is that? Where is this? Oh..."

Somewhere between a nature documentary and a murder mystery, Kajai drifted off.

The alarm clock feature on the radio awoke Kajai from his sleep only a few hours later. The air was hot and sticky, closer to the summer heat he was used to. He woke up on the couch, his hair tousled and his neck stiff. 'I know better than to sleep sitting up like that...'

The stereo played light jazz, and the television had a news program going.

"...." He scratched his head and pulled his hair out of a loose foxtail.

Rubbing his neck, he headed upstairs. 'Why am I still in my uniform...?'

He stopped at the stair landing, looking down both directions of the hallway. 'I could get ready...Or I could lie in bed for a few minutes...Maybe check the book...' He walked towards his bedroom, pausing briefly at the door. Withered flower petals crunched under his feet. 'From the window?' He pondered. He opened the door to the room.

And then he stopped again.

His bed was already occupied.

Himiko was asleep, wrapped up in the sheets holding her familiar. Her dress was hanging over the desk-chair, along with her stockings and garters. As for what she wore to bed, he could see a bit of lace peeking out...

Kajai dashed into the room, grabbed his clothes, and dashed back out.

He retreated to the bathroom to figure things out. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the music wafting through the house.

"Calm down."

"But there's a witch in my room..."

"Easier said than done."

Rather than continuing to converse with himself, he focused on his daily routine and sang along with the stereo.

"...In the night time you glisten under the crescent moon..."

Once Kajai was dressed he headed downstairs to fix himself a pot of tea. Light rain dribbled on Yumekoji, but it was drowned out by the morning news.

"Hm...Assam tea for breakfast."

Between the television and the stereo, he didn't hear Himiko enter the kitchen.

"Fwaaaa...." Himiko yawned, startling him.

He stared at her with an incredulous look. Instead of opting for more modest attire, she wrapped herself in a bedsheet and came downstairs. He tried to remember what had happened before he fell asleep, but all he could remember was Himiko asking questions about animals and laughing.

Himiko rubbed her head, smoothing down her hair.

Kajai wasn't sure where to look, so he focused on the refrigerator.

"What's for breakfast?" She yawned again before clasping her hands together. "Can it be pancakes?" Her eyes went wide, and it was clear her expectations were high after the previous night's meal. "You know how to make pancakes, right? Can we have pancakes?"

Kajai looked away quickly. 'Ah, don't approach me with such hope in your eyes! It's bad enough that you're real, don't be cute at that same time!'

He mentally went through the items in his kitchen. "Actually..."

He would concede--

"I think we have enough ingredients for pancakes."

--but only one more time...

Halfway through his second pancake, Kajai suddenly dropped his fork. "Ah! What am I doing!?" He stood up. "I have to go to school!"

"School?" Himiko tilted her head. "Aren't you a little too old for that?"

Kajai stuffed the other pancake into his mouth and chased it down with tea. " Not by my society's standards. But more on that later." He dashed upstairs to collect his bag. After checking his appearance he hurried to the front door.

"Wait!"

He looked back to see Himiko, still wrapped in the sheet. "Aren't you going to say something?"

"...." Having lived alone for such a long period of time, Kajai wasn't used to that basic custom. "Goodbye...?"

"See you later." Himiko corrected.

"See you later, then." Kajai nodded and left.

He pedaled quicker than usual, trying to escape the scents of lavender and vanilla.