"Sumimasen." Shiro apologised, understanding that he had made a mistake, playing not well enough.

Shiro listened while focussing on the screen. "Did Makie intend to stay out longer?" The persocon asked. Makie hadn't said anything about how long she'd be away.

Nanoka shrugged, turning her attention back to the game. "I don't know. I guess I just assumed she'd be out late drinking with Kuri-chan. She doesn't usually come back this early if she's having a big night out."

Shiro played much more accomplished, in order to make up for his 'mistake', directing his full attention to the game... presenting Nanoka with an increasing load of jewels on her side.

Eventually Makie entered the house quietly and entered as silently the living area, watching what Shiro and Nanoka were playing. Strangely enough, she was noticing how well Shiro was doing... She recalled his words from >the other day<:

"...the puzzles always pour down with the exact same patterns. I just need to replay them. My memory in that respect is certainly superior to a human's."

She blinked her eyes tiredly and placed the leftovers of the lunch boxes on the small table. She gazed in concentration at Shiro, feeling impressed by the 'robots' abilities.

Nanoka frowned as she was forced to work harder to keep up with the endless downpour of jewels from the top of her side of the screen. Shi-chan was converting more and more of her gems into lead, meaning her only hope was to make lines around the lumps of lead and hope that they would sink to the bottom of the screen, not getting in her way as much anymore.

"Welcome back, Kaasan," she said, not taking her eyes off the screen. "How was your night with Kuri-chan?"

"Ah, tadaima." Makie replied flatly, been torn out of her day dreaming.

"It was..." (How was tonight?) Makie wondered, puzzled at herself, that her mind seemed so blank. She recalled the nice breeze, the hypnotising rush of the sea, the sand, all those little lights... and of course Kuri.

"It's been a nice experience." Makie said, smiling meekly. As she realised, that both Shiro and her dauther were completely engrossed in playing their game, she took the lunch boxes into the kitchen.

"That's nice," Nanoka said, dutifully, then inhaled sharply as Shi-chan coincidentally turned a gem into lead just as she was about to chain it into a high-scoring combo. "Oh, Shi-chan! Why'd you have to do that?" she laughed, elbowing him in the side, where his ribs would have been were he human.

(Why do the good things seem so fleeting?) Makie wondered on the way to the kitchen.

The persocon devoted unblinkingly his attention to the action on the screen. His body automatically made an evasive movement as Nanoka elbowed him - considering the contact a collision with a human, which a perscon would have to avoid in order to not hurt, or hinder any humans.

Makie stopped at the threshold to the kitchen as Nanoka playfullly scolded Shiro. Her face twitched briefly in irritation as she stared into the empty kitchen.

"Shiro has no influence on the gems appearing on your side, Nanoka." The persocon pointed out, dutifully clearing his side of the screen.

Makie exhaled and entered the kitchen. Switching on the light she sat down on a chair and placed the boxes in front of her, checking through them absent-mindedly in order to find sth she was in the mood to eat.

"Shiro has no influence on the gems appearing on your side, Nanoka," Shi-chan said.

"Yes, but you're playing too well!" Nanoka teased, in a sing-song sort of voice. "I was just about to get five in a row! And-- ohh!" She moaned in complaint as her screen became overloaded with lead lumps and the remaining gems on her side trembled and then exploded. "Again?" she asked, then laughed, getting up. She could see Kaasan poking through the bento boxes on the kitchen table, and she idly wondered if she were feeling hungry.

"Is there anything good left, Kaasan?" she asked, going into the kitchen.

Shiro looked at Nanoka as she got up. Obviously he had made another mistake. "Sumimasen." The persocon apologised meekly.

"Eh?" Makie looked at Nanoka, feeling another twinge. For a moment she felt protective and rejective towards Nanoka, but then relaxed. It wasn't like Nanoka would take anything away from her. She smiled teasingly, having overheard the conversation of Shiro winning the game.

"What do you mean 'anything good'? Shiro prepared that." She shoved the boxes towards Nanoka, wondering if her daughter had already changed her mind again and was now in a 'contra-Shiro' Phase.

Out of Character: umeboshi: pickled plum
onigiri: rice ball

"I mean something that I'd like," Nanoka said, sitting down across from Kaasan and looking down at the open boxes. She realised that she was hungry after all, and picked up one of the umeboshi onigiri. The rolled omelette looked good, too... "You and Kuri-chan weren't hungry, Kaasan?" she asked, through a mouthful of rice.

Makie found herself irretated at Nanoka's definition of "good equals what she likes". So - Makie concluded - anything that Nanoka might not like, would be automatically 'bad'...? She tried to breathe calmly and smiled faintly, brushing through her hair and rubbing her face, she stopped and peeked through her fingers at Nanoka.

"Ah, no. I mean, yes. Kuri brought sandwiches and Shiro made enough for three people." Makie put her hands down. "Reasonably, we ate the sandwiches and left the bento for you. You can have the rest tomorrow for breakfast."

"Sandwiches?" Nanoka asked, looking up. "Were they any good?" She liked Kuri-chan; Kuri always treated Nanoka nicely on the rare occasions when Nanoka was at the parlour. "Shi-chan does tend to over-cater, doesn't he. He must just have a generous nature." She laughed softly, then called out to the persocon. "Don't you, Shi-chan?"

Makie frowned briefly, wondering why Nanoka was so interested in other people's sandwiches, but then images of Kuri coddling Nanoka at the parlour came up in her mind. It seemed Kuri was naturally attracted to girls or women... Makie smiled nervously, as she had no idea how to deal with Kuri's attitude in the coming week.

Makie was torn out of her thoughts as Nanoka called out for Shiro and the persocon appeared in the door way.

"Sumimasen, Shiro did another mistake?"

Makie frowned, feeling irritated again. "What's going on? What does he mean 'another' mistake?"

"Not really, Shi-chan," Nanoka said thickly, her mouth still full. She waved the half-eaten onigiri at Shi-chan. "Theeth are really good, Thi-chan."

She looked at Kaasan, wondering why she seemed so grumpy at the moment. She was leaping on anything and everything that anyone said.

"Shiro, report." Makie commanded dryly. However the persocon didn't have much to report. Nanoka had slept through most of the time of Makie's absence and then they had played a game.

"I see." Makie said weekly, feeling hollow. She sighed and casted a meek smile at everyone. "Ne, I am going to bed."

She stopped briefly as she passed Shiro by and looked at the persocon from the corner of her eyes - she didn't feel like being alone, though. But then shoved that absurd thought out of her head and left the kitchen to go to her room.