Aloha, Magi!

"Because... Makiri Zolgen is the name of a mage who moved to Japan and changed his name to Matou Zouken."

Phillipus's face grew blank, and he sat down hard. "You. You can't be serious." His mouth quirked from the hard line it was pressed into, and his head fell forward. Suddenly, it was thrown back, peals of laughter bubbling out.

"Oh, that is rich! You've got to be joking! They're nothing alike! Five hundred years... He looks it!!" He wiped an eye. "Ohh, I should be jealous that he achieved what I couldn't, but if he looks bad, I can't begin to imagine what I'd look like by now!" Mari wandered into the kitchen, overhearing.

"What about my gramps, now?" Phillipus pressed a hand over his mouth, giggling.

"I knew him back when I was alive. That must be why your father looked so familiar! He looks just like how Makiri used to! Can you believe he used to be that nice, too?" He sighed, catching his breath, and rested an elbow on the table.

"It's a shame that he's changed so much for the worse. He was an outstanding theorist, well-mannered and so handsome to boot. If that's what living for so long gets you, though, I can accept not achieving it!"

"Whew." Yui leaned forward. "It's a small world, isn't it? Yeah, my dad says he used to be way different. Earnest, idealist... even nice. He actually wanted to make the world a better place. Then he just... changed. Possibly because failing to get the Grail for two hundred years made him bitter and spiteful. Also possibly because his version of immortality is making his soul literally rot inside his body."

Aaron grimaced, "Ewwwwww! I'm glad I never met him."

"He was... I..." The Caster blushed, then coughed delicately. "At any rate! It's a shame he isn't using his abilities more constructively."

Mari was hammering away on the dialpad of her new phone, eyes wide. As soon as Hideto's voice chirped from the other end, she drew in a deep breath.

"DID YOU KNOW THAT GRAMPS IS FIVE FUCKIN' HUNDRED YEARS OLD?" A pause. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'YES'"

The two spoke on the phone, Mari trying to twist her father for more family information, before two other voices interrupted.

"Oh, no... Ohhh... Guys, noooo! It's not even until tomorrow here!!" She held the phone away from her ear, voices singing a familiar tune in unison through the speaker.

Yui wheeled around like a hawk spotting prey, smiling widely. "Oh? What isn't until tomorrow exactly?"

Avalon grinned, shot up, and ran out to buy Mari a present.

Aaron began to sing along and Carlotta called after Avalon to wait for her.

She covered the mouthpiece of the phone, cheeks red as beets. "My... Uh... Birthday..." A feminine voice on the other end piped up, seeming to ask a question. "Oh no, I haven't yet. I was gonna wait until the day of. You guys know my tastes, as long as it's not anything too fancy. Dunno where I'm gonna find a shrine out here, though..."

Phillipus was upright and holding up pieces of parchment covered in questions. What kind of cake do you want? How many candles do we need? And, written with a heavy hand and underlined? Why didn't you tell us sooner??

Lazarus laughed and spit a little of his drink out, "Omnipotent and I still can't work my mouth!"

"We were already planning a party anyway! It's perfect! Oh wait, I've gotta catch up with the others to get party stuff and a present!" Yui hurried off in pursuit of Avalon and Carlotta.

Aaron did a small dance, "It's been awhile since I got to make a cake!"

Yui returned with the others after a short while, with party snacks, cake ingredients, and a present for Mari--a handmade Koa wood pocket knife.

She left the cooking to Phillipus and the others and searched to see if the house had a stereo system. They didn't exactly have to have a dance party, but some music would be nice.

Avalon hid herself in her room and began knitting as fast as possible. Luckily, there was some old formalcraft stuff her grandma taught her that could help her out. The fibers seemed to bend to her every whim, making the project she was working on go as smooth as possible.

Aaron borrowed a balloon from Yui's party supplies to make some chocolate bowls to eat ice cream out of. He also put the ingredients for home made ice cream together into a jar and began shaking it vigorously, frost began forming on the outside as he used a spell to chill it.

The delicateness of Mari's choice had been a surprise - a traditional strawberry sponge, with white buttercream and chunks of fresh strawberries along with jam in the layers. Whipped cream, spiked gently with cinnamon schnapps, was piped into peaks around the edge of the rounds with a white chocolate flower on each.

The girl in question had disappeared to her room, but emerged carrying a package wrapped in tasteful black and silver paper, looking like shooting stars in the ink of night.

"Does pineapple ice cream sound okay? I'm making small batches and planned on doing some other flavors too." Mr. America smiled brightly at her, before commenting, "oooo a mysterious package." his voice shook as he continued shaking the jar.

She leaned a hip to one side, playing it cool though her smile would say otherwise. "Sounds fine to me! Just don't shake your brains out!"

"There's not much to shake out," he laughed. "I think I'm almost as excited to open that as you are!"

"Oh? What's that?" Yui asked.

"It's from my family! I already know what it is, they just want to see me in it. The question is, do I try it on now, or wait for tomorrow..."

"Oh, can we see it now? Pleeeeeease?"

"Why not try it on now, but send the picture tomorrow?" Lazarus offered.

Mari tutted, coy. "Well, I guess I can't help it if the people have spoken..." She raced back to her bedroom.

When she came out, she was wearing an elegant furisode. It was dyed a muted grey with just the slightest tinge of lavender in the right light, like a twilight storm. Moths fluttered across the body and sleeves, everything from their eyespots to their antennae stitched precisely.

Branches wrapped around the back to the front right-hand side with autumn orange leaves and winter cherry, the leaves dried leaving a lattice over the bright red berries seemed to shake in the wind as she walked. On the back was a paper lantern, casting a warm glow and pulling the moths close. Her white socks were a contrast with her lacquered black geta.

The bangs of her now shoulder-length hair were held back by a leather headband with long metal spikes, and a skull wrapped in black filigree hung from a sturdy chain around her neck. Her posture was proud, even though her eyes were wet with tears.

Aaron's jaw dropped, "Holy shit, Japan-san..."
Carlotta teared up a little as well and gave her a careful hug, "Oh goodness darling you look absolutely amazing!"
Lazarus sported a fatherly smile, "My girls will be proud if they look anywhere near as beautiful as you when they get to be your age."

Yui teared up a little bit. Actually, a lot. She also gave Mari a hug, as if she were her own child--despite them being not much more than 10 years apart. "You look so beautiful."

"Shit," said Cleopatra. "I need one of those."

A-san smiled and nodded. "Ahh, I regret not getting something for my daughter while I was in Japan."

Phillipus applauded. "Bravo! Bravissimo! Che bella! It suits you to a tee, and it's such a touching gift!"

Mari pulled everyone into tight hugs, hiccuping with tears. "Avvieee, come out here because I'm not going to look this nice foreverrrr!!"