His mind was clearing up as the pieces were fully reunited once again. With all 144 tiles accounted for, the pile morphed itself back into Fuxing, just as he had been before being torn asunder. Coughing and holding his neck, he sat up on the ground as he checked if any part of him was missing. Putting a hand to his head he muttered, "What just happened? Where am–oh." Standing on his feet Fuxing noticed his clothes that he had so meticulously tried to keep clean would now need a wash. All things considered, he looked quite well for someone who had an encounter with the infamous serial-killer who was stalking the streets. Looking up he was surprised to see a familiar friendly face.

"Miss Jesgil? What are you doing here at this time of night?" He certainly hadn't expected her here of all places, though his hazy memories before the collapse of his body were slowly beginning to become clear. Did she come here because…? No, that couldn't be. It was just merely a serendipitous coincidence. Perhaps he wasn't imagining things when he thought he saw her come barging in, armed at the ready. The waitress who attempted to strangle him was nowhere in sight. Had Miss Jesgil chased her off? This wasn't the first time he had suffered considerable damage to his person, forcing himself to fall into pieces. Tentatively he inquired, "That madwoman, has she left?"

Well, it seemed like whatever happened was no mere substitution technique as he certainly looked like he was torn into pieces. Maybe whatever he did had more of a bond to those tiles than met the eye. Then again, its easy to say the two were both holding secrets on their ends. After all, by the time the pieces were placed back together, Jesgil's eyes and ears reverted back to their normal forms and the axe had been dismissed back to the plane where she stored it. Probably the only thing that actually remained of her abilities were the chunks of ice that still rested in the alley and the pieces falling off her body.

"Um, it was coincidence," she lied, thinking she doubt he would believe her about the dragon's feelings towards treasure (Would also seem a bit awkward to mention that to a male, too). "But yes, that woman is now long gone. I am sure she would not be terrorizing anyone else tonight or any other night ahead of us.

"Now then, how about we get you cleaned up?" she smiled, brushing off Fuxing's shoulder, "You look like you just fell into a massive pile of dirt and dandruff."

"Yes, I doubt I'll be wearing this set of clothes until they've been properly cleaned." He said with a laugh. He had thought nothing of the ice in the alleyway, having lose all awareness when he collapsed. Tonight was a harrowing, if not highly informative experience. This was the first time he had been attacked by a woman. Looks truly were deceiving, the man thought to himself as his coworker helped escort him back into the streets. People had changed since the days that nobles behaved nobly, and nobility was more than a hereditary title. Rules of etiquette had been thrown to wayside and replaced with brazen audacity. At least some still held to time-honored values like Miss Jesgil, something that relieved the growing concern Fuxing was having with the current state of the world.

It was difficult to adjust to a world that had moved far beyond him. Tsukumogami often were influenced by their previous owners and the eras they lived in while they were still simple objects. Half a century was plenty of time for change in social trends and customs. After leaving Karith he felt the world as something so vast for the first time. The old Karith had been his whole universe until now. He really was like the frog residing at the bottom of the well. Once he returned to his room at the inn he would end the evening with a much-needed bath. Then, he would start work once more tomorrow morning.