Well, this was out of character for him; sort of. He rarely did anything that could be considered 'social', outside of what was required for work. It wasn't that he was antisocial; no, he was more... cautious. He'd lived a hard life, and while things had gotten far easier as he'd gotten older and better able to hide the things that made him different from the rest of the world. He wasn't even sure why he was doing this, really; he didn't know the male well, and he was... well, demonic; or so the ablino's eyes told him. His aura was anything but human, and Haruka could see the things that others could not about the male. He should be running for the hills, or trying to exorcise him. Yet, here he was, inviting him to lunch at a place that was famous for its spicy foods; something that he wasn't even a huge fan of.

Still, he felt like he wanted to get to know the other male; maybe it was that feeling of finding a similar soul, in a sense. They where both outcasts in their own way, both very different from the normal people around them. He wasn't a ninja, yet he knew ninja skills, an albino and orphan and outcast from the start. He felt that Samael had a similar story, in a way; different and outcast and part of a different world that was forced to live among the normal people and a world that didn't understand them.

It would be nice to have a friend. Maybe. He didn't get his hopes up, but it was worth a shot.

He'd set the meeting time for after the main lunch rush; it was closer to mid-day when most people would be at work, or tending to children. Fewer people around, even in a famous, well populated establishment. It was a bit of a walk for him, the inn he was staying at was clear on the far side of the village; but that wasn't an issue. He was used to walking farther, after all; so outside of the ridiculous heat of this region, it wasn't an issue. Entering the curry house, he glanced around for a few moments; his eyes wouldn't miss the other male, not with that natural aura of his. Given he didn't see it; he was going to assume he had arrived first; which given it was a few minutes early for the time he'd given, didn't really surprise him.

The service in this place was famous, and even for someone that looked as out of place as he did; he was wearing a rather... feminine robe at the moment, he was never one to turn down good, solid clothing, and it fit his tiny frame perfectly, so why complain; on top of not trying to hide his albino nature the way he normally did, there was no hiccup or the usual stares that he normally got when he went out in public. No, he was seated quickly enough; the small line was cleared with professionalism and speed that he almost envied; and he was given a table that was just large enough for both of them before he'd even had a chance to start cooling down. The inside of the curry house was extremely cool compared to outside; he figured that was both for the benefit of travelers, and to give some relief when the spice of the dish hit. Or whatever, he had no idea really. He wasn't a desert person, nor did he do much that could be considered advantageous eating; curry was just that to him, so he was out of his element.

He took his seat quietly and when asked for his order, merely stated that he was  going to wait for his companion to arrive before ordering any food; but that he would like some cool water for the moment, if they would be so kind. Manners he had in spades; a natural charm that made his job possible used whenever he wanted, or needed. He settled to wait, producing a small paper fan from his sleeve and snapping it open, so that he could fan himself gently in an effort to speed the cooling down process while he waited for the waitress to return with his water, and Samael to arrive.

WC: 745

What the fuck?

What the actual fuck?!

Was this for real? It had to be; the scene replayed in his mind numerous times, clear as day. A memory in which an 'exorcist' invited him to lunch. He wasn't sure if this was a joke or not, but apparently, some deity out there had a superb sense of humor. While Samael was not even sure he could even be exorcised, he wasn't too keen to find out.

But still. This was food. And food was food, and if it was spicy food, it was even better. The male had a slight fondness for spicy food, and was willing to take a small risk to enjoy some. It would be a sight to see this exorcist attempt to force Samael to be banished from the place as he calmly spooned up a spicy soup.

He would humor this male, and get some free food as well; he was damn sure this guy would attempt something funny, and if he did, he was getting the bill.

He would arrive not long after exorcist, dressed in a casual manner; those strange camouflage pant under a now black shirt. His feet were shod in combat boots. He would speak to the hostess, offering her a small smile and explaining that he was meeting someone when she offered to find him a table. After a quick look around and spotting the exorcist, he would excuse himself and make his way over to the other male, sitting down with a strange expression on his face.

For a long moment, he would stare at Haruka, then clear his throat and spoke. “Okay... so why am I here again?”

[281 WC]

“Okay... so why am I here again?”

Oh, blunt is blunt, it would seem. That wasn't unexpected, however; he was basically this guy's worst nightmare, sort of. A 'demon' meeting with an exorcist for lunch just sounded like a bad movie plot, really; so he understood the male's wariness. It didn't bother him in the least, and he merely offered a soft, but mostly neutral, smile. It wasn't fake, it wasn't bullshitty; it was just his normal resting not-quite-bitchface. Casual seemed to be the name of the game here; he had stated as much in the offer; nothing formal, nothing fancy; neither of them where the type for that, from what he'd gathered from their previous meeting; and that was fine. He really only wanted to talk, honestly; and he could do that just as well in a comfortable yakuta (abet flowery and very, very girlish because fuck spending money on 'masculine' clothing when the hand-me-downs he'd gotten before where perfectly usable and very comfortable) with his heavy, desert-style cloak; although the latter was hanging off the chair at the moment; it was cool and protected enough inside to not need to worry about the sun for a bit.

"You seem ready for a fight, or something. Don't worry, I'm not one of those types that instantly tries to end anything that's different. I don't have some patron god with a grudge against certain types, either. I just figured it might be... fun, or at least interesting, to have a friendly chat with someone else that can see and understand the things I can. Finding other beings of a... spiritual persuasion, can be difficult; I'm not normally as welcome in temples as I was within the local Uzumaki location; what with not being aligned with any of the ninja gods or clan and all that. If nothing else, we could trade information, and get a decent meal out of it. Nothing sinister about that, is there?"

WC: 350

350+ 745 = 1095

“You seem ready for a fight, or something. Don't worry, I'm not one of those types that instantly tries to end anything that's different. I don't have some patron god with a grudge against certain types, either. I just figured it might be... fun, or at least interesting, to have a friendly chat with someone else that can see and understand the things I can. Finding other beings of a... spiritual persuasion, can be difficult; I'm not normally as welcome in temples as I was within the local Uzumaki location; what with not being aligned with any of the ninja gods or clan and all that. If nothing else, we could trade information, and get a decent meal out of it. Nothing sinister about that, is there?"

There didn't seem to be anything sinister about what the cross dressing male put forth; although Samael doubted that he would be able to use any information that this person possessed, nor that he knew anything that would be of value to his exorcist. But this one was offering to play nice, so Samael would do the same. He would subtly relax himself, and take a small breathe for composure.

He would nod to Haruka outwardly, a small smile forming on his face. “Alright then, exorcist. I'll be bite.” He would pause for a moment, considering his choice of words. “Well, not literally per se. But you get the point.” He offered a very toothy grin, his slightly elongated canine teeth being on prominent display for the smaller male. While he realized that the display could be seen as very intimidating, it was not his intention. Samael was simply attempting to make a joke, and lighten the mood. Before he could figure out if his attempted joke was effective, a server would make their way over, setting down cups of water for the both of them.

She would flash them both a smile before pulling out pen and bit of scroll. Before she could speak, Samael would hold up his hand, attempting to cut her off. “Could you please give a moment? We just need to hash out a few things, thank you.” The server would nod slowly, and leave the table. Reaching out and picking up his cup, Samael would take a sip from it before turning his blue eyes to Haruka. “So.. tell me, Haruka. How were you able to tell I wasn't completely human?”  There was no use in beating around the bush: he was fairly curious as to how this male [female? It was hard to tell given the clothes she/he was wearing] was able to pick up on something instantly that Samael had managed to keep hidden from even some of the most experienced of exorcists, shamans and mediums. Samael would attempt to keep his voice down, trying to keep the people around them from eavesdropping on what he was saying. While most people would simply think they misheard what was being said, Samael was not one to take unnecessary risks.

[281 + 505 = 786 WC]

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you wouldn't be the first to bite me. I grew up in a pretty shitty orphanage, and some of the kids where pretty messed up in the head. Biting was a pretty common occurrence, sadly." He was being truthful, but joking in his own way; signaling that he recognize the joking, and was at least trying to keep up the banter. He wasn't the best social butterfly, but he did have fairly decent natural charisma, so he was usually able to cover for his social failings without causing too much trouble. He leaned forward a bit, not in a way that was meant to be intimidating; he couldn't be that if he wanted to; it was more that 'I'm rather interested in this situation' way, and it was done in that comfortable, relaxed way that people did when they weren't bothered by things going on around them.

"How? The short answer, I was born with the ability to see things that others cannot. I know that sounds like I'm insane; but it's apparently a thing that does happen with normal humans sometimes. Usually it's an ability that you develop after years of spiritual meditation and focus, but I never had to do that. I guess that's what made my Master take me on; he saw that I could see the same things he could, and realized I had natural abilities. At the time he found me, I was very much happy to go with anyone that would get me out of that orphanage and treat me decently. He trained me, showed me how to develop my skills, and gave me a point to exist; in a way. So I work as an exorcist now. You have a very powerful, very obvious aura, to anyone that can see it. When I look at you, I see a ring of blue fire around you, beyond your normal physical form."

WC: 334

334 + 1095 = 1429

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you wouldn't be the first to bite me. I grew up in a pretty shitty orphanage, and some of the kids where pretty messed up in the head. Biting was a pretty common occurrence, sadly."

So, it would seem that this exorcist was a product of a shitty childhood While Samael could not really relate to what he was saying, there was some parts he could; he himself was adopted, and had never known his real family. Perhaps if he did know who they were, it would explain some of his features, like the tail that grew from his lower back the first time he performed a fire release technique, or the way his ears slowly reshaped themselves into something that resembled elf ears. Sam would remain quiet on this for the moment, choosing not to reveal this just yet.

"How? The short answer, I was born with the ability to see things that others cannot. I know that sounds like I'm insane; but it's apparently a thing that does happen with normal humans sometimes. Usually it's an ability that you develop after years of spiritual meditation and focus, but I never had to do that. I guess that's what made my Master take me on; he saw that I could see the same things he could, and realized I had natural abilities. At the time he found me, I was very much happy to go with anyone that would get me out of that orphanage and treat me decently. He trained me, showed me how to develop my skills, and gave me a point to exist; in a way. So I work as an exorcist now. You have a very powerful, very obvious aura, to anyone that can see it. When I look at you, I see a ring of blue fire around you, beyond your normal physical form."

Blue flames, huh? Samael had an idea of what he was speaking of; those flames he spoke of manifested only when Samael was in an extremely emotional state, over taking his normal fire release. The young man found that he was slowly able to control those flames somewhat when he was like this; at first, there was nothing he could do but rage out and let the flames dictate his actions. Over time, he was able to control them to some degree. But beyond when being angry, he'd never witnessed his flames at all. For this kid to say that he could see Samael's flames was something special. There was no use in denying it; this kid already made Samael out as something other than human.

“Well then, kid. I don't know what to say about this. You're right, I'm not entirely human, but I'm not entirely sure what I am, either.” Samael would pause, and take another sip of his water before he would continue. "Truth is, I'm guessing that some kind of demon would be the best answer. As for those blue flames, you're right on the money with that, cept I don't see those flames until I'm angry enough.” Those blue eyes would narrow at this Haruka guy [Girl? He-she? She-him? Something!!!], and Sam's head would tip to the left for a moment. “So tell me, you ever see anything like that in your travels? Something that would resemble me?” A serious question if there ever was one; if this kid had seen anything like him around, then it would be a clue beyond randomly searching Uzumaki temples for something that might not actually exist. It would be the first solid lead he'd had in months, and something definately worth looking into. Any help would be wonderful.

But at the same time, he doubted that Haruka would much help to him at all; the girl [Guy? It? Whatever.] was scrawny as fuck; this mofo looked nothing like a proper exorcist, and quite possibly didnt get much work. Who wanted to hire what appeared to to be a boy wearing girls clothing... and speaking of clothes.

"And I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude," Sam began politely, but almost as soon as he started, he could feel his verbal filter tearing, "But what the actual fuck are you wearing?" The Blue Devil paused for a moment, rubbing his right temple. "I mean, seriously. You're like... flat. Literally A minus cups. Yet, almost everything else about you screams male. I can literally smell the faintest hint of semen on you; your entire scent literally screams male." Same frown for a moment. "So, what is it? Is my nose wrong, or do you just like cross dressing?"

[786 + 775 = 1561/1950]

Oh, this was hilarious levels of fun; which given his usual 'I dislike people and they confuse me' problems that he had was surprising. Without missing a beat, he leaned back into his chair and almost cackled, it was soft and quiet in that indoor voice way that people that hate being noticed by people have. He switched back and forth between that silent non-voice and properly speaking pretty easily, which helped keep eyes off them for the moment. "You've got a good nose, then. As I said, I grew up in an orphanage. New anything was hard to come by, necessities included. We called it a good week if they fed us anything twice a week; so we got really good at taking care of ourselves. You learned to hunt rabbits and small mammals to make clothing with; but once or twice a year some big shots from the city would come out with 'gifts' for us. When you're my size, there's not a lot to go around; so when I realized that I could fit in the girl's clothes that they didn't want, I took it. I'm a decent cook, and a good enough shot to hit birds using a slingshot, so I used to make small pillows and pretty things for them to exchange for clothing that they didn't want anymore. Call it crossdressing if you want, to me it's just not wasting perfectly good clothing and such that; while I can afford to replace it now if I wanted to, doesn't need to be replaced. It's in good condition, it fits my needs, and when you spend as much time undercover as I do; it really helps to have as much on hand as you can. Really, can you see someone looking like I do not sticking out if I was attempting to play a male? Biology or no, you can't deny that if not for my voice and lack of mammary glands I'm a dead ringer for some twig of a geisha. I don't even wear makeup; I'm so pale because I'm albino. But yes, I am male; and I, for the most part, identify as such. I am what I need to be when I need to be it, and that's all that really matters."

He was still leaning back in the chair a bit, seeming rather relaxed and not at all bothered by the larger male's reactions to him. He really was enjoying himself after all; so even if nothing came of this meeting beyond that, he'd call it a win. "You asked if I'd ever seen anything like you before? Honestly, I've seen similar; colored auras of fire and energy around many people, mostly ninja and temple monks. Never anything exactly like you; what I see around them was just varied chakras and spiritual auras. You're is literally demonic, and I have seen that before too; just not like yours. Demonic auras are individualized, the only time you see any two that are nearly, or outright, identical is within bloodlines. Yours is new to me. Last time I saw a demonic aura was in a possession case I worked last year. Some kid had wandered into an old shrine and a corrupted shrine god possessed him. Corrupted shrine gods become demons when they murder and destroy, and after the possessed kid started killing people in the village, he became a demon himself. Purifying the possession didn't help, though; the kid was too tainted and had ended up corrupted, I had to seal him into the old shrine to keep him from continuing the spree."

His blood red eyes fixed on the other once more, an expression like he was staring directly into Samael's soul enough to likely disconcert him pretty badly. "Like I said before, though, you have a demonic aura, but you're not evil. I see no corruption, no possession. Your aura is your own, you were likely born with it. Uncommon, but not unheard of. To my eyes, you're as neutral as anyone else in the masses of humanity. I have no reason to try to exorcise you; given you're not possessed it'd be a waste of both our time, and purifying you would just hurt like a bitch, but not kill you. You've done nothing as far as I can tell to warrant that reaction, either. Anyway, I'd rather build at least a working relationship with someone like you than harm you. It's not my style to pass judgement, unless I can see that they have done horrible things. You're safe enough, unless you do something immensely stupid; which I gotta say, you don't come off stupid in the least."

WC: 815

815 + 1429 = 2244

2244/1950 END E0-D3

294/1950 SPD E0-D3

"You've got a good nose, then. As I said, I grew up in an orphanage. New anything was hard to come by, necessities included. We called it a good week if they fed us anything twice a week; so we got really good at taking care of ourselves. You learned to hunt rabbits and small mammals to make clothing with; but once or twice a year some big shots from the city would come out with 'gifts' for us. When you're my size, there's not a lot to go around; so when I realized that I could fit in the girl's clothes that they didn't want, I took it. I'm a decent cook, and a good enough shot to hit birds using a slingshot, so I used to make small pillows and pretty things for them to exchange for clothing that they didn't want anymore. Call it cross dressing if you want, to me it's just not wasting perfectly good clothing and such that; while I can afford to replace it now if I wanted to, doesn't need to be replaced. It's in good condition, it fits my needs, and when you spend as much time undercover as I do; it really helps to have as much on hand as you can. Really, can you see someone looking like I do not sticking out if I was attempting to play a male? Biology or no, you can't deny that if not for my voice and lack of mammary glands I'm a dead ringer for some twig of a geisha. I don't even wear makeup; I'm so pale because I'm albino. But yes, I am male; and I, for the most part, identify as such. I am what I need to be when I need to be it, and that's all that really matters."

It would indeed seem that this person was male, and from the sounds of things, was doing whatever he could to get by. Sam couldn't knock him for his hustle; in fact, he kind of admired him for it. While Samael himself had been adopted while he was still a baby, it was looking like Haruka survived pretty well off his doings. Samael couldn't dream of surviving this way, but then again, he never had to. Haruka was quite literally a P.O.M.E, or rather a Product Of My [his] Environment, and Samael could not fault him for doing what he had to to survive. Samael would lean back in his seat, now, waiting as Haruka continued speaking.

"You asked if I'd ever seen anything like you before? Honestly, I've seen similar; colored auras of fire and energy around many people, mostly ninja and temple monks. Never anything exactly like you; what I see around them was just varied chakras and spiritual auras. You're is literally demonic, and I have seen that before too; just not like yours. Demonic auras are individualized, the only time you see any two that are nearly, or outright, identical is within bloodlines. Yours is new to me. Last time I saw a demonic aura was in a possession case I worked last year. Some kid had wandered into an old shrine and a corrupted shrine god possessed him. Corrupted shrine gods become demons when they murder and destroy, and after the possessed kid started killing people in the village, he became a demon himself. Purifying the possession didn't help, though; the kid was too tainted and had ended up corrupted, I had to seal him into the old shrine to keep him from continuing the spree."

Well, shit. That was bad news. Scratch this kid out for being useless in this sense. Well, not completely useless; he did confirm that Samael was indeed part demon. That had to count for something, right? He could narrow his search down by a lot with this information; demons attacking pregnant women 17 years ago. Now that he thought of it, why hadn't he thought to search for this before? He should have done so long ago.

"Like I said before, though, you have a demonic aura, but you're not evil. I see no corruption, no possession. Your aura is your own, you were likely born with it. Uncommon, but not unheard of. To my eyes, you're as neutral as anyone else in the masses of humanity. I have no reason to try to exorcise you; given you're not possessed it'd be a waste of both our time, and purifying you would just hurt like a bitch, but not kill you. You've done nothing as far as I can tell to warrant that reaction, either. Anyway, I'd rather build at least a working relationship with someone like you than harm you. It's not my style to pass judgement, unless I can see that they have done horrible things. You're safe enough, unless you do something immensely stupid; which I gotta say, you don't come off stupid in the least."

That was cute. He thought Sam was harmless. Apparently, Haruka's aura reading abilities had no effect on reading the current thoughts. Never the less, Sam was amused by Haruka's conclusion.

"Well then, Haruka, you've seemed to have sated my thirst for knowledge. Now, what can I do to help you?"

[1561 + 876 = 2437/1950 REA E-0 to D-3]

[487 WC remaining]

Always a good way to start a relationship; working or otherwise; give and take. He'd gotten as much out of this already as he'd put in, and he hadn't even started asking questions and the like. He was enjoying himself, a rarity in public, and he rather liked the brash, to the point nature of the other male. That Samael was willing to accept, or at least no openly condemn him, for all his quirks and oddness was welcome as well, and as he was already doing the same, it was an equal exchange. The waitress had decided to wander back about when he was going to start up his responding, and given his stomach decided to say 'I do live, contrary to popular belief', he decided he'd deal with that first. Hungry cranky wasn't good for him to be, and he didn't feel like being a ragging assmunch if he could help it. "Are we ready to order?"

Haruka glanced up and flashed a brilliant white smile at the poor lass; she had no idea she was momentarily getting stuck in the middle what could at any moment devolve into fighting; they where polar opposites in many ways, even if so far they had gotten along well enough; personality and such be damned, for what they where they should be enemies; he just didn't personally ascribe to that philosophy. "Actually, I do know what I want; I'm not sure about my companion really. I believe you have it, although I was told second hand, so I could be wrong. I believe you call it Breath of the Fire Dragon? It would be a ghost pepper and fish curry, if I remember correctly."

"Yes, we actually just made a fresh batch. That's one of the more popular items on the menu."

'Excellent, if I might have a small bowl, that would be great. Is it possible to get rice and na'an bread together?"

"Yes, of course. All orders come with your choice of bread or rice, and you may order extra for an additional cost."

"Perfect. Rice with the curry itself, and the na'an as an extra order."

She was making notes on a small notepad when she turned her attention to Samael, "And you, sir? What can I get you?"

WC: 392

392 + 2244 = 2632

1950/1950 END E0-D3

686/1950 SPD E0-D3

It would seem that the waitress would pick now as the perfect time to come back, and inquire about their orders. Sam did not mind it: in fact, it was the perfect time to pause the conversation. Food was always a welcome reason for it, as far as he was concerned.

“Actually, I do know what I want; I'm not sure about my companion really. I believe you have it, although I was told second hand, so I could be wrong. I believe you call it Breath of the Fire Dragon? It would be a ghost pepper and fish curry, if I remember correctly."

"Yes, we actually just made a fresh batch. That's one of the more popular items on the menu."

'Excellent, if I might have a small bowl, that would be great. Is it possible to get rice and na'an bread together?"

"Yes, of course. All orders come with your choice of bread or rice, and you may order extra for an additional cost."

"Perfect. Rice with the curry itself, and the na'an as an extra order."

The female would turn to Samael, turning that smile to him next. “And you, sir? What can I get you?" 

Samael nodded and smiled, eyes catching sight of her name tag: Naruko. “Oh, yes Naruka. I'll have the Phoenix Plate, with rice, slaw, and na'an bread, please.” A simple enough request: the phoenix plate was nothing more than curried chicken and ghost peppers. Hopefully, the dish would live up to its reputation, and warm him up on the inside some; if this got as hot as he liked, the slaw and bread would work quite well to cool him down. With a nod, Naruko would depart to fill their order. Turning his attention back to Haruka, an eyebrow lifting. “You were saying?”

[487 +301 = 788 WC]

He waited for her to finish with Samael's order and confirm his own one last time, the usual platitudes of returning soon to check on them was given and then she was gone; leaving them alone to continue their conversation. He prefered the one on one conversation anyway, and he didn't think anyone really wanted to listen in on their objectively strange conversation anyway. He reached for his water and took a sip, placing it back in it's spot after a moment and gathering his thoughts. "I didn't really come into this looking for anything specific. Maybe a few leads for things to investigate later, but more so pure curiosity over you. As I said, you don't see many demons, and they're all very different. You'd be the first hybrid I've actively seen, although there are plenty of records of others. Call it curiosity, call it a mild form of fascination; I just really wanted to take a bit of time to talk to you, and see what I could learn. Well, that, and as I said when you first arrived: I thought it might be fun to talk. At least for me, it has been. You are... extremely interesting; and I don't mean that in a 'animal in a zoo' way. You're rather fascinating as a person, and just getting to speak with you has bee worth it. Not many can understand the things we've done and seen; finding others that can is a rare treat."

Oddly, it was starting to get warm in the establishment, maybe he'd been sitting long enough for his body to acclimatise to it over the environment outside, and he was starting to feel it properly now. Hell, it could just be all the spices in the air, that was going to eventually start making him feel strange, but for the moment he was merely warm, not uncomfortably, but enough to need some air.  His right arm disappeared into his long sleeve, reappearing after a moment with a small, wooden blade and paper hand fan held now. He snapped the little fan open and began gently fanning himself, finding the moving air helped to cool him down just a bit, and remove the strange... 'close'? it wasn't claustrophobic, he definitely wasn't afraid of tight places, but it was similar to the sensation of the space closing in around him, without actually doing so. Maybe it was just his attention zooming in on their little table? Oh well.

"I wouldn't be ungrateful however, if you had any tips or information on... incidents of a nature that would require an exorcist's skill. I get plenty of work, contrary to my tiny stature, but I am always looking for more interesting work than what my clan assigns me."

WC: 477

477 + 2623 = 3100

1950/1950 END E0-D3

1150/1950 SPD E0-D3

"I didn't really come into this looking for anything specific. Maybe a few leads for things to investigate later, but more so pure curiosity over you. As I said, you don't see many demons, and they're all very different. You'd be the first hybrid I've actively seen, although there are plenty of records of others. Call it curiosity, call it a mild form of fascination; I just really wanted to take a bit of time to talk to you, and see what I could learn. Well, that, and as I said when you first arrived: I thought it might be fun to talk. At least for me, it has been. You are... extremely interesting; and I don't mean that in a 'animal in a zoo' way. You're rather fascinating as a person, and just getting to speak with you has bee worth it. Not many can understand the things we've done and seen; finding others that can is a rare treat."

An eyebrow would raise at Haruka's remark; he was an interesting creature. Well, that was a first. Since he had begun traveling, no one had shown much interest in him, save for his coin, one way or another. The whores though of him as an easy target due to his age; as did the thieves. One lot was not even given the time of day, and the other... well, they would not be bothering anyone else again. A little display of fire and they were food for the sand rats. But for this personality to find him interesting as a person, that was very amusing. For the moment, Samael stayed quiet, reaching out and taking a sip from his water as Haruka reached into his sleeve and pulled out a fan. Once more, an eyebrow would raise, and a grin would cross his lips. This guy... was really playing the appearance of a female. The clothing, the fan.... Samael could almost laugh.

"I wouldn't be ungrateful however, if you had any tips or information on... incidents of a nature that would require an exorcist's skill. I get plenty of work, contrary to my tiny stature, but I am always looking for more interesting work than what my clan assigns me."

That.. was an odd question. Things of that nature where normally no of any concern to Samael; but given his nature, one would think he would know more on these matters. He thought for a moment, attempting to pull up the memories of anything similar to what Harua was asking for. He could vaguely remember something about a giant flower.. Oh!

“I.. think I know of something. Rumor has it, there was an huge explosion in recent months out in the desert. Locals don't go near the place now, as they assume that its a holy place. Apparently, in the middle of the crater, there's a giant flower made from glass. I'm not sure if thats your type of thing, but you're welcome to it.” The male would reach for his water again, and take another sip.

788 + 508 = 1296/1950

“I.. think I know of something. Rumor has it, there was an huge explosion in recent months out in the desert. Locals don't go near the place now, as they assume that its a holy place. Apparently, in the middle of the crater, there's a giant flower made from glass. I'm not sure if thats your type of thing, but you're welcome to it.”

Giant glass flower? Huh. That... could be interesting. The sand tribes tended to be pretty decent sources for things that fit within his realm of interests; deep deserts held secrets well, and with the sheer number of people that had lived and died in these sands... there was always something, somewhere. He'd spent a few weeks among them before making his way to the city, but it seemed odd to him that he hadn't heard anything about this occurrence. It must have been with a neighboring tribe's lands, or else the time frame was being warped. Either was likely, and it was probably a bit of both; not that it was much of an issue.

As he fanned himself he thought, working over the tidbit to extract what he could, and weighing the justifications of investigating. He could likely spin it well enough to get paid for it; a rando massive flower of glass suddenly appearing in the desert? That could EASILY be a fire, heat, or glass spirit manifesting in this world; just as it could be a ninja training. If nothing else, he could meet with the local tribe, get the lore, and make enough to cover expenses if they refused his request for reimbursement for the glass investigation. His interest was piqued, so he'd end up wandering that way eventually.

"That could be interesting to check out, yes. Plenty of explanation for how that could happen at random, and it falls in line with  possible spirit manifestation. Oftentimes, when a powerful spirit first takes on a form in this physical plane of being, they release an explosion of power that can cause all sorts of havoc. Given that the sand in most of the high desert is suitable for fusing into natural glass, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility that the sheer force of the manifestation caused the crater, and the glass flower."

Snapping the fan closed, he tapped it gently against his cheek, eyes slightly unfocused as he thought and planned. He was debating how far he wanted to push this conversation; the longer he sat with the larger male, the more curious he grew. It was a strange sensation; he was feeling... drawn, to the demonic one, he wanted to know more about him and he felt like he wanted to keep their meeting going for longer. Something in his mind was pulling toward the male, and for some reason he wasn't bothered by this. He normally avoided getting to close to people; he seemed to carry bad luck with him when he spent too much time in one place; it made his need to travel for his work a good thing; it kept him and those around him safe from whatever blackness it was that followed him.

The waitress reappeared right about that moment, carrying their plates on one of those large plastic platter things that you saw in just about every restaurant and cafe that brought food to the tables. "I have a Fire Dragon for you..." she was placing the large plate down, and in that moment Haruka realized he'd be eating like a king for a week off this one plate; "And the Phoenix Plate for you." The large plate was set down in front of Samael, and she reached for their extra orders, a container with their breads set down between them, in easy reach. "Anything else, boys?"

"No thank you. I'm fine." He flashed a brilliant smile at her again, and waited a few moments for the other to answer and converse with her if he wished. Once she was gone, he reached for his spoon; stuck under the large, whole baked and curry slathered fish, and began to pull the meat away from the rib bones. The fish was gutted and cleaned, yes; but it wasn't deboned, and if he was right, it was a type to have lots of little pin bones in the meat; little sharp pointy things he didn't want to have stuck in his throat and stomach. After he was sure they had some privacy again; the din of the rest of the restaurant was lovely for providing cover for their conversation, and there was just enough space between the tables to make it difficult to hear your neighbors so long as they weren't shouting or something; "So, beyond work and all that... Tell me about yourself? When did you first realize you weren't entirely human? You don't have to answer, if you don't want to; but you're free to ask me anything you want. My story isn't much fun, but I'm pretty willing to share what I can of it."

WC: 867

867 + 3100 = 3967

1950/1950 END E0-D3

1950/1950 SPD E0-D3

67/1950 STR E0-D3

"That could be interesting to check out, yes. Plenty of explanation for how that could happen at random, and it falls in line with  possible spirit manifestation. Oftentimes, when a powerful spirit first takes on a form in this physical plane of being, they release an explosion of power that can cause all sorts of havoc. Given that the sand in most of the high desert is suitable for fusing into natural glass, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility that the sheer force of the manifestation caused the crater, and the glass flower."

Samael merely shrugged at Haruka's words. Despite his obvious abnormalities, the blue devil knew nothing of how spirits and the like operated and conducted themselves. Haruka was the 'expert' on these affairs, so Samael would trust what he said in regards to the situation.

The waitress reappeared right about that moment, carrying their plates on one of those large plastic platter things that you saw in just about every restaurant and cafe that brought food to the tables. "I have a Fire Dragon for you..." she was placing the large plate down, and Samael was a bit jealous of Haruka's plate. Everything on it looked delicious; "And the Phoenix Plate for you." The large plate was set down in front of Samael, and she reached for their extra orders, a container with their breads set down between them, in easy reach. "Anything else, boys?"

Samael shook his head in silence; his jealously had been a bit unneeded, now that he looked at his plate. Everything upon it looked delicious, and his eyes weer beginning to water just from the spices that were wafting up from the table. Picking up his fork, he would dig into a piece of the chicken and scoop some of the rice up into his mouth. Almost immediately, his mouth was assaulted by a complex mixture of spices, each seeming to add to and compound the burning sensation. He had to quickly reach out and take a sip of his water, as well as a bite of the slaw he had ordered. He had been expecting the Phoenix plate to be spicy given the recommendations, but this was on an entirely different level than what he was prepared for. Still, he would power through it. As his mouth recovered from the system shock of the food's spice, he could hear Haruka speak to him over the impending coughing fit that Sam was about to experience.

"So, beyond work and all that... Tell me about yourself? When did you first realize you weren't entirely human? You don't have to answer, if you don't want to; but you're free to ask me anything you want. My story isn't much fun, but I'm pretty willing to share what I can of it."

Sam swallowed hard, blinking back tears that were emerging from his eyes due to the spice. This... this... Haruka wanted to know about him? Well. Okay...

“There.'s.. not much to tell. I mean... I realized that I was somehow different when I first tried to use a fire release technique.  I grew a freaking tail, my ears reshaped themselves, and I had like... horns made out of flames on my head. There was also fire all over my body, but it didnt hurt. It was crazy. Thank whatever gods that I was alone with by older brothers training out in the woods. I freaked out, and started trying to pat out the flames. Eventually, my brothers got me calmed down, and the flames died out, but the tail and ears remained.” There wasn't much for him to say at that point; that was literally his story. “I left the house about two, three years ago. Been traveling around since then, trying to find out anything I could about my real family, as I was adopted when I was six months old.” The male would shrug, forking up another mouthful of the rice. "What about you? Besides being adopted and all..."

1296 + 670 = 1966/1950

PER E-0 to D-3

16 WC left over

“There.'s.. not much to tell. I mean... I realized that I was somehow different when I first tried to use a fire release technique. I grew a freaking tail, my ears reshaped themselves, and I had like... horns made out of flames on my head. There was also fire all over my body, but it didnt hurt. It was crazy. Thank whatever gods that I was alone with by older brothers training out in the woods. I freaked out, and started trying to pat out the flames. Eventually, my brothers got me calmed down, and the flames died out, but the tail and ears remained.” There wasn't much for him to say at that point; that was literally his story. “I left the house about two, three years ago. Been traveling around since then, trying to find out anything I could about my real family, as I was adopted when I was six months old.” The male would shrug, forking up another mouthful of the rice. "What about you? Besides being adopted and all..."

Well, that basically confirmed it; he had a parent, or grandparent, that was a demon, or demon possessed. Demonic energy and blood where significantly stronger than human blood, so for a few generations any descendant was in danger of manifesting demonic attributes, or being taken over by the taint. However, it was obvious that Samael had been born with a balance between his humanity and demonic nature; and had managed to make it this far in his life without becoming tainted by the darker sides of the world. It created a new sense of respect in the exorcist; resisting demonic influence was difficult even for those that trained to do so, and for a child to manifest so suddenly and not lose themselves was extremely impressive.

He was silent for a bit, picking at the flesh of the fish and mixing the curry into the rice; it wasn't the 'proper' way to eat the meal, but he felt comfortable enough around the other male to relax a bit, drop some of the act of cultured and perfect manners and all that. He wasn't committing culinary blasphemy, but it was rather frowned upon in some circles to do what he was doing. He finally dug in himself properly; scooping a bit of the fish and rice up with the spoon and eating it; nearly choking for a split second due to the sheer overwhelming power of the spices and heat. Spicy in the sense of being hot wasn't his taste, normally; but this was literal heaven on a plate, even though it was sending his face into shades of red that made blood seem white. He was fine, he just showed the effect of blood rushing to his face as a reaction to the spices and burning in his mouth far more than most would. He broke a bit of bread off and slipped it into his mouth; short of ordering a shot of milk it was the best thing he could do to get the fires under control until he took his next bite.

"I don't know where I was born and who my family is; I woke up in the orphanage when I was... six? They thought I was six, given the state of my teeth and bones. A passing medic was able to tell them that much, and it was definitely different from what they were assuming; far as the minders and such could figure I looked like I was maybe three, four at the best. I've always been extremely small; even when we had enough to eat I couldn't put weight on. I grew just fine after a few years, but I stayed tiny. Anyway, there was absolutely nothing to tell who I was or anything like that, beyond the bracelet of beads I wear. One of them has a name carved into a wooden trinket plate; Haruka. They assumed it was my name, and that's what they put on the records. I've never been able to find anything to give an idea of where I come from, or what my birth family was. I never showed any skills outside of my spiritual sight and what not, so when my Master found he, he assumed I was likely from a line of temple monks or something. He is Ichinomiya born, one of the few to inherit the name by blood versus training. I got the name from being trained by him, it's a sort of tradition the clan has. He found me when I was ten, trained me until I was thirteen, then vanished. No one knows where he went, but by then I was trained well enough to be useful to the clan, so the gave me my staff and surname, and sent me off to work. I really can't complain about it; the pay is shit, but it's enough to survive decently enough, and I rather enjoy parts of it."

He paused a moment, working his way through another bite of the flaming hot and gloriously delicious fish and rice, "If that medic was right, I'm fifteen now; so I've been living with what is basically amnesia for nine years, and given what they know about the condition, that it's lasted this long means it's likely not going to reverse itself. Either I get lucky and find out who I was, or I stay who I am. All the same to me, at the end. I don't think I'd know what to do if I found out I had a loving family somewhere; I honestly have no concept of 'family', not in the normal sense; as I can't remember ever having one. Still, this life isn't that bad. I get to travel all the time, and while it can be dangerous, it's still interesting, and I get to do things most people three times my age couldn't dream of."

That was about the sum of his story, so he stopped there. Through the entire tale however, outside of the nuclear spicy of the food causing him to go red in the face; his air of gentle amusement and genuine enjoyment never left him; he'd told this story often enough to where it didn't bother him to regale, and he was still enjoying the company of the other male. If anything, he felt better to tell it, he wanted Samael to know; while they had different details to their stories, there was a sort of understanding that all children that had been orphaned and adopted had; even those like Samael that had been blessed to find loving families before they were old enough to remember a time without one. He held no jealousy or resentment toward the demonic one for it; nor did he feel any need to find pity or whatever from outside parties over his own history. His tale was his tale, that was that.

WC: 1185

1185 + 3967 = 5152

1950/1950 END E0-D3
1950/1950 SPD E0-D3
1252/1950 STR E0-D3

Samael was silent as he finished speaking. He looked down at his plate, mindlessly picking at the chicken and the rice as did. After a moment, he would fork up another mouthful and in it would go, his mouth thoroughly enjoying the sheer spice of the food. He would definitely have to come back here again before he left Suna; this was the best curry he had ever tasted. After he swallowed, he was about to speak, but the expression on Haruka's face was priceless as he tried to eat his fish. Samael had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing and spraying the food in his mouth all over Haruka and the table. He seemed to be having some difficulty, so Samael would  flag down Naruko, and offer his best smile. “Could I possibly bother you for some Milk, ma'am?”

“Sure hun, no problem. Would Two glasses be fine.”

“Aye, that would be perfect.”

As she turned to walk away, Samael opened his mouth to say something to Haruka, but the younger male would beat him to the punch.

"I don't know where I was born and who my family is; I woke up in the orphanage when I was... six? They thought I was six, given the state of my teeth and bones. A passing medic was able to tell them that much, and it was definitely different from what they were assuming; far as the minders and such could figure I looked like I was maybe three, four at the best. I've always been extremely small; even when we had enough to eat I couldn't put weight on. I grew just fine after a few years, but I stayed tiny. Anyway, there was absolutely nothing to tell who I was or anything like that, beyond the bracelet of beads I wear. One of them has a name carved into a wooden trinket plate; Haruka. They assumed it was my name, and that's what they put on the records. I've never been able to find anything to give an idea of where I come from, or what my birth family was. I never showed any skills outside of my spiritual sight and what not, so when my Master found he, he assumed I was likely from a line of temple monks or something. He is Ichinomiya born, one of the few to inherit the name by blood versus training. I got the name from being trained by him, it's a sort of tradition the clan has. He found me when I was ten, trained me until I was thirteen, then vanished. No one knows where he went, but by then I was trained well enough to be useful to the clan, so the gave me my staff and surname, and sent me off to work. I really can't complain about it; the pay is shit, but it's enough to survive decently enough, and I rather enjoy parts of it."

Samael blinked slowly at this, the grin fading from his face; he had known a loving family all his life. Even after the manifestation of his tail and ears, his family was supportive of him. Hell, his father and mother even loaned him the ryo he needed to fun his expenses as he traveled. If he needed more, he was more than welcome to write home for it. But Haruka's tale.. to not remember anything from a certain date that he woke up..? To know nothing of your past? It was something that Samael could not imagine, but he believed Haruka when he said it. He supposed that was simply how life was when you lived in an orphanage for most of your childhood; something that Samael was thankful that he never had to experience himself. But still, to think about it making him dejected.

"If that medic was right, I'm fifteen now; so I've been living with what is basically amnesia for nine years, and given what they know about the condition, that it's lasted this long means it's likely not going to reverse itself. Either I get lucky and find out who I was, or I stay who I am. All the same to me, at the end. I don't think I'd know what to do if I found out I had a loving family somewhere; I honestly have no concept of 'family', not in the normal sense; as I can't remember ever having one. Still, this life isn't that bad. I get to travel all the time, and while it can be dangerous, it's still interesting, and I get to do things most people three times my age couldn't dream of."

Huh. That was one way to think about it. It would seem that Haruka was looking on the bright side of things; good for him! To find joy in sorrow was a sign of strength and courage. Samael was beginning to admire Haruka a bit more, especially for his outlook on his life and situation. While Samael had thankfully been spared this fate, he was quite aware of how easily Haruka's life could have been his own. For the moment, Samael would remain quiet, perking up as Naruko came back with their glasses of milk. He would smile at her until she left, then slide one of the glasses towards Haruka. “Here. Drink up.” Samael would take another bite of his curried chicken, thinking for a moment. “I realize you did not have an easy life, and it makes me happy to see that you've decided to look on the bright side of things instead of letting it control your existance. For that, you have my respect. If you ever need help with anything, let me know. I'd be happy to assist you.” He would offer the male a sincere smile, nodding his head as he did so.

16 + 974 = 990/1950

“Here. Drink up.” Samael would take another bite of his curried chicken, thinking for a moment. “I realize you did not have an easy life, and it makes me happy to see that you've decided to look on the bright side of things instead of letting it control your existence. For that, you have my respect. If you ever need help with anything, let me know. I'd be happy to assist you.”

Oh, well, that was actually rather nice of the larger male; he'd been okay with not actually getting anything of the dairy variety; he flashed red from the heat, but it wasn't stifling or painful, not anymore. He just really showed color in his face very easy when he wasn't wearing any makeup and such; it was a cure of having so little color at all. He was lucky he wasn't transparent or a sickly grey color; from what he'd read that was actually possible for someone with his condition. He'd been lucky to just get the snowy white hair and red eyes, and even ore so that he hadn't had issues with his eyesight degenerating either. Blindness was common in albinos, but he had pretty sharp vision still. He was young, but it was a good sign.

He reached for the offered milk, taking a fairly hefty sip and finding that it didn't clash with the taste of this fish any; which was surprising. Dairy and fish didn't go together in his experience; outside of a creme sauce, really; but this wasn't too bad. He'd stick to the water for the majority of his hydration, but a bit of milk every so often would go a long way toward making this meal even more memorable. Strange child is strange, really; he'd always had a weird relationship with food; not so much love-hate, in as much as, his tastebuds catered toward odd combinations of flavors.

Placing the glass down where he lifted it from, he offered his own smile to the other, "Thank you. It'll be good to have the milk around, this food is amazing, but it would eventually get to be overwhelming. I likely look a mess right now, like I'm about to explode or something. I show a flush pretty heavily, the lack of color and all that. No need to worry, I am enjoying this quiet a bit." Given they'd moved past business and all that, he was finishing his settle into a comfortable, easy conversating. He'd moved beyond even realizing that he was being drawn to the male, it was just... there. On his end at least, there was a some sort of tie that would bind him to Samael if given enough of a chance, and that chance was being used now; really. He didn't notice a change, nor could he had if he wanted do; but he was going to be unconsciously looking for ways to endear himself to the demonic one in a way that would keep them together, as much as possible. A unknown quirk of Haruka's personality; one that had never manifested before now. Who knew what it was, or why it triggered on Samael; maybe it was because outside of the demonic nature (which in all honesty didn't bother the exorcist, as contrary to logic as that seemed), Samael was Haruka type; when it came to men. Oh, the young male knew he was the type to be attracted to just about anyone, when he was; and Samael fit the type of male he ended up liking. He wasn't showing or feeling romantic inclinations yet; he wasn't the type to rush into anything romantic or whatever; but on a platonic level Haruka could really get on board with being close friends with the male.

He returned to working on his food, thinking over what to discuss now. His lack of experience with people, even beyond and around his natural charms and such, was showing; he wasn't great at maintaining conversations that weren't targeted on his work. However, he was trying, and he was enjoying himself. That was good enough to keep him trying. Plus, he'd invited Samael, and it was his responsibility to be a gracious host, even with them in a public restaurant. "You have been investigating the Uzumaki temples, yes? I don't mean to pry, however I have been to many, and I may have been to some that you have not." It was his way of returning the offer given to him; he was willing to offer anything and everything he knew of the world to help the elder, and this was what he could do. "Have you tried any other clan temples, or the temples dedicated to the gods beyond those which ninja call patron?"

WC: 822

822 + 5152 = 5974

1950/1950 END E0-D3
1950/1950 SPD E0-D3
1950/1950 STR E0-D3

124 leftover.

"Thank you. It'll be good to have the milk around, this food is amazing, but it would eventually get to be overwhelming. I likely look a mess right now, like I'm about to explode or something. I show a flush pretty heavily, the lack of color and all that. No need to worry, I am enjoying this quiet a bit." 

Samael chuckled at Haruka's words; the boy did indeed look a mess, like he was about to pass out from the sheer amount of spices in the food. But if he said that he was fine, and enjoying himself, Samael would not press the issue. Samael merely continued to eat his own plate of food. Almost all too soon, the rise and slaw was gone, but there was still plenty of the naan bread and chicken for him to eat off of. Between each mouthful, he would alternate taking sips from the cool glass of milk and the rapidly warming glass of water. As he ate, he began to ponder on something; he would need to continue moving soon. He had something new to look forwards to, but his funds were running low. He would need to find a way to replenish his cash; he sure as hell did not want to call home and ask for cash, even if he was welcome to it.

"You have been investigating the Uzumaki temples, yes? I don't mean to pry, however I have been to many, and I may have been to some that you have not." It was his way of returning the offer given to him; he was willing to offer anything and everything he knew of the world to help the elder, and this was what he could do. "Have you tried any other clan temples, or the temples dedicated to the gods beyond those which ninja call patron?"

That... that was a thing he'd never opted to try. Samael would shake his head slowly, chewing and swallowing another mouthful of food and water before responding. “Sadly, no. I have been going around and searching Uzumaki temples and orphanages, as they usually keep immaculate birth records. I figured it would be easier to search those. But given what you said earlier, I may as well attempt to do both. Given that one of my parents is apparently demonic, I might as well start searching through other temples and scripture texts. Its fresh ground, and something I did not consider when I first began my search. I'll have to let Aisling, my friend, know of this information so we can expand our search parameters.”

He would shrug, forking up another piece of the curried chicken. For a moment, he was silent but then a thought occurred to him: perhaps Haruka would know of any patrol demon he woulld possiibly have to be on the look out for, or some that he could start with? “Say... would you happen to know of any specific diety I should look into? I figure that since you're a folk artist or what ever, you might know something.”

990 + 513 = 1503 WC

“Sadly, no. I have been going around and searching Uzumaki temples and orphanages, as they usually keep immaculate birth records. I figured it would be easier to search those. But given what you said earlier, I may as well attempt to do both. Given that one of my parents is apparently demonic, I might as well start searching through other temples and scripture texts. Its fresh ground, and something I did not consider when I first began my search. I'll have to let Aisling, my friend, know of this information so we can expand our search parameters.”

That was fair, really; it would be easier to stay within the clan he knew he was from, even if he hadn't been raised by his biological parents. He had a point about the records, it was one of the few times you could really trust the written records of an agency or somesuch; the temple clans tended to keep solid, to the point, and very informative records, they had to, given the way that temples tended to not bring in 'new' blood often. Inbreeding could become a problem if genealogies weren't tracked, and this way they could make sure they preserved bloodlines that were in danger of dying out. He was surprised that none of the temples had been able to point Samael in the right direction though, he would have thought that the temple masters would have shared the information about his birth between each other. Strange, from what he knew of Uzumaki in general.

Say... would you happen to know of any specific diety I should look into? I figure that since you're a folk artist or what ever, you might know something.”


"Folk... artist?" He actually laughed at that one, nearly dropping the spoon full of fish and curry he'd be about to work on. That was the fist time he'd had someone call him that, and it was actually kind of amusing. In an odd way, that wasn't entirely wrong; his handwriting was immaculate, borderline calligraphy, and he tended to doodle all over his notes when bored. He also tended to sketch, abet badly, the things he encountered that where relevant to said records, so in an odd way, he sort of was an artist; even if he didn't see himself that way. "Folklorist. Think of me as a scholar, I record histories and stories and experiences; so a scholar and a scribe in one." He chuckled for a moment more before finally taking his bite; his fish was getting down to little more than bones swimming in the explosively flavorful sauce, so he was getting to where he was just tearing off bits of bread and using that to sop up what he could, when he could. He was still beet red, but it was less... dangerous looking; more so that well settled red you get when you see those food junkies that chase the spiciest spicy get when they're almost done with a new meal. "Just between us, I'm honestly some weird mix of agnostic and atheist. It's... awkward to explain. I know gods and deities and such exist; I'm seen them with my own eyes, exorcised and purified minor deities, but I hold no loyalty to any of them. The whole concept of praying to a deity; demonic or otherwise, which is the absolute stupidest distinction humanity ever created honestly; just seems dumb to me. They don't give you power, you just have to convince yourself that you can drawn on the same power they do; which any human with the tiniest bit of training can do. It's all about having knowledge, which few deities actually give their followers, specifically to hoard the power they use. But, I digress, there are a few temples in Kumo that might be worth looking into. They're not deity temples, per say; or rather... the one that most comes to mind does. It has, how to say this... a rather strange reputation, among the community. Nothing evil, not really; it's a temple that lies pretty dead center in the neutrality spectrum. Just... strange. They say there's some sort of being that is beyond the concepts of deity and demon there; and there is a long history of immensely strong exorcists and warrior monks coming from there. They're supposed to have records that date back into prehistory; but no one is sure on that. The temple is definitely old enough; it's been there longer than anyone though humans lived in the area; and from what I'd been told, the place was not built by humanity. It's all a bunch of hearsay, though; I've never been myself, although I'll likely end up there eventually. Most of my 'clansmen' do at some point in their travels."

Almost as soon as he said that, the strange energy in his mind that was pulling him to be near the demonic male roared to life, demanding that he find a way to keep himself in the company of Samael for as long as possible. His words had given him an option; one that would buy them both things they needed; him a chance to stay with Sam, and Sam a new avenue for his search. "I know the way there, actually; it's marked on my map of regional temples. We could go together? I should be done with my work with Misao and the Uzumaki here in a few days; maybe a week at the most. I can show you the way; we can swing the long route and check out that glass explosion you'd mentioned. It could be fun, hm?"

WC: 965

965 + 5974 = 6939

1950/1950 END E0-D3
1950/1950 SPD E0-D3
1950/1950 STR E0-D3
1089/2000 Bukijutsu C-B

"Folk... artist?" … “Folklorist. Think of me as a scholar, I record histories and stories and experiences; so a scholar and a scribe in one."

This seemed fair; folklorists were often scribes for their people; an ancient tradition that was usually the only means that some things were were recorded in history. That was something Samael could respect. He would give a small nod as the male spoke, forking up another mouthful of the chicken then breaking off another bit of the na'an bread to cut the spice some what.

“"Just between us, I'm honestly some weird mix of agnostic and atheist. It's... awkward to explain. I know gods and deities and such exist; I'm seen them with my own eyes, exorcised and purified minor deities, but I hold no loyalty to any of them. The whole concept of praying to a deity; demonic or otherwise, which is the absolute stupidest distinction humanity ever created honestly; just seems dumb to me. They don't give you power, you just have to convince yourself that you can drawn on the same power they do; which any human with the tiniest bit of training can do. It's all about having knowledge, which few deities actually give their followers, specifically to hoard the power they use. But, I digress, there are a few temples in Kumo that might be worth looking into. They're not deity temples, per say; or rather... the one that most comes to mind does. It has, how to say this... a rather strange reputation, among the community. Nothing evil, not really; it's a temple that lies pretty dead center in the neutrality spectrum. Just... strange. They say there's some sort of being that is beyond the concepts of deity and demon there; and there is a long history of immensely strong exorcists and warrior monks coming from there. They're supposed to have records that date back into prehistory; but no one is sure on that. The temple is definitely old enough; it's been there longer than anyone though humans lived in the area; and from what I'd been told, the place was not built by humanity. It's all a bunch of hearsay, though; I've never been myself, although I'll likely end up there eventually. Most of my 'clansmen' do at some point in their travels."

That was odd. A folklorist who did not really believe in the very nature of his job? As Samael sat and listened to the exorcist, the he found himself agreeing with him to some degree; no deity would willing part with their power to a mortal. Mortals were finicky creatures, prone to their own whims and pleasures. A mortal would just as turn on their former benefactor and attempt to take more power for themselves. But there was also the matter of this tempte that Haruka spoke of. Something with that sort of power.... it seemed worth looking into, yes indeed.

"I know the way there, actually; it's marked on my map of regional temples. We could go together? I should be done with my work with Misao and the Uzumaki here in a few days; maybe a week at the most. I can show you the way; we can swing the long route and check out that glass explosion you'd mentioned. It could be fun, hm?"

The exorcist was offering to show him the way? Samael was all for this. With a quick nod of his head, the idea was set. After forking up the last bit of chicken, and downing the last of his Na'an bread, Samael smiled at the exorcist. “Sounds awesome. If you don't mind waiting, I might have to be here for a little more than a week. You're welcome to relax with myself and my friend if your accommodations with Misao run out or such before then.”

1503 + 637 = 2140/1950 WC

SPD E-0 to D-3

190 wc remaining

“Sounds awesome. If you don't mind waiting, I might have to be here for a little more than a week. You're welcome to relax with myself and my friend if your accommodations with Misao run out or such before then.”

Well, that might be... interesting. If they had longer term housing, he would have an easier time to staying. His room at the inn was booked clean through another week, but that was the maximum his clan would pay for, as that was right about the time he'd been allotted to work with Misao. Hmmm... He'd have to meet this friend of a friend, to be safe and all that. He got along with most people, but not everyone could put up with his.. oddities. His appearance alone, just the albinism, not even the crossdressing and overly feminine features, was enough to put people off; but taken all together... well; he'd be run out of more than one town before. He'd been lucky in Suna so far; the advantage of this land was the sheer amount of clothing they wore normally; it made it easier to blend in and hide when no one could see anything but your eyes, and even that was iffy.

"I'd be happy to meet with your friend, see if we'd even be able to get along. You can understand; when you're different... you have to be careful. The lines humans draw between what is and isn't acceptable can be extraordinarily arbitrary."

He poked at the last of his food; there was a fair bit left, and he'd end up taking that back with him for breakfast. His little room had a mini fridge, oddly enough, so he'd be able to save it safely. He could eat, but there was a limit, and he was rapidly hitting his. Hell, he'd even pushed himself a bit, he was having such a good time that he'd forgotten to pace himself as he normally did, and ended up eating enough to be overly full, without being that uncomfortable. He'd need to spend some time digesting before he went out for the night and worked on more of his assigned tasks. Meeting with Misao wasn't his only job in the region, and he needed to get moving on the other before he ended up running out of time.

"I can easily wait however long you need, either way. I have no assignment after I leave here, so finding one of my own opens up my time. If you wish to discuss more about the temple, or really anything else, you're welcome to come hunt me down. If I'm not with Misao, I'd be at the inn, or else out at the library or somesuch. If you can't find me anywhere, it means I'm undercover." Simple enough, and the truth; even if not all of it. He wasn't sure how well Samael would handle knowing his 'other' reason for being in the village; or rather, what he was going to have to do for that. When he called himself a geisha, he wasn't kidding; he was trained to act as one, and that was why he oftentimes went undercover as such. Those skills were being used now; although not for the way they where originally intended.

"It seems to be getting late. We should likely get moving; before we are missed. I'm actually a little surprised we made it this long; you seemed pretty hell bent on distrusting me when you first arrived. I'm glad I was able to assuage your concerns, so that we could part this meeting on good terms." He didn't want to push their nascent relationship too much, so he didn't outright call them friends; however he was all for getting to the point eventually, when they where ready for that. Looking up and around a bit, he flagged down the waitress, asking for the check and a box so he could take the rest of the plate with him. He figured they'd have a few more minutes, and if Samael wanted to keep going, he could say so, and they could either move on to another establishment, or part here.

WC: 725

725 + 6939 = 7664

1950/1950 END E0-D3
1950/1950 SPD E0-D3
1950/1950 STR E0-D3
1814/2000 Bukijutsu C-B

"I'd be happy to meet with your friend, see if we'd even be able to get along. You can understand; when you're different... you have to be careful. The lines humans draw between what is and isn't acceptable can be extraordinarily arbitrary."

Sam could only snort and grin. Aisling put up with him on a daily basis, even supporting him when he suddenly acquired that strange tail of his. If she could put up with Samael's stubborn ass day in and day out, then he was sure she could deal with Haruka's oddities, what ever they may be. He would keep quiet for the moment, though amused greatly.

"I can easily wait however long you need, either way. I have no assignment after I leave here, so finding one of my own opens up my time. If you wish to discuss more about the temple, or really anything else, you're welcome to come hunt me down. If I'm not with Misao, I'd be at the inn, or else out at the library or some such. If you can't find me anywhere, it means I'm undercover."

Samael nodded to this, taking one more bite of his food. Fair enough, there was only one really reputable inn within the village, and Haruka did not seem to be the type to live among those who frequented the others. For Sam to find Haruka, he would more than likely need to just ask the receptionist at the check in desk what room the male was staying in. No huge hassle; mayhaps he would surprise the male with a visit at some point.

"It seems to be getting late. We should likely get moving; before we are missed. I'm actually a little surprised we made it this long; you seemed pretty hell bent on distrusting me when you first arrived. I'm glad I was able to assuage your concerns, so that we could part this meeting on good terms."

Sam grinned again, noddding. He had been dead sure that this lunch 'date' had been some kind of elaborate trap set by the male, and had been appropriately cautious. While he still was not sure that he even could be exorcised, he was wary of someone trying. There was always half the chance that it would hurt like hell. “Well, I am not really needed or due any where right now. I have nothing but free time, currently; so long as I give my partner a heads up at some point today, I am golden.” The male would shrug some what, leaning back in his chair and reached for his coin pouch as he waited for the waitress, Naruko, to return with the check. If Haruka was indeed going to foot the bill for this, the very least he could do was leave the tip. After placing ten ryo onto the table, he nodded to Haruka as he began to get up. “Ready when you are, Exorcist.” He would smile, nodding and stretching his limbs. He was bit stif from sitting for so long, but he would be fine in a few minutes.

-Exit-

[190 + 517 = 707/450 = 257 WC]
END D-2 to D-3 [Completed

257/150 = 107 WC
STR E-1 to E-2

Thread totals
REA E-0 to D-3 [Completed]
PER E-3 to D-3 [Completed]
SPD E-0 to D-3 [Completed]
END E-2 to D-3 [Completed]
STR E-1 to E-2

“Well, I am not really needed or due any where right now. I have nothing but free time, currently; so long as I give my partner a heads up at some point today, I am golden.” ...  “Ready when you are, Exorcist.”

Hell, he was fine with doing this today; he really was. Anything to keep hanging out with Sam was worth it, really. He'd noticed the male reaching for his wallet, and had almost said something, but he was polite, and he waited, and he was glad that he did; as the male was merely being nice and leaving the tip for the waitress. That was fine with him; it was fair for Samael to pick up the tip with him paying for their food; so he wasn't going to be ungrateful and say anything about it. Really, it made his life slightly easier; that 10 ryo went a long way in Haruka's world, it was extremely rare for the male to splurge like this, but it was definitely worth it.

Rising to his feet, he took a moment to roll his neck and stretch his arms; they always became stiff and such when he sat because of his natural habit of assuming 'proper' postures and such that were not meant for someone with male physiology; but that was a price to be paid for his trainings, he was trained to pass as a female when undercover, so he had to move and act like one, even if it wasn't very comfortable due to his biology. He reached for the food containers, he was happy to carry them until they parted ways, and moved around the table. "A quick stop at the front counter to pay, and we can depart." He had the ticket in his hand as well; it had been sitting under the containers that the waitress had brought for them; and with that in hand he began leading the way around the other tables and such, moving to settle their bill so they could move onto whatever else they could figure out to kill time for the day.

-EXIT-

WC: 357

357 + 7664 = 8021

1950/1950 END E0-D3
1950/1950 SPD E0-D3
1950/1950 STR E0-D3
2000/2000 Bukijutsu C-B

171 Leftover.