PopeAlessandros

New Eyes and an Old Soul

Oki, no problem. I wish you best of luck, and plenty of rest. Wherever you can fit it in :P

The Power of The Fallen ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

'My angel has the cutest expressions. . .' Kuro muses, the look on his face when the demon held him from returning to the animals pulling at the corner of his lips. It grows into a full smile when Aoba agrees to keep the bracelet on. 'Good, the charm is infused with my energy. The more demons attack, the more trophies I get,t he safer he will be. A part of me hopes for some strong ones soon. The stronger the demon, the more potent the protection' He chuckles lightly, shaking his head at Aoba putting the animals away. However rather than flat out telling him that what's he's doing is wrong he nod in acceptance of the younger male's offer and murmurs, “And when we are done we can let the fowl back out so they can go about their day. After the fright from Dani and me they may calm faster in their homes, but they need to spend most of the day walking about in the run.”

Holding the door open he waits for Aoba to go through first before closing the gate behind them. He begins to hum softly, like a man carefree and happy, and for the first time a small piece of his heart hopes that one day he will be able to be just that. 'Demons and angels live for almost forever, and plotting for year upon decade is not unheard of as far as demon ambition goes. Many lifetimes may pass before my Little Mouse and I are able to live in anything resembling peace' He shakes his head gently in silent thought, moving to the barrels of food and going about his task without saying a word. His gaze is distant, and his expression, while a tad dark, calm and peaceful.

Dani watches his brother pass, rolling his eyes at the expression on his face. He only watches the other two for a few seconds before turning back to the cow, speaking to her as if she can understand him. “o, hey, does it ever move? I heard from a pregnant lady once that babies move when they’re growing, so I guess they must. Uhg, must feel awful, something moving around inside, poking at everything, bleh.” He tilts his head. “But, you’re making life, so is it, like, worth it or something? I mean, everything exists to further itself, and for females, and guys like Pops, that's having kids, right? If that's the case, then I guess anything would be worth making sure the baby comes out, 'cept losing your own life of course.”

At this Kuro comes out of thought with a laugh, Dani turning on him with a huff. The cow, that had been looking calmly back at the demon addressing her, drops her head to munch on her hay while he back is turned. She seems rather calm. “What's so funny!?” Dani pouts.

Kuro shakes his head, chuckling again before replying. “Well, just that part about not giving up your own life for the baby.” He tosses the last hand full to the mama pig and her piglets before turning to address Dani properly. “There are creatures on earth that give up their life just for the chance to try and make a baby.” The smaller demon's eyes go wide with disbelief. “The most notable is the Black Widow spider. The males are much smaller than the females, and when they want to mate they have to basically give up their lives in order to do so. Well, most die. Very few survive, hence the name of the species.” Dani is thunderstruck at this new tidbit of information and turns back to the cow to ask her if it's true. Kuro laughs once more and grabs up what will be needed to feed the pigs outside before heading out.

Glancing over at Aoba he says, “After this we'll herd the sheep and cows into the pasture for the day, then we can get to the planting portion of farming.” He looks off towards the trees. “Maybe, sometime later this year, we can plant a little orchard on the forest side of the field. . .” He likes the idea of fresh fruit, and if they buy sizable saplings, they can have fruit as early as next year.

When Realms Collide {AkiBlue & PopeAlessandros}

Inui feels a little pang of his own at the announcement about Lord Enasi, however he is more concerned with the sobbing form in his arms at the moment. Lord Enasi is a guardian, and as of a few days ago, no longer his guardian. There isn't much, if anything, he could do with Enasi, however he can at the least help Rue stop feeling so crushed. Remembering many a mother comforting their child he wraps his arms tight around the fairy, rocking back and forth slightly while shushing him softly. Rue holds tighter, his tears soaking through the nightmare minion's shirt. He calms a a bit after a little while the climb up on the bed, both laying to one side of the unconscious guardian with Rue fully tucked against the taller male as he finishes his cry. Inui has no more ideas of what to do so he simply takes his comfort in the fact that Rue seems to be calming down, and Seishu seems to be no longer in pain.

~*~*~*~*~

Crios, who had stayed back from Harper as he'd addressed their guardian, walks silently side by side with the large rabbit being by what they feel they had to do, and even if they believe themselves right they can not shake the feeling that there is a piece missing from the puzzle. Something they can not do, a facet to being a guardian that they could never hope to understand. However, this being the case, they know there is only one other option in the matter, and neither of them, on the surface at least, want to admit it. However the feeling deep inside puts their feet on the right track and soon enough they meet up with Cho and the others on their way to the Nightmare Guaridan's guest room. Cho greets them both happily, but after responding with pair of vague smiles they both go back to contemplative silence.

Rasha whines softly, turning into his animal form and hopping up on to Harper's shoulder. The general rolls his eyes as Rasha cuddles his cheek, curling into a little ball for the rest of the trip. The silence of the older males keep Starla and Finn from bringing up their concerns, deciding without words to simply wait and watch. When they reach the room Rasha hops down and holds open the door like some sort of valet, resisting the urge to just crawl up on Seishu for comfort. The little ones look over at those entering, smiling softly back at Cho's bright grin. Rue does his best to wipe away his tears and sits up, accepting his plate as Cho bounds forward to hand out the meals. Crios goes to Seishu's side to check on his progress, and as soon as he's sure he is back on the right track he too accepts the proffered meal. They eat in silence as they wait, each feeling the shift and rise in the negative energy, as small as it is since it is not ruining the food, and know that he must wake soon.

The Power of The Fallen ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

Kuro can feel the eyes upon him from behind, the others. . .Two at least, watching him return to the farm. They stay back, observe, he feels no killing intent from them so he does not charge after them. Despite their reputation, demons can be patient, can lean, and some even come to know better than to ask on their impulses. These watching him now, looking past him towards the little fallen angel as he comes into view to greet him, they are no fools. 'She was most likely a tool, goaded into attacking. She was easily manipulated' Kuro glances up at his brother as he moves in close to the run and with a silent communication he calls the smaller demon to come down and stand with him. Dropping down from his perch atop one of the four posts at the corners of the run Dani drops down, flaring his wings out as he comes to stand beside his little brother. It is rather old fashioned, but Kuro feels it may be worth the effort, and as far as Dani is concerned, anything he can to to amuse himself and keep the toy to himself is worth it.

Together the two sons of Satan stand, looking towards the presence much further back along the tree line, nearly at the edge of sight. Kuro's wings come out, one arching out behind Dani to show his support of the smaller demon, while Dani's arch up, showing his strength and willingness to fight. The watching demons look to one another, recognizing not only the act, but at the sight of Dani realize just who they are dealing with. Like smoke they drift away from the farm lands, far and away to talk about what they have learned. They will not attack now, some even talk of giving up altogether, however the discussion will not find an end any time soon. Dani snarls then chuckles. “That made'em think twice huh?” He look up at his little brother glad to have done at least some little thing to help. Kuro nods in reply before at last turning to the angel.

“Sorry for ignoring you. There were others, watching, and Dani and I were just letting them know we are alert and ready for a fight.” He waves a hand with a smile. “Old tradition, but it worked, they moved off.” He then looks to his big brother. “Now, you can never say I never do anything for you.” Dani does not recognize the joke and with a snap and a huff he wanders off to go watch the pregnant cow, maybe talk her into giving birth early. With a quick jump, a few beats of his wings making it easier before he puts them away, Kuro hops into the run and looks at Aoba with a very warm smile. “You are safe for now.” Moving in close he takes the angel's left hand and brings it up to just above waist level between them. “Hold still for a second.” he murmurs, and gentle he attaches something to Aoba's wrist.

The silver chain with faint gold etching here and there settle perfectly around the angel's wrist, a single amber charm dangling off of it catching the sunlight as Kuro turns Aoba's hand over to look at it. Holding on to the angel's hand with his right, his left slips forward to run gently through Aoba's hair. “I found this little trinket, and I thought it would suit you. Please keep it?” There is a touch of deviousness in his gaze, however for the most part he appears honest. It is not entirely a lie. He did find the ear that became the amber charm, and he really thinks the bracelet will suit the angel. He simply does not think Aoba needs to know just yet the full story behind the gift. His left hand drops down, not wanting to make Aoba fool too uncomfortable, however he continues holding the hand newly adorned with Kuro's gift, awaiting what the angel will have to say.

When Realms Collide {AkiBlue & PopeAlessandros}

As they walk Rue's mind wanders over the conversation, how Enasi's voice sounded, and the look in his eyes. He's never seen his guardian like that before, and even now. . . .The little fairy's eyes slide up to look at the man at his side. 'There's something missing there. Lord Enasi really doesn't want to go, and making him isn't. . .It isn't right. . .Yeah, they may hurt, when they have to go apart, but that doesn't mean. . .But, he would be so happy, he is so happy when, but now it's like, I. . . .' A small hiccuping sob finds it's way out of his throat and without warning he comes to a stop. He keeps a strong hold on Enasi's hand, forcing him to stop. Without a word he looks up at his guardian, his eyes surprisingly dry. His expression is quite unreadable and after a long moment he lets Enasi's hand go and turns. With his back to his guardian Rue can not even find the strength to lift off the ground as he moves off down a random hallway, no real destination in mind. He wants to talk to Seishu, to settle some of the conflict in his heart, however at this moment all he can feel and understand is how sorry he is for the guardians he loves.

Suddenly from behind Enasi Harper's calm voice rings out. “Seems like he couldn't go through with it. . .” Once Enasi turns to look at the general he answers the silent question. “He couldn't force you to go see Night, knowing how much you don't want to.” He sighs softly, much like Rue not giving the guardian a chance to respond before going on. He too finds it hard act against his nature, however he loves his guardian, and sees this as the best way to help him now. “You don't want to see him, and forcing you to do so will do not good. We were hoping that you would open up to Rue, seeing as he is the best in the palace to represent the Nightmare Guardian's feelings, however you seem to adeptly gone back to your old bad habit of bottling things up, not letting us in, not letting us help you. You may have given us a reason, but you know Night would call that, and pardon my strong language, bullshit.” Sighing again Harper does not stay to listen to the red head's replay. Instead he calls over his shoulder as he walks away. “We still love you, more than anything, but if you won't let us help you, what are we suppose to do? Lord Enasi. . . . .”

~*~*~*~*~

Inui snuggles in closer to his guardian, the pale figure shuddering in his sleep. There is a faint whine in the back of the little minion’s throat as he watches the expression on Seishu's face become upset, almost angry. However after a few seconds he seems to settle down, and with a shuddering sigh Inui rests his head back on Seishu's chest, holding tight to the unconscious man.

~*~*~*~*~

~His old inspiration to try and rip through the nothing, to destroy it, to change something, anything, returns to the Nightmare Guardian with a vengeance. He roars silently, trying with all his might to affect something, to do anything. However, like all times before, he soon drops with a silent huff. Well, his mind tells him that's what he did. He has no body with which to do these thing, no reference of texture. However, despite giving up on the world around him, something else seems to be happening, but inside Seishu himself. He does not know the feeling, or understand it, but with a sigh he takes it as a welcome distraction, wrapping himself around it and holding it close. Something about it makes him think of Enasi, but what these days doesn't make him think of that red haired dope?~

Over the Hill ~ ClosetMonster x PopeAlessandros

As he settles in to crushing his mixture properly Chall pauses for a moment when the human speaks, for an instant feeling that something is off. His mind snaps to the fact that he did not see the horse when he exited the pond. However after a few long seconds he shrugs and goes back to work. 'Must have wandered off to eat. I can see that man giving his animals such freedoms, and since he has no great love of magic, one could suppose that he would want to get his beast away from it' He lets out a sigh, finishing the mixture, now a fine powder in the bottom of the bowl. Reaching over to the pond he scoops up a small hand full of water and drips it into the mixture. He tenses for a moment at the feeling of the man approaching, however he once more reminds himself of the kindnesses the man has shown and finishes stirring the medicine into a paste.

“There we go. . .” he murmurs, smiling at the smell wafting off the herb paste. The figure of the man looking up behind him does become a little disconcerting, naturally, but at this point Chall has decided that the man is odd in his own way, and will do what he will, as he wills it. 'It is not my place to push anything upon him, my presence having already disrupted his life likely far more than he would care to tolerate. . .For such a kind man, or so he appears, he takes his kindness almost as a burden. . .' Having had very little experience with such kindness, Chall is no great judge of such things. However, he believes his thoughts, and is content in them. He can not claim to be completely free of arrogance, and this is a prime example of it.

Just as he prepares to put the healing mixture in place the sudden shift behind him makes him go stiff. The proximity between the two beings lessens greatly and Chall can not stop his tail from going stiff and poofing out a bit. His heckles rise as suddenly he feels flesh against his own, but not his own, and the hissed words do more to rile him up than settle him. A snarl finds it's way from between his lips, the unusual situation bringing about naught but fear and anger in the young man. He can not feel the magic of the one behind him,all of his prior focus being internal after being so drained. Had he not called it all in, he may very well have sensed that the thing on the shore was not his once host. As it is however, all he can tell is something is touching him, and he doesn't like it.

As the fingers slide lower his snarl deepens, his finger curling into attacking curves. 'What in the moons is this!? How dare he touch me like this. I may be grateful, but I would never permit such contact, with anyone, so sudden and without permission. I do not care what I owe him, I'll. . . I'll. . .' His snarl breaks into a whine, his tense body going from angry, to purely fearful. He manages to not start trembling as the magic, tied in so close with his life, is pinned, suppressed, taken out of his control. 'What, how. . . This is not Wren, he has no such power. I can feel it now, inside me, it is. . .Full, natural. . .This is not Wren. . .Am I so foolish as to let such a thing come so close to me?' His thoughts continue to spiral even as the bring behind him watches how his magic responds to being pinned.

Many court mages would have their magic fight, to flare up and begin attacking anything it can. The anger inherent with natural human fallacy would attack, more often than not, without care of the consequences. However this half kirin's magic settles as he demanded the boy himself to still. 'Interesting. Despite being so drained, the control he exhibits is very intriguing. He may just be what we need. . .' He glances over as a few water sprites, nymphs, peek over the edge of the bank. Chall to glances over at the movement, however being rather familiar with such creatures he does not start at their appearance. In fact, as the slide in closer he relaxes a bit.

'They would not be moving in closer if the thing behind me was in a particularly hostile mood. He must be. . .They must know it' In a very soft and respectful tone he whispers, “If my thanks was not enough, I beg forgiveness and open myself up to whatever is needed of me. . .” He catches his breath as the hold on his magic seems to tighten and he falls silent. The nymphs watch with wide eyes as the spirit continues his assessment silently, his own magic moving about freely inside the lad, so open Chall is to natural magic the act is almost effortless.

At last he says softly, still keeping a firm hold on Chall's magic, “I seek n more from you, your words and sacrifice welcome and more than enough to pay for the aid to you. My act now is for. . . .Different reasons. . .” Chall swallows at this, the tales of the mischief of the spirits long told by his mother, and even more by his master when in his younger training years. True, the magic of man these days have little to nothing to do with them, however his master knew Chall was different, and made sure that even rumors of such things were part of his learning regime from the very beginning.

'Oh great, a spirit, just what I need right now. I need to travel, tapping the lay lines as quickly as possible, and now I have a spirit interested in me or something I can do. If I did not know any better, I would say fate it toying with me. However, I do know better. Fate doesn't give one such as I even the shadow of a thought' He stays still, as he was bidden, the nymphs watching, speaking softly to one another on occasion as thread after thread of magic passes through the young man. He is completely dry, save for the parts touching the wet grass, by the time the spirit is finished and releases him. Chall lets out a long sigh, turning his head ever so slowly to glance at the man at his back.

However he does not seem to quite resemble a man any more. The form of Wren still seems to dace before Chall's eyes, however the clear features of what lay beneath seems to shimmer into view with each gentle breeze. He looks upon the deer like features, the slender limbs, the tall antlers, the aura of magic around the bring now quite clear. The bright colors around his neck and face look beautiful to the young mage and with a sigh he does his best to relax. Without a word the spirit motions that he should finish what he was doing before anything else. The nymphs, three girls and one small male, settle into the shallows on their stomachs and giggle lightly as they watch Chall comply. Even as he begins applying the mixture he can still feel a web of magic, not his won, dancing about inside him. 'This may not have a good affect on my own magic, and I should avoid using it too much until I figure out what he's done to me. . .'

Once the poultice is in place Chall quickly wraps his shoulder in a bit of clean cloth and takes a calming breath before turning to the side to address the spirit. Now facing the nymphs he watches as hey giggle, getting a better look at him now that he is not longer half turned away. He still feels no shame in this, and as such takes no note of their reaction. He is instead fare more interested in the spirit who saw fit to violate his body with it's own, while very pure, near sickening magic. It is not that the magic is bad, however such purity , it clashes with Chall's magic a bit, and he is not use to the clash. While ti may have been easy for the spirit to move it's magic around within the young man, it is not so easy on the other side of that exchange. The spirit nods approvingly at the wrap before giving Chall a faint smile. The half breed is unsure what to make of the expression.

The Power of The Fallen ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

The response from his Little Mouse is swift in coming and Kuro can not help but feel than a little disheartening for the young one to begin shooting for independence already. 'Ah, they grow up so quickly' Chuckling at his own foolishness he nods in agreement with the angel. “Yes, it will be faster if we split the job.” he murmurs softly. He stays quiet as Aoba assigns who will feed what and quickly moves off to do his part. Kuro watches silently until Aoba moves out of the barn, only going to work when he sees the angel in the run with the chickens all about his feet. He is not quite sure why he suddenly feels no need for words, no real need for thought either, but as his brother wanders in, staring at him with a funny look on his face, he knows something is off.

Unfortunately he has no time to get to the bottom of his problem as suddenly both his and his brother's heckles go up and they both charge out out the back of the barn towards the run. The cause for their sudden shift is still a ways off, near the forest, however it is clear that this one will not back down. Kuro fires Dani a sharp look and while it looks like he wishes to object, the smaller demon moves off to the edge of the run, placing himself between the forest and the fallen angel. His wings snap irritably however he stays in place as Kuro darts past them both, his speed not as fast as an angel’s, but still bringing him to near blur appearance.

His wings crack loudly with each stroke, the normally silent beats becoming a warning with each flex and curl. The wind flowing off of him bends the grass beneath him as he moves from the weed filled field into the forest edge. 'Not on my watch scum' His heart pounds a little harder than it did with the first few defenses of his dear angel, the threat much greater now. With one last crack he drops on to a knee, bringing himself to a complete stop in an instant, his wings vanishing just in time to avoid being burned by a bright jet of flame. Making note of the color Kuro smirks. 'I can take her. She's not strong enough to even wield hell flame. That was just a normal fire wielding power. Her power is great, but normal' Dropping down he rolls to the side quickly, dodging another jet before shimmering into a shadow and stalking forward.

The female demon growls, her tattered red Chinese dress making her stand out like a sore thumb against the lush greenery. Kuro spots her looking back and forth, trying to find him while backing up. Not in his top form, Kuro decides to take her down swiftly, as little challenge as he can manage. She lets out an almighty howl, allowing him to move closer without being heard, and with a high leap he lands upon her, his already extended claws ripping into her neck. It takes barely an instant for her to recognize her mistake, but that is all he needed. 'Arrogance. . . .When will my kind ever learn. . . .' He takes her head off, kicking her body aside as he becomes drenched in blood. Her head remains clenched in his hand as the body goes up in black flames. He burns her head as well, but not before taking off an ear.

“Such foolishness. . .” Looking at the ear in his palm he turns it over and over until at last he gets an idea. Chuckling softly he quickly constructs what he needs and begins walking back towards the farm. He takes his time, using the opportunity to reflect on his earlier thoughts, or more accurately, lack of thoughts. 'It's not like I have nothing to think about, I just. . .I couldn't think. . . .I couldn't think of anything. My Little Mouse was there, moving forward, making decisions, then just. . .' He sighs, coming out of the wood and on to the weedy well packed earth of the open field. 'It could very well be just that. My thoughts from before, on how he will inevitably move away from me one day, with my aid no less, and the fallout of such thinking. I mean really. What self respecting demon works to get rid of something they enjoy?' Shaking his head he shrugs, continuing his slow walk back.

New Eyes and an Old Soul

Horace slows as they enter town and Dorian lets his gaze rove openly over every sight they pass. He can tell the youth behind him is hungry, and he himself is in need of a good feeding after providing for the young one the day before. Settling into an slow even pace the elder vampire uses all of his senses on the town, feeling out for anything out of the ordinary. While his natural senses leave him ill at ease, he is unable to pull out anything specific to worry about. 'Ah well, any step forward is a step worth taking. We can not always be lucky to find a clue with each of those steps, however that does not lessen it's value'

Smiling softly as he sees someone skirting past what appears to be an apothecary as if the place is cursed, Dorian makes it easily as the hub and keeps it in mind for later. 'However now, the first priority is accommodations' It does not take too long to find a place that, at least on the outside, looks to be suitable to their needs. The groom rushes out to take care of Horace as soon as Dorian dismounts, but he holds up a hand so that the middle aged man knows to wait a moment. Reaching up he helps James down, pulling him in a little tight to his side to signal that he should stay close. With a smile he gives the groom instructions to Horace's care ant takes a few satchels from his saddle bags before letting the man take him.

As soon as the man and horse disappear from view Dorian leads the way into the Inn. It is a bit rowdy in the front room, a small pub taking up most of the front room. The tone of the room is happy rather than violent and the elder vampire does his best not to roll his eyes at all the foolish behavior of intoxicated humans. 'There are only a handful in here, however from the noise one would assume at least a dozen' He orders their room quickly from and overworked man rushing around behind the counter and with a polite nod Dorian leads the way. He makes sure James stays in close, the nearby food more than enough to make even the elder ache for it, but his years of control keel him from gazing around hungrily.

The room is on the first floor, near the stable and a back door, of which Dorian approves of, and at the least does not stink of filth as many such lower class inn rooms tend to. It is not nearly as nice as the last room they had, having no stove, nor even a fireplace, however the stack of blankets at the foot of the bed seem to be provided for keeping warm instead. With a faint nod he sets the bags down near the bed, moving over the window to look out into the yard behind the inn. A few children can be seen catching fire bugs in the dark, the watchful eye of their mother from a lit doorway completing the scene.

When Realms Collide {AkiBlue & PopeAlessandros}

The little fairy can feel tears welling up behind his eyes. Despite all his thoughts on being strong, a part of him knows that his sadness is well places. The two taller males look to one another, then back at Enasi, settling at last on Rue. Without a word they both move off in opposite directions, far enough away to give them some privacy, but close enough to let Enasi know that they feel this talk is important. Rue begins understanding why they brought him with, why, despite their closeness to Enasi, they wanted the little minion to speak with Seishu's counterpart. 'Inui and Rasha are too close to Mister Seishu, Crios and Harper are too close Lord Enasi. I am the closest to the middle of all this. . .'

Taking a deep breath he keeps his tears in check as he begins speaking. Looking up at his guardian his eyes seem to sparkle. “You're not fine Lord Enasi. You're not, and it's obvious. Even if you think you're okay, you should trust those closest to you to be able to tell when you're not.” His wings twitch slightly but the fairy remains firmly on the ground as he speaks. “You went out together, and you were happy. I know you would never do anything to hurt Mister Seishu, but he got hurt anyways. A few mistakes were made today, but that doesn't mean anything. All that matters is what we do to make it better.” He takes another steadying breath, but does not pause long enough for Enasi to get a word in edgewise.

“I love Mister Seishu, like Inui, and Rasha, but you are the special person. If Crios was sick, he would be crushed if Cho didn't are enough to at least go check on him. Mister Seishu may not be awake right now, but you two care about each other, and I know he'd know that you stayed away. He's perceptive like that. I can't imagine how much that will hurt him.” A single tear finds it's way down his cheek. “He's all alone right now, in that place, that horrible place that makes even tough Mister Seishu shudder. He hates it there, but he got put there because of whatever happened out there. He got put there because of a mistake.” He hang his head, a few tears falling to hit the stone beneath their feet. “I understand Mister Seishu, almost as well as his own second, and maybe even better than you, and I know how sad he would be to know you decided to say away from him. And. . . .” He looks up. “Lord Enasi is not a cruel person, and he knows how much it will hurt Mister Seishu too. So. . . .Why would Lord Enasi decide to hurt Mister Seishu?” He finally pauses, unsure if he put his words correctly, but hoping beyond hope he did.

At either end of the hallway the two older males listen carefully to the little minion's words, Harper approving of the points Rue is making, and Crios grateful at the tact the boy is showing. They do not want their guardian to be hurt, but if there is any point that the Nightmare Guardian has ever been right on, it's that their guardian hides too many of his troubles, and needs to stop, not only for his sake, but for the sake of the realm.

We'll take the low road.

To say that he was not rocked a bit by the use of the term 'Young Master' by Illiendi, especially after his thoughts before on the matter, would be a lie. For a time, it almost slipped his mind, more important things to be considered. However, as he sits along in his father's oversized study, the youth begins seriously doubting himself. 'Illiendi is mine, is he not? And even he, who has sworn himself to me. . .Even he sees me only as a “Young Master”. . . .I bet he would find my elder brother's more to his liking, especially Raoul. He really is a masterful type' His eyes fall, his head hanging low as more and more doubt wells up inside him. He can not even find it inside himself to become upset, or even begin contemplating correcting his manservant.

'He is a demon, who serves who he likes, however I am feeling more and more that I just happened to be the only one close enough that he found palatable. The best in a barrel of rotten apples' He sighs softly, accepting the truth of it without letting him consider other options. As the least of his brothers, in his father eye and those of the men and woman of note around town, it has simply become the easiest way to think for the young man. His spine curls and his face falls into his hands as the ache brought forth by such thoughts begins to burn deep in the put of his stomach. He stays like this for some time, only shifting when he hears the sound of footsteps in the hallway. 'At the least I can do as he has taught me. At the least I can avoid dishonoring his teachings'

Sitting up in the right position, lifting his head until it is properly leveled, Amano steels himself for the encounter. As the door opens he stands respectfully, looking to the door as his father enters, followed by the center of the young man's thoughts, other than himself of course. Kenneth nods at the boy, taking his seat behind the desk with a huff, giving Amano another nod to indicate he should sit. Doing as he is bidden Amano holds himself up proper, looking far more confident and regal than he feels. As soon as his father has his drink Amano begins speaking as respectfully as possible while still adding his own personal edge to his words.

“As I said before father, I have a matter of importance with which I would like to speak to you upon. It concerns my future, and my ability to honor my family with my deeds.” Kenneth sets his glass down after a long sip, motioning for Illiendi to top it off. When his old man looks back to him, Amano takes it as his cue to continue. “For over a year now, I have been planning to take to lands outside our own, crossing the sea to places unknown to find something new, of worth, and return with it here. In essence, to create a new trade market for goods unknown to this land.”

Kenneth's eyes widen at this. Of all things he expected to hear from his son, this was not even in consideration. “Have you now?” Amano nods. “And I have not heard of it?”

Knowing his father's connection Amano quickly recollects what was discussed the night prior, the notes floating before his eyes. None of them really help, however he puts together a plausible explanation, to the best of his abilities. “I wished to prove that I can do such things on my own, and as I have planned it, all things to be done are falling into place. From your own teachings I have leaned how to control the flow of information, knowing how you pride yourself in being able to do so, I could not resist using what I have learned from you Father.”

The flattery seems to do the trick and with a loud booming laugh Kenneth pounds the table and offers his youngest an almost genuine smile. “You have done very well indeed. Glad I could pound something useful into that stubborn skull of yours. I thought you would be watching the clouds forever.” He looks to Illiendi, still chortling. “Here I was, trying to find a life for him, and there he goes, making one fore himself. I am not sure whether to weep for the ladies, or congratulate them on avoiding the burden that is my youngest.”

Use to his father's backhanded way of dealing, not only with him, but with most of his less prestigious business partners, he declines commenting on his father's attempt at humor and instead addresses it's subject. He looks down a little bashfully, knowing his words to be not true, and the falsety of it adding to the act. “I had thought to find me a lady before I took my leave of this place father, however as I have failed, and I should be leaving soon, I will write to the prospects you have selected for me and inform them myself of my current circumstance.” He looks to his father with a wry smile. “Who knows, perhaps one or more will enjoy the idea of having me when I return with the riches and prestige I endeavor to gain.”

The lord of the house chuckles, downing his glass and taping for another. Meanwhile Amano sips quietly at his own drink, thanking Illiendi quietly for it. “Yes, women are a bit foolish like that. Your mother seems to like nothing better than to hear of my conquests each time I come home to her, not that I mind that!” His youngest knows different, but holds his tongue. “I suppose in all your slinking about, you know which of the eligible in this wretched place I have scraped out for you, eh?”

Amano nods, his brother Raoul having informed him some time ago. “Lady Secilia, Lady Ganett, Lady Aubrin, and Lady Voltair. I will write to them, and the one woman I have myself seen the fond eye of, before leaving port.”

Kenneth looks equal parts skeptical and impressed with the addition of another woman to the list, however he lets it slide as he moves in to more important matters. “You do that, and I wish you best of luck. Now, on to the matter of funds. How come you by the means for such an endeavor? I can not see your hide fetching that much on a street corner, and it is not as if your little sketches have any worth other than the paper they are drawn on.”

Amano has to seriously bite back his temper at this point. He does not mind being thought of as one to sell his body, the ridiculousness of it enough to let it slide right out of consideration or a response, however the line about his art work rubs a nerve already raw by his own critical analysis of it. 'I know they are not fantastic works of art, but they are the one thing on this earth that are all my own. Your money may have purchased the paper and pencil, but the combination of the two are all my own you fat lump of tar. They are worth more to me than this flimsy bond between us you call blood ties, and if I could, I would replace you with them any day' His anger passes quickly, not a shadow of it touching his features. So use to repressing himself the task of hiding his anger is as simple as breathing.

“No father, neither my body nor my art have brought me the wealth necessary for this foray into a foreign land. Instead, I have been careful in my uses of the money you afford me, in your gracious way, and through the careful bargaining and wise expenditure I have already my crew, captain, ship, and Illiendi here.” Kenneth glances at Illiendi then looks back to Amano with a critical eye. It is clear the man seeks more explanation. Amano can feel his resolve wavering and reaches for his brand. As Illiendi warned him he makes it look as if he simply needed to wipe his lips, taking out his handkerchief that is settles in the pocket over the mark. As always, the light brush of his fingers over the mark calm his nerves and as he returns the cloth to it's place he continues speaking.

“The crew I have had for a while now, my seeking for a captain however took some doing. Most of my time was spent simply finding the right ship, with a captain that would not take me for a ride as far as the costs go, or insist on hauling me around like ballast.” Kenneth smirks at this, a touch of mirth mixed with pride gleaming in his eyes. “I turned down The Dancing Lady, and The Spritely Marlin for these reasons, however with a good word from a contact I managed to find Captain Jusler, and his ship, The Angry Lad.” He can see his father's eyes go blank for a moment, trying to place the names. They first two come easily to him, the ships having been used often enough in trades by his suppliers, however the one his son has decided upon draws only a blank to his mind. To the master merchant however, this is just another point for his son and as his focus comes back he gives Amano another nod, his smile shifting from dismissive, to shrewd.

Waving a hand at Illiendi he asks, “And what of this here? Your little touch of comfort for the long voyage?” His father often jokes about Amano having a taste for men, however it isn't until this moment that such a comment has any real affect on him.

Amano knows that Illiendi is a demon, and more than likely willing to lay with anyone as long as it is to reach his end, however he is unsure if the demon will be insulted by the implication. 'Who am I know know the customs of the beings of hell? Thus far all I know is that he is here to serve me, in his own words, to use as I please, however that say nothing to his interactions with those other than myself' Keeping strict control of his breathing he smiles softly and shakes his head. “No father. You are a great man, with many connection, and many who are capable of aiding you in things that you have slightly less aptitude for, however I can only afford one.”

He gestures towards Illiendi. “I could have afforded many lesser servants, but as you have often said, quality over quantity. Illiendi here may have cost my all funds I laid aside for human aid on my journey other than the captain and crew, however I feel he will be worth it. I ordered the best, and the best if what they sent me. You yourself know well of the worth of those trained on Marth, and as you have said many times today, he seems to exceed our own servants in this household.” When at last Amano falls silent Kenneth looks to Illiendi, an expression of deep contemplation on his face. It is clear he will have some questions for Illiendi himself.