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You mean over this blasted device, or....

[Making a friend face to face? The idea is a bit daunting. Yurick isn't one to trust easily, at least outside of his mercenary group.]

...Whatever you're more comfortable with is fine.

[Atsuro's life philosophy, on the other hand, indicates that life was full of friends waiting to be discovered and all of that cliche nonsense.]

[Yurick's about to ask if they can just do this over the COMP when he hesitates, biting his lip. If Zael is gone, he needs to find at least a few allies for the duration of his stay. For that, he needs to try to extend some sign of trust, no matter how difficult it is for him.

He takes a moment to search for Atsuro in the directory, mildly surprised to discover that they're in the same building, only five levels apart.]

I can meet you on your floor.

[He is mildly impressed that Yurick would be willing to do this in person - judging from the expression on his face moments earlier, he had indeed leapt to the 'incarnation of evil hellfire and brimstone' interpretation of demon. Atsuro smiles in what he hopes is a reassuring manner.]

Alright. I'll keep the door open, then!

[Wondering if perhaps he's gone a bit mad from being trapped here, Yurick makes his way down to Atsuro's room. At least he has his father's dagger at his hip and his magic at the ready if something goes awry.

After several minutes, there's a quiet knock on Atsuro's door, which then opens to admit the wary mage. His one good eye scans the room, his body not tensed for battle but not completely relaxed, either.]

Ah... hello.

[Atsuro's room screams GEEK if Yurick had any understanding of 20th century Earth cultural mores. Cables and wires of every description are strewn around haphazardly and no less than three game systems are plugged into the television in the corner. Computer paraphernalia, including a spare hard drive or two, lie inconspicuously on chairs.

Atsuro is making a vague attempt at cleaning when Yurick knocks.]

Hey! Come on in, Yurick. Ah, you can sit... On my bed.

[With a sweep of his arms, the comforter is smoothed out well enough; Atsuro turns his attention to a small device he holds in his hands.]

I'll try to pick something a little more palatable for you... You ready?

[Yurick settles onto the edge of the bed, staring at the briar of wires and electronics. He's never seen anything like this. It makes him all the more aware of the COMP behind his ear.

And then his gaze is drawn to that little device in Atsuro's hands. It doesn't look like a summoning tome, so what could it be?]

I suppose I'm as ready as I can be....

Ahah... I promise, they don't bite.

[At least, these ones didn't. Atsuro finishes choosing his 'party' on the interface of the device he also called a COMP before glancing up and clearing his throat.]

Power. Kabuso.

[The COMP spits forth a brilliant flash of light as Atsuro speaks; when it is possible to see again, two strange creatures have joined the two humans in the room. The metallic angel cautiously holds its spear before it as it hovers in mid-air while the youkai otter yawns.]

...What is your need, son of Man?

[All Yurick can do is stare, his eye round with shock and his lips parted with no sound to offer. The small furry creature doesn't seem threatening, in fact it's almost cute. But it's the angelic figure that makes him think of the Outsider for some reason. There's no physical resemblance, only the sort of protective, benevolent power Yurick feels from Zael's Outsider Mark.]

[Atsuro, in the meantime, has the decency to look vaguely embarrassed as his angel questions him.]

Er. ...He wanted to meet you.

[A slight nod towards Yurick, and the angel's attention flickers momentarily in the petrified boy's direction. His gaze is impassive as he continues to direct his words towards Atsuro.]

I am a servant of the LORD, not a toy for you to show to your friends. I pray that you remember this...

Ehehehe, you're a servant of the bore, that's what you are. You ever get tired of the goody-two-shoes shtick or is having an extra stick up your metal ass a race feature?

[As the two demons begin to bicker, Atsuro sidles past and seats himself next to Yurick.]

The angel is a Power. One of the classes of angels that traditionally serve the god Yehowah in Judaic myth. The otter is a kind of youkai, a Japanese... I guess you could call them 'monsters'. 'Spirit' is a little kinder.

I believe the correct term is 'tiresome hellbeast'.

((Gonna head to bed, as a warning! And sorry for all the font antics, aha.))

[It's still so hard to believe, even with the evidence having a rather animated spat right in front of him. Yurick turns to Atsuro, his mouth silently working for several seconds before he finally spits out a few words.]

I... I can't believe it. You really weren't joking.

[Once again he stares at the Power, his scholarly side wishing Zael was in the room with them so he could compare what he feels from the angel with what he knows of his friend's new abilities. He actually dares to speak to the winged, armored being, though his voice is far more hushed this time.]

F-- forgive us, it really was my fault. Atsuro only wanted me to see that not all of your kind are wicked.

...Wicked? Gyahahaa! You say that like you'd be afraid of us if we were! Don'tcha know what demons really are?

Kabuso... Zip it.

[Atsuro fixes the small creature with a severe look as it rolls about snickering. With a sudden deft movement, the Power flits forward a few feet - accidentally-on-purpose smacking Kabuso behind a desk with its wings as it does so.]

You need not fear, son of Man. So long as you walk in His ways, the warriors of the LORD shall ever be by your side.

...If you'll believe it, Kabuso was actually the first demon I ever made an agreement with. Power came about a day later.

What choice did I have after gettin' beaten to a pulp?

You tried to eat me.

I... I appreciate your assurances, Power.

[Honestly? Yurick would be afraid if Kabuso wasn't fuzzy and borderline cute. Sorry, otter-face, he finds Power more intimidating, but at least the angel seems kind despite being a bit stern... huh?]

Wait, this small creature tried to eat you, Atsuro? How do you know it won't try to turn on you later?

[Don't take it personally, Kabuso. Yurick doesn't know how demon summoning works. All the monsters and spirits in his world, with a few exceptions, tried to kill the mercenaries and weren't open to negotiations.]

[The peanut gallery seems content to let Atsuro field this question. He gives Yurick a small smile.]

It's the pact we have as summoner and demon. To become a summoner, you have to show that you have the strength to control them.

[...His eyes flicker away momentarily. Hopefully, Yurick could figure out what it meant if you failed without him spelling it out.]

Once you do, though, the demons that agree to fight for you will never back out on you or betray you. I think there's some sort of unbreakable law of the universe involved...

In other words, sucks to be me.

There are worlds where you contract with demons in the wild. Where I came from, though... [a slight pause] It was easier to purchase them.

[Yurick has a pretty good idea of what happens if you fail. More than ever, he's glad to have his own magic and no need to rely on unpredictable beings that would like to consume him.]

You buy them? [Did Atsuro mean... like purchasing slaves? He couldn't imagine paying coin for a formidable, noble being like Power.]

There's... There's a Demon Auction. It's kind of weird; I don't really understand it all myself.

We who are willing to serve Man recognize that, though it is a regrettable thing, the Auction serves as the only means by which we may make contact with demon summoners. Namely, we require... sustenance to exist in the world of Man and to maintain our forms. Without the payment offered, we cannot hope to survive long. ...Though my loyalty is unquestionable, we are, in a certain sense, mercenaries.

You mean sellouts.

That's how I've survived for years. I'm a mercenary as well.

[He's quiet but matter-of-fact, no shame in his voice. He did what he needed to survive. Only Zael was the first to show him that there was more to life than simple survival.]

If you don't mind my asking, what exactly do you require as sustenance?

[The Power, good-hearted though it may be, stiffens slightly at this question. Atsuro quietly fills in the blanks.]

We pay them Macca. Demonic currency. But I think what he's really talking about is... Magnetite.

Magnetite makes the world go round! You humans are just too blind to see it.

It's sort of an... ethereal... vapor kind of thing. It's hard to explain. I just know that these guys - they're entirely made of Magnetite.

[Yurick catches the Power's subtle reaction, instantly blanching.]

I-- I'm sorry, that was rude of me. I'm simply curious, as the world you all come from is very different from my own.

[He turns his attention back to Atsuro, a little less certain of his questions now.]

And your... Persona? It's entirely separate from your demons?

...An apology is unnecessary. I am merely loathe to speak of my weaknesses.

It's not a weakness if you all need it. ...But yeah, the Persona is different! I feel like a cheater sometimes; there's always four of us going into battle. But anything that improves my odds of survival is fair game.

[Strictly speaking, the Persona is a part of him, anyway.]

If you're gonna move on, does that mean you're done showing us off?

[Atsuro will glance towards Yurick for a response here.]

[Yurick nods, glad at least that he hasn't ruffled too many feathers.]

Yes, and I do appreciate you both humoring me. Perhaps we'll have a chance to work together in the future.

[Wow, Zael must've been rubbing off on him. He's being more friendly than usual. Maybe it's because he's so worried about his friend and the consequences of being here alone with no other allies?]

Then I shall hope to be of use to you, son of Man...

We should do lunch sometime. How do you think you'd taste with grated miso?

[Atsuro rolls his eyes as he presses a few buttons on his device. With another flash of light, the two demons have vanished.]

Ehehe. So what did you think? Hopefully, that wasn't too traumatizing...

The... Kabuso, you called it? Seems to enjoy trying to intimidate people. But at least they both appear to be truly loyal to you.

[He shakes his head in mild disbelief.] This world really will take some getting used to, though I hope Zael and I aren't here that long.

It's his idea of fun. It's pretty interesting, actually; demons have a different sense of morality than we do. I knew it as 'kawauso' when I was younger - it's a documented Japanese youkai historically known for being pretty bloodthirsty, but the legends got a bit lighter with the passage of time. Nowadays, he's more of a prankster.

[Atsuro stops as he realizes no one actually cares about his demons' origins besides him.]

The interesting thing about this world is that it incorporates so many others. I won't be the most interesting thing you see here, that's for sure.

[Actually, Yurick doesn't mind at all. He's an avid reader and enjoys learning about almost anything.]

You're the first person here I've really spoken to. I'm not exactly known for being the most social of people. That's Zael's job.

[He folds his hands in his lap, staring down at them. He feels rather lost, forced to become sociable with strangers when he'd only started opening up to his comrades recently.]

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(No worries! I like the effect!)

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