compnetwork | [VIDEO]

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.]

Hm.

[...Once upon a time, Atsuro had known a boy who aggressively befriended and defended everything that moved. That boy had been lost for good with the passage of time, but he had always admired and looked up to him for his attitude. Self-consciousness held Atsuro back at times, but he had a feeling Yurick could manage to be self-conscious enough for the both of them.]

Well. It never hurts to have two people in a party learn the same job! You can't ever have enough White Mages.

[wrong kind of job]

Why don't I show you around Hinoto-Ri? It sounds as if it's still a bit of a mystery to you.

[Yurick bites his lip, ready to decline when he thinks about how Zael would push him gently to form bonds with others. Here, they need whatever friends they can get.]

If it's not an inconvenience to you....

Not at all. Honestly, I'm a little antsy with the whole disappearance thing, too... It will be good to occupy myself.

[Atsuro shoves the device he's been playing with into his pocket and walks over to his computer to shut it down.]

I can show you my Persona, too, while we're at it.

((Bedtime again!))

You said it can come out on its own to defend me, but you can call on yours whenever you want?

[He's concentrated on his own inner energies, but so far he's not certain he's felt anything different that he might be able to summon forth.]

Hm. Well, perhaps in exchange I can demonstrate my own abilities.

Sure! You said you were a mage, right?

[Yurick definitely looked like a black mage type. ...Probably the eyepatch.]

Persona attacks are a little bit like magic, too - My Persona focuses on Water and Ice techniques. I can show you those, too.

[He heads for the door now after grabbing his messenger bag sitting in the corner.]

Do you need to drop by your room to pick anything up?

[Got it in one, Atsuro. And you have no idea just how relevant the eyepatch is....]

A fire mage, yes. And I have everything I need.

[He pats the dagger at his hip. Not that he's much of a physical fighter, but between that and his magic he can hold his own. He always carries a small bag of supplies whenever he leaves his room, too.]

If we get into any trouble, I need time to charge spells, but once I do you won't have to worry about much surviving the attack.

...Should I worry about me surviving the attack?

[This is spoken good-naturedly; Atsuro closes and locks the door behind him.]

OK! Welcome to Kihara VIP Tours, your one-stop shop for experiencing the best that Hinoto-Ri has to offer. Please keep your elbows tucked in at all times and the tip jar is in the back.

...I also take video games, but those don't fit in the jar.

We'll go to Cancer and Scorpio; those are the most tourist-y. If you need to go shopping, we can swing by Virgo. If there's time, we can check out Aquarius, too - the library's over there and I work at the community college.

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(No worries! I like the effect!)

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(Oh god opposing elements AND Emperor is Unlucky for Yurick. ^^; )

clearly that means atsuro should accidentally freeze him one day