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[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.

You've nothing to worry about, my focus allows my magic to do no harm to my allies, even if they're in the way.

[Atsuro's spiel actually makes Yurick crack the tiniest smile, which is a major accomplishment even in the best of times. With Zael missing, it's nothing shy of a miracle.]

You know this city far better than I, so I'll gladly follow your lead. Though I admit libraries are a weakness of mine, so if we can't get to it today then perhaps another time?

Oh! Gotcha. We'll stop by there at the end, then, so you can take as much as you want, and... why don't we cut out Cancer? It might be a bit much for you to handle right now...

[Atsuro only wanted to visit Cancer because it was his favorite district anyway.]

Honestly, I don't know the history of the city or anything, but I can show you where things are, at least.

I'm afraid to ask why it's a bit much....

[Not that he wasn't curious. Perhaps it was where Atsuro acquired all those odd devices in his room?]

And at the moment, practicality trumps historical curiosity. I can't keep stumbling blindly around this city.

[Yurick must be a psychic. Or Atsuro is just pretty transparent.]

Aha, yeah. When you're a little bit more comfortable with the place, I can give you some of the information we have on the background.

[The apocalypse probably wasn't a great conversation piece for someone who was already confused. ...Atsuro strides over to the elevator and presses the button; incredibly, it is actually set to their floor and opens up immediately. He steps inside.]

((Did you want to continue to thread or would you like to handwave? I'm game with either way!))

[Yurick follows him in, standing with his back against the rear wall so he's not near the doors. It has nothing to do with a lack of trust, it's just years of mercenary training giving him space to cast if need be.]

If it can help us devise a reliable way out of here, I'd appreciate it. Our first priority is always to return to our world. We're needed there quite badly.

Ah...

[He offers a slight sympathetic smile at hearing that.]

...I can understand. If it helps at all, time doesn't pass on your world at all while you're here. You can think of it as... a vacation without consequences, if it makes it easier.

[Atsuro certainly was.]

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

clearly that means atsuro should accidentally freeze him one day

... oh Atsuro, you REALLY don't want to be Meteored.

/megidolaon'd

It's close enough, that's for sure!

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(Hell, I'm having fun! Keep going!)

(Sure thing! I didn't want to bore you if you wanted to leave off.)