Drinks with a Devil

SETTING: Callisto Harbor Pier, Seiki District ; 13 JAN - 14 JAN late night / early morning CHARACTERS: Naoki Sato, Lewis Berkshire, NPC Sakura Tea House staff

[00:55] Naoki Sato stepped from the door of the station house, the magic of the only vaguely-hidden portal that sent people back and forth from the Academy clinging to him. He wasn't dressed entirely like a student - the vest was far too embellished, the markings on its back more in-line with what most people described around a certain technomancy professor's private laboratory than the Academy itself. He did wear Khymeia's gold and black colors despite this - something Sato often did when on business that had to do with the town at large.

The Jikininki paused on the street, inhaling to breathe in the scent of seawater and fresh air... and meat. The Cannery was nearby. The dual-function of butchery and dive bar left it smelling like liquor and blood - though the latter was often hidden by the former, and by the various colognes and perfumes the workers wore. Pale, bloodshot eyes lingered on the building before spotting the silver-haired man walking the street. If he were touring the place, Berkshire may have been informed the buildings around the pier and told of such things - that the station house was frequently flooded with students coming and going, that the Cannery was a place that people of bearing likely did not frequent.

So it was a curious and appraising stare that locked onto the man as Sato stood on the street corner, bearing no books or other such Academy paraphernalia. Beyond the basic glamour that made the people overlook the veins and the dead-pale color of his hair and eyes, he did little to hide himself. He smelled like bleach and chemical disinfectants. The air around him was typically a tad colder than the norm, though it could've easily been the chill of off-sea air. There was hunger in his eyes that pervaded every fiber of the young man's being.

He gave no greeting. Sato simply walked up to the man and cleared his throat.

"Have you only just arrived?" he asked, practiced and enunciated English.

[01:28] Mr. Berkshire had been scouting the layout of this town while the sun curved its slow arc across the sky, the shadows of the buildings growing long when he finally stopped near to where he had began here, near the far side of the pier where less people might congregate. He tried to ensure his ventures were covered by enough glamour to be unnoticed or not remarked upon, but sometimes he did let his sense of twisted humor get the better of him. He needed to learn the lay of the land here and the customs necessary to not stand out too much before he lingered too long.

Regardless this place was full of intriguing puzzles, not just the temptation of the frightened woman in his sights. For tonight at least he was planning on biding his time with whoever or whatever amusements he came across. Noting the sun's angle, Lewis stared into the town proper again, considering where to find lodging for the night. He had to look the part of the researching gentleman he was portraying after all. His thoughts were interrupted suddenly,

Mr. Berkshire feeling the prickle of a stare upon him, unlike the curious glances of the crowd. Though Lewis had managed to filter out most of the thick aromas of the docks and people, that unpleasant chemical edge reached him.

Lewis turned and stared back at the slim man, noting his unnatural pallor with a slight frown. Otherwise he gave no easily readable expression to the person clearly approaching him, the glasses shielding his eyes in the slanting light. He made a quick study of the other man's garments, but unsure if there were meaning to the colors he wore or not. He had much study of this town to complete before this excursion was done. His own suit was deliberately mundane though well tailored dark tweed, the only concessions to fashion, the green of his silk tie and dark shirt with silver cufflinks.

None of that mattered however. This slender stranger had eyes of pure desperate hunger and Lewis could See the frayed spirit barely clinging to existence like a miasmic smoke seething under his outlines. When this Mr. Berkshire unfortunate spoke, it was clear the words were not his first language. But then neither was it for Lewis, affecting the faint British accent of his persona here, but his voice was deep, cultured. "Some hours ago. I'm known as Mr. Berkshire. Pleased to meet you, Mr..?" He did not extend a hand in greeting however, instead leaning on his elegant cane, matching the man's stare with a growing unsettling intensity of his own he was finding it hard pressed to rein in.

Perhaps the two would prove disquieting in each other's presence.

[01:39] Naoki Sato seemed accustomed to intense scrutiny. He did not quiver beneath it nor did he avoid Berkshire's gaze. He seemed to be studying the man in turn, trying to dissect what he heard of his voice and what he saw of his face. His eyes only moved from the older man's visage to take in the suit and cane, gauging fit and stature. If Berkshire were any practiced at reading such gestures he'd likely figure Sato was either sizing him up or comparing him to a mental image.

"Sato. There's no need for the Mister," he said plainly. Whatever the young man found in his initial study was unsatisfactory evidently as he sighed, shaking his head. "Some hours ago... so only today," he said and peered at the water before turning to look to the station house. "Are you affiliated with the Academy?" At the inquiry his eyes were on Lewis again. "I don't recognize the name. Known as Mr. Berkshire... known by whom?"

There was no accusation in his voice but he made no effort to make the questions seem friendly or conversational. The

young man was blunt, straight to the point and whether or not it unnerved him, there was something in the intensity of the man's stare that struck a nerve. Or several.

[01:58] Mr. Berkshire: Sato introduced himself so bluntly, staring Lewis down from head to toe with an apparent unsatisfactory conclusion before launching into equally blunt questions into his business here. Lewis instead kept his gaze on the other man the entire time, possibly something heavy in his regard, but the light continued to shift over his glasses, hiding the full impact of his stare and whatever emotions might lurk there to be seen. The emotions and inferred motivations of the slimmer man however might be laid unknowingly on a platter before the reserved empath focusing so intently upon him that no doubt nerves might be jangling in alarm on several levels. Unless Sato had the means to guard his inner life from such a powerful observer, his questions might yield more about himself than any answers he might get for his efforts.

Lewis finally gave a fleeting hint of a smile, something dark enough to shiver through the bones of anyone normal. However he surmised this man was not at all ordinary. Studying the spiritual wreckage of this man oddly piqued his interest, if only to see where such ruin might fall and a growing curiosity as well. But he was not one to give answers lightly, "I am known by those who need to know..Sato. I am here on someone else's behalf on personal business." His name and 'personal' 'business' all held seperate significant emphasis somehow in the way Lewis spoke, possible jangling more nerves for no discernible reason. However the longer Sato might stay near Lewis, the more strange the atmosphere might grow between the two. Yet the opportunity to find out was offered, perhaps morbid inquiry won out, an invitation with unknown strings, "I have questions for you, if you would answer them. Perhaps somewhere to sit and drink?"

Though the silver haired gent leaned on his cane and spoke in a light almost charming way, there was a hint of darkness to his smile, his eyes remaining half obscured mysteries that stayed laser-focused on the other man.

[02:08] Naoki Sato did indeed grow increasingly unsettled. He was more on edge the more he spoke to the man, any vagueness in Berkshire's answers lending itself to suspicion. While the Jikininki's face was typically neutral it wasn't by choice - he simply wasn't the most emotive of people. Certain situations stirred stronger emotions though and the frown that creased his face indicated this was one of them.

Sato was wary, that much was clear. Despite this and the unconscious clench and unclench of the fist that hung at his side he nodded when Berkshire suggested drinks. "If you are... new you will need a place to stay," he said, turning away from the man and the mysteries that laid hidden in his smile. "It's a bit of a walk."

The last bit was perhaps meant to be a warning... considering the man held a cane. Sato nevertheless did not slow his stride as he turned and headed down the stone path past the Windgraces' music shop and onward. He headed for what looked like a small, parked airship only to turn the corner and continue on. He did not look behind him but he was certainly listening, carefully paying attention to the sound of footsteps, the pace of them, the evenness; he listened too for the tap of the cane as if to ascertain how much the man actually needed to use it.

[02:28] Mr. Berkshire: Lewis was smiling more now, slowly bit by bit, leaning on his cane as if into a warm summer breeze the way he slightly tilted his head, but there was no such welcoming wind at the busy loud smelly docks. The gent's attention never wavered from Sato, as if out of all the bustling crowds and flow and ebb of humanity around them, the other man was the only thing worthy of curiosity. Where such curiosity might lead was possibly terrain where angels feared to tread. But surely a friendly drink would not be the gateway to such imaginings....

The older man was deeply keenly aware of Sato's growing unease, the restless tightening fists, his obvious wariness, the flash of emotion however subtle across his mouth. His enjoyment of this array of reactions was not readily apparent on his own features, other than that lingering smile that certainly would not be expected from a first meeting between strangers. The fact Lewis was being deliberately vague might suggest similar suspicions towards the slimmer man, but only time and perhaps a few drinks might tell the truth of the matter.

Berkshire nodded his head to the offer of lodgings, an almost courtly gesture, suggesting in reply, "I'll buy you a drink for your trouble, Sato." He finally hid his smile once the other gave his warning and began stalking sullenly across town. Sato might notice that Lewis kept pace with him easily, the sharp report of his cane on the stones quite a steady beat, in fact the man seemed to be maintaining a pace right behind him, keeping time with his own footsteps after a while to where it might be hard to easily separate his footfalls from the one following him. Some of the streets they cross Lewis has already scouted, only slowing slightly once they reached a part of town he hadn't had the time to survey yet.

After all his plan would require thorough knowledge of all the places that woman might try to bolt and any other targets that gained his interest. His current companion had yet to be revealed in his true intentions and true potential for either entertainment or information...or perhaps a beneficial deal...

[02:40] Naoki Sato was a perceptive creature, even on a good day. He kept his eyes ahead of him but they narrowed at the rhythmic tap of Berkshire's feet and cane, his jaw tightening when he realized the man was deliberately staying behind him. The tension was evident in the shorter male's shoulders, tight and raised as a little sliver of deep red welled in his palm, unseen to most of the passing crowd. It began drawing a slow ritual circle in his skin, easily recognizable to eyes that have seen hermetic magics at work.

As they passed the small stretch of road devoted to the coming festival's fireworks and pyrokinetics show Sato paused, pivoting to glance at the stage and makeshift shrine the workers had partly-build at the end of the road. "There is a festival this Sunday," he explained to hide the fact that he'd been eying the fires and torches like potential weaponry. "...celebrating a type of Shinto god that blesses travelers. Would be good to attend for someone who has completed a journey recently." Reluctantly he turned away. There would be trouble if he took festival preparations for his own self defense, perhaps.

Instead he continued across the bridge as sprawls of Kanji wrote themselves in the ritual circle in his palm. "This area is called the Seiki District. There is a Tea House... it serves beverages as well as offers lodging," he explained, then added after a pause - "Not only tea."

[03:10] Mr. Berkshire had made his point about keeping up with the shorter man and was slowing down to look at the new surroundings. He nodded to the festival idea but said only, "Perhaps. Blessings can't hurt I suppose." Everything he had said so far could be considered simple on its face and yet cryptic in the layers of possible meaning beneath, an art form for what he truly was. But that was not a matter of concern currently, all that mattered was getting to the promised destination. However, the growing tension in Sato did not go unmissed, nor his eying of fire sources and other implements of destruction. The scent of *old* blood in more ways than one wafting back towards him from his guide slowed his steps finally upon the last edge of the bridge, seeking to lean on his cane to admire the view of the area, before landing his stare squarely back on Sato whereever the other man might have stopped when that cane ceased its tempo.

"Not only tea? Hmm..." Lewis mused, strangely amused, clearly loitering where he stood now, closely watching Sato even more so than earlier. The slant of the light was vastly different here than at the pier and Lewis' eyes shone through the glass guarding them. Pure vivid rings of green and gold flared by the low angle from the sun bore into the other man. But instead of any trepidation in that gaze, there was only jaded anticipation...and an unknown decision yet to be made.

Throughout this entire encounter and trek across town, Mr. Berkshire had never once evinced the slightest nervousness, despite the unfamiliar place and people. Even when Sato stared holes through him. Only now did he shift his stance just so, body language so subtle only another fighter might notice. His cane was no mere prop for walking and nor was he a mere professor of some kind. This was a sign that he was paying attention to everything.

"How much does such a thing cost?" He wondered aloud, but his curiosity ran so so much deeper than what this all seemed.

[03:21] Naoki Sato raised both brows at the remark that blessings couldn't hurt. It prompted him to turn and observe the man even as he walked, gauging his expression as if he might give something away. He didn't of course and Sato was forced to keep going, slowing and pausing only when Berkshire himself did.

Seiki was populated even in the early morning hours - or late night hours depending on perspective. A few stalls were still manned and while the vendors politely greeted and bowed their heads at the pair as they walked, they were far more amicable as they called out their wares to Berkshire than to Sato himself. They were familiar enough with the young man to know better, it seemed. Such was the case with the Tea House too, where some of the staff loitered by the balconies, leaning and calling out to passersby. One lingering by an open doorway hesitated when she spotted the two men approaching, looking first at Sato then at Berkshire before turning to apparently gather some advice from someone else inside.

Despite the fact that people here clearly knew him, when asked about cost he replied, "I don't know. But you seem like you could afford at least a night's stay and I assumed you'd be able to afford drinks as well, considering you asked. Other services would cost more." Sato glanced at the cane. When he'd marked the professors unaffected gait when walking he sort of figured the thing were more defensive measure than ambulatory aid. "I can pay for my own drinks," he stated. The hand and the blood stayed relaxed and at his side, even as the woman returned to finally approach them. She wore a magenta floral-print kimono, the wooden bottoms of her geta clacking on the stone. Her hair was done up into a bun with an ornate sakura-blossom hairpiece and trailing glittery strands that shimmered in the light.

"Ah... Irasshaimase!" she greeted with forced brightness. "Welcome to Sakura Tea House. Would you... both... be in need of refreshments this evening?"

[03:52] Mr. Berkshire: Of course the devil was always in the details. What kind of blessing Lewis meant might never be known. Sato's reaction was noted, every nuance of him was under observation at this point. But only at the edge of the bridge did the gent grow suddenly imperceptibly serious all of a sudden, contrasting that up until this moment he had just been rather lackadaisical about the whole thing til now. The behavior of the vendors towards his companion didn't escape his notice either.

When Sato didn't show his hand, in any way, yet, Lewis smirked slightly, "My offer for your guidance here stands, I've got plenty for drinks. The choice is yours." This game of chicken was going to last as long as Sato had the nerve apparently. Then he turned all his attention towards the pretty ladies of the tea house and he was suddenly beaming warmly, all smiles and charm and flattery as he went up to them spry and animated. "Your starlit beauty already eases my troubles, lovely butterfly." He seemed like a different man now, giving compliments with a deeper tone, "I would like a meal, a drink and a bed tonight." He nodded towards Sato far more friendly than before, "My companion is welcome to be on my tab for drinks." He offered his free hand to the hostess, though whether to kiss her hand or take her inside with him was unclear.