milliways_bar | (no subject)

The door opens, and outside, it's dark, and raining. The view, to those who can see through the gloom, and the veritable sheets of water, looks like a street in roughly medieval Japan.

Those with a little more history under their belt might even be able to pinpoint it as Heian-era. But only those with intimate knowledge of the location and era would be able to recognise a street in Heian-kyo.

A (relatively) tall man, made taller by the hat on his head ducks through the door, in out of the rain. In addition to the tall hat, he's wearing the distinctive - if currently somewhat damp - white robes of an onmyouji.

The door clicks shut behind him as he steps in, and he freezes.

"By all the gods and spirits... Where am I?"

((ooc: Please note - Hao is a mind-reader. Not a full-blown telepath, but he can hear thoughts. He has no control over this - i.e., he cannot choose to not read minds. He does it all the time, and if someone doesn't have some sort of mental defence of their own, he's liable to pick up what they're thinking.

If you have any questions or whatnot, please feel free to ping me on AIM at Azremodehar.

Additionally, if your pup is dead, please ping me before you tag. Please. Thank you! :D))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Allen has to think about this for a moment, only because of the spirit thing. "Er ... can you tell me what the spirit looks like?"

It would seem like an unrelated question, only he's thinking Please don't be Mana, please don't be Mana.

Hao's eyes shift over to the spirit.

"Like a looming shadow, dark. It puts me in mind of those who have lost themselves."

Allen sighs, sort of relieved. I guess it's a representation of the AKUMA I destroyed, he reasons.

Outwardly, he nods thoughtfully. "It's connected to the curse, then ..." he pauses. "Thank you for the offer, but for now, I ... really need this curse. It's quite helpful to me."

....Akuma? The boy destroyed demons? Then it seems that their callings aren't so different; that is good. Hao always gets along best with his own kind, so to speak.

He gives a faint smile.

"If you ever change your mind..."

"Oh, I'll let you know. The Gate will be thrilled," Allen says off-handedly with a laugh. "Thank you! You're the first person I've met who can lift a curse, you know, or even consider doing so."

Hao gives him a surprised look.

"Really? But you seem to know my homeland... Are onmyouji so rare, whenever you are from?"

Yes, he remembers that part.

Allen's face falls. How can he explain this? "Um ... your, er, country ... where I'm from, it's ..." he trails off. "It's kind of the stronghold of power of the most powerful sorcerer on earth. Not a good sorcerer," he adds hastily. "I've only met one person from Ja--erm, N-Nihon? And he doesn't know anything about cursebreaking." Even if he did, he certainly wouldn't share.

Hao frowns, deeply.

"The year, as I know it, is the third year of Choutoku," he replies. "I don't know if that means anything to you; the years you used are unfamiliar to me."

He's finding himself very deeply troubled by this; his homeland, so overrun by an irresponsible shaman, that there are no onmyouji, or cursebreakers? He wonders if this boy Allen is from the mythic past, or some dark, far-lflung future. It's unsettling either way.

Allen shakes his head. "It sounds like a local system of measuring time," he answers. He offers a wan smile. "It's possible we're not from the same world, you know. Our lands might be the same, but that doesn't mean everything else is the same."

He's slowly learning about this whole 'everywhere' thing meaning more than just, well, everywhere in one universe.

He nods slowly.

"I'll bear that in mind," he says. "Thank you."

Allen rests his cheek on an open palm, his elbow on the table. "Does everyone where you are from wear hats like that?" he asks on a whim.

"No, mostly, it's the priests of various kinds, and those who frequent the court," Hao replies.

"So it's sort of a sign of status?" Allen asks.

"Yes, you could put it that way," Hao says, inclining his head slightly.

"Hm." Allen nods in a polite manner, and realizes he's been prying for a bit. "Erm, did you have any questions about the bar?" I'm a terrible host. Not that anyone's taught me how to do this anyway.

"Oh, I have many questions," Hao replies. "But most of them are esoteric, or highly technical in my particular field."

Yes, he's taking pity on Allen.

Allen gives Hao a completely blank look.

"I'm sorry ... can you say that again?"

"Don't worry about it," Hao advises. "The kind of questions I have aren't anything you would understand."