[Kyrit]

(Human form of course~)

"Filth..." he muttered under his breath, hand slipping a few strands of hair back that had managed to fall free from the hair tie that had bound them. It was easy to say that he stood out from the crowd. Not only was hair hair an amazing, pure white for such a young age, his clothes were mostly white as well with a touch of light brown. Were it not for the golden horns almost hidden by his hair and the reptilian tail(which was also white other than the green flames on the end) he would possibly even look like an angel, what with those feathered wings that were folded as tightly as they could behind him. He kept them folded like this for now even though it was slightly painful since he didn't want to bump in to anyone with them.

Maybe some day he would clean this place up. Not that he was a germaphobe or anything. In fact, he didn't mind getting his hands bloody. This place was just so... low class. The state of most of the buildings left much to be desired though. So many were merely run down little shacks. How could people live in those? To tell the truth... the only reason he had actually come out here was the fact he had heard about a tournament of sorts. Some of the lower class... people he knew had been talking about it one day. Sadly, it seemed as though no one around here was willing to tell him about it. Maybe they weren't currently holding a tournament... He would have enjoyed getting in a bit of action. Bring a bit of extra money home and have a bit of fun.

Letting out a soft sigh, R'cai looked around him trying to decide what he would do now. There were plenty of taverns, but he wasn't really much for drinking. He could always find a lovely lady to spend a few hours with if he went to a tavern though... But.. those women weren't generally his type. Maybe he would just continue to walk around for a little while. There had to be something of interest in this dump of a town after all.

[Tsukiya]

<sub>Human forms~

Clothed in silver, she twisted and turned in the night. The muscles in her body stretched to fit the new ways she was turning, preparing for their bite back in the morning of the next day. Not that she cared. This was her way to survive. To keep herself, and the child who followed her, alive, she had to perform. Neither of them were very skilled in much, so whatever she could do, helped considerably.

It never ceased to amaze the small crowd how far back she could bend, her hands raised to the sky as the music played by her brother on the shamisen began to reach a climax. The crowd gasped as she tilted back as far as she could go, her hand reaching in the air as high as they could, the silver ribbons wrapped around the wrists cascading down in ringlets, and the music stopped. How painful it must've been! To hold that spot without faltering.

The blue hair boy hit a sharp note on the shamisen and she threw her hands back, flipping over them and landing on her feet like she had done a hundred times. The people applauded, and she listened to the sounds of people tossing their change into the bag the duo had set out for them. One by one, the crowd dispersed, leaving the woman and her little companion to their meager earnings, which the young one dived for.

The woman laughed, kneeling down beside him and gently petting his hair, watching as he counted out what they had earned. Mentally, she figured it was enough to buy him a small meal, and no inn for the night. She had guessed as much. However, she offered him a smile and kissed his forehead.

"Niewiele Brata*, how about we get you something to eat?" she cooed, chuckling. He was a precious little boy, and had adopted her as his sister. He had been all alone when they found each other. An orphan child, and a lone dancer with no one by her side. She had to be thankful for him to be there.

"Onee-san*, there's not enough for you to eat, too!" the boy exclaimed, looking up at her. She let out a sigh, licked her thumb, and tried to clean the dirt off his cheek. He let out an exaggerated whine and tried to push her hand away, to no avail. She laughed, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him.

"Don't worry, Brata*. It will be alright." she said, smiling and burying her face in his hair. It smelled of dirt and sweat. She still loved it, because he was to her, a little brother. Someone she wanted to protect, and make sure he survived the night. Even if it meant starving herself. "It will be just fine... We will manage."

(Niewiele Brata is Polish for Little Brother, Brata is Polish for Brother, and Onee-san is Big Sister.)

[Seiryu +1
Grimm + 1]</sub>

[Kyrit]

There were many sights to see within this down trodden town. Very few things managed to keep his interest for more than a few seconds. Often times, he would find himself stopped by some poor beggar tugging on the edge of his shirt. He wasn't exactly one for charity though. Sure, he felt bad for those of lower class and even worse for those that had beyond nothing, but he didn't care to help them himself. The way he saw it, it just wasn't his job to do so. That said, each time someone stopped him begging for his spare change he turned them away without the slightest care.

Then, there were those that tried to sell him something. He respected these ones a bit more. they were at least trying to give him something for his money, even if it wasn't something he thought he'd ever need. There was even one young child that ran up to him in rags as she held a bundle of ragged little flowers. For some reason, even though he had turned away so many before this child, he actually knelt down before her with a soft smile, took one flower, and gave her a handful of keystones. They had been more than what she was asking for, but she didn't refuse the extra. As he watched her skip away he could here some delighted little tune spill forth in to the air.

Looking down at his leg after he stood up, the smile distorted in to a frown. For a moment he had forgotten about the muddy ground below, and now his pants had a muddy spot right on the knee. "Oh well... I suppose maybe I'll fit in with the locals a bit better..." he muttered with a sigh before he started on his way once again with the flower dangling from his hand.

It was after he started to walk that his emerald eyes found another figure to fix on. This time said figure was... grown. Joining the crowd, the human form Paragon smiled now for a different reason. Sure, a little girl was adorable. He could even hope that some day that little girl would grow up to be a beautiful woman, even if the grime of the Slums hid the beauty. This woman though.... She was beautiful. For the time being, she had her full attention. His eyes followed every curve of her body as she twisted and turned. The ribbons were completely ignored.

After some time the crowd disappeared, but he didn't. Instead he watched the two of them from a bit of a distance. The little boy scrambled for the sparse amount of money they had earned and R'cai frowned once again. Pushing the frown aside, he took a few steps forward, clearing his throat so the two of them would notice him. "Would such a lovely lady be so kind as to show me a good place where the three of us can have a meal together?" He had missed the chance to put some of his own money down for them, but this seemed like a better offering.

[Tsukiya]

<sup>"I don't know who you are, asking a thing like that... But we can scarcely afford for ourselves. Unless..." The woman turned to look at him, long locks of messy black hair falling across her shoulder. She really was a woman, beauty hidden by the slums. It was a case that was seen so many times. By hidden, she was covered in mud and dirt, and she was thin. Unreasonably thin. "You are willing to treat me, and my Niewiele Brata...?

The boy looked angry. His little fists clenched in angry, dirty as they were, and his face scrunched up. He looked like a dirty blue street rat. Which, in a way, he was. Except, he wasn't a real rat. He was a Paragon. Biiiig size difference.

"W-we could make it on our own!" the boy exclaimed,, his fists relaxing as he threw his arms around the woman and buried his face into her shoulder. The boy was naturally over protective of his only family member. She was all he had, and in a way, he was all she had. The stranger would have a hard time even hoping to get them apart.

"Seiryu!" the woman scolded, with difficulty. Her lips and tongue weren't made to say such a foreign name, but she managed. The boy calmed down, and clung onto her like a babe to his mother. The scene was such a contrast. Beauty in filth, maturity, and innocence. Nothing was the same.

The woman looked back at him, her eyes leaking her exhaustion ever so slightly. Eyes always betrayed their owners, drastically, dramatically, truthfully. This was just another case of that. Of course, it was natural for a poor mother to be tired, no matter where she went. But it was her duty to be strong. And that was the case with this woman. Strength presided over weakness as best as it could.


[Seiryu-2
Grimm-2]</sup>

[Kyrit]

Apparently she had misunderstood what he meant. He had asked for a place that all three of them could go. He wouldn't ask a lady to go out to eat with him and then make her pay for it. "Well, I don't believe I have any companions following me, so of course I was talking about the two of you. I don't live around here, so I don't know of any places with good food. Or rather.. places that won't possibly poison me and try to make me in to another meal."

R'cai actually smiled down at the little boy, chuckling. It was... adorable how protective of her he was. The boy was so young.. did he think he could really protect the woman? If R'cai wanted he could probably knock the kid out(or possibly do worse) and just take her. Instead he was simply asking for the two of them to spend a little bit of time with him in exchange for a nice meal.

Bending down to be more of Seiryu's height, R'cai let his arm rest on his knee as he spoke out, "Don't worry. You'll be coming with us. You can even sit by her and I'll sit across the table so the two of you can stay close to one another. Hell, you can order the most expensive thing on the menu to get at me for asking the two of you to show me a place where we can eat."

Still kneeling at Seiryu's level, R'cai looked up at the woman with a soft smile. "That is, if she would even like my company? Even if you don't accompany me for a meal, I would greatly appreciate it if you showed me a place I could get a bite to eat. I've been traveling all day, so I've built up quite the appetite." He seemed to know his way with words rather well. If she turned down the offer it was possible that he'd try to find a way to get her and her brother to come along anyways, even if he had to twist her own words.

(Sorry it's shortist compared to my last reply)

[Tsukiya]

<sup>"Onee-san dances all the time and gets real hungry too, meanie! You should offer to buy her dinner before thinking about your own stomach!" Seiryu exclaimed angrily, turning his head to look at the man. Messy blue hair, darkened and matted by the dirt and mud, covered one of his eyes. The other eye, barely visible because he was still half-burying his face into the woman's shoulder, was a very pretty light blue.

"Brata, behave," the woman scolded, ruffling his hair. Her gaze had yet to leave the man. She was scanning him, analyzing him, her only tool being her those two, tired green eyes. She wondered, deep down, if this man had some underlying plan for her and Seiryu. "I'm sure this Anielski* means us no harm, or ill wishes. Correct, sir?"

Seiryu made a face, and hugged the woman tighter. "No, no. He's a monster in disguse! Onee-san, he's a monster! A monster!" the boy exclaimed, burying his face back into her shoulder. The boy voiced her suspicions aloud in a more crude manner. No man with such an angelic appearance belonged in the Slums. Not unless he had ulterior motives.

"Brata!" she exclaimed, tapping him harshly on the bottom. "I'm truly sorry, sir... He's had some harsh influences in life..."

(Anielski means Angel)

[Seiryu-3
Grimm-3]</sup>

[Kyrit]

A monster...? Well, in a way he supposed he was one. Being a demon and all. Not all demons were horrible though. Some of them knew how to treat others right and how to fit in with everyone else. Were it not for a few qualities, he would look human after all. Then again... Even without his horns, wings, or tail, no human was born with white hair. Some might have received white hair with age, but no human his age should have hair that white.

"It's alright... Seiryu I believe m'lady said..? I don't wish to bring you or your sister harm. I suppose maybe I should have phrased myself in a way that was a bit easier to understand. I was asking if the two of you would like to join me for dinner. Which means I would be paying for it, so long as the two of you wouldn't mind showing me a place where we could eat. This is my first time coming through this town so I don't know where anything is. I also don't have any other companions to keep me company while I dine, and the two of you appear like you would be much better company than any one else I've bumped in to so far today. Just a simple dinner. You two don't have to come if you don't want though."

Finally taking a breather, R'cai rubbed the back of his head though. "You're one brave kids though. Standing up to a grown man like that. Some day you'll be a great man, so long as you live long enough. If you're not careful your mouth might get you hurt by someone else. Not everyone takes kindly to being called a monster, and your sister can't always be there to protect you. As you said, she's always dancing. That takes a lot of energy. She seems rather tired."

Bowing his head slightly, the man gave a small chuckle. "Sorry. I suppose I've been rambling. Anyways, yes. This demon would love to take the two of you out to eat if you don't mind."

[Tsukiya]

<sup>"It would be a pleasure." the woman said softly, picking Seiryu up and cradling him against her side as she stood. While she offered him a smile, the boy stuck his tongue out. She was a little more trusting than her brother, it seemed. But appearances, concerning women, could almost always be deceiving. Or, at least, more often than not.

"I could take you." the boy murmured, his tongue having retreated. The woman who held him laughed and he changed to a light pinkish color as he looked away. His sister's opinion meant the world to him, from the looks of it. So, to be laughed at by her was most likely an embarrassment. Cute? Possibly.

The woman shook her head and looked at the man. "You are surely an Anielski. An Angel. You've offered us a bite to eat for the night, so long as we give you company. No ordinary stranger has ever done that for us... I thank you, from the bottom of my heart, sweet Anielski."

Seiryu made a face as his sister spoke. He seemed disgusted. Then again, that could just be sparks of jealousy. Another person was trying to get close to his sister. All her attention should go to him, though! He was her brother! Why should he have to share her? Oh, the simplistic mind of a child...

"Any funny business and I'll get you." Seiryu muttered defiantly, wrapping his arms tighter around his sister. She gave him a rap on his back, and he whimpered. He looked down, offering a quiet apology.

"My brata is just very protective... I am very sorry. It seems he's just getting worse." the woman said quietly, glancing at her brother. She looked a little annoyed, but at the same time, sympathetic. "If there's anything he can do to make up for being so rude..."

[Seiryu-4
Grimm-4]</sup>

[Kyrit]

"I don't doubt that some day you could take me on, young one. Then again... maybe if the two of you were in deep enough trouble you could even take me on. Never lose that burning desire to protect those you're close to. It'll get you far in life if you hold on to that feeling." R'cai himself had never really had much of his own to protect, other than maybe his mother. She had his father to look over her though. He might have loved his family, but some day it would be time to have a family of his own. He already had a home of his own, his own staff to bother him over useless things, and a life of his own. The only thing missing was someone to desire to protect. Sure, he had met many lovely women. More than often, he never stuck with any of them. One could say he possibly just got bored of them all too quickly. Some where ladies introduced to him by his parents, while some he met at parties. None the less, almost all of them were delicate little flowers sheltered by their parents. Nothing worth protecting in his opinion, as they were already far too protected.

"Also, please don't think of me as an angel, M'lady. Your brother is probably more correct in calling me a monster, as much as I dislike the term. These wings may fool the eyes, but even they can not deceive the heart of those that know me well." Behind him, his tail gave a small flick as if to prove his point. Honestly, his tail was one such thing that he could hide in his human form. He could probably even do away with his wings and horns if he so wished, but it felt as though he weren't himself without them.

It seemed odd that the three of them were still standing around even after the woman agreed to go with him for dinner. R'cai didn't know where to go though, so he couldn't exactly lead them anywhere. For a moment he had stopped talking, waiting to see if she would lead the way until he realized something. "Oh... I don't believe I caught your name. I understood, or rather hope I'm correct in thinking, that your brother's name is Seiryu. I don't believe either of you have said yours though." He gave a small bow of his head once again before continuing on, "I believe I was a bit rude in forgetting to tell you my name when I first came up to you. My name is R'cai Araspir, although you may call me whatever you please."

(Guh. Shortness. >3< Sorry.)

[Tsukiya]

<sup>"Oh, his name is Seiryu, and you can call me Basia. It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Araspir." she said, smiling at him before turning and walking away. "Just follow me, kay? Mhmhmhm. I can't ensure your safety if you wander. There can be some... Dangerous things in the shadows."

The way Basia walked, even though she was carrying Seiryu, seemed elegant, orchestrated, seductive. She was an interesting woman, to say in the least. She spoke with a kind tongue, but had no problem with a dab of malicious tone. She was elegant, and graceful, but dark, and dirty.

She led him into the dark streets, with dim street lamps, and busy people trying to do some work, or get out. On either side to them were buildings, and alleys with shady business going on inside. If anything, R’cai stood out like a bright, white, sore thumb. Most of the people, although some dressed brightly, held the dingy glow known only to The Slums. Truly, it was the dark hand of the world.

Basia glanced back for a moment, smiling to him before stopping at a door. There was no sign to state the name of the building, no indication it was even occupied. Something didn’t seem right about it.

“This is it.” she said, placing Seiryu down. He giggled and hugged her side, looking truly excited. Whatever this place was, it had to be worth something, at least. Unless the kid was just easily excited.

[Seiryu-5
Grimm-5]</sup>

[Kyrit]

"Basia.." He let the name roll off his tongue, giving a faint smile. It was a simple name, easy to pronounce. It flowed very easily. It sounded much better than just calling her 'M'lady'. Sure she was a beautiful woman and very fitting to be the lady of a castle, but that just didn't have the same lovely ring to it that saying her real name did. Araspir though... he certainly didn't wish for him to call her such. It was much too formal and didn't roll smoothly off the tongue such as her name did.

"Please. Just R'cai if you will." he spoke as he began to follow the woman. "I also promise not to wander, though I do not think you would have to worry about my safety if I did roam." It was true though. He had managed to get to her in one piece, so he obviously had been safe so far. He had very few fears, and so far none of them seemed likely to present their selfs in a place like this.

For the first few moments of following her, his emerald eyes seemed to be watching the slight sway of her hips, admiring her form for a woman who lived in such a place of filth. He tried to make sure that his gaze did not linger for too long though, least either of them catch him and disapprove. To keep his eyes from her, R'cai began to look around at the town around them. It amazed him how people could live in this place and live to such an age.

Looking forward once again, his eyes caught hers when she looked back at him. He hadn't been expecting her to be looking at him when he started to pay attention again. The one thing he was greatful for was that she had a smile on her face. Such a beautiful sight to see..

Though the place didn't look like a restaurant of any sort, R'cai made no fuss. He walked past Basia, over to the door, and opened it gently for her and her brother to head in.

[Tsukiya]

<sup>"R'cai... What a handsome name." she cooed, walking past him. She dared to catch his eyes with her own, attempting to seduce him with a look, but finding herself caught. Before, when he caught her eyes, she wasn't intending to look in his. She had looked past him, but now she was looking at him.

Shaking her head, Basia's gaze turned to the inside of the building. Stepping into it, they were hit strongly by a delicious, sharp smell. It smelled almost like bread, but at the same time, there was that sharp scent of... Well, there was no telling.

The building itself was decorated interestingly inside. Three steps in from the door was a podium with a squirrelly looking man dressed in an odd suit, nervously looking around until he saw Seiryu, to which he smiled. From there, were steps that led into a dining room designed to look like an open book. The floor was waved, and had a dip running down the middle. Words were written all over the floor, and it even looked like there was a fake cover. All over the walls were different pieces of paper. Each row was a different story, and each wall a new genre. The kitchen was visible to the side opposite of the podium and the man. Quills and pens hung from the ceiling, or protruded off the walls. The chefs were each dressed casually, but looked very tired.

Seiryu looked very excited to be in such a place. He bounced away from his sister and ran to the squirrelly man, giving him a hug. The man gave him a jittery pat on the head, and looked up. His eyes lit up faster than if someone turned on a switch in his head.

"Basia! About time!" he announced. "...And you bring a male companion."

Basia merely laughed and went over, giving the man a hug before looking back at R'cai. She had a mischievous look that seemed... More playful than before. She had plans.

[Seiryu-6
Grimm-6]</sup>

[Kyrit]

After Basia and Seiryu moved past him and through the door, R'cai followed and let the door shut gently behind him. The inside of the building was rather peculiar. Quite interesting, really. He certainly hadn't been expecting to find a place such as this one in the Slums of all places. The people did seem fitting though. Casual dress, tired, and what not. Could have been much worse though. At least they tried to somewhat keep up their appearances.

As Basia walked on ahead toward the man, R'cai followed at an even slower pace while he continued to walk around. Maybe at some point he would take the time to read a page or two from the papers that littered the walls. Such decoration must have been there to give visitors a bit of something interesting to do while waiting for their meals to arrive after all.

Coming to a stop, R'cai's emerald eyes fell upon the squirrelly man, giving a short nod of his head in greeting. Following that he extended a hand to him while speaking, "The lady seems to praise this place. She says it would be a nice place to have a meal, and I trust that I'll soon have proof of her words soon." It wasn't that he was trying to be intimidating or anything. He was just saying that he hoped they would enjoy a lovely meal there.

[Tsukiya]

The man let the trio to a table and placed down some menus as Seiryu and Basia sat down. He pulled a chair out for R'cai, laying down a menu for him before darting away. The man seemed horrified of R'cai and Basia. More Basia than R'cai, however. He knew what fate hid behind those sinister eyes, painted a beautiful shade, accentuated by her hair.

"This place, for the longest, was the only one that would feed us." Basia explained, watching Seiryu leaf through the menu. Not to look at items, but to look at the stories hidden on the pages. "Even though others offer free meals if I perform for them, I stay here."

Loyalty. A shining quality to most, but the squirrelly man who watched them carefully knew much better. He just watched with a sly smile, fingers messing with a small dial on a little radio under the podium. The music that began to pour out of hidden speakers was a rendition of Frederic Chopin's Grande Valse Brilliante, played by a much more recent pianist. An unknown man, who had given no name.

But a young man who sat, eyes glittering as he read the stories next to his adopted sister, and the man who was paying for them.

"Why don't you tell me a little about yourself?" Basia asked, merely glancing at the menu. A waiter would be over in a few minutes, giving her all the time she needed.

[Seiryu-7
Grimm-7]

[Kyrit]

It was rather odd that the man pulled out a chair for him. What was he thinking? It was only courtesy to pull a chair out for the lady of the group, not the fully grown man. Deciding to let this slip for the time being since Basia knew the place fairly well and probably knew the man well as well, R'cai sat down in the seat and looked down at the menu.

He smiled as he listened to her talk about her loyalty to the place that fed her despite the cruelty of all the other restaurants. "A place willing to help those in need is certainly worthy of coming back to time and time again." Though his eyes were continuing to scan over the menu, he had absolutely no clue what he was going to get. He'd probably end up having Basia decide for him later, as being a regular she'd probably know the best things to get here.

"I'm willing to bet you're a much more interesting person to learn about.. I'm quite the boring man if I do say so myself. I come from a relatively wealthy family, so I cannot say that I have been through hardship as you have. Quite the opposite really. I suppose you could say I've lived a rather sheltered life. Only recently have I been able to get out and start seeing the world for what it is." By now he had given up on deciding what to eat and was, much like the youngest of them, was simply reading through the stories.

"Is there anything specific that you would like to know though?"