Road To Perdition [Oracle; Closed][Finished]

[Kouzetsu Gin]

[Takes place some time after Assemblage of Elders, and concurrently with Revival]

Toushi was always diligent in his duties, one of the many reasons why Gin had grown to count on him as he had come into his responsibilities, tossing away memories of the rushed days of his unkempt youth. He had been to the 3rd layer of Heaven many times, accompanying Gin on several matters of state as of late as his Recorder and clerk, or back when he was but a simple upright under the Fae King Isurugi Mei.

Today was different, as he traveled to the 3rd without the presence of the Ha-ou as he was used to, but joined by 3 of Gin's Einjheriar. As Toushi walked along what seemed to be a narrow alleyway, he continued to ventured forward, his task today given to him directly by Gin who had other matters to deal with in the 2nd. Noticing the condition of the street began to grow poorer and poorer as he grew closer to the house that was not that far off in the distance, Toushi signaled to the Einjheriar to wait in the spot specified, so that he may fulfill Gin's wish and speak to the Oracle himself.

"Midoriiro, Murasaki, Shiroi, I will kindly ask you to wait here whilst I take care of this." Toushi said looking at his escorts, some reluctance in his voice.

"Yeah... yeah kid. Just hurry the hell up, this shitty area is depressing." Midoriiro said in a rather crass tone, examing the edge on her Halbred. Standing next to her, Murasaki simply remained quiet, watching the group's rear, although it was uneccessay as the neighboorhood itself was pretty deserted.

Shiroi walked over to Toushi an placed his hand on his shoulder, offering the youth some words of encourages. "Don't fret over such thing Toushi. Gin has entrusted you with this task, see it through and have faith in yourself as Gin does." Shiroi said, a small grin on his face. Have regained his reslove Toshi walked up to the door of the lone house and knocked before annoucing himself.

"Oracle, my name is Kansaki Toushi, and I come before to deliver the word of a summons from the Ha-ou Kouzetsu Gin." the Mercurim said aloud, his words clear and he reached for the official missive handed to him by Gin. Waiting outside the door, Toushi sighed, waiting to meet the 'Upright' that aroused so much suspicion, as his guards seemed apathetic to the Oracle's celebrity, waiting patiently outside the perimeter.

[Oracle]

Oracle stood behind the traveler, just getting back from Satori's quarters. This was somewhat pleasant to Oracle, since he liked experiencing deja-vu. But it also reminded him of Satori; someone who came to the house he rarely lived in to ask him a favor. But the fact that he was sent by a Heavenly King had him intrigued. So instead of trying to scare him with seductiveness, he simply tapped him on the shoulder.

"I am Oracle," he told him. "I apologize; I had an earlier engagement with a friend of mine. What is it that I can help you - or your king - with?"

[Kouzetsu Gin]

Toushi was not only taken aback by the abruptness of the man he sought appearing behind him, but by the sheer lack of concern he displayed for Heaven's rank and file with his manner of speech. although this may not have been his intent, Toushi couldn't help but to feel uncomfortable with such lack of enthusiasm for authority.

"Ehemm... I am Kanzaki Toushi, Clerk of Kouzetsu Gin, the Ha-ou, and King of all Kings in Heaven." Toushi said with a small pang of frustration. He had been using his racial ability since his hand touched the door, hoping to see the man who was supposed to be on the other side.

Instead he stood right before him, and Toushi turned to see him, his voice did indeed implicate that he was in fact Oracle. Reaching into a pocket in his robes, Toushi grabbed the Ha-ou's missive and handed it to Oracle, eying the man that aroused so much suspicion. "The Ha-ou expresses his concern over your allegiance to our nation. Someone with such a prominent history not making himself known to your Ha-ou at least once during his year and a half reign, as well you unregistered trips to Genbu only knows has brought me here to inform you that your presence is required in front of the Ha-ou as soon as possible." Toushi said, his face directed at Oracle's own, listening for a response.

[Oracle]

Oracle read the letter, then pierced his vision at the messenger to the King of the seventh layer of Heaven, one of the Kings Satori told him would hear his plea. Of all the things to happen to Oracle since that day he spent with him, how was all of this happening now? Did Satori really vouche for him like he promised? He was so used to promises made to him being broken that maybe he started to adjust to the idea of not believing in them anymore.

Or maybe, Satori really did care for Oracle.

He looked at the man before him named Toushi, and instantly noticed that he didn't appreciate the way he approached him; as if he was supposed to speak with sending off a sign that he was royalty or something to that nature. He could tell that he would grow to like this individual; a person who cares so much about his status meant that his other emotional defenses could be weakened - almost adjusted to his nature.

He was starting to feel like his old self again.

"Toushi, is it?" he asked, already knowing the way he addressed him would piss him off. "I have every interest to speak to the Ha-ou, but this personal invitation wasn't what I was expecting. I didn't even know anyone other than an Elder I met knew I had a house located here." He looked at the messenger again, this time with a confused look. "It is pronounced Toushi, isn't it?"

[Kouzetsu Gin]

Toushi was perplexed, how could someone be so callous in the way they addressed people delivering a message of grave importance. He could tell that Oracle was being pretentious in how he spoke to him, which was very annoying, but being around Gin had given Toushi a sense of patience, using the insight his mentor had given him over the manner years he was in his service.

"Yes, it is pronounced as such, although I feel your attempts at patronizing me are out of place. Being summoned by your Ha-ou is nothing to be taken lightly. Elder or not, the Ha-ou is well aware of who you are, and unlike his predecessors he is not lax in his approach to governing his people, or handling important matters such as potential rouges.

"You seem to not understand that your own shady and murky past has brought this situation about... Oracle, if that is indeed your name." Toushi said in a retort, absorbing every word of the conversation, his impression of Oracle growing dimmer by the moment, his words now sharp.

[Oracle]

Oracle looked at Toushi with a raised eyebrow and a smile on his face, finding his sudden anger amusing in a way. He could tell that this messenger seemingly had training in the virtue of patience. Although it wasn't what he was expecting, he found it interesting.

He was always in the mood for a challenge.

But the fact that Toushi brought up the fact that Gin knew about him brought up more things that Satori told him when he was over. He mentioned the fact that Gin, the Ha-ou was one of the few of hiarchy in Heaven that would hear his story. He might even know more about his origins if he really did know a lot about him. He was willing to go full heartedly if it meant finding out who he truly was and what his purpose was in life.

He might even get the chance to see Satori again...

But, Oracle had a reputation to uphold, especially to this messenger who decided to spark a sternness in his voice that tried to tell him that he cannot be manipulated by none other but his master.

Heh heh; master. Oracle missed that word...

"If that is indeed your name?" he quoted from Toushi in a tone that made it sound like a question. "You act as if I'm a suspect in a 70's buddy-cop movie." He placed the invitation in his pockets and continued to observe the messenger before him.

"I have no doubt that your master-" he chuckled while saying the word, "knows of my deeds of late. And the matter of 'rogues' you speak of is exactly why I wanted to speak with him in the first place. That being said, I will gladly accompany you to see the Ha-ou, To-shee."

Then his eyes glazed seriously.

"But," he said as he started to walk closer toward the messenger, "If I hear another derogatory word regarding the Elder that told me about your master one more time, I will have no problem proving my namesake on you, which I can strongly sense that you are doubting now even as I speak. Do I make myself clear, messenger?"

[Kouzetsu Gin]

Toushi sighed, he had hoped dispute the task of vocal reconnaissance that was assigned to him, that this Oracle would have gotten the picture and gracefully accepted his message and went about his business, but it would seem this was not the case. The more the seemingly arrogant Celestial spoke, the more of his past and information spilled into Toushi's mind from his ears. Upon hearing Oracle's imposed threats, Toushi looked over to his well armed escort and turned back to Oracle.

"You could not be any clearer if you were your own clouded past you miscreant." Toushi said, betraying his mentor's training in showing his distaste for Oracle. "Your threats, much like your allegiance are non existent, and those guards over there, the person guards of our Ha-ou ensure that no matter what I say to you, I will walk away unscathed. A messenger I may be, but at least I know enough of myself to be comfortable with the task given to me by the leader I respect.

"If this is all you plan to do, verbally taunt and scour me, then our meeting is at its conclusion. I'm sure that your... 'past' with the other Ha-ou have left you with enough intuition and direction to find your own way to the Shichisou. A word of advice to you Oracle, the new Ha-ou will not tolerate your insolence. You will address with the utmost respect, or there will be nothing left of you to fall." Toushi said, turning in anger and disgust at both his conversation with Oracle, and his newfound information on him as well. His racial ability seemed to serve him well today, but not at the expense of his patience, as he walked toward his guards to leave Oracles estate. "Wingless abomination." Toushi muttered under his breath as he stepped onto the road, not to far from Oracle, close to his Einjheriar escort.

[Oracle]

Oracle started to laugh somewhat maniacally out loud as Toushi lashed out his somewhat racist remark. It was almost uncontrollable the way he laughed at the situation. It was apparent that this man was committed to his job; he was willing to stay as diligent as an English guard to the queen, at least until a few moments ago. But the fact that he was able to bring him down off his invisible high horse to the point that he could sense Toushi disobey his training completely made him laugh ridiculously.

Okay, he thought to himself. Time to act serious; I only have one shot at this.

Oracle was able to reduce his laugh to a simple giggle as he walked toward the messenger and patted him on the back.

"Calm down, Mr. Kanzaki," he said in a more friendlier tone. "I'm just fucking with you. During my travels, I realized that there's so much a being can take until his true nature reveals himself. I was just seeing what your limit was. It helps me determine your loyalty to your king, which I can tell now that you are, since you just now decided to go against his teachings after my little threat."

He walked in front of him with a sincere smile on his face, looking at Gin's messenger.

"Maybe we should start over," Oracle said before he bowed in respect. "I am Oracle, the Zaihou. And I would be honored if you escorted me to see your king."

[Kouzetsu Gin]

As Toushi walked closer to his guards, Oracle was laughing mercilessly at him from behind, obviously satisfied in provoking Toushi to the point of insults. Oracles's laughter cut through him deeply, filling him with a sense of doubt in failing to uphold the rigid code of discipline instilled in him by Gin.

He felt Oracle's hand on his back no more than moment later, an every urge in his body wanted him to retaliate, but alas it would do no good as Toushi was not versed in any manner of violence himself. Besides that obvious fact, he had already disgraced himself today, allow Oracle to draw out his anger, and stopped to listen as Oracle spoke to him. Oracle's speech was as carefree as it was since the start of their conversation, which did nothing to help his apology seem authentic. When Oracle finished speaking Toushi looked at him with a milder discontent, choosing to let Oracle talk, as he was prone to blathering on.

"My dedication is not the issue here, nor should it be the source of your amusement. You seem to be a Malakim, and yet you are the very inverse of honorable, nevertheless, my feeling toward you Oracle are as unimportant as my anger at the moment. You may accompany me back to the Ha-ou, but curb your language. I don't know if you have ever met Gin-sama, but he is not very fond of those who lack discipline.

If you were to walk into his chambers and speak to him in such a manner, well... my journey here today would have been in vain, for the point of delivering mail to well... the departed is quite moot. Needless to say, Gin-sama is quite harsh, and very unforgiving toward those such as yourself, those who radiate disobedience." Toushi said as they both approached Shiroi, Midoriiro, and Murasaki.

"Kanzaki-kun, are you ready to depart." Shiroi said, standing in wait as Toushi approached.

"Yeah... let's get the fuck outta here... you don't need guards to deliver mail, especially to someone like him." Midoriiro said, pointing the tip of her halberd in Oracle's direction.

"Mind your tongue Midoriiro, Gin-sama would be abhorred to hear you speak in such a manner. Yes Shiroi, I am ready to depart and he shall accompany us." Toushi said, standing in front of Shiroi and gesturing toward Oracle in a unenthused manner. At his behest, Murasaki drew a circle on the ground with her Chaos magic, reaching into her armor to reveal a small metallic device.

"That Ikasu guy said this should, send us back to the 6th were we came here from . He said it should remove the effects of my magic during teleportation and put us in the corresponding spot to where we got here from the original mark I drew up. Oracle can register there before we depart through the security gates to get to the seventh." Murasaki said as the mark on the ground began to glow brightly after she pressed a small button on the device.

After making sure everyone was within the confines of the Sliding Sphere, Toushi looked at Oracle blankly, "You shall be taken to the 6th, where you shall register your paperwork to be on record for having visited the Ha-ou, as well as be provided with room and board. Do you have any questions before we depart?" Toushi asked, already having had his fill with Oracle for several lifetimes.

[Oracle]

Oracle looked at Toushi, as his directions confused him.

"Yes, Kanzaki-kun," he began, "I do have a question. It is obvious that you know a lot about me, but you fail to bring up the fact that I can enter any realm I wish freely, along with anyone accompanying me."

Then he stared at him, almost giving off a seductive look. "Why didn't you ask me to use my magic to get you there faster?"

[Kouzetsu Gin]

As Murasaki's incantation grew brighter, Toushi closed his eyes as he heard Oracle ask a question, the Einjheriar standing behind. "I know enough about you, and of all of the uncertainties that comprise your being, I am certain on one thing... I do not trust you at all." Toushi said as Murasaki's Chaos magic transported them away, the group off to the 6th to visit the Ha-ou, Kouzetsu Gin, and see what he would say about the one known as Oracle.

[Oracle, you may skip the boring pleasantries of registration in the 6th, and proceed directly to Gin's estate to start a thread, just note the tediousness of the experience.]