This Round's On Me [Open To All]

[Cielle Blanche]

Cielle stared around the room, seeing everyone jolly and speaking to the others in the bar as if they had all known each other for years. This botherde Cielle quite a bit, as it reinforced to her that she was indeed different from all of these people, and it only reminded her that she had been unable to make friends in her first week as a student in the Mortal Realm. It was something that she did not like about herself, that she didn't attract people to her; it was something that her mother was good at, something that even Arashi was good at, rogue and fearmongerer though he may have been. But she didn't seem to be able to do it quite as well.

Looking around at the settings of the bar again, she sighed, looking down at the wooden table, and resting her head on it as she waited for her food.

[Kanjin Taiyou]

Taiyou was impressed by the young man's flair with his manipulation of fire, that seemed almost natural to him, and to a lesser extent his confidence in his establishments spirits, despite this being one of the smallest towns Taiyou had even been to. Taking a sip, Taiyou was amazed at the flavor of the drink, strong and crisp as any good ale should be, with a adding hint of flavor from the other harder spirits added. But its warmth and depth came from the ignition, and as Taiyou let the drink settle inside, it felt warm, like a fire had been set inside and not the usually burn from liquor on one's throat, this was a warm and good flame, almost magical Taiyou thought.

"This is great boy! I had a lot of drinks, but this is special. Take this pitcher, and do that with the whole thing!" Taiyou said excitedly, as he down the rest happily. Taking a look at the boy, Taiyou leaned back in his chair and began to light another cigarette, in his usual fingertip to tip fashion, blowing the smoke a the boy and twirling his fingers to have the smoke form a hand giving the thumbs up of approval. "What's your name kid." Taiyou said handing him a large bill as a tip.

[Zeshin Lak-el Ury]

Zeshin promptly fulfilled the man's request, replicating the 'Kaiser' on a grander scale to accommodate his large appetite. He was happy to receive praise from a stranger, especially one who particularly display the same elemental affinity that he himself possessed. After fixing the drink, Zeshin handed it to the large man, serving it unlit, as to sly offer him the chance to show Zeshin his skill with fire. It was then that Zeshin noticed that one of the patron's had not received their order, the raven haired young women who now looked out of place, and even saddened to a degree. Zeshin scratched his head and sighed, hating that he would always forget an order, and turned to Nani, who also noticed the girl's disposition.

"Hey Nani, if I go over their to eat with her, would you come with me?" Zeshin said looking at Nani with an impressionable smile on his face. Nani would often times stare into Zeshin's eyes, which resembled rare gemstones , and crystal clear fountains of pure water at times, varying with his intensity. The look he gave her was one of need, hoping she would join him in making someone feel better, a skill Zeshin had become quite good at as a bar hand, and kind spirited person. Nani looked at the table, seeing herself in the girls position, unsure of where she was and alone, and after Zeshin's request, she could not refuse, nodding in agreement.

IT only took moments for Zeshin and Nani to return from the kitchen with the girls order,a s well as food prepared for themselves with Ice cream for the girl's inconvenience. Zeshin holding the still warm food tray, with Nani escorting the drinks closer in tow behind, they approached the table, and Zeshin starred at that young women, "Mind if we join ya?" He asked, only to set the platter that belonged to the girl before her, Nani handing her her drink, a smile as warm as the one Zeshin gave here the day they met.

[Issac Verro]

"Well, this little hole in the wall seems to be the kinda place a lot people go to, when they need to get away from everything...." Issac said, relating to her with prying as to what she was exactly talking about, keeping their conversation casual. Cutting the cards in fashion that would put any seasoned grifter to shame, he pushed the stack back in front of her as he finished.

"Beat you in Blackjack, sounds easy enough." Issac said with a smile that showed off his canines without seeming malicious in the slightest sense. Issac then tilted himself back in his chair, taking caution t not go to far back, and placed his hands behind his back, "Your deal."

[Shounin Aika]

Aika smiled as she saw the Inu-jin grin at her. This was her type of place to go to. It was a mixure of people and others that reminded her of the Devil Saints when it first started off. It brought an even brighter smile to her face as she thought of the past.

I think I might come here more offten...She thought as she grabbed the deck of cards and delt out two cards to Issac. She placed the cards she had for herself lightly on the table.

"Lets make it intresting," she said with a slight grin on her face now that came with devilish eyes, "Best two out three. Same rules but if I win you tell me what you know about the people in this place. You seem like a person that know people. I'll let you pick your pize. Deal?"

[Cielle Blanche]

Cielle waited for her food, swirling her straw around her glass on the table, she peeked a glance at the others in the bar--all the while keeping her eyes away from Tai. There were a plethora of creatures around the bar, even some that Cielle was not familiar with at all. There was a humanoid dog playing cards at a table, something that Cielle had not been aware even existed. She did not want to be caught staring, though, and quickly directed her gaze to the others in the establishment, including the bustling waiter and cook that had attempted to charm her earlier.

"Mind if we join ya?" Cielle had not been expecting this at all. The young boy himself and the girl who had also been taking orders from the others at the bar were both at her table, trays of food and drink in hand, and she found herself smiling at the company even though she did not really know them well.

"Sure. You two run this place, right? Why can't you?" she smiled, resiliently, and she knew that she would enjoy herself here without having to watch others. Both the boy and the girl seemed content, and Cielle wondered, "are you all on break or something?"

[Zeshin Lak-el Ury]

"I guess you could say something like that, I'm Zeshin, and this is Nani." Zehsin said with a smile so warm it could melt a glacier, trying his best to make his forlorn customer more happy, as well as being relived that Nani no longer felt shy to where she couldn't interact with someone outside of the people whom she lived with. After setting down his food, Zeshin pulled a chair away from the table for Nani to have a seat, sitting dwon and taking a large bit out of the sandwich he prepared for himself. "So...where are you from..." Zeshin managed to get out among the chews, asking with a mouth full of food.

"It's rude to talk while your eating Zeshin..." Nani said in a partially serious tone, choosing to take a reserved bite of her food after she mockingly scolded Zeshin. Looking around she started to notice that customers were filling out slowly, which meant closing time was near, a relief to her after the lengthy day they had. Looking back at the table, Nani smiled at the young woman, "Yes, you can't be much older than either of us, are you a student of a nearby university or school." Nani asked the girl, taking a sip of her water as Zeshin belched out loud after downing a whole glass himslef.

[Cielle Blanche]

Cielle ate her own food with zest, although not nearly as much as Zeshin, who did a good job of breaking just about every rule of table manners that had ever existed. The girl with him had been introduced as Nami, and she seemed to be used to Zeshin's habits but not very approving of them.

Zeshin asked her where she was from while giving her a lovely preview of what his food looked like at the beginning of the digestion cycle. Cielle glanced at her food while she was answering. "I'm from France, particularly Nice," she said, using the french pronunciation for her hometown, which sounded exactly like the word "niece."

Nami inquired a bit deeper, asserting her idea about the three of them not being very different in age, which amused Cielle, although she said, "I've just been transferred to a high school here. I've just had my first week, actually. I haven't gotten to know anyone in the class yet, unfortunately, and I'm afraid the school has gone on spring vacation, so my chances for getting to meet anyone any time soon are slim..."

[Zeshin Lak-el Ury]

"France, I think I heard of that place before, a lot of great cooks are supposed to have been taught there, or so I've heard." Zeshin said, finishing whatever scrapes were unfortunate to be left on his plate. Taking a french fry from Nani's plate, Zeshin ate it heartily before continuing, "School huh? Sounds fun enough I guess. What do you do there?" Zeshin inquired as Nani shot a glance of astonishment at his gluttony.

"Don't mind him, if food or fighting isn't involved he is as knowledgeable as a doorknob, what is the name of your school Cielle?" Nani asked pulling her plate closer to herself and away from he hungry friend, Zeshin sarcastically laughing at her jest.

[Issac Verro]

"My choice of prize you say, information seems good enough." Issac said, his look more serious now as he examined his cards. "I win, you tell me what you can about a flower shop that sells more than roses..." the Inu-jin said, taking one more card, his hand totaling 19 points. "What is it about this humdrum place that intrigues you anyways." Issac said, playing his hand, impartial to the outcome of his hand.

[Shounin Aika]

Aika took another card in her hand, a five of hearts, hoping that she would win this easy. Taking a looking into her other card, she kept a poker face. She had 15 points and she only hoped that Issac had a bad draw. Looking at him she answered his question.

"Just to know if there are others that seek the flower shop you speak of. There are always people that need help and if they are willing to pay for it I might as well give them the direction they need to go there. Now answer me this, Issac," Aika laid her cards on the table with a grin, "What do you seek from the flowers?"

[Issac Verro]

Coming closer to the 21 than his seductive opponent, Issac placed his cards on the table face up, "To see if they smell the same as they did when I was a pup..." Issac said alluding to his past, and the home he has not visited for quite some time. Pushing the cards closer to the woman that sat across from him, Issac leaned closer to speak more privatley to Aika, "My pupil has had help from the Devil Saints, they've agreed to help him find the murderer of his friend, now I require their assistance... I know this may come of as strange or eerie, but I heard of them plenty of times in my travels, and I've seen you in more than one place a lady like yourself should not have been, so I figured asking you was worth a shot." Issac said in quite urgency. His eyes starring into the table, Issac waited for her response.

[Kanjin Taiyou]

"Zeshin huh, I'll remember that." Taiyou said, having had his fill of food and drink for the evening. Tonight he wouldn't gorge on liquor, but instead decided to take another walk to clear his head from recent events, particularly content with the amends being made with the young woman with horns, Yoki. getting up from his seat, Taiyou left payment for his meal and drink despite generous tips he made, having no need for money. It was then he found a small charm in his pocket, on the used to belong to his son that he always kept with him, and when he looked around the bar, he saw the boy Zeshin, lazily raising his hands above his head as he leaned back in his chair, enjoying his company at the table.

He reminded Taiyou of his eldest son with his courteous mannerism, and flair for impressing people, and Taiyou smiled as he held the charm in his hand, a small gem shining through its center. Walking past the tables near the exit, Taiyou approached the table where Zeshin sat with two young women, and placed the charm in front of him. "Hey, take this kid, and keep working on the drinks and flames hot head." Taiyou said with a smile, walking out of the bar, lighting a cigarette as he walked through the small town that reminded him some much of his former home.

[Shounin Aika]

Aika looked at Issac's cards and made a smirk. She knew this was going to be a long drawn out game of questions and numbers. Doing this game would only cause more questions and less answers.

"I don't think I need to play anymore games to help someone that needs the Devil Saints." She said as Aika began to colect the cards in front of her.

"I will tell you who to speak and what to ask if you tell me where I been seen. I would like to know about you as well. If you knew about this group since you were a pup, you must have heard a great deal about them."

[Cielle Blanche]

Cielle couldn't say that she was a fan of Zeshin's table manners, but she could at the very least say that he was very curious. "Katei Preperatory Highschool," she replied easily, and then giggled when Nani made her point about his overall knowledge. "It seems to be a good school so far. Not too many people have talked to me yet, though, I have to say."

Turning back to Zeshin, she said, "France is good for learning how to cook. There are many high class restaurants there, I must say. I can cook a little, but not nearly as good as you, Nani and that woman I assume is your mother. I couldn't run a bar...I was homeschool for a long time, and after being in school, I'm starting to think that the countryside life is the best. You do what you're good at, you know? Not what you've been educated to do."

The hairs at the nape of Cielle's neck bristled, and she struggled to keep her composure as the man she knew was Taiyou approached the table, offering Zeshin a comment and handing him some sort of charm on a chain. She wasn't sure whether or not she should say anything, and decided not to; he was leaving, she guessed, and that was a good thing. She dipped her head low and tried her hardest to be inconspicuous, despite her initially being disturbed...