The Pleasure Of Business

Heit’s red eyes stayed on Qarinah as she offered some sage advice on beverages. He put his hand to his chin as he nodded slowly, actually enlightened. He had noticed his energy fading after his twelfth mug of cocoa yesterday. Perhaps he should have heeded that vendor’s warning all those days ago, but Heit had been seized by a craving for more and wouldn’t stop. That had led him to this cafe as his nose caught a familiar but far sweeter scent behind its door. Two weeks later, Heit had become a regular here. Then, as Kamae added his own suggestions for building good study habits, Heit found something he could relate to.

“I must admit, I’m not the type for coffee. I've seen how the Earthlings in my class get in the mornings, and that does not interest me. I don’t like feeling jittery or hyper. But this herbal tea you speak of is quite intriguing. I’ve yet to enjoy any tea in my time on this planet. I’ll have to change that. But in the vein of ambient noise, I simply always use it during my meditations before training. Snowy mountains or quiet meadows are my go-to choices. My thoughts are… scrambled a lot of the time, and it’s always helped me focus once again. It's quite easy to get lost when you aren’t sure where you’re going,” He said with a soft smile to his two sage companions for the moment. “But the mind is the most accurate compass when guided by iron will.”

He watched as the two had a brief exchange about that person they had mentioned earlier. Yangcong. Heit didn’t have the faintest idea who that was, yet the name felt familiar. Perhaps it had come up in one of his father’s many lectures. He cast those thoughts of his father aside as the succubi at his side asked a rather heavy question.

“With all respect, I don’t believe stress is the word I would use. Stumped is one hundred percent accurate, though. I know nothing of ancient Earthling tribes and I’m afraid the websites and articles I searched through were less than helpful. This Earthling school work is more of a fun distraction than anything. I’m mostly stumped about what to do next in terms of… everything. I have no purpose on this world, aside from hiding.”

Heit’s eyes traveled over to Megis as he addressed Kamae. His protection, as he had called it, was just standing there. It towered over the Majin yet it showed no fear. Heit wasn’t all that intimidated by it either, but that came from a lifetime of being threatened coupled with his natural composure. Megis didn’t seem all that composed, but Heit had already been surprised at least half a dozen times by the Majin by now so he didn’t put any stake in what went on in that mind.

His gaze didn’t leave Kamae once as he spoke. He could feel the history behind the man’s words and saw the centuries he’d lived in his eyes. In his youth, Heit had seen many tyrants and rulers, yet he felt like he saw something… more in Kamae. The power of a god? Which god? Heit wanted to know more about this man and this woman. Hell, he wanted to even pick the Majin’s brain a bit. He leaned his arm on the table and placed his hand on his chin.

Kamae’s threat hung in the air for a moment before Heit cleared his throat softly and spoke again. “Is there anything that you need help with, Mr. Ghoun? I would lack proper decorum if I didn’t offer my assistance in something as you have for me.”

Qarinah tapped her chin in thought at the young Arcosians school work conundrum, as well as his little existential crisis he was going through. "Well, depends on how ancient we're talking here." she mused, popping a piece of her red velvet cake into her mouth. "I first visited Earth... oh it must have been six hundred years ago now, give or take a decade..." she explained as she finished off her hot chocolate. "Any further back, and I'm afraid my other sources become a little bit biased, what with them having been souls condemned to Hell and all." the vampiric demon remarked off-handedly as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Of course she did that in order to gauge the young man's reaction, and drink it in a little. It was one of the few perks in life she had, and when the subject matter changed to Yangcong she couldn't help but give a little groan. "I think he inherited the worst traits of both sides of his lineage." Qarinah remarked. "The sheer stubborness of a Saiyan, combined with the intellect of a Tuffle... I'm not sorry he's gone if I'm honest, assuming the brute is gone of course." she mused, taking another bite of cake in the process. "The arrogant fool was trying to create synthetic blood rubies when I met him, that he considered would be "safe" to use." the silver haired succubus scoffed, rolling her eyes.

When the Majin inquired what the mans blood could be used for, she flashed him a smirk. "Well, those two suggestions are the most common reasons for blood yes. But there are some out there who can use blood to manipulate others like puppets. And then there are those that can use blood from various sources in order to create something entirely new~" Qarinah purred. "Imagine a living weapon, with the skills and traits of... For example, everyone gathered here at this table." she said, gesturing to the Arcosian, the Majin, and the two demonic entities aside from herself.

"The flexibility and regeneration of a Majin, combined with the durability and void survival of an Arcosian, and the innate magical power of a demon... with maybe a hint of the divine for good measure to further empower it." the vampiric succubus explained further, providing examples of the racial traits each here could possess, letting their imaginations simmer and run wild with thoughts about what a singular being with all those traits combined could be like.

"And to top it all off, imagine that being with each and every technique the "donors" had ever known up to the point of their blood being used to create this being." Qarinah further explained, licking her lips as she played with the two non-demons minds at the possibilities that no doubt were swirling around in their minds. "The Demon Realm has got a few scientists who specialise in this kind of work, creating custom monsters and the like. And they pay quite handsomely for blood and other genetic samples that can be acquired. The more powerful the original source, the more potent the creation can become~" she said, leaning back a little as she finished practically explaining her line of work.

She did think back to what Heit had said though about lacking a purpose other than hiding. Megis wasn't much help by stating that his purpose was to conquer since it was in his blood. "I'd like to offer an alternative to young Megis' comment Heit." she said, holding up a finger. "Consider what drove you to hide here on Earth in the first place. Examine it from every angle you can think of. Why here? Why leave Arcose? Why hide at all? Do you want to conquer? If so, to what end? If not, why not?" she suggested, tapping a finger on the table to punctuate each question.

"Once you have done this, once you can reach an answer... Then you can start to consider what your "purpose" is in life." the vampiric demon offered, sounding somewhat gentle this time as she spoke. "The "gods" would have you believe there is some grand clockwork purpose to the cosmos, when in fact... it's all chaos." she chuckled, gesturing to the table assembled here. "I mean, what are the odds of you deciding to hide out on Earth, and then in a random cafe in a random city meet beings such as us? Whilst you're trying to study ancient Earth tribes?" Qarinah asked somewhat rhetorically.

One would think keeping up with three different people in conversation would be hard, but Heit was having more fun than he’d had in a while. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever spoken to this many people at once. The novelty of it was quickly switched to shock as Qarinah began to reply. Six hundred years? Heit must've been worse at guessing ages than he thought. But this was perfect for his assignment, yet as the succubi continued to speak schoolwork completely left his mind.

He leaned in more as her words each lured him in with more fascinating details. His eyes didn’t move from their half-lidded state, yet they didn’t once blink as he looked at Qarinah in her silver eyes. He had been hooked on each word. Hell was something Heit had known about before now as Earthlings referenced it all the time. Heit had asked one what Hell was like and according to that guy it was bad souls and rivers of bloodfire. Qarinah was certainly giving credit to that account. Yet these two were the first demons Heit had ever met, and both of them seemed very educated in matters Heit had never even heard of. Heit’s rapt focus was shattered by the grinding of Megis’ chair and some more childish taunting toward Kamae. Heit rolled his eyes and smiled softly as Kamae rebutted coldly. He could hear the metaphorical gun being cocked, as his gaze drifted to the Sankshin before they went back to Megis, who waved his hand in his face. As the Majin spoke what Heit was sure it thought was a simple truth, he chuckled softly. “There’s also iron in my blood. Should I become a sword?” He asked the Majin rhetorically, before looking back to Qarinah.

Blood magic. Blood puppets. Blood rubies, and if this Yangcong fellow was making synthetic ones, that meant that there were real ones. Qarinah quickly confirmed this before turning to a topic that Heit was familiar with. “Biodroids… they sold them back home. My father had one made to be an enforcer. They’re quite the marvel to watch in a fight,” Heit said as Qarinah paused before carrying on. He glanced at Megis and Kamae and imagined being fused with them, before shuddering slightly. That would be a no from him. Still, what she said was true. If one took the correct traits from various creatures you could truly make something unstoppable. Heit had never considered much of that as his interest in the sciences was more technology-based, but he supposed that he could put meeting a bio-droid on his to-do list As Qarinah spoke of the Demon Realm and its scientists, Heit got the understanding that this was what she did as a profession. She spoke with practiced ease as if she had come to terms with each aspect, and Heit couldn’t help but respect that.

Heit eyed her finger as she raised it and started to follow her words as he listened. He’d come to Earth to flee his father, but he could have gone anywhere. This planet entranced Heit and now he considered the opportunities it kept presenting invaluable. But this wasn’t a final stop, it was a place to rest. Heit listened to all she had to say, slowly building the answers as the tapping of her finger rang in his ear. After she was done, he smiled at her rhetorical question.

“Herbal tea, please. The good stuff,” Heit said to the waiter as they passed by. “Thank you, Ms. Qarinah. I’ve never taken much stock in the “gods” as on Arcose, money, and power are the only two gods. I suppose asking myself such questions isn’t my strong suit. You’ve given me a lot to consider, but I feel… “ Heit glanced upwards as he considered the word carefully. “Uplifted. As I said to Mr. Ghoun, if there’s anything you would need help with, I’d be remiss not to lend a hand.” Heit felt strangely good after Kamae’s rather intense introduction involving the demonic figure, but Heit felt like he was sitting with two kindred spirits…and Megis, who was simple-minded and biting, yet also honest and straightforward. Heit could appreciate the latter two and would tolerate more of the former, so long as things stayed civil. He felt a bit less lost already. Though as his thoughts returned to school, he began to do some quick mental math.

“This essay is focused on when the people of Earth all unified under the first President as the Modern Age of this planet began, which means you'd be perfect as an eye witness around that time, Ms. Qarinah. I'd love to pick your brain about it. I am interested in what some of the souls of the damned at the time thought if you recall any of their analogies. If you have any knowledge on the subject, Mr. Ghoun or... Megis, I am taking any offers.”

"Indeed, they can be quite the spectacle when unleashed upon their targets." the vampiric succubus chuckled as she nodded at the mind controlled staff and held up two fingers to indicate she'd like a herbal tea as well. "Hmm, well gods are very much a reality. Well, actually the title of gods, that's a bit of a misnomer in the majority of cases." Qarinah corrected herself. "For the most part whenever someone calls themselves a god, they're more than likely to be a Shinjin or a Kai, whichever name you or they prefer at the time." she explained, taking a piece of her red velvet and plopping it into her mouth.

With a flick of her wrist she conjured up an image of the most popular rendition of the universal cosmos. "The universe, or at the very least how most academics perceive it as such. You have what mortals can traverse here in the lower half of the sphere, the "observable space" as it were with the stars and planets etcetera." the silver-haired demon stated, before tracing a finger upwards. "Here you have the thin band of Hell, ironically per many religions, floating above the mortal cosmos. And beyond that is the rest of the Afterlife... With Heaven being it's own little massive world floating above it all." she said with a condescending sneer.

Her finger trailed downward next to a smaller orb that was dangling off the bottom of the universal sphere. "And here is the Demon Realm, our own little pocket of reality far away from the mortal plane, and yet intrinsically linked all the same." Qarinah sighed, before a frown of disgust graced her features. "And the Shinjin's world is somewhere floating around the outside of this universal ball... Out of reach for any save for a fellow Shinjin..." With a vipers speed she crushed the universal sphere and let it sprinkle down onto her cake like frosting. "And they deign to believe they hold the right to decide what and who should be free... when they are as mortal as the rest of us." the demonic woman snarled, her eyes turning blood red for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure with a polite cough.

She took another bite of her cake, tilting her head in thought as to the young mans historical query. "The unification of Earth... If I recall correctly one of the successful presidents opponents was a bit of an egotistical fellow. A Lional Toot if I'm remembering rightly." the vampiric demon said before chuckling. "He would probably enjoy and laud these Accords. "Earth for Earthlings", "Earth First" were a few of his slogans if I'm remembering rightly. He's actually the reason I swore off politicians... Bad indigestion, and didn't taste all the nice." she remarked off-handedly, taking another bite of her cake.

When Megis made his comment, she couldn't help but roll her eyes. "First of all, I'm not a blood witch. I drink it, I collect it and I trade in it. I have been known to take the occasional bath in it, if there's enough people in the room to fill a tub. But I don't use it to cast magic." Qarinah corrected him. "Second, if we're all determined by our blood forever and ever," the succubus folded her arms beneath her chest and slowly leaned forwards towards the Majin at the table, "then right now I should be seducing any man I desire and acquiring a very different kind of liquid from them." she said, with a coy smile across her lips. A subtle hint of her chewing her lower lip followed, along with half-lidded eyes before she gave an almost pouting breath of air.

She smirked and then leaned back and rested against her chair. "But I don't. I much prefer the taste of blood and souls to that bitter stuff." she said, shattering the "illusion" as quickly as she cast it. "That's not to say I don't use my natural charms to try and gather blood from powerful beings, but if we're being completely honest here... I much prefer women to boys." Qarinah grinned and chuckled, taking a sip of her tea as soon as it arrived. "So much more fun to play with." she mused.

Still resting his arm on his chin, Heit watched with mild interest as he saw a map of the universe as Qarinah understood it. He slowly started to get the impression life on Arcose wasn't as dull as he thought it was. He'd learn about the more scientific map of the universe, but this information of Heaven, the Demon Realm, the home of the Shinjin. Until today he'd never heard them referred to as gods but to each their own he supposed. To his father and similarly-minded Arcosians, the Shinjin were little more than customers with more interesting currency. Still, Heit listened to the explanation, appreciating the things he learned and nodding at the things he'd already known. "I stand by what I said. On this planet, people worship all of that stuff. Back home, they couldn't care less. The Kais, Shinjin, they're just more customers. With admittedly more interesting things most of the time. What did you say before? It's all chaos? That's the only thing I've believed for a long time. Life just... happens. There are no plans except the ones we make for ourselves. Anyone who claims otherwise needs a reality check. In my humble opinion, of course."

Heit paused to let Qarinah continue, finishing the rest of his mug of hot cocoa before his tea arrived. He was almost certain that the taste wouldn't be that affected by the lingering sweetness and it would be rude to leave a drink unfinished. The arcosian absorbed each of her words about the first president of the Earth, taking mental notes of the details to jot down later. He caught her subtle remark about eating a soul, but Heit shrugged that off. Everyone had different diets, and who was Heit to be aghast at someone eating a soul? As long as it wasn't his of course, but he wasn't worried about that happening any time soon.

The Arcosian glanced at Megis once again, only to roll his eyes once more. He was stubborn for certain, but very one-dimensional in his thoughts as far as Heit could tell. He saw some thought behind his eyes, but he got the impression that the Majin talked less talk and walked more walk. Heit respected that, on a smaller level. Getting nothing done by thinking about it too much didn't get anyone anywhere. Heit needed to do something. But what? Where? How?

Heit chuckled at both the succubus' coy and teasing reply to the Majin and then the embarassment plastered across Kamae's face. He could appreciate some fun teasing, and seeing the older man get all flustered was quite amusing. Heit wasn't all that intimidated by anyone present, as fear didn't compute for Heit as it did for others. More than that, he felt like he was amongst kindred spirits, at least in the intellectual sense. Everyone here clearly valued knowledge of all sorts, and Heit rarely talked to people of that nature. One could hear about Qarinah's blood collecting, bathing, or even trading though lots of people did that last one. He was just interested in hearing about a potential new hobby, and as for her more... suggestive comments, he didn't think too much about them. Why would he? There was gossip and more conversation to be had.

It was Kamae trying to segue that made Heit's ruby eyes light up with intrigue. Traversing the stars? "Of course..." Heit softly muttered to himself as he began to think. Slowly at first as he sketched the big picture of the plan, then more rapidly starting to fill in the details. Outwardly, he just silently stared at whoever was speaking, and turned to look at whoever cut in.

Perhaps it was the lack of the genre in Arcosian media and Heit's lack of interest in Earthern movies, but Heit had failed to consider just traveling for traveling's sake. There was a universe to see, and he had a whole lifetime to see it. Having fun wherever he wanted. An intergalactic road trip! He'd need a ship first, though. Well, he was already saving up more and more money, and CapTube had plenty of tutorials on ship construction for more advanced learners.

He pondered and planned until he saw the waiter plop down the herbal tea. He reached for it and immediately brought the cup to his lips, enjoying a long sip of it as the taste surprised him. A very pleasant surprise. He lowered the cup with a soft sigh of delight. "You weren't kidding, Ms. Qarinah. This is divine."

Customers? Apart from the one she'd heard about a while ago that wanted to try and go with a purge of life in the cosmos to reset creation, Qarinah hadn't heard about any Shinjin stepping down from their high horse to mingle with mortals, let alone make purchases from mortals... It seems that this epoch was going to definitely be an interesting one if the little godlings were appearing more often among the cosmos.

It would seem that this little tea-time get together was proving far more fruitful than the vampiric demon had initially considered. Even if she only managed to make one of the three into a blushing mess with her "antics" as some would call them. Oh well, there's no pleasing a Majin, and the Arcosian seemed amused enough by Kamae's reaction at least. She did notice though the way Heit's eyes seemed to light up after Kamae's mention of travelling the stars.

The silver haired succubus smirked and sipped at her tea. "In terms of Hell and the Demon Realm I can be of use, but it seems that Mister Kamae here is far more equipped for the universe in of itself in terms of guidance." Qarinah said with a nod to the young Arcosian, before giving her fellow demon a sideways glance. "And eight millennia? You don't look a century over two." she mused with a playful wink. She did give a little fluster of a snort when Heit described the herbal tea as divine though, given the recent topic of conversation. "Cute." Qarinah remarked, sticking her tongue out at him for a moment, before taking another sip of her own tea.

Of course it seemed that the conversation was no longer to young Megis' liking and Qarinah wouldn't try anything to stop him from leaving if he so desired. She had honestly found them to be a little banal, and whilst she could agree partially with their notion of not requiring to talk a lot in order to demonstrate intelligence, their own choice of words or lack thereof in her opinion made her suspect that he was still rather young for a Majin. Maybe when he'd matured a little, snacked on a few mortals he'd be in much better shape so to speak.

"Out of curiosity Heit, what exactly do the Shinjin buy from Arcose?" the silver haired succubus asked. "Given their rumoured abilities over creation, I find it somewhat hard to conceive of anything they'd need to actually even purchase." she mused.