Paying for Praying (Open)

Suri, being a resident of East city, lived not too far from Orin temple. She wasn't really religious either, but sometimes, when she had an problem that seemed unsolvable, she'd come here to pray, clear her thoughts so she could try to find the solution with a fresh mind. The proximity to nature, and the spirituality of the place could help at times. Suri current problem? Her uncertain future.

It had been at least 8 years since Suri last came. She had not come here during her bullying incident in highschool, Suri realized... No, don't think about the past now, you have plenty of worries already. Suri shook her head, then lightly slapped her cheeks with both hands to disperse those thoughts.

When Suri approached the temple entrance, she was surprised to see the monks apparantly taking entrance fees. "Huh, this is new..." Suri guessed the temple was going through some hard times. While she was herself, she figured she could help them out a little! "Okay, how much?"

But Suri couldn't help but widen her eyes at the suggested...no, demanded price of 5,000 Zeni. "B-B-But that's all the money I have left! It's too much..." Suri wasn't about to give them her entire allowance, she still had things to spend them on! The monks were pretty adamant on the price, though. "Alright..." Suri sighed, looking disappointed as she ducked her head, bowed goodbye before turning back.

Suri started to slowly walk away, but she paused, turning around when she noticed the arguement between the monks and the Konatsian lady, eventually ending with the woman bashing two cueballs against each other! "Woah!" Suri couldn't help but exclaim at Crotona's quickness to act on her anger. The blue Majin walked up to the Konats-born, saying in a low voice "Th-...That seems like a step too far, don't you think...?" Though, Suri was more concerned about the lady getting in trouble for this. Her gaze headed to the stairs to the temple, where she could sense, and now see a group of monks, swarming down after noticing the commotion at the entrance! Suri's panic-stricken eyes widened, and looked back at Crotona once more. "Q-Quick, this way!" She'd shout, before attempting to grab Crotona's hand and drag her into nearby shrubbery, where they could maybe hide away for a bit. If her hand was swatted away, though, Suri would most likely still head there, while strongly gesturing at Crotona for her to follow...? Suri would fly over there pretty quickly, faster than a regular person would be able to see, but slow enough for someone at her power level to be able to see properly.

---

It was all new to Saizomaru. He had not prayed before, at least not that he could remember. His family had a tradition of giving reverence to something only known as the North Star—a bright blue star that, as far as he was aware of, only they could see. The android had seen it only a handful of times in his life, yet always whenever a serious event was about to occur. He didn’t know whether to take it for a bad omen or as a pre-emptive warning.

Perhaps if he prayed to it, it would give him some good fortune for once.

The man kneeled before an altar of solid oak with gold trimming and patterns in the form of kneeling monks. It was similar to how the other monks around him had postured themselves as they gave their afternoon prayers, a symbol of respect to not only the gods but to life itself. Each of them was spaced evenly between one-another, yet kept twice the distance from Saizomaru.

It wasn’t all that surprising. One of them had tried to threaten the android as soon as he declared his refusal to pay the entrance fee. Now, that monk would be spending the rest of prayer time in the back room tending to his broken wrist. The rest of them knew better than to attempt to retaliate. They understood that Saizomaru’s crippling display was only a warning shot to the rest of them.

Not that he would be able to get much peace time even in the middle of the ceremony. The doors to the temple were huge and thick that lead into the courtyard, drowning out most of the noise. Saizomaru’s improved cybernetic hearing, however, made the commotion as clear as though he were standing next to a paper-thin wall.

He grunted as he pushed himself from his knees and onto his feet. He turned sharply, coat tails flailing wide as he spun on his heel. Silent steps made their way across the wooden floor as he made his way to the front doors. With a shove of his hand, the near-ten-feet door flung open.

”Could you guys maybe keep it down out—“ his words were cut short as he saw the mess outside. Two of the temple’s monks dressed in warrior garb had been laid out flat on the paved floor but no one else was to be seen. ”Huh. Looks like we’ve got trouble-makers.“

The android stepped out into the courtyard, a hand gripped on the ringed handle of the door as he closed it behind him. His eyes darted from left to right, scanning the area. ”If I were you, I’d show yourselves,“ he called out through the area. ”Don’t make me use my X-Ray vision to find you, ‘cause if I do you’ll be getting five across the ass!“

Suri


KP: 6/6
WC: 476

Crotona glanced at Suri. as she explained that indeed, they knew the money. So they must had some sort of trick to know that. She then wondered if they learned some magic that would explain all of this. "Yah these guys are creepy that is for sure. Hopefully we can just get out of dodge." Crotona didn't really wanna hurt these guys, they didn't seem so tough. But the chances for not having to fight slowly faded. As the two were hiding she glanced to see this whited haired fellow come out and see the monks. That was not good for them at all. Guess the two of them had to come out. Suri certainly seemed to be planning too. Guess Crotona would follow suit. Then she'd explain her problem and maybe this could be resolved.

After Suri stepped out, Crotona would follow suit. She glanced at Saizomaru. He seemed to be a human from the looks of things. Strong too, if he could see where they went. They had gone faster then most human eyes could track at least she imaged. Then again these monks had proven so far to be anything but normal. Suri did want to leave but she pointed at Saizomaru. "These people are trying to take all my money just to go pray. Are you with them and agree with their actions or do you got a different way of going about things." Crotona assumed this guy was either the leader of the muscle. If he was one of those two things and decided to instiage this any further then Crotona might have to kick him around just a bit.

This guy was going to inspect her, huh? Well, Suri was going to do so right back! And, uh. She didn't manage to gather much information from her little look-sie. White hair...but he didn't look that old. Suri assumed he was either human, or from a similar-looking alien race like the Konatsian lady behind her. He sure was stern-faced, though. Enough to make Suri shrink back in a figurative sense. Oh god, he's reminding me of grandpa when he gets angry... Suri thought to herself, wincing as the martial artist got closer, and then-...

Then Suri had the most bewildered expression on her face as the silver-haired gentleman revealed his jovial mood. "O-O-Oh! Uhhhhm..." Suri looked to and fro from Saizomaru's face, to her open palm that had just been high-five'd, before finally, meekly saying "-five..." in response, and letting her arms slip back down.

Suri then stepped back and listened as Crotona questioned Saizomaru, trying to get a grasp on the situation herself. Suri nodded in agreement to Crotona, to back up her claims. "Somehow, they knew the exact amount of money we had on us, too... _{Was it that X-ray vision thing? Some kind of technique...?}" Suri mumbled the last bit to herself.

Oh, good. So, he was with them, but not on board with their ideas. That made Suri let out a sigh of relief, knowing that she wasn't going to be in any trouble for hiding Crotona. Heck, he even offered to let them stay with hin so they weren't bothered by the monks! How nice. "That'd be great! Thanks, mister." Suri gave a nod of approval, noting that she'd follow. Then she'd look to Crotona, wanting to see if she would as well.

But, now that she was out of trouble, Suri's focus landed on oher concern for all the other people there. Once her first wordless question was answered, Suri would look to both Saizomaru and Crotona for her actual, verbal question, quietly asking "So, do we just...leave them to get their wallets emptied?"

---

Saizomaru stood by the entrance, keeping the door open until they had both approached. ”Well… I guess they probably have some sort of mind-reading technique to figure out how much you’re all carrying,” he responded to the blue girl. He gave a small shrug of the shoulders. ”Then again, they’d know that I don’t carry cash.”

He stepped into the hall only a few inches from the doorway. He glanced out and saw the other dozen or so monks kneeled in prayer, far enough away from the trio that they would be out of earshot of their conversation. He turned to look over at the konatsian, then waved his hand across his neck to gesture her to keep it down somewhat. ”Shhh! It’s still a sore spot for these guys,” he said in a hushed tone, even though they were far enough away for them not to here. That, and they were too busy praying to pay notice to the group. ”But, no, I didn’t beat them up. I just broke their wrist. Big difference.”

She did raise a fair enough question the second time, though. It was one easily answered too. ”Would it have made a difference?” He elaborated further, ”As soon as I’m gone, they’d go back to being the dodgy misers they are. It’s not like I’m gonna spend the rest of my life here making sure they stop nickel and diming everyone out of their last Zenni.”

As for the ones still out in the courtyard, Saizomaru just waved them off. ”They could have their clothes stolen down to the underwear for all I care,” he replied to the majin when she had asked about leaving them outside out cold. ”With the money these guys make, I’m sure they won’t be left poor and homeless.”

Regardless, the android turned to face the front again. He gave the two of them a wave for his hand, beckoning them to follow. ”Stay close. With any luck, these guys won’t bother us. Well, at least until their master gets back.”

With that, Saizomaru made his way down the hall way to where he was positioned before. None of the other monks shifted from their kneeling prayers, even to shift their eyes towards the android, as he kneeled down in the large empty space he had left behind.

Suri


KP: 6/6
WC: 388

Crotona frowned. "A mind reading Techquines?" Guess that made sense. She wondered if she could learn that. Not that she wanted too. She was just curious. Totally. What type of uses could she only have for being able to read minds. All she thought was horrible terrible and dirty things. She shook her head a now visible scowl on her face as she stopped thinking about that. Saizomaru tried to tell her to be quiet as he quickly explained he didn't beat them up he just broke their wrists. Big difference. "That seems kind of the same thing to me. Your still harming them." Crotona crossed her arms over her chest. This guy didn't seem to be too much better but hey, at least he was helping them come and pray at the temple.

Crotona followed as Saizomaru pointed out that even if they did something about it and stopped them from ripping people off then they would just do it again when they left. Crotona stopped moving and glanced back at the people. They were charging their funds just cause they wanted to take the money from people. People that just wanted to pray to people. To their Kin who has fallen and the beings that watched over them. She glanced as Saizomaru pointed out the monks would not mess with them until the leader got back. "I think we have to stop this. This is not right. I don't plan to just go walk in and pray just because I happen to be strong enough that the monks could not mess with them. So I want to talk to their leaders." Crotona crossed her arms waiting for Suri and Saizomaru to help her.

Suri blushed in response to Saizomaru's comment, before his next one made Suri shift her expression to a puzzled one, questioning "W-Wait, android? And- A-Adblock..." Suri couldn't help but let out a chuckle at the thought. "So, are you one then, mister?" Suri asked, finally connecting the dots.

Meanwhile Crotona seemed to take a more accusing tone with him, one the silver-haired man responded to by saying that he could have done more harm if he did what they- "W-Wait, I didn't... Uh." Suri stammered out, stopping herself due to Saizomaru seemingly trying to move on from the topic he found unimportant.

Suri would follow his example, so the timid Majin's prayer would be pretty short and waaaay too rushed as well. D-Did she even take 10 seconds? Anyhow, Suri's question about the master was answered with an explanation of the hierarchy of the temple. "W-Well, I know that, but... Will he be angry about you two harming his monks? Will he actually be trouble?"

Suri wasn't bold enough to stand up to the monks as it was. And it wasn't like they were forcing people to pay, or hurting anybody. She might have stepped in if they were, but... Well, the Konatsian lady seemed to want justice in this situation, wanting to at least talk to the leader. Meanwhile the silver stranger seemed negative about the whole idea, though he did point out the head monk for her. "Th-That's him, huh...?" Suri said, a bit intimidated by his appearance, but moreso by the thought of a confrontation with another person. Because Suri didn't get any implications that Crotona wanted her to join her, the meek Majin opted to stand closeby and see how the situation played out as well. The difference being that she was at the very least going to step in if things went too awry... Suri gave Crotona a trembling thumbs-up, and said "G-Good luck, miss."