tampered | Log; Ongoing

Miroku hummed quietly to himself as he made his way to Kitty's building. He had already begun to draw a mental map of the city, and soon he was sure he would know it like the back of his hand. It wasn't long before he reached building number seven, and saw Kitty ahead of him.

"Ah! Kitty-san!" he called.

She glanced up at the sound of humming, and smiled when she saw the young man approaching. He seemed cheerful. Unusually cheerful for a new arrival in the City. Still, that was probably just his character.

"Miroku," she nodded in greeting. "Nice to see you. Shall we get going then? Otherwise the party will have already ended by the time we arrive."

Gesturing to the pavement with one hand, she began to head off. She was keen to get there as quickly as possible. Hopefully she'd be able to match him in cheerfulness of mood before the night was out.

Miroku sped up to get to her side, then fell into step next to her. "It's nice to see you too," he said, his voice bright as usual.

"It's certainly a pleasant evening, don't you think so?" Miroku asked, looking up at the sky. It was nicer than he would've expected for a place like this.

Further grinning at his voice, she let him catch up to her before continuing onwards. "Very pleasant, yes. One of the nicest I've seen since I arrived here."

Again she marvelled at the fact she seemed to know instinctively where to go; the fastest route to the train station, leading the two of them through short cuts she'd never known existed. The City seemed to be making its imprint on her, and she wasn't too sure she liked it. At all.

But there was the promise of a good time ahead, and Miroku seemed like he'd be good company, and so she didn't really dwell on it, but concentrated on steering her way through the people still out, towards the train station.

"How are you... you know. Settling in and all that? Got a place to stay? Met anyone you know?"

"I'm settling in all right, I think," he said, turning to give her a smile. "I did hear from someone I know, actually, but not the person I was looking for. Right now... I should be talking to him, but I..." Miroku laughed nervously. "He's angry, and while I'm not normally a coward, I'd much rather spend my evening with you than risk my life a second time by going to find him. Some time on his own will do him good, besides."

"Good. That's good. You're taking this whole thing better than I did when I first arrived, anyway." They were at the train station by now, navigating their way through the mass of acrid yellow waiting seats. "You were... looking for someone in particular then?"

Now they were on the train, not far till their final destination, and as it jolted and shuddered into movement, speeding along down tunnels to the centre of this crazy underworld, she shot the monk a wry grin at his next words. "A very admirable decision, and not at all cowardly – I wouldn't dream of thinking it. Sometimes people need time to cool off."

"I guess I've had more experience with the whole 'impending death and destruction' thing than most people," Miroku said, shrugging as he almost ran into a row of seats. "Moping won't do much good... And yes, I was hoping she would be here, but maybe if she isn't it means things didn't turn out as bad as I'd thought."

He returned Kitty's grin as he attempted to inconspicuosly grope the seat next to him for something to hold on to. He'd ridden a giant, flaming cat demon, a tanuki, and been hurled about by numerous other creatures, but for some reason, this was far worse on his stomach. "He's needed time to cool off for long as I've known him."

She sank down onto one of the seats, casually bringing one leg up onto the chair. "I've only had a little experience pre-City, but I was still very pathetic upon arrival. All screaming and swearing, not very suave." Kitty decided not to press him further about this 'she'. It was clear he was worried about her, whoever she was, and (as he had quite rightly said) moping wouldn't do any good.

Soon she was unable to stifle a smirk as she watched him cavort around the carriage and... squirm... in his seat. "Never been on a train before?"

That one thought lead to another, and suddenly her eyes widened with a strange kind of glee. "Have you ever been to a nightclub before?"

Miroku shrugged. "I guess it says something about me that I didn't act that way for long. Whether it's saying something good or bad is the question."

"Oh, no... We didn't have them where I come from," Miroku looked up at the ceiling. "Someone I knew came from a place that did, but it's... It's difficult to explain."

He raised his eyebrows at her expression. "No, not that either..."

"I'd say good," she commented nonchalantly as she met his shrug with one of her own. Being able to accept things like that... it's always good, wherever you might have got those skills from."

The train screeched to a halt, and she got up onto her feet steady as if she'd been born and raised on fast-moving locomotives. After a moment of thought and a quick smile, she offered her hand to Miroku to help him up. "It shows, you know. But not to worry. Soon I'm sure you'll be riding trains with the best of them."

At his next words, her smile turned into a full-fledged grin. "Oh, excellent. This is going to be... oh, I can't wait for this."

Moving out of the carriage, she manoeuvred them through their fellow passengers by a means of pushing (that was her) and pulling (that was Miroku's arm). They were here. The Underworld. And it was dark with thick, hazy shadows, and bright with huge, green lights, and filled with the smells of smoke and sweat and booze... oh, it made her feel good. Alive.

There was one particular nightclub that caught her eye, and she headed straight in. All flashing lights and brightly coloured decor. Not her usual style but... well, it was his first time in a nightclub. Might as well go for the full show.

"What do you want to drink, then?"

"I guess so," Miroku said, gripping the upholstery of the seat next to him so hard his knuckles turned white. He felt awful, and was sure he must've looked green. When the train stopped, he felt like the heavens had smiled upon him, and he took Kitty's hand gratefully. "I can only hope you're right."

The smells of the Underworld assaulted Miroku's nose, and after that train ride he didn't think he could handle it very well. He'd dealt with youkai that smelt worse than this - What was his problem? He lifted his arm up to cover his nose with his sleeve as they entered the nightclub.

"Um... Do they have sake?" he asked, feeling a little stupid.

He looked awful, and they hadn't even started drinking yet. Kitty wasn't sure whether to ask him if he was all right, or collapse into hysterical laughter. In the end, she decided on a comforting pat on his arm. "You'll get used to it, honestly. Deep breaths and all that."

Poor bloke, she thought absently, as he seemed somewhat bewildered by the question of what to drink. "Sake? That's Japanese, right? I... I have no idea. I just pick a bottle. I'm not exactly overly-experienced when it comes to choosing alcohol."

Still, Kitty went and asked the bartender for sake anyway. Two bottles were soon placed in front of her, though what exactly they contained, she couldn't be sure. She grabbed Miroku again (this seemed to be becoming something of a habit), and pulled him over to a slightly-more-quiet sofa in the corner, thrusting the bottle of whatever-it-was into his hand.

"Not sure if that's sake, but... well, it's alcohol."

Miroku nodded, not entirely convinced. And Kagome rode trains every day? Blech.

"Japanese, right..." He had forgotten that she wasn't from Japan. Of course she wouldn't know what sake was! That thought made him feel a little sad, actually. The poor girl! As they made their way over to the sofa, he vowed he would find a bottle and share it with her.

He opened the bottle and looked at it interestedly, beginning to feel a little better now that he was off the train. He would've been a bit more interested in everything around him, but there was drink in his hand, which he'd not had in a long time, and... Well! It would be rude to hesitate after she'd gone to such trouble, wouldn't it? He took a swig, and his eyes widened.

"It's not sake, but it's delicious!" he said, giving Kitty a grin. "We certainly don't have this back home."

"Oh, great. If it hadn't been, I'd have been very disappointed," she raised a single eyebrow and fixed him with a playful stare. "We'd have got you all travel-sick for nothing."

The banter begun, she mirrored his gesture, knocking back her own bottle with great gusto.

It was... well, whatever it was, it was strong. It had a smell resembling petrol, and her throat felt like it had been rubbed with liquid sandpaper. Refreshing, in a liable-to-knock-you-out sort of way. Already she could feel herself cheering up.

"So what's 'home' like for you then, anyway? Japan? I've travelled, but I've never been there."

"Well, travel sick is little price to pay to be in your company," Miroku said simply, admiring the bottle in front of him, then her pretty face.

"Home? It's..." Miroku struggled for words. "There's no computers, or el-ek-tristity, or trains or anything like that. Not a lot of buildings, either, or foreigners. I've met people from the mainland, but that's it. There's youkai everywhere," he said. He shrugged. "Kagome said that changes, though."

At that little comment, the second eyebrow rose up to join the first in a look of incredulity. "A little early for semi-desperate flattery, wouldn't you say?" Smiling again, she took another drink. Again, whilst she drank the only thought that ran through her mind was that it was strong. Already she was feeling more than a little bit chirpy.

"Sounds like you come from a long time before me then. We've got all that, computers, trains. But... youkai? That's... demons, right? Well, we have those too, in my world. They're really not all that bad. Well. Some of them."

"Semi-desperate flattery?" Miroku's eyebrows rose with hers. "You wound me. I'm only being honest, Kitty-san."

Miroku hummed a bit to himself before taking another sip from his bottle. My, this was good stuff! Now, what had Kagome said about the time difference...?

"Centuries, maybe...? I can't remember."

"Terribly sorry. How could I have thought such a dreadful thing? Such a slander to your honour. Please, forgive me."

She glanced at the little table next to the sofa, and noticed a pair of small, clear glasses. And grinned. Memories came flooding back of pointless drinking competitions amongst the customers back when she had been a barmaid. Pointless to watch, but they'd seemed fun to those participating.

She reached over and grabbed them, pouring a little from her bottle into each glass, then holding one out to the monk.

"You ever tried shots?"

"You're forgiven, but only because you're so lovely," Miroku said, winking at her.

He looked at the glasses with curiosity. What were they? "Shots?" he asked. "No, I don't believe I have."

Unabashed, Kitty matched the wink with one of her own. "And I'll accept that apology, but only because you seem even more desperate."

Then Miroku confessed to not knowing what shots were, and her draw literally dropped.

"What did they teach you at monk-school?" She raised the first glass up to her lips, and pressed the second glass into his free hand.

"You drain the glasses. One sip. The whole thing. Then you fill up, and drain again, until one of you can't any more. Or the drink runs out. Whichever happens first."

And with that, she promptly did as she had described, tipping the contents of the glass into her mouth and swallowing. It stung, but in a good, warming sort of way.

"Desperate?!" Miroku gasped in mock-horror. "I am no such thing."

At monk school...? "Well, they taught me I wasn't supposed to want things, or drink, or be with women, or basically do anything we're doing right now."

The glass was small, and didn't look too bad. He drained it quickly, and gave her a smile. "Like that?"

"I'm sure you took the really important teachings to heart. I was never much one for a fundamentalist dogma anyway."

Kitty nodded approvingly as he downed the first shot. Then, coolly, she refilled both glasses. "Exactly like that. Now have another."

Emptying her own once more, she cocked her head at the monk, fixing him with a quizzical look, "So... the monk thing. How'd you get into it?"

"I tried," he said simply, taking another shot. It was nice... He'd have to find out what they were drinking, and remember it, if he could.

"Well... I grew up under a monk named Mushin, who pretty much replaced my father, who was a monk as well, after he died. So it's always been there, I guess."

Her hand was automatically moving now to refill the glasses, and then bringing them up to her mouth. "So, you're, like, a monk, from a long line of monks... that's very... monk-ish..."

She took another glass, and found herself giggling a little. Quietly. But still giggling. She had no idea why.

"It's your turn to ask something. Go on!"

Miroku raised his eyebrows. She was tipsy... You know, he could probably make a grab for her rear... But, she was intoxicated, and he wasn't! He wasn't some degenerate.

He took another drink, and then another. "Hm... What was your family like~?"

((OOC: Poor thing. XDDD))

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