tampered | Log; Ongoing

Log; Ongoing

When; Sept. 23rd, evening.
Rating; PG-13 (alcohol)
Characters; Miroku (

kittyjones)
Summary; Miroku comes to pick up Kitty for a night on (or rather, under) the town.
Log;

It was early evening and, on a skyline marked by huge apartment blocks, the sky was fading into black bit-by-bit. Calming, in a way. Bringing the promise of night and sleep.

To most people, anyway. Kitty on the other hand was... restless. Too many days cooped up inside, moping about current curses and past curses and curses still to come. She'd been to the Underworld for the first time only the other week, but had found the lights and the alcohol to be... a strange kind of soothing.

So when Miroku has suggested a little visit, she'd jumped at the chance.

Most other days, most other places, she'd have felt more than a little peculiar walking into the seedy underground of a still not-all-that-familiar City with a monk. But here, it didn't seem so strange at all, and she seemed quite relaxed as she waited, hands shoved into the pockets of her leather jacket, biting her lip absent mindedly.

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"Hey, it's nothing. I'm just speaking my mind. Something I'm rather wont to do, I'm afraid. I've been informed it's a character flaw, but even so," she laughed slightly at this, remembering all the times Nathaniel had told her to 'just shut up for once'.

... These thoughts caused her to blink furiously. Nathaniel? Why was she thinking about him at a time like this?

"Exactly. Right from the start. Before being a monk. Dashing as the robe is, there are... more important things, you know? More concrete, more basic ideas. Like that."

"It's not a flaw, unless your mind happens to be full of insults," he said back, grinning.

"Yes. There's more to life than what we're formally taught, no matter how much the teachings mean." His mood had fallen, then risen considerably in the last few moments from talking with Kitty. He owed her something...

With a thoughtful look, Miroku began to rummage in his robes once more. "Can I buy you another drink? Or perhaps dinner?"

"If that's the definition, then I suppose I must be the most flawed person in the City!"

He understood. She was glad. Sometimes she'd tried explaining these sorts of things to people who were... who had lives like him. Lives that were their jobs. Morals that were those of their profession. But he was taking it onboard, and that was... gratifying. Reassuring.

"You don't have to do anything, you know! But if you want to, then... certainly. Either. Or both. Or neither, if you don't, but..." she was babbling, she knew it, and she hated babbling, "... but whichever way, it's very sweet of you to offer."

Miroku laughed, then stood up, pulling a bag full of coins out and holding it up. "Okay, then," he said. "A drink, and dinner for Kitty-san." He paused. "Would they take my money here...?"

"I think that would do admirably. More than admirably," she furrowed her brows in thought. "Didn't I tell you yet? They take anything here in the City! Anything at all. Money, or jewels, or a lock of hair. They're not picky. I suppose that's one of the better things about this place. You never go hungry!"

"Oh, really?" That was convenient. "Let's go, then!" He held his hand out for her to take.

"Now, what would you like to eat?"

"All right!" His sudden enthusiasm was rather contagious, and so with a laugh she took his hand in a movement of great vigour, and pulled herself up with a flourish.

"To eat? Err... food?" She scratched her head a little, "I'm never very good with ordering. Don't know much about... you know. Food. You choose! I'm pretty sure you can get anything here! Besides, I chose the alcohol before. We have to take it in turns!"

Miroku nodded, then led her out of the bar, his eyes searching the street for a noodle house or something like that. "Have you had Japanese food, then?" he asked.

"No. Never. But I'm open to new experiences," she grinned as they walked across the street, to a small house with a very brightly lit sign outside proclaiming to the world all the different sorts of highly fattening and not-so-fattening Japanese foods which could be found therein.

"Is it any good?"

Miroku nodded. "I suppose so," he said, giving her a warm smile. "It's all I've ever eaten."

"Well, it doesn't seem to have done you any harm," she grinned jokingly as they walked inside.

It was different to the bar they'd just been at, but still in many ways the same. The lights. The sounds of the street outside. The people... all the different people. The unshakable, unquestionable feeling, the knowledge in your heart and bones that this was the City, and not some restaurant in Tokyo.

But such overlying feelings could easily be pushed to the back of the mind by the little details of the place; the different décor, the different smells that thickly filled the room, and yet more of the same strange characters Kitty couldn't even begin to understand, written on the price list pinned to the wall.

"Some day I'll have to take you out for an authentic British meal in return. Fish and chips. The proper sort, all wrapped in newspaper."

"Ah, well, my health and good looks are also due in part to fabulous family history," he said, smiling.

Miroku cast a look around the restaurant, feeling a little more at home at the smells of familiar food, and a kind of warmth that came from it. He moved over to look at the menu, and gave a small "hmm".

"You like fish?" he said, turning to her. He didn't know what fish and chips were, but he figured that if she liked it, it couldn't be too bad. "I'll look forward to it."

He looked at the menu again, then pointed at a row of characters. "How about this? Takoyaki."

"Uh huh. And the inherent sense of modesty? That family history too? Or just your own special virtue?"

Honestly, the guy seemed never to give up. He was a perpetual optimist. Which was actually quite nice. Not that Kitty would let him know that, of course.

"Fish is nice, sure. Fish and chips though, it's not exactly fish. Not like... a normal fish. It's deep fried." Then after saying that, she hastily realised her probably mistake, and added, "You... err... probably don't know what that means. It doesn't matter. Never mind. It'll be a surprise."

She was rambling. About fish and chips. About battered cod. Good god. She'd thought she'd sobered up, but apparently there was a little of the drink still left in her.

"Takoyaki?" She looked carefully at where Miroku was pointing, as though close inspection would lead to understanding. It didn't. "Well... I have no idea what it is, but it sounds nice! I'll have to trust you on this one."

Miroku nodded solemnly. "For generations."

"You're right, I don't know what it means. I'm sure it's nice, though," he said, scanning the menu in front of them once more.

"Takoyaki's pretty good. And maybe some yakisoba too?" he looked at her with a smile.

((OOC: I'm thinking he might spring the ingredients of the takoyaki on her while she's eating it. That okay? ;3))

"I could tell. It's practically engraved on you. Someone looks at you, and they just think... modesty. First word that springs to mind."

Kitty smiled back at him. Whether she should be smiling or not she had absolutely no idea, seeing as how she also had absolutely no idea about what any of these things were. But she guessed it wasn't going to kill her, so she wasn't going to ask. It'd be a surprise and all.

And if Miroku liked them, they couldn't be that bad, could they?

"All right then, if you say so. I already plied you with alcohol, so it's your turn to place the orders! I'm in your capable hands," and then, realising what she had said, she stammered out, "but not literally, of course."

"I like to think it's second, after 'wow'," Miroku said, grinning cheekily. Of course he'd think that.

He made his way to the counter and couldn't help a snicker at Kitty's embarassment. "That's a shame. Maybe another time?"

"Wow? As in... 'wow, nice robe, shame about the face'?" The sarcasm was very obvious in her speech - it seemed Kitty had decided the time was now right for a little playful banter.

"Maybe. If you play your cards right," she smiled sweetly at him. Then, after a brief pause, her smile grew into an amused smirk as she raised an eyebrow at him. "Then again, maybe not."

Miroku scoffed. "How rude, Kitty-san!" he said, though he grinned at her just the same.

"Oh, I think I will be able to play my cards right..." With that, he turned towards the counter and ordered their food, then paid from the little pouch of coins he had. He turned back to Kitty again.

"This'll be great, I promise you'll like it."

"Rude? Me? Never!" Kitty made a show of vehement protestations, but it was clear she wasn't really being serious.

As the food was ordered, she casually decided to change the banter into an actual topic of conversation. "You ever play cards? I know a few games you'd probably enjoy. Strip poker springs to mind."

The food looked... different. "I'm sure it will be!" Not unappealing, but... different. "Are you going to tell me what's in this?"

Miroku laughed and shook his head as he picked up the chopsticks to begin eating his meal. He hadn't had good food like this since he died... "No, I've never played cards, but strip poker does sound rather interesting. How do you play?"

"Oh? In this," he said, pointing to the plate of yakisoba, "there's chicken and noodles, cabbage, carrots, and that's about it. It's pretty simple..."

"How do you play?" Kitty considered whether this was going to be a good idea. Explaining strip poker to... Miroku. Of all people. She didn't really want to give him any ideas. But then again... she was sure it couldn't do any real harm. So...

"Well, the clue's in the name, monk. Strip. Poker. You put the two together, and voila," she paused for a moment to reach for the chopsticks, and copy how he was holding them.

"You just play cards, like normal. But every time you lose, you have to forfeit... something," she smirked a little at that, beginning to eat the food. Which tasted pretty damn good.

Miroku nodded slowly. That made sense, of course... "What is poker, though? How do you play that?" It seemed like it would be a fun game to play, as long as he was good at it and his partner wasn't.

Miroku took a bite of a takoyaki ball and swallowed. Oh, yes. It was good to eat this sort of food again. "This right here is mainly octopus, with some other things. Do you like the food?"

"With cards. And chips, or money. You bet on what you have, that it'll be better than what the other people have. When everyone's done betting, you show the cards. The winner wins, the loser... strips," she chuckled a little. "To be honest, everyone's usually more concerned with the stripping than the actual playing of the game."

Kitty picked up some more food in an absent-minded manner, chewing slowly, concentrating on the taste for a moment. So it took a few seconds for Miroku's words to filter through.

But when they did filter through...

She spluttered, coughing, hand coming up to her throat. "Oct-octopus? Octopus? As, in, the squid thing? With the tentacles? That thing?"

Miroku nodded. It seemed simple enough. He was good at games and things like that. He was sure to do well, if he ever played.

He raised an eyebrow at Kitty's reaction to the food. "Yes, that thing... But squid's kind of different. We can get some here, if you like?"

"N-no! No thank you!" She swallowed harshly, forcing any remaining food in her mouth down her throat in one swift gulp. "No squid, please!"

Taking a deep breath she looked at him, incredulous. "When were you going to tell me? About the octopus?!"

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