Feeding the Masses (Itori)

It was a busy day in the market section of Rose Garden, as customers and tourists moved to and from the streets from shop to shop and  restaurant to restaurant in search of thrills, At one such restaurant a coral haired Tanuki was taking the head chefs place since he was sick and was rapidly improving the establishments quality even further and was drawing in massive numbers of people to taste the food. Gala grinned as he worked alongside his temporary crew and  saw them in high spirits as well even though they were very tired and in need of a rest soon.” Alright guys just wait the rush is almost over and soon you can rest you’ve done well” he praised as the cooks smiled at him and his complement.

“I’m going to take my leave now I trust you guys to finish up strong” he said as he took the last few dishes and put them on a tray to serve to the customers though one of them was for himself for a hard days work. The Taunki served the table their food before he sat down with his own bowl of Ramen he had allowed to be put onto the menu for the day, it was his Soup De Poisson Ramen which he had created many years ago and was extremely popular. Before he started eating Gala took a moment and listened to the people talking about his cooking  and enjoyed listening to the happiness in their voices.

As Gala entered the actual restaurant to deliver the food to the customers his eyes would inevitably be drawn to one particular table which was only being used by a single individual, but which nevertheless was most likely providing as much income as several of the more crowded tables combined. If not yet more. Because this was a high class restaurant they didn't allow plates to stack up, but by now the servers must have picked up on the fact that this particular customer had already been sitting there for hours, and during that time she had been ordering plate after plate, supposedly making her way down the menu even though at the same time she seemed to know exactly what she wanted. And she ate everything without any problem at all, even though she had already eaten enough food to feed a dozen people for at least a day and maybe two. Of course in such a big and successful restaurant that could still be considered a small amount, but the fact that it was a single individual that would eat so much was still worthy of notice, especially since the individual didn't even look like she was gaining any weight from the extensive meal.

Beyond her eating habits attention would also be drawn to her physical appearance. She was dressed in a rather exotic style, flowing robes of white and red which some might recognize as something also worn by priestesses in the serene country of Midi. A divided skirt of a vibrant red, a white jacket covering her torso, and very wide detached sleeves covering most of her arms but leaving her arms bare. Underneath those white sleeves her forearms were also clad in tight black cloth which also partially functioned as fingerless gloves, attached to a ring around both her middle fingers on both the back and the palm of her hands.

And beyond even that there was her own body which demanded some kind of remark. As had already been remarked, the amount of food she had already consumed should have left her completely round, but instead she had a better body than pretty much any human female not known for their exemplary beauty could claim to possess. Tall with good curves, but also athletic and with little to no excessive fat. That was not to say that she was as thin as a reed, but every ounce of fat she possessed seemed to do nothing more than to make her look healthier. White hair, vermilion eyes, a delicate face and a small nose. Although the most attention would have to be given to the two large fox ears that stuck up out of her hair, covered in soft fur of the same colour as her hair and looking very real indeed, especially when they twitched in response to hearing another server arrive with more food. More support for them being real were the three large fox tails that swayed behind the woman, curling around her and partially obscuring her. Given the amount of animation those tails were displaying they were definitely real, which in return meant that the fox ears would be real as well.

Itori ignored any stares she might be getting as she continued eating at a slow pace. Even though she was eating so much she was still showing plenty of restraint and dignity in her table manners, meaning that for her to have already eaten so much she must have been sitting there for quite a while already. Which was in fact the case. Itori had done quite a fair amount of jobs already for Sabertooth, although she had been keeping to doing simple jobs which were easily handled. As someone who had an aversion to fighting most jobs given to mage guilds which were of a higher rank were not to her liking. The more peaceful jobs might not pay as much, but at least she could accomplish those tasks without having to worry about dirtying her blade or staining her clothes. Granted she could also devise methods to eliminate opponents without getting close enough for their blood to reach her, but the blood was only a minor reason for her dislike of violence so that would only make it mildly more agreeable.

Well, no matter. By keeping up a solid pace of lowly ranked jobs she had been amassing quite a fortune already, even though a fair amount had also been spent to keep herself properly fed. However it had been enough for her to go to Rose Garden and put the claim that it was the source of some of the most interesting and delicious food to the test. She had been going from shop to inn to restaurant, tasting their food carefully. Being a master chef herself she had a very good sense of taste and good judgement regarding food as well, and she found that overall she had to agree with the rumours. She still preferred the meals she prepared herself, however she had many, many more years to perfect the dishes that she herself preferred, so that was both an unfair comparison and a useless one. As expansive as her repertoire of dishes was she still specialized in her own preferences, while these establishments had to try and appease a wide variety of tastes. Keeping that in mind she had no problem admitting that these humans were very good at cooking as well.

After having gone past many places she had eventually settled here, partially because she had become tired of walking and partially because so far the food was best here. As usual she could feel how the food entered her, only for her unique metabolism to turn it all into magic energy, as she had already eaten enough to nourish and sustain her body hours ago. Already her magic energy had caused her surroundings to take on a more lively atmosphere as colours had become more vibrant, smells had become stronger, and details had become sharper. She wondered how long she had to keep eating here before the really strange illusions would begin to show themselves. She would have to try and time it correctly so she left before that actually happened.

Gala sniffed the air for amoment before he caught the scent of something he hadn’t encountered in many years over 100 if he recalled correctly, he turned and caught a glimpse of the source of the scent, it was a Kitsune and she seemed to have eaten quite a bit of his cooking judging from the number of empty dishes and still full dishes she had at her table.The Tanuki then noticed that the area around her was warping slightly from what seemed like either her appetite or her mood Gala couldn’t pin down which but it wasn’t causing any harm so he didn’t have a problem with it. He took a few bites of his Ramen and enjoyed the full bodied and power flavors of the fish in it along with fresh vegetables he had used in it as well. After a few bites he decided to go and speak to the woman since she seemed to enjoy his cooking so much plus it would be nice to get some feedback on his recipe

Picking up his bowl he moved over to her table.”Do you mind if I join you?” he asked politely as he waited, he was dressed his his chef coat still but unlike many of the other cooks in the building his was still perfectly clean and his hair wasn’t even ruffled despite working for at least 4 hours in the hot kitchen. Gala had to wonder though if she would figure out what he was from his scent or if he would have to drop hints, he had nothing against Kitsune but then again he had never really encountered them so he didn’t know much about them.

As Itori continued to eat at a calm pace her nose caught an unusual scent. It didn't affect her actions, save for her eyebrows lowering slightly and her eyes narrowing. However those weren't signs of irritation or frustration: the Kitsune was merely looking thoughtful as she continued eating, trying to place the smell. It was quite unique, even though it wasn't that extraordinarily strong. It didn't contain many outstanding qualities: it was just not a smell you encountered every day. However she still had trouble figuring out what exactly it was. She didn't feel any sense of danger, so it was unlikely to be some kind of threat. It also didn't clash with the scent of this place, so whatever it was it was here quite often. The scent definitely belonged to some kind of creature, one that was still alive. There was also something familiar about it, although if Itori had encountered it before it must have been long ago. It took her some real thinking before she eventually realized what it was, at which point her ears twitched in surprise. She couldn't keep herself from doing that: composure and serenity didn't prepare her for catching the smell of a Tanuki, of all things.

So far as Itori was aware Tanuki were even rarer than Kitsune, which said something since she knew little to none Kitsune which lived in these parts. They were creatures which were as magical in nature as Kitsune themselves, and showed some other similarities as well. As the folklore of the humans explained so bluntly, both Kitsune and Tanuki were known for deceiving humans in a wide variety of ways, although the most common method was simply pretending to be a human and then luring a human into an embarrassing situation. However there were some very distinct differences as well, aside from Kitsune being foxes and Tanuki being raccoons. Whereas Kitsune deceived humans purely because it amused them Tanuki generally did it for the sake of free food and housing. Not that the Tanuki didn't enjoy doing it as well, but for them the food and shelter was definitely a large part of the motivation as well, whereas Kitsune quite literally had no motivation other than that they found it funny. In that way Kitsune could be considered the bigger tricksters... except that Tanuki were actually better at deception. Kitsune were already considered masters of illusions, but Tanuki took it one step further still, perhaps because outside of illusions they knew better how to act exactly like a human. After all, deception required more than an alternate appearance: you needed the correct behaviour and instruments as well. Itori was quite sure no self-respecting Kitsune would ever be beaten in illusions, but it was certainly plausible that Tanuki were better at putting up the actual act. Maybe because their goal was more similar to that of most humans (namely, food and shelter) so it was easier for them to put themselves in the shoes of a human.

Maybe that was also why Tanuki had a better reputation than Kitsune amongst the humans. Both creatures were tricksters, and both could be benevolent, but because Tanuki acted more like humans themselves whereas Kitsune were always foxes first and foremost. In Midi, the country which had the most experience with Tanuki and Kitsune and similar creatures (that country seemed to attract magical creatures of a certain type. Maybe it was the atmosphere, which was very good) statues of Tanuki were seen as good fortune, whereas Kitsune still had a reputation for stealing chickens and causing trouble. There were also Kitsune which had managed to mingle with humans as well as Tanuki, but that didn't sway the opinion of the majority of the population. Although the Kitsune did have something else going for them: Tanuki, as good at deception as they might be, were in the end pretty standard spiritual creatures. They didn't have extraordinary abilities other than disguising themselves, making objects look like other objects, and being able to fool humans with seemingly no effort. Kitsune on the other hand also had the power to interact with spirits, and if a Kitsune survived for long enough they gained more and more tails as their power grew exponentially. Tanuki had an easier time becoming a part of human society, but there were no stories of Tanuki having developed into actual gods, whereas with Kitsune becoming a deity was a distinct possibility if one managed to survive for long enough. Maybe not one of the grand deities that could shape the world to its wishes and controlled the threads of destiny, but definitely a creature which lived beyond the realm of mortals.

So while Itori was definitely surprised, she wasn't very worried. She doubted that the Tanuki would actually cause any trouble, especially since its scent indicated that it was used to coming here, so it was probably a Tanuki which had integrated in human society. And beyond that, even if the Tanuki tried to cause trouble Itori should have the upper hand as a Kitsune, unless the Tanuki somehow managed to turn the humans against her, in which case she would be forced to flee. However that was a paranoid thought: Kitsune and Tanuki didn't have a bad history with one another, so why would a Tanuki attack her out of the blue?

Although knowing who and where the Tanuki was would be helpful still, so Itori kept an eye out... only for the Tanuki to basically present himself by coming over to her table and ask her whether he could join her. The Kitsune looked up at the Tanuki from her seat, her nose leaving no mistake of who she was being addressed by. A first glance already told her a lot about the Tanuki: he wore the uniform the cooks used in these parts, and while the scent of many dishes emanated from it it still looked clean and spotless, which was curious since that meant the scents either were from other times or he had managed to prepare quite a number of dishes without ever actually making his coat untidy in the slightest. And he didn't look sweaty either, even though busy kitchens quickly became quite warm. Interested in figuring out what this Tanuki had been doing the Kitsune smiled and shook her head.

"I do not mind, although you will have to procure a chair for yourself."

Seeing how she wasn't bothering to hide her true nature she wondered what he wanted from her. Maybe he just wanted to talk to another creature which, while not his own kind, showed quite some similarities to himself.

Gala gained small smile on his face when Itori shook her head which he took as an okey to join her, he quickly set his bowl of ramen down and grabbed an empty chair from a deserted table before he sat across from her and took in the scent of his ramen for a moment. It was one of his favorite dishes to make and it was extremely popular as it used the bodys of shrimp and fish heads to pull forth strong fish flavor but not overpowering it before using dried crustacian shells to make a powder that was used in ever part of the dish from the noodles to the stock itself. It was a dish that hit you in the face with flavor and had you begging for more.It was a dish that earned the Bakedanuki his title of Indra in the kitchen, he was so well known for his grace efficiency and skill in the kitchen that his cooking was compared to that of gods and he was known never to get nervous in the kitchen and always produce excellent results.

Taking a bite of his ramen Gala glanced at Itori, he had to admit she was extremely beautiful with tails that while were not bush as his own single tail were very fluffy and well taken care of.”I must say its been over a hundred years since I last saw a Kitsune I’m presently surprised and its always good to see someone enjoying my cooking” he said as he glanced at her stack of plates, she must have had a powerful appetite to be able to eat that much and not have it effect her appearance. The man wondered if she had tried all of his recipies or just chose a select few to try and ended up eating multiple copys.”Oh I’m sorry I should introduce myself my name is Gala Tebiki and I’m from the Black Rose guild” he said before he allowed his illusion to fall and his Taunki features emerged, a pair of ears popped up on the top of his head and a large bushy tail swayed gently behind him as his hair shifted from a coral color to a deep emerald green though his glasses remained as he waited for her answer.

As Gala pulled up a chair and sat down Itori sniffed the air subtly, taking in the scent of the dish that he had just placed down for himself. A seafood-based kind of ramen, one which by coincidence Itori hadn't ordered yet. From the scent she could tell that it was very good, so she would definitely have to order some for herself as well. However before that she would have to ask the Tanuki more about himself. From what she could see he had integrated in human society quite well, acting completely at home as he moved with confidence and with no sign of worry or hesitation. As expected of a Tanuki who had decided to live with the humans. She considered his outfit once again. That was definitely the kind of outfit used by chefs and cooks, and it wasn't the kind of outfit you wore unless you were actually planning to prepare food. However the absolute lack of any indication of him having cooked recently made the matter a bit more confusing, leaving the Kitsune curious. Was he using illusions to cover up the fact that he had been cooking, or was he using illusions to make it appear like he was wearing a chef's outfit to confuse people? She found it unlikely since she should be able to pick up on whether there were illusions present in the room or not, but if there was anyone who could deceive her with illusions it would have to be a Tanuki.

As Gala introduced himself Itori finished her latest plate slowly, her ears swivelled towards the man to make it clear that she was listening to him. She nodded as he mentioned that it was a pleasure to see someone enjoy his cooking. She knew that feeling very well, since she also enjoyed it greatly whenever someone ate what she prepared and showed their enjoyment clearly. A curious twist of fate that both she and this Tanuki had become drawn to the art of cooking. Just like it was a twist of fate that they met in the first place, so maybe there was some destiny at work here? She would have to consider what kind of destiny it might be though. After finishing her plate and cleaning it she placed it on top of the rest of the plates she had already cleaned, then smiled at Gala.

"Greetings Gala Tebiki. I am Kurobara Itori. I am pleased to meet you, and I have to admit that it has also been quite some time since I last encountered a Tanuki. Not very surprising, seeing how both our species are rare, especially so far away from Midi. As for enjoying your cooking, I most certainly do. I have some experience with cooking myself, so I can recognize good cooking quite easily and I have to say that this is certainly better than nearly everything else I can remember eating."

Which was very true. This Tanuki certainly knew his cooking. The only reason it wasn't outright the best was because Itori had tasted her own cooking, and even if Gala was an amazing chef she still enjoyed what she prepared herself a bit more.

"It is surprising that you would have prepared this food without showing a single sign of it in your appearance though. I can not imagine many chefs who would be able to prepare food and look as if they had yet to enter the kitchen."

The man's guild didn't really interest him, but she did study his ears and tail. Looking at the quality of his Tanuki features he was probably from a clan or tribe of pure-blooded Tanuki. That or he was making himself look better than he actually was, but Itori doubted it. With how open he was towards a Kitsune he would know better than to give her reasons to doubt his honesty. Even if Tanuki were better deceivers than Kitsune that didn't mean that trying to deceive a Kitsune wasn't still a risky business, especially if you drew their attention towards you. Itori didn't think Gala was here to try anything, but as a Kitsune she knew what it was like to be a kind of creature who thought of deception as something you did without really needing a reason.

It was subtle but the Bakedanuki caught Itori sniffing the air to get a sense of what he was eating and he set down his chopsticks for a moment and gently pushed his bowl towards her as an offer to taste his cooking. “it’s a pleasure to meet you as well Miss Itori, I went to Midi many years ago but I never had any luck with finding my clan again perhaps I should visit again at some point in the future” he mused for a moment, when he heard her praise his cooking and mentioned that she had some experience and said it was nearly better then anything else she had he couldn’t help but feel immense pride in that regard. The Kitsune then wondered how he looked so good and clean and yet managed to put out such amazing food at that Gala rubbed the back of his head.
"
You could say I have a great teacher, he’s been teaching me since I was young and that was at least a hundred and fifty years ago and I still learn new things from him all the time” he explained feeling a bit embarrassed, it was true though that his friend Pair had taught him many things and had refined the Bakedanukis skill over the years and that was thanks to the nitros thousands of years of experience.”So Itori what brings you to Rose Garden is it just for the food or are you shopping here as well?” he asked wondering if she wanted any recommendations on where to go next, he had only been here for about a week or two but he was becoming at home in the magical city very fast.

When Gala silently offered her a taste of his own ramen Itori blinked, a very small reaction but one he might pick up on regardless. She didn't think he had noticed her taking in the scent of his food, but it looked like she had underestimated the Tanuki somewhat. Although on the other hand, did she really have to treat this like some kind of competition or as if she was dealing with an enemy? If you knew that you were sitting in front of a creature known for its extremely high talent in deception you might feel inclined to put your guard up, but so far it did look as if his only intention was to do his job and have a pleasant conversation with another creature of a similar nature as himself. The Kitsune looked at the noodles only briefly before nodding as a sign of her appreciation, reaching out with her own chopsticks (she still had some from one of her previous meals) and deftly fishing out a small amount of noodles, bringing them over to her mouth and slurping them up. Honestly taking this kind of offer could be seen as rude, but that's Kitsune culture where they made everything complicated. Here in human society if someone offered you a bit of their food it was safe to assume you were allowed to actually take them up on that offer. Besides, Itori wasn't really the kind of person who would turn down the offer of food anyway. After putting the noodles in her mouth she waited for about a second before swallowing them, allowing their rich taste to fill her taste-buds.

"It is a beautiful country, so even if you have little success in finding your clan it would still be worthwhile to return there. Beyond that both Kitsune and Tanuki are famed for being challenging to find when they do not desire to be found, so you will most likely need several attempts if you do not happen to find yourself any clues."

She had to admit that the ramen tasted quite good as well. The promise made by its smell had been successfully fulfilled by its actual taste. She would have to order some for herself once she was done with her current dish, since she wasn't going to be satisfied with just a couple of strands of noodles and wasn't going to request Gala to give up his meal. As gluttonous as Itori might be she wasn't going to take food from others for her own sake. In fact when she was cooking she freely gave others whatever food they wanted. Granted that was made a bit easier by the fact that with how much food she tended to prepare she could feed several humans to bursting and still have plenty left herself. However the principle was the same.

"Having a good teacher is as much of a blessing as having a good pupil, so I assume that both of you are satisfied with what fate has delivered to you. I would like to meet your master someday though, if he can teach you to prepare food like this. Considering your words, would it be safe to say that your master is a Tanuki like you?"

That actually struck Itori as a bit odd: she hadn't heard of Tanuki being famous for their cooking skills. They weren't notably bad at it either, but the way that Gala talked about his master he must be a genius in the art of cooking, a genius that Itori had never heard about in her thousands of years of perfecting her own recipes and learning more recipes. Not that she was going to accuse Gala or demand anything. They lived in a very big world, so a lot of things were possible, including her not hearing anything about this master Gala spoke about. She hadn't anticipated finding a Tanuki here either, but that didn't mean she was going to deny it as it had happened right before her eyes.

When Gala asked her why she had come to Rose Garden Itori at first stayed silent, mostly because she had food in her mouth and was planning to swallow that before answering. That and she was very quickly considering whether to answer truthfully or maybe add some minor lies. She didn't really have any reason to believe it necessary: it was more something she considered out of habit, because of how she actually did need to lie a lot in the past. Eventually however she mentally shrugged and swallowed before speaking again.

"Today I have only come here for the sake of finding food establishments of high quality and experiencing the best they have to offer. I might return on another day to purchase other goods though. This city has an impressive abundance of magic so they should have quite a few items for sale that would be worth considering. However today is purely for indulging myself. I usually eat my own cooking but I had managed to save up quite the sum of money, and money is no good just lying around doing nothing."

With that she took another bite, watching Gala with a friendly expression as she awaited his reaction. She had spoken the whole truth just now, so maybe he would reward her with some more information about his master?

"May I request that you share more of yourself with me? I have become used to living amongst the humans, so seeing another visitor to the human society from a spiritual clan piques my interest. Considering that you have attempted to return to your clan without much success I can tell that you did not come here on official business, but that just leaves open more possibilities for why you may have come here. Were you simply tired of only ever seeing and experiencing the same things, and hoped to be part of something new and more exciting by visiting human society? My apologies if I am asking for too much information."

“That it is I do plan to return as well though for now I feel comfort in the fact that my guild master is a Tanuki as well and that gives me some hope that my clan still remains out there”Gala said with a small smile on his face, he did feel a bit hopeful about finding his family but for now he was focused on setteling in and making Rosa Garden his home and base of operations, when Itori asked if his master was a Tanuki like him the man shook his head.” My Teacher is also my work partner as well and he is actually part of a rare race called Nitro, they are Reptiles that come in two different types. His name is Pair and we have been close friends ever since we met, as far as meeting him I could introduce you too him though he is not big on strangers never has in the thousands of years he has been around from what he has told me” he explained as he thought of how to discribe his friend.

Pair was more birdlike then reptile to the Tanuki but it was hard to explain that along with the differences in the species of nitro. While he thought he heard her telling him that she was here to try different types of food and that she normally cooked all her meals herself but since she had the money she wanted to try some of the food here in Rose Garden, she then asked him for more information on himself since she hardly ever saw someone like them out around humans. Gala thought for a moment before he nodded, she was not human like him so he felt more comfortable opening up to her.” no its alright I’m ok sharing if your ok with tell me more about yourself as well I haven’t seen a Kitsune in years its rare to have the chance to talk to them.” he said before he started to explain his history to her.”Iv been around for over 100 years though when I was young I was separated from my clan and left to fend for myself something that’s not easy for an adult in the wilds much less a child, I learned from a young age that I needed to eat to survive and while sometimes I stole to feed myself I often did small jobs to scrap in money to eat. However being a Tanuki a lot of people in towns were scared of me and didn’t trust me I can’t tell you how many times I was run out of towns just because of how I looked” he said as he sighed , he didn’t like those memorys but he continued.

”it wasn’t untill I was in my teenage years that I encountered Pair in the woods, the creature was weird that’s for sure but he seemed to sense talent in me and started to teach me how to cook along with how to take care of myself since then we traveled the world going to many places with Joya, Enca, and Midi being my favorites however eventually I got tired of traveling and I setteled down here in Rose Garden a few days ago and joining Black Rose. By doing so I gain a home to come back to and resources to try and find my clan” he explained hopeing he haden’t bored her with his backstory. “well I told you my side what about you Miss Itori tell me about yourself” he asked looking interested in what he could learn from her. It wasn’t every day you got to speak to a Kitsune after all.

(Sorry for the huge delay. I finally no longer feel swamped by the start of school.)

The Kitsune masked her surprise when Gala revealed that the master of his guild was also a Tanuki. That was definitely a bit of information that Itori hadn't been expecting, never mind having it be offered to her so casually. Mage guilds were predominantly for humans: Itori had been part of a guild before which seemed to take pride in gathering as many non-humans as were willing to join, but even that guild had been led by a human. For Gala's guild to be exceptional in this case was something worth keeping in mind. Not that keeping something in mind was difficult for Itori, with her exceptional memory.

On the other hand the Tanuki's master turned out to not be another Tanuki, which served to surprise Itori yet again in short succession. Gala's master was most definitely not a human, given the age at which almost every human would pass on to the next world. Hearing the word Nitro the Kitsune searched through her memories, but couldn't find any kind of records of them. It must be a secretive species, uninterested in letting themselves be seen by outsiders. Itori had wandered a lot throughout the years, so if she could remember nothing about a particular subject it had to be a well kept secret indeed.

When Gala offered the trade of telling more about his life Itori didn't waste any time hesitating as she nodded to show her agreement. Truth be told she wasn't planning to tell him too much about herself, but luckily with how long she had lived she would be able to tell enough to satisfy him. She was pretty sure of that, unless he was planning to actually dig for the things that she was unwilling to reveal, in which case she would both be surprised and annoyed. Well, that wasn't really important or likely, so the Kitsune just focused on listening to Gala. He spoke of the Nitro, strange reptilian creatures which apparently put a great amount of importance in cooking. He spoke about how he had been separated from his people at a young age, left to wander and try his best to survive. Unfortunately even Tanuki, even better at deception than Kitsune, couldn't always overcome the barriers created by young age. He spoke of how his master taught him how to survive and how the both of them travelled a lot, seeing many places. Itori had thought that this Tanuki must have established himself in this place for a while already, but the way that Gala spoke about it he had only recently arrived in Rose Garden. It seemed he had managed to overcome the challenges of his youth and turn into a proper Tanuki, one who could quickly twist the situation to his favour. When Gala finished his story Itori smiled and nodded.

"A fascinating story about your past. I have to admit that my childhood was a rather spoiled one, so I wouldn't be able to imagine what it must have been like to survive on your own. I'm sure you are quite grateful towards your master for saving you from that, especially if he comes from a group not known for their friendliness or inclination towards approaching outsiders." She nodded. "I'm sure that you will be able to find your clan. You have a lot of time to try, after all, and with your culinary skills it should take very little time for you to gather enough money to try again. Of course Tanuki and Kitsune are both elusive, but considering the situation I'd say that it's only a matter of time, and that is something the both of us have plenty of."

Of course now that the Tanuki's tale had ended it was time for Itori herself to speak. The Kitsune hummed softly before beginning to speak, her three silken white tails swaying gently behind her.

"I have been around for quite a while. I'm not sure if I should give you an exact number, but I can assure you that I have lived long enough to see the rise and fall of entire civilizations, both human... and my own kind. I have to admit I find it puzzling just how long I've managed to wander about without ever appearing to become older." She shook her head dismissively. "Regardless. As I mentioned before my childhood was an uneventful one. I was one of identical triplets, and our parents were well respected and capable. The three of us were always together, and our parents spoiled us terribly." A soft chuckle. "I realize this may sound snobbish, especially for one with a background such as yours. I apologize if you feel that way. Well, as we grew up it quickly turned out that both my sisters possessed unique and powerful talents. The first had so much raw magical talent and power which seemed to never stop growing. The second was a true terror with a sword, and beyond that had somehow developed the ability to summon spirits as servants and minions at a young age. Unfortunately I myself... was not so outstanding. Even worse, I was mute. Both my sisters shone like suns with their talents, while I was the third one, the one who could not even speak and whose talent, while not terrible, was but a small candle compared to the roaring flames of my sisters."

Itori didn't appear to sound sad or jealous as she spoke. She was merely telling the tale, and whether she was bothered by it or not she failed to show any sign either way.

"Things remained as they were for quite a while. Until eventually disaster struck. Our home was attacked, and almost everyone was killed. My sisters and I survived because the rest of the village sacrificed themselves for us. I still wonder if they would have saved me if I was alone, or if I was only saved because of my two sisters. Unfortunately the method used to help us escape and survive didn't ensure that we would remain together, and once we were safe all three of us discovered that we were alone. Ever since then I have been trying to find my two sisters, travelling far and wide and seeing many things. That, in short, is my story."

Gala smiled warmly as Itori expressed hope that he would find his clan and that with his skills gaining the funds to  search would be very easy, while the Kitsune spoke  the Taunkis tail  swished back and forth gently like hers and he  started to eat his ramen while she spoke but his focus was still on her and her story. While she did not give her age she did mention that she had seen the rise and fall of  civilizations and that clued Gala in that Itori might be far older then even he was  but he didn’t care after all to races like Kitsune and Taunkis a human lifetime was a mere blink of an eye to them.” no no its alright from what I remember of my family they took very good care of me, there is nothing wrong with your parents taking care and treating you to the good life I know my life was hard but now I can enjoy myself and what I have earned.” he said with a shake of his head to show he wasent upset.

It pulled at the mans heart to hear that her family except for her sisters were killed and her village was lost, it was also a bit hard to hear that she had to be in the shadow of her sisters whose skills  from what she said outshined her own, “That’s quite a tale I am sorry for your loss I hope you have had some luck finding your sisters” he said before he went on.”while your sisters sound like incredible people I wouldn’t sell yourself short as well your talent while might not be as impressive as your sisters could have potential to be just as great or perhaps even better then theirs.” he said trying to encourage her, he did wonder what her power was though.

“my talent while extremely powerful was not exactly a gift so to speak, its very very rare but in Tanuki clans one or two may surface that do not wield magic at all but instead thru some twist of fate inherit something far more dangerous, they inherit curses I was one who was one of the rare few born” he explained before he gently held his hand palm up and his fingers curled and spread out. One the tips of his fingers appeared a small flame, a ball of water, a condensed sphere of wind, a small orb of lightning and a  a sphere of ice.”my curse is the ability to create calamities such as raging fire storms, powerful tsunamis and even hurricanes at the peak of my power but at this point I’ve only trained to keep it under control I hate to think what would happen if this curse were to be unleashes without control” he said as he flicked his hand and all five spheres vanished as if they were never there.”whats your power Miss Itori I saw your general area warping when I approache so I can only wonder what it is”he asked  with curiosity in his eyes and his tone.

It was good to hear that the man in front of her wasn't the kind to take offence at Itori's family having pampered her. There were many who would have been upset hearing about someone else's fortune if it was a fortune in the same category as which they themselves suffered misfortune in. The ability to look past that and show genuine happiness at hearing of someone else's fortune was a useful and beneficial one, and it was even better that he knew how to count his blessings and realize that the hardships of the past shouldn't keep him from enjoying the present.

"I am glad to hear that you are not bothered by it. I was worried that you might not be too appreciative of me mentioning my situation back then, since not everyone is capable of looking past their own misfortune. I have to admit that I am genuinely impressed with how easily you appear to accomplish such a feat."

When he mentioned a hope for her search for her sisters to have gone well the Kitsune shook her head.

"Considering the amount of time it has taken for me to find even the smallest clue about their situation I would say that I have been fairly unlucky so far. However regardless of fortune or misfortune I will still find them eventually. After all, they are not the kind to die easily, and I have a lot of time to search for them. And thank you for the sympathy, although it has been so long ago by now that even my good memory has trouble recollecting it all vividly." This, in fact, was a lie, but Itori didn't want Gala to feel like she was still dwelling on what happened after so much time had passed by. Truth be told she wasn't even dwelling on it: her memory just didn't allow for her to conveniently forget things.

"Oh, I wasn't attempting to make it sound like I myself was not considered worth paying attention to. My talents were also recognized. It was just that even if I am talented, my sisters are even more so. And I don't resent them for it either. They are my sisters, they share my blood, and I was very happy to see them develop so splendidly and receive the praise they deserved. While of course I would have liked to stand on the same level as them, seeing them shine like suns was already a great joy, and if their light made mine pale in comparison that was only motivation for me to try harder so I could join them." Itori smiled, thinking back to those times. She really didn't resent either of her sisters. It wasn't their fault that she had been unable to speak, nor that their talents were better than hers. They had, just like she herself, just been doing their best to improve and become people worth respecting. Itori had most certainly not been lacking in talent, so it wasn't like she suffered either. Seeing her sisters move ahead at that speed may have made her feel a bit lonely, but she would never blame them for that.

When Gala returned to talking about himself Itori quickly returned to the present mentally, showing a good amount of interest as he explained that while he had received something from birth, whether it was a curse or a gift could be argued. The fact that his power was literally called a curse complicated matters even further. Itori wasn't too fond of the sound of that either. She was fully aware of the fact that a lot of superstitious ideas were very, very real. She herself was a medium who conversed with the spirits. So for her curses were a bad thing because she knew that they actually existed, and were bad news. Although the Tanuki's curse seemed to be... different... than what curses usually tended to be. A curse was supposed to be something used to twist and warp someone's fate, either to bring overall misfortune or to force a certain event to come to pass. One could argue that curses were a method to darkly apply fate magic. Curse someone to suffer until they died and their fate would keep bringing them misfortune. Curse someone to never enjoy alcohol ever again and somehow their fate would be warped and twisted so that alcohol never found itself back inside their being. A curse which replaced magic and directly caused calamities... a bit different from what the Kitsune knew.

"That does sound like a frightening ability with a lot of destructive potential. However at the same time it is also quite impressive and noteworthy that it allows you to control a wide variety of different forms of energy on such a grand scale. Using normal magic one would already consider themselves talented if they could create even a single one of those disasters, and you can create multiple of them. Even if the effect in itself is rather worrying, the fact that your ability grants you that level of power still makes me believe that it could be considered a gift. Granted, this would only apply if power was your ambition, and since that is not the case for neither of us I'll refrain from calling it a gift and instead just advice to not worry too much about the name or the destructive nature. If it can be used to create something as powerful as a firestorm you can also learn how to use it for better purposes."

The question about her own power made Itori blink. She didn't think it much of a mystery, but she also had no reason to object against explaining.

"My power is a very basic one for both our people. Illusions, creating fake realities to deceive and manipulate. Of course for us two who are attempting to live in harmony with the humans actual manipulation is out of the question, but I do find it useful to be able to present false realities. As for my surroundings changing, that is related to my diet. As you might have noticed I have already eaten a lot since I came here. In fact, more than a single person should reasonably be able to eat by themselves. Ever since I was young for some reason I have never been able to actually eat so much that I would feel like I couldn't eat more. Years of study have led to me concluding that my metabolism has the curious and unique trait that, should I intake more nourishment than I need to sustain my physical form, it will immediately begin converting the excess into magic power. Considering how I am still but a single entity who can only contain a limited amount of magic power that means that if I decide to keep eating eventually I will automatically begin to create illusions around myself without thinking about it to get rid of the excess that builds up."

Gala smiled a bit at Itori when she mentioned that she was surprised at how easy he was able to look past his own misfortunes in the past and be happy for her.”well everyone is different, I don’t liketo think of how hard I had it and the compare to others it seems rather petty to me I like to think I’m a better person then that” he said softly, the Tanuki was glad to hear that despite not being as skilled as her sister that Itori was still seen as an amazing mage and highly skilled as well.”its always good to have something to motivate you” Gala stated before she talked of his power and that it was indeed rather frightening but also in the right hands and for the right reasons could be used for great good.

“your right it is rather frightening but I do consider myself lucky to have this curse and not some of the other ones I have heard about, I’ve heard of curses that allow one to cut thigns just by waving their arms, some that allows one to consume the soul and power of another and even ones that can rip your mind and very thoughts from you. At least mine gives me a connection to nature which I am grateful for” he explained with a small smile. Gala had to admit that he would rather have the curse he had then try to make do with one of the ones he had mentioned since he couldn’t picture messing with someones mind.

“I would love to see some of your illusions sometime provided they are pleasant” the Tanuki joked though he was rather interested in seeing how powerful her skills really were.

Itori nodded as Gala explained that he believed himself to be good enough of a person to know not to compare his situation with that of others. That was certainly true, on both accounts, and the Kitsune had no reason to deny that.

"You are correct with the assumption that one should not be too focused on one's own circumstances in comparison to those of others. Such behaviour only leads to either pride or envy, and both of those are more likely to bring misfortune to both the person possessing those emotions and their surroundings than to help them. Pride for those who see their own circumstances as superior to those of others, and envy for those who could only see how their own life is not as fortunate as those of others, and ends up resenting everyone who isn't as unfortunate as themselves. However knowing that you know this, and can put it into practice, is still impressive. Even people who are aware of this still have difficult not comparing their own life to that of another. You are indeed a good person for managing that."

The Kitsune stayed silent for a while as she listened to what else Gala had to say, at the same time absent-mindedly wondering if she should order some more food. She had already eaten enough in this establishment that she could safely say that she had tried most of their dishes and had a good idea of the quality of their food, which had been one of her objectives in coming here. However their food was honestly really good, although Itori wondered if having Gala out of the kitchen and talking to her would result in a slightly lower quality of anything she would order next. Giving it some more consideration she decided to at the very least wait a bit longer, and see if Gala himself presented an opportunity where she wouldn't have to interrupt their conversation to order more food.

Gala's explanation about curses did serve to confuse Itori though. These curses seemed to be based on a wholly different kind of idea than the one she had come to be familiar with concerning curses. Deciding that she could safely raise her objections without souring the mood the Kitsune spoke up, as always softly with a voice which sounded as if she might as well be singing.

"Those curses do all sound more dreadful, indeed. However I have to admit that these curses bring some amount of confusion to my mind. I have heard about curses before, but they had always been described as forms of twisted magic which serve to bring misfortune and disaster, usually upon a specific target. However while I have heard of a curse which would wither away one's mind these curses overall seem to be more like a specific type of ability. While it is possible that two different concepts have the same mind it still serves to cause some puzzlement. Are these curses perhaps also named by a different term?"

The request to see more of her illusions made Itori hesitate. That... was a bit trickier of a request. It wasn't that she was ashamed of her ability or anything of the sort: for those she trusted she in fact didn't mind giving them minor performances at all, should they ask or express a desire. The problem was that Gala, as friendly and polite as he had been so far, was still someone she had only met this afternoon. She had lived most of her life alone, trying to make sure she never revealed too much information to those she did encounter. Even though these days she had found a... haven of sorts by joining a guild old habits die hard, and this was a habit that had been developed and sustained over more time than most kingdoms and empires had to grow, prosper and fade away. As such, even though Gala had given her no reason to distrust him she still had some difficulty with the idea of just showing him her techniques. After all, it could be that in the future she might still have to use them against him.

"I can create many illusions, since they are based off of the mind rather than limited techniques, so it should be of no issue to create some appealing illusions for you to enjoy. However we would have to do do this in a more private location: while the humans have become used to the presence of magic in their midst in this day and age I would still prefer to avoid risking upsetting them by having illusions appear when they are neither expecting nor prepared for them."

While she had been thinking about the possible downsides of revealing her illusions to Gala Itori had kept a relaxed and friendly expression and demeanour, making it look as if she was merely taking her time to reply instead of actively worrying about how to turn down his request. Truth be told, if pushed she wouldn't actually have too much trouble with showing Gala some illusions: as she herself had already stated, their limits were only what she could think of. Even if she showed him a few illusions she could still create different ones later if she actually had to use them against him. However that didn't mean she herself would push for it or offer to show him. He'd have to ask, and he'd have to present an opportunity where there wouldn't be onlookers who might get upset or nervous.

"Of course I would like to request something in exchange. While I do not mind showing you my illusions, and would do so for free, the best time to ask for a favour is when a favour is already asked." Itori hummed softly. "Although I have to admit that my own request is rather... bold. Would it be too much to ask that in exchange for me giving you a performance using my illusions when we there is a good opportunity, I could assist in the kitchen here? I have to admit that I am impressed by the cooking here, and I am always eager to improve my own cooking. I believe I am already at high enough a level to not alert the customers if I were to take over, but I might still learn something if I were to work here, if only for a short while."

Hearing the Kitsune call him a good person Made Sol smile before she mentioned her confusion about his mentioning of curses,Itori state that her knowledge of curses was that they cause misfortune and trouble to a specific target unlike those that Gala had heard of."’I’m not sure though from what I have read when the One Magic became many different magics the curses I mentioned were just one of the branches it made though far more foul, it could be possible that the curses you know of to be included in that mix but I’m not sure"

At Itoris request Sol blinked a few times before he spoke.”Normally I would say its ok to work in this kitchen but it isn’t mine I’m only here for today on a mission since the head chef was out sick. Though since most of the dishes put out today were my own creations I could show you either at my apartment or at my guilds base the Silver moon inn if that would work for you, heck the head chef Magna would be more then willing to let you work there if you wish” he offered , he knew offering her a demonstration at his apartment was a bit odd considering they just met but he did have a well stocked kitchen with most of the things he needed to make delicious dishes though so did his guilds kitchen.