A Shipment of Wine(closed)

Time was hard to feel after awhile when the routine is too similar. No amount of money could take away the curse that is the existence of living without a moving physical age. Without such a thing, it can be hard to feel like you are even part of the world if you aren't an active enough participant. When was the last time it felt like he even tried to participate? When he was admiring the golden flowers a guest bad brought to the house in ledo kaimas. A name that had no reason to be known for as long as it had stopped existing. The moment he had left the great tides of raindrops that made the fates and dictated what way the world would go? It had been purposeful and came with a steep price. It had been so long ago that there were now areas people call ancient ruins, but he could remember being build. The place that was ledo kaimas was more more of a very large wild meadow of endless summer with bouts of spring rain at certain points were other seasons should be. Whatever worth he used to have as a youth was lost when he didn't take up the chance to follow her footsteps as he had always dreamed long ago when tiny eyes watched the orange haired figure move about as smoothly as a spirit. Why had he waited so long to act? There had certainly been more than enough open points in time he could have done something somewhere, become willing to be more active in the world. Being a waiter, bartender, or making clay wares were all honorable professions, but he had bastardized it with his cowardice.

Something stops being honorable when, rather then doing your best, it is a profession, or even multiple ones being used as crutches to enable unfounded fears. It was unfounded because he didn't think anyone but a select few even know that a great Doctor Fennos Harakas had even existed, let alone what her title was, or what the golden rules she had made were. He could say the change happened due to a realization he had due to something a customer had said, but it wasn't exactly something he hadn't heard before. A grandmother happy to see him in town, recalling seeing him when she was young, introducing a young great grand child to him. They would ask why he was always alone normally, but this time the old woman had answered for him. Perhaps her response was what disturbed his contentment in the fear of being in the great flow. She had called him something beyond time, that he was always alone. It was like she thought he was meant to be alone, like a lone simple god of purity in the flesh. Such thoughts made heavy the heart that wished no such imagery to ever coat his existence in the minds of others. What else had the crustacean expected anyone to think though? When you live a certain way for so long, isn't what people see all you are? The demon couldn't stand himself anymore, something had to change. Joining a guild sounded like the best answer to his dilemma. The issue had been trying to figure out which one didn't sound violent. The young looking man didn't take fondly the thought of harming any persons.

It was in Selling a few crates worth of his hand crafted tea sets that the answer had come from someone he had done business with a few times. This was how he ended up giving them a crate full of wine. It was his finest kind of wine made of joyful wild fruits in the perfect stages for fermentation. It had the high class sophistication and skill of good quality wine, but the work, efforts, and even ingredients of something more simple. What made it high quality was how he fermented it, the fruits stages, and how everything was blended just so in amounts. With enough time though, anyone could become a decent wine maker. It wasn't a skill he had thought might come in handy, but here he was. Haraka was now in a completely different continent than where this journey had started at. Being a deep sea demon, being on a ship for as many months has it took to get to that specific place in that specific country hadn't bothered him. The only thing the man wished was they could have arrived at a better time than the dead of night. It wasn't nice being woken in the dead of night to be told they have reached their destination. It meant he couldn't finish sleeping and no amount of the fresh foods he had made during the trip would change any of that. All it had meant was the ship made a few less stops and bought a few less things, as keeping vitamins up were always important, especially on the sea. The demon yawned a bit as he walked off of the ship that was currently being unloaded of the supplies.

He stretched a bit, feeling the bones as well as a few unseen things stretch a bit. As usual, there was no popping. As much as he wished it was something his body did right now, it wasn't something it ever did. It was around then that one of the merchants from the ship nudged him with a cup of coffee. He tried to say something, a thank you, but it all came out garbled. It was only when he started drinking it that he realized it was actually a mix of red chai and black tea. Wasn't that a mix he made them during the voyage? Well, it didn't matter. It was warm and waking him up. He tried to say a proper thank you, only to realize the person had already walked off to do their own thing. The demon finished the tea, returned the cup to the ship, then started to walk. They were at the west dock, right? Yes, it was easier to realize where you are once you are actually awake. This was Tolgalen? Only one part of a massive country, but it wasn't exactly small either. But now he had to stop at the point thing. What was it called? His brain wasn't aware enough for any of this. Check point, it was a check point. They had to make sure things... what things? He started feeling upset at his brain for not being fully functional. What were they asking him? The demons brain wasn't awake enough for this. "Old men shouldn't have to wake up at the dead of night and have to force their brains into full functionality. Come on brain, work better, you have better training then this. Well... no, technically not, I never did anything to prepare for having to be awake at this hour..."

He groaned a bit, apologizing to the guard nearby that was. . . less confused about someone scolding themselves then Haraka expected anyone to be. "I want to join the guild thing. I came to this island to join it. Sorry, I'm not really fully awake yet..."

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Sol yawned as he moved thru the streets of Tolgalen, he was still getting used to the hours he worked at the company but he was adapting well, he was in his custom uniform again and he had a cup of coffee with him as he looked around the docks he was approaching. He was asked to retrieve a few shipment reports before starting his shift and he had agreed without question. He took a sip of coffee as he found the place he needed to go and he nodded to the dock work.”hey Newbie you here for the shipment papers” he asked as Sol simply nodded his head and took them as the man offered them to him.”Thank you sir and keep up the good work “Sol praised with a small smile before he heard someone asking about joining a guild nearby.

Moving over to where he heard the voice he glanced at the young man in front of him, he took a drink of coffee before he spoke.”did I hear right that you want to join the company?” he asked before he bowed a bit before smiling softly.”I am Sol Terumi a member of the company and I would be more then happy to escort you there.” he offered to the young man.

Life on the island was unnaturally hectic at this time, and there was indeed a good cause for this state: Tolgalen and the West Fiore Trading Company had been attacked by not just a scourge of undead, but also their masters, both necromancers and mages of a guild that seemed to have more than just a disliking to the double-sided organisation that had provided some of their former members with a new home. With this state, it was a given, came a lot of responsibilities. And at least twice as much paperwork. A portion of the nearest trading port as well as the surrounding city had been damaged, and requests for building materials, funding, shelter and all other manners of crisis management needed approval, forms and letters starting to pile up on the Vice President's desk.

Johann finished up his usual morning routine, getting up at an early hour, getting dressed, as always placing a more or less great emphasis on his outward appearance, this time picking one of his more plain, yet professional, outfits, a simple white suit, grey tie, and a formal shirt underneath, his company pin tucked into the jacket, the black cross, along with the ember he had gotten used to carrying around, dangling on the chains and the string around his neck while on his side he carried his weapons, always ready to draw them should a threat like that one that had, to his specific displeasure, hit the island just a couple of days ago arise anew. Heading out and aiming for the Company's mess hall he, as always, found the time to allow himself a more than hearty breakfast before leaving for the silence of his office, sighing on his way there as the Vice President already knew what would await him. The elder male pushed open the massive wood door to be greeted by a desk that was overflowing with sheets of paper, a tower of them stacked on it's side so high he feared imminent collapse. "We really need more administrative workers" he mumbled to himself, a slightly disturbed smirk rising up in the left corner of his mouth before he sat down, picking up a pen and a stamp while taking the first piece of paper that found its way into the man's hands. He read, answered, signed and stamped for the next couple of hours, and the next, and those after that, only interrupted by the occasional short break not noticing that the sun had disappeared from the window behind him and darkness had settled in until his stomach started to grumble violently, his head rising up as he stamped the Company's seal onto the last letter on his desk, sighing once again as he stood up and stretched. "Where are the other two when you need them ?"

Johann found some displeasure in the fact that he had been working for so long, but mostly, the man shrugged it off. It couldn't really be changed and someone had to do it, so he didn't really give it any second thoughts, but he noted the slight headache that has spread across his forehead, and, after getting himself a meal from the mess hall, a glass of wine from his quarters and a somewhat refreshing rest on his bed, decided to take what would now become a nightly stroll. He opened the door leading outside, the fresh and cool ocean wind running over his skin as he stepped out and closed the door behind him. It was more than revitalizing to the wind mage, Johann now closing his eyes and enjoying the breeze of this moonlit night before deciding to go and inspect the reconstruction work that had been done so far. At least that is what he told his conscience that seemed to never actually stop worrying about the job, while in reality he may or may not have been aiming for a quiet walk at the ocean. Regardless, he was walking down the main road to the docks, only silence his company as the light of the lacrima post at the side lit the way dimly, stopping in his tracks as he saw the ship enter port from afar.

It was, of course, only natural that ships would come and go at all hours of the day, and the company was prepared for that, with most of the services it provided being available 24/7 and work being done around the clock in shifts. Johann was kind of glad that he had gotten the excuse he wanted, resuming his pace and heading down to the docks to see if everything was being done in order and in accordance with company regulation, stopping after a good few minutes to see 3 figures emerge from the dark of night some distance away, recognizing one of them as he got closer as one of the newest additions to the West Fiore Trading Company's ranks. "Good evening, Mr. Terumi" he spoke out as he got closer, a friendly expression smiling at the man before he gave him a respectful bow, his favoured method of greeting his company colleagues. "I hope you are feeling well this pleasant night" he straightened his back, now giving the other man beside him the same, friendly look. "May I ask who you are, good sir? But, of course, where are my manners ..." he repeated the same bow as before, raising his right hand to his left shoulder as he leaned forward "Johann von Weiss, Vice President of the West Fiore Trading Company. At your service" he spoke as he looked at the new, unfamiliar face, waiting a moment before speaking again, not failing to notice the faint glow emanating from the other, shrugging it off as an oddity in the world of limitless magic that manifested in all sorts of curious manners. "Are you a merchant ?" he inquired, his head shifting to the now docked ship for a moment before his attention turned back "In that case, you must be hungry ? Or perhaps thirsty ? If you want I could escort you to our mess hall at the HQ, the meal is on me" he grinned broadly, his hands ready to move to the handle of a blade in an instant in case they were dealing with an intruder again, awaiting a response by one of the involved.

Haraka gave a smile towards the new stranger. It seemed like fate had smiled on him a bit after giving a bit of a hard time. "I would love an escort, I haven't really woken up completely yet. It is nice to meet you Mister Terumi. Yes, I used a shipment of wine of mine to buy my way here on a merchants ship." If only it came with the ability to get his brain instantly up and running, but life wasn't that simple. Why couldn't it be morning? Well supposed if it was past midnight, it could be seen as morning? But that wasn't the sort of morning he meant. Now the man was left wondering what hour it was. No, don't let your mind wander! There's not enough of it awake and active to have what is there scrambling all over. He was going to accept the offer given to him by the nice person when someone else came around. Did he naturally draw attention, or was it just- well yes, it probably was odd to have a non merchant hitch a ride on a merchants ship. This new person sounded more formal than the first and looked a bit older. He supposed he should be more formal as well. "It's nice to meet you Mr Weiss, I'm Haraka Omaras, son of Doctor Fennos Omaras." Also the only kid that popped up drawn in those books multiple times, but he was positive that a random stranger wouldn't have read random rare medical books. Then again, she was thought of as near godly all those many years ago.

Even if it wasn't well known anymore, her books were definitely not random, full of useful medical information concerning the body, or the practical health uses of different plants, or easy medicines for people to make to deal with different sicknesses, or to delay the sickness enough or hold fevers down enough to allow it to pass naturally, if it does. It all depended on which book of hers someone read... but he was pretty sure all of them had to be rare at this point. At least it meant that very few people saw art of a quiet smiling little him that was more than eager to take up his mother figures role one day. It was one of the reasons he had the courage to come to this island, he was positive that most of the issues of his past were dead and forgotten. In any case... this person thought he was hungry? Or was The younger man hungry? "I've come to join the guild. I'm not hungry or thirsty, but thank you. I'm just having some trouble waking up... This is also my first time trying to join any sort of guild." This may have sounded strange, after all he had just got off a merchants ship. Why wouldn't he be hungry? Usually such ships had few supplies that were not either for sale, fish caught along the way, or non perishable foods. But... that did make him realize that a nice peach or plum might hit the spot right now. Ah! But eating in front of people around a dock would definitely be rude.

"Mr Terumi, if the offer to show me inside still stands, I would love that." This probably seemed like a weird thing to say since one of the people that had popped on over was the vice president, but his brain had nor yet told him that the higher ranked person would be the person he should be asking that to.

Sol smiled a bit and nodded at Harakas explination of how he got here and the dragon waved off the formalitys.” please Sol is fine I’m not big on formalities” he explained. He could tell the kid seemed very well mannered and a good person but the little voice in his head still urged him to be cautious. As Johann made his way over to them and bowed Sol returned it with a small smile.”good evening to you too Mr.Weiss though its ok to call me Sol if you want I don’t min” he said kindly. When asked how he was feeling Sol shrugged.”I’m alright still getting situated here in Tolgalen but I must say it’s a lot nicer then being on a freezing mountain all day and night” he said before he remembered why he was down here.”oh yes I have the shipping reports I was sent here for I figured I would grab them and then help this young man to the company building before I took my shift at the Hospital” he said as he show Johann the papers he had obtained.

Hearing that the boy wanted to join the company Sol nodded.”well I only just joined myself but its up to Mr. Weiss and the higher ups to make that call but I’ll be glad to take you up to the company building before I start my shift” the dragon offered as he looked at Johann.”would you like to join us sir?” he asked not wanting to be disrespectful. He took a drink of his coffee as he waited for the response.

Johann was time and time again surprised with the fact that everyone on this island wanted him to be informal with them where he would do his best to act according to his education. Still, he respected the wishes of others, making a small mental note to strike the Mr. Terumi when the two were in a non-business related conversation, granting the other a firm nod to signify his compliance, laughing a little at the other's answer to his question that followed. "I'm afraid I've never heard of her, I do apologize. My knowledge about medicine is not nearly as vast as I would like" he responded to the other man's answer as he took the sheets from Sol, skimming them while periodically giving a little nod before he returned them to the other. "Excellent work, Mr. Te ... Sol"

"So, you want to join the West Fiore Trading Company ?" he rhetorically asked the other man that had introduced himself as Haraka Omaras before giving him a warm smile, his hands relaxing a bit. "In principle the West Fiore Trading Company will always accept a new member, still, there are formalities to consider" he explained, his face now a little more serious as he turned from Sol to Haraka. "But why don't we discuss that tomorrow ? It is rather late and I'm sure you would appreciate what I will say more if you would be rested". What the newcomer probably didn't know was that the West Fiore Trading Company accepted only the applications of those that would pass a test, this test given to them by a member or, of course, a Vice President.

Johann gave Haraka a nod, he didn't want to push the other if he wasn't hungry or thirsty, even though he couldn't necessarily relate to that position. "Please, after you" he gave the other a small bow, more like a lean forward, but he understood it would be somewhat rude to take that privilege from Sol where he had extended the offer first. He would follow them while they walked up the road to the HQ, his hands always ready to rush for a rapier if anything ... unplanned would occur.

Haraka nodded a bit. No formalities? That might be a bit hard to remember, but he would have to try. Non formalities meant getting comfortable enough with someone to drop those things, or to try. Then again, some cultures lacked formalities, save for certain situations. It would even be seen as rude in some to not greet someone with a kiss or two on the face if one is friends or family. At least he never had to worry about the last set of culture, the one the demon grew up in was nothing like that. But, that was then, this is now. "Alright Sol, I will do my best to keep that in mind. Thank you for being so nice." It was interesting to hear some tidbits about the goods the merchants had brought to dock, even if it wasn't much. Some of the items the merchants had boxed up after all had been purchased from himself, even if they only bought wines and clay tea sets from him.
Ah... that person didn't like the cold? Maybe it was the company, or maybe it was the cold itself. Why did so many not like the cold? To each their own, it was one of the things that made the world so beautiful. It was only starting to register fully with him that the other was starting a shift at a hospital. Ah, he wanted to say something, but honestly he wasn't sure what the person would be doing at the hospital, but.. Every job in one was important. Even jobs that didn't feel so glamorous. This person was new? Ah... there were actually a few signs to that, now that he thought about it.. but, lets not dwell on how slow tiredness had made the demons mind.

"What will you be doing at the hospital?" Ah... He hadn't meant to ask, but it was too late to take it back now. It wasn't anything personal at least, well he didn't think? Ah, the older gentleman was speaking again. They were sorry for not knowing about his mother? Well, it wasn't exactly something unexpected to Omaras. "There's nothing to apologize for, I assure you. Her last medical book was published a few thousand years ago. They are all enchanted though, so they do exist. She hasn't been in the spotlight for a long time, most of her discoveries in medicine have been improved on by others and her books forgotten." Of course, there was a key term that he used 'most'. It was not one he thought on, nothing hidden. It was an instinctual use of the word by a tired demon. In any case, it meant that not all her discovers had been improved on even after thousands of years.
It also meant the tired man was not nearly as young as he looked. "None of the books in her set read like anything modern anyway. She wove all her research with life day to day things." He just really wanted to make sure this person didn't actually try to find his mothers medical books and read them. This was a trading company, even if it was rare there was still a chance this person might get his hands on one of them.

He really didn't want embarrassing art of him as a baby or toddler or little kid getting looked over by people he could end up working for, or with. If the demon could find a way to persuade them to never read the books, he would. It wasn't that he wanted his mothers work to be forgotten, no, far from it... just... why did she put him in every book?! Don't make your life part of the subject, don't put your kid all over in it! Just put the information, medical art stuff, maybe yourself, not your kid! Then again back then he thought being put in them was so exciting, so he couldn't really get upset at her. In any case, her work was probably the only thing about her that he was alright speaking about without feeling scared. It was her work, not his. It was about her life, not his. Ah, about joining... His eyes opened up a bit more, finally fully realizing just what vice president meant. Yes, sleep, he clearly needed sleep. If there were things he had to do that involved actually thinking then he would definitely need it. "Sleep sounds so perfect right now..." With some sleep, maybe his mind would wake up all the way. In the sluggish minded state he was in, it was hard to make sense of anything. Somewhere to rest, shower in the morning, and cook breakfast would be so perfect. The demon hadn't planned that far ahead though. For once in Harakas life, things were not all planned out carefully.

It was so much easier to plan things out when you're hiding from an unseen threat you aren't even sure even exists anymore.

Sol nodded before he smiled at the praise he got.”thank you sir”he said as he lead the two back towards the company headquarters. When he asked asked what he would be doing at the hospital he blinked for a moment. “well tonight I’m scheduled for clinic duty and then the other half of my shift I’ll be working on antidotes and Anti venoms” he explained, since he was so skilled in poisons and chemicals he was eager to work on making antidotes and life saving serums with his knowledge and his own abilitys. “your mothers books sound interesting I would love to read them sometime if that is alright" he said looking interested at the prospect of some new knowledge.

“Mr Weiss how has the paperwork been lately I know activity on the island has been up since me and my group appeared and joined” he asked glancing at Johann after a moment before he spoke again. “if its caused trouble I apoligize” he said knowing that his arrival on divide island had not been quite since his old guild had appeared on the island trying to find him and his group.

As the conversation continued, Johann could relax a little. It was evident that the newcomer meant no harm, and his hands relaxed as he followed the other two, listening to the exchange of words that went back and forth, jumping in occasionally to answer while keeping up his formal appearance. "That sounds very interesting, indeed, but I'm afraid that medicine and the like is not my specialty. But it does leave me wondering, how old are these books ? It would mean that you are ..." Johann shook his head "Forgive me, I didn't mean to be rude. You don't have to answer." He didn't mean to inquire into something that was potentially uncomfortable for the other, after all he knew that age could be a somewhat ... difficult topic from his own experience.

He stopped in his tracks for a second as Sol addressed him before continuing, answering the man with a warm laugh "I can assure you that anything is dealt with accordingly, as for the increase in activity ... well, someone has to do it. But everything is in order, there is no need for you to apologize". It was true that the sheer amount of paperwork had been piling up, and that it would probably be for the next couple of days, but the Vice President was happy to help the Company and the inhabitants of Divide Island that were under the Company's protection, he would do everything in his power. A little overtime was the least of his worries. "Admittedly, I am rather tired myself" Johann gave back to the other man's answer before continuing "If you would like I can organise a room for you if you're not accommodated yet". It wouldn't be a 5 star hotel, but more than enough to grant a comfortable sleep and satisfy all other basic necessities.

Haraka quietly followed behind Sol, eyes keeping on the person. The only sounds his body made was a quiet dulled tap from his shoes with every step. The demon didn't exactly move like a ninja, but it was unlikely he could ever hope to hide his identity with the glow his body emitted anyway. Then again, his horns may have not given a glow, but their shape was pretty distinct as well. So many unique details were on the person that even thinking that they could pretend to be someone else, or hide their identity could be seen as humorous. Sols job, it didn't sound like edible snacks would be a good idea. A drink would be the best to offer, but he had nothing empty on him to use, only a full wine bottle. "I hope you have a lot of energy. The only thing I can though of that would be okay to have before that sort of shift that could have a lasting energy boost would be a juice mix with apples, pears, figs, lemons, oranges, or pineapples... Eating those fruit might be messy, and teas and coffee only really give a more temporary energy boost. The closest I have to that is a bottle of wild fruit wine, but wine is the opposite of a useful energy boost. What you do must help a lot of people, that's wonderful."It was the poisons in the wine to have the sleepy effect it did, the dreariness, loss of focus, trouble focusing...

It would be as much of an energy boost as the fruit juice, or more so if it didn't have it. Antivenoms can be very tricky and each kind of poison tends to need its own unique antivenom. It took focus and intelligence to make such things. "Will you tell me about your work with antivenoms at some point? If that's alright. It's alright if you don't want to as well." He would hate top be a bother, but learning more on it would be wonderful, possibly useful one day. Learning anything that could help him help others, doing something that could help someone else help others, those were some of his greatest joys in life. His mothers books interested the other? The thought of aiding in spreading her knowledge thrilled the man, but there was something close relating to the books he wouldn't be thrilled about spreading. Instead of being disinterested, somehow it felt like talking about his mothers casual style just got one of them even more curious. How did that happen? "You may borrow her books anytime you want, so long as you promise to return them undamaged... and... I request you don't look at any of the pictures of me she put in there and... well not all of the text she mentions me in can be skipped... I... She was weird, okay? She saw her kid and her work as both her life and breath... so she mixed both together pretty regularly...

Even if I hide my copies of her books, there will always be baby pictures of me somewhere being looked at by people that manage to get real copies of her books." It probably didn't help that, at that age, he was very excited of the idea of being put in those very books. At the same time, it was accidentally a good tip for figuring out if a copy being sold was authentic or not. Did it have embarrassing mom written all over it? Then it was authentic, if not, then it wasn't. But he had also let slip another important piece of information by accident, that there were fake copies of her book out there. It was something that happened to books that at one point everyone and their uncle wanted, a common thing. It seemed like Mr Weiss was wondering about his age? Was he supposed to be touchy about it? Lets see... how old was he? Lets think... The demon couldn't recall, so he took a book out, flipping through some of the pages... ah, there it was. He didn't need to remember the day, month, or year, because it would always be right there. The book wasn't that wide open, mainly because he didn't want the picture of baby him curled in a large fur blanket to be seen on a page talking about blood circulation and things that could cause it to slow down or speed up, and ways the veins could get damaged.

"I'm 6,803 years old at this point. Thank you for being considerate Mr. Weiss. Honestly, most information on myself is too personal, but... my age, skills, and questions about my mother is fine to ask about." Might as well say that now. That had bothered people he had met before, but none of those people were around. The book was closed before being tucked quietly away back to its resting place on himself. A spot to rest.. he... "I didn't actually think that far ahead. If I had, I might not have had the courage to come. I'm a bit of a coward." He was going to be honest. It had been hard enough without sending letters back and forth to be sure he had a place to rest and stay, if he had actually tried to do that? The deep sea demon had a feeling that he would have gotten cold feet. The world had good and bad things, but... seeing just how dark it could go, to the point that you don't want to know if darker things could exist? It becomes harder to have the courage to do anything but hide. While he was self away of his faults, it didn't exactly make him proud. There was no honor in being a coward. Forgetting honor or lack there of, being one had got in his own way for so long, it made the world feel almost suffocating. "It's pointless to have potential if you're too scared to use or develop it. I want to become something that I wont be ashamed of."

Change, he needed that. The demon wanted to change himself to something he was not ashamed of. Courage, that was a thing that was in deep need for the man. Where he was now was not what he wanted to be. Still, it was hard. Had he done the right thing by taking a chance and traveling here on his own? It meant the leaving of his comfortable hiding nook and all the safety that came with being tucked out of site and mind, letting yourself being forgotten and unknown.

So nodded at Johanns explination and smiled a bit when the man laughed and told him not to worry.”very well but if you would like some help with the paper work I would be more then willing to assist you two sets of hands can get the job done much faster” the dragon offered kindly. When the boy suggested a juice mix Sol blinked and smiled a bit at the thoughtful idea he gave him but then shook his head.”thank you Haraka but I will be ok I have a thermos of nightshade tea at the hospital that will get me thru it though your wine would actually work well if I didn’t have anything thank you for the suggestion though “he said .

When he as asked about his antivenom work by the boy Sol nodded.”yes I can explain some of my work I would show you but very select people are allowed in that wing of the hospital due to the dangers, I am perfect for working there since I have immunity to almost all poisons on this earth” he explained with a small mischievous grin on his face. He was truly hard to kill with poison due to being a godslayer and very few poisons could actually do him real harm. At the mention of baby pictures and him being in his mothers books Sol chuckled a bit ." I cannot promise I won’t see them Haraka but I can promise you that I will not speak of them is that fair to you?” he asked before he gently reached into a shadow portal and pulled out his treasured Kiseru.

“do either of you mind if I smoke?” he asked politely before waiting on the answer, if they said yes he would light the kiseru and would start smoking his normal blend of nightshade and tobacco. As Haraka explained he wanted to be something he would not be ashamed off and that he wanted to pull out his potential.”we can help you with that ask any one of us and we will help you right Mr Weiss” Sol explained with a confident smile on his face. If the boy wanted to become better he had no doubt the company could help him.

Johann raised his head a little at the mention of wine. After all, everyone that would knew him also knew about his somewhat exaggerated passion for all kinds of exotic wines. To add, one of his only true passions. The Vice President noted that and put that to the back of his mind for the time being, he would perform inquiries regarding that at a later point, all the while continuing his path towards to the Headquarters, closely following his fellow guild mate and the newcomer, listening to the exchange of words.

"It's fine, really. You have other duties within the company that require your attention, Sol, at least for now. But thank you, and while we're at it" he gave Sol a weak smile, he was somewhat unfamiliar with him still, he had practically just joined them, after all, but he didn't want to be rude while the other was still upholding manners of formality "you can call me Johann, if you don't mind". He had rejected the other's offer for help for the time being, but he did take note of his eagerness to help. The man certainly had potential, and something about him seemed to fit right in here at his new position.

"Uhm - What ?", the man instinctively thought, Johann's face wasn't exactly hiding his confusion as the other man replied to his question, giving him an answer that was somewhat shocking. He didn't expect the newcomer to be, well, ancient. He would keep that to himself, but he couldn't make sense of the fact that the man was that old. Then again, in this upside down world he couldn't make sense of many things, so for the time being he shrugged off his confusion and curiosity, labelling this fact as another peculiar puzzle piece in the grand scheme of things. "I see" he simply gave back before continuing his path. Haraka followed up, explaining his reasoning for finding his way to this location that the West Fiore Trading Company called their home, and Johann could empathise with Haraka as he told him and Sol. He, too had worried about the exact same thing more than once in his past, and it probably wouldn't stop either, but he had found purpose with the guild that he called his family now, and he sincerely hoped that Haraka could find what he was looking for. Johann, simply shaking his head to the dragon's question, he out of all would be the last one to tell others not to smoke, before turning his attention back to the peculiar newcomer. "I am certain that the West Fiore Trading Company can provide you with all the tools necessary to improve, but enough of that" Johann said to the other before he stopped once more, before them towering the building that the West Fiore Trading Company called their Headquarters before he walked up to the massive mahogany front doors, pushing them open to reveal the extravagant entrance hall. "Please, do come in"

Harakas light flared around him briefly for a brief moment, flashing a bit after with the shock he felt. Nightshade tea?! His face wasn't able to show it, but he certainly felt shocked to hear about someone even making something like that. Nightshade was deadly! He sounded like he was talking of a wonderful pick me up, so casual in the tone of his voice. He hadn't noticed the face smile of his had started to fade from the deep confusion and worry stirring around in him until... oh. He was immune to poisons? That bit of information cleared away the confusion and worry, the smile repairing itself. The light around the demon returned to its normal dim glow. Nightshade wouldn't hurt Sol then. This was the only person he had ever met that could drink nightshade tea to help keep awake and aware on a work shift at a hospital. That would normally be the sort of thing that would kill a person, a lot. "Oh, oh, immune, oh." Even if the shock was gone, it was still being processed a bit in his head. "That must make the world an entirely different sort of experience. Drinks, foods, gasses, certain stones. There are so many things toxic to most individuals.

I'm glad you use it to help you help others. That's amazing." Part of him was relieved for some reason. "I don't mind if you can't show me your work, as long as you can still tell me about it." He liked helping people too much, it still excited him a bit. Though he would still find a way to be okay with it and smile if Sol decided to not tell him about their work. The laugh, the commentary. Ahhh... nooo... well... it made sense, but still, part of his insides squirmed a bit. He supposed promising not to speak of the baby pictures would have to do. Well, he did know that he couldn't expect people to not see them, even if he really wanted that to be a thing. "That's fair." When asked about the smoking, his response was quiet, "Not at all." Why would he mind? Smoking was normally considered a poison to the lungs but... this person was immune to poison. That would be something he would need to get used to, but the crustacean was sure he could do it.

Ahh, Haraka should have seen that coming. It felt like everyone was getting comfortable after all. It might be nice to make friends, though depressing in the long run.. it would be worth it. "I don't mind, thank you Johann." He liked both of these people so far. It felt more like he had made the right decision to come out of hiding. Everything seemed fine, until the older looking man reacted to what he said about his age. Well, this wasn't the first time someone reacted that way, unlikely to be the last either. It wasn't a surprise, it was something he knew how to explain... but didn't. Would anyone actually want to?then again, there was a way for him to explain without saying the entire truth. . . But what if that lead to more questions? Ah, he had a very simple way to prove it without revealing anything. "You could always look in my mothers first book in her series, it's how I remember my age. The exact day, month, and year are marked." His birthday, forever engraved in a book that talks about basic body functionality, veins, and how magic flow can effect your insides.

The guilds main building of the guild was definitely massive. The size was a bit intimidating, let alone the massive lacrima. The size didn't fully hit him yet though, it had to be how ready and eager he was to fall asleep. The doors looked vast, high in quality, and definitely told him something. The demon had made his choice to stop running and hiding. Besides, they were gone anyway, right...? His light brightened a bit, mind briefly drifting to smoke rising in a small town normally coated in snow, the sound of burning... and other sorts of sounds better left without detail. To name the sounds would have been to acknowledge what it was... But now wasn't the time to keep letting the past pull him behind. The screams, the burning, tearing, crunching, the crackling of fire, it was all the past. Even if hid mind reminded him of it now as a warning, The Omaras still thanked Johann and walked inside. He could do this, the past was the past. All of those from that event were gone but him anyway. That was what he thought anyway. It was going to bite him in the ass later, but for now it was the blessing that gave the demon the courage to walk inside. "...I don't think I've ever been in such a big and lavish looking building."

“that is true thank you Johann” Sol said as he took a puff of his kiseru. At the sight of Haraka losing his smile and the look of worry on his face the dragon could only laugh a bit.”ah that face never gets old. But yes it does change your perspective on food when you can eat things that can kill most people” he said. It had taken him a long time to get used to eating things that he knew were dangerous. “it is good to know that my knowledge can save others especially considering my abilitys are mostly meant to kill “ he explained though he hoped the boy didn’t pry since he didn’t want everyone to know he was a godslayer yet.

Sol nodded at the boys answer to his question and he kept smoking his Kiseru enjoying the flavor of the tobaccoo and nightshade.once they got to the entrance of the company the dragon gently tapped his kiseru to empty it on the grass.” I wish I could smoke inside” he mumbled before he put his kiseru away. At the boys reaction to the entrance hall Sol grinned a bit.” yeah its impressive isent it I had the same reaction when I saw it” he explained as he waited for Johann to take the lead.

Johann swiftly closed the doors behind them, the stream of fresh night air suddenly cutting off as they slammed in place. "This is the entrance hall to the West Fiore Trading Company's Headquarters" he gave back to Haraka's comment "wait until you see the rest", making his way over to the other two while raising a hand to greet Alisha who was still sitting behind the counter, scribbling something on a piece of paper as the small group approached. Sometimes he wondered if she ever caught some sleep, but then again, from workaholic to workaholic he understood. Still, even Johann was tired, and he, too, would seek to end this day in a quiet sleep soon.

"Well then, I think it's about time, please, follow me" he gave back, walking up the stairs and turning for the living quarters, passing the offices and and ornately decorated walls and hallways before they finally reached the rooms, Johann suddenly stopping before a small door. "For now, you can sleep here, Haraka. If all goes well, you can choose another accomodation but until then", he unlocked the door before pushing it open, revealing a small bedroom, a bed, table, chair and a dresser as well as another door leading to a bathroom inside, the same layout his quarters had. "I know it might not be the most luxurious, but it's all I can offer at this moment", he stepped aside so Haraka could go in. "If you'd excuse me then, I think I, too, will try and get some rest" he bowed before the group before addressing the other man "Sol, do you think you could handle Harakas ... introduction when he feels ready ?" he asked, certain that the other would take the offer. It was a test not just for Haraka, but for what would be their new Vice President in training as well. He was sure that Sol would figure something out to test Haraka, and with that, he awaited a response.

Word Count: 2.517

Haraka was happy a bit that loosing the false facial expression briefly had imitated a real one so well, but that would be bad to say out loud. Then again, wouldn't they notice sooner or later that he couldn't... No. Maybe not, as at least one of them has a high rank. The demon didn't expect to ever get a vital ranking, it wouldn't make sense. His very best efforts would likely just show that he was mediocre at best, right? Likely not even as good as many of the fans his mother once had. A disappointment to anyone who knew of his mother, he was sure. She was so positive he would become a gentle and amazing doctor that would have others seek him out for care and comfort. She loved his heart, but it was such a useless one. But, this wasn't an argument he could ever win or loose. She wasn't alive to argue with, making any attempt to argue with thoughts or feelings with her a null point. He was too tired for this self arguing, why couldn't this brain be a bit less active during a time that it could barely move enough to register new things? Hm... "What are you the happiest about being able to eat or drink ? Is there anything you are very happy that you are able to safely eat or drink? If I could choose to consume one thing safely, it could be dragon frost fruit."

There was that one time he took a bite out of a raw one when he was little, but it caused him to have chills and sneeze so much for weeks. During that time he was thoroughly scolded for doing it, but the fruit had such a cool and mellow taste, was so useful as an ingredient for dealing with fevers too. It really wasn't fair of the fruit to be so difficult to eat... wait, was he internally scolding a fruit for being difficult to eat? His brain really must be only partly awake for that to be a thing. At least he wasn't the only one who had considered it impressive. Walking along didn't make anything look less impressive though. It was kind of weird to hear someone talk down such an amazing room. "If you think this is an unimpressive room than I'm not sure you know what unimpressive is... Sorry, I meant to think that... not..." Sleep, he needed sleep so his brain could work, so weird things wont slip out, so his brain will register things faster. If you are tired enough, the brains functionality isn't that far from someone smashed on alcohol. If only he didn't know that. Hopefully his tiredness wasn't that bad. "The room is amazing. Thank you for allowing me to rest here at such short notice." He had a feeling that in the morning everything would register in his brain a lot better.

If that was good or bad, he wasn't entirely sure yet. "It was a pleasure to meet both of you." Certainly, he wasn't used to things like this at all. The entire building was beautiful and screamed wealth and amazing work done in creating the building and getting all the fantastical decor. Even the room that was called 'not much' impressed the partially awake demon that felt more and more like he was going to pass out by the minute. A merchants boat isn't exactly the best place to get sleep at if you aren't used to being on ships. It isn't made for comfort, mostly just getting cargo from place to place safely. It had taken so long to get here too... Just a few hours of solid rest, that's all he needed. The demon walked into the room, his magic slowly unfurling under the weight of his tiredness. Large wings with a thin shell like coating that covered parts in sections practically dragged on the floor, as well as a thick and lengthy deep sea mantis shrimp tail dragged. At this point it was an unsure thing if he eve registered that those things were visible. His face looked blank, his eyes dead and half open. The young man just... wanted to get to that bed and rest. A solid place to sleep at. No waves, no rocking, no weird sounds, just sleep. He didn't even make it to getting under the beds covers when he did make it to the object.

Omaras simply... flopped on top of it and fell asleep. There was a white mark on one of his wings, but it had no collections to any guild. But... it was easy to miss the mark when there was so much different blues shimmering and glowing in different designs on the wings and tail as a whole. It was just a small mark at the base of his right wing of a dragon like shape at the center of a snowflake design.

At the young doctors question the dragon could only thnk for a moment before he shrugged.“its hard to say Haraka when you have an ability to eat that which is normally not edible it makes it hard to choose” he explained. Sol nodded to Johann as he was asked if he could handle Harakas introduction to the company when he was fully rested and the dragon knew he could handle making some form of test for the newcomer, after all he did have the whole night to work on it.”very well I can do that Johann if you both will excuse me I’ll be heading to the medical wing to start my shift have a pleasant evening”

He then excused himself to head towards the medical wing, for the next 6 hours Sol spent three of them in the clinic working on anyone who was admitted and sadly tonight was a silent night with no action or patients. So for the first three hours Sol mainly hung out with a cup of nightshade tea and chatted with the nurses and made sure he was up to date with any of the at risk patiants on the higher floors before the second part of his shift started. Once the first three hours were up the dragon made his way down to the basement where he scanned his keycard with his magic signature and entered the poison lab before he looked at the to do list and got to work on making anti venoms while examining and tasteing some new poisons so he had knowledge of what they did and how to stop the effects.

The demons sleep was as sound as one might expect. His natural magical regeneration shortened up the amount of sleep needed. The man awoke on top of the bed that was still clean and neatly made looking. As soon as Omaras had woken, the wings and tail of his quickly vanished. The use of that magic was instinctual at this point. There was a knowing that he hadn't even removed anything from himself the night before. A shower was definitely sounding nice right now, and there was one he had access to. The man walked over to the bathroom, looking in. Was there any room in this building that didn't look extravagant? When deciding to try to join west Fiore, one thing he hadn't expected was so much luxury. His reasoning had nothing to do with money, but maybe it was something he had to consider now. Time would tell what he had to think about. At the least, manners were a thing that never went out of fashion. In any case, Haraka stripped down, putting his things outside of the bathroom on a table. If there was one thing the person knew, is that water would not be touching certain objects in his ownership, those items would not be damaged. They may have only carried sentimental benefit for himself, but that meant the world to him. In to the bathroom to shower the demon went. It was a brisk and chilled shower, but it left him feeling more awake and clean. The water had also been very useful in keeping any new cuts on his back from bleeding too much.

But now wasn't the time. He was out of clean clothes, so he summoned woven cotton fabric. At least there was that upside to his magic, he would never be hungry, nor need to buy new clothing. He had left his home, most belongings, and thus couldn't figure out a new system or area for cleaning his clothes until he officially had somewhere to live, that somewhere would have a kitchen. Until then... his back had already started to scab up, so he dressed in the not yet dyed clothing. There... really wasn't any time to dye them yet. He had enough spare buttons to to... there we go. The dress shirt and dress vest were fully functional, along with the pants. The socks were sort of a given that they would be functional, didn't exactly need any non plant materials. His items were all packed away, his hair brushed and tied in a high up pony tail. This was the hair style that would remain forever, as at this time he hadn't the faintest belief that he would ever get that ceremony, it just... made no sense to have any for something like that at this point in life. What should he eat? Something that didn't require a knife would be preferable. That's when he had an idea, and left the room with a smile. So... He held up a hand. Inside his mind the plants hidden name was called, outside of it... "I call as one who walked the golden path, please answer my call as a citrus nectar." A seed appeared in one hand, slowly developing to a flower, than it wilted to make way for an unripened fruit.

It started out small, but its size and color slowly shifted in his hand. He stopped the spell when it was perfectly ripe. It smelled so perfect, this would be a wonderful breakfast. Well, now he started walking again... but somehow... he felt lost. Wait, there was the the front area from last night. Haraka wasn't lost, it just felt that way. Not sure what else to do, the demon took a bite of the fruit, toes curling a bit in his black shoes. Today was going good so far. "At least I wont need to make any nectar trees..." He quietly mumbled this to himself, trying his best to not let the obvious wealth of the guild frighten him.

Sol yawned as he walked outside of the guild with his usual cup of coffee in his hand. His shift had gone rather well but he was tired and was more then ready to start working on paper work when he remembered a rather crucial fact. He still had to test Haraka and while he had an idea for how to test him he needed to find him first. As he entered the company building he spotted Haraka looking around for him and he took a drink of his coffee before he approached.”ah good your up come on lets go to the training grounds I think I ill need it for what I have planned” he explained while he motioned for him to follow him.

As they walked Sol kept drinking his coffee and stretched a bit. After a little bit they arrived in the training room and the dragon finished his coffee before he tossed the cup in a shadow portal and walked away from the demon before he turned and faced him.”since we like to test everyone that joins your test is simple but that does not mean it is easy” he explained before he snapped his fingers and the shadows engulfed everything so no one but sol could see. After a moment the shadows vanished but instead of one Sol there was now two.” your test is to see which one is real” one Sol said before the other picked up where they left off fluidly.”and which one is fake can you tell the difference keep in mind this test gets harder with each time you succeed”

The young looking demon was glad to see someone from last night in this massive building. A bit less glad at the sound of training grounds, but maybe it wouldn't be that bad. When they got there and shadow covered all, the shrimp man had been a bit concerned. It was almost a relief to see two Sol instead of something that suggested violence. None of this bothered him enough for the false smile to fade from the face though. How muscles tensed and relaxed, the difference in how the light around his body moved, these were the only hints of the emotions under. Now, how should he approach this? They looked the same, but would they feel the same? Did they both have full bodily functions? In simple terms, Haraka mentally approached the situation like a doctor. Now, lets look. Is there a way he could offer them something to drink? Well they just tossed their coffee, so they may not be interested in drinking anymore? "...My base magic is purely ocean, but I can use different elements. These elements are not part of my base magic, but rather use it as a medium of interaction. They are willing to do this out of love, even fire, though he really hates being touched by water and..."

Oh dear he was starting to slip off topic! Back on the topic train, this was serious business! "anyway... This means any fruit I could make will be perfectly ripe and full of flavor. Would you care for something? Can both of you eat?" There was a pause, thoughts rolling through his mind before the soft voice rolled out again. "you can eat poisons fine... and I have a fairly decent bottle of wine, something that was fair enough to buy me a passage across multiple countries to here. Can you both drink?" What else should he try? Well, if he wanted to check body heat or heart rate, anything like that would require touching of some sort. "May I touch you both to check vitals?" Are all bodily functions in sync? Would body temperature and heart rate match? Would it matter if ones heart rate was off though? He didn't know the originals.

Both Sols only smirked as the boy seemed to go off topic and both of them nodded when Haraka asked if they could eat”we can eat but we are not hungry” they said in sync to throw Haraka off further. When he was asked if he would like to drink of the wine both Sol and the clone held out their hand for one to be given the wine. When it was given to either one the clone would take a swig of the wine before passing it to the real Sol who would also take a drink. When he finished Sol would pass the drink back to Haraka. He was then asked if it was ok to be touched and have vitals taken.

“Go ahead but you know time is ticking” they said in sync again before they held out their arms. Despite what Haraka thought it would not be that easy to tell the two apart. It may have seemed a bit mean but the dragon king was enjoying making the boy go round in circles since it was amusing to watch.”tick tock time is ticking” they said to make the boy slip up or second guess himself.

They can both eat? He took out the bottle of wild berry wine, a drink that was mildly sweet, the flavor boosted with a bit of sour and a little bit of tartness. It was sealed in a glass bottle with slightly thick glass with bubbles in it. On the glass bottle was a glass seal with a lobster tail symbol in it. The label simply said wild berry wine. His posture changed a bit when sol drank it, both ones. That was very surprising, everything internally was functioning in both? No, he didn't know that yet. The demon placed the quark back, sealing the drink again before tucking it away. No, don't give up yet! He'd come all this way, spent all that time on the merchants ship, left most of his belongings behind. It wouldn't make sense to give up now, just as it wouldn't make sense for this person to suddenly make the test easier for a complete stranger just because. 'The difficulty is nothing personal, so it must be passable.' With that, he thwarted frustration and moved on to feeling for a pulse on one... then the other. Body heat? Feeling for that did nothing either. "I'm not going to give up, I already decided I'm not hiding anymore." Maybe he needed to think outside of the box... hug? Maybe that would help him figure it out? Like if one was softer than the other? That sounded weird... But still, he picked a Sol than went in for... a bear hug.

Internally Sol was snickering at Harakas predicament, the answer was easy but the question is would the newcomer be able to figure it out without a hint. As the demon man put the wine away Sol and the clone watched as he declared he was not going to hide anymore before he move towards them and gave one of them a…hug?. Sadly the one that Haraka had hugged was not Sol but the clone and it pulled its arm free before it karate chopped Haraka right in the forehead with enough force to give the man a mean headache before the light vanished again and when it turned back on Sol and the clone were out of Harakas reach again and they glanced at him before they spoke.

“if that was a guess then it was wrong. Take another shot just know that if you mess up again your getting hit again”they stated as they waited for him to make another guess or try to find another way to tell the two apart..

Haraka hadn't expected the hit, but the lack of flinching and the still focused facial expression didn't really give it away. Of course, someone would probably need to be told that he doesn't flinch to pain. Or that he only had two real facial expressions he could do outside of many fake ones. The reality was, it had dazed him and it had hurt, it just... didn't bother Omaras. For him, it was back to trying to figure things out. Oh, Sol thought he was choosing one with the hug? "I was trying to see if one had less hardness than the other. Both cat eat, drink, same temperatures, pulses.. were all no help. The bodies density was normal." He paused, eyes moving from one Sol to the other. "I don't mind if you take my prodding as guesses. What if it's a right one next time?" He really didn't mind it at all, getting hit. What did that say about the demon? "Take as many hits as you want." This wasn't a fight though, but rather a test. It wasn't about bronze, but brains. He was failing this test horribly so far.So many things, the two Sols had so many things in common. There had to be some way to tell them apart though, this was a test! What else could he test? Reflexes? But both had already been moving and reacting enough to tell the demon that both had good reflexes. Circulation looked normal before, looking in his memory and the current Sols... it was likely still the case.

Emotions could be felt in the tension within muscles, but he doubted the stranger would let him poke at their back. Feeling muscles in other places could at least tell you how tense or not tense someone was though. Was the same emotions and stresses visible on both Sols? There was only way to find out. Grabbing one could be seen as picking one, but doing that and poking at the arm was the only way to pick up just how tense the muscles were. Would they both let him do that, or would he get the wrong answer hit? 'That wasn't exactly fun, but I'm not going to avoid it either.'

The Sols simply shrugged.”unless you can correctly guess which one is the real one and which one is a fake and the reason you will get no answer” one of them stated simply while he watched the new member squirm at the difficulty he thought he saw in this challenge. To be fair he knew the answer but it was easy to over think and screw yourself with this test.”if we may offer one tip your thinking about this ask a doctor and that might be your problem” one of them explained hoping that it might help Haraka out since he seemed to be going in circles with the challenge.

Sol absentmindedly wondered if perhaps he made the challenge a bit to tough but he knew he could not lighten up now that he had started the test he had to see it thru completely to the end.