split on a stranger

[willowed]

Nuriko loves working under Robin Goodfellow. That man is sharp, sweet, an asshole, and above all, decadent in ways Nuriko hasn't been able to enjoy since her time in Emperor Saihitei's harem. (Before the days of knowing him as Hotohori.) Even though there's much of the harem that Nuriko didn't come to enjoy until after she made it her goal to work up the ranks, that doesn't make her any less fond of the fine food, the intricate decorations, and the lovely clothing above all. Working for Robin earns Nuriko enough of a salary to purchase beautifully tailored outfits, deliberately showing off as much of her long legs as she can.

The styles here are at once freeing and restrictive, Nuriko's found, but she's never minded a bit of interesting fashion.

Making the most out of her break, Nuriko cuts herself a slice of chocolate hazelnut torte and sets about meeting some of her fellow employees. Figuring that height's as good of a starting point as anything, she sets after the tall, broody brunette, grinning as she seats herself down directly across from him.

"You know," she remarks, tilting her head. "When you're that tall and refuse to smile, it might intimidate a lot of people."

Comments

[theprodigalson]

It's difficult to tell if she's flirting or not, his gauge on that sort of thing have long been broken, but her manner still makes him smile, head cocking to one side curiously.

"In my experience, 'big protectors' like me are often as useless as we are helpful," he says, resting his hands loosely on his hips. He feels ridiculous even using those words, repeating them only to emphasize how much they don't fit him at all. "And trust me, if you knew anything about me, you'd agree."

The rest of her comment makes him curious though and he pulls out an empty glass for himself along with a bottle of whiskey, tipping himself a couple shots worth. "So where are you from? And why the demon problem? You don't have any hunters?"

[willowed]

"No, that's true. You big protectors are horrible at hiding yourselves," Nuriko considers, letting her eyes briefly glance over the pretty picture that he makes, hands on his hips in a manner almost assertive. "Sometimes it takes the gentler sort to really skirt along with any finesse."

Crossing her legs easily, Nuriko smiles, watching the amber liquid slosh around in Sam's glass.

Getting people to drink always feels like a victory of a sort. It implies trust, in its way.

"Miaka used to say that my world is a lot like... ancient China? But I've never heard of that. I'm from the country of Konan," she replies, knuckles brushing against her chin. "Demons were just common. You had your hunters, of course, but people fell to demons faster than the hunters could kill them. Especially considering some of the hunters got killed, themselves. I don't have a great history with them. I'm not a fan."

[theprodigalson]

"I'm assuming you mean hunters and not demons," Sam says, fighting a smirk.

She's interesting, he'll concede that much. And certainly attractive. The kind of woman Dean -- the Dean he remembers from back home anyway -- would've been all over in a heartbeat. But there's just too much about her Sam doesn't know or understand, and just enough that makes him wary.

If nothing else, that keeps him talking.

"So what did you do then? Just let demons have their way with people? Look the other way?"

[willowed]

Nuriko lets out a laugh before she can stop herself, slightly bitter and mostly brittle, her eyes narrowing slightly at the memory. She bites at her thumb for a moment, trying to decide how much to share. It's in the past. Talking about it probably won't hurt anyone. The demon doesn't exist anymore, and the ones here are so much better at hiding that Nuriko doesn't even know how to smoke them out.

If he's planning on judging her, he has no real ground.

"Oh no. If I come across a demon, I do what I can. But it was harder to get around and search for them; we didn't have telephones or cars, or even that train I came in on. We had carriages. You couldn't..." Nuriko sighs, shaking her head. "If you were lucky, your village had someone who could look out for everyone."

[theprodigalson]

"So, you're saying you would've been a hunter if you'd had more reliable transportation," he says, arching an eyebrow. Though it's not quite so clear in his tone, Sam can't keep his judgment at bay. Though he hasn't always rejected the wait-and-see approach, he doesn't give it much thought anymore. Especially here.

Still, he's curious as he takes another swig of his drink and drops the empty glass on the counter to refill. "And these village over-seers," he says, glancing up at her again as he pours. "What were they, hmm? What would they do to help people?"

[willowed]

"I'm saying that if I set out without reliable transportation, coming back might have found my home village in ruins. You make choices based on who you care most about, don't you? Or can you blame other people for it?" Nuriko asks, her eyes narrowing slightly, though not in a tone of unfriendliness. She doesn't plan to apologize, though, for putting the needs of her loved ones first. If she can help others in the process, she will.

But sacrifice only goes so far.

"Anyway, if you were lucky, you had a strapping young lad to take care of your village. Maybe a few," she remarks with a slight exhale. "They weren't any different than the rest of us. You couldn't spend all of your time hunting demons, that wasn't a good use of time, wouldn't feed your family. I never fell in that role, exactly."

Her gaze drops, lashes fanning over her cheeks. "Things were a little different for women. Let's just put it that way."