2275/Knight & A Lady

Knight & A Lady
Date of Scene:	18 May 2015
Location:	The Realm of Gensokyo
Synopsis:	Duke is in a mental mess and goes to find the one person he knows, unconnected to it all, that he can fully trust. One lady he knows will never turn his back on him...
Cast of Characters:	619, Duke

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Sanae Kochiya (619) has posed:
    Another long day of work for a certain Sanae Kochiya has ended. It wasn't often that she got called directly to the Tengu village, even with their status as neighbors, as they were not usually that welcoming of any outsiders - but for these delicate discussions on behalf of the priestess' boss, Kanako, an exception was made. Besides, it's a welcome and rare treat to get to see even a sample of the kind of civilization that the Tengu have managed to create, with the help of the industrious Kappa. It's just that little bit more metropolitan than the human village far below the slopes. Still, there's no place like home, and she's been looking forward to not feeling like she has people taking pictures of her when she's not looking. Even if it's just Aya and Hatate, normally, it's hard not to project their habits onto the others.

    Besides the crow-type Tengu, there's also the white wolves; taking the form of girls with wolf ears and bushy tails. Despite their cuteness, those curved swords at their hips are all business. They're friendly enough with her, but they remain vigilant for the approach of intruders they didn't specifically invite. A few of the children of the village approach and receive friendly greetings and pats of the head, as well as shares of the sweets she'd bought to take home. But, when she finally manages to break away from the busy thoroughfares and begin to make her way to the exit, it's obvious that she's a bit worn down from a day's worth of dealing, counter-dealing, and then the PR blitz. It's not an unhappy expression on her face, but her gait has just that touch of fatigue to it. "They're always so lively," she muses to herself, halting in her steps as she finally gets a moment seemingly to herself, and to admire the bronzey, orange glow of the sky as the sun dips lower. The mountain really is a great place for a sunset!

    "Aaah," she exhales, before taking a deep breath of the fresh, if a bit rarefied, atmosphere. "That should do until I can get home and hit the baths!"

Duke has posed:
Sanae may seem like she is alone, but Duke had managed to find away to get around the security and the eyes of many. Keeping low and staying out of sight, which was an interesting fit give he stands seven foot eight, but a hooded cloak one can pull around their entire body helps.

Once he does come up on her, his steps are slightly light. Beyond the slight sound of the armored foot touching down against the stone work ground. Those gold eyes looking out from behind the shadows of the hood. "Sanae." His voice says her name gently. His voice much older, deeper. When she would turn to look, she find the tall figure, hidden by the hooded cloaked, his eyes only visible with their soft gold glow.

Sanae Kochiya (619) has posed:
    Perhaps the dimming light of day had helped, and there's certainly plenty of cover to be had, despite the village of the Tengu being on a mountain. A patrol of those white wolf types meander past, though are apparently more interested in talking about how they're going to spend their evening, than catching sight of this interloper. Sanae, herself, doesn't seem aware at first, her senses dulled a bit by it already becoming evening after a full slate for the day, but her back visibly straightens when she hears footsteps approaching. It's not quite the high alert sort of jolt one might give in a war zone, but rather, expectant. That's also why she's unhurried in her turning on a heel - expecting the heavy footfall to belong to practically anything except what her eyes meet!

    First of all, her eyes are focused straight-forward, if not slightly downward. She's more used to tengu that are her height or a little shorter - even with their style of footwear. The smile she'd put on turns into one of momentary confusion, as she's instead seeing an armored but slightly concealed figure. As Duke speaks, her eyes slowly trail upward, until they're locked onto his own. The voice is still a bit different - deeper, more even toned - than she was used to from even his other incarnations, but it's the eyes that she somehow reads to recognize. "Duke? You've gotten so large, now," is all she can conjure about it, immediately; She's trying to keep her voice down, it's obvious. Those white wolf tengu have excellent hearing, you know! That's also why she's suddenly glancing around and behind him, making sure there aren't any patrols closeby, that would likely misunderstand before she has a chance to explain.

    Once she's finished with that, and recovering from how utterly different his knightly form looks, she unabashedly reached out for his arm with one hand, and raises the other to her lips. "Let's go somewhere that you won't spook the locals. They're really sensitive about visitors. It must be important if you came here.. Is it about that demon guy?"

Duke has posed:
Duke stands there, looking at her and when she first speaks, he glances away. "I should have not..." However its when she takes his arm, does he pause in his words, his gold eyes looking back to her, puzzled as she takes his arm. The white metal easy to see with the black armored claw hands. The metal surface was smooth, warm. Not what you would expect from typical knight armor. "...Sanae?"

The confusion was in his words as she brings his hand up to her lips, unsure what to make of the odd contact or reaction. He explained to someone before that much of the human interaction is not something Digimon do. There is much he /has/ learned from TV, Video games, books, and even comics, but it still sometimes is-- not something that is not easily understood.

"It... is important yes." He says softly and then steps forward slightly, "Lead the way, Sanae.. and I will follow." She may noticed also when she reached in to take his arms and hand, that it exposed the knightly armor under the hooded cloak that was around his body. The metal trim following the edges of the contour of the body and while a green emblem was on his chest with gold engravings. He was far more humanoid then any of his prior forms-- it could almost be easily confused for a human in a oddly designed suit of armor really. "I'm just... sorry if this unexpected visit has interrupted anything... I didn't know where else to go."

Sanae Kochiya (619) has posed:
    If the circumstances were a bit different, Sanae would absolutely be gushing over how cool Duke looks. But coming here in this form, and so suddenly and unannounced, and with her awareness that there's been some big shifts in his world affairs as of late - she'll just hold that in, for now. Instead, seeming to know the area well enough, she makes her way down some alleys between the rustic buildings. Every so often the talking of residents going to their evening appointments, or making their way home, can be heard as they pass by - but seem uninterested in these kinds of loitering places, unsurprisingly. It also coincidentally makes it a bit easier for a seven foot tall armor-clad digimon to not be noticed, perhaps.

    "No, no, it's not that you've done anything wrong, Duke," she reassures, glancing this way and that again, before seeming to be satisfied with the privacy level. ...and that there's no kappa surveillance cameras around. Her smile returns easily, especially considering the circumstances, and she even gives one of his claw hands a pat, if he doesn't retract from the gesture. "The tengu are just not very trusting of people, by their nature. I wouldn't want them to get the wrong idea and attack you or something." She then seems to catch her breath, but seems to be at ease, sidling back a few paces to lean her back against a utility pole. "You'd told me you had a form that looked like a night, but it's seriously impressive and cool!" She finally couldn't help herself, even if she still makes an effort to keep it to a minimum, especially since..

    Duke's next words to her finally filter through, and her eyebrows furrow slightly. She perhaps misreads the situation slightly, as she wonders, "Did you get in trouble for fighting that guy, somehow? If you need a place to hide out, I'm certain I could get Miss Kanako and Miss Suwako to help. I.. ..I don't really know what's going on, though. I heard there's a black dog hunting digimon now, too." Catching herself from making too many assumptions or guesses, she gives a light shake of her head, and the smile returns, "Just, lay it on me. I'll do whatever I can!"

Duke has posed:
Duke follows Sanae easily and once they get to a safe location. He seems to relax a little, maybe realizing that /she/ is safe here. /They/ are safe here if her words are correct. When she does take his hand though, he flinches a little, only cause the contact is odd. Such gentle hands compared to his own...

"Mm." Is all he can say as she compliments on how he looks and then listens to her as she tries to guess what is wrong. Silence flowing over him as he closes eyes. As she talks about the dark dog, he starts to remove the hooded cloak, only because he was getting tired of the extra weight and the added heat. He was only wearing it after all to help conceal himself.

Which in turn allow Sanae to see his entire form, not that he was really thinking about-- ok-- maybe a little. He did promise her after all, just he'd never admit it. "That is-- part of it yes. I wanted to make sure you were safe. I'm concerned that... he may start to cause trouble. He recently killed a Digimon... took their DigiCore."

There was a pause as he shifted his weight, looking at her with his gold eyes. "You... wouldn't know what that is. Right." The Knight Digimon then leaned against a wall of a building before balling up the hooded cloak, seeming to use it to break his own tension. "A DigiCore is like our soul... it is what makes us, us. It holds everything about who we are, what we are..." Duke then looks at her once more. "We don't know why he took it... and I have Beelzebumon watching over Alexis and Doran... and has been since I won our fight. To keep them safe really. He is the best bet against that mutt."

Duke dig his hands a bit more into the cloth, agitated it seemed. "There are other things as well..."

Sanae Kochiya (619) has posed:
    "Killed a Digimon?" She can't help but parrot the words, and her expression looks worried again. Certainly, Sanae knows that those kinds of things happen in the multiverse at large - and Duke, himself, had told her of how his world had ceased to be, just a few weeks ago. But it's still just chilling, and worrying. While she's sorting through that, she doesn't have much thought to spare on what a DigiCore is. Though with how it's been said that they are data, her guess would be with some kind of core program that is normally untouched, like a kernel. Perhaps something akin to the spirit of a person - which is soon after confirmed by her impromptu visitor. Her worried face throughout the explanation shifts slightly, but it's not for herself, but for Duke and the Digimon friends he has left.

    After a few moments, her expression lightens again, and she says so, "Sorry about what happened. I'm safe, Duke. I mean..noone has caused any trouble in Gensokyo, recently, thank goodness. They would have their hands full if they came here with bad intentions. Though..if it helps you feel better, I'll try to be watchful when I'm out and about in the multiverse." She doesn't have a protective entourage, there, that would make getting to her a lot more difficult. Not that she lays out that factoid. Without the cloak around him, she takes another good look, moving away from where she had been leaning to pace around. She guesses, off-topic again, "This armor, it's..more like your body, right? It seemed different than just metal." It's more curiosity than seeming disturbed by the notion, but then she knows a talking umbrella, so she's well prepared for Digimon, in a sense.

    She's interrupted in this by more serious talk, and she comes to a rest standing slightly askance, "Beelzebumon..is that the name of the guy you were training to beat, then? It does sound familiar, like I've heard it on that public channel app. So then, your battles weren't out of hatred, but kind of like - Digimon social networking?" That's her only guess, as she taps at the corner of her mouth with a fingertip, if Duke now trusts him to watch over his friends. Then her eyebrows quirk curiously again, "Other things?"

Duke has posed:
Duke watches as she comes in close to ask about his actual body, but he doesn't answer right away, he simply rests back his armor head as she goes into the more serious topic he brought up. Trying to figure out the best way to explain it-- or maybe it was just foolish to come here. He might have now placed /her/ in danger.

"Sanae..." He says softly her name, before looking at her once more. Those gold eyes looking worried, confused, and unsure. While he has no mouth to be seen, those eyes were expressive and for the moment dull in color. "...it... isn't like that. Mm." Duke rests his head back with a sigh. "How to, hmm, how to explain all of this."

He then goes to stand up more straight, rubbing the fabric with his clawed armored thumbs. Was her nervous? Yes-- yes he was-- and perhaps a bit scared as well. So many emotions bundled up into one ball. Much like the hooded cloak in his hands now. "Beelzebumon... was once my enemy, still is--- I guess. I.. I don't really know anymore." he laughs gently as he closes his eyes and lowers his head. "I've been trying to figure out who I am... and he knew, but wouldn't tell me till I defeated him... I did... but my form shifted to do so, did so without me knowing it till I saw my reflection. I was /one/ of them."

His hands tighten up, his shoulders tense, his words seething with anger, but even deeper fear. "I was one of the Royal Knights...I am a murderer.... and while I can't... go back into the form after I lost it.... and I don't remember all of the events, but... In my heart..."

The fabric started to tear in Duke's hands, he was trying to control his anger, his fear, his emotions by taking it slowly out on the material. "Maybe I always knew it was true, Sanae... so I came here, I guess for some comfort from the one person who is not associated to any of this... any of us, beyond me."

"Yet I am a monster... for everything I have done. So maybe I shouldn't have come here."

Sanae Kochiya (619) has posed:
    It would explain a lot, wouldn't it? Beelzebumon's 'answer' then, needn't even be verbal. It would simply be something Duke would have to see for himself. Sanae, herself, listens intently as he explains his worries, his doubts, and also - the truth that he came across. He's certain right, in one respect. This was really way over her head, and she doesn't really know a lot about this Digimon warfare. But she's become good enough friends with Duke that when she sees the unease he's moving with, she - well, she can't place a hand on his shoulder, easily, but she does rest it on one of his armored arms. Her face is patient and as understanding as it can be, given how little of this she actually knows about. Mid-way, she gives a light shake of her head, but still finds room to smile, "Don't worry about me. I have a lot of friends that help watch my back." Though then her tone becomes a bit more serious, than usual.

    She bends forward just a bit, averting her eyes briefly, before looking back into Duke's. They definitely have their dose of sadness to them, and some of this is things she had shared before in limited doses, but her hand on the armor tightens slightly, tenses. "You're not a monster, Duke," she asserts first off, as though there's little room for argument. Breaking eye contact again, she sighs, "Even I've done things I've come to regret. When I first came to Gensokyo, I thought I could win everyone's love and faith by beating up all the youkai around. They're just monsters, right? This is what a priestess, a 'shrine maiden', is supposed to do." Her mind turns back to a time a few years ago, when her mind finally snapped into place. Over a broken opponent. A girl not unlike herself, except a youkai, and in obvious pain. When, past her over-zealotry, she finally realized, and sent a blood-stained version of her usual 'fly swatter' clattering to the ground, before reaching out a hand...

    "The important thing is, I realized. I was wrong. I was just hurting people, because of what I thought I was supposed to do," she continues after the poignant delay, raising a free hand to wipe at the corner of an allergy-laden eye. Even then, she finds a way to smile, having regained her composure, "From that day, I began to change things. I lived to help people in a more constructive way. I still have to fight, sometimes, but I have all these friends now. You don't have to be that Digimon anymore either, Duke."

Duke has posed:
Duke's hands come to a stop when Sanae touches his arm, even when her hand tenses their against his metal armor. Yes, it was a confirmation he can feel her touch like any other person. The Knight Digimon listens to her words, even as his eyes close.

Her own story and what she had come to learn, even as she explains he doesn't have to be what he once was, but he can not help but wonder how he came to be. Trying to remember all what Beelzebumon told him. What secrets held in those words as he held his lance to the Demon Lord's neck in anger.

Then even to his own confusing nightmares, before he lowers his head and looks at her. His eyes gentle, but the concern was still there. The fear and the emotional distress, but his voice-- his voice was calm. "...You are right... and I think... I think maybe, that is why I am here."

Duke looks away from her, out toward the last of the sunset rays in the sky. "In my dreams I faced off with a Digimon known as Omegamon--- I think he tried to kill me. Why would a Royal Knight... kill another Royal Knight, unless after all my actions I came to some conclusion... or tried to change something."

His jaw would lock if he had such, he would be frowning if he could. "But it doesn't change what I did--- even if I don't remember what and that is perhaps... the most frustrating part, Sanae." Those gold eyes then look at her. "When now you know a bit more about yourself, but you have even more questions then answers, because the pieces don't add up.... because while words may guide... they are not the same as /knowing."

Duke takes one hand off the cloth and goes to rest it on her shoulder, carefully at that. As if knowing his own strength, versus her more fragile form. He is also worried about startling her or her pulling away, but his hand would eventually come to rest on that smaller shoulder of hers, if she allows it. "You are... calming Sanae. My first friend, my first /true/ friend in a time when I had /no one/ really, beyond Doran. You don't know how much you mean to me... and I would never forgive myself if something happens to you."

Duke lowers down to his knee easily, slowly, before moving to take her hand and rest his forehead on the back of it if she doesn't pull away. His words, gentle, soft. Calming his own nerves, his own fears. Trying to pull himself back together by taking in what she said. "...Thank you..."

Sanae Kochiya (619) has posed:
    She would not have expected him to come to terms with everything, with just that much. Especially not with so many missing pieces. Frustratingly for her, she can't really help much at the moment, with that side of things, because all this Digimon world stuff is so new to hear..and she's been thrown into probably the most intense form of it. But, Duke's honesty, and surprising vulnerability, remains even in this current form of his, and she's willing to do all that she can to help. There's no flinch at all, as his relatively large hand is placed on her shoulder, and his words - that even if he doesn't understand everything yet, that he's willing to try - still bring a hopeful smile back to her face. "I can't say I know why or how you came to be here. But..Duke, you have the chance to change things, for your friends that are still here. I think..you should keep doing what you think is right, in the present, and let the past fall into place."

    As Duke kneels to be more on the level with her hand, and places his forehead against it, she gives a gentle rub like she had when he was in his other, more familiar forms. That much certainly hasn't changed, even if it likely would look a bit silly if there were any bystanders around, but she doesn't seem to mind his current shape so much. "I'm happy that I'm able to be here for you! And if you ever need a place for you or your friends to hide out, I can arrange something here." She looks a bit thoughtful, then, on that term that keeps coming up: Royal Knight. And he mentioned something about this Omegamon. These terms still have little notion to her mind, outside of the obvious implications of them, "If you were both Royal Knights, does that mean you were friends? It..must have been very serious, then. I wish I knew, Duke. I'll help you find out, though. I promise."

    Of the voices in the background, one set begins to approach a bit closer. It's a few crow tengu that soon drunkenly stumble out the back door of one of the local bars, it turns out. They seem to mostly keep their howls and calls between themselves, but one in particular seems to notice they're not alone back here, groaning out, 'huuuuh?' The hazy shape of Duke barely resolves in her eyes, but she likely thinks she's just imagining it, as she glances to the sake jug in her hand, shrugs, and moves to follow her rowdy gang. This causes Sanae to stiffen again, slightly, as though she were just pulled out of her thoughts to realize they're still in a fairly crowded settlement. A close one.

    "Hey, Duke," she says, regaining some composure and in a gentle tone, "Let's go talk about this some more at the shrine. I'm sure Miss Kanako and Miss Suwako won't mind. ..can I ride on your shoulder?"

Duke has posed:
Duke hears the people come out and his eyes dart over, even as the people here move, on he goes to stand up. He was enjoying the 'petting' that was obvious by the fact for that short moment he had his eyes closed and his body greatly relaxed. "My shoulder?"

The Knight shakes his head and then goes to actually pick up Sanae bridal style unless to protests. He does so with simple ease. "I think this a bit more respectful... where do we go from here. Point me the way and I can easily transverse us there."

Sanae Kochiya (619) has posed:
    Sanae and Duke had managed to escape, for lack of a better term, from the Tengu village, without any of the locals (consciously) discovering their presence. It was a relatively short journey, partway down the mountain to the Moriya shrine, which Sanae would have directed her knightly visitor to. It is quite picturesque: An isolated area that somehow still remains in harmony with its surroundings. The trees around it seem to be vaguely in autumn, noticably out of season with their surroundings in the rest of Gensokyo. Now he would know why she mentioned having to go sweep the temple grounds, all the time. Otherwise, it is seemingly much like other Shinto shrines he might have seen or read about in the multiverse. A collection of several smaller buildings of varying utility, with the central shrine itself more prominent.

    As they set down, the sounds filter in. The singing of frogs from ponds nearby, accompanied by the rattling of leaves blown by a light breeze. A (non-venomous) snake can can be seen to coil around a nearby tree's trunk, pausing to flick its tongue and scent the air, seemingly at Duke's approach, before continuing on its daily routine. These things would call to mind the hair ornaments Sanae herself wears. It is incredibly peaceful, by most measures of the term. There are definitely no other Royal Knights to worry about, here.

    All the while, she had been princess carried here. A manner of conveyance Duke found more dignified than having her on his shoulder. An initial yelp of surprise had given way to giggling - she had actually always wondered how the princess in that old Wyvern Soldier felt to be carried - before she had settled in for the journey here. After the arrival, she shifts to slip out and back onto her feet, taking a few moments to freshly adjust her robes. "Well then, Duke. This is where I live! It's called the Moriya shrine, after Lady Suwako Moriya. She's one of my bosses." At the mention of her name, she had half-expected her to suddenly appear, instead the singing of frogs grows more boisterous for a few moments, before growing more idle again. This prompts the priestess to glance around with a scratch to her head. "Hmmm... Anyhow, my other boss is Lady Kanako. They're both nice, and I'm sure they won't mind if you stay a while."

Duke has posed:
The shrine grounds was a beautiful sight to behold and Duke took them in, even after he already placed Sanae down on the ground and she explained who her bosses were. The former Royal Knight remained silent here though. Listening to the rustling trees, the frogs, everything around then. Sanae may even find when she looks to him, his eyes are closed.

When they do open, Duke seems to at last take a seat upon the stone work and lets his arms just rest over his legs. His head lowering slightly. "Thank you and those you work for then." He said with a calm, quiet voice. Perhaps the walk did him some good, maybe even her giggling over the fact she was carried with such dignity instead of she figured she would be.

It was hard to say what was now going on in the Digimon's head. Maybe even he was going over their conversation, about her own life experience.

"This is--- a beautiful location." Duke admits as he looks over to her. "Reminds me of something... or someplace... once." He looks back out toward the shrine buildings. "Long ago." His gold eyes look distant for a moment. "Ha... this would be so much easier to accept if I could remember everything." He says these words as he lowers his head once more.

"Even if I can make peace with some part of myself, even if I do move on... I still need to make amends for what I had done." Duke admits as he rubs his metallic clawed hands together. "I still plan... to make things right. Somehow, but... I think I need to seek forgiveness first... prove to other Exiles I'm not like 'them'." He closes his eyes once more. "Prove to myself too."

Duke then looks up, "But... I need to remember who I was in order to do that, because you can't ask for forgiveness, when you don't even remember what your asking it all for. Yet others do... and it still requires /you/ to remember yourself."

Sanae Kochiya (619) has posed:
    After a brief introduction, it seems like the goddesses aren't at home. Maybe they snuck up to the Tengu village, themselves, when she had spent a bit more time than scheduled? It is hard to say with their kind, though certainly Duke would get to meet them eventually. For now, it's just as well, Sanae reaching up a hand to rub at the back of her head. They'll certainly be fine on their own, just hopefully they don't show back up drunk later and embarass her in front of her guest.

    It lets Duke soak in the peace, regardless. Sanae turns back to see him seemingly lost in his thoughts, for a few moments; His now larger body taking a rest on the cool paving stones of the temple grounds. It takes her a few moments to break out of her own puzzlement over the serenity, but then her eyes turn to the Digimon, and a smile breaks on her face. She stands to the side, patiently, a hand busying itself with sorting out the snake-like ornament (or is it) in her hair, while she herself takes the moment to appreciate the atmosphere. Really, Duke has been through so much lately, by his own description. She won't interrupt until he's had a chance to gather himself, and put his own thoughts in order.

    "Yes, that's the most we can do, now," she responds, gently sweeping aside some leaf debris so that she can join her friend on the ground, resting lightly on a hip. She settles down a meter or two distant, but still close enough to be within easy conversational distance. Also, a light emphasis on the 'we' part - even if her prior history hasn't left quite the swath that Duke seems to have. "Noone can change what they've done in the past. That's why we live for the future. I mean...I won't get your hopes up; there's still youkai that are afraid of me. But some have come to trust me, and I even like to think I have a few friends. It will never be completely right, but it does get better."

    Atonement isn't something she's truly been able to do, considering the strange nature of Gensokyo, but she can certainly understand where Duke is coming from. The gaps in his memory, though, are still something she can only guess about. Much like how he still has issues with human gestures and mannerisms, as a decidedly analog organism, she isn't aware of what it's like to be missing pieces of oneself, or to have it tantalizingly close but in a jumble. "I still don't know a lot about Digimon, but...I think it would feel like I'm not my whole self, somehow. You've already come so far, though, just with your willpower! I'd like to think, the more things you see and do, the more that will fall into place."

    A bit belatedly, she glances aside at the compliment of the shrine grounds, apparently a little embarassed at it, but her voice still is a bit proud, "Miss Suwako and Miss Kanako deserve a lot of the credit for this place, but I also work hard to keep it presentable. It is really quite a special place. They are...my family, I suppose you could say." She doesn't realize how literally, in the case of Suwako, just yet.

Duke has posed:
Duke listens to what Sanae has to say, even as she sits a bit distant from him, he closes his eyes again. Perhaps meditating in his own thoughts, keeping his emotion from running rampant like they were when he arrived here. This place though, it helps. Her presence helps.

"I like it here," Duke comes to say as he opens his eyes and looks at her. "Maybe... I can help keep it clean along with you, as payment for the hospitality at least." The Knight Digimon looks away. "But... I think for now, the best I can do is let my mind settle, right? Focus on other things... because while I am here, I can deal with all this on my own time."

"We are safe here..." Duke concludes at last with a sound of a heavy sigh, as he lowers his head again. "Sanae... you said this place is a shrine grounds right?" He then looks at her once more, trying to change the subject now. Trying to get his mind off what has been plaguing him. To let it rest for now. "Shrines are designed for worship, if you don't mind me asking... who are these shrines designed for?"

Sanae Kochiya (619) has posed:
    Leaning back on her hands, Sanae lets her legs stretch out a bit. She looks comfortable on the paving stones, herself. Apparently this is something she's quite familiar with doing, from how relaxed she appears, herself. A pleased smile crosses her face, with Duke saying that he feels comfortable and safe here. That's exactly what he needs, right now, in her mind. "You're my guest, so you can stay as long as you need to, Duke. There's actually plenty of room." She looks a bit sheepish, again, as she admits, "I'm actually the only priestess here, at the Moriya Shrine." Not like they need that many.

    Her expression visibly brightens as he even offers to help with the chores, as part of his own conditions for staying here. As expected of a knight! "Oh? I mean, you don't have to...but I'd actually appreciate the help! The powers here keep it always in early Autumn or late Summer, so there's always these leaves blowing around. Which, it's pretty, but if you leave it even two or three days, it can become a mess." She'll leave out the part where the resident goddesses themselves sometimes leave a mess, hopefully he won't have to see that himself. Pointedly, she lifts a hand to twirl a finger vertically, the simple gesture enough to summon a gentle wind that sends a ring of leaves swirling around both Duke and herself, before settling back down. She gives a sigh, then a playful laugh. "You'd think it'd be easy to clean up with my magic, but I still use a broom, mostly."

    Duke's question is a fair one, though it's somewhat difficult to answer in a straight way, for various reasons. Her eyes tilt upward, as she pulls her legs back up to herself, knees bent into her chest as she gives a thoughtful 'hmm'. "Yes. Actually...this shrine used to exist in a world called Earth," she isn't certain whether Duke is familiar with it, despite how many there are connected in the Multiverse now. "But the world was beginning to lose its 'faith' in things like spirits and gods. That's why we relocated here. In Gensokyo, things like gods and spirits can exist freely, without having to worry about disappearing." In a way, it almost sounds like they had their own world fleeing concerns.

    There's a trace of sadness to her voice as she briefly recounts her old world, like that, but it's soon replaced by her smile again. "As long as Miss Kanako and Miss Suwako are alright, though, I don't care where we live. And, this world is so much more exciting than Earth is. It suits me better." With all that groundwork laid, she's finally able to answer his actual question, "The bosses I mentioned - they are the goddesses of this shrine, actually. But, worship here isn't like it is some places. They rely on faith for their existence, but there's more to it than just believing in them. It's...hmm." She gives a helpless grin and a light shrug of her bare shoulders, "Complicated! That's why they have me as their agent. If I'm able to make people aware that their prayers are heard, then their faith increases."

Duke has posed:
Duke shakes his head gently. "No. I'd love to help. It doesn't feel right lounging around at someone's place and not doing something to help out." The Knight admits, before he watches Sanae's magic go to work. Observing the leaves rolling around them before they slowly come back down to the ground, he does reach out however and plucks one before it does hit the ground.

He examines it gently in his hand, tracing the veins of the leaf with his clawed finger with the up most care. Duke then looks over to Sanae as she explains the power of this place, at least who it is form and those that perhaps even live here. His eyes narrow slightly in thought before he lets the natural breeze reclaim the leaf and observes it fluttering away.

"I see--- then I will give them the up most respect when I see them." Duke frowns a little inside. "At least they seem to be more carrying of gods then the one who created us." He lets out a gentle sigh before he then goes to stand up, tired of sitting it seems.

"You asked earlier... if this armor was my skin. I don't think I really gave you an answer." Duke tilts his head faintly before looking directly at her. "It is. The material is known as DigiChrome thought--- a type of digital metal material, I suppose you could say. I believe there s a legend behind it or... a rarity to it, but... I can't remember the details." Duke shakes his head softly a bit. "But under this armor, is...the layer of data... the muscle, I suppose you could say."

Sanae Kochiya (619) has posed:
    Suwako and Kanako had done their share of creation, but on a slightly more limited scope than many of the gods of the human, or perhaps even digital, world. She doesn't dwell on her judgement, or Duke's, on how fitting those are. She can only really speak for the ones she serves as the priestess for. "I appreciate it, Duke," she says, to both of his offers. "I'm sure you'll get along fine. They can be a little eccentric at times, but I think that's just part of being a goddess. They are generally nice, though." Realizing herself talking about them, she gives another glance around, somewhat wary even if she hadn't said anything truly bad. "They don't seem to be around, right now, though. I wonder where it is that they went. Maybe they're visiting a friend?" You would think as their priestess, she could keep better tabs on them.

When Duke mentions his armor, though, her interest turns again, scooting and leaning a bit closer to examine it with discerning eyes. She even gives her chin a light rub, as she imagines this somehow makes her look more scholarly about her inspection. (It doesn't, really.) "So then Digimon like yourself don't really wear 'clothes', right? What looks like armor, it's part of their data." She doesn't seem to feel strongly about this, one way or another; it was merely her guess of curiosity. As her knightly friend gives an actual name to the alloy he's covered in, her eyes brighten again, "DigiChrome, huh? So cool. Reminds me a bit of some of the names of things they would make super robots out of in the books I used to read. Uhm, not that I think you are a robot, Duke!" She laughs good-naturedly again, even if he does bear a vague resemblance to some of the designs.

    It would also explain how the metal was still warm to the touch, as well as how his expressive eyes - remaining much how she's always remembered Duke - seem to be more an overall part, than set into a face below. After she's done with her closer look, she leans back on her knees, resting her hands on her lap, and she suddenly looks a bit troubled by something. Something that she wonders aloud shortly after, as her inquiries on the nature of Digimon remind her, "Do your friends like Doran know what has happened, yet? That you're safe?"

Duke has posed:
"Right." Duke gives Sanae a nod. "Our clothing comes with the Digievolution." The Knight explains, he would be smiling if he could, but its visible in those eyes. "We can't really change it either, though... I suppose Yggdrasil could if he wanted."

Which has Duke looking away for a moment in idle thought. Is that maybe why Gaonoir took the DigiCore? Was Yggdrasil--- no. Why would he need cores to do that? Yet those thoughts are snapped out of when Sanae asks him if he has talked to the others.

The former Royal Knight shakes his head. "No. I have not, but Beelzebumon is with them. I had him promise to keep an eye on Doran and Alexis while I... worked on getting my head back on straight. That way if Gaonoir--- the black dog-- ever shows up, they have aided firepower."

Sanae Kochiya (619) has posed:
    Sanae can't help but look a little worried, still, at the prospect that he's trusting the one he'd fought so hard to get his answers from. It seems like trust is a flexible thing in the Digimon world, though, and if he's accepting of it, she won't question it further. To try and better put his mind at ease, she gives a smile to his words, and reaches over to an armored shoulder to give it a light pat, "I'm sure they will be fine, Duke. I understand not wanting to tell them right away, but..when you're feeling a bit better, and more composed, maybe you can send them a telegram. Just something so that they won't be worried." Gently, she uses his strong shoulder to heft herself back up to her feet, and brushes a few stray bits of debris from the skirt and sleeves of her robes. The sunset has long since passed from golden to red, and stars are scattered across the sky. They are not quite the same stars as Earth has, but the lack of light pollution here makes them truly vibrant.

    She turns to regard them, realizing only then that it has gotten a little late, with how wrapped up she was with her unexpected visitor. She briefly thinks back to the inn in Ponyville, and scratches at a cheek, "You're probably tired from - well, everything, huh? You should get some rest, and we can talk about it some more tomorrow, okay? I'm just wondering... Are a human's accomodations alright for a Digimon?" She had her own room, back then, so she hadn't really been privy to what Duke and Doran's stays were like. Regardless, she pulls away and makes a beckoning gesture with a hand, sending the detached sleeve around it wafting, "Hopefully you'll be okay with one of the guest rooms!"

    Past the shrine itself, and a few smaller utility buildings, is the actual dormitory, such as it is. It is basically a traditional-seeming Japanese construction, with thick paper panels, thankfully still insulated from the evening chill. It seems like only two of the rooms along the row of doors are used particularly often, but they are tidy enough - just that sparse, un-lived-in feeling. It's one of these extra doors that she slides open, a mostly bare floor, but there is at least some furniture, including a futon to rest on and a lamp, as well as some fabric wall hangings of nature scenes that would look truly from another era, if they weren't in Gensokyo. "Sorry that it's a bit boring, but we don't actually get many guests that stay over," she admits, stepping over to the lamp to cast a dull glow over it. There, that's better.

    "I'll go fix something to eat and brew some tea while you get acquainted. Just let me know if you need anything else!" Then she's trotting off to another of the buildings, never even stopping to consider whether Digimon eat the same things humans do, but he did mention meat trees.