The young man reclined as he laid back on the bench sitting outside of the market place. His head dangled over the rim of the back of the bench as his eyes scanned the clear blue sky for the sun that evaded his blinded sight. The dense white cloth that covered his golden eyes from view had successfully hidden the molten orbs from sight for some time now. As repentance for not only his failure and his heresy he was self imposing upon himself the Decree of Darkness. He had willfully excluded himself from Sol's grace and as such he would cursed to stumble and falter through life until such that could be determined that he had earned the privilege of sight once again.

As such now as he had for many days since his self exile from Sol's majesty, he spent his days bathing in a sunlight he couldn't see. Taxing his remaining senses to make it through a life of self imposed blindness. The sensations he felt and heard now seemed all the more prominent now that he no longer had sight to provide context for the things he experienced. He truly existed in a world of his own now.

Hitomi couldn't remember the last time she had a day to herself. It had been constant work since she got to Orchidia, but she also made great progress in her training to become stronger. As content, as she was with drowning herself in her work she understood the importance of rest, or at least she recognized the negatives that came with overworking. Dressed in a simple off-the-shoulder white dress, wide-brimmed hate, and a pair of white heels with some purple accents. She looked beautiful as always, gaining the attention of most men and women for differing reasons. Hitomi herself didn't think too much about her own looks but she made sure she was always well put together.

Strolling about the market and taking a look at the wares around her, Hitomi could have sworn she had spotted Seika in the distance. Her violet gaze spotted a familiar figure sitting down on a bench but he was blindfolded. Hitomi couldn't remember Seika ever blindfolding himself but as she got closer the scent that wafted off of him let her know that it was in fact Seika. Strolling over to him and standing just over his head which was dangling off the back of the bench, she peeked down over at him, a smile on her face.

Seika? What a pleasant surprise to see you here. Or should I say, Captain Seika?

The sounds of the passing crowds of people washed over Seika as he lost himself to his own thoughts, his struggles with his own piety were coming to a head as he truly contemplated the aspect of his sin. He could remember the darkness, the yawning pit that surrounded him, the sensation of falling. The deep, the darkest deep, the deepest depth. It was actually terrifying how dark it had been within that pit long before he had been pulled out of it all. And in that terror he had questioned Sol, if only but for a moment, he doubted his patron saint, and felt the true power of despair as the light and heat left him. It was at that moment he knew that Sol was real, the patronage that he had given the God all of this time had always been answered, but he had faltered in that faith when faced with true adversity, and now he paid for his hubris, his humanity.

It were these thoughts that were interrupted with a presence came between himself and the light and heat that he wanted to embrace so much. However the presence shaded him differently than others, it also emanated a sort of heat, a warmth that had been slowly growing lately as they had spent more and more time with each other. His suspicions were confirmed when she spoke to him, her melodic voice flowed straight into his ears as she asked if it were truly him sitting on this lonely bench. He'd give her a melancholic smile at this, his lips quirking up just enough to see the amusement yet the sadness that his eyes held would forever be hidden from her visage now that he had to pay for his sins. He would try to nod but the way his body and head were positioned the action would have little to no real effect as he was just swinging his head back and forth, as such he would be sort of forced to use his words, chapped lips cracking apart for the first time in many days as he spoke the first words he had said since that mission, "Aye, how are you doing on this fine day Captain Minamoto, hopefully all is well?" He would always be cordial with her, she was one of the few who had seen him at his lowest and had not only accepted the failure but tried her hardest to bring him back to the light. For that he could never push away such kindness.

He wouldn't be able to see it but her smile grew even wider. She was relieved it was him and not some mistake. The abilities that came with being a dragon slayer were hardly wrong. His smoky scent was noticeable and distinct something she could recognize instantly nowadays, but still, she had to make sure. moving around the bench and taking a seat next to him, she placed the red purse between them. The two had really only spent time working together so it was a nice change of pace to share this free time with him. His silences were many but hearing him speak was a rarity that she hardly got to enjoy, hopefully, today she would be able to break that.

All is well, thank you for asking. What about you? I'd like to think all is well for you, but this sudden change in style is telling a story, mind filling in the blanks? Hitomi looked over to her right where Seika was sitting next to her. She was of course referring to his blindfold, something of an odd choice considering he wouldn't be able to see a thing normally. Hitomi wouldn't wrap her head around it of course as she left the floor open for an explanation, one she hopped he would give her.

His smile grew as he felt the woman's presence shift from where it had been, he assumed that she would be moving to the bench to sit with him and moved accordingly so that she had the proper amount of space and privacy befitting a lady of her stature. She had a rather earthy scent, hinted by ascents of berries and flowers. It was fairly unique all things considered since the market place carried various other scents on the wind that mingled with the scent she gave off. He could feel her sit down on the bench and reluctantly pulled himself back up to a proper sitting position. He turned his head in her direction as if he could see her properly but the lack of actual sight sort of showed through as he simply blankly 'stared' in her direction.

He wore a more casual outfit for the day, his normal fire fighter jumpsuit had been replaced with clothing that more befitted a church priest of Illumin. It was funny how little he actually wore his priest clothing when not actually in a religious setting, but he had also realized that he didn't have actual clothing to go out into public with when he wasn't on the job. The clothing was fairly comfortable and accented his more muscular frame fairly well as well even if he himself could see that it did. Now that he thought about it, he wondered what Hitomi looked like, the woman did always have impeccable taste even if he never commented on it. She was rather regal in the way that she dressed and carried herself when on the job. It would have to be something he asked her about later on, maybe she could help him dress in the future.

Regardless now that she had sat down, she had immediately engaged him in conversation about how he was feeling, something that he had just been mediating on. She mentioned his change in style and couldn't help but chuckle as he reached beside him and help up a large tome that he was now taking to carrying with him when he wasn't planning on fighting. He didn't have to worry about actually reading the scorched texts, they were something he had memorized when he was ten, but it was the comforting reminder of what he strived to be that made him keep the texts on his person from now on.

"I'm just... returning to how I used to be before I traveled to this accursed land. The last mission was... difficult. Far more difficult that the mission even before that. There have been many trials for me since I've arrived Captain Minamoto and I've realized that I have begun to stray from the path that Sol has set before me and this path has lead me to some rather... malignant thoughts and actions. So to repent I have begun the Trial of Eclipse. To trust in Sol and all that they provide is one of the core tenants, and what better way to test that faith than by removing the one gift that Sol gives all freely, the gift of sight."

The time she spent around Seika didn't allow her a chance to really dig into him, really find out things about him as a person. She knew he was the silent type and that was because apparently, people didn't like what he had to say when he did speak. Hitomi thought that was nonsense but she wasn't the one who was experiencing it so she hadn't commented on it when he told her. His blindfolded stare was amusing to her as he spoke, answering her question with more words than she had ever heard from him before. Taking it all in she never would have guessed him to be the religious sort. Although her issues with religion were too deep-rooted to forgive those who practice Illumin she didn't hold too much ill will towards those who practiced outside of it. What he was going through seemed heavy and maybe it was his own burden to bare but she wouldn't just let him do so alone, not around her at least.

Placing a hand on his thigh and give it a light pat she wanted to know that if he ever needed anything she would be here for him. Just Hitomi is fine. The formalities can be saved to keep the others in line but when it's just us, you don't have to address me that way. It felt weird now having him call her that like there was still some border between them that kept them from evolving beyond just co-workers. She would have thought the two had been through just enough to move past that, and she wanted to make it clear that it was ok for them to move forward as such.
I won't lie, I've never experienced what you are going through, but I'd like nothing more to offer my help in your journey if you need it. I'll always be here for you. In fact, I'd like to invite you out to lunch. I was just shopping for some supplies to cook if you want to join me? I'd like to know more about the religion you follow. Though not particularly fond of religion she was fond of Seika, any excuse to get to know him more was good enough for her.

His heavy words carried him into silence as he had turned his head back forward during his semi quiet monologue. He didn't know how she would take his act of repentance but he also knew it didn't matter. Now that he was on this path he couldn't back out of it, it was never a light issue when one began the Trial. And it was enforceable by rather old arcane methods. The blindfold that he wore was magically enchanted to actually burn away his eyes if he himself removed it before it removed itself. It was also enchanted to stay attached to his head throughout any damage and was impervious to most damage since it was meant to test his faith and not the skill of the wearer.

However his fears and concerns were laid to rest as he felt a pressure on his upper thigh closest to Hitomi, the soft pressure wasn't something he could ascertain as he strained his senses to understand what the woman could've possibly placed on him. However his efforts were put to rest as her voice came in much closer than it had before as if she were leaning in his direction if only slightly so that she could place her hand on his thigh. Face relaxing as his exerted concentration was redirected elsewhere, he took in the words she spoke to him with a sense of calm about his person as she took charge of the situation. Feeling the pressure shift as the woman spoke, he'd listen as she offered her assistance in his task. It was something he had not considered since it was usually something undertaken by the many brothers and sisters of the convent, but considering it was just him here he was all alone in his atonement. Smiling softly at the thought of once again having companionship he would wait for her to finish before finally responding.

"Thank you for your kind words Capt- I mean Hitomi. That will definitely take more getting used to haha." He chuckled softly as his mood had improve just a bit, "I would feel honored to accompany you throughout your day. I don't know how much help I'd be able to provide towards the cooking, but if it's company you're after, I'm sure I can.. try to be a bit more cordial. And while we're out I would be happy to answer any questions you may have about my religion."

Grabbing her purse and taking Seika's hand into her own, she didn't know how the man was able to move about with his vision gone. Maybe he had a different sense he relied on but whatever the case was she didn't want him getting lost in the crowd of people, a crowd that seems to grow around them as more people recognized the two captains. You don't have to lift a finger. All that is needed is your tongue for taste testing. Leading the two through the market she backtracked to a butcher's place she happened to pass by as she was taking a stroll. Originally she was just going to head to a cafe and enjoy her day off with some shopping but she figured it would be better to hang with Seika now that she's found him. What's the name of your religion? What's its mission? She started off simple, just basic questions to start. She had only ever heard of one religion but she wasn't surprised to hear there were more in the world. She wanted to think all religion left a bad taste in her mouth, but it was really just one. Her heart wasn't made to harbor that much hate but she was still wary of all religion regardless of how she felt.

He felt the soft pressure on his thigh move away, the comforting aura that had slowly become a part of him disappeared instantly. It was soon replaced by the sound of shuffling and the sensation of weight being moved away from the bench as he could only assume that Hitomi was getting up from the bench to leave. Confusion crossed his face at this as he couldn't see if he had offended her in some way with what he just said but before he could open his mouth to apologize that soft sensation had returned once again to his person, just not on his thigh. Feeling the warmth of her small hand grazing the back of his before slim fingers wrapped around the large rock that was his hand, he felt himself get lead up from the bench before falling into step beside Hitomi, the young woman jokingly mentioning that she only needed his tongue to taste whatever foods she created for him this afternoon. The sensation before him was rather new, having never actually held a woman's hand if it wasn't for the express purpose of combat or escorting them, to actually hold a woman's hand just for the pleasure of holding their hand was... pleasant.

The warm callouses that decorated her palm and fingers reminded him that the smaller woman beside him wasn't just some flower but a powerful warrior in her own right. One that had spent years honing her craft. He recognized now and forever that she did not need a protector. Grinning at this thought, his head perked up as he could smell an aroma of smoky and bloodied meats, meaning they had just stepped into a butchers shop. He wondered what cut of meat Hitomi was thinking of preparing today when she posited a new question for him to consider. Humming softly to himself, he'd reply simply, "Worshipping Sol really doesn't have a name to it if I'm honest with you. Not for a lack of trying mind you, it's just all of us haven't found something that would sound good to the masses. It does make it a bit easier to talk about Sol to others however because it doesn't seem like we're trying to peddle something however. Sol is something simple when we talk about them, because Sol is tangible, Sol is something you can see and feel with your own two eyes and body, and that is why we believe." He said all of this with a smile on his face. Even if he could not see his patron saint's blessings anymore, he could still feel the warmth and security that came from Sol's grace. There would be nothing else that could ever shake his faith in Sol.

As the two walked into the shop she guided them towards the section of the shop where pork was being cut. The way he spoke about what she presumed was his god, she could tell every word he spoke was laced with love and adoration. She couldn't remember ever hearing anyone speak about anything or anyone like that before. A warm fuzzy feeling began to creep inside of her, Seika's sincerity and genuine love for his god made Hitomi only appreciate him more. She was honestly speechless but she still had questions. She had never been able to see or hear Illumin so it must have been a blessing that Seika could enjoy his god in all its splendor.

Wow. I don't think I've heard anyone speak about anything like that, you are so full of love for Sol. It makes me just a little jealous I will admit. You say Sol is tangible. Can everyone feel and see, or just those that follow? Looking over to him she wondered if he ate meat. She knew some people had dietary preferences or restrictions and she wanted to make sure she didn't feed him anything that would either harm him or go against his personal wishes. Mmm before you answer that, do you have any preferences or restrictions as far as what you eat goes?

They continued to shuffle forward, the slight unease that he felt normally when walking without the ability of sight was absent as he was lead along deeper into the meat shop. The various scents and smells overpowered him however, masking any sense of direction and idea of location that he could have formed as they finally reached where ever it was that they were going. Upon getting there Hitomi would speak up again, the awe in her voice catching Seika's attention as his head snapped back into her general direction though now he was simply staring over her head rather than directly at her. "Sol's Grace can be felt by all because Sol is simply put the Sun itself. Sol's body and grace are what provides all of those who walk Earthland the warmth and security necessary to live long fulfilling lives. Without Sol's grace there would be no crops, there would be no farmland animals, there would be no us to praise its glorious light. All would be death and desolation on a cold lifeless rock. Thus there is no need for Sol to discriminate. Even if you didn't know that you professed your love to Sol, you did so unknowingly by waking up this morning and living your life to the fullest, for all that is needed to enjoy Sol's majesty is to live a life in the Sun. Only those who embrace true darkness and shun Sol's gift could be considered heretics in their own right."

He realized that he had spoken quite a bit there and had almost missed her question about his dietary preferences. Wincing at his zealotry he vowed to tone it down just slightly as he answered simply, "I will eat whatever you prepare Ms. Hitomi as long as it is edible and not poisonous." He knew that the woman could possibly take his words as a slight but he truly meant them as a sign of trust and praise. He didn't foresee her planning on harming him, but he also knew that if he didn't define what he meant that his words could be taken out of context.

Had the two been outside she would have looked up and directly into the sun. Of course, it wasn't the smartest thing one could do but with a statement like that she was tempted. So the sun was a god, she never thought of it like that, then again she didn't think too deeply about things she couldn't control or that were currently affecting her. Hitomi didn't hold the same beliefs as Seika but she wouldn't speak negatively on what he did believe, in fact, she would support him in anything he wished to believe in.

Once he answered her question she would give a slight nod. she turned to the butcher and ordered some pork cutlets. They wouldn't be in the butcher shop long once she had gotten her cuts of meat, and soon she was guiding Seika out to a grocery store. once inside the grocery store she grabbed a basket and carefully began dodging and weaving the people who moved about the store until she made her way to the first aisle to pick up a small bag of rice. I've only ever heard of the Illumin religion in Fiore. It's nice to hear of others' beliefs but, it doesn't sound native to the country of Fiore, or at least it's not recognized as far as I know. Where are Sol's followers most active? As she spoke she continued to shop for the things she needed.

Sometimes he forgot just how devoted to Sol he was in comparison to other people. The silence that followed his speech was palpable yet comforting, as if the young woman he was accompanying was taking in what he said and understanding it completely. He accepted the silence and allowed himself to be lead along for the rest of the day. He listened quietly as she ordered a couple of pork cutlets before leading them out of the butchers shop.

The contrast of heat and light was felt immediately by Seika as they stepped back into the light. He could feel his body accept the light into itself and a smile crossed his face as he walked just a bit straighter alongside Hitomi. They would enter a grocer just a few minutes later and as they dipped and dodged around other patrons before reaching an aisle. Looking about in confusion, Seika turned his head back in the direction he guessed Hitomi was in as she asked him yet another question about Sol. Taking on a pondering look, Seika would answer her question shortly, "Sol has worshipers all over, but most of the people who profess the faith are to the south of the countries who primarily worship Illumin, so it's not too surprising really. Funnily enough, I think other cultures have avatars or alternate representations of Sol in them. So I wouldn't be surprised if there were actually far more worshippers than we have realized."

Hitomi led Seika to practically every aisle and gathered all the ingredients she needed as quickly as she could. With each time they spent there the more recognition they were getting. This led to people coming up to them every so often and causing Hitomi to politely dismiss them and their questions on the relationship between her and Seika. Being out together like this, holding hands, speaking with each other, just being happy in one another's presence of course bought up the usual assumptions. Hitomi knew she wouldn't be able to put all the assumptions and consequently the rumors that were sure to follow to rest, but she could at least curb some people's minds about what was going on.

Once she had gotten what she needed she quickly but carefully led them out of the grocer and towards the hotel she was staying at. It was one of the nicer ones in Orchdia, so nice in fact that it had two hotel suites, one of which she had rented out. Once at their destination she declined any help from the staff as she let her and Seika up. She let the silence between the two envelop their space until she got to the room in which the elevator opened up straight into once she let her mana into the appropriate space to let the elevator know that she was the current owner of this space. Guiding Seika into a comfy couch she dropped the groceries off and poured two glasses of white wine. " Do you drink? " Her voice was as sweet as the scent of the Hotel's Suite which was just a more concentrated scent that matched Hitomi's.

Silence once again followed his diatribe as he was once again lead through out a building. This time the fluorescent lighting and cool air, lead Seika to believe that even though they were moving about quite a bit, they hadn't actually left the grocery store. Eventually however, the sight of the both of them together had drawn quite a ruckus as they were both rather famous to the city now for being two of the current Captain level Rune Knights currently stationed in Orchidia under the command of Kingsguard Shichiro. This also meant that the two were directly responsible for fixing quite a few of the issues that had been plaguing the city for quite awhile, and while there were rumors, were hinted at unofficially being part of the takedown of a group of dark mages on the outskirts of the city. This made them unofficial rock stars in Orchidia due to their exploits. This annoyed Seika quite a bit as he wasn't really in the business to become famous himself, but if he could use his fame to better serve Sol, then so be it. But alas it wasn't up to him as Hitomi shooed away each and every one of the citizens that approached them with a calm yet firm tone that belied that they were simply enjoying an afternoon together.

There time in the store was short lived after that encounter, he was quickly ushered by Hitomi to yet another location, one that was unknown to Seika entirely as he was still not used to traveling blind. Arriving at the hotel that Hitomi was staying at, Seika allowed himself to be lead up to her room before finally having a seat at her request. His head perked up as he was asked if he drank at all, smiling at this he responded with a simple, "Yes I do, thank you very much." That is one thing that Fiore had over the other nations he had been to so far, they did have very good wine.

Passing the cup of wine to him she took a seat for a moment, sipping the cool crisp wine, she savored its flavor profile. It was a dry wine so not too sweet but still very good. Looking over to Seika she wondered when he even started his religious trial. Hitomi began to wonder a lot of things about Seika actually as she sat and sipped her wine. Are you also from the south? It was a simple question but it would answer a lot of other questions she had. Her curiosity would allow more information access to Seika, something she could honestly look up herself if she accessed the Rune Knights database back at the Rune Knights Headquarters. Being a captain she had that sort of access but having him tell her would not only respect any boundaries that he may have had but allow the two to become closer. Shifting her body from her seat she went into the kitchen which wasn't so far from the living room area that Seika sat in. He could speak normally and she would hear him perfectly. Removing the groceries from their bag she listened out for his answer.

He was left to his devices as she moved away to go pour them some drinks. The silence surrounded him as he tried to draw in whatever details about her hotel room that he could from the few senses he left about him. The couch was rather soft, a bit too plush for his frame as he sank rather deeply into the soft cushions, however it felt rather spacious and was clearly not a recliner or love seat from how he was positioned. Perhaps it was some sort of sectional? Reaching over to his left as his right laid upon the armrest, he felt nothing but space past the cushions of the seat next to him. Confirming his suspicions, he returned to his original position just as Hitomi returned, with a cup in hand. He felt the sensation of a cup being slid into his open right hand before clenching around the cool glass surface softly. Staring blankly ahead, he couldn't outright sense where the woman had gone after she had passed him the glass however. His search brought him back to somewhere near him as the woman once again asked him a question as had seemed the pace of their interactions so far this evening. It was actually kind of worrying that he had not inquired any information about her throughout the entire evening and vowed to fix that as he responded to her question, "Yes. I was born and raised in the country of Desierto. It's quite some ways away from here to the south and east from Fiore. How about yourself? You've asked quite a bit about me, but what is the great mystery of Miss Hitomi Minamoto? From what lands do you originate from?"

He still hadn't taken a sip of his wine yet, but that was simply due to his full attention being drawn in whatever direction the woman had slipped off too during his speech yet again.

Placing vegetables and fruits into the refrigerator as Seika spoke, Hitomi was a bit surprised by the question. This was mostly because she had taken over as the listener and didn't know how to feel about talking about her past in any capacity. Her birthplace was one that didn't come with any good memories and no matter how hard she tried she couldn't wipe them away. Her pace slowed as she took out the pork cutlets, flour, oil, and seasoning to start prepping the meat. She didn't let the silence between the two linger too long in fear of having him worry he'd said something wrong. Well, I was born in a small village somewhere in the world. I can't tell you where because I don't know myself. The village was under the control of a few old men who used Illumin to control the rest of us. They kept the outside world out and our information of it was reduced to fairytales and hushed assumptions about what a world outside of the village looked like. She spoke and worked in the kitchen at the same time. Seasoning the neat, preparing the pan with a little oil to heat it up, and preparing the batter for the cutlets, her mind raced back to those days. Some of them were happy days but she didn't speak with a happy tone when she spoke of that place, her voice was laced with a hint of sadness, something she couldn't avoid.

He could begin to hear the sounds of rustling coming from the direction of what he assumed to be the kitchen, various materials being moved about and either being stored or brought out for usage. It made him wish that he could at least glimpse what she was attempting to make, but no wish was greater than his dedication to Sol. Nodding behind his blindfold, he finally began to take a sip from his provided beverage as the young woman began to finally speak to him, detailing the parts of his history and past that she could remember or rather cared to tell to him. It was interesting to see the parallels between their stories. Both had been raised in religious societies, but while his had been embraced in light, love and fulfillment, hers had been drowned in despair and lies. It was a common story when dealing with followers of Illumin it seemed. It was hard to keep his temper in check as she mentioned that false idol before him, but he knew she was just recounting her life. It hurt his soul to hear that such fellows had lead such a closed off life. "I'm sorry that you had to endure that. It is not the job of those who profess faith to dictate the lives of others. The only thing we should control is our own faith and our own lives. It was always something that irritated me when people with knowledge of the higher power used that to enforce control over others. It took me a long time to realize that I couldn't channel that irritation into something destructive. As such, I've recently become more aware of my own faith, and the fact that I need to explore it further before I can determine whether or not someone else is professing their faith incorrectly. So on behalf of those elders, I apologize for their ignorance and if it were still the old younger me, I would've promised you that they would no longer walk this land with their insolence, but as I am now, I can only offer what I already have."

With his peace spoken, he would lapse back into silence before continuing to sip at his beverage quietly while he waited for Hitomi's response.

His last sentence caused her to smirk and without thinking, she uttered words that were unbecoming of her character. It's ok, those men don't walk this earth anymore, Asmodeus made sure of that. Almost as soon as the words left her mouth she stopped what she was doing, her actions halted in their tracks. A rush of emotions came flooding into her and she felt tears well up in her eyes. Touching a tear that streamed down her face Hitomi felt a painful sense of longing. She didn't know how much time had passed since Asmodeus was purged from her body. The demon who saved her from those who worshipped a god that didn't even extend its powers to save her from a fate she didn't deserve. It was because of Asmodeus that she was able to stand here now, free and able to live her life as she wanted. Hitomi didn't want to think about it but she abandoned the demon even though it did nothing but help her. Taking in a deep breath to steady herself she picked back up what she was doing, dipping the pork cutlet into a milk and egg mixture before dipping it into a seasoned flour mixture and laying the meat gently into the hot oil. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that.

His drink was barely centimeters away from his lips when his ears picked upon the subtle response that she gave. While he wasn't one to condone revenge in any way, he also didn't punish or judge those who pursued it as it was their own lives to live. Sometimes revenge was necessary for one to live a happy and fulfilling life and thus, sometimes one had to turn a blind eye to such actions. Finally taking a sip of his wine, he let off a small hum of appreciation at the semi dry texture the cool beverage had. While he couldn't see the color, he could tell it was a white just from the light accents and rather simple flavor it had. It lacked the various fruity undertones, or the sickly sweet aftertaste of darker wines, and it wasn't nearly as harsh as reds. He could appreciate Hitomi's pick of wines for this evening very much as he spoke up in regards to her small yet unintended outburst. "Don't worry, unlike the Church of Illumin, Followers of Sol don't judge others for living their lives, even when they share it with someone, or something else for a period of time." He'd take another sip of his wine after this, leaving the hint hanging in the breeze as he returned to his enjoyment of the lovely beverage.

The sizzling of the oil brought with it a warm and inviting smell of the well seasoned pork. While that cooked Hitomi got a small pot and poured a cup of rice into it and then began cleaning the rice in the same pot. Once the rice was clean she added more water to the rice pot and set it to cook on the stove. Moving away from the kitchen Hitomi moved back into the living room area where Seika sat. Near the wall next to the door a radio sat. Turning it on just enough for them both to hear but not loud enough for it to drown out their conversation. The sound of jazz filled the space between them as Hitomi slipped off her shoes and made her way back into the kitchen. Cooking up the pork cutlets she picked back up into speaking, taking over the questions once more. "Do you have any siblings? Or family here in Fiore? " Simple questions that usually ended up in open-ended answers allowed for continued engagement between the two. If he answered she would follow up and answer her own question, but she figured he would most likely ask her right back anyway.

The amount of sound slowly began to pick up as something began to sizzle far into the kitchen area from what he could tell. A light aroma of oil and cooking pork slowly began to fill in the details as the sound of a sink was turned on shortly afterwards. Hearing more movement after that, Seika wondered just what he could possibly do to assist Ms. Hitomi but then he was reminded of the fact that she had said she only needed his tongue to taste her foods. With that in mind, he kind of just... sat there honestly. There wasn't much for him to do up until Hitomi had turned on the radio to some nice jazz, the soft yet chaotic melody adding a bit of spice to the evening as the woman headed back towards the kitchen to begin cooking.

The silence was broken as Hitomi began to posit more questions towards Seika about his family life. Thinking on it, he'd smile softly, "I have many siblings, they're not here in Fiore, but they are well as far as I know. Unfortunately, I had travelled to the lands of Fiore on my own for our mission, usually we travel in groups of two or more. I had figured I would find someone here that could help me on that mission, unfortunately my search has been less than fruitful."

Taking the pork cutlets out of the oil and placing them on a cooling rack to drip off any excess oil, Hitomi checked on the rice and decided it needed just a little more time. With that time she pulled out a few eggs and few other ingredients, filling up her wine glass as she did so and moving over to Seika to fill up his as well. " I'm sorry to hear that, but I'm sure someone will come along, maybe your siblings will even find themselves in Fiore. I don't think I have any siblings, none that I'm aware of anyway. It must be nice. " Taking the rice off the heat and fluffing it up in the pan she went to quickly cook the eggs and creating the sauce that would go over the rice and pork cutlet. " What made you join the Rune Knights? " She continued on with the questions just to keep the flow of conversation going as cooked. She was starting to catch on that the devotion Seika held for his god was deep. Hitomi began to wonder what Seika would do if he learned something about his god that he didn't agree with, or if he simply woke up one day and decided not to believe.

Shrugging his head at her response to his question, the chocolate man laughed heartily as he thought about it. "Well it was kind of nice, not so much at dinner time because there were so many of us, but all around I would say it was one of the happier times in my life." He reminisced fondly of far more happy times when he was just a trainee alongside his 'brothers' and 'sisters' in the monastery. It was long days under the sun filled with the constant chaos of life that was interwoven with the barely contained control that was a life of combat. It was something that he missed dearly if he were completely honest with himself. He actually wondered if the next group of younglings had arrived to study under Master Burwark.

Returning to the present as the sounds of pots, pans and jazz music caught his attention again, he was surprised to get yet another question about himself. While his surprise didn't readily show on his face, the cocked grin that crossed it surely gave away his amusement, "Aha... That... is a good question Ms. Hitomi. I honestly can't tell you why really. When I had arrived in Fiore I wasn't really to keen with joining any of the other institutions that existed and I figured working with this nations equivalent of a police force would give me the freedom to travel about and spread the word of Sol. Unfortunately... that hasn't been the case."