Nightly endeavors

Lately the temple had been quiet with few people visiting, and with less people came less time needed to help guide and tend to the temples needs. He valued his time spent in service of the gods more than his own and since he was one of the head clergy at the temple he had some say, but he never really saw himself as having any leader type role and had always just left it open to everyone to come and go as they pleased. That was one of the good things about their kind, never had to ask them to do their job as they were all so dutiful, it was why they were created in the first place. Besides a relatively new clergy had joined and needed the experience so he left the duties in the hands of them and their mentor.

He got up pretty early like most days and sat down on the floor in front of a big window in his apartment reaching all the way to the floor and closed his eyes to meditate. It was still dark out since it was winter but light or not it was still part of his routine so it didn't matter. Meditation had always been part of his day but recently he had focused more on it to figure out and try to repair his astral projecting, something that had gotten worse over the last year.
As he feels the sun land on his face he ends the meditation and opens his eyes, looking down on the street from the sixth floor window. He has a good view of the street below him but the rest is blocked by the neighbouring buildings. Seeing people going about their day, some going to work, others for errands, makes him think about how to spend his free time. He gets dressed and decides to do some errands for the temple, minor things that are in no rush but might as well be done given the free time he has. So he puts on his coat and heads down to the street, picking up a few things from some patrons donating it and takes it to the temple, checking in on the new clergy to see how they are progressing.

Later that evening he heads back into town for some food as that's the only time he eats under his fasting regimen, going to a local place supporting one of the people that regularly goes to the temple. As he is a regular there and the owner visits the temple often he is given the meal for free, even with his protests against it. But when the owner isn't looking Cain gives the money to the waitress as a tip, trying to give the money he gets from the people back to the people. As she walks back into the restaurant smiling, he nods at her with gentle smile before checking his watch. Seeing as it was getting late, he decided it was just the right the right time for a different kind of meditation, one that was getting more frequent with the new free time. He had found a new place a bit further away in the western part where fewer people knew him so he could have more peace and less image to worry about. As he turns the corner and sees the familiar neon sign a calm washes over him, like a welcome back without words, he walks straight in taking his coat off and folds it before dropping it on the chair next to the bar, then sits down and lets out a long slow exhale as he settles in. The bartender recognizes him and asks if he wants the usual and Cain nods before leaning against the bar and looks around, taking in who's there and what's going on. Things were relatively quiet but it was still kind of early for the night life. As the bartender places the glass of whiskey in front of Cain he takes a slow sip and puts it back down, relaxing in his chair leaning forward on the bar counter with both his arms, slowly rotating the class in between his hands as his mind drifts off into his thoughts and everything around him fades away.

After an unknown amount of time had passed, the bar had more people in it and he was snapped out of his thoughts as a very energetic aura popped up out of nowhere next to him. As he feels a nudge from the person he looks at her and sees her wide smile, clearly excited to be there, not that it wasn't telling enough from her aura. As she as asks for a recommendation he just smiles at her, he sits back up and gets eye contact with the bartender that was probably looking their way because a new customer just showed up, he taps his glass twice with his finger and holds up two fingers. He had no idea what was considered good among people, he had always just stuck with the same thing for the most part, besides that it would be fun to see how she would handle whiskey as it didn't seem like a popular choice for young people. He turns back to the girl with a light smile on his lips. "Celebrating something, or just letting loose?"

He followed her gaze over to some people further in the bar, seeing them responding with looks, someone she knew? Or perhaps here to meet? He nodded slightly "Mm" acknowledging her answer, not invested enough to pry into anything. After all, he didn't got to bars for the socialising, as ironic as that actually was."So I've heard" He said almost under his breath. Trying new things was not something he generally did, being very traditional in his ways as a clergy. The first time he ever tried something new got him roped in with daemons so it wasn't exactly a good first impression. Then again it was a very good learning experience and knowledge was healthy for the mind so she wasn't wrong. He watched the whiskey being poured into the glass as he held the glass up a bit, clashing it against hers. As she spoke he tilted his head slightly, her words peaking his interest, she wasn't from here was she. From what he heard it sounded eastern but he couldn't pinpoint where exactly, and what did she say? It was clearly a toast but he was curious to what kind. Maybe it was because he was a clergy but he was always fascinated by different types of cultures, learning how their view on things was and finding similarities between them.

He held the glass up to his mouth, smelling the gentle aroma of vanilla and honey from the drink before putting the glass to his lips taking a small sip. Seeing and hearing her reaction made him smile and exhale through the nose even though it was the reaction he expected. He did the exact same thing as her the first time he tasted it, probably even worse as it was also his first ever alcoholic drink. But being where he was at that time there wasn't much to do but get over it. "Well, you get used to it" Placing the glass back on the bar counter. "Especially when there's nothing else on the menu" his voice fading out as he turns his head to the right, seeing her aura, very energetic and bright for a human, almost resembling a seraphim one. She would probably pass the trial, regardless of their careless god, especially if his mentor was part of her jury, making him smile for a second before turning rather grim faced.

Her question snapped him out of his gloomy thoughts and back to reality with the same answer he used whenever he asked the same question. Grabbing the glass and finishing the little liquid left in it before putting it back on the counter, moving it to side, out of the way. "Call it my nightly meditation, might sound weird to you but i come here to think.." His eyes fixating on some flickering neon sign on the other side of the room ahead of them. "I'm not much for partying.. but the chaotic energy of this place is a refreshing change to the calm and controlled environment I'm in most of the time" He then breaks the stare and looks back at her with a smirk "Besides, gotta have a balance of things in your life, or you might just fall off one of the scales" An inside joke to himself as that was his whole existence as a clergy.
"Now let me ask you something, you got my curiosity with that toast earlier, what does it mean?" He says with a genuine curious expression on his face.

He would have to take her word on the vodka as it wasn't something he had tried before, let alone a homemade one. Though the first drinks he had was from a small brewery/bar combo, a family homemade thing but professional. Then again that was whiskey so far from the same, but if that was anything to judge by then the homemade vodka was probably stronger and less flavourful than the one he would get anywhere else. He could understand how she felt about looking forward to go out drinking, letting loose. Most people had hard or stressful jobs taking a lot out of them, so taking time off or using their free time available to have fun, stop worrying and just lose control for a some time would be good for the sanity. But for him it was quite the opposite, his job was the thing keeping him sane, doing the duties he was created for, guiding others. Doing nothing and having free time was for himself was not something he had gotten used to or accepted, resorting to self discipline to make sure he never strayed form the path.
He had heard a lot of different kinds of toasting in his life from different cultures and types of people, and they were all very similar in the way that they were either just different ways of saying the same, like cheers or skaal. Or they would take it further and toast to something, like for the gods, the crown, the people. But fish like to swim, that one was interesting indeed, almost like a story behind it, maybe honoring the fish, or maybe it was just ramblings of a random drunk. he had no idea what to make of it, but he found it a very interesting thing to think about. His smile got wider as he listened to her continue, "Polish huh" he was on the right track then, good to know. It was small things like that toast that reminded him of why he enjoyed what he did so much, why he loved exploring different cultures. It was such a trivial thing that had no big impact on anything but had so much personality and creativity to it, so much life. "It is a funny saying yeah, but i like it.. Might start using it" Letting out a small chuckle at the end of it.

As the guy approached them he paid attention to his aura like he usually did with everyone. It was similar to that of human but it was way too wild to be one, he was one of Koric's children, a lycan. He had always had a soft spot for his kin, the pain they have to endure, their loyalty and empathy for everyone. Knowing he was a lycan he could have just focused on his eyes but feeling for peoples aura was second nature to him so it happened mostly automatically at this point.
When they started talking to each other he looked back over the bar, catching the attention of the barkeeper motioning his hand for another glass, this being his third so far, it being whiskey, the glass always had very little in it. Even though he had been drinking more with the new found free time he had gotten lately he never got drunk, it had been a very long time since the last time he got that far, always knowing his limit, sometimes getting to the point where he was tipsy but even that was not often.
Then as he heard her talk in his direction again he turned his head for her question. She was right, he wasn't there to be social, never was. But her toast surprisingly reinvigorated his mood ever so slightly, and looking at the group of rowdy people at the table reminded him of a time and place a while ago that he found himself missing lately, even if it was against his wishes to forget them. He moved his pondering gaze from the table to her eyes, forming a small smile on his face. "Why not" He said with some vigor, lifting up his coat from the chair with one hand and the glass with the other, following her lead to the table.

He walked over to the rather full table and grabbed a chair from the neighbouring table as the didn’t use them all. As she introduced him to her friends he placed the chair at their table, dropped his coat on it and sat down, placing his glass on the table in front of him. “Cain” he said loud enough for the entire table to hear, taking in the energy of everyone present there. Hearing that the Lucan was a roadie put a lot of the pieces of the puzzle together, their style, energy, why the job was on the move and  probably the biggest question, what held the big diverse of characters together.
He nodded as she introduced the Lucan again, smiling when the mythical jumped in, he had nothing but respect for his kind as they were often patrons to temples. Not that they were spiritual, more like they knew the importance of them for other people, making sure they were kept well. “Right, gonna have to prove that sometime” he responded to the cocky vampyre with a challenging smile. Oddly enough he had always seen the vampyres as about the same as the humans, even though that was like comparing the predator to the prey they just felt like two sides of the same coin to him.  
But when it came to the remix he lost his smile and replaced it with a face of admiration. He had heard and read of her kind before but never actually met one in person, it was said that the seraphim had the most beautiful auras to them but after seeing the fenix’s in person he would have to disagree.”A pleasure”  Finding it very interesting that the fenix  and vampyre were together, that just seemed like a tragic play just waiting to be written considering their lifespan difference.

As the Lucan asked him the question he lifted the glass to his lips and took a mouthful before placing it back down, listening to their banter. Hearing her mentioning their almost sibling type of relationship reminded him of a group he was with a while back, very similar to this one, though less diverse, he could tell from the very little time spent at their table that the music might have brought them together but they felt like a close family to him. Realising he got lost in his though he returns his look to the Lycan at the table. “I tend to the temples around in different cities, though mostly the one in the northern part of this city, guide people that are in need and make sure people know how they came to be and how they will leave. Teaching balance in life, very boring for you guys I’m sure” he was fully aware that the clergy life was not an exciting one in itself but a necessary one. Trying to lighten the tone a bit and giving in to his curiosity for art he responded. “So what brings you guys here? You got a gig somewhere here or just passing through?” Art was something he considered an important of culture and music was part of that.

Not boring they said, not what he expected to hear, then again they probably meant hearing about it or listening to it was not boring, which always nice to hear as most people he had met were either into it or not at all. "Yeah i suppose you're right" He picked up his glass "I just can't picture most people spending an entire day at a temple, let alone someone with your energy" referring to the groups energy and trying not to sound like it was a bad thing. Placing the glass back on the table after taking a quick sip from it. In his mind, patience was a rare thing, especially in these days where everything happened so quickly everywhere, never having to wait to get a result out of any action. As Carlos spoke, he moved his eyes for the eye contact "Yeah.. i bet" Showing a fading smile and looking down into his glass as he heard what was said. If the clergies from Carlos' home town was anything like the ones he was used to be around, they were very dutiful, rarely if ever straying from them, being very proper. Staring into the warm, dark amber whiskey he started feeling guilty again, but he shook the feeling and looked up as Millie answered his question.
They definitely had the fire of someone that was more passionate about their music than anything else and them seeming like a up and coming band solidified that to him. And just as she mentioned the venue they were hired for made him smile as it fit her character so well to do something like that, they all seemed like a group of good people but hearing that just made him admire them a bit more. Lately he had heard more and more bad news around town so it lifted his spirits knowing there were people that cared.
He smiled as he let out a friendly scoff after she mentioned not being the big hits at the event they were performing for. "Even the big performers were where you are now at some point. In the not so distant future, maybe someone else will be opening for you guys" He said winking at Millie "Besides, newer and smaller artists tend to have a better performance as their passion is still burning bright" From the very little experience he had with big artists on live events was not great, seeming like they didn't want to be there as the opposite of the openers that played as if it was their last performance. He took another sip of whiskey when she invited him to the event, making him pause for a second with a surprised face before putting the glass down. Solstice was a very busy time for him and the temple seeing as on the day they would take in and feed everyone that didn't have a place to stay. But she mentioned it would take place after which he could probably manage to arrange. "Yeah.. I'll come" He said a bit surprised at himself as it wasn't common for him to attend anything non duty related. But it was for a good cause, maybe he could find some extra money laying around he could bring with him, and besides that, being there to support their music felt like the thing to do after meeting them and seeing their passion for it.
Hearing the Fenix love a band called liquid fire amused him, making him grin to himself before being asked what music he listened to. "Uhm.. well" It was a tricky question for him as he never really considered it before, never really pursuing it until relatively recently with his ex introducing him into the music world. He was not familiar with many big performers, only knowing their songs from radios and TVs in the background of restaurants and other establishments, a very few from live events. He thought back to his ex who was a singer and also the one that brought him to different music events, mostly smaller ones. "I listen to very low tempo, calm music without vocals for some of my meditation, other than that.. I suppose i listen to everything, though more folk and blues vibes i guess, then again that might be out of habit." Besides the places he went with his ex, he had yet to go anywhere else, so the performances and music he listened to depended on the bars he went to. "When it comes to live music though it really doesn't matter what the music is.. It's the artists' performance that really gets me." Music was a great medium for conveying emotion, but seeing it live was always a lot stronger for him, being able to see the emotion along with hearing it.

As Carlos compared Millie to the Tasmanian devil from the cartoons he almost laughed a bit inside imagining that on the stage, it being funny was one thing, but the fact that with her personality and energy that could very well be true made it that much funnier. And her later responding that the vampyre was the star was not a surprise coming from someone with her good heart. That and from what he had gathered the vampyre was eager to prove that she was the best, not an uncommon trait for a vampyre in his experience but the vampyre being an artist probably boosted that ego a bit extra, not that it was a bad thing to him, it just made sense given all the circumstances, and that much easier to predict and maybe take advantage of.
He could tell how passionate Millie was about her music as she spoke about it, and he agreed with what she said, nodding gently as he listened. Music could be just background noise or it could be the center of attention in the room depending the artist, the song, the performance, and he agreed with her that the performance was not the deciding factor on a song being good. "You're right, i just meant there is a big difference in between reading off a sheet and performing from the heart, especially when telling your story" After saying that he zoned out thinking about his ex's performance, she had mostly calm and relaxing songs, but some very tragic heavy hitters, one in particular that brought his attention to her in the first place, with a very chilling performance. "Not pretentious.. Passionate" he quickly replied with a light smile towards her. In his life and his duties, he had met a lot of people, and was well aware of who was honest and who wasn't, and he could tell Millie had been genuine ever since he met her earlier. As Ronnie and Carlos left the table, and Jace got up, he checked his watch and saw that he had been there longer than planned and was thinking about leaving with them after grabbing his coat from the chair. "Likewise Jace" he said giving him a friendly nod before turning his head towards the remaining two still sitting at the table.

He had in mind that he was going to leave but it seemed really clear that she wanted him to stay longer with her and drink, for how long she had in mind though was a mystery. He thought about it for a while, staring at his empty glass, the whiskey started affecting him already, dulling his senses, making him have more trouble reading the other people in he room. It was usually around this time he stopped drinking and headed home. But this time was not a usual night out, and because of the nice refreshingly positive company he actually considered staying for longer. Looking at her smile he felt like he needed to say yes, as her good mood was rubbing off on him. "Sure, another round wouldn't hurt" he said with half a smile, conflicted about the decision he had just made against his better judgement. It had been a while since last time he got drunk but he was confident he would have the wits to not let it get too far this night, he would pay for it one way or another later if it did.

If there was a point of no return he had already passed it by agreeing to stay longer, and could therefor not let her walk home by herself. She could probably handle herself but it seemed like she had in mind a lot more than just one more drink, it was getting late and especially with what was going on in the city lately he would feel to guilty to leave her alone. "Of course" He replies to the fenix, looking her in the eyes as he does, seeing the fire behind them. After meeting one for the first time he was quite fond of them, like they were something on the positive scale of things in the world, yet not created like the rest.
After all the drinks it was harder for him to read people and as the fenix left he was alone at the table with no distractions making him glance over to a person further into the room that seemed out of place. He tried focusing his vision on them but before he could tell anything he was snapped out of it when Millie came back, placing a new bottle on the table. He was right, this was definitely going to be more than just one more drink, if this bottle was whats to come, then he would have to brace himself if he were to retain any form of control. krupnik, was that was she said? not recalling that name from anywhere, he wasn't well versed in drinks at all and by the sounds of it, it was not a locally made one, probably one from her country. It didn't seem that far from the whiskey looks wise, a little lighter in the colour, maybe it would be similar in taste with less bitterness then he thought. He raised the glass into hers hearing her toast, again having no clue what it meant but responding in kind "Fish like to swim!" fully realizing that the toast was probably butchered in the English translation and probably sounded stupid, but he found it too funny to not say. Letting the drink glide down smoothly as he put the glass on the table, taking in the flavor of the new drink. He tilted his head slightly to the side frowning from intrigue, that drink tasted nothing like the whiskey, except maybe for the hint of honey in it. To him that drink felt like a very festive one, a perfect fit for this holiday having various different tastes you would find in this time of year. Being used to mostly whiskey the more surprising thing about it was that it actually had a good taste, something that threw him off a bit.

While swerving the glass between his fingers he moved his tongue about catching the flavoring of the drink, getting lost in thought for a second, before it was ended abruptly by Millie's question about the temples. He lets go of the glass and looks towards her side but staring deeper into the room at nothing. "The temples up at Raleska will always be the strongest place of worship.. The sheer power and energy pushing down at you in there is something else.." Then a gentle smile appeared on his lips as recollected another place. "Apart from our neighboring islands, i have not been many places.." His stare moves to the soft yellow bottle on the table "But this one village, in the south eastern part of Russia, not too far from Mongolia if i remember correctly.. There is a very small and poor village with a temple in it, maybe it's too small to even be considered a temple. Regardless, the people there had nothing.. and still they gave more than they had as offerings to the temple, no one told them to do it, and no one is there to collect it.. Yet they held it in so high regard.." He remembered the place clear as day, when he arrived there was almost nothing for him to do as they had been taking care of everything on their own, something that even a lot of cities didn't do. It felt like more of a friendly visit than duties of any kind. He could not find any fault, their humility was something to be inspired by, which he was, coming home with a new look on life. "Standing there i could feel a presence too, there was definitely a god watching over them there.." It was places like that that kept his faith strong, knowing there were people that really appreciated the life and world that their creators had made for them.
He eases out of the pleasant memory and starts pouring a new round into their glasses, while putting the bottle back and grabbing his glass he looks at her with a smirk. "Alright my turn, apart from being my translator again let me ask you a question" He tilted his head back a tad losing his smirk. "What is it you want out of life Millie?" His voice was serious but his intentions weren't, he had often found that asking something out of left field and surprising would make them more prone to telling the truth, or at the very least worse at lying. He left the question very ambiguous on purpose to see what she would do with it out of curiosity.

He was fully aware that he was made as a connection between the gods and their creations so he would be biased in anything spiritual related, where as humans were made with free will to choose their own path in life, having the biases they themselves adopt. However he didn't know how other races would feel in certain spiritual situations, all he knew was that it would be stronger for him as a clergy. "A God makes any feeling of loneliness disappear.. every worry, every negative thought.. is washed away by a fountain of comfort. Like they are standing next to you with their hand on your shoulder." Lowering his face as he recalled the memories of standing there "Or like a mentor checking in on their student...." Having a somber tone while speaking, yet snapping out of it quickly to focus on her and their conversation.

He leaned back into his chair as he was paying close attention to her answer to his question, noticing she seemed to take it very seriously which almost made him crack a smile. He recognized that a lot of people wanted to start a family have a nice job and settle down for a quiet life, regardless of what people wanted he didn't judge one way or the other, everyone had free will for a reason, but to him she didn't seem like typical person for the quiet life. Seeing the spark in her eye made his smile come out again, happiness, probably the most sought after feeling in the world, especially lately with a potential new threat looming over them all. He felt bad for her as she mentioned never having been truly happy, but somehow it didn't come as a big surprise to him, in his experience it was often the saddest people that gave the most energy to others. Personally he had also never had the love she spoke of before, then again it was something he had never really thought about or chased in the first place, even though he could see the appeal of it. Since he first started talking to her she came off as a very empathic person, so her love life made a lot of sense to him. "I understand" They way she explained it made him think back on his own experience, and it felt more like the opposite to him, as his last relationship was more like a hurricane, but looking back he still didn't know if that was love.
He tilted his head slight to the side, squinting his eyes a bit with a short smirk. "What makes you think you're not one already?" She already had most of the qualities a role model should have, the whole time he had been with her he had only gotten positivity from her, it would not be a surprise to him if she already had some fans looking up at her. "And that is exactly how i know you're going to achieve big things, you know its something you have to work for, you'd be surprised how many people think its something they are owed, or those who look for shortcuts" Some people he met he could tell had potential to do great things in some way in their life, as long as they grabbed the opportunity when it arrived. "If you stay on the road you're on right now and don't stray from it, i can promise you will find what your heart desires at the end of it" He said with a confident smile and a warm tone.

His smile got wider as she leaned in, seeing her smirk, waiting for what she was about to say. hearing the responds made him chuckle slightly. "Of course it does, at least this one makes sense" Then quickly takes the shot down and slams the glass back on the table, noticing he was getting more brash after the drinks. He looked towards Millie feeling a question coming up, and when it did, it made him lose his smile, seeing her face right before he looked away. He knew she didn't mean any malice in her question and that it came from her heart, maybe out of worry, or from feeling abandoned by them. In his duties he had talked to his fair share of people that were losing their faith and every time it was like a small needle twisting in his heart. If only people could feel what he felt.. but then again if they could, there would probably be no use for his kind in the first place. To him, seeing someone struggling with their faith was like a human seeing a small innocent animal in pain, but the way she worded it made the twist worse as it reminded him of something he had been struggling with lately which was not too far off. "Because it is not the Gods that made the horrible shit in this world.. They made all of their creations with free will so you could decide your own fates.. Would you rather they do everything for you? make every decision for you? Should we condemn the fox for hunting the rabbit?" He kept a somber tone as he spoke, trying to talk to her in a way that didn't seem like a lecture and more like advice, or a reminder. He knew life was hard on the humans especially, being the weakest race and with other races that prey on them. And it was not like he was any stronger, clergy and humans were both at the bottom of the food chain, the only difference was that he knew where he was going after death and was not afraid of it, but humans on the other hand seemed to fear death more than anything.

"It's easy to see all the bad in this world, but if you look around, there is a lot more beauty than horror, it's just not always so obvious. Just like meeting you and your good heart is a reminder to me." He says slowly gaining his smile again. Even as a clergy knowing there was always a balance in things, it didn't stop him from feeling gloomy about the world at times. "People always fixate on this life, which i don't blame you for, it's not like you've even known anything else. But there is way more than this, the place you go after is something you can not even begin to imagine, and the people ruining this world will be brought before their creators and will be judged by their actions." Most people only thought about things they could see, understandably so, especially with lacking the connection to the gods. So seeing a tyrant do so much evil and then living their life out fully might seem unfair, not knowing or seeing all the pain they would go through in the afterlife. "There must always be a balance in this world, if you were to remove suffering, then happiness would cease to exist with it" Realizing that it was the second time he had brought up balance it was clear that he had gotten into his preaching mode, which was not what he intended. "Sorry, i didn't mean for that to turn into a whole speech, old habits youknow" He finished with a soft laugh. He was very passionate when it came to representing the Gods, always trying to make people realize how much the gods had done for them and why they should always be grateful to them, even if they couldn't see or feel their influence.
"You know, we're not that different, part of my duties is to try to inspire people through spirituality. Why did you choose music as your instrument? Or did you choose at all? It's clear that you love music, and excuse my presumption, but it seems like it goes deeper than that?" It was an educated guess as there was a lot behind the singer he was with and why she chose music, but every artist was different, every person was different so he could have just been way off, but he wanted to get to know her better so it didn't hurt to ask.

It was normal to overlook every privilege and good things surrounding people, especially when they had not known worse beforehand. Even Cain had many times forgotten the good position he was in, worrying about temporary things that would eventually pass, so he didn't blame or want to debate her on it, she had a valid point. He understood why she believed that everything that happened was the Gods fault, after all they created everything, so everything happening had to be their design, their intention. Fate was something that been in many cultures and it was something a lot of people believed in, whether that was through feeling like a puppet, free of blame or peace of mind. "Every race out there was made with restrictions and biases except for you humans, seraphim were created to be good, daemon to be bad, your friends that left earlier were made with certain thirsts, destinies, purposes. But you, you were made with no biases, no curses, no motive. You are good or bad because you choose to be good, or choose to be bad, not because the Gods made you to be either." He was confident in what he said because he believed it with all his heart, keeping his tone mellow as he spoke "Please don't misunderstand, i love the Gods and i am grateful for my creation and the creation of all of you and this beautiful world.. I don't blame them for the evil that people do, but at the same time i don't give them credit for the good that you do. Because it's your choices, not theirs." Right and wrong were values that was deeply ingrained into him as a clergy, but more time he had spent in this world the more he had learned there was a gray zone in between them, understanding there was a lot more too it than simply being good or bad.
He was always amused when people talked about the gods and how unfair they were, everyone was created by them yet not grateful for it, made the world plentiful and forgiving yet people didn't give the gods credit for it, if people lose their loved ones its the Gods that get the blame for taking them, no appreciation for putting them in a better place, taking care of their soul forever, how could the Gods let tyrants and murderers run the streets like it was the Gods that put the systems into the world that let people get to that point, or that they didn't punish them with eternal suffering in the afterlife. Gods always got the blame and never got any credit, and yet they reminded the same, always looking out for their creations. But he always felt very sanctimonious when comparing how people regarded the gods to how his own kind did as it was very biased, and he knew that, it was that frustrating barrier that could never be breached and the big reason for his existence in the first place so he tried his best to understand it from their view. "Are you so sure about that? Have you ever felt guilty before? Felt good about doing something for others? You don't need a rule book when you have a compass in your heart, you know right from wrong because you will feel bad or good about your actions. Are you performing for the youth to inspire them and help out the community or are you using the event to advance your fame? Using good to chase self gain is different to chasing good and gaining from it. And we all make mistakes, but mistakes can be forgiven, or atoned for. It may seem unfair, especially when you don't have it written in front of you, but believe me when i say it, have faith, if not in the Gods then in your heart, because it will not lead you astray, even if it may feel like it sometimes." He recognized that it had to be hard to live life not knowing where you would end up in the afterlife, no one telling you how you were doing, scared if you enjoyed the wrong thing you would face consequences scaring a lot of people into bad spirals, it happened to his parents, so regardless of who people were or how they were, he tried to be the same to everyone, but that didn't always pan out as planned.

Listening to her talk about music was strangely calming to him, hearing how far back it went and how much passion she had for it, just the way she spoke as if she was there, yet he could tell she was miles away. He felt like he understood her a lot more, the answer she gave before become clearer, why she was struggling with happiness with her upbringing, escaping her problems and the cold world around her through music, chasing happiness, why she wanted to inspire other people, giving others an hope, giving others what she didn't have, happiness. The more he got to know her the more he admired her and the goals she was chasing in life, realizing that all that preaching he had been doing was never necessary in the first place. Not because she wouldn't listen or care, but because she was already in good hands, already on the right path, maybe he had reduced her worries a bit, or maybe not, but knowing what he did about her now removed any worry he had about her future, the little he had. It was a funny thing, the determination of humans, always seemed unlike beyond any other race, like they had something to unconsciously prove something, being the weakest ones out there yet having the resolve to overcome the greatest challenges, to improve themselves, chase dreams, help their fellow kin, whatever the reason, they never failed to inspire, even if they didn't realize it.
It was true what she said, he wouldn't exist without gods, not in the way that everyone was created by the gods and therefore wouldn't be here without them, but if the gods suddenly disappeared every race would still be there, but his kind would probably cease to be, fading out with the gods. The thought was something he never really entertained as it was an impossible one, but if it where to happen, what would become of his kind? Their purpose was to represent and honor the Gods, and act as a jury in the afterlife, but if that were to be gone then his entire life and purpose would be moot, a scary thought.
"I see, you are nothing without music, and in the grand scheme of things, music is nothing without you.." he said thoughtfully as he pouted his lips, staring into nothingness, putting it in his own way, maybe a bit off what she meant. He interpreted it as the artist Millie wouldn't be if music wasn't there to help her escape, help her become an artist and use music to inspire and tell stories, but on the other side music itself would not exist if not for the artist making it either. Then again he could have just way overthought it or misunderstood it. One thing that he was pretty sure of thought was that she would be lost if not for music, and she was right in her question because that was exactly what he would be without the Gods and spirituality. "You're spot on, i wish i had an answer for you but for the first time I'm stumped" He scoffed in a friendly way leaning forward on the table with his elbows, slowly rotating the ring on the middle finger of his left hand, completely in thought. "Feels like my mind is going to break just thinking about it, i guess I'd be free to choose like you" He kept his cool, chuckling after tryign to flip the question. It wasn't the first time he thought about it but it was a painful though, probably similar to a human dreading the day their parents pass in a way. The only difference was that it was an impossible scenario, yet still it somehow brought dread to his thoughts, the drinks not helping, only weakening his mental fortitude. "Excuse me for a minute, have to visit the bathroom" he said quickly with a slight smile and walked towards the back of the bar where the door was. He had to regain his composure, he was in the public, and with someone as well, he was supposed to be a pillar and there could be no cracks showing. He pushed the door inwards and saw someone washing their hands so he slowly walked past, nodding with a slight smile towards the last stall. As the guy left, he checked all the stalls and when he knew there was nobody there he let out a big exhale and leaned on the sink counter, looking into the mirror. "Come on man, get it together, not now." Looking into his own eyes for a few seconds grinding his teeth before he turned on the sink and filled his cupped hands then splashed his face. He dried himself of and took a couple of deep breaths, using his meditation technique, then walked back outside and headed towards the table again.

As he headed back, he could hear some commotion and when he got around the corner he saw Millie standing at the table next to some guy hunched over. He could see that they must have had an altercation of some kind but by the looks of it the guy got worst of it, knowing her it was probably deserved as well, it's not like she would start something with anyone. Then she asked him to follow her home and he couldn't help but to smile, there it was, that fire attitude that just pushed on. He walked over to their table and grabbed his coat from his chair and followed her out. "Yes ma'am" he said with a smirk, looking at the guy in pain on their way out. He smiled as she leaned into him, she seemed to trust people pretty quick, or maybe it was good intuition or even just carefreeness now that the alcohol had clearly taken effect on her to the point where her motor skills were affected, not that he was too far away from it himself. She had kept him company for way longer then he first intended to stay there, drinking more than planned and his tolerance was tested. He asked where they were heading and as she mentioned the hotel name he knew immediately where to go. Most of his life was spent in this city and he was frequently wandering around in it, so he was well versed in its streets. Then she stumbled and almost fell over "Woah, easy there" He said, being surprised by it, then moved his arm around her back so he could support her better and make sure she wouldn't fall over. The streets were cold and silent, except for the occasional person heading home from a night out or a cab here and there. The sky was open and you could count the stars, the light pollution not being that bad on their walk home "Beautiful night out.." He said softly gazing up as they walked. He always tried to appreciate the world when he had the chance, there was beauty to be found anywhere if you just looked at it correctly. It did not take long before they reached the hotel she was staying at and he let her guide them to the room she was staying at. "You going to be ok from here?" He said with a smirk, poking a little fun at her.

Personally he never really had trouble with the cold, but he figured it was more due to conditioning than having the genes for it, it's not something he really thought about but when she mentioned it he did recognize that he wasn't cold when they were walking to the hotel. When they got there and was standing by her door, she invited him to stay, and by the way she said it made him think she had some motives behind it. He had a slight smile on him as he thought about it, should he go inside or go home? As she grabbed his collar he smiled wider and looked down, he did enjoy talking to her and she had been a positive influence on his mind that evening so he figured he could spare the time, its not like he had plans the next day anyway. Her card game offer made him chuckle slightly as he looked back up at her and exhaled "I suppose one can never be too careful" He said softly and followed her into the hotel room, taking off leaving his coat and leaving it at the entrance, then headed inside and walked to a window, looking out towards the city. The view wasn't half bad, not unlike his own back at his apartment. Then he turned towards Millie and looked around the room "Not to make myself too much like home but, you got anything to drink in here?" He asked with a smirk, walking away from the window.

His eyes lit up as she replied and moved to the minibar, it wasn't that he really needed the drink, but because of her he had already drunk past where he used to stop, and now he had gotten past the point where he stopped worrying, he still didn't forget anything, he just felt more free to live a little and be selfish, the personality traits he developed in Paesan, the part of him he tried very well to keep locket up, partly why he most of the times stopped drinking at a certain limit, to have control. But it felt nice, the freedom to choose, to forget, and just be there in the moment, dealing with the consequences the next day, this drink would help prolong that feeling, putting everything away for the night.
He was surprised at the drink she found, as he did not expect something as fancy as that, but at the same time he didn't mind, he was past caring about what he was drinking. He had drunk plenty of wine before in his time so at least he was familiar with it even if it was a different type than he was used to. She handed him the cups and he smiled as he found it pretty funny that they were drinking some sort of champagne out of paper cups, if he wasn't so tipsy he could probably find something poetic to say for the occasion. When the cups where full he handed her a cup and raised his against hers as he leaned against the window ledge. Her making the missing sound made him hum a slight chuckle, there was something precious about that. He took a big sip of the cup and looked around the place, trying to match the surroundings to her personality, but she brought his attention to her with the interesting take about human lives, making him tilt his head slightly with squinted eyes and half a smile while listening. "Hm, is that right?" He said in a low and somewhat teasing tone. Her theory about her kind, the humans were fascinating to him, and it was interesting to hear her thoughts on them, she being human herself. What she said, it didn't really matter if it was the alcohol talking or if that was something she genuinely believed, because it actually made sense. As she placed her cup down, he finished the rest of his drink in one gulp and put the cup away, putting his palms on against the ledge of the window to support him a bit more. He didn't take his gaze off her as she spoke and approached him, keeping his full attention with her words and movement. It was a view he had not thought about before, and she was right, life would drastically change after each of those stages, to the point you could say it was a whole new life, with their free will and all the random chaos in the world, the stages would indeed never be something they could predict. And it was not like the stages where one thing, different people would recall reaching the different stages in different ways, making them even harder to see coming and prepare the younger generation for, it was a refreshing way of thinking about it, he found it very poetic in nature, she surprised him with that thought. Contrary to his life and how a lot of it was set in stone, he did always find the random and unpredictable lives of humans to be a very special thing.

As she placed her head against his chest he moved a hand to her back and caressed it gently, smiling warmly as she finished. "And that's something i admire about you.. you live in the moment, enjoying life for what it is and everything it has to offer, you live as if you were to die tomorrow.." He told her in a warm and fairly soft voice. Then moved his other hand behind her and wrapped his arms loosely around her. "I envy you.." His words had gotten lighter, barely escaping his mouth as he looked down at her, then he got up from the ledge and slowly moved them forward until they bumped into the bed. He smirked for a second before tipping them over, catching himself with his forearms so he didn't land on her but leaning over her. The longer he had spent with her, the more he lost the view of her as a human, and saw her more as Millie. In his world, he saw everyone as equal and because of that would tend to lose some of what made each one an individual. He would see what made someone different but never really focus on it, unless he got really close with them. His face was right above hers, and it was just now that he realised how beautiful she really was, looking deep into her ice blue eyes for what seemed like an eternity, darting between them before moving his eyes to her lips. He leans in slowly with the full intention of kissing her, but stops himself before he reaches her, then moves his head back up and gives off a melancholic smile before tipping over next to her, laying on his back looking at the ceiling letting out a big exhale. "I didn't know you where such a poet Millie.." His voice was almost apologetic as he spoke, referring to what she said earlier. He didn't want to stop, it didn't even feel like he was the one that made the choice, like someone had him attached by chains, yanking him away from her. But he knew there was no one and nothing else doing it, it was his conditioned proper self that still was not fully gone, trying to keep control of him. He had the conflicting feeling again, his heart was working overtime, he knew it wanted to connect with her but he didn't know how he could overcome the iron grip around it. He also felt bad for her, knowing he was likely giving off mixed signals, he just hoped she didn't feel bad or lost interest, but if she did he would of course understand, it's not like he made it easy or obvious for her, or maybe in her mind it was.