Kevin
"Mmhmm. Yeah."

*That's all Zed needs to know, right? It's not like he'd care about literally any other details regarding New Sunlight.

It doesn't come as a surprise to Hitoshi that "Changing gender" Magic isn't going to be easy to find at all. When she tried looking for... Stuff to help with it, literally everyone either laughed or have her a look that would be more fitting if she grew a second head. To be honest, part of it probably owed to the absurdity of the requests... And the fact that nobody takes Kitsune all that seriously.

As for the slavers? Hitoshi isn't worried. She can handle a bunch of slaver psychos. Hell, even if Zed is normally not the nicest sort, Hitoshi bets that they have common ground there: despising elven slaves. They just happen to focus on different parts of that statement. Zed would hopefully be at least quarter way willing to back her up, right? And vice versa.*
James
"Well, I think we're done here. Hey, how about we do some old fashioned reaping together? Just like old times."

*He's testing Hitoshi now. Seeing how she'll react, and what her response is. He knows that she doesn't like killing, so asking is really just taunting now. She does need the gold, though, so he wonders how far Hitoshi will go to change back.*

"How about you, Arthur? I plan to exchange some 'harvest' for coin. How do you feel about that?"
Kevin
"No. I don't... I don't want to."

*Hitoshi cringes as she hears the phrase "Like old times".

Hitoshi's standards aren't that low. She'd rather be.. This way for the rest of her life than ever, **Ever** Resort to murder. That was long in the past. A past that she still regrets to this day.*
James
"But you'll have to kill for the assassin mission, don't you? I'm quite sure Arthur had to kill before."

*A grin plasters his face, and to anyone that understands the context of the situation, it's evil. He'a just trying to play with Hitoshi now, the twisted thing that he is. He's not sure how Arthur feels about this, though.*
Kevin
"That's different. That... Was... Different."

*Hitoshi's eyes begin to stare off into the distance, a look of immense... Sadness over something. 

He's right, Hitoshi thinks. She's nothing but a violent murderer.
Like her father. Wasn't he just a killer? Except at least he was a good person. He fought for his country. Senichi Hisikawa was an asset to Irunia. Although he wasn't exactly **Legendary,** He still managed to gain himself a small following. The man was good with a sword, and a decent person who wouldn't take too kindly to Hitoshi's new life.

Even when she tries, she really can't escape the shadows after all. This is who she is.

She can almost feel the piercing gaze of her mother and her father, Hikari and Senichi, from the heavens above. How angry they must be. No doubt Senichi would've killed Hitoshi with his own blade if... He were still alive. Would he even have felt bad? God only knows. But Hitoshi can take a rough guess: no. He wouldn't.*

"That's different."

*Hitoshi repeats it again. Is she really just that stubborn? Or is she trying to convince herself as much as she is Zed?*
James
"How, is it it different, Hitoshi? Because you had to survive? A life taken is a life taken. There's nothing much to it. Or is it eliminating the good, the innocent that lurks in your shadows?"

"Remember what I said that day. No matter how far you run, your shadows always follow. You have to learn how to embrace them, use them as a weapon instead of an encumbrance."

*Zed has no problem embracing his shadows. He's killed at a very, very young age, and he's not normal either. As Hitoshi would say, strange, but also brutal. Hitoshi's hotheaded, using his, or her, anger to fuel his violence, but not quite channeled. Right now, she's denying his shadows, and lying to himself when she says "That's different."*
Kevin
"What does that even mean?"

*Hitoshi remembers it. And she always assumed it was more of a "You have betrayed your clan, remember that". But... Obviously that wasn't the case.

Now Hitoshi is even more confused. One of Zed's go to phrases, and Hitoshi didn't understand it. Unsurprising, really.*
James
*Welp. Guess Hitoshi severely misunderstood.*

"You're too soft. Too emotional. You look back, wonder what you could have done better. You need to *Embrace* What you've done, and take it in as a part of you. You'll also have to deal with missing parts and new ones with this new transformation of yours."
Kevin
"I... See."

*Hitoshi listened to the part about embracing her actions. About, rather than trying to aimlessly feel sorry for herself, accepting what she's done and moving forward.

Zed said things Hitoshi liked sometimes. Emphasis on... Sometimes. Zed will never be forgiven for what he wanted to happen to that one village. Ever.*

"I see."

*Hitoshi knows about Zed's state of having long been broken. A miserable person his whole life. Maybe he saw everything he did as... A way of getting back at the world around him. Or maybe it was a similar position to hers. Hitoshi can't remember. It's been so long.*

*Hitoshi can't help but think that there must have been something better for Zed than... This.*

"I think I'll leave."

*Hiroshi solemnly gets up off her seat and turns to Zed one last time.*

"Was nice to see you."

*She meant it. Goddamn it, she should be so pissed. But she can't bring herself to be. Is she any better? Not really.*
James
"Ah, I guess I shall as well. Ta ta."

*He gets up, and stands in the middle of the restaurant. His eyes turn dark, as he waves to Hitoshi, and a black mist surrounds him, encasing the area in darkness. When it settles, he's gone.*
Laura
*Arthur would watch solemnly as both Hitoshi and Zed had gotten up. He had listened in silently to their entire conversation, the topic even drifting back to himself somehow. He had noticed Hitoshi's look of incredible, unadulterated sadness over something when Zed had mentioned 'killing for the assassin mission.' To be quite honest, it surprised him that Hitoshi had reacted such a way to the mention and speculation of one person killing another. He - no, she - always seemed to be the type that could easily take someone out if the need arose. Arthur himself knew that there was a meaning behind her skills with a ninja-to and Naginata, though the latter was, for some reason, gone. Obviously, Hitoshi didn't find meaning to work as a guard; that much was already apparent. It wouldn't be too surprising if Hitoshi worked as a cutthroat at a certain point in time, if the kitsune were to be honest.*

*They talked and talked, mostly about things that Arthur really couldn't understand. For instance, something about 'No matter how far you run, your shadows always follow.' He took that in a literal sense, but also knew the metaphorical meaning behind it as well. Though, what kind of significance did that phrase even have? Coupled with Zed's relentless monologue about how she was apparently 'Too soft, too emotional,' Blah blah blah. It annoyed him on how wise Zed was trying to sound, which caused Arthur to grow a slight distaste for the man himself. Acting so high and mighty, causing his friend to sulk within the background didn't really help his case either.*

*Zed and Hitoshi said their goodbyes to each other, with Zed looking as arrogant as ever as he strode into the middle of the restaurant. He was enveloped in a black mist which turned the surrounding area dark, but due to Arthur's own vision being naturally enhanced, he could see Zed as plainly as day. However, once he blinked, Zed was just... Gone. Probably exiting VIA the door. Hitoshi, however, sulked as she got up from her own seat, looking... Really depressed, actually. It almost made Arthur reciprocate the sadness that she exuded. Obviously, his friend was troubled, and it was his duty as Hitoshi's friend to try and listen and hear her out - possibly easing the burden on her mind.*

"Hey, Hitoshi, you really ok? That Zed guy seemed like a huge dickhead, if I'm going to be honest. You, though, look pretty sad yourself. What's wrong?"