<div align="center"><a name="user_fuschsiafox"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>The Fuchsia Fox and an Artifact Absent</strong></span></a></div><br/><div class="floatleft">(https://i.pinimg.com/564x/3f/cb/51/3fcb513183b094b643a10c74bed38b1e.jpg)</div><strong>NAME:</strong>Date Toshiro<br/><strong>DAY:</strong>December 26th, 2018 | 3:00 PM<br/><strong>LOCATION:</strong>Nerissa's Bank | Pawnhouse Zaisan, The Gate<br/><strong>TAGGING:</strong>Nerissa | Mentions: The Papayo<br/><strong>EXTRA:</strong><br/><strong>WEARING:</strong>An overly large gray hoodie with a Polkadot Stingray emblem (https://ih1.redbubble.net/image.746250090.2683/ssrco,lightweight_hoodie,mens,grey_lightweight_hoodie,front,square_product,x600-bg,f8f8f8.2u3.jpg), black jeans, and his worn running shoes.<br/><hr/><br/>Accepting Nerissa's offer to pour tea for him, he took a short sip from the delicate appearing tea cup, the piping liquid reassuring him against the day's cold. Staring down at the transclucent liquid swirlding around in front of him, he contemplated Nerissa's words for a moment before answering with a firm resolve, “Help someone in need, even if I don't know them? Yeah, I would do the same in your position, but even I'm not cruel enough to make someone twist in the wind wondering what their price, if any, is going to be.” Taking another long sip, Toshiro set the cup down on the saucer in front of him, the pain in his arm largely informing the words to follow, “As to it hurting you for me to set terms, I'm sorry, but I'm not about to take any chances, especially with someone I barely know.”<br/><br/>Slowly pulling back the sleeve of his hoodie to emphasize the point, he revealed a long stretch of bandaged skin that ran from his wrist and up his shoulder, a faint purple substance slightly seeping through, the small sections of skin that peeked out between the gauze and bandages were swollen and red with still fresh bruising. Toshiro's face winced slightly with the tighter fabric of his cuff passing over every injury and partially sticking to the unidentified purple seepage. “Now you've been kind to me today and if it's honest than I appreciate it more than I can say, but this is what I got for putting my in trust someone too easily.” As a faint scent that was akin to antiseptics, lavender, and a fishery wafted off his arm for a moment, Toshiro couldn't help but wrinkle his nose in disgust before pulling his sleeve back down.<br/><br/>“Now even if you are honest about not<em>wanting</em>to hurt people, which after all you've done for me I hope is true, it doesn't mean you aren't capable of it, even if you might not mean it.” Meeting Nerissa's gaze with a resolve that stated in no uncertain terms that what he was about to say was non-negotiable, he finished, “I'm not going to promise you I won't hesitate, and I'm not going to do anything I think is going to hurt anyone. If I think whatever you ask me to do could cause someone undeserving pain, then burn me with whatever kind of magic you'll use to seal this deal, because I'm not about to do that now or later.” Closing his eyes for a moment and taking a deep breath, he extended his hand towards Nerissa, a length of bandage still visible just beneath the cuff of his hoodie, “If that works for you, you've got a deal.”<br/><br/>Toshiro was far more familiar with The Gate than many at SOPHE were comfortable with, but as far as anyone could or wanted to prove, he had never indulged in or encouraged any illegal activity. Although with how at ease he seemed to be with their surroundings as the duo navigated the tangle of alley ways, carts, and locals, it was apparent that he had probably danced along the threshold of acceptable behavior more than a few times. On any other day Nerissa would have had to have dragged him along by a leash to keep him from stopping at every new food cart and bauble stand, but given the urgency of their task, he found himself only casting the occasional longing glance in the direction of the various novelties before once again focusing on the task at hand.<br/><br/>Pawnhouse Zaisan wasn't unique in the subjects it covered, there were several locations throughout The Gate that purveyed a mixture of both objects mystical and otherwise, although that did little to curb Toshiro's interest as each location tended to vary in the sorts of fantastical items they sold. As Nerissa began to go about the business of presumably purchasing back the statue from the Papayo owner, a type of demon Toshiro had only a vague familiarity with, the scientist contended himself with going back and forth between curiously eyeing the cover of a book that seemed to be bound in human skin, and salivating over a 1968 Fender Stratocaster guitar with a white finish (https://images.reverb.com/image/upload/s--hxrj2cIB--/a_exif,c_limit,e_unsharp_mask:80,f_auto,fl_progressive,g_south,h_1600,q_80,w_1600/v1444314311/gumegsq7mil2ghvljoar.jpg). Again he could only understand roughly half of what was being said, but it was much easier to parse with being able to hear both sides of a conversation where neither participant was too concerned with keeping their voices down, probably under the assumption that the tall lanky man wouldn't understand them. It took every ounce of control the scientist could muster not to laugh at the fox's offer to rent him to the smaller demon, and it was outright beyond his capability not to frown upon hearing that negotiations had not gone well.<br/><br/>Once the pair had found themselves back outside, Toshiro stared intently at a large sign across from them that promised erotic massages for a moment before replying with notable irritation to Nerissa's report, ”That's unfortunate.” Turning around to make sure the Papayo was not near enough to hear them, Toshiro stretched his long arms well over his head before placing his hands on Nerissa's shoulders and leaning in close enough to Nerissa's ear for her to feel his warm breath against the winter chill before saying as plainly as possible, as though what he was proposing was in no way strange or unexpected, “Alright, I'm going to rob them. Do you have any weapons?” Not waiting for a reply, Toshiro leaned back and started to take long stilted strides back towards Nerissa's car as he said over his shoulder, “I need something stronger for the pain, and a few things from my bag, but this'll probably be fine.”