Home of the Saints

Shimiko was in the small bookstore and religious shop known as the "Home of the Saints". It was a cozy bookstore that also sold various trinkets and idols from a variety of religions. It was one of the places Shimiko had spent a fair bit of time when she wasn't training. There was much to read and little time. More to discover about her faith and its history. More to learn about her clan's dark past. Sometimes Shimiko felt like it was draining her to learn about the horrors inflicted by her family and faith. Not in the sense that their crimes disturbed her but in the sense that there was so much to live up to. Mountains had run red with blood spilled by only a handful of historic killers. Shimiko was curled up in a big chair reading a textbook on demonic symbology with a cup of tea next to her. It was the biggest chair in the room and afforded her a decent view of the rows of shelves and the front door. The Home of the Saints was not super popular but those who were interested in both Left Hand and Right Hand spiritual paths would find a fine selection in the store. It had catered to a particular type of clientele and those clientele often made excellent converts to Jashinism. For the Home of the Saints was nothing more than a front operation for the Jashinist cult that Shimiko had belonged to. Shimiko sipped on her tea as she turned the page to a section of the book inscribed with numerous ritual symbols. The blonde was wearing clothes that were a stark deviation from her regular attire. She wore a black top that was styled in the manner of a hoodie but that left much more skin exposed. A black bikini covered her growing chest for her top while her bottom consisted of a pair of black short shorts and boots. A black stole lay draped over her shoulders and a yellow scarf hung tightly around her neck. The hood was pulled over her head obscuring her face.

The doorbell to the shop chimed as Yōko entered. Shimiko looked up from her book and her eyes widened as she saw that the girl had horns on her head. It was something straight out of a horror film as the death cultist raised her eyes from her demonic symbology book to see an honest-to-Jashin demon walk into the store. Shimiko remained calm despite the initial expression of shock that crossed her face. Her mind stabilized as she realized he had heard of this new clan before. The Yōkai Clan.... A clan that had joined up with Kumogakure and were said to have kinship to otherwordly beings known by society as Devils and Demons. The girl looked distressed and Shimiko followed her eyes to the crowd of young men that had just walked away. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together on what had happened. They were giving her trouble because of her background and her appearance. Rather than risking open confrontation she had made the wise choice to seek refuge in the bookstore. Shimiko swallowed her fear, set the book aside, and approached Yōko directly. She placed a friendly hand on the girl's shoulder and spoke to her.

"Hey, are you alright? You can stay if you need to. This is a safe place."

Shimiko had inadvertently started the demon and was grappled in an offensive manner. Shimiko planted her feet firmly on the ground but restrained herself from engaging. She released her hand and remarked that she had been frightened by the contact. The blonde offered a smile and replied: "Sorry, I just wanted to make sure you were alright" she said. "I'm Shimiko Chinoike and please its no problem at all" she said by way of introduction. She looked Yoko over and studied the horns in particular. The Chinoike looked like humans and they still got shit on by ignorant people who believed they were vampires and mountain savages. What made it even more indignant was that the Chinoike had been loyal soldiers of the beloved Inazuma for years but they still couldn't shake years of prejudice and suspicion. She could only imagine what it would be like for a relatively new clan that genuinely looked as though they were hellspawn.

"I'm sure it must be difficult...people judging you based on your appearance. We Chinoike had it rough for a few years when we came to Kumogakure but eventually people accepted us. If you ever need safe place to just get away from it all, our door is always open" She said with a smile. She gestured towards one of the bookshelves about the occult and waved Yoko to come over. Perhaps talking about the nature of demonic entities would take her mind off of the kid's prejudices. She was also curious as to the exact nature of the Yokai. "I've heard of your clan but I'm a bit unclear on the details. Where are you guys from originally? And your horns....they're beautiful!"

It felt almost awkward after she had released the other girl's hand and introductions were given, it wasn't until the subject of her horns had been broached that Yoko really seemed to become vibrant again. Her personally shifted from luke-warm to vivid warmth, a happy smile grafted to those smooth pink lips that her eyes shimmered in amber tones like a calm lake's water reflecting sunlight off it's surface.

"R-really?! You think so?" She was almost child-like in how she bounced up and down, running over to the bookshelf and giving Shimiko a brief hug. "They pale in comparison to my parent's horns but I like to think they look good as they are." A double-nod and the girl stepped back, getting a large glance at the plethora of books on the shelving. "Oooh... didn't know that people were so interested in my kind." Taking free one of the books on Demonology, the girl began sifting through the pages in quick flip-thumbing. She seemed to avoid the question of where her kind came from exactly however.

Shimiko was a bit taken aback by the girl's enthusiasm and joy at having her horns complimented. She guessed that people were more likely to mock her horns which probably made her very defensive about the growths. Shimiko returned the hug and gave a genuine nod. "Yes, I love them" she smiled sweetly. She watched as the girl took a book of the shelf and began thumbing through it. She dodged the question about where they were from and Shimiko respected that. The clan had its own secrets as did the Chinoike, it wouldn't be prudent to pry further if she wasn't intent on sharing. What she did share was that her parents horns were larger and presumably more impressive.

"I'm sure a lot of people are...but I'm particularly curious because well....I'm a Chinoike and we have her own folklore and myths about where we come from. My branch of the clan is said to have descended from Vampires" she said candidly. It wasn't something she'd normally share with anyone. Not a friend and certainly not an outsider but she had learned that expressing vulnerability was often a solid way to gain trust. And if Shimiko's thoughts about Yoko were accurate if she could gain the girl's trust she'd potentially make a great convert. "The world is filled with all sorts of wonders. Seen and unseen. Demons, vampires, ghosts, all of that stuff. As our city becomes more complex we tend to forget the Old Ways. I think our clans represent that Old Way. No matter how things progress and society develops we must never forget our roots and so we must work constantly to understand the supernatural. If you don't know where you come from, you can't know where you're going"