A Sanctuary for Even the Greyest Days [Benjamin/Closed]

Benjamin never liked rainy days and today was precisely one of those gloom ones where rain was imminent. Yet, Benjamin found himself walking outside on the streets. He had heard about a shrine dedicated to an ancient family. Even a few of the flyers he had taken with him from the airport spoke about the urban legends surrounding it. Benjamin doubted if any of them were true. He had travelled far and it certainly wouldn't be the first time these flyers would lure tourists to these spots by talking about the myths surrounding them. Still, it was said to be quite the sight, a must-see for tourists even if the folklore surrounding it weren't necessarily true. He wondered how busy it would actually be. Did people visit the shrine often?

And so, umbrella in hands, Benjamin made his way to the shrine. Despite the awful weather, the male was keen on being a tourist today. There was much to be learned about Japan, and shrines, temples, and other religious sites always fascinated the man. It was a bit out of the way, but conveniently enough there was a subway station that took him close enough to permit walking the rest. The only hardships he would face was the hill he was to climb, but if he could walk from Spain to Jerusalem he could also climb the steps leading up to the shrine, no matter how tall or steep.

Traversing the forest, he could already feel the world around him becoming more serene. It was as though a veil of peace surrounded the shrine, protecting it. For a moment, Benjamin pondered if this place was for tourism at all. It was quiet, almost tranquil. Perhaps tourists were meant to just gaze at the temple from a distance? It was, truly, quite the sight to behold even from afar, but what if he would interrupt a meditation session? Regardless, the Quincy pressed on, his now unfolded umbrella obscuring his vision. The rain had started, and unbeknown to him, he walked past a particularly interesting shrine maiden before entering the shrine. His sixth sense had no use here, either. It was as though his internal compass was rapidly spinning, thrown back the rich reishi trees that grew here.

It was when he finally stepped through the red arch that marked the shrine's entrance that he could feel the brimming spiritual energy that bloomed in the place. What was it, exactly? The trees? It couldn't be, yet they were in an awfully good shape. Blooming in early October, that was certainly an odd sight. They didn't seem like pines, either. A local Japanese species he had not yet heard of or seen before, maybe?

Inside the shrine, it was oddly enough, completely devoid of tourism. Sure, the weather was bad, but one would expect at least one or two people who would visit despite it, no? Clearly it wasn't the case for this particular shrine. Maybe it wasn't as popular as the flyers made it out to be. Who truly knew?

Cats were a recurring theme in the shrine, that much he had gathered from the flyers. The fact that even the main shrine was accompanied by a giant statue of a maneki neko was surprising to Benjamin. Still, he knew not much about Japan. Reaching into his pockets, the man got out his wallet, placed a few coins in the donation box and lit an incense. He cared not who the shrine was built for, this incense was lit for those he held dearest.

Lighting an incense wasn't the only thing the man came for, however. Money was to be made, and what better way than to offer his services to shrines? The only problem would be finding someone to ask. Umbrella still shielding his body from the falling rain, Benjamin began his search. It didn't take long for him to conclude that nobody was around. Perhaps inside, but the male dared not enter any buildings. To do so would be rude, or so he thought.

Kissing his teeth, the male turned on his heels, making his way back out of the shrine. Only then did his eyes fall on another person. He hadn't noticed her on the way in. Had she even been here?

"Ah. I was wondering where everyone was.", his deep voice broke the ice. He hadn't yet noticed the girl's odd form, the rain was simply too heavy for him to catch any details like such. "Are you perhaps a shrine maiden? I was hoping to talk to one regarding a business proposal.", he spoke calmly yet with an odd hint of sternness in his voice.

"I'm somewhat of an exorcist, you see. I was hoping to offer my services."


792

Saria continued observing the presence as it made its way up towards the shrine when finally it seemed the sky simply opened up. Rain poured down onto the shrine, its surroundings and onto the priestess. A chill was sent through her spine briefly at the feel of the droplets against her body. For a moment the stone would shake briefly as her concentration was distracted for a moment though soon she would manage to steady it again.

Soon however something else would disrupt her concentration. Her guest would have finally arrived but he had simply walked past her. At first she would simply sit there in shock at what happened. How could he have possibly missed her? She was literally sitting pretty much right in his path. Did he somehow mistake her for one of the statues? Regardless of the reason she couldn't help but feel a tad insulted.

She would turn around and watch the visitor closely as he entered the shrine and observed what he did. Both her vision and her sixth sense she would take note of his actions carefully. Her usual smile however returned at his reaction to the trees. There was always a sense of disbelief at their existence. It always gave her a sense of pride in her family. They were able to create something that people found so unbelievable that they couldn't even acknowledge it themselves when they not only saw them but felt their presence. It showed just how amazing they really were. It was also a nice touch that the man gave a proper donation and prayer.

Finally the visitor would turn around and take note of her presence. By this point the rain had already drenched the woman. Her clothing was sticking to her skin and her hair would be pressed against her head. She barely cared much however. Her shirt was thick enough and she had a black tank top underneath. It was plenty to satisfy her sense of modesty and certainly enough to prevent anything remotely revealing. Beyond that it was just a slight bit of discomfort that she tolerated due to the fresh smell of the rain filled air and the pleasant sounds of the surroundings.

There was also the matter of her guest. She was far too interested in the newcomer to worry too much about any discomfort she might have been feeling. It also wouldn't have hurt to achieve a little bit of revenge against him though that would wait for a few moments. Slowly she would circle around the man and take him in carefully. In particular she was measuring him up.

His spirit was weaker than she expected but she wasn't planning on fight him. The man was presenting himself as an exorcist? It made some sense. He was strong enough to deal with some low level Hollow at the very least. Maybe there was word of Hollow going after shrine or maybe there was something else. Either way it was worth noting he didn't seem to notice that she was reasonably strong spirited herself. Her path to revenge was made clear pretty quickly as her smile grew wider and finally she would answer the man.

“Shrine maiden? I suppose I could be called as well. Though more to the point I'm the keeper of this shrine. An exorcist though... I haven't really had much need around here. In fact I find I've managed well enough myself in that department.”

Suddenly Saria raised her left hand and “invited” the umbrella right out of Ben's hands and right into her own. Like a bit of a surprise since she was still a decent distance away but ideally it made her point. She would twirl the umbrella and sway her hips in a little dance while approaching Benjamin to get a proper look at him.

The catgirl was a little surprised at what she saw. In particular the dreadlocks were a bit surprising to her. It wasn't a hair style that she really saw much around this area. Most Japanese didn't really have the right hair for that kind of thing. She never really understood the appeal to it when she did see it but ultimately that was his own choice. There were certainly those that had asked about her own hair and why she didn't style it more properly. Saria wasn't about to be that kind of person. Beyond that she simply needed to watch and see what kind of person this man was.

“Name's Raitsume Saria.”