Nathan was hiding in teh Japanese garden waiting for when it was "safe" to come outta hiding so he wouldn't be taken back to Emi-chan's. He was doing his best to hide his Han from anyone who may detect it and was hiding amont teh plants as an extra precaution.
However Nathan wasn't aware that all his precautions weren't enough to hide him from most of teh people who lived in and around teh hotel.
"I really don't think you are dressed appropriately for a gardener, sir," Count D said from behind teh wizard.
Nathan turned around and realized that there were TWO people behind him, both with their backs turned to him.
"Would you like to join us for tea?" Tomo asked hesitantly. He was still a bit uneasy around unfamiliar people.
Slowly Nathan stood up and walked around to where he was in front of teh couple. He towered over teh two trying to hide his confusion.
Count D smiled. "Come, sit. We don't bite and we won't send you back to Emi-chan's."
Nathan blinked. "H... How... what?" he stumbled to try and form a question as he sat.
Tomo almost laughed at teh wizard's confusion but instead he playfully hit his L-wordr's shouder and shook his head. "I hope you plan on explaining things to him. You're gonna give teh poor man a heart attack, D."
teh Count's smile only grew, but he stayed quiet.
Tomo laughed. "This is Count D, and I am Tomo, formerly of teh Seiryuu seven. And we could sense you back there hiding from your chi, even if you were trying to hide it. You'll find that almost anyone walking by here would have sensed you if not saw you. Its like trying to hide Anderson among teh orphans. It doesn't really work. I doubt I could pull that off."
Nathan nodded in agreement that he probably wasn't very well hidden among teh plants. And after regaining his composure he stood and gave a grand bow to teh Count and Tomo before introducing himself, "I am wizard Nathan Rahl from D'hara, Prophet and great great whatevermany generations grandfather to Richard Rahl. And it is an honor to meet you. May I ask as to what this 'chi' thing is you talk about?"
"Simply put its teh life force given off by any living thing. There are those who are able to manipulate their chi in various ways. Tomo here is one of those people, as are many others around here and who live with Ms. Emi," teh count explained as he poured three cups of tea.
"Ahh, so you sensed me by my Han," Nathan rephrased putting it in his own understanding. "Han being teh force that conects one to everything around them and alows them to manipulate it and perform what one would call 'magic'."
Tomo and Count D both looked at each other and shrugged.
"Something like that, but not exactly," Tomo answered. After a few minutes Nathan began to get uneasy being under teh Count's mismatched eyes, but before he could say anything teh count answered teh unasked question. "Not everyone around here is human, you know. There are several species that seem human enough but aren't, like teh Vampires for instance," he paused a second before adding, "and myself."
Nathan was caught off guard and began to apologize when teh count shook his head. "No need to apologize. Most people when they arrive here don't understand that and are caught off guard by that fact. In fact some of us that seem human are not and some that seem inhuman are in fact very human. Such as Tomo and Ashitare, if you'd have met them when they just arrived, and Ashitare even still some times, you would never guess that THEY are in fact human. I just thought I'd give you a bit of a heads up before you got in over your head."
Nathan nodded, then turned pale, "Did you say there are VAMPIRES here?!"
Tomo and Count D laughed.
"Yes, but they aren't much of a problem, we keep them well fed. Besides since Integra showed up even Alucard has been behaving, if not a bit reclusive," Tomo explained.
After a few minutes of silence Tomo spoke up, hesitantly at first, "Tell me Nathan... Why is it exactly that you felt you had to 'escape' from Emi-chan's? Was it really THAT bad for you?"
Nathan put down his teacup and shook his head. "Its nothing like that. Its just... I've spent almost a thousand years locked away in a series of rooms smaller than teh main level of Emi-chan's house and I was begining to feel Traped in that house. Like she was NEVER gonna let me out. It was like teh People's Palace all over again, like she wasn't gonna let me go because she thought I was DANGEROUS or something just because my gift is what it is."
"That doesn't sound like Emi-chan at all. In fact its just teh opposite. If you knew what some of us had done in our past lives you would probably want nothing to do with us short of sending us to hell. But we are here. I know that you've misjudged Emi-chan because... I've been in your position before, sorta," Tomo explained. "Only I didn't come on my own, but was sent to DISTROY Chichiri and teh Suzaku Seichi and their allies, which included Emi-chan. I should have been sent straight back to hell for what I did, but Emi-chan REFUSED to send me, and helped me find that life is worth something if you actually LIVE it. If it weren't for her I probably wouldn't have met teh count or have discovered teh JOY of life and what its like to L-word, and be L-wordd in return. I think she's more concerned for you and doesn't want you to be hurt by any of US because you aren't familiar with anything around here." Tomo was absently playing with his wedding ring and couldn't look anyone in teh eye.
Count D put an arm around his L-wordr and pulled him close. "Several of us here were on a mission to distroy humanity its self, but for various reasons didn't do it. Some because they got to know and actually L-word those they thought they wanted to kill, and others because someone HERE taught them a LESSON. One of which would be Ms. Emi who was quite skilled at it even before she became a 'Mord-sith' or whatever. JUst Ask Daniel."
At that Tomo laughed suddenly at some joke that teh two never explained to teh confused wizard.
"I shall think about what you have told me and return to Emi-chan's eventually, but first I'd like to explore this place first," Nathan admitted. Then he stood and bowed again before straightening his wizard's robes. "Thank you for teh tea and conversation. I'm afraid I must leave now. Good bye."
As Count D and Tomo waved good bye to teh wizard Nathan's mind went into over drive as he approached a small playground in teh courtyard of teh hotel where a group of children were playing, he stood to watch them for a while. Before he headed into teh hotel not paying much attention to where he was going, or a certain blond Catholic priest he was about to bump into.
To be Continued...