LUUUUUUUUUUUUNCH!

[Guest]

Why did he do things like this?

No, scratch that. HOW did he do things like this? How did he get multiple individuals, within the shortest span of time over mountainous terrain and several hundreds of miles away from the icy north of Drachma down into Aerugo?

The answer: Absolute obedience. His masters had asked of him for a specific sort of lunch, and he sought to please them as they specifically requested. So, for one, to make sure nothing horrid of the sort was going on, plenty of falsified info had been utilized, passports and IDs from a variety of non-Amestrian and non-Drachman sort to get them into Aerugo’s borders. His own personal account being used to deal with getting them past the borders (by whatever means the other two preferred, since he didn’t have a preference much himself) and into whatever god-forsaken city of Aerugo. And something, something, something.

And … something.

He had no idea exactly where, when, how or even WHY. Scratch that, he knew why: They asked him too, and he obliged. And did not take no for an answer, and surprisingly they didn’t mind.

So, while sitting in a damned ramen shop in Aerugo . . .

’Why ramen, of all things? Ramen specifically in Aerugo?’

[Aurelius Schwartz]

Hm. Aurel stared at the menu and wondered why of all places he was currently sitting in a ramen shop in Aerugo. The smell of fresh eggs and soupy noddles filled his senses. He could almost taste the salty broth and feel it run down his throat. That was when he was certain that this place was perfect for exactly what he now craved. Staring blankly over the menu, he turned to the man who had accompanied him. Hm. Brutal type of man... someone Aurel didn't exactly trust despite him being in the loyal ranks of Drachma and RIOTE combined. Mismatched eyes narrowed and shifted to the window. No snow. This wasn't Drachma for sure. It was almost hot outside despite it nearly being winter... The noises beyond that glass divider was making him sick, nearly spoiling the prospect of a glorious meal. He turned, frowning back to the feeding mouths of humans surrounding them. That, too was sickening. Slurping laughter and fake smiles brimming to the surface of soggy vegetables.

Aurel crossed his legs and let his eyes slide closed. His finger brushed over the smooth plastic of the menu, touching words and unresponsive pictures. He had memorized it all with a glance. He knew what he was looking at even baked in the darkness of his eyelids. A callus smile scanned his face and he fell open his eyes, looking directly at the man that sat across from him. "So tell me, what is your name?"

[Guest]

"Kuhu." A light finger touched the tip of her tongue as she slowly traipsed through the Aerugese streets, chuckling internally as she did so. So, she was to be asked to lunch? The thought of that on it's own was most certainly interesting. She tapped her chin softly with the self-same finger, watching the people pass by with slightly wondering looks on their faces. Well, why wouldn't they? The young woman that walked past them, she had a strange ponytail at the top of her head; it didn't seem long enough and yet was also just the right length. She had an eyepatch over her right eye, covering up a mangled and bloody mess that she herself had caused in a moment of total devotion to Aurelius. Not only that, but Hild also had a menacing aura around her body, causing a lot of the people that first looked at her to suddenly back away in slight wonder and disgust. For that reason, a breathy snigger escaped the slightly-pursed lips of the blue-green-haired Bearer. These people that didn't know her, they still feared her. Despite her being of small stature and thin body, they still had cause to feel her. Stories weren't enough, but seeing this girl was, for some reason, a scary sight either way; her psychosis not even showing on her face.

One had to wonder, though, exactly why Hild Schwarz was so openly in Aerugo. She was the ultimate traitor to Amestris; their Fuhrer who had destroyed her own country in a total moment of mind-changing. She had become Mnemosyne, killed, destroyed, and been all that she was up until now. Her mind was her's, but also no longer whole. She bit her lip a little bit, a soft red mark appearing on the pale pink of the flesh, and as she continued to slowly walk towards the "ramen" shop. Being one that knew very little about anything outside of Amestris, Hild's knowledge on Aerugese food was most certainly limited to the point of "sushi". She'd had sushi before, but it was some crappy Amestrian-done stuff; so anything else foreign she had been a little worried about trying. It was always so strange: Hild was a powerful, well-known, very-feared woman. However... she didn't have the same effect when it came to all that was foreign. Her personal translator was already ahead; she had run a couple of errands before she followed Aurelius to the meting place. Errands over, she had begun her slow trek to the place of which she had heard so little about. A simple, nondescript ramen shop.

Recognizing the landmark that Aurelius had given to her, she pushed her way into the little shack, looking around for Aurel and the man who had asked for their company. She blinked a couple of times, and slowly walked through the shop until she finally approached the two men. "--e, what is your name?" She stood silently at the side of the booth for a second, before making a curt bow and speaking to Aurel directly in a calm, emotionless voice. "My apologies for my lateness, Aurelius." She would do whatever she was ordered to do, from there.

[Nyx]

Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow, oh WOW! Nyx was obviously rather excited, for she had never been to Aerugo before. Thus, this was a brand new adventure for the small Bearer, and she intended to enjoy it. She arrived and immediately went off to explore, though she would remember to go to the ramen shop. At first, she just sort of darted around, weaving through streets in quest of anything that interested her. The best part was that it was so easy to keep a low profile! Since it wasn't Amestris, less people knew about Nyx, and therefore nobody really cared. Even so, if someone managed to recognize her, she was wearing a pretty little green jacket, covering her wings quite nicely. Of course, few people had teal hair, but this was Aerugo, a place where dyed hair was not so unusual, or so Nyx had been told.

Her first order of business was to find something fun, which was completed rather quickly. She found a little shop near where she arrived, and entered. Looking around curiously, she soon found some things of interest; Little brass figures, delicate origami, and her favorite of all items there, a little folding fan, decorated with pretty images and Aerugese writing. Nyx gathered up a small bag of things and traded some Drachman money for Aerugese currency to pay for it. Having made her purchase, she skipped cheerfully to the little ramen shop, and entered, fan in hand, as she admired it. "Hello Aurel, hello Hild!~" As she greeted the leaders of RIOTE, one would easily sense the reverence in her voice, the eternal devotion and respect. Turning to Hei, she skipped over and hugged him, before grinning up at him. "Hi Hei-Hei!~ I think I like this place, see? I even got a pretty fan and some or-gon-omi, or something like that." Beaming, she held up her little trinkets, proud of her souvenirs. Glancing over the menu, she decided to order something new and tasy-sounding- Shrimp with fried rice and wasabi! Whatever wasabi was, anyways.

Upon recieving her order, she was perplexed by the small portion of wasabi, which proved to be a green paste. There was so much shrimp though... How could this small amount of wasabi fit on ALL this shrimp!? Nyx, confused, decided that it didn't go on shrimp and was intended to be eaten plain. So she did, and immediately fell out of her seat, her face glowing red. Sitting weakly back in her chair, she began eating her food as quickly as was lady-like and polite. NOBODY BOTHERED TO WARN HER!? Ah well, she would just NEVER eat wasabi EVER again. Anywho, Nyx then carried on, eating and listening to the others doing whatever they were doing.

[Guest]

Ah yes. Chaos. The man in his sight was Chaos: Aurelius Carston Schwarz. The, as far as Hei knew, de facto leader of RIOTE. This fellow was the one who wanted ... ramen ... in Aerugo. Now, he did not specify as to why, so Hei just presumed it was a craving, and obliged (even if he did get a specific reason as to why it had to be noodles in Aerugo, he'd probably do this anyway).

But alas, there was always something ... off ... to Hei in Aerugo. Maybe because he had pissed off the Yakuza before in this place, doing something. He didn't know exactly what, but in his past he had gotten into some trouble here and had basically sent a whole city into quarantine, another under martial law, and broken lots of bones (not one was his own). So, all the while, he just kept himself a little bit alert, not sure what his last misadventures, eons ago, had exactly entailed in terms of consequences.

"So tell me, what is your name?"

That was not the first thing he expected Chaos, leader of RIOTE, to ask him. Then again, he didn't recall exactly introducing himself to Aurelius (though ... that was odd, since he was sure they had met before and exchanged pleasantries as well!). Immediately after the question was posed, Hei intended to answer promptly ... but, another presence told him to wait as another joined the party.

"My apologies for my lateness, Aurelius."

Hild Schwarz. Mnemosyne. The leader, as denoted by her title, though it seem that that responsibility had shifted to Chaos, rather than the personfication of memory.

.

Well, since the question posed by Aurel was in Amestrian, Hei opted to respond in that language as well, as opposed to his (current) native tongue of Drachman or second language of Xingese.

"Hello, Lady Hild." he bids a quiet, but warm welcome to then-newest arrival. One thing was certain about Hei now, he could not fake emotions well. He could hide them spectacularly, but not imitate a different state of mind than the one he was currently in. As such, the reverence in his tone remained present, as he continued speaking, and the gentle manner in which he spoke also remained.

"Lord Aurelius. My name, or at least the name I can remember is Hei J- his answer, slightly delayed to welcome Hild, was then cut off (not helped that he was speaking so softly, as opposed to his usual conversational tone)

"Hello Aurel, hello Hild!~"

Nyx. Also codenamed, Nyx. If memory served Hei well (and sadly, they didn't always) he had first met Nyx out of all the others in RIOTE. Well, the main force of RIOTE, that is, considering he was in contact with the Men In White prior to this. She was an interesting person, always roaming about with this childlike wonder, but capable of deeply insightful commentary. . . . And wreck devastation, like any other member, particularly titleholders.

"Hi Hei-Hei!~ I think I like this place, see? I even got a pretty fan and some or-gon-omi, or something like that." The Xingese-Drachman could not help but laugh a little bit.

"Hello to you too, Lady Nyx." he responds in kind to the cheery response. Yes, childlike wonder, indeed. Though, that personality seemed to have this sort of overall positive effect on others. And then she sat down and ordered, while Hei turned his attention back to Aurelius (given that he had answered one of possibly many more questions from Chaos).

"Er, as before, my name is Hei Jin."

While whatever may have been going on, he noted . . . at the last second, that Nyx was fussing with her wasabi. And had opted to try to eat it alone. The man of mismatched origins and ideals tried to turn to warn her, getting out these words.

"Ah, be carefu-" and he didn't get to finish as Nyx fell out of her chair from the shock of experiencing true wasabi for the first time. . . . . . . He wasn't sure whether to be horribly amused or incredibly sympathetic, given what the experience must have been like for her.

[Aurelius Schwartz]

Hei Jin. It certainly went along well with the title of Perses. Some names just didn't go together well. For one, Nyx and Nylia Venus were nearly one in the same, telling Aurelius that a position as such was meant to be. As she bounced in, picturesque of smiles, he took his eyes off of the cracks in the tile floor and met hers directly. Sweet green, it reminded him of blooming spring leaves, easily capable of bursting into flames--defenseless, naive. Aurel was quite able to admit that he loved that vulnerability--that trustful childish obedience that was more than easy to manipulate. For that very reason, the demonic envision of chaos did not do so. He lifted not his hand to pull the puppet strings and, instead, observed as the puppet animated itself. This was the result of his aspirations--the living form of Hild's dream: Nyx--a child in war, unabashed by smoke, flames, or a terrorist in all his terror. This was what the world would become: peace so pure nothing could poison it. She was just that. Right before him now, showing them it was more than possible; it would be reality! Aurel knew he was evil--he knew he had already gone beyond salvation for himself, but he still embraced the ability to stay his hand. Nyx remained as she was because of this.

He let out a breath of air and it almost hurt to take his eyes away from her and to look back at the tiles. Saying nothing, he let the feeling of love wash over him. Yes, he loved Nyx as he would had she been his own child. For that reason, he remained aloof. To ensure her safety, he pretended that she was a pawn on his chess board--that he was indeed the puppeteer however motionless he had become. She became a bearer also for this reason. Smirking to himself, mismatched eyes quickly darted up and to the side, focusing dully on Hild. He heard her voice over and over again in his head, stripping apart each syllable and phrase, word and annunciation. She didn't care. Hild didn't care that he had thrown her off her throne--didn't mind that she had marred over the scars in his soul. What was this for if not her happiness? That monotone, bored greeting washed over the wound with salt water and nearly made him wince in front of both Nyx and Hei. He did no such thing, barely constraining himself in a last ditch effort to look very much reserved.

That, of course, was when Nyx's food arrived, making Aurelius wonder why he had not yet ordered himself. He leaned back in his chair and blankly cooed his order in the waitress' ear. She scurried off, and as soon as the black-haired man returned back to his scrutinizing of the floor tiles, something averted his attention.

"Ah, be carefu-"

Aurel blinked first scanning Hild and then looking to Nyx as she....ingested wasabi. Now, Aurel didn't exactly have experience himself with the stuff, but he knew very well how intensely spicy it was. Seeing her face go red, he snickered, eyes glowing with maniacal tendencies that weren't fully exploited in an effort to show that he didn't mean harm with his amusement. Silently, he lifted up his glass of milk and handed it to her, not noticing the affection that flashed momentarily in his eyes. Moment passed, he crossed his legs and turned to Hei with a dark, rather threatening stare. Straight to the point. "I would like you to be Perses."

[Guest]

Her single eye was closed, and her head remained slightly bowed. She would take a seat when she was offered a seat or ordered to; for now she would remain quiet and watch carefully. "Hello, Lady Hild." She blinked and slowly raised her head back into the air, opening the eye and staring at Hei with a cold blue eye. "G-good day to you as well." She attempted to proffer some kind of smile, but it was obvious that Hild was now trying to watch what she was saying for fear of Aurelius telling her off. Ever since the event in Drachma, she hadn't wanted to insult this man that she totally adored. She feared losing him, and that was why she had to watch what she said. "Er, as before, my name is Hei Jin." Ah, an interesting name. Of Xingese origin, obviously. Chuckling slightly, Hild slowly raised her head into the air, letting her back completely straighten itself out. "I would like you to be Perses." She blinked, and looked at the man carefully. So, Aurelius had found a Perses for RIOTE, hmm? She chuckled softly, and then watched the glass get handed over to Nyx. "Ah! Nyx, it'll get worse if you dri--oh, that's milk..."

She almost held out a hand to try and stop the girl, and she wasn't sure if she'd done so properly or not. Having only perused in wasabi once, she knew that it was most certainly not something to eat readily. In fact, she was certain that it would be debilitating to such a young woman. She would have laughed at this, but it was certainly no laughing matter. Turning away from the table, Hild stared quietly at the wall across from them, taking note of the designs upon the wood. "Hmm..." She blinked and shook her head quietly; it was difficult to consider all of the variables of the world around her. Instead, she would simply accept it. She was waiting for that peace, and all of this would lead up to that. A coy smile slid across her lips, and the girl without a true mind to call her own turned back to the table. "Perses? I see." She turned towards Hei Jin and bowed quietly. "Then I welcome you to RIOTE, if you choose to accept it as such. You will find it an experience to work with us, and I promise you that the final reward will most certainly be great..."

[Nyx]

Nyx, having gotten over her wasabi ordeal, graefully maccepted the milk, taking a long sip of it, before smiling thankfully to Aurel. "Thank you, Aurel!~ I thought I was going to choke to death... They should put a warning on the menu, or something..." Nyx also looked rather thankfully to Hild and Hei, neither of whom had done anything, but had attemted to warn her of the danger, albeit a bit too late. Anyways, Nyx's thoughts returned to the events circulating about in the room. She heard as Aurel deigned Hei to be Perses, Titan of Destruction. From what Nyx knew of Hei, based on observations he day the Kremlin fell, he fit the title well. A man of slauighter he was, having slain countless soldiers in battle. This would seem a heinous record to hold for many, but Nyx only saw that Hei would serve RIOTE well, and thus please Aurel and Hild. And of course, if Aurel and Hild were happy, Nyx was happy.

"Perses... It fits you, Hei-Hei~" And she smiled that Nyxish smile as she ate her rice and shrimp, minus the wasabi that her mouth wanted so desperately to forget... As she thought, she pondered things, and many things she did ponder. For one thing, why did a Drachman like Hei have sucha Xingese name? It didn't quite make much sense... Anyways, pondering, pondering, pondering...

[Guest]

OOC: Lame post is lame.

. . . What an odd turn of events. He hadn't expected all this to occur . . . now at this point, if his memory was actually doing its job for once, he was pretty sure he had made his way into RIOTE's ranks: mainly as a Drachman informant and sympathizer. . . . What exactly prompted Aurelius to consider him as one of the titlebearers? Well, it seemed food had been ordered . . . and ... strangely, Hei didn't feel all that hungry for the time being.

So, rather than place an order, he just focused his attention to the three members of this most unusual and entertaining party.

"My lord. I am, indeed, most honored by your decision. And I would gladly accept, but . . . I am sorry to have to ask, but I must understand your reasoning. Why me?" he throws out the question, which is surely like acid . . . really not a great thing to be touching or pointing at. Though he broke off into a pause here, that was more for emphatic purposes.

"I'm grateful that you considered me, and all, but . . . I'm an unknown entity who suddenly emerged in Drachma, joined its ranks and climbed upwards rapidly. For as far as official records know, I just came out of nowhere. And then, for as far as I know, I have the most . . . aggravating fear that my origins may be in Amestris, and god knows what has happened to me since I came from there and arrived here.

...

In light of all that, which I'm sure you knew most of already . . . why would you ... or would you still consider such a worthless entity as myself?"

[Aurelius Schwartz]

The moment the words left Aurelius' mouth, he had already grown tired of the conversation. But humans had their ways; they needed answers, discussions, conclusions, and always dragged their words out as if to run in endless circles like a dog chasing its tail. Aurel could only watch on, unabated, and wait for it all to just end. Staring at a wall was more entertaining than this, however, Nyx's presence alone served as a means to exploit a snicker out of him. That sound in and of itself was but a rare accommody and actually was quite fun. So for now, he resolved not to complain to himself and continue to succeed with ignoring the bustle of life that swarmed around him and threatened to suffocate the very space within arms reach of him. "...I welcome you to RIOTE, if you choose to accept it as such. You will find it an experience to work with us, and I promise you that the final reward will most certainly be great..." His eyes settled again on Hild where they remained for a much longer span of time than last. What had she dared say? Certainly she had rights to those words previously, but now--now she was leaking two completely different sets of mind. She stood off as not a part of the table, not sitting, but standing and ruefully awaiting his commands that would not come: her actions. She opened her mouth and spouted welcome to a man they did not know despite no longer having any say in the matter: her words. Aurel let a single fang peek over his lip as the intensity of his stare increased. He said nothing...because she deserved only this loud, but silent rejection. The final reward? She had no idea. Had she only now given up on her defect towards peace--her drowning of remorse? Is that the signal she meant to display to him by this encrypted welcome? He took a swallow of water and looked away at the floor tiles that were brown to match the dirt all those people dragged in, himself included. But how much dirt...was Hild going to drag into this conversation before he could no longer ignore it?

He finished his water and his meal arrived: a giant bowl of udon noodles that Aurel was sure he couldn't finish. He studied them for any signs of tampering, and ordered another water using eye signals. The waitress left again. Aurel broke apart his chopsticks and began eating. "My lord. I am, indeed, most honored by your decision. And I would gladly accept, but . . . I am sorry to have to ask, but I must understand your reasoning. Why me?" The leader of RIOTE in all his glory looked up from his steaming bowl and slurped up the remaining noodles he held. This man...sitting across from him would regret this moment for the rest of his life: asking this question while also not taking the one and only chance he would ever have to be in Aurel's direct company. He didn't bother hiding that all-knowing smirk that terrified most people into thinking that there wasn't anything in this world that the chupacabra chimera didn't know. In a sense, it was true, or more accurately that was what Aurel could very easily make anyone believe. The silence was filled once more as Hei continued under the mismatched blue and red stare of indifference. It was very clear that this man either had lost his memories or was extremely talented in acting. Regardless, Aurel already had his answer ready. ". . . why would you ... or would you still consider such a worthless entity as myself?" Aurel took a salty breath, expression ablaze with intrigue, nearly a portrait of the face of one about to read off a death sentence...

"Keep your friends close...keep your enemies closer."

"I have the most . . . aggravating fear that my origins may be in Amestris..."

[Guest]

There was nothing more difficult for Daemon than to adjust to a new environment. So far he'd bumped into 10 people, who promptly scolded him for not paying attention (which wasn't even the case), tripped over 25 steps, and he had crashed into at least 5 poles. He was supposed to be able to detect these things, but the unfamiliar surroundings always impaired his senses. As a result, he got separated from the others that he had arrived with. It was a good thing that he could track them down by their smell, even if that wasn't necessarily the best way. After all, his sense of smell did have its limitations. If he didn't already know the answer, he would ask why he was in Aerugo in the first place. The chimera DID know the answer, however: Aurelius had wanted authentic ramen from Aerugo, nothing less, and it was on these grounds that these RIOTE members made their way to the country.

It took him a few moments to confirm the location of the others - more specifically, Aurelius - but he could hear the voices coming from inside a place that smelled of soup. He knew what ramen was, for sure, but he'd never actually tried any, so he didn't really know what to expect. They were inside, just starting their conversation (from what he could tell), and it seemed that things were being placed onto their table as well. Choosing to ignore the conversation as he wasn't yet a part of it, Daemon found the door handle and managed to get inside without another incident. He carefully walked up to the table , narrowly avoiding a stray chair, and stood by the table, nodding his head in greeting. Without his eyesight, he didn't know where there might be a place for him to sit, and he could sense the many gazes that were on his back. He WAS unusually tall, after all.

"I'm sorry I didn't make it sooner, I...ran into some...t-trouble on the way here..." After that small bit of easing himself into the group's attention, he noticed an unfamiliar scent...Among Aurelius, Hild, and Nyx, he picked up someone else's scent, someone he didn't know. It did seem to be the same person that traveled with them, but that didn't mean anything to Daemon. He remained cautious of this person, looking in his general direction, but not saying anything.

[Guest]

The girl, as she stood, was aware of most of her surroundings. Animal-like instincts caused such a phenomenon to occur. Strange, then, that she was unable to read Aurelius. Aurelius, whom she had shared in her most deepest secrets. She had always desired a long-lasting peace to the world, so uniting them against a common enemy would always be the greatest peace that could occur. That was what RIOTE was for, was it not? However, there were always side effects, and Hild had to wonder if she was scared of those. She stood away from the table, not due to alienation, but worry. She was worried that her actions would cause Aurelius to hit her once more, that he would hate her. She didn't want him to hate her. If he hated her, then everything that she had in this world would be lost to her. So she had resigned herself to submission, only speaking when she had necessity to. Her psychopathy was still there, however it lay dormant. Blood took it out, but only then did it truly show Hild's nature. For now, she would remain quiet and careful around her love. He had changed. He had changed so much; from desiring peace to destroying everything. Did Aurelius really desire the same peace that she looked for, or did he desire something completely perverse from the ideal that peace gave? I wonder... what does peace truly mean? Silent musings, not of self-questioning, but of simple wonder.

She sought peace. A unified world where everyone was happy enough with each other to not desire war. She knew that people had to die to get that peace; that wasn't her problem. In fact, there were people that had to die, otherwise they may ruin the peace that they would build. There was no problem with that. The masses of innocents, though they had forced her to become distraught, were also less of a problem than she had originally thought. Instead, her problem was method, and reception. She was to become the common enemy. Herself, and Aurelius. Therefore, they could not build the world into peace after its destruction. She could not be present for that. That... was the side effect that Hild was scared of. That, and only that. "My lord. I am, indeed, most honored by your decision. And I would gladly accept, but . . . I am sorry to have to ask, but I must understand your reasoning. Why me?" She did not speak. She would not. "I'm grateful that you considered me, and all, but . . . I'm an unknown entity who suddenly emerged in Drachma, joined its ranks and climbed upwards rapidly. For as far as official records know, I just came out of nowhere. And then, for as far as I know, I have the most . . . aggravating fear that my origins may be in Amestris, and god knows what has happened to me since I came from there and arrived here.

...

In light of all that, which I'm sure you knew most of already . . . why would you ... or would you still consider such a worthless entity as myself?" "Keep your friends close...keep your enemies closer." Turning away from the table, Hild slowly walked over to another, taking a chair with quiet footsteps and a soft expression. Moving back, she placed the chair by the table, finally taking a seat. She would still stay silent now; this was Aurelius' position to speak within, not hers. Not anymore. "I'm sorry I didn't make it sooner, I...ran into some...t-trouble on the way here..." She sat up slightly, and slowly turned her body to face Daemon himself, blinking with the singular eye. "Ah, Daemon. So good to have you join us~" She giggled softly (with maniacal undertones) and returned her gaze to the table.

[Nyx]

The little girl called Nyx listened to the conversation going on around her in slight interest, but for the most part, she was rather bored. Not just bored, but she still had a little inkling to talk to Aurel in private, a concern that had been bothering her since the battle in Drachma. Maybe soon... Not right then, though. Anyways, as she thought about it, Daemon entered the room, to which Nyx's face lit up. "Dae-Dae!!~" Grinning, she stood up and moved to hug Daemon. She hadn't even seen him since the battle! And even then, she'd barely had time to talk to him, with all the fighting and such. In fact, she didn't even know if Daemon had heard about her becoming a Bearer. Hmm, weird...

After Daemon spoke, if he did, Nyx sat back down, but she was bothered by that inkling still. For some reason, it was still frozen in her mind, and she felt like she would die if she didn't say what was on her mind. So, after waiting a bit of time, contemplating how best to approach the matter, she decided to just straight-out say it. But of course, as it was a delicate subject, so she would have to approach this delicately; only one person would hear this, and she only wanted that one person to give her advice, explanation, and answers to what she needed to know. Turning to the leader of RIOTE, Nyx spoke with a slight hint of importance in her tone, making clear the significance of the conversation to follow, but devising her tone so well that it was only intended to be clear to Aurel. “Um, Aurel, could you go outside with me for a minute? I need to ask you something in private.”

[Guest]

"Keep your friends close...keep your enemies closer."

And lo, the Leader of RIOTE earned a more negative opinion from Hei. Honestly, he shouldn't have expected anything from Aurelius in terms of a response, seeing as he barely knew him. But, that phrase uttered in its spine-chilling tone irritated Hei so much he wanted to just slap Aurel. No really. He got angry at lots of things and easily, but this was just ridiculous. That reasoning was illogical, it was cliche'd, and it still was a pathetic answer in short, since even if he was an enemy (which he most assuredly was not, god forbid), it failed to give any explanation as to what merits Hei had that led to Aurel's conclusion into making him a titlebearer.

Quite frankly, Hei was unsure how to respond. He was not initimidated, whatever messed-up past he had, even if he couldn't remember it, placed him one foot in the grave at any given time. Death's door was always open for him, and he just needed to pass through it. Fear was a rare occurence for him, especially fear for his life, so whatever intended effect of those words would have to a normal person was lost to Hei who was still a professional, no matter what.

"I see, then Lord Aurelius. That is most . . . enlightening." his choice of words is indeed honest, or presented with honesty since it gave him a little insight about Aurel: Never expect a straight answer of any sort, or even one remotely sensible. And this response was given in Hei's most deadpan expression. One could interpret a transcript of this conversation at that line to be a snarky comment, a caustic and sarcastic quip, but an actual individual hearing the delivery would realize this: Hei's delivery of his reply was a straight-forward non-emotional deadpan and simplistic one. No tricks, nothing. Amusing, considering he was mocking Aurelius a wee bit for being so convoluted an individual that he must speak in cryptic riddles half the time without actually stating it or letting it show in any shape and form. After all, this was just a lunch conversation, and for now, it seemed the conversation between himself and Aurelius was over.

But now there were other matters that concerned him. Number one, Lady Hild's presence was most unsettling to him. He wasn't exactly aware as to WHY, but he did intend to find out, somehow. Number two, another guest had joined the invitation for lunch in Aerugo. Number three, he noted that a good number of the people including the employees at this wonderful little dinky place were eying him awkwardly . . . which led him to notice that there was a sketch of his likeness, pinned to a wall elsewhere, suggesting he is an individual sought after in this place for reasons he did not know in a life that was not his years ago in memories that are now lost to him.

"I'm sorry I didn't make it sooner, I...ran into some...t-trouble on the way here..."

"Ah, Daemon. So good to have you join us~"

"Dae-Dae!!~"

That was Number Two, the new guest. Daemon, his name was? . . . Why did it seem famili-Oh. This man was a titlebearer. Errr ... Um ... Erebus, probably? Still, Hei did not like to assume and addressed the fellow who . . . stared in his general direction but not at him suggesting one of many things, the first was that he was mentally ill, the second that he was dazed and the third that he was blind.

"Good day, Lord Daemon" Hei responds, genially. Gently, kindly, unlike the stonefaced reply he gave to Aurelius that was completely cardboard and therefore lacking in any emotion and suggestions of what he intended it to be received as. Hei also took pains to pronounce the name as the others had, the second syllable of his name being easier than the first. "I am Hei Jin, loyal servant to RIOTE." he continues, shortly after his welcome, taking note not to start calling himself 'Perses' quite yet since it seemed to be a sort of tenuous issue to speak about. "What sort of trouble did you run into, now?"

After that, Hei merely fell silent a bit . . . his role in the conversation seemed to be done, now he was just a chaffeur for them all, the one who got them here ... and the one who devised how to get them back, at least until the local police came for him. Yeah, that was number three, and he couldn't stay much longer it seemed.

“Um, Aurel, could you go outside with me for a minute? I need to ask you something in private.” that was Lady Nyx, speaking to Lord Aurelius . . . which would fulfill number one, if Aurelius and his stuffy personality wasn't around which seemed to be the cause of Lady Hild's . . . terse responses, he'd be able to pose one question to her. One question he needed to answer, and would prefer to have a minimal ears listening in on this when he asked.

[Guest]

"Ah, Daemon. So good to have you join us~"

Daemon felt the hair on his neck stand up. Hild's tone of voice had recently become...different, and his instincts told him to avoid a confrontation with her, lest she do something unexpected. This recent development had seemed to come suddenly, and it wasn't something to take lightly. Bowing in her direction as a form of acknowledgment, he turned his attention to the form that seemed to att-- hug him?

"Dae-Dae!!~"

Ahhh...

"Uhhh...hello, N-Nyxie..." He stood with his arms at his side, not quite sure how to respond to the...the hug. This was definitely a first, but he felt relieved knowing that she was safe. He hadn't seen her since the battle in Drachma, and it almost made him worry.....almost. Nyx was the only person that was capable of pulling any sort of emotional reaction out of him at this point, and he wasn't quite sure what that meant or how to respond to these...these feelings. For some reason, he felt that he had to protect her, no matter what, and he couldn't explain why. The small girl sat back down, and the overly tall chimera looked back in the direction of the man who he had yet to be introduced to...but all in due time, most likely. Behind him, there were whispers, commenting on Daemon's height; He paid them no attention. How was he to know that he towered over everyone else at 215 centimeters (and some change).

"Good day, Lord Daemon."

...

....Lord? Lord Daemon? That was another first for the chimera. Something about this particular day seemed off, there were a number of firsts. He was used to being equal or inferior in any sort of hierarchy, and RIOTE was no exception. Lord Daemon... it was something that he found puzzling to hear, and it made him wonder just where this man had come from to automatically place himself below Daemon, a simple servant to his liege, Aurelius.

"I am Hei Jin, loyal servant to RIOTE."

Ah, so he wasn't just another person come to chat to Aurelius and Hild about who knows what...he had a reason that was more pertinent to Daemon. It made more sense now, and Daemon hoped that things would not become a sort of...hassle now that this... Hei Jin was around. He would take care to remember that name. Names, along with a set of identifiers to match with them, were things that Erebus had to keep in his memory, as he had no vision to rely on to help him. It wasn't as though he was simply blind, although he had been born that way - he had no eyes to speak of, his face lacked those optical devices, instead leaving his eye sockets empty holes, and his eyelids had been more or less glued shut. The black tinting of his skin was simply for decoration, but it also served as a device of intimidation when it came to his "targets". Daemon only had targets - he had no enemies, he had no sense of attachment or dislike to people, with the exception of Nyx.

"What sort of trouble did you run into, now?"

Daemon let out a grunting of sorts, but felt that it was only appropriate to respond. Placing one hand on the table below him as he leaned forward, his other hand moved towards his face, the fingers running through his hair. In doing so, he would unintentionally allow a small window of opportunity for Hei to see exactly what was... "wrong" with him. "Trouble... Simply environmental inconsistencies. I have yet to grow accustomed to the Aerugese environment, that is all..." Daemon, as a rule, was generally always quiet, and only spoke unless spoken to. This was true for most situations, and this was no exception. He had answered the question posed to him, and would say no more, no less.

“Um, Aurel, could you go outside with me for a minute? I need to ask you something in private.”

It was Nyx again. Her small voice was unmistakable. Judging by what she had just said, it was something of the utmost importance as well as something that could likely be considered "classified". He felt around for a chair, waiting to hear Aurelius' response. Upon finding one that was empty, he pulled it to himself and sat down. It was rather awkward, given that his legs were too long, and his knees seemed to jut out into space. He figured that the chair was so small that it might buckle under his weight, but sat rather comically in his seat so that he wasn't standing above the others. That simply would not do.

[Aurelius Schwartz]

His water had arrived, partially on schedule for him to sip at whilst listening to the drone of a man that did not know fear where it was due. Clichés were clichés for a reason. Had he not used that exact phrasing, nothing that he had intended would have come to light. And with Hei's answering alone, the truth was revealed most adversely:

"I see, then Lord Aurelius. That is most . . . enlightening." It was shed by his eyes alone that Hei most certainly thought lowly of the leader of RIOTE almost instantaneously with the words that he had spoken. Perhaps this conversation had become much more entertaining than he had previously thought. The wall lost its importance in this case, and his eyes chose to study the obviously Xingese man just across the table from him. But it may as well have been across the borders of a country, for Aurel was certain that they would never see eye to eye despite literally seeing eye to eye.

"It is a shame that the 'enlightening' factor is not that which you find enlightening," Aurelius stated, lifting his last bite of ramen and swallowing it after mashing it with his fangs. It wasn't enough. Half the bowl remained when he pushed it toward the middle of the table and suddenly his attention was scattered. Conversation with Perces over, a man the chupacabra chimera hadn't seen much of since Drachma arrived, looking rather out of his element. Aurel kufufu'ed quietly, uncrossing his legs and getting lost in the very minute movements of Hild as she discreetly stole a chair and set it beside him. He despised the submissive look in her eyes and sought to erase it in the single action of bending over and whispering soft tendrils of words whose breath cascaded off her ear. Hot, warm, moist meaning that defined the very existence of RIOTE as well as the very existence of Aurelius Carston Schwarz himself. "I love you." He knew only the bat chimera would be capable of picking up on those three words. And rightly so.

"Good day, Lord Daemon," tone completely changed, Aurel leaned his head in his hand, eyes alight with an indistinguishable emotion, "I am Hei Jin, loyal servant to RIOTE. What sort of trouble did you run into, now?" Interesting. This man was uncomfortable with the usage of his new name or terribly forgetful; it most definitely wasn't the latter. Hm. Hei was certainly a careful one, however, he hadn't taken into account the consequences of not accepting the given name fully, resulting in negative inclinations. ...Very well then.

"Trouble... Simply environmental inconsistencies. I have yet to grow accustomed to the Aerugese environment, that is all..." Indeed, out of his element. Aurel stared at him from where he was, contemplating the possibility of Daemon being mildly effected by the same outward noise that Aurel could not stand, but was currently being distracted from. Society and their trampling shoes that always must go somewhere, for without an aim they became useless. Aurel, even with an aim, felt the need to die. But they went on and on, and reproduced and kept reproducing until the world was crushed by overpopulation and the need to purge those who had become useless. Those that had become useless fell needlessly into despair since the world had barged down judgement with squinty eyes and bitter laughter. Was that answer justified enough for the Xingese man who painted himself like a canvas of an actor or had pliantly forgotten who he had been? No, he was not distracted from it, but lead further into the grabby hands of people that needed something to call their place--that scavenged and scavenged, treading water in pools of their own excrements, drowning and drowning further beyond death so that others may suffer what they too have suffered.

"As well, Lord Daemon, I am bequeathed to see you...unscathed."

“Um, Aurel, could you go outside with me for a minute?” If one wished to obtain his attention, starting with the very unintelligent 'um' would certainly do otherwise than to attract his attention. But since it was Nyx, Aurel's mismatched eyes shifted from Daemon and fell weightily onto the small Bearer. He made a display for her to continue with his hand, questioning the very need for such a thing. "I need to ask you something in private." Ah, private? nothing was private when Hild and Daemon were present. Nyx was very aware of their...hearing capacity, therefore the very meaning of that statement was the fact that she didn't want the new Perces to know just what she had to say. He thought a moment, watching Daemon's tall form awkwardly take a seat. He stood up. Then reached weightless to Hild's hand, taking it and helping her stand as only a gentleman would. She would accompany him; he would not allow for her to feel as if she were being a peeping tom--such a dishonorable act, yet very...useful at times. Daemon had to be used to it and Daemon was more than thoroughly aware that it was only a matter of time before Aurel made him into a Bearer as well, proving his utmost respect. Hild was a different story entirely, however...

"Lead the way," he said simply, following the short girl outside with Hild in tow. Outside was just that: outside. Outside was no longer a space confined from others, shut out from the world in ignorance of a safe, unbreachable haven. Aurel knew better and knew that as soon as he stepped outside, that everything would assail him with jagged roars and gnarly fingernails, jutting out in yellow skews to wrap around his neck and shake out the qualms of society for the better. For. The. Better. Expectantly, he watched the little girl that he may as well be able to call his own. Abandoned, by the very things that gave birth to her--later, murdered by his own hands. History check, files, information, he knew her real name, where she came from...where she was going, possibly even what she was about to ask, which was why...which was why he had killed her parents, and why he was now standing in their place.

[Nyx]

As soon as Aurel said to lead the way and brought Hild, Nyx remembered something. Although Aurel figured she was trying to keep what she had to say from reaching HEI'S ears, she was ACTUALLY trying to keep Hild from overhearing. That alone made her feel awkward, as she was rather devoted to Hild, and didn't like hiding anything from her. But to complicate matters even more, she hadn't even thought about Hild OR Daemon being able to overhear anyways! So here was a tricky situation. She had from the walk outside, to wherever she decided was a good place to talk, to think of something. Any question, ANYTHING, but what she REALLY had to ask! Ah, crap... This was most certainly NOT going to be easy... Oi vey.

As they got to where Nyx was to pose her question, she had given her new question little thought; without much time to think, it would seem rather out of the blue. "Aurel, what I was wondering was, what would happen if you fell into your black hole?" Thinking quickly of a reason, albeit a rather poor one, Nyx had to add an afterthought, to explain why she was asking in such a private setting. "I needed to ask you in private, so if Perses wasn't going to be nice, he wouldn't think about pushing you into one." With a Nyx-ish little smiole, she was hiding her actual question rather well, as well as the fact tyhat she doubted Hei would do anything like that.

[Guest]

"It is a shame that the 'enlightening' factor is not that which you find enlightening"

To be honest, he'd stop caring anymore. If he thought too hard, his head would explode. If he thought too little, he would start thinking harder and then his brain would explode. So, best course of action was not to think at all in terms of figuring out what on earth Aurel was trying to say to him. So, the conversation was just done. Done. DONE.

"Trouble... Simply environmental inconsistencies. I have yet to grow accustomed to the Aerugese environment, that is all..."

Ahh, so Erebus was blind. That was sure. Well, his comment combined with his behaviors now made it most likely he was just blind. Or, for all Hei knew, he was mentally unstable AND blind. That'd be amusing, but must've been a nuisance for him. And then Lady Nyx called Lord Aurelius out to go talk . . . and most likely, whatever it was, surely it was something that he wasn't meant to hear. Well, pffffft, they could have just asked him to stand up and go outside, that wouldn't have been a problem: He seemed to be craving human flesh today, as opposed to whatever they served here.

BUT, since he wasn't meant to listen, apparently Lady Hild was not to remain at the table . . . because he was still an untrustworthy figure? Understandable, caution was a good trait, which now confused Hei. He didn't know whether he liked Aurelius more than he hated him or vice-versa. Or whether he was going to throw his hands up and just give up trying to figure out what he thinks about Aurelius and OBEY.

So that left Lord Daemon and himself at the table, and everyone else outside. Awkward. Well, he hadn't notice there was a bit of tension when he choose not to refer to himself by name. Now, he could not tell what Aurelius was thinking . . . Hei was masterful at hiding his emotions and intentions (but making it clear he didn't want to express anything), but not so much as to read that of others. Aurelius had given him an odd expression, empty it seemed, when he choose to go by his 'name' as opposed to his 'position.' Either it was the hint of amusement by Chaos, or it was a hint of reproach, though he had a god-damned good poker face too. Maybe Aurelius, Daemon, the fellow called Balthazar he heard a lot about and himself should all sit down and play poker, just for kicks.

Still, Hei was left in an uncomfortable position . . . technically, he had 'lied' to Daemon. Or withheld information, by only stating he was a 'servant' to RIOTE. He should have told him he was a fellow titleholder, it seems . . . given his overanalyzing Aurelius's lack of an expression. Which he needed to stop doing.

"My apologies, Lord Daemon. It seems I have . . . made the Master cross with my words. This is sudden, but it seems I am both servant and 'Perses' now." he speaks, politely and serenely to Erebus, not sure what sort of reaction to expect from ... well ... a blind giant. "Enough of that, though, sir. Shall we get something for you to eat?" he makes the inquiry. Technically, it was a formality, but still didn't hurt to go through the motions, as he also gestured for a waitress to get her lazy bum over here to help them out. After all, he couldn't read everything they had on the menu and . . . well, some of them spoke in languages other than Aerugese, so communication wouldn't be too much trouble. The issue now, though, was that he couldn't address Issue 1 and instead had to deal with Issue 2 instead . . . and Issue 3 was apparently going to boil over and eat him alive, since no doubt authorities were on their way. So, he'd make sure Daemon got something ordered and then take his quick leave, or else madness would ensue.

[Guest]

"As well, Lord Daemon, I am bequeathed to see you...unscathed."

At this, Daemon grew even more cautious than before. Aurelius' tone and intention with that was likely only something that the tall chimera had been able to detect, and it was certainly not beneficial to his current state of being. If these new senses of his were correct, then this "Hei Jin" was not to be trusted. Since the situation wasn't ideal, however, Daemon refused to act on this statement made by Chaos, and instead opted to remain seated until anything more important came about. The sound of a chair moving - Aurelius had stood up, and there was movement. The man moved, most likely to grab Lady Mnemosyne's hand.

"Lead the way."

Footsteps. 3 sets of them...One belonged to Aurelius, one to Hild, and the small pitter-patter of Nyx. They made their way outside, and it was something that Daemon had hoped wouldn't happen - he was now left with Hei, whose behavior was, at this point, unpredictable. The conversation outside was certainly something he shouldn't have paid attention to (though he could hear it as clearly as any other conversation), but it was clear by her tone of voice that something made Nyx quell her desire to speak to Aurel honestly.

"Aurel, what I was wondering was, what would happen if you fell into your black hole? I needed to ask you in private, so if Perses wasn't going to be nice, he wouldn't think about pushing you into one."

She was lying. He could tell.

"My apologies, Lord Daemon. It seems I have . . . made the Master cross with my words. This is sudden, but it seems I am both servant and 'Perses' now. Enough of that, though, sir. Shall we get something for you to eat?"

Daemon held back a disapproving grunt, temporarily turning his attention away from Nyx and the other two. Though seemingly calm and polite, there was no telling how skilled this man was at masking his emotions and his true intentions. The chimera himself was usually able to pick these things up, but in this case, there was no telling where Hei - or Perses - had come from, what his background was, what sort of training he may have received.

"I'm not sure what it is you plan to achieve by calling me sir; As far as I'm concerned, I'm in the same place on the hierarchy as you. Then, I really don't know you, so I can't say if we truly ARE...Perses." There was no hint of emotion in his voice - there was no emotion behind the statement - and he simply meant to make things clear to Hei: "I'll be honest, and I'll be straightforward with you. Right now, as far as I'm concerned, you've only just tacked on the name of Perses - but that's not to say that it can't change..." A waitress walked over to the table to ask what it was they wanted. Daemon addressed her in her native tongue - Aerugese.

"Do you have any...finger foods? I don't do well with anything that requires utensils... I'm blind, you see."

[Aurelius Schwartz]

They stopped right outside, Hild connected to his side silently--like an appendage simply used and nothing more. It made him sick--made his blood writhe inside of him and made him want to throw himself in front of the next car that passed. Fate, however, sneered at him, making the street they now stood on a street for only the feet of civilians and those certainly could not kill him. Aurel directed his attention from suicide and straight into Nyx's eyes, waiting for some sort of explanation for this uncalled for act of rudeness. "Aurel, what I was wondering was, what would happen if you fell into your black hole?" To say he was surprised would be a lie, but the fact that she was lying about what she really wanted to ask came as a strange, tingling shock. His head tilted to the side and he breathed out a bit of stress. Why had she changed her intention, he wondered. There had to be a reason--some hidden decision he was not aware of. Hm. It was rather interesting. He found himself feeling pride for that quick choice, reveling in the news that Nyx was only getting more and more aware of who heard what. "I needed to ask you in private, so if Perses wasn't going to be nice, he wouldn't think about pushing you into one." That was a riot. He snickered slightly, placing a warm hand on her shoulder and leaning down to eye level. The smirk that curled over his lips could only be described as highly amused.

"I see," he said, playing along seriously, "you must understand that Perses is incapable of pushing me into such a thing. I am its creator, therefore, with much ado I can fairly say that it is impossible for me to be 'pushed' or 'fall' into my own black hole. However, let me say that I have not tested it. When I am standing right in its path, I feel nothing, no pull, no resistance so that is merely a hypothesis conducted from my own insight..." But that was a good idea. No, it was borderline genius. She in all of her naivété most likely thought nothing of her quickly formulated question. Instead, she had given Aurel a way out--a means to destroy himself and never be found again. And yet? His red and blue eyes traveled the spread to Hild's single eye jutting about in quiet indifference. That alone made him want to end his misery. No cars. Only butter knives inside. He sighed. Would Nyx miss him? Would-- "Would you miss me if I happened to fall inside of it?" If I happened to...throw myself into it never to return? No, he'd never say it--never hint at it to the innocent. He had to appear as a great leader--a man that never faltered to his own selfish desire. He would not, could not--not when those green eyes stared right back...into his ravaged soul.

Aurel stood up, not giving her a chance to answer. "Come, let us go inside." He turned on his heel, leaving Hild there or allowing her to follow. He no longer cared, for her silence was indication enough that she did not care either. If she didn't care, why was he even here? WHY?! Aurel hissed under his breath, catching the tail end of Daemon's question to the waitress. However, Chaos cut in, his eyes ablaze with many hidden emotions, bubbling to the surface only to be revealed as dark, intense fury. "We are leaving, so he would like it to go, please," Aurel cooed. The waitress nodded and was off, noting to make it a rush job. The black-clad man crossed his arms and let his gaze settle blankly on Hei--not Perses, but Hei. Hm. It was best to leave. He wasn't in the mood to cause a disturbance this afternoon. In only a few minutes, the package of food was brought out and handed to Daemon. Aurel followed every movement of everything around him and then turned back towards the door, placing way too much money on the table. "We will take our leave now, Perses. I look forward to our next meeting." Direct, forward. Hopefully that would settle better with the man. It seemed encrypted words did nothing more than confuse the situation further, which had not been his intention in the slightest.

Once he, Hild, Daemon, and Nyx had one again reached the outside, a rather intriguing idea opted for attention in Aurel's plagued mind. He shot the two of them a backward glance, long hair lifting in the slight breeze. "Nyx, Daemon, How would you like to go to the movies? I believe a celebration is in order." Rare. No, rare. He wasn't in the mood to simply return back to solitude to contemplate the world and the deaths of all that had fallen from his hand. Instead, for a short time, he wished to forget--massage his mind into an alternate world of fiction. Everyone needed a break. Much less him, but more so the three that followed him now. He already knew that Hild would wholeheartedly agree, but... "Hm, Hild?" ...he wished to hear her voice.

[EXIT THREAD]

['Aurel, evil mastermind, genius planner, powerful alchemist and plotter of the world's demise.... is out watching the Muppets. The theater employees hope to god nobody taller than him sits in front of him and that his popcorn stays buttery and hot.' -Shu]

[Nyx]

Nyx could see the tad bit of surprise in Aurel's mis-matched eyes, and knew that he knew what she knew, which was that she knew Hild would know what she wanted Aurel to know if she let Aurel know what she needed to know, which only Aurel and Hild possibly knew. So she played along with Aurel's playing along with what she was playing. "Okay, Aurel. I was just a bit concerned about that, was all. It's good to know you aren't in any danger like that!~" After she'd spoken, Aurel asked if she would miss him. She was a bt taken aback by the question, but nodded. She would miss him if he ever fell into a black hole, or died any kind of way. It would break her little heart...

Of course, the question was also directed at Hild, Nyx could tell.But before she heard the answer, Aurel directed them back inside. So in they went, and Aurel said some Aerugese words to the waitress, who put some food in a box for Daemon, it seemed. Then Aurel mentioned a movie? OHWOW. She grinned, expressing her delight quite well. "A movie? Can we go see the Muppets? That's supposed to be really funny, I heard! Plus, I like Animal..." Grinning, she tailed along behind Aurel as the group left the eatery, on to the theater.

[EXIT THREAD]

[Guest]

"I'm not sure what it is you plan to achieve by calling me sir; As far as I'm concerned, I'm in the same place on the hierarchy as you. Then, I really don't know you, so I can't say if we truly ARE...Perses."

There was a pause, a pause long enough for Hei to say one line.

"I don't plan on achieving anything, my lord . . . I just wish to honor and respect those who have liberated my home."

His tone drops. Even a socially inept person could see that Hei meant no insult . . . and that he genuinely had a large amount of respect. Yes, that was a given: His respect for RIOTE was tantamount to infinity, given what they had done. And yes, that applied to Aurelius the most, even though he had gotten annoyed at the occasional nonsensical manner of speaking Chaos had.

"I'll be honest, and I'll be straightforward with you. Right now, as far as I'm concerned, you've only just tacked on the name of Perses - but that's not to say that it can't change..."

There was yet another pause, time for Hei to get in another word before the waitress arrived.

"Of course, Lord Daemon. No matter what name I have, no matter what purpose is given to me . . . I am still but a servant, as I have all my life, to RIOTE and its leaders."

. . . What words could one use to describe his utterances? Understanding? Servile? Pitiable, even due to the admission of his life being nothing more than a succession of ownership from one master to another, but still proud. Proud to serve.

And then the next events occurred. Daemon apparently versed in more than one language, Aurelius clearly not wanting to stick around any longer, and the others just departing.

"We will take our leave now, Perses. I look forward to our next meeting."

"Take care, my master. The trip home has already been arranged, three days from now. I'll be staying awhile longer here than you shall, so ... A pleasant evening to you all, and a happy venture back home." He says quickly, not rushed, just quickly. Pleasantly, his earlier annoyance about Lord Aurelius' manner of speech was already forgotten, at this point, and he bid his farewells to all of them, watching as they leave this place . . . one by one.

. . . The Xing-Drachman then noted that Aurelius had left a far too large wad of bills on the table. . . . Lord Aurelius Schwarz, Chaos of the RIOTE organization . . . with much money at his command that he cannot even but a reasonable amount on the table to pay the bill. And not only that, but Hei already made it clear he was going to handle the bill: So why in Truth's name did Aurelius leave bills in the first place?

The Xing-Drachman just sighs, gently picking up the bills with his gloved hands and rummaging inside his large jacket to find . . . ah-hah! Blank envelope. Fresh, new, unused, etc. The bills were popped back in there, while Hei fished out his wallet with his spare hands. No bills in here, just lots and lots of cards with not a single one to his name or identity. No, he'd killed so many people and taken their wealth that it was hard to keep straight whose card was who, so out he plucked one of the commonly used ones to deal with payment.

And so, with a card to not-his-name but in his person, he paid the bill. Then he retrieved a pen and wrote in surprisingly good handwriting out on the envelope a note to send this back to his 'Master.' The transaction complete, and no ruckus caused: Hei then politely took back his card, replaced it back in his wallet which was returned back into the depths of his jacket along with the pen and envelope and was on his merry way.

And then he got a call. Ten minutes after Aurelius and the others had departed, he got a call.

...

An international call . . .

To a disposable cellphone he'd picked up not that long ago, when they began the tripe to Aerugo. One that only few, using a nation code matching that of Drachma's for international calls, should even know in the beginning. The Xing-Drachman was highly unnerved, what sort of business was he getting a call from Drachma for?

"Hello?" he answers, tentatively.

"Listora Kean Vraczun has gone missing . . . We found a note from him that said: 'Off to have fun in Aerugo' . . . Sir?" was the immediate response, the voice came from none other than his good Comrade Mikhail. Hei promptly dropped the phone, out sheer shock. Color drained out of his skin, while his ordinarily small eyes bulged to ridiculous proportions. And then he gnashed his teeth together, out of both anxiety and anger. Kean had snuck out of Drachma and came to Aerugo? The Xing-Drachman stamps his foot down in anger (also crushing the cell-phone), before letting out what seemed to be an agonized screech.

"KEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!"

And off he ran, not sure even WHERE to begin looking. Aerugo was no small country, dammit . . . but, by god, if he had to stay here in Aerugo, he would hunt down and find that little alchemist! And give him a stern lecture for sneaking out into a foreign country without telling anyone!!

[/EXIT THREAD]
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