Scene #9490: A Worrying Time For Tea

Owner	Pose
White	Tamamo wouldn't have had the benefit of a previous visit, but Lilian finds very little amiss from the impression her last trip through this warpgate offered; the same vaguely-european-but-not-quite, sprawling city-state sort of environ, with the benefit of magically aided architecture and lingering design elements of somewhat more modern residential buildings giving everything a somewhat neater city-planning feel than might be mundanely realistic. Less civilians are wandering nearby to observe, compared to the already relatively small number that did so last time. The white-uniformed guards around the gate only number six today, and this time the official reception isn't performed by anyone Lilian's met. Instead, it's a woman in a white blouse and green skirt with a white beret atop her shoulder length hair, which is braided thick on both sides, wearing a pair of glasses with round lenses that sits high on her nose. She also seems to be wearing a leather bag on her right hip, made to hold something disc-shaped and slightly bigger than a dinner plate. She's quick to notice when two guests pass through the gate, stepping closer at a measured pace to deliver a small bow to both Lilian and Tamamo, before offering her gloved hand to shake. "Commander Rook and Lady Tamamo-no-mae, I gather?" she confirms, then briskly self-introduces with, "Tenth Vice-Commander, Phelmina. I apologize for not making your acquaintance sooner." She then dips her head with a hand over her chest, in what's meant to be a polite but not especially severe form of apology. "I would lead you to the Demon Lord's castle, if you are ready. It is not much farther away, but she thought it inappropriate to continue using Duke Phtalo's home for personal meetings. My Commander should be with her, as well." It seems like Phelmina is waiting either for a question or your assent to lead the way. The other gate-guards do seem to be paying slightly special attention to you, albeit pretending otherwise.
Tamamo	"You know, I wonder just what the relationship is between Ms. White and her mother." Tamamo says to Lilian, while they're on the way. She's perfectly aware that 'mother' isn't what White calls her. "As well, I wonder what it means that the Concord should have offered partner status to Ms. White -- that is, Commander White, but not to her ruler. Did you know that Ms. Angela's ostensible superiors at Lobotomy Corporation were not given partner status?" She probably does. Tamamo assumes as much. The status is not just public record, but high profile. Elites who operate as secret agents among the major factions really fell by the wayside by the time the Concord existed at all, though it's not as if one can ever prove that any given room is completely bereft of ninjas. "I am sure this is not at all similar to that case, but it did seem a bit curious, given the Concord's mission statement. Do you suppose there is a pattern at work?" That is, she doesn't think it's a case of White gearing up to call in elite help for some matricide. Tamamo has yet to hear all about how their current relationship ended up the way it is. That's exactly why she's curious, of course. 'Tenth Vice-Commander, Phelmina.' "It is a pleasure to meet you, Vice-Commander Phelmina." If she's not given an explicit alternative, Tamamo's probably going to use the rank every time she says her name. It could be worse. "By all means, please lead the way." For her own part, Tamamo's dressed in her full robe, this being the sort of first meeting where she's at all concerned about making a proper first impression, as well as the sort of meeting that is, in some respects, into 'hostile' territory. The blue, black and gold silks and eye-catching headdress with its hanging bells is absolutely, and with a slightly absurd eye to detail, filled with magical effects tailored to her personal abilities. The aesthetic value isn't a bonus, but a simultaneous requirement. "Duke Phtalo... oh, was he the one mentioned by Commander White? She had stayed with a duke, I think, though I cannot recall whether she gave a name. He has a brother, yes?" Idle talk. She's pretty sure that Wrath mentioned a duke, too.
Lilian Rook	'You know, I wonder just what the relationship is between Ms. White and her mother.' What a baffling question. Even on its face. And how to answer? God only knows. 'I am sure this is not at all similar to that case, but it did seem a bit curious, given the Concord's mission statement. Do you suppose there is a pattern at work?' "I can take a very clean guess, which reaches most of the way, but the rest would be nothing but messy estimation." Lilian say, which normally means 'I'm not elaborating', but with Tamamo means 'let's gossip. "White did show up well ahead of the rest. There was a whole period of time where she was practically hiding out from the Demon Army; procrastinating going back and explaining anything, no doubt, but as an intelligence officer, insinuating herself into the structure of the Concord first, and then returning to an organization 'over there' isn't a bad move." How much damage 'I want to protect a girl' can do to someone's previously sterling (incorrect) reputation as an ice cold professional . . . "In Angela's case, Ayin was practically completely absentee. The technology was in the hands of Angela, as was the knowledge of everything going on, and every difficult duty was alreadya abdicated to her to oversee, so it only makes sense. 'Partner' in the Elite forces is an active role, not a political one." "Mmm, but if I had to take them together, then I can guess a pattern; can't you? If you empower only the retainer, then it's practically a test of the lord. What does their asset really think when they can get out through the Concord at practically any time? I think you can judge whether or not to sign a contract with the larger power behind that one name by how they react to it." 'Commander Rook and Lady Tamamo-no-mae, I gather?' "The very same." Lilian terminates Wife Gossip Hour only very shortly before meeting their liaison, so the shift in tone is a little bit funny. It's also kind of funnier for the fact that she's intentionally chosen to wear (rather than wear-over) that graphic tee from the other day, partially visible under her half-buttoned Trídéag director's coat. It's so passive-aggressive to exactly one person that it's kind of insane. "I would hate to impose upon the poor duke any more than is necessary." she says. "Wherever we need meet won't trouble me." Slightly weird to say when openly wearing her sword, but whatever.
Tamamo	Earlier: '...procrastinating going back and explaining anything...' "Oh, yes, I see." Tamamo had partially known about this, but hadn't heard about how it came about. '...but as an intelligence officer...' Tamamo thinks about White 'as an intelligence officer.' She can see it, but... also... 'What does their asset really think when they can get out through the Concord at practically any time?' "A test through the temptation of power, is it?" Or of 'freedom,' but that's really the same thing, in a closed world. "I wonder if there are any cases where the 'larger' power has also sought out, and achieved, partner status. It does not come to mind, though I know there were times when one's subordinates followed, in a sort of 'promotion.'" There have been Paladins like that, but that's different, of course.
White	"Likewise, Lady Tamamo-no-mae. I hope your time here is comfortable." is Phelmina's unhesitating response. She's so careful with her expression, so mild with her small smile over the pleasantries, that if she meant to poke fun about forms of address like this it'd be very hard to tell. She nods in agreement with Lilian over the sentiment of sparing Balto any trouble, and declares, "Well then, right this way." A crisp heel-pivot turns her to the right, and she begins to walk down the street. The first few steps are slow until she's heard the pace her guests move at, and she very quickly adjusts to maintain a perfect two step gap ahead of Lilian and Tamamo, mindfully avoiding the impression of either leaving them behind or hovering too close. It's a good distance for conversation, while allowing her to politely focus elsewhere if the ladies decide to talk amongst themselves. For now, Phelmina finds it easy to elucidate for Tamamo that, "The Commander had at one point been staying in the Phtalo manor as a guest, yes. And he had a brother. Commander Bloe Phtalo tragically passed away in battle against the previous Hero. The Duke's given name is Balto, for reference." Fortunately, the castle is not particularly distant; the warpgate conveniently sits quite close to the center of the Demon Realm's most populous area, so walking away from the plaza in front of the Phtalo Manor takes you past a few public service buildings, like what appears to be a couriers' office. It's only a handful of minutes, with not even a particularly large number of citizens to occupy the streets with you, though you do step past a small pink-haired family of Demons at one point and potentially make a brief moment of awkward eye contact as you pass each other from a short distance away. There are a few more across the way, a couple of men speaking with a guard that they seem to personally know, or a slightly older woman that is accompanying a young boy as he bravely hauls a heavy bag of grain that's almost blocking his entire face. The castle itself is slightly removed from the public footpaths, an open iron gate sitting adjacent to the street and leading away from other buildings along a narrow stone path. Like some of the architecture, it's apparent that the path was shaped with magic, as it presents itself in a single mostly unbroken slab that follows the small contours of the ground, and sets smoothly in amongst the prickly-dry grass on either side, and the tenacious hedges that break up the space here and there. It seems as though at one point this path would have been lined with flowers as well, or some other appealing source of color, but it has been many years since the gardens have had a dedicated gardener to do much more than trim, water, and clean. Another minutes walk through here takes you to the rather overlarge double-doors at the entrance of the castle, which Phelmina firmly plants her heel to push open fully on your behalf.
White	From the inside, the castle seems less tended than Balto's family home. It's clean, dusted, but rarely used for most matters except for large formal meetings. There's a blue and gold carpet leading from the door straight up the stairs in front of you, and Phelmina leads you along it with a polite pause at the top so that Tamamo isn't rushed in her elaborate regalia. Finally, she pushes through another more modest doorway, holding it for the both of you as it leads into the meeting room. There's a long ovular dark-wooden table in the center surrounded by eleven chairs, usually to be used by the Army Commanders, and at the far end of that table are the people you'd expect; Ariel and White, the former at the far end and the latter sitting just around one of the near corners of the table from her. White remains seated for now, eyes closed as she looks up and waves at a pace that seems like she's trying not to frighten away a bird. Ariel on the other hand pushes her chair out and springs up, wearing her strange segmented, spike-tipped cape with the full collar popped up behind her head despite seemingly refusing to dress up more than her usual otherwise. Ariel steps around the table at a peppy pace, stopping a little bit in front of the two guests and giving Phelmina a thumbs up and then a little shooing motion with her fingers, before smiling pleasantly back at Lilian and Tamamo. Phelmina gestures with a hand over her heart and a little bow to the both of you, then backs out of the room and gently closes the door; if Lilian's minded to be paranoid today, it might comfort her to notice that there's no mechanical lock on the door. "So! This is nice. Or maybe it's awkward. I guess it can be both." Ariel finally breaks the silence, reaching a hand out just barely into Lilian's personal space, palm turned slightly upward to offer what's implied to be an extra gentle handshake. Then, she offers the same to Tamamo. "It's nice to meetcha, miss fiancée. Bells, huh? You know, it's a wonder none of the gods here dress up like that. Like it though, it's flashy." She's basically unavoidably irreverent, but she does seem to be giving genuine praise. In any case, she starts to turn and step back around the table, gesturing wildly around at the chairs. "Go ahead and get settled in where you want. I can call food n' drinks up whenever you want, but I figured you'd rather stay focused. So..." She flumps backward into her chair and scoots it back up to the table, flicking part of her cape over one side to get it out of the seat. "Only polite to let you get first dibs; I heard it was your lovely lover who wanted to meet me, is that right?" she says to Lilian initially, then looks over to Tamamo. "So, wanna start with 'what about'? Or something else?"
Tamamo	'Commander Bloe Phtalo tragically passed away in battle against the previous Hero.' "Oh, my apologies. I was unaware." She shouldn't have used the present tense, there, after all. After a moment, "It will take a bit of time to become accustomed to the idea of a world with only one hero, though I know that can only be the norm, here." Even given the understanding of the title as 'one uniquely suited to killing the most powerful monster,' it couldn't be called a unique position, in other worlds. The strangeness of 'opposing the hero' follows directly from the reality of a world having just the one, objectively defined, which is why she doesn't comment on it. ...a small pink-haired family of Demons at one point and potentially make a brief moment of awkward eye contact as you pass... Not to worry. Tamamo-no-mae is immune to displays of social awkwardness while dressed up. Others can still be awkward around her, of course, even when she smiles at them. Sometimes, smiling even makes people worse, but that can't be her fault. It'd be rude to comment on the sparseness of the population and the lack of care to the garden, but Tamamo does disrupt her pace long enough to softly bump into Lilian, catch her eye, look toward the prickly grass and mostly-empty streets, and raise a brow. Finding things to praise about a place you're visiting is common courtesy, but this is all more on the worrying side of things, and she lets some of that concern show on her face, while Phelmina remains facing the opposite way. White remains seated for now, eyes closed as she looks up and waves at a pace that seems like she's trying not to frighten away a bird. Tamamo, who isn't usually an energetic waver, acknowledges White with a small nod, followed by giving Ariel a politely gentle smile. Conforming to what she assumes local custom, she gives the kind of handshake people who've never ever been taught the relation between 'a firm handshake' and 'respect' often tend toward. If anything, even gentler. "Charmed, of course. This is..." She tilts her head to think back, which causes the bells to move just so. "...our first meeting, even if we may know of one another through others." Tamamo had missed catching her on the radio by only a couple hours, the one time, but it's not like that can be counted as anything. "That being the case, please indulge my usual introduction." Long sleeves, together, she says, "I am known as Tamamo-no-mae, bunrei of Amaterasu-omikami, She of the Pale-Gold Face. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." 'You know, it's a wonder none of the gods here dress up like that.' "Though there have been a few times I have wished to meet the gods of other worlds, I tend to find that each is unlike the other. In one case, a priest even became violently angry at the idea I would wish a meeting, and I needed discard the idea." The closest she's come to finding one 'like her' was Ishtar, and what a horrifying admission that would be, in front of anyone to whom the name held meaning. 'Like it though, it's flashy.' "Thank you." Slightly unusually frankly, "I am rather fond of working with gold." Offered a place to sit, Tamamo moves in coordination with Lilian, naturally deferring. 'So, wanna start with 'what about''
Tamamo	"Have no worry that I seek favors." She did not, in fact, come asking for anything. Not really. As for what did prompt a social call... Tamamo exchanges a glance with Lilian, attempting to transmit the thought of, 'should I simply ask about the two of them?' Maybe it would be less awkward to ask about the fate of the world and their plans for it, but she has her priorities.
White	Ariel's handshakes are usually a little intense, but today she's on slightly better behavior. Her black silk gloves only grasp at their hands with three fingers and a thumb, sparing the palm, and she shakes one time before capping the gesture with a brief pat to the back of Tamamo or Lilian's hand while it's held. She hears out the introduction, a small fangy smile and a few nods seemingly admiring the showmanship of it, before she's made it back to her seat. "Nice, nice! See, that has legitimacy to it. Well, this little Demon Lord is happy to make your acquaintance." "Mm, yeah. Gods can be territorial, but rarely as much as the people who worship 'em as far as I've seen. But I guess I've got a bias, since... Well, I'm getting sidetracked." Ariel stops mid-stream, tempted to just follow the course of the topic but putting on a slight bashful handwaving manner as she follows Tamamo's gaze over to Lilian.
Lilian Rook	'It does not come to mind, though I know there were times when one's subordinates followed, in a sort of 'promotion.'' "I have to imagine that Ayin, as much as there was anything left of him, 'failed'. In that way, it's easy to rally around 'look at how you treated our Partner' as due cause." Lilian muses out loud. "It used to be much more common that groups would seek a cooperative alliance and then appoint someone as a 'liaison', by which it was understood to mean 'human payment', so I wonder if their current practice sprung up as a reaction to that cynical way of doing things?" Even if she didn't currently feel miffed about White on the whole and wasn't here just to indulge Tamamo, she'd still talk about the garden, though. That's specifically her thing! "It's such a shame, isn't it? It makes it look like they're just squatting here; like it's not really theirs. Surely they could find a few people with some free time to see to it; leaving it barren like this only advertises a sense of things being unspokenly dire." Unlike Tamamo, Lilian has met Ariel before, discounting even how adequately she knows White. Feeling mildly stupid for taking her first spin with 'written print on clothes' around someone who never opens her eyes, Lilian rolls hers at just how pitifully scrunglocore White's wave is, and brusquely mirrors one. #-1 FUNCTION (ANS) NOT FOUND "It is what it is." Lilian decides, with a delicate half-shrug. "It's good to see you, Ariel." follows pleasantly enough. After all, it wasn't the demon lord who moderately inconvenienced her one time; just snuggled up to Schneider in her office with the door locked and so on. She isn't too cautious about a handshake, able to sense intent as she is, though it's a bit odd when she's wearing those slutty little reinforced ultrashort gloves. 'You know, it's a wonder none of the gods here dress up like that. Like it though, it's flashy.' "If they aren't going to take at least as many liberties with their dress as you are, then why do they even bother to call themselves gods." Lilian says. 'Guarded agreement' perhaps. If Ariel were someone more generally bulliable, she might give her some grief for 'miss fiancée', but Lilian doesn't currently inclined to start trying to ballbust someone she loosely understands as 'White's Scáthach'. 'Only polite to let you get first dibs; I heard it was your lovely lover who wanted to meet me, is that right?' Lilian suppresses an involuntary smirk, since she'd look like an idiot. First, she focuses on pulling out a seat for Tamamo, and then, taking her own, and only last, "Indeed it was. She even went so far as to ask about your preferred tea." She says it like a low-intensity 'so be grateful!' The moment she catches Tamamo's eyes, Lilian glances back and forth with a meaningless little gesture that privately reads as 'may as well, right?', though she continues driving a wedge into whatever perceived ice there is. "For someone White worries about getting out of the house enough, you certainly took to the idea quickly. Warming back up to socializing, are we?"
White	Ariel seems to cheerfully recieve the quip about her 'liberties' with a scampish giggle. "You know, Lilian, you're not the first person to tell me something like that. You know, it used to be a real pain in the ass to get comfortable clothes before I figured out silkweaving. I guess I just ended up splitting the difference eventually?" She has an easy time moving on, bouncing from topic to topic with a comfortable ease while she folds one leg over the other and leans on the armrest of her slightly too-big gilded chair. Not really a 'throne', but it's her chair, clearly. "Tea? Well, isn't that sweet! Now, I'm not much of a uh, whatcha call it... A connoisseur? But I don't mind trying things out, whatever you think's good. Want me to call up some water and stuff?" It might be a nice gesture to her, but it's only proper to provide what she can as the host... Or at least make someone else under her provide it. That last question seems to strike her in a strange spot, though. She doesn't break from the jovial-casual way she's speaking, or fumble the little laugh she offers back, but it does manage to make her gaze shift away for a moment. "Well, it's a little annoying sometimes how much Shiro-chan frets over stuff like that, but I've got my reasons. I don't exactly have the... Freedom, to be palling around with whoever I want around home, on account of my position. And I've gotta stick around here most of the time, when I don't have White ferrying me around. I can't go cross-country the way she can, lemme tell you." White still seems a little awkward, keeping relatively quiet as a policy; the meeting was 'to speak with Ariel', not with her, so she's probably going to stick to keeping her head down unless someone actually addresses her. That said, she offers a small piece of clarification, leaning in to try and make her soft voice more audible. "... Part of the problem... Is that... She could get into trouble... If she just wanders. She doesn't like... Being supervised." Ariel then rounds on White in a big dramatic huffing lean, crooking her wrist to point at her accusingly. "Oh, pot, are you speaking for the kettles now too? You just think I'm going to trip and fall into quicksand somehow, and I'm not that helpless." A pause. "I could just dig my way out, anyway." White makes a brow-scrunched, judging face that might be a squinty-eyed glare if her eyes were open, but Ariel flips her hair back a bit and turns back toward Lilian and Tamamo. "Anyway. It's not like I'll be the Demon Lord after the war's over, so I might as well yuck it up with folks from other worlds, right? Easier for me to slide out of the picture that way."
Tamamo	'Well, this little Demon Lord is happy to make your acquaintance.' "I suppose each demon lord I have met has been rather different, as well. Most of them... were, quiete definitely, not demons, come to think of it." 'But I guess I've got a bias, since... Well, I'm getting sidetracked.' "Oh, no, by all means, continue. Why should I have such ears, if not to listen?" Someone else might not be allowed to make that joke. Tamamo takes the seat offered, naturally, and follows up Lilian's mention of tea with, "I suppose I did. To be frank... I could not help but have concerns about the sort of palate the local environment might produce, after listening to Ms. White speak of the--" There isn't a polite word-replacement for it, "--poisons that made up her diet." Tamamo makes a sort of 'whatever am I to do with' expression of helplessness at a food preference implied to be 'I don't know, but not poison.' 'Want me to call up some water and stuff?' "If you would be so kind." Tamamo removes, hidden in her sleeves, a few papers that are not so much 'crumpled' as 'curiously folded,' on which sit her supplies, including metal ball-shaped infusers. "I expect you would have little trouble with strong flavors, which is why I prepared ginger and cinnamon." Strictly speaking, those as the main ingredients make something that's not 'tea,' but Tamamo's not the type to fuss about that. It's not to universal taste, either, but that's why she brought a tiny jar of honey. Most things become palatable after a varying amount of sugar. 'Well, it's a little annoying sometimes how much Shiro-chan frets over stuff like that, but I've got my reasons.' Though not responding to this directly, Tamamo's eyes light up a little when she glances toward White and softly repeats, "Shiro-chan..." 'It's not like I'll be the Demon Lord after the war's over, so I might as well yuck it up with folks from other worlds, right?' "It seems a bit dry to ask something like, 'how is the war going,' or 'you have your plans in place to end it, then?' But I suppose I do have a little curiosity about it. For the most part, it is only that I have become rather too used to conflicts that seem to be tiresomely never-ending, and it would be so good to find conclusive endings that made room for much more enjoyable epilogues. Ah, but then, a 'happily ever after' that fails to describe happiness is rather disappointing, as well. Do you suppose it is only that too few writers can imagine how happiness might look?" That's getting into something that's more of a personal interest than a response, so she pulls back around to, "In truth, I would love to hear of your relationships more than of war." Craftily nonspecific.
Lilian Rook	'You know, it used to be a real pain in the ass to get comfortable clothes before I figured out silkweaving. I guess I just ended up splitting the difference eventually?' Huh. Mildly interesting factoid implied. "Do you happen to have especially sensitive skin?" Lilian asks. Currently, she does not give a single solitary fuck about what a freak-ass thing to ask that is. "It's difficult to beat silk, but far from impossible. I'd hate to imagine that you're simply dressing up only as much as you can tolerate rather than what you'd actually like." She eyeballs the cape, briefly, and then dismisses the thought. 'Well, it's a little annoying sometimes how much Shiro-chan frets over stuff like that, but I've got my reasons. I don't exactly have the... Freedom, to be palling around with whoever I want around home, on account of my position.' Lilian nods, active listening style. 'Nobility stuff, I get you' radiates off of her in waves. 'I can't go cross-country the way she can, lemme tell you.' "I've become so painfully aware of how convenient that sort of thing must be lately that it's almost maddening." she says, commiserating. Lilian is thinking about how many motherfucking car trips she's had to take lately, and forgetting a little bit that she's supposed to be a teleporter too. "Well, it wasn't my intention to encourage you to think overmuch on it. We all have slightly different versions of ourselves inside the minds of those around us, and those different versions all have larger and smaller problems than we really do." so says the walking understatement. '... Part of the problem... Is that... She could get into trouble... If she just wanders. She doesn't like... Being supervised.' "Nobody likes being supervise, darling." Lilian auto-quips. 'You just think I'm going to trip and fall into quicksand somehow, and I'm not that helpless.' Lilian blinks slowly. The corner of her mouth twitches. "No, actually, I think I understand." She's definitely thinking about Petra. 'Anyway. It's not like I'll be the Demon Lord after the war's over, so I might as well yuck it up with folks from other worlds, right? Easier for me to slide out of the picture that way.' "And so your diabolical plan is revealed." says Lilian. She smiles, slightly. "Not that I'd do any differently, but making use of White's social circles like a networking app certainly is something that one might describe as productive." It's also kind of like White's cool mom is hitting on all her older friends, but . . . For no reason, she scooches a little bit closer to Tamamo, and leans by ten degrees in her seat. 'Shiro-chan...' "I know right?" she whispers.
White	"Yeah? Demon's a little misleading as a term, here, but I'm a li'l surprised it's that way for other places too." Ariel wonderingly chirps back at Tamamo; she seems to forget to summon the water, but there's a slight incline of her head at one point that only barely gives away the telepathic message she's sent, and a few minutes later the door opens again. A young-looking blonde girl with a blue ribbon atop her head like a pair of floppy bunny-ears comes into the room, clutching an old porcelaine teaset on a tray in two hands... Aaaand pushing the door with a third, jutting from the same sleeve as her other right arm. She has a little smile on her face as she comes alongside the table beside Tamamo, but at such a close distance it's not hard to notice the doll-joints of her wrists and fingers, or the way her mouth never quite opens enough to display any of the inside of her mouth. "Thanks, Ael darling~!" Ariel tells her, and the puppet-bodied girl delivers a quick little curtsy while she politely backpedals toward the door again. There's hot water waiting in the teakettle already, a nice thick silk cloth to help move it without singeing any fingers, cute little white porcelaine floral cups for everyone, and even a little selection of what look like cornbread muffins. "Well, food can be a little tricky 'round here some times of year, but it sounds like she was talking about the Labyrinth. Because yeah, basically everything in there is poisonous! There's some tasty exceptions, but they're kinda tricky to take down without damaging the meat." she adds, just sharing a little trivia before she makes a pleased little 'hmhmhm~!' at the bunrei's tea-related preparations. She seems to be taking it as a rare sort of treat that she doesn't have to act all aloof and spooky about, for once. "Mm, I mean you can ask whatever you like. We've got a plan, but of course we thought we had a plan last time before Shiro-chan got screwed over, so it's always an 'in progress' kind of deal. Relationships, though..?" Ariel seems to trail off a bit, glancing upward before looking down again to watch Tamamo work with the teaset. "Well, it's not like I've got a buncha flings to gossip about, I got out of that phase like, four hundred years ago. Family though, well, I've got... Five devoted daughters, and heaps and heaps of grandbabies! Like li'l Shiro-chan, though she's a bit of a weird case. The extra memories, and all that." She seems to be putting off the obvious for last, though. Lilian asking about her skin comes dangerously close to making her wiggle her eyebrows tauntingly, but with Tamamo present even she isn't going to be so ruthless, and lets the aborted facial gesture stop after one little brow-lift and a bemused chuckle. "I wouldn't say sensitive, but since the silk is what I can make and work with, I got used to it real quick. From there it's hard to stop being spoiled for texture, right? But nah, I 'dress down' for a couple o' reasons. One, it's real attention-grabby. I don't much like being ignored, even when I'm not in 'boss mode', right? And two, well, you have no idea how many outfits I liked that got completely wrecked cuz I got into a fight suddenly. Specially around the shoulders, the back, the hips, n' all that... And plus, I've had'ta throw out plenty just because one of Potimas's cyborg fuckboys shot holes in my clothes. It's just easier to wear what I can make, and keep my joints flexible, y'know?" She playfully flexes, and there's more muscle there than it seems, even if she's still far too small to justify her stats.
White	"My oh so diabolical plan... To retire and maybe have a bit of a life before I kick the bucket." she says, humoring the humor itself with a big exaggerated shrug and slow shake of her head. "Well, if I'm lucky." It's now that she finally gestures at Tamamo again, like she's saying 'I remembered what you said', and she drops the conclusion she's been putting off like an anvil, watching to see what kind of damage it causes. "You really wanted to know about Schneidy, didn't you? I know there was some drama 'bout it, since White slipped out to talk to someone while she was here." White minutely winces, then steadies herself again almost immediately, and Ariel pretends not to notice.
Tamamo	'Nobody likes being supervise, darling.' "Not even the very young, I think." She has a little smile on her face as she comes alongside the table beside Tamamo... "Thank you." Tamamo smiles. She recalls these ones, too. Setting about making tea is something she can do without thinking about it very much, but she still takes her time and gives it her concentration. The ginger is sliced and allowed to steep in the hot water... for somewhat longer than some teas require, giving more time for conversation. 'Well, food can be a little tricky 'round here some times of year...' "An all-weather garden is a rare boon, after all." Tamamo doesn't quite ask about national agriculture, but she's still thinking of that neglected garden path. Is this country alright? 'Well, it's not like I've got a buncha flings to gossip about, I got out of that phase like, four hundred years ago.' "Oho, and so, you have had much over which to gossip... but not of late. To get out of a phase... it is still a mystery to me, such a thing." 'I've got... Five devoted daughters, and heaps and heaps of grandbabies!' Even though she knows... even though she has to know that this isn't the kind of family life she could possibly use as a model for anything, Tamamo's eyes still sparkle at that admission. There's no way Ariel, who last had a fling several centuries ago, together with what little could be pieced together from White speaking of her, could have an answer to Tamamo's biggest, most important question. No more than White. Maybe a little more than White. Surely, she learned something during that phase. Tamamo's hope is just that quick to rise. 'You really wanted to know about Schneidy, didn't you?' Oh. "That is a rather difficult situation, as I understand it. Allying with someone who shot my fiancee... to say nothing of the Manus Vindictae connection. Gluing lethally transformative masks to people's faces is not a highly respectable practice." She sounds more bothered about the first part.
Lilian Rook	'Thanks, Ael darling~!' "Bunny girls?" Lilian says, archly, commenting automatically before she sees any further details herself. Despite obviously being kind of judgemental, it's not exactly a disapproving tone. Which makes everything more weird, frankly. 'Well, it's not like I've got a buncha flings to gossip about, I got out of that phase like, four hundred years ago.' The suspiciously accurate timing on that statement makes Lilian snicker silently. Unable to help herself, she says "My condolences." and merely thinks 'on your dry spell'. "And congratulations." Probably on 'heaps of grandbabies'. She totally notices the wiggle-in-motion, halted before its time, though. It's the appropriate time to narrow her eyes, but she merely lofts an eyebrow instead. It's becoming increasingly easy to imagine her theory about White being locked out of the room and told to 'go help Schneider-chan~' "No, actually, I think I have an idea." she says, on the subject of outfits, then snorts at 'cyborg fuckboys'. "You've at least been staying in touch online, haven't you? Nevertheless, it's not a criticism; Scáthach had me training topless half the godforsaken time for similar reasons." 'You really wanted to know about Schneidy, didn't you?' Well. There that is. "I can't say I'm disinterested, but I'd be a liar if I said I came here to find out." she says, in front of god and everyone, with, "I came here because my fiancée wanted to go." like it's no big deal to say that to the host. 'To get out of a phase... it is still a mystery to me, such a thing.' Aw come on Lilian, don't make side eyes like that!
White	White wiggles her jaw in subtle discontent, as she's banded against in her noble goal of making sure the most powerful mortal being on the planet doesn't get couch-holed or otherwise bamboozled. Supervision isn't such a bad thing! How else is she supposed to show she cares? Why does everyone want her to ignore them when they're getting impaled and hit in the head with bats?! Well she'll just have to deal with that by herself for now. Ariel doesn't seem to intend to leap on the topic of a suffering land unless pressed, but the evidence seems fairly consistent; the Demon population isn't exactly booming, in spite of existing architecture that could support more. Over the skyline of the city, anyone could tell on the way here that the 'Demon Realm' is surrounded by mountains, both snow-capped and otherwise. Cornbread can be a delight, but it's certainly not most people's first choice as a classy treat to pair with tea. Not to mention that, with an entire world's fate at stake, the Demon people seem to only call the 'Demon Realm' home, and it consists of what surely must not be much beyond this sprawling city. Instead of pointing any of this out herself, though, Ariel looses another giggle laced with mischief and finger-flicks the white stripe in her hair. "Well, I had to become quiiiite the workaholic to make it to 'Demon Lord', you know. Especially since I'm not a Demon, and that's not much of a secret. Though, to be honest, mostly I just finally made up my mind to kill one specific guy, and he made it such a pain I didn't have much time for anything else." Everything, somehow, comes back to Potimas. Always does, here. "I've got more options now. I don't hafta hide much from otherworlders, and as long as I'm not shirking keeping up appearances here, well... I guess I can afford to relax a little now and then. And it's not like there's much work to throw me at right now, given the most punchable problem at the moment is the one that'll trigger our 'game over' if I try to punch it." Which leaves her with more time to burn, but only recently. She seems blinkingly surprised by the reaction to her great theory though; Ariel's head tilts about 45 degrees right, then another 15, then back upright to neutral as she lowers her hand to the tabletop. "... Well, if I missed the mark, I'll just take my licks. I don't want to mess up a nice day, n' all. It's good to just chat and loosen up." She looks thoughtful for a moment about phases and flings, blatantly brainstorming how to swerve, and hovering a proverbial hand over a dangerous weapon in the process. "Hmm? Oh, no I basically had my fill is all. Got to a point where it was dangerous enough for everyone else that it was kinda just more trouble than it was worth to deal with the aftermath every time." There's a dreadfully overlong pause, before she delivers the "Y'know?" like a cheery little threat.
Tamamo	'Bunny girls?' "Not a 'bunny,' but..." Tamamo seems to think there's something inherently adorable about Ael, though the encounter is too brief to tell more. 'Scáthach had me training topless half the godforsaken time for similar reasons.' "Would it not have been a greater challenge to keep your clothing from being torn?" Tamamo's not super familiar with spear training. She's not, in fact, a warrior at all. 'I came here because my fiancée wanted to go.' "Many things become clearer with familiarity, after all." There could be some corollary there, about understanding versus asking, but she doesn't clarify. Tamamo is simply so polite about available hospitality. Rather, she's the sort who's pleased just to experience things, and it's only insincerity that would offend her, rather than a sugar famine. Making do with what's available is, so far as she's been able to determine, part of the expected skillset of the 'type of person' she'd like to be, even if that's not related to her intrinsic nature. 'Especially since I'm not a Demon, and that's not much of a secret.' "Ohh, I see," she says. Given how many types of demons there are, there's no way someone from offworld could just assume. 'Though, to be honest, mostly I just finally made up my mind to kill one specific guy...' "It is quite important to have a goal." Tamamo is weirdly approving of this, for someone who hasn't met Potimas. '...given the most punchable problem at the moment is the one that'll trigger our 'game over' if I try to punch it.' "Ah?" This sounds to her like the kind of thing that's already been explained to other people, so she has to tilt her head, the motion exaggerated by the length of her ears, to think on whether it's been mentioned in her presence. 'It's good to just chat and loosen up.' "Naturally, there are many who lack such opportunities, or so I believe, among the particularly strong. To be a 'workaholic' means to often be tightly wound, no?" 'Y'know?' Tamamo, who is wearing her expressions openly, doesn't know. "Dangerous...? Oh, because of your... position, yes? As the Demon Lord, who is the enemy of the Hero." She's not extremely familiar with the arrangement. Rather, she's perfectly aware of it on paper, but not with how that ended up being mapped to a non-storybook world.
Lilian Rook	'Though, to be honest, mostly I just finally made up my mind to kill one specific guy, and he made it such a pain I didn't have much time for anything else.' Lilian, unfortunately, knows what that's like. She winces, even. It mostly seems to be at herself. Guilt, or embarrassment, maybe. 'Y'know?' Instead of a proper response, Lilian nods near-microscopically, and says, tight-throated, "Fairy food." in acknowledgement. Oh god does she ever. 'Would it not have been a greater challenge to keep your clothing from being torn?' "I mean, obviously, but you'd need enough clothing to even get there, right?" Lilian says, awfully conversational about something that weird. "If it just gets ripped up right away, then what was the point?" At this point, she feels pretty weird about taking anything offered, even in hospitality; like she's taking advantage of White's desperation or something. But if Tamamo is pouring the tea, of course Lilian is going to reach over and take some. 'Ah?' "D, I assume." Lilian says. "The fuckless goddess, remember?" Then, after a second, she offers, "Or Schlain? Or . . ." She frowns. The average level of fucklessness and punchability between all of Ariel's enemies and allies is being computed in her brain. Lilian suddenly snaps to. "Hang on, don't try to deflect me. Even if I am here for Tamamo only, you can't just go offering to explain your thing with Schneider and then not." Awful huffy for having confidently declined to hear. "That's why Commander White is nervously wringing her hands in the backdrop, isn't it? Because she's convinced she fucked up too badly to ever bounce back from. Isn't it sort of cruel to just make her squirm there?" Her hypocrisy level is rapidly increasing.
White	"Goals are what keep a gal going, after all. Even without pants." Ariel agrees easily. Then, she amicably boils down a lot of stupid terminology for Tamamo after hearing that confused 'Ah?', rolling her hand around the wrist like she's yadda-yadda-ing herself. "Basically, the Hero gets a bunch of extra power from the planet when they fight a Demon Lord, but the planet's really running low on juice right now. Since I'm too much of a badass, the new Hero- who's still a teenager to boot- would get a huge boost from the planet if we fought, and that might be the last straw. Which ain't ideal! So I kinda have to just keep my distance, cuz if Dustin or someone else guesses where I'm gonna be and thinks they like those odds, they could have the kid try to jump me when I go out to get shit done." She thumbs toward White. "Applies to her too, but she can just poof and leave usually, before the Titles start acting up." Lilian has a pretty good initial guess though, and Ariel admits, "Well you've got a point there, I can't exactly punch her either, but I'm pretty sure trying wouldn't fuck the whole planet. She might not care, actually? But I'd have to get to her first. Fuckin' teleporters." White's brow shifts in a lidded eyeroll, and Ariel scoffs, "Not you, obviously. Anymore." "You're not wrong though," she says about the next thing, "It's like, when you've got too much to do and any little screw up can put you back literal years, you don't want to take any breaks. It starts out kinda... Hesitant, guilty and the like, and then you get used to it enough that you just don't really think about it much at all. Even Immortality doesn't mean you can just keep moving forever, really. If I hadn't had the help I did..." Ariel pauses to reach over and snag White around the neck in the crook of her elbow, and at least Lilian can probably notice a tiny moment's flinch where White is considering escaping before deciding to acquiesce and be a little squished against Ariel's shoulder. "I probably woulda been mentally done, let alone whether my soul could keep it up." It's a very reasonable sort of cautionary tale, for the kind of floaty way she delivers it, like it's a fun fact. But, Tamamo's last misunderstanding leads to Ariel flattening her hand in front of her mouth and teasingly laughing ('hu hu hu~' style, like she's loosely imitating Natsuki maybe?). "Not back then, nope. I've only been Demon Lord for, mmm, sixteen years? Maybe seventeen now? At least officially. Though, I guess I did skip a few chances cuz of the job..." But, when Lilian seems upset at getting let down so abruptly about the topic, Ariel blinks and does a slow double-take between Lilian and Tamamo, then at White under her arm who eventually reaches up to gently lift the arm off her neck so she can sit up again. White doesn't exactly pout from being called out, but there's a shift in her face like she's a quarter of the way toward chewing the inside of her cheek nervously, and then she effortfully pushes that feeling down to revert to neutral. Ariel and White look at each other again, wordlessly figure out who's going to talk first about what, and of course it's Ariel who leads the way again while White gathers her thoughts. "Well, sure then? If you just want the nutshell, it's not complicated."
White	"Li'l Shiro's been mentioning me to a few people, hoping to like, foist them off on me like a daycare-baby with no friends. Schneidy was looking for ways to pay back White's help, and White..." She looks over again and seems to reconfirm something from light eye contact alone. "White didn't really have anything to throw her at, and we don't really need any of her boss's resources either. So she asked her to visit me, and we hit it off, and she was in my lap and sharing a bottle before long. Oh, not like that, but she's a sweetie." Ariel delivers most of that with a fond, relatively un-scampish smile. "The Demon Army and the 'Manus Vindicto' or whatever, there's no connection there 'cept the two of us." She gestures palm-up to White like she's passing her something, and White nods and braces a little before mustering her voice to try and be heard clearly in spite of the slight distance. "... I haven't given up, but I haven't... Found a way to apologize... Yet, Miss Lilian. It... Likely won't be... Until after this coming 'Storm' that I can start... To do so properly. And I... Underestimated... How much it was going... To hurt you, to be... In opposition. I'm working on it... But until I can prove... My intentions... I thought it best... Not to upset you further. It seems like... It isn't helping, though."
Tamamo	'I mean, obviously, but you'd need enough clothing to even get there, right?' "You would need a great number of training outfits, and they would need be rather plain..." Tamamo's seriously working out the logistics for a training regimen that involves cutting up someone through their clothes over and over. But if Tamamo is pouring the tea, of course Lilian is going to reach over and take some. And Tamamo does, of course. Even if she'd gone the 'humble' route of only preparing one type of tea, together with a few things to drop into it. "Honey?" 'The fuckless goddess, remember?' "Oh, yes! I do remember her being mentioned a few times, though whether she was a primary or secondary concern..." Tamamo goes thinky-quiet again while Lilian tries to work out what other punchables are in the vicinity (broadly speaking). 'That's why Commander White is nervously wringing her hands in the backdrop, isn't it?' Tamamo makes an agreeing "mm" and glances White's way. She wasn't going to come right out and say that this trip had something to do with seeing to the relationship between Lilian and White, but there it is. Not that she's committed to repairing it, either. That would just be irresponsible, given the violence. 'Isn't it sort of cruel to just make her squirm there?' A very brief sideways glance at Lilian follows. 'I probably woulda been mentally done, let alone whether my soul could keep it up.' "Oh, that sounds rather dire. Or... no, I suppose it would be the same for myself, after all. If I needed to continue my journey 'with no one to help,' that would be the most difficult thing. Years of that are draining in ways mortality is not." Even delivered lightly, she takes it seriously, not so much 'lightly' as 'slowly,' in between pouring tea. 'Not back then, nope.' "If not, then...?" It's a topic she can't just leave alone, though another topic soon pushes through. '...and she was in my lap and... Oh, not like that...' Too late. Tamamo's already bringing one extra-long sleeve up to cover her mouth while her eyes widen. Scandalous! And now she's giving Ariel a searching, narrow-eyed stare, probably thinking something like, 'She can't just be immune to signs if she's had this many kids.' Where's the edge to cut through this contradiction? Ahem. "For your own part, then, there was no connection, and so... it would be pointless to discuss the organization, after all. For Ms. White, however, there was aid rendered, for which Schneider Greco intended repayment... which leaves me curious as to what was aided, and why so. If it is only that a Concord Partner would help another..." That would be understandable, though Tamamo's tone suggests she'd be disappointed by it. The suggestion is oddly palpable. 'I thought it best... Not to upset you further. It seems like... It isn't helping, though.' "...yes, with regret, this is what tends to be so. To leave be a slight," speaking generally, "may be done to allow heat to cool, and yet, it may suggest to another that the offense is not considered worthy of address, which leads to further disagreement. Is this description familiar?" Even if the way she speaks is smoothly confident, Tamamo's reaching a bit blindly, having not seen the events that triggered this.
Lilian Rook	'I can't exactly punch her either, but I'm pretty sure trying wouldn't fuck the whole planet.' "Of course not. That'd require D to succeed at fucking something." Lilian scoffs. 'Not you, obviously. Anymore.' "No, definitely you." Lilian says to white, snotty. Also hypocritical. Again. 'It's like, when you've got too much to do and any little screw up can put you back literal years, you don't want to take any breaks. It starts out kinda... Hesitant, guilty and the like, and then you get used to it enough that you just don't really think about it much at all.' 'I probably woulda been mentally done, let alone whether my soul could keep it up.' Lilian smiles, drinks from her tea, maintains a pleasantly vague expression, and says, without making eye contact, "Would you perhaps like to change the subject?" Yes, she'll take even Ariel's dried up love life as one. But-- '"Well, sure then? If you just want the nutshell, it's not complicated.' Thank god. 'hoping to like, foist them off on me like a daycare-baby with no friends.' Lilian laughs, disguised as a cough, then feels the need to not pretend she got away with it. "You certainly have a refreshingly straightforward way of calling a spade a spade." 'So she asked her to visit me, and we hit it off, and she was in my lap and sharing a bottle before long.' "Oh my god I knew it--" 'Oh, not like that, but she's a sweetie.' Lilian stops bratting, but she doesn't look convinced. She clears her throat. "So, Commander White was already assisting Manus Vindictae before your involvement, yes?" She side-eyes White ungenerously. 'Honey?"' "Oh, yes please~!" Lilian catches the glance, but says only "What?" 'Is this description familiar?' '... I haven't given up, but I haven't... Found a way to apologize... Yet, Miss Lilian.' 'I... Underestimated... How much it was going... To hurt you' Well, if Tamamo is just going to pop the cork, there's no avoiding participation. Lilian sighs, closing her eyes and blowing steam off her raised cup in exasperation. "Would you please not speak to me like your jilted ex, Commander White? It's unnecessary, misleading, and altogether unpleasant." Her eyebrow twitches as she realizes that she sounds like a more polite Mesmer saying that. "I really don't care about the nature of your relationship with that Schneider woman, nor who you like best. You people fraternize with Sundew for Christ's sake." Point aside, 'fraternize'? Really? Look at this girl elegantly sipping her tea like she's the normal one. "The fact of the matter is that you went to considerable pains to recruit representatives of all three factions to your cause, put them to not-insignificant efforts to show sincerity and advance your agenda, and then immediately clambered into bed with a group that is a mortal enemy to two of them, for seemingly no particular reason except that you didn't expect it to blow up in your face." Punctuating herself with one more drinking pause, Lilian sets the cup back down with an annoyingly neat little click. "Anything I divulge, even unintentionally, over the course of continuing to assist you, may be relayed back to Manus Vindictae at any time. Any material support I render may very well be directly funneled to them. I've no idea what aims they have to profit off your work, and frankly, it's unlikely you do either. And certainly the idea of standing shoulder to shoulder in a room like this with the woman who shot me while feigning a critical injury is out of the question." She started tapping her foot at some point. Folding her arms actually quite like a pissy ex-girlfriend, Lilian says "Now what are you going to do about this? Surely you don't believe 'I didn't mean it' has any relevance to the facts."
White	Ariel uncritically waits as tea is poured, and if the question of honey is aimed at her as well, she just gestures with pinched fingertips for 'a little'. White shakes her head gently, and Ariel draws the teacups on their little plates over by reaching out for them with one strip of her cape as if it were a limb. "Thank you-thank you~." she chirps at a low volume, trying and failing to conceal a little smirk behind her teacup over Tamamo's reaction to her indiscretion in spite of everything else. She practically feeds on the stare itself. While Tamamo is piecing her way through where the conversation should even go next, Ariel oddly-softly remarks to White, "Remember what I said. It's up to you." White, between Ariel's direct indication for her to handle it and Tamamo's instructive tone, gathers herself again with a small breath and nods slightly, though it's not clear if she's responding to Tamamo or just reacting to the rearrangement of thoughts inside her head. Unfortunately, Lilian's scolding does make her scrunch a little and struggle a little more to focus, but she's trying to load that into the 'be annoyed about it later' mental reservoir regardless. "... Of course not, Miss Lilian. And I don't have... Any expectations of... Direct assistance, at this time. Hence... The timeline I mentioned." is where she starts, very slightly shaking her head like she's trying to knock over the pile of unhelpful comments that keep coming to mind and cluttering things up inside her brain. "So. Not about Miss Schneider, and not... To seek sympathy." she says mostly to herself, setting the terms of what she's allowed to talk about in advance, and nodding slowly, almost grimly. Ariel watches, but doesn't intervene; she's carefully neutral in expression, now. "I've said... That I don't trust... The Foundation before. But I don't... Particularly trust the Manus... Either. But there are people in either... That I think deserve something. Miss Vertin's judgement, and willingness... To slip her shackles... When it's required, are to be lauded. But there are... People she can't help." This part is harder, given Lilian's stated disinterest in certain subjects which White appears to be trying very seriously to take to heart, but it does leave her hitting some speed bumps as she tries to reorder her thoughts again. "When it was first announced... That the Manus would... Ally with the Concord... I had little interest. But there was an event... And I attended. And I saw that... The Manus do not hold... One-another in equal value. I was concerned... That certain people would be treated... As disposable. And over time, I've begun... To become surer of it. It was my hope that, without meaningfully interfering... I could provide certain people... With a way out, in the... Event that they were discarded." She shakes her head slowly and knowingly. "... But I misjudged. The day we fought you... There was very little warning before the summons... And very few people were present from the Concord. Going in... I had intended to only secure... Miss Schneider, and abandon the mission objective. But... The expectations on her were... Not easy to brush off... Just because it was 'impossible to win'. I had to change my plan, and stop... Miss Tamiel from extracting the arcanists. I did try to avoid... Hurting anyone on your team... But I know that you were unhappy with the... Rest of the outcome, regardless." "... That day it became obvious that... There were information leaks, running rampant. Both in anticipating the Timekeeper... And in the aftermath. I've disseminated some information... Myself, while trying to buy time. I was also hoping... To have more persuasive information... About the nature of their storm shelters... Or their 'Lady Arcana', but I have not... Been so fortunate." But, most of that is just context, and not really an answer to 'what are you going to do about this', yet. That part is harder. She wrestles with it for a little while.
White	"... I've decided that I need to... Reduce my expectations. I wanted to make my mind up fully... After meeting their goddess. But it isn't likely to happen. So, what I'll do... Depends on a particular moment... Likely just before the Storm arrives. If Mister Forget Me Not... Values Miss Schneider as little as he seems to... I plan to give her, and her family... Another way out. And pull them away... From the Manus. If they are faithful to her, and she remains with them... Then I will likely disengage from the conflict. I don't know enough... To hate the Manus... But I believe Miss Vertin is who I wish... To succeed. Foundation, or not. And I don't begrudge you... For taking caution, in the present." She stops there initially, before reaching over toward a corner where a small crate of bottles is sitting, and teleporting one of the bottles to her hand to place on the tabletop. White doesn't know if Lilian or Tamamo will recognize it immediately as a potion, but visible evidence is important at times like this. "... These were produced by Mister Forget Me Not. He gave them to me... As a gift. Someone should, by now... Have conveyed one of these bottles... To the Foundation's research-allies. I hope to hear back... About whether there are side-effects, or a weakness... In the technique that produced them." She already knows it wouldn't be impossible for Lilian or Tamamo to follow the trail and probably point the finger at Regulus as her delivery-girl, but it's only proper to at least not give it away so easily. "... I recommend that you consult with... The Timekeeper, and have a plan of action. His alchemy seems... Versatile. It may have illusory effects... At least in the suppression of sound." It seems she's leaning more on 'what she's done' more than 'what she's planned to do'.
Tamamo	Does Tamamo offer honey? Of course. She brought lemon, too. Rather, she brought 'a lemon,' together with a small knife and a zester. The latter isn't exactly a traditional tea ceremony tool, but she's not particularly a traditionalist in matters of food and drink, either. After that, she listens with quiet attentiveness to Lilian, first, and then to White, and then to Lilian, again, for her reaction, only asking to clarify her understanding, "Is it, then, that you wish to help Schneider Greco, and not the Manus Vindictae? If it is the case that the two do not part, will you force the issue? It would be helpful to know." At length, she adds, "I was hoping I might hear something... extenuating, in the circumstances around her shooting Lilian." Yes, she's still on that 'you care a lot for the lady who shot my fiancee' bit. She's probably going to stay on that. It may form a killing grudge, even. Plausibly not toward White. "Still, that is..." Tamamo glances toward Lilian, a little too much questioning tone as she ends the statement, "...something? I would not ask for implicit trust of the Foundation, but would be rather concerned if no care was given, by implication, to all the lives that Timekeeper Vertin, at least, considers worthwile to save." Meaning, the crowds of people Manus Vindictae appears intent on killing before the Storm takes them. It doesn't take a lot of intel to reach the conclusion that the mass murderers are up to no good. (Tamamo remains blissfully unaware of certain actions taken by the Demon Lord and associated armies, but she wouldn't consider it likely an applicable example even if she did know.) Tamamo looks at the potion, and-- "Oh?" --doesn't know what it is, though this is the kind of thing she could certainly figure out, even without the Foundation's lab.
Lilian Rook	'... Of course not, Miss Lilian. And I don't have... Any expectations of... Direct assistance, at this time. Lilian does her very best to-- no she doesn't really try to avoid sighing impatiently and saying "So lame . . ." Taking a little more time for her tea, she eventually comes back to "You've been listening too intently to Petra shouting at you, haven't you?" A second later, she blinks, surprised, at the weight of that particular call. Then she winces sympathetically. Unfortunately, her guilt for unleashing that body blow only lasts so long. The subject matter of the address, though clearly earnest, and perhaps a little difficult to follow, isn't so distant from things that she's heard before that Petra is actually wrong, either. No matter if she likes White personally, and regardless of unwillingly feeling the uncanny hints of a connection she'd rather not have with Schneider, it's hard not to hear anything but Audrey, Angela, Petra, Hibiki, Staren, Sumiko, Shyra. Being aware of it just makes her more unhappy; with herself as much as White, if not more. 'I was also hoping... To have more persuasive information... About the nature of their storm shelters... Or their 'Lady Arcana', but I have not... Been so fortunate.' "Finally." Lilian suddenly interjects, though only briefly. "So there was an objective to your irresponsible dalliance other than being weak to scrawny women with doe eyes and a high expendability index." Lilian sniffs. "It took you long enough. But better late than never I suppose." Being a little mean about it lets her metaphorically smooth her feathers and breathe out. 'After meeting their goddess. But it isn't likely to happen. So, what I'll do... Depends on a particular moment... Likely just before the Storm arrives.' Lilian makes an unimpressed sound, arms folded and eyes closed. '... These were produced by Mister Forget Me Not. He gave them to me... As a gift.' She cracks one eye open at the thunk of the bottle on the table. 'I hope to hear back... About whether there are side-effects, or a weakness... In the technique that produced them.' Leaning forward, reaching out, and picking up the bottle herself, Lilian's expression changes as she feels the weight of something solid in her hand. She sighs about it, and brushes her hair back as aloof and annoyed as can be, but it's certainly a different tone than earlier. Like escaping pressure, somehow. A reduction in the volume of her bottled-up disappointment, like steam. "Selfish, impromptu, wishy-washy, and I'm certain Schneider herself wouldn't look at you the same way again if she heard it herself." Lilian says, 'chastising' rather than 'castigating'. "I'm a bit disappointed, considering your reputation, but I suppose your intelligence training is still functioning, at least."
Lilian Rook	'I was hoping I might hear something... extenuating, in the circumstances around her shooting Lilian.' "It is what it is." she says to Tamamo, strangely blasé about it. "Half the Concord has tried. Schneider is just another enemy. I'd actually prefer that the Concord stand by her on the grounds of 'she's a Partner and we can't picking our friends over them or the business fails', frankly. Then this would all be rather clean." She shakes her head, but keeps a particular thought to herself. Can't go feeling sympathies for the racial supremacist terrorists now. "Besides. I got up to the hilt in her guts too. It's not as if it was unprovoked." '...something?' 'Well, if Tamamo says it's something, it's something' is writ plain on Lilian's face, grumpy as she might be about it. Really, a tangible prop kind of did a strangely large amount for her trust and confidence and mood. Touch-activated perspective, or something. "Don't let me catch you pulling this sort of 'whoops, my allegiances!' scam again. I won't pull my punches next time." Huh??? "I'll think about it. And I'm keeping this." "Tamamo, do you have a little more honey?"
White	White tries to answer Tamamo's understandable insistence about Lilian's injuries, first. "... I was the only reasonable hindrance... On Miss Lilian's actions, initially. Once it became clear... That I would have to leave the fight briefly... To meet our objectives... I believe Miss Schneider put herself at risk... Deliberately. To keep Miss Lilian's attention." Then, back to the question aimed at herself, White nods slightly. "... I want Miss Schneider and her family... To survive the Storm. There is another woman... A friend of Miss Schneider's... Who I am trying to make acquaintance with. But I do not know... That she wishes for the same thing as Miss Schneider." She stops to look down, staring eyes-shut into her unsweetened tea and watching the surface ripples as she gently taps the rim of the cup with her fingertip. "Whatever my personal feelings are... When I work with another, toward their goals... I follow their principles. Within reason. But I was not working... With Miss Vertin on that day. I may not have cared for... The men that died, but I did regret... The effect it had on Miss Vertin, Miss Lilian, Miss Sonetto, and the others. I suppose it is why... I was unsure how to begin to... Approach Miss Lilian. And why I went through... Another channel, first." White trails off slightly, finally lifting the teacup to her lips with care, drinking silently and slowly, and then lowering it again. "For what little it may be worth... The day of the fight... Miss Schneider agreed not to kill... Miss Vertin. It was the first thing... I thought to bargain for... After helping her previously. She has an interest... In Miss Vertin, as well. I believe she will follow the agreement... As long as it will not... Cost her, or her family members, their lives." It sucks a little to hear Lilian call her lame among other things, but at least at first she's managing to keep it out of her expression. It's not until she's had a few moments of quiet to stew a little, after watching Lilian handle the potion bottle a bit, that she lets out an actually audible sigh from her nose and finishes her cup of tea the next moment. "... Miss Petra didn't... Need to yell. I asked for advice. And... I'm not sure how many... Partners would stand up for Miss Schneider. It was only... Me, and Mister Flamel, when she needed us most. Some... Sympathized with Mister Forget Me Not. But he reminded me... Too much of a cultist. But, I just don't know yet. So, to focus on what I do know..." She sets down her cup gently and folds her hands in her lap. "I will remove... Some ambiguity. If, in the process... Of pursuing my goal, we face off... I have no intention of trying... To kill, or maim you. I can promise now... That in the course of my work... I will not do worse than restrain, or briefly hinder you... As part of any 'performance'. Like Miss Vertin... I want you to succeed. I will try to keep... You and Miss Schneider from having to fight again... If I can. I won't blame you... For defending yourself as needed. After the point where Miss Schneider's fate is decided on... There may be a more optimistic assurance for me to make. In the meantime... It would be best not to... Share this conversation, in its entirety, with others. But I will believe in your discretion."