Scene #2709: A Detour

Owner	Pose
Xiao Li Yu	Xiao Li Yu had stepped out of her lab for one of the rare few times in a while. In fact, she did more than just step out, she actually bothered heading off to another world entirely. Over in the city of Boston, she'd come out to meet with a client who'd wanted a project done by her hand. Practical application of the Advanced Aerial Navigation System she'd finished developing a week prior. And so here, in this foreign, and neutral city, she'd sat down in a coffee shop to talk business and details. The meeting went well. She'd made a pleasant impression while also sidestepping any obvious ploys and trying to buy her patent away for a cheap sum. The meeting ended with a postponement of the decision to allow them to discuss details further on their end. Not really a problem for her. She held all the cards here. And with a wave, a middle aged man in a business suit with a briefcase bid Xiao farewell before he was out the door, leaving her alone at her table. "...People never cease to be interesting." She mumbled to herself, chuckling as she had a sip of her ordered tea. Well, since she was here, may as well get some work done! Without further ado, the girl pulled out a laptop, setting it onto the table and proceeding to become engrossed in her work once again. Even when she was outside of her lap, she was still finding ways to work.
Ineryon	Baron Valos was in Ivalice frequently, due to his 'arrangement' with Kletian, a Templar, as well as a warlock in his own right, who was sometimes said to be associated with the circles of the Lucavi-- but only by heretical sources, and, these comments wouldn't be tolerated /within/ the interiors of Ivalice. Even so, there were times when Ineryon had to pursue new ventures elsewhere, since he was in favor of moonlighting, despite the fact that he didn't have a lifelong commitment planned with Glabados. By happenstance, the information network available to Ineryon had provided him with intelligence that stated, without any real advance notice, that Xiao had been sighted beyond the confines of her laboratory! Since he was already in the vicinity, it was hardly a trouble for the highbrow of the Valii to give the woman a visit, if she were to be willing to receive company; consequently, Ineryon had already developed a -mild- affinity for her, because she reminded him of one from his own racial background, albeit, the drow's kind ranged from skin pigments of purple, blue, brown, black, dark grey, or a mixture, not including the fact that even the females were a bit loftier in height than Xiao. She was scholarly enough, and had the white-hair, too... so, all the scientist really needed to be one of Ineryon's kind, would involve the adoption of ear surgery, to elongate them a touch. Walking boldly over towards the woman, without reservation, he quietly slips a few bills from his satchel, onto the tabletop, and remarked, "An advance down-payment for the time I'll be siphoning from you..." He coughed for a moment, turning his head away, before he resumed with his spiel, "The meal shall be on me, obviously, so that I may try to forgive myself for imposing, and, more importantly, that you'll be willing to tolerate this compensation for the minutes where you'll endure some of my jabber-- whether or not you respond, would be up to you, Miss....!" He doesn't speak her actual /name/ because he's uncertain if Xiao would appreciate that being circulated in a relatively public location.
Xiao Li Yu	Xiao's fingers were a blur as they raced across the keyboard, adding in line and after line to the programming interpreter she was working in. "And if I add this here...but wait-" She paused, bringing a hand to her chin thoughtfully. "...The logic doesn't completely follow through...I would have to...yes, that's right. I nearly forgot." And then she went right back to work. She continued on in this manner, working and then pausing to think to herself, then working again for a while until suddenly, a number of bills were set onto her table, followed by a voice that snapped her out of her trance. "E-Eh?" Xiao needed a moment to return to reality from the world of zeroes and ones. But once she did, she saw that Ineryon was standing before her. "........" Silence as she looked up at him, and then down at the bills. And then an entertained sort of smile crossed her face and she brought a hand to her cheek, feigning embarrassment. "Oh my, Mister. If you just show up and drop money on my table like that, people will get the wrong idea, you know?" She played along, not saying his name either. Not that she really cared, but it was funny. After a brief giggle, Xiao pushed the bills back towards Ineryon. "Please, take them back. I don't demand payment for my time. I am not that arrogant now." She winked playfully. "You are allowed to sit down and chat with me, free of charge." She gestured to one of the empty chairs surrounding her table. There was enough space for her laptop to stay where it was without imposing too much, thankfully. Because she wasn't going to put it away. She did at least turn the cover down a bit, in order to better see her unexpected company.
Ineryon	He wasn't always one to boast, but Ineryon -was- one who took every opportunity to belittle others whenever he saw even the smallest flaw, and, while he had no intention of slandering Xiao herself, the drow had no qualms about 'critiquing' the nature of monetary exchanges in return for sensual favors, in regards to whatever negative connotations that accompanied, "...It is true that people get many ideas when they see 'patterns' emerging between this kind of behavior, or that, considering that humanoids are routine in their motions. On the other hand, while folks routinely consume, satiate, slumber, and perform other tasks with regularity, to serve their whims, or needs to survive, marriage is.... such a.... recent addition to the world, that I don't know if it's something to be considered honorable, in contrast with more 'concise arrangements' of an intimate type." He clears his throat, and pulls at his collar, trying not to attract attention, even if his wordiness might do just that, "All in all, for tens of thousands of years... before licenses, and all these pretensions, which lead folks to make a big hoohah, while talking about the sacred institution of marriage is just a front, I'd beg to proclaim. What difference does it make if one seeks legal counsel, as well as religious, before partnering up for a period of five, ten, or fifty years, at the cost of thousands or millions of dollars, while offering exclusivity to your partner, compared to giving someone a little bit less financial support, less time, and less emotional attachment, as a 'trade' for nocturnal, adult-oriented activities?" Ineryon sighed, "...Dressing something up by putting on a show, signing some papers, spending more money, and all that nonsense, seems like a means of trying to build something up to be more than it actually is, then using all the intricacy of the thing to rationalize, in retrospect, its supposed importance. Then again... I wager that some people might think spending one night with someone for a Ben Franklin offers far less ambience than having numerous romps for several years, while tossing aside annual salaries of expenditure, somehow validate these claims; spend enough money, and something is suddenly 'holy', aye?" Leave it to Ineryon to desecrate anything and everything that dares to have some self-substantiation! ".....I confess, though, if the church wants to pardon any of my indulgences for a few coins, I'll gladly visit every underground speakeasy in Mullonde to savor the succulent aspects of life, while the impoverished, by virtue of having no money, toil away in the very shadow of my spending-sprees, while they, in turn.... receive eternal condemnation for merely walking under a ladder, or owning a black cat, because they cannot buy off the right spiritual leaders to excuse them from lacking the homework they should have done, because the dog is to blame....." He finally smiles.... ever so faintly, "...Incidentally, you have my gratitude for allowing me to sit here with you. The pleasure is indeed, /mine/."
Xiao Li Yu	Ah, she'd only met the man once before, and this wordiness. It could only come from him. Despite it all, Xiao just smiled and listened patiently until Ineryon's long winded rant had finally come to an end. Note to self; Ineryon has no qualms about prostitution and escort services. That earth shattering revelation out of the way, the girl leaned an elbow onto the table and rested her chin in her palm. "So, your thoughts on carnal pleasures aside, what brings you out to these parts today? Hm?" Because certainly /they/ had no business together. And she'd just finished hers not too long ago. So that just left him. After asking however, the scientist proceeded to lift her laptop screen and return to her work. Now half listening, and half thinking about the logic of the programming she was doing, her fingers began to tap across the keyboard at an even rate.
Ineryon	To say that Ineryon could find fault in just about everything, would be to say the sky was blue, during the day, on many versions of Earth-- it was simply a fact of life that most of the time, the nobleman could find a reason to abhor /something/ about anything, with immediacy, and if he couldn't do it that exact second, then he'd take a 'raincheck', and figure something else unflattering to say the following day. As long as Xiao could endure his hatred being spewed in every which direction, they'd be able to proceed, but woe be anyone trying to make a dime off of the dark-elf, if they didn't let him scorn at least one variable in an equation, because they'd surely find the disgruntled commentator sucking up to Jay Sherman, to try and learn the ropes, in order to steal his dream-job; to sit in a chair and exclaim 'It stinks!'. Presently, it seemed Xiao didn't care about the dark-elf's nickel, which was just dandy for him, "Ah. You are generous, Miss! I would like to first state that, if you are in the habit of moonlighting, at all, to the extent that you ever wish to go into 'private practice', as an aspiring physician, even if you do have a... 'unique' view of how to apply medicines, at times, by having some funds stored up, then, I'd like to mention that as I consider myself an ambitious interpreter of the law...", which would sometimes be called a devil's advocate, "....we could form some kind of dynamic where you and I mutually benefit each other, in the days to come. I'm also hoping that other business partners might get involved. I'm in favor of the free-market, though, so, whereas Mister Vlad Dracula is known to be autocratic, I'd like to see prospective investors as my equals, with every right to come and go as they please, so far as none of us, myself included, violate any contracts that might be drawn up." The blue-blood smirks, "The whole deal with... power structures and desire to emotionally intimidate is not my thing.... I don't like to play on folks' emotions. I prefer direct, simple interactions with folks, that never involves any yelling, or that kind of uncouth behavior, which I hear some employers are known for doing. I'd rather have everything in writing... so, if you or I hire someone into our ranks, and a contract is breached, we simply dispose of them. No unpleasant social complexities, or appeals to sentimentality.... I prefer a clock to work like clockwork, and without all the cursing, or swearing, that never solves the problem." He squints as he scans the area, "By the by... I've invited a third party to meet with me, and, with luck, he'll be interested. I wouldn't say that anyone should ever cut ties with current allies, however, making some extra on the side might be helpful to everyone, and with you being a scientist, 'Miss X', maybe you could help my business get ahold of a gas even higher in explosive potential than methane, but similar properties as far as identification. You see... I've recently had an interaction with a dragon.... Eh... Methane is a natural gas, so it's not suspicious if a pocket of the stuff is struck, and, if it happened to /accidentally/ get ignited, in a place that could do damage to competing organizations.... well... Life is tragic sometimes, is it not? Natural disasters do happen, too."
Taro	Whether this third party is interested remains to be seen. He is admittedly curious, as he was unaware that Ineryon had any interests outside of fishing and odd philosophical debates. That the elf had any interest in him (outside of acting as foil in one of said debates) has come as a surprise to him. With this in mind, the aforementioned third party in the form of a humanlike android dressed in the robes of a priest follows the directions he was provided, only to be directed to wherever Ineryon is now. Taro's face remains in the slightly dour look he normally sports as he opens the door and steps inside far enough for it to close behind him. Not apparently enthusiastic, but neither entirely unenthusiastic, either. Now, where is that elf?
Xiao Li Yu	My. If she didn't know any better, Xiao would have thought that Ineryon was making some sort of proposition for...ahaha, of course not. She nodded and left it at that. "Of course. Simple is best. Sentiment and attachment creates a sense of entitlment and a territorialistic instinct that causes simple dealings to become far more dramatic, thus wasting more time than it usually would have." She waved a hand dismissively. "I would have not have that. Time is precious." Putting that aside, she paused in her work to listen as the dark elf began to speak about a vague sort of arrangement. And a third party. "A third party, you say..." Well, this just got more complicated. Not that she opposed company, but what could be going on here? And she thought she'd finished her business for the day. Well, curiosity won out in the end. "I see, I see...well, we will just have to see when your third party gets here." At about that moment, the jingle of a bell by the front entrance of the shop was heard, and the girl looked off in that direction, spotting a new arrival. "Is that your acquaintance over there?" She asked, indicating Taro with a nod.
Ineryon	Nodding to Xiao, Ineryon Valos taps his fingers, as he anxiously peers, until.... yes, he 'hears' Taro arriving, before the android enters the establishment, from almost across the street outside. "Our other companion, 'Mr T', will be arriving soon, I hope...." And, on cue, Taro arrived, whereby allowing the drow to flag him down, "Ah, 'Mr T', it is excellent to see you yet again. It is I... 'Mister', to be exact!" Since Ineryon was evidently 'Mr I'. Extending a hand towards Xiao, the dark nobleman bowed his head to the lady present, just an inch or so, "Please come hither, to meet Miss X!" He sneered, "I was just about to discuss some topics revolving around geology... topography... and geography." His head wobbles as his hand tips to the side a hair, as though inwardly questioning, or 'weighing' out his former statement, "....as an amendment, I'd like to decree that I also.... need to discuss the volatile personality of dragons, who might be willing to be baited into trying to.... roast me alive, in a location where flammable substances could potentially offer a clear and present danger-- at least, to those who'd be in the know...."
Taro	...Mister T? He arches a thin eyebrow and tilts his head ever so slightly at this new moniker. That this was to be a clandestine meeting seemed to have been left out of the invitation. Still, he walks over from doorway to the table, and unless stopped, moved to to pull one of the chairs out from under the table and seat himself. "Perhaps 'Father T' would be more appropriate." A nod is given to 'Miss X', polite if without a smile. "A pleasure." Both of his eyebrows arch when Ineryon's explanation reaches the part about dragons, then furrow. "If you have managed to offend one..." he begins, in a tone that suggests he wants no part of that.
Xiao Li Yu	Xiao, or Miss X as she was being called now, smiled and waved towards Taro as he approached and had himself a seat. "Hello there." She didn't come out here with the intention of having a clandestine meeting...in the middle of a public coffee shop, but hey. Life threw random curveballs now and then. She'd go with the flow and see what happened. That was always interesting. "Well then, Mister I..." She started, looking towards Ineryon and gesturing for him to start. "The proverbial ball is in your court now." Yes, what is this all about? In the meantime, she shut her laptop completely, evidently not going to be getting much further work done as it stood now.
Ineryon	Flattening his lips at the suggestion that he refer to Taro as 'Father T' seemed silly, but, since the whole charade was somewhat impromptu, Ineryon wasn't going to quibble about trivial details. It was more vital, in the dark lord's mind, to see about gaining cooperation, for anyone who was willing to share in the workload, as well as the spoils. "Please don't misunderstand me, Father T..... In the current epoch, I have no longstanding hostilities officially established with any dragons, beyond the that Mister Astos can transform into, if angered further... and my former patriarch is nowhere near here. Publicly, on the other hand, for all there to be a smooth culmination, it's essential that I emphasize the brief durations in which 'Mr S' was temporarily displeased with me, while downplaying the extended durations in which 'Mr S' and I came to an agreeable resolution." He clears his throat again, before grasping a nearby glass of water that had at some point, been brought by a server, to help his parched throat, "If the general public perceives a story that speaks of 'Mr I' rousing the wrath of a wyrm, such that the wyrm might seek revenge.... and that others get caught in the crossfire, it's just a simple blood-feud that was ignited.... resulting in possible collateral damage. On the other hand, if it's known that 'Mr S' is not one hundred percent, positively at odds with 'Mr I', then.... the insurance companies that have to refund property damages during an explosion of methane deposits that detonate in coal mines that are near a certain town, where folks suddenly invested in monthly premiums in a pervasive manner, things get.... eh..." He sighs, with a frown on his face, "...questionable." Raising a finger, he adds, "Punitive damages are hell to pay!" Lord Valos makes a pun, which, for him, is becoming more commonplace. He twirls his finger in a circular motion, as if pointing something out, "Oh... randomly, you two needn't worry yourselves /too much/ about who might overhear us, as long as we maintain indoor-voices. I've been sending out electromagnetic pulses to selectively disrupt persons who I've decided to single-out, in this room, so that whatever is audible, may not be heard with one hundred percent clarity. It takes some concentration on my part, but if certain words are tweaked at certain points in time, there's plenty of plausible deniability for all to share, and I say that with the most compassion I am possibly capable of bequeathing to concerned individuals, if any exist, at this table!" Stabbing the table as though pinpointing something, Ineryon remarks, "So.... what I need, are... androids, or robots, to replace humanoid laborers, for the most part, to minimize casualties, as well as possible lawsuits..." He stares at Taro for a moment, then glances towards Xiao, "....And I need a very competent scientist to offer me compressed methane, or something like it, which tends to emerge from coal mines. And, if there are any dragons meandering around, it's entirely possible that they owe me a favor, already, so that's nothing neither of you have to concern yourselves about, except that when the fire hits the f@rt, you all should head for the hills, if you aren't there already...." Toothy grin.
Taro	With introductions (such as they are) now out of the way, Taro politely requests a pot of tea from the next barista that passes by. Clandestine or not, he may as well help himself to the amenities. Once it arrives, the pot sill be set off to the side to avoid any potential encounters with Miss X's laptop when he inevitably refills his mug. The android studies Ineryon as the elf speaks. It's not staring, exactly. To stare is generally considered rude. It is instead something more assessing. There seems to be more to him than a simple wandering fisherman... Not that he's entirely ignoring the other potential conspirator. Miss X gets the occasional assessing glance as well, since she is a complete..well, perhaps not entirely complete, since her voice sounds much like someone he's heard on the Confederate channels, even if they haven't directly met until now...an unknown factor. "I see." Polite, though his face is difficult to read. "A deception, then."
Xiao Li Yu	Xiao listened, and then sighed a bit. Of course it's always the most bothersome task. "Compressed methane. So that wasn't just a hypothetical example." She brought a hand to her chin to think upon the matter. Unlike the others, the girl was satisfied with a single look, not taking too long to study the others, unless engaged in conversation specifically. And at this moment, she was lost in thought. "I suppose I could wrangle up the machinery necessary to capture methane emissions without too much trouble..." She trailed off momentarily before adding. "Ah, but it's such a volatile substance, if any undue variables are to be found in the area, the operation can easily be jeopardized, regardless of nearly all other factors." A shrug followed. "If such potential elements can be accounted for, then the job can be done. But going in with such a risk otherwise strikes me as a waste of time, technology, and manpower. Am I wrong?"
Ineryon	Cocking his brow at Taro, as he chooses to 'correct' the fellow, "....I prefer to call it... A Creative Accounting." Ineryon yawns, "There will be no lies, but there may be omissions! On the other hand, if I don't recite every nanosecond of emotional discharge, as well as every other syllable of our entire interaction, then, inevitably, I would have no choice but to omit -SOMETHING- when retelling any story, about any event, anywhere. I am simply choosing which angle the camera is facing, when the show is afoot. Every single recount ever spoken is always an abbreviation, bereft of /SOME/ detail. If you want to be totally accurate, then maybe it's best never to speak at all?" Folding his arms over his chest, he shoots intrigued looks towards both in alphabetical order, leading him to Xiao, as he feels he's approximated his conclusion, if he's to have a providential outcome, "Miss X, I believe that you are both right, as well as wrong. The fact that it strikes you as risky, and thus a waste, is true. The fact that it strikes me as being risky, but worth the risk, and thus, negating the squandering elements involved, is yet another truth. All three of us have valid feelings, as far as whether we have the right to see the glass half empty, or half full. In the end-all, I see the glass as half-empty, so, by contrast, short-term investments are generally seen by me as half-full, seeing that, in relationship to the inevitable, I see the grand-scheme as hopeless... thus, in the present, I find some motivation to try and manipulate the world as I see it." He shrugs his shoulders, "....And, in a way, I suppose that if I believed the end result would be half-full, irregardless of my actions, then, I might not expedite many endeavors, seeing that in the short-term, doing much to change the state of any condition in which I find myself would be futile, if I believed that it was almost guaranteed that no matter how much I befouled anything, heaven awaits even those who blunder more than a half-wit who owed the piper the other hemisphere wallowing in his half-empty cranium...." Placing his arms behind his head, he queries, "So.... which one of you wishes to sell me goods at a rebated price now, with a chance to reap higher rewards by way of delayed-gratification, if my plan should succeed, and take a gamble... and which one of you fears rolling the dice? I'm totally willing to pay the standard price for methane, and robots... but I do like to cross-reference other sellers, so, haggling is a good mental exercise, yet, just as I know you all have other buyers, I have other sellers. The Multiverse is so many billions of lightyears in its expansiveness, that there is a needle in this haystack; it's simply a matter of finding it." Snapping his fingers, "So... who wants to sell at a flat rate, who wants to invest, and who doesn't want in this business at all?"
Taro	Taro cups his gloved hands around his tea mug as he listens to the business proposal. He will have to reassess Ineryon's capabilities after this. Miss X has brought up a good point, one which Ineryon answers. Somewhere near the end, his eyes close, which could be taken as a sign of disinterest. His continued lack of expression does not help much there. He considers, weighing the potential risks against the potential rewards...the viability of the plan as presented is a question as well. Then there are the less tangible factors that have little to do with the accounting ledger. Just what is this elf capable of? "Mm. I will send you a bid for the contract. If it meets your satisfaction, Mister I, then I believe you will be pleased with what it reaps you." Negotiating directly...why, when he has others on his payroll to do that for him?
Xiao Li Yu	Xiao crossed her arms and listened to what Ineryon had to say, nodding along occasionally. It's not that she was inherently not a risktaker, but generally, it was decided on a case by case basis. Cases such as these. Similarly, once his piece began to near it's end, Xiao closed her eyes in thought. "......" On one hand, she was allowed a fair amount of freedom by the Zaibatsu to do business, as long as it reaped rewards for the company in the end. On the other, failure would be met with less than stellar reception, obviously. Of course, such a risk was present even in the vice president's own ventures, plenty of which she'd been witness to... What was one more added to the pile? After thinking it through, Xiao opened her eyes and smiled. "Well, I believe I'll follow Mr...Father T's lead here. I'll work out the details of a potential contract and have it sent your way for review. It should be satisfactory to both parties." Right. Enough to give him what he wants, while stilling holding enough edge to play ball, if necessary. That's how she always operated with these things.
Ineryon	Rising from his seat, quietly, Ineryon bows mildly to both of them individually, remarking, "Then... whether this turns out to be for better, or worse... in the short-term, I shall wish you luck, in any case. Being a pessimist, I apologize in advance, nonetheless, for whatever anguish will inevitably befall all of us, as far as I am able to perceive. I guess in all lives that are forced into this cesspool, there are stumbling blocks. Perchance it's naive for me to decapitate one head, in the hopes that the hydra will not sprout two more, however... that won't stop me from hoping that I have enough influence over fate, so as to be able to foil this tragedy called life, to which some individuals may be eternally bound." He sighs, mumbling something about regenerating, and then he restrains himself from patting Taro on the shoulder, in feeling empathy for the android who would probably be rebuilt, in defiance of whatever Taro's wishes were, should 'the maker' will it to be; judging from how scant Taro's expressions have been as of thus, the drow's mind felt dubious that trying to offer comfort would be of much service.... Transcending that, if Ineryon does offer solace, or play a violin note, they'd be paltry by the standards of most, and possibly construed as a sarcastic patronization, and a mockery, so all the better not to play the good samaritan; the glass is definitely half-empty, indeed. For Xiao, luckily, the beakers in her lab would be practically overflowing, and mayhap even her wallet, if the net result of Baron Ineryon's conspiracy was a promising one....!