Scene #7764: Humans Against Demon Colonialism

Owner	Pose
Vergil	The black stone walls of Pandaemonium are besieged. Not by holy knights with trebuchet and cannons, but by protestors. A horde of humans and elves bearing signs and chants and songs about the homeland plucked on little harps. Bright spraypaint has been applied to the dark stone of the walls, declaring anti-demon sentiment. Amii watches from atop the wall. Every now and again, something is thrown at him, bouncing off his hard body. His eyes shine with evident malice, but he doesn't react when it happens. When those who have been called out arrive, he shouts, "Open the gates!" The great stone doors slide open, but the protestors don't rush. This is very much the 'neutral' of protesting. Either they're too afraid to actually go any further, or they want to goad the demons to making the first move. Stolas mans the mechanism that opens the gate, and immediately closes it behind you all. "Thank you for coming," Amii says, leaping down from the walls. "I am at a loss as to what to do. Frankly, all I want to do is tear them apart. All their aggression makes me want to respond in kind." He bows his head. "Please. Help me make them go away."
Seras Victoria	Given her lopsided training, Seras Victoria's uncertain if she's ready to handle an actual protest. But... this is not exactly a bunch of humans in the streets of London. She has no idea what to expect. But a peacekeeping mission is a godsend compared to the bloody operations of Hellsing, so she arrives in uniform, lugging a huge and sturdy case (no doubt it contains her weapons and other supplies.) Despite it looking heavier than she is, she's toting it around without problems... As soon as the doors close behind her, the blonde draculina sighs a bit - walking through the crowd waas a little nervewracking. "I didn't think Elves were the kind to use spraypaint. What happened out here...? I get the feeling that peaceful resolution's not going to be easy."
Tamamo	Tamamo arrives together with Lilian, looking around Pandemonium with some interest. She's not had many chances to examine a permanent settlement raised by demons. Demons, she's seen, even if not so often these kinds. "Of course," she says to Amii's thanks. "I would wish to see peace kept, though I expect peace must first be gained." Respecting the urgency of the situation enough to get immediately to the relevant points, she continues, "I shall assume that they wish to see you gone from this land, that they cite an old claim of occupation to it, and further, that there is no reasonable means by which you may forsake your own claim and go elsewhere, whatever their legitimacy. Do I have all of this correct? If so, I would wish to hear what else they might demand, that they might be satisfied with some conclusion not so one-sided."
Cantio	The sight of protestors isn't an unfamiliar sight for Cantio, but she's rarely seen them so numerous or organized. Dressed in a fairly subdued outfit consisting of a beige jacket and turtleneck with a brown skirt, she might almost look like a civilian if not for her incredibly purple hair and the matching purple briefcase (thankfully, not nearly as big as Seras' case) slung over her shoulder. At least getting through the crowd might be a little easier at first, although the fact that she's not joining in the shouting might make it a little trickier the closer she gets to the gate and especially once she approaches Amii without throwing anything his way. "I'm guessing they... The elves must have put them up to it. It's not a bad strategy..." Cantio sighs lightly while approaching Amii, glancing back at the elves and the protestors while reaching up to straighten out her hat. "I don't think we'll have to resort to violence for this one, don't worry. But finding out what they actually want-" She nods in agreement with Tamamo, "-and if they even know what the elves tried to do to the actual local humans the first time around should give us plenty to work with."
Lilian Rook	§Couldn't this have waited a month? Then this would be easy. I'd have a whole line of-- Oh whatever. This is clearly what they've been reduced to after the last time.§ Lilian emerges, sadly, without an entire contingent of dystopian future police jackboots behind her. However, her raw, straight-standing, give-no-fucks posture betrays that this is at least her third civil protest appearance in two years, and did not come strapped with a walkie and a loose fear of retaining a pension. The only thing that diminishes her aura of arms-folded-mahou-shoujo-villainess menace is the semitransparent plaster stuck over a portion of the side of her face. The rarest of all signs that she may, theoretically, be something approximating mortal. "Congratulations, Amii; you win again." Lilian says, simply more deadpan than sarcastic. "Well, I did say I'd be watching, but you've continued in such a way to be proud of. Allowing them to dig their own graves rather than falling for an agent provocateur and descending to their level is a sign of advanced civil structure. Race riots are the sort of thing you want keep your hands clean of." §Yeah. The easy thing to do would be to tear them to pieces. It's pissing me off too. But you know what it's like to hold fast and be the bigger man, even if nobody cares; even if they just take advantage of it. How hard you're trying . . . I noticed, Amii. It took me a while, but . . .§ Lilian steps out to the front, and raises her voice. "Select one to three representatives and send them forward, or you will be made to disperse. All violent actions will be met with appropriate force."
Vergil	"They're not. The humans did that," Amii says with obvious distaste to Seras. "To summarize. Me and my compatriots came here to make a home for ourselves. We chose this forest, home to a clan of elves who constantly aggrieved nearby humans. Our presence angered them, and it escalated into warfare. We won, with the help of Miss Rook and others, and so we constructed our home. But now they have returned." Stolas, the great crowned owl, answers Tamamo. "They demand only our unconditional departure, as well as that we tear down Pandaemonium. This is where the difficulty lies. Their demands are thoroughly unreasonable, and we have nothing to bargain with, or for." When Cantio mentions the locals, the bird uses its talon to scratch his chest. "Not a bad idea. We're on pretty good relations with them lately. Maybe they would be willing to voice for us." With that, he takes flight to go solicit them for just that. Lilian however, is all business. Immediately, she's outside and demanding representatives to come in. The shouts intensify, but there is a huddle in the middle of the crowd, and soon three individuals come forward. One is the queen with whom Lilian battled that day. Another is one of her knights. And the third is a human, a slightly portly man with thick beard and a shirt proclaiming a slogan vis a vie saving whales. This is no online slactivist. His tanned skin and tree-like arms indicate the kind of man who sails out to protest whaling or nuclear testing or who chains himself to trees. "Thanks for calling us in," he says in a booming, jovial voice. "Mind keeping the gate open? They won't come in, but we'd be a little nervous if you cut us off. So! You're living on ancestral elven ground. What's it gonna take to get you to leave? I know some progressive construction companies who can help you undo the damage you did if you need it."
Seras Victoria	Straight to business, huh? Seras's eyes go wide at Lilian suddenly making taht demand, but as she stands there, thinking about it for a moment... she's inclined to nod quietly in understanding. It's probably for the best. And so she listens to Amii's explanation, grinding her teeth a bit at thinking about how the whole situation might've played out. "Oh... I really don't see this playing out so well..." She sets the gigantic case down though. It will only be useful if things turn violent, after all, and that's a last resort. With the representatives streaming in, she faces all of them, looking quickly from one to another... and ending on the human of the group. But going straight for demands to leave? She shifts a bit uneasily where she stands. "So... I'm a bit new to the situation." Oh, so she does decide to speak up. "When you say 'ancestral elven ground', what does it mean? Burial grounds? Hunting grounds? Nature preserves...?"
Tamamo	Tamamo looks to the queen and her knight, nods in the barest impression of a polite bow, and then focuses on the man. "I wished to hear such demands as you would make, but if this is all, it appears no agreement shall be possible. Ah, but lest I speak in too much haste, I must ask this: Are you prepared to offer a new home to those living here? If so, perhaps arrangements could be made. If not..." Tamamo allows that to hang just half a moment less time than could reasonably be used to answer it. "In choosing warfare to remove their neighbors, did this land's inhabitants not entrust their fates to the outcomes of battle? And in this, did the outcome not land against them? I have heard of no instance in which the winners of a war did then concede to the defeated party that war's stakes. Diplomacy is, if you will pardon this necessary criticism, a step that should be taken prior to violence, and is lacking in various ways in its aftermath. But perhaps I have missed some vital aspect of this case, and there is a higher authority that will verify the legitimacy of a continued claim. I should like to bring this party to the table, if so." As if unaware of the low probability of such a group existing, Tamamo looks perfectly willing, and politely eager, to meet them.
Cantio	"That doesn't sound fair considering the..." Cantio furrows her brow, visibly struggling to come up with the word before just gesturing all around. "... Everything that the elves did in the first place. They really have been hiding information from these people." Her annoyance is pretty clear, but Cantio is thankfully facing the gate rather than the mass of people outside. She even has enough time to take a deep breath to calm herself, then waves lightly as Stolas heads off to make contact with the local humans. That does draw her attention towards Lilian as the three reps are brought in, and there's a clear discomfort in her expression as she steps aside to let them through. She knows it's not completely rational, but that doesn't make it any easier to let Lilian take the lead there while she still has concerns over Stolas heading off on his own. Something clicks in Cantio's mind, however, and she slides the briefcase off her shoulder briefly as a bright light pillar covers her completely. A moment later, and... Cantio's still standing there, and she's still wearing her beige NPC-esque outfit. From the top of the pillar, however, a transformed-Cantio flies out to follow after Stolas, keeping an eye on the owl demon as well as providing some extra legitimacy should the local humans not want to come out for such a thing. Also, it's an opportunity for her to try and get some status updates from the wise owl while safely away from prying ears. "Mister Stolas! How... Ah. How have things been going since the last time we were here? How did the locals react to Pandemonium being built?"
Lilian Rook	Lilian does not say 'You again?', but she does think it very very loudly with her eyes. Granted, her impression of the Queen is a little bit blurry, since at the time she had been distracted with turning off Cantio's bodycam and beating her until she cried. But Lilian doesn't remember much of that either~<3 She waves, vaguely, with a 'sure why not' kind of gesture, in response to the Pro-tester's request. "Of course. I don't mind giving them the rope, if you're not afraid to be hanged by it." She does, of course, take a second to glance him up and down, and then through him a little too. Despite her original guess, he doesn't strike her as a paid ghoul. Perhaps a useful idiot, but she has no way of conclusively telling yet. "All ground is the ancestral ground of something or other. The elves were allegedly here before the humans. The birds before the elves. The trees before the birds. And the humans were here before the demons. I see only one spot in the chain here that's broken with violent dissatisfaction. Please tell me; given that you too are human, what is it that compels you to advocate for the aggressor, and losing side, in a settled matter that had escalated to military action, mister . . .?" Tamamo hits about ninety percent of what Lilian wanted to get at, so she moves on to include "By the way, that is what a 'Queen' and her 'knights' entails. A monarch using her political and military power in an official action to deport or exterminate a minority population." Let's strip the appealing coat of nativist paint off right away, she thinks.
Vergil	"It's our home!" the elf queen hisses from behind the big man, sneering viciously at Seras. "Where we lived, laughed, loved. We've had to settle with the Skydancer clan, like lowly refugees! I AM A QUEEN! I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THIS TREATMENT!" The knight has to place a hand on the queen's shoulder to settle her down as Tamamo opens proper negotiations. "I don't need to offer them a home. I know for a fact that they can return to the demon world at any time," the bearded man says, nodding to Amii. "And I understand that they are persecuted there; they are refugees. But they shouldn't be allowed to create more refugees to build their own home." The conversation moves, Tamamo pointing out the elves were the aggressors. "Diplomacy was attempted. They were told to leave. Were told they could do so freely. Any violence that came after to displace them is only reasonable; all governments do it. The size of the attacking force was out of respect of their capabilities." Tamamo makes an appeal to authority, and the man shakes his head. "We'd love to, but only the trees themselves could vouch for them. And the only one who can interoperate their words is the elves themselves. As an invested party, their interpretation would be biased, so we can't rely on that." He looks to Lilian and replies "Mister Falker, if you please. And I advocate, as always, for the natural world, of which elves are a member of. Demons are not of our natural world. They are truly Other. If they wish for help, they may entreat it, but I cannot allow them to impose themselves on Nature." He seems on the level, not glamoured or anything of the sort. "And yes, they are a minority refugee population. But I say again, that does not give them the right to create more refugees." Stolas and Cantio fly off towards the human village. "Our relationship is stable. But this is a community of farmers. They seem to prefer simply keeping out of each other's way. I did share a recipe for curing a rotting hoof recently though, and they seemed thankful." Upon landing in the village square, an old man walking his dogs nods to the two. "Stolas. Bit of a weird time for a date, Ain't you got those protestors up there?" "I do, Jim Smith," the owl replies. "We were hoping that, if any here enjoyed our presence, you would be willing to speak on our behalf." The old farmer rubs his chin. "Hmm... well, you're a damn sight better than the elves. Lemme see what I can do. In the meantime, maybe you can do us a solid, and convince some of 'em that are hanging around the inn to quiet down. Kept me up all night with their music." He points to 'The Sheepdog's Arms' across the square. A group of young people are selfie-ing on their outdoor terrace. Here are the true slactivists.
Seras Victoria	Naively, Seras was not expecting such bile to be aimed at her for asking a question. She shrinks back a few steps, trembling... but steadies herself after that, swallowing... and not giving another inch. Because as the story is told, she gets a better idea of what's going on. And the vampire girl frowns. "So they fled their own home to escape persecution. Found a spot..." The only question then is, why here, in particular? She turns to look at Amii... and asks, "There wasn't anywhere else your people could build? You mentioned that... relations between the elves and the nearby human villages aren't the best." Of course, she has to then focus on Falker. "That argument makes no sense." She declares matter-of-factly. "Humans, demons, animal people, whatever the race, if they want to build a town where there isn't one already, isn't that still 'imposing on nature?'" "I suppose the real question then is... is there not enough room in this whole big forest to share? Your people are so keen on kicking the newcomers out without even getting to know them."
Cantio	"I can't blame them. Humans can't really concern themselves with world-changing matters like we do. Not when they have all of their own worries to... Er. Worry about." Cantio strokes her chin lightly as she glides along, touching down gracefully with one foot first to make sure she maintains that technologically divine-ish appearance. "It's a business day, I'm afraid. We appreciate the help, Mister Smith." Cantio chuckles lightly, then nods before looking towards the inn. "Sure thing. Even if they're misusing music, it's the least we could do." She replies with a gentle smile, although a keen eye might notice the slightest twitch in her eye that suggests she's just been horribly displeased by something she just heard. Good thing Cantio's used to keeping up the customer service face. Approaching the Sheepdog's Arms, Cantio approaches the group in all her part-goddess-y glory (and also wearing what's basically a plastic one piece). "Hi there! Are you all visiting?" Turning the charm-vocalization up to eleven, she waves lightly while approaching whoever looks like the biggest or vaguely leader-y in fashion choices. "If you're still relying on phone speakers to listen to your music, why not try these?" Cantio reaches into her bag, fumbles around briefly to get the right miniaturized gear, and retrieves several sets of white and purple Cadenza-branded neckbands with earbuds connected to them. They're easy enough to get connected to their phones with or without wires, the construction is sturdy while remaining lightweight, and the audio quality is top-of-the-line audiophile level. This is the sort of thing that enthusiasts with way more money than sense would spend hundreds, if not a thousand or so credits on. "They're yours if you promise not to make too much noise in town. We'd really appreciate it!" The clone Cantio, meanwhile, just takes a cube out of her pocket and expands it into a tablet to start recording things as they happen. It'll be easier to relay information to the real one if she actually sees what happens, after all.
Tamamo	Briefly, Tamamo looks toward the elf queen. "It has been my experience," she says, "that kings, emperors, their courts, and their consorts, must experience many things against their wishes, and that their nobility is less protection than they are often led to believe." Falker mentions 'things all governments do.' Tamamo nods, "Just so, just so. All governments, of my knowledge, do engage in war. Some experience victory, and all experience defeat, as inevitably as the setting of the sun. And so do those kingdoms disappear, their nobles placed upon fire, beneath swords, or filled with bolts, curses, or poisons, their people enslaved or scattered, their dreams of power and sovereignty lost like so many others upon the endless churning of the winds. This is the natural way of the world, as no learned man can deny." Tamamo speaks with sweeping gestures, long and rich robes well-suited to dignifying dramatic portents of doom, and easily visible to crowds. "But the impetus of civilization is to impose a more fair and merciful order upon the chaos of nature, and it is that to which we must strive, would you not agree? To do only that which is expected is to take the low and common road, and beneath the dignity of all those gathered here. Now, I will not speak to whether the diplomacy you mention was attempted in good faith, nor of whether it was competently handled. I can say, without regard for these unknown points, that what matters to us now that it ceased, and was abandoned in favor of war. That some attempt had been made makes no difference to the point given. In engaging in war, no matter what had been done prior, one gives up one's fate to that war's outcome. I should certainly like to hear some argument to the contrary of this point." She pauses, if only for effect. "On the other hand, should you wish to consider this only as a matter of natural order, I wonder why you would speak of 'ancestral lands,' at all. What might you claim to be 'natural' in returning a displaced population to some former position? That is an event that occurs only by 'intervention.' I find nothing inherently objectionable in the act, but it is certainly an imposition of Order upon Nature."
Lilian Rook	"Mister Falker, then." Lilian replies in acknowledgement, silently absorbing the Queen's seething outburst with the kind of cold amusement that only someone with an utter lack of self-awareness or reflection could have in this exact circumstance. "I have my own opinions on the use of naturalism as a point of argument when it comes to deciding the lives of human beings --or in this case demonic ones, I suppose-- but I'll leave those aside for the moment. There are still other things I'd like to ask." She of course gestures to the humans in the crowd. "I'm particularly aware that these can't all be men and women who share your singular dedication to 'the natural order'. I don't much like the optics of the fact that your . . . clients? Were very much keep on harassing and oppressing human populations in this area, on grounds of --let's just call it what it is-- racial purity; and yet now droves of humans have turned up shoulder to shoulder to jointly protest the existence of--" She glances back to the stone walls. "--our little black town here, as a greater blight." She definitely chose those words very tactically. "Say I was to hypothetically entertain your proposal. That is, removing what our refugees have defended here at detriment to their own safety under military aggression, and giving it to their aggressors, who lost. What, precisely, is your client willing to put forward in terms of equitable reparations? I don't mean 'somewhere else to go not-bother-us'. I mean actual reparations. Settlement. Anything at all convincing of this land being important to them beyond visions of ethnic purity."
Vergil	"Elven lands are harmonious with Nature. You could say they are inseparable. They are in a symbiotic relationship with the trees, the streams, the animals. It's too alien for us. But suffice to say, the demons don't share it." The Queen, once again, can't help but interject, as Karens do. "What is there to know? They're hideous, ugly, brutish, and violent! What gain could we possibly have from an alliance." Amii bristles, but he remains quiet. Falkner is one man, of only 40 years. Tamamo is far, far older, and can actually speak on the level of the claims the elves made. Insisting on a 'return to order' when the displacement of weaker lives by stronger ones is entirely natural. To do the opposite is not Natural. He seems taken aback and needs a moment to find his words, a fact that makes the Queen fume. "Yes, well. Demons are still far more unnatural. Letting them stay is a more unnatural act than going against the rule that the strong eat the weak. If we let them have their way, they may continue to expand. The human community outside the forest would be next. It is akin to introducing vermin to populations with no control measures. Kudzu, or stoats." Lilian leaps in, and begins to disparage the likelihood of all these humans showing up out of common concern for the natural world. "That's a heavy accusation, Chevalier Rook," Falkner says gravely. "If you believe that the humans here are not here of their own free will, please say so plainly. I can, at the very least, attest to my own willingness, and those of my organization members outside. The others are the young, people who responded to our online campaign. They're much more willing to stand up for a cause than they were in my day, let me tell you." The Queen fumes more, but her knight leans over and whispers in her ear. "Oh, fine. Reparations then. We were able to seal the ancient coffers within my palace. You will never find it without us, but it contains unmeasurable fortunes. They may be yours, if you concede the land back." Why the sudden change in attitude?... Back in the village, Cantio approaches the teens and offers them ~sweet merch~ "Oh, dope!" One says, immediately taking the set, the others doing the same, save one who is holding a phone that they're all crowding around. "Shh! It's starting!" On it is... the forest? The farm for Pandaemonium that they laid out for the cattle and pigs? Teens are opening the gates and running into the mass of animals, yelling and stomping to startle them. And then suddenly, they all surge for the open gates, making the intruders cheer and laugh. And then a loud, angry bray comes from off-camera, something huge knocking the camera from the holder's hands. Back at Pandaemonium, a great commottion begins outside the walls. A stampede of cows and pigs has barrelled into the protestors, knocking down and trampling several. Chasing after them is Haborym, the serpent with a bull's head, who brays angrily, flames gushing from his nostrils as he gives chase. Immediately after seeing this, and the injured elves and humans on the ground, the Queen rounds on Amii. "Is this your attempt at subterfuge? 'Arranging' a stampede to scare off our peaceful protest?!" She is attempting to be outraged, but the corners of her mouth keep lifting.
Seras Victoria	It is very suddenly pandemonium at Pandaemonium as a bunch of farm animals quite suddenly break free of their pen! A moment that Seras didn't think could get any more serious has... rapidly turned into absolutely nonsense. "Wha.... WHAT?" Completely missing the Queen's strange change in attitude, Seras just... bolts past the delegation and out into the crowd, leaving her gear behind. But, when she bolts past, she REALLY BOLTS PAST. Her passage is swift enough to kick up a slight wind and, in a flash, she's swooping out into the path of the stampeding animals, aiming to grab and haul people in the path out of the way. A few might get rudely knocked over or awkwardly tossed onto their asses, but it's probably better than taking a headbutt-trampling from a panicked bovine.
Lilian Rook	"Oh my, no." Lilian replies to Falkner. "If I believed that, I'd be acting much more severely. To be plain, I'm insinuating that the collective interest here isn't protecting the cultural heritage of elves, but popular racism against demons. That would certainly get some people to put aside their differences." She grimaces slightly. "Especially seemingly-promising youth that responded through the internet." However, obviously she isn't going to miss --well, really any promise a goddamn faeirie queen makes, but especially not one that suddenly throws down heaps of enchanted riches on the table. "That's a rather sudden, and ostensibly generous, change of pace." Lilian replies, in that exact way of someone with an aristocratic upbringing doing a reverse Sora and implying that they do not, in fact, believe you. "Amii; does this interest you in the slightest?" She's only asking to gauge how the Queen reacts. Though, she doesn't appear to be all that well-versed in hiding her mirth at what happens next. Such that Lilian feels the need to suddenly interject "How old are you? Really? For someone 'one with the land and animals' . . ."
Tamamo	Knowing that the local humans prefer the demons over the elves, Tamamo makes to quietly call for aid on that front, hoping Cantio and... the demon whose name escapes her have reached them and made progress on that front. Falkner's final argument isn't an appeal to nature, but to the interests of nearby humans, and that's something with which she can both sympathize and meaningfully grapple. This is interrupted when a stampede begins, and her gaze is immediately drawn to the people being hurt. Eyes wide in surprise, she silently mouths her 'oh, no!' and stops paying any attention the three 'representatives,' instead hurrying out in the direction of where the protest meets the frightened herd. Tamamo raises her voice to say, "Bring me your injured!" Her words are enhanced by a gentle force of persuasion, suggesting both that her following claim of "I am a healer!" is the height of reliability, and that she is eminently approachable. To resist that force is akin to resisting the pull of gravity without first finding a place on which to stand. She is, as she said, a healer. Her talismans and charms, among other techniques, make her one of the most effective healers who could possibly be expected to be available. Further, that same gentle force of her voice is no less effective in convincing animals to, if not be instantly calmed, at least slow and move aside for her, rather than think to risk troubling her.
Cantio	That level of volume will have to do for now. As Cantio stretches her arms out and gets ready to take flight again, however, she sees the teens gathering around a phone as something is set to begin. She fishes another cube out of her pocket and tosses it behind herself lightly, letting it expand into its full creepy-robot form that's about the size of a small doll. It perches on Cantio's shoulder to stare right at that phone, and it's recording what it sees on that screen, if somewhat fuzzily. More importantly, it's recording the sounds. The yelling, the stomping, the laughter. It might even catch the teens opening the gates, but the real value is in the audio. With that bit of evidence in her back pocket, however, Cantio opts to push her luck just a little bit more (after commanding the recording robot to start a new recording just in case). "Say. Would any of you be willing to come back with me to talk about what we just saw? If you speak truthfully, I can make sure you're protected and rewarded well!" She offers without actually saying what that reward might be, then holds her hands out to anyone willing to shake on it. Whether or not anyone is willing to take her up on that, however, she (and anyone holding on) will blip out of existence and reappear at the meeting point between the Elites, demons, and protestors and elves. She'll have to trust that Stolas and Jim Smith can find their way back safely enough even with her own evidence already gathered up here, whether it's through the recording drone or through anyone willing to speak that came with her. Beige jacket clone Cantio, meanwhile, is just dumbstruck when she finds herself suddenly in front of The Sheepdog's Arms. She just chills there for now.
Vergil	"Not in the least," Amii says, right before the stampede began. The Queen... does not react much at all. She just looks expectant. Thanks to Seras' efforts, the trampling of the crowd is kept to a minimum. Thanks to Tamamo's efforts, the injuries are quickly rectified. "I don't know what you mean," the Queen snaps at Lilian. "I am just outraged at this attack on my comrades! My friends, my people! All by this stupid, mean, cruel demon!" She points to Haborym who is busy with securing and leading the soothed livestock back to their pens. He stops and looks to the Queen, braying and shaking his head back and forward. "Haborym says that was not his intent. Humans had opened the gates and were bothering the livestock." Falkner jogs over and shakes his head. "Hang on. We only have your word to go on. Previously, you accepted my explanation that we could not ask the trees what they think because only the elves can understand them. In the same vein, we can't accept your explanation for their actions, because only you understand them." When Cantio shows up to display the recorded footage of the teens letting the animals loose however, Falkner is forced to relent. "Hmm... they're not any of mine from what I can see. Must be some of the people from online. But..." He points to Haborym. "Him chasing them probably inspired the stampede. I mean... he is rather frightening. An accident, to be sure, but-" "Accident?! HA! Don't be ridiculous!" the Queen brays. "Those poor things were probably mistreated anyway! What do demons know about rearing livestock?!" She sniffs, and looks to Amii. "A new deal then, since our generous offer was rejected. We let you stay. We retreat to our home and don't bother you, or the humans. But you give us your bull friend to draw justice from. Their actions harmed my people. It is only fair that he suffer in kind to balance the scales, yes?" Amii is visibly trembling at the very idea of this offer. The bullsnake moos softly.
Seras Victoria	With the situation calming down, Seras is smoothly heading back to the talks. She, of course, easily overhears what's being said, and so she ends up stopping behind - and a little off to the side of the queen, expression turning sour. "Does the Elf Queen have no dignity at all?" She keeps walking and eventually turns around, grimacing unpleasantly - fangs on display, albeit unintentionally. "Earlier you screeched about this being your home, now you say you can 'just go home', but only if you have something to beat up because you're angry. Are these lands really that important to you? Because I'm getting the feeling you just have a stick up your arse over being beaten. Go then. Go on. Scoot back home." Diplomatic, it isn't, but Seras aims a childish, boneheaded GLARE at the queen full of scornful disapproval.
Tamamo	Tamamo expected to have to take longer dealing with this emergency, but that was without counting on any support to quell the stampede. As it is, she's able to direct others about to bring or lead her to any wounded, which she does with a gently forceful head nurse's attitude, up to the point that she finds that there are no more wounded to tend, and her supply of talismans can be hidden back inside her sleeves. With one more look to be sure she's not missing anything, she returns to Lilian's side. "Well, that was not quite so much misfortune as may have been." She shoots Seras a Look. "Now, there is no need for such directness. Please kindly remember, maturity requires one be able to avoid mentioning every trifling deficiency of another person, and consider how and when it would be best to bring to light those faults that do bear relevance to matters at hand, such as the incongruity between demanding a return of land, followed by a forfeiture of treasure, followed by a demand of a prisoner to abuse." If one ignored her tone and manner, and looked only at her words, one might easily think that Tamamo was being particularly unkind toward, and likewise dismissive of, the elf queen. She focuses her attention on Falkner. "You had the right of one point, in that the presence of the demons should be judged in light of how it affects the humans living here. For that purpose, we must see to those humans who do live here, and take their judgment on the matter. If those closest to the site suffer no harm, then those farther from it shall likewise be safe, of course. As for the claims of the elves, well... you can see, now, that there is no need to give them such concern." Her words are suffused with sympathy for his plight, as if it had just been established that he was cruelly tricked into being here, and could only now be freed to make his escape. "On one other point, I had neglected to mention, but I do possess the ability to ask the forest, itself, for any strong opinions that the spirits of the land may have for its inhabitants. Naturally, this is a normal duty of miko." She doesn't state outright that she is a miko, but lets her clothing lend that impression. Tamamo's miko is right here, anyway. "If you wish, we may conduct such a ritual prior to leaving, so that you may be clear on having performed your due diligence."
Cantio	Falkner's attempt to shift the blame to Harborym is met with a dull stare from Cantio, and she's almost ready to say something to that end, but stops when Tamamo gives him that out. Instead, she turns her gaze to the Queen following her outburst at Lilian, pursing her lips briefly at Seras' choice of words. "Please, try to show some level of restraint." She says, not making it clear right away whether she's saying that to Seras or the Queen. She does, however, have a thoroughly done-with-this tone in her voice despite having a well-practiced TV smile plastered right on her face. "A ruler needs a cool head to make difficult choices, and they can't let their emotions rule them. Otherwise-" She steps over to Amii and the Queen, still addressing the latter with a mildly weary tone. "-there really isn't any difference between you ruling them, a farm animal, or even a 'stupid demon'. As for your 'generous offer'..." Cantio looks towards those gathered outside the gate. "You say that your people were harmed, and a proper ruler would never even think of harming their own people, right?" She starts, conveniently ignoring her own actions elsewhere. "Right. So! If you're offering not to bother us, the demons, or the humans that are living here, then that means the locals from here were never under your rule to begin with. I mean, if you were willing to bother them before this talk. So..." Cantio purses her lips, looking dramatically unconvinced. "You're asking us to sacrifice a comrade in exchange for your word that you won't harm those living here. That alone is... Pretty vile already, but your own people already proved they can't be trusted to deal with us in good faith." She avoids looking at Falkner to give him a chance to save face, but still snaps her fingers (just for dramatic effect, not for any sort of remote activation thing) as the drone replays that recorded footage of the teens opening the gate as a reminder. "So please, tell me. How is this not just an extortion attempt, and why should our alliance respond to this as anything but a thinly veiled threat from the elves?" Outwardly, Cantio's expression is that of someone maintaining a serene smile while also prepared to draw steel at a moment's notice. Inwardly, she's rather giddy she got to use that official-sounding phrase Tamamo used earlier about good faith.
Lilian Rook	Lilian continues speaking to the queen as the situation is handled, with the coldest and most wintry of all possible ways to say "The faerie I'm familiar with; the Sidhe, the De Dannan, the Unseelie, were all far crueller and cleverer than this. I wondered if, perhaps, you're very new at this. Satisfied with being able to trick and coerce the most naive, disinterested, and fearful of humans, simply by appearing before them." She sniffs. "Your people should have been able to deal with 'nature' just fine, shouldn't they? How about this then." Lilian reaches slightly down her collar with her fingertips, and draws out the cross pendant of black lodestone, swinging it idly around her fingers in tiny circles. "I'll accept your terms, on the condition that after Tamamo finishes her land reading, if it isn't their fault, I'll have . . ." Her eyes glide sideways. "Your knight, there, to settle the manner of honour, in the old way." Her lips curl upwards. "Does that sound fair~?"
Vergil	The Queen is grilled, and it really looks like she's about to blow up and start another fight, and potentially rope in all these people. Tamamo mentioning she can also read the land clearly threw her and Falkner off. But then Lilian makes an offer; let Tamamo do it, and if it turns out the demons are innocent, let it go to a duel. A gleam appears in her eyes. "Fine. My representatives against the representatives of the demons. If you win, we leave for good. If we win, they leave for good. Is this agreeable?" Amii glares at her. You can practically see the cogs turning in his head, trying to figure out if this is some petty scheme. But fey are bound by their word, and she has agreed. If the demon's representatives win, they'll leave. She's made the offer, she's bound by it. The only conclusion one can draw is that she is very confident in her knights for some reason. Does she think their failure is solely due to Amii and his crew? Is she looking down on humans? "Fine. If everyone here finds this agreeable." He carefully takes the offered hand and shakes it. The Queen beams. "Wonderful. Shall we say... 10 days from now?" Immediately, the elves disperse, leaving the humans standing around aimlessly. "... I get the feeling she played us," Falkner mumbles awkwardly. "We'll just... go now." They cringe away from the demons and disperse. It's clear they were hoping the elves would protect them if the demons got violent.