Scene #8080: Happy Birthday Nico

Owner	Pose
Vergil	The sky is overcast, but not dark enough to threaten rain on this year's Aliceton's Gun Show. The place is thronging with stalls for gun stores, private traders, and e-celebs relevant to this scene. Everywhere you look is some manner of vaguely L-shaped weapon designed to kill at range. Old guns, modern guns, plastic 3D printed guns. And not just the weapons, but the ammo too. Firing ranges are set up all over so exhibitors can show off their newly devised rounds. Bullets with rockets, bullets that deploy blades, bullets that ignite phosphorus within the targets. The attendees are a motley mix too. Those you would call 'gun otaku' with their guts and greasy ponytails discuss the minute differences between sequences of letters and numbers. But right next to them at the food trucks are harder men and women bearing evidence of a troubled life. Some even engage with the otaku, providing a more practical, experienced view of things rather than the theoretical. And right at the entrance is a stall, topped with a stately sign that reads 'THE 39TH ANNUAL ALICETON GUN SHOW.' And right under that, spelled out with bright glitter letters that have been strung up is 'and nicoletta golstein's 5th birthday party.' The child herself sits under the banner at the admission stand. Her head a mop of tangled curls and a pair of bright red plastic-lens glasses sit upon her face. She is presently really going at it at a piece of paper with coloured pencils, tracing out some kind of ridiculous fantasy gun that fires unicorn horns to skewer targets at range. Next to her is Nell Goldstein, taking the admission and handing out badges,. For once, she is not smoking.
Cantio	Although the bigger draw of the event today might be the gun show, Cantio's not here (primarily) for that. She's here to do a bit more digging into what had happened that brought so much danger to the city of Fortuna, and to reassure at least a few of the survivors from that dreadful event. What better way to do that, then, but to show up for a show and a birthday party? She's prepared for the latter, too, bringing a clunkier version of her usual drones that's big enough that she has to actually keep it tucked under her arm as she approaches the pair under the banner. She's dressed in her usual white and pink get up today, although her hair is tied up in a low ponytail to keep her neck cool and to reduce the risk of getting her hair caught in the equipment she'll be poking at later. "Miss Goldstein! Nicoletta! Hello, how're you both doing?" She asks cheerfully, trying (and actually managing) not to make it obvious she's still got that on mind. Seeing the child drawing a funky fantasy gun, she lets out an intrigued noise that might almost sound condescending if she wasn't used to dealing with kids and people that act like them. "What do you have there? Mind if I see it~?"
Rubi-Kan Vagrants	What does party wear look like in the far future? There are the old standbys--but while Phreak has a casual blazer or two on reserve, sometimes you want something a little more flashy. The short-haired space elf arrives with a present tucked under his arm. A form-fitting black keyhole top with a high, snug collar and a colorful nebula print is paired with black leggings; silver pumps, a high-waisted white jacket and silver bangles complete the look. "Hey, hey, who's the birthday--" Golden eyes squint at the age, then flick to the drawing of the unicorn. The fixer chuckles nervously. "What the fuck?" he utters under his breath. Nell is the next person to catch his eye. "Uh... you know what." Small lights dance across his irises. Some kind of AR display. Too small to guess what--but a twenty and a five appear in his free hand shortly thereafter. "Why don't you take this, and this," he says, hefting the package tucked under the opposite arm, "This'll just be... something to show."
Tamamo	Tamamo had previously been to Fortuna, but wasn't there for when things went really wrong (as opposed to only somewhat wrong). As she had before, she arrives under Lilian's escort, staying with linked arms unless and until Lilian should need to move somewhere else. First stop, for Tamamo, is the admissions stand. Her robes don't really look like those of someone who would be found at a gun show, but that's more for the difference in culture than anything. She doesn't have any guns, herself, of course. "Ah, hello. I do not believe we have met, though I know you to be acquainted with my dear Lilian. I am known as Tamamo-no-mae, and have come to wish you a happy birthday, young miss Nicoletta." To Nell, not quite as an aside, Tamamo says, "To combine such events, I see this is a deep interest of yours. Pardon me for thinking to ask, but is it only the personal, or is your business linked to such events, as well? I regret that I have not heard the details of that last meeting."
Lilian Rook	Though a gun show could very technically be considered on the borders of Lilian's sphere of interest, she wouldn't attend this one in particular if not for Nell. She's confessed a certain amount of reluctance about her usage recently --one could uncharitably assume it has to do with how useless they were against Rita, or more plausibly believe it has something to do with her encounter with 'Exigent Serenity'-- but any place frequented by greasy mantails is several fathoms beneath her swimming depth. She is, of course, far too Dressed to be here, though she continues to get marginally better each time, even going so far as to wear a summer top that bares her arms (scandalous!) and a little diamond of collarbone and upper back (unacceptable! go home!). Mostly as a cover, she's brought her Immunes issue assault rifle and handgun in a display briefcase (MA5-IE and M6EF to the otaku losers) hung over her shoulder by strap so that she can hold Tamamo's arm, but she makes her way almost immediately to the mother and daughter, so that she can crouch down and hand over a different, wrapped box. Inside is a beautiful cover case, and inside that, an anthology of modern age children's fantasy. That is to say, modern by the standards of a planet where there are almost no copies of anything written prior to 2045 still in circulation, and the mean age is thirty-five. The book cover is dedicated to the various protagonists of the contained stories, front and center being some sort of boy with a magic hat. What? Lilian isn't so classless she wouldn't turn up with a birthday present for a child just because she's there for her mother. "I'm pleased to see you again. Ah, and without being covered in blood this time." Lilian says to Nell. "Now that we have the opportunity to speak without chaos in the streets, I hope you don't mind me asking a few professional questions." she adds. Lilian holds out her hand. The black stripe wristband is visible without long sleeves in high summer. "Lilian Rook, if you've forgotten."
Strawberry Princess	Strawberry is in the latter category, not the former. For one thing, her ponytail hasn't been greasy in a couple years. But she does look a little lost, in characteristic fashion. Strawberry lingers around the edges of conversations with her hands in her pockets, passively absorbing the chatter and letting chances to interject pass her by. When Cantio appears, she magnetizes to her with visible relief and a lame "hey". The existence of someone familiar acts as a social lodestar, something to contextualize the rest of the space around. "Seen anything you like yet? I keep meaning to change out the trigger on mine, but I keep- worrying, I guess. Hard to tell what's quality." Now partied up, she approaches Nicoletta's booth with a bit more confidence, though the wave she gives to Nell is still sort of lame. "Hi. You must be Mrs. Goldstein? Sorry, we haven't met. I'm- Strawberry Princess." It's an odd name for someone who's dressed like they're gonna go hiking. "And you're Ms. Nicoletta, right?" She rummages in one of her jacket pockets for the gift, bends down, and lays it on the table. It's clumsily wrapped in gift paper, but kids are more into the 'tearing it off' than the presentation, right? Inside is a chunky, heavy device of bright pink-red plastic, with buttons and a backlit screen. 'JEUCAISSE' is etched on it. "Kids where I'm from love these," she explains, crouched to Nicoletta's eye level. "It's called a 'PlayBrick'. I put some games I think you'll like on it. When the batteries run out, your mom can replace them, okay?"
Vergil	Nell smiles and waves to Cantio as she strides up, while Nicoletta looks up from her drawing and pouts. "It's Nico! Nicoletta sounds like an old lady name!" But she's immediately mollified when Cantio expresses interest in her drawing. "Yeah, look!" She turns the paper around to show off the details. It depicts some manner of wide bore cannon that fires unicorn horns. In lieu of a magazine or any kind of loading apparatus, it apparently is to contain a wormhole to the unicorn dimension inside the barrel, wherein said unicorns are butchered to provide a steady stream of the horns. Also the telescopic sight can 'see through time,' whatever that means. As Phreak strides up and opts to just pay the entrance fee, Nell takes the money, taps at a laptop beside her, points a webcam at the space elf and soon had a badge with his face on it permitting access. But when she hands it over, she grips it harder when he tries to take it. "Watch your language around my granddaughter, if you please." She smiles, and finally lets go. "Ooohh, that's a biggun!" Nico says with delight, looking at Phreak's parcel. As Tamamo shows up, Nico's face lights up in a weird way. "Whoaaaaaa, is that a costume?!" Nell meanwhile smiles and nods to the goddess. "You're looking at the owner of '.45 Calibre Art Works,' a premier gunstore for those who want the best in both fashion and function in their death-dealers." She cracks a smile as Tamamo mentions Lilian. "Your 'dear' Lilian huh? Well, if you need an example of my art, if you've ever run with Tony Redgrave, those paired handguns of his are made by me!" When Lilian presents her present, Nico tears at it with all the gusto one would expect of a five-year-old. When she sees it is books, she sees momentarily downcast, but starts to get into it once she reads the blurb on the back. "Ooohhh, thanks miss! Dad and Gramma don't have a lot of games at their places so this'll be great!" Nell nods at Lilian. "Good to see you again too. Sorry I never touched base with that catchup I promised. But no time like the present! Go ahead, but just mind..." She inclines her head towards Nico, and the intent is clear. Spare her any graphic details. When Strawberry Princess introduces herself as such, Nell smiles. But Nico bursts out laughing. "Are you serious? Why'd your parents name you that?" she asks in that innocently cruel way children do. But when she received the hefty brick of a portable console, it's like a religious experience. "Whoaaaaaaaaaa! I've never heard of this one! Thanks Miss Princess!" She also now looks from Cantio to Tamamo, to Phreak, to Lilian, to Strawberry, and smacks Nell on the shoulder lightly. "Gramma, why didn't you tell me you knew so many pretty people?!" The old woman just laughs, and makes some room on the counter. "All right, present your guns for the birthday girl's inspection!"
Cantio	A familiar face! Several, even, but Strawberry Princess approaching Cantio actually the latter getting up to greet her with a pleasant wave and chuckle, not bothered in the slightest by the lame greeting. "Hey, Strawberry! It's been a while. I saw some interesting ammo, but the guns themselves didn't really stick the landing. And yeah, it's hard to really figure out how much of it is just paint and polish, and how much is actual... Build quality." Nico's protests to being called Nicoletta get another laugh from Cantio, and she gives the child a firm thumbs-up as she visibly commits it to memory. "You got it! I brought a little something, too, but first..." She trails off as she pores over that drawing, stroking her chin slowly at the thought of using a wormhole instead of conventional magazine or even a belt. "It could be a little expensive maintaining a portal like that-" especially considering the need to butcher unicorns in real time "-but it'd cut down on the weight of the weapon itself a lot. Storage is always an issue, so it's great seeing that you're already coming up with these kinds of solutions." Some small part of Cantio is horrified at how she's taking this all in stride. Another part of her is already considering how this girl might just become a partner in crime in another twenty years or so. The telescopic sight is of considerably less concern, although she'll have to think longer on that one before figuring out how that could work. After puffing up a bit at being called pretty, Cantio gets up to greet Tamomo and Lilian properly with a polite wave and curious look at their offered gifts. Phreak is a less familiar face, although the lights in his eyes do get her attention briefly (via staring just a little too long) before she goes to join Nell at the counter with... The weird fat drone? "This is Nico's present, too. As for the gun part..." Cantio puffs up again as she sets the robot that looks kind of like Cantio down on the table, then claps her hands against each side of its head. She holds her hands there for a few moments, and then it reshapes itself into what looks like a sniper rifle complete with a deployable bipod. Like Nico's unicorn gun, there's no visible magazine, although there is a somewhat bulky battery on the back that doubles as a handle. Also, the barrel is the drone's mouth and its hands are the bipod. The whole thing is nauseatingly pink and purple, too. "I haven't given it a name yet, but it's easily modifiable if you want to make it shoot more lasers at once, trade firepower for rate of fire, and it even has facial recognition built in to minimize accidental friendly fire~" She explains proudly, then bends the barrel/head downwards to reveal a panel on the neck. "It also plays music if you connect it your phone."
Tamamo	'Your 'dear' Lilian huh?' Tamamo's smile brightens by degrees, in response. '...if you've ever run with Tony Redgrave...' "Oh, I do believe I have encountered him, although..." Tamamo does not mention that it was only for the sake of fighting over something. 'Whoaaaaaa, is that a costume?!' Whether or not she correctly understood Nico's question, Tamamo inclines her head with a smile, points up to her ears -- which momentarily flatten over her head, and says, "Oh, no, these are quite real." To Nell, "Would you mind if I took a seat?" She needs a little space to take out her present, though she doesn't yet explain what it is. Initially, it appears to be several squares of paper, lighter and darker shades of primary colors on either side. 'I hope you don't mind me asking a few professional questions.' Judging it most likely that Lilian will get to the things that she, herself, is missing, Tamamo begins with adding an inkwell to the items procured from within her sleeves. She makes several mysterious markings on the lighter side of each paper, then stores the ink away again. Working so that Nico can see, though perhaps not quite keep up, Tamamo rapidly, precisely folds and creases the papers, turning each with the practiced motions of someone who's done this enough that, even if not unconsciously perfect, they need not mind the result being just slightly off. It takes a little while for the origami to begin taking a humanoid form, and then a little longer to begin rounding into a more recognizably armored and helmeted soldier. The kabuto is distinctive enough to indicate the inspiration she draws on, before gaining a pair of small horns, which may be part of the helm or, otherwise, interpreted as piercing through it. "I am not well-versed in firearms, myself, and so, I am a poor judge of their quality, though I do feel certain that Mr. Redgrave was one who placed a high standard on those fit for his own use, considering his..." Tamamo's head tilts, thinking through several possible phrasings, before settling on, "work."
Strawberry Princess	"The ammunition? I mean, yeah, some of it's pretty cool. I'd be worried about wear-and-tear, though. The guys selling that stuff... you know, they need to make it flashy enough that you buy now. They don't have to care if you get screwed in a couple years, right?" "Why'd your parents name you that?" Strawberry laughs, too, and rubs the side of her face. "She didn't." Not 'they didn't'. "I named myself that. When you get older, that's... something you're allowed to do." She smiles nostalgically in response to Nico's excitement. "Yeah? My PlayBrick made me really happy when I was a kid. I hope this one makes you happy, too. You're welcome." Strawberry looks away in embarrassment when she's called 'pretty'. With that scar of hers, adults might prefer the word 'distinguished'. But kids can be as nice as they are cruel. "Oh, right! Um, one second." Strawberry puts her hands on her knees and pushes herself back up to standing, then pulls the carrying case off her back and opens it. She's already got a gun in an armpit holster under her jacket, and there's a magical wand in the case, but those aren't what she's here to show. Instead, she pulls out what looks like just a forearm-length black tube with a trigger on it. It only starts resembling a gun when she attaches the magazine, which also serves as the grip. "We don't know what this one's called," Strawberry says, a little embarrassed. "It's sort of like a Welrod though, isn't it?" "The way this suppressor is made to channel the gas, it ought to burn your hands, so I can't shoot it. It was used by someone with a crystal body, though, so that didn't matter for them. Actually, there was... a whole 'murder' mystery about it. Lilian here helped solve it, even." As a dawning afterthought, Strawberry turns to Lilian while putting the gun back away. "Huh? Why was she covered in blood the first time?"
Rubi-Kan Vagrants	A chaotic mix of perplexed exasperation plays across Phreak's grey features before the card is relinquished. "Sure thing. Sorry." It's all he can think to say. Phreak opens up the carrying case he's brought, and sets it down on the counter. Inside is a very bulky looking submachine gun. It definitely tends towards the more futuristic end of the guns present elsewhere in the show, though for reasons more than just what's implied by the sleek lines along all that bulk. "It sure is," he says, able to at least maintain a pleasant, sociable air with Nico. The magazine in particular seems very wide, given the size of the barrel and receiver. It actually looks like there are two barrels, one below the other--but the bottom one appears to have some kind of fine metal screen over it; enough to allow air through, but not any kind of projectile. "That's because of the clever stuff they did to get the firing rate. As a side effect of that stuff, it's also really light!" The gun gives of a subtle hum, and, resting in its case, there is a faint orange glow coming from the bottom 'barrel,' just barely visible against the dark felt interior. The gun chambered for a reasonably average pistol caliber, but, as Phreak explains, space-folding and exotic particles make very fine adjustments to the mass and volume of the bullets in the magazine at two different points during the action, allowing for a higher rate of fire and velocity. Though this trickery fades in effectiveness as the bullets travel, it does make the weapon--a 'Mausser Particle Streamer'--extraordinarily effective in cramped interiors or otherwise clustered urban engagements. The width of the magazine must be to accomodate this technology, and the front end of it has been fitted with a rubber grip allowing it to serve as a very ergonomic foregrip. For all that bulk, it is extraordinarily light, just as he'd said. With the way the rear grip is oriented, and the length of the gun from butt to nose, it's not hard to imagine using two of them at once, if one had the strength to deal with the inevitable climb.
Lilian Rook	§Why'd your parents name you 'Nicoletta' you little-§ "Strawberry! What a welcome surprise." Lilian says, and means. "I suppose this would be of more immediately tangible interest to you, wouldn't it? Good--ness, at this rate I'm going to need to look into one of those myself." she says, laughing a little about the playbrick. "Of course, there are a million games for phones these days, but that's sort of the problem, isn't it? And don't get me started on shopping consoles multiversally." Her face turns the tiniest bit pink when Nell grins at Tamamo. There's something different about someone's gunsmithing mom with an Americana drawl remarking on it. Lilian attempts to carry the conversation in spite of it. "I know more about him than I'd like to. Actually, it's through him that I'd heard of you before. There wasn't much time to talk about it in Fortuna." Lilian glances sideways, distracted, at Tamamo showing off her ears. Momentarily, she bites her lip, then sneaks a little touch to get back on topic. "Well, that'd explain how he hasn't broken the things to pieces, with the way he treats them. Possibly why I never see him reload the da--ng things, but that's more arguable." "Redgrave is the type of person who has to stake his life on craftsmanship. If he's still kicking at this point, I can only assume he's found it." Lilian says aside as an answer. "There was a disaster. A lot of fighting. Miss Goldstein and I were fine in the end. Her a little better than I, if we're being honest. It's just a bit of a damper on conversation, you know?" she adds for Strawberry. She leans over to look at the bastard welrod. "How can you . . . tell? I don't think I really paid it any mind at the time." Nell demands a presentation. "Wait, really? For the--" Lilian just silently glances at the five year old enjoying her legally distinct nintendo object. A noise of dull reluctance rises in her throat. "Well, if you insist. But truth be told, I'm not certain if I'm going to keep these around." she sighs, heaving up the briefcase, popping the lid, removing both magazines (one can even see the helix from the top), and flicking the switches that turn on the sights, targeting module, and release the electromagnetic locks on the folded components. "They sort of . . . clash with my new costume, you could say." "Now, Miss Goldstein, if you don't mind. I presume 'demon' isn't exactly a matter of mystery and masquerade, having seen Fortuna itself, but it seems that there's nothing so much as approaching a proper agency or standing force for the issue. This all seems very back channel, even under the table." She casts a look to the hilariously illegal ammo. "What exactly is your business with that side of things? And has Redgrave told you anything about himself beyond his preference for ACP?" A brief pause. A look at both Cantio and Phreak. "Really? Not just one magazine as a grip, but two?"
Vergil	Nico looks delighted as Cantio actually takes the idea seriously. "Yeah, it makes it lighter! And also ensures there's plenty of horns to shoot. Unicorns are tricky to find you know." Her eyes bug out as Cantio clarifies that the drone is the gift and not the gun, the child's eyes go wide before Nell pats her on the head. "Outside toy only." "Awww!" When the transforming robot gun is presented, Nell makes a face like 'this better not traumatize her.' But luckily, Nico is into it. "Oh man, a gun that you don't have to carry, clever!" As Tamamo asks for a seat, Nell produces a folding chair out from under the counter and offers it. Nico watches carefully as the foxwoman carefully folds that piece of paper, slowly looking more dazzled as it becomes able to stand on its own. "Oh wow! That's that aura-gamey thing right?" She carefully picks up the paper samurai and turns it over in her hands. "Oh cool... thanks Miss Tamamo! Nell nods her head in thanks for the gift, and says, "Tony would break every gun I got for him until I made those. He ain't gentle with 'em. Suffice it to say, masters of combat need masterworks to fight with. That's my job. If you're ever interested in something good-quality for a beginner, you ask me." She winks, ever the entrepreneur. "I can pick my name when I'm older?!" Nico exclaims. Immediately, she's turned that drawing over to begin workshopping new names, but is distracted by that new tubegun. "Pfffff, the heck is this thing?!" She nods with Strawberry's assessment that anyone trying to use this would get burned, but pauses. "A crystal body huh? I guess that makes sense..." She continues to look at it, pretending like she didn't perk up at the mention of 'blood.' When Phreak brings over that bizarre, dual-barrelled weapon, Nico hums and haws over it for a good while, trying to figure out what exactly that second barrel shoots before giving up. "What is it, like a gun that shoots bullets and lasers at the same time?" Nell laughs and pats her shoulder to mollify her. "Well, I'd say that's real interesting. Thank you sir. You with this lot, or...?" She gestures at Lilian and the rest. When Lilian confesses she's not sure if she's going to keep using guns, Nico gasps, clearly affronted. "What?! But guns are great! They're the coolest!" Even Nell is a little surprised, raising an eyebrow. "Not even as a backup? Must be one hell of a new costume." Her eyes flick to Tamamo for a moment, and she adds, "Or is it that it bothers new company?" She grins, again, but turns serious as Lilian starts her question. "It's not exactly a secret, but not really out there either. It's like... the underbelly of the world. Black market stuff. Some folks might get an inkling, but you have to dive deep to know it all. Dunno if governments know, if they don't they're not talking. Tony's told me pretty much everything he knows. I know what he is, if that's what you're getting at." She leans forward, and suddenly adds, "My turn to ask questions. I was covering those kids back in Fortuna when that demon came at us. When I look up, it's down, but none of you all were close enough to be responsible. Then that boy passed out. What happened?"
Rubi-Kan Vagrants	Phreak shrugs at Lilian. "It's not usually practical. I'll give you that. My Zdra-- Zduh-- Russian Good Days have foregrips, even." Not that he tends to use them that often, with his akimbo style. Only a slight twitch of irritation at being unable to pronounce the name of his standby. "With these, though," he says, tapping an index against the counter near the Mausser, "It's a little different. You're looking at the end result of a long design process, here. The dual invigorator chambers in the mag take up so much space that the hand position ends up being decently close to the muzzle." There's just enough space on the underside of the receiver to fit a hand, too, for those that prefer more control. "Invigorators' accelerometer handles binding, feed angle. Flex... I guess chalk it up to 294th century metallurgy." He shrugs. It doesn't seem like he's heard of anyone having a problem with mags on these getting bent out of shape, at least. Phreak smiles at Nico. "Kind of! What you're seeing there is a vent for all the sciency stuff Mausser used to fiddle with the bullets. They made these for people going into cramped places, really fast, sometimes inverted." He twirls a grey index finger in a loop to illustrate. "Without that vent, it'd get clogged up and start fiddling with the gun, too." Looking up at Nell, Phreak wobbles a hand. "Kinda-sorta," he says. "We end up in the same place pretty often, usually for the same reason. Some, uh..." He bobs his head a little, searching for the right word. "Professional differences, you might say. 'Not against,' moreso than 'with.'" His golden eyes gleam briefly. Reaching into that white, high-waisted jacket, he procures a business card. Elineve "Phreak" Smith Acquisitions, Cyber- & Physical Security Consultant He's guessing Nell probably keeps the kind of company to know what those words actually mean, coming from a guy like him. "These days it's more about the cause than the dollar signs. If you or somebody you know's in a rough patch, and you need some... private," here meaning 'not strictly legal' "Assistance with that, there's my frequency."
Tamamo	Tamamo is far too polite to comment on Cantio's aesthetic and technological choices. It is very probably that, though she allows just enough to show on her face to reveal that she is being polite, should Cantio catch her looking at the bipod-handed, gun-mouthed creation. It is a look someone might give a particularly hopeless child before assuring them that, yes, it will be going on the fridge. For better or worse, she doesn't have much opinion on unicorns, and their butchering passes with only an "Oh, my." 'I named myself that.' "I had wondered, Strawberry-Princess, on that point. Though it was your decision, and is your choice, now, to again take that name, I wonder... at the time, was it as much Blueberry-Princess's decision, or was it more or less? That choice to be 'princesses,' the both of you." 'Oh wow! That's that aura-gamey thing right?' "Oh, you have heard of this? It is origami, as you say. Whether it is an old practice or a modern one rather depends on one's perspective." Tamamo continues folding paper, not finished at just the one armored soldier, but starting on a second, in green, to join the first, in blue. Though it appears as if this takes concentration, pinching bits into more rounded shapes and making the abstract become gradually more like a properly lifelike doll, she does so without her ears (a spot of fine, soft fur out of place from someone's stealthy touch) missing anything of the conversation. It could almost be just that she wishes to keep her hands busy. 'What?! But guns are great!' 'Or is it that it bothers new company?' "Knights have ever used many weapons, as their lands and people and skills allowed. This was true in the world, though in stories, it is often much different. I confess, I am fond of the long romances, myself." That word has a couple of meanings. When the second doll is ready, its joints capable of some careful motion, and its feet able to stand, Tamamo moves on to the red paper, crafting a long weapon for each of both the blue and green soldiers. This still takes her some time to make despite it being much smaller. 'Round things,' in general take some time, being made of flat planes only put close enough together to make the verticies ignorable. It begins as some kind of polearm, but much of it is taken up by a long, thin barrel, above where it's held. "These were known as..." Tamamo needs a moment to think of a term modern enough to translate. "'Fire-breathing lances,' as they were. Quite an impressive sight, it could be, to see many of them in a line, fired at once, burning until their fuel was gone, then each switching to a second rod." Once done, and taking a moment to admire her work, Tamamo removes the weapon from her second creation, raises a hand over it, her fingers together, and-- --crushes it flat. Rather than crumpling, the paper unfolds, spreading flat in every direction in the moment of impact, all its creases gone, and revealing both the lighter underside and the ink markings she'd placed at the beginning. Picking it up by a corner with thumb and forefinger, Tamamo says, "There, you see? A useful bookmark, perhaps, for when you might take a break from reading Lilian's present." Tamamo gives the square of paper a good shake from the wrist, and it snaps against the air, the soldier instantly restored, rounding pinches and all. She sets it down, and returns it its hand cannon. "May these provide you much entertainment."
Tamamo	'Dunno if governments know, if they don't they're not talking.' "I should think some would know, and yet... ah, it is not as if a high court is aware of what occurs, far below it. Still, how strange. Is it only coincidental that we should meet so many demons, or is that there are some as work to keep this knowledge from spreading far, as more than rumors without worth? One cannot hold a rumor, but to keep one from being of use is far easier. Ah, perhaps it is not so deeply complex a matter, after all. It is only one still unfamiliar to myself." Since she hasn't brought a gun to show, and can't demonstrate how a tuhuoqiang works, she's prepared to offer the twenty-five dollar-equivalents, instead, but that's a separate matter from giving Nico toy soldiers with (thankfully, only imagined) 12th-century flamethrowers and demonic helms. 'Slightly magical' toy soldiers, that is. She wouldn't want to give a five-year-old something too easily destroyed, after all. All that youthful, healthy energy has to go somewhere.
Strawberry Princess	"I can pick my name when I'm older?!" "Yeah," Strawberry says, holding in a little laugh. "Would you want to? I think 'Nico' is a great name already. I don't want to, uh... cast aspersions on your mom." "... at the time, was it as much Blueberry-Princess's decision, or was it more or less?" "That's a great question. Um." Strawberry's eyes shut, as she tries to replay the scene in her mind. "My memory's kind of fuzzy. But I think it just... occurred to all three of us. That that's how it should be." Her eyes open again, and she shrugs lamely before disassembling and stowing the pseudo-Welrod. "It's a thing with covens, that they almost always get along. People think that's part of why we're chosen together, that we have things in common from the start. It's usually either all girls or all boys, too. But nobody knows why for sure." The talk of demons has Strawberry rubbing the back of her neck again, visibly a little baffled. When she finds an opening to ask Nell: "Sorry, but... I'd been meaning to ask. What is this world's, uh, relationship with demons? I'd heard that the Paladins- the other Paladins- were doing some stuff here, but this is my first time." Self-consciously: "If the short version is still too long, you can just tell me to read a book, haha."
Cantio	"It's less weight than having two separate pieces." Cantio protests slightly in response to Lilian, grinning a moment later. "Besides, it's a battery, not a magazine." She adds, clearly pleased with her own logic before realizing that it's probably not a huge difference in the long run. "... It has to go somewhere." Nico's logic, jumping past practical considerations as it does, still has Cantio looking moderately impressed! Some of it is faked, to be sure, but there's definitely potential there. "With enough funding, it might just work!" She chuckles again when Nell lays down some ground rules on when the transforming robot-gun can be used, then flashes Nell a reassuring smile and waits until Nico's distracted by Tamamo's paper samurai before nonchalantly moving over towards Nell's side. "Don't worry. It's locked to a low setting, so it should be fine as long as nobody hacks into it. Shouldn't be for another couple of years, at least. Maybe even by the time she's responsible enough to handle..." Cantio pauses, catching Tamamo's very polite look at her offering and trying to puzzle it out. "... Paint and proper ventilation." Clearly, it's the color that's the problem with the thing. With questions starting to go both ways now, Cantio strokes her chin lightly while considering how to best answer Nell's question about what happened with what little she knows herself. "Something else protected you and the kids." She starts, keeping her voice down while trying to look casual so as to not draw Nico's attention. "I didn't see what it was that happened too clearly, but..." Cantio glances around once more, just to see if there's any white-haired children around before lowering her voice. "... Have you seen any of the other children since then? Kyrie, Credo, or Nero? There was something around them when it happened."
Lilian Rook	"Being gentle with your weapons is a luxury. The purpose of a weapon is to protect your own life, first and foremost. There's a point at which you're being egregious for no purpose. There's no particular need to parry edge on edge most of the time. But if being gentle becomes extra effort, extra focus, miliseconds slower or a fraction less effective, then you're gambling your life against the maintenance costs, aren't you? Weapons should match the person using them, not the other way around." It brings her around to the question of a minute with a distant look and a half-smile. "It's not quite like that. It isn't as if I don't understand that they're useful, or why I was expected to use them in the first place, and it's certainly not as if I've never found them convenient. It's just that . . ." Lilian's newer habit of taking a few seconds in real time to put together words continues. "The reason I have them was that I made a concession. It wasn't quite part of what I wanted to be, but it was required to get to where I wanted to be. I shrugged and accepted these into my life with only a tiny bit of unease, because it felt like where my expectations should have been. Being realistic. But these days, I've started to feel like they're weighing me down, more than they're boosting me forward. Like, something from the past, maybe? I feel as if I should have outgrown them. So . . ." Lilian is now able to smile sincerely, if slightly reserved and sheepish. "Actually, while I'm here, I'd like to know if I can have you consultation in the process of replacing them." A beat. "And it is a hell of a new costume, thank you~" A fond gaze goes to Tamamo. "Oh, you'd never know from looking at her, but she's very magnanimous about the packing." Again, somehow it feels different being referred to as a knight in this context, with this audience. A teeny tiny swell of pride, perhaps. "I'm certain the government knows, if it's on the level of a black market." Lilian then replies, more seriously. "You'd be shocked at the difference between what governments know and what they acknowledge as something that needs to be handled. That does save me quite a bit of time, though, seeing as I was about to ask if you knew anything about Redgrave's brother." The subject of Fortuna is easy enough to answer, and so Lilian does, waving her hand vaguely. "That boy at the test trailer. The one with white hair. He took care of the demon, then the effort appears to have drained him. I don't know what sort of magic he used, but it was quite flashy."
Lilian Rook	On the side, Lilian doesn't hide a snort at Phreak's card saying 'Security Consultant'. She even mouths the words. "Sub-space invigorators. I see I see. I'll be sure to call you if I need my weapon's transdimensional discombobulator replaced then." She probably knows he's talking about a real thing, and taking the piss anyways. "Indeed, the enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend, but should likely be considered my last problem and not my first." To Cantio, Lilian interjects the obvious immediately, folding her arms. "It's where the ammunition goes, genius. If you can't find anywhere else, then maybe leave it to a professional." She sighs, then lowers her voice a little. "Whatever you're gripping will absorb the strain of the weapon being moved about, especially from recoil. The feed-- I suppose link, here, will wear and deform over time. Perhaps very suddenly, if you take a nasty jolt. Then your weapon is worthless at the worst time." On the subject of names, "Hmm? Isn't Nico already sort of choosing your own name? Why couldn't other people do that? If I said Strawberry Princess was a 'nickname' for Sabrina Henrietta or something, what would be the difference? Who's going to stop you, the police?" A sly side glance fixes Strawberry. "Besides. Can't you tell that she's totally a strawberry? Just look at how sweet she is." She has to mentally censor something involving the word 'juicy' for dealing with a five year old here.
Vergil	Nell takes the card from Phreak and smiles. "I keep to the edge of things. No one likes a nosey weapon supplier. But I'll pass this on to anyone who might need it." Nico's head is spinning meanwhile, trying to grok all this advanced gunsmithing from a world more advanced from her own. But that gleam in her eye tells it; this isn't something discouraging. She's gonna take this on-board someday. "Thanks Mister..." She quickly glances at the card. "Freak!" Nico watches carefully as Tamamo starts on a second doll, tearing a page out of her sketchbook to try her own hand. Obviously, the massive difference in paper size makes thing difficult, not to mention the vast gulf in skill between the two. But when Tamamo crushes it, she gasps, only to marvel at the excellent, smooth little bookmark it resulted in. "Wow... okay! I'm gonna learn this too, and make the world's first paper gun! Thanks Miss Tamamonomay!" Nell smiles, and looks to Tamamo and says, "Oh there's plenty of rumours and eyewitness reports of course. But nothing concrete, and people love to dismiss things they don't want to believe until you wave hard proof at them. Because if demons are real, it follows that hell is real too, and no one wants to contemplate that. Especially when there's no reports of angels alongside demon reports. That means there might be a hell, but no heaven." "Oh, my mom's dead," Nico says bluntly to Strawberry. "And my dad ran out on me. But I have Rock now, and Gramma! It worked out." Nell winces a little, but gives the girl a pat on the head. "Rock's my son. He's the one who adopted her, but he's busy on a housecall today." As the magical girl asks about the story with demons in this world, Nell takes a breath. "I'll tell you it the way Tony told me. And he had a primary source to hear from, or so he claims." Drumming her fingers on the counter, she begins. "Once, the human world and the demon world were one and the same. Demons subjugated humans, using them as food, slave labour, or just toys. They were ruled by Mundus, the strongest demon of all, the one who called himself their king. But one day, a devil knight named Sparda 'woke up to justice' and set forth against the demonic hordes. And he won. Striking Mundus low, he separated the human and demon worlds. But the veil can be made weak in places, allowing demons to cross through. Sparda was Tony's dad, not that he'll ever be happy to talk about it, so it's probably the most valid version of this you'll ever hear." Nell smiles her appreciation to Cantio and nods, privately glad that Nico is unlikely to start any fires with that thing. "I took 'em to find their parents after," she explains as Cantio asks about those kids. "Two of them, the dark-haired boys and girl are siblings. Nero, the one with white hair, is an orphan they took in. Haven't been back since, I did what business I needed to do there." She does not elaborate on 'business,' and the flash in her eyes implies no one should ask. Again, she gestures to Nico. 'Not in front of her.' The girl herself listens to Lilian for a long while. Her words speak at experiences a child can't really conceive yet, but she kind of gets it. "Oh, so you're so good now that the guns slow you down huh? Man, you must be really good!" She gags a little as Lilian calls Strawberry sweet and says, "Get a room!" Nell smiles and nods to the knight. "Sure sure. Business is slow right now, so I can take you on when you like." Moving back to the topic of Tony and demons, Nell nods. "I met him and that stick he keeps up his ass, yeah. He seems... dangerous. But I never seen Tony this happy to be around anyone, so I'm not saying a thing."
Vergil	She pauses as Lilian describes what happened. Nero striking out with a spectral fist. "And that didn't strike you as strange? The Order doesn't really do magic. They love swords, it's in the name. And if they had magic kids around, wouldn't they be more careful with them?" She taps her counter and looks up, a frown on her face. "I'll tell you this though. White hair ain't normal here until you're my age. A kid with white hair, orbiting stuff to do with demons, with powers no human should have., an orphan..." She doesn't finish the thought, but the implication is heavy.
Cantio	Cantio opens her mouth as if preparing to respond incredulously to Lilian, then pauses when she actually explains herself. She purses her lips, but actually weighs those considerations carefully while reaching into her pocket. A cell phone comes out, and she murmurs something hastily into it that sounds suspiciously close to everything Lilian's just finished saying. It takes several longer, more awkward moments before she finally responds to Lilian directly. "I'll... Might make some updates. Thanks for the feedback, I guess." Nell explains the history behind the demons and the humans in this world, and it gives Cantio quite a bit of context of that relationship as well as the context behind Amii's goals. Although she's still lacking a third party's perspective on that particular demon, it does ease her mind considerably to hear about Sparda from someone else. "I wonder why that's the case, though.. Er. About Mister Tony and his father, that is. From what I've seen of him, he seems like a decent enough person." She affirms, trying to mull that over in her head for a while. When Nell confirms that the other three kids are safe enough, Cantio catches that look and nods with a grateful smile. "That's good to hear, then. As long as they're safe..." She starts, but furrows her brow again once Nell confirms her suspicions through what Lilian tells her about Nero. "I thought I might've just been seeing things when it happened. But if all that's really leading to one conclusion, then..." She rubs her forehead lightly, weighing the risks of asking about that business. She just goes for it. Kind of. "Do you think he's going to be safe where he is? With... After what happened last time with the gate?"
Tamamo	'Oh, my mom's dead,' "Ah." Yet, Tamamo does not lose her countenance, given the words that follow. Instead, she focuses her attention on supporting this interest in what is, to her, still a new craft. "A paper gun? My, but that would be impressive. You are most welcome, of course, and I wish you well in it." Sparda "Ah, I have heard some of this, in Fortuna, last I had visited. If the two worlds were one... I suppose it must be that the heavens of this world were not so closely linked." The word means something slightly different to her. "Sparda is the one for whom they search, yes? As to Mundus... though I do not know why, to hear that name now, I have an inexplicably ominous feeling. Misaimed, no doubt, considering how many other matters might be immediate cause for concern." 'White hair ain't normal here until you're my age.' "As you say, it did strike me as unusual. Ah, but there are some others we have met with such coloration, as well, no?" Tamamo thinks on that, silently, for a few moments, while she sits back and returns her hands to her lap. "More importantly, I wonder -- the parents of those siblings, are they doing quite well, with the three of them? You have seen them," she says to Nell, "more recently than I. Ah, but should they be in difficulty, I cannot rightly claim to have had the experience of caring for children, myself. I may have no readied answers."
Strawberry Princess	"Oh, my mom's dead." Pain flashes across Strawberry's face, and she forces it down with a little smile. "Oh," she says. Fumbling for anything to say: "I'm... really glad it worked out for you. It seems like Rock and your grandma are doing an amazing job." Her apologetic grimace is reserved for Nell. Kids that young, she implicitly understands, don't need the blow cushioned so much. Nell's story has her captivated from beginning to end. "Wow. I'm- that's almost kind of mythological, isn't it? I'm not used to things like that at all. So demons are people, and some of them can be good, but most of them aren't. And Tony-" she flashes a glance at Lilian, who seems familiar- "is... half demon, then? I can imagine why he wouldn't want to talk about it. It must be hard." Once she's processed that information a little more: "When demons cross back into Earth, what do they want? To hurt people? To rule over them again?"
Rubi-Kan Vagrants	Though they certainly don't see eye to eye on everything, Phreak seems to find humor in Lilian's remark. Golden eyes sparkling with mirth, he fires back with one of his own--of the infamous nanoquads. After a back and forth (and a truly impressive mangling of a free-throw joke) Phreak turns his attention back to Nell. "I hear that," he says to the gunsmith, nodding with professional understanding. "Aww, you're welcome. I'm glad you like it, Nico!" He is, truly. "Now, right this minute, I think this is something Gramma should look after for a while. I know waiting's not the best, so..." He'd feel bad about leaving her empty-handed on her birthday. "Tell you what," he says, waving both hands outwards. Tiny, colorful shapes dance on the surfaces of his eyes. His hands rest upon empty air, fingers positioned over a keyboard only he can see. "Let's get something whipped up for you in the here and now, yeah?" he says, smiling confidently. The space elf seems to look past her, focusing on the AR display his implants provide. "So, that's your OS--" His professional muttering is cut short, forgetting for a moment that he's not in his own home. A few minutes of tapping at a force-feedback AR keyboard, exploiting OS vulnerabilities via spot downloaded skillsoft suites and real-time suggestions based on known dependency flaws... "There!" he announces warmly. Standing back up, "I got you some target sheets to use with Cantio's present. And some special see-through paper and tools you can use to draw guns like that one part at a time," he says, nodding towards her drawing. "It'll be at the post office today, 'cause the silly delivery people spelled Gramma's name as 'N-u-l-l.'" Speaking of Gramma, he turns his attention to Nell. "I know you said you keep on the edge of stuff. But..." He considers asking what she's doing to end up on the wrong side of demons--but thinks better of it. Instead, he jerks a thumb towards Cantio, nodding his head. "It sounds like there's about to be a lot of eyes on that kid. If there aren't already." Then, a glance over towards Strawberry. "Yeah, what she said--according to this Tony guy or your own experience, whichever works better--how many of these demons took after Sparda's example?"
Lilian Rook	Lilian smiles wide for Nico. She can't help it. "Yes. It's a lot like that. These are nice, but they're still off-the-shelf. They're not good enough for me anymore. I need something new and better." she replies. Her eyes glance around dangerously at the 'get a room' remark, making certain Tamamo is occupied with origami. "Where did you learn that at your age? You shouldn't be rude to your grandmother's . . . friends?" She really isn't sure how to download twenty years of cultural programming about Adults Coming First from her childhood into Nico's. To Strawberry, she says "Overwhelmingly one of those two options. The less powerful, the less nuanced, and the more predatory." Back to Nell herself though, Lilian replies with an exasperated sigh and remarkably casual impatience. "Of course it strikes me as strange. But I've seen more demons than I have people in this world, and quite frankly, the people are almost more unusual. I have no way of knowing if that's a typical symptom of prolonged proximity, something that arises from inheriting demonic power, something born of a union between a demon and human, or the most problematic option of all. I think it would obviously be best if you were able to find a way to keep an eye on him, but it didn't seem as if he were actually involved in the disaster; merely in the way." "Sometimes, people are just born different. With powers like that, the best you can do is to raise a child who sees no reason to make themselves dangerous. Take it from me. No matter what you or anyone else does, he'll grow up with that power. Neither his birth nor his nature will change. It's only your choice how he feels about it."
Vergil	"Tony's a good guy. But he's nursing wounds he won't let heal," Nell says to Cantio. That's a heavy phrase for someone who instantly heals any damage done to them. "So be nice to them. I know he's a pain, but that's the point. He's trying to drive people away." She looks from Lilian to Cantio and says, "I bet he's hit on you," she points to Lilian, and then to Cantio. "But not you. Am I right? He only ever hits on women who wouldn't reciprocate. It's deliberate." She smiles as Cantio asks if Nero would be safe. "I don't think he really knew what happened either. And he seems the sullen sort, so he's not going to talk. And if they had the same suspicions we had, they would be venerating him. So I think he'll be safe for the moment." To Tamamo she says, "Oh well... it's a cult town you know? And the parents seem like true believers. They'll look out for them as long as that's the case. And honestly, the only people I know with hair like that is Tony and his brother, is why I suspect. Sure there are albinos, but that kid has blue eyes, so it can't be that." She smiles to the goddess and says, "Good of you to worry about them though. The parents seemed nice enough, and the kids well-behaved. They'll be fine." She next looks to Strawberry, and says, "Oh I'm sure they can. But in all the stories I've heard, only Sparda has made that choice. This Amii I've heard about too maybe, but..." she makes a face like she doesn't entirely believe that. "As for why they come after humans... they believe in might making right, and view humans as inferior because they don't have size, claws, teeth, and the like. But also... I've heard that human blood can enhance a demon's power. So they want to pop us like steroids I suppose." Phreak arranges a delivery to Nico who looks delighted. Nell tenses for a moment, but then relaxes. "Oh, right. Rock set up a webpage for my store huh? I don't really get these computers." But when he asks about demons who followed after Sparda, she says, "Only that Amii, as far as I know. Tony says every demon hates Sparda for what he did. But Amii maybe invests in the legend a little too much..." Nico good-naturedly sticks her tongue out at Lilian and laughs. "I just heard it on the TV!" She clearly knows what it implies though. Nell meanwhile nods her head in acknowledgement of Lilian's point. "Fair. Maybe I am jumping to conclusions. But if I'm right... family matters, you know? I don't really give a jot about the powers themselves. I'd take him in if I could but the Order wouldn't look kindly on that. I suppose I could grill... the guy I met for info, but the last thing I want is him suspecting the kid." A crackling intercom announcement begins to blare. "Hi there folks! The Gun Disassembly Contest is going to begin in 10 minutes. Can all judges and participants please make their way to the main stage? Thank you." Nell listens and slaps her forehead. "Ah hell, that's me. You head on over Nico, I'll bag your presents and be right with you." The young girl nods and hops from her chair. "Thanks for the presents and showing me the cool guns y'all! Byee!" She runs into the crowd, waving behind her. "Right. One more thing before I go." She's all business now, looking at the Elites. "The guy I met, the one who was running the experiment? That's Nicoletta's dad. I gave him hell, but that's not what I need to tell you. When he was blubbering about 'the importance of his work,' he told me something interesting. He said the reason that he did all that, jumping from safe experiments to live ones, is that he was given information by a demon called Amii. And I remembered Tony talking about them, and how you've been helping him. Now I like to believe the best in people, but... you all know him better. Ask him when you can, okay?" She gives a wan smile, and runs off after her granddaughter.
Cantio	"I'm sensing a pattern with that... But I'm sure someone will get through to him eventually so he can start." Cantio sounds confident enough in that, at least, although she sputters lightly when Nell just laser blasts her in the face with the difference between her and Lilian. "Wha- I-I'm not that...!" She huffs and puffs for a short while, but it wears off sooner rather than later by the time Nell comments on Nero's safety. "I hope so. There's lots of people that would be all too willing to take advantage of children with those kinds of powers, so... I really hope things stay nice and boring for him." Eventually, the announcement for the contest comes through, and Cantio is about to join those observing the whole thing when Nell gives the group another chunk of info about the findings from that Hellgate experiment. The revelation of that connection between the change in experiments and Amii's role has her going wide-eyed at first, then nodding firmly at Nell's request. "The next time we meet him, we will. I want to believe in him, too, so I'm sure there's some kind of good explanation for it."