Scene #9103: A Time Of Blood

Owner	Pose
Angela	Magnolia had offered to make contact with her Elder on behalf of Yuuki Kuran and the Concord but it seems getting a meeting was tougher than expected. The biggest difficulty was Magnolia getting a visitation pass for everyone who wanted to come. While the Nest of T Corp has a warpgate it is heavily monitored byT-Corp security and largely sees commercial rather than personal use. Being a resident of the Nest made things easier for her but visitation rights to a Nest are apparently a big deal--to say nothing of Nest Immigration which is even more difficult to obtain. But eventually the realization that it's the Concord that needs a pass for a 'Meeting' tends to provide some oil to the gears of bureaucracy. The checkpoint is heavily manned by guards wearing brass plated full body armor wielding gear-covered doublesized maces that are strangely flat at the end. Despite a relatively ominous appearance, they mostly check Magnolia's papers for everyone and then says, "Ah Director Kuran and her entourage. We've been expecting you. He stamps the visitor's passports, hands them back to everyone, and bids everyone adieu with a "We hope you enjoy your stay." The line itself would normally be long but apparently the same process that got everybody their visitor passes also got them VIP visitor passes, sponsored by someone named 'Lady Catherine'--those who were at Trideag's Naming Ceremony might remember her but apparently the names Madeleine and Ivy Carrow also soothed the process over. There are other lines for the locals that look like they wrap around the block. The Nest itself immediately strikes the vibe as being Londonesque. A large clocktower is readily visible in the distance and the city is quite foggy. It is a more classical Holmesian London vibe than a modern one but that isn't to say it IS London--just Londonesque. Another obvious thing is that the City and--of course--everyone who happens to be going on this trip...suddenly turns SEPIA TONED as they arrive in District T properly. "Color is a kind of luxury item here..." Magnolia explains. "I couldn't afford it, especially not if we're moving around. And I guess their sponsor," Madeleine and Ivy. "Didn't figure greasing the wheels a little warranted the luxury." She hesitates before explaining further. "Also I know y'all have some wild powers but if you have any kind of temporal manipulation--don't use it here. They WILL know and they will attempt to collect a tax. And it can get really expensive if you haven't established a deal in advance. They might show leniency because we're offworld and you're Concord and all--but it's just not worth the hassle."
Angela	Magnolia points to the clock tower. "Grandmother works there. There's eleven other clocktowers in T Corp but I got us to the Warpgate closest to our Elder." Magnolia says, hesitating. "I...don't know how it will go, but please be polite. She fought on the side of humans during the Bloodfiend War, but she's one of our leaders. She'll want to be respected in her home and... I cannot stand against her. I told her you were also an Elder, Director, so she should be respectful to. We don't--have Vampire Queens or Kings. At least not anymore." She rubs at her neck lightly. "It's still some distance away so I can answer any questions... My blood is pretty far from the Elder's, though, and if you don't want to draw any Bloodfiend Hunters' eyes, I'd be careful of doing any fancy blood tricks or showing fangs." She seems terribly nervous. "I appreciate you coming to speak with her though."
Hibiki Tachibana	If it feels like it's been a while since the events with Magnolia back in that poor village, that's because it has - for Hibiki too, who's been so busy with certain things on her home world for a few months now that she's been off a lot of radars. Or maybe that's just what she wants you to think, and she's been doing secret Watch operations under everybody's noses. Nah, she's too dumb and straightforward for that one. It definitely says plenty that she's made time to come join in on Yuuki's otherwise all-Concord group visiting T. Corp's Nest today though, looking somewhat exhausted for wear but fine besides, as she puts her stamped papers back into her jacket. Other than the very obvious little hurdle of... "...my color is all gone..." There's a frowning glance down at even her pendant getting sepia-fied, before that concern gets shoved down in favor of other clear issues, like the other masses of lines. "...For a place that cares about time so much they'll tax you if you do things with it here, I thought they'd be more punctual... ...wait, what the heck does color have to do with time?" Luckily, she doesn't have anything that fits the bill of temporal shenanigans, but she'll silently hope that Lilian never gets into trouble here. Keeping close with the others, Hibiki takes a look around at the grand surroundings and the general state of dress, tilts her head down at herself again, and frowns. Also again. She puts that dissonance out of mind and turns her head up to the clock tower as they move along, sliding her hands into her pockets. "Bloodfiend Hunters? Are they a group here in T. Corp, or...?"
Ivy Carrow	Ivy's polite, insistent requests for a picture of where they were going came to an abrupt stop--after Alex had a talk with her about spontaneously showing up in the city without being welcomed, again--and she was forced to wait while the slow wheels of bureaucracy ground forward at a nigh-standstill pace. "You know, I could get us there right away?" "Of course, Vice-Captain. But there's no point upsetting their leaders. You'd just cause trouble for the Director." But, eventually, they got what they needed. When Ivy stepped through the gate, she was miling...But it didn't take much to not how gingerly she handled herself. Her left arm... ...Well. It just wasn't there. Warped by the heat? Or perhaps just removed, for putting more strain on the rest of her body while she healed? Regardless, the damage she'd taken during her melee was Merelisa was plain to see, though she did her best to conceal it by letting her cloak pull over her body. "A colorless segment of the city..." Alex murmured, scanning the horizon. "It's almost like that time, isn't it?" "Sure, but it was natural there." She drummed fingers on her side. "I wonder how they do it?" "Perhaps it has something to do with their Singularity." "Maybe!" "It's still some distance away so I can answer any questions..." If Ivy's wounds had dimmed her spirit, there was certainly no sign of it in the way her eyes gleamed. "Are there any customs we need to know specific to the City's bloodfiends? When is the last time she met anyone, and what happened? What's the bloodfiend war? What do you mean when you say your blood is far from the Elders'?" The Vice-Captain, for their part, just sighed, bringing out a tablet and making notes on Ivy's behalf.
Madeleine Cadrasteia	Madeleine decided to wear her Trideag formal dress for this occasion, and is happy she did - her usual vinyl, leather, and chrome getup would stick out like a sore thumb against the district's Edwardian aesthetic. She doesn't remark on the lack of color in the district, but walks with a little more confidence than usual through some subconscious recognition that she'll be mostly safe from her curse here. She does wrinkle her nose at the smog, though. "If you don't want to draw any Bloodfiend Hunters' eyes..." "Is that a common profession in this part of the City? Or does word just travel fast here about that sort of thing?"
Sarracenia	Sarracenia was not there for the event that led up to this meeting, but she recently became more interested in vampires and similar beings. So, she tagged along in her best red royal gown. She still has some bandages, but with how much of her body the dress and her usual black gloves cover the only visible ones are around her head and neck, though her face is at least uncovered...and looks like she has the worst sunburn ever. Her skin is almost as red as her dress! Of course, when they arrive the vibrant red and gold of her dress fades to muted brown and tan. "That is rather incredible. How are they able to change the color of the world like that?" Sarra asks, then blinks and looks down at herself. "...brown?! I do not wear brown!" she huffs. Ivy and her Warprunners get a friendly wave from Sarra when she sees them. "Hello again! Thank you for your help with the Andromeda incident, and your service after getting my sailors evacuated and cared for." Yuki gets a polite curtsey. "Greetings, Director! Thank you for allowing me along~" Madeleine shows up in her formal dress, and Sarra is enamored immediately. "Oooh. What a lovely dress, Madeleine! I may have to commission one like that!" Hibiki also receives a friendly wave. The question of what color has to do with time earns a bit of a shrug from Sarra. "Whatever the reason, it is quite unfortunate to have my colors drained like this. It is good to see you though, Hibiki!"
Kukuru	Coming in with Yuuki's entourage is Kukuru, dressed in her business best with a dark gre-,no, sepia tan suit and skirt combo. She's come to provide a little extra moral support for the Concord's goals here today, largely content to let others do the talking and just take notes extremely slowly in a notebook as a backup to the backup to the backup. She's quick to notice the shift from seeing color to seeing everything in sepia tones, and blinks slowly to adjust herself to seeing things in far fewer colors than she's used to. "Afford..? Huuuh. How That must make it confusing to know what you're drinking sometimes..." She murmurs, humming softly for a moment before jotting some notes down in that notebook already ('where did I put that label maker? could be useful here). "Temporal...? Ohhh, time things. Dooon't worry, I don't have anything like that. It sure would be convenient if I did, but..." She covers her mouth and yawns loudly, then shakes her head quickly to get herself focused again. "Don't worry, everyone here's good at behaving." She says, trying to reassure Magnolia with a confidently upbeat noise. Looking up at the tower, Kukuru takes some more notes ('11 towers, but no colors') while keeping close to her offworld companions. She's not concerned for anyone's safety in particular, but she does still have that usual mild-to-moderate concern that there might be tricky questions thrown her way. Bloodfiend Hunters being named has her perking up a bit, though, but in that mild-to-moderate concern sort of way as she hovers a bit closer to Yuuki protectively. "Those hunters... Do they go after anyone that's Bloodfiendy, or are they just... Young and like those kinds of names?" She asks, glancing over at Hibiki for a moment for no particular reason.
Madeleine Cadrasteia	"Oooh. What a lovely dress, Madeleine! I may have to commission one like that!" Madeleine halts mid-step as if stunned. Her jaw hangs slightly open, but no words emerge. Until the 'Andromeda Incident', as the princess put it, Madeleine knew what she thought of Sarracenia. Now, having seen her stand up in a big way for a personal conviction, and having seen her pay for it dearly with a close scrape from the Firmament Driver, she's not so sure. Is this the same woman as before, the one who had earned Madeleine's casual ire? Or has something changed, a fundamental shift in the princess herself or the metaphorical ground she stands on? "Th-thanks, yeah," the huntress finally manages, too late and too slowly. Awkward!
Yuuki Kuran	Kuran Yuuki, Queen of Vampires and Director of the Concord and several other titles she doesn't insist on standing on if people don't insist on standing on their own, had wanted to arrange a meeting in the time of the Blood Fiends because it was the least threatening method of an approach. Having long experience walking calmly into the dens of monsters for making nice, Yuuki knew that every impression was important and certain ancient kinds of courtesy were the smoothest greases. Of course, her name still spent - the direct eye of the Concord's attention was expressed by her presence, and the push of that name through the systems came with expected results. Moving through the checkpoint in a thick white coat with fuzzy lining and a train over a black dress with subtle floral-and-dripping patterns in sheen stitched into the weave depicting weeping roses, Yuuki accessorizes her long fall of hair with a single loosely-binding ribbon about the back in red, and a black frill-lace headband set atop with a blooming metal rose that matches a rose earring. She serenely continues through the process, accepting badge with smile and putting it about neck with a flourish of hands about hair to attach it to lanyard. "My great compliments to skipping that dreadful line - I do hate waiting while standing, I've found. I could wait on a couch for hours, I think, but standing and not doing anything feels so..." And she trails off, her little airy observations fading off her lips as she tries to figure out what she means, offloads the thought elsewhere, and is swept into another interesting area. "I very much intend to enjoy my stay, as I hope the rest of my party does." Yuuki assures the guard with a gentle gesture back to the gang of success cases. Inside and cast in sepia tones, the color of her coat washes out in its splendor to seem background, but the fine difference in un-colored texture of her black dress shows all the more vibrantly for the change in ''lighting''. "Oh, I'll try to keep things as simple as can be hoped, then - I appreciate the warning. I had done my research enough to know to wear something uncolorful, but I hadn't known about the time tax. Could you tell us more about that? I've known several time manipulators - why, the Demon King of Time is a part of our very Concord, you know!" Faint of smile and happily praising like a proud owner and much older sibling both. "Could you express to whomever it is in charge of that that the Concord would like to purchase an unlimited license to operate? Or, hmm, after?" Right to business. What an advantage! "I'm not quite at bringing a fan with me," Yuuki laughs, on fangs, and glances to Ivy with a faint smirk. "but as long as they're not needed, I don't need to have them out. Again, I thank you for the warning - is it much of a problem?" Unsurprised that Magnolia can't disobey the elder, Yuuki has a bright answer already lined up for the questioning of motive: "It's because, Magnolia, the topic is close to me." The Director winks, a sleepy daytime sepia over big red-brown eye. "And, of course, the Concord loves to play every side, because it means we always win. Simple, right?"
Angela	''You know, I could get us there right way?'' "Uh I didn't know that actually," Magnolia admits. "T Corp and W Corp are close though--I don't know if it's really worth the risk--it's not that far." ''Is that a common profession in this part of the City?'' Magnolia shakes her head. "They're not really a common profession in general. But they can be pretty zealous about it." ''Perhaps it has something to do with their Singularity.'' "T-Corp prrrobably has more than one. It's been around a long time. It could be related to one of their other singularities or maybe they're selling the color to another Wing or..." She seems uncomfortable about guessing at what the Nests are up to but she relaxes a little when Ivy moves on to Bloodfiend customs, allowing herself a bit of a smile. "Well, First Kindreds are the highest ranking Kindreds. They are allowed to turn as many people as they want but any other Kindred, even the Seconds, can only have two Kindred each. It's part of the deal we made with The Head in order to exist here without being deemed an Impurity." Like Angela. "I'm a Seventh Kindred myself so I'm pretty weak and pretty far down the food chain, but we're all essentially one big family that just has to lay low." She hesitates and then after a moment of conideration adds, "We don't like water." She adds. "That's not really a cultural thing. It doesn't affect Grandma but a lot of other bloodfiends are afraid of it. I wouldn't mention it but it's common knowledge here." She doesn't go into the particulars of how much water causes a fear reaction or what level of proximity is required. "I don't know about the bloodfiend war myself. You should ask Grandma about it. I was turned after. Each Elder has their peculiarities as far as customs, but Grandma is fine so long as you don't waste too much time." She gestures again to the Clocktower as if to suggest she's 'the type'. She looks overto HIbiki and explains, "Hunters are all over The City--the biggest one that specializes in fighting Bloodfiends is the Fanghunt Office but any Fixer Organization will hunt down a Bloodfiend if they're causing trouble. And some will hunt down a Bloodfiend even if they aren't." She watches after HIbiki a bit longer, perhaps out of sympathy of caring about having one's color stolen from them. Magnolia gives Kukuru a bit of an odd look, squinting at her horns as if she's not sure if they're just an accessory or are actually there. Her gaze follows after Kukuru's towards Hibiki and then back again. "Um. I don't know their motivations or if they have other targets."
Angela	A small girl with her parents nearby sees Madeleine's uniform and sneaks away from her family and rushes over to Madeleine, Ivy, and Sarracenia. She offers them a notepad with pen and shyly looks away from them while offering it. "U..um...You're F-Fixers right? Can I um..." She pushes the notepad towards Sarracenia first, eyes wide with childlike wonder, repeatdly glancing back at her parents as she's sure they'll disapprove. Until that business is done, Magnolia keeps her trap shut. And when it is... She's relieved that Yuuki is not upset about the bureaucracy--something that's well out of her hand. Also out of her hands is the ability to negotiate with T Corp. "I...maybe the Elder knows someone? I'm sorry, I'm not even a student anymore..." She covers her face with a hand even though she isn't blushing. "But I can't imagine they wouldn't want to deal with you, though, so it's probably just a matter of--finding the way to reach them." Yuuki may or may not know that Lobotomy Corp has a deep partnership with T Corp (also known as Timetrack)--it's not inconceivable she might be able to reach T Corp through L Corp. They do owe the Concord a fair amount and would be eager to repay debts... Magnolia smiles at the wink, rubbing at the back of her neck again--this time more flustered. "I haven't had issue with the Hunters myself... If we aren't actively turning people into Bloodbags out in the open, they don't usually find out." She forgets to explain what 'Turning people into Bloodbags' means. The trip to the CLocktower isn't that long. Apparently MAgnolia is recognized enough that the young man leaning against the door (and definitely also a bloodfiend) doesn't interrupt their passage in though he lifts his cap to take a long look at Yuuki, his expression a kind of quiet awe and curiousity. A long spiraling staircase leads up to the top of the Clocktower but Magnolia calls down an elevator, resulting in a relatively swift ride up to the top floor. And when the elevator doors open, it opens up to a pleasantly set up table with little placards indicating seating arrangements. The name Langsdorffia is set up at the head of the table with Yuuki Kuran across from it. Everybody else is more or less randomly labeled though Magnolia is sitting next to her. A young woman with short platinum white hair and bright red eyes steps down from a mesh of gears behind the clockface, wrench in hand--she's wearing a pair of grease stained overalls and a pageboy cap. "Oh! You're here earlier than I expected. And I didn't even get a chance to change." She hops down and tips her hat to Yuuki. "First Kindred Langsdorffia, at your service, Elder Yuuki." She wraps a rag around her hand and takes a seat before gesturing for the non-Yuukis to sit down as well. "My Grand-daughter has told me how you saved her--and prevented her brother from taking any more lives. It's a pleasure meeting you." The table has been set with various kinds of local british-themed cuisine ranging from fish and chips, tea, some roasted lamb, and a vegetarian stew. Strangely enough, no blood themed cuisine!
Madeleine Cadrasteia	Madeleine smiles reflexively at the starstruck child's approach, finally freed of her Dazed status condition now that there's something to think about besides the fact that Sarracenia might be cool now. Madeleine shoots the parents a starry-eyed glare if they try to pull the kid away, and waits for her turn to sign an autograph. When the pad gets to her she signs 'M. Cadrasteia' and adds two little four-pointed stars next to the final A. With all the time she's spent around ageless Excrucians she really should have been expecting that the 'Elder' might appear so young, but she forgot about the whole 'non-paternal line of descent' deal and is just the least bit visibly taken aback at 'Grandmother's' appearance. But it's not long before she moves on from her mild surprise and notices the food. She's just barely able to wait to be seated before serving herself a chop of lamb and some vegetable stew. "Don't mind if I do," she mutters to herself while the First Kindred expresses her gratitude to Yuuki. "So," Madeleine says once she can get a word in edgewise between introductions and bites of food, "You maintain the clock? Is that a duty, or a passion project?"
Sarracenia	'Th-thanks, yeah,' Sarra seems delighted at Madeleine's response. In truth it was a bit of a test. Would Madeleine be able to tolerate Sarra talking to her or not? This indicates they can at the very least work together amicably. "You are quite welcome~" Sarra replies. A small girl runs up to them. Sarra blinks in surprise as the notepad is pushed toward her first. The princess is frozen in surprise for a few moments. Is this...the hero's recognition effect?! Her eyes practically sparkle! "Oh! Why of course~! And who should I make it out to?" she asks as she takes up the pen and paper and starts to write her signature along with a short message. Properly stylized of course, with the top curls of the S's in her name curled into a swirl like the bud of a sundew plant. To (the child's name is placed here once given), my dearest and cutest fan! I am please to see you were not harmed in the attack! Princess Sarracenia Sundew, Crown Princess of the Sundew Kingdom and Fixer of the Trideag Association. She then hands the pad and pen back to the girl and without really thinking about it gives the girl a pat on the head. "Now, be good, okay? And if you need any help, do not hesitate to give Trideag a call~" Busy soaking up attention, Sarra only half-hears what Magnolia is saying, but absorbs most of it. Bloodfiends have a hierarchy, Magnolia is pretty low in it. Don't like water, which is odd. "Do you need to drink water, or...?" Sarra asks. 'turning people into Bloodbags' Sarra's eyes widen. "Erm...w-what was that? Bloodbags?" she asks, unsure she heard that correctly. They reach the Clocktower and the pleasantly set table. Sarra finds her card and sits down primly...only to stand up quickly when First Kindred Langsdorffia addresses them. In mechanic's attire. As she was not addressed she waits until Langsdorffia and Yuki have spoken before adding, "Greetings. I am Princess Sarracenia Sundew, Crown Princess of the Sundew Kingdom. I was not there for the rescue, but I am lucky enough to be in the Concord and a Fixer of this City. I hope to be of service in the future!" Introduction made, Sarra waits for the First Kindred to sit before she takes her seat again.
Ivy Carrow	"It could be related to one of their other singularities or maybe they're selling the color to another Wing or..." "No need to worry over your lack of answers." Alex didn't look up from his notes, continuing to tap at their screen. "God knows, we keep the nature of our 'Singularity' under lock and key. Only the highest rank runners know the full story." Ivy pressed a finger to her lips, curled into a smile, a pantomime of secrecy. But, notably, neither of them shared anything further. "Well, First Kindreds are the highest ranking Kindreds...." Ivy nodded as Mangolia continued her explanation, but didn't seem so surprised. "There's a lot of differences across worlds, but some things are shared in common, too." She forged on, happily. "That's a common story, you know?--the closer a vampire is to the 'true source,' or 'original sire,' the more powerful they are. There's a network of influence, a visceral connection between persons, connecting them together." "I took a little inspiration from that power, when I was setting things up for my runners." Maybe it's because Yuuki is here, because this is mostly a Concord expedition, or because they were literally walking up to meet a bunch of vampires, but Ivy was far more open about this, today. A short laugh, a sideways smile. "Oh, she certainly has." "Hello again! Thank you for your help with the Andromeda incident, and your service after getting my sailors evacuated and cared for." "Oh come on~" Ivy preened, offering Sarracenia a knife of a smile. "We should be thanking you. If it weren't for you, that messy fight would have been a loss for us all around. If you've ever wanted a favor from my runners, feel free to call it in. We have a lot of worlds on record, and some secrets to die for~" When they were approached by the child, Ivy leaned down to get on her level, an effortless squat. "Aren't you polite~? That's right. We're fixers!" She signed; To a brave girl and her bright future, Ivy of the 13th. "I'm not quite at bringing a fan with me," The expression on Ivy's face turned giddy, excitable. "That-that's good!" She stumbled over her words. "I didn't--I forgot--" She tripped over her own tongue. "We left the palanquin at home." Alex laiding a concilatory hand on Ivy's shoulder. They're quiet, when they finally get into the blood fiend's lair...Alex due to being Alex, and Ivy due to blushing so intensely it was visible in monochrome. Alex and Ivy sit next to each other.
Hibiki Tachibana	Hibiki gives Sarracenia a friendly, casual wave - and gives Kukuru a look and a raised eyebrow when she looks at her. "...?" She thankfully(?) doesn't get the implication. Sails right on over her head. And then it's back to Magnolia, where she lets out a low hum. "...I guess they'd be like vampire hunters in other worlds, then... right down to going after them even when they don't deserve it, huh. I wonder if an Office like that is full of people who've had bad experiences with them..." Frowning to herself, she spends a while ruminating over the particulars of what makes people into vampire hunters by trade. Part of the way into the clocktower, she snaps out of her thoughtful haze with a blink. "Uh... Bloodbags...? Is that different from a Kindred? It sounds... kind of..." The unspoken trail-off is enough to make it obvious, because if she's going by conventional vampire knowledge, she has no idea what one of those would be. Up and up (but not round and round, thanks to the elevator) they go, and into the room they go. When they do, Hibiki blinks a few times, looking over Langsdorffia just long enough to begin approaching 'gawking' levels but not quite getting there. Apparently, -something- surprised her. After clearing her throat, she moves to find her seat, looking over the spead. And then back to the First Kindred. "Um... thank you very much for the hospitality. I can see you work really hard maintaining the tower, huh..."
Kukuru	"Selling the color? I guess it would take something pre-etty powerful to sell something like... Seeing colors, mhm." Kukuru still looks somewhat confused by the color matter as she holds her hand in front of her face, then takes a juice box out of her pocket and squints at it. "No... Still brown." After putting that juice box away, she lets out another pleased noise at Yuuki already taking steps towards getting the proper permission for the Concord's time manipulating agents to operate. "So thoughtful... Oh, an unlimited one is really good idea, mhm. There's bound to be others that join us some... Time~" She looks really proud about that one. Magnolia explains some of the quirks behind Bloodfiends and the Hunters, and Kukuru gets a curious look on her face as she listens on. She even starts taking notes again, sometimes looking sympathetic ('Bloodfiends have it rough' 'don't give them water' ) and sometimes looking a little more cautious ('don't let Hunters know about them'). Her handwriting isn't particularly great, but it's legible enough if in an overly flowy cursive. "Definitely sounds liiike... There's bad ones around, so we'll be careful not to cause trouble for your family if anything happens." She affirms, smiling reassuringly at Magnolia while stepping closer to let her get a better look at her face. That IS what she was looking at, right? Right. The horns really do look like accessories, but without anything holding them onto her head. Kukuru beams when the girl approaches, waving pleasantly as she addresses the Fixer-dresssed trio. Although she does't have any context for that, she does offer the girl one of her out-of-pocket food boxes (chicken, shredded provolone, and thick-cut fries). Once it's time to head to the Clocktower, meanwhile, Kukuru remains on her best behavior! She even walks normally, partially to avoid sticking out, and partially because she wants to keep an eye on everyone at all times. She does blanch a bit at the staircase, though, but breathes a sigh of relief when the elevator comes. Standing by her assigned seat without complaint, Kukuru looks over as the First Kindred introduces herself, bowing formally at the waist and sitting once directed to. "It's good to meet you, Langsdor... F... Fia. My name's Kukuru." Pause, as always. "That's Ku-ku-ru. I'm one of Yuuki's Partners in the Concord, aaaand... Hmm. I guess I don't have any fancy titles, huh?" A giggle, and then she continues. "Thank you for meeting with us~" With the food presented, Kukuru's eager to eat! She holds back just a bit, though, serving portions for everyone first before digging in herself. "What's maintaining the tower like, anyway? Especially thiiis..." She gestures all around briefly. "The color thing. Is that related to the time stuff, oooor... Something else?"
Yuuki Kuran	Happy to wait and smile and make pleasant with Magnolia as they move through the sepia Nest, Yuuki waits for the small girl to interact with Madeleine with an unquiet happiness. As if butterfly wings and rosepetal frames simply inhabit the world about her, she glows at the interaction with an 'isn't that just heartwarming?' little knowing ehe. One of her favorite shows, the Concord's highlight reel in her head. Magolia's attention to Kukuru gets a Directorial aside: "Kukuru is one of our greatest successes, a perfect proof of the Concord's goals and process. She's extremely real, and, incredibly sweet. One of my favorites. And I have a lot of favorites, but she's one of them!" Heading along across the sepia path, it's easy to linger and forget, growing far away as further arranging-business is discussed. Like someone holding another conversation very well alongside, she thinks through the arrangements with L-corp and T-corp aloud. "I believe I've heard about that, but that means I can trust my people to support me in providing only the very best for our members in every world. It'd be dreadful if a member of our Concord was held up by something so easily sorted as taxes and proper care shown to local collectors." In an additional aside, before the meeting, Yuuki pulls Hibiki aside with a lean and hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Hibiki. Might I trust you with a project? See if you can get in with those Hunters - I'm sure you will - and perhaps see if you can make friends? You obviously know why I can't do this myself, but since you and Zero are at terms, I feel like I can trust you with this. Please?" Her large eyes can be everso pleading. Then it's to the grand heights of the First Kindred's table! Yuuki finds her own place placarded and Magnolia besides her, and without her own chair instructively pulled out, pulls out Magnolia's chair before pulling out her own and settling in. "First Kindred, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance also, as well as your hospitality to the party of my friends and compatriots among the Concord." Yuuki returns, formal, and clasps hands tightly on lap while legs cross. "Since we were allowed to skip the dreary lines of entry everything was made much easier for us, and for that, I'm thankful. Plus," The formality melts, and Yuuki fakes tipping her own hat with a smile. "You look fine! It's your house, and you've already set the table for us - dress as you like." Yuuki assures, lifting hands to start serving herself authentic British-style butter chicken (highly colonized other people's food!) with gusto as she recognizes the serving. "Helping people has long been a passion of mine, First Kindred, so helping your great-granddaughter was natural. Of course, it's also the Concord's style to make... many friends and alliances, so I asked for this meeting. For having all this ready, you certainly worked right up until the last moment - it seems deeply important to you, as Madeleine asks. Is it duty? Passion? Both?"
Ivy Carrow	"Eh-hem." Ivy cleared her throat, thumping her fist against her chest once, if only to try to reset her attitude. "I'm part of the Thirteenth...But today, I'm here as a member of the Concord." She offered the blood fiend a bow. "Warprunner Gate-Captain, Multiversal explorer and Partner in lady Yuuki's Concord, Ivy Carrow, at your service." She bowed, with a flourish. "And my Vice-Captain..." "Alex Perrodon." They said, with a dip of their head. "I see we have a very conventional spread, today." What a way to describe it! "Does this reflect your diet, or is this simply a show of hospitality?" He collected a plate for himself. "Either way, I'm sure I speak for us all when I say that we are grateful."
Angela	T-Corp wasn't the District under attack--but it is RIGHT NEXT to the District that was attacked. That's still real far away, but news must've made it to this District too. The girl collects her notepad and looks at it briefly before saying, "Th--thanks..." in a hushed whisper before rushing back to her parents. It's directly broadly to all three. Her parents may have different opinions judging by how she tried to do this under their radar. ''W-what was that? Bloodbags?'' ''It sounds... kind of...'' "Most Bloodfiends aren't satisfied unless the drink directly from a human. It isn't exactly about sustenance--blood obtained through other means helps, especially if you're starving. Once you drink from a human, they usually turn into a Bloodbag, essentially becoming subserviant to the Bloodfiend that drank from them." Magnolia says, looking away. "That's how it is now at least." She stares at Kukuru's joke but doesn't comment on it. And she apparently makes a decision about the horns too because she stops squinting at them. Magnolia is relieved at Alex telling her not to worry, nodding along to Ivy's understanding of it being a common story even for Outsider bloodfiends. Who sired the Elders? Magnolia does not say or does not know. "You know our people well despite having never met them until today. I'd love to hear more of your stories, some day." Magnolia says. ''Kukuru is one of our greatest successes'' "Oh! She seems sweet...?" She has no idea of what makes Kukuru a success story. She privately agrees 'fuck taxes' but out loud she says, "I wish I could help more," She says, honestly and regretfully. She misses the chat with Yuuki and Hibiki which is probably for the best. And then...Clocktower!
Angela	''You maintain the clock? Is that a duty, or a passion project?'' ''I can see you work really hard at maintaining the tower, huh...'' ''Is it duty? Passion? Both?'' "It is both as you say, Elder." The First Kindred says. "Tis good to keep busy. Bloodfiends that don't keep busy, well... I'm sure you know. And nobody has to question why I'm in my domain. I expect all my bloodfiends to learn a trade. Bloodfiends will have to hone their minds before they sharpen their fangs. And the currency is helpful, both in maintaining my cover and my community." ''Greetings I am Princess Sarracenia'' "Oh my, a Princess? That's adorable." Langsdorffia says, smiling fondly. "I had thought princesses were merely the domain of fairytales these days." ''Ku-ku-ru'' "Ku Ku Ru." Fia says, name shortened because that's definitely easier to write. "Being a partner to an elder is plenty accomplishment enough, is it not?" She asks. ''Warprunners.'' "Ah, we ''can'' eat this kind of food, but only one type of food truly sustains us. Still, such meals are not without pleasure, and I knew this would not simply be a meal between blood fiends. Please help yourself." She hesitates though and adds, with a slant of curiousity. "'Warprunner' you say. And a Partner too? Do you run a transport office yourself? We have W-Corp but they are not a multiversal organization--I suspect they may want to change that, of course, if they can find the opportunity." ''Yuuki Kuran'' Despite attending to everyone, it is clearly Yuuki who holds the bulk of her attention. Being told Yuuki was an Elder means she sees her as a peer whereas the others are curiousities she'd like to learn more about and of uncertain placement in the social schemes of things. But when Yuuki speaks of skipping dreary lines. "Aha... I don't have that kind of pull--nor would I be comfortable making that kind of noise--" Fia looks towards Magnolia who hastily explains. "Ah! It was Lady Catherine of Wuthering Heights. I never saw her but when I went to retrieve my visitor passes, I was told that she had upgraded them for Trideag and Company." "Ahh... I suppose our eyes are not the only ones looking outward." Fia admits. ''Helping people has long been a passion of mine, First Kindred, so helping your great-granddaughter was natural.'' "I have heard of your helpful nature. And Magnolia has mentioned to me that you wish to help us make our world better, to limit harm, and that you can consume blood from one another and from pills and the like." Fia sighs, her expression turning regretful and her thoughts turning inward for a moment. "It is... kind of you to offer. And if you are able to find a solution, I would hardly complain but... And this I wanted to tell you myself rather than pass it on through Magnolia dearest..." She sighs. "Such methods have been tried before, Director. And it worked for a time. But eventually the hunger took over and the hatred between humans and Bloodfiends only flared ever hotter. And I lost my brother and friend." She shakes her head. "It was a beautiful but impossible dream."
Madeleine Cadrasteia	"Tis good to keep busy. Bloodfiends that don't keep busy, well... I'm sure you know." Madeleine nods along to the Elder's explanation. "Yeah, for sure. I'm no bloodfiend, but I do come from a sort of..." She idly twirls her fork in the air, trying to piece words together. "A community brought together by separation from the world of the majority. Anyone with, if you'll pardon the pun, that much time on their hands, ends up with an obsession or two. It's only sensible to get ahead of the curve and choose your pastimes for yourself." A pause. "I am Madeleine, by the way. A huntress by trade, but not of you or yours. Fortunate for us both, I should think." A little smirk, eyes inscrutable as ever. "It is... kind of you to offer. And if you are able to find a solution, I would hardly complain but... Such methods have been tried before, Director." "First Kindred, if I may hazard a question." Madeleine leans forward in her seat, rests an elbow on the chair's arm-rest and her chin on an extended finger. "Whence came the bloodfiends? Do you know why you are, why you carry such hungers? If a burden cannot be eased by reacting to its symptoms, it may be time to examine the cause." "Or," says the huntress, sitting up straight again and turning her wrist to point idly upward, "If you do not know. Do you think we could help you learn?" One eyebrow lifts on her face, an invitation to conspiracy.
Sarracenia	The girl heads off and Sarra waves goodbye to her. "You are welcome~!" she calls before following after the others. And she cannot help a bit of a haughty smirk and a slightly upturned nose in Maddie's direction. As if to say 'yes, I am cool now' even though Madeleine didn't say anything. 'We should be thanking you. If it weren't for you, that messy fight would have been a loss for us all around. If you've ever wanted a favor from my runners, feel free to call it in. We have a lot of worlds on record, and some secrets to die for~' Sarra's smirk grows into more of a smile at Ivy's kind words. "Thank you, Ivy! I will keep that in mind! I am sure I can think of a good favor to ask eventually~ I am quite curious about your powers." 'That's how it is now at least.' Sarra looks a bit queasy at that. Perhaps becoming a vampire is not for her after all. "I...see." she says, trying not to sound to unnerved since they are supposed to be polite here. 'That's Ku-ku-ru.' Sarra's head nods in time with Kukuru's introduction and she giggles softly after. "Kukuru is quite kind! And yet quite fearsome! She is always good to have around." she says, adding to what Yuuki said. 'Oh my, a Princess? That's adorable. I had thought princesses were merely the domain of fairytales these days.' Sarra smiles warmly at that. "It does seem we are a rarity these days. Even among the multiversal worlds there seems to be a decidedly low number of princesses. But, I suppose if everyone was a princess then the title would lose some of is regality and enchantment." Sarra says before gathering a few items to nibble on during the meeting. 'It was a beautiful but impossible dream.' "Nothing is truly impossible. The solution has just not been found yet." Sarra says confidently. "And doing the impossible is something the Concord is quite good at, if you ask me! It is practically in our organization's charter! I am sure with enough time we could find a lasting solution." Madeleine asks some good questions, and Sarra smiles more as if this supports her point.
Hibiki Tachibana	See if you can get in with those Hunters - I'm sure you will - and perhaps see if you can make friends? You obviously know why I can't do this myself, but since you and Zero are at terms, I feel like I can trust you with this. Please? That pleading look with the big old eyes gets Hibiki pursing her lips, all squiggly while she looks conflicted. "...Uh, well..." On one hand, being asked to make pals with vampire hunters while they're on their way to meet with a First Kindred wasn't on her to-do list for today. It takes her a few seconds to process that one. On the other, Yuuki and Zero have always been good to her. And especially given the aid from the latter she's gotten... and the fact her mind processes this more as a favor to friends than being asked to do something by the Concord's Director... and the fact she's already been working on getting in with some of these smaller groups within the City... and... "...Geez. Okay. I won't make any promises, but I'll try." She presses circle to relent, rubbing the back of her neck with an arm and glancing away. "I want to figure out what's going on in the heads of a group like that, anyway. ...When it comes to the ones like Magnolia..." ... "Good to keep busy... when you put it like that, I think I get it." Hibiki just wasn't expecting to see an elder Bloodfiend in work clothes and toting around a wrench cheerily, but she adapts to that dissonance and takes it as natural from that point on scarily quickly. While looking over the spread of food and drink that's been arranged for them, looking over a biscuit, "...Oh, um, Hibiki. Tachibana Hibiki." She realizes she forgot introductions when everyone else was. "I'm not a member of the Concord myself, so I hope that's okay. I just wanted to help Magnolia." With that out of the way, she considers... ...how the 'methods have been tried before'. And she remembers Magnolia's earlier mention of her grandmother having fought in the war she speaks of now. After some idle nibbling on some of the food, she speaks up again. "...I heard you fought in that war on the side of humans, didn't you, Miss Langsdorffia? If it's okay to ask... what made you decide to do that, instead of fighting alongsie your people? ...Especially if you lost family..."
Ivy Carrow	"'Warprunner' you say. And a Partner too? Do you run a transport office yourself?...I suspect they may want to change that, of course, if they can find the opportunity." "I think that's an appropriate description. We run a transit hub called 'Castle Carrow.' Using artifical warpgates, and spatial warping, we've created something of a liminal community between worlds. We aren't the only hub out there...Or even the only Warprunner branch. But we've been growing a great deal...Especially with the Concord's ongoing patronage." A nod toward Director Yuuki. Ivy assessed the elder for a moment, then the rest of the table, before coming to a decision. "I've spent most of my life studying blood magic." A frank admission. She twirled a fork through her food--she was used to working with just one hand, it seemed. "Blood, in some ways, is life. Your 'self.' It can hold memory, and talent, and power." Alex shot Ivy an alarmed look, but she just gave a half-smile. "Oh come on, we're all friends here." "I came upon a trick to bend space to my will. And, through my blood, I can share it with my runners. I could hardly run the whole hub by myself~" "It was a beautiful but impossible dream." The Elder's story...as bare-bones as it was...was enough to bring a frown onto Ivy's face. "The beautiful and terrible thing about the multiverse," she mused, aloud, "is it holds the potential for wonders and horrors beyond imagination." "'Impossible' is a matter of perspective. If Lady Yuuki wants to find a way to help, I'll have my runners scour existence for somewhere with real answers."
Kukuru	EARLIER Yuuki's praise gets a predictably pleasant noise out of Kukuru, and she cups a hand to her cheek bashfully while wiggling in place. "Aw, Yuuki... You always say the best things. Now, let's not let Magnolia get the wrong idea, though." She clears her throat and turns to Magnolia, putting on a sterner face while still managing to look just as giddy as before. "I can be real tough if the situation calls for it, too." That, of course, is followed by patting said Magnolia gently on the head after she seems to be getting a little down on herself. "You already are, dear. Inspiration and impact isn't something that's measured in how many neat tricks and fancy powers you can pull out, you knooow? Even someone with nothing fancy about them can be a hero, and even someone with all kinds of blessings could be super useless. It just depends on what you do." NOW Even while eating, Kukuru's still beaming from Yuuki's praise earlier, and the First Kindred ('Langs Dorfya?') can see it plainly on her face even while she's trying to look professional and a little more subdued. "Hehe... It is, but there's always room for mooore. I have to be a good role model for everyone else that might want to join the Concord, so I can't get lazy and coast on that yet." She replies with a light giggle, pausing to take a sip of the stew as though it was a soup. Realizing her mistake, she makes a second one by dipping her chips in the tea, then chuckles again at Sarracenia's praise. "Sarracenia really is adorable, mhm. Even though she's a princess, she's a much harder worker than looots of people I know, and..." She starts, pauses to take another sip of the stew, then continues. "She also has these really cute outfits if you ever need to fly somehow. Or maybe nap in." Magnolia soon speaks of the Bloodfiends' past attempts to handle their hunger, and Kukuru starts thinking once again. She actually doesn't run through that thought process out loud, but she does hrm and ah and hnn quite a bit as the gears turn. What would Yuuki do in this kind of situation? Does Kukuru know anyone else that needs to feed off humans in a similar way? Is there a way to help bring the Fia's spirits back up? "Is it really impossible? If it worked for a while, then that means something was working, right? Maybe a different..." Kukuru struggles a bit to remember the word. "... Approach! With all of us is what you need, if doing it yourself wasn't enough. Liike... An exchange program? You could bring food that humans like to eat, they could bring people that you can eat, and..." Another pause, and she taps a finger against her chin. "How much blood do you need, anyway? Is it like..." She glances at the tea, then the stew, then back at Fia for guidance.
Yuuki Kuran	Taking her curried chicken the British way - with a big spoon and a pale complexion and still requiring the blood of others to function at a core level - Yuuki nods in time to Fia's explanation on needing trades and skills. "Of course. Having a project, something to upkeep and grow, and being able to cycle through those, might just be required for many kinds of people to be their healthiest self. Staying busy might lead to becoming too busy, of course, and so, I think it's important to be the right amount of busy." Intent, at that, happy to get around to it in a slightly airy roundabout way and tone, she falls to food some more, eating the most sepia of dishes masterfully created because you can actually see the color of it correctly! Perhaps beige is the tone of Britain. "I understand I might have more to speak to and thank, or delegate to. How kind to learn that, thank you Magnolia." Lean-smiles the Director, before she sets her spoon and fork aside. "First Kindred." Yuuki begins, daubing fingers and mouth with napkin after a moment to compose herself and collect her thoughts. "It is, always, extremely pleasant to be known well for the things you've done. The Concord has recently even helped my own world progress to a kinder place, and so, it was on the mind - as was, perhaps, the potential for it to turn to a more hellish, worse state. That, perhaps, things would degrade, that the way things were was better, and that tradition was tradition and wisdom wisdom and should not have been meddled with." Sitting back and placing hands in lap, Yuuki tries to carefully choose her words, and so comes off as lingering for several beats. "As soon as I became aware there were people with 'natures like mine' in this world, I knew that the best results would be produced by support. The Concord is my first answer to that, but directly pursuing alliances like this, I think, will be better. Because," Yuuki looks about the table, and takes in a kind of pride, and this allows her to be honest to Fia. "I do not yet know if the old way was best, but, we are to change it all. So, I have to try - it is my trade, what I do. And, since my people are here, and we had an opportunity, of course it was appropriate to show our respect to you. It'd be terrible if we just insulted everyone acting without even a little bit of care. Isn't the best way to maintain a clock, to maintain the world around the clock? After, of course, mastering clocks."
Angela	Magnolia seems relieved by Kukuru's words, though bashful. ''A community brought together by separation from the world of the majority.'' "...What a peculiar way to phrase it." She says. "I would love to hear of your community." She removes her cap and hangs it off her chair. Yuuki might be able to tell she's actively suppressing a scent of blood from herself despite there not being any visible ounce of the stuff on her or around the table. "...You are asking me about matters that have happened many lifetimes ago. Once, I am sure, I cared about these things. But eventually the present and future took far more meaning than the past. I am sorry, I simply do not recall. I know not what you have at your disposal to find out, so I cannot say how possible it is to find. But we Elders came into being a very very long time ago." She smiles. "Madeleine. What is it you hunt, then?" ''I suppose if everyone was a princess then the title would lose some of its regality and enchantment.'' "That would be tragic. It seems you've dodged a stake there." ''Nothing is truyl impossible. And doing the impossible is something the Concord is quite good at.'' "Careful," The Elder teases. "You wouldn't want me to ''expect'' the impossible of you, would you?" ''I'm not a member of the Concord myself, so I hope that's okay.'' "Are you capable of the impossible too?" The Elder is clearly enjoying herself. "You're of course welcome to join ''our'' Family if you'd like." She leans forward, clearly less for formalities than anticipated--but how could she be stuffy and formal when so many interesting new things are going on? That seems to be the attitude. "Ah, well... Have you ever met someone you'd fight the world for, Miss Hibiki? No matter how powerful the flames of hatred are, you can still find such people even amongst your enemies. Besides..." She clucks her tongue. "They make such interesting things, humans, and I could never hope to match their cruelty. They are quite clever at finding ways to be cruel, humans, and ... Well, there are Fixers out there that can give even a Blood Fiend Elder a difficult time. My brother died after the war, at least, not as part of it. Indeed, he was instrumental in humanity's victory. It was peace that destroyed him and his Kindred. Not even the Hunters." She sighs again, at an old sad memory. ''Castle Carrow'' "Are you a Princess too?" She asks. ''I've spent most of my life studying blood magic.'' "FASCINATING. You should show me your blood magic. Do you need me to provide some?" She extends a hand and a blood red glove (clearly made OF blood, in fact), materializes around her hand. She pulls the glove off her hand and offers it to Ivy. It's a mystery how she was able to turn 'blood' into a glove. "Something small perhaps, if you please. It seems your people are not so unlike a Bloodfiend family yourself. I am glad you have a Family of your own, Miss Ivy." She is intrigued by the possibility of flying but elects to not ask about it--Magnolia is still right there. ''How much blood do you need anyway?'' "The hunger gets more pronounced the farther one is descended from an Elder. The quantity we need is... Difficult to quanitfy. It is not measured in liters, it is measured in desire."
Angela	But Yuuki makes her pitch. The smile fades from the Elder's lips and she leans forward, giving Yuuki her full attention. It isn't even just about her being a 'Bloodfiend Elder', it's because she is offering something that is potentially of interest to her people. The issue is, of course, that the help may be something she cannot provide or that there is something different about her people and hers that make the methods tried before as misguided. Maybe Yuuki can find something new. Even the Elder does not truly wish to remain hidden even though this deal is one she helped negotiate. The Elder listens. And she closes her eyes, leaning back in her chair. She thinksk. She thinks for a long moment. And then she opens her eyes once more. "You remind me of him." She says eventually. "...I know not how much help ''I'' can be with your goals, nor do I even know where to start. But... You certainly know what turn of phrase to use with me. I cannot risk my children carelessly by throwing myself into this dream without considering that it may fall apart--but I am willing to try, Elder Yuuki." She smiles again. "I will dream cautiously with you. Is that acceptable to you? And if you do find a way--I will, of course, be happy to help ''you'' with helping for as long as I am Elder."
Madeleine Cadrasteia	"...What a peculiar way to phrase it. I would love to hear of your community." Madeleine sets down her silverware and ponders for a moment. Where to begin... When she speaks her voice is serious, bordering on the theatrical. "I come from a sunless land. Beings of light descended there from parts unknown, but to know light is to know darkness as well. I was something else, and what that was I cannot say, but now I am that something's shadow. I thought it my destiny, once, to be the death of light, to tear stars from the sky and laugh in the face of the gods." Practically on cue, a falling star streaks across Madeleine's eyes. "That's not to say I'm opposed, now, but I have found a more personal calling. So I can understand, when you say you found priorities other than your past. I too am changed by time and tide. Speaking of which..." A dramatic pause. "There are means of delving into the past, of recovering the long-forgotten. Perhaps they would be expensive to perform in this District, however," she says with a soft smile. "Madeleine. What is it you hunt, then?" "There is little that I could not catch, should I choose," says Madeleine, sitting up a little straighter and puffing out her chest with pride. "But my speciality is creatures of legend. Those wonderful beings which transcend the physical and become as much myth as beast. Erymanthian boars, white stags, all that sort of thing. I have a particular fondness for creatures which began as hoax and emerged from legend into the real - hodags, and hidebehinds, all those sorts of fearsome critters. My work also has me traffick with mythical peoples, such as the Sasquatch of the northwoods or mermaids of the sea, though in that case my role is as much diplomat as huntress." Madeleine continues at length, offering anecdotes about her escapades for as long as she's permitted to go on. When the matter of dreaming cautiously arises, Madeleine looks to the Director to take the lead in forging a pact - but her expression is one of encouragement. Something - perhaps the mutual interest in origins, or the chance to talk shop about cryptid hunting - has earned the huntress's sympathy for the blood fiends.
Kukuru	"They make such interesting things, humans, and I could never hope to match their cruelty." "It was peace that destroyed him and his Kindred." That's the first thing tonight that gets Kukurus' expression to dampen somewhat. "There's a lot of things they can do, mhm. Sometimes, they come up with some really great stuff, and other times... Mmn." She goes quiet for a little while, letting her mind wander towards sadder things for a little while. "Well, I guess it's because there's sooo many of them, you know? Like rolling the dice a bunch of times, and... Something good happens! Or bad." Another bite of food, and she perks right back up. "But that's what makes humans like Hibiki real special! Even though she has a lotta power, I've never seen her do anything cruel with it. It's really something, although I do wish she'd take better care of herself sometimes..." She sighs just a little dramatically, then perks up further when her brain catches onto something else. "... Oh! Hibiki, that's a lovely idea. If you join Langsdorfffia's family, and they joins ours, then it's like you're in the Concord's family, too!" Kukuru seems rather excited by that idea, of course. "I think you should really think about it, mhm." She rattles on, seeming even more enthusded when the First Kindred appears to be on board with Yuuki's proposal. "And while you think about that, the Bloodfiends can dream with us while we get to work~" "It is not measured in liters, it is measured in desire." "So that's how it works.. Huuuh. I get that feeling sometimes, especially when I see something new to try." Kukuru nods in possible understanding, munching on some of the fish and letting out a little pleased noise before grabbing some more. "Like... When I get a little hankering to eat something I've eaten before, I could eat a lot. But when there's something really new, or something really new to do... I could eat way more, and I'd still be hungry for a while until I feel like I've had enough. Is it something like thaaat?"
Ivy Carrow	"Are you a Princess too?" "Oh, princesses inherit their castles. I made mine." She offers no clarification, besides an indulgent smile. "You should show me your blood magic." "Much of my Captain's talents are difficult to physically display. The ability to bind people together, or taste memory...It would be difficult--" "No, no..." She waves off Alex's concern, gingerly taking the glove from the elder's hand. "I can work with this." "You can't afford to make yourself anemic now, Ivy..." Undeterred, Ivy held up the glove to her face and...Bit down on one of its finger? She closed her eyes, her brows briefly furrowing...And the glove...Dissolved? It returned to its sanguine origins, flowing around her hand. Following around the path of her fingers, she raised them above her head, and mimed the tipping of a hat...And the blood respun itself into what could only be described as a comically small top hat. "It seems your people are not so unlike a Bloodfiend family yourself. I am glad you have a Family of your own, Miss Ivy." "Me too..." There's something a little more subdued in her voice, now. "The connections we forge with each other are the proof that we were ever alive. I always wanted to make that real."
Hibiki Tachibana	Are you capable of the impossible too? "...I just do what I can, when I think it's right," is Hibiki's slightly embarrassed sort-of-an-answer to the good-natured prod, before she sits up a bit straighter and blinks at the offer, as unserious as it (probably) is. Add that with Kukuru pitching in with compliments and taking said offer entirely seriously, she spends a few seconds with an inability to find words before rubbing at the back of her neck again with an awkward chuckle. "Aha... I'll think about it, yeah..." For a moment, her mindscape wanders to imagining Fia and Hiromi both warring for whether she's part of the family or the pack. That thought is promptly snuffed out after about three seconds. Ah, well... Have you ever met someone you'd fight the world for, Miss Hibiki? At that though, Hibiki pauses, her eyes set somewhere down on the table surface. "Yeah. Someone I'd fight every world out there for." The reply comes without hesitation when she finally does speak up, and as she looks back up at the Elder, it seems as if just that sentence alone has made her immediately understand where she's coming from better. She is notably less intense when it comes to rest of that however, even if she grimaces at the talk of human cruelty and how her brother perished, idly picking at some of the food in front of her. "...Winning the war, but not being able to live in the aftermath... sorry. If he was anything like you, I really would've liked to meet him." After a quiet inhale, she looks back to the Elder. "I'll do what I can. To not just make the world more peaceful, but make it easier to live in, too. So that things like that won't repeat." Despite her usual frumpy-like neutral, her expression eases up some. "Now that I know you and Magnolia, I don't think I'd be able to take it easy if I didn't try." Connections forged between people are a powerful thing indeed.
Yuuki Kuran	"I think it would please me, actually, if everyone believed that the Concord was capable of doing the impossible. Perhaps, it will be the case that our incredible partnership cannot produce a miracle - and certainly, I would say that none but fellows should even begin to expect one - but I have come to know that this place, this Multiverse, is a place of monsters and miracles. When the First," Priscilla. "and I saw what this Sector had become we realized that we were both the powerful and also the ones in need of miracles from others. Lordran was among the worlds the whole Multiverse turned around for a time, and my world was one that more recently saw simple miracles and the diligence to try better. And so, in both cases, we know, I know: It is together, with those different than you, that we can transmute 'forever' into something that is a very long and pleasant time among the people we cherish in the methods we choose." Yuuki's speech, deliberate and unhurried, moves her hands up to dictate, gesture as appropriate to various members of the Concord - all but Hibiki! - and then, at the end, clasp her hands again at her lap, sepia-white coat settled over shoulders, never removed. Cold or warm, it wasn't quite important enough to modify for her. Not as important as explaining necessary things. All that stuff before was, also, her pitch - but this is a bit of history in turn for the Blood Fiends, for Fia. "You might find it funny, but I married the now-head of the Hunters' Association. Together, this alliance has made things better, and not worse. Despite betrayal happening in the past, that shouldn't taint all future possibilities. That would just mean that whomever did that last terrible thing would truly be the greatest evil, for killing hope." Yuuki anecdotes warmly. "Please, for now, dream cautiously. I would hate you to risk your children for words and nothing. But also, I appreciate your care in meeting us, and feeding us, and helping us learn about you." Yuuki's smile is a radiant thing, despite her title 'Queen of Vampires', like she is impossibly sun-aspected for being a moonlit creature. "It's been a pleasure - the first of many, I hope. We're stronger for trying."
Sarracenia	'Careful, You wouldn't want me to ''expect'' the impossible of you, would you?' Sarra giggles at that. "Well, that all depends, I think." 'Oh, princesses inherit their castles. I made mine.' Sarra is not sure she likes the implication of this statement, but she lets that pass. "Captain Carrow's castle is magnificent! If you ever have the chance you should definitely visit it!" Sarra says to Fia. 'Sarracenia really is adorable, mhm. Even though she's a princess, she's a much harder worker than looots of people I know, and...She also has these really cute outfits if you ever need to fly somehow. Or maybe nap in.' Sarra blushes heavily at the praise from Kukuru and freezes up a bit. "A-...adorable...?" she repeats in mild disbelief. Her disbelief face slowly morphs into a rather happy smile. Even moreso at the mention of her outfits. "Oh! Yes, my power-ups! I am quite happy to share them! I would be happy to provide a starter crate of them for you and your house to enjoy. I personally like the suit-style power-ups, but there are many that grant powers while only changing your color-scheme or adding extra ears and a tail to you." To demonstrate, Sarra pulls out a leaf, and in a puff of smoke she has raccoon ears and a tail. "This one, in addition to being cute, allows you to fly!" 'That would just mean that whomever did that last terrible thing would truly be the greatest evil, for killing hope.' Sarra practically growls at that. "I refuse to let hope die, and I hate it when someone has had to give up on a worthy dream. If this dream is at all possible, I would be happy to help make it reality!"
Angela	''There is little that I could not catch, should I choose.'' "Oho!" The First Elder grins with teeth. "Likewise." But she pays keen attention to Madeleine describing the purpose of her hunts. The idea of hunting in order to parlay, to befriend, is fascinating to her. She wonders if the Fanghunt Office was like that at one point but for all the time she has had, she doesn't know the minds of such Fixers. "A gentle huntress... Truly fascinating. I hope we can speak more on this." Kukuru speaks of Hibiki's humanity--and also her ''humanity''. Fia studies Hibiki thoughtfully as Kukuru speaks so well of her--and laughs when she even agrees Hibiki should join the Family and also The ''Family''. "Well let's not pressure the girl, Miss Kukuru." She has no idea of her connection to Hiromi, of course. She frowns thoughtfully at Kukuru asking if her hunger is akin to ... well in truth, Fia isn't sure she quite got it. But she says, "Well I am not sure," because what else could she say? ''Ivy bites the glove.'' It's strange. It tastes like blood, yes, but it doesn't have the texture of blood. It has the texture of glove. But then the blood transmogrifies in a method not so disimilar from what the Elder herself utilized in forming it. She laughs joyously as blood glove becomes blood hat. "My... You are quite talented aren't you? I really must get to know your Warprunners further." She smiles at Hibiki. "Oh he was lovely. Whatever you thought of him, he would have surely admired all of you. He ... had a fondness for that kind of life you seem to have, if only he could have managed it himself. Thank you for your kind offer--and words, Miss Hibiki." "Y..yeah..." Magnolia says, staring at Hibiki. ''Mario Powerups!!'' "Fascinating..." The Elder says, somewhere between intrigued and concerned. She is trying to figure out how it works and just can't and that makes it a little unnerving. ''History of the Concord'' Fia and Magnolia pay close attentionm. ''Together''. An ideal that died long ago--but that was before there was a multiverse out there, before that it could be properly analyzed. "Cautiously together then," The Elder says. "What reasonable bloodsucker could say no to that? Not I." ''You might find it funny, but I married the now-head of the Hunters' Association.'' "No." Fia murmurs. "I don't find it funny at all. It ''has'' been a pleasure, Elder Yuuki. I hope you can visit again soon."