Scene #7355: The Christmas Before Nightmares

Owner	Pose
Hesinca	THE NETHERWORLD Something something hive of scum and villainy. It's actually a nice place, if chaotic to its core. Heaven is straight lines and clean intersections, hell is curves - curves everywhere, including and especially the roads. Any sort of sensible Avenue A B C type grid system is nowhere to be found - the roads are a mess with no clear naming scheme, often one road changing into another halfway through, or going over and under in overpasses and tunnels with no rhyme or reason, or having sub-designations like Southwest Street NE. Traffic is, of course, terrible. Hesinca flexes her wealth pips and arranges everyone chartered taxis from the nearest warpgate - people can make their own way if they want to, but finding a parking spot inside the sprawling commercial-industrial park that Hesinca and Associates is located in is its own sort of hell. (It also appears that at some point there was a literal war fought over parking space, given the presence of dug trenches and a not-quite-fully-deactivated minefield in the medians - watch your step.) Hesinca and Associates (A Repentence Firm) occupies an office building that is not particularly demonic, evil-looking, or otherwise out of what a human would expect, aside from having more basement levels than upper floors. The party is on the second floor, and it is... well, an office party. Plenty of interesting looking people, to be sure. Demons range from 'mostly human with some diabolical-looking features like horns and chitin' to 'full on fantasy monsters' - a fair amount of the latter being what could be described as 'vaguely greek', including a bulbous-headed cyclops and a minotaur (both in business formal, of course). But it's fairly mundane things - milling around, picking at the snack table, having water cooler talk, playing russian roulette, or daring each other to take a shot at the karaoke machine in the corner that so far nobody's tried. All fairly usual, aside from the karaoke. The prinny squad is running around, mostly carrying serving trays full of stuff. Hesinca's off at one corner. She's dressed up, trying to look like a Respectable Boss, and largely failing at it.
Guzma	Guzma was going to invite Plumeria to hang out at this Concord and Businessmen party. Plumeria heard the second part, and thought it was a terrible idea, but apparently someone overheard and leaked the information to two troublesome teens: Lillie and Gladion. Since then, they insisted they'd get to go, to 'get out of the house' and 'show the demons who truly has a heart of darkness'. Hesinca didn't shoot it down, so Guzma didn't have an excuse to say no. (And Plumeria seemed to think it was funny, so he didn't have the moral support to put his foot down). That is why ya boy Guzma, soft-hearted Big Bad, is accompanied by two blonde young teenagers, who immediately woah at all the cool demons and demon party. Lillie, despite being a kidnappee, is immediately excited, especially because she knows Gladion will protect her. "Gladion, look! It's an office party. They've got drinks and karaoke and..." Gladion's already wandered off, while Guzma is wrangling them snacks to distract them, which lures Lillie in his direction. He's not yet aware that his Big Bad Boss cred is in danger. Gladion steps up to the nearest gathering of demons, and speaks up. "Which of you has the darkest heart? Show me your true self." A hand is brought into the air, clutching like there's a dark power contained within.
Zero Kiryu	Getting Zero Kiryu to dress properly is only easy when the dress code is already in the ballpark of what he wears daily anyway. He's currently wearing a black suit and waistcoat with a white button-down shirt that's only not rumpled coincidentally. His tie is a bit odd, bearing a strange printed pattern that resembles the wings of some species of butterfly or another that may or may not correspond to an actual living species. His actual arrival is on foot from the warpgate, a perpetually dull -- though not disinterested -- expression lingering on his face. One step inside the door and his attention is already scoped in on the children that Guzma brought. His eyes flick in that direction, trailing the (he assumes) angry child for a few moments before turning towards the young lady. Well, they don't look completely incapable, but he decides to keep an eye on that to make sure it doesn't get out of hand at some point. He meanders for a bit, collecting a drink before finding his way to Hesinca's corner. He gestures towards the ongoing game of russian roulette and says, "That... is a lot more honest than the parties I am used to. But the content is the sameh." Either through a piece of plant life, a butterfly on his person, or actual proximity, he adds towards Yuuki, "Ichijo's are alright, though."
Yuuki Kuran	It's a big happy office party, with a terrible parking situation. Wars were fought for parking. The office of the Director politely declines transportation, noting that Yuuki would 'arrange her own'. UPON THE PATH TO THE VENUE: Zero 'feels' an onrushing familiar shape on the road. It's probably normal, in Hell Traffic, for her motor carriage to be driving 'casually'. Then he sees it pass him, on the side of the road, empty except for Yuuki, hands gripped tight to the wheel, and a maniac grin on her face. Yuuki doesn't have her driver's liscense. It was never relevant when the world was connected by super duper high-speed rail and also every major location was one Toku Jump from the local quarry/forest/alleyway. As she drives, the front fender on her classic styled muscle car continues to plow through garbage on the road as she just battering rams her way through traffic while navigating by a phone on the dash. Getting lost only increases the bodycount. ARRIVAL happens in a cacophanous crash, as the smoking-yet-pristine frontal battering-fender of her vehicle simply sends another parked car flying into a nearby building with a distant crash-crunch-crumple. Yuuki steps out of the car in a long black slit-cut dress with an internal layer of white frill that trails on the ground. Twirling the keys around her finger and clearing the maps off her phone screen, she moves in to join the party, and wraps about Zero's left arm to lean against him warmly. "But the honesty is the good part, isn't it? Driving here was so fun!" A smash cut to the swath of destruction cut through Hell reminds you that Yuuki still doesn't have a liscense. Back in the party room, Yuuki waves to the host. "Yoohoo! Hesinca! Your party's really nice!" She beams across the room, anime glow fully in effect.
Hesinca	The trio of demons turn to regard Gladion with curiosity. "Well, you must understand, human," says the scrawny looking impy one with glasses, as he adjusts his glasses. "Darkness and evil isn't an inherent quality but more of a purposeful deviation from a societal norm - like a measure of velocity versus acceleration-" "I SAW A PUPPY" booms the armored knight demon, interruping him. "AND I KICKED IT" The faceless helmet seems to be looking at Gladion hopefully for a reaction of horror and shock. "How boorish," says the normal looking secretary demon (with her hair done up in a bun). "The both of you." She sips at her wine, and then sets it down on a nearby table. "Kid, you want to see some real evil and darkness?" "I GO THROUGH THE TEN ITEMS OR LESS CHECKOUT LINE WITH ELEVEN ITEMS" boasts the armored knight, interrupting her as well. Hesinca looks at Zero, and then over at the game of russian roulette. "Eh, they're posturing. It's like one bullet in a gun with, what, twelve chambers? And they spin it each time. That's basically nothing as far as odds-" BANG Nobody reacts or looks over at the sudden self-inflicted gunshot. "Hey, thanks," calls Hesinca. She waves back. Some of those around Yuuki regard her glow with a bit of suspicion, though.
Captain Flint	Flint and his quartermaster get into a taxi, evidently more willing to take up Hesinca's hospitality than to chance getting lost. They'd both offered to bring some of the crew along, but none of them knew what to make of being asked along to a party by Flint, much less one hosted by a demon in the bowels of downtown Hell. At least it's a lively and animated sort of hell. The two of them clean up pretty well, though not in a way that disguises their native world in the slightest. Flint's hair is tied back just enough to keep his bangs from his seafoam eyes, wearing a loose-fitting white poet's shirt with rolled up sleeves and a wide neckline. It's tucked into tight black trousers, with a wide studded belt and polished leather boots to match. Seated opposite him, Silver's outfit is no less bold; shades of black in a period-appropriate longcoat, a striped form-fitting shirt beneath, engraved leather belt, slacks, and square-toed boots, one of which conceals his prosthetic. "Dr. Howell tells me you've not been using the crutch." "Really," says Silver, in a mock-gossiping tone. "Did he also tell you about Randall and the figurehead?" Flint can't hide the smirk as he shakes his head. They'll talk about it Later. For now there's a party, and it seems the cab has just pulled up. The two sharply dressed pirates step out, making their way across the embattled parking lot. There's a look which says 'Jesus' from Silver as he edges around an undetonated land mine, but they otherwise make it inside without any trouble. Silver heads for Guzma, his limp incorporated into a swaggering, confident stride. He claps the younger man on the shoulder mid-snack-gathering, sidling in beside him to grab a few of his own. "Welcome to Hell," he says with a wry smile. Flint, meanwhile, approaches Hesinca with something in hand. An envelope, with her name on it, presented with a lopsided grin. "A Christmas party in Hell is a novel idea to me--but I did say you were on the Christmas list." If she opens it, she'll find it's a handwritten note with art he must have had commissioned; there's no maker's mark on it save the artist's signature, located dancing in the flames of a burning London.
Guzma	As Gladion listens to the demons, the scary armored knight speaks in horrible red text and...well, says mundane things. Gladion reacts with a smirk and a nod. "Most impressive, dark one. But inside my heart lies worse-" And then the bun-haired secretary asks him if he wants to see real evil and darkness. "Well, well. If you're offering, whatever, I won't refuse." Trying to look tough. There's a gunshot. He averts his eyes, and Lillie jumps, getting eyecovered by Guzma immediately. "H-hey!" "Don't look, yo." Silver comes up, and Guzma immediately removes his grip and nods. "Yeah, it's a terrible place." He sips something non-alcoholic after hunting. Lillie speaks up towards him, averting her eyes from Russian Roulette towards pirate. "Oh, hello, Mr. Pirate. Do you come out to parties like this often?" Trying to make small chat!
Zero Kiryu	Zero usually has a twist of plants accessorizing Yuuki in some way, specifically so he's available in an emergency. Well, of course he sees her going past, both from his own perspective and from the perspective of the twist of vine on her person. So he doesn't even really offer her a direct glance from his own primary body along the way, instead merely sighing. "Aido would have driven for you," he points out, when she finally physically arrives. "And yes, I suppose." The sound of the gun going gets a glance out of him. Zero shakes his head. "Yes. 'Posturing' is correct, as well. It's usually six chambers. If they're using a twelve-chamber revolver it's probably a small bullet. Negligible damage for most demons, I assume." "Is this typical, or have you toned it back for your guests?" He asks Hesinca. "Do you just want to play with cars?" He asides to Yuuki, in a mumble. "You made a deal with that circus demon, there are probably bumper cars at his place..."
Captain Flint	The sound of a gun going off is never something one is truly comfortable with; it always carries with it the threat of more, always plays at the instincts of a person, whatever they may be, however adept that person is at handling those instincts. Silver and Flint both tense, for a moment, a singular understanding between them even from across the room--neither one had noticed the game going on, but both quickly realize it's just that, easing up and turning back to their respective focuses after a brief glance-nod towards one another. Silver is remarkably good at putting on a smile for Lillie. "Not parties like this," he says, waving a finger around idly as he enjoys a festively-shaped cookie. "But parties, sure. Just about... every time we make port," muses Silver with a grin. The pirate offers a hand, introducing himself. "I'm John. You might've heard me on the radio--Mr. Guzma here's a friend of mine," he adds, in that tone that people take when they're namedropping a famous person.
Hesinca	Hesinca opens the envelope and looks at the contents. She perks right up. "Well! This is a surprise. I'll have to get this framed. Merry Christmas." She glances over at the kids averting their gaze from the russian roulette, and makes a quick motion with her hands. The prinnies descend and clean things up, and confiscate the game pistol, and Hesinca makes a few comments on the radio. (It's not clear if anyone was actually killed or if it's a small bullet like Zero theorizes. The Prinnies get that taken care of either way.) "We don't interact with humans much down here," she comments to Zero, going back to admiring Burning London. "Like, there's a world full of them in the same solar system, but we're forbidden to step foot on there for obvious reasons. So I don't have a really good measuring stick for human stuff, but... so far so good?" "Sounds like someone wants to see the repentance floor, then," says Secretary Demon, with an evil smirk. "YOU WANT TO BRING UP WORK AT A CHRISTMAS PARTY REALLY" "Just a little peek at our star project," she says, taking Gladion by the arm and leading him towards the elevators. Meanwhile, one of the prinnies proffers a tray of sushi at Lillie. They are all sardine sushi, and some of them are suspiciously missing their fillings.
Yuuki Kuran	"Aido would have driven me mad, not driven me to the party." Yuuki shoots back, making a 'blehhhh' face at the thought. "I'd be in traffic for the next century. I learned about 'aggressive driving' before coming here, and since it's Hell, I thought I'd try it out. That's all!" The Gunshot incident passes with Yuuki shaded-eyes 'looming' in the corner, though 'playing with garbage revolvers for funsies' is... FLASHBACK TO: Hesinca applying Toughness Supercut Compilation 7 Yuuki deflates, plucking a sardine sushi mindlessly from the tray and popping it whole into her mouth to chew. "Never mind. It can't be helped. We should be understanding." She deadpans, suddenly feeling deep appreciation for Hesinca's strong and firm leadership. Truly, this party is a revel, because it is revelatory. "Ah, Guzma, will the children be okay?" She asks him, concerned.
Zero Kiryu	"It's recognizable, but wouldn't be comfortable for most humans. It's been a while since that term applied to me, though," Zero replies to Hesinca. He doesn't seem concerned by the fact that this place isn't friendly to humans, though. The most normal people here are still quite out of the ordinary by any reasonable standard-- even the children with monsters. "I was just wondering how much things have been reeled in from your norms." He replies to Yuuki, "Yes. Aido needs minimum bodily functions to keep himself from dying. You might be right about taking too long down here, though..." When Yuuki asks her question of Guzma, he turns his attention towards the Secretary Demon and Gladion and calls across the room, "Stop that." There's a bit of mental energy leveraged there, not to actually bend minds but to make his voice perceptible clearly from a distance in spite of not actually raising his voice.
Captain Flint	Flint nods, smiling warmly. "Merry Christmas," he rumbles back in that gravelly English baritone. He helps himself to a drink. He's been known to, from time to time. Yuuki expresses concern over whether Guzma's charges will be all right here. The captain can't help feeling some remorse for his earlier part in endangering them after the fact. His good cheer fades slightly at the sight of her concern, but is replaced almost as quickly by some manner of resolve. What that resolve is, or what it means to do, is hard to say. Just like that, it's gone. Replaced with a smile hidden behind the lip of a glass. "Is everything alright, Mr. Kiryu?"
Guzma	Guzma is eating a cookie and sipping a drink. As Lillie chats with Silver, Guzma turns to Yuuki and replies. "Yeah, they should be fine. Gladion's one of my gang, and Lillie, well, she's started getting used to-" Gladion is currently walking away towards an elevator when he hears the voice of an Older Person chiding him. Assuming the demon secretary breaks off and doesn't take him to the fun repentence room, he tsks and moves over towards Zero and Yuuki. "What was that about? I was gonna see some real darkness." Guzma shrugs in reply. "Have you ever even seen a dead body?" Gladion is about to speak, and then moves to peer at the Russian Roulette after a moment of trepidation, but it's already been cleaned up, so he just sulks. MEANWHILE Lillie is ignoring them! She's having fun with her new friend John. "Well, he sure is powerful...but you know why I live with that gang, right? They abducted me, all to steal Neb- I mean, a Pokemon. I mean, they're not /awful/, but, maybe you could help me?" She shifty-eyes, and whispers that part. What exactly she wants from Silver is yet unclear.
Jonathan Joestar	Jonathan's back and neck make a satisfying pop. "Ah ... " he sighs, the taxi had been appreciated, but it had been small for his frame. He'd had to cram himself in as best he could, and ever since, had experienced an uncomfortable tension that released itself at last. Both arms of his broad and beefy self full of various confections and baked goods courtesy of his wife, steaming hot and wrapped in star-spattered linens. Cookies, Breads, Pastries, you name it, and it is probably there. The man himself is dressed in an immaculate tuxedo with golden, star shaped buckles and buttons, and a comically tiny, pink bowtie at his neck. "Good evening, everyone! I do apologize for my tardiness. I trust this will more than make up for it?" He approaches Yuuki, Guzma, Kiryu, and the rest of the posse with a genial smile adorning his chiseled face.
Hesinca	The secretary demon also sulks a bit. "It's safe-ish, honest," she calls at Zero. "Reeled in - it's an office party, they're all this dull," says Hesinca. It seems fairly lively and in good spirits compared against earth parties of a similar nature. "... Also it's not actually safe, the stuff we extract from souls is kinda explosive," she quietly adds, in reference to Secretary Demon's comment. "And souls can lash out if they get agitated - which they do. Since we agitate them." Jonathan's trays of baked goods get descended upon by the assembled guests before he can even put them down. "Oh these are good - Hesinca, you didn't say you had other demon friends coming," calls an accountant. "WHAT HELL ARE YOU FROM" asks the armor demon to Jonathan.
Zero Kiryu	"I'm the Director's right hand. It's my responsibility to make certain things don't get out of control," Zero explains to Flint, simply. He doesn't seem personally bothered by anything going on, though. When he catches Gladion's attention, he takes his cell phone out, turns on the flashlight function, and holds the phone aloft with a tendril of vine that emergnes from his wrist. Another tendril twists out in front of the light, casting a prominent shadow where the light shines-- this appears solely to be done so as to allow Yuuki to remain where she is. "Shadow and darkness," he says, "are not the same. What is born here in the shadows is not 'dark', but 'pale'." Without further explanation he puts his cell phone away and withdraws the tendrils back into his body. Zero nods towards Hesinca. He seems unsurprised that the Secretary Demon was lying, or at least glossing over the particulars. "Joestar," he greets Jonathan, taking the smallest confection he can identify more-or-less just to be something adjacent to nice. It doesn't get eaten right away, and Yuuki probably knows why. He's never been much of a sweets person.
Captain Flint	"I help people all the time," says Silver with a nod and a winning smile. His eyes gleam. "Do you see that man over there?" He gestures with a nod of his head to Flint, the other obviously-pirate at the party. "Don't look right at him! I'll tell you a secret... I helped him, his men, and a bunch of our friends find something very... very valuable." That's an extremely simplified and sanitized version of what actually happened. It's also not a secret--but he says it like it's one, going so far as to cover part of his mouth as he divulges it. "I'm very good at keeping secrets, I'm quite determined... and my memory is long," he says with a conspiratorial grin, tapping his temple. "So," he says, dropping the secrecy act to instead don the confidence of a swaggering pirate without a hint of insincerity, "I'm certain I can help you." No sooner does he finish the cookie than does Jonathan arrive, dressed as his contemporary by a century and some change. "I'm also certain you and I can forgive our friend here his lateness, hm?" The quartermaster is among the guests descending on those baked goods, though his approach is the nimble quickness of a pickpocket.
Captain Flint	Zero's answer seems to satisfy Flint, in that, yes, everything is Alright--so long as it doesn't get out of control. He nods, seeming to have understood from the moment the word 'responsibility' was uttered, as if he heard it with a capital R. Though the pirate's posture suggests a kind of ease, it is, to an observant eye, an affectation. He must have been, in another life, the kind of man for whom propriety was refuge and disguise; uncomfortable around others. He's trying. "Mr. Joestar, was it?" Flint offers a firm shake with a hand beaten and weathered by hard work and hardship at sea. "Captain Flint, of the Walrus. The man who just pocketed one of your rolls would be my quartermaster, John Silver." To Jonathan in particular, the received pronunciation of a learned man may seem entirely at odds with his patently piratical attire.
Guzma	Gladion seems, to at first, understand what Zero's trying to teach him. He nods, hms, and walks off to grab a snack. Only then does he say, right in range of Zero's hearing, "The paleness...wicked." Guzma goes to Jonathan to sample BREAD. "Yo, homie. How's it rolling? You been up to anything big?" They've never met, but he brought bread, so he must be important. Lillie nods about Jonathan being late, but then moves over to Silver, talking quietly. "I want you..." "To help me get my own Pokemon. Mr. Guzma won't let me leave the mansion without supervision, but I can't have them pick out my protector! If I got my own Pokemon...maybe someday I could be a trainer like Gladion, too!" Her eyes sparkle. She does not, in fact, want to escape. Not right now, anyways.
Jonathan Joestar	Jonathan chuckles serenely -- and if his hands weren't so full, though he found himself being quickly relieved of the burden -- he'd probably be scratching his cheek. "Rather, I don't believe I'm from any Hell, my friend. I'm still alive, after all." Jonathan returns the vampire's greeting with a nod in acknowledgement. It'd been some time since they'd seen eachother, but it was always nice to see the man doing well. As moody as he was, Jonathan knew from experience that he was a good person; without his and Yuuki's assistance, he'd have died many times, after all. "I would be most appreciative of mercy, in this instance." he lightheartedly remarks, more than happy to let the swashbuckling Silver have his fill, filching and nimble as his swipes were. With his hands finally free at last between grabbing mitts and his own efforts to settle them down somewhere easy for the others to get to, he returns the gesture of a firm handshake with his own. "Jonathan Joestar, pleased to make your acquiantance." Thinking about it briefly, Jonathan supposed that some pirates were famously learned men themselves, such as Edward Teach. From that perspective, it could be said that a successful pirate captain was more likely to be an educated and cultured man, or at least, one who knew of such things. "Oh, hello .. erm .." Jonathan struggles momentarily to try and put a name to Guzma's face. They'd never met, but he could swear the trainer was familiar, somehow. Whatever niggling sense of recognition there was ultimately evaded him as he gave up on it. "Just my own personal research, as of late. Doctor Robotnik's contributions sped me along quite nicely in that regard."
Yuuki Kuran	Guzma gets a little bit of a suffering smile from Yuuki. "Guzma, people don't 'get used' to awful things. You should look after people more, and remember to actually ask them if they're okay. Be the kind of person your subordinates are honest to, you know?" In a way, this too is praise of Hesinca. Yuuki has never once had to talk to Hesinca about employee abuse! In an odd way, when abuse is normal and the joy shines through anyway, isn't Hell just honest in general? Maybe it's a healthy kind of chaos. And then Otome Hero Jonathan Joestar appears, biceps and all, to the party in hell. Yuuki throws up both hands, warmly shouts "Jonathan!" and tiptoe-leans into a big hug. She can't get her arms entirely around the man without magic, but that's fine. It's like an extra big, extra muscly chest pillow. "Now, Guzma, this is Jonathan Joestar, and John Silver. I think Flint's over there? Yoohoo!" She waves, her mood absolutely radiant. "Anyway, I'd like all of these gentlemen to work with you. Train you up, you know? Jonathan is a master explorer, a leader, and an expedition master - and Mister Silver is an accomplished schemer and ne'er do-well! I'm sure between them and Captain Flint, you'll get up to some wonderful adventures of brotherhood." She drags Zero over by the arm as he talks about being her right hand. "Take Zero, and I'll never be far away, either!" She release Jonathan and Zero to wave over Hesinca. "In fact, hey! Hesinca, where should Guzma go to get trained up. We'll have Jonathan, Zero, Flint, and Silver judge the results. Yeah!"
Hesinca	Hesinca takes in Zero's explanation. "I mean, semantics?" she says. "You start talking about exact definitions, and before you know it you're using terms like 'brighter darkness' or whatever." "Not a demon? With those muscles and that hair?" whispers one of the demon workers, but they leave Jonathan alone after that and give him some space. "Where to go to get trained - um, I went to go look up secret forbidden masters in the phone book, but-" "Hesinca has a figurative lightbulb go off overhead. "Oh, the Item World. Yeah, the Item World would be perfect. I've got a coupon for it, even..." "Okay, Guzma. Do you have... some bit of gear, or doesn't have to be gear it can be anything, that's really powerful? Or really personal, like some sort of personal connection to it, maybe?" She digs around in her inventory and pulls out a card. <ONE FREE TRIP TO THE ITEM WORLD> <BYO ITEM, MAX PARTY SIZE 10> <WITH COMPLIMENTS OF THE ROSENQUEEN CO>
Jonathan Joestar	Jonathan smiles a large and toothy grin, giving Yuuki a brief, comfy pat on the head until she releases his bodice from her vice, heroine power-grip. She always found a way to liven things up, he supposed. Giving Guzma a good, scrutinizing once over, Jonathan nods. If he'd accept his help, he'd be more than happy to give the young man a hand, his thuggish but kind look finally clicking in his head. Though the aesthetic was different, he was ultimately the same kind of character as his good friend, Speedwagon. For better or for worse, that is.
Captain Flint	Silver crosses his arms and nods along with Lillie as she makes her plea. "That's all?" The quartermaster asks, between two large bites of a positively delightful roll, just the perfect blend of chewy and crisp. It's gone, though there is a grateful smile on his face as he nods his thanks to Jonathan. It was a nice thought, making all of that for everyone. Wiping his hands on a cloth quickly tucked back into his coat, he strokes his dark, wiry beard. "Easy," he says. "Though one does wonder what's wrong with the one you've already--" His attempt to get her talking about this 'rare pokemon' with small talk is cut short, as he's called out for being a schemer. Placing his hands on his hips as he turns to face Yuuki, his smile adds an endearing glow to an already handsome face. "I'm precisely the kind of ne'er-do-well you want in your corner, Guzma." He gives a thumbs-up, hidden behind his back, so that Lillie can see he won't forget his offer to help her. Flint, too, seems fine with it--he gives a stoic nod of ackowledgment towards Yuuki, but can't conceal a smile. He lifts his glass. "We desire nothing but to see you succeed, Mr. Guzma," says the captain in that formal, yet sincere way of his. "I shall be glad to see any knowledge find its way to you, which makes you a stronger leader and elevates you to your rightful place."
Zero Kiryu	The silent understanding draws a faint smile out of Zero towards Flint, though the tiny quirk of his lips lasts for such a short period of time that one could easily think that they imagined it. Likewise he seems quite pleased with the low-key acknowledgment of Jonathan. Even with a healthier outlook, Zero isn't a person who has a lot of energy for social situations, so people who 'just get it' offer him a lot of respite from the various drains on his mental energy that would ordinarily plague him here. "That one is Guzma," he provides, in reaction to Jonathan's difficulty identifying the trainer / gang leader. Zero quite literally gets jerked around by Yuuki. His expression is totally blank and indifferent to this. Either he's used to it or actually doesn't care. He glances sidelong at Hesinca towards the end of it. "It's not about exact definitions," he says, without elaboration. Unfortunately he is That Sort Of Guy who has an incredibly excessive number of dialogue prompts to actually get to the point. << If I'm on training duty, look into the young lady Guzma brought. >> Zero telepathically suggests to Yuuki.
Guzma	Lillie grins at Silver and thumbs-up back, while Gladion stuffs his face full of sweets. Guzma... Is taken about by Yuuki. "Wait, I..." He's about to possibly refuse, maybe for image, maybe because he doesn't think he needs or even deserves that, when... A memory flashes in his head. That night outside the Pokemon Center. Him, Scizor, and the most terrifying person he's ever met. The first night since he joined the Multiverse that he'd felt the fear of death - he had survived, but it still left a scar. "Yo, alright. Let's do it." Guzma gives a weak grin for a moment, clear to the empaths and conmen that something was wrong for a second. He takes the Item World card, and then nods to it. He moves to grab his golden chain necklace. "I don't got anything powerful - no connection to my Pokeballs, for example - but this was made by my crew when we started. It's the sign that I'm the boss. Most important item I've got, yo. Will it do?"
Hesinca	"Personal connection, that'll do, yeah. They take it, and they sort of..." She reaches over and down and gently taps the necklace. "Sort of open up a pathway into it? Like, you go into it, but not like you shrink down, it's sort of metaphorical and I'm not going to claim to even understand how to explain it, but it's really good for training and for powering things up." The card's got an address on the back of it. Guzma will presumably have to head there. "Some people have the Item World machines in their home bases, even, but those are expensive and I decided I'd rather get the built-in spa," she adds. "And I've only got..." She trails off, looking over at a group of her demon employees who are clustered around a phone. "... so many... slots in there. Hey, what's going on?" "The red moon's coming into close orbit tomorrow," calls one of the demons. "The astrologers just announced it." Instantly there's a collective groan from everyone. "So close to the holidays?" says the Secretary Demon. "I WAS GOING TO TAKE A LONG WEEKEND" complains Armor Demon. There's similar grumbling from throughout the room - to the tune of a bunch of work getting dumped into their laps unexpectedly.
Yuuki Kuran	Jonathan uses head-pats, a forbidden Ripple technique that could cause great danger if not performed correctly -- But he is a master of the Hamon. He can TOU-ch her head with confidence. "Item world it is then!" Yuuki claps her hands together, fingers pressed tight with palms V-ing off as she pops about. "Though, it's not a 'training duty'. It's Boys Quest, Boys Quest!" "Which means-- Have fun, boys!" She spins on a heel to march off towards Lillie. Second Yuuki (When did Second Yuuki get here?) surrepticiously offers First Yuuki a pair of ice-cream bars still in their wrappers. Second Yuuki is wearing a handkerchief over her face. She is unseeable, because nobody has the authority here to see her. "Lillie, are you okay? There was a loud noise earlier, and I know everyone here may not be used to our big rowdy family. Been keeping busy?"
Jonathan Joestar	Having successfully performed the most forbidden of his secret techniques, Jonathan crosses his arms over his chest with a look on his face that practically said, 'It can't be helped.' "Boys Quest it is, then." But with preparations being made to enter the mysterious Item World that Hesinca had been telling them about, Jonathan cocks his head to the side at the sudden dour mood. And then, moments later, he comes to a realization. "Oh, since this is Hell, I suppose a Blood Moon might affect your work somehow .. it's supposed to be when supernatural powers are at their greatest, isn't it?" Purportedly, it was when the barriers between life and afterlife were at their weakest and spiritual might surged.
Guzma	Lillie turns towards Yuuki. She hasn't really Met Yuuki, even though they've chatted about Parfaits and Eating Too Much and How That Relates To Happiness. Finishing her cookie, she nods her head. "Yeah! I met John over there." A point towards Silver, as she continues. "And he, uh, offered to help me with a thing!" It sounds super secretive and suspicious. She's really bad at making it not sound like she's doing a Bad Thing, because she's going over Guzma's head and that feels awful for her. "You're all very nice...do you consider me part of this 'family', too, despite...everything?" Lillie doesn't indicate whether she'd like that or not. She's just apparently curious what her 'status' is, according to the Concord. This is probably an alignment moment, where either her relationship score will go up or go down tremendously.
Captain Flint	Flint and Silver exchange glances as the grumbling begins. There's a conversation between them, in the span of just a few seconds, entirely nonverbal. A raised eyebrow and a smirk from Silver. A shake of the head from Flint, ever so slight. An arch, amused frown from Silver. He'll let it lie. Besides, 'have fun' usually means 'go figure it out somewhere else.' So, he moves to join with Flint, Guzma, Jonathan and Zero, there to discuss the Boys' Quest, ignorant of any damning being done by Lillie's pointing. Such is the lot of scoundrels as he; to have the jaws of fate ever closing, and to be oblivious. "So I'm told," says Flint to Jonathan. "I imagine our hosts have some obligation by their... employers... to capitalize upon it." He utters the E word with some distaste. "To try and seize upon the moment in which their powers are greatest, perhaps."
Zero Kiryu	"Sounds as if 'Boys Quest' will be postponed to another time, in that case," Zero says. "Hmm. Wouldn't such a thing be good for a place like this? I was under the impression everyone was magical to some extent," he reacts to Jonathan's speculation, looking over towards the employees gathered around the phone. Flint's suggestion gets an affirmative nod out of him; that would make sense.
Hesinca	"Sorta. It's... okay, so this planet is Hell-" Hesinca starts to explain. "You bet it is, dood!" pipes up a nearby Prinny. "- Literally, not figuratively," says Hesinca. "It's..." She waves a finger in a vague circle. "The conduit. People die, their souls get to here eventually, there's some middle steps to it - you're familiar with purgatory? Basically that. They go through purgatory, bunch of inbetween steps, end up here. Then when they're done here - which is anywhere from weeks to centuries - they go back to be reincarnated - again, via the conduit." "But the conduit - the Red Moon - is only within range rarely, so when it is you want to try to get all of the... conduit-ing done as you can. Which means it's-" "Which means it's Deadline Time, dood! Month end reporting, dood! Paychecks go out, if paychecks are souls, which they sort of are, dood!" says Nearby Prinny. "Gee! I hope I get reincarnated this time, dood!" "... And it also means that there's a fresh batch of new souls that need to be situated," adds Hesinca, glaring at the Nearby Prinny. "So it's sort of a busy time all around, and more specifically my own Saturday's gonna be shot to hell since I'm our point of contact with purgatory and I'll have to be on hand to arrange things." "And as far as the Prinny Squad - no, you've got like another few months left," she says, poking Nearby Prinny. "Darn it, dood..."
Jonathan Joestar	Placing one hand to his chin, Jonathan nods in understanding as the situation was laid bare. "I see. So then .. " "Overtime." With that succinct summary, it all makes relative sense. Having spent so long in the multiverse by this point to be able to accept most things as they came, it was a perfectly reasonable thing to happen. Although, some part of the back of his head wondered if it was really okay to equate the circle of life itself to something as trivial as paper pushing. He felt bad for the Nearby Prinny, too, given how excited he seemed at the prospect of finally getting his shot at another life. "Don't worry, I'm sure all your hard work will pay off, erm ... 'dood'." he encourages, awkwardly.
Yuuki Kuran	"Lillie." Yuuki's voice is quiet, but it's easily heard by the blond trainer. Her face breaks out into a small smile. "I'm happy you hit it off with John. I like him too. But I love all of my family members. I try to. I want to. So I do." Even if it's difficult, it's a commitment she made. "Do you want to be part of our family? There's no 'despite everything' about it. Even if you fight with your family, they still love you. A family purely comprised of people who want to be a part of it -- that's more valuable than anything. So..." She tilts her head. "Do you, Lillie? A no is fine too. We won't dislike you either way."
Zero Kiryu	"So you have no choice but to get to it. I see... is that a natural phenomenon, or something dictated by outside forces?" Zero asks Hesinca, glancing towards the Prinny that Jonathan is trying to encourage.
Hesinca	"I mean - I don't know?" says Hesinca. "Do you know for sure that the moon has always risen in your world?" "Yeah, dood!" says Nearby Prinny. It holds one arm up and squeezes it with the other arm, failing to make any sort of 'muscle' with its cloth body. "I'm gonna get reborn, and be a wrestleman like you, dood!"
Guzma	Lillie considers the important question. It's a hard question. She was abducted, but her brother is 'part of this family'. He's having fun, as she watches him talk about paleness to himself. She watches Guzma eat too much bread. Zero talk to HEsinca, Jonathan encourage a prinny, Flint and Silver doing their Pirate Speak. They're all normal people, aren't they? It seems like fun... "I...haven't had a family in a long time. I think I'd like that..." Is Lillie's final reply.
Yuuki Kuran	Yuuki claps her hands together. "Then it's settled. I'll take care of all the rest - don't worry at all. And Lillie?" She pats the trainer on the shoulder. "Try getting stronger with your new family too! Getting better, together... That's really fun. I'm sure Team Skull will understand if you want to grow stronger with them. Maybe it'll open doors for you, too! A little personal power isn't bad."