Scene #7448: Infernal Yum Cha

Owner	Pose
Vergil	Morning Peacock restaurant is bustling at this time of day. Denizens of the Multiverse pour in to claim a space at their large tables. Waiters and waitresses push carts through the narrow gaps in between with practised ease, placing steamer baskets filled with food upon tables and noting on their receipts what they've taken. Amii sits at such a table. He's taken the place of honor, facing the door, with his back to the wall. It's a bit of a squeeze, and he has to manspread a little to be able to sit there, but that means his 8-foot bulk is neatly out of the way of people manoeuvring around the table. Tony and Vergil are also present, both sipping at the complementary green tea. Vergil with a faintly bored look on his face, Tony with a grimace like he can't stand the bitterness, but keeps drinking to pass the time. "Ah, welcome welcome!" Amii says as people start pouring in. "We felt it rude to start ordering before you all arrived." Tony snorts a little as if he was not included in 'we.' From his unfurling scales, the great demon produces a wallet stuffed with cash. "I've made all this doing some odd jobs, so the meal is on me. Please, order anything you like." Carts begin rolling around proffering food. The usual yum cha fair is there; wok-tossed vegetables, steamed buns, fried dumplings, won ton and dim sum. But this is the multiverse, and more exotic dishes are on offer here. "I'm sure you must have questions; please don't hold back on that regard either. I'm an open book," Amii adds, before delicately holding chopsticks between his claws to claim some food for his plate.
Xion	Xion, ever-eager to share food with others and having not once been to a yum cha before ('it has yum in the name!!!'), had barely time to animate herself through all of the motions of 'getting into a chair and start grabbing plates' and skipping too many of them by snapping into her seat with a pop and grinning with a chopstick in each fist. "Wow! Thanks for inviting us! You must take really odd jobs to be paid in fat billfolds! Mostly, we only get pocket munny for doing jobs, but Heartless drop it too, so it's sort of like working for tips?" Xion explains needlessly, revealing the Black Coat Gig Economy bare. "Hey, I've got a question." Xion begins, transferring chopsticks to the same hand to dig into a plate of noodle. "Do you have a power that makes people see you as different, or are you just..." Xion tries to square her shoulders and push out her chest while simultaneously slouching and taking up more room. "...'chad' all the time?"
Rubi-Kan Vagrants	Someone entering this restaurant looks as though he's never missed a meal, nor failed to put it to use. He is seven and a half feet tall, with thick layers of muscle all the way down--the kind one puts on intending to use, not to show off. He is dressed like the intersection of 'The Fifth Element' and 'biker,' with a daringly translucent tank top taking center stage, amidst worn jeans, thick motorcycle boots, and some sort of military uniform shirt repurposed into a light jacket with the sleeves rolled up, pins and patches decorating it to make it uniquely his. The back reads 'GALAHAD, INC.' His head is mostly shorn save for a wild green mohawk. All of him is green, really--his skin, his hair, his bushy beard--save his eyes, which seem normal but for the startling red of his irises. His features seem intimidating, his eyes dancing with an ember of something wild at all times, and yet, there's a warmth and a kindness to his smile which rests right alongside that wild ember. He is Bercilak, the Green Knight, and food enough is already tempting, for the implied social gathering. 'Monster fights' is firmly within the realm of 'sport' for him, and this is enough to seal the deal. Like Amii, he's a bit too much man for the seating, so he's seated opposite the demon, with his broad back to the door. "Gramercy thereof thy ilathinge, frend," says the biker as he scoots his chair in. He goes with dim sum for his choice. Hard to go wrong with variety, and it's a good yardstick of how well a restaurant performs. "And wel-imet. I am Bercilak of the High Wasteland, so als the Green Knight." He seems to have no problem holding the chopsticks the right way, despite many indications that might have led someone to believe otherwise. "Heil, Xion," he says, as the various little dishes are laid out before him. He's getting at a steamed pork bun at the moment. "Methinks the latter," admits Bercilak, who is also stanced up all the time.
Shinnosuke Tomari	Shinnosuke Tomari arrives after a bit. He takes the easiest seat where his back isn't directly to the door, similar to Amii, and grabs a menu. "Ah, are you sure? Thank you for your generosity." This is weird. Yum cha with a demon man. But, he saved them. He was extremely polite, and helped them stop the creature in the forest that was luring people to their deaths. So, he can at least hear him out and have some delicious food, as he orders (and promptly moves to devour) whatever the house specialty dumplings are. A small red-with-white-stripes toy car is placed on the table, in a safe non-food touching place nearest Shinnosuke. If anyone asks, he says it's Mr. Belt, as he did not bring the belt here, because he's not expecting a fight, but Mr. Belt is sure to have his own questions. Finally, once he's eaten some dumplings, Shinnosuke finally asks a question. "Did you hear about the job same as Tony and Vergil? Your timing was impeccable- not that I'm suspicious or anything. You saved our lives, and for that, I'm thankful." As he's doing this, he notices Bercilak. Bercilak's not going to recognize him, most likely. He absolutely recognizes how Bercilak talks. "Nice fashion sense." Is all he says, lightly, in-between grabbing another dumpling.
Roxas	Roxas doesn't really understand the particulars except that food is involved. He remembers Vergil just fine; they've had a few good conversations and Vergil has Pulled Some Shit in deepest Darkness that was specially wild. That actually makes this entire situation a little surreal to him. It's not that it's impossible to imagine Vergil just sitting in a tea shop and eating, but... It still feels "out of place". He's ordered two different types of tea, with a request to wait for the second type. As for the food itself, he's been picking regularly a steamed buns but also snagging anything that appears unusual. He doesn't seem to have any inbuilt "food prejudices" that most people do, so odd things just get him more interested. He's seated next to Xion, and in the middle of swallowing something when she just asks somebody if their appearance is subjective. Roxas manages not to choke, but has a very strained look on his face after. "H-hey, there could be faeries involved," Roxas points out. You unmask faeries before you accuse them of lying by appearance. Otherwise they get offended and faerie things happen. He's not sure how it works with... demons? Yokai? Is there a distinction in this case? He has no way to tell.
Cantio	"'Chad'? Is that like a... Um. A gang thing?" Cantio looks and sounds confused as ever as she tries to make sense of what Xion means, the term only just familiar enough that she can repeat it with the right adjective-y intonation rather than the proper noun sort of way. As she pulls a seat out for herself, she greets the host and the brothers with a light wave and (as usual) awkward smile. "Oh! Um. Thank you for inviting us. There's a few things I was wondering about, actually." She admits immediately, although it doesn't stop her from picking up a pair of chopsticks herself and struggling to get her fingers to cooperate well enough to pick anything up. She's dressed in a black and purple outfit today, apparently keen on trying something different despite it being little more than a palette swap. Being a relative newbie to this type of food, she opts for the more conventional fare first. "That time in the forest... Um. How did you find out what was going on there? And how were all of you able to resist that... Thing it did?" She still believes everyone else didn't see anything strange, apparently.
Xion	Xion is greeted by Bercilak. "Hail!" She greets while waving, before Roxas' concern causes Xion to stop short mid-bite to squint. "Nahhhh. I'm pretty sure Chinese places are never faerie fronts. Plus:" She lifts a shining-savory noodle. "Bread and salt!" That's MSG, Xion. Xion blinks, as Cantio asks a question about REAL POWER HOURS. "Um... 'Chad' isn't a gang thing. It's like being very... cool and strong? Arthur, help explain Chad." Xion leans over to Cantio, across Roxas. "Arthur is also a chad." She whispers.
Arthur Lowell	>Arthur: Visit Morning Peacock Arthur's chowing down on things he's never had before! He picks things with, apparently, basically no discerning tastes and not much ability to expect what comes with it. Ordering soda is a faux pas here, isn't it? It probably is. >Arthur: Order mountain dew Well, okay then. >Arthur: Figure out what's up "Yo, WHAT'S THE STORY about SCHEMES, dawg? Tell me the MAPS." He asks, jabbing a fork -- yes, he even brought his own to be obnoxious -- at the thin air, in Amii's direction. "Heard you got a whole lotta human-versus-bad-shit CONFLICT and CLEANUP sparkin', this just a LONG-TERM ABSTRACT THING or you tryin'a GET SOMETHING DONE?"
Rubi-Kan Vagrants	"Ah, gramercy," says Bercilak to Tomari, giving him a hearty (but measured) slap on the back. "I liken wel thy carte, king," he further notes, pointing towards the tiny car. He's about to say something else, when he notices Roxas. They've never met. But Bercilak, for all that he presents as a boorish fight hobo, is actually very socially perceptive. And also boorish. "Thou must sikerly be Xion's bed-fere! Roxas, yea?" Xion is elbowed like a loud uncle elbows his niece. "A fair cacche, Xion! Bahaha." He opens wide and crams the steamed bun into his mouth whole. He stands up--seemingly suddenly, as if someone had challenged him to a fight. He's even squared up, looking right at Cantio. But there's no fight or challenge. "'Tis a liti difficultuous," he says gently, extending his hand and showing her the right way to use the chopsticks. "Swich is hau I ilerned, mineself." His way is different and certainly considered rude, but it works.
Lilian Rook	If Roxas finds Vergil sitting at a table eating dim sum surreal, Lilian Rook must certainly find it somewhere in the realm of 'fucking infuriating'. It is in fact some kind of incredible wonder that she manages to be here at all. It can only have to do with her persistent interest in Tony Redgrave, though what her plans for him could possibly be are a total mystery. It is entirely possible there has been a preceding argument about him associating with Vergil at all. The fact that she can arrive as casually (businesslike) as she does is a testament only to an extraordinarily face-oriented upbringing. "Of course I have questions." she says to the demon she's heard about, not at all shy about beginning right after sitting down. In contrast to her usual, she doesn't even offer to put down her own money at all. This is unusual because the barrage of questions is both highly specific and something anyone should be reasonably pretty hesitant to ask, especially to a complete stranger (doubly especially for a very large stranger). "In your own words, what does it mean to bleed? What does it mean to die? What is adversity to you? I gather the fact that you're here answers several others, so I'll skip to the remainder. Have you ever consumed a human?" She picks up a pair of chopsticks with the microscopic delay of someone who's just recently gotten good at them. "Pick those answers carefully. I'll know if you lie to me. If I like them, then we can talk."
Cantio	"Cool and strong, huh? then..." Cantio taps a finger to her chin as she looks from Amii to Arthur, her brow furrowing in thought as she continues mulling over it. "I... Think I get it? K-kind of. I mean, the description, not the manner of talking. Um. So Vergil and Tonya are also... Their outfits are cool, right? And we've seen them fight before, so strength isn't an issue, either..." She trying very hard not to look at Bercilak. Between his manner of speaking, being squared up, and facing her directly, she's looking rather intimidated even before he speaks! She even flinches briefly when he holds his hand out, although the softer tone of voice does get her to turn his way and listen just enough that she doesn't look for the nearest escape route. He even helps her with the chopsticks, and she seems to warm up considerably after that. "It is kind of tricky, yeah... But it's making a bit more sense now. It's kind of like trying to pinch things with the tips. And with something like this, you wouldn't have to worry about piercing the surface or squeezing too hard accidentally..." She murmurs in wonder, then shifts around in her seat to look a little more 'official' as she greets Bercilak with a light nod. "Cantio, Drive Core Candidate of Cadenza. I-it's nice to meet you!" That might've been a bit too blurted out. Tense, even, but it's hard for her to remain calm once she realizes that Lilian's there, too. The questions certainly get Cantio's attention, though, even if she's (once again) trying very hard not to look in certain directions as a result.
Roxas	Roxas tries to remember if he's ever seen a chinese place being used as a front by faeries. True to Xion's assertion, he really can't-- and he's bene to a lot of chinese places! None as authentic as this one though. He shrugs and nods, making a point of stealing some of Xion's noodles just to seal the deal in case she's wrong about the faerie front thing. A moment later he finds himself leaning back to accommodate Xion whispering at Cantio, and also being talked to -- or about -- by Bercilak. You'd really think he just Wouldn't Get what's being said to him, but... "That's the second time somebody has said something like that in the last couple of weeks," he observes, distantly. Roxas doesn't really seem to know what to make of it, but neither does he object. Before she withdraws back entirely, Roxas offers Xion a sip of his osmanthus tea. "Oh, um. Yes! I'm Roxas. I don't really have a surname or a title, I guess... maybe 'Number Thirteen'? You said you were... Bercilak? And you live in a wasteland?" He directs to Bercilak, looking confused. It's not because of the language Bercilak used, but that somebody would identify as being from a Wasteland.
Vergil	Amii chuckles at Xion's apparent enthusiasm, as well as her question. "No, I don't have the means to appear different. And I certainly do get some frightened looks. But that's the wondrous things about humans and money. As long as you show that you're willing to spend and not cause trouble, they'll let go of all preconceptions about your kind. I first came to this restaurant some months back. They thought I would ransack the place at first. But after paying for my meal and leaving, they were happy to have me as a regular." Vergil grumbles into his tea, something about how Amii should have done exactly that. Thankfully, the bustle of the restaurant absorbs his comment. Bercilak is a new face, but Amii is happy to have him regardless. "Welcome! Bercilak, was it?" He pronounces it right first-time, but the slight dimming in his glowing eyes betrays his confusion as to what exactly he's saying. "Hey man! Love the look," Tony says, totally unironically. "Are you what would have happened to me if I actually ate my veggies as a kid?" Shinnosuke and Mr. Belt are both bid welcome. If Amii finds it weird, he doesn't show it. "Ah, no. In that case, I was following ancient tales of Sparda's battles in the human realm," he explains. Both Tony and Vergil perk up at that name. "The corpse you destroyed was a demon slain by him. However, it was able to cling to just enough like to persist and bleed for centuries, until that forest sprouted from his blood." Tony sniffs and comments, "Figures the old man couldn't finish what he started." he then promptly grimaces in a way that implies Vergil kicked him under the table. "It is fine, lad," Amii says to Roxas. "I am used to it. I much prefer innocent questions than frightened about-turns or snide whispers. But it's interesting you mention faeries; I presume you have troubles with them?" He's asking this in a tone that implies interest beyond casual banter. "Faeries. Ridiculous," Vergil sneers slightly. To Cantio, he explains (since he already went into why he was at the forest), "This is no decoration," while tapping the organic mask on his face. "The effects are spread by the bloody sap in the trees. With this, I was able to filter it out. In the demon world, attacks can come in any form. Most demons prioritize their own means of combat and simply try to overwhelm each other, rather than learning how to defend. I'm different." "You sure/certainly are," both Tony and Vergil say at the same time, in a slightly derogatory way. Amii laughs as Arthur starts pressuring him. "Schemes sounds rather... oh what's the word... well, I forget it, but it makes me sound like a villain from those excellent plays. Hamlet, The Tempest..." "Shakespearian," Vergil comments quietly. "Shakespearian, thank you. To answer, I do have a goal, yes. And it is to end the hostility between humankind and demonkind. The 'bad shit' as you call us." Is Arthur actually racist, or is Amii reading into his words a little? Either way, the godling gets some good glares from Tony and Vergil both. And then Lillian comes in swinging. Vergil scoffs across the table as even Tony says, "Jeez, let us actually finish these plates before you spoil the mood." Amii raises his clawed hand and shakes his head. "No, she is right to ask. To me, 'to bleed' is to leak a vital essence from your self. 'To die' is to no long be able to influence your surroundings, directly or otherwise. 'Adversity' is obstacles to be overcome in pursuit of your goal. And no, I have never consumed a human."
Vergil	"I have a question myself," Tony says (while also winking at Cantio for saying he has a cool look). "You talk like you knew our old man." Vergil rumbles from his seat. "You even claimed to be his squire. Is that true?" He's exerting social pressure on par with Lillian with that question. "Ah yes... I did know him, passingly. And I was not his direct apprentice. But I consider myself his follower in ideals. I had considered calling my fellows the 'Squires of Sparda.' But this was before I knew he had children. I'll figure something else out if this offends you," he offers Vergil. "Hmph. See that you don't," the swordsman replies. "I shall not then. And to elaborate, it was Sparda who gave me this." He reaches up to tap his broken horn. "He was incredible. I was part of a group of demons who found his location some centuries back. We assaulted him in droves, and he tore through us like it was nothing. I was fortunate enough to only lose a horn and take some moderate wounds. He showed me mercy, in exchange for going back to the demon world and telling everyone I met of what he did to those who came after him." "So he bested you and now you want some of that legacy for yourself," Tony says, uncharitably. "Don't really get it yet; what are you after?" Amii drums his claws (carefully) on the table. "Before I answer, a question for you all. Young Roxas and Xion speak of faeries. I take it you all have issue with the inhuman? Besides demons like I and the Sons of Sparda here, of course." Tony grimaces.
Roxas	"Ssssort of. Faeries have pretty strong restrictions on their behavior, but if you stumble into their spaces or aggravate them in specific ways they're allowed to mess with you back, and a lot of them will do it for fun. The thing is they're probably the most common intelligent denizen of the UG, so if you run into some vaguely mystical trouble it's usually safer to assume it's Faeries than anything else," Roxas explains, gesticulating as he goes. "Sometimes it's other things, and context can cue you in. Vampires are pretty common." He blinks over at Vergil. "Honestly, the Erlking is probably your sort of guy. But... you've been to deep darkness! You know how dangerous the 'ridiculous' and 'silly' things can get!" In response to Amii's final question, he unhesitantly responds, "No, not really. That is... people cause problems, don't they? But it's not inhumans in specific. Being careful with Faeries is like how you don't run away from a big cat." He shrugs, "It's not personal."
Lilian Rook	Lilian stares at Amii like she is barely listening to the vocal shape of his words as he speaks. After a few seconds, she replies "Good enough." She then finally orders. Fairly strong green tea, a steamer basket of spring vegetables, dumplings, and duck. After one, somewhat overdramatic sip, she lowers her cup in both hands, and says, with absolute, undoubtable sincerity. "If you'd answered wrong, I'd have to kill you. The Thirteenth Code doesn't break or bend. Does that answer your question?" Finally livening up enough to acknowledge the presence of the others, Lilian adds "But as for faeries, well, I have a perfect handle on those. Vampires-- I'd have to meet more of them. Your demon issues are simultaneously perfectly secret yet seemingly everywhere. Their legacy of action funnels entirely through a single figure; the neck of the hourglass dividing the past and the future. I've seen what Redgrave's 'gig work' looks like; or rather, I've seen things that definitely fall beyond the purview of a gig." Then, just before starting on her food, she says "Dame Commander Lilian Rook, Ring of Solstice. Not to belittle Redgrave's profound proficiency for knocking horned skulls together, but I do consider myself the more complete package. So if Sparda really did everything he's supposedly famous, yet secret, for, why are there these demons popping up here there and everywhere? What are they after? Why haven't they been properly dealt with? Why are there loyalists to Sparda at all and where are they?" Then, as if the tone of the conversation were completely different, she throws sideways "Lowell at least put the fork away; you're just being offensive on purpose. You're going to teach Xion things." Then a vague chopstick gesture at Bercilak. "Is this one another one of your new friends? You've had some mixed results with those lately, Xion."
Shinnosuke Tomari	As people talk, Shinnosuke eats dumplings. The red car makes noises, frowning at the fact that he, cannot, eat dumplings. Instead, Mr. Belt has questions to ask. "Ah, Dame Rook, at least you wouldn't have killed him at the dinner table, ha ha ha!" It's a laugh that is supposed to be a lead-in to 'of course not', hopefully. Then, Mr. Belt answers Amii's question in the way he best can. "Shinnosuke cares about protecting humans - an inhuman creature that can be a friend to humans is one he's likely to accept." Shinnosuke gives a thumbs-up. Mr. Belt then finishes. "My only issues are not with demons. You do not prey on humans, so you are not my enemy." And then, a pause. "I am Krim Steinbelt, by the way. Shinnosuke calls me Mr. Belt. It's a pleasure to meet you, Amii." The car makes a light honk.
Cantio	"You might both be chad-like, too, actually..." Cantio murmurs as she looks over Xion and Roxas next, still pondering that whole thing over even as she scoops a dumpling into her mouth. "Perhaps... Well, we'll be able to tell more clearly the next time we find something to test ourselves against, right?" She adds with a helpful tone, then quiets down as she listens to Amii's answers. "This Sparda sounds impressive... Even if he wasn't able to do anything about the blood tainting the forest, to be able to resist that influence must mean he had to have some kind of that defense, right? Even everyone... Well, almost everyone here had enough defenses to shrug it off, but we definitely weren't overwhelming it on our own. So Sparda must have been quite powerful..." Amii's goal, however, is what gets her attention even more than the response to Lilian's question and Tony's wink (although the latter does get her a smidge flustered). She doesn't follow up on that right away, however, as Amii goes into more detail about his past with Sparda, his evasion of Tony's question, and then his own question to the group. "Somewhat." She answers plainly for once, although it does take her a bit to elaborate, as if she's trying to organize her thoughts first. "Ever since my home unified, inhuman things started appearing and blending in with the populace. Some of them aren't immediately harmful or noticeable, but when they do make themselves known, it gets deadly pretty fast unless someone like myself is around to stop them." She takes a moment to polish off a piece of dim sum, then washes it down with a sip of tea before following up after Lilian's questions. "Knowing the reasons why demons and viruses and everything else pops up would be helpful, yes. I'm still looking into more long-term ways of stopping or controlling the threat back home, and I'm... Guessing Mister Vergil and Mister Redgrave would prefer if demons threatening humans didn't do it, either, right?" She turns to Amii once more, taking a deep breath to try and put on her best GAME FACE. "Are you able to rally demons under your banner? Or Sparda's, even? If you can, then I want to propose an alliance." A beat, and then her composure falters momentarily. "I-I mean, I'd need to get the okay from my sister even if you did agree, but... I think showing an example of humans and demons working together formally might help be a good first step for both of our people! ..'s."
Rubi-Kan Vagrants	"And thou als," says Bercilak to Cantio. "Wel imet!" He casts an affable grin her way, then sits back down in his chair with a creak. Lilian cuts straight to the heart of the matter, as he has come to know is her way. There's no objection from him, mainly because these are interesting questions which he'd like the answers to, as well. He attempts to get a piece of taro from his spread, but the weight of the cake makes it hard to grip the whole thing with his chopsticks, and it breaks into pieces. This doesn't bother him, because he simply throws the broken up pieces towards his mouth with frankly alarming accuracy. It's following one such toss that he hears Roxas' question, turning his head and swallowing with an emphatic nod. "Yea, verily," he says. At least he wipes his mouth with napkins and not the back of his forearm. You might get the sense that he would, absent any such napkins. "A wasteland, the memori-gost of a once lifsom world. And glathe wouldst I be to hath thee as gestenere in mine hom!" He sets his chopsticks down to shotgun some tea. The man can eat. Clink. The cup is set down. There's a nod of agreement at Amii, who handles the name without a stumble, then... "Ah," he says to Tony, "Thine own apparel hemes thee wel, king--but nay! I am that which itides thee, whanne thou let sorcerers fuck with thy brain!" He grins and raps his knuckles to the side of his head. As his grin fades into a more relaxed, contented smile, he knocks out another dish on his spread, nabbing the last bit of taro. "Not I," says Bercilak firmly, but politely, when Amii asks if he has issue with things that are nonhuman. "I like wel al-sum wights which may reson as iman-kinne doth. If I liken ille of som-wight, 'tis bicause I hath demed them and ifound theim in wantsum of vertu." The next little container is opened, and a curtain of steam carries with it the delightful smell of dumplings. "'Tis the individuum which bihowes me, not the whol." And, of course, Amii is an individual. So he's going to have an opinion. Bercilak gestures to Lilian. "Dame Rook's questiouns, and thy swaringe of theim, yeve me a liti picture of thee--hit shall be bihowing, to espy the picture holful." He turns to his fellow knight more fully, when she mentions him. "We art imet alredi, Dame Rook! But per happes thou wouldst rememor me thusly," he says--and in an instant, his armor appears. A helmet with horns like the tusks of a boar and a t-visor. Thick, green metal plates. An enormous breastplate harness with pauldrons laid over the already thick plates. The chair creaks direly under that added weight, as a cloak of rye grass and hyacinths grows out over the back of the chair. He doesn't tempt fate for much longer, the armor soon disappearing, consumed in waves of blue light. "Ani-wis, Amii--if thou wert inspired to take up arms bi Sparda's essaumple, is hit so that he is secret, as Dame Rook says, preciseli bicause him lest not for werre bituhhen iman and devel?"
Xion	Xion, 'stealing' an offered sip of tea, lingers on the subtly floral tea for a few moments before brightening. "Wow!" She nods to Roxas before getting out of his space as Boorish Uncle Bercilak asks pointed but totally normal character questions about Roxas. Xion has a eyelash-curling plate of hot chiles with a chicken garnish which she devours with a hot flush to her cheeks. "Issues? With the inhuman? Not really. I think he's pretty cool!" It's unclear if she's talking about Amii or Bercilak. "Being friends with the strongest means things are easier, right? Plus, if people are nice and happy, then everything's better. Is..." Xion finally cues into this. "Something wrong, Lilian? It's normal to go through life and learn new things and improve yourself, isn't it? If you treat people like people, making friends is fun!"
Arthur Lowell	>Arthur: Are you racist? Yes, against the British. >Arthur: Okay, but what about issues with the inhuman? Arthur explains, "Ehhhh, I got problems with the LONG-LIVED, yo." He does a sort of balancing motion with his hands. "SOMETIMES. Specifically EXPIRED types -- like, lived TOO LONG without any SUFFERING, got all FUCKED UP IN THE HEAD about how they're gonna PILLARS OF SALT everyone, y'know?" He leans back in his chair to chatter about it more. "I mean, you CAN do that inside a HUMAN LIFESPAN. I actually got MURDERED by a HUMAN who was like that. S'long as ya get your SHIT ROCKED every DECADE OR TWO, I ain't give a shit about your HUMAN-NESS, 'cause the SHIT-GETTING-ROCKED is the HUMAN BIT." He looks like he's done talking for a moment, until, suddenly: "WAIT," He shouts, surging up. "Those HORNS are like GOAT HORNS, not DEER HORNS?! They don't SHED and GROW BACK? Shit, I've had this wrong for ETERNITIES." Absolute fucking idiot. "Okay, NOW hit that KEY QUESTION 'bout the END-GOAL. Assumin' it's not the ABSTRACT GOALS with the HUMAN-DEMON PEACE."
Roxas	"Huh? Xion and I know how to use chopsticks," Roxas directs to Lilian. His smile is a little lopsided, "It's just Japan that we don't go to. There's lots of countries that use chopsticks which we go to! I think we'd go a little crazy if we couldn't go wherever we want to for food." Lilian's last remark combined with Mr. Belt's introduction produces the one and only time Roxas has had a Firmly Negative reaction to anything Lilian has said, and it's hard to actually disentangle the two events in conjunction and identify One of them as the root cause. He doesn't say anything, and outwardly you wouldn't be able to tell it, but his thoughts turn absolutely icy for a few moments, during which he's staring at the red car as if he would very much like to drown it in his soup. Until Bercilak addresses him, that is. Roxas doesn't seem capable of sustaining that sort of feeling for long. He blinks at the knight, "Oh, it's that sort of place. One of my Organization's headquarters is in a place like that. Sounds like it could be pretty neat to check it out sometime! Thanks for the... invitation?" He doesn't seem entirely certain it is one. Seeming to follow Xion's lead to some degree, Roxas ends up ordering mapo tofu as his actual main dish. He's a little less used to this level of spice than she is though, and has to seriously slow his roll a little ways in.
Shinnosuke Tomari	As Roxas stares at Mr. Belt's car with murderous intent, Shinnosuke pulls his collar, stops eating, and speaks up. He does not directly confront the problem, because this is about Amii, not Mr. Belt and Shinnosuke's ideals. "So...how's the mapo tofu? I eat more sweet than I eat spicy, but it smells good." He asides to them. Even if they don't like him, it's clear that it's an attempt at being 'neighborly', even if he doesn't expect to become their friend. Roxas is a Paladin, and Xion keeps showing up in his world, so he wants to be on decent terms with them. Meanwhile, Mr. Belt's car scoots as far away from Roxas as possible.
Xion	Xion has combined two plates of chilis into one and continues to eat the dry-sauteed death peppers like particularly stemmy set of spicy Takis. "Ish good!" Xion slurs around the corners of her drool-y mouth and her brightly burning cheeks. She practically glows with the capsicum reaction. "Sweet's more like medicine. Spice is the gas pedal for excitement!" Xion remains ~~deliberately unacknowledging~~ blissfully unaware of Roxas' death stare on Krim Sportscar.
Cantio	Cantio visibly struggles trying to understand what Bercilak says, but she doesn't ask for clarification. Does she actually understand, or is she just trying to be polite? It is unclear. The sudden appearance of his armor has her flinching briefly, though, although that quickly turns to a more concerned look when the chair creaks from the added weight. She tries to gesture subtly at the chair and that worrisome creaking, breathing a sigh of relief only after the armor disappears. Xion's enthusiasm helps take that a step further, and Cantio's even laughing lightly after a few moments. "It does! Being strong doesn't mean being unpleasant as a rule, and sometimes people can surprise you by being less unpleasant or less weak than you might have thought of them at first." She actually summons together enough courage to look at Lilian with an awkward smile at that last part. Arthur's method of speaking has Cantio struggling a bit as well, although with far more mini-jumps in her seat at the semi-frequent emphasis on things catching her by surprise somehow. "Immortality does sound convenient, though, doesn't it? Not having too worry about time as much while you're trying to get long-term projects done would be great." There's also a concerned look when he mentions getting murdered. The attention paid to the mapo tofu has Cantio speaking up again as well, partially out of sensing tension and partially because it's a new food experience all around. "It does smell pretty appealing... Well, there's only one way to find out!" She snags a small plate of it from one of the carts to try, and she does a rather bad job of hiding that it's a little/very too hot for her. The heat doesn't stop her from going back to the plate for more, though.
Roxas	Roxas heaves a great sigh in response to Shinnosuke's intervention. He's apparently not as dim as he sometimes presents, because he points over towards Vergil and says, "If Mr. Vergil isn't fighting in this sort of crowd, this place is a really inappropriate place FOR fighting. Quit worrying and eat." He glances at the hot wheel that is Krim Steinbelt, "Or... whatever you do in a restaurant." A quick glance at Xion prompts him to pass her a napkin. More genially, he says, "It's spicier than I can really handle, but I'm trying to get used to those things, because they really are good."
Xion	Xion tries to wipe her mouth, but chili oil mostly causes her to rub spice all over her mouth and it becomes a crying situation. Sniffling and trying to get another napkin going without touching her eyes, Xion carries forth in the tradition of of all Asian food places: Completely irresponsibly becoming a crying wreck at the table. "I finally... understood X's tears... Chili is... the strongest." Xion wipes her eyes and then coughs as the oil gets in her eye, because she forgot. She needs a moment.
Rubi-Kan Vagrants	Bercilak shoots Xion a high five. He seems to appreciate her comment about 'the inhuman,' having taken it as a witty quip. But it's Arthur who gets his most enthusiastic sign of approval yet, a fist pounded on the table enough to shake all the utensils, cups and plates menacingly. "HELL YEA, SIB!" His eyes are aflame with wild approval, in that moment. He really resonated with the notion that one must have their shit rocked every so often. "Of course," says Bercilak calmly to Roxas, as if he hadn't just barreled through the conversation like a hog in search of truffles. There are no truffles to be found in the dim sum, but he doesn't seem to have disliked a single part of his spread so far. The dumplings came on a bed of steamed gai lan, which he eagerly crunches away at. "Saverie is my favorit," says Bercilak. He seems the type. "But I shalt iete ani-thing, i'faith. 'Tis why I enjoi dim sum, for thou art yeven a wide diversenes of ietinge." Cantio's eagerness to try new things earns an approving thumbs-up, her inability to hide the heat's effect not looked down upon in the slightest. His tofu pudding is pushed towards Xion, who appears as if she could do with some medicine.
Shinnosuke Tomari	"Ah...yeah. I'm not worried about a real fight, don't worry. I was genuine about the tofu, though." Shinnosuke replies, and then turns to Xion as she gets the oil in her eyes. A wince in sympathy. He kinda just got told off by a teenager and it's embarassing. Mr. Belt coughs, and then replies to Roxas. "Unfortunately, I cannot eat. It's something I'm looking into." And then, with a sigh followed by a laugh at how lighthearted this is for the context, Shinnosuke grabs a pork bun and starts tearing into it.
Arthur Lowell	>Arthur: Acknowledge cool opinion agreement Arthur doesn't do the coolkid handshake, but he does offer an intense bro-pound to Bercilak, the kind likely to bruise Arthur's knuckles. >Arthur: Explain Cantio is onto something. "Yeah, I mean, bein' IMMORTAL is good for LOGISTIC REASONS. EXPIRING is about how much BRUTAL DIFFICULTY you get. TOO MUCH will HOLLOW OUT A DUDE, but then, like, if you LIVE FOREVER, you're gonna RUN OUT OF MISTAKES -- eventually you cook that brain in ten thousand years of zero flaws and it comes out nothin' but ash and bad takes. You gotta GET YOUR ASS BEAT every while, for real. Otherwise you'll be SCHEMIN' UP WAYS of KILLIN' ALL THE UNDESIRABLES."
Lilian Rook	"I'm more afraid he'll teach her ill-manners by example." Lilian offhandedly replies to Roxas between bites, getting more into the spirit of another country's literal tea-time (just at another part of the day). "Well, I know he has, but some are simply over the line. A shame about Japan, though. I've come to like what I've seen, though I wasn't terribly interested a year ago." "Of course there's nothing wrong." she replies to Xion with sisterly patience. "The first thing I did, after all, was check to see if there would be. Treating people like people is in accordance with the Third Code. However, treating things that aren't, like human beings, is in violation of the Thirteenth. Wanting too badly to believe that certain things are just like you can only end in heartbreak." Adopting that rare, recital tone, she elaborates on this one without prompting for once, going through it as if listing the lyrics to a particular song in the correct meter and rythm without actually singing it. "Unabridged: Thou shalt never heed the words of that which knows not death. Thou shalt never heed the words of that which cannot speak. Thou shalt never heed the words of that which cannot bleed. Thou shalt never heed the words of that which cannot enter thy home. Thou shalt never heed the words of that which has consumed the flesh of man. Thou shalt never heed the words of that which begs thy reply. Thou shalt never heed the words of that which abides not adversity nor attainment." "His first answer was basic and clinical, but acknowledges the concept of vital essence. The second, superficially vague, but grasping the broader philosophy of the idea. The last, the most important; if it fancies itself a predator of people, then off with its head." She does a subdued, if abrupt, Queen of Hearts motion with her free hand. "That's how we do things now; we don't live in the olden times anymore." Then, with equally casual seriousness to Krim, "That depends. If, in the hypothetical world where we do have a problem, he'd oblige leaving the table to go outside, then of course not. But the dinner table is no defense from the Code." Bercilak puts on his armour for a second. This works to both click recognition in Lilian's eyes, and also a sense of befuddlement. "Oh. I see. I do seem to remember you, then. Is this . . . how you typically go about, on your time off? After seeing Gawain off duty enough times, you know I'd made certain assumptions." She makes time to pick up one of the spare cloth table napkins, wet it with inevitably half-melted icewater, then insist Xion take her hands away from her face, wipe them on her own napkin, and then engages in slightly strained, impromptu eye rinsing.
Roxas	"'Favorite'..." Roxas repeats towards Bercilak, moving out of the way for Lilian to attend to Xion's self-inflicted Spicy Shit wounds. He's paying attention to that though, because he'd been about to do something totally different and can't help but assume she has the better idea for a response. He makes a rather conflicted face, "There's a flavor of ice cream we were really into for a while, but I don't know if I'd call it my favorite. It's more like it was the best thing I'd had at the time, so I really just kept wanting a lot of that. I think I like sweet-and-salty mixture... but really, I like all food a lot." To Shinnosuke, he says, "Try some if you want. I think it's pretty good! Just have to build up a tolerance." Of Mr. Belt, he asks, "Do you... need a new body?" On the subject of Japan, Roxas blinks a little. He scratches his head, and says, "It's kind of a festering pit of darkness where we're from. You can't go through the Nevernever, so we have to go by plane. We don't officially exist so that's an adventure in itself."
Vergil	"Not personal, you say..." Amii says to Roxas, considering his words carefully. "But they are a problem, yes? Would you say things would be better if the faeries were gone? Or bought to heel?" Vergil looks to Roxas quietly and says, "That place was different. The dark there reminded me of the demon realm. Through strength or preparation, you may survive it. Without either, you crumble. Fairies are creatures of the unsaid, the implied, and the grey areas. Ones with power only need the black and the white." "I figured it was something like that," Amii says gravely to Lillian. Vergil is giving her a filthy look, while Tony looks askance. "I am glad I am able to fit into your code. Another thing demons don't really have." The woman speaks of Sparda, clearly sounding at least a little doubtful of his legacy (Vergil will remember that). "It is an issue of timeframe I'm afraid. His actions took place 2000 years ago, during the era of the human Christ. Records of that time were already scarce." "As for continued demon activity... my understanding of exactly how Sparda separated our worlds is still limited. But demonic influence can linger for a long time, and the veil is thinner in places in the human world where it exists. Further, humans calling upon demons in the right way can part the veil temporarily. But as for why demon activity has been increasing overall... I believe it is due to the Demon King Mundus. He was laid low by Sparda, and has been recovering his strength the past millennia. I believe he may be close to his full strength once again, and eager to retake what he believes is his." "Ah, but you speak of my compatriots." Both Tony and Vergil tune back in to listen to this. "It is just a small group of us. They remain in hiding in the human world right now. Anyone who expresses even the slightest admiration or respect for Sparda is sentenced to death in the demon world. They exist... well, because of me, I suppose. Whenever Sparda was asked why he turned on his kind, he always answered, 'because I awoke to justice.' And I finally understood what he meant. In spreading my understanding, I accrued allies." "Thank you, Mr. Steinbelt," Amii says to Mr. Belt. "The vote of confidence means much. For demons, individualism only arises once they've built enough strength and notoriety. Otherwise, you are just one of your species or archetype." "Our father was the mightiest of demons," Vergil interjects to answer Cantio. "Petty tricks and gimmicks matter for naught once you have the strength to destroy the source instantly, the will to shrug off their influe-" He is cut off by Tony jamming a pork bun into his mouth. "Verge was always a daddy's boy. But he's right. Our pops was a real monster once he got going. We got jumped by some demons on a family picnic once." Tony shudders for a brief moment, then cracks his laissez-faire grin once more. "Looked like a big blender has passed through once he was done." She answers Amii, and Tony interjects, "I'd be out of a job if they stopped!" Amii meanwhile rubs his chin. "Demons respect only one thing, and that is power. I, as an individual demon, are no match for the hordes. But I myself do not need to become strong enough. I just need to convince them that humans are strong enough to rally with."
Vergil	"Oh, you got bewitched huh?" Tony answers Bercilak. "That's rough buddy. But you pull it off well!" Amii... might be smiling at the Green Knight? Hard to tell under that mask. "Really... I had lost hope reading about humans, thinking they thought about others as a group, not as the one. I am glad that so many here do not." But in response to his question about Sparda, Amii shakes his head. "Not so. I believe that there was no need to suppress his words. Demons... just have no concept for the things Sparda said. 'Waking up to justice' was all he said, because it was the only thing that we could understand. There was something altogether 'other' about him. He became something like a demon, but not. However, I absolutely believe he wanted peace, yes." "When one is strong, one does not get to have friends," Vergil says curtly to Xion. "As one accrues power, those around you are either at risk, or must struggle to keep up with you. Eventually, the difference in capability becomes an issue, and relations strain and sour." Amii raises a hand. "It is certainly more ideal to have the strong as allies, rather than enemies. Is that a fairer assessment Vergil?" The man just grumbles and downs his tea. "You are right Xion. And that is what I hope demons can become; a strong ally to humanity." The great demon looks to Arthur ponderously. "You believe suffering is key? Interesting... we demons live for a good while. And Sparda must have suffered mu-" He is cut off by Arthur's sudden realisation. "I... maybe?" He sounds a little out of his depth, like he doesn't know what the difference between a deer and a goat is. "Ah... the end state..." Amii says to Arthur. "Yes, I have that all planned out. It's really very simple. Humans and demons are adversarial. Both against each other, and among themselves. But we both will band together against a greater threat. Humans have done this throughout their history, and demons did it against Sparda. So the goal is simple; we must band together against a third threat." "First, we convince demons of human might. Both their weapons, and their sheer numbers. Look across the Multiverse; the majority of worlds have humans as the highest power. Most places that don't lack them entirely. There is something special about humans. Perhaps some sacred geometry in their form, or something with their brains. Once we convince demons of this, the alliance will be born." Amii raises a hand and clenches it. "With this alliance, we shall crush and enslave all other inhuman populations. The faeries, the undead, the viruses of Miss Cantio's world. Between the both of us, they will not stand a chance. True bonds of friendship will blossom within the alliance, and once there is nothing left to fight, we shall be partners in whole." Tony and Vergil stare at Amii incredulously. "Take back your words boy," Vergil says coldly to Roxas. "I think this restaurant would make for an excellent battleground." He's thumbing Yamato, and even Tony looks like he's about to go for his guns. "Did I say something wrong?" Amii asks innocently.
Shinnosuke Tomari	Amii finally gives his plan. Shinnosuke almost chokes on a pork bun the minute he hears 'enslave'. Despite not being the biggest fan of 'nonhumans' like the Roidmude, it's not because he wants to destroy and master over them simply because they exist. But instead of countering Amii... Shinnosuke straightens his tie and snaps at Vergil and Tony. "Don't you dare. We're not the only ones here, and if a fight spills out, the entire restaurant is in danger." This seems to be his Primary Concern, over everything, before he finally tries to talk Amii down. "Can we not become friends without having to conquer and enslave? I don't think that's the only option."
Xion	Getting her eye rinsed... Isn't pleasant, but the drippingly spicy-oiled fingers are dealt with by a napkin, and Xion's eyes are handled by a vigorous washing. Unlike any unruly sisters or brothers Lilian may or may not have, wrangling Xion is pretty easy - she just kinda 'goes' with her eyes being washed out. It's only after that she does something in the family of a child in pain. "Why are you so specific... about humans, Lilian? I know it's a rule, but... Why 'people' and then 'human beings'?" Her fingers properly de-spiced, she settles back and puffs spiced breath and tries not to touch anything by hoverhanding a napkin. "You can have friends and be powerful. Lilian has friends. Tony has friends. Amii wants to have friends, too! "It's normal, though, right? To band together with your friends and fight against the people who won't? If you can't coexist, and you have to fight, then... Winning is all that's left." Xion tilts her head, eyes still wavering and watery instead of clear and determined. Blame chili peppers. "Death is the ending of getting to do things. Getting to be things. Crushing, enslaving... I think you can workshop the idea! Yeah, yeah." She raises a de-spiced finger. "Workshopping ideas is good."
Roxas	"Not really." Roxas replies to Amii. He doesn't hesitate at all, but he doesn't elaborate either. On the subject of Faeries with Vergil, he says, "Faeries are stories. A lot of the big ones are like that, it's true. But then you have Santa Claus, and the Erlking. They're really direct! And they're all more black-and-white than people usually are. That is, nothing is ever implied with them, it's entirely what's said. The implications are false leads, if they're there." Settling back into his seat once Lilian is suitably done, Roxas blinks over at Vergil. "Oh, okay. Sorry." Back towards Amii. "Vergil is wrong about the friendship thing. Your idea, though... it's missing the mark in a whole other direction." Roxas replies. He leans back and folds his arms over his chest, looking pensieve, "Relationships of convenience can turn into real bonds... that's true. But if demons only obtain individuality after amassing power and in order to amass power have to do things like this, then the only way for a demon to be a person is to be warlike. Humans are warlike, too, but..." "They try to trick themselves into not being warlike anymore. They aren't good at it... in fact, they're really terrible at it. But when one side of the relationship requires being warlike to be people at all, there is no incentive to cease being warlike," he looks up from the table. "The end result of your plan is just one side looking for a lever to obtain dominance over the other... assuming it even gets that far. And in that contest, the average human is less powerful than the average daemon," Roxas carries on. The mispronounciation daemon seems deliberate. Unfolding his arms, Roxas gestures at Tony and Vergil, "Did you call these two the sons of the daemon you're emulating? Don't you think that maybe you're stopping a few steps short of what that guy actually did and sprinting off in another direction entirely?"
Cantio	Arthur's explanation of the pros and cons of immortality is met with a long stare by Cantio. It's less of a judging stare, though, and more like the stare of someone that's trying to come to terms with what she's just heard as though it's not a thing she's ever thought about. "I've... Y-yeah, no, I've never even thought about that before. But if that is the case, then I guess you must still be in touch with the right side, then." With the regular stuff mostly sampled by now, it's time to try the stranger stuff! She doesn't seem to be fond of the chicken feet, both in appearance and in taste, but she gives it a fair enough try before moving onto eating other things while listening to Vergil's and Tony's opinions on their father, the relationship between power and isolation, and Amii's plan regarding getting demons and humans to work together. She even puffs up a bit when it sounds like he's on board with that plan despite her own undercutting of her side of it. "It shouldn't be too hard convincing my sister, then. Once we get something more formal drawn up, we can work on the important stuff." She pauses briefly, doing a double take once she realizes Amii mentioned enslaving the other inhuman populations. That has Cantio hesitating for several moments, especially as Roxas starts poking more holes into it. She just needs to keep reminding herself to be more shameless. What's more shameless than taking the most direct path to unity? "It's... That is something that'll have to be sorted out, definitely. Although the average demon is more powerful than the average human by far, the exceptional humans or those protecting them just need to be more powerful than the most exceptional demons. Not that demons aren't exceptional themselves, but..." She's clearly getting second thoguhts, but she keeps pushing forward. "Besides, maybe showing our strength through uniting humans and demons could even get others on board to join us, and then that won't really be a concern going forward. If everyone's united and keeps everyone else in balance, they won't need to rely on brute force and..." Her face and tone both become considerably more worried when Vergil contradicts Roxas rather bluntly. "... Fighting all the time uh. Sh-shouldn't that at least happen outside? We're here as guests, not as entertainers!"
Rubi-Kan Vagrants	"Per happes," says Bercilak. Unlike many, many people who say 'perhaps,' he actually seems like he's willing to entertain what Lilian said about the Thirteenth Code, rather than just politely disagreeing to move to a different subject. His meaty fingers stroke that bushy beard. He mulls it over. "I bileve..." After a moment's thought, "...'tis bet to yeve otheres the chance to sheu thire godnesse, and to fraist theim whanne-so thire is doubt--be thei mannish or som-other-wight." He makes a conciliatory nod towards Lilian. "Al be that," he admits, "My wai is not everi-bodi's. Bisideforth," adds Bercilak with a laugh... "By thine own Code, thou shouldst not hede mine words, for though I am muchly biloven of adversite and attainment unk bothe, I knoue not whither I shalt e'er mete deth." Tea chug. Lilian then asks about his typical behavior on his time off. "Gawain! Hah. That bicche," he says, with the affection of a good friend. "Him and I art muchly differenced, but I ilike him al the same. Gawain is... al knight, al man, withinne." He points a thumb at his chest, over his heart. "...yet I am half knight, half churl. Half man, half beste." That may explain his table manners, his coarse (when understood) language, his general demeanor. Roxas' mention of icecream gets Bercilak to gesture his way with the chopsticks. "Sea salt, yea," he says. Evidently he's tried and liked it, too. "I ilike mo, the kinne with the liti chocolate and caramel confits withinne hit." With his free hand, he makes a small pinching gesture. Maybe talking about the chocolate turtle kind? He points them at Amii next. Is suffering necessary? "Suffering... nay, saith I, but struggle, verily. E'en if yon struggle is onli plei, 'tis god for the soul." Amii: Did I say something wrong? Bercilak nods, and answers honestly, since Amii seems sincere in his confusion. "Verily," he says, without hostility. "Rathere, thou understond not what it is that makes frendnesse. To dight an adversaunt whanne none art presencial is to upmake a hom 'pon foundaciouns of sand." "'Twould be bet, if thou ifound a menes for thy kinne to sate thire lest of batail, and iman-kinne, thire lest of plei, in one stroke."
Arthur Lowell	>Arthur: Disagree with enslavement Arthur's nodding along eagerly, brightly, positively for a long while. Then, right near the end, his eyebrows shoot upwards, scaling his face rapidly like an expert rock climber. "Jesus, homeboy, I was real on-board up until you took a right-turn into fucked up shit." He says, less in his usual gregarious tones and more in tones that take this a bit seriously. He glances back, to see tides shifting in the others as well, finding himself agreeing with it all. Mostly. >Arthur: CONSIDER "What's stages look like on this plan? 'Cause it sounds like..." His face shifts, through various manifestations of frowns. "Alright, I know basically everyone here 'boutta fight you over this, but it sounds like you're makin' moves that end in less dudes dyin'. When does the rallyin' stop and the enslavement start? Make a case an' I'mma be onboard the rally part and ditch the enslavement part." He looks conflicted about that, uncertain because of his newness to this whole situation. He doesn't yet know which route through this seems more painful in its heroism, and that's going to be the deciding factors for him.
Lilian Rook	Lilian, largely finished pseudo-hovering over Xion's spicy rookie mistake, replies somewhere close to automatically, "It's the default, isn't it? Humans talk about humanity, human beings, human flaws, the human condition, to be human --all of that. Trying to include the rest that suddenly exist is just too unwieldy and unnatural. It should be implicitly understood; if they get in a tiff because I'm not being specifically sensitive enough for them, that's their own problem." "And besides. Though it isn't strictly always the case, it usually is that, out of all human and inhuman relationships, human beings are the wronged party. Faeries, vampires, demons, all those things . . ." There's a short pause where she snatches together the right words from the orbiting cloud of thoughts that she believes will make the most sense to Xion. "You stand up to bullies. And if you see someone being bullied who can't, you stand up for them." On a separate matter entirely, she says "Redgrave's brother almost isn't wrong. The quality of being able to make people who are weaker than you still adore and support you anyways is called 'charisma'. Something he distinctly lacks, but something it seems Sparda had in spades. In fact, you could call it half as much the reason for his success as his raw power, from what I've come to know. Awakening to justice and all; you could call that developing a model of thought for being powerful without needing to define that power by creating resentment. The oblige of the strong." When the atmosphere becomes violently intense, however, Lilian leans forward, semi-rudely puts her elbows on the table, and laces her fingers under her chin. She glances to Roxas with evident 'interest', of the kind that would involve one lens ominously gleaming if she wore glasses. "What you're describing, Amii, is no less than ending hostilities between demons and humans by making humanity more palatable to demonkind, or in other words, making humans more like demons." "Certainly, it's quite likely that doing so would be fairly efficient, if you could successfully lay down the groundwork. But then what exactly are you accomplishing? Is the point to minimize the number of humans and demons killed? Turning them to the purpose of war, even united, won't change that; it'll only mean they die in conflicts with things that aren't either. Or is it because you fear that demons may be annihilated by humans if it truly comes to it, and it would be safer for your kind were they to unite instead, against lesser foes? Of course, if there's a demon king as you say, I can't rule out the motives of simply aiming at the opportunity for grander conquests and greater spoils of domination." "If the lessers of your kind are scarcely more than animals, possessed of thought and some measure of reason, but without personality or identity, then why is it humanity's role to conform to their approval, and not the other way around? Why must humanity abandon human progress to meet the ideals of strength that these lesser demons haven't even achieved themselves?" "What I'm saying is, I suppose, isn't it more natural that the the teeming multitudes of snarling beasts that populate the lowest rungs of Hell, should be the servants? What is the difference, in their blind following of power, between a demon king and a human king? Granted, a human king by might rather than right. Of course, it's only natural that the enemies of humanity should be put in their place, but what point is there to keeping them as slaves?" "The problem, as I see it, isn't that humanity hasn't earned demonkind's respect, but that the narrative of sore losers has prevented those unwashed, growling, salivating masses from learning their lesson. Speaking purely academically, of course." "What's the phrase again? 'Put your house in order?'"
Xion	Xion is very quiet in the wake of Lilian's explanation. She certainly visibly processed it. Magic abilities to figure her out can check and confirm she understood it, but in the wake she just sort of... Doesn't. For a while. Concern, and not spice, begins to furrow her brow. Machinery turns, in the dark hole where hearts go. Then, finally, she stands up. "Okay." "Lilian, please stop bullying Amii."
Rubi-Kan Vagrants	Bercilak blows a raspberry when Lilian suggests that things other than humans 'suddenly' exist, and that trying to include them in discussions about the fundamental questions of existence is too unwieldy. "Fuck al that. If I, fucked in the hed as I am," he says, jamming a finger into his temple, "...can include theim, thanne thou sureli cannst as well, Dame Rook. 'Ifolke,' saith I, oth that, in the sinnes mo lofti, 'theim that resoned are.' Esi." "Thy Code semes dight to make simple a compouned existence, as al swich codes, e'en mine own, ultimatli do. But the Thritene--if thou itrust not theim that bleed not, die not, entren not into thy hom... thanne ne'er cannst ani itrust thee to speke indifferencied of the ilk-same. What thy Code awenes a 'wronged party' is naturalli favored of iman-kinne, and I trow thou wouldst awene iman-kinne David e'en whanne thei art Goliath."
Vergil	"Ah... perhaps there is a cultural difference here," Amii says. The glow in his eyes dim as he explains. "We demons... we only acknowledge another as stronger than us as a survival mechanism. Indeed, we even have the means to render ourselves into a weapon or tool for another, as a last-ditch attempt to ensure our own existence. I believe they know of this." He gestures to Tony and Vergil (the latter still poised to claim Amii's head). "Oh is that why they do it?" Tony asks. "I usually use them for a bit and pawn them for rent money." Vergil just hmphs and nods. "So you see, to even acknowledge another as having the means to destroy you is tantamount to surrender to demons. And when it happens, it is usually followed by voluntary enslavement. This is why I use the word lightly. My goal entails convincing all of demonkind to do precisely this to humankind." He looks to Shinnosuke and sighs. "I'd like that. But without a common enemy, we are just going to fracture and come apart." To Xion, he nods. "I would be glad to workshop. Thank you for not being repulsed immediately." To Roxas, he scratches his chin and wonders. "Well... here is how I reached this conclusion. Sparda said he 'awoke to justice.' Justice for whom? For humans of course, as the oppressed party. When you look around at what humans could do, can do, all while fighting amongst themselves... can you imagine what they are capable of against a singular foe? I believe Sparda foresaw it. He expected that humans would claim their justice against us by wiping us out. And so seperated our worlds, to protect us from them." He looks to Cantio and nods enthusiastically. "Exactly! All those inhumans I mentioned are more than welcome to join the fold! There seems to be no end of other factions, other types in the Multiverse. There will always be another battle to be waged." He looks to Bercilak and sighs heavily. "I know. I have pondered, time and time again, as to how I could. But I can't. Humans and demons both are drawn to conflict. Even if I expunged it from my kind, the humans might take it as an opportunity. There must be a promise of equal force from both sides." Looking to Arthur, he nods. "Stages, of course. First is the rallying of demonkind. We must show them the potential of the partnership, as well as what humans can do. We must discourage disagreement, by force alongside humans if necessary. Once everyone is in line, we begin assisting humans in ending other inhuman threats. We do not have to enslave, as long as there is always a third enemy to fight." Amii looks to Lillian and cants his head. "I don't see it that way. Humans have this same tendency for conflict. Perhaps not as strongly as demons, but it exists, surely. I do not want humans to become demons, least they lose whatever it is about them that makes them so... capable. Yes, I fear my side losing in whatever out-and-out war that could break out between us. Even if they disagree with me, they are still my people. I want them to survive. I am no servant of Mundus, who cares for naught but himself." She has him there. He's struggling for words, but manages to say, "Are humans who cannot contribute to human progress not still human? That is how I feel about those lesser demons, I suppose." Xion's words take Amii by surprise. Even Vergil seems to flinch at them. "Ah... it is quite all right Xion. I misspoke, and brought this judgment upon myself. You are too kind. I think it best we call it here, and perhaps bring the matter up later, once the awkwardness has passed." Amii produces that wallet and leaves a wad of bills on the table. "That should cover it. Feel free to use any left over to eat some more. I'm sorry for souring the mood." And with that, Amii squeezes out of his space and exits the restaurant. "Ridiculous," Vergil sneers, only taking his hand off Yamato once he's gone. "The notion that humans could somehow match demons." Tony just looks tired. "Give it a rest Vergil, just once."
Shinnosuke Tomari	Shinnosuke slumps in his chair, and as the others needle Amii, he just allows him to leave when he pays and apologizes. In case anyone else gets the idea to go after him, Shinnosuke clears his throat. "I think...he seems to mean well. That's hope, isn't it? He's not our enemy, just because he hasn't figured out all the beats to this. He has a noble goal, so I'd like to help him workshop it." Shinnosuke stands up, having ate until he was full. "Let's talk to him again, later. See if we can't find a way to do this in a way we all appreciate. Peace is...it's what I want in the world, too." And then, he picks up the Hot Wheel(TM), and heads to exit the restaurant once Amii is fully gone. Mr. Belt sighs on the way, as if he's conflicted, but it's nice to be out of that weird atmosphere.
Cantio	There's an uneasy look on Cantio's face as she realizes quite a few things rather quickly. Is she looking at things the wrong way in this? Would an alliance of convenience really work out to having humans and demons trusting each other even if she or someone else was powerful enough to keep the demons in check? Is Lilian really the only person that's actually somewhat agreeing with her? Are they the ones that are out of touch? No, it's everyone else that's wrong. Her apprehension is eased considerably as Amii elaborates, and she even breathes a sigh of relief by the end of his explanation. "That's what I was thinking... I-I mean, partially. It's not a simple situation by any means, but appealing to both the humans' and the demons' ideas of justice and survival should make things easier. And if getting demons on board means showing them humans' strength or that of their champions, then I'll be ready for whatever needs to happen for a good first showing." IT's all easier said than done, but Cantio seems confident enough. "Thank you for meeting with us again. We'll keep in touch." She still needs to digest the rest of the information Amii's given, though, along with the rest of the food she's eaten today. She'll be busy sampling the sweeter foods for a little while longer. If not peace, there's always the subjugation option.
Roxas	"But... humans don't usually have their own house in order, either," Roxas decides, in response to Lilian. The explanation for the behavior of demons gets a thoughtful 'hrm', but he doesn't really seem to like it very much at-a-glance. Examinations of his thoughts, for those with the ability and inclination to get through the armor, is cool but not icy. A callousness that he just doesn't prefer, although he kinda gets it anyway. Of the train of thought leading to the conclusion that Sparda was protecting the demons, however... The two pieces just don't come together. Roxas shakes his head, "Sorry... I don't really follow. That doesn't mean I think you're wrong, but it's an awfully particular way to approach something I've only pieced together from this conversation." Given the amended explanation however, Roxas doesn't seem particularly inclined to violently reject what's being attempted. He rises from what he was sitting, nudging Xion in the side with his elbow. "We should get going, too. But it was pretty nice of you to stand up for Amii like that." Towards Vergil, Roxas turns and grins. "If you're right, nothing really lost letting somebody make a stupid decision. If you're wrong, though, you get some competition to play with. Isn't that the sort of thing you like?" He seems to be letting Xion take the lead on Exit Stage Right.
Xion	"You didn't misspeak. You can't know. Nobody told you." Xion remains direct, standing, and neutral. The winces -- the collected 'oh no' doesn't deter her, though Xion feels it keenly from the room. All but from the person she levelled it at, really. "Tony and Vergil are brothers. Half-demon, half-human children. Of the legendary demon of justice, Sparda. Sparda, who showed that a demon can live by a code and be loved and caring and heroic in his own way." Xion looks at Tony. "Tony's heart is kind and generous. He feels warm, and gentle, even when he's going at full-force. He doesn't want to hurt people. He's powerful." Xion looks at Vergil. "Vergil's heart is cold and fierce. He feels sharp and deliberate, even when he's just at rest. He speaks of power like a demon -- like you, Amii. But he's not." "They're both half." Xion pushes her chair in, the creak of the feet against the floor the pin-drop of her statement, over the clinking of plates and clatter of carts. "So I think that demons aren't that different, if half-and-half can make a caring heart of hope and a sharp heart of power both. So... I'll tell you:" Xion looks at Amii. "You are strong. Maybe I'm not as strong as you, or Vergil, or Tony. But that doesn't inherently make me a worse person than you. It doesn't make me less. It just means you can probably beat me in a specific way. I bet I could beat you all at--" Xion's expression breaks, a little slip of a smile Vergil's way. "Okay. I probably couldn't beat Vergil at Struggle either. But that's not the point. The most powerful any single Demon can be is their own limits. But a group, a together, a family can be more. It can be many powers. It can present a power for lots of situations. Caring, instead of harming, is the privelege of power." Xion turns her smile to Roxas as he tries to Get Her Out Of This Situation. She sees him. She knows he cares, and her appreciation is apparent. "Amii is doing better than so many, because he's trying, and he's willing to learn, and he wants to chase a different kind of power. Of course a demon who's always heard 'crush and subjugate' would think of that first. A human who's heard that humans are the oppressed and harmed group would think of that first too." Xion doesn't make a portal, or a statement, or flicker away. She just turns to leave, after Roxas. "I think something like Lilian's code would really help you, Amii. It'd be easier to start with one. Talk to Tony about it, or Arthur. They've got those big insights into overcoming nature." And, with that, she walks out of the resturant.
Arthur Lowell	>==> "I'unno, I like that take." Arthur says, staring off after the demon. "We humans are some dumbshit crazy motherfuckers, but we got a whole lotta luck." He pulls out a Mountain Dew(tm) brand flask and drinks deeply of the nectar, before he calls out to the egress, "Keep in touch!" Because Arthur does have parts of this he wants to help. And, well, other parts he'd like to beat the guy up over, but that's just how it is sometimes. For the foreseeable future, it's a collaboration he wants. He also listened intently to Xion, propping up his cheek with his palm, resting casually on his elbow. He only comments a while after. "Yeah, gotta say, the Super Sparda Bros are probably a good example for what we're goin' for, and, I mean, it's nice I guess to hear 'enslave all the inferior races' as, like..." He gestures vaguely. "An incidental outcome, so maybe he's not so attached to it? Kinda? Possibly? Fuck, I sure hope so. It sounds like someone got to him before, that Sparda motherfucker, so maybe other dudes can get to him." Maybe by helping?