| The power of knowledge | ||
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| Summary: Senor Diablo sneaks back onto Twisted Street to have a chat with Mei. Some interesting tidbits about the muck's back story are revealed... but what could this be leading to   |
Stepping from the mostly isolated Fountain, you'll see a beautiful lake nestled in here. The grass is cool and in good condition, and the water is clean and clear, the shimmer of the daylight pretty upon it's rippling surface. A large weeping willow is the only large plant life here however, it's graceful branchs rustling in the light breeze. Mei is quietly sitting, on a branch overhanging the water. A glowing soft pink ball settled in her fingers.. A body is nearby, although she's worked on it, it was beyond her abilities it seems. Her hands soon rest above her knees. Her nurses' uniform is stained up pretty good. She tosses the ball, letting it illuminate the area. Her hands go up to gently hold her face. In the comforting darkness around the park, a small patch of shadows grows darker still. A figure, made of pure black, makes it's way towards the ball of light disapating into the night. As the figure gets closer, details begin to emerge. A tall gentlman, with a face contorted into that of a skull-like horned ghoul. Despite his appearence he almost radiates a feeling of calm. It's as if somehow this demon could take away all the troubles in the world with just a smile. Perhaps that's why so many seem to stay and talk with him rather than simply run away. As he steps close to the woman he shakes his head slowly, insect-like eyes peer at the corpse beside her. "Rough night, Ming-Mei Shyuehwa Satanas?" He smiles as the name passes his thin lips. Mei mms abit "It usually is rough. I'll be alright." she offered, quietly, her fingers smoothing her dress down. "Also, dare I ask why you are addressing me so formally?" she asked, straightening her skirt just gently. Her figure adjusts moving down from the branch to land on her toes, her hands going behind her, torso slightly leaning. She, like normal is giving off that warm, gentle, soft aura. Its welcoming really! Her smile is soft, but doesn't really hide the slight suspicion she has. Senor Diablo smile fades only slightly as Mei gazes up at him. "You'll have to forgive me. I tend to be a creature of habbit. I have many names but my true distinguished name is that of Senor Diablo." He bows as he adds, "How do you do..?" Standing straight once more, the demon plucks a wine glass out of the air and sips from it. "Beautiful night isn't it? Sometimes one has to force themselves to step away from tragedy to enjoy it." He nods briefly at the fallen man. "Seems to be happening more and more, doesn't it? You'd think those who fancy themselves in charge would do more to stop it..." Mei blushes a bit "Its very nice to meet you Senor Diablo. I would prefer to be called just Mei." she offered,, her steps are gentle "Oh him? He got mauled a bit. I tried to help him but I exhausted myself earlier." she shrugs "I really don't think this is a topic I should be discussing, given the number of people who are so very much stronger than me that dislike me." she offered, tapping the man with her shoe tip before giving a polite bow back. Senor Diablo tsks to hear of the man's fate and raises an eyebrow (so to speak) at Mei's attempt to change the subject. "Now, why would someone have reason to dislike you? I fancy myself a superb judge of character and you seem quite the pleasent type, if I may be so bold. Perhaps you've simply been holding yourself back too long? It's hard to make a pressence when you keep your abilities bottled up inside. Especially given how easily mortals tend to accept their weakness, even if that weakness only exists in the minds of others..." Mei leans on her heels a bit "I really must ask, given my busy schedule what it is you are after, Senor Diablo?" she asked, quietly. Her fingers reach out to pick a small berry from a tree to pop in her mouth, her mouth staying quiet. her smile staying on her face. "I got a big mouth." she offered, grinning. Senor Diablo smiles wide at the question. He so terribly loves questions after all. "After? I'm after nothing. I have bigger fish to fry. But it tears my cold heart in two to feel such suffering from someone who seems to pride herself in being so cheerful. It's my occupation to be able to read people. To see those who deserve punishment get what they deserve..." His eyes narrow and a look of disgust washes over him as he says his next sentance, "However, seeing someone being punished by those around them simply because they wish to help others? Unforgivable..." He sips from his wine glass once again. "Forgive me, please. I've simply let my feelings get in the way of my better judgement. You certaintly wouldn't want someone like me meddling in your affairs, even if my intentions where only to help ease the suffering you hide from even yourself..." Mei's ears twitter a bit "I feel as if you're trying to wind me up into a trap, sir." her smile shows, her smile showing "I'm afraid I'm not entirely comfortable speaking my mind among strangers." Her fingers adjust her nurse's dress, carefully examining the ties before she concentrates, poofing into her normal black dress, her hands behind her. "What kind of wine are you drinking?" she murmured, making a face. She watches the man, obviously thinking over his words. "I'm really not nearly as cheerful as you think." she offered, quietly, rubbing a hand up into her hair, lightly scratching. Senor Diablo laughs before she's finished talking, "A trap? Noo..." He nods his head and then stares blankly into his cup as she finishes. The demon smirks and the glass vanishes from wince it came. "Drinking? Nothing. Bit of dramatic effect is all. Most people would call me 'the devil' so I tend to overplay the theatrics a bit. I don't neccesarily need to eat or drink unless it's socially appropriate. But don't tell my wife that or she'd accuse me of trying to skip out on meatloaf night." He smiles genuienly as he folds his hands behind his back. "I've got nothing to gain, Ms Mei. I don't collect 'souls' as the stories would wrongly accuse me of. No tricks, no traps, no fiddles of gold. I have my duties as does everyone else. No, the common misconception about the after life is that we're all divided equally between 'good' and 'evil' but in practice this is never such a case... I dare say I do more 'good' than that fat little lawn-gnome of a deity has done since creation." Mei ers a bit, thinking "Oh, Miss Anne's 'God' and 'Jesus'? He seems like a creepy fellow really." she shrugged. "I do apologize but you seem to be of adequate strength that you do not necessarily need anything from me. I have a suspicious mind." she murmured, quietly. Her hands fuss at her shirt's hem along her waist.. " So what is it you want from me or need from me?" she asked, still smiling brightly, her hair moving a bit. Senor Diablo says, "Need? Absoluetly nothing. In my possition I've grown to since pain and suffering no matter how well hidden they might be." He pauses and thinks for a moment, "I believe I've said that once before already." He shyly looks away a second as if such mistakes are rare for him. "My only 'devilish' pleasure, if you'll forgive the pun, is to bestow knowledge onto those who seek it. To see someone's eyes when for that briefest of moments they feel they understand the chaotic world around them is a moment of the purist bliss for me. In you I can feel many things burried beneath the surface, and if it does not offend you I would love to discuss them with you. Maybe I can provide that glorious insight to you too?" The devil turns his back and scans the park around them thoughtfully. "Unless you'd stay your course of action and be surprised by the outcome..." Mei seems to mull the information over. Her body moving to pace, although really she seems to be a fairly big worrier. Pacing, entirely normal. She pauses, settling her ass on a rock, reaching into thin air to concentrate, a cup of hot tea appearing in her hands. "Would hearing you out put my daughter in any risk?" she asked. Although its pretty obvious she doesn't give a damn about herself or her own wellbeing. Senor Diablo turns back to face her, a look of obvious irritation on his face, "I do not believe in corrupting the innocent. As a certain iconic character from my ficticous world of origin might say, 'The innocent should be allowed to make their own mistakes.' Not long ago I choose to go to arms against Twisted's Council because they would not allow those born innocent in the relms of the Underworld to go free. I assure you in the name of my honor and my seat upon the Councils of the Underworld no harm would befall your Lakshmi in my pressence. Until she made her own mistakes, of course..." Mei mms a bit "If she makes her own mistakes, so long as she waits until she's grown, I can do nothing for her." she offered, softly "I can hope she stays innocent and gentle, but, its beyond my hands." she commented, taking a moment "And what is it you're offering me." she ponders "And just how much trouble am I to be in for talking to you?" she asked, lopsided grin. Mei, while not horrible, isn't nearly as innocent or perfectly sweet as people seem to think. Senor Diablo laughs at the question. "Trouble? None at all. I speak to everyone at some point in time, it's far better to do so sooner than later, I assure you. Infact I even spoke to a mutual aquaintence of ours not but a few days ago by your timeline. I don't have to assume you are more than familiar with the name 'Caliga'?" Diablo takes a moment to let the name hang in the air as he flicks two of his fingers together casually, as if removing a piece of dirt. "He arrived out of nowhere, cut a very large hole in the wall of our Council's chambers, and proceeded to interupt our welcoming of a new member. Rather distasteful if you ask me..." Mei ers a bit "Sounds like Caliga." she murmured, leaning a bit "I have about as much control over him as time itself has on Twisted proper." she's of course refering to the weird pockets of time where it moves faster or slower for no apparent reason. "I'm intimately aware of who Caliga is and how he carries on. This involves me how?" she asked, making a face.. "If you're going to yell at me for his deeds.. I'm going to run away. I've already taken enough flack for him." she gestures with both hands. Its fairly obvious that she doesn't mind the flack and its soley out of affections. Senor Diablo shakes his head. "No, no... you misunderstand me. I mearly mentioned him as a mutual aquaintence. A way of saying I tend to be well known even by the lowest of those in the grand scheme of things. He is responsible for his own mistakes and one day he will pay for them. No one else need be held guilty for his actions." He frowns guestures at his own clothing. "Perhaps I should have come in another form, one less intimidating?" His form turns black once more and his shape changes into that of a young woman. As the darkness pulls away again, Tenna stands before Mei and sits on the grass with a smile on her face. "Would this make you more comforable, " he asks with her voice, "it's all theatrics, I assure you..." Mei ers a bit, visibly wrinkling her nose. "But I know you aren't Tenna.. I find this creepy. Tenna is always obnoxious and the obnoxiousness is what makes her fun to be around." she murmured "Please stay in your original form." she sighs out, rubbing a hand up to push her bangs away from her face. "Its really uncomfortable to be speaking with a doppelganger of Tenna. Now what about Caliga, and why are you trying to twist my knowing him into play?" she asked, her hands taking her tea to her lips, she's thinking. The form of Tenna sighs as she stands and returns to Diablo's chosen form. Senor Diablo shrugs and allows his head to hang for a moment, "As quick as you are to say you've had no pain to hide you quickly take mention of him to mean that I'm after something again. It is times like these that I hate the stories of mortals, condeming me before I even have a chance to gain or loose one's trust." Taking a moment to bow towards her, the demon turns away, "I won't stand here and try to gain your trust. I did not approach you based on some unfathomable plan, I simply came because I felt a soul in pain and wished to offer my services to talk and try to ease it. I don't want your soul, or anyone else's. I don't care for companionship, or power. I have these things already and I've no use for them. There are others in this world less suspicious of my actions, perhaps I would do better talking to them... good day, Ms Mei. I hope some day you'll learn to be less paranoid of those you meet. Dreadful behavior for one who seeks to help others, I might add..." Mei and .. thats it. Diablo hit the sensative spot.. And there goes the water works. Mei soon enough begins crying, only on the right side, oddly enough "You take that back. I'm good at helping others. You damn powerful folk, always coming and going and expecting instant trust. I.. I already fell for that." she sniffled out. Definantly upset at that much. "I don't know what you want, you don't get to the point." she sniffles and sorta wibbles more before curling up to rest her face on her knees. yeah well this is more typical of Mei at home than in semi-public. " Knowing my name, knowing things about me. Its weird. I like my anonymity here to some degree." she sniffed.." Senor Diablo turns back, his face reflecting that pain in Mei's expression. He steps forwards, knealing down on one knee, to brush his hand over her head in a calming guesture. "I appoligise. It's my duty to know everything." He stands and holds his arms before him. "As I said I felt pain, and now I surely see it. You've been hurt by the people in this world. This by no means signifies the world around you should be condemed." He turns away again, giving her time to compose herself, as he guestures to the landscape around them. "The world was created as a perfect place. No malace, no pain... until the humans were created. Mortal beings which searched for happiness but left pain and greed in their wake. That darkness, that negativity, it changed the world around it. It contaminated the good and pure causing need for a whole spectrum of other forces to go unseen to try and keep the world going, to keep it from destroying itself. I am a part of that system, Ms Mei. Even if my primary duty is to find punishements for the eternal parts of one's soul when they pass on, I still feel that inherrent need to help those slowly slipping down that path. It is what I am. It is my nature... please forgive me for disturbing you..." Mei pauses, rubbing her sleeve. "Why do you think I'm slipping down the path to misdeeds?" she asked. "I'm going to die in a few years and if this world is anything like the one I was born into, with luck I'll be allowed to be washed in Lethe, punished, given the tea of forgetfulness to prevent all memories from ever returning, and sent back into a new shell." she sort of awkwardly keeps her knees cradled close. "I don't see anything inheritly wrong with my current life.. well save one or two little things.. and I hardly think they are worth a visit from anyone who is so obviously important." .. she paused.. "Am I in trouble for cheating on Caliga after he abandoned me?" she asked in a very tiny voice. Yes. Mei does infact deserve *some* of the whore flack Devi gave her. Senor Diablo shakes his head as he turns towards her once again. "No my dear... You have within you great potential to change the world around you. You brushed upon it when you spoke to Miss Nancy Dark not long ago. The lives you touch, the people you meet." He walks closer, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Small things can change the world in large ways and it's that impact we have on those around us that defines us when we ourselves are lost. You see the injustice in that accursed Twisted Council, and you've opened many people's eyes towards it. I've helped many people try to stand up to them, and to protect those living in this world. Tyler, for instance, was one of those people I spoke with. You really can change the world one person at a time, and you should be made aware of this." Diablo kneals on one knee again, this time with a cup of tea of his own in hand, offering it to Mei. "But if you'd rather see how much of a change you make first hand, you could drink that cup of tea now... Wash all those memories and all that pain away and see things first hand once again." He looks at the cup as he removes his hand from her shoulder, "Yet, somehow I think you'll still follow that same path you've chosen for yourself. Few are given that ability to see life anew again..." Mei declines the tea, politely. "I'm tired of seeing the people suffer. This is my home. This is my ..." she seems to be trying to translate an idea " This is my egg and someday it will hatch. Hopefully before my life runs out." she offered quietly. She quietly watches the man. "What do I have to do to get Concordance to grant the people their freedom or.. at least not screw us over in our times of need?" she asked quietly. Senor Diablo smiles devilishly, "Ahhh. Now she asks the proper questions." The tea vanishes into the air from wince it came. "You realise the importance of your life and now it's time to better it. You have many options at your disposal, but the most powerful one is the path of knowledge. For instance, Concordance isn't the all powerful leader of the Council as she would have everyone believe. She takes her orders from one above her... she's made mistakes. Gegoshi isn't her's, and the payment owed could destroy this Twisted Street. How insignificant are the people of Twisted? She agreed to pay for Gegoshi in LIVES. A debt of at least two whole worlds is owed for that digital do-it-all, and there is two more just like her lost in the worlds... But what to do with such information? ...that would be up to you... In the right hands those are powerful tools." Mei mms a bit "I figured out that Concordance isn't all powerful on my own." she pauses.. "Why would the .. gegoshi .. be paid off in lives? Are they the lives of native people or immigrants?" she asked, softly, as if it mattered a lot. Of course.. the native people of twisted are pretty fucking rare. Almost as rare as people who call Twisted home. " So you're saying.. Concordance is in a debt and we're suffering because of her?" she pauses "Concordance is just a little doll, isn't she? Which is why she enslaved Guarlescia to protect her, yes?" she asked, thoughtfully. If Diablo knows anything about Mei, he'd know that she's a very good source of knowledge because she really tries hard to know everyone and have a good personal prestige so she is the most sought out medic around. Senor Diablo's smile widens more, there's that moment he wished for. "Exactly right! There are many things about this world they don't want people to know but the answers are there, just beneath the surface. Medical Mechanica, the Core, even the truth about the creation of Twisted at the hands of Trinune... it's all things the public -should- know about, but for reasons known only to a select few those secrets are burried." He abruptly takes a bow, "I would happily spend all day telling you everything, but my presence must remain brief. I've told you what you need to know to get started. I will find a way to check on you soon, Ms Mei, and at that time I'll be more than happy to confirm anything you've learned..." Mei takes a moment "I get away with knowing a vast sea of knowledge.. because .. I myself am harmless, and a pacifist.." she pauses, touching her finger to her lips in a Shh gesture.. "Where would be the best place to look?" she asked. Mei after a moment, adds ".. Just because I am a pacifist, doesn't mean I won't throw the information to people who can better utilize it." with that.. Mei makes a quick journal entry, writing with quick speed in a small journal that appears to have a lot of information. ( she's been doing it since she arrived. Senor Diablo smiles again, "The best place to look? Know this... the insane, while crazy, speak the truth. They are not decieved by lies. There are also those who watch everything in silence, like Mr Wesker. Sometimes the quietest ones know the most about those around them." He begins to fade into blackness once again, "It's been a pleasure meeting you Ms Mei. Until we meet again..." Senor Diablo vanishes into shadows. Maybe next time she'll be less suspicious... | |
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