Soren's mouth dropped open slightly as he stepped down into the space opened by the tree.
"This.. this is incredible." He said softly. "And thank you for choosing to ignore... items of concern." The detective's ears were laid back slightly.
"We demons usually try to keep to ourselves.. there are enough problems as it is in our home realm. I doubt there would be an interdimensional incident. Well, no more than there already is. My mother's... fate is not public knowledge, as far as I am aware. Then again, I have not visited for at least a century, if not more."
Soren continued down the stairs, though he had to crouch as the ceiling grew lower. The tips of his horns scraped the ceiling, dropping dirt and dust into his hair. He kept his wings tight against his back, not wanting them to get too dirty. They were a pain to keep clean at times.
He stayed in thoughtful silence for a time, until he turned to look at Iris.
"Is Hari usually so easily angered?"
Soren's mouth dropped open slightly as he stepped down into the space opened by the tree.
"This.. this is incredible." He said softly. "And thank you for choosing to ignore... items of concern." The detective's ears were laid back slightly.
"We demons usually try to keep to ourselves.. there are enough problems as it is in our home realm. I doubt there would be an interdimensional incident. Well, no more than there already is. My mother's... fate is not public knowledge, as far as I am aware. Then again, I have not visited for at least a century, if not more."
Soren continued down the stairs, though he had to crouch as the ceiling grew lower. The tips of his horns scraped the ceiling, dropping dirt and dust into his hair. He kept his wings tight against his back, not wanting them to get too dirty. They were a pain to keep clean at times.
He stayed in thoughtful silence for a time, until he turned to look at Iris.
"Is Hari usually so easily angered?"
Iris glanced back, restraining amusement at Soren's questionable ability to fit into Old Underground. "Glad you like it? And really, your world's throne is so stable as to be safe with a full century of absence? That is either concerning or fairly impressive and I fail to decide which." She continued on, stepping to the side to make better room for Soren as she exited the small tunnel into a much more open space with walls of soil held back by the roots of the tree above, creating a textured chamber where no piece of structure was exactly like the rest. Two door that highly resembled old British elevators were centered on one wall. "New Town, outer courts please," Iris stated loudly, and an ancient gnome nearly as gnarled as the root-walls popped his head out of a gap, glancing at Soren and her and harrumphing.
"New Town, eh? That'll be a minute."
"That's fine, thank you." Iris nodded, and he popped his head back out of sight.
"Now then. No, Hari is generally very much the exception that proves the rule when it comes to tempers. He's typically quite collected and reserved, if friendly." Iris sighed, emotionally exhausted. "He... took your presence poorly. You're familiar with the phrase 'you and what army', yes? Well, from his perspective, I would imagine that you look very much like an army that is definitively not on his side. He doesn't know that you aren't connected to your world that way at the moment." She shrugged. "And I played along, because what else was there to do at that point? He already thinks I'm against him now, the only real option was to use that leverage."
Iris glanced back, restraining amusement at Soren's questionable ability to fit into Old Underground. "Glad you like it? And really, your world's throne is so stable as to be safe with a full century of absence? That is either concerning or fairly impressive and I fail to decide which." She continued on, stepping to the side to make better room for Soren as she exited the small tunnel into a much more open space with walls of soil held back by the roots of the tree above, creating a textured chamber where no piece of structure was exactly like the rest. Two door that highly resembled old British elevators were centered on one wall. "New Town, outer courts please," Iris stated loudly, and an ancient gnome nearly as gnarled as the root-walls popped his head out of a gap, glancing at Soren and her and harrumphing.
"New Town, eh? That'll be a minute."
"That's fine, thank you." Iris nodded, and he popped his head back out of sight.
"Now then. No, Hari is generally very much the exception that proves the rule when it comes to tempers. He's typically quite collected and reserved, if friendly." Iris sighed, emotionally exhausted. "He... took your presence poorly. You're familiar with the phrase 'you and what army', yes? Well, from his perspective, I would imagine that you look very much like an army that is definitively not on his side. He doesn't know that you aren't connected to your world that way at the moment." She shrugged. "And I played along, because what else was there to do at that point? He already thinks I'm against him now, the only real option was to use that leverage."
Soren raised one eyebrow in response to the gnome's sudden appearance, but he didn't make much of a comment on it.
"Well, I personally find it quite comforting." He said thoughtfully. "Our kingdom is in the center of a wasteland, built around a sort of... oasis of life and stability in a realm of Chaos." Soren smiled a little as he thought about his home, but then it faded as he listened to Iris's explanation.
"The army I am is on the side of whomever is against the murderers of my parents and your people." He said, his tone grim. He stared down at her, the same seething rage in his eyes as from before. "I told Hari I do not want more death than is necessary, and I was not lying. However, I will do everything in my power to set it right, even if I do not like what I must do."
Soren raised one eyebrow in response to the gnome's sudden appearance, but he didn't make much of a comment on it.
"Well, I personally find it quite comforting." He said thoughtfully. "Our kingdom is in the center of a wasteland, built around a sort of... oasis of life and stability in a realm of Chaos." Soren smiled a little as he thought about his home, but then it faded as he listened to Iris's explanation.
"The army I am is on the side of whomever is against the murderers of my parents and your people." He said, his tone grim. He stared down at her, the same seething rage in his eyes as from before. "I told Hari I do not want more death than is necessary, and I was not lying. However, I will do everything in my power to set it right, even if I do not like what I must do."
Iris listened to the rattle of bronze machinery as she considered the idea of Soren's home. "I understand that. Home and family are... well, home and family. So is that a literal oasis of stability, or figurative?" She made a face, speculative. "If it's literal, what on earth does a pool of stability look like? Can it be transported? Is it like water?" She stared off into space, mildly in love with the concept. "Do you export... stability water?" A wicked, very excited grin. "Is there any chance you export Chaos, either? Chaos on command would certainly be... interesting..." If she didn't look like her mind was in another world before, she definitely did now. Iris was zoned out with the idea of stability and chaos at her fingertips, and an absent, content expression settled on her features.
Iris listened to the rattle of bronze machinery as she considered the idea of Soren's home. "I understand that. Home and family are... well, home and family. So is that a literal oasis of stability, or figurative?" She made a face, speculative. "If it's literal, what on earth does a pool of stability look like? Can it be transported? Is it like water?" She stared off into space, mildly in love with the concept. "Do you export... stability water?" A wicked, very excited grin. "Is there any chance you export Chaos, either? Chaos on command would certainly be... interesting..." If she didn't look like her mind was in another world before, she definitely did now. Iris was zoned out with the idea of stability and chaos at her fingertips, and an absent, content expression settled on her features.
Soren snorted softly, taking in her expression.
"You are aware of how mortals envision hell, yes? All fire and brimstone and all that?" He shook his head slightly. "Imagine that is what our wastelands look like. A semingly endless hellscape with large swaths of obsidian ground. Our oceans are lava, our trees obsidian with crystalline leaves - and yet they grow - and dead, empty white skies. The energies of Chaos run rampant, twisting and changing the souls of mortals and beasts who reside there. You would barely recognize some of the creatures there who were souls of the creatures in this world."
Soren looked at Iris. "The Chaos runs through my veins as Life and Magic run through yours. One could bottle it just as easily as one can bottle Life. Stability is what we call the places in our realm where life can manage, and where we demons can live without worrying too much about accidentally changing form."
Soren snorted softly, taking in her expression.
"You are aware of how mortals envision hell, yes? All fire and brimstone and all that?" He shook his head slightly. "Imagine that is what our wastelands look like. A semingly endless hellscape with large swaths of obsidian ground. Our oceans are lava, our trees obsidian with crystalline leaves - and yet they grow - and dead, empty white skies. The energies of Chaos run rampant, twisting and changing the souls of mortals and beasts who reside there. You would barely recognize some of the creatures there who were souls of the creatures in this world."
Soren looked at Iris. "The Chaos runs through my veins as Life and Magic run through yours. One could bottle it just as easily as one can bottle Life. Stability is what we call the places in our realm where life can manage, and where we demons can live without worrying too much about accidentally changing form."
Iris narrowed her eyes. "Chaos... runs through your veins." She considered her words carefully, before asking "So the blood list? From when I first met you. Is that why certain blood types are more of a priority? Different 'life' or 'stability' or 'magic' properties that have different effects?"
Iris narrowed her eyes. "Chaos... runs through your veins." She considered her words carefully, before asking "So the blood list? From when I first met you. Is that why certain blood types are more of a priority? Different 'life' or 'stability' or 'magic' properties that have different effects?"
Soren nodded.
"Yes. The more magic that is in the blood, the better it is to stabilize myself, so I do not change into my monster form unexpectedly. And so that I can remain in control of myself and not mindlessly slaughter innocents."
He looked away, looking around at the surroundings a bit longer. Then the detective leaned forward, examining the hole the gnome had appeared from.
"I will not take from you, though, as per our agreement of refraining from harming one another."
Soren nodded.
"Yes. The more magic that is in the blood, the better it is to stabilize myself, so I do not change into my monster form unexpectedly. And so that I can remain in control of myself and not mindlessly slaughter innocents."
He looked away, looking around at the surroundings a bit longer. Then the detective leaned forward, examining the hole the gnome had appeared from.
"I will not take from you, though, as per our agreement of refraining from harming one another."
Iris chuckled. "I wasn't worried. Somehow, I expect I'd probably taste nasty anyways." She watched him examine the gnome's peephole, tilting her head to see better. "We keep gnomes as staff for all ancient transport because they can tunnel so well. If something breaks, they can get there faster. Downside, they're incredibly grumpy." She shrugged. "Is gnome on your list?"
Iris chuckled. "I wasn't worried. Somehow, I expect I'd probably taste nasty anyways." She watched him examine the gnome's peephole, tilting her head to see better. "We keep gnomes as staff for all ancient transport because they can tunnel so well. If something breaks, they can get there faster. Downside, they're incredibly grumpy." She shrugged. "Is gnome on your list?"
"Mmh... gnomes are typically far too small, unless I wanted a light snack. Even then, they are a pain to catch and usually not worth the effort." Soren grinned ruefully. "But their blood does taste a bit sour. Like lemonade. Maybe that is because they are so grumpy." He leaned back against the wall, keeping his wings tight to his back. His shoulders were cramping a bit, however... he would need to stretch them soon.
"Personality affects the taste more than you might expect... and while the magic content in blood does help to.. subdue my vampire side, it is souls that work best to keep my demon self content. The more wicked the soul, the better it tastes."
The detective glanced down at the gnome hole again. "A murderer's soul, for instance, would taste better than a petty thief. Almost as though the sins give it flavor. An innocent soul is bland and flavorless."
"Mmh... gnomes are typically far too small, unless I wanted a light snack. Even then, they are a pain to catch and usually not worth the effort." Soren grinned ruefully. "But their blood does taste a bit sour. Like lemonade. Maybe that is because they are so grumpy." He leaned back against the wall, keeping his wings tight to his back. His shoulders were cramping a bit, however... he would need to stretch them soon.
"Personality affects the taste more than you might expect... and while the magic content in blood does help to.. subdue my vampire side, it is souls that work best to keep my demon self content. The more wicked the soul, the better it tastes."
The detective glanced down at the gnome hole again. "A murderer's soul, for instance, would taste better than a petty thief. Almost as though the sins give it flavor. An innocent soul is bland and flavorless."
The grate in front of the transport rattled open with a tremendous amount of noise, opening to a well-lit wood and copper interior. Iris stepped in, moving into the corner to try to give Soren space in the elevator-esque space.
"I'm sorry it's so small, we really just... haven't needed to build anything large until relatively recently." She grimaced, and moved on. "With your usual dietary options, you must not have a lot of bland meals. Prisoners like that must be delicious." She laughed a little at the words. "I never expected that I would be discussing the merits of the taste of souls."
The grate in front of the transport rattled open with a tremendous amount of noise, opening to a well-lit wood and copper interior. Iris stepped in, moving into the corner to try to give Soren space in the elevator-esque space.
"I'm sorry it's so small, we really just... haven't needed to build anything large until relatively recently." She grimaced, and moved on. "With your usual dietary options, you must not have a lot of bland meals. Prisoners like that must be delicious." She laughed a little at the words. "I never expected that I would be discussing the merits of the taste of souls."
