The Dining Hall

“I shall personally speak to the Saiforros upon their return” replies Damakos, sheathing his knife into its respective scabbard. He straightens up his posture to appear more nonchalant, folding his arms, tail swishing back and forth while he scoffs subconsciously. His red orbs glare to Tsukasa, who now has Alice at her side, coming to her aid. They are both incredibly shaken up about this scenario and it’s all justified.

Damakos deduces that Isamu cannot be dealt with right now, not in his current fatigued state. Even if the guard looks sickly, a fight with him will certainly give him too much bad publicity, much like being spotted in general. Jordyn, the madman himself also takes a moment to get snarky, even calling he and Tsukasa 'love birds', the Tiefling ignores him. "I'm leaving" he grumbles, making sure he has the invitation in hand.

Leaving is the best thing he can do right now. He needs to find somewhere to sleep if his stay here will be extended, however that depends on how long it takes the Saiforros to get home. Once the Saiforros get home, Damakos will get answers.

The demon brandished his blade. Was he actually planning on doing something with that? Maybe this guy was deficient in more than just the looks area.. but who was Jordyn to judge; he'd given people worse visions, he'd seen worse sights. Yeah.. that was why he needed the sleeping pills from Tarik, right? To.. ease his weary mind, or something.

So full of ****.

Alice shot him a look that he didn't get. Weren't they just all buddy-buddy the night before ? 'Well, okay. Whatever to you too then,' came his internal voice. He saw her run across to the bird-man and a brow raised, 'Oh, that's a different whatever entirely.'
A laugh almost manifested itself when he heard the judgement that this 'guard' formed based on the demon's story. He couldn't bring himself to agree with the manner in which the situation was handled. All that meant though, was that any offenses done on his part should be similarly treated.

This red guy was an interesting one. A bit odd from the way he spoke but.. wasn't everyone at this mansion a little odd? Even the crumpled-looking bird.

"I'm leaving." Jordyn parroted after him, taking a few steps in his direction - slowly bringing his arms to his side. "I'm following you."
Did it matter that this guy was armed and maybe dangerous? Probably not. Jordyn mused that this would be good exercise if the security at Barlo Mansion was so light and dismissive.
Once the red guy remained the..charming fellow he was, Jordyn will get answers.

Still confused, Alice let out a frustrated and exhausted sigh. Clearly neither one needed her help--though she knew they probably did--but there were too many stubborn people (and demons, apparently) here for her to handle. She felt bad for the girl, but knowing she would be safe with Isamu, Alice decided to do what she seemed to be quite talented at--finding some normalcy.

"I'm doing what this room intended for me to do--eat. If anyone wants to join me, fine. But try not to kill me in the process too." Alice wasn't all that hungry, for her anxiety had replaced the pit in her stomach, but she needed to do something to ease herself out of the situation, no matter how trivial it was. She suddenly felt alone and isolated again, going from feeling belonged to being an outsider. With Isamu transforming into something she had never seen before and the strangers appearing to cause all sorts of trouble, Alice didn't know what to do or who to trust. Except, perhaps, Jordyn, who didn't seem to change much, and that in itself was a nice yet harsh form of familiarity.

Alice left Isamu to tend to the girl and fetched some water, letting its coolness relax her, even just a little bit.

Isamu patted Tsukasa's shoulder, "I don't want to hear about you causing any more trouble," he told her calmly but with a firm tone in his voice. he looked over at Alice and gave her a small smile, trying to reassure her that everything was going to be okay. And with that, Isamu transformed back into his bird form and took off down the hallway, headed back towards the infirmary to get the proper rest that he needed.

Tsukasa let out a heavy sigh and looked at the floor. her stomach grumbled with hunger but she didn't want to eat. but still... Alice was being kind and invited everyone to eat, so she headed over to the buffet counter and began stacking her plate with unnecessarily large amounts of food.

Once she had everything that she wanted to eat she sat down in a chair across from Alice. Tsukasa didn't say anything to the other girl, or even look at her, but she felt a little warmer on the inside, sitting by another person who seemed to be close to her own age.

Alice turned from the buffet tables and saw the girl decided to join her at the table. She put on a little smile, even if she couldn't see it, and brought over some bread and butter. She gently pealed the bread apart and started to butter it, though it didn't look very appetizing at the moment. Alice didn't want to startle the girl any further, and so, sat quietly. Alice looked towards the door where Isamu had flocked away and sighed, hoping he would be alright, that Tarik would care for him. Where was Tarik, by the way? Or Lark for that matter?

Alice caught Jordyn's gaze. He was still standing there, and appeared to be strong in some sense--was he planning harm the demon?--but saw something in Jordyn that wasn't exactly there before. He seemed...changed, somehow, as if he had a very rough night.

It seemed to be a common thing around here.

She watched the Demon head off, catching hoping he would stay clear from the girl, whose name was still unknown to her still. Alice took a deep breath and asked, "What's your name?" careful not to sound too demanding; her voice was soft and gentle as usual.

"Tsukasa.... but some people call me Crab.... you may chose whichever you like.." Tsukasa replied in a quiet, almost inaudible, voice. She kept her attention on her food and tried to eat an orange. Big mistake, the acidic juice stung at the wounds on her mouth and she quickly put it back on her plate and looked for something different to eat. She settled for some of the salad that she had grabbed.

"That's a beautiful name," Alice murmured. She offered her another smile, but winced when she saw Tsukasa's reaction to her meal. Alice pushed her plate forward. "Here, this may be easier to eat." The rolls were soft and fluffy, and she imagined to be very filling. Tsukasa looked like she needed a good meal in her stomach, and some creams of some sort to heal those wounds...but until Tarik arrived, Alice couldn't do much of anything else except offer her ears and provide some sort of comfort.

"Are you new here?" Alice chirped. "If you are, you're not alone." She cocked her head to the side, waiting to see if Tsukasa would meet her gaze. If she didn't, Alice wouldn't mind, but it couldn't hurt to give the poor girl a nudge of some sort.

"Thank you..." she replied as she took a roll. Tsukasa pulled it apart into small pieces and ate happily. She was incredibly hungry but mentally, she didn't want to eat anything really. "I have been here since yesterday, I just slept most of the day though, so that's probably why you didn't see me around." she glanced up at her with her green eye, her other eye was shaded by her red and black bangs.

Damakos does not care for the company of these people as they are now irrelevant to his goal, he already knows who to talk to. This is specifically why he immediately turns around at the sound of Jordyn’s statement and raises a finger to him, nearly stabbing him with it. “I can not and will not have any of you cretins stalking me throughout this wretched hive” he scowls “Especially not a damn filthy, psychopath like you. Stay here and keep me out of your thoughts”.

At this point, he begins to feel as though he has crossed to the point of no return, after being spotted threatening to kill a young human girl by multiple witnesses what else is there left for him? What is the point in keeping all of these feelings gradually building up inside him? These people are his enemies. Blades will pierce skin, but words will always go deeper, so he takes the path of least resistance and continues.

His voice elevates, he enunciates with the ruthless face of a demon, using infernal wrath to reconstruct himself in the image of a hellspawn, a paragon of evil set to bring out the worse in mortal creatures.

"You are all disgusting little maggots in general. All of you are as worth while as a newly defecated pile of feces. I am not deranged enough to casually kill you, despite how much I pity your frivolous existence. However I’ll gladly step aside as an equally horrible abomination abomination envelopes you within a crushing void of pain. I won’t mourn your deaths, nobody will, your presence here is proof that you are a waste of air now, and worm food in the end. Let it sting”.

He finishes his rant, intent on severing any chances for gaining companions during his stay here and hopefully deterring his enemies, to whom he promises death. One may argue that it is predominantly directed at Jordyn and Tsukasa. In reality it is meant for those in his presence, he wants those words to sting; he wants to give them a reason not to approach him. He does not want to miss a single soul here. Luckily for him, he has years of experience to speak from. It is a combination of his irritation, confusion and disdain wrapped into an expression of hatred, pure unprecedented hatred.

//Entering from Common Room//

Blaka sauntered into the room. One of the Not Mothers seemed to be very upset. He decided to steer clear of that one. He lifted his head, eyeing everyone in the room. No one seemed very happy. He walked up to the only two Not Mothers not eating and sat at their feet. He purred as loudly as possible, resting a paw on the foot of the Not Mother with the very big smile.

The minute the red guy pointed, Jordyn knew he got what he'd wanted, 'Jackpot,' He thought as Damakos began his long tirade about hives or bees or.. something; in actuality, he wasn't listening but he imagined that someone so short-tempered should /not/ have a reason to be at Barlo Mansion. After all, Jordyn was only a passive threat until his madness kicked in, but this guy was essentially a loose cannon, and the momentary pause before his second diatribe only confirmed that further.

'Boom. Boom.' Says Mr.Cannon

While "Red" spake, Jordyn remained stoic, even after the /miraculous rebirth/ he tried - obviously seeking attention or he would've just spoken his feelings without some cheap trick. He regretted pushing Red to the edge slightly.. but not for Red's sake, but because the girls were only a few feet behind him - he knew, too, that he couldn't really find it in himself to sympathize with Red, but.. what if the girls got scared? What if they had nightmares about this ordeal?

Wait a minute. No, they wouldn't.
Red might though and Jordyn would ensure of it.

And again, wait.. was he still talking ? Jordyn took in a deep breath, maintaining his emotionless expression. He was imagining himself pacing the room and openly yawning his discontent but that wouldn't be nice, would it ?

What /was/ nice, however, was the cat that walked in and stopped at Jordyn's feet. His concentration was broken and he scooped up the small creature, ensuring his pointed golden rings did not prod at it and a smile lit his face, "Isn't he cute?~" There was genuinity in his tone this time but largely with the intention of showing his disregard toward Red.

Alice's hands trembled. What a madman. She never heard anyone speak in such a way before. As much as she wanted to be strong, as much as she wanted to resist what the demon was really trying to do, her heart weakened and she was hurt inside. Though Alice didn't know the man, she couldn't believe he had an urge to say what he did. She was glad he left--she couldn't stand him being in here any longer--but perhaps it was good he was here. What if what the demon so confidently projected was an act to offset his confusions, emotions, and possible sickness? Wasn't a place like this exactly what he needed?

Alice wasn't so sure if it was what she needed. She certainly didn't need the chaos from the past few days.

Unlike the demon Alice took her anger and sadness out through tears. Tears, so quiet you would never know she was suffering, but they ran down her face and to the collar of her oversized pull-over. Luckily a friendly creature had come by--one that didn't flap its wings and beg to be taken to the infirmary like Isamu--and despite being a dog person, couldn't help but smile a little. Especially with the juxtaposition of Jordyn, of all people, holding it.

Alice noticed how Tsukasa's shy face reflected somewhat of a cat needed loving. Offering another smile and happy to see her eating, Alice responded with "Sleep is one of the best medicines." True, the ghostly girl hadn't had a good night's sleep for quite a while, and probably should have been taking her own advice.

Blaka snuggled himself against Not Mother's chest and purred. While food was nice, being loved on was even better. Plus, he wasn't hungry enough to pass up an adoring fan. He stretched himself up Not Mother's chest and rubbed his face against theirs insistently, again purring loudly. After showing adequate love to Not Mother, he turned and surveyed the room, looking for the source of the food smell.

Tsukasa listened as Damakos freaked out. She didn't need him to tell her that she was a waist of air, she already knew that about herself. No one cared about Tsukasa, and no one would miss her once she was gone. She had caused many people their fingers and eyes and was quite well-known for her freak-outs and thievery. So, she did not even seem the least bit bothered by Damakos' words.

It was his tone, mostly. Tsukasa hated it when people rose their voices. That is when she felt the most threatened. She sank down in her seat as he went on and on about how they were all maggots, she simply wanted to disappear.

Tsukasa gave Alice a small smile, though it always looked like she was smiling. Her scars started at the corners of her lips and curved upward. usually, the way to tell if it was a genuine smile or not was to watch the expression of her eyes. Eyes could give away any emotion on almost anybody.

All in all, she was just trying to avoid Damakos' gaze...

Hearing the cat's purring, Tsukasa turned in her chaired and watched as it rubbed up against Jordyn's face. Tsukasa loved animals, and so, she took a piece of chicken off of her plate and held it out, close to the floor, for the cat, hoping that it would come over and say hello.

Damakos lowers the piercing finger to his side and stares around the room at his audience. Jordyn is stares him dead in the eyes completely apathetic and eventually, preoccupied with a cat that so happened pass right on by, towards the madman in front of him. He stares down, refusing to respond.

He then lifts his head and stares over to Alice, at her hands and at her face, then to Tsukasa, whom he has no more words for. He has already expressed his hate using all of the energy he can currently muster; luckily the cat will keep Jordyn occupied long enough for Damakos to make his own escape.

Damakos then sighs; hopefully his point has gotten across. This is as nice as he promises that he shall be to this point, as stated before he is far beyond the point of no return. Without speaking he turns around and begins exiting the Dinning Hall upon the reasonable sanctification at his impact. Right now he just needs to get sleep.

His mind begins zoning out completely, very much like he's walking on a rocking boat, vision blurring and swimming, walking begins growing somewhat clumsy. Damakos will find time to think about everything in solitude.

>>Exit The Dining Hall>>

It was chilly day today but warm enough to wear comfortable fall-type clothing. However, one of the windows in the dining hall burst open and a heavy gush of wind and leaves rustled into the building. The air was cold and the wind was noisy. The leaves spun in circles and drifted throughout the dining hall before landing on the stone floor. Then, as if by magic, two figures appeared out of nowhere.

One figure, the male, was tall with dark hair and brown eyes. He had a small black pointed beard and a mustache that connected to it. His face looked stern but gentle.

The other figure, a woman, had brown hair tied back in a braid and soft green eyes. She also looked stern.

Both the man and the woman stood with a sense of pride and importance lurking in their presence. It would most likely be clear to anyone that had met Lark, that these two people were his parents. They looked just like him.

"Greetings, residents," the man spoke. "We are Harold and Rose Saifforro and we welcome you all to Barlo Mansion." He smiled as he studied them all closely. "We hope that your stay has been a peaceful one so far and we will do what can to make sure that it stays that way."

The silence that followed was absolutely music to Jordyn's ears - he didn't know why he felt himself getting so invested in this but this Red character was just.. entirely dissonant to the mellow pace he liked to keep. Heck, Jordyn was even sure he'd be able to bond better with the pig. Huh, what ever became of that rotund man he saw during his initial entrance to Barlo Mansion? He probably found something else to do but that rung as strange in Jordyn's mind - someone's disappearance.. it wasn't his fault for once ! Small accomplishments were being made, maybe this mansion did have some sort of rehabilitative properties after all. Spooky.

His mind dropped that topic as quickly as it came and he gently caressed the small creature in his arms with the pads of his fingers, beaming brightly. When the cat started looking around, he chuckled, "Bored already, little guy? Well, here ya go."
Jordyn stooped nearer to the ground with slight caution in his action - he didn't want this Red guy to take a cheap shot at him - Oh?

'Seems like Mr.Cannon is off to recharge for another round.' Came his internal voice, seeing Red's back as he left the Dining area.

Jordyn set the cat on the ground and returned to his feet to weigh his options but hardly got out more than a mental sigh when the Saifforros made their grand entrance. How odd that they would appear just here to introduce themselves to just the... one, two.. three...cat...

To just the four of them. He didn't buy it for a second. "The pleasure is mine, Mr. and Mrs. Sairoffo but if you'd excuse me, I do have urgent business to attend to with one of the residents of your fine home."
He'd intentionally mispronounced the name but he was so fluid in his own speech that one would have to wonder if he'd made the mistake...or the speaker.

///Exiting The Dining Hall///

Alice watched the exchanges made between Jordyn and the authoritarian-looking figures. After he left, she took in their presence--a very familiar facade but qualities that no other worker here seem to possess. Her eyes drifted to Tsukasa's, which held a quality of their own separate from her plastered smile. Alice leaned over and took her hand, giving it a squeeze just as she did with Isamu, to provide some comfort.

Alice nearly scoffed out loud at the Sairoffos' statement. Pleasant? Yeah, if they called the past 48 hours pleasant--demons and bird flapping? Near deaths? She shook her head. Since neither of them had responded to either of the Sairoffos, Alice thought she'd speak for them both. "Hello," she said, a little clearer then her usual whispers. It was about time someone who actually managed the place showed up. Now she could get some better understanding of where she was.

But first, Tsukasa needed help the most. "My name is Alice...This lovely girl is Tsukasa. She's had a rough few moments here..." Alice exchanged a look with her, reassuring her that all Alice wanted to do was help. "Do you have someplace for her to stay? And if so, I think she could use a good book to ease her mind for a bit."

Alice gave the girl's hand one last squeeze before returning their gaze.

Tsukasa flinched when Alice touched her hand. She wasn't used to people touching her in a friendly manner. They were usually trying to capture her or get something from her. But, well, the other girl seemed friendly enough. Then the Saifforos appeared out of thin air and addressed the small crowd that was gathered in the dining hall. Tsukasa watched them both speak, with little interest showing in her eyes.

Rose smiled at Alice, "Of course we have a safe place for her... this entire mansion is a safe place. Has your stay not been soothing?" She asked in a soft voice. The woman walked over to the two girl's and stood before them. "I hope all is well." She didn't even seem to be phased by Tsukasa's scars. "Our guards are supposed to be swift to react to any danger..."

"The entire place is safe, huh?" Alice flashed Tsukasa an irritated look, simply expressing her annoyance at the woman's statement. "Unfortunately, there have been plenty of instances of disorder. Fortunately some have them calmed down, of course, after you showed up." Alice didn't know why she was angry--was it the scars on Tsukasa's face that caused her to feel that injustice was occurring? Did she herself feel tricked in someway, having been through days of confusion and witnessing sickness and near-death?

"Your guard, Isamu, has been very helpful. Unfortunately, if you didn't know, he is awfully ill. Do you have other guards who've taken his place?" Alice wondered if it was too much to ask if the mansion could be even safer. She had come all this way for a place for comfort, and she hadn't even received her own room. Sleeping on couches, being in danger of others for no apparent reason? Alice seemed to be thinking a little more clearly--things here did not make any sense. But perhaps this wave of analytic thinking was a distraction from the illnesses in her mind.

"I assure you... we shall look into everything that you have mentioned. I am quite apalled to learn that your stay here at Barlo has not been peaceful thus far... we left our son, Lark in charge while we were out... and I am quite dissapointed to hear that he did not take his responsibilites more serious," Rose appologized, a sad expression crossing over her face as she did so. "I am also saddened to hear about Isamu. But I am sure that Ivan, the white eagle, is very awadre of the situation and has most likely already taken charge of the other guards. If you need any further assistance and you cannot find either Harol or myself, just call for him. Ivan is more than willing to help and is quite qualified for the duty and responsibilities of head guard."

To anyone who didn't know better, it almost sounded as though Rose were planning to completely replace Isamu.

Blaka did a round around the room, some Not Mothers had come in and it all seemed a little tense and uncomfortable. With a sigh, he left the room in search of Mother. It was time he found her and gave her a piece of his mind, she'd left him alone for far to long. He skirted the room and slipped through the doorway silently.

//Exiting the Dining Hall//

Maria walked in and began to look over food choices. She ended up with an apple with some milk to drink, and she sat down to enjoy her snack. Drinking some of her milk, she began to think about the man she had helped. She hoped he was OK now. He looked very underweight, and she prayed a little he would gain some weight soon. She threw away her apple core, and exited the dining hall after finishing her milk.
(exit)

For a moment, Alice didn't believe the woman, but with a sigh she let it go. She could be telling the truth, and it would be pointless to argue against her outward kindness. She retracted her hand from Tsukasa's, still irritated about the situation. There was not much for her to do except get some space to herself. After giving the newcomer a quick glance, she realized how strange everything was. The juxtaposition between someone's normalcy and another's trauma was too much for Alice, being cooped up in her own war in her head.

Before she could say much of anything else, Alice sent the poor girl one last look of sympathy, truly hoping she would be alright in these people's arms. She stood up and left, leaving her food behind to get some space to herself.
//Exiting the Dining Hall//