He who aligned the stars

VI

The entire voyage had taken less than a few hours, though he had personally expected the journey to take longer and therefore grant him more time with Ophelia, the news that he had learned of more than made up for whatever personal developments he could have obtained. Not least of all because he was now provided with a new direction with which to aim and Ophelia had seemingly become increasingly focused on the goal at hand, though he was not entirely certain how she would win the favour of the Fire Giant Surtr.

With that said, if there was a method of doing so, he was sure she would make the best attempt to uncover it. She was nothing if not diligent and leaving no stone unturned was precisely the sort of attention to detail that she was keen on. Yet he could not help but feel a touch apprehensive, in spite of what he was about to do there still came the trouble of getting the attention of Surtr. Closing his eyes, Wodime dashed the thought from his mind, the clouds of doubt fading away.

It was not his plan, it was Ophelia's plan. If she saw fit to let him in on the details, then that would be her own choice. For the time being, it would serve them both if he kept his mind honed on the task that he had found himself with. Namely getting to South America and trying to find some method of making contact with the Gods of the region, Gods who had not been seen or heard from in hundreds of years and were considered to be the most elusive pantheon in the world. He had enough on his plate, so to speak, without the burden of trying to shovel on the buffet that was Ophelia's problem.

His eyes focused back on the room that he found himself within, the transportation spell returning himself and Ophelia back to facility without any feelings of wrongness. He hummed to himself with minor approval, taking a single step off the pad and moving across the room once more. Already his mind was flooded with ideas and possibilities that came with what he had learned, having never given true thought to what South America was like before, to him it was now the most important place on the entire globe. The land where the separation between Mystic and Man was coming into full swing, where he could see the end results of what the end of the Age of Gods would truly bring.

Something that had not been witnessed upon the earth since the death of King Gilgamesh.

Stopping a few feet shy of the door, he turned his attention towards someone clearing their throat. Soon recognising the man as the same transport operator who had sent him down to Hades in the first place. He faced the man with a studious gaze before he raised a long eyebrow in questioning. "Is there some news that I was to be informed of upon my arrival?"

The man nodded his head once "Yes. I was told to let you know that Daybit Sem Void returned to the facility not long after you departed." he informed with a swiftness and professionalism to his voice. Wodime, meanwhile, fought back a blink of surprise. That had to have been the fastest return that he had ever experienced from the man before, normally Daybit would be gone for days, or at least half of one. Back within mere hours? How unlike him.

Externally, he nodded his head up and down while humming to himself. "I see, was there any indication as to where he would be currently located?"

"His arrival was quickly noted by Scandinavia Peperoncino." The man responded, Wodime almost smiled at the news but managed to hold himself back just enough. It was only natural that Scandinavia would be able to figure out that Daybit had returned to the facility, those two had a bond of friendship that he was rather…envy would be a strong and ugly word for it, perhaps he was more wishful in that he could also gain a friendship like that. Just something casual where he could meet with someone as a regular person and speak as regular people without expectations on either side of them.

…Actually, wasn't that just what his meeting with Romani was like?

Now he wished that Leona would invite him back to their house, just so he could thank the nurse for his advice. It had been frightfully well received thus far, though a mixed reaction between Le Fay and Ophelia but it was to be expected with the age difference between the two of them. The clear gap in maturity.

He was letting his mind wander again.

With Daybit back in the facility, he could immediately get on with the trip to South America. Or as immediate as they could manage, they would need to find a way of entering the country without causing alarm or suspicion, not to mention having to do so in such a way that their entry to the country could not be tracked.

It was during that thought that he noticed Ophelia walk past him. She made it as far as the door before he called out to her. "Ophelia."

She paused, then turned around to face him "Yes, Lord Kirschtaria?"

He spared a glance around the room, then returned his sight towards her as he advanced, gesturing to the hallway and leading her outside. Closing the door behind them as they did so and sparing a brief glance up and down to see if there was anyone present. It wasn't as though this was going to be a private conversation, per say, he just assumed she wouldn't want an audience for this.

Confident that they weren't going to be interrupted or become something of a performance, he returned his attention to Ophelia, fixing her with a serious expression.

"In regards to your plan, if you remain confident that you can ensure its success then there is nothing further to say." His lips moved upwards into a confident smile. "That being said, if you should find yourself encountering an obstacle, then remember the full resources of this facility are behind you. If this remains your chosen course of action, then you will have my full support should you need it."

Ophelia regarded him silently for a moment, then shook her head once. "I can assure you, I shall not distract you from your task if I do not need to-"

"There is a thin line between confidence and arrogance." He gently cut her off before she could finish her sentence. He was fine enough with her being confident in her plan, after all that was the first key to success. A belief that such a thing was possible in the first place, but it would have to be tempered with realistic expectations first and foremost. Even he was at a loss with half of what Daybit was capable of but that was beside the point.

Raising the flat of his hand when she looked like she was going to speak, likely to deny the words he had spoken, she fell silent and watched him. He lowered his hand and continued on. "This is not me accusing you of arrogance, do not misunderstand. I am merely relaying a point that we are a team and the old adage that there is no 'I' in team rings true in this instance."

Ophelia said nothing, yet her features betrayed a faint hint of curiosity at his words but nothing further. At least she was offering him the chance to finish his thoughts before she would give her own rebuttal.

"If you have absolute confidence in your plan, then I shall do all I can to support you in this endeavour." He assured her with a nod of the head, repeating his earlier words but adding on an extra sentence at the end before she could repeat the same counter to him. "And this is not a case of removing me from my own goals. This is a shared objective for us all, aiding you aids the greater mission just as aiding myself or Kadoc or Peperoncino would yield the same result. Just as I would rely upon each of them should the time come, I would ask that you rely on us in the event you require aid."

Her brows pinched together somewhat, yet she held herself back from speaking.

"Again, I will reiterate that this is not me expressing doubts within you. Just reminding you that the option for aid is open to you and there will be no judgments. It is your project and you shall have complete control over it. We are only there to aid you." He stressed the word, even going so far as to raise his right hand and pointing directly towards her as he spoke, her visible eye briefly flickered towards the extended finger and then back onto his face. The apprehension drained away, replaced with something he couldn't quite place.

Lowering his hand back to his side, he watched her intently. "Think carefully before you commit to any set agenda and review all the alternative outcomes. Endeavouring to win the aid of Surtr is a goal that even I would hold some apprehension towards."

If Ophelia could not complete the task, he would think no less of her nor would he allow anyone to make comments about her competency. A mountainous task such as that was one that was nothing short of herculean. For Ophelia, who had never met a God before Hades - and that was today - to suddenly stand before not just Loki, but the fire giant of legend who was foretold to bring the doom of Asgard and somehow win the aid of them both?

Off the top of his head, Wodime couldn't see how that was possible and he did not want Ophelia to feel pressured by Hades and forced to prove herself by flinging her mind towards rather difficult tasks. Then again, he could well be overthinking the whole affair but it was always better to have more than one plan.

Actually, he should probably point that out as well.

"If you will allow me to offer a single piece of advice?" He paused, Ophelia nodded her head once to him after a moment of silence. "Thank you. My advice would be to consider alternative approaches in the event that this other objective does not catch on, so to speak. While it might go without saying, the method of entering Asgard through other means still remains." he paused for a moment, then inhaled. "I hope I have gotten my point across to you."

Ophelia nodded her head up and down "You have conveyed your thoughts clearly and concisely, Lord Kirschtaria. I shall do you the same courtesy." her expression became one of resolution. "This was the goal that I have set before myself and I promise you, then I will see that it is completed. If the moment comes where I must seek aid, then I shall do so. However, I shall not do so at a time when it is not necessary." she bowed her head to him "If you will excuse me, I have much to consider."

"Of course." He had his own plans to prepare and conversations to hold as well. Namely with Daybit and South America. "So long as you think on my words. All successful plans account for multiple variables. When you have formulated a strategy, I would not be adverse to discussing it with you at length."

That might sound a little presumptuous of him, or perhaps a touch demanding.

"Provided you would find such an engagement amenable?"

Ophelia regarded him silently, then nodded once. "If you have suggestions to provide, then I would be more than willing to defer to your own thoughts once I have crafted a preliminary plan."" That sounded like a more than fair agreement and he hoped it hadn't come across as though he was trying to pressure her into making that sort of statement. He should probably mention that it would be a team exercise where they would all examine the plan as one and offer their own mentions here and there, to get a fresh perspective.

Perhaps he should also include those of the Hero faction as well. Actually, there was no perhaps about it. Considering there was a good chance they would be relying on them during the battle for whatever muscle they required, informing them ahead of time what the plan was seemed to be the sensible course of action.

"If you will excuse me, Lord Kirschtaria." Ophelia turned away from him, striding down the hallways with her back to him, though still speaking as she did so. "I shall extend the same offer to you, even though I feel as though it would be unnecessary."

That was rather generous of her, he wasn't expecting anything in response to his offer but if Ophelia was going to provide her own options for the plan, then he was all for it. Besides, it would make for good practice, considering infiltration of South America was going to be a much less complicated operation than bringing down the whole of Asgard. Well, starting small before rushing into the thick of things was how all good plans went.

Turning around, he began on his own little journey. If he was to make a guess as to where Peperoncino had taken Daybit, his first guess would have been the cafeteria to get some food. That seemed to be the sort of place they would talk about things, failing that he would have to try Peperoncino's room.

It would seem as though today was quickly shaping up to be his lucky day, as well as one of unexpected but not unpleasant surprises. It was within seconds of stepping into the cafeteria that his eyes instantly landed themselves upon Daybit. As expected he was not alone when Wodime spotted him, sitting just opposite the man with a plate of what looked to be some sort of rice dish was Peperoncino.

The pale skinned individual quickly took notice of his arrival, the normally placid smile on his face grew even wider, but Wodime might have been mistaken. They always looked pleased regardless of what was going on. He approached even before he was waved over to join them, Though as he got closer, his eyes landed upon the third individual on their table and managed to withhold raising his brows in surprise.

That being said, if there was any surprise that existed it was quickly put out as he remembered who was at the table. There was something to be said in regards to Peperoncino's skill as a speaker that he was able to bring very nearly anybody together with conversation. However, he couldn't help but think of whether this was a coincidence or whether he had served as a catalyst for the gathering that was currently seated on the table.

"Kirschtaria!" Peperoncino exclaimed as he drew close enough to be within speaking distance, the other two on the table paused at his enthusiastic shout and then turned in the direction he was facing. their eyes rapidly landing on him, Daybit's dull violet orbs regarded him for briefly a second before he nodded once, then returned to his own lunch.

Wodime took the opportunity to see what Daybit had gotten himself, unsurprised to see that it was a chicken salad. The man quietly ate as he approached, then his eyes moved over to the second blonde on the table, the younger girl was still frozen as she stared at him, though her composure was quickly reclaimed as a welcoming smile came upon her features, bowing her head in greeting to him.

"Lord Wodime-" She paused, then slowly darted her eyes towards the direction of Peperoncino for whatever reason, holding his gaze for a moment. Wodime similarly turned to them in confusion and noticed that they were giving the blonde an almost unspoken command but in more of a gentle manner, as though urging them to do something as he imagined a parent would urge their child. Rolling her lips, the blonde returned her attention to him. "Kirschtaria, how was your trip?"

He came to a halt, then slowly raised his brows as he stared at the young blonde. His mouth moved faster than his brain in this one instance, speaking aloud the first word that came to his mind. "Kirschtaria?" he repeated back to the blonde in clear surprise. Keeping his brows raised in shock, he heard a quiet chuckle from across the table in the direction of Peperoncino but kept his focus solely on the blonde.

Le Fay froze like a deer in the headlights, looking somewhat panicked at this point as she stared at him, then darted her eyes towards Peperoncino as if looking for support, then back to him. "I would like to apolo-"

Peperoncino cut her off with a shake of his head, quietly tutting as he did so, even going so far as to wag his finger. "None of that now dear, you've already committed. Besides." a hand was waved in his direction "He looks just as flustered as you do, you just can't tell because of how he looks most of the time."

He regarded the pale skinned individual with a quirk of his eyebrow, evidently he was not the only one thinking of facilitating better relations between their groups, but he would hardly have called this the better sort of system. Namely because Le Fay looked as though she had been put out of her comfort zone given how swiftly she had rushed to apologise after he had expressed his surprise at her. Still, he was rather surprised to hear her refer to him so casually in the first place, but they were both English so it seemed more normal, he supposed.

Taking a seat next to Peperoncino, he nodded to Le Fay with what he hoped was a reassuring expression. "You need not force yourself outside of your comfort zone. You may continue to refer to me however you wish." he nodded in the direction of the man at his side "And he is not incorrect. I was not offended, merely surprised at your address to me. Furthermore, I also find myself somewhat surprised by your presence alongside the likes of Daybit and Peperoncino."

Le Fay looked rather put on the spot, he internally frowned as he hadn't intended it to sound like an accusation towards her. "I apologise if it seemed forward to me. It was merely that when I heard that he returned I could not help but think of your conversation earlier and then thought more heavily and…" she trailed off, closing her eyes and nodding her head once. "...I was swiftly approached by Lord Scandinavia."

"Lord Scandinavia?" He parroted the words, then glanced at the man in question and watched as they reached up and pinched the bridge of their nose. Hiding their expression from the world and turning to the side. "That seems far more formal than I would have associated with you, Peperoncino."

"I beg you not to start." Dramatically sighing, they lowered their hand back down and turned to face him, pointing to him with the fork in their other hand. "She's just much too cute to turn down when she wants to speak to you like that. I was trying to get her to open up and then she started calling me Lord with such an earnest expression…" he even went so far as to pout, crossing his arms over his chest. "It just wasn't fair."

At that point, Daybit spoke up as he forked at his own food. "It was a curious development to see you put on the backfoot during a conversation, Myourenji." he ignored the sputtering sound from Peperoncino and even the bewildered look from Le Fay. Though it was rather unsurprising, given how casually he revealed the true name of Scandinavia.

The blonde tilted her head, opening her mouth to speak "Who-?"

"No one you need to worry about Fairy." Peperoncino hastily spoke up with a strained look on his face, aiming a pout towards the direction of Daybit for a brief moment, a look the blonde took without even shifting his expression or taking his eyes off his food. Despite that, he still managed to reply without even missing a beat.

"Did you not speak of the importance of facilitating bonds?" He remarked with an unchanging expression, Wodime would have almost thought that Daybit was teasing Peperoncino if he didn't know them better. Violet eyes rose up briefly for a moment and lingered on the man before they returned to his food. "Though if it is a problem, then it can be forgotten about."

Holding up his hands in surrender, Peperoncino exhaled and shook his head "Nevermind about that now. I believe that a certain someone asked you a question, Wodime." turning his gaze towards him, Peperoncino inclined his head, a smile turning a touch more teasing. "I also heard that a certain someone accompanied you on a mission that was just the two of you alone…did you two have fun?"

Wodime adjusted himself in his seat "It was educational and also of vital importance for the path ahead." his mind drifted back to the mission as a whole and the unfortunate manner in which he had made contact with Hades and also met Persephone for the first time. Those were hardly things he felt the need to speak openly about and he had no doubt that Ophelia would do much the same. "That being said, I shall not deny that it was exhilarating at times. Though coming face to face with the first Cerberus is almost certain to get the heart racing like a greyhound."

Dead silence greeted him.

That wasn't the response he had been hoping for, he spared a look around the assembled faces on the table and noted that even Daybit had stopped eating, all three of them were staring at him with varying looks of surprise, though the surprise of Daybit was little more than a raised eyebrow but that was the most surprise he had ever seen on them before.

Someone cleared their throat, Peperoncino leaned over the table, placing their elbow on the table and using it to prop their chin up. "Mind just going over that again? I knew you would be heading somewhere after the meeting but did you really take Ophelia to meet Hades as your first solo mission together?"

He felt his brows furrow. "Yes. Though I had expected the mission to take longer due to my own experience. Yet the time of the journey was significantly cut down due to the carriage being pulled by the Cerberus." straightening himself out, he felt his lips curl upwards into a small smile. "I shall not deny that it was certainly an intimidating sight to behold. I dare say that its teeth were akin to swords-"

"Will this be where you describe the claws as spears and the fur as a hurricane?" Daybit finished with a dull tone of voice, bringing his head back up and staring at him with a blank look. Wodime felt a great surge of pleasure run through him as Daybit spoke those words, evidently catching onto the small reference he was making though he supposed it could have been delivered with a bit more enthusiasm.

"Not quite, but it was certainly a sight to behold, if it bears repeating. Especially given the armour it wore." He continued onwards "The inside of the carriage was rather interesting as well. They had an aquarium with a small hydra inside of it."

He would have carried on further, if he hadn't noticed Peperoncino raise a hand to cut him off, a perturbed look on his face as he lowered the hand back down. "Kirschtaria, darling. Let me just summarise what you have told me thus far. You took poor Ophelia on a mission - just the two of you - into the depths of the underworld where you came face to face with the original Cerberus, then met with Hades himself and then came right the way back."

That seemed to be an accurate summary of events, he nodded his head in confirmation. "That is what happened, yes."

Peperoncino offered a strained smile as he slowly leaned back into his chair, then started to poke at his food. "And how is Ophelia feeling about all of this so far?"

"She seems to be fine. Perhaps a little determined but otherwise unshaken by the event, why?"

"Hmmmm." For whatever reason, he was rewarded with a hum that seemed almost doubtful. Tilting his head to the side, Peperoncino continued to stare at him with that somewhat dubious expression, then shrugged his shoulders and looked towards Le Fay, still sporting an innocent expression he spoke with a calming voice. "Fairy, darling. If he ever asks you to come with him on another mission. Please come to me for help. Don't worry about being pressured into coming with him, it will probably be for your own good as well."

He felt his eyes widen and his jaw very nearly dropped at the insinuation, doing well to keep his calm he rolled his jaw from side to side, then spoke up in a somewhat disapproving voice. "I must protest this, you make me sound as though I am some manner of dangerous scoundrel. I was certain that Ophelia would have been able to handle an encounter with Hades-"

Peperoncino exhaled, shaking his head from side to side and gently cutting him off. "I'm not going to berate you for taking her to visit a God, especially an allied one, but I'm more worried with the swiftness by which you did it." he levelled a serious look in his direction. "I am also confident in Ophelia, just as much as you, but meeting a God is never something that one can just do and then walk away from unchanged. It is similar to having a conversation with a hurricane."

Bringing up a single finger, he continued onwards "Then there is the Cerberus who I can only assume is much less friendly looking than his brethren. I trust your intentions but it was rather careless at the end of the day." a silence hung in the air.

Wodime felt his brows furrow slightly, gradually rolling his lips inwards and then turning his eyes to the side. Throughout the trip, it felt as though Ophelia had been in greater control of his emotions than he was, she had a picturesque expression of composure that made it seem as though nothing was affecting her. Only when Hades brought his full attention onto her that she seemingly cracked but even then, she was more than capable of speaking with him irrespective of that.

It did not appear that Ophelia had been under any duress before or after the fact, if anything she seemed to be more determined now. Had he been misunderstanding what her silence was? He found himself more than troubled by the idea that his efforts had actually brought about more harm than good. He could not discount the words of Peperoncino and the first time he met a God, he most definitely found himself on the edge of his seat - so to speak - in the sheer pressure they exuded.

Perhaps he had gotten ahead of himself and taking Ophelia to meet Hades without warning and then strolling into their home during the middle of a personal affair of all times certainly caught him in a less than amicable mood.

For all of his talk of pre-planning, he had made a classic blunder by going off by the seat of his pants and-

"It is little to be concerned about." His attention turned to the voice, Daybit speaking up after finishing a bite of his chicken salad and then reaching out to the water he had near him. The blonde took a quick sip before he continued onwards. "As you say, encountering a Divine is to encounter a storm. It is something to be experienced firsthand. No amount of planning could have prepared her."

Daybit's eyes raised themselves and looked squarely into his. "The addition of the Cerberus serves as a boon in this scenario, given its nature. My thoughts in regards to Ophelia amount to less than two hours, but I am certain that she will recover well from this incident. If she has suffered at all." he was silent for a moment, then returned to his food. "If she cannot endure the experience of a God who does not actively seek her death, then she is ill-suited for the purpose she has called for us all."

Wodime thinned his lips, then closed his eyes and nodded his head up and down. Once again, he was letting his thoughts get away from him and going off on a tangent. He supposed that was why he trusted Daybit to provide him with a clear and unbiased view of things. Opening his eyes once more, he returned his sight towards Peperoncino to see how he was reacting to the words.

He was just back to eating his food, regarding Daybit with a raised eyebrow before shrugging his shoulders. Finishing a bite "Well, that is that I suppose. Trial by fire is it? I never said I wasn't confident in Ophelia passing though." turning to him, he smiled a little wider "On a somewhat related topic, you have yet to answer Fairy's question! How was your trip into the land of the dead? I can't imagine it being a very lively place."

Furrowing his brows, he tilted his head at Peperoncino in puzzlement "I have spoken of the layout of the palace before, have I not?"

He was certain he had done so.

To his relief, Peperoncino nodded his head up and down, though for whatever reason he aimed a somewhat admonishing stare towards him as though he had said something wrong. Holding up a single finger and exhaling "Kirschtaria, more goes into making a place lively than slathering everything in gold. There is such a thing as overkill." rolling his eyes, he looked towards Le Fay "I mean, could you imagine waking up every morning and seeing every surface reflecting your face back as you?"

Leaning back, he placed his hands on his chest "I certainly couldn't! Especially not before I put my make up on! My word, I could just imagine how ghastly that would be to see my freshly awoken face in the morning. I could just end up jumping right out of my skin."

Le Fay made a face for a moment before she shook her head and offered what she likely thought was a reassuring smile, but there was still a touch of mirth in her eyes as she replied. "I am certain you would still be presentable, Lord Scandinavia. But to answer your point…I can imagine that it would get to a point where it might be intolerable for me to be surrounded by so much gold." pausing, she added on. "That being said, I am not a God so I imagine that Lord Hades tastes differ wildly from my own."

Peperoncino made a small noise of amusement "You flatterer. You're allowed to assume all these things because you're young and the wrinkles haven't set in yet." levelling a finger at her, he raised a single eyebrow and sported a knowing smirk. "Trust me when I tell you those rosy cheeks of yours won't be around forever."

"Unless I use magic." The blonde replied back with an utterly straight face, prompting Peperoncino to blink once at her, then slowly straighten himself up in his seat and stare at the young girl with an utterly blank expression. Eventually, he turned his head and swept his gaze over the table from himself to Daybit, then returned his focus onto Le Fay. The young girl now looked a touch more apprehensive than she had been a moment ago, eyes darting around for a moment then back to the man. "...I do know how to apply make-up, however."

Releasing a dramatic sigh, Peperoncino slumped his shoulders and threw his head back, then dropped it forwards and visibly brushed a hand over his forehead in an exaggerated movement. "You shouldn't do that to me, Fairy! You almost made me panic for a moment that you weren't able to do make-up. If that was the case then how would I be able to trade tips with you now?" smiling widely, he leaned forwards and squinted at her. "I must say, you are rather skilled at applying them."

The blonde winced and then let out a slightly nervous chuckle "That is to say…I am not wearing make-up at the moment."

Peperoncino's face fell, slumping back into his seat and then closing his eyes. Tiredly waving a hand to Le Fay as he did so. "There is just no skin care like being young, I suppose. Now I have to try and avoid being jealous of you but it's oh so difficult. I wish I could have had skin like yours when I was growing up. Oh! How I have been robbed."

Daybit spoke up once more. "I believe you would have ended up in the exact same situation by this point in time."

He was rewarded by a dull stare "Well obviously by this point in time and for when I wanted to really make myself look presentable to the world." The remark itself brought a wave of confusion onto Wodime, namely because it implied that he wasn't already presentable to the world.

Wodime felt his brows crease at that comment, briefly looking towards the direction of Le Fay as she similarly stared at him with a matching incredulity in her gaze, the both of them shared in their moment of bewilderment at the comment, then brought their focus back to the person in question who was none the wiser to the situation at hand.

Daybit cleared his throat "You have news of your expedition to Hades."

"Hm? Oh, yes." That was the whole purpose of coming over here, it was rather impressive how Peperoncino could draw him into an entirely irrelevant conversation but it felt more as though he was taking a backseat. Perhaps Le Fay felt the same but it was more like he was being guided along the conversation and merely reacting to everything that was being spoken of rather than contributing. How strange it was, to feel like an outsider within a conversation that he was partaking in.

All of that aside, there was the matter of the very reason he had come here in the first place. Turning his attention to Le Fay once more, he nodded his head towards her. "In response to your question, I am rather pleased to announce that my journey was both fruitful and memorable. Minor surprises aside-" namely the Cerberus and the unfortunate business with Hades and Persephone "-I was able to make what I believe to be impressive progress in our shared goal which has brought me to you, Daybit."

He turned to the blonde, the man paused and then slowly looked up from his food once more, staring at him in silence and then placing his fork down on the table. Reaching across and picking up a napkin to dab his face, nodding his head once to encourage Wodime to speak further.

"During one of my earlier conversations with Hades, I impressed upon him the importance of allies, as I am certain you are aware, who would be capable of matching some of the Gods were are likely to face in the future."

"I was informed of such." Daybit remarked cooly, bringing the napkin back onto the table "Ophelia impressed upon the importance of dealing with the Asgardian pantheon due to the danger presented by Odin and his magics. A sound suggestion from her, though complicated by which to go about it. Even without the danger of Odin, Thor and Baldur are more than capable of proving a considerable obstacle to whatever forces we might currently field. Even if one were to include the Old Satan Faction."

He fell silent for a moment, then slowly raised an eyebrow "You have been informed of a suitable ally for us then."

"I have." He confirmed with a nod "Hades pointed me towards the direction of South America."

"The Mesoamerican Gods." Humming, Daybit fell into another short silence while the other two on the table perked up.

Peperoncino in particular looked over with a strong degree of interest upon his features. "My, my. Not the response I had been expecting but when does one ever get the likes of the Gods to ally with them against other Gods. Hades himself is something of an exception unless he's been hiding some from us." drumming his hands on the table, he glanced towards Le Fay "What do you think, Fairy?"

Now that Peperoncino mentioned it, he was somewhat curious as to how an outside perspective like Le Fay would look upon the situation, given that she was only affiliated with them briefly and he was still unsure if their position was similar to the Old Satan Faction or if they were considering joining them permanently after whatever business they had with Vali was concluded. Actually, finding her in the company of someone like Vali was a surprise but he was hardly one to judge, given that he would not have imagined the likes of Daybit and Peperoncino being as close as they were.

Le Fay's brows climbed up her forehead rapidly, pausing on the spot and her eyes glancing around the table. If there was such an emotion to represent being put on the spot, then Le Fay was wearing it as of this moment. The young girl wet her lips before she spoke, doing so in a slow and measured tone of voice. "Forgive my reluctance but I am unsure whether I have the right to offer an insight onto the matter-"

"Of course you do." Wodime remarked with a wave of his hand, he was curious to hear her thoughts as well.

It was strange, the moment in which she got the spoken confirmation that she could offer her own thoughts, it was as though she did a complete one eighty. Leaning forwards and speaking in a more less constrained tone of voice. "If you were to ask for my opinion, then I would say that it certainly worth investigating, if only because the Mesoamerican Gods might have cause to attack the Abrahamic factions, though that comes with the problem that they have not taken an active role in the world for some time nor have they expanded their influence beyond South America. If they have not spread out before this point in time, then why would they do so now?"

Wodime blinked, then nodded his head up and down. "Yes, quite the good points you have made. Though I cannot speak for the Abrahamic Faith, myself and Hades merely concluded that they were adverse to those who were directly tied to the Angels themselves, as opposed to the faith of humans." noticing their expressions of bemusement, he elaborated. "I was recently informed that South America, from the border of Mexico all the way to the base of Chile is owned entirely by the Mesoamerican Gods. The agents of Hades could find no trace of any other faction within the continent, even those of Devil origin."

He raised a single finger, preventing someone else from speaking up and 'stealing his thunder' as it were. "This has come with an additional caveat that has not been seen since the days of Mesopotamia. The influence of the Gods and mystics as a whole has been severely weakened in the continent as a result of the virtual absence of anything divine or otherwise." lowering the hand, he saw the dawning looks of comprehension on the faces of those on the table.

Leaning back, he allowed himself a faint smile "Though this is merely the result of reports I have received. I fully intend to travel to South America myself shortly and verify them personally. I shall also make it one of my goals to make contact with the Pantheon - provided they are still active - and speak with them in regards to the aims of the Crypters."

The sound of someone clearing their throat brought his focus back to Le Fay, the girl staring at him with a perturbed expression for whatever reason, then glanced left and right before sweeping her eyes around the entire room, keeping her gaze locked onto a few of the passerby's for a second or two, then returned her attention to him. "Should this truly be the sort of information that I'm supposed to know about? Isn't this some kind of secret or something that me and my brother are not cleared for?"

Wodime blinked, then inclined an eyebrow "You are an affiliate of the Chaos Brigade and likely a member of it by this point, if only in terms of association to the greater world. More to the point, your group is far more attached to this location than any of the others. You would discover the results of this at some point, either later when I returned and submitted a report or now as I tell you."

It was entirely possible that Cao Cao might take issue with him speaking openly of his personal operations with Vali's group, but that was neither here nor there. Cao Cao had no authority over his personal projects and Wodime could inform whoever he pleased about them, if there was a risk to be taken then he was the one taking it, not Cao Cao.

The mere association of Vali with them was considered a secret and until such a time as the White Dragon Emperor blurted out the fact he had been conspiring with a rogue group - not something he could foresee happening anytime soon - which was in addition to whatever aims the White Dragon Emperor had of his own which evidently involved gathering quite the impressive array of individuals. Notably, none of them had a Sacred Gear except for himself. A curious trait.

Le Fay opened and closed her mouth, then nodded her head "If you are telling me this, then you also know that I shall likely inform my brother as well of this development. Though I am sure he would not be as interested in it as you would be." she offered a faint smile "Though I cannot say the same for Lord Vali, he might wish to use the grounds of Mesoamerica to train himself if he was under the impression he would be weakened."

"He would likely die." The blunt comment was delivered by Daybit, the man fully straightening up in his chair and speaking in the same monotone voice that he always did. "If the Mesoamerican Gods have prevented all those from the world from interfering in their domain, including the likes of Fallen Angels and Devils, then it is likely that his own nature would work against him. Combined with the notable strength of Solar Gods of which Mesoamerica has two, he would be swiftly killed, likely within seconds of his presence being detected."

Le Fay furrowed her brows "I believe you might be underestimating Lord Vali, Lord Void. He-"

"His possession of the Longinus Gear is noted, and yet there has not been a single recorded instance of a Sacred Gear designed to kill Gods slaying a Divine." He countered swiftly, folding his arms over his chest and closing his eyes. "Excluding the nature of Mesoamerica and the long history of combat they were involved with, it is only natural to assume that their Gods would be similarly capable. Their experience and power far exceeds his own, given that at present, Vali could not defeat even a Satan-Class Devil. His chances for defeating Chief Gods remain slim."

Peperoncino made a small noise of amusement "Don't let him hear you say that, he might take it as a challenge."

Would he? He might do, but Vali was certainly not as stupid or foolhardy as many were led to believe. It might have been his own assumptions, but there was always something about Vali that put him on guard and not just his nature as a Longinus holder, but also something else. There was a clear intellect behind those eyes, a keen note for strategy. Vali might enjoy fighting for whatever reason, but he was not as ignorant to his own weaknesses as he would appear. Else he would not have formed a team in the first place.

The fact Vali had formed a group of his own meant that, for whatever reason, he was aiming for something that required more than his own power. If he was more curious, perhaps he would have asked. Yet, for the time being, he did not think it wise or prudent to try and involve himself in another person's problems. Especially someone like Vali, whose problems were liable to be mountain sized.

"Returning to my original point, this is why I have come to you, Daybit." Wodime brought the conversation back to its original purpose. The man opened his eyes once more, purple orbs staring straight through him almost eerily. "This expedition into South America is liable to be problematic in some way or another and for this, I shall require the aid of something I trust implicitly."

Daybit nodded his head up and down "Locating two Gods is a simpler task than locating them all."

"You deduced my strategy already then?"

"It was one of several that existed, I assumed you would go for the easiest." Humming quietly, Daybit slowly uncrossed his arms and placed them upon the table. "Though the method by which you would enter South America remains a mystery and further planning would be needed. Entering the continent without any prior research into the correct directions would prove to be a detriment to seeing their task completed.

Rising from his seated position, Daybit wordlessly turned away from the table and stepped away, without even so much as a farewell, he silently moved across the room and out of the door, not even sparing them a glance as he did so. However, that was just like Daybit. Likely off to do some research into the continent itself where he would return with news in perhaps ten or so minutes? Possibly less depending on the clues provided. Then again, the Mesoamerican Gods proved elusive thus far.

Turning back to the table, he watched Le Fay stare in the direction Daybit had walked off to before she opened her mouth to speak, though Peperoncino spoke up just before she was able to do so.

"I wouldn't worry about that, Daybit always gets like that when something has caught his eyes." Exhaling, he shook his head and turned his attention to Wodime. "Though I do wish you had held yourself back for just a few more minutes. I was this close-" he pinched his fingers together "-to being told about what he was doing when he was away."

Wodime grimaced. "I was unaware my arrival had been that much of a burden to you."

Waving his hand, Peperoncino smiled at him. "It wasn't for my sake, it was for the sake of Fairy. I could see just how curious she was about him from the moment she laid eyes on him." He was silent for a moment, then waved his hand at the girl "You don't need to deny it either, and I completely understand! He's such a brooding, mysterious finger…amazingly handsome too."

Le Fay blinked twice, then let out a chuckle "I don't think I should make a comment on that last one in case my brother overhears me. He might take it the wrong way."

Wodime rolled his jaw as he stared at Le Fay for a moment, though it had not occurred to him before, this provided another excellent opportunity to establish bonds within their group. It would go leaps and bounds into properly incorporating the Vali group, or at least some of them, into becoming closer allies once whatever business the White Dragon Emperor had was concluded. Adjusting himself, he inclined his head towards the girl. "On the topic of yourself and your brother, I feel the need to ask how amenable he would be to the prospect of you accompanying myself and Daybit to South America."

"From Ophelia straight to Le Fay!" Peperoncino looked positively scandalised, leaning back and covering his face with his hands, releasing an overly dramatic gasp of terror. "How long until he sets his sights on myself! I can already see him reaching for Daybit!"

Furrowing his brows, he stared at Peperoncino with what he liked to assume was restrained confusion, but his mind couldn't quite comprehend what they were so worried about or why they were making a performance out of it. "If you wish to accompany me on my next outing, whenever it might be, I would be more than willing to accommodate your presence. I have much the same intention towards Kadoc as well, though I find myself troubled with my approach…I fear as though I might be off putting to him at times."

The tension left the shoulders of Peperoncino, expression turning cool "That is neither here nor there. You tend to come off as a certain type of individual. Very imposing. Though I'm curious as to whether or not you think it might be too soon for Fairy." he turned to the girl and raised his hand "Not that I'm questioning your abilities, darling." the assurance was met with a nod of the head. "Merely that at the moment it would be easier to think of us as cordial neighbours who occasionally speak with one another. If this is as risky as you might think, then perhaps it would be best to ensure the greatest chance of success."

Nodding his head up and down, he would admit that there was merit in the argument of Peperoncino. Indeed, for all of his time with Le Fay, he had not done anything with her before. They met and spoke in the hallways, they traded their own opinions on magical spells, but that was the extent of it. He did not know how she operated under pressure or within a team environment. Then again, the same could have been true of Peperoncino.

"I shall grant you that, but is it not the nature of humans to band together during trying times?" He pointed out, then returned his focus onto Le Fay. "Though I do not wish to pressure you into this, it would wholeheartedly remain your choice."

Le Fay thinned her lips, then offered him an apologetic expression before shaking her head from side to side. "While I would thoroughly wish to leap at the opportunity to aid you, I must remain with the others. If they were to have need of me and find me unavailable, then it would put them in dire straits." She was silent for a moment, then sighed and lowered her head. "And I have discovered that in my absence, they insist on eating cheap fast food because none of them have any skill in the culinary arts. I fear for their diets if nothing else if I were to take my leave of them."

That wasn't quite the reasoning he had expected, at least for the latter part. The former made perfect sense to him, but he had felt the need to make the offer all the same.

"I understand." Nodding his head, he kept his disappointment from showing through his features. "I only made the offer in the event that you and the others would be interested. Though should there ever come a moment in which you do desire to accompany myself or Daybit, then you should know that the option is available for you to take."

She offered a polite smile and nodded her head up and down "I thank you for thinking so highly of me that you would ask. If there should ever come a moment in which any of us wish to aid you, then I hope to take the offer again."

Well, it was better to have asked and been rejected than to make a fool of himself elsewhere. Though in regards to returning to the original plan, he turned his attention onto Peperoncino and thinned his lips. "Though I believe I shall require your aid as well, at least for the initial part."

Peperoncino raised an eyebrow "You need my help?" releasing an intrigued hum, he tilted his head "Whatever for?"

"Given your skilled alias, I would like to assume you have some degree of experience in forging identities."

"I have dabbled in the past, yes." He confirmed with a nod of the head, then understanding flashed through his eyes and a coy smile came to his lips. "Ah~ Is this the fruition of entering via mundane means? Using a fake passport to enter the continent so as to not attract attention?"

He confirmed with a nod. "Yes, though I suspect that I shall require your aid in regards to something else. Namely the crafting of an identity." leaning back, he imagined there was a twinkle in his eye as he spoke his next words. "Suffice to say that the attention being sent towards Asgard has reminded me of a certain fable involving the Thunder God. If his manner of disguise can work for him, then there is little reason that it cannot work for myself."

He was silent for a moment, then finished with an afterthought "And it would certainly remove suspicion from myself if done correctly, given that we will need to enter the country through other means first and foremost."

Peperoncino raised an eyebrow, then slowly nodded his head up and down, though still looking a touch curious. "I confess my understanding of Norse myths to be a touch lacking, be a dear and explain it to be more thoroughly, would you?"

"Ah, I need to know how to apply make-up onto myself." He paused for a moment, then felt the need to elaborate. "A wig will also suffice, though I suppose I could just dye my hair another shade with magecraft." muttering to himself, he dismissed the thought and then returned his focus to Peperoncino, only to find himself staring at the bug-eyed expression of the man.

The surprise lasted for a few moments, then gave way to what had to be the most enthusiastic expression he had ever seen on the face of the man in his entire life. The sheer joy written on his features was almost infectious, especially when he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "Kirschtaria. You cannot begin to understand how happy this line of thinking has made me. Perhaps not the first I would have expected to trade beauty tips with…but I consider this a pleasant surprise all the same."

His eyes opened up "No sense in wasting time though! You're on a deadline and these talks can go on for hours." Peperoncino spared Le Fay a glance before tilting his head "You're welcome to stop by if you want, Fairy! I suspect this will kill two birds with one stone in the future."

The blonde absently nodded her head up and down, looking more than a little bewildered.

Wodime just allowed himself to be pulled along by Peperoncino, he had never seen him this excited before.

Wodime: "We need to enter South America."

Peperoncino: [I sleep]

Wodime: "So I'm going to disguise myself as a woman."

Peperoncino: [Real shit]