Another night, another evening of uselessly puttering back and forth. Well, on the plus side, he had reason to believe Phibrizzo might still be around, excuse enough to wait a few minutes before heading down towards his previously scheduled meeting. Glancing around the hallway, he waved cheerily in the dark as he saw his roommate waiting for someone as well, then leaned against a wall.
If Lord Hellmaster didn't show up soon, Xelloss would just move along without speaking to him for yet another night. It wasn't terribly far to his destination, the delay shouldn't be too costly.
Phibrizzo did, however, have need to speak the the priest. It had been some time and the Mazoku lord have many things he needed an update on, least of which his subordinate's actions. Slinking into the hall, he approached Xelloss with one hand to his side and a flat look on his face.
"Xelloss." He didn't say anything beyond the name, not yet.
He didn't look very happy. Actually, he didn't look very anything, which was odd; Lord Hellmaster had a number of interesting personality quirks, in Xelloss's naturally respectful opinion, and one of those quirks was an absolute inability to do 'neutral.' Happy, angry, even when acting he was 100% in his part. The flat expression probably didn't bode very well, but then again, it sounded as though Phibrizzo had had a difficult night last night.
Xelloss smiled and bowed, as usual. His roommate was still wandering about, and Xelloss did glance lightly in that direction, but honestly it seemed the heroic fellow who was like a humorless Gourry had other things on his mind than his ill-gotten roommate.
"I want a report on your activities for the past nights," Hellmaster demanded, cutting to the chase. He didn't have any other plans for the evening, not yet anyhow, but he suspected Xelloss had plenty of information he could pass on.
Would he? Hellmaster would make him. After not speaking with the priest for several evenings, he needed to be reassured that his interests were still being looked after.
Well, that was straightforward. He spoke quietly and evenly, though it was nothing he was too worried about. Zelgadis (it couldn't have been Amelia and no one else would know) had openly called him a Mazoku on the bulletin board; it was more embarrassing than threatening, but still rather a lapse. Fortunately, no one here seemed to understand the significance of that term, or else they simply hadn't followed the exchange. Or there were enough of the equivalent here from other worlds that it didn't matter
( ... )
Phibrizzo folded his arms and cocked his head as he listened to Xelloss's report. It was a decent amount of progress, yes, but the Mazoku lord still couldn't help but feel a little impatient.
"And that's it? No other progress to report?"
Well, he could wait if he needed to. He'd done that enough in the past, but it didn't make him any less unhappy to hear that as far as physical progress went, they were still in square one.
Xelloss considered. Really, there wasn't much he could report otherwise, until it reached the point of 'we have a number of people willing to work with me in an organized fashion.' That might be.... quite a ways off.
"I also made a human extremely uncomfortable last night?" That wasn't progress at all, but he was still proud of it. He'd done a good job on that.
"I...see." Well, that was an accomplishment. Phibrizzo wasn't going to deny the priest that...
"What is your relationship with Rhode," he inquired suddenly. "I encountered last night and she was quite keen to play with you. She also seems to be aware of the connection between you and I." He arched an eyebrow. "And I certainly didn't tell her anything."
"I met Rhode Camelot on the return ride of the buses from the small town we visited several days ago. On the bus, she correctly identified me as non-human, along with a few other traits. She also pointed out other non-humans on the bus. I believe that her ability may have given her some capacity to recognize the similarity in our forms. You may recall an individual called Reinforce which I warned you about early upon arrival, who also recognized some aspect of my nature?" Xelloss pointed out politely. "As for Rhode's behavior, I believe she's fond of me. She seems to at least have some interest in... the sort of casual hobbies that lower Mazoku often indulge in." There, that was vague enough, as a way to discuss torturing humans.
Phibrizzo tapped his foot. "Well, since it's your doing, you keep her under control and out of my sight." Hellmaster didn't have any great desire to see the little hellion again, not anytime soon. Continuing on, he put a hand to his chin and said, "Now then, tell me more about your plans for tonight. Who is it that you're meeting?"
Xelloss scratched the side of his face in consternation, not really sure how any of this was actually his doing. After all, he hadn't asked the girl to come over and correctly identify him, or mentioned there was another of his kind in the Institute. But there was no sense in arguing, so he nodded.
"The person I am meeting is named Peter, he is not sure if he can draw out abilities dissimilar to those in his own world, but I thought it was worth a try." Xelloss paused, and decided not to add that he wasn't sure Peter would not get lost or eaten on the way to the meeting spot, having an apparently weak sense of the outline of the Institute.
Phibrizzo nodded. "Very well. I expect to hear how that goes."
He looked his subordinate sternly in the eye. It might have been a good idea to give him a couple of new orders, but really, Phibrizzo's head was bothering him and he couldn't think very clearly as to what those would be. No, it would be beneficial to let Xelloss do what he had planned, so long as Hellmaster got all of the details later. So he finished, "Is there anything else you need to report?"
Phibrizzo's behavior seemed odd. He was staring as though he expected something else, or perhaps as though Xelloss ought to be expecting something else, but Xelloss really couldn't guess what it was. Xelloss waited and blinked once at the stare, until Hellmaster finally closed the discussion. "Nothing. Is there anything else you need to ask me about?" It was almost begging for extra work, but Xelloss still felt faintly confused by Phibrizzo's attitude, and he supposed he'd rather know now if something else was going on than find out later.
"Nothing. Is there anything else you need to ask me about?"
Well, that was frustrating. The comment seemed to imply there was something he should have asked or that something was up in the Priest's mind. The former possibility annoyed Hellmaster-- Xelloss should have told him everything, as was his duty; the latter worried him-- if there was something noticeably wrong with him...
It was that damned doctor's fault, the one who had cut open his head and done...things to him! If he'd never been strapped to that table, he wouldn't be getting those weird...feelings in his head. He needed time alone to think this through, which meant he needed to send Xelloss away without suspicions.
"No," He responded firmly. "I will leave you to your plans."
Xelloss continued to look back at Phibrizzo for another moment, eyes open in confusion. There was something off. Even with Phibrizzo's firm tone of voice, the usual style, it just...
Or perhaps he'd been here too long, and both of them were not exactly feeling their usual. Another polite bow, and no further questions. "Thank you, Lord Hellmaster, I look forward to informing you of the results."
Then a hasty retreat. He hoped he wouldn't be too late and that the man would show up--he was curious.
If Lord Hellmaster didn't show up soon, Xelloss would just move along without speaking to him for yet another night. It wasn't terribly far to his destination, the delay shouldn't be too costly.
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"Xelloss." He didn't say anything beyond the name, not yet.
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Xelloss smiled and bowed, as usual. His roommate was still wandering about, and Xelloss did glance lightly in that direction, but honestly it seemed the heroic fellow who was like a humorless Gourry had other things on his mind than his ill-gotten roommate.
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Would he? Hellmaster would make him. After not speaking with the priest for several evenings, he needed to be reassured that his interests were still being looked after.
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"And that's it? No other progress to report?"
Well, he could wait if he needed to. He'd done that enough in the past, but it didn't make him any less unhappy to hear that as far as physical progress went, they were still in square one.
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"I also made a human extremely uncomfortable last night?" That wasn't progress at all, but he was still proud of it. He'd done a good job on that.
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"What is your relationship with Rhode," he inquired suddenly. "I encountered last night and she was quite keen to play with you. She also seems to be aware of the connection between you and I." He arched an eyebrow. "And I certainly didn't tell her anything."
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"I met Rhode Camelot on the return ride of the buses from the small town we visited several days ago. On the bus, she correctly identified me as non-human, along with a few other traits. She also pointed out other non-humans on the bus. I believe that her ability may have given her some capacity to recognize the similarity in our forms. You may recall an individual called Reinforce which I warned you about early upon arrival, who also recognized some aspect of my nature?" Xelloss pointed out politely. "As for Rhode's behavior, I believe she's fond of me. She seems to at least have some interest in... the sort of casual hobbies that lower Mazoku often indulge in." There, that was vague enough, as a way to discuss torturing humans.
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"The person I am meeting is named Peter, he is not sure if he can draw out abilities dissimilar to those in his own world, but I thought it was worth a try." Xelloss paused, and decided not to add that he wasn't sure Peter would not get lost or eaten on the way to the meeting spot, having an apparently weak sense of the outline of the Institute.
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He looked his subordinate sternly in the eye. It might have been a good idea to give him a couple of new orders, but really, Phibrizzo's head was bothering him and he couldn't think very clearly as to what those would be. No, it would be beneficial to let Xelloss do what he had planned, so long as Hellmaster got all of the details later. So he finished, "Is there anything else you need to report?"
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Phibrizzo's behavior seemed odd. He was staring as though he expected something else, or perhaps as though Xelloss ought to be expecting something else, but Xelloss really couldn't guess what it was. Xelloss waited and blinked once at the stare, until Hellmaster finally closed the discussion. "Nothing. Is there anything else you need to ask me about?" It was almost begging for extra work, but Xelloss still felt faintly confused by Phibrizzo's attitude, and he supposed he'd rather know now if something else was going on than find out later.
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Well, that was frustrating. The comment seemed to imply there was something he should have asked or that something was up in the Priest's mind. The former possibility annoyed Hellmaster-- Xelloss should have told him everything, as was his duty; the latter worried him-- if there was something noticeably wrong with him...
It was that damned doctor's fault, the one who had cut open his head and done...things to him! If he'd never been strapped to that table, he wouldn't be getting those weird...feelings in his head. He needed time alone to think this through, which meant he needed to send Xelloss away without suspicions.
"No," He responded firmly. "I will leave you to your plans."
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Or perhaps he'd been here too long, and both of them were not exactly feeling their usual. Another polite bow, and no further questions. "Thank you, Lord Hellmaster, I look forward to informing you of the results."
Then a hasty retreat. He hoped he wouldn't be too late and that the man would show up--he was curious.
[to here]
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