The Guest of Honour (Arix, Integra)

[sebastian]

There were many preparations to be made. Ever since his day had begun at 4:30 that morning, he had been slaving away in an effort to make certain everything was absolutely perfect. Of course, he'd brought Integra her 5 o' clock morning tea and Cigar; along with breakfast. But then he'd taken his leave to begin the seemingly endless lists of tasks to be done. He went through every square centimeter of the impressive mansion, checking and double checking to make sure everything was spotless. Not a single spec of dust would escape his notice. One moment, he'd be on the uppermost floors; cleaning everything whether it looked like it was needed or not. The next moment, he was in the basement dungeons; mending the cracks in the floor and wall which had been the result of the Freak conflict a few days ago. At least Camp had held to his promise and had all the blood cleared up. He took time to replace the door Alucard had broken down as well; before rushing up to the kitchen to prepare lunch; as it was a little past ten when he finished the indoor preparations.

Everyone who resided in the mansion was very familiar with seeing him moving about and carrying out his tasks; he was rather popular among Hellsing residents. But this sudden increase in activity and obsession with perfection failed to escape their notice. They knew something was up, and they were determined to find out. The butler had been moving about so much, no one had been given a chance to speak with him. But once he was in the kitchen, working on lunch, 6 of the Wild Geese members practically cornered him; demanding what was going on. The butler sighed as he turned back to the stove, stirring some extravagantly scented meal within a large pot. Without turning to address them directly, he explained. "Tonight, at approximately 5 o' clock; we will be having a distinguished visitor." He was rather irritated that they didn't already know that, he had so many other things to do than to update them. "Arix, who serves directly under the Queen, will be meeting with the Master this evening."

Immediately, he felt the air about him spark with sudden excitement. Of course the Wild Geese knew who Arix was, and the prospect of his arrival had them on edge. Sebastian remained facing the stove; shifting over to a smaller pot to add in some sort of seasoning. An exquisite smell immediately began to waft throughout the room and into the halls. "He is coming specifically to speak with Sir Integra. You are not to get in his way or address him at all; unless he speaks to you first. He will very likely talk with you, as you are honorable soldiers like himself. But all the same, you may not pester him." His voice was authoritative and firm. He may have been only the butler, but he rarely left Integra's side; and so he had some say over things like this. It was his duty to unsure guests' comfort; and any orders he gave either came directly form Integra herself, or were important in some other way. Besides... He had a natural air about him which demanded a certain level of respect from others; and the Wild Geese were only too willing to accept his words. "Now, unless you intend to lend a hand in making lunch; then kindly leave the kitchen, please. I am on a rather tight schedule."

The 6 shuffled out of the kitchen quickly, apparently not fond of the possibility of being put to work in cooking. And so that was how his day went. Briefly, at exactly 11; he stopped by Integra's office to serve her lunch. But the moment she was done, he took the plates and then turned to leave again; saying that he had more preparations to carry out. Once the dishes were cleaned and stored properly; the butler moved on to work on the outdoor areas of the Hellsing grounds. The courtyards would be neatly trimmed, the marble fountains polished and with clean water running, decorative bushes and hedges were cut evenly into shapes, the concrete walkways were a pristine white. All in all, both outdoor and indoor appearances of the the Hellsing grounds were as perfect as possible. The demon returned to the kitchen in order to begin preparations for dinner at 4pm.

^{_____________________________________________________________________}

When 4:50 came around, Sebastian made his way up to Integra's study once again. He knocked lightly before entering, and laid a fresh cup of tea and a new cigar upon her desk. "Forgive me for the slightly earlier that usual time; my lord. But Arix will be arriving any moment now, and I must greet him at the gates." He sank into a low bow, then left the room at a brisk pace; closing the door soundlessly behind him. Soon, he was walking through the highly polished mahogany double doors which served as the mansion's main entrance. The courtyard area which filled the space within the fence which surrounded Hellsing Territory was appealing to the eye. The butler proceeded to the wrought iron front gates, swiftly unlocking them and stepping through. He closed the gates behind him, and shifted to the left of the entrance. He took up an almost militaristic stance as he waited expectantly for the guest, similar to a "parade rest" position; with his back straight and feet slightly apart. The gloved hands were clasped neatly behind his back.

He was rather excited about this meeting himself. He remembered Arix all too clearly, that training session which he'd observed was still fresh in his mind. He wasn't sure if Arix had seen him watching the session from the roof or not, but it really didn't matter at this point. Sebastian remembered just how alluring Arix's strange double soul was. That man... There was a feeling about him which demanded a sense close to reverence from the demon butler, a very rare thing on his part. There was only one other human who could make him feel this level or respect, admiration, longing, and intense interest... That was Integra herself. So this entire meeting would be an enjoyable experience for him; he would be meeting Arix face-to-face; rather than just watching him work from a roof.

[.:Amilia:.]

Though the rockstar from hell hadn't technically been in their realm he expected his deeds to have spread far and wide by now. Oddly enough there were people in Kari and Isafaro who were coming to recruit him constantly for their cause completely ignoring the fact that there was a war brewing here as well. He was sure to lose some fans that way, but to Hallowton he was a hero and a savior to these people.

Arix chose to walk through the streets, he was with his apprentice Amilia and they were going to be late at the rate it was going. Many people continuously stopped him to give him praise and thanks for saving their families and so on so forth. Arix was known to have saved the queen two times since his arrival to this world, and known to have routed two armies at the whim of his blade. What was more impressive was the fact that no one was afraid of him like back in Domino city.

"Mr. Popular."

"Don't be jealous. This just means I can't walk around the castle naked, someone might take a picture and spread my sexiness far and wide. Might have the demon army rush here faster once they know what I'm working with."

"Stop it please."

They finally rounded on the Hellsing mansion and began walking down the side of the wall that separated the mansion grounds from the streets of Hallowton. He was rather impressed, with the work of Hellsing and the money of Harker the surrounding area was looking rather nice now. Even after a war and a demon invasion. All of this would be nothing if the Red-Headed Demon child arrived to town, but then she'd have to face him.

He came to the gates and looked at Sebastian and whistled.

"Oh it's you."

He recognized Sebastian from the few glimpses he caught of him during the training session with Sparda, that had been nearly a month ago but the image of the man was still vaguely in his mind.

[sebastian]

Sebastian raised his eyebrows as the man came around the corner, tailed by a young girl. So, had he chosen the girl as his apprentice? She did seem to be strong and capable of much, but did she really have what it took to learn Merjutsu? From what he'd heard in that session, it was extremely difficult to be able to carry out such a complicated sword tactic. No one in that training session seemed to have been even close to the level required to learn the style. The two were almost upon him as the final though ran through his head. He brought his feet together as they came to a halt before him. The demon bowed, his right hand resting on his chest as he held his upper body parallel to the ground upon which he stood.

It sounded as if Arix had seen him, and recognized him as well. "Yes, it's me; Arix Sir. I hope you'll forgive my rudeness and spying at that time, I found your training most fascinating." He straightened up again, and turned to open the gate once more. "Now then, I welcome you to the Hellsing Manor. Sir Integra is expecting you. With your permission, I shall escort you to her office immediately." He held the door open for Arix and the girl; closing it soundlessly behind them when they were through.



He started to walk down the white concrete path which would take them to the mahogany double doors at the main entrance. He would hold those doors open for the two visitors as well, before heading directly for the stairwell. Every surface within the manor was still sparkling clean, good. He turned onto the hallway at the third floor, and walked down the picture-decorated space until he stood before another impressive doorway. He raised his gloved hand to knock of the wood, before opening it an stepping in to hold that door as well. He bowed again. "My lord, Arix has arrived." He then stood back, bracing the door with the back of one of his feet as he waited for the guests to enter.

[Stranger]

"Very well send him in."

Integra had been waiting for him. He was slightly late but there was no reason for her to complain considering his reputation and status in this world. The man she was about to come face to face with was a legend in two worlds and so powerful that it caused many demons to quake with fear by dropping his name. It was obvious that she didn't wish to be his enemy by dropping a offer for him to come for afternoon tea to meet the other guardian of the queen.

Sparda had briefed them openly about the situation, he had dropped Arix's name and even though she hadn't met him she had heard of him since before that time from several of the refugees. His name got around quite a bit from mouth to mouth, the fact that he was visiting here had her troops on their toes. Everyone here had heard of him and respected. He was a rockstar after all.

Today, Integra had gone a bit more casual. She didn't have her jacket on, it was draped around the back of her chair, she simply had her dress shirt on and her tie. No gloves on her hands so the Hellsing Pentagrams were boldly across the backs of her hands. It had been a long and hot day and it was coming down to the end, it was time to relax from the stack of paperwork she was still working on since the demon raid.

[.:Amilia:.]

"Not at all, we welcome an audience, makes the trainee's show off a bit more and push a little harder when they see the ones they have to protect," Arix said following behind Sebastian, "I hope Integra doesn't mind the extra I've brought along with me, she's a little wet under the ears so I figure I'd introduce her to the people I'll be doing business with most of the time."

Arix nodded once he was granted entry into Integra's office and stepped through the doors with Amilia at his side the entire way. Unlike him, dressed in his entire armor set complete with his sword, she was wearing a more subtle lighter armor that was mostly a mixture of toughened leather and steel padding. However, the one thing on her body that made a distinct impression was the second sword of Arix's set strapped to her waist. Of course both blades were sheathed so their typical power radiating glows were concealed. Arix's natural aura from his left arm did brighten the room a bit.

"Sir Integra," Arix nodded to her and placed his right hand over his heart in a fist for a moment, "I'm Arix Himura, General of Queen Lori's forces, and part time executioner of things that piss off the Queen. It's my pleasure to finally make your acquaintance."

He motioned to his right to Amilia, "This is my apprentice Amilia Ashlyn, she serves as my second in command and believe it or not could probably give some of your top tier members a run for their money despite her size and timid appearance," he smiled at Integra.

[sebastian]

"She will be as welcome as you are." The butler stated as he braced the door to grant them entrance. He bowed to the female as she passed; a pleasant smile fixated upon his features. "It is an honor to meet you, Milady; as it is an honor to meet your master." Once both were inside, Sebastian shifted over and took hold of the doorknob; closing the door itself without a sound. As Arix proceeded to introduce himself and the girl, Amilia; he went to pull up two cushioned chairs for them in front of Integra's desk. "I shall retrieve dinner then, Misses and Sir." He turned to Arix and Amilia, smiling again. "May I take any orders?"



((ooc: Holy crap... Only one paragraph... XD Apologies for shortness; there wasn't much for me to reply to this time.))

[Stranger]

"Please, have a seat if you'd like. Sebastian will gather the proper accommodation at your requests," Said Integra nodding her head to them both. She examined Arix's posture and the aura from his arm, while she was a normal human being, she was still extremely touched by magics that she had dabbled with. The Pentagram on the back of her hands itched at the raw power the man was putting off even in his relaxed state, he was truly a marvel and could most likely level the entire mansion killing everyone inside it in one go if he'd liked to, she was glad he was on their side.

"As you'll have already been informed, I am Sir Integral Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, the head of operations here at the Organization. You've met Sebastian, he is my personal butler. If you stay for the tour of the mansion you'll be meeting with several others who aid in the revolving clockwork that is Hellsing," Integra casually sat back in her chair placing her left hand on the arm rest while her right arm continued to rest across the desk.

[.:Amilia:.]

"Sorry, in my current state sitting would be a horrible idea. Ruining chairs and not being able to stand back up because it's stuck to my backside. Amilia, relax, sit, chill out," Arix said nodding to his apprentice as she sat down. He looked to Sebastian and thoughtfully tapped his chin, "An apple will do."

Amilia however took the moment to strike, "Anything that isn't an apple please. Something meaty and solid."

There was a keen look in Arix's eye, he had taken in all of his surroundings the moment he walked through the gates, he knew that there were several powers within this mansion that he couldn't put his finger on exactly, each one was powerful though. That was a good sign of a fearsome leader, a human controlling so many monsters that could easily rip her arms off and beat her to death with them.

He had taken note of the organization within the walls, there were several sniper towers, several watch men, patrols across the outside and inside of the walls, and he had taken note to several sniper camps on top of some of the buildings outside the mansion. They were ready to go to war if it happened.

"So tell me, are you sure you're ready to go against an entire demon army if it happens? Literally, you're the main backbone to Hallowton, I have a dozen trainee's, and we have several 'knights' that Lori keeps around," he said the queens name so casually, it rolled off his tongue like he was best friends with the woman, "But there's still not enough here to help defend."

[sebastian]

Like Integra, he was well aware of the power which radiated off this man, and even his apprentice. The sheer will in itself was enough to set the demon on edge. But that discomfort was hidden perfectly underneath his mask of serene calm. Back when he'd been watching Arix from that roof; he had been to far away to feel the full force of power. Walking down to Integra's office a moment ago; he hadn't been focused on that power behind him; it had gone unnoticed. But now that he was up close and personal... Even the Fuastian symbol upon his left hand, hidden beneath its glove, was pulsing with a dull burning pain. He was dangerous, definitely a foe who would actually stand a chance at defeating the demon if a fight ever emerged. That aura which came from his arm was also a point of great interest, though he was being courteous enough to not allow his gaze to wander over it. Staring was impolite. And like Integra, he was very glad that they weren't enemies. While he was in this world, he would be wary of this man; and do his best to never get on his bad side. So this was what it felt like to feel truly intimidated. He had never been this painfully aware of a raw power which stood a chance at destroying him; because he had never encountered one like Arix before. It was an unfamiliar feeling, and he didn't like it. All these thoughts were traversing around his mind; and it was becoming more difficult to maintain his air of indifference and calm; despite the demon howling at him to turn to instinct and flee.



As Integra introduced him, he was dragged from his private thoughts as if pulled from water. The butler he merely inclined his head in acknowledgement, finding no need to say anything. When the two guests told him what they wanted, he felt a sudden flash of amusement which drove away his discomfort for the moment. An apple? Was that really all that this noble man wanted? How ironic... The butler had half a mind to prepare some extravagant apple pie instead; because a plain apple sounded so boring. But he had specifically said he wanted an apple... So that was what he would receive. However, Amilia had something else entirely in her mind. These two... Were very much polar opposites... Yet one was apprentice to the other... Such combinations usually created a recipe for an invincible team. So... She wanted something meaty... That was good; because the dinner he'd prepared certainly included meat. He bowed once more, feeling a surge of satisfaction. Dinner would be a grande affair; even if it was simply inside Integra's office rather than the dining hall. "I shall return shortly with food and drink..." He murmured, before turning about and exiting the office; closing the door gently behind him.

The moment the door closed, he launched himself soundlessly down the hallway and stairwell; struggling to work off some of that pent up discomfort. He'd maintained his composure in the office, but now he needed a moment to regain the composure he'd lost the instant the door was closed. All too soon, he was back in the kitchen. "Self control..." He murmured as he leaned over the sink; resting his hands on the marble counter as he took steadying breaths. The demon was in a midst of a "fight or flight" response; this Arix was on his territory; and a real danger. But the butler, and the contract, were refusing to allow him to leave. That was why his symbol was burning so horribly; reminding him of the bond. Sure, he could break it with ease; the contract wouldn't stop him. The pain was merely a reminder. But it was a reminder he took to heart. He pulled the glove from his left hand, looking down at the unobtrusive black markings; which looked completely normal. Yet he still felt that heat... He remained in his position of overshadowing the sink; closing his eyes as he struggled to bring the demon back under his control. Once a minute had passed, he started to feel the demon going dormant again; and he stood up straight once more, feeling a slight head rush. He had a meal to take to the guests and his master...



With the pain in his hand fading to nothing once more, he turned toward the cart he'd left just inside the kitchen door; loaded with covered dishes and pitcher. He picked two apples in his still gloved right hand and placed it on top of the plate stack as he went. He took his time returning now, his rush to the kitchen to have his little "moment" had left him with some extra time. The demon lifted the cart and its burden into the air with ease, as usual; and made his way up the stairs again. By the time he was standing outside of the office again, he had regained his composure; and had the dormant demon locked in its sleep. He was prepared now. Sebastian pulled his glove back onto his left hand; once again concealing his contract evidence, and knocked lightly on the door before re-entering. There was that pleasant smile upon his face as he walked in; closing the door behind him again. The heavenly aroma of the food wafted into the study with him; despite the food being covered. He was able to pass Arix and Amelia with mere inches of space between them and him; it was his test to make sure he was controlling himself again. There was a telltale flash of that same intimidation; but it had been dulled dramatically by the cloud of determination swirling about in his mind. They were on the same side, he had no reason to feel threatened or in any form of danger.

Sebastian brought his cart to the side of Integra's desk; once again completely at ease, though it was no act this time. He took a white tablecloth from the cart which seemed to shimmer in the lightening of the office; it had traces of silk strands in it. He figured that this meeting was in favor of a slightly nicer tablecloth than normal. In a single smooth motion; it was spread across Integra's desk while her earlier cub of tea, no empty, was shifted to a lower shelf of the cart. No wrinkles in the cloth, no spots... Perfect. While they talked, he set the table for three with glittering genuine silver ware; before returning to the cart. "Pardon my interruption..." He said softly as he left a small plate with an apple cut into pieces. He'd carved the apple slices into a sort of puzzle; each piece was shaped in a way that wasn't boring triangular things. The pieces had unique shapes, with shallow; intricate designs carved into the soft flesh. Upon the plate, the different shaped formed a perfect replica of the Hellsing coat of arms. If he was to serve boring apples; then he would make them interesting.

"For dinner, I have prepared Blue Lobster with seven different types of Curry." He pulled the cover off the first dish and laid it in the center of the table; placing a pair of knives beside it which would be able to cut through the softened lobster shell with ease so that they could serve themselves as much as a portion as they wanted. It would be extremely easy for them all to pull meat from the shell. "I have arranged the curry from left to right by order of no spice, to a rather intense heat. This a dish which I have found in the past to be very pleasing to those who try it." Each curry bowl had a small serving spoon resting next to it. He poured a fresh cup of tea for Integra, added in her preferences of taste enhancement; and set it before her. "I have also have Domaine de la Romanee-Conti wine; if any of you would prefer that savory drink instead of tea." Sebastian turned back to the cart to retrieve a platter with garlic and butter bread rolls; and set it by the lobster plate.



Finally, he picked up the second to last covered dish from the cart; and offered a pleasant smile to Amilia. "You wished for something meaty and solid..." He said in his usual soft voice. "Perhaps you will enjoy this Beef Donburi." He pulled the cover from the gold-engraved platter, revealing an exquisite looked dish that was obviously foreign... "This is a traditional Japanese Delicacy; a dish offered as a sign of respect to someone who has accomplished important work. In this case, you and your apprenticeship to Arix. It is also often offered as a sign of gratitude to those who have carried out what seems to be impossible duties. It is a token of appreciation from Hellsing for all you have done for the Queen and for Hallowton; though I will of course understand if you chose not to eat it. It is carefully processed, but it is still raw beef." He looked over at Arix, tilting his head slightly, not sure if he would find interest in such a meal. "From what I've heard and seen, you are quite the warrior, good Sir..." He bowed again, then stood back to take his place slightly behind and to the left of Integra's chair. Of course, there was no guarantee they'd know of Japan; they certainly didn't come from Earth. But origination of the meal was unimportant. "If you wish for anymore food or a drink; please let me know." The final dish would remain covered for now, it was dessert; after all. He would wait to serve it until everything else had been finished.

[Stranger]

Integra waited to answer Arix's question as they were presented with dinner. She took a drink from her tea cup and set it back down, "Thank you Sebastian. I believe I may have some wine later when the day winds down to a halt. It would be best to continue to have a clear mind for the trials ahead of me today."

She took a glance back to Arix and nodded, "The Demon army wont step foot in Hallowton. I have sent one of my best agents to face them, and she will not fail me. If she does, the cost of her failure is death, and the demon army will be stopped at the boarder of Hallowton as Alucard, Seras, and Sebastian lay waste to them. Alucard could easily handle the fluff of their army, they would have a hard time coming back to life when they have their very life force swallowed by the Baskerville hellhound. Sebastian could handle their generals all at once. And Seras would pick off each general from long range with her Harkonnen Cannon, not to mention anything that was in the air at the time."

"Of course, the star of the show, you, would be needed to halt their leader and seal the void to their realm. Not to mention, any who survive Kari would move here, and you aren't the only omnipotent being within the Queens grasp. Sparda himself could lessen Sebastians load and take some of the generals. If they get that close to defeating either of them Alucard could stop the entire army with a wall of spikes that the demon army would have to break through, giving us time to set up a second defense and rest. By which time I'll have all of Iscariot set up to charge, the Wild Geese set up with sniper rifles in hidden locations, and I'm sure you'd have your trainee's ready to fight."

"The second attack would be met with Alucard first. He would move alone in order to thin their ranks. Once you see him issue his attack everyone of the Iscariots would rush in hitting the unholy with holy enchantments. Not to mention, the Papal Knights would of already been purifying the grounds around the town to increase their strength. I would then have Sebastian move on Alucard's flank to get closer to their leader, if you weren't already fighting her I'd have Sebastian end her and send her remains to the realm which he came from. I have many alternatives to this plan, but that's just the backbone of it."

Integra took a bite from her meal dipping it in the most hellish of the sauces. She nodded her head to Arix, "If there is anything you'd wish to add. Please do."

[.:Amilia:.]

"Thank you Mr. Sebastian," Amilia said, her eyes had lit up at the meal, it was the first thing that wasn't an apple or medium rare steak. Arix looked at Sebastian and shrugged, he replied to Sebastian's statement, "I'm just a simple man. However, if you happen to have a rather deep glass of wine, I'll gladly take it off your hands."

"Master! We don't need you stumbling around swinging a sword!"

"Hey lil' missy. I was drinking whiskey straight out a flask when I was kicking the hell out of the Abyss legions."

Arix repoised himself to listen to Integra a smile on his face as he glanced over to Amilia. This woman had it all planned out. He was glad to see someone so resourceful and ready to throw her men away for the safety and peace of the people of Hallowton itself. At the end of the day it looked like she was a careless bitch, but for every man sacrificed it was another family who would survive.

She had mentioned Alucard, and that brought his interest up. He hadn't known where Alucard had come from in his realm but from first hand experience he had seen what a monster the man was, and he knew if it came down to it he'd kill him again if he had to.

"I've estimated that there's about another 3 months until the Demons even get close to here considering they'd have to walk through Kari and that's no easy feat. Their size means moving them takes time, so by then I'll have Amilia mastering the more advanced techniques of Merjutsu, the recruits will also have a more stable understanding of what it takes to kill another man.

"By then, I'm hoping to have more recruits learning the art to fight on the back lines. If I'm to face the Demon Queen who controls them, them Amilia is to stay at Lori's side to protect her. However, I do not trust any of your men. My apologies, I haven't seen any of them fight and by warriors will I cannot bring it upon myself to trust any man or woman standing next to me if I haven't seen what they can do with a weapon or themselves. I hope you understand.

"Perhaps send a couple people my way every so often in the Courtyard, they'll learn a little something and I'll start to trust in their abilities. The only one here I know anything about is Alucard. Where I came from he wiped out an entire city in a days time and went on to kill just about everything that walked in his path. By chance of luck he ran into me and I put an end to him. Might I add this isn't the same Alucard so I cannot expect him to be exactly the same. But I'm sure their powers are more than similar."

Arix took an apple slice and tossed it into the air catching it in his mouth.

[Stranger]

"You put an end to Alucard? I am impressed," Integra said pushing her tea aside now. She settled her hands on the desk and had a thoughtful look on her face as if she was still absorbing the words he had spoken, "I understand your mistrust. I have several recruits in the Wild Geese who would enjoy training in some sort of sword style to add onto their combat experience."

"Also, if you really wish for it, I can set up a sparring match in the training area behind the mansion. It would be nice for any of my top agents to understand that they face threats more deadly than them. I'm thinking perhaps we pit you against Seras considering she's the most active agent on the field right now."

[sebastian]

He inclined his head to Integra in response to her wine request; he would bring some to her later in the day. As his master went on to explain her plans, he paid close attention to every word without making it evident. He was a bit surprised that Integra had so much faith in his abilities in the case of a fight; he really hand't been working for her long. And she wasn't one to trust easily. He had a feeling that it was only the reassurance of what the contract guaranteed that made Integra willing to accept his service that night. And yet here she was... Laying out a plan in which he would be given targets that had to be destroyed, no matter what. If such a battle were to ever break out, and he was sure it would at some point, he would play an important role. It was pleasing to know that this powerful woman sheltered so much faith and trust toward him. It made the bond of the contract that much stronger.

Sebastian turned his head toward Amilia as she addressed him, and he shook his head slowly in amusement as he bowed again. "You are very welcome... But please, milady; just Sebastian. The title of 'Mister' is not befitting of a mere servant." He always found it funny how quickly people began to show him respect and treat him like an equal. No matter what he was, or what he did; he was still only a servant. More like a slave really; due to the complete control given to his masters through the contract. Demons were proud creatures; and such status was an insult to all except Faustian Demons. Faustians willingly gave themselves to that control so that they could mold their prey into something many times more desirable that it originally was. Arix's voice brought his attention back, and he turned to pour some of the wine from the bottle on his cart into a glass. He placed the said glass on the table by the man's apple plate; feeling that surge of power roll over him as the motion brought his hand closer to the presence.

Once again, that instinctive urge of "fight or flight" arose; and it took all of his self control to maintain his composure as he straightened up again and moved back to stand at Integra's shoulder. He was starting to become highly irritated with the restless demon within. How exactly was he supposed to serve as a proper butler with Arix nearby if he could barely set a glass down without smashing it in his hands? The reasons for his discomfort weren't unknown to him; he was unsure of whether or not they were truly on the same side. Whenever the demon was convinced that the man wouldn't turn and attack, only then would he be able to fully relax. Arix's next words weren't surprising. Had their situations been reversed, he doubted that he would have trusted some strange organization which showed up without warning.

[.:Amilia:.]

"You have a mighty fine butler here," Arix raised the glass and downed it all in one shot setting it down once he was finished then took another slice of apple and downed it to get rid of the horrid taste of wine. Wine was a acquired taste after so many years of drinking Whiskey he had grown accustomed to the taste of any alcohol though, it just took a little getting used to the after taste than anything else, "You might wanna expand your liquor however, wine has such a gloomy taste to it."

"Send them my way, I'm sure the queen would approve so long as they continue to fight on her side. It would benefit both of us to have multiple merjutsu practitioners on the battlefield at once being guided by more than one hand," he at the last apple slice and raised his hand at Integra waving her off, "Sorry, I wont be participating in sparring today. Amilia will however. She's eager to express what she's learned against someone who doesn't constantly put an ass beating on her."

[Stranger]

"I can have it set up at once. Seras is just in the courtyard, it'll give them both a chance to face something they've never seen before, and from fist hand experience, I'm sure you can vouch for the things I have in my arsenal. Take a moment to finish eating and drinking, I'll show you to the training area after you're finished," Integra sat back in her chair and waited.