Helantri Deru is...well, a calm oasis in ways, but a fortress beneath its beauty. The mansion holds influences from Earth's China, but a good many other sensibilities are merged into that as well. It appears open, well-lit, and airy...but can be sealed to virtual inpenetrability at a moment's notice. The grounds around it are graced by beautiful gardens, practically a horticultural museum or botanical masterwork. There are what appear to be training areas scattered throughout, but they fit into the landscape as though they belong. They do. The protective and cloaking fields around the entire area are exceedingly similar to those around Saea's Gardens.

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Ting's had about all she can take of her crazy family life for the week. She doesn't have her mother's selflessly masochistic disposition or her father's absolute dedication or her brother's even temperment...really, it's remarkable that she's even as settled into her hyper-eventuful life as she is.

Even so, she needs a rest. Things were quiet when she left the nether plane, and she just had to flit back to the ether plane before that had a chance to change.

Right now she just wanders quietly through the rubble that had been the home of her birth. What little there is, anyway...mostly, the area was just levelled, gone and disintigrated utterly. Even the earth isn't scorched, since light magic had done the damage. It's just...bare.

Funny. One of the most pressing losses in her mind is a certain little plant she'd been caring for for quite a few years.

Not too far from Ting, an heavy infernal presence sticks out of an otherwise empty spectrum. An armored figure in a theatre mask is kneeling over a particular spot on the ground, moving heavy hands over a glowing circle. Spreading it out, bit by bit, backing up every so often. What looks oddly like a piece of roof seems to be rising up from the earth.

Ting's eyes widen when she sees it. Eep! Sooo not in the mood to be confrontational but...definitely, definitely needs to figure out what's going on. Her immediate response is to duck behind a small part of a wall and peek up over it cautiously, her power cloaked.

The armored figure seems not to notice Ting, wrapped as it is in its labor. It continues to step back from the expanding circle, bit by bit, step by langorious step. With each clank of its boot the roof rises further, giving way to the top of an architecture that looks frighteningly like Felina Deyono's house.

Ting blinks. How...weird. She's afraid to interrupt just yet, exactly...decides that being accidentally perceived as a hiding threat will be a bad idea, though, and jumps over the mini-wall to sit on it, and just watches quietly.

Bit by bit the old house rises as if from the ground, but Ting can probably see that it's coming from the circle. An upper story, now, is clear of the earth. And the being keeps working. It takes a few more minutes, but at last the entirety of this part of the compound is back in place, as if it had never been touched. Old scars on the walls are gone, though... the armored creature obviously did not know the most intimate details of the structure. It steps back, appraising its work, and draws a sleeve across its forehead. A dark-fleshed hand with three long, thick fingers can be seen just past it. Still, it seems oblivious to Ting.

Ting bites her lip at the break in action. Should she? Shouldn't she? She closes her eyes a few moments, hoping this won't end badly, but slips off of her wall and approaches the creature quietly, almost timidly. "Excuse me..." she begins when she's close enough, quietly.. "may I ask what you're doing?"

The masked thing looks at her quickly, catching a hissing breath. It regards her quietly for a second. "I am... house. Returning. All lands, all place." Its head tilts. "Speak. I learn."

"Um...okay." She blinks, but nods. She's slightly more relaxed than she was, though, at not being immediately set upon, and smiles a little. "I'm Ting. I...uh...live here." Blinks again. Glances over the landscape. "Well...did."

The creature regards her again. "I'm fixing. This... hm. Okay." It tilts its head the other way. "Stasiel queen, sent me. To repair, in return for Spintrius."

Ting tilts her head. "That's nice of her, but...we can't give Spintrius 'cause we don't have him."

"Felina Deyono made a deal. I..." it tilits head yet again. "I am Archduke, Major General Amhersch. Stasiel asked me to do this thing for Felina. You are her daughter, Ting." The mask gives it a comical appearance, but this is in fact one of those demons Yue had just mentioned to Felina. It is much better off this way.

"I...uh..." Ting blinks. "Well, hi, and yes, I'm her daughter. I...didn't know about this deal, though. What was it?"

"Felina asked Stasiel." Its language is improving with every word out of Ting's mouth. "Stasiel Queen wished to damn Spintrius forever. To punish him for his actions. To make him... how is it that mortals say it... to make him her hell bitch, forever. Felina offered a better punishment. Spintris is in the custody of Vanguard Delalenei, and I am restoring your home."

Ting giggles brightly at the 'hell bitch' bit. Okay, for a guy who makes the hair on the back of her neck prickle for some reason, Amhersch is okay! "Well...that works well! Thank you so much...mom'll be really happy. Heck, I am too!" She grins. "I was born in this house. I was sad it was gone."

"It will not be exactly the same. I only know generalizations. But... Ting. Yes." He steps back, waving his hand over the ground. Another spell circle burns to life, and he reaches down to withdraw a pot. Full of plant. "Is this what you were thinking about while you were hiding over there?"

Ting's first instinct is to be sheepish about the 'hiding' bit...until she identifies what she's holding. Her eyes widen. "Eee! How did you...? I mean, stupid question but yes and...thank you!" And then she demonstrates why she's either going to live a very long time or not very long at all, bounces, and hugs the much taller general of hell excitedly. Timid, sometimes, but not really afraid of much anyway.

The demon tolerates the hug. Like most of Stasiel's cabinet, Amhersch it fairly pleasant outside of his work. "Yes. You can help me in return, if you wish. I am to find Alsanael Yue while I am here. Do you know where he is?"

Ting is good about telling when not to cling, though, and is doting on her plant with a gentle claw in short order. Until the question, at which the claw stops abruptly. "Uhhh..." damnit. His suggesting it made her think it; she doesn't have nearly the mental control she needs to avoid tricks like that. "Um...since you knew about the plant, my answering that aloud would be redundant, yes...?" she manages after a moment with a sheepish, unhappy grin.

"Yes, but it is bad form to read the mind of someone I consider a non-enemy when my purposes are not to that person's benefit." It tilts its head over. "Though, you do know. I hope you will tell me, for Yue's own good. Stasiel is not patient, and if she asks me to bring him back by force, I will have no choice but to comply."

Ting bites her lip lightly. "I know," she tries quietly after a few moments, "that you're really strong. Stronger than my mom maybe. Can I just...go tell him you're looking for him, and see what he wants to do?"

"Of course." The demon nods slowly. "I would not be opposed to this. Please be timely, though, I am a busy demon."

"Okay." Ting nods, eyes still on her plant. Looks up after a moment, smiles the littlest bit. "Thank you for my plant." And, clinging to it, cuts a portal to the nether plane, and then is gone.

---

Ting's a touch nervous when she bounces back through to Deru with Yue. "Okay explain to me why we're okay again?"

"Stasiel wants me in Hell because my being here means there are more demons than divinities. Something about keeping a balance. Minna's going to become divine soon, evening it up. So we..."

Yue's about halfway through his spill when he catches sight of Amhersch, working on the other parts of the compound. He freezes, as though his blood has dropped into ice.

Ting tilts her head, craning her neck to look up into his face? "Yue...? You okay? He's okay, he brought back my plant for me, see?" And she shows it proudly. "I took care of it for years and years and I was sad it was gone when I was walking around here before I saw him but he knew that so now it's back! I hugged him." She purrs.

"I get... really, really nervous around things like that..." Yue admits. "I saw one working once. A whole city, down to the twigs, turned infernal and burned. All the people made demons."

Ting winces. "That's...hm. Bad stuff! But not bad stuff this time," she tries to assure. "I didn't get the impression Stasiel ordered him to use force this time." She nods. She seems like a dipstick, but she picks up on phraseology pretty well.

"Still, they creep me out." Yue smiles a little at her... it's hard to be freaked with Ting around. "Alright. Let's go show him what's what."

"Okeedokee!" And Ting trots over that way, humming a cheerful, calming tune as she goes. "Hi again," she chirps as they approach the "Archduck."

Amhersch turns from his -finally- finished work. "Ah, you brought Yue. Good."

Yue flinches, and steps back. "Back off. Just, wait wait. We're not... um..."

"Mom and Yue went and chatted with this really really oldsmart time sorcerer dude!" Ting jumps in, apparently cheerful though awed at the house around them, swaying a bit with her plant. "And he thought of something really cool! 'Cause Yue can't stay on this plane 'cause that unabalance the divine infernal ratio dingy right? But mom's lil infused mortal charge Minna she's cute is going to finish transitioning fully into a goddess in like a week! And then there'll be one more person and then that fixed the ratio dingy like magic yes and yay? So Yue could stay here then yes? Because Yue's cute and kind of hot but for a girl." If the general can follow her babbling, he's earned his stars.

Amhersch's head actually tilts over a little bit more with every sentence. "Little one, I have no idea what you just said," he admits. For a fearsome demon, Yue actually can admit that he's kinda funny.

Ting takes a deep breath. Actually, she's pretty used to that response. "Mom and Yue," she begins a little more slowly, "went to ask a really smart time sorcerer for advice. Ansendul pointed out that one of mom's charges, a divine infused mortal...thing...is going to be fully divine in like...a week. And if Minna becomes a full goddess on the ether plane, 'cause that's where she lives, then there's enough balanced out for Yue to stay, right? And can I go back to being hyper now please I sound like my brother and he's cute but he reads tooo much."

"Um... by all means." Amhersch looks at Yue, who cowers without thinking about it. "Yue will spend one week in hell, then. When the change comes, he will be returned here. Do these terms suit you?"

Ting perks and sags simultaneously. Seriously, she can do it. Looks back to the incubus. "That's good, right?" She chirps. Grins. "Okay, not good, but better than it could have been!" She looks back to the general, swaying on her feet again. "Can I come?"

"If you live your life poorly, yes," Amhersch answers, almost religiously. "You are too nice. Go kick a puppy or something."

"I bite people when they ask me to! Does that count?"

"Even that is selflessness," Amhersch notes, "for they may taste unpleasant. Why would you wish to go into the worst piece of existence? Even those who live there acknowledge it as such."

"'Cause Yue would be lonely." Ting nods. She rocks a bit on her heels. "Also, if it's just for a week I think I can prolly watch out for myself long enough to keep from getting killed and damned just so long as I'm careful not to piss off anyone bigger than me and it doesn't happen that often that you have a chance to see a closed plane with the option of getting back after a certain time. And I'd kind of like to see it sometime and I don't really have the concentration level for infernal scrying even though I have the power 'cause it's really freaking hard. But I'd still like to know what's there. 'Cause you always hear how bad it is but never see it and it's kind of annoying. Like you know how someone says 'hey, they're a car wreck' and you're like 'oh my god that's terrible!' and then 'where?!' Yus! It's kind of the same thing. But it's more than that too. I think it's kind of pretty important to know what's out there and affecting all the things that happen in my life? 'Cause seriously, hell and demons come up often enough and I don't really understand all that much about 'em even though I should."

Amhersch actually looks uncomfortable that he's missing so much of this. After a while, though...

"It is pain. In life you understand that pain has an end, and therefore is bearable. In my world it never stops, only compounds. Stacks. Drives you mad."

Ting sobers at this. It's definitely not falling on deaf ears...and she's obviously quite bright enough to comprehend it despite initial appearances. "That's a good reason to want to keep Yue company and we can help each other out," she notes finally, nodding. "Because I..." she raises a finger... "am already out of my bloody mind!" She grins.

"You have never known pain like this. Your mother's pain, too, to find out her daughter has willingly gone into the PIt. Yue will not be tortured, he is a demon. He will be trained."

Ting tilts her head. "Would I be tortured, even not being damned?"

"Possibly, yes. If nothing else, you will see things that will make you yearn for fights with my overseers."

"Hmm..." Ting wiggles in place. It's hard to tell whether she's actually put aside, though. Then she realizes something, and looks back to Yue. "Hey! You're quiet, pretty!"

Yue barely reacts to Ting's voice. It is as if hell is already pulling at him for standing this close to a genuine devil. He can barely breathe, the pull is so strong.

"I don't want you to go, Ting," he admits, "your mother would cry."

Ting wilts a little. All told, she really does want to go, and nothing Amhersch has said has really dismissed that...but her mom and dad and brother are the biggest problems with it. "But wouldn't it make it easier for you?" she pokes.

"I would cry, too. I like you, Ting, I don't want you to suffer on my behalf." The incubus beams at her, though he's quivering a little at being this close to Amhersch. "General," he quietly begins, "please forbid Ting from going with us. I submit this request under the uniform code Ademos Infernum, section three, prohibiting uninvited ingress by the living."

Amhersch tilts his head the other way. "You already know our laws?"

"I was an angel, I sort of had to." Yue beams at Ting, proud of himself.

Ting blinks. Twice. "The Adema Inferni in the who now?"

"It's a set of laws the officers in the Pit have to follow," Yue explains smartly, hands on his hips. "If people were allowed to walk into hell, some zealots might try to overthrow it and that would cause trouble. So section three allows officers to resort to near-deadly force to set them away."

Blink. "So you actually just asked this guy to kill-ish me if I try to follow you?" She stamps her foot, which of course doesn't make much sound in a claw-modified stocking, and looking about as pissed off in a pouty sort of way that a modified kitty-vampire can. "Ass! I out to kick your shapely petticoats!"

Yue nods. "Yes. It's better this way. Now, tell your mom I will see her in a week. Okay?"

Ting folds her arms, and hmph-sniffles. "Just be careful. If you aren't, I'll boot your skirts up your backside, okay?" She's not used to not being able to help.

"Relax, young one. Yue is to be my apprentice, he will come to no harm. No more than training suggests, at least."

Yue's gaze slowly, so slowly it seems almost comical, turns to meet Amhersch. "Your apprentice? I thought I was an incubus, not a... a molchaeial?"

"You are. But I am master of fifty-five infernal arts. Stasiel apparently has such fondness for this Felina Deyono that she has ordered you to be given a full retinue of instruction. You are to be made a Bishop in her service." Amhersch holds out a long-fingered hand, casting a portal over the empty grass nearby. The heat rising there is so intense that Yue shields himself with his wings to keep from sweating bullets.

Ting stands on her toes, trying to see in a bit. She perks at the bishop thing, though. "That's...good! Right? Very good. Hee. Yay Yue!"

Yue doesn't seem to know what to think of this. "Ting. You're cute, and I want to collect on my kiss in a week. Okay? Don't forget."

"Kiss?" Her ears tilt at different angles, and she tilts her head. Dunnit remember this.

"The one I just earned by keeping you out of hell." The incubus starts at Amhersch's hand on his slim shoulder, tries to pull away unsuccessfully. 

"Time," the demon whispers. "Ting. Inform your family, and I will inform all involved that the search is called off. Fair?"

"Fair!" Ting purrs. "Thank you for my plant! And oh yeah that thing. Our house." She titters. "Mom and dad are gonna be sooo happy...." She skips out of the way of the portal, though, since she'd been standing kinda between them and it.

"Good. Farewell then."

Yue beams at Ting. "Bye, sweetheart... see you soon...!" He follows Amhersch, perfectly resolute, into the flames and is engulfed, vanishing into the rift with his new 'mentor' in a half-instant.

Ting's ears droop almost immediately when they're gone. "Hmph...be careful. Careful careful. Or there will be an ass-kicking along with that kiss." And she trots off to investigate the restored grounds.

After awhile, when she thinks she has it about figured out, the worn-out little kitty feels for her mom through a small portal. Hmm...still busy with Mara. Okay! She feels around for Ale. She really wants some non-insane company right now.

Ale is actually hanging out at home, right now, back at the house of ale.

Oh, all the better. She kind of hopes he's sorting groceries again, or something else wonderfully mundane. And, plant still in hand, she's she's pretty much forgotten it's there, she poofs off to his place.