When the Devil knocks...

Compared to the hell he'd been through to get his passport, Aven was quite enjoying the train ride to Bosco. Not only were the wait staff on the train jovial and polite, he had a riveting conversation about the history of Lacrima development with the man siting across from him. It was a pleasant view for most of the ride, as well, the green pastures and forests lining the railway providing a calming abode for the nap he took halfway though. He noticed that the closer they got, however, the less hold nature had over the landscape. It was almost as if technology itself were progressing in front of his eyes. Riveting, in some respects.

After saying a fond farewell to his fellow magic researcher, Aven made his way off the train and toward his destination, a place called "The Velvet Society". Interesting name, made him think of the textile industry. He entertained himself with the specifics of such a company during the several hours he spent roaming the area searching for the entrance, a set of double doors that he couldn't possible have passed at least six times. Perhaps too many thoughts about the intricacies of selling Velvet as a staple product.

Finally, he arrived (for the seventh time) at the entrance of the Velvet Society. A sense of foreboding tugged at his gut, but he ignored it. Perilous or not, he would find out what made Dark wizards tick. Inside, the heavy scent of... something, permeated the area. He was greeted warmly by the staff, and directed down a hallway, having said that he wanted something to eat. He'd assumed that they, like everyone else, would not talk about whatever organization those Coins belonged to. He would need to find the answer himself. As if in response to his thoughts, as his hand brushed the wall, a door materialized. The mere touch of the door sent a chill down Aven's spine, but again, after the initial surprise, he proceeded through it, to a sight that dwarfed anything he'd ever witnessed.

The scent alone was nearly enough to push Aven back out the door. He smelled death, decay; he could sense misery in the purest of forms. It was as if he'd stepped into hell itself! Almost by instinct, his form twisted and grew, his eyes becoming crimson, and matching etchings snaking along his shoulders and torso, taking on his demon form. He was afforded a few side glances by the scum he saw partaking in the various defilements of basic human rights scattered around the level, but nothing more. A single glance at his palm, where the Coin had materialized, affirmed his suspicions. He'd skipped the frying pan all together, and jumped straight into the fire.

It was more than a small relief when the coin led Aven away from that pit of misery and sin, and into a network of hallways and doors. It led him through what he would consider staff areas; quite fitting, as his goal was to find who really ran the place, though after seeing what lie below, he knew the venture was far from a sane one. Not that he could turn back if he wanted to.

The various doors led him, finally, somewhere intriguing: a stark white corridor, lined with equally red doors, all with labels. He walked slowly, reading each one, before the most suspicious thing he'd seen all day appeared. 'Boss.' He stopped in front of it, unsure of what to do. It couldn't possibly be that easy? Just a door strictly denoting where the apex of the entire operation was working? Aven gave it a ninety percent chance of being a total and utter trap, but at the same time, if someone was truly that powerful, perhaps they simply didn't care if someone waltzed in, as if they were uninvited, they'd simply be killed. That was a harrowing thought, one that gave Aven even greater pause, but he couldn't back down after everything he'd gone through. He'd swore he was going to see the venture through while he was waiting seven hours to get that passport, Aven was a man of his word.

With a deep breath, Aven opened the redwood door, entering the room to, yet again, the strangest thing he'd seen all day, topping the labelled door. It was a normal study, and quite a nice one, at that, with all the fixings of a proper workplace... except everything was oversize. What did he expect? Well, perhaps a room filled with blood and the decaying corpses of infants. Aven made a mental note to stop judging before he had information, it was entirely possible that the owner of that place simply catered to all forms of vices, instead of being a strict practitioner of all of them. Still, it was a possibility that he didn't rule out.

His demonic wings unfolded, catching air and creating a small breeze, just as a small door opened, the size of the door he entered through, and out came... Yes, he was certainly in the right place. It was Strawberry. Aven waved politely, but the maid was hard at work, and as such, it would be quite rude to interrupt her verbally. After all, the study was enormous, he imagined it would take at least a day to fully clean by normal methods. His wings beat once more, and he took to the air, flying up onto the desk. It didn't seem, from his vantage point on the ground, that the 'Boss' was present, so taking a look around seemed the best option.

Aven nearly jumped out of his skin at the gargantuan book which fell beside him, so much so that his demonic transformation fled, reducing him back to his white suit and cane, accented with a matching top hat. He'd let his guard down after seeing the maid, and being in the presence of so many books, even if they dwarfed him, reminded him of home, where he'd devoted his life to magical research. It came as twice the surprise, however, when the creature that dropped the volume appeared, seemingly from thin air. Even in his surprise, Aven reasoned that because he hadn't sensed a magic circle, the being most likely had ownership over the space he was residing in, allowing them spacial manipulation.

Aven's eyes ascended, scanning the figure of the giant before him, only to become a tinge red in the face. It was a woman with ruby eyes and matching hair, dressed formally in a wonderful black and red motif. She radiated both elengance and danger, a mammoth magical presence that seemed to fill the study. She spoke with a silky voice, affirming the obvious: he'd found the master of that place. Although it shocked Aven to think about, she was also absolutely his type.

It was immediately obvious that he was at her mercy, the falling book more than adequate to express that truth. However, he'd traveled here knowing full well he was walking into possible death, a thought that carried a certain thrill to it. After she had finished speaking, adopting a relaxed expression, Aven smiled back, the nervousness draining from him. He bowed cordially, pulling the hand from his head and sweeping it across his chest  as he did so. "It's a pleasure to meet you, My Lady. My name is Aven Alveron, a magic researcher and fledgling wizard." He straightens, donning his hat once more. "I've come humbly in search of knowledge, that which I could not obtain from any tome or volume. In addition to my studies on unique magics, I'm researching the topic of what motivates a dark guild." It was nearly laughable how sincere and honest the young man was being, not a hint of deception in his eyes. Though, faced with certain death should he try to deceive the giant woman before him, such a trait was most definitely advantageous. If one were to ponder it, the respectful but fearless aura he seemed to exude pointed to extensive dealings with beings of power akin to Eris herself, though curiously, in actuality she was the first.