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He had to admit, he didn't expect Lysithea to ... grab him and teleport him elsewhere when he made it to the meeting place, and it took a few moments for his heartbeat to regulate, an instinctual moment of initial panic attempting to take him over. That had been Lysithea, right? He hadn't just been teleported by someone of the Negaverse? This hadn't been a lure, or an attempt to catch him defenseless, or--

He heard her, and he had to repeat her words to himself for a few more times in his mind as he shook his body out, laughing quietly in an attempt to diffuse his own anxiety and at the absurdity of the event-- "I am. Encke of Plasma, at your service," he took her hand and offered a friendly shake, adding with it a winning smile that had been a seller at video interviews.

Unfortunately, he wasn't quite at her service today.

Moreso the other way around.

"I've heard you have a court." Encke eyed her picnic basket and then the environment around them. Now that he was taking a moment to look at it, this place was not only in space--which fascinated him on its own--it was also beautiful and pastoral and comforting. He could see why a picnic was a good idea. If he wasn't so focused on making sure he told her why he reached out and making sure it didn't misfire-- "Might need a court for something, so... I reached out, because I honestly don't know too many courts."

By too many, he meant outside of hers he only knew of one, and they had long since disappeared. It grated him, but it was something he'd have to deal with another time.

The music coming from the music box was nice. Settling. It reminded him of Pendour's magic, and because of that it was easy to accept and let happen to him. He sighed with relief, letting it filter through his bones as she processed what he said and excitedly responded. Admittedly, the gentle breeze was helping too, although perhaps he was more aware of it now due to the magic and the fact that the panic was easing away quickly.

Now he just felt the general nerves.

He was glad for her excitement, ultimately, because perhaps it would make the hurdle easier. Faustite had implied he and Lysithea had a falling out. Encke wasn't sure if she would even want to provide her court for assistance because of that, and that hurt. Encke too once had been a youma. He too once had a court reach out and save him because he wanted to be saved. He too got to live a different life.

Would Faustite get that opportunity, or was he simply doomed?

Encke was banking on the former.

"Honestly, I was vague on purpose because of who's involved. Not sure if your court will approve, or you, for that matter."

Time to stop being vague. It hadn't really gotten him anywhere considering the attempts with the bananas and Basiluzzo and the distraction with trying to focus his attention on his guardian cat and Pendour and Nectaris.

"I know someone who is being killed by his half-youma side." Encke took a deep breath of the smell of the flowers through his nose, and the picnic basket, too. "It's Faustite."

Encke would have teased that this was their first time formally meeting, overall, but it seemed that the mention of who exactly it was who needed purification was considerably more distracting. He saw the way the color drained from her face and couldn't help but worry it was draining because perhaps she shouldn't have implied she was very much a water under the bridge type.

That was, only to be confronted by her worry.

He was her brother. That may have complicated things as much as it eased them. Family relationships were complicated. Sometimes they came together with the ease of the Bells, something he might have been envious of if they hadn't welcomed him. Sometimes they were the mess he was still trying to navigate with his mother and his father.

Watching her pace made him tempted to get up and join her in the pacing, but he contained it to a tap, tap, tap of his fingers in case pacing with her would make it worse. "He implied you had a pretty severe falling out. My reaching out to you was a gamble because," he couldn't risk Faustite not having the chance if he wanted it, "he said he took you, so your court may have fallen apart. Glad to hear that's not the case--haven't known many courts in almost fourteen years--but then he said,"

He swallowed around it, "You had a falling out, and he sounded pretty sullen about it."

Encke glanced out beyond Lysithea, gathering his thoughts in general before continuing with, "In any case, I don't think he wants it yet. He's just trying not to die. His fire's burning hotter than ever and I saw him brush some ash off himself. Fainted in front of me. But he's not asked for my help with purification, just ridding the youma."

That was a project Pendour made it clear they'd have to work on, even if it was after Faustite left for that brief moment of not-chaotically influenced clarity.

Maybe having his sister back would help more than anything else he or them could do.

It was interesting to hear the story from someone who wasn't Faustite. He had implied she ended up corrupted by saying that they took her, and taking that as an opportunity to spin false stories to keep her away from her real friends would explain why they didn't exactly get along now. But, in some ways, he wondered if it was all false impression driven. It didn't seem like she was truly angry at him, especially now that she was where she wanted to be--

The mention of her transcendence brought a smile to his face.

"Me too," Encke lifted a hand to show off the way his fingers caught the eye with their pink tip glow. "The freedom from chaos' influence is why my goal is to get everyone possible transcended. Know I can't just force it but," he closed his eyes and let out a deep breath he didn't know he was holding. It sounded like they had a bit more in common with their desires than Faustite had made it seem.

"I can encourage relationships with homeworld, with places like this one. Your world is beautiful by the way."

He was getting side-tracked though. She was right.

"Oh, I know. Told him that several times. Told him he needs to let go of the Chaos, too. Know several people who died because they didn't, pretty sure." That was a casual enough reference that he could say it without giving away what was held close to his chest. He could say that he knew other youma that attempted purification only to fail. He could mention what he knew of the Labyrinthite and Iris situation. No need to say he had been one too. "He's still clinging hard to that phrasing he used, and I think it was really when he understood what I meant that he left."

He fidgeted.

"I think he knows, though. Admitted this wasn't the first time he tried to leave. Gave me his civilian name. He just needs to be convinced."

Encke swallowed again, mouth as dry as his nerves were high. "I think it'd help to know he does have people who can help him. He seemed surprised when I offered him a place to land if he needed it." And Basiluzzo had reacted with incredulity, but nevertheless--

Perhaps Basiluzzo would appreciate hearing that even though Encke made the original offer, Lysithea, who was Faustite's whole sister, was offering with open arms to give him a place, too. And perhaps that would be better; it would keep the one who had threatened the life of multiple people in the house away from those in the house while he got himself readjusted. And maybe once he got readjusted, his relationship with Basiluzzo and Nectaris could at least not be ... messy.

Maybe even amicable at some point!

Encke shook out his shoulders and let out a quiet sigh as he watched her pace, even as his lips ticked upward at the very frank descriptor of him being an idiot. "Heh, I think only relationships between siblings can be headlined with I love him and footnoted with I will punch him in the nose."

Encke would never punch Anser or Nectaris, but it definitely felt adjacent to the things he might say about his sisters-- for one, sometimes he just wanted to shake Nectaris and tell her that chaos boys were just a bad choice all around unless she really thought there was a chance, and Albite-- and he was getting sidetracked. "I'm glad to hear I have his sister and his sister's court on my side. He made it sound like this was a hopeless endeavour. Maybe he knew you might actually have the words to convince him with."

He snorted.

"He'll need to be eased into the idea, I think. Telling him he needs to isn't really a convincer even with his mortality staring him right in the fire." His lips quirked just slightly. "But hopefully he'll listen to you as much as your court does. I'll give him the heads up."

Would Faustite be mad Encke's attempts to get those of Order recruited seemed to be working? Hm. He'd have to suss that out, too...

Encke couldn't help a harsh snort. "Definitely your brother. Punch him, heal him up, punch him again."

Perhaps that would be the vibe he'd have with Anser in a more extreme version of their relationship.

"I'm glad you know too. Don't appreciate his lie, but I suppose it's his job to lie." He rolled his eyes. "We talked, and you know now. And you can work on easing whatever has him saying you aren't close anymore. Or that you had a severe falling out. Might've been trying to stop me from following the one route that'd work."

As he thought, he got up and held out his hand to her.

"That's totally fine, though could I ask one thing? Or two, I suppose," Encke's chuckle was soft and light. "First, please keep me posted. My family offered to help him too--or I did, really, and the others agreed--" though that wasn't important. Even though he was pretty sure Basiluzzo thought he was mostly out of his mind. And Nectaris was primarily going along with it for the purposes of Winning Against the Older Brother-- "but I want to know if it feels like he will actually agree. Something about his story speaks to me."

It was the whole half-youma and youma thing.

He'd ... leave that alone. He didn't know her well enough, yet.

"And second, can you bring me back here when we don't have other pressing stressors?" Because it was never none. Lysithea had to have been a senshi for a while. She had to know that too. "I love space and would love to get to know your world, too."

If the rampant glowing didn't make that obvious, anyway.

He snickered quietly.

"Honestly, considering Faustite's history with my husband, he might welcome the kidnapping."

Encke hoped that if Elex legitimately purified, he would purify into someone that Basiluzzo would be able to get along with. He wanted to see everyone thrive together, without Chaos, without the influence of their monster halves or without their monstrous selves. It was a thought for another day, hopefully, another day that they had before Faustite set his entire being aflame--

The idea of a planetary picnic reminded him of his times with Pendour, and the party idea brought an outright grin to his face as they went from the peace of space back to the bustle of Destiny City.

"Absolutely will," he stepped back as well, once she did. "Promise.

"And," he winked, "look forward to that picnic space party."