DragonierMan pat himself on the back for a good job and all the praise he got from his fellow officers. He waved to Lee and Vee as they came in. "I've completed the mission I've been assigned here. It is time for me to return to the wilds and cut down the virus populations. It will make further expansion easier." He turned to Guillotine. "They mentioned people named Rudy and Rack. Since we managed to destroy or capture everyone else, I suggest you find out where those two are so we can finish ROT off for good." He turned and began leaving the tent. "You have my frequency if you need me. Hail Shogunate," he said with a half-hearted wave over his shoulder as he slipped out of the tent.
He then spread his wings and took to the sky, disappearing into a portal that formed above him.
[DRAGONIERMAN LOGGED OUT!!]
Public Neo-Shogun Camp.
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A sparkling portal appeared in the airspace over the camp like a second sun/moon. A moment later three individuals flew out of it, in a Flying-V formation. The portal closed behind them as they made a direct beeline towards the Shogun's manor. If anyone called out to them, the three ignored the attempt at communication. They didn't even give any indication that they saw or heard them. They sped over and landed in the courtyard next to the meditation chamber.
As they landed it was clear that it was DragonierMan, Suzume, and Aya, and that their armor was stained a pitch black. Even Aya's normally dark armor was covered in soot. Their helmets obscured all of their face, save the area around their eyes and the bridge of their noses, which seem to be stained dark as well. Light barely had any reflection on them, seeming to absorb all light set against them. They took a moment to look around them before they moved hurriedly, silently, from the courtyard and entered the meditation hall. Suzume and Aya spread out upon entering behind Drago, taking positions on either side of the room. They both drew pitch black swords, also stained with soot, as they moved as silently as they could. Securing the perimeter of the room efficiently. This was regardless of whether or not Yasu was there.
When Yasu arrived, or was there already, Drago pulled down the chin visor of his helmet so his mouth was revealed. He bared his fangs for a moment before speaking in a hushed tone. His gray eyes twinkling with barely bound excitement at the situation. It wasn't very often that he was asked to stalk through an area. His voice quivered a bit as he tried to bite himself back. His blood burning...
"What's the mission?"
As they landed it was clear that it was DragonierMan, Suzume, and Aya, and that their armor was stained a pitch black. Even Aya's normally dark armor was covered in soot. Their helmets obscured all of their face, save the area around their eyes and the bridge of their noses, which seem to be stained dark as well. Light barely had any reflection on them, seeming to absorb all light set against them. They took a moment to look around them before they moved hurriedly, silently, from the courtyard and entered the meditation hall. Suzume and Aya spread out upon entering behind Drago, taking positions on either side of the room. They both drew pitch black swords, also stained with soot, as they moved as silently as they could. Securing the perimeter of the room efficiently. This was regardless of whether or not Yasu was there.
When Yasu arrived, or was there already, Drago pulled down the chin visor of his helmet so his mouth was revealed. He bared his fangs for a moment before speaking in a hushed tone. His gray eyes twinkling with barely bound excitement at the situation. It wasn't very often that he was asked to stalk through an area. His voice quivered a bit as he tried to bite himself back. His blood burning...
"What's the mission?"
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Nobody seemed to spot the group on their way to the Shogun's meditation hall, or if they did, made no sign or communication to indicate they had. Once DragonierMan and company reached the hall, they'd see that the outer area appeared to be clear. They'd make their way past the heavy wooden door, which was unlocked, and into the shadows of the main hall. As usual, it was only dimly lit. Near the pad where the Shogun tended to be found, instead sat only Yasu, seated next to a strange, chrome metal object, which was wrapped tightly in black chains. A few wires hung off of it and if anyone touched it, they'd feel static electricity, but it was otherwise unremarkable.
Yasu would be found in her usual gear, but with one exception: her ordinary green, thick-banded eyepatch had been swapped out for a simpler black one, about the same area of coverage, but distinctly different. She had a stormy expression on her face, which didn't seem to fade even as DragonierMan came as requested. "I trust you weren't followed... Bah. Don't you know you look more suspicious like that, rather than less? Your allies might not recognize you at a distance if you aren't in uniform," she commented, but it sounded almost like idle thoughts... she didn't seem as into it, so to speak, as usual. Her mind was clearly not on tips for DragonierMan to improve his character, which was quite a rarity for her. "Sit. I do have a mission for you, but this isn't one you can take without the proper briefing to precede it."
She crossed her arms, watched the floor contemplatively with her one exposed eye, then tilted her head up and spoke quietly. "Subordinate MachMan... or should I say, former subordinate MachMan, will not be joining us. It was a mistake to try to bring him in on this... he is too soft. You, DragonierMan, are not soft. You've been here longer than he has... you harbor a healthy resentment for the Empire's enemies as well as a familiarity with its politics. And you, too, must be fed up with the way things have been lately. You're well aware of the ROT attack recently. Well, for my part, I destroyed the ROT leader, BrainMan, leaving only the scraps you see to my left," she paused, gesturing idly by lifting one hand from her bicep, to point toward the silver husk on the floor. "Domm fled soon after. I owe it to my strength and conditioning that I was not destroyed in that conflict, because I was unprepared for it. That's what I need to discuss with you today: preemption. Something our Empire is sorely lacking as of late..."
The darkness around her eyes seemed to intensify as she continued talking, tilting her chin up again. "We've been aware of the ROT as a threat for a long time, along with those posed by other organizations: the Terror Girls and the Alexis, just to name a few. The Mafia and the NetPolice still tower over us for now... though I feel we've been overly subservient on those fronts as well... but we should at least be stamping out those threats we're prepared to face. Instead we let them amass and grow while we're assigned on such ridiculous duties as talk show appearances and job fairs... It's patent nonsense and it's all on orders handed down by the Shogun. We are to bide our time, not to make enemies, be discrete even in retaliation. It's rubbish! The Empire has been declawed and defanged. I'd like your help re-arming our army... and not only that. I would like for you to accept a position as my right hand, above all others in the Empire save myself and the Shogun. And in time... perhaps you could be elevated to the highest position. For you see, the Shogun is the root of our problem."
She pointed to her eyepatch, while frowning sternly. "Keep this to yourself, but this new eyepatch is a symbol of my intentions... I no longer wear the old one, which was emblematic of my loyalty to the Shogun. This is about my loyalty to my allies in the empire and to myself. The Shogun has betrayed us all by weakening us, asking us to embrace our enemies and turn a blind eye to their treachery. We must address all those who threaten our Empire... and it must start from within." She sensed that he may wish to speak now, but she held up one hand, asking him to remain quiet while she finished. "I'm speaking of the Shogun. He must be displaced... hopefully without harm, but if that's what it comes to, then that is the cost of our revolution. I wish to depose the Shogun, at which point I, or perhaps you if you're so inclined, can take over command at the top of the army. From there, we shall administer real justice, starting by the stamping out of what foes we have left: the remnants of the ROT, the Terror Girls, and Alexis would be a good start. However, none of this happens if we don't seize the moment, right here, right now!"
Yasu slapped her hands down upon her knees, as if gearing up, then continued. "The Shogun is currently meeting with Boss Oni... as I understand, there, he has private quarters. It is a unique situation in that none of our forces have been allowed to attend, apart from the honored guest... an ill-advised visitation, to be sure. Most importantly, it provides us with a fortunate opportunity. I would like you and your ninjas, or whichever of the three of you is best suited, to infiltrate Boss Oni's bath-house and abduct the Shogun using these..." she paused, gesturing to the ropes securing the wreckage of BrainMan. "I will provide you a set. It's the only set I can spare for now, so you must be sure to accomplish the job with one. You will need to apprehend the Shogun, either by surprise or by force. There may be other opportunities that reveal themselves. Right now, the number one priority is catching the Shogun by surprise and relieving him of his duty. If that means attacking Oni's forces, so be it; we have nothing to gain from a relationship with the Teksqp, who are all madmen, and the rest of the Mafia does not follow their lead. If it means attacking the Shogun, that is permissible as well... I love him little and would honestly not mind at all if you removed him from the picture entirely, though it may ultimately be ruinous for our goal of uniting the Empire back under our rule. Still, if that's what you have to do to accomplish this mission, then do it."
DragonierMan would probably be surprised at everything he'd heard, but there was no trace of jest in Yasu's voice... not that she'd ever been the jesting type, but today, she seemed even more stern than usual. "I imagine you must have questions. Ask what you need, but quickly... we have little time to spare. I revealed my intentions to MachMan... I thought that he would join my cause, but instead, he abandoned the Empire entirely. I know that he did not inform the Shogun of our plans, as I've been speaking to the Shogun as well, but I cannot predict if or how the news will spread. Our only chance to make this all work is to move quickly and decisively." Here, she presented him with the aforementioned black chains, handing them over carefully with the length across both palms. "I'd advise you not bind or wrap yourself in these under any circumstances... they restrict jack-out function, meaning EJO is a possibility. I should also stress that you must not knock the Shogun out of the net without first wrapping him. That would be tantamount to his escape... and if that happens, then our opportunity is lost." Depending on whether DragonierMan wanted to go along with the sudden coup or not, he might not want to take the wrappings, lest he get involved deeper with this business. If he wanted to go along with it, then accepting the device after hearing Yasu's plan would certainly indicate he was ready to take the next step.
Yasu would be found in her usual gear, but with one exception: her ordinary green, thick-banded eyepatch had been swapped out for a simpler black one, about the same area of coverage, but distinctly different. She had a stormy expression on her face, which didn't seem to fade even as DragonierMan came as requested. "I trust you weren't followed... Bah. Don't you know you look more suspicious like that, rather than less? Your allies might not recognize you at a distance if you aren't in uniform," she commented, but it sounded almost like idle thoughts... she didn't seem as into it, so to speak, as usual. Her mind was clearly not on tips for DragonierMan to improve his character, which was quite a rarity for her. "Sit. I do have a mission for you, but this isn't one you can take without the proper briefing to precede it."
She crossed her arms, watched the floor contemplatively with her one exposed eye, then tilted her head up and spoke quietly. "Subordinate MachMan... or should I say, former subordinate MachMan, will not be joining us. It was a mistake to try to bring him in on this... he is too soft. You, DragonierMan, are not soft. You've been here longer than he has... you harbor a healthy resentment for the Empire's enemies as well as a familiarity with its politics. And you, too, must be fed up with the way things have been lately. You're well aware of the ROT attack recently. Well, for my part, I destroyed the ROT leader, BrainMan, leaving only the scraps you see to my left," she paused, gesturing idly by lifting one hand from her bicep, to point toward the silver husk on the floor. "Domm fled soon after. I owe it to my strength and conditioning that I was not destroyed in that conflict, because I was unprepared for it. That's what I need to discuss with you today: preemption. Something our Empire is sorely lacking as of late..."
The darkness around her eyes seemed to intensify as she continued talking, tilting her chin up again. "We've been aware of the ROT as a threat for a long time, along with those posed by other organizations: the Terror Girls and the Alexis, just to name a few. The Mafia and the NetPolice still tower over us for now... though I feel we've been overly subservient on those fronts as well... but we should at least be stamping out those threats we're prepared to face. Instead we let them amass and grow while we're assigned on such ridiculous duties as talk show appearances and job fairs... It's patent nonsense and it's all on orders handed down by the Shogun. We are to bide our time, not to make enemies, be discrete even in retaliation. It's rubbish! The Empire has been declawed and defanged. I'd like your help re-arming our army... and not only that. I would like for you to accept a position as my right hand, above all others in the Empire save myself and the Shogun. And in time... perhaps you could be elevated to the highest position. For you see, the Shogun is the root of our problem."
She pointed to her eyepatch, while frowning sternly. "Keep this to yourself, but this new eyepatch is a symbol of my intentions... I no longer wear the old one, which was emblematic of my loyalty to the Shogun. This is about my loyalty to my allies in the empire and to myself. The Shogun has betrayed us all by weakening us, asking us to embrace our enemies and turn a blind eye to their treachery. We must address all those who threaten our Empire... and it must start from within." She sensed that he may wish to speak now, but she held up one hand, asking him to remain quiet while she finished. "I'm speaking of the Shogun. He must be displaced... hopefully without harm, but if that's what it comes to, then that is the cost of our revolution. I wish to depose the Shogun, at which point I, or perhaps you if you're so inclined, can take over command at the top of the army. From there, we shall administer real justice, starting by the stamping out of what foes we have left: the remnants of the ROT, the Terror Girls, and Alexis would be a good start. However, none of this happens if we don't seize the moment, right here, right now!"
Yasu slapped her hands down upon her knees, as if gearing up, then continued. "The Shogun is currently meeting with Boss Oni... as I understand, there, he has private quarters. It is a unique situation in that none of our forces have been allowed to attend, apart from the honored guest... an ill-advised visitation, to be sure. Most importantly, it provides us with a fortunate opportunity. I would like you and your ninjas, or whichever of the three of you is best suited, to infiltrate Boss Oni's bath-house and abduct the Shogun using these..." she paused, gesturing to the ropes securing the wreckage of BrainMan. "I will provide you a set. It's the only set I can spare for now, so you must be sure to accomplish the job with one. You will need to apprehend the Shogun, either by surprise or by force. There may be other opportunities that reveal themselves. Right now, the number one priority is catching the Shogun by surprise and relieving him of his duty. If that means attacking Oni's forces, so be it; we have nothing to gain from a relationship with the Teksqp, who are all madmen, and the rest of the Mafia does not follow their lead. If it means attacking the Shogun, that is permissible as well... I love him little and would honestly not mind at all if you removed him from the picture entirely, though it may ultimately be ruinous for our goal of uniting the Empire back under our rule. Still, if that's what you have to do to accomplish this mission, then do it."
DragonierMan would probably be surprised at everything he'd heard, but there was no trace of jest in Yasu's voice... not that she'd ever been the jesting type, but today, she seemed even more stern than usual. "I imagine you must have questions. Ask what you need, but quickly... we have little time to spare. I revealed my intentions to MachMan... I thought that he would join my cause, but instead, he abandoned the Empire entirely. I know that he did not inform the Shogun of our plans, as I've been speaking to the Shogun as well, but I cannot predict if or how the news will spread. Our only chance to make this all work is to move quickly and decisively." Here, she presented him with the aforementioned black chains, handing them over carefully with the length across both palms. "I'd advise you not bind or wrap yourself in these under any circumstances... they restrict jack-out function, meaning EJO is a possibility. I should also stress that you must not knock the Shogun out of the net without first wrapping him. That would be tantamount to his escape... and if that happens, then our opportunity is lost." Depending on whether DragonierMan wanted to go along with the sudden coup or not, he might not want to take the wrappings, lest he get involved deeper with this business. If he wanted to go along with it, then accepting the device after hearing Yasu's plan would certainly indicate he was ready to take the next step.
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Having entered the dimly lit meditation hall, the three found Yasu alone where the Shogun normally sat. Suzume and Aya secured the perimeter as Yasu barked at them for being ridiculously suspicious, dressed not in the NS yellows, but looking out of place in nighttime camouflage. She asked DragonierMan to sit before her for a briefing, so he moved to the spot across from her and sat down. He crossed his legs in front of him and placed his hands on his knees. As she talked, he rocked slowly from side to side, unable to keep completely still with excitement.
Yasu started off talking about MachMan, and how he was soft, and how DragonierMan was not soft. And then listed off a bunch of positive traits she saw in Drago. He smiled to himself that Yasu, for all the time they had spent together, rarely offered him praise. But when she did offer praise, it was the sweetest music to his ears. Then she talked about destroying the ROT leader and all about the attacks lately. Drago had an unhealthy relationship with the ROT organization, and so was also as eager as Yasu to wipe them out to the last being.
She continued talking about the current state of the Neo-Shogunate, the enemies that surrounded it, and her ideas to revitalize what she saw as growing stagnation and weakness. And that idea was to take the Shogun out of the picture, so to speak. Drago's eyes widened at the idea. He didn't know too much about the Shogun, having only met 'him' the one time. Drago knew that ShogunMan was actually a woman in disguise. And he learned it from the dream-diving he took in Yasu's mind. So Yasu knew that the Shogun was a woman, and yet during her entire speech of planning to overthrow 'him', she still referred to the Shogun as a man.
Then Yasu pointed out her new black eye-patch as a symbol of her intentions, and that the original one was emblematic of her loyalty to the Shogun. Drago smirked. For when Yasu referred to her eye-patch to him before, it was not because of the Shogunate, it instead was in reference to Alex's destruction of her village. Had it been so long since the mountaintop encounter that she had forgotten her vendetta, replaced with a hatred even greater than vengeance against the murderer of her clan? This ShogunMan must have really messed up.
Yasu then outlined her plan to take ShogunMan into custody and then take over the NS, or for Drago to seize the throne himself. It was as his operator, Destin Obscura, had intended. By taking over the NS, they would be one step closer to the unified NET his lord envisioned. Though Yasu's want of destroying the NetPolice and the NetMafia, or at least pacifying them, would come much later in the plan that Drago was entrusted to by his operator. In the meantime, Drago was ordered to make sure that the NS fell within his operator's sphere of control. This mission would cement that position. What luck!
Yasu handed Drago an inhibitor rope and told him where ShogunMan is located. Apparently 'he' had gone to the meeting the twins had set up with Boss Oni of the Mafia. Yasu then asked if Drago had any questions, but to ask them quickly for time was of the essence. Drago rubbed a claw over his chin before opening his mouth. "And where should we stash her after we capture the Shogun?" he asked, punctuating the 'her' part. "The fact that you continue to hide her secret identity even after you plan her overthrow strikes me as odd. Having second thoughts?"
He grabbed the rope and stood up. "I only met the Shogun one time. As such I have no qualms about having her abjugate her throne if that will bring a better order to the Shogunate. The three of us will go and bring her back. Then you and I will take over as the heads of a new NS. A strong NS. One that will destroy the weakened ROT, the Terror Girls, and finish your vengeance against the Alexis, the real reason for your eye-patch, not some loyalty to the Shogunate. As for the NP and the NM, we will bide our time with them. They are too big and organized to stand against at the moment. But they are also stagnate. We will eventually be able to cripple them not only in size and military, but through clever manipulation. The glory of a united NET will be ours!" he exclaimed with a raised fist.
He turned to leave, then stopped. "If there is anything you wish to say to that, now is the time. Otherwise you can wait until we return with the, former, Shogun gift-wrapped for your enjoyment. Or mine if you don't object," he said over his shoulder with a lecherous grin, gripping the rope tighter. Suzume and Aya moved from their positions at the doors to flank Drago on either side. Ready to head out. In a flash of light and a cloud of shadow, the two had shed their bulky armor and donned their ninja attire.
Yasu started off talking about MachMan, and how he was soft, and how DragonierMan was not soft. And then listed off a bunch of positive traits she saw in Drago. He smiled to himself that Yasu, for all the time they had spent together, rarely offered him praise. But when she did offer praise, it was the sweetest music to his ears. Then she talked about destroying the ROT leader and all about the attacks lately. Drago had an unhealthy relationship with the ROT organization, and so was also as eager as Yasu to wipe them out to the last being.
She continued talking about the current state of the Neo-Shogunate, the enemies that surrounded it, and her ideas to revitalize what she saw as growing stagnation and weakness. And that idea was to take the Shogun out of the picture, so to speak. Drago's eyes widened at the idea. He didn't know too much about the Shogun, having only met 'him' the one time. Drago knew that ShogunMan was actually a woman in disguise. And he learned it from the dream-diving he took in Yasu's mind. So Yasu knew that the Shogun was a woman, and yet during her entire speech of planning to overthrow 'him', she still referred to the Shogun as a man.
Then Yasu pointed out her new black eye-patch as a symbol of her intentions, and that the original one was emblematic of her loyalty to the Shogun. Drago smirked. For when Yasu referred to her eye-patch to him before, it was not because of the Shogunate, it instead was in reference to Alex's destruction of her village. Had it been so long since the mountaintop encounter that she had forgotten her vendetta, replaced with a hatred even greater than vengeance against the murderer of her clan? This ShogunMan must have really messed up.
Yasu then outlined her plan to take ShogunMan into custody and then take over the NS, or for Drago to seize the throne himself. It was as his operator, Destin Obscura, had intended. By taking over the NS, they would be one step closer to the unified NET his lord envisioned. Though Yasu's want of destroying the NetPolice and the NetMafia, or at least pacifying them, would come much later in the plan that Drago was entrusted to by his operator. In the meantime, Drago was ordered to make sure that the NS fell within his operator's sphere of control. This mission would cement that position. What luck!
Yasu handed Drago an inhibitor rope and told him where ShogunMan is located. Apparently 'he' had gone to the meeting the twins had set up with Boss Oni of the Mafia. Yasu then asked if Drago had any questions, but to ask them quickly for time was of the essence. Drago rubbed a claw over his chin before opening his mouth. "And where should we stash her after we capture the Shogun?" he asked, punctuating the 'her' part. "The fact that you continue to hide her secret identity even after you plan her overthrow strikes me as odd. Having second thoughts?"
He grabbed the rope and stood up. "I only met the Shogun one time. As such I have no qualms about having her abjugate her throne if that will bring a better order to the Shogunate. The three of us will go and bring her back. Then you and I will take over as the heads of a new NS. A strong NS. One that will destroy the weakened ROT, the Terror Girls, and finish your vengeance against the Alexis, the real reason for your eye-patch, not some loyalty to the Shogunate. As for the NP and the NM, we will bide our time with them. They are too big and organized to stand against at the moment. But they are also stagnate. We will eventually be able to cripple them not only in size and military, but through clever manipulation. The glory of a united NET will be ours!" he exclaimed with a raised fist.
He turned to leave, then stopped. "If there is anything you wish to say to that, now is the time. Otherwise you can wait until we return with the, former, Shogun gift-wrapped for your enjoyment. Or mine if you don't object," he said over his shoulder with a lecherous grin, gripping the rope tighter. Suzume and Aya moved from their positions at the doors to flank Drago on either side. Ready to head out. In a flash of light and a cloud of shadow, the two had shed their bulky armor and donned their ninja attire.
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Yasu lowered her eyebrows and gave a stern frown as DragonierMan called her out on continuing to evade the secret of the Shogun's gender. "So you know about it as well? It shouldn't surprise me; you were there when we tried to carry out the elaborate ruse on that asinine talk show. Not that it matters now... The Shogun's not worth protecting. Still, I thought you might go easy on her if you knew she was a woman, so I continued to use the male pronoun. I trust this changes nothing," she concluded; based on his words to follow, it seemed she could rest easy on that account. It might even sweeten the pot for him, if anything.
His agreement brought a rare smile to the First General's face, but it faded back to the status quo soon enough. "Don't presume to know me so intimately, DragonierMan. The Shogun is the one who I saw as my savior today; therefore, the patch represented both revenge against the Alexis, who attacked my village, and loyalty to the Shogun, who took me in. Unfortunately, I see today that act for what it was: charity from a figure whose only gift to offer is charity, with no capacity for protecting those who trust him... or her, if you're insisting we address her properly." She crossed her arms and nodded. "Still, I'm thankful that you're willing to go along with this. It's a lot to ask you so suddenly, but I knew you'd be up to the task."
His last words caused her to frown disapprovingly. "She may be useless, but that's no excuse for you to let your base lechery take over. Remember: our core principles haven't changed. We're doing what we need to for the Empire to continue to survive and grow... it's not some excuse for you to fulfill the worst impulses of your gender," Yasu grimaced. "Continue to act in a way befitting of one of the empire's soldiers. The history books will remember this as a necessary evil, but that becomes a much more difficult truth for the other generals to accept if you also insist on violating the former shogun."
With that, DragonierMan was on his way to meet the Shogun... though not for the usual reasons.
((Updating with a post in this link in NPC Homepages soon))
His agreement brought a rare smile to the First General's face, but it faded back to the status quo soon enough. "Don't presume to know me so intimately, DragonierMan. The Shogun is the one who I saw as my savior today; therefore, the patch represented both revenge against the Alexis, who attacked my village, and loyalty to the Shogun, who took me in. Unfortunately, I see today that act for what it was: charity from a figure whose only gift to offer is charity, with no capacity for protecting those who trust him... or her, if you're insisting we address her properly." She crossed her arms and nodded. "Still, I'm thankful that you're willing to go along with this. It's a lot to ask you so suddenly, but I knew you'd be up to the task."
His last words caused her to frown disapprovingly. "She may be useless, but that's no excuse for you to let your base lechery take over. Remember: our core principles haven't changed. We're doing what we need to for the Empire to continue to survive and grow... it's not some excuse for you to fulfill the worst impulses of your gender," Yasu grimaced. "Continue to act in a way befitting of one of the empire's soldiers. The history books will remember this as a necessary evil, but that becomes a much more difficult truth for the other generals to accept if you also insist on violating the former shogun."
With that, DragonierMan was on his way to meet the Shogun... though not for the usual reasons.
((Updating with a post in this link in NPC Homepages soon))
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DragonierMan's face went from a grin to a frown as Yasu admonished him. "Very well. I will extract her, but won't touch her. I'll let you handle that." His smirk reappeared as he talked. "You probably have much to vent on her." And with that, he, Suzume, and Aya left through another portal.
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If DragonierMan was thinking rationally, he'd likely have jacked in directly inside the private, walled off area near the meditation hall (it didn't seem to be possible to touch down directly inside the meditation hall). This would be important, given that he was carrying a dazed, naked woman between himself and his two ninjas. Hime was still addled, but it wouldn't last forever; they'd need to get her where she needed to be or risk her making another move to escape. She spoke in short, ragged whispers. "What do you want...?" she managed, thankfully too quiet for anyone who might be near the gate to hear. "I'm a financier..." By this point, he'd know that was really just a cover, but it might interest him that the Shogun was still keeping up the ruse. She might also be subtly trying to see if she could pay her way out of the hostage situation.
If he continued inside the meditation hall, he'd find not just Yasu there, but also several other Neo-Shogun soldiers. It might occur to him that he had never seen them in the area before, as they, in general, were barred from entry. None of them had distinguishing features that seemed familiar to him; rather, they all looked like new recruits. Their behavior was rather different though: each soldier was standing with arms crossed behind his back, very straight, in even lines down the hall towards the First General. Perhaps the most important distinction was that each of them had a series of black bandages running from his right eye, all the way to vanish beneath the collar-bone and inside the tunic. It seemed like it would be difficult to breath through such wraps.
Yasu herself was seated in meditation, but if DragonierMan entered, she'd open her visible eye slowly, a smile spreading across her face. If the Shogun's words over private message had affected her emotionally, she'd cried it out pretty darn fast. DragonierMan would have the first word and it might be good to get it out before Hime had recovered enough to realize she'd somehow been abducted into her own meditation hall.
If he continued inside the meditation hall, he'd find not just Yasu there, but also several other Neo-Shogun soldiers. It might occur to him that he had never seen them in the area before, as they, in general, were barred from entry. None of them had distinguishing features that seemed familiar to him; rather, they all looked like new recruits. Their behavior was rather different though: each soldier was standing with arms crossed behind his back, very straight, in even lines down the hall towards the First General. Perhaps the most important distinction was that each of them had a series of black bandages running from his right eye, all the way to vanish beneath the collar-bone and inside the tunic. It seemed like it would be difficult to breath through such wraps.
Yasu herself was seated in meditation, but if DragonierMan entered, she'd open her visible eye slowly, a smile spreading across her face. If the Shogun's words over private message had affected her emotionally, she'd cried it out pretty darn fast. DragonierMan would have the first word and it might be good to get it out before Hime had recovered enough to realize she'd somehow been abducted into her own meditation hall.
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DragonierMan wrapped his soot-darkened, hooded cloak around Hime's naked form as they arrived inside the private, walled-off area near the meditation hall. He wasn't going to drag her in there naked and uncovered, he wasn't a total brute with no respect for the former head of the Neo-Shogunate. Aya and Suzume flanked Hime and held onto her arms and shoulders as Drago walked behind them with one of his hand on the Shogun's back, pushing her along to make sure that she moved where they wanted her to go. They ignored her pitiful pleading voice keeping up the act of Hime, the financier cover she had worked behind. Or was Hime her real form and the Shogun her cover? Drago would have questions after this whole deal was over.
As they entered the meditation hall, they found Yasu and several other Neo-Shogun soldiers. New recruits perhaps or just another branch of the armed forces he was not aware of, it wasn't the first time he didn't know of other members in the Shogunate. They all wore black bandaged masks that covered 2/3rds of their faces, nose and mouth, but leaving their left eye uncovered. They were very Yasu in appearance, perhaps her own personal guard? He had never seen any of the Four Generals' bodyguards, and was wondering if they ever had them. He gave them a curt nod before he dragged Hime to the center of the room to stand before Yasu.
Drago and the twins held her firmly as Drago flipped back the hood of the cloak so Hime could see clearly. The effects of the blinding flash and confusing pollen should have started to wear off by now, giving her a modicum of sense back. But if she tried to move she would feel that there were three people holding her still with tensed muscles. He then spoke past her, towards Yasu. Hime probably had heard his voice enough to know that it was him speaking, that it was him who roughed her up and captured her. "It's done, the Shogun is yours to do with as you see fit. We'll discuss my reward after everything else falls in line."
As they entered the meditation hall, they found Yasu and several other Neo-Shogun soldiers. New recruits perhaps or just another branch of the armed forces he was not aware of, it wasn't the first time he didn't know of other members in the Shogunate. They all wore black bandaged masks that covered 2/3rds of their faces, nose and mouth, but leaving their left eye uncovered. They were very Yasu in appearance, perhaps her own personal guard? He had never seen any of the Four Generals' bodyguards, and was wondering if they ever had them. He gave them a curt nod before he dragged Hime to the center of the room to stand before Yasu.
Drago and the twins held her firmly as Drago flipped back the hood of the cloak so Hime could see clearly. The effects of the blinding flash and confusing pollen should have started to wear off by now, giving her a modicum of sense back. But if she tried to move she would feel that there were three people holding her still with tensed muscles. He then spoke past her, towards Yasu. Hime probably had heard his voice enough to know that it was him speaking, that it was him who roughed her up and captured her. "It's done, the Shogun is yours to do with as you see fit. We'll discuss my reward after everything else falls in line."
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Hime gradually began to recover her eyesight, but well before that came back, she recognized the voice of DragonierMan, surprisingly close by and bearing bizarre news for her. She turned her head in the direction of his voice, still blinking her yellow eyes in disbelief. "DragonierMan... why?" she managed, hurt evident in her voice. The fight seemed to go out of her body when she realized who it was who had captured her. Her reaction worsened when she saw Yasu, seated in the Shogun's usual spot, smiling at DragonierMan's victory. "What's going on? Yasu, why... why are you-"
"Enough! Good work, DragonierMan," Yasu finished, silencing her captive with a dismissive wave of one arm. "You'll be rewarded handsomely, of course. Not just as a soldier who completed a mission, but as an important part of the newer, stronger Neo-Shogun Empire. You seem confused, Hime, so I'll explain all of this to you quickly. I'm done being thrown blind into hostile situations and waiting for the next invader to come knocking at our gates. From now on, we're bringing the fight to them. What we need now is preemptive action and military preparedness, something you've always been loathe to provide us-"
"-Because that's not what the net needs. It's not about preserving ourselves, it's about becoming a family that others want to join, something admired that people do not 'consent' to, but rather, desire the presence of all across the net. We've tried pulling the net together against its will and it failed. That's the reason we cast aside our military conquest," Hime protested, now focusing more on Yasu than on DragonierMan. Her voice sounded somewhat cooler now that she understood the situation, to some extent. "You know all of this. Or rather... the real Yasu does. What have you done with her?"
Yasu leaned her head on her fist with a scornful frown. "I see that it's especially difficult for you. You're so used to the Yasu you could kick around and order to obey whatever useless whimsy you thought up that you can't recognize me, now that I've obtained this conviction," she sighed. "I pity myself from that time, but I have no pity for you. This was a long time coming, but the ROT attack was the last straw."
Narrowing her eyes, Hime turned her head to look at DragonierMan. "You're being deceived, DragonierMan. She's the mastermind behind this, isn't she? But that isn't Yasu... Yasu would never betray me like this, I promise you. She was my dearest friend, a woman who'd saved my life many times over and who valued loyalty over all else. This is either some impostor or she's being controlled somehow," she appealed to DragonierMan.
"Listen to your ego! That was me: saving your life, placing loyalty as my number one priority, unquestioningly following every foolish order you gave me," Yasu scoffed, now growing more agitated and rising from where she was seated. "It's time for you to accept that I'm still the same person I was, just seeing clearly now!"
"I understand that you had trouble with the new direction. I know many did... you were especially restless, wondering what your place was in an empire that needed your leadership but not your sword. You fulfilled your new role so well... You brought us DragonierMan, assembled our air force. If you needed to talk, we were always together... you and I, and all of the others, together, as a family. And you, DragonierMan, you must know that she's not in her right mind-!"
In a flash, Yasu flew forward, then slapped the Shogun across the face, the noise reverberating throughout the hall. Hime recoiled, but didn't fall, thanks to the navis holding her limbs. "You fool! This is exactly why I couldn't talk to you! This sentimentality, the sniveling, the groveling! The thought that you know best, that you know even what I want! That we could just sit down, drink tea, and talk about nothing at all until both of us agreed to go back to the same kind of malaise that ruined our organization to begin with!" she growled, clutching her hands into fists. "Inaction! It's driving me crazy just listening to you!"
"DragonierMan, please! We've got to leave. Something is wrong with her, with all of them!" Hime insisted, one of her eyes now narrowed slightly more than usual. It seemed like her cheek might be swelling. "The future of the Empire is at stake!"
"Hold her, DragonierMan! You and I, we're the ones who are loyal to the Empire and will lead it to greatness! Loyalty to the Empire does not mean loyalty to this woman!" Yasu commanded, raising her arm to strike Hime again. The soldiers all around continued standing, wordlessly, keeping their arms crossed across their backs. While Yasu had begun to swing, it was apparent Hime was making some movement as well; it was hard to tell what, but her breathing had changed and she'd begun to swell out her chest slightly. DragonierMan would probably need to prevent her from doing whatever she was about to do, if he still cared to carry out the coup.
"Enough! Good work, DragonierMan," Yasu finished, silencing her captive with a dismissive wave of one arm. "You'll be rewarded handsomely, of course. Not just as a soldier who completed a mission, but as an important part of the newer, stronger Neo-Shogun Empire. You seem confused, Hime, so I'll explain all of this to you quickly. I'm done being thrown blind into hostile situations and waiting for the next invader to come knocking at our gates. From now on, we're bringing the fight to them. What we need now is preemptive action and military preparedness, something you've always been loathe to provide us-"
"-Because that's not what the net needs. It's not about preserving ourselves, it's about becoming a family that others want to join, something admired that people do not 'consent' to, but rather, desire the presence of all across the net. We've tried pulling the net together against its will and it failed. That's the reason we cast aside our military conquest," Hime protested, now focusing more on Yasu than on DragonierMan. Her voice sounded somewhat cooler now that she understood the situation, to some extent. "You know all of this. Or rather... the real Yasu does. What have you done with her?"
Yasu leaned her head on her fist with a scornful frown. "I see that it's especially difficult for you. You're so used to the Yasu you could kick around and order to obey whatever useless whimsy you thought up that you can't recognize me, now that I've obtained this conviction," she sighed. "I pity myself from that time, but I have no pity for you. This was a long time coming, but the ROT attack was the last straw."
Narrowing her eyes, Hime turned her head to look at DragonierMan. "You're being deceived, DragonierMan. She's the mastermind behind this, isn't she? But that isn't Yasu... Yasu would never betray me like this, I promise you. She was my dearest friend, a woman who'd saved my life many times over and who valued loyalty over all else. This is either some impostor or she's being controlled somehow," she appealed to DragonierMan.
"Listen to your ego! That was me: saving your life, placing loyalty as my number one priority, unquestioningly following every foolish order you gave me," Yasu scoffed, now growing more agitated and rising from where she was seated. "It's time for you to accept that I'm still the same person I was, just seeing clearly now!"
"I understand that you had trouble with the new direction. I know many did... you were especially restless, wondering what your place was in an empire that needed your leadership but not your sword. You fulfilled your new role so well... You brought us DragonierMan, assembled our air force. If you needed to talk, we were always together... you and I, and all of the others, together, as a family. And you, DragonierMan, you must know that she's not in her right mind-!"
In a flash, Yasu flew forward, then slapped the Shogun across the face, the noise reverberating throughout the hall. Hime recoiled, but didn't fall, thanks to the navis holding her limbs. "You fool! This is exactly why I couldn't talk to you! This sentimentality, the sniveling, the groveling! The thought that you know best, that you know even what I want! That we could just sit down, drink tea, and talk about nothing at all until both of us agreed to go back to the same kind of malaise that ruined our organization to begin with!" she growled, clutching her hands into fists. "Inaction! It's driving me crazy just listening to you!"
"DragonierMan, please! We've got to leave. Something is wrong with her, with all of them!" Hime insisted, one of her eyes now narrowed slightly more than usual. It seemed like her cheek might be swelling. "The future of the Empire is at stake!"
"Hold her, DragonierMan! You and I, we're the ones who are loyal to the Empire and will lead it to greatness! Loyalty to the Empire does not mean loyalty to this woman!" Yasu commanded, raising her arm to strike Hime again. The soldiers all around continued standing, wordlessly, keeping their arms crossed across their backs. While Yasu had begun to swing, it was apparent Hime was making some movement as well; it was hard to tell what, but her breathing had changed and she'd begun to swell out her chest slightly. DragonierMan would probably need to prevent her from doing whatever she was about to do, if he still cared to carry out the coup.
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DragonierMan, Suzume, and Aya watched as the two former allies argued back and forth. They held their ground as Hime pleaded with them, and when Yasu slapped Hime. However, when Yasu attempted to slap Hime a second time, Drago and the girls pulled Hime backwards, just out of range of Yasu's hand. They still held Hime firmly as they did. The impression was they weren't letting Hime go, but they were stopping Yasu's abuse. Drago stepped back and circled around in front of Hime, putting himself between Hime and Yasu. "Enough. She is wounded and beaten, but still the former Shogun. We are to show her a modicum of respect in these regards. Keep your pride in check in front of your subordinates," he said as he pointed towards the assembled soldiers.
He then turned to Hime. "Know that I do this because MY Master believes this to be the proper course, and I agree. You have done enough to get us into a position I can work with. I will continue my work of building alliances with various factions in an effort to strengthen our place in the NET, but the attacks that have befallen our forces when I am not around are unacceptable. We need to fortify our army yes," he turned back to Yasu, "But we will not just attack whomever we feel like. First we strengthen our position, then we use strategic application of force."
He then pointed to the soldiers standing around. "And what are these soldiers doing here anyways? I thought this was going to be on the hush until everything was in place." He growled a little at the end of that last sentence. "I swear if you are hiding some hidden agenda beyond what you confided to me, like this woman," he said pointing to Hime, "Then I will be very angry. I have had enough of all the secret things that move behind the shadows."
His teeth and fangs were bared and he was a little over-excited over the whole ordeal. He caught himself at the end of his rant and closed his mouth. He stood back up straight, trying to be a little dignified, as he readjusted his armor. He then slicked back his hair with one hand as he calmed down. "Now," he cleared his throat, trying to keep an even tone. "We will prepare a room to jail the former Shogun in, with guards we can trust. We will then sit down like reasonable commanders and continue our work. This day has been a little tiring to everyone involved and we will deal with it like professionals."
He looked between the two women, Hime and Yasu, "You two can deal with your own interpersonal problems later." He then waited to see if Yasu would lead them to a place where they could imprison the former Shogun.
He then turned to Hime. "Know that I do this because MY Master believes this to be the proper course, and I agree. You have done enough to get us into a position I can work with. I will continue my work of building alliances with various factions in an effort to strengthen our place in the NET, but the attacks that have befallen our forces when I am not around are unacceptable. We need to fortify our army yes," he turned back to Yasu, "But we will not just attack whomever we feel like. First we strengthen our position, then we use strategic application of force."
He then pointed to the soldiers standing around. "And what are these soldiers doing here anyways? I thought this was going to be on the hush until everything was in place." He growled a little at the end of that last sentence. "I swear if you are hiding some hidden agenda beyond what you confided to me, like this woman," he said pointing to Hime, "Then I will be very angry. I have had enough of all the secret things that move behind the shadows."
His teeth and fangs were bared and he was a little over-excited over the whole ordeal. He caught himself at the end of his rant and closed his mouth. He stood back up straight, trying to be a little dignified, as he readjusted his armor. He then slicked back his hair with one hand as he calmed down. "Now," he cleared his throat, trying to keep an even tone. "We will prepare a room to jail the former Shogun in, with guards we can trust. We will then sit down like reasonable commanders and continue our work. This day has been a little tiring to everyone involved and we will deal with it like professionals."
He looked between the two women, Hime and Yasu, "You two can deal with your own interpersonal problems later." He then waited to see if Yasu would lead them to a place where they could imprison the former Shogun.
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Yasu looked none too pleased that DragonierMan had allowed Hime to dodge the strike... and that was considering that she looked pretty upset even when she thought it was going to hit. On the bright side, whatever Hime was puffing up to do, it was disrupted by her being pulled away. "It's important that we teach her that her time is over, DragonierMan. We can't afford to go soft now, not everything I... and you... have done," she growled, narrowing her eye with connotations just shy of accusation thick on her voice.
Having composed herself again somewhat, despite her swollen cheek, Hime managed to keep some semblance of her usual bearing and respond to DragonierMan. "DragonierMan, we were fortifying our army. We've repelled many attacks and stopped many others before they started, but that's accomplished through alliances and demonstrating our commitment to good. I'm all ears if you feel like our military fortifications aren't strong enough, and for that matter, I agree. We were in the early stages of establishing new bases and arming them just when the ROT led their latest attack. Because of that, we were forced to lean on our officers once again to defend our holdings and our newer soldiers. That's a shame, but it's something we can still fully address. There's no need for all of this," she suggested, showing one hand from beneath her cloak, though no more than that for modesty's sake.
Yasu grew more irritable as DraognierMan questioned her bringing in soldiers. "These are a special force, DragonierMan, who have pledged their loyalty only to me, not the Shogun. Their patches are signs of solidarity to my cause," she explained. "Each of them survived combat with the ROT commander and proved themselves valuable assets. They are more capable than they appear, but more importantly, they are wholly trustworthy."
Hime lowered her eyebrows and frowned, although it seemed almost impatient rather than offended. "DragonierMan, you do understand that talking about detesting secrets and moving in the shadows is a little hypocritical coming from a supposed ally who just infiltrated a meeting to attack and abduct his organization's leader, don't you?" she spoke quietly. "That aside, I apologize if I offended you with my secrecy. I hide my identity from others as a matter of subterfuge. There are times where, if the 'shogun' and I can operate independently, it has certain advantages. Some may trust the NS's financier in a way they wouldn't the shogun himself. The Shogun can be seen as nigh impossible to delete, because, when deleted, another could simply take his place. It's a strategy of subterfuge without a specific purpose, but rather, simply to afford us options in the long-term. I apologize if I offended you. In general, the NS policy is one of trusting one's allies implicitly, so it was hypocritical of me to share the information with only Yasu, but Yasu was one I trusted above all others..."
DragonierMan next explained that Yasu would need to show him where she intended to keep the Shogun imprisoned. Smirking, Yasu pointed to the floor behind herself. "Beneath there is a tunnel. None of the others know about it, not even the generals. If we stash her mid-way there and leave her chained, she will remain unseen, we'll have easy access to her, and there will be no chance of her escape," Yasu offered. "But before I forget, let's get to the matter of your reward for all of this. There will be time to sit down and discuss your new position in the Empire; I know that is a motivator for you. But perhaps this will help you forgive me my outburst earlier. It was a very emotional reunion for me..." she finished, handing over a data packet to him. "In fact, if the two of us are away for long, especially me, it will begin to become suspicious. If you'll leave Hime with me, I'll handle securing her beneath the ground in the meditation hall's tunnel. You can go out and make an appearance to assure the others it's business as usual, while the two of us discuss our particulars via a private channel."
*DragonierMan received WoodDragon2 x1, Boomerang2 x1, 50 bugfrags, 10 FP*
"I'd like to discuss this as well..." Hime murmured, putting her lips close to DragonierMan's ear as she could to speak quietly. "But you must see that it is not safe to leave me here. Please, propose that you be allowed to keep me entrapped in your own homepage. I'll agree to be taken there. It must be somewhere that Yasu cannot freely access," she added. She seemed remarkably in control of her voice now, which could be taken as either a good or bad thing.
The men all seemed to be watching DragonierMan now, with their vacant frowns. Something about them seemed eerily similar to the masked girls Oni kept around.
Having composed herself again somewhat, despite her swollen cheek, Hime managed to keep some semblance of her usual bearing and respond to DragonierMan. "DragonierMan, we were fortifying our army. We've repelled many attacks and stopped many others before they started, but that's accomplished through alliances and demonstrating our commitment to good. I'm all ears if you feel like our military fortifications aren't strong enough, and for that matter, I agree. We were in the early stages of establishing new bases and arming them just when the ROT led their latest attack. Because of that, we were forced to lean on our officers once again to defend our holdings and our newer soldiers. That's a shame, but it's something we can still fully address. There's no need for all of this," she suggested, showing one hand from beneath her cloak, though no more than that for modesty's sake.
Yasu grew more irritable as DraognierMan questioned her bringing in soldiers. "These are a special force, DragonierMan, who have pledged their loyalty only to me, not the Shogun. Their patches are signs of solidarity to my cause," she explained. "Each of them survived combat with the ROT commander and proved themselves valuable assets. They are more capable than they appear, but more importantly, they are wholly trustworthy."
Hime lowered her eyebrows and frowned, although it seemed almost impatient rather than offended. "DragonierMan, you do understand that talking about detesting secrets and moving in the shadows is a little hypocritical coming from a supposed ally who just infiltrated a meeting to attack and abduct his organization's leader, don't you?" she spoke quietly. "That aside, I apologize if I offended you with my secrecy. I hide my identity from others as a matter of subterfuge. There are times where, if the 'shogun' and I can operate independently, it has certain advantages. Some may trust the NS's financier in a way they wouldn't the shogun himself. The Shogun can be seen as nigh impossible to delete, because, when deleted, another could simply take his place. It's a strategy of subterfuge without a specific purpose, but rather, simply to afford us options in the long-term. I apologize if I offended you. In general, the NS policy is one of trusting one's allies implicitly, so it was hypocritical of me to share the information with only Yasu, but Yasu was one I trusted above all others..."
DragonierMan next explained that Yasu would need to show him where she intended to keep the Shogun imprisoned. Smirking, Yasu pointed to the floor behind herself. "Beneath there is a tunnel. None of the others know about it, not even the generals. If we stash her mid-way there and leave her chained, she will remain unseen, we'll have easy access to her, and there will be no chance of her escape," Yasu offered. "But before I forget, let's get to the matter of your reward for all of this. There will be time to sit down and discuss your new position in the Empire; I know that is a motivator for you. But perhaps this will help you forgive me my outburst earlier. It was a very emotional reunion for me..." she finished, handing over a data packet to him. "In fact, if the two of us are away for long, especially me, it will begin to become suspicious. If you'll leave Hime with me, I'll handle securing her beneath the ground in the meditation hall's tunnel. You can go out and make an appearance to assure the others it's business as usual, while the two of us discuss our particulars via a private channel."
*DragonierMan received WoodDragon2 x1, Boomerang2 x1, 50 bugfrags, 10 FP*
"I'd like to discuss this as well..." Hime murmured, putting her lips close to DragonierMan's ear as she could to speak quietly. "But you must see that it is not safe to leave me here. Please, propose that you be allowed to keep me entrapped in your own homepage. I'll agree to be taken there. It must be somewhere that Yasu cannot freely access," she added. She seemed remarkably in control of her voice now, which could be taken as either a good or bad thing.
The men all seemed to be watching DragonierMan now, with their vacant frowns. Something about them seemed eerily similar to the masked girls Oni kept around.
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DragonierMan listened as Yasu and Hime talked more. All of them, in some way, kept secrets from each other. So no one really held the high ground in this conversation. To Hime's credit, the idea of being two people had its advantages it was true. Making the Shogun anyone who dons the armor gave a tactical legacy to the Neo-Shogunate. However, her mistake was that Boss Oni knew. As such, the Shogun being whomever they wanted was a dashed dream. "Your capability of using the Shogun as a cover ended when you let Boss Oni know about both identities. As such you have made our work harder," he said to Hime after she apologized. "Trusting your allies implicitly got you into this situation, in more ways than one. Perhaps you should have chosen more carefully."
Then Yasu talked about a secret tunnel under the mansion and how no one knew about it. Drago smirked as he accepted the data packet of rewards, putting it away in the folds of his robes. "Funnily enough, I already knew about the secret tunnel. I found it during one of my earlier missions. It was the day that I first met Hime in the bath with you, Yasu. Seems like all of our secrets aren't as secret as we once thought." Drago paused after that, then looked at Hime. "Now that I think of it, I wonder how you got from the bathhouse to your Shogun armor that quickly? Is there another person who uses the armor or can you just jack-into it from wherever you are?"
Hime then spoke quietly, making Drago have to stoop down to bring her lips to his ear. He nodded after she finished speaking. He seemed to puff his chest out in yet another unintentional spout of pride that might ruffle Yasu's feathers as he stood back up. "It seems she wants to be imprisoned in my own lair than be held here with you," he chuckled. "I guess I was right in my earlier boast about making Hime mine." He turned slightly to Hime, "I wonder what Boss Oni would say if he saw the one he wanted being whisked away by another man?" He put a hand to his chin. "Although I guess I already did that, didn't I?"
He turned back to Yasu, waving away his earlier boasting remarks as if they could easily be dismissed. "Regardless of Hime's wishes, holding her here, especially after it was made clear that this tunnel isn't as secret as you thought it was, is a bad idea. As such, I will honor her request." He turned back to Hime and attempted to brush his thumb over her swollen cheek, healing it with his
Recover80Recovery: 80 HP
Accuracy: S
Description: Heals 80 HP.
Duration: Once
Element: Null
Trader Rank: C. "She even said she would not put up a fight if I imprisoned her on my own Homepage. It would be a good idea to have a cooperative prisoner than someone who would make attempts to escape." He turned back to Yasu. "And if she somehow escaped from her dungeon below and ran into the camp, it would create chaos. It would be best to have her in a prison away from any Neo-Shogunate holdings."
He held up a hand before Yasu could object to much. "However, to give you peace of mind, we will all go together to my Homepage. That way you can oversee the binding of the prisoner yourself." He then lowered his hand and waited in case Hime or Yasu had anything more to add to the conversation.
Then Yasu talked about a secret tunnel under the mansion and how no one knew about it. Drago smirked as he accepted the data packet of rewards, putting it away in the folds of his robes. "Funnily enough, I already knew about the secret tunnel. I found it during one of my earlier missions. It was the day that I first met Hime in the bath with you, Yasu. Seems like all of our secrets aren't as secret as we once thought." Drago paused after that, then looked at Hime. "Now that I think of it, I wonder how you got from the bathhouse to your Shogun armor that quickly? Is there another person who uses the armor or can you just jack-into it from wherever you are?"
Hime then spoke quietly, making Drago have to stoop down to bring her lips to his ear. He nodded after she finished speaking. He seemed to puff his chest out in yet another unintentional spout of pride that might ruffle Yasu's feathers as he stood back up. "It seems she wants to be imprisoned in my own lair than be held here with you," he chuckled. "I guess I was right in my earlier boast about making Hime mine." He turned slightly to Hime, "I wonder what Boss Oni would say if he saw the one he wanted being whisked away by another man?" He put a hand to his chin. "Although I guess I already did that, didn't I?"
He turned back to Yasu, waving away his earlier boasting remarks as if they could easily be dismissed. "Regardless of Hime's wishes, holding her here, especially after it was made clear that this tunnel isn't as secret as you thought it was, is a bad idea. As such, I will honor her request." He turned back to Hime and attempted to brush his thumb over her swollen cheek, healing it with his
Recover80Recovery: 80 HPAccuracy: S
Description: Heals 80 HP.
Duration: Once
Element: Null
Trader Rank: C. "She even said she would not put up a fight if I imprisoned her on my own Homepage. It would be a good idea to have a cooperative prisoner than someone who would make attempts to escape." He turned back to Yasu. "And if she somehow escaped from her dungeon below and ran into the camp, it would create chaos. It would be best to have her in a prison away from any Neo-Shogunate holdings."
He held up a hand before Yasu could object to much. "However, to give you peace of mind, we will all go together to my Homepage. That way you can oversee the binding of the prisoner yourself." He then lowered his hand and waited in case Hime or Yasu had anything more to add to the conversation.
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"The time to keep up that charade had ended... My secret identity had been compromised on multiple fronts, so I used it as a bargaining chip with Boss Oni," Hime explained calmly. "You're right about trusting my allies. But I'd do it all again. The Neo-Shogun Empire is nothing if we cannot depend on one another... I only wish that you felt the same way. I know Yasu still does... the real Yasu."
"You're a sore loser, Shogun," Yasu scoffed, crossing her arms and tilting her chin up slightly. "I didn't realize you'd already found the tunnel. Hmph. It's a good thing we're allied, DragonierMan," the First General murmured, gripping her biceps and frowning thoughtfully.
"Teleporting into the armor is a simple task. I track its location at all times," Hime responded. "Though I do sometimes have others wear it. To be honest, I had Guillotine do it once, although she wasn't exactly 'in on the joke'." She seemed to flinch momentarily at the negative connotations of becoming DragonierMan's prisoner, but she didn't object; evidently, she'd rather take her chances with him than Yasu. She held her tongue, although the comments about Boss Oni seemed to be especially agitating to her, as she suddenly averted the gaze of her yellow eyes from DragonierMan. She managed a quiet "thank you" when she was healed, but her mood still seemed stormy.
Yasu didn't look pleased about handing over Hime to DragonierMan's homepage at all; the scowl on her face deepened considerably. Still, she had no retort. "Alright, but know this: if she escapes and I find your hand in it, you won't receive any good grace from me just due to your willingness to cooperate to this point. Let's head to your homepage. There we will discuss how best to keep Hime captive and also your role in the new regime. And don't worry; a cover story to explain this to all of the generals is well under way. They won't be interfering in this. Please, give me your address and open your homepage for a moment, assuming it's not public. I'll follow you."
Hime didn't request the same, presumably because she anticipated being carried there the same way she'd been carried here; she probably couldn't change networks by her own power at all as long as she was bound in those chains. Interestingly, all of the soldiers around the room said nothing and made no motion to follow. Could it be they were going to just continue standing there? Yasu didn't give them any instruction either.
((To be continued in DragonierMan's homepage, Azure can post there first))
"You're a sore loser, Shogun," Yasu scoffed, crossing her arms and tilting her chin up slightly. "I didn't realize you'd already found the tunnel. Hmph. It's a good thing we're allied, DragonierMan," the First General murmured, gripping her biceps and frowning thoughtfully.
"Teleporting into the armor is a simple task. I track its location at all times," Hime responded. "Though I do sometimes have others wear it. To be honest, I had Guillotine do it once, although she wasn't exactly 'in on the joke'." She seemed to flinch momentarily at the negative connotations of becoming DragonierMan's prisoner, but she didn't object; evidently, she'd rather take her chances with him than Yasu. She held her tongue, although the comments about Boss Oni seemed to be especially agitating to her, as she suddenly averted the gaze of her yellow eyes from DragonierMan. She managed a quiet "thank you" when she was healed, but her mood still seemed stormy.
Yasu didn't look pleased about handing over Hime to DragonierMan's homepage at all; the scowl on her face deepened considerably. Still, she had no retort. "Alright, but know this: if she escapes and I find your hand in it, you won't receive any good grace from me just due to your willingness to cooperate to this point. Let's head to your homepage. There we will discuss how best to keep Hime captive and also your role in the new regime. And don't worry; a cover story to explain this to all of the generals is well under way. They won't be interfering in this. Please, give me your address and open your homepage for a moment, assuming it's not public. I'll follow you."
Hime didn't request the same, presumably because she anticipated being carried there the same way she'd been carried here; she probably couldn't change networks by her own power at all as long as she was bound in those chains. Interestingly, all of the soldiers around the room said nothing and made no motion to follow. Could it be they were going to just continue standing there? Yasu didn't give them any instruction either.
((To be continued in DragonierMan's homepage, Azure can post there first))
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"If the Shogun escapes from my watch, I'll give myself over to you for punishment. Then if I am still functional, I will hunt her down again," he promised Yasu. "And make sure she can never escape again, permanently," he growled. It was pretty sure he was indicating to Hime that unlike the current time, if he ever had to do it again, he would attempt to delete her with the anti-jack-out ropes instead of just capturing her.
Now that they were ready, "The homepage is private and I won't need to give you the address." He reached out his hand to Yasu to grab onto. "I'll take you there directly." He waited until Yasu took his hand, then he waved the other and a portal opened to the homepage. It looked like a stark white void. If Yasu didn't protest, he would lead her through the portal, Suzume and Aya pulling Hime along behind. It would close moments later.
Now that they were ready, "The homepage is private and I won't need to give you the address." He reached out his hand to Yasu to grab onto. "I'll take you there directly." He waited until Yasu took his hand, then he waved the other and a portal opened to the homepage. It looked like a stark white void. If Yasu didn't protest, he would lead her through the portal, Suzume and Aya pulling Hime along behind. It would close moments later.
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When Sparks, DragonierMan, and crew arrived at the base, they'd certainly know where to go, no matter where they'd actually jacked in. This was because Kama's towering, bikini-clad figure was kneeling just outside one of the walls, where a large crowd of soldiers had gathered to not-so-discretely take a gander at the giant ninja. If they pushed through the crowd a bit, they'd find that Lee and Sake were waiting on either side of a decently sized yellow tent; this seemed to be one of those that was used for generals on occasions where they were resting at the encampment. Just inside, they could see the figure of Yasu kneeling, seemingly cleaning her katana. It was a rare sight for DragonierMan, given that there were only a few occasions where he'd seen her bring it out.
"Everyone, get out the waaaay! Sheesh!" Lee yelled at the crowd of soldiers. "Geez, you guys never have anything interesting going on in your lives so you think it's okay to just swarm all over when something happens? Don't you have anything better to do?!"
"No!" somebody in the crowd answered, being a smart aleck.
"Ugh! Hey Drago, Sir Sparky, you here yet? Head over here when you can! We're gonna do the final reward stuff and the sake and all that in here with Yasu!" Lee yelled over the crowd, raising her spear as though to give them a marker to find their way through the crowd of soldiers. "And don't worry about Vee and Kama! I gave Vee the thingies and she's gonna figure out what to do with them! And Kama is waiting till after we're done to speak with Yasuuuu! Anyway, I still owe you all a sexy priiiiize!" she called out. The soldiers became more fired up than ever, all trying to push each other out of the way and get closer now that a sexy prize had been mentioned. DragonierMan, Sparks, and the girls would need to either fly over or muscle their way through the cloud of obnoxious, tunic-clad soldiers to reach Lee.
"Everyone, get out the waaaay! Sheesh!" Lee yelled at the crowd of soldiers. "Geez, you guys never have anything interesting going on in your lives so you think it's okay to just swarm all over when something happens? Don't you have anything better to do?!"
"No!" somebody in the crowd answered, being a smart aleck.
"Ugh! Hey Drago, Sir Sparky, you here yet? Head over here when you can! We're gonna do the final reward stuff and the sake and all that in here with Yasu!" Lee yelled over the crowd, raising her spear as though to give them a marker to find their way through the crowd of soldiers. "And don't worry about Vee and Kama! I gave Vee the thingies and she's gonna figure out what to do with them! And Kama is waiting till after we're done to speak with Yasuuuu! Anyway, I still owe you all a sexy priiiiize!" she called out. The soldiers became more fired up than ever, all trying to push each other out of the way and get closer now that a sexy prize had been mentioned. DragonierMan, Sparks, and the girls would need to either fly over or muscle their way through the cloud of obnoxious, tunic-clad soldiers to reach Lee.
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Aya appeared outside the camp and took to the air. It was pretty easy to figure out where to go, as a crowd had formed around Kama and a giant yellow tent. As Aya neared the crowd from the air, she heard the shouting from Lee, trying to get DragonierMan's and Spark's attention. She was waving her spear and everything as a guide. Aya landed just outside of the range of Lee's spear, where there was a little space. "Sparks wanted to talk a little with Drago before coming here. I was sent ahead," she began.
Suzume then came out of nowhere to stand besides Aya with a thumbs up. "Sir Sparks, little sister. And it is good for the boys to have a little chat. They almost never get to have any men-time together when they are surrounded by so many babes." Suzume smiled. Aya rolled her eyes and punched Suzume's shoulder playfully. "You don't need to call him Sir all the time. He is just a kid." Suzume grasped her shoulder and looked hurt, playfully pouting. "Why Aya, that is just rude. He may be a bit on the young side, but he is hardly a kid."
The others were probably staring at them play-fight and that caught Suzume's eye. She quickly dropped the persona she adopted and coughed into her hand to clear her throat. "Anyways, Vee was happy to see the sacks of goodies we brought her. Hopefully they can be put to some use. Although with the kind of 'technology' that the Shogunate uses, I don't know how much help batteries will be to them."
"General Vee will probably figure it out," Aya stated. "She seems to be one of the level-headed ones, like me. Well..." she also coughed into her own hand. "That is when she isn't falling into poisoned traps that kill her inhibitions," she said under her breath, so that the crowd couldn't hear her. "Any, anyways..." Aya reiterated as she folded her wings about her and then entered the tent to stand near the kneeling Yasu, "How are you doing? Seems that you are up and about," she asked Yasu. "Did you have a nice chat with Kama?" Suzume asked, following Aya inside.
Suzume then came out of nowhere to stand besides Aya with a thumbs up. "Sir Sparks, little sister. And it is good for the boys to have a little chat. They almost never get to have any men-time together when they are surrounded by so many babes." Suzume smiled. Aya rolled her eyes and punched Suzume's shoulder playfully. "You don't need to call him Sir all the time. He is just a kid." Suzume grasped her shoulder and looked hurt, playfully pouting. "Why Aya, that is just rude. He may be a bit on the young side, but he is hardly a kid."
The others were probably staring at them play-fight and that caught Suzume's eye. She quickly dropped the persona she adopted and coughed into her hand to clear her throat. "Anyways, Vee was happy to see the sacks of goodies we brought her. Hopefully they can be put to some use. Although with the kind of 'technology' that the Shogunate uses, I don't know how much help batteries will be to them."
"General Vee will probably figure it out," Aya stated. "She seems to be one of the level-headed ones, like me. Well..." she also coughed into her own hand. "That is when she isn't falling into poisoned traps that kill her inhibitions," she said under her breath, so that the crowd couldn't hear her. "Any, anyways..." Aya reiterated as she folded her wings about her and then entered the tent to stand near the kneeling Yasu, "How are you doing? Seems that you are up and about," she asked Yasu. "Did you have a nice chat with Kama?" Suzume asked, following Aya inside.
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This is where he came from.
Sparks lighting cracked down just outside the group of soldiers that were gawking over seeing Lee's "sexy prize". Sparks did his best to calmly make his way through the large crowd, every now and then he'd have to use his arms or shoulders to bump a soldier to give him space to move, but it was never out of malice, and was always accompanied by a "Excuse me, I'm the one shes asking for." The samurai finally managed to arrive to the tent where Lee, Sake, Yasu were awaiting the mission crew. "I made it, Drago should be right behind me."
Sparks lighting cracked down just outside the group of soldiers that were gawking over seeing Lee's "sexy prize". Sparks did his best to calmly make his way through the large crowd, every now and then he'd have to use his arms or shoulders to bump a soldier to give him space to move, but it was never out of malice, and was always accompanied by a "Excuse me, I'm the one shes asking for." The samurai finally managed to arrive to the tent where Lee, Sake, Yasu were awaiting the mission crew. "I made it, Drago should be right behind me."
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DragonierMan appeared in a beam of light on the outskirts of the camp. Just like Aya, he spread his wings and took to the air. He found the gathering soon enough and came in for a landing. He took a moment to look at Kama, "Good to see you made it in one piece." He then looked over the assembled crowd. "I hope none of them have bothered you too much."
He then headed into the tent. "General Lee, General Yasu, Sake, we have completed the mission as requested. Time to celebrate our success and get our promised payment." He glanced down a Yasu's sword. "We also have a lot to talk about." He tried to clap Sparks on the shoulder. "I told him what happened with BrainMan, the Shogun, MachMan, and us. So don't worry about going hog wild. It's best to clear whatever problems we have now during this party when the spirits are high."
He turned to Sake. "Sake, if you would, we are all pretty thirsty after that mission."
He then headed into the tent. "General Lee, General Yasu, Sake, we have completed the mission as requested. Time to celebrate our success and get our promised payment." He glanced down a Yasu's sword. "We also have a lot to talk about." He tried to clap Sparks on the shoulder. "I told him what happened with BrainMan, the Shogun, MachMan, and us. So don't worry about going hog wild. It's best to clear whatever problems we have now during this party when the spirits are high."
He turned to Sake. "Sake, if you would, we are all pretty thirsty after that mission."
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"Aya-chan!" Lee called out upon Aya's arrival, continuing to pet-name the other girl. "And Suzume!" she added, now lowering her spear. She didn't want to give Suzume a funny honorific, apparently. "Hope Drago and Sir Sparky are gonna come soon! I'm not in any rush, but Yasu gets a little ornery when people aren't punctual!" she laughed, possibly forgetting Yasu was still in hearing range. A soldier with thick sideburns came up out of the crowd for a moment and whispered in Lee's ear, his face holding a very serious expression. Lee shook her head and then laughed. "Ba ha ha! No, I said ornery! You better get outta here, she'll be mad if she hears you say that!" The other navi seemed to take the threat seriously and hurried back into the crowd.
That said, the crowd was excited for Aya and Suzume's arrival, not seeming to miss the DragonierMan part of the equation. Lee chuckled again at Suzume's report from meeting her sister. "Happy, huh? It's usually kind of hard to tell! What with the face mask and all. Anyway, I'm sure she'll figure out some way to use those thingies, especially since she's an elec navi. Gotta be something an elec navi can do with batteries!" she reassured Suzume. "Aw, Aya-chan! I'll bet you and Drago would get up to some kooky stuff under the right circumstances too, am I right? Hehe..."
Yasu didn't seem to care for that topic at all, as she had a very sour expression on her face when Aya spoke to her. "I've told Kama to wait until our business is concluded. I'm eager to hear what she has to say, but our work comes first," she responded quietly. From closer up, it was clear that she was indeed cleaning some traces of data from her blade... the First General didn't seem as though she was going to offer that answer without provocation, however. "As for how I'm doing, better. Thank you for asking. I'm certainly happy that you all appear to be buttoning up the Alexis threat." She was back to wearing her original eyepatch; it was anyone's guess if her full eye was back behind it or if she'd kept the scar.
Sparks arrived next with a low key entrance (apart from the lightning strike), followed by DragonierMan. The crowd started booing as soon as DragonierMan showed up; attempting to double dip with every girl on the Neo-Shogun's roster, at least in their eyes, had certainly robbed him of any popularity with the common men. Soon, the group would leave them behind anyway, heading inside the tent. Sake closed the curtain behind them. DragonierMan was in high spirits, apparently, but despite Yasu's earlier statement that they'd done well to defuse a potential attack by the Alexis, she looked as grim as ever. "Hmph. Perhaps not the best story to share with a new recruit? But I suppose not being open is what got us into that mess to begin with," she sighed. Her glower got worse as sake was proposed, but she nodded regardless.
"He he! Coming right up!" Sake agreed, readying her bottle from one sleeve and setting it down upon the carpet. From the opposite sleeve, she produced a stack of seven small saucers, then expertly slid them into a line, with Yasu at one end and herself at the opposite end, the others to be filled out by the remaining participants as they so pleased. "I'm always thirsty! Doesn't matter how much I drink." Thankfully, she abstained from drinking from the bottle this time, instead filling the saucers one by one. "If anyone wants another hit, just let me know! Sometimes it takes a little more than one to give me a buzz," she joked; that was quite the understatement considering she'd been steadily drinking since the mission began.
"Now, to the matter at hand," Yasu spoke, though the drinks had only just been poured. "The Alexis have been a dark cloud over our organization. You've seen their members... Few though they are, they pose a threat to our empire, especially given the grudge that I hold for Alex and the 'hornet's nest' I may have stirred there in the past. Without Kama, however, their fangs are removed. With mighty warriors such as yourself, DragonierMan, I hardly expect Alex can hope to rival us on her lonesome. But now, we should address our new recruit... Unfortunately, I wasn't involved in your mission personally, so I can't grant you a title like the rest of us have-"
"D-Does he really need a title?" Lee asked, raising her hand as though to get permission to speak, but then going ahead anyways. "None of us really use those much these days, except you, maybe...!"
Yasu fixed Lee with a glare; undoubtedly, she would have responded heatedly if a man had posed that same question. "Fine. I will leave it to Sparks-"
"Sir Sparky," Lee corrected, incorrectly.
"... Sir Sparky... Who already seems to have a title, of a sort. Yes," she coughed, looking uncomfortable. "I will leave it to him if he wishes to adopt one of our titles. If he does, I will have to leave the honors to you two, Lee and DragonierMan, as you are the only two have seen him in action to know his capabilities."
"And me!" Sake added, raising her bowl. "But I'm no good at naming like that. In fact, did I ever-?"
"Yes, you got a title. No, you haven't used it," Yasu grimaced. "Moving on. I will handle the design of your new uniform regardless. Since you are here, I may as well ask the questions in person. What color would you like to represent yourself and further, on a scale from 1 to 10, how much skin are you comfortable with showing? I find that, with fine physiques such as those most of our generals hold, it is a waste not to display one's body as a show of intimidation. Whatever other flaws DragonierMan may have, his choice of uniform is one that inspires fear and respect-"
"Pffufufu," Lee laughed through her hand, covering her mouth. The statement clearly amused her.
Yasu's face grew a little red as she continued to try to sell everyone on the seriousness of the choice. "At any rate, know that DragonierMan's and mine are at the higher end of the spectrum. If you feel like you'd prefer heavier armor, pick a number like 1 or 2," she grumbled. The group would wait for Sparks' answer, before Yasu continued. "Now Lee, I believe you have a special reward structure for this mission planned. I will leave that in your hands."
"Exactomundo! Let's take another look at your cards... Actually, I think you guys filled out everything! If Lee liked her souvenirs, then those are cool, and we're enjoying our Sake break right now! So I give you guys full marks!" she announced, raising both hands in Vs for victory. "That means you guys get chips, bugfrags, and zenny! Here's your prizes!" she cheered, producing two data packets midair, then sliding them over to both men in line. "Of course, there's some extra in there for you, DragonierMan, especially given your senior status. And Sparks, you already know you're on the team! Subordinate rank. Congratulations!" she led the others in clapping for the new recruit.
((DragonierMan receives: 22500z, 100 bugfrags, LineOut2 x1, FireHit2 x1, 20 FP))
((Sparks receives: 5000z, 100 bugfrags, LineOut2 x1, FireHit2 x1, Neo-Shogun Faction Membership, 20 FP))
"Oh, and of course, there's a sexy prize!" she added, raising both arms behind her back and striking a sexy pose, thrusting her chest out slightly.
Yasu's eyebrow twitched as she lowered the sake bowl she'd just begun draining. "... Sexy prize?" she questioned, obviously critical.
"Oh yeah! I said that they'd get a second sexy prize, besides just seeing the sexy bikini I put on for them earlier," the red general explained.
"... Sexy bikini?" Yasu parroted, looking increasingly irritable.
"Yeah! That was the earlier prize though. This one... uh... I hadn't really thought of one, so I figure I'll just do whatever they ask me to! Aaany sexy thing you want! You guys just name it! Only condition is it has to be sexy and you both have to agree on it!"
"... Anything?" Yasu asked, a bead of sweat running down her forehead.
"Anything! Or, of course, I don't wanna put you guys on the spot. If you don't know anything now, you can save it for another time! Whatever sexy thing you guys come up with, as long as it's in my power to grant it," she beamed, raising her bowl as though toasting blank checks for general sexiness. "Whatcha say? Anything come to mind?"
"Ha ha ha! Nothing goes with sake like reckless promises," Sake chuckled, beginning to refill those bowls that had already been emptied. At Lee's promise, the curtain around the tent seemed to shift, almost as though bodies pressed up close against it to listen had just lost their balance for a moment and leaned into it by accident.
That said, the crowd was excited for Aya and Suzume's arrival, not seeming to miss the DragonierMan part of the equation. Lee chuckled again at Suzume's report from meeting her sister. "Happy, huh? It's usually kind of hard to tell! What with the face mask and all. Anyway, I'm sure she'll figure out some way to use those thingies, especially since she's an elec navi. Gotta be something an elec navi can do with batteries!" she reassured Suzume. "Aw, Aya-chan! I'll bet you and Drago would get up to some kooky stuff under the right circumstances too, am I right? Hehe..."
Yasu didn't seem to care for that topic at all, as she had a very sour expression on her face when Aya spoke to her. "I've told Kama to wait until our business is concluded. I'm eager to hear what she has to say, but our work comes first," she responded quietly. From closer up, it was clear that she was indeed cleaning some traces of data from her blade... the First General didn't seem as though she was going to offer that answer without provocation, however. "As for how I'm doing, better. Thank you for asking. I'm certainly happy that you all appear to be buttoning up the Alexis threat." She was back to wearing her original eyepatch; it was anyone's guess if her full eye was back behind it or if she'd kept the scar.
Sparks arrived next with a low key entrance (apart from the lightning strike), followed by DragonierMan. The crowd started booing as soon as DragonierMan showed up; attempting to double dip with every girl on the Neo-Shogun's roster, at least in their eyes, had certainly robbed him of any popularity with the common men. Soon, the group would leave them behind anyway, heading inside the tent. Sake closed the curtain behind them. DragonierMan was in high spirits, apparently, but despite Yasu's earlier statement that they'd done well to defuse a potential attack by the Alexis, she looked as grim as ever. "Hmph. Perhaps not the best story to share with a new recruit? But I suppose not being open is what got us into that mess to begin with," she sighed. Her glower got worse as sake was proposed, but she nodded regardless.
"He he! Coming right up!" Sake agreed, readying her bottle from one sleeve and setting it down upon the carpet. From the opposite sleeve, she produced a stack of seven small saucers, then expertly slid them into a line, with Yasu at one end and herself at the opposite end, the others to be filled out by the remaining participants as they so pleased. "I'm always thirsty! Doesn't matter how much I drink." Thankfully, she abstained from drinking from the bottle this time, instead filling the saucers one by one. "If anyone wants another hit, just let me know! Sometimes it takes a little more than one to give me a buzz," she joked; that was quite the understatement considering she'd been steadily drinking since the mission began.
"Now, to the matter at hand," Yasu spoke, though the drinks had only just been poured. "The Alexis have been a dark cloud over our organization. You've seen their members... Few though they are, they pose a threat to our empire, especially given the grudge that I hold for Alex and the 'hornet's nest' I may have stirred there in the past. Without Kama, however, their fangs are removed. With mighty warriors such as yourself, DragonierMan, I hardly expect Alex can hope to rival us on her lonesome. But now, we should address our new recruit... Unfortunately, I wasn't involved in your mission personally, so I can't grant you a title like the rest of us have-"
"D-Does he really need a title?" Lee asked, raising her hand as though to get permission to speak, but then going ahead anyways. "None of us really use those much these days, except you, maybe...!"
Yasu fixed Lee with a glare; undoubtedly, she would have responded heatedly if a man had posed that same question. "Fine. I will leave it to Sparks-"
"Sir Sparky," Lee corrected, incorrectly.
"... Sir Sparky... Who already seems to have a title, of a sort. Yes," she coughed, looking uncomfortable. "I will leave it to him if he wishes to adopt one of our titles. If he does, I will have to leave the honors to you two, Lee and DragonierMan, as you are the only two have seen him in action to know his capabilities."
"And me!" Sake added, raising her bowl. "But I'm no good at naming like that. In fact, did I ever-?"
"Yes, you got a title. No, you haven't used it," Yasu grimaced. "Moving on. I will handle the design of your new uniform regardless. Since you are here, I may as well ask the questions in person. What color would you like to represent yourself and further, on a scale from 1 to 10, how much skin are you comfortable with showing? I find that, with fine physiques such as those most of our generals hold, it is a waste not to display one's body as a show of intimidation. Whatever other flaws DragonierMan may have, his choice of uniform is one that inspires fear and respect-"
"Pffufufu," Lee laughed through her hand, covering her mouth. The statement clearly amused her.
Yasu's face grew a little red as she continued to try to sell everyone on the seriousness of the choice. "At any rate, know that DragonierMan's and mine are at the higher end of the spectrum. If you feel like you'd prefer heavier armor, pick a number like 1 or 2," she grumbled. The group would wait for Sparks' answer, before Yasu continued. "Now Lee, I believe you have a special reward structure for this mission planned. I will leave that in your hands."
"Exactomundo! Let's take another look at your cards... Actually, I think you guys filled out everything! If Lee liked her souvenirs, then those are cool, and we're enjoying our Sake break right now! So I give you guys full marks!" she announced, raising both hands in Vs for victory. "That means you guys get chips, bugfrags, and zenny! Here's your prizes!" she cheered, producing two data packets midair, then sliding them over to both men in line. "Of course, there's some extra in there for you, DragonierMan, especially given your senior status. And Sparks, you already know you're on the team! Subordinate rank. Congratulations!" she led the others in clapping for the new recruit.
((DragonierMan receives: 22500z, 100 bugfrags, LineOut2 x1, FireHit2 x1, 20 FP))
((Sparks receives: 5000z, 100 bugfrags, LineOut2 x1, FireHit2 x1, Neo-Shogun Faction Membership, 20 FP))
"Oh, and of course, there's a sexy prize!" she added, raising both arms behind her back and striking a sexy pose, thrusting her chest out slightly.
Yasu's eyebrow twitched as she lowered the sake bowl she'd just begun draining. "... Sexy prize?" she questioned, obviously critical.
"Oh yeah! I said that they'd get a second sexy prize, besides just seeing the sexy bikini I put on for them earlier," the red general explained.
"... Sexy bikini?" Yasu parroted, looking increasingly irritable.
"Yeah! That was the earlier prize though. This one... uh... I hadn't really thought of one, so I figure I'll just do whatever they ask me to! Aaany sexy thing you want! You guys just name it! Only condition is it has to be sexy and you both have to agree on it!"
"... Anything?" Yasu asked, a bead of sweat running down her forehead.
"Anything! Or, of course, I don't wanna put you guys on the spot. If you don't know anything now, you can save it for another time! Whatever sexy thing you guys come up with, as long as it's in my power to grant it," she beamed, raising her bowl as though toasting blank checks for general sexiness. "Whatcha say? Anything come to mind?"
"Ha ha ha! Nothing goes with sake like reckless promises," Sake chuckled, beginning to refill those bowls that had already been emptied. At Lee's promise, the curtain around the tent seemed to shift, almost as though bodies pressed up close against it to listen had just lost their balance for a moment and leaned into it by accident.
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"Oh yeah, I made it here in one piece." Sparks replied to Drago, peeking over at Yasu while she cleaned her blade. "I don't believe we have met. My name is Sparks, I am the newest edition to the NeoShogunate, I hope I can be a reliable ally to this already strong group of navis."
It didn't take long for the sake to be poured and passed around among the group. Sparks gladly grabbed the glass, and quickly finished off the first round, combined with the few he had taken during the mission it gave him a very relaxed sensation. "Hmmmmm a title? I never really thought about it. I'm fine with anything really." He replied, but inside his head, he enjoyed when Lee called him Sir Sparky, it made him feel... important. He moved on to the next matter of business. "I get a new outfit? Hmmmm I've been really fond of the color olive as of late. As for skin... maybe something similar to what I have now.... I guess 5?" At the moment the only thing that was showing is half of his chest, neck and head due to the fact that he had dawned his Relaxed.GMO before traversing to the camp.
Sparks was all too ready to accept the rewards that the general handed him. 5000zenny was the biggest payout he had ever recieved, not to mention all the bugfrags and two battlechips. "Thank you general." He took a bow out of respect and appreciation, not waiting long to upload the profits of battle to his owner's PET. "Joseph will be pleased... wait... How come Drago got so much more zenny then me." For just a moment a look of disappointment rested upon his face, but he quickly shook it off. "Well he is a lot stronger then me at the moment... but that will change one day." The samurai flexed his left bicep looking down at it. "Anyways, thanks a lot Lee."
The newest NS recruit motioned that he was indeed ready for another serving of sake, which he immediately downed at the proposal of him and Drago deciding on the final sexy prize together. "Sake another please." Sparks quickly waved for her to return, if she poured another saucer he would down that one and request one more. Upon finishing the last sacuer she had filled, the samuari made his way over to his current partner in crime Drago. Once he got beside the knight navi, he stumbled slightly, wrapping his right arm around DragoneirMan's shoulder to brace his sudden fall. Sparks wasn't completely drunk... but the sake was having an effect on him. A few different ideas ran through his head... but even though it was partly up to him he didn't think they were quite appropriate, so he put his mouth to his friend's ear to whisper, "Aye.... in terms of what I mostly find sexy is a range of things... but what I like most is a beautiful lady navi in rope... but you probably don't care for that huh?" Upon quietly speaking one of his few secrets to his friend, he turned his head awaited a whispered response from his friend.
It didn't take long for the sake to be poured and passed around among the group. Sparks gladly grabbed the glass, and quickly finished off the first round, combined with the few he had taken during the mission it gave him a very relaxed sensation. "Hmmmmm a title? I never really thought about it. I'm fine with anything really." He replied, but inside his head, he enjoyed when Lee called him Sir Sparky, it made him feel... important. He moved on to the next matter of business. "I get a new outfit? Hmmmm I've been really fond of the color olive as of late. As for skin... maybe something similar to what I have now.... I guess 5?" At the moment the only thing that was showing is half of his chest, neck and head due to the fact that he had dawned his Relaxed.GMO before traversing to the camp.
Sparks was all too ready to accept the rewards that the general handed him. 5000zenny was the biggest payout he had ever recieved, not to mention all the bugfrags and two battlechips. "Thank you general." He took a bow out of respect and appreciation, not waiting long to upload the profits of battle to his owner's PET. "Joseph will be pleased... wait... How come Drago got so much more zenny then me." For just a moment a look of disappointment rested upon his face, but he quickly shook it off. "Well he is a lot stronger then me at the moment... but that will change one day." The samurai flexed his left bicep looking down at it. "Anyways, thanks a lot Lee."
The newest NS recruit motioned that he was indeed ready for another serving of sake, which he immediately downed at the proposal of him and Drago deciding on the final sexy prize together. "Sake another please." Sparks quickly waved for her to return, if she poured another saucer he would down that one and request one more. Upon finishing the last sacuer she had filled, the samuari made his way over to his current partner in crime Drago. Once he got beside the knight navi, he stumbled slightly, wrapping his right arm around DragoneirMan's shoulder to brace his sudden fall. Sparks wasn't completely drunk... but the sake was having an effect on him. A few different ideas ran through his head... but even though it was partly up to him he didn't think they were quite appropriate, so he put his mouth to his friend's ear to whisper, "Aye.... in terms of what I mostly find sexy is a range of things... but what I like most is a beautiful lady navi in rope... but you probably don't care for that huh?" Upon quietly speaking one of his few secrets to his friend, he turned his head awaited a whispered response from his friend.