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Post by Juni on Nov 19, 2020 14:00:45 GMT -8
Hachiko was posing for a photographer to feature the air brush tattoos across her shoulders for the artist’s portfolio, as well as a local jewler’s various piercings, and a line of black jewelry on her neck, wrists, and fingers. A royal guard burst into the studio, panicked instead of waiting outside the photography studio doors, Hachiko arched a brow as she listened to the samurai explain the issue while she removed the heart link chain from her wristlet. The expression changed from confused to a perplexed outrage when she discovered that Pine Tea was injured during an organized high profile theft of a pair of katanas that were on display at the casino, that once belonged to the demon boar beastman until he lost his hand in the Namekian war centuries ago, and her demonic crimson red eyes flared up at the truth.
At some point in Oolong’s castle, members of the Tea clan were discussing that a notable blacksmith demon that forged various weapons for samurai for half a millenia had gone missing, no one cared if a demon went missing in Oolong City, it was not their place to monitor every person that disappeared. However, the criminals who attacked her father were now marked for death, it was an insult to her family, who kept on getting targeted without facing the consequences of their actions. After Mate Tea was murdered, the family chose to keep the incident secret to save face, but now it was impossible to cover up the attack of Pine Tea who was at the wrong place at the wrong time.
If she was in her form as Juniper she would tend to her father’s injuries but her mother Natsuki would be able to utilize her mystic healing abilities on her husband without trouble. Hachiko was fed up at the disgrace the rampant criminals kept placing on her family. A blood price had to be paid with interest, she stormed out of the photography studio, picking up a black lacquered gourd, and scaled up a wall. The ash skinned demoness began to leap across the western style shingle tiled rooftops, running across the ancient city towards the casino, in search for clues of the assailants.
Upon arrival, her black three inch pumps crushed the broken glass of the display case that was scattered across red velvet carpet inside the casino, she was wearing form fitting leather pants, and a black trap bandeau top. The police were still tasked with collecting evidence of the crime, even if they made no plans to go after the assailants, since a member of the Tea clan was injured in the incident no one in the police force was strong enough to face the formidable thieves.
While she had no memory of marrying into the Dandelion Clan, she figured that Juniper’s husband would be informed of the incident by now, and would also arrive with reinforcements at the scene of the crime with other residents of Zen estate.
[498] [498/12,000] Koma MaxineAttachments:
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Post by Maxine on Nov 20, 2020 2:24:35 GMT -8
Ancestral weapons, clan rivalries, legendary samurai – all such things meant nothing to such a machine. They said that relics and blades grew more powerful with age, with history. Whereas electronics… well, once there was a new model of phone on the market, the last would soon vanish. For some, in months; for others, in years – for an android…
Well… surely, three decades was already far too much.
Maxine could not help but feel some sense of jealousy as she surveyed the hallowed glass cases of the casino’s gallery, though she knew just as well it was but a façade. Maybe someone thought it really would show some sense of honour, or might at least entertain – but it was just as likely it was being used for cheap advertising, or some subversion form of psychological marketing. Gambling was gambling… no matter what painting might be on the wall. The ‘classic’, the ‘history’; it was nothing more than a market to be exploited.
Yet. She, too, would like to have a plaque under her name, someday. …a selfish thought. A petty thought, and a naïve one too. But –
The entrance of Hachiko interrupted the last of her musing procedures; drawing the whole lot onto the task at hand rather than remaining so scatterbrained. Standing to one side, wearing her suit as always – albeit now with a slightly suspect pair of blue plastic gloves on – Maxine had been awaiting support, particularly as she had been promptly pushed aside by police. Not that she’d expected a warm reception, particularly as a mere servant, but… they were abnormally tight-lipped. Perhaps they were hoping to step things up and take this case as a prize, or maybe they just didn’t want any trouble out of it at all. Or maybe they just didn’t want any hint of responsibility regarding sir Tea’s injuries…
Greeting the young lady with a bow, Maxine tried to overlook Hachiko’s less than demure approach – not just trampling through a crime scene, but also while wearing… err, that. It was rather – well, it was a different kind of a scene, certainly. But! There was business at hand! S-She shouldn’t be swayed! Not even a bit! Tossing her head to one side in a sort of huff, Maxine just tried to focus on her own thoughts instead. ”My lady. Please compose yourself. Allow me to update you on the situation so far, before you take charge; though I understand your alacrity.” remarked the android softly, trying to cool things down while she had the chance. While she was aware this crime was murkier than most – at least in the eyes of the Tea – she was also aware that there was more at stake.
”As you might be able to tell from the initial signs of the theft, it would appear this was a planned operation… things didn’t escalate, and police only arrived afterwards. However, given the unnecessary property damage before you by comparison to the equipment used… this ended up being a smash-and-grab, in spite of their original plan. Law enforcement has not been very open about their own findings or the original call, and I haven’t had the honour of contact with Tea-dono just yet, but I would assume the lord’s intervention caused this change of pace.”
Despite such a confident synopsis, Maxine would trail off after that, with a slight frown. ”Unfortunately – details are fleeting. All that is just my own deduction, and even it is not reliable. Lord Tea has understandably kept his head down, law enforcement has been especially uncooperative, and our only other sources – the casino’s current manager and their staff – have tried to shut the investigation down entirely.” Lowering her head in apology, the android seemed uncharacteristically sullen about the explanation. ”…I am sorry for the lack of more solid results. I tried narrowing down the possible clans involved, but the list is still far too long. Shikaku, Mansatsu, Shinobu, Kingyo, and many more… for now, the most insight I can offer is that the plan did not go as intended, so it is unlikely the suspects have made much ground since then.”
Taking a step back, Maxine finished her piece – though, she soon started up again. ”I would personally hope that Lord Koma has at least heard from Lord Tea… I imagine he’s one person he would trust with his word, assuming his injuries were not too severe. It might be worth contacting him before you make any more plans of your own.” she added, before hesitating… and, yet again, interrupting her own pause. ”And, there is one more thing… it might be of more meaning to you, than myself. I am just assuming, but even the police present do not seem to be making much sense of it.”
Carefully stepping aside, Maxine would indicate to what seemed to be a small but intense scorch mark in the display; with some refuse that appeared to be cloth near it. ”I find it hard to imagine professional burglars accidentally causing a fire while on the job, and I am uncertain if Lord Tea possesses any incendiary techniques that he’d be likely to use… which, makes me believe that this maybe something – a-ah, supernatural. As in, a ritual, or maybe a charm that was used, or something like that…”
Trailing off awkwardly, the android would fall silent properly this time; surveying the scene again with a more childish frown on her face. ”…Such matters… are not in my field of expertise…” murmured the girl, stepping aside for good. Personally, she was unsure how deeply she wished to get into this case. She did not mind serving the Tea Clan, certainly, but this seemed… above her pay grade, so to speak. This work was professional – or at least, intended to be professional. If it hadn’t been for Pine Tea’s intervention, it was likely that no one would have realised the theft until long after it’d been completed. And, frankly, if they could take on Pine Tea while working on such a job…
…well, she was sure a thirty year old computer would not slow them down.
[1024/1522/12000] Starting PL: 18,390
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Post by Koma on Nov 22, 2020 3:34:21 GMT -8
Koma was not the sort of man who let people know about himself. The last true good friend he had had been Ma-Te Tea, and the half-Saiyan Samurai hadn't even been able to protect him. So everyone, including his wife and his children, only saw part of the Samurai. Perhaps Kokeshi, the child most like him, saw a bit more than the others – but Koma, formerly of the Bear Clan and now the Daimyo of the Dandelion Clan? He was a man with mysteries and secrets.
So while his wife had been off doing what she often was enticed to do for the money and prestige it provided her family, Koma would have likely stayed home and watched the children in between training cadets sworn to the Dandelion Clan – but today Koma's mother, a woman who the half-saiyan felt some distance to regardless of how much she obviously wanted to love him and for him to love her – she had arrived at the Zen Teahouse Estate, with helpers, and insisted that she would take care of the children for the day. Insisted that Koma take a day to himself, for once.
So the slate gray-blue eyed half-Saiyan gave the orders to his lieutenants to cancel the classes for cadets today and gave orders for the lieutenants to watch Zen Teahouse and his children from a defensive and protective standpoint, and then he packed his bags and left the tea house, hopping on his increasingly vintage motorcycle, and driving towards the person he most felt the need to talk to in a moment of peace and quiet to himself.
The renowned smith, Zeppilim, was the one who had helped Koma master both smithing and the arcane rituals necessary to reforge the swords he had into Henjiken, and so too did Koma think that today he could find some more answers towards the great powers that Dragon Ball shards might provide, and if there was a method to cross the ether and drag Ma-Te kicking and screaming from whatever afterlife bordello he was currently enjoying himself in, back to the responsibilities and vigors of the real world.
So Koma had arrived at Zeppilim's studio only to find the blacksmith gone, signs of a struggle, and sulphuric smelling blood – a sign that the demon smith Zeppilim had been bloodied in the struggle. Without hesitation, the half-Saiyan samurai called the Oolong City Police to investigate, and it was one of them that was loyal to the Tea-White Cat alliance of Clans that told him what had happened at the Casino.
Then Koma was off once again, heading towards the Casino to check on the situation, investigate whatever he could, and deal vengeance. Where a layman might not recognize that these were connected cases? Koma was a samurai well schooled in the arts of smithing. He knew that the exquisite sword that Pine Tea used and which had been placed as an artifact in the Casino was a sword which Zeppilim had made especially for the Pig Demon Beastman whom was Koma's father-in-law.
The Samurai Saiyan considered calling the man, but for now sped towards the Casino on his motorcycle.
[529] [2051/12,000]
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Post by Juni on Nov 22, 2020 21:46:59 GMT -8
Hachiko’s infamy with the police identified her as a witness protection demon, unlike Juniper who was heiress to Oolong Tea’s Trust, she was seen as an illegitimate member of the Tea clan who operated separately from the law on behalf of her clan. While she revealed her sharpened teeth at the scene of the crime, Maxine the manager of the Flying Monkey was present, instead of maid outfit she was wearing a suit. While she was not flaring up her power level, the android assured her to stay calm, in the instance of an emotional outburst. After Maxine gave her analysis of the crime, the casino security deeply bowed to everyone involved in the superficial investigation, apologizing that the security cameras were destroyed with kunai, and thus there was no cctv footage of what transpired apart from eye witnesses. The manager of the Casino, Basil Tea, was smoking a cigar while he ushered the security out, reminding them that they were fired from working at the establishment ever again, and avoided making eye contact with Hachiko or Maxine as he retreated to his office. Of course, the manager would only answer to Pine Tea or his heiress Juniper, acknowledging anyone publicly in this situation was beneath him as a prized katana set that belonged to his uncle was stolen under the negligence of his staff. Even being related to Hachiko by blood made them rivals, especially since he was half pig beastman and human unlike the rest of Clan that was tainted in demon blood. It was a dead end for Hachiko to even bother with a relative within her own clan for additional answers to the crime, especially since her father would tell her just to cease trying to find out the truth from the start, he took pride with all Tea clan members by securing them jobs in the Tea Clan trust. The demoness remained silent, while Maxine was curious about her father being the type to use incinderaries or possess demon magic, she simply nodded in disagreement. The type of martial arts style Pine Tea utilized was no one’s business, especially if the police were only pretending to do their jobs publicly, no one was taking this incident seriously. This was a cover for the casino guests who witnessed the incident, that the police were doing their jobs, and that they were absolutely safe from danger. “It’s been a while Maxine-san.” Hachiko finally spoke, “Two years to be exact since the Flying Monkey. I have seen enough of what transpired here, let’s allow the law enforcement to continue in their investigation, and step outside shall we?”Once they were outside, stone steps surrounded by shinto shrine on each level, lead to the main cobblestone streets to the ancient western land city. It would have been the only entrance or exit in this castle style casino with a fountain feature surrounding the stone structure like an illuminated moat. Perhaps there was a camera that captured what the assailants looked like from the businesses across the streets. Hachiko began to pace at the top of the stairs, analyzing the environment, putting her thoughts into being a criminal mastermind to steal an heirloom of katanas in public view. At some point she recalled Koma summoned Zukkah from prison using a magic circle of some kind. Perhaps it was similar to that level of magic that allowed the criminals to get into the casino. However, the precision of disabling the security cameras meant it was an inside job, only someone who worked in security would know where they were all located in order to take them out once they were teleported in, with a second person securing the prized swords. While katanas would cost a fortune depending on the materials, whoever was involved was targeting her family, incidentally attacking Pine Tea in the process, as if they knew he would be at the scene. While the duchies were united in the western lands, the length it was taking to retain control of the territory from Piccolo Daimao, was beginning to unnerve some of the clans. The tea clan was made to seem weak tonight, rather than give into the anger of being shamed to this degree, she needed to act quickly in returning the katanas immediately to correct the public view of what took place at the casino. [725] [2,776/12,000] Koma Maxine
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Post by Nian Gao on Nov 27, 2020 2:59:38 GMT -8
It was a strange and foreboding day. A great heist had been undertaken at this casino, a prominent figure in Oolong politics had been hurt, and if this wasn't handled deftly and carefully it could potentially have serious ramifications on the city's politics, and might wind up doing that no matter what. All of this was information that Salisbury, bless his non-existent heart, had been trying to hammer into Nian Gao's head for the past couple of hours. All he'd gotten for his trouble was bigger and bigger grins, and an insufferably delighted sparkling in her eyes. It felt like he'd go blind staring into them if he had eyes to blind. Already the two had run into trouble as a result of this, and Nian Gao still hadn't realized the problems of getting involved in this despite that.
In fairness, the two cut a truly bizarre figure. A young girl with two pale skin, cold to the touch, with a strange talisman stuck to her face, and prominent, sharp teeth, not just fangs, all the teeth. The fact that she was grinning so often made sure people got a chance to see it. Her strange outfit, and both the long, unusual staff on her back and the knife strapped to her calf didn't help matters. In fact, that bloody dagger Sauerkraut had left her as a gift was one of the reasons they'd gotten attacked! He himself was a literal floating skull, that was on fire, currently his flames were running a mix of red and yellow, so looking fairly normal. A pair of thugs, claiming to be 'private investigators for the Tea Clan' had come upon Nian Gao and Salisbury and demanded answers. Not satisfied with what they had to say, they'd tried to...force more information from the two. Nian Gao had promptly laid them both out. In fairness again, the two of them were technically witnesses to the event. They hadn't seen much, just heard fighting, the sound of shattering glass, and seen several figures hurtling off in a direction.
Nian Gao had promptly tried to give chase saying something about this being her 'big chance.' Naturally, she'd gotten lost immediately, and instead of reporting this to the police she'd insisted on looking around...and then they were accosted by those fine gentlemen, who even now were being dragged along by Nian Gao, back to the casino where this had happened. She had a hand on the collar of each gentleman, and was hopping along, each step lifting them up off the ground, and then slamming their rumps back onto the stone streets, much to their annoyance, although Nian Gao seemed utterly oblivious to their complaints. They were hopping right on up to that casino to give them back their 'investigators', explain what it was they'd seen, and more importantly, offer to help with the investigation! It was going to be an utterly bizarre sight for anyone nearby, or anyone investigating the crime scene. Damn near impossible to miss and very bizarre. The particularly astute or observant might notice the blade strapped to her left leg, the hilt sticking up, with a small red jewel set into the pommel. It wasn't of the typical katanas that the swordsmith was known for, but a keen eye might notice some...similarities to the vast field of work the demon had managed in his long lifetime.
"Nian, please, just drop them here and leave. We have gotten so sidetracked from what we are supposed to be doing."
"Come onnn, you were talking about incriminating stuff before but now you want me to just drop off these thugs and not say a word? Like that's not suspicious! Come on, our purpose is to find out where the tournament's being held and build up some funds to make sure we can get there smoothly riiiight? I don't know about you, but joining an investigation for some grand heist sounds like a great way to build funds!"
"That is not even remotely how that works! We don't know what the reward is, if there even is one, do you think they're just going to hire us? Do you even know how to haggle for good pay?!"
"I mean worst case scenario they don't offer enough so I just walk away." Nian replied with a shrug, before snickering. "Or hop away I guess, heehee."
"Worst case scenario you're further cemented as a suspect and we get locked up!"
"Relaaax Salisbury! We have to start somewhere, and a golden opportunity fell right into our laps, it's gonna be fiiiiine. Even if they do list us as suspects we just leg it out of town and get money somewhere else! Hey, hey think I could swim through the sea and to the South Islands only surviving off of plankton?"
"I don't know but I really don't want to find out."
"Yeah you're right, I should just hunt sharks while I'm out there!"
Times like this really made Salisbury wish he had hands so he could rub his temples...or shake Nian Gao. Probably both one after the other. Then again shaking her probably wouldn't do much. For now he was just going to have to follow her up to the casino, and hope that whoever saw them first would at least not immediately resort to violence upon seeing her dragging these two idiots behind her.
(896) (896/3,672)
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Post by Maxine on Nov 28, 2020 20:46:52 GMT -8
The added detail that all the cameras had been wrecked prior to the crime added to Maxine’s deduction that it’d be well-planned – but, it also raised more questions. Knowing the position of all the cameras would be necessary for that. Were they old enough models that they could just be picked up with a decent black market scanner? In the Duchies, that would be foolish. Then, maybe they had cased the joint thoroughly – security would have some leads, then. Or, the information was leaked… someone on the inside. That added up –
”…Correct. Two years – but, I haven’t changed.” replied the machine to Hachiko, focusing back on reality as she was finally greeted by the demon. As per her superior’s suggestion, she too would walk outside, though she was a little less casual about it. It’d certainly been a long time since she’d seen the girl, but… time didn’t matter when it came to business. For an android, the past was not so ephemeral. Perfect records could be developed and maintained. Data degraded, but was not forgotten. And ‘today’ was simply ‘today’; there was no sense of nostalgia or displacement. The world may have changed, and Hachiko too, but her identity was only her own. There was no need for more questions than that –
Well, not all of that was true. Even through video and audio, the past was the past. No matter her endeavours; Maxine, too, could never go back. Even if treasured memories are said to never fade away; data or neurons – Even that is fragile.
Shaking herself from her meandering woes, the android followed her own advice and retrained her focus on the job at hand. ”I do not think I need to state it, but – handling security as efficiently as that means this was either a high profile operation, or had an insider source. And, given the management’s reluctance so far…” Frowning, Maxine considered their options. Going hunting for clues might take ages, especially with such a broad list of suspects. ”…although it is not my area of expertise, I think putting pressure on the casino’s staff may be the best move for the clan at this point. It may squeeze out the insider, and it will look like a strong stance to the public. However, it will make it clear that the perpetrators struck a nerve.”
It was grasping at straws at this point, though, and no doubt the Tea Clan was considering that option as it was in any case. ”Unfortunately, with such a variety of suspects, we will need more information than that to do anything more out on the field like this. Unless one of them just bumbles back into the scene of the crime, it is –“
Floating skull. Magical girl. Knife. Wannabe footmen. Maxine just stared as the scene entered her view. She didn’t like this at all! No one was this obvious… n-not unless they meant business. You’d have to either be an idiot, or have nothing to fear…! ”Lady Hachiko…” began the machine, leaving her next words simply implied – be careful. She soon picked up on the noisy chatter of her target, too. ‘Golden opportunity’, ‘leg it out of town’, ‘through the sea’; this was definitely a yakuza heavy, or an elite mercenary! No doubt it was code for how their last adversaries ended up – stuffed in a bag and sunk to the bottom of Port Toy. She slipped her hand into her suit’s inside pocket, feeling for her revolver –
<That’d be a Jiang Shi, Eleven. Undead! Magical stuff. I don’t think your guns will work on that, despite what the movies say.> piped up Two, Maxine’s surrogate AI; audible – well, readable, really – by only her electronic host. <A tussle with them won’t be in our favour. The best you’ll be able to do is buy time for Hachiko… though, I think convincing her to flee might be a battle on its own, from what your records say. Geez, demons are always trouble like that…>
Awkwardly, Maxine retreated her hand, reconsidering her options. Maybe she needed to really throw out a wild card here to make any progress. Straightening her stance, she’d look straight into the girl’s eyes – ”You did a clean job. Professional work. And I would assume that in returning to the scene of the crime… you haven’t left a trace, have you?” said the lady bluntly, before offering a deep bow. ”I can only admire such fine work. It is – a sight for sore eyes, in recent times.”
While about to continue her flattery, Maxine then picked up on something – those punks she was dragging along, she could spot their clan insignias now; on their cufflinks. Subtle choices… and, they were Tea Clan icons, no less! This was serious trouble. But then… she also couldn’t help but notice – they were really old versions of their insignias. Most clans updated them annually, and these two didn’t exactly look like high-ranking members anyway. Giving new members such old gear didn’t add up. This was all wrong…
[847/4,519/12,000]
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Post by Koma on Nov 29, 2020 23:24:01 GMT -8
Funny thing about being in a contractual relationship with a fairy from an illustrious fairy kingdom. If you proved to be a good client, you ended up being suggested to other members of the kingdom as a client. So Shortcake, whom had been skeptical of Koma and even the illustrious princess Juniper Tea's manners when her contract fell into the hands of Koma, had ended up impressed by the figure she had for years initially considered to be a 'homeless vagabond whom is just good with a sword'. Unlike many of his era who claimed the title of Samurai, Koma aimed to keep his mind, spirit, and body strong and sharp. He studied new texts and went to classes when time allowed, both to teach the skills he had learned in the martial arts and to learn new skills that he had never mastered before. A father is simultaneously a journeyman student and a teacher, and this seriousness of work had almost earned Koma a contract from a clan of Kobbler Elves, before Shortcake interceded. She wasn't about to let her Kingdom have one of its best clients swiped partway out from under them. He could still remember her words, “Koma, my dear idiot braggart, why would you waste your time getting assistants whom are of lesser quality? They might be able to keep the shoes of an entire army in repair for you, but what are their other skills? Do they know courtly manners? Accounting? Housekeeping? Tutoring? Serving? Gunplay? Swordplay? Which do you use more?” In between the lines Koma knew those words were really saying 'Me and mine have all of this skill, and I even put up with you calling me Shortbread and Shortcake despite the fact that that isn't my name and only a mutation of my family name and my actual name respectively, and I am actually called Daifuku, or Plum. But contract is loyalty, and you've been a good contract holder. So hire more people of MY tribe, not some filthy cobblers.” Which brings us to the current moment, Daifuku “Shortbread” Shortcake, had spoke to her family about Koma extensively, and when she had told one of her cousins that he was looking for an intern and full time secretary – where as Daifuku was now classified primarily as 'head housekeeper and head of servants' within the Zen Estate and Koma's other holdings and could not fulfill her direct duties to Koma any further – and so Koma had been introduced to Ichigo “Strawberry” as he immediately called her, of the Shortcake Clan. A fairy who like Daifuku, had no wings, and looked otherwise like a red headed version of Daifuku, but slightly smaller (fairies grew with importance) and wearing a women's business suit with her hair up in the 'western style' of business wear. Koma had gotten on his motorcycle, and had he not had Ichigo, would have likely had to call his father-in-law with his own hands as he drove erratically and rapidly through the streets through the Casino, dodging hitting anyone but not dodging scaring anyone from thinking they might be hit – but as it stood, while he had a bluetooth ear plug in his ear, the actual dialing and the like was done by Ichigo from an over sized gun holster in his jacket pocket. “Hello, this is the secretary of Pine Tea. How can I help you?” blared into the earpiece. “This is Koma, heir of the White Cat Clan and the Daimyo of the Dandelion Clan. I'm calling to speak to my father-in-law.” “I'm afraid that would be impossible, his lordship is resting.” the secretary countered, Before Koma could even say a word, Ichigo burst in. “Listen here, you hussy, my master didn't ASK you about permission to call his father-in-law. He clarified whom he was and gave you a formal order. Obey it or next time I see you, I'll pull out your hair!” “F-f-fine, fine. One moment please.” the sound of scurried walking could be heard through the ear piece. You could almost fell the fear radiating from her as her footfalls echoed in the receiver. Koma was increasingly liking this Ichigo “Strawberry” Shortcake. She had the right amount of sass in the right moments. A groggy, deep voice could be heard on the other side. “This is Pine Tea. Koma, did you call to give your best wishes, son...?” the pig beastman-demon was obviously in pain. Despite the fact even as a father himself now and even as a man firmly entrenched in the rules and methods of how Western Lands society worked, there was some minute trepidation from Koma in his response, “Yes, father. I did. To make sure you are okay and give you best wishes. As well as to find out what happened exactly as you remember it.” The man let out a noise that was nostaglic to Koma, it sounded like the same noise that Ma-Te made when he let out a deep happy sigh, and so Koma thought the same must be true here. As the pig Beastman-Demon hybrid that was Koma's father-in-law and the father of Juniper/Hachiko Tea began to speak, Koma listened. He knew Ichigo was also listening with her tiny ear piece and writing down the pertinent information, word for word. Koma didn't interrupt him, listening until Pine Tea was over, and then he finished his travel, heading to park- by driving right up the flight of one hundred stairs leading to the Casino's main entrance. Koma didn't have time to waste. Which is why an unfortunate pair of Oolong City Policemen who tried to stop him after he parked soon found themselves judo thrown through the already shattered windows of the Casino and the tape there, and Koma stepped through. “Hachiko, are you here? Anyone else?” Koma said, acting nonchalant even if the fact was he was very wound up. The kind of springly wound up that normally would be let free only after a match of Iaijutsu and the slicing of an opponent. Soon he found himself wandering through the Casino and looking actively at the damage while he looked for Hachiko. He knew both of the sides of his wife, and he knew very well that Hachiko would have arrived as quickly as she could. So he began to scan for her spiritual energy, and while detecting a similar energy around that boarish man, Basil of the Tea Clan, he headed out to the inner garden doors which the girls had went through, following them and only arriving in time to hear Maxine's accusation and then see the figure there. She didn't smell just right, but more than that he remembered seeing her once at Zeppilim's studio, imagined memory or not- and remembered her or someone who smelled smell a lot like her, getting a dagger from the man while Koma practiced the song and hammer style of the renowned blade smith. “You, Miss. You got a very fancy dagger from Zeppilim the Smith at one point, didn't you?” he interceded. It didn't mean the chance of fighting was over, it just meant that he recognized her. But in a city like Oolong City, recognizing your enemies was perhaps more important than recognizing your friends, so who knew what she would turn out to be.
[1228] [1757] [5747/12,000]
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Post by Juni on Dec 3, 2020 12:23:52 GMT -8
“Well, the management being reluctant is a given, even within the Tea Clan, members of my family are split between their bloodline origins. Demons have quite the reputation for being impulsive compared to the intelligent human counterparts. It is important to analyze every piece of information that is available rather than rely on their cooperation, handling the casino staff and security, is no different from encroaching on their territory even if it is owned by the Tea Clan trust.” Hachiko explained, which is why she had two different reputations, she had to play the field to earn the trust of her own family.
Once the swords were secured, the perpetrator who dared to insult her clan by fighting a former Grand Prince was an act of treason, thus death was the proper punishment for what took place tonight. Hachiko’s eyes narrowed as she reflected on what Maxine had to say about striking a nerve, “No, Maxine-san. This is an act of treason. There are only two options for the perpetrators of this scenario, swear allegiance, or die with honor of their clan. You think it was a petty thief? No, this was another clan, these tactics have taken place before in the history of Oolong City, they took advantage of triggering Duke Pine Tea into fight.”
Whoever plotted against her clan, was aware of what happened to Ma-Te, which only a few people knew of, if the heir was weak then put the Grand Duke Oolong’s son to the test, to determine his strength. While insiders were dragged in, they were well paid to simply give out information, they were likely unaware of what was truly at stake in the grand scheme; especially since they injured a formidable Pig demon and escaped capture.
While she was reflecting, a strange pale skinned woman with unusual chakras approached, she seemed in a hurry as she knocked over a few men in black suits at her heels wearing casino staff badges. Maxine acted quickly taking a defensive stance to come between them, she was ready to fight this abrasive woman with the paper seal on her forehead. Seconds later, Koma rode his motorcycle up towards the casino, passing them by as she drove all the way into the lobby to examine the inside, then called out since he clearly caught a glimpse on his way through the previously shattered windows; otherwise he would have called for Juniper given she had the same ki signature.
Rather than draw his katana, he took notice of the pale skinned woman’s dagger, expressing his fondness of the design being that of the missing black smith. Hachiko snapped her fingers, realizing the connection a little, too late.
“Zeppilim the Smith has been reported as missing by his relatives to the police recently.” Hachiko stated, “The katanas that were stolen from the display case were forged by the same demon ages ago. It is quite alright, Maxine-san. I do not sense malintent from this strange woman.”
Hachiko closed the distance with Nian, wary of the undead-like company she kept, similar to some of the things that people reported in Baba Yaga’s domain.
“Your dagger appears recently minted the metal has not been exposed to the elements. Do you know when it was forged? I apologize, my name is Hachiko Tea, what is your name dear? It seems you’re in a rush, a Tea clan member was attacked a few minutes ago, the casino is closed temporarily until the police finish conducting their investigation.”
The snow white haired demoness gestured towards Koma, “This is Koma Daimao of the Dandelion Clan.” Then her black painted fingernails gestured at Maxine, “Maxine-san, manager of the Flying Monkey, who also serves the duchies on her days off.” [623] [6,370/12,000]
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Post by Nian Gao on Dec 3, 2020 14:22:27 GMT -8
If one were to ask Nian Gao just what she'd been expecting to encounter when she dragged those two thugs up, they'd have gotten a variety of answer. Some big, fat businessman in a suit, some kind of mafia boss, some shady, corrupt official, maybe a group of thugs and some hardened, scarred tough who had gotten into a position of authority through sheer badassitude. There were a lot of things, but something about the people that did approach her struck her as a little...off. It wasn't what she was expecting given the odd situation. Oh sure the guy looked like he fit in, he was exactly what she was picturing from the web of intrigue she was confident she'd leapt directly into, but the other two? They just didn't fit the crime noir environment she was expecting.
Then again a snow-white Jiangshi with a perpetual smile didn't fit all that much better into her ideas.
The lavender-haired woman, who was introduced to her as Maxine, took her off guard. Both the deep bow and what she was saying was...what? "Clean job? What are you talking about?" Nian Gao's tone of voice was of a woman caught completely off guard, her expression nonplussed. She had no idea what the woman was talking about and it wasn't until Salisbury piped up that she clued in.
"She thinks you're responsible for the crime Nian."
"What?! What is with people in this city and accusing witnesses of being criminals!?"
"Probably because we ran from the scene."
"We were chasing the people who did it!"
"That's not how witnesses work Nian." The two had almost gotten entirely wrapped up in their own little dispute when what Koma had to say snapped them out of it.
"Huh? I've never even been in Oolong before." Nian Gao replied puzzled as she turned from Salisbury to look towards Koma.
"The knife was commissioned by my brother, Sauerkraut, specifically for Nian Gao." Salisbury clarified, the skull seemingly the more informed (and intelligent) of the two. "If you noticed anyone at the time it would have been him."
Nian Gao's expression lit up as it clicked and suddenly both the tough guys she was dragging along were just dropped as she stepped right up to Kouma, only inches away, hands clasped and eyes positively sparkling, "You've seen Sauerkraut?! Where? When?"
"Nian! Calm down, this would have been nearly three years ago, when he was first working on you!"
"Oh..." She stepped back, her arms now sticking straight out in front of her...she seemed far too relaxed in that position. "Well uh...anyways! I'm Nian Gao, Jiangshi of Wake Town, and this is Salisbury, my trustworthy companion and guide." At least this 'Hachiko Tea' was being polite and not just accusing them of doing it. "We didn't steal anything, but we saw a few people come bursting out of that broken window and take off. Tried to follow them but uh...I sorta got lost, and didn't get a good enough sample of their life force to track them through that."
"Your uh...men here." Salisbury jerked his disembodied head at the two thugs, "Attacked us thinking we were part of the crime."
(530/1426) (6900/12,000)
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Post by Maxine on Dec 11, 2020 4:22:06 GMT -8
While Hachiko’s input was noted, Maxine wasn’t sure if it was useful… she worked for half-demons and full-blooded demons her whole life, but she wasn’t sure if she’d call them all impulsive. There were some, certainly, but just as many humans had the same manners. It certainly didn’t run in the Shinobu Clan. So, perhaps it was a Tea matter… now, that was a useful bit of information. Still, she was probably right that it was best to remain independent – that was usually a wise choice in the Duchies. Play for your team, or play for no teams. Hm, though, Maxine couldn’t really claim she followed that path anymore, could she…?
Matters of the perpetrators’ plans and fates made Maxine frown, though. ”I do not believe those are the only possibilities. Given the prominence of the Tea Clan, this could also be an effort by a foreign power to sow such discord. Perhaps it’s a conspiratorial mindset, and the Duchies are never lacking in in-fighting, but it’s a concern for the future…” The android trailed off, not seeming to believe in her own words despite saying them – but in truth, she merely had such woes on her own mind. To secure a future… that was becoming her top priority in recent years. For, if she could not serve her master, then she best serve her future, right? Surely, that was the only way forward for a useless machine –
Koma’s arrival was welcome, but Maxine just gave a bow and kept her eye on the prize – particularly as the young man chucked more oil on that particular fire. In an immediate turn of the tables, Hachiko was now acting as the level-headed soul amongst the trio of discontents. Still, she’d prickle a little at her introduction… w-what kind of a job description was that?! ”That’s… it’s not technically incorrect…” murmured the android, frowning deeply – she served the Duchies every day! Though, it was probably for the best the Tea Clan didn’t comment on her usual allegiance. ”Please do not take my assumption personally, though. Being accused of being a criminal is all part of the culture.”
On a better day, talking to a floating skull might have been novel, but during a case like this, it was probably best left unaddressed. At least they were cooperative, rather than moaning about lawyers or police or whatever else foreigners liked to imagine would shield them from the Duchies. ”A simple explanation, if a bit hard to believe. Though, I didn’t think the Tea Clan would be so hasty to send out footmen. Maybe they had too much initiative?” mused Maxine, leaning down to leer at the unfortunate duo – no, not the unfortunate undead duo, the other duo. ”Their colours and cufflinks are quite outdated, though, so I wouldn’t pin them for new hires, personally.”
Admittedly, the matter of the smith was beyond her – suffice to say, the girl with gusto for guns was not likely to know a thing about a swordsmith. She knew the name, sure, but she’d definitely never met them. She usually got looked down on by any such artists for her tastes, and she frankly preferred it that way. Fancy swords were pretty, sure, but they were the way of the past. ”Before we get too carried away, I should perhaps clarify, just in case the situation is not clear. If you’re willing to be useful witnesses, then you shall be justly rewarded for your goodwill. However, if you prove to be suspects, or perhaps act in an obtrusive or subversive fashion, then… that’d earn the ire of the Clan, no doubt. That would be – a bad career move, so to speak.”
Well, admittedly, she would say that ending up as pig food might be a lateral career move, for some people.
[639/7,539/12,000]
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Post by Koma on Dec 12, 2020 14:43:47 GMT -8
Koma's response was simple.
“It must have been your brother then. It was years ago, in any case. When I was working on studying from Zeppilim about how to make my sword, I may have met them or seen them in passing.”
It wasn't that he had seen this girl, but rather smelled someone almost exactly like her – the perks of being half saiyan were only counted on a hand, but one of them was having a superior sense of smell compared to baseline humans. Sometimes average people underestimated how important smell was, and the act of listening was – but Koma was not average people.
As the beautiful young women went back and forth with their dash and dance of protocol and questioning, he was thinking of what was being said but not trying to add anything. He was listening with a capital L, both for what they were saying and the words which were said around them.
There would be no reason to ask for assistance from the Cousin with an e, that distant cousin- because Pine Tea mentioned when the squabble happened the manager didn't even jump in to help his uncle, acting as if it wasn't directly his affair despite the fact that was his blood.
“You mentioned them breaking through a window? Do you think you could guide us towards which one, Nian Gao-san?”
[232] [7771/12000]
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