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Post by Koma on Jul 10, 2021 10:53:18 GMT -8
The village of Sol Marina in the Northern Lands. It was one of the many places in the north with sunny names, as if it would bring in tourism and warm the hearts of the people, who mostly made their money from fishing and hunting, with small scale farming supplementing things. It was a nice place, and it was one that Koma had been to over a decade before. Back when he was fresh faced, and not covered in small scars. Back when he was young and youthful and surrounded by the charm of his compatriots in the Bear Clan of Samurai.
The threadbare wooden sign outside of the town's parking lot near the high way? It had been new then, but it was almost a ruin now. A decade and some change, it really could run down a place, couldn't it? The Samurai shook his head as he drove up to the town in his low rider hover car, garish as it was. It was only in honoring the memory of his best friend and brother-in-law that he had not simply done away with the vehicle, this boat sized hover car with bright purple and gold finish, a soft cloth top, gold and purple under-glow lights, golden landing wheels, and leopard print seats.
It was a lucky thing for the pride of Koma and his wife that Ma-Te hadn't done some sort of crazy mural of a scantily clad woman across the hood of the vehicle. Some men liked that, but Koma didn't see the need to objectify to make himself feel better, though part of him did have to admit a mural of Juniper in one of her model poses holding a sword across the hood could be cool – he'd never say so to others, though.
Koma had been contracted to show up at the village, access its security, and help with the age old problem he had already helped them once before with. He had been asked to hire outside help to assist with it, too.
So now he simply waited for the crew other than Juniper and himself to show up to get to the job, so he could access them.
[366] [366/14,000]
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Post by Juni on Jul 12, 2021 1:38:51 GMT -8
As promised, Juniper escorted Baroness Chardonnay to the northern land's coastal border, in order to reunite her with her brother Merlot. The moment the young girl detected the familiar ki signature belonging to her relative, she split off with her vassal Sakuya at her heels towards a different town, with a simple wave of her hand to gesture her goodbye. It was common for Duchies to act independently, so the Dandelion Tea clan princess was not offended, they were not in their homeland to be concerned with formalities.
In the distance, she sensed her husband nearby, she was pleased to be reunited with the samurai who sired their quintuplets, after the much needed rest in Jingle Village to recuperate from the long journey from the Central Lands. The married couple were strategically separated after recovering lost chicks at sea, she decided to remain in the Central lands to check on Clove, and ended up as an extra in a Kakarot movie with her connections. Later, she met Fenrir for breakfast, and visited the Capsule Corp showroom so she could order a house to serve as a base of operations in Jingle Village.
The rendezvous point was the village of Sol Marina, Juniper was riding her massive paint brush like a surfboard in the air, with Hachi nestled into the fine bristles of the fiberous tip. Eventually she caught up to Koma’s vehicle that once belonged to her departed brother that was bequeathed to her husband as part of the pig demon’s will. In one fluid movement, she slipped into the open passenger side window, her paintbrush was reduced down to size and the octopod companion was now on her lap.
“Greetings my dear.” Juniper lowered her head briefly as mutual respect for the samurai, “Have you been well in my absence?”
[300] [666/14,000] Maxine Fenrir Koma
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Post by Maxine on Jul 12, 2021 3:14:00 GMT -8
On the outside, it was the look of a professional operation. The helicopter settled a good distance outside of the village, clad in black panelling for luxury and armour alike. Tinted windows didn’t allow even a glimpse inside – but that tiny Shinobu Clan insignia said plenty, to those who knew the language. This was some heavy business… and probably not the type anyone wanted to get involved in. And, Maxine’s reputation spoke for itself, didn’t it? She was not flawless – but even in failure, she never offered a curse or a tear.
Inside, though – yes, there were guns being cleaned, and a mess of intelligence sprawled on the back seats, but for the most part the aerial command centre was currently being used to ‘jam out’.
”The feeling in, guts to the brain It means you got it coming and you ain’t got a chain!”
With her top-of-the-line headset on – branded with some obscure rap star, naturally – Maxine was once more lost in her hobbies. She was all business, right? She wanted everyone to know that she was a cool cat who always talked the talk and walked the walk; and definitely didn’t spend hours playing video games or combing through reviews of the newest albums. That music been how she’d learned to talk with people with the right lingo and swagger in the past, and even now she used it to try and learn the intricacies of language and feelings. She’d been told everything, of course – but music seemed to give that data colour and context.
It wasn’t perfect cover, admittedly. She was known to be part of the Shinobu Clan’s gaming chat group, to the point that even Hatsuka knew that her online gaming account was often the best way to catch her when she wasn’t on call. On the other side, in her early days she’d found music to be the best way to get to know her comrades – many of the young punks… well, old punks now, who treated her the most like a friend had gotten to know her by exchanging mix tapes and talking about discographies.
<Hey hey, boss. I appreciate that it’s not noise music this time, but you’re on the clock now! Duty calls, Eleven.> ”Of course. But, the intel needs cleaning up. The aerial photos are out of order, you see, and… and, the consolidated maps… need some more polishing. Just a little more.” <Don’t think you need your music booming for that. C’mon, get in gear!> ”Fine, fine! Yes, let’s begin the operation. I’ll leave the Millennium to you.”
Unplugging herself from the helicopter’s server, Maxine finally returned to the real world. Stuffing her papers – with little decorum, in spite of her earlier excuse – into her briefcase, and tucking away her revolver; she set to work at last. She might be a little late, but this was the Northern Lands… the ‘estimated’ in ‘estimated time to arrival’ was the important part. Hauling open one of the side doors, she launched back into the snow. And, finally, back in just her impeccable suit… no BDU today.
It didn’t take long to rendezvous with Koma – admittedly, mostly due to Maxine’s faults rather than his effort. There was no way she was going to pass by that car and not check it out. She wasn’t a gearhead, of course! But… you know. It was a nice car. She played it cool as she came across the car, but the change in her demeanour once she noticed Koma was behind the wheel was noticeable… and a bit comical. For all her efforts to be the smooth operator, Maxine wore her emotions rather obviously.
She’d wait patiently to be invited to join Koma and his wife – Maxine had been a bit too late to see her hanging ten on a paint brush – but, in the meantime, she’d make her intentions clear as she sifted through her documents. They weren’t exactly conclusive, but it was better than showing up with nothing. Some aerial photos – a bit out of date – and whatever maps and testimonies about the target area she could get from the locals; consolidated digitally into something… resembling a map, but the margin for error was not inspiring.
However, for all the attempts to look like she was focussed on the job, the fact that Maxine hadn’t realised that she was still wearing her blinged-out silver headphones around her neck ruined the picture a bit.
[745/1411/14000] Starting PL: 19,696
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Post by Fenrir on Jul 12, 2021 14:26:16 GMT -8
It had been quite a long time since Fenrir had been in the Northernlands. How many decades had it been? Oh, most of his early life had been spent in the Northernlands, back when he wasn't in this body, back when he was instead and incorporeal entity, a being of limitless possibility. Oh, those were the days. Back then, he could be anywhere he wanted, everywhere he wanted. But he chose the Northernlands because that is where his mother was. That is where the people that worshiped them lived. The pure white snow that stretched for miles had been a welcome and familiar sight to the wolf back then. It was all he knew for the longest time, and when he was shoved into this body, it looked and felt and smelled different to him. Everything was given actual physical form for him; he could feel things more now, the snow on his naked skin, on his fingertips, the wind whipping along his thighs, back, and buttocks. He recalled the day it happened. He recalled feeling a void and then he felt everything at once and he was no longer here, there, and everywhere. Instead, he was stuck in one location. He was stuck in this body.
Oh, the memories. Not all good. But, not all bad. And even the bad ones weren't that bad. Well, sort of. They had, after all, shaped him into the individual he was today. So he could try to look at it from a positive point of view; plus, what could he really gain from moping about his past? There was nothing about it he could or would change.
How long ago had it been since Juniper and Fenrir went their separate ways? He had gone to the North with her, after all, and then he decided that, once he was there, he would go visit someone, go check out a particular place. He wanted to show Juniper this place, he wanted to introduce her to this person, but first felt it was easier and less shocking for this person in particular, if he at least warned them ahead of time, in person, that he was going to be bringing someone into their home. After all, the seven foot tall wolf deity was more than sure that his mother had not received guests in decades, or more than likely, far longer than that.
He had been walking through the snow. His frame clad not in his usual outfit; instead, he was wearing a black and white pinstriped suit, underneath the blazer was a black vest and underneath that a red shirt and a tie. He was adorned with some gold jewelry pieces, nothing that really stood out, except for one silver ring which was shaped like a wolf's head. That one ring was one he fiddled with as he walked through the snow. The cold whipped around him mercilessly and, yet, he did not seem to pay it much mind. In fact, Fenrir did not even notice the whistling howling frigid wind that danced around him and attempted to freeze him, to numb his fingers and face. He did not feel it. It was a simple breeze to him.
Vanille was with him. He was dressed a bit more conservatively; a big coat was draped over his shoulders and went down to above the ankles. It was a fur coat, though Fenrir was unsure of what the fur was, Vanille assured him it was faux fur, but it felt very real when he had touched it earlier. Perhaps it was a very well made faux fur coat, but it was comfortable on his hands, the wolf would openly admit.
"So, this is where you lived?" The long haired Vanille looked around, enjoying the scenery, feeling the chilly air caress his skin.
"Yeah. Well, not here in this particular area but...generally in this particular area. Heh, my mom's shrine is actually a bit farther to the north from here. Maybe when we run into Juniper again, we'll go visit her - actually, let me send her a message and ask if she wants to go soon." The light haired wolf sent a simple text to Juniper.
Where are you? Want to go meet my mother? I'm hanging out with Vanille.
"What's your mother like?" Vanille asked as he picked up some snow and packed it into a ball as he then flung it at a nearby tree. The small ball of snow and ice struck the bark and a whole plume of snow came smashing down from the branches and crashed down onto the ground around the base of the tree with a loud thwump.
"Heh, she's larger than life. I mean that literally, she's...huge. Uh, but I think she can take a much more comfortable appearance so as not to shock you. She used to do that for the villagers that built the shrine where she's living now. It's been a while since I visited. I kinda miss the old gal," Fen grinned then started to walk toward town again, hands in his pockets as he hummed softly.
WC: 855 TWC: 2,266 / 14,000 Starting PL: 21,638
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Post by Emargine "Azure" Cerola on Jul 14, 2021 7:50:13 GMT -8
Sol Marina, Northern Lands Azure's Dragoons Alpha Company, First Platoon, callsign "Aegir" Bravo Company, First Platoon, callsign "Bölthorn"
Operation: Polished TalonThe large armoured combat vehicle pulled up to the village entrance, stopping a healthy distance from the rather gaudily customised hover car. If the intel reports were correct, then this village was a reasonable place to stop by for supplies. A reasonable primary economy with a focus on food production and perhaps some cash crops, as well as a profitable tourism industry, at least when it isn't under attack by the Demon Clan. If they had a tourism industry, they had zeni for change. In which case, it shouldn't have been an issue bargaining with the villagers. Purchase some of their fish, game meat, and grain for zeni, and maybe a little extra for a short contract involving the deflection of several raiding parties over the course of a week? Cerola stepped out of the side hatch, with Carnation shadowing her as an adjutant should. "I reckon a week on guard duty should be right for a small bonus. Payin in cash and kind ain't a bad deal for them.""Yes, a fair price should be our aim when negotiating. We must take the status of their industries into consideration." If they'd been recently raided with infrastructure destroyed, then their productivity would be down, and that would lead to a spike in prices. The least they could do was provide. The Brigade wasn't doing poorly, given the hydroponics facilities built into the glacier tunnel they'd dug to the airship. But some of the troops were getting tired of MREs and the same basic Capsule Corp hydroponic crops that they kept getting. CapsuleRice for carbohydrates, CapSoylent for tofu protein, and CapsuleGreens for those essential vitamins. The occasional game meat was appreciated, but Demon Clan air patrols were shifting in frequency, and this time of the year, they flew over Yunzabit more often. The result was a general dip in morale. They would certainly appreciate some fish, a larger stockpile of meat, and more variety in their vegetables. Maybe even fruits, if there were any available. As the pair approached the car, Cerola couldn't help but notice a certain Android servant/operator standing there with her headphones on, waiting patiently for two other people to, perhaps, notice her. A man and a woman, likely intimate in some way or another, from the way they looked. The general gave Maxine a tap on the shoulder to get her attention. "Well, hello Maxine. We're just here for a supply run. Are you here on duty for your lords?"[429/2695/14000] SPL: 6375 Koma @juni fenrir Maxine
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Post by Koma on Jul 14, 2021 13:09:21 GMT -8
There was the Koma that everyone saw, and then the Koma that only Juniper (and by equivalent exchange, Juniper's other persona, Hachiko) truly saw. As his inherited car from Ma-Te came to a park after her lithe sliding in to the car from a mid-air magical brushing, Koma listened to the words of Juniper and simply smiled. His fingers reached out for her chin and the other hand reached around to pull her head close, and her gave her a passionate kiss blocked from most view by the shaded tint of the windows.
“As well as can be expected, Juni. This car is truly as fun to drive as Ma-Te insisted it was, and it almost made me consider to do as he said the best cars had, and have a painting of yourself and Hachiko posing on the hood. It's a stupid thought, but it came into my mind's eye while thinking of this place and our plan to deal with this section of the Demon Clan.”
It was then that he noticed Maxine, and those blinged out headphones, and smiled. For an robot type android that insisted that she didn't have a soul or more than programming, there was an implication of style and choice, of soul, in those headphones and their choice. Even basic clothing could be said to be like that, but typically Maxine was wearing some kind of uniform, no? The Shinobu Clan were into that kind of stuff, he was lead to believe.
The veteran of over a hundred battles adjusted his cuff links after the kiss to Juniper, grinning and fixing his suit before hitting the switch on the Hovercar and hearing it purr as it slowly landed on the ground and cut it's engines, its landing gear actual real car wheels in the placement they'd need to be in to drive, albeit huge wheels with golden hubcaps.
He hit another switch and the front doors of the vehicle swooshed open, literally compacting partially into the car's body and part flipping down to the side as if a ramp. Soon there after, he gestured for Juniper to follow him, and then grabbed his suitcase, and his sword and stepped out of the car. Standing there in a bright yellow and black striped leisure suit* with a purple floral pattern button up shirt beneath it, and his standard combat boots, black and shined to perfection. The suit case itself was more like a kite shield than a suitcase, when one compared the size, and had a huge Dandelion Clan Mon upon it. His katana was in it's case, black and orange and white as it was, with careful painting of a stylized flower that was supposed to be a dandelion but not quite on the mark.
“Hoi, Maxine-san.” he greeted, “Nice headphones. They noise canceling?” The half-Saiyan Samurai asked with a grin, before he noticed an obnoxious purple Armored Personell Carrier show up, and a group of people with guns – he could tell from the uniforms and the way they moved they weren't actual soldiers, but merely mercenaries, and as he heard them talk to Maxine, the Daimyo shook his head.
“Yo! Melons! That's not how you talk to Maxine-san. Use the proper respective remarks or those of us here who represent the Pig Demon Duchies will take offense on behalf of the Shinobu Clan.”
*for the keen eyed readers, you might be thinking it's a Yakuza style suit made in the same fabric/style of Yajirobe's robes. It is.
[586] [3281/14000]
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Post by Juni on Jul 14, 2021 16:41:32 GMT -8
Hachi floated away the instant Koma leaned in to kiss Juniper passionately, it was evident that being separated was fuel for the married couple’s intimacy, even with the tinted windows in place to hide their exchange the Dandelion Clan Princess was naturally comfortable in her husband’s company. After sharing a memory that would last an entire lifetime, Koma was excited to express that he was pleased with the vehicle he inherited, and explained he was thinking of having a mural painted on the hood of the car with both of her personas; most likely wielding katanas clad in swim wear based on his personal taste. Fenrir's text on her CapsuleCorp phone was amiss, since the engine of the car was still roaring despite being stationary, to operate the advanced technological features.
This particular artwork Koma had in mind was common in Oolong City, even their quintuplets were exposed to their great grandfather’s modest pin up collection in the Ducal castle, and Juniper made it a point to educate the children in the four arts to understand the culture of their homeland.
“I am certain my dear brother Ma-Te would be inspired to have the same done to the car but with entirely different models.” Juniper admitted, “It will take me sometime to figure out who exactly. Since we both know his personal taste in saiyan women, maybe he would have a change of heart by now if he were alive.”
Being reminded of her brother made her happy since she already mourned his death two years ago, anytime the couple speculated what his reactions would be in certain situations, made her feel like he was still alive at least by creating new theorized memories of the pig beastman.
It was at this point that Maxine appeared next to the car, she was close enough to speak, and the doors of the car curved into the body in a high-end fashion unlike traditional vehicle doors when opened for the passengers inside. Once Juniper stepped out of the car, Koma made it a point to compliment Maxine’s chrome finish silver headphones, all it needed was diamonds to take it over the top to match the designer brands of Oolong City.
“Greetings, Maxine-san.” Juniper bowed demurely at the android, “I hope you have been well.”
A blue haired woman with a bust larger than her own head addressed Maxine with familiarity, Koma was immediate to enforce the use of suffixes worthy of the android’s rank among the Pig Demon Duchies, but they were far enough away from the western lands to be addressed like any commoner. However, Juniper also understood why Koma felt the need to correct this stranger. Rather than ask the name of this uniformed woman directly, she turned to Maxine with a smile, and tilted her head to the side.
“Care to introduce us to your friends, Maxine-san?” [475] [3,756/14,000] Maxine Koma Emargine "Azure" Cerola Fenrir
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Post by Fenrir on Jul 15, 2021 5:22:03 GMT -8
The snow crunched under their feet. The wolf was walking ahead. His stride not impeded by the thick snow covering the ground. He was used to it. He walked through it daily, barefoot and naked, for many years long before he ever considered leaving the Northern lands. Long before... Well, this was not the moment to stroll down Memory Lane. He looked at his phone. No replies from Juniper. Hm. He was sure the message sent. But, no replies yet. Perhaps she's busy?
He stuffed the phone in his pocket. Yes. She had a lot to do. She had a business to run. Kids to raise. She was a busy woman. He'll message her again in about twenty minutes if she hadn't replied yet. Or, Hell, maybe he'll run into her by then.
He did detect a very familiar energy signature, it was in town. No, wait. Make that two familiar energy signatures in town. One of them was Juniper. The Tea Clan Princess was there. But, so was Koma. Oh. Well, that explained it. They must be having tea together. A little grin crossed his face as he rubbed his chin.
A nice cup of tea would be real nice right about now.
"Tell me, why did we come out here?" Vanille questioned as he attempted to keep up. The snow was annoyingly thick, piled on itself in blankets as if it had fallen quite heavily the prior evening.
"Oh, to be honest, I just wanted to see the snow again, be in it, breathe in the smell out here. Away from the town, away from the cars. Away from any distractions. Just take in nature again. I've never been good at communing with nature; my mother was much better at it than I was. But, I loved listening to it, smelling it, rolling around in it; why did you come along?"
"I had nothing better to do and I wanted to see what you did for fun, I guess. Plus, you didn't even put on a coat. Are you not cold out here?"
"No, not really; the cold doesn't bother me. The cold is my brother, the snow is my family. I guess you can say it is all a part of me. I feel the cold. It's hard to say you don't. I feel it on my skin but it doesn't bother me, doesn't harm me. And I lived with it for so long that it became a part of me too."
"Wish I could say the same," The tatted man smiled and continued to follow behind the seven foot tall wolf. Up ahead of the two, the town grew closer and closer until they were walking into town, people peering over at the man in the heavy coat but also the man wearing no coat, no mittens, no scarf, nothing that would protect against the cold, and doing so with a smile on his face and no deference to the cold around him.
"Oh, isn't that Maxine over there?" Fen caught sight of the woman, he didn't know who else was there; at least, he didn't recognize the woman with the ... uh... how does one put it gently... expansive bosom? The very visibly buxom woman? Yes, that was a very good way to describe it without saying the girl's got gigantic ti- Ok, moving on. The wolf also noted there was another person with Massive Mamaries Mary, a younger woman with a less voluptuous figure.
There, there was Koma. The scarred man looked as he always did. Bored. Juniper was near too.
"Oi!" He called ahead as he made his way over to the group. The light haired and tall wolf soon joining them as Vanille managed to keep up rather well, now that they weren't almost knee deep in snow he could move around more freely.
"It's been a little while," Vanille spoke with a polite tone, giving a small respectful bow to Juniper. Though Koma he had never met before, he bowed to him as well.
Fenrir grinned at the Tea Clan Princess, Koma, and then Maxine, "I haven't seen you in a long time, Miss Maxine. I was starting to miss the sight of those eyes." He then peered over at the two individuals he had no idea who they were. "It's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Fenrir Vulk, this is my associate, Vanille. I don't think we've ever met before, Miss?" He motioned to Cerola and the young woman.
WC: 750 | 1,605 TWC: 4,480 | 14,000 Starting PL: 21,638
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Post by Maxine on Jul 16, 2021 22:39:55 GMT -8
Of course, Maxine went to give her usual stoic bow – but it halted midway through and bounced on the spot as her unintended fashion was called out. ”A-Ah! Err, they are – I deeply apologise, they are very untoward while on the job –” began the android, totally losing any hint of a professional demeanour as she realised her mistake. ”Of course, they are of high quality… I know it is immodest, but the Shinobu do not take half-measures in materialism.” A real mouthful of an excuse. She’d used it before. ”I should wish to compliment you, too, Lord Koma, on your – ahem – ‘drip’, I believe it is called. It is not a look I could pull off, but I deeply respect the classics.”She’d turn to address Juniper in turn, giving a proper bow this time; though she’d awkwardly take off her accessory after that. ”It is always a pleasure to have your company, Ōhime-sama. I am content, certainly. Being able to continue my service is all that I can ask for from this world.” Despite being all talk again, she’d awkwardly fumble around to try and put her headphones away in her suitcase… it was pretty tough, given she’d just filled it with papers, but if she just got around to the M.O.M. system, then she could – ”Kyaa!”And the papers began to flutter down around her, like a new layer of snow. ”C-Commander…!” blurted out the android, red in the face and too clueless to move – it’d give her a good few seconds to decide her priority. She turned and gave a deep bow, of course… or, well, tried, but realised she had to take a step back midway through lest she headbutt her CO. Then, the rest of the introduction would have to be done in motion, as she tried to collect up her papers again… not an elegant look. ”Ah, yes, I am on work for the Dandelion Clan on this day – it was a matter of convenience, since I am in the area. It is a welcome surprise to see you, Commander. I –“M-Melons?! Was that some sort of Tuffle slur? Or did he mean – no, she wasn’t… no, wait, she really was – no! Don’t look now, Maxine! Ah, she really hadn’t thought about that before… but, she really – w-wasn’t she cold? Aaaaah! ”AHEM.”
It was meant to be a polite attempt to clear her throat and steer the conversation, but it was more like she was addressing a rowdy classroom. ”This would be… eh, oh, Vulk-sama, you too?” Her attempt to move on was interrupted by Fenrir’s appearance, though Maxine was thankful for his elegant introduction. Oh, and he brought company? He looked like a professional. Phew… maybe she’d have backup here after all. Though… she wasn’t sure how she felt about Fenrir’s comment. ”I am glad you are well, too. However, I don’t think I’ve heard such a remark about my eyes before. If you are interested, I could get you a photo. Or, perhaps, give you some of my spares? If you use them with a decent battery, they should look similar to me.” …what was she doing?! ”Y-Yes, anyway! I have been sorely rude. My compatriot here is Colonel Azure, of the Azure Dragoons private military contractor. As her company have done some work for the Shinobu in recent years, I have worked with her and her noble staff on some occasions. I certainly cannot claim to be a soldier of their calibre, but I’ve learnt a lot from her.” Fingers crossed no one commented on her love of firearms being potentially related to this situation, or she was going to embarrass herself even more… guh, this was like those movies where your work colleagues met your family, right? And this wasn’t even the Shinobu… if Cerola ever met Hatsuka, Maxine might have to kill them both, and then herself. It would spare them all the suffering. ”But! We do have orders, do we not? There will be no shortage of time for discussion after the job is complete; and any potential mourning will be shorter-lived if we do not spend too much time getting to know each other now.” explained the android; though perhaps her frustration leaked through her pragmatism a bit too much; ”Lord Koma, I have attempt to collect what intel I can on the surrounds, but the local representative was fairly insistent on meeting you before discussing matters with anyone else. I’m afraid my information is mostly geographic, besides some brief testimonies.”[769/5249/14000]
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Post by Emargine "Azure" Cerola on Jul 17, 2021 8:10:42 GMT -8
Things took a rather unexpected turn with the speed and force of a charging tank. Just as Cerola approached to give Maxine her greetings, the couple stepped out of their vehicle and addressed the android as well. Without the tint of the gaudily deocrated car to conceal them, she could see that they were certainly well to do, and very much likely nobility. Not the same as the Shinobu Clan the Dragoons had dealt with as of late, and even the heraldry on the man's suitcase differed. For someone in such dignified dress, it was almost amusing that he started by addressing her with a "Yo", of all things. What was certainly not amusing, however, was his use of "Melons" as a nickname for her. Her heartbeat momentarily accelerated, perhaps an attempt to fuel a fight or flight response. But her training prevailed, and she slowed it down by subtly adjusting her breathing to force it back down. This was not the time to panic, but to think. The general didn't know how this unusually casual lord had managed to compromise her cover so quickly, but there could have been any number of ways. Perhaps it was some mystical zen sort of recognition from those who practised their martial arts to a superb level. Or perhaps, like that one Saiyan Tomago, he was in fact a Saiyan, just one without a visible tail. If the reports were accurate, then some a number of Saiyans had honed their sense of smell to discern Tuffles from humans, focusing on their general scent, which resembles the fruits found on this planet. Coincidence? Strange, but not unbelievable. Although last she checked, the medical exam identified her olfactory signature as resembling that of a cherry. Imagine that. A cherry. She'd laughed when the medical drone informed her of this. But it also raised a question of why she was called "Melons" rather than "Cherry". "Cherries"? Either this assumption was wrong, or he had something obstructing his nose from getting the right smell... Whatever the case, it was irrelevant, if he wasn't going to attack her. They would have to deal with this Tuffle business later on. Through it all, her expression and body language remained stoic. If one could not handle the sudden flustered feeling of being compromised, then she could not hope to keep a cool head on a raging battlefield. By her side, Major Carnation quickly picked up on the lingo, and kept almost as poker a face as her Boss, although one might note the slight scrunching, smiling of the corners of her eyes. Like she got a good joke and didn't want to spoil it for the person serving as the butt. In this case, the Boss. There were, however, more important matters to deal with. For example, it was important to note that the female partner saw it below her station to address Cerola directly. It would be amateur to take offence to such a thing when you understood the culture of the Duchies. To the nobility, she was a mercenary. Separated by certain barriers represented by the word itself. A certain dignity. And that was fine. She was no stranger to hierarchical structures, and the Duchies were another one. Cerola bowed in response to the chastisement. "You are correct of course, Lord. Miss Maxine will receive her due address as representative of the Shinobu Clan."It was around this point that Maxine managed to... well, there was indeed some chaos revolving around her. But despite all of these papers, and her headset, she was able to pull through. Admirably, despite the surrounding circumstances. Explained her present situation, as well as identified these nobles as representing the Dandelion Clan, one most certainly a Lord, and the other, a Princess. Understandable. One of a truly elevated station. It was not everyday that one was able to stand in the same area as a Princess. As if the previous chaos was insufficient, however, another pair of fellows materialised, expressing their familiarity with the whole group with proper decorum. At least, the rather tall man with a... peculiar... taste in wardrobe seemed familiar with them all, while the other seemed less so. Maxine returned his greeting and compliment with a charming, if misunderstanding remark offering to lend spare copies of the complimented organs, namely her eyes. The pair of fellows then made their way to the Dragoon officers, and introduced themselves. "Azure. Colonel Azure. A pleasure to meet you, Mister Valk." She offered a handshake. Fenrir Valk. Quite the Lupine name. And rather coincidental that Alpha Company occasionally went by the callsign "Fenrir". After he would either take the shake or leave it, Cerola motioned toward her companion. "This is my adjutant, Major Carnation.""Howdy!" She raised her right hand into a casual too fingered salute as she beamed. This Fenrir guy and his feller Vanille seemed alright. It was at this point that Maxine proceeded to fully introduce the colonel to the rest of the party, with a short yet dignified description of her, the Dragoons, and their relationship with the android and her Clan. As Cerola had grown to expect of the android warrior. Generous, while not going so far as to flatter. It was touching to hear this, to say the least. After which, she went on to steer the discussion back to business. And from the sound of things, business was, in a particularly high-octane sense of the word, "booming". "At present, I have a company-strength unit mobilised further down the road. As we ourselves intend to negotiate with this village for supplies, I offer the support of my troops for your operation, should you require additional manpower." This wasn't what they came here for, but the Dragoons, if anything, tended to prepare for the worst case scenario. Such as loading up a rump company for the supply run, mainly to serve as protection for these vehicles. A combination of Alpha First and Bravo First. That should provide enough tactical flexibility, at least. [1004/6253/14000] Maxine Koma Juni Fenrir
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Post by Koma on Jul 20, 2021 1:08:21 GMT -8
To his wife while they were still in the car, Koma would have nodded when she responded about his own musing – and then nodded, “Yes, he likes Saiyan women but it really just after women with certain... assets and fiestiness I think.” present tense despite the fact that Ma-Te had been dead for over two years now. It was as if the half-saiyan samurai refused to give up on his friend even now.
In the present, with his words said, Koma was silent as and stoic as the traditional wooden toy which was secretly his namesake. As his icy blue eyes watched this icy blue haired woman, he watched her expression as well – his eyes locked with her's instead of other parts of her body. She seemed to be considering something about what it said, and there seemed to be confusion on her face – if only for a split second. Had this been the first time someone had called her unprofessionally dressed behind Melons? Was it something else?
He fought the urge to shake his head to and fro in the judgment at her reaction, and instead simply kept his expression neutral – almost smirking as his wife talked. His smirk remained as he listened to Maxine's words, giving only a simple affirmative nod as she spoke and a two finger gesture that was as close to a wave as Fenrir would get out of the Dandelion Clan Daimyo when his hands were occupied.
As the mercenary spoke up like that, he cocked an eyebrow. Did she think they were attempting to conquer the Island of North HFILstad rather than just doing an insertion and specialized action? His nostrils flared, it almost seemed as if he was smelling the air. But he was just focusing one of the ethereal, spiritual organs that he and other martial artists who trained hard enough to learn how to detect spirit energy possessed. He pushed a simple nudge of his own spiritual energy in her and her subordinate's direction, not visible and not even with movement from his body, and from the way his energy washed over her or washed back he calculated her power level.
Mundane soldiers would only get in the way for anything but Garrison duty, there was a reason why he had not called any of the Dandelion Clan buke that he had been training over the past two years to serve in this mission. But he was silent as he went over this, expression neutral.
“I'm afraid that won't be necessary for anything more than Garrison forcing and watching over the settlement after we've made contact and preparations. Demon Clan Namekians can take down entire squads of mundane soldiers with much effort.”
Company strength? A commanding officer didn't typically do the scouting for a party, was she really this unprofessional, or had she come along to demand supplies from this hard scrabble village?
“Gilbert! Open the trunk.” he said, before turning to walk to the trunk and as soon as he did finding himself jumped on by an impossibly rotund, short legged tanuki who climbed his shoulder like a lemur climbing a tree. With a movement to hand the Racoon Dog the suitcase to hold, Koma hit a button in the trunk. Out came several more suitcases out of a smuggling compartment, and then the compartment shut itself as Koma carried two of the suitcases in a single hand, and the other in his teeth. He tossed them to the Mercenary Commander.
“There's supplies to feed and arm an army in those suitcases. I make it a practice to not go anywhere unprepared, and I may not have revealed this to Maxine-san or any of you... But I know the people of this village. There's no way they can afford to pay or give up supplies, they regularly get raided for supplies and slaves by the bastards on North Hfilstad Island.”
Then the Saiyan took his suitcase and directed the others to follow him towards the town proper. If they followed him he would lead them to the village's bunker like community center, which also served as the Village Head's office and the village's only restaurant or bar. He headed down the steps and towards the door to the underground building, noticing the still active if ancient turrets that Mouse and Rabbit had installed at the sloping tunnel entrance those years and years ago.
Soon, they'd find an underground building with even more turrets facing out, several smaller buildings beneath the tunnel, and neon signs offering food and the best fish head soup in the North.
“Yo! Anyone here?”
[777] [7030/14,000]
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Post by Juni on Jul 20, 2021 16:49:33 GMT -8
Juniper bowed her head demurely towards Maxine’s friends, the gynoid only introduced the blue haired woman as Colonel Azure, and not the small pink haired girl standing behind her; either because it slipped her mind or she did not notice after being surrounded by so many people. Colonel Azure then explained it was her adjudant Major Carnation and elaborated what her intentions were with the village of Sol Marina. Fenrir waved at the group, joining in on the social circle, Vanielle offered a bow in greetings proper to western land etiquette, which Juniper returned a slight head bow followed by a smile.
“It is nice to meet you both, Colonel Azure and Major Carnation. I am Princess Juniper of The Dandelion Clan and this is my husband Koma, Daimyo of the Dandelion Clan.”
It was at this point her capsule corp phone vibrated in her pocket, she reached in to pull it out, and discovered she was texted by Fenrir earlier so it only a reminder. Fate decided to bring the residents of Zen Tea House together for this exact moment which proved favorable for the Dandelion Clan.
“Apologies, Fenrir-san. I failed to notice your text message earlier. I hope you traveled safely across the Northern Lands. Feel free to visit Sol Marina, which is where we are all headed, it seems.”
Juniper turned her head towards the stationary car when Koma called for Gilbert, her husband then pulled out several suitcases, each one was filled with DynoCapsules to supply an army, and it was initially packed to reinforce the garrison but procuring more was never an issue for the Dandelion Clan. As heirs to their respective inheritance, spending zeni on Capsule Corp merchandise was not an issue, the residents of Zen Estate Tea House placed investments in Okami bakery to increase their own personal wealth.
Colonel Azure was met with the misfortune of making a first impression, as a mercenary leader she was still learning the social cues of attaining future clients, and Koma was rather displeased that she was taking advantage of a poor village. The harsh weather climate alone would have been troublesome enough for any earthlings to live, let alone have abundant supplies to spare to an army of mercenaries. Humility was a virtue, the samurai warlord spared Sol Marina of the responsibility, and gave the supplies to the mercenary as charity by throwing them at the tuffle's feet.
Koma then gestured for the rest of the group to follow him into town silently, Juniper deadpanned at everyone in the social circle, and then followed after her husband on her wooden okobo sandals through the snow covered road in small strides. Upon arrival at the town center proper, there was an eerie silence, the turrets were manned, and the couple were met with an old man who recognized them.
“Mayor Crocus.” Juniper spoke first by offering a bow, “What is the status of Sol Marina and how may we be of assistance against the Black Heart Namekians raiding the village?”
[504] [7,534/14,000] Fenrir Emargine "Azure" Cerola Maxine
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Post by Fenrir on Jul 22, 2021 7:46:20 GMT -8
Fenrir had not been privy to the previous melons comment. He did notice the woman with the light colored hair; he noticed quite a few things about her. Of course, he did notice her figure. It would be uncharacteristic of him not to notice the woman's figure. She was curvy, busty, and had filled out quite nicely. But, what made little sense to him was her choice in clothing. What was she wearing? Not like Fenrir could really make any comments about anyone's choice of clothing; given he was wearing a suit in the frozen north. But, being who he was and what he was, the cold and the snow and the wind chill did not bother him. He barely felt it. But her? Could she withstand this cold? From how she was dressed, he could only assume that, yes, she could. The outfit did not resemble a military uniform; at least not any military uniform he had laid his eyes upon before in the past. It was too revealing. Too much cleavage, too snug; was she wearing thigh high boots? This looked less like a military uniform and more like a sexy costume version of a military uniform; something that a girl would wear on Halloween or perhaps a cosplayer would wear when they were dressing up as their favorite character from a comic book. But, a military uniform? So bare, so revealing, so ill adept for the climate they were in? Was she really part of some military?
His eyes trailed over her then over to the others with her. The pink haired girl, the armored vehicles they had with them.
Vanille did not appear to be looking that closely. Instead, he was keeping himself quiet, taking in what was happening. What could he gain from speaking out here? Nothing, really; Koma looked tense. He did not appear to be all that impressed with the military-esque outfit in front of him. What had the woman said that caused such an expression to cross his face? He looked either bored or annoyed or unimpressed or all three at the same time; even if someone stood in front of Vanille flat faced, poker face cranked up to eleven, feeling out someone's facial expressions, seeing the micro movements of their facial muscles was a good way to see how a customer at his bar was enjoying their stay, it also showed him when someone was lying.
Koma was hard to read. But it was just a general theory on Vanille's part. The way he looked, the way he moved, the way he pulled out what looked like cases from the trunk - was that a tanuki on his shoulder? - and then tossed them over to the wannabe military group. As if he couldn't make them go away fast enough. Had he given them rations? Supplies? So, that was what was happening. The group had come to ask the village for supplies; and as Vanille peeked around, he took their surroundings in.
This place was in the midst of a hostile environment, attacked and raided by namekians, they were likely barely able to feed their own, care for their own, and this group wanted to ask - at best - or demand - at worst - supplies from them?
That was in poor taste.
When the busty woman held out her hand, Fenrir not only took it, he shook it then bowed down and gave the back of the woman's hand a kiss; or at least he kissed the air just above the back of her palm. He was not really sure how this woman would react to just random physical contact. So, he would greet a lovely lady in the customary way he was used to but with a bit of an alteration, "Charmed to meet you." He also bowed his head to the young pink haired girl.
It was the comment by Maxine that caught Fenrir off guard. He was almost stunned into silence for a moment and then laughed. A good laugh as he held his stomach and sides, "Oh, I had never heard that reply before. You are such an interesting one, Maxine. Tell me, how have things been since our last encounter?" He had not spent much time with Maxine but one of the few times they had spent a small amount of time together was when they were training at the behest of Koma back home. She had done exceptionally well back then. She was smart, a tactician, and knew her way around a brawl. He had to admit he was more than impressed with Maxine.
He didn't really get to speak much, however, as Koma appeared more interested in getting everything underway. So, Fenrir walked along with the others. "Keep close to me, Vanille," He spoke to his companion who, without question, stood beside the wolf and walked alongside him toward the town center.
"I've never seen a Black Heart Namekian," Vanille confessed as they neared the center, where the village elder was waiting for them, "What are they like?"
"Your guess is as good as mine. I have not had much interactions with Namekians in general; aside from Bass. He was an interesting one. I wonder if there are more blue ones like him... I hope so." Fenrir commented, though he went quiet as soon as the group reached the elder, waiting and listening for the old man's answer.
The village was being raided by these Namekians, attacked and forced to give in to the attackers demands. That was something that did not sit well with the wolf. In fact, as he neared the town center proper, his face grew more serious, set in stone as he stared ahead. This was a job. An important one. One that he took to heart. Especially now that he understood just what the stakes were.
The town was small, it was struggling, the people were scared, and the Namekians were using them, parasites. He hated those types. He's dealt with them before.
WC: 1,000 | 1,777 CWC: 8,534 / 14,000
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Post by Maxine on Jul 24, 2021 5:07:58 GMT -8
To put it lightly, Maxine was rather embarrassed – all the commotion, all the confusion, and she’d even failed to greet the Major! She’d really hurry to address that, before anything else. ”Y-Yes! Major Carnation’s presence is always appreciated.” lied the android, mostly remembering her first encounter with her superior. Hm, well, she wasn’t sure of the joke just yet, but in retrospect she was quite sure it had been on her. She’d be promptly torn from such memories (thankfully) by Koma’s reception to her comrade, though… hmph! Throwing around riches so idly, it must be so nice to be of the Grand Duchies. She did not comment, but she did bristle at the reckless display.
Fortunately, while Koma and Juniper took the lead in navigating the small town, Maxine was distracted by Fenrir’s amusement. ”Interesting?” she first replied, even tilting her head slightly – and thus her professional demeanour scurried out of her grasp again, as she looked so genuinely confused. But, thankfully, the conversation didn’t end there. ”Yes… business has been – complicated. But, there is still business that can be attended to by an outdated model such as myself, so I have been blessed. I’ve been active for 33 years now… there are not many electronics that can make such claims, in this era. I am truly fortunate to be coddled by the Shinobu Clan.”
But, she’d pause, giving a gentle bow. ”Yes, but – more importantly, how have you been faring, Vulke-sama? I must apologise for not knowing enough about your background to offer more of an opening; I had a lot of trouble finding records of you in the Western Lands. Besides some very impressive modelling shoots, and a lot of social media from parties.” Maxine paused there, though, trying to keep the conversation light – they’d no doubt need to cut it short when they got orders. ”As for your dapper company’s question… I haven’t faced a Black Heart Namekian, either, in truth. I usually run protection for those in clan colours on city streets, rather than any border patrols…”
She would offer the Mayor a bow as they greeted him in turn, but she would join the silence of the hamlet – she did not know the situation very well, so it’d be rather foolish for her to jump the gun here. However, she did begin to piece things together… if this had been an ongoing issue, and she’d had so much trouble getting information from the few people who were here, then…
”…it’s a ransom situation.” assumed Maxine quietly, glancing towards the Colonel. The android could only pretend to be a soldier, but scuffles like this were common in the Duchies. This was in her wheelhouse. ”Commander – pull back any forces you can, for the time-being. A high profile here could be bad.”
[472/9006/14000]
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Post by Emargine "Azure" Cerola on Aug 10, 2021 9:23:00 GMT -8
Misunderstandings were a common thing to crop up with different cultures and it wasn't a surprise that Cerola would make a poor first impression if she was caught speaking with no appropriate honourifics to one of rank such as Maxine. That wasn't to say she was a stranger to the culture of the Duchies, but sometimes, it couldn't be helped. It didn't take a genius to notice that this was snowballing into a matter of a catastrophe either, as this Lord Koma took her statement of negotiation to be some sort of threat on the populace. Oh, but of course, she was only ever here to negotiate with the locals, who he clearly had a personal connection to based on his words. It would not be surprising, then, if his reaction toward a potential threat of forcing these poor, downtrodden, heavily assaulted villagers to turn over their meagre produce, was rather extreme. Suitcases filled no doubt with enough capsules to feed and arm an army, he said. Alas, that was not what Colonel Azure had promised her men. The way he callously threw this bounty at her feet clearly demonstrated what he thought of her. Unsurprising. She had had worse treatment from nobility before. Her blood had long chilled to feeling bad about such things. Her parents taught her the importance of politesse, after all, especially when dealing with what nobility existed in the Tuffle Kingdom. That was simply how they lived, she'd long learned. "Your generosity is very much appreciated, Lord Koma," the general bowed. "However, I have no place to put this bounty other than the hands of this village. My men need only dine on a small allotment of local ingredients, a livening compliment to their apt provisions. If things are too dire to barter our surplus for that simple privilege, then it is clear that they should receive your gift in my stead, and in addition, our surplus."This was never about the quantity of supplies. And this was not about the "quality" of the food either, strictly speaking. It didn't matter whether this personal stash was a Western feast or just appropriately edible rations. How this suitcase of food tasted was not the issue. This was about tasting what these Northern lands had to offer. What fish did they catch from that pier? What creatures did they hunt in the woods? What produce did they grow? What did the people in this region eat? The purpose of education was simple. And that was why it was easy to part with zeni, services, or even their own surplus of CapsuleFood™ stocks they'd grown inside the glacier they were using as a base. That wasn't to say CapsuleFood™ was of poor quality either. Just that the food specialists were running low on spices, and so everything was starting to get monotonous. Something different to liven up the day was good for morale, no matter how small it was. This was one village of many. And if they were going to trade for enough provisions, then certainly, this settlement was nowhere in the position to provide enough to realistically give 3000 personnel a morsel of Northern cuisine. However, it seemed there were far more important things to be found here. Once an agreement could be reached with proper negotiation, then they would be happy to move on and continue their search. But the men could wait another day or two. The opportunity to meet with these connections Maxine had was the priority. A wave of her hand was all she needed for Carnation to pick up the three suitcases. She knew what to do with them. The Boss's words were clear. Cerola turned to face the Lord's Lady, who introduced herself as one Princess Juniper of the Dandelion Clan, and Lord Koma, the Daimyo thereof. Of course. It wasn't hard to tell from his words, movement, his scars... that the Lord of this Clan was well-versed in battle, such that he could easily make educated guesses and perhaps even private unspoken critique of these strangers. His instincts were certainly sharp, but instinct was best supplemented by accurate information. Again, the general bowed, her adjutant quietly following suit. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Highness. May you and your Lord's reign prosper." A simple compliment. Basic courtesy. Flattery? Perhaps if this snowball would continue to roll downhill. But that was beyond words now. The way forward was through actions. It was amusing to see Mr Vulk's caution as he stopped just short of directly kissing her hand. But that caution was completely understandable. The snowball aside, they were strangers who knew nothing of each other. Nevertheless, he was clear to present himself as a gentleman as much as he could without potentially causing a negative reaction. "Yes, and your own charm is clearly that of a gentleman."Carnation waved back to him with and Maxine with her free hand, the latter's comment taken either with complete sincerity, or completely tongue in cheek, as she bowed. "Well shoot, if you don't know how ta make a gal blush, Miss!"As for Lord Koma's comment on regular soldiers and Demon Clanners? Well... good thing the Dragoons weren't regular soldiers and had plenty of experience with the monstrosities of the South. Certainly, the Demon King's army was something to behold. But they were not ignorant of his children's capabilities. The covert elements were getting quite a bit of practise spying on Demon Clanners in their activities. But this was no place to tell him any of that. The simple rule of life was that actions spoke louder than words. His words implied no need for brute force. They would find out soon enough, as introductions ended and they quietly followed the group into the village. It wasn't hard to see that things were bad, what with the raids that frequently occurred up north. Then it was no surprise that the snowball rolled down like it did. But was it on the way to stopping? Who knew? Perhaps there was no room to negotiate for that small taste of Northern ingredients from this village per se. But, that only meant the search for these ingredients would continue. The Princess addressed the Mayor, and they quietly listened. Yes, there was certainly something that could be done here. Maxine took the opportunity to brief her more thoroughly. "I see. Then, I will take your recommendation." As much as she knew the boys were getting tired of hiding from the Demon Clanners all these months, this was neither the time nor place for such an open engagement. A scalpel was more appropriate than an artillery shell. The General mounted her scouter onto her eye and activated the neural interface. A departure order was given, and the company pulled out of the area. They would continue the search without them. Perhaps some groups would find a village amenable to a healthy exchange of surplus for local ingredients... [1163/10169/14000] Koma Juni Fenrir Maxine
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