[RP] In This Life

[Valkyrur]

OOC: Well, I guess I do have to start this RP now, or I might never do. This should be the smallest ever RP, with only two other players other than myself... Hee. Can't wait to see how it turns out.

Speaking of which, Yuki, your little reward for getting the little game correct. I PM-ed you.

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"Young Mistress! It's morning, are you up yet?"

A sigh forced it's way out of my lips. I can barely hold it in considering how this oft-repeated routine has just repeated itself -- right in my face at that. I quickly dressed myself, putting on my armor as I brushed my hair.

I could clearly remember the first time I put on the armor. Against my chest, the cool metallic surface felt so 'distant', so 'constraining'. Yet now, that is all past. Years of training, relentless training, to be precise, has instead forced the notion of acceptance in me. I tightened the straps that held my metal plate and quickly responded to my 'personal assistant' outside.

"Got it, I'm coming up in a while."

As soon as I said that, I opened the door quickly and laughed," Boo!"

Stella, waiting outside, reacted with an amusing sort of surprise.

"Young Mistress!"

"Haaa... Hahahaha..."

I could barely contain my laughter over this little antic. But oh well, my antics has yet to end. Without a word, I quickly dash past Stella, down the corridor my house's garden. Now, I live in a mansion, so getting around tends to be quite a hassle, but nevertheless, still fun to sneak around in...

Especially so with my strict, authoritarian father who would rather I stay a demure lady waiting to be betrothed to the Young Master of some unknown family. Now, that was my definition of wasting my life.

Looking around, I realized there was no other servants around close by, and I quickly went over to the wall and scaled it.

Upon getting out, I quickly sprinted for the Palace. Although I no longer had to deal with arranged marriages, my father still frowns upon the job that I have.

... Like I care.

I love my job, and that's what matters, isn't it?

Stopping in front of the guards, I grinned. The guards, seeing me, bowed immediately as I went on to stride into the palace. Well, you might already be wondering what I work as, don't you?

Well, I...

"Sneaked out again, eh, Lady Kai?"

"Seriously, can you just call me Yin?"

"Unfortunately, as formalities would have it, I may not."

"Damn."

This person was the Warlock of Earth, Wen. She was also the Head Cleric, which meant that she often spent time within the Palace. Well, then again, the Emperor himself was often sick. Perhaps the constant politicking has got some form of impact after all, I suppose.

"You know, as the Leader of the Security Council, you ought to be more tactful with your behavior, no?"

"Heh, you know very well that I can barely be concerned with that."

"Well, I guess I don't have much say, do I? You do have a higher position than myself, and you are personally selected by the Emperor after all."

She was right. I had joined the tournament purely for fun, and had honestly been expecting to be defeated at some point. I mean, I know my skills were good, but I wasn't thinking it was that good.

The Emperor was particularly impressed with my abilities, and personally came down to get me to be take over the position of leader of the Security Council, as the previous leader had apparently retired.

Well, the me back then was extremely enthusiastic about this position, largely due to it's ability to let me out of my arranged marriage dilemma. Though, now that I've stepped into this field, I can't help getting a little worried.

"Boy, am I excited. Well, I guess I'll be heading over to the meeting place for now."

"Then, I shall not use up any more of your time, goodbye, Lady Kai."

I sighed again, as I continued on to the Guard Post. Why does everyone around me adore formalities so much?

 

[Tipsynaruto]

OOC: Oh boy.... i have much to learn in writing in first person...... I'll respond on my next post depending how you answer my question in the OOC post.

Fei

Morning dew hung on flowers. The courtyard was completely quiet as the sun was barely up, its rays only managing to tinge the dark sky in the far horizon. Servants were only beginning to rouse from their sleep, to prepare for their master's morning. However, there was no time to be lazing around. With jian in hand, I practiced yet another set of lunges and arching swipes before going into an elegant set of moves. The cool morning air meant that the exercise didnt cause me to sweat too much. The thin, plain robe didn't hurt either in keeping her cool.

Time to head back in i guess.

As i turned to look for my towel that i had left on the nearby bench, i saw that it was missing. Stumped for a few seconds, a voice besides me caught me by surprise.

Your towel, Lady Fei.

I recognised that overly polite and cheery voice anywhere. It was next to me everywhere i went. Without a look, i snatched the towel from Shirou's hand and marched back towards my room.

Shirou, i am to change, do not even think about keeping an eye on me inside.

Of course, m'lady. I have roused up your attendants to assist you in your dressing. They await in your room.

One thing i had to admit, Shirou was as effective a servant as anyone could get. He seemed to be able to read my mind. Quickly, i walked into my room, in which he took a kneeling position outside the doors.

Rio, Ria. Begin.

Yes ma'am!

I stood still as both Rio and Ria worked like squirrels, pulling my outfit together and within less that ten minutes, i was ready. They never failed to amaze me with their speed.

Good. Immaculate as usual. I will leave immediately.

Yes ma'am!

The sun rose rather high already, but i enjoyed my stroll through the city, take my time and relax, even if i have Shirou shadowing me. He has his uses though.

Shirou, what is on my agenda today?


​

 

[Tipsynaruto]

Renka

Maru! Moro! Ice.... i need ice.... and maybe a cool tea.....

It was another attack. My body was hot, under another feverish spell. I should be used to it by now, but it does get somewhat annoying at times...especially in the morning.

Maru...Moro.... where are you?

Here Lady Renka!

The two twin attendants were a god send, even if Fei wasn't here. They were attentive and cute as a button. My head felt much better as they put the ice pack on my head.

Ah.... much better.... but now that we can't go out today... it'll be boring.... I know! Get me some ink and paper, plus Chibi Fei.
Yes Lady Renka!​

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fei

Nothing much, Lady Fei. You may have to report in to your Division Headquarters for your report, but that is not priority. Besides that, there is nothing important as to speak of.

Fine. Let's get it over and done with.

The White Tiger Division Headquarters is a place i do not particularly enjoy. The people that occupy the place were rather stuffy and stuck up, even by my standards. As skilled as they were, I did not seem to enjoy being in their company.

As i grumbled in my head, something darted at me at full speed and before i knew it, it was fluttering around my head, too fast for me to see and catch.

Ah! What is this!? Shirou! Catch it immediately!

But my lady XD, it stopped and is perched on your headdress.

It was infuriating that she got shocked in front of Shirou, but that wasn't important now. A familiar chirp from a bird sang as it sat on my head and raising my finger, Chibi Fei hopped on. My heart soared

It is from Master! Oh, i wonder what is it?

Pulling the small letter from the bamboo tube, i ran my eyes down the letter and my heart sank

Something disastrous has occured!? I don't think i got long left !? By Byakko! Master!

Betraying any grace and composure i usually had, i ran like the wind, through the markets where people were beginning to set up. I drew surprised gazes from many of the peasants but i ignored them. Master was in trouble.

Lady Fei! Wait up!

No time! Master is in trouble! If you can't keep up, then disappear from my sight! Do NOT slow me down!

Master, i hope you are alright! Wait for me. Fei is on the way!
​

 

[Valkyrur]

"Hm."

I sighed as I looked around. The attendance was indeed disappointing. All the Grunts were present, as well as most of the Orange Tiger division members... But looking over to the Black Tiger division, the attendance was horrendous. There were only a handful, about four, and they were blatantly making small talk in front of me.

The White Tiger Division members were the worst-- there were no one from the division there, save for myself.

Now, that only made me even more furious. It's bad enough the Black Tigers were showing me such disrespect. Now the White Tigers too?

"Hey you."

I gestured over to one of the Grunts.

"Go get the White Tigers. And I don't care how. You will get one of them here. Tell them there is a monster in the Palace."

And my response?

The Grunt looked at me like I was a freak. But well, I guess I was. Without bothering to tell him to go, I walked over to the Black Tiger Guards. Now, these guys were a lot taller than me, and well, rather menacing.

Tapping one of them on the shoulder, I slammed my fists into his face as soon as he turned to face me. He was promptly knocked out cold, but who cares? The other three began shouting some expletives at me, which I promptly ignored, drawing my sword as I glared at them.

It's just too bad, really. They infuriated me. It's really, their fault. No more, no less. I should really wish them luck now.

"Bitch! You think you get handpicked by the Emperor personally you can order us about?"

I didn't wait for him to finish, rushing at him clanging my blade against his- which he raised just in time.

"Is that the way to speak to your Leader?"

Who cares what he had to say? I quickly did a roundhouse kick to sweep him off, then plunged the sword down right beside his face. It was just then the other two charged at me.

"So, you would choose to know me this way?"

I was angry now. If they had backed down, perhaps it would be so bad. Fire quickly engulfed my hands, as I swung them at the two guards. It was just then, I could feel some amount of weakness - most probably the compensation for having used Fire magic. Unfortunately for me though, those two guards were agile enough to deflect it with their blade and continue charging.

"DIE!"

"How rude."
I took a quick step back to evade both their blows, then removed my sword, and then rushed forward, grabbing one of the guard's hands, and then placing my sword next to the others' neck.

"Your fault."

Without much hesitation, I again activated my fire spell, this time engulfing both my hand, and the guard's hands.

"Wa-ah. NO!!!!"

Oh, but his screams were music to my ears... At least, my angered self. It didn't seem very wrong of me to do that, though I had to admit I felt rather guilt-ridden as soon as I watched him rolled on the floor in pain, screaming and howling.

"Hey, Grunt. Still not going?"

I smiled at him. He caught the message, and quickly ran out at top speed. I quickly went back to the front of the Guards.

"So, in case any of you still wish to know me further? You may, but I must warn you. I'm quite a monster, and I'll have you know that, and well. Some of you might know my fighting style -- Runic Arc, was it? Oh, but never mind. I wonder what sort of name you would give me, now that you've seen me in person, ha. Ha ha ha."

Even today, I can't understand how my fury back then would have stirred such laughter from such as myself.

 

[Tipsynaruto]

Fei

Master's mansion loomed in sight and without waiting for anyone to open the door, I burst through the gate, leaving them swinging on their hinges and ran straight into the main building. Master must be in her room if she was not out in the main lounge or her office. Unceremoniously, i rounded the corner and skidded to a halt outside her room and flung the doors open.

Master! Fei is here! What is the matter!?

Ah... Fei.... Come closer... im afraid i am unable to talk aloud.....

Master definitely did not look healthy. Immediately i went to her side. Master struggled to her elbow and placed her face next to my ear.

I....i.... i'm out of alcohol. can you go buy me some? Maru and Moro can't go.

Eh? Eh.....EH!? Master.... you're ....actually....fine....?

I had a gut feeling that it was yet another one of my Master's prank. Maru and Moro was giggling in the back. Shirou finally appeared outside the room door, breathing rather heavily.

My Lady... you are really fast. I couldnt even catch up!

Kekekekee. Fei, be a dear and go get me some?

*Sigh....* alright. The usual i guess....

Is Lady Zhang Yue Fei of the White Tigers here?

Turning, i saw a grunt, looking for me, standing besides Shirou. Odd. Grunts weren't the usual messengers.

That would be me. What do you want?

Lady Kai Yin has requested that a representative of the White Tigers be present. I was told you were heading in this direction, so i have come to ask you to go.

Unfortunately, i have matters to attend to. My master requires...

Sichuan Dragon Fire Rice Wine Lady Fei? I happen to have a bottle here!

I was taken aback. That was definitely Master's favourite beverage. Question was, how did Shirou manage to get one on the way to the mansion.

Ah, such a life saver Shirou. A pity though Fei. I would have enjoyed your company, but i guess work comes first. I always did teach you that didn't i?

No Master, you taught me to enjoy the little things in life and to not stree about work.

Did i? Oh well.....

Nonetheless, i will head there now as swiftly as i can. Master, i am borrowing two horses.

Shirou and I quickly mounted the horses that Maru and Moro prepped up and left the Grunt in the dust. Using horses, it was mere minutes to where the Council was being held at the palace. Pushing open the door, i walked in.

Zhang Yue Fei of the White Tiger Division, present.

The grunts were all there as were most of the Orange. I turned to Shirou and instructed him to join the Orange Division people, which he reluctantly did. As i approached past the Black Division, i could feel a bit of animosity, but ignored their petty envy. However, i could smell fire magic in the air. I approached up to Kai Yin.

Lady Kai Yin. You requested a White Tiger to be present today?

Kai Yin was a fellow White Tiger before her promotion. However, regardless, I did respect her battle prowess. It was this respect and her much better personality in comparison to the other snobby White Tigers (even tho i somewhat am too) that i give her face and appeared at the summon.






​

 

[Valkyrur]

((OOC: Actually, Yin was never with the White Tigers before she became the Leader of the Security Council. She had been learning secretly the art of swordsmanship, and magic, and just so happened to have reached the final match which the Emperor was spectating, and because of her spectacular win, was made the Leader. But never mind, I'll alter the character history to have her be a White Tiger for a brief period. ))

There was a rather deafening moment of silence as I stood firmly, engaged in a sort of 'glaring competition' with the Black Tigers - which I ultimately won. All it took was a mere chuckle and a sarcastic remark to turn them off. It was then boring silence again as I waited for the other White Tigers to report.

It was only after about 15 minutes that Fei arrived.

"Zhang Yue Fei of the White Tiger Division, present."

As soon as she came to the area where the White Tigers were to stand, I found my annoyance fade away. Fei was a role model, my personal idol, when I started out in the Security Council. During the time, I had to deal with my parent's fierce refusal to let me stay on the job. But it was my aspiration to be like Fei, a noble daughter who would not play second fiddle to a given fate that ultimately led me on to learn swordsmanship and magic on the sly.

And it was indirectly because her that I came to be who I am today. Leader of the Security Council.

Though, I'm pretty sure she never quite knew that, for I never quite told her.

Not only that, I had an even better impression of her during my short time with the White Tigers. She was like the one of the few that would show up for Security Council assemblies, and not show an arrogant attitude while at it.

Not only that, I've also heard that she was an Archmagi under the Fire Warlock...

It sort of makes me jealous, but I quickly shook that out of my mind.

"Ah, finally."

Idol or not, I realized, in the end, I couldn't hide my irritation at the poor attendance today.

"Well, never mind, they'll get it from me the next time... Right, BLACK TIGERS?!"

Although reluctant, they saluted and responded with a 'Yes', loud and clear. Who cared about the expressions on their faces? It was art to the furious me.

"The purpose of this meeting is to show you who your new Leader is. And well, now you know her... And quite well too... Right, BLACK TIGERS?!"

And yet another loud response. I giggled, seeing the Guard whose hand I burnt shouting his response as well.

"Good. You're dismissed... And don't act cocky. You... JOLLY WELL SHOW UP FOR EVERY SINGLE FREAKING MEETING, GEDDIT? NOW SCRAM!"

At this, the Grunts moved out quickly, as well as some of the other divisions.

"Oh, and Fei, mind telling me why were you late? You too, Orange Tiger."

 

[Tipsynaruto]

OOC: Well, since Gamingway still has a while to go in getting a bio up, ill go on ahead then. And i made a mistake when reading Yin's bio. I misread wanting as her being in it already. My bad. Kai Yin or just Yin? Btw, Fei calling everyone White Tiger and above Lady/ Lord is her way of speech. Doesnt necessarily mean that she respects her/him the person.

The new Security Council leader was not in a fine mood. Within minutes of her arrival, Kai Yin blasted at the Black Tiger's with ill concealed sarcasm and barb comment, but if they do not know their place, then a reminder is needed. After all, chain of command is important. It would not do to have the lower soldiers disobeying officers at important time. The meeting was a short one about Kai Yin's recent promotion and about future meetings that would occur. It ended swiftly and just as i was about to depart as well, Kai Yin's voice caught my attention.

"Oh, and Fei, mind telling me why were you late? You too, Orange Tiger."

Hm? I actually had no knowledge of the meeting. I smell petty revenge in regards to this incident. It is common knowledge that my.... social interactions rub some the wrong way in the White Tiger Division. It is not hard to see who it was, though i find it even more petty if i retaliated. However, i came as fast as i can from my Master's mansion.

The question was also directed at Shirou and as a Orange Tiger, any excuse he may come up with probably wont suffice. He was with her after all.

Shirou here.... has an overbearing sense of commitment to my House. I had sent him out on a chore for a few days and only arrived back late yesterday and was with me this morning. Shirou! Stand attention and accept whatever punishment Lady Yin would give.

My folly is inexcusable. I am willing to accept whatever punishment that may be dealt to me.

 

[Valkyrur]

[OOC: Just 'Yin'. If you're planning on addressing her formally, her family name's Kai, so it'll be 'Lady Kai'.]

Upon the words 'petty revenge', I found myself becoming more defensive. It was then I realized my terrible mood. Shrugging, I looked over to the two, then to the empty Guard Post. I was somewhat regretting my actions now - looks like I would now have to tread carefully outside. Nevertheless, I quickly turned to the two to address them.

"Oh, heh heh heh."

Faking a sinister laughter, I eyed the broom nearby, making an attempting to hint at manual labor as punishment. Whether Shirou or Fei even caught the drift, I can't say, but I continued," Humph. Your punishments are as follows. You will now report punctually for all Security Council meetings! I will not tolerate any latecomers the next time - till then, the punishment... Well, you need only ask the Black Tigers."

I couldn't resist laughing at this point. It was a sort of maniacal laugh - the sort that comes when someone had just landed himself into a really bad situation and have nothing else to do but to laugh. It was stupid, yes, but I quickly explained myself.

" There goes a good first impression on the job. But surely I'm not here to babysit? Never mind. I hope you understand, the Security Council's meetings are not merely for talk, and no show. We produce results that protects the city. You will do well to show up punctually... Tch, ain't I repeating myself? Ah. Forget your punishments. You guys will make sure that the other divisions arrive punctually next time."

In short, I was sort of making them my direct subordinates. Not that I really cared what they thought about it, but it would certainly help to have some allies within the Security Council... Especially so for me now, who had just rubbed off the Black Tigers the wrong way. Even as a White Tiger, I still need to keep my guard up.

Outnumbered, and I'll just be as weak as a Grunt. No way I'll let that happen though.

"Speaking of which, you can just call me Yin - yeah, Fei? And you -- Shirou, was it? Yeah. You jolly well do the same."

 

[Tipsynaruto]

Fei
​

" There goes a good first impression on the job. But surely I'm not here to babysit? Never mind. I hope you understand, the Security Council's meetings are not merely for talk, and no show. We produce results that protects the city. You will do well to show up punctually... Tch, ain't I repeating myself? Ah. Forget your punishments. You guys will make sure that the other divisions arrive punctually next time."

Do not worry. I will be there, that you can be sure of. If i am impeded again such as today, i will make sure that i the perpetrator will not walk freely after interfering with the Zhang family.

I thought of myself as compassionate. There was a hierarchy and social status for a reason. Those on equal position as I in the White Tiger were few and far and were smart enough to not cross each other. It was definitely someone of lower standing, most likely Ling Tong, but i would hold any retaliation. After all, it is unseeming to be so.... vengeful against someone like him. In any case, I had a legit reason for any... punishment the next time around. After all, he was interfering with guard duty and potentially causing dangerous situations to arise, which would be an obstruction of duty on his part. I had all my base covered if i was to do anything.

"Speaking of which, you can just call me Yin - yeah, Fei? And you -- Shirou, was it? Yeah. You jolly well do the same."

I am sorry to say, but i find it hard to address you in such. It would be most difficult for me to change my speech pattern after so many years. It would be much easier on me if i address you as Lady Yin. After all, force of habit is hard to change. This way, i am able to call you more fluently. You wont mind will you if that is how i address you? Shirou can do as he please, however.

It honours me that you would allow me to address you as such. If it is your wish, with Lady Fei's permission, i shall call you as such.

It never ceased to humour me the way Shirou can speak so naturally as a humble servant. Even with the name changed, His attitude will not and he will still act like always, regardless.

In any case, i take it that there is disturbance with the Black Tiger Division? As competitive as they are, they should know to not strike out at White Tigers, much less so the Security Council Leader. I suggest swift punishment on top of what has already been given to the selected few. Or would you prefer second chances?

Had i been in Lady Yin's position, i would have sent a decree of sort to their Division HQ, order 30 strikes for each offender and a direct reminder of chain of commands and insubordination, but I was brought up in a military background. Guards are a lot different in that the chain of command is less uptight and there are less protocols. My method could potentially backfire with a military iron fist ruling style.

 

[Valkyrur]

Fei's suggestion made a fair bit of sense, although Yin took offense with her decision to continue addressing her formally. Pouting, she pressed her hands on her hips as she sneered,"So, you're going to address me as 'Lady', huh! What will you do if I say I do mind? Change, right? So, just change that habit and call me 'Yin'.

"Speaking of which, with regards to the Black Tigers, I'm not planning on staying passive. Something will happen, and so quickly they won't know what hit 'em."

I said that, but quickly realized I barely made any sense. I couldn't possibly go right down to their Division Headquarters and thrash up every single Black Tiger there is, can I? Not saying that I couldn't - I could - but unless I'm a real sadist, there is no way I would go to such an extent. Still, I do have to do something...

And I figured I may well take Fei along. Perhaps Shirou too, if he follows.

"Well, for a start, I guess I could go find those Black Tigers to give them a different sort of 'kindness'. You'll follow me.... You haven't got anything else to do, have you?"

 

[Tipsynaruto]

Fei
​

"So, you're going to address me as 'Lady', huh! What will you do if I say I do mind? Change, right? So, just change that habit and call me 'Yin'.

I felt myself narrow my eyebrow slightly before relaxing. If she does seem to mind, then there is little choice but to obey. I would just have to make a slight bit more effort. Had it been anyone else being so demanding, Fei would have made sure that they knew not to do it again.

Very well. If i must, then i will change the way i speak, Yin.

I could feel myself struggling to not say Lady. There were not many people in which I would call via first name, as it was a sign of affection and closeness, which I deemed a weakness. However it might be worthwhile to try it once in a while to see how this would turn out.

"Speaking of which, with regards to the Black Tigers, I'm not planning on staying passive. Something will happen, and so quickly they won't know what hit 'em. Well, for a start, I guess I could go find those Black Tigers to give them a different sort of 'kindness'. You'll follow me.... You haven't got anything else to do, have you?"

I was meant to be meeting Master, but since Shirou here has appeased her with a bottle of her favourite wine, i don't think that is a priority. I am free if you need me. Shirou WILL follow, whether he like it or not.

Of course my lady. To hell and back and back again if you left something there.

I said i was going to accompany her, but i have yet to know what she will do. A few Black Tigers is hardly a challenge. It was more my style to go with direct corporal punishment for insubordination, but it seemed that Yin had different ideas.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shirou

Lady Fei seemed to be determined to follow....Yin to punish the Black Tiger members that acted up. Lady Fei did not need to tell me to go. I will follow wherever she goes.... bar the private female areas. That said, these were Black Tiger Guards. It would be interesting to see how they would fight and their level of competence.

I am ready to go when you order, Yin.

Now was as good a time as any. If punishment was left too long, then it would seem that it is not that important. After all, swift action means that it is not tolerated. Luckily for me, i feel good and lucky today.

OOC: Yea... it sucks. Sue me.

​

 

[Valkyrur]

- Beth -

"Another woman, you say?"

Just as she said this, Amelia, with her illusion powers, brought up a blurry image of another female mutant. The appearance resonated with Beth's memory, however. Searching through the depths of her memory briefly, she realized that this woman looked rather similar to a friend she once had before she became a mutant - Sarah.

"Her name is Jocelyn Harriet Fierro, though she prefers to go by Josie. My sources tell me she's a senior member of MERIT, and although she has the typical powers of a Physical Mutant, such as high strength, speed, reflexes and rapid healing, I suspect she will develop more. A mere Physical Mutant would not ascend to such a level."

Now this was interesting. The Black Hand had no lack of Physical Mutants - it in fact had an excess, so much so that toss a coin into a mass of people in the Black Hand headquarters, and one would likely hit a Physical Mutant at least 70% of the time. For Amelia herself to actually express interest in this mutant piqued Beth's interest.

"You have two choices in how you go about this. You can use the typical method: Gaining her trust and infiltrating MERIT, or you can simply attack her when she's alone. Either way, I want to know my enemy. Can you do that?"

"You want to know the enemy, hm? Then, I guess I'll take the infiltration method. If you don't mind, I do have some things of my own I intend to do with some of the MERIT. You wouldn't mind if I give the MERIT and additional gift, would you?"

There was a somewhat cunning idea forming itself in Beth's mind - one that Beth knew, if successful, would please her to no end. She got up from her chair, smiling at Amelia as she awaited a response.

 

[Valkyrur]

How very interesting, I couldn't resist thinking to myself as I watched Shirou respond to Fei. I had no idea whether he was just trying to placate her, or if he meant it, but if it had been the latter, it had certainly made me somewhat envious. My house had no lack of servants, but probably none of them were as dedicated as Shirou - or so it would seem.

"Anyway. I guess we have to move, Fei, Shirou. It's not like the Black Tigers would come for us."

With that, I waved them over to follow me as I walked on towards the Black Tiger headquarters. Now, the headquarters was located right outside the Palace. Partnered with a mercenary guild, the headquarters were shared by the two entities, with the Black Tigers using it as a main discussion point, and the mercenary guild using it as a place to conduct their business.

The path from the Palace was a direct one. All I had to do was walk down the stone road, and I found myself there soon enough. All around, life was starting to fill the streets. It was still somewhat early in the morning after all.

Without bothering to glance over my shoulders to see if Fei or Shirou followed, I stepped into the Headquarters - quite funny considering how I had been concerned about being outnumbered.

Inside, the Black Tigers regarded me with curious eyes. Indeed, it was probably their first time seeing me, though when they saw the hilt of my blade, they started talking amongst themselves.

The Blade of Recognition. This was a blade bestowed only upon the Leaders of the Security Council. It certainly reflected upon their faces that they knew of this little fact - which pleased me somewhat as I made for their main hall.

"Well, where's the lil' Black Tiger Head?!"

 

[Valvalis]

(OOC: Huge post But it's mostly to introduce her character XD)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh, great.

Really, did he have to keep staring?

I shot the young man standing next to me a reproachful look for a third time, out of the corner of my eye, as his gaze remained fixed on me. It wasn't like I was new or anything.

He made a small noise in his throat, as though he were trying to get my attention. I sighed down at the floor, closed my eyes for a second, and then finally turned and looked up at him, trying to be as polite as possible. “Can I help you with something?” I said it as quietly as I could; I certainly didn't want to get punished for starting a fight with a fellow soldier. I'd only been in the Guard for three months, and a Grunt at that. I couldn't afford any mistakes now, especially when we were all lined up at the Guard Post within the imperial palace, waiting to be addressed by the new head of the Security Council.

The young man seemed a bit affronted; he stuttered, then gave me a rather nervous-sounding answer. “Eh...sorry,” he answered hesitantly, “it's just that...well...I'm not used to seeing such pretty young girls in this line of work.”

Oh, wonderful. I couldn't tell whether he was flirting with me or just trying to cover his own rear end, but either way, it was a species of drab small talk that always made me cringe when I heard it. I couldn't stand people wasting my time with such things; plus, from the looks of him, he was obviously at least five or so years older than me. I mean, maybe I looked old for my age or something, but I certainly wasn't interested in him.

I didn't want to be rude, however, so finally, I made the most effortless and distracted response possible. “Thank you,” I muttered softly.

I turned and faced away from him again, straightening up a bit, and took a breath of relief, glad that that was over with. I raised myself discreetly up on my tiptoes, scanning the area near the entrance for the new official over the shoulders of the guards in front of me, when the man suddenly sprung another question upon me.

“Why are you here, if I may ask?”

I sighed again; I couldn't pretend not to have heard him. I lowered myself back onto my heels reluctantly, and looked at the man next to me again, hoping my expression gave away my annoyance. I figured mentioning a boy's name would probably throw him off of my trail if he was flirting, so I picked the best one I could think of and used it. “I'm doing this for Nianzu,” I replied levelly, looking away again as soon as I'd said it. Upon further thought, that actually wasn't far from the truth anyway.

“Nianzu,” the voice repeated at my left side, with a chuckle. “Is he someone special to you?”

Now this man was really wasting my time; I couldn't even dignify that with an answer. Of course Nianzu was special. He was the first man who'd ever made me nervous without threatening me, who'd made me blush when I wasn't embarrassed, who'd made my heart race when I wasn't in danger....No one else could say that. As I pictured his beautiful brown eyes, his devious smile, his charming mannerisms, a small wave of those feelings hit me again, though it soon crashed as the man continued to pester me, this time with another, much more difficult question.

“Well, if he's so special, why isn't he here with you?”

It was like a knife through my heart. I stared off into nothing in front of me for a minute, somewhat shaken, but I didn't answer. I couldn't give him the reason. I knew, of course; that memory was as vivid as the chrysanthemums at Madam Liao's market display. But....I closed my eyes, as I tried to block out the images of that evening...but, it was to no avail. They had forever stained my soul.
-----------------------------------------------------------------

“Nianzu!” I had cried out, chasing him down the darkening street, out past the gates of the city into the fringe of the forest. “Nianzu, she's not what she seems! Don't listen to her!”

“What, Mingzhu, the hairs?” Nianzu had chuckled, shrugging my suggestion off into the wind like a silk scarf. “That could've been from any stray animal. I'm not buying it for a second.”

“Grrr!” He had always been so stubborn. “Nianzu, please!” I'd gone on, flailing my arms wildly. “I know she's a werewolf! That explains everything perfectly—why she's never around at night, why she--”

"Listen." He had finally stopped, turned to me, and grabbed my shoulders, staring into my eyes in the soft moonlight that streaked through the trees. Hidden away in the forest just outside civilization, his face close to mine, it had been almost romantic; I remember having wished for a brief moment that he would kiss me, but of course that had not been an option. He had been too hell-bent on finding that she-wolf, and he had merely criticized me for being so nosy, as always.

“Mingzhu,” he'd said quietly, squeezing my arms tightly as though to keep me in place. “I know what I'm doing. Fenfang is nothing more than an amazing woman, whose good graces I might be in tonight if I follow through and meet her there. Trust me, I'll be fine, okay?” He had let go of me, and given me what I supposed had been a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Of course, I'd found myself far from reassured.

“But--”

“Oh, just stay here, or go back to the city. But don't follow me!”

He had disappeared into the trees with an air of agitation, saying nothing more to me. But his last words still echoed in my head, even now. “'Don't follow me.'” It was as though I had been a mere child to him...a nag...an irritation. As I had watched him go, bitterly clenching my fists, I had felt so much rage, so much anger....In that moment I had wished, just out of spite, that I was right, and that he would find out for himself, so that he would never doubt my judgement again....

And then, as I'd heard him scream, I'd realized that that was the worst thing in the world I could have possibly wished for.

It hadn't seemed real....His body, next to the trunk of a maple...I couldn't bring myself to picture it, even now. And the trail of blood, pawprints leading off towards the nearest trees...and then, that snowy, cold form that was making them. Her fur had glistened in the moonlight like the purest white down, save for the scarlet flecks Nianzu had unwillingly bejeweled her with. It was pure fear just to see her receding form, skulking desultorily away, the realization of my worst fears....And then, she'd faced me, head bent low, a knowing, indulgent look in her eyes. I'd clenched my fists; I'd wanted to kill her—the only thing stopping me had been my own shameful terror, for which I would always hate myself; so what if I hadn't been armed? And that she'd had the nerve to face me...I'd felt too many things at the time to notice, but now...I realized just how much I had been insulted. As she'd walked away, slowly, as though daring me to take a hit at her, I'd vowed to myself as I'd looked into those cold eyes that we would meet again someday, when my body was more powerful than hers...when she was weathered, and fragile, and not expecting the retribution that awaited her careless wasting of the valuable life that I'd found so very irreplaceable....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

I blinked, struggling not to let my eyes well up, and stared at the floor, hoping it would pass. I couldn't believe it had been three months already. And yet here I stood, as a soldier for the empire, awaiting the entrance of my new commander. I finally raised my eyes heavily towards the young man beside me, who looked as though he had given up on receiving a response from me.

“That's okay if you can't answer--”

“He's not here,” I firmly interrupted him, my voice trembling ever so slightly, “because I did not have the skills that being in this profession has provided me with.”

My answer seemed to surprise him. He eyed me with a concerned look for a moment, then wordlessly turned away again, as though trying to escape the awkward situation. I let him, not wanting to initiate any new conversation, then returned my eyes to the door of the room, trying to take my mind off of things, even though those things were the reason I was here.

It wasn't a choice. I had to be here. I had to rid the world of monsters. For Nianzu's sake, and for the sake of anyone else who was capable of feeling...the feelings I'd had for him. I trembled as the word “love” came up; I wasn't ever going to feel it again, so I figured I might as well keep my distance from the idea of it.

Just then, a fiery-haired young woman strode into the room, and immediately began looking around at all of us, an expression of disappointment soon overtaking her face as she glanced towards the upper-division soldiers, whose numbers were far less than ours. She turned back towards our group, the Grunt Division, and issued an order to one of the young men up at the front, thankfully far from where I was standing.

"Hey you. Go get the White Tigers. And I don't care how. You will get one of them here. Tell them there is a monster in the Palace."

What? A monster? How could she have known before us? She'd just gotten here...did she perhaps mean it was outside? I looked about frantically, wondering why no one was rushing to go find it, or raising their weapons to defend themselves, when a sudden outcry of expletives from the area of the Black Tiger Division caught my attention.

"Bitch! You think you get handpicked by the Emperor personally you can order us about?"

"Is that the way to speak to your Leader?"

What on earth was going on over there? I used my tiptoes again, trying to see over everyone else, and found an opening just in time to see the young woman kicking at one of the Black Tigers, and then producing fire in her hands with which to fend off two others.

"So, you would choose to know me this way?"

"DIE!"

"How rude."

Wow. They seemed to be having a huge fight; I was glad I wasn't in the Black Tiger Division right now. The way she was yelling her head off at people, she had to be the new leader of the Security Council. She looked like she couldn't be much older than twenty, either; it was a good inspiration for me to see someone like that in such a high-ranking position. And a woman, no less.

"Wa-ah. NO!!!!"

One of the Black Tigers screamed; it looked like he had been burned. As he fell out of sight, the woman finally turned back to the Grunt she'd addressed earlier, and issued him a warning.

"Hey, Grunt. Still not going?"

The Grunt took off before I could even blink. Good thinking, guy, I knew I would have. As the woman went up to the front of the Guards to address us all, I sank down to my feet again promptly, not wanting to be seen standing anything but normally. If she could see me, of course; I was considerably shorter than many of the other Grunts in my unit.

"So, in case any of you still wish to know me further? You may, but I must warn you. I'm quite a monster, and I'll have you know that, and well. Some of you might know my fighting style -- Runic Arc, was it? Oh, but never mind. I wonder what sort of name you would give me, now that you've seen me in person, ha. Ha ha ha."

I couldn't believe she was laughing. She seemed almost...maniacal. But I couldn't help but appreciate her forcefulness, even though she was a bit scary. A lot of these troops certainly needed more discipline, if I had anything to say about it. Many of them didn't seem to take their jobs seriously; I'd wondered, at times, how we would measure up against any sort of serious threat. However, if this new commander took hold of everyone by the throats, then maybe we'd have at least some chance of getting better organized.

Zhang Yue Fei of the White Tiger Division, present.

Huh? ...Oh. Another young woman had just arrived; she had on an elaborate outfit which resembled something a noble might wear. I gaped at her; did she actually fight in those clothes? She issued an order to a white-haired young man who was with her, then went over to the new commander.

Lady Kai Yin. You requested a White Tiger to be present today?

She seemed quite elegant, from the way she spoke and carried herself. I wondered for a brief moment whether Lady Kai would tear into her for the outfit, but she merely continued to rag on the Black Tigers.

"Ah, finally. Well, never mind, they'll get it from me the next time... Right, BLACK TIGERS?!"

"The purpose of this meeting is to show you who your new Leader is. And well, now you know her... And quite well too... Right, BLACK TIGERS?!"

The Black Tigers issued loud affirmative responses to both questions. I doubted their enthusiasm was genuine, but I really couldn't blame them; most people didn't enjoy being thrashed when they showed up for work. However, they weren't exactly in the right in this situation, so I really couldn't feel all that bad. I just hoped that I would be able to stay on her good side; I was hard enough on myself that it shouldn't be too difficult, but hey, one could never tell.

"Good. You're dismissed... And don't act cocky. You... JOLLY WELL SHOW UP FOR EVERY SINGLE FREAKING MEETING, GEDDIT? NOW SCRAM!"

Hoo, boy. Now she was getting tough on us too. I stared at her a minute, as the rest of my unit suddenly picked up their feet and started walking back out of the palace. I could only hope that one day, I might have that kind of influence on others; thus far in my life, I didn't really have a good track record of it.

I kept up with my fellow soldiers, and blinked as the morning sun hit my eyes once we were outside again. Once we were a good distance away from the palace entrance, the leader of our division, Chen Guozhi, brought us to a halt, and issued a long-winded order concerning our activities for the morning. I zoned in and out as he spoke—good heavens, he was full of himself—but the general gist of it was that we would be scouting out the area outside the gates of Byakko for clues concerning the recent disappearances of several townsfolk, and the finding of some badly-maimed and/or half-eaten bodies. I flinched; it was all too familiar a subject for me, but that was one of the other things I was here for: protecting the innocent, to the best of my abilities. I took a deep breath, and started walking again with the rest of my unit once the time came, hoping we'd be able to figure this thing out quickly.

 

[Tipsynaruto]

Fei

"Anyway. I guess we have to move, Fei, Shirou. It's not like the Black Tigers would come for us."

It was an extremely short walk to the Black Tiger HQ as it was right outside the Palace. This was good. This close to the Palace, the Black Tiger's can do little to turn or refute Yin's power. I followed Yin with Shirou on my tail. The morning was still fresh as we entered the Black Tiger Headquarters. Casually, i rest my hand on the hilt of my jian. It never hurts to be prepared. Shirou also tensed up. I could feel it in the air. After all, he was a Zhang retainer. Fortunately, our group did not need to go on a rampage or shout out our Titles for it to be known as Yin's sword was enough to establish our credentials and power. We only came to a stop in their main hall

"Well, where's the lil' Black Tiger Head?!"

Silently, i stood behind Yin. There was no need to speak. As much as i hate using the analogy, i was just muscle as is Shirou for Yin. Only time will tell whether there is a need to draw swords.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Renka

Shirou is definitely the best. It perfectly chilled too. Pop the lid and its ready to go. It was a shame though. I haven't seen Fei for so long, but her work as a White Tiger must be taxing for her to even ignore coming to me. My body still had a slight tingle of a fever, but it was mild. One or two drinks should make me feel no different than normal.

Maru, Moro. Some Edamame beans....and maybe some red bean mochi for yourselves and me.

Yes Maam. Straight away!

The two cute little dumplings ran off towards the kitchen and into the basement for the chilled stuff. They were such kids. They were a welcoming touch along with Fei and without them, i would have been awfully lonely when Fei left. I inhaled from my kiseru and held the smoke in my mouth, before letting it drift out into the shape of a dragon.

Ugh.... why is there nothing to do these days?
​

 

[Valkyrur]

I was about to shout out a second time when finally, there was some shuffling of feet as a rather haggard looking man appeared. He was a rather imposing figure, standing at a height of some 1.8 meters, and rather muscular - no doubt the leader that I sought. Perhaps also the same that coerced his subordinates into openly ignoring the Council meeting that I had called for.

That meeting was supposed to help consolidate my position... But to think these fools would twist an otherwise perfect situation into a rather embarrassing one. Or to be even more precise, a situation that made me severely incensed.

"Oh, who do we have here? This isn't the place for kids."

The fool.

I drew my blade, forcing the frown off my face as I tried to talk down to him with the sternest voice I can muster.

"Kids? Look at this sword. Surely you would recognize this? To think you would have, as the head of the Black Tiger Division, missed such a large-scale meeting?"

His response was a loud scoff, followed by some laughter from some of the Black Tigers around. Indeed, they judged only by the cover, and that only helped stoked the flames.

"Ha ha ha! Girl... You, the Security Council Leader? Looks to me our new leader lost her sword and had it found by you, an imposer."

'Her'? That was the last straw. He obviously knew who the new Security Council Leader was. Yet he dared defy me like this in my face?

"Here, hand me the sw--"

I left him no chance to finish what he planned to say, jumping up on his shoulders in one swift motion. Caught by surprise, he only had time to turn his head to see my foot hit his face. His fall was a startling one, but one that roused the surrounding Black Tigers into action. It was now a sort of all-out battle as numerous Guards came all at once.

Definitely the most challenging battle yet, but I can barely be bothered. Flames engulfed my hands as I blasted a fireball into a Black Tiger, sending him back against a group of other Guards.

"Fei! Shirou! Don't go easy. You have permission to do whatever you want! Just keep them alive, BUT MAKE SURE THEY'RE HURTING."

I quickly swerved my blade over to meet metal with metal.

"KNOW MY FURY, YOU DIMWITS!"

 

[Valvalis]

MINGZHU
-----------

Chen Guozhi led us out through the city gates as promised, and we all entered the fringes of the forest that stood outside, an unsettlingly tranquil place flecked with glimpses of the early morning sunlight. I hadn't been out here much since the night I'd lost Nianzu, and I wasn't exactly happy about it now; the place where I'd last spoken to him lay within an easy view of where we were now standing, having been halted once again by Guozhi to receive another one of his loquacious commands. I squinted up at the canopy of foliage above our heads as he issued a request for us to all split into groups of seven, based on our capabilities, and patrol different sections of the forest, reporting back to him at the gate in one hour to inform him of our findings. I chuckled to myself; yeah right. Unless he himself sorted us into groups individually, we would never organize into optionally functioning teams; whoever was standing next to their friends would just buddy up and make a social hangout event out of it, and then the rest of us would just shuffle around to whichever groups were short on members. That was the way it usually happened, and I wasn't expecting anything any different now. Most of these people hadn't lost friends, family members, or loved ones to some crazy rogue animal shifter.

I was jumping to conclusions, of course. It was certainly possible that some of them had, and just never spoke about it; and the culprit in this case could very well have been a genuine monster, rather than an animal shifter. I was just letting my own bias get in the way, and I knew I couldn't do that if I were to be of any use right now. After all, if I found a white hair on anyone, I couldn't just assume it had come from...her. Plenty of other animals had such a coloring, right?

I looked around in surprise as I realized my own group of seven had formed around me. Two tall young grunts, a man in his thirties, two stocky youths of medium height, and a boy who was only slightly taller than me, and looked like he might be just as young. I nodded at everyone; they were all kind of just standing there, some watching me as though waiting for instructions, others staring at the ground. I wondered why I was being looked to for information—I certainly wasn't anything special—but I decided to take the opportunity to make up my own plans about what we should do, and find the best way for us to effectively carry out our mission.

“All right, guys,” I said after a minute, “let's...let's do this.” I looked around at them, and pointed at the two taller men, who looked like they could be brothers. “Um...all right, you two...I think should go up at the front, and keep your eyes open to anything unusual in the higher parts of the trees.” I turned to the shortest young man. “Maybe you could come with me next, and we'll check out the undergrowth, and the forest floor. And then, the rest of you—” I looked at them “--could all watch the rear, and try to see if there's anything we've missed....”

I hesitated, waiting for them to express some sort of dissatisfaction, but they all just shrugged their shoulders, and seemed okay with it. “That sounds like a plan,” offered the oldest of the men nonchalantly.

I smirked; it was nice to know people were at least somewhat interested in listening to me. I nodded, and after looking around a bit more I finally pointed to an area that had not yet been occupied by scouters. “I guess we could try going that way?” I suggested, hoping that there wasn't anything particularly horrible down there. It was far away from where Nianzu had been killed, at the very least.

The others seemed okay with this too. I took one final glance back at Chen Guozhi to ensure that he was watching (he was), then turned to the area of forest I'd selected and started walking, as dutifully and intently as possible. Everyone followed me, the two tall brothers eventually taking their places in front, and we made our way through the silent, oddly peaceful woods.

The young one next to me stumbled; I turned quickly to look at his feet, to see if it was a clue he'd tripped on, but it was only a rock. I sighed. I was completely on edge, I could tell; after my last experience in the deep woods I really, really did not want to be here. However, I didn't really have a choice; there were no clues so far, and none of the other groups had shouted out any alerts that they had found anything either.

Just then, the two men in front of me stopped in their tracks, and muttered in alarmed tones to each other. I stopped myself, along with the rest of the group, and peered around them, only to find the horrid thing that they were looking at: an older man's corpse, hanging from a tree branch, its upper half mutilated and barely recognizable. I could only tell it was a man by the look of its clothing.

The brothers both approached the body at the same time, slowly, as though being cautious. As I stepped to the side myself to get a better look, however, I realized that they were actually upset, their faces downcast with heavy looks of concern. As one of them went over to the front of the body and fingered a chain that was hanging off of the remains of the neck, the other man turned to me with sadness in his eyes, and answered my mind's question. “This was one of our uncles,” he said despondently. “He ventured out a week ago to go on an errand, and we hadn't heard from him since. We'd just thought he got held up with his business.”

I frowned; I definitely understood what they were going through. I'd lost most of my close family members over the short years that I'd lived, for various reasons, and though murder by animals hadn't ever been the cause, the end result was still the same. I glanced away from the body sharply; I had already seen enough mangled flesh to last me a lifetime, and I had started to picture Nianzu's face on it for a moment—that definitely wasn't good. I sighed, staring at the other group members with my hands on my hips, and wondered how much they would hate me for what I would ask of them next.

“I don't suppose one of you could...search the body for evidence?” I asked grimly.

Before any of them had a chance to respond, however, the man who had found his uncle's necklace had plucked something off of the dead man's robes, and he quickly brought the piece of material over to show me. “No need to look any further,” he growled angrily, holding up a two-inch-long blue feather. “I've found this.”

 

[Valkyrur]

[OOC: Just to keep something going, and to make things just a little more complex for us all. Gamingway, I took quite a huge reference from your character bio ^^ I hope you don't mind. ]

Yin

I must have been crazy. I must have been!

With another quick spin on my feet, I brought the blunt side of my sword onto the soldier's helmet, the sonority of the metal causing a rather deafening ring that would most likely stun the Black Tiger Guard. As I kicked him away, I sheathed my blade, and slammed the scabbard into the Guard's chest, breaking a few ribs as he fell to the ground.

Seeing a few of the guards going after Shirou and Fei, I pointed a finger in their general direction.

"DESIST, FOOLS!"

Fire erupted around the two, stopping the guards in their tracks as I seized the opportunity. Running up at them, I slammed scabbard against head after head, knocking a series of them down consecutively.

Chuckling to myself, I snapped my fingers again to light some flames at the feet of another Guard behind me, using his startled reaction to knock him out with a blow to the head.

"HAD ENOUGH YET YO--"

I was about to taunt them further when I realized that all the Black Tiger Guards had been knocked out... Or at least most of them. Those that were still standing were cowering in the corner, well away from me.

Which forced a laugh out of me.

"Oh come here sweetie, let Lady Kai speak to you with the gentlest of tones."

I said all these with sarcasm which hit home. The expression on their faces were priceless as they shook their heads vigorously.

"Sorry, Lady Kai! It was our fault that we did not show up at the Meeting!"

"Oh, you actually knew?"

"Yes! Yes! We will not do it ever again."

"Oh, really. Are you sure your leader here would actually think the same as you?"

I gestured casually to the knocked out Black Tiger Guard leader who was still sprawled on the ground.

Meanwhile...

Now, it is at this point in time that, unbeknown to the Grunts, a mysterious figure watched their movements closely. This figure was rather slim, voluptuous as well, with an air of beauty that seemed to surpass most human females. However, it would seem she was more than just passing by as she hid herself out of sight, smiling shrewdly to herself.

Then, whistling out loud, she called upon wolves that emerged from seemingly nowhere and sent them after the group of Grunts.

"Well, it's really too bad, I suppose. And here I was thinking that was enough for me."

 

[Tipsynaruto]

Fei

I entered the main hall behind Yin. I was there as "muscle". It was to provide power to Yin rather than participate in the banter. After all,I really had no qualm with the Black Tiger but that of the Security Council Leader's. If she had a problem, then she is perfectly free to call on my service. I could already see the tension building as the Head of the Black Tiger talked rather condescendingly at Yin. I quickly gave Shirou a hand signal, telling him to prepare. I could feel him tensing the moment he saw my hand signal. Truthfully, i wanted to see the standards of the Black Tiger. Were they as high of a standard as they were when i was there?

"Fei! Shirou! Don't go easy. You have permission to do whatever you want! Just keep them alive, BUT MAKE SURE THEY'RE HURTING."

The signal came as a kick to the head by Yin at the Black Tiger Head. From my side, i heard Shirou's double swords come out of its sheath as i drew mine and in the same drawing motion, slapped the charging Black Tiger with the flat side of my blade across his face, leaving a welt as well as dropping him to the ground. I let Shirou have the back. i knew he could deal with it, so i was free to do as i want at the front.

Take her out! She cant fight! Lookit her dress! She's probably a prissy princess!

Black Tiger's converged at the front, especially the one that talked down on me. He was rather big and did look impressive. The way the others followed, I guessed he must have been an officer.

Rargh! I, Don Zhun Ya, Pixie Fire Mage take care of you! DIE!

From his hand, a tennis ball sized fireball was thrown at me. While i only somewhat agree that fire magic had absolutely zero defensive capabilities. There was one thing it could do. A larger power would always absorb and assimilate a smaller one. Casually, in my left hand, i formed my own fireball the size of a basketball and hurled it in an interception course. The small fireball offered zero resistance as it shot through the air like a rocket. I purposefully missed him by inches to show his own incompetence. However, as a bonus, the explosion that came behind took out four of his friends. With one of their officers down, the others became hesitant.

Ha! Come forward and face Zhang Yue Fei of the White Tigers, or is there not a man in the entire Black Tiger?

They were truly pathetic, a shadow of the past. In disgust, i waved my hand across my chest and a giant flame whip wiped across the area in front of me, throwing the hesitant Black Tigers out through windows. They were lucky, as some flew straight into the wall. Those in front were dealt with and as i turned, i managed to see Shirou to sucker punch his opponent while he locked swords.

Ha....ha.... I... am finished... Lady Fei....

Good. Lets see if Yin needs assistance.

Evidently, she didnt as Yin had already demolished her opponents and was in the process of convincing rather successfully the Black Tigers of her power. Quietly, i walked right next to Yin, albeit slightly behind with Shirou

"Oh, really. Are you sure your leader here would actually think the same as you?"

I felt like i had to bring to attention the lack of standards the troops were at.

Your men are also woefully arrogant with little to no strength to back up its boast. I believe it is wise to order them to get back up to standards, Yin. Its clearly obvious that this is so if Shirou can take and best a few Black Tigers by himself.

I knew Shirou's skills. He was perfect defensive wise, but it was highly improbable that he could do what he did unless the Black Tigers were substandard.
​

 

[Valkyrur]

[OOC: Hey, Tipsy. You could choose whether or not to let Shirou win this battle. This Black Tiger Leader may be complacent and all, but he's certainly not in his position without skill. So, yeah, your call]

Apparently, Fei and Shirou weren't all that bad themselves. Although my focus had been mostly on the Black Tigers that dared engage me, I realized that the numbers that I sent down were most probably not the entire group.

Or rather - it definitely wasn't the entire group.

Your men are also woefully arrogant with little to no strength to back up its boast. I believe it is wise to order them to get back up to standards, Yin. Its clearly obvious that this is so if Shirou can take and best a few Black Tigers by himself.

I found myself agreeing with that opinion. And that opinion somehow made me feel ashamed of myself as a Security Council Leader. All I had thought of was the punishment that I would deliver unto these impudent fools - the physical punishment. I hadn't gave a thought to what was more important - changing their attitudes and standards.

But Fei's remarks made me view Shirou differently. For an instance there, I actually forgot that Shirou was an Orange Tiger.

"Nonsense! That pathetic Orange whelp must have been fighting the weaker of our men! Just a lucky bastard."

I didn't know when the Black Tiger leader woke up, but what he said got me angry all over again.
"Shut it, 'leader'," I said, responding as soon as the Black Tiger Leader closed his mouth. "If you think you're that great, you could always try Shirou in battle."

"I'll easily best him in battle."

"Really? What happens if your position is at stake? You'll lose your position if Shirou wins."

"Who are you to decide on that?"

"I AM THE SECURITY COUNCIL LEADER."

I just can't understand why they would ardently refuse to acknowledge me as their leader.

"And what I say goes, sweetie. Now, ready your blade."

An attempt to soften up my tone failed miserably, becoming acerbic sarcasm instead. I eyed Shirou, nodding to him. Perhaps a foolish decision on my part, but I couldn't really be bothered. Worse comes to worst, I'll just intervene to prevent the worst from happening.