[RP] In This Life

[Valkyrur]

GALEN

"Unfortunately, no. Like I said, I am a wanderer," I began, responding to the young miss. "And as to what I could do there... I'm already thinking of checking out the mercenaries' guild the moment I get in. Goodness knows how long I would stay there, anyway."

It was somewhat evident that the girl was nervous. Or maybe it was just my imagination. In any case, I never was the best judge of character. A judge of skill, maybe yes, but character? No. From behind my Enshroud, I looked her top to toe again for what must have been my umpteenth time by now. I was really curious what exactly this girl did for a living, considering her weapon.

But I figured it would be rude to ask. And going by her appearance, it didn't take much out of me to immediately assume her to be some kind of mercenary, or more likely, some kind of Guard. She certainly didn't exude an aura of strength that I often saw in my sparring partners.

"In that sense, yeah, I am sightseeing, ha ha."

I'll admit, that was a really bad attempt at jovial laughter. It was almost emotionless, and totally awkward, but I ignored it.

"I don't know what you two misses are doing out here away from the city, but if you don't mind, is it possible for me to ask you to lead me to the city?"

 

[Valvalis]

"Unfortunately, no. Like I said, I am a wanderer. And as to what I could do there... I'm already thinking of checking out the mercenaries' guild the moment I get in. Goodness knows how long I would stay there, anyway."

The mercenaries' guild? Huh. Well, I certainly couldn't follow him there; I had to get back to my guard unit, or Chen Guozhi was going to wring my scrawny neck. If, of course, I thought grimly, something hadn't already wrung his. But once he was in the city, I was sure this black knight would be able to find his way; he'd already come all the way here on his own, after all.

He hesitated, then spoke again.

"In that sense, yeah, I am sightseeing, ha ha."

He gave a really awkward-sounding laugh. I couldn't blame him; the circumstances of our meeting were sort of unusual and uneasy. I tried to look like I hadn't noticed.

"I don't know what you two misses are doing out here away from the city, but if you don't mind, is it possible for me to ask you to lead me to the city?"

Well. That worked out pretty well, I supposed. I was already leading my female companion there, so we may as well all travel together. Though, she did seem to mistrust him somewhat....

Oh well. To be perfectly honest, I didn't know either of them well enough to trust them, even if the woman was some sort of deity trying to protect me. I still had no idea about her true intentions, after all, and with all these chance meetings having happened on the heels of the crazy incident with my guard unit, I was in something of a surreal fog at the moment anyway. “Um, sure,” I offered plainly, casting a hesitant glance at the woman. “We can all go, I'm actually leading her to Byakko as well. If you don't mind, let's all just travel together. We're not far anyway.”

I made sure that I had all of my belongings, then took a deep breath, and set off in the direction of the city, hoping that I wouldn't have to make any more unprecedented stops. “Come on, it's this way! Just follow me!” I took care to favor my side a little as I went, but it didn't slow me down too much.

We arrived at the city after a short while, and entered through the massive, welcoming gate. It was good to be back again; this morning had been more than a little eventful, and I needed a break from any more excitement right now.

 

[Tipsynaruto]

Renka

Ah... here they come... It is quite hard to miss them actually. Well at least, two of them. Among the three was a rather young Byakka girl, but the other two consist of a tall woman with cyan like hair and a rather... interesting outfit. Rather chic and overall very my type. The other was a large man in black armour from head to toe. These two were definitely interesting. The woman was definitely the phenomenon i had divined.

Maru, Moro, please go and meet them. Fei. Go accompany them. Can't have two children walking alone.

Yes Master. Come. Let's go you two.Coming Miss Fei!

As i watch the trio make their way towards the ground, i turned my attention to Miss Kai Yin, the newly appointed Security Council Leader.

So Ms Kai Yin. I am to understand, you are the newly appointed Security Council Leader? That is very impressive at you age. I am right to assume you must possess most potent powers and skills?

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

Kos Mos

The girl had indeed taken them to the city which I have logged in as Byakka. It did indeed seem Imperial Era and appeared similar to many oriental culture that is present on Helios and on many of the planets within the Helios Galactic Empire. The large armoured man had followed, but i rest more assured. If he had dangerous intentions, he logically would not have waited until we were within the vicinity of a major city. Aural and optical scanners have begun to pick up multiple conversations within the background and my language database is growing at an exponential rate.

Excuse me Miss, but can i ask you something?

Did you fall from the sky?

I registered a tug at my clothes and upon looking down, i sighted a pair of young twins accompanied by a woman of early 20's in elaborate clothing. It was time to put my language to test.

Yes. I from Celestial Sky.

I was not sure if the meaning for sky was correct, but i had assumed so due to its use from several monks nearby. I hoped i was correct.

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

Fei

Celestial Sky?


What an odd way to talk. And Celestial Sky? I have not heard of anyone saying that besides monks. However, her oddity seems to match what Master wants. An odd voice, odd complexion and looks, odd but rather nice clothing... I think i better ask her companions for more information. The small Guard seemed the best choice.

Excuse me. I assume this woman is your companion? Can you give me any details about her? Anything you know would do.
​

​

 

[Valvalis]

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

I realized as we entered the gates of Byakko that the two people I was with would probably attract some attention, particularly the strange woman. Sure enough, we had only been in the city for a short time before we were approached by two young children who looked to be twins, and a lady in an elegant green and gold dress who seemed about twenty or so. The kids went over to my female companion first.

Excuse me Miss, but can i ask you something?

Did you fall from the sky?

They were pulling at her clothes, something I didn't dare try to do. She didn't seem irritated, however; in fact, she answered them with more words that I could understand.

Yes. I from Celestial Sky.

Celestial Sky? That sounded more important than just the regular sky, and it certainly reinforced my theory about her being otherworldly. Before I could figure out a way to ask her more about it, however, the young woman in the fancy dress spoke up.

Celestial Sky?

She turned to me, and inquired further; apparently she wasn't familiar with the woman either.

Excuse me. I assume this woman is your companion? Can you give me any details about her? Anything you know would do.

I hesitated; this woman looked very much like someone I had seen earlier that day....Oh, of course! She was the White Tiger who had shown up at the council meeting. I cringed; I couldn't even remember her name, or how I was supposed to address her. I figured the best I could do was to bow, though, and use vague terms of respect just to be safe. I quickly lowered my head, and answered her.

“Uh, yes, m'lady,” I replied swiftly, “I'm her official escort. I've brought her here from the woods to the west, where she fell to the earth right before my eyes. She doesn't seem to be injured; all she requested was that I bring her here, to the city.” I didn't mention the unusual language she'd spoken; I didn't want to look like an idiot if I was supposed to have understood her and didn't.

 

[Tipsynaruto]

Fei

“Uh, yes, m'lady, I'm her official escort. I've brought her here from the woods to the west, where she fell to the earth right before my eyes. She doesn't seem to be injured; all she requested was that I bring her here, to the city.”

Interesting.... My Master wishes to meet with her and if you are her escort, i assume, if it fits with your duty, you will come along? There is no urgent task that she is required to attend to is there? What is your name?

If this woman was indeed something Celestial, then her asking the young girl to be her escort seems fair... Many legends have God's asking children to be their lead.

By the way. Who is that man in the armour? I couldn't help but feel a bit.... dubious with the man in the black armour. With his visage obscured, it was definitely a sign of suspicion
​

 

[Valvalis]

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

Interesting.... My Master wishes to meet with her and if you are her escort, i assume, if it fits with your duty, you will come along? There is no urgent task that she is required to attend to is there? What is your name?

I sat there trying to process all she was saying. “Oh, um...My name is Pan Mingzhu, of the Grunts Division of the Guard, my lady,” I answered quickly, keeping my head lowered. “And...she hasn't mentioned any urgent task in particular, so if I may speak on her behalf, I believe that would be fine with her.” I paused. “As for me, my unit was scattered during an operation earlier, and I have yet to find and report to my superior. However, I will gladly come along with you if you wish it.”

I hesitated, then glanced up at my strange companion; if she had any more pressing business than meeting this White Tiger's master, I assumed she would either speak up, or walk off and attend to it; the fact that she remained at my side gave me the impression that she wasn't in any dire hurry. And in my case, I honestly wasn't sure what took precedence—a White Tiger's request, or an order to report back to a Grunt unit leader, so I really hoped that the lady who was posing the question would make the decision for me, using her better judgement and experience.

By the way. Who is that man in the armour?

I glanced at the White Tiger briefly, startled, then shifted my eyes towards the black knight, who also stood near me. I still didn't know his name. “He...is a Black Knight, m'lady,” I answered, bowing again. “Though...I do not know his name...” I hoped that he would answer; I was curious too.

 

[Tipsynaruto]

Fei

Oh, um...My name is Pan Mingzhu, of the Grunts Division of the Guard, my lady, And...she hasn't mentioned any urgent task in particular, so if I may speak on her behalf, I believe that would be fine with her. As for me, my unit was scattered during an operation earlier, and I have yet to find and report to my superior. However, I will gladly come along with you if you wish it.”

Even more interesting... The Celestial Being seems to have no important task right now since she isnt moving off. In fact... i can almost swear that there was an air of subservience around her directed towards Pan Mingzhu.

Master can decipher it i guess. All i have to do is just take her there.

Excuse me....

I just remembered her previous statements were rather broken. Will she understand me?

Will you follow me to meet with my Master?


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

Kos Mos

Rather than concentrating on the talk between the girl and this new female, I ran continual aural scans. It seemed like in Helios, gates appear to be hubs of any city. The sheer number of vocabulary and language pattern forming was astounding, though this may be due to the fact it is one single language rather than cross species defragmenting of their dialect.

Excuse me....

The voice suggested it was the older female that had just addressed her.

Will you follow me to meet with my Master?

I will go should tiny female go. I follow her.

The line seemed much better in terms of syntax and structure. It should not take more than a day or two with proper materials to master the language. However, I will, as stated, follow the small female, whose name seemed to be Pan Mingzhu. Oddly, it seems like some form of imprinting has occurred.

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

Fei

So she speaks. And much better than 2 minutes ago. Something definitely felt off about this being, but why was she speaking as if a servant to the small guard? Reagardless, it seems like the decision fell to the grunt, but seeing as i am a White Tiger, i will pull rank on her for Master.

Hm. So it seems to get her to go to Master, you will have to go. Pan Mingzhu, you are to follow me. Understood?

Then.... there was the knight. He seemed suspicious, and seeing as Yin was with Master and i am there as well, maybe bringing him along, we can deal with all the things in one swift swoop.

You, knight. As a ranking Officer in the Guards, i ask that you accompany us to meet my superior.
​

 

[Valkyrur]

Celestial Being

[OOC: Lol! Gundam.]

Galen

By the way. Who is that man in the armour?

I hesitated briefly, wondering if it would be best to respond or not. These people before us seem to intimidate the younger girl, leading me to suspect they were some kind of higher authority. If so, I'm sure they may not take well to outsiders - a Black Knight no less.

I understood we tended to have a bad reputation. Not that I mind, honestly, but I still found it a bad idea to reveal my identity.

Not that I had a chance to deny it anyway.

“He...is a Black Knight, m'lady”

Fortunately for me, it seemed these 'authorities' were more keen to know the strange woman that was with us. I suppose I would as well, but things were starting to get awkward with me hanging there, silently watching them. If there was anything I should do, it is to get out of there fast.

Authorities never rubbed off well with me, nor did I on them.

You, knight. As a ranking Officer in the Guards, i ask that you accompany us to meet my superior.

Great.

Now silence was no plausible answer, so I simply nodded. Considering the fact that I haven't actually spoken to them, I could just give them the silent treatment and pretend that I was mute.

Yin

So Ms Kai Yin. I am to understand, you are the newly appointed Security Council Leader? That is very impressive at you age. I am right to assume you must possess most potent powers and skills?

I wouldn't deny it if it were a conversation between me and a closer friend. However, this was another high-ranking official that I was conversing with. I had to be humble, whether I liked it or not. I am proud of my achievements, but there was no place for them in a conversation between those in the upper echelons.

Or so I thought anyway.

"You flatter me. I could easily say the same for Your Eminence."

What really caught our attention was probably mutual - the strange-looking, completely outlandish female that followed the other two.

Granted, the Black Knight was a concern as well, but I decided to stay quiet and watch the others speak as I started to decide what to do. No doubt, this affair ought to fall within the jurisdiction of the Security Council.

I was raring to exert my authority now, but as the others below were speaking when I was clouded in thought, I momentarily lost track of the happenings.

Glancing warily at the Black Knight and curiously at the the female beside him, I realized I have to change my descriptors now - she wasn't just 'strange-looking' and 'completely outlandish'. Her dressing screams 'loose' and 'cheap' the instant I came close enough to realize it bared too much flesh.

 

[Valvalis]

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

After listening to what I had to say, the elegantly-dressed White Tiger addressed my strange female companion directly.

Excuse me....Will you follow me to meet with my Master?

I will go should tiny female go. I follow her.

Tiny female? It was actually kind of funny being referred to that way. I tried not to laugh though, out of respect, and at the same time wondered why she was insistent on following me. It was kind of odd that she had fallen from the sky to a spot very near to me, and now wanted to continue traveling with me; I'd merely thought she had wanted someone to lead her to the city...

Hm. So it seems to get her to go to Master, you will have to go. Pan Mingzhu, you are to follow me. Understood?

I straightened up at the sound of instructions, then bowed quickly again to the White Tiger. “Oh—yes, m'lady,” I responded quickly. “I will follow you wherever you need me to go.” Meeting with my superior in the Grunts division would have to wait; he held a much lower rank than this woman did, and if he didn't understand that, then he'd be the one to have to deal with her, not me. I had to behave if I was ever going to ascend the ranks any further.

You, knight. As a ranking Officer in the Guards, i ask that you accompany us to meet my superior.

I glanced over at the knight, surprised to hear her address him in such a way. He merely nodded, however, and didn't seem to make any sort of objections. This could be interesting, I thought; maybe I'd learn more about him too, in the process.

 

[Tipsynaruto]

Renka
​

"You flatter me. I could easily say the same for Your Eminence."

Allow me to speak candidly Miss Kai Yin, i detest that way of speaking.

I pulled my Kiseru to my lips and inhaled deeply, letting the smoke simmer before expelling the multi coloured smoke out the balcony in a rising phoenix.

I have a sharp eye for those with power and just like Fei and the twins....i feel the very same aura around you, albeit more rough. Power has nothing to do with me being Warlock. Had you been a normal grunt with the same spirit, i would acknowledge and respect you more than those bungling, incompetent buffoons in the Court. Position has no place in power.

My eyes went from staring outside at the gate to locking with Kai Yin

Do you understand?

Truly, i wished this girl would steer away from the machination of the political court.Courtesy and formality murder more talented people than war and i have only managed to salvage Fei and Maru and Moro from their fate. Power is wordless. Arrogance is those that try to associate it with words, but in the presence of genuine power weaker minds crumble and those with it meet it with due respect. Let us hope that Kai Yin understood this, before she becomes another cog in the clockwork of society,

Ah, in any case, Fei and the twins have brought us our guest and my.... what an interesting ensemble of clothing.

Up came the phenomenon, with an escort and an interesting Knight.

Master, i have brought you the... being in question. And Yin, i have also brought along this Black Knight.

Ah, indeed. Today was a great day. Another one with such magnificent spirit.

Greetings. I sincerely apologise for diverting you from what you were planning to do, but i simply must meet you. I am Huang Renka.

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

Kos Mos
​

The small Byakka female, whom i have labeled Pan Mingzhu, had taken up to following the elder female in green. Therefore, my priority was to follow, up into a tavern and onto the balcony to meet two additional people. My sensors went off the charts.

Scanning selected targets.... Complete. Combat abilities and capabilities are unknown. However, rudimentary combat threat is extremely high.

Greetings. I sincerely apologise for diverting you from what you were planning to do, but i simply must meet you. I am Huang Renka.

Target Alpha 01, Huang Renka, initiated communication.

Acknowledged. What can i get you?

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

Renka
​

I could not help but smile. She sound like one of the local market shop owners. My guess, she is learning the language as she hears it, which i find nigh impossible for humans, considering she has been in the city for less that 10 minutes.

Girl.....

Pan Mingzhu Master.

Right. You were with her from the moment she came down am i correct?

I laid my eyes on the young guard. She could be no older than 15. I had a sensation that the being in front of us was not even sentient. I do not event detect chi spirit or magic powers, but i did sense that whatever she was, she could most likely snap anyone Black Tiger and below like a twig. I have yet to see something that i do not feel life energy move. Miss Yin would have to deal with the Knight.

 

[Valkyrur]

Yin

Allow me to speak candidly Miss Kai Yin, i detest that way of speaking.

I was startled, and kept mum as she continued.

I have a sharp eye for those with power and just like Fei and the twins....i feel the very same aura around you, albeit more rough. Power has nothing to do with me being Warlock. Had you been a normal grunt with the same spirit, i would acknowledge and respect you more than those bungling, incompetent buffoons in the Court. Position has no place in power.

Do you understand?

I decided to play it cool, giving her a half-smile in response before we were interupted by the arrival of Fei, the twins, and the newcomers.

My mind was still on the words of the Warlock. It was my first day on the job, but already, I was starting to get more tense about it all. I knew the prospects of having to deal with politics, but I never quite expected the Warlock to deter me from it.

To be frank, I am hopelessly lost now. I have the power, and how will I use it subsequently?

I decided to push that thought away for the time being. As the others began speaking to the strange woman, I decided to question the Black Knight.

"You.. You're a Black Knight, aren't you? My name is Kai Yin. If it does incovenience you, I sincerely apologize. However, my position compels me to ask, why are you here?"

Galen

I don't, honestly, like how things were playing out at all. Compelled to conform, I merely followed the group as they led me up this building that looked to be some kind of tavern. In the day, it was still relatively void of people, but it certainly wasn't void of 'authority'.

Seeing the two women sitting there, I knew I had to choose my words carefully from here on. I was secretly hoping to meet some weak politician who could barely put up a fight.

Contrary to my hopes, these two were clearly the type that I should not mess with. After all, that high-ranking Guard did mention I was to meet her 'superior'. I didn't know which was her, but I assumed it was the older.

The conversations first began between the other women, with the strange female lightening the mood with a queer mode of address. I bided about my time, hoping they'll just forget about me, as silly as that may be; but of course, that was never going to happen to begin with.

"You.. You're a Black Knight, aren't you? My name is Kai Yin. If it does incovenience you, I sincerely apologize. However, my position compels me to ask, why are you here?"

"Not much. I'm just here to join the Mercenaries' Guild."

Yin

There isn't much about the Black Knight that is known here in Byakko - not in the Palace Records, nor even amongst the people. They were quite the obscure bunch, appearing only in occasional mentions. What I did know was that these 'occasional mentions' were mostly negative.

It was either the Black Knight wiped out some group, or the like. Their way was a way of death, so to speak.

For someone who apparently deals death, he must possess quite powerful skills. That itself worried me, more so if the crime groups within Byakko decide to hire him. As it stands, crime in Byakko was starting to become so organized that it takes a squad of Black Knights to settle a case.

If a Black Knight were to join the fray, I cannot begin to imagine how bad it would be.

Of course, that is assuming I am correct about their abilities.

Yet I know I cannot simply turn him back without a good reason; I need a reason, and I do not have it, so I have little choice but to let him stay. What I do have in mind though is quite the interesting proposition.

"Is that so?"

Producing a map of Byakko that I carried around in my item pouch, I passed it to him.

"You'll need this. Take it."

Galen

Awkwardly, I reached for the map, and took it. For someone who ranked so high to be so generous and welcoming...

... That made me all the more wary. Thank goodness for the fact that we Black Knights have the Enshroud that masks our expressions, because right then, I must have been glaring at her.

Before I almost forgotten my manners, I quickly added a quick 'thank you'.

Then, I bowed as I took my leave of them, and made my way out of the tavern.

Yin

Clearly clueless to the formalities to Byakko, the Black Knight thanked me, and then left the tavern before we even gave him permission to leave. Watching him leave, I held back a sigh as I decided to let it go this time.

 

[Valvalis]

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

I followed the White Tiger as soon as she started walking, accompanied by the celestial woman and the Black Knight. She led us up to a tavern, where up on a balcony, two women were seated at a table; it looked like they were having tea. I recognized one of them instantly—Lady Kai Yin, our new Security Council Leader who had introduced herself this morning at our palace meeting. The other one looked to be in her early thirties, and was dressed even more flamboyantly than the White Tiger, wearing long red and white robes with feather designs in some places, a spiky red ornament atop her long hair, and with a Kiseru pipe in front of her. The White Tiger addressed this woman, who was apparently the superior she had mentioned.

Master, i have brought you the... being in question. And Yin, i have also brought along this Black Knight.

The woman in red and white addressed us. She looked very important, and was probably quite powerful; being in her presence made me rather nervous.

Greetings. I sincerely apologise for diverting you from what you were planning to do, but i simply must meet you. I am Huang Renka.

She was apologizing? Well, it was probably directed more towards my two companions, I thought; I knew I wasn't important enough for such formalities. Before I could respond, however, my female companion replied in a way I wasn't expecting.

Acknowledged. What can i get you?

I glanced up at the celestial woman, and gaped at her. She sounded like some sort of waitress! I wondered at her subservience; first, she'd agreed to accompany me here, and now this. I glanced back over at the woman known as Renka, who merely smiled at the comment. She then addressed me directly.

Girl.....

The White Tiger gave her my name instantly.

Pan Mingzhu Master.

Right. You were with her from the moment she came down am i correct?

I scrambled to organize my thoughts. “Y-yes, my lady,” I answered quickly, bowing my head. “And it is an honor to meet you. I know not where this woman came from, but she asked me to take her to the city, so that's what I have done. Her intentions are not known to me.”

I kept my head bowed, but listened with interest as Lady Kai Yin then spoke with the Black Knight.

"You.. You're a Black Knight, aren't you? My name is Kai Yin. If it does incovenience you, I sincerely apologize. However, my position compels me to ask, why are you here?"

"Not much. I'm just here to join the Mercenaries' Guild."

"Is that so?"

I watched out of the corner of my eye as she took a map out of a pouch she had on her, and handed it to the knight.

"You'll need this. Take it."

The knight accepted the map from her, gave her a short thank you, bowed, and then left the tavern right away. It seemed a bit odd; these women had requested his presence for a reason, and yet he didn't wait to be dismissed. I didn't know too much about Black Knight customs, but this had to mean he either held enough social clout to not be restrained by the wills of the Guard, didn't know about our customs, or else was just rude, and didn't care about potentially getting in trouble. Whatever the reason, if he intended to be a mercenary, I had to admit I was a bit relieved to be rid of him; I only hoped I wouldn't get in trouble for escorting such a person into our already crime-ridden city.

 

[Tipsynaruto]

OOC: If you are wondering where Fei and Shirou is, they are in the bg. standing by, probably looking after the twins.
​

Renka
​

“Y-yes, my lady, And it is an honor to meet you. I know not where this woman came from, but she asked me to take her to the city, so that's what I have done. Her intentions are not known to me.”

I smiled at that comment deliciously. There was so much mystery and intrigue with this being that it would probably amuse me for quite some while. I pointed my finger in the air and looked up in a motion of thought for a second before locking eyes with Mingzhu.

Miss Mingzhu, a riddle if you don't mind. If you had been with her since she had descended from the skies and she had no knowledge of our language...

I paused for a second. I was being presumptuous that the being did not speak our language.

...Did she speak our language when you first met?... in any case, how is she able to speak it now?

There had been no one I knew or heard or read about that had that much cranial capacity to hear, decipher and piece together a language within the time she landed to now. I am certain that she is not human and the lack of chi and spirit energy meant she is not a celestial being or a demon either.

What is she indeed.....?

I mused to myself quietly

 

[Valkyrur]

OOC: Uh, about the Black Knight, Galen.. He's frolicking on his way to the Guild.

Yin

The Warlock has certainly took quite the interest in this queer female before us. No doubt, I ought to take an interest in her as well, but I was more concerned about the Black Knight than of this lady. While the idea of extra-terrestrials sounded plausible, I believed at the moment, they meant far lesser harm than a horde of crime groups seeking to hire the Black Knight.

Nevertheless, I did attempt at preempting the crime groups by giving him the map. At the very least, he should be able to find his way safely to the Mercenaries' Guild.

I'll have to pay a visit to the Guild later to make sure he's not going to stray on my watch.

Meanwhile, the conversations between the lady and the Warlock continued. Tuning back into their exchange, I decided I should ensure she isn't going to become another potential threat like the Black Knight - apparently.

"Forgive me for not having introduced myself formally sooner -- my name is Kai Yin. I'm the leader of the Security Council in this city... And to get straight to the point, I'd like to know what exactly are you here for."

I had only remembered Renka's remarks about her language abilities after having posed my queries to the lady. Nevertheless, I suppose this was doing them a small favor, since they'll be able to assess her conversational skills with a question.

 

[Dionysos]

OOC: If this isn't ok then let me know. I'm posting first post for my vampire, during the day but indoors after a 'daymare'. If anything doesn't fit with the style of this RP etc then let me know and I'll try again.

IC:

This was my third daymare of the week. I awoke to find myself sweating feverishly, and instinctively ran to my bedroom bucket to cough up that which I had thought to be present in my throat and stomach. It was a very disagreeable sort of dream, but that was no surprise to me.

In it, as I recall, I was standing in an open field, naked, and dangerously close to sunrise. I could spot a building at the end of a long path, which ran down to my feet. I ran with all my strength, trying to get to that house, to shade from the rays of light which would burn my skin and boil my eyes in my skull. The length of the path grew longer as I ran. Suddenly, I realised that I wasn’t even running at all. My feet were nailed to the path. Blood… ‘Mine’ I had said in my dream.

I watched with horror as the sun rose, but was puzzled when the large black patch around me revealed that I was in shade. I then turned my head around and saw them. There, piled up behind me, was a mountain of corpses, each one headless as if some hellish tyrant had pulled off their heads like one would open a flask of sake. The blood at my feet suddenly seemed to move, rapidly, being sucked back into the bodies from which the blood came. The bodies then burst and blood scattered all over the field, and the sun began to scorch my skin. In agony, I tried desperately to pull the nails from my feet, but they were too tight, and I was so very weak.

The sun itself changed its form into a giant blood drop, and descended from the sky towards me. The blood-fertilised field spawned crimson flowers which shot out blood-spores, finding marriage with the blood-sun in a giant cumulative blob of blood. Though I did try, I could not keep my mouth closed as this thing got nearer and nearer to my mouth. ‘Why must this forever follow me?! Not me anymore!’ I yelled in my dream. I accidentally inhaled, and within an instant the colossal blood mixture shot up my mouth and nostrils with such impact it felt as if the blood had replaced my mind, filling my skull and either squeezing my mind elsewhere, or crushing it there and then. It was then that I woke up.

Feeling firmly present in the realm of reality again I grabbed a black cloth and wrapped it around my face. I went to the indoor stable to see our pet ox and horse. My business partner, Huanle (or as he likes to be known, Chort), was feeding dinner to them, singing jovially as he did so.

‘Hay for the oxie, and hay for the horsie! A bucket of water to quench your thirst, and hay for the Chortie!’

My presence startled him. Chort froze, looked horrified with himself, and rapidly blushed, spitting out the hay which he had placed in his mouth during the last line of his song.

‘Ga-Gaibian! I thought you were sleeping! You should be sleeping!’
‘Daymare.’
‘Oh… Well, you’re in good time. I was just feeding the animals and thought that, well… Well, they really love hay, don’t they? I thought I’d see what all the fuss was about. An investigation!’

I stared at him. Our gong sounded in our reception room. We both turned our heads to look at the door which led out of the stable and into the reception.

‘Ah! Would you hear that? Customers! I’ll… I’ll write down my findings for the hay experiment when I’m done!’

Chort scuttled off to the front door. I crept close enough to the door to hear Chort greet the customer.

A male voice spoke.

‘Is this Ox and Horse Paranormal Investigations?’ it asked.
‘That’s us! How can we be of service?’ said Chort.
‘It’s silly, really. It would sound so strange to you. I haven’t told anyone else.’
‘We’re paranormal investigators. To us, nothing is silly!’ Chort chortled.
‘Well…’

The man’s voice suddenly became impossible to make out. It would have seemed to me that the man had been scoffing Chort up if it wasn’t for the occasional audible ‘and then…’: it certainly sounded like the sort of noise you’d expect to hear at the dinner table of greedy humans who were never taught how to close their mouths when eating.

I popped my head around the door to check that things were ok and saw a frantic middle-aged human man bending down to whisper into Chort’s ear. Chort, I saw, was jotting notes of the incident as it was explained to him.

‘Woah! Quite a story! Well… Me and Gaibian will be on to it as soon as it turns night, if that is ok with you!’ said Chort.
‘Please. The sooner the better’ said the man, looking relieved.
‘Now I’d just like you to fill out a few forms, for ‘fficial business. It won’t take long!’
‘Sure’

They did, and they also fixed a price to be paid on completion of the investigation (I and Chort both felt it was the only way to conquer any scepticism regarding the nature of our work).

After the customer had left I entered the reception, carefully avoiding the windows.

‘Hmmmm. Interesting case?’ I asked.
Chort beamed at me, but did so in a manner which pleaded ‘this is amazing, but I so desperately need to go to bed tonight!’
‘It is!’ he exclaimed.
I waited for him to tell me what it was. Chort glanced at his notes.
‘Guy claims that his dead dog isn’t dead.’
‘Dead dog?’
‘It’s fascinating!’ Chort said, and then he sighed ‘I’m gonna have to pull another nighter, aren’t I?’
‘You can sleep if you wish. I could go alone’ I suggested.
Chort thought about it for a moment.
‘Nah. It’s much more exciting being a part of it. I’d rather see this one. You might need the support!’

I doubted this very much, but turned my frown into a smile, and patted Chort on the back.
‘I’m going to try and get some more sleep. Wake me when it’s dark’.

 

[Valvalis]

(OOC: Short post is short :/ Just to keep things moving)
----------------------------------------------------------------

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


The lady known as Renka raised a finger in thought, and then addressed me.

Miss Mingzhu, a riddle if you don't mind. If you had been with her since she had descended from the skies and she had no knowledge of our language...

She paused.

...Did she speak our language when you first met?... in any case, how is she able to speak it now?

Truth be told, I honestly had no idea how this being was able to speak our language. Assuming she was a deity, the easy answer would be that she had observed our people speaking it for a vast amount of time throughout the ages. However, the broken way in which she had spoken her few lines seemed to contradict this notion. I was quite puzzled myself.

“I am not sure, my lady,” I answered humbly, bowing my head again. “I have only heard her speak a few lines in our language, and when I first met her, she spoke in a very strange dialect that I did not understand, and could only make hand gestures to communicate with me.” I thought for a minute, trying to see if I was missing any important details. “Oh, and she had smoke coming from her body when I first found her,” I added, hoping that would help.

I listened as Lady Kai Yin introduced herself to the strange being as well.

"Forgive me for not having introduced myself formally sooner -- my name is Kai Yin. I'm the leader of the Security Council in this city... And to get straight to the point, I'd like to know what exactly are you here for."

 

[Tipsynaruto]

OOC: Bold words would be in her own dialect, so jibberish to you guys. And a very short one.

Kos Mos

"Forgive me for not having introduced myself formally sooner -- my name is Kai Yin. I'm the leader of the Security Council in this city... And to get straight to the point, I'd like to know what exactly are you here for."

With my database at its current state, I managed to decipher most of what is said rather easily. It appears the female is asking me as to why i am here. However, my answer was well beyond the possible comprehension of the people on this planet. After all, they seemed to have barely even begun to discover gun powder. It was worth a try however.

I am Xeno Series Independent Driver Entity, Model Unit 01 - Mk 4 "Kos Mos". I come from Galatic Empire of Helios. I did not arrive voluntarily. Through slipspace rupture when engaging in enemy battleship in Celestial sky (space). As the position of this planet is not on my navigational charts and i am unable to scan the stars with my long range opticalscanners, nor my radar. I only seeking to return home.
Until nanomachines repair the injured (damaged) parts of my body(frame), i cannot seek help from my handlers.


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

Renka

Interesting.... there are so many words there that were foreign. However, "Empire" was quite clear and Kai Yin might not quite take it so well that some mysterious being from another "Empire" was in the city. I flipped open my fan, hiding all but my eyes, glancing over at what was to be Kai Yin's reaction. I myself was quite interested in this battleship that she had said she fought in the sky. Celestial Sky meant the levels above our own one, atop of the clouds.

Now why would those from above have an empire...?

Fei... take note of this... Kos Mos. We might learn something interesting from her.....
​

 

[Valkyrur]

Kai Yin

From the moment this 'Kos-Mos' opened her mouth, it was all a rush to comprehend her words. First of all, what exactly was her name?!

Xe... Xeno something something...

I understood only 'Kos-Mos', which seemed like the best way to know her by. That, and she was from some kind of 'Empire'...

... From 'Celestial Sky'.

The rest were either technical details that I never knew or learned, or just complete gibberish that she came up with. The thing is, she certainly didn't look like she was playing me out. After all, considering her outlandish dress, and her strange language, enunciation and all, I had many reasons to believe her words - not sure about the technical jargon though.

What really grabbed my attention was the 'Empire' part.

I didn't like the idea of some unknown 'Empire' coming along into our Kingdom. It was bad enough with crime in the city, let alone the rival kingdoms around us... And now... Another Empire in the sky?

Things were really starting to get scary.

Still, based on what she said, she seeks to return home... And she seemed to have a way to achieve that...

... I think.

In any case, I'm not so sure what I should do.

Rubbing my temples as I stared at her, I glanced over to the Warlock, only to notice her looking at me as well.

Sighing softly under my breath, I decided I had a way. I had no way of knowing if she was friend or foe, so what better way than to keep her by my side lest she falls into the hands of the crime groups in Byakko?

It was bad enough with a Black Knight in here... And now, this alien!

ARGH.

"Ahem... Well," I started, realizing Renka's words at the same time. "Lady Warlock, if you don't mind, I'd like to initiate Kos-Mos into the Security Council until she... er... Does what she needs... Fei could be her partner for the time being and also report back to you directly about her should you be interested."

I had no idea what exactly would Renka be 'interested' in, but whatever it is, I figured it might be for the good of the kingdom. That, and this Kos-Mos was starting to become more of a headache. With Fei watching her, and the fact that she can be initiated into the Security Council, I suppose I have one less concern.

What I really need to worry about should be that Black Knight, whom I cannot initiate into the Security Council to watch over. I'll have to let him do as he pleases... Acting only when he does something wrong.

That is disturbing.

 

[Tipsynaruto]

OOC: Boo. As of late, i was extremely lazy with my posts. I will make this one better. Btw you think i should change Shirou to calling Fei Mistress? He calls Renka as well as Fei's father Master, so Mistress might be an appropriate step down dont you think?

Fei

Fei... take note of this... Kos Mos. We might learn something interesting from her.....

Yes Master. I will keep an eye on her.

"Ahem... Well, Lady Warlock, if you don't mind, I'd like to initiate Kos-Mos into the Security Council until she... er... Does what she needs... Fei could be her partner for the time being and also report back to you directly about her should you be interested."

It was a smart, calculated move. As i have felt it, i was sure master and Lady Yin also knew that this being was not simple. She has shown some form of subservient attitude towards the Grunt, but her strength was clearly above that of Black Tigers. It was a possibility that her sticking with the Grunt is an act to stay under the radar. The Grunt would be of little use in restraining her, so she'd be perfect if the being had some ulterior motive.

Hm? Oh, that seems quite wise Lady Yin. Fei would probably suffice in keeping her company, won't you Fei?

Of course

And while we are at it, do you think you can grant me a request and let her into the library? I am curious and i want to test her learning capabilities. Don't worry about anything confidential as Fei would be with her.

It was true that i was to be with her. I can only guess that Master wants to see how fast she can learn if she is exposed to proper texts. The being had understood their language rather quickly and I myself am curious as to what will result from a day of studying. However, the decision rests on Lady Yin

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

Renka

I took another puff at my kiseru pipe. My day has definitely been fine. Fire Sake, seeing my cute little Fei and to meet such an object ....a bit harsh.... a being of such mystery made my day much more wholesome. My fire fever seems to have gone down by a great deal and my body and limbs feel more invigorated after the tea. However, i still had proper official and serious work to do.

Ah Fei, while we are at it, I will be in need of Shirou, so you will be going by yourself. Take Moro with you in fact. Is that okay, Sweetie?

Yes Ma'am!

Kyaaa~~~ Such an adorable little girl

Upon instinct, i glomped the small girl. The twins are such cuties. Fei would be too if she lost her knitted eyebrows. But ah wells. Thats Fei for you.

Eh?! Master? You need Shirou's service?

I sensed hesitation and a wicked smile appeared.

Eh....? Whats this Fei?

Like a snake, my hand shot out, grabbed Fei by the chin a drew her face just centimeters from mine. As expected, Fei became flustered as i stared deep into her eyes. A slight blush flushed across her cheeks

Awawawa! Master! What are you doing!?

Do i hear hesitation? Do you not want Shirou to be away from you?

Ah! No! Take him. I dont give one bit. Not at all, nosiree!

Fei jerked away, and swiftly turned her face away from me, but i could tell it was a as red as a beetroot. She may not realise it, but Fei is rather possessive and when she starts saying things like nosiree, then its a sure sign she isn't quite truthful.

Well, you hear Fei Shirou. You will be coming with me later on.

If Mistress Fei permits....

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

Shirou

I could sort of guess what Master Renka had wanted. After all, there were very little things that she would wish to discuss with me without Mistress Fei being around. If i was to guess correctly, she had divined the time and that that time was approaching close by. If that was so, then i had best begin to prepare. Patriarch Zhang would probably want to know of this as well, so I'll go after Master Renka dismisses me. It is lucky that Mistress Fei was assigned to a mission by Lady Yin.

Much apologies Mistress Fei, but i will have to take leave with your permission.

I don't care whether you stay or go. Makes no difference.

Thank you Mistress.

As much as i want to stay by her side, this gave me an entire day to do a lot of things that have been lined up for a while

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

Kos Mos

It appeared that the Security Council Leader had appointed me to the Lady In Green and Gold. However, i am reluctant to separate from Pan Mingzhu. Running simulations, i have concluded that if i am to object, the present law enforcement may see this as me having an ulterior or suspicious motive. If that becomes the case, then preparing for my return to Helios would be delayed with local legal issues such as pursuit and incarceration. I had also caught onto the elder lady's words in that she wishes for me to read in the library. This would be good as it gives me a chance to gauge technology level as well as expand my language pack for better use of persuasion and negotiation. I will try and attempt to regroup with Pan Mingzhu at a later time, though i must perform an internal investigation as to determine why i have a priority task to follow this ... Byakka girl
​

 

[Valvalis]

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

In response to Lady Kai Yin's question, my unusual companion let loose with a quite long explanation, using many terms I wasn't familiar with, and a few that actually sounded like gibberish.

I am Xeno Series Independent Driver Entity, Model Unit 01 - Mk 4 "Kos Mos". I come from <gibberish>Empire of <gibberish>. I did not arrive voluntarily. Through <gibberish>rupture when engaging in enemy battleship in Celestial sky (space). As the position of this planet is not on my navigational charts and i am unable to scan the stars with my long range opticalscanners, nor my <gibberish>. I only seeking to return home. Until <gibberish> repair the injured (damaged) parts of my body(frame), i cannot seek help from my <gibberish>.

Some other empire? A battleship? What on earth was she talking about? She also mentioned that she needed some sort of “repairs” done to her body—but I hadn't seen any blood on her anywhere that I could remember...

The high-ranking women I had just met looked like they found this information to be unusual as well. The lady known as Renka put her fan up in front of part of her face, and addressed the White Tiger in gold and green.

Fei... take note of this... Kos Mos. We might learn something interesting from her.....

Yes Master. I will keep an eye on her.

My eyes then wandered to Lady Kai Yin as she rubbed her temple and then spoke.

"Ahem... Well, Lady Warlock, if you don't mind, I'd like to initiate Kos-Mos into the Security Council until she... er... Does what she needs... Fei could be her partner for the time being and also report back to you directly about her should you be interested."

The Security Council? My thoughts raced—what if she was a spy from this empire she spoke of, and they were an enemy of Byakko? That didn't sound like the best place to put her to me. However, I supposed it would be good for her to be monitored by skilled officers, just in case she was up to something devious. It sounded like I might have to part ways with her soon, though, and I had to admit to myself that I was a little disappointed. I had been the one who'd found her and escorted her here, after all, and I still felt some sort of clinging responsibility towards her. It was beginning to sound more and more like she wasn't a deity, I knew, but there was still always that off chance that she was. And I certainly didn't want to do anything that would disappoint her.

Hm? Oh, that seems quite wise Lady Yin. Fei would probably suffice in keeping her company, won't you Fei?

Of course

And while we are at it, do you think you can grant me a request and let her into the library? I am curious and i want to test her learning capabilities. Don't worry about anything confidential as Fei would be with her.

Yes, it definitely sounded like the Council would be confiscating my new companion. However, if she was to visit the library, then perhaps I could try to find some way to check up on her there. I honestly had never heard much about our library, and wasn't sure whether a Grunt like myself could hope to gain access, but it was certainly something worth looking into.

Ah Fei, while we are at it, I will be in need of Shirou, so you will be going by yourself. Take Moro with you in fact. Is that okay, Sweetie?

Yes Ma'am!

Kyaaa~~~ Such an adorable little girl

Eh?! Master? You need Shirou's service?

Eh....? Whats this Fei?

Awawawa! Master! What are you doing!?

Do i hear hesitation? Do you not want Shirou to be away from you?

Ah! No! Take him. I dont give one bit. Not at all, nosiree!

Well, you hear Fei Shirou. You will be coming with me later on.

If Mistress Fei permits....

Much apologies Mistress Fei, but i will have to take leave with your permission.

I don't care whether you stay or go. Makes no difference.

Thank you Mistress.

I tried not to smile, though it was a bit amusing to see the young White Tiger woman getting so flustered. Seeing the more lighthearted banter between these people though, I figured my welcome had probably worn out by now, along with my usefulness to these officials, so I glanced from Lady Kai Yin to Lady Renka, and quickly bowed my head, hoping they would not be angry with me for having lingered this long during a discussion that might have led to serious security matters.

“My Ladies,” I began, after I was sure that they were finished talking, “I hope that I have served you well in bringing this person to you. If there is nothing else you will need from me, then I will depart, and report to my unit commander. However, if there is anything further you wish for me to do now, then I will be happy to serve you.” I kept my head down, waiting to see if any of them would ask me any further questions, or if I would be dismissed.