Zone Five, The Dappled Passages

A bald-headed, unassuming and rotund, black-robed monk of a man pushed aside a curtain of kudzu and ducked into an alleyway, headed for a morning rendezvous, special edition of the Concordance under his arm. Humble wooden sandals ringing on the metal mesh, he strode fearlessly down the corridor past the bundles of cables, the narrow balconies, the running downpipes, the cascading tresses of leafy vines, the shopfronts and kiosks, the blinking signs, and through the thick evening crowd, reaching an intersection and turning right to reach his destination. Though not afraid, and while seeming to be in a state of near-enlightened relaxation, he was hyper-aware of the area around himself, his senses and suspicions strung tight. The nature of these passages and of his meeting demanded no less.

Orange-pink aloes and violet LED banners hung about the tea-shop on the corner, twelve stools in front of an impeccably shining bar, warmth emanating out from an inventory of ornate samovars. Although it was evening and the teahouse was busier than it would be at, say, dawn, most people simply ate their dinner quickly and left, or chose take-away rather than staying to eat, so there were a few patrons at this hour, spaced out along the stools with at least one stool between each and his or her neighbor. The monk took a seat at the stool furthest from the rest, ordered some green tea and protein bao, and read the paper as he waited. Soon enough, the man he had been waiting for approached - or could this thing truly be called 'man' rather than 'alien'? - and he turned his head to regard the newcomer with an easy grin.

"Yuudias, right?" he greeted, motioning to the seat beside himself. "Sit down, my boy, sit down! Ask Wong Pro to fix you up some dinner and a drink, if you like! I recommend the bao to go along with any of the teas, really! I'm in the middle of supper at the moment, so I hope you don't mind if I eat while we talk..."

Edited by darksidevoid on Sep 17th 2022 at 8:52:57 AM

GM of AGOG S4: Frontiers RP; Sub-GM of TABA, SOTR, & UUA RPs

Zone Five

A New Voyage! Aboard The Great Ship Concordia (1)

The fifth zone of the Concordia was where our boy Yuudias had found himself today.
In truth, he could not tell you how exactly he had gotten there in the first place- it had been around... a week, maybe more, since he arrived on the ship, and yet he still had no idea why or how he was there. Worse still, he seemed to not only have been separated from Yuuhi, Yuamu, and everyone else from UTS and Mutsuba Town, but also from Valvelgear itself, the precious ship hosting his comrades! It was a great crisis! He needed to find them, at once!!

...Or so he had thought, at least, but it turned out they really were nowhere to be seen. No one here had heard of UTS and of his friends, much less seen a spaceship with 8.88 million people flying by. Not that he didn't look- he had spent the better part of the week doing just that. Touring street after street after street, calling out their names one after the other, and to no response. The names garnered no reaction beyond annoyance, in fact. But he couldn't give up! He had to find them! This could very well be enemy territory, what if they were in danger?
Still, no danger had come yet. And no trace of anyone he knew either. For now, he also needed to conserve his energy and gather intel. Taking some odd jobs here and there he was able to make some money for food. All still in his human disguise, of course, though he felt as though it had been seen through already somehow...

And now, he'd been sent to the fifth zone, headed to a tea-house where he'd been told he was to meet a person who needed his help. Arriving there, passing under the LE Ds, he was reminded of the building of an alien colony he had visited once... But he could not quite put his finger on which it was, as of that moment.
Reaching a table, a voice rose up to address him, and with a nod, he sat down.

"It is nice to meet you, sir!"

He gave a small bow before sitting down. He had understood it was custom to show respect when first meeting new people, after all!

"I do not know what the 'bao' is, but I will gladly try it! I do not mind you having supper, either! It is important to keep oneself well nourished while on a mission!"

Yuudias added. And then, getting to the topic.

"But, I understood you were in need of assistance?"

He asked the man. ...He totally didn't forget to ask for his name at all.

Zone Five, The Dappled Passages

"A-ha-ha!" the monk chortled, eyes crinkling. "I'm afraid you have it reversed, Yuudias, my boy! Certainly, I can always use help with any number of things, but you are the one in need of help from me, if I understand correctly, are you not? You're searching for something important to you, something irreplaceable, and your search has thus far been fruitless. You asked around for people who might know something, anything that might aid you in your quest, and someone you spoke with sent you here, to me!"

"That's how it goes, Yuudias," he informed with a crooked smile and a sip of his tea. "You see, although I buy and sell favors and information, some of which are worth a great deal, I am not a man of great material wealth! No, instead, I have a great wealth of friends! We do each other favors, my friends and I, as friends do, and one of the favors I often ask of my friends is to send anyone like yourself in need of information to me! Helps to keep the prospects flowing, if you know what I mean..."

"Anyway, come, come, order something from Wong Pro, here!" he urged, nodding at the cyborg man behind the counter with what looked like a high-end graphics card embedded in his head, who silently inclined his head with a smile in response. "He doesn't run this establishment to have people sit without purchasing from his menu - and it is an excellent menu, if I do say so! The bao... well, the humble bao is a type of yeast-leavened bun, usually steamed, and filled with one of various types of fillings! Mine here are filled with synthetic protein, but Wong Pro also offers them with vegetable fillings. Or, if that's not to your taste, a friend of mine swears by this place's Friday pie! And to wash it down, choose any of the teas you see here-" he gestured expressively to the menu hanging above the samovars, "-Having tried all of them, I can assure you that all are delicious!"

Edited by darksidevoid on Sep 17th 2022 at 9:17:48 AM

GM of AGOG S4: Frontiers RP; Sub-GM of TABA, SOTR, & UUA RPs

Seija Kijin, The Weed Party

Seija Kijin wore a hat.

This was no minor deal. She had done many terrible things in her time in Concordia, but this was one of the most things she had ever done.

Okay, to be honest, nobody here would know the deal. She had been rather tight-lipped about her life history prior to now (the most anyone would know is that she came from some rural land and made vague claims about revolutionary activity at some point), and the last thing anyone would know about her is the constant discrimination she would face as a non-hat-wearer. No hat, no ribbons, no tiaras or floating crests or those poofy diaper-looking things. Just her hair was fine...for her. For others, it was a sin. She could see their rueful glares behind her back as she walked through the streets of Former Hell, floated at the edges of the village, walked in and amongst the people...and all of their fucking hats. Her choice to remain bareheaded, nothing preserving her decency in this ultra-conservative society, was brave and beautiful.

Or maybe she just imagined it because everyone hated her for all the other reasons she presented willingly.

Or maybe she was just lying through narration...

Well, whatever. Seija wore a bucket hat today; she stole it from a guy who was either sleeping or dead (she didn't bother checking). The place she sat in was the back room of a haunt, which was a term she had come to know. It was evocative. Haunt. Ghosts. You were floating about it like a departed spirit, with no ability to leave. It felt like that kind of place to her.

Here there were black seats that lined all walls but where the door sat, spun of cracked leather, extruded from the magic processes of someone who is able to transform into a provocative outfit at will. Through this process, that man became one of the main providers of leather in Concordia and retired from his sordid position at the leather club to become a furniture and jacket craftsman. He was rich, and Seija sat on the fruits of his commerce.

It was a narrow space, just seats lined around a table, with a valuable stereo record player sitting at one end. Posters for bands who had played here and across Concordia over the years - The Jackson 1, Metta-JAM, I Stole A Guitar From A Dead Guy And I Really Need The Money^* (this particular one managed to become one of the most popular acts), Supreme GuroYuri Aesthetic, Indomitus Mex and the Latin-Latino Legion, I Have No Mouth And I Must Ska, among others. These posters were hung up with blue tape and little care was given to their preservation; some were torn to pieces and had others placed right on top, most were discolored from years of god-knows-what wafting into the air. The oldest one here was the first tour poster ever printed in this place - The Farer's Benefit Concert, very early into Concordia's conception as a civilization and not a camp in the middle of a nightmare. Bought at some junk dealer and taped on the ceiling, it was close to a century old and provided great insight to the formation of a unique culture. Half of it was covered by the GuroYuri poster.

Arrayed out on the table was the physical form of most of the money Seija had. A hookah, cheap but functional with its green glass and antique steel mouthpiece. A couple more glass pipes, one being Seija's own. She had little interest in making most food, so she made the only thing she understood - mochi cakes - and stuffed pot into them. The dosage on these edibles was wildly unpredictable...just like her! And, in a tin container, many joints - each all-but perfectly rolled. It turns out that, for all of Seija's incompetence, she had some natural skill in making them, possibly as an extension of her natural ability to telekinetically rotate objects.

Seija sat, legs outstretched at the far end of the table. A slow song played over the stereo, one of a Concordian singer whose name had been lost to time. He spoke of waves on the seashore and a real sunset, of long-lost nostalgia for vistas that he could never experience but as a simulation here. The dreams he had often led him back to the long shoreline where he grew up, and he could feel the surf and the sweat coalesce into a freeing coolness...only to wake up. The same grey ceiling welcomed him back. He looked up out the window and saw a painted sun, and he then resolved to go rest again - with the wording intentionally ambiguous as to whether he slept, or slipped into death in hopes of finally leaving this place. The final line of the song, playing at that moment over a soft chord, said And there it was again, wide as the world. The sea...

Seija chewed on some mochi.

Edited by wikkit on Sep 18th 2022 at 1:28:46 AM

Zone Five - Barovian Backdoor - Susie

I still miss home sometimes. I'm pretty sure everyone does. Even the people who have been here since the beginning. But now and then you find something that makes the whole 'trapped in another world' thing worth it. For me, it's the fact that I have actual friends. People who won't run away just 'cause I look scary.

Words like 'monster' don't really mean anything, in this shitshow of a city. It's one of the high points. Doesn't make up for the whole 'everyone in charge is an asshole' problem, but I'm just glad there's at least something about this place that's better than home. It helps take the edge off, after a long day of hitting things with an ax.

Speaking of taking the edge off: weed. Which I'm pretty sure is illegal here too, but also the cops here suck ass and all take bribes, so that doesn't really mean much. What it does mean is that me and a couple of friends can get absolutely fuckin' blasted without any fear of being arrested.

It was just sort of a sporadic decision. I don't even remember who brought it up first, but somehow we decided to all hit up the Barovian. The Barovian has a sort of punk rock kinda vibe to it. Cool place, private booths. Seija's setting shit up. She's rad. She used to do revolution stuff. She doesn't talk much about it, but I bet she killed a bunch of evil kings and queens. Between her and Satsuki, I bet they'll have those Diet fuckers in a guillotine in no time.

The thought puts a grin on my face as I stomp excitedly towards the booth Seija's already reserved. My casual boots, not my combat boots, which are totally different. I swapped out my fighting outfit for something more comfy, my usual ripped jeans and my favorite shirt - it has the raven from the Peacekeeper logo on it, but 'x'ed out and with 'fuck birds and fuck pigs' written under it. It's pretty awesome, if I do say so.

My soul is practically vibrating in my chest as I pull open the curtain to the booth. "Yo!" I grin at the assortment on the table. "You rock, Seija. Hope you're ready to hotbox this bitch."

Then I grab one of her rice cakes and scarf it down in one bite.

---

Zone Five - Streets - Amaterasu

There exists life beyond Concordia. The thought is at once frightening, yet perhaps a little exciting. Amaterasu is one who always sees brightness in darkness; to her, the idea of something living beyond the madness brings hope. Hope for a way to the homes left behind. Even those who have no desire to leave would certainly enjoy sharing food and stories with all manner of worlds.

That hope for the future brought her to the now.

Amaterasu is patrolling the streets of Zone Five, which she knows has been recently torn apart by gang violence. She has been remiss, in not helping her children more. She could have stopped this, perhaps. Quelled the fighting. But her desire to avoid playing politics drove her to let it happen.

No more. Now, she wanders, conjuring water for those in need, mending cracks in buildings, and blooming vegetable gardens. She occasionally pauses to let children pet her, or ride on her back, or to play with stray animals that cross her path, but then she moves on, offering her magic to any who request it.

Where she passes through, she leaves flowers and trees. A reminder that life is beautiful.

Benkei follows behind her, almost amused at her antics. His eyes dart this way and that, as if searching for potential threats. She hardly needs an attendant, of course. Anything willing to challenge a goddess to direct combat wouldn't be discouraged by one extra samurai, no matter how skilled.

Nonetheless, Benkei insisted, after she was injured by Greed. Some are doubtful of him, at first, for he is obviously a Houraisan, and he bears two swords on his hips. But between his red-and-white garb that matches Amaterasu's fur, his winning smile, and his boisterous and kind heart, it is easy for him to win people over.

He, too, helps those in need. Though he lacks the magical powers of Amaterasu, he is still strong.

And yet, through all of it, he does not proselytize. He does not insist that others follow the mother sun, for the mother sun would never demand worship. All he asks is for people to pay it forward.

And so, Amaterasu and Benkei trod onward, trying to mend that which is broken.

Edited by kagescorpionakki on Sep 24th 2022 at 3:10:33 PM

What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?

Witch - Zone One - Diet Chambers

It came as an incredible shock to no small number of people to find that there had been a rather dramatic and entirely sudden change in the general situation of the City. Many of those people were currently in the same room as you, bickering as you'd always known them to. The Houraisans in particular seemed to be in a greater fuss than typical; The fresh stain on Greguya's clothes meant he was probably interrupted while eating and hadn't had a chance to change before the meeting. Were there any in doubt of how and why Concordia had managed to reach such an uneven state, a few minutes in the Diet Chambers while they were in session was the surest cure. You'd witnessed greater cohesion during the civil war.

You wanted to throttle most of them, but alas! No physical harm could be directed towards any of them within these walls, no matter how much any of them might deserve it. You had to put on the Diplomatic Mask once again, and thus you settled for a subtle sideways glance at General Swain before fixing your eyes forward again. Officially the Guardians were here merely to receive direction to carry back to their respective Zones, and even though you had further motivation for being present you lacked the authority necessary to speak out of turn without risking your plans. It would fall upon the shoulders of a Diet member or two to attempt to get things on track.

Out of the corner of your eye you saw Councilor Mercer lean back in his chair and put his feet up on the table. He seemed to be enjoying the chaos.

Alex Mercer - Zone Six - Egress Eternal Private Room

And so here you were, away from prying eyes and once again freed from an utterly unexpected and unforseen Diet meeting. As satisfying as it was to watch them scramble and scurry, most of them were useless and tedious. At least now you were in far more interesting company, even if one of them seemed dedicated to finding the bottom of the bottle you'd been brought. You could speak freely here, for nothing you said would be in Alex Mercer's voice anyway.

You weren't Esteemed Diet Member Alex Mercer right now. Robert Cross was the name of the face you chose for today, the man who'd been a rather unlikely but brief ally of yours before he had an unfortunate encounter with Blacklight and then yourself. You liked to take his skin for a spin whenever you felt like getting up to some light mischief, and present company absolutely qualified. Sitting across from you at the table were one Blair Nightshade, preeminent capitalist and accomplished witch, and Dio Brando, a mountain of a man whose face was fifty percent teeth and fifty percent chiseled bone. His upper arms were thicker than his head, and his chest was nearly as pronounced as Blair's.

"So how'd you end up getting roped into working with that suit, anyway?" Cross's voice inquired. "He stinks like the type that should just be shoved into a pine box, save yourself a lot of trouble."

Areum, Zone One, Diet Chambers

I’m not even sure why I’m here.

Whatever’s going to be brought up here will just be shot down by Kaguya and her brood, or Myn who is in her pocket, in fact I think most of the Diet is probably on her side by now. Not for any ideological reasons - we don’t really even have an ideology - but because she’s the winning side at this point. And if I were to seriously confront her, she’d just say something like ‘you’ve been an uncaring bitch for years at this point, what is motivating you to act like the people’s champion now of all times?’. And honestly, I wouldn’t have a retort for that. I have really fucked up, badly.

Maybe I should just get on the winning team and stop caring. It’s probably too late to redeem myself. Too late to make any sort of change that would matter. I’m one of them - one of the people who has helped ruin this city. The worst thing about us isn’t that we’re some government that bickers as the world burns - that’s probably a generous estimation of what we actually are. Because we largely do agree on something very important - which is that just about everyone in this city can go to hell if it means we don’t have to give up any of our unearned wealth and privilege. Whatever differences we actually have pale compared to that which binds us together.

Or maybe I should just go back to how I used to act. The fans would probably prefer that. Right now, I don’t even know if I want to continue making music. I just don’t really enjoy it anymore. And I know that if I continue to pursue it, it’s just going to mean more fights with Mikudayo. And I’ll start to resent music more and more as I start associating it with unpleasant bullshit and drama. I was supposed to have this one thing I could do without being brought down or made to feel bad, and now… I don’t even have that anymore. All I wanted to do was… make songs people enjoyed. I just… wanted…

I feel a couple tears flow from my eyes. Goddammit, no! Nothing has even happened yet and I’m already starting to break. How the fuck am I going to get through this?

“Miss… miss Witch.”

I’ve preemptively lowered my goals and expectations to ‘don’t throw up in public’. If I can accomplish that and go home relatively quickly, I think that’s good enough. Maybe I’ll fill my entire pool with banana milk and jump in.

“Thank you for bringing your concerns to the Diet. What exactly is that you wish to discuss?”

Blair, Zone Six, Egress Eternal

I’m drinking quite a lot. It wouldn’t be safe for a normal person to guzzle down this much alcohol this quickly, but I’m about as far from normal as possible. Maybe I’ll get drunk, maybe I won’t - that question is more interesting to me than any discussion I had at the factory opening, that’s for sure.

Two men are gathered here today - Dio and Mercer, under the alias Robert Cross. Dio is somewhat surprising - Mercer's presence, extremely surprising. I can scarcely imagine what he's even doing here, until he speaks and gives me a not so subtle clue. So this really is about Brand after all. Granted, I don't know what I was expecting it to be about - neither of these men are what you'd call 'wizards', so I knew they didn't come here to discuss magic.

“My partnership with Brand is a purely pragmatic one. Certainly, I have reason to want him out of here - more than most do, in fact. He’s a misogynist, and just a really obnoxious twat in general - just about everything people say about him is true. But this is not a simple matter. Brand is also an incredibly wealthy man with nothing but time and resources to tear down everyone else in the magic business. I did not want to get into a situation where I am bled dry dealing with this chauvinist who has every single silver spoon shoved up his ass, so I reluctantly decided that cooperation would be in my best interest. And as far as just killing him goes… he is not a man to be trifled with. He has weapons that could put this city in danger, and were he to truly feel like his life were at risk, I have no doubt he’d be willing to use them. We have already seen what Eggman was willing to do when faced with jail time, how he destroyed our city’s infrastructure and will no doubt directly lead to the deaths of many people who depend on it. What exactly do you think Brand, who is exponentially more of a threat, is going to do when he feels the knife against his throat? So even if I were to agree that he needed to go and was willing to go that far, a failed attempt on his life would potentially bring disastrous consequences. It is a decision I would not be able to make lightly.”

I gulp down some more vodka.

“I believe I’ve thoroughly answered your question. Now, I have one of my own. What are the aims of you two, exactly? From your… rather colorful and unprompted suggestion, I assume you want Brand’s head. Not exactly hard to piece that together. But why? Are you truly that opposed to his business practices? Or is there something more to it? Because I wouldn’t figure you as the type to be that invested in Concordia’s economy, Dio. Nor do I take you as the particularly vengeful type, Robert. Hm... so what are your angles here?"

I await with my hands folded, looking amused.

Edited by HilarityEnsues on Sep 19th 2022 at 10:55:59 AM

Zone One, Diet Chamber

Amidst the hubbub and cacophony consuming the Diet chamber, in a seat specially designed to accommodate her nine golden tails, Ran Yakumo sat, silent and serene, holding herself above the chaos. In front of her was a blue-purple piece of fine pottery painted with the kanji for her name, a character which means 'indigo', a teacup full of steaming-hot green tea from which she occasionally sipped. As she waited with a practiced neutral expression for someone to call the madness to order, her eyes wandered from Areum, to Witch, whom Areum had addressed, to Swain. At the last, she quirked an expectant eyebrow, as if to say, "Why isn't she asking you?".

In the air above Ran, however, was something unusual. An oblong, oval-shaped gap in space that peered into a seemingly infinite black abyss, somehow looking the same no matter what angle it was observed from. And out from the darkness peered an ever-shifting number of glowing red eyes, the attention of which anyone who glimpsed at them could feel on their person, for the abyss gazed back. Almost as strange, however, was the jazzy music that was drifting out of that same hole in space, as if to accentuate the chamber's disorder.

As Mercer put his feet up and leaned back, another, much smaller gap opened up in the air beside his ear. "Councilor Mercer!" an airy voice lilted with amusement murmured at him, "Could I interest you in a drink in these trying times? I'm currently enjoying a fine glass of something purple, myself."

GM of AGOG S4: Frontiers RP; Sub-GM of TABA, SOTR, & UUA RPs

Zone Six; Egress Eternal Private Rooms - Dio Brando

“You’re halfway right” I said. “The economy doesn’t interest me at all. Neither does Brand’s head.”

There was me, myself, across the table a disguised biologist, between us both a poor maligned entrepreneur, and we sat in a cramped private booth in the backrooms of the Egress Eternal. This is a quaint establishment, the intersection of a diner and a public house; it serves Icecold Drinks, sweet apple pies, some malfeasance of the ploughman’s lunch, coffee brewed thrice-weekly, pork scratchings, so on and so forth, but it does this all in smooth streamline moderne. The walls are bare brushed metal, the lighting warm yellow halogen, the Icecold Drinks have a pink neon sign and the placemats are vulcanised rubber. The Egress Eternal is also a spaceship, you see, her bulkhead doors festooned in strange valves and airtight locks, and it is here the cold chrome surfaces and swooping lines of motion projected by the modern come home full circle, artifice come to prophecy - the mundane does not here make appeal to the future, but the future has been captured by the mundane. Her proprietress is the ship herself.

Still. As wondrous as this conniption of aesthetics may appear, it can’t negate the tragedy of the food. Alas, Ol’ Gressie was the only establishment left with air conditioning.

There could be, perhaps, no better venue; Blair had taken to the vodka and was forgetting to pretend to breathe, limp and strangely damp. Her lipstick was phenomenal, and I’d already decided to borrow it. Mercer (cum Cross) sat quite unlike a man who had been shot scarce six hours prior, luxuriant and beaming, as if we couldn’t hear things writhing quietly inside his torso. He had elected to disguise himself as a humanoid thumb. This the quintessence of the Concordian symposium.

“People pay me to know things,” I said, swilling my wine, a mysterious and awful vintage. “Darien Brand is a man I simply don’t know much about. I’ve found these matters are generally resolved by asking. Don’t mistake this for conspiracy, Blair Nightshade. I brought you here to drink and to talk. I think Robert just came along for the food.”

I smiled, all in jest, and took a sip. Pure vinegar.

“Still,” I said, “if it’s all the same, I think it’s best we start with you. May I call you Blair? You’re a woman of some repute, Blair. You must surely be aware of this. I’m told you came here with nothing but your knowledge and the clothes on your back. They call you a triumph of entrepreneurial spirit. You’re considered one of the most powerful women not currently sitting the Diet.”

Hints of egg, I think, on the aftertaste. There was a queer suggestion of meat.

“Do you feel powerful, Blair?”

Edited by OG-Sama on Sep 21st 2022 at 5:08:52 PM

Alex Mercer - Zone Six - Egress Eternal Private Room

You shake your head and give a half-smirk. "I believe I've given you the wrong impression, ma'am. Call it pragmatism, like you did. I'm in much the same boat as Dio here," you said, vaguely gesturing towards the man. "I've dealt with enough suits in my time. Nobody gets that rich without leaving a trail of corpses behind them. That said, I don't have any reason to want Brand dead yet, he's simply the newest addition to the stage, and thus an unknown."

You never liked suits was the long and short of it. Neither had Cross. Both of you ended up spending a significant amount of time either getting rid of them or cleaning up after them. But back home none of the suits had magic, and the richest man still only counted his assets in billions. Frankly, you had to wonder what Brand's motivations even were. Most people couldn't fathom the true extent of a trillion dollars, let alone the staggering wealth spread across the entire universe. And this man claimed to be the second richest in the multiverse? What would one even do with that much wealth? And why even bother visiting this fucking ship when there was so much else accessible out there? You could live lavishly for a thousand lifetimes on some garden world and never once see the consequences of your actions with that kind of money, and yet he's here, personally running a magic shop.

You leaned forward to rest your elbows on the table, crossing your arms in the process. "Much as I might love the grub here, I have motives of my own." You raised a hand and waggled your index finger. "But I don't scheme, I watch. Not much else for me to do here, really, and it gets boring. I care about solving problems, not being in charge. Back home I dealt with biohazard outbreaks and escaped lab experiments. But here, there's nothing nearly that exciting, nothing to really get the blood pumping."

"Yet while he is much of an unknown, you, Blair, are not. He isn't the first to arrive in Concordia and make such outlandish claims as being the second richest in the multiverse, but he is the first in some time to earn the attention of someone so established in the city so quickly. The Houraisans are known for flights of fancy; You are not. I'm interested in your plans, since you've agreed to work with him, and if they're interesting enough, I might even want a piece of the action. If I don't like it, I walk away, and nothing leaves this room. Simple as that."

You didn't care about money. You didn't understand the people who did, either. But now you had far more time than you knew what to do with, and no meaningful threats to oppose you. Even if the people with lots of money weren't always interesting, they inevitably attracted interesting things, intentionally or not. And right now, there was quite a lot you'd be willing to give to see interesting things happen.

Edited by lynkzero13 on Sep 22nd 2022 at 10:05:56 AM

Zone 1; The Everlasting Diet, Diet Chamber - Myn

"If it pleases the Diet, the Lady Guardian is here on my invitation."

His face grave, Myn stands to address the gathered councilors. He takes a brief mental role call of all he can see. Apathy has won out on so many an occasion, and if he's to convince them, an appeal to their better natures will be yawned down like so many relief packages; so he will instead appeal to their hunger for comfortable status quo.

"I come bearing two items of great importance, and I ask that they are given their due consideration. The people of Concordia stand to benefit greatly from the both, and as the honorable Councilors will soon realize, we stand to lose much should we turn a blind eye. Firstly,"

For effect, Myn quietly clears his throat.

"As the Diet is no doubt aware, Concordia is now without much of its robotic infrastructure, courtesy of Dr. Ivo Robotnik's machinations, presumably as revenge for the temerity to put him on trial. We have already been approached by multiple individuals promising to solve this problem for us, hoping to capitalize on what they see as desperation. Fortunately, Guardian Witch, Councilor Swain, and myself, have devised a solution that we feel will be best for everyone."

He finally smiles, an affable and confident thing that can be heard by those sat too far back to see it.

"Robotnik's machines have already been seized in the aftermath of their collective shutdown. Our most reliable reports state that it will take approximately three months to get Concordia's autonomous infrastructure back to...roughly 38% of what it was before." Myn pauses. That number hurts to even say. "Our industry has been crippled by this. It is no secret. An economic recession is not coming, my friends; it is here, and it will only get worse as our factories struggle to meet their quotas for food and necessary goods. However, we are able to manually operate the majority of Robbotnik's machines right now, particularly those used for construction. Our proposal is thus: Guardian Witch, Councilor Swain, and myself will all oversee a reconstruction project for Zone 5, utilizing those very construction vehicles. It has fallen into disrepair and neglect over the years, and it is high time we restored it.

"This serves three important purposes: First, it provides jobs for those most affected by this recession. Many are likely worried that they will not be able to put food on their tables, and as the factories have to work harder just to produce what they previously could, prices will no doubt rise. We must ensure that unemployment is not a concern for our people. Second, once construction is far enough along, I propose we focus on the creation of crucial infrastructure: Hospitals, factories, manufacturing plants. Concordia must be a well-oiled machine in this time of strife so that while times are tough, the people are still going strong, and once things improve, we will all be better off for it. Which brings me to the third reason this benefits us, and the one of which I know all of us understand the importance: Trusted sources of mine speak of feelings of disenfranchisement in the outer zones. They feel not just neglected but actively oppressed, and while they are just whispers now, and whether or not we feel they are justified, we cannot allow those feelings to worsen. Need I remind you all of the attacks we have suffered these past weeks from subversive elements? Those are only the beginning if we do not improve the morale of our citizens. Not only should we show the people of Concordia that we have their best interests in mind, but we must, lest we face dissent from within, and that is something we can ill afford in times such as these."

With the first of his proposals now officially presented, Myn looks to Swain and Witch in case they wish to add to his statements. Their second proposal can, of course, wait until the Diet has been fully eased into the idea of great changes. Too long has he spent cultivating an air of complacency and moderation in his public persona. Working behind the scenes with the few real political movers and shakers has only gotten them so far, and it's not nearly far enough for his liking. Like it or not, the Everlasting Diet will be dragged kicking and screaming into the world of public awareness today. The time for tolerating the Diet's apathy has come to an end.

Kaguya Houraisan, The Everlasting Diet - Zone 1

There was a tension at the top of Kaguya's spine.

She had felt an inkling of it before, as the ruminations of her planned obsolescence of the Diet had formed and festered in her head, but only now had it become something she committed to. Her eyes scanned the hall with its hundreds of people, strange and unique alike...only now that she had let out her intentions, spoken it so that another may hear, did it feel real. Almost every single person in this room felt like they were an enemy. The thought of being deep in a den of wolves that would be baying for her throat in a few weeks, or months, excited her in a way that she hadn't felt in years.

Her smile remained serene, however. Her half-lidded eyes drifted across the room and its occupants...the mochi-ball features of the blessed scion Greguya across from her, undoubtedly sweating like a pig. The flowing golden hair of the third-generation Houraisan Rūt, who had always spurned her affection while still drawing from the wellspring of her family's coffers and kindness. The frankly too-strange-to-abide-by features of the King of All Cosmos, reclining as a dazzling light emanates from His form as it always had. And Myn, his face having changed so greatly in what felt like no time at all...his words were nothing like what he believed. It was only natural, though.

Which of these, or any others, would be the first to raise a hand against her? Which would need a metal gauntlet raised against them in an especial display of conviction?

I'm sure you can see why her heart was aflutter.

From her own seat, just a little more comfortable and a little more well-decorated than the rest of the assembly's, her attendance was marked the first time in months. Her attendance at these meetings was rare; absentee voting was a wondrous blessing. Today would mark the first time she had spoken to bring up an issue herself in years. She had a small favor to hand off to today's handmaiden, a short and squat Houraisan of some distant generation that had inherited the family hair and the smug satisfaction - her potato like features charmed Kaguya for some reason - who took it to begin the daisy chain of hand-offs between ministers and members.

Myn finished speaking. A polite clap was had, but with him finished, the floor was open. Thus, she rose. A minister somewhere within the echoing chamber acknowledged her and read off a long title - the floor was hers.

"I thank Myn for the prudent words with which he seeks to remedy the situation at hand," she extended a long sleeve toward him, the most direct acknowledgement he had received from her in some time. "The current unpleasantness has affected everyone in a profound manner - even the ones so high up as to seem imperceptibly distant to the common man relied on that man's handiwork. I believe he spoke wisely and correctly: inaction will only bring senescence and wasting away. Our good and loyal subjects require the gentle yet firm hand of a leadership that works only in their favor, untiringly..."

She spoke with an even tone prior, and tailed off into a dim and distant melancholy. Whatever she spoke of next weighed on her heart heavily.

"...Right. Honourable gentlemen, it is in this manner that I bring about another motion for the Everlasting Diet's humble consideration. We face a threat hitherto unprecedented in potential loss of life and freedom of our people - in recent times, I have been visited by a being named Darien Brand." She let her words hang in the air briefly. "He was a being spoken of in early writings and memoirs by a select few First Farers, most directly in a work called Stairdancing the Multiverse. A self-proclaimed man with riches beyond compare, thorn in the foot of those who I traveled with in the earliest days of my egress."

"He visited me directly, and with no concern, threatened me within the bounds of my own home...threatened the whole of this nation that we have lovingly raised."

Her eyes looked toward the polished floor, but her ears remained alert: if she didn't hear at least one gasp after that, she would feel as if she was being ignored...

"Beyond that...he also made an allusion, slight as it is, toward arriving in pursuit of us intentionally. He claims to have arrived in Concordia by will, not by misfortune."

If they ignored her after that, then that was their fault.

"He possesses weapons which I believe would cause a great deal of suffering upon our good and loyal subjects, and it is with this and the knowledge he withholds from us that I seek to bring about his immediate capture. The Houraisan estate is willing to put a vast sum of its fortune behind any effort needed to bring this to a reality..."

"...and I leave the esteemed members of the Everlasting Diet to propose a means with which to make it happen."

Now, this was a little gambit that'd had even less chance of paying off than others: Kaguya so sincerely hoped that the promise of dangling a large part of her household funds would result in bitter in-fighting over so many greedy Diet members coming up with self-serving schemes to fill their own coffers.

Blair, Zone Six, Egress Eternal Private Room

“Forgive me for misjudging you two,” I say as I levitate another glass of vodka to my mouth. “I simply wanted to eliminate that particular thread as a possibility before we proceed any further.”

Brando’s question piqued my curiosity. I could muse about what the nature of power truly is, but I think such a thing would be a waste of time. Better leave that to the philosophers.

“Powerful? In all the typical ways one would define power, of course. I have wealth, an extensive knowledge of magic, brute strength, outright divinity and immortality - all the traditional markers are there. But I’m cautious of becoming overconfident. The world is… chaotic, unpredictable. Brand showed up out of nowhere and forced me to completely rethink everything in this city. Figures like Kayne and Satsuki pop up every now and then to try to wake the world around them from its slumber in unchanging stasis, bolstered by the societal conditions that create them, and may eventually fall out of favor or be violently struck down. The Diet may continue as it exists for the foreseeable future, or it may be destroyed by forces internal or external. There is nothing that can truly be called a certainty.”

I take another drink.

“...What I’m taking a long route to get at is, I’m too aware of how precarious the state of things can truly be to ever really become complacent in the idea that I’m some all-powerful being or anything like that. The world is random and cruel beyond measure - no matter how powerful we try to become to shield ourselves from its raging fires, we always fall just short of the price.”

…And another. My smile slowly leaves my face.

“...But to boil it down even further to a single word… No. No I don’t, Brando. Not right now, given the circumstances.”

I nod in agreement with Mercer.

“I would concur. Compared to ruling over the United Kingdom, Concordia isn’t particularly exciting.”

At times, I miss my old land. For all its faults, it was far grander in scope than this flying tin can.

“My plans? I’ll be frank with you, Robert. If I am not given an alternative… My plan is to stick with Brand, to see that the two of us prosper. To see our influence over this city expand. I also wish to find out more about him, and it’s quite possible my opinion will change depending on what I find… but for now, I’m not going to oppose him. Now I know this is not what you wanted to hear. I don’t expect that you find this revelation very interesting, or that you approve of it. Perhaps you are already thinking about leaving and forgetting all about this.”

No doubt there was an assumption that I would present him with some sort of grand plot twist that goes against what I appear to be doing on the surface. But there is none, and I believe I have very good reasons for that.

“But I ask that you at least allow me to explain myself before you do. Let’s really think about this for a moment. Why would I not offer any resistance to Brand, given my contempt for him? Given all I’ve said about him? I’m assuming that’s what you’re thinking right now. Because this is the only option that has been afforded to me. Because what other path forward is there, truly? Breaking away from him and trying to live as I did before? He will do everything in his power to destroy me the moment I do. Is the Diet just going to make him go away? After their slothfulness in the face of every other problem facing this city, I’m supposed to suddenly believe in their ability to organize a response to this? Are you kidding me right now? Or perhaps I could join Kayne’s side, since she has quite the grudge against the man herself. Seriously? Come on now. Like hell that is ever going to happen with how diametrically opposed we are in every other aspect. Kill him myself? As I stated before, that’s extremely risky, and no one would aid me in such a devious venture.”

I keep searching inside of myself, but no matter what, every door - every opportunity for an option that does not involve submission to Brand - appears to be closed. I am lost, and know not what to do.

“But I’m not just thinking about myself here - I’m thinking about the safety of my daughter, Maggie. I’m not certain if Brand knows who she is yet, but I cannot imagine it will be long until he does. Her appearance makes our relation blatantly obvious, and once he connects the dots, he will be able to hold the sword of Damocles over her head should I ever motion at taking a stand against him.”

She’s basically the only person I give a shit about in this entire rotten city. I cannot risk her for any of these people.

“Now it is true that he cannot kill her. She is like me or Kaguya - blessed with truly perfect immortality. It’s also true that she’s very powerful and could hold her own against anyone in this city - probably Brand himself, too. But she is also very important to me, and the last thing I want is for her to be harmed or tortured because I made some sort of rash, overly emotional decision that backfired on me. Hell, do you know what she wants to do right now? She wants to seize the magical artifacts from Brand and I and give them to the masses. She says the damage done by Eggman’s actions necessitates that we put our resources towards healing this city, not profit. Here I am thinking about how I can protect her, and here she is speaking about things that will only put her directly in the line of fire. Can you imagine what it’s like to deal with that? How worried I am at the thought of just how badly it could go if she tries to gather some party to take on Brand and she ends up getting captured by him?”

If I slept, I’m sure I’d have trouble doing so during this time. All I want for her is for her to be able to escape this shithole, to find a world where people will care for her and show her genuine kindness. Even if she went on to create a communist utopia on some other planet - and she is a Nightshade, so I don’t doubt her ability to change the world - I could hold my nose and accept this outcome if it meant she could have a good life. And charging headfirst against Brand will surely not give her that.

“Regardless… She has never harmed anyone, and she is one of the few people I know that I could truly call an innocent. It is not right that she may potentially suffer because of her association to me, and frankly, cooperating with Brand provides me with the best chance of making sure that doesn’t come to pass.”

That’s the worst thing about it. She has been nothing but good and kind to other people, but she will soon end up in the crosshairs of a very powerful man through no fault of her own. She will also likely be distrusted by the masses because my blood runs through her veins - again, something she cannot control. As I said before - the world is cruel and random.

“So… Do you two believe that this decision to aid Brand that I’ve come to is wrong, as the masses likely do? Or perhaps more to the point, Cross, a boring one? Well I can’t afford to do the ‘right’ thing, or the ‘interesting’ thing. This isn’t a game. For you two it is, because both of you can just ignore Brand if you wish to. But I can’t. I have to look out for myself, and my daughter, because no one else in this city is going too. If you really want me to do something else, you’re going to have to give me an actual reason.”

I had no idea how things were going to go from here after all of that. I think I may have ruined whatever chance existed of this being a constructive conversation already, considering how the pro-Brand direction I’m heading puts me at odds with Mercer - if not ultimately the city at large. But that is the price I must pay to look out for myself. Because that is what I have always done and will continue to do - look out for number one.

Edited by HilarityEnsues on Sep 24th 2022 at 3:36:12 AM

Zone One - Everlasting Diet - Swain

Swain has spent the majority of his sixty years in Concordia as a sitting Diet member, and in all that time he has never once enjoyed being in this chamber. Which is par for the course, with governing bodies.

Here in this place, where strength is bound by chains of a coward's peace, where fools wear false crowns, Swain gazes across the assembled council, and as always finds it lacking.

Myn, at least, has learned how to speak to them. He is cunning with his words. The proposals will be accepted, of course; if there is one thing that can motivate the imbeciles before him, it is fear of losing power. Fear of revolution.

And there are some differences, today. He can spy the gaze of the gap-witch. Yukari Yakumo usually leaves such affairs to her representative, so Swain is genuinely surprised to see the hole in space. Swain glanced into the abyss and nodded, recognizing the silent question. Of course, Areum knew that Witch was the brains of this particular operation; it involved Witch's areas of expertise.

Antother surprise: Kaguya Houraisan is present in person. Her presence is unexpected, but it does not surprise him when she speaks up, stating the obvious. He almost wondered if this was planned - but no, that would require a level of intelligence and subtlety that Kaguya doesn't possess. As evidenced by her obvious attempt at bribery.

"I am already quite aware of Darien Brand." Swain speaks up. The ravens already told him of the public squabble Brand had been involved in, and Witch's reports had given him a hint of the bigger picture behind the man. "Given what I know of the man, such threats are unsurprising. I can assure you, My Fair Lady, that Brand is already being investigated for a number of reasons, and will no doubt be behind bars in short order. He supposedly intends to partner with Blair Nightshade, so I'll be speaking to her as well."

And isn't that its own can of worms. How close the two actually are is uncertain, as is whether Blair has done anything worthy of arrest. If she has, it may be possible to coerce her to betray Brand with a plea deal. Even if not, Blair still needs to be dealt with. Perhaps he can use her to test whether immortality can stand up to a demon...

He forces himself to focus. Blair comes later. For now, politics. "That being the case, your wealth would still be appreciated. Rebuilding the outer Zones will not come without financial cost. And that brings me to another point of order: the Peacekeepers will need to increase their presence in these Zones. I am already in the process of removing corrupt and incompetent individuals and replacing them with trustworthy personnel. To that end, I am requesting increased funding to the Peacekeepers."

Money. It all comes back to money. "I understand that this may displease many of you. But tightening your coinpurses and allowing Zones Five and Six to rot would only serve to embolden those who whisper of revolution. Every mark you spend now on preventing crime and strengthening infrastructure will pay dividends as our proud city expands. I urge you to think of the future, not merely the now."

His piece said, Swain turned to Witch and gave her a nod, quietly ceding the floor to her.

What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?

Salacia Persei Elimo; Zone Five

The worst part had been the newspaper.

Elimo had arrived to a small-but-persistent mob of people shoving the Concordia Concordance in her face and shouting questions at her - who said you were a minor deity, who is this Toyosatomimi-no-miko person, my Eggtech toaster caught on fire and also set my block on fire can you please help? After a quick firefighting and first aid detour, the crowd dispersed. She had thought - foolishly - that it was just her and her books for however long she felt like.

That happy delusion persisted until she had managed to bump the door ajar while trying to reorganize. Amaterasu was trailing flowers through the street and gently nudging a giggling child away. Someone she didn't recognize was standing behind the goddess, a samurai - and a Houraisan to boot, but clearly loyal to Amaterasu. He was looking around, probably scanning the area. A reasonable precaution, considering the Zone-

The door closed with more of a bang than Elimo would have liked, and it took her a few seconds to process that she was the one who had closed it. She realized that she was unsettled at Amaterasu's appearance - upset, even, which was certainly more than the friendly sun goddess warranted. As far as she knew, Amaterasu had done nothing but help people, and her excursion here was probably more of the same.

She was upset on two levels. The first was that Amaterasu had only chosen to step in now, had only chosen to step in after the gang warfare had reached a level that left innocents dying in the street with depressing regularity and the rest living lives of quiet desperation that the same could happen to them. The apparent implosion of all Eggtech had been a catastrophe, certainly, but was a catastrophe truly necessary for gods to act?

The second - and more personally wounding - was that it hurt her pride. In her gradual retreat from the public eye, she had always maintained to herself that it was for a number of various good reasons. She wanted some personal time. She needed to reorganize her books to account for a new acquisition. She was tired of being a convenient vomit receptacle. She was struggling with some personal issues, but she was a good person overall. Amaterasu wandering in as a beacon of effortless charity, even coming all the way from Zone Four to be such, made an unfortunate point of comparison.

She thought about it for a minute and then pushed the door open. "Greetings," she called out to Amaterasu, descending the steps of her house into the street. "What a pleasant surprise. I would aid you and your companion in helping the people of this Zone, if you will have me."

So, let's hang an anchor from the sun... also my Tumblr

Witch - Zone One - Diet Chambers

And so it had begun. As anticipated, things had already taken an unexpected turn, although not necessarily for the worse yet. Kaguya herself spoke up in warning of Brand's activities. The Houraisan house was disruptive almost by nature, but Kaguya herself reportedly abstained from making more than the most token of gestures. If her lifespan was to be believed, the entirety of Concordia's history would be nothing but a footnote for her, hardly worth her attention. She was almost certainly planning something.

But the wheels had begun to turn, and her actions did nothing to jeopardize your plans- yet. If anything, they might serve to temporarily benefit you.

"Thank you, Lady Kaguya, for your contributions," you said with a bow before taking the floor. "And let me thank all of you in advance, esteemed members of the Diet, for Concordia has much work ahead of her. As the general said, we have been made aware of Darien Brand as a person of interest, and we additionally have reason to believe that Blair Nightshade is far from the only influential member of our fair City that he has approached with offers. It would behoove all of us to be eminently wary of him."

"In regards to Councilor Myn's suggestion to prioritize rebuilding efforts, we have little time to waste. Robotnik's actions were merely another nail in the coffin for the outer Zones, as Zone Five in particular is still only just recovering from the chaos and bloodshed that resulted from Greed's sudden disappearance." You stopped and took a deep breath. You knew very well how important it was to phrase what you were about to say constructively, to avoid laying blame. They deserved poison, but right now you needed honey. The trap need not come now, as long as it arrived all the same.

"Said chaos served to undeniably bring to light that the state of Zone Five is far worse than prior official reports had indicated. Infrastructure has been neglected for so long that many buildings, residential or otherwise, are on the brink of collapse. Many of the people there lack even a stable roof over their heads, let alone consistent employment on the right side of the law. Rebuilding will allow us to offer both. No small amount of fault lies with the Peacekeepers in failing to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our citizens, but Greed's absence has further shown how much of Zone Five was allowed to fall into his hands. The evidence that has been recovered is... staggering."

Nothing you said was news to you even prior to securing evidence. You'd always known, but you couldn't do anything- not officially, at least- except track down bounties and deal with trails that spilled over into your jurisdiction. That was hopefully about to change.

You knew what had to be said next was out of your hands. It couldn't be your words, lest any present believe the suggestion be motivated by ambition or vengeance. You'd wanted to nail Theophilus to a cross from the moment you first met him, but that had nothing to do with your duty. His negligence could no longer be abided, and the opportunity had finally presented itself to be rid of him.

Any joy you would take in seeing him ousted was tempered by the mess he would leave behind for you to clean up.

Alex Mercer - Zone One - Diet Chambers

You grinned as the voice lilted about your ear complete with musical accompaniment, eyes closed and hands behind your head as you reclined in the chair. "Oh, sure!" you said, obviously still amused with yourself. "If you're gonna twist my arm about it, then I guess I have no choice but to accept! I'll take whatever you're having, or, y'know," you said, waving your hand through the air dismissively, "surprise me. I'm not picky."

It was a rare occurence to even speak with her; Normally her servant handled the operation of her estate. And in this City, with this many flighty bastards running the show, it meant she almost certainly wanted something. Whether it was information, entertainment, an exchange, it didn't matter one bit to you. It was another opportunity to break up the monotony. Interesting times weren't coming, they were already here, like Myn said. You welcomed them with open arms.

You carefully lowered your feet from the table and sat back upright. "Must be my lucky day to share a drink with the enigmatic Lady Yukari! Are we calling this business or pleasure?"

Areum, Zone 1, Everlasting Diet

Truthfully, it surprises me that Myn is even willing to say the right things, regardless of whether he believes them (he doesn’t). I had assumed we were past that point by now, past the necessity of putting on appearances to each other. Regardless, putting aside his personal character, there’s nothing I can really object to as-stated - except the part about the subversives we’ve been dealing with. Certainly they exist - Mercer and I can attest to that. But I don’t believe they can actually be appeased by anything we do. And it’s not because I think they’re entitled or whatever, it’s because I don’t believe for a moment the United Front is a genuine working class movement who is concerned with the well being of this city. Something about them really sets off my bullshit detectors.

There’s that nagging question of how they managed to obtain or perhaps create a weapon capable of neutralizing Mercer’s powers. It’s quite strange that they happen to have a weapon like that, isn’t it? That’s not something you’d expect a former Eggman factory worker living paycheck to paycheck to have, or any of the people who have the most reason to want to see the Diet toppled. That’s something I’d expect to come from either someone who has a lot of money to be able to afford weaponry like that, or someone who has spent a great deal of time around Mercer personally and has been able to learn his weaknesses. That makes the most likely culprits either the magical magnates of Concordia who’d be able to easily produce such weapons - Blair and Darien - or… one of us in this very room, who could’ve been ‘studying’ him this entire time. So most likely, this is either a coup from the upper class, or a leadership purge. Not a ‘revolution’.

Of course, I cannot voice my suspicion that we have a traitor in our midst. An accusation of treason would most likely be dismissed out of hand, and at worst would just cause chaos within the ranks. I know it wouldn’t be productive to bring that up, and I know I have no proof. It’s just that right now, these conjectures are all I really have to go off of in lieu of a proper investigation. I have no idea who wants Mercer and I dead, and it’s… frustrating.

Kaguya then gets up to speak. She starts out by essentially repeating what Myn already said before moving on to the topic of Brand. Frankly, Darien’s motives don’t make a ton of sense to me. Ok, so he has a grudge against Kaguya and her friends because of events that happened when they met years ago. I understand that. Where does the rest of the Diet play a role in this, though? Now I understand that he is not a good man - Kayne has already attested to that, and I trust her.

But why, if his grudge lies with Kaguya and her friends, why is he - allegedly, anyways - going after Mercer and I through his proxies in the United Front? Wouldn’t the Houraisan clan make far more sense as a target? I hate to sound callous, but would it not be far more rational for him to just show up, personally kill Kayne, knock off some of the Houraisans with his superweapons, and leave to probably do more fucked up crimes on his home planet where we couldn’t go after him? Why would he attempt to conquer some spaceship when he could just do that, then probably take over an entire world if he wanted to? This just doesn’t make sense to me, and the holes in this narrative make me worry that the Brand issue could be more complicated than we currently understand it to be.

Two potential theories are that he is either being set up by Kaguya as a fall guy for the assassination attempts - and the fact he’s already a known bastard means he’d be a rather convincing one - or he is working for someone from the inside, presumably in exchange for some kind fo favor he cannot get through his seemingly limitless wealth.

Or maybe none of this is true and Brand’s motives don’t seem to fully make sense because he’s fucking bonkers. Who the hell knows, frankly? We’re probably not going to figure this out for a while yet.

Swain then requests increased funding for the Peacekeepers - which of course, is not unexpected from him. Frankly, I’m torn. On one hand, something obviously has to be done about the violence in Zone 5. On the other hand, I cannot ignore the abuses they’ve committed in the last couple of decades. Having all these ‘bad apples’ in your police force might be considered an acceptable loss in some countries, but I will not tolerate Concordia becoming one of them. But I believe we can probably come to some sort of agreement that will address those concerns.

“I concur that we need increased spending for relief efforts and the revitalization of our infrastructure. And in light of the gang violence problem in Zone 5, I agree with Councilor Swain that we should increase funding for the Peacekeepers. There are just a few stipulations that my support for that hinges on. The first condition is that the Peacekeepers are to be subject to more frequent and rigorous review - both from Internal Affairs, and from the Diet itself. I must state bluntly that incidents of corruption and unwarranted use of violence are both happening at a rate that is simply unacceptable to me, and it seems to me that we are on the same page there, Councilor Swain. I don’t expect this to be a great point of contention. However, there is one other matter… Theophilus Houraisan.”

Oh boy. Not really looking forward to this.

“I will be frank - until he is dismissed, I will be voting against any measures that involve giving the Peacekeepers a single credit in budget increases. This is completely non-negotiable for me. The fact that all of this gang violence happened under his watch is unacceptable for so many reasons. It makes the people of Zone 5 assume that they aren’t safe to go out on the street when they hear about what happened - which they AREN’T going to be if we do nothing about this. Now I understand that he is not solely to blame for what is happening right now. I believe the reason these gangs have been forming for all these years is because of economic and societal factors - they bring people in with promises of employment, a promise to fulfill some sort of social role they believe their leadership isn’t providing - protection, a public service, any number of things. So I’m not going to pretend that just slotting in the right Guardian and putting more Peacekeepers in the area is going to solve everything, because it isn’t. Great efforts will still need to be taken in invigorating the economy, and giving people the means they need to thrive, so that these gangs become less and less attractive as a potential way of life over time. But in no way does that mean that Theo’s incompetence is forgivable. If he was unable to do anything about what happened last night, he cannot be considered an asset. I’m open to discussing his replacement, but that man needs to go.”

Here we go. Time to see if the Houraisans scramble to protect one of their own, or scatter off like centipedes when you overturn a rock lying around in filth.

Edited by HilarityEnsues on Sep 25th 2022 at 4:06:01 AM

Zone Five

A New Voyage! Aboard The Great Ship Concordia (2)

"You have information on the location of Yuuhi and Yuamu? Or, do you know if Valvelgear has been spotted?"

Are the questions Yuudias exclaims at the words of his interlocutor, and then, with a bow-

"Please! Tell me everything that you may know!!"

Still in a bowing position, he added:

"I am not quite sure I understand everything, but! I will do my best to be of assistance in exchange for the information!"

He could at least say this. It wasn't like he didn't understand the concept of friends, or anything, of course. It was just, apparently being friends on this planet involved more than he'd thought friends were like... No, in fact, this person seemed like an earthling, like Yuuhi, Yuamu, Manabu and the others, though dressed a bit more extravagantly. Were friendships on Earth always this complicated?

Hearing his next words, he suddenly snapped back from his bowing pose, and instead knelt down next to the table as if sitting at a japanese-style table. You know, the ones on the floor, that he's by now used to and kind of assumes it works like that anywhere.

"Mhm! I am going to try this 'bao' then! ...I will try every vegetable, too!"

He figures that if he's going to try them he might as well just have the whole experience!

Zone 3, Library ~ Kiel

I was in a library, reading the newspaper, and saw that Eggman got arrested and pretty much turned off all of his egg techs. It's a good thing there's no technology here; just some excellent quiet library. It's been about four years since I was in the city. I was able to work at the library since I love reading books and know a lot about Concordia now. The problem is that with a library job, I feel my pay won't be enough. Sure, I could look for a night shift job, but I find that hard. However, I heard a doorbell ringing as someone enter the library.

Hello! What book do you want to read? We have some history books, romance books, which are my favorite ones, adventure books, comedy books, a copy of fifty shades of grey, graphic novels- I have to stop myself as I would go on about what books we have in the library and that could waste someone's time. Plus, even if I listed some books here, I'm pretty sure they wanted a different book.

Sorry about that. You see, I tend to talk about books that much, so I have to stop myself. Anyway, what did you come here for?

“You bowl with 3 middle fingers” Oh hey, a troper wall

Zone One; Everlasting Diet

The great chamber is fuller than usual today, although with recent events, it's hard to imagine what else your esteemed colleagues might be doing. Most of the councilors came once they heard that Kaguya was there - she's about as rare as hen's teeth, is Kaguya, and much easier on the eyes. But the matriarch of the Houraisans isn't the only leader here. The Everlasting Diet is divided, roughly, into five.

On the east side of the chamber sit the Houraisans, clustered around their great forebear like moths around a fatter moth. They number about forty-five in total, which is an astonishing number for a single clan. Their third-in-command, Gregory Kaguyason Houraisan, looks like he is about to die on the spot. He is staring at his great-grandmother like she's made of gold.

"Oh," says Greguya. "Great-grandmother, this won't do. Great-grandmother?"

He screws up his nose, then stands.

"The Houraisans… ah… no. Me. I, Gregory Kaguyason Houraisan, denounce this blatantly political attack on the Guardian of Zone Five. Theophilus Houraisan has had to deal with crime, gang warfare, and a complete lack of support from Pax Primis. In the circumstances, he has done as well as anyone could expect him to. If anything, we should be grateful that the situation isn't worse."

He wipes his brow, then glances down at his notes.

"On principle, I demand a full investigation and report before any further action is taken on this issue. Until then, I will cast my vote against nepotism, injustice, and all forms of favoritism. I trust my learned family will join me in this stand."

He folds his arms, looking far too much like a bento box.

"Naturally," he says, "I will also be voting against the Peacekeeper budget increase. I cede the floor."

The Houraisans vote entirely in their own interests, which means that they are effectively unstoppable. The rest of the Diet has not been able to overcome the Houraisans, because that would involve putting aside their differences and working together. As a matter of fact, the other factions have been so good at not working together, they have effectively dispersed themselves across the entire hall, making precise placement impossible.

Prince Shotoku stands. He is also known as Toyosatomimi-no-Miko, but for whatever reason, he prefers to be addressed as a prince while in this assembly. He is hidden, as always, behind his flowing, long and very fake white beard.

"I also believe that Guardian Houraisan should not be removed," he says. "Even if he is corrupt, as is said, and even if his failings are multitudinous, it is the role of the ruler to nurture the wayward shoot. How much of the failure in Zone Five can be said to be his fault alone, and how much of it is the hand he has been given? At the very least, he is not rebellious."

Prince Shotoku is the leader of the religious faction, which advocates increased use of state religion as a means to achieve unity. However, because they have never been able to agree on which one should be the state religion, their numbers fluctuate day by day, and occasionally imprimaturs are issued. Poseidon and Girimehkala are ostensibly members.

"We should provide him with a warning first, and then take action," says Prince Shotoku. "Do not discount the benevolent hand. I support increasing the budget of the Peacekeepers and granting money to the rejuvenation of Zone Five, but Guardian Houraisan should not be removed yet. We have enough enemies as it is. Do you think he would calmly let go of what we have given him?"

He sips his herbal tea.

"I cede the floor."

"With all due respect," says Nigel from Zone Six, "you're a fool, Ms. Miko."

Nigel leads the nativists. He claims to be the only Diet member who came straight from the streets, although this account has never been substantiated. He is bland, unpolished, and incredibly blunt, which for some reason has made him one of the most influential young members of the Diet. He has a considerable amount of sway over Mr. Speaker. Most put it up to his syntax, which sounds like it was pressed out of a dictionary and mash.

"Ordinary Concordians are the ones who are suffering here," he says. "While Guardian Houraisan sits there and flaps his penguin arms in his penguin uniform, the people of Zone Five mill about like ants. They have suffered more than anyone else in this City because of your inaction. You lot only care now because you bothered to look. I was there, and I know."

The nativist faction consists entirely of Nigel, but he is so overwhelmingly popular with the unwashed masses that in the streets they put his horse-like face on badges. The only other ones with that kind of recognition are Areum and Kaguya.

"Our duty is to keep the people safe," says Nigel. "We need to give them peace, security and harmony. If that involves getting rid of some interlopers, so be it. We removed Robotnik, and he took his revenge. We're still here. Why should we be scared of Guardian Houraisan?"

He licks his lips, the Nigel equivalent of a grand and sweeping gesture.

"We can get rid of Darien Brand, too, if he worries you so much. We have the Charter. We'll find a way. I cede the floor."

"Not so fast, Nigey!"

Seto Kaiba jumps to his feet, hitting five members in the face with his white coat. As one of the capitalist faction's many representatives, he has risen to a position of influence despite being, for all intents and purposes, a glorified toymaker.

The capitalist faction is not even a faction.

"We should most definitely not get rid of Darien Brand," says Kaiba. "Competition is the greatest game of all. Someone needs to run Eggman's factories, right? Unless you want production to fall even lower than thirty-eight percent, we need to harness people with the know-how. From everything I'm hearing, Darien Brand is a winner. We need to use him or lose him."

He flashes the gigantic contraption on his arm, which no-one has yet been able to determine the purpose of.

"Who cares how he got here? We all came here some way or another. Just let him do his thing, and then tax him to the ground. Heh."

He smirks.

"Not me, though. KaibaCorp is way too important for that. Fund the Peacekeepers if you want, and eat Theo or whatever. Hell, challenge him to a card game. Floor's yours."

GNU Image Manipulation Program stands up and says something very profound, but no-one has ever been able to understand GNU Image Manipulation Program.

Edited by troydenite on Sep 27th 2022 at 1:36:24 AM

Zone One - Everlasting Diet - Swain

Gregory Houraisan is impressive in that he is perhaps the single most predictable person Jericho Swain has ever encountered. It was inevitable that he would speak up on this issue, and inevitable that he would defend his family regardless of how terrible it made him look.

Prince Shotoku has a much more convincing argument, even if that fake beard isn't fooling anyone. Swain absolutely should have noticed what Theophilus was doing.

This is painful for him to admit. The Peacekeepers are his soldiers, his army. Their failures reflect on him. But Swain can stomach a bit of self-deprecation for the sake of fulfilling his ambition.

"Guardian Witch and myself have already taken the liberty of personally investigating Guardian Theophilus Houraisan." Swain announces. "He has allowed many of the men and women under his command to engage in blatant corruption. Acceptance of bribes to overlook criminal activity, falsifying of reports to disguise their own corruption, and of course, several Peacekeepers personally assaulted Master Draughtswoman Kayne Ainsel in her own home."

He lets the charges sink in a moment, sweeping his gaze across the floor to observe the reactions. "All such individuals will be stripped of authority and punished, and Guardian Houraisan himself will be removed. Whether through incompetence or malice, he is largely responsible for the growing unrest in the outer Zones. This is non-negotiable; while our budget falls under the purview of the Diet, the placement and removal of Guardians is ultimately an internal Peacekeeper matter."

Swain looks directly at Kaguya when he says this. A silent challenge. Not that she cares about her family, but there's an obvious implication involved in Swain removing the highest-ranking Houraisan in his organization. "Until such time as a new Guardian can be instated, myself and the other Guardians will be overseeing efforts in Zone Five."

Guardian Yagami nods at this. The other Guardians are well aware that Witch will be doing most of the footwork in Zone Five, but Swain isn't lying when he says all of them will be playing their part.

"In regards to Darien Brand, should he be found to have broken the law, he will be punished accordingly. I will not make exceptions to law and order for the sake of vague ideals. Moreover, arresting him won't make all his resources and capital disappear. I argue it would be far better to take his business under direct Diet control, rather than letting him run amok. Robotnik has shown us that private individuals cannot be trusted with the means of production."

Once more, he glances over to Myn and Witch. "I cede the floor."

---

Zone Five - Streets - Amaterasu

Elimo's scent is familiar and pleasant. Amaterasu's tail is already wagging as her fellow goddess approaches, and she turns to face Elimo with a smile.

"Of course you may join us." Amaterasu says, as though it's the most obvious thing in the world. Because to her, it is. "You are always welcome by my side, my sister."

Benkei is also smiling, though his is more of a bemused smirk. He bows when Elimo approaches, respectful of her status of divinity. "Greetings, Goddess Elimo. I'm Benkei Houraisan. Leader of the Tao Troop. We're basically Auntie Ammy's samurai bodyguards."

"Not that I need a bodyguard, of course." She says, chuffing in amusement.

"See, now you've jinxed it." Benkei retorts. "Greed's gonna pop up with another laser gun or something."

"It will be fine, my little samurai." Amaterasu reassures him. Then she turns back to Elimo, and her gaze becomes sad. "Truthfully, Elimo, I wished to apologize. Not just to you, or to Everett, but to everyone in this city who I failed. I thought of myself as alone atop a mountain, never wishing to intercede in mortal affairs. I was a fool. I see now that I must do all I can to ease the peoples' suffering. So, if there is anything I can do for you with my power, you need not hesitate to ask."

What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?

Satsuki – Zone 6, 214th Street Cannery

“Ugh… First Farers, look at the blood…”

Militia engineer Helgi Cragsunder covered her nose and mouth as her colleague, junior engineer Blum V1.562 Pro, lifted the housing off the factory computer core, snapping off a few strings of unidentifiable viscera in the process. He cocked his head and peered in a bit deeper.

“Fur too. I think I can see a tail.”

“Gods weep, I think I’m going to be sick…”

Satsuki stood a few meters behind, arms folded as she looked from the wreck of the control module to the ranks of unsealed cans sitting on their frozen conveyor belts. Further into the cavernous building, militia soldiers from her retinue were helping factory staff clean up, before the spilled protein stew started to smell. Enough preserved food to supply a neighborhood for weeks, all at risk of going to waste.

Satsuki’s eyes narrowed in anger. She wasn’t sure what was worse - the fact that one man could cripple the whole city in a single moment of breathtaking, monstrous spite… or the fact that she wasn’t even particularly surprised.

The only bright spark in all of this? The Shrine Well had been mothballed before the Diet’s industrial contracts had been handed over to Ivo Robotnik. The Militia’s territory still had power - and what’s more, the old engineer-clans still remembered how to operate pre-eggtech systems. The Militia could help cushion this blow, for some of the city at least.

Something sizzled wetly and popped inside the stricken machine, and Blum Pro sat back on his heels, wiping his hands on a rag. “I thought it was just an urban myth. The sick bastard really did use wetware processors.”

Cragsunder just gagged, turning away to look for a screwdriver, or perhaps a bucket.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Satsuki closed her eyes and sighed as her plans rearranging in her head for the thousandth time.

Edited by LittleMako on Sep 28th 2022 at 5:57:22 AM

Maggie Nightshade, Zone 5, Streets

I need to start taking more direct actions to help this city. I have little excuse not to, considering how much I'm capable of doing, and recent events have really cemented this fact. The implosion of our technological infrastructure cannot be ignored, and I'm hoping my magic and artifacts might be able to remedy this situation to some small degree. The Diet is either not going to do anything - when do they ever - or they will attempt to address the problem in a way that only causes more issues. Probably just throw a bunch more Peacekeepers in the streets - which will only lead to more police violence, more people being thrown in jail for crimes of economic desperation, and no genuine relief for the people. The thought frankly makes me sick.

Nor will private industry solve this. Mom could probably do a lot - more than I can, at any rate - but she just… isn’t. I hope I might be able to change her thinking one day, but I can’t just wait and see if that day is ever going to come. In the meantime, I have to take things into my own hands.

As I stroll through Zone 5, I stumble upon Amaterasu, and what appears to be her bodyguard. There's probably no one in this city who doesn't at least know about her existence at this point - she’s practically the face of Zone 4. She’s talking to someone that I don’t recognize, but I sense a spark of divinity from her as well. In that sense, I am also their peer - that’s something I inherited from her. Though… this is a topic I’ve never really been sure how to feel about. What does being a god mean when advanced magic can replicate basically any miracle these days? Is having worshipers even something that should be considered normal in this day and age? I have no idea, but I should probably stop thinking about these abstract questions for now.

“It seems I’m not the only one who thought this place needed fixing up.”

Hm. I ponder whether I should use my last name when introducing myself, but frankly my accent and physical appearance already probably give away the game regardless. If there are Houraisans that don’t allow the sins of their surname to weigh them down, it seems rather silly to allow mine to bother me.

“I’m Maggie Nightshade. I’m willing to do everything that I can to help out.”

Zone 1; The Everlasting Diet - Diet Chamber, Myn

The objections raised come as a surprise to no one. Myn acknowledges most of the usual suspects with a diplomatic nod and a tactically-deployed smile, but people like Gregory are better ignored, lest they begin entertaining delusions of relevancy. The real shame is how few of his councilors followed that advice in the past.

Myn's polite and confident smile holds as Kaguya's sleeved hand gestures to him, but only just. Though he has held staunch support of her propositions in the past, the cooling between them has not escaped Myn's notice. Indeed, this is the first time it as many months that she has deigned to even say his name in his presence. If, in a moment of uncharacteristically-overt passion, Myn were to reach out to Kaguya from his place at the center of the Diet's floor, he could not hope to reach her now.

But this is not the time to agonize over what could have been.

"Councilors Areum and Thornberry," Myn begins again without missing a beat. "I truly thank you for your support. And, for what may be the first time since the establishment of this Diet, you and I are in complete agreement:

"As the honorable Peacekeeper General and Councilor have both stated, it is our opinion that Guardian Houraisan has demonstrated a startling lack of professionalism and integrity in his duties in Zone Five. I assure you, Councilors Houraisan and Shotoku, that due diligence has already been done by the Peacekeeper General, the lady Guardian, and myself. I would not bring this to the Diet for consideration were there any doubt of his failings.

Myn's expression is once again grave. Their stonewalling of progress cannot be allowed to stand.

"But Theophilus' failings alone would not merit removal." Myn continues. "Compounding this are the brazen methods by which Theophilus fails. Quiet failure can be corrected quietly, but Theophilus Houraisan responded to the brutal beating of a Concordian citizen by approaching her in a public hospital room and attempting to buy her silence, within earshot of the citizenry. His failings are overt, and thus our solution must match. Just as the restoration of Zone Five must be made a priority, so too must Guardian Houraisan's removal from his position. If we are to ensure that the populace retains its faith in us, he must be replaced immediately. They must believe that we will not tolerate corruption and abuse of power, even among our own, and they will never believe that if we allow such a blatant bad actor to remain Among Us."

Myn adjusts his tie. The rest of the Everlasting Diet must be made to understand.

"I recognize the temptation to believe that we are untouchable here. We have faced rebellion and subversive elements in the past, and we have emerged victorious. But everlasting does not mean unchanging. Everything we have endured should serve as a lesson for how to move forward; a blueprint for what Concordia could and should be. Theophilus Houraisan will only serve to erode the goodwill we have established over the decades, and we must be willing to excise anyone who puts is in that position. We must endure. I cede the floor."

Adam awoke, another day, another dollar. Trapped on this rickety bucket, with whatever the fuck incoherence was... well it all worked for him. Meat lived and meat died, and he was here to make sure meat died.

He checked his messages, nothing new so far. He stood and made his way slowly to the doorframe, he looked forward to breaking skulls. He had been thriving here, Zone 2 had plenty of rich meat, and meat that needed metal like him to render others into paste.

He had a job, he loved every second of it.

V stepped through the streets, hands in pockets as he looked about. Walking beside him, only visible to his eyes was the most infamous terrorist in Night City history, the Rockerboy Johnny Silverhand.

"So," Johnny asked. "The fuck are we doing today?"

"Other than getting a top up on pills, well I still don't know."

"Well fuck me, don't even got a gig lined up? How am I supposed to lecture you as your Jiminy Fucking Cricket if ya don't got anything?"

V frowned and rubbed a temple, the Relic couldn't be removed and Johnny was now stuck with him. Current goals were just to find jobs, get paid, and get Johnny under control.

"Hey, nobody can control me," Johnny responded.

V shot Johnny an annoyed glance, the Rockerboy just flipped him off with a grin.

"Well, let's go see Kayne. We've been here a little bit and supposedly she can get us some pills to stave off our dying."