|
Post by Hiroko Agueda on Feb 3, 2023 18:33:04 GMT
Hexhammer Kamihama East District, block 6, house number 6.In the sleepy, easternmost leafy suburbs of Kamihama East, stood a modern yet stylishly traditionally roofed town-house of two stories, with a broad paved driveway and expansive garage. The neighbours all envied the fine house, numbered the 6th of block 6, yet were hazy in memory on who exactly lived there, or how long the property had stood in this fashion. All agreed however, it was a very nice house, but perhaps a bit too fancy to linger near. And so by such means overt and subtle, one of the Fleet's larger Safehouses had been safeguarded and established. Inside, two spacious floors sprawled out, perhaps somehow even larger on the inside than outside. Everything was tastefully matched to the prevailing styles and trends of the local terrestrial architectural norms, so that even if someone from outside were to somehow enter the home, they would think it simply that of a particularly rich and large family. For the resident operatives, it offered a fairly rustic yet not uncomfortable living space, with seperate bedrooms for all long-term operatives, a large fairly sophisticated kitchen (by earth standards), a hot sauna and japanese-style bathroom ensuite, a large tatami-matted gym and sparring dojo, and all the other mod-cons of modern living. The garage was also well stocked with liquid gasoline fuel, spare parts, and some fairly inconspicuous motor vehicles, should the agents there need non-magical transport. Truly a home away from home, or at least as far as one could get on this planet. Of course, what made it a Safehouse, and not simply a roomy residence, was the bunker-like science complex, buried four hundred metres beneath the house, connected by a reinforced turbo-elevator cunningly concealed by both magic and technology within the broom cupboard. Within Complex 6 existed all the cutting edge magi-tek that was truly needed and available to the TSAB and its agents. A real training facility, multi-disciplinary lab and a state of the art Field generator to conceal and protect the core of the facility from everything up to and including an all out thermonuclear assault. This is your home now, Volunteer. Wether you are bunking in the complex or permitted to sleep in the cosy futons above, wether you are a knight, freelancer or mage, this is where youll be based, unless assigned elsewhere on even more confidental operations. Can you get takeaway...? What kind of question is that! Didn't I mention the large earth kitchen? Fine, if you're too lazy to cook for yourselves, we have a years supply of dehydrated rations in the basement. Youll just go to the Konbini down the street...? Fine, but dont forget to pay with the earth currency. The funny paper ones, not the solid gold coins. Idiots.
|
|
|
Post by Kasagami Araki-Steiner on Feb 3, 2023 19:06:24 GMT
Kasagami Araki's head was still pounding as she downed the black, bitter liquid that records indicated was known as 'coffee' straight from the pot. Her particular arrival on the mission had been rather rough, her section's ship having suffered a bad sensor that ended with the ship inside of a tree, and her team scattered to the four winds. And thus, she had made her way to the safehouse as per standing orders with a bandage on her head and a grin that was slightly less outright cheerful and more tolerantly happy at the general situation of 'not having tree branches inside of her chest' or other such bad-landing nonsense.
A slight concussion was, after all, nothing to a Knight, particularly of House Steiner. Thus here she was, touring the 'below decks' of their home-away-from-civilization. It was an impressive facility, and many a whistle, an 'oooh', or a lit-up expression crossed her fingers. She was wearing a heavy sleeping robe emblazened with the black, red and blue phoenix symbol of her Great House. A longcoat was draped over her shoulders, and on her feet were clad in a pair of cartoonish phoenix-like slippers. Her hair was just on the side of disheveled that looked like she had been working out rather than 'I didn't bother with a comb' this morning.
She was eager to meet her new compatriots, fellow soldiers, and now house mates. Her smile widened to show perfect teeth.
"Guten tag my friends!!! Ah, what a wonderful morning! You all MUST try this native drink! It is very stimulating! When I gave some to Schwarzer Phönix she started cursing several cadet branches of the family I didn't even know we had! A new day and I am already learning new words to use on our Sanktkaiserless foes!" Came the far-too-chipper voice before the heiress-apparent began to chug down more coffee, completely ignoring the heat of the blasted thing.
|
|
|
Post by Lorie Zetros on Feb 4, 2023 3:18:15 GMT
Lorie was sitting down in one of a number of break rooms in the extensive underground facility. It was decently sized, such that there were three tables with their own chairs. Two water coolers, next to a small pantry, the sort you would find in an office. Two sofas, each in front of a TV with a dimensional uplink - the lag wasn't too bad, but bandwidth priority was on the comm devices. Which meant that you could watch the Intermiddle Championship, but you'd have to keep your comms off, unless you wanted spoilers to roll in for the Finals while you were halfway through the bout. Especially if the battle was lopsided. A couple of potted plants that were popular on a number of Administered Worlds rounded out the setup. Lorie was sitting down on one of these two couches, mindlessly rewatching a Vaizenian stream of a popular Church rock opera. Sanktkaiser Olivie Superstar. She didn't find it particularly tasteful, mainly due to empathy rather than actual concern for the post-Imperial religion. Which was to say, how would she feel if it was her own ancestor, the Archon, depicted in such a format? After all, in her ancestor's day, Imperial House Sägebrecht was more of a first among equals, rather than the deified name it was today. Had things turned out differently, the Archon could very well have been the subject of this musical. The singing was competent, at least. At another table a short distance off, two of the guards gossiped about how cute one of the researchers was and how lucky they were to receive this assignment. Typical. This small talk and vulgar entertainment was the kind of thing you had to resort to while in the downtime awaiting the Commencement Order the Admiral was supposed to broadcast after the entire ground detachment was in place. Given it was a global operation, some landing sites in some less hospitable nations were probably holding up the rest of them who were fortunate to land with only erm... minor... inconveniences. Just as the third act was about to reach the climax of the final duel between the Sanktkaiser and Hegemon Ingvalt, the break room door swung open, and an all too familiar Belkan morning greeting echoed. At the speaking of the ancient language, the guards stiffened up momentarily before lowering their exchange to whispers. Not that commoner gossip mattered, or anything. Besides, if they were worried about getting chewed out by someone of high standing, well... another one had already been there with them for at least half an hour now. Lorie absentmindedly turned her head to see who it was. It certainly wasn't Sigi - not that they were the only two around with Belkan blood or anything, but she seemed to be just that cheerful sort. No, it was... probably another Volunteer, given how she was dressed all the way down, unlike the outcast Archon, who wore enough clothes to look ready to go on a shopping spree. No on-duty personnel would get caught dead being dressed down. As to which House she belonged, this uppity house mate made it clear, given its crest was plastered all over her unkempt attire, right down to her fuzzy slippers. A black, red, and blue Phoenix. Where had she seen something like that before? Given she actually recalled seeing it before meant that at the very least, it was a Great House and not a small one. Although one could have been fooled by her completely undignified behaviour. Bedroom attire in a public workplace, while sipping a beverage straight from the pot! Who was in charge of her upbringing? Her parents should sack them. Lorie straightened up her posture and paused the stream to return the greeting, and perhaps some more words in response to her discovery of this local stimulant. "Guten Tag, Erlaucht." To address her as an Imperial Count was an educated guess. A mere handful of houses claiming Ducal or Princely rank remained, and she had them all memorised. Comital titles, on the other hand, were more numerous without being as lowly as Baronies, and thus statistically, more likely to survive the dissolution of the Empire. She could already name a few Great Houses of Comital rank that have kept a fierce grasp of their holdings. "We see you have taken a shine to the native beverage. Its bitter energy has a certain... appeal." It wasn't even just a cup. It was the whole pot. What kind of count would do such a thing, though? "We would recommend dipping Seelen into it. While it is admittedly commoner's fare, we have found it surprisingly delightful."A traditional commoner's bread from Gullintanni and other kingdoms in that region of Belka, her family's close dealings with the lowborn meant that Lorie had a lot of experience with it. The thin, crisp crust was particularly pleasant. It was still commoner's bread though. [824/1] Kasagami Araki-Steiner
|
|
|
Post by Sigi Winter on Feb 5, 2023 15:06:09 GMT
Sigi squinted through the sleep that still clouded her eyes as she dragged herself through the hallways of the safehouse. She had hoped Hex Hammer might give them a break after the initial drop onto the planet, but apparently it was in their contract that they had to keep normal hours even if there wasn't an active mission. Something about maintaining a proper sleep schedule. The knight groaned-- her futon had been so comfortable this morning she never wanted to leave, and her soreness from all the activity the day before wasn't helping. Her only consolation was that they had finally been paid again after they completed the mission, so she didn't need to budget as tightly for her food.
Since she wasn't scheduled to be deployed this morning, she hadn't bothered to change out of her pajamas. Her shorts and loose-fitting shirt were much more comfortable than the Hex Hammer uniform, after all, and as a soldier it's not like she cared too much about modesty. It may end up being a problem if she ran into a superior officer without having showered or brushed her hair, but they didn't usually show up in the common areas anyway. Her stomach growled, and she reached under her shirt to pat it. "Settle down, we're almost there." she consoled herself. As she approached the break room, she heard someone talking loudly inside. Apparently one of the other volunteers was a morning person.
Sigi shuffled in, still half awake. She made her way to the vending machine and punched in the code for some melon bread, then headed over to the counter. She retrieved a mug from one of the drawers, then fumbled around for the coffee pot. She knew about where it should be, but... "AH!" she recoiled, mostly out of surprise, as she touched the hot plate on the coffee maker where the pot should have been. "Has anyone seen the coffee pot?" she grumbled, sucking on her burned fingertip. She looked around, a little more awake now, and saw a flamboyantly-dressed girl holding the pot. Was she drinking out of it? Sigi was frozen, unsure what to even say about that. To make matters worse, the girl was clearly Belkan royalty. It was her first meeting with Lorie all over again, and now she couldn't get away with swearing fealty to get out of it. She swallowed hard, gripping her melon bread between both hands and clutching it close to her chest. She could afford to sacrifice it if she needed to, but who knew if it would satisfy this new girl.
[457/1]
|
|
|
Post by Kasagami Araki-Steiner on Feb 11, 2023 23:27:41 GMT
Kasagami cleaved to Great House tradition sharply! Unfortunately House Steiner was most often a blunt force instrument. It wasn't that they didn't realize or respect subtlety exactly, however what began as a heavy-industries based merchant house elevated to a Great House always preferred the direct approach.
'Industrial Hammer' might come off as insult to some, but Kassie delighted in such things. And equally such tactics, if to do nothing else than let her less blunt compatriots strike while she was being a brilliant fool. Or perhaps in this case it was more 'magnanimous fool', as while Lorie's suggestion to apply prole bread to local stimulant was exciting to her more adventurous side, she couldn't help but pick up on both steel-spine'd noble bearing as well as what might have conceivably have been a noble snub.
Her next pot-sip was just long enough to perhaps betray the usual calculus of a Great House member. Her cheery nature never faltered however. Her arm with the pot swayed outwards, her good eye peered, and she was threatening to place the thing down on a coaster before she remembered herself. A little pull close to the chest, and she had the thing dangling dangerously on her bad eye's side.
Deft fingers snapped, right towards Lorie as her gaze sparkled with amusement. "Wunderbar! You have it in one, mein freundin!" Came the noble, wielding a warm laugh even as her head-wound throbbed uncomfortably at the act. She couldn't tell if Lorie recognized her House or not, despite how blatant she was with it. But she knew the more stiff members of many a Great House's ways, and so leaning into her House's predilections came with potential upsides. Namely, either putting others backfooted, or letting them soften said spines a bit. Either way could be useful.
"...Or at least such is the plan. 'Erlaucht-erbe', if we are being proper. Mein.." She felt her throat filling with bile not associated with her injuries. "Uncle is regent until I prove myself." Her tone dipped. She was suddenly unfocused.
"Acht, where are mein manners? Titles are things we must live up to in somewhere so desolate as this, and so I am /Volunteer/ Kasagami Emilia-Lina Araki-Steiner XIV of Great House Steiner! Let us break upon prole bread together, hmm, that we may prove ourselves scions of our lines! Assuming I do not mistake the matter of course! Perhaps you would grace me with your name?" Her head tilted, and she beamed once again a smile of pure delight that was only slightly mired by reflexive consideration and the fact her bandage was bleeding a bit.
Her Armed Device was threatening to use fire on her head at this point, and so her finger dipped into a pocket to silence the violent switchblade.
Kasagami was not embarrassed by her dressed-down state, but her chunking the entire pot and causing Sigi a burn was slightly more salient to the straightforward-natured Araki-Steiner. She often forgot about her own affinity when it came to things like this. And so she cast about with her eye, and eventually (with a wink to the guards and a whispered word) had finally acquired cups. One for Sigi, which she immediately poured. Another was placed in front of Lorie with less of a grin, and more of a smirk.
She began to pour Sigi's cup even as she looked the other girl over curiously, and nodded.
"Better to use the entire forge to cast an excellent hull, than to use one third to produce a standard one! ...Such was mein Grandfather's words. Shipbuilder at heart, never took to the Great House politics. Grandmother was the real power there, but still a wise man. Stuck more than his face..." Came Kasagami thoughtfully, only to shake her head.
"Guten tag, mein freundin! Come, no need to be shy, housemates should know one another!" Her voice raised, as she tried to cajole both Sigi and Lorie, eager to see who her fellow soldiers might be. Her gaze favored both fellow knights with naked curiosity, and just a little bit of sizing them up.
|
|
|
Post by Lorie Zetros on Feb 12, 2023 16:55:24 GMT
If this Erbreichsgraf's continually relaxed demeanour and outgoing familiarity even in the known presence of another noble was surprising, that surprise evaporated as soon as she named her lineage. Great House Steiner. The Merchants of Battle, as some called them. The shrewd magnates who built their name on their quality of arms as much or even moreso than their force of arms. While Lorie's natural inclination would be to look down upon her - only possible metaphorically given the height difference - owing to the "purchased" nature of their rank, she could not get around the fact that they most certainly were not cowards who hid behind superweapons. They too took to the field as any self-respecting knight, and held their own trophies. In which case, one should also note that this Great House was no mere Imperial County, so much as it was a Palatine County. Operating with great autonomy and directly rendering services onto the Sanktkaiser, rather than to a liege of higher nobility. They were prudent in the title they pursued. Great House Hechingen, on the other hand, held prestige from tradition stemming from ancient politics. As one of the nine sovereign dynasties that formed the initial nucleus of what would become the Belkan Empire, they held an exclusive position that gave the Archons opportunities to be crowned Sanktkaiser. That is, if they won a tournament against the eight other dynasties after the latest Sanktkaiser's death. Some today might have called them "Succession Wars". But to ancient Belkans, it was simply called "The Competition". And the presumptive successors in each of the nine dynasties were called Prince-Competitors. "Durchlauchtigste", or "Most Serene Highness". Rather than assuming a standardised noble title, they instead retained the sovereign titles they used in their own states. Archon, Hades, Hegemon... or Thunder Emperor for those lightning fanatics from Great House Dahlgrun. It was an old tradition, one that predated the destruction of Belka and the transfer of the Sanktkaiser's throne to the Saint's Cradle. When that happened, the succession of the Sanktkaiser became less about skill in battle, and more about political clout... and especially about the magical potential to steer the Cradle. While House Hechingen could produce the latter, the former was impossible to accumulate by then, thanks to the losses they never could recover from. And now that the Empire itself was long gone, the point was moot. Lorie quietly examined the Erbpfalzgrafin as she took another sip and poured cups of coffee for both the Archon, and the newly arrived Sigi. Whose face had expressed horror upon seeing that another high noble had taken possession of the coffee pot. In a way, she was the opposite of Erlaucht-erbe Steiner. The Merchants of Battle rose from modesty to greatness. While the Keepers of the Lightbridge started out as a formidable power within Belka, before falling so far down the Empire disintegrated before they could climb back up. Yet at the same time, they were... similar, loathe as she was to admit. The pause on mention of her uncle seemed to be one of resentment. Was it because he stood in the way of her ascension, like Lorie's father stripping her of her privileges? Or was it something else? Even if she did have such a connection, it was for naught. What noble would share her deepest insecurities with another, similar as they were? It wasn't about the potential for empathy. It was about vulnerability. No doubt, she knew that House Hechingen's status as Prince-Competitor had been reduced to a mere courtesy in the era of the Cradle, and now that the Empire itself was gone, respect to tradition aside, it was practically meaningless. There was no need to denigrate herself further by letting Steiner know that she had been disinherited. If it was bad to let a vassal like Sigi know, how much worse would it be to reveal it to someone who she only outranked by a frakking courtesy? In a dead Empire no less? And so she would continue to maintain her noble pride. What little prestige she had left. Steiner's relaxed manner seemed so disarming... so welcoming. She almost wanted to just come down to her level. Especially if it meant she could go back to the bile fascination of watching the Sanktkaiser musical. Even the guards stopped whispering and went back to a normal volume of discussion after Steiner had revealed enough of her carefree attitude. But Lorie would not let herself falter. Taking a curtsy, she retained that poise, rather than loosen up. "We are pleased to make your acquaintance, Erlaucht-erbe Steiner. We are Lorelei Zetros von Hechingen, Archon of Great House Hechingen."Would she call her out on it? It was no secret that House Hechingen held the disappeared Archon Anniken in great reverence. Venerated her to the point that her scions chose to use the lesser title Archontchen, rather than assume the name Archon for themselves after her disappearance. She was technically not dead. Therefore, at least until they found her body - which nobody really believed was still possible - her descendants would assume the post of "little Archon". Only someone with Lorie's inflated head - specifically inflated cowlick - would deign to use the title for herself. She glanced over to Sigi, ensuring that she made eye contact. With the right noble upbringing and understanding of the context of the situation, one did not need to study telepathy to let her vassal know that it was her turn to introduce herself to the Palatine Countess-apparent. With that same trained elegance, Lorie accepted the cup of hot coffee and took in the scent of roasted beans. It was not tea. But as she said earlier, it had its own bitter appeal. "Your grandfather does indeed sound wise. Unser own ancestors spared no resource when constructing the Bifröst Network." ”Which is why…” She reached for an alloyed food container sitting on a nearby table and opened it. Inside were some freshly printed Seelen. It was commoner’s bread, yes. But Lorie had picked up on the recipe as something cheap and useful to fill the stomach. Particularly during the many times she was between jobs and close to running out of money. Now, it had become a twisted sort of comfort food she resorted to whenever the urge came over her. Which was bad, because that meant spending her limited mana printer allowance. The whole Fleet was issued a small monthly allowance owing to the slow production rate of mana. And here she was spending some of her own on commoner’s bread. A truly vile predicament indeed. ”We stand by our recommendation, unthinkable as that may sound. If these end up disagreeing with your taste, we have heard that the native equivalent of parfait is not bad for a scarcity society.”Lorie barely held back the instinct to cringe at this predicament. How the mighty have fallen… [1157/1981/2] Kasagami Araki-Steiner Sigi Winter
|
|
|
Post by Sigi Winter on Feb 18, 2023 17:42:34 GMT
Sigi graciously took her cup of coffee, had a long, warm sip, and was about to introduce herself when Lorie responded first. Her eyes widened, and she had to swallow the hot mouthful to keep from spitting it all over Kasagami. She hadn't realized Lorie was here too, and was sure she had just narrowly avoided publicly embarassing her lady by speaking before her. It would be one thing if they were alone in their quarters, but here in front of everyone else she had to act as a proper vassal should. She somehow recovered without choking, but everything was going to taste fuzzy for the rest of the day.
From the look on Lorie's face, she could tell she was going through an internal history lesson. From that, along with Kasagami's flawless insertion of Ancient Belkan into her normal speech, Sigi assumed that she must also be a pretty big deal. Sigi did her best to look dignified in her pajamas, and made sure to be extra lady-like while she sipped her coffee in silence. Maybe it was because of their similar backgrounds, but the two got along surprisingly well. Sigi felt a tinge of shame as she realized that had disappointed her a bit. Of course, she didn't want the two to come to blows over a cup of coffee, but Lorie had been Sigi's first friend at Hex Hammer, and she was still relegated to the role of vassal to keep up appearances. Kasagami was a woman of equal station to Lorie, and seeing that freedom to treat her however she liked stung. She knew she should be happy for Lorie to be making a new friend, but she couldn't help but feel left out.
Sigi took another draw of the coffee, and noticed Lorie looking in her direction. The face she was making... looked like she had invited her to join the conversation! Sigi could feel her eyes welling up, but blinked it away. Of course Lorie wouldn't make her sit idly by as furniture while the two ladies made conversation. Sigi was her friend! And as her friend, it was time to play the role of dutiful vassal.
"And I am Sigi Winter, of House Winter, knight of the Church of the Sanktkaiser and vassal to House Hechingen." Sigi beamed and puffed out her chest, then remembered she was supposed to curtsy and nearly spilled her coffee.
To her great surprise, her efforts were rewarded by Lorie, who summoned some bread for them to share. Her eyes sparkled at the gesture from the usually cold knight. She took a piece and dipped it into her coffee, then took a bite. The moist bread melted in her mouth, soaking it with a perfect mixture of bitter and sweet that she had not known was possible before now. "Mmmmm!" she squealed through the mouthful of bread, unable to help herself. "It's delicious, Lady Hechingen. Thank you! ...Ah! I should share too. Sigi opened her melon bread and tore it into three roughly equal pieces. "It doesn't really work for dipping like Lorie's bread, but it does make for a good breakfast, and it's filling too!" She offered the pieces of her melon bread to the other two, still unable to stop grinning.
[577/1034/2]
|
|
|
Post by Kasagami Araki-Steiner on Feb 24, 2023 23:56:50 GMT
Kassie very nearly dropped the carafe...which she doggedly seemed to cling to rather than do the sensible thing and grab a cup for herself...as Lorie introduced herself. Being born to nobility meant you weren't about to blink at meeting more of your kind, but /that/ House name being dropped alongside that title? Her mouth briefly opened, then closed. She actually had to work through her throbbing head's matter to find a proper response.
Which, as the conclusions were drawn and seared into her brain, a grin slowly broke out on her face. It was the height of arrogance. It was utterly foolish to claim such a thing. And by the Sanktkaiser it filled her with mirth to see what the not-so-little Archon was reaching for.
She laughed in pure amusement, coughed, and then waved her free hand to dismiss any thought of her laughing /at/ Lorie. Her good eye sparkled as she took a new shine to the stiff-spined noble.
"Acht, acht! The pleasure is most certainly mein indeed, dear Archon!" She drew out the title so it hung in the air, and she struggled to choke down more gleeful giggling. Her carafe dangled on a finger dangerously as she leaned in to study Lorie with just enough space to not be completely impolite.
"You certainly have the baring of your House, Archon Lorelei von Hechingen. Und, you may be certain that now you have claimed something so lofty, that is shall be mein duty und pleasure to see that you live up to the gallantry, bravery, and strength that such a thing implies. Und if you may excuse a burden upon your beautiful head, that you hold mein own personage to the very same standards. When the time comes that I claim mein titles properly, the very first invitation to the celebration shall be to you, and may its' twin to your own glory be upon a lonely desk in Tharkadd. By the bread of proles that are our charges, let us both find ourselves ruling honorably und with pride. Einverstanden, dear Archon?" Was it a threat? Someone taken by the audacity and naked ambition to such a title? Or enthusiasm for someone reaching so high? Quite possibly a mix of all of them. But by the joyous look to her face, she entirely approved of it!
Out came her Device, and with a deft flick, the blade was cutting the bread into slices, turning to Sigi as she too added to the pile.
"Acht, but here we are filling the air with words and promises that mean nothing to some of our esteemed colleagues! Forgive us, Ritter Winter, we nobility are so often in love with the sound of our own voices as we are with our own vices. Wunderbar! To know that the good Archon..." No, Lorelei, she is not going to let that go.
"Has a faithful und bright vassal such as yourself to remind her of smaller things and the joy they bring fills mein heart with warmth! Und perhaps massage her spine a bit before it becomes so stiff that it snaps. It is an honor to meet you, and a greater one to fight beside both of you." She gave another thousand-watt smile to Sigi before her gaze become a bit more eager.
"Und once I am no longer threatening to bleed upon the carpets, I expect a duel with both of you. A blade can tell much about a person than words. Acht, mein heart races with anticipation to dance in glorious battle!" Came her words, with a sigh of pure anticipation.
|
|
|
Post by Freya Fuun on Feb 26, 2023 23:05:30 GMT
Unlike her Belkan comrades, Freya didn't have the joy of a peaceful sleep. She had been woken up several times during the night by her faulty device, which kept replaying the mission briefing with various changes in pitch and saturation, and had a particularly difficult time falling back asleep, so she was forced to get up earlier than she needed to... but before she could properly get out of bed, or even think about showering, her device had already activated on its own, and somehow found a way to tie her feet up with her blanket, and began dragging her around the safehouse's halls, like a dog unintentionally dragging its owner around the pavement while out on a walk.
After what felt like half an hour of unwanted dragging, Freya's device dragged her over to the middle of the break room the three Belkans were chatting in before finally stopping, its gem blinking like a parking car before dropping to the floor with its owner.
[We have arrived at your destination!] Said the device's AI, before finally shutting down and returning to its compact, gem-like form... and finally giving Freya a chance to untie the blanket that bound her feet together.
"Sigh... stupid thing won't even let me get some proper sleep..." She muttered to herself, putting her device on her pajamas' pocket before slowly getting back up to her feet. She then made her way to the nearby vending machine and punched in the code for some bacon slices, and then grabbed a mug from one of the drawers before pouring herself some water from one of the water-coolers. She was too sleep-deprived to properly notice her Belkan companions before, but after sitting down in one of the tables, her face quickly reddened in embarrassment.
"Oh- Good morning everyone! S-Sorry for not saying anything earlier, I didn't really get much sleep... Hope you've all had a better morning than I did, though!" She beamed with a joyful, yet noticeable exhausted tone of voice.
[328/328/1]
|
|
|
Post by Lorie Zetros on Feb 27, 2023 6:32:02 GMT
Say what you will about the status of Minor Houses. With a few exceptions, you could not question their loyalty as vassals, or their crucial if unenviable role as a bridge to the common folk. Lorie's father would often say, "The topsoil is distant from the bedrock. It needs subsoil and parent rock to connect to it." Of course, the thin but fertile topsoil referred to the nine Prince-Competitor Houses. Which made the subsoil the upper nobility, and the parent material the minor houses. The Knights. Lorie didn't care much for her family's obsession with the use of geological metaphors. Because while you could say all that about topsoil, there was also the fact that it was very fragile and was the first to be eroded by a flash flood. Then again, with all the political intrigue that went on at court, perhaps that was the point. At the end of the day, Sigi performed exactly as she had to, and even then some. While she had far too much humility and timidity sometimes, she made up for this with an abundance of dedication. Not only did she perform well with her introduction, she even followed up her gracious acceptance of a Seele with the offering of her own morning bread. Yes, she might have been rough around some edges, but she was a very good block of marble to start with. Lorie would shape her into a vassal worthy of serving the name Hechingen. "Your offering is verily appreciated, unser gut Sigi." Yes, Sigi had asked her to be addressed less formally. She had agreed to that, but in this particular circumstance, some decorum had to be given. So while she was on a first-name basis, and not using titles for her... excessively humble vassal, using at the very least a positive adjective was non-negotiable. Lorie took the noted advice as prescribed, and bit into it directly. It resembled a melon, with the way its crust cracked in certain patterns. It was also crisp in that same way. But soft on the inside. Thoroughly sweet, enough to momentarily crack her facade and elicit a little smile. Seelen was comfort food and reminded her of the good times at home. This? Was a rare treat that made her glimpse the rare banquet with decadent desserts. "And we can see why you chose it as well. Prächtig!"Steiner's reaction was difficult to gauge. Be it whether she was laughing at the prospect of Lorie's declaration, or laughing with it was hard to say. Lorie herself had no information on the House, outside of textbooks and the occasional comment from older relatives who did have some personal dealings with them. But at least, from the way she would repeatedly emphasise the title of Archon whenever she mentioned it, there was no doubt Steiner was aware of House Hechingen's self-imposed demotion. Still, a word with stress needed context. And the Erbpfalzgrafin surrounded that word with a context of what sounded like approval. At least on the surface. At the bare minimum, she was being taken to task. To be so bold as to claim the title of Archon for herself, she must prove herself worthy of holding it. But of course. More especially for those who rose through work, proven work is of greater value than words. Not that work is not valuable to those of high birth. After all, they rose through work in earlier times. But perhaps it was the underlying implications of work beneath their words, that made words good enough for them. You didn't get far if you didn't make good on your promises. Lorie nodded in agreement at the proposition. "Wir sind einverstanden, Erlaucht-erbe Steiner. We are confident that our contribution to this campaign's effort will secure the future of our subjects, and intend to see to that personally. We look forward to seeing your just rule as well, once all this is over and you return to complete your accession."At the stylish apology to Sigi, she laughed. It was the sort high-born laugh you would expect from watching one too many soaps. High pitched, one too many "ho's", and had Lorie a fan in hand, she would have used it to cover her mouth. Not because the apology wasn't true, but because of how well Steiner could craft an amusing yet biting bout of self-deprecation. Appearances were important. And while Steiner was far more liberal with keeping up appearances, she had the uncanny ability to make it seem welcoming, even to one such as Lorie. She would have to be careful not to be lured down to this crass level. Precisely because it was so alluring. Lorie quieted down from the brief outburst before concurring. "Indeed, it is perhaps one of the failings of our lot. That is why we have such vassals as our gut Sigi here to remind us of our noble tasks. We would be honoured to match blades with you come your speedy recovery. Und unser gut Sigi is also more than welcome to participate in this upcoming unsheathed gala."Finally, she would be able to get some exercise in, but more importantly, to put her capabilities on display. They would see these ancient elegant combat arts! Before she could say more, however, the door swung open with an unhinged Device floating into the room and dragging what was presumably its master with it. Said master was apparently dragged straight out of bed, and had just gotten up. Right at this very spot. This explained why she at first, noticed nothing of what was going on and went to get bacon and water. This newcomer was quite possibly a commoner, given her lack of both bearing and heraldry. At least even with her disposition, Steiner wore her family's coat of arms with pride. Now, the dynamic had changed. Lorie was the first to answer her greeting. And because of the need to keep up appearances, any condescension would have to be extremely subdued. Were they alone, the most she would have given was a curt nod of acknowledgement. Were there no greeting, she would have been ignored. But here they were, in the company of others. "Ein guten Morgen indeed, housemate. We were just enjoying the simple pleasures of coffee und bread. Nothing much has happened yet, however, with pertinence to the mission."She gestured at the digital counter on a screen hanging above the door. At least thirty teams had not yet completely reported in to their Field Bases. The Admiral must have been getting impatient already. Yes, technically, the operation was supposed to last 24 hours. But to get down to the last trickle and watching it advance so slowly must have been grating. "There should still be time before the Admiral's address."[1133/3114/3] Sigi Winter Kasagami Araki-Steiner Freya Fuun
|
|
|
Post by Sigi Winter on Mar 7, 2023 23:33:45 GMT
Sigi nearly dropped her coffee when she heard Lorie use her first name. They had been through a lot already, but she had thought it would take much longer before she started to act more familiar. Was it the presence of this new woman that had pushed her over the edge? Did she have some kind of friend seniority that allowed her to break the shackles of noble etiquette? As the sound of her own name repeated itself over and over in her mind, she found she didn't really care.
Even better, Lorie liked her bread. And she kept piling on praise after praise of her to Kasami. Sigi felt heat rising to her cheeks, and she struggled so hard to keep a firm grip on her mug that it started to shake. She felt like steam might start rising off the top of her head if she heard any more.
"Thank you for your praise, Lo... Lady Hechingen." She averted her eyes, looking away and at the floor. She had almost called Lorie by her name as well in the heat of the moment. Before she could ruminate on that any further, however, she made eye contact with a girl that had just been dragged through the door by her device. Lorie was friendly enough with her, and didn't seem put off with having a commoner talking to her, so Sigi extended her own greeting. "Um.... Good morning. As Lady Hechingen said, we were just enjoying some coffee. You're welcome to join us.
[270/1304/3]
|
|
|
Post by Freya Fuun on Mar 31, 2023 21:35:12 GMT
Freya looked at the counter that Lorie gestured to and let out a sigh of relief. Sure, she wasn't entirely happy with the way her weapon practically dragged her out of bed, but at least she didn't sleep through the Admiral's address. That being said, though, she could feel she hadn't exactly made a good first impression thanks to her unorthodox entrance.
"Oh! ...Well, good thing I didn't sleep through it, then! Thank you for informing me!" She said, attempting to avoid addressing the blond-haired girl by her name, since she was afraid of getting it wrong and further humiliating herself. She then turned to Sigi and returned her greeting. "Good morning to you as well! And thanks for the offer, but I'm ok with settling for bacon and water..." She said, taking a bite out of one of the pieces of bacon and swallowing it before taking a sip of water. Her eyes then widened a little in surprise as she realized she hadn't introduced herself yet.
"...Oh, where are my manners! My name is Freya Fuun! It's a pleasure to meet you a- " Before she could finish her introduction, however, her weapon reactivated on its own, popping out of her pajama's pocket like spare change before swiftly returning to its broom-like from. [Fun fact: Over exposure to coffee can cause heart failure!] Beamed the AI. Freya's eyes shrunk from both panic and rage. She was TRYING to make a good first impression with her new colleagues, and in comes her device telling them that they're drinking something that could probably kill them! ...and she didn't even know if it was right or not! She quickly turned it off again, returning it to its gem-like state before gripping it as tightly as she could with both of her hands. Desperately trying to keep it from reactivating on its own and saying something stupid again.
"HA HA HA! Oh, silly devices~! They say the DARNDEST THINGS, RIGHT?" She said, glancing hatefully at the device in her hands as she said those last three words before laughing nervously and shoving it back in her pajama pocket. "A-Anyways, how has breakfast been for you guys? Is that 'bread' stuff any like... y'know, good?" She asked with a hint of nervousness in her voice. Desperately trying to start a conversation so she doesn't have to talk about what her device just said.
[399/727/2]
|
|
|
Post by Lorie Zetros on Apr 1, 2023 0:59:07 GMT
Lorie had to stop herself from giving Sigi a good headpat. Her reaction was... in a strange way, heartwarming. Of course, a vassal was one who deserved far more dignity than a mere pet. So how then should she reward this display of gratitude? Protocols were protocols, especially if she were to retain her station among those who knew nothing about her exile. Physical contact in such an intimate fashion was out of the question. As tempting as it might have been, at any rate. Besides, patting her head like a puppy would not only violate protocols. They would degrade the prestige of the suzerain while making a mockery of the vassal. Their relationship was not of pet and owner. Vassals had the dignity of entering into this relationship by choice, rather than purchase. That set them apart from animals and the bedrock folk. For now, she would make use of some telepathy. <<We sense some consternation. Perhaps we can discuss this in the privacy of our quarters?>>"We cannot deny the appeal of some good meat." Just plain water, though? Perhaps this girl grew up in a destitute place where clean water was a luxury. How else would one explain the eccentricities of her Device? No doubt it was a low quality design with improper programming. "We would say it pairs nicely with cof-"Sure enough, the faulty machine spoke again. [Meine Herrin's heart is more than a match for a mere beverage!] Hofud barked out in response. If that was his idea of a witty comeback, now was not the time. Lorie cleared her throat and tightly squeezed the cruciform sword pendant hanging from her neck. "Ja, ja. Sometimes, they do act up quite a bit when they have an attitude. But more importantly, breakfast has been charming so far. Humble, yet satisfying. We can vouch for the quality of... Sigi, what did you call this local bread again?" In any case, there sure were a number of introductions going on this morning, what with Steiner and now this Fuun girl. "We are Lorelei Zetros von Hechingen, Archon of Gullintanni." Once again, she gave Sigi the nod of approval that she may go ahead and introduce herself next. Ah, would it be wonderful to someday have people kneeling at her feet again... But for now, she would put up with this charade of equality with commoners. Mainly because this was the Bureau's redoubt, and she could very well get penalised with all these witnesses around. Still... that plan continued to stew in her head, of streaming on Glitch... [418/3532/4]
|
|
|
Post by Sigi Winter on May 2, 2023 23:28:08 GMT
"It is melon bread, if the packaging is to be believed, though I'm not sure why they call it that." She grinned and gave a curt bow to Freya. "I am Sigi Winter, of House Winter-- Knight of the Church of the Sainktkaiser and vassal of House Hechingen-- pleasure to meet you."
The girl's name sounded Belkan, but she wasn't sure whether she belonged to any of the houses. Lorie would probably know the whole history of her family if she was, but she figured it would be rude to ask outright, and it didn't particularly matter here anyway.
"Ah! I should introduce you to Gungnir too while we're at it. Say hello, Gungnir!" The pendant on her necklace flashed in acknowledgement, [HEEEEEEY~!]
"She's actually been in the family for generations, but my parents let me pick out a new personality for her when I joined the knights. She used to be so frumpy and we never really got along. Have you met Lixue yet? She may be able to fix your device for you." She didn't add that Lixue would probably run some weird experiment on it as well, but so far her antics had been mostly helpful. She was as eccentric as any of their section, but her heart seemed to be in the right place.
[259/1563/4]
|
|
|
Post by Freya Fuun on Jun 1, 2023 1:41:23 GMT
"Melon bread? ...can you even make bread with melons?" Asked Freya, seeming confused by the existence of melon bread, before smiling back and returning Sigi's court bow with one of her own. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Sigi! And you as well, Lady Hechingen!" She beamed, smiling at the two Belkans in front of her. She herself was of Belkan descent, but had never stepped foot in belkan territory in her life.
Her eyes glimmered with curiosity and awe as the girls' devices spoke. Their pendants were almost two times smaller than the tennis-ball sized gem she called a device. She felt a little jealous... but after hearing Sigi's story, she felt relieved she wasn't the only one who had to deal with a device's personality. "I feel you... Actually, I used to have a model similar to yours. It was energetic and hopeful... but it broke during a magic tournament. And since no device meisters in my area could fix it, and I didn't have that much money on me... I had no choice but to settle for Disastro." She said, letting out a regretful sigh while pulling her faulty device out of her pajama pocket and looking at it for a second... before it suddenly reactivated on its own again.
[That's-a me!] It beamed... before its gem slowly started turning red. [And the blonde has a special heart you say? ...Mind if I take a look at it~?] It asked, its voice module shifting into a deeper and more menacing-sounding tone as red crystal-like needles slowly rose from its fluffy broom-like tip, pointing in Lorie's direction! Thankfully though, before it could do any real harm to the belkan, Freya squeezed on her defective device's gem once more to turn it off again, letting out a sigh in both relief and exhausted disappointment. "...I'm sure you can see why it's an issue..." She sighed.
"Lixue? ...Are you sure she'll be able to fix him? I've asked a few of Hexhammer's device meisters and they can't seem to find what's causing these malfunctions..." She says, feeling a little skeptical about trusting this 'Lixue' person with her device. Talented or not, she didn't want Disastro to end up hurting anyone while she wasn't around. If SHE could barely keep it in check, what guarantees that someone else can?
[389/1116/3]
|
|