You are Richter Von Tracht, Lieutenant, Kommandant, and now Coordinator. Another flattering title under your cap would be nice; rather than more accolades in the form of, say, twinkletoes, retard, and veal pounder (you didn't know which of those was worst). Maybe something appreciative in nature from the Ellowians you were doing your best to help; even if you were doing so in the capacity of working with those who had conquered and occupied their nation. Your latest action in doing so had ended, it seemed, in riveting success. An ambush that, while suffering from a hitch, managed to be executed with no casualties to your people at all. History repeated itself with this, as you ambushed Sosaldtian mercenaries for yet another time in your career. Granted, this group was smaller than the past ones, but you could pride yourself on the complete lack of damage your forces had taken. The only place things could go wrong now was the second element of this operation; after the destruction of the fighting capability of these mercenaries (lackeys of a local political officer) and thus their ability to extract tribute from the troubled rural village they had been harassing, you would set their master against that of other oppressors, putting Kommissar against Kommissar…so long as the acting and story was convincing. You’d done your best to facilitate such, though.
The Sosaldtian mercenaries, thugs under the command of one Kommissar Vanberg, had been terrorizing a small rural village called Ottiskarb, a large portion of their intimidation coming from their possession of a flame spewing assault tank- a tank that, now that the battle was over, was discovered to be a remote-controlled piece of strange equipment you’d never seen the likes of before, though from how the commander of the infantry platoon you’d set out with described it, it would have been uncommon but still decently known in Ellowie. You had succeeded in guessing its nature somehow, and shot up its controllers. The tank was unharmed even at the end of the battle, when the rest of the mercenaries were defeated.That hardly mattered, though. The risk of capturing the vehicle was too great to risk doing so, but it also couldn’t be allowed to return to service. Thusly, the connectors of the flammable substance it normally would have shot out of its throwers were unlinked, letting the tank fill with sticky liquid incendiary, before being set alight. The thick black smoke of the tank burning would be visible for far around; it was good that Captain Kelwin, nominal commander of the formation you were more in charge of when it came down to it, had found some dazed survivors of the ambush and injected them with the fiction you had drafted for this ambush. That the Kommissar Captain Zohl had decided to take the village under his own “protection” and that Kommissar Vanberg’s thugs were no longer welcome here with their brand of banditry. Would that you have been able to say such yourself, but your accent was inappropriate for the role to be played- being of the capital region of the Archduchy rather than of Netilland.
The brigands turned mercenaries were sent shambling back, leaving their dead and their weapons in the dirt as their tank burned like a volcano, bright and tall. The heat from it was such that it burned the face even from the woods. Captain Kelwin and Lieutenant Wielzci both urged you to leave at least because of such, and you agreed- this operation was as good as complete.Though…you didn’t know if you should return to Ottiskarb or not to share that you destroyed your enemy. Perhaps it was better for those villagers to simply think that they had fallen into another Kommissar’s lap, hopefully a gentler one. Though then, you would find it hard to capitalize on doing them a favor…it would depend on whether their appreciation would prove a risk or not in the long run.>You’d done quite enough to ease tensions in the rural countryside; you could exploit what you’d done more locally rather than spread rumors rather far from your zone of control.>Go back to the village and share news your victory, and the liberation of them from the mercenaries- even if you hadn’t taken any casualties, this effort surely demanded direct reward of SOME sort…>Go back to the village- but send the rest of your men home. Any talk of this should be among as few people as possible, even if it meant any appreciation would likely be in the form of hints or information…if the villagers were so inclined to share it, which they might not be….>Other?Past Threads are collected here: https://pastebin.com/UagT0hnhTwitter for announcements and various horseshit is @scheissfunker
>>3485121>You’d done quite enough to ease tensions in the rural countryside; you could exploit what you’d done more locally rather than spread rumors rather far from your zone of control.First for ravaging Maddalyn's mouth-cunny!
>>3485121>>Go back to the village and share news your victory, and the liberation of them from the mercenaries- even if you hadn’t taken any casualties, this effort surely demanded direct reward of SOME sort…
>>3485121>>You’d done quite enough to ease tensions in the rural countryside; you could exploit what you’d done more locally rather than spread rumors rather far from your zone of control.Loot all the guns before we leave though, new stuff is appreciated thank you very much.
>>3485121>>You’d done quite enough to ease tensions in the rural countryside; you could exploit what you’d done more locally rather than spread rumors rather far from your zone of control.Depending on how aggressive the follow up investigation might be maybe these guys not really knowing much is for the best. Also looting their stuff like >>3485363 said.
>>3485121>>You’d done quite enough to ease tensions in the rural countryside; you could exploit what you’d done more locally rather than spread rumors rather far from your zone of control.Hopefully the villagers wont talk about us dropping by beforehand.
>>3485121>>You’d done quite enough to ease tensions in the rural countryside; you could exploit what you’d done more locally rather than spread rumors rather far from your zone of control.Just a start, up the tension in Netilland, give the Ellowians more room to work with and weaken "enemy" support. We could use this later for Ellowian insurgents even if it would be hard to prove. >Other?Chew the fat with the Captain, how's he feeling about his first taste of combat with us? How...loyal is he feeling right now?
>>3485121>You’d done quite enough to ease tensions in the rural countryside; you could exploit what you’d done more locally rather than spread rumors rather far from your zone of control.
>>3485121>>You’d done quite enough to ease tensions in the rural countryside; you could exploit what you’d done more locally rather than spread rumors rather far from your zone of control.Any villages in our sector where we can exploit this piece of good news?
Morning.>>3485302Go back and share the good news.>>3485167>>3485421>>3485708Get back to base and>>3485363>>3485375Steal some equipment, because why not? And>>3485452Talk with Kelwin.>>3485712>Any villages in our sector where we can exploit this piece of good news?There's villages all over the place- those in your specific area of influence certainly don't get pillaged by anybody, though you do have ways of leaking rumors, yes, if you want to be more subtle about it.Writing.
Your mischief had been quite enough to ease tensions in the rural countryside for now, you figured- scuffling between Kommissars would like not involve the civilian populace as much as claiming to be insurgents would have. It wouldn’t do you any good to parade your victory about here though, you concluded, if an aggressive investigation were to be made soon. Best to keep your accolades close to home, where you would best reap the benefits anyways.As the tower of flame over the dispatched enemy tank began to reduce to a smolder, the steel so hot that rivets creaked and popped, you elected to have Lieutenant Wielzci gather up what arms he could from the enemy. They were a decent enough catch to take advantage of- all new weapons, all rather decent quality. Hardly anything to complain about other than that they weren’t quite enough to properly outfit a platoon.>New Weapons x1 loot procured. Can be used to half the RP cost of New Model Machine Guns and Stormtrooper Spec squad platoon upgrade. There was little else to be gained from lingering, so you had the platoon start marching back, along with utilizing the last of the company group’s fuel to have the tank driven back to base. With combat being an unlikely prospect for such a large group moving around, you felt safe walking with Captain Kelwin while your crew handled the X-51 on the way back. You still shivered from the cold- you’d been without a shirt or jacket the whole day since setting out, for the supposed benefit of Emma, the spritely will-o-wisp that had finally pushed you to carry out her demands, but she had selected a favorite half-nude man, and your torso clothing had been mysteriously “lost.” A fair prank from your crew, you supposed, but damn was it cold out to be in a state of dress as this…What a sight you would have looked to any passersby, a Strossvald-colors painted tank from Valsten with a platoon of Ellowians (the disguised group had shed their borrowed uniforms), a Netillian officer, and you, some bare chested nutcase in a scarf and cap and goggles.Captain Raley Kelwin himself was about your age, perhaps younger, and seemed somewhat meek- a bit shorter than you, slimmer, generally unintimidating in build with a soft, boyish face and eyes that ever seemed a bit much wide open. His lacking confidence and mild manners were not particularly suited for the combination of his youth and his rank, as he probably knew, and more likely still took no pleasure in reflecting upon. Anya had described him as a “puppy;” when you asked what breed she said she didn’t know a damn thing about that. He had a habit of asking questions he already knew the answer to- thinking not to presume. You were about to ask him a few odd questions, yourself, that you hoped you both already knew.“So,” you asked, “How was your first taste of combat?”
“I’m glad I didn’t get shot, I guess.” Kelwin shrugged, “I guess I dunno if that was a fair look at it. It didn’t last long enough to be scared of; I barely had time to adjust to that guns were firing before it was all over. I s’pose you’d think people dying’d be a new thing, but,” Kelwin grunted in a discomforted hum, “Berkesseburg’s had plenty of rough spots I grew up around.” He looked back at you as you walked along, the X-51’s remarkably quiet engine scratching and winding like a colossal phonograph behind and to the flank as tread slowly disheveled the dirt road. “How about you? How was your first battle?”“Had a bad stop on a train right out of the academy,” you told Kelwin, “Had to take my tank off the train and roll out with but my crew and a couple train constables. I met my fiancée right after.”“Oh.” Kelwin furrowed his brow, like your story was fanciful, but he didn’t accuse such. “Is your fiancée Sergeant Nowicki?”It was your turn to knit your brow with a funny look to give Kelwin. “No. She is my retinue.” Anything between you beyond that was unnecessary for Captain Kelwin to know at this juncture.“Is that like a bodyguard mixed with a servant, or a maid?”The thought of Anya dressed as a maid made you smirk. “Close enough. Except with a machine pistol.” To call a Retinue a mere maid without jesting would be to besmirch the women of your esteemed family, though, as well as their brave deaths on the battlefield. Many of them had been Retinue, and thus personal retainers rather than properly in any army, thus sidestepping military laws about females serving in the line. Much as you would have liked to go into detail, it would probably just confuse Kelwin without proper context, and establishing that would leave no time for what you truly wanted to ask of him.
“It would have been nice to meet my future fiancée here,” Kelwin lamented, “I guess that would have been pretty wild, but it would be a nice story. What are the odds of that, meeting the woman you’ll marry in your first battle?”“Well, we were engaged already. Our marriage is arranged.”“Oh.” Kelwin’s fantastical interpretation of events became more grounded. “Guess that changes it up, huh.”“Indeed.” You changed the subject. “So, this mission. Who we fought, why we fought them, what I had you tell them. How does it make you feel?”“…What do you mean?” Captain Kelwin asked uncertainly, “They were breaking occupation law. The Ellowians are subjects of the High Protector Wladysaw XI, and none have authority to collect from them save for his officials under the Military Council. To collect tribute and pillage is a breach of conduct, and as mercenaries, we couldn’t just file an official objection, could we?”You smiled at him. “Come now. You and I both know that isn’t what I’m asking about.”Kelwin’s discomfort led him to look blankly ahead. “I am a member of the Defense Party. I know something of politics, and how it can distort motives, how enough clout can let a person with enough of it shrug off law and tradition like a wet jacket. This sort of thing is hardly unusual, I know. There’s not much we can do about it. You stay in your lane, and try not to mess with people with power. So I suppose,” he frowned and sighed sadly, “I dunno if you’re doing something that’ll be too smart of a decision. You seem like you know what you’re doing better than I would, though. I’ll admit that, I’ve had a pretty nice situation land in my lap. Captain at twenty one. That’s real good, considering what I’ve come from. I don’t want to lose that, you know? I don’t want anything to happen to my family either. I’m a member of the ruling Party…well, the only party allowed to rule. I know what’s risked if I do something that makes the wrong people mad.”
“Would you say that’s the same all around?” you asked, “So that this occupation law continues to be flaunted?”“…You have to understand, Coordinator,” Captain Kelwin said defensively, “These are Ellowians. I know us and Strossvald have had bad blood in the past, but it doesn’t run as deep as this. If you meet a family in Netilland, there’s a son or brother or father who was killed fighting Ellowie. My grandfather and uncle both died in wars against Ellowie. They were our worst enemy, and finally, we won. I don’t really hate people…but I can understand why other people would. I can understand how, after all this time and death, people are more willing to look the other way. I don’t think it’s right, but…I don’t know. I feel like you can’t just tell people to not do it either. I think the Military Council’s led Netilland in a brighter new direction than the old government. We’ve finally won against Ellowie. We’re getting land in Sosaldt, we got land back from Rourmark. I’m proud of what I am, and that the sacrifices of my family and others are paying off. Of course I think it’s a good thing we’re winning, you know?”>Is it really winning if your people become savages under a merciless tyranny in the process? I know people who would say that in your victory, your country and people have lost more than they gained.>I suppose that is fair. I have never questioned a victory by my own people, either. >But you’re not winning. Twaryi had to fight the Ellowians too, and soon enough, I’ll bet they’ll fight you. So if all this is due to winning, what happens when the illusion of victory falls and all you’re left with is a legacy of brutal occupation and exploitation? Doesn’t that make you feel ashamed?>I’ll take your word for it that everything’s better. I certainly hope it’ll turn out better for the Ellowians in time, don’t you, if you don’t hate them?>Other?Also,>Ask/Speak with Kelwin about anything else on your way back?
>>3486023>But your victory isn’t total, and it never will be. Twaryi had to fight the Ellowians too, and soon enough, I’ll bet they’ll fight you. If you win there, so will come the next war after that, and the next after that.... Netilland will eventually lose, and what then? All you’re left with is a legacy of brutal occupation and exploitation? Doesn’t that make you feel ashamed?
>>3486023>Other"You may be winning now, but you'd better hope that Netilland never lose then Captain. As they say, do unto others what you wish to be done to you."
>>3486023>>3486040>>3486087I'd say a mix of both; basically not only will it look morally bad in hindsight, also if they ever lose they should expect their neighbours to show the same amount of mercy and treatment as they did.
>>3486102Supporting
>>3486102+1
>>3486102Works for me>Ask/Speak with Kelwin about anything else on your way back?Maybe just mention that while we're trying to help the civilians as much as we can, ultimately we are here to protect and train Netilland. wink
>>3486040muh honor>>3486087Just desserts are approaching>>3486102>>3486220>>3486229Both! One supports the other.>>3486251And mention to the young Captain that you're just juggling your good intentions. Right?Right.Writing.
“You might be winning now,” you observed lightly, “but Twaryi helped on this win, did they not? What happens when you stop winning, and you have to look back on what’s happening now? What happens when the Netillians are unable to resist the will of an enemy, and the new lord atop the pile looks back in time and sees what manner of gracious victors your people were? I’d only expect tragedy ahead, unless Netilland’s triumphs never cease…and one day they will. When that day comes, everybody’ll remember, as is said, do unto others what you wish to be done to you.”Kelwin straightened his cap furtively; as a captain, his was a different design than that of the lower officers an NCOs, who bore field caps that were rather plain and lacking in a bill. “Well, sure, but…I mean, nobody thinks we’ll lose. We’re stronger than ever. Ellowie was the most difficult enemy, and they’ve been overcome. If you asked anybody in the company…well, save for the Ellowians I mean, but…anyways, if you asked anybody in the company, let alone the army, how they felt? They would say they could take on Alexander, I bet. Especially with that raid you led out where you beat a bunch of Twaryians. They’d say let the Twaryians come, so we can beat them too, along with anybody else, even the Archduchy!...Sorry. I mean, it’s still pretty recent that we’re…whatever we are.”“No offense is taken.” Though by your opinion, Strossvald could kick Netilland’s arse still. “After all, Strossvald’s mission is to aid in Netilland’s defense by helping train their armies. Even if one could say this new friendship is solely to stop the eastern menace, we certainly only benefit from one another’s growth.” How true that was remained to be seen; particularly your personal effect on such. After all, it wasn’t long ago that the eastern menace was Netilland, not Twaryi and Caelus. The current teetering balance was potentially a disaster for the Archduchy, as the powerful barrier of Ellowie had both drawn away Netilland’s focus and halted Caelussian influence into the continent.“I want to say that there’s enough people doing their best, besides the bad actors, though…” Kelwin stuck on the previous subject, “I mean, the Military Council isn’t just grinding the Ellowians into the dirt. They set up their King, Wladysaw XI, who-“A nearby Ellowian trooper spat on the ground loudly upon hearing that name and King together. “King o’ Shitweasels!” he proclaimed.“King of the Shitweasels!” a few others spoke up in echo.
Kelwin frowned sadly and looked down. “…Well, I know we’re trying. Us, at least. Well, you. I haven’t really done much.” He looked thoughtful, then snapped his fingers, “Ah. Speaking of the King. High Protector, whatever you prefer. I’d think Strossvald would prefer the noble title, but…anyways. I was intending to tell you when we got back, but since we’re talking now, I got really interesting news. You know the Social at Kamienisty? The Railhead? You’re invited to it, yes?”“Yes.” You nodded to him, “I am. Are you? I suppose you’ve shown up too soon to be on any lists to send to, I’ve heard captains and upwards were generally invited. If you request an invitation you should get one.”“Oh, no, no,” Kelwin laughed nervously and waved his hands in front of him, “I don’t have anybody to escort me anyways.”“That hardly matters. I’ve heard that appearing unescorted attracts attention from interested parties.”Kelwin chuckled nervously again. “No, I mean, that’s not…I’d rather not have that. I’m high ranking and signaling that I’m single, I know what the sorts who search for mates at such gatherings are looking for. Call me a dreamer, but I’d rather not try and draw in gold diggers.”You didn’t know if it was necessarily true that every single lady who would appear at an event was solely interested in latching on to people with money and status, but you really couldn’t deny such either…you merely shrugged.“Anyways,” Kelwin caught his feet again, “King Wladysaw’s going to be at that party. It was just announced…waited until a few days before it would happen to spark some excitement, I guess.”>What an event that’ll be. Are you sure you don’t want to come? Just to experience the storm of eligible young women, if not the wine and hors d’oeuvres? >Sounds like an opportunity. You can bet I’ll be speaking with him, even if maybe he’s more High Protector than any king…>Oh, God Damnit. >Other?Broke up update due to distractions and delays; didn't want to delay much longer, seemed appropriate here.
>>3486657>>What an event that’ll be. Are you sure you don’t want to come? Just to experience the storm of eligible young women, if not the wine and hors d’oeuvres? >>Sounds like an opportunity. You can bet I’ll be speaking with him, even if maybe he’s more High Protector than any king…And inside:>Oh, God Damnit. Time to go talk with our other officers when we return to HQ
>>3486672Supporting this.
>>3486672supporting
>>3486672This is good
Game is over. Update time now.>>3486672>>3486701>>3486839>>3486918There'll be girls and good, and social connections!...also the King, who has instantly skyrocketed the threat to your event. Fantastic.Writing.
Sorry it's taking a while, I'll have this out soon.I debated with myself if anybody cares enough about this nerd for him to have a picture.
>>3487762It's okay, your pace has been really good today!
Your mouth twitched, and you had to force it into perhaps too wide a smile to keep it from tightening into a deep frown. “What an event that’ll be. The King, imagine. Are you sure you don’t want to come? For the prestige, the opportunity, the storm of eligible young women, and if for nothing else, the wine and hors d’oeuvres?” God damnit. Judge above cast me down to the darkness but not before Wladysaw XI. Damn it all to hell. You’d definitely have to talk this over with your other officers.Captain Kelwin still seemed apprehensive, his eyes shadowed under his shako. “Are you sure it’ll be all that? I’d rather enjoy myself at a party, after all, and I still hardly know anybody from around here. Maybe if I could hang around with you? I’ve gotten to know Abetz and Kristoph, but lower ranking officers won’t be allowed in, I’m sure, so…you know, no reason we can’t be friends as well as comrades, right?”“Friends? Huh?” that prompted a frown, and you peered sideways at him. “Sure, why not.” To be honest, you were still distracted with considering this new, awful development. Hopefully he didn’t think you were too coarse.Thankfully, Kelwin seemed relieved. “Oh, good. I was concerned that our loyalties to nations might form a point of rivalry, but I’m glad that that’s not the case. It’s better this way, after all. For people to work together, and in a friendly manner. Were it that Wielzci could reconcile such, but, I guess the wounds are still too fresh on his mind, even after a month.”Of all the people that could show up to this gathering. The High Protector, who by all means, was one of the highest people on the shit list for insurgents, from what you’d heard and could conclude from history. A crony of the Netillians, a relic of a dead and gladly discarded age, a pompous fool who thought the world of himself…there was absolutely no doubt that insurgents would be spurred to act by this news. That they would even come from other sectors to meddle and prepare in this one. Judge above, what if they stayed after, regardless of what mess would or wouldn’t happen? In spite of being topless on a winter day, you felt sweat on your brow from the possibilities…you would have to at least check with Maenesko to see that your efforts weren’t going to waste.“I haven’t been to a party like this,” Kelwin continued on, “If I’m not cast out into the water without a plank to cling to, it’s frightening, but if I have a refuge and a place to step from to learn, all of a sudden, it is rather exciting. Wine and…what did you say? Or Derves? I suppose that’s food, but with an Emrean name, I can only imagine that it’s refined. I’ve hardly had wine, even. I wonder…”
Worse still, Anya would be at this social, as would you. Also Kelwin. What self-respecting insurgent could pass it up? If the Twaryians wanted to cause mischief, they certainly would be able to dump support into some group of crazies or prisoners, wouldn’t they? The bunch you had apprehended had had a crate of explosives; enough to cause a crazy amount of damage if deployed right. If security was too light, if the insurgents were too clever, even just a bunch of hooligans with guns could cause untold damage, to say nothing of the repercussion. Of the retaliation demanded. Perhaps you thought of sowing discord, but…what would you do? Would exploiting this be too quick, or would it be just right? It was awful to think of, but nothing would mess things up like this, and your directives had been to watch and wait for opportunity…then, the Major had also said to decide along your own priorities, to make your own decisions, so…yet, the danger to those close to you…“I’m pretty uncomfortable with the concept of being swarmed, though. I don’t have much experience with women, I hate to say, unless you count my mother and sister. I wonder if I could find an escort just to keep people off my back. Maybe just get a villager to pretend, but, do they have to be of some import? Von Tracht, you are going with an escort, right?” Kelwin noticed you were lost in thought, and coughed. “Coordinator.”“What?” you blinked, “Yes? Yes.”“You are being escorted by your fiancée, I presume. To the social.”“No. This region is dangerous and she is of significant import to Strossvald. I am being escorted by Anya…Sergeant Nowicki.” When Kelwin furrowed his brow at you, you made an identical expression back at him. “It is purely platonic, I assure you.”“Uh huh.” Kelwin still squinted at you. “Oh well, I was thinking I could borrow her, but that’s fine.”“Heh.” You snorted, your cheeks crooked, and you had to keep yourself from chortling. “No, you probably wouldn’t want that.”“Oh.” the captain must have read plenty from your expressions.“You’ll be fine.” you reassured Kelwin, “Just…think of it like a tactical situation.”“That sounds abnormal, pardon if I offend.”
…Maybe it was abnormal. “It works for me, though. Make the ballroom a battlefield. Conversation a conflict. Flirting a trade of artillery fire, predicting where it will land and what effect it shall have.”“I’ll think of something else.” Kelwin said flatly, “Anyways, on the subject of these gatherings, clearly you have some experience with them. Your family is noble, yes? Tell me about them.”You smiled again.-----Kelwin actually had some interest in the histories of nobility, and you were surprised that he had heard of a few members of your family. Gaps in his knowledge concerning the first who would be ennobled as Von Tracht and his campaigning alongside the first Archduke, along with the adventuring of the roguish Heller Von Tracht, were filled to the best of your ability, and it was only necessity that kept you from stuffing him further with knowledge. A relief as it was to speak on subjects you liked…there was still the new matter at hand. The absolute worst surprise guest possible at this particular social. You would have preferred an ambush from a reanimated and spiteful Luca the Cutter. Of all the people, of all the places; solely for the shock and cheek of it, you bet.So you gathered the parties who needed to be involved. Krause, Von Metzeler, Anya because this directly involved her. The tomboy was the first to be retrieved.“Where’s your shirt, skinny?” Anya sneered when you approached. “You decide it was hot all of a sudden?”“It’s for your benefit,” you joked, “Only a fair trade to you. Look all you want.”Anya made a humored expression. “Nah, you know you need to eat more red meat and lift more. You probably had it stolen like a dummy.”“You shouldn’t be so critical of your handiwork,” you retorted.That gave Anya pause for thought, and she stepped forward, squinted at your chest, and then wound up and gave your left pectoral a stinging slap.“Agh!” you recoiled, “What was that for?”“You’re right,” Anya observed, “You’re definitely harder’n before. Not half bad, really. Good job, me.”“You'd best thank yourself for the kind compliment,” you grumbled sardonically, “Do I get to slap your stomach now?”“You can try.” Anya reached up and poked your nose. “Really though, where’s your jacket. Choirboy’ll get all bent out of shape, he still bitches at me like an old woman for how I wear things. Did you actually get it stolen or what?”“It’s complicated. My crew must still think this is funny.”
“It is pretty funny.” Anya looked at your arms, and she reached out and wrapped her hand around a bicep. “Hey, flex for me for a moment.” You obeyed without hesitation. “Hmm. We’ll need to get you weights or something, I think we’ve hit the end of what we can do without gear. I need some myself.”“I’ll put it on your Langenachtfest list, so that the Krampus can know to give you more coal.”“Krampus’ll have to speed read at this point. When is the solstice now?”“It’ll be on the night of the social. A few days.”“I figured it was earlier for some reason,” Anya commented. It was a fair misjudgement; Langenachtfest celebration was a contentious topic and different places had different days to celebrate regardless of whether it actually fell on the longest night and thus the beginning of the end of winter. “…Okay, I know you didn’t come here to ask what I wanted for the holidays. It was actually serious.”“It is.”“How serious?”“We specifically might end up in a lot of trouble on Langenachtfest.” You summarized, “More than I thought before. The great and benevolent High Protector Wladysaw XI’s decided to RSVP to the social. I want to get Von Metzeler and Krause over to talk about it.”“King Leech is coming to town?...I’d rather it be the Krampus. Choirboy went to the UGZ.” Anya told you, “Mustache is still around. Whined that he’s always stuck back, even though that’s totally untrue.”Why would Von Metzeler go to the UGZ? “Krause will have to do. Let’s go get him.”-----“If you’ve got that look on your face you can’t have good news,” Krause said lazily, leaning back in a chair in the office tent, “Cute how you’ve decided to start dressing to match. Or are we going swimming? Anything besides whatever awful thing you’re about to reveal.”“King Wladysaw XI is coming to the social on the solstice.” You said flatly. Krause fell backwards in his chair and clattered to the ground, swearing. He swore some more as he stood up. “Damn it all, why? Can’t he host a thousand parties at his house instead of crashing all the ones elsewhere? And in the Border Zone of all places!?”“They call ‘im King Leech for a few reasons,” Anya said, “One reason I bet is his brain. I dunno how big a leech brain is, but it can’t be that big.”“They don’t have brains,” you said. “They’re worms.”Anya shrugged. “Even more accurate then.”>What do you want to discuss concerning this new development? Plans, opportunities, course of action, the like.>Any other actions or things you want to do are applicable for now or later in camp or in the area, naturally.
>>3487921>Go take a mean dump.
>>3487921Well the way I see it we have four options: we can set up our own forces as a QRF for when shit hits the fan at the party, we can arrange some sort of way for us to escape to safety when SHTF at the party, we can just ignore the threat and enjoy the party and hope we don't die horribly, or we can not go to the party. There's also the chance the insurgents will be smart and use the party as a distraction to hit some other lightly-guarded target while everyone's attention is at the party but I don't know what that would be or what we would do about it. Maybe the UGZ?Maybe we could get some more information on what the security situation at the party is supposed to look like and what Anya's and Krause's opinions are on us risking our lives for wine and hors d’oeuvres.Of course, if we *really* wanted to stir up shit we could always use our insider access to fill the party location with our seized explosives and assassinate the king ourselves and blame it on insurgents, but I think that might be a bit overzealous even by the intelligence office's expectations.
>>3487921Kelwin is fucking adorable and now we have to keep him alive.Also this very troubling with Von Metzeler and we're gonna have to suss out whether there is anything more mystical than hormones happening there.>What do you want to discuss concerning this new development? Plans, opportunities, course of action, the like.Let Anya and Krause know how well the ambush went.Are the awful rumors about him really true?>>3488069I agree that straight up killing the King is probably too far. I vote we either let this one slide and anticipate an insurgent attack, or use their inevitable crashing of the party to somehow implicate the Twaryians, true or not.If there would be anything that we can accomplish while here in Netilland, it would be to ensure that neither Netilland or Twaryi ally against Strossvald. Implicating their hand in attempting the assassination would go a long way towards that.Even just finding the explosives stashed nearby with fake Twaryian evidence.>Any other actions or things you want to do are applicable for now or later in camp or in the area, naturally.See if anyone knows about the party more, where it is, how big it might be, do we know of anyone else going friendly or not. Get our jacket back and see how amenable the parasite ghost is to some undercover snooping. Inform her with the knowledge that it's a fancy dinner party. Maybe we can recon it with her to figure out some advantage here.
>>3487921>>What do you want to discuss concerning this new development? Plans, opportunities, course of action, the like.Check who and which units are going to be part of organizing security for this one; see if their arrangements are adequate. Personally I think we should bring most of our forces there; if the insurgents see that security's been stepped up significantly that may force them to go find a softer target. If we do get into a firefight, well I'd imagine saving this all these important people would give us a lot of favours.Also as >>3488103 said bring Emma; it's a party, I'm sure there'll be plenty of situations for her to sate her hormones.
>>3488334Also maybe ask Krause on any idea why Metzeler went back to the UGZ; they've been friends for so long anyways.
>>3488069We should be everyone but the elowians to up the security detail. Before we go though we need to head down to the UGZ and fetch our subordinate from soulbinder mind control clutches.
>>3488460Bring everyone*
>>3487921All the above sound good; just to check how far away is the social in quest time?
>>3488027Visit the privy. Thankfully, narrative convenience means that you don't really have to use the bathroom, or else you'd have been holding this in for a while.Yeah I know this was an abnormally open ended vote, sorry, there were too many factors to list in a capacity I liked.>>3488069Discuss options; try to dig for security information, analyze risk.>>3488103Share news on ambush, talk about rumors. Presumably those concerning the King? I think? Try to implicate the funny talking easterners, though keeping the King alive through any assassination attempt is priority. Find out more about the event, get jacket, make Emma snoop more.>>3488334In addition to investigating security, see what you can do to provide your own security.Though, you do have to leave people (one platoon at least) behind to occupy your base. It'd be dangerous to leave your tanks and ammunition undefended after all! Even if your fuel is now all gone.>>3488388And ask Krause where the Metz has gone.>>3488460Everybody but the Ellowians is doable. Also go get your second in command.>>3489351> just to check how far away is the social in quest time?Three days. It'll be just before the end of week 1; when you get your fuel, RP income, and you'll get to check out stuff to potentially buy, replenish, the like. There probably won't be much more in the realm of missions for the week; you're only supposed to do a few every week anyways, exempting...special cases. So the next MAJOR thing should be the social, and prep for it.I'll start writing, but with the amount of stuff to cover along with there being a game today...it'll probably take some time. In case that turns out to be the case, if anybody has any other ideas of what to do, or specifying of current actions, the like, go ahead and shoot them in the in between. I'll post again when the update's about ready anyways.
>>3489647No problem. You do your best thinking on the wc. I do actually want a tidbit about visiting the loo, even if it's to accidentally eavesdrop on some mundane conversation.
>>3489647It turns out my game was not today but tomorrow.So that was me bumping the clock up by one unconsciously. There should be no distractions to update production, besides imagined leaps in time.
Guys. We should break the conditionning before a full blown war happen.We're doing low intensity counter insurgency. It's the perfect place to learn about how to deal with our newly acquired fear. Metzeler can take the lead if we snap too hard. Better now than when caelussian/reichs troop will wreck havok in the countryside with there "thunder war".We just need to check our eyes in a mirror.Guys. Trust me guys.
>>3490065Nice try, (((Anon))) How much has the Reich been paying you?
“Why isn’t the Lieutenant here, anyways?” you asked Junior Lieutenant Krause, “Anya said he went to the UGZ. Did he tell you why?” You had a concern it was something to do with Yva…though you hoped you were wrong.Krause gave an innocent shrug. “Not specifically. He did tell me he was going there. He goes there every so often, to satisfy his sense of curiosity. That murder mystery he was on dried right up, so he’d probably gone to go on looking for new projects. It’s how he entertains himself. He’ll probably tell you about it if you ask him.”“We’ll have to go get him and have him explain, then,” you sighed, “Before that though. The mission today was a hearty success; we’ve effectively rendered a band of mercenaries carrying out pillaging and potential kidnapping under the protection of a political officer impotent. The village of Ottiskarb, at least for some time, may rest easy without fear of molestation. Hopefully, this will earn us some points among the populace?” You peered at Anya, but she already knew what you were thinking.“The Ashes’ll like hearing that,” she said, “…Guessing you did use your brain and make it so you weren’t responsible for it, ‘least to any clever dicks with an ear to the ground.”“We did so.” You answered in the affirmative, “Though I’d like a little secret among potential friends, if you know what I mean.”“Who did you mask yourself as?” Krause asked sternly, “Disguising yourself as the wrong thing might lead to reprisals…”“No worry of that,” you said quickly, defensively. “I passed us off as henchmen of a rival Kommissar. I took the Ellowians out; I had the ones who delivered our intimidating post-ambush warning dressed as Netillians, and had the captain do the talking. For all anybody investigating knows, we couldn’t have been involved. Kelwin’s too new to his rank and the area to be recognizable by anybody.”“He looks like he’s barely old enough to be in this army,” Anya snickered, “Friggin’ baby face. Looks like he should be drinking out of a tit rather than a canteen.”You had to get back to the subject at hand rather than mockery of your pseudo-student. “Anyways. Our situation. Since Anya and I are going to this Langenachtfest Social where the King of Ellowie is making a surprise attendance, we’re suddenly in need of considerations of what to do about this.”
“Heard it while you were out, actually.” Anya said, “The Ashes were real excited.” You and Krause both looked at her. “What? Was gonna bring it up. I already told them to cool their heels. That killing the King’d only bring down the hammer on the people here.”“Yes, that would be a bittersweet victory for the locals, no matter how they despise his majesty.” Krause agreed.“Though if he were to have an accident…and explosive one…” you scratched your cheek, “No, I agree, the High Protector’s survival is a necessity, but in regards to us making mischief, there’d be no greater mischief to be made than blowing up Wladysaw XI and somehow claiming the Twaryians did it.”“What if we did that, but didn’t blow it up,” Anya said immediately, “If somebody found it just in time, or if it wasn’t rigged right. That’d get everybody throwing a fit and King Leech gets to live another day.”“It would be good,” Krause said thoughtfully, “Except we probably won’t be the only people planning party favors. A box of false explosives would be merely a prank, and real explosives could be discovered and exploited by those who would set them off, to say nothing of how we would even plan to plant them…”“There’s ways to plant them just fine. It’s plastic explosive, easy enough to smuggle.” Anya said, as though it would be child’s play.Krause cocked his head. “How so?”“Uhh,” Anya looked about the “office,” and saw a handkerchief that probably belonged to Krause. “Here.” She scooped it up and turned around. “Look away for a moment.” When she finished, she turned around again. “So, magic trick. Where’d that go?”“You could have just said you could hide things in your underwear.” Krause grumbled.“This says it better.” Anya reached under her top and, with a bit of shifting around, pulled Krause’s handkerchief out. “Here.” She tossed it at Krause, who picked it up with a grimace.“Ugh, it’s all sweaty.” Krause tossed it to you.You put the slightly damp handkerchief in your pocket, before actually thinking about why. Why did you do that? Well, no matter, it was yours now.“So there is the option of getting explosives in, if we wanted to.” You noted. “Hopefully no other ladies are smuggling such…by the way, weapons are not allowed at the party.”Anya rolled her eyes. “Oh, how awful, I’ll have to just leave anything I’ve got on me at home.” You could spread her sarcasm on toast like jam.“I’m sure it will stop you.” You frankly agreed, “But, our options besides causing an awful panic, and putting us at risk to being blown up.”“We can be shot by whoever decides to crash the party.” Anya said bluntly.“You say that like it’s a sure thing,” though Krause sounded like he had the same opinion.
“They’ll figure out a way.” Anya insisted hotly, “I had the Ashes do a bit more digging. They’re so eager to make big sister happy, as it turns out.”“Big sister? Not mommy?” Krause smirked.“Any of the little farts calls me mommy I’ll give them a whupping.” Anya snarled, “The people providing security’ll be the King’s Gendarmes. He won’t accept it any other way. His parade people that he’ll insist on showing off. The people coming to crash the party’ll be the NLF- National Liberation Front. Pros from somewhere else entirely. Maybe you’re already asking, how do you know it’ll be them? I don’t see how it could be anybody else; ‘course, they haven’t announced they’re doing anything, and the Ashes didn’t hear no different, but they’ve had longer to prepare than we figured considering they only recently moved into the area.”“What do you mean by that?” you asked.“They knew that King Leech was comin’ before any of us did.” Anya said, “The Ashes found out that much. So why the hell else would they be here? Unless it was to do something else completely unrelated, maybe use some other group’s party crashing as a distraction to do another thing. Or maybe they’re gonna cause a real good distraction themselves for said other group. Their op-sec’s been pretty tight lipped about that- I don’t think we’ll find out anything more from hearsay to children.”“If we wanted to prevent any sort of attack entirely, though,” you offered next, “Say if we brought three of our platoons to provide some additional security, whether the King liked it or not. Would they still go after such a hard target? Have you heard if they’re dedicated enough to make this a suicide attack?”“A suicide attack wouldn’t care how much security there was,” agreed Krause.“The NLF? Nah.” Anya closed her eyes and shook her head, “If they sent their good people they won’t be the ones that want to go out in a blaze of glory. That’s reserved for people with more spirit than sense. If you make the party too closed up, they’ll probably pick someplace else. That’s if they’re the ones planning to go for it.”“Hrrrmmmrrrmm,” Krause leaned forward and put his chin on the back of a hand, “What I’m seeing you say here is that no matter what we do something bad’s gonna happen. I guess one of our best bets then is trying to control where this happens, then?”“Yeah. Make it like a trap or something.” Anya said.“You don’t have faith in the Gendarme?” you asked.“Nah. The Ashes don’t think much of them, and neither does anybody I’ve talked with.” Anya jerked her thumb over her shoulder, “I asked Ponytail about it, and he told me that they would lose fights to eels, whatever the hell an eel is.”“They’re like snakes and fish crossed together. They’re also delicious.” Krause told her.
“Really?” Anya looked at you hopefully, “Next time we go somewhere to eat I want to get eel meat. If there’s an animal in the world I haven’t eaten and I can change that, I wanna do it.”You didn’t see why you had to help her with that. “So the Gendarme can’t outfight eels, and this is a popular opinion. I suppose that cements whether or not anybody’d be daring enough to try and break through them for a shot at the King.” “That’s ‘bout right.” Anya sniffed. “So unless we put a big wall down, we can count on something going on.”“I suppose that’ll depend on whether we want to go there and avoid being shot at, then,” you said thoughtfully, “They’ll probably have eel with the food. I’ve heard it’s popular for fancy eating in Netilland.” You’d heard such by osmosis from fishermen- you did a fair bit of it in addition to hunting, often as a diversion on hikes and wanderings. Not enough to make you an expert, but you knew a decent bit. “So the question is if we want to either let this happen, skip out on it, or dodge a few bullets for eels.”Anya blinked at you. “I’ll be fine. D’you really need me to tell you that? You can handle yourself in a gunfight, I hear. What’s there to worry about?” Anya’s clothes made no secret of that she’d been shot multiple times, round scars in her arms; one of which you’d seen when it was a fresh wound. You had honestly been more worried for her than for yourself.“You almost sound like you’d rather have the party turn into a gunfight,” Krause slanted an eyebrow.“I would.” Anya said, as though that were completely normal. “You don’t want to socialize? Appreciate the fashion? Dance with your partner?”“Dance??” Anya coughed, “I don’t dance. I don’t think this boob does, either.” She pointed at you, in case it somehow wasn't clear who she referred to.
“Dancing is fun.” Krause insisted, “You should at least try it. You might find it more fun than a gunfight…no promises. I know I’d certainly rather dance with a pretty girl than be shot at.”“The parties I went to had a fight ring. Will there be a fight ring?” Anya asked, perhaps more hopefully than expected, because Krause had to stifle a laugh.“Only if you were to start one yourself." The precise nature of what a fight ring was could be easily guessed at. "The people they’re trying to emulate prefer higher culture than brawls.” You said, from your limited experience; all experiences which you didn’t find enjoyable at all. “Why are we talking about this? Can we get back to the subject?”“The party is the subject, Richter,” Krause said lazily, “Loosen up a bit. You’ll have a good time either way.”“Even if we get shot at?”“Your mistress- I mean, your steadfast retinue will enjoy it in that case, and that’s what matters, isn’t it?” When both you and Anya made ugly faces at him for that first implication, Krause smiled evilly. “Fine, fine. Business, then. Though I don’t think we have much more to cover without investigating on what we don’t know. Those things being;” Krause listed off on his fingers, “Casing the place, finding out what we can about the security and its weaknesses besides their vulnerability to eels, seeing if we can find out more about the people making this attack, and their potential targets, and distractions. And that’s if we don’t want anybody making a mess of the party. So we decide that first, and then, we can go grab Rondo, after you get something on your chest besides the winter air. Alright?”>I prefer my parties without gunfire. Let’s move to block off any disruptions; we’ll see how we can deal with strikes against other targets.>We want this to happen. Not only for the excitement, either. I’m quite confident in Anya and I’d ability to succeed where the Gendarmes fail, in any case. >The benefits of allowing the raid to occur are clear, but I’d rather not risk Anya or I’s health. We’ll be declining our invitation, sadly. Though Miss Nowicki will still be required to don her socialite uniform for a period of time, rather than her current one.>Other?Also, if I forgot to bring up anything that’s not set for later, feel free to mention. Privy is later.
>>3490323>>I prefer my parties without gunfire. Let’s move to block off any disruptions; we’ll see how we can deal with strikes against other targets.>We'll allow one to live for interrogation purposes should the need arrive.
>>3490355>>3490323I like the combo, support
>>3490355support
>>3490355Supporting
>>3490355+1
>>3490323Also try to figure out what kind of alternative targets these NLF guys may be aiming for; for all we know they might strike multiple places while everyone's attention is on whatever goes down at the party.
>>3490355>>3490412>>3490452>>3490481>>3490492Nice calm party going. Anya will hate it. Also a presumptive capturing of possible captives.>>3490514Priority on compiling a list of good targets.Writing then.
>>3490662Could we at least start the preliminaries of framing the Twaryians before/after we stop the festivities? This is too good an opportunity to raise the tensions on the border even if we are going to be goody two shoes.
>>3490685>Could we at least start the preliminaries of framing the Twaryians before/after we stop the festivities? This is too good an opportunity to raise the tensions on the border even if we are going to be goody two shoes.That depends on the nature of what you are framing them for and where. Things won't be zooming straight to the party; even if you plan to do your best to lock it down this plan of action does involve scoping out where other targets of opportunity are. You'll have plenty of time to brainstorm.
>>3490697Any idea if the NLF is recovering any Twaryian aid like that bunch we chased off a few days ago? Probably won't even need to go to all that trouble then.
>>3490701There is a detail about the NLF that should be mentioned here. I'll bring it up proper in the next update, but as a bit of a preview...The National Liberation Front doesn't like Netilland or Twaryi. The chances of them receiving aid from people they attack just as openly as the Netillians, therefore, are rather remote.
“I prefer my parties to be without gunfire,” you decided, “Let’s move to block off any disruptions; we’ll see how we can deal with strikes against other targets of opportunity, as we discover the most likely of those to be attacked. By all means, the most ideal situation will be to intercept any who try to breach our nets.”Anya’s eyes half closed and she frowned deeply. “’Swear, I’ll not hear a bullet’s crack my whole time here.”“Perhaps you’ll discover some small taste for more domestic means of entertainment when there are no wars for you to fight,” you pointed out.“Right back at you.” Anya muttered.“I for one am pleased you won’t be potentially going off and getting shot at a Langenachtfest party of all things.” Krause clapped his hands and rubbed them together, “So. I’ll get a smoke, then we can go to the UGZ and pick up Rondo, wherever he’s gone.”“That’ll probably take the rest of the damn day,” Anya grumbled, “The whole afternoon in a place crawling with Broken Souls goons.” Anya referred to the men of the 22nd Penal Battalion; who had a constant garrison presence in UGZ-09. “They’ll think twice about bothering us now, surely.” You said.“Yeah. Though you’d better be ready for them to disagree.” Anya looked to Krause. “Choirboy’s pretty handy in a fight. What about you? You do much fighting with your hands? A stick? A broken bottle?”Krause smirked, and made a few whipping movements of his hands. “I grew up in a rough place. I know a few things with a knife.”Anya didn’t seem very impressed with Krause’s approximation of a “rough place,” but she made a grunt of acquiescence. “Good enough. At least as good as skinny. I guess we’ll be fine.”Krause’s smile did not go away, though he leaned back, clearly not expecting that manner of backhanded compliment. “Fair enough. Shall we go? After you get your clothing back.”“A moment before that,” you said quickly, “I need to go to the bathroom.”-----
The “bathroom” was but a wooden shed with a pit and a roll of shoddy toilet tissue, oftentimes terribly close to exhaustion, though your recent favor with New Jorgenstohn had provided a few extra of such luxuries, thankfully. As you settled down in the dim light, mostly sheltered from the outdoors save for hand-width gaps near the ceiling to admit enough light to work with, you plugged your nose and did some thinking and recollection; as one could find themselves doing when lacking a newspaper or reading material in such confines.The National Liberation Front- you’d heard of them, of course. They were one of the major insurgent alliances cropping up, you’d heard. Diehard Ellowian freedom fighters, they resisted both Netillian and Twaryian occupation. There had been a few times, you’d heard, where both eastern empire hopefuls had collaborated to root out their strongholds- but more times of one side or the other trying to sway the NLF to their side to weaken their foe. Such attempts had never worked out. One could find no ally in the NLF, you had been heard, unless your cause was to free Ellowie, and certainly not under a long dead monarchy whose throne sat a toady of the Netillians. Much like many insurgent alliances, such as the one you’d recently learned more about, the Revolutionary League, had relatively little information on them about their strength and organization. Such was apparently because they had only been recently formed, for the most part, but the NLF was thought to be the first to have organized itself into a major “power,” as much as it could be called one. That made gauging their ability to strike however many targets difficult; that you had a tentative, unwitting ally in the Ashes was some help, but they could only see so much without being an official part of any larger movement.That left you to think of particularly vulnerable targets; besides yourself, with your trousers around your ankles and the winter air nipping at your legs. Targets of value. You were rather valuable, yes, but…anyways.The general area of Kamienisty, the railhead, had plenty of juicy targets. The depots, the train station, the rails themselves- but such was relatively well guarded all the time, let alone with this gathering. That the social was particularly vulnerable was because it was on the outskirts of the town, at a recently constructed officer’s club and manor for one of the King’s relatives, a refurbishment of what had been a business magnate’s vacation home. You wondered if it was somebody Lord Wossehn would have known- you’d seen it, and while hardly a match for the Sosaldtian investor’s palace, it was a fancy enough manor with a rather nicely decorated courtyard full of all manner of foreign hedges and trees and gardens. Notably lacking in Kalamarz firs, which would be a boon if you brought Emma along to this for any potential eavesdropping.
An attack on a company or battalion’s base would be impressive; but you doubted such a target would be priority. Especially upon your own unit’s bases. Perhaps they could cause chaos in the UGZs? A matter to meet with Maenesko about, to check on the fruits of your efforts. That said, UGZ-09 wasn’t the only Ubergangszentrum in the region, though it was the sector’s designated one. UGZ-07, whose more civilized name escaped you, was also near…and it was potentially as restless as Ackersdoll, without somebody as mindful as Maenesko in charge of it. It was a place where your unit had been called in a couple times before, to help suppress riots in progress; you wouldn’t be surprised if your sector’s insurgency problems were partially caused by leakage from the adjacent one where UGZ-07 was. It would be an awkward situation for your plans, too, if a distraction there pulled away the platoons you intended to have indirectly secure the Party. If an order from Battalion Command came down, after all, it wasn’t a simple manner to brush off their requests for reinforcements…or their assignments that came down without warning, at times, but were still expected to be promptly responded to- usually because Battalion Command was being forced to or doing a favor to somebody above them. The colonial settlements were a prime target, now that you thought about it. New Jorgenstohn, the one you had the most stake in, and two other nearby settlements that weren’t part of your jurisdiction, but brushed up on your area of influence anyways- Reismuhle, New Houdeberg, both were colonial settlements much like one another, with relatively sparse militia and constabularies for but keeping peace, with any military aid limited to miniscule garrisons that were told to signal for help if anything they couldn’t handle came up- most likely, procedure dictated, to be a Twaryian band venturing over the border. Thus far, insurgents hadn’t been so bold as to try and assault and raze the colonial towns, but that could certainly change in the future if the insurgent groups grew in strength, and certainly if they thought they had an opportunity to do so and sow fear in Netillian migrants, who were oft seen by the natives as stealing their lands as they sent their countrymen who had lived on the lands for centuries to rot in the UGZs.So. The depots could be sabotaged, if the insurgents were daring enough, though that would be difficult. There were the UGZs, which you’d heard had been already infiltrated as is; and come to think of it, there was nothing saying that there couldn’t be an Uprising in Ackersdol even with your attempts to ease tensions- it just might not be as big as it could have been otherwise. There were vulnerable bases, but such seemed an unlikely thing to plan for. That left the colonial settlements…which were just as much politically divisive as the King himself was.
Yet. You couldn’t defend all the ones in your area- even if you set a platoon in each, that would leave tha party itself vulnerable, dashing your plans for a safe evening celebration. However, was the strength of the insurgents gathering here enough to attack all three colonial towns anyways? Then, it was you who had to spread out to guard against them; they could strike wherever they wished, where they saw a weak point. What point then was there in doing anything but waiting for the awful mess to begin and to react to it? But what if that was a distraction-“Hey!” Anya shouted from outside, “Would you hurry the hell up? We’re gonna run outta daylight at this rate!”“I’ll be right out, damn it!” you shouted back. Well, that was a good amount of thought anyways, as you made yourself hygienic and then made yourself decent, stepping out of the privy after such. One could spread your theories so that you didn’t have to potentially do everything, of course, but then, the question of how you came across such information would come up, and with no afterglow of successful parrying of insurgent attack to dissuade too rigorous of questioning. You had time to think on it more. When you went to get your clothing, it was finally relinquished…to a degree. Your shirt was fine, but the uniform jacket…in addition to the tear in its sleeve that had been hastily, messily repaired, it had been crumped up and stuffed in a greasy, oily hiding spot that made it ten times as filthy as it normally would have been. Hans meekly held it out for you, leaving you to stare at it, unblinking.“Sorry boss,” Hans laughed nervously, looking to the other crew members for support, “It, uh, was time for a new look anyways. Take up a new fashion, yeah? Look distinctive.”“Serves you right for blowing me off!” Emma chirped from within Malachi’s jacket, poking out of his collar. At least she’d selected a favorite, you thought gruffly. Though that did mean you did have to find a new jacket…for comfort as well as to wear to the social without looking a barbarian, even if the tastes there would surely not be as discerning as Strossvald courts.
That reminded you, you had to admit, you were looking forward to seeing what Anya would be shoved into. She had gone along with it, to your surprise- but that made you even more curious. Would it be racey? Would it be conservative and cute? Perhaps a transformation into a princess that had been hiding beneath the harsh veneer all along? The mystery was tantalizing. Though…perhaps it shouldn’t have been. No, the appeal was one of good natured fun; platonic. Though it was hard not to be distracted by her form, at least.Though you wondered, if you were going to make everything secure, why you were bringing Anya instead of Maddalyn at all…-----The staff car came, laden with guards for your small party, and deposited you at the UGZ. Already, you could see smoke rising in a few places; the healthy sort from fireplaces. Perhaps, in some small way, already, you had done something for the better. It felt unusually pleasant to know such. You’d have to speak with Maenesko to know the current extent, but there was a somewhat lessening of the tensions you could feel just in the air- even if that still meant things were quite tense indeed. A slightly relaxed angry glare was still an evil eye, after all.“Rondo hasn’t mentioned if he’s focused on anywhere in particular, lately,” Krause confessed, “I dunno exactly where you’ll find him, but as far as he’s shared, he sort of wanders around looking for trouble. Not as in causing it, but just scouting things out.”>Then if we cause some trouble, we can count on him coming. (How do you want to cause trouble?)>Let’s split up and search. How hard can it be to find him with how he carries that sword everywhere?>I have an idea of where he’ll be, because of who I think he’d be looking for… (What sort of place?)>We can handle finding him later. We’ll go meet Maenesko first; maybe get help from him in the process of finding out how our operation’s panned out to help the UGZ.>Other?
>>3490879>>We can handle finding him later. We’ll go meet Maenesko first; maybe get help from him in the process of finding out how our operation’s panned out to help the UGZ.
>>3490879>>We can handle finding him later. We’ll go meet Maenesko first; maybe get help from him in the process of finding out how our operation’s panned out to help the UGZ.Business first.
Also speaking of the NLF, are any of the resistance groups in contact with those who managed to flee over the border? Also is there even any Ellowian government-in-exile?
>>3490890>Also speaking of the NLF, are any of the resistance groups in contact with those who managed to flee over the border?You don't know! >Also is there even any Ellowian government-in-exile?See above! The Netillian Government would rather insist to all that this enemy has been soundly defeated, after all, naught to rise again. Though rumor would have it, that much of the heads of government did evade capture, so it's a strong possibility.
>>3490901So basically what info we know is limited to whatever censored stuff the Netillian government gives us? I expect our IO masters will know the actual state of things; maybe something to bring up when we head into town again.
>>3490905>I expect our IO masters will know the actual state of things; maybe something to bring up when we head into town again.This is a reliable assumption, though they may be fickle and only leak what you "need to know."
>>3490911Oh yeah just remembered Signy is visiting the area soon. Will she be around for the social or is that visit afterwards? Should probably see her just to get a clearer picture on what the heck is going on in Sosaldt.
>>3490869>>3490870>>3490871>>3490876>a roll of shoddy toilet tissue, oftentimes terribly close to exhaustion>besides yourself, with your trousers around your ankles and the winter air nipping at your legs. >Anya disrupting the quiet hourThank you. This was better than I expected.>Let’s split up and search. How hard can it be to find him with how he carries that sword everywhere?
>>3490917She's visiting after; the middle of the next week....Well, visiting near. She probably won't come close to you on her own volition, due to, most likely, having no clue you're even here.
>>3490879>>We can handle finding him later. We’ll go meet Maenesko first; maybe get help from him in the process of finding out how our operation’s panned out to help the UGZ.Worse comes to worse we meet him back at the camp.Although afterwards:>I have an idea of where he’ll be, because of who I think he’d be looking for… (What sort of place?)Makeshift hospital or the poorer sections of town where witch lady is.
>>3490951Supporting
>>3490951supporting
I am up and about now.>>3490881>>3490885Talk with the penguin>>3490951>>3490961>>3491264And then look in the clinics and flophouses.>>3490919Scooby this.No scooby it seems. Writing.
“We’ll look for Von Metzeler later,” you said, “While we’re here, we may as well prioritize going to somebody we do know the location of. I want to visit Sub-Lieutenant Maenesko and see how our attempt to help the UGZ’s panned out. Though after that, I have an idea of where he might be, because I’m thinking of who he might be looking for…”“Who?” Krause asked.“Yeah, who?” Anya agreed, “Do we have to wait around for you to finish talking to Maenesko anyways? We can just go where you think he is.”“That wouldn’t be very safe in a place we’ve made more than a few enemies,” you laid out your concern. Anya didn’t seem to agree with your level of caution. “Fine then. I’ll go, you can take ‘stache. I’ll be fine.”Rather than insisting that she wouldn’t be, you said instead, “Can you go by yourself and avoid shooting anybody?” Anya paused, and in her hesitation, you struck. “I thought not.”“I wouldn’t have to shoot anybody,” Anya grumbled as you started walking along, “but fine. Whatever. So long as you don’t decide to take him out for dinner while you leave me hanging with Mustache.”“What’s wrong with hanging out with me?” Krause feigned hurt, “I’m not that boring, am I?”“You smoke some rancid-ass cigs,” Anya complained, “If you’re gonna stink up the air then at least do it with something besides rolled up rat shit.”“Hey, Netillian army issue is this rolled up rat shit,” Krause retorted, “Not my fault it’s awful. I’m not so well to do I can get good smokes and good booze, not that anything east of Altoss has brands worth a damn.”At the very least, from a bit of experience with what Krause managed to procure sometimes, the same couldn’t be said of the liquor.-----Captain Maenesko’s office hadn’t cleared up one bit since you last saw him a couple of days ago, and his face was no less a mix of sternness and weariness, but his demeanor was certainly lighter. “Coordinator Von Tracht. You must be here to check on how things have changed.” You nodded, and Maenesko went on. “The community leaders were informed of your part in the new matters, of course. You have some popularity among them now, to put it simply. Crime and unemployment are still unacceptably high, but the trend is already beginning to reverse. Good news, really, considering the brief amount of time that has passed.”>Influence with the UGZ has risen; its leaders know of you and appreciate your efforts to aid them. They now see you as a potential friend.“That’s good to hear,” you settled into the other chair in Maenesko’s office, the only surface kept clear of junk and papers, though there were still stacks of what you could only see as garbage beneath the chair itself.
“They are quite eager for allies, of course, outside of my comparatively lacking ability to aid them.” Maenesko started to lose the touch of cheer, “If you heard the proposals they snuck to me, maybe the news would seem less good. They have plans- and they may be too ambitious for what they can reasonably expect. I told them to try and approach you through me- so that you will not be bothered, and so I can filter out some of the more rash proposals.”“Rash proposals? Like what?”“Such as that they raise a militia to police their peoples instead of having occupying troops do such.” Maenesko said, “Of course, any armed Ellowian paramilitary groups that are not the Royal Gendarmes or units that are part of the Assimilation Program are explicitly barred. They would attempt something that would make local authorities see the matter more pragmatically, though. I need not say more than that, but I’m sure you get the idea.”That turned a slight smile of satisfaction on your part into a frown. “Oh. I was rather hoping that doing this would have…the opposite effect of that.”“Indeed.” Maenesko said flatly, “I have advised them myself to tread far, far more carefully, and invest their gain into the stability of their fellows and the potential to turn Ackersdol into a place of prospering rather than a pit. It’s understandable that they’d see such as advice to bend down like good little subjects; and take it about as well, but I have little interest in giving the Broken Souls an excuse to practice brutal repression that can be justified by an uprising. Were it that they saw it as making the best of the times, but for many, the war is still not over, and changing people’s minds on such a thing takes a long time.”“So the possibility of an uprising taking place soon is still on the table.” You muttered grumpily.“Make no mistake, the upper echelon of the UGZ are pleased with your help.” Maenesko’s tone wasn’t such to try and brighten your mood, still. “Though a single favor does not an ally make. The people of the UGZ likely place favor still in the insurgency, though, if you made it a matter of a personal appeal, perhaps you could dissuade them from supporting any action here, at least.”>Could you convey my desire for peace here, then? At least on the night of the social. I’m anticipating a mess, and I’d rather not have to watch here.>If they think an uprising’s the correct path, the only way to dissuade them from such is to show what happens when that occurs. I’ll wash my hands of this, and keep uninvolved until after any potential violence.>I can see that they have misread my intentions. So be it, I can take steps to help keep things locked down in the meantime. I’d hate to see my efforts go to waste, but I will not be used. [Deploy a platoon in the UGZ]>Other?
>>3492369>>Could you convey my desire for peace here, then? At least on the night of the social. I’m anticipating a mess, and I’d rather not have to watch here.But if diplomacy fails:>If they think an uprising’s the correct path, the only way to dissuade them from such is to show what happens when that occurs. I’ll wash my hands of this, and keep uninvolved until after any potential violence.If they want to police themselves is it possible to raise some constabulary force without giving them firearms? Maybe batons or something along those lines? Or just incorporate them on paper under the Assimilation Program and just issue them handguns or something; no need to arm them like 4th Platoon.Also ask Maenesko if he's heard the news (and opinion) about Wladysaw crashing our little social.
>>3492369>>Could you convey my desire for peace here, then? At least on the night of the social. I’m anticipating a mess, and I’d rather not have to watch here.Why don't they raise an unarmed police force instead? Like just with batons and funny caps and the authority to bring people to jail. If it worked then maybe Maenesko could use them as an excuse to keep the penal troops in charge of just protecting the border of the UGZ rather than having a unit of literal criminals in charge of policing civilians...whose fucking bright idea was that anyway?
>>3492411Supporting >>3492420Not exactly like the Netillans really give a crap on what happens in the UGZ; I mean it's basically a concentration camp so who cares if the guards are a bunch of criminals?
>>3492369>>I can see that they have misread my intentions. So be it, I can take steps to help keep things locked down in the meantime. I’d hate to see my efforts go to waste, but I will not be used. [Deploy a platoon in the UGZ]
>>3492411>>3492420The particulars of the restriction involve there being an organized force at all, regardless of whether they are armed or not. One could say that gangs are already around and care not for the law anyways, but they want the elbow room official recognition gives, it seems.Also, not that the Military Council differentiates, but many in the Penal Battalions are guilty of political crimes against the government (a common one being "subversive activity" or "disturbing order") rather than what most would think of as felonies in uniform. Not that the government cares about what thought-criminals think, but they would object to being called criminals.
>>3492466Of course, I know Maenesko literally said> any armed Ellowian paramilitary groupsBut sticks and knives still count as being "armed," and the "paramilitary" and "group" factors are also important.
>>3492473Does Maenesko have the authority to form an Ellowian Platoon to on paper be incorporated into whatever detachment of the 22nd he has here? Or could we just form a so-called '5th Platoon' and just permanently dump them in this place?
>>3492485He does have the authority to "conscript" manpower for the Assimilation Program- but not to procure weapons, ammunition, uniforms, and the like for a proper platoon. Those things are the usual obstacles to simply drafting the chaff- if one were to not care about little things like making a formation combat capable, then it would certainly be simpler to push through putting it together.It would, however, also need to be commanded by an existing company, that is also part of the Assimilation Program- which are what the Combined battalions are part of, not the Penal Battalions.
>>3492501Sounds like a plan then. He can go gather the volunteers and we can handle the paperwork and logistics.As above no need to make them combat capable; just get them armbands (like those RAGV militia in Halmeggia), batons and handcuffs and see how it goes from there. Put them formally under us but just loan them out to Maenesko permanently.
I have a few questions tanqqq.> how well is Maenesko HQ defended ? > how close it is from the place where the high protector will come ? > how far is the closest garnison ? From what I remember, this place is lightly defended, a full of weapon and supply and right in the UGZ. If an Insurrection happen, it's the perfect place to strike first. It can be overwhelmed fast, help supply and mob with weapon, on make a huge distraction that will leave the hard-liner insurgent to act (more) freely against the high protector for example.I've been convinced of that since we arrived in the UGZ.
>>3492547Fugg, I tried to use speech recognition. Didn't worked at all. Hope it's still understandable.
>>3492547>how well is the UGZ HQ defended?It's not exactly fortified, but it is fenced off with razor wire and has guards. The gates can be closed; there's usually a couple of squads stationed there at least, usually, actually, from another company of your own 5th Combined Infantry Battalion. You and the 22nd sort of share duties in the UGZ.If things theoretically get really bad in a hurry then the 13th Mechanized and the 12th Armored Cavalry are supposed to roll in with their armored personnel carriers, armored cars and tanks real quick, but that means Maenesko would be calling in the worst sort of emergency and everybody's getting called in to contain a theoretical complete breakdown.Why yes all the units from the starting selection are your neighbors.>how close it is from the place where the high protector will come? The UGZ's distance from the Railhead? It's not really close at all. Maybe six to eight kilometers. >how far is the closest garrison? The UGZ itself is garrisoned. If you mean directly adjacent camps, and not ones within reasonable marching distance like yours, there's a degree of separation between the UGZ and any camps. The usual garrison and patrolling troops are more meant to dissuade revolt, though; in the event of an actual riot or uprising, standard procedure is to pull back to the HQ compound and the entrances and wait for reinforcements. Priority on containing the gates, of course.
>>3492547I'll support this as well; must as well find out what plans he has if things go south and they do strike here.
>>3492601For the railhead itself, who's in charge of providing security and garrisoning the town normally other than for this party? Would they be able to order us about when we bring our guys into town?
>>3492654>For the railhead itself, who's in charge of providing security and garrisoning the town normally other than for this party? A company from the 13th Guards Infantry. Guarding the railhead is an important task, after all, and entrusted to an elite unit.>Would they be able to order us about when we bring our guys into town?Nobody can order you about besides the 5th Combined Infantry's battalion commander who has yet gone unnamed, and people higher on the chain of command than him. However, a Kommissar could try to be a pain in the ass if they so chose, with their political clout.Of course, as an officer of the Archduchy and not of Netilland, you can (temporarily) make things a pain in the ass yourself if you're a confusing smartass about who has authority over you.
Alright, game day end. Time for an update...a thousand years later.>>3492411>>3492420>>3492429Request that these people calm their tits-and if they refuse, you will make sure your attitude towards a potential uprising is clear.Writing soon then.
By the way, what is our long term strategy?Support Ellowians? Support Netilland (Netillanese?)? Support nobody and let them kill each other as long as it please them?
>>3493661I think last thread or two we voted to be supporting Netilland for a powerful ally against to Reich or something? I could be wrong.
>>3493661>>3493830Basically let both of these nations that we don't really like beat the crap out of each other and let Strossvald benefit from the resulting situation.
>>3493661Netillians.
>>3493904Mostly this, see if we can help the Ellowians but ultimately keep Netilland and Twaryians from allying and keep Strossvald from fighting a multi-front war.
Well. I guess that's why we are here. Long live the Archduke.
“Could you make my desire for peace known in my stead, then, if they care about what I think?” you asked Maenesko, “On the night of the social, at the very least. I’m anticipating a mess that night and would rather not watch for one here. If they disagree, then I’ll be forced to assign an extra platoon to the UGZ to make certain that I have a slightly more restful evening.”“That would likely be the threat you would have to make,” Maenesko said dully, “They are…passionate about managing themselves. Ever upwards, ever outwards. I suppose that their spirits were not crushed by this place is a sign of their inextinguishable inner fire.”“…If they want their own police, and the Military Council will not allow them one that they possess,” you thought on that, “I think I can offer a compromise. I can request permission to raise another platoon of Ellowians in my unit; but make the caveat that I will equip them myself. Mayhaps that should receive quick approval, without a demand to arm them, clothe them, or the like…the Kommissars certainly have no trouble paying for mercenaries out of pocket, so I will have this group under my own command, even though their duties will be restricted to the UGZ most of the time. Perhaps this will satisfy your senior citizenry more than telling them the truth of the law?”Maenesko looked intrigued. “…Hm. I’m only frustrated that I didn’t think of that myself. That’s a good idea…though presumably, you’ll do your part to show any who look too closely that they are your men, I would hope. I doubt the Kommissariat would be very amused if they found you were merely providing a shallow cover for such an operation.”“Oh, of course,” you insisted, “I’ll try a bit harder than that at least. But you will be able to get this through, with my help?”Maenesko picked up a pen on his desk, and tapped it against a paper with its non-writing end. “Hm. Yes, I can have some volunteers rounded up…well filtered against…outside influence. It wouldn’t do if your unit was infiltrated by insurgent spies, after all. As you said, without significant cost to the higher-ups, your request to use more manpower will only be obstructed by force limitations…though you are going to that Langenachtfest Social. If you came away from that with less political clout than before, I will have mistaken you for somebody of better senses. Though, if I tell the community leaders such, they will expect swift action. Do me a favor and don’t blow them off, will you? In return, I’ll do my utmost to ensure things stay nice and quiet here.”You smiled at the Sub-Lieutenant. “I’ll gladly agree to that. Now, if I could know a few things about where I might be able to find somebody I’m looking for…”-----
“So what’s the news?” Krause asked as you came back, a smoky (and apparently awful brand) cigarette burning in his hand. Anya had separated herself by a good five meters and was idly hacking away at a block of wood with one of her smaller knives, utterly focused, and perhaps a bit frustrated from the curve of her lip- you’d never seen her actually complete a whittling project, but over time you’d found that she did it often enough that there was at least- “Hey. Richter.” Krause waved.“Sorry. Yes.” You refocused your attention. “The UGZ’s head citizenry apparently sees this recent interest in their welfare as a stepping stone to greater things. I’ve had to request Maenesko to do their best to cool their heads. A result of that may be the addition of another platoon to our company.”“Great, more paperwork.” Anya grumbled. You hadn’t thought she was listening.“What about Rondo? You asked about where you could fine him, yeah?” Krause asked.“Well, where I might find somebody he’s looking for.” You corrected. Even then, that depended on whether the soulbinder (that you guessed he could have come to the UGZ for) had a consistent philosophy. “I had the Sub-Lieutenant tell me the locations of the clinics and flophouses; the ones that are the most crowded, at least. The ones which would be the first gone to if asked about. I’m guessing we might find the person there.” It would have been easier if you could simply spout your theory without being so vague, but Anya knew nothing of sorcery, soulbinders, the lot, and you weren’t sure if it was safer to keep her ignorant or have her in on the whole matter- if she even believed what you said in the first place, being spiritually blind and deaf to the various phenomena that revealed themselves to you and others with but a glance in the right place at the right time.“What sort of person is this?” Anya asked.“Somebody who considers themselves a philanthropist.” You said, “A woman.”Anya raised an eyebrow and smirked slightly. “A woman? Well, Choirboy probably didn’t come to see them, then. He acts like he has the libido of a brick.”“We know him differently, then.” You contended. “Would you agree, Krause?”Krause shrugged. “I would. But he is awfully particular. Unlike you.”You felt you might have to take offense to that. Later. “Come on, then. Hopefully he’s either here or he’s gone back to camp ahead of us.”-----
The worst parts of Ackersdol were dim, cold, and full of the ragged and worn. Yet all sorts squatted in the dust and the dank, as you saw both the dull glances from those who had given up and lived because they knew naught else to do, and the fiery glares of those who were fueled by spite, and the desire to climb out of these depths they had been cast into. Upon entering the first, you were nearly beaned in the head by a stone thrown by a child who had fled into the alleys after their attack, vanishing near instantly. Later on, your party avoided a few Penal soldiers; they themselves were distracted by a young pickpocket, who was too slow in their escape and was beaten into the ground before being left in the dirt, groaning. The flophouses were dens of depression, but were better than the makeshift clinics, which were full to bursting with the sick; mostly children, who coughed loudly into bloody rags. You’d seen wretched poverty; but not plague, not of this multitude. It turned your stomach, and the twisting was made worse by your inability to do anything about it. Your intrusions were unopposed, considering your martial wear, but they were certainly thoroughly questioned. You gave descriptions of Yva’s appearance, but the people clammed up about her; they must have presumed she was in trouble for something. You asked about Von Metzeler as well; that they were more eager to speak of, though when you described him, or rather, his usual accessories, they presumed somebody else.“The Swordsman sticks his nose where it doesn’t belong, and makes it worse for everybody,” said one person.“The Swordsman beats up the gangsters and the drug pushers, he’s something good so no wonder you’re trying to grab him away!” said another.None could actually say where he was or what he looked like, but apparently “The Swordsman” dressed in a heavy cloak and masked themselves, shading their eyes under a large, wide brimmed floppy hat. It at least gave you the clue that you ought to be looking for the Swordsman, not Rondo Von Metzeler. Something gave you the strong idea that they were the same person, after all, what with the Lieutenant’s insistence on carrying his saber around like a knight of old or a wandering warrior from the far west.
In between investigating locations, you, suddenly, found yourself alone. Anya and Krause had been behind you one moment, and then the next, they seemed to be nowhere in sight. You had the mind to call for them, but then, standing on the side of the street, you saw Yva looking at you. Practically beckoning with how she stood there, as though it was by accident, enclosed in her cream coat, her long boots well dusted. You approached her; you both ended up relatively isolated from the others, easily able to have a conversation with no listeners, at least, unheard by any passersby who would be interested in your chatter.“I heard you were looking for me, though I know not why you would be.” she said as you came close, perfectly calm in voice; she looked no different than you had left her earlier in the day. “You have left me in a dangerous, callous place. I cannot say that I appreciate that, though the needy are indeed great in number. So great that my means to help them are lacking. Restricted from leaving, I have exhausted the means to aid anybody at all. I should hope that your decision to have me made a prisoner of this place was made with good intent, as I have done what little I can do now. Knowledge can only go so far without medicine of any sort.”>Tell her to knock it off with those lies; you know what she is, she needs nothing at all to help anybody; she won’t be guilt tripping you with any of that guff. Demand that she cease messing with your officer; even if you’re not sure she’s doing it.>State that it’s none of your business to provide anything to somebody who could be shut in a prisoner of war camp or locked in a Kommissariat cell rather than roaming relatively free here. Ask where Von Metzeler is, for she surely knows- though stop short of naming her a sorceress.>Insist that this was the safest outcome for her- continue to maintain the illusion that you don’t know what she is. If she needs things, you can try to have them provided- but ask if she knows where your officer is, since you’re looking for him.>Other?
>>3494425>>Tell her to knock it off with those lies; you know what she is, she needs nothing at all to help anybody; she won’t be guilt tripping you with any of that guff. Demand that she cease messing with your officer; even if you’re not sure she’s doing it.
>>3494425>OtherExplain that we thought she would be most useful here but if she really can't help anybody anymore we'll bring her out of the UGZ if she helps us find von LARPer
>>3494663This
>>3494425>Insist that this was the safest outcome for her- continue to maintain the illusion that you don’t know what she is. If she needs things, you can try to have them provided- but ask if she knows where your officer is, since you’re looking for him.KEEP UP THE LIEThe moment she finds out we know what she is we become a target. Not for her, but for all other magical bullshitters. Our best defense is obscurity.We just got OUT of this shit, if we stick our gormless face back into this mess we won't be able to get back out and we have no Maddy to guide us. For the love of the Judge do not blow this.Also if she is stuck here then we know where to go if there is some kind of magic trouble. Better a Queen in the pocket then back in the deck to get shuffled and used against us.
>>3494425>>State that it’s none of your business to provide anything to somebody who could be shut in a prisoner of war camp or locked in a Kommissariat cell rather than roaming relatively free here. Ask where Von Metzeler is, for she surely knows- though stop short of naming her a sorceress.
>>3494425>Tell her to knock it off with those lies; you know what she is, she needs nothing at all to help anybody; she won’t be guilt tripping you with any of that guff. Demand that she cease messing with your officer; even if you’re not sure she’s doing it.
>>3494551>>3494556>>3495040You're a wizard Harry.>>3494663>>3494810Innocent pointing out of your intent and an officer to extricate.>>3494870We're a good boy. You're totally not a wizard.You guys know absolutely nothing is actually keeping her from leaving if she is a soulbinder.I'm sorry you are alone in your vote.>>3494930Who cares what you want or need you're lucky you're not in jail....this is a bit thorny, because I think while the intent of the one with the most is clearly the winner, I'm unsure if the decision to not tell by the others outweighs that?I'll just go with>>Tell her to knock it off with those lies; you know what she is, she needs nothing at all to help anybody; she won’t be guilt tripping you with any of that guff. Demand that she cease messing with your officer; even if you’re not sure she’s doing it.Unless there is particular issue taken with how this is decided. I'm intending to draw something anyways so there'll be some time.
You had already had your fill of this soulbinder, and you decided that you would not be preached at by this sorceress. “Knock it off with that lying you snapped at her, pointing an accusatory finger, “I know what you are. You don’t need anything to help anybody, and I won’t be guilt tripped with your guff. I don’t know how you’re messing with my officer, but I demand that you stop.”Yva looked up at you blankly. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”“The hell you don’t, soulbi-duhpp.” Yva flicked a finger and your mouth shut upwards before you could complete your accusation.“There is no need,” she said with a tired sigh, “to raise your voice. You were about to be extremely reckless- to say something that could get you into a terrible amount of trouble were the wrong sorts to hear it.” Yva let her hand loose and you felt the force pulling your jaw up dissipate. “Come around here.” The sorceress beckoned you around the building- you expected to be physically pulled there, but you were not; you followed of your own volition.
She gave you another weary look as you both stopped. “I apologize for my use of presence upon you. However, that you so thoughtlessly blurt such in my face shows you have no regards for the dangers of being so flippant with that knowledge you have. Which itself is evidence you know rather little, in spite of the powerful demon whom has touched you. I will insist that you be much, much more careful in the future. You are correct, in that I need nothing to cure injury…but I cannot act as a miracle worker. Surely you know our efforts to keep hidden, and such is even more important when trying to conceal our activities from others like I.” “That’s very nice,” you said lowly, “But I will still demand that you cease whatever you are doing to my officer Von Metzeler. I know not why you do it, but I know you’re up to something, otherwise you wouldn’t be here.”“I am doing nothing to you nor your friends.” Yva said simply.“I don’t believe you.”“Is my word not good enough?” Yva cocked her head and frowned, “I have no reason to lie to you. The difference between our might is enough that, were I to try and aggrieve you through insisting deception, it would be more effective to taunt you with your inability to do anything about my actions.” Your lips were set. There was no reason to trust this woman whatsoever, harmless as she seemed.“No, then?” Yva asked, “Very well.” You felt the air around you grow slightly less off, in a way you hadn’t perceived at first. “If I must earn the trust most would afford a stranger, so be it. If you believe I am interfering with your activities, then you will try to do more reckless things. So I make a bargain with you. To prove that I may be trusted when I say I do not use any of my arts upon you nor your people, that my mission is one of protection and of providing succor.” Yva let her hands fall to her sides. “Do anything you wish to me. There will be no repercussion nor vengeance. None will question your deeds, as you are of martial bearing and I a poor prisoner in this town, as far as any know. If I were to defend against your action, I could do so extremely easy.”>Do anything to Yva to test her? (What?)>Do nothing. Fine; you believe her.>Other?
>>3495496>>OtherInstead of harming her maybe ask her some questions instead if she's willing to answer:- Does she belong to a faction or is she on her own like the Riverman was?-So *have* you seen my officer in the vicinity recently?
>>3495507Supporting
>>3495496>>3495507This is good enough.
>>3495507Supporting this, also maybe ask why this country is absolutely saturated with presence all over the place.
>>3495496Strip her naked. Check for tattos, brands, or marks. :^)
>>3495496>Other?Shoot her!But in the likely event this will not pass:tanq, does Blackflower do more magical disruption besides the connection between us and the Demiphantom? If it does then waft some towards her to see if she has any magical protections in place.
>>3495569Oh and ask her what her Totem is or whatever the name is for the place where they store their Presence.We really shouldn't tell her how we know any of this, although it seems she already knows about our Poltergeist Presence fuckery.
>>3495569Blackflower, as far as you know, is a general disruptor or blocker of presence; its exact nature eludes you.That Yva is a woman may preclude blackflower sharing from being seen as something polite to do.
Morning cometh.>>3495507>>3495534>>3495544Innocent questions>>3495566This could not possibly reflect poorly>>3495569Blast her.But other things too.Surely a few questions aren't too much to ask for. Writing.
Do anything you wish? What a bizarre proposal. What did she expect, you wondered. A few passing ideas of whether she might react to the worst things that could happen from such a proposal flashed in your head. Surely she would not accept being ordered to strip nude, even for a flimsy justification of searching for marks…like the one that had been on Fie’s face. Or if you shot her, even though you suspected that would do nothing- Maddalyn had said herself that Soulbinders were very difficult to destroy. Ultimately, you decided…to use words only.“No.” You said flatly, “I don’t want to do anything to you. It would be brutish, and pointless. Instead, I want you to answer my questions. Is that acceptable?”“It is.”“Alright then. Who are you with? I know you…people, have factions, sides, alliances…”“You ask a question too dangerous for you to know more of.” Yva said gravely, “To wander into that world purposefully is to invite death from many.” You glared at her, as if to imply she had failed her own test by not answering, but Yva did not relent. “My responsibility is to the world and its people, and to destroy what plagues blight it. Anything more is needless for you to know. You already know too much for most to accept without demanding you take their side.”“Fine. Another question, then.” You sated curiosity on this one. “This land is absolutely saturated in presence. It’s everywhere. Why?”“Another question whose answer would have little value for you.”“Indulge me.”Yva cocked her head the other way. “To put it simply, Ellowie is cradled by mountains, where Presence is most powerful, where it erupts forth from the depths and flows out, and as it is drawn towards like forces, and also along the path of least resistance, it whorls about in Ellowie in particular. Geography is not the sole reason for its current strength, however. Were Presence so simple. Even more, it has been a locus of war, death, and bloodshed for much of recent history. The energies of strife agitate spirits, draw Presence- resulting in the current tempest. So much more is easier to explain when you know and feel, and dream. To try and classify Presence through mere observation and sense is a futile task. Though perhaps, this overlong attempt at explanation will satisfy your curiosity.” “It has.” She was far more willing to speak on that subject, it seemed. Maybe she saw no risk in merely informing how she thought the world worked. “Have you seen my officer in the vicinity recently? You remember what he looks like, yes?”“I do.” Yva said to one part of your query, “I have not seem him. As I have said, I have done nothing to him. I have no reason to.”
Disappointing. Though perhaps you could milk more from her, since she hadn’t demanded an end to the questioning. “I know your lot have things called golems. What is your golem? I do not think I have seen one.”Yva stiffened, then her brow sank with what seemed to be annoyance, a break in her immutable calm. “Of course you have not seen one. Such things are hardly presented unless they can be efficiently disguised. I cannot tell you about my golem, it would be likely that the information would disseminate to mine enemies. Especially those whom I would most keep it secret from, such as whomever is so mighty and has touched you.”One last experiment came to mind. From your pocket, you drew out a twist of blackflower hashish- you kept it on you in case the Demiphantom far away tried to compel you to sleep again, but as soon as you withdrew it, Yva’s eyes narrowed. “You know what this is?” you asked.“I will not question why you have it. If you were a beastly enough person to consider using it upon me, then you would not have merely asked questions instead of giving in to other temptations first.”You twirled the blackflower twist in your fingers. “Does this sort of thing even work on you?”Yva frowned sadly at you. Her appearance lacked the capacity to be intimidating, by your measure, anyways. “I am a woman, not some manner of monster. Surely it is not unreasonable to ask that you can reasonably assume its effects, as you have that for means besides poisoning the minds of the vulnerable.”So it could work on her. Though you questioned if that would be any sort of defense at all- you hadn’t attracted her ire, anyways. Somehow. “You seem to have run out of questions.” Yva observed, “I hope that I have earned some level of trust, then. Perhaps I may request that you leave me be, then, and let matters you should not be involved in lie.”“Perhaps.” You didn’t want to agree for certain. “Bye, then.” You couldn’t find any reason to keep her longer, though it did feel like you were being hurried along by some subtle force as you left her.You were no closer to finding Von Metzeler, unfortunately. It was getting late, now- once you found Anya and Krause again (shockingly easily; you supposed that Yva’s isolation of the two of you had been somehow enforced by her power), you had little choice but to return to camp.-----
Rondo Von Metzeler prowled the streets of UGZ-09 as the sun set that day. Some might have said it was an unusual hobby, or that he picked a hell of a place for an evening walk, but the night was when his quarry were out and about. This was a hobby he had picked up, of sorts, which was to look for trouble and investigate it. He had a target in mind; the drug dealers that spread all manner of corruption through the unfortunate poor, who grew fat upon the suffering of others who could in little time ill resist the allure of a small helping of a high. Von Metzeler knew well the trade; many a vial of sweet relief in the run down urban sprawl of Strosstadt’s most wretched crannies could be tracked back his family’s underground empire. They were a family of rats, who gorged upon corpses and unearned larders- someday, they would sup upon poison, Rondo Von Metzeler had sworn to himself. Until then, however, he entertained himself with the dispatching of pettier evils. For all his implicit knowledge of crime, he cut too recognizable a figure to properly assimilate into the black markets of the UGZ; though he donned a cloak to disguise his status as an officer, he refused to sacrifice his sword to the needs to craft an identity that truly melded with the shadows. His investigations had thus far been fruitless- much as he could threaten, he refused to torture, or to slay those whom had surrendered- and that had made all sources of information from beating upon assailants and assaulters dry up like a desert, and his new persona had taken no time to be analyzed and figured out. The searches turned into ones of attempting to observe by chance where the sources of the corruption lay, and then who was above that, in attempts to unmask the whole chain before closing in for the kill.That evening, though, Von Metzeler had spied in the shadows between shanty stacks, a scene of injustice. A woman in a coat being threatened by a thug with a knife. All too familiar, Von Metzeler thought as he stepped into the alley, a hand upon the simple stamped steel of his sword’s sheathe. It was of simple, standard construction, not special from other swords other than that he held it; how he thought a sword held by a Von Metzeler should be, not the gaudy wall decoration that he had been forced to take along as well. “Look, missy,” the thug was dressed in raggedy, patched clothing; likely the same wear he entered the UGZ with. He seemed a bit nervous; by contrast, his victim appeared near eerily calm, considering their circumstances. “There’s rules around here. Nobody cares if yer new, you gotta give things up if you wanna place to sleep, if you don’t want your food to go ta the needier. Unless you can make a few friends with…yer charm.” He jabbed the point of his knife slowly into one of the woman’s breasts, “Gotta do somebody a favor. Know what I mean?”
Von Metzeler drew his blade and rested his saber against the mugger’s neck, letting the edge bite ever so slightly into skin. “Do yourself a favor. Flee at once, or have your head separated from your shoulders.”The mugger froze, only moving his eyes to look at Von Metzeler. “Y-yer the swordsman..!”“The next action you take will be to run away,” Von Metzeler warned through the cloth mask on his face, his cowl blowing in the slight breeze, “Or else the next and last unfortunate event of your life will be to be run through with my blade.”This mugger was a smart one- he immediately turned tail and scrambled away. Von Metzeler put his sword away and looked at the woman who was being accosted; and was surprised to see that she was familiar. A passably fair lady with long brown hair, and a pair of small glasses that rested upon a narrow and regal nose. Her eyes followed her assailant as he fled- Rondo got her attention back. “Are you hurt, m’am?”The woman’s eyes flicked back to him. “I am all right. I have you to thank for that,” she curtsied slightly, “I would introduce myself, though…we have already met, though I know not your name. Do you recall mine?”“You recognize me?” Von Metzeler asked, too curious to answer the question. His face was, after all, well masked, he thought.“…Yes, your…your sword.” The woman pointed to Von Metzeler’s side, “I recognize it from earlier, in the forest.”Von Metzeler’s eyes flicked to his blade, then back to her. “You’re quite a clever woman. Yes, I remember you. Your name is Yva, is it not?”Yva nodded. “It is. May I know the name of my rescuer?”“Lieutenant Von Metzeler. Tell nobody of such, though.”“That is a rank, a title, and a surname,” Yva observed, “I told you my name. May I know your first name?”“…Rondo.”Yva smiled slightly. “That is a funny name.”Von Metzeler sighed. “My family are odd people. What are you doing here? I was informed you were not taken prisoner, but I did not expect to find you in this place. Do you have a place to stay?”
Yva shook her head. “I do not. This place is entirely alien to me, and the places I have been are full. Sleeping upon the streets appears hardly abnormal. Your commander had me delivered here, as he claimed that there were many here in need of my skills; I was not given particular aid. He appeared to be under the impression that I could take care of myself well enough with no help.”“…That was rather callous of him, then.” Von Metzeler had a suspicion of why Von Tracht would do such a thing, but that seemed an overreaction. Neither of them knew near enough about this woman to treat her unjustly; and she had helped them. Was anything but sympathy to her plight just? “I know a place where you may stay, it is lacking in privacy or comfort, but it is a place to lay your head, at least. A bunk with a sheet to block light, but I can guarantee your safety. It will do, hopefully, until tomorrow, ere we can secure more suitable lodgings.” “That is most kind of you.” Yva bowed slightly, “You will be escorting me there?”“…In a fashion. My current state has a fair amount of infamy; it would be unhealthy for you to be seen close to me. I will give you directions to reach the place, and follow behind you. Will that be alright? If you cannot make your way, you may follow behind me instead, though it will be more difficult for me to defend you should you be ambushed.”“If I must stay separate from you,” Yva walked around behind Von Metzeler, “I shall follow. I doubt I could find my way even with directions, as I am now. Do not be worried, I was caught off guard this time, but I will be all right.”Von Metzeler frowned under his face mask. “I do not think I can accept that level of risk.”“You have earned my faith that you will defend me,” Yva offered softly, “May I ask the same from you, that I will not stumble into a situation you cannot protect me from?”“I am afraid you cannot.” Yva’s head tilted, and her eyebrows sank, tilting up. “We are at an impasse, then.” Her eyes went up and down Von Metzeler’s garb. “I have an idea. May I borrow your cloak? I may disguise myself with such, and you disguise yourself with your true appearance.”Von Metzeler thought about this. “My sword, however…”“I shall hold onto it, if you will allow me.”
“…Very well.” Yva was newly sheltered under Von Metzeler’s heavy cloak with her long hair tucked under it, her head covered by the kerchief. “I suppose this will do.” He handed the woman his sword, who looked at it curiously before hiding it under the cloak and her arm.They made some small talk as they walked. Von Metzeler’s uniform made many give him a wide berth- as he preferred. “How long have you had that blade?” Yva asked, “It seems well used.”“Only a couple of years.” Von Metzeler told freely. “My family would have me use the blade of their station. A gaudy, fancy thing. Presumptuous. I would prefer to use a sword whose accolades were not bought.”“You do not like your family?” Yva asked.“I do not.”“Why is that?”“They corrupt, exploit, and destroy for their own gain.” Von Metzeler growled, “That I share my blood is naught but a source of shame.”“That is quite sad. They are still your family, after all. For all of your anger towards them, they have not abandoned you.”“If only they would.”Yva’s tone had grown more morose over time. “Do not say such things. Surely you would rather they be redeemed than for them to fall.”“They may find redemption in having proper justice delivered unto them.” Von Metzeler said firmly. “…Pray forgive me. I have spoke much of myself, and it seems to be a topic that you mislike the more I speak on it. Tell me about your family.”“I wish that I could see them.” Yva said with melancholy, “But I have been forced to abandon them. A greater cause called…and I had no choice but to answer. It was not a choice I would have liked to make, but the alternative would have been to allow tragedy upon those close to me.” Yva sighed, “I once thought as you did. My family was not one that would normally be recalled fondly, but they did raise me, support me, for all of their flaws. It is sad that I did not realize my love for them until later,” she looked to Von Metzeler, “Were it that you should realize that for your own before it is too late.”“My mind need not be clouded by sentiments that would obstruct justice.” Von Metzeler recited.“…You are quite hard headed.” Yva’s tone changed critically. “Though I doubt such can be changed with one conversation, can it.”“You seek to change my mind?”“I seek to help those who would help me, in spite of being a stranger.” Yva answered. It wasn’t too long before they reached the place Von Metzeler had in mind for her. They were hardly comfortable lodgings, but for a fee, a person could sleep in a small space with some minute amount of privacy; they were layered bunks more akin to lockers than anything, with a bedroll, a curtain, and a small box at the foot of it all to keep some possessions. However, the price barrier kept out the most degenerate, unlike the flophouses. Von Metzeler paid the keeper relatively handsomely.
Von Metzeler explain the situation to Yva, and she nodded.“These are hardly suitable quarters for a lady, but,” Von Metzeler apologized, “There is little else that I can procure on such short notice.”“Ah. Your officer approached me earlier today. He sought me out in search of you. Perhaps you should meet him.”“Von Tracht is not my mother. I am allowed my share of independence from him.” Von Metzeler said curtly.“He seemed concerned that I was manipulating you. Such concern shows caring.” Yva said. Von Metzeler had nothing to say to that. His mind though, thought about similar matters...in ever so different a light. An unfamiliar light. “…Thank you for your kindness. You have naught but done me favors tonight. Would you ask any of me?”“Favors?” Von Metzeler repeated, “…You have intriguing beliefs, even if I disagree with them on points. If we would perhaps speak more, that would be enough.”Yva smiled at the officer. “Very well, then. Where and when would you wish to find me?”“…” Von Metzeler thought about that. “I will find you without requiring you to loiter anywhere. Remain in a place of safety.”Afterwards, when Yva crawled into her bunk, she wished Von Metzeler farewell, returning his blade in the bundle of clothes that was his disguise, shed of the woman. Yet the tall swordsman did not leave. He lingered, uncertain himself as to the safety of this retreat- and thus unable to responsibly depart.-----When night fell, you went to sleep confident Von Metzeler would return, but he did not do so until the next morning. He appeared bedraggled, very tired, and said nothing as he appeared before you in the office tent.“Good morning, Von Tracht.” He said drowsily. He seemed like he hadn’t gotten any sleep at all.>Good Morning. Seems you had a long night. Get some rest, today should be slow.>Just where in the hell have you been? This is so unlike you. I want a full explanation.>I’m not going to ask where you’ve been. But you’d best not repeat this. >Other?
>>3496476>>Other>"I would ask you where the hell you've been, but it's probably useless. Next time at least tell someone if you're going to be gone for a while. Anyway get some rest and I'll brief you on our latest situation about that damn social."
>>3496490+1
>>3496476>>Just where in the hell have you been? This is so unlike you. I want a full explanation.
>>3496490supporting
Present and accounted for. >>3496490>>3496511>>3496651Accept this turn of events; you're both of the same rank, are you going to order him around in good faith?>>3496533Demand that Von Metzeler fess up.Writin'
“I would ask you where the hell you’ve been,” you grumbled, “but it’s probably useless. Next time at least tell someone if you’re going to be gone for a while.”Von Metzeler frowned, but saluted. “Of course. I did not predict to be absent for this long, but there were…complications. I apologize.”At best you were annoyed- mostly, you had been relieved to know that a soulbinder hadn’t been messing with you. The bubbling cauldron that was the Border Zone, with the politics, the fighting, the tension, and that you were expected to do more than survive…was quite enough. “Get some rest,” you told Von Metzeler, “I’ll brief you on our latest situation, concerning the damn social.”-----So your morning was plain and dull as one could hope for. Porridge and head cheese, which in spite of its unappetizing name, was nutrition nevertheless. You’d eaten stranger things out of curiosity, though a few of the crewmen from more urban places turned their nose up at it. To say nothing at all happened would be untrue, as the Netillian Army was much a believer in the theory that idle hands got up to mischief, but nothing required your particular attention, nor that of your officers- physical training and such manner of basic maintenance of the fighting fitness of the troops could be easily managed by Kelwin. With your most recent operation having been unofficial and lacking in any casualties on your part, you could write it off in paperwork as an uneventful patrol, save for limited enemy contact. Later you went and helped your men clean off the tanks. You swept off the accumulated dust and dirt with a stiff broom from atop the X-51, which had been well used, while Hans, Jorgen and Malachi went to haul over a water cart. You chattered idly with Stein in the meantime as you knocked off stiff clumps of grass and compacted, chalky soil.“I don’t think you’ve been in the UGZ besides that riot a couple weeks ago, have you?” you asked Stein, “Not that we were walking around much.”“I kept inside the tank, didn’t look around much,” Stein answered as he scraped detritus from the sides, “Didn’t want to be hit by any flying rocks after all. They certainly had enough to pelt the paint with. Good thing it didn’t get bad enough for me to pull the trigger on anything.”“Mm. We don’t exactly have a water cannon hooked on that, do we.” You mused. “Trade off of being tankers used for police work.”
“I mean, I don’t mind it,” Stein said, grunting as he pried a stubborn piece of crud off the tank, “I’d rather stand around doing nothing and get paid for it than die and get a medal. Gaah!”“What is it?” you looked over at what had startled your gunner.“Another one of those freakin’ eye blobs,” Stein poked under the tank with his tool, “Git! Get outta here!”“They’re harmless,” you pointed out, “It’s Choco but free range.” Choco was the name given to the Hungry Darkness you had stored in a chocolate tin. It had been around long enough that Jorgen started referring to it by a name. Nobody had anything better to call it, even though everybody else thought the name was stupid. Most of the other names that were actually descriptive were unflattering, after all.“Well, I wouldn’t let a free range rat hitchhike either,” Stein said up at you, “…What did you say drove these things off? Salt? Light?”“Either or.”“We’ll need a mirror or something…”“Oh, cool it,” you shook your head and went back to the part of the tank you had been cleaning before. “There’s worse things.”“I don’t wanna know about them. Judge Above deliver me from knowing anything worse than being shot at. If it’s not that here then it’s being tormented by spirits.”You didn’t mind either of them, really; but last time you’d mentioned how battle was, in its way, calming and simple, you’d gotten a lot of weird looks, so you kept it to yourself. The spirits, in their basic and relatively harmless forms, had gone from disturbing apparitions to a new sort of wildlife, no more unusual here than a robin or a deer. Or a living stone- a normal living stone. You figured that such was the same for many newly introduced into the world of the unseen, but Stein evidently was still ill used to it.Soon enough your crew had returned with a water carrier, and the tank was being scrubbed with water and hand brushes. “Get your tomboy over here,” Hans suggested, “Make her wear white for once, huh?”“Heh heh. Get sahmodda gerl, tho.” Jogren added.Anya had departed to see the Ashes; she never shied away from dirty work, and much preferred it to paperwork, but with the party coming up and efforts being made to find out information on potential diversionary targets or soft spots, intelligence was ever more important. You’d have gone to try and gather some more information yourself, but with your second in command sleeping in, you saw no reason to take care of the more mundane tasks for the moment.
Anya returned when you were near through cleaning the X-51.“Man, that thing needs a paint job,” Anya muttered. “Oi. Fairy boy. I’ve got news.”“You do?” you asked.“Hah!” Jorgen chortled, “Bossmannehs he’s fehrybohy.”“A huh huh huh.” Malachi chuckled too.“…The news,” you requested of Anya.“I told the Ashes to try and find out more about the NLF guys that came around. They want to find out more about them already because…well, they wanna work with ‘em, but I keep telling them to be careful. There’s definitely something planned for that Langenachtfest Party, at least, for the day of it. The kids wanted in on it, but thankfully, they’re still taking my line about not being ready yet. I tell them if they can beat me two on one, then they’re good to actually fight.”“They’ll never be ready, then.” you said with a glance to the sky.“Perfect, right? So here’s the deal, so much as they’ve heard.” Anya picked up cleaning equipment and arranged it on the ground. “So we’ve got here- New Jorgenstohn, Reismuhle, and New Houdeberg. Colonial Netillian settlements. They’re all on the list. There’s a good…I wanna say four freedom fighter groups that’ll be sneaking here just for this day. Makes you feel real important, huh? I dunno the numbers, but I’m going to guess we can look at about fifty to eighty dudes with guns falling on a place, definitely to try and burn it to the ground. That’s considering our current plan to just stack guys around the party place and make that a complete no-go.”“Fifty to eighty, that’s a ton,” you noted, “A massive assault. Could we make a preemptive strike?”“Nuh uh. For one, remember, if we just hit anybody the Ashes find out about right away, everybody’s gonna get sus’. Other thing is that they’re not even here yet. Anybody here right now’s a scout. Somebody just checking out the place. Good luck getting evidence that they’re here for any reason. Again, if all their guys get snatched up; you can bet the Ashes’re gonna get isolated, if not wiped.”“They’d do that to children?” you asked.
“A lot of ‘em are kids, young adults,” Anya said, “Didn’t you know? There’s a lot of ‘em in these freedom fighter things, ‘specially in the NLF. The Ashes aren’t the only orphans, the only homeless. A lot of men are either dead or exiled, too. Not a big base to draw from. So yeah, kids’ll definitely kill other kids, or beat ‘em up and make them join their people.”“Hrm. So unless we want to throw ourselves into a fire, there’s little we can do about this.”“That’s about the way it is.” Anya said, “So there’s these three towns. Bad enough. But also, and this is a certain thing- UGZ-07 is going to blow the fuck up. I know you said UGZ-09’s doing fine, and that’s all well and good, but no matter what we do, our neighbors are gonna have a huge shit show; and we might be called into that.”You leaned back on the X-51 and sighed a long, heavy, croaking sigh. “Well then. Well. Then. So no matter what we do, there’s a mess?”“There’s at least not a mess here,” Anya shrugged, “Technically, we don’t really have to do much to get our house in order. Keep some guys in New Jorgenstohn. Keep some around the party. We’re all good then. We’ve got three platoons to play around with and I bet one per’s enough to keep places we want off any hit lists locked down.”>You supposed Anya was right. Best to keep everything in order close to you. Protect New Jorgenstohn and the party; no need to split your forces more.>Maybe you could think of something clever. If you have two spare platoons to use, you can guard two of the towns- and force an attack on the third. Knowing exactly where an attack might take place could be useful information to the ambitious…>It’s a hard decision, but you can’t leave colonial towns to be razed in good consciousness. You’ll have to split your forces several ways (In what ratios, between the party and the three towns?)>Other?New platoon comes at the end of the week, and it was decided that the Ellowian Platoon is on camp guard duty.
>>3497009>You supposed Anya was right. Best to keep everything in order close to you. Protect New Jorgenstohn and the party; no need to split your forces more.Colonial towns getting raided is a good thing for us.
>>3497009Might be asking a bit, but is there a rough map of the area? Just want to know where everything is relative to each other distance wise.
>>3497019Eh, yeah, I can't really give that quite yet. It would need a lot of stuff on it That I don't necessarily have planned yet. I'll have it at some point, but probably not for this vote, sorry.If you want general distances and that sort of thing I can give such.
>>3497009Anyways for now: >You supposed Anya was right. Best to keep everything in order close to you. Protect New Jorgenstohn and the party; no need to split your forces more.The other two towns are in the 22nd's sector right? So we've locked down our formal area of responsibility pretty well. Maybe send a message to Manaeseko that he'd better be prepared to call in everybody on the night of the social though leave out the details.>>3497024Yeah don't really need a map honestly; literal dots and names on on a blank background with distances would be enough just to visualize.
>>3497009>>You supposed Anya was right. Best to keep everything in order close to you. Protect New Jorgenstohn and the party; no need to split your forces moreDESU it's going to be pretty bad but we can't save everyone.
>>3497032>The other two towns are in the 22nd's sector right? So we've locked down our formal area of responsibility pretty well. Indeed, the other two towns aren't your particular responsibility, but as for who actually watches over them...is a good thing to go over.See, the Penal Battalion occupies the sector to your west. Reismuhle and New Houdeberg are on the edges of your sector...but to the northeast and east. Translated, this means that the two towns are in territory mostly looked over by other parts of the 5th Combined Infantry battalion- your formation's sister units, as you are the 1st company.This'll make a lot more sense with a map, I know. Which is why one's in the works, but not really in a state to use.
>>3497078But on paper they're both the responsibility of the other companies in the battalion right? Sucks for our battalion CO but at least Kelwin and us can say we protected our part when things go down.
>>3485115
>>3497009>>You supposed Anya was right. Best to keep everything in order close to you. Protect New Jorgenstohn and the party; no need to split your forces more.
>>3497089Yep. It's not your jurisdiction unless ordered otherwise.
>>3497189Alright then. Sucks for the colonists but I guess an attack of this magnitude will probably lead to more resources going to us and the UGZ.
Alright then.>>3497017>>3497032>>3497065>>3497174As said astutely, sucks to be them!Writing after eating.
“…Come with me.” You started to walk towards Anya, “You guys finish up,” to your crew. Once you were out of their direct earshot, you admitted in a low voice, “I can’t think of a way around it. Better to ensure everything close is protected than to spread ourselves thin. It won’t be pleasant, but it’s our best choice.” You touched the bottoms of your pockets, “It’s true that we’re only responsible for protecting this area. It won’t be a good day for the battalion commander, but this is the way it has to be. It’s the nature of toeing the line, but even from a tactical point of view, spreading our forces too thin will only add our own to the body count. I hope the NLF militia will at least conduct whatever they’ll do with honor.”“Company doesn’t inspire confidence, huh?” Anya asked.“Yes. All the Netillian platoons are still quite new to war, and I don’t think they can fend off a numerically superior enemy with their strength split up. It’d be different maybe if we could support them with our tanks, but we’re out of fuel for operations, and we won’t be getting more until after all this.”“Can’t help that.” Anya agreed, “At least this should mean more’ll flow in. Nothing to freak out command like a big ol’ attack on one of their precious colonies, not that we don’t get more an’ more colonists flowing in by the week.”“…I can’t say I’ll be in much a festive mood for the party, with all this happening the same night.”“There’s always somebody starvin’ to death somewhere.” Anya gave an insensitive but true remark to your lament, “There’s always somebody getting beaten, somebody freezing, you can’t do anything about it.”“I suppose,” you confided in Anya, “I don’t feel very heroic choosing who to sacrifice. It isn’t my duty to protect Netilland, but…I suppose it feels like, say, my uncle, would have chosen this way.”“Nope. He wouldn’t have.” Anya said.“Then what would he have done?”Anya opened her mouth to say something, but held on her statement for a moment. “…He wouldn’t have cared about who would have gotten pissed off or what would have happened to him. I’m not going to say it always worked. But he’d also not be in this situation. He was a mercenary because that’s what you have to be your own master.”
“Your own master, huh.” You looked lazily to the west. Helman Von Tracht, whose middle name you took as your first, had been a mercenary before he was the first of your family ennobled by the Archduchy, just under a century past. Ever since him…he was your great-great grandfather, and it only took until his son for your family name to be disgraced the first time. When Helman died, his son Rickhart had taken the reigns of the new family, and spent extravagantly upon luxuries and mistresses, using the favor his father had with the archduke and the wealth derived from such to act far above his station. Such was his degeneracy that he not only was disowned by the courts, but left debts upon the family, which were only expanded by your grandfather Helmuth, who had been an inglorious as a soldier and was terrible at thrift, was only woken from similar degeneracy later in life by the ever compounding debt, and had to sell off most of the family’s belongings to avoid being imprisoned; such was why your own father had pursued law, you’d heard. The various branches of your once great house steadily withered as their sons and daughters were slain in Strossvald’s wars trying to recapture the position of the past, until finally, only yours was left. And so will your end come as well. Tragic.“Feh. All of a sudden I’ve got a damn headache.”“Today’s not a spar day, what could your head be whining about? Beat it against a tree ‘til it stops.”“…It must be the situation catching up with me.” You muttered, “Von Metzeler should be up soon. We’ll gather everybody and tell them what’s going on.” A separate thought struck you. “…When is your dress going to be ready?”Anya shrugged. “I have to go for one last thing tomorrow. When are you going to have something besides a dirty jacket and your shirt?”“…I’m not sure,” you said, “I won’t be getting a replacement uniform in time, and my dress uniform didn’t make the trip. Can’t have it requested from home either, not in time, at least. I’ll figure something out.”“As long as it’s not something goddamn embarrassing,” Anya shot at you, “This might not be that sorta thing but I’m not gonna show up to this with somebody who looks like shit.”Hmph. Well now it was a challenge. But then, wasn’t that how you preferred it..?-----“…So that’s how it is,” you finished briefing Krause and a freshly woken Von Metzeler, all of you, including Anya, seated in a ring of folding chairs in the office tent. “We’ll split up first through third platoons between the Manor where the social is, and protecting New Jorgenstohn. Otherwise, we’re spread too thin protecting territory that isn’t ours.”“Surely we could drop an indirect warning to the other towns?” Krause tried to look for an opening, “So that they may flee?”
“I dislike this as well,” Von Metzeler said with his arms crossed, eyes closed, “But we have little choice. We must remember our mission from the Archduke- and performing that requires that we not consider the welfare of a longtime enemy into the preservation of Strossvald’s pursuits. We are allies of convenience, not servants of Netilland’s Military Council. Ultimately, all of this is to blame upon them. Moral objectivity is impossible when the Netillians force the Ellowians out of their lands and place their own in their place, to say nothing of their government’s own evils against its citizenry.”“I suppose, but…” Krause scowled, “The sins of the people…I don’t know. They do profit from this…”“Who cares?” Anya asked sharply, leaning back lazily in her chair and picking between her teeth with a toothpick, “We only have to do what we’re told to do. To do that and anything more, our asses have to be kept free of burns. We can’t hang it out over every fire, it’ll get too hot.”“…Bizarre metaphors aside.” Von Metzeler said, “Our course of action is clear. Any more preventative action will have to reveal itself as we go along.”Such was the state of affairs; there was little else to discuss beyond that, and you broke soon after.-----Von Metzeler told you that he was departing in the afternoon- and you saw no reason to keep him. Battalion headquarters had not sent any messages the whole day, and it seemed the whole of it would pass as a restful one. Which was fair enough; you’d spent the past days with a good amount of action going on. At least, as much as one could expect from your situation. If the situation changed and the Twaryians came surging over the border, as more than a few suspected would happen sometime in the future…that would be a new and fresh experience that would make any battles you fought in the past look like a cakewalk.…You wondered how far along your letter to Maddalyn was. Would she like it? Would she hate it? You didn’t know why you were nervous about it. It was honest, you figured, and there was little reason to be a prude when it was only for your fiancée’s eyes. You had to distract yourself with something else. What could you do, though? Your plan was already clear. Perhaps today being clear would let you wander a bit…>Arrange a meeting with the Major. There were things you wanted to know...if she would tell you.>Go to UGZ-07. It might be worth it to know just how it’s going to “blow up.”>Take some people out to Kamienisty for a time out. It would be good to take a half-day out without worrying about anything. (Who, and what sort of venue to go to? Kamienisty probably has one, though perhaps not the best of it…)>Other?
>>3497483>>Arrange a meeting with the Major. There were things you wanted to know...if she would tell you.Actually we should see if the IO gives a crap about what happens to our dear High Protector, or anything they'd like to be done specifically.
>>3497483>>Take some people out to Kamienisty for a time out. It would be good to take a half-day out without worrying about anything. (Who, and what sort of venue to go to? Kamienisty probably has one, though perhaps not the best of it…)We do need clothes which means the town seems like the best option. Maybe bring the crew as a reward? Have a meal, drinks, whatever entertainment etc.
>>3497483>>Take some people out to Kamienisty for a time out. It would be good to take a half-day out without worrying about anything. (Who, and what sort of venue to go to? Kamienisty probably has one, though perhaps not the best of it…)Let's get some sort of outfit for the social, I guess we could bring our crew, or krause, if they want to go. >>Other?make the soldiers train while we're out.>>3497490Eh. The Major told us to stop asking about every little thing and show some initiative didn't she?
>>3497504True I'll switch then to>Take some people out to Kamienisty for a time out. It would be good to take a half-day out without worrying about anything. Crew and Krause sounds good, maybe we can recce the surrounding area as well when we're there. Kelwin can supervise the training while we're there.
>>3497504>make the soldiers train while we're out.They're already on that. Albeit it's physical training and review and not combat drill.
>>3497483>Von Metzeler told you that he was departing in the afternoon- and you saw no reason to keep him.Goddammit. Should've shot her.>Arrange a meeting with the Major. There were things you wanted to know...if she would tell you.Gotta see how patriotic bae is drink wise.What news from the Archduchy? Any new information about the Ellowian Army that escaped?What would be more valuable to Strossvald, a resurgence of Ellowie fighting thus hampering both Twaryi and Netilland or getting the two countries into a shooting war?Although it would be good to scout out UGZ-07 since we're likely to be called in to 'pacify' it at some point. Mostly just checking out likely defensive positions and centers of rebellion.
>>3497483>Take some people out to Kamienisty for a time out. It would be good to take a half-day out without worrying about anything.Hopefully a night cracking open cold ones with the bois will take my mind off of how much I miss my wife.Maybe we should just keep writing letters? Keep her updated about or lives and times, ask how she's doing?Small stuff.
>>3497483>>Take some people out to Kamienisty for a time out. It would be good to take a half-day out without worrying about anything. Some blend of >>3497504 and >>3497531 Have the crew help pick out an outfit suitable for fairyboy and perhaps treat them to a drink afterwards, doing our best to avoid any flophouse milk-bars or drunken piano numbers. If our senses are intact by the time we get back then write up another more casual letter to Maddy before turning in.
Update soon; I thought I wouldn't have it til after lunch, but I guess I'm not quite that slow.Going based off getting the jacket first- then establishment to patronize.
There were a few reasons why it would be a good idea to go to Kamienisty. It was probably the ritziest place you had easy access to, even if that wasn’t saying much- by nature of all the traffic going into and out of it, the place was ever growing, and was the place to go for many officers looking for something to do. Since Von Metzeler had already excused himself, you decided to take along Krause- who requested he bring his crew, and Von Metzeler’s as well. You accepted this, though he asked who would be in charge of matters back at camp while you were all gone.“Kelwin’s not a child, no matter what he looks like,” you said, “He’ll be fine without anybody watching his back for the rest of the day. Anya can look after everything else.”“Tempting fate, then?” Krause asked.“I don’t think so. We practically have a guarantee that nothing’ll happen until two days, on the 25th.”“…Man, it’ll be 1933 soon,” Krause whistled, “Far as anybody who hears is concerned, we’ve done a year, even if we got shoved out at the bottom of this year. Time flies, huh?”Time certainly hadn’t felt like it had flown; recently it had, certainly, but before that felt like it had been an eternity. Would you have preferred a nice, calm first months, though? Probably not. It just wasn’t in your blood to want to idle about and soak up benefits.With the amount of people, you couldn’t get an easy staff car ride to Kaministy. The lot of you had to walk there. Few had a problem with it, though it did mean you had to crack into the armory to make sure you could travel safely. The road you took was one well patrolled, so it was hardly unnervingly unsafe- while you were walking along, an armored car from the Blue Knights Armored Cavalry passed by on a usual patrol, an Ellowian-captured reconnaissance vehicle, repainted but still ridden with dents and dings from a storied past. It hummed past, looking and sounding much like a plain four wheeled truck save for the small turret above it.“Yekneu,” Jorgen said, “Thenk fletenhillfahlk’d puttus wittem, ey?”“Flat and hill folk?” you asked, “Netillians?” Jorgen nodded. “I suppose I don’t know.” You’d been slotted with a Combined Infantry Battalion instead of the Armored Cavalry, which by your consideration would have been your best match. “The mission here wanted to spread us over more people, I suppose. An Armored Cavalry company doesn’t have near as many people as this one does, after all.”
“I’ve heard,” Stein offered, “That the Spare Parts battalions already have to scrape the bottom of the barrel for what they have as is. I don’t think they’d get special consideration.” When Ellowie fell, much in the way of equipment was captured, but so were the factories that made them- you’d heard more than a few places hadn’t stopped manufacturing Ellowian equipment, especially the tank plants. Even so, Ellowian equipment was still derogatorily referred to as “Spare Parts.”“Gottspaahhrrightne.”“You’re right, Mal, we’re working with spare parts right now too, aren’t we?” Stein acknowledged the little masked man.“How in the world do they understand that guy…” you heard Krause say to his crew from behind.“Nothing wrong with spare parts, right, mechanic turned shooter?” Hans said, a cocky grin on his face. “Your sister always said that everything’s a bunch of spare parts in the end.” Stein’s face stiffened at the mention of his sister, so Hans hurriedly changed things up a bit. “We’re a bunch of spare parts, aren’t we? Best not to shame too much. What’re we, a couple of schlubs from smoggy ol’ Strosstadt, a Yaegir, a mountain goblin-person, and some no-name noble who I’ve heard most people think don’t even exists.” He shoved you slightly, “Well, ‘least til you went gallivanting off into Sosaldt for a vacation, right? And that’s only counting the misfits in our tank.”“I had better exist after going through all that, and considering the trial afterwards…” you grumbled discontentedly. “Oh, you sure as hell exist, alright,” Hans reassured you, “Did you know? You have a bit of infamy here, even from before you arrived. I was talking with a few of the staff people back at camp once, shooting the shit, and a couple said they knew a Kommandant of the Republic of Mittelsosalia, and they heard you and that guy had the same name. Threw ‘em for a loop when I said you shared the same body too.”That warmed your ego somewhat.“They asked me if you plowed Cyclops.”You rubbed your face and sighed, not even deigning to comment.“Don’t worry about it, boss, every guy who gets big gets dirt thrown on ‘em.” Hans put a hand on your shoulder, “There’s worse rumors that could be going around. Probably are. Would you rather people give you the evil eye ‘cause your real beau looks so runty?”“I’d rather any gossip be about my martial prowess.”“Well, too bad.”“Whet’summa thegossep?” Jorgen asked slyly.”Well…” Hans rubbed his hands together evilly, “I’ll share a few I’ve heard, in confidence, of course…”The rest of the walk to Kamienisty was occupied with you hearing rumors of all sorts and, in spite of your crew knowing full well the veracity of most of them, most of them being utterly salacious. At least they were having fun with it…-----
Krause’s and your group had separated upon entering the Railhead town, because your first order of business was replacing your jacket. You were almost getting used to the chill, but you wouldn’t miss it long, either. The options weren’t exactly high fashion; more along the lines of military surplus and replacement, naturally, though more luxurious tailoring was an option. Such was fine; you were looking for something practical anyways, that wouldn’t seem out of place at a social. A uniform, even one that wasn’t particularly dressy, had always been acceptable in Strossvald courts, even if female fashion was an ever shifting and evolving battleground. You and your crew popped into a few places and got a good idea of what was available- and what caught your eye.One was a captured Ellowian tanker jacket; a dull grey-bleached leather piece with a thin lining of dark green faux-fur. A pair of thin black stripes ran down its sleeves, which were shortened to about forearm length, as it was meant to be worn with leather gauntlet-gloves, which were also available in the stashes of appropriated loot. The particular one that caught your attention was a beaten up one that seemed like it had a history to it, even if it wasn’t your own. It made it interesting by nature.Another was a dark leather, fleece lined jacket that appeared to be some manner of pilot’s jacket, but the shopkeep insisted that it was a “Reich tanker’s coat.” It didn’t look like any Reich tanker uniform piece you’d ever seen or heard of; you guessed that this was a Grossreich Luftwaffe piece that had somehow wandered over here. The name-label on the inside of its collar was blank; as its exterior reflected, as it seemed near brand new.A familiar tunic drew your attention elsewhere- one you’d seen before in quantity. It was a black tunic with white piping- the Netillian Party police’s uniform, apparently being phased out as the Party Police was integrated into the military Kommissariat. Petty politicking of some manner. Though where you recognized it from was from Sosaldt, as the clothing of choice for the now-defunct Death Heads, no longer an entity, thanks in part to your intervention. It was fashionable enough, you supposed.
It was impossible not to be drawn to the final one, which was among plain Netillian tunics of all sorts.“What in the world is that?” you asked the clerk. You pointed to a gaudy dark green tunic lined with silver piping, with braiding of the same shiny thread on its black collar. Epaulettes dangled off the shoulders, and on the arms of the mannequin wearing it were black leather gloves, cuffed with silver braiding like the collar. It was incredibly gaudy.“That, is a Netillian curassier’s parade uniform,” you were informed of by the clerk. “Or at least, a recreation of one. Officers, tank officers, like to have them. Cavalry and armor and all. There’s a push by the armor corps to have them be reinstated. Do you like it?”“I’ll have to think about it,” you brushed the clerk off.“That looks way too flamboyant.” Stein offered his criticism. “I thought Anya was the one being decorated like a tree, not you.”In Strossvald, you’d heard that glamour was exactly the point. However, fashion was something you’d never paid attention to at home, let alone in Netilland. Ultimately, this would be a question of what you preferred.>The Ellowian Tanker Jacket>The Reich Pilot’s jacket>The Party Police tunic>A plain tanker’s tunic; no need to stand out.>The Currassier’s Parade uniform>Look for something else in particular?Nothing’s restricting you from getting two things- though the parade uniform is expensive; you’ll likely only be able to get that.There's also no shortage of "normal" things- but that wouldn't have caught Richter's particular attention, now would it have?
>>3498324>>The Reich Pilot’s jacketDon't want to get mistaken for some Netillian at the party so going with the most foreign one.Also hey, Luftpanzer's legacy lives on even when we're back to our side of the continent.
>>3498324>>The Ellowian Tanker Jacket>>The Reich Pilot’s jacket
>>3498324>The Reich Pilot’s jacket
>>3498324>>The Reich Pilot’s jacket
Back from lunch.>>3498333>>3498343>>3498361>>3498474Owl catcher cosplay. >>3498339Consideration for going native.Not what I expected, but interesting! Writing soon.
>>3498577What did you think would win out of curiosity?
>>3498587Fancy wear.Not a good guess as it turned out, but there's no "right" decisions anyways.
In the end, you selected the Reich pilot’s jacket. It was warm looking, had decent appearance, and as an important factor, didn’t look Netillian or Ellowian. There’d be no mistake of you being foreign at least. The jacket fit pretty well, thankfully, and it wasn’t too expensive for a leather flight jacket.“How do I look?” you asked the Malachi and Stein, who were present while the other two members of the crew were crawling about the town looking for places to have supper at; perhaps a few drinks.“Emperuhl.”“Yes. That is where the jacket is from.” You said, “But, like, good? Bad?”“Alloferdeplass.”“You look fine, commander,” Stein hurried along, “Maybe if you lost the hat and goggles you’d seem less roughneck looking.”“Roughneck’s not too bad.”Hans suddenly burst in. “Hey,” he demanded, “You girls done shopping yet? I’m starvin’ and thirsty. Though I’m not picky. The theater’s opening up early, if you want to head there. See a few things, waste the day? Don’t have to be sober if the movie sucks either.”>The Muddy Boot: a rather rough bar and sausage grill, with more than a few vagrants, drunks, and enlisted. Apparently popular with penal soldiers, under escort. Cheap, ratty, cozy. High proof.>The Clear Crystal: this was the place you usually met the Major at. It was upscale, visited by very few, and not Netillians, particularly. Of course, the Major only ever met you when you were either with Von Metzeler or alone, so you could count on her not appearing…>Kamienisty Cinema: a new construction, quite popular among the soldiers. Maybe if you were lucky they’d have a decent picture to go with the overpriced food that tasted like feet.>Look for some other specific sort of place?Short update, I know. Sorry for the wait for the length here.
>>3498687>>Kamienisty Cinema: a new construction, quite popular among the soldiers. Maybe if you were lucky they’d have a decent picture to go with the overpriced food that tasted like feet.Can always eat/drink after
>>3498701Supporting
>>3498687>>Kamienisty Cinema: a new construction, quite popular among the soldiers. Maybe if you were lucky they’d have a decent picture to go with the overpriced food that tasted like feet.
Rolled 1, 4 = 5 (2d4)>>3498701>>3498709>>3498710>>3498722The movies, then. Well, what passes for one. Gonna roll for what two flicks are showing on that real quick, then I'll get writing.1-Propaganda 2-Romance3-Outlaw4-Adventure
>>3498750>PropagandaRichter's favorite
“The movies sound good. I haven’t seen one in a while,” you said, “What do they usually show?”“It’s a toss-up,” Stein said, “Last time I went with Mal and Jorgen there was a sappy love story that they hated.”“Don’t like romantic comedies, Mal?” Hans asked. Malachi made a growling mutter, and he edged off. “I mean, a moving picture’s a moving picture. If you’re not interested close your eyes and go to sleep. If you’re in the armed forces it’s free after all. Even though the food’s not. The food’s garbage, though.”You sadly knew the latter. One time, Anya had gone to the films, and came back with a meat pastry. When you asked how it was, she described it as “about as good as this thing.” The pastry turned out to be stuffed with head cheese, and it tasted like how the inside of a sweat boot smelled.“We don’t have to eat or drink anything there.” You said hurriedly. “What time is it...” you checked your pocket watch. “Almost three. We should catch the next thing if we go right away.”-----The movie theater was a singular cool, dark indoor room; a projector from the rear, over the heads of the audience, played black and white films from reels on a silver screen about big enough to cover your platoon of tanks; It wasn’t the biggest you’d seen, naturally, but Kamienisty wasn’t exactly a bustling city. It was something for it to have had a movie theater at all.“Hurry up,” Hans pushed you along, “Northman had to slow us up getting a cola, we’ll miss whatever the hell this is.”“You don’t know?” Stein asked, “It’s-““Shaddup back there!” a voice in front called.The light of the projector flickered, and the reels began to run as you all sat down. Patriotic sounding trumpets began to play after a few moments, supported by thunderous drums and a rising brass section.“Oh, God damn it,” Hans sighed, “Guess it’s time for a nap. I’ve seen this one three times.”Well, you hadn’t seen it, so you were interested. Military propaganda was a good source of information on a nation’s capabilities, after all, as they bragged to the world and to their citizenry of their mightiest aspects. In a time such as this, with Netilland’s rapid military expansion causing a wealth of problems, you were curious what they were propping up.
The opening was a narration of the opening of the latest war- the reasons why it had to happen, the knowledge that victory was assured, the brilliant planning- with no mention of the Twaryian involvement. That would have lessened the effect, now wouldn’t it. Much focus was put onto the development and testing of new weaponry, not the least the armored personnel carriers the mechanized troops used, which the film showed the manufacture of, as well as them being put through their paces over obstacles and poor terrain.The air force and navy received screen time as well, though you already knew that Netilland’s navy was not particularly relevant, and because of Twaryi’s far greater presence on the seas, boats practically vanished from the movie once the war itself started, as did fighter planes besides basic flyovers, though dive bombers were among the introductory shots to the war’s beginning. You knew why this was immediately; Ellowie, before the war, had one of the most renowned air forces in the world, and their aircraft designs were equally well known to be advanced, as not to surrender their greatest advantage. Any film of a furball would not have portrayed an easy victory, if it showed a win at all.The land forces had a more impressive showing, and were the focus of the film. You couldn’t help but be interested as a storm of tracer machine gun fire shattered on top of an armored personnel carrier as it was heading an assault on a bunker, before the Ellowian machine gun was silenced by a shot from the stumpy cannon on the armored bus. The same was the case with a team of Munitions Caster operators, who laid down accurate grenade fire in rippling waves upon a position one hundred meters distant. The war only lasted about twenty minutes of the hour and a forty five of the film, though. Much more time was spent on parades, panning shots of prisoners, loot, wreckage of Ellowian materiel, the results of the barely seen conflict. The conclusion compared Netilland’s equipment to its rivals, the size of its ever ballooning army and air force (without mention of how green much of it was); with special emphasis on how it had long eclipsed estimates of Twaryian capabilities. The factories were shown again, the good, efficient workers, and the vast quantities of equipment being loaded into crates all belying the fact known from any position of authority that equipment was sparse enough that Ellowian gear was being used, and large purchases being made of other countries.In the end, it hadn’t turned out very educational, though perhaps the typical Netillian conscript would be impressed.
Hans had woken up right before the ending section, and when it was all over, he asked you and the others of the crew, “You know, how long does the Military Council expect people to watch them jerking themselves off?” “Empresseffenderrance.” Jorgen said, “Nahdlehkershdeky’s nobetter abehdit.”“I don’t see the point of going to a talkie to sleep,” Stein said to Hans, “Can’t you do that at camp?”“You get to sleep indoors here. Look, see that?” He pointed ahead, to Netillian soldiery rising and stretching, some having slumped the whole time. “They get bored of this too. Can’t blame ‘em either. What else are you supposed to do when you can’t make out with a girl in the dark?”“When does the next show start?” you asked as the lights came on. “Fifteen minutes?”“Ayup. Oh yeah, speaking of doing things to girls in the dark, you send your letter to shorty yet?”“I have.” You told Hans, “I thought about sending another. Since I have a way to send them, now.”“Having second thoughts about the last one you sent?” Stein asked.“Ahrrforkketsomming.” Malachi added.“May as well think about what to put in it now.” Stein said, “…Maybe not discuss it in public if it’s like what I hear the last one was.”…There was a sudden flash of memory in your head. You were forgetting something…something about Maddalyn, but what was it? It was an important date, but you couldn’t put your finger on when or what it was…>Malachi’s right. I forgot to put in a few lurid details. The poor thing’s probably not having much fun, surely a train of dirty correspondences would keep her amused?>Maybe I overdid it with the last one. This can be something normal. What’s happened and all. No need for every letter to be dramatic.>Other details/directions?
>>3498910>>Maybe I overdid it with the last one. This can be something normal. What’s happened and all. No need for every letter to be dramatic.Maddy's Birthday?
>>3498915>Maddy's Birthday?Yep! Turns out, her birthday's in a week.Maybe you should get her something.
>>3498922Lol that was a totally random guess but alright. So she's born on the new year?Maybe go shopping after the movie and meal then.
>>3498910>>Maybe I overdid it with the last one. This can be something normal. What’s happened and all. No need for every letter to be dramatic.
>>3498910>Maybe I overdid it with the last one. This can be something normal. What’s happened and all. No need for every letter to be dramatic.Good guess on the birthday.Maybe clothing/jewelry? She liked desserts but there's no way to send those.
>>3498910>Maybe I overdid it with the last one. This can be something normal. What’s happened and all. No need for every letter to be dramatic.>Go find the wife a gift while you have time.
Back.>>3498927>>3498930>>3499007>>3499019Tone things down a bit. Also find your spouse a birthday present, just because it's close to Langenachtfest doesn't mean you can combine the gifts. Or can you?I mean, I've never heard of a declaration of intent to fuck somebody given as a christmas gift but to each their own.
>>3499019Supporting
“I might have overdone it with the last one,” you confessed awkwardly, “It felt good to get out there, but it might not have been…ah shit.” “What?” Stein asked. “I remembered something, something that fell out of my head for…God knows what reason.” That had happened at random, yes, but not for something like this. “It’s Maddalyn’s birthday in a week. On the 30th. I need to get her something…I’m not really sure what she’d like.”“I can bet on something she’d go for,” Hans grinned, and made a very rude gesture with his fingers forming an O while he stuck two fingers through it energetically.“Yeah, no.” you said, annoyed.“Oh, sorry.” Hans said, then instead of two fingers, he substituted his pinky.“Yeah, really funny, asshole.” You slapped Hans’s rude gesture upwards. “I dunno. Clothes? Jewelry?”“She didn’t seem that materialistic to me,” Stein said. “You’re her fiancé. Shouldn’t you know what she likes?”“I know she likes sweets.”“Candy, then.” Stein suggested, which resulted in Jorgen snickering.“Ey, ey,” he nudged Malachi, “Gehdkehndyfehhrrrer,” the rest of what he said was indecipherable, but whatever it was made Malachi start cackling too.“Feallponndder,” he sniggered. “I mean,” Stein shrugged, “Are you going to find anything that expensive here? Get something you think she’ll like. It’ll be better received than something you got because it’s expensive. Isn’t she the daughter of a territorial lord? Her father is so rich he has a private army and he owns cities! You won’t outspend that.”“I guess not.” You acquiesced murkily, “Though…hm.”“Ged…geddersohm baethtahys!” Jorgen choked out, and he started laughing so hard he started hiccupping, and Malachi was doubled over laughing his ass off. You didn’t see what was so damn funny, you thought as Jorgen excused himself to go get another cola. The brief peace left before the next movie started was used to pull out a paper scrap and pencil and jot down the start of a letter.My dearest Maddalyn, it started, I hope you have been well, even though it will not have been long since the last letter that this will arrive…-----
Maddalyn Von Blum had felt spritely these past few days. She still felt bruises on her from when her sister had pummeled her, but it was alright- hitting Mathilda had felt good. The small amount of strength she felt developing in her body as she engaged in limited physical activities felt good too. Certainly, she was still thin and tiny, but Maddalyn felt confident she was on an upward trend. It was sundown, and Maddalyn had spent the day wandering about the gardens, crawling about the trees like a monkey and hanging off the branches. She’d learned the hard way that a dress was ill suited to such; so she’d taken to wearing trousers and a jacket instead. She sometimes found herself wondering if she should get used to wearing her jacket open, like she recalled Anya did. It would certainly attract Richter’s attention…Maddalyn felt sore, as she always did after time ambling about outdoors, but it was a good soreness, and the best part of it was laying down after all of it in her room, as she did now.Her rest was interrupted by a knock. “Lady Maddalyn?” A maid said, muffled by the closed and locked door. “There is a letter for you. From your fiancé.”Maddalyn’s breath caught in her throat. A letter? From Richter? She felt her blood rush to her cheeks, her hands shook. She tried to say something, but all that came out was a thin squeak.“I’ll leave it under the door, milady.” The maid said, finally. Maddalyn heard the slip of paper against floor as the letter was delivered, and the clacking of the maid turning and stepping away. Maddalyn rushed to the door so quickly she tripped over her feet and fell to the floor; where the letter was waiting anyways. She felt her heart slamming against her chest as she picked it up and got up on her knees. “It’s…”she said in a thin voice, “It’s not quite Langenachtfest yet, but…it’s what I’ve wanted anyways.” She hugged the letter to her chest, “…My birthday is in a week, Richter. I’ll be twenty four years old. I wonder what you’ll send me…it’s okay if it’s late…”Her fingers were trembling; annoying, because it made it harder to finally open the letter. Maddalyn’s vision was blurry…she hadn’t even read one word, and tears were already running down her cheeks. It was like she had been starving in a wood for weeks, and she’d been found and given a feast. Memories came flooding back; Richter’s arms, wrapped around her. The feeling of his kisses on her ear, her feet dangling in the air when he lifted her up to touch his lips to hers…feelings she’d never thought about before, wouldn’t have thought she’d experienced, and hungered for again, now that she’d discovered them.
…God, she hadn’t even taken it out of the envelope. She was utterly hopeless. Maddalyn wiped her eyes and finally got the letter out. Handwritten; she hadn’t even considered the awful possibility that it could have been typed, but she was relieved anyways. Dearest Maddalyn,Dearest. She loved it already. Maddalyn almost cried again, she was so happy.Not a day goes by where I do not think about your company, your warmth, the feeling of your touch, your embrace.Until now, I have been unable to convey to you my desire to see you once more. The struggle of deciding whether to hold you in my arms or keep you safe at home cuts me in two, as I cannot decide whether one or the other is the correct choice. Strange things are afoot in Ellowie, things that make me want for your accompaniment even further, however, I would never want a single scratch to tarnish your precious body. Should any troubles stress you at home, I assure you, you have my sympathies, and my promise to act swiftly upon them when I return. Do not hesitate to share your troubles. My own problems are many, but they are naught compared to any that would result in your unhappiness. Should you find some way to reply to me more efficiently than this, do not hesitate to contact me in such a way. Maddalyn wanted to send a letter. She wanted to send a reply badly, but…how? She couldn’t think of anything…not on the spot, at least. Peace, you silly girl. She thought to herself, You’re not even done reading yet. She looked back to the page. It was sappy, certainly; overbearing and excessively flowery- but it was her’s. A loving letter especially for her and her alone.I would be remiss to not mention my desire for your company in ways difficult to put to words.When we meet once more, such is my need for you that your virginity will be unable to be tolerated any further. I will spend the entire day and night plundering it from your tiny body, and you will be ravished so passionately that you will go blind.Love,Richter Von TrachtMaddalyn felt the letter fall from her hands. Her arms fell to her sides; her head grew fuzzy and faint…She should have been happy. Her husband-to-be wished to make love to her. He wanted to seal their union, to share in passion…she should have been glad.Yet…yet she felt terrified.
The blood drained from the noble lady’s face and her shoulders slumped as she felt herself grow weak and distant inside. A small part of her felt angry desperation- hadn’t she asked that they not consummate their marriage until later? After they were married, after? Hadn’t he said yes? In spite of not possibly knowing why, not even asking?You never ask anything! She raged inside her head, that little part growing in size, Surely this was so unreasonable, and yet..! The thing grew enough that it decided to bite her instead, though. You could have predicted this. How long did you expect to deprive him? Forever? What worthless hot air your “love” is!Love. Fury, and now that that had done its work of burning her up inside, there was nothing but melancholy to fill that void. I’m sorry, Richter, she thought as she shut her eyes tight; hot tears rolled from them, and her cheeks were well and soaked now. I can’t. I’m so scared. I’m afraid that you’ll find out something…Something I can’t tell you. Something you’ll never ask about, but…if enough time passes, you’ll suspect it…and if you ever found out what it was, you would certainly leave me for it. For never telling you…I’m so sorry. I can’t…Maddalyn had to get up. She had to get back to the books, to find a solution, no matter what it took, but her legs had turned to jelly…then, so did the rest of her. She woke a minute later, on her side, the letter on the floor. She reached out…and clutched the letter, holding it tight against her chest. She didn’t know if she was happy, or sad; she knew she was afraid, and the worst feeling was to be afraid as well as alone. Richter’s letter to her, at the very least, was warming comfort in telling her that she was not alone.It was probably more than she deserved.-----
The next film was a story about an adventure- no complaints were had as the title appeared, with the lament of violins accompanying long stills of calm shoreline. It must have been in Valsten, for how gentle and sunny the seas seemed; at least, as far as you knew about the oceans. The story concerned the son of a pirate captain, who had been a fearsome raider in the times just before Kaiser Alexander- the first part of the story showed the captain sailing off to sea, the tall clouds of the Great Gales appearing then looming over his ship, to swallow it up in the sudden storm it would bring upon it. It was, of course, clever effects and animation. To go near the Great Gales themselves would be utter madness, but apparently, this did not stop the fictional pirate, as they vanished into the darkness.The viewpoint shifted back to the boy, as he grew into a man, and the Kaiser’s armies were marching across the continent; the location was revealed to indeed be Valsten- it was a funny thing to be divided between supporting the enemy of the first war you’d been in, or the conquering Grossreich. In any case, the young man sought glory in the twilight of his country (Valsten had been a proper country before the Grossreich, unlike Strossvald), and sailed after his father in the continuing Great Gale.From there, the Gale did not obliterate his ship, but sent him and his crew along to mysterious, magical places. It was an unfocused, but entertaining series of stops on islands in the Mythic Sea, where the explorer met such companions as a squid man who spoke in burbles, undead pirates, and a lovely mermaid whose large breasts were bare all of the time; there were often shots that seemed shifted to properly include said anatomy into the frame whenever possible. In the end, the main character’s ancestral treasure was found, and it was all rather trite, but the journey had been more satisfying than the adventure.“That was a real damn good movie,” Stein said at the end of it.“Eythenkseh too.” Jorgen agreed.
“Eh.” Hans didn’t seem very glad about it, though you thought he would have liked it for obvious reasons. “The ending sucked. Everything was too rushed. Should have broken this into two like novels, they must have crammed a bunch of serials together…”“That’s surprising to hear from you,” Stein said, seeming offended for some reason, “Didn’t you like the mermaid?”“Stein. My friend and fellow man. Let me tell you, that once you have beheld and grasped Karla’s magnificent tits, it takes something special to make you look at any other set and forget what was in the past.”“Yeah, whatever,” Stein snapped irritably, “Enough of that shit. You didn’t like it, whatever.”“I liked the beginning and middle,” Hans protested, “The end was just…meh. Hey, Mal, what did you…oh, he’s napping. Wow/ Hey, blondie, at least I didn’t think so little of it I fell asleep.”After Malachi was shoved awake with a snort, you left the theater. Everybody was quite hungry, since you were all well acquainted with the knowledge that the theater’s own food, as Anya put it, was like ”beef but somebody fucked up and got cow shit rather than any part of the goddamn cow.” Though as Hans insisted that you had picked where to go first, meaning they (or rather, he,) got to pick where to eat, you thought about what you’d get Maddalyn…>A big bag of candy. What was wrong with that? It would be easy to find here, and you knew Maddalyn liked sweet things…>Just because she was blind didn’t mean she didn’t need to wear pretty things. Though you’d have to go to a bigger city to find a proper jewelry shop.>Maybe she would like a trinket from one of the wandering mystics? They tended to deal with the spiritual, even if they didn’t actually know as much as they thought.>Other?
>>3499454>>Maybe she would like a trinket from one of the wandering mystics? They tended to deal with the spiritual, even if they didn’t actually know as much as they thought.Might be fun to find, and is preferable to continue to be accused of being a pedophile.
>>3499454>Maybe she would like a trinket from one of the wandering mystics? They tended to deal with the spiritual, even if they didn’t actually know as much as they thought.Maybe they sell silver bullets to kill Soulbinders as well. I bet the full moon is soon ...
Theory first:Maddy is infertile for some reason.Then:>A big bag of candy. What was wrong with that? It would be easy to find here, and you knew Maddalyn liked sweet things…It will remind her the good time we had together. Jewel are useless stones and I don't think she want to think about mystical things and feel like a tool to us.Sweet things it is.Then, I have a plan for next night, I was a little to late to expose it so maybe I can mitigate a bit our lack of preparation.First, we need an emergency supply of oil. Whatever happen, we need to be able to move fast. We can use our "influence points" to get it, either from the village or Kamienisty.Enough oil to have all trucks and tanks run for a night. Whatever happen, we will win back our investment in influence points, so we need this fuel.Second, we will need to deploy a crisis room. If we don't have enough radio (or if they are too weak to emit from all sensible target to the Railhead), landline will be enough. But we need a failsafe, so I want a flare gun with green, yellow and red flares to be distributed to all those places. If we have enough supplies, a green flare every 30 minutes. Yellow flares if something suspect is happening, red flares if there is an attack (and need for reinforcement). It should at least be really impressive for anyone wanting to attack and let us react quickly. From what I understand of the topography, every potential target are at 20 minutes max with trucks from our positions. The party stay a priority. UGZ-07 is second on the list, then the rest.The idea is too always have a good reserve ready to move quickly gun blazing with tanks and trucks to cockblock anyone before they can do substantial damages and be ready to move again as quickly as possible so we always have a some reserve. I assume we have enough trucks to move at least half of our forces but I might be wrong. Best thing would be to have this mobile reserve to be Ellowian so we elude partially the risk of prepared ambush.Upboat if you agree.
>>3499603>UGZ-07Fuck, I meant UGZ-09, who care about UGZ-07, they can all die from what we should care. If they need us during the night, we should just refuse on the basis that we have good intel indicating a potential attack on the high protector and our own positions.
>>3499454>>Maybe she would like a trinket from one of the wandering mystics? They tended to deal with the spiritual, even if they didn’t actually know as much as they thought.
>>3499603Sure sounds fine to me>>3499454>Maybe she would like a trinket from one of the wandering mystics? They tended to deal with the spiritual, even if they didn’t actually know as much as they thought.
>>3499454>OtherAttempt to capture the smallest living stone we can find and send it back in a cage. Maddy likes her pet mice well enough, why not a magical snibber?Failing that, >Maybe she would like a trinket from one of the wandering mystics? They tended to deal with the spiritual, even if they didn’t actually know as much as they thought.
>>3499603Eh couple of issues with this one. First is that from the way it's been described so far I doubt getting an emergency supply of fuel is that easy or even possible to get. Secondly I'm pretty sure our company doesn't have any motorized transport for troops besides the staff car; otherwise we wouldn't have to walk into town. Agree with you that Maddy is probably infertile as of now though.
>>3499687In case we don't had enough truck I had plans for "borrowing" some :^)And for the fuel case, I remember that the village had some, we can use our point to get what they have left?Tanqqqq need to confirm though.
>>3499454>A big bag of candy. What was wrong with that? It would be easy to find here, and you knew Maddalyn liked sweet things…
>>3499454Shiiiiit was not expecting that reaction from her...>>3499603Having all these things would be nice, but I think it would be better to have just enough emergency supplies for the Strossvalders to be able to bug out if this shirt ever goes south. I doubt we have the resources at the moment to implement this.
>>3500357How?Maddy never reacted well to lewdness.Kisses and Hugs and ear licking?Yes.Lewd taunts and butt grabs?No.It would have been fine if we were more romantic with it rather than joking and crude. Hopefully our next letter and the gift will rectify this.
>>3500662Probably has to do with the fact that procreation is involved in the latter. Plus her huge self confidence issues.
>>3500662Yeah I'm sure a crab will help.
Well now that most of the day's gone it's time to write...tomorrow. I can start tonight but it probably won't come out til tomorrow.>>3499472>>3499558>>3499648>>3499654>>3499674Mystical geegaw of some sort. It's interesting, weird, cultural!>>3499603>>3499758Big bag of sweets. Hey, you know what she likes, damn the critics. It's not your fault she has juvenile tastes.>>3499677A...crab.Well, I guess it's a better idea than other sorts of crabs?Of course, there's also the matter of this plan here->>3499603>First, we need an emergency supply of oil. Whatever happen, we need to be able to move fast. We can use our "influence points" to get it, either from the village or Kamienisty.>Enough oil to have all trucks and tanks run for a night. Whatever happen, we will win back our investment in influence points, so we need this fuel.You want to use your RP to get fuel? That's doable, though considering the shortages and treaty obligations, it probably won't be cheap. I'll put it up for a vote when the time comes- the way fuel works is that each point is operations for a tank on a "mission-" keep in mind you only have crew for three tanks, and two commanders- the two other ones are escorting each other to a social.You may have another tank commander hiding somewhere in the ranks.>Second, we will need to deploy a crisis room+etcAh. This one's a bit more complicated. Not the crisis room and outposts; field telephones and cable is pretty standard, as are flare pistols, but if you want quick reaction forces, it should be noted that the 5th Battalion is a foot unit, with their internal logistics being horse drawn at heaviest- the Netillian Army hasn't fully mechanized, and it's not close to doing so either. It's not impossible to get trucks on short notice, but it is expensive- though less so if you only want them for a couple days.Though I am curious as to where and how it was planned to "borrow" some as listed here >3499749Summarized, yes, you can spend RP to get fuel and limited transport capability you wouldn't otherwise have- though whether it'll be worth the investment is a question to be answered when the particulars of this action are voted on.As far as the question of Maddalyn being infertile, one would question how she could know such considering that she is a virgin...She is definitely female. Richter's shoved his head in between her legs, he'd know if that was in question.
>>3502568>You may have another tank commander hiding somewhere in the ranks.Do we have the crew for it though that we can scour from the Ellowians? Don't mind using Wielzci as a tanker if we're sending the Ellowians out in future but it'll probably have to wait until the fuel situation improves.
>>3502568>As far as the question of Maddalyn being infertile, one would question how she could know such considering that she is a virgin...von Blum has been fucking his daughter for years but after all the soul binder autism she's done she won't get pregnant. Am I right tanq?
>>3502712>Do we have the crew for it though that we can scour from the Ellowians?It's a possibility; you haven't investigated yet.>>3502819I'm pretty sure incest still counts in regards to whether or not one is a virgin.
>>3502989One more thing: when exactly will the 20mm tank be fixed?
>>3502819>von Blum has been fucking his daughter for yearsHe hates Maddy too much to fuck her, if anything he's fucking Mathilda.
>>3503000It's a hate fuck
>>3502994Next in setting week- so soon.
>>3502568Train station must have a lot of truck that can be temporarly requisitionned.The village under our protection too. Cars and utilitary truck are enough to move infantry.Worse case scenario, stealing from another regiment.Maybe we can have infantry do some tank desant drills as our tanks looks quite flat (I'm sure we can put a regiment on the mudguard).>Maddy infertileDid we remember her having menstruation?
>>3503327>Did we remember her having menstruation?You haven't investigated such. The personal hygiene affairs of others hasn't exactly been an object of fascination for Richter, as would be understandable.
>von Blum has been fucking his daughter for years>Did we remember her having menstruation?Shame on all of you who scoffed at my pet crab suggestion
>>3503327DESU the resource cost going into this plan seems like it's going to be way more than the benefit we get out of it.
>>3503419Well, I'm kind of gambling on this.I think we'll win way more influence by saving the High protector/area from uprising than what we won until then by fighting some freedom fighters in a forest and setting a twaryan outpost ablaze.
>>3503464Saving the High Protector yes, but we shouldn't need all this stuff for that. On the other hand watching two of their precious colonies and a UGZ getting razed to the ground should scare the shit out of High Command way more than if we bother to save them. Which also means us and the UGZ will probably get more resources anyway. Also I'd rather spend the RP we have on permanent improvements for our guys rather than what basically going to be a one-use purchase especially when our company is under-equipped already.
>>3502568How's the progress going
>>3503513I'm being taken out to lunch soon; I'll have one out soon after I get back from that. Sorry for the delay, again.
>>3503543No problem.
“Hey,” you wondered to Stein, “Do you think a Living Stone would be a good pet?”Stein made a baffled face at you. “Toebiters? Good pets? They’re ugly as hell and taste bad. Ever since I found out about those giant mountain ones, I can’t look at one without getting creeped out. Who’d ever want one of those?”…You supposed your tastes were different from the norm. “There’s always wandering mystics roving about places, yes? Surely they’d have something neat to give. I know her interests certainly intersect with the occult…you know a lot about those sort of things, right? Tell me about them.”“Oh!” Stein got excited, “O-of course! There’s all sorts-““Oh, may the Judge not deem that punishment for our sins,” Hans interrupted rudely, “Come on, boss. Let’s go get grub first, if you have him start talking about that crap he’ll not stop ‘til sun up.”“Better than talking about my sister through the night.”The conversation was interrupted as Jorgen picked up Hans by the back of his collar and started dragging him out of the film room. Both you and Stein were motivated to not suffer any similar treatment from the advancing mountain man coming from the same direction.-----Rondo Von Metzeler struggled to think of a place to take Yva when he met with her; the UGZ was lacking in parks or cafes or the like; the most isolated places were alleys, and taking a woman into one usually meant services were being exchanged that he wished not to imply with the bespectacled, harmless looking lady. A large share of time was spent with them merely looking for some place that it wouldn’t be unpleasant to spend an extended amount of time in.Yva didn’t seem to mind, no matter how it bothered the noble scion. She was content to speak as they walked.“How much do you know of the eastern continent?” she asked.“Caelus?” Von Metzeler said as he peered into a hopeful door, and came away disappointed with its contents. “I know of the Federation. I know our ancestors of Nauk Imperial hailed from there. Beyond that, I know naught that any others would.”“It was not always called Caelus.” Yva said, “Once, it was Haegristraga, as this land is Vinstraga. Few know it by its elder name anymore, though. The people whom Nauk Imperial descended from on their original home have long been eclipsed by their rivals, and they have adopted the ways of those who bested them in battle and trade.”“Battle and trade are the two things I hear most about Caelus,” Von Metzeler noted solemnly, “One oft related to the other. Even though the Federation purports itself to be many countries in one, its leader that gives it its name maintains authority through webs of intimidation. It is little wonder that Sosalia fears their influence; especially with how fresh its unveiling was.”
“It is a sad state of affairs,” Yva agreed quietly. “It is more like here than they would claim. People quite alike one another, who cannot stop fighting. Their differences outweigh their similarities. Of course, I am not ignorant of why such takes priority. Conflict, war, conquest, they do not happen simply because of our brutish whims. Centuries of history preclude all battle, some, perhaps millennia.”“And that cannot be cast aside.”“You have done your best to, have you not?” Yva leaned forward and looked in Rondo’s face.“Come again?”“You carry your own sword rather than your family’s. You think nothing of their status and prestige, and wish to see justice done for their crimes.”“…I have thought about what you said earlier, and it relates to that.” Von Metzeler thumbed the hilt of his sword pensively, “In a way, even though some could say I am driven to spite my family, they made me who I am, in a way. They would certainly rather have me as a willing ally in their schemes, as well; would going along with such be a worthwhile exchange for my war with them to never occur?”Yva looked thoughtfully into the sky, thinking, her brow furrowed. “…I suppose it is perfectly acceptable to not have answers for everything.”Von Metzeler noticed the woman’s contemplation turning to displeasure, so he thought of a diversion. “You spoke of Caelus, though, and its people. Without consideration for politics, what do you think of it? Have you been there? All of the rumors and apprehension in the world has difficulty quelling an explorer’s spirit.”“I have not been there, but I have spoken with those who hail from there.” Yva brightened up, as the subject was apparently one of interest to her. “They call it The Old World, and to be true, there is much more there that is ancient. Here, there is little to say there was anything beyond the Nauk Imperial, but in Caelus, the history stretches back so much further, and for all of the squabbling of the Federation’s peoples, they are fiercely proud of their ancient ancestors. Some places have been rebuilt as they were when they were new.”“Were it that my ancestors were ancient, or that I could be proud of them.” Von Metzeler sighed.“Perhaps you need neither. You are noble, yes? All history has much that happened in the past to produce today.” Yva stepped in front and faced him as they both stopped, with her head tilted to a side, “Perhaps you may be a monolith for your descendants to hold high in the days to come.”Von Metzeler’s mouth tilted up inscrutably. “You flatter me.”Yva noticed this, and she smiled as well, her eyes closing a bit. “Flattery must not be so terrible, then, for you to have that look. Perhaps I should do it more; this face suits you much more than the dour look you had so persistently earlier.”-----
Hans had dragged the lot of you to The Muddy Boot tavern- a ”place with character.” And characters. Said characters being a mob of penal soldiers- you anticipated getting into a fight as soon as you walked in the door, but this group was apparently from a different company than the usual UGZ garrison. A fight started anyways, but it didn’t involve you- which meant it was completely fine, so long as the chaos caused by the two angry men didn’t swerve over towards you and your group.“So there’s your basic charms, which come in all sorts,” Stein explained to you over a beer and a rubbery fried cutlet with pickled peppered onions and overcooked red potatoes, “Ones for luck, ones for love, fertility, safety…it’s the nature of the evil spirit being warded, see, but they also tend to be made of stuff that encourages certain energies.”Energies that were a load of phooey, you didn’t say. Instead, you chose more explorative words. “What would you say are the…pretty ones? I don’t want to send Maddalyn a rat skull or some of the other creepy things I’ve seen.”“Then you’re looking for something made of wood or stone. That’s easy enough. There’s also meditation stones, which have patterns on them that you rub to help calm yourself. Those are pretty interesting- some even have different pieces to stick together and combine for different states of mind.”A bottle whizzed by Malachi’s head and exploded on the floor behind your table. Barely anybody reacted, though the masked man mumbled something spiteful. The two penal soldiers having a disagreement were still at it; whatever problem they had with one another was giving them seemingly infinite reserves of energy.“There’s, uh, also something I think girls tend to like, is the stuff like incense with special burners, dried flowers, perfumes, that sort of thing. Those last ones don’t tend to be as expensive, I’ve heard is one reason.”“What sort of incense?” you asked, wary. “Blackflower?”“Huh? Nah, that stuff tends to be controlled. Other sorts of stuff. Mixes of stuff like pine and cinnamon. You’d have to find some well to do mystics for anything that’s particularly exotic.”>Charms sound nice. You’re thinking out of the variety…(what kind is preferable?)>Meditation stones? Strange, but perhaps Maddalyn would get more out of something made to be tactile.>Maddalyn wore perfume, you remembered. Maybe she’d appreciate something that she might like the smell of? (What sort of thing?)>Other things to look for?
>>3504118>>Maddalyn wore perfume, you remembered. Maybe she’d appreciate something that she might like the smell of? (What sort of thing?)Perfume or incense seems alright. Whatever herbal or flower scent.
>>3504139+1
>>3504118>>Charms sound nice. You’re thinking out of the variety...(Something for love and luck, she needs both from us.)
>>3504118>>Charms sound nice. You’re thinking out of the variety…(what kind is preferable?)Fertility idol.
>>3504173>>3504187Will she even be able to see the thing properly?
>>3504192I think it's just faces and glass she can't see/through.So she might not like a glass bead with something inside.
>>3504139Supporting
>>3504118>>Meditation stones? Strange, but perhaps Maddalyn would get more out of something made to be tactile.Maybe meditation will give her something to do outdoors and will help her calm herself instead of getting into brawls with her sister.
I return.>>3504139>>3504159>>3504211Perfume/incense, herbal or flower. Maybe a set?>>3504173>>3504187Love, luck, and babies. Though to reiterate on how her vision is, from how she says it, she sees things based off of the presence bouncing off of it. So she can see things like carvings or engravings and the like, but not things with not enough texture to them like prints and text and the like, she can't interpret. Same with faces because they basically spout presence.There's an exception with hand written, hand painted, the like, as the stuff will show up. Why? Maddalyn didn't say.>>3504270Meditation stones. Tentatively thinking it will stop her fighting with her sister, though Richter doesn't know anything about that!...What, do you not want her to defend your reputation?Smellz route is a go then. Writing.
The first consideration was a nice charm to hang around Maddy’s delicate little neck, but you weren’t sure if she would like it as much. What would she like..? You recalled she wore perfume, sweet smelling stuff, and since she was blind, you’d heard that they appreciated other senses more. Yes, that would probably be a better fit for her.“Perfume would be good,” you said to Stein, “Maybe I’ll see if I can get a whole mess of them. She’s rich, but that doesn’t mean I can’t spoil her, right?”“Well, I wouldn’t-“Ker-krrsssh!“Hey, assholes!” Hans shouted after a man was sent hurtling down from overhead and destroyed everything on your table, “Would one of you hurry up and die already before everybody in the place hates you?”“Gurrrghh,” the man who knocked over all the beer on the table and rolled over all your food groaned, rubbed his head, and scrambled off the table to begin his duel anew.“Hm.” You frowned at the destroyed meal that you had barely touched. “I don’t suppose we can get new food, can we?”“Wehbaedder,” Jorgen grumbled. He looked over at Malachi, and his empty plate. “…Whaendehd yeeat?” Malachi shrugged. You certainly hadn’t seen him eating here, though in the past, either his food mysteriously vanished or he immediately stashed it away to eat elsewhere. You still had never seen his face, and neither had anyone else in your unit. “Oi, keepae!” Jorgen got up and prepared to assail the barkeep with a slew of Old Nauk tainted speech, but Hans got up to speak for him. When he came back, Hans seemed disappointed. “Said to shake the cash out of those two. Or their boss. Good luck with the former, fuckin’ penals aren’t gonna have the dough to cough up. They’ve probably drunk all they had.” Penal soldiers did receive slashed pay, but it was held by the government. Most penal soldiers’ money that they carried was oft ill-gotten or personally procured.“Daentellpaen teef,” Jorgen declared, and he started to trudge towards the brawl, as Stein got up to try and hold him back…unsuccessfully.
Jorgen pulled the first man around by his shoulder and wound up his arm, before he smashed the penal soldier in his nose with a heavy fist, so hard that the man was sent flying backwards into another set of chairs. The other member of the fight stared blankly, seemingly unsure of what to do once his opponent had finally stayed down, but Jorgen’s rage was unquenched. When the other penal soldier received the same treatment, Jorgen came back and crashed heavily back into his chair.“Damnehtoll.” The Yaegir grumbled, “Nehddadrink.”“…I’ll cover it.” You said, looking back down to your destroyed meal, “Drinks all around. Same with food.”“…Really?” Hans blinked at you, “Oh, hell yeah. Let’s have a round on the commander!”Your decision was indeed popular- Jorgen’s bad mood disappeared, and the barkeep was of course glad for more patronage.…If you were going to splurge on this anyways, you figured, should you go all out..?>Why not? Get utterly drunk. Today would be one of few safe times to do it, no? Let loose for once.>Responsible drinking is a priority. You couldn’t lose your focus for any reason, even if little was at stake at the moment.>You could pay to reward the troops for their comradeship, but you’d be skipping out on staying at the bar. (Go somewhere else- where?)>Other?
>>3504701>>Responsible drinking is a priority. You couldn’t lose your focus for any reason, even if little was at stake at the moment.Something something duty, something something honor.
>>3504701>>Responsible drinking is a priority. You couldn’t lose your focus for any reason, even if little was at stake at the moment.We've got another letter to not mess up
>>3504701>>Responsible drinking is a priority. You couldn’t lose your focus for any reason, even if little was at stake at the moment.
>>3504701>Responsible drinking is a priority. You couldn’t lose your focus for any reason, even if little was at stake at the moment.
Awake now.>>3504751>>3504776>>3504788>>3504793>>3504962Never a BAC above 0.05%.Aight. Writing.
“Alright, boss, first thing’s first,” Hans went around and shoved everybody’s tankards before you, “You’re gonna need to drink all ‘a this.”You frowned at the five tall copper mugs, considering your preferred state of mind, and that while you were here, you wanted to finish your letter to your fiancée. Perhaps you should have come up with a good pet name for her, you’d thought of a few, but…you were indecisive about it. “I think not.” You shoved back every mug save yours.“Bahhhh,” Jorgen rolled his eyes and made a dismissive gesture, “Getteasteketfore etfaesters.”“Pronehgedwahnperrr,” Malachi…agreed, maybe?“You can drink all you like,” you defended yourself, “I’m just keeping my head clear.”“Y’know,” Hans said after draining half his mug in one pull, “Anya said that she didn’t think you’d ever gotten drunk in your life. Starting to think she’s right.”“You’re free to think that.” You certainly wouldn’t tell him to what degree it held truth.The crew got rowdier and rowdier as the evening went on, and it kept you from working on your letter with any efficiency when you had to turn down ever more insistent invitations to drink, sing, and even in one case from starting a fight with “thehtleeryeye baetchcross dehrr.” In between keeping fresh fights from breaking out, you struggled to write for a few other reasons- you couldn’t really get to a good section of it without being able to describe your gift for Maddalyn’s birthday- you supposed you could use vague terms like it being “a surprise.” Another troubling problem was that of your spotty memory. Certainly, it was doing alright in terms of history, battle, martial experiences, but when it came to this…you were having trouble remembering what Maddalyn’s face was like, and the more you thought about it, the more uncomfortable you became with the blank spot. You needed a photograph, a sketch, anything- but you weren’t in any position to get anything like that.Memories popping in and out of your head like that made you plenty wary of intoxication, too, when your thoughts turned to that subject. Your beer was untouched after. The most haunting part was that you never knew when or what would be forgotten, nor when it would spring back- so you had no idea if something was missing or not, or even what was gone sometimes. Something as basic as the color of Maddalyn’s eyes escaped you right then- even though you were sure that you couldn’t possibly forget something like that. You knew they could be black sometimes, but Maddalyn certainly didn’t like it when they were like that.
It helped to focus on more general things, perhaps to cast a wider net to nullify missing remembrances. For example, you knew, albeit not exactly certain from where, that Maddalyn stayed cooped up in her home a lot. Ellowie had a sort of idyllic, mystical appeal to its woods and hills, and some days, the wandering spirits only enhanced the look of it. Not everything was a creepy hooded stareling or a lurker in the dark, after all. Little things that looked like snowflakes sometimes floated in the air, and the long, kitelike creatures streaming in the sky in the evenings glowed pretty, pearlescent white as they streaked for the mountains. Yes, it was much more productive to write on the present, and the sights and sounds of it…no, perhaps it was better to speak on the feeling of it. Much of what you appreciated was what your eyes beheld, so it took some effort to translate that to appeal to a lady who could not see as you did.…That was rather sad, wasn’t it, you thought, pausing. That you couldn’t point to something beautiful and have her sight see the same thing you did. Surely there is some sorcerous cure for such? Soulbinders near seem as though they can do anything… A dangerous thought. Yet one that you would understand being tempted by…“You’re lookin’ down, boss,” Hans leaned over onto you, “Ready to quit bein’ sober?”You checked your pocket watch. Nine o’clock. Where had the time gone? “No, it’s high time we went back.”“Back at nine? Hans said with disbelief, as he looked at your watch. “C’mon…”You would not be swayed, however- perhaps such was a perk of being so uptight.-----Linking back up with Krause was easy enough- though he had not been as responsible as you, so your group and his formed nine stumbling drunks and one alert, if slightly tired officer. Plenty wary of the risks of traveling at night in this sort of territory, you convinced a Blue Knights patrol to stay out a bit later to escort you and your people back. You thought it would be a long shot at first, but your chances improved immensely when the commander of the two-car patrol recognized you as “The Kommandant.” So your infamous stint in Sosalia bore some profit even here, apparently. Then the less positive aspect.“Is it true that your wife is thirteen years old? I’ve heard that’s allowed in Strossvald.” The car commander asked.You gave him a dull, tired stare.“Hey, I’m not judging. If it’s fine in the Archduchy, then, I mean…”“Let’s…just go.” you said.
Your toll for the escort back was speaking with him, of course, as his other commander kept a proper watch on the road and one of his crew kept an eye on your intoxicated men walking beside the cars in the dark; it was a cloudy night, so it was unnervingly dark. You were glad you had a pair of bulletproof gun wagons with you in this environment. Aspects of your story were hard to explain to a Netillian with little knowledge of your home. He didn’t know what a Von Blum was, as you tried to clear up that Maddalyn would be…would be…“Look, man, if she’s really thirteen, you have to look on the bright side. Like…I mean, she’ll be young for longer?”“She’s older than I am,” you managed to correct your hesitation on her age. Damn it all, he’d never believe that you were having things fall out of your head. Dates. Dates. Maddalyn’s mother in that fancy magazine for showing off nobility proud of their catches (and independently minded exhibitionists, you supposed)- the end of the Emrean Liberation had been…a year later? “She’s twenty three years old. Twenty four soon.”“Sure she is.” The commander said from the hatch of his slowly rolling car, “…Alright, fine, I admit I haven’t heard much about what she looks like. How about you tell me what she looks like?”…Well, you supposed this might force your memories to reconstitute themselves…>Dodge the question. Say that the Von Blums are famed enough that it shouldn’t be that hard to ask somebody else and find out.>Admit that you can understand the confusion. She does look…young. (But would you defend that or try and brush it off?)>Your wife is beautiful and you will not hear this slander. Describe her in ways to make her maturity stand out (How?)>Other?
>>3505352>>Admit that you can understand the confusion. She does look…young. (But would you defend that or try and brush it off?)She's just short for her age is all
>>3505352>>Admit that you can understand the confusion. She does look…young.(brush it off)We don't get to choose the appearance we're born with after all.
>>3505352>>>Admit that you can understand the confusion. She does look…young. (But would you defend that or try and brush it off?)It's not her fault though. Just unlucky in the genetic lottery.
>>3505354supporting
>>3505352>Your wife is beautiful and you will not hear this slander. Describe her in ways to make her maturity stand out (How?)
>>3504701>You could pay to reward the troops for their comradeship, but you’d be skipping out on staying at the bar.
>>3505352>>Admit that you can understand the confusion. She does look…young. (But would you defend that or try and brush it off?)But she's got it where it counts.Dat ass tho.Besides Richter hasn't seemed to be much of a breast man considering the company he currently keeps.
>>3505352>>Admit that you can understand the confusion. She does look…young. (But would you defend that or try and brush it off?)What man wouldn't prefer their wife to have a perpetually youthful, nubile, taught body? I'm sure there are plenty of wrinkled old hags to be chosen from if that was what we wanted instead.
I am back from healer boot camp.>>3505354>>3505356>>3505369>>3505378>>3505543>>3505586Various defenses and justifications for having a runt fiancee.>>3505450Insist that she is a lovely creature not to be insulted. How?...uh...>>3505495Regret staying in the bar.Writing.
“Well, it’s not like I can’t understand the confusion,” you led off, but before the mistake you made could fester, you added, “She’s just short. It’s not like it’s her fault she looks the way she does, she just got unlucky. Or lucky, really. What man wouldn’t prefer a wife with perpetual youth, after all? Besides, she has it where it counts…” Your barrage of justifications didn’t seem to sway the car commander. “Ehh. Perpetual youth? She’s full grown like that?...no chest?”“It’s made up for.” You repeated.“Ah. The caboose is..?”“Flawless.” You said with utmost sincerity. It was absolutely certain. Though whether that was a good thing or not…you could recall it so clearly, perhaps, because of how many times you’d gone to feel it. Which was whenever possible. Maddalyn didn’t like it much, but it was a sin to let her bottom go untouched. She simply wasn’t cognizant of her blessings. “It’s tight. It’s springy. Round as a perfect pearl. Soft as silk if you brush your fingers across it, firm as a ham if you grip it hard. It’s a miracle in flesh.”“You sound like you miss her.”“I do.” Salacious comments about her rear end aside, you thought everything could be easily summed in such a statement.“How long ‘til you see her again? You sound like you’ll gobble her up whole next you lay eyes on her.”That made you grimace, thinking of your earlier, crude letter. It was a good question, though. “I don’t know. It might be weeks, it might be months. It depends on how long my mission here lasts.”“Here’s hopin’ it’s short as can be, then”“Mm.” The fellow armor officer may have been trying to be sympathetic, but you couldn’t help but think that the Netillian wouldn’t feel the same way if he knew that a quick end to your mission would likely mean catastrophe for his country, if not war…-----
Upon being returned safely to your camp and bidding farewell to the Blue Knights patrol, the troops left immediately for their bunks, but you went to meet with Von Metzeler- who you had wagered had returned by then, since you would have had problems if he hadn’t. Thankfully, he was present.“So, how was your time out?” you asked.“Frustrating.” Von Metzeler told you, “Unproductive. Yet not all bad. I went looking for something and couldn’t find it, but the wandering about had its own fulfillment to it. What about you and Krause? The Sergeant said you had left with him, as well as your crews. She was rather annoyed about such, too.”Anya wasn’t fond of being left behind by herself, especially if she thought that the reason for it was to dump clerical duties on her, but she was too responsible to leave if she had been designated as being left “in charge.” Maybe it was a habit your uncle had put on her, since it didn’t seem something that she’d be restricted by normally. Though truth be told, even if she had left the camp tonight with no leadership in it, that would have been just fine. “It went well. We saw a couple of mediocre films. As for Anya, I’m sure she’ll survive. She’s going to a fancy party this weekend anyways.”“I would not think she would be fond of formal socials.” Von Metzeler said.To that you shrugged your shoulders and raised your palms up. “She’s willing enough to do this.”“Probably to demand something in exchange.”“So be it then.” You accepted that possibility when you had asked this of her. “Her desires aren’t that complex. She’s made no secret of what she wants, and heavy weaponry is for once rather simple to get in my position.” Anya’s crush was the Munitions Caster- something that had remained out of her reach, taunting her in the hands of more elite unites on the rare times they came around your territory.“On the subject of her and the social,” Von Metzeler went on, “Krause and I spoke of a conversation he had with the two of you. He implied that neither of you wished to dance.”“…Yes, and?”“You are expected to dance with a partner, even if it is platonic or familial.” Von Metzeler said as though explaining to somebody much younger, or similarly ignorant. “You will appear stranger if you do not than you will if you do it incompetently. If you fear the latter, I can offer to teach you and her how. Appearances are everything at a social, after all.”>If it looks strange, that’s not my problem. If she doesn’t want to, then we won’t. I doubt anybody I want to know better would care.>I would enthusiastically accept your instruction. When can we start?>I intend to dance. But I have a funny idea. To spring it upon her in the moment. She’s never been to one of these, I think it would be entertaining to catch her off guard with this.>Other?
>>3506076>I would enthusiastically accept your instruction. When can we start?
>>3506076>I would enthusiastically accept your instruction. When can we start?I love learning
>>3506076>>I would enthusiastically accept your instruction. When can we start?
>>3506076>I would enthusiastically accept your instruction. When can we start?She'd just punch us if we surprised her with it at the party.
>>3506082>>3506089>>3506140>>3506149>>3506157>>3506171Von Metzeler, I must learn to dance!I suppose this was a bit an obvious one, then. Writing.
“I would enthusiastically accept your instruction,” you felt a sly idea coming on, “When can we start?”“There is still time left in the night. We can start immediately.”“Good.” You rubbed your hands together, “Let’s go get Anya, then.”Anya had her feet kicked up in the office tent, and she gave you and Von Metzeler a mean look as you came in. “You boys finished on your dates, then?” She grumbled, “God. I feel more like a secretary than a goddamn mercenary sometimes.”“If you were less capable at clerical duties, perhaps you would stop being assigned them.” Von Metzeler suggested, which Anya sneered at.“What, and do a job improperly? If I wanted to look stupid pretending to be bad at something, I’d get into drinking contests.”“What if you wanted to look stupid due to being bad at something?” You asked, trying to lead into something.“Then I’d join one of your Netillian platoons.”…Thankfully not a jab at you. “How about dancing?”Anya’s grimace turned into a snarl. “I don’t dance, I thought we went over this.”“You will have to.” Von Metzeler said curtly. “Worry not, it is very simple to learn basic steps. Stand so my instruction to the both of you can begin.”Anya didn’t budge at first. “What in the hell makes you think- wait. Richter doesn’t know how to dance? Really?”“Yes.” Von Metzeler answered for you, which for whatever reason, motivated Anya.“Then I’m sure to be better at this than he is!” Anya declared, tossing her jacket off her shoulders and crossing her legs to tilt the chair back forward so she could get on her feet, walk around, and stand before you. “So what’s first?”Von Metzeler seemed to be as taken off guard as you to this sudden enthusiasm. “Dancing is hardly a contest between a pair. Anyways. Richter, put your hand on Miss Nowicki’s back, your arm under her’s, hand on her shoulder blade.”You clasped a hand to Anya’s back; her skin was cool, and your fingers brushed up against the heavy fabric of her top.“…And Miss Nowicki, your hand to his shoulder.” Von Metzeler continued. “Good. Now clasp your other hands together.”“Oh, I can’t!” Anya made a show of putting her hand to her face and looking away, “Something so nasty and lewd, I’ll be ruined for marriage!”Neither of the other parties found it funny, and you took her hand in yours.
“Next…” Von Metzeler cleared his throat. “Miss Nowicki. You cannot slouch. The Lieutenant is already a fair bit taller than you are, straighten your back and neck.”“I’m thinking of a few ways I’d like to straighten my neck out right now…” She released your hand, made a symbolic tying of a rope about herself, and then yanked up with the invisible cord while sticking her tongue out and crossing her eyes. “Gack!”“Heh.”Von Metzeler seemed to get more annoyed with you chuckling at that than Anya making the performance. “When you two are ready to continue, please say so.” You and Anya stared at him. “Fine. Now…” He moved by you and adjusted your stance. “Keep your legs parallel to one another. You don’t want to be tripping over each other. Now, practice stepping forward, to the right, backwards, then to the left, and then forwards…so on and so forth. Like a square.”A few awkward steps were taken. On your third revolution, though, Anya adjusted her grip on her shoulder and stuck her foot between yours; you tripped over and fell into the dirt with a grunt.Anya was irritatingly smug about it. “Man, why’d you do that? You’d better apply yourself when we do this for real.”You grumbled an angry, incoherent mumbling, and picked yourself up while brushing yourself off- and you began again.“Lieutenant,” you asked, “Is it traditional to include some ballet form into this?”“What? What in the world are you talking about?” Von Metzeler didn’t get it yet, but he would soon.“…Hey, wait, what’re you doing?” Anya demanded as you released her hand, put your other hand under her other arm, and lifted her into the air. “Hey, what-“ Then you threw her up and backwards. “What’re y-Ackfff!! Anya cried out as you raised her into the air, perpendicular with the ground, and dropped her. She smacked into the dirt at your feet with a stifled grunt.“Oops.” You said, feeling very satisfied with your counter.“If you two would cease flirting with one another,” Von Metzeler’s temper was growing shorter, “Or at least try to do it through a socially presentable way of doing it.”“Know what? Fine. I should have seen that coming.” Anya pushed herself up. “Fine, whatever. Let’s get on with this before Grumpus blows a gasket.”Von Metzeler waited coldly for you to practice some more, until he interrupted. “That’s enough. Now, often, in a dance, pairs must move around the floor. Thusly, you cannot remain in your little box. Try moving, and more smoothly. You should have a decent idea of each other’s movements now.” Neither of you got up to any mischief, though Anya was making a funny twist with her mouth as she looked over your shoulder.
“Good.” Von Metzeler said, “Stop. Now, sometimes, you might have to move differently, maybe to mix it up, maybe to make way for another pair. Thusly, you may have to move forward or backwards multiple times instead of making your movements circular. Other times, you may have to move diagonally, rather than in the square, whether or not you are stiffly adhering to a square. Go on and move from one end of this tent to the other without turning, and then go back, so both of you feel comfortable with extended movement forward and backwards.”You took the initiative in this, and started pushing Anya back in dance steps, her back towards the other side of the tent; you felt her stiffening in her steps, hesitating, but as you reached the other side, you took her around in a circle, then pulled her along. You went back the other way, when suddenly…you weren’t sure how far the other end was. Anya would probably think it would be pretty funny to push you into the side of the tent…and your steps suddenly became small.Anya didn’t account for this and smashed into your chest with a small oof. “What the hell are you doing?” She demanded, “…Hey, it’s just a few steps more. Trust me, alright?”…“Alright.”So you did. After a few steps, Anya pulled back, to suggest that you should move with her, and you both began your journey back to the center.“No circle for me?” you asked.“…I screwed up and cut it too close.” Anya admitted with a hint of frustration. “We would have hit the wall if I tried the same thing.”“Nobody said you had to do it at the wall.”Anya thought about that for a moment, and then took your implied advice, as you ended with a round right next to Von Metzeler.“Interesting,” he observed in a self-satisfied way, “When you two aren’t trying to beat the dust out of one another, you make rather decent dance partners.”“Hmph.” Anya grunted. “You said there was one more thing?”“Stepwise. Then there are a few turns.”“Alright. Get it over with.” Anya said.“Are you not enjoying yourself?” Von Metzeler taunted.Anya rolled her eyes.“Anyways. This is another step to move about the floor. Sometimes, dances of groups are larger movements, as though pairs are pairs of one another. So such requires you know the ways to move. This is like to combine forwards and sideways movement- you move diagonally. Thusly, instead of having four axes of movement, you have eight. Try it.”You and Anya were better used to each other’s movements by now; though you both stumbled a bit when changing directions. It was quite easy though, now, to complete the instructed task.
“Now turnarounds. For when you must change direction, or for the fun of it.” Von Metzeler said. “Miss Nowicki, the Lieutenant will raise the arm holding your hand, while letting go of your back. When he does this, pass under his arm, then reassume your position. Try it.”You carefully raised Anya’s arm, though not too much, and she uncertainly passed beside you; since your hands were intertwined, you naturally turned with her.“Now, do so again, but this time, Lieutenant,” Von Metzeler twirled his finger, “Move as well, so that you both turn in a circle, like a carousel, like you are spokes of a wheel.”As you and Anya twirled about, you noticed that her expression was one of puzzlement- a shallow frown and cocked eyebrows, the expression like a youth would have when standing at the edge of a wood that promised adventure should they wander in. The face of uneasily trying something new. You knew the feeling of that face well- perhaps, you might have worn it now.“Lastly, the flourish,” Von Metzeler said with a sigh, “Lieutenant, raise your arm like you are going to turn the both of you around, but, Miss Nowicki, turn in place. Yes, like that. With that, that’s a decent start. Practice it tomorrow, and then the morning after that, and you should be in decent enough shape to not make fools of yourself come Langenachtfest.” He looked to Anya, “Save for one matter. Your hair.”“What about my hair?” Anya demanded, releasing you, “What’s wrong with it?”“It is an unruly mess.” Von Metzeler said, unflinching. “It should be tied back, perhaps braided, maybe done in side tails. Even a good brushing and a decoration will be fine.”“Ain’t nothing wrong with how I look,” Anya said defensively, “Next you’ll be saying I oughta cover up my scar, and that ain’t happening.”>Agree- it was probably quite taxing enough to get Anya into a dress, let alone anything further. It's just fine the way it is.>Insist on a hair decoration; a hairband, a ribbon, a barrette- it wouldn’t be much trouble. >Ask that Anya do her hair a certain way- you’ll make it up to her later.>Other?Hair dressing is very important
>>3506443>>Insist on a hair decoration; a hairband, a ribbon, a barrette- it wouldn’t be much trouble.
>>3506443>Ask that Anya do her hair a certain way- you’ll make it up to her later.What the actual hair style is is up to her Ponytail but if she does it then if anything it would make her scar stand out more defiantly to the fops at the party. If she wants to show off her battle history and take the wind out of their sails, it'd also be a good way to accentuate her face.
>>3506443>>Ask that Anya do her hair a certain way- you’ll make it up to her later.Her hair is fine for the roles she has been in until now, but different circumstances require different hairstyles. If nothing else we know Anya is good at adapting to her circumstances as necessary. Certainly she can manage some pretty braids and a ribbon or two for just one night.
>>3506443>Insist on a hair decoration; a hairband, a ribbon, a barrette- it wouldn’t be much trouble.
>>3506449Supporting
I slept in late and have a game going on today, so an update today may be quite late, or I might not get one out at all, in which case I apologize.For now though, I'm seeing the general course of action to be to insist on a hair decoration- she can do what she wants with her hair.Though really I was thinking there would be preference on what sort of hair decoration, though it's fine if there isn't one. It makes it easier for me to draw out her look later.
Things are in motion now.Update soon, sorry for wait.
The thought of attacking Anya’s hair with a brush was funny to you, though you weren’t sure if her fluffy mop could be tamed with but a brush. “Do something with it,” you insisted, “It’s been fine for now, but this is a different tactical scenario. Different situations require different arrangements. You’ve been very adaptable, haven’t you? It’ll only be for a day or so.”“Tactical scenario,” Anya scoffed.“Maybe a hair decoration, too. A hairband, a ribbon, a barrette…”“You’re sounding like you’re about to dress me up like a doll,” Anya grumbled.“That may be the case soon,” Von Metzeler said, “There is a certain lack of direction. Do either of you have preferences?” Von Metzeler paused, “Rather, Von Tracht, do you have a preference, since I am sure I can tell what Miss Nowicki’s is.”“Hm.” You put your hand forward and pushed Anya’s bangs above her forehead.“Hey!” she recoiled, “What’re you doing?”“A ponytail would work.” You said.“Her eyebrows need plucking.” Von Metzeler said.“Nothing’s gonna be done to my eyebrows!” Anya backed away from the both of you, “If anybody’s gonna be picking how my hair looks, it’ll be me!”“Braids, perhaps.” Von Metzler ignored the blonde’s protests, “Miss Nowicki, do you know how to braid your hair?”“Uh.” Anya coughed, crossed her arms, and looked down. “No. So what? Don’t need t’ braid nothin’…”“If we have nobody who knows how to braid hair, then we are at an impasse, unless there is a hairdresser.” Von Metzeler said, “And not simply a barber. Though her ends need to be evened up as well.”“Whatever.” Anya huffed, puffing her cheeks up and crossing her arms tighter against herself.
Perhaps another angle would have been appreciated. “I have an idea. Anya, that scar across your face. It’s very distinctive. And!” you added before she could open her mouth to preempt you, “I agree, it looks good- I mean, you should be proud of it. But if we get your hair out of your face, it’ll stand out better. It’ll look really impressive to all the poofs that’ll be there. What do you think of that?”That gave Anya time to think and ponder, and she screwed up her face even harder as she presumably battled between being stubborn and glorifying her battle wounds. “…Fine, alright. I’ll try it.”“Good. Sit down for a moment, won’t you?” you asked of Anya, and she acquiesced by yanking a chair from by a desk and collapsing into it. You bundled her hair behind her head and contemplated it. “Do either of you have a cord or something like that?” One was procured, and you tied Anya’s hair back. It was messy and loose, but already…there was substantial improvement. In your eyes, at least. “It’ll still need brushing.” Your second in command said. “Perhaps we can find one-““I have a hairbrush,” Anya bristled, “It’s not like I just roll around in the dirt like a pig.”“You should also eat little tomorrow, and nothing the next day until the party,” Von Metzeler added, “Because-““Oh, fuck that!” Anya snapped, “Eat little. Eat nothing. Bah! Do I look like I need to cut anything to you?” She motioned to her stomach. Her sleek, toned, smo-ahem. “It is customary,” Von Metzeler explained tiredly, “I am merely sharing my knowledge. I am not so brazen as to try and control your diet. You would like find some wildlife to eat whole when I was not looking. In any case, it is probably late enough. Perhaps come morning, you should practice dance rather than beat each other up. I know not what your dress is like, Miss Nowicki, but no lady…well, female, fashion, is accentuated well by bruises.”Anya thumbed her nose at Von Metzeler as he yawned and left the tent.-----
The next day began with a flurry of dispatches. Teams were extracted from each of the Netillian platoons, consisting of three volunteers each, to man outposts at the two towns under threat. Field telephone cable was wheeled out from a central dispatch point in your base camp, and though the marching out and laying it took quite some time, your troops being out in force made it quite safe, if plenty visible to anybody paying attention. You had to hope nobody who knew what the cables were would come out and cut them…though if they were cut, then you knew plenty well what that meant.Each of the outposts were give flare guns and different colors of flares. Should field telephone communication be compromised, you had told the teams and the leadership, flares should be sent up at intervals of half an hour. Why have all this preparation? Why, because the party going on was quite a distracting factor to local security. Even if a strike didn’t happen there, it could happen elsewhere quite easily. One couldn’t be too careful in these extraordinary circumstances. While all this was being done and you had little to oversee, Anya came calling into the office tent.“I bugged the kids,” she said, “Had to keep them from jumping through the trees. They got big news from an NLF guy who a few of them have been bothering. ‘Cause I asked them to. They blabbed to the guy about how big the Ashes are. That’s a bad fuckup on their part, but it got us something in exchange. There’s a tunnel that goes into UGZ-07. He didn’t say where, but he offered to show them it and let them in; because he said, they needed help raising hell in a day. That’s definitely proof of an uprising on the party day. I doubt they’re still funneling much through that; if I were them, if they’re telling local groups, that means they’ve already got their own people in and just want backup.”“I see.” You nodded, thinking about your courses of action. “So they’ll definitely only want a bunch of the Ashes to come to their tunnel. They won’t, say, want you.”“Not yet. Kids didn’t screw up that bad, thank the fuckin’ Judge Above.” She jerked her thumb outside, “Anyways. C’mon. We can talk about this more as we practice. Don’t have to go through too rough a routine this time, but if you let up on sparring your gears’ll start rusting.”>Sparring? Alright. Not too rough, so we can talk.>We need to practice dancing, I thought. That should be better suited for conversation.>How about something else? Do you know of any war games? With paper soldiers? I’d rather that instead.>Other?
>>3508267>>Sparring? Alright. Not too rough, so we can talk.
>>3508267>Sparring? Alright. Not too rough, so we can talk.
>>3508267>Sparring? Alright. Not too rough, so we can talk.>Other?Gotta practice dancing at some point though. Best way to show up Choir Boy.Also we really shouldn't let the kids participate, they will get killed. Maybe we can give them a soft and worthless target for them to blow up or vandalize.
>>3508268>>3508282>>3508285>>3508325Sparring time!...Gently.Also child soldiers are no no.Writing
>>3508267>We need to practice dancing, I thought. That should be better suited for conversation.
“Sparring? Alright.” You stood, “Not too rough, though, so we can talk.”“Don’t worry, I’m not gonna bruise your tender skin,” Anya mocked you with a crude smirk, “Even if you’re the one who’s gonna be covered head to toe for the party, not me.”“What is the coverage of your dress?” you asked, genuinely curious.“Greedy hound jumping for the bacon before it’s even out,” Anya reached up and knocked on your skull like it was a door. “Come on, let’s get to a place with elbow room.”-----Anya started you off with shadowboxing, and made small critiques of your form and force every so often, in between your talking of the situation at hand.“You’ve got to knock his teeth out, not caress his cheek!” Anya said of your imaginary opponent, “Pretend like you’ve got your blood running down your face and all you can see is red!”Were it only so easy. Outside of proper battle, or even just a fight, it was hard to get into the frame of mind, the spirit of it. “It’s hard to get around that there’s nobody there,” you complained.“God, whatever.” Anya waved her hand dismissively, “…Man, this party coming up means I can’t do what I usually would for this…fine. We’ll do repetitions. Come ‘ere.”Once you’d taken up position in front of Anya, she told you what she was going to do. “I’m gonna try and sock you right in the chin. For this first time, do what comes natural. Ready? Steady?” Anya wound up, but she purposely threw slow on purpose, and you brought up your arms to block it. “That’s fine. It’s not the best thing, though. If you know what I’m going to do, take advantage of that. Read my body. If you can predict what the other guy’s gonna do, that’s a huge advantage.”“Of course I know that much,” you said, annoyed.“You know it, but you don’t feel it yet. You’re too used to having time to think. You’re slow, and getting slower, because you gotta rely on your body more. Again.”This time, you grabbed Anya’s arm, and she let you spin around her around and pin her arm behind her back- but not hard enough to hurt her. “See? You know what to do, but next time, a good idea’s gotta be the first one. In a match where two people’re flailing around, the one that knows what they’re gonna do next is who wins, because if they’re fast, they can make their enemy react to them, rather than them reacting to the enemy.”“And if one pretends to act like they’re being affected by their enemy, when they’re really the one planning first?” you queried. Deceiving the enemy through false presentations of one’s own strength were a classic move in tactics.
“Then you have to be good at lying.” Anya poked your chest, “Your body’s no good at lying. Not yet anyways. That takes more practice. Actual fights. I haven’t actually gotten much chance to see you in real fights yet. In your element, I mean, ‘cause your crew says in the tank, you don’t get phased by nothin’. That you just act and react right away. You don’t lock up…well, ‘cept recently. Whatever’s up with that…” Anya poked you some more, “If we could get whatever that is to apply here, we’d be in business…you know what thing I’m talking about?”You thought, and shook your head with a heaving shrug. “No clue. Sometimes it just comes naturally as breathing. I guess it’s always been like that…since I was in the army, at least.”“That’s too bad.” Anya said, “Here, We’ll do the three and low next.” The low was a sweep to the legs; it was hard to do slowly and predictably, so you had to be ready for it when it came. Even in these slowed down practice runs, you’d been knocked off your feet a few times. “So with the Ashes,” you said as you parried Anya’s slowed palm strikes with equally slowed pushes of the arm, “You’ve got them…chomping at the bit. Would you say,” you pushed away the third in the set, “You can keep them tame forever? They’ve already gone too far now, you seemed to imply.”“Well.” Anya crouched down, and you barely jumped out of the way of her sweeping leg; backwards, never up and over, she had drilled into you by now, otherwise you were still in a bad position. “I know how they feel. Way back when, I wanted to fight too. And I got this for it.” Anya pointed to the deep cut across her face, below her eyes. “One day they’ll have to go through something for real, and with how many of them there are, there’s a good chance they’ll die. I’ve seen child soldiers work in the past. They don’t tend to do too great. You’re right though, I dunno how long I can put it off. Eventually they’ll just get themselves into trouble.”“Maybe if we gave them a farcical target? Something soft and worthless to destroy?” you asked, “Just a spot of vandalism to tide them over.”“I’ve let them do a few things for ”training” along those lines. Steal stuff. Break axels. Splash paint on a Kommissar’s car.”“That was you?” you asked of the last one, “The Kommissar was furious.”
Anya snickered to herself. “Yeah, it was pretty funny to see that clown hoppin’ up and down ‘cause his fancy car got yellow dunked all over it. I hope he appreciated the symbolism.”“…It was pretty funny, I suppose.” Though you wouldn’t have wanted to deal with the fallout his guards had to.“Heh. Yeah. But…that’s all pranks. I’ve been in the position they’ve been in. Eventually, like I said, you gotta put them in deep water before they jump in on their own. These NLF people aren’t helping, ‘cause like I said, they use plenty a’ child soldiers. It’ll be worse after the shit hits the fan tomorrow, too, ‘cause the Ashes’ll look at what these other guys did? Then they’ll look at what they’ve done. They’ll feel ashamed. There’s no worse feeling in the world, and these kids really think they need to make a difference. That Ellowie needs all the help it can get. That their fathers who’re gone away, dead or not, their families they don’t have anymore, wouldn’t want them just playin’ around.”You supposed you could understand. If they saw such as their duty and purpose, could they be dissuaded with table scraps? In your own journeys, had you not sought battle and danger to prove your worthiness to the blood of Von Tracht that ran in your veins, rather than finding a cozy desk job? Could that hunger for glory that welled from within your heart be sated with anything but battle?“I have ideas, though,” Anya said, “I’ve been telling them the Twaryians are a bigger problem. Finding out what bad stories I can, keeping my ear to the ground for groups on the other side of the border that think that way. That way, when they lose their patience, or when I have to set them on something to keep that from happening, there’s no chance it’ll be us taking them out.” She frowned a deep grimace and exhaled. “I don’t think I could stand that.”>I have as little desire to make children my enemies as you. I promise on my honor that no harm will come to them on our part.>Then I hope you do well in your attempts to point them another way, because I can’t tell my people to hesitate should they decide we’re the target they want to take on.>If they’re getting too rowdy, then I doubt there’s any chance this’ll end well. If you give the word, and they’re about to do something stupid, we’ll round them up and stick them in the UGZ. It’s not a good place for them, but they can stay there and not be in a war, at least.>Other?
>>3508491>>Then I hope you do well in your attempts to point them another way, because I can’t tell my people to hesitate should they decide we’re the target they want to take on.We can try our best to separate them but ultimately our Netillians aren't going to be thinking the same way. Hopefully after this attack and with the likely increase in security around here it'll be another reason for them to cause shit over the border instead.
>>3508491>I have as little desire to make children my enemies as you. I promise on my honor that no harm will come to them on our part.
>>3508491>>>Then I hope you do well in your attempts to point them another way, because I can’t tell my people to hesitate should they decide we’re the target they want to take on.
>>3508491>>Then I hope you do well in your attempts to point them another way, because I can’t tell my people to hesitate should they decide we’re the target they want to take on.
>>3508491>If they’re getting too rowdy, then I doubt there’s any chance this’ll end well. If you give the word, and they’re about to do something stupid, we’ll round them up and stick them in the UGZ. It’s not a good place for them, but they can stay there and not be in a war, at least.
>>3508491>Then I hope you do well in your attempts to point them another way, because I can’t tell my people to hesitate should they decide we’re the target they want to take on.
>>3508491>If they’re getting too rowdy, then I doubt there’s any chance this’ll end well. If you give the word, and they’re about to do something stupid, we’ll round them up and stick them in the UGZ. It’s not a good place for them, but they can stay there and not be in a war, at least.Better than knowing some of them will definitely die either over here or over there.
Up now.>>3508493>>3508495>>3508527>>3508606Remember the time we shot children? I do.>>3508530>>3509003Put them in day care if they misbehave.>>3508494No cutting of the short trees.Alright then. Writing.
“Then I hope you do well in your attempts to keep them on a safe course,” you aimed for the realistic, “Because I can’t tell my people to hesitate should they decide we’re the target they want to take on.”“Huh, wasn’t expecting you to be that cold ‘bout it.”“Do you think I’m wrong in such?” you asked. “No matter who is holding a weapon, they can still kill you if you’re their enemy.”“Nah. You’re not wrong.” Perhaps other people would find the subject of child soldiers and dispatching them more controversial. Anya came from a place, however, where such things were a fact of life. “There’s a couple other things, though…hey, tell me what you’re going to do.”“Oh. I want to practice holds. I never get the chance to get any on you.”“Don’t try anything or I’ll bite you like you bite me.”As you engaged in what would have looked quite strange practice from a distance, you continued your talking. “One of the things,” Anya said as she moved you to get her into a proper sleeper hold, “Is that I don’t think your people have the guts to do it. If they know they’re up against children, no matter what the rumors are about Netillian troops, they won’t want to take that extra step. Same with girls, really. You ever killed a woman?”“…No.” It admittedly wasn’t something you felt comfortable with. “But if I was forced to choose between that and being killed by one, what option do I have?”“That’s the other thing,” Anya said as she pulled your arm away, “Switch it up, now; make sure you get low enough, it might be dangerous if you make me reach up or jump.” You decided to not tempt fate. “See, this ain’t Sosaldt. Things don’t have to be a snap decision on life or death, you know? ‘Course, even if I want it to not be like that, s’not so simple, is it? Easy enough to be idealistic before a fight, but all it takes is one shot in the right place, and no amount of sympathy in the world ends up mattering.”“Well, you can’t seem to get shot in the right place, can you?” Anya had a good three bullet holes in her, possibly more, but the ones on her arms and the curved glance on her stomach were the ones you’d seen the most. There was also a wound just below her collarbone, but her current top obscured it. “Nah. Seems I’m either too lucky or not quite lucky enough.”
“Guess so.” You were becoming keenly aware of how tight the crook of Anya’s arm was around your neck (somehow more distracting than her breasts pushing into your back), though she’d demonstrated before how much tighter it could get, so you knew you weren’t in any danger, but… “So how do I get out of this?” you touched a finger against Anya’s arm.“Well, you don’t let it happen to you, obviously. But when you’re already in it, yeah, it’s hard. I’ve got a real good grip on your neck, and if I hold my arm like so, even though I’m so much smaller than you, it’s real damn hard to tear me away or throw me off. But you have to do whatever you can, because if somebody does this for real, then you have a third of a minute, probably less, before you’re done.”“So…”“I’m not strangling you. You’ve got time to think, for once.” Anya said, “Here’s your test for now. Get me off of you.”Smartass that you were, you tried immediately to think of a way to bite Anya, but with her arm firmly under your jaw, that was impossible.>Jump backwards and slam her into the ground. Rough, but that’s something that would work, isn’t it?>This wasn’t a fight, not really- maybe you could be funny and tickle her.>Diplomacy might be the way forward. Tell her that you need to go out and buy a few things while everything else was getting set up for tomorrow, and you’ll take her with you if she lets you go.>Other?
>>3509535Maybe some kind of judo things ? Like >make her go above our shoulder as we lean forward to project her.Might work as she will try to keep her grip and therefore go over our shoulder or release us.Jumping backward and slam her into the grounds will give a small chance of her loosing grip and a big chance of us being unable to move anymore and her only having to wait for us passing out as the only thing she have to do is use her own weight to keep us pinned on the ground.
>>3509535>>Jump backwards and slam her into the ground. Rough, but that’s something that would work, isn’t it?
>>3509574+1
>>3509574I'll switch to this.
>>3509535>>Diplomacy might be the way forward. Tell her that you need to go out and buy a few things while everything else was getting set up for tomorrow, and you’ll take her with you if she lets you go.
>>3509574>>3509585>>3509620Get the scamp off of you!>>3509667Resort to diplomacyAlright, write time.
How to get her off of you…maybe you could shake her forward? Throw her off, buck her like a furious horse? Especially if her grip wasn’t as tight as it could be…well, there was only one way to find out.Her grip was still looser than it normally would be, you figured, so if you got her around your shoulder, maybe that would loosen her up enough? But you’d have to be quick.You tensed up, leaned back, and tried to whip Anya around to the side; but she turned her hold into that of a vicegrip well before you could complete the movement. She wrapped her legs around you to latch to your back, and after you belatedly tried and failed to buck her off, before you knew, it your balance had vanished to some faraway place, sending you face-first into the dirt.“Urf!” you sputtered, though Anya let her grip loosen again.“Good job, moron.” She chastised you, now lying on top of you. “What’re you gonna do now?”“Hmph.”“Alright, let me help you out here. You need leverage. You’re not gonna pry me off by whipping me around. If you get into this situation for real- presumably by being stupid- then you have to retake the leverage on you with something. Ideally a wall. Though if you’re smart and have a weapon, it’s a lot easier. ‘s why I always have a knife on me.”“And if you lose the knife?”“Then do anything to keep it from being a fair fight, of course.” “Of course.” You grumbled. Anya let you go, and you both stood up. “This fighting talk reminds me of something, actually,” you said to Anya, “When we were messing with your hair last night. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but your ear- does it have a notch in it?”“Oh, this?” Anya casually pulled her hair from over her ear- as you thought, there was a triangular section of its outer rim that appeared to have been neatly cut out. “Something blew up too close to me. Got a piece of metal lodged in my head- through my ear. It was pretty nasty. Tried to yank it out and it turned out that trying that ripped through it. Guess it’s like having an earring yanked on, huh?”“If you consider chunks of shrapnel to be equivalent to jewelry, yes.”“Certainly a lot less tacky.” Anya felt along the edge of the damage done to her ear, “Speaking of. One of your guys was sayin’ your runt’s birthday’s soon. You gonna get her jewelry?”“No. I do have to go into town to get things- not just those, though. I’ve got plans going for the mess tomorrow, that I might need trucks for. And gas to run the tanks. I’ll have to call in a few favors.”“All that mess with the cable laying and the outposts? You look suspicious as hell doing that. If any NLF people see what’s going on they’ll know something’s up.”
“Perhaps the better for us, then.” You accepted this outcome, “Maybe enough that they redirect their attacks outside of our area of influence. Though I hope not. There will be prestige in saving the day- more than what it would cost in favors to set this all up. I hope.”“How mercenary of you,” Anya teased, “Though, you know how much gas this’ll be, yeah? And we’re dry on it. You’ll be ripped off if you ain’t careful.” Anya knew the plans as well as any of your inner circle of officers did- and thus could weigh in decently.“You have a different suggestion?” you asked, “I thought it safest to ensure that we are able to deploy all of our assets. If the NLF numbers are as they’re thought to be, the Ellowian platoon will be fewer in numbers than them. Not the sort of unfair fight I’m looking for.” Though that was exempting the fact that, of your four active tanks of five, you only would have commanders for two that night. “There’s a few options.” Anya said, “That I can think of right off the bat. One, we don’t get any trucks at all. We have as many people ride on tanks as we can. Four tanks and…I dunno, say if we somehow got ten people on each? We cram as many people as we can on them. We won’t be able to go with the whole ‘toon, but four tanks is pretty damn scary just to look at for people who don’t got the means to deal with ‘em.”“Four tanks?” you asked, quizzically. “We don’t have the crew for that…”“Driver and a gunner only for two. Means you can bring more people. Alternatively, you take two tanks and half the platoon. That’d still be enough to take on double their number, since the Ellowians aren’t green bean clowns.”
“Both your suggestions don’t involve taking the whole platoon,” you noted.“If you leave the base camps unguarded, then guess what the new target is, dingus?”“Of course,” you frowned, “But this was in case there was a full-fledged attack on one settlement. I doubt they have the strength to attempt otherwise, especially if we don’t move until they do.”Anya shrugged. “Just don’t underestimate them.”>Go and request trucks only. You’d be able to move the whole platoon out- while not needing to fuel the tanks. They’d be unneeded. [2 RP to borrow transports)>Get trucks and fuel for enough of those to move an entire platoon, as well as three tanks. You had to sally with everything if the time came for it. (Maximum Expenditure- 2 RP for trucks, 2 for emergency fuel for 4 tanks)>Only get fuel for your four tanks to move. Four tanks and what they could carry would be well enough, and you would save requisition for better things. (Only spends on fuel- 2 RP)>Spread it out evenly- get fuel for 2 tanks, and only move half a platoon, leaving the other half to sparsely guard the base camp. (1 RP for tank fuel, 1 RP for 1 team of trucks to transport half a platoon)>You’d have to make your troops march- your favors were too thin to react to any attacks in the quickest manner possible (No expenditure)>Other setups?To lay everything out straight, you need 1 RP for every two units of fuel that comes outside of the ration- a tank burns 1 unit of fuel per sortie. The gas for the trucks comes with them, but you need to give 1 RP for each “team” of vehicles. You need 2 teams to transport half a platoon. Gas rounds up- if you want one unit of fuel, that still costs 1 RP.You have 4 RP at the moment to spend freely. Of course, if you have other ideas to get the stuff that would “cost” less, then feel free to mention them. For example, New Jorgenstohn might have things to extort from them, but not gas for your tanks this week- the Mayor hasn’t done the stuff for getting that to you yet.
>>3509927>>You’d have to make your troops march- your favors were too thin to react to any attacks in the quickest manner possible (No expenditure)Yeah that rate of RP spend is way too high for me. Rather invest it into all the potential upgrades/reinforcements we can get after this week.
>>3509927>>You’d have to make your troops march- your favors were too thin to react to any attacks in the quickest manner possible (No expenditure)As Anya has pointed out all this stuff seems pretty elaborate considering we're technically not supposed to know they're even coming. Maybe use them as tripwires instead; if the outposts see any hostile moment fire the flares and get the colonists to flee towards New Jorgenstohn/our camp. If they think it's to call in backup maybe it'll spook the NLF guys not to stick around for long but still allow them to cause the amount of damage we want to panic the Netillians (burning and looting etc.)
>>3509927>Also Tanq just to clarify what our total RP is now? Went to check last thread and it was at 4 just after we cleared those insurgent camps and before we got the bonuses for turning in the supplies and prisoners IIRC.
>>3510163Hm. I will check. It's possible I've made an error in current RP.It may be different, but that would be a result of the forest op's catches, not the latest op- since that was technically against friendly troops.
>>3510182Indeed. I checked back, and from turning in contraband, mines, and prisoners, you ought to have 4 more RP now. For a total of 8. Good catch anon.
>>3509927>Only get fuel for your four tanks to move. Four tanks and what they could carry would be well enough, and you would save requisition for better things. (Only spends on fuel- 2 RP)If it's 8 we could spare a little for tanks. Trucks is too much. Besides I'm hoping if we don't use them we can hold onto it for at least the next operation.
>>3509927>fuel for 1 tankHow much would that cost? I think it'll be good to have a tank just in case something we didn't expect goes wrong and it shouldn't cost too much.
>>3510322Actually shit I'm dumb I'ma replace mine. We only have two commanders, this time.>Spread it out evenly- get fuel for 2 tanks, and only move half a platoon, leaving the other half to sparsely guard the base camp. (1 RP for tank fuel, 1 RP for 1 team of trucks to transport half a platoon)
>>3509927>Spread it out evenly- get fuel for 2 tanks, and only move half a platoon, leaving the other half to sparsely guard the base camp. (1 RP for tank fuel, 1 RP for 1 team of trucks to transport half a platoon)
>>3509927>>Spread it out evenly- get fuel for 2 tanks, and only move half a platoon, leaving the other half to sparsely guard the base camp. (1 RP for tank fuel, 1 RP for 1 team of trucks to transport half a platoon)
>>3509927>>Get trucks and fuel for enough of those to move an entire platoon, as well as three tanks. You had to sally with everything if the time came for it. (Maximum Expenditure- 2 RP for trucks, 2 for emergency fuel for 4 tanks)
>>3510204No prob. I'll switch to >Spread it out evenly- get fuel for 2 tanks, and only move half a platoon, leaving the other half to sparsely guard the base camp. (1 RP for tank fuel, 1 RP for 1 team of trucks to transport half a platoon)Since we have that buffer now.
>>3510570Anyway I was thinking even if the camp will be understrength if we send half the platoon out, we can always get people to man the remaining tank turrets even if we can't send them out. Should provide enough firepower to prevent these guys from getting any ideas.
>>3509927 switching from this >>3510332 to this>Spread it out evenly- get fuel for 2 tanks, and only move half a platoon, leaving the other half to sparsely guard the base camp. (1 RP for tank fuel, 1 RP for 1 team of trucks to transport half a platoon)
I have woken.>>3510105Walk! >>3510348>>3510463>>3510491>>3510570>>3510926Halfsies>>3510499Full bore.>>3510332As noted in options, 1 tank will still cost 1 RP of fuel- it's a point where it's enough of a pain getting fuel that you may as well get a certain amount while cracking open the vault.>>3510574This is an option, sure.Writing.This is Anya showing you her gross ear.
>>3510105The security actions in this can be taken too, even if the foot march didn't go.
“Half and half should do fine, I think. Two tanks, half the Ellowian platoon. I doubt anybody will want to stick around to fight that once they crash in.” You said to Anya. “If anybody sticks around to fight two tanks without any way to hit them, then they’re nuts, yeah. ‘specially if they don’t got the benefit of surprise. It’ll be night, sure, but once shit starts flying then the dark don’t help you so much anymore.” Anya put a finger to her chin, “Come t’ think of it, didn’t you do that at Todesfelsen? I didn’t get to talk much with people at the time, ‘cause…well, I was bedridden.” Anya referred to the entire day she spent asleep after the battle- recuperating from being shot, and the blood loss that happened as a result. To be true, she should have been down for longer, but it seemed Anya was impossible to keep down for long. “But there was a part of the fight, just before the dust storm, where the guys in the white cloaks ate shit, yeah?”“Their commander volunteered for the duty.” You said of that, “There had to be a rearguard, or our strongest troops could have been attacked during our retreat. Because they did such, they managed to break up the Death heads that came after us to a significant degree, which let us cause much greater damage to them; it’s possible we couldn’t have won it without them.” The White Eyes, the smuggling clan whose contingent had offered to make the delaying action, lost most of whom they sent because of that, however. Their leader, a small woman who looked completely out of place on a battlefield named Viska, had also been mutilated during it, having lost her arm during the fighting.Some might have called it a sacrifice. However, you had gone back in to save them from complete destruction. Surely that counted for something.“Mhm. Really the point was, even though they stuck and fought, they really had their shit handed to them, yeah?” Anya hadn’t trained with those soldiers, led them, decided upon their deaths, spoken with their leader before and after. It was understandable that she spoke so casually about the matter, but when you thought about it, you didn’t feel comfortable speaking so flippantly of it. “What’s with that face? People fight, people die. It ain’t your fault they got killed.”“No, it’s not that,” you shook your head, “Go on with what you were saying, though I think I know where you’re going. You’re predicting them to break and run rather than sticking around and fighting armor.” Such was the strength of tanks, after all- steel beasts that, you had heard from memoirs, were especially terrifying without the means to fight them. Troops engaged in the open that lacked anti-tank weaponry, going far back as the Emrean War, tended to run rather than stay and fight a costly battle that would likely be a defeat.
“Yeah. Tanks show up, right away, they know they’ve gotta leave. Unless their commander has more nuts than sense. In that case…” Anya’s eyes flicked skywards, “Well, they’re a lot shorter on people than Netilland is. NLF’d have to be dumber than I figured at least, to try and make this a war of attrition.”“Ellowians have never preferred attrition, that’s true.” You agreed, “Especially with their constant alternating between two fronts. With little opportunity for recovery, fighting efficiently is something they’re said to be very good at. Some of their more famous battles that are studied in textbooks are all about their skill in maximizing the effectiveness of numerically inferior forces.” Such was the theory experimented with by the famed Silver Lances, along with Reich pattern independent mechanized operational theory. “Then all that’s left is to see if they’ll act how we think they will, huh?” Anya jabbed a pointing finger at you and closed one eye, “Maybe make a hell of a first impression to these guys the first they wander over here. Alright, come on over here, I managed to get some stuff together for you to lift. If I can’t beat you up, then I’m sure as hell not showing up to a party with a lanky noodle.”-----After Anya had put you through a routine where you lifted nonstandard weights in several forms (mostly involving a bar stuck through heavy objects; Tires and wheels of various sorts were used in place of proper weights. A bizarre contraption was forming along with all of it that she said she was getting crew help with making work), she had forcefully taken you to the Railhead because you “needed more red meat to build strength.” You were no dietician, but you weren’t about to complain about eating out. Even though Anya never treated and expected you to pay for everything.It wasn’t as if she lacked money. As a retinue, Anya was paid by the Archduchy like an equivalent enlisted service member, as part of your Right to Retinue- you certainly couldn’t quite take up the financial burden on your own. Anya still insisted you pay for meals like the one you were having now.“Do mercenaries really accept pay in food?” you wondered aloud once, in a time before.“They’ll take pay in whatever they want,” Anya had told you, halfway into ripping apart a roast with her teeth like an animal, “Mmfaghrruh fraghmurgh.” She also frequently talked with her mouth full, to variable success.
This time, though, you broke off lunch with Anya early- you left the remainder of your meat with Anya, knowing full well that in spite of your request to save it, she’d devour it anyways. That girl’s hunger was near insatiable, it seemed. Unlike Maddalyn, who ate so little it was concerning, Anya ate an incredible amount of food whenever she could, but her figure rarely changed. You supposed whatever rapacious engine within her had her standing a day after nearly dying also burned up most energy she took in extremely rapidly. Anya did train constantly enough for that to seem true. Von Metzeler’s comment about her eating less had been dangerous- once you had joked that Anya was gaining weight, and though she didn’t show it, you got the feeling that the comment annoyed her a lot more than she let on. Ah well. You wouldn’t spoil her for dinner, at least.The reason for your separation was twofold, though. One was to go and procure the resources for the cluster fuck tomorrow, which you could take care of at the Logistics station.“Three medium haulers and a fueler? Today?” the clerk you spoke to was exasperated before you even made your request, “Fuckin’…whatever. You’d better be somebody important. Who are you, and why the hell should you have this?”“Coordinator Von Tracht. You haven’t heard of me?”“Oh. Huh. Yeah, you’re the guy who busted the ring in the woods, and got those Twaryian raiders, huh? I guess you are doing more’n you need to…alright, fine. We can have those ready by the end of the day. You’re picking them up?”>-2 Requisition Points. 6 RP remaining.Huh. That was easier than you thought. Hard work paying off. Or not so hard, really. “Yes. Thank you.”So that was an errand done in remarkably short order. Amazing how much red tape one could slice through with enough of a reputation- you knew for a fact that people could come ask for what you did and take days for it to be approved.So that left your shopping around for Maddalyn’s birthday present.Narrowing your search down to incenses and perfumes and fragrances helped when trying to sort between the flock of mystic vendors, whom always seemed to differ with each day. Of course, none of them were helpful in directing you- their market was a competitive one and they insisted that charms would ward the spirits away more effectively than any smoke or “outdated humors-craft.”
Eventually, you found a push-cart gaudily decorated in slogans and beaded strings, staffed by a man whose physique looked suited for his job- a middle aged fellow with an absolutely colossal nose, enough size to him that he could push around his heavily loaded cart, and crooked teeth that smiled knowingly as you approached, clueless customer in decent wear that you were. Perhaps he could smell the money in your pockets. “Ah, hello,” the increasingly suspicious man bowed slightly, “You appear in need of a present,”“You read people well,” You said to him. “Because I do.”“For a lady? Yes, their delicate noses are so fond of the subtler means of teasing the senses. Though that girl appeared quite the tomboy- no matter, there’s always a way of drawing out their femininity...and oh is that femininity overwhelming when they finally have it unleashed.” “Er, no.” you coughed, “That is a…friend. This is for somebody else. My fiancée.”The large nosed merchant looked at you sideways. “Oh, a friend. Of course. Well then…what are somebody else’s tastes, then? Do you know?”>Maddalyn liked sweet scents- maybe a floral perfume like the one she wore often enough, but with an exotic bent to it?>You’d been in Maddalyn’s room, and from what you could remember of it, it smelled of old paper. Maybe you could send her some incense? You knew she sat inside a lot, so best to improve her living space some, perhaps.>There’s a whole box of small samples. Who could say if she’d like how much of it, but it was a whole load of perfumes. Maybe there was a quality of its own in quantity.>Other?Also>You thought that Anya should have some manner of hair decoration. Do you want to go and buy one for her? It’ll probably be the only way she won’t suddenly “forget.”
>>3512250>>There’s a whole box of small samples. Who could say if she’d like how much of it, but it was a whole load of perfumes. Maybe there was a quality of its own in quantity.Send her a bunch and see which one she likes most.
>>3512250>>There’s a whole box of small samples. Who could say if she’d like how much of it, but it was a whole load of perfumes. Maybe there was a quality of its own in quantity.And go buy that decoration.
>>3512261supporting
>>3512250>There’s a whole box of small samples. Who could say if she’d like how much of it, but it was a whole load of perfumes. Maybe there was a quality of its own in quantityJust make sure we send a note saying it's for her to pick the ones she likes as opposed to figuring out which one Ricther wants the most.>Do you want to go and buy one for her? IYes, though it's probably too much to hope for that there is one shaped like a tonk or thumper huh?Maybe something silver to contrast the blonde hair or a Strossvald pendant or something?>>3511665I am genuinely thrilled she never learned how to use jacket buttons.
Isn't letting Maddy decide for herself the worst thing you can do to her?>>3512250>Maddalyn liked sweet scents- maybe a floral perfume like the one she wore often enough, but with an exotic bent to it?But a fruit scent instead of floral. >You thought that Anya should have some manner of hair decoration. Do you want to go and buy one for her? It’ll probably be the only way she won’t suddenly “forget.”She'll appreciate some kind of hairpin, especially a long one.
>>3512571That's a good idea especially since they won't let Anya in with a knife. If it can be improvised for defense she'd probably like it.Changing my pin ideas to this one.
Alrighty.>>3512261>>3512277>>3512359>>3512559The lot!>>3512571Fruity Perfume>>3512277>>3512559>>3512571And a hairpin. Something long and sharp. For acupuncture, of course.>>3512559>I am genuinely thrilled she never learned how to use jacket buttons.She knows how they work. She just disagrees with the common interpretation of the purpose of a jacket. The buttons are clearly only for decoration.
You looked at one scent, then another. So many of them smelled practically the same…but then, your eyes alerted on a chest full of small bottles; surely, out of all of them, Maddalyn would find her favorite of at least one..?“Sir, does one strike your fancy?” the merchant inquired.“That box right there,” you pointed to the chest, “Could I just get…all of those?”“Ah, the works,” the merchant closed his eyes and nodded knowingly, “For the indecisive and ignorant, with no small amount of coin. Of course.”Those monikers were ones you ill liked, but concerning the school of scents, you supposed it wasn’t inaccurate. That small chest, about four hand spans by three, though, saw you out of more money than you expected from some smell-monger. It was fine, you told yourself as you went away with the box under one arm, its brass locks clacking merrily, Maddalyn was worth any amount of money. Especially since even this didn’t actually put a dent in the funds the IO had rewarded you with for your work in Sosaldt…though it did slice a healthy chunk to the money you had on hand. This, along with the next idea you had, would nearly wipe you out. You’d need to take a sum out of your treasure box soon enough.Said idea would involve a short train ride; business, obviously, as you told Anya along with a directive for preparations.“I don’t expect the outpost guys to stay around and be besieged,” you told her, “If you tell them to set up tripwires with bells or cans or something, and cut and run after that, along with any other ideas you have, I’ll appreciate it. I’ve got to take the train into Sternenapf.”“What, I don’t get to head to the city?” Anya made a mock pout at you, “I can’t believe you’re seeing another woman!”“Knock that off.” Your face sank into a scowl, “I have to get something I can’t get locally. I should be back by evening at the latest.”As long as it wasn’t paperwork, though, you knew Anya wouldn’t particularly mind. She’d probably mind even less if she knew you were going to get her something. Though…you thought as she went off, didn’t she have to go into the city anyways to have her dress fitted? Not that you had followed the matter too closely. Anya had said the designer that she was seeing about her dress came into Kaministy often enough. Ah well. You trusted her to deal with her own matters.-----
“Alright,” Anya said uneasily as she followed Von Metzeler into the inn, “This woman you’re talking about. Who can do my hair up, she’s in here? This dump?”“The accommodations are decent enough, considering it is the UGZ.” Von Metzeler would have agreed that they were poor, but it at least gave its resident a small measure of privacy, and plenty of security. He knocked upon the door of an upstairs room. “Yva? It is Rondo. May I come in? I have brought a guest.”“Go ahead!” Yva answered from inside, her voice muffled by the door. Von Metzeler produced a key and began to unlock the door.“So who’s this broad, that you’ve got a key to her place?” Anya asked, “You harborin’ some dark, nasty secret?” “The room is rented by me,” Von Metzeler said, “It is only natural that I have a key to it.”“That didn’t answer my question.”“Save your salacious gossip for your party.” Von Metzeler growled, “Appreciate this favor, as it is by happenstance that it applies to you as well as Von Tracht.”Anya rolled her eyes as she followed Von Metzeler into the room, and stood by him as he bowed (needlessly) to the woman waiting inside, whose spectacles lay on a desk across. The whole room was lit well by daylight streaming in through the window, even though bars had been laid across it. Yva had shed her thick jacket, and wore a woolen sweater instead. Oddly, she wore a glove on one hand, but not the other.“This is your guest?” Yva and Anya looked over one another, though the long haired woman was the first to speak. “She appears…not dressed in the usual manner. Is that martial wear? I have never seen it worn such.” Yva spoke of Anya’s jacket, though on her shoulders, lay brazenly open, revealing her bare abdomen.“She is indeed in the employ of the Archduchy as a Retinue of Von Tracht,” Von Metzeler said immediately, well acquainted with Anya’s tendency towards smart remarks. “She is also a mercenary, from Sosaldt. Her mannerisms are rough, and her sense of decency even more so. She refuses to button her jacket. I am forced to conclude that she does not know how buttons work.”“I know how buttons work, jackass,” Anya snapped, “Nobody bitches about it ‘cept you, anyways.”“Anyways.” Von Metzeler moved gladly on, “This is Miss Anya Nowicki. Miss Nowicki, this is Yva. Yva, I would like to ask you a favor. Anya must be in a more presentable state for a Langenachtfest social tomorrow. May I ask your help in making her hair fit for such an event?”Yva looked at Von Mezteler, and then to Anya. “Would you like my help?” she asked of the latter, in a calm and cool, quiet voice, that demanded nothing.Anya shoved her fists deep into her jacket pockets and grit her teeth. “…Yeah. I need help.”
“Then, if you may sit here, please.” Yva motioned to a spot on the bed beside her, and scooted back to sit sideways on the bed itself. Anya hesitated, but took her cap off, flung it at Von Metzeler, and sat. “Thank you, miss…Anya? Rondo, if you may fetch my brush from my bag?”“Can’t get over that that’s his name,” Anya said, of Von Metzeler’s first name. “Who the hell calls their kid that?”Von Metzeler grunted a frustrated reply as he quickly found what Yva asked of him. He handed it gently to the woman on the bed, who, after taking it and thanking Von Metzeler, ran the fingers of her ungloved hand through Anya’s hair. “Your hair is lovely,” she said appreciatively. She ran the brush from the top of Anya’s scalp down the back, and Anya stiffened, “I’m sorry, does this make you uncomfortable?”“Nah. Just, the only people who’ve done that were…well, my sister.” “And…?” Yva asked as she continued brushing, and Von Metzeler sat in the chair by the desk and pulled his cap over his eyes, crossing his arms and seeming to doze. “Your mother, perhaps?”“…Yeah. My mom did it too.” Anya said, frowning. There were others, but…yes, her mother had done it, too.Yva paused in her brushing. “You do not sound very happy speaking of her. Did she wrong you?”“Yeah. She died.”“Oh.” Yva sighed. “I am sorry.”“Don’t be.” Anya’s lip curled in spite. “She was a worthless whore.”Yva hesitated before saying next, “I am sorry to have brought old wounds to the surface, then.” She brought the brush from the side and back, doing her best to gently dispatch a few tangles. “Have you always worn your hair this short?”“Nuh uh.” Anya said, “I used to have it as long as yours, when I was little.”“You must have been a beautiful little girl, then,” Yva sighed, “Life must have been cruel, to mar the face of such a pretty young lady.”“Nah. That’s not so bad.” Anya disagreed lightly.“Have you thought about wearing your hair long again?”“It’d get in the way. Can’t have that long of hair if you fight.”“Why fight, then?” Yva asked.Anya shrugged. “’Cause I want to.”“…” Yva said naught for a moment, “I see.” Even if she could tell that there was deeper meaning- nobody, not even beasts, risked their life for the sake of it. She brushed the other side of Anya’s head, and her bangs, and ran her fingers through it. “That will do. The ends are uneven; have you had it cut?”“I’ve had it trimmed.”“You would need to have it cut closer to even these out. It will be fine. Rondo, may you get a cloth bag out of my things? It will have ties for braids and the like.”“What’s your deal with Grumpus, anyways? Anya asked Yva as Von Metzeler rose silently.“Grumpus?” Yva laughed, “Ha ha ha. That is only slightly less silly of a name than Rondo. Do you agree, Grumpus?”
Von Metzeler bristled. “I would prefer to not be called that.”“If I were you I’d prefer to be called anything but the name you have,” Anya said back.“Peace,” Yva called between the two as Von Metzeler handed her the bag she asked for. “Thank you, Rondo. Now…” Yva held Anya’s bangs back, and set them in place with a few hairpins. “We’ll try a few things…how do you like braids? We can do short braids…”“Her escort prefers ponytails.” Von Metzeler interjected.“Ah, then that makes this easy.” Yva clapped her hands together.“It ain’t like that,” Anya said firmly, “At all.”“I don’t see how that makes a difference,” Yva said as she pulled Anya’s hair back, “Out of all the people to impress, it should be your friends, no? Oh, but a ponytail can go with braids too, can’t it? Oh, we can make you look so pretty…”-----Sternenapf was a city that resided in a bowl in the land, hence its name. Once upon a time, it had been a dirty gem mine, but it had flourished under the years when Ellowie bent its knee to the Kaiser, and had only ever improved in prosperity since, as even beyond its status as a travel and trade hub, the gem mines were replaced with forges and foundries for melting ore and rolling steel. The city had been surrendered relatively intact, and its industry quickly put to good use; though not by its original inhabitants. Indeed, Sternenapf was itself turned into a colony, as many of the city’s inhabitants had been uprooted and put into various UGZs, to be replaced with Netillians who would be better trusted with these resources. This was also the reason for its name, as it was changed into a New Nauk equivalent of its old Ellowian name, to complete its transformation into a new possession of the Military Council and the Netillian people. The train pulling you into the station, however, was of Ellowian make. The buildings in the city, unmarred by conflict, were a spread of Ellowian history. Such spited the Netillians’ best efforts to obliterate its identity. As much as Netilland might have proclaimed its desire for synthesis, it was cities like these that any Ellowian could point to and claim the northern country’s desire for anything but. It would not have normally been your issue, save for that the place you intended to visit was an odd in-between. Szafirsky’s had evidently been in business for centuries- and its doors had not closed still. Besides gem cutting and jewelry not being of particular concern to war readiness, there was also the fact that the Szafirsky family were well-known and outspoken Monarchists. Few Ellowians spoke genuinely in support of King Wladysaw, so any who had held such beliefs from before the return of the royal line to power were treated as well as possible, their holdings unmolested.
“Ah, hello!” a younger man who you presumed was one of the scions of Szafirsky greeted you as you entered the main floor of the jewelers', door jingling behind you as it slammed shut heavily. You spotted a few other browsers already being tended to be assistants- Szafirsky, you had heard, had been quite well known and popular jewelers, and that had yet to change even with the new population. “Are you looking for anything in particular?”Particular? “Yes, actually. Do you have hairpins? Ones with long…pin parts.”“Long pins? Perchance why? Your preferences are confidential; we live to serve. You will not be in any trouble unless you make trouble.” The young jeweler titled his gold lined spectacles and smiled broadly.“She is a bit…a rowdy sort. I feel she would appreciate it if she was able to use the pin to…stab things?”The jeweler’s smile widened. “Ahh…of course. A feisty type. Worry not, feisty women are graciously not terribly uncommon. We have several pieces based off of designs from the far west, with long pins, which were not unknown to be used by assassins posing as well-bred ladies…those come in pairs, with sixteen centimeter pins. Of course, these are made of sterling silver, and are not actually suited towards stabbing anybody. They are too soft to be intended for violence, naturally, though if you would like to commission something for such a task…”“Perhaps. Could you have it ready in a day?” you asked.
“If it is a simple modification as the insert of a steel shaft to replace the silver?" The jeweler continued smiling widely. "Of course. Is this for the Langenachtfest Social coming up? We have had quite good business for such, and more than a few orders, but something easy such as that will be manageable even on short notice.”“You guess well. And yes, that will be good, then.”“Or, perhaps, you would look at these alternative styles? The same inspiration, naturally. This piece in gold, singular. Or this pair, with different gems. Ah, but this is for Langenachtfest in Kamienisty, and his majesty will be in attendance. You can hardly stand to have your lady go under-decorated. Perhaps I may interest you in bracelets? A pretty thing for her throat? Earrings? We have types that are clasps, for those whose ears are not pierced. Armlets, anklets, circlets, it would be terrible for your lady to be the plainest at the party…no?”…The hairpins first, you thought.>The first pair- silver pair of hairpins, sixteen centimeters long, meant to hold up a ponytail or a bun. Headed with one-carat oval-cut light blue sapphires ringed with five-millimeter pearls.>The singular pin- composed of gold, with a two-carat emerald cabochon center flanked by a pair of half-carat peridot cabochons. >The other paired set, these pins curved; made of silver, with twelve-millimeter twin black pearls at the head of each, flanked by six-centimeter white pearls. The head pieces are made of engraved white jade, for a more far-western flair.>…Can I get something…simpler? Just silver with engraving maybe?>Or something else specific? They might have it.Also>I certainly wouldn’t want anybody *I’m* with to be the plainest. You found an easy mark. I’ll get a few more things. (Like what?)>I doubt I have to worry about my accompaniment being the plainest at any venue, thank you. I’ll need nothing more than what I’ve asked.>Other?You do have money to spend on jewelry- not enough on you to splurge, but you can have things held and get them later…though splurging would put a sizable dent in your reserves, if you were too crazy, certainly. Though said reserves are certainly substantial, and you are, by technicality, rather rich! From questionably obtained money.
>>3512991>>The first pair- silver pair of hairpins, sixteen centimeters long, meant to hold up a ponytail or a bun. Headed with one-carat oval-cut light blue sapphires ringed with five-millimeter pearls.>I doubt I have to worry about my accompaniment being the plainest at any venue, thank you. I’ll need nothing more than what I’ve asked.
>>3512994+1
>>3511665Your abs became much, much better! Though there still is some room for improvement!
>>3512991>…Can I get something…simpler? Just silver with engraving maybe?Don't we want a stern warrior image for Anya?
>>3512991>…Can I get something…simpler? Just silver with engraving maybe?Maybe an emerald at the top which would match the eyes well.>Other?We might be willing to spend big if he tells us more about the party, the big movers and shakers, anything he knows about the Manor, any surprises he's heard about.If so, this might be a good time to buy an engagement ring for Maddy if we don't already have one and see if he has any info that would help.
>>3512991>>3513092This.
>>3512991Also, six-centimeter pearls, holy crap. How would those things even stay in the hair?
>>3513025Much appreciated! I'm glad that things are improving, at least...>>3513136That was a fuckup. Six millimeter. I don't think six centimeter ones...even exist.
>>3513092supporting
>>3512991>The singular pin- composed of gold, with a two-carat emerald cabochon center flanked by a pair of half-carat peridot cabochons.Green is Anya's color more than the others you retarfs.
>>3513735Seconding because I don't want to be a retarf
Time for a big one, then.>>3512994>>3513018Silver with Sapphires>>3513031Simple silver,>>3513092>>3513128>>3513242Maybe with green emerald for her eyes. But to avoid doting on her overly trade information for an engagement ring. Totally not for the same person.>>3513735>>3513904Gold with Emerald and Peridot, for extra green.I suppose you can't spoil Anya too much, can you? Cheapskates!Writing.
“Can I get something…simpler?” you asked uneasily, eyes flicking over the recommendations. Would Anya appreciate something this fancy? Not to mention expensive… “Something like…that?” You pointed to a less showy set of pins that were rather shorter, with flat silver oval heads, with whorl pattern engravings and small emerald settings in each. “But with steel pins like you said you’d do for the longer ones.”The Szafirsky jeweler turned a corner of his mouth down, opened the case from behind, and pulled out the pieces, holding and regarding them like they were an unsatisfying set of dining utensils. “Hrm. Just these? She will look quite plain, with something so cheap…”You pretended to laugh at that, before saying, “I doubt I have to worry about my accompaniment being the plainest at any venue, thank you. However, I could be motivated to spend more of my money on…an engagement ring, perhaps. Though I’d want to hear more about the party itself before diving so deep into investing for that sort of showiness, you know?” Let Anya be your wife to be for now- it was more convenient if the man thought you were trying to make that sort of splash at the same place, rather than far away on the western end of Strossvald. You actually were rather certain of the width of Maddalyn’s fingers, at least- it would be awkward to have to return this ring for a different one. Especially since you’d be sending it as an addition to a birthday present. Perhaps engagement rings were an unorthodox sort of birthday present, but Maddalyn didn’t have one, you knew. You’d never really had a good chance to get her one, but now that you were in a shop for it…“I have heard a few things, naturally, but,” the Jeweler had his eyes half closed in an impatient squint. “I should hope you do not spend for engagement rings as you would for hairpins, for the lady’s sake.”Oh. So that’s how it was going to be. “Perish the thought. Show me your gold and diamonds. Her fingers are little, so all of the gems will look bigger by fortune.” Not that Maddalyn didn’t deserve a big diamond. Yet also not that you knew what a large diamond constituted. Or that she probably cared.
The jeweler’s broad smile returned, and he beckoned you along. “You intend to surprise her, then? You only get such a chance once, you know…over here.”Of course, the biggest and brightest diamonds and their settings were brought out first, and they were dizzyingly expensive. You’d never quite appreciated how much money you had received from the Archduchy Intelligence Office, and it was a complicated sort of feeling to feel faint at beholding the price of baubles, while also having the funds to actually purchase it without damaging yourself. Though it would put a noticeable dent in said money.…Best not to adopt the traits of your less admirable ancestors, you thought. Buying a slew of expensive gifts for a multitude of women. Yet you couldn’t help but swallow emptily as you looked across the rings of various types of gold, with diamonds that seemed to only reduce in size very, very gradually. Each of these was…Judge Above, you’d never even think of buying one of these only a few months in the past…“Just tell me which one catches your eye, sir.” The jeweler said; you could practically taste his smugness radiating from him. So this was the deal, you supposed. The more you spent, the looser his tongue would be. Although you doubted that any of the information he could have would be worth this much money alone…you weren’t really spending most of this on mere information, were you? >Maddalyn deserved the biggest, the brightest, and the best. If she was going to wear a ring, it was going to be dazzling, damn it. Reserve something big from the showy lineup.>Maddalyn might feel threatened by a gift that was ludicrously expensive- wouldn’t it be better for everybody to get something that looked reasonable? It wasn’t like wealth and extravagance were things she seemed to particularly care about.>…You had to be a cheapskate, to preserve your resources as much as possible. A gold band would probably do just fine.>Other?Small vote to break things up and have things to vote/talk about while I keep working on more
>>3514114>>Maddalyn might feel threatened by a gift that was ludicrously expensive- wouldn’t it be better for everybody to get something that looked reasonable? It wasn’t like wealth and extravagance were things she seemed to particularly care about.
>>3514114>I want something expensive and intricate but not flashy, I think Maddy would appreciate that the most. Enough to catch the eye, but not to appear gaudy or like it's trying to make a statement.
>>3514114>>3514165>>3514220This
>>3514220>>3514114This. If we’re gonna pay out the ass, it should be for quality of design rather than quantity of stone.
>>3514114>Other?Put away those zircons, Jeweller, I already came prepared. I want this cra-... rock boiled, cut and polished and set in a 5x5 tipped square pavé on 14 karat white gold. Mind your fingers.>>Maddalyn might feel threatened by a gift that was ludicrously expensive- wouldn’t it be better for everybody to get something that looked reasonable? It wasn’t like wealth and extravagance were things she seemed to particularly care about.Maddy can see transparent gemstones, right?
>>3514242>Maddy can see transparent gemstones, right?Yes- she more or less sees the surface of transparent things, as far as you know, since she doesn't actually see light, and thus can't actually recognize transparency or translucency, or things like color or the like. The world as she sees it would be rather monochrome, if such could be called a color at all, being merely whether or not something is bouncing or radiating ambient presence.
>>3514274I can't believe our fiancee is a bat-person.
>>3514220supporting
>>3514288Our batancee can't possibly be this cute.
>>3514220This works
>>3514220>>I want something expensive and intricate but not flashy, I think Maddy would appreciate that the most. Enough to catch the eye, but not to appear gaudy or like it's trying to make a statement.
>>3514317Batalyn von Blum
Sorry things are taking so long- may as well call this vote here to give the impression at least that things are proceeding smoothly.>>3514165>>3514242Go budget>>3514220>>3514230>>3514234>>3514313>>3514361>>3514403Expensive- but in a certain direction.Should be soon...ish. Hopefully. Probably not.
>>3514547>Probably notWell god damn was I right with that.But the hardest part has ended. Update soon with that in mind.
“I’d like something expensive, intricate, but not flashy. I’d like to place money in your expertise, if you will; not in the size of the stone, hm?” This was an honest request, yes, because Maddalyn probably wouldn’t be very interested in the size of the diamond; there was little she could probably do to tell apart a diamond from a common stone, you figured, but the other elements of it, she could well appreciate. That was what was important, after all- it was her engagement ring. Of course, you laid a bit of flattery down, as well.“Of course, of course…for the discerning eye,” the Szafirsky paid back your compliment in kind, and stepped down the aisle some. “How about this then? White gold, with filigree, not a particularly large diamond, but surrounded by itsy bitsy opals, so the whole ensemble sparkles like a star nonetheless.” The ring itself was like two smaller rings that twisted into each other like a boughs forming a wreath, with their point of intersection above holding the gem setting. The filigree ran down both bands- it was indeed a very pretty piece- very pricy, too.Though you saw little other that caught your attention immediately. “I’ll buy it.” You declared, “I don’t have the money on me, but I can sign a promissory note, and you will hold it for me, yes? I’ll come to pick it up at the same time tomorrow I pick up the hair pins.”“Of course, sir,” the jeweler gave a hand signal to one of the attendants, who nodded and walked off to get the requisite forms. “I suppose since you are rather new, I will inform you of our post-purchase policies. We, of course, take our craft very seriously. If your pieces have a sort of flaw that causes them to, say, fall apart or break without being subjected to intense stress, we will repair them free of charge. We will also insure up to fifty per cent of their cost in loss if they can be proved to have been stolen, if you agree to an up-front fee, as well as access to a very capable private investigator firm, who will of course be promptly notified to do what they can in terms of recovery…”The true purpose of the PIs was clear, of course. If anybody tried to run a scam to rob Szafirsky’s of insurance without actually having their piece stolen, the detectives would, presumably, swiftly find out.
“So,” you put the heel of your hand on the display case shelves and leaned forward slightly, “Private Is, huh. And very important clients…such as his majesty Wladysaw XI?”“Naturally. He is quite a generous client of ours…as is his extended family.” The jeweler took off his glasses, and rubbed them with a small cloth. “More than a few share his social life. His brother, his uncle, his dear cousins…one of whom is quite fetching, a bachelorette, and hungry for the attention of men. Were you going alone this Langenachtfest, you would surely be a target for the fair young woman. Some would describe such a woman with unseemly names, unfitting to call one of royal blood…but I digress. Pray tell, do you know why he is the eleventh of his name? It has not been so long since the throne was last abdicated for there to be such a gap of numbers between the last ruler, who was the seventh…”“Assassinations, I presume.” You answered, as an attendant returned and dropped a few papers with you to fill out.“Being a man chosen to rule by divine right is terribly dangerous, hm? Yet the Republic did not much fear the return of the monarchs. Wladysaw XI is not very old. He will be thirty one next year, did you know? Some would imply that he has steadily wiped out other claimants to the throne…though his brother remains. Said brother is the current heir, as Wladysaw does not possess a spouse nor heirs yet. One hears that he seeks one at parties such as these. As do the rest of their happy family look for ways to dance about one another.”“I see.” Great. Just great. As though the rebel Ellowians weren’t trouble enough. “What about the venue itself? I’ve heard it’s at a place that was once a business magnate’s vacation home. A fancy manor, with a wide courtyard, nice and isolated.”“Indeed, indeed. The home of one of the directors of the Grand Valley Rail Company. I hear he has fled the country.” The jeweler put his glasses back on, then took them off, looking through them at an overhead light, “Did you know? Such extravagant places still have certain realities built into their design. Long range air raids, seeking a place to drop a bomb, or strafe with their guns, it necessitates a fortified cellar. In addition, a passageway out of said cellar. Perhaps several…I know naught of whether this place has it, as most companies were no friends of the monarchy nor us, but it would hardly surprise me.”
Shit. Of course. “That sounds fascinating.”“Indeed it does.” The jeweler brushed a spot off of his glasses and placed them back upon his nose, looking through the now sparkling and shining glass. “Ah, but unless you have more business, I must bid you good day. That pair over there appears to need my special help…”“Of course.” You let the jeweler go, and after you had done the promissory paperwork that had been left with you, you went speedily back. You had come by excellent information indeed…-----When you returned to Kamienisty in the afternoon, you were met by a courier, who looked very glad to see you- perhaps because you came back earlier than expected, from his sigh of relief.“Coordinator Richter Von Tracht?” he asked, “I was told that you would be wearing a Reich surplus leather jacket.”“I am the Coordinator, yes.” You answered the man. “What do you need?”“Ah. A designer by the name of Klifford D’Avise requested you. He bid that you come to his temporary workshop, and witness his latest…er, creation?”The name easily escaped you before now, but D’Avise was a fashion designer who had apparently been creating a dress for Anya to wear at the ball. He was apparently of some repute; having exiled himself to Sosaldt sometime in the past, but making his return to the fashion stage after the emergence of Mittelsosalia. How Anya had afforded his services, you had no idea- you didn’t think she’d spend the necessary funds on such a thing, but apparently, she claimed D’Avise had “found inspiration in her.”You had teased her then about D’Avise perhaps fancying her, but Anya had denied such fervently.“Nah. He’s a fruit. A fag. A mega-homo. But he’s not a bad guy.”A mega-homo. Not the kindest moniker to give a man, but Anya said that he did not mind. Inside, you had wondered how close fairy-boy was to mega-homo with some worry. Once you had been directed to the old brick building that was the “temporary workshop,” and had been shown inside to D’Avise- a tall, thin man who was flamboyantly dressed in frills and a long-tailed suitcoat, unnervingly tight pants below, he bowed deeply, but shooed you along.“Goh, weell you?” he said in an obnoxious Emrean accent, “Ze broken dove, she-awaets your jooj-mont! As ze mon who weel tekk cahr of mah art, let nobody geev yeou zeer plebeian forst impresshon! Ze forst eeyes to look from ze world of ze normal, shall be you…” He swept a long hand for the doors beyond, “Now, gohh!”…Emre was a place where much great art was curated and born, you had heard, but you hadn’t presumed it was this sort. You followed the Emrean’s directions towards where Anya would apparently be freshly dressed.…
“Man, I make this thing look good,” was the first thing Anya said when you entered the room, “You’ll look damn good by this too. The whole place’ll look great. Damn. If you’re not impressed, you’re goddamn wrong.”Anya’s dress was a glittering gold halter with a green crystal, either glass or stone, below her neck- it would have been extremely exposing, if not for the dainty sheer shirt she wore beneath. It was a puzzling mix of refinement and loud glamour. You’d be lying if you said she wasn’t distracting. Perhaps such was just you, as you had a special appreciation for the translucent, thin fabric, even if decorations sewn into it kept her relatively decent. Her hair had been braided into a crown that ran from one temple to another, like a hairband- you wondered who had done that for her. D'Avise, perhaps?Anya turned around, and you saw no design on her back- her shoulder bones, her back, beneath that fabric so thin that a glance could pierce it…you couldn’t help but feel warmth bubbling in your cheeks.“Well, come on then, out with it!” Anya demanded, “I know you can’t help but be struck dumb, but if you just stare for too long them I’m gonna think something’s wrong that I can’t see. Is there something on my face? Besides the giant gouge.”>Nice forehead. If I write a message on it and you look skyward I’m sure the Judge himself could look down and spot it.>You’re…certainly going to stand out from all the others.>Don’t take this the wrong way, but I didn’t know you could look that pretty.>Other?
>>3514823>You look rather dazzling. More dazzling than I expected.This is our area of expertise, so express professional approval, but don't be dumbstruck.
>>3514823>>You’re…certainly going to stand out from all the others.
>>3514823Wow, that looks...great. Not incredibly garish and gaudy at all. I'm sure all the tasteless hacks- I mean, esteemed aristocrats, at the party will appreciate it even more than I can.
>>3514846+1
>>3514823>I'm sure Maddalyn will appreciate it when I come home blind from looking at your dress in the sunlight.
>>3514846Supporting.Maybe tease her a bit; 'You should dress up more often.'
>>3514823"That's pretty gaudy Anya, not going to lie. Leave it to an Emrean..."
>>3514823>Don’t take this the wrong way, but I didn’t know you could look that pretty.Hot damn Anya.
>>3514823>Don’t take this the wrong way, but I didn’t know you could look that pretty.
>>3514823>>3514846This
Today might not have that much in the way of updates- there's a possibility I'm going somewhere in the evening, on top of the usual game day today. Anyways.>>3514847>>3514880Sarcasm veiled with sheer.>>3515169Why would Maddalyn appreciate it? Not for Anya to know, certainly.>>3515250Those people northwest are wack.>>3514846>>3515145>>3515190>>3515387A compliment to her? How considerate.>>3515354>>3515361Outright flirting.Alright, writing soon.
She cute
>>3515915All girls in the quest are cute.Even the Major.
>>3515959You're right, tanq sucks at drawing ugly women. Scary old hag waifu addition when?
Apologies for the delays, but it seems my plans aren't panning out today. I'll be out til pretty late.>>3515993Hilda's really not easy on the eyes, just saying.
>>3516478Not even here and still getting dabbed on
Anya caught you utterly off guard, and expected a prompt reply from you, but you struggled to give one. The dress was garish, gaudy, and if the sun reflected off of it the wrong way it could have blinded you, and yet…“You look…” Pretty, you almost said. Alluring, true enough. But when wasn’t she? Stop that. “…rather dazzling.” It was the cleanup itself, you said as you kept yourself from metaphorically cartwheeling backwards over a precipice, “More dazzling than I expected.” You had to get back on your feet. Anya had done nothing but put on a dress and had sent you reeling, though admittedly, it was more the teasing of the sheer that was sending blood rushing to and fro. “You should dress up more often.” A light poke, but it was a step forward instead of a further tumble backwards.Anya continued to smirk at you, one hand on a hip and another lazy hanging by her side. Even beyond your less dignified opinions of her appearance, the sparkle of the dress alone was certainly dazzling itself. She’d stand out in more ways than one, but such might have been expected of an Emrean designer. You’d certainly heard that the northern country considered itself the celestial pole which all culture revolved around like stars in the night sky, so who were you to question it? “I expected you to say somethin’ stupider, but yeah, it’s pretty nice, huh?” Perhaps Anya expected you to mock her, but she seemed rather happier with the compliment. “There’s a silver one, but I told the guy, I’m goin’ to a party with a king, and there ain’t no way I’m passing up a chance to outshine him and his lackeys!”Ah. So this was a contest. Of course.“As for dressing up more,” Anya looked slyly at you and tapped you on the nose roughly, “I better not do it too often, or else you’ll think I’m going soft. Moreover, aren’t I makin’ you feel underdressed in that?”“It makes a different sort of statement,” you said. “…Turn around again? Do you have a ponytail?”“Yeah. Grouchface said you liked ‘em. So the person who did my hair did it for me. You ought to thank her, but I think Ron-dork’d rather you not.”You had figured Anya hadn’t done her own hair, but had presumed that the tailor or one of his aides had done it. Yet to find out that it was somebody else… “Who did your hair?”“Some broad the LT found. He’s holding a room for her. If I didn’t know otherwise I’d think she’s his mistress, but that don’t seem likely, considerin’ who we’re talking about.”You weren’t sure you liked the sound of that. However, the end result was that Anya was in a ponytail. The tradeoff had been much in your favor. You’d have to thank Von Metzeler for influencing events to get Anya’s hair this way.
“What’s keeping it in place?” you resisted the temptation to reach out and…bat the ponytail of bouncy, fluffy hair. “Cord?”"Yeah. No big deal, right?”Not particularly, but with a dress this ritzy, it was a good thing you’d gotten her even relatively subdued hairpins. If the jeweler had seen what Anya had gotten gussied up in he’d probably have tried to push the entire store’s inventory on you to make her appear the human incarnation of a pirate lord’s buried treasure. You wouldn’t tell Anya about the hairpins until you got them- she’d kept the details of the dress a surprise, so why not return in kind? You simply said, no, it wasn’t a big deal.However, the bigger deal was what you shared with her concerning the Ellowian royal family’s rivalries, as well as the possibility of a secret passage within the manor the social was taking place at.“Though I would presume that, if this jeweler knew about this, the King would as well,” you went on, “Unless…I suppose, he was on the side of one of his royal rivals…”Anya shrugged. “Big deal. I’m sneaking a gun in anyways. We’ll be fine.”You squinted at her, then looked to the ceiling. “No, you’re not. I can keep you from getting in trouble but I doubt you can hide anything in that.” Not that that was a bad thing, as you could well appreciate.“Then there’s no harm in me trying. Gunfights are a lot more fun when you have a gun too, you know.” Anya made a gun with her finger as she said this, and “fired” off a few mock shot. “Bang, bang, bang. Anyways, a few jokers sneaking in through a secret passage is no problem compared to a hundred guys swarming the place from the outside. Looking for that thing might be fun, too.” Anya had been told of a threat, and in it she saw an adventure. Perhaps you would be best off seeing it that way too…considering that the two of you had not practiced dancing.…Perhaps that should be amended.“How used to moving around in that are you?” you asked.“I’ve been in it a few times, so I dunno.” Anya toyed with one of the pieces of the dress that maintained her decency, “Doesn’t feel like I can exactly jump around in this. This dress is real dandy, but I’m lacking some usual support, in case you didn’t notice.”Anya’s lack of a bra had been one of the first things you had noticed when seeing her in this new costume. There wasn’t anything perverse about such, was there? Was it not something that leaped out to one’s attention?“Yeah, alright, no need to check, dumbass,” Anya cuffed your forehead and jerked your vision back up.“Sorry.” You shook your head, “Anyways, I suppose…we should finally get to practicing for the social? Since you are in proper dress? And you need some practice moving about in it?”
Anya shrugged. “Sure. While I’m in this, I guess.” You reached out to her, and she took your hand, and you assumed proper posture as your hand touched her back, the faintest layer of cloth between you and the bare skin of her back. Anya felt completely relaxed- yet you felt like a taut bowstring. “How often have you worn dresses and skirts, anyways?” you asked as you both stood still.“Not a lot.”“Well, as I said,” you tried to joke again, to loosen yourself as you both began to step and turn with one another, “You should do it more often.”“Maybe if this party doesn’t make me want to shoot myself.” You, perhaps humorously, had a similar sentiment. That was, if events at the party didn’t turn out where somebody else shot you first, for all your careful precautions and gathering of intelligence. Closing your eyes for a moment and letting your clumsy steps with Anya go as she decided, you wondered, did you prefer this, or sparring? Dance, or contest? Or did one sweeten the taste of the other? “Hey, careful, jackass, if you make me look stupid at the party you’ll end up looking even stupider, so watch yourself.” Anya cuffed your head and you opened your eyes to see her puffing her cheeks in irritation. In a way, seeing such an expression on such a deadly person was incredibly adorable.-----
The day arrived.The first order of business was a final check on readiness for the operations to come, before you finalized errands such as picking up your jewelry orders and sending off Maddalyn's birthday gifts. “Gentlemen,” you said before the assembled Ellowian platoon, whom your hopes to minimize a seemingly inevitable disaster laid with. “Let me spare a moment to wish you whatever small merriment you may find upon this day, the longest night and the beginning of the end of winter, as the Judge hath deemed us worthy for the land to be reborn, and for another year to turn in our lives. Perhaps you feel there is little to consider a gracious gift in these times, but as I can make no claim of being you or your people’s enemy, I wish you fortune this night regardless.” A holiday well-wishing was perhaps an odd way to start this announcement, but you felt it important to set your stance regardless. “Today, King Ulys Wladysaw XI will be arriving by armored train, in order to attend a Langenachtfest social. Perhaps it will be nothing, but us in command are highly suspicious that in spite of the heavy defense of said social, by both the Gendarmes and fellow members of your company, due to a rumored buildup of insurgent forces in the area, there will likely be attacks against less well defended targets. I will have the other three platoons of this company dissuading attacks against the party at Kamienisty, as well as any aggression towards the settlement under our protection of New Jorgenstohn. As you can see,” you gestured towards the newly arrived trucks you received from the Kamienisty logistics department, “You will have duties tonight as well. Half of you will stay and garrison the bases, in the event that the second half may be called elsewhere.”A few of the Ellowians began muttering short, hurried phrases to one another, as you paused a moment to assemble the next part of your announcement.“We have posted watches in the colonial towns of Reismuhle and New Houdeberg. These are expected to be vulnerable targets of attack tonight, but our advance warning is based off of information that is sensitive, so informing the rest of the company is not a viable option.” Not entirely true, but nobody needed to know that, technically, you were in the dangerous game of playing both sides of the table. “Should a large scale insurgency raid mount, then half of the platoon will deploy with two of my officers and their tanks to respond immediately, and decisively. Lieutenant Wielzci will select who will deploy. I expect nothing less than a repeat of your last engagement, as far as competence goes.” 4th platoon’s last battle, of course, having been a successful ambush with no friendly casualties.“Coordinator,” Lieutenant Wielzci tapped your shoulder after you finished and the troops began to disperse after your brief dismissal, “We need to have a word.”
“Of course.” You let the Ellowian officer lead you off a bit into the camp. “What is it?”“I’m asking you this here instead of in front of all the men because you gave us the chance to attack an enemy of our people. Those who wouldn’t even show the common decency of being a graceful victor. I don’t rightly know why you did such a thing, but we appreciate it even so. You could get in bad trouble for that sort of thing. But you know what you’re asking here, right?”“I am asking you to counter the efforts of your own countrymen, yes.” You answered.“I intend to follow through with this plan, Coordinator. However. I don’t think many of us thing we’re traitors. But here, we’re gonna be fighting a whole bunch of our own people, to keep them from pouncing on people who’re taking advantage of how Ellowians’ve been kicked off their land. Defending the people who’re stealing land our ancestor’s ancestors lived on, that countless friends and family’ve died trying to protect. I’ve got my reasons why I think I can do this and still call myself a good servant of my country. If somebody else asks you what to say about this, though, I want to know what you’d tell them. If they asked you, why do this instead of what they saw as the more right thing?”>I’d say that they don’t have much of a choice. It’s either here or a POW camp or UGZ. Or the Kommissariat has even more free reign to do what they will with them and their friends and family. The war is lost. What good is it to resist in such a way now, where it will make things worse for everybody?>I would present that I have given this assignment because the men have earned my trust, and that I have watched out for them, and given them opportunity and extended a hand in camaraderie. I thus expect that we share our battles and duties as a unit instead of individuals. If I would be shown to have been a fool for trusting Ellowians, then I suppose the men are free to decide to make such an example.>I’d imagine that any conscientious soldier would recognize that the slaughter and torment of those who have no wish to fight is reprehensible no matter who does it nor their motivation. I would ask those with misgivings about this, would they allow the mercenaries from earlier their crimes if a few flags were changed around? This is a question of their honor as fighting men, not of who is or is not their enemy.>Other?Also, a few other matters.>Do you want to use Emma for anything tonight, bring her to the party, or other things?And>Did you want to find Kelwin an escort, or are you feeding him to the wolves?
>>3517661>I would present that I have given this assignment because the men have earned my trust, and that I have watched out for them, and given them opportunity and extended a hand in camaraderie. I thus expect that we share our battles and duties as a unit instead of individuals. If I would be shown to have been a fool for trusting Ellowians, then I suppose the men are free to decide to make such an example.>No>Feed Kelwin to the wolves. He’ll be fiiiinnnneeeee
>>3517692+1
>>3517661>>I’d imagine that any conscientious soldier would recognize that the slaughter and torment of those who have no wish to fight is reprehensible no matter who does it nor their motivation. I would ask those with misgivings about this, would they allow the mercenaries from earlier their crimes if a few flags were changed around? This is a question of their honor as fighting men, not of who is or is not their enemy.>No>Feed Kelwin to the wolves.
>>3517692supporting
>>3517661>I’d imagine that any conscientious soldier would recognize that the slaughter and torment of those who have no wish to fight is reprehensible no matter who does it nor their motivation. I would ask those with misgivings about this, would they allow the mercenaries from earlier their crimes if a few flags were changed around? This is a question of their honor as fighting men, not of who is or is not their enemy.>Invite Emma to the party if she wants>Feed Kelwin to the wolves.
>>3517661>>I’d imagine that any conscientious soldier would recognize that the slaughter and torment of those who have no wish to fight is reprehensible no matter who does it nor their motivation. I would ask those with misgivings about this, would they allow the mercenaries from earlier their crimes if a few flags were changed around? This is a question of their honor as fighting men, not of who is or is not their enemy.>>Let the fat ghost out of the teapot for a while, chat>>Feed Kelwin to the wolves.
Rolled 2 (1d2)Aight.>>3517692>>3517793>>3517851Focus on trust>>3517802>>3517995>>3518141Focus on honorMind you the two aren't necessarily mutually exclusive, but it's a matter of which is presented as more important, so I'll roll off here. 1 for first, 2 for second.As for the other options, seems like the vote is to keep Emma at "home," and let Kelwin be attacked by thirsty socialites. How cruel. Writing on roll.
Sorry about the wait, conked out right after the roll off. Sleep deprivation does things to you. Update is now.
There was a want to say that you trusted the men to do this duty, elsewise you wouldn’t have assigned them it. That you would have hoped they trusted you enough in turn to know you were making the right decisions, and that by your favors to them, that the least they could do was extend a hand in camaraderie back to you as you held out yours. Yet, could you say that and have them believe it, or would such be naïve? Had you really been together long enough for them to trust you? Considering Wielzci’s statement of not being traitors, and Anya’s telling you of the common Ellowian insurgent belief, that the war had not ended yet, could you truly say that them seeing you as a foe was out of the question?So you instead chose to build your fortress on that which you hoped all soldiers found similar cause in.“I’d imagine that any conscientious soldier would recognize that the slaughter and torment of those who have no wish to fight is reprehensible, no matter who does it nor their motivation. I would ask those with misgivings about that, if they would allow the mercenaries from earlier their crimes if a few flags were changed around? This is a question of their honor as fighting men, not of who is or is not their enemy.”“Hm.” Wielzci crossed his arms as he regarded you, considered your answer. “You’d ask that we show ourselves to be better than those we despise? Such words would ring hollow from most Netillian masters. Yet you are of the Archduchy. Perhaps then, proclamations on what is noble or not can be taken more seriously.”“I don’t know what war you fought,” you told Wielzci, “But I never heard of Ellowie’s sons fighting un-valiantly. I maintain my trust and hope that out of all that Ellowie lost in its wars, its honor was not one of those things.”Wielzci kept his arms coiled about one another, tilted his head up, closed his eyes, and sighed slowly. “A dreamer, I see. Though I suppose I can’t say I disagree. Nobody likes a bitter cynic when it comes to this bloody business. The men should approve of your reasons.”You supposed that was his admission that he would tell his people of your answer. “You said you intended to follow through with this, even before asking me this. Why would you say that? You already had your mind made up.”
Wielzvi opened his eyes again and peered down his nose at you, then tilted his head down to its original position. “Because I knew, if I took the deal offered me, I would have to do things I didn’t necessarily agree with. Could say I’m a bit selfish. I got captured because I stayed behind to delay for the army’s retreat. So that my wife and son could get out with them. I want to see both of them again, and for that…I’ll have to bite the bullet a few times. I’m more use to my countrymen here, too, rather than rotting away in a prisoner of war camp in Netilland like I was right after my first war ended.”Wielzci couldn’t have been much older than you, or he might have been the same age. Yet he already spoke as though he’d aged fifteen years over the course of one. Whether that was a boon or not to him, or his fellows, you couldn’t say yet.------UGZ-07: Kopiec Rafael: 5:05 PM-“Man, this’s a ton of gear. Where’d all this come from?” a youthful militiaman said of the crates of packed equipment being unloaded in a discrete basement by his fellow freedom fighters. This plan had been long in preparation, but hasty in execution. In the end, though, fortune had gone their way, and this plot had mostly avoided detection. “Friends outside the country,” came the gruff response of a grizzled old man, in his fifties, with a limp. He had been declared unfit for service in this war, because of an injury from another. In times like this, though, it no longer mattered that his leg dragged with each step. “These are far more guns and munitions than we could hope to use. Spread ‘em throughout the place, and the occupying troops here’ll have a real situation on their hands; one they can’t hope to control. If they move right, maybe they can contain it from going outside…but we’ve got the tunnel, still. This’ll be a big day for the National Liberation Front.”“And a bloody day,” a bookish man added, who was overseeing the extraction of the tools of war, and making notes in a booklet. “I hope the gains made will be worth the inevitable reprisals. The Military Council will not suffer this level of uprising to happen again if they can help it.”“That’s why we’re gonna take the base here prisoner, yeah?” the leader of a band of fighters said from the other corner of the room, he and his team taking their share of inventory, “No way they’ll do anything too stupid if they’ve got the heads of their own on the line.”
“I have already stated my own objections,” the bookkeeper scowled, “All of this too early. You expect little but failure, yet the people in this place cannot see the storm on the horizon for the honeyed truths you have selectively fed them, and the people here are either too young and headstrong or old and spiteful, dear leader, to not wish to sup on the same.”“If you want to duck out of this…” the old man warned steadily, but stopped himself. “You will not rid the NLF of its reasonable minds so easily. Yet when this is all over, do not say I did not tell you so.”-----With everything arranged as it was, the day flew into the evening with remarkable speed. Let the night come, you thought- you were ready. You had heavy troop presence in the most vital areas, a quick reaction force ready to go above and beyond your obligations to the company, and an Anya in a shiny dress that was open in all the right places (her words, not yours- that all of her scars be visible was apparently a specific request of her’s). You could have asked for more, certainly, but you had faith that this Langenachtfest would prove to at least be somewhat sweet in the end- though you wondered if the party would come to an abrupt end or if it would continue on, acting blind to the chaos outside.Maddalyn’s gifts and your second letter were on its way; the latter having undergone a few revisions. You’d done your best to set aside your hunger, and wrote a cute, tender letter instead. Or at least, done your best to. The ring would be hidden in the scents box- let it be a proper surprise, you thought.So what was left was to give Anya her gift- let it be a Langenachtfest present, you figured. You’d given the pins a test in your hands, to make sure they were far from soft- indeed, they refused to bend, and you thought them dull at first; until you saw that the tips came off near seamlessly to reveal quite sharp points indeed. “Judge above,” Anya complained, a black cardigan covering most of her and her dress- Anya adapted to cold with surprising ability, but Von Metzeler insisted that a dress was only to be revealed in full at the event itself. Her hair had been freshly redone, naturally. “I’m gonna die if I don’t eat something soon. Damn that Metzeler, that crap about not eating was probably just that- crap. How the hell can anybody do it?” “There will be food at the manor,” you told Anya, “I have a present for you.”“Is it food?”“…No.” you retrieved the long box from your back pocket and handed it over. Anya blinked at you, and took the box from your hand and opened it, staring in. “…Meat skewers?”
“What? No, they’re hair pins. They go in your ponytail to help keep it tight.” Anya continued to stare blankly, and you took one out and took the point cap off of it, showing its fierce sharpness. That got her attention. “I know you don’t like going anywhere without a weapon, so I had these specially modified so you could take them into the party.”Anya’s brow furrowed, and she took one of the pins out and looked it up and down. “Are these…real jewels?”“Emeralds, yes.” They match her eyes. Almost perfectly. “In engraved silver.”You saw Anya’s throat move as she swallowed. “…Er. How much were they?”“Don’t worry, they were far from the most expensive thing. I thought you wouldn’t like something fancier.”“No, it’s not that, I mean, I coulda bought these instead of…y’know.”“Then I couldn’t have made them a present, could I?” you took the pin from Anya’s hand and moved behind her, and undid the loose ponytail to reconstruct it with the two pins- as the jeweler had let you practice on a dummy head until you got it right. “Do you like them?”“I mean, it’s just,” Anya put the heel of her hand on her brow and scratched at the edge of her hair with her gloved fingers, “I didn’t get you anything. Doesn’t feel right.” She raised her hand off her head, “Know what? All right. What do you want? These things are…pretty sweet, I’m not afraid to say. So I'll give something too. Worth as much as these, so it's fair and square.”>I said they were a gift, didn’t I? I need nothing in return.>That dress is already a present enough. I’m just evening the score.>A present, for me? Oh, you shouldn’t, but if you insist…(What?)>Other?
>>3519533>OtherI'll let you surpise me
>>3519682supporting
>>3519682This is good
>>3519533>I said they were a gift, didn’t I? I need nothing in return.When this is all over we should consider getting her a golden pen for doing all the paperwork for us too.
>>3519533>>3519682This.As long as it's not a kiss on the cheek or something. We are a married man after all.
>>3519682>>3519709>>3519858>>3519913Surprise me!>Thinking Anya would kiss you>>3519870Nothing! Perhaps nothing would be surprising?Writing.
>>3519934I don't.That's why it would be a surprise.
Honestly, you couldn’t think of anything you wanted; not from Anya, at least. At the moment. So you shrugged. “If you must repay me, then I don’t know what to request. Surprise me.”“Surprise you?” Anya squinted, then a malicious glint appeared in her eyes. “Alright. I think I’ve got something. Hey, what’s this I’m holding in my other hand?” You looked to her raised hand and saw nothing, but then to her other, held at her side. It was…held with her pointer finger and thumb’s ends together, with the other fingers splayed out. “Uh…” you didn’t know what to make of this, and were about to express such, when Anya jumped forward and socked you right in the arm. “Ow! Gah!” you recoiled, grasping your forearm, “When I said surprise me I didn’t mean like that!”“So picky,” Anya chastised you mockingly, “So this is in a couple hours, yeah? God, I don’t know if I’ll last that long…” She held a hand to her stomach and grimaced, “You said they might have eel, right?”“Among other things, yes.” You winced and rubbed where Anya had punched you. Damn, she’d really whacked you. “Strange things for the cultured and ordinary things for the less daring, I’d imagine.” Though you doubted Anya particularly cared.“I won’t leave anything left,” Anya practically vowed, “If I could trade years of my life for hours to pass in an instant, I would now. I’m so hungry…”You hadn’t connected the dots until now, but you now wondered if, considering Anya’s short stature, she had been malnourished in her youth. It certainly wouldn’t have surprised you, considering her place of birth and where she grew up, and even more so, the conditions she apparently lived in. She didn’t seem to mind it beyond literal bellyaching, but perhaps Von Metzeler had been less cognizant that hunger pangs would have been an unpleasantly familiar memory to Anya. Of course she didn’t complain…but you couldn’t help but feel unsettled in her stead.“Come, let’s retrieve Captain Kelwin,” you beckoned to Anya, “We’ll go to Kamienisty early. Maybe pick up something small so you still have room for the banquet table later.”“Holy shit,” Anya grabbed your arm and began to lead you away, “Let’s go!” She nearly knocked you off your balance for how forcefully she tugged you away, and you didn’t quite recover your footing until she let you go.-----
Lieutenant Von Metzeler sat atop a tank, one designated the X-52, looking to the darkening horizon, the emergent stars, and awaited the flight of new ones- the signal for the watches posted either reporting safety, suspicion, or attack- in case the field telephones failed, of course. Lieutenant Wielzci was responsible for such checkups, and had been reporting diligently enough that Von Metzeler had excused himself from the temporary field headquarters just outside of the company command base to have the tanks ready to go at the first sign of trouble.On the tank beside, practically a twin of the X-52, the only practical difference being its moniker of X-53, another officer climbed up to sit across from Von Metzeler. “Evening, Rondo.” Krause waved as Von Metzeler looked to his flank. “Have to stay home tonight so Richter can attend a party? You think you and the troops share the same feelings about that?”“That we are both ambivalent? I should hope so.” Von Metzeler replied.“Come now.” Krause egged on, “You can’t pretend we don’t know you’re seeing somebody in the UGZ. Who is it? Is it a woman?”“You presume uncouth activities on my part.” Von Metzeler scowled. “…Yes, it is a woman.”“And the two of you are engaging in absolutely uncouth activities.”Von Metzeler snorted. “Of course not. We are acquaintances, but no more.”“Of course.” Krause smiled widely, sounding utterly lacking in belief of his friend’s words. “So, does this acquaintance wear glasses?”Von Metzeler gave Krause an annoyed look.“Yeah, I knew it.” Krause nodded and stretched out backwards over the turret of the tank he sat on, “Try as you might to hide it, you’ve never shaken your thing for that librarian look, have you?”“She does wear spectacles.” Von Metzeler did not acknowledge any other part of what had been accused.“Is she fair?”“…Yes, she is fair.”“Ha,” Krause rolled to his side and leaned on his hand, propping his head up. “You said she was fair. You do fancy this mysterious woman.”“It is merely a statement of fact. Fancy has naught to do with it.”“Suuure it does.” Krause laughed, “So. Why do you go into a miserable slum like Ackersdol to see her, then? She must be a distracting diversion to sway you from your usual hobbies in such places.”“We have conversations, and walk from place to place. I have done my best to find a scenic place or wholesome entertainment,” Von Metzeler frowned deeply, “but I have failed. Somehow, she does not mind such- but that is fine. She is pleasant to talk at length with.”“What do you talk about?”
“What has happened. What is happening, what we think will come as a result. What is right, and what is just. We disagree in plenty of places, but I can rarely point to a time where she is necessarily incorrect, broadly. I like to believe that we are learning much from one another. It is like looking across a valley, yet we can speak across it as though we were next to one another.”“…Yep, alright,” Krause smiled, “Just make sure to bed her irresponsibly soon. I hear Richter is sending his little woman dirty, dirty letters, and I can’t help but be concerned that when Lady Von Blum bears his firstborn, she will still lack in feminine endowment, and will be in terrible need of a wet nurse.”“That will be quite enough, Frederick.” Von Metzeler said to the sky, crossly. There was silence between them for a minute, before Von Metzeler added, “Lieutenant Wielzci is an experienced tank commander, I have heard. If you wish to stay behind here, you have the option.”Krause squinted at Von Metzeler and shook his head. “How ridiculous. You’d have me surrender my chance for glory in battle to you?”“I would not see you wounded once more or killed aga…killed, while under my command.”“Even more ridiculous.” Krause stated, “Think of if I were to make the same statement towards you.”Von Metzeler paused. “…Of course. I apologize.”“Think nothing of it,” Krause waved the comment off, “I would not dare think of dying before you felt your dues owed had been paid to me.”-----“Thith ith duh befth thuggin brurth ahff evur eaffen,” Anya said as she wolfed down a honeyed nut roll, a dense, chewy pastry with thinly sliced almonds with as well as sprinkled atop, that was a traditional treat for the holiday, this particular one procured from a street-side vendor. After she was finished obliterating it, she sighed like she was about to burst at the seams from relief. “Oh, man, I needed that.”“Do try to eat slower when we are at the actual party, please,” you asked of Anya as you pulled your handkerchief (technically Krause’s, but he had forfeited it for some reason) out of your pocket and dabbed sticky crumbs off of Anya’s mouth; she seemed confused at first, but didn’t object particularly besides a roll of her eyes.“From the sound of how you said that guy described his slimy majesty’s cousin, there’ll be broads there with dirtier shit on them than crumbs.”“What do you mean?” Kelwin asked, clueless. You had pressured him into coming to this party- but didn’t bother finding him an escort. Such, you had heard, was like throwing him into a den of hungry (female) wolves, but you figured that he would be just fine. What manner of ravenous upper class lady would pursue somebody with such an innocent and youthful face?
“Well, y’see…” Anya wasn’t thinking of how to put it politely, you knew- she was trying to think of something funny. “…Nah, you’re going as a single. You’ll figure it out.” Anya started cackling to herself, apparently finding what visions of future misfortune she imagined more humorous than any smart remark she could conjure on short notice.“Rumors and gossip,” you supplied to Kelwin, since Anya had not had the chance to suggest something filthy.Kelwin frowned, but he seemed to remain cautiously hopeful. “This’ll be…be really interesting, I can already tell. The King will be here! I’ve never talked to anything approaching a king. Are you going to talk to him?”“Perhaps, if I find the time.” You answered. If disaster didn’t strike, that was.-----When the appointed time came and you walked (just behind) a heavily escorted party of party guests, you passed by a picked of your own troops-they saluted, told of the complete lack of disturbances…which was premature, but you hoped for such the whole night.“If something does happen,” Kelwin’s eyes followed the troops as you walked on, “Will this social continue?”“Depends on how much of a dick cheese the king is.” Anya told him.“…The High Protector is not a ”dick cheese,” I don’t think,” Kelwin muttered, “I should think Ellowie would be glad to at least be ruled by one of their own. The High Protector could have refused the job, but there was at least an attempt to show the Ellowians we have a mind to work together now that our wars have ended…”Raley Kelwin was a member of Netilland’s Defense Party- the only political party with any power in Netilland, as it happened, what with the Military Council’s coup and continued “provincial reign,” but he seemed a legitimate believer in their policies. The brighter side of them, at least. He seemed to lack the proper fire needed to be a warmonger, but then, it was called the ”Defense” Party, not the “Conquer your neighbors and bend them to your will” Party.“How many Ellowians you talk to, shorty?”Kelwin didn’t seem like he was fond of being referred to as shorty by a woman more diminutive than he, but Anya’s attempts to provoke him had not yet sparked retorts that weren’t said under his breath. “Not many, I suppose, though I do know the general opinion of the High Protector.”“Getting back to the original question, then, I’m sure that unless somebody comes right up and shoves a gun in the Weasel’s eye, there’ll be sparkling wine being served the whole night.”
You hadn’t told Kelwin of the secret passage- Anya’s scenario presented was something that very well could play out, depending on if the manor was secured. However, when you and Anya had discussed it, she had presented that it would most likely be used by people in disguise, rather than for an assault like the NLF were emulating tunneling engineers in the Emrean War. Her reasoning being that two or three people suddenly appearing from within that weren’t quite recognizable, would be much harder to detect than a whole flood- and that any secret escape tunnel would be coming from a place where the attackers could be channelized by even the apparently incompetent Gendarmes.Two or three people with firearms could still cause plenty of damage, though, you thought.When you reached the manor, the Gendarmes in polished helms and fancy scarlet tunics at the entrances signed you, Anya, and Kelwin in- even though the latter-most’s right to entry was likely only hours old. A basic search was conducted, and if nothing else, the Gendarmes knew how to do such. You were glad that you’d managed to get Anya’s pistol that she tried to smuggle in off of her before you arrived, much to her chagrin. The initial entrance was a grand garden, fenced off with dark iron, but with plenty of benches and booths for those who wished to loiter outdoors rather than inside, bright lamps already lit to keep such an option through the night. Marble sculpture that was meant to emulate Nauk Imperial classical sculpture, complete with purposeful breaks to copy famous sculptures that had not survived the passages of time, were positioned strategically in lanes of groomed bushes. It was here in this garden that everybody was crowded, at least, until the manor officially opened. From what you could see, most of the men were in uniform as Kelwin was, though a few had opted for substantially fancier dress. The women all wore outerwear as Anya did, concealing the actual party-wear, though you had no doubts of what it would be like considering the breath of hairdos. For a class derogatorily referred to as neo-nobility, plenty seemed to do their best to be refined. Strossvald nobility had little respect for those without proper royal endowment or accolades, however. That you were of noble blood was a commonly known fact about any who knew anything about the “Coordinator,” and such was apparently an object of fascination both in Netilland and some of Ellowie. It was after a confident lady made a short pass at you that it became clear that you and Anya couldn’t just stand an arm’s breadth from one another.“Hey, what?” Anya demanded as you took her arm, “The hell’re you doing?”“The time has come for you to act as my shield,” you said to Anya, as you threaded your arm through hers, “Apparently just standing near one another still gives a few some hope for an opening. I need to actually look escorted.”
“Bleh,” Anya settled into her new role, though her eyes half closed in discontent, “If I’m gonna be lashed t’you you’d better wander close to the food, or I’ll drag you over myself. Speaking of, if the King doesn’t get here soon, I’ll have to kill him and eat him to survive.”“Don’t joke about that,” muttered Kelwin warily, “The Gendarme might not find it funny.”“Then they oughta get the sticks out of their asses.”The time spend in the gradually more crowded front garden was mercifully cut short, though apparently, King Wladysaw was going to make any speeches that night inside, and after there had been some socialization, and chances to get drinks down. Traditionally, Von Metzeler had informed you before you left, any statements by the host or guest of honor (it was unclear which one the King was, considering his Gendarmes had supplanted any other guards) were said before the first dance. That left you and Anya some time to do other things, though Anya’s first objective was going to be the food table, and it would be difficult to persuade her otherwise.Von Metzeler had also informed you that it was when the event opened up and everybody moved inside, that the aggression of the bachelorettes would ramp up significantly, as they shed their jackets, cardigans, and long coats to properly show their evening fashions, and their confidence in their ability to sway the male attendants would increase proportionally.You were personally satisfied to finally see Anya’s cardigan be passed off to an attendant at the door. Her spectacular (and quite specular) golden garb did certainly grab the attention of some, though you quickly noticed that an arms race in fashion was quickly revealing itself as matters moved indoors. Not that Anya could possibly care about anything then than relieving her famishment. You were dragged bodily from spacious interior to warmly lit and merrily decorated interior, in search of the elusive presentation of cuisine. It soon dawned on you that Anya, as a young woman whose experience was with small houses, camps, and forts, probably had never been in a manor before, and had gotten herself lost, and was becoming increasingly incensed over it until you took command and led her to where the pickings lay.
Since you weren’t being rushed around anymore, you finally could get a good look at the manor’s interiors. Most of the far rooms were actually only sparsely decorated, the place clearly not being complete; though evidently judged worthy for a party. You could agree with that judgement upon returning to the ballroom, two storied with a balcony running around the edge that you now led Anya across to a set of long stairs. It wasn’t nearly as luxurious as Lord Wossehn’s ballroom, but then, Lord Wossehn had been one of the richest men in the world who lived in a personal castle. This manor’s smaller ballroom was not so rich, but it was decorated in a lovely seasonal fashion with sprigs of pine, tinsel, and a large tree in the center of the room that reached up to the second floor. You questioned how they got such a beast inside, when you noticed quirks of the needles and branches that showed the tree was artificial. No less impressive, of course.The ballroom floor itself was black and pink tiles of granite, the tiles cut in an oval and ringed with a meandering mosaic pattern as the borders of the dance floor were a plainer white tile. You got a good view of it as you went down the steps. On one end of the room, a piano man and a team of string instrument operators had already gotten to work keening out solemn tones that were underlain with the gossip and chatter of the growing mess of people below.“Sheesh,” Anya said as she looked down over the guests, “A few of those slags, if somebody fell the wrong way into their fronts they’d vanish forever.”“We must all flaunt what we can, right?” you teased Anya, though it was true that her sheer shirt actually made her look more modest than even the average woman with a much more conservatively designed dress.One could say what they would about the party, but its culinary aspect was certainly well appointed. In the dining parlor to the flank of the ballroom, fine white porcelain and gold plates of charcuterie, pastries, tea sandwiches, and various other small, bite or several-bite sized pieces of food were laid out, all of appropriate size to simply grab and consume as quickly as possible, in one smooth movement. Anya tried to buck the rules, and eat at least two or three things at a time before you reigned her in. Thankfully, after an initial spree, she proved much more patient, though you heard tittering mockery from some about how much she was consuming. Anya was ignoring the flutes of sparkling wine, and even the bowls of steaming spiced mulled wine, though you picked up one of the former glasses for politeness’s sake. If Anya got any rowdier you’d need something stronger from the bar across the way.
“Thith ithucking grafeht,” she said through about five meatballs dipped in various cocktail sauces and wrapped in bacon or prosciutto, her mouth so full her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk. She likely either didn’t hear or didn’t care about what any criticisms had to say with her newfound privilege to ravage the dining room’s offerings. Not that any of the women, at least, would say anything to her face- you noticed readily that the upper rung of women that had gathered here were visibly intimidated and afraid of Anya, even though many were taller than her. It was clear Anya was used to much, much rougher “parties.” A few people caught your eye as you were able to negotiate with Anya to not sack the hors d’oeuvres tables and dragged her back to the ballroom. One was Captain Kelwin, who had become separated from you, and was now being harassed by a trio of young women- rather, specifically, by their leader, while the two others watched from the sidelines with humored expressions as they boxed in the young officer against the alpha female. She was a woman slightly taller than Kelwin and roughly his age, with neck-length straight brown hair and a confidently sultry look on her well made-up face; her blue and green iridescent dress was cut and pushed in ways to make the most of her figure, though the most noticeable thing about her was the gold circlet about her head, set with a diamond in its center, though she was hardly lacking in jewelry besides, and was clearly either very wealthy or related to somebody who was.
The other person who caught your eye was a handsome man with an eerie look about his eyes, with how he glanced back at you when you were looking at him, and he smiled. He was escorted by a young lady, but she looked visibly distressed, with the sort of false smile a person wore when they had to look glad- or risk consequences. The man himself wore a fancy cape with gold epaulettes upon it and a high, popped collar, with black shiny boots reaching up to his thighs, loose, poofy pants, and a medallion round his neck with a hammer emblem upon it; specifically, the one styled as the Military Council’s seal. His uniform was flashily decorated with gold braiding; though you knew enough about this fellow’s ilk that he hadn’t had to dress up for the party. This man was a Kommissar, and after you had sighted each other, you noticed him beckoning when you looked over with a darkening of his eyes and a smile.“That guy’s bad news,” Anya said helpfully. “C’mon, if we’re not dancing, then why are we hanging around this room? Let’s go look for that secret entrance. It’ll be more fun.”Easy enough to say, of course. There were Gendarmes patrolling about, and though it wasn't as though sections of the manor were off limits unless there was somebody standing directly in front of a door, usually, when a man and his lady friend tried to sneak off somewhere, it was to do things you'd rather not hear rumors about. Especially if it was somewhere as secluded as the cellar, where a secret escape passage would most likely be. But there was no reason there'd be a misunderstanding like that anyways- not when Anya was concerned. Right?>Rescue Kelwin from his feminine assaulters. He was alone, besieged, and would be doomed without you rushing to his aid.>Go see the Kommissar, since he was clearly interested in you, at least. And you had a feeling it would be better for you to go to him than for him to find a way to force the matter…>Take Anya’s suggestion and try to find things you shouldn’t, having the run of the manor, and its lower floors.>Look for another specific sort of person?>Other?
>>3520766>Go see the Kommissar, since he was clearly interested in you, at least. And you had a feeling it would be better for you to go to him than for him to find a way to force the matter…
>>3520766>>Go see the Kommissar, since he was clearly interested in you, at least. And you had a feeling it would be better for you to go to him than for him to find a way to force the matter…This guy sounds sketchy as hell though.
>>3520771He’s a high-ranking political officer in a super-authoritarian regime, of course he’s a creep
>>3520774Even for Kommisssar standards this guy seems like a piece of work.
>>3520766>Take Anya’s suggestion and try to find things you shouldn’t, having the run of the manor, and its lower floors.
>>3520766>Rescue Kelwin from his feminine assaulters. He was alone, besieged, and would be doomed without you rushing to his aid.He's not Metzeler, he hasn't earned his harem.
>>3520766>>Go see the Kommissar, since he was clearly interested in you, at least. And you had a feeling it would be better for you to go to him than for him to find a way to force the matter…
>>3520766>Rescue Kelwin from his feminine assaulters. He was alone, besieged, and would be doomed without you rushing to his aid.Tell Anya if she wants to show off to see who's (metaphorical) dick is bigger now's her chance. If the Kommissar wants us he knows where our camp is. I doubt anyone wants to be his friend.
I hath returned.>>3520768>>3520771>>3520943>>3520964Go see the Kommissar. You haven't seen this guy before...though that may be a good thing.>>3520875Explore lower parts with Anya>>3520919>>3520989B e g o n e t h o t sThis'll be fun. Writing.
“…Come with me,” you said to Anya, looking to the Kommissar, who looked back, soft smile tilting upwards incrementally more as he saw he’d caught your proper attention. Of all the sorts of people to have interested in you, a Kommissar was the sort who could be very good, and very, very bad. Especially because an interest from a political officer here was a non-negotiable relationship. So you went to him, since it would be better to do that than to force him to seek you out…“What, I say he’s bad news, and you’re still goin’ for him?” Anya choked. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Yet in spite of Anya’s apprehension, she didn’t break from you. The kommissar’s smirk reached its peak, and he raised a hand from within his cloak to his head level, and bent two fingers forward, before walking towards you. His escort obediently followed…but at a very precise distance. You had to dodge a few guests, but the oncoming Kommissar, his cloak billowing out behind him with each step, had his path cleared before his sight, though not in a way one could point out how. You met in the middle of the ballroom- he was somewhat smaller than you, but the cloak, hat, and presence he carried with him made you feel as though he stood far taller than you in ways unseen. His deep blue eyes pierced into you, and he closed his eyes slightly, before bending a small bow with his hand to his chest.“Good evening, and merry Langenachtfest. You are Coordinator Richter Von Tracht, yes? And his lovely partner, Miss Anya Nowicki? She certainly looks ostentatious tonight, does she not? I know not whether to feel inadequate, or to think you cruel for not dressing to match.”“You have me at a disadvantage,” you confessed, “You know much about me, but I cannot say the same about you…”“Ah ha, there is no need to worry about that,” the Kommissar looked up at you, still in his slight bow, his eyes like those of a lynx. “I have a less storied history than you, and I tend to not range very widely, though you may be surprised to learn, our duties have intersected in some places. A proper introduction is in order. I, am Captain of State Security Kommissar Alrik Zohl.” Ah, shit.
“Perhaps you have heard of me, as I have been inserted here with the 13th Mechanized Guards battalion compliment local to here. In such an elite and well equipped unit, it is important that proper discipline and zeal to state and nation be carefully guided and groomed, after all. In such a way, Coordinator, our positions are alike one another; though you solely dabble in martial prowess.”“In a way, I suppose so.” You agreed…to a point. “Though I believe your obligations to the Kommissariat don’t give you quite the flexibility I do, no?”“Perhaps, though if one knows their place well enough, it is easy to move about even if some believe you fettered. Such things as rules, regulations, allegiances… guidelines, truly. Particularly if you wish to make war against your own by proxy, such as with mercenaries, perhaps?” Zohl smiled in his odd little way and glanced at you at a slight angle. “Oh, do not cock your brow so, I make no threats. I wish to speak further, though, perhaps in a place that affords us more privacy. Oh, but perhaps you should not bring along Miss Anya, as I would rather this be…between us.”>Whatever you have to say, we can talk about it here. Surely you know how to be careful with words as I do?>I have done naught wrong, and no offense towards you. I merely executed unorthodox discipline for those who broke the laws of the land.>Very well. We can go someplace less crowded. Though if I do not bring female company wherever I go, I fear I begin to wither. I must bring Anya.>So long as there is time before the king’s address and first dance, certainly, we can share a short conversation. Anya may wait here until then.>Other?
>>3521527>>Whatever you have to say, we can talk about it here. Surely you know how to be careful with words as I do?
>>3521527>Whatever you have to say, we can talk about it here. Surely you know how to be careful with words as I do?
>>3521527>>>Whatever you have to say, we can talk about it here. Surely you know how to be careful with words as I do?If he wants to threaten us he can bloody well do it here. Maybe lower our voices a bit?
>>3521542>>3521555>>3521636>>3521661>>3521666Everybody including Satan wants this conversation to be where everybody can hear it. Well, in lower voices. Writin'.
“Whatever you have to say,” you said, wary of a trap or being cornered unnecessarily, “We can talk about it here. If it is a sensitive subject, surely you know how to be careful with one’s words?”The Kommissar turned his hands up, and then down. “Of course I do. But I thought it would be generous to offer a chance for both of us to express ourselves unhindered. If you would rather have everything seen through the social curtain, then by all means, we can communicate through a sheet of sheer, so long s your gaze is discerning enough to spy through it as one can spy your fair partner’s scars through her translucent shroud.”“I doubt your own escort appreciates you hitting on Anya,” you said critically.“Oh, her?” Zohl’s brow raised in amusement, “Perhaps we should ask.” He turned to the woman who trailed behind him, who was dressed in a pretty green satin dress cut at her collarbones, and had shoulder length black hair worn loose, with a silver choker round her neck. “Do you mind?”“No.” the woman said, empty voiced. “I don’t.”“Go on and share your name. Everybody has been introduced but you.” Zohl goaded the girl.“…My name doesn’t matter.” The woman said, as though rehearsed.“What a cruel thing to say about yourself.” Zohl still looked as though he thought all of this was funny. “Why does your name not matter?”“…Because I am replaceable.” The woman said quietly.“Indeed, you are.” Zohl’s gaze returned to you slyly, “Come here.” The woman stepped obediently forward, and Zohl wrapped his hand around her middle and squeezed the flank of her waist in a tight hand. “Does this not illustrate much? Of course it does, but the suppressed disgust on your faces. I know the depth of it even so. Yet, curiosity. How could a lady become so broken, you wonder, that she calls herself such things at a social? Certainly, no crowd is around us, but we are very much in public nevertheless.” Zohl gave you a sinister glare, tilting his cap forward, “Power. I have been granted such by the state for doing my duties well. Certainly, there are malicious rumors about me, but,” his hand slid up his partner’s middle, around her chest, then trailed up her neck and onto her cheek and chin. “the state could hardly care less. To share in their prosperity and gain that is the boon of my toil is my right, after all. We both know well the unspoken right of those with greater power to take freely from those who cannot or will not resist. My power is my reward, so long as I am capable and efficient, who cares what the price is?”
Zohl trailed his fingers about and pulled on his mistress’s lower lip, opening her small mouth with his ring finger. “The same is the case with this woman. Women’s wills crumble quickly before the strong, Von Tracht. It is simply their nature. This wretch will do whatever in order to remain at my side, and share in my power. She is pretty, no? She is an Ellowian. I plucked her from a transition center. She had lovely words about defiance, retribution, yet in the end, here she is. One of many who eventually became nameless. She has simply been smart enough to keep me from casting her aside yet.”“You gonna actually say somethin’, or are you gonna ramble on all night?” Anya asked, accusatory and blunt. “If you’re gonna stroke your ego that hard then I’m gonna need to back up so you don’t get anything on me.”Zohl did not surrender a step. “Adorable. I had heard that you were terribly headstrong, Miss Nowicki, but most women are disturbed, if not cowed by my demonstration and the weight of my will. Know that your resistance in itself is impressive, but what else could one expect from a bloodthirsty Sosaldtian mercenary?...A moment.” He released his woman, “You. Get me a drink. You have no need to soak in the coming words.” When the woman had scurried off, wide eyed, he smiled thinly and spoke to Anya. “You are right, I am speaking over much, but it is all for a point. Did you know, Miss Anya, that Von Tracht may have been stepping on a few toes lately?” Zohl looked over back to you, “Kommissar Vanberg was incredibly furious about a tragedy that befell his costly mercenaries, which I am sure you had nothing at all to do with. Perhaps you have heard that him and I are not on the best of terms. I consider our relationship a friendly rivalry. His opinion is tragically a much more hostile one. So one can understand that I found his misfortune to be terribly amusing. Hm hm hm.” Zohl chuckled to himself, then straightened the medallion about his neck and cocked his head. “I will get to the point, though. You and I most certainly have our differences. I have looked into your history, Von Tracht. Yet, I believe we can work together, and benefit mutually. You in your little kingdom, and I in mine. However,”
Zohl jabbed a finger at you, shit eating smirk still smeared on his face, irritatingly. “Watch where you step, Von Tracht. I extend my hand in friendship because of your power. You would be wise to heed mine own strength before shirking my offer. Get in the way of my plans, and I well have the power to crush you.”You twisted your lip down. He had not stated he would threaten before, but there was no other way to take this.Zohl’s mistress returned with a flute of white wine, and the Kommissar took it from her without comment. “I would have your prompt response, Coordinator. I do not intend to stay for any activity as dull as dance nor listening to the bluster of the High Protector. Truth be told, I attended this gathering solely to meet with you…and offer my appreciation for your mischief, even if you were not a familiar manner of soul. Were it that we could have retreated elsewhere, and I could have painted a clearer portrait of myself. Alas, I have said quite enough here, I will take this pretty girl up to a private room upstairs and engage in much more satisfying activities than advertised to take place here, after I have heard your answer.”>You think you can intimidate me? Get out of my sight. I’d sooner disembowel myself than change my plans to avoid inconveniencing you, let alone *help* you.>I would rather neither of us recognize the other. We need naught to do anything to each other. Maybe we can have this understanding.>I cannot say I have a pleasant opinion of you, but this land is dangerous. If I am choosey about my allies, and when not to make enemies, I would be an idiot. We can help each other…sometimes.>Other?
>>3522083>I cannot say I have a pleasant opinion of you, but this land is dangerous. If I am choosey about my allies, and when not to make enemies, I would be an idiot. We can help each other…sometimes.But actually we will freaking assassinate this bag of shit. His woman can be an attack vector if we manage to talk with her alone.He can't also be a bunch of clones, can he?I predict though that he'll request our help immediately or very soon to solidify his hold, so we have to start making the assassination plans right away. Maybe even off him today while he's porking that poor girl. We have Anya with us, it should be enough. We'll frame the NFL for the murder.
>>3522083>>I would rather neither of us recognize the other. We need naught to do anything to each other. Maybe we can have this understandingFor now let's have an understanding that we won't interfere with each other's sectors first. We can start planning how to deal with him after this.
>>3522098Also agree with >>3522095 if there's an opportunity during the chaos later let's get rid of this trash.
>>3522083>>I would rather neither of us recognize the other. We need naught to do anything to each other. Maybe we can have this understanding.
>>3522083>>>I would rather neither of us recognize the other. We need naught to do anything to each other. Maybe we can have this understanding.He obviously has a pretty flawed impression of Richter's character (aka Mr muh honor).
>>3522083>I would rather neither of us recognize the other. We need naught to do anything to each other. Maybe we can have this understanding.Each in our own little kingdom.Take it as a lucky windfall, Vanberg is no longer our concern though.
>>3522083>I cannot say I have a pleasant opinion of you, but this land is dangerous. If I am choosey about my allies, and when not to make enemies, I would be an idiot. We can help each other…sometimes.The devil you know... but at least of the two of us we are the ones with the soul eating ghost, so as long as we work with him and not for him we should be not too worse off.
>>3522251I'll change mine to work with him. I don't think he's gonna take no for an answer. At the very least until we can ice him.
>>3522083I'll change my vote too while I've got time, count me >>3522113 in for >We can help each other…sometimes.Might as well use and abuse this guy before he's crabfood
>>3522305>>3522312Depends on what he wants though. If it's against other Netillians sure but other than that hell no. Let's not destroy our goodwill amongst the locals.
>>3522318I’m kinda betting that this guy knows us well enough not to give us tasks that we don’t want to do. He doesn’t really have leverage over us in the way that he would have to expend effort to hurt us or coerce us, when he can just offer us jobs we are fine with doing that he can’t be seen doing.
>>3522083>I would rather neither of us recognize the other. We need naught to do anything to each other. Maybe we can have this understandin
>>3522327Personally I'd rather we agree on a non aggression past for now and take any future requests on a case by case basis. Or at least make sure that ultimately were the one that has the say in choosing what requests to take.I would rather neither of us recognize the other. We need naught to do anything to each other. Maybe we can have this understanding
>>3522345This fucker is drunk on power and isn't afraid of anything. Do you think he'll leave us alone?We need to feed him to the fishes proactively.
>>3522425>Do you think he'll leave us alone?Yeah, because his whole point was that he has nothing to gain from fighting us so as long as we don't threaten his power he has no reason to. It's not like if he defeats us he can become a more powerful commissar or take over the role of Strossvaldian military advisor or something.
>>3522095>>3522305>>3522291>>3522312Best to keep him close, possibly to keep a lead on him. Some level of alliance is acceptable. Though with mind to reverse such.>>3522332>>3522098Keep away from me and I'll keep away from you.I probably won't be writing til this evening due to a game, but I'll call the vote here for when I start again.
>>3522833Remember, this is a man for whom it wasn't enough to force a woman to be his concubine, he had to literaly mindbreak her, then show it off to strangers. Did he have anything to gain from it? No. He's done it because he likes to excersise his power, he likes to be feared and obeyed, and he likes to flaunt it.He is not a rational actor and shouldn't be treated like one.Also, his point wasn't what you say it was, that was pure thinly veiled intimidation.
>>3523010I would like to clarify that I consider any alliance inacceptable and my vote was to basically lie to him before we off him.
Was it really a surprise that your first thoughts were to how quickly you could dispose of this blight on the earth? You considered the possibilities, the likelihood of a distraction, an accident…but thought less of it when you glanced at Anya. Another time, you had gotten cocky and immediately slain an evil man given the first opportunity, when he tried to use you. That stunt accomplished little besides getting one of Maddalyn’s eyes gouged out, and even that was probably an incredible mercy. No, you had to be at least a little more restrained. Your opportunity would come, but until then…you would have to wear a believable face. Until the deadly chance came, whenever and whatever that would be.“I cannot say I have a pleasant opinion of you, given even the limited picture of yourself you’ve shown me,” you tried not to growl, “But this land is dangerous, and if I am choosey about whom I make my allies and not careful of where I make my enemies with so many around already, then I would be a fool. We can help each other…sometimes. Should the circumstances be satisfactory.”Zohl’s smiled remained as though carved on marble, and he tipped his cap. “I knew you to have a level head upon your shoulders. Perhaps, one day, our cooperation will lead to greater understanding between us. Until next time, unless you two would like to follow me upstairs. I daresay there are things one has to try to truly understand.” Then, to his woman. “Come. The night is young, and this space unsuited for proper excitement…” He turned and left, and with a little hesitation, so did his escort follow him.“What a piece of work,” Anya scowled before he was likely out of earshot, “Sooner he bites it the better.”You couldn’t help but agree, but you were bothered by one comment he had made. “He implied that I had a “familiar manner of soul.” What on earth did he mean by that? Did he think we were at all alike?”“More hoped you were alike, I think. Maybe ‘cause you bent the rules. I dunno.”“We have bent different manner of rules.”“Course. Not like you’re dragging around broken women, right?”…Right. “Say we did help him even the slightest bit. For our benefit only, or potential benefit. Do you think we can trust him?” You asked Anya, “Just from your gut feeling.”“My gut says that guy’s not somebody you screw with,” Anya said warily, “He’s just got that feeling about him. Even if he talks way too goddamn much, he has that sort of…thing. Maybe it’s because he’s a mosshead. Weird bunch. Far as whether we can trust him, I mean, as long as we know what he’s getting’ out of whatever. Because if we don’t know, you can sure as hell bet it’s not a favor, or outta the kindness of his heart.”
“Do you think he would have accepted an answer of no?” you wondered aloud.“Fat chance. He said he came to this party just for you. He smelled what shit you were up to, and he had his eyes on you before this even happened. He came here knowing who you were. Who I am. Nobody bothers learnin’ who I am.” “That is a fair point,” you muttered with dissatisfaction. “What do you think he meant by proper excitement, with his mistress?” you asked Anya next.“Hey, I thought I was supposed to keep my mouth clean at this place, yet here you are asking me to say filth.”“No, no, I…doubt it’s that.” You said to Anya, shaking your head, “He invited us up after him. I somehow doubt he’d do that for what your dirty mind is thinking.”Anya shrugged. “Maybe all the power talk’s for show and he’s a swinger. I dunno. Drugs? Gambling? Reaper’s Spin? Listening to the phonograph play music older’n we are? Beats me. I just know it’s a bad idea to take him up on that deal.”“So…” with that out of the way, you would rather set the Kommissar off your mind for now. You looked about for Kelwin and…couldn’t see him at all, nor the women who were accosting him. It seemed your conversation with Zohl had distracted you from having a chance to save him. “What would you like to do, then?” you asked Anya, “besides wipe the food table clean. It will be just a little time ere we dance, after all, enough to do one spare thing, about.”“Huh.” Anya thought aloud, “Well,” she lowered her voice, “We could look for that secret passage. Or, maybe count on it already being used. In that case, we oughta look for where the King’s jerking off, or his relatives. Since we’d rather them not die and all. Could also try and find shorty. The head slut coming after him had fancy headwear. Maybe she’s important. Or, if we’re feelin’ real stupid…we go and try and snoop on that slimy Kommissariat rat.”>We ought to find that secret passage. Maybe there’ll be clues there.>I don’t know how we’ll find him, but we gotta get to the King. (How would you try and get yourself closer to him, not knowing where he is??)>We need to go get Kelwin. I’ll feel terrible if something bad happens to him because of my neglect.>Spy on Zohl? Sounds dangerous. And necessary, but I like dangerous.>It’s best if we just stay here. Shoot the shit between us. I’ll get us both drinks, we both need some alcohol in us.>Other?>>3523742That is understood. No pact in blood has actually been made to require you to do his bidding, after all.
>>3523847>>We ought to find that secret passage. Maybe there’ll be clues there.
>>3523847>>It’s best if we just stay here. Shoot the shit between us. I’ll get us both drinks, we both need some alcohol in us.Fuck it, it's a party. I'm sure exciting things will happen sooner or later whether we like it or not.
>>3523847>We ought to find that secret passage. Maybe there’ll be clues thereI want to spy on Zohl, but if we have no time, protecting the party takes priority.Also, tanq, I understand that you probably have big plans for Zohl, but this party is likely our best chance to get rid of him and I will push for it as much as I'm able. I don't expect _any_ favor he might ask of us would be something we'd want to do.