• Nobles of Null is a forum based roleplay site where sci-fi and magic collide. Here, Earth remains fractured and divided despite humanity reaching out to the stars. Worse still, the trans-human slaves of one major power have escaped, only to establish their own Empire, seething with resentment at abuses of the past. Even the discovery of aliens, though medieval in development, has failed to rally these squabbling children of Earth together with its far darker implications. Worse still, is the discovery of the impossible - magic. Practiced by the alien locals, nearly depleted and therefore rare, its reality warping abilities remains abstract and distant to the general populace. All the while, unseen in the darkness of space, forces from without threaten to press in. For those with eyes opened by insight, it is clear that an era is about to end, and that a new age will dawn.

Day in the Life: Escape from the Heavenly State

Uso

Administrator
Staff member
Wiki Moderator
Jun had no shortage of tips, and as more money was placed in her tip jar the Bartender quickly moved over to the new patron. While signaling to their floor manager. In no time Jun was mixing Horchata and Rum in a shaker, extracting additional tips from a wealthy princeling through careful movement, and passing along a request to the floor manager for Hoshiko to be ready for a private dance.

She was pretty sure this guy was just playing the fool... he'd dropped enough code-words while talking to be a Daqin sleeper of some kind, now it was just a matter of getting him alone so they could find out.

A careful pour of the drink from the shaker,
Garnish with a bit of cinnamon,
Push the glass over to the Patron and be sure to brush their hand with her own,
Easy Money

She'd make her way back to the Ox man, "Out here isn't great for talking, how about you go meet her in a private room? I'll stop by with a drink for you both in a few minutes." She couldn't help but take pity on the man, even if it was an act he was pushing the dumb human thing a bit too far, "...and maybe don't let her know you don't have much money to spend. Better to let them get the wrong impression than broadcast your troubles to a place like this... "

She'd finish him off with the classic soft brush of the hand, her eyes lingering on him a bit longer than needed to give the impression of that personal touch as she moved on to the next patron at the bar.
 

Soresu

Member
Koyama, under the guise of one of these... humans had borne a little sway to her hips as she moved slowly through the throng of the crowd. It was a test of her will to not wrinkle her nose, nor attempt to gouge an eye out of one of them as they appraised her. The short-statured Daqinren woman had swatted at a hand that had strayed too close. Of course, she had made it sting, a look of playful superiority arching an eyebrow. A small push at the human male and the cheap cologne leaking from him like a sieve to her nose. The place was awash with all manner of things she both reviled, and found curious.

Perhaps her idea had not been perfect. Accentuating her eyes with a smokey charcoal liner which still held the glint of gold. The look she gave smoldering as those eyes bounced from person to person. The pumps caused her feet to ache ever so slightly. The slit along one leg of her plum-hued dress exposed milky skin riding just enough to her thigh. As short as it was there was a wonder why she hadn't just sashayed into this hell hole in nothing but underwear.

The whole thing was held up by a choker of some gold-painted metal about her neck with links to the fabric and exposed cleavage. Beyond that, there was little in the way of ornamentation. Was it needed? Drawing near the bar, that look fell on the cow-print bikini that seemed on the verge of exploding.

With a small curl to her petal-pink glossed lips upon finally reaching her destination. The look had been for the man speaking to the cow in disguise. A flick of her eyes up and down to take him in and quickly dismissed.

"My..." her voice a purr at the cow-wearing cow-print. How utterly ironic.

"What's on the menu?" looking toward the shaker. Pulling a loose strand of hair behind a pierced ear with some interest. If she were to play the role of a stupid human you may as well go all in. The piercing in the all too round ear had hurt but had healed quickly after performing the task on herself.

With a shrug of her slender shoulders and tilt of her head, Koyama looked to the dancer on the pole and then to the others going about their business. The bovine was with a customer after all. And the contacts she wore itched. Why didn't these people just gene-edit themselves instead of wearing such damnably uncomfortable things? If any of the damned dirty apes commented on them the honeyed brown obscured by the artificial colored lenses. It did however feel good to flaunt just a little. Just this once.
 

Uso

Administrator
Staff member
Wiki Moderator
"One moment love, I'll be right back," Jun said, excusing herself from her last patron with a slight brush of her hand against his arm as she moved over to the new comer with a bounce in her step.

"Well hun, the special right now is a Sweet Soyuz. It tastes like a sweeter, easier to drink, white Russian," She had a smile, and a bit more of a rural tone in her voice, but all of that were for the men crowding the bar. One look at Koyama and it was clear she was another Daqin. Her outfit, the attention to detail in her makeup, the more muted sense of color coordination, all if it pointed to a woman who wasn't here to grab attention on a stage. She was someone who was respectable, someone who seemed more used to expensive parties at classy establishments rather than the glitter-dusted dull neon of these clubs.

Jun just had to give her the code-phrase.

"I'm sure we can find you something, we'll make you happy as a cow that eats grass and makes milk!"

She hated the code phrase, after all she was an OX type not a COW type. But that wasn't a feeling she'd communicate. That also seemed to beg the question

"Why aren't we just all getting on the local network?" Jun asked Hoshiko over the local network, "Just ping them and if they join they're Daqin."
 

CadetNewb

Administrator
Staff member
Wiki Moderator
Pole dancing was a surprisingly popular pastime in mainland China and all of its colonies, and the same went in The Daqin Empire. Given that many people lived in rather industrial places in many cases, pipes made for an ample substitute for many, making it easily accessible. On top of that, the more complex moves could be shockingly demanding of the person, granting pole dancing many different levels for everyone. Naturally, Hoshiko had to hold back as she danced as the parody of none-other-than-herself, but pretending to slow down every so often? Taking a few breaths while riling up the crowd? It let her take in all the faces and search for -

"Don't do that!" she quickly smartphone texted Jun. A pair of 'police officers' stood in the club, the younger of the two perking up as the older one yawned in disinterest. "They're looking for the high-bandwidth footprints our nets typically have, though if we pretend to be smartphone apps, we'll be fine," she pointed out. The muscle-head that was bothering Jun looked too dumb to be Daqin, but that other woman, the one in the plum colored dress gave off the strangest feeling of Deja Vu. "You find anyone yet? I might have to say another code-phrase to see if there's anyone in the crowd," she inwardly shuddered. There was a wide variety of them, but they were all unmistakable, even indicating if a person was civilian or military depending on the sets. But there was one massive, massive problem.

They were so cringe! Nobody wanted to use them and would rather just go to ground and hide!
 

Ray of Meep

Administrator
Wiki Moderator
The man smiled smugly as the bartender went off to treat the newcomer, a lady that was certainly quite the eye candy, though that made for most folks in this establishment. He continued enjoying the Sweet Soyuz, taking in the flashing lights, the music a smidge too loud, the coming and going of folks---

"---as a cow that eats grass and makes milk!"

His ears perked up at the phrase, his smile widening. His placed his glass down and slid to the edge of the bar, walking a few steps over to the two ladies engaged in conversation. He sat down way too close to the lady patron, his shoulder pressed against hers, giving the bartender a punchable smirk. "You know Ms. Cow, this place is great, too great. There's all these great guys and galls that keep distracting me." Challenging the lady patron by bringing his arm behind her back, grabbing her other shoulder, he continued, "So I'll take you up on that offer with the lass on that pole. I'll make sure I pay well and make the experience fun for both of us, be the corvette mounted railgun to her cruiser-class engine bell."
 

Soresu

Member
The Daiqin princess in disguise allowed herself an all too unbecoming smile at the code phrase. Continuing to play the role, and while her immediate response would have been to snap his ulna, radius, and humerus like twigs. Then every fingerbone now curled about her body... Koyama turned her attention to the man. Smiling coyly at first, she brought a slim, milky hand up and stroked at the rougher, more masculine hand.

"I don't think I've ever had a Sweet Soyuz before." reciprocating, she leaned a little against the man in turn. "But if the lady in the cow print says she can..." another shrug, and let that hand fall from his she clapped her hands together in delight. "If you say you can make me something Miss Cow, I'd like that!" with her smokey eye makeup, and 'artificial' golden eyes looked to the cowbell. "But does it include milk? Fresh I hope. If not, maybe a little something to add a bit of spiciness to all that sweet. I like a little bite to my drinks. But you're the bartender Miss Bell, you know best!"

Her smile widened more before glancing back to the human, "Aww... only an itty bitty railgun?" cooing again while waiting for Jun to make her drink. A little look of disappointment marring her look from him to the girl in the tiger outfit on the pole. As if she were hurt, insulted even. The travesty!

From leaning against him to bumping his shoulder then, a playful little slap across one of his cheeks. "I doubt you could make her pop." with a little self-assured chuckle as if she could do better. The princess in hiding wanted to shriek at what she was doing. But held it all in, buried it deep. There'd be hell to pay later when she could leave this meatspace and retreat to her little worlds again. Castles and towns would burn. The lowbie masses would fear their mistress! The music wasn't to her liking. Not that it was loud but came off as something wholly out of her range of taste.

Shorter even sitting than he was, Koyama looked up at him. Turning his head toward her with a nail. And chin just a little lower. "Go all out, lover boy." with her smile widening to a grin then, "I just don't think you could handle all that kitty-fueled fury on your own."

As she raised herself just a little. Enough to brush herself against him, she breathed into his ear. "Maybe we could storm those hills together. Muuuuuch better chance of success." her eyes had drifted to Hoshiko's top. Then let her eyes trail downward.

'Banayans, really?' on her entrance into this hellhole she'd caught sight of what passed for police. Her mind already switching to lower bandwidth. The smartphone text to the two women somehow came with a cute little cow emoji facepalming with a hoof. A forlorn moo bubble above its head. If there had been some way to convey sarcasm and cringe through texts she'd have hammered it home so thoroughly to crack an asteroid.

Score. One of them had caught the phrases.
 

Ray of Meep

Administrator
Wiki Moderator
"So a threesome then, you, me, railing the lass on the pole? Sounds quite promising." The man licked his lips and let out a small, fake howl, not nearly as authentic as his "moo" impression. "I'll have you know, lady, that my railgun is capital grade, rivaling the slug throwers mounted on those Firespins. The lass will be screaming as her internal compartments are torn to shreds." He let go of the lady patron, making a fist with one hand, the other hand sending a finger through the curls, as the fist exploded into an open palm. The man made a "Pow" with his mouth, but no sound, mimicking the lack of sound in space. Pleased with his impression of a spaceship exploding, he let out a giggle. He eyed the lady patron, then eyed the phone on the bar, and smirked knowingly.

"So how about it? Everyone else here just wants to drink and dance, but you seem the type to party. How about we book a room already and go at it like animals?" He offered.
 

Uso

Administrator
Staff member
Wiki Moderator
Jun had already started mixing another drink, some whip cream flavored Vodka, a chocolate rum, cold cream, all over Ice and tossed together in a shaker. It was poured out into a highballer with the ice being strained out, followed by a dash of hot sauce layers over the top by pouring it on a spoon so that the thin layer of red hot spice didn't mix with the cold, sweet, cream below. She would then pull out a New-Texas-Reaper pepper, cutting a thin strip of its flesh off and turning it into a thin curl to garnish the glass. While it was one of the hottest peppers in the known universe, the spice was mostly on the inside with the seeds and the outer flesh would merely be a quick, hot, spike that would be brought back down by the cream in the glass.


She moved with the practice ease of a bartender, which coincidentally also looked a lot like the practiced easy of a Daqin body made with superior engineering. It gave her a moment to consider just what was being said. She was pretty sure a Corvette was smaller than a Cruiser, which meant either his railgun was tiny or her bell was too big? It was a metaphor that she was happy to let the other woman untangle...

... After all, having her bits torn to shreads was not her idea of an enjoyable night.

"STOP SHOWING OFF FOR THE HUMANS AND DO THIS PART ALREADY!" Jun sent Hoshiko while keeping her professional 'home town girl but also a bartender' smile, "Its so cringy and you're supposed to be the one running this! I said the thing and I'm pretty sure that's her texting back. We've got a guy here who sounds like he's one of us pretending to be the cringiest strip-club-sleeze... but he might just be a regular strip-club-sleeze... Either way I'm certain he's never been to one of these places before."

"Here's your drink," Jun said, gently placing a napkin down, and placing the drink down ontop of it. "I think you'll find it to your liking."
 

CadetNewb

Administrator
Staff member
Wiki Moderator
WHAM!

Hoshiko's bare foot came slamming down onto the top of the empty seat by the man. "Ooh, nyaa, nyaaah!" she viciously grinned. Having finished her pole routine, she had sauntered on over to the bar for a drink, bra and panties stuffed with Gao Bi bills. "Is he bothering you girls?" the tiger-costumed stripper asked. "If he is, I'll have him kicked out faster than you can say 'Hasta Nyaa Vista,' baby!" Despite the 'show of force' in meatspace, she was already quickly pulling them all together as a group chat opened up.

"Could you be any more sleazy?" she texted him, an angry faced emoji tacked on. "We'll be ultra-sus if even one of us doesn't knock you down a peg, and that's not to mention the massive red flag if ANYONE walks off with you!" Hoshiko furiously continued to text. "Wait, who are you all?"
 

Ray of Meep

Administrator
Wiki Moderator
"I do like a girl who can kick my ass." The man pulled out his datapad from his pocket, taking a picture of the pole dancer standing in front of him, then looking down to send the picture to destinations unknown.

"Sun Wen, Captain of the De Long Wang Shu (得陇望蜀, Conquered Long, Seeking Shu), reporting for duty. Who am I speaking to?"
 

Soresu

Member
Koyama offered the Daqin disguised as a bartender a grateful smile. Turned it on the man and acted as if she knew what a 'Firespin' wasn't. The plum-dressed woman seemed to ponder this as she brought the highball to her lips. Unflinchingly letting the whipped cream leave a little mustache to which she licked clean. Even while hearing the top of a seat close by with the meaty thud of flesh on whatever in the hell they used for such things. Likely some cheap covering so thoroughly stained, and steam-cleaned however long that she would sooner burn the dress she wore than ever put it on again.

There was a satisfying little crunch of peppery flesh before making the show of clearing her throat. Forcing a flush to her cheeks as if it had been too hot for her to handle. Oh, she liked it but eyed it warily all the same just for show.

But turning her face toward the tiger-panty and bra-clad 'stripper' with her Gao Bi bills. All she could do at the intrusion and hammered texting while working those vocal cords and flexing her mental will at the same time.

"He was just telling me about his railgun you know?" her voice almost conspiratorial. "Something about those Firespiny ship things and being able to rival them in the sack." she looked to the drink again and back. The smile that accompanied it, genuine as it seemed hadn't reached the eyes. Eyes that held a promise so maligned with practiced ease could have only stemmed from one source. One did not grow up at court without seeing that glint to eyes of gold from a child of the highest of authorities at least once. All just to look as if this stripper bitch had stepped into the already claimed territory.

Overcome with a grimace then and pawing at her eyes, "I'll never buy these cheap contacts ever again. I should've sprung for the good stuff. But nooo... I wanted to save all my cash for this place," pulling one free, the color underneath was a dark brown verging on honeyed.

It was one of the Empress' brood. And not just anyone but the youngest of the bunch. Hidden as she was, "Whoa," she exclaimed, looking to the bills hugging Hoshiko's waist after removing the other contact. That expressive reaction and widening of her eyes of astonishment implying: 'Maybe I should change jobs?'

The texted response to Hoshiko would be accompanied by its own emoji. This with one of someone being flicked, hard against their forehead in an act of sheer cruelty. After a hand shot into the little handbag at her side, Koyama pulled out a little bottle of eye drops. Placing a few in each eye. Blinking several times.

Better.

"Very dom, much wow." she had replied, instead of including the man. The black sheep of that particular family excluded him on the sheer principle of affront. "You talk to the sleeze-train. I don't want to. Otherwise, I am liable to rip his arms out of their sockets. And then his throat with my teeth." appearing offended then. From the bills to the outfit and the fact the stripper had stuck her nose into the whole thing. She harumphed and went back to the drink with a mutter. All as if giving up in defeat at the possibility of having a 'fun' night.

Coughing fretfully at another shot of 'spiciness.'
 

Uso

Administrator
Staff member
Wiki Moderator
Though Jun was pretending to be the dutiful bartender passing out drinks, she was shocked if not outright HURT by Sun Wen's words. This is everything she'd been warning Hoshiko about! "This is THE Captain Korui Hoshiko! You probably only know her from her military conquests but she does other things too!"

Though it was only text, the frustration came through in the speed of the responses.

"This is what I meant earlier by needing some more skills!"
"This captain doesn't even know who you are."
"Your fight against the elves isn't something you can cruise on."
"I mean, sure you learned out to dance but you only use that to seduce humans."
"This only throws fuel on the fire about your human-loving rumors."
"...and giving that one Human a child."
"You should be showing off your talents to your fellow Daqin instead."
"You could easily get their attention like you do the Humans."
"Sun Wen! You're attracted to Hoshiko right?"
"Like, Physically sure, but you'd also like to take her as a consort."
"Use her fame to bring you to the Empress' attention?"
 

Soresu

Member
Koyama's expression soured as she wiped at her lips with the napkin. The drink was half gone. Looking to the babbling cow expectantly, then down at her drink she fished a banknote out waggling it. Seemed she wanted another.

'Slow down, Holstein. The scumbag was using a tablet and you just babbled.' making to lean forward and place it in between those udders to hammer the point home. Then thinking better of it left it resting on the bar counter with a tap of a finger. Continuing her isolation from the man as a woman scorned in this meat sack space and over their little network. She was content to be a ghost in that little nook.

'And he smells like cheap cologne from some backwater human pharmacy on a street corner.'
 

Ray of Meep

Administrator
Wiki Moderator
"I see, I was not aware I was speaking to the princess. Apologies for my behavior. Going on the float for months on end has been stressful for my crew and I. For your information, I've given them permission to roam the streets on their own. They're a good crew; rest assured they will behave themselves.

... Lady Hoshiko is out of my reach, I'm afraid. For now, I merely seek to serve our nation.
"

"Hey, I'm serious! I am quite the lady's man." Wen faked a whimper, grabbing another Sweet Soyuz, "And I do have some cash to prove it, to make your time worthwhile." He slid his glass over to Jun nonchalantly. "Anything else on your menu, Ms. Cow? Surely someone of your caliber can produce more than one kind of milk."
 

Uso

Administrator
Staff member
Wiki Moderator
"Of course," Jun said as she gathered up the bills and stashed them away with one hand as she went for a fresh shaker with the other. This time a small splash of Tequila, orange liquor and lime juice was added to coconut milk in the shaker where it could be tossed about over Ice. She would then take a wide Old-fashioned glass, coating the rim in simple, followed by dipping that in shredded coconut to give the glass a flavored rim. The tropical drink was then strained out into the glass and garnished with lime.

"I've got plenty of milk back here," She said with a smile, while also continuing the conversation over text.

"I turned off my sense of smell." Jun sent over text, "This whole place smells like Human. Way worse than just being on one of their ships."

There was a bit of a delay when that realization hit her. She would again respond by text:
"Wait, was that a milking your dick joke?"
"You're already here now, you can tone down the SKEEZ."
"And you know I'm an OX type, not a COW type."
"Cows are kept for their milk."
"OX are used for hard work like plowing the fields."


Without too much more hesitation, Jun would get started on Koyama's second drink. She would mix it up like before, "You know, I think we should call this drink a Firespin."
 

CadetNewb

Administrator
Staff member
Wiki Moderator
Hoshiko struggled to stifle a laugh as the others spoke, only to spectacularly fail. "He compared his railgun to the Firespin's?!" Hoshiko accusingly, questioningly pointed a finger at the man. "That's like, one of the smallest ships! Ahahahahahahahaha!" she struggled to not completely explode out of her underwear. "There's cat out no way this guy is the dangerous type of sleaze right? Right?" Pulling out a few bills from her stuffed underwear, the tigress pretending to be a fake tigress slapped them onto the counter. "Gimme something good!" she demanded of the cow-bikini-clad bartender.

"Hime-san, it as been a long time," Hoshiko texted. Though they had only met on a handful of occasions in the past, she nonetheless acknowledged the other princess. Specifically, as one of the few that shared a very specific heritage with herself. "It would seem besides ourselves, we have two others. A Duìzhǎng playing some strange games, and....a xenogeologist," she noted, fighting back tooth and nail her desire to rail and rage at the fat cow for her insolence. However, she knew better. Jun was making her drink after all. "Would any of your crew be joining us Duìzhǎng? Four of us alone can already get a lot done, but more is better."
 

Ray of Meep

Administrator
Wiki Moderator
"I wouldn't underestimate a Firespin, lady, apparently their small size packs a lot of heat. Not everywhere do you see a capital weapon mounted on canon fodder. Like me." Wen let out a chuckle at a self-deprecating joke.

"No, Lady Hoshiko. I figured my crew suffered enough of me. I'm giving them some much needed time to walk around under an open sky and stretch their limbs. VR is great and all, but there's nothing quite like the true, physical experience. Whatever you decide we need to do today, I will relay it back to them, word for word."
 

Soresu

Member
Koyama's cheeks had warmed from their alabaster tone to a slight pink flush. Making one's self appear as if low-grade alcohol could get them shitfaced so soon was a true staple of the human race. Their tolerances varied. With their inefficient kidneys and livers, it was a wonder how tap water hadn't killed them all.

But as Hoshiko's laughter rang out, Jun mixed her second drink as before allowed her to finish the first.

Affecting a scandalous if pitying look at the remarks, the disguised princess responded to Hoshiko's text in kind: 'Jiějiě,' she greeted, with what could only be a black cat emoji patting a little tiger in turn. 'Letting his crew wander about on this rock, more would be better yes. But is he to be trusted with this? How can someone compare it to the virtual realms?' it was clear she hadn't wished herself known by the Duìzhǎng. Bad enough he knew Hoshiko.

Texting this as she spoke aloud: "Are they so... tiny?" the incredulous tone accompanying the look simultaneously. Forcing her eyes to appear a little glassy then, the 'humanized' Daqin focused on the bell around Jun's neck. In response to the milking, jiggly, cow jokes, arguments about Ox forms, the former Dragon wanted very much to reach forward and make that damn bell tinkle.

Plowing fields. The sentient set of udders was making it too damn easy to crack a joke at her expense.

But instead turned that slightly glassy-eyed look to the man sandwiched between Hoshiko and herself, "Tiny railgun. I bet a cruiser's is bigger?" lurching herself forward just a little to get a better look at the hidden tigress framing it as a question that only she could provide the answer to.

Then with a small frown, she resumed her former position if a little slouched, arms squeezing at her chest ever so slightly. "Why are we even... you know calling it a railgun then? Or at all? What's with calling'em that to start with?"
 

Uso

Administrator
Staff member
Wiki Moderator
Up next was a drink for Hoshiko, something exotic yet straight forward. A cinnamon spiced Rumchatta with a small dab of whipped cream on top laid out into a shot glass. It was like an intense version of that breakfast cereal...

'Just what is it that we are going to do?' Jun asked over their text-chat.
 

CadetNewb

Administrator
Staff member
Wiki Moderator
"Huh!" the parody of Hoshiko placed her hands on her hips. "Usually, the openers are about orbital Mega MAC attacks and their ability to completely ruin me and my imperial ambitions, but cat's got my tongue with how tiny this is," she remarked, playing the part of the befuddled bimbo.

"We need to join the rallying imperial forces of course!" she texted them an angry torch and pitchfork emoji.
"The people at this party are partying super hard because they feel like they're gonna die, which if they fight, they will! Naturally, their base instincts are kicking in," the tiger princess noted, an eggplant emoji for emphasis. Nearby, it was starting to get difficult to tell if people were grinding, or if that scent meant something else entirely was hidden in plain sight. Instead of scowling at the foul scent of humans, she took a taste of Jun's drink. "The ones who think they have a chance are trying to flee this system like it's a sinking ship. We can use them to get back to the Imperial Fleet if we don't decide to just sabotage this planet."

"It tastes like Captain Crusher's Cinnamon Cannons!" she beamed like the sun. Hoshiko absolutely hated the humans and the caricature of herself they had created. But, over the years, it only served to make the humans think of her and her kind as cartoon villains. Comically inept and hardly a threat. More meow than bite. It was the perfect disguise. Nobody would suspect she would be hiding as herself.
 
Top