• 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: Rescue from the Depths

Being a princess isn't easy

What an insane notion! Jun was very much not a princess and was well aware of just how not easy being a not princess was. She was certain things would be MUCH easier if she WERE a princess. She was very much certain she'd have some servant nearby with a fancy title that would advise her as to what to do in this situation. Sure she could try and save the Empress by shooting the princess but she was pretty sure shooting a princess is bad form... plus what if she hit the Empress? If she displeased the Empress now then Jun was certain she'd never become a princess in the first place. She could just stand there and watch things unfold? Certainly the Empress had a plan for all this?

Was she going to just let the Mother-Empress be strangled?!

Jun quietly breathed a sigh of relief as that situation sorted itself out mostly. She congratulated herself on her tactics too. Certainly one of the favored princesses would have jumped in or done something but she was angling for being one of those lesser princesses that was both not in line for the throne and more importantly not any threat to anyone in courtly politics. Just smile. Don't get involved in the Royalty's business, and then sweep her new prince off to some tropical area for rich food and sex acts that would put Hoshiko's only fans to shame! By the Mother-Empress she had ideas. She'd been day-dreaming about them for the entire trip back up to the station.

Maybe she should invite Hoshiko too? Her new prince would certainly appreciate it and Hoshiko could certainly use tropical-beach-sex.

Koyama could come too, but she doubted the invitation would be well received... maybe she'd be up for drinks afterward though!? She'd even have all her money back or whatever she was after if she didn't get it all taken away again after this outburst? Jun was pretty sure if she talked like that to the empress she'd end up thrown out into space! This certainly was some clever political move from Koyama that she could only pull off due to her status as a princess!

Jun did need to do something to thank her for her part in making Jun a princess...

...

Or maybe she should shoot Wen again? That always seemed to go well.

---

As Jun watched patiently, a young tigress entering into the chamber would catch sight of Koyama's attack on Wen. She was still in her armored bodysuit, sealed up with the helmet over her head, having a ceremonial sword on her hip. Her uptight forward walking motion would change suddenly as she saw the perhaps reasonably irate princess move towards the Empress. The tigress would lean into her powerful forward dash, looking to place herself between the Empress and the Princess. Her hand went to the hilt of her sword as she crouched down in between the empress and the princess, ready to attack but not yet drawing her weapon. Like a well trained attack dog she would wait on the Mother-Empress' order before making an action while maintaining her aggressive stance.

"Keep your distance from the Mother-Empress."
 
A gold armored finger firmly touched the hand of the newcomer as the empress's twin custodians sharpened into view. There was a certain line she apparently didn't want crossed, and this was coming too close.

"I forget you're freeborn," Hoshiko aloofly remarked. The entire family drama was playing out in meatspace of all places, and she didn't even get to color her words. It felt almost barbaric, almost...human.

"W-well - " the empress began, sniffling back tears. "I thought it was jamming the comms, not frying her studs!" Zhuli gestured towards Sakamoto.

"Ara-ara," the rooster fanned herself, blushing. "They were going to be Wu's studs, specifically. She thought they were handsome," Sakamoto waved her feathers at the Americanized Chongwu.

"Cute animals aside, this mission was still a very important and fruitful one. Especially for Wen!" the empress slowly began to regain her composure. As she did so, her custodian stepped back from the newcomer, only for the both of them to fade away from view. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I forgot to introduce our new companion!"
 
"Duìshuài - Xian Guānxì" The newcomer replied, Rank. Family name. Given name. Her reply was exactly what was required of her. Though the others seemed to be relaxing, she remained coiled and ready to strike. Her hand still on the hilt of her sword as she stared down Koyama. Her reply was even virtual, her armored suit still covering her face.
 
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Wen knelt on the ground, clutching his crown jewels with one hand. He wasn't concerned at all of losing the inability to procreate; every Daqinren had their sex cells safely preserved in cryostasis, ready to be used for vat growth. No, the dragon-form struck him where the pain receptors were the most congregated, enough to send any man, no matter how bulky, reeling.

"Fuck your----" The ox-form didn't dare to finish that sentence. Part of his brain switched to auto, focusing on his breathing, sweating, and any other sort of pain relief. With the part of his consciousness that he still owned, he silently cursed the perverted biosmiths who decided to keep this male weakness as part of the template. Another paper to write, perhaps. "On Reforming the Daqinren Genetic Template, Such as the Removal of Sensitive, Redundant Organs and Shitty, Self-Centered Personalities." Yes, that will be received well.

He glanced up at the newcomer. At least someone who agreed with him, though something about her bothered him. No matter. With the cocktail of drugs kicking in to silence his pain receptors, he struggled to stand up, glaring at Koyama, his entire body tensed up and defensive. "The mother daughter relationship is a royal matter, therefore a matter of national interest. As servants of the Empire and the Mother Empress, your business is my business. I don't condone this violence."
 
"An officer should lay down their life to protect the mother-empress." As neutral as the tone was, it would certainly come off as a criticism of the other officer for not immediately springing into action.

Not that she would ever directly criticize a superior officer.
 
'Crocodile Tears' came to mind at the display from her Mother as she stood in front of the Tigress, staring her down. She'd walked right up to the soldier. "And I am an officer as well as her daughter, Duìshuài so you would be attacking both an officer and a daughter of the Mother-Empress." She leaned down and stared right into the tiger's faceplate.

"So you are presented with three options. Strike me down. Relent and allow me to continue speaking to my mother. Or try and lay hands on me." Her tail whipped about behind her, "I would suggest the second choice." The subtle popping of Koyama's knuckles was indicative that she'd have no problem acting on the first and last if the Tigress tried for either. And now so close, drawing her sword would be difficult.

Still looking at the Duìshuài, "I am grateful to see such an open, heartfelt display of concern for your daughters, Mother." Her head tilted a little, still staring into the faceplate, "And for your continued support in keeping your word to a loyal son of the Empire and intent on alleviating his affliction." It was a bit of an olive branch to the dutiful tigress trying to defend the Mother-Empress.

"He is a good man." She backed away from the tigress, slowly, eyes still locked on her until out of striking distance, Koyama bowed to her Mother, looking at Wen. "Yes, Wen, you are a good man. And I apologize for... kneeing you." She was a contradictory thing. Cruel one minute, self-centered most definitely, only to throw about a genuine compliment and apology the next. She sent him a private text message, 'If you wanted to speak to the Mother-Empress about General Kao Long you mentioned when we first met sharing your concern regarding him. You'll never get a better chance than this.'
 
The Tigress was trying to stand her ground, but it seemed Koyama had her number. She couldn't attack. She couldn't even talk-back. Without a direct order from the Empress she couldn't even draw her sword. She was determined to not back down... keeping her feet planted, but right now she was as harmless as a kitten.

...possibly even less so...
 
Wen narrowed his eyes at Koyama, reading the text in virtual reality with his crippled alter-ego. He sighed, taking a step back to gather his composure and straighten himself again. "Apologies accepted, Princess, but you won't accept one from me; I did what I had to to protect Her Highness." He then eyed the Tigress one rank below him.

Ahh, there it is. He walked up to her. "Stand down, Duishuai. Don't threaten someone, especially above your rank, if you don't intend to act on it." Wen admonished her. To make his point, he put a hand on her shoulder, then steadily and firmly pushed her to the side, so he could get on one knee in front of the Empress.

"Forgive our insolence, Mother Empress." He started. "If you value this lowly peasant's life so much, then he has a humble request. Years ago, I wrote a paper warning of our commercialization of the Chongwu. While I have no love for their kind, I find history at risk repeating itself. Having analyzed the data, I've concluded that they aren't even economically worthwhile, and is one of the factors for additional human hostility not under our control. When I brought the paper to General Kao Long, I was shortly after assigned to sabotage duty in the Shen Zhou system. I believe I was unfairly punished and intentionally kept away from the Home System for voicing my concerns."
 
The Daqinese phrase Diǎo Nǐ Lǎomǔ (屌你老母) is one of the oldest phrases in the entire language, and even older when counting the Chinese that it had descended from. The position, status and virtue of one's mother - perhaps even more so for those who were from the vat and did not truly have one - is of the utmost importance. The mother gives birth and therefore life itself, and so, to curse another person's mother is considered the epitome of insults and humiliation.

It is the quickest, fastest way to get into a fight amongst the Daqinren and the Chinese that they descended from. However, the empress peered out from behind Guānxì at Wen with a peculiar expression, only to have it be replaced with disappointment as the young bull stopped himself.

"Of course, which is why I believe it is important that my daughters can express themselves freely," Empress Zhuli replied to him meatspace. "Though, I appreciate your concern, I remind you that I am not a human, and do not bruise like a banana," she fondly smiled at him. Stepping around the newcomer, she gently put her fingertip on the butt of her sword, just as her golden-guard had moments earlier, as though a reminder. The custodians were her will-bearers.

Through this whole disagreement, Hoshiko stood impatiently, her arms crossed and feline tail twitching. Meanwhile, Sakamoto had sat herself down on top of the armrest of a couch. If anything, this was the usual for their mother-empress. They were, after all, very literally in her house's living room, and not before the jade throne.

"Ah, I remember reading your paper at the time, and agreed with many of the thoughts presented," the Zhuli thoughtfully noted as she walked. "However, I believe I will rebuke your former superior for not assigning you to a place that would better provide a learning experience regarding our beloved Chongwu," she noted. "Perhaps something with the Americans involved?" Hearing them mentioned, Hoshiko gave a grunt of disgust, while Sakamoto hid behind her feathers and stifled a giggle. "Isn't that right, Zhang Wu?" the Empress turned to the nearly six foot tall fox in the room.

"They've been so mean to you, haven't they?" the mother-empress began to baby talk at the Chongwu, reaching up to began scratching the vixen behind her ears. "Burdening you with these awful, awful things," she gently cupped Wu's ample, heavy bosom. "And the things they did to you, only to toss you out on the streets..." the empress lamented, leaning in close as her hand slid down, stroking the Chongwu's belly. The dragoness whispered into Wu's ears, her scented breath hot against the vixen, just loud enough for the others to hear.

"Don't you, and all the others in America, just...want to burn them all?" she smiled with barely hidden glee.
 
Koyama cleared her throat, looking to her mother as she commenced the baby talk directed at Wu, "There is also the small matter of the planetary governor on Tiāntáng, Mother." No doubt the woman already knew. Her daughter had stripped the rooster of his position, and his possessions and had given him is life. But hadn't guaranteed his safety after leaving. Still, there was the chance he'd slunk back home in utter shame to his parents.

"We must see to appointing another. And I would recommend part of his possessions or personal funds be given to Wu in recompense for his... untoward behavior. And to," she gestured to Sakamoto, "The merchant for his attempted deception and extortion." Her tail had gone from whipping about in frustration to a more relaxed, lazy swaying. Uttering her words in meatspace.

She had her arms crossed just under her chest, shooting Hoshiko a look and a private message in virtual space, "And there goes Mother, from business to pleasure. Fondling the Chongwu and wanting to immolate the Americans." Her avatar rolled its eyes in her sister's direction.
 
Jun cringed a little bit as she remembered the incident in the governor's office.

Of course, there were a lot of things going on now. Tense things. Princess Things... She knew she had been promised a prince for her troubles and now all she had to do was make it through this without offending the Empress. Soon she too would be free to Fondle Chongwu and immolate Americans!

...

Or maybe she'd lounge by a beach and eat fancy food... honestly that was far more her style than...

...

What was going on here anyways? Maybe she should have been paying attention to the altercation.
 
"As the Doctor who served as the proffesional... medical witness to the Governor acting upon his demands I can attest to how detestable it was. I was offended merely from witnessing it- I'm sure Wu has suffered irreparable emotional damages from the experience." Dai finally spoke up from her silence- having stationed herself comfortably on the floor beneath Sakamoto's resting perch. She was sat politely- but comfortably.

"I think Wu has been fondled enough for a lifetime." The horse-form's ears flicked as she seemed to quickly consider her words, "With the exception of the Empress' touch. Anyone would be honored to be in her position." She held her hands out and broke her flat expression to offer an apologetic smile- just to be safe.

"All that being said- I would have loved to sample what was inside of that creature, but someone decided it would be better to devour it instead. I think it would greatly benefit our illustrious Empress if I were permitted to study him very closely." An annoyed flick of an ear betrayed her polite smile.
 
Sephi:

Wu resisted the urge to react to the Zhuli's close, intimate, almost condescending contact, though the Daqin Empress was far older and more experienced than her so the attitude made sense. Not only that, but she found that she could not deny that there was a strange comfort to the touch. Maybe it was something ingrained in the Chongwu, or maybe it was just a quirk of her design, but the scritches and patting and touches did feel good...

Even so, Wu found herself wishing it was Sakamoto instead of the Empress, but she suppressed the wandering thought and nodded obediently and deferentially as a simple Chongwu like her was expected to, especially towards one as prestigious and high-ranking as the Empress, barely holding down yet another shudder as she recalled terrible memories, brought up once again after so long by the questioning.

"Yes, ma'am, the Americans have done many 'mean' things to me," she answered agreeably. hoping silently that she was saying the right thing, "It would be very nice to see them get their just desserts."
 
Garbled thoughts ran through Wen's mind. His heart beat harder than usual, and he winced at an upcoming headache.

No, not you, not here... Wen kept eyes to the floor, not daring to witness the fondling occuring before him.

The garbled alien dialect coalesced into legible Chinese. His own voice, as that soul inside of him knew none other. "So this is your "goddess" whom you genocide my people for. A glorified seductress. Pathetic."

You shut your fucking mouth, alien scum.

Wen fought off the additional consciousness in his mind and the pain that came with her using his neurons to form words. He focused on the Mother-Empress' words instead. "Fostering revolution within the American Union is a mistake, Mother." He retorted. "I would not question this strategy if it applied to the other human supernations, whom already despise us, but the Americans have been useful idiots, and profitable trade partners. Destroying them would be hurting ourselves. We're better off devoting our biosmiths to other endeavors, such as further improving the citizenry and colonizing other star systems."
 
With the tension having sharply dropped, the Empress picked up Wu and sat down on a sofa in their virtuality. Though her hands there continued to pet the Chongwu, the Empress began to gently knead all the tough knots in the vixen's head and back in meatspace.

"Good girl, yes you are," Zhuli affectionately smiled at Wu, her eyes still fixed on the Chongwu "Oh, you all worry too much, though I do apologize for all you have suffered," Zhuli continued to speak in meatspace. "That man was of the Da Qin ethnicity rather than being Nanmin like several of yourselves," she pointed out. "Now, I have made sure he is living with his mother, though Wu here will unfortunately not see any reparations. You're not considered a person yet, isn't that right?" the mother-empress lamented into Wu's ear. "What you get depends on someone else."

Despite being in the warm and caring clutches of The Empress, Wu's eyes locked with Sakamoto's as the Rooster perked up with realization.

"But on to more pressing matters," she gave Wu one finally good rub at all her head's tense spots. "Carbon goods like Chongwu are remarkably profitable when trading with the American Union," she straightened up, brushing her hair back like a school teacher lecturing a child. "Their IT Professionals are infamously enamorated with the likeness of Chongwu, far before they even existed," Zhuli pointed out. "And do not get me started on their naval crews!" If she had glasses, she would have certainly pushed them back up. "They are not a direct route into the European Union of course, but the Americans are constantly pressuring them on that front as well."

"Uhm," Hoshiko began, clearning her throat. "Mother dearest, are you forgetting something. Else?" the princess reminded her.

"Oh, yes!" Looking first towards Royama with a gesture to come, then back at Wen, she stepped closer to him, a smug, almost sinister smile creeping across her features. "Tell Us about your Unwanted Guest. Can they be reasoned with? Or are they completely hostile?"
 
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Jun's stood up straighter, her eyes getting wide as she heard Hoshiko remind the Empress about her promise to make Jun a princess!

...

But this wasn't that. It was more Wen stuff. Jun ended right back on the flats of her feet, going to back to her waiting pattern in the virtuality while she waited for the opportunity to arise.

--

The Tigress though narrowed her vision at Wen, getting ready to spring into action. She wasn't sure that this was the kind of business the Mother-Empress should trouble herself with, nor was she sure the Mother-Empress should be so close to someone with an 'unwanted guest'.
 
Wen's form remained stiff, still kneeling on one knee in front of the Empress, his face hidden from view. In virtual reality, his crippled form glitched in and out of existence, before blinking from reality completely. Pain struck through his broken mind like lightning, glass shattering, re-molten together, then shattering again. With every breath, his nostrils billowed out warm, heavy air. Sweat formed on his forehead, which fell to the floor with small plips and plaps.

Let me have a word with your whore goddess!

Get out of my fucking mind!

As if I had a choice, you oversized simpleton!

The bull-form slowly stood up with the rigidity of an outdated Magnetic Assembly machine. The man lifted his face to look at Zhuli Number Four with void in his eyes. Void, and hatred. His arm trembling, he raised a finger to her.

"I remember your kind. Your guilty visages hidden behind glass domes, your clothes cold, sanitized of life. You landed on our world with baneful fire as you torched the poles. You drank our lakes and mountains dry. Your metal monstrosities chased us into the deserts. To my dying breath, I wondered what soulless monsters could have carried out crimes against life itself."

'Wen' looked around the room with a twitching head, then spat in front of the Empress. "I see now. Pathetic, in-fighting, lecherous. Crying children of an equally disdainful people. Such is the banality of evil." His head twitched back to Zhuli Number Four. "Mark my words, the Aos Si will rise again. Your cities will shatter, your torch ships will fall into the stars, and you will be consumed by the void as punishment for your sins."

The bull-form's hands suddenly clamped onto his head as he let out a loud, anguished cry that would've reverberated through the rest of the Imperial Palace. The guards surrounded him, pointing their rifles at his head as he slumped back down onto his knees.

"She... she's gone now, for now." Wen could only huff and mutter.
 
For this entity, this was a gut wrenching recounting of the systematic and near total genocide of its people.

But for Hoshiko and her mother-empress, it was a Tuesday. Like daughter, like mother. Even then however, they had their differences. The Tiger Princess impatiently had one hand on her hip while the other casually cleaned-at gloved nails, and her demeanor in virtuality was little different. Now lazing about on a large couch, a volumetric screen popped up before her. Meanwhile, mother-empress Zhuli was a bastion of motherly love and patience, listening to Wen's possessor recount unimaginable suffering and its curses.

"Your hate and loathing for what was done is understandable, but also without context," the empress began, continuing to speak in meatspace for its sake. "You see, we truly were soulless slave-soldiers being wielded by the hum -"

"I already told her that," Hoshiko lazily huffed. "More than once. It was a long trip," the tiger princess added, a lazy flick of her tail tossing the data-packet over to her mother.

"Hwah?"

"More than once mother. She doesn't care, or maybe can't." Hoshiko continued to rip and tear at the human-demons. "This isn't a person. It's a vinyl record, and they keep skipping and starting over."

"Ah, that's a shame," she smiled, her infamously dark mood descending on them. But it passed, and they were fine. The smile Zhuli gave it, and the one she gave Wen were as stark as night and day. "Oh, my poor boy, you've suffered enough! Would you like to hear about the cure I have?" she offered.
 
Wen knelt on the ground in silence, breathing heavily, sweat falling from his face and warm air billowing out of his nostrils like an ancient steam engine. Given his artificial design, flesh and machine was a blurry difference. His body cranked back to life, as he tried to pull his neurons back together to form cohesive thought. One, ten, a hundred, a thousand, a million, a billion, enough to regain his senses and hear Hoshiko's comment.

"She's not just a record." Wen retorted, pulling himself back up while the guards mechanically kept their weapons trained on his head. "She has a name, and she's hijacked my neural implant and half of my brain to form vengeful desires after her death. I know her birthday, her loves and hates, her entire history all the way to her passing." He seethed.

"And yes, I would like the alien scum removed from my mind as soon as possible, Mother Empress." The bull-form bowed in front of Her.
 
"Ara - " Sakamoto started, "I believe mother-empress means you had initially received only information. Perhaps inert, like a virus, until you became infected," the feathered merchant offered. "But, perhaps it is either unable to learn about how we and the universe has changed, or is unwilling to."

"That is correct," Zhuli smiled at Wen. "In either case, it remains a danger." Turning towards the others, she looked at them all in turn. "Now, who wants to observe an operation?" Unbidden, one of the doorways leading away from the living room began to unfold, the decorative wall deconstructing itself as its modules all made haste.

"Of course mother-empress has a laboratory here," Hoshiko sighed in their minds. Whipping herself up a parfait, she chomped down on the laden spoon, venting her feelings, whatever they may have been.
 
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