• 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.

IDS Yīnghuā - Log 1.0: Swift as the Wind and Quick as Lightning (風馳電掣)

"Hey! I protest that notion!" Wen spoke up, raising his fist up to chest height. "They are Imperial Guard, servants to the Empire, like the rest of us! As far as I can tell, they do not hold actual command! I do not care what soft powers they might have, they do not have actual authority over us! In the eyes of Imperial Law, they are just soldiers!"

"他媽的!" The Bull spat angrily, "Even if they were the Five Tiger Generals, I still would have said the same thing, but within the bounds of the code of conduct! We are not irrational humans! Assets are to be valued, not diminished so casually! If we simply standby and watch such culture fester within the upper echelons of our government and military, we are doomed to fall, as did our creators!"

As he ranted, his form in VR space enlarged and reddened, a subconscious act on his own emotional state, morphing his form to match closer to his modified biological template. Steam visibly poured out of his nostrils, until he sighed from his mouth. His form shrank down, returning to his original humanoid dimensions, after which he slumped down, sliding down against a wall that was conjured up by his mental state. One hand rummaged through his hair in frustration.

"I am not stupid, you know. They put me on pirate duty, then bureaucratic busy work for a reason." Wen admitted, then looked up at the group, the two princesses specifically, with a glare. Clearly, the embers still burned hot. "But I have yet to see others speak up, so I will. I refuse to be silenced."
 
"Rules are made to be broken!" Jun replied cheerfully. She didn't quite know who that statement was supporting at the moment but also who cared? She was a princess now and she could say stupid things sometimes. She's pretty sure that was a rule.

Given that control of the room settings were up for grabs, Jun would be the one to grabs them. She quickly changed from the default settings over to a spa setting, and from her own clothing over to fuzzy bath robes. She'd waste no time sitting down in one of the chairs so that NPCs could bring her a bubbly drink, and start massaging her shoulders and feet. Soon, cucumbers were applied to her virtual eyes so she didn't have to see Wen. Another NPC would start setting incense to give the area a pleasant fragrance while still others would come out to give attention to Jun's hands.

They all had the proper implements with them for manicures and pedicures... but that was just window dressing for this space. The NPCs couldn't actually affect the real world so they didn't bother with that part of the spa day.


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Now that the higher ranking guards were gone, Xian felt more comfortable speaking up.

"Wen. You may want to consider that Imperial Law is something that is carried out by individuals. The Law only holds as much power as those that enforce the laws deem necessary. If no one around you respects the law, or if everyone around you accepts that someone has extralegal powers, than it IS so." Xian would approach Wen more closely, wanting to speak a bit more privately. "Perhaps your protests would find more purchase should they be quieter. Find those that are receptive to your message first. No amount of protests will sway those who have already made up their mind."

"My mother also would not hesitate to point out that sharing the bed of the Mother Empress would provide your words with some more weight."
 
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