-
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 2.0: "If you are far from the enemy..."
- Thread starter CadetNewb
- Start date
"You should always be a little mindful of your appearance, we're going to be doing diplomacy at a party. If I can get my markything in blue that would be best. I mean, I'm not going to complain if it is in some other color but if you don't make your preferences known you could end up with anything," Jun replied.
The Aos'Si took her tools in hand. Brushing golden hair off of chocolate dark skin, she then flipped the signet ring on her finger to reveal the insignia resembling an alien plant, its leaves radiating much like a palm frond.
"Of course you have a heartstone - " Lady Nimue gently spoke, approaching Wen with wax and parchment seal, " - all of you." she eyed the whole group for emphasis. "You are here, traveling on a branch of the Cosmic Tree, after all. The gift is received, willing or not." Turning her gaze to the wax stick in hand, a flame appeared, floating over its tip. Crimson droplets fell on Wen's armor, binding the parchment to him before she deftly pressed the seal of her ring into wax. "This will also mark you as a guest to the meeting, under my protection," she explained, smoothly adding, "Not that you need it."
"Well, the mother-empress never told us if Wen's heartstone was classified or not, but I assume it is," Hoshiko replied to Reina. With the spell seal placed on Wen's chest like it were a medal, Lady Nimue pulled out a deep blue wax stick - just for Jun - and proceeded to do the same for them all in turn. Being able to get a better look at one another's seals though, it quickly became apparent that Lady Nimue's hand had depicted an issue tree, cleverly describing protective spell's properties, intent, and the if-when circumstances that would function, all as a piece of art. Hoshiko couldn't help but remark, "These are so cool!"
"Now, do any of you recall being told anything about an ebb and flow?" Lady Nimue asked, immediately bringing Viz Istenno's words to mind. "The ebb means your mana is departing your heartstone - hopefully to do magic - and should feel like thus." All the Daqinren felt the faint sensation of their vigor leaving their body, and Hoshiko immediately slapped Wen across the head.
"You better not shoot her like last time!" she shouted
"Like what?!" Nimue looked on in horror.
The sun began to shine on them as they neared the light at the end of the tunnel, but it somehow felt like they were still in the dark.
"Of course you have a heartstone - " Lady Nimue gently spoke, approaching Wen with wax and parchment seal, " - all of you." she eyed the whole group for emphasis. "You are here, traveling on a branch of the Cosmic Tree, after all. The gift is received, willing or not." Turning her gaze to the wax stick in hand, a flame appeared, floating over its tip. Crimson droplets fell on Wen's armor, binding the parchment to him before she deftly pressed the seal of her ring into wax. "This will also mark you as a guest to the meeting, under my protection," she explained, smoothly adding, "Not that you need it."
"Well, the mother-empress never told us if Wen's heartstone was classified or not, but I assume it is," Hoshiko replied to Reina. With the spell seal placed on Wen's chest like it were a medal, Lady Nimue pulled out a deep blue wax stick - just for Jun - and proceeded to do the same for them all in turn. Being able to get a better look at one another's seals though, it quickly became apparent that Lady Nimue's hand had depicted an issue tree, cleverly describing protective spell's properties, intent, and the if-when circumstances that would function, all as a piece of art. Hoshiko couldn't help but remark, "These are so cool!"
"Now, do any of you recall being told anything about an ebb and flow?" Lady Nimue asked, immediately bringing Viz Istenno's words to mind. "The ebb means your mana is departing your heartstone - hopefully to do magic - and should feel like thus." All the Daqinren felt the faint sensation of their vigor leaving their body, and Hoshiko immediately slapped Wen across the head.
"You better not shoot her like last time!" she shouted
"Like what?!" Nimue looked on in horror.
The sun began to shine on them as they neared the light at the end of the tunnel, but it somehow felt like they were still in the dark.
NecroDrake
New member
Reina shrugs at Jun, "Point taken. I didn't think you'd take it so seriously and think critically about this," She holds up her hand before Jun can respond, "And before you take offense, you've been quite out of it all day. Satōdzuke no tsuki no yume [砂糖漬けの月の夢]. I'm glad it seems like you've been grounded after floating for so long. How are you feeling? No major side effects?"
-----
Reina shocked at this revelation, "Really? I haven't been planet side very long... All the reports say that its a gradual process. Is that why the 'phenomena/contamination' affected us all so strongly in our respective meeting places?"
After the seal was applied, the snake woman notices what feels like an additional heartbeat in her chest, echoing the flow of her life blood. Giddy at the prospect, but also a little horrified that such a process could happen to her so easily and without her knowledge... She accepts the situation but loses herself in pondering what that means for her moving forward.
-----
Reina shocked at this revelation, "Really? I haven't been planet side very long... All the reports say that its a gradual process. Is that why the 'phenomena/contamination' affected us all so strongly in our respective meeting places?"
After the seal was applied, the snake woman notices what feels like an additional heartbeat in her chest, echoing the flow of her life blood. Giddy at the prospect, but also a little horrified that such a process could happen to her so easily and without her knowledge... She accepts the situation but loses herself in pondering what that means for her moving forward.
BucketBlue
New member
Aitana's eyes remained locked on Reina for a while, after the doctor had taken away the heartstone. Giving the gem away was probably a good idea, but her intrusive thoughts were telling her to take the treasure back, by any means necessary. "You have one of those in your body?" She asked Wen. "...What is that like?"
As the seal was applied and a wave of fatigue hit her, she couldn't help but chuckle to herself. This felt like only a small fraction of what the heartstone was offering her, but it was intoxicating nonetheless. "This should be an entertaining gathering, I would have brought something nicer to wear if I knew this was part of the mission. Anything we should know before we arrive?"
As the seal was applied and a wave of fatigue hit her, she couldn't help but chuckle to herself. This felt like only a small fraction of what the heartstone was offering her, but it was intoxicating nonetheless. "This should be an entertaining gathering, I would have brought something nicer to wear if I knew this was part of the mission. Anything we should know before we arrive?"
Last edited:
The wax was cast, the seals placed, and with the passing of the initial shock, it felt as though something was almost imperceptibly drawing from their very life force. In comparison, Lady Nimue's teaching tug on their mana felt like a sharp yank. If she or Viz - in the case of the more senior members - had not taught them the feeling, they would not have come to notice it at all.
Now they could feel the tiniest of capillaries sending their energy to the seal, and they could feel how it could be snipped at any time they chose.
"Well Reina, I guess we normally get heartstones slowly?" Hoshiko shrugged, not too sure herself. She wasn't too sure about the process or anything, but then started to realize that Reina and Aitana had even less of a clue than she did. "Then again, we're passing through something that might be an Einstein-Rosen Bridge," the tiger princess suggested, hoping that'd help to give some sort of context to what was going on. "Maybe that accelerates the whole process?" In the end, they were all groping about in the dark.
"Excuse me, what happened to the last person that tried teaching you magic?" Lady Nimue asked, a little more seriously. Hoshiko's ears flicked about as she tried to track the multiple conversations happening all at once.
"No, I don't think we need to dress up extra fancy," Hoshiko sighed at Aitana's suggestion. She didn't like the idea of dressing up formal with medals and such on their chests. Unless it was a dress! "We probably look more official wearing our armored bodysuits, and - "
"WHAT. HAPPENED?!?!" Nimue shouted, her hackles raised. Hoshiko froze on the spot, and soon realized that all of the Aos'Si on the platform were now listening in at the windows or doorway, their guard duty be damned. Before Hoshiko or the others could reply though, sunlight and hot, humid air washed over them. The testudine creature was quick to follow the nearest road, but all around them, the endless cacophony of a rain forest. A great shadow drifted between them and the sun, and looking up, massive boulders floated through the air, their tops festooned with small rainforests of their own.
"Oh shit, what do I say?" Hoshiko thought. "Wait! We're back online!" Quickly reloading Reina's 21st Century Vintage Cafe, the princess found everything where the left it, save for the busted wall. It simply opened up into the side street of the city now, the Aos'Si assets now gone. Overhead, they started getting heavily degraded comms from their orbital assets.
And their dropship too!
Now they could feel the tiniest of capillaries sending their energy to the seal, and they could feel how it could be snipped at any time they chose.
"Well Reina, I guess we normally get heartstones slowly?" Hoshiko shrugged, not too sure herself. She wasn't too sure about the process or anything, but then started to realize that Reina and Aitana had even less of a clue than she did. "Then again, we're passing through something that might be an Einstein-Rosen Bridge," the tiger princess suggested, hoping that'd help to give some sort of context to what was going on. "Maybe that accelerates the whole process?" In the end, they were all groping about in the dark.
"Excuse me, what happened to the last person that tried teaching you magic?" Lady Nimue asked, a little more seriously. Hoshiko's ears flicked about as she tried to track the multiple conversations happening all at once.
"No, I don't think we need to dress up extra fancy," Hoshiko sighed at Aitana's suggestion. She didn't like the idea of dressing up formal with medals and such on their chests. Unless it was a dress! "We probably look more official wearing our armored bodysuits, and - "
"WHAT. HAPPENED?!?!" Nimue shouted, her hackles raised. Hoshiko froze on the spot, and soon realized that all of the Aos'Si on the platform were now listening in at the windows or doorway, their guard duty be damned. Before Hoshiko or the others could reply though, sunlight and hot, humid air washed over them. The testudine creature was quick to follow the nearest road, but all around them, the endless cacophony of a rain forest. A great shadow drifted between them and the sun, and looking up, massive boulders floated through the air, their tops festooned with small rainforests of their own.
"Oh shit, what do I say?" Hoshiko thought. "Wait! We're back online!" Quickly reloading Reina's 21st Century Vintage Cafe, the princess found everything where the left it, save for the busted wall. It simply opened up into the side street of the city now, the Aos'Si assets now gone. Overhead, they started getting heavily degraded comms from their orbital assets.
And their dropship too!
"I'm fine... this isn't my first suicide tuesday." Jun responded.
"Finally, I didn't want to have to mouth-talk the whole time like a human." Jun replied, quickly twirling around and doing an implied-nudity-transformation into a magical girl outfit in the virtuallity, "So where are we at? and I didn't think party-atire was super required here. We're practically slumming it out in the jungles so armored bodysuit fit right in."
Xian made no attempt to communicate back with the group, and would start to poke around outside, getting a bit more distance between herself and the camp as she looked for a way to move higher up to get a clearer signal.
"Finally, I didn't want to have to mouth-talk the whole time like a human." Jun replied, quickly twirling around and doing an implied-nudity-transformation into a magical girl outfit in the virtuallity, "So where are we at? and I didn't think party-atire was super required here. We're practically slumming it out in the jungles so armored bodysuit fit right in."
Xian made no attempt to communicate back with the group, and would start to poke around outside, getting a bit more distance between herself and the camp as she looked for a way to move higher up to get a clearer signal.
NecroDrake
New member
Reina breaks out of her revery in response to Lady Nimue's increasingly concerned inquiry, "Magic? ...I've never been taught magic before. This is my first hands on experience with it, much less had someone walk me through its particulars. All I know comes from transcripts and studies that I could get my hands on... but all of that was theory and history." In thought she subtly glances toward the rest of her party.
Back in the Cafe, Reina fades in to see a hole where the sudden bath house was... She sighs and swishes a hand in the space before it, expecting it to seal up before her... When nothing happens, she shakes her head in disappointment, thinking about fiddling with the program later to fix her virtual hangout spot.
Pushing that aside, she gives a questioning look toward everyone present in the space, "What do you mean 'what do you say?' She says you had a magic teacher? That's news to me." Reina suddenly has a look of suspicion on her face, "Why can't you just tell her? What happened exactly?"
Reina suddenly thinks of something, "Actually if it was an away mission, its parameters and results might be recorded. I'll just look it up real quick," and she starts to try and access the mission data.
Back in the Cafe, Reina fades in to see a hole where the sudden bath house was... She sighs and swishes a hand in the space before it, expecting it to seal up before her... When nothing happens, she shakes her head in disappointment, thinking about fiddling with the program later to fix her virtual hangout spot.
Pushing that aside, she gives a questioning look toward everyone present in the space, "What do you mean 'what do you say?' She says you had a magic teacher? That's news to me." Reina suddenly has a look of suspicion on her face, "Why can't you just tell her? What happened exactly?"
Reina suddenly thinks of something, "Actually if it was an away mission, its parameters and results might be recorded. I'll just look it up real quick," and she starts to try and access the mission data.
Last edited:
As the testudine mount carried them forth, Xian realized where the best reception was, and swiftly hopped up a story in height, her booted feet clacking against the tile of the gazebo. She could feel the data packet loss eating away at any information exchange like moths nibbling into a letter, but the bare basics were there! An annoying shadow blocked off the sun as her signal was cut off, and looking up at the source, the white tigress could see one of the great floating boulders.
Atop of those, she could see Aos'Si artesians mid-work, steering the mass off into the same direction their mount strode.
"Uh, well - " Hoshiko began in meatspace. "We met Viz underground, you see..." In their virtuality, the princess sighed and made an unlocking gesture. "It's not pretty," she admitted to Reina and Aitana. Releasing the classified seals, she let the Snake Doctor and Avian Aviator see the expedition into the entombed marble facility. Through the crew's eyes and ears and skin, the two could feel how the deep oceanic floodwaters flowed, the strange angler-like creatures beckoned, and how the water itself turn into a furious, murderous rage.
And of course, there was the aftermath. The horrible, horrible aftermath within their own Forbidden City!
"There were these water sphere things that started cutting people apart with their spray..." Hoshiko's voice trailed off. In their cafe virtuality, she sighed and pulled up a map on her 21st century vintage smartphone for Jun and simply showed her their location. They had moved from the northern continent to the southern continent, leaping across hemispheres. The travel itself wasn't impressive for the Daqin, but the method was concerning. "We asked Viz to teach us magic, and it was a lot like how Lady Nimue did, but rougher since she was drunk." The palmtop tigress paused. "So Wen and Xian started blasting! Viz flipped out and everything went to shit! The empress got so mad she told them to make babies to replace the dead people, and now we're here!"
"Ah. I see," Lady Nimue looked downcast. "So ends the scion of a great house, her people's works to preserve our history and magical inheritance stunted by these unfortunate events." Melancholy overtook her chocolate features, but the Aos'Si then looked back up through her bangs with sudden realization. "Right?" she asked, a challenge in her voice. Hoshiko tried to keep her poker face on, but the Aos'Si leaned forward and brought their faces closer together. "Right?"
"About that..." the princess trailed off.
Atop of those, she could see Aos'Si artesians mid-work, steering the mass off into the same direction their mount strode.
"Uh, well - " Hoshiko began in meatspace. "We met Viz underground, you see..." In their virtuality, the princess sighed and made an unlocking gesture. "It's not pretty," she admitted to Reina and Aitana. Releasing the classified seals, she let the Snake Doctor and Avian Aviator see the expedition into the entombed marble facility. Through the crew's eyes and ears and skin, the two could feel how the deep oceanic floodwaters flowed, the strange angler-like creatures beckoned, and how the water itself turn into a furious, murderous rage.
And of course, there was the aftermath. The horrible, horrible aftermath within their own Forbidden City!
"There were these water sphere things that started cutting people apart with their spray..." Hoshiko's voice trailed off. In their cafe virtuality, she sighed and pulled up a map on her 21st century vintage smartphone for Jun and simply showed her their location. They had moved from the northern continent to the southern continent, leaping across hemispheres. The travel itself wasn't impressive for the Daqin, but the method was concerning. "We asked Viz to teach us magic, and it was a lot like how Lady Nimue did, but rougher since she was drunk." The palmtop tigress paused. "So Wen and Xian started blasting! Viz flipped out and everything went to shit! The empress got so mad she told them to make babies to replace the dead people, and now we're here!"
"Ah. I see," Lady Nimue looked downcast. "So ends the scion of a great house, her people's works to preserve our history and magical inheritance stunted by these unfortunate events." Melancholy overtook her chocolate features, but the Aos'Si then looked back up through her bangs with sudden realization. "Right?" she asked, a challenge in her voice. Hoshiko tried to keep her poker face on, but the Aos'Si leaned forward and brought their faces closer together. "Right?"
"About that..." the princess trailed off.
NecroDrake
New member
Reina reads the through the document as she simultaneously listens to Hoshiko's explanation. Her vr avatar seems to glitch and freeze right after a look of horror and then rage overcomes her visage.
In meat space, Reina seems frozen for a good couple of seconds. Suddenly a sharp crack rings out as she seemingly materializes in front of Wen, slapping him with force enough to crack bone if he were but a normal human, "YOU MOTHERFUCKERS! Muchina kuso yarō [無知なクソ野郎]! You and Xian fucking shot her!"
Reina looms over him, pointing a finger in his face, "No wonder the Empress wanted me on this mission! She wanted to be sure someone was there to fix your fucking mess if you fucked around again, but I'm not a fucking miracle worker! I can't fix fucking ignorance when the person doesn't want to change!"
She quickly looks around, seeking out Xian, but not finding her immediately since she went outside.
Reina rounds on Hoshiko, "And you defended them! The Empress..." Reina suddenly deflates, calming down somewhat, "... that was a stupid punishment and wouldn't have solved anything..."
Her hackles rising up slightly again, she turns back to Wen, "But you should have been punished! I don't care if you think you had justification, you went far out of line!"
Just as quickly as her rage manifests, it quickly dissipates like steam in the wind. She goes over to the table and slumps, dejected.
Head leaning into her palm, She addresses Lady Nimue, but doesn't look at her, "I just read the report. Through a 'misunderstanding' in Viz's teaching methods, she got a little rough with the group and our present guardians shot her..." She looks up to Lady Nimue, "She yet lives... though she consumed large quantities of Heartstones to survive, restoring her flesh, but doing nothing to help restore her mind. She has horrible mental scarring and disassociates with reality. From the report, it is uncertain if she could ever make a full recovery... I'm sorry."
With that said, Reina's VR avatar dissipates as she disconnects from the current session, withdrawing from the group for now.
In meat space, Reina seems frozen for a good couple of seconds. Suddenly a sharp crack rings out as she seemingly materializes in front of Wen, slapping him with force enough to crack bone if he were but a normal human, "YOU MOTHERFUCKERS! Muchina kuso yarō [無知なクソ野郎]! You and Xian fucking shot her!"
Reina looms over him, pointing a finger in his face, "No wonder the Empress wanted me on this mission! She wanted to be sure someone was there to fix your fucking mess if you fucked around again, but I'm not a fucking miracle worker! I can't fix fucking ignorance when the person doesn't want to change!"
She quickly looks around, seeking out Xian, but not finding her immediately since she went outside.
Reina rounds on Hoshiko, "And you defended them! The Empress..." Reina suddenly deflates, calming down somewhat, "... that was a stupid punishment and wouldn't have solved anything..."
Her hackles rising up slightly again, she turns back to Wen, "But you should have been punished! I don't care if you think you had justification, you went far out of line!"
Just as quickly as her rage manifests, it quickly dissipates like steam in the wind. She goes over to the table and slumps, dejected.
Head leaning into her palm, She addresses Lady Nimue, but doesn't look at her, "I just read the report. Through a 'misunderstanding' in Viz's teaching methods, she got a little rough with the group and our present guardians shot her..." She looks up to Lady Nimue, "She yet lives... though she consumed large quantities of Heartstones to survive, restoring her flesh, but doing nothing to help restore her mind. She has horrible mental scarring and disassociates with reality. From the report, it is uncertain if she could ever make a full recovery... I'm sorry."
With that said, Reina's VR avatar dissipates as she disconnects from the current session, withdrawing from the group for now.
Noticing Reina disconnect from virtual reality, Wen nonetheless sought to explain himself, he instinctively reached for Reina's shoulders out of frustration, but in a moment of clarity, he kept his hands to himself, though nonetheless balled up a fist at his side. He turned his translator off, keeping the conversation from the Aos Si diplomat, and spoke Chinese.
"You weren't there, doctor, the Aos Si gave us no warning. If we knew there was going to be some pain during the procedure, we would have stayed our hands. No one told us anything. We were, and are, in unknown waters. We acted according to our training, which was the wrong course in retrospect. Now," Wen pointed at the civilian doctor, seething,
"I'll accept what we did was wrong, punishment in retrospect to remind of us of that, but I will not be talked down by a civilian who rides her high horse and judging others with hindsight. I, and Xian, did our duty, sought to protect our liege. Are you going to question that?"
"You weren't there, doctor, the Aos Si gave us no warning. If we knew there was going to be some pain during the procedure, we would have stayed our hands. No one told us anything. We were, and are, in unknown waters. We acted according to our training, which was the wrong course in retrospect. Now," Wen pointed at the civilian doctor, seething,
"I'll accept what we did was wrong, punishment in retrospect to remind of us of that, but I will not be talked down by a civilian who rides her high horse and judging others with hindsight. I, and Xian, did our duty, sought to protect our liege. Are you going to question that?"
BucketBlue
New member
Aitana had only just returned to the virtual space as her new companions' previous mistakes were revealed to her. "Genial, ahora soy niñera," she muttered to herself, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Perhaps I should request a Yǐtiān Jiàn from the Empress herself when this is all over."
Her avatar's military uniform was gone, and it was replaced by a long black and silver cheongsam. To match this new look, her hair was tied back in a tight bun. She shot a wary glance at the bull man as she returned to her seat, then turned to Xian with a caring but disappointed gaze. "Mija... you two may have acted on your training, but if I am understanding this report correctly, this was a delicate diplomatic encounter. Such situations require greater patience and a steadier hand... I thought your mother raised you better than this."
The albatross sighed as she dismissed the document with a brief flick of her fingers. "No matter. If the Tiger General hears about this, it will not be from me. Princess Hoshiko, if I may, I would like to take responsibility for Xian during this gathering. I have actually known her since she was very little, so I believe I can help her to hone her people skills." She paused to glance back at Wen. "...I suppose Captain Sun can join us, if you think my guidance would help him, though I recognize that you have not known me for very long."
Aitana was dead silent aboard the howdah, keeping her pseudo-wings folded across her chest as she carefully observed the tense conversations around her.
Her avatar's military uniform was gone, and it was replaced by a long black and silver cheongsam. To match this new look, her hair was tied back in a tight bun. She shot a wary glance at the bull man as she returned to her seat, then turned to Xian with a caring but disappointed gaze. "Mija... you two may have acted on your training, but if I am understanding this report correctly, this was a delicate diplomatic encounter. Such situations require greater patience and a steadier hand... I thought your mother raised you better than this."
The albatross sighed as she dismissed the document with a brief flick of her fingers. "No matter. If the Tiger General hears about this, it will not be from me. Princess Hoshiko, if I may, I would like to take responsibility for Xian during this gathering. I have actually known her since she was very little, so I believe I can help her to hone her people skills." She paused to glance back at Wen. "...I suppose Captain Sun can join us, if you think my guidance would help him, though I recognize that you have not known me for very long."
Aitana was dead silent aboard the howdah, keeping her pseudo-wings folded across her chest as she carefully observed the tense conversations around her.
Going back to the encounter with Viz was certainly infuriating, but Xian was no stranger to being in such situations. She would privately send a message to Wen.
"Know when to fight."
As always the facts of the matter were less important than the political realities, and neither of them had the pull to change that right now.
"Know when to fight."
As always the facts of the matter were less important than the political realities, and neither of them had the pull to change that right now.
NecroDrake
New member
Lacking the energy she did before, Reina looks evenly at Wen and replies in kind, using second hand Mandarin [Chinese] to get her words across, "A 'civilian' who had to survive clan wars, politics and skullduggery since her birth and her creation as a tool was long written in stone and blood before she took her first breaths."
She closes her eyes, breaths deep, and lets it out, seeming to go back to her normal energy before her outburst. She opens her eyes and continues, "You talk about judging you on hindsight..." She shrugs, "You are right. I wasn't there and everything I say is after the fact, but that doesn't change the fact that you were there and you lacked the foresight to make the right judgment call. Your actions endangered a lot more than your present company at the time... If you don't get what I mean by that, then there is no point in trying to get you to understand it... Just know that you chose the most destructive path, and hindsight tells me that you, a capable Daqinren warrior, had a lot more options at your disposal, or am I wrong?"
She lets that hang in the air for a minute and says, "...I apologize for my outburst. I shouldn't have hit you, but I now understand the shit we're in and why the Empress sent me your way and... I lost my cool for a minute there... I promise I'll try to keep a more professional attitude moving forward."
She re-establishes the link and logs back in to the Cafe, "I really wish I knew about it sooner however... Would have been able to plan around it better than this 'spur of the moment.' Regardless, better that we told them now instead of it being revealed later. Hopefully my spin of it shows that we also think of it as an unfortunate incident... Wen and Xian. Regardless of mine or your feelings, it would probably be only helpful if you pretended to be remorseful on the matter."
She closes her eyes, breaths deep, and lets it out, seeming to go back to her normal energy before her outburst. She opens her eyes and continues, "You talk about judging you on hindsight..." She shrugs, "You are right. I wasn't there and everything I say is after the fact, but that doesn't change the fact that you were there and you lacked the foresight to make the right judgment call. Your actions endangered a lot more than your present company at the time... If you don't get what I mean by that, then there is no point in trying to get you to understand it... Just know that you chose the most destructive path, and hindsight tells me that you, a capable Daqinren warrior, had a lot more options at your disposal, or am I wrong?"
She lets that hang in the air for a minute and says, "...I apologize for my outburst. I shouldn't have hit you, but I now understand the shit we're in and why the Empress sent me your way and... I lost my cool for a minute there... I promise I'll try to keep a more professional attitude moving forward."
She re-establishes the link and logs back in to the Cafe, "I really wish I knew about it sooner however... Would have been able to plan around it better than this 'spur of the moment.' Regardless, better that we told them now instead of it being revealed later. Hopefully my spin of it shows that we also think of it as an unfortunate incident... Wen and Xian. Regardless of mine or your feelings, it would probably be only helpful if you pretended to be remorseful on the matter."
Xian certainly had more to say, and it was fortunate for her that her avatar in the virtuality didn't display facial movements. She knew what she wanted to say, but knew better than to say it. Instead she would carefully filter her gut reaction though the persona she had cultivated for the Royalty.
"I will differ to the Princess' when it comes to matters of diplomacy." Xian started, "In matters of defense, our response should always be overwhelming and instantaneous."
"I will differ to the Princess' when it comes to matters of diplomacy." Xian started, "In matters of defense, our response should always be overwhelming and instantaneous."