pantherasapiens
you were always my best friend
- Location
- somewhere over your shoulder
2020 version, it's only fitting
Mandat de l'impératrice des Cieux - Imperial Princess Troubleshooter Space Opera Quest
- Thread starter Whiskey Golf
- Start date
- Original Mature
- Location
- PA
Gerak Has Macha...? I tried to google that and I got some malaysian show. for those of us who are in the Americas, halp?
pantherasapiens
you were always my best friend
- Location
- somewhere over your shoulder
"Macha" is slang for Indians, and "Gerak Khas" means "Special Movement" - or special forces for the Malaysian police.
So this basically means an Indian dude from special forces.
Whiskey Golf
Being of Editing & Technical Assistance
- Location
- Chained to my desk
Gerak = Move
Khas = Special
Gerak Khas = Special Force. (It's shortened from Pasukan Gerakan Khas, which translates literally as Special Movement Force, and is the special operations command of the Royal Malaysian Police.) In this context, it's Malaysia's longest running TV show ever, and is basically SWAT meets NCIS meets Malaysia.
It also has a memetastically cheesy bombastic song that every Malaysian knows, haha.
Macha is a Tamil word meaning brother.
It's funny, but without the memetastic Gerak-Gerak-Gerak Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasss at the start, the OP actually isn't half bad. It's just like any propaganda patriotic song we have to learn in school, but at least it's not as bad as Keranamu Mahatir
Otoh I do feel it loses something without that cheesiness hahahahaha
The A2 (K-Foxdrama AU)
Whiskey Golf
Being of Editing & Technical Assistance
- Location
- Chained to my desk
So it turns out watching Kdrama and going under general anesthetic and surgery and painkillers lead to weird dreams that lead to weird sidestory that I can't get out of my head till I actually write it. With a hand that's still a little stiff and sore from when they stuck a hugeass needle in it for the IV. <.<
* * * * *
You come to slowly, hazily, your head heavy, slowly taking stock of your surroundings. The muted beeping of the medical monitors fills your ears.
The sheets may be as exquisite as the ones in your home, the room may be as tastefully furnished as a five star hotel, but it's unmistakably a hospital room.
Your memories slowly return to you; your car being hacked and going out of control, your desperate attempts to regain control, your protection detail running the hackers off the road and transporting you to the hospital. There are perks to owning a private security contractor.
You sigh. It's not like you didn't expect things like this when you got married, but it's still tiresome. You're Amagi Ri-Sumeragi, Chairwoman of RSS: you'll find the bitches who tried to assassinate you, and you'll deal with them. By the Goddess you'll deal with them. But first...
You can feel dull painful pressure from both your hands; one with an IV drip, and the other, squashed under your husband's head. Your lips curl in a sneer. You're both in private, there are no cameras. There's no reason for Assemblyman Yonatan Chew to continue his act of the doting, caring husband.
Slowly, you ease your hand out from under his head. You bring it to your nose and sniff disgustedly. That man drooled all over your hand. Who the hell does he think he is? He only touches you on your sufferance, you both were very clear on that!
Still, he didn't have to be here. That's to his merit.
You stroke his head and disgustedly lick your hand clean of his disgusting saliva, and gently, tenderly, ease your hand back under his head.
...it's nice that he's here with you, right now. You could almost believe that he really does care for you. You don't believe it, of course: this is a marriage of convenience, you are both allies only as long as it takes to achieve your goals. He needs the Presidency to fulfil his ambition; you need the Presidency to fulfil your revenge. There is nothing between you, save for momentary weakness.
Still. It's nice, having him here.
Sleep retakes you, that last thought lingering in your mind.
She's beautiful when she's asleep.
Not that she's never beautiful, of course. Amagi Ri-Sumeragi is the most beautiful woman you've ever known. But, how do you say this… when she's awake, her beauty has a sharp edge. She's a blade that is both beautiful and deadly, that could cut the moonlight. Asleep, she looks calm, peaceful. You could almost imagine that she's just a normal loving wife, instead of being the Chairwoman of a private security firm, a woman with blackmail, leverage, and a private army acting at her behest. A woman who's done terrible things for your ambition, for the sake of her revenge. A woman who certainly has earned the enemies who make an assassination attempt on her.
You wonder, sometimes, what life would have been like, in a different world. A world without your ambition, a world without her revenge. A world where you're not Assemblyman Chew and she isn't Chairwoman Ri-Sumeragi. A world where you're both just Johnny and Maggie.
With a ruthless shake of your head, you drive those thoughts away. You don't have the time or energy to waste on pointless what-ifs. Someone tried to assassinate your wife, which means that they're coming after you. An attack on her is an attack on you, removing your strongest backer and assets.
Your marriage might be a shame for the cameras, but it serves your purposes: you have her backing and money as you climb the political ladder, she gets legitimacy and good PR from being an honest Assemblyman's wife, and your image as a loving couple doting on each other is the best PR you could have ever gotten. You know her. Once she gets out of that hospital bed, there will be a reckoning.
You press your lips to her beautiful hand, and continue watching her face. Slowly, her eyes flutter open. Her relaxed peaceful look melts away as she shakes off the fog of sleep, fixing you with a steely gaze. "Stop staring at me with that creepy look in your eyes," she demands.
You just smile and continue staring at her. This might be a marriage of convenience, you feel nothing for each other except for momentary lapses into lust, but it's fun to tease her. "Good morning to you too, Maggie," you say. She's very proud of her name, of being Amagi Ri-Sumeragi, which is why you just love tweaking her nose, twisting the noble name of Amagi into the utterly plebian Maggie.
She sighs and rolls her eyes, evidently not in the mood to argue with you this morning. She twists her hand and you intertwine your fingers with her, and she gives you a look. "We're alone, Johnny. You don't have to put up the act here."
"What was it you said? We have to make it convincing? This is practice," you smile, rubbing your thumb over her knuckles. "I remember you complaining that if I didn't practice I would forget how to act."
She sniffs at you, and you stifle an internal chuckle, choosing to compliment her sincerely. "For a woman who nearly died last night, you look wonderful."
"I always look wonderful. The same can't be said of you, Darling."
"I'm method acting, Dear. The best way to act the doting husband, so concerned for his wife that he spent the night beside her bed, is to actually spend the night beside your bed."
"There's a reason it's called acting, Johnny," she sniffs at you again. Her expression turns sly. "You know, you won't have me in this position ever again. Trapped in bed, completely at your mercy. You could do anything to me, and I wouldn't be able to stop you. I couldn't even call my detail: I'd lose my face, any respect I had, as they saw me being ravaged by you, helpless to stop your depravity. You could do anything."
"Anything, you say?"
"Anything."
You purse your lips thoughtfully. It's not like either of you are strangers to sex with each other. You've occasionally indulged in each other, a purely physical yet limited relationship, beyond the very limited obligations in your marriage contract. Her idea - she didn't want sex to complicate things. On the other hand, it's not like you really have that sort of relationship.
But there's a little voice in your head that wonders how it would be, after all this time, if your relationship was something more…
You make your decision. You smile at her, debonair and dashing and hungry, and lower your lips.
He's kissing your hand.
You're completely at his mercy, and he chooses to just kiss your hand. Gently, tenderly, lovingly. It's a very convincing act.
Not for the first time, you congratulate yourself on making the right choice. You could have had any man you wanted, but you chose him. You chose well.
"Weakling," you tell him, but there's a tremor in your voice, and you can feel your heart racing. Damn this man. Still… "Since you're already there, you might as well carry on. Kiss me here."
You work your hand free of his lips and draw your silk robe open. You can read him like an open book, see the desire in his eyes. Good. After all these years, it gratifies you that you can still excite him.
You lay your hand on your belly and you feel a tingle of pleasure as he kisses your hand. "Higher," you demand, and he kisses your belly. "Higher," you order, and he moves up, kissing your breasts. "Higher."
His lips touch your sternum, and you make a wordless sound of dissatisfaction. "Higher," you order. He hesitates, uncertainty in his eyes, and you wonder why- oh.
He's never kissed you on your throat before.
You've never let him kiss you there before.
"Higher," you say again, but it comes out as a whisper. He looks you in the eye, searchingly, and then his mouth descends on your neck. With a sigh you arch your head back, baring your throat to him; his mouth closes over your throat, holding you in place, and you feel a flash of instinctual panic, the genetic heritage the Huxian evolved from, as you perform the instinctive gesture of submission encoded in all Huxian.
And then he releases your throat, whispering in your ear, "You can take that back," and he kisses your forehead, gently, tenderly, lovingly.
It's an act, all of it, everything you two do is an act and a lie. But you'll enjoy whatever you can of it.
You reach up and draw his head down, and claim his lips with yours.
There's a knock at the door, and with a frustrated growl you release him, ready to bite the head off the next person who enters the room-
And your heart skips a beat as you see her.
The young fox who enters the room has striking, beautiful features; a mirror for yours, but with Johnny's eyes. Her face is pale and there are bags under her red eyes, and she rushes forward to you and throws her arms around you, falling to her knees beside your bed, sobbing softly.
"It's okay baby," you tell her, stroking her hair. "I'm alive, I'm alright, your father kept me company. I was hurt but I'm alive, I'm fine, it'll take more than that to kill me."
Naomi Chew, your wonderful beautiful daughter, the only person you love in the world, looks up to you with a tearful visage, and you promise yourself that you will make them pay. Not for attacking you, not for attacking your husband, but for hurting your daughter.
* * * * *
You come to slowly, hazily, your head heavy, slowly taking stock of your surroundings. The muted beeping of the medical monitors fills your ears.
The sheets may be as exquisite as the ones in your home, the room may be as tastefully furnished as a five star hotel, but it's unmistakably a hospital room.
Your memories slowly return to you; your car being hacked and going out of control, your desperate attempts to regain control, your protection detail running the hackers off the road and transporting you to the hospital. There are perks to owning a private security contractor.
You sigh. It's not like you didn't expect things like this when you got married, but it's still tiresome. You're Amagi Ri-Sumeragi, Chairwoman of RSS: you'll find the bitches who tried to assassinate you, and you'll deal with them. By the Goddess you'll deal with them. But first...
You can feel dull painful pressure from both your hands; one with an IV drip, and the other, squashed under your husband's head. Your lips curl in a sneer. You're both in private, there are no cameras. There's no reason for Assemblyman Yonatan Chew to continue his act of the doting, caring husband.
Slowly, you ease your hand out from under his head. You bring it to your nose and sniff disgustedly. That man drooled all over your hand. Who the hell does he think he is? He only touches you on your sufferance, you both were very clear on that!
Still, he didn't have to be here. That's to his merit.
You stroke his head and disgustedly lick your hand clean of his disgusting saliva, and gently, tenderly, ease your hand back under his head.
...it's nice that he's here with you, right now. You could almost believe that he really does care for you. You don't believe it, of course: this is a marriage of convenience, you are both allies only as long as it takes to achieve your goals. He needs the Presidency to fulfil his ambition; you need the Presidency to fulfil your revenge. There is nothing between you, save for momentary weakness.
Still. It's nice, having him here.
Sleep retakes you, that last thought lingering in your mind.
- 女王之天命 -
She's beautiful when she's asleep.
Not that she's never beautiful, of course. Amagi Ri-Sumeragi is the most beautiful woman you've ever known. But, how do you say this… when she's awake, her beauty has a sharp edge. She's a blade that is both beautiful and deadly, that could cut the moonlight. Asleep, she looks calm, peaceful. You could almost imagine that she's just a normal loving wife, instead of being the Chairwoman of a private security firm, a woman with blackmail, leverage, and a private army acting at her behest. A woman who's done terrible things for your ambition, for the sake of her revenge. A woman who certainly has earned the enemies who make an assassination attempt on her.
You wonder, sometimes, what life would have been like, in a different world. A world without your ambition, a world without her revenge. A world where you're not Assemblyman Chew and she isn't Chairwoman Ri-Sumeragi. A world where you're both just Johnny and Maggie.
With a ruthless shake of your head, you drive those thoughts away. You don't have the time or energy to waste on pointless what-ifs. Someone tried to assassinate your wife, which means that they're coming after you. An attack on her is an attack on you, removing your strongest backer and assets.
Your marriage might be a shame for the cameras, but it serves your purposes: you have her backing and money as you climb the political ladder, she gets legitimacy and good PR from being an honest Assemblyman's wife, and your image as a loving couple doting on each other is the best PR you could have ever gotten. You know her. Once she gets out of that hospital bed, there will be a reckoning.
You press your lips to her beautiful hand, and continue watching her face. Slowly, her eyes flutter open. Her relaxed peaceful look melts away as she shakes off the fog of sleep, fixing you with a steely gaze. "Stop staring at me with that creepy look in your eyes," she demands.
You just smile and continue staring at her. This might be a marriage of convenience, you feel nothing for each other except for momentary lapses into lust, but it's fun to tease her. "Good morning to you too, Maggie," you say. She's very proud of her name, of being Amagi Ri-Sumeragi, which is why you just love tweaking her nose, twisting the noble name of Amagi into the utterly plebian Maggie.
She sighs and rolls her eyes, evidently not in the mood to argue with you this morning. She twists her hand and you intertwine your fingers with her, and she gives you a look. "We're alone, Johnny. You don't have to put up the act here."
"What was it you said? We have to make it convincing? This is practice," you smile, rubbing your thumb over her knuckles. "I remember you complaining that if I didn't practice I would forget how to act."
She sniffs at you, and you stifle an internal chuckle, choosing to compliment her sincerely. "For a woman who nearly died last night, you look wonderful."
"I always look wonderful. The same can't be said of you, Darling."
"I'm method acting, Dear. The best way to act the doting husband, so concerned for his wife that he spent the night beside her bed, is to actually spend the night beside your bed."
"There's a reason it's called acting, Johnny," she sniffs at you again. Her expression turns sly. "You know, you won't have me in this position ever again. Trapped in bed, completely at your mercy. You could do anything to me, and I wouldn't be able to stop you. I couldn't even call my detail: I'd lose my face, any respect I had, as they saw me being ravaged by you, helpless to stop your depravity. You could do anything."
"Anything, you say?"
"Anything."
You purse your lips thoughtfully. It's not like either of you are strangers to sex with each other. You've occasionally indulged in each other, a purely physical yet limited relationship, beyond the very limited obligations in your marriage contract. Her idea - she didn't want sex to complicate things. On the other hand, it's not like you really have that sort of relationship.
But there's a little voice in your head that wonders how it would be, after all this time, if your relationship was something more…
You make your decision. You smile at her, debonair and dashing and hungry, and lower your lips.
- 女王之天命 -
He's kissing your hand.
You're completely at his mercy, and he chooses to just kiss your hand. Gently, tenderly, lovingly. It's a very convincing act.
Not for the first time, you congratulate yourself on making the right choice. You could have had any man you wanted, but you chose him. You chose well.
"Weakling," you tell him, but there's a tremor in your voice, and you can feel your heart racing. Damn this man. Still… "Since you're already there, you might as well carry on. Kiss me here."
You work your hand free of his lips and draw your silk robe open. You can read him like an open book, see the desire in his eyes. Good. After all these years, it gratifies you that you can still excite him.
You lay your hand on your belly and you feel a tingle of pleasure as he kisses your hand. "Higher," you demand, and he kisses your belly. "Higher," you order, and he moves up, kissing your breasts. "Higher."
His lips touch your sternum, and you make a wordless sound of dissatisfaction. "Higher," you order. He hesitates, uncertainty in his eyes, and you wonder why- oh.
He's never kissed you on your throat before.
You've never let him kiss you there before.
"Higher," you say again, but it comes out as a whisper. He looks you in the eye, searchingly, and then his mouth descends on your neck. With a sigh you arch your head back, baring your throat to him; his mouth closes over your throat, holding you in place, and you feel a flash of instinctual panic, the genetic heritage the Huxian evolved from, as you perform the instinctive gesture of submission encoded in all Huxian.
And then he releases your throat, whispering in your ear, "You can take that back," and he kisses your forehead, gently, tenderly, lovingly.
It's an act, all of it, everything you two do is an act and a lie. But you'll enjoy whatever you can of it.
You reach up and draw his head down, and claim his lips with yours.
There's a knock at the door, and with a frustrated growl you release him, ready to bite the head off the next person who enters the room-
And your heart skips a beat as you see her.
The young fox who enters the room has striking, beautiful features; a mirror for yours, but with Johnny's eyes. Her face is pale and there are bags under her red eyes, and she rushes forward to you and throws her arms around you, falling to her knees beside your bed, sobbing softly.
"It's okay baby," you tell her, stroking her hair. "I'm alive, I'm alright, your father kept me company. I was hurt but I'm alive, I'm fine, it'll take more than that to kill me."
Naomi Chew, your wonderful beautiful daughter, the only person you love in the world, looks up to you with a tearful visage, and you promise yourself that you will make them pay. Not for attacking you, not for attacking your husband, but for hurting your daughter.
Whiskey Golf
Being of Editing & Technical Assistance
- Location
- Chained to my desk
My dreams are wild things. This whole quest was spawned from a fever dream ^_^;;
nobody would read itI feel like I should reiterate; "At what point do you just re-title the thread and turn this into Salt Admiral Quest, as it is clearly meant to be?"
There's no market for the story of a 58-year old shota and his 35-year old ara ara oneesan
Approaching the Commanding General
Whiskey Golf
Being of Editing & Technical Assistance
- Location
- Chained to my desk
[X] Plan: (not) A Coup!
-[X] Short duration
-[X] Thorough Vetting
-[X] Request IRG assistance
You consider your options. In a perfect world, you'd want to spend as much time as you could on this, and have Daniel be as thorough as possible, but the reality doesn't allow for that. You remember what Chief Petty Officer Mahathir told you: "LT, you can have it good, cheap, or fast: pick two."
"Daniel, let's not spend too much time on this," you say. "I want us to be quick and thorough. I realise that means that you'll have a smaller candidate pool to give me, but I can live with that. Perfect is the enemy of good enough."
"Understood, ma'am. What about requesting assistance?"
"I'll reach out to the IRG for assistance."
"Are you sure that's wise, ma'am?"
"Not completely, no," you reply, sighing. "I'm torn between trust in the institution and trust in people. As an institution, the IRG appears more stable than the Navy, but we have personal connections in the Navy, people who we are, at the very least, reasonably sure of."
Daniel gives you a searching look, remaining silent.
"My instincts say to trust our people. But at the same time, I think we need to make inroads with the IRG. If I don't start building relationships within the IRG, when will I have relationships within the IRG? Besides, we're Fleet, we see things from a Fleet perspective. Having an outside perspective to challenge our viewpoints and biases can only be helpful."
"We'll owe them a favor," warns Daniel. "And they will be able to influence the candidate pool, and have a glimpse into our activities. I'm not completely comfortable with that, ma'am."
"I understand. It's a bullet we'll have to bite," you say. "Thank you for your counsel, Daniel. I've made my decision. Now we need to see it through. I'll speak with Major Nakahara about IRG assistance."
"By your command, Your Highness."
"This is a little irregular, Your Highness," says Major Yui Nakahara. Your young IRG liaison officer looks discomfited by your request.
"I believe you said that the IRG could provide me with assistance up to a RAGTF, within reason," you say mildly. Major Nakahara makes a valiant effort to maintain her poker face, but your request has surprised her, and you know she's trying to find the polite words to ask you "Why do you think we will help you form a power base? Do it yourself!"
"I believe I would need to raise this with my superiors," she says, stalling diplomatically. "This matter is beyond my authority to give an immediate answer to Your Highness."
"Of course," you agree graciously. "Act as you must, Major."
Major Nakahara returns the next day with news: the Commanding General of the Imperial Royal Guard wishes to meet you.
You go to her.
The Commanding General does not cut a physically imposing figure. General Tarisa Manandal, Baroness Alkahest, is a slight, slender woman, shorter than you are, just barely taller than Ahri. But what she lacks in physical height, she makes up with an imposing gaze, radiating command authority. She stands as you enter her office, striding towards you, her steps precise, measured, smooth. This is indeed the woman who fought for the chance to enter the exosuit corps despite not meeting the height requirements, who raised the finance for her personal power armor suit, customised to fit her slight frame. She's fought her way up the ladder by being competent, by being better than her peers, by navigating the internal politics of the IRG. Like Fleet Admiral Chew, she's not a woman to be trifled with.
"Welcome, Your Highness. Thank you for seeing me."
"The pleasure is mine, Commanding General."
You exchange pleasantries for a few moment, before you're steered to the purpose of your visit. General Manandal cuts right to the point. "You've requested assistance from the Guard in expanding your private intelligence team, Your Highness. That is a little… unexpected, shall we say."
"My liaison officer suggested that the IRG would provide me with assistance up to a RAGTF*," you say mildly. "Has that changed, General?"
"I will speak frankly, Your Highness. It's one matter to be assisting Her Majesty's Vicereine on Her Majesty's business. It's another matter entirely to be assisting the Heir Presumptive in establishing her power base. The Guard protects Her Majesty the Empress. Against all foes, foreign, or domestic. Near or far, Your Highness."
"I resigned my office as Imperial Vicereine," you say, stalling for time. Manandal gives you a flat, unamused look.
"You are Vicereine, Your Highness. In thought and deed, if not word. If you want the Guard's assistance, I need to have your measure. Why should I help you?"
How will you answer the Commanding General?
[ ] Appeal to her patriotism. House Manandal has served the Empire for over a dozen generations; you joined the Navy out of the same duty that drives your father and uncle. Use this common ground to gain her goodwill; it might be compelling enough to preclude the need to trade favors.
[ ] Appeal to her personally. She's a serving military officer, like you: she swore the same oaths to obey your Empress and defend Her against all enemies. You're acting for Her Majesty's sake, surely that means you both want the same things: you're both on the same side. You're dealing with her woman to woman, your favor will likely be of the same nature.
[ ] Appeal to her pragmatism. She rose to lead the IRG without being beholden to any one faction, purely focused on doing the duty her Empress expects of her. It's in the IRG's interest to assist you: they'll get a close eye on your activities and access to the intelligence you develop. The IRG's professional favor to your team will be repaid in kind.
[ ] Write In? A different approach may yield a different result.
* A Royal Aerospace Ground Task Force is one of the IRG's crown jewel formations, comprising a heavy naval task force of warships, mated with assault transports and dropships. This allows a RAGTF enough firepower to force entry to an opposed system and secure orbital superiority to deliver a reinforced combined arms battalion planetside, deploying light infantry, mechanised infantry, tanks, power armor troopers, gunships and aerospace fighters to an AO.
-[X] Short duration
-[X] Thorough Vetting
-[X] Request IRG assistance
You consider your options. In a perfect world, you'd want to spend as much time as you could on this, and have Daniel be as thorough as possible, but the reality doesn't allow for that. You remember what Chief Petty Officer Mahathir told you: "LT, you can have it good, cheap, or fast: pick two."
"Daniel, let's not spend too much time on this," you say. "I want us to be quick and thorough. I realise that means that you'll have a smaller candidate pool to give me, but I can live with that. Perfect is the enemy of good enough."
"Understood, ma'am. What about requesting assistance?"
"I'll reach out to the IRG for assistance."
"Are you sure that's wise, ma'am?"
"Not completely, no," you reply, sighing. "I'm torn between trust in the institution and trust in people. As an institution, the IRG appears more stable than the Navy, but we have personal connections in the Navy, people who we are, at the very least, reasonably sure of."
Daniel gives you a searching look, remaining silent.
"My instincts say to trust our people. But at the same time, I think we need to make inroads with the IRG. If I don't start building relationships within the IRG, when will I have relationships within the IRG? Besides, we're Fleet, we see things from a Fleet perspective. Having an outside perspective to challenge our viewpoints and biases can only be helpful."
"We'll owe them a favor," warns Daniel. "And they will be able to influence the candidate pool, and have a glimpse into our activities. I'm not completely comfortable with that, ma'am."
"I understand. It's a bullet we'll have to bite," you say. "Thank you for your counsel, Daniel. I've made my decision. Now we need to see it through. I'll speak with Major Nakahara about IRG assistance."
"By your command, Your Highness."
- 女王之天命 -
"This is a little irregular, Your Highness," says Major Yui Nakahara. Your young IRG liaison officer looks discomfited by your request.
"I believe you said that the IRG could provide me with assistance up to a RAGTF, within reason," you say mildly. Major Nakahara makes a valiant effort to maintain her poker face, but your request has surprised her, and you know she's trying to find the polite words to ask you "Why do you think we will help you form a power base? Do it yourself!"
"I believe I would need to raise this with my superiors," she says, stalling diplomatically. "This matter is beyond my authority to give an immediate answer to Your Highness."
"Of course," you agree graciously. "Act as you must, Major."
Major Nakahara returns the next day with news: the Commanding General of the Imperial Royal Guard wishes to meet you.
You go to her.
- 女王之天命 -
The Commanding General does not cut a physically imposing figure. General Tarisa Manandal, Baroness Alkahest, is a slight, slender woman, shorter than you are, just barely taller than Ahri. But what she lacks in physical height, she makes up with an imposing gaze, radiating command authority. She stands as you enter her office, striding towards you, her steps precise, measured, smooth. This is indeed the woman who fought for the chance to enter the exosuit corps despite not meeting the height requirements, who raised the finance for her personal power armor suit, customised to fit her slight frame. She's fought her way up the ladder by being competent, by being better than her peers, by navigating the internal politics of the IRG. Like Fleet Admiral Chew, she's not a woman to be trifled with.
"Welcome, Your Highness. Thank you for seeing me."
"The pleasure is mine, Commanding General."
You exchange pleasantries for a few moment, before you're steered to the purpose of your visit. General Manandal cuts right to the point. "You've requested assistance from the Guard in expanding your private intelligence team, Your Highness. That is a little… unexpected, shall we say."
"My liaison officer suggested that the IRG would provide me with assistance up to a RAGTF*," you say mildly. "Has that changed, General?"
"I will speak frankly, Your Highness. It's one matter to be assisting Her Majesty's Vicereine on Her Majesty's business. It's another matter entirely to be assisting the Heir Presumptive in establishing her power base. The Guard protects Her Majesty the Empress. Against all foes, foreign, or domestic. Near or far, Your Highness."
"I resigned my office as Imperial Vicereine," you say, stalling for time. Manandal gives you a flat, unamused look.
"You are Vicereine, Your Highness. In thought and deed, if not word. If you want the Guard's assistance, I need to have your measure. Why should I help you?"
How will you answer the Commanding General?
[ ] Appeal to her patriotism. House Manandal has served the Empire for over a dozen generations; you joined the Navy out of the same duty that drives your father and uncle. Use this common ground to gain her goodwill; it might be compelling enough to preclude the need to trade favors.
[ ] Appeal to her personally. She's a serving military officer, like you: she swore the same oaths to obey your Empress and defend Her against all enemies. You're acting for Her Majesty's sake, surely that means you both want the same things: you're both on the same side. You're dealing with her woman to woman, your favor will likely be of the same nature.
[ ] Appeal to her pragmatism. She rose to lead the IRG without being beholden to any one faction, purely focused on doing the duty her Empress expects of her. It's in the IRG's interest to assist you: they'll get a close eye on your activities and access to the intelligence you develop. The IRG's professional favor to your team will be repaid in kind.
[ ] Write In? A different approach may yield a different result.
* A Royal Aerospace Ground Task Force is one of the IRG's crown jewel formations, comprising a heavy naval task force of warships, mated with assault transports and dropships. This allows a RAGTF enough firepower to force entry to an opposed system and secure orbital superiority to deliver a reinforced combined arms battalion planetside, deploying light infantry, mechanised infantry, tanks, power armor troopers, gunships and aerospace fighters to an AO.
Whiskey Golf
Being of Editing & Technical Assistance
- Location
- Chained to my desk
We're back. Voting moratarium for 24 HOURS because I'm crashing right after this and still recovering from surgery, and because I want to give people who want to try write ins the opportunity to ask me questions.
Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
... is now the time to put 'come meet the Empress and see the traumatized young girl who needs your help because the only people she has are uncle, me, and fucking Space 4chan who sent us on this slightly-above-goose chase.' on the table? Appeal to her sense of personal loyalty and devotion, welcome her in as a 'friend of the family', in exchange for doing a favor she thinks will help Ahri improve as an Empress and person? If we're setting the tone for how our family interacts with the IRG in the future, I want it to be a proper 'why we're doing this'. Something bigger than favors for favors.
Speaking of memes, kinda wanting an "I want you" poster for Ahri. "I want you to be my friend", or something like that.
Whiskey Golf
Being of Editing & Technical Assistance
- Location
- Chained to my desk
I mean, if you want to propose that, that's why there's the write in option and a 24 hour moratarium...
We are so fucked lmao.
Rajvik_wolfboy
Wolf amongst the stars.
- Location
- Florida
[]Write In
-[] Cards on the table.: We lay out what our current issues and "orders" are as well as a summary of what intelligence we already have and explain that "These are what we are doing at the Empress's request"
edit: also, if she wishes to confirm this with the Empress that can be arranged.
-[] Cards on the table.: We lay out what our current issues and "orders" are as well as a summary of what intelligence we already have and explain that "These are what we are doing at the Empress's request"
edit: also, if she wishes to confirm this with the Empress that can be arranged.
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Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
I mean, when was that not the case?
Hm. I like this, as it does put a more business focus on the matter. But the order in which the matters are presented and when we broach the invitation into the family circle is key, and I can't quite decide that in the five minutes I have before work.
I know but having it laid out like that really makes it sink in.
- Location
- USA
[]Write In
-[] Be Blunt: "I started a very concerning investigation after the empress read some online conspiracy I sent someone to look just so I can use the whole thing as a lesson on why what random foxes on the internet say shouldn't effect her ruling now we are going down a rabbit hole of a seemingly dangerous situation. I need all the help we can get to protect this nation and the Empress."
-[] Be Blunt: "I started a very concerning investigation after the empress read some online conspiracy I sent someone to look just so I can use the whole thing as a lesson on why what random foxes on the internet say shouldn't effect her ruling now we are going down a rabbit hole of a seemingly dangerous situation. I need all the help we can get to protect this nation and the Empress."
Rajvik_wolfboy
Wolf amongst the stars.
- Location
- Florida
@coyote16able would you be amenable to melding your write in with my write in? that is honestly how i was trying to come across as far as "This is why we are here"
- Location
- New York
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I think we should go with some combo of pragmatism and loyalty to the empress. Give her an in to our doings and bring her more closely into Ahris orbit.
Dragontrapper
Homeless Draconis
- Location
- A Tower in the middle of nowhere
Okay - first of all:
LIES.
anyway... It would be best if we could convince her that we are not interested in the throne and utterly loyal to Ahri, but she's sort of expecting us to say that. I usually go for honesty and transparency for things like this, but not sure how practical that is here, given we don't entirely trust the IRG. If we could get the Commanding General on side though....
nobody would read it
LIES.
anyway... It would be best if we could convince her that we are not interested in the throne and utterly loyal to Ahri, but she's sort of expecting us to say that. I usually go for honesty and transparency for things like this, but not sure how practical that is here, given we don't entirely trust the IRG. If we could get the Commanding General on side though....
Whiskey Golf
Being of Editing & Technical Assistance
- Location
- Chained to my desk
Politics SSR Activate!
So in the main update, when we look at the votes, the way I've formatted those is as a summary of Yui's approach and her expected result, based on her understanding of General Manandal and how she expects things to go. Patriotic has a chance of no favors needed, Personal will owe General Manandal a personal favor, Pragmatic will owe the IRG a favor.
The votes aren't just about what approach you're using, it's also about how you're initially presenting yourself to the Commanding General. (Also, I'll just say that this is not the only vote in this dialogue event, there will be a bit more back and forth in this conversation.)
So on one hand this is shooting straight, which General Manandal appreciates, but on the other hand there's a thing as shooting too straight. You can do this, but it could go either way: either the IRG helps you, or General Manandal "suggests" that you turn over all the intel you've developed to the IRG's Internal Security Operations Directorate (the Foxhound that Lee Bashkan alluded Major Kazusa Ueda & her team belonged to), since this is what Foxhound does and you should let the professionals do their job.
A possibility is that the IRG assigns an investigation team to you on longterm basis; you'd still be calling the shots and directing the investigations, but the IRG would be providing the personnel and resources, and it would be tying you closer to the IRG as an institution.
So in the main update, when we look at the votes, the way I've formatted those is as a summary of Yui's approach and her expected result, based on her understanding of General Manandal and how she expects things to go. Patriotic has a chance of no favors needed, Personal will owe General Manandal a personal favor, Pragmatic will owe the IRG a favor.
The votes aren't just about what approach you're using, it's also about how you're initially presenting yourself to the Commanding General. (Also, I'll just say that this is not the only vote in this dialogue event, there will be a bit more back and forth in this conversation.)
So on one hand this is shooting straight, which General Manandal appreciates, but on the other hand there's a thing as shooting too straight. You can do this, but it could go either way: either the IRG helps you, or General Manandal "suggests" that you turn over all the intel you've developed to the IRG's Internal Security Operations Directorate (the Foxhound that Lee Bashkan alluded Major Kazusa Ueda & her team belonged to), since this is what Foxhound does and you should let the professionals do their job.
A possibility is that the IRG assigns an investigation team to you on longterm basis; you'd still be calling the shots and directing the investigations, but the IRG would be providing the personnel and resources, and it would be tying you closer to the IRG as an institution.
Whiskey Golf
Being of Editing & Technical Assistance
- Location
- Chained to my desk
A very good point, yes. Reminder for the thread that even when Yui was briefing her navy buddy Shiki and her mentor/uncle Johnny about the Egon investigation, she pointedly avoided saying that she was sent there because the Empress read conspiracy theories on foxthot 4chan.
Thanks ^_^; To be honest every time I toss one of these out into the void there's a part of me that's terrified this is going to be the straw that breaks the camel's back and causes readers to leave, but I have to write them anyhow. <.<
As for approaches:
This is that kdrama moment where the protagonist says something idealistic and noble that people cynically dismiss as being manipulative... and then realise that no, he actually believes what he's saying.
(the Korean version of Designated Survivor is superior to the American series and I will defend it to the death)
- Location
- New York
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[] Pragmatic Loyalty: Because we are both loyal to the Empress, who requires our service. I offer the IRG, and you, access to my operations and the ability to verify my intent, as well as the opportunity to more closely enter the Empresses orbit. I, in the stead of the Empress, need the cooperation of the IRG to carry out her will, and just as importantly, to strengthen ties between the Empresses closest supporters. We may not perfectly trust each other, but we must not turn or be turned against each other.
How's this guys? Sorta going out on a limb, Yui offering vulnerability to the IRG in a gesture of good faith in her loyalty and her trust in the IRGs loyalty. Also, I do think we should try to get the IRG more closely into Ahris orbit soon. They are supposed to be her imperial guard after all, they should get used to each other.
I'm not sure about speaking in general to the IRG or to her personally. I would be open to appealing to her personally and trying to bring her into Ahris orbit.
How's this guys? Sorta going out on a limb, Yui offering vulnerability to the IRG in a gesture of good faith in her loyalty and her trust in the IRGs loyalty. Also, I do think we should try to get the IRG more closely into Ahris orbit soon. They are supposed to be her imperial guard after all, they should get used to each other.
I'm not sure about speaking in general to the IRG or to her personally. I would be open to appealing to her personally and trying to bring her into Ahris orbit.
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ckk185
Crazy Bunny Girl Scientist
- Location
- Port city
Yea showing vulnerability to someone that you dont have a personal measurement of.
Sounds like a great way of getting stabbed.
Remember that she's the chief snake of a violent snake pit. She's probably not as cuddly as she looks
Sounds like a great way of getting stabbed.
Remember that she's the chief snake of a violent snake pit. She's probably not as cuddly as she looks
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