Cycle 25.1
(Visit the Academies (Riluo Bank)): 78 +15 (Kat) +12 (Wealth) = 105)
Progress: 6/6. Completed!
Riluo Banks are now available as an upgrade for Sunrise Banks.
With a kick, the Hyacinth Prism spun around in her swivel chair to face the supplicants who had gotten past her subordinates with a bit of bluster. Kat raised an eyebrow and glanced between the representatives of both Sunrise Banks and Riluo Banks, both of them faltering at her fierce eyes. "So what's the bloody mess this time?" She asked pointedly, her tongue loosened with her workshop domain. "You two going to start picking a fight and make life shitty for all of your clients? Dick each other over and us in the process?" She growled threateningly.
Both individuals in fine suits hastily raised their hands and frantically shook their heads. "N-nothing of the sort!" The one from Riluo Banks stammered, taken slightly aback by her personality shift. But they pushed through and nervously cleared their throat. "In fact, we were thinking the opposite, of cooperation to better service clients of House Iris."
Immediately Kat's eye was locked onto him. "Make your fucking pitch before I start assuming you're forming a backroom monopoly."
"We quickly realized that our systems are pretty much near-interchangeable, owing to the incredible efforts of our hosts- you Prisms, skilled in so many technical fields," the one from Sunrise Banks explained. Kat's expression softened slightly, but not much. "So we're thinking of perhaps making better use of our spaces to feature access to both. Would it possible for your architecture to make it so without compromising security?"
She gave a loud bark and turned in her chair to access her computer workstation. "Hah! Really, getting getting anxious all over that? No worries." Kat did a through check of the firewall of the code. "Long answer short for you dunderheads, yes. Even if we end up crossing data streams between your two databases, our programs are smart enough to filter and direct one lot from another. So yes, with a bit of work, we could make it happen."
The corporate representatives visibly relaxed. "So how long are we talking about then? Because we can start making it an advertising campaign. Get folks interested in having accounts with both of us, offer travel miles for the credits they'll spend on vacations-"
"It's already done," Kat snapped and waved a hand without turning away from her computer. "So get your butts moving before I decide to do it for you with my hammer!"
(Colonial Expansion (Calenwyrm)): 77 +16 (Radana) +12 (Wealth) = 105)
Progress: 5/8 (Stage 3). In Progress.
Radana blinked once.
Twice.
Slowly, her head tilted just to make sure she was looking at it correctly.
Then she sighed and decided to just let the proposed ad go through. If it would help make the idea of a cruiser base in their city of tourists a bit more marketable, then she really couldn't say anything about it. They were their own people after all, though connected by blood and heritage. Maybe she'd have to keep an eye out to see if any other local dockyard companies got even odder ideas in their head.
Though to be fair, that was probably more her best friend's job, who likely had seen the ad already. Ah, perhaps she better prepare a nice calming brew in preparation then.
(Establish Cells (Great House Orochi): 43 +18 (Violet) +12 (Wealth) = 73)
Progress: 4/4. Completed!
Two (2) Cells have been dispatched to Great House Orochi (Total: 4 Spies, 4 Cells)
The video quality was quite bad and the camera work was terrible, both owing to the fact that it was likely captured on some cheap handheld. But enough could be made out of the militia passing through the small settlement, riding cheap converted vehicles customized with their personal colors. That wasn't what drew the eye's gaze though.
Rather, it was the dangerous military-grade weaponry they carried, with the ease of individuals trained in using them.
You paused the video and checked the comments on the site it had been uploaded to. It was a video sharing server hosted in Orochi itself, so it could be reasoned to assume that majority of comments were likely from their own people. An idle background check confirmed it so, and with only a few duplicate origins at that. So you got a good idea for what the reaction was around to Orochi to more and more militants rising up.
Thanks to what you had learned already, you were already braced for the fact that so many actually were excited about this. The idea that there was some civil discontent wasn't a sign of concern to the average citizen of House Orochi, or at least those who frequented this particular site. No, rather, it was an opportunity to test themselves against one another if need be, to see if true strength could be found.
How interesting, you mused, and got up from your office chair. Your steps took you over to a wall, which suddenly opened up with a secret gesture of your fingers. A familiar sight emerged from within, a bulletin board that was beginning to fill up quite a bit. Carefully, you took out a printed image of the militia convoy passing through and studied it, wondering where to tack it on. Perhaps next to a picture featuring a crate of weapons bearing the mark of Lily and Lily? Or maybe next to a government report from a spy about military efforts being focused elsewhere?
Despite everything, including what was undoubtedly a tragedy you were crafting for Orochi, there was no denying the immense satisfaction from crafting a conspiracy yourself. You finished putting the video thumbnail in place and hummed, looking over to the large and empty space in the hidden wall. You honestly couldn't wait to fill those up too, perhaps starting with York next.
(Infiltrate Spies (Great House York): 80 +14 (Dorothea) +12 (Wealth) = 106)
Progress: 6/4. Completed!
Two (2) Spies have been dispatched to Great House York (Total: 2 Spies, 0 Cells)
The hidden spy from House Iris was confused, annoyed, and most of all, tired. The trip over to one of the home planets of Great House York was already bothersome enough with their ridiculous visa requirements, but the travel agency that they had used to help provide a cover had included a 'local tourism ambassador' that just wouldn't shut up. From the moment they stepped off the starship they had been there immediately, going on and on about how excited they were to show them around.
Foolishly, the spy had accepted the guide's offer to show them around, only to realize their mistake after the first few hours.
The worst part about it all was how genuine the hired local talked proudly about their city and people. It wasn't with patriotic or nationalist overtones, but a genuine love for the community they were a part of. So the spy couldn't find it in themselves to interrupt the guide yet, but they were getting awfully close when the yapping so happened to diverge into the topic of visas.
"Right, you had to go through the entire ordeal of needing to be approved by all the cities on the planet right?" The local chirped, unknowingly stirring up dark memories of paperwork with a very frustrated boss. "Don't worry, a lot of others I've talked to have the same issue, you're not alone there."
"I'm so very glad for that," the visitor ground out through clenched teeth. "It seems so pointless."
"Ah, but that's the thing- it isn't. Oh look at the time!" They exclaimed and turned to a set of stairs, gesturing. "Come on, believe me, you don't want to miss this!"
The spy blinked at the sudden urgency in the guide's voice and decided to indeed follow, if only to gain more information. They began to ascend the stairs, one hand lightly touching the handrail just in case but never needing it. Say what you liked about the moving walkers that York's cities were built upon, but they were awfully stable all things considered. Maybe they had really good suspensions built in.
Still, there was only so much space horizontally, leading to the necessity of gaining space vertically. So it was that the walking city reached for the skies, with levels upon levels being added upon as needed, but the it seemed the designers had foreseen this. Never was there any area fully blocked off from the open air, with plenty of plazas and galleries to take in the sight of the passing landscape. That was assuming that there wasn't another lumbering settlement in sight.
Unfortunately, there was one such walker now. It was a much smaller one than the large city they were in, something that probably could be a suburban space compared to the concrete jungle. The spy watched it go from their spot in the stairway, frowning when they realized something. "It's approaching us?"
"It is, but hurry! Trust me, you don't want to miss this!" The guide insisted. The spy, exhaustion forgotten, doubled their pace and followed the local to a plaza that was surprisingly bereft of many others. Just a few other tourists, and a family with kids looking eagerly on. "It's actually great timing that you arrived when you did. Now you get to see why you need those other visas!"
The fake guest had an idea, but it still was something to definitely witness in person. The two massive walkers filled with communities came closer together, the smaller one slightly adjusting their pace and heading until they were traveling in lock-step with the larger entity. Then when they seemed perfectly matched, a portion of the chassis from the mechanisms that propelled that city forwards detached and began to extend out. It was matched by a smaller extension that was only the fraction of the size from the other, but still the two reached out for one another. There were a few near-misses, then eventually the smaller one was able to slid neatly into the larger machine. Immediately, sheets of metal shot out to lock and secure the connection, clamping down securely.
A few tense moments passed, then a loud bell rang out that was apparently the signal for the kids to let out an excited cheer. The local turned with a relieved sigh and shook their head. "Even though it's been so long since we developed the technology, there's still the fear of accidents happening. Or maybe my grandparents were just telling some scary stories to get us to behave." They hummed and gave one last look at the newly connected suburbs. "They'll likely stay with us for a week before departing, so the transit workers work quickly. I expect them to have the connection available in a few hours if you're interested in paying a visit."
"I would like to." A flash of realization struck. "And I wouldn't have to fill out anything for it thanks to being approved already via visa."
"Exactly! Now you get to experience something new from somebody who's connected with us too!"
- It's always interesting to explore cultures beyond your own people, and I hope you enjoy these snips as well.
Progress: 6/6. Completed!
Riluo Banks are now available as an upgrade for Sunrise Banks.
With a kick, the Hyacinth Prism spun around in her swivel chair to face the supplicants who had gotten past her subordinates with a bit of bluster. Kat raised an eyebrow and glanced between the representatives of both Sunrise Banks and Riluo Banks, both of them faltering at her fierce eyes. "So what's the bloody mess this time?" She asked pointedly, her tongue loosened with her workshop domain. "You two going to start picking a fight and make life shitty for all of your clients? Dick each other over and us in the process?" She growled threateningly.
Both individuals in fine suits hastily raised their hands and frantically shook their heads. "N-nothing of the sort!" The one from Riluo Banks stammered, taken slightly aback by her personality shift. But they pushed through and nervously cleared their throat. "In fact, we were thinking the opposite, of cooperation to better service clients of House Iris."
Immediately Kat's eye was locked onto him. "Make your fucking pitch before I start assuming you're forming a backroom monopoly."
"We quickly realized that our systems are pretty much near-interchangeable, owing to the incredible efforts of our hosts- you Prisms, skilled in so many technical fields," the one from Sunrise Banks explained. Kat's expression softened slightly, but not much. "So we're thinking of perhaps making better use of our spaces to feature access to both. Would it possible for your architecture to make it so without compromising security?"
She gave a loud bark and turned in her chair to access her computer workstation. "Hah! Really, getting getting anxious all over that? No worries." Kat did a through check of the firewall of the code. "Long answer short for you dunderheads, yes. Even if we end up crossing data streams between your two databases, our programs are smart enough to filter and direct one lot from another. So yes, with a bit of work, we could make it happen."
The corporate representatives visibly relaxed. "So how long are we talking about then? Because we can start making it an advertising campaign. Get folks interested in having accounts with both of us, offer travel miles for the credits they'll spend on vacations-"
"It's already done," Kat snapped and waved a hand without turning away from her computer. "So get your butts moving before I decide to do it for you with my hammer!"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Colonial Expansion (Calenwyrm)): 77 +16 (Radana) +12 (Wealth) = 105)
Progress: 5/8 (Stage 3). In Progress.
Radana blinked once.
Twice.
Slowly, her head tilted just to make sure she was looking at it correctly.
Then she sighed and decided to just let the proposed ad go through. If it would help make the idea of a cruiser base in their city of tourists a bit more marketable, then she really couldn't say anything about it. They were their own people after all, though connected by blood and heritage. Maybe she'd have to keep an eye out to see if any other local dockyard companies got even odder ideas in their head.
Though to be fair, that was probably more her best friend's job, who likely had seen the ad already. Ah, perhaps she better prepare a nice calming brew in preparation then.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Establish Cells (Great House Orochi): 43 +18 (Violet) +12 (Wealth) = 73)
Progress: 4/4. Completed!
Two (2) Cells have been dispatched to Great House Orochi (Total: 4 Spies, 4 Cells)
The video quality was quite bad and the camera work was terrible, both owing to the fact that it was likely captured on some cheap handheld. But enough could be made out of the militia passing through the small settlement, riding cheap converted vehicles customized with their personal colors. That wasn't what drew the eye's gaze though.
Rather, it was the dangerous military-grade weaponry they carried, with the ease of individuals trained in using them.
You paused the video and checked the comments on the site it had been uploaded to. It was a video sharing server hosted in Orochi itself, so it could be reasoned to assume that majority of comments were likely from their own people. An idle background check confirmed it so, and with only a few duplicate origins at that. So you got a good idea for what the reaction was around to Orochi to more and more militants rising up.
Thanks to what you had learned already, you were already braced for the fact that so many actually were excited about this. The idea that there was some civil discontent wasn't a sign of concern to the average citizen of House Orochi, or at least those who frequented this particular site. No, rather, it was an opportunity to test themselves against one another if need be, to see if true strength could be found.
How interesting, you mused, and got up from your office chair. Your steps took you over to a wall, which suddenly opened up with a secret gesture of your fingers. A familiar sight emerged from within, a bulletin board that was beginning to fill up quite a bit. Carefully, you took out a printed image of the militia convoy passing through and studied it, wondering where to tack it on. Perhaps next to a picture featuring a crate of weapons bearing the mark of Lily and Lily? Or maybe next to a government report from a spy about military efforts being focused elsewhere?
Despite everything, including what was undoubtedly a tragedy you were crafting for Orochi, there was no denying the immense satisfaction from crafting a conspiracy yourself. You finished putting the video thumbnail in place and hummed, looking over to the large and empty space in the hidden wall. You honestly couldn't wait to fill those up too, perhaps starting with York next.
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(Infiltrate Spies (Great House York): 80 +14 (Dorothea) +12 (Wealth) = 106)
Progress: 6/4. Completed!
Two (2) Spies have been dispatched to Great House York (Total: 2 Spies, 0 Cells)
The hidden spy from House Iris was confused, annoyed, and most of all, tired. The trip over to one of the home planets of Great House York was already bothersome enough with their ridiculous visa requirements, but the travel agency that they had used to help provide a cover had included a 'local tourism ambassador' that just wouldn't shut up. From the moment they stepped off the starship they had been there immediately, going on and on about how excited they were to show them around.
Foolishly, the spy had accepted the guide's offer to show them around, only to realize their mistake after the first few hours.
The worst part about it all was how genuine the hired local talked proudly about their city and people. It wasn't with patriotic or nationalist overtones, but a genuine love for the community they were a part of. So the spy couldn't find it in themselves to interrupt the guide yet, but they were getting awfully close when the yapping so happened to diverge into the topic of visas.
"Right, you had to go through the entire ordeal of needing to be approved by all the cities on the planet right?" The local chirped, unknowingly stirring up dark memories of paperwork with a very frustrated boss. "Don't worry, a lot of others I've talked to have the same issue, you're not alone there."
"I'm so very glad for that," the visitor ground out through clenched teeth. "It seems so pointless."
"Ah, but that's the thing- it isn't. Oh look at the time!" They exclaimed and turned to a set of stairs, gesturing. "Come on, believe me, you don't want to miss this!"
The spy blinked at the sudden urgency in the guide's voice and decided to indeed follow, if only to gain more information. They began to ascend the stairs, one hand lightly touching the handrail just in case but never needing it. Say what you liked about the moving walkers that York's cities were built upon, but they were awfully stable all things considered. Maybe they had really good suspensions built in.
Still, there was only so much space horizontally, leading to the necessity of gaining space vertically. So it was that the walking city reached for the skies, with levels upon levels being added upon as needed, but the it seemed the designers had foreseen this. Never was there any area fully blocked off from the open air, with plenty of plazas and galleries to take in the sight of the passing landscape. That was assuming that there wasn't another lumbering settlement in sight.
Unfortunately, there was one such walker now. It was a much smaller one than the large city they were in, something that probably could be a suburban space compared to the concrete jungle. The spy watched it go from their spot in the stairway, frowning when they realized something. "It's approaching us?"
"It is, but hurry! Trust me, you don't want to miss this!" The guide insisted. The spy, exhaustion forgotten, doubled their pace and followed the local to a plaza that was surprisingly bereft of many others. Just a few other tourists, and a family with kids looking eagerly on. "It's actually great timing that you arrived when you did. Now you get to see why you need those other visas!"
The fake guest had an idea, but it still was something to definitely witness in person. The two massive walkers filled with communities came closer together, the smaller one slightly adjusting their pace and heading until they were traveling in lock-step with the larger entity. Then when they seemed perfectly matched, a portion of the chassis from the mechanisms that propelled that city forwards detached and began to extend out. It was matched by a smaller extension that was only the fraction of the size from the other, but still the two reached out for one another. There were a few near-misses, then eventually the smaller one was able to slid neatly into the larger machine. Immediately, sheets of metal shot out to lock and secure the connection, clamping down securely.
A few tense moments passed, then a loud bell rang out that was apparently the signal for the kids to let out an excited cheer. The local turned with a relieved sigh and shook their head. "Even though it's been so long since we developed the technology, there's still the fear of accidents happening. Or maybe my grandparents were just telling some scary stories to get us to behave." They hummed and gave one last look at the newly connected suburbs. "They'll likely stay with us for a week before departing, so the transit workers work quickly. I expect them to have the connection available in a few hours if you're interested in paying a visit."
"I would like to." A flash of realization struck. "And I wouldn't have to fill out anything for it thanks to being approved already via visa."
"Exactly! Now you get to experience something new from somebody who's connected with us too!"
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- All characters finished with their actions, huh. That's an interesting rarity, but a good one.- It's always interesting to explore cultures beyond your own people, and I hope you enjoy these snips as well.