Empire Of The Rising Sun: Growing Tides (R)

[Iwazuma]

I was virtually silent as I noted the conversation as it came around. Kira warned me about potential threats, but I was already scanning the crowd for any abnormalities. Nothing yet. All seemed peaceful. As we continued into the garden my mind began to wander. How did I always end up screwing up like this? I should be back at the Kemyo, training to figure out my power once and for all. And maybe getting to know Airi a little better.....but anyways....

I overheard the two talking about making the two empires merge. Almost suddenly, a few warning bells went off in my head. This would not go unnoticed in the rest of the world. I had been studying the foreign politics of neighboring nations in case something potentially threatening were going to go down on the empire. And this merger would be very dangerous.

"Er....Empress and Emperor, sirs.....this merger might be coming at a bad time. Russia is already uneasy with our conquests to date, and something like this will easily put them over the edge. To do this will cause Russia AND India to declare war on us at once. India is normally a nonviolent country, but a merger will also make us vulnerable while the shifts are being accounted for. And India would be foolish to not strike at such an opportunity."

[LittleLionFire]

I fly in as a sparrow, appearing just at the edge of the room, by the doors. I stalk towards the group, my automatic moving with my motions. I had strapped all of my weapons on my body, and my eyes were glowing. I was extremely mad, and I showed it. I showed no respect to anyone but Kira, and Preacher had a little bit. Leader Boy had a less than Preacher in attitude but in fighting equal. The emperor and empress? They only had respect in title. I stood, arms folded, aggressive even though I was small. A snarl was able to be heard, an undercurrent in my voice. I spoke, quiet but solid. "I do not care if you merge Japan and America. Do what you want, not my problem. I am only here, now, for China. Use me however you like, but the empress of Chine is mine." I was set on a goal. Revenge. And when set on a solid goal, for my own purposes, which was rare, I would not be swayed. Not even by Kira. I settled my mind. "There will be war no matter what way you do it. Now, I will go see to getting more info on the whereabouts of the army and what not. Then, I will spy." I left the room, slamming the door. I never showed emotion. My eyes went cold, and my fangs showed in a snarl. I was ready to kill. I gathered the case with my extra weapons and tech stuff, and set them up outside in one of the gardens, in a tree. I balanced them easily, digging knives into the bark and balancing on the handles.

((Death, maybe pm me some info I could give? Lol.))

[Death101]

"Ling, we'll begin merging today, I assume that you've already set everything up?" She nodded showing me her PDA. I saw Benjin flying our flag as well as other major cities and ports. This meant all of Asia including the former Russian union territories. "Kira, let's get home I imagine your coming Ling?" She nodded as I phoned Maria. "Maria, prep the ship we're going home to Kyoto for a while." I then hung up as we started for the door. "Kira, Hanzo time to go home let's go." I stated as I opened the door to the outside world.

[DizzyMaelstrom!]

Akio
I was bored, and I couldn't sleep. I just laid there and stared at the ceiling. The door opened and Airi walked inside. She came over and sat down on the side of my bed. I covered my eyes with my arm.
"Go away. I'm sleeping." "No you're not."
She was right, obviously, but I really was tired. "Hey nii-chan..." I sighed and looked at her. You knew there was something bothering her when she started calling me that.
"What is it?"
She looked down for a moment and fidgeted, "Nii-chan... do you think we'll stay here forever?"
She didn't look sad or even scared. She looked a little nervous, but her overall demeanor was serious. I thought for a moment.
"So long as the we are from a clan apart of the Japanese Empire, we probably would not be trusted in any other country. We don't have anywhere else to go, but even I have to admit it's not all bad. Emperor Yuji doesn't treat us cruelly, and he allows you and me to stay together even though you don't fight."
She was looking at me, and I saw hatred in her eyes. I knew what she was thinking. Nothing would change the fact that we were working for a man who was originally our enemy. We were working for the person who had caused the death of our parents. In all fairness to him, that was war. In all fairness to them, it wasn't like any of us wanted it this way.
I could tell that she wanted to say more... as did I but it was like Hanzo said earlier: there's no such thing as privacy.
I sighed and reached over, squeezing her hand in mine. Between us both, no matter how much either of us understood the situation and no matter how much either of us held respect for the others, which, yes, even I had respect for them though I did not show it very well, there was a wish for freedom from all the contempt thrown our way because of our Clan. One might even see our positions in the Emperor's squad as a safe haven from everything outside. I looked at her and smiled.
"Don't worry, okay? We'll be fine."
She looked down and sighed. "The others aren't back yet."
I nodded, "Yeah. I wanna try and sleep before they get back here."
She looked at me and smiled a little, then stood up from the bed and walked over to her own. I yawned and closed my eyes. I could easily become a rebel against the Empire... and yet here I am serving like this. It's such an odd relationship.

[Death101]

I sighed as we landed back on our own ship. Ling hadn't stopped speaking since we took off. Yet they called her Silent Empess the moronic levels I see these days. "Alright, Kira you can go rest Hanzo follow me. Ming you can go find Maria." I saw Ming nod and go off to find Mira hopefully things will go smoothly for the moment.

[Iwazuma]

I was silent the whole ride back, not wanting to embarrass myself or my leader. I had to be careful, since there was barely any room for me and my training dummy on the ship......I considered lying down for the Empress to have more room, but thought better of it. When we landed, I obediently followed my leader past the others and down the hallway back to the main compound. I was curious as to why my leader wanted me......"So....what is on your mind sir? Anything I can assist you with?"

[Death101]

I walked right into the cross road I'd brought Hanzo to a month ago. "Have you given any more thougt to the contract?" I asked pulling it foward from my sleeve.

[AliceMalice15]

Kyojin no Kirā: Ryukin Kimiko

The moment we were back on the ship I left to go to my room. I could hear Yuji giving me permission to do so as I left, but it wouldn't have mattered I was determined to get there regardless. As soon as the door closed behind me I sighed and flopped over on the floor. It was a rather undignified position, but there was no one to see and I had my room set up to alert me if anyone was trying to enter.

Closing my eyes I settled my thoughts and cleared them out of my mind. I could feel the still healing wounds in my side aching a bit, but this too I cleared away. None of it mattered right now. Now that everything was gone I lay in silence just tuning myself to the complete and utter lack of sound within the room. Luckily the others were too far away on the ship at the moment to bother me. The solitude of my room gave me plenty of space to breathe and relax.

I decided to meditate in the no doubt temporary silence and preformed a mental exercise. Within my head I constructed a big glass jar with a cork in the top holding all of my thoughts and memories at bay. I see it tip over shattering and spilling out the images, smells, and sounds I have experienced. They swirl around me in a miasma until everything I know has passed around me and there stands an exact opposite of me. A short blonde boy with a happy expression greets me.

"Been a while," he remarks cheerfully, "about that time again I take it?"

"Indeed," I sigh, "something's have been troubling my side of us and I wanted the only advisor I trust to help me if he could."

"You mean the whole thing with Emperor Yuji," the boy asked, "well the only advise I can really give is.....maybe it's time to actually let someone in. Remember when we were younger and you always told your dad that one day you'd fall in love with a handsome prince and get married and become a just and kind Queen?"

"We were five," I scoff, "I was only a child and you didn't even exist to me then. Technically you still don't."

"Ha ha ouch," the boy chuckled, "keep your blows above the belt please. Point is you knew love was something real then. Why don't you give it a try again?"

"With that impudent little brat," I spit angrily, "you must be joking."

"Ha ha alright maybe not," the boy laughs, "but maybe you could at least let him be an ally. You're always saying he lacks the experience necessary to rule properly, why don't you help him out a little? Give him advice."

"And what pray tell would that teach him," I sigh, "he would become even more reliant on me."

"It would certainly put you in a better position to take charge if he does get killed," the boy shrugs, "couldn't hurt."

"Now you're starting to sound like me," I chuckle, "I suppose I could give it a try......thank you."

"Of course," he smiles, "we have to look out for one another. We're one in the same after all."

As the boy melds in to the rush of thought that takes over I open my eyes to my room once again. The introspective exercise always makes me feel more at peace with myself. Letting a small, rare smile cross on to my lips I lay in the silence just reflecting on the conversation. It has only been about a minute since I started the exercise.

[Iwazuma]

I carefully looked at my leader, unsure of a few things. One, he should know by now that nothing has changed for me to ever consider donating my soul to another person, especially when it is all I have left. Two, why my leader was insistent on having my soul. After all, he already had my mind and my body to his undying service, what else could he possibly need. Third, where in the world were we anyways? This place was the same place he had brought me to nearly a month ago when I refused his offer in the first place, and it seemed no more familiar the second time around. I looked my leader in the eyes as I gave my answer.

"You know what I am going to say, Emperor. I cannot give up the one and only thing I have for an achievement I can obtain through hard work. It is an unfair trade, with all due respect, sir. I will work at it until I find my power on my own.....and that's a promise you can count on. In addition, I have news on that topic....occasionally, when I spar with the dummies, I get an unbridled, odd feeling of strength in my gut....I feel as though my power is coming close to the surface, and with a little hard work, I can make it appear and manifest itself. I thank you for your concern, Emperor, but I believe I will be fine. Why don't we head back to the compound and put away some gin? It would make today's experience a lot easier to forget."

[Death101]

"Hm, very well. I can see you are very caring for your soul." I sat down and the world around us twisted and turned. "Hanzo, I've been thiniking," I grabbed a bottle of sake for myself and Hanzo. We'd be home in Japan's mainland soon. "Perhaps you could join my clan." I stated siping my sake. "You'd get the training you should have gotten and a place to call your own when off duty." I looked at him what I was offering was him a true chance at a life not just some low pay Soilder cut. "There would be no strings attached." I stated. "You'd be joining the main branch as an accepted brother of the royal family." That was a high honnor in Japan only given to two others before Hanzo.