Letter Bee

Genshin Impact - Eikons [Current Chapter: Geo]

The Fastest Gun in Uvera

A grand melee?, thought Ken in scorn as he was brought into the arena, the eighteen-year-olds request to fight shirtless was ignored in the haste to arrange this 'spectacle'- Fools, the lot of them. Surely, he thought, more opportunities for me to cause a disaster; if I'm really lucky, the disaster would both free me and entertain the Sand King enough that he'd be too busy laughing to order an immediate pursuit.

He already had the barest wisps of a plan, one that relied on the Geo Generators, a seed or even a piece of fruit being present in the arena (snacks were allowed in the stands, right?), and luck. Lots and lots of luck. And of course, finding out who exactly that other Vision wielder was would be a bonus - Maybe they can cause a disaster together?

As the battle began, Ken showed his marksmanship by shooting the weapon from the hand of the first gladiator to go at him, probably taking off a few fingers while he was at it. Then he shot another, and another, while constantly moving around so that none of these folk can get their hands on him, all the while hoping his weapon won't suddenly jam at the first opportunity.

Then a spear was thrown at him, and everything suddenly got interesting. Sidestepping the spear and picking it up with his free hand, Ken invoked the power of his Vision, channeling it onto the wooden shaft - Wood was plant matter, who knew? - before throwing it high in the air, causing it to explode into healing spores that were scattered by the wind, prolonging the fight by healing injuries sustained; a small price to pay for waiting for the other Vision user to tip their hand by testing the 'Geo Generators' and the energy shields they gave off.

Luckily the above-mentioned generators were scattered all over the arena floor, and one was close by, allowing Ken to dive for a shield and take it once one appeared, but before that, he kept on shooting at his opponents' weapons and eventually their limbs - He knew that these fights were not supposed to be fatal and he was willing to play along with the Sand King and prolong the latter's enjoyment... Until an opportunity struck and he was able to cause chaos, the chaos that would hopefully not harm the audience members who came to watch, although it might frighten them a little.

All he needed was for the other Vision user to unconsciously cooperate with him and his plan...

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War [Moved to New Thread]

Mission Two will be in seven days from now!

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War [Moved to New Thread]

@QJT, Approved, but please try and put in proper paragrpahing.

Genshin Impact - Eikons [Current Chapter: Geo]

The Fastest Gun in Uvera

Ken had learned in a short time that one, being a winner or a showy loser meant that one would not question him stretching the time he spent in the surprisingly good slave/gladiator baths to the set limits. This was of use as it meant that he can gather news of what was currently going on from loose lips, and what he found out was pretty dang bad; loathsome, even.

First up, the Sand King, the one who insisted on the gladiatorial system in the first place, was most probably the lesser evil; his main opponents were far worse in their treatment of their slaves, putting them in the mines to be worked to death - How disgusting. And there were rumors of a new drug spreading around - Ken hated drugs harder than cannabis on principle; addictions were a distraction from righteous causes like peace and harmony.

As he cleaned himself with hot water and soap, the eighteen-year-old engaged in banter with the gladiators, remarking to one of them, "So you refused to be free because you want to keep fighting? Sensible career choice, given that there are few opportunities here than trade or piracy or some combination of both, right, right?"

Ken received what he thought was a nod, and decided not to pry further, instead trading compliments with a gladiatrix - Aka a female gladiator - about each others' fighting styles. The youth ended up remarking, "You know, I'd put up an even better show with my original guns, but I guess they only give those back once I earn my freedom in... How long does it take to earn my freedom again?"

The answer was months - Months he did not have, although his ambitions did not preclude getting free legally or even getting favors from the Sand King, time was not on his side; every second he dithered meant more Uverans getting enslaved and the slavers from Al-Marabar receiving an extra moment to reach an understanding with the Waltonian's current President instead of merely being tolerated.

He had to hide the light in his eyes; the light that showed he still longed for liberty and had plans to escape. To do that, he had to engage in small talk with his fellow slaves and the occasional guard. At least one of his fellow gladiators was Uveran too, though less interested in the prospect of freedom than he was; her tone whenever she did speak just oozed contentment.

It was close to his time limit now; instead of letting the guards drag him from the bath, Ken got up, put on a towel, checked his pants and footwear just to see if anyone had heard his implied requests and placed a seed inside - Not that his Vision's power can do anything against the Geo Generator maintaining his cage - And promptly put on his clothes.

Time to train privately in his cells; good gladiators got good food which made them even better gladiators. And who knows? Maybe he'd get a chance at escape eventually...

Genshin Impact - Eikons [Current Chapter: Geo]

@Renose I do recommend you join the Discord. Overall the sheet is actually fine, but there are some specifics and caveats I'll need to talk to you about and ask for.

@Sho Minazuki

But there's no link to Discord in the OOC?

Genshin Impact AU RP

Room for one more?

@Renose

I invited him here, btw, Sho.

Also, here's the OOC thread:

roleplayerguild.com/topics/189919-gen…

Genshin Impact - Eikons [Current Chapter: Geo]

The Fastest Gun in Uvera

Flashback - Two Weeks Ago

They knew the risks; his gang could not afford to antagonize the Walton Government and the Sand King at the same time. But Al-Marabar's slavers had proven to be insolent and intrusive and more importantly, bought Uveran lives for bargain prices. If this slave trade grew enough to be recognized, if the Walton Government decided that the disappearance of the occasional Waltonian was a fair enough price to pay for getting rid of 'savages and troublemakers', then their gang's cause would be in massive trouble.

And so they had struck, ambushing slaver caravans, assassinating slave traders and their collaborators, and protecting Uveran villages and the odd Waltonian town from raiders. Ken Cooper, being Half-Waltonian himself, had been useful in brokering deals with law-abiding citizens and fellow outlaws alike to humiliate the slavers.

Which led to his bounty being raised by another ten thousand coins. This led to Howling Brook, his superior in the gang, selling him out for that amount of cash. Now he was holed up alone in an abandoned Waltonian farmstead, facing a small army of Al-Marabar Slavers with his trusty guns, a cylinder of Dendro Gunpowder, and a bag of... potatoes?

"You'll never take me alive!" he shouted at the posse shooting at him through the farmstead main house's windows, throwing a potato that liquified and exploded into a sleeping mist at the foes, allowing him a brief opening to fire four headshots at the slavers' goons; the sand pirates were throwing their own people at him, too proud to just hire locals with more experience with his tactics - Fools, the lot of them.

Some ways to his right, he could hear the thud of axes against the home's main door; even the tables and chairs he had used to barricade it would not stand the blows from such weapons forever. So he loaded some Dendro Gunpowder into his pistols and shot at the barricade; the points where the bullets hit bloomed with green, thick vines. That ought to delay those goons for a good long while yet. Not that help will come; Howling Brook's treachery was not known... Yet.

He threw another potato through the windows, repeating his trick of turning plant matter into bombs that also doubled as sleeping gas or healing spores. He realized too late that the slavers had gotten much closer while he was strengthening the barricaded doors and that they were wearing their bandanas on their faces to avoid breathing in the gas. As he ducked beneath a hail of rock bullets, he knew that despite his bravado, he would be taken alive.

Nevertheless, Ken kept on fighting, blowing open a couple of slavers' heads and causing their place to be taken by small trees. Then a loud explosion came from the kitchen where he had taken the bag of potatoes from, and armed men and women began pouring in, laying down suppressive fire as their bravest folk made to grab him for captivity...

Present Day

And here he was, in the dungeons of Great Sandship of Zweidaya, about to have his first fight in the arena. His coat and his guns had been taken away, although he had been allowed to keep his Vision Crystal - A fat lot of good that did him without any living plant matter; even the smallest seed. Heck, they made sure any potatoes were cut up and stewed before serving them as part of his gruel. Assholes.

As the eighteen-year-old's door opened and he was walked to his first fight, the young man had the temerity to request, "I don't want my shirt or undershirt to be stained with blood, can I take them off before I fight? Besides, I'm eighteen, already an adult, so there's nothing improper about it while I'm fighting."

His request was granted, and that was how Ken Cooper, Fastest Gun in Uvera, was fighting bare-chested like a traditional gladiator, wielding only two 'Geo Pistols' given to him before the start of the bout, trying his damned best to survive and even give these pricks a good show - After all, who knows, maybe he can catch the Sand King's eye...

@Sho Minazuki

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War [Moved to New Thread]

Foreshadowing Post (Relevant for the Next Mission)

Mischief Reef, Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone, South China Sea

To some, the morning of the Lingayen invasion was little different from any other. The Chinese garrison stationed on the artificial atoll of Mischief Reef was on guard, as it had been for months. Important officers and Arms Masters had come and gone over time, and now, they were all gone. It was as good a reason as any to stay on alert.

What eventually disturbed the garrison was not a discovery made by their air patrol or guard towers. A patrol boat picked up an abnormality on sonar. The radio communications were quiet and confused at first: this wasn’t a submarine and wasn’t a person. It was like - a huge bubble of some kind?

Then the boat stopped responding to questions. As if to fill the silence, Command started shouting. Arms Master - there’s an Arms Master approaching. It was foolish to assume anything less than the worst when faced with this kind of anomaly. Naval vessels were ordered to stay clear, and instructed that they would be attacked if they approached without immediate ID. Men were ordered to watch the direction of the vanished vessel, eyes were strained to the waves, and the onsite sonar system was studied with utmost care.

There it is. That bubble - it’s getting closer.
And then it was gone. Everything was gone. The sonar went blind.

The officers raced in circles, communicating in hurried Mandarin with mainland command. The patrol boats held their position in frightened silence. The soldiers of Mischief Reef checked their weapons and held their breath. Minutes passed.

A space began to open between the ocean and the shore. Emerging from the space - a chariot cavalry charge.

“Terracotta!” screamed a sergeant. “Xian Zhou!”

“QRS!” translated the commanding officers on their mainland line. “Xian Zhou is attacking!”

Horses wrought from clay crested the shore, some pulling clay chariots loaded with clay soldiers, their very real rifles barking and blazing at the Chinese forces. The battle was harried, disorganized, breathless, and embarrassingly quick - nothing so much like the reckless and bloody cavalry charges of movies, rather than the distant and careful engagements of modern conventional warfare. The army of terracotta swarmed over the beach ignorant of their own casualties, seeking only the blood of their enemies until the gunshots slowed to a stop.

Three humans, flanked and followed by hundreds of clay men on foot, emerged from the waves and looked over a scene of carnage. A whispered conversation passed among them, then, at a word from a young white-haired boy, the soldiers fanned out and began picking through the bodies. Wherever they found a man still living, they stopped and stood over them, rifles raised and aimed.

The last word the mainland received from Mischief Reef was that it was lost. Then there was shouting, directed elsewhere - two final, ominously close shots came through - and silence.

---

A younger boy, whose black hair almost looked blue thanks to the light reflected from the silks he was wearing, then stepped forward, accompanied by a larger, more muscled figure who had already unfurled a golden spiked banner.

“We’ve seized the reef while the communists are busy with their invasion,” the smaller figure said. “Have our prisoners interrogated as to the location of the usurpers’ navies in the region; to prove our usefulness to our allies, we’re hitting them with tsunamis over the next seven hours while Ren Zhao protects us from their ballistic missiles. But first...”

Another banner was raised over the base, the banner of the House of Aisin Goro, better known as the Qing Dynasty of China. In this one small corner of the territory, the Chinese Monarchy had been restored.

@SkyHresvelg@The World@Chiro@Aisede@MagusDream@Lewascan2@Sniblet@Conscripts@Gerlando@Creative Chaos@Nimbus@The Man Emperor@KaiserElectric @Landaus Five-One

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War [Moved to New Thread]

@QJT, Draft Post Approved.

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War [Moved to New Thread]

Part One of a Collab between @SkyHresvelg and @Nimbus

Hidden for Length

It took Callie a little while to find her target.

She had been briefed before her mission that the Imperial Princess Fuyuko Yamato would be present to provide support to the Philippines' war effort - not only as a strong combatant in her own right but also as an indication and symbol of Japan's commitment to their ally against China. If she were to be harmed... Well, there was no telling what the political ramifications would be back home - anything from her becoming a martyr whose death strengthened the case for war to a blow to morale that might cause Japan to pull back from the alliance. Better for stability in the western Pacific - and thus for US interests - that nothing like that came to pass.

And, well, Callie was ultimately here to protect US interests.

Makes sense she's not so easy to find - she's reserved, if I'm remembering. She considered for the third time summoning Charter to get a view of the place, but came to the same conclusion - that it'd just look off, inciting judgement and suspicion when she was trying to build a rapport. Even if she wanted to. So much.

Ahhh, is that... Yeah, think that's her... Is that - yep, title in Japanese, cannot read.

So, again - she's out on the field, so she doesn't care too much about protocol, and she'll probably want personal friendship from being closeted and from that trauma of hers, but still best to show respect at first. Right - breathe, Caroline. Here we go.

"Your Imperial Highness," she said in her best (still somewhat accented) Filipino, offering a bow but also composing her face into a warm smile. "If I may?"

Pause... A little vulnerability but also something to earn respect...

"I'm Private Lidmann - part of the new Task Force they're establishing for us. I'd be keen to talk a moment, if you'd welcome that?" She glanced away briefly, smile becoming a touch guilty and excitable. "Never been in the presence of royalty before, but I guess I'll need to get used to it...

Inside the barracks, Fuyuko was having a quiet time with reading one of her books in the Japanese language with the title being The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, one of Japan's famous tales. She heard the Filipino being spoken and looked up from her book to find the other woman speaking to her about wanting to talk.

"I do not mind, Private Liddman. What topics do you wish to talk about?" The imperial princess replied in a composed manner, using the Filipino she was taught to use in diplomacy to communicate with the private officer.

Decent start...

"Well... I was hoping we might discuss weaponry and tactics." Callie affected a wide glance about the place. "Every soldier in this unit has different capabilities, and we'll work together best if we know what our fellows can do and how they tend to do them." Demonstrate shared values of practicality...

And now to catch her off guard. "But... Perhaps that can come later? I'm also curious about what you're reading, Your Highness!" Callie injected all her natural enthusiasm into her voice. "I'm not so familiar with Japanese culture and history - joining up here was the first time I've been away from home - and I'd be keen to learn... I'm sure you'd be a good teacher!" A personal anecdote to show vulnerability; engagement with something she finds interest in; play to her pride in her abilities, not her station...

Finally, put a sense of power back in her hands... With a minor start, Callie composed herself. "That is, if you would permit me, Your Imperial Highness, of course..." Withdraw a little ways, and...

She would give a slight nod to the private's comment over wanting to talk about military tactics and weaponry which was the standard topic when there was a conflict going on between China and the Philippines. "I can talk it with you a little later, yes. It's always something I've been interested with ever since I've joined the Japanese Special Defense Forces."

Yet, the other question about the book she was reading did catch her off guard a bit. "The book I am reading is the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. It's one of Japan's oldest folktales where the moon is originated from." As the private spoke more on wanting to learn more about Japanese history and culture, Fuyuko replies with a small smile. "It's permitted, I'll be more than happy to teach you about my country's culture and history, given that it's one of the oldest countries in the world with a very storied history."

Callie beamed.

Hook, distance-closing portal and sinker.

Don’t push it now. Building positive feeling here will allow you to influence her later.

Not to mention that part of her leapt at the smile she had coaxed from the Japanese princess. Posing as a friend would be useful, of course… But that needn’t preclude her from being such a friend.

She sat down, cross-legged, on the floor, placing her hands in her lap. “It would be an honour, Your Highness,” she answered simply.

Going through some topics in her head, there was some aspects of the Japanese culture that she could teach a bit to the other foreigner. "Usually, the foreign tourists who travel to my country are so interested in our animation. There might be a few who travel there for the food and attractions, but our animation is the most attractive." She replied with a little nod.

Callie blinked. Her mind flashed to moments of downtime back as an AMC - scenes of flashy, animated battles streamed into their rec room, cheered on by teenagers with not dissimilar powers to those on the screen...

She tried to stifle a laugh. Her countenance rebelled against her.

"Sorry - sorry, Your Highness, I... Hahaha!" Callie grinned. "Apologies - yes, I would agree, and that is one element I am familiar with. I had a few friends who were invested and would sometimes drag me along with them."

The corner of her brain still thinking rationally chose this moment to reassert some measure of control. "You mentioned food..." A personal but also safe, non-confrontational topic. She smiled politely. "That I'm not so familiar with. Do you have any particular favourite dishes, Your Highness?"

"I see. I'm sorry if this was an odd question, but I did think of the many tourists that come here for our animation." Fuyuko responds with another small smile. A mention of favorite dishes made the Japanese princess think on a bit as her response to the private's question came with a nod. "My personal cooks made me tuna sandwiches and some miso soup, sometimes they would give me a plate of sushi, but I really love the tuna sandwiches they do make. It's not the most expensive meal one might expect, but we've been given organic food for our daily meals."

"Even so, I can't imagine our rations compare well..." Hmm. Taste for the simple things. Fits. Callie inclined her head. "It's nice to know that you're not so different, though, Your Highness - takes me back to my aunt's sandwiches at school... Mmm."

Caroline crushed the memories as they arose, cursing herself internally for following the idea. To be fair, her packed lunches were a nice spot in the day, even if she gave half of them up as bribes to the couple of people she'd have as 'friends' while she was still at that school.

Forcing calm, she seized on a different passing thought that would give her some breathing room. "You know," she said, trying to keep the hurriedness from her voice, "I could see if I could find some tuna. Lingayen surely has to have a fish market somewhere, and I'll bet people would be more than happy to sell any stock they've got left. I can only hope it would be up to your usual standards, Your Highness -" that's right, cover with a little joke - "given it's been a couple of days, but it'd surely be better than what we're eating now." She grinned. "How about it - a taste of home for both of us and then we can settle down to chat properly?"

"Your aunt made you sandwiches? That's so nice of her to do that." The royal responds and imagined if her family members would have the skill to cook homemade food like it without the help of the palace servants. They wouldn't know much about cooking, but she'd really like to learn how to make her own food without the servants' help.

As the private would give a good opportunity to find some tuna in Lingayen's fish market and a taste of home for both of us and a time to settle down to chat properly, Fuyuko responds to the woman with a small bow of her head. "I have not been to the fish market before, but yes, it does sound like a good time to search for tuna and make some sandwiches based on the easy recipe."

(To be Continued.)