Scene Listing || Scene Schedule || Scene Schedule RSS
Owner Pose
Hoshi Amakasu     Alberichstadt at night was a fairly quiet and lonesome experience, depending on where one was at the time. The northwestern half of the city was still decked out in lights as the people went there to enjoy some nightlife, while the southeastern half was quiet, cottages and old German homes that had so far managed to survive the modernization of the city. This was the split between what the locals referred to as 'Alberichstadt City' and 'Alberichstadt Town'.

    In a rich suburb not far from downtown, Hoshi Amakasu was pacing quietly in her room, waiting with growing dread for the moment when Himei would arrive. She'd told her parents she was going to have someone over, and that she had something important to tell them. They weren't fools--they knew that she'd been leaving her home late at night, and that something had caused her to be gone for an entire three days. They were bursting with questions that Hoshi had been afraid to tell them. Now was the chance to see if they'd actually be able to handle the answers.
Himei     Though armed, all Himei brought was her pistol... something that's easy to hide in her jacket, rather than anything more obvious. She's also dressed very casually, though she's made sure to bring her Union badge and ID along with her just in case. Jeans, a shirt, and the aforementioned jacket seem to be all designed to put people at ease.

    Himei raps lightly on the door, or rings the doorbell, either one. If the door isn't answered by Hoshi, she'll go so far as to introduce herself, in Japanese, with a little bow. "Shoutan Himei. I'm here invited by your daughter?" Himei looks a little old to be hanging out with teens... but not that old. College age.
Hoshi Amakasu     The house that Himei goes up to is a surprisingly simple two-storey home mixed in amidst the more grand displays of wealth. Of course, judging by the car in the driveway and the amount of windows covering the northeastern part of the house shows that those who live here aren't exactly poor, either.

     Up in her room, Hoshi hears the doorbell ring and immediately dashes out to get it--but she's cut off by her mother, who bustles over to the door from a kitchen that was giving off plenty of fragrant steam. "Ah, mom, I can--" Too late--the door's being opened, and Hoshi's dad looks up from his place at the table, over his newspaper, to see who had arrived.

    As soon as the door is open, Himei would be greeted by the sight of Hoshi's parents. Her mother seemed to be the comfortable matronly sort, judging by her slightly pudgy cheeks and the warm smile that came to her face, plus the yellow sunflower-print apron she was wearing over a fairly simple pair of pants and long-sleeved shirt. "Ah, you must be Hoshi's friend. Please, come in." She shuffles to the side to allow Himei access. "Welcome to our home, Ms. Shoutan. My name is Amakasu Keiko, and this..."

    Her father clears his throat lightly from the table. Unlike Hoshi's mother, there wasn't much that was soft about his appearance--he was a little thin, his face a little gaunt, and the business suit he was still wearing gave him a rather stern appearance. His voice is quiet and authoritarian. "Ms. Shoutan. I am Amakasu Genburo... Are you the reason that our daughter has been disappearing at all hours of the night, and missing school?" He quirks a brow slightly towards her.

    Hoshi herself was in a fairly simple skirt and sweater outfit, and she blushes and coughs slightly as she comes up to offer a thin smile to Himei. "Hi. Uh... I hope you're hungry, mom and I made some dinner for you."
Himei     Again, Himei bows politely before stepping in, keeping her hands clasped in front of her. She keeps smiling, even with the accusation from Genburo. "It's a pleasure to meet both of you. And yes, I could do with something to eat. I'll just have to call my... call Hope and tell her not to wait dinner on me. She likes to cook for me but she's very good about finding things to do when I'm not about."

    Formalities exchanged, Himei glances at Hoshi, nodding some reassurance. Back to her parents, the dark-haired girl shakes her head. "Not me personally, exactly. The... organization that I work for can sometimes require her to put in some extra hours, and we apologize for that. I'm here to put your minds at ease about that. I just needed to find the time. Instructors really like to load their tests all at once, you know? I had a pilot's license test the other day, and then a bio exam the day after. College is a little brutal sometimes, on top of my other responsibilities."

    She clears her throat. "Anyway, I can answer some questions if you want. Your daughter's been selected for a sort of study abroad program, much like I was at her age. She's in a little better position than I was at the time, but I doubt she'll be going career into it like I did."
Hoshi Amakasu     Keiko gave her husband a small frown at his sudden accusation, but the sidelong look she gave Himei said that she didn't quite disagree with him, either. She shuffles off back to the kitchen to start prepping their dinner. "We weren't sure what you would like, but hopefully you wouldn't mind some food from home, hm?" Hoshi spends a few moments looking guiltily between her mom and Himei, until she goes to help her mom prepare.

    Genburo carefully folds his paper and sets it aside on the table, standing and motioning for Himei to take a seat. He doesn't sit until she does. "The organization you work for. You mean the Union, yes?" He folds his hands together as he spoke. "We're not completely ignorant of the Multiverse, though there hasn't been any official statements on the matter. Many governments and companies have made inquiries and gotten results. Please correct me if I'm wrong--but you're a student who is currently in the middle of a war, are you not?"

    Hoshi flushes guiltily as her mother looks between her and the two at the table--instead of dealing with it, she hustles out with bowls of miso soup to set out on the table. QUickly, she gives a shake of her head to Himei as she passed. "Best to be honest," she mumbles with no small amount of dread.
Himei     Rather than be surprised, Himei laughs, "I was building up to that, yeah. I work for the Union. The Specialist Response Division, to be specific. Yes, we're technically in a war, you heard right." She goes to take a seat and wait on dinner, trying to put matters at ease with a smile. "It would be nice. Usually when I go out it's, you know... Western. Both the girls at home are from the West, so we get a lot of that."

    She might as well dive into matters if they're going to be direct though. "The Specialist Response Division is dedicated to all manner of threats, and not just battlefield ones," she explains. "Those with talent in healing are in there, for example. One of my good friends is a researcher. Statistically, both Hoshi and I are less likely to meet with a fatal accident thanks to membership than otherwise, partly due to the much better medical care offered to members. It's one of the perks, though it's usually intended for, you know, the more soldiery types." Nothing she said was actually a lie, right?

    "Technically," Himei continues, "I'm in the reserve forces anyway. This is where your daughter will be should she choose to pursue membership." She glances at Hoshi, just to make sure she's not getting this wrong. "It does offer full scholarship and quite a bit of travel abroad experience. My English is much better since I joined, and I've seen a lot more of the world than I would have otherwise. It does require some time away from home, though."
Hoshi Amakasu     Genburo nods silently, a frown etched deeply onto his face. Keiko is a little less reserved as she brings out bowls of rice--she's giving Himei a look of both pity and concern and maybe even some anger. Hoshi goes to snatch the last thing needed for the meal--a platter of chicken and skin-on roased salmon. Once she sets this in the center of the table, she brings her bowl of miso to her mouth and keeps drinking it, not seeming to dare to look at anything but the table.

    Eventually, Genburo lets out a small sigh. "My daughter is a good girl, very strong, dedicated, and honest. That's probably why she went to your organization in the first place, yes?" He glances over to Hoshi, and she nods--barely. "Mm. But the fact of the matter is, the Union is in a war. I think I can assume that Hoshi isn't a researcher, or a healer. That leaves combat. Do you expect us to be comfortable with that idea, Ms. Shoutan?"

    Keiko sits as well, fishing some salmon from the platter to put on her rice. Her face is a mask of worry. "When Hoshi disappeared for three days--what were we to think? There's a rumor going around, that children have been disappearing or suddenly acting out in bizarre ways. When she finally came home, I saw her gi. There were holes in it--big ones!--and blood all over. Do you care to explain that, Ms. Shoutan?"
Himei     "You're right, she is honest and a good person," Himei says, sitting up. The meal is given a look, and then a polite thanks before she continues. "You're more perceptive parents than mine, I'll give you that. It's good that you know something's going on. We're still looking into it, and believe me, our interest in Hoshi here is also to keep her out of trouble and safe as much as possible."

    She glances away, toward Keiko, and sighs apologetically. "Unfortunately, things do happen. I wasn't present at the incident in question, but I heard a little about it. We do our best to keep any of our valuable troops in the SRD - which only number a few hundred in this entire sector - from biting off more than they can chew. Hoshi is strong and dedicated, but she is not, by training, a soldier. She isn't expected to go up against the big leagues, and part of our job is to shield her from ever having to do that. The fact of the matter is, she's drawn the attention of other Elites, some of them possibly from the Confederacy, simply due to existing."

    Himei sets down her chopsticks and folds her hands into her lap. "I won't lie to you and say that it isn't dangerous sometimes. She is very likely to get injured from time to time, too. I /can/ say that when I was in a position like hers, it was the Union who helped me out and kept me going. I don't think I'd be here today if not for the friends I made there and the things I've learned. More importantly, it's a decision we're leaving up to her. We aren't asking you to hand her over or anything. We're only asking her to respect her choice if she should decide to continue to work with us. In our eyes, she's earned her right to adulthood already."
Hoshi Amakasu     The wry look that comes to Genburo's face might well have been a close mirror of Hoshi's expression. He takes a few moments to have a few mouthfuls of rice, before he continues. "Like I said, Hoshi is very honest. It wasn't very hard to see that she had suddenly started keeping things from us. We'd assumed she'd found a boyfriend at first. You say that you're trying to keep her out of trouble--maybe you wouldn't mind explaining what you intend for Hoshi to /do/ while working for the Union."

    Keiko is frowning, seemingly unconvinced. "If there are so few, that must mean you're very important--but that doesn't explain why you need Hoshi to be counted in that number. You're using a lot of unfamiliar words that are naturally intimidating, but you haven't given us any reason to believe what you're saying, either. And what about her future? Can we actually expect the Union to have a career ready for her in it's ranks?"

    Hoshi quietly clears her throat, her voice calm. Underneath the table, however, her hands are gripped into tight fists. "I want to keep helping the Union," she states clearly. "I think they're doing good work, and I know I can be helpful to them. Shouldn't that be what's important?" Her father, however, rubs his eyes with his fingers softly. "The important part here is your health, happiness, safety, and your future. We came to Alberichstadt because of my work, but we all knew that Drachenblatt could offer you the knowledge you need to thrive in this world. We don't have that same assurance here."
Himei     "What she wants to do is still something that depends on her own choice of advancement," Himei says firmly. "As you've guessed, some combat training will be involved, though exactly what kind is up to her. I likely won't be involved unless she has a talent for my particular martial art, and I highly doubt that because it's so specialized. She's also likely to be trained in investigative techniques and basic first aid, before she chooses a specialty."

    Shaking her Head, himei glances atHoshi, then more quietly addresses Keiko. "I can, in fact, guarantee that she will have whatever training she needs. I said I was career, but I /am/ going to school hoping for a medical degree soon, and I've been talking about retirement for the last year or two. I've been doing this for ten years, though, which is more than most of our more human members. My best friend is at university studying... Temporal Physics I think it was. In the ally track, there's no obligation to continue with the Union past a certain point. The only reason I stuck with it so long was because of the Fairchild affair."

    She laces her fingers together. "Like I said, we just ask that you respect her choice. I would like to point out that if none of this had happened to me, I probably would have gone to a mediocre school and majored in something sciency. Now, I live with a literal messiah who saved an entire world, and my friends are a literal guardian angel, a mostly normal teenage girl, an affectionate werewolf, and an Atlantean sorceress. I've seen sunrise from space, the creation of a universe, the defeat of a tyrant emperor, and the birth of a unicorn. The breadth of experiences offered in the SRD just doesn't compare. I can't lie and say that some of the things that she might see aren't terrible as well... but in the end, people tend to stick with it because the rewards far outstrip the downsides. Most of all, it taught me how to deal with people and diversity, and I think that's a valuable lesson."
Hoshi Amakasu     Hoshi can't help but send Himei a cuirous look. Specialized martial art? What exactly could Himei do, anyway?... Of course, she doesn't try to voice the question. For now, everyone has gone silent, each with their own type of pensive expression on their face. Eventually, Keiko speaks up slowly. "I've heard that for some countries, students in high school and college can join the military, recieve their education, and be granted an officer's position on their graduation. Is that a possible course of action for Hoshi?"

    Hoshi, for her part, is staring at her mom with disbelief. That she'd managed to stay calm through all of this was a wonder in itself, much less that she was at least somewhat supportive. When Keiko spots it, she smiles thinly. "You don't have as much experience with business and contracts as we do, Hoshi. It's best that if you're insistant on this, we be your advocates."

    Genburo spends a long time looking between Himei and his daughter, and the Asian frown is still quite strong. That being said, his voice is less stiff and more tired when he speaks up again. "I would say half of the things you described are impossible, but judging from what little we know of the Multiverse..." He gives a short laugh. "If there is a god or gods in control of this, they must be very amused. My wife's suggestion is a good one. Is it one that the Union would accept, however?"
Himei     It is a surprising question, enough to make Himei's eyebrows raise, but she isn't unable to field it. "Like I said before, she'd be on what's called the ally track. It /is/ possible to gain rank on that track, but very difficult. If she chooses full enlistment, then yes, she can easily get Ensign level, barring a catastrophic string of bad decisions or something equally poor in judgement. I don't think that's likely. Generally, advancement to Lieutenant level is fairly easy for people with a good head on their shoulders, and with a little more experience your daughter here is likely to be able to make it that far."

    She glances at Hoshi then, so it doesn't feel like she's talking behind the girl's back. "Enlistment and promotion is, of course, optional. Advancing beyond Lieutenant is much more difficult, but with a good record it's certainly possible. I have enough rank that I can say she'd make a good candidate to at least consider for Captain level, with enough experience. But to give a shorter, simpler answer to your question: yes. 'Graduating' into a low officer rank is pretty normal."
Hoshi Amakasu     The chance to be a Captain again... Of course, Hoshi knows there's a world of difference between being captain of a kendo club, and being a Captain in the Union. Still, Hoshi can scarcely keep her hands from shaking in some excitement from the idea. "But... I'm already signed up as an ally. Can I actually join in? Is it a good idea?" She wants to mention how she'd not really known what she was going for when she first entered, just wanted help, ANY help--but she doesn't. Her parents don't need to know about the things haunting the town. Instead, she chuckles a awkwardly and rubs at her forehead. "Honestly, I've never really had any ideas for what I wanted to do after I got out of school. Just that I wanted to stay in kendo. I guess I could've opened my own dojo, if I was lucky, but with the Union I can still do all of that and have a career."

    Neither Genburo nor Keiko seemed to like Hoshi's frank assessment of herself, judging by the looks they sent her, but neither opt to say anything. Instead, Genburo finds a slightly different topic. "You said that Hoshi may have attracted the attention of the Confederacy? I should ask how, and whether or not our world is in jeapordy due to that connection."
Himei     "Like the Union, the Confederacy keeps an eye out for potential candidates, and I believe the time Hoshi was injured was due to a run-in with a Confederate soldier," Himei says frankly. She looks to Hoshi for confirmation, but is pretty sure she's right. "As far as I know, the Confederacy as a whole isn't fully aware of Hoshi, thankfully. They likely don't know of your world in specific, either, though without consulting the intelligence department I can't be certain of that. I don't believe your world is in danger at this moment, but we have it under watch in case that changes. At this time I don't think the Confederacy has any particular use for the world, so it's unlikely to be invaded. I'm not breaking any confidentiality by telling you all that."

    Himei smiles at Hoshi. "As for joining up... that's up to you. I would... encourage you to at least take some time to think about it before taking that step, but I'm in the reserves myself. I can go over the ups and downs of that later, if you like, but I generally encourage our younger members from earthlike worlds to hold off before doing that. Anyone you see who is an officer and younger than you is likely to be from something like a TSAB world, where the expectations are different. That's mostly because I'm from an earthlike world, though... Tokyo, to be specific."

    She glances at Keiko and Genburo. "Earth worlds are by far the most common, though there's a slight variation in exact details obviously. You aren't in any danger of being flooded by alien-like beings right away."
Hoshi Amakasu     Yeeeaaah... She never did quite tell them what she'd been doing when she got hurt. Well, time to face the music. "Yeah. She was in Confederate-held territory at the time, and tried to stop me from taking it." Both parents immediately look to her. Hoshi blushes under the intense gaze and starts quickly explaining. "They raise dragons there, man. I wanted to get it away from people who could misuse it, like that lady."

    This doesn't seem to improve Keiko's disposition /at all/, but for some reason an amused smile is playing on Genburo's lips. After taking a quick drink of water, he notes, "Did you know, Ms. Shoutan, that Hoshi became interested in kendo when she was very young? We showed her the movie Roshomon." Hoshi's eyes snap to her dad, and she blushes more. He continues. "Ever since then, we have tried to help her capture her full potential. I still think that's possible here in Drachenblatt, without the Union. But I think she has more potential than even I dared to think, and it is important enough to you to keep safe."

    Keiko turns to gape at her husband. "You can't be serious, Genburo--" She starts, but he keeps staring her in the eye, quietly. Eventually, she turns her head and sighs. "I've raised my daughter at home for all of her life. You'll understand this is difficult for me."
Himei     "I admit," Himei murmurs, "You probably should have taken more backup. But I guess it worked out all right this time, and you probably learned something." She crosses her arms and leans back. "Really now? Better prepared than some of us when we start, then. Ironically I use a western sword style, myself, but I don't actually fight with a blade that often. It's good that you have a lot of practice already, Hoshi."

    The topic does give her something to comment on. "It's hoped that in time we can teach her to be better about assessing what she can handle. It's actually a good time for it. The war right now is more of a cold war than anything, and we're focusing more on local problems on worlds than worrying about the Confederacy conquering them. It happens sometimes, but it's not as common as it was. Nowadays, we focus more on just helping people... and actual combat is less common with that."
Hoshi Amakasu     For a moment, Hoshi can't really believe what she's hearing. Her parents are actually okay with this? She looks between everyone at the table with a dumbstruck expression. "First--seriously? You're okay with this?" Himei's words pierce the haze, though. She coughs, slouching down a bit in her chair. "Y-yeah. I've been in kendo ever since I was in middle school, and I always worked my way to Captain. It'd be... pretty cool to be able to do that again." A slow grin spreads across her face as she thinks. "Do you... want to spar with me sometime?"

    Then she blinked... and her eyes went over to her dad. She slowly stood, leaning against the table on her knuckles, and she wasn't smiling anymore. "Mom, dad. I've been honest with you. I've shown you something like this, and asked for your blessing. So I want to know. Are either of you holding any secrets right now?"

    Genjuro stays mostly silent, but Keiko seems much calmer now. Hearing that her daughter wasn't going to be in constant warfare had made the idea much easier to swallow. "She can be very stubborn," she mutters as she shakes her head. "When she gets an idea in her head... Please, don't let her do anything too foolish. Especially if she mentions anything about samurai movies."

    Both parents freeze and turn to stare at Hoshi as she gets up and asks them if they had secrets. Immediately, Keiko frowns. "Why are you asking such a thing? Please, Hoshi. Everyone has secrets." Her father stays silent, but Hoshi's eyes lock on his, the two staring silently for a few seconds, until eventually he looks away.

    Hoshi's expression hardens immediately, and she clears her throat. "Ms. Shoutan. Thank you for coming--and for convincing them. I'm very grateful to you, and I promise I'll do my best."
Himei     Himei laughs, "I'd be happy to spar, but you might be better off asking my apprentice Kiyoko." She spreads her hands. "My style is much different and uh... while I'm not the greatest fighter in the Union, I have a lot of practical experience on you, and you might want to try with her first. Don't let her attitude fool you, she's extremely dangerous, and her style is closer to yours. I'd be happy to give it a go if you want sometime, though. I don't enjoy fighting, but it's good exercise and I'm behind a desk too much these days."

    She turns to listen to Genjuro. "All right. We've seen a few like her, and we do try to curb that. Frankly, I've seen a lot worse. She at least thinks a bit first."

    The talk of secrets, though... that's her cue to maybe take an exit. "Ah, thank you for dinner, but I think this is something you should discuss as a family. I appreciate you listening to me, and if you need anything Hoshi has my contact information. If I can't handle the question I can certainly direct you to someone who can. If you reach someone else, just ask for Himei or Colonel Shoutan and I'll get back to you as soon as I can." She bows again. "Have a good evening."