It was just Hato's luck. She'd finally been given a chance to obtain true security. She just had to do one more job. She'd done three jobs, getting in and out without difficulty. Granted, the last job hadn't gone well with the Mantis's clunky computers, but that was so unlikely...and good for her in the end! If she had been bound to the Phoenix, she wouldn't have been able to accept the Miya's offer so easily.

She'd done her homework. She was fully prepared. She just had to wait until nightfall, get in, get out, and leave this world behind.

And then Nari-chan exploded. Something massive was coming, and it wasn't just the Crab mobilizing their defenses. The whole World was waking up to a threat, and her dream was fading away.

If she didn't hurry, the damn boat would leave. Her only chance was to hurry this along as best she could before the Dragon was truly roused. If she was truly lucky, she could get in with the rest of the mobilization rush before more keen eyed guards were on the lookout.

(Presenting 2 Raise Fake ID with 3 Prep raises to get the sleepy guard)

The Kitsuki samurai took a single look at Hato's papers, her eyes widening for a moment.

"Ahem." She pulled out her gun, pointing at it at Hato. "If you would kindly come with me?"

"You have some explaining to do..."
___________________

Investigation/Perception | 7k4 ⇒ 55 (TN: 40)

Tassu wrote: ↑

Mon May 02, 2022 7:13 am

The Kitsuki samurai took a single look at Hato's papers, her eyes widening for a moment.

"Ahem." She pulled out her gun, pointing at it at Hato. "If you would kindly come with me?"

"You have some explaining to do..."
___________________

Investigation/Perception | 7k4 ⇒ 55 (TN: 40)

Hato could almost see Miyada fading away.

She could surrender here. Of course, Nishida had no use for failures. She could live for awhile off the money Koiyuki had given her. Maybe rent a small apartment for awhile (after paying whatever fines the magistrates decided this particular crime was worth) Her life would be a little better for a little while, but there would be nothing more than that.

Or she could try to evade a trained Dragon sharpshooter. If she didn't die, she could try to get patched up and then try the really difficult feat of sneaking past those sharp Dragon eyes to finish the mission. She wasn't lying when she told Koiyuki she was no fighter. It would only take a matter of seconds for the guard to gun her down just like poor Okuri.

The choice was clear.

"Of course, Dragon-sama, after you." she offered politely.

And then she fled!

(OOC: Trying to escape via the fastest method, whether it's jumping into the water, running down the dock, or hijacking a pogo stick, whatever it takes, get me out of here! Defense stance, much good may it do me.)


Init: 18, thanks Sakkaku

Stance: Defense

TntbH: 22

"Oh no you don't!" Aoi snapped, readying her sidearm and squeezing the trigger twice, both shots hitting Hato, leaving her badly burned.


____________
Initiative | 6k3 ⇒ 23 (TN: ?)
Stance: Attack
TN 20 +3
Hato is 90' from the dock area, 10' from Aoi.
Hato takes 28 damage

Tassu wrote: ↑

Mon May 02, 2022 2:19 pm

"Oh no you don't!" Aoi snapped, readying her sidearm and squeezing the trigger twice, both shots hitting Hato, leaving her badly burned.


____________
Initiative | 6k3 ⇒ 23 (TN: ?)
Stance: Attack
TN 20 +3
Hato is 90' from the dock area, 10' from Aoi.
Hato takes 28 damage

(Second damage from from the Dragon isn't accessible, but I'll take the gms word on the damage dealt. -2 for Reduction from Ashigaru, so 26 wounds taken)

Hato had always been running. Ever since the night she'd killed him, she'd been fleeing from the consequences. Nothing behind her lasted, not her mother, not her friends, it was all consumed behind her. Always running away.

Nishida had given her something to run towards. Miyada had seemed like a dream when he described it, and it was almost certainly was now. The Dragon was deadly accurate. The end of the pier was so far away. One more shot would surely fell Hato. The Dragon had time for four.

Reaching the end of the pier was nigh impossible. The dream of Miyada was nigh impossible. Even if she escaped, she'd still have sneak back in against an alerted Dragon staff. The odds of success were laughably small.

"The wave returns to the ocean...." she offered.

Hato moves 40 feet away (26/38 wounds taken)
Stance: Defense
TntbH: 22

"You coming with me then, Wolf?" the Dragon samurai asked, wiggling her gun as if to indicate that Hato should follow her belowdecks. "No fancy tricks this time."

Tassu wrote: ↑

Mon May 02, 2022 5:35 pm

"You coming with me then, Wolf?" the Dragon samurai asked, wiggling her gun as if to indicate that Hato should follow her belowdecks. "No fancy tricks this time."

And thus another dream died on the World of Dreams. Hato didn't want to give up on Miyada....but she had spent years staying alive, and was not some stoic samurai confident that an honorable life was going to be reborn as another hero.

This was her only life, once it was over Emma-O was going to see her reborn as a slug.

And so she'd buy a few more moments of life. They might not be good ones, but they'd be a existence for a short while longer, no matter how poor.

She let out a pained breath.

"This one cannot fool Lady Dragon's eyes, nor evade her aim. Lady Dragon is truly a credit to her sensei. This one will cease resisting and comply." she offered honestly.

(Hato surrenders.)

She would lead Hato belowdecks at gunpoint, occasionally prodding the Wolf with her gun, grunting directions to her. They would walk through threadbare corridors, past variety of religious texts hanging on the wall, most of them seeming to exalt the virtues of patience and ascetism. "This way." After some awkward walking, they would reach a room with an open door - a rather shaggy looking samurai sitting on the floor with a cat in his arms.


"Ara-ara. What did the cat drag in?" The rather unkept samurai asked, scritching the cat in his arms. "Did we get a visitor?"


"A thief, I think. She had forged papers."


"Really now." the middle-aged man quipped, frowning. "Put that gun away, Kitsuki-san."


Kitsuki samurai obeyed wordlessly, her eyes still intent on Hato. "I did hit her few times when she tried to run."


"Ara-ara. That is most unfortunate. Would you have a seat, visitor-san?" he beckoned at Hato. "Do tell what brings you here today?"

Tassu wrote: ↑

Mon May 02, 2022 6:13 pm

"Ara-ara. That is most unfortunate. Would you have a seat, visitor-san?" he beckoned at Hato. "Do tell what brings you here today?"

With a little pain from the shots, Hato deeply bowed to the Dragon and took the seat offered.

"Hubris most likely." she allowed. "This one was offered a chance at a new life if they could gather information about the Dragon expeditionary fleet. One far away from the World of Dreams where they could serve honorably, if they committed just this one more act of dishonor."

She shook her head.

"But that dream is now dead, pierced by the sharp eyes and sharp reflexes of Lady Dragon." she said with a nod to the guard. "This one hopes that Lady Dragon is appreciated for how well she executes her Duty to the Dragon clan."

"That is not any business of visitor-san, is it?" He asked, his voice still soft, glancing at his cat with a soft smile on his lips. "That is matter of the Dragon, is it not Wiggles?" Perhaps much to Hato's dismay, the Dragon was talking to his cat instead of her. "Yes, I know wiggles. People here are rather weird." Looking up from his cat, the man introduced himself.



"One is Kitsuki Rensuke. Serving as the ambassador of the esteemed Dragon on this... planet." He might have pronounced the word 'planet' but his expression suggested he meant something much akin to 'pile of dung'. "Oh, and we are quite fond of Kitsuki Miyuki-san. She has a heart in right place." Rensuke nodded, sounding serious, even if 'woman with a heart in a right place' had just tried to blast the living daylights of Hato. "I assume she did ask you to come with her at first, no?"

Tassu wrote: ↑

Mon May 02, 2022 6:36 pm

"That is not any business of visitor-san, is it?" He asked, his voice still soft, glancing at his cat with a soft smile on his lips. "That is matter of the Dragon, is it not Wiggles?" Perhaps much to Hato's dismay, the Dragon was talking to his cat instead of her. "Yes, I know wiggles. People here are rather weird." Looking up from his cat, the man introduced himself.



"One is Kitsuki Rensuke. Serving as the ambassador of the esteemed Dragon on this... planet." He might have pronounced the word 'planet' but his expression suggested he meant something much akin to 'pile of dung'. "Oh, and we are quite fond of Kitsuki Miyuki-san. She has a heart in right place." Rensuke nodded, sounding serious, even if 'woman with a heart in a right place' had just tried to blast the living daylights of Hato. "I assume she did ask you to come with her at first, no?"

Hato bowed deeply.

"Ah, apologies Lord Dragon. Lord Dragon is most correct. The proper sequence of events is this one presented false papers to Lady Dragon. Lady Dragon detected the forgery. Lady Dragon drew her firearm and...requested this one accompany her. This one declined by attempting to flee. Before this one had managed to barely turn, Lady Dragon's impressive reflexes saw her score this one twice with accuracy and force. This one managed a few steps before Lady Dragon made another request to be accompanied below decks. This one compared the length of the pier to Lady Dragon's accuracy and complied with the request thus leading to an escort into Lord Dragon's presence." she summarized.

The ambassador talking to his cat didn't particularly phase Hato. It was not that unusual for people to treat pets better than ronin. After all, one could argue that being reborn as a cat was not a bad move on the kharmic wheel, but only the dishonorable ended up as ronin.

The bushi that had caught Hato kept leaning to a wall, eyeing the ronin much like a 11-12 year old child might have eyed a kitten or puppy.


"Kitsuki-san is good with her hands, yes." Rensuke mused with a faint smile on his lips. "You should see her calligraphic works. You probably saw some, coming here." he noted, referring to the religious scriptures Hato had seen. "So, Wolf-san lied to get herself some koku, did she?" Dragon ambassador frowned, Wiggles pressing into his hand as if to ask for more pets. Rensuke, being the man he was, did not disappoint, Wiggles snuggling against him even as he ruffled his neck. The Kitsuki bushi turned her attention to the cat, biting her lip. For a moment she looked like she really, really envied the cat.

Tassu wrote: ↑

Tue May 03, 2022 6:28 am

The bushi that had caught Hato kept leaning to a wall, eyeing the ronin much like a 11-12 year old child might have eyed a kitten or puppy.


"Kitsuki-san is good with her hands, yes." Rensuke mused with a faint smile on his lips. "You should see her calligraphic works. You probably saw some, coming here." he noted, referring to the religious scriptures Hato had seen. "So, Wolf-san lied to get herself some koku, did she?" Dragon ambassador frowned, Wiggles pressing into his hand as if to ask for more pets. Rensuke, being the man he was, did not disappoint, Wiggles snuggling against him even as he ruffled his neck. The Kitsuki bushi turned her attention to the cat, biting her lip. For a moment she looked like she really, really envied the cat.

Hato frowned at the ambassadors words.

"This one....believes this one has not made herself sufficiently clear to Lord Dragon. This task was put forth as a test to this one. No money was given for it now, no money would be given upon the task's completion."

She shook her head.

"It would be disingenuous to claim this one would not be enriched. If this one was judged having passed the test, this one would be given the chance to swear fealty, and serve on a planet far from here. It was...something far, far more valuable than mere koku. A new life, and a new purpose."

She looked to one of the scrolls on the wall.

"This one had not considered until this moment what was truly being tested. This one finds oneself very contemplative near and within this embassy." she mused, really more for herself than for the Dragons.

"Quite a test for such a reward." Dragon ambassador mused, scratching both his chin and Wiggles on his lap, his cat looking rather content with the situation. "Makes one wonder who would want someone willing to sell their virtue. Wolf or no wolf." His hand paused for a moment, Wiggles making his discomfort known with an indignant meow. "Ah, sorry." Rensuke murmured, bringing his fingers under the cat's chin. Wiggles for his part was looking at Hato, somehow managing to look disappointed.

"So this is the first time you have strayed from the path, then? What did you say your name was?" he asked, tilting his head to the side as he gauged Hato.

Tassu wrote: ↑

Tue May 03, 2022 7:10 am

"Quite a test for such a reward." Dragon ambassador mused, scratching both his chin and Wiggles on his lap, his cat looking rather content with the situation. "Makes one wonder who would want someone willing to sell their virtue. Wolf or no wolf." His hand paused for a moment, Wiggles making his discomfort known with an indignant meow. "Ah, sorry." Rensuke murmured, bringing his fingers under the cat's chin. Wiggles for his part was looking at Hato, somehow managing to look disappointed.

"So this is the first time you have strayed from the path, then? What did you say your name was?" he asked, tilting his head to the side as he gauged Hato.

Hato nearly laughed aloud at that. There was just a tiny bit of Koroshi in the ambassador. Fortunately, the Dragon's gift of two shots to the back put her in too much pain to do that.

"Oh Fortunes no, Lord Dragon. The narrow path of honor on the World of Dreams has no food upon it. This one has lied to stay alive for years." she replied honestly.

She shook her head.

"it IS this one's only offense against the Dragon, and likely this one's last offense upon the World of Dreams, one way or the other." she added for what that was worth.

"Ah, apologies, Lord Dragon this one did not say. This one is known as Hato." to answer the Dragon's last direct question.

Her gaze drifted back to the wall scroll. There really was a beautiful elegance to the brushwork. Has she been successful in evading the guards, she likely never would have seen it. It was a tiny thing to appreciate in these moments which may well be her last.

"Hato-san neh." the ambassador nodded, tilting his head to the side as he kept scritching Wiggles. "Life on the street isn't easy, is it. Yet some manage to eke out an honorable life by serving a shrine, no? I suppose Hato-san was never a devout type?" Rensuke asked as he tried to make sense of the young wolf. "Mhmhm. What should we do with you? Wiggles, what should we do with stray wolf?" Rensuke's companion answer with a meow, the ambassador nodding. "That sounds pretty fair."

"So, Hato-san. You just want to leave this place, yes?"

Tassu wrote: ↑

Tue May 03, 2022 3:11 pm

"Hato-san neh." the ambassador nodded, tilting his head to the side as he kept scritching Wiggles. "Life on the street isn't easy, is it. Yet some manage to eke out an honorable life by serving a shrine, no? I suppose Hato-san was never a devout type?" Rensuke asked as he tried to make sense of the young wolf. "Mhmhm. What should we do with you? Wiggles, what should we do with stray wolf?" Rensuke's companion answer with a meow, the ambassador nodding. "That sounds pretty fair."

"So, Hato-san. You just want to leave this place, yes?"

Hato turned her eyes back to the ambassador and his cat.

"Lord Dragon has been a most gracious if unexpected and unwilling host. This one would not wish to overstay their welcome more than they already have, despite the charming company and rather serene setting." she offered.

She studied the Dragon puzzling over his question, before she struck upon the word just.

"Ah, but in truth, this one has more wants than 'just' leaving this place. Some of which Lord Dragon might be inclined to grant as a host, some he will not grant, and some he cannot grant. But this one senses that Lord Dragon has come to his decision and is curious what it is." she asked.

After all, there was walking out the door, walking out the door into the hands of the authorities, and there was the guard finishing what she started with her gun and dumping Hato's body overboard. All were ways to leave this place, and while the Dragon was honorable, he was enigmatic, and Hato could not divine his intention.

"Well, if it is leave you want, we might be able to arrange that." Rensuke nodded. "But, your soul undoubtedly carries many a burden after years spent on the streets. Burdens you should be freed from, so that when you leave this place, you leave without taking this place with you, yes?" He flashed Hato a smile. "Burdens in shape of small plastic trinkets, hardly worth dying for." Lifting up his hand, Rensuke drew a circle on the table, the circle depicting the sign carved on all digital money across the Empire.

Tassu wrote: ↑

Tue May 03, 2022 5:09 pm

"Well, if it is leave you want, we might be able to arrange that." Rensuke nodded. "But, your soul undoubtedly carries many a burden after years spent on the streets. Burdens you should be freed from, so that when you leave this place, you leave without taking this place with you, yes?" He flashed Hato a smile. "Burdens in shape of small plastic trinkets, hardly worth dying for." Lifting up his hand, Rensuke drew a circle on the table, the circle depicting the sign carved on all digital money across the Empire.

Hato blinked at the ambassador. In the end, it all came down to money. But he did not seem like the kind of man who was simply looking to line his own pockets. He certainly wasn't planning to gold plate his boat. Hato had risked her life and paid her honor for this money. But of the few remaining choice she had left, this was the better one.

"Often people talk about the weight of honor. It is interesting that when one trades honor for koku, the weight only increases. " she offered.

She looked to the guard.

"If this one may, Lady Dragon?" she said, making sure the keen-eyed guard didn't suddenly shoot her for retrieving her credit chip.

She laid it on the table before the ambassador.

"It is a heavy burden I surrender to you, Lord Dragon. This one hopes it may become a blessing to those in need, for there are many who are in need." she offered.

Rensuke laughed, his voice warm and full of mirth. "I would not know - I have little use for koku. I have my blades, my wit and Wiggles. That is all I truly need." Wiggles, true to his name, started wiggling in his arms. "Nor do I want your koku - this city has many who need it far more than I do." he nodded. "Here, I think you should give what remains to those who need it the most, neh" Dragon ambassador suggested. "How does that sound? Do some good for others?"