voice; "oh in my agony i do retreat"

[garyoutensei]

-The first sound anyone hears is some kind of fluid sloshing about in a container, the distinct hollow "pop" of a cork being removed, and several long, thick gulps. This is quickly followed by a sigh, a clearing of the throat, and smacking of the lips...

When Baiken speaks, her words are pretty badly slurred. She's been at it for a bit.-

I haven't dressed nice in goddamn *years*... If I wasn't interested in meeting this so called Empress myself, I wouldn't normally give a shit if some bouncer enforcing a dress code showed me out. I've never given a shit before.

But I'm being told it's required. Because of course it is. The rich and powerful are always like that, enforcing their rules and standards of conduct on people as a means of excising their own power.

You'll dress how I tell you to dress. You'll speak how I tell you to speak. If you don't, you're "uncivilized". But make no mistake, you can put a pretty bow on the common masses and they'll still look down on you. Tch...


-Another several gulps. Another cough. Another sigh.-

Whatever. We're either gonna be arrested as soon as we show up and treated like enemies of the state, used for political posturing, or both. And if we don't show up, they'll find a way to get us to show up. People like that always do.

... I need more sake...

-The voice feed cuts off at that point.-

Comments

[thehurricane]

It doesn't make much difference to me, really. I only thought you might like to hear from someone who doesn't think you're wrong.

[He mostly agrees, anyway. The first part is all true, if not too tame. The rich are capable of so much worse than that.]

[garyoutensei]

Tch... Well I suppose good sense isn't lost on some people. Considering some of these literal children want to hope for the best and think calling a goddamn empire what it is somehow means I'm looking for a reason to be upset...

[thehurricane]

Now, now. That's not their fault. Children are honest and simple. I admire that about them, actually.

[You know, since he's a liar, killer, and thief and all that. It is what it is.]

[garyoutensei]

The exact sort of people that get taken in by stuff like this, you mean.

[thehurricane]

Of course. You were never wrong about that, but at their age they still have time to make mistakes.

[He's met a few children here. They're certainly something.]

So, is that really why you hate this Empire? Because of their rich?

[garyoutensei]

Wealth, power, anyone with that much of it shouldn't be trusted. Any person who shuts their borders down for that long, only to make nice when folks like us show up, shouldn't be trusted.

[thehurricane]

Well, then. I'd hate to be the noble left alone and unarmed in a room with you from the sounds of it.

I'm not saying you're wrong, of course. I'm not a very trusting person myself.

[garyoutensei]

I may be a killer, but I don't seek out to do so on people who haven't crossed me, personally. Don't get the wrong impression.

[thehurricane]

Oh? My mistake, then. You have my apologies, Miss...?

[garyoutensei]

-A long gulp from her cask.-

... Baiken.

[thehurricane]

Miss Baiken, then.

At any rate, we'll be able to see this Empire for ourselves soon. Maybe it isn't impressive a at all. What if they want to ask us for money?

[garyoutensei]

Just Baiken. I'm no "miss" anything.

[thehurricane]

Alright. Baiken it is.

I'm afraid I'm not used to talking over these, so I'm not sure of the formalities involved. I hope you can forgive me.

[garyoutensei]

It has nothing to do with the time or place. I just don't like being called "miss".