Soldiers

(9:34:40 AM) ***Reise heads for War once again, sans her armor; she has a promise to keep to try and buy Soldier 93 off the Department...
(9:40:28 AM) Ikiryo: The guards outside seem to be on high alert, raising blades as she approaches. "State your business."
(9:42:03 AM) Reise: "Um, hello?" she asks, somewhat snidely. "Do you even know who I am? I'm here to see your bosses, duh."
(9:45:07 AM) Ikiryo: "No, we do not." It's kinda weird to see someone who looks just like 93 saying that. "Identify yourself."
(9:46:49 AM) Reise: She sighs loudly. "I'm Reise Peace?" she scoffs, in the kind of tone that questions the intelligence of anyone who wouldn't recognize the name.
(9:47:23 AM) Ikiryo: "...who?"
(9:50:14 AM) Reise: She affects to look offended. "Oh, never mind! Just let me inside, I need to see your bosses!" [To: Soldier 87/93 - I'm here but the guards won't let me inside.]
(9:51:44 AM) Ikiryo: [From: 93 - They won't?]
(9:51:56 AM) Ikiryo: "State the nature of your visit."
(9:52:49 AM) Reise: "Business." [Nope. They're being all mean about it and they don't know who I am! Can you believe that?]
(9:54:43 AM) Ikiryo: [...well, we are forbidden anything not provided by war. I don't actually know what food outside ration packs taste like...save for when 87 and I stole a candy bar from an office. We got our fingers cut off in punishment. That took a while to grow back.]
(9:55:20 AM) Ikiryo: "Identify further."
(10:06:29 AM) Reise: "I'm here to make a purchase, duh, what ELSE do people come to this place for?"
(10:11:37 AM) Ikiryo: "Evidently to ste..." She is slapped upside the back of the head by a large bloodletter guard. "Shut Up, that is classified!"
(10:13:58 AM) ***Reise blinks. "Huh?"
(10:14:30 AM) Ikiryo: The other 93 looking girl nods. "I called through, you are approved." The other two turn to stare at her. "I didn't give permission for that, 87!" The bloodletter growls. "No you did not Sir. However, I was following our existing orders." The bloodletter glowers at the girl but steps aside to let Reise through.
(10:14:43 AM) Ikiryo: 87 nods at Reise. "You are to speak with the Minister of Aquisitions."
(10:18:50 AM) Reise: "Thank you," she says with a huff. "At least SOME people here are polite enough to do their jobs."
(10:19:16 AM) Reise: She heads inside.
(10:26:13 AM) Ikiryo: The bloodletter growls behind her. "87, report to disipline chamber black after escorting the...visitor." "...sir, I was following orders." "And I don't need any official reason to give this order, so it is not punitive." "...yes sir." 87 heads in alongside Reise. "This way, Miss Peace."
(10:28:03 AM) Reise: "Thanks," she says again. After the doors close behind them, she looks back over her shoulder at it. "Man. 'Discipline chamber black?' That doesn't sound happy."
(10:29:38 AM) Ikiryo: She nods. "It is adjacent to the ritual chamber. There is always a need for more blood." She shrugs and leads on. "...if you do not mind advice Miss Peace, I would not assume that the Minister of Aquisitions is to be underestimated just for his race. He is a Daemon Prince of Khorne, after all."
(10:30:38 AM) Reise: "Please," she scoffs. "I bet he's just a big puppy next to some of the producers I've had to work with."
(10:32:14 AM) Ikiryo: "...I would not say such to his face." She nods, leading through the heavy brass hallways.
(10:32:50 AM) Reise: "Oh, I won't, I'm flighty, not dumb~"
(10:34:36 AM) Ikiryo: She nods. "That is good. Ninety Three thinks the world of you. I would not like to inform her that you were killed or processed." She pauses. "I do not quite understand it. To have faith in someone you've never met...but I would not like to disabuse her of that notion."
(10:37:09 AM) Reise: "Uh huh," she says vaguely. "What about you? Ever think of life outside of the department?"
(10:42:13 AM) Ikiryo: "That seems unlikely. I prefer to be practical." She frowns slightly.
(10:46:03 AM) Reise: "So you think people outside of War aren't practical? I mean, present company excluded, of course, no WAY am *I* anything of the sort...but other people are."
(10:50:49 AM) Ikiryo: "No, it is...thinking of being outside war is impractical. We are assets."
(10:54:00 AM) Reise: She waves a hand flippantly, dismissing the last few words. "I heard, I know. Clones this, owning that, blah blah. But that little show outside just proves you still have indivual personalities and stuff so who cares if you're assets?"
(10:55:13 AM) Ikiryo: "I would point out I am going to have a least one limb severed and be bled to just short of death as a result. Practical, that was not."
(10:58:02 AM) Reise: "That too!"
(10:58:24 AM) Reise: "I should see about buying you, too," she muses.
(11:03:00 AM) Ikiryo: "...I would not reccomend damaged goods." Though her eyes do twinkle slightly.
(11:03:38 AM) Reise: "Maybe they'll give me a discount," she teases.
(11:11:20 AM) Ikiryo: "Unlikely. Our biotic systems will heal us in a few days or weeks." She shakes her head as she gestures to a door. "Through there Miss. Now, if you excuse me I should report to disipline chamber black."
(11:12:15 AM) Reise: "Mm...stay here, please? So you can escort me out after?"
(11:13:36 AM) Ikiryo: "...I have been ordered to report to disipline chamber black..." She frowns
(11:20:45 AM) Reise: She pouts, but sighs sadly. "Yeah, I know. Guess I'll just stick with whatever unfriendly face might exist after. Good luck getting dismembered?"
(11:23:33 AM) Ikiryo: "If I am fortunate, the person in charge may not order me to disable my pain editor." She nods to Reise. "Have a good day and good luck in turn."
(11:27:29 AM) Reise: She nods, and watches Soldier 87...well, soldier off. She sucks her teeth, shaking her head over the stupidity of the situation, and enters the door the other girl had led her to.
(11:30:18 AM) Ikiryo: Inside is...well, it's not brass. It's gold. Lots and lots of gold. Skulls full of gold teeth along the walls, gold-plated lasguns on weapon racks...and sitting in a seat made of gold-plated swords...is a Goblin. Not even a particualrly tall goblin...though the glowing eyes indicate he's not likely mortal. "Hello, how can I help you bring death today?"
(11:35:11 AM) Reise: "I need some of your Soldiers," she says bluntly. "It's getting scary on Sigil and it'd be nice to have some violent people with guns behind my back and not targeting it."
(11:38:22 AM) Ikiryo: "Ah, straight down to business. I like that~" He smiles, showing off very sharp gold teeth.
(11:42:56 AM) Reise: "Well, it beats trying to be coy. Like, that only works when you're trying to get into someone's pants. Not that I came here to do that. I wonder who even came up with that phrase? It doesn't really make a whole lot of sense, if you think about it. There's not a lot of room in pants."
(11:44:10 AM) Ikiryo: "Said pants are exceptionally full, I will assure you ma'am~" He makes a hissing, skittering laugh. "I assure you have payment?"
(11:47:23 AM) Reise: "I brought some with me," she nods. "I hope you're not thinking of just gouging me, though, that'd just be rude, and then where would you be? One unhappy customer telling a whoooooole bunch of other people that War is bad for business! Even though the saying is usually that war is GOOD for business. What is *up* with these sayings?"
(11:50:15 AM) Ikiryo: "I assure you Ma'am, I know all there is to know about war being good for business. I earned my daemonhood by selling enough weapons to Lhael to provoke an intersteller war over it~" He gives that same laugh again.
(11:51:52 AM) Reise: "Ah, well, good, then! So. What's the price? I'm thinking...two, probably, maybe three of them."
(11:54:20 AM) Ikiryo: "Hmm..." He brings up an AR display...holy hell. She could buy a small spaceship for that price. She can afford it but it's not cheap even by human trafficing standards.
(11:57:05 AM) Reise: She balks. "Look I know you think you're good at this, but *I'm* not trying to start a war, geeze. Maybe I should have just gone to Deneith instead, at least they're more reasonable with their super soldiers."
(11:57:42 AM) Ikiryo: "I assure you, our supersoldiers are far above those vat grown slobs!"
(12:00:04 PM) Reise: "I dunno," she says, leaning back and pursing her lips. "One of my friends said to give 'em a try. Said they were super-capable but also independent."
(12:02:09 PM) Ikiryo: "Ours are utterly incapable of disobediance, very powerful and intergrating many useful technologies from Biotic healing to advanced tactical visor connections! In addition, they are not hulking lumps of vat-grown flesh and metal and are thus capable of fitting right into whatever location you require them!"
(12:05:06 PM) Reise: "Yeah but maybe I *want* hulking lumps of vat-grown flesh and metal, huh? Scare 'em away from even trying to attack in the first place? I mean, the tactical visor bit sounds neat and all, but can they see into brains with 'em and tell when someone's going to go nuts?"
(12:06:43 PM) Ikiryo: "They have exceptional locational targeting and prediction abilities. Actual precogs are less capable of anticipating violence than our creations" He says about the soldiers who got sucker punched by Q-33 and Sierra.
(12:08:52 PM) Reise: "Yeah but the Deneith ones AND a precog on staff would still be like a tenth the cost."
(12:12:52 PM) Ikiryo: "But that would also be much less effective. Each of ours could easily take out two of the Deneith ones without using any weapons that could not be hidden. Each of them is a masterwork of miniturization, specially designed to put as much effectiveness in as mundane looking a package as possible."
(12:17:11 PM) Reise: "And then you chop their arms and legs off, which reeeeaally strikes me as a waste of money."
(12:18:50 PM) Ikiryo: "The biotic systems allow for rapid self healing at minimal cost! I could even demonstrate if you wish!"
(12:20:39 PM) Reise: "Actually, I was going to ask to take home the one who escorted me here, and she's on her way right now. I don't really wanna see it. And even if it's rapid self-healing at minimal cost, well, they're not out there doing their jobs and EARNING you money, right?"
(12:22:59 PM) Ikiryo: "Ah but the blood is very useful for rituals. Anyway, I would be happy to sell you some of them. If you transfer us the money, Soldier 1 and 2 can escort you out within the next half hour."
(12:25:12 PM) Reise: "Does it have to be 1 and 2? I liked the one that walked here with me. Uh...eighty...seven? And actually I did some random numbers earlier and the first number I got was ninety-three so yeah. Eighty Seven, Ninety Three, and maybe one more. Like...Eighteen?"
(12:27:00 PM) Ikiryo: "I assure you, numbers one and two are the prime examples of thier line. You are getting the best possible deal for your money."
(12:35:14 PM) Reise: "Y'know, normally when someone says One and Two, they're the test or prototypes, right? I mean," she chuckles, "you shoulda seen it when they tried to get me to test the first or second run of makeup from this one company. I almost did but then the foundation pad exploded--like, actually exploded--and the makeup brush drew a sword and started swinging."
(12:35:34 PM) Reise: "...In hindsight, we should have known something was wrong when it said Izzet as the manufacturer..."
(12:35:57 PM) Reise: "Anyway, I don't trust first and second things off the line. I want Eighty Seven and Ninety Three and Eighteen."
(12:37:05 PM) Ikiryo: "...I would reccomend against it. They are inferior options."
(12:38:20 PM) Reise: "Why for? Look, you just got done singing the praises of the entire line. Even if they're inferior, they should still be better than Deneith, right?"
(12:40:24 PM) Ikiryo: "Well...yes, of course..."
(12:42:10 PM) Reise: "And that way I get these 'inferior options' off YOUR hands, right? So you don't have to worry about other customers getting shafted on them?"
(12:44:34 PM) Ikiryo: "...I would not want you to get a poor impression of our services..."
(12:45:01 PM) Reise: "AND even if you give me a price break, it's still more money for you, AND they're not costing you money by whatever it is that's making them inferior options." She laces her fingers together, putting her hands behind her head. "Sounds like a win-win to me."
(12:45:56 PM) Ikiryo: "I...suppose..." He looks conflicted. Especially over the phrase 'Price Break'
(12:46:39 PM) Reise: "I don't need to use 'em to, like, raid Horizon HQ, that's silly, I just want them for personal protection. I'm still modeling after dealing with exploding makeup and all those 'wardrobe malfunctions' that were totally on purpose. If these three are HALF as good as you say they are they'll be perfect."
(12:50:59 PM) Ikiryo: "...very well. Would you like any physical or mental modifications before you purchase them?"
(12:51:27 PM) Reise: She considers for a few moments. "Nah, I don't think so. I should be able to handle 'em."
(12:54:03 PM) Ikiryo: "Are you sure?"
(12:54:48 PM) Reise: "Yup. Trust me, until you've had to deal with the people in the modeling world, you haven't dealt with *anything.*"
(12:55:24 PM) Ikiryo: He sighs, sliding a contract over.
(12:56:24 PM) Reise: She reads through it. Carefully.
(1:07:57 PM) Ikiryo: It's got a few very large red flags about him owning souls and such.
(1:46:39 PM) Reise: "Uh. So, I dunno if you know this already, but I kind of already owe my soul to Horizon anyway? Figuratively, but I bet they have people on staff who'd be really upset if I gave it anyway to anyone else anyway?"
(1:48:53 PM) Ikiryo1: He sighs. "Ah, unfortunate. I suppose I'll have to use the less abusive contract." He slides another one over the table.
(2:01:50 PM) Reise: She takes her time reading this one as well.
(2:08:50 PM) Ikiryo1: This one looks less soul taking!
(2:15:07 PM) Reise: As long as "less" means "no," she'll sign this one.
(2:15:51 PM) Ikiryo1: It does mean no!
(2:20:55 PM) Reise: She slides the signed contract back over. "Pleasure doing business, Mister...?"
(2:22:51 PM) Ikiryo1: "Oh my name isn't important. Where shall I have your products delivered?"
(2:32:11 PM) Reise: "Well, how long would it take? If it could be soon I'm fine with waiting."
(2:33:40 PM) Ikiryo1: "Within the next twelve hours, after finalized loyalty implantion. You did not chose any particular customization."
(2:34:27 PM) Reise: She blinks. "Man, that's rude."
(2:34:50 PM) Reise: "I'll just go collect them myself."
(2:35:25 PM) Ikiryo1: "I beg your pardon?"
(2:37:44 PM) Reise: "I said it's rude and I'll go pick them up myself," she says. "Sure, I didn't specify any customization, but you didn't say they'd get that 'implantation' thingy either, not out loud and not in the contract. Any reasonable person would think you'd get them as-is."
(2:37:54 PM) Reise: She actually sounds offended, rising from her seat.
(2:38:39 PM) Ikiryo1: "It is required, for safety purposes. To make sure they remain perfectly loyal."
(2:39:27 PM) Reise: "No disclosure, no procedure~"
(2:41:42 PM) Ikiryo1: "Then I am afraid I will need to cancel the contract. I can't possibly sell them to you without the implantation."
(2:43:31 PM) Reise: "You're backing out of a contract now? My, what would *that* do to your reputation?"
(2:46:15 PM) Ikiryo1: He pauses. "Still...it must be done..." He seems uncertain though.
(2:54:01 PM) Reise: "Look, if you're worried about loyalty, just remember that I work for Horizon, right? I mean," she chuckles again, "pretty much the only people who get MORE loyalty to them are dryads."
(2:56:46 PM) Ikiryo1: "...fine but this will void your warranty."
(2:57:17 PM) Reise: She taps a long finger to her chin. "...Alright, I'll take that risk."
(2:58:36 PM) Ikiryo1: "Very well, I'll have them brought up." He's clearly not happy about this.
(2:59:38 PM) Reise: "Should I wait outside of here, then? Outside your office, I mean, not like outside the building 'cause that might be silly."
(3:01:11 PM) Ikiryo1: He turns up his nose. "If you wish."
(3:01:56 PM) Reise: She makes a noncommital noise and exits the office.
(3:05:02 PM) Ikiryo1: Soon, three identical people arrive. Well...one of them is missing an arm. Otherwise identical...she's not actually sure which is 93.
(3:07:27 PM) Reise: She smiles briefly. "Alright, ladies--and yes, I'm going to call you that, because I bought you off the toad that runs Acquisitions. If you have anything personal, now's the time to grab it, 'cause we're leaving."
(3:09:02 PM) Ikiryo1: One of the two armed ones looks confused. "Personal?"
(3:12:21 PM) Reise: She pauses for a long moment. "Yeah, time to get out of here, I think. You get to be my new bodyguards." She glances at the stump of, presumably, 87's arm. "Eventually."
(3:13:19 PM) Ikiryo1: "We are your property now?"
(3:15:02 PM) Reise: "Yep. Gonna go back to Sigil soon."
(3:15:46 PM) Ikiryo1: All three of them salute her.
(3:17:43 PM) Reise: "Right. First things first: off to my ship."
(3:18:33 PM) Ikiryo1: "Yes Ma'am."