Haha

Post Deletion Request - Sentaku IC

Can I get one of our lovely moderators to delete this post.

Winter's Blade: A Fairy Tail RP

@Indra
What’s the connection? I’m genuinely curious.

Cardinal Rift

^{The Lab}

As Melodia plummeted down through the portal she would slam straight down onto the tile below with a loud thud. If the mana explosion didn’t enrich her body moments before, she would have likely broken a few bones— maybe a nail or two. But instead she would just end up with a sore ass and sore palms from catching herself, who in the right mind would jump through a swirling vortex of dark magic. Oh yeah, Melodia definitely would.

As she pressed herself from the ground into a stand, Melodia would realized that she was recovering quicker than usual as well. And while the others within Harrow’s Tower probably entered a state of panic or were atleast a bit annoyed, Melodia was rather enjoying the outcome of things and wished days were this exciting all the time.

”Oh.”

And wouldn’t you know it something else interesting graces the Lapsean woman’s small red eyes. A device, a contraption, a box of mechanical origin placed atop one of the research desks in the lab. She had just been here- was it perhaps Arthur or Reina’s doing? As she took a few steps closer to the contraption her hands traced along the table before eventually making their way to the box. It was sealed, welded shut in a shit-poor job nonetheless. Also, it reverberated with a thick, strong aura of magic that was sensed by the girl immediately. Was this perhaps the origin of the event that had just occurred? She singlemindedly decided that yes, it was, and if someone later proved her wrong then— whatever time moves on. But nonetheless, her personality would soon get the better of her and she wanted to know what exactly this thing was.

The construction was shoddy, a rushed creation that wasn’t exactly meant to be designed for aesthetics. Lady Lapseus decided that the best method of opening it would be some corrosive solution to weaken the welding along the seams. Clickity clack went her small black shoes as she stepped over to a chemical closet, the smell of hydrochloric acid was prevalent along with a small beaker of nitric acid.

”Both will do.” She quietly chimed to herself, entertained.

Back she went to face the contraption, making another trip to grab some safety goggles before playing with chemicals. Carefully she diluted the hydrochloric acid and then traced the fluid along the edges of the box, it took some time for the alloy to weaken but eventually it ate through the allow and Melodia would carefully peel the top off. It revealed a globe that whirred and rotated, it glowed a vibrant magical blue, attached to it was a timer and a small black box.

”Why do I doubt myself? I’m always right.”

Melodia smiled wry from ear to ear, and she thought to herself. All of this bad karma must be paying off! This device was indeed a bomb, a mana bomb of some sort that had just gone off telling by the timer. Normal people would ask who, why, for what purpose would they do such a horrible thing? But Melodia simply saw an opportunity to gather some knowledge, as nothing else would have as much value. The black box in particular caught her attention, it was made of a strange metal she hasn’t seen before— thick, resilient, perhaps from that Dorksteel region? Her curiosity got the best of her, and anxiously she poured the solution along the side of the black box, carefully trying not to let whatever was inside corrode away.

”Futile.” Melodia huffed as the solution simply rolled away.

But her thoughts would now be reserved once again, as the portal she herself fell from began to hum and roar to life once again. But rather than absorbing, it seemed to be expelling wind and debris this time— and then a person. But it wasn’t someone that Melodia really knew, recognizing it was the young lord Reason. She removed her goggles and carefully tucked the black box she had removed behind her to conceal it from the man before she spoke.

”Have a nice fall, Mr. Reason? Where’s your betrothed?” Melodia rudely questioned, offering the man a curtsy and fabricated smile.

Sentaku: A Naruto RP

My sheet is finally done.

Winter's Blade: A Fairy Tail RP

Thanos Snapped.

Winter's Blade: A Fairy Tail RP

@Raijinslayer Does WB bossman do the recruiting for the guild himself or is it more of an applicant system?

Sentaku: A Naruto RP

Milk Girl

---

_{“To earn my worth in Konoha.”}

---

Personal

---

_{N A M E}

Mochi, Kurimi
“Dango”

_{A G E}

Thirteen

_{C L A N}

Mochi Clan

_{S E X U A L I T Y}

Pansexual

_{B L O O D T Y P E}

B+

Characterization

---

_{H E I G H T}

4' ^[122cm]

_{E Y E S}

Pale Yellow ^[Cream]

_{H A I R}

Pale Gray // White - Medium length tied messily into a side tail which is kept together with a red silk ribbon.

_{H E A D B A N D P L A C E M E N T}

Her forehead protector is placed upon her belt, the Konoha sigil typically being hidden beneath her oversized clothing.

_{C H A K R A N A T U R E}

Yang Release

_{P E R S O N A L I T Y}

+ Levelheaded
+ Nurturing
+ Amenable

- Lazy
- Wasteful
- Slovenly

_{P E R S O N A L H I S T O R Y}

Hagotae & Kinako Mochi decided to get into the parenting game rather early in life, or perhaps it was possibly because the mortality rate in the ninja world is abnormally high so it's better to do it sooner than later. Nonetheless, Kurimi would be the outcome of that love interaction and she was born surrounded by friends and family in the Mochi Estate of Konohagakure. Her name derives from the color of her eyes, and it also fits into the clan's naming structure. Members of the Mochi Clan are more often than not born premature, and if they aren't the babies are still typically a fair amount smaller than your average baby- and that trait follows members throughout their life. Kurimi was no different, even falling on the smaller end of the spectrum for those in her family.

She was also a quiet child. Whether it was from her loudmouthed father or her doting mother, Kurimi just doesn’t really respond to communication in a normal regard. Instead she more often than not stares blankly or offers subtle gestures or compliance to communicate with her family and peers, though when she does talk, her very soft and angelic voice would likely catch strangers off guard. Though some people would be used to the tune, such as her cousin Izayoi whom she’s known and played with since they were baby-babies.

While not every member of the Mochi clan takes the route of shinobi, it’s safe to say that the majority do. Mochi clansmen naturally just feel the call of battle, to go and fight the greater threats of the world and to protect the village— even in periods of peace. So of course the small-framed Kurimi, daughter of the clan’s patriarch, would fee a bit of pressure to take that path herself. Actually, Hagotae didn’t want Kurimi to become a kunoichi and probably would’ve rather had her take on the alternative occupation in the clan as a cook. But the young runty Mochi girl found combat to be more convenient than food preparation, and not to mention she enjoyed being around Izayoi in the Ninja Academy.

At an early age she showed promise in the arts of warfare, though where she shined the brightest was bukijutsu. Father handed her a weapon and it’s purpose sort of just came to her, and the variety of what was given factored not in the slightest as she adapted to even the strangest of weapons. The two that stuck the most with her as she found these two the most practical were the katana and the foreign dao. Meanwhile, in the ninja academy Kurimi just glides through doing the bare minimum and trying not to stand out too much - though her teachers would not allow the talented kunoichi to be complacent and lash out at her from time to time.

_{C H A R A C T E R D E V E L O P M E N T}

The main thing with Kurimi is that in her youth she doesn’t have much direction. She simply goes with the flow as she is generally happy with her life, and has a talent that gives her some general purpose to strive towards. As she ages I would like for her is to hone in on her desires and take steps to make them a reality. What this would amount to is a former slacker munchkin girl who would shy away from the spotlight really stepping up to the plate and utilizing her skills for the betterment of her peers and family.

As for general details of benchmarks I wish for Kurimi to hit along the road, I’d like for her to fully master a few different styles of kenjutsu rather specializing in one, to grow more resistant and accustomed to utilizing the Yang Release techniques utilized by her clan to a degree that makes her a fearsome combatant, and bring out the full potential of the Mochi’s hiden. Reaching those marks would result in Kurimi becoming a noteworthy member of her clan, earning the respect of her peers and father, which in turn would validate the hard work she eventually wishes to invest into her training.

Attributes

---

_{T A L E N T S}

---

• Swinga’ the Sword |
Before she even had any knowledge or sense of technique in the use of weaponry, Kurimi just seemed to pick up on bukijutsu and by association kenjutsu without any direction. At her current state she wouldn’t classified as a genius or anything of that ilk, but rather an individual with a knack for utilizing tools of destruction to wreak havoc.

• Hypermetabolism |
A trait that wouldn’t quite be classified as a kekkei genkai that is genetically passed down by the fathers of the Mochi Clan is their genetic disposition to Hypermetabolism. The condition causes the body to be in constant stress, reddening it’s the skin and hyperventilation are common side effects on the young Mochi clansmen. However, this also has beneficial effects as the body grows accustomed to the condition such as irregular amounts of thyroid hormones being produced which causes effects on the body such as: higher oxygen levels in blood along with a higher cardiac output, and more efficient catabolism which allows the body to extract more energy from nutrients for anabolic actions.

_{T O O L S}

---

• Kōeki | A beautifully crafted katana that is decorated with blue cord and silks. The Mochi Clan’s sigil is etched onto the weapon’s saya.

• Ghanta | The yellow-gold stained dao sword that Kurimi has somehow managed to to add to her arsenal. While not often utilized by Kurimi, she does plan to learn the proper technique of using the sword— eventually.

• Military Rations Pills | These spheres of disgusting concoction are special pills that nourish the body and can replenish one's chakra. It is made up of powerful stimulants and nutrients, said to allow the user to keep fighting for three days and three nights without rest. At the end of the three days effect, the user is brought to the point of complete and utter exhaustion.

_{T E C H N I Q U E S}

---

_{C R A N K}

• Honshin-wo Arawasu: Jiko
A technique that enhances the strength and elasticity of muscle fibers of the kunoichi’s ligaments in order to perform incredible feats. The technique utilizes Yang Chakra to enhance the body beyond what is feasibly capable with training. This is the first “Style” of Honshu-wo Arawasu

_{D R A N K}

• Inoshishi: Lesser Boar
A primitive kenjutsu that utilizes the kunoichi’s enhanced body to charge at an opponent with a blade drawn and swiping vertically down upon them. Upon making contact with the object or opponent, the kunoichi’s muscle fibers within their arms harden and swell as chakra enriched blood rushes into them.

• All Academy Student Techniques
There’s a few of them.

---

^{Hiden - Honshin-wo Arawasu}

The Mochi Clan's hijutsu is called Honshin-wo Arawasu and it forms the basis of all their clan techniques. The hijutsu allows the shinobi to tap into caloric compounds and rapidly utilize the chemical reactions within the body. Alongside this, Yang Release is utilized to alter their body anatomically in order to better utilize the strain the body is put under. As epinephrine pumps through the body and organs begin to overwork themselves the shinobi is capable of performing miraculous feats of strength and speed while the body is taxed heavily afterwards in exchange. While this seemingly would be best utilized for taijutsu, the Mochi clan tend to stray more towards bukijutsu and as such, prefer heavier hardier - heavier weapons that can withstand the strength under these effects.

The Mochi Clan techniques that branch from the original hijutsu typically involve dancing between moments of stillness and chaotic fits of violence. The fighting style is heavily inspired by Mongolian Swordsmanship which is largely based around overwhelming the opponent with constant debilitating strikes in an attempt to overpower. Activating Honshin-wo Arawasu rapidly heats the body which can cause the the body to go into shock if strenuous movements are overused, so to actively work around this- the whole style revolves around moving at immense speed and then taking breaks in combat.

Winter's Blade: A Fairy Tail RP

I’ll plop some interest.

Cardinal Rift

Reina had said something about grabbing her bag from her room, so the two transported quickly to the third floor. As she stepped off the plate, she spat on it.

“I mean, look at those portals! I know they say that they can’t replicate them, but surely Alarick’s hiding something about teleportation. Think of the trade opportunities! From what I can tell, there isn’t a mana cost associated with transporting things further, so why don’t they move the plates and make an instantaneous teleport system? I asked the monks and even sent a letter to the Queen; those plates have been moved before. It’s all this damned tradition. It’s getting in the way of true progress. Why, if we could devote a third of the energy the South spends on wyvern racing and petty politics into research, we might not even be in this situation! But noooo, everyone has to dispute about houses this and lords that.”

Melodia simply smirked and nodded as Reina began her rant about the stupidities about the South - all of which were justified. “Maybe I should have some of my men sneak down the border and feed some of the southern pigs bacteria that’s been dug up. I’m sure it’ll kill a few thousand before the cause is found out.”

The two began to walk down the hall, turning the corner to the corridor where all of the lords’ rooms were. A loud crash accompanied the unmistakable shape of a human bursting through a door and into a room. Their face was obscured, the side that Reina and Melodia could see covered by something black, though the blond hair that followed was unmistakable. The muscles, too. For whatever reason, the man was running into his room wearing nothing but his underclothes. When the technologist lords walked past the doorway, the door was closed and its holes filled with thick layers of ice. The surrounding carpet was completely soaked.

Melodia’s words of death threats and villainous mastermind were not hollow, the girl’s eyes held a deep purpose within them. She had thought about stuff like this often, and elaborately. The scurrying wetman that had soaked the ground caught Melodia’s attention mid-thought however, causing her maw to open wide and her posture to relax - so much so that she quickly fell to her knees.

“Who — was — that?” Unphased by the tumble she had taken, Melodia snapped her sights directly to Reina with undivided attention.

“Oh, I think that was the Immolis child- Cedric, I believe. He was forsaken his title by his father, if I recall correctly.” Reina offered a hand to help Melodia up. “See? That whole Immolis succession fiasco just proves my point. All this dispute about who’s the lord and who’s the heir and making an entirely new house, it’s all so pointless! Look at the amount of energy just wasted on it.”

Melodia at this point seemed to emote a different type of unhinged, eyes were widened painfully and staring into Reina’s soul. “I’d like to waste a lot of energy on that specimen — anyway.” She cleared her throat and pressed her dainty right hand against the floor below attempting to push herself back to her feet. Futile, as she made it halfway up before her legs gave out and fell right back onto her rear. “Damned body—.” She lashed out quietly under her breath.

Reina stepped back and hoisted Melodia up by the armpits, rather like how a parent would lift a child. “Let’s go back to the great hall. It’s okay if we don’t visit the laboratory.”

“No-no-no, I wanna go to the lab with you so you can tell me what exactly you’ve been working on. If you tell me the juicy details, I’ll share my own — bet your ass my developments are better.” She huffed out like an angered child as Reina helped her back to her feet. As her words spewed out she winked her left eye at Reina, all the while simultaneously drawing out her retractable cane and extending it back to the ground. Pretty soon she’d need a wheelchair, thankfully Vati existed to push her around when that happened.

Reina didn’t look too convinced, but she nodded anyway. “Alright, if you’re sure.” They reached her room. “[color=d8cfbe]I’ll be right back- just have to grab my bag.[/b{” She went in and retrieved a large black suitcase. Melodia could see a study 10-number combination lock holding it together. “Let’s head to the lab.”

As they passed by the Immolis’s room again, they caught a glimpse of the two brothers. Their backs were turned to the door. Cedric seemed to be fully dressed now. It was hard to hear through the door, but they were muttering to each other about something. Ruel's occasional high-pitched whines were hard to miss. The view through the ice wasn't completely clear, but it looked like a lot of the room was frozen too. The work of Ruel's ice gate, no mistake, but to what end?

“What power. It breaks the laws of physics, you know that?” Reina muttered.

“Magic is dated. Technology will eventually overcome its capabilities in every way, now melding the two - that’s the real brainbuster.” Melodia quietly tuned to Reina, using her free hand to gently tap her temple as they made their advance. Though she would sneak a peek into the room, squinting her eyes to manage a glimpse of Cedric as they passed on by.

“Fancy briefcase you’ve got there. Anything that important shouldn’t be near the border, at least by my standards.” Mel shrugged, veering her eyes over to the important looking construction - take time to glance at the lock more than anything.

“It’s not as important as it looks. Most people who look at it won’t get it, anyway. Plus, the suitcase is made so that destroying the lock or the shell will destroy the materials within.” Reina heft the case. “Arthur came up with the idea.”

Melodia rolled her eyes at the mention of Arthur, nodding the words away nonetheless in understanding of Reina’s precautions. “Well if it’s important enough to be destroyed, I’d still probably keep it holed up in my dungeon. But I won’t speak further of it, after all, you bringing it here means that I get to see it!” She flashed a smile at Reina, her free hand resting beneath her chin to gesture an exaggerated expression of happiness.

But she was excited. There weren’t many minds out there as bright as Reina, the two of them were cut from the same cloth - to a degree. Similar upbringings brought the girls up to be inquisitive minds that delved into studies untouched by many. But where Melodia wouldn’t allow social acceptance to hinder her research, Reina had more resources to her disposal - which set the two on different paths in their studies.

For non-metagamers ONLY!

They teleported to the lab. Once again, Melodia felt the sheer weirdness of the system run through her body. Thankfully, she didn’t feel dizzy this time through.

The laboratory was stark white, and far more advanced than one would expect out of a building in southern territory. The floors were polished to a squeaky shine, and proper fluorescent lights bathed the room in a familiar glow. On one side, rows of chemical equipment lined the counters, along with several microscopes and various measuring implements. On the other, several computers hummed softly, their systems waiting on standby.

In the middle of the room stood Arthur Kothlin, fiddling with his powersuit. He had it hooked up by cable to one of the computers. Lines of code ran past on the screen as he adjusted various parts of the suit with a multitool. His back was turned, so all the two could see was his messy dark hair and muscled physique.

Reina made an expression akin to a child being told they couldn’t experiment with their father’s car, which was exactly what had happened the last time Melodia saw it. “Arthur. What are you doing?”

He turned. His bespectacled visage broke into a smile. “Reina! And is that you, Melodia? I don’t believe I’ve seen you since… uh… a very long time!”

“What are you doing here? Only those with express permission from the Queen can be in the lab,” said Reina. She set the briefcase down.

“Ah, well, there weren’t any restrictions on where you could go, and I needed to do a check-up, so…” He smiled. “Just pushed in some favor, and boom!”

“The Queen’s going to be mad.”

“The Queen isn’t coming.”

Reina’s jaw dropped. Melodia had never seen the woman so surprised before.

“You expected otherwise? Not with a title like Mage Queen, Reina.” Melodia’s head shook, and then she would only briefly look at Arthur.

“A while, yes, I was wishing it’d be longer than that - Arthur.” The Lapsean noblewoman smiled, though it was flat, and forced.

Her vision would quickly peel from powersuit man, and instead she entertained herself with the sights to behold within the lab. Her facilities were better, by far, but the place was of acceptable quality to Melodia. And wispy eyebrows furrowed as she sought out a chair to rest in and slowly paced towards a long research desk near the chemicals to plant herself in.

Reina sighed. “Well, you being here saves me the trouble of looking for you later. I brought the thing I’ve been working on for the past few months.”

“Already? I was expecting it to take a year or two, not three months.” Arthur backed away from his powersuit and looked at the case.

“Yes, well, you underestimated me like usual, meathead.” Reina set the case onto the counter next to Melodia. Arthur stepped over, hopping from one foot to the other in excitement.

“Behold.” Reina flicked the combination lock and opened the case. Inside were twenty metal cylinders. Each cylinder was about a centimeter in diameter, and a micro-thin needle was affixed to the end of each one.

“What we have here is something not quite revolutionary, but important nonetheless. I’m sorry to have kept you in the dark about this, Mel, but I haven’t had the opportunity recently to discuss with you at all. These are canisters that deposit a fast-acting tin compound into the bloodstream. They work by, well, injecting a tin compound into a mage’s blood. It took a long while to get the exact balance done so not to cause harm to the testers, but we got it eventually.”

“Amazing,” said Arthur. He reached out and lifted one out. “You got it to fit in such a small package.”

“I had Melodia’s injection needles to thank for that. It only takes one can to prevent a mage from casting, two if they’re extremely powerful.”

“This is quite — a — useful invention indeed. The House of Innovation, very befitting indeed, oh — Reina I think you just made this trip worth it.” Melodia chimed out, her voice rising into a squeal as she pressed herself up to get better look at the devices.

“But that brings me to ask — just why exactly are you spending your time on such a ‘weapon’ eh?” The Lapsean’s crimson sights aimed at Reina like daggers, the cheerful smile now serious and stern as her featured stiffened upon the Young noblewoman. “Why — with Tina’s little fling going on, don’t think you there’s a risk of such an invention being — misinterpreted?” A lone eyebrow raised, almost challengingly towards Reina.

Melodia’s sights then turned to Arthur, the deep red glare would pierce through his soul. And then she spoke. Aggression, like a lecturing mother despite not much age difference in the trio. “And you Arthur, how does a straightlaced beefcake like you learn about this stuff before me — I demand an explanation, make it brief and exceletently detailed.” She punctuated the outburst with a puff of oxygen that blew a strand of white hair from her face, she wasn’t having any of it.

Reina held her hand out for the canister, and Arthur dropped it into her palm. She held it up towards Melodia. “Arthur was actually the one who came up with the idea; he’s the one who suggested using your needle designs to make them fast-acting.”

Arthur laughed. “I’ve got something in my skull other than air, you know.”

“The important thing here is the fact that we’re able to prevent casters from casting within touch range now. Before, you’d have to put them in a tin-laced suit or force them to eat it, which caused… complications,” Reina continued. “These take maybe half an hour to go into effect, are exceedingly portable, and much, much cheaper than tin-laced restraints. The most expensive part is actually the compound itself. You don’t even have to worry about reliability. I tested them on Christina, who may well be the most powerful touch caster in the world. Two injections and she couldn’t even power a lightbulb.”

“That’s not what she asked, though,” said Arthur. “You want me to say it?”

“I’ll do it,” Reina took in a deep breath. “We’re… planning for the worst outcome. If we don’t get at least a third of the demands somewhat fulfilled, and there’s no chance for further discussion… well… we might want to use other methods to persuade the crown.”

Melodia turned away and flared her nostrils, her head shook and her eyes squinted before she spoke. “Don’t beat around the bush. You’re preparing for what — war? If that were the case you’d have spoken with me years ago! My spies would have known such a thing, too.” She shut her eyes. Her thoughts were racing.

Melodia took a deep breath, stopping her restlessness for a moment. “You don’t need to tell me everything — but how long have these talks been going on, and to what degree of premeditation has occurred for such a thing?” She looked directly to Arthur now, forgoing any bit of disbelief she may have had before.

He met her eyes head on. “Reina was the one who brought it up.”

“I want to hear it from your mouth, boy. Reina knew entirely what she was getting into when she brought me in here - there were no plans for you to be here. How do I know your loyalty isn’t to yourself. No, I want to hear it from you —.” Melodia looked briefly at Reina.

“I trust Arthur,” she said. “He quite possibly has it the worst out of us. Name any problematic statistic that Lapseus suffers. House Kothlin suffers nearly double that.”

Arthur sat down hard on a stool. His large frame barely fit on the thing, giving off an impression of a bird of prey looming over the other two.

“Look, don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it too, Melodia,” he said. “I want to resolve everything through words if possible, but I’m far less optimistic about our future than Reina is. I can’t fight a campaign alone. You know that our Houses will live and die together. They think we’re the same: damn Northerners with diluted blood and nothing worth helping. Even the proposed policies that they’ve allowed through are generalizing ‘The North’ as a whole. Your eastern seafront doesn’t benefit from policy change in the way that my northern mining towns do. The South doesn’t care about our differences. Why should we?”

“You keep talking about these complaints — and this whining — and I haven’t seen or heard you do anything about it! Why do you think my people aren’t starving? The towns on my southern border are literally bandits at this point, they steal every chance they get — and I encourage them to!” Melodia spat back, standing from her chair to match his height and leaning into the table far more.

“And Reina — the optimism thing? Calm it down — we have more than a couple thousands of people native to your region in my home city ‘alone’. While you sit and you hope things will get better, and ignore the world by absorbing yourself in your developments — the world is passing you by!” The rage was now welling out of her, verbal aggression now full fledged physical aggression. Unfortunately, the girl was small, weak, less than eighty pounds.

Arthur pried Melodia off of him and set her back down on the chair. “Listen. We are not talking about just war. We are talking about conquest. There is no future for the North if things continue as they are. Either Croania changes tomorrow, or we change it ourselves.”

“Conquest — are you insane? You have the gall to put me back in my seat and vomit out grandiose, when I haven’t heard of a single thing you’ve done these past years?” Melodia spat, a disrespectful dismissal of the third techno lord’s big talk and confidence.

“The idea is childish and shortsighted, and I’ve no faith in your capabilities on a battlefield. If this does come to befall the country, I’d sooner send my plagues on your land — and salt the earth all along the western coast.” Melodia adjusted herself. Just who did this guy think he was?

Reina leaned in between the two, panic evident on her face. “Mel, this is just a far out contingency plan! I’m sure Arthur-”

“Oh, stonge this,” spat Arthur. “You haven’t heard of anything because I haven’t said anything about what House Kothlin’s been doing. You might’ve gotten wind of some of the preparations I’ve made, but your words show me you lack the whole picture.”

He pulled a drive out of one of the storage modules in his suit and loaded it into a computer. It rendered fairly quickly, presenting a picture of one of House Kothlin’s powersuits.

“The South knows how many we’ve got- I’ve no way to hide that. I have 10,000 powersuits at the ready. However, I have the resources right now to triple that amount. The South doesn’t know that. They also don’t know how powerful each one is. Each one can perform the work of around one hundred men. This includes combat. Southern houses have no idea how to fight these. The only comparable force is Balaur’s knights, but those require a lifetime of training to be effective. Our advantage is being able to turn any able-minded man or woman into a force to be reckoned with. One mage may be able to take out a battalion of men, but those are few and far between, while we can have a new battalion of elites running in a matter of days. We have the upper hand in power.
“We have the weaponry. A railgun or coilgun has far more range and power than 90% of mages. Not every southern soldier is a mage, but every single one of my soldiers can use a coilgun with a team of ten.
“We also have mobility. Our roads and vehicles are far more optimized than whatever standing force the South keeps. We don’t rely on living beings to move our soldiers. The South’s train systems are new and far from optimal. Our soldiers can be rested and ready while the enemy’s is tired from any sort of march.
“Finally, we have the element of surprise. The South doesn’t understand what we have at our disposal. They don’t know the power, the speed, the effectiveness of technology. And that may be their downfall.”

He pulled the disc out, then tore the computer off its cables.

“This is, of course, a last resort,” said Reina quickly. “The main reason why we don’t wage war is the cost. Human lives, Mel. Is it worth spending thousands of them to remake the continent?”

“Human life is a resource. Like water. Like trees. Like oil. It’s renewable — and can be utilized at the heaviest optimization. How do you think your medicine is made? Countless lives are lost every-single-day, and I don’t bat an eyelash.” Melodia snapped her sights back to Reina, flashing teeth like a rabid animal quickly sealing her lips.

“But what I ask is not what you have — but what you’re willing to lose. How many will you sacrifice to keep your peace? Think of every poor family that starves in Northern towns, of every cruel decision that the southern scum make in spite of innocent lives — do you think they even entertain the thought?” Melodia’s attention was not to either of the the others specifically, but just speaking collectively to the two out loud.

“I’ll tell you what I’ve sacrificed. And I’ll also tell you what those sacrifices have earned — and while my territory is far from paradise, I assure you my people know how to survive.” Melodia’s cane supported her weight as she shifted out of her seat and back to the floor. She paced away from the two, quiet clacks of her shoes echoed in the lab. “Five-hundred people, half of them guilty — the other not. Those that were guilty were mostly not even from Lapsean territory, some from yours, others from the South. The innocent lives that were utilized for the betterment of our society had their families compensation for their loss — and those who still held ill will towards me were eliminated.”

Melodia’s words were turning cold, hard, brief, lacking the childishness she held so dear. Her stance was taller and postured, the weakened state fading in the silhouette she tried so desperately to cast upon the two. “But these things. I do them not in preparation for war — nor reactively in fear of what’s to come. But rather, for myself and my own means — which neither of you in your current states could understand.”

“Mel, please,” Reina pleaded. “I’ve never seen you like this before. I didn’t mean to start a fight like this- I just wanted to ease you onto our side, starting with the canisters.”

“What can each of you promise me, in return?” Melodia plainly asked, continuing to look away from the two.

Reina hesitated. “I… I can lend you Christina for experiments. Nothing harmful. But any theories that need a high favor mage for testing, you can use her for.”

“Suppose I take little Tina, what of her fiancé then?”

“Whatever Tina says, goes. I’m not giving her to you permanently. She’ll just have to make trips.”

Melodia finally turned around, an earnest smile painted across her face. “Ahh- so you mean you’ll give me ‘access’ to Tina. I suppose that’s still quite useful.” She spoke bluntly. “And you — Lord Kothlin?” Melodia turned back slightly, looking back at the large man with the utmost curiosity.

“I have nothing quite so valuable as a child, and I don’t think you’d want Lampert, so I’m going to offer you the entirety of Pachel and Seler’s territory should war break out. And we will gain those lands if we fight.”

Melodia’s sights veered back to the towering Arthur, her expression flattening once again. “You think I want more land? Of course I don’t, take the entire country if I care — Give me your northmost territories, the no man’s land along the icy mountain ridges.” She asked, her tone was still aggressive at this point, though not nearly as much as earlier.

“The northernmost- very well. In exchange for your support if the country goes to war, I will gladly grant you those lands.”

“I want them even if we don’t — that is my condition.”

“Done.”

“And on the matter of war, if the talks don’t go well, which the Queen isn’t here so I don’t know how things will do — we won’t need to worry about war. I’ll make myself the enemy to the Southerners whom I loathe so much. Publically, I mean, such a scenario has already been prepared should I require it so. Lapsean people are born hating southerners, and as the rumors of my land may lead many to believe— I already encourage theft and murder below the border. So—.” Melodia tapped her cane twice against the tile below, the clank of metal coming down like a judge’s gavel.

“My final question arises. Who can the two of you trust here? Besides the people in this room — and your immediate family, perhaps not even they?” An eyebrow raised as she looked to Arthur.

“Don’t look at me,” he said. “I’m unmarried.”

“Who can you trust. You really don’t like answering questions tonight. Should I call Rhythmia and have her prepare some truth serum and binding table?” Melodia winked at the beefy man as she canted her head from left to right.

“Eh. Probably one or two of my servants, though I won’t be talking to them about the big details.” He shrugged. “The news’ll get out quick once things start going down, anyway. Reina?”

“You can trust Reason and Christina with the details, but they won’t like it. Alistair is aware as well. Just… a reminder that this is still only a possibility. I’d rather work harder on my own lands than fight a war.” Reina slumped in her chair.

“It’s only just sticking it to the Southern dastards for what they’ve done for centuries,” Arthur said. “I think that’s one thing Melodia and I can agree on.”

“Agreed, but what you two fail to realize is that my machinations don’t entirely rely on us going to war.” Melodia quickly replied. “That Mage Prison is awfully barren this time of year — and my dog kennels are quite full.” A carnivorous smile crept from cheek to cheek upon the small girl’s expression, sinister even, though nothing unusual for her.

“That smile is unlike you, Mel. I don’t like it. We do have plans for things if it doesn’t work out tomorrow,” said Reina. “I’m sure that-”

“Face it, Reina,” Arthur cut in. “You wouldn’t have considered war if it wasn’t the best way out.”

Melodia rolled her sights at Reina’s response and shifted her vision to the portal device. “There is no way out anymore. These talks can truly only go one way — whether that is drawn out or swift and painless is a matter of humanity. And I’ve just about run out of that.”