Lieutenant Ari Tayrey (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
astrogator) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
come_sailaway2022-10-20 04:10 pm
astrogator) wrote in come_sailaway2022-10-20 04:10 pm
[OTA] Looking for answers
Who: Arilanna Tayrey and OPEN - meet the newbie!
What: Looking for logic on an illogical ship
When: Late October
Where: Various places (general catch-all intro post)
i. O my fair North Star (outside, on deck)
[Accustomed to second-shift as she is, Lieutenant Tayrey works best at night. She's up on deck, starboard side, and a fair amount of her time is spent pacing back and forth, back and forth, as if she owns the place. She's thinking. She's trying to puzzle all this out. When she's not pacing, she's tapping at her slate computer, or leaning over the side, holding out a black rectangular box. Or she's making marks on paper, some sort of chart. Once or twice, she seems to be using a genuine, old-fashioned sextant, wherever she managed to get hold of that.
She's not interested in the sea, or where the ship is headed. No, the way she'll get her bearings is by charting the stars - but no matter what method she tries, there's something decidedly odd about them.
Do come and join her, but try not to disrupt her concentration! She might not be too happy if you do.]
ii. A little bit stronger (the gym)
[Ari might not be too happy with the state of the stars, or indeed the state of the ship, but that doesn't mean there's nothing to appreciate about her new (and temporary, she reminds herself. Very temporary if she has it her way) home. Every other day, she's in the gym, and this girl lifts heavy.
There she is, squatting down with an impressive amount of weight on her back, and when she finishes the set, she turns around with a tired smile for any nearby fellow gym-goers]
iii. Lost in space and time (Spirit Halloween)
[This store can only be infinite, thinks Ari, if there's a loop in the programming. She might have to walk a very long way before she finds the loop, but it has to be there.
It's not what she's planning to do today, however, because it might be a very large loop, and it's best to be prepared, treat it like an expedition. No, what Ari Tayrey is looking for today is much simpler. Basic clothing. Plain white shirts. Socks. She arrived on this ship with only one set of clothes, and she's been doing her best - laundry in the sink in her cabin every night, making sure that uniform of hers stays fresh and clean - but there comes a point where enough is enough. She's found a way to justify it as not-theft, even by the exacting standards of the Tradelines. She'll take what she wants.
She's utterly dismayed to find only row upon row of ridiculous costumes. No. No. She has some dignity; any amount of laundry is better than this. Still, her frustration spills over.]
This is ridiculous. Completely ridiculous! If I could file a complaint, I'd...file it!
iv. Wildcard!
[Want to find her somewhere else on the ship? In her initial explorations, she could end up in any (public) place. PM me to plot, or just start something and I'll roll with it :) ]
What: Looking for logic on an illogical ship
When: Late October
Where: Various places (general catch-all intro post)
i. O my fair North Star (outside, on deck)
[Accustomed to second-shift as she is, Lieutenant Tayrey works best at night. She's up on deck, starboard side, and a fair amount of her time is spent pacing back and forth, back and forth, as if she owns the place. She's thinking. She's trying to puzzle all this out. When she's not pacing, she's tapping at her slate computer, or leaning over the side, holding out a black rectangular box. Or she's making marks on paper, some sort of chart. Once or twice, she seems to be using a genuine, old-fashioned sextant, wherever she managed to get hold of that.
She's not interested in the sea, or where the ship is headed. No, the way she'll get her bearings is by charting the stars - but no matter what method she tries, there's something decidedly odd about them.
Do come and join her, but try not to disrupt her concentration! She might not be too happy if you do.]
ii. A little bit stronger (the gym)
[Ari might not be too happy with the state of the stars, or indeed the state of the ship, but that doesn't mean there's nothing to appreciate about her new (and temporary, she reminds herself. Very temporary if she has it her way) home. Every other day, she's in the gym, and this girl lifts heavy.
There she is, squatting down with an impressive amount of weight on her back, and when she finishes the set, she turns around with a tired smile for any nearby fellow gym-goers]
iii. Lost in space and time (Spirit Halloween)
[This store can only be infinite, thinks Ari, if there's a loop in the programming. She might have to walk a very long way before she finds the loop, but it has to be there.
It's not what she's planning to do today, however, because it might be a very large loop, and it's best to be prepared, treat it like an expedition. No, what Ari Tayrey is looking for today is much simpler. Basic clothing. Plain white shirts. Socks. She arrived on this ship with only one set of clothes, and she's been doing her best - laundry in the sink in her cabin every night, making sure that uniform of hers stays fresh and clean - but there comes a point where enough is enough. She's found a way to justify it as not-theft, even by the exacting standards of the Tradelines. She'll take what she wants.
She's utterly dismayed to find only row upon row of ridiculous costumes. No. No. She has some dignity; any amount of laundry is better than this. Still, her frustration spills over.]
This is ridiculous. Completely ridiculous! If I could file a complaint, I'd...file it!
iv. Wildcard!
[Want to find her somewhere else on the ship? In her initial explorations, she could end up in any (public) place. PM me to plot, or just start something and I'll roll with it :) ]
no subject
I have no idea. I've seen the Muppets when Erin showed them. That's about the extent of it for me so far. Klaus is very fond of them. Cartoons: Lion King and Disney, like the muppets but all drawn instead of monster puppets. And one called Velocipastor which I really want to see. Apparently it's to quote Klaus, "so bad it's good." [A shrug.] They're recorded Noh plays. But with more genre variety since this is another thing the monks couldn't stop. There are devices in the cabins to view them, and the great big on on the pool decks. I'm not sure these are computers, however.
no subject
I don't know. I was told there was no point, that I'd be no good at it and I should rely on my gun instead. [At the time she'd been thirteen, and even shorter than she is now. She's put on a fair amount of muscle in the intervening years, too. Do you think it would be worthwhile? [They might be disagreeing about a lot today, but she'll trust his opinion on this.]
I can show you some holovids, but I think the only ones I had in local storage were a compilation of the stupidest shuttle crashes and a few episodes of For the Company. But you might like to see them anyway.
1/2
[He wonders who told her that, and why. Was it even true in her own time?] Like I told Ruby, you should never rely on one form of anything. One of Sun Tzu's rules I do actually live by [Actually that's not fair, he nearly embodies ALL of them, but moving on-] is never to repeat the same tactics twice. If you get too comfortable finding a common exploit in the majority of your enemies' defense, one will come along who will do better than you, and you'll be helpless. If you want to learn katana, you'd have to ask Maeve. That, I cannot teach. Other than daily kata for rote muscle memory, once I unsheathe the blade, it's for war, nothing short of.
If you want to learn boxing or use speed over the brutal basics to save your life, then talk to Pollux. She's overwhelmingly faster than me. But basic martial arts? Between monks and my father, I've been doing that since I could walk. I can teach you sumo throw and weak points for knives. I can't think of any circumstances where it wouldn't help. Other than true peace, but I don't think that's an option on board here. You can always double it up. Train with me, and then train with others as well, if you'd like.
2/2
How do the shuttle crashes happen?
no subject
I don't want to end up in debt to strangers on this ship, but you and I could - if you teach me, in return I'll let you borrow my slate computer, and you can watch the holovids or read the sector histories or whatever you'd like. [A small smile.] But you've got to be honest with me, Oda. If I'm not suited to it, you'll tell me, and don't pretend I'm better than I am because if I believe you, that might get me killed. [She really has internalised that early message, Lowell from security laughing and telling her not to bother even trying.]
I think you'll like the holovids. Shuttle crashes happen for a lot of reasons, but the ones you'll be seeing are so stupid that I have to think it was because their pilots were drunk - and For the Company is fiction, but it's a serial drama about the lives of a Director and his family - the fortunes of them and their rivals, and the business of the Company. Again, not entirely accurate, but the inaccuracies are amusing. It's seeing what people from the outside think of Company families, really. I don't know how much will translate, culturally, but I enjoy it. I think it'd be fair contract, trading all that for the martial arts basics.
1/2
My father wasn't noble-born, just the Emperor's best general. Because he was obsessed with Sun Tzu's Art of War. A book. From nearly two thousand years ago, my time, so even older to everyone else. My father was actually a Buddhist monk. [But cEliBaCY yeah right.] Sun Tzu was a general. Damn I guess the book wouldn't be here, but I could probably recite it word for word. It was deeply drilled into me. "Know yourself, know thine enemy." You said I was very aware of my flaws. That's why. "To win 100 battles is not the height of skill, to subdue the enemy without ever fighting, is."
Sounds like a fair contract. [Though he's puzzled for a moment.] It is my pride to ensure any soldier I train, especially personally, could have no better chance of survival than what I give them. I take exceptionally good care of everyone in my army, down to every last worker. There is no... being ill-suited for it.
[Holds up a hand, because this is actually extremely important to him.] My sister Oichi would have made a fantastic general. I didn't marry her off into exile, [That's a bit of an emotional exaggeration on his behalf, based on his not quite regret, but definitely not happy either feelings about the action.] because she was ill-suited for war, but because I didnt want her to sacrifice herself to save me. Ruby Rose has what I called a "princess heart," but apparently this grows different meaning in the future. To me, a princess heart means always trying to find the best in people, even if it doesn't exist. Extreme idealism. Trying to make it exist. Do not give me or the Captain room to take advantage of you or others, or we will. Do not try to save a soul that has been consumed by darkness, or it will gladly take you too.
I don't know if that is what the other meant. So far, your negotiation training isn't much different from practical application of Sun Tzu strategies. Ruby already has the physical training, her Crescent Rose dual wields as a rifle and scythe, and it's heavier than I could personally use. She just hasn't been taught how to work around making her princess heart a strength. Not wanting to mindlessly destroy the enemy IS a strength. Someone who can convert the enemy to their side is the strongest, no doubt about it. You can't if you just kill them all. But you haven't struck me as that far gone either. Another Sun Tzu edict. Only someone who hates war and seeks to avoid it can be the best at it. Someone who seeks death will always find it and forever lose everything. Quite like the Captain really.
I will never go easy on anyone. I am incapable of it. That is why I cannot teach katana. It took all my concentration not to kill Stede, and it was the height of my weakness. A stronger person can win without killing. A smarter person uses everyone to their advantage so your strength and skill would increase my own.
I can ask my partner to help demonstrate. Klaus is durable. Then I will show you unarmed throws. [Nods.] If anything, the failure would be on me as your teacher, so my pride demands I teach you to be much stronger than I am myself. You cannot be ill-suited for it, because it works with your enemy's chi. The way they attack, turning it against them. The more aggressive they are, the easier it is to turn it back against them. And when they are not aggressive, that will give you the time to breathe, think, assess, and corrupt them to your side with negotiations, yes?
2/2
Sensei April might enjoy such things too. Her face is kind of ... [Makes a hand gesture to his own.] Tricky. Like when you glance away it's different. But she taught me much about the corporate realm and new dungeons of hell for workers. She might understand it better. And enjoy it if I understand her humor correctly.
no subject
[On to more serious business, and Ari's actually very impressed by the attitude he takes. She smiles again.] With talk like that, if you were a starship captain, you'd have my contract. [It's lightly said, because of course the young lieutenant is in contract to Captain Kavarai for the next four and a half standard years, come what may, and she may have her faults but contract-breaking isn't one of them; she's unfailingly loyal.] I'll do my best not to let you down, so you can be proud of your efforts. [That part, she's serious about.]
I don't have a princess heart, not in the sense that you mean. [She may have been called princess once or twice behind her back by annoyed spacers, but that has far more to do with the vanity and meticulousness and Company-style expectations.] I follow code. What that means is that negotiation is always preferred. We don't want to fight. If we can settle matters peaceably, we will, and we hold to a principle which means that the Tradelines don't initiate aggression. We don't start the fight - but if someone picks a fight with us, attacking our ships or protected colonies or obstructing our business? We answer it decisively. No hesitation, no mercy. Their choices are to leave and not return, to surrender, or to be destroyed. Everyone knows that, and that's how we keep peace, up and down the lines.
I will give everyone the benefit of the doubt, and treat them with kindness, right up until the point that they betray or hurt me - and then I'll know better, and I'll make them pay for what they did, and never trust them again. I don't know what your Sun Tzu would have to say about that. I suppose it's possible that someone could take advantage of me, but they'd only ever be able to do it once.
[She looks thoughtful for a moment.] Your sister. What did she want to do?
1/2
Perfectly reasonable. [Everyone negotiates their own terms.]
No, you don't strike me as having a princess heart, so when it comes to stabbing someone in the eye, or making them unflinchingly falter in their pursuit, I don't think I need to worry.
It's... not very different from what I do. You'd get along with the rest of my generals. I think Sun Tzu would just say don't do it emotionally, or out of vengeance. Do it simply because it's the correct course. Strategically. Once someone betrays you, the closer they were to you, the more you've lost all chance to get them back and change their mind, because it's a deliberate course of decision for them, and they won't change their mind.
2/2
Not to be sent away. [A little roughly, hoarsely.] She wanted to save my soul. A fool's errand. She begged me to take her onto the battlefield even when she was only five years old. [In retrospect, was that why Nobunaga was willing to take Mai onto the battlefield without thinking twice about it? Because if such a person was going to fight for their capacity to be in danger so relentlessly...] I couldn't though. I'd never be strong enough that if she tried to save my life, she wouldn't fail to save me from wanting to destroy the whole world that was so foolish as to harm her. I would never be able to use her like my other generals. She does like being cute. But she didn't have Ranmaru's devious side. Ranmaru can embrace being cute, embody the deception of war, as Sun Tzu advised, but it's an overlay to his poison daggers. Oichi is just... too pure. A princess who believes in the best of people's hearts even if the rest of world tries to convince them they're wrong.
[Hugs are violence. -- Oda's thinking of this based on the information gathering about the Captain. And Oichi being his weakness.]
I exiled her. Sold her into a political marriage. [Nobunaga's being overly dramatic and too hard on himself about this. He let/ordered one of his best generals to retire and look after her, and Katsuie and Oichi were deeply in love, so it's not really like he "sold her," but he refuses to be soft about it, doesn't think he deserves to be anything less than harsh, after all.] I can't even contact her. Or, couldn't back home. I'd have to have Hideyoshi, my right hand, do it. I made sure I have no idea where she is, and politically had to ensure complete exile so no one could think to use her to hurt me. I exiled my other siblings thusly as well. So they wouldn't be in my shadow. It's not what she wanted, she wanted to stop me from becoming the Demon King of 6th Heaven, hated by all, unrelenting in the face of ambition, but I took that decision away from her. Princesses are the well known weakness of all Demon Kings, and I refused to take that risk. [Because if she fell, he could never forgive himself. If she was on the battlefield, he wouldn't have been able to protect her, and his men at the same time, use her like a weapon like the others. And she could either trust him to fight without her, at the cost of never seeing him until the dream was completed, or try and fail impossible missions. Lose-lose; as all war is.]
You're an heiress, right? Did your cousins or other siblings avoid Tradelines contracts or do what was most beneficial for your grandmother's dream and ambition?
no subject
Sun Tzu does sound wise. You can't help having emotions if something like betrayal happens, but you mustn't let your decisions be guided by them. I think you're right, I'd get along with your generals. [Which pleases her immensely, because Ari's cultural translation for 'general' right now is something close to 'planetary captain'.
She's less happy with Nobunaga's treatment of his sister, but she had asked.
It's not really my place to pry into other people's family business, I suppose, but where I'm from we wouldn't accept that one person had any right to sell another, under any circumstances. Or to stop someone from becoming what he wanted. [There, that's Ari Tayrey at her most diplomatic, and she quickly moves on to slightly safer ground.]
I'm... Cardalek is complicated. My geneparents were never in contract. I was adopted as a baby by one of my great-grandmother's Directors - I suppose you might consider them like generals, only in a business sense. He has no other children, so I might inherit from him, but I'll get nothing through the Carrington bloodline. And I left home at thirteen to be a spacer, so maybe that rules me out anyway. [She looks thoughtful for a moment, then shakes her head.] That wasn't what you were asking. My Carrington cousins - none of them are out on the Tradelines, but none of them wanted to be. They do what's expected of them, mostly. What's good for the Company. But nobody's forcing them to.
no subject
[He smiles about her reprimand for exiling Oichi.] It wasn't easily accepted in Hell either, but she could choose to trust me, or not. She trusted me, and that's how I repaid it. [So don't trust him Teyrey!]
Actually, I suppose in many respects that is what I was asking. It explained what I didn't have enough information to ask about, so again, you were able to extrapolate from the broader context, and answer the future questions before I could reach that. [Nods!] Quite intelligent. Your commanders or captains, I suppose, must have been very eager to see you in positions where you could do the most good.
In Oichi's case-- [Nobunaga stretches, all this weird tension is in his shoulders now, and he has to put it into motion or it'll get stiff. And he starts organizing shelves, since Ari didn't want to get more clothing pieces.] She is self-sacrificing. All princesses are. They are doted upon by their families, given the most opportunities and stores of generational wealth, because in turn, they often will sacrifice everything, all of their existence for others. No matter where I put Oichi, that is how she would be. Ieyasu is like a young brother to me, the only one I have left. I put much too much pressure on him, because I never wanted to stay and rule over Japan when I fixed it. Ieyasu is not a front-line fighter, he is a healer. And he could heal the country.
Even as a healer, I do not think Oichi could stay still. Ieyasu is a healer, but he is also an archer, a samurai, a gunner, a warrior, he simply is smart enough to fight from behind the troops. Even though I try not to let my emotions hold any sway in battle, I still purposely find my way to the front lines. Because I am at my best there. Oichi could not stay behind hearing the chaos of war and not want to shield someone else. As such, everyone around her would be in equal danger, because they would also want to shield her. She could not be behind the others and resist the urge to run in headlong if she thought she could see her chance to rescue a fallen friend. Her kindness is her strength, and she's a very brilliant tactician, and a fine general, but she trusted me to find the best place for her. So I did. Off the field of war entirely.
I'm glad she's not here on this ship. I have no idea what I'd do if she was. [Even though it means he might never see her again.] I have no doubt she'd be angry with me, maybe disappointed. Hell is wars, and war is sacrifice. But the future is better. Such things become less and less commonplace. It makes me think one day they will disappear altogether. I hope I can see it.
no subject
[Oichi sounds somewhat unreliable to Ari, from that description, but she doesn't think Nobunaga would appreciate that thought.] Sometimes in a conflict it's necessary to make a sacrifice, but nobody should ever seek it out. Nobody should be living for others, instead of pursuing their own dreams. [She frowns a little.] Were you her commander, as well as her brother? Someone who rushes in without thought is letting their emotions get the better of them, even if it's for the most noble reasons. You wouldn't want her on the front line, I can see that, but if the conflict's planetside, you don't need your strategists to be there. [Ari, in other words, would have found a safe place for Oichi that didn't involve terrible things like forcing her into contract. But she's made that criticism, and she won't press it further.]
I don't think that conflict will ever disappear. I think it's part of our nature. But there hasn't been a full-scale war in my sector since Breakaway. [A century, in other words.]
tldr history lesson on castes / official positions of authority in Sengoku Japan
[Nobunaga would say it's not that Oichi is unreliable, just that she's a princess in every sense of the word, and there's only so much he can break someone's conditioning without also forcibly harming what it means to be themselves.] I am her Commander, yes. She was an infant when our father died, and that was when I became daimyo, -- let me see. Comparable words... Sheriff, is the Western version in future centuries. If we structure it by army.... [Ticks off fingers to explain the tiers.] The castes. I promised I would talk Hell with you sometime, now's as good as any. [Since he's less moody with Crichton back!! And also having been on a date with Klaus. Yes. TO Spirit Halloween even, so he EXTRA likes this place and is happy in here!] In Hell, this is a dramatic way of referring to Japan in the civil war era. I showed you the map of all the split provinces, yes? I do think we split off into a descended version away from the world now.
The monks are a separate caste tier. Or were. I've done much to change this. In my time, however, they believed that you ascended each tier you were born into by living piously in your previous life. So every new life was a rewarded incarnation. The untouchables, bottom tier, [Demonstrates laying his hand flat. And then three dots of fingers above it.] Are punishment for past misdeeds. [Nods solemnly.] So untouchables cannot have weapons. Their life is forfeit if they offend the higher tiers. They are only able to take on jobs no one else wishes to deal with. Tanning, butchering, cremation. 4 is shin in Japanese, and the same word for death. It is a superstition that 4 is the most unlucky, untouchable even, synonymous with death. A secret -- [A finger over his lips.] Klaus was number 4 to his father, so he is my lucky number. [Nods. Klaus is his bestest ally, worst kept secret.]
Above that are merchants, and cooks, and cleaners. They are generally not allowed weapons. On this tier you also have the ninjas. This is another reason if they wield weapons openly, they are viewed darkly, because it means they are up to something. Ninjas are often entire villages who train in assassination and spy arts. They are good at infiltration, information gathering, and assassination. But they are rarely as strong as true soldiers.
So to soldiers. Soldiers start on this level. [The third!] Peasants, farmers, artists, craftsman, smiths, bodyguards, brothel workers [Yes, they're 3rd, not untouchable. Sengoku Japan yo.] and writers. Hai. [Nods!] They are rarely trained in katana -- swords. But some monks will do so, and the monks and priestesses are sort of in this region, but also a fifth one. There are 4 caste tiers, but the monks tried to create a fifth, much as Sun Tzu advised there are always 5 elements in life. Hideyoshi, my right hand, was born into this. Son of a farmer. But he is the only man alive who could be as strong as me. We will never know, because he is unfailingly loyal. He would never be able to fight me. Hideyoshi and Oichi are a lot alike. If she wasn't in love with Katsuie they could have made a good pair. Oh, but Hide' is also -- [A quiet hum. And waves a hand.] Protective. A big brother personality like mine. I don't think he could view her as anything but a baby sister as well. And he probably would have been forever worried about upsetting me. It's just as well.
Nobuhide, my father, was born to that caste tier as well, but Gozen, my mother, was born to the top caste, as was I. Gozen does whatever she damn well pleases. So she sought to make my father a daimyo. He was... but not because he inherited it like me, he was the Emperor's best general, as I said, despite being a monk.
The top caste is the most complicated. It's viewed as a reward for reincarnation of a pious previous life. All my generals except Hide' were born here. So 3rd tier, you have soldiers, the others are noncombatants. An exceptionally skilled soldier becomes a samurai by being awarded swords. This is what happened with Hideyoshi. Otherwise, me, my brothers, and others born here are raised in learning katana, swords, from the day we're born nearly. Katana, and other weapons. The way of bushido. Along with swords, land and responsibilities to protect people goes along with it. This is what happened with Yasuke. Yasuke was born in Africa, the first black-skinned man to reach Japan, and he became one of my samurai. [Very proud of this. He likes to think if Yasuke showed up on Eterna he could call him a FRIEND too!]
For my brothers, as they could not all become daimyo like me, they had other options. Samurai, diplomats, monks, castles, Nagamasa became a tea ceremony expert. Carving his own path entirely almost. Nobuyuki declared war on me when our father died. I had a reputation for being too quick to embrace new ideas, especially that of the foreigners, non-Japanese, and my detest for tradition and the religious indoctrination meant that even as child, my reputation was... poor. He did not think I could do it.
[Now why was he talking about Nobuyuki again? He spaces out for a little bit.] Although samurai have the most options available... Princesses do not. Some like Gozen can -- [Wavers a hand horizontally on a wobble.] Finagle it. But obedient, well-meaning, respectful princesses, cannot. It's an old argument I often had with Kichou. How to free women without trapping them in war as well. War is... Hell is all wars. There was nearly no way to escape it. No matter tier. The higher you ascended, the more you were involved in the wars.
This the other part of why I exiled Oichi too. She hates war as much as I do, as much as all my generals do. To know war, is to hate it. But she would have broken.
Tacticians -- there is me, and then there is Mitsunari Ishida. He is the second best tactician in the world. Oichi is better at strategy, but she's very clever, and can adapt quickly. The adaption means she would have to be on the field, however. We do not have phones in my time. There is no means for long distance communication short of runners and horseback riders. This is even why I have Ranmaru. His job is to be a ninja, and to carry messages when I cannot deliver myself.
Were I to even employ Oichi as a diplomat, she would have been kidnapped and held hostage. This is why I say I think Japan truly did sink to the levels of hell, that makes this ship look like a step up. Ieyasu was kidnapped by my father almost right before he died. Ieyasu was meant to be insurance to ensure his father, the daimyo's loyalty to one of our enemies, and rather than negotiate, they said Nobuhide could kill him. [EYE ROLL. Such a waste.] I said I never mean to rule over Japan. This is true. I have always been setting up the positions and infrastructure to give it to Hideyoshi and Ieyasu. I cannot give it to only one of them, however. Because Hideyoshi still has so much guilt about not being born into the top caste, he feels like an impostor, and needs someone as strong as me to constantly break him out of this conditioning. Ieyasu is not as strong as Hideyoshi. Hidyeoshi is not just a strong fighter, he's a strong commander. At least as much as I am -- again, we would never be able to test it. He is a strong commander, and with vast understanding of all things military and war. And Ieyasu has been trained since he was six by me personally, even more than Oichi.
I said once to Klaus, my lucky number 4, that I too, tend to "fuck up" most of my relationships. I had to exile Gozen, Oichi, even Nagamasa so he could be himself without my shadow. Hideyoshi is too loyal, and while I gave Mitsuhide, my left hand, a chance to shine as the true genius of our era, he is constantly having to deal with my every minor whim. Ranmaru and Kichou are certainly top tier of those I have messed up. [Laughs and shakes his head.] The only one I can confidently say I haven't messed up is Ieyasu Tokugawa. Because he is strong, smart, and his own brand of fucked up that, for once, is not my fault. I think.
So it goes: [Using his hands again to create tower levels:] solider, samurai, daimyo. Generals, and then there is me. [He doesn't put himself at the top of the tower. His goal was quite nearly to break the tower structure, after all. And his defiance of cultural norms in many ways meant he was nearly under the untouchables! Demon Kings are simultaneously the best and worst!]
There are no kings in Japan. But Demon Kings are all daimyo. To become a daimyo means accepting desiring more ambition and wealth than simply how you are born. This opens your heart to demons. I would have said metaphorically before, but I do have some doubts now, because I do not understand magic, religion, and on this ship I have met goddesses, and things I have no choice but to accept. Meet them for yourself, and you can decide. In any event, from the time I was 13, I became a daimyo. How much land and men this controls, varies from province to province, and what one individually does to claim more. Imagawa Yoshimoto waited so patiently until I was seventeen to try to invade Owari. I thank him for that. [Literally, puts his hand on the Souza Samonji he got from Imagawa, and sarcastically bows.] At least I had the time to unify Owari and the Oda clan, dealing with my brother and Uncle's wars that even my father didn't live to see finished.
Imagawa at the time had 25,000 troops to invade, he meant to go across our border to fight others. Fastest route. I had 1000, Oichi said the sun goddess Amaterasu was surely on my side. I have met Amaterasu now, it is possible she was. Oichi was only five, mind you. [Chinhands for a moment!] But that was as soon as she started begging me to take her onto the field of war. I simply believed she didn't understand how dangerous it was, and it wasn't like I wanted to try to explain that to her. [Amused grin and shakes his head.] From there, Hideyoshi had been my right hand since fighting to unite Owari. Saito Dosan was the man who killed my father, and was Mitsuhide's -- [...] Let's say former employer. [Sure. Beats "Torturer evil uncle."] So I already had -- [Right hand:] Hideyoshi, [Left hand:] Mitsuhide, Ieyasu, and a few other generals. They were not daimyo level until we gained more territory however. Just samurai. Captains, in charge of [Casts his right hand sideways, thinking back to the VERY early days for him.] Hundreds of our army. [Nods!] Then thousands. Now dozens of thousands.
Hideyoshi is a very good sheriff. If I understand the word right. I think I do. We do not have police in hell, and we do not vote our officials in, but if we did either, he would surely have been overwhelmingly voted in. He's very popular. Not just with the army, but all the civilians. To know Hideyoshi is to like him immensely. Mitsuhide as well, but Mitsuhide is -- He's so smart, some people can't stand it. Like Saito Dosan. He hated it. And other people find it very suspicious. Even though Hideyoshi and Mitsuhide have been working together as long as I have known them both, Hideyoshi can get very riled up by Mitsuhide's plotting. Hide' doesn't like deception of any kid, and Mitsuhide is best at operating in a fog of mystery. [Nods and laughs.] My left hand would not be a good sheriff. He wouldn't like trying to get people's faith, he'd be a better secret agent. Covert operator. [Nod nod!] Nevertheless, he is a very good daimyo. Mino province is lucky to have him.
Citizen in Hell, implies someone who escapes all these wars. Who is retired like Katsuie, to be with Oichi in one of the thousands of castles or even someplace quieter, or one of the Western lands where war is not so permanent a way of life. It doesn't offend me, but it's very amusing.
Princesses are the known weakness of all Demon Kings. Daimyo, and anyone with enough skill and ambition like the samurai of my army to become one. [He makes it sound like a game of shogi... and it kind of IS so there's that.] As such, they are employed as much as everyone else to be tools to conquer people's hearts. Daimyo who aren't able to do what Hideyoshi does naturally, would utilize them to the fullest to charm over the people, to maintain castles, to strengthen ties, stores of wealth. There is no place on the field I could put her she wouldn't be targeted. This is different from other princesses too. [Mai, for instance. Mai had a good sense of self-preservation in comparison. Which was saying something.] That is how it is.
If Oichi were here... I would still be very worried. I hope she never comes. She might be better at learning weapons here and now, especially with the female warriors here, the monks are the ones who teach swords in Hell, so there are no female katana users, the monks would not allow it. As such there are almost no female samurai in hell, they are all ninja instead. But here, Maeve and her student use katana. And a few others. Ruby Rose and Jinx are very strong warriors who make their own weapons far beyond the capacity of my time period. But I truly could not tell you what Oichi would want to do here. Whether she would want to learn weapons or not. She could have tried to learn assassin arts, I would never have stopped her there, but she wanted to be a cute princess, so pursued that more. [A shrug.] But more than her physical safety, I would worry about her heart. It would be in constant pain, and I would not handle that very well. As I said, Demon Kings are all weak to their princesses, and she is mine.
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Ari's slightly irritated to realise just how unimportant someone like her would be in a society like this, because if samurai are captains, she's clearly not there yet. That's beside the point, though. She understands now why he was worried for his sister's safety, and wanting to go into battle is one thing, but you have to find someone willing to accept you, and if that's not possible, find another path.]
I'm not surprised that you want to get rid of that system. It sounds needlessly restrictive, and it would stop people from reaching their true potential. [She shakes her head.] If merchants can't have weapons then you could never have anything like the Tradelines - maybe you wouldn't want to, but rigid rules cut off lots of avenues for innovation.
It sounds to me as if you've always had to struggle, to fight for what was yours. But if your generals are as skilled as you say, then I think they would understand the decisions that you made. Being a leader does mean you have to make difficult choices. Choices that not everyone is going to like - or even understand, if they don't have the ability to see the whole chart and not just their little piece of it. Take Hideyoshi and Mitsuhide. Some people might wonder why you have them working together, when they are sure to clash, but that's the reason, isn't it? So you can have two very different perspectives, different approaches. With only one, you might miss something. [Hideyoshi sounds to her like the easier to get along with by far, but that's also irrelevance.]
[She smiles at him then.] I didn't realise, when I called you citizen. On Cardalek, and through most of our sector, it's what we use when someone doesn't have another rank, or when they might, but we don't know it. I suppose you would properly be called Daimyo Oda? [Ari's careful about etiquette, more so than most Tradeliners, because of the amount of important personages she met as a child on Cardalek.]
As for your sister, I hope she never comes here either. I hope that nobody else does; it's all unfair. If she should, though? I'd help you look out for her.
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It is exceedingly restrictive. [A weary sigh.] Yes, stopping people from reaching their true potential is what I want to abolish most.
The same goes for here, however. Everyone here is capable of so much more, but they are letting themselves suffer rather than break free of it. I believe Pollux is correct in her assessment, they merely need a guiding beacon or two to remind them how.
[He laughs softly. He doesn't understand a soft life, and wouldn't accept it. Even if he had been given luxuries, he'd have inevitably chased something bigger, something more, the thirst for beyond. He wanted to run away to be a pirate when he was young after all, but Teyrey is the last person he'll tell.]
That's exactly right. [Mitsuhide and Hideyoshi BECAUSE they clash.] Daimyo isn't incorrect. A lesser demon king, I suppose. But the Demon King of 6th Heaven is the title I've earned. My true rank. There can only be one. It has to be someone who inherited the power, but foolishly ignored all the warnings, who became as stubborn, insolent, and arrogant as possible. Who defied all religions and went to war with other demons, on a crusade, but for himself and his own dreams and ambitions, and ignored whatever gods said of peace. After Daimyo, you have generals, and after all, I am their commander at the end.
There's never been one like me before, and I shall see to it, there should not be need for me ever again. Fortunately, I'm told often, Japan becomes a land of cultural and technological progress for all the world. So I am quite certain this is true and spans across multiple timelines. [Nods!]
[At the final offer... he gets fucking misty-eyed.]
[How dare you.]
[He goes to gently rest a hand on her head. RUDE LIEUTENANT. JUST RUDE.] I don't mind it here in the least, and she'd probably enjoy it too much. But all the more reason... I will take you up on that, and find more than fair trade in return, Lieutenant Teyrey.
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She affects not to notice Nobunaga's emotional turn, not because it isn't meaningful but because she worries it'll embarrass him if she draws attention to it. Instead, she speaks quietly.]
I'm sure we'll manage to find fair contract, if it ever happens. Don't worry about that, Demon King. [No, that's still going to be strange to say, but maybe she'll get used to it.]
Here's what I question, though. You weren't foolish. You didn't go to war just for yourself and for your ambition - at least that isn't how you told it to me. You did it so that everyone could be free to follow their dreams. Although the comparison you make to this place is flawed. In Japan, you didn't blame the lower caste people for their suffering, you blamed the monks. The ones who were causing it. If someone is suffering here, maybe it's because being imprisoned on an unpredictable, possibly simulated boat is something that causes suffering? Breaking free would mean escaping, wouldn't it? Not learning to be content with whatever is done to us.
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I should add... my childhood nickname was the Fool Lord of Owari. Baka-dono. Don't call me that. But it's what I mean by foolish. Reckless. Someone who doesn't care what others think or societal pressures.
I agree with trying to break free, but try to see it more abstractly. Never resign yourself to torture, obviously, but instead of trying to break out, make the world better. It's possible I'm thinking too much of the past. But if we were to make it analogous, trying to escape is the same as trying to ascend the tiers of heavens rather than claim this life as the best possible, and make it better for others. Rather than view the Captain as a captor, view him as an opportunity.
I know you are worried about breaking contracts back home, but I promise you won't. A version of you is there at home, who doesn't remember being here and cannot act on information received here, fulfilling all obligations. I understand how easy this to doubt, and why most people here become very jealous of themselves, but you can check the library for verified data on this.
cn: talk of suicide
[Unfortunately, Ari's worry about breaking her contract to her captain doesn't outweigh the sheer existential terror that his next words bring her. She blinks a few times, and then stares down at the floor. There's a slight trembling of her shoulders - she's fighting for control of the emotions, but she's not doing well at it.]
Oda, if I believed that, I would...throw myself into the sea. And do the same every time I woke, until the Captain grew bored and let me stay dead. I would have no hope.
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Now see, that's why I assumed people were blowing themselves up in protest. I am less sure of that now in light of possessions, and attacks on each other.
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No. No, do not have a breakdown in front of the one person here whose opinion of you seems to matter.
Ari takes a deep breath.]
Excuse me. I should go. I know my way out from here.