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KarmicBacklash
Shipping Trash
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2015
- Location
- Canada
I'm not great with the playful preamble that a lot of people like to put into their request threads, so I'm not going to embarrass myself by attempting it. I'm just going to get to the point. Now, I know that since this series doesn't seem to have really caught on yet, this one is probably the long shot to end all long shots, but those seem to kind of be my thing around here, so I'm prepared for another swing and miss. (Haha. Baseball joke. ...I'll show myself out.)
What:
Tribe Nine! Watched it recently after I learned that one of my favourite content creators was voicing a character in the dub. Yes, that guy, you know the one. I knew that character's voice would be fantastic, but I was a bit dubious about the rest, since I'm from the era of dubs being hot garbage ninety-nine percent of the time, but I was pleasantly surprised. The voice acting is fabulous all around, dubs really do seem to have improved in the last decade or so and I am here for it.
As is customary, I'll happily play any character my partner wants in exchange for a certain character being played for me, you know the drill. Bear in mind that this is the only kind of "doubling" I'll do; I don't do the "one roleplay for what I want, one for what you want" thing. I want something with mutual interest, not two people each doing the thing they want, and another thing they're not even into just so they can get the story they're after.
Canon-adjacent plotline preferred, more details can be hashed out at our leisure.
Since people have done this before, I'm going to say this up front: Please don't DM me to inquire about doing roleplays that are completely unrelated to this thread. I'm not looking for or interested in anything else right now; if I was, I'd have said so. I don't really dig "cold call" DMs even when I don't have a thread active, and I like them even less when I do. It bothers me. So please don't.
Who:
I'm specifically looking for someone to play this handsome fellow:
Be my Ojiro, I'll be your whomever, just name your gal! Or guy, whichever you like. I realize there actually aren't that many female characters in Tribe Nine. Just for clarity's sake, I am putting it out there that this is an OCxCanon request, and obviously, that's an option open to any potential partner as well. The only condition I have is that your character be...you know, an actual character, with a personality and motivation beyond getting in the pants of whatever person they have their sights set on. Characters that are essentially just blank-slate (or worse, Mary Sue) sex dolls aren't fun. Nobody likes playing against those.
Where:
DMs only, please. I'm self-conscious and don't like to have my writing on display for too many people to read. I'll use Discord for OOC talk, whether that's roleplay-related or just general conversation. I like to get to know the people I write with, I've made some good friends that way, and I find it makes it easier to become more comfortable with someone.
Partner specs:
Literate+ only please. A good grip on the English language is a must; I had it drilled into me from the moment I could talk, so I consider myself very proficient. I'm not asking for perfection, typos happen and everyone makes mistakes. I'm not fussed about that when it happens. But if a person consistently has poor spelling and grammar, or can't form a coherent sentence, we're not going to work out. (Note: I'm Canadian, and therefore use Canadian/British English spellings for a lot of words. I.e. colour vs color, favour vs favor, etc. I don't care if my partner uses American spellings or Canadian/British English; my RP partner of seven years uses American English, so it's kind of an interesting little mishmash of u's and no u's and such. Adds character.)
As you'd expect from a Lit+ request, I will not work with one-liners or single paragraphs. The average post from me tends to have six or seven paragraphs; I prefer longer posts whenever possible, but I'm willing to work with shorter ones as long as they're not too short. I'd like to see five paragraphs at minimum, but if you're like me and like 'em longer, then have at it!
Regarding post frequency, I'd like someone who can post at least twice a week. More often than that would be fabulous, but I understand that people have lives and responsibilities and other things to do.
The real life gender of my partner doesn't matter to me; male, female, NB, I'm fine with anyone. I would, however, prefer my partner to be no younger than 23. That's the age of my youngest friend, and I'd just feel uncomfortable with anyone younger than that; I'm 31 and writing NSFW with anyone younger than that just makes me feel skeevy.
That said, I also don't do PWP (Porn without plot/Plot? What plot?), non-smut story and interactions are important to me, so if you're looking to jump right into the smut, or if that's the only thing you want, please pass on by. Similarly, if you only want something short-term, please don't engage. I only do long-term, no exceptions.
If for any reason you feel like we don't mesh well, please don't ghost me. I've had people do this before the first post was even written, or right after, and it's been disappointing, to say the least. Just tell me that you don't think things are working out. I'll probably ask why and want to see if it's something we can fix by talking about it, but I won't get angry or give you shit for it. Sometimes people just aren't a good fit and that's okay. There won't be any hard feelings on my end if you want/need to bow out.
Yes/No:
I do have a few hard limits. The items on the no list are things I will absolutely not agree to, they are always, always going to be a 100% NO no matter who's asking or why. Not negotiable. However, if it's not on the no list, (or the yes list, which comes after, and is not a complete list of everything I like, it's just a few of the things I enjoy more) feel free to ask me.
NO
Rape/Noncon (Semi-exception: Dubcon is okay, I actually like it under certain circumstances and if it's done well, but that's as far as I'm willing to go.)
Anything related to bodily fluids/excretions (Basically, if it's a bathroom thing that isn't an actual bath or shower, that's where it stays.)
Gore (In sexual situations only; anywhere else, it's fine.)|
Pregnancy/lactation (I am severely tokophobic, to the point where even typing those words makes me shudder. No. No, no, no, no, a thousand times no.)
Anal (Yeah, I know, a lot of people seem to think this is a staple and like it, but I'm not one of them. Instant turnoff. Not doin' it.)
Anything foot-fetish related
YES
Creampies
Wall sex
Semi-public places/risk of being caught
Deepthroating
Semi-clothed
Light bondage
Rough sex (Scratching, biting, pinning down, etc)
Probably a lot more on the latter list that I've forgotten. Again, if you're unsure, just ask. Worst I can do is add it to the no list.
Writing sample below with a quick first glimpse of my character, if you'd like. It's only as long as it is because it's an example of an intro post, so please don't be intimidated by the length. (That's what he said.)
Hit me up if you're interested.
What:
Tribe Nine! Watched it recently after I learned that one of my favourite content creators was voicing a character in the dub. Yes, that guy, you know the one. I knew that character's voice would be fantastic, but I was a bit dubious about the rest, since I'm from the era of dubs being hot garbage ninety-nine percent of the time, but I was pleasantly surprised. The voice acting is fabulous all around, dubs really do seem to have improved in the last decade or so and I am here for it.
As is customary, I'll happily play any character my partner wants in exchange for a certain character being played for me, you know the drill. Bear in mind that this is the only kind of "doubling" I'll do; I don't do the "one roleplay for what I want, one for what you want" thing. I want something with mutual interest, not two people each doing the thing they want, and another thing they're not even into just so they can get the story they're after.
Canon-adjacent plotline preferred, more details can be hashed out at our leisure.
Since people have done this before, I'm going to say this up front: Please don't DM me to inquire about doing roleplays that are completely unrelated to this thread. I'm not looking for or interested in anything else right now; if I was, I'd have said so. I don't really dig "cold call" DMs even when I don't have a thread active, and I like them even less when I do. It bothers me. So please don't.
Who:
I'm specifically looking for someone to play this handsome fellow:
Be my Ojiro, I'll be your whomever, just name your gal! Or guy, whichever you like. I realize there actually aren't that many female characters in Tribe Nine. Just for clarity's sake, I am putting it out there that this is an OCxCanon request, and obviously, that's an option open to any potential partner as well. The only condition I have is that your character be...you know, an actual character, with a personality and motivation beyond getting in the pants of whatever person they have their sights set on. Characters that are essentially just blank-slate (or worse, Mary Sue) sex dolls aren't fun. Nobody likes playing against those.
Where:
DMs only, please. I'm self-conscious and don't like to have my writing on display for too many people to read. I'll use Discord for OOC talk, whether that's roleplay-related or just general conversation. I like to get to know the people I write with, I've made some good friends that way, and I find it makes it easier to become more comfortable with someone.
Partner specs:
Literate+ only please. A good grip on the English language is a must; I had it drilled into me from the moment I could talk, so I consider myself very proficient. I'm not asking for perfection, typos happen and everyone makes mistakes. I'm not fussed about that when it happens. But if a person consistently has poor spelling and grammar, or can't form a coherent sentence, we're not going to work out. (Note: I'm Canadian, and therefore use Canadian/British English spellings for a lot of words. I.e. colour vs color, favour vs favor, etc. I don't care if my partner uses American spellings or Canadian/British English; my RP partner of seven years uses American English, so it's kind of an interesting little mishmash of u's and no u's and such. Adds character.)
As you'd expect from a Lit+ request, I will not work with one-liners or single paragraphs. The average post from me tends to have six or seven paragraphs; I prefer longer posts whenever possible, but I'm willing to work with shorter ones as long as they're not too short. I'd like to see five paragraphs at minimum, but if you're like me and like 'em longer, then have at it!
Regarding post frequency, I'd like someone who can post at least twice a week. More often than that would be fabulous, but I understand that people have lives and responsibilities and other things to do.
The real life gender of my partner doesn't matter to me; male, female, NB, I'm fine with anyone. I would, however, prefer my partner to be no younger than 23. That's the age of my youngest friend, and I'd just feel uncomfortable with anyone younger than that; I'm 31 and writing NSFW with anyone younger than that just makes me feel skeevy.
That said, I also don't do PWP (Porn without plot/Plot? What plot?), non-smut story and interactions are important to me, so if you're looking to jump right into the smut, or if that's the only thing you want, please pass on by. Similarly, if you only want something short-term, please don't engage. I only do long-term, no exceptions.
If for any reason you feel like we don't mesh well, please don't ghost me. I've had people do this before the first post was even written, or right after, and it's been disappointing, to say the least. Just tell me that you don't think things are working out. I'll probably ask why and want to see if it's something we can fix by talking about it, but I won't get angry or give you shit for it. Sometimes people just aren't a good fit and that's okay. There won't be any hard feelings on my end if you want/need to bow out.
Yes/No:
I do have a few hard limits. The items on the no list are things I will absolutely not agree to, they are always, always going to be a 100% NO no matter who's asking or why. Not negotiable. However, if it's not on the no list, (or the yes list, which comes after, and is not a complete list of everything I like, it's just a few of the things I enjoy more) feel free to ask me.
NO
Rape/Noncon (Semi-exception: Dubcon is okay, I actually like it under certain circumstances and if it's done well, but that's as far as I'm willing to go.)
Anything related to bodily fluids/excretions (Basically, if it's a bathroom thing that isn't an actual bath or shower, that's where it stays.)
Gore (In sexual situations only; anywhere else, it's fine.)|
Pregnancy/lactation (I am severely tokophobic, to the point where even typing those words makes me shudder. No. No, no, no, no, a thousand times no.)
Anal (Yeah, I know, a lot of people seem to think this is a staple and like it, but I'm not one of them. Instant turnoff. Not doin' it.)
Anything foot-fetish related
YES
Creampies
Wall sex
Semi-public places/risk of being caught
Deepthroating
Semi-clothed
Light bondage
Rough sex (Scratching, biting, pinning down, etc)
Probably a lot more on the latter list that I've forgotten. Again, if you're unsure, just ask. Worst I can do is add it to the no list.
Writing sample below with a quick first glimpse of my character, if you'd like. It's only as long as it is because it's an example of an intro post, so please don't be intimidated by the length. (That's what he said.)
Hit me up if you're interested.
This was not how Kamiki Yui had envisioned herself spending her evening.
She had planned on going home to a leisurely meal followed by a long soak in a nice, hot bath, and ending her day lounging on her couch with an episode or two of the latest television drama. All she wanted was a relaxing evening in her suite in Chiyoda Castle (although that wasn't quite the right thing to call it; the suites given to important members of the Chiyoda tribe were more like high-class apartments), but Lord Tenshin had been quite insistent, so here she was.
This side street, like all the others in the area, was dirty and poorly lit, and just all-around unpleasant. Much of Neo Tokyo was like this, and though she had seen old images and videos from the days of Old Tokyo, Yui still found it hard to believe that Harajuku had once been colourful and clean, a bustling hub of activity popular with locals and tourists alike. Now, all of those colours had faded practically into greyscale, every building on this street was dingy and run-down, many of them almost falling apart, the outer walls absolutely covered in graffiti.
She wasn't sure what this building had been, but these days it was home to the Harajuku tribe. They were more or less the same as every other tribe, uninteresting, unskilled, and utterly forgettable, all.
All, that was, but one. And that one was why Yui was here.
When the intel had first come in, Lord Tenshin hadn't paid it much mind, but then the intelligence agent returned with footage, and the old man's interest was piqued. That interest only intensified as he watched a single player, the only girl on a team of men, absolutely decimate the other tribe. It had escaped Chiyoda's notice until now, but somehow the Harajuku tribe had acquired an ace, and Yui herself had to admit, she too, had been just a little impressed. That wasn't a game they had watched, it was a slaughter; that one player had practically won that match single-handedly. It had almost reminded her of Lord Ojiro. Almost.
Lord Tenshin must have agreed, because after taking a few days to mull over what he had seen, he had decided he wanted her for Chiyoda. Her talent was wasted on a nothing tribe like Harajuku, he'd said, and ordered Yui to go and convince her to switch tribes, through any means necessary. Failing that, Yui was to eliminate her.
In other words, make her an offer she can't refuse.
If Yui's intel was good, and it usually was, that wouldn't be as difficult as one might think. A bit of digging had revealed that the girl was a notorious tribe hopper, the longest she had stayed with one was a year and a half. Each time she moved on, it was to a tribe with a better win to loss ratio and superior players, which suggested that she valued strength and success above all else. Most of the time, tribe hopping eventually got a person blacklisted and no tribe would take them, but a player of this girl's caliber was rare, so the potential reward was, to most people, likely worth the risk. She surely knew her value, too, if she had the confidence to leave tribe after tribe in search of something better, knowing how that ended for most people.
That rejection of such false notions as blind loyalty and camaraderie wouldn't make her many friends, but she would fit right in with Chiyoda.
The sound of footsteps on the cracked pavement alerted Yui to someone's arrival, drawing her eyes to the source of the noise. A girl had just turned onto the side street and looked as though she was heading for the Harajuku tribe's base of operations. Pulling up a still image taken from the drone footage, she took a quick glance from the picture to the real thing and back again to confirm.
Yes, that was her, alright. Taller than average, skin faintly tanned from time spent out under the sun, slender and lean, the build of a runner. A slight breeze tousled pale, arctic-blue hair, which she had pulled back and tied high into a long ponytail, fringe sideswept out of storm-grey eyes. She was prettier than Yui had expected; neither the video nor the still image had given a very good view of her face, soft-featured and marred only by a small scar that cut through her left eyebrow near the outer edge.
She was even wearing the same outfit as the one in the picture, a long-sleeved, lightweight cobalt blue coat that almost reached her ankles over a black midriff-baring top and distressed jeans in the same shade, torn and frayed at the knees. A fashion choice Yui had never quite understood, but no more unusual than anything else extreme baseball players were known to wear. It was actually rather tame, compared to some of the outlandish getups she'd seen.
Yui stepped out of the dark alley as her target reached the door. Though her footfalls were quiet, the girl realized almost instantly that she was there, turning swiftly to see who had come up behind her. She eyed Yui warily, the tension in her body and the subtle shift in her stance signalling that she was prepared to throw a punch if she needed to defend herself, and had it not been imperative to her mission not to antagonize this girl, Yui might have laughed.
Instead, she held up her hands in front of her, both as a pacifying gesture and to show that she was unarmed (she wasn't, she always kept a small handgun on her person, but no one had to know that), and put on her best and brightest smile.
"Ahh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," she said, a touch of feigned sheepishness in her expression. "I just wanted to catch you before you went inside. I'm here to talk to Sasaki; that's you, right?"
"Who wants to know?" The blue-haired girl asked, her tone as cautious as the look she fixed Yui with, as though she was still assessing a potential threat.
"My name is Kamiki Yui. I've been asked to meet with you as a recruiter for my tribe," Yui answered pleasantly, her smile remaining plastered in place as Sasaki's eyes narrowed, as though she was trying to discern whether or not Yui was telling the truth. "My offer is completely legitimate, I assure you. May I come in?"
Sasaki was silent for a long moment, considering, and then her body relaxed and she turned back toward the door with a palms-up shrug. "Yeah, okay," she said simply, pushing the door open and beckoning Yui inside. The sudden one-eighty surprised her a little, but Yui shook it off and followed her into the building.
Now that she was inside, Yui could see that this place had once been an American-style bar. The counter was still intact, if a little shabby-looking, complete with stools in front of it and liquor shelves behind. There were even some signs still there advertising the various types of alcohol that had once been served here, with old pictures here and there of what the various cocktails had looked like.
The place was also full of large booths, several of which had men sitting at them. One, a tall man with messy, violent green hair and a leather jacket, had commandeered a booth all to himself and was leaning back in his seat with his feet, in their beaten-up running shoes, on the table. Yui refrained from wrinkling her nose in disgust. How uncouth.
"Hey, Sasaki, you didn't say you were bringing company," he said with a grin, casting a wink at Yui that received only a blank stare in reply. "Who's this pretty lady?"
"A friend," Sasaki told him, clearly having no intention of telling him who Yui really was and the man snorted at her in reply.
"Y'know, there's something about that, that just doesn't add up, but I can't quiiite put my finger on it," he said, tapping his index finger against his chin as if he was thinking about it, then snapping his fingers like he had just figured it out. "Oh, I know! You don't have any friends!"
The others snickered at the teasing, watching Sasaki to see how she would respond. This sort of banter was clearly common around here, given that Sasaki didn't look the slightest bit offended.
"I don't have any friends that I'm willing to introduce to you," she said wryly, flashing a playful smile at the man with the green hair as she headed toward the nearby staircase and began ascending. "Tell you what, Madaraki, invest in a comb and some deodorant and maybe I'll stop being be too embarrassed to bring my girls around."
Madaraki sputtered, unable to formulate a response, and a chorus of "Oooooh" rose from the rest of the tribe as Sasaki led Yui upstairs. "You seem to get along well," Yui noted, and Sasaki shrugged again.
"If you're going to be living and playing ball with a tribe, it helps if you can tolerate each other," she replied as she reached for the knob of the last door on the left of the hall and pushed it open.
"'Tolerate'? You aren't friends, then?" Yui asked, looking around the room as the door closed behind them. It was small, tiny, really, with a dingy floor whose boards creaked with every step and walls with peeling paint. There was a futon tucked away in a corner next to the room's only window, and under that window sat a bedside table with an old lamp on it. A long desk on the opposite wall was cluttered with various XB gear maintenance tools, spare parts, and a pair of ear buds with little silicone bat wings attached by a long cord to a pocket-sized music player. A miniature refrigerator sat next to it, but it didn't seem to be working.
"We're tribemates and we get on okay, but that doesn't make us friends." Sasaki pulled out the backless chair that was tucked under the desk and indicated for Yui to sit, then walked over to the mini-fridge and opened the door. Sure enough, it was broken, the light burned out and no cool air escaping it at all. "Water?"
"Thank you, but no. I don't think I want to drink anything that comes out of the pipes in this place. No offense."
"None taken. Probably a wise choice, if I'm honest," Sasaki said, pulling out a thermal mug and taking it over to the folded-up futon, which she sat on and leaned her back against the wall. "The water around here tastes like literal sewage, and Madaraki's too cheap to buy bottled."
Despite her comment about the flavour of the water, Sasaki popped the lid off of the thermos and took a swig of the liquid inside, although given that she didn't seem to mind the taste of whatever was inside, it probably wasn't water.
"Do I want to know how you know what sewage tastes like?" Yui asked, lifting an eyebrow at Sasaki, who mirrored the expression right back.
"I'm going to pretend you didn't just ask me that. You're not here for small talk anyway," she pointed out, and Yui smiled pleasantly again. Playing this part was bothersome, but Lord Tenshin would not be pleased if she returned empty-handed, and one caught more flies with honey than vinegar, after all.
"No, I'm not. As I mentioned before, I want to recruit you. My tribe's leader saw some drone footage of your last game and he decided right then that he wanted you to join us," Yui said, taking the seat Sasaki had offered her before and folding her hands in her lap. "You're extremely talented, and if I may be blunt, your teammates...aren't. They may be better than the tribe you were with before, but when compared to you, they simply don't measure up."
"Flattery will get you nowhere, Kamiki," Sasaki said flatly, taking another drink before she closed the thermal mug again and set it aside. "I hope you have more to offer me than that."
"Yui, please," she requested, looking momentarily thoughtful before something appeared to occur to her. "Oh, I've been using your family name all this time, haven't I? What name should I call you by?"
"Just Sasaki will do," the girl answered, crossing her arms. For some reason, she obviously didn't want to give her full name, and Yui hadn't been able to find it anywhere, either. People didn't really register the births of their children in Neo Tokyo anymore, so it wasn't much of a surprise that there were no records of her. That was true of most people these days. At any rate, it looked like Yui wouldn't be getting anywhere on that front, so she decided to let it go. "Look, Yui, I'm not going to jump ship just because you say a few things to inflate my ego a little. If you don't have anything tangible you can offer me, then we don't really have anything to talk about."
"Oh, but I do. In fact, I can make you a better offer than you'll ever get from anyone else."
Sasaki raised a single brow at her, skeptical. "That's some pretty big talk. Who did you say you were with, again?"
Ordinarily, a person would have known what tribe Yui represented just by looking at her, but she had deliberately worn regular clothes instead of anything with the Chiyoda crest on it. Sasaki would still have been open to talking to her, but the rest of the Harajuku tribe probably would have tried to throw her out, and then things would have gotten messy.
"I didn't, but I'm here on behalf of the Chiyoda tribe," Yui replied, and Sasaki's expression completely changed. Her eyes opened a bit wider and she leaned forward, resting her arms on her knees.
"Chiyoda," Sasaki repeated, intrigued. Now this was an opportunity she hadn't seen coming. Chiyoda didn't recruit just anyone, in fact, she didn't think she had ever heard of them recruiting, full stop, at least not from anywhere in Neo Tokyo except their own island in the sky. "As in, the tribe led by Otori Tenshin, ruler of Neo Tokyo? Show no mercy, take no prisoners, crush the opposition into paste, Chiyoda? The tribe with the team led by his son, Otori Ojiro, who dominates every playing field he steps onto? Whose 'teammates' are really just there as props to fill out the numbers, because he wins every game pretty much entirely on his own? That Chiyoda?"
"None other."
"...Alright. You have my attention." Sasaki sounded perfectly nonchalant, but Yui could practically see her mind racing with the possibilities. Chiyoda didn't go around scouting people, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and even without the things Lord Tenshin had told Yui to put on the table to sweeten the deal, one would have to be a fool to pass it up. "What's the offer?"
"Well, you would be living somewhere much nicer than this, for starters." Yui looked around the room again somewhat distastefully, noting with displeasure that the walls were filthy and stained, in addition to the peeling paint. "The suites in Chiyoda castle are essentially deluxe apartments. Two bedrooms, kitchen, bath, recreational space, and laundry facilities. You' ll be free to roam as you like, barring some rooms in the castle that require special clearance to enter. You'll have free full access, twenty-four hours, year-round, to a full gym, personal trainer optional. It also features a running track and a pool - salt water, not chlorine. And the pay is very generous."
"And you'll give me all that, just to sign on with Chiyoda," Sasaki said, unconvinced. Yui didn't blame her, it was a lot to offer, but every member of the Chiyoda tribe deemed important enough got all of those things. That was really only a handful of them, and by investing in said handful of people and in doing so ensure that they performed to the best of their ability, Lord Tenshin would gain back that investment in spades. "Seems a bit much, especially when he doesn't actually need me. His son can and does completely destroy other tribes without breaking a sweat, why bother wasting resources on a second ace he doesn't need?"
"Why leave that second ace in the hands of a tribe that wastes her talent?" Yui countered, and Sasaki's lips twitched into a very slight frown. "Lord Tenshin has always wanted Chiyoda to be the strongest tribe, so only the best of the best will do. It's true that Lord Ojiro is a force unto himself, and yes, he ensures victory quite handily on his own, but whether he actually needs the help or not is irrelevant. If Chiyoda is to be the strongest tribe, and remain the strongest tribe, then naturally, if we find a player whose skill outshines everyone else's, that player must become part of our tribe, you see? And what better way to entice an ace like yourself to join us than to make an offer that no one else can?"
"Sound enough logic, I suppose," Sasaki said, fingertips absently playing with the frayed strands of denim at her knees. "With all of that on the table, you'd have to be out of your mind to say no. Then again...something tells me that Lord Tenshin isn't the sort of person who takes no for an answer. I could refuse, and you alone, I'm pretty sure I could outrun, but I feel like that would be the same as painting a target on my back, wouldn't it?"
"It would," Yui said honestly, now dropping the façade entirely. Sasaki had already figured out what was going on here. She was sharp, much more so than Yui had anticipated, but in a way, that also worked in Chiyoda's favour. Someone who knew that they actually had only one option even when two were presented was more likely than not to make the right decision.
However, if she really thought she could outrun Yui, she had better hope she never had to find out.
"Ah, so what you're really offering me is the illusion of choice. The carrot is just there to make it more palatable, and the stick is actually a gun to the head." Sasaki picked up the thermos and opened it again to take another swig of whatever was inside, far too casual and calm for someone who had, in essence, been told to come quietly or die. "Lord Tenshin doesn't think I'm a threat to Chiyoda, but he'd rather not take the chance, and if you guys can't have me, no one can. Solid plan. But I guess you don't get to where he is by being stupid."
"Indeed. So...what is your answer?"
"Well, you weren't wrong when you said Harajuku isn't worth my time," Sasaki replied, draining the thermal mug of the last of its contents and setting it aside. "They wouldn't like to hear me say it, but they're only marginally better than my last tribe, and I was out of there in a heartbeat. It shouldn't come as a surprise that I'm perfectly willing to ditch them the same way."
"Besides, I'm not blind to what's happening. Otori Ojiro is the apex predator of Neo Tokyo, and everyone else is his prey. I can see the writing on the wall; at some point, he's going to challenge Harajuku and completely annihilate this tribe, and when that time comes, I'd rather be with him than against him." Sasaki stopped fiddling with the torn patch of her jeans and looked up, locking her gaze with Yui's. Though her words were based purely in logic and good sense, there was a fire in her eyes that betrayed her true feelings on the matter. She wasn't just going along with this because she had to. She was excited about the prospect, thrilled to be joining a tribe that represented the ideals she believed in the most.
"I follow the strongest side. Everyone knows that's Chiyoda...so I guess I'm going with you."
Once more, Yui smiled. Yes, Sasaki would fit in just fine.
She had planned on going home to a leisurely meal followed by a long soak in a nice, hot bath, and ending her day lounging on her couch with an episode or two of the latest television drama. All she wanted was a relaxing evening in her suite in Chiyoda Castle (although that wasn't quite the right thing to call it; the suites given to important members of the Chiyoda tribe were more like high-class apartments), but Lord Tenshin had been quite insistent, so here she was.
This side street, like all the others in the area, was dirty and poorly lit, and just all-around unpleasant. Much of Neo Tokyo was like this, and though she had seen old images and videos from the days of Old Tokyo, Yui still found it hard to believe that Harajuku had once been colourful and clean, a bustling hub of activity popular with locals and tourists alike. Now, all of those colours had faded practically into greyscale, every building on this street was dingy and run-down, many of them almost falling apart, the outer walls absolutely covered in graffiti.
She wasn't sure what this building had been, but these days it was home to the Harajuku tribe. They were more or less the same as every other tribe, uninteresting, unskilled, and utterly forgettable, all.
All, that was, but one. And that one was why Yui was here.
When the intel had first come in, Lord Tenshin hadn't paid it much mind, but then the intelligence agent returned with footage, and the old man's interest was piqued. That interest only intensified as he watched a single player, the only girl on a team of men, absolutely decimate the other tribe. It had escaped Chiyoda's notice until now, but somehow the Harajuku tribe had acquired an ace, and Yui herself had to admit, she too, had been just a little impressed. That wasn't a game they had watched, it was a slaughter; that one player had practically won that match single-handedly. It had almost reminded her of Lord Ojiro. Almost.
Lord Tenshin must have agreed, because after taking a few days to mull over what he had seen, he had decided he wanted her for Chiyoda. Her talent was wasted on a nothing tribe like Harajuku, he'd said, and ordered Yui to go and convince her to switch tribes, through any means necessary. Failing that, Yui was to eliminate her.
In other words, make her an offer she can't refuse.
If Yui's intel was good, and it usually was, that wouldn't be as difficult as one might think. A bit of digging had revealed that the girl was a notorious tribe hopper, the longest she had stayed with one was a year and a half. Each time she moved on, it was to a tribe with a better win to loss ratio and superior players, which suggested that she valued strength and success above all else. Most of the time, tribe hopping eventually got a person blacklisted and no tribe would take them, but a player of this girl's caliber was rare, so the potential reward was, to most people, likely worth the risk. She surely knew her value, too, if she had the confidence to leave tribe after tribe in search of something better, knowing how that ended for most people.
That rejection of such false notions as blind loyalty and camaraderie wouldn't make her many friends, but she would fit right in with Chiyoda.
The sound of footsteps on the cracked pavement alerted Yui to someone's arrival, drawing her eyes to the source of the noise. A girl had just turned onto the side street and looked as though she was heading for the Harajuku tribe's base of operations. Pulling up a still image taken from the drone footage, she took a quick glance from the picture to the real thing and back again to confirm.
Yes, that was her, alright. Taller than average, skin faintly tanned from time spent out under the sun, slender and lean, the build of a runner. A slight breeze tousled pale, arctic-blue hair, which she had pulled back and tied high into a long ponytail, fringe sideswept out of storm-grey eyes. She was prettier than Yui had expected; neither the video nor the still image had given a very good view of her face, soft-featured and marred only by a small scar that cut through her left eyebrow near the outer edge.
She was even wearing the same outfit as the one in the picture, a long-sleeved, lightweight cobalt blue coat that almost reached her ankles over a black midriff-baring top and distressed jeans in the same shade, torn and frayed at the knees. A fashion choice Yui had never quite understood, but no more unusual than anything else extreme baseball players were known to wear. It was actually rather tame, compared to some of the outlandish getups she'd seen.
Yui stepped out of the dark alley as her target reached the door. Though her footfalls were quiet, the girl realized almost instantly that she was there, turning swiftly to see who had come up behind her. She eyed Yui warily, the tension in her body and the subtle shift in her stance signalling that she was prepared to throw a punch if she needed to defend herself, and had it not been imperative to her mission not to antagonize this girl, Yui might have laughed.
Instead, she held up her hands in front of her, both as a pacifying gesture and to show that she was unarmed (she wasn't, she always kept a small handgun on her person, but no one had to know that), and put on her best and brightest smile.
"Ahh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," she said, a touch of feigned sheepishness in her expression. "I just wanted to catch you before you went inside. I'm here to talk to Sasaki; that's you, right?"
"Who wants to know?" The blue-haired girl asked, her tone as cautious as the look she fixed Yui with, as though she was still assessing a potential threat.
"My name is Kamiki Yui. I've been asked to meet with you as a recruiter for my tribe," Yui answered pleasantly, her smile remaining plastered in place as Sasaki's eyes narrowed, as though she was trying to discern whether or not Yui was telling the truth. "My offer is completely legitimate, I assure you. May I come in?"
Sasaki was silent for a long moment, considering, and then her body relaxed and she turned back toward the door with a palms-up shrug. "Yeah, okay," she said simply, pushing the door open and beckoning Yui inside. The sudden one-eighty surprised her a little, but Yui shook it off and followed her into the building.
Now that she was inside, Yui could see that this place had once been an American-style bar. The counter was still intact, if a little shabby-looking, complete with stools in front of it and liquor shelves behind. There were even some signs still there advertising the various types of alcohol that had once been served here, with old pictures here and there of what the various cocktails had looked like.
The place was also full of large booths, several of which had men sitting at them. One, a tall man with messy, violent green hair and a leather jacket, had commandeered a booth all to himself and was leaning back in his seat with his feet, in their beaten-up running shoes, on the table. Yui refrained from wrinkling her nose in disgust. How uncouth.
"Hey, Sasaki, you didn't say you were bringing company," he said with a grin, casting a wink at Yui that received only a blank stare in reply. "Who's this pretty lady?"
"A friend," Sasaki told him, clearly having no intention of telling him who Yui really was and the man snorted at her in reply.
"Y'know, there's something about that, that just doesn't add up, but I can't quiiite put my finger on it," he said, tapping his index finger against his chin as if he was thinking about it, then snapping his fingers like he had just figured it out. "Oh, I know! You don't have any friends!"
The others snickered at the teasing, watching Sasaki to see how she would respond. This sort of banter was clearly common around here, given that Sasaki didn't look the slightest bit offended.
"I don't have any friends that I'm willing to introduce to you," she said wryly, flashing a playful smile at the man with the green hair as she headed toward the nearby staircase and began ascending. "Tell you what, Madaraki, invest in a comb and some deodorant and maybe I'll stop being be too embarrassed to bring my girls around."
Madaraki sputtered, unable to formulate a response, and a chorus of "Oooooh" rose from the rest of the tribe as Sasaki led Yui upstairs. "You seem to get along well," Yui noted, and Sasaki shrugged again.
"If you're going to be living and playing ball with a tribe, it helps if you can tolerate each other," she replied as she reached for the knob of the last door on the left of the hall and pushed it open.
"'Tolerate'? You aren't friends, then?" Yui asked, looking around the room as the door closed behind them. It was small, tiny, really, with a dingy floor whose boards creaked with every step and walls with peeling paint. There was a futon tucked away in a corner next to the room's only window, and under that window sat a bedside table with an old lamp on it. A long desk on the opposite wall was cluttered with various XB gear maintenance tools, spare parts, and a pair of ear buds with little silicone bat wings attached by a long cord to a pocket-sized music player. A miniature refrigerator sat next to it, but it didn't seem to be working.
"We're tribemates and we get on okay, but that doesn't make us friends." Sasaki pulled out the backless chair that was tucked under the desk and indicated for Yui to sit, then walked over to the mini-fridge and opened the door. Sure enough, it was broken, the light burned out and no cool air escaping it at all. "Water?"
"Thank you, but no. I don't think I want to drink anything that comes out of the pipes in this place. No offense."
"None taken. Probably a wise choice, if I'm honest," Sasaki said, pulling out a thermal mug and taking it over to the folded-up futon, which she sat on and leaned her back against the wall. "The water around here tastes like literal sewage, and Madaraki's too cheap to buy bottled."
Despite her comment about the flavour of the water, Sasaki popped the lid off of the thermos and took a swig of the liquid inside, although given that she didn't seem to mind the taste of whatever was inside, it probably wasn't water.
"Do I want to know how you know what sewage tastes like?" Yui asked, lifting an eyebrow at Sasaki, who mirrored the expression right back.
"I'm going to pretend you didn't just ask me that. You're not here for small talk anyway," she pointed out, and Yui smiled pleasantly again. Playing this part was bothersome, but Lord Tenshin would not be pleased if she returned empty-handed, and one caught more flies with honey than vinegar, after all.
"No, I'm not. As I mentioned before, I want to recruit you. My tribe's leader saw some drone footage of your last game and he decided right then that he wanted you to join us," Yui said, taking the seat Sasaki had offered her before and folding her hands in her lap. "You're extremely talented, and if I may be blunt, your teammates...aren't. They may be better than the tribe you were with before, but when compared to you, they simply don't measure up."
"Flattery will get you nowhere, Kamiki," Sasaki said flatly, taking another drink before she closed the thermal mug again and set it aside. "I hope you have more to offer me than that."
"Yui, please," she requested, looking momentarily thoughtful before something appeared to occur to her. "Oh, I've been using your family name all this time, haven't I? What name should I call you by?"
"Just Sasaki will do," the girl answered, crossing her arms. For some reason, she obviously didn't want to give her full name, and Yui hadn't been able to find it anywhere, either. People didn't really register the births of their children in Neo Tokyo anymore, so it wasn't much of a surprise that there were no records of her. That was true of most people these days. At any rate, it looked like Yui wouldn't be getting anywhere on that front, so she decided to let it go. "Look, Yui, I'm not going to jump ship just because you say a few things to inflate my ego a little. If you don't have anything tangible you can offer me, then we don't really have anything to talk about."
"Oh, but I do. In fact, I can make you a better offer than you'll ever get from anyone else."
Sasaki raised a single brow at her, skeptical. "That's some pretty big talk. Who did you say you were with, again?"
Ordinarily, a person would have known what tribe Yui represented just by looking at her, but she had deliberately worn regular clothes instead of anything with the Chiyoda crest on it. Sasaki would still have been open to talking to her, but the rest of the Harajuku tribe probably would have tried to throw her out, and then things would have gotten messy.
"I didn't, but I'm here on behalf of the Chiyoda tribe," Yui replied, and Sasaki's expression completely changed. Her eyes opened a bit wider and she leaned forward, resting her arms on her knees.
"Chiyoda," Sasaki repeated, intrigued. Now this was an opportunity she hadn't seen coming. Chiyoda didn't recruit just anyone, in fact, she didn't think she had ever heard of them recruiting, full stop, at least not from anywhere in Neo Tokyo except their own island in the sky. "As in, the tribe led by Otori Tenshin, ruler of Neo Tokyo? Show no mercy, take no prisoners, crush the opposition into paste, Chiyoda? The tribe with the team led by his son, Otori Ojiro, who dominates every playing field he steps onto? Whose 'teammates' are really just there as props to fill out the numbers, because he wins every game pretty much entirely on his own? That Chiyoda?"
"None other."
"...Alright. You have my attention." Sasaki sounded perfectly nonchalant, but Yui could practically see her mind racing with the possibilities. Chiyoda didn't go around scouting people, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and even without the things Lord Tenshin had told Yui to put on the table to sweeten the deal, one would have to be a fool to pass it up. "What's the offer?"
"Well, you would be living somewhere much nicer than this, for starters." Yui looked around the room again somewhat distastefully, noting with displeasure that the walls were filthy and stained, in addition to the peeling paint. "The suites in Chiyoda castle are essentially deluxe apartments. Two bedrooms, kitchen, bath, recreational space, and laundry facilities. You' ll be free to roam as you like, barring some rooms in the castle that require special clearance to enter. You'll have free full access, twenty-four hours, year-round, to a full gym, personal trainer optional. It also features a running track and a pool - salt water, not chlorine. And the pay is very generous."
"And you'll give me all that, just to sign on with Chiyoda," Sasaki said, unconvinced. Yui didn't blame her, it was a lot to offer, but every member of the Chiyoda tribe deemed important enough got all of those things. That was really only a handful of them, and by investing in said handful of people and in doing so ensure that they performed to the best of their ability, Lord Tenshin would gain back that investment in spades. "Seems a bit much, especially when he doesn't actually need me. His son can and does completely destroy other tribes without breaking a sweat, why bother wasting resources on a second ace he doesn't need?"
"Why leave that second ace in the hands of a tribe that wastes her talent?" Yui countered, and Sasaki's lips twitched into a very slight frown. "Lord Tenshin has always wanted Chiyoda to be the strongest tribe, so only the best of the best will do. It's true that Lord Ojiro is a force unto himself, and yes, he ensures victory quite handily on his own, but whether he actually needs the help or not is irrelevant. If Chiyoda is to be the strongest tribe, and remain the strongest tribe, then naturally, if we find a player whose skill outshines everyone else's, that player must become part of our tribe, you see? And what better way to entice an ace like yourself to join us than to make an offer that no one else can?"
"Sound enough logic, I suppose," Sasaki said, fingertips absently playing with the frayed strands of denim at her knees. "With all of that on the table, you'd have to be out of your mind to say no. Then again...something tells me that Lord Tenshin isn't the sort of person who takes no for an answer. I could refuse, and you alone, I'm pretty sure I could outrun, but I feel like that would be the same as painting a target on my back, wouldn't it?"
"It would," Yui said honestly, now dropping the façade entirely. Sasaki had already figured out what was going on here. She was sharp, much more so than Yui had anticipated, but in a way, that also worked in Chiyoda's favour. Someone who knew that they actually had only one option even when two were presented was more likely than not to make the right decision.
However, if she really thought she could outrun Yui, she had better hope she never had to find out.
"Ah, so what you're really offering me is the illusion of choice. The carrot is just there to make it more palatable, and the stick is actually a gun to the head." Sasaki picked up the thermos and opened it again to take another swig of whatever was inside, far too casual and calm for someone who had, in essence, been told to come quietly or die. "Lord Tenshin doesn't think I'm a threat to Chiyoda, but he'd rather not take the chance, and if you guys can't have me, no one can. Solid plan. But I guess you don't get to where he is by being stupid."
"Indeed. So...what is your answer?"
"Well, you weren't wrong when you said Harajuku isn't worth my time," Sasaki replied, draining the thermal mug of the last of its contents and setting it aside. "They wouldn't like to hear me say it, but they're only marginally better than my last tribe, and I was out of there in a heartbeat. It shouldn't come as a surprise that I'm perfectly willing to ditch them the same way."
"Besides, I'm not blind to what's happening. Otori Ojiro is the apex predator of Neo Tokyo, and everyone else is his prey. I can see the writing on the wall; at some point, he's going to challenge Harajuku and completely annihilate this tribe, and when that time comes, I'd rather be with him than against him." Sasaki stopped fiddling with the torn patch of her jeans and looked up, locking her gaze with Yui's. Though her words were based purely in logic and good sense, there was a fire in her eyes that betrayed her true feelings on the matter. She wasn't just going along with this because she had to. She was excited about the prospect, thrilled to be joining a tribe that represented the ideals she believed in the most.
"I follow the strongest side. Everyone knows that's Chiyoda...so I guess I'm going with you."
Once more, Yui smiled. Yes, Sasaki would fit in just fine.
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