Eternity RPC Board
12-16-2017, 07:10 AM
(This post was last modified: 12-19-2017, 01:17 AM by Alvino Castillon.)
Time: 2:30 PM, Daily Scheduled Press Briefing
Location: Press Briefing Room, Imperial Palace, Tokasa
"The Shimazu Council had invited our consul to speak firsthand at the special session," Press Secretary Tachibana replied to the reporter. "Our consul graciously accepted their kind invitation and spoke as requested."
"Can you elaborate on what the Consul said?" The reporter pressed, clearly irritated with his stonewalling. He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.
"It was an executive session of the Shimazu Council. We do not publicize such matters without the explicit permission of both the Shimazu Council and the Chikasun government." He almost added on a joke but halted himself just in time. Now was not a good day for such jokes. Most days he'd be a bit more friendly with the press but today... it was not that kind of day.
The moment he heard the news this morning he knew what kind of mess he was in for. And the moment he walked into the room today and saw their serious faces, he knew this was not going to be a softball day. No, they were out for the story... they smelled blood and they're barking to him now. Not an inch, Tachibana thought grimly. Not a damn inch today. He had already held them off fairly well this morning; he'd do it a second time now that more information was out in the public's eye.
"I am taking no more questions about this matter. We are waiting for their discussions on the trade agreements to conclude before making any further public comment. Any other questions on anything else?" He gave a grave look around the room and the reporters seemed to stop fidgeting. It looked like everyone was dying down, albeit frustrated. Good, no story today-
"What of the rumors regarding a possible relationship between Her Imperial Grace and Chairman Honda?" He bit his lower lip. Not this again... must be the Sun. Utter tabloid garbage. He turned his head to fire back an answer and froze as he met his challenger's eyes.
It wasn't the reporter from the Sun. It was Aina Miyamoto, From the Tokasa Times. Shit. If she's asking that question then that meant... there was a great deal of merit to this. Not only that, he had no idea what she was on about which meant she had someone on the inside.
"I have not been informed of anything on this matter nor should I be. The personal affairs of Her Imperial Grace are not exactly matters of national policy," He chuckled and the room reverberated the chuckle, giving him a bit of relief. "That's all for today folks. As a reminder tomorrow's press briefing will be one hour later than usual. Thanks." He departed the podium and beelined for the door, but was stopped by an aide with paperwork. He quickly sorted it out and tried to make for the door again...
Too late though. Aina was there already, blocking his main exit. He scowled; she smirked. They stared at each other for a long moment before he shut his eyes and scratched the back of his head. She nodded with a satisfied look and stepped to the side, letting him exit the room.
"I swear," Tachibana replied with an irritated look, "I know jack shit about this. He doesn't invite me to National Council meetings, especially executive session ones." He drummed his fingers obnoxiously against his chair's arm to show his impatience with her line of questioning. Miyamoto merely sipped her tea before setting down the cup on the table in his office.
"Surely you must know something about this," Miyamoto responded calmly. "Akio, you understand how close I am on this, right? This is a story I've followed for quite a damn while and I've just about got all my ducks in a row."
"It's a fairy tale Aina. It's just the usual garbage tabloid story being peddled by the Sun." Miyamoto closed her eyes and placed her notepad on the desk. Tachibana looked down and raised an eyebrow, nervously asking, "What's this?"
"All the notes I've taken on this story alone over the past few months," She answered, opening her eyes. "Look at them." He slowly picked it up and started to flip through the pages. It was fairly detailed notes which seemed to start placing the dots together fairly well. He felt like he was being further stunned with each page he read. These details were comprehensive. There was even details on things he never knew about, like how they went to the same school or even how their families were so close that the Hondas were invited over to the Imperial Palace for the holidays when they were but children!
"It's a comprehensive story... and a sweet one, don't you think?" Tachibana looked up at Miyamoto as she spoke, a whimsical yet calculating look in her eyes. "Old childhood friends turned powerful lovers. The position of the Imperial Throne and the position of the Chair of the National Council. Their most trusted advisers... and their most powerful weapons..." She trailed off and gave a simple smile to him. He sat there in disbelief. Here she was, presenting a wild accusation that seemed to rear its ugly head out of random. However, there have been whispers. Talks late into the night in the Imperial Chambers for advisory matters were nothing new, but the frequency at which they were being held was suspicious. He hated to admit but... Miyamoto had him curious now. Were they just childhood friends and nothing more? Not likely. No, something was up.
"What do you want from me?" Tachibana asked, relaxing a bit. Miyamoto smiled and folded her hands together before giving her reply.
Time: 4:30 PM
Location: Imperial Palace, Tokasa, Kazemura
"Something is on your mind." Hiraku looked up from his book, straight into Mirai's eyes. She had a concerned look on her face as she knelt on the bed in front of him. Biting his lower lip, he closed his book and sat up under the covers. She wasn't wrong. Hiraku definitely had something on his mind; he hadn't planned on discussing it yet though.
"I, don't know if I'm ready to talk about it." Mirai gave him a look and shook her head. As she opened her mouth to respond, he cut her off and added, "I know I know. We don't hide anything from each other. I just..." He trailed off and looked down at his book.
"You just what?" Mirai asked, placing a hand on his. "You know I won't be upset if you explain. So long as you aren't backtracking on our plan it's com... pletely... fucking Hell that's it isn't it." She went from sympathetic to alarmed as the look on his face said it all.
"Just listen-"
"Hiraku-"
"Just, wait!" He cried out, looking up at her. She bared her teeth to him and gave him a darkened expression. He flinched for a moment, but took a deep breath and glared straight back. They stared for what felt like an eternity to Hiraku; standing up to her always felt like the greatest ordeal ever faced.
Eventually Mirai looked up at the ceiling and sighed. She was never a fan at staring him down; standing up to him always felt like her soul was going to be torn to shreds under his gaze. Fuck it, she thought. Let's see what's going on.
"What is it?" She eventually said, exhausted from the ordeal. He relaxed a bit and laid back against the headboard, closing his eyes.
"We're leading them to conflict. We're about to escalate this to a new wave of tensions and it's likely we're going to war."
"Yes. That was the plan-"
"We're leading them to their graves." Mirai fell silent and bit her lower lip. Damn it. So he was having the same doubts she was.
"We're making a brighter future," She replied, trying to subdue his internal rebellion as well as her own. "And that requires sacrifice. We as a nation hold to the ideals of returning to peace. To Heiwa. A united nation of peace and prosperity, just as our ancestors had. We have to be prepared to sacrifice our lives for this."
"It is easy for us to say this from the safety of the palace," Hiraku noted with unease. "And I know what you've said to me. If you could fight you would. But for us to send people just a few years our junior to fight in this war we're brewing in such a fashion, it feels wrong. Hundreds of thousands will be lost not just by Kazemura but by Shimazu and Chikasu as well."
"We have to be prepared to sacrifice blood for this. You said this long ago, did you not?"
"I did but... now, I wonder... what if we tried a different approach?" Mirai looked back down at him and gave him a befuddled look. She waved her hand to continue with his thought process and he took a deep breath before obliging. "What if we tried being honest? What if we made it clear what we've been looking for?"
"Because-" Mirai stopped mid-sentence and thought for a moment. That was actually a good question. While yes there wasn't a guarantee they would just be able to get the three governments to agree, there was still a rather popular sentiment to consider the question of reunification on equal terms. In the long run, that was more than satisfying for the both of them; it was actually their ultimate goal to erase the lines of the past century and reforge a united national identity after all. And sooner or later people would find out about their true intentions because eventually they'd have to state them anyways. So, why not sooner? Why not give the concept a shot and possibly avoid so much death and despair?
"How would we do this?" Mirai asked finally. Hiraku raised an eyebrow and gave a relieved smile before beginning to answer.
"Before anything else we need to see who will be in charge in Chikasu by the end of this week," Hiraku began calmly. "After that, all the other pieces will come clear."
Location: Press Briefing Room, Imperial Palace, Tokasa
"The Shimazu Council had invited our consul to speak firsthand at the special session," Press Secretary Tachibana replied to the reporter. "Our consul graciously accepted their kind invitation and spoke as requested."
"Can you elaborate on what the Consul said?" The reporter pressed, clearly irritated with his stonewalling. He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.
"It was an executive session of the Shimazu Council. We do not publicize such matters without the explicit permission of both the Shimazu Council and the Chikasun government." He almost added on a joke but halted himself just in time. Now was not a good day for such jokes. Most days he'd be a bit more friendly with the press but today... it was not that kind of day.
The moment he heard the news this morning he knew what kind of mess he was in for. And the moment he walked into the room today and saw their serious faces, he knew this was not going to be a softball day. No, they were out for the story... they smelled blood and they're barking to him now. Not an inch, Tachibana thought grimly. Not a damn inch today. He had already held them off fairly well this morning; he'd do it a second time now that more information was out in the public's eye.
"I am taking no more questions about this matter. We are waiting for their discussions on the trade agreements to conclude before making any further public comment. Any other questions on anything else?" He gave a grave look around the room and the reporters seemed to stop fidgeting. It looked like everyone was dying down, albeit frustrated. Good, no story today-
"What of the rumors regarding a possible relationship between Her Imperial Grace and Chairman Honda?" He bit his lower lip. Not this again... must be the Sun. Utter tabloid garbage. He turned his head to fire back an answer and froze as he met his challenger's eyes.
It wasn't the reporter from the Sun. It was Aina Miyamoto, From the Tokasa Times. Shit. If she's asking that question then that meant... there was a great deal of merit to this. Not only that, he had no idea what she was on about which meant she had someone on the inside.
"I have not been informed of anything on this matter nor should I be. The personal affairs of Her Imperial Grace are not exactly matters of national policy," He chuckled and the room reverberated the chuckle, giving him a bit of relief. "That's all for today folks. As a reminder tomorrow's press briefing will be one hour later than usual. Thanks." He departed the podium and beelined for the door, but was stopped by an aide with paperwork. He quickly sorted it out and tried to make for the door again...
Too late though. Aina was there already, blocking his main exit. He scowled; she smirked. They stared at each other for a long moment before he shut his eyes and scratched the back of his head. She nodded with a satisfied look and stepped to the side, letting him exit the room.
"I swear," Tachibana replied with an irritated look, "I know jack shit about this. He doesn't invite me to National Council meetings, especially executive session ones." He drummed his fingers obnoxiously against his chair's arm to show his impatience with her line of questioning. Miyamoto merely sipped her tea before setting down the cup on the table in his office.
"Surely you must know something about this," Miyamoto responded calmly. "Akio, you understand how close I am on this, right? This is a story I've followed for quite a damn while and I've just about got all my ducks in a row."
"It's a fairy tale Aina. It's just the usual garbage tabloid story being peddled by the Sun." Miyamoto closed her eyes and placed her notepad on the desk. Tachibana looked down and raised an eyebrow, nervously asking, "What's this?"
"All the notes I've taken on this story alone over the past few months," She answered, opening her eyes. "Look at them." He slowly picked it up and started to flip through the pages. It was fairly detailed notes which seemed to start placing the dots together fairly well. He felt like he was being further stunned with each page he read. These details were comprehensive. There was even details on things he never knew about, like how they went to the same school or even how their families were so close that the Hondas were invited over to the Imperial Palace for the holidays when they were but children!
"It's a comprehensive story... and a sweet one, don't you think?" Tachibana looked up at Miyamoto as she spoke, a whimsical yet calculating look in her eyes. "Old childhood friends turned powerful lovers. The position of the Imperial Throne and the position of the Chair of the National Council. Their most trusted advisers... and their most powerful weapons..." She trailed off and gave a simple smile to him. He sat there in disbelief. Here she was, presenting a wild accusation that seemed to rear its ugly head out of random. However, there have been whispers. Talks late into the night in the Imperial Chambers for advisory matters were nothing new, but the frequency at which they were being held was suspicious. He hated to admit but... Miyamoto had him curious now. Were they just childhood friends and nothing more? Not likely. No, something was up.
"What do you want from me?" Tachibana asked, relaxing a bit. Miyamoto smiled and folded her hands together before giving her reply.
Time: 4:30 PM
Location: Imperial Palace, Tokasa, Kazemura
"Something is on your mind." Hiraku looked up from his book, straight into Mirai's eyes. She had a concerned look on her face as she knelt on the bed in front of him. Biting his lower lip, he closed his book and sat up under the covers. She wasn't wrong. Hiraku definitely had something on his mind; he hadn't planned on discussing it yet though.
"I, don't know if I'm ready to talk about it." Mirai gave him a look and shook her head. As she opened her mouth to respond, he cut her off and added, "I know I know. We don't hide anything from each other. I just..." He trailed off and looked down at his book.
"You just what?" Mirai asked, placing a hand on his. "You know I won't be upset if you explain. So long as you aren't backtracking on our plan it's com... pletely... fucking Hell that's it isn't it." She went from sympathetic to alarmed as the look on his face said it all.
"Just listen-"
"Hiraku-"
"Just, wait!" He cried out, looking up at her. She bared her teeth to him and gave him a darkened expression. He flinched for a moment, but took a deep breath and glared straight back. They stared for what felt like an eternity to Hiraku; standing up to her always felt like the greatest ordeal ever faced.
Eventually Mirai looked up at the ceiling and sighed. She was never a fan at staring him down; standing up to him always felt like her soul was going to be torn to shreds under his gaze. Fuck it, she thought. Let's see what's going on.
"What is it?" She eventually said, exhausted from the ordeal. He relaxed a bit and laid back against the headboard, closing his eyes.
"We're leading them to conflict. We're about to escalate this to a new wave of tensions and it's likely we're going to war."
"Yes. That was the plan-"
"We're leading them to their graves." Mirai fell silent and bit her lower lip. Damn it. So he was having the same doubts she was.
"We're making a brighter future," She replied, trying to subdue his internal rebellion as well as her own. "And that requires sacrifice. We as a nation hold to the ideals of returning to peace. To Heiwa. A united nation of peace and prosperity, just as our ancestors had. We have to be prepared to sacrifice our lives for this."
"It is easy for us to say this from the safety of the palace," Hiraku noted with unease. "And I know what you've said to me. If you could fight you would. But for us to send people just a few years our junior to fight in this war we're brewing in such a fashion, it feels wrong. Hundreds of thousands will be lost not just by Kazemura but by Shimazu and Chikasu as well."
"We have to be prepared to sacrifice blood for this. You said this long ago, did you not?"
"I did but... now, I wonder... what if we tried a different approach?" Mirai looked back down at him and gave him a befuddled look. She waved her hand to continue with his thought process and he took a deep breath before obliging. "What if we tried being honest? What if we made it clear what we've been looking for?"
"Because-" Mirai stopped mid-sentence and thought for a moment. That was actually a good question. While yes there wasn't a guarantee they would just be able to get the three governments to agree, there was still a rather popular sentiment to consider the question of reunification on equal terms. In the long run, that was more than satisfying for the both of them; it was actually their ultimate goal to erase the lines of the past century and reforge a united national identity after all. And sooner or later people would find out about their true intentions because eventually they'd have to state them anyways. So, why not sooner? Why not give the concept a shot and possibly avoid so much death and despair?
"How would we do this?" Mirai asked finally. Hiraku raised an eyebrow and gave a relieved smile before beginning to answer.
"Before anything else we need to see who will be in charge in Chikasu by the end of this week," Hiraku began calmly. "After that, all the other pieces will come clear."