Description: One of Empress Honoka's Mandates was that all foreigners are to leave the Empire of Ezo immediately. There is one such gaijin, however, that the Empress has a specific interest in. She makes arrangements to have what is hopefully not a final conversation before he leaves the island.
All foreigners have been politely asked to get the heck out of Dodge. Maybe it's a demand, maybe a suggestion ... but whatever the reason, the international airport is packed to the gills with people running to and fro. It'd be hard to find... much anything, really. Luckily the ticket counters are clearly marked, and the staff have trained many long years for the off-chance they'd ever have to deal with *this* many people.
The lady at the ticket counter who'd given Zach Glen his ticket, though, reported a special note appended to his file. "Look behind you," she had said, "Do you know what that means? I don't."
Leaned against a far wall is a girl, quite different from the others about -- she's not in a hurry. And she's flinging a yo-yo around. Watching Zach Glen the whole time.
Zach peers at the ticket lady for a moment before raising a brow. "Probably means I should turn around," he says dryly before throwing a glance over his shoulder. His eyes go wide. That girl. Again. Her picture's been all over the place lately. Granted, most of those had her better dressed. The hair might have been enough to fool some, but Zach's starting to rely on physical appearances less and less these days. Her presence hasn't changed a whole hell of a lot since her... ascension? Her coup? Whatever it was, it's only somewhat assuring that coming into power hasn't changed her all that much. On the other hand, that could also be a seriously troubling thing.
Zach turns to face the girl who would be empress, a wry look on his face. "You've got this whole pauper to princess thing going," he finally says, nodding his head by way of greeting. "But I'm pretty sure that this was not at all what I had in mind, when I said what I said." The long coat is still draped over his shoulders to hide his left arm. The sword is missing, locked away in stowage for 'security concerns.' Regardless, Zach turns to squarely face the Empress, his body language just shy of confrontational.
"Perhaps you should not be so vague then," suggests a dressed-down Honoka. Her hair pulled back to keep her appearance from drawing too many angry people, her clothes far from regal in appearance, she came here for one purpose and one purpose only -- to talk to Zach before he gets out of town. He should be honored to speak to an Empress.
She seems especially pleased that Zach appears to be unarmed. She -did- just want to talk, after all. Flicking the yo-yo back to her palm, she shrugs her shoulders mildly. "But... I have to admit, you're right. Maybe I overdid it." A smug grin flashes across her face -- for just one instant, before dulling to almost a frown. "Too soon?"
Yo-yo snaps out as she drawsin a faint breath. Calculated, measured expressions. "... Listen. I'm not here to gloat. I'm here to tell you... that you made me think. You were... probably right."
Zach's eyes narrow slightly as Honoka speaks glibly about 'too soons.' He frowns slightly, shoving his right hand into his pocket. He hasn't sensed any overt threats just yet. No snipers waiting in the wings to take him down. Not too many recognizable fighting talents or armed guards readily apparent. Zach estimates that he could... probably... take Honoka down right here in front of God and everybody.
But this is not the time or the place. Even /if/ he fought her, and won, what then? Who would take her place. He pocketed his fist not to show a lack of hostile intent so much as to rein himself in.
"Right about what, exactly," Zach asks warily.
The disguised Empress notices Zach's gaze, and believes she is correct in ascertaining the meaning behind it. If Zach had followed through on his fancy of taking Honoka down, it would have had to be done in one strike -- he would not have gotten a second. She =is= prepared, despite that seeming fragility.
"Right about many things. Right about your assessment of people. Right about... your read on me." The yo-yo flashes out, and is pulled back right away. "Right that there are better ways to... reach people."
She never drops her eyes from Zach, not once. Even if he were to look down, she doesn't need to see what the yo-yo is doing -- she knows. "Unfortunately, once a wheel is set into motion..." The yo-yo snakes its way out again, dangling along its lifeline of string for an uncomfortably long silence, punctuated only by the twang as Honoka retrieves it to her palm. "It is very hard to stop."
She shares an look of regret -- possibly the first honest expression she's put on thus far. "I am sorry about all that's happened. I don't think you believe that. I don't particularly need you to. But believe me when I say this world is dying, Mr. Glen. And we... you and I, and others like us... can save it."
Zach doesn't move, doesn't pull his gaze from Honoka's. He's silent for a long moment. He has little doubts as to the girl's honesty; his abilities do not act as a good lie detector, but he suspects that Honoka is starting to realize just what she has bought in her conquest of this island nation. He takes a deep breath, centering himself.
"I knew that before I came here," he finally says in a steady tone. "But when you say 'others like us,' which... skill set are you talking about?" Zach's question seems honest enough. He's curious as to what else Honoka knows.
The young Empress pauses to consider Zach's question for a moment -- the yo-yo makes two snaps before she has an answer she's satisfied with. Levelly, she answers, "Pure. Fighting. Talent. The skills you use to not die when the world is going to hell." Used to be, whenever one asked Honoka for a self-appraisal of her skills, she intentionally downplayed herself. There's no longer any need to. "You're headed back to America, mm? Good. Do you have a plan for dealing with... him?"
"Okay," Zach says, pulling his hand out of his pocket. "Wasn't sure if you were refering to this instead," he taps a finger near his temple. Either she'll get it or she won't. "Yeah, I'm heading back to the States. Something's... going on with Metro. Related to whatever caused the storms in the first place, I'm thinking."
Then Honoka asks the pertinent question. "Mukai?" Zach says. "I fought him. Once. He handed me my ass without even breaking a sweat. /If/ I'm going to fight him, it's going to be with whoever I can get to help me. And that's assuming that I fight him at all. Dude's strong beyond belief." He regards Honoka for a moment.
"I don't know that you have time to worry about that, though. I'd put money that you aren't ready for the trouble you've bought yourself with this plan," he says. There's no taunt to it, no threat. Just an assessment of the situation at hand. "You didn't secure SouthTown, really. There's /way/ too much pure fighting talent there with a vested interest in returning things to the way that they were."
Zach isn't going to mention the mental powers thing, and neither is Honoka -- when he points to his temple, she mimics the gesture herself. Yes, she knows exactly what Zach is talking about, but as brutally honest as she's being now, she still holds some secrets close.
And for a moment, Honoka actually looks relieved to hear him mention the name Mukai. "Oh... good. I.... Sakura and I fought him as well. And... the outcome was similar. On the good side, he... respects skill and talent. This is something I have not heard from the others." Others? She continues, "Yes, there are others."
As for Zach's apparent change of topic, she... hardens. That look of relief? Poof. "I said I wasn't gloating," she reminds Zach, "and I said that wasn't exactly my plan. These are two different matters..."
And Honoka finally breaks eye contact, closing her eyes and drawing a hand to her forehead. The past few days have been long and difficult, and much as she'd rather not show weakness to Zach...
...
The weariness fades from her in an instant, as she drops her hand. "Zach... I'm not going to lie. It =is= going to be rough. And I've got my hands full with them. But you? You're the one that's going to save the world. Not me. I know that now."
Honoka looks aside for a moment placing the yo-yo back on her wrist. "I can't convince them to help you? But you're not going to beat him alone. If you want help... specific fighters in Southtown... I'll pass the messages along."
Zach heaves a sigh as he stares at Honoka, a look of concern clear on his face as he racks his brain to think of who he could grab from SouthTown. One of them, he suspects, will find him. Ayame is... annoying like that. Rust is most likely stateside already. He takes another deep breath before speaking.
"There's a youth center in SouthTown, run by some fighters. Get word to any of the staff." Not that he's all that confident word will actually /get/ to them, or that they'll act on it. Things are busy pretty much anywhere. "Tell them it's not just Metro. It has something to do with ley lines. The eruption of Mount Fuji was part of all this. I'd bet Thailand is too." He goes silent for a moment, before speaking again. He's not sure Honoka will actually /listen/, but he has to say it anyway. He's worried for the girl.
"I hope this," he waves his hand to indicate the airport, "Ends well for you. Personally." He finally looks away. "If you can, have a plan to get clear of all of this. If things go bad, I mean." Hell, for all Zach knows, the world will end before that happens. Or maybe not. This isn't Zach's first apocalypse. "This is dangerous business you're in, with /very/ dangerous people. But I think you already know that."
"Youth center," Honoka repeats. She knows the place. She looks back at Zach, the anxiety on her face beginning to still. She's heard of the ley lines as well -- something Frei had told her about. And the locations... well, the more Zach knows, the less she has to say. Quietly, in a near-whisper, she nods her head slowly. "I'll pass the message along."
As for the wish that things go well, Honoka actually stops. Blinks. Twice. "I... well. =Thank you=, Zach. I mean that." Her smile radiates with the warmth thousands of people remember her for. It was an act then... but right now?
"It'll work out. You just take care of Mukai. Don't worry about me..." she says, raising the back of her hand to her moist eyes, "... Th-the world needs you. And your friends."
She pointedly looks up at the nearest clock, before turning her gaze back to Zach, "And it needs you to catch that flight. ... Though I am sad to see you go. I am glad I got to talk to you... Zach."
Zach grins faintly at the smile. It's good to see that. He bows slightly at the waist. "Maybe I'll be back," he says pleasantly enough. "Assuming the world keeps turning. I still, I hope, have a home here. It was a gift."
Zach turns to leave, giving Honoka a two-fingered salute with his right hand. "May the wind be always at your back," Zach says with complete honesty.
Honoka nods quietly. "I'll keep it safe for you as best I can." There's some truth in that statement -- despite her bloody past, she wants to keep ... Ezo as clean as she can.
Though Zach's passing remark... brings tears to her eyes. Real ones. Memories... of a long-ago past.
"May the sun... shine upon your face," she echoes, mustering a small, honest wave. That line was easy to remember, but only because of the line Zach said, and the memory of an older, more familiar man, speaking it to her many times in the past. When traveling upon a ship, the lines between traditions and cultures tend to blur -- some ideas become universal truths. And some credoes become universally shared thoughts.
What would her father and mother think of her now?, she muses, as she brings the back of her hand back to her eyes. The not-yet-empress had a very different answer for that question just one week ago.
Log created on 23:23:59 09/24/2014 by Zach, and last modified on 09:58:09 09/25/2014.