Match of the Millennium

Description: In the wake of all manner of disasters, not limited to mountains of paperwork and having his office cleaned without warning, Kagura is pleasantly surprised to have a visit with a subordinate that doesn't drop more problems in his lap for once.

[FRANZISKA]
The days since her unexpected induction into the Novis Orbis Librarium had been an unusually peaceful experience for Franziska. Though a great deal of suspicion had been directed her way upon learning of her ability to command the dead, she had managed to allay the concerns of the inquisitors by being both highly cooperative and extremely dishonest. Had she divulged the true nature of her existence she would have no doubt found herself in one of the many arcane prisons maintained by the NOL designed to keep the various magically inclined creatures that they protected humanity from confined. Then again, considering the actions of some of the upper management and the organization's obvious desire to exploit the power of magic knowing they had a being of ancient magical power in their midst might have made her /more/ welcome.

As it was, she had been accepted fairly easily into the lower ranks of the common soldiers. A mild sting to the pride of a woman who had commanded entire squads in the second great world war but one she accepted humbly. Franziska wanted to remain as innocous as possible, stay under the radar of those who might be powerful enough to breach the potent enchantments that kept her true appearance hidden. It would most likely have caused a stir should an outsider be given an officer's appointment.

Of course, with rank comes privelages, such as the ability to access sealed information files. It would have been far easier for her to plumb the depths of the NOL's vast library's of arcane lore with the power of rank at her fingertips. Instead, she was forced to file permits and make requests. A slow process but one that inevitably got her results. Unlike many, Franziska had little concern for the passing of time. The days that were whittled by on mundane tasks and basic research proved a far more pleasant way to pass the hours than the constant murderous horror of the Eternal Battleground that had composed her every waking moment of the past century. A low bar to exceed, certainly, but she found that even the low-level tasks to which her prodigious talents were put proved instructive in surprising ways.

However, it was when she managed to gain access to the deeper and darker secrets of the Library's repositories that she was most engaged. Despite her many years of research into the occult, she found herself constantly surprised by how little she actually knew about the intricacies of magic. People far old and wiser than her had delved into aspects of the art that she was only vaguely aware of and mastered them, opening up avenues of possibility that she hadn't even considered before her untimely entombment.

The soft click of Franziska's heels on the polished floors of the Command building echo with somewhat alarming clarity, the rapid tap-tap-tap filling a void where only silence reigned before her arrival. The vast majority of the staff seem to be absent today leaving only a skeleton crew behind to man the important stations. The most likely culprit is of course the ever-popular King of Fighters tournament. This year the NOL has fielded not one but two teams, several of whose members are among the most prominent figures in the organization. Whether this is meant to be some sort of statement or publicity stunt, she can't say, but more than a few of the NOL's garrison seems to have taken off to enjoy the spectacle.

Just as well. Fewer people to spot her means fewer people who will even be aware of her existence. She spent most of her time cloistered up in the labs and libraries precisely to avoid being noticed. If it weren't for sheer necessity, she would still be there. Unfortunately, her current research has hit a dead end - or rather, a sealed file. Normally, she would simply run it through the usual channels, waiting a few weeks if not months to get a response. However, of late her official errands have been a bit on the boring side. With work failing to provide her with any sort of meaningful stimulation, she's decided to try and cut through some of the red tape by going directly to the top.

Upon reaching her goal, a door with a fancy embossed plaque upon its surface that labeled it as the office of the local branch commander, she raps her knuckles on the surface a few times and waits a handful of seconds before entering.

At first glance, the woman that enters Kagura's office looks no different than any other NOL soldier that might come calling. The distinctive and stylish Nazi uniform has been discarded for the time being, replaced by the bright blue and whites of a Magic Formula trooper, an outfit that she wears very well. A puffy blue beret sits at a slightly askew angle atop her pale blonde hair, a veritable waterfall of sun-kissed wheat that she allows to hang freely rather than tie up into a military-style bun. She does not sport the large overcoat today, leaving her long legs exposed beneath the hem of the short skirt.

Despite her attractive figure, it is easily the soldier's face that draws the most attention, for she is a beauty of the sort that makes even the most chaste of men turn and stare in awe. She isn't quite sure if this face has always been hers. Certainly, she remembers being complimented on her features, faint hints of memory from an entire lifetime ago. But was her appearance always that of a goddess, a figure of such radiant beauty that it might legitimately be called stunning? She can't remember. Perhaps it is simply a facet of the power she has been given, a lure to draw the unwitting and unwary into her unholy embrace.

"Commander?"

The tall blonde steps a few paces into the room, closing the door behind her with a tap of her foot. She offers him a quick salute, a pleasant smile spreading across her already attractive features that almost seems to make her bright blue eyes sparkle. She speaks in a tone that is as melodic and enjoyable as her appearance, though it is heavily laden with a thick German accent.

"Private von Valken. I haf come to request your signature on a few documents of importance to ze reseach division."

A thick stack of various colored envelopes in tucked underneath her left arm and she wiggles them at him to draw attention to their presence. Most look like standard release orders but there are a few folders with dark black covers indicating a more sensitive nature to their contents.

[KAGURA]
There is a loud groan eminating from somewhere within the confines of the Commander's Office, which shines from top to bottom with an almost unnatural gleam. Where boxes upon boxes of paperwork once sat, now is empty free space with the satisfying hint of lemon lingering in the air. Obviously someone or someones decided to clean it from top to bottom, uncaring if the Commander had things in just the right place and a system to his organization.

While he has no such thing, leaving that to his trusted Assistant, it doesn't change the fact he doesn't like people going through his stuff and hiding it away in places he isn't sure of. They even managed to get rid of his secret booze reserves, replacing his whisky drawer with a water bottle drawer.

Obviously, Hibiki had a hand in this.

While Franziska may be entering the office with the looks of Aphrodite herself, the owner of the office is too busy rolling around on the floor behind his desk, bemoaning the loss of his treasures.

"They didn't need to take my nudie mags too! WHY HIBIKI, WHY MUST YOU DO THIS TO ME?! WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS SORT OF PUNISHMENT?!"

That list is extensive, well documented, and takes up at least three terabytes of data within the NOL archives. Needless to say he doesn't register the fact he is no longer alone within his office. Until his nose manages to detect something other than the lemony fragerance that permiates the room.

Sniff. Sniff.

"Floral. A hint of spice..." SNIFF SNIFF SNIFF. "Ah, a powdery and woodsy sent as well. Lacoste Pour Femme."

Slowly, but surely there is movement now from behind the desk, as the head of the commander of the Japanese branch of NOL now finally decides to show himself, with eyes as red and puffy. It's obvious he's taking the cleaning and re-organizing of his office as well as anyone would really expect....

"Sorry, what was it you're here for again?"

[FRANZISKA]
Franziska pauses upon realizing that there is no one sitting at the desk for her to salute. She frowns slightly and lowers her arm, taking a couple of steps sideways to try and get a peek behind the desk where the strange moans are coming from. The sudden weepy outbursts cause her to pause again, a look of mild surprise on her face.

"Commander...?"

Before she has time to wonder if she might need to call a medic, a man's head emerges from behind the large polished desk. Looking worn down and as if he has been sobbing, her first impression of the regional commander is not quite what she had imagined on her way to his office. Naturally, she'd heard the scuttlebutt surrounding him - womanizer, playboy, layabout, drunkard - but such things were dismissed as the gossip of idle subordinates. Having been an officer in the military herself she was well aware of the sorts of rumors that tended to make the rounds when someone became unhappy with a superior. Now she was forced to re-evaluate the validity of those claims.

"Ah, zere you are."

Brushing his appearance aside as if it were completely normal, the private offers Kagura another quick salute and a flash of her radiant smile. Once more she wiggles the arm-load of folders in his direction.

"Nothink too important, sir. Zere are just a few documents zat require your signature. Some of ze research I am conducting requires me to access a restricted file or two. I sought zat since things are slow at ze moment, I might trouble you directly instead of vaiting a month for ze paperwork to make its vay up ze chain, mm?"

More paperwork. Of course. After a moment, Franziska lowers her salute but her smile seems to grow a little more amused.

"By ze vay, I am quite impressed zat you recognized my perfume by name. Are you vell aquainted vis such things?"

[KAGURA]
Kagura rapidly climbs to his feet, deftly returning the Private's salute. Moving around the desk, he pulls out one of the chairs upon the other side of the large mahogany desk, only to motion for Franziska to sit. While every rumor about him may have a bit of truth to it, he is at least a gentleman to his core.

"Mmm. Each perfume has its own hints and tones to them. Yours just happens to be one of the most popular and expensive there is. So for me, it's easy to recognize and place. Just one of the many talents I am capable of, I suppose!"

The words are light and airy, as if he were doing his best to completely change any sort of first impression the Private may infact have of him. Another beautiful woman has entered his office. Hopefully this time he doesn't strike out again.

"I'd be glad to take a look at the requests, Private.. von Valken, correct?"

[FRANZISKA]
The change in demeanor is rapid and almost comical in a fashion. Franziska's smile blossoms into a broad grin as Kagura offers her a chair, gracefully stepping over to seat herself like someone who knows how to accept such hospitality. She grew up in an era when this sort of behavior was expected and it is refreshing to experience it once again. Modern men are far too crass and impatient for her liking.

"Vhy, thank you, commander. It is rare to see such chivalry zese days."

The private rests her pile of folders in her lap as she sits, happy to set such concerns aside for the moment. It's rare that she gets to spend much time with anyone who isn't some sort of anti-social bookworm or stuffy military sort overly concerned with protocols. It is a prison of her own devising but that only makes the rare moments where she can come out for a breath of fresh air all the more enticing.

"Indeed," she says, affirming his recollection of her name with a cordial dip of her head. "Franziska von Valken, at your service."

The manner in which she introduces herself might seem rather bizarre in this day and age. Perhaps even a little pretentious. The small stack of folders is presented to Kagura at his offer, accompanied by a faint smirk.

"Hmm hmm. I haf heard a great deal about your... talents, sir."

[KAGURA]
"I'm far certain you have."

Kagura catches on quickly when someone has interest with him, wether it be professional or of a more personnal nature. Right now, he's trying to decide just where Franziska's truly lay. Of course, as the folders are offered to him, he takes them and arranges them all out on his desk, quickly reading through each one to try and see just what she's requesting, and how sensitive it truly is.

"Hmmm.."

The laid back nature that Kagura was presenting vanishes while he continues to read over the requests. Some of the information and access requested is fairly high. Then again, it is within his rights as Commander of Operations of the Japanese Branch to decide who has access to what.

"The information you're requesting is a good deal above what someone of your rank should have access to Private. What exactly is it you're trying to accomplish with this data?"

The final folder is closed, and everything is placed back into the order it was presented. He does take the folders and move them off to the side of his desk, obviously indicating he hasn't quite finished with them yet. Now he actually takes the time to soak in the woman that is sitting before him, and boy does he like just what it is he sees. Of course, unlike most men, Kagura does infact have the will power to keep from leaping at almost any woman like a savage. (There are a couple of exceptions to this ability, but every good power does have its own Kryptonite). Composing himself once more, the Colonel smiles warmly at the woman, doing his best to return his own charm right back at her.

To him, they've now entered a new type of battle.

[FRANZISKA]
Franziska sits quietly while the commander reviews the contents of the folders. Most of them are quite mundane, requiring little more than a rubber stamp for the sake of beaurocracy. As expected, the more sensitive ones aren't quite so easy to slip past him. Fortunately, she always been a rather clever person and Kagura's reputation for being a womanizer gives her a fairly easy opening to exploit.

"Vell, I could go into ze specifics but I'm not sure how interesting ze nuances of ars theory are to someone of such importance."

Kagura would be right to consider the situation that he's now faced with a battle of sorts, though the weapons being used are far from conventional. His opponent had come out of the gate swinging, her mere presence an assault on the hormones of any red-blooded male. Her next salvo comes in the form of an age-old trick, appealing to his ego as someone too important to be bothered with the trivialities of technical details. She follows this up with another quick strike, casually lifting a hand to flip her long golden locks over one shoulder, assisted by a slight toss of her head.

"But to summarize, our department has been focused on increasing ze efficiency of ze latest ars models. I sought zat I vould brush up on ze fundamentals to ensure zat I am best prepared to assist in zis..."

The woman's voice trails off, her head tilting to the side slightly. She closes her eyes and sniffs delicately at the air, leaning steadily closer to Kagura as she does so.

"Is zat... Le Male?"

[KAGURA]
When they say that if someone wants something bad enough, they'll do whatever it takes to get it... They weren't kidding. Franziska's assault is quite effective on Kagura, who loses focus on just what exactly is going on. The words she speaks about increasing the ars efficiency are heard, however they aren't exactly registered.

Yet, once Franziska starts to move closer to the Colonel, he's almost all but gone. Until his right knee slams into the desk. It'd be obvious to Franziska that she won this round with him, but it doesn't need to be spoken. The gentleman in Kagura is ready to allow Franziska the win of the first round.

There is plenty of time for others.

"It is. It seems to be the one most people tend to enjoy, so I've made it a habit to wear. Not to heavy though, otherwise you tend to miss out on the other scents and smells around you."

The Black Knight's left hand reaches down to a drawer on his desk, only for a faint scowl to appear on his face. The drawer is closed, and another opened. This continues for a few more moments until the commander finds what he is looking for. Retreiving a rather ornate pen, he opens the first of the folders, and signs off on the request. He continues this until he reaches the final folders.

"I hesitate to sign off on these requests."

The pen is held above the papers for a few moments, until they're signed with his signature. The only difference is there is a few abbreviations next to his signature which would limit just how the information is distributed when she shows the signed forms to the Archives team.

"Sadly, by approving this I fear I've signed away any chance of seeing you again for the forseeable future, as I would have loved an evening with you without Rank or the like getting in the way..."

[FRANZISKA]
As it turns out, Franziska is a gracious winner. She offers no obvious indicator that she's aware of her win other than a faint smirk that ghosts across her gorgeous face momentarily as the commander loses focus so badly that he almost falls out of his chair. Settling back into her chair, she waits patiently while Kagura rifles his desk and then puts pen to paper. Well, that was a great deal easier than she expected. Perhaps she should lean a little harder into this unexpected discovery. Having Kagura wrapped around her finger could very well expedite her research to entirely new heights.

"Vorry not, commander. I assure you zat ze information vill be of great use to my research."

The tiny addendums that he places upon the forms do not go unnoticed. A mild irritant but one that she can deal with. After all, she has all the time in the world to learn about the things hidden away in the NOL's vast repositories of knowledge. If her first attempt is not successful, she can simply try again. A month from now, a year, a decade. It matters little. She'll just have to focus her research on another topic in the mean time should his restrictions prove too meddlesome.

Franziska's gaze remains focused on Kagura's face rather than pay any mind to the folders. As far as she shows concern, they're little more than an afterthought. The rather obvious signals she's giving off elicits an equally obvious attempt to flirt with her, much as she had expected. Time to be a little coy.

"Vhy... commander. I believe it is military policy for officers and enlisted to avoid fraternization. Such blatant flirtation is unbecoming of someone in your position."

As she casually crushes his hopes, Franziska sits up a little straighter in her chair, her chin lifting in a hint of disdain at his insinuation. That is, until she leans forward to rest her elbows on the edge of his desk, resting her chin on a bridge created between her slender fingers. Her lips part in a dazzling grin that shows off her perfectly white teeth, a faint twinkle mirrored in her eyes.

"Please, continue."

[KAGURA]
"Ah, normally, you would be correct. However, as Commander of this branch.. I am afforded some.. privledges to use at my own discression."

A casual smile is given to Franziska as he watches her turn her charm up even further. Obviously he's aware of how this game goes, yet, in the end he plans on being th victor. The spoils of war always go to the victor.

And it's well known that Women are war.

Leaning back in his chair, he sets the pen down upon his desk. The casual smile turns into a warm one, only for him to reach around for a piece of paper. Carefully, he writes upon the paper and slides it towards Franziska.

"Private von Valken, I believe you'll find the Novus Orbis Librarium to be a good deal.. more relaxed then your traditional military unit. Otherwise you'd have never gotten a chance to waltz into my office to make a personal request of me. It would have to moved up the chain."

The paper however is an entirely different story. A simple note that reads 'Nine o'clock - Eventide - VIP Lounge'

"With that said, do becareful with your research, Private von Volken. We don't want the likes of Relius Clover poking around here in my branch, and he has a tendancy to do that with anyone who seems to be a bit more clever then they generally let on."

[FRANZISKA]
"I see. From vat I hear, you must exercise zose privelages fairly frequently, mm?"

Rather than sound accusatory, Franziska's tone is playful and amused. Her eyes drift down curiously to the piece of paper as Kagura scrawls upon it. When it is pushed her way, she primly accepts it and quickly absorbs the brief sentence with a glance. Her smile fades into a smirk and she slips the invitation into a pocket.

"I am relieved to hear zat, commander. Zere are times vhen ze usual channels are razer painfully slow. It is good to know zat you are open to less formal methods of doink business."

The name Eventide means little to the anachronistic soldier. She'd had very little time to explore the town since her awakening and subsequent induction into the NOL's rank. Considering Kagura's taste in cologne and general personality it is likely to be some sort of fancy night club or bar. The prospect of going on a date in her current condition is somewhat ridiculous but at the same time she relishes the idea of having the chance to explore the nuances of modern socialite behaviors. Once upon a time she had been something of a well-known figure at the constant parties and balls hosted by the rich and famous. Wouldn't it be amusing to search for some old photos from those times. She wonders how Kagura might react to seeing an image of her from the 40's looking as young and healthy as she does now.

"Mmm." Franziska presses her lips together making a noise of assent at his warning. She has never met the famous Relius Clover but like Kagura his reputation doesn't paint the man in a particularly flattering light though for completely different reasons. A dedicated wizard obsessed with unlocking the mysteries of the universe is precisely the sort of person she has no interest in meeting - at least not while infiltrating said person's organization. Perhaps in the future they two might have things to discuss but for now she is more interested in milking the NOL for all its worth.

"Vell. I suppose I shall see you zis evenink zen, commander."

Franziska rises from her chair, offering another quick salute. She starts to go then pauses, firing one last shot from her main cannons to ensure she gets the last word in. Tilting her head back just far enough to give him a sidelong glance, her lips part in a mischeivous grin.

"Und don't vorry. I vould be quite happy to get to know you a little better. Visout my rank... or anysink else gettink in ze vay."

The private allows her words to linger in the air, marinating the atmosphere in the blatant implications behind them. Then she sashays to the door, flipping a hand through her hair so that it fans out behind her as she vanishes once more into the hallway leaving Kagura and his libido alone to discuss the possibilities for an enjoyable evening.

Log created on 00:47:03 06/10/2019 by Franziska, and last modified on 08:16:44 06/10/2019.