futurology | video; un: lodge (with special guest alucard)

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video; un: lodge (with special guest alucard)

[Happy Valentine's Day, Club Ophelia! Naturally, this guild is neither a club nor really in a place to pass around cute Valentine's with fantastic puns, but one could consider this a spectacular day to publicly broach a specific issue: marriage.

No, not among the various members of the lovely guild, but the Empresses themselves. Love is in the air, isn't it? Or it could be. In time.

As it is, incoming Veronica and a beautiful vampire man by the name of Alucard. Thankfully, no one will be announcing any murders here, accidental, in self-defense, or otherwise.]

Hello, Guild Ophelia! [That's Veronica. She's as chirpy and confident as ever.] Alucard and I have a proposal to make. Let's just say "proposal" is a fitting way to talk about precisely how we want to approach the rest of this mission. Some of you have already heard what I have to say about this, but I think it's fitting if we hear it from another party.

[Alucard, on the other hand, is calm and keeping his usual regal approach.] In addition, I thought it best to ensure everyone heard what we had to say. Veronica’s idea is a wise one: there will be persistent unrest with all people in both regions. If they are unable to agree to one ruler, there is no reason to not revere both as ruling parties. It would be an ideal resolution.

This could be arranged easily by marriage between both Empresses.

[Veronica is seen nodding in response to this, pleased that this is coming together.]

I know a number of you think a peace treaty might be the answer. I don't disagree, but we're here to ensure that there's a more permanent solution moving forward. The union of these two women is the best way for both of these societies to have their cake and eat it, too. Their combined resources and culture can only make them both better. And we're not left desperately trying to make Doro be the one in charge … or someone like him. We know he just doesn't suit the unique nature of this world. [One that Veronica herself is rather fond of!]

So, let's discuss team.

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As handy as those are, that's also a little dicey. It's one thing to read the minds of insurgents, it's another to manipulate people we were sent to help.

[And even then, she doesn't feel one hundred percent with getting into people's heads to solve the insurgent problem either. But that's another problem to deal with another day.]

I just think this solution has the same risks, with what we know about the empresses currently, as the peace treaty itself. This one just involves putting them in closer proximity to each other.

[ Hmm. Depending on the level of mindreading involved, Majima didn't necessarily see it as much different than the rest of their manipulations -- but maybe it would not be a good idea to bring that up since he'd rather find commonality and group consensus and questioning the very morality of their mission was Not Helpful Right Now.

Maybe later, when he'd had a couple.

For now, he'd just lay out his personal concerns, because he wasn't firmly Team Anything yet. ]

I think the most important thing is buying some time for the two sides to acclimate. Their cultures are different, they don't remember each other ever bein' there before. It's like ya dropped two angry cats in a room and left 'em to it.

If we can help set up a situation where there won't be too much fighting for a couple years, let 'em start building connections and getting used to having each other around, then that'll start becoming the new status quo.

Exactly!

[Because Zari one hundred percent agrees with that, but she doesn't think that this option is the way to do it.]

My problem is if we have these two Empresses marry, that forces them to become one empire. How is that going to allow them to get used to each other? It feels like it's just going leave those cats in the room and set it on fire.

[Okay, maybe not that dramatic, but still.]

We need to give them space. A treaty where they acknowledge each other as allies but can keep their own cultures and traditions is the best way to do that.

There's another thing that ain't sit right with me -- the balance. Nama's a newer Empress, with a bunch of advisors around her howling for blood. On the other hand, Youmi's been ruling for some years now. Looks like she's got that sovereignty on lock. Getting hitched ain't gonna change that; probably make the difference more apparent.

Either way, I think it's also important to consider the reaction of the masses. So far, most of 'em have been falling in line behind the Empresses.

But that's only gonna last so far as their lives can remain normal. If more ronin start running wild, tearing up the countryside, even the normal citizenry is gonna riot. And no amount of pretty words or agreements is going to convince them to back down if their lives and livelihoods are at risk.

[Zari nods because that's true too. The ronin aren't going to go away immediately no matter what the empresses choose.]

I think that the marriage would make that worse, rather than better. Most of the ronin have been from the Mountain Clan, and if they think that their way of life is going to be erased by a more powerful, more comfortable Empress, they're going to ramp things up, not tone them down.

They need to have their space. Two separate kingdoms, rather than one giant one.

Separate kingdoms, huh? Well, there's one place where we disagree -- long-term, at least. I know shit ain't gonna happen overnight, but I really do think Hanabira's gonna be better off if they can move towards unification eventually.

Sooner or later, even if Nama and Youmi get to be best pals, someone that picks up the mantle after them's gonna start pickin' a fight. Especially if they don't move towards each other's ways of thinkin'. This location's just too hemmed in.

I know that ain't the job right now, but I'd like to leave them with as best a chance at peace as we can help 'em towards.

[She nods because okay. That does make some kind of sense.]

That's fair. But I feel like if we let them come to this on their own, or give Nama and Youmi time to work as allies so that the people can get used to each other before they take the plunge, it'll go over better than it will by them going for it right now.

[Right now just seems like a recipe for disaster.]

They need to ... court each other a little.

That's true. We're actin' like these proposals are somethin' they wouldn't have thought of on their own. But they know their people better than anyone else.

And this is their home. Their decision to make -- not ours. Our job is to support them.

[Zari nods again.]

The best we can do is give them a good option that they can build on. I just hope we wind up choosing the right one.

[There's no glancing ahead to the future to make sure things are lining up properly. Part of her is really missing Gideon and the Waverider right now.]

Yeah. Hey, thanks -- think I needed to talk that through a little.

My name's Majima, by the way. Don't think we've ever run into each other before.

Zari. And probably not. I'm kind of new to this whole Hathaway thing.

[AKA she was not part of ALASTAIR.]

What about you?

Yeah. It's my first mission as an agent. I'm used to workin' with... less people.

[ And also less talking. And way more punching! It was a bit of an adjustment. ]

How's it treatin' you so far?

[She gives a small shrug in return.]

Could have been worse. At least the food doesn't suck.

[Zari clearly has her priorities in order.]

[ That got a brief smile. ]

Yeah, I guess. Goin' back to HQ's gonna be an adjustment, though. Spent the last two years in Sotenbori.

Never heard of it.

[Though she hasn't exactly traveled much.]

Is it on Earth?

Yeah. It's in western Japan, part of Osaka.

The whole area's famous for its food. Matter of fact, they call it 'the nation's kitchen'.

[And just like that it's added to Zari's travel list. All you have to do is promise her good food and she is there.]

Sounds like a great place to be.

Plenty to keep ya busy, too. Just don't try and take a swim in the river.

If you ever end up goin', there's a restaurant with a big moving crab on it -- Kani Douraku. Seafood place. A lotta tourists visit, but the food's great.

[And there's a raised eyebrow, as she considers for a moment, before ... no she's not just going to let that go.]

What's in the river?

[Is it a sea monster or is it just pollution?]

You know. Whatever people toss into it.

[ aka just normal garbage, this wasn't The Host or anything ]

They've been tryin' to clean it up recently, but it still ain't the best idea. All I can say is I'm glad people're finally paying more attention to the issue. Once something like that's gone, it's gone.

[She nods in agreement, because ain't that the truth.]

Water conservation has been a thing on my end of Earth too - but it's not ARGUS's biggest priority.

Ha! Ya ask me, savin' the world's a pretty big priority.

[ SEPARATE YOUR TRASH. DON'T SEND PLASTICS TO THE INCINERATOR. ]

What's ARGUS?

A black ops organization that kind of took over the government.

[She is not a fan.]

And saving the world is their priority, but they're worried about another threat.

Well, that went from 0 to 60 all of a sudden. Heard about that kinda thing happening in other countries, but modern Japan definitely ain't seen anything like that.

[ In fact, now he was left to wonder if that was why she was here... ]

[It's not, actually! Because Hathaway can't change time. So she's going to keep relying on her own resources for that for now, and focus on the Mallus problem in front of her.

Honestly, it's the bigger threat. ARGUS continuing as it is is bad, but Mallus unleashed on all of time would be worse.]

I'm from 2042, so ... I'm the kind of dystopian survivor that people used to write young adult novels about.

[She's joking but ... she's not at the same time.]

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