524/A Small Quid Pro Quo

A Small Quid Pro Quo
Date of Scene:	29 September 2023
Location:	Plot Room 5
Synopsis:	Sunbreaker's presence is requested at a coffee place, wherein she meets Master Grimm, who has a proposition to make regarding a certain axe weilding Sparkle Skirt.
Cast of Characters:	Greta Legend, Hinoiri Kirara

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Greta Legend has posed:
In the time following the incident, where Sunbreaker's work was interrupted by a group of sparkleskirts and the only net gain that came out of it was one of them getting thoroughly pulverized, the young villainess might have planned to unwind or maybe carry on her villainy? Whatever she may be doing, her routine might be interrupted by a text message on her phone.

Unknown: "Costa Coffee. 5 PM. Table by the East Entrance. - Grimm" Followed by the address of the Costa Coffee in question.

Whatever business this might be, the mundanity of the meet contrasting the with the stress of earlier in the day might give someone pause.

Should Sunbreaker arrive, she would find that the table in question is presently occupied by an older gentleman reading a newspaper, greying hair in a gray suit, clearly leaning into his age.

He hasn't tried to get Sunbreaker's attention.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker was, well.... wearing a suit. Again. It was a new suit. Because last time she'd worn a suit it had gotten blood all over it. This suit was more dark energy than material so occasionally one could gaze into it and feel the yawning void of eternity with its gaping maw, ready to--

Either way, when she arrived she adjusted her tie before... "I'm meeting with him," she said, when questioned by staff.

She moved to sit across from him, her eyes slightly narrowed. She uhhhh... wasn't particularly in the best mood. And was ready, and waiting, for another ambush. If this was that, then she'd have quite the surprise for him. But who knew? Maybe he was just impressed by her talents and now wanted her help. After all, she was the premiere mage in all of Obsidian. At least, she saw herself as such.

"You asked to speak with me?" she asked, her eyes narrowed slightly.

Greta Legend has posed:
The man looks up from his newspaper and his face breaks into a charming smile, "Ah, yes. Yes, I did. Please, make yourself comfortable." There is a distinct English accent that is quite strong, in spite of his Japanese fluency, as he closes up the paper and takes some time to fold it up and setting it on the table.
"I'm only a little surprised you went out of your way to suit up as you have... But you know how the saying goes..." He looks Sunbreaker in the eyes and smirks, "You don't dress for the job you're applying for, you dress for job you want."

He then raises his right hand which glows with a purple energy, before a circle shimmers briefly around the two of them at the table, before the man's appearance also shimmers, and his he reveals himself properly. Red eyes, greyed hair, and a black on white robe number.

"There we go..." He smirks a bit more sinisterly, before gesturing, "I've put up an illusion so that you can drop your own illusion." He narrows his eyes, "Using the power just for the suit must be a drain..."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker sighed and then ended the illusion. Soon sitting there, horn from her head, black flames enveloping her body, leather jacket of darkness. "Honestly? If I was dressed for the job I'm deserving of, I'd have wings, not be walking on two legs and wouldn't even need to worry about hands at all. But I'm flexible, so I've learned to wear the clothing that fits the role I play for now."

"Which, frankly, still annoys me. The fact I have to henshin in order to have even a fraction of my true form is ridiculous. I've been at Obsidian long enough to know that some people got to keep their true form, even if they lost a lot of their power. The fact I got turned entirely human is just stupid." Yes. She was, in fact, throwing a bit of a tantrum about it. But her hand hurt and she needed fingers to do things and she HATED fingers THEY WERE SO LAME.

"But, I've been in politics long enough to know appearances matter and it costs little to hear someone out, and often pays quite well. So how can I help you?"

Greta Legend has posed:
"While I cannot say I relate, precisely, you have my sympathies, as the twists of fate are most unkind..." The man replies, finally getting a closer look at Sunbreaker and tapping on his chin with a finger scratching his five o-clock shadow. "But you've fared better than many who have had given into despair over their situation."

A pause as his thought drifts elsewhere, before he shakes his head, "But I believe I've been quite rude in not introducing myself." He gives a slight but flourished bow from his sitting position, "I am Master Grimm... Just 'Grimm' if you must be informal."

He then straightens up, and states, "Now, to business... I've been largely keeping busy with my own projects, you see, gathering the requisite energies for your spells can be time consuming, as you can attest..." He gestures to Sunbreaker's hand to make a point. "But since my return to Japan some months back, my work has been... Disrupted."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker gave a small shrug. "I wouldn't have gotten to where I am now if I'd ever let a little thing like this stop me from working towards what I am destined for," Sunbreaker said without a hint of doubt to her tone. After all, she was incredible. In her mind.

"Grimm, huh? Like the fairy tales in this world?" she asked. "Any relation?" Namely, she wondered if he was a descendant of the creators or something.

She couldn't help but nod along as he mentioned how exhausting gathering energy could be. "Ugh, tell me about it. You constantly have to spend all this time and energy finding a way to gather it, then have some sparkle skirt show up and mess with it, making you spend half the energy you've gathered trying to deal with them, then use that energy to... ugh. It's just an endless treadmill of annoyance. I take it there's some sparkle skirt in particular who keeps putting her nose in your business?"

Greta Legend has posed:
Grimm chuckles in response, "So you've read up a little of our literature. I appreciate more that you understood the reference than anything else." He then sighs, and shakes his head, "Ah, but no, no relation, but I admit that there was a fair bit of inspiration to be had in my aesthtic."

The man does nod at Sunbreaker's assessment of his situation, although he does squint a little, "'Sparkle Skirt'? Is that what the kids are calling them these days? I mean, it's not innaccurate, but it lacks the gravitas of 'Magical Warrior'." Showing his age, but not dwelling on the matter.

He leans back and draws out a hand mirror that he places on the table, before casting a spell to display in the reflection someone that Sunbreaker has gotten to know.

The blonde girl in the red mask and cape, with the Intelligent device. "I've taken to calling her 'Red Riding Hood', per the story... She appeared and started cutting into my Wolves whenever I set them loose. I realise that she's got one of those Devices, and I intend to consult Riventon about that, but as it stands, I've been keeping an eye out for her and... Well... There's a reason I called for you first."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker gave a small nod. "I figure I'm going to be here a while, ascending to the state of an alicorn takes time, especially when you're stuck in a body like this one. I've always found research to be an incredibly valuable use of my time."

She blinked a few times at his comment, before nodding. "True. Magical warrior does have more gravitas, but I find sparkle skirt slides off the tongue easier and makes it pretty clear. Us on this side of the field, as it were, tend to not sparkle. And I've been sparkled at a lot."

She reached out a finger to grip the edge of the mirror and slide it closer. Blinking a few times, she hummed. "She's... oh. OH! I remember her. Axe girl. I don't think she ever gave me her name. Not the smartest one around, brave at least. Reeeeeeeally reckless, likes to charge in. Might actually be kind of dangerous to some of us if she went about it a little smarter. But then, most people would be better at their jobs if they didn't do it in a stupid manner," she said with a chuckle. "She's the one giving you trouble?"

Little red riding hood, huh. A shame she was on that side. Even if she was dismissive... well... Sunbreaker had been on the receiving end of that axe recently. It was DANGEROUS and keeping her out of range really was the best option against someone that fierce.

Greta Legend has posed:
Grimm actually pauses a moment, "Huh... I had assumed you were a dragon... My apologies. Still, I can't imagine being polymorphed into an unfamiliar form was pleasant."

The man proceeds to cast again to change the image in the mirror, showing off images of distorted, bipedal wolf-like creatures, and the axe-girl fighting them. "Frustratingly yes she is. You have to understand, I am more of a project manager than a field work sort. I haven't had to get my hands dirty for nearly two decades, and now this girl is cutting my wolves down like the Huntsman does."

He places his palm into his face. "I did not endure twenty years of middle managers just to get my project off the ground, only to have it crashing and burning upon contact with the first Magical Warrior to come into contact with it."

He takes a breath, "So here's my proposition. I lend you my Wolves, as well as a few new beasts I've finished designing, to help you do your work... In return, you assist my beasts on their hunt for Pure Heart Energy. It wouldn't be constant, but a few hearts a week will help my quota."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker blinked and then slooooowly looked up at her horn. "I... get that a lot." No. No she didn't. "I'm a unicorn, by the way. Eventually I'll become an alicorn. It's been an experience. Fingers are weird. So very, very weird." She still didn't like them.

"Really? Prefer to delegate your work out?" she asked. She... really didn't get that, but fine. Getting her hands dirty was half the fun of doing this work. She was able to experiment and learn and test things.

"So, what exactly are you trying to do that she keeps cutting all your work down?" she asked. "And... pure hearts? Like, the whole hearts themselves, or just drain from a few hearts? And how pure we talking? Because I've mostly been doing the 'energy drain from everyone' thing and I haven't really been measuring how pure any of their hearts are."

Still... using his resources, the wolves, to help her get energy for herself... it didn't sound like the worst idea. Save her the expenses...

Greta Legend has posed:
"If you're good at your job, you'll be assigned all the work. If you're -really- good, you will get out of it." Grimm recites as though a personal mantra, before shrugging, "Be it as it may, we're all doing a little work for Father Obsidian in the long run, so take of that what you will."

At the question his project, he raises a hand, "This work of mine is personal. We'll leave it at that." Before thinking on how to explain, "It is of course figurative rather than literal, but the principle is fairly straight forward. The pure hearts, those who have managed to avoid getting trodden down by the cruel world. That energy is quite potent...

He then shakes his head again, "Don't think of it as a percentage, since one hundred percent only exists in only the most naive and innocent... And we're not monsters, I should think."

He then glances down, and gestures, "I dare argue that if you drained a single one, your hand would be mended already.."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker nodded. "And if you're truly exceptional, one day you'll run it all on the throne," Sunbreaker said with all the humbleness one could expect of her. "Yeah, that big boss. Never met him myself, doubt I ever will." Who meets the CEO, anyway?

The comment on the work being personal made her cock an eye, but she let it slide. To each their own, he supposed. "I see. They sound potent. I'll keep that in mind. I'll see what I can do."

She eyed the mirror before giving a small smile. "Do you think this Red Riding Hood has a pure heart? Hoping to drain her? Or is she more the 'keeps getting in the way of all my plans!' sort?"

She did rub her hand, though. Considering.... enough power to fix her hand right up? THAT was tempting...

Greta Legend has posed:
The man's attention is drawn back to the images in the mirror and he reaches up to scratch his chin through his five o'clock shadow once more, before stating. "I don't know... Obviously she's kept getting my way. There are also good odds that she has a pure heart, or at least pure enough energy. Magical Warriors have to have at least some to awaken... At least that is my understanding..."

He taps his chin and mutters, "There's something familiar about her that I just can't put my finger on... The damned Veil at work, or I'd have cut out the middle-man."

He then returns his attention to Sunbreaker and asks, "So. How about it? The Wolves are still Youma, of course, but I don't see the point in changing how the work every week when their function as hunters is consistent."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker gave a small nod. "I see. Maybe, a pure heart shouldn't be that pivotal though. Then again, maybe it's because of the dark energy. Eh, who cares?" she asked with a shrug.

However, the mention that she was familiar... that made her chuckle. "Yeah. The veil's annoying. I get those feelings alllll the time. It's useful knowing that nobody can know my civilian identity, but really obnoxious when I meet someone and I can't be sure if I've met them before. So, if you knew who she was, you'd try and finish it off in one grand burst, wolves against axe? You sure that'd be wise, considering how much of your work she's been trashing already?" she asked in an almost playful, teasing tone.

Still... she reached down and nudged his mirror towards it. "I think, for now, we have a deal. I use your youma, you get my expertise, we split the reward. Seems fair enough. Nice working with you, Grimm."

Greta Legend has posed:
Grimm allows himself another chuckle, "Quantity is a quality unto it's own... Though be it as it may, I'm going to need to diversify... I think an arial youma to compliment the ground based wolf would be a good call... Do You think a raven, perhaps?"

At the agreement, he extends his hand to shake, pointedly the one to match Sunbreaker's unhurt hand. "A pleasure, Sunbreaker."

It's at around this point that there's a buzzing sound that cuts in, at which Grimm reaches into his robe and pulls out a Mobile phone, which cuts into the whole magician aesthetic he's got going, and he looks at the name.

"I'm going to have to take this, it's my daughter. Better glamour up..."

His free haand waving and recasting the illusion of himself in the suit, and he pointedly gives Sunbreaker enough time to do the same, before he clicks his fingers and drops the illusion surrounding them.

Then he taps to answer the phone. "Hello... Hi Greta..." A cold facade forming as he speaks to the person on the other side.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker gave a small nod. "Aerial isn't bad, but everyone does it. Perhaps a mole, nobody expects things from underground. Huh. Maybe I should make a tatzlewurm," she mumbled softly.

A hand shaking and... well... business was done, at least. She once more had the tuxedo on. Easy enough. And hey, she even ordered a drink while he took that.

She gave a light snicker at that face. Ahhhhh. Another member of best parents anonymous. Soooo happy she didn't have those. Still, now it was just the paperwork part and working out the finer details... she could wait a little bit.