996/Sunset Simmer

Sunset Simmer
Date of Scene:	11 January 2024
Location:	Obsidian Tower
Synopsis:	Sunbreaker has approached Beryl with an opportunity for collaboration. Project Eclipse is rising.
Cast of Characters:	Beryl, Hinoiri Kirara

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Beryl has posed:
Riventon's team was already settling nicely into Beryl Holdings, beginning to produce work that would move along her plans nicely. Those treacherous Shitennou had left behind a variety of incomplete projects, including the assets of their blasted Midnight Tokyo Project, but Beryl had pivoted. Beryl had maintained her power. She had found new minions, keen to maintain access to their new funding, their new influence. She had expanded Obsidian's mindset, turned failure into burgeoning success through arguing - correctly - that her loss of the Shitennou was actually an excellent prospect for her methods and future projects.

After all, who among the rest of Obsidian had subjourned those of the opposite side to benefit their own interests, for a period of time lasting through years and extreme interaction with the enemy?

It had been quite amusing to ask Hawkmoth how long his little akuma lasted when controlling the other side.

Now, she was moving onto even more opportunities, more chances. The Project Eclipse that Sunbreaker had presented as the fruits of her research had fascinating overlap with the Midnight Tokyo project Nephrite and Jadeite had been foundationally involved in, and those asserts were no useful to Beryl, not when she had no interest in a city in the Dusk Zone. She wished for not just a city, but a planet - Earth.

"Enter, Sunbreaker," she called idly, noting on her security feed that the consultant had arrived in her hallway.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker had been... overworking herself might be a word, if that wasn't what she did 90% of the time. But she was, burning herself at the opposite end. Her recent encounter with her roommate had... left some scars. Emotional ones. Deep ones. Agonizingly painful ones.

And these scars were festering, tearing at her heart in a way she wished, desperately, that she could ignore. Alas, life was rarely so simple.

She hadn't gone back to class since, instead opting to focus on her work with Obsidian. Easter had been keen to have access to a consultant who could do not just magic, but such a wide array of magics. Especially considering the recent... loss of a valuable, feline asset.

But she needed more than just Easter to get this project through. It required funding and resources. Now, as much as she knew this project was definitely the greatest project ANYONE in this entire organization could ever come up with, she couldn't trust the members of the board to accept it as such. After all, they were only.... well. They weren't her. But who was?

So now she needed to get the support of Beryl Holdings. On the upside, as the woman had been working with Riventon, surely she had some marginal intelligence and, having received the brief summarization of Project Eclipse, obviously she suspected Beryl wished to be in on the ground floor of the project, as well as the... rewards it would entail.

She was in her suit, flames enveloping her body, a folder tucked under her arm. She entered the office and gave a small, polite bow. "Director Beryl, a pleasure," she said, glancing back up at her. "I am appreciative that you have found the time to meet with me. I take it you've had a chance to look over my proposal?"

Beryl has posed:
"You are correct," Beryl says, contemplatively. She looks the girl over - smart business attire, flames swirling in a flex of magic that was certainly some show of power, polite tone and words - "I have read your proposal. I am intrigued by the notion of your project. What I desire now, Sunbreaker, is your rationale as to why it is Beryl Holdings that should aid you. You have primarily worked with Easter - what draws you to my area of business?"

In all likelihood, at least part of this was to do with the Midnight Tokyo project and that shell of a city she now had in the Dusk Zone. If that was the case, she was as ever in a position of power, with the ability to offer mercy if she so choose.

"What exactly do you seek to gain?"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker just gave a small, casual smile. It was just like negotiating with nobles. Even if they already knew what the agreement was, it didn't change the fact that she still had to do the whole song and dance.

"A project of this magnitude requires quite a bit of resources from Obsidian. As such, it requires multiple members of the true board of directors to approve it."

"The rewards are simple. Zones of control that the sparkle skirts will have to wrest from our hands, in a battle they are starting on the back foot. More importantly, it'll be battles they'll have to fight, as the longer we hold each territory, the more power and energy we'll be able to drain. This gives us a powerful edge."

"However, creating these zones will draw a lot of attention. Especially after the sparkle skirts know what is going on. It'll require the resources of multiple divisions in order to maintain and keep the sparkle skirts from interfering until my towers are setup."

"However, while the initial cost is large, the rewards are vast. The initial investors stand to gain first share of the energy we drain. The prototypes have already proven to be quite effective in my own battles against the sparkle skirts and, while the final variation is not yet complete, the initial testing is complete. I merely require the resources from the board's approval in order to perform the finishing touches and begin the project in ernest."

Beryl has posed:
"What will you require to establish these zones of control? What do you see as the likelihood that you will achieve even one of these zones, and how might you mitigate the odds that they are discovered?"

The details have been interesting, and the resources she has available to her are plenty, but Beryl never signs off on just anything. She wants the song and dance, the details and the design.

"I assume these resources are more than just financial investment - you could get capital from any number of mundane sources."

More energy, through a wider variety of means, would be an excellent opportunity - their great leader had been severely damaged by the loss of the Shitennou, energy washed away in the effort to maintain control over them. They needed to get more, and quickly, and varying her sources would improve her odds of success.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker hadn't... actually expected that kind of response from Beryl. She'd expected just a hint more 'destruction, rawr!' Well. Or more of the eccentricities of Doctor Tomoe. But this woman was a business woman, through and through it seemed.

"The first will likely be simple, I'll act as a distraction while it's placed up. The resources to create the towers, properly, will be required. As well as a few more tests to finetune them before it becomes active in the field."

"Frankly, they'll be detected. This won't be subtle, in the slightest. Normal people won't notice them, aside from getting weaker within the area. But sparkle skirts will be able to likely feel them from across the city."

"A constant nagging feeling that something is wrong. Something they can do little about. Best case scenario, they abandon the territory entirely. Worst case, they are forced to launch a full scale assault on them. Youma disguised as security will protect the region, keeping an eye out for any sparkle skirts who come to destroy them. When they do inevitably show up... then our forces move in."

"In a field designed, explicitely, to suppress their powers and amplify our own. Even should their numbers be large enough to overpower our defenses, the battlefield will be entirely in our favor. They'll be weakened enough that we shouldn't have much issue moving in to setup a new field."

"As I'm sure you can imagine, a project like this needs more than just intelligence. It requires manpower. But, with enough manpower? The entirety of the city can become ours."

Beryl has posed:
Beryl listens attentively, her secret recording devices taking notes. She notes that the benefits are highlighted, the risks minimized, and that one question is only partially answered... or evaded.

"And all you want from Beryl Holdings is manpower? The strength of my youma? What resources are needed for your towers, precisely? I'm not seeking your blueprints - only the raw costs."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker gave a small nod. "Indeed. Manpower and your signing off on this project." She pulled out a piece of paper from the folder and slid it over to her. "These are the resources required to create the towers. However, as part of the manpower, I'd require assistance from Riventon's team. He and La Crima have knowledge on dark energy that, in many cases, dwarves the rest of the organization. The latter of which I believe is incredibly experienced with the flora and fauna of the dusk zone."

"One of the most important aspects of this project will be ensuring that the dusk zone doesn't leak out into this world. Dusk energy is one thing. But allowing the dusk zone in would result in countless deaths and, once the people are gone, no more energy to drain."

That and, frankly, Sunbreaker didn't WANT to risk anybody dying. Not... not for this. Not by something she created.

Beryl has posed:
"Your project does present interesting opportunities," Beryl starts, looking down at Sunbreaker from her plush throne-like armchair. "You were correct to presume that Beryl Holdings would be an interested party in this process. I will offer my signature to move forward your project - and I will also allow the lease of my youma as manpower, in exchange for twenty-five percent share of the energy you receive from this project. In addition to the manpower, I will also allow you to access the materials from our former project in the Dusk Zone, including the partially built city in the Dusk Zone."

This is her first and final offer. A significant portion of the energy, yes, but she will be providing the bulk of the security forces, the man power, and the pre-built materials.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker blinked a few times. 25% share of the energy?! Sunbreaker nearly got up and left right there. How DARE this--

And then, however, there was... there was something else. "Partially built *city* in the dusk zone?"

And there were so many questions. She had to actually pause. Oh. Ohhhh that was a thing. She lifted a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. Think. Think. Thiiiiiink. Finally, she glanced up.

"I'll need to examine these resources first hand. However, assuming everything checks out and they're both useable and functional for the project? Twenty-five percent of the net energy gained from this project will go to Beryl Holdings."

"Do you have any objection to Riventon showing me the resources in question? I'll need to share some information with him on the project anyway, it'll allow us to deal with two issues in one go."

WHY WAS THERE A CITY IN THE DUSK ZONE?!!

Beryl has posed:
It was a tremendous ask. There was shock in the girl's face, gall, anger, even -

And then she visibly reconsidered. Recalculated. Held her tongue.

"Correct. A partially built city in the Dusk Zone, crafted such that it mimics the layout of a ward of Tokyo, with a variety of resources still availavble. I have no objection to your seeking additional information from him; Riventon is one of my subordinates - he has access to information about the project; advise him to search for information on Midnight Tokyo if he has yet to discover them on his own." It's clear in her tone that she would be annoyed if he hadn't.

"I will send you the coordinates. You can explore what is there at your leisure. I look forward to this partnership, Sunbreaker."