Post by Alina Rybalka on Apr 4, 2021 16:24:13 GMT -5
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[break][attr="class","nikki101"]WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT VIOLENCE BREEDS VIOLENCE
[break][attr="class","nikki102"]BUT IN THE END, IT HAS TO BE THIS WAY
[attr="class","nikki109"]The bandit threat was ended and the major Grimm were dead, which only left the remnants and some bandits that very arguably didn’t need to be battled at all. There was no practical reason why the glut of Haven trainees along with the scattered other aura unlocked individuals around couldn’t finish the job to a decent level unless they started inventing problems all on their own – starting fires to put out for the glory. [break][break]
Ultimately, though, it wasn’t her problem. It was impossible to say that the Kozaks did nothing, and they’d get paid either way. If someone else wanted to erase the work done and make a tragedy with themselves as the star yet again, then Alina wouldn’t be involved. Some of the bystanders panicked when the car rolled up, but they were so jumpy they panicked at the wind blowing. Again, not her problem. [break][break]
A good chunk of the Kozak armored vehicles were just repurposed beater cars who were upgraded internally but not externally, allowing them to look pretty worthless on the outside and still provide outsized protection for its size with only a moderate increase in weight. Speed was never the issue, frankly, especially in the Ground District where there were many roads that were, in a word, fucking terrible. [break][break]
”In you go.” she’d say as the car pulled up, opening the door for the blonde to get in first. A glance back to verify nothing was going horribly wrong, and Alina got into the backseat of the vehicle next. She let go of the former bandit leader’s hand so getting in would be easier, but quickly grabbed it again once she sat down so that there was the threat of a burst of flame immediately melting off that hand was still present. [break][break]
”Guard post at the intersection of Green and Indigo.” she’d order the driver, ”Don’t rush, people are jumpy as shit right now. No need to cause alarm or get shot at.” [break][break]
Turning to the blonde, Alina was able to speak way more freely than before on account of the near soundproofing that was done on the Kozak vehicles. Nobody outside would hear, and the driver – like all of those selected as drivers – she’d trust to not say a damn word. She leaned forward in her seat and extended her free left hand and was handed a burlap bag which she promptly placed over the blonde’s head to block her vision of where they were going. The wolf faunus then leaned in close and spoke in a low voice. [break][break]
”Alright, so this is how it’s going to work. We’re going to go to the nicest of three options, and we’ll work our way down if I’m not satisfied with the responses I’m getting. We can begin and end at the nicest option if you’re cooperative, and at the end of this you get to walk because I think you’re interesting. I have no interest in harming anyone who proves themselves to be useful to me, now or in the future – and for now I think you could be both. As long as I still think that, you’ll be given a way out with everything that happened today being water under the bridge. If I’m in a really good mood I might even be willing to pay visits to any of your former subordinates who try to slander your good name and make them recant their delusions about what they may have seen today. People throw others under the bus and say the most outrageous lies to try and get their sentences reduced sometimes, and I understand that.” [break][break]
She didn’t mention what happened at the other two options, but in situations like this she felt like she didn’t need to. The power disparity between them was high enough that anything the blonde could imagine would likely be much worse than the reality, and that imagined terror of what might come if she wasn’t helpful would ideally spur her into becoming extremely helpful once they got to the destination. With any luck, the entire process would be over and done with in a few hours rather than the few days it might take for extremely uncooperative… guests.
[break]Ultimately, though, it wasn’t her problem. It was impossible to say that the Kozaks did nothing, and they’d get paid either way. If someone else wanted to erase the work done and make a tragedy with themselves as the star yet again, then Alina wouldn’t be involved. Some of the bystanders panicked when the car rolled up, but they were so jumpy they panicked at the wind blowing. Again, not her problem. [break][break]
A good chunk of the Kozak armored vehicles were just repurposed beater cars who were upgraded internally but not externally, allowing them to look pretty worthless on the outside and still provide outsized protection for its size with only a moderate increase in weight. Speed was never the issue, frankly, especially in the Ground District where there were many roads that were, in a word, fucking terrible. [break][break]
”In you go.” she’d say as the car pulled up, opening the door for the blonde to get in first. A glance back to verify nothing was going horribly wrong, and Alina got into the backseat of the vehicle next. She let go of the former bandit leader’s hand so getting in would be easier, but quickly grabbed it again once she sat down so that there was the threat of a burst of flame immediately melting off that hand was still present. [break][break]
”Guard post at the intersection of Green and Indigo.” she’d order the driver, ”Don’t rush, people are jumpy as shit right now. No need to cause alarm or get shot at.” [break][break]
Turning to the blonde, Alina was able to speak way more freely than before on account of the near soundproofing that was done on the Kozak vehicles. Nobody outside would hear, and the driver – like all of those selected as drivers – she’d trust to not say a damn word. She leaned forward in her seat and extended her free left hand and was handed a burlap bag which she promptly placed over the blonde’s head to block her vision of where they were going. The wolf faunus then leaned in close and spoke in a low voice. [break][break]
”Alright, so this is how it’s going to work. We’re going to go to the nicest of three options, and we’ll work our way down if I’m not satisfied with the responses I’m getting. We can begin and end at the nicest option if you’re cooperative, and at the end of this you get to walk because I think you’re interesting. I have no interest in harming anyone who proves themselves to be useful to me, now or in the future – and for now I think you could be both. As long as I still think that, you’ll be given a way out with everything that happened today being water under the bridge. If I’m in a really good mood I might even be willing to pay visits to any of your former subordinates who try to slander your good name and make them recant their delusions about what they may have seen today. People throw others under the bus and say the most outrageous lies to try and get their sentences reduced sometimes, and I understand that.” [break][break]
She didn’t mention what happened at the other two options, but in situations like this she felt like she didn’t need to. The power disparity between them was high enough that anything the blonde could imagine would likely be much worse than the reality, and that imagined terror of what might come if she wasn’t helpful would ideally spur her into becoming extremely helpful once they got to the destination. With any luck, the entire process would be over and done with in a few hours rather than the few days it might take for extremely uncooperative… guests.
[attr="class","nikki103"]704 words | [attr="class","nikki103"]KERCH KOZAKS | [attr="class","nikki103"]8120 TOTAL WORDS |
NOTES
A Semblance, D Weapons, B Dust Enhancement, C Durability, B Agility, C Martial Arts, D Stamina, D ExhaustionPHARAOH LEAP CREATES
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