(The first true, physical, in person meeting of
KOgama's two members as well as a business offer to the group by Tamahagane Corporation's Chief of Advertisement Osamu as representative of Taichimora Entertainment Technologies.)
Akemi sat on a quiet park bench a short distance away from the local Taichimora Entertainment office. The spot was close to the sidewalk and in plain view of those passing by. She wore a modest, frilly, white sundress adorned with pale pink and white flowers, each distinct and intricate in design, as well as a pair of dainty, light pink dress flats. As she waited for Mio, she looked upwards and scanned the area for her face, eager to get up and greet her with a smile as soon as she was in sight.
Mio came along just a moment later, carrying a wide, strapped blue leather bag over her shoulder as she made her way down the sidewalk. She kept her circle-lensed sunglasses over her eyes and kept her straw cowboy hat tucked onto her head — not to avoid the sun, but the damned heat. She liked Kyoto's wet weather, and knew how to tan in limited sun. Here, in New Kyoto, it was humid. Sticky. Miserable. She wanted to pant, but kept her mouth shut and her legs moving.
The metal musician had wrapped around her waist a perforated blue leather skirt that touched her knees; a light blue one-piece bathing suit that had frills coming from the straps to coat the shoulders; strappy black-and-white soft-soled sandals; and a very fuck-you attitude from cheek dimples to her stiff stride.
Until she saw Akemi. Then her face broke into a big smile, and she waved as she floated over to her bandmate and dropped her bag, arms outstretched.
"Kemi-chan!"
"Mio-chan!" Akemi exclaimed with equal enthusiasm and a radiant smile. She shot up from her seat and ran towards her friend. She quickly wrapped her arms fast around her waist and turned her head sideways as she momentarily pressed it right up against her ample bosom. After snuggling a bit, she withdrew a little with her arms still locked around the woman and looked up at her with a supremely relaxed expression. "It's so good to finally meet you in person!"
"Mm!" Mio confirmed, her sunglasses partially hiding the blushlines over her cheeks. "Same here, Kemi-chan." The Neko had hugged her so nicely, Mio thought, and she hugged the girl back in the same way, arms encircling her neck. She got to feel just how soft her bandmate's hair was, and how it captured warmth so well from the sun. And her red eyes were so intense! Mio realized she was not going to keep herself in check very well.
The same thought occurred to Akemi. The feel of Mio's hot body really turned her on. She loved how firm and tender it was. Showing it off with that swimsuit was dangerous. "You're
so incredibly sexy," the diminutive neko said, nearly moaning. She felt like moving her hands a little lower, but instead she simply loosened her grasp and waited to see what the tall, tanned beauty would do. Whatever the case, after their meeting, she definitely wasn't going to hold back.
Mio's glasses hid her eyes going wide at the statement. She felt that for her size, Akemi was very, very forward! Maybe it was something else, but Mio didn't feel prepared. She tried to catch up. "You're gorgeous as well, Kemi-chan! So elegant and perfect in the sunshine of this place." Mio was self-conscious all of the sudden, adjusting her bag some to hide herself, but to very little avail.
Noticing Mio's fluster, Akemi swiftly withdrew her arms and took a step back. She was pleased to see the older neko had some hesitation towards starting things right then and there, partly because they first had to get some business done and partly because of how cute it was. "But unlike me you just ooze confidence. I love it." She turned and began to walk down the street towards the office building.
Perhaps to Akemi's surprise — certainly to Mio's — the leather-clad Neko rushed to hook her arms around one of Akemi's, smiling like a girl clinging to her new boyfriend, but with a dash of spice to her expression, along with her strut. "That's because they're going to love us. We're going to land this deal, and we'll finally be together when we perform, live, in front of everyone! I can't wait to feel the energy of the crowds."
This, is amazing, Akemi thought. She had had so little intimate, physical contact throughout her short life that she was loving every moment of being with Mio. She was always so polite and reserved, but now she felt like she could say anything. Now she was with someone who said and did whatever she wanted, who was always just being herself and wanting others to do the same. What a delightful and refreshing free spirit she had. Today was great and it was only going to get better.
As she walked with her sweet, raven-haired friend, she leaned her head against her shoulder and slowed her pace. "All I really want is you," she said. Oh sure, those words sounded ridiculously corny, but they were so true right now.
The words stuck in Mio's ears.
Her? She just wanted her? Mio admitted to herself that she wanted Akemi. Wanted her a lot, because as a SANDRA anchor, her private life always was under such scrutiny. Now she was a metal musician, a rocker girl, a virtual — soon to be real — idol!
She squeezed Akemi's arm. "I'm already yours," she said, as she watched people walk by them in the other direction, some smiling, others staring at the oddly matched pair. It was all going so fast, but Mio was determined to keep up.
Akemi reached across with her free arm and squeezed back, holding Mio's forearm. "It feels terrific hearing you say that." She paused for a moment. "I feel like I should really start up some kind of regular conversation, but I don't know what to say." The soldier was beginning to feel awkward about this.
"We're not regular people," Mio said with a triumphant grin. "We're idols! We don't have regular conversations, but every other kind you can have." That much she believed. Mio saw herself and Akemi as people who brought not just joy, but change to people's lives. What was regular about that?
Nothing, she thought.
"So the things we do, they stretch what regular people can imagine doing. Even when we hardly do anything at all."
Akemi couldn't resist trying a little humor after Mio had said such grand words. "So, you can't think of anything either," she said dryly. "Well, that's a relief." She of course knew how special they were to some people, but she didn't think much of that. "I'm plenty fine with just enjoying the moment." She began to lightly rub her head against the woman's shoulder.
Mio giggled at the joke. It was true. Her time as an anchor helped her learn the gift of gab, but with the warm Neko rubbing her head against her shoulder, she didn't know what more to say, either. So she bent her head over and kissed Akemi's head.
"It's a really nice moment," she then said quietly, just above the din.
"Are you trying to make me swoon?" Akemi said with mock suspicion, looking straight up into her partner's eyes. Kissing someone in such a way seemed highly out of character for her. Hugging someone's arm even moreso. This sweetness was so different from how she usually was, at least on stage, but it was wonderful.
"If I do, that means I'll have to carry you to bed," Mio said. She wanted to be bold too. "And I want you to be awake for that!"
Akemi wouldn't be outdone. "I'd actually prefer to be the one doing the carrying, among other things..."
Mio's cheeks heated up again. "Kemi-chan!" The thought of Akemi in charge diffused her focus and pitched her into a heady daydream that lasted a nanosecond — a long time for a Neko mind. She used one of her hands to rub her cheek. "You say I am terrible, then say something like that." She wanted to say "say more," but her tone carried the implicit message.
Akemi resumed leaning on Mio's shoulder. "I never said you were terrible. That was just my way of saying I'm really enjoying this. You can be as forward as you want with me. I'm just glad you feel as I do."
"Kemi-chan," Mio started, then stopped. She seemed to think on it for a moment, then squeezed Akemi's arm. "I like it when you're terrible."
She thought that was clear, but Mio wanted to say more. "I don't know what it is, but you being that forward with me makes me feel right. Like I'm in the right place. So keep being forward. We're just meeting, but already I feel something intense ... I want it to stay."
"That's exactly how I feel," Akemi said, her voice sincere. She paused before continuing. "So," she said, suddenly sounding mischievous, "you like it when I'm terrible?" A grin began to creep across her face and the arm Mio was holding started to move discreetly. "Then I'm going to be the worst." She punctuated the end of the sentence by giving Mio's bottom a hard squeeze.
Mio's face turned as red as the iron on a cooking range. She felt each finger of Akemi's hand squeeze into the soft flesh of her bottom, easily felt through leather skirt and thin swimsuit. She made a choked yipping sound, using her arms to cover her chest while her hands covered her mouth. No one seemed to be looking at them, but suddenly Mio felt like everyone was just staring at her!
Akemi, though, could see that her bandmate was aroused like no one's business. Mio's breathing picked up a bit before she forcefully slowed it down. She smiled, but her lips were in a disjointed, nervous shape.
"I," she started. "I lo — lo! — love! your worst."
Osamu was watching the technicians working on the latest project that the Clan and their Entertainment division had been working on.
It is quite an honor that the Shuhan has entrusted me with this new business venture. He has a good eye for potential, and this music group has plenty of it. Using them as spokespersons would be good, but we can make a much bigger splash if we time their first major peformance with the VCE project coming online. she thought.
The jumper clad technicans were testing the system again as they interfaced the unit with
SYNC. If everything went as planned, the program would go online in 48 hours. She turned from watching the technicians who were far too dressed to make it enjoyable. Besides she had work to do, so she headed for her office.
Once in her temporary office, she entered her personal code into the terminal and accessed SYNC. She pulled up all the data the corporation had been able to acquire on the two members of KOgama. She needed to evaluate and plan the best strategy for all concerned.
Akemi too, was certainly very aroused, but she wasn't the least bit embarrassed. This was her time. She didn't care if anyone did stare. She wasn't going to let the prying eyes of strangers ruin her fun. However, anything more would need to wait. She slowly unclenched and withdrew her hand, sliding it across Mio's body as she did so. "Of course you do," she said, clearly very pleased with herself.
"Well, we're here," she announced a moment later as she stopped and looked up at the TET office building, taking a moment to take it all in and let Mio calm down.
The hand across her body threatened to leave Mio a quivering little mess, but she summed up her rocker persona and corrected what Akemi had threatened to rip down. The problem, Mio thought, was that she
wanted it ripped down, thrown aside and ignored by her bandmate.
Later, Mio vowed.
No boundaries with her are needed, including this one.
When she looked at Akemi again, she had on that flat expression, which threatened to break into a silent snarl at any second she was pissed off. Her stance got stiff, with a hand on one hip and her other arm hanging straight at her side. Flippant, punkish, perpetually pissed. Mio was in-character and ready.
"When we get to our room, will you give me your worst again?" she sent. It was a big step — she normally didn't send to anyone but staff on assignments.
"Absolutely. I'll give you the best of my very worst." Naturally, Akemi's entire encounter with Mio today was just one big step after another, but she was taking them all in stride.
Outside, Mio showed no reaction as they stepped in the building. Inside ... well, Mio would just have to watch herself.
The building in front of the two was a rather plain looking structure. It was three stories tall, the exterior was a combination of glass and steel. The Coporate Logo did not fit with the structure which appeared to be several years old. However, the grounds around the building were immaculate and most of the shrubs had been shaped into topiaries.
Inside the building was significantly cooler, as they stepped into the reception area. Either side of the doorway was a marble slab that had the names of the various holdings of the corporation attached in bronze. The reception room was a geodesic dome, on the left was a small water feature with water cascading down a number of stones into a pool where brightly colored fish swam. The sides of the pool were transparent to afford a view of the pool from anywhere in the room.
Directly opposite of the entrance was a wooden desk with two women and a man working at each station. A young man standing near the entrance approached, he was wearing dark brown pants, a white shirt with the TCSF patch on the right breast. He smiled at the two lovely ladies before him.
"Good day ladies. Welcome to Tamahagane Corporation. I need to ask you a couple of questions. Are either of you carrying a weapon, or a recording device?" he asked in a friendly Tenor voice.
Akemi smiled pleasantly at the man and responded in an equally agreeable tone. "Good day to you sir. I'm only carrying my service pistol and communicator. You'd like to hold onto them for me, right? One moment please." The soldier casually bent down and slipped her hand under her dress to retrieve her NSP from its thigh holster. She rose, ejected the battery from the gun and held it out to the security guard. She took her communicator from her pocket and did the same.
"Actually ma'am, that won't be necessary. We understand that soldiers need to stay armed. We just need to register the weapon, and ask that you turn off any devices capable of recording. There are a number of products being researched here, and its our standard security protocol." he replied.
"Oh, well that's convenient. No problem." Akemi turned off her Type 29 Communicator, reloaded her gun and put both away.
"I don't have any weapons or recorders," Mio said. She was happy to leave the recorders behind, and she wasn't a fan of weapons — she let her fists and feet and elbows and knees do the fighting.
"Thank you, if you will speak to the receptionists, they will assist you further. Have a nice day ladies." he said motioning to the counter before them.
"Thank you." Akemi quickly walked up the counter and approached one of the women. "Excuse me, I'm Koga Akemi and this is Ogama Mio, we were wondering if Tamahagane Osamu would be willing to see us." She motioned to Mio with her hand when she said her name.
The lady looked up at Akemi through a pair of Uno Sunglasses. Her raven black hair framed her face, she was wearing a white blouse with the corporate logo on the right. Akemi could see some data scroll across the left lens.
"Yes, ladies, she is expecting you. If you will kindly follow me I will take you to her." The Yamataian woman came out from behind the counter. She was wearing a black pencil skirt and black heels. She walked over to one of the wall panels and as she approached it split down the middle and retracted showing an elevator. She pressed the button to call the elevator. She looked at the two visitors, "You will have to excuse the room, we are renting this facility until our Kinshitsu Facility is complete." she said with a smile.
"Of course," Mio said, trying to be understanding. "We're glad to be here at all."
"Indeed," Akemi said simply.
"I do not know who designed it, but they have a peculiar sense of interior design." she answered, a moment later the chime for the elevator sounded and the doors opened.
"It's more than nice enough for me." Akemi stepped right in and made space for the others.
Mio slipped into the elevator after Akemi and the woman. "It's dymanic! A company like TC should be presented that way, yes?"
"There is dymanic, but there is eccentric as well. There are some parts of this building that you can only get to by some rather strange routes. As for the elevator... well I hope you enjoy art." she said stepping into the lift.
The most noticeable thing about the elevator was that the walls were all transparent, and there was impressionistic artwork painted on the shaft interior.
"I do." Akemi said. She made an honest effort to try to appreciate the images as they went by.
As the elevator ascended it rotated to provide a view of the various images along the way. The lift carried them to the third floor of the building. With the door stopping facing 90 degrees from the position it was in when they entered. The doors slid open revealing a pristine corridor. The floor was marble white with gold flecks. The walls were highly polished chrome. Their guide stepped into the hallway and waited for her charges. "Please be careful their is a flucuation in the floor that our technicians have been trying to isolate. Part way down there is a one meter pocket of zero gravity. Short of ripping up the flooring and opening the panels there doesn't seem to be a way to get to the equipment. We were told it was to keep an ornamental sculpture floating." She started walking down the hallway to the door at the end. She glided through the zero g point and resumed her graceful walk without incident. Once she reached the end she pressed on the earbud she had.
She nodded her head in response to a silent query, then pressed the button. "Tamahagane Osamu is ready to meet you." She said pressing the door control.
Standing in the center of an executive style office was Osamu. Her auburn hair pulled back in a tight bun, wearing a teal blouse, and a black skirt. "Please come in ladies. I have been looking forward to meeting with you." she said beckoning to the two.
Akemi gracefully stepped forward and smiled. She bowed in greeting. "As have we ma'am. We're honored to be here."
The room had a polished dark wood floor, and the walls were paneled in a lighter wood. There were no windows to the room, but a volumetric display illuminated one with a virtual fishtank. There were two large leather upholstered couches set up along the left wall. Her desk was behind her and two leather chairs were position in front of the desk. On the right side of the room there was a cupboard that was obviously a wet bar.
Mio was a little captured by it all. Captivated too, but captured was accurate because she was lagging behind and not paying attention. By the time she did, she lifted up her sunglasses on her forehead, fully revealing her blush, and then quickly bowed, causing the glasses to spill off her head. She took several seconds to collect them off the ground, clattering all the while, and smiled at Osamu.
"W-wonderful place you have here," she said, trying to resummon her persona.
Osamu smiled politely at the obviously embarrassed young woman but chose to say nothing about her little mishap. "Would either of you like something to drink. This planet is so steamy compared to homeworld. I have to keep a fresh set of clothes here in the office to change into when I walk from my car to the building. I can offer you some chilled water, coffee, tea, juices. It's a bit early for me, but if you like there are spirits available as well."
Mio's eyes flicked to Akemi, then back to Osamu. In a quiet voice, she asked, "Rice milk, please?"
"I'll have a glass of water please," Akemi replied.
Osamu walked around to her chair, pressed a button on the desk, "Yumi, please bring the following items for our guests, a glass of ice water with a pitcher, a glass of rice milk, and my mid day tea."
She sat in the her chair and sized up the two ladies before her while waiting to see where they would choose to sit.
Mio smiled and tipped herself just enough to make a respectful bow without losing her sunglasses again, which had returned to her head. She took one of the seats in front of the desk, wanting to be polite. ... Even if the couches looked nice.
Akemi also bowed to be just as polite and chose the other chair.
A moment later a young woman, entered carrying a tray. She was wearing an outfit similar to Osamu's but her blouse was pink. She gave her boss her cup of tea, and brought the tray between Akemi and Mio and let it float there with their drinks. "I hope you enjoy your refreshments," she said before leaving.
Osamu took a brief sip of her tea, then looked at the two before her. "Let me begin. When the Shuhan initially contacted you it was to discuss the idea of using you and your story as part of an ad campaign. Once he turned the matter over to me, as Chief of Advertisement, I think we can do something much better for all concerned."
"What did you have in mind?" Mio asked, sipping her rice milk and briefly smiling. It was cold. So very cold, and sweet.
"I am proposing that Taichimora Entertainment Technologies, offer you folks a contract. We will promote your musical endeavors, and you will be the spokespersons for TET. We arrange for concerts, distribution of your music, and appearances when possible. Obviously we will have to work around your military commitment, but with our new project, that should not be a problem. In fact I think we can leverage the roll out to time with the announcement. Does this sound like something you two would be interested in?" she inquired before giving more details.
"Absolutely," Akemi said firmly without hesitation. "That sounds wonderful." She had a question on her mind, but she would wait to see what more Osamu had to say.
"Initially I am proposing that we offer you... wait... First are you interested in making money or are you wanting to donate your compensation to charity?" she inquired.
"I have a pension from SANDRA," Mio said. "I don't need money ... but any staff we have, like road technicians, should be paid."
"And you Koga-San, first do you intend to remain in the Star Army, or would you like to focus on your music. We could buy off your service contract for you if you like. But regardless of that decision do you want to be paid for your services?" Osamu asked.
"I intend to serve as long as I live. I don't want any money. I'd like whatever we would normally be paid to go to charity and to covering whatever expenses we might have as my partner said," replied Akemi.
"Hmmm... Okay ladies." Osamu said leaning forward. "I am prepared for us to promote your music your group now I presume. That means we provide the funds for instruments, costumes, support people etc. While I understand your desire to donate your money, I must insist that you be financially compensated. We will provide each of your with an account that you will have control of. The corporation will deposit your percentage of the net profits. What you do with the money is your concern. You will each be given a KS card for incidental purchases in the performance of your music, and any spokesperson work.
"Obviously there will be some simple provisions, for instance as spokespersons for the corporation, you will be expected to behave in a manner that does not embarrass the company. Basically no breaking the law, no tearing up hotels etc. Your personal lives and any romantic relationships that the two of you decided to embark on. Are your own business and we will not get involved." She got out of her seat and came around to the front of her desk and sat on the edge of it.
"Obviously when possible we would expect that you would use TET equipment, which we will provide when feasible. That being said, how would you like to conduct a concert to what will most likely be one of the largest audiences ever?" she said with a grin.
"Of course!" Mio said excitedly. The money didn't mean anything to her, but free instruments? Clothes? Sign her up! "We're ready to bring our music to as many people as we can!"
"I'd love to," Akemi said in a mild tone, smiling once more.
"TET is getting ready to release a new medium for entertainment. VCE, which will let us set up a concert with people from every planet in the Empire attending. I plan on using that concert to help promote the new technology, and so that people will get a chance to experience something unheard of before. VCE is to conventional simulations, what volumetrics are to old flat digital images. Even though the people attending this will be sitting on their planets light years away, they will experience the concert as if they were sitting in a stadium with you. This same technology can be used to allow you folks to record music together even when you are off on your ship Koga-San."
She reached around to retrieve a folder on her desk. "This is the preliminary contract, set for a three year duration, after which the contract can be extended or renegotiated. You are free to take them and have them examined by a lawyer of your own choosing. It stipulates what I have laid out and you folks would each receive eight percent of the net profits deposited into your accounts."
"Would this be an exclusive contract?" Akemi asked. "I'd hate to sound ungrateful, but if I was given the opportunity to, I'd like to take offers from other companies to promote their products as well as long as they aren't competing in the same market as your own."
"The exclusivity would be regarding KOgama. As for being a spokesperson for other businesses, that is not a problem. As you said, provided they are not a direct competitor. Although I can say that if the arrangement works out as good as I think, you could probably expect offers from our other divisions in time." Osamu said with a smile.
Mio looked to Akemi, and she nodded. "I see no problem with it. It's not like Origin is going to want me to promote anything, or KZ ... "
"Tell you what, I understand that Koga-San has only just arrived and is on shore leave..." She reached over and picked up a pouch. "In this pouch is an all expense paid VIP Suite in Paradise City. There is also a key to a Zephyr Air Car waiting downstairs. Go have some fun, think it over if you like. Oh... just so you know. Any music that you folks create, songs, lyrics remains your intellectual property." She placed the pouch on the desk on top of the contracts and moved to the side.
"Excellent. I'd be fine with signing now. Would you please ask your assistant to get me a pair of Uno sunglasses?" Akemi grinned playfully.
"Well, if you sign now, you will also receive your KS card for any incidentals and I will have Yumi bring you whatever you need."
Mio felt she had all she needed for the moment, but she finished off her rice milk in a hurry. "Do I have to wear Uno sunglasses too?" She liked the ones she had.
Osamu laughed heartily. "Not at all, you are free to wear whatever type of sunglasses you want."
"Thank you," Mio said, audibly sounding relieved. They made her badass, after all.
"So we're both ready to sign, right?" Akemi asked, just to be sure, while looking straight at her friend. She tried to sense if she had any apprehension.
Mio offered none, smiling wide back at her bandmate, ready to start a new chapter of their lives.
Osamu pulled a pen out of its holder, "Then by all means sign." she said, "I hope you enjoy your stay at Paradise City, they have some of the best masseuse I've experienced."
"Oh, we definitely will." Akemi took the pen from Osamu's hand and picked up one of the contracts. She took some time to go over the document out of formality and signed it. Then she placed it back on the desk and returned the pen to its holder. "I thank you and the Shuhan for this generous offer and I hope to work with your other divisions in the future as well."
Mio snapped up a pen and looked at the contract. She showed no concern as she signed the document with a flourish. "There we go. Wonderful!"
Osamu took each of the contracts and added her name to them where appropriate. "Excellent, I look forward to a long and profitable future together." she said with a smile. She moved forward and handed each of them a personalized Corporate KS Card. She held out an
Emrys Type 33 Datapad.
"This has a copy of the contract for your records. It also has my contact information, both professional and personal. If you have any questions or problems, please contact me ASAP. Let me know when you are settled in Paradise City, and I'll stop by to let you know of any developments."
Behind them Osamu's assistant Yumi entered the room and stood. "If you ladies will follow me I will see you to the lobby." she said with a smile.
