RP: UOC Government [Roll Call] Government Kick Start

[Andrew]

The sun had only been up a few minutes, most of the cab ride into the city was in the dark. Tio's eyes gazed out the window and out over the city, the new morning's light bathed the skyscrapers. He could not help but watch in awe as they entered Motoyoshi-cho, the central district. The massive Government Complex towered over post of the city. Truely a work of art, its sculpted domes and towers rose magesticly before him. He requested the driver stop, and got out of the taxi and into the street a block away from the Government Complex. He walked the street, his hands in the pockets of his suit coat. He blended well, appearing just as another suited civilian.

He climbed the steps to the central tower and walked inside. The second his eye hit the retina scanner and his identification poped up on the screen at the security desk, his cover was blown. Security quickly joined the prince as he moved through the passages of the government complex. He passed by his office and headed straight for Ayana's. He wanted nothing more than to see her.

He knew the members of the assembly would be lurking, he was anxious to see them after such a long time.

 

[Kim]

Against her doctor's orders, Prime Minister Tange-Katsura Ayana was in her office working again. It had only been a few days since she had been released from the hospital with Edmond but she did not want to waste too much time at home in bed when there was a great deal of work to do.

There was a war brewing on the horizon with the possible alliance of the SMoDiN and the YSE against the new SMX- the NMX forces. The battle damage assessments were coming in from the fleet every day as the skirmishes continued amongst the pirate bands and the now increasingly evident NMX forces near their borders. And Ayana with her new chance with motherhood had even more to worry about. She wanted a future for her son and she couldn't let her desire for non-involvement take that away from him anymore than the possible of him becoming orphaned or a refugee like the children of Taiie and the previous SMX war.

Ayana laid her head on top of her desk, enjoying the feel of the cool lacquered cherry against her skin. She closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. She felt a little empty inside, unfulfilled as she sat there in her office alone. If I die, I want it to at least be a good death and with me doing something instead of just sitting here in my office. I can't rush off to the front but I can figure out a way for us to fight or to get out of this some other way.... there may be no hope for us. But I have to try something... if I just leave Edmond in Rosalee's care... I could go find Melisson somehow again. I can only pray that Chiharu and Yumi will guide me to the lioness's den and home again safe.

 

[Andrew]

Tio opened the door to Ayana's office. He stood there a second, noticing her laying there with her head down on the desk. A sinking feeling passed over him, he could only imagine what was going through her mind. He swallowed hard, his footfalls quiet as he walked across her office. His left hand fell gently on her shoulder and tightened his grip slightly giving her a gentle squeeze. He said her name quietly,it was all he could muster. So much came out with that single word. He felt as if his soul was being disassembled.

"Ayana..."

 

[Kim]

"Are you really there?" Ayana said softly, just barely a whisper as she lifted her head from the desk, slowly opening her eyes. She knew the soft touch on her shoulder, the warmth of the hand against her skin wasn't unfamiliar, just something she hadn't experienced in many months.

She turned to rise out of her chair to get a better appraisal of the man that was standing behind her. Her heart was beating quickly and she wasn't quite sure what to say, she had so many questions to ask before and now she was uncertain. She had been alerted that he was back but she hadn't gone to see him in the hospital, the doctor felt it might be bad for her since she had been having such a hard time with his sudden disappearance... it was only logical that a sudden reappearance might have a negative affect on the, then, pregnant woman.

The Jiyuuian woman was torn between being happy or to be upset that he vanished on her. Uncertainty filled her as simply stood there and stared at her returned lover. Tio...

 

[Andrew]

Tio choked on her words, his eyes stung. He wasn't going to cry, or at least that is what he told himself. He stared at her, she was all he had thought about that stretch that his ship drifted powerless through space. She was the reason he had to go on, but there was no excuse he could find; even it being out of his control couldn't replace the fact as complex as it was, that he was gone...

He stepped forwards, his arms wrapped around her and he pulled her close to him. There was a second where he could not breath, then he breathed her in. The scent of her familiar perfume brought him to alertness, reassuring him that indeed he was there.

"Are you okay...?" He asked after a moment.

 

[Kim]

Ayana stood there for a few moments, just letting herself be held as she tried to decide how she should react. She leaned against Tio before she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "I'm recovering, the doc doesn't want me working but bullocks to that... there's too much to do," she said more softly than she intended.

She took several deep breaths and let herself relax. She enjoyed feeling the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed and the simple creature comfort of being held, touched again. "...where in the world did you go? I thought you had left us," her voice was filled with uncertainty and hurt, she had been under the impression that he had abandoned her and Edmond but she had never gotten the chance to tell him.

 

[Andrew]

>ON: Ayana's Office


Tio exhaled deeply. He loosened his hold on her a little so he could look down into her eyes. He said quietly, "The ship I was on....I..." he paused trying his best to remember. "Something happened...I am not sure what. I cant remember." He looked frustrated, trying to come up with answers for his lover. " We ended up drifting for what seemed forever." His hands gently moved up and down her back. "Ayana, I would not leave you willingly." he said, in hopes to reassure her.

"I had no way of knowing, I just...assumed you were going to the IRC and then... nothing. I knew your reputation when Ii met you but I had hoped it wasn't true, but I was so angry that you had left without a word of what your intentions were. I never even got to tell you about Edmond," Ayana said softly, searching his eyes to see if he was truly telling her the truth.

Tio looked back at her, his eyes on hers. He missed her beyond words and felt himself sinking as she spoke. "Ayana, I was going to the IRC. I just do not know what happened." He paused, thinking about what she said about his reputation. "They have the ship, if you need to go over things I understand. Things changed for me the second I met you." He had no defense other than the fact that his ship was in a severely crippled state and everyone aboard was suffering from aliments of one kind or another. Either from whatever happened to them or from the long term effects of being on the damaged vessel.

"So what do you plan to do now?" Ayana implored, "We have a war at our doorstep and a son... can I count on you to help raise this nation and our son if something happens to me?" Ayana felt that she knew what the answers to these questions already but she wanted to hear it from Tio's lips. She was tired of wondering.

Tio was well aware of what faced them, both as a family and as a nation. He said, "I want to be a family Ayana. I want to be here for you and our son." His eyes searched hers, he wondered what she was thinking. "As for the UOC, I am the Crowned Prince and I plan to be here as such. I will not accept failure, we went through hell after Taiie to get here and we will find a way to endure."

Ayana smiled softly, feeling better about the decision she had to make for herself but that would have to wait for another time. She gave Tio a loving hug, 'Welcome home. I've missed you."

Tio hugged her back, his eyes squeezing shut as he whispered quietly, "I love Ayana, I am so glad I am back here with you again." It bothered him that he could not remember, it gave him a lack of control. He had always relied so heavily on his intelligence, now he felt like he was working with a book that had pages ripped out.

"I'm guessing that the doctors cleared you since you're out of the hospital, but how are you feeling otherwise?" Ayana asked before kissing him gently on the lips.

He nodded, "I am feeling okay, I walked in from the block this morning. It is a beautiful day." He kissed her back, the feeling of her lips against his made him think of their walk on the beach, it was hard to believe so much time has past. He rested, feeling completed again.

"What about you?" Tio asked, having heard of how ill she had gotten. "What are you doing back here so soon?"

"I have work to do," Ayana replied simply, "I'm as good as any woman that has a baby versus a youngling but I'll be fine. They can't keep me locked up in a bed forever."

He let out a sigh, neither of them should be back at work yet. The NMX do not wait for world leaders to recover. "What is your opinion, are we entering this war?" Tio questioned, tone becoming serious, yet his arms still were wrapped around her.

"We won't survive without a fight. We might be able to accomplish something but its chancey. I have to search out Melisson again. She's the one to talk to, she was willing to talk last time and I am more than willing to listen," Ayana replied making the arrangements in her head. She frowned slightly. "We can't keep any sort of peace without being willing to fight for it but we have to try to give diplomacy a chance. I know that Yamatai and Nepleslia have entered into the fight again but I don't want to pick sides unless I make this attempt."

"Diplomacy is something we need to give a chance to." Tio considered thoughtfully the ramifications of what she was talking about. "Ayana.." He loosened his hold on her again, leaning up against the side of her desk. "I believe seeking out Melisson is the way to go, but I do not want you doing it personally. Your the head of state. If something happens to you we could land ourselves in some real hot water here."

"I don't know if she'll listen to anyone else. She'll let me leave, she did last time and I don't think she'll respect us if we sent a proxy instead," Ayana replied thoughtfully, "My term of service is almost up and it's almost time for re-election so I might as well go out doing something to avoid this war. I doubt it'll work but I want to try."

Tio in that second was faced with a nightmare, losing her...again. Tio's eyes closed and he did everything in his power to keep a level head. He knew he could not go with her, they had a child to worry about. No answer was the right answer, and not one made him feel any better. "What are you thinking? How will you find her? Is there any other options?"


"We have reports of attacks at the edges of our space, we send an open broadcast to invite her to talk and hope she deems us worthy to answer," Ayana replied with a deep sigh. She remembered vividly the nightmares she had after the last meeting but she thought it was worthwhile to possibly lose her life on this endeavor. "If I'm lucky she's here, if not, I might be looking for her the old fashioned way."

"I was thinking, we might want to consider a strategic withdraw from Yuukan, E-4, and E-7. That would pull all our assets back behind the old Fifth Expeditionary Fleet line." Tio said, a little unsure of his own suggestion. "If we show we are willing to get out of her way. Maybe she might leave us alone."

"We do need to pull back for a better defense, we're spread too thin as it is. But I don't think pulling back as a condition will help us in the long run- we then run the risk of upsetting our other neighbors," Ayana said with a sigh, "We can't appear to be consorting with the enemy but.. we're stuck in a very bad place. We have to speak to our big brother and sister as well.'

"That just struck home, dear." Tio said with concern, the sudden reminder of Yamatai looming over them. "Yamatai could consider your attempt at diplomacy us conspiring with the enemy. Then we will have two problems instead of one."

"Anyway, I jump I'm outnumbered and outgunned we have to talk to them all at the same time," Ayana sighed again and hugged Tio tighter. "At least I know Melisson will give me a chance before she eats me."

>END

 

[Andrew]

"Out-numbered and out-gunned..." he trailed off, tapping his fingers on the desk. "Sounds familiar." He smiled. "Last time we were in this position was independence. We made it through then, so we can make it through this. We need to get the representatives together and talk some of these plans out."

Tio leaned forwards and kissed her again. He was saddened slightly that it was soon time to be getting to the work at hand. Once again they would both be busy.

 

[Kim]

"We have the start of something but we have to get this rolling. We're going to have to throw our hat in before someone forces us in," Ayana said wistfully as she broke away from Tio's kiss and his embrace. "Welcome home, although, things are about to get insane again. We're going to have to strengthen our forces and our economy the best we can as well as, consolidate our people to better locations. The streaming 'declass' feeds from Yamatai are rolling in that they are in trouble and we're not doing much better by comparison. Did you have something better in mind for this?"