Akako Akari

It was quiet, aside from crickets chirping, the rustling of leaves and branches as errant breezes blew through, and nocturnal animals patter through the grass stalking their dinner. All of which were comforting sounds that allowed the vixen to sleep peacefully. The universe had other plans; however, and the pair of triangles perched on her head twitched as a shrill noise sliced through the melody of the night. A single eye opened, peeking to see if she could locate the source. It seemed to be in the distance, and voices followed it. Her maw opened wide in a yawn, her canines glinting as she stretched her lethargic limbs. With a quick shake to her white fur, the fox looked towards the direction of the road. She wasn't pleased with being woken up, but she knew that her irritation wasn't a logical response as she hardly needed to sleep anymore. Her ears faced forward, listening as she inhaled through her nose, scenting those that woke her. Humans. Rowdy, humans. Perhaps they could provide a meal or entertainment, she reasoned to herself. The white fox bounded down from her perch and landed silently on her paws, the grass soft beneath her. Then she was off at a sprint. Her nose twitched as she sniffed the air and tracked down her quarry, a blur of white hidden in the thicket of the trees. Finally, she approached an establishment and sniffed the air again. They were here and unsurprisingly bloodied considering the mess they had left behind. Sitting down on her hindquarters, the fox regarded the pub with mild amusement before shaking her head and retreating to find privacy. _____________ The doors opened again, quietly this time as a woman stepped foot into the threshold. She was a small thing, petite and lithe as she sashayed towards the bar with a slight tilt to her lips as she smiled a fox smile. Crimson eyes glinted with mischief as she leaned onto the counter and waved over the bartender. Once she was with a drink in hand, the ebony-haired demoness discreetly sniffed the air again and wandered towards the back corner of the bar. She never did look directly at the one she was tracking; instead, the vixen wore a contemplative look as she tried to find a table that suited her fancy. Only when she settled into the table that he had a direct line of vision to did the demoness look at him. It was a glance, and she looked away quickly, lifting her glass to her lips and taking a slow sip. Then her eyes wandered towards the door, and she stared a long while. Her lips then turned down, and she tapped impatiently on her table. Her body language screamed that she was waiting for someone to arrive, and it seemed as if they were late. Based on her attire, it could be easy to assume she was waiting on a date. She wore a burgundy sheath dress that clung to her like a second skin. A pair of thin straps held the garment on her, and the neckline dipped to allow a conservative amount of cleavage. She matched her dress with a couple of strappy black stilettos, and her black hair was pulled up into a messy bun that allowed her shoulder-blades to be left bare. It was a simple ensemble, but not something that a woman would wear to meet a girlfriend or a business partner.

No, I won't smile, but I'll show you my teeth And I'ma let you speak if you just let me breathe I've been polite, but won't be caught dead Lettin' a man tell me what I should do in my bed Keep my exes in check in my basement 'Cause kindness is weakness, or worse, you're complacent I could play nice or I could be a bully I'm tired and angry, but somebody should be "Come on, little lady, give us a smile" No, I ain't got nothin' to smile about I got no one to smile for, I waited a while for A moment to say I don't owe you a goddamn thing

I'm praying for closed doors and open windows I'll follow where the wind blows Don't be scared to leave If I'm not all you need Then just set me free I'm down on my knees, tonight

Super interested in this. I will have to brainstorm a bit on what I would like to do... but yes. Allllll the yes.

Now people walk In and out, anytime as if I'm a door It's like we're making, all these strangers Out of friends and maybe be more

Give me a reason to end this discussion, To break with tradition, to fall and divide. Because I hate the ocean, theme parks and airplanes, Talking with strangers, waiting in line.. I'm through with these pills that make me sit still. "Are you feeling fine?" Yes, I'm feeling fine.

It smelled of foliage of a variety of species-some foreign and others familiar. It was a comforting scent along and paired with the blanket of humidity; it reminded her of home. This was her first visit to Renevatio, and she had come with a purpose. Kinumo was hosting an event that was of interest for a multitude of reasons. The scenery and scents were a perk for this particular outing, but this was not a leisure excursion, but a business trip. Entering Snowy's Pub, her amber eyes took in the room with a quick sweep, not settling on any one person. Instead, she merely scanned over the crowd before weaving her way through the crowd towards the bar. Her heels clicked against the ground as she advanced on her quarry; meanwhile, her ears picked up on conversations as she passed patrons that were deep in discussion. She was a petite thing, a few inches over five foot including the height added by her black open-toe stilettos which were secured with thin straps at her ankles. Long ebony locks, parted down the middle of her scalp and left stick straight cascaded down her shoulders and to her leather-clad hips. In her black pencil skirt, a deep burgundy chiffon blouse was tucked in loosely, the neckline fashioned in a deep 'V' that offered a modest glimpse of more feminine assets. The woman perched herself at the bar, her right leg crossing over her left as she leaned onto the counter-top and casually waved with her right for the bartender that she was ready to order. Those amber eyes with vulpine pupils averted to glance again at the commotion around her before those burgundy painted lips upturned into a polite smile as the bartender came to take her order. Her voice was muted under the cacophony; however, the man heard her, nodded and busied himself with fetching her beverage. There was no weapon to be seen on her person, and yet there was something about her, something dangerous and animalistic that exuded from her. It was her aura that belied the gentle smile on her lips and the way her eyes softened as the man offered her a glass of red wine. Their fingers touched, and pink-tinged his cheeks before he flashed a smile and returned to others that were summoning him for their chosen vice, leaving the strange woman alone.

As soon as he spoke the single syllable word that announced they were finally in agreement, Akako refocused on him in time to see a malevolent sort of grin twist onto what she could see of his face from behind his helm. A brow rose as if to ask what he found so amusing, but he was quick to speak again, as she noticed he so often did. "Hn." It was a non-committal sound that acknowledged his explanation, but her mind was already off elsewhere as she looked back to the ocean. The white caps of the waves seemed fascinating, never quite the same as they rose and fell. Out there, in the distance, was his fleet. Her instincts urged her to sniff out the newcomers, but she knew that from here and with the salt in the air, she would never be able to scent any of them. The Dark Lord's voice came again, and Akako glanced over at him from the corner of her eye. The vixen hummed before glancing back towards the ocean, completely missing his bow. Instead, her eyes focused on the dark wings of the wyvern expand before beating at the sky to lift away from the vessel. A comfortable silence fell between them as she watched the creature fly towards them. There was a sigh on her lips, and the demoness turned her back to the wyvern and made her way inland. She paused and looked back over her shoulder to Dredge. "Are there any provisions that we can prepare for tomorrow?" @Dredge

SUMMARY

SUMMARY The Festival came and went without much disturbance aside from Akako's brief meeting with Koji and the strange wraith sent by the leader of Legion. The Regent met with several emissaries, received gifts, and broke away before the nights' end to speak to the Emperor of the Carmine Empire. She was not the only one building political relationships, however. Many others mingled during the festivities, introducing one another in hopes to plant seeds that would blossom into an alliance down the line.

SUMMARY It was officially public knowledge that Port Caelum was no longer within the Scarlet Empire's rule. Also, there was to be an expansion, and some rulers had already come to ally themselves with the Yokai Queen. The months coming would be busy and chaotic for the small corner of Genesaris, but what was once a quiet port city would now be centered in the limelight. There was no doubt that rumors of Akako's decisions would spread leaving those that knew her and even those that didn't wonder what she was up to.

Tobias made the avian yokai incredibly uncomfortable. While she was inconspicuous to most everyone else, he'd taken keen notice of her, and she wasn't sure that was a good thing. A smile forced to her lips as Jun allowed the stranger to pull her aside to ask about her biology. He inquired about her sight and observed her with intend eyes. It made her shiver, and she found she didn't like it one bit. She was blessedly interrupted before she could utter a single syllable, and she looked at the woman and gave her a thankful smile. Jun remained quiet as everyone chattered. Akako's familiar recognized Leon and wondered if Akako knew that Crystal's husband was involved in this. She would have to take extra care in making sure he lived; otherwise, her lady would be livid. There was a sense of comfort knowing at least one person here. Everyone else she had met once and hadn't talked. The night of the Hanami Festival, Jun had stayed with Leon and Crystal a long while, holding the baby while the unpacked things and scrambled getting the room ready for the infant. After the babe had been put to bed, she remained to chat idly with the couple. Akako's familiar disengaged from Tobias and inched her way over to Leon before stopping just short of his side. Her wide owlish eyes blinked at she looked to each person as they spoke. Her lips pressed into a thin line, concern blossoming across her sharp-angled features. She wasn't thrilled about Leon being brought in as a male slave while she was left to scout. Her hand raised and she smiled ruefully. "I can go in as a slave." There was a mirthless laugh that bubbled out of her, and she continued, "I certainly look the part."

The air between them was tense as they stared each other down. It was a palatable thing and had anyone been there to witness their conversation; they would have been uncomfortable more than likely. After he explained the situation, again, Akako regarded him coolly. Her impassive eyes were pools of chilled gold as she allowed silence to settle between them. Her lips parted just a hair, and her tongue slid over her top row of teeth, glancing over the sharp points of her canines, a motion Dredge would undoubtedly notice. Meanwhile, her tails twitched much like a cat would if annoyed. "Fine." Her voice was curt when she responded, far removed from the caramel smooth lilt from before. "We will build on the other side of the cold mountains. There is more greenery on the other side - forests, and caves - which I am sure your people would appreciate." "I will station a few hundred of my men in your city, and my familiar will also reside within your settlement once we have finished building." "Before this meeting, we have already made moves to start expanding, and there I have requested a road be tunneled through the cold mountains to connect to the other side. It will provide useful for trade, and it will also allow us to meet more efficiently. Is this agreeable?" The vixen was in a foul mood now and doubted a trip to the Forgotten Fleet at this very moment was a good idea. Internally she decided that she would post-pone for a day. Return to her estate and continue issuing directives to fuel the goal at hand. There was a lot Dredge didn't know. They hadn't yet discussed her ambitions or goals for her small corner of Genesaris, but it was grand. Akako had long stayed in the shadows of others even though she was a force of nature. Many in her recent history led to this point; a Baron from her time in the City of Doors, the Scarlet Queen that could only see a Devil, the Cambion that continued to chase after a fantasy, the Gold Lich King that once collared her like a pet, and so many more. She could imagine each reaction when she obtained her purpose. Her lips tilted up at the thought. @Dredge

@Twitterpated @Voldemort The main Hanami thread will be closed tomorrow by 5 PM CST at the latest regardless if either of you respond or not. The last post was on July 6th. With a week of no activity, it is dead. If there is anything unfinished, we can fill in the blanks together.