Establishing Connections [Invite]

Rime sat rather comfortably at one of the tables near the back right corner of Cad's Diner, one arm resting casually on the arm of the chair while the other held up what looked to be a data tablet, which the Arcosian almost seemed to mindlessly scroll through. Reports, reports, reports. It felt as though half of his life was summarised in some kind of after action, intelligence or scouting report. That was all Arcosian Intelligence ever seemed to want, was further reports. Usually it would make sense; information gathering was the name of the game, after all, but with all the bureaucratic nonsense, ineffectual leadership and lack of organisation meant that most of the valuable intelligence would simply be locked away in a filing cabinet and never touched, allowed to collect dust when it could have been incredibly useful.

Still, there was no need to think about work right now. He was here for a personal matter. Ever since he had been to Earth, the natives there had caught his attention, and for good reason. They had a drive and motivation he admired, and more than that, a guile that he could respect. Such a thing was in short supply nowadays; Saiyans were brutish and simple, Namekians peaceful and simple. Even amongst his own people, things had become so dull and bullish. It was all going to come down to two powerful individuals knocking heads for this whole succession crisis to be over. He'd held out hope for the Tuffles, but their genius was held back by the need they had to blow the Saiyans to hell. Earthlings seemed like the only ones moving forward.

To that end, he was waiting on the arrival of a new contact. He was one of these very same Earthlings, and more importantly, had many connections there, along with the business sense required to make it. Rime wasn't too surprised that knowledge of his services were spreading; he'd made quite a stir on Arcose's underworld fairly recently, and those few who did know him were eager to help him get further ahead.

Eventually, Rime spotted him. The pink hair did immediately stand out, but the lack of tail didn't help either. The Arcosian sat quietly in his chair and simply looked up from his data tablet towards Derry, waiting to see when he would be noticed. Thankfully, his people's natural power was known about enough that Saiyans in this area mostly just kept their distance. At least, they did now after the last few times.

WC: 422

---

Power Level: 21,000

The pause that the pink-haired earthling held told Rime that he was being scanned. Whether the man could detect ki normally or if there was something else going on, he couldn't tell, and it didn't really matter, did it? He sat quite still, watching with an almost friendly, if predatory smile on his face as the Earthling approached, being the first one to break the silence and ask about seating. "Not at all, take a seat if you like. I'm not waiting on anyone, so it's free to you." He felt the man's energy, and could tell that his power level was just about double that which Rime rested at. Considering what he had seen Earthlings do with their power level and latent energy, he reminded himself to tread carefully.

Most of his papers, which were rather neatly arranged, didn't seem to be much of anything at first glance. Bureaucratic reports, environmental surveys, logistical audits. Which was the intent, of course. He was simply a representative from Arcose at the moment, so he didn't need to worry about any further responsibilities. He glanced down at those same papers and his datapad momentarily. "This is how I relax, actually. You should see me at my work."

The pink flame seemed to catch Rime's attention, at least for a brief second. Fire, again. This wasn't something he observed in most earthlings, yet now two that had stood out to him had manifested it as part of their ki, or natural energy, or whichever unique mutation they could've had. It was hard for him to tell if such a thing was a coincidence or some kind of indicator of power and talent - if only the intelligence on their people was more substantial and his employers didn't shirk their work so often.

The Arcosian almost instinctively brought his hand out, offering it for a shake once he heard the Earthling's name. "Rime. A pleasure to meet you, Derry, if I may call you that. What brings you to Plant, then?" He got a sense about the man he was talking to. Whether they came from similar worlds, or if he just simply had that feeling about him, Rime wasn't sure. Whatever the case, he would be mindful.

WC: 373
TWC: 795

Rime's new acquaintance did seem perfectly pleasant, but he was shrewd enough to understand what this was. The earthling in front of him was hardly going to be here just for sightseeing, and he wasn't the type to sit across from one such as himself without there being a reason that benefitted him, or at least one that may rear its head. He found this Derry quite interesting, and he wondered what line of business, exactly, he was in. There were a few different possibilities, but Rime was starting to come up with some theories of his own. It was certainly nothing that was explicitly over the table, at least not in full.

He chuckled softly at Derry's comment on his way of 'relaxing'. It was rather strange, wasn't it? He had mentioned that back at headquarters, but when had his opinion ever held sway? "Oh, you should see me when I work, then. I'm not quite high enough on the food chain to have a secretary for my work, but I do enjoy putting more of a personal touch on things, anyway." It made him wonder what exactly Derry was fishing for - his answer of looking for 'workers' was enough to pique his interest even further.

There were few places to find better muscle than Plant, after all. Intelligence as well, if one were to travel to the Tuffle territories in the other regions of the world. It was a shrewd business move to seek out allies or henchmen here, and Rime considered whether it would be an upgrade to his wages. He cast aside the foolish idea after a moment more. That would be throwing away everything that he had worked for and planned up to this point. What a silly temptation it was.

"Well, I work on behalf of the Arcosian Empire, representing Imperial interests mostly off-world, but back on the home front as well. I did originally enlist in the military, but after my officer's commission, they found use for my talents as an ambassador of sorts. I'm afraid that I would like to remain employed with the Empire, but...I do often find that I don't have quite enough work to do. There wouldn't be any harm in a contract or two, depending on compensation."

There was little that interested him beyond his own aims, but there was no sense in turning down good work where he could get it. Especially with what else it could gain him.

WC: 413
TWC: 1208

Rime's eyes caught a glimpse of the cigarette as Derry began tapping it on the ash tray, letting the ashes sink down into it. He mulled over the purpose of such a habit. Why did humans do it in the first place? Usually it boiled down to one of two reasons; they had a degree of stress that they needed to relieve with whatever stimulants or relaxants were in these little tubes, or they had an addictive personality. He wondered which one of the two it was for Derry, if it was even that and not some mysterious third option. Did he find his work strenuous or stressful, did it weigh on him what he had to do? Perhaps he had people he cared for, and he had to be on high alert often to look out for them - Earthling's danger sense was akin to an anxiety, so that could explain it. That, or it was a base indulgence, simply something he enjoyed. He supposed it didn't matter; there was no sense in analysing a potential ally in this way. Not yet, anyway.

"Well, let me offer my precocious support for you before you begin your campaign. I think Earth could use some strong leadership, after all. You have powerful aliens all over your lovely world at the moment, what with that tournament that's running. Who knows what they could do?" His tone made it sound as though there was some genuine concern there, but he was sure that Derry had been in this situation before. Most likely, he understood a word game, an implication or two. "I must say, 'afford anything' is a very attractive sounding offer." He was never one to turn down a revenue stream, especially for something that was so deeply within his skillset. He did this sort of thing for a pittance in comparison to whatever Derry would give him, he was sure, and that was just a means to an end.

Rime found the trick with the card quite amusing, and noticed the amount of control over his power that the Earthling appeared to have. It was different to the other he'd encountered; their control and power was more to do with being like a fire themselves, wild and without limit, relentless and consuming. Hardly the kind of technique that lent itself to these sorts of subtle demonstrations. He glanced down at the card when it was placed on the table, reading over everything on it before glancing back up at Derry, not picking it up. "In the name of professional courtesy, I'd like to offer my first information update to you free of charge; should it look like the kind of information you're looking for, then we can discuss such terms of payment. Does that sound fair?"

He reached down to the datapad he had previously been using and simply handed it over to Derry, placing it on his side of the table. "This has what you're looking for. I will also be sending regular updates to it, and if there is information that would be better served in other mediums, then I'll get in contact. Speaking of which, you may keep your card. I won't need it anymore." With his skillset being details, memorising such things was easy enough, and material proof of this meeting was probably a risk that neither of them needed. That was a nice card, though, and an interesting logo.

WC: 573
TWC: 1781

Rime decided not to worry too much when it came to his prospective business partner's habits, if only because he didn't understand them. These sticks did seem quite an Earthling thing to do, as he hadn't seen any Saiyans or Namekians doing it. He supposed when you could get your kicks from fighting or gardening, then such a thing was functionally worthless. He wondered if that was what drove the Earthlings to be so relentless, curious, full of wanderlust. Did they search for a gratification or a purpose that they couldn't find, feeling out of place with the rest of the galaxy, who knew what they were? It wouldn't be too surprising, but he wasn't writing up a threat assessment right now.

"Ah, peace and security." A smirk flickered on Rime's face again as he said those words, as though something about them was inherently funny. "That's certainly an electable slogan. It's been used back home, as well, by some of our previous Emperors. More for justifying coups than what you're after, but the spirit is all the same. Your planet is rather idyllic, with good food and attractive people - who have a supposed reputation for low power levels. Obviously not all of you, of course." He made a motion to Derry himself as he said it, clearly citing him as an example. It was rare to see any being with a resting power level that high, and Rime did wonder just how high it would get.

Rime was almost casual in how he spoke, which could have come across as odd. His voice seemed to always be businesslike and professional, even as his cadence seemed relaxed and at ease. "It is better to secure yourseleves sooner rather than later. If not, enough of my alien brethren will get it in their head that they can do what they like there without consequence. A holiday home for bullies and thugs? I certainly wouldn't want it for my world." He was quick to answer when Derry asked to share the information, having already passed the datapad. "The datapad will have the information I'm freely offering. Not just the state of Arcose, but what is going on within our divisions. The military is disorganised, Intelligence are a mess all on their own. How things may change could depend greatly on which of our own leadership candidates pulls through."

He figured that if he was offering the datapad, and if he wished for Derry to keep it, he ought to keep the card. He did wonder if the Earthling would have the pad dismantled and searched; the important 'extras' were well-hidden with that in mind, of course, but there was no reason he couldn't have a very good tech on his payroll. It mattered little to Rime; such a thing was all part of the game, and it was a good litmus test to see how emotional Mr. Ottoy was about their respective lines of work.

"You're right of course, I do know some others back home who may be interested. This is a striking logo, as well. Did you design this?" He flicked the card around in his hand, examining the snake's eye staring back at him. If they served the same purpose as the Galactic Frontier did for Azoth, perhaps being more upfront at the least about what that meant, that could be very useful. He'd have to keep it in mind.

WC: 571
TWC: 2352

Rime wondered how long it had been since he'd had a conversation that was as candid as this. Despite the fact it was a business arrangement, it was still one of the few instances where he didn't feel himself talking in circles to confuse, leading someone where he wanted, or trying to otherwise manipulate one side of the conversation by appearing as something he wasn't. He was not honest or up-front about his work, but he was sure that Derry was expecting such a thing. They were both going to be somewhat guarded going into their first deal, after all, and what mattered was what he could provide, regardless of where he provided it from.

He did wonder more about Derry's organisation; he could hazard a few guesses, but he was rather curious about it now. From the perspective of someone who'd dealt with this sort of thing before, he was thinking organised crime. Not that it was a problem if it was; he was used to dealing with gangsters, especially on his own world. One of his best other arrangements was with one, after all. They usually made rather good business partners, in that they had no real interest in betraying an outsider; Rime knew he was seen as little more than an asset, which suited him just fine.

Ah yes, our two prospective emperors." Rime spoke with slight sarcasm to his tone as he began speaking of Azoth and Hibernal. Two very different candidates who, in his estimation, wanted essentially the same thing once they got power. "General Hibernal is certainly the underdog. Sickness has weakened him greatly, and Azoth is of royal guard stock - his power has grown exponentially. I'm willing to speculate that if Azoth takes the throne, it won't be long before you'll have to deal with him. He sees himself as a benevolent force for the galaxy, after all. He could be easier to work around without violence, of course."

Rime glanced at the card again as Derry told the story of it. Perhaps it was simply his reptilian instincts that found something like this appealing; after all, an eye like this would probably be considered rather dashing on an individual back home. Not that you saw that sort of thing much nowadays, unfortunately. "I suppose a full snake would be a little on the nose. I do much prefer this, yes. They do like these kinds of designs back home, you know."

He placed the card down amongst his other things, still deciding that he would have to be careful with it; he'd prefer to minimise any connection between them, especially once Derry had grabbed the power he was looking for. "I am curious about these elites of yours. Are they all Earthlings, and do you have many of them?" Perhaps once they were closer as a partnership, he'd have to meet them. After all, there was much to learn, and there was no reason that he couldn't make more arrangements with them.

WC: 500
TWC: 2852

Rime had some advantage in knowing what was coming, if only because it had come from the horse's mouth itself. That was the Earthling expression, wasn't it? He hadn't actually seen a horse in person yet, but he didn't quite understand the metaphor from looking at a picture of the creature. He assumed they held some kind of social significance on the world, perhaps as a pack animal or something of the sort. He didn't really understand it, but his people had never really had an equivalent, so he would simply have to admit ignorance to that end. The point was, he had an idea of what Azoth planned for the future, and really, he only spoke the same truth that Azoth himself would. From a certain point of view.

He gave a knowing smile as Derry mentioned both Hibernal and Azoth's likely feelings towards him, especially when it came to hiring 'scum'. "Ah, yes. I'm sorry to say that Arcosian chivalry isn't quite yet dead, and many of our nobles subscribe to the rather outdated idea that they can do things with 'honour'. As though there is an honourable way with which to conquer a world, or take control of the throne. Hibernal will either need to cheat, or Azoth will have to essentially murder a sick man. I understand it even less than you do, I'm sure." What moral high ground was there when it came to something like this, really? He didn't particularly bother himself with others' moral grandstanding a lot of the time, but he could not quite understand the idealism of a man who wanted to become an Emperor with the whole galaxy following his ideals. There was only one way to truly do that; by force applied somewhere, whether he did it directly or not.

Rime's eyes lit up curiously, though he did his best to hid the naturally reptilian, predatory gaze that they tended to hold when he heard of Derry's other elites. That made him wonder a great many things. He'd been debating with himself, having heard of some of these creatures already, but not quite being sure what to think of it. "How curious. Still, if you have their loyalty, their species matters not. The Demon Realm, though? That is fascinating. I've been meaning to speak with a native to that place for a while now. There is much that I could ask, but that's for another time, I suppose." It would be a bit uncouth to bother him about it now, he supposed.

WC: 423
TWC: 3275