FSE

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"Not that one, the other one. And cover one of your eye markings before we go. Remember which one it is for next time," Seth commanded from the doorway of the bathroom. Keiko grabbed the sides of the sink with her hands and growled as she turned her head to look at him out of one eye.

"First of all, my face is up here, so stop staring at my ass all the time. Second of all, I just sucked your cock and you're telling me how to do my makeup and which piercings to wear? How about I just rip the chains out of my nipples and strangle you with them, hmm?" she fumed, watching as Seth's eyes widened and his eyebrows rose slowly towards his closely cropped hairline. The mercenary said nothing but still more than managed to get his point across. Keiko's tail and ears drooped perceptibly as she returned her attention to the mirror. "I sound like a whore, don't I? And not the fun kind of whore."

"Strange as it may seem, you may have more experience with whores than I do, my lady," Seth remarked. "I imagine the harem is quite the sight to behold."

"You really expect me to believe you on that one, Seth? You don't need to make me feel special. I enjoyed the sex. Doesn't mean I enjoy being told how to wear my piercings," she replied more calmly. He pushed off the doorframe with his shoulder and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Do you really think I would reveal what I am just for a quick fuck with a pair of loose lips and a looser tongue?" Seth demanded sternly, his tone leading Keiko to believe that at some point in his past such a thing had occurred. "I would not presume to compare you to a whore in either case, my lady. There is minimal overlap between your appeals as potential lovers."

"The hell is that supposed to mean?!" Keiko yelped, rounding fully on him now that she'd had the chance to cover one of her sunburst markings. Seth shrugged.

"Shall I elaborate on the ways in which women who have sex every day to sustain themselves and their families might be a bit more competent as sexual partners than a virginal princess? I am not one of your many subjects who find sex easy to buy, sell, or otherwise acquire. The taste of royalty was more than enough for my... unrefined palette."

"I can never tell if you're coming onto me, being an ass, or both," Keiko remarked, stalking up to him and biting hard on his lower lip instead of kissing him. Seth bore it with a light grunt, taking her 'invitation' to test the give of her naked posterior. "But what you said makes sense. I figured I was probably one of the only people in all of Alhamkara condemned to a sexless life before marriage."

"I did not say that my life was sexless but..." Seth trailed off, blinking and looking away from her piercing sunshine eyes. "With a bit of time to overcome the existential dread of my head on Torando's pike, I am appreciative of the night Keiko and I spent together, my lady."

She tapped a clawed toe on the bathroom tile but smiled at him, pleased at the way he stroked and pressed instead of groped at her behind while the other hand trailed warmth up the length of her augmented spine. "I won't press then, Seth. But I'm scared about meeting your friends."

"Ah, is that the source of the outburst then?" he wondered with a smile. "I assure you that compared to me they will positively adore you."

"Alright first of all, Sybela didn't exactly adore me Seth. That and you forget that I don't interact with commoners. I mean, yes, I interact with them. But the Sekhama are usually there, or news drones, or both. It's all scripted, an act. Sure, many of the Sekhama themselves are of common stock but that goes out the window once Octavia gets his hands on them. Going out drinking before noon with a group of mercs? I'm nervous I'll embarrass myself or do something to give myself away."

Seth moved his hands to her shoulders and nodded briefly. "I'm not sure you'll believe me given our line of work, but they are good people. I would not worry yourself over an opportunity to... develop commoner social skills, shall we say? Your other concern, however, is valid. I worry that we are rapidly running out of time."

"What do you mean, Seth?" she asked worriedly.

"By now you are aware that I intended from the very beginning to betray my employer on this job, Markhan, leader of the Wildfire. You two are acquainted at least by name, surely."

"You told Talon and Argos to feed him some story about laying low, right?" Keiko recalled. Seth nodded.

"Nothing escapes you, my lady. Yes, I did indeed, and his easy agreement worries me. For that kind of man to lean back and allow me 'free reign' with you is... concerning. I believe he may have his own plans, beyond what he contracted my team to do. Not to mention I will no doubt be paying for today's meal on account of that lie."

"Maybe I can help out with that," Keiko suggested with a wag of her tail before becoming serious again, or at least as serious as possible when naked in a mercenary's bathroom. "You think he always had another plan, or that he's adapted following what you did to the Trang'aul and the Oro?"

Seth's brow furrowed in consideration. "I don't rightly know, my lady."

"Keiko, for the love of... can I please just be Keiko when we're here? After what we did it feels wrong," she insisted. Seth pressed a couple fingers to his temple but eventually nodded.

"Part of me wishes to advise you to not seek out such fantasy, but given I took full advantage once inside of you I am hardly a man to talk. Very well, Keiko, I'll do what I can. As for our dear friend Markhan, despite the best efforts of my team we were unable to uncover why he wanted you taken in the first place. Mercenaries are not supposed to ask those questions, even when the mark is someone like you. We could only afford to dig so deep. That, of course, worries me as well."

"Why should it?" the wild dog demanded sternly, causing Seth to shrug his shoulders and glance upward.

"Because even mercenaries such as us have a vested interest in the future of this nation, my... Keiko. Is one job worth it if Alhamkara itself is destabilized, thrown into chaos, maybe even conquered as a result? I don't know. The pay would have to be very good. Markhan knows this, and the relatively paltry sum that he transferred to our accounts following your capture proves such. My guess, and this is purely a guess, is that he did not anticipate my little stunt with the Trang'aul. Perhaps if Sybela grows close to you and enough alcohol is present, you will get to hear that full story."

"Yes, I'm sure he was thrilled that you used me to settle a personal score," Keiko concluded.

"Thrilled enough that he has allowed you to remain with me for several days without so much as a text," Seth clarified. "He believes he is capable of keeping tabs on us and, in all likelihood, he is correct. To those who know either of me or my reputation I stick out like a sore thumb. Hence my nitpicking about your appearance."

"How does that help if they recognize who you are? Won't they just know it's me?" she wondered.

"Perhaps. It's certainly a risk," Seth agreed. "On the other hand, they might conclude that allowing a captured princess to enjoy booze and brunch at the Sakura to be so absurd a proposition that you must be a body double, a look alike to throw anyone else off the trail who might be thinking of snatching you from my or Markhan's fingers."

"You really think that would work?"

Seth reviewed her critically for a moment. "They say that people change their demeanor and the way they comport themselves after losing their virginity. I will go prepare myself in case that and the changes to your appearance aren't enough. Who knows, maybe we'll get lucky again."

"And if we don't?" she asked, not even bothering to pick up the thread about her different behavior.

"That's why I don't leave this place without several weapons at any given time," he chuckled, aware of the bravado of his statement. He turned to head back into the main living space of his small retreat. "I'll let you finish getting ready, Keiko. I'm sure they're already waiting for us. Talon and Argos tend to be rather thirsty following operations and they've been made to wait quite some time now."

"And what about you? Or have you had your fill?" she growled teasingly, reaching around his waist and grabbing him roughly by the crotch. "You're such an evil man, Seth."

"I'm well aware of that much, Keiko," he murmured, swallowing heavily as her fingers insistently drove him to readiness. "I thought you were looking forward to our outing this morning."

"I am, but hearing you talk like that made me realize I want as much sex as I can get from you before this all goes sideways and one or both of us ends up dead, probably you. You've been staring at your princess' naked body for several minutes now. The fact I had to even touch you is rather insulting."

"The Matriarch would be proud," Seth declared before taking her by the wrists, forcing her against the wall and giving her exactly what she claimed to desire. Talon and Argos could wait, and he considered it one step closer to informing Sybela that he'd 'fucked the princess in all three of her holes'. Keiko moaned loudly as her claws scrapped against the tiled walls.

"You don't get to stop until I'm good and satisfied, Seth," she insisted greedily, arching her bejeweled spine. He scoffed playfully and swatted her on the behind.

"Are you ordering me around in that position, Keiko?"

"Damn you, Seth! I'm the princess, then! Happy?"

A certain calm settled over him as he reached around her front and began teasing her with his fingers as well. "Very. Taboo is common currency in this grand nation of yours after all."

"Did you really have to beat up on him like that? He's supposed to pay today. What if he doesn't show?" Talon grouched nervously, taking a long draught from a glass of light, amber beer. With monsoon season in full swing and plentiful moisture in the air, the cold glass sported a fine coating of frost, advertising relief from the heat and humidity.

"If you're so worried then why don't you stop throwing back beer like it's going out of fashion?" Argos suggested calmly, leaning back against the padded wall behind him and looking over the rest of the restaurant with an unhurried gaze. It had been Talon's turn to take one of the chairs with his back to the room so Argos, seated on the bench that ran the length of one of the long walls of the homely eatery, was on 'watch duty'. The main dining room of the Sakura was a callback to ancient human motifs, with exposed bamboo wood, hanging lanterns, and faux silk dividers that separated the durable wooden tables from one another with elegant designs of snow-capped mountains, flowering tree branches, cresting waves, and other natural beauties from the various corners of the nation. The tiger nodded politely as the waitress of the establishment arrived and placed a tray of comfort food before them consisting of deep fried poultry with lemon and mayonnaise dip, salted steamed vegetables, and another round of beers in equally cold glasses.

"Do I hear you encouraging my customers not to spend their money here, Stripes?" she asked good-naturedly. As the only waitstaff during daylight hours, the curvaceous hyena was acquainted well enough with the motley crue of well paying customers who frequented her family's small izakaya on the border between the city's main financial district and one of its many merchant quarters. The establishment could only seat twenty or so guests at any given time, but it was homely, family owned, and known for its comfortable environment and sinfully hearty food. Her wide hips and plump belly might as well have been an advertisement of such as Argos gave her a chuckle and a wink.

"Perish the thought, Maria. I'm simply encouraging him to relax a bit. Working odd hours is bad enough without worrying about every little thing."

"Well if you're so unconcerned, you can pay when he doesn't show," the cassowary insisted. "Anyway, thanks Maria. Looks great as always."

"I'll be sure to let papa know. Y'all just holler if you need anything," she insisted, adjusting her kimono's sash before moving on to the only other populated table in the place. Sybela smirked and jabbed at the sniper between his ribs.

"You sure you were talking about the food?" she teased.

"Now now, Sybela. If you aren't going to sleep with him let's not be critical about his wandering eye," the tiger suggested before taking a swig of beer.

"Ugh, gross," the rabbit replied, chopsticks full of sauteed greens with plenty of garlic and hot peppers halfway to her mouth.

"I am literally right here, six inches away from you," Talon reminded them indignantly. "Just cause you have a big cat fetish doesn't mean-"

"And next time you can have the bench so you can observe Maria's well-fed posterior in all its glory. Wasted on a man like me, sadly," Argos declared in a polite whisper before flicking his eyes to the doorway. "And you can stop clicking your talons on the floor; they're here."

Sybela's ears perked up as she checked her lens. Seth had taken himself and Keiko off the grid before departing and now she understood why. "They? You mean he actually brought-"

"Our dear masked friend seems to have found himself a companion in spite of his horribly mangled face," Argos supplied sternly before projecting his voice. "Maria, a couple more beers and another order of karaage?"

Maria turned as a fully masked and robed Seth entered the establishment along with Keiko, who closed the red wooden door full of small, opaque glass panels shut behind them. "Welcome to the Sakura, dears. I'll get that order in for you right away."

"Thank you, Maria," Seth answered as politely as possible given his particular circumstances before leading Keiko to his team's table. Argos spared them a welcoming glance but otherwise kept his wits about him as Talon and Sybela both stared for their own reasons. The jackrabbit quickly turned a questioning glare towards Seth while Talon seemed just as nervous, if not moreso, than Keiko at their meeting. Argos had no such compunctions, offering Keiko the seat next to him as Seth sat next to Talon. Given his various 'conditions', he always took the same seat to protect both his face and his teammates, though such heroics had not proven necessary given the typical clientele of the establishment. Sybela, who had moved to the end of the table where Argos and Talon sat, reached along the underside and confirmed her various countermeasures hadn't been dislodged since their last visit. She felt a bit guilty about leaving them there, but they were discreet enough to go unnoticed by the staff, and a permanent deadzone, however small, was less suspicious than one suddenly appearing in the middle of a restaurant. Regardless of those protections, she still spoke vaguely.

"I didn't think he'd actually bring you along," she remarked neutrally. "Really putting it all on the line Seth, hope it's worth it."

The human watched from behind his mask as Keiko shot him a glance. He turned his head casually towards the two fabric banners that separated the dining space from the restaurant's kitchen and taps. Satisfied that interruption would not be imminent, he replied. "I'm sure I don't need to play the knight in shining armor here, but try to keep the conversation light. I'm paying after all," he reminded them.

"Should we go with that then? You're paying her too?" Sybela wondered with a shake of her head before munching on another mouthful of sauteed greens. "You're all insane."

"I know you're very well acquainted with the principle, long ears," Keiko replied, heeding Seth's advice from their walk over to follow the flow of conversation and keep specifics like names, dates, and places to a minimum. "But I'm not that kind of woman. If anything, you could say I'm more interested in *his* services. Now, since you and I are already acquainted, maybe let your friends introduce themselves?"

"I uh, yeah, yeah that's good. Good idea," Talon agreed immediately, trying to defuse what he saw as a catfight in waiting. It was only then he reminded himself he was speaking to the princess of Alhamkara, and she couldn't help but smile from underneath her cloth hood as he rambled. "You can, well, you know already so you can call me whatever you like I guess. Nothing stops this lot from doing so anyway. I do, well, you already know what I do too so... alright, this didn't work very well."

Argos let out a rumbling laugh as the sniper found his respite at the bottom of his beer glass. "What our feathered friend is trying to say is that he's never seen such a pretty spotted dog before and that he works in IT, does a lot of contracts for the big corporate names. Name's Argos, I work construction. Pleasure to meet you after hearing so much about you."

"Pleasure is all mine. You can call me Sunburst I suppose," Keiko replied with a shy smile as Maria arrived and set a basket of freshly fried chicken before them. She looked at Keiko with an almost motherly expression before serving the drinks.

"And the beers, ladies first. Now I don't recognize your face but if this crew of characters here gives you any trouble you come straight to me, sweetheart. Even they're not foolish enough to bite the hand that feeds, right boys?" she chuckled.

"Now Maria, can't you think of even one pleasant thing to say about us to Sunburst here? How many times have you seen him with a lady on his arm, hmm?" Argos cut in, clearly enjoying himself, his beer, and the company.

"One, Stripes, which is why I'm sayin' it in the first place! But I'll be fair. They're all money good, always tip well too. So if that's your angle you found a decent mark, pup. I sure don't judge. Probably would have gotten into that myself if I possessed more compatible equipment if you catch my drift. Now, is there anything I can get for ya? I assume you'll be having the usual, tall, dark and masked?"

"That would be great Maria, thanks," Seth confirmed before nodding at Keiko. "And maybe a menu for her?"

"Of course of course, silly me," Maria replied, her hand on her forehead. "Been forever since you lot last needed one."

"And a water, please?" Keiko requested hesitantly. Maria smiled at her.

"Will that be tap or a bottle, sugar?"

"Tap is fine, thank you."

"Comin' right up; and I'll get you that menu," the waitress confirmed, turning and heading for the back of the shop. When she was a safe distance away, Sybela shot a pointed glance at Seth.

"So, how much does she know?"

"Enough to not say or do anything incredibly stupid," he replied in a fatigued tone. "Her line of work is similar to ours in certain ways."

"And no mixing work and booze!" Argos added strongly, turning and throwing a wink at Keiko. "Plenty of time for that later, right? Wasn't sure if we'd ever get to meet you in person. Burn unit over there enjoys his secrets sometimes. Glad you convinced him."

"You're sure it was her?" Seth asked Argos before removing his mask just enough to take a sip of beer. Keiko watched closely, noting the satisfied look on his lips as the refreshing liquid touched them. Burn victim wasn't the most convincing story as far as she was concerned, but it was certainly one of the most common ways an individual might lose their fur or hair, resulting in a face of skin. Argos nodded at Seth's question.

"I'm damn sure. Women tend to make us men do things we wouldn't otherwise do. And he doesn't 'otherwise' bring his dates to brunch. It's a pleasant turn of events."

"Doesn't sound like he has too many dates to begin with. I'm sorry we were late. I wanted to be presentable. Oh, thank you," Keiko addressed Maria as the hyena returned with her menu and water.

"Well I'd say it was a success. I barely recognize you," Talon remarked before glancing around nervously. "I mean, you know, from the pictures?"

"Oh, you've been sharing pictures with them?" Keiko asked Seth in a saccharine voice before devolving into light giggling at the farce of it all. Argos leaned across the table and spoke to his friend.

"No need to get so nervous Talon. Women enjoy knowing you're looking at them," he said.

"Yeah, when they look like you," Sybela clarified bluntly.

"That's because he is your type, other than the slight hangup where he's happily married," Seth pointed out. "Have some confidence, Talon. She's just my... date?"

"Oh easy for you to say, Mr. Mysterious," Talon lamented. "No fucking confidence. Ah that's some good chicken though."

"He's so different when he's not on a job," Keiko observed. Argos waved a finger in agreement, popping a piece of fried chicken into his own mouth and chewing quickly before adding his two cents.

"Yeah buddy, why can't you act like that? Get a little bit of that... IT swagger in your step?"

Sybela sniggered as Talon rolled his eyes. "Oh sure, cause every woman just loves being regaled by tales of server farms and hunting down rats in the wires."

"I think women like competence, speaking as one," Keiko remarked, beginning to feel a bit more comfortable as Talon seemed the target of the current conversation. "From what I've heard you do your job well, so I'm sure that one day a girl will come along who appreciates what you do."

"And now it's a pity party?" Talon lamented through another swig of beer as he pointed at Seth. "I think I enjoyed this better when we were about to grill you on sending us pictures of your new girl."

"In my defense, I seem to recall her participating in that little event," Seth observed, but Keiko was ready for him.

"My face wasn't in *that* picture, sweetie," she pointed out, causing Sybela to choke loudly on her latest bite of food while Argos and Talon shared raised brows and devious smiles. The commotion summoned Maria back to their table, another glass of water in her hand for the jackrabbit.

"There you go dear, can't have any of our best customers keeling over in our shop? Have you made your decision, luv?" she asked Keiko.

"I'll have the pork katsu, please," the wild dog requested, looking around the table. When no one exhibited strong reactions to her choice she nodded her head again. "Yeah, the katsu."

"Course, sweetie. And do you want just the pork or the full meal? Synth or original?" the plush hyena asked.

"I'll take the full meal please, original meat."

Maria chuckled warmly as she took Keiko's menu from her. "Nothing like living large when he's payin', right? I'll get that started right away. And are you fine with your drink?"

"Yes, thank you," she confirmed, her reply sending Maria back to the kitchens as the other patrons in the establishment at that hour, a couple of jackals in pressed suits enjoying an early lunch, called for their tab. Talon and Argos took the opportunity to return to the prior conversation.

"And now that Sunburst has her food on the way, let's talk about how you've been holding out on us, Buns," Argos suggested, glancing around the table. "Sounds like you were the recipient of a certain picture. You and the new girl butting heads already?"

"None of your business, big guy," Sybela insisted. "And people shouldn't be sending things they don't want seen by others."

"Hmm? I don't mind. You can send it to them if you want. It's not like I trust you. We've just met after all," Keiko pointed out.

"And in time I'm sure you will come to trust her as I have... conditionally," Seth cut in in an attempt to defuse the situation. "I hoped that we could just enjoy a meal together today."

"Alright alright, I forget you guys have it rough on night shift," Sybela replied coyly before snacking on a bit of rice with soy sauce. "So what happens now?"

"Exactly what I said," the human replied. "We enjoy a well earned meal and we wait. There are several individuals who still need to review our latest work before we take on a new job. It's not often sign a contract with one of our client's competitors."

"Yeah yeah, you're right. No work at the table," Argos agreed before raising his sizable beer glass. "Since it hasn't been done yet, let me be the first to officially welcome you to the group, Sunburst. He even put on his nice mask for you today. I'd say he likes you."

"Yeah I'll drink to that. Could always use another reason when someone else is paying," Talon agreed. "Maria, another round?"

"Comin' right up!" the waitress confirmed, wiping down one of the other tables before clearing away their used glassware. Argos handed off his empty mug with thanks before returning his attention to Keiko.

"I know he's a little bit on the quiet side, but tell us a bit about yourself. Any hobbies you enjoy? Besides our companion here, of course," the tiger fauna chuckled.

"Yeah, he's alright. I don't mind less talkative men," Keiko agreed easily, finding the former Sekhama to be the easiest by far to converse with. She didn't blame Seth for being more reserved when out in public and behind a mask all day, but that didn't make things any easier for her when dealing with Sybela and her own history with the mercenary, not to mention Talon's awkwardness. "I enjoy horticulture, actually. Natural greenery really helps with the tedium of administrative work."

"Is that right?" Argos responded. "Reminds me of an... old job of mine, before I moved to construction. Office was in a beautiful part of the country, lots of trees, flowers, bushes, really nice spot. Even proposed to my wife under one of them!"

"Sounds like she said yes. Congratulations."

"Ah thank you, thank you. Yes, for better or worse she did say yes," the tiger agreed, some melancholy creeping into his voice. Keiko wasn't planning to ask but he continued on anyway. "I do miss it, that old office complex. But you know what they say about good things, right? Just like this beer they always come to an end."

"And that's where I come in, sugar," Maria winked, arriving with another cold glass full of the bright amber liquid.

"May humanity smile upon you, my dear!" Argos thanked her, his next drink leaving a fine moustache of foam along the front of his lips. "Ah, nothing beats that first sip. Now where was I? Ah right, the ending. Well, if you're in administrative work, Sunburst, I'm sure you've butted heads with coworkers or your boss before, right?"

"You have no idea," Keiko replied, taking a small measure of delight in their little game of subterfuge as Maria returned to their table with her and Seth's meals in hand.

"Pork broth ramen with black garlic and extra spice for you," she began, placing the steaming bowl full of noodles, pork, and vegetables in front of him. "And the katsu for our newest guest. The soy sauce there is for your rice, dumplings, and vegetables. And that thicker sauce there is for your pork. Let me know if you need anything else!"

"This looks wonderful. Thank you," Keiko said, echoed by Seth and the two picked up chopsticks and began to eat, with the latter pulling his mask away from his face as minimally as possible for each bite. When neither Sybela or Talon seemed like they wanted to jump into the conversation, Keiko took a piece of the sliced, fried pork, dipped it gently in the appropriate sauce, and prompted Argos before popping it into her mouth. "You were saying?"

"Ah, just that all good things come to an end. We had a very important job to do and my boss and I didn't see eye to eye on how to get it done. Things boiled over a bit and even made a local paper or two. Couldn't really stay around after that but the bastard lost his job too, so that's some small consolation. Miss all those trees though. Hard to find anything like it nearby."

"Oh by humanity this food is going to make me plump! As for those trees, I'm sure someone's still taking good care of them," Keiko assured him after finishing her first bite of what she could only describe as common comfort food. "Maybe one day you could go back and visit?"

"Ha, I'm not so sure about that but it's nice to think about," Argos replied wistfully. "Glad you enjoy it. We've been coming here for a while now, in case you couldn't tell. Good grub, reasonable prices, minimal foot traffic. And I mentioned the beer, right?"

"Only with every other breath," Talon pointed out. "Let's dig in for real, I'm starving!"

"And then maybe you can tell me about your line of work. IT is very important at my company as well," Keiko suggested, letting them all think about it as she dug in in earnest. The rest of the team seemed content to focus on eating for a time, with promises of later conversation. A few minutes into their meal, Maria stopped by again.

"Do you dears mind if I turn the volume on?" she asked, pointing to a holoscreen hanging from one corner of the restaurant's ceiling. "Looks like something serious this time."

"Not at all, Maria," Seth replied, turning his head to find the well known daytime anchor of the capital's leading news organization delivering a breaking report. They all looked up as Maria unmuted the screen and the well dressed female antelope delivered the news.

*Stunning scenes from downtown today as the crown's Sekhama surrounded the block containing Psygenics Ltd's corporate offices, barring all foot, vehicle, and aerial traffic from the site. Footage obtained by Channel Four appears to show multiple high ranking members of Psygenics' Board and chief officers of the firm, including the CEO, being led from the building in handcuffs. Similar scenes have been reported at the homes of multiple well known scientists employed by Psygenics, which is one of the nation's top suppliers of azure based medicines and therapeutics. These events follow a tumultuous night in a nearby residential district, where Sekhama special forces reportedly assaulted an apartment complex with accounts of heavy arms fire coming from bystanders. Dozens of casualties are rumored but unconfirmed in that incident, which preliminary reporting indicates was a targeted action against a technology cartel known as the Oro. The group has been a pre-eminent supplier of cheap and affordable network gear for several years now. We have been unable to reach anyone within the organization for comment.*

"Huh, that's one way of describing them," Argos scoffed, visibly displeased with the news report's sanitized description of the mnyama. Sybela kicked him under the table with one of her oversized feet.

"Trying to listen here," she said, her eyes glued to the screen. "Every so often they get something right. Broken clocks and all that."

*We go now to the Palace's Jade Garden with our royal correspondent Saj Sagguruti, where the Sekhama's Commander, Idris Octavia, is about to deliver a briefing on the situation. Saj?*

The handful of individuals in the restaurant quickly tuned out the orangutan's self-introduction, focusing instead on Idris Octavia who stood behind the podium in his full set of ceremonial armor and prepared to deliver a no doubt sanitized account of events. Maria sighed and fanned herself with a spare menu. "I don't care what they say about cat boys and their spiky cocks, that is one steaming hunk of man. And I do love them in uniform. Hope y'all don't mind my saying. Isn't he recently divorced too?"

"Hear that Buns, you're not alone," Talon whispered, earning himself a sour look from the team's net hacker.

"No, I'd say yearning for Octavia is a fairly popular pastime these days," Keiko remarked, taking the comments about her Sekhama's commander in stride. "But you'll all have to get in line behind the Matriarch, way I hear it."

Maria clicked her tongue and shook her head. "That just figure's doesn't it? Can't even let a girl dream, can they?"

"You never know. I've heard all sorts of saucy stories about what the Matriarch and her staff like to get up to. Entertaining a waitress for the night probably doesn't scratch the surface," the princess remarked with a smirk. Maria returned it.

"You got yourself a keeper here, Mr. Mask. I'd do it in a heartbeat, but who am I to come between those two? Oh I hope there are some good tabloids out later- oh, sorry," Maria quieted as Sybela cleared her throat loudly. Whatever Octavia had prepared it was exceptionally brief, both on account of secrecy and the inevitable bombardment of questions from the press.

*Commander Octavia, is there any information you want to share with the people of Alhamkara regarding the disappearance of Princess Keiko?*

Seth squeezed Keiko's thigh under the table and she rolled her eyes at him in reply. The commander looked no more impressed with the reporter in question.

*When we have any news to share with the public we will do so directly and promptly. We are examining all available leads and working in conjunction with Lord Torando and his nation's intelligence services to locate the Princess. In the meantime, I again encourage any citizens with information to come forward immediately. You may do so anonymously and I would like to take this moment to remind everyone that the crown rewards loyalty and punishes criminality with equal fervor. Next question, yes?*

*Commander Octavia, what is the connection between last night's raid and the current activity at the Psygenics Ltd offices? Actions currently being undertaken by soldiers under your command appear to violate several royal charters concerning the rights of Alhamkara citizens.*

Octavia's impassive expression turned to a threatening frown as he answered. *I would like to reiterate, as I have many times before in this venue, that all Sekhama are held to the highest standards of professionalism as they carry out their duties to protect* all *citizens of this nation. I am not at liberty to discuss details of either operation at present, however what I can say is that we have actionable intelligence that suggests the bringing of blasphemy charges against several individuals may be appropriate. In light of these circumstances we are ensuring that all of those who are guilty face the crown's justice, and that all of those who might be tarnished by association have the opportunity to prove their innocence.*

"Wait, did he just say blasphemy? He said blasphemy, right?" Talon squawked, looking around the table as Maria's face lost all trace of playful adoration.

"Yes he did," Seth confirmed coldly, tension in his voice as Keiko watched the screen unblinkingly. Octavia had been swarmed by a dozen questions at once at the mention of blasphemy charges, and a handful of Sekhama were forced to step forward and restore order to the press conference. Octavia, of course, just stood there with an imperious frown on his face. "That is... unexpected."

"Who knows, maybe they found something in the basement," Argos joked without humor as Maria shook her head and turned away.

"Always knew something was fishy about those Oro characters, up to no good like the rest of the mnyama. But blasphemy? Can I get you dears anything? This ain't good talk for a place like this."

"Your company is enough, Maria. We'll let you know," Argos replied, earning a wide smile from the waitress and a groan from Talon.

"How does he do it?!"

"Later," Keiko snapped. The rest of the team looked between her, Seth and Talon to see if the men would allow such an outburst. She huffed and placed two fingers against her temple. "If you really want, I can try to teach you how to talk to girls later."

Seth leaned forward, his elbows on the table. "I believe what Sunburst is trying to say, Talon, is that your woes with the fairer sex pale in comparison to what happens if the crown, in the midst of a national emergency, declares a crusade."

"They wouldn't dare! Would they?" Sybela asked. "Would they?!"

"The male heir died years ago and Princess Keiko, the one hope of achieving a diplomatic alliance and continuity of rule via her own potential son with Lord Torando, is missing. Of course they would if they felt they could," Argos opined, shooting a deadly look at Seth. "This cannot continue."

"No," the masked human agreed. "No it cannot."