tosses her a slice of charcuterie.

“ baguette or focaccia? take it from me, the ham slices here are to die for. ”

your cat is cALLED MARA

​Yes, YES, she is! I didn't name her, it was already given to her by the rescue I got her from. But in HSR, it always makes me laugh, and I do say it to her often, just in that silly pet voice and I go 'It's good you're nothing like the evil mara that plagues our poor Bladie who we love so very much. (She's a Tortie, so she's quite talkative, so she'll usually meowpurr in response here) Yes, I know, we feel very bad for our Bladie--"

But she's exceptionally sweet, she's almost 16 now and as a typical pet owner, I must now showcase little miss to the world:

'Locate: Kafka' had been the directive given to Diting by the Trailblazer at the behest of the Xianzhou Luofu authorities. It is this very same order that propelled the bionic dog forward with purpose as the events unfolded. Due to it's relatively small stature, the speed in which it is able to proceed with is greatly reduced.

Yet what it lacks in size and speed, it makes up for in perseverence as well as resourcefulness. In order to accomplish its mission, Diting climbed into containment blocks, wandering until it caught traces of the stellaron hunter's scent again. When it finally tracks her down, there is little hesitation in the bionic dog wiggling inside. 

"WOOF!!"  There is a sense of satisfaction in having completed its task. Soon followed by an expectant bark as it awaits further input, dangling from Kafka's grasp. 

@kafkaisms asked: " poor darling. "

"Control   your   fiendish   pervert!"   

CONTROL   HIM,   she   says.

"I see. Always trying to ensure the tactical advantage is kept, no?"

Within this moment he'd reach form, allowing his hand to fall upon the box of IPC specialized condoms. He's likely aware this holds the most horny brand of technology made, all in the name of Credit worthy, for why would the IPC exist if the goal wasn't to allow people to get the bang for their buck?

However, there was a moment's hesitation as he gently lifts the box from Kafka's hand. He knows she truly means well, but in the same vein, there should be a little more faith shared for the one who intends to conquer adventurous stars with a timeless tale. "Appreciated, but unwarranted. I've made sure that all my avenues are considered. This here? It's no different. You know there's a path where the fire and forge runs strong, where enclosing and isolating are very important. I have an ability to keep things contained."

"While things may look bare at a moment's notice.. All it takes is a moment of tempering. Then the question through choice, changes."

"Who's a better brand of protection then yourself?"

Meanwhile, somewhere, in the deep dark void of space:

@kafkaisms

it was a rare thing to find the unnamed in a state of quiet determination. his candlelit gaze flickered to kafka’s perpetual look of amusement, finding a quiet understanding there that soothed the foreign feeling of unrest in his stomach. this … passion was a remnant of the craftsman, someone who had died so many many years before, and yet ren found himself aching to bring this piece to life. the designs, lifted from blade’s worn sketchbook and onto holographic blueprints would haven yinging a week to finish, less if he didn’t sleep, but blade had to be realistic. even with stabilizing gloves, a 3D printer for assistance, and enough morphine to kill a small infantry, designing kafka a newer weapon would still pose as a challenge.

trying to replicate the ingenius of his past self had come with many a frustrated and bloody bout of mara flare, for not all of it lie with the unjust state of his being and a missing sentence of justice. some of it lie in the grief of a life lost, and an existence that was too painful to bear. with this much more vulnerable shadow of emotion, ren left in her care, and with it too the sight of bare, unbandaged hands, elegant in design, marked with the organic smears of charcoal beneath his fingers. the new set of rifle and sword would be lighter, and more powerful. ren thought about where to source the ore himself, biting onto bandages and pulling them tight as he started to wind the bandages ‘round his hands once more. he wanted it to be perfect for her.

“ you’re sure ? ”

are you sure you can trust me with this ? after all, ren knew better than anyone what use a faulty weapon was.

“   then what are our options   ?   ”

more demand then question, more snarl than words. this wasn’t the tightest spot they’d been in, not by a long shot, but crowded in by the enemy like this under an order to limit casualties definitely added pressure to their objective. ren protected kafka while she secured the information, this he was well versed in, but the barrage of mechanical guards was becoming overwhelming. one fell swoop would have them sliced to scrap metal in one move, but instead ren was holding the closest attacker to the security room off, sparks flying as his sword ground against the robot’s arm. the lights flashed red, the building’s security ringing that shrill alarm. this had been in one of the possible scripts, but blade was anticipating skipping over this particular ending.

“   kafka –   ”   a deep guttural noise, arms straining against the guards and the three rows of identical security behind it.   “   how much longer ?!   ”

@kafkaisms.