Of Contracts & Companies

"Diana, are you sure this is the right course of action? Did we not have an agreement with one Chen Kimyōnakama about keeping my particular existence a secret?"

Three woman sat at a circular table in one of the back rooms of Iwatomics Incorperated, each with a cup of tea and scroll in front of each of them. The woman who just spoke, with skin of silver named Irene took a sip of tea while the porcelain-skinned woman many called Diana spoke. "That agreement is still in effect, and while you are similar, you were based off of a personal design I made before the acquisition compared to your brothers and sisters. We have also put in the counter measures to make sure you are not able to be plausibly connected in case they did find out what you are before I am ready to publicly reveal it."

A woman with no unique skin tone, but soot and cooled cinders covering their clothes spoke next. "I agree with the maiden, I still think that this is a bad idea." Her name, Titania, happened to be the right-hand woman of Iwatomics and the forgemaster, was crossing her arms in a huff, the cornern that wasn't already spoken in how she carried herself.

The second woman spoke up once again, her careful hand picking up her cup and gesturing to the scrolls. "Then we will face that bridge when it comes to it, but the contracts must be tested. Now, I believe that they will be arriving soon, so for now we will have to call this meeting to a close." Diana would stand up and look to her companions. "Irene, you already know what to say. Titania, I trust you will keep what we discussed earlier secret, as usual." Both would nod. "Good. Then this meeting is adjourned."

Getting up from their seats, Diana and Irene made their way to the front of the store, the place closed for the day, the store's hours shortened to let those with family rest up for the busy work day tomorrow. Irene matched Diana's walking cadence the entire way, like a child would try to match their parents, and once they reached the front they would flip the sign from 'pickups only' to 'closed' and they made their way to outside. Taking a seat on a bench in front of the store, the two of them would sit down in sync and wait for what was second strangest part of Diana's life as of late: her students.

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185/185 CP
unique NPCs

Slowly opening his eyes, Adam stared at the roof. He didnt want to get up, however he had no chance of not doing so. After all, the meeting of today way important, and he didnt want to loose the opportunity he was given. After all... Not only did Adam see that Diana seemingly cared about him, but also did he make so much money that he was able to buy himself an entire room full of whiskey if he wanted.

Dragging himself up from his couch he looked at the description he had been given or rather sent. Mumbling "Iwatomics Incorporated..." he grabbed one of his nicer trenchcoats. After all it was likely that this meeting was a bit more formal then the other times he had seen Diana. Glancing at the mirror he activated his sunglasses as he walked through the door, not before putting on his cologne however.

Walking now through the city in big, yet relaxed steps he looked around the village he called home, as he wondered what it was about now. After all it didnt seem too urgent when Diana didnt get him personally and sent a letter instead. Knowing that he would reach Iwatomic incorporated soon, he checked his trenchcoat as he approached the shop. As he got closer, he realised that there were two other people stiing with Diana. While he didint knew them he was sure that soon he would.

Appraching The bench where Diana was sitting, Adam stopped 2 meters in front of. Raising his reight hand slightly he greeted the persons in front of him:

"Greetings... i hope i am not too soon." Looking at his watch he was one minute early. While it didnt seem too much for him, there certainly were times when 1 minute could make all the difference. Saying: "You said you wanted to talk with me...?", Adam hoped that Diana would lead the conversation from now on.

With the arrival of her student, they would see Diana was not in her usual outfit of shirt & skirt, but instead in a more 'adventure-esk' outfit that she had found to be rather comfortable. Her companion on the other hand was wearing a simple, modified version of what Diana wore, except in nearly all black. In a rare showing, Diana had been trying to keep her use of Chakra Sensory at a minimum, finding that while it was nice to have, she was relying on it a bit much, draining herself by the end of the day, so she instead caught sight of him naturally, waiting for him to speak up first. "Hello Adam, we are in no rush today, so there is no need to worry yourself."

Standing up from the wooden bench, she'd straighten her overcoat and gestured to her silvered, redhead companion who was picking herself up and off of the bench. "Before I explain what we will be doing today, I should first introduce you to my cousin and assistant, Irene Moneta."

Irene stood for a brief second, taking in what Diana had said before curtsying towards Adam, a faux smile on her face. "It is a pleasure to meet you Mister Jensen." As soon as she finished the curtsy, her face became neutral once more as she stood at attention, her eyes fixed on Adam.

Diana made no indication that she noticed her companion's actions, though she'd wait until Irene had finished her gesture to continue. "Irene's purpose for being here will become more clear as time goes on, but I should explain why I summoned you here. I, Diana Moneta as the head of Iwatomics Incorperated, wish to offer you a contract to officially become my student." The neutral tone in her voice made it sound like she had just casually talked about the weather, or that a meal she had just eaten was just 'okay', but her eyes spoke differently. There was a glint in them, a spark of curiosity to see how Adam would take up his offer. "I understand that this might seem odd as I have requested you for several missions, however as I am not a part of Iwagakure's military but instead an contractual affiliate, I cannot simply request for you to be on my team." There was more she could say, but she'd wait and see how Adam responded before she would continue.

Laying his head slightly to the side, Adam waited patiently while Diana introduced him to her companions. As soon ad Diana was at introducing Irene Moneta, Adam took a step slightly forward, offering a handshake with his gloved hands, as he said: "Pleased to meet you MS Moneta And Adam is just fine.", in his calm and deep voice.

As he brought his face and eyes back to Dianas direction, he was feeling strange. As a few strong thoughts went through his head he was trying to make a sense out of the situation. After all, it had to be a joke of some sorts. Adam wasnt too skilled about anything too particularely, and the things e knew, he was certain that there were multiple people at the ready to do better then him. As he let his eyes wander around the faces of the people that were there, it became clear to him that in fact it didnt seem to be a joke. Supressing the urge to take a sip out of his trusty canteen, he waited as Diana explained further. By the end of her sentence Adam continued to stare at her for a few second, before asking: "Why?" Adding quickly he explained: "Dont get me wrong here, i will accept if the contract is favourable, but you dont seem like a person that needs help from someone like me... So what would you have out of it?" , with an indifferent facial expression.

In his mind adam was back at when they made the missions together with Aji and Kaori. In any circumstance Diana was the leading force, while Adam and Aji were support and even then, only when Diana left them any people they had to fight. Diana clearly was in a different kind of league then Adam.

When Adam had offered his hand, Irene took a few seconds, and reciprocated the handshake with a firm grip that betrayed the strength of her petite-looking nature, a grip strong enough that would make it clear she did not like personally him, but not strong enough to actually hurt him. "Very well Mister Adam.". If Adam were to try and release the handshake early, she wouldn't stop him. Diana had taken an interest in the magnet man before her, and she would respect the choice her 'cousin' had made. After a few good seconds she'd let go, then pull out a handkerchief to wipe her hands on.

Diana had expected some resistance to her offer, and she was glad to see Adam was cautious, if not still a little disappointed that he hadn't immediately taken up the offer (though she'd've likely been disappointed a little by that for different reasons.). Did he not expect her to take on a student, let alone him? That's what it sounded like, which made her wonder if it was him misunderstanding her, or him Adam holding himself back. "I can understand how this would seem odd, but just because I am able to handle many things does not mean I will be able to do so forever, and it is natural for those who are more experienced to teach those less so."

Diana would motion for Irene to go and prepare the scrolls, a simple glance enough to let her maid know that Diana had indeed seen the stunt she had pulled before looking back at Adam. "I want to see what you can accomplish Adam Jensen. Time and time you have shown your potential, even when against a threat that could dwarf you. Yes I was there, but that did not mean the danger was not there either. There is more, both as to what I wish to give you as my student as well as what I want you to do for me, but I doubt that you want to stand around while we discuss this. Come."

She'd motion for him to follow, and if he did so she'd lead him into the store and to the room she had been in earlier. Irene was already inside, with a large scroll that was about the same size as herself, carried with one hand, her free hand holding a much smaller scroll. The room itself would be nothing special, just a crystal & steel table in a generic meeting room. Motioning for Adam to sit down, she'd take her own seat as Irene set down the small scroll onto the table. "The contract is fairly simple. In exchange for becoming my student, I will be giving you access to prototype Iwatomics technology, of which I would like to reveal but cannot at this time. There is more to it then just that, but that is the basic overview."

While the reaction that Irene gave adam was interesting to say the least, Adam could understand. Just like he had his thing for tobacco and alcohol other people had theirs. As he returned the strong grip fromhis side, mistaking it as a sign of repect, he looked after Irene as she made her way into the shop, before focusing back at Diana.

As he heard Dianas explainations, they all made sense to him, however it still felt like outrageous luck to have found her. After all, when he first met her, he assumed, and still assumes, that she was far out of his class, be it from comparable power, as well as actuall class by societies standarts.

Continuing to listen to Dianas speech, Adam followed her quietly inside the store. Taking a quick look around he took som emental notes as he got lead into a backroom. Taking a seat, preferrable close to Diana, Adam watched as the woman he greeted earlier sat down the small scroll on the table. Deciding that now was about as good as any other time to speak up, Adam asked further: "Anything special in the contract? Things that require me to do some things that i should know off? I wont go against this countries law and people either, if both are aligned the same way."

By his expression it was clear that the questions and statements werent meant as a joke. His morale was something Adam not only was proud off, but also something that he wouldnt give up for, even with his definition of the law being different as most people would think of normal.

Diana would quietly note Adam's continued change in posture from before, and how he was taking her offer. Small as the changes were, she was glad to see he was still open to the idea, even if he wanted reassurances in some form; something she was willing to give him. Motioning to the scroll, she'd speak again. "This is the contract, and inside is a small knife in addition to the stipulations of the contract, so be careful when opening it." If Adam picked up and opened the scroll, he would indeed see the contract as well as a small knife, shaped like an old pen one would use to dip into ink.

On the contract itself, it stated several things, from Diana giving Adam access to techniques that she had learned over the years that he could use, as well as access to Iwatomics facility(s) for professional use. In return Diana would be able to request for his assistance for both shinobi & Iwatomics related duties. While he could refuse these requests, Iwatomics would reimburse him for his assistance in the latter cases, while the shinobi duties would proceed as normal. Some of the listed Iwatomics duties included enchanting, attending training/study sessions, being the 97th in line for ownership of Iwatomics Incorperated in the unlikely case Diana were to perish early, and assisting in coming up with ideas that could improve the average civilian's life. There was more, more minute details, but nothing that should've stood out that she wouldn't address.

Time to avail him of his troubles then. "A fair concern. To address the latter one first, no, there is nothing in the contract that will go against Iwagakure Laws, be they civilian or military. I have no intention from pulling you away from your shinobi duties, nor would I want to, as that would be a conflict of interest and just poor business sense." If he were to look on the second paragraph, he'd find it went into more detail, stating that were he to sign she would be able to request for his assistance, but could deny the request in cases of shinobi, personal, familial, or medical issues as long as he provides a report as to why he could not as soon as reasonably possible (signed by higher ranked shinobi or doctor if either applied).

"As for your former concern, there are two notable clauses you should be aware of. the first is you will be allowed access to Iwatomics Incorperated's summoning contract, of which if you choose to sign will limit what other summoning contracts you can partake in. The other is the alpha or restricted prototypes we work on, of which if you want access to you will need to have a seal applied to you. Said seal will prevent you from revealing what you have learned without my permission through paralysis; a non-disclosure agreement in seal form if that makes it easier to understand." She knew that she was being vague about how the seal worked, but as Adam had mentioned he didn't know fuinjutsu, he likely wouldn't know the loopholes of how to get around the seal's paralysis either. "I understand if you do not want to opt into these two options, but even if you do not want to they will always be available as long as our teacher-student contract is not broken. And just like the shinobi duties, another paragraph down listed the two optional agreements, of which each had a check box.

Diana would give him some time to look over the contract, and ask any more questions that he had. She was in no rush, and she could understand if he didn't want to take the offer.

Taking the scroll and opening it slowly, heeding Dianas warning, he slowly unwrapped it, planning to take out the knife first, before reading the contract. As he reached the knife, he took it carefully and placed it on the table, taking note of the unusual design it had.

As he started reading he stopped occasionally to look at Diana as she explained and answered his questions. By the time Diana made it clear that she had no intention of doing an illegal operation, Adam reached the part of the contract that said the same. With his face lighting up a bit, barely noticeable, Adam continued reading through the contract. As ehe corners of his mouth forming a smile occasionally, he noticed a few things that caught both his curiosity and amused him, such as being the 97th in line for ownership.

As he went through the second paragraph he spotted a few things he didnt like, however in the greater picture they seemed almost laughable and more like inconveniences then anything else. Choosing to not make a fuss out of those parts he continued to read on so began Diana once more with explainations. While the summoning contract wasnt a problem at all to him now, mostly due to tha fact that he has never thought about Kuchiyose before, the part about the seal was much more on an problem. After all, seals could hold anything and given the expertise Diana had shown with her seals, the seal could also have a surprise integrated into them. A surprise that wasnt pleasant. Deciding that he trusted Diana, he simply asked: "So how does that paralasys work? What triggers it? And does it only do that or is there more to the seal? I could imagine that this seal could be abused..." Thinking shortly, his eyes fell on the oddly shaped knife, bringing him to ask: "Is that the reason this knife is here for?"

Deciding that it was also a good time to tell diana of his shortcomings about kuchiyose, he simply stated: "Also i am not proficient with kuchiyose, though i know the concept of it."

As he was finished reading the contract, he decided to wait for Diana to answer his questions, giving her the time that she needed, whil eputting the contract on the table, his fingers touching the material and making a quiet metallic sound.

It seemed her attempt at availing his worries were not quite enough. She wanted to be surprised, she really did, but this was not the first time her seals had brought about skepticism. "The seal is fairly simple. It only responds to you trying to reveal high-level Iwatomics secrets without permission from me, and it is a simple body paralysis that will stop you before you can reveal it, which will relax after a second. Neither I nor others can activate the paralysis after the seal is applied, it is only triggered by your own initiative to reveal what the seal is there to prevent, the spread of specific information." She'd sigh. It shouldn't be this hard to convince a person to have the seal applied, yet over half of those who did have the seal applied showed resistance. Shinobi kept secrets, and as such sometimes one needed ways to prevent those secrets from accidentally being revealed. "I understand it may seem harsh, but Iwatomics is still a company with shinobi origins, and as such I have to protect my assets so that those under my watch still have a job; that is why it is an optional addition to the contract."

She'd gesture to the tool he had also questioned, this one much more understandable as to why he was concerned. "As for the knife, it is there for signing both contracts; nothing more." She'd pause, thinking that Adam might not understand the significance. "The framework of the teacher-student contract is based off of summoning contracts as a whole, of which many use blood to create a more stable link and a legitimacy to the contract itself, though the framework is just to make sure no one can easily tamper with it and not for summoning you." Sure there were some that didn't use it, but given kuchiyose's link to fuinjutsu and the concept of 'sacrifice for power', it seemed fitting. "You will not need to use much blood to write with the pen, a simple prick will be enough for writing a single signature." Really, she was glad that she had made the pen-knife. It would never be put out for sale of course, but for business it was useful. Added a sense of weight to her contracts.

Irene gave a small snort as she heard him say he didn't know much about kuchiyose, of which Diana gave her a side glare, the artificial human recomposing herself in an instant. "That is fine, I can show you the basics if you do sign the summoning contract, but if you wish to understand how to summon stronger allies, you will need to dedicate to learning the skill for a while." She could understand if he didn't want to sign it, a good chunk of her subordinated hadn't yet, and those who did could only use the most basic level of them.

"Ah, right, there is one thing I had forgotten to include within the contract, and that is the matter of a shop. If you plan on opening one, please let me know as I will gladly give you a loan to open one up. As it did not relate to you becoming my student I had not included it in that contract, but If you do, I can have another contract written up in a matter of minutes."

As Adam listened to the explainations, it was what he allready had guessed. While he didnt knew much about seals in general, he trusted Diana enough for that. After all, it didnt even sound too bad and Adam couldnt think of a reason why she would do him any harm. Clearing his throat he said: "Well... i dont feel quite right about that, but whatever. Lets do that. I trust you. So where do i sign that?"

While the thought of giving off blood for some contract didnt sound too appealing for adam, he understood the gesture and fact in relation to summoning contracts. While he had quite a few questions about this still, he decided to tone them done for now. After all he already had made his decision, so the answeres for the questions he still had, had time until another day.

Choosing to ignore irene's surpressed laughter for the time being, Adam listened to the further explainations, while showing Diana with a small nod that he was following and listening.

The last thing however caught his interest. He indeed had plans for a shop, but until now never had the money for it. The funding that Diana offered him certainly had benefits if there wasnt one the chance of him not being able to pay it back. Staring at Diana he asked now: "You arent gonna put me in a cement block if i cant pay the funds back though, right?"

She'd give him the best soft smile she could offer. "I understand your discomfort, willingly limiting oneself is a scary prospect. Yet you do not strike me as someone who would activate it on accident or on purpose, so it is closer to a protection for you then one for me." She'd recall the deal with Chen, black budget wasn't her favorite limiter, but it was necessary. Sacrifice was something one did everyday unconsciously, and while she herself wished that one could achieve without sacrifice, Diana knew that was a far off dream. "As for signing, on the bottom there are two checkboxes for the seal and summoning add-ons respectively, and a proper line for your signature."

When Adam asked about what would happen if he were to be late on payments, Diana assumed he was trying to make light of the situation. "Very funny. No, I would just report the incident and have the law decide the appropriate punishment if we could not come to a viable agreement or compromise beforehand like any other business, though given how hard you pushed yourself on those previous missions as well as you being my student I highly doubt that we would need to resort to that scenario. Besides, concrete is a horrible substance to use against shinobi because of their above-average strength and ninjutsu." It was a poor attempt at alleviation, but it was true. Student or not Adam was an adult, and as such should expect that there would be consequences to defaulting on a loan in line with his work. "And if it did come to it they would most likely just take a cut of your pay out of your salary to pay off the loan as you have shown to be a reliable shinobi when on missions with me."

Seeming as if there was no more questions, Diana would try to finalize the agreement. "Once you sign and mark the checkmarks, we can begin both the sealing as well as the signing of the summoning contract." If and when Adam signed the contract with the pen, the blood would glow for a moment before turning black like ink, and then Irene would come over and open the summoning scroll for him to sign.

"In either case that sounds better then being sent on a diving tour with no way back."

Looking back at the contract now, Adam pulled off one of his gloves and grabbed inside of his trenchcoat, bringing out a small medit, which he opened and put out some plasters in advance. Not becasue of the fact taht he was going to bleed a lot, but rather because of the fact that he didnt want to smear the insides of his gloves with blood afterwards. Brining the knife-pen with his right, still gloved hand, to his finger, he stung himself with it once and held the pen there until is was coated in enough blood.

Bringing the pen down, checking both boxes and giving his signature, he would watch as Irene brought the summoning contract. Waiting for Dianas response and explaianation, he would sign the summoning contract in the way Diana wanted him to do so, drawing a bit more blood if he needed to do so. Afterwards he would bandage the finger(s) he had drawn blood from before, offering to bandage Diana too, if she had to sign the contract with blood too.

Diana would watch as Adam took up the pen and signed the contract, taking the contract once he was finished and giving it a once-over. Everything looked good to go, and as Irene opened the summing contract, it would be revealed how simple the contract was. Even if it was on a scroll, There were rectangular boxes with plenty of names written on it, and if Adam were to search through he'd see not Diana's name first, but second. Irene's name was listed first, except that unlike the other names of which were on the scroll which were in black or red, her name was written in blue and contained no handprint like the others either.

"All right, for signing the summoning contract all you will need to do is sign your name and then place your fingers onto the bottom of the box like the other signatures-no need to prick your fingers for that. Once you have done so a small seal should appear on the back of your hand, indicating that the signature has been accepted. That seal is your connection to the contract, and if it is ever removed you will be temporarily be unable to use the contract until it naturally returns. If you also ever want to move the location of the seal, just think of where you want it to be before you go to bed, and it will be in the correct spot by the time you wake up." Diana would pull her shirt collar to the side, showing her own seal on her neck in the shape of a piston-like seal.

Once Adam had signed the summoning scroll, she'd take the pen and sign her own name using it onto the scroll on the opposite side. "All that remains now is placing the seal. Please open wide and stick out your tongue, it cc3300only take a moment." If Adam did just that, Diana would bring her thumb to the tongue and place the seal, taking only a second before bringing her hand back. "And that is it. As of now you are my student, and as such I have one final gift for you."

Pulling out another scroll she's unseal it, revealing a strange blade that looked like a longsword with a senbon-like launcher attached to it, as well as two stacks of explosive tags, one clearly like the kind any shinobi would carry, and another marked with the fire kanji. "I understand if this is not your normal way of fighting, but having a good backup when you run low on chakra is never a bad option. I will show you how to use these later, but for now, I think that wraps up the official part of this meeting."

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Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal; -20 CP
➤Forbidden Topics: Iwatomics Alpha and Black Budget Designs/Prototypes (without Diana's permission)

Giving Adam:
➤Kaizen Blade x1
➤Explosive Tag Seals x40
➤Katon Tag Seals x40
Item link

Doing Dianas bidding in every aspect and to her liking, Adam not only signed the contract, nodding to her explanations as a sign that he had understood but instead also put his tongue out.

Luckily he had brushed his teeth before he went out and taken a few of his small peppermint drops before he went to the meeting. While it may have appeared strange for others to do this simply in a business meeting, Adam wanted to be presentable, especially towards Diana.

Deciding to not make a remark, or rather a question if Diana had washed her hands before this meeting, he held still as Diana applied the seal onto his tongue. While it was a weird sensation, it wasn't painful, which in this moment was a fact that mattered a lot to Adam.

As Diana unselaed an additional scroll, Adam stood there, dumbfounded for a second, before looking Diana in the eyes and stating: "I-... Thank you Diana..." taking the blade carefully and examining it, he added: "I hope I'm worthy to wield such equipment..."

Taking the item that Diana had generated for him, he got led to the door as the business meeting was concluded, however not before saying his farewells to both irene and Titania. Turning around at the door, offering a handshake to Diana, he stated: "Thank you again for... for everything Diana... or should i say Sensei?"

If Diana answered, he would wait until she was finished, before saying: "Goodbye! Until tomorrow!", and turning around on his way home.

The application of the seal went rather smoothly, all things considered. No full, no flinching, not even a reflexive bite. She did indeed notice the lingering smell of peppermint. Better then that liquor smell she normally could smell on him. As for Adam's internal concerns, her own hands were clean, a small bonus to her strange skin's quality, not that she didn't need to clean them at all, clay in the mouth would have sucked.

Seeing Adam's reaction to her gift made her want to chuckle a bit, but she held it in, making a coughing noise instead. Was it really so strange for a student to be given a gift by their sensei? It was practical and meaningful, maybe he just didn't expect it? That had to be it. "You are welcome, and do not worry if you do not think you are worthy right now. There will be time to practice and show that you are worthy. Make sure to go over the instructions before loading with explosive tags." The memory of watching Titania load it incorrectly and nearly blowing the weapon up, while funny in hindsight, certainly was not in the moment.

With Adam about to leave, Titania gave a small wave as she was occupied with several Iwatomics employees, and Irene merely nodded. Diana would accept the offered handshake, a grip that was much, much kinder then her subordinate's. "Once again, you are welcome, and until tomorrow my student." She'd guild him out, and once Adam had left and said his goodbyes she would close the door.

Turning back to her two companions, she would give a grunt, catching both of their attentions. Titania would finish up her conversation with the employees, while Irene set down the summoning scroll before making her way over. "See, everything has worked out. I have a student, Adam has a new sensei, and the Iwatomics family has grown stronger as a whole." Titania gave a sigh as Irene raised an eyebrow. "I just hope your intuition is correct that he is a good man Diana, for all of our sakes." "Indeed Miss Titania. Now, if you are done gloating 'cousin', I have to place the scroll back." "Yes, yes, I am done. If you need me, you both know where I will be."

{Exit}