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RP [Love Day] Date a Dinosaur

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Zack

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Love Day, Early YE39

Toyoe Tsuguka's Princess Class Yacht, In Orbit Around Planet Yamatai

Ever since the results of the blind dating draw had been announced, Heram J. Wazu had found himself unexpectedly accompanied by a bodygaurd. Technically speaking this had all started during down time, but a certain Nito Heisho was taking no chances over his saftey.

The trip had been silent and uneventful, the decour industrially sparse for what was supposed to be a luxury vessel. Still, there was a candle lit table already set up in the master suite, and a whole pile of turquoise frilly cushions in the style of an obnoxiously typical neko nest. The only thing against it looking like a sitcom set was the stacks upon stacks of unmarked cardboard boxes.

Tsuguka herself was across the totally empty lounge, working themselves to a sweat over a complex dinner in the galley. The fact that an impulse power armour and a gauss rifle were randomly sitting in the corner was not a cooincidence.

Now all that there was left to do was to pick up their guest...

"I really should thank you for all this effor you have put in. Maybe you could let me cook you dinner later?" Wazu offered.

He didn't quite know what to think. The date had seemed harmless enough, but red flags were being thrown by the reddest of nekos when Wazu had brought it up. It also turned out that Tsuguka had a Yacht, and lots of unmarked boxes, and cooking skills?

There were really far more questions than answers at this point.

But one thing at a time.

At least the decorations of the Yacht were to Wazu's liking. The lack of clutter and clean looking space certainly put him at ease. But he wasn't here to discuss interior design.

"Do you think that Egg-ew-chi is going to be dangerous enough to warrant additional security? My personal backups are up to date if the worst should happen.

... My dates don't normally go that bad."

"Have you reveiwed their service records?" Tsuguka just answered flatly, not removing their eyes from the pot of boiling dumplings, bobbing up and down in the water rythmically. The woman herself gripped the spatula like an axe, and was wearing their excercise uniform rather than anything romantic or formal; Probably to get that armour on in a hurry, no doubt. "Flunks at every occasion, no team skills, pretty much just knows how to kill things... To be honest, Yonto Hei Eisei Eguchi reminds me of myself... Only I would never swap sides."

"Also, you've been known to take lots of drugs." The red woman finally turned around, voice entirely matter-of-fact whilst pointing the utensil at him. "I'm... Let's just say I'm here to keep things on schedule. To deal with surprises."

-Everyone is only ever on their own side-.... Wazu was able to stop himself from saying that outloud. It sounded jaded, even to him. Tsuguka may not be the best person to bring up deeper questions of loyalty with. -You would not understand. You are a neko-. Also sub-optimal, this also was not the time to discuss the usefulness of stimulants like white-tear. Human militaries tended to run on the stuff. He considered speaking up about keeping the date on schedule... but he certainly was not the person who should be lecturing anyone on how to have a proper date. His longest lasting relationship was because he was literally the only man on that planet.

Ok, well do not just stand there like an idiot.

"I have not reveiwed the service records. I did not think I would have access in the first place."

Truthful. Good start. This did not require overthinking.

"I would like to go into this somewhat fresh. Not have too much of an idea of who I am dealing with until I meet them in person."

There was plenty more to comment on, Tugs did look cute in a workout outfit, trying to cook with an intensity usually reserved for a firing range.

"Besides, how bad could it possibly be? You make it sound like she just has not yet found her niche yet."

"Fair enough. But, I feel like that kinda logic is why we always end up doing the smash and grab." Tsuguka responded instinctively, mind in work mode as always. Despite how those peircing eyes normally tended to bite at another's internal thoughts, they were quite evidently reserving themselves to this duty for the day, which might have been for the best. "Honestly, it doesn't matter, though. If you don't feel like taking security seriously, then... Well, that's why I am here. I have no qualms about it litterally being the meaning of my existence."

The vessel didn't have many windows, as was standard for a Yamatai craft, but one could feel the slight vibration and heat making it's way through the floor pannels. The autopilot was taking them into atnosphere.

"We should have exactly seven minutes before we arrive at the meeting point." The red neko pointed back and forth with the spatula again, but this time at Wazu's feet, and upwards to his torso in a circular motion. "Is this the garment that you have chosen? Not what I would have selected... But then again, the concept of a tuxedo or a three peice suit is apparently seen as intollerable these days also."

Looking down at their own waist, then back up to the slightly taller man, all that could really be read from her face was that she had forgotten to bring an apron.

"There may be a pair of blue jeans and casual black t-shirt still in the suite, if you want it." Another uncharacteristically soft look... Was she being... Protective of this comparatively old, slightly rough-around-the-edges human? "They do not belong to me, but they would fit a masculine scale. Cleaned, of course."

"You know I have served in the military before." Wazu said, feeling somewhat defensive, "I have more ground combat experiance than the rest of the Eucharis put together. Maybe."

That completely missed his point. He knew it. Tugs probably took offense. As always there was plenty to unpack. Perhaps it was best to start with the choice of clothing.

"The Tuxedo is the heavy armor of the social world. It is not something you use for every occation and for a date like this it would be over kill. I could make her feel underdressed for the situation, or come on too strongly which would just feel rigid and forced.

The goal is to put the other person at ease, while at the same time conveying my own sense of style and values.

This is mainly done through the shirt. Simple. A near black color. Some basic lettering to show that I put some thought into the outfit and did not just grab a blank undershirt. Slightly humorus, again to tie into the theme of relaxing."

Wazu would tap the upper part of the shirt, it had a little bit of moving text on it, the inbuilt display showing the Eucharis logo and the words "OFFICAL PASSENGER" next to it.

"However I want to establish that I am not a slob, or that I lack the ability to dress myself. This is why the shirt is paired with reasonable slacks. A high end brown belt, high thread count socks, and nice brown shoes show that I could afford a suit if I wanted to as I clearly have other accessories in that price range, however I choose not to wear it at this time.

No jewlery indicates that I... am... not a jewlery guy."

Of course, then there was the matter of security.

"What I mean, is that I do take security seriously. I have multiple backups hidden away, and my own infrastructure to house those backups. Yui could not kill me for good even if she wanted to. It also allows me to take larger than normal risks with my physical body.

Which.

If we are going to do this.

It is not a lack of logic that causes your missions to go the way they do. It is a lack of cohesion among your armor team."

Tsuguka listened to what he said without so much as blinking, quite possibly taking notes in their digital mind. They had so little experience with the outside world still, and such a bad history of trying to improvise, that any impartial advice was truely useful at this point.

The actual application to their mission setup, well... That was up for debate, but they weren't exactly an easy person to offend with critisism. At any rate, that was a conversation for another day.

"...Mental backups are never the problem." The red neko did rather change expression upon that perticular consideration, however, turning back to the meal in progress. Chopping shallots with mechanical precision, curling the skin off an onion with one forcefull twist... "It's how to world treats your successor... But... But I guess such morbidities aren't something I can give you advice with solving, either..."

"...But... Well, thank you for the fashion advice, Mister Wazu. It does please me to see you correctly equiped for relaxation."

Wazu smiled, "Well, luckily my people are not big on biomass. A copy is as good as the real thing."

Or at the very least, this Wazu chose not to dwell on such things.

He could see just how precise her movements were. Certainly something he could not reproduce.

"This. Me. certainly is not the original...."

"I'm the original Tsuguka, however-" The woman skirted the darkened triangles on her face, making a short, fleeting forlorn expression. "That's just like saying I'm an limited edition, isn't it? A neko's sense of self it really quite... amusing..."

/// Several minutes later ///

With the clunk of extending landing gear and the dying buzz of anti-gravity systems, the Yacht came to rest within the designated starport pick up area exactly on schedule. Waiting in the lounge was Wazu's computer selected date, who made their way ecstatically towards the windows the minute that the craft had touched down.

Seconds latter, before the loading ramp had even hit the floor, the girlish thing had rushed out to meet them, and was waving both arms in the air like a cheerleader.

Long, wavy pink hair, a pale skinny build like an anime heroine, and a fluffy purple dress made ouf of some kind of extravigant shiny plastic material... Not exactly the low-life traitor that Tsuguka had painted them as, but... Well, so utterly Yamatai looking that they went full circle back to being suspicious again.

Wazu's first impression was of one of those sickly sweet things. The near criminal overabundance. She needed to put on a lot to identify herself for others. She either did not quite know herself, or was desperate for some sense of belonging.

Tsuguka also identified her as possibly dangerous. It could certainly be that she was trying to express a desire to be different. Or perhaps just to hide what she was originally.

More information was certainly needed.

"Hi there!" Wazu said, waving one arm in an exadurated fashion much like this guest was.

"You certainly seem excited to be here!"

"Mista Wazoo and Mishuz Tzooga~!" A much too enthusiastic voice peeped back, reaching some pretty shrill tones. Waving ones arms at the girly thing only made their bodily movements grow in exitement, to the point where they were basically charging at the man with an intent to hug-tackle them. Tsuguka put a stop to this by grabbing their backpack, but... Well, it wasn't a backpack at all, it was the gold-plated scabard for a NMX officer sword. "I loofve hearin' all the stories about yu and de Haneeko and da Euchariz! So many goud things you goin' out and doin' for all us on Yamataiii~ I'm so appe I'm gettin' to meet y'all~!!!"

"Is... Is this a weapon?" Wazu's bodygaurd asked the most obvious question possible, now litterally holding a lovingly polished and quite exquisite ceremonial durandium sabre out in their free hand.

"Celeste is my soul-bonded rod of judgement, yah! She protects all that is good in the world, an' keeps me on the right path she does!"

A pause. Tsuguka handed Wazu the blade hilt-first, partially just to get a free hand so that she could grab one of the skinny thing's wrists and examine the inch-long nails it's paws bore. Bearing a simple and bright glint of the eyes, Eguichi only smiled with a mouth full of gleaming white canines, evidently entirely used to the treatment.

"I... erm..." Flabbergasted. A truly rare state for the red neko soldier. "If, erm... Well, you want to go ahead with this, Mister Wazu... Perhaps we can do it whilst she is at least tied up?"

Again, used to it. The flowery, sickly sweet neko was simply electric for being in the presence of what she saw as two heroes.

"I think we should get to know eachother a bit more first before we start with the restraints," Wazu replied, playing it as straight as possible.

There was the question of if she thought she needed a sword for the date.

Perhaps also the question of just who she thought they were exactly.

And her enthusiasum for her 'soul-bonded rod of judgement' certainly made her sound like something from a cartoon... probably a neko cartoon though. Wazu had always been more partial to old episodes of Phalanx Philip.

"How about we sit down and eat? You can tell us all about your sword and we can uh..." Wazu had to stop himself for a moment, "Well. I am sure there are some stories we can share with you"

"...Oh, I'm Yonto-Hei Eisei Eguchi. Did iye menchun that?" The delivery was a little odd, as if practiced in front of a mirror. The way that she said 'yonto' was also fantastically too proud, as if glad just to be in the military still at all. "I'm bouncing roun' a lot at the minute, but... Well, I'm bound to hit my stride soon'er ur later! Thanks for no bein' judgementals!"

After this, they did at least unravel the sling from their shoulders and allow Tsuguka to take the scabbard itself, then offered a dainty hand towards Wazu, ushering him to lead her up into the warm embrace of the ship before them.

No stopping their body from writhing with joy and those cheap transparent plastic heels from clattering around, though. It was a good job the neko could float, because it didn't look like she put effort into standing upright like a normal humanoid.

"You cook and everythin' just for me, Mista Wazoh? You are supra kind!" Another squeeky tone. "I wusgunna get you a prezunt but... but... Well I'm not very good at arts'n'crafts and words and stuff, and, well... Not... Not much monies for me right noaw neither..."

Tsuguka just stared. Having barely been exposed to daytime TV, pretty much everything this little fairy did was unfamiliar and suspicious to them.

"Tsuguka was the one that insisted on cooking tonight." Wazu replied, "And your company will be present enough."

She certainly seemed adorable. Struggling. Things just not quite working out for her but still intent on pushing forward. It seemed that sickly sweet cuteness first impression was pretty close to accurate.

He would take her hand, and lead her up into the ship, escorting her as if she were a princess,

"So what is your thing? If arts and crafts do not suit you then I am sure something else does."

"Murderin'." The girl said as flatly as possible, flying completely in the face of her otherworldly getup. Dillusional, possibly, but not dishonest. She had grasped the man's gentlemenally approach and seemed extremely pleased with the effort, too. "I like doin' a singin' and writin' bout some adventure roleplay stuff on the SYNC, well, that puts me minds at sleep, but... Well, those squids don't do more carin' bout how much readin' and writin' they done taught us, right?... So I figure as long as I'm doing a goodness by my murderin', then, ya, maybe it okay in the end..."

"But I do wish I had that science brain like you. Or Ha-neko's brain for them leadings... Just not meant to be."

Another smile, and a doe-eyed angling of the head.

Tsuguka followed them dilligently until they reached the lounge area once more, but was forced to depart in order to see to the dinner. Of course, Wazu would know that they were still connected to the security system, and was doubtless still watching them.

Eisei looked around the vessel with unending vibrance, though perhaps confused why it was so empty inside. Her heels dragged along the pannels as Wazu was allowed to guide her along, acting like a teathered baloon.

"You get many people askin' to see youz all in pershun?" The pink-haired one finally asked, breaking from exploring the place with her eyes to explore the legendary human instead. "I felt so lucky when I got hyue on dat dating thing, I'm notta goaana lie. Iye did a cry cause ofe that."

They squeeked just at the sight of the romantic dining setup. The idea of them crying over the simple concept of meeting Wazu was entirely beleivable.

"It sounds like you are quite happy... with the murderin'... Do you think you would be that much happier just thinking about how to murder? Or or organizing other people to murder?" Wazu asked, leading his date to the table and then pulling out the chair for her.

He should have worn the suit. Her elaborate dress, her comments about wanting something else. It was clear she wanted to feel special. Perhaps she was too ostracised by being NMX? Or maybe it was some deeper desire. Going casual when the date wanted something a little more special would make later in the night a bit more difficult as they were clearly both after something different.

"There are plenty of times that I feel like my science brain has gotten me into trouble. People usually are not that happy to see me.

I miss having simple tasks."

"I'hunno, you sayin' I should be doin' the leadings? Eisei doing a wars?" The girl coiled her hands together, hiding her mouth, though the eyes continued with their intense attentiveness. "Problum is tho, liek, if it's dead easy then... then... Evil seepin' in and makin' Eisei bad too, probably?... I dunno. I don't enjoying doing harms... Well, maybe, I don't think I do, but... If... If I not getting harmed back, then, then, that's not really fair, is it?..."

Eisei was repressing something now, inserting the long pink nail of her index finger between her lips. A child's idea of morality, perhaps, but it was an improvement over the things that the squids had taught her. Heck, probably an improvement over nekovalkyrja supremacists, too.

"...Isn't that worth people being angry at you? If you've secrutlee doin' them some good?..." A slightly more forelorn roll of the eyes along the pretty set peices of the dining table, and then down into their lap. "You've... You've done a real world change, Mista Wazuh. I don' thinkin' you should feel sad 'cuz not everythin' went so purfrect..."

Tsuguka simply appeared at the table with a grim expression, as she was oft to do. Both hands bore wide silver-lined plates, with a selection of delecately prepared food upon them. Minced beef gyoza dumplings, mini-burgers with chicken peices in tempura batter, chow mein with string beans and mayonase... Typically experimental and offbeat, but it did at least smell apetizing.

"What would you like to drink?" The red neko loomed, apparently not caring if they were interrupting some heart-to-heart. "I have bottles of beer both alchoholic and non, aloe vera juice, soda water, ginger ale, some of Planet Hanako's wine, and a bottle of whiskey... Not sure how good the last one is, don't normally touch the stuff... Oh, and we have ice, too."

Wazu nearly jumped,

Tsuguka haddn't made a noise as she approached, he didn't even know she was there until she asked about drinks.

"Just ice water for me. Thank you."

Once Eisei was seated, Wazu would go sit down across from her.

"These all look fantastic, you certainly have put a lot of work into cooking." It was the usual words exchanged to appear grateful. Which Wazu certainly was, but such comments still felt a bit forced, inefficent, weird. He would take a pair of chopsticks and pick up a little bit of everything. The Human clearly having done this before, but not so often that he didn't nearly drop everything he picked up.

He would turn his attention back to Eisei,

"I am saying I think you already have a good feel for what you want to be doing. That thing that you enjoy doing, and that others find useful. If you really want to do science or leadership, then you should persue it... but only if you feel like it is the right thing to do. You should not go after it if you only feel pressured to do so." Wazu would wait for a response after that. Morality was a large topic, one that should wait until the rest was settled.

Eisei fixed her hair a little, stared into the man's green-grey eyes, opened her mouth a little, and then shut it again. They weren't used to having someone respond to their weird diatribes so postively, most likely.

Probably just to stall for time, they took a mini-burger and immediately began eating it from the main plate. They also ate with their mouth open. Probably something to be said about learning your table ettiquite from anime in there.

"...I... Erm... I'm not really good at doin' the thinking, I don't think?" They gulped down a little, then answered quitely, with a lot less of a shrill edge. "It's okay that lotta people are scared of me. I done lotsa bad things. I'm not always a good person, you know?... But then, once and a while, I can transform, and... and... Just do good things that a good person does?..."

"...What... What do you do if the person inside you just wants to do bad things?..."

Tsuguka seemed pretty dejected by the lack of protocol, but avoided further breeches by splitting the remainder of the food between the two dinner's plates. A question like the one being asked seemed to stall them from immediately returning to the kitchen, regardless. They were interested in Wazu's answer just as much.

Wazu nodded, that certainly seemed to fit with the magical girl theme she had going on.

"You would find a healthy outlet for those impulses. If you really want to do bad things, do them in a way that is not harming others.

And if you want to be the one responsibile for the thinking. Then work towards that."

He had to stop himself from comparing thinking to working out. They were a species that did not have to maintain their bodies, and had most of their nessiary skills downloaded since birth. They had no memory of having to learn everything.

"I am not going to say that you should be punished for everything you have done, or that being from the NMX absolves you of your misdeeds.

I also do not want to say morality is complicated. As I grew up, it was always shades of grey, or people trying to rationalize doing the wrong things for the right reasons. But now, I think that may all have just been people trying to rationalize bad behaviors.

We may not always get it right, but we should strive for," Wazu smiled a bit, "Not being the baddies."

Silence. Eisei had stopped eating mid-chew, and a sparkling gloss of tears was rapidly building up in her oversized peepers.

The sound was like a distant wail at first, but grew to an open-mouthed bawling, before the petite nekovalkyrja jolted upright and basically tried to hug him from across the table; Tsuguka caught the girl in mid-lunge and saved both dinners from being flattened, but a shared abbility to fly still let Eisei reach her intended end point of around the Nepleslian's neck. The scientist tapping Eisei's arm, trying to get air as he was smothered.

"uuuuuwwaaaaaaaaaaa!~ I knew you wud understand, mista whazhu! I knew eed---aawwww!~"

"YONTO HEI EGUICHI! STOP THIS!" Was the command that Tsuguka instinctively barked, squeezing tighter around the mid-riff and ending the sudden weeping with a shocked wheeze. "Have some self control, by the Empress!"

Having only just successfully peeled the cotton-candy creature away from the human scientist, the superiorly muscled bodygaurd then forced the girl back into their seat with what could be considered 'medium' force. To be fair, it really could have been mistaken for an assasination attempt.

"Now! Behave yourself!" Another command to the endlessly blushing fairy, a finger weilded like a weapon of mind control. Eisei obeyed physically, but apparently not mentally, still juddering with tears going down both cheeks. "-And tell me what you want to drink already!"

"Surry... Surry... Miss Tsoogookaa..."

"And?"

"....erm.... What does Tsgooogooga like for... Drinkin?...."

"Aloe Vera, normally. But you may not li-"

"I will 'ave that thank you very mutch." A series of deep breaths, obviously trying to combat their racing heartbeat. "...And... And will behave now, surry..."

"Okay." Tsuguka answered simply, giving them a fabric napkin for the sauce now sleeked across their purple frills. Eisei chose to clear their eyes with it instead.

If anyone wanted to find a perfect analogy for chalk and cheese, well, this was it.

"So what do you do for fun?" Wazu asked, after having taken a moment to recover from the attack, "You seem like you are unhappy with where you are at. "

He would briefly make eye contact with Tsuguka, and give her a slight nod to show he was ok, or perhaps that her firm treatment of Eisei was acceptable. Having Tugs watch over him was certainly something he was getting used to, but it also felt a little bit weird to be on a date and having the Red neko watching over.

There was probably some social convetion he was breaking by doing this.

Tsuguka seemed to be staring back at him a little more, perhaps aware that he was disconcerted. But the woman was like a rock, as always, not quite letting any feelings out. If any even existed at all.

Were they being diligent, or merely following protocol by keeping him safe?

"...I...Urm, I like magical girl stuff, but... I guezz that's kyna obviyus?" Eisei was staring at Tsuguka in turn. Not quite an expression of fear, but more like a student not quite sure they were doing the right thing still. They were finally eating with their mouth closed, and actually used the chop sticks other than just their hands. "I do a pretty gud dance and a marchul arts I guess?..."

Another quick look back and forth, before the red neko left to retreive the drinks. The predatory gaze of death had subsided.

"...We... We talkin' about all the big stuff, but... What else you like doin', mishur Wasoo?" A sheepish continuation, nibbling at a mini-burger carefully now. It tasted oddly prefabricated but sweet and crispy in a very rounded sense, as if the host had somehow assembled the atoms wholesale. Adding some mayonase from the odd noodle combination worked pretty well, at least. "I ain't never hear about whut you do in yur spare time... Hwow is Haneko in person? Did'ja ever meet my ol'e freindzu Freyja an Shiho? Lotsa Orrochi peeps got a transfer 'dere I 'ear..."

"Uh. Yeah... How do you know Freyja?" Wazu was feeling an intense and very sudden awkwardness now that he covered up by taking a short drink from the water on the table. He remembered it was not that long ago he had been daiting Yuuko, and it was common for Nekos to brag about previous exploits. However discussing the relationship with Freyja certainly might not go over well.

What to do....

As he set down his glass he resigned himself to just telling the truth. It is what he would want, and he had just given that line about how morality was not really all that hard.

"And Hanako." He paused again. Certainly another complex topic. "She acts a lot like how Yui used to act. It is a little strange seeing it for me. Yui was my first captain, and there are some unresolved issues there... but then seeing Hanako use the same methods to inspire and manipulate. It feels like watching an old movie, and I know how it ends.

How do you feel about your Captain?"

"...Oh, like Yui?... Well, she's da first captyn." Trying to consider what was bascially the origin of their species to be anything less than god-like was a little hard for Eisei. Even Tsuguka seemed to take pause, though not quite as stary-eyed as the smaller girl had become. "My captyians are okay, but... Well, I guess they not trustin' me very muchly..."

"Mish Freyja was still Santo' back then, like all uz was. I think the squad was kinda fast put together, tho, 'cause they basically just firing us at the enemy. Light speed, like..."

"I've reveiwed the records. They were perturbing." Tsuguka was looming again, only just having placed a glass filled with mint-looking opaque green liquid down before Eisei. "There is patriotism and then there is... Well, treating your soldiers like projectiles. They were responding to a colony raid, but still..."

Another pause. Tsuguka had read all of the reports due to those surviving Orochi members being recruited to her own squad. Putting two and two together might have even softened her expression a little, realising that the pink haired girl had lived through that same hell...

But right on time, Eisei made a really gross noise, and the green liquid came out of her nose. She completely failed to drink it. Tsuguka already had another napkin prepared. Of course the little weirdo didn't know it was a health drink.

"Erm... Surry Tsgoogoo.... Have you got any-" "-I'll make you a green tea." The oni interrupted half way. "It's in your records that you like it! Stop trying to impress me!"

"Does everyone have access to everyone else's records?" Wazu had to ask. "... I wonder what they put in mine?"

Though, he did not expect an answer.

"Here I thought everyone in Yamatai loved their captain. It sounds like Orochi members had a different experiance?"

Watching the two of them interact certainly was fun. Perhaps they should have been on the date instead. Classic comedy odd-couple. Both seemed to care more about the people than the mission.

Which certainly did not an easy thing to read in Tsuguka.

"Well I don't have access to that on the Pantheon." The red neko answered, seemingly wanting to make sure that her use of it was seen as purely professional. A kettle could also be heard whistling in the other room, notably, likely something else they accomplished by remote. "At least not unless you're considering a body swap and a change of career, Mister Wazu."

Eisei bunched up a little observing the conversation, waiting their own turn. Also thinking about how to describe some events, though painful, reprosented their genesis into the person sitting before them here and now... Shame wasn't something a magical girl was supposed to feel, so she just plain didn't feel like broadcasting that.

"...She... She was very stern, but her morales were gud morales, they were." A small smile. They ate a little more to get the drink's taste out of their mouth. "I wud follow those orhderz again. I was doin' a good thing... overall, I mean.... I didn' wanna say no."

"So you are saying it just felt wrong?" The red neko spurned her on.

"I'm sayin' itz not somethin a gud person wuddun' do."

A pause. Tsuguka took the aloe vera juice and downed it herself.

"Well, If that is your internal protocol, I guess that at least explains the outfit." An observation. Tsuguka then looked over to Wazu with a sort of beleagured expression. Might as well have been a lawyer, working on the defence for the man's dating material. "...I mean, have you seen her file? That cresent moon on her forehead she chose herself. I'm not sure she dresses any differant normally. Quite impractical."

Rather than being embarassed, Eisei curled her fringe and cupped her face, genuinely smiling. She probably just liked being looked at, rather than the context of why.

"There is a reason she wears it though. You may prefer the ridgid structure provided by the uniform or SAoY branded workout clothing. I tend to avoid the military outfits. She chooses to wear this, not because it is practical but because it means something to her. I do not think I quite know what that meaning is, but I am getting there."

His attention turned directly to Eisei for the moment, "Have you considered what you want to do when your contract is up with the SAoY?"

He was thinking about where she could fit in better. She certainly seemed the type to prefer police work over military duty. Maybe there was a spot for her on 188604?

Wazu quickly banished that thought.

Uso would have been a bad influence.

"One of the things I have been wanting to do is load up a ship with medical technology and start helping people by providing modern medicine and mental backups."

"I simply dislike vanity." Tsuguka answered honestly, before returning back to the kitchen again. "A military outfit is simply as valuble as it's level of practicality. I do own others, you know..."

Eisei blinked slowly whilst considering this question, but simply came up blank.

"I've tried other thingzu. I'm not very good at outside life Iym' fraid. I donnut think I was built ta think like that." A coiling answer, moving their head around whilst they continued to munch away. Considering nekos were supposed to have small appetites, they were really going for it. "Had a job as a waitruss once. I don' think I'm so good with people... You sayin' I should join this new ship, though?..."

Clockwork. Tsuguka was back in seconds, with the green tea in hand. Eisei sipped it meekly, and seemed to thuroughly enjoy it, despite the red one's feirce gaze.

"If you are looking for a change, I am certain I can help." He offered, "You just seem like you want something besides what you are doing now.

I am not going to lie and say anyone can do anything, but you should try new things. The SAoY is a very narrow set of what life has to offer... even waitressing. Well. Where did you waitress and what did you not like about it?"

Wazu tapped his fingers on the table for a moment,

"Tsuguka, I think I could go for a drink."

"What would you like, sir?" Tsuguka just answered with their standard unintentionally glowering eyes, whilst Eisei did the exact oppisate and still looked starstruck.

"I did a liddle at Akemis for a while. Met Uso on... wun-eight-eight-four-six-seven, even... Not sure if he just wanted me as a body, or a bodygaurd, or whut..."

Something suddenly seemed to perk their interest with that train of thought, and the wee pretty neko found themselves looking at all the random cardboard boxes about. Why did the shapes and colours of some of them look so familiar?...

Wazu sat up a bit, that feeling of impending doom just radiating off of Tsuguka oppressively as she looked down at him, "Just. A whisky will be fine."

As he looked at Tugs, he'd overhear those names from Eisei. The first one sounded just a bit familiar, while the second sounded a lot a bit familiar.

Being around Uso would certainly explain a few bad marks on Eisei's file.

"... Right! Akemi... he runs that burger joint and brothel? Why did you end up leaving Uso's crew anyways? Akemi not a good fit?""

"He wus nice. Reaully reaully nice~." Eisei savoured the warm memory a little whilst sipping her tea a bit more. "But he not interested in bigger pichure I dun' think... Vacation time also ran out. Plus shelleee-ko also tellin me that's probs illegal to do another job... Yeah, that's why Iye got demoted... But that's okay. I don' think I coulda settled in anyhow..."

Tsuguka returned with an entire trolley filled with various drinks bottles a moment later, all with their own little cabinates to chill on ice. After pouring Wazu a little glass of whiskey, she then utterly backed off, now looming at a less personal distance instead. Perhaps some internal logic stated that she was intruding now that the party had -actually- started, which wasn't true until booze was involved. Still didn't stop them from glaring.

"I wish I could give-ya a better answer, but that's just how it ish, yah?" The pink haired one seemed to have barely noticed any of this. "The yammies may have put me in prison and all that, but I swore I'd do a changin' too... I did a new body 'cuz I'm a new pershun. Can't do that and then just do some nicey-nice thing, can I?... That's... That's like... Stealing! You never feel like dat?"

Wazu would quickly down the first glass. Tsuguka was clearly mad at him for something. Or at least that is how he interperated the distance. He would need to set aside some time for her later. Even at the beach party the two barely got to have more than a few words to one another.

"I am not sure I follow." He admited to Eisei, "... but I think I am always a bit worried that I am not fitting in with whatever expectations people have of me. Like everyone got a rule book to how this is all supposed to go and I did not.

Although. I think it gets easier as you get older.

... or maybe it is just that I am not as bothered by it.

I think in your position. I would feel like I tried, but I just could not get things to work out right. I already feel like I crossed some line with Tsuguka and offended her. I also do not know what to do with you. You are adorable. I want to help you. But at the same time, I can not solve some of these problems. Maybe there are some I should not be trying to solve. My history with dating... and the SAoY... both make me think my judgement is not the best."

"I'm not offended, Mister Wazu." Tsuguka replied sternly and carefully, doing rather a bad job of not sounding offended. "But you shouldn't feel the need to protect this woman..."

A tense moment, with Eisei pausing mid-drink, bearing a slightly distant expression.

"I'm sorry. This is a date. I've overstepped my bounds." A recourse. Tsuguka clasped the serving tray with both hands and bowed slightly, admitting through body language that she had probably gone too far. "Please just remember we Nekovalkyrja aren't innately constructed as good people. She seems to be aware of being a war machine just as much as me..."

The clinking of a tea cup. The magical girl gave the oni a long hard look, though it was seemingly devoid of malice. It wasn't a dissagrement.

"You've knowne each othar preddy long, huh?" A wholesome, quiet smile. "I didn' think a real human would be so nice! Never really taulked to one befure now. You guys live so long, got so mutch hisdory... Kinda hard to unn'erstand..."

"Do you want me to leave, Mister Wazu?" Tsuguka just shrugged lightly, putting up another wall around their emmotions. "I fear I have made things awkward."

"You soun' like you knowe a lots a bout clothin', what do you say we do dressin' a Mish Tszuga up?" A cheeky grin, baring canines and leaning on her palms. "Tha cou' be fun, right?"

"I have other clothes..." The soldier just responded defensively, but it didn't stop Eisei's cherishing gaze one bit. Rather than continue responding to the bait, Tsuguka ended up pouring another glass of whiskey, and started drinking it herself.

"If you are not offended then you have no reason to leave... your cooking was great, but we also need an after dinner activity."

He would take another half-drink from his glass. this certainly seemed like a great out for having to talk about just who was created to be what. "Talking about our origins seems unessisary. Sure you are both war machines, but you are also really young. In only a few years you will have lived twice as long as you have now.

In my 20s, I was obsessed with replacing my fleshy bits with machines. Early 30s I was angry... just... all the time. In another decade I might be someone completely different...

... but I still want to try dressing up Mish Tszuga."

The woman shut her eyes and crossed her arms, annoyed at having missed an asset of the social event that they should have prepared for. The Princess-Class Yacht had come with leasure facilities of course, but Tsuguka had disabled half of the options and crammed them into the second suite, with an indifferance towards their use.

Couldn't her guests just get drunk and entertain themselves? Geeze.

"My clothes are all in the cargo hold." A deflective answer.

"Wuts it h'all doin' down there!?" Eisei responded, prehemptively taking this as a 'yes', and floating upright in order to glomp the soldier. The oni woman caught her by one approaching wrist as well as the chin, squashing the rediculous fairy's lips into a pouting 'o' shape.

"It's cargo." Angular eyes, yet more agitated. "I put it in the cargo hold."

"Ish dat a no?"

"...Let's just get this over with..."

///

True to their description, Tsuguka did indeed have cases of clothes within the dimly lit cargo hold. Only a single star army uniform was present, with the rest probably being on the Eucharis. But other immediately obvious options included several collared suits of her own, with a surprising preferance for yellow shirts and flowery prints. Loose-fitting excersize gear was also in abundance, as was what looked like camoflauge pattern swim suits.

Eisei was having none of this. They immediately smelt out a completely seperate fabric shelf unit, further off in the corner. It litterally had a label reading 'tactically inefficient' on the front. The contents included a skimpy black dress, a maid outfit, and an odd one-peice fluffy pyjama onezie with a skeleton pattern...

Wazu had followed on foot, largely because he couldn't float like the rest of them, choosing to stay back near Tsuguka while Eisei started exploring Tsuguka's box.

"You can still back out of this." He offered, watching as Eisei got to the maid outfit, and ten the fluffy one piece, "... no, wait. Nevermind. Why do you have a fluffy onezie? I can not imagine you buying it for yourself..."

"Eisei! TOSS THAT ONE OVER HERE!"

"It's actually one of the first things I ever bought." Tsuguka somehow managed to remain withdrawn, doll-like. "Somehow the propoganda made me think that sleep overs were a more common Star Army practice. So I picked something that I thought reprosented my personality at the time."

"Isth cuuuutteee!~" Eisei exclaimed, holding it up against themselves as they levitated in a half-curled up form towards Wazu. "To be hoe-nest I kunda did too!"

"Finkin' a treyin' in on, human boy!?"

"Is that included in the memories they give you at birth? I do wonder how often they update those. For example I remember neko nests used to be a thing... though I hear they are making a comeback.

Throw it over here!" Wazu waved his hand at Eisei, "I need a picture of Tsuguka wearing this." He said.

The oni was somehow already in their underpants, standing right alongside him. Stealth skills, plus a history of stripping right down to get in her Mindy ultra fast, would do that. Simple, calm green things, plastic straps, modest but matching. A rock-hard frame of crimson musculature, lean, statuesk and incompromising. But their face didn't look so onboard with the last part of the conversation.

"Let me say this to you very clearly, as a freind..." A stern tone, crossing their arms behind their back and focusing their weight on one side of their tremendously muscular thighs. "With a general reduction of interest in clothes beyond tactical utility, I have no qualms with being naked... But in order to preserve my team's moral integrity, if you take a picture of this I'll have to destroy every electronic device you own."

Eisei kind of froze in place with this comment, obviously wondering what that meant of a Neko's digital brain, which could also take pictures. Tsuguka gave them a glare, causing their intense smile to turn into intense nervousness for a second, before the red neko just got impatient and snapped the outfit out of their hands.

Throwing the new outfit on only took a few well practiced seconds too, of course.

Then they just sort of stood there, cheeks puffing up whilst they gazed up slightly towards Wazu. Since they didn't blink too much as it was, the uncanny valley effect kind of made her look like one of those weird niche alternative fashion dolls.

"...Well, does this level of garment obscurity satisfy your entertainment concerns?"

Wazu was practicaly biting his lip not to laugh,

It looked like Tsuguka's face was being extra emotionless, as if she had found a way to have an over-abundance of nothing to compensate for just how fluffy those black pajamas were.

"I do not see how this could be bad for moral. You look adorable. Like you find comfortable clothing downright evil...

... But of course, I will take no recordings."

His eyes would then turn back towards the avalible clothing,

"Now Eisei, What should we dress you in? There should be something amusing in here... Tsuguka, should we turn this around? Maybe put her in some strict uniform?"
 
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