[17th] Pilots Unite (Social/Arrival)

Inside the Mess Hall (Datenshi)

Datenshi had snickered a little as she finally broke free from the grip of the girls and went to get another drink. She avoided the area as Reiko and her new friend had found their way over, and was only a few steps away from the table where the drinks had been laid out before the call for officer on deck was made. She leaned her head back with a groan before she turned to salute the officers as they filed in. The sharp slap curled a grin across the Neko's face, yet she tried to remain respectful as she let out a small sigh when Katsuko and the others entered. She eyed the pizzas that followed the Taisho in with a bit of intent, but the one that walked in caught her eye more.

Her jaw clenched as she saw Yaichiro and suddenly the girl seemed to deflate. She looked to the side and frowned a little, doing her best to avoid eye contact with the man.

Outside the mess hall (Eri)

Eri had remained silent through the trip to the mess hall. She hadn't expected the bit of a biting retort from the man that seemed so meek, but it had come and caught her off guard. She let out a small sigh and held her hands out for the pizzas, ready to take them in yet each time a pizza was placed in her hands, she let her eyes flick over to Yaichiro. She was still confused, but maybe she could see a bit now, the man had a bit of backbone to him...

She followed Kat in silently, waiting to her side with the warm pizzas in her hand and just as Kat did, waited for the room to fall silent.

Inside the Mess Hall (Datenshi)

Datenshi seemed to think something over, her face scrunching up a little before she looked to where the DJ was. A small message was sent to the man, who turned to look at the redhead and just nodded. He waited until he could turn the music back on before he complied with her little request. With the request in place, Datenshi looked back to Yaichiro with eyes that seemed to challenge him in a way.

Leiko danced the time away, a drink after another, meeting and dancing with plenty of other crewmates. Her eyes drifting from time to time on the crowd; one of such times a few moments after Kyle Dee had entered.

She had promised him a drink, didn't she? He was easy, in such a crowd of girls, to be spotted and pinpointed. She didn't waste time, easing herself away from the crew she had ended up dancing with, stopping by the bar and diving back toward the human engineer.

"Here we go~" she puured with a grin as she appeared in front of him, handing him a drink "I did promised, didn't I?" if he didn't remember well, he better remember.

Aliset paused at the sudden silence, her head swivelling to spot a shock of bright red hair on a pale figure as he tried to evade detection. Her brows furrowed, and she took another sip, fairly certain she had just spotted one of her own species. She would talk to that person later.

Katsuko's presence caused a small twitch of her eye as the astute observer would notice that being the face she had been studying. Lips pursed as Aliset casually picked her drink and took a sip. "After, of course, we see what kept the Taisho so long."

Tōkyō Himawari was, of course, eagerly awaiting being the catalyzing element for that moment. The music stopped because of her will, owning the public address system as she did as if it were a bodily organ. Coming to a crisp attention with a click of her heeled shoes, she repeated her earlier feat of, simultaneously yelling, telepathically broadcasting, and co-opting the sound system to announce an enthusiastic, "TAISHŌ ON DECK!". Himawari-Chusa even had some extra reverb and bass, with some very subtle chorus and echo-delay added. Not so much as to sound like the announcer at a Nepleslian demolition derby, but enough to make her smile at herself. Afterwards, she looked to Katsuko as if she were a puppy that needed to be praised, except for the smugly self-satisfied smile that edged dangerously, but not transgressively, towards unprofessionalism.

The hapless younger daughter of the Motoyoshi Clan recoiled from the thunderous announcement with a wincing, teeth-gritting grimace and brought her hands to her sensitive, furry ears. Sensitive, furry ears that now laid back flatly against Tachiko's skull. She looked over to her fellow middle child Tio and younger sister Kazumi with a pained expression, but shook off the shock and snapped herself to attention as protocol demanded despite her lapse.

Hangar Bay One - Mess Hall
YSS Tokyo

Reiko was about to start some small talk with Aliset when the party and the music stopped. Finding the source of the interruption, Reiko's heart was caught in her throat a second time. It was her, her main and foremost crush. The former Empress, Lady Katsuko. Watching the blue haired neko standing in her uniform, looking regal and beautiful, Reiko could only try to make herself smaller while also standing at attention.

Missing entirely what Aliset said, with a heavy blush on her face, the pilot could only think to herself, 'I really, really hope she didn't see that Love Day message.'

Yaichiro claimed the pizzas, not allowing the look Eri gave him to bother him. It was at least one with more confusion than malice. Oh, he had to dance with her rank being an issue, but blatant disrespect on her part for living conditions couldn't go unanswered without making his life miserable. He claimed the pizzas from the Kikyo Pie delivery girl with a smile and a 'thank you' before he placed the pizzas on a nearby table, helping to set up the spread in an act which put him right back on the old Sakura setting up for a party.

He noted Tio and Datenshi's presence, and how the latter initially didn't look at him. Given how he kept her off duty in their last mission together, he could understand. Her near-suicidal behavior, however, required intervention. It was when the music changed and he took note of a strange look from her that he started to wonder if something more was going on...

She had his attention.

Kazumi allowed the beat of the music, the energy of the people arrayed to suffuse her being. Mingling, laughter, jokes and more were to be had as she looked about while making her way through groups. Yet it seemed someone was watching her, the intel officer stopped, her skin vision, what little showed allowing her to catch a glimpse of a short-statured Neko with blue-kissed skin and hair of deep purple. The youngest of the Motoyoshi brood turned to look, her eyes locking with the sprite's. She offered the shy little Neko a friendly smile, intending to go over and strike up a conversation. That was of course until the sound of a smack caught her attention. Looking about, Kazumi saw her elder brother, Tio, rubbing a cheek, her enhanced vision showing her in detail that a red handprint marred it.

She looked from Tio to the woman who seated herself as if nothing happened. Kazumi's mood turning dark after seeing this, the young woman glowered at Namika. Whatever had passed between her, and her brother she didn't fully understand through simple virtue of having not been right then and there as it happened. Yet she still gave the woman a look of disapproval before crossing the distance to Tio, her brother with a little concern shining through.

"Niisan," her voice low, Kazumi looked at the red mark on his cheek. "What happened?" she asked while gently placing a fingertip to the very minor injury before pulling back. There would have been more of course, but she had caught sight of her mother and father out of the corner of her eye. Kazumi's back went stiff, her posture straight on the reflex of seeing her, two superior officers.

Nicol found himself - somehow - in the throng of the dance room. His eyes darted around, looking for something until finally, he found a corner that was unoccupied. He weaved his way through the crowd, careful not to touch anyone until he got to the corner. With a sigh, he leaned lightly against the wall, then proceeded to watch the crowd, studying everyone from his silent corner.

The order to attention, stopped Leventé in his tracks, snapping to attention to Salute to a rank separate from his familiar Nepleslian home, still felt odd. His blue and white uniform still seemingly out of place, much in the way he felt. No stranger to crowds and fully entering the mess hall. Eyes wandered among the crowd. So many faces, so much going on at once, it felt nostalgic in a way.

Stepping through the crowd, Leventé made his way to an open space at the bar, he knew he needed a drink, if anything to relax. Thoughtlessly, he rests his visor cap on the bar, as he took his drink in hand, watching the crowd yet again.

It was kinda busy, chaotic at best, but the idea to get everyone excited, to feel recognized was working. Pilots and technicians felt at ease and the pizzas were a big contribution to that. Miyu was, however, overwhelmed with everything that was going on, people wanted to compliment her for the singing and brought her even a few slices of pizzas. Finally got push through the crowd towards the bar and smiled at the man standing there taking a drink.

She leans up to the bar "A rum please, after that singing my throat got wrecked" Miyu spoke as the bartender smiled at her "With that voice, I can totally understand that...sounded great hope to hear more of it!" Miyu blushed a bit "I am a bit rusty" Trying to keep her Rose ID to herself as she looked at the nep "So you are not a common face around here, I presume Nepleslian" Kinda the obvious with so many women around "What will your duty be here on Tokyo?"

Leventé sipped his glass, his eyes trailing to the woman on front of him. Adjusting his uniform he smiled relaxing back against the bar."yes ma'am, I am Ensign Leventé Barná on exchange from the imperial Navy." Adjusting his throat slightly, he looks back around before again laying eyes on one of his potential team members."I am an assault pilot callsign is still to be determined, tasked with either clearing anti-aircraft or soft targets, or escorting your...our...bombers to their mission. Ma'am. " his tense shoulders, seeming to relax with another sip, appearing to keep his guard down.

Katsuko spoke up, her tone went authoritative. She had already made her presence known It was her boat after all, "Welcome to the YSS Tokyo. I am Taisho Ketsurui-Motoyoshi Katsuko, I personally authorized the creation of this Bomber Group, with the intention of seeing you all do amazing things. Knowing that you will form an important and functional weapon against this enemy we face. I wanted you all to see the faces of my staff. To know the people who will design your missions and provide you with the support and leadership you will need to come home victorious. Enjoy the pizza, and this time you have with each other, you will need to learn how to be a team." She said loudly, "As you were!"

The Taisho didn't take the time to slowly introduce her staff, any other Commander would have busted a few heads for the fact that some of them kept bantering after she had demanded their attention. It was a new ship, there was no reason to start things off in that direction, but she made a note and the next time she would come down to speak to them the approach would be different to ensure compliance. She returned to Eri and Yaichiro, "Mingle a little, introduce yourselves. I don't want to be very long down here. We have work to do."

-

Tio looked down as Kazumi touched the side of his face, he said quietly in a tone so that only she could hear, "I survived...her daughter didn't. I'll be fine." The Officer in Training stood at attention as their mother spoke. He wanted nothing more than to get out of there. How embarrassing, he was flushed almost red with shame, he did not expect Namika to make a scene like that.

"Now, then," Aliset tossed back her drink, gently placing the glass back onto the table. "I believe you two had questions? Or... There must be some way for me to be of service, ladies?"

She turned as though to slip past Katsuko, salt a slice of the pizza, and bring it back. It was something she had discovered she quite loved, a supreme pizza with triple cheese ans triple meat, salted for senti nutrition. That particular order had been the primary reason she had not lost weight in flight school as she had hoped. At least, she liked to blame her curves on pizza.

She knew, however, that her suit was not meant to be difficult to see. If she tried to spirit away one of the precous boxes, she would be seen.

Bomber group Party - Eri.

She stood aside as Kat spoke up and put the pizza's down, and when commanded, her eyes roamed the room to find someone to go... Mingle with. She let out a small huff as she spotted a potential target and wove her way through the crowd to find her way over to the to one of the newer species to find their way to their corner of the universe. Eventually she stopped in front of Ali who seemed mid-theft of a slice of pizza and tilted her head. "So, how are you finding our ships?" She asked with little introduction. She figured the white paneled uniform may give away at least a little bit of who she was, if not the rank pin on her uniform.

Bomber Group Party - Datenshi

As Eri found her way to the Senti, Datenshi sent a small telepathic message to a few of her friends from the Armor wing, asking for some help and giving them instructions as the music seemed to change. Almost strangely, an accordion kicked up over the speakers of the room as Tenshi used her gravity manipulation to float herself up and grab the mic. With it in hand, she looked over to Yaichiro again and stood up high on the stage before the mic came to just in front of her mouth and she began when she was sure at least some in the room paid attention to her.

"Beware their maws, The Great Dark Ones
Ones who takes the strongest below
Tale of ones who creates the Fear
Ones who took me under toooooooo...."

Her voice had a bit of rasp to it, but it was still rich and full. She projected her voice well and even with the bit of gravely tone it, it was still beautiful. The bit of an opening done, Datenshi looked over to her friends who began to clap, like her own small little band. A few moments behind it he began to kick her heel to the floor to keep time as a drum beat filtered in, and before she could start her next part, her little group shouted out a pair of "Hey! HEY! HEY!" She grinned as she looked to them again and began to sing.

"I'll tell you the story from many years ago
Before we had taken this sector for our own
A fearsome monster of the Stars was lurking
Upon the edges of our home

Our sisters would leave and they'd seldom return
And those who did told of the beasts who incurred
The wrath of the gods who lived beyond the stars
The ones they only called Dark."

Every so often the girls of her wing would throw in a "HEY" Or mimic her words like a chorus, though they seemed to kick in their own bit which caused the redhead on stage to look over a little shocked. They repeated a part of the opening to the song in between one of her parts which made Datenshi chuckle. The accordion seemed to filter out for a moment before she continued to sing, the mic replaced back up in the stand as she leaned on it with two hands. She almost looked at home on the stage, comfortable as she got more and more into the song.

"No one from that sector would come to our aid
As our sisters would suffer day after day
Our supplies would soon drain, only there for their gain
Lack of supply made for a great pay!

No longer could we wait for someone to arrive
We decided that we could no longer stand by
With the strongest of us taking the boldest of us
We'd finally take down the Dark Ones! "

Another cheer, another chorus of "HEY!" called out through the room as more and more began to get into the song. With each "HEY!" Datenshi could feel her heart rate pick up and a shiver run down her spine. She could feel the excitement of performing getting to her more and more and... It was intoxicating. With her next bit she was shocked when she heard her friends kick in for the first part.

"Boom Crash! Went the raging rifles!
Boom Crash! As we faced down our foe,
Boom Crash! Went the tentacles of the beast,
But we are not easy to beat!

Boom Crash! As the battle wore on,
Boom Crash! Our sisters remained so strong!
Boom Crash! But as we thought we'd won,
The b-stard he breached and took one of us down."

With each "Boom Crash" as it started, more of the room picked up until a majority of those assembled called out like a part of an anthem, a call to the Kuvexians they were going to fight and what they would be bringing to them. But as she hit the last line, the music cut out, the lights cut out save for a single one on the lone Neko on stage. Her voice dropped, somber and low as she half sung, half spoke the words. There was a hint of fear in her voice as she closed her eyes and looked to the floor.

"It was darker than night,
in the mind of the beast
All I could taste was my blood and my fear
But even as I knew the end was approaching
I knew he was waiting for meeeee...."

The lights cut back on as she held the last night, the music wasn't there, but the clapping from her group sounded out, quickly joined by the others. She looked up with a grin an peered around at those assembled with black eyes to take in everyone that watched her.

"You want to know what I did?" She asked in a hush to the crowd that seemed to hang on, to be followed by her friends cutting in with a loud "So what did you do?"
"You want to know what I did?!" She asked again, louder this time and bared her teeth, to be followed again by her friends and the others in the room shouting loudly back to her "What did you do?!" She drew a breath in before she continued, her voice nearly shouting to start, and screaming at the finish...

"I'll tell you what I did!
I screamed louder than the cannons AND BURNED THE BASTARDS INSIDE OUT!"

A cheer went up from the crowd assembled as Tenshi fell to vocalizing a simple "Hey" over and over for the next bit of the song, the music flared up again and played behind her words until it came to a finish. As it did, she remained on the stage for a moment and peered out over the crowd, eyes wide in the excitement of the moment before she looked to Yaichiro again and tossed the mic back to the DJ. She hopped off the stage and headed back to her group who was cheering to her return before she was nearly attacked by a friend who immediately began to kiss her.

"Your flight patterns are fairly predictable. Rarely stray more than a light month without going to FTL. Finding you is not a problem, ma'am." Aliset quickly swallowed her pizza, covering her mouth to speak to the officer.

Nodding to the officer in front of him "pardon me ma'am" his words trailed off and after a moment, Leventé picked his visor cap off of the table and grabbed one more drink. after all, a bit more liquor would help the lack of being able to smoke. Making his way through to the edge of what was now the dancefloor. Skirting the throng of dancing faces, until stopping at the group of women, no seemingly celebrating with the red-headed woman Leventé had just seen on stage." I must say, they way you stir a crowd is rather impressive. My name is Ensign Leventé Barná, care for a drink?" His question light and his posture was relaxed, carrying his visor under his arm, still holding the second glass

Hangar Bay One - Mess Hall
YSS Tokyo

"Wow." Reiko couldn't help but say, enthralled and in awe of Lady Katsuko's speech. It was an altogether different experience, to hear her speak live, compared to video. She almost missed Aliset talking to her. "Oh, no questions. Just wanted to greet you to the ship and offer our assistance for whatever you need. We are crewmembers after all."

Then she heard something she hadn't heard in a long time. An angel singing. Turning to the stage, she saw her sister as she handn't seen in a long time. With her voice roaring melodious tune, and a curtain of red fire trailing her. The Neko was stunned beyond words. Emotion came welling from inside her as she saw the look on Datenshi's face. Reiko couldn't take it anymore. Tears streamed from her eyes, as all the pent-up emotions she had felt since seeing the woman she loved for the first time in what was almost a decade.

Reiko watched, and though small drops of tear ran down her cheeks, she had the broadest smile in her face. As the music stopped, and Datenshi left the stage, Reiko felt compelled to go to her. To offer herself, body and soul. But the timing wasn't right. Sniffling, she dried her tears with her sleeves and walked over to get a pizza and an extra drink to try and clear her head from all the awe, lust, exhilaration and grief.

Tachiko allowed herself to relax after Katsuko's speech, her shoulders finally falling again after the Taishō's "As you were," and ears fluttering after pointing straight up through the speech's entirety. She glanced awkwardly and sidelong at the slapped adopted brother as her new adopted sister received his explanation. "More history I was frozen for," the newly minted scion of Motoyoshi mused to herself, as she just watched in somewhat embarrassed, foot-shuffling silence. Her back had been turned, still reeling from Himawari's push as she was, and she had missed the slap itself, though the sound had induced the same cringing and ear-flattening as had Himawari's overenthusiastic announcements. Datenshi's musical number had been the welcome distraction she was looking for, and soon Tachiko was lost in applause along with the rest of the gathered crew.

As for Tōkyō-Chusa herself, Himawari followed Katsuko, giving Eri and Yaichiro collectively a small, nodding bow. "Taishō, I have been analyzing all of our logistical data. With the assistance of the Asuga-Class Tugs, another dozen joining in to the ten we have, we should be able to make it to hyperspace distance without much issue. Less than twenty-five would allow the tugs to reach their quarter-c safe operating maximum sublight speed under load, thus providing a multiple-order-of-magnitude increase in sublight speed and corresponding decrease in travel time."

Eri

She gave the Senti woman before her a deadpan stare as she spoke and blinked slowly for a moment. "Smart ass huh? Great..." And with little else, she turned and simply walked off into the crowd to find someone else to speak with. Her random walking found her aside a redhead that looked like the one that had just been singing and another Neko with pizza in her hands. She tilted her head, confused for the moment before she spoke up. "What are you crying for?"

Datenshi

It took her a moment to finally distance herself from the frisky Neko and wipe the bit of lipstick that had been haphazardly smeared onto her face, but she did so just in time for Levente to arrive, drink in hand. She gave him a little grin and snatched the drink from his hand when it was offered. She used it to moisten her throat before she spoke up.

"Oh trust me handsome, that's the least of the ways I can liven up a room and cheer up the crew. Nito Heisho Akamaru Datenshi. I'm with the Power Armor wing. So you enjoyed the little show? Been a while since I've done that, really got in front of a crowd and sung. Trying to get back into the swing of things."