She was fairly new to the ship, and while she had expected something like this to happen eventually, she was not prepared for it to be so soon and on such short notice. Metaphorically speaking, she was being dropped into a warzone fresh from the academy. Though that sounded like the easier situation to begin with. Don't get her wrong, Sif has yet to make enemies from within the crew, but one wrong step here was going to determine how she could be treated by everyone else. If only she had more time to get to know everyone, ease herself into position, have time to gauge their temperaments.
But she did not get that affordance. Perhaps it would have been easier if duties allowed her to leave with the party instead of having to catch up to them. Perhaps she could have skipped altogether. "No, this was a challenge," Sif said to herself as she stared at the reflection upon the mirror, eyes of emerald gleaming with a fiery passion. "One does not simply turn down the company of one's captain, let alone the company of the empire's princess. This was a test, one to measure a maiden's mettle in the face of insurmountable odds. This was a chance to dine with heroes. A chance to form that connection of camaraderie outside the forge of combat."
Sif sighed, taking a step back. "That was it, that was the purpose of this assignment. Her nerves will surely shake but her resolve will not. She will hold firm."
She had left the base on a cab, dressed casually but modestly in plain black slacks and black loafers to pair with. Up top she had a red sleeveless turtleneck tucked into the slacks covered by a black denim jacket that she left unbuttoned. It was a look taken from one of the novels she and Kamiyo had read, and hopefully it was casual enough without being too noticeable. For her icy hair, she kept it in her usual braided ponytail. Now was not the time to experiment on hairstyles.
After a short ride, she arrived at the place where she was supposed to meet the crew, and after introducing herself at the lobby, she was ushered in by the kind owners to where the others were.
She won't lie, seeing her seniors and the princess in such a casual setting was intimidating, and since they were outside a military context, she had no idea what to expect. There was no fallback to decorum.
Calm. Just stay calm, she would tell herself.
Her expression remained neutral, but soft throughout all of this. Her bushy tail would give away little as it was wrapped around her waist as to not get caught in anything, or accidentally knock something over. Her larger and somewhat bulkier Type 33A frame would be worrisome enough without a tail whipping around. She thanked the owners accompanied by a bow and bowed to the crew as well, saying with her voice in a calm and practiced tone and cadence, "I apologize for running late, I hope I have not kept you waiting."