Gles
Well-Known Member
23日 8月 YE 46
YSS Kaiyō II
Observation Deck
Just a few days after the Kaiyo's foray down to Nebel's atmosphere, the crew were celebrating another hard-fought victory over the Mishhu menace. The tables and couches were crowded by various friend groups chattering happily among themselves with beverages in hand. Most were too preoccupied to notice a one-armed Nepleslian ascending the staircase into the room, still in her bodysuit and black jacket.
Molli Byrne was looking for someone today: an ID-SOL named William, who saved her from certain death at the hands of an Enhanced Mishhu during their last mission. She wanted to express her gratitude and learn a little about him. The young soldier's eyes scanned the room; how hard could it be to spot a giant hulk of a man in a crew of mostly women?
It was, in fact, not difficult to find an 8-foot-tall, muscle-bound man on the Kaiyo II. The ID-SOL was sitting in the upper section of the wardroom, right next to one of the hydroponic walls. He wasn't dressed in his NSMC uniform. He was dressed in a green gi of all things.
William appeared to be staring off into space until Molli noticed that he had a wire from his data jockey connected to a port behind his ear. His eyes danced back and forth as if reading through multiple lines of text. He sighed and pinched the bridges of his nose before pulling the cord.
Molli did a doubletake upon realizing that she'd found the poster boy of a Nepleslian soldier wearing something so quintessentially Yamatain. All the same, Molli approached him just as he pulled the cord. "Ello, Will," she said, leaning into view on his left side. "Somefin th'matter?" She could read the exasperation in his expression and was curious what could've brought it about.
William and gave a small wave. "Hey, Molli. Nothing, just filing after-action reports. Pro tip: Don't go become an officer. Stay an NCO as long as you can. Less paperwork." He replied, a slight smirk gracing his lips. Setting his data jockey on the table, he motioned to one of the open chairs. "What brings you up here? Come to see how Hoshi's plants are doing?"
Molli pulled up a chair and sat beside him, her head tilted at his "advice." She didn't have a clue what he could've meant by that. "Uh...'kay," she said, scratching her head, "Ah came up t'see ya. Wanted t'thank ya for th'save." Molli gave her arm stump a gentle pat, "Iunno what've happened if y'hadn't." More than likely, they would've been talking about her horrific death instead.
The ID-SOL waved a hand dismissively. "Don't mention it." He replied, leaning back into the chair. "You'd have done the same for anyone else down there." He pointed to her stump. "How's the arm? Still having the phantom pains?" He asked, pulling a flask out from the collar of the gi.
When the doctors mentioned that, Molli didn't take it very seriously. After all, how could you feel something that wasn't there? Over the past few days, however, she started to notice sudden spikes of discomfort, the sensation that something had activated her simulated nerves. Molli tried to keep her voice even, "Yeah. S'been a problem, liken itch y'can't scratch. Should be gettin' a new one soon. You ever lose a limb?"
At this, William chuckled to himself. "Oh, you could say that..." Grabbing his data jockey, he scrolled for a minute before nodding to himself and passing it to Molli. "When I was younger, I got hurt on an away mission with the Kaiyo. I was hit in the spine and lost innervation of my legs. Had to resort to cybernetic enhancement to walk again. While I was there, I made the choice to have my arms and legs upgraded to cybernetic as well." He explained, his eyes staring off as he reminisced.
Curious, Molli connected the data jockey to a port, and her crimson eyes flitted left and right as she read what he'd pulled up. William's description of the incident couldn't quite do justice to the more detailed and gruesome account. "Hell... Don't feel as bad about what happened t'me anymore," she said, palor having washed over her face. "Yer tough," she said, admiration in her voice. "I di'n't replace m'arm cause'a anyfin like that. Weren't nearly as badass circastances."
William chuckled at that. "Oh, it was anything but badass." He replied. "I wasn't a soldier back when that happened. Hell, I wasn't even supposed to be fighting. But I was a stubborn boy. When I first came aboard the Kaiyo, it was because I came with my mom. She's Aiko's... I mean the Princess's bodyguard." He explained, taking the data jockey back and scrolling again to find another picture. When he handed it back, it was a photo of a much younger and smaller William standing next to Rei. "I got it in my head that because Rei was her bodyguard, then I was too." He explained.
It was uncanny to see a version of Will that wasn't the size of a semi, like staring at a completely different person. "Used t'be a tiny thing, you were," Molli flashed a wide grin, before sliding it back to him. "So you jus'...snuck into a fight? Or did yer mom letcha bodyguard too? ...Why's she a Neko? You adopted?"
"What, you don't see the family resemblance?" He laughed. "Yes, I was adopted by Rei when I was 16 on Yamatai. Also, I didn't sneak into the fight; I just never gave anyone a choice on the matter. I fought because Ai...err the Princess was. It was during the start of the Kuvexian war if I recall correctly." He explained, taking a sip from his flask. "Want some?" He waved it, causing the contents to slosh about inside the container.
"Sure," Molli took the flask and tipped its contents past her lips, and in an instant, she had to set it down as a mini-coughing fit overcame her. The drink burned worse than any firewater she'd ever tasted before. "S-S'good!" the soldier said, passing it back to him. "Ah thought y'were Nepleslian? How'd y'get on Yamatai?" Molli was starting to lean closer to Will, caught in rapt attention by the twists and turns in his story.
William's face took on a more somber expression. "Ah... it's a long story. I'm sure you heard my father is the current Premier. Before he became the Premier, he had made some powerful enemies. They were after my mom and I. My birth mom." He added before taking another swig of the moonshine. "My mother thought I'd be safest outside Nepleslian space, so she dropped me in a Yamatain orphanage. And that's where I stayed. Never knew what actually happened to her..." He said, trailing off, lost in thought.
Molli processed what he'd said silently, as she could relate to his story quite a bit. "Ah were born on Funky City, 'n my Dah wanted me offa world too, after gangsters got m'Mah," she spoke quitely, her story underscored by the terseness in her voice. "Yer real ma disappearin'... S'way worse. Sorry t'hear that."
He shook his head, shaking himself out of his recollection. "Thanks. I'm sorry about your's too." The ID-SOL replied. "I'm happy with how it all ended up, though. I had Rei and the pain in the ass princess too." He said with a smirk. William enjoyed that he was one of the only people in the known galaxy who could get away with saying such things out loud and not catching hell for it.
Molli wasn't aware of Will's privilege, though, and his comment made her eyes shoot wide. "Wh- Y'can't just say that!" she exclaimed, looking around nervously. "Won't they cut yer head off for talkin' that way about royalty? S'what this girl said when I signed on..."
William laughed heartily, wiping a tear from his eye as he did. "She can try if she likes. Though I'm sure she has also said similar things about me." He said once his laughter had subsided. "You have to remember, I've known her since she was about a few days old." He explained. "She and I were both apprentices to Rei back in the day."
Molli's jaw dropped, "Y'were th'princess's step-bro? Yer mom raised a princess? Holy- S'crazy, that is! That mean yer as good at fightin' as her?" The questions started rolling like rocks down a hill, "She tease ya back then too? Were she always so scary?"
"Eh, wouldn't say step bro. Back when we first met, I treated her just as Rei did. She was a princess and all. Hell, the me back then would be appalled at the words that just came out my mouth." He said with a chuckle. "Only after hours of training and countless battles did we start to treat each other as we do now. However, being held as POWs by the Kuvexians helped with that. And yes, she teased me back then, too."
A question sprung to mind, one that made a wry smile form. "Y'fancy her?" Molli asked, raising her eyebrows. "Musta been through a lot together, yeah? S'why yer so informal, innit?"
William was a mid-swig of moonshine when Molli said that, causing him to do a spit take. "Aiko? No, she isn't interested in that sort of thing. We are just really good friends." He finally replied once his coughing fit had subsided.
"But if she were?" Molli leaned closer, raising her eyebrows higher. The smaller Nepleslian was determined to push this, seemingly overtaken by the urge to make Will feel as awkward as possible. "Jus' hypathetically speakin'?"
The big man rolled his eyes. He was silent for several moments before he replied with a sigh. "I did, once upon a time, but not anymore. Like I said, we're just really good friends." He said, with an air of finality.
"Mkay, mkay," Molli raised her hands placatingly, "Bet yer lucky t'have a really good friend like that," There was a hint of envy in Molli's voice. "Ah di'n't have nobody when ah got here." A part of her would've liked having some training partner to grow up with, just like in the movies.
He nodded. "I was, but I didn't have anyone for the first 16 years I lived in Yamatai. So I understand what you mean. Just give it time. You're still young, plus you are now part of the Kaiyo. You have close comrades now." He said, passing the flask back to her. "Don't let the past stop you from making friends now." He added sagely.
Even though common sense said to reject a drink that burned her throat, pride and an unwillingness to look weak made Molli take the flask and sip from it again. She didn't feel nearly as bad the second time, at least. "Ah'm not! Ah'm tryin'...s'just hard is all," Molli said, huffing, "Ent easy bein' a smidgy human wiv all th'nekos!"
William smirked. "Oh, trust me, I know. Try being a human man on a ship with nothing but Neko women. I felt like an outcast for the longest time. I get where you're coming from." He replied, taking back the flask before she could take another sip.
"Yeah, ah bet that's real hard for ya," Molli replied sarcastically, but the glow in her eyes, as well as her smile, gave the impression that she wasn't quite as severe as she sounded. "S'funny... Ah like ya more 'cause we got on inna fight, not 'cause we're Neps. Y'won't punch m'head off if ah tell ya ah ent fond of home, will ya? Hated growin' up in Funky City."
"You try being the only teenage boy on a ship with nothing but women following around a princess and your neko mom." He replied, smirking. "And no, I won't take your head off for not being patriotic to your fatherland. I have a fairly weird perspective on both, having grown up in one and now serving the other." He added. "Mind tell me why?"
"It's Funky City," The way Molli said it, it sounded like the name should have been reason enough. "Th'slums're full of arseholes, scumsuckers, 'n floozies. Were neck deep in gangsters tryin' to shake m'down every other day, 'n th'only reason it weren't every day were because most of 'em knew m'dah fixed their whips." Molli rolled her eyes, "Ugh. If ah never see it again, ah'll die happy."
William grimaced. "I'm sorry it was so hard on you. I can understand why you wouldn't want to go back there." He said simply.
"Sin the past, and ah'm here now. Yamatai was better t'me in a day than m'old home was in year," Molli said, before gently nudging Will with her elbow. "Got reliable people like you around, eh?"
"Yeah, that's true. I'm pretty awesome." He replied, grinning. "Who else can get liquor onto the ship without Hoshi getting mad. Though I should probably hide my cigars a bit better. She and Aiko get mad when they see them." He added, scratching his chin. "Should probably leave them on the Fang."
"Y'can't drink off-duty?" Molli asked, blinking. "How haven't ya been thrown in jail yet? Yeesh..." Molli shook her head.
William shrugged. "Diplomatic immunity? Being the son of the Premier does have some perks. Though I probably need to stop pressing my luck. If Rei catches me, she'll kill me. Diplomatic immunity or not."
Molli stretched her arms up, yawning loudly. "Ah better turn in afore ah get killed for bein' your drinkin' buddy, then." Standing up, she gave Will a small smile. "Good talk, big guy. We should hang out more often, yeah?" With that, she headed for her bunk, waving over her shoulder.
"That's a safe choice." He replied, giving the woman a two-finger wave. "yes, we should. Until next time, then." William added, plugging the data jockey back into his neck. Paperwork... it never ends.
YSS Kaiyō II
Observation Deck
Just a few days after the Kaiyo's foray down to Nebel's atmosphere, the crew were celebrating another hard-fought victory over the Mishhu menace. The tables and couches were crowded by various friend groups chattering happily among themselves with beverages in hand. Most were too preoccupied to notice a one-armed Nepleslian ascending the staircase into the room, still in her bodysuit and black jacket.
Molli Byrne was looking for someone today: an ID-SOL named William, who saved her from certain death at the hands of an Enhanced Mishhu during their last mission. She wanted to express her gratitude and learn a little about him. The young soldier's eyes scanned the room; how hard could it be to spot a giant hulk of a man in a crew of mostly women?
It was, in fact, not difficult to find an 8-foot-tall, muscle-bound man on the Kaiyo II. The ID-SOL was sitting in the upper section of the wardroom, right next to one of the hydroponic walls. He wasn't dressed in his NSMC uniform. He was dressed in a green gi of all things.
William appeared to be staring off into space until Molli noticed that he had a wire from his data jockey connected to a port behind his ear. His eyes danced back and forth as if reading through multiple lines of text. He sighed and pinched the bridges of his nose before pulling the cord.
Molli did a doubletake upon realizing that she'd found the poster boy of a Nepleslian soldier wearing something so quintessentially Yamatain. All the same, Molli approached him just as he pulled the cord. "Ello, Will," she said, leaning into view on his left side. "Somefin th'matter?" She could read the exasperation in his expression and was curious what could've brought it about.
William and gave a small wave. "Hey, Molli. Nothing, just filing after-action reports. Pro tip: Don't go become an officer. Stay an NCO as long as you can. Less paperwork." He replied, a slight smirk gracing his lips. Setting his data jockey on the table, he motioned to one of the open chairs. "What brings you up here? Come to see how Hoshi's plants are doing?"
Molli pulled up a chair and sat beside him, her head tilted at his "advice." She didn't have a clue what he could've meant by that. "Uh...'kay," she said, scratching her head, "Ah came up t'see ya. Wanted t'thank ya for th'save." Molli gave her arm stump a gentle pat, "Iunno what've happened if y'hadn't." More than likely, they would've been talking about her horrific death instead.
The ID-SOL waved a hand dismissively. "Don't mention it." He replied, leaning back into the chair. "You'd have done the same for anyone else down there." He pointed to her stump. "How's the arm? Still having the phantom pains?" He asked, pulling a flask out from the collar of the gi.
When the doctors mentioned that, Molli didn't take it very seriously. After all, how could you feel something that wasn't there? Over the past few days, however, she started to notice sudden spikes of discomfort, the sensation that something had activated her simulated nerves. Molli tried to keep her voice even, "Yeah. S'been a problem, liken itch y'can't scratch. Should be gettin' a new one soon. You ever lose a limb?"
At this, William chuckled to himself. "Oh, you could say that..." Grabbing his data jockey, he scrolled for a minute before nodding to himself and passing it to Molli. "When I was younger, I got hurt on an away mission with the Kaiyo. I was hit in the spine and lost innervation of my legs. Had to resort to cybernetic enhancement to walk again. While I was there, I made the choice to have my arms and legs upgraded to cybernetic as well." He explained, his eyes staring off as he reminisced.
Curious, Molli connected the data jockey to a port, and her crimson eyes flitted left and right as she read what he'd pulled up. William's description of the incident couldn't quite do justice to the more detailed and gruesome account. "Hell... Don't feel as bad about what happened t'me anymore," she said, palor having washed over her face. "Yer tough," she said, admiration in her voice. "I di'n't replace m'arm cause'a anyfin like that. Weren't nearly as badass circastances."
William chuckled at that. "Oh, it was anything but badass." He replied. "I wasn't a soldier back when that happened. Hell, I wasn't even supposed to be fighting. But I was a stubborn boy. When I first came aboard the Kaiyo, it was because I came with my mom. She's Aiko's... I mean the Princess's bodyguard." He explained, taking the data jockey back and scrolling again to find another picture. When he handed it back, it was a photo of a much younger and smaller William standing next to Rei. "I got it in my head that because Rei was her bodyguard, then I was too." He explained.
It was uncanny to see a version of Will that wasn't the size of a semi, like staring at a completely different person. "Used t'be a tiny thing, you were," Molli flashed a wide grin, before sliding it back to him. "So you jus'...snuck into a fight? Or did yer mom letcha bodyguard too? ...Why's she a Neko? You adopted?"
"What, you don't see the family resemblance?" He laughed. "Yes, I was adopted by Rei when I was 16 on Yamatai. Also, I didn't sneak into the fight; I just never gave anyone a choice on the matter. I fought because Ai...err the Princess was. It was during the start of the Kuvexian war if I recall correctly." He explained, taking a sip from his flask. "Want some?" He waved it, causing the contents to slosh about inside the container.
"Sure," Molli took the flask and tipped its contents past her lips, and in an instant, she had to set it down as a mini-coughing fit overcame her. The drink burned worse than any firewater she'd ever tasted before. "S-S'good!" the soldier said, passing it back to him. "Ah thought y'were Nepleslian? How'd y'get on Yamatai?" Molli was starting to lean closer to Will, caught in rapt attention by the twists and turns in his story.
William's face took on a more somber expression. "Ah... it's a long story. I'm sure you heard my father is the current Premier. Before he became the Premier, he had made some powerful enemies. They were after my mom and I. My birth mom." He added before taking another swig of the moonshine. "My mother thought I'd be safest outside Nepleslian space, so she dropped me in a Yamatain orphanage. And that's where I stayed. Never knew what actually happened to her..." He said, trailing off, lost in thought.
Molli processed what he'd said silently, as she could relate to his story quite a bit. "Ah were born on Funky City, 'n my Dah wanted me offa world too, after gangsters got m'Mah," she spoke quitely, her story underscored by the terseness in her voice. "Yer real ma disappearin'... S'way worse. Sorry t'hear that."
He shook his head, shaking himself out of his recollection. "Thanks. I'm sorry about your's too." The ID-SOL replied. "I'm happy with how it all ended up, though. I had Rei and the pain in the ass princess too." He said with a smirk. William enjoyed that he was one of the only people in the known galaxy who could get away with saying such things out loud and not catching hell for it.
Molli wasn't aware of Will's privilege, though, and his comment made her eyes shoot wide. "Wh- Y'can't just say that!" she exclaimed, looking around nervously. "Won't they cut yer head off for talkin' that way about royalty? S'what this girl said when I signed on..."
William laughed heartily, wiping a tear from his eye as he did. "She can try if she likes. Though I'm sure she has also said similar things about me." He said once his laughter had subsided. "You have to remember, I've known her since she was about a few days old." He explained. "She and I were both apprentices to Rei back in the day."
Molli's jaw dropped, "Y'were th'princess's step-bro? Yer mom raised a princess? Holy- S'crazy, that is! That mean yer as good at fightin' as her?" The questions started rolling like rocks down a hill, "She tease ya back then too? Were she always so scary?"
"Eh, wouldn't say step bro. Back when we first met, I treated her just as Rei did. She was a princess and all. Hell, the me back then would be appalled at the words that just came out my mouth." He said with a chuckle. "Only after hours of training and countless battles did we start to treat each other as we do now. However, being held as POWs by the Kuvexians helped with that. And yes, she teased me back then, too."
A question sprung to mind, one that made a wry smile form. "Y'fancy her?" Molli asked, raising her eyebrows. "Musta been through a lot together, yeah? S'why yer so informal, innit?"
William was a mid-swig of moonshine when Molli said that, causing him to do a spit take. "Aiko? No, she isn't interested in that sort of thing. We are just really good friends." He finally replied once his coughing fit had subsided.
"But if she were?" Molli leaned closer, raising her eyebrows higher. The smaller Nepleslian was determined to push this, seemingly overtaken by the urge to make Will feel as awkward as possible. "Jus' hypathetically speakin'?"
The big man rolled his eyes. He was silent for several moments before he replied with a sigh. "I did, once upon a time, but not anymore. Like I said, we're just really good friends." He said, with an air of finality.
"Mkay, mkay," Molli raised her hands placatingly, "Bet yer lucky t'have a really good friend like that," There was a hint of envy in Molli's voice. "Ah di'n't have nobody when ah got here." A part of her would've liked having some training partner to grow up with, just like in the movies.
He nodded. "I was, but I didn't have anyone for the first 16 years I lived in Yamatai. So I understand what you mean. Just give it time. You're still young, plus you are now part of the Kaiyo. You have close comrades now." He said, passing the flask back to her. "Don't let the past stop you from making friends now." He added sagely.
Even though common sense said to reject a drink that burned her throat, pride and an unwillingness to look weak made Molli take the flask and sip from it again. She didn't feel nearly as bad the second time, at least. "Ah'm not! Ah'm tryin'...s'just hard is all," Molli said, huffing, "Ent easy bein' a smidgy human wiv all th'nekos!"
William smirked. "Oh, trust me, I know. Try being a human man on a ship with nothing but Neko women. I felt like an outcast for the longest time. I get where you're coming from." He replied, taking back the flask before she could take another sip.
"Yeah, ah bet that's real hard for ya," Molli replied sarcastically, but the glow in her eyes, as well as her smile, gave the impression that she wasn't quite as severe as she sounded. "S'funny... Ah like ya more 'cause we got on inna fight, not 'cause we're Neps. Y'won't punch m'head off if ah tell ya ah ent fond of home, will ya? Hated growin' up in Funky City."
"You try being the only teenage boy on a ship with nothing but women following around a princess and your neko mom." He replied, smirking. "And no, I won't take your head off for not being patriotic to your fatherland. I have a fairly weird perspective on both, having grown up in one and now serving the other." He added. "Mind tell me why?"
"It's Funky City," The way Molli said it, it sounded like the name should have been reason enough. "Th'slums're full of arseholes, scumsuckers, 'n floozies. Were neck deep in gangsters tryin' to shake m'down every other day, 'n th'only reason it weren't every day were because most of 'em knew m'dah fixed their whips." Molli rolled her eyes, "Ugh. If ah never see it again, ah'll die happy."
William grimaced. "I'm sorry it was so hard on you. I can understand why you wouldn't want to go back there." He said simply.
"Sin the past, and ah'm here now. Yamatai was better t'me in a day than m'old home was in year," Molli said, before gently nudging Will with her elbow. "Got reliable people like you around, eh?"
"Yeah, that's true. I'm pretty awesome." He replied, grinning. "Who else can get liquor onto the ship without Hoshi getting mad. Though I should probably hide my cigars a bit better. She and Aiko get mad when they see them." He added, scratching his chin. "Should probably leave them on the Fang."
"Y'can't drink off-duty?" Molli asked, blinking. "How haven't ya been thrown in jail yet? Yeesh..." Molli shook her head.
William shrugged. "Diplomatic immunity? Being the son of the Premier does have some perks. Though I probably need to stop pressing my luck. If Rei catches me, she'll kill me. Diplomatic immunity or not."
Molli stretched her arms up, yawning loudly. "Ah better turn in afore ah get killed for bein' your drinkin' buddy, then." Standing up, she gave Will a small smile. "Good talk, big guy. We should hang out more often, yeah?" With that, she headed for her bunk, waving over her shoulder.
"That's a safe choice." He replied, giving the woman a two-finger wave. "yes, we should. Until next time, then." William added, plugging the data jockey back into his neck. Paperwork... it never ends.
