• If you were supposed to get an email from the forum but didn't (e.g. to verify your account for registration), email Wes at [email protected] or talk to me on Discord for help. Sometimes the server hits our limit of emails we can send per hour.
  • Get in our Discord chat! Discord.gg/stararmy
  • 📅 February and March 2024 are YE 46.2 in the RP.

RP: Fort Ready Class 6

Aendri

Inactive Member
A shuttle settled down smoothly onto the landing pad near the SAoY facility named "Fort Ready II". It was carrying yet another load of the trainees that the bases instructors made their living off of, fresh from their training and ready to finish things up. The pilot, a short, brunette neko finished her quick post flight check, and made her way back into the passenger compartment, opening the doors. "All right everyone, get your stuff together and get going, you don't want to keep your last set of instructors waiting."

As she spoke, a bus pulled up at the edge of the landing pad and it's doors opened, an exceptionally bored looking Nepleslian man driving it.
 
Honda Makoto grabbed his duffel bag and hefted it off the luggage rack. "Thanks," he said in passing to the Neko pilot and exited first. Makoto was dressed in the regular Type 31 Working Uniform.

This should be interesting, he mused. A good friend of his who had enlisted early had said nothing about a Fort Ready training course. So either he was better than the average soldier and this was advanced training or he was worse than the average soldier and this was remedial training.

Makoto didn't feel like this was a punishment posting. Nor did he consider himself to be a bad soldier. He climbed up the steps into the bus, making a greeting to the driver.
 
Daniela

Daniela Miller unbuckled her safety harness, stood and straightened her uniform before she stepped over to the luggage rack to retrieve her gear. Her knees buckled slightly as she slung her bag across her shoulder and she grunted in amusement at how much heavier it felt in the higher gravity.

Well that's going to make it fun.. She thought as she fell into step behind Honda and nodded politely at the shuttle pilot on her way out towards the bus. With another nod to the bus driver as she climbed the stairs, she quickly made her way about halfway down the aisle and settled herself in a seat next to the window.
 
Freyja woke with a small start as the shuttle touched down, all the excitement of a new place had put her out so much she'd dozed off on the way here. Quickly she hoisted her kit and scooted out of the shuttle and to the bus, excited energy fresh from her nap.

She looked up at the bus driver with slight fascination “Hi, I'm Fre-” she was cut off as the driver thumbed her towards back to the bus, bored expression unmoved. Instinctively she quietened down and took a seat in front of one of the other recruits. She turned around and peeked at Daniela, eyes peering curiously from just above the seat.
 
The last of the shuttle’s passengers put down the book she had been reading, setting it on top of her duffel and using the bag as a suspension shelf as she slipped the strap over her head. Working her way to the front, she offered the pilot a polite nod by way of thanks and followed the other trainees over to the bus.

Shifting the strap of her duffel bag while Freyja picked a seat, Shizuko chose one across the row from Daniela, setting her bag down beside her. She ducked, maneuvering the carrying strap over her head and setting it carefully down before retrieving her book and thumbing through the pages to return to her pause point while retrieving a nub of a pencil from over her ear where it was lodged in her hair. Resuming where she left off, Shizuko began spinning the writing utensil between her fingers while she read.
 
The bus driver grunted a bit as he looked back down the bus, counting heads. He checked a list he had sitting up next to him, grunted again, and shut the doors, satisfied that everyone he was required to pick up was on. He pulled away from the shuttle without a single word spoken the entire time, headed towards the place where they would spend the next month or two.

((ooc: That means talk to each other, people. You're here to flesh out characters.))
 
The pair of hazelnut orbs quickly got impatient with simply staring at Daniela from the edge of the bus seat and spoke. "Are you really a Nepleslian?" the rest of Freyjas head appearing to peer at her in full, head tilted slight sideways in scrutiny "I thought you'd be, you know, bigger?"
 
One of two white-fuzzed ears twitched, surrounded by a sweep of blue-and-violet hair.

"Nepleslians have more variance in their sizes than we do," murmured Shizuko. Her 'sister' neko had five point eight centimeters (about two inches) over herself and Daniela. Not much. But, based on the information Shizuko had on Nepleslian physiology thanks to programmed knowledge, Daniela was a little on the short end of the averages. Adding in the males of the species and the ID-SOLs also skewed that average horribly toward taller people. Though, Freyja could have been referring to something else...the size of her muscles, maybe? "You should probably sit down," she added, her eyes flicking a look at Freyja.

Shizuko's look drifted down to the seat next to Daniela, then to her own bag that was taking up the window seat next to her, and lastly at the book in her lap, then wandered among the other recruits. With keeping track of Freyja in front of her and her sudden stops on the way over to the bus -- they had almost collided when Freyja had stopped to greet the bus driver -- Shizuko hadn't paid attention to who they passed while heading to their seats.
 
Freyja turned to look at sterner sister, ears wiggling slightly in confusion. “What? Why-” sudden sharp bump in the road sent the red haired neko bouncing with a squeak and falling to the floor of the bus in a tangle of limbs. Freyja zezezee~'d in pain as she sat upright again, ears down-turned in embarrassment.
 
They had spent the shuttle ride in silence, but now a few of the strangers had begun to talk, their voices carrying over the rattle and hum of the bus as it trundled down the road towards the base, invading his ears as he dozed. He could hear two of them clearly from the seats in front of him, and while he willed his mind to ignore them and rest, it rebelled and instead focused in on the female tones, one energetic, the other plain.

"Are you really a Nepleslian? I thought you'd be, you know, bigger?"

"Nepleslians have more variance in their sizes than we do...you should probably sit down."

"What? Why-"

The sudden bump in the road, and subsequent thud on the floor, jarred Jairen from his futile attempt to sleep through the ride. Sighing softly, he opened his eyes again and allowed himself a casual look around the busload of recruits. His gaze lingered on several individuals for a moment, his mind noting the way they stood out from the rank and file, before moving on to the next person.

There was a young man (probably no older than himself) with green streaks in his hair, a wiry young girl with freckles (likely the Nepleslian that was mentioned), and two Nekovalkyrjas, which he assumed were the ones talking. One bore blue hair that shifted in lightness as it approached her scalp; the other had dark orange hair and shapely, if petite, hips.

The latter was picking herself up off the floor, hissing slightly to herself in pain, her ears drooping in what he guessed was shame, when Jairen smiled softly at her, leaning forward in his seat when she met his eyes. "Are you alright?" he asked. His voice was firm yet concerned, and there was a slight twinkle of mirth in his pale blue eyes. "That sounded like a rough fall."
 
Makoto watched, waiting for an opportunity to speak. "Play nice, kids," he teased. "But seriously, you guys all look so young. Makes me feel old... And I'm only twenty-one!

"Honda Makoto. Former Yamatai National Parks Ranger. Had lots of fun camping and playing the guitar when I wasn't hunting poachers." He introduced himself with a wave and a smile.
 
Shizuko looked down at the book in her lap again and the corner of her mouth twitching upward as Freyja was reintroduced to the double-gravity of UX-13. These people would be involved in the tests to come. Maybe it would be a good idea to get to know what they were like. She leaned out into the aisle, looking up toward the driver where Mister Park Ranger was. As good a place to start as any, since he was talking to Freyja, as was one other...

Honda looked friendly, and open, based on his introduction. He gave his name, accompanied with what Shizuko considered miscellaneous information (did it matter yet what his background was?) that she stored away for later anyway.

Freyja seemed almost as open, but more motivated by the curiosity that most newborn nekos -- Shizuko included -- had, elevated to a childlike level. She could be a good source of information, the way she questioned everyone around her, if Shizuko stayed near. Drawing herself back into her own little area, Shizuko offered a hand down to Freyja to help her up while looking toward the back of the bus at the other trainee who she hadn't noticed until he spoke.

Rather sickly-looking, that one. Gaunt, yellowish skin that didn't look as much Yamataian as it looked related to the vitamin deficiency symptom "jaundice"...which she wasn't sure was possible for him to have, if he truly was a Yamataian or Geshrin. He appeared quiet, much more than the other male, but likewise friendly. Or polite, if nothing else, as he inquired to Freyja's state.

She then shifted her thoughts to consider Daniela, though not to look at the Nepleslian "import" (a nickname for such recruits she had overheard during socialization; no word on whether it was demeaning in intent or not...). Shizuko already knew what the young woman looked like but Daniela hadn't really done or said anything to give anything to note as far as her attitudes or personality yet. So that would have to wait a few more moments...

And moments were all she needed, in the end. The less-lively neko's observations were succinctly recorded and noted in the brief half-second her glances gave her; she would get to the rest of the bus' occupants later. The azure-haired neko looked down at Freyja. "Getting up?" she asked.
 
“Right, right.” Freyja sighed as she gripped Shizuko's arm and allowed herself to be hauled up. She turned towards Jairen and put a hand on her hip casually, face cheery.

“I'm fine, Sickly-san, but are you okay? Your skin, it does not look right.” she asked, her head tilted in curiosity “Shouldn't you get a new body like we do?” she nodded towards her more serious sister neko.
 
Jairen chuckled slightly at the neko's assumption. "Oh no, my body is quite healthy, I assure you. I..." He paused for a moment, his eyes flicking to the right briefly before finishing, "...just don't get out in the sun often." He eased himself back in his seat, satisfied there was no injury, and gazed out the window at the passing countryside.

"It'll be nice to spend some time outdoors again," he mused, brushing a loose strand of hair back behind his ear. "Fresh air, warm sun, plenty of space..." His voice trailed off as the smile faded from his face; his eyes went distant, as if lost in memory.

The road was perceptibly rough-worn, from years of ferrying trainees to and from the fort, no doubt. Another bump rattled the bus, and he blinked, focus returned to him. He turned back to look at the orange-haired girl. "But where are my manners? My name is Jairen. And you?"
 
“I'm Yoshida, Yoshida Freyja.” the red-head replied, hand on her chest “I look forward to working with you all.” she continued, bowing to the others on the bus slightly. It seemed her recovery from the fall had been very swift.
 
The bus driver glanced up at his mirror, an irritated look on his face at the sillyness of some of his passengers. Thankfully for him (and possibly them), he was at their destination, since it wasn't all that long of a trip from the landing pad to the main camp. He pulled up next to the instructor who was waiting there, and opened the doors, tilting his head back enough to yell, "We're here, now get off my bus. Go annoy someone else."
 
Now she is standing on the bus. Was the first fall not enough?

Shizuko's thoughts were interrupted by the bus driver's announcement. Sighing to herself, Shizuko put her book away in her duffel, doing a brief visual inspection to make sure everything was still in order before closing the bag and getting up. Again, she waited for everyone to exit before she did. As she waited, she watched the Nepleslian...that one was curiously quiet.
 
Makoto stood, grabbed his duffel bag and hopped off the bus, thanking the irritable driver.

"One small step for man, one giant leap for the Empire." He laughed at the old joke.

"You seem to have a smart head attached, what's your name, then?" he asked Shizuko curiously, noting how she attempted to keep above this all.
 
Freyja sighed a little as the bus came to a stop, she'd been enjoying her small moment in the spotlight. She quickly scooped up her duffel and made ready to debus. “Come on, sister.” she said to Shizuko, “Stop staring and lets see where we're living for the next few months.” stepping from the bus easily.
 
Resisting for a moment more, Shizuko finally gave up. She preferred to be the last off a vehicle, but the import didn't seem to be inclined to leave. Maybe she was having second thoughts? Following Freyja, Shizuko ignored Makoto trying to talk to her through the bus windows as she had disembarked, swinging her duffel strap over her shoulder and resting her hands on the bag to keep it in front of her while she walked over to where the instructor was waiting.
 
RPG-D RPGfix
Back
Top