RP: YSS Mikomi [Completed] Mission 3: Patrolling The Southern Border

"Just to stay alive and to look out for each other," Rufus told Kestral.

Saeki had taken a seat at the end of the table closest to the door, prodding her food with chopsticks. She let out a low murr and frowned, going over the cuisine.

"This food lacks grapefruit. I like it when its chunky...it's spreadable and its edible..."

But nevertheless she began to sample the various dishes, espescially the ground chicken. She was always very fond of birds...always very fleeting and fragile. Also they made good eats when you ate them!

"Mmm...foodtastic."

Patting Roken on the arm calmly, Masako stood up. "If your feeling lonely, just come over and eat with us, ok?" the young neko said with a smile before waving and walking back over to the table. Sitting down beside Kotori, she smiled at the other neko. "Arigato," she replied to the addition of riceballs to the meal.

Picking up her chopsticks, the young Jôtô Heisho said the traditional "Itadakimasu," before beginning to feast.

Kato had sat at a mid-section of the table quietly eying everyone taking their seats. As soon as he saw Rufus take his helping Kato helped himself to salad also getting a decent helping of soup. Starting off on the salad to let the soup cool he folded his ears enough to pick up conversations coming from the captains direction. That's when he saw Kestral come in and was soon being talked to by Rufus. Kato's ears picked up the entire conversation while he ate. Now knowing what they were being sent out to do yet not knowing how it were to be executed he grinned.

"At least we won't be dealing with this Rufus for much longer. This is also good news for me getting a lab..."

Having finished up the salad and most of the soup he reached for one of the ground chicken patty things to end the meal with.

Kotori smiled Masako's way in response to her thanks, but continued to devour her salad under her plate was empty. Wanting to keep the chery riceball for last, she rose from her seat and stretched out to try some chicken before there was none left.

As she turned to sit, she spied Eve facing an empty plate and looking about.

"Sumimasen, Yamazaki-san... can I get you anything to eat?" the neko gently asked, wondering why the other seemed so ill at ease.

"..water." Eve replied quietly, reaching out for her chopsticks, gripping them in her hands. The palaver wasn't to override the fact she didn't want to make a spectacle of herself by saying anything in her mismatched voice. "Miss Suzi, if Lillian's on board, where is she?" she asked the MEGAMI quietly. She was less than thrilled to have someone from other fleets bringing their deficiencies aboard, but realized it probably wouldn't matter in the long run. She set a pair of the tuna onigiri on her plate one by one, wondering how long until she'd be sitting in the bay again. I'm so glad the instructors can't see this. she thought with a pang of sorrow.

Tom looked out into the mess hall, happy that the people were filing in and being seated. He looked at everyone's reaction, and, feeling pleased for the most part, entered the room with arms spread as wide as his smile.

"Za vashe zdorovye! Here's to you!" He said to the entire gathering. Traditionally, one was to take a shot of liquor with the greeting as a toast, but Tom thought better. "And we have Kestral back! What wonderful news! I've prepared for your enjoyment a traditional Raltean meal. And for those of you who do not enjoy our thick dishes, my friend here Kotori has made rice and fish alternatives. It is in our hopes that you take this opportunity to get to know each other and become friends. Enjoy."

Tom made sure everyone had food before he began to serve himself.

"Those killer jellyfish won't know what hit them."

Those had been Raihei's last words to his parents before leaving. He recalled those words now, as he stepped off of the transport shuttle and onto the Mikomi, where he had been assigned. A physicist on a full-combat vessel. Fortunately personal weapons were largely cosmetic, and real combat occurred in Power Armors and between ships. His own skills at fighting would never need to be questioned, as they would never be tested at all. He looked up at the ceiling. "AI. Where can I find my Commanding Officer?"

"In the wardroom, dear," MEGAMI answered, following up with a holographic map.

Kotori returned to the table with a glass of cool water and set it down before Eve just in time to hear Tom's greeting.

She smiled - whatever he had, it was catchy - and pretty much dismissed the whole PA incident altogether as her chopsticks' tips fished up the first slice of Kotlery, severed it in two with a skillfull snap in the middle before hooking one part of the morsel up to her mouth.

It was rather greasy and the neko wondered if she could even taste the meat in there - all she registered was butter. The second bite tasted slightly better as she moved on her predisposition. It was an acquired taste, but it wasn't so bad.

She helped herself to the two other slices in her dish. She did look at Eve to see if she was alright, but the Geshrin was already piling up food in her plate. Reassured, the neko continued eating.

With a bow, Rufus stood from his table, on his way to grab his stuff and head out. "Pleasure meeting you, Kestral. Good luck!" Before leaving, Rufus stood on a table and rang a glass with a knife to get everyone's attention. "Mikomi crew," he smiled. "I'm sorry I didn't get to know you all better, but alas my job here was only as a substitute. I had a good time being your captain, and I hope you guys thought I did a good job--even if it wasn't as fun from your perspective. Late dudes," he chuckled. "You guys--former Confidence crew and original Mikomi crew--get to know one another and stick togther. Out here in this dangerous space out in the middle of nowhere, you're all each other have, so don't take it for granted. Be smart, be safe, and be professional. I wish you the best of luck, and if you ever need a hand again, just call the Sakura. I'm off to my ship now, so I'd like to present to you your recently recovered captain, Chusa Kestral Bowman!"

As the attention shifted to Bowman, Rufus moved away from the table and found Kotori. "What'll it be?" he asked the Nekovalkyrja, eyeing her beautiful hair.

Kotori raised her head to look at him, a bit dumbfounded. Already? But I barely got here! It felt awkward to suddenly up and leave just as these people, misfits though some might be, were about to embark on a mission.

She licked her lower lip, still tasting butter. She didn't like just up and leaving when she could perhaps be of use, but a roundabout look showed plenty of red panels. They wouldn't really miss her and the YSS Sakura, from reputation, was a good ship.

In the end, pragmatism won out. The Sakura was a bigger, better armed ship that would probably have rice, better living accomodations and it had a lively history - it's future would no doubt be interesting : it was a flagship of sorts, after all.

An opportunity like that wouldn't come knocking to her door twice. "Hai." she said, hoping her voice had more assurance than she felt. She looked at Taisa Sydney and asked "Shouldn't I ask a transfer from Personnel Command first?"

"I've got it covered," Rufus assured Kotori. "Meet me on the Oniyuri in five minutes, okay sweetheart?"

"Hai." she nodded again as he left and finished her dish. She felt a bit awkward - this was going too quickly to her tastes, but still...

She lay the chopsticks down with a "Gochisosama deshita." and stood up, looking at the others with a smile and an encouraging "Ganbate!" before she took her dishes to the kitchen and headed off to get her bag.

Before leaving the kitchen, she turned and looked at the assembly, mostly still busy with their meals. She felt a pang of... she wasn't sure... envy? - but she wasn't even sure why. She brushed the matter aside, whispered "Sayonara." more for the sake of closure on her part and left to get her luggage.

She was at the airlock soon after and boarded the Oniyuri.

In a moment, the Oniyrui was gone, taking Rufus and Kotori around to the other side of the Great Southern Nebula and back towards the Sakura.

Yamazaki rubbed her eyeballs on "dudes" coming from a command officer, wondering if the few trainees she had been with would have been laughing from their wing commands somewhere. Am I a failure already? she swallowed some rice hard. "Your NH-12 was set in your quarters, on top of the pile of things you left in there." Suzi replied. Eve nodded while drinking half her glass of cool water. Setting it down, she looked down the table. "May I um, be excused a moment?" she scratched the back of her neck, rising to get up.

Natalie was still uncofortable wearing a pin that was not hers, and even doing something worthy to gain it, like wiping an entire army of enemies by herself, but instead was Carlos error. She didn`t mind smoking at all, but obviously the captain did mind a lot. She continously turned her embarrased glance to Carlos while eating her meal.

Meal, which by the way, she was enjoying a lot. High fat food was her ideal of a real soldier food, not that weak everyday meals with rice and raw fish.

"Oh, wasn`t the captain taking a nap of a week?... he looks a lil´pale though, but that would be just me... well i hope this joker in disguise of physical teacher who calls himself a Taisa leave soon... there´s something `bout him that i don`t like" she mumbled just moving her lips while looking at Rufus.

And with the departure of the YSS Azalea, Daduar began to make himself comfortable aboard the Mikomi; he began to look where he could begin socializing with the other crewmembers. He wore the formal dress-wear of an officer, a stark white, neatly pressed uniform with white panels and the rank pin on his left breast signifying his rank of Chui. To accompany the dress uniform, highly polished black leather boots were worn on his feet and the Type 28A Nekovalkyrja Service Pistol rested in a holster right above his left hip, and his saber set comfortably in a fine, black wood scabbard on his opposite side. With all of his possessions already deposited in his bunk, which he had not yet visited, Daduar began to make his way to the dining area.

"Excuse me,â€