RP: YSS Miharu Mission 1 "REAR GUARD", Day 4

"Freeman's cooking will be just fine. At this point I'm ready to eat packaged reprocessed instant meals from Nepleslia." Nyton said as he linked up with the two Neko enroute to the wardroom.

Miyoko flopped forward onto her still-unmade bed with a yawn. It was beginning to seem like more than a suspicious coincidence that every time she came in here, she felt exhausted enough to sleep for a few days. This assignment was exhausting; physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Rolling over, she pulled her encrypted storage device out, flipped it on, provided the access key, and set her mind to begin transmitting a streaming audio recording to the device.

"So," she said, eyes shut and relaxing on a pile of sheets on the bed, "it seems that I'm stuck in this assignment for the duration, since the briefing was mostly sensitive information. I probably can't say any more than that even for my own records, and since I have no doubts that the Miharu is probably listening in, I'll leave it at that."

She'd been doing this for several months now. It had initially began as her storing important information in the device between soul backups. With the war going on, she'd always worried that she would still lose days or weeks- a long time to somebody two years old- if she was killed between backups- this had been her plan to mitigate that. She'd found that narrating it both made it easier to understand in retrospect and gave her a chance to organize her thoughts and maybe blow off some steam while she was recording it.

"What I probably can say is this: in the past 24 hours, I've seen an entire solar system destroyed, treated my first patient in a clinical environment, and gone into a drifting pile of wreckage to look for survivors. I suppose the appropriate thing to do would be to say that seeing their atrocities firsthand has strengthened my resolve to fight the Mishhu, but all it's really done is make me exhausted and a bit scared. This is why I'm a scientist and not a gun bunny.

"Oh, and there should be recordings of all of that stuff from the ship's sensors. I should probably save them to somewhere secure if I can, since I was a bit too busy trying to save my butt to watch the scenic view.

"As for the crew..." She trailed off for a moment in thought, "As for the crew, the Taii's the one person here who's earned my respect, Veressis and Suzuka seem amiable enough, Claymere seems competent and a bit too serious, and Kurohoshi seems friendly to a fault and a bit avoidant. Haven't really interacted with the rest of 'em much.

"Oh! Right. Also, if Veressis gets wounded within three months of today, I get to choose the appearance of his Yamataian body. Even if that doesn't happen, he's still a good target for other stuff. He's easygoing and inexperienced with life in the army... but I guess I shouldn't do *too* much to him, since he's the closest thing to a friend that I have right now. He didn't make any stipulations that this body had to be... say, male..." she snickered evilly, "but I should make my choice with care when the time comes so as to not piss him off too much."

She lay there silently for several more seconds before switching the machine off and sagging back limply on the bed. It had easily been the longest day of her life... and it wasn't even afternoon yet. Probably best to grab an actual lunch whenever it was served, rather than hope that the fruit she'd snagged earlier would carry her to the next meal, given that the next meal no longer seemed like a guaranteed event.

Asher picked up the cold pitchers and began totting them towards the outside.

"A fold drive? I'm not too sure of that." Asher replied over his shoulder. "I learned most of my skills off of watching and listening to different ship mechanics. I'd need someone to guide me through fold drive repair."

The broad Yamataian walked out to a table in the Wardroom, and placed them down, then walked back into the Kitchen.

"So, is that it?" Asher asked, scratching his head.

"I'm sure Freeman-Heisho or one of Miharu's sprites could help you with that," Masako replied as she followed behind the newcomer with enough glasses for everyone in her hands. "Even I could help you with repairing it," she amended before noticing Leutre. "Oh good, Veressis-Hei." she said before motioning for Asher as well.

"I believe all three of us can help Freeman-Heisho out some more by setting up the tables for everyone," she suggested with a smile. "Westwood-Hei, Veressis-Hei, you can handle the plates while I handle the silverware," the young woman replied as she began to head back towards the kitchen.

Yukari only smiled at the Juni, her thoughts adrift -- literally. Windsurfing could be exciting! ... Even if it is not real water. We would not even have to change uniforms. We should not wear our weapons, however, in case we fall. Keeping one's balance on it must be difficult. Tom is so graceful, I am sure he can do it. Yukari was floating down the stairs without paying attention, and was headed for a wall.

"Reprocessed?" Kotori looked at the Nepleslian tactical officer curiously. "What do Nepleslians eat back home anyways? Miles gave me the impression you had a taste for... other things like intestines and even other sentient being like Elysians."

Nyton stifled a smile at Kotori's curiousity to Nepleslian cuisine. He then began to run over a mental list. "You could almost ask what is not eaten on Nepleslia. It depends where you live and what you can pay. Some places will actually serve sentient beings as food but those places can be expensive depending on what you want. I don't know if you want me to continue though, seeing as we're about to eat."

Leutre was glad for any reprise from idle waiting, and quickly hurried over to the kitchen. He gave Asher and Tom each a quick nod before moving over to the nearby counter and picking up a stack of plates. "Say, speaking of silverware, anyone ever try knife throwing in Zero-G? Let me tell you something, without gravity mucking about your mind's spatial calculations almost anyone with a half-decent eye can handle a knife well enough to puncture a humanoid skull."

Leutre moved to the kitchen doorway with the plates in hand and as he continued to ramble on. "I kid you not, mates. A week of practice and you'll be able to kill a humanoid at as far as ten meters range. O' course once you're back in gravity, you have to calculate spin and arc and acceleration and all that crap which makes aiming a thousandfold harder. Still, it's great fun and helps hone your ability to perform microgravity spatial calculations in your mind's eye. And thats never a bad thing for you armor piloting types."

Asher went over to the plates and picked up a stack after Leutre, and followed him out into the wardroom. The idea of throwing knives in Zero-G sounded a little crazy.

"The only knives I ever threw were at a wall at the hangout, my friends and I would try to either knock off or even land a knife into another one. That Zero-G knife throwing sounds like a good game." Asher laid the plates down. Asher often remembered how the boss would kick their asses for playing that game.

"Ok," came the call from the kitchen. "Breakfast is ready to eat! This can be a bit messy to transport, so I'll need you all to bring your plates into the kitchen."

Tom smacked his lips in anticipation.

"Oh man, I think this is gonna be really good!"

"Maybe what I told the Sheridan's commander was true; perhaps ignorance is bliss." Kotori chuckled and the group reached the wardroom.

"Hello!" She came by the counter and greeted Tom. "Anything good for a belated breakfast?"

"Okonomiyaki! You should know what this is, ma'am!"

The size of the multi-layered, pancake-like object was as large as the plate he had just put it on for Kotori.

He bowed to her and gestured to the sitting area.

"The one I served you is of the seafood variety, as I remember that you have a particular like for it. However, I have a couple vegetarian, beef and pork-based ones as well. Enjoy!"

Nyton looked at his choices and motioned towards one of each beef and pork varieties. "I will eat one of these two, please." he said and took two okonomiyaki onto his plate.

The Taii seemed cheered that Tom recalled she had a liking for fish. "Thank you very much." She nodded her thanks and grabbed the place the cook had given her before turning to settle down at the head of the nearest rectangular table.

Having followed Leutre and Asher out into the wardroom earlier with glasses, Masako could only shake her head in amazement at what both Hei were talking about. Zero-G Knife throwing? What's exactly fun about that? she thought as she began setting glasses down by the pitchers.

"Breakfast is ready to eat! This can be a bit messy to transport, so I'll need you all to bring your plates into the kitchen."

Click to expand...

Smiling, the young warrant officer walked over towards Asher and Leutre to pick up a plate. "A good thing too," she said as she headed towards the kitchen with her plate just as Kotori was exiting. Bowing politely to the Taii, Masako then entered and headed towards Tom with a smile. "Oh, that looks nice," she commented.

Yukari had come out of her memories because of a scent.

Millimeters away from the wall she had been careening toward, the scent snapped her eyes forward. That aroma. She knew it well. Oh so well. Deliciously well. Her very teeth started to water. Just a hint of spice in it, almost drowned by the fullness of the flavor. There was no mistaking it. She had not had it in some time, she was sure, but she knew what it was.

Layers of scents. Each buzzing in her brain and making her stomach, in a cry of utmost finality, groan as if it were being stabbed. It was the last scene of the play, and the stomach saw its redemption -- one that had lots of omega-3 fatty acids. There was one in there with lots of protein, and another with fiber, but neither was as tasty as the acidic one. Oh did she want the acid.

Her eyes never really moved as she swirled through the air and down behind a seat. She managed not to crash or stumble or do any of the other things she was prone to doing, clutzy as she was even in Neko body. She'd stopped behind the seat to Kotori's right, but she did not even acknowledge her superior to see if it was acceptable. It was rude, but she was not considering such things. Her eyes slowly tracked until they found the source, and within the goal, the almighty that was causing her very soul to cry for joy.

The look -- hell, the walk -- Yukari did when she walked in embodied a woman in the throes of a heat she could not stop. She was all confidence and intimacy, a woman any man would kill to satisfy for they knew instinctively that it would be worth it. Her fairly ample hips sashayed, her legs tensed at just the right moments in her stride, her breasts seemed just a little firmer and fuller than usual under her uniform. Her rank pin seemed to catch the cook's eye, but only to lure his eyes toward hers, which were looking right - at - him. He'd waited a while to see that look.

Yukari's words were soaked in a lusty-yet-innocent tone she probably had no control over. Probably. It was hard to tell, as she leaned over the kitchen counter a little, one foot lifted up behind her in the classic pinup pose she did not even know about. Her upper arms pushed her breasts together and spoke with a quiet, yet demanding sound.

"Freeman-Heisho?" she asked sweetly. "May I have some seafood okonomiyaki, please?"

Nyton bowed slightly and sat down on Kotori's left, placing her at his right. He noticed Yukari's expressions and raised an eyebrow before he returned his eyes to his food. She must really like okonomiyaki. Maybe Tom makes really good okonomiyaki. he thought, eager to begin eating.

Masako could only watch as Yukari walked in on the cook with enough confidence to quell anyone meek enough in the way. But the young warrant officer was used to confident people, it was the intimacy and sensuality dripping off the taller neko that made Masako's ears droop and her eyes widen in surprise. She had seen a few of her former crewmates in the Yamatai Self-Defense Force act like that around men (and each other), but never had she expected Yukari in that light.

Suddenly faced with a very intimate situation in front of her, the raven-eyed neko decided to take a beef okonomiyaki and retreat from the kitchen at double-time. The embarassment of witnessing such an act was very much apparent upon the young neko's face as the pinkish tint clashed with the cream-tone of her cheeks. Quietly, the young woman sat down and began to feast upon her meal, not really looking up at all.

After a few more minutes, Miyoko rolled out of bed. It wouldn't do her any good to get comfortable and fall asleep... and besides, she knew the table was being set when she left the wardroom, so it had to be almost time to get an actual meal. If nothing else maybe there would at least be some conversations to eavesdrop on.

But, she arrived at the table to find that the meal was well underway. After quickly loading a few of the cakes onto a plate, she pulled up a seat. "I see how you all are, starting the meal without announcing it to get first crack at the food."

"We were just getting started, Saito. In fact none of us have really even begun to eat although I suggest we do so quickly. Given how many surprises this morning has had for us you never know what the next interruption will be." Nyton said. He tarried though, not wanting to begin before the other crew members had received their meals.

As Nyton waited he looked over his crew mates. I must admit there must be something going on between Yukari and Tom if she is that infatuated with his cooking. This is the boldest I have ever seen her. Or maybe she really loves seafood. he thought. A rather amusing image came to his mind as he imagined Yukari having an orgasm from eating the meal. He almost laughed at the idea but dismissed the thought and looked over at Masako who was already eating. Kurohoshi looks a little perturbed by something. I certainly hope she is holding up well in her new position. She seemed to do just fine during our extraction operation. This next operation to capture the Black Spiral ship will be a real test of her mettle. I look forward to it.

Nyton began to feel his stomach grow more eager to consume his meal but he forced it to wait. These guys really need to hurry up and get their food. I may want to wait for them to get food but that doesn't mean I don't also want them to hurry the hell up so I can eat.