RP: YSS Eucharis [Mission 16.1] Hanako's World

Beach Shuttle

When the shuttlecraft carrying those bound to the beach finally touched down at their intended destination, Reika once more took hold of her bag and made her way out of the transport just a few seconds behind Helen and the first group to head off. Once she reached the door, Reika turned back to face Takeyu -- who was still aboard. From the precipace, the wind carried the scent of the sea air and the sound of the lightly crashing waves in the distance.

"Let's see... if I remember correctly the hotel is supposed to overlook the beaches.." the Neko said aloud with a light-hearted smile, enjoying the feel of the hot sun against her skin. She almost couldn't wait to get changed into some more appropriate attire and take a dip herself.

Behind her, Takeyu placed a hand on her shoulder and said. "Then, shall we do a bit of exploring to see what this place has to offer?" he grinned.

Reika nodded softly in reply as she stepped outside the vehicle, her cyan-colored hair drifting to the side as it was caught by the rushing breeze. In the distance, one could see a number of shops along the beach front between the sandy beach and the adjacent road -- the direction where Helen and the others seemed to be already headed. Looking around, the neko believed she spotted the resort hotel -- it was the largest structure in the viscinity at any rate.

"I think that's the hotel up there..." Reika said, pointing into the distance. "We could go up there now or we could look amongst the shops like Helen's group seem to be doing."

"Let's go ahead and drop our things off in the hotel room," suggested Takeyu, who had been eying Helen before she had disappeared amongst the shops. He was wanting to hit the beach though, relax a bit, do some swimming; essentially things he hadn't done in a great long time.

Reika turned her attention to the footpath which appeared to lead up to the resort. She slung her bag over her shoulder and began treading down the path. As she walked, the neko glanced as various people walked past in variety of bright and colorful clothing -- from skimpy bikini's and boardshorts to more modest attire which nonetheless tended to be colored so festively they dazzled the eye.

Hotel

Eventually, the pair reached the hotel's reception area and walked up to the desk once a spot opened up -- the place sure was busy. Reika pulled out her ticket and stopped, looking back and waiting for Takeyu to do the same.

Takeyu showed his ticket to the receptionist who verified their reservations; after some time the receptionist gave them their keys to the room.

Together, the pair went upstairs to the room the receptionist had indicated was theirs upon handing over the keys. A few minutes later, Reika had her bag resting on a table in their shared room and was riffling through its contents in an attempt to find her swimsuit. Pausing briefly after the completion of her search, the neko cast Takeyu an impish look.

"No peeking!". With her bikini -- some fairly small pieces of azure cloth -- she stepped into the bathroom for a few moments so that she could switch out of her uniform and into the two-piece bathing suit.

When she stepped back out, most of her athletic and curvacious figure was put on full display -- her swimming attire left practically nothing to the imagination -- though Takeyu and Reika had both seen each other nude during a previous visit to an onsen last year. With a faint blush upon her features, Reika asked softly, "What do you think?"

"Looks absolutely beautiful on you," said the chief engineer with a smile, he looked his fellow crewmen up and down and gave a rather impressed nod of the head. She certainly is a beaut... sometimes it's hard to imagine how beautiful a person can be when there is a war on, he thought while staring at her figure for a moment before opening his own bag and pulling out his trunks and a t-shirt. "My turn," he smiled at her.

Reika flashed Takeyu a warm smile as she crossed the room in order to place herself upon the chair beside the table where her bag lay. There she waited for the engineer to get changed so that the pair could make their way back down to the beach. Whilst she waited, the neko briefly wondered what kinds of unfamiliar foods would be available at the shops that she could try during their leave.

Takeyu spent some time in the bathroom, undressing and getting out of his dress uniform and folding it up neatly. When that was done, he took his swimming trunks and put them on along with a plain white t-shirt.

"Done," he said as he came out of the bathroom. Both with, and without, his uniform it was easy to see just how muscular the officer was - but with the uniform off and only a pair of trunks and a shirt on, it was plainly obvious that he was much more muscular which meant that Takeyu kept himself in shape. "So, shall we hit the beach?" he smiled. "Or, did you want to hit the shops first?" he looked over at the window and walked over to it, glancing out over the beach and the shopping area in the distance.

Reika considered their choices as she stood up and joined Takeyu by the window, looking upon the tranquil scene. "I think we should take a dip first. If we still feel like it, we can go shopping on our way back to the resort." The neko said softly, idly pulling an errant strand of her cyan-colored hair out of her view and placing it behind one of her furred ears.

"Then a swim is what we shall do," he smiled at her and turned toward the door to leave, grabbing a towel from the bathroom on the way out but stopped short of the door to glance back at Reika.

The neko smiled softly at Takeyu as she followed after him with a spring in her step, briefly popping into the bathroom as well to grab another towel for her own use later on. Once acquired, she exited the cabin a few steps behind the officer and proceeded with him through the interior of the resort and back towards the buildings entrance.

Takeyu was impressed with how the inside looked, extravagent and beautiful, just what he'd expect from a hotel on a planet named after his captain. "So, shall we run to the beach and see who gets there first?" he grinned at his fellow crewmen.

The neko's eyebrow rose in response questioningly for a few moments. Then she smiled warmly in the officer's direction. "You're on... loser pays for our drinks." The neko said before poking her tongue out impishly. "Ready... set... GO!" The bikini-clad, cyan-haired soldier announced abruptly, darting forward and around one startled passerby who had been headed in the direction of the resort. As she ran, the neko called out excitedly to Takeyu. "Eat my dust!"

Beachfront Bar

"Ikno huh?!" Natsumi replied, smiling at Konoka as she went into her giggling fit. The near albino Neko happily went at her second drink, enjoying the thick fruity liquid immensely.

"MMmm yummy!" she said after having downed half of her second margarita. "Why don't we have these on the ship?" she asked Konoka, giggling

Beachfront Bar

"Mmm, margaritas are an old Nepleslian tradition. It would hardly be a hearty display of Yamataian culture to drink down Nepleslian beverages on a ship of the Empire, would it?" Helen spoke, a distinctive tone of amusement to her voice as she looked to Natsumi and Konoka. "Though, of course, Nepleslians have a lot of cultural tradition revolving around alcohol." There was a smirk on Helen's face, as a flush filled her cheeks, and she looked to a freshly poured shot of tequila on the bar. "Even for this seemingly simple shot of tequila, there is an elaborate tradition for the social consumption of this beverage, which involves salt, lime, and two people looking to be close to each other."

Beach

As the day went on, the sun began to set as a huge red ball slowly sinking into the horizon, casting long shadows between bright orange light it cast on the beach. The bars along the beach switched on strands of lights as the light began to fade.

Hanako returned to the Cabana to find Ramiro still snoozing. She woke him up and grabbed her bag, towel, and gunbelt and, after Ramiro packed up the cabana tent, they stuck it in the car and went to the showers. After washing herself off and shampooing her hair, she emerged and they headed to the bar where the others were hanging out.

Beach Bar
"I'm being appreciative of other cultures, Klein-san", replied Konoka with a grin. Taking a swig of her second margarita, she added, "Dem Neplesians 'r on t'something. Who am I to decline a taste of a rich cult're of drunk'n debauchery?"
Then she started giggling again. She turned around and then blushed when she noticed a familiar face approaching.
"Hanako-sama is here!" she cried, surprised.
And maybe a little too loudly...

Beach Bar

While the rest of the crew was talking, Bors decided not to jump into their conversation, figuring he wouldn't have as much useful input as he hardly knew anything about the neko's outside of their intended purpose and focused on enjoying his beverages instead.

Several beers and shots later, Bors was elbow deep in empty glasses and bottles, which always seemed to get in his way as he and the bartender exchanged stories and jokes. As he was in the middle of telling one of his favorite stories, Bors heard Konoka announce their captains arrival.

"E::hic::Evening Ma::hic:: Ma'm, pull up a chair and ta::hic:: have a round or five-ish" he said gesturing to an open seat, hitting a few empty bottles making them rattle together.

Beach Bar

"Debauchery?" Hanako grinned, amused. Her pointed ears perked up. She had certainly seen some debauchery in earlier years. "Please...tell me more."

She turned to the waitress and asked for a glass of local red wine...the one with her picture on the label.

Beachfront Bar

Mitsuko let the others continue the conversation while she recovered. The water had helped. Thankfully, the extra mass she had in comparison to the sometimes shorter and always skinnier Neko in the group drinking with her let her withstand some of the effects. The fact that she was still slowly sipping her first margarita was another reason why she still had most of her wits about her.

She was thankful she'd taken it slow when her captain appeared. Murakami responded to Konoka's warning with a squeak, standing up straight. She hadn't moved away from the bar yet, the empty shot glass remaining next to her water bottle and almost-finished margarita. She began to worry about hiding the alcohol from Hanako, before she realized their captain was ordering a drink as well. One that seemed to have a photo of Hanako herself on it. She let out a sigh of relief before gulping down the last of the margarita, pushing the empty glasses away. Vacations were so stressful...maybe she really did need more of these drinks.

Beachfront Bar

Tomomi occupied a corner booth sipping on a margarita. Watching her shipmates proved far more entertaining then actually participating. As such she keep the natural high rate of metabolism high.

Suzume moved over to a table and thought about things over a few more margaritas. AS the sun dropped over the horizon she came to a conclusion that satisfied her. 'Who gives a feth, I'm who I am now, not who I'll be latter, nor who I was before, so I must be ever changing. and if that is the case the how the hell can any one be the same.' With a drunken grin upon her face she stood staggered back to the bar counter and ordered another drink.

Looking around she saw Helen and Mitsuko further down the bar with the Sho'Sho'. Once she received her drink she moved down to join them. Bowing shallowly, trying not to fall over, she spoke as smoothly as she could, "Thank you Ma'am for this time away from the ship, it seems fun so far."

Beach Bar

"I am glad you are enjoying it," Hanako told Suzume with a giggle.

Passing by the beach bar, a truck rumbled down onto the beach and dumped out a bunch of firewood into a mound. Hanako looked at her crew at the bar and grinned. “I got us a private bonfire using my discoverer-of-this-planet perks. If you stay on the ship, I am sure we can find some planets to name after you all. But remember celebrity has both pros and cons. Come on down to the bonfire. We can tell stories and roast marshmallows.” With that, Hanako left the beach bar with her wine glass in one hand and a burning tiki torch in the other.

Beachfront Bar

There was a smile from Helen as she watched the way that Hanako interacted with her crew. It was a smile forged from alcohol and a realization that Hanako was suited for her position in one key regard, she was winning the war for hearts and minds within her ranks. Gesturing to the barkeep, Helen called him over to settle the bill for the moment, before she stepped away from the bar and toward the beach.

As the sun made its decent toward the horizon, Helen decided she was going to take a moment to enjoy the beach for what made it special, as she approached the water line, and set down her travel bag far enough up on the sands to be out of the path of the waves. Once her bag was set down, Helen undid the ties which held her sundress in place, before letting it fall off her shoulders to reveal the string bikini that she wore beneath, and along with the ties, she removed the pins which held her hair up, allowing it to fall past her shoulders. Beneath the discarded dress was the neon-purple bikini which she had chosen from the shop, which was something between a traditional bikini and a micro-bikini, as it hugged against her features and had a g-string styled bottom. Once the dress was off, Helen strode to the waterline, before stepping into the waves and going for a brief swim, just so she could seize upon the rare opportunity to swim in an ocean.

Helen was in the water for a few minutes, as the sun began to dip entirely beneath the waves, she made her way back onto the beach, as her hair clung to her shoulders, and her swimsuit did much the same. She scooped up her travel bag and dress before she made her way back over to the bonfire site as she pulled a towel from her bag and laid it out upon the sands to sit upon. As she sat, she looked to Hanako, thinking on something to say, before she simply said; "Shosho, thank you for the vacation." With that, she waited for the pile of wood to transition into being a proper bonfire.

Beach

For a moment, Hanako's eyes were naturally attracted to Helen's curves surrounding the tiny strings.

The Shosho shoved her torch into the base of the bonfire stack and the fire began to spread, illuminating the beach around it. With the sun down and a breeze blowing now, it was a little cooler and the heat from the blaze was a pleasant contrast.



"Do you ever think about starting a family?" Hanako asked Helen.

Beach

Mitsuko put a hand on Misato's shoulder to steady her, after that wobbly bow. She wasn't so sure about having any planets named after her, but it was an amusing thought. The loud arrival of the truck, and the load it dumped, distracted her from considering it further. Soon enough she found herself heading for the building fire with the others. Murakami realized she had picked up a second margarita at some point, even though she didn't remember asking for one. With a shrug, she sipped at it, almost used to the taste by now.

Her duffel bag was plopped onto the sand with a sigh of relief, imitating Helen by rolling out her new towel as well. She settled down by the bonfire, blushing slightly as Helen stripped to her swimsuit for a little dip. Mitsuko wasn't too confident about the ocean, although she was curious about it. She'd passed all the required swimming tests, of course, but this wasn't exactly a Star Army regulation pool, either. For now, she'd enjoy the cold drink and warm fire. Maybe by the time she'd finished the margarita, she'd have enough courage to take a swim.

Beach

As the fire grew, Helen's eyes watched the flames spread out over the wood. Something about watching the flame made Helen feel at ease, and somehow nostalgic. Perhaps it was a matter of her heritage, or perhaps some distant memory of a time long ago, even Helen was unsure of the matter, as she tore her eyes away from the flame to look to Hanako when she was spoken to by the Shosho.

"Mm... I thought on it. I had someone in my life, but, I lost track of them after the Battle of Yamatai." Helen explained as a thoughtful expression which skirted near a smile crossed her lips; "I know I will eventually build a family though, either while in the service while in this body, or, when I retire and use my stored DNA to get into an organic body. It could be interesting to have a child the old fashioned way." Helen spoke quite candidly, as she decided to pose the same question "What about you, Shosho? Have you ever considered settling down?"

Beach
Konoka wobbled over to the bonfire area, half-finished margarita in hand, and sat down next to Mitsuko.
She thought she saw Mitsuko eyeing the water. "Thinking 'bout going for a swim, Murakami-san?" she asked with a grin. Putting an arm around the nervous nekos shoulder, she added, "I'll go with you if you're nervous. An' hey- I gots a question fer you. What ya so nervous for? Today's been pretty fun, ain't it? Dont ya see there ain't nothin' ta be scared 'bout when you're among friends?.....I mean, I wanna be your friend, Murakami-san, if you'll just trust me. Can ya do that, Scaredy Cat-chan?"

Then, to nobody in particular, she whined loudly, "Anybody know where Koga-chan's been all day? She's missing out on a fun time..."

Around the Bonfire

"I have thought about it a lot. Being stranded on that planet was lonely yet peaceful and the farming life was enjoyable. Until my recent merging of minds, I had always imagined starting a farm and running the vineyards on this planet, living a peaceful idyllic lifestyle after the war...but there is something about the captain's chair that I appreciate more now. Being able to explore and being able to make a difference in the universe is something I enjoy. Maybe I am not best suited for war, but I have proven I am capable in one and once this war is over, the Star Army will be a perfect place for me," Hanako told Helen. "As for marriage, I do not have anyone in mind, but I am fairly certain that Yaichiro has feelings for me. I hear he will be in this star system soon to take command of the YSS Sakura II."

Bonfire

Mitsuko was surprised when someone decided to plop down on the sand next to her towel. "Huh? Oh..." She wasn't surprised to learn who it was, though. She tensed for a moment, as Konoka's arm went around her shoulder, before relaxing at the somewhat familiar situation. Murakami leaned a bit closer, letting out a sigh. "...everything's just so...hectic. I like to be prepared...b-but new things keep happening, one after another."

She started to smile a bit, at the offer of friendship...before making a pouty face at the nickname. "I'm...I'm not scared. Hrmph..." She sipped at her drink, having to tilt the glass further back then she had expected, somehow managing to sulk while finishing the margarita. "...during training, the others actually called-" Mitsuko was cut off at this point in the conversation with Konoka for a second time, as the other Neko made her outburst.

"...maybe we should wait for you to process your drink before we try swimming..." She mumbled to herself, wondering if she'd ever finish her introduction properly...maybe she should attempt it on someone less energetic next time.

Bonfire

As the rest of the crew started to filter towards the bonfire Bors, looked down one of his empty glasses and And muttered to himself in Nepleslian before grabbing two beers and his belongings and made his way over to the fire.

Bors plopped himself down between the two groups and sipped on one of his remaining beers, and stared into the fire letting his mind wonder as he listened to the people next to him.

Beach

As the light of the flames danced across Helen's face, she looked to Hanako and listened to her words. She was not too surprised by her words, though, she did find herself somewhat impressed that the Shosho was so well aware of what she was suited for, more so, that she was so frank about the matter. There was a maturity there, perhaps it was gained once Hanako merged with herself, or perhaps it was just the passage of time, none the less, Helen was able to mark a distinctive change between the woman who she retrieved in her Ayame-Class from the wreckage of a Plumeria so many years ago, and the Shosho that was before her. It was just a matter of waiting and seeing what would come of such growth.

Thoughts of maturity and growth were halted in Helen's mind, as Hanako brought up the topic of Yaichiro, the very person who was the cause of her assignment to the Eucharis to begin with. In a moment of thought, Helen recalled just how her investigation of Yaichiro progressed, and just what was involved in that process, what came from that thought was a distinctive blush upon Helen's features, and a curiosity of just how such a petite woman could manage to be with such a man. 'That explains the upgrades to her hip structure.' Helen figured, as she blushed a little more. "He is certainly an interesting individual, committed to his duty, his feelings, and the Empire. That is an official SAINT assessment too, not just a casual endorsement."

Though, after speaking, Helen turned her gaze to look directly into the fire, as she hoped Hanako would not question her about her time as Yaichiro's 'Room Mate' aboard the Eucharis. 'Just what I don't need, a Shosho possibly scrutinizing me because I had sex with a prospective suitor. Well... maybe she'd like that? At least that is what the records of Hanako's behaviors would indicate. I'll just have to wait and see how she behaves.' Though, even with such cautious thoughts, Helen's mind mulled over another matter; 'I wonder if he still likes plums'.