RP: YSS Miharu Mission 2, Aftermath

Yoroko's attention was focused on Miyoko as she opened the gift. What will it be I wonder. Yoroko thought with anticipation as Miyoko tore the wrapping open rather suddenly. When Miyoko pulled out the Alicia band Yoroko was slightly surprised. That's an interesting gift, usefull. Miyoko tends to wear those a lot, but it just seems...the same as the rest. Yoroko thought after Sanjuro voiced his criticism. However once Yukari instructed Miyoko to think about a different image Yoroko's interest was piqued. "This will be interesting don't you think?" Yoroko asked, her eyes betrayed her curiosity.

Asher, standing next to Yoroko, lightly punched her on the shoulder.

"Ain't it obvious? It's one a'those, uh, mood things... Uh, headband, yeah, a Mood Headband. Changes colors when she's moody." Asher proudly surmised.

Asher, for once, was relatively close to the truth. Fancy that.

As Miyoko did as she was told, the headband's normal blue swirled at her left ear, then started to change. It formed a golden pattern of ropes, like braids of bright blond hair, criss-crossing over each other, swirling all the way to the right ear.

"Neh?" Yukari said. "Examine it! It is completely changed now."

Yoroko watched with amazement as it changed colors. "Waah, that's amazing!!" Yoroko said. "I've never heard of a mood headband Westwood-Hei." Yoroko said. "Isn't this amazing Ashitaka-Heisho? What do you think Westwood-Hei? It changed so quckly..." Yoroko said.

"Iss' cool..." Asher lied, the headband actually seemed kind of boring to his guy senses. Sure, it was a neat concept, but it was 'headband'.

"Reeeeaaaallll cool..." His eyes actually did show some interest, but in truth, it was a fake look.

(( Sheesh, I decide to take a shower and have dinner before I post and find that you guys have made 4 posts in my absence... ))

Miyoko took the headband off, inspecting it curiously. "Interesting! Er. ... the command phrase bit is necessary, right? I just want to make sure I'm not thinking of anything... inappropriate... before I put it back on if so." She appreciated the novelty of having a piece of clothing that could show her throttling Sanjuro--while she'd initially agreed with him about the band looking identical to her other, she did not appreciate him criticizing the gift around Yukari. Still, that image was something to be savored when she was alone, not displayed to the whole crew.

Yukari nodded. "That is correct — the Alicia Band requires the thought command first. But you can pick any image that you wish! It is designed to match any outfit you have, and requires no extra power source."

"Ah, good... very interesting." Miyoko slid the band back on her head and gave Yukari a warm smile--one of the few times in her life that she'd done so genuinely, not out of manipulation--and bowed to her in thanks. "Thank you, Shosa... I would have gotten you something, but as you recall, we agreed to no presents." She smirked, the last part mostly a joke, though she did feel a bit guilty about not getting Yukari anything in exchange.

She was legitimately pleased with the present. She knew that it had to take quite a lot of effort to produce, and it was useful while still being interesting. Besides, she saw it as a nice reminder of her time on the Miharu--an accessory to match her collar, another item to show the world that she wasn't just some disposable soldier, that she had a history and people who cared about her. Not that she'd ever admit that to anyone, but still.

"Yes...interesting..." Sanjuro said as he tapped a few last times on his handy datapad, his flatlining tone making it impossible to distinguish the earnest from the sarcastic in his appraisal. The tall Yamataian then stood up, straightening his uniform with his free hand before bowing shortly in Yukari's direction.

"I also have something for Saito-Hei...but I am afraid I have nothing at the moment for you, Suzuka-Shosa. I had been intending to give it to her beforehand, but have not found the time...I suppose now is as good a time as ever. I apologize if this seems a bit distasteful, but that is the circumstance...and I am unsure of your preferences. I hope you don't mind."

With all the grace of a well-calibrated clock, Sanjuro flipped the hardware in his hand around and held it out delicately, presenting the entire thing to Miyoko. The datapad itself was one of the newest releases of the Awesomecorp DataJockey, the most expensive one on the market at the time from first appearances. Sleek, professional, and in usual Sanjuro fashion, clean as a whistle despite, no doubt, hours upon hours of use.

Yukari blinked, and bowed to Sanjuro in her own apology. She had not wanted to minimize his gift at all.

But she blinked at the presentation of the datapad. It appeared to be a very capable one; more so than the standard-issue one Yukari sometimes utilized. She looked to Miyoko, waiting to see her response.

What in the hell... Miyoko took the datapad carefully, half-convinced that Sanjuro was going to yank it back at the last second and inform her that some obscure tract of army code forbade gift exchanges. Of the entire crew, he was the single person she'd consider least likely to get her anything--that he got her something so expensive and nothing for Yukari was even odder.

Her cynical side threw up red flags. After all, for him to make a gesture like this after weeks of dogging her over every mistake was just weird. Maybe he just thinks buying me an expensive present can make up for annoying me... or maybe he's giving me a pad with illegal files on it to incriminate me... A dozen possibilities ran through her head. That he could have just honestly felt like giving her a gift barely crossed her mind.

Still, as much as she wanted to try puzzling out what was going on in Sanjuro's head, now was not the time or place for it. She gave the pad a cursory inspection, enough to show she was interested in it... and more importantly, enough to buy her some time while she scrambled to figure out how to respond. She turned to Yukari and Sanjuro, offering deep bows to both of them. "Thank you both..."

"Whoa, how tha' hell didja' get one'a those?" Asher exclaimed, nosing in closely to the datapad. He observed it's sleek cover with envy, he had always wanted one of the standard issue Nepleslian DataJockeys, however, he never was able to get one.

Sora sighed as she laid in the middle of her bed, uncertain of what it was that she was going to do with herself for the rest of the day. She didn't want to face her fellow crew members just yet... but, she was never one to be spending all day crying. She sat up again and pulled a picture of her mother and grandmother from beside her bed.

She stared at the faces and sighed, before she settled down and started to pray for strength to get through this and do the family name right by continuing to work hard to prove herself as a Ketsurui and a Yamataian soldier.

"Special order from the Awesomecorp facilities. I am a trusted member for their products," Sanjuro answered Asher without so much as glancing in his direction...but the answer seemed earnest enough.

The medical officer returned his attention back to Miyoko and bowed again. "It's quite alright...I have four spares in my room, this is no great loss to me. Also, it is not the datapad itself that I wish to present you, but the cache of media I have placed on it. That is the real gift; the datapad is a...bonus, if you will. It is much better than your old one."

Sanjuro quickly reached for his back pocket, producing another datapad, identical to the one he had just handed Miyoko. He brought it up to his face and lightly touched the screen. "The media folder on your main screen contains roughly 153 articles, video feeds and self-help novels that I wish you to read and absorb, as I have found they will greatly help you with your problems," Sanjuro stated blandly.

"There are four particular articles that I wish you to see above all else in that group...you'll find them under the "Start Here" folder. I believe their titles are Beginner Medical Terminology, A Complete Moron's Guide to Basic Sensor Suites, How to Not Be a Disgusting Slob and, lastly Toot Toot the Magic Mineral Trolley. I am aware the last article on that list is a...children's book...but I believe you are still in a position to learn much from it."

It was amazing how quickly Miyoko could go from cautious gratitude to wanting to see how far she could stuff the datapad up Sanjuro's ass. Rage surged through her, though by time it boiled up to the surface, it manifested as only the slightest twitch as she restrained herself from showing him just how far a Yamataian could drive somebody's nose into their skull. Only one thing kept her from doing so: Her newly-made resolution that someday, somehow, she would repay this humiliation tenfold.

But this, this was not the time. Her reply was forced through clenched teeth, every word excruciating as she held herself back from telling him how she really felt. "I'll be sure to look at them."

"Very well," Sanjuro replied with a nod, inwardly happy (or about as close to happy as Sanjuro could get) that he had set Miyoko on the right track. He was almost 100% certain she would be grateful for his assistance, as she had been the last hundred or so times he'd given it to her. It felt good to see an individual taking his advice so well. "Happy birthday, Saito-Hei."

"Trusted memba'... Huh..." Asher arched a brow at Sanjuro, and a little annoyed by the man's disrespect. Where Asher came from, you looked at the person you spoke to, only those who can back up their buff could do that to anyone. The Hei's arched brow twitched. He rubbed disgust off his face and replaced it with the shining look.

"Well, damn, if I knew it was ya birthday, I woulda' busted mah' wallet ta' getcha' somethin' too." Asher grinned at Miyoko.

"Oh, er, it's not necessary." Miyoko turned to Asher quickly, glad to have something distracting her from Sanjuro. "We barely have enough room to keep things in our quarters as it is... and the Shosa and I agreed that we didn't want people to feel obligated to bring presents anyway." She picked up her glass of champagne and sipped at it idly, feeling a conversation vacuum in the aftermath of the presents.

"Ah, c'mon! I gotta think'a somethin'! Birthday only comes once a year!" Asher waved his hand at her. He thought for a moment, scratching his goatee... Then, a change in his expression, as if his journey had come to an end. He jutted both thumbs at himself.

"I got it! Y'can have me." The Hei winked, accompanied by a sly grin.

"Hm, well, I have been wanting a personal slave..." Miyoko knew fully well what Asher had meant, but she had no intention of taking things seriously right now if she could avoid it. "You could start by alphabetizing my books, ironing my uniforms, downloading all of the back-issues of the New Yamataian Journal of Science and submitting written summaries of the articles to me so that I don't have to read them..." She ticked the items off on her fingers as she progressed.