RP: YSS Miharu Mission 2, Day 2

[Fred]

Kotori seemed to pay Nyton's question some serious thought before she finally answered: "I wanted to be a mother."

 

[Nyton]

Nyton felt as though he had hit a sharp stop. He hadn't known what to expect so he figured he would be surprised. Kotori's statement however just surprised him even more. After a moment he managed to collect himself to reply.

"You say that as though it won't happen. It should not be impossible as a Neko to be a mother. Or are you implying you wanted to be Yamataian and bear children?"

 

[Fred]

"Well..." again, Kotori took a moment to frame her answer. "When I was originally put on active duty, my ambitions pretty much were to keep myself alive through the next eight years, achieve officer rank before the end of my career and then retire from the military to raise a family. Given how nekovalkyrja can only bring life to younglings and not babies - and it's babies I wanted - I was then intent on changing to the Yamataian body, yes."

 

[Nyton]

With a nod Nyton connected the dots regarding Kotori's dream and dilemma. The delicacy of the situation forced him to think carefully. He decided that they would have to find a solution to the ST problem soon. Undoubtedly Kotori had realized this already. It was quite possible that the current loss of realizing such a dream was hitting her hard like it did to so many other people.

A look of concern crossed over Nyton's face and he put a hand upon Kotori's shoulder, all thoughts focused on consoling her. "Then it would be a very human decision for you not to lose hope in achieving that dream someday. Regardless of the what facts may say. So long as it does not become an unhealthy obsession, hope in a dream should not be cast aside."

 

[krisslanza]

The neko stuck a fork full of omelet into her mouth and chewed it thoughtfully for a moment. The food was pretty good really, though maybe it could use some fish in it...

"Ohayoo Yoroko-san. And yes I could say I slept well. Very well actually." Yuril paused to get another bite of her omelet, "It was a little bit... Odd to not get waken up by a stun grenade or by power armors storming into the barracks and opening fire with training rounds." she took another bite of her omelet and held the fork in her mouth for a bit, then pulled it out as she spoke again, "And it was pretty unusual to not have two nekos nearby doing... Things every night. Oh and not having to take a shower in front of everyone is kind of nice. Still need to get a bath actually..."

The neko playfully nudged Kai in the ribs.

"Aw come on, Fort Ready wasn't all that bad. Ok so sure it had some of the oddest ways of being woken up and that whole incident during the power armor training... But we all met there so it can't be all bad right?" the silver-haired neko offered a happy smile

 

[Kai]

Kai perked up suddenly at the nudge, making a small "Gah!" noise and dropping his fork in a spastic manner, before calming down and answering Yuril " I guess that's true, Yuril-chan. And I am certainly glad that we got assigned to the same ship" he said, rubbing the spot where he had been nudged, subconsciously.

 

[Kim]

Sora quietly observed the eating habits and mannerisms of her new shipmates with a soft smile. She was appraising their general states of well-being; as well as, their appetites. The young medical officer did seem rather pleased that they all seemed to be in fairly high spirits and had fairly reasonable appetites; these things to her signaled that they were adjusting well to the change.

She hoped, that once they got further along in the mission that they could maintain this current state of well-being despite the stress. I think they'll be fine but I'm concerned about what might happen if we see Eve again... or if we face a boarding action. The exercise on my end didn't seem to go well, she thought with a small frown on her face. Her attention shifted as it usually did when she sat idle for too long to the faces around her.

She saw out of the corner of her eye that Serizawa was; in fact, modifying his diet as she had requested and she smiled brightly again at him. Her eyes scanned the faces at the table again and she wondered out loud in a soft, curious voice, "I wonder where Suzuka-Shosa; Kotori-Taisa; Claymere-Shoi; Westwood-Hei and Freeman-Juni are."

 

[Fred]

"Tom and Yukari are in their quarters," Miharu helpfully filled Sora in. "Taisa Kotori and Claymere-Shoi are talking philosophy in the public baths."

* * *

Kotori made a dismissive wave and then replied lightly to Nyton: "Oh, don't worry on my account. I'm actually not so worried about the difficulty: it isn't like I was planning to have children right away... I still have six years to go."

She gave Nyton an earnest smile. "For now, I settle for earning the power to make the universe my children will be born in to be a safer, better place. Yamatai, despite its utopian apparel, is far from being a place I consider ideal and I mean to make it better. Thankfully, the thing I did not expect to receive in my career - rank - gives me more power and influence to make such a mark eventually. That is why, despite my uncertainty at being promoted so quickly, that I don't turn it down: as a nekovalkyrja, the influence I exert is much more based on my rank than anything else I may represent."

 

[Nyton]

Nyton chuckled slightly and folded his hands behind his head. "Well, as your retainer it is rather important that I keep an eye on the future. The direction you take will affect my own after all. You might order me to be on hand to assist with taking care of your children even."

"I do not doubt your ambitions. Some might fear another's desire for power. I find myself eager to watch you advance. While you have been given much rank in a short amount of time you have managed to exercise it well. My confidence remains assured that you will go far and I will help you with all that I have." he then said.

 

[Fred]

Kotori returned a grateful nod. "Thank you Nyton. I am grateful for your support."

The black-haired nekovalkyrja stood up, water sluicing off her body. "Was there anything else you wanted to bring up with me? Not that I don't enjoy talking with you, but I don't plan to spend the whole morning in the baths."

 

[Nyton]

"I was enjoying this conversation for its own sake. More work related topics I figured would be addressed in due time." Nyton replied as he followed suit and stood up from the bath as well.

 

[Fred]

"Alright. I'll see you later, then." Kotori gave him a parting wave and stepped out from the bath and left for the changing room.

 

[mizunoyoroko]

Yoroko laughed in agreement with her comrades from Ft. Ready, "Yes, it is very nice not to have to go through that again." Yoroko said. "Ashitaka-Heisho, where did you recieve training at?" Yoroko asked, trying to bridge the two conversations between Sanjuro and herself, as well as the conversation that she was having with Yuril and Kai together. "At Ft. Ready we spent a lot of time in armours, was it the same at where you trained?"

 

[Nyton]

"See you then." Nyton replied as he left to change and get ready for breakfast.

 

[Kim]

"Thank you," Sora replied politely to the ship's MEGAMI. She hadn't expected a response from the ship's computer at her inquiry but was glad she was willing to help out regardless.

 

[Doshii Jun]

ON

Sigurd was at the door. As the thing slid open, Tom's nose smelled something light and tasty — something that he could tell would taste better than the sandwiches and canned chowder he'd given Yukari. Only an hour or two had passed.

The android bent down, averting his eyes from Yukari. "Roast beef on potato, with dill pickles and pepper-and-salt chips. Is this satisfactory?"

"S...sure," Tom said. Mindful of Yukari's nude state, Tom tossed a blanket over her and sat up to grab the food. "How'd you know?"

"Miharu is monitoring Yukari's progress remotely. I was told to bring food. However, she also noted you were restless. She suggested food that was appropriate for lunch."

"Restless, quite an appropriate word..." Tom mumbled to himself, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. He took the food from the android and smiled. "Thanks a bunch. I think you can return to your duties now."

"Yes sir." Sigurd rose and returned out the door as Yukari began to stir. Her nose was functioning, at least; she licked her lips.

Tom deftly ripped the sandwich into approximately two equal portions, although some roast beef had spilled on his lap in the process. "Meh..."

He picked the pieces up and put them next to Yukari's mouth. "Roast beef?"

Yukari's two eyes popped open — she saw Tom, and she saw his hand holding something vaguely red and yellow-white. Nothing was in focus yet. "Is that what I smell?" She brought her hands to it and ate, which meant her opening her mouth as wide as possible, taking a massive bite, and chewing loudly. Tom heard a sigh of relief between chews.

"Ah, a meat you enjoy that isn't fish," Tom said with a chuckle. "I'll have to take note of that." He rubbed his greasy fingers on the side of his pants. They were already dirty enough. "Come share this with me. There's more than enough for both of us."

Yukari was not sure if she could enjoy it. Her tastebuds were not very good at the moment, as everything tasted like chicken and water. But she sat up in the bed, holding her own sandwich piece over the blanket.

Tom took a large bite out of his roast beef, chewing viciously. He hadn't noticed how hungry he was. He gnashed his teeth, quickly grinding the hunk of sandwich into a paste before swallowing it audibly. "That is... SO good."

Yukari nodded. She had only a small bite, having consumed the rest of it inside of 15 seconds. She looked pleased though. Her tastebuds had finally returned, and the taste of roast beef and pickle was quite good, she admitted.

"How're you feeling? You were shivering in your sleep." Tom picked up a potato chip and munched on it. Salty and crunchy; a fried perfection.

Yukari opened her mouth to speak — but nothing came out. She frowned; an internal review informed her that her audio production facilities in her throat had been silenced to aid in eating. She placed the last bit of sandwich in her mouth. "I am fine, I believe. I am not in pain, and my bruises appear to be gone. My eyes are nearly done refocusing."

"That's good..." Tom continued to eat. His own sandwich was vanishing fast. His chips would fare no better.

"How are you?" Yukari was being dainty with the chips, as the energy from the sandwich would go a long way to restoring the rest of her body. The chips, with the pepper on them, made her recoil at first, but by the third chip, she was OK with them.

"I'm doing ok," Tom replied. "I didn't have the opportunity to eat before, so this is really helping me out." He placed the last chip in his mouth, crushing it into bits with a nod.

Yukari smiled, leaning forward over Tom's body with hers, until her face was in his lap. She turned her head, looked up at him with a smile he had not seen since well before yesterday, then turned back to his lap and, with her teeth, picked up the piece of beef he'd dropped. It was gone almost instantly. "Tasty."

"Eh?!" Tom hadn't noticed that he had dropped another part of his sandwich on his lap. "S...sorry."

"It is fine ... I enjoyed it." Yukari had a very happy smile on her face, and she snuggled up to Tom's side, her arms covering her top. " ... T ... Than- --u ... " She frowned, paused a moment, then spoke again. "Thank you."

Tom rested his head onto the top of Yukari's. His uncombed golden hair seemed like a stringy blanket all its own. "It's nothing."

Yukari did not think so. Tom had saved her great embarrassment, aided in her recovery, and put up with her behavior. It was not nothing. It was everything she loved about him. "I am thankful, that you love me so."

"I know," Tom moped. "It's just... I worry about you. I want you to be happy. I don't like it when I yell like that, you know? It's... not me."

"I know it is not you." Yukari spoke softly, warmly. She was not sure why. "I am happy here, now, with you. It is when I am far from you ... that is when I feel unhappy."

He groaned. "D'awwww, you're going to drown me in sugar if you keep talking like that," Tom chided with a faint smile. "Share with me something I don't know."

Yukari blinked ... she had to think a moment. "When I was an NH-17, I looked much like Sora, except for her bust. That was when I was an NH-17T. That assignment lasted five months."

"Really???" Tom's eyes squinted and he tilted his head up, picturing the woman. "Good thing you changed. Otherwise, the only way I could tell the difference was to... nevermind." Tom laughed.

Tom felt two very warm things touching his side. "She is not much larger than I am, you know."

The Raltean's skin blushed. "W-well, I'm not one to complain about sizes..." He shook his head. "Gah! What am I talking about?!"

"You are not? I believe you have appreciated my 'size' before." The Neko pushed against him a little more, her breath flowing over his chest. " ... I have not told anyone that before."

Tom quickly felt his body betraying his emotions. Silently, the Yamatain prayed that Yukari wouldn't probe much further. "Yes, your bust is quite... delightful. I-uh-I wouldn't trade it in for anyone else's."

Yukari knew what she was doing, but other than laying naked against her man, she did nothing more. She was going to be nice this time. "You had better not," she chided him, then rested her head on his chest. "I have not thought about my life from that time in a long while."

"Well, yes, I'm sure you've been through quite a lot of things the last few years," Tom said, resting his head back against the side of the pit while he calmed down. "I mean, you've grown so fast that it must be difficult to think about the past."

"Yes ... it is." Yukari's eyes closed, her head rising and falling with Tom's breathing. His heart beat in her ears. "When I took an NH-22C body, my memories were compacted and stored inside my brain. The compacting process led me to store most of them in an off-body memory unit. I wanted a new life. I wanted to start over."

"I can understand that." Tom gingerly rubbed his hand across Yukari's smooth back. "I thought that when I left Ralt as a teenager. I was frustrated with my life and wanted to change, to see the universe. But I guess it's hard to change one's blood. You're lucky to have that storage ability. It must help with things you'd rather forget."

"Mmmm ... It is actually frustrating." Yukari was settling in now, with the back-rubbing. "The process is not 100 percent perfect. Many Nekovalkyrja do not opt for it because of that. Memory artifacts remain; images, data, emotions. Things you cannot place without context. I brought my memory unit with me for that reason ... up until this mission, I have left it behind."

"So, why'd you bring it along now?" Tom was genuinely curious.

"Context." The word seemed to carry a lot of meaning. "I feel I should have as much as I can for what comes ahead."

"What comes ahead? How will this information help you with that?" Despite knowing Yukari intimately, Tom never had really probed into her past.

" ... " Yukari hesitated. "Much of my combat knowledge was stored away. I do not have it. My ability with firearms ... I believe it is an artifact, but I do not know." She pressed her head against Tom's chest, as if she were trying to hide herself.

Tom paused his stroking of Yukari's back to look down at her. "What's wrong?"

"It is not something I have talked about before ... that is all." It wasn't. "I did not want to be reminded what I was — an empty machine. I wanted to be human. To be real. I do not remember my experiences clearly, but in general, Nekovalkyrja on smaller cargo vessels were not treated well."

"You were part of a cargo vessel? That must've been terrible," Tom said compassionately. "But those days are over, you know? You've got a new, bright life ahead of you and nobody can take that away." He smirked as he rubbed Yukari's head. "If anybody tried, I'd punchem."

Yukari smiled as Tom sounded so protective. Even if he was being silly, it made her happy. "Those days ... what of your days, however? You have told me you traveled, and met women ... but nothing more."

"Well, what do you need to know," Tom said, his lips curling into a smirk. "I lived quite the roguish life, well, not too roguish, but roguish enough."

" ... " Yukari had to consider that. "Tell me what you did, the first year after you left Ralt."

"Really, I just wandered around, absorbing everything I could see out of the bigger cities. I traveled around, used my talents as a performer to earn some cash, and partied very hard."

Tom laughed. "I understand where the negative view of Nepleslians comes from, though, I think."

"What do you mean?"

"Nepleslians aren't like us," he started. "They're cut from a completely different cloth attitude-wise. This one group of people I fell in with, they were notorious drinkers, gamblers and party animals. Oh, and they're quite violent when provoked." The Yamataian grinned and blew out a long, chuckling breath through his teeth. " I, being so new to the outside world, didn't really get offended by their behavior. They're rugged, too, you know, like us Ralteans... they have less manners than us, though. Still, I didn't mind 'cause I've seen some grumpy people after chopping wood all day, and they'd get plastered in our tavern too."

Yukari thought some before responding. "Where was this? ... How did you use your performing to make money?"

"Central Uesureya, or Kyoto... no wait Central Uesureya because the Nepleslians did odd jobs as factory workers," Tom said. "Making money as a performer is easy, really. You just have to find what makes people clap and do it. You'll find gigs all over the place in no time."

"What makes people clap, and do it ... " Yukari seemed to think about this. "Did you work in a factory too?"

"Nope," came the quick response. "I met the Nepleslians while doing work at a rather seedy drinking establishment, right next to a few large warehouses."

"Sou. Then ... how did you learn to be an engineer?" Yukari had never asked about that.

"I learned how to fix a vehicle and other fixits in Ralt. After I joined the military, I figured that it would be best to become a technical sentry because I already knew something about repairs." Tom moved a little, repositioning Yukari to get more comfortable himself.

Yukari waited until he was done, then laid back down on him. "But you did not use those skills while you ... wandered?"

"I use what I know when it becomes relevant," Tom said matter-of-factly. "It's not like I'm actively thinking about repairing broken things. If I see something I can fix, or, like, someone asks me to fix something for them, I do it."

"Ah ... you do not enjoy it too much then." She kind of smiled to herself.

"Well, my heart's always been in performing, but I don't mind the occasional mental challenge of a fix-it-up."

Tom yawned. "I guess that's why I'm the engineer."

"I suppose. ... So, when our tours of duty are complete, and we return to Yamatai, you shall be a performer. I must find a way to support the family." She smirked.

"Oh, don't we get a pension or something out of this?" Tom quirked an eyebrow. "I figured we'd be fine with that."

"If you are not paid, you will be on the Prestige System ... if you are paid, as I am, you do not get one." The Neko sounded OK with that.

"Well, either way, I think we're fine. I mean, you don't spend too much money, do you?" Tom's hand moved to squeeze Yukari's hip playfully.

Yukari giggled, snuggling up to him more. "I do not now, but when we have children, what then? Besides ... I want to own a business someday."

"We'll make it work somehow. Don't worry too much about it." His hand rubbed up and down Yukari's naked thigh. "Besides, we already have a home in Ralt, and anything else we need can be built with our own hands."

Yukari liked that idea. She liked it a lot, and gave Tom a rather passionate kiss telling him just that.

"Mmm." Tom hummed into Yukari. After the kiss broke and they were nose to nose, Tom winked. "I like it when you do that."

"When I do what?" Yukari asked, a confused look on her face. "Kiss you?"

"That, among other things," Tom replied with a grin. "It's just another pleasant affirmation that this isn't just some nice dream."

"Of course it is not a dream." Tom suddenly felt something warm and soft grasp him where it counted. "A dream could not do this."

Tom's body reacted as any other man's would given the situation. The grin turned into a sheepish smile. "Well, there you go. You definitely have a point there."

"That is correct." Tom felt Yukari's warm, nude body against his again, but this time, it was all on his chest. "You are learning quickly."

Tom slid back into the pit without resistance. "I think I'll be getting out of this shirt now."

"Quicker and quicker, with each passing moment." Tom felt two very warm spots pressing into him in a demanding fashion. Whether he dared look down at Yukari's face was up to him, but she pulled back and let him disrobe.

"I like this kind of learning!" Tom enthusiastically tore off his shirt, gazing up at Yukari. "Now, tell me," he said with a toothy smile, "What else can you teach me?"

"Well, Mr. Freeman. That is dependent on your thirst for knowledge." Her body returned to be on top of his, feeling warmer and softer now that his shirt was off.

"Mother always said I was an avid student," Tom murmured back. This was definitely a new twist that he liked, and it showed in his grey orbs that sparkled submissively "What's today's lesson, Miss Suzuka?"

Yukari dragged her body up Tom's frame, until her head was even with his. Yukari could feel his heartbeat, hear it speed up some. That alone righted all the wrong she had done over the past 15 hours. Just knowing she could do that, it made all the difference. "Today, we will learn about sharing. Do you know how to share, Mr. Freeman?"

"Y-yes..." Tom whispered, trailing off a bit as he became lost in the features of Yukari's heart-shaped face. Delicate and perfect, it was so close to him that he could feel warm breath on his lips.

"That is good," Yukari said. Tom could feel Yukari's breath, though it smelled a little like roast beef. She was almost mouthing the words, more breath than sound. "You shared with me today already ... now it is time I share with you. Are you ready?"

Tom only nodded, stuck in a stupor caused by Yukari's beauty and aggressiveness. Whatever she had done, Yukari had Tom in her thrall. But, how long could the snow wolf be caged? Yukari could see hints of the beast on his blushing skin.

Yukari smiled, but she gave Tom a demanding, if pleasurable, squeeze. "Now now, Mr. Freeman. Politeness, please: 'Yes, Miss Suzuka.'"

"Y-yes Miss Suzuka."

The very words thrilled Yukari, and her hand wandered a little lower, giving a pair of somethings else a far more forgiving squeeze. "Poor Mr. Freeman. You have much to share with me, do you not?" Her head began to slink back down his body, her movements slithering and sensual at once.

Tom let out a soft moan in response to Yukari's stimulus. Already, his eyes were pleading with the woman, but, despite his obvious emotion, his lips only moved in compliance. "Yes, Miss Suzuka."

Yukari almost pouted; the desperation was part of the flavor she craved to taste. Her own little drug, pleasing her man this way. But the words still had great power, and they rewarded Tom with another squeeze. She deftly undid the few securities of Tom's pants that prevented her from sharing more, then, with one hand on one side and her teeth grasping the other, she pulled down, down, down, down to his ankles, then stopped, smiling. She had nearly been hit in the face.

Now, as she looked up Tom's frame, Yukari could not suppress her smirk. Her lips moved around each spoken word with a salacious purpose. "My. You are ready to share with me ... Mr. Freeman, I am glad to see this." Her other hand found its way back to where it was, her warm skin against his.

"Miss Suzuka, I want to give everything to you." The Yamataian's pelvis buckled, pent up desire and energy in his body, waves of heat pouring from the space between his legs. His hands reached up for something to grab. Tom in his lust, knew what he wanted to handle, but the twins were so far away, and his arms were out of range. Defeated, his arms fell back to the blankets as his body started to twitch under Yukari's dominance.


He licked his lips as a soft moan overtook his body.

Yukari's body reacted now. Tom could feel it as she seemed to slide back up his leg. Now his desperation was apparent, tangible, replacing the roast beef taste still in her mouth with something sweeter than the finest candy. Such desire. "Do not give it to me," she said, switching gears, knowing he deserved to let his snowy persona come forth and take its reward for soothing her. "Take it from me, Mr. Freeman ... I am sharing with you. Take it from me." Damp breath on his body, up his body, right at the tip of his body. Yukari's wavy brown locks looked a bit dirty from her fighting, and added a degree of "taboo" to her glowing green gaze. Her wet lips parted. "Take, and be rewarded." Then, she was gone from his immediate vision, and Tom could feel only heady pleasure.

END

 

[MoonMan]

Yoroko laughed in agreement with her comrades from Ft. Ready, "Yes, it is very nice not to have to go through that again." Yoroko said. "Ashitaka-Heisho, where did you recieve training at?" Yoroko asked, trying to bridge the two conversations between Sanjuro and herself, as well as the conversation that she was having with Yuril and Kai together. "At Ft. Ready we spent a lot of time in armours, was it the same at where you trained?"

Sanjuro put down his fork soundlessly and straighted up again as he was addressed with a question. He looked rather odd sitting there in his velvety crimson robe, a sharp contrast to the other evening-wear and occasional uniform present at the table, but Sanjuro didn't seem to notice. If he did, he certainly didn't show it.

"I only received light military standards training at Fort Ready before being assigned to the Miharu," Sanjuro drolled. "Most of my education comes from the medical universities I attended. I graduated from Central Uesureya Hiyabashi University and Kyoto University at the top of my classes in medical science. Most of my field experience comes from the jobs I held before considering the military...hospitals in Central Uesureya, Kyoto, Lorrheim, Malifair...and I spent about four days working at a Ralt hospital as well after attending a seminar about hemosynthetic advancements."

"What I learned from the military training was minimal, in terms of my knowledge of medicine. I suppose I was fortunate that I had experience prior...I did not have to stay long."

 

[Aria]

Takuma stretched and gave a quick yawn. It seemed like he had fallen asleep, probably from his lose of sleep from his dream. When he looked up, he jumped a little to see the room was full of people. And no one woke me up, he thought, sighing. He heard one of them mention hating being woken up like at the Fort and remembered Kiyoshi telling him about the morning of graduation.

"Hey Miharu, any chance you could create a holographic Mishhu to wake them up tomorrow, just so they can feel at home?" he said with a laugh.

He got up and grabbed some food and drink, and decided to take a seat near the three fresh from Fort Ready.

"I heard that there was an attack on the Fort during your training exercise. I've only heard from Kiyoshi, who I believe said he left you guys alone to get help. What was it like fighting them unexpectedly like that?" he said, taking a sip of coffee.

 

[mizunoyoroko]

Yoroko sat through Sanjuro's summary of his training. "Is that so? Why did you join the military anyway Ashitaka-Heisho? You seemed to have been a pretty skilled doctor before hand, what convinced you to join?"

"Hey Miharu, any chance you could create a holographic Mishhu to wake them up tomorrow, just so they can feel at home?" he said with a laugh.

Yoroko turned and looked at Takuma with a very serious look on her face. "There will be absolutely no need for that!!" Yoroko said, although she barely managed to finish the sentence off before laughing. "Yes, there was an attack when we were training with the second class in DAISYs. It was so sudden, I don't know about Kai or Yuril, but there really wasn't any time for me to think about it." Yoroko's tone changed to a slightly more somber tone of voice as she spoke.

 

[Doshii Jun]

ON: Chiharu Star Fortress

Kosuka had not approached the living quarters of the Sylvester family. She was standing about 10 meters from it, on a walkway leading up to it and other quarters. She was a spectacle among an utterly civilian area -- samurai robes, swords, Neko ears. She imagined her child fiddling with her hair at the moment, but she could only rub her hands inside her sleeves. The questions, however, would not answer themselves. She took a small breath, approached the door, and knocked.

The door took nearly thirty seconds to open up, but when they did, a yamataian woman stepped into the doorframe, eyes alit with good humor. "Why Kosuka!" Margaret exclaimed, looking both surprised and elated. The yamataian woman was just shy of her thirties, wore curly chestnut hair shoulder-length and was wearing a cooking apron. Smells from the kitchen wafted out the open door.

Kosuka bowed, but her smile could not be surpresed. "Mother," she said in Japanese. "It is good to see you healthy." The samurai was at an actual loss for words -- the aromas sent her mind back several years, to a time where she knew too little, and yet just enough. She wanted to miss it. "How is Timothy?"

"Timmy is as fine as boys go. He's playing that multiplayer pirate game that came out. If wish I could make hi stop, but Karl and Timmy made a deal: as long as Timothy gets good grades, he can play his games." Margaret sighed in a 'it cannot be helped' manner. "Won't you come in?" the housewife moved to one side of the doorway, making an inviting gesture.

Kosuka gave a slow nod and stepped inside the house, where slipped off her sandals. She looked throughout the quarters: the living room off to the left behind sliding doors, a narrow hall in front of her leading to a bright and naturally-lit kitchen. She could hear the game being played down the hall, and her smile blossomed more. Timmy was a good child. She stepped up from the immediate entryway and glanced at the glass chandelier above her. "Your home is beautiful, Mother."

"Welcome home," was Margaret's simple reply before she lead Kosuka to the living room. As they moved, Kosuka spied a six years old geshrin girl whom was the spitting image of her mother, dressed in what looked like a preschool uniform. She had a goblet held in both hands. "Gillian," Margaret frowned. "I said no juice before supper. You're going to do just like yesterday and not eat because you drank too much." "I wanted," the child replied, undaunted, and pointed back at a steaming cauldron. "It's steaming a lot, Mommy." "Oh my," Margaret's eyes widened and she hurried to the kitchen after giving Kosuka a nod in apology. The child walked up to Kosuka, tilted her head curiously in a birdlike fashion and finally pointed her. "Neko."

Kosuka's eyes almost teared. "Gillian-san," she said, going to one knee with a warmer expression on her face than she had made many months. Since seeing Kotori. The samurai leaned a little, putting herself at eye-height with the child. "You have grown since I saw you last. You look much like Mother -- that is good." Talking to kids was not the same as talking to trainees, but it had been too long since she had done the latter anyway. She felt ill-equipped. "Do you remember me?"

The young girl took a slurping sip from her goblet - raisin juice - and frowned. "Kotori?" she asked uncertainly. It was an understandable mistake: Gillian had been barely more than a toddler when Kosuka last saw her and memories of Kosuka's younglings were less than two years distant.

"That is my daughter," Kosuka replied, smiling. "I am Kosuka." Instead, she twisted her head some and, in an exaggerated fashion, twitched her ear a little ways away from Gillian. The girl had loved playing with her ears, and she remembered the twitching was something the child enjoyed watching. The loud giggles of pure joy were music to the Neko's ears; she recalled them so fondly.

"Kosuka," Gillian echoed, though she did not pick up on the ear wiggle. Perhaps she had been too young after all. "Mommy is making udon."

"Udon?" Kosuka replied, seeing the child did not seem to remember her well. "That sounds wonderful. You like udon?"

"Mm!" The girl bobbed her head, obviously having a high opinion of her mother's cooking.

———————

Kosuka was invited to guest at the Sylvesters until Karl returned from work and so enjoyed the company of Margaret and her two children along with the udon the housewife had cooked that evening. The samurai found Gillian's enthusiasm for her mother's udon quite justified.

The household's doorway opened and a tall yamataian man made his way in. "I'm home!" Karl called out as he removed his shoes in the entry. His son greeted him back with a fist pumping up and a "Arr!" which had Margaret sigh in exasperation.

Kosuka was in the kitchen, helping clean up after the small dinner of udon. Her mind raced as she heard Karl's voice, which she had not heard in some time. It was hard not to call out his name.

Karl was somewhat slowed down by his daughter whom bodily tackled him in the legs, but he managed his way to the table and bent down to kiss his wife lightly on the lips.

"We have a guest," Margaret smiled after the kiss and gestured toward the kitchen where Kosuka was helping out.

The Yamataian man rounded to give a look in the kitchen and stopped. The man looked at the samurai nekovalkyrja for a silent moment before smiling. "Welcome home Kosuka. Have you been well?"

"Honored father," Kosuka said in Yamataian, bowing deeply with the dish towel still in her hands. She rose slowly. "I have been well. Your children are beautiful and kind, father — it was an honor to dine with them."

Karl gave a nod and a smile, though his eyes seemed serious. "This is not only a courtesy call, is it?" he asked through encrypted telepathy.

Kosuka slowly shook her head "no." "I must ask about my daughter, father. Her crew requested this of me. They fear for her."

Karl returned a terse nod and turned over to the rest of his family. "I need to have a private chat with the esteemed samurai. I will return in a bit - keep a plate warm for me?"

Margaret returned a nod and a smile, though Timmy promptly added: "But only if she agrees to match blades with me afterwards in single-combat to the death!"

"Ah, not with your plastic sabers, you won't," Karl chuckled and gestured Kosuka out of the kitchen and into his office - a simple room with a desk made of good lacquered wood, two comfortable leather chairs and a bookshelf.

Kosuka smirked, but let Karl handle the child. She followed him to his small office, where she waited for him to sit. Her hands were inside her robe sleeves; she appeared tense, for a samurai.

Karl had Kosuka enter the office and closed the door behind her before moving to one of his leather chair. He settled in with a sigh and gestured her to the other seat. "Please make yourself comfortable."

Kosuka did so, her back straight against the chair's back. Her eyes looked down, as if to focus on his shoes. "Forgive my arriving unannounced, Father. I had little time."

"You are always welcome. I know my wife, for one, appreciates visitors." Karl dismissed the matter. "Have they found out how Kotori could not receive Soul Transfer backups?"

Kosuka nodded stiffly. "They suspect many things, but have no direct answers. They discovered some of your ties to her, and asked me to speak to you."

"I'll answer the important questions then," Karl had obviously expected as much. "Her new body is not actually a stealth variant, but one we coined a signaler - a nekovalkyrja whose mind we designed so that she could exploit the psionic potential unleashed by her enemies and either shield or counter them with their own aggressive signals."

The samurai was recording the conversation. "She must train then. Yes?"

"That could be hard. When we gave a similar ability to a NIWS, it did not seem quite as able to fully harness that power. It's become my belief that established foreknowledge would be of little help since it's based on the spontaneous fight or flight reactions of a living mind more than anything else." He frowned. "The handicap of not being able to get a ST backup I hoped could be balanced by not being defeated by one of Eve's powerful psion minions - if not Eve herself."

Kosuka kept her face blank. "Is it something they should keep secret? I do not know how well-kept their investigation is."

"Well, well kept secrets are the best secrets," Karl replied, sighing as he reclined on his seat with a creak of leather. "I won't make decisions for commissioned officers, but this was the first time we used it with a living mind and seeing that we had mixed results with the NIWS, we chose to be more cautious. The inability for your daughter to have backups, though, is a harsh price to pay - it did not matter for the NIWS, but it does much more for her."

"Understood." Kosuka paused briefly. "I know she has no official ST backups. How can the crew revive her, were she to die?"

Karl seemed somewhat bitter, as if the answer he was about to give wasn't quite good enough for him. "Two things. SAINT should have made Miharu's electronic suite able to interact with her via SPINE. Information could be uploaded that way, even memories. Self-cloning could also be used to make a miniature youngling version of herself and have it retain as much of her memories as its mental capacity could allow." He blinked, remembering something. "Now that I think about it, here's a third - I don't think it'll be very popular, though."

Kosuka nodded. They were not perfect options, but they would suffice. It was too late now. "I will relay them all. It must be their choice."

Karl gave her a sober nod. "Kotori's NH-22M body is in storage on the Miharu is a spare HSCS-2 material container. It may be of some use."

Kosuka's eyes widened. It was an option ... "How can they use it?"

"That's a more difficult question to answer," Karl admitted. "In theory, she could upload all her memories back to her original body, though updating the personality itself might be impossible. It could account for a crude way to preserve herself if no ST backup is possible. Note that I am not positive the NH-22M abilities - even if I gave small improvements since - would be as good a match against the Daughters of Eve's psions as well as her Signaler body would, though. Kotori's limited experience at psionic combat likely would mean that mind-to-mind direct confrontation without the benefit of the NH-29 Signaler's protections would be a confrontation she would lose."

"I see," Kosuka said. "Is it possible to test Kotori's ability outside of the ST machine?"

He shook his head. "Like I said, it's not so simple. I doubt anything but a real psion in a life-threatening circumstance would help her hone it - Kotori's ability could react lethally even in friendly sparring. We needed to make some of its defensive use as automatisms to protect from attacks she would not expect."

"Informing her offers no advantage." Kosuka said it as a question, but it sounded like a statement of fact.

"I believe that learning on her own instead of being taught will have her in time be able to make the most out of her ability," Karl answered mildly. "Preconceptions might only limit her abilities once implemented, I feel."

"Understood." Kosuka bowed her head. "If there is nothing more to know, Father, I should leave. I must inform her crew."

Karl looked somewhat unhappy, but nodded. "Hopefully, she'll prove it worth it and tear Eve's face off in the process," he said darkly.

Kosuka's expression finally changed — the small grin on her face was full of malice. "Of course," she said in Yamataian. "She is my daughter."

Karl returned a bittersweet smile. "Well, I won't keep you any longer. The rest, like you said, will be up to them to decide."

"Yes." Kosuka rose to her feet, then bowed again. "It was good to see you, Father."

Karl stood up as well. "Take care of yourself."

END