RP: YSS Eucharis [Mission 27, Part 1] Expanding Horizons (YE 39)

Wardroom

"Avoid the press? Ah, well..." Tan said, with mild disappointment. "We do have plenty of sake," she contributed, halfway through her meal. "Everyone here knows how to stay safe when swimming in uncharted waters, yes?" She somehow managed to evoke a sense of maritime danger by offhandedly making wave motions with one chopstick while darting the other about it in distress.

Cargo Bay

"Yes, ma'am, a kegger," Ramiro responded to Natsumi. "In my newly acquired collegiate understanding," Ramiro said in a pompous voice as he straightened his back, tilted his chin up, put on a smug facial expression, and began waving his hand in the air to mimic having a glass of scotch, "I have become exceptionally acquainted with the vernacular of the modern youth. A 'kegger' is a type of 'rager' or party at which people getting wildly intoxicated, usually from distilled alcoholic beverages distributed via keg. However, the usage has developed to include any party at which high levels of intoxication, loud music, and party atmosphere is to be expected."

Ramiro started chuckling to himself. "If there's anything that I've learned in the past few years, it's how to pretend to smart, and how to jive with the kids. They think I'm cool, ma'am." He paused as he glanced back at the pallet of alcohol. "However, I didn't find out until I arrive planetside that the Eucharis crew would be taking some leave time, so my bringing all of this alcohol was merely a happy coincidence. It's for the whole crew to use, and for the Shosho to stock a bar on-ship if she so chooses. I'd prefer that people just not take entire bottles for their own use, and that they share instead, but I really don't care. I recently came into about three-hundred times that amount of alcohol and after I sold it all off I made sure to hold on to some to share. What better way to make nice with the newbies on the crew?"

Wardroom

Freyja watched Jackson disappear with a smile. A look at the crew gathered in the Wardroom dampened her mood again. Out of everyone in the room, she knew only Masumi well. The party would be a chance to fix that. But where is Junko-chan? She wondered. The blue Neko was tired of waiting around. She was just going to have to find her.

She steeled herself for what was about to happen. Just like going into battle, she told herself as she stormed out of the Wardroom. The one person besides Junko who could tell her where the Neko might have gone. The Clerk. She pulled out her communicator and called Mehitabel. "Ohayou Calidius-hei. Where are you right now?" Freyja asked. "I need to ask you something, and I would rather do it in person."

Vehicle Bay

With one last grunt of effort, Jax heaved a crate filled with several pounds of coconut cream onto the stack. Once that was done, he secured the bundle in place with straps. He stood and popped his back, wiping his forehead with his arm. As he stared at the crates, he couldn't help but feel as if he was forgetting something.

Oh, right! Love Day was coming up!

Umeshu's sudden disappearance still put him in the sour mood every once in a while, and he was sure he still had feelings for her. But, after a rather therapeutic call to his old pal Flynn, he was told that the best thing to do was to simply move on and go back to searching. After all, it had been almost a year since he'd last seen her, and, he thought bitterly, she'd probably forgotten all about him since she hadn't even bothered to say goodbye.

Being aboard a Star Army vessel didn't leave him a lot of time to chase women. Ironic, right? So, Jax pulled up his datapad and went surfing through the SYNC network to find that dating service he'd used last year for the LOLs. Not gonna lie, he'd actually had fun in the VCE. Nice girl, though he couldn't remember her name.

He entered his information and hit "Enter", placing his heart in the hands of a random matchmaker.

In retrospect, Jax figured he could have found a less depressing way to phrase that.

ArsenicJohn said:

She steeled herself for what was about to happen. Just like going into battle, she told herself as she stormed out of the Wardroom. The one person besides Junko who could tell her where the Neko might have gone. The Clerk. She pulled out her communicator and called Mehitabel. "Ohayou Calidius-hei. Where are you right now?" Freyja asked. "I need to ask you something, and I would rather do it in person."

Click to expand...

YSS Eucharis Landing Pad

"What?" Mehitabel responded with confusion, straining to hear Freyja's voice over the sound of several different haulage firms cramming the cargo bay with party goods and booze. The ship's legitimate stores waited patiently, the port logistics staff less so. She thought she had heard Freyja clearly enough, and nodded reflexively even though the neko couldn't see her, "I am outside on the landing apron, taking stock of supplies for Victory-heisho! Be careful, Freyja-san, there's a lot of traffic in and out of Eucharis right now!"

Cargo Bay

"I see" Natsumi replied, though not totally understanding. Having been created for and immediately put into military service she had never been a 'youth' and never had needed to be cool, or whatever that meant? she shrugged. "I'll take your word for it" she said and smiled at Ramiro. "But I'm sure the new members of the crew will enjoy drinking all of your alcohol" she added and put her hands on her hips.

"So are you excited to sit in your old chair again?" she asked

Cargo Bay

Ramiro grinned at Natsumi's reaction. "Don't worry. You'll learn." At her mention of his chair he leaned up against a storage crate and looked up. "Man, I've missed that chair. Of course I'm excited. And I'm sure Charisma has missed me her fair share. Her and I spent years together. Although, I've heard that you guys have some new pleb on board for bridge crew. Are we sure he isn't going to be handling the piloting?"

Ramiro turned his eyes back down towards Natsumi. "Don't get me wrong, I'd prefer to pilot, but part of training to be a warrant, and frankly most of what I've learned at the Academy, has been an all-around specialization. Frankly, I can man any of the systems that need manning and can do it better than just about anyone we have. It's the reason that we have warrant officers rather than pushing people like me into the officer route. But if the kid is more comfortable doing one thing or another, that's where he should be."

Cargo Bay

"Well, I'm sure the Shosho has an idea of where to put you" she Natsumi replied. "I am glad to have another experienced operated on board though. Help teach our new people a thing or to like you did me when I first came aboard" she grinned at Ramiro.

Cargo Bay

"Hopefully," Ramiro responded. "But you're right, the Shosho tends to know what to do, and her judgment is always best." He smiled a little at Natsumi's mention of his experience. "Well, I'm sure that's why the higher-ups wanted me back. I kept being told how valuable my skills would be teaching the next generation, and how much the Star Army needed me in Kyoto. But you know how it goes; a war breaks out and all the sudden it's not such a bad idea to send me back out. If I didn't know better I'd say Command just knows that the Shosho will always be getting the Eucharis in trouble, and they want to make sure a Kesturui-commanded ship is well looked after. She always gets the best, after all."

Ramiro started slowly walking towards the corridor, and looked behind him after a few steps. "Speaking of the Shosho... You coming?"

Cargo Bay

Natsumi fell into step along side Ramiro and glanced at him.

"Coming to. . . ?" she asked as they crossed the cargo hold, headed for the Eucharis' interior.

YSS Eucharis Landing Pad

The blue Nito Hei moved to the Cargo ramp as fast as she could. She dodged some people carrying supplies and almost crashed into Mehitabel. Normally she would be smiling. Today she looked melancholy. "Bel... Is Junko-chan... Did she leave me? I mean, us?" She asked. Her eyes pleaded for Mehitabel to say she was wrong.

Cargo Bay

"See the Shosho, of course!" Ramiro said delightfully as Natsumi fell in step beside him. "Charisma, can you locate the Shosho for me? And don't worry old friend, I'm sure we'll have time to catch up the next time I'm pulling a watch shift on the bridge."

"I look forward to it," came the response broadcast over the nearby speakers. "You'll find Ketsurui-Shosho in the Wardroom."

"Much appreciated," Ramiro called back as he quickened his pace slightly.

Ward Room

Ramiro emerged into the room and proudly announced in a booming voice, "Guess who's home?" His eyes were locked straight at Hanako.

Wardroom

"Ramiro!" Hanako smiled. She actually got up and gave him a big squeezing hug. "People come and go so often in the military that it makes you appreciate familiar friends," she explained. "I know this may sound silly but before we go out looking for trouble, the current plan is that are going to go to a remote beach and drink liberally and tell stories until we pass out. It is bonding time. We are loading up now, so get ready."

YSS Eucharis Landing Pad

Bel had an arm up, shining enough light with her communicator to check a shipping label against the manifest when Freyja caught up to her. It was... Every bit as bad as she had anticipated. Turning to find a desolate blue neko staring up at her was hard to take, especially when Mehitabel knew there was nothing she could say to assuage her friend's feelings of sadness.

"I..." she held out her wings and arms with the offer of a hug, "Yes, Freyja-san, she did. I'm, sorry, for what it is worth."

Wardroom

"Kesturui-Shosho," Ramiro said back, happily. As soon as she was in range he returned her hug with soft embrace of his own. "Sore wa zutto nagai, Hanako Denka," he said softly, speaking in a very formal Yamataian, and attempting flattery with a more formal title. "Watashi wa onajimi no tomodachi o minogashite shimatta." He released the embrace after another moment.

"Would it be the Eucharis if there wasn't a little debauchery before the imminent danger and astonishing quantity of trouble began?" Ramiro joked to Hanako. "We'll have to use this opportunity for you to catch me up. Not that I haven't kept up with your missions, of course. I was able to claim that time as 'research' for class preparation." Ramiro paused for a moment as he decided how to phrase his next words. "However, if libations are in order, it seems you may be less upset my recent addition to your supplies than I had anticipated. I may or may not have dragged around 400 bottles of hard liquor, wine, and beer onto your ship..." His voice trailed off a little bit as he looked up and scratched the back of his head nervously. "Don't worry, it's all for crew use, and depending on how drunk you plan on getting your crew, I'm sure we can pound through a substantial part of that supply over however long we'll be beach-side."

Ramiro grinned and gave a little nervous laugh, giving her an opportunity for what he expected would be response of mixed disappointment and pride.

"Well, if you're loaded up, then I'll dig through my supplies and decide what I'd like to bring."

YSS Eucharis Landing Pad

Tears filled Freyja's eyes. She practically threw herself into Mehitabel's arms and buried her face in her shoulder. Tears streamed down her face. She knew this was the wrong place for this, and it looked unprofessional. Right now she didn't have the capacity to even think about that. Her words came out mostly unintelligible. "W-why... would she.. to me... Bel? I don't..."

She stopped trying to talk and just sobbed uncontrollably. Her arms squeezed so tight it might be hard for the Elysian to breathe. Freyja seemed to realize this and loosened her grip slightly. The tears showed no sign of slowing.

YSS Eucharis Landing Pad

"I do not know. Surely it could not have been anything you had done," she murmured softly in Freyja's ear. Mehitabel rubbed Freyja's back softly as her wings encircled the sobbing infantry woman for some level of protection from prying eyes. Professionalism going by the wayside, she held on tight to her as Freyja constricted around her.

She kept patting her on the back, letting her cry it out. Even if she wouldn't admit it, or, in fact, was directly avoiding thinking about it, Mehitabel was... Definitely not upset about Shiho leaving alongside Junko. Not even a little bit. As her wings quivered.