RP: YSS Miharu Mission 3, Aftermath

"No," Yukari blurted again. Her facial expressions weren't changing, but the tone of her telepathy was clear. "I do not wish to talk of it here, now. I am sorry. Please forgive me." She was begging.

Tom stared ahead and nodded a couple times as the mural of Port Xenn filled his vision.

His smile seemed forced after that.

"So It's worse off than the Hoshii" Kai surmised from Yuzuki's expression. "Well, It got us back in one piece, so I congratulate you and your sisters on a job well done." Kai took another bite of his meal and then a sip of juice before proceeding to answer Yuzuki's question.

"The fighting went all right. At first it was easy, but as we went farther into the compound things got tougher. I think we may have lost someone...." The Yamataian paused for a second, before continuing " In any case, we managed to defeat a couple Mishhu, we apparently killed Eve, and then fought a giant Mishhu machine, which I managed to destroy with an Aether saber Rifle, but not before it nearly killed me." Kai chewed another bit of food thoughtfully again, before swallowing and continuing "I even managed to pick up a souvenir."

The last bit came out a bit awkwardly, sounding stupid and hollow even as he spoke it. he knew what happened out there was some serious business, but he didn't want it to get to him. Detachment was difficult, and made him feel shallow, but it was hard enough dealing with the stuff, who knew what letting it overtake him would feel like. In any case, Kai looked up at the sprite, somewhat expectantly, probably waiting for a reaction of some kind.

"I'll help with repairing Miharu. I am a sprite after all," Rin replied. The enlisted were getting a break? Well, it seemed to be for the better, since Yoroko wasn't a technician so she'd end up blowing up the ship, somehow. It just meant more of the usual, sprites work, others relax. Though, this sprite did still have that appointment with Tom.

Rin drank up some of the miso soup. Yummy!

Picking up the encrypted telepathy was basically a sign to Miyoko that, as far as she was concerned, she should just try to sink under the surface of the water and disappear. She waited a few moments after Tom's last comment to give the appearance that she was letting the conversation die naturally before moving to leave. "... well, delightful as it might be, I think that's enough bath for now. Shitsureishimasu." With that, the sensor specialist extricated herself from the bath and made her way back to the changing area.

Masako listened to Nyton's lesson intently as she munched on her breakfast. Glancing between the two men, she noted places where her superior stressed certain points and noting Wazu's expression before placing her spoon back on her plate. Folding her hands over her lap, she seemed to gain a pondering countenance as she thought of what she could possibly add to Nyton's very thorough explanation. "I believe you've covered everything, Claymere-Taii. At least, everything I have thought of as important," the Warrant Officer replied before taking a sip of her miso soup.

Glancing at Wazu, Masako pondered a bit more before sighing. "I honestly can't think of anything else he should watch out for," she mumbled as she scratched the tip of her left ear in thought.

Tom looked at Miyoko as she left, sighing to himself. He hated making others uncomfortable.

He then turned his attention to the water's reflective surface. He didn't really have anything to say, and it was not his discussion to begin anyway. All he knew was a bad feeling was sitting in his stomach and he did his best to maintain a weak smile.

Nyton listend to Masako give her view and thought for another moment. He certainly did not want to miss something and then have Heram do something that would upset Kotori again. It almost felt like his own personal honor was at stake here seeing as he was trying to teach these protocols.

Then there was the matter of Heram having contacted Eve previously. Nyton did not know how to approach that just yet. Taking a few more bites from his food Nyton then nodded. "I can't think of anything else either, Kurohoshi-san. Very well sir, if during your meeting there is any moment where you feel uncertain how you should conduct yourself feel free to ask me to 'clarify' for you." Nyton said after he finished eating his bites of food.

With the lessons done for now Nyton then looked over to Masako. "How are you doing this morning, Kurohoshi-san? Had a chance to catch your breath after yesterday's mission?" he asked pleasantly.

Taking her spoon into her hand once more, she scooped up a bit of her rice mixture before Nyton's question. "Ah," she mumbled after swallowing quickly and taking a sip of miso soup to wash it down. "I guess that is the case...though I didn't really sleep much," she commented. "I let a couple of enlisted you rescued from Bowhordia take my quarters while I did some paperwork and research. I ended up falling asleep out here a few hours before the wake up call," she explained before taking another bite and chewing slowly this time.

"I hope your rest was better than mine, Claymere-Taii," she commented with a chuckle. "I wouldn't wish sleeping in these chairs on anyone...they're quite uncomfortable."

Nyton nodded along as Masako spoke about her events. "That was very kind of you. The Sekkou crew members were in terrible shape when we found them on Bowhordia. I am glad you were able to give them some ease." he said before taking another bite of eggs and bacon.

"I had about the same amount of rest. I stayed up to finish up some paperwork for Ketsurui-Taisa. We had a very.... eventful mission." he answered.

"We are still busy but for the most part it should be an easy day so you should be able to get some sleep if you like. The majority of the work right now is maintenance and resupply. Armor team members should be on a stand down status right now." Nyton added.

Yukari waited for Miyoko to be out of earshot. She should not have said anything ... but she felt stupid just sitting there, doing nothing, saying nothing. Her eyes could not find him.

"You are not an innocent man any longer." She spoke quietly. "When we made love last night, I could feel it. You were not who you were, before the mission. ... Please give me time to adjust."

"I don't get it."

Miharu's voice cut in on what should have been a private conversation between Yukari and Tom, shocking the two a bit in its suddenness.

"Any description I have on file of the word innocence does not help me understand your plight, Shosa." The ship's artificial intelligence stated. "Tom Freeman left Ralt, shirking tradition in order to join the military. He served on three missions on board the YSS Mikomi and he did earn himself kills, he did see comrades die and he did come face to face with death before and found himself wanting."

"This latest mission did not change anything related to the word innocence -" strangely at that very moment Mara - torso wrapped in a white towel - opened the sliding door of the public bath, the computer's disembodied voice cutting itself off with the sprite speaking in its stead: "...he had lost it in his very first assignment. Without an explanation from you, my conjecture would be that you built yourself a fantasy image of him based on ideals you yearned to have displayed as an example, only to find him lacking in your expectation the moment he comes before a dilemma and is forced to try to make the right choices to survive?"

The sandy blonde sprite reached the edge of the bath Yukari and Tom were in and asked with a serious voice that belied her young age: "Freeman-Juni met hard dilemmas and took responsability for them and the lives that would be affected by them. Why do you hold it against him?"

"Oh."

She dropped her hand down to the table, unable to shake the feeling that there was something a little wrong with their conversation so far. It felt insubstantial, as if they weren't even talking at all. Yuzuki glanced away, wondering briefly what it might be like to be infantry, and then back to Kai - but she didn't feel capable of holding his eyes. It was awkward.

She hadn't touched her food, yet, so she picked up her fork and began to mix the scrambled eggs with the gravy that had come with her sausage. It helped give them flavor and it gave her an excuse to look away. There was a need to say something - to fill the silent gap with some sound, even if it wasn't worth much. Yuzuki sought for words.

"Souvenir?" she asked, finally.

"It was a more eventful mission for some than others," Masako commented as she looked over at the Nepleslian Officer with a small smile. She didn't go into much after that, considering the comment was probably easy to understand. "But no, I don't think I'll get more sleep until the next night shift," she replied before finishing off her rice mixture. "Even if the Armor Team is on stand-by, I have plenty of things to do," she explained vaguely as she finished off her miso soup as well.

"What are your plans, Claymere-Taii? You were on that mission like the majority of the Armor Team, shouldn't you be relaxing as well?"

Tom was stunned. He could read the message between the words: You changed, and I don't like the new you. Leave me alone.

The Raltean couldn't believe it. Yukari was so kind, patient and forgiving. Had his change been so staggering, so painful to her, that she would harbor this degree of uncertainty in him? In his love?

He stared at his reflection in the water, denial making him reprocess Yukari's words over and over, even as Miharu's and Mara's voices reprimanded her judgment.

Miyoko quickly dressed in her uniform and headed out of the bathroom, waving lightly to Mara as she passed. It was a quick trip back to her room to drop her things off, after which she returned to the wardroom and found it rather more lively than it was when she left for her bath--and there was food.

Of course, even here, there were social complications. Nyton and Masako dining with--well, she wasn't quite sure who he was, and another group of enlisted and sprites, most of whom she hadn't talked with too much... Miyoko didn't particularly belong with either group. In the end, she chose to sit by herself, putting enough space between her and the various groups to avoid forcing herself into one of the conversations, but close enough to eavesdrop on Kai's description of the fight. It wasn't like she was going to be doing much talking for a while anyway. As far as she was concerned, her mouth was currently reserved for pancakes.

"Ah- yes. A souvenir." Kai confirmed, falling silent another moment. "I pulled a pair of robotic legs off of an enemy that was trying to kill Yoroko." He cleared his throat quietly, taking a sip of orange juice again, before continuing "I kinda want to mess with them. The legs have all the parts to walk, far as I can tell, so I want to make a project out of it."

It sounded utterly stupid, given the circumstances, But it was something to keep his mind off of them. He wasn't sure he could deal with it right now with any method other than burying the memories.

Yukari did not look at Mara, and several "heartbeats" passed before she spoke again. Her eyes were shut again.

"You fought against the nature of war. Against the nature of death; that it was necessary. The Taii and Taisa do not, for they know it can lead to more painful deaths than just those of the enemy. But now you do not appear to want to fight it ... you know what the Taii and Taisa know now."

Another heartbeat. "I still love you, Tom. But you changed, inside of one mission, in a way I did not anticipate. I am not blameless ... but I must change myself, to stay with you." Her eyes opened and looked at him. She looked worn out. "I ask only for time, while we are together." She sniffed. "That is all."

Yoroko returned to eating her food, thinking about what Rin had said. How different was I? Yoroko reflected as she mulled over her existence as a servant. I didn't mind working because that's what I did, well, after I got used to it. Still... Yoroko swallowed her food and spoke. "Sprite or no, the intent probably was to allow us to work off some of the stress that our minds and bodies had accumulated because of this mission. We still are expected to work, just not hard. Besides, where do you think we're going Rin-san? My guess is a starbase for repairs."

"No matter where we go, it is still my duty to work and to help fix the ship," Rin replied, "Whether I am expected to work hard or not."

She took a few more bites of food. If she was going to work, she might as well put more effort into fixing up her home. This was something that Rin didn't expect a silly enlisted to understand.