RP: YSS Miharu Mission 3 Prelude: Rise; you better shine

[5tar]

Re: Mission 3

"Kôsuka, Sumaru-dono," the samurai said. "Kôsuka is fine. How have you been?" The samurai had questions, but she was patient. She would work up to them.

"In that case, please allow me the same honor Kôsuka." Sumaru said, referring to her calling him by his first name as well. He found it quite pleasent to be at a first name basis with a samurai who he found to be admirable, being the subject of so much scrutiny during his whole process in becoming what he was had worn on the young man. "I have been well, but I must say, I have missed the endless horizon, to be back in space is refreshing." He also had a few questions for the samurai and even appeared to have plenty to talk about.

Nyton arrived at the table and sat down without a word besides several nods of greeting. He was still in his armored kimono since there had been no time to change between arrival and conferring with Kotori.

The new Samurai Sumaru evoked certain rather Nepleslian remarks regarding his effeminate appearance but they were stifled so that he could get to know him without any silly prejudices. What mattered more was how well he could fight.

To Sumaru, Nyton was of a similar oddity on the other side of the coin, in a sense. Never before had the youth encountered a Nepleslian, even in his service as Star Army infantry. So to see one dressed in clothes remarkably similar to the ones used by some of the Yamataian clan guards caused a small unrest in Sumaru internally as he briefly took a moment to analyze the man. Not with his eyes, but with the vision granted to him by his skin.

Sumaru was trained with his position as a body guard in mind, with that thought in consideration it's easier to understand why subtle movements in the Nepleslian's steps though no matter how natural they were, seemed off to the platinum haired male. The Samurai then questioned if perhaps there was more to his outfit then what met the eye. With a modified glance Sumaru nodded a simple head bow of salutation, but the gesture was twofold; firstly to greet the man politely, and secondly to find out the secrets to his garb. The male samurai was not surprised to see the many armaments hidden inside the man's clothing, but the small swords attached to his arms were Yamataian make, seeing that alone was enough for the male Neko to find interest beyond the man's skin. Which never truly was reason for Sumaru's suspicion; it was hard for someone with his diverse and accepting background to be prejudice against anyone particular. He was simply intrigued by the man, and now by his hidden blades.

Then just the same as Nyton was thinking, Sumaru was at a very like mind. What truly mattered most; was how well the man could fight.

 

[Kai]

Re: Mission 3

"Ah, that's simple enough." The Nakamura replied, sitting back as the table was set, and watching the various people come in. Of particular interest were the samurai, Especially the one whom appeared to be male. after glancing around at everyone in the room, and noting most Were eating, Kai dug in as well, enjoying the food quite thoroughly.

If nothing else, Kai always looked forward to meals on the Miharu, he could always tell they were handmade, as opposed to the disturbingly perfect stuff generated by some other ships and whatnot. He enjoyed every little bit and taste, the subtle differences with each bite making the food more of an adventure. The spaghetti was no exception, and was eaten quickly, but with care and savor in each bite.

 

[Doshii Jun]

Re: Mission 3

Kôsuka's wry grin was small. "A space lover. I will never understand. But it is good to see you physically. I had only caught recordings of your training and traces from other Samurai who knew of you. Hardly reliable sources, I must add, but your dueling style is coming along well."

 

[Fred]

Re: Mission 3

Looking across the table, Masako smiled at the newest addition to their crew with a cute and friendly smile. "So how have you liked the Miharu so far," she asked Sanri.

"She is a fine ship - but then, I am guilty of favoritism as it is my birthplace as well," brown-haired Sanri - sporting two pigtails at the nape of her neck - nodded respectfully to Masako. "I am not as new as Suzuka-Shosa hinted at, though. I have been around for more than a month now."

The sprite meant to say more, but Kotori arrived in the wardroom at that moment.

It was hard for the newcomers not to believe that Kôsuka was Kotori's birthmother now. Both looked fairly alike, though they were different as the moth is to the butterfly. Kotori was spritely and delicate, her almond eyes holding rich iridescent amber orbs. Raven-black hair dropped down to the hips of her white-paneled skirted uniform and she had combat knives sheathed to the side of her boots as well as service pistols hanging from her belt on each side of her hips.

The way the young nekovalkyrja Taisa and adopted Ketsurui princess carried herself was, after a fashion, somewhat reminiscent of a bird of prey: she seemed regal, quietly fierce and forbidding.

Kotori walked until she stood in front of her seat and rested her fingertips atop the head of the table, looking at the assembled, before speaking: "To those whom are newly arrived, I welcome you aboard the YSS Miharu. I am Ketsurui Kotori, ranked Taisa, and will be commanding you on this mission." She gestured to the food arrayed on the table. "I would invite those whom have not started eating yet" - she eyed the four samurai in particular - "to do so. Business can wait after the main dish."

On that note, Kotori eased herself into her seat.

 

[mizunoyoroko]

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

Yoroko shifted her attention to Kotori when she entered the room. After Kotori was done speaking Yoroko started to turn her head back toward her own food, but hadn't gotten very far at all when she noticed Nimura, whom she had not really had too much of a chance to talk with since Yoroko had arrived on the Miharu.

"Ano, Nimura-san." Yoroko said, "What you did in the simulator, that was a really interesting solution to the situation. How did you think of it?" Yoroko asked the question quietly, hoping to keep the conversation semi-private but still appear as if it were casual dinner talk. Yoroko wasn't sure what kind of response to expect from Nimura, the few times she had seen the sprite Nimura was quiet, but it may have just been an awkward time to talk.

 

[Fred]

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

As Kotori reached forward and served herself, Nimura looked to the yamataian woman to her left. The look she gave Yoroko was rather unfathomable (if it wasn't expressionless in the first place) and she only offered a slight shrug in answer.

Ichigo, whom was facing the other side of the table, gave a little wince. "My apologies, Mizuno-hei. My sister-"

"Nimura is very smart, but her social graces are totally lacking," quipped in Mara, whom leaned forward so that she could be seen to Yuri's left.

"Perhaps we could have Sigurd teach her," snowy-haired Hinoto deadpanned, giving Mara a half-lidded look of her equally pale eyes.

The sandy-haired sprite shook her head. "Keep the Novacorp piece of-" Kotori flicked a glance her way, which had Mara pause and continue in a more subdued grumble: "...of not something related to digestive waste out of this."

 

[Doshii Jun]

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

Yukari laughed a little behind a polite hand. The conversations of the sprites were always amusing, even if Mara was typically the instigator behind it all.

Nimura-san is young, she thought. She will learn, if she is given enough time.

"Mara-san, Sigurd-san could offer a different perspective," Yukari said softly. "If little more ... "

 

[mizunoyoroko]

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

Yoroko listened nostalgically to the sprites talking, This feels like back home. Yoroko thought as she remembered the conversations she would have with other nekos she worked with. When Yoroko spoke she looked warmly back at Nimura, "I'm sure you'll come into your own one day." Yoroko said. Yoroko's face lost the warmth when she turned back to eat her pasta, however.

Keep that NovaCorp piece of...of something not related to digestive waste out of this.

Sigurd. Why does Mara hate Sigurd? Yoroko wondered sadly recalling Noburo's own attitude toward Nekovalkyrja. Yoroko winced when she recalled how Noburo said that Neko's should be curbstomped, and had to supress the rising bile in her throat. After swallowing more spaghetti and drinking some water Yoroko vowed to find out just why Mara hated Sigurd, but at the same time she feared the wrath of Kotori for disrupting the dinner. This wasn't exactly something you would talk about at dinner anyway. I'll ask her tonight...before I talk to Westwood-Hei. Yoroko resolved quietly.

"Sanri-san" Yoroko said to the sprite, "There's nothing wrong with favouritism you know. I find myself guilty of that more often than not. I've been here a little less than a month, tell me, what do you like the most?" Yoroko felt the question was a little awkward but she wanted to converse with the sprite, to get to know her better.

 

[Kim]

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

Sora continued to eat her dinner and listen to the conversations around her. Everything seemed so peaceful right now, and she started to feel a sense of dread of what might happen on the mission. It gnawed at the back of her mind and started to boil down into the pit of her stomach before she managed to calm herself and refocus her mental track somewhere else. Anywhere else.

She looked at Kotori curiously, wondering if her adopted aunt had gone to the palace to visit the rest of the Ketsuruis or if she had also avoided the gilded cage. She pursed her lips together for a moment in contemplative silence before she spoke, settling on a less invasive more generalized question, "Kotori-san, how was your shore leave?"

 

[Fred]

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

Mara hunched her shoulders before she occupied herself with a mouthful of pasta as an excuse not to reply to Yukari's suggestion.

Nimura just returned to eating her meal quietly, Yoroko's warm overtures looking pretty much ignored. Luckily, Sanri was more responsive: "I think the people here are very kind and patient with our lack of experience," she humbly said. "Although I have not been put to the test like those of us whom were born in YE 29, I hope I can be as equally useful to the crew."

Meanwhile, Kotori finished cutting through her pasta in swift practiced strokes before replying to Sora. "It was not much of one," came the cool reply. "It mainly consisted in visiting a clothing store to outfit Claymere-Shoi with certain necessities before progressing to the Samurai House, where I visited Kôsuka-Juni. At the end of my visit, I invited the Ketsurui Samurai instructor along with two of her pupils to Miharu."

 

[Kim]

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

"Ah, that sounds like it was... interesting," was Sora's short reply. She was uncertain of how to further respond to such a short response. "Is it true what they say about taking a Nepleslian man shopping? The one where unless it's for guns or alcohol it only takes a few minutes?" The young Ketsurui offered a smile as she tried to make conversation.

 

[krisslanza]

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

Yuril's eyes darted once in a while about the table, her hands more occupied with putting food in her mouth and her ears listening to everyone's conversations at once. Normally a rather hard amount of multi-tasking but for the neko, not a problem at all.

Still. She felt so out of place. Particularly when people were talking about what they did during shore leave... Tsukade had just stayed on the Miharu the entire time... The initial shock of the male neko now over Yuril was more pre-occupied in thinking about him. He seemed nice enough (he had after all responded to all of her glances with a very polite manner instead of say ramming a fist in her face), she wondered how good he was with a sword... She hadn't had much sword practice in a while.

 

[Nyton]

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

"And sex." Nyton suddenly added, looking away from his food and over to Sora. "Guns, alcohol, and sex."

"Actually, had I known becoming Kotori-sama's retainer involved a wardrobe adjustment I would have been prepared sooner. The store that we visited however had very good service. Most efficient. We did not have to tarry there for more time than necessary." he said.

 

[Fred]

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

Kotori rewarded Nyton with an amused smirk.

"Sex?!" blurted out Hinoto, apparently missing out on the rest of Nyton's explanation as she began looking from Kotori to Nyton in surprise.

The Taisa gave Hinoto a half-lidded glare. "Please don't jump to conclusions."

Mara snickered at her sister's expense.

 

[Kai]

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

Kai, though busy with his quick eating, couldn't help but notice Yuril's restless eyes. The girl WAS right across from him, and he did look at things besides his food while he was eating (probably the reason he had spilled on himself that first morning back at Fort Ready). Finishing his forkful, and making sure he had swallowed before speaking, the Nakamura ventured "Hey, Yuril, How are you doing tonight? you seem concerned about something" And then started twirling more pasta onto his fork.

 

[mizunoyoroko]

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

"Un." Yoroko nodded in agreement with Sanri, "I think that's a test we can take together Sanri-san." Yoroko said as she started to eat more spaghetti. Unlike most others around, Yoroko wasn't twirling her spaghetti befre she ate it, it was a rare thing when she grew up for the family she served to eat spaghetti. Even if they did though, there was usually a separate meal for the nekovalkyrja that were servants. Instead Yoroko took to eating spaghetti like a bulldozer. She would shovel it into her face, trying not to let the sauce covered noodles touch the outside of her face, then chew heartily with her mouth closed for a few seconds.

It was just beginning to dawn upon Yoroko that perhaps there was a more refined way of eating the spaghetti. "This is delicious." Yoroko proclaimed happily after swallowing another mouthful of spaghetti.

"Hey, Yuril, How are you doing tonight? You seem concerned about something"

When Kai said this, Yoroko leaned forward to look at the neko. I hadn't noticed...hmmm... Yoroko thought as she waited for the neko's response.

 

[Doshii Jun]

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

Hinoto's outburst, and the subsequent chiding, made Yukari wearily smile. No matter how they acted, the sprites were still children to a large degree. They had much to learn.

Kei had leaned back in her chair, and was not saying much of anything. Yukari could 'hear' the buzz of telepathy. She looked to her right and saw Aoiko, not exactly engaging anyone around her.

"Murasaki-san," she said quietly, concerned. "Are you bored?"

 

[Lin]

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

Aoiko hadn't said or done much, other than bowing politely as she was introduced, and had been keeping her head down as she ate. She glanced up as Yukari spoke to her. 'Not at all, Suzuka-sama,' she said, quietly. 'I am just listening, for now.'

 

[Doshii Jun]

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

"Oh," Yukari replied. Kei had yet to lean forward again, so the Shosa pressed on. "You must have listened quite a bit while part of SAINT, even if you were mainly in cryptography."

 

[Nyton]

Re: Mission 3: The sound of machina

Nyton did not show it but he found Hinoto's outburst to be very annoying. He just continued to eat after Kotori's explanation. While Hinoto's childishness may have been cute or amusing he instead rather found himself irritated that some sprites, even nekos, seem to be so immature. It is not their fault. They are simply too young in mind and too new to life. he tought to himself. He was still wondering whether Sora would make any response to his addendum to the expression she made regarding Nepleslians.