RP: YSS Miharu Mission 5, Aftermath

>ON, GSS Mokuren, Observation Deck

Kyou nodded in response, musing over the idea herself. "Well, I don't know. It never seemed like you were just calloused to me, more like you don't see why anyone should be sad about dying the way they chose." She twined her fingers together, keeping her hands occupied. "I know everyone misses the fallen, I just don't think that they understand how your viewpoint makes it almost offensive to regret their deaths. Am I close, or..."

"I don' really care what anybody else thinks. I juss' felt like sayin' that t'someone. They can have a big mournin' pie all they want about'm dyin'." Asher rested his hands back to his sides, finding himself somewhat restless now. He began to tap a finger against the cushion of the sofa. "I juss' don' think we should be too concerned 'bout death. Iss' death, it happens, iss' the end. Tha' biggest thing iss' t'not get caught up in tha' death. If anythin', y'should get caught up in tha' memories. Plus, it makes it easia' t'party that way. Feels more like tha' funerals back home."

"See, that's how I think about it too. As a neko, you grow up knowing that there are pretty solid odds that most of the people you grow up with will die at some point, almost certainly in battle. To me is never made sense that people don't accept that for what it is, and focus on something else." Kyou sighed, remembering a discussion about it from when she was younger. "It's unavoidable, and you might as well try to stay upbeat. The way I see it, would they want you to wander around crying over them? I think they'd rather you go on with life, remember them, but not... well, break down over death."

"Yeah!" went the Malifarian, lightly punching Kyou's arm. "You and me? Iss' like we think on tha' same wavelength 'ere." He shook a finger at her lightly, nodding his head. "I knew there wass' a reason why we worked so well t'getha'. Ass'oon ass' all tha' otha's are done bawlin', you an me should get a party goin'. Somethin' t'celebrate." He leaned back in his chair, looking up at the stars. "Y'tha' only one I cn'rely on right now."

"Celebrating what? I'm not objecting here, but we weren't even allowed to get rid of Melisson, so our victory is... questionable, to say the least." She cocked her head at him, an eyebrow raised. "Unless you had something else in mind to party about?"

"Think about it." said Asher, tapping the side of his head, "Our mission wass' t'get tha' Draco fleet outta' that time-space fuck-up they got stuck in. We did that'. Melibutt wass' an afta-thought, a means to an'end, y'know? We killed Meni n'Mani, twice. Killed Eve. N'then we fuckin' bested somethin' short of a fuckin' god. Not only that, but you an' me?"

The Westwood man took that moment clear the distance between on the couch to rope her in with one arm. He waved his hand out towards the observation window, as if to announce it to the stars. "We didn't die once, we had our boots on tha' fuckin' ground the entire fuckin' time. Every second a'tha' battle iss' on us, not half of it, not some of it. All of it. We're god-damn warriors! N'we juss' survived tha' biggest battles we'll probably ever fight, ever! Now. I don' know 'bout you. But thass' plenty excuse t'get drunk an' make some bad decisions."

Kyou snorted. "Oh, please. We were there, but we took our fair share of crap and all that. I mean, I got gutted, you got tossed through the kitchen a few times... The others had just as much to do with taking down all of those people, too. We may have been around, but I wouldn't say we were necessary." She paused, a wicked grin on her face. "However, I happen to specialize in facilitating drinking and bad decisions, so I say we go right ahead with the party. If nothing else, we can say it's a welcome home party for the fleet, right?"

"Tch, fuck'm. I'll be drinkin' t'everything I killed the otha' day. Maybe one f'patchin' us up, but most of tha' alcohol n'bad decisions iss' gunna' be for that suicide mission we juss unsuicided." said Asher, shaking his head. He poked Kyou on the nose, "S'long ass' your there, I'll be there. I'm gunna' need someone t'stick by if everyone starts gettin' weepy again."

"What, is big bad Asher afraid of a couple tears? That's not like you. Here I thought you were all brave, and manly, but then this comes up... I don't know what to say." Kyou stuck her tongue out at him, making it more obvious then it already was she was making fun of him.

"Everybody's gotta' weakness, babe. Mines' tha' whiny cry-bitchery a'otha' people." Asher poked his finger on the clavicle than hadn't been snapped by the spine, "Yours iss' gettin' stabbed in tha' chest. In then' usin' it ass'an excuse t'lie on y'ass."

Kyou slapped at his hand lightly. "Hey now. I happen to have a medic's report that proves that stuff was poisoned with something. Didn't have much of a choice in it, or I would've been in there, making you look like a pansy again."

"Oh ho! Them's some fightin' words, girl." said Asher, grinning at their little back-and-forth. He punched her in the arm lightly again, "Half my bones might cracked up from bein' thrown through like, twelve ovens or somethin', but I only need one hand to put you on tha' ground."

"Oh please. I could outfight you even if I still had that hole in my chest. I mean, come on. Who get's themselves thrown into various appliances, twice? If that's all you've got, I'm not worried." Kyou was grinning too, glad to see his pensive mood dispelled.

"Oh yeah?" Asher grinned, swooping in on her, a little more closely now. His face a few inches away from hers as his fighting face came to light. "You really think y'can handle me, babe? 'Cause I think you juss' don' know. Ignant' a' tha' fact that I can put you squirmin' on this floor in a matta' a seconds."

Kyou snorted. "You couldn't take me if your life depended on it, and that's the truth, not ignorance. You just can't stand the idea that I'm stronger then you, huh?" She stuck her tongue out at him again to go with the jibe, not sure exactly where this was going anymore.

"Oh, it ain't 'bout strength. Iss' 'bout technique. Melibutt wass' strong, n'look where that got'er." said Asher a bit of grin, curling up his face. It started to become more and more devilous as time went on. "Tell me, what kinda' thing would I need t'do t'catch you off guard?" His head tilted curiously, almost putting an air of seriousness in the conversation.

Kyou shook her finger at him. "Ah ah ah. That would be cheating. You have to figure stuff like that out on your own, Mr. 'Warrior'. Otherwise, what's the point in it? And anyways, I've got the technique too, unlike that inexperienced person."

"Uh huh. Really? So you'd be ready f'anythin' I threw atcha', right?" asked Asher, turning his head slightly, as if weighing her by looking at her.

Kyou winked in response. "Are you kidding? I was born ready for anything you could throw at me."

"Okay then. You asked f'it." said Asher, holding out his hands wide, as if he were ready to strike. Only, when he did strike, it wasn't with hands. He cleared the last few inches between their faces to steal a kiss off Kyou before bowling her over on the couch. "Bam!"

Kyou's hands were already moving when he took action, ready to guard herself, but she froze for a moment when he kissed her. Only a moment later, though, one of her hands was in motion again, moving to slap him upside the head. "Cheating bastard. That doesn't count."

"It beat you, didn' it? Y'kinda' seized up there." said Asher, his head tilting with a little ache from the hand. His brain already felt plenty loose inside his head. The soldier kept his spot above her, "I'm pretty sure I've had y'down f'more than three-seconds, so I'll count this one ass'a win f'me." The Malifarian clasped his hands together and shook them victoriously in the air. "'Sides, I didn't expect ya t'freeze that bad."

Kyou turned her head away from him after shooting him a quick glare. "Like to see you try that again," she muttered under her breath, obviously still begrudging him his 'victory'.

"Eh?" Asher's grin became a little mischevious again, leaning down over the Neko. "Wass' that a request?" He came down closer, putting his hands down on couch on either side of her. His tone became a little more suave, but still kept a playfulness that was almost child-like. "Or maybe... a suggestion?"

Kyou shrugged, her lower lip sticking out petulantly. "What do you think, you brute? Since we've already established asking ahead of time isn't one of your priorities."

"Aw, I'm sorry." The man sounded apologetic, so he straightened himself up, standing on his knees, and placing a hand regally on his chest. He shut his eyes and tilted his head in the air for an almost dramatic effect, "Miss Gunshin. May I please be allowed tha' honor of kissin' a lady as mean and badass y'self, even though I clearly won our lil' duel."

Kyou bit her lip for a moment, still looking away from Asher, considering his request. Finally, after a few moments of waiting, she nodded slightly and spoke in a very quiet voice. "You may."

Without further ado, he came back down from his regal knee-stance, and laid over her. It was more of a gentle approach this time, the two of them pressed against one another on the soft couch with the stars providing a bit of side-glance scenery. The Malifarian then followed his approach with a soft kiss, which pressed further after their lips came together full. To be honest, it was a little uncomfortable at first, negotiating a position with the armrest in the way, but battered, yet healing, man found one. "I won' be one t'turn down a lady like you, Gunny."

Kyou's body was obviously tense at first, but as Asher moved closer, she relaxed into him, pressing her lips against his ardently, despite the slight discomfort of their location. They made an odd couple, but she rather liked where this was going so far. "I'm glad to hear that..." Even her mental voice was quiet at the moment.

Something struck Asher as off about how this was proceeding. Kyou had gotten a little too meek, too quiet. It almost seemed like she had gotten a little more quiet as he proceeded on. With that thought on his mind, he broke the kiss and gave her a wondering look. He opened his mouth to speak one second, before his face twisted a little more, somewhat more confused than he was before.
"Why are you so... ? Yer' a lil'... chilly. Y'know." it seemed hard to convey how she was acting, so he went right to it. "C'mon, iss' juss' me. Relax." He smiled, smoothing his hands up and down her shoulders, trying to rub some of the ice out of her.

Kyou blinked, not sure what he was talking about for a moment. She then proceeded to blush deeply and duck her head, embarrassed. "I'm... I'm sorry. I'm not trying to be a stick in the mud, I promise. It's just..." She hesitated, still blushing bright red and hiding her face.

"Juss' what?" asked Asher, he brought a hand up to her cheek, cupping his fingers over it to gently bring her face foreward, "C'mon, you cn'tell me."

Kyou flinched a little when Asher's hand touched her cheek before relaxing into it, and finally bringing herself to look him in the face. "It's just that I've never done anything like... this before..."

"... Oh." blinked Asher. This was actually a bit unusual. He had never gotten busy with a Neko that had been a virgin before. In fact, he thought all Nekos had been born with their cherries already popped it. At least, that's how it seemed. This was actually a little uncomfortable for him with the suddeness of it. So, he cleared his throat, and brought himself up a bit. "Uh... Well damn... Uh... 'Coulda fooled me, y'jumped right in... I mean... The way you... I thought..." And then, a bit of an uncomfortable silence followed.

Kyou ducked her head again, blushing again. She was quiet for a few seconds before speaking again, in the same small, quiet voice from before, "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to lead you on."

"Wait, no. No. No? Huh?" went Asher somewhat confused now. "Lead me on?" Does it even work that way? thought the Malifarian. He put his hand on his head, "Fuck." He leaned back and off her, rubbing his head as went, sitting back up on the sofa. His eyes went back out towards the stars. The mood had effectively been knocked on it's ass. "How... Does it even..."

Kyou sniffled a little bit, not wanting to look Asher in the face. "...I always mess things up like this. I'm sorry for putting you on the spot like that..." She hesitated, pulling her knees up to her chest, holding them in place tightly. "I just..."

"Just what?" said Asher, needing a distraction from the infinite loop in his head. Honestly, how can a man be led on if he's the wanting it in the first place? For some reason, he couldn't find sense within it. "Honestly Gunny. I'm still tryin' t'pick out tha' spot where you led me on. Can you even..." He shook his head, and raised his hands, "Y'know what? Fuck it. Fuck it twice." He stood up and looked down at her. He raised a hand and made a beckoning motion for her to come to him.

Kyou looked up again, sniffling a little bit. She hesitated, unsure, before unfolding herself again and making her way over to Asher, blinking hard. "I... it just felt like I was leading you on..."

"Gunny. Unless I'm juss' fuckin' unaware a'some strang cultural thing, y'didn't do nothin' wrong." Asher settled his hands on his shoulders and they smoothed their way down her arms. He smiled, his fingers sliding off her arms to come to rest on her hips. The rough palms pulled her closer and he spoke once more, "As far as I know ya, Gunny, y'wouldn't do nothin' like that. Unless we was fightin' one-on-one." He raised a finger and shook it at her. "If that's the case, then I don' care, you do what y'need t'do t'win."

The shaking finger found it's way back down to her hip.

"But... I know you. Do ya' know me?" he asked, his forehead leaning over against hers, a small warmth building between their closeness. "Do ya truss' me?"

Kyou shivered slightly as his hands ran down her sides, her skin prickling. "O-of course! I wouldn't be here, talking to you if I didn't." She gripped the front of his shirt, ducking her head yet again, still hesitant. "It's just... I'm not as sure about myself. I don't know why..."

"Don't worry about that." he said, a tanned hand rising once again from her hip to bring her lovely golden eyes back up to his. "In tha' fight, in battle, even when y'doubt y'self, y'truss' y'partna'." His head came forward, pressing his lips against her, "So juss' truss' me, Gunny."

Kyou shivered again, kissing him back hesitantly this time. She let her hands trail up Asher's shirt to his shoulders, resting them there. "I always do, you know. Even if it's not obvious."

"Then follow m'lead, and we'll take it nice n'easy." He stepped them both back down to the sofa, gently sitting her down and flattening her out against the cushions, all the while wrapped up together in each other's arms.

"I won't lose ya this time."

Later...

Tom exited the bath holding Yukari's hand with a smile. Whatever fatigue he had felt before was now a distant memory.

He laughed and pointed at the floor. His clothing, along with Yukari's, laid in a long string from the door to the bath. He collected all of it while walking back to the bed.

After placing the ball of clothing on the bed, he took Yukari to the lip of the bed and sat down next to her. He looked into her eyes, absorbing the emerald, and breathed in deep, puffing his chest before letting the torrent of air rush out from his nostrils.

"So," he said with a grin, "Where should we have the wedding?"

@Nimura

Nyton noticed how Nimura turned away and felt embarrassed at his display. He cleared up his eyes and sighed, more from the pain his body felt then the mourning in his heart.

"Taii... you probably should be on your way. I'm not the only soldier deserving of your concern, or you could probably use a break."

Click to expand...

Nyton gave a weary heave of his shoulders and forced a weak smile. "I guess you are right. I had intended to help you regarding the loss of Ichigo. Given my state right now though I suppose I am not being much help now, am I?"

Slowly, with a good bit of effort and no energy to float, Nyton stood up. He tried to reduce the amount of weight he put on his tender knee and limped much like when he had entered. "Take care Nimura. We can get through this." he said in parting.

Yukari felt refreshed, but most certainly worn. In a good way.

At least she was clean and sated. And looking into Tom's grey eyes, she felt quite happy, too.

His question blanked her mind before she could come up with an answer. A wedding. The marriage. Commitment.

She already had three of them she could not hesitate to complete. Eve was the first; her storehouses would not destroy themselves. The information on the True Nekovalkyrja Empire also would not be processed unless she assisted. Who knows what assignment would come from that? Kikyo also remained alive, somewhere, scheming against the Empire.

Those things were so easily summed up in words, but the time it would take to complete them all would last for some time — Yukari was sure of that.

She smiled, but drew her eyes away. "Ralt. It is your home, and your family and friends are there ... and perhaps it will be warm enough that my kimono will not need to be made of wool!" She giggled at her own thought.

Nao's worries were blown away by the slipstream as Shizuka rocketed them along. She didn't notice the whirr of oiled bearings as the cart sped through the Hoshi. Or see the other girls scratch their heads as they stood dumbfounded before warning signs. She didn't even hear their squeals of surprise as the trio blurred by in a small whirlwind of air. Laughter spilled out of Nao's mouth as she climbed out of the cart when they arrived at the kitchen. "That was Awesome!" she cried out, singing praises for the ride.

Suddenly, Nao clutched her ribs as pain lanced through the flesh between them. She couldn't breath. She couldn't stop laughing! Especially with their costume antics and little rhymes. Nao...she had literally never seen anything like this. Or at least, never saw it fully in all its glory. She may have walked by something similar at times, but in the end, never paid it any real attention. Before, it was just stupid people, doing stupid things; now, Nao wasn't sure what to think. But she liked it.

"U-umm. A wish? What wish should I make?" She asked when her laughter finally died out.

ON
A heavy sigh exited Masako's lips as the bored and frustrated Warrant Officer continued her bed rest obediently. "Maybe I should disregard the doctors orders and wander around a bit," the raven-haired Neko remarked to herself. "It's not like I've got anything better to do."

Before Masako could act on that impulse, the door to her room cracked open enough to let Miyoko's head peek through a little, surveying the room for a few seconds. When she spotted Masako, she opened the door more fully and stepped in, then gave a soft chuckle. "I've never navigated one of these ships. I wasn't sure this was the right room," the science officer explained as she approached the bed, then tacked on a slightly more appropriate, "Good morning. How are you feeling?"

"Ah..Saito-san," Masako said out of surprise as the taller Neko entered her hospital room. "I'm feeling fine...for the most part," the Warrant Officer replied. "Ah, what I mean is--I'm not feeling anymore pain," the Raven-haired Neko couldn't help but quickly insert the last bit. "...How are you?"

Miyoko gave a bit of a sympathetic wince at that statement. "Yes, from the sounds of things, you took some pretty bad beatings," she commented, as her eyes glanced over Masako for any signs of damage... not that she expected to find much, between the neko's accelerated healing and her treatment. "I'm fine, I suppose. I got out of it without much except for a gash in my stomach and a hell of a neck ache." She reached up and self-consciously rubbed at the back of her neck at that comment.

Masako couldn't help but grimace at Miyoko's understatement. "N--neck ache...of course," the Neko replied hesitantly as her memories drifted back to that desperate time on the Hoshi. "I...we were all worried there for a moment," Masako stated softly.

"Eh-heh." Miyoko nodded. "I didn't get the whole story until after the battle. I thought I'd just passed out. I... owe the Taisa one. That's part of why I'm here," she explained, then glanced around the room before finding a chair and pulling it up to take a seat.

"Part of why you're here?" Masako repeated before tilting her head to the side in confusion. The Warrant Officer didn't seem to understand what Miyoko was trying to say at that point.

Miyoko shifted a little uncomfortably in her seat, taking a few moments to gather her thoughts before speaking. "When... that all happened. I was guarding the Taisa, and Ayumu was with me, when a ghost Mishhu attacked. I was armored, and there was only one of them. And if the Taisa hadn't been in the state she was in, I would have died." She gave a bit of a smirk. "Not a very good showing of myself." The Yamataian paused for a moment before giving a sigh. "So I was hoping that I could train with the armor wing a little when possible. My bridge duties keep me from contributing to the fight most of the time... but as the Blue Rift proved, I don't always have a choice."

Masako listened to Miyoko, pursing her lips thoughtfully before giving the Scientist a cute smile. "Of course, I'd be glad to help you out there," the Warrant Officer replied before scratching the tip of her left ear. "Well...there is an issue with that though." she replied softly. "...We no longer have the Miharu." Masako stated softly as a grimace crossed her features. "Is there any chance we'll all still be together after we return to Yamatai?"

Miyoko frowned at that. Apparently, the thought that the crew would be reassigned to ships that were still, well, extant had never crossed her mind. "I suppose it's possible that we won't be," she admitted. She trailed off after that, letting an uneasy silence fill the room for a few seconds.

Grimacing even more, Masako reached over and pat Miyoko upon the shoulder. "Well, I'm sure the Taisa would want to keep a working crew together, right?" she tried to end the uneasy silence by saying something cheerful. "I'm sorry I said something so dismal."

"Mmh, I suppose so," Miyoko agreed. She was rather eager to get away from the topic, herself. "Besides, if what we know is correct, we just saved the known universe. This should be a pretty happy occasion, once everybody's sewn back together. Er, well. The ones who can be." She winced again at the memory of Mara's departure. It was getting progressively harder to keep a cheerful tone. "I'm sure there will be some sort of parade waiting for us back on Yamatai," she added jokingly.

Masako visibly flinched at the statement of 'The ones who can be' and pulled her hand from Miyoko's shoulder. Turning her gaze away from the scientist's face, the Warrant Officer willed her expression into neutrality. "I don't think there will be a parade for successful Black Operations," Masako tried her own weak joke. "But we should be proud of ourselves," she stated more adamantly. "We've practically destroyed the Daughters of Eve by ourselves, rescued the survivors of the Fleet, and even defeated Melisson on her own mothership. We even took--" she paused, as if something was caught in her throat for a moment. "We even took less deaths than I would have expected," she seemed to force that out.

Masako's encouragement drew a weak smile from Miyoko... only for it to sort of falter at her last addition. After a moment, she gave a half-hearted chuckle. "I think," the Yamataian commented, "that neither of us should ever apply to be morale officers." She pushed herself up to a more upright position and wrapped her arms around the back of the chair. "Have they said when you'll be able to return to duty yet?" she asked after a moment, apparently eager to change the subject to... anything else.

Masako stayed silent for a moment as she glanced back over at Miyoko. Giving her a bittersweet smile, the Warrant Officer snorted lightly. "Yeah..." she muttered before shaking her head. "All they told me was bed rest, so I expect to be out of here tomorrow," the raven-haired Nekovalkyrja stated before lying back. "Miyoko..." Masako suddenly said before claming up.

Miyoko nodded along with the warrant officer's explanation of her condition--really, she had enough medical knowledge to assess her condition well enough, but the question had been a nice change of subject from all the doom and gloom that had surrounded the two. When Masako trailed off at the end, though, she glanced back over to her. "What is it?"

Silence answered Miyoko as the smaller Neko glanced away and scratched the tip of her left ear once more as both her ears drooped slightly. "...It's nothing." she mumbled softly. "Just getting a bit emotional that's all. You probably have enough on your mind." she said before turning back around to give the Scientist a weak smile. "...I'm just being awkward today, aren't I?" she asked out of the blue.

Miyoko considered that question for a moment, then shook her head. "I think... that awkward is about the only thing somebody can be under the circumstances. What we just went through... it's something you don't run into often." She trailed off for a moment, then cracked a slight smile. "This is the one area where the Nepleslians and natural-born Yamataians are probably as inexperienced as we are. Frankly, this is the one thing I wouldn't begrudge them being more experienced in." With her joke out of the way, she took a breath and added, "I'm not sure if there's room for anything else in my mind, but if there's something bugging you..."

Masako chuckled slightly before her jaw clenched shut as if she were trying to keep something at bay. "...I couldn't say anything." she stated. "Mara just left us to go save us all, except herself, from death--and I couldn't even say good-bye." the Warrant Officer shuddered and closed her eyes. "I've always believed I was ready to order someone to their death in order for us to accomplish a mission. But every single time the event has come, I've hesitated. After Taiie, I hesitated to kill another Neko. At Bowhordia, I was ready to ignore the Taisa's orders in order to keep my squad from just sacrificing themselves. Here...I couldn't say anything." Masako paused and sat up a bit more, staring at her sheets intensely. "If I've been created to kill the Empire's enemies, to face death everyday to keep our citizens looking down the barrel of a gun from the wrong end, why..." she trailed off and took a deep calming breath.

Miyoko leaned forward as she listened to Masako speak, resting her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands... it was intended to make her look attentive, but had the convenient side effect of helping obscure her expression from Masako, too. Silence filled the room again for a few long moments after the neko stopped talking, until Miyoko took a deep breath and replied, "I don't think Mara would hold it against you. Nobody made her go in there. You heard her last message. She did it because she wanted to save us... I think she knew that most of us cared for her, and it's why she did it." She pursed her lips as she considered the second part. "And if you have some trouble with all of the death, that just means you're still you inside. If any of us start being able to write people off without a second thought, that's when I'm going to start worrying."

"Her last message..." Masako mumbled softly before sniffing a bit. "We've been here from the beginning. We've known Mara since she was newly created, since she was born." the Warrant Officer stated. "Maybe that's why it's so hard to just believe she's gone." She said before taking another deep breath. "...Thank you, Saito-san. But sometimes I wonder if I'm truely fit for Infantry duty. It's all I know and yet..."

Miyoko gave a slow nod in response. That was certainly something she could sympathize with, since she partly avoided infantry duty much of the time out of a dislike for killing... not that her self-preservation instincts and lack of skill didn't factor in. "Well... when I have to fight, I just remind myself who I'm protecting, too." Which wasn't an outlook on combat she'd had until very recently. "It doesn't solve everything, but it helps. Even if it got me a broken neck for my troubles, I think it was worth it."

Masako was silent for a moment as she thought back to the battles she had fought. How many of those were just protecting something precious? All Masako could think was that every single one of them had been...and some had been utter failures. But there had also been quite a few successes. "True..." the Warrant Officer replied as she held up her right hand. "Protecting has always been my motivation for fighting." she mumbled softly.

Miyoko shrugged. "I wish we had better options, but sometimes, it's all that left. I absolutely hated war for... well, for most of my life. But the last few missions, I guess I've started to see that some of our battles had to be fought. If I would have died when I was standing between Ketsurui-Taisa and that Mishhu, I don't think I would have regretted it if it bought her the time to escape." A second after she stopped speaking, she gave a sympathetic wince--it had slipped her mind that Masako had gotten killed during the battle.

"That doesn't sound very cowardly, Saito-san," Masako stated as she glanced over at Miyoko and gave the Scientist a more natural, more adorable, smile. "And you've always spoken about that too. That you are a coward and such, but every single action I've seen or heard you do has been the opposite."

Miyoko shook her head at that quietly. "Not all of them. I was a little too enthusiastic about retreating when we fought the Meng Po. I almost got Mara killed when she tried to cover me." She pushed herself back to sitting up straight in her chair and added, "That was probably when I started really thinking about it... although at the time, I think I just felt horrible for getting her hurt to save my own hide."

Nodding slightly in reply, Masako pursed her lips in thought. "Now that I think about it, Mara always seemed to be the type to dive head first into trouble whenever one of us was endanger," the Warrant Officer stated distantly. "...she really matured into a fine individual." she said before shaking her head. "But still, I wouldn't sell yourself too short any more. Fighting to the death to protect the Taisa was a very brave thing to do."

"I'm not sure if bravery or cowardice entered it. An enemy appeared and I tried to fight it... toward the end, I couldn't have even run if I wanted to," Miyoko explained. Truthfully, the few minutes surrounding that battle were hazy... apart from the memory of that tentacle driving into her abdomen, which was crystal-clear. "But I suppose it's a step in the right direction."
Masako giggle a bit at Miyoko's response. "I suppose so," she replied before gazing at Miyoko.

"Again...thank you. I was starting to get a little stir crazy in this cabin before you came along."

"I'm afraid there's probably a lot of that going around... especially among the younger nekos and sprites," Miyoko agreed. "I plan to try visiting all of the injured today. There's not much use for my, ah, unique abilities on the Hoshi right now, so I think it's the most productive thing I can do. I could bring you a book when I pass back this way, if you'd like."

"Oh wow, that'll take all day to get done." Masako replied before pursing her lips thoughtfully. "Oh wait, all the minor injuries should have been taken care of by now. To tell you the truth, I can't even remember who were considered injured enough to warrant extended stays aboard the Mokugen." the small Warrant Officer admitted before nodding. "And yes, at this point I'd even take the Manual to the inner workings of an AIES...and that was boring stuff."

Miyoko's frown returned at Masako's first comment. "Almost the entire crew is over here. The Hoshi isn't roomy, but she can fit all of us at the moment without too much trouble. Once they start discharging you, we're going to be pinched for sleeping space." The science officer pushed herself to her feet, then bent down to wrap Masako in a gentle hug. "I'll try to get that book to you before too long. I... well, at times like this, I prefer not to be alone with my thoughts, myself."

Masako blanched a bit in dismay. "Ah...forget what I said then about minor injuries and other things that would end up with my foot being inserted into my mouth," the Warrant Officer replied before she got a little surprise. Being embraced by Miyoko shouldn't have been a surprise, but it ended up surprising the Warrant Officer slightly before she returned the embrace. "Thank you again." she replied a bit meekly.

Miyoko straightened back up after releasing the hug. "In the meantime, you just focus on resting. If we don't get a parade when we return home, I expect at least a celebration on the Hoshi." She dipped a shallow bow, closing things on a slightly more formal tone, before she turned to walk out the door.

Once more alone, Masako laid back upon her bed with a sigh. She no longer felt the urge to wander around like she had before. In fact, she felt a bit more at peace with herself after her talk with Miyoko.
END

Staring into Hinoto's eyes, Rin seemed to gain some sort of understanding. "Un. We are the Miharu clan. We will endure," she reaffirmed her sister's statement before sniffling.

Rin knew that her family had persisted through some insane hardships, before she was even 'born'/created, and had done some crazy stuff after. Many of them had survived through stacked odds, though, sadly, quite a few did not survive the latest one. But, they would continue to do what they have done best, for those who had sacrificed everything.

"Arigatou, Hinoto."

Akiko continued to set the table complete with special folded napkins and utensil spread. "A wish for a treat that you would love to eat, Nao-chan." she replied. "Oh and what would you like to drink?" she then asked.

Shizuka meanwhile was busily preparing the earlier requested gyudon. Her movements were fluid and graceful as though she were dancing through the kitchen. "Are there any side dishes or appetizers you would want to have with your gyudon?"

Tom smiled.

"No need to be so accommodating," he said cheerfully. "If the weather is difficult, we can always have the wedding on the shores of Port Xenn. I have more than enough money to ship the whole town of Ralt right over!"

There was some truth behind those words. Tom hadn't bothered to check his account since their shore leave. It seemed like ages ago.

Discarding the thought, he studied Yukari for a moment before bringing his hand to her back.

"Hey. This is a two-person operation here. What do you want?"

Yukari was less surprised by the question than she was about the fact she had not expected it to be asked.

Tom cared about her and her needs, she knew that very well and loved him all the more for it. It just was unexpected. Almost confusing. What did she want?

Encyclopedic knowledge of weddings had little use. She knew many Nepleslian customs — white dresses, jewelry-type rings, alcohol, loosely regulated boxing matches — and Yamataian traditions — elaborate kimonos, precise movements, alcohol, loosely regulated martial arts matches — but applying them to her wedding made her frown.

Her wedding. That alone was hard to fathom.

Nekovalkyrja did not marry. Historically, they barely committed to relationships, let alone marry Yamataians. Yukari struggled with that part of herself enough as it was. Tom was satisfying, satiating, superior in so many ways, but "natural" impulses remained.

Yet Tom resisted. Could she do the same?

She leaned over on her knees, her shoulders hunched, her neck slack. "I do not ... I am unsure."

Yukari focused on a single speckle of attractive black onyx embedded into the shiny, slippery white tile floor. "Are there things a Raltean bride should want? I ... I want to appear as human as possible. So no one is discomforted."

Grey eyes silently observed Yukari. Tom had known the Nekovalkyrja since his first day on the Miharu. What had initially been the passion of physical attraction had blossomed into a steady, committed love.

He had shared his innermost self with Yukari, had laid himself bare for her, had tried to bridge the gap between their species. It hadn't always been easy, but they had found a way.

But when Tom looked at Yukari, the Nekovalkyrja who was now cradling herself as if shying away from the world, he suddenly found it difficult to breath.

The revelation had paralyzed him, but Tom soldiered on. Despite his reservations, he let the question lose.

"Yukari," he said quietly. "What... would make you happy?"

Yukari lost focus on the speck. Her hands held up her upper body. She wished her hair was able to hide her eyes, but it was bound behind her in a simple ponytail.

She did not speak for a minute. Her body started to shake at the end of it. They just had shared a wonderful, intimate moment, but there was her naked self, wanting to just enjoy the glow. To enjoy the now, without thoughts about Eve, the war, SAINT, the future.

About herself.

She could not lower her head, but she could bring her legs up to her body. She hid her face some between her knees.

"I do not know," she said, starting to sniffle. "I want to ... I want to not fight anymore. So many died, and I did not. I cannot show my face here without my sisters staring at me, but Mara-san, she died as a proud Nekovalkyrja! I acted against all of my instincts in sparring Melisson, and there is no certainty capturing her will spare any of us, so we are without a safety net, and now I must think about a wedding, which I want, I want, but I do not know how or where or when ... "

Tears started to fall. She swallowed a heavy sob. "I just know why! Because I love you, and want to make you happy, no matter how ... And then I think about what my duty is, and I want you more, knowing that duty demands I serve it more than you ... "

A harder sob made her back buck, as she held her legs tighter against her. "What is wrong with me?!" she shouted in Yamataian.

Tom was a statue, a hunk of rock that split the waves of Yukari's sadness in two as they rushed by him.

Everything ground to a halt. Time froze. A detached feeling came over him... he was floating above it all, just like when Kotori had tore him from the wolf.

Certainly, there was the familiar tugging of emotion at the back of Tom's mind. Wrapped up in the dark corners of his mind, they begged to be let loose, to allow him to be consumed and to react instinctively. Vivid memories of a nightmare not forgotten urged him to assert his feelings.

A home. A family. A simple life in Ralt. This is all that mattered, right? Certainly Yukari would come to her senses eventually, and things would be fine. The Nekovalkyrja in her would die.

All things died given enough time.

The lure of escape was seductive. Yukari was easy to manipulate... He knew all it would take was a hug, some reassuring words, a kiss to seal away her demons, and things would be back to normal.

He would have Yukari to himself. She was practically begging him for it.

But that was not what he had fought for. He had fought for the Miharu, for his family in space. He had fought for their happiness.

He had fought for her happiness.

He closed his eyes. He crushed the anger, crushed the sadness, the blind dreams. Crushed everything.

His eyes opened. The flow of time returned.

"Why not both? Let us have both."

>ON, GSS Mokuren, Observation Deck

Asher groaned as he rolled on the couch cushion, his bones beginning to ache again after all the physical activity. His doctor had told him explicity not to engage anything stressing on the body. Of course, he didn't listen, mainly on the reason that he couldn't resist the allure of his fresh Neko friend laying next to him. Yeah, Kyou wasn't the seductive type, especially considering it had been her first time. The allure came from her fighting ability. He found ass-kicking sexy. The man shuffled a bit, buttoning his pants so he wouldn't be too explicit, and having the top of his uniform pulled over them both for their sakes. He licked his lips.

"Hey." sent the Malifarian, breaking the silence in the room, but only between them. He gave her a smile as his muscular arms worked their way around her. "How d'ya feel?"

Kyou sighed, gathering herself up a bit as well, not overly liking their odds at staying alone on this deck for much longer. Her upper body definitely wasn't too fond of the stress it had just gone through (though her head was happy enough). She definitely wasn't regretting her recent activity, regardless, and she figured she should probably let Asher know. She turned her head to look at his face, and smiled wearily. "For lack of a better word? Content. Very content. How about you?"

"I mighta' rebroke a bone." admitted Asher, grunting as he shifted himself. There was a rather unique pain in his body, but the general atmosphere helped him ignore it. He looked back out at the stars for a moment, before looking at Kyou. "But, I'm pretty satisfied." He nodded his head side to side. "I guess that proves we work well t'getha' in juss' 'bout anything, now. So uh..." His bottom lip poked out, as his eyes went off in thought only to come back down with an approving face and thumbs up from his more free hand. "Excellent teamwork, Gunny."

Kyou nodded. "Good teamwork indeed, you crazy man." She winked at him before continuing. "Though I would bet you're the only man I know who would take a broken bone in exchange for some booty." She bumped him in the chest as she said that to emphasize her point.

"Hnnk!" grunted Asher, feeling the small hairline fractures send a delicate fuck you signal to his brain. The soldier shifted a little bit, resisting the urge to return the little bump. He grinned through it, though, even being a little playful about it. "Careful wit' tha' goods, babe. I can only handle one suicide mission a'day." he replied with a grin, before tilting his head one way. "Speakin' of. You was' still a virgin, 'fore this. So, I'm gunna' guess you're still pretty fresh outta' tha' tank, yeah? Y'learn pretty quick for a freshie."

"You already filled your quota for 2 suicide missions in one day for the year, hmm? And I'm not that young. I just happen to have a little bit more self control then most nekos." Kyou stuck her tongue out at him, closing her eyes and resting her head. "Anyway, I'm not going to break you anymore. Can't have you stuck in the medbay any more then you already have been. The nurses might kill you."

"Yeah, they cn'try. Or I cn'juss' hide somewhere, n'let m'body do its own thing. Fuckin' doctors can keep dat shit t'themselves." growled Asher, reminded of his own dislike of medical officials. He shook his head though, and brought his attentions back down to the couch, specifically Kyou. "Alright, so y'not twelve weeks old. How old are ya, then, Ms. Cautious?"

Kyou snorted. "Cautious, my ass. I cut things up and mix alcohol with knives, I'm far from cautious. Anyway, I'm a month or two past a year old at this point, though depnding on what the Rift thing did to our times, that may be a bit off." She blinked as that thought processed through her head entirely. "Now that I think about it, what day is it? I hadn't even thought about that until just now."

"Eh, does it matta'? I'm kinda wonderin' what time we cn'get movin' again. I'm kinda sick a'sittin' around." groaned Asher, not particularly happy they had stayed in one spot for too long. "Y'd think that at some point we'd get a fuckin' move on, and put Melibutt in some giant incina'rata." He thought, his mind trailing on that line, wondering exactly why she was still alive. Though, he decided to shake that thought and move onto something different. "Honestly, I couldn't care if'n it was tha' last day in tha' universe. I'm on a comfy couch, wit' a good lookin' girl, half-naked, mind you, and we got a awesome view a'tha' stars right here. It ain't Kyoto, but I'm pretty good wit' how it is right now."

"Well, if you're really that bored, we can always go looking for a kitchen and I can make you something to eat. I don't have my kit anymore, but I could always manage." She paused, a strange look on her face. "Actually, now that I think about it, food sounds good right now. It would sound even better if I wasn't so comfortable, but it still sounds good." She skimmed right on past the Mel comment, not wanting to go there this soon after.

"I know, right? This iss' pretty chill. Layin' out like this iss' tha' most relaxin' thing I've done..." He began to count it on his fingers.

"Four years, apparently? Ain't too sure. Kinda' blurry, but this works f'me, y'know? Wit' how things turned out, I'm glad I metcha." The soldier sighed, leaning his head on the cushion, comfortably snugging in. "Fuck work, I'm good where I'm at."

There was short pause there.

"Hey, Gunny."

Kyou turned her head to look up at Asher in his new position. "Hmm?"

"If you've got all that self-control... Why'd you spend y'first time wit'me, then? I ain't exactly a saint, y'know. I mean, compared t'all tha' otha' fellas on tha' ship." He seemed somewhat unsure of that, despite saying it aloud.

"Sainthood is boring, just for the record. Way too stuffy and annoying. I'd much rather spend time with people who know how to have a good time, and the like. Less likely I feel bored that way." Kyou flipped herself over, trying to keep herself covered up for the most part anyway. She rested her chin on Asher's chest, looking up at him. "Why? Doubting yourself already?"

"Juss' wonderin', y'know." he said, rubbing his chin. He looked a little distant. "I dunno, I mean, I thought you'd be all Vagina Coast Guard wit'cha virginity n'shit like that. Thass' how most girls are, at least." He looked down at her, "I ain't complainin', iss' juss... Iss' like iss' almost too nice f'me."

"Well, it's not like I was never interested, silly man. Just didn't feel like getting involved with people I'd probably never see again. Anyway, I get the feeling that you could use a bit of niceness. We still have to sort out everything that's left over from the fight, and I doubt that will be fun." Kyou shrugged slightly, not moving her chin from Asher's chest.

"Though I suspect the two of us will be spared the really painful stuff."

"Really depends on how all of that turns out. Politic iss' a bitch, y'know? N'we're probably in tha' biggest political fuck case in tha' whole universe wit' all of this." said the Malifarian, staring back out into the stars.

"Yeah, but you have to figure we're going to get off easy. Not like we can really contribute anything to any of it, right? I mean, we just kill shit and kill what we're told, we don't do the thinking." Kyou rested her head on his chest, looking out the window with him.

"Y'know... Y'make a lot of sense, babe."

Tom said:

"Why not both? Let us have both."

Click to expand...

Both. ... Both?

Yukari was positive both was not possible. She could count on a single closed fist the number of Neko officers who were married to Yamataians. The Empire demanded all of a Nekovalkyrja officer. Let alone the "Goddess of the Lost," who took on so much responsibility no one else knew existed.

But there were Yamataians who were married, were there not? Why was she not like them? Because I am Nekovalkyrja. Unable to have children, real children, children who were not simply younglings she could produce with any random sample of DNA.

It would become a fully functioning Nekovalkyrja warrior in three months. Normal children — human ones — were infants within that same time. There was no child-rearing. No mothering. No humanity. Just warrior production. Slightly changed, at best.

That was not a family. It was a fireteam.

Tom knew that. She knew he did. They never would have a normal family until she left her Nekovalkyrja body behind and returned to her Yamataian one.

So Tom was sacrificing that, for her? To be with her? Why? She could not be happy knowing his dreams were dashed for her sense of duty. Duty she did not even fully understand! The comfort of his arms ... his kisses ... his voice. It would not mean anything as long as she knew he was sacrificing that for her.

Love is not sharing a bed, but sharing a life.

Tom was giving up his life, and Yukari did not believe she could share hers.

She started to cry harder into her legs, jaw and neck alternating from taunt to relaxed with every wail. But she remembered Melisson's mindvista.

The sword was going to follow her wherever she went, resting in a sheath on her back. She could not get rid of it. She accepted the responsibility others did not know existed.

I am Nekovalkyrja. I am a goddess. I did not lie.

Her crying became heavy, heaving breaths, sobs being harshly cut off again and again. She started to moan, then snarl at herself. "No! ... NO!"

She stomped her feet on the ground and looked at him. Her eyes were red, face streaked with dried tears, skin flushed with sadness turned anger. "I am Nekovalkyrja! I — I will not run from that. I cannot have children or make a family, but I will not hate myself, not after all we suffered ... I WILL NOT!" The manic female beat her fists into her legs. Her left one informed her of how poor a decision that was, but she was spouting in rapid-fire Yamataian.

"I do not want both," she snapped, rudely pointing her finger at him. "I want you. I want you no matter how I must have you, and you want me. You want to share your life, and I want to share mine. We will share our one life someday, but even if we are married it will not be so soon. I *sniiiiiif* hahh, I still will have you, and you already have me, whether you want this Nekovalkyrja or not, because I love you and will be irrational about it and marry you! And someday, someday my duty will be done as a goddess and I will have your children, as many as you can stand and more! *sniiif* And! And I will! I will ... will ... it hurts ... "

Yukari's eyes got very droopy, her body wavered, then slumped onto Tom. The bandages of her leg wound had a porkbun-sized spot of blood on top.

Nao simply looked back and forward between the two. It was all so much, so fast! "I-ice tea?" she asked hesitantly. 'Wait, something else besides the main dish?! I didn't think that far!' The young sprite took a deep breath, and then another, and another. She was gearing up for something, that was for sure. Her breathing became deeper, slower, until it finally came to a point. Nao shut her eyes tight, pressed her lips tight, and clenched her fists. "Gyudon and Miso. Gyudon and Miso. Gyudon and Miso..."

So went the chant.

Tom instinctively reached out to catch the slumping Yukari with his body. He hadn't even realized the motion until several seconds had passed due to Yukari's sudden outburst freezing him in place. All he could do during the tirade was watch silently as it ran its course.

It was over now. Utter silence filled the room, an ironic void of sound as deafening as Yukari's shouting.

Warm lips slowly descended to touch the crown of the unconscious Nekovalkyrja's hair.

Such ferocity of spirit; unbridled emotion as powerful as a blizzard. You are becoming a true Raltean, Yukari. I have chosen well.

Gingerly, he dipped her body into his arms and lifted himself from his bed. The limited use of anti-gravity available to his body would have to be enough. He would carry her to the medical bay.

He looked down at Yukari's body. A simple bath towel covered her. With a little imagination, it became an immaculate dress of pure white.

He saw the door to the room. It was a rectangular opening with a sliding metal door. Not a perfect arch, like the famous Raltean trees that were tied together, but it would have to do.

I can live with this, he thought with a grin. I still have you, after all.

As the door shut behind him, he could almost hear the sound of violins playing in the distance.

Shizuka listened to the request by Nao and began whipping through the kitchen to make miso soup. Akiko meanwhile looked around for some iced tea to serve. The only iced tea available was pre-made so she got out a glass and moved in to serve Nao.

Akiko floated to Nao's table carrying both sealed pitcher and glass. She then flew horizontally as though she were swimming. While doing this she slowly spun around and began to pour the iced tea into the glass. In an odd spectacle the stream of iced tea curled around Akiko to land inside the glass. Akiko then landed at the table; the stream of tea flowed into the glass and finished pouring until Nao was served a tall glass of iced tea. The illusion was quite the sight to see if not fairly obvious that holographics had been used throughout the flight. Only at the end was the real tea actually being poured.

Shizuka meanwhile was simmering the beef and creating wonderful smells from the kitchen area. The scent of the meat being cooked wafted out for Nao to enjoy. "Gyudon and Miso! Gyudon and Miso! Let's all eat some Gyudon and Miso!"

Perhaps an hour later ...

"Mmmm ... nn." Yukari pried her eyes open. She didn't try to move much more than that, locking onto a light panel in the ceiling as her OS told her she had 6 percent energy reserves remaining, and all spare energy was going to healing her leg, which she had reinjured.

Ouch, she thought as the leg throbbed a bit. I should have been more careful ...

Her leg was wrapped in new bandages, but this time, her leg was hooked to a pouch of Neko blood by a thin tube. She felt it trickle into her wound, the blood cooler than her own. Her eyes went to her left hand, where she found a tray of simple tuna nigirizushi and water. She assumed she was supposed to eat them, which she vowed to do later.

Her eyes went to the foot of her bed, then to the right.

Tom was there. He had moved the simple chair against the far wall, using it to help him stay upright as he slept, hands together. He still was in his hospital gown, and somehow he still looked refreshed and healthy. She scowled at him. He probably had transported her back to her bed, too — yes, he had, the Mokuren's KAMI confirmed. He even had a little smile on his face.

How he frustrated her. First, sacrificing his dreams. Then his physical self. Lastly, and conversely, his comfort. Yet he smiled, and waited, a snowy sentry looking over his prize catch with the knowledge he had her as best anyone could have hoped to have her. Especially with her being such a madwoman.

MadNekovalkyrja, she corrected herself.

Mara still was dead, as were so many others. Miharu was gone. Melisson was not yet punished. But she had herself, and she had Tom.

She did not feel so bad. In fact, she felt better.

Let the others look. I am one of them, even if I do not look it.

"Suzuka-Shosa," a voice said from the doorway. Yukari glanced without moving her head.

The rank pin was from years past, but she knew it — Jôtô Hei. Bluish kanji above the dark-skinned Neko's head flashed a name, Nishimura Kana. Followed by a title, Nurse.

"Nurse," Yukari replied. Her body let her speak, at least.

"You are better? Freeman-Juni brought you back to your room after you opened the wound on your leg." The exotic, naturally seductive and beautiful Nekovalkyrja came to the side of her bed. Her Yamataian was perfect PNUgen.

"Better," she said. "Please excuse my foolishness. I became irrational and frustrated, and have caused you to perform extra, unnecessary work."

"It's no trouble," Kana replied. "Your accent is ... different, Shosa. Where is it from?"

"Kyoto," she replied.

"I see," Kana said, walking around the bed and looking at the pouch of blood. "Your body is not rejecting the hemosynth, which is good. We have been concerned the newer models might not take to the older model blood, but your Type 29 body seems to like it just fine!"

"That is good to know," Yukari said, shifting some to readjust herself in bed.

" ... " Kana paused, staring at the bag. Her eyes went to Tom, then back to Yukari. She looked confused, and a little lost. She opened her mouth, closed it, folded her arms in front of her, then tried again.

"Does he want you because you look human?" she asked. "He must know you are Neko ... so you are tolerable to him because you are Neko?"

Yukari's smile said much more than her words. There was a lot behind it that Kana couldn't see. "At one time, I thought so. Now ... I do not think so."

"Are there a lot of your type ... in the future?"

"No," she said. "I am rare."

"Why, then?"

"To be human," Yukari said, then looked up, her lips parted as she breathed slowly in and out of her mouth. "To not be a monster, or a weapon for others to control at will. ... To be free."

"Oh," Kana said, then twisted her lips to one side and looked the other way. "I've never thought of it that way."

"Do not," Yukari said. "You are as you should be, sister. I was lost." Her eyes found Tom, and then her smile grew. "I should not fear being a monster or a weapon. I am Nekovalkyrja. Betrothed to a human man. Weapons and monsters do not want to get married, yes?"

"I don't think so," Kana said, tapping the pouch again, then smiled at Yukari. It was business-like. "Well, you should be able to move around by tomorrow. Please eat the sushi as fast as you can; your body needs energy to heal."

"Yes, nurse," Yukari said, nodding her head, the best bow she could manage. "Thank you for seeing to the welfare of the Miharu's crew."

"Of course," Kana said, turning her head just so in reply, nodding her head and exiting how she came in — then stopped.

"That's right," she said, then walked back in. "A technician from your ship found something for you. I'll have a nurse bring it up later. For now, eat, then rest."

"Yes, nurse," Yukari said again. "Thank you for everything."

Kana flashed that smile again, dipped her head, then left.

" ... " Yukari let out a long sigh, then reached over for a piece of sushi with one hand, and the water with the other. No time similar to the present to begin healing.

This was...different. Very. Usually, she just grabbed something to bite quickly. Perhaps a dish that was already prepared and kept hot for anyone looking for something fast and on the go. Or, on more than one occasion, a ration pack, not even bothering to leave her station. Her heart kept on thumping away.

Nao's eyes remained tightly shut as Akiko left, singlemindedly focusing her thoughts. 'Wish! Gyudon and Miso! Wish! Gyudon and Miso! Wi -' Movement, she could hear it, feel someone coming closer. She couldn't resist! Nao risked opening an eye, for just a little peek of what was going on. "Eep!" She looked just in time to see Akiko beginning to glide in and perform teabending, finally filling the glass; she merely held a hand to her mouth in shock, eyes wide. And then it hit her. "We can do that?!" She asked, astounded. "I didn't know we could do that!" Nao simply blushed a little, before joining in the chant herself, hesitantly at first, but gaining in strength to match the two.

"Gyudon and Miso! Gyudon and Miso! Let's all eat some Gyudon and Miso!"