RP: YSS Miharu Mission 5, Part 1: Amaya's Gate

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

It didn't take long for another figure to enter the portside cargo hold; it wore a power armor, and stopped when it noticed Nao sitting on one of the boxes.

Junko removed her helmet carefully, taking care not to pull too may strands of her light-brown hair away from the hemosynthetic insert of her armor. She didn't want to have to stuff them back in again, the next time she fastoned the helmet.

"Nao-san? What's the matter?"

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Nyton smiled and shook his head. "I ask because sometimes someone has to ask. Even if he only ends up running into a wall. You two really aren't all that different."

The Nepleslian patted the container a couple times before withdrawing a step. "Very well. Thank you for indulging me this brief conversation. You have helped me more than you realize. I will be sure to protect Kotori as much as you protect us. Good luck." he then said before giving the container a slight bow (which he knew had to be an odd scene to witness) before turning on his heel and departing. His next destination would be the Armor Bay to ensure the PHALANX pad was properly set up and the adjustments he had made were saved. He had worked hard to ensure the old Super PHALANX suit would be perfect for him when he needed it. This would be a spectacular battle and he was eager to see it through.

Once that was done, a moment's delay was all it took, Nyton returned to the bridge and checked his station to ensure all was as he left it.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

"Junko-san!" Nao stood up in surprise when she realized the other sprite was there with her. She slowly sat down again and mulled over what was asked. Nao eyed Junko, fully suited up in Power Armor and ready for war. War. It made Nao nervous."Well. I'm just following orders. Yeah. I guess followed them too well and I don't have much else to do until the meeting...just sit here. Alone." She replied in a flat voice."Junko, what are you doing here?" the sprite asked.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Junko turned slightly so that Nao could see the door that the portside cargo bay shared with the armor bay.

"I just got done changing," Junko replied, "So right now, I don't know. Want me to leave?"

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Nao looked back up again at Junko's face. She had things she wanted to ask, now that the other sprite was there. "No. Please, stay. I could use the company." she shrugged. A small quiet spell descended on the two for what felt like an eternity to Nao. She talked first; "I. Wanted to ask you something, is that alright Junko?" Nao looked around furtively, like a child who wished she didn't have to make eye contact. She was obviously uncomfortable with what she had in mind.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Junko stared at Nao for a few moments. Nao's words faded away into empty nothings, disappearing into the dark blue of Junko's eyes and losing themselves there. There was something going on behind those eyes; definate thoughts were being made. Considerations were being taken.

Eventually Junko observed, "It's about dying, isn't it?"

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Nao gave a wry grin as Junko hit the target on the mark. But now that she thought about it, there was probably more Nao wanted to ask too. "I guess you've been asked a lot about it, eh?" she replied. Nao looked up at Junko's blue eyes again, and this time held her gaze. "The way I see people moving. It's like we'll never come back. I see people pairing off too. I wanted to ask someone if they were scared about it." Nao's eyes looked at Junko from toe to head, briefly breaking eye contact as she did so. She cupped her chin in a hand. "I guess I wanted to ask what it felt like, I mean, assuming you remember."

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Junko moved to the metal crate beside Nao and sat down on top of it, shifting slightly because of the power armor. Eventually she got her bearings right and settled comfortably - or as comfortably as she could - with the helmet in her lap.

"Sure," Junko replied, "They transferred my memories from my last body, so I would know."

She sat there for a little, blue eyes distant as she stared off into empty space.

Then, she said, "It's like fading to nothing. I was in pain, until my body stopped feeling, and then it was just me and my thoughts as sections of my brain shut down. I remember being afraid, but then I lost that, too. When my long-term memory shut down, I felt a little pinch, and then my short-term memory discharged a bunch of images and shut off. Eventually I was just floating in light, and then I was nothing and I don't remember anything else about it."

Junko glanced to her side, dropping her eyes as she smiled a little sheepishly, "I'm sorry, that isn't what you wanted to hear, was it?"

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Nao gave Junko a funny look for a moment, one that said something along the lines of 'Of course not silly!' despite the gravity of what they were talking. Instead of saying that though, Nao opened her mouth and laughed. When she was done, she wiped a tear from an eye. "You know, if everything was what we wanted, I don't think I would be sitting here talking to you." She smiled at Junko. "Come to think of it, I'm scared. Really, I am. But I don't want to miss this moment for the universe. Still..."

Nao trailed off a little in thought, recalling the other topic; the others she saw on the way to the bay. "Do you find it annoying that you see some of the others getting together or something, and you're not with someone like they are?" Her face gave off an incredulous expression. "I know we're going to face the big one, and it's normal and all. But...well, it bother you seeing them like that?"

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

"A little," Junko replied, scrunching her nose. "But it is nice, too. I talk sometimes with Haya-san, and she says the same things, but I do not think she is right to be jealous of other people's happiness. It just makes her unhappy. And Cho-san never talks to anybody; she is a very strong person. Ichigo-Heisho is always around Juni-san, so."

Looking over to Nao, Junko offered a gauntleted hand.

"You are not holding on to someone and crying right now, but you are not by yourself unless you want to be."

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

'Unless you want to be.' Those words haunted Nao's mind like a malicious phantom, tormenting and teasing every aspect of her mind that it could get at. Nao thought. And thought. And thought. She looked up at Junko with enlarged eyes. Nao took the proffered hand, pulling herself up, the armor's strength helping to keep Junko level and unshaken. "I don't want to be alone." Unlike the other sprite's steady posture, Nao's voice was shaken. "I always worked really hard. I thought that someone would notice me if I did what I was told real well."

The sprite started to let everything pour out, figuratively and literally, as tears started to run down her face. "I mean, I haven't really thought about it much, but the people, the real people only work a lot like I do if they Don't want company! Junko! What have I been doing all this time?!" Her hand squeezed the other Sprite's armored fingers more tightly; even through powered armor, that had to be felt. She was shaking with tears as she went on, "I sometimes listen to them, the 'real' people, and it's almost never I hear about them talking about dying, and I and you and the others are made for dying and, and..."

Nao's torrent stoppered, slowed down for a moment as she looked deep into Junko's eyes. She asked in a whisper, "Why is it that we talk about being scared about dying so much, and they don't" Nao hiccuped a little, and gave off an odd giggle. "Or, or maybe it's because I don't talk to them, and I never notice them talking about these same things." In such a short amount of time, the sprite poured out much of her insecurities to her friend.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

"Probably," Junko said, comforting Nao, "I have felt like that sometimes, too."

Being careful with the power armor, Junko looped an arm around Nao's waist, so that the other sprite wouldn't slip away off the crate quite so easily. Junko held her carefully while she cried, conscious of the armor's often inordinate amount of strength, taking pains so that her touch was comforting instead of painful. Although she pretended, because she saw Nao entwining their fingers, Junko could not feel Nao through the armor - she had taken the helmet off, and it had broken the completeness of the tactile relay. It hurt Junko a little that she couldn't, and she wished fleetingly she could share in Nao's sensations, but all she could feel was the pressure. It was a fleeting wish after all.

Junko paused, then she closed her eyes.

"I think you are wrong, though; people do notice. I notice. Haya-san, and Rin-san, and Ozuno-san, and Leiko, and Rei - Everyone else notices. What makes us so unimportant that you would disregard us?"

Junko opened her eyes again, and fixed Nao with their deep, steely blue again. She wasn't angry; she wasn't sad; she was just watching, and behind the eyes, the thoughts were floating, threatening to engulf all who searched for them.

"I think we have souls. If I have one, and they have them, and you have one too, I do not see the difference between a 'sprite' and a 'person'. We're all here. We're all real. What you do and I do matters, just as much as what they do. We were created, and now we are ourselves apart from our creators. I think it is enough."

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

"I..." Nao's words trailed off when she thought about what Junko just said. It carried weight, and it stung. Why had she disregarded the others? Why?! "I'm sorry Junko. I've caused you a lot of trouble. I...I can barely believe I've been so insensitive." At this point, Nao was practically sitting in Junko's lap as she cried. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." she whispered over and over again. Nao's arms, wrapped around Junko's armored body, clutched all the tighter. She was strong, even by Neko standards; Nao wouldn't even figure out Junko couldn't feel her heartfelt hug. Not anytime soon.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Junko automatically put a hand up, embracing Nao completely. Although it was true that she could not feel, Junko rested her forehead against the side of Nao's head. Through this tiny little bond, Junko could at least draw some comfort. She blinked away empathetic tears.

"Shh," she cooed, "You have not hurt anyone. Stop saying you are sorry. Nobody blames you. Please, don't cry."

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Kokuten said:

"Eh, I guess thass' anotha' comfort." Asher smiled, and then went on. "Y'know, Claymere tol' me that I wass' uh... Illegal... You woudn't happen t'know what that means f'me post-mission, would ya'?"

Click to expand...

Mara furrowed her brow thoughtfully. "Honestly? No. I know it's been made illegal but I've never heard of anyone being hanged for it, especially not the clones themselves - I remember there's this Yaichiro guy who was a clone, but I don't think he ever got into trouble for it aside from the obligation to leave enough room for the original to still feel unique."

Mara looked back up at the Yamataian man. "Assuming we survive this mission, I do think you have a future. Perhaps not the one originally intended by Asher Orkin Westwood, but it'll still be a life. If we fail here, the whole legal problem will become moot... and all that Asher Orkin Westwood lived for might vanish."

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Kotori eventually made her entrance in the bridge, though her arms were laden with an assortment of items.

At first, kept a foot in the door's threshold to keep it open while she balanced the objects in her arms, and then walked to the rear bench where she set down the items.

One was what had once been a white yukata, with faded red stains on it. Another was an older gunbelt with two Type 28 Nekovalkyrja Service pistols with four batteries. She added two diamond-knife sheaths with straps to tie them up on her lower legs or boots, like the ones she presently wore. Then she added on those of those the her sheathed transparent zesuaium blades. Finally, she set down the wooden box that had the tortoise shell comb Nyton had bought the princess.

The Taisa finally settled down at her command station. "Anything to report?" she asked Nyton and Yukari.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

Nyton stood and bowed, a little intrigued by the amount of supplies Kotori brought with her. "Ah, ST and Armor preparations are on target. Synchronization with the tactical console and my cybernetics are done. The PHALANX platform is primed and ready. I also confirmed the cause of Westwood-Hei's sudden appearance. Aside from that we should be ready soon. I will double check with Kurohoshi-Juni to determine whether her teams are ready."

He then stopped and definitively looked at the assortment of items the Taisa had brought with her. "Can I take it that bringing along mementos and gear to the bridge is permitted for this mission?" he asked.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

"Well, I was juss' wonderin'. Seemed like a big deal to him." Asher mentioned, giving her explanation some thought. It seemed to him that it was best to know whether or not he had to keep his head down post mission. The thought crossed his mind, though, to meet his original and perhaps tell him of the mission he missed. The idea almost felt like an obligation to him.

Yet, Mara's words played on Asher's one-track mind again, as it derailed and crashed back into the mission.

"You're right, screw the future. We got now, and now iss' where we do tha' fightin'!" Asher hailed excitedly, probably loud enough for whoever was in the armor bay to hear.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

"The importance of the mission means one should also try to be well-rested. It would be tragic, for example, if one of the vital medical personnel were to fall asleep at their desk during the battle," was Miyoko's only response. If she had any luck, Sanjuro's mind would manage to decipher that enough to realize she was referring to him... not that she was betting on it, since the man seemed oblivious to anything except completely blunt speech.

When Sanjuro opened the door for her, she stepped inside, taking a little bit of pride in the fact that she wasn't out of breath. "I still haven't had my own backup yet, so I should get it while I'm here." With any luck, it would eat into the half-hour she had to spend helping him. Horrible machine-induced headaches would be an improvement at this point.

Re: Mission 5: Amaya's Gate

"No! No, no screwing the future!" Tsuya slid off her box and held her hands up palm-out, looking distressed. "You tempt fate! Do not screw the future! Please! I have things to look forward to!"