RP: SRSS Yggdrasill (PG-13) Salvage Run 3: Nepleslian Ring/Crew Recruitment

[Toshiro]

ON: SRSS Yggdrasill


Toshiro, as they entered the Nepleslian debris field, decided to change his order. "....All stop...since we have only 5 items still in the cargo bay, we might as well get another load in, ne?"

Ken nodded. "Aye, Capt'n." he said, easing off the gas and putting on the brake. "Activate grapplers?"

Shaun sat at the main weapons console. "Sounds good. What are we using to mine the rocks?"

Ken chuckled. "Mine the rocks? We salvage, not mine."

Toshiro nodded. "Yes...though mining might not be a bad idea someday, if we get the right parts...activate the Grapplers."

Ken nodded, keying in some things, and letting the computer do it's work

Shaun turned around in his chair "Oh didn't know we only did salvaging." Shaun looked over to the captain "Although I'm not sure if we would find anything overly valuable to mine out here anyway."

Ken shrugged, somewhat indifferent to that scenario. "Anyone want a drink? I need to try out my new bartender's cabinet."

Shaun spun his chair around from the console and tapped his knees with his palms. "What you got in there?"

"Not sure. Got it before we picked you up." Ken said, getting up and walking to his room, where it's currently stored.

"No than---INCOMING!!!" Just then a shot grazed the left wing of the Yggdrasill, as a Kylie, of all things, attacked the ship. Toshiro gave the first cry of alarm to his crew. "A KYLIE! It's a freaking Kylie! Evasive!"

Ken dashed back to the seat. "Sonofa...who the hell has a Kylie out here?" he asked, ending the salvage and putting on the gas and shields. "Shaun, warm up the weapons."

Shaun quickly spun back around and started rapidly tapping in commands. His entire posture quickly changed from being loose to being professional. "Sir! weapon systems ready. I'm ready to engage on your word."

Toshiro grimaced. "If memory serves, some of the Kylies were sold off by WickedArms...this must be the son of some rich brat, maybe the boss of that guy from before. Dodge behind that chunk of debris! Keep moving unpredictably! Use that DTS!"

The Kylie continued to fire, but the Yggdrasill was a particularly mobile vessel, and the Kylie pilot seemed to lack formal training...but he was still quite dangerous.

"Aye Capt'n," Ken said, zigging and zagging behind this rock and that piece of armor, using the Dynamic Thruster System to direct the Yggdrasill in ways that would normally not be possible for a Vampire.

Shaun kept his eyes trained on the chasing vessel. His fingers slightly twitching in front of the weapon triggers...

"Alright...that thing is a KFY-built unit...FTL escape is too risky in the debris field...and shaking it with the grappler won't work...any ideas?" Toshiro asked, thinking, his eyes still on the screen scanning for their pursuer.

Shaun called out from his spot "What's the distance reach and maneuvering ability of the arms?"

"We could try to blow out their thrusters and weapons," Ken suggested.

Shaun suddenly reached over and hit a few switches. The sounds of something moving around outside the ship could be heard as the mobile gun turrets aligned themselves. "I have an idea," Shaun said in a dangerous sounding tone.

Toshiro looked to Shaun. "360 degrees around the ship, 10 meters past at the closest point. It might not work though, depending on what you're planning...that Kylie could likely rip off the grapplers. It's the second-level power armor of the Star Army of Yamatai...which means...it must be Aether powered..." Just then, the Kylie appeared on screen, having noticed them. It charged, preparing to fire again. "Ken! Evasive again! Hard to port!"

Ken jammed the steering device hard left, using the DTS as well, trying to move quickly

The ship narrowly avoided a blast of the Kylie's railgun. "What's your idea, Shaun?" Toshiro asked, thinking of an idea of his own.

Shaun pulled 5 of the mobile gun turrets to the rear of the ship. "Let up on the engines...I want this bastard closer before I make this shot."

"I don't know....if I do that, he might hit us first, and that would be bad," Ken noted, a bit apprehensive to the idea.

He turned his head slightly "I'm aiming....for his weapon ports." Shaun said with a sinister grin.

Ken's eyes briefly moved to Shaun. "Yeah...again, he shoots first, we're in trouble.â€

 

[Toshiro]

JP with morikatsuhara

ON: SRSS Yggdrasill

Toshiro walked from the bridge to the lounge, still carrying the toolkit he had salvaged that day. He had planned to get to work on the Demon and the Kylie during the 40 minutes remaining before they reached Yamatai.

Kairi wandered into the lounge clumsily, stretching very much like a cat awakening. "Ohayoooo," she called to Toshiro. "What's happened since I went to sleep?"

Toshiro smiled at the awakened crewmember. "Well, a pirate in a Kylie attacked, but we actually managed to weather it...now I have a Kylie to fix as well as a Demon to upgrade...want to join me? I believe you are a technician."

Kairi perked up. "A Kairi? We got one?" She looked extremely happy at this news. "I am a technician, yes, but I have very little experience with armors... I really want to learn to fix and use them, though!"

Toshiro smiled. "Well, You'll be able to train in the Kylie. I'm too big for it anyway...two inches too tall. Want to take a look?"

Kairi nodded. "Hai, let's go see it."

Toshiro lead her into the cargo bay. "By the way, each person gets 2 items whenever we salvage when they start. We salvaged while you were asleep, and you got a Hydrogen Canister and an intact starship's piloting station." Toshiro points to the items found for Kairi, both with a pink tag.

Kairi examined the hydrogen canister in passing, not knowing any use for it, then moved to the starship piloting station. "Aa... Do you think we could put this into the Yggdrasill?"

Toshiro thought for a moment. "We have a piloting station already...though we could make a secondary bridge somewhere perhaps...you might want to keep it or sell it. It's yours, after all."

Kairi shrugged. "I don't have room in my quarters for it, and the only reason to have a secondary bridge is if ours was destroyed... I'll sell it."


Toshiro nodded. "Remember, we can all use the warehouse space I have at Midori no Umi."

Kairi nodded. "I'd like to sell it, I have no money..." She looked down. "Those baka yaroi who were trying to sell me took it all."

Toshiro seemed to sympathize... "How much did they take? Do you have possessions on Yamatai still?"

Kairi slumped. "9420 KS... I have two custom combat knives and pistols in a locker that we should go get..."

Toshiro thought for a moment. "We'll stop at Yamatai and pick up those items...as for the money; I'll give that some thought..."

Kairi gaped. "Iie!" she cried. "Do not give me any money! You bought me back from those awful men, that's enough!"

Toshiro blinked. "True, but you got captured trying to GET to us, ne?"

Kairi nodded. "Well, yes, but it's my fault. I'm already indebted to you."

Toshiro blinked a bit. "Well...hopefully you'll be able to make it back...the Pilot Station is a nice start for the item."

Kairi nodded. "Yeah... How much do you think I can get?"

Toshiro thought a moment. "Maybe 750 to 1500 KS..."

Kairi nodded again. "Aa, that's a tenth of what I had...!"

Toshiro smiled. "Well, you'll earn it back soon enough...do you have ANY money?"

Kairi nodded. "I have 60 KS inside that locker."

Toshiro was surprised. "That's all?"

Kairi blushed and nodded. "I didn't expect to be going back until I was with the Yggdrasill, and I had to bring my savings with me to pay for transportation and shelter."

Toshiro thought for a moment. "Well, it can't be helped...I'll have to get some money together and buy you some clothing. We don't have nodal cleaning on board, you know. You can't wear the same outfit everyday."

Kairi blushed furiously. "Toshiro-kun... I feel so helpless."

Toshiro smiled. "Don't worry about it, okay? You've been through a lot, but you'll be fine, okay? I have enough money to help, okay? You're a member of my crew now."

Kairi nodded. "Hai... Let's go look at those armors."

Toshiro nodded, and proceeded to the armors. "The power system of the Kylie has been damaged...and the Demon will be upgraded with a Super Demon's Neutronium."

Kairi let out a "Muhh." "Let's put the Neutronium in first, I know how to change out parts."

Toshiro nodded, carrying the Neutronium armor over first. "Here is is...I'll work on the left, you on the right."

Kairi grabbed a pneumatic drill and exposed the frame of the armor, stripping it of its protection. "Hey, this is easier than I--hrnnnk--thought!" she said, pulling off a jammed armor plate.

Toshiro laughed a bit before removing a piece on his own side. "This will triple the armor's defenses."

Kairi nodded. "If not for the lack of radiation protection, this could be our main armor. We can still probably use it to manipulate salvage."

"Yeah...we'd have to get Mercurite shielding or something to protect it from radiation, or get a space suit with protection."

Kairi nodded. "We could probably also use it if we went groundside at Kennewes or something."

Toshiro agreed. "A bit risky for now though, the civil war and all."

Kairi mumbled, "Mhm." She was busy checking the seals on the armor, making sure it would be airtight.

Toshiro had moved on to the next part already. While not used to this armor, he was quite used to setting Neutronium armor in place...the Yggdrasill was covered with the stuff. "Fair warning, though...Kylie pilots go out nude...you might want to change into the armor in your room, or make sure there are no peeping toms around, ne?"

Kairi blinked, and the pneumatic drill in her hand slowly wound down. She looked over to Toshiro. "You think there are people like that on this ship?"

Toshiro looked to Kairi. "No, but I admit I don't know the other two members of the crew that well yet. They both came on today."

Kairi shrugged. "I'll give them the benefit of the doubt to start."

Toshiro nodded. "True, but you should be careful...I don't know WHY guys try to look at girls, but oh well."

Kairi shrugged. "I've been through worse..."

Toshiro looks a bit confused. "Like what?"

Kairi looked down at the red spots where the manacles were. "..."

Toshiro turned away after realizing. "...Sorry."

Kairi nodded. "It's alright..."

Toshiro thought for a moment. "Well...you have separate quarters for your gender...do you want a lock?"

Kairi shook her head. "No, that's alright... I trust that I won't be disturbed unless someone asks."

Toshiro nodded. "Okay...I'm done with my side...how about you?"

Kairi slapped the last piece of armor; a hand plate; on, bolted it, and nodded. "That was nice." She looked down at her greasy hands. "Wow."

Toshiro laughed. "Yeah, that happens...look at mine!" Toshiro's hands were just as greasy.

Kairi laughed too. "Let's take a break in the lounge and then we'll work on the Kairi."

PAUSE

 

[Driker]

After returning from the police station. Shaun went to the sleeping bay for the men and dropped down into one of the cots. He leaned back with a yawn as he listened to Eve explaining in annoying detail the inner workings of the escape pod he picked up earlier. After a few minutes of it he finally cut in. "Hey Eve...if your not going to shut up about the thing could you at least tell me how to change it into something useful?â€

 

[Toshiro]

ON: SRSS Yggdrasill:

Toshiro sat in the lounge, on a break with Kairi. "So...What made you want to join the crew enough to pack up and leave home?"

Kairi's hands were in her lap. "Well," she started. "I was born in Kyoto, and I joined up with a shipping conglomerate as soon as I reached full height. I did that for a while, then I saw the ad for the Yggdrasill and left. I was under contract, though, so I did some things that I'd rather not talk about to get out..."

Toshiro seemed surprised. "Well...you've been through a lot to get here, and I'll remember that...from what you say, this is your life now...so I'll take care of you, okay?" He smiled; happy she'd finally made it to where she wanted to be.

Kairi nodded. "Thanks, Toshi-kun," she managed. "Do you think we could stop in Kyoto to get my knives and pistol? I also have a couple changes of clothing there..."

Toshiro nodded. "Of course! I can't have you without clothing...I'll also try and set up a bathing schedule or something..."

Kairi nodded. "Should we go fix the Kairi?"

Toshiro blinked, tilting his head. "Why do you need healed? Did they hurt you?"

Kairi tilted her head in return. "Ehh?" She sat there for a moment. "Oh!" She laughed. "No, no, the mecha, not me, silly!"

Toshiro looked at her for a moment, and then laughed. "HAHAHAhahaha!....Gomen, gomen...Sure...I used an anti-aether weapon to disable the energy system...There should be no structural damage, to tell the truth...let's look on PANTHEON for schematics...we don't need to disturb the others on the bridge, Ken might be a bit drunk by now...my quarters has a viewscreen and a datapad..."

Kairi laughed again. "Come on."

Toshiro nodded, and headed for his quarters...they were a bit nicer than their own, but likely because they were already furnished with more personal items. "Now...I don't know how much is classified and how much isn't...so we may have to do some troubleshooting on our own...let's see..."

Kairi nodded. "There's so much green on this ship... What does PANTHEON say?"

"...Here we go!" Toshiro found something. "...Luck...it seems the Kylies sold by WickedArms had fuses, so that the Aether Generators wouldn't be damaged...and a battery for life support functions. We just add new fuses, or jump them...easy!"

Kairi slumped. "What if the fuses are proprietary? If we have to buy them for some massive price?"

Toshiro shook his head. "A fuse is just a single electrical jumper that blows in the case of an overload...I think I could build something if I had to...we have plenty of steel left over from the Demon, and 5 meters of wire, after all."

Kairi nodded. "Alright. Let's go to the bay and get started." She looked in the corner. "...coffee machine," she muttered.

Toshiro nodded. "Yeah, the boys' room also has one...They found one themselves. They also have booze and a large viewscreen for whatever...though you can find things for your room as well...do you want some coffee, or do you prefer tea? I just keep that coffee machine for the use of crew or guests. I don't drink the stuff...I prefer water, fruit juice, or mild tea."

Kairi grinned. "If you have a green tea bag, I'd be quite happy," she thought a second and added, "Very hot, please."

Toshiro nodded, and got the tea ready...it didn't take long for him to bring her the tea, with a few rice cakes. "...I never understood why Nepleslians loved coffee so much...I'm Yamataian, myself."

Kairi nodded. "That's all the bastards that caught me drank. They also made me drink spiked drinks all the time so that I wouldn't fight them."

Toshiro sighed. "...I don't understand how they can treat others that way because of their race...though I can't judge all Nepleslians harshly...and our own government is guilty of the same...though not to the extremes you had to endure...and I'm sorry you had to endure that."

Kairi nodded, sipping her tea. "Let's go work on that Kairi."

Toshiro nodded, and started for the cargo bay as Kairi followed.

Toshiro soon stopped in front of the Power Armor, which looked in good shape...though it'd need a bit of paint where the ion bolt hit it. "...Well...let's get cracking?"

"Hai." Kairi grabbed a bright-green pneumatic drill and primed it a few times. "I vote we paint it green later."

Toshiro nodded. "If you didn't know, I LOVE green. That's why the ship is green...that and to match the 'Tree of Life' nomenclature. Do you like green?" Toshiro asked as he looked over the fuses.

Kairi nodded. "I don't like to wear it very much, though... I'm all red, as you can see," she said, gesturing to her flaming hair and orange eyes.

Toshiro nodded. "Well, I guess you are glad we don't have uniforms, ne? ...Here's the problem...Aether Generator fuses are blown...I THINK I can machine a replacement..."

Kairi nodded. "What can I do to help?"

"...In fact...it's about the size of a spent bullet shell....and there should still be a couple of them around here from the firefight with the pilot of this thing earlier...look for spent shell casings on the floor."

Kairi looked confused, but began to look for a shell casing. She found it under one of the legs of the Demon, and brought it to Toshiro.

Toshiro smiled. "Good...if I'm going to get shot at, then I'd best benefit...this, with a wire coiled around inside it, is essentially the same thing...leave the wire coated save at the ends of course...we can use the original fuse holder for the rest of it...and pin-pon!!!" Toshiro held up a fuse, which looked half-decent.

Kairi just laughed. "I've not heard of making fuses that way. I guess I'll have to remember it!"

Toshiro smiled. "Well...you learn a few things disassembling and rebuilding a Vampire from hand..."

"Aiiiiahhh," Kairi said. "Are you saying that our ship is made of shell casings, Toshi-kun?"

Toshiro laughed. "I meant to say I learned a few things...and no, the Yggdrasill is shell-casing free. This is only a temporary fuse anyway...I'm going to see if I can pull one from the LAMIA torso for a more permanent fix once we get back to Midori no Umi."

Kairi laughed as well. "Ah, alright. What's the ETA to Yamatai, anyway?"

Toshiro crossed his arms, thinking. "Let's see...5 Light Years...40 minutes total...we're about halfway there, so 20 minutes."

With that, Toshiro put the fuse in, and the Kylie's systems turned back on... "...Pin-Pon!"

Kairi threw her arms in the air. "Yatta! We have an expensive power armor!"

Toshiro smiled. "Yes...not everyone gets a Kylie...too bad I'm too tall for it, but I'm sure you'll enjoy it! I wonder if I can make the LAMIA torso I have act as a drone, or fit that LAMIA Augmentation pod to the Kylie...What do you think?"

Kairi thought for a moment, then: "The augmentation pod might be useful--I'm not sure about the torso..."

Toshiro nodded. "Well, it has a few weapons of its own, a generator, if nothing else I can make it a ship controlled drone or a transport capsule with armaments.â€

 

[Driker]

ON: SRSS Yggdrasill

Toshiro left his quarters after watching a short film with Kairi. The benefit of having telepathy and a partially computerized brain is that you can watch movies at high speed and still understand them...soon he left the room, particularly happy that Kairi was feeling better. He went to the bridge, to check on things...

"Well....what to talk about for the next 20 minutes, Shaun?" Ken asked, drinking some light beer

Shaun rolled out from under the now propped up Pod and pressed a finger to his ear. "Is that Ken?"

"Yes it be. I got bored, so I decided to talk to you." Ken said, chuckling lightly.

Shaun rolled back under the pod and continued to work. "What are you doing that you managed to get bored? We arn't flying towards any large stars are we?"

Toshiro blinked as he watched Ken. "...Are you drinking on the bridge, Ken?"

"No...it's just this thing has auto pilot, so I set it to do the fastest route to Yamatai...and that was that...I just have to slow down sometimes so we don't over shoot our route." he said to Shaun, before turning back to Toshiro.

Shaun pressed his hand to his ear and started laughing as he heard Toshiro speak "Ah hahaha so thats what your doing"

"Just a little...I'm no where near drunk yet." he said.

Toshiro sighed. "...It still impairs your judgement, and I don't want it on my bridge any more. you can drink anywhere but the bridge and Engineering."

"Aye capt'n." Ken said, finishing his drink. "Not that I'm doing much untill we need to dock.."

Shaun stopped working for a moment as he had only just realized something "Wait...we have booze?"

Toshiro laughed. "Yeah, before you came on I found a bartender's cabinet. I never touch the stuff, so I gave it to Ken."

"It's in the room." Ken noted, putting his glass down.

Shaun rolled under the pod and Eve started to speak through the com system ~I have a question~

Shaun immediatly stopped and said "No Eve! don't ask damn it!"

Toshiro looked up. "Oh, Hey, Eve! Do you like your new voice and ears?"

"Yes Eve?" Ken asked, chuckling, wondering what she was asking.
~Captain....why is there a sex toy here?~ Eve's question was quickly followed by Shaun yelling "God damn it Eve! Its none of our buisness!"

Ken burst out laughing, almost falling out of his seat

Toshiro blinked. "...Sex toy? Is that the same thing as that play doll thing, Ken?"

Eve broke in ~yes captain. It is~

Ken still couldn't answer, unable to stop laughing

Shaun sighed in embarrasment "Eve....please just stop talking about it. You've been going on about it since we started working on the pod"

Toshiro understood. "Well, I don't fully understand what it's allegedly for yet, but I found it around Nepleslia. I was thinking about making a body for an AI from it someday..."

Ken finally stopped laughing. "Don't worry about it Eve. He's a bit on the naive side on this subjectâ€

 

[Toshiro]

Toshiro thought for a moment, and realized this might be a golden opportunity.

"Hey, Shaun? The Mens' Quarters can double as a medbay...so if you see fit to add the pod's cryogenics support and any medical components for emergencies to the bed, I'd gladly appriciate and support that...you can tap into the ship's power system for it, even. Even if you don't personally use them when you sleep, it might help us if we ever find a critically wounded survivor that we can't stabilize on-site."

With that, the Yggdrasill dropped to STL speed, and made an approach to the warehouse station orbiting Midori no Umi, one of Yamatai's two natural satellites.

"Ken, we're here. Bring us to within 5,000 KM of the station and ask for docking clearance at docking ports 9A and 9B. Approach on the vector they give you. First we'll tow the Equine around, send someone out in a shuttle to engage the docking system, and place her at 9B. Then the Yggdrasill herself will dock at 9A and start unloading."

Toshiro sat down in the Captain's chair, overseeing the new crewman's actions, but trying not to look intimidating or judgemental.

 

[Driker]

Shaun was working on the pod frame itself at the time. "Yeah I'm pretty sure I can do that. I'm going to need to stop somewhere for some more metal. This pod frame doesn't have enough material to make a sizable sleeping frame."

 

[Toshiro]

"Aye Capt'n." Ken said, turning on the comn system. "This is the Yggdrasil, requesting docks 9A and 9B."

A voice, after a moment, came over the communications system. "Identity verified, Alucard added to permitted vessel registry. Commence docking."

"Thank you," Ken said, going on vector. "So, who is going out in the shuttle?"

Toshiro stood from the Captain's chair. "Well...It's between me and you. "Have you ever docked your old Vampire or the Alucard?"

"The Alucard, tons of times. It's been a while since I've docked a Vampire like this." Ken said, turning around after brining them to a halt.

Toshiro thought for a moment. "I have yet to fly an Equine, but I hear it's pretty easy...do you want to, or should I? I KNOW I can dock the Yggdrasill."

"Then I'll take the Alucard, and you can take the Yggradsill. I need Shaun to fly the shuttle though, so he can bring it back," Ken replied.

Toshiro nodded. "Hear that, Shaun?"

Shaun replied "Yeah I heard."

Toshiro nodded. "Okay then...You take Ken to the Alucard. I'll wait until you're docked, then bring the Yggdrasill in. It shouldn't be too difficult, ne?"

Shaun waved "No its fine. lets get it done."

Ken saluted, and headed for the shuttle.

Shaun headed to the docking bay with Ken and climbed inside the shuttle.

Toshiro sat back down in the chair and transferred pilot control to the Chair. "You're cleared for deployment...Ken, lemme know if another system fails. I patched her up well enough to dock, though."

"Aye." Ken said, having the shuttle dock and he started to transfer over.

Toshiro waited for Ken to be transferred, and for Shaun to return. "By the way, if you need materials, you might be able to trade or buy some Neutronium or diamond composite form me, Shaun."

After Ken docked, Shaun started to pilot the shuttle back to the main ship.

Ken quickly started the POS up and docked it in 9B. "I'm done." he said.

Toshiro nodded. "Alright, Shaun, are you back yet?"

"Yeah I'm docking in now." Shaun replied through the comm.

Toshiro nodded and waited until Shaun was in, then docked in 9A. "Okay...that was easy!"

Ken was waiting outside the 9A docking door.

Toshiro stepped out, and smiled. "Well...we're here. Now to unload the Yggdrasill...and that won't be difficult. "Shaun, if you see any components you're interested in while looking through the manifest, let me know. Same with you, Ken. I might be willing to sell or trade something for them."

"I'll let you know, but I'm not giving away much else...I don't have but 1 item to trade." Ken said, chuckling.

Toshiro smiled, nodding. "Yes, and that Minifridge is better suited for the Mens' Quarters anyway."

Toshiro continued talking to Ken. "Anyway, I was talking to Kairi, and she says she has a few things to pick up on Yamatai. She'd like the two of us to accompany her...Shaun doesn't want to set foot on Yamatai anyway. Do you want to take a shuttle down to the planet later and help out, and maybe do some business of your own?"

Ken nodded. "Sure. I have some stuff to pick up. My cousin was a gun collector before joining the SA, so he asked me to take some of his guns with me."

Toshiro smiled. "Oh, that's always good...what kinds of guns are you talking about?"

"A sport production Needler, and a shotgun." Ken says. "He won't let me touch anything else."

Toshiro thought over that for a moment. "Well, those are still fairly nice...and a shotgun has some stopping power at least. Never touched a needler, though. Better than what we currently have. Between all of us, I think we only have three or four handguns...Not counting Power Armor weapons and the 12,000 sleeping gas grenades I just found out there, of course. Forgot about those."

Ken nodded. "Well, as soon as she wakes up or is ready, we'll head down."

Toshiro agreed. "Until then, let's do some unloading, okay? The Industrials can carry things to the airlock, and we'll bring them out. We'll leave the armors and Shaun's Escape Pod in the cargo bay, though."

Ken nodded, heading in to start the claws up
(15:36:55) toshiro_yuki: Toshiro began to unload and move things around to the warehouse area. The warehouse was largely automated, though there was still a bit of physical labor to do. It wasn't long before they were done, though. "Okay, that's that for now...I'll be working on a few schematics. You do whatever you feel like...as long as you stay relatively sober, for the shuttleflight, ne?"

"Don't worry. How ever, if you see a guy named Mora, don't say my name," he said, leaning on the wall

Toshiro blinked. "Well, okay...I won't ask."

Ken nodded. "Thanks."

PAUSE

 

[Moon Doll's Twin]

[ON: Kyoto, Yamatai! This post made with occasional input from Seki "Dangerous When Awesome" Tanaka, regarding the actions of her character. All writing is courtesy of Orion "Inferior To Rickenbackers" Moony.]

Lain tapped idly at his keyboard, a placid gaze, glass-eyed, focused (or unfocused, if one is that way inclined) on the screen before him. Searching for information on Gabriel Sachikoe could be quite difficult. The man was brilliant, after all, at hiding himself. Oh, it also didn't help that Lain was extremely drunk, or that Reis was clinging about his shoulders with a tongue trailing over his neck...

Something caught his eye. A recruitment advertisement... for a salvage vessel?

"Reis! Did you want to go between planets?"

Reis blinked. "...nah... kint rehllysay ah did..."

"Hm. They need communications personnel. Think we could pretend to be proficient at that?"

"Prolly so... kint be too hahrd..."

"Then we're going. Looks like... to Nepleslia, is their first stopover after Yamatai. We can be killed by death metal fans!" A pause. "Or we can play a bit of neo-glamour metal, and work like that... do you still have the Aethersperm Signature guitar..?"

Lain was in an unusual good mood today. Not to say he was happy, per se, but he certainly wasnt in a sad-trance. It stemmed from lots of good work going into their album effort. No recording had yet been done, but between Reis' random ideas and his poetry, they had constructed nine songs of fantastic depressive quality, songs that Cohen and Waits would be proud of. Death, puppetry, despair, and cough syrup. A winning combination.

"Havvet somewhereshill... notsure..."

As Reis wandered off to find the virtually untouched instrument, Lain set to typing a reply to the Yggdrassil's advertisement.

TO: Captain Yuki Toshiro of SRSS Yggdrassil
RE: Communications Personnel

I have seen your advertisement, and I confess certain interest. Though my fiance and I are not highly experienced in the regards of communication, we would be more than willing to learn where we lack skills of particular note. Additionally, payment is unnecessary. The simple passage between worlds is more than sufficient.

If you wish for someone of greater experience, this is understood. I do, however, strongly suggest you consider my offer.

My thanks.

LAIN IROKAWA
REIS IVELIAN

 

[Toshiro]

Toshiro, while going over the manifests and some design plans, noticed a message...after reading it, he smiled, immediately typing out a reply.

TO: Lain Irokawa and Reis Ivelian
RE: Communications Personnel

Being in charge of communications for a civilian vessel isn't particularly difficult to learn and do, it merely requires a bit of basic study. Most of the Yggdrasill's communications technology is quite standard, save one component of my own invention which I will train you in the use of. I have great interest in your offer, and am planning to decend to Yamatai from Midori no Umi, where we are currently storing our items, soon for different reasons. Perhaps you can give me a meeting place and we can discuss it then?

You may not require payment, though I'm still willing to offer you the base starting pay of 75 KS weekly each, plus two items each per salvage run.

Please reply soon, and I hope to see you within the day, if it is convienient for you.

Captain Yuki Toshiro
SRSS Yggdrasill

 

[Moon Doll's Twin]

Lain smiled at the prompt reply and stretched his arms, glancing back at Reis as she searched through ancient posessions after the missing 'metal' guitar. Actually, his glance was aimed more at a particular part of Reis' anatomy, nicely exposed beneath the folds of her dress as she bent down, but we shan't go into that.

"We're going on a salvage vessel, Reis. I'll help you pack in a moment there."

TO: Captain Yuki Toshiro
RE: Communications Personnel

Thank you for your consideration, Captain. I look forward to working with you. Included are directions for how to reach our place of residence, though if it is more convenient for us to meet you at port, that can also be easily arranged.

Again, my thanks.

LAIN IROKAWA

 

[Toshiro]

Toshiro replied once again, putting aside the schematics and diagrams for a moment. The Alucard's repairs could wait a little while longer...

TO: Lain Irokawa
RE: Communications Personell

I do not know how long our business on Yamatai will take. We have to retrieve the posessions of another crewmember.

While I do not want to "invade" your home, I would be even less attracted to the prospect of having you wait at the spaceport or at this crewman's locker for an unspecified amount of time.

Because of this, I believe it may be best for us to come to you when our business has been concluded.


Captain Yuki Toshiro
SRSS Yggdrasill

 

[Moon Doll's Twin]

With a brassy smile, Lain typed a brief reply.

TO: Captain Yuki Toshiro
RE: Communications Personnel

I find myself in agreement with you. We will be ready when you arrive. Your consideration is appreciated.

Salutations.

LAIN IROKAWA

With that, he rose to his feet, clasping his hands together for a moment, then caught Reis by the shoulders, and murmured softly into her ear, "...let's set to packing. I far prefer the Grace accoustic to the Aethersperm signature. You've a gift for fingerplucking and flamenco. Don't spoil it with distortion and fuzz."

He set to locating his own instruments, then. A way off of Yamatai for an unspecified amount of time. Perhaps even be paid for travel. That was certainly not a bad arrangement, though the fact remained - Lain and Reis were comfortable, money-wise, and had no need for such change.

 

[Toshiro]

With that, Toshiro decided that the communications, at least for now, were concluded. He returned to his work, calling out to the others.

"When we go to Yamatai, we'll be picking up a couple more crew members. Communications Personnel. Just giving you guys the heads up, okay?"

 

[Kylen Phylar]

"Aye Capt'n." Ken said over the comn, sipping some mocha, using some conviently found free hot chocolate. (No Questions, no lies...>> <<)

((Eikan, get YIM asap please.))

 

[Toshiro]

ON: Midori no Umi

Toshiro rose, stretching, and looked around... "...Anyone know if Kairi is up? We're heading down to the planet soon, if she wants..."

Ken went and knocked on her door. "Kairi, you up?"

Kairi blinked awake, muttering, "Nani...?" before rolling out of her bed and to the door. "Aa, hai, Ken-san. Be right out!" She threw on her boots quickly before opening the door. "Hi," she said.

"Hey there. You ready to go down?" Ken asked, steping out of her way.

Kairi nodded. "Yeah, let's go. My stuff is in a locker at Kyoto Shuttleport, but I'll have to spend 15KS to have my identification verified and have a new key made."

Ken nodded. "Well then, head over to shuttle one, and I'll go get our boss up and at it."

Toshiro was already out of his chair, getting ready to go. "Let's see...I'll need some paint...that can be delivered easily enough..."

Ken chuckled. "I'll lend it to you. I already get paied 3 times that."

Kairi wandered over to the shuttle, waiting for Toshiro and Ken. "The locker area closes an hour before the shuttleport, let's go!"

Ken got in, fired everything up, and was waiting on Tosh to get in,

Toshiro nodded, quickly going to Kairi, carrying an Engineering textbook, and a beginner's guide on how to speak Lorath... "...Okay, let's go."

Ken nodded, and punched it, going down at a safe, yet fairly fast, speed.

Kairi's ears perked. "That book... Toshi-kun, does that textbook have a power armor section?"

Kairi smiled. "Can I borrow it when you're done? The more I know about power armors, the easier it'll be to use them when the time comes."

Toshiro nodded. "Sure! Anytime you want...anything else you want to do while you're here?"

Kairi grinned. "Today is a big shopping holiday on Yamatai; almost everything is cheaper. I want to spend a little time looking for a couple clothes items and mess about in the electronics store for a few minutes."

Toshiro thought for a moment. "Hmm...I suppose we could...anythng specific you want?"

Kairi shook her head. "I never really know what I'm going to find. I think I may find a nice gun too..."

Toshiro smiled. "So shopping is like salvaging, ne? Well...I'm trying to think of what I might need..."

Toshiro knew he needed some paint...and he also wondered what else was necessary. "What do you want in your quarters, Kairi?"

Kairi shrugged. "Maybe a viewscreen, but we could probably find one on a salvage run."

Toshiro nodded. "What else?"

Kairi shrugged again. "That's it, really. What's our ETA, Ken?"

Ken looked to the console, getting an estimate. "About seven minutes, it looks like."

Toshiro suddenly realized something. "What about clothing? You need more than that outfit, ne?"

Kairi laughed. "It's alright, Toshi! I told you a while ago that I have some clothes in the locker.

Toshiro nodded. "Yes, but how many sets?"

Kairi shrugged. "Five or six... not many, but enough."

Toshiro nodded. "And what about socks, shoes, and undergarments?"

Kairi thought for a moment. "I have the socks and undergarments, and I think I have a pair of combat boots."

Toshiro sighed. "As long as you have no hair ribbons in there....hair ribbons scare me."

Kairi grinned. "Hair ribbons? Me? Not likely."

Toshiro smiled. "Good. they're not allowed on the Yggdrasil. No hair ribbon will get on board MY ship with my knowledge...but do you have enough to do your shopping? Do you need to borrow some money?"

Kairi shook her head. "I have enough... Thanks for the offer, though."

Toshiro seemed unsure. "But...you lost it all, save the little in the locker..and you haven't had many paychecks yet..."

 

[Toshiro]

Kairi frowned. "Toshi-kun, you're too nice to me," she pouted.

Toshiro looked confused. "...Why am I too nice?"

Kairi's brow wrinkled. "You're going to go broke pampering me!" she exclaimed. "I like it, but I've cost you too much money already."

Toshiro looked confused but then smiled. "Kairi-san...the money I made was a reward from helping people...heck, the 5,000 KS I paid for your freedom was given to me by the star army for rescuing one of their former Captains...I earned it helping people, and if I can, I should spend it for the same, ne? Most of my money is actually a reward from recovered a Star Army ship, and its Soul Savior Pod. Besides...I saved you, and that makes me responsible for your well being, ne?"

Kairi sighed. "...I guess. I just feel so helpless not being able to take care of myself."

Toshiro nodded. "Don't worry about it...I came into this knowing I might have to help and take good care of my crew. Besides! You sacrificed EVERYTHING to get here. Even your former way of life!"

Kairi looked down. "I guess... That former way of life wasn't really much, though."

Toshiro's smile vanished. "...Well, that's behind you, ne? You shouldn't have to worry about that anymore."

Kairi fidgeted. "Hai..." She tried to change the subject. "Shouldn't we almost be there?"

Toshiro nodded. "Yes, the spaceport is right there...We should land in a few seconds or so..."

With that, Ken issued requests for landing clearance, and recieved confirmation. It was not long before the shuttle had landed, and the door opened. "...So...where to first?"

Kairi sighed, looking out at the teeming mass of nekos. "...Let's go. Follow me to the locker..."

Toshiro nodded, following her. As he stepped out, a few Nekos turned to look at the tall male, and he was reminded of how uncommon males, especially tall ones, were on Yamatai. "...Oh yeah...That's right. Let's be careful. Women can be dangerous in groups for some reason...sometimes my shirts don't survive their onslaughts..."

It was Kairi's turn to smile. "Heheheh, poor Toshi-kun!" Noting his distress, though, she floated to a level where she could comfortably drape her arm and upper body around Toshiro. "This should repel them some," she whispered in his ear.

Toshiro blinked, a bit confused. "...Really? Thanks...but...how come?"

Kairi snickered. "Oh, I'll tell you later."

Toshiro looked puzzled. "...Okay...did I hear you tell Ken you needed money to open the locker?"

Kairi nodded. "Yeah, I have some on my KS card. Don't worry."

Toshiro nodded. "Yeah, I gave it to you...and it's not much...only 250 KS..."

Kairi shrugged. "It's enough. Don't worry, Toshi-kun." She kissed him gently on the cheek.

Toshiro blushed pink at this. "Well...okay...but if you need something, ask...I have about 150 grand to me right now...don't tell the others, though..."

Kairi nodded. "C'mon, let's go." She nudged forward with her body to urge Toshiro in the direction of the lockers.

Toshiro obliged, moving in that direction, the girls looking away when they perceived him as taken.

Kairi floated with Toshiro to the window where the bored-looking Neko was sitting, and said something in Japanese to her. The teller rolled her eyes and produced a microphone and a small lancet to test voice and DNA.

Toshiro listens carefully, inwardly annoyed at how bored the Neko seemed to be with her job...though he wouldn't want to have her position at all.

Kairi quickly spoke her name and birthdate into the microphone, lanced her finger quickly, wiping the drop of blood into the sample dish, and watched complacently as the machine verified her DNA. She gave the neko her KS card and received a code widget on her KS card to open the locker automatically. "C'mon Toshi..."

Toshiro followed, smiling. "Hmm...which one is yours?"

Kairi stopped at a locker marked 1407-A and slid her card through the reader. Opening the body-height locker, she pulled out a backpack containing two perfect diamond fighting knives with "Kairi" written in katakana on their hilts, which she pulled out and inspected before returning to the bag. She hesitated for a moment to show Toshiro. "What do you think?"

Kairi grinned. "I'm glad you like..." She pulled out a KS card, looked at it momentarily, and threw it in the bag. Pulling out a bodysuit that would obviously be tight-fitting and fingering the embroidered red stripe along its black fabric, she enjoyed the quality before stuffing it into the bag. She pulled out some other clothing of little note, and found her last item: a little-used Type 29 NSP. "That's it."

Toshiro blinked. "Nice items...were you in the military at any point?"

Kairi shook her head. "No, just had to be sharp on the job."

Toshiro nodded. "I don't know if the bodysuit would work in the kylie or not...you might HAVE to be in the nude."

Kairi shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me."

Toshiro blinked. "Well, if you don't care, I won't worry about it...where to now?"

Kairi grinned. "Hashimori Electronic. They have the best deals."

Toshiro nodded, silently following. "...I MIGHT have heard of them..."

Kairi draped her body over Toshiro again and urged him towards a nearby street, where a large three-story building projecting holograms of electronics performing their duty boomed with dance music. "C'mon."

Toshiro blinked, a bit surprised, but remembered the girls surrounding them...with their finger nails and grabbing hair ribbons... "Okay...Huh, interesting place..."

Kairi grabbed Toshiro's hand and floated over to some datapads, examining them in passing, not finding anything useful. She floated over to optics, and looked at the monoculars boredly. She began to float on, when: "Aa! Look at this, Toshi-kun!" She picked up a box with an object displayed in it that looked sort of like an angular eyepatch. "It's an optical enhancement system!"

Toshiro smiled. "Hey! It's pretty nice!"

Opening the box carefully, Kairi put the eyepatch on. She turned to Toshiro. "Hey..." She turned to infrared, then ultraviolet. "Eeeheeheehee, Toshi, I'm going to turn to X-ray now~!"

Toshiro blinked. "Okay...wow...I bet that can see electricity inside devices, even! Perhaps we can hook it up so you can "see" electricity and identify components we find!"

Kairi turned to electromagnetic analysis mode. "There's a mode just for that!" She looked around. "...It's kind of useless in here, there's so much current it just looks like a giant blob.'

Toshiro nodded. "True, but on the job, I bet it will be helpful!"

Kairi looked at the price. "245 KS... but today it's 130! Score!"

Toshiro smiled. "Wow...good deal!"

Toshiro looked around, trying to see if there was anything he liked... "...See anything else we could use?"

Kairi looked for a moment. "...Ah! Communicators... in a set of 5! Only 600KS total?"

Toshiro thought for a moment. "Hmm...There are five of us NOW...but maybe we should look for a larger set or something...and depending on the features, 600 KS can be good OR bad."

"They have holoprojectors and a small PDA," Kairi paraphrased off the package.

Toshiro thought for a moment. "Maybe...Let's see if they have another brand or box set..."

Kairi grinned. "So frugal, Toshi-kun!"

Toshiro blinked. "Well...no use spending more money than one has to, ne?"

Kairi shrugged. "Here's a twelve-pak... but no holoprojector, just a screen. PDA is bigger, though... Custom logo engraved on purchase!"

Toshiro smiled. "How much?"

"Thirteen hundred."

Toshiro thought for a moment... "...5 for 600 or 12 for 1300...the 5 for 600 come out to 120 each. The 12 for 1300 come to about....108 and some change...Hmm...anything else?"

Kairi shook her head. "Unless you want communicator implants, which we can't put in my head."

Toshiro thought for a moment, long and hard. "Well, the best tactic one can do is walk away, I suppose...at least until I see better."

Kairi frowned. "They have a remote KS return if you find a better deal on another planet.'

Toshiro thought for a moment. "Hmm...I'll have to give it some thought. Maybe I'll come back and get them, or haggle with the clerk..."

Kairi laughed. "Toshi-kun, you can't haggle here, they aren't pirates."

Toshiro blinked. "But I haggled with a shopkeeper on Taiie when I bought that ton of chocolate for Mizuho-san..."

Kairi shrugged. "Was that an intergalaxy corporation who buys chocolate in the thousands?"

Toshiro nodded. "It was a store clerk. As for the person I bought it for, she was a suicidal I rescued from an escape pod...she's a Tactical Adviser on a Star Army ship now."

Kairi shrugged. "Toshi, things are different on Yamatai. I don't know what to tell you, but the best you can do is price match after you've bought."

Toshiro thought for a moment. "...Well...I guess I can buy the five and patch them to connect to my datapad..."

Kairi shrugged. "Whatever you think is the better deal, Toshi. Your crew."

Toshiro nodded. "I'll come back to them when you're done shopping, okay?"

Kairi nodded and proceeded to a checkout gynoid, where she presented the item and slid her KS card through the slot on the robot's arm. "Ready?"

"...Well...yeah, I'll buy them. the 5 of them with hologram capabilities, two packs. 1200 KS for 10 high end ones is better anyway." With that, Toshiro purchased his own items the same way as Kairi had, still keeping his eye open for other deals.

Kairi smiled. "Whatever you think is the better deal, Toshi-kun." She hugged him gently.

This made Toshiro blush slightly, though he didn't understand why. "Okay...see anything else you need?"

Kairi shook her head. "I just need boots and maybe a gun and we're good."

Toshiro smiled. "Didn't you have those in your locker?"

Kairi grinned. "Never can have too many... Oh wait, I know... K-candy.'

Toshiro blinked. "What's K-candy?"

Kairi's grin grew wider. "You'll just have to see.'

Toshiro blinked, not understanding. "Okay...where to next?"

Kairi's face mellowed. "Bad part of town." She pulled out her two knives and held them blade down in clenched fists, the backs of the blades touching the bottom of her forearm. "Fast stance required. You should be ready for a fight."

Toshiro blinked, holding his gun. "...A bad section of Kyoto? Are you sure such a thing exists?"

Kairi nodded solemnly. "There's a bad section in every town, you just have to know where to look."

Toshiro raised an eyebrow. "Can't we just order it from the nodal system and avoid that?"

Kairi shook her head. "It's too complicated a substance."

Toshiro sighed. "Well, if it can't be helped...let's go..."

Kairi nodded and floated for a while to a street crowded with vendors selling vibrating eggs, whips, and other implements. "Well, this is part of it..."

Toshiro blinked. "What are all these things for?"

Kairi eyed Toshiro. "Many of these things were going to be used on me before you rescued me.'

Toshiro seemed surprised. "Then why are we even here? Isn't it painful for you?"

Kairi shrugged. "It's easier when they're on display and not in use. I don't know, it's alright." She approached a vendor and muttered something to them. The vendor looked surprised, then saw Toshiro and smirked. Kairi was pointed to a store decorated with a mural of a neko spreading her legs behind a conveniently-placed leaf, and Kairi nodded. "C'mon, Toshi.'

Toshiro followed, unsure of the man's smirk. "...I have a bad feeling, Kairi-san..."

Kairi shrugged, not looking at Toshiro. "Look at these knives, Toshi. We'll be fine." She sauntered into the shop, purposely looking confident of both her fighting and her beauty.

Toshiro followed as well, his eyes peeled...

Before Kairi and Toshiro could enter the store through its door in the alley next to it, two large men walked out from behind a dumpster. One was holding a Zen Little Killer, the other a 10mm pistol that had been pieced together from multiple guns. "Going somewhere, sexy?"

Toshiro looked at the men and was immediately on the defensive. "What's it to you?"

The more muscular man holding the Frankenpistol looked at Toshiro. "I wasn't talking to you, fairy-boy." He grabbed Kairi by the chin. "You're too pretty to be with Faggy here."

Kairi spat in the man's face. "His name is Toshiro, and he's a hell of a lot better than you, henjin!

Toshiro looked at the man angrily. "...I don't know what you're planning to do, but I defend my crew if needed. Please keep your hands to yourself."

The man smirked. "Tell ya what, pretty-boy. Let me just have this little lady and I'll let you live." He looked to the other man, who pointed his gun at Toshiro.

Toshiro pointed his own handgun at the man as well. "...You guys look like Nepleslians. Think you can win a fight with a Yamataian Captain and a NH-17? Here's a hint...this gun in my hand once belonged to one of your countrymen, as did one of my Power Armors."

Kairi telepathically told Toshiro, "Stall him for me. I'm going to castrate him."

Toshiro replied. Sure...I don't know what that means, but it sounds good...

Kairi feigned struggling, shouting curses at the man holding her. "When I get you to let go you'll hate yourself for ever trying!"

Toshiro nodded. "It's not the first time guys like you got fresh and tried something with her, you know. I suggest you let go."

Kairi moved slowly and subtly, still acting as though she was struggling, then suddenly flicked her wrists so that the blades weren't touching her forearm anymore; instead, they were perpendicular to the ground. She swung one around and slammed it into the man's kidney; the other she merely wrenched free. "Now, Toshiro!" she said, motioning towards the silent other man, who was now screaming gutturally at the sight.

Toshiro quickly sped toward the man, and SLAMMED the butt of his gun into the man's forehead. "HYAH!"

The man's scream promptly cut off, and Kairi JAMMED her second knife upwards into the other man's crotch. "I recommend you go to the hospital," she muttered, wiping her blade on the writhing man's shirt. "Quickly."

Toshiro winced. "...OUCH."

Kairi shrugged. "Scum needs to feel like scum." She walked into the store, which had a motion sensor set up that played a moaning sound effect as the door opened. "Wait here if you want."

Toshiro was unsure. "Will you be okay?"

Kairi nodded. "You probably don't want to see what's inside."

Toshiro nodded, taking the guns of the men rolling around the ground, as well as their ammunition...that way they wouldn't harass anyone else.

Kairi was gone a moment, and emerged with a glass jar shaped like a grinning cat's head that was filled with three layers of candy, pink, blue, and white. "Ready to go back to the ship?"

Toshiro nodded. "Ready...though you wanted to go to the clothing stores, ne?"

"Eh, I have enough clothes," Kairi said. "I have four outfits."

Toshiro nodded. "We'll go back to the shuttle, and go see the new crewmen, okay?"

Kairi nodded.

 

[Toshiro]

WARNING: This post contains Adult Material. Do not read unless over the age of eighteen.


Before long, they were back at the spaceport, where Ken was waiting, with a knowing sort of smile on his face. He noticed the extra guns on Toshiro's person, and gave a somewhat questioning glance at the non-Yamataian hardware, but asked no questions. Toshiro pulled up the adress of Lain and Reis on his datapad.

"Okay, these two are fiances, rock ad roll stars, to boot. Lain and Reis, if you recognize their names...my sister LOVES their music...they'll be communications....ready to pick them up?"

"Aye, and I've never heard of them." Ken said. "I'm partail to different rock."

Toshiro smiled as he went toward the area indicated...it wasn't far from the spaceport. He knocked on the door, wondering what kind of people he would meet.

A moment would pass before the door opened and Lain glanced out at the people there. "...Yuki Toshiro..?" A smile crossed his picture-frame visage. He was, notably, bare-chested and barefoot, garbed in loose sweat pants, and somewhat, ah, sweaty at the moment. He turned his head then, called out, "Reis? Clothing! The Royal Consort's here!" Then, he offered his hand. "...a joy to meet you, love. Lain Irokawa..."

Ken could only chuckle. "Finally, someone other then me who isn't too naive. Apart from our gunner and tech."

Reis scrambled to her feet, stumbling towards the door behind Lain, pulling a bright red sundress over her body (which, momentarily, had been starkly naked and plainly visible, glossy with sweat). "...consort? Love royalconsortan can I be princess? Likeprincessneverwasprincessthough..." She fell beside Lain panting heavily.

Toshiro had a look of complete confusion on his face, but soon smiled and shook his hand. "Yuki Toshiro...these are Ken and Kairi, two of your fellow crewmates...Did we come earlier than expected?"

"...a bit so, Toshiro." Lain gave a winning smile, and wiped plastered hair away from his forehead. "...don't worry yourself much. Just give me a moment to put a shirt on, grab my bags..." He slipped back behind the door. "Come in if you like. Reis will get you tea... or liquor... or whatever, if you like."

"I'd have some liquor, but I have to be sober so I can fly us out of here. Though I do ask you bring your whole collection of drinks with you." Ken said, smiling.

Toshiro came in, smiling, still a bit confused about what he'd just...seen. "Um...tea is fine...I don't drink alcohol...though it is permitted on the ship as long as its not on the bridge, and as long as you don't come to do your job drunk...okay?"

Reis stepped aside from the door to allow them in. "...likedrinking?I likedrinkingtoobutusually justwhenmusic and recordingitsstressand..." She gasped, a deep breath, stopped talking, smiling brightly. "...nojobdrunkgotitwontbedrunk... cansitdownif... ifyouwan..." She motioned towards the threadbare chairs in the living room, her frenzied speech falling silent.

"Um....Reis, right? You felling okay?" Ken asked, politely refusing to sit

Toshiro looked at Reis, a bit concerned about her...potential as a communications person. "...Erm...Lain-san...if it's just you coming on as a communication person, you can bring Reis along...don't feel like you both have to do the job to be together, okay? Not unless you want to."

"Yesamfine justdidnthitthebutton..." She glared towards Lain's back as he set to dressing himself appropriately. The thought struck her that wearing shoes may be a good idea, so she slid on shoes. No thought to the fact that she wore no panties, or that her dress didnt even come halfway to her knees... "...disruptusfirst. Dontworrythoughamfine..."

Toshiro was even more confused than ever. "...Erm...what were you two doing, anyway? It seems a bit awkward for some reason..."

"Reis, you are talking waaay fast. And you might want some panties." he said, adverting his eyes slowly.

Lain returned, laden with what appeared to be six bags, now wearing sandals and a flowery-patterned silk blouse. "...Reis can speak just fine when she needs to, she's just excited." A light smile. "She's actually more comprehensible when she's drunk, but we will of course respect your wishes about alcohol, Toshiro. I have all of it, Ken..." A nod towards the pilot. "...we can be off, unless you'd rather rest a moment."

"Waytoofastwhytalkwaytoofastcanyounotunderstand?" Reis stared at him with a naively innocent expression, eyes almost glazing over. "Panties. NopantiestakestoolongLaincanttakethemoff..."

"Reis....sloowww down...I can barely understand." Ken said, trying not to laugh.

Toshiro seemed not to have too much trouble. "That are panties again? Those lacy things?"

Ken laughed at that. "See what I mean by naive. Some are, dearest captian, but not all."

Lain blushed furiously. "I can take them off, Reis, you're just impatient. Toshiro, I think you know what we were doing. But I can describe it in acute detail, if you like. Some fans find it... a fetish, you know." He smiled lightly. "Reis, we've two more bags, if you could get them, love..."

"Don't bother Lain. He doesn't even get what condoms are for," Ken said.

Toshiro was still confused. "...Here I am the captain of a spaceship, and I don't even know what some of my crew are doing...as Mizuho said, maybe I'll find out when I turn 19..."

Reis nodded vigorously. "Twobagswillgrabthem..." She dashed off to the back room, offering another... little show... as her dress blew up a bit, then returned more slowly, a guitar case over one shoulder, a duffel over the other. "...wearegoingnow?"

"Well, if you have all your bags, we shall meet back at the shuttle. Me and Kairi have some gear and stuff to grab from the lockers." Ken said

Lain raised a brow. "What does being nineteen have to do with sex..?" He nodded lightly to Ken. "Alright, that should work. Let's go, then."

Reis simply giggled at Toshiro, a clacking of her teeth. "...watchsometimeknowwhatweredoing!"

Ken and Kairi waved and left to get their stuff from the lockers.

Toshiro finally got it. "OH! So THAT'S sex! I've never seen anyone doing that before...trying to have a child, ne?"

Reis looked shocked. "Child? Nochildnotwantchildcant! Never!"

Lain laughed, and shook his head. He would have wiped recurring sweat from his forehead, but the 'six bags, three of them large instruments' made that a rather difficult action. "No, Toshiro. We just... do it for fun, you know?"

Toshiro nods. "Oh! I heard that was supposed to be fun...but we have boys and girls' quarters....hmm...should I try and set aside a space for you two alone?"

"That would be nice, Toshiro, though if you can't spare it we will certainly understand." Lain held the door open for Reis, one more feat added to the overwhelming encumbrance of those bloody bags...

"No! Musthaveroom! Canthaveeveryonewatchingjustprettytallcaptainyboy!" Reis sounded outright snippish there. "...lessitsnotpossiblethenIjustdontsleepwithLainagain..."

At this, Lain blanched. "Yea, it would be REALLY nice if we could have our own room..."

Toshiro smiled and nodded. "Well, we have one remaining room which doubles as a medical bay, but is comfortable. If we have an emergency though, and the main medbay fills up, I might have to shuffle you around...is that okay?"

"That's fine. I appreciate the understanding, Toshiro." Lain bit his tongue a bit. "...do I have to call you Captain?"

"Well, I don't see why you should have to. Ken does, but I never said he had to...Are hospital beds good or bad for what you two were doing?"

"Oh, they are very VERY good. You might want to look up 'hardcore teens' on the networks, Toshiro. It might enlighten you just a bit." Lain gave a broad smile. "Lead on, then."

Reis leaned on Lain, blushing brightly, offering no further insight but offering more difficulty to Lain's balancing act of instruments and clothing...

Toshiro smiled and lead the way, wondering if Reis meant what she said about letting him watch. Seeing that left him feeling a bit...funny.

Lain staggered a bit under Reis' added weight, but maintained himself rather admirably. "...one last thing I ask, Toshiro. If there are any fans on your crew, please tell them that I am as much a person as they are, and don't want to be assailed with questions about my past..?"

Toshiro nodded. "I understand...I'm not sure who all is a fan on the ship...I know my little sister is...I think she did something last month at one of your concerts she was talking about. She did something called a "flashing" and you signed this weird thing that looked like two cup holders strapped together. I didn't get it at ALL, though..."

"I signed her bra...?" Lain flushed slightly. "I dont usually do that... I must have been a bit drunk. We get a lot of girls... and guys... flashing, though. Was this... the Surrender tour, or just something local in Kyoto..?"

Toshiro nodded. "Yeah...She loves your group. She and every other 15 year olf girl she's ever met...I think she managed to sneak backstage?"

"...no need to sneak backstage. We let people there. We have..." Lain blinked. "That kind of following with the little ones? Odd. My lyrics aren't exactly... light..."

She said she had a lot of fun...They said they did something when you were passed out drunk...I don't know what it was, but she has your underwear hidden underneath a floorboard in her room for whatever reason..."

Lain coughed then. "...if she molested me while I was drunk, Toshiro, that means I need to cut back on the drinking. I'd like to meet her. Discuss this with her in... excruciating... detail." His eyes narrowed. "I'm sure the fifteen year olds follow me because I'm pretty." Humble of him... "I don't need or want that kind of attention."

Reis started, at this point in time, giggling uncontrollably. "...howoldisyoursisterToshiro? Isshetheonewiththesqueakycleaneyesandthewonderfultits?"

"All I know is that she said she popped something...she was walking funny, so I assume she meant a muscle...maybe she had to lift you or something? As for her age, she's 15, but looks older, everyone says...and what are 'tits'?"

Lain stared piercingly at Reis. "You were party to this, love?" Nothing but woundedness to his expression. "Toshiro, I am twenty-six. If she molested me, it could be a serious problem for me. Legally." Lain wasnt one who cared much for law, but screwing girls eleven years younger than him was... creepy...

Toshiro blinked. "Ne? Why?"

Reis cackled, and leaned up to lick Lain's cheek. "AlwayspartytosexingwithyouLainalways... youreevengoodwhenunconsciousyouknow..." She winked at Toshiro. "Titsarethethingsonmychestthatbouncesobuxomly... love." A mimicry of Lain's polite accent.

Toshiro blinked. "...Oh, even my LITTLE SISTER knows what this sex stuff is like?"

"Seems like." Lain looked a bit sour. "I just wish she didnt know about it by way of molesting me, is all."

Toshiro blinked. "Actually....she said they ALL got 'popped'...all six of them."

Reis nipped at Lain's jawline, and smiled broadly. "SheloveditandIthoughtitwasthemostadorablethingever, youcheatingannotevenknowingwassocute! AndIlovewatchingyouatworkandyougottometooandshewas..." Reis coughed. "Shegivesgoodhead."

Toshiro looked at Reis. "What is 'giving head'?"

"...gives good head..?" Lain was even paler than usual. "She didnt..." A pause, and he explained to Toshiro, "Giving head is oral sex, Toshiro."

Reis giggled. "Shedidshedid! Meandyouboth, youalldrunkandbarelycoherentwassocute! Sheshouldbebluevideostar! Evenwascutewithyouroilonherface!"

Toshiro looked to Lain curious. "Did all six of them give you head, or just get 'popped', whatever that means?"

Lain fell to his knees at these next two statements, staring up at the sky. "...Toshiro, this is going... too far. If this is a joke it is in extremely bad taste..."

Reis knelt down by Lain. "Itisntjoke, Iwasthere, thereIwas!" She giggled brightly. "...allsixofthem, sevenwithme. Fourgaveheadifyoucountmeandyoupoppedthemall... it wasadorablereally..."

Toshiro blinked, in surprise. "I was told sex was a good thing...and she also stole a video disc of it...said it was the only copy of the security cameras there was...I didn't know why until now."

Lain paled even further. "...its on video?" He looked on the verge of tears. "Sex... sex is wonderful, Toshiro, but not when its a bunch of fangirls molesting me... and my fiance... fucking... HELPING them!"

Reis giggled. "FuckinghelpthemIdid. Helpedthemfucking... too..."

Toshiro was confused... "...Maybe I should look at the copy she gave me sometime...she said I could look at it when I was just a bit older..."

Lain struggled slowly to his feet. "...can we just... get to the shuttle... and forget this ever happened?"

Reis helped Lain rise, but wasnt about to let him forget it now that she had video evidence. "Captainletsmakesurethewholecrewseesthevideo! Theyllloveitanditwillhelpyou too! Moralewillberecordhigh!"

Toshiro shrugged. "Okay then...I don't understand why you're so upset, though...I was just thinking I might try something like that someday, if I learned more about it...but if Lain doesn't want the video to be seen, maybe I should destroy my copy..." With that, he kept walking to the shuttle, more confused than ever.

PAUSE

 

[Driker]

Shaun was working with a hand torch and putting the new frame together when he suddenly stopped and pulled his goggles up and looked around the room. "Hey Eve..." He said. Which was quickly replied with "Yeah?"

Shaun looked around again. "Why do I get the feeling something really weird just happened involving the rest of the crew?"

"Wow you got the same eerie feeling?" Retorted Eve.

 

[Kairi]

After boarding it, Kairi sat in the shuttlecraft with her chin resting on her palm. She couldn't do anything but gawk at the hyperactive sex-queen who talked at a mile a second. "Reis. I need you to slow. Down. I can't understand you, and I can't handle that. Get it, baita?"

She sighed and telepathically told Toshiro, I don't like her, Toshi-kun.