RP: YSS Eucharis [Post Mission 26] Skeletons and Spooks (YE 38)

YSS Eucharis - Bridge

Hanako, instead of responding to Saiga, parked her small frame there in front of Saiga waiting for his salute in the most obvious manner possible. She was sure he'd realize it any second now.

Bridge

After the Shosho stood, the heel of Saiga's Type 22 boots knocked together with a click and he held himself even a little taller than he already was. His right hand swung up and stopped crisply at the edge of his brow and would hold until Hanako acknowledged the courtesy. Had he been a fresh Neko—or a younger man—one might have expected a little "hup!" with his salute, but addressing a superior didn't give him those embarrassed nerves anymore.

Though his bow would have been enough among the rough and tumble officers of SAINT's Special Deployment Force, the Chusa privately cursed himself for not remembering the full formalities expected by the most famous captain in the Star Army. He'd only been away from the fleet for a year, right?

YSS Eucharis - Bridge

"There it is!" Hanako grinned, returning Saiga's salute. "Let us remember the importance of manners. Welcome back!"

Bridge

Tsuguka was about to open her mouth and answer Yamashiro in detail, but found herself distracted by the new officer on the deck. Yamataian, male. An intelligence operative of the chusa rank. She disliked not having detailed information on a person before she met them, but this situation always seemed to be the way with these types. The red neko barely knew what Candon's history was, and the soldier had been a similar rank for a long time.

All there was really left to do was watch the altercation between him and the Shosho in silence for a moment, standing to attention herself. Was something going on here that was also an element of that secret history?...

~"Thank you, Taii Natsumi Yamashiro. I'm in your debt."~ Telepathy had to suffice, her gaze was fixed elsewhere. ~"If you cannot request flight time in on of the Eucharis' own Kuma whilst the ship is being repaired, please let me know and I'll see about renting or buying something of similar specifications."~

Sounded a little cold. Tsuguka's cyberbrain brought up the file containing a little chibi augmented reality version of herself, something that she had found whilst searching for squadie teaching tools... And then immediately closed it away once more, internally embarrassed for even considering it again, despite the fact nobody else could see into her mind's eye.

Bridge

Mehitabel was left in the shadows as Hanako turned her attention on their new officer! She did, indeed, receive notice of his assignment even as they went through the formalities. Making a note of it on her report to the Admiral she quietly excused herself from the bridge between the mess of senior officers and NCOs. It had taken the slight reminder of the shosho that there was hot food being served in the mess to plant the seed of hunger in the back of her mind. Growing intolerably strong, the Elysian had decided to make her exit in search of a meal.

Land of Delicious Food

Apparently she had chosen the right time! The lounge was filled with the chatter of her crewmates; she gave everyone a wave in turn on her way up to get a plate of the promised pot roast and flaky baked goods. It seemed most of the tables had filled up... Sort of. There was a cluster around Wazu, and then Shiho! The recalcitrant red trooper was, she supposed, her best friend... As weird as that felt to say considering how little they actually spent time with each other.

Firmly setting her mouth in a smile, pulling her wings in out of the way, she slid up beside the solo... Anxious looking woman. "Ah, Shiho-san, was someone sitting here?" she asked, gesturing at the free seat across from her.

Bridge

"Never again, Ketsurui-shosho, I swear it!" Saiga agreed through a thick chuckle while Mehitabel crept away. "And thank you. It is good to be stationed aboard your Eucharis again.

"I trust Yamashiro-san has made a finer First Officer than I ever was," he said, his pre-assignment briefing having already told him she had. "Omedetou, Taii," the Chusa added with a congratulatory nod toward Natsumi.

"We can bother with the finer details concerning my transfer later," Saiga admitted, shifting his gaze back to Hanako. He didn't want to spoil her or the crew's return with complexities just yet, especially with the candy festival in full swing. "I must confess that the scents of Lime-hei's evening meal almost sidetracked me on my way here. Will you accompany me to the wardroom, or are there yet duties for you to attend to here?"

Shiho is Smooth at Dinner:

As Mehitabel approached, Shiho had been hunched over her plate, mopping up a little bit of gravy with a biscuit piece. Looking forlorn. As she was suddenly addressed, the Terracotta Neko jerked to an upright position. Clearly startled. When asked if anyone was sitting near her, she fumbled over her words before managing to squeak out an unusually high toned and sad sounding "No."

Then, she quickly raised a hand, sweeping her somewhat unkempt hair back to get her rather masculine nekovalkryjan features to their maximum princeliness. Her voice going back down to its normal husky register, and she held herself how she guessed was 'suavely'. She might have succeeded, if it wasn't for the little line of gravy she'd smeared on her forehead in the process.

"No! I'm, Uh. I mean... Yes! You can sit here. I've just been..." She cleared her throat, "Uhm... Keeping my own counsel, you know?"

Suddenly a Shoujo-Ai Series

Belle held her place, poised and waiting as Shiho rearranged herself. Closer her crewmate somehow looked even more forlorn then at a distance. All slumped over the plate chasing the last drips of gravy with her bread. Wings slumped a little taking it all in, feeling sad without really knowing what she was empathizing with the other woman over. When the reddish neko managed to answer, Mehitabel whined slightly. Apparently Shiho was that easy to read.

Starting to say something, the Elysian paused while her dining companion (eminently so at least) frantically rearranged her features. She briefly held up a hand and say there was no need. Then she caught a good look of the solid neko's features free of messy black hair and realized that Shiho's appearance had never really sunk in before. There was a certain air of... Mehitabel had never really understood what her Yamataian colleagues had called 'bishōnen' before gazing into the now poised infantry trooper.

The gravy came verrrrrry close to ruining it but the tanned woman took a seat with her lips firmly pursed. Belle still looked a little banged up, bruises faded almost completely from her face from the wild ride inside Tahariel's MCAS, eyes a little black from what might have been a lack of sleep. Setting the cafeteria tray between them she smiled, picking up her napkin, "As you're fully welcome to do Shiho-san, but... If I may say, you did look quite downcast. I'd have sat with you anyway, but you really looked like you needed a friend!"

Reaching across the table with a quick hand, Belle gave Shiho's forehead a cleaning swipe and removing the gravy she'd been saving for later.

YSS Eucharis - Crew Lounge

With a shrug, Jax began to head for the ramp.

Yamatai - Central Uesureya

Jax stepped out into the chaos of the hangar and inhaled the fresh, non-recycled air. As he walked, making sure to stay out of the way of busy ground crews, he pulled up his communicator and texted Candon.


Next, he sent a message to the SCSC, instructing them to carry his new possessions to the hangar ahead of him.

Within a few minutes, Jax was aboard a train and on his way to the Uesureyan Fields.

Bridge

"I would like that," Hanako nodded, leading the way to the wardroom.

Bridge

Natsumi smiled at Tsuguka and replied wirelessly as well. "You are more than welcome. And you are not in my debt, I am more than happy to teach you." she said as she watched Saiga. "Getting the shuttle is no issue. We can use it as much as we need." She was already planning the first flight in her mind.

"Thank you Saiga Chusa" she said out loud to the direct previous executive officer of the Eucharis, with a polite bow in response to his congratulatory comment to her. It was interesting, she thought, how the tables had turned between them now. She had not known Saiga for long, he had only been XO of the ship a short time and she had not spoken to him much. Natsumi hoped that would be different this time around.

Wardroom

Hanako joined the others in the wardroom, pausing breifly near the doorway to look up at the paintings on the ceiling. She would have to get the most recent battle added. What would the battle be called? Perhaps one day they were learn the name of mysterious Kuvexian military base they had raided, and subsequently thrown to their fleet like a steak to a hungry wolf pack.

Hanako headed straight for the biscuits, passing Belle and Shiho with curious eyes glancing their way.

Ward room, Lonely Prince type:

Shiho's mouth drew into a perfectly straight line as Mehitabel wiped her head, realising just how badly she'd probably messed that up. A little noise in her throat like a small groan or growl of frustration; probably at herself. Way to look stupid in front of the woman who's probably already far smarter than you are, Shiho thought to herself.

"Well. It's..." The princely neko paused a moment, looking up to the painted ceiling. Trying to find the right words. "We have some shore leave while the ship's being repaired, right? Maybe going on until the midwinter stuff. And I just sort of realised I have nowhere to go, and nothing to do. You're probably going to be busy with the bureaucratic stuff, Freyja and Junko are joined at the hip, Tsuguka's... I don't know if she's social at all."

It was a lonely feeling, realising that you'd spent your entire life on a warship in training for battle, and that you maybe had been alone that whole time. Looking over Mehitabel, she even wondered if she'd been doing that good of a job if she was meant to be protecting all these people and the most non-combatant person on the entire ship was still beaten up. It actually pained her to look at those bruises when they'd been in full bloom.

"To top it off I just sort of realised I'm homeless, and don't own anything but the clothes on my back and a bunch of barrels." Shiho slumped sideways, ending up leaning just very gently against Mehitabel. Grim little smile on her face, voice oozing sarcasm and depression "I bet you really want to waste your spare time with me now, don't you?"

Surrounded by Cherry Blossoms All Over Again

It might be equally frustrating to find that rather then smug or patronizing, the Elysian is red in the cheeks looking quite embarrassed at invading Shiho's space. As Shiho organizes and elucidates her thoughts Mehitabel chomps down hungrily on a plain, unsplit, unbuttered biscuit. She nodded in confirmation; they were all due pay and time off after the Eucharis' last cruise. That it had come at a traditional holiday festal time seemed to be one of those serendipitous moments of war.

Almost raising her voice in protest that there was nothing to do or so, a manners kept her mouth closed. Listening was better anyway, she reflected while observing her dining partner at close range. Shiho was much more serious then most of the ship's combat detachment; she hadn't had a chance to see them interact much but it made since that Tsuguka had taken a shine to her friend!

Framed in that fashion... The impending repair leave looked much bleaker. Her own leave was... Basically as bleak as predicted. There wasn't a whole lot of work to do that had to be done while Eucharis was in the hands of Uesureya's veteran shop force. Mostly setting things up for the Shosho; appointments, briefings, signing off on status updates. She had considered taking a vacation somewhere, even gone as far as looking up affordable trips to resorts on Yamatai (especially those with discounts for serving personnel). In the end, the idea of going alone on a holiday trip had been too depressing to pursue.

Life without companionship had been a basic part of her life since leaving Keren III. A stranger in a strange land, she had embraced the challenges thrown her way no matter how dull as a way to escape the harsh reality that there was no one she could call a friend. That had changed so, so recently, only to have been nearly wrenched away in a heartbeat.

Without asking, Belle lifted her wings out and wiggled them around behind her terracotta colored feline friend protectively. Her shoulders were as bony as the rest of her unfortunately.

"You say waste...." she says somewhat stiffly, taking refuge in her lack of comfort with Yamataigo to buy time, "But we're in much the same boat. I'll admit, you correctly forecast my midwinter plans. But... That's mostly because I don't have any friends. I mean-"

She threw up her free hand above the table, "I count you, Freyja-san, and Junko-san as my friends. You've already figured out the trouble with making plans with the other two. And you?"

"Who wants to do anything with boring Mehitabel?" she asks rhetorically, "The woman that doesn't even know what fun is. So."

Pulling Shiho in close for the best side-hug available stuffed into a lounge booth, "Instead of... Wallowing in our mutual pity why don't we... Plan something to do, or, somethings! I've got most of my back-pay saved and the cost of living isn't horrific if we don't want gold plated fixtures or a lot of floor space. We could, rent a place for the duration! Wouldn't need a whole lot, someplace to sleep, watch some movies and sit. Or if you don't want to put up with me for that long, we could always... Visit a ski resort. Or the ocean."

"Have to do shopping," Mehitabel agrees with an increased level of embarrassment in her voice, "All I own are my uniform and Iyko. Something less formal would be nice, more modern."

Realizing she had gotten substantially off track, waxing dreamily about future plans, Belle made a small sound of apology, her sentences much choppier as they enter unfamiliar territory, "That was too much wasn't it? I just, I don't, want you to feel alone. Like that. That there's no one there for you. Because I will be. If you want me to."

<<Wardroom>>
<<Junko ships it>>


Junko saw Hanako come in with a new face from her spot. Chusa, with black panels typical of intelligence agents. Maybe they were a friend of Suites? What were they doing on the Eucharis?

Having a reaction to the Shosho was an odd thing, she found. Her military planning and strategy had seemed eccentric to the point she'd been second guessing herself. Not to mention Freyja's now discarded crush on the superior officer. She'd tried feeling jealous, angry even, once.

Some reason, it never really clicked.

She was glad as she saw Bel and Shiho start to get along very well. A grin broke out on her face as she saw Bel go for the side hug. Actually she'd been rooting for those two, in between getting used to her new circumstances. Bel was sweet, and Shiho deserved to be happy.

She made sure to switch on her communicators recording functions. This moment had to be recorded for posterity.

"Awwww." She cooed. Gave a thoughtful look to her partner next to her. With all that leave, even a squad of dedicated soldiers could find time to themselves. She couldn't afford to waste the opportunity, either. No telling when the next chance they'd get to stretch their legs was going to be.

Of course, this being the first relationship she'd had, their was the question: What exactly to do?

YSS Eucharis - Wardroom

Hanako turned towards Mehitabel and Shiho with a raised eyebrow. Hanako wasn't the type to yell across the room so set set her plate down on the table and went down to the booth to speak with them. "If you do not have a home of your own, we could get you a small apartment from the Department of Land and Homes. There would be no cost, and it would be cheaper than renting. We could even pick a city and building for the whole crew and get our own cluster of apartments," the Shosho suggested. "Surely we all need a place to live when we are not away for our missions."

Wardroom

The cerulean Neko’s smile faded when Wazu started to get up. When he sat back down and shook her hand it came back even brighter. She didn’t immediately release his hand. Freyja realized it might actually be the first time she had actually touched a man. It was amazing how different a man’s hands felt. She imagined his hands pulling her roughly towards him and then him kissing her. Her cheeks turned a darker shade of blue and she quickly released his hand.

“I-I’m sorry to hear that, Mister Wazu. “ She said, trying not to give away her inappropriate thoughts. “The mission.. Right, you helped with the plan. It didn’t go as well as we’d hoped. I was hit by some debris and Masumi-hei was injured too. The worst part is, the Kuvexians somehow got a missile past us and trashed the mainframe.” Her smile turned to a frown. “I feel like a failure. Yes, I protected the squad, but.. We lost someone and we didn’t keep the objective intact. I can’t help but feel like I could have done more...”

Freyja’s smile crept back in as she noticed who was taking a seat next to her. “You remember Junko from the briefing?” She asked Wazu, gesturing towards Junko. “One good thing did come out of it. I realized how I feel about her.” There was a slight pause as she considered what to say. “If you like, you could just talk to me about what’s bothering you. I don’t mind listening.”

Wardroom

"Failure is mandatory, but it does not have to be the last thing you do." Wazu pushed the food around on his plate a bit, letting the biscuit sop in the stew a bit. "If you keep at it, somewhere along the line you will find that you have become the best there is at what you do."

"As for me... I barely know what I am doing here." He admitted, "Fighting for peace and justice from the inside maybe? Maybe I just can not get over certain things? Maybe I just can not stop myself?... I mean, I am good at this kind of thing... really good. I am not sure what I would do if I was not figuring out how to cause problems for other people... conservation science maybe...

... but no one wants to hear a man having an existential crisis." Wazu would refocus his attention from the food to Freyja, giving her a bit of a smile, "Have you asked out Junko yet?"

<<Wardroom>>

"You hardly failed, Freyja-Chan. Without you, the core would have taken a lot more hits. Me and Shiho included. As it is, the hardware was salvageable but we won't know anything until its been fully decrypted." Junko pointed out.

Realistically, the mission had been a success until further notice. The not knowing, coupled with the injuries and the loss of Astridr-Hei added up, though. Each and every one of them was "wired", to some degree, to care for their fellow being and their work. Every one of the infantry squad was blaming themselves, it seemed, to some degree.

In absence of further words, she took hold of Freyja's free hand. Immediately, the blue skinned Neko felt an almost solid wave of comfort and acceptance. Just like Freyja had done for her before, on the station. A brief, unfiltered thought passed, wondering what exactly this ability might do in bed.

She wasn't sure what to make of Wazu, though. At least with Freyja, she understood the context of an immediate problem. This sounded a bit vague, wondering if perhaps he'd prefer a private conversation. It was obviously a long term problem, something he'd been struggling with for a long time.

Junko gave Freyja a thoughtful look as she mulled it over. Which was interrupted when Wazu turned the conversation right around. She fidgeted and smiled with that puppy love smile. One day she'd manage to get around the topic without turning into a bumbling mess.

"W-well, I did... want to bring up the topic. Once we'd gotten home. Which, uh, I guess we did. If you were okay with that!"

Shiho's awareness of class:

Feeling Mehitabel's wingy embrace, Shiho's perfectly straight line of nonplussedness turned into a small smile of plussedness. She could have a roommate, apparently. And one who had a bit of money to split the bill for putting stuff in it. Money would be tight and all, but it was doable. Sliding off Mehitabel's shoulder so as not to... Well, not to be heavy on her, Shiho propped an elbow on the table and pointed at the Elysian, looking a little annoyed. And then Hanako spoke up. Causing Shiho to swivel on her seat to address her superior first.

"That sounds like a good thing the Empire provides for us." Shiho said, sounding stiffly formal, the same tone she adopted whenever she was trying to sound polite and natural. The two seemingly incompatible in her tone. "Although there is no need to slum it on our account... However if you want to stay close with your crew; I'm sure none of us would turn down being put up in a palace, Ketsurui Shosho."

She punctuated her acknowledgement of rank, seniority and royal status with a small, seated bow. Turning back to Mehitabel, speaking in hushed tones.

"And you, don't get self deprecating. I get shot out of mass drivers into enemy fire, an' teleported behind enemy lines for a living. I don't need more excitement in my life." Shiho sounded more natural again. Although that meant her sounding as though she was slightly annoyed that Mehitabel was talking herself down. Mehitabel was great. "You're a wonderful person who I'm glad is in my life, and I find you a soothing and relaxing presence to be with. I'm glad of every single slow, quote-un-quote 'boring' moment with you."