Ethereal
Banned Member
YSS Kaiyō II
Canteen
5日 8月 YE 39
1000 Hours
Gazing absentmindely through the sole, reinforced window that was the portal to the outside world from their humble Canteen, Iemochi Seinosuke wondered what the Kaiyo would next encounter. The dim white lights that illumninated his empty table were dwarfed by the red sun that burned with a dull glow, casting a deep scarlet hue across the unusually quiet room.
Following their surprise visit from one SAINT trainer a few days prior, the resident scientist had been mulling over how the SOFT team had performed in their training for better or for worse. Whether things could have gone better he would never know, the Elysian concluded, lowering his eyes to the bowl of cereal before him. Despite the early hour he couldn't bring himself to eat at all, too much action had been going around recently and he had too much to work on with the two new robo-gals aboard.
It was curious that nobody had turned up for breakfast yet, especially since he was normally the night-owl, yet admittedly he had been training himself out of the habit. Soon enough Arbles and himself would be sharing a room once more and he didn't want to cause the expectant mother to wake in the nights.
Hoshi entered and sort of sighed into her mug that she had finally dig out of boxes. The same one that had lived with her on the bridge of the Imperator while she was XO there was now what she carried around to take care of business as captain of this vessel. Second of its class and of which the designs were in part supplied by none other than her XO. She sighed out again and looked to Iemochi as she entered.
Hoshi stated, "Beat you to the coffee."
Offering a polite wave to the captain as she moved into eyeshot, Mochi's brow furrowed a little as she spoke, glancing down to the spotless table before him as he processed what she had said. He swore he had.. Oh.. That's what he'd forgot. Before him was nothing more than his deep metallic bowl, swimming with milk and a few golden nuggety-type pieces of cereal within. No coffee, not even a cup.
"Ah." he replied simply, a light smile creeping onto his face, dispelling the troubling thoughts that had been plaguing him as he met the bluenette's gaze once more. "Right you are. Care to join me, Hoshi-chusa?" he segwayed expertly, this wasn't exactly the first time his somewhat scatterbrained nature had showed the scientist up.
"It would be my pleasure, Iemochi-juni." Hoshi replied by also walking forward and extending an arm upwards, towards the karafe that was at the front of the room for the early risers. "What happens to be the detailing with the SOFT Juni?"
Sein was caught a little offguard at the perceptiveness of the charismatic Neko, one corner of his mouth raising a little - what else was to be expected of someone of her station. "I was just thinking over the exercise Eden-shosa prepared for us, how smoothly my team can work together in the field." he replied, obviously a little concerned yet not greatly so. He wasn't even sure if he could call them 'his' team under the circumstances, if they were even officially a 'team' yet. She was probably expecting small talk but he guessed she would be able to easily tell his worries either way.
Hoshi tilted her head and looked at the phoenix a moment before pouring her cream into the now-filled mug. She watched him as she asked another question.
"How do you take your coffee?" Hoshi asked.
Mochi lightly scratched his left forearm under the table, a little thing he did when he was nervous, causing him to mentally shrug at the situation. "A few drops of milk, thank you." the raven replied, wings twitching and dancing behind him like a waning fire as he did. Not often that an officer offered you a drink. Suddenly, the room felt that little bit warmer for one reason or another.
Hoshi brought the milk out and splashed a bit of rain-like milk in and put it away. She then brought her cup to her cherry-pink lips and took a big gulp or two. Hoshi breathed in deeply after she had and then looked to Iemochi. "Do you know anything about the mission yet?"
The man's blonde hair tousled as he shook his head a little, Seino went to say something, realised a long tendril of gold was hanging a little awkwardly across one emerald eye. Brushing it up and over, out of the way before it became a problem he continued. "Nothing so far, at least nothing more than anyone else."
"Well," Hoshi smiled,"there are people that know quite a bit. I'll tell you what. Let's sit back down somewhere more comfortable. Let me take you to the observation deck with our coffees."
Taking not even a moment to give his forsaken breakfast a thought, Mochi shifted the smooth bench he had been perced upon backwards. Rising up, he took the seam of his green-panel and straightened it out properly. "Of course!" he nodded perhaps a little too excitedly. Whatever she could tell him would undoubtedly be useful to the entire team.
She led the two of them through the ship and to the first deck, if it could be called that. Iemochi would know a lot about the sensor dome as it was made with scientists in mind with its combined science lab. She took the to the prow of the ship, facing the direction they were going, West of Yamatai. She sat down in one of the lounge-like chairs and sat back, looking to see that Iemochi got comfortable as well.
Mochi was pleasantly surprised with Hoshi's choice of destination, the whole top floor of their Fuji was effectively all to him. Nowhere else would he be more at home. Passing through the floodlit corridors the amount of familiar faces they passed slowly lessened, to the point once they entered the "penthouse" - as he liked to call it - there was not a soul in sight.
He got more than a little worried as they passed the entrance to the combined lab - almost nobody was permitted to enter and he wondered how much Hoshi knew or wanted to know about his true work. Eventually, they came to the plushy observation area, a place for thought and relaxation, a place he often came to for answers. The Juni settled himself down besiide his well-dressed superior, glimpsing the deep blackness outside as he waited for the slim woman to speak.
"There is a lot we don't know about this species — the L'Kor. I hear you're the foremost expert. Is there anything you can tell me about them?" Hoshi asked.
Mochi nodded as Hoshi spoke, "I know a lot and for my crimes, probably a few things classified high in SAINT." He continued, recalling the various SAINT reports that had been forwarded for him to memorise following his dissection of their bodies and language. "I supposed that you want to know their weaknessess, hmm?" The raven gandered she probably wasn't a woman to waste time on superficial information. Redacting some of the more morally-grey information from his response, the Juni recounted his experiences in a soft and hushed tone, leaning forward in his seat.
"Most interesting I found in my experiments is their inability to feel pain, almost at all. They obviously can't fight if their body is crippled, however, which is the main way of stopping them. This is easy as their bones are hollow and brittle yet they bleed very little. I'd reccomend blunt-force, kinetic weapons over almost any others, my Chusa." Flashes of the birdmen screeching on his table echoed around his mind, some things were best classified.
"Thank you for that information," Hoshi told Iemochi the raven. She looked out at the stars beyond them that they fast approached. She took in a breath and looked at the bonsai trees below the window to the space before them. She leaned forward and touched a leafed branch of one of the small trees and she let it go just as quickly. "There are a very few things in this galaxy a Neko knows to fear and L'Kor are not one of them. Though, for some of them, the Kuvexian threat it is known. And the L'Kor work for the Kuvexians and, thus, against us."
Seinosuke followed the gaze of the shorter, blue-haired woman into the vast nothingness that was their garden. Even through these months he always felt like that dusty fabric that was space looked back at him somehow, watching. With the Neko's hand brushing over the tiny foliage, Mochi's emerald eyes wandered back to her, absorbing what she was saying. It sounded as if she wanted something from him...
"I don't want the next generations of Yamataians to know to fear the L'Kor. The Kuvexians. I want to be sure of that. There are only a few ways towards that end. What way do you see best for doing something of that magnitude?" Hoshi was quiet even as she spoke.
Now this he did not expect. He suppose it made sense, yet in times long past Yamatai supposedly out exaggerated reports to flare fear and cause a uproar in the general population. It was only ever used when volunteers were badly needed, however, which certainly wasn't the case these days. Whatever the case, he was Hoshi's advisor and advise he would. "Fear?" the scientist appeared to ponder the problem, leaning forwards a fraction in his seat and examining the slightly overgrown bonsai before him absentmindedly. It needed a bit of a trim.
He began after maybe half a minute of thought, "You could leak material to the public of the battles they lose, how little of a threat they post, how petty and weak they are compared to our forces. Technically such things would be classified in some way but scratching SAINT's back goes a long way I suppose.."
Hoshi picked up the nearby small pair of scissors and took a long moment to move them from their original position to a branch of the bonsai nearest her. She snipped off the miniscule branch and held it in her hand as she set down the scissors next to Iemochi.
"We do what we must..." Hoshi said, trailing off. "If that is what we must, I will do it."
Seinosuke crossed his legs as Hoshi rose in her white officer's uniform, leaning back in his seat and retrieving a small gold disk from a side pocket. Pushing on the top of the golden object, the face popped open to reveal a clock, which he took a second to take in before slipping back away as Hoshi came close. Not that he was in a rush, it was just a habit of his to play with the item. "If I may be so bold.. Why do you ask?" he queried softly, eyes full of curiosity.
"I ask because I speak for all of Yamatai," Hoshi said simply.
Mochi nodded slowly, placing his hands carefully on the armrests, as if in two minds whether to get up. He was silent for a few seconds, gazing at the stars as they moved and danced outside. "Admirable, your compassion.." he muttered, staring out the window, almost as if he didn't realise he was speaking.
"There is only so much in life in which you can be sure about. Compassion is one of those many instances in which you can be sure of it." Hoshi looked around herself and then laid back on the chair while adjusting the seat to lean back.
As Hoshi settled down into her seat to admire the glorious view, the Juni leaned forwards in his seat. All this talk of compassion was making him think of a couple of things, his wife, the children that were sure to come. The blonde man brushed a few hairs from his eyes, smiling a silly smile to himself as a picture of his little soulmate earler that day, pouting as she stole one of his jumpers like an adorable ninja.
"Hoshi, you're coming to the baby shower, mhm?" his mind wandered, still leaning forwards a little.
Hoshi tilted her head as she looked out at the great infinite beyond. She spoke out in a soft voice, "You're excited aren't you? The best kind of excited, is it?"
Mochi grinned like a boy opening his christmas presents, eyes practically sparkling with anticipation. "A little scared, it's a big responsibility but I can't wait." Still leaning forwards, one hand strayed to the neck of his uniform idly, absentmindedly tracing the seam of his collar. "Do you like kids?" he asked curiously, returning his gaze to the blackness.
"When they're not doing the screaming thing, I can tolerate them being on shows and movies, but I've never had to directly be around a child, no. So I wouldn't know." Hoshi answered him while shifting uncomfortably in her seat.
"I see." he smirked, nodding a few times as he watched a comet soar past, chalk-white tail leaving its mark on the cosmos. "I never really thought myself as a father but I hope I'm up to the challenge." His voice shined with optimism as he did. Running the hand that had been toying with his collar upwards a little, the Juni hooked a piece of paracord that had been hidden inside his uniform and extracted it from its resting place. Letting it fall into his other palm, the item seemed to be an elaborate key with many flanges and indents across its surface.
Hoshi was puzzled. Despite searching PANTHEON, she could not connect the dots to what that key was for.
"Would you mind explaining what that is for, Juni?" Hoshi asked.
Mochi held the strange-looking object out to the slim woman, offering it up to her across the gap between them.
"I've been getting further in my work and some of it is.. sensitive. I need you to have this masterkey to the biocontainment safe in case I'm..." he paused
"It was changed yesterday to fit their standards so you need this along with your clearance." he explained sentence by sentence, toying with it a little in his outstretched hand, clearly nervous.
"I take this responsibility with honor, Juni," Hoshi said. Then she added as she took the key gingerly. "It means a great deal to be asked to safeguard your life's work —yes, I know what you're doing up there," she shoved a thumb softly towards the stern where the sensor and science lab was. "It's good to have more than the military for some."
The Elysian smiles warmly, leaning back into his chair and exhaling a sigh of calm. "Thank you, Hoshi, glad we're on the same page." Slipping one hand back into a pocket, he stroked the smooth, worn casing of his pocketwatch. Moving off the subject, he make a hmm sound - "We should have a show. Or a music night or something. I've been itching to play my violin again.."
"I want to have a movie viewing night for Candy Festival," the pink smol one said aloud.
"What an idea! Arbs and I marathoned those movies about the Doctor and Professor a while back, sounds like a great plan!" he spoke reassuringly, it wasn't often he had such casual conversations like this unfortunately. "If I could ask.. what made you join the Star Army? I've always been curious."
"I do not have the luxury yourself and your wife have, as I was a vat born Neko. I was born in YE 26. For nearly a decade I served as sensors for one ship until I and it were killed." Taiyou Hoshi looked morose and went on, "I've always been with the First Expeditionary Fleet, though. I guess you could say I know my place."
Seino had never really had the guts to bring up how Nekos felt about their early births - something he couldn't really comprehend from his narrow perspective. The phoenix felt her emanating waves of sadness, the news of her first life's end, her wish for a longer life and then instinctively reached over, placing a hand on hers, instinct to comfort misfiring perhaps. "I'm so sorry your ship was destroyed, I can't imagine how that felt."
"You know," Hoshi said, eyes twinkling. "Or at least I thought you knew." She stood abruptly and turned to the bonsai, tending them a little more as she stood. She was so small what most people would have to do squatting or sitting, she could do like this, straight-legged. "Best to go back to the comforts of our daily taks," she said after putting down the scissors. "I would like visits to become at least occassional, if not common place, Sein."
A moment of clarity washed over the disowned, hunted Iemochi - of course, she knew everything about everyone here. Those simple words, the way she had looked at him with such empathy brought years of repressed loneliness and loss to his thoughts, fresh and raw. As the little Hoshi turned her attention to the even smaller plant, he bowed his head low, eyes beginning to water uncontrollably.
There weren't many people he had even met that had experienced such pain as himself, in fact he couldn't recall a single time someone who had a hope of understanding had connected with him, intentionally or otherwise. He loved Arbs with all his heart but some things were too hard to talk about, even after all they'd been through.
Mochi was glad for the fact the Chusa was pre-occupied at least for now, taking the moment to bring his double-striped sleeve to his jade eyes and hastily wipe away the tears forming there. "I.." he began, choking up a little, "would like that."
Hoshi sometimes wished she was an Eihei with skin vision. The quietest and almost imperceivable sniff and wipe of clothe against skin sounded from behind her hairless pink downturned Neko ears. She did not turn, though, and let her meditative thoughts about the bonsai occupy her thoughts while she let the thoughts of Sein's past slip back. After a long minute, Hoshi spoke again and said it as she sat back up and set the scissors and mister down in their little holder on the top shelf.
"I do not have the experience of a life before the Star Army, but being a part of a community made up of members that have had lives before this one. Perhaps, lives isn't the right word. Chapters. People on board this ship have had many many chapters in their lives before this one. I like to know about the chapters of people's lives that they are most excited to share. If there ever comes a time for that or if this time is one where you could see yourself sharing a chapter, let me know and I'll be receptive."
Sein was statuesque, his ravenlike wings drooping visibly. A hand still rested on the thin gold disk inside his pocket, which he withdrew inch by inch once more. Meaningfully, he opened the small watch with a click. This time, however, he didn't cover the top with his palm as he had before. Instead, it was laid bare, revealing a tiny, worn and battered picture. A small family of well-dressed people arranged around a sinister looking man sat in a plush chair, every one of which had shining golden locks. Exactly the same as his own.
Flashing images: running for his life as a child with the crack of gunfire ringing out behind, a doctor tending to him in hospital reaching for a hidden syringe, the miserable damp of a night spent in a moonlit street. "..chapters.." he almost whispered, the silence permeating the air like fog suddenly shattering into pieces. "..history.." he added gently, in acceptance of her thoughts.
Hoshi's pink hand extended and her fingers gripped tightly around Iemochi's own free hand. She brought her body a little bit closer and raised her eyes to look into his.
"History is good to have," she said.
Mochi squeezed her hand gently, her deep sapphire eyes met his own brilliant jade, filled with understanding. Wordlessly, a sad smile danced on his lips in uncertain agreement. Slowly, a wave of vunerability crept over the Elysian, feeling very small all of a sudden, Hoshi a beacon in the unfeeling world around them.
Hoshi returned the hand gesture and let her pink skin rest against his cream-colored palm.
"You're a worthwhile man without having to run from your past. With and without it you're quite the example of what a person can be," Hoshi told him.
Those words almost sounded like.. respect? Caring?
"T.. Thank you, Hoshi." he gazed up at her, then looked back to where their hands touched. "I'd.. better go." the pheonix muttered reluctantly, though not breaking contact himself, her warm skin smooth in his.
Hoshi's pink hand glided off of the scientist's seamlessly and before she did, she told him one thing, "I look forward to watching you continue to prove me right, Sein. I have faith in you. So does command."
Her hand was off of his and in her lap. She turned her blue eyes away from Mochi and to the starry sky as they zoomed through it.
A small smile swept onto Seinosuke's face, corners of his mouth turning up a fraction. Gently, he pushed out of his seat, pausing as he stood fully to gaze out of the window one moment longer.
He contemplated saying something else but it seemed everything that was worth saying had come forth. With that, Mochi turned from the small pink woman and moved to the exit. He felt relieved and a little exhausted at the emotion and discoveries that had taken place and yet his smile lingered as he left the room.
The same type of smile tugged at the corners of the captain's lips as she watched the stars outside of the ship move by.
Canteen
5日 8月 YE 39
1000 Hours
Gazing absentmindely through the sole, reinforced window that was the portal to the outside world from their humble Canteen, Iemochi Seinosuke wondered what the Kaiyo would next encounter. The dim white lights that illumninated his empty table were dwarfed by the red sun that burned with a dull glow, casting a deep scarlet hue across the unusually quiet room.
Following their surprise visit from one SAINT trainer a few days prior, the resident scientist had been mulling over how the SOFT team had performed in their training for better or for worse. Whether things could have gone better he would never know, the Elysian concluded, lowering his eyes to the bowl of cereal before him. Despite the early hour he couldn't bring himself to eat at all, too much action had been going around recently and he had too much to work on with the two new robo-gals aboard.
It was curious that nobody had turned up for breakfast yet, especially since he was normally the night-owl, yet admittedly he had been training himself out of the habit. Soon enough Arbles and himself would be sharing a room once more and he didn't want to cause the expectant mother to wake in the nights.
Hoshi entered and sort of sighed into her mug that she had finally dig out of boxes. The same one that had lived with her on the bridge of the Imperator while she was XO there was now what she carried around to take care of business as captain of this vessel. Second of its class and of which the designs were in part supplied by none other than her XO. She sighed out again and looked to Iemochi as she entered.
Hoshi stated, "Beat you to the coffee."
Offering a polite wave to the captain as she moved into eyeshot, Mochi's brow furrowed a little as she spoke, glancing down to the spotless table before him as he processed what she had said. He swore he had.. Oh.. That's what he'd forgot. Before him was nothing more than his deep metallic bowl, swimming with milk and a few golden nuggety-type pieces of cereal within. No coffee, not even a cup.
"Ah." he replied simply, a light smile creeping onto his face, dispelling the troubling thoughts that had been plaguing him as he met the bluenette's gaze once more. "Right you are. Care to join me, Hoshi-chusa?" he segwayed expertly, this wasn't exactly the first time his somewhat scatterbrained nature had showed the scientist up.
"It would be my pleasure, Iemochi-juni." Hoshi replied by also walking forward and extending an arm upwards, towards the karafe that was at the front of the room for the early risers. "What happens to be the detailing with the SOFT Juni?"
Sein was caught a little offguard at the perceptiveness of the charismatic Neko, one corner of his mouth raising a little - what else was to be expected of someone of her station. "I was just thinking over the exercise Eden-shosa prepared for us, how smoothly my team can work together in the field." he replied, obviously a little concerned yet not greatly so. He wasn't even sure if he could call them 'his' team under the circumstances, if they were even officially a 'team' yet. She was probably expecting small talk but he guessed she would be able to easily tell his worries either way.
Hoshi tilted her head and looked at the phoenix a moment before pouring her cream into the now-filled mug. She watched him as she asked another question.
"How do you take your coffee?" Hoshi asked.
Mochi lightly scratched his left forearm under the table, a little thing he did when he was nervous, causing him to mentally shrug at the situation. "A few drops of milk, thank you." the raven replied, wings twitching and dancing behind him like a waning fire as he did. Not often that an officer offered you a drink. Suddenly, the room felt that little bit warmer for one reason or another.
Hoshi brought the milk out and splashed a bit of rain-like milk in and put it away. She then brought her cup to her cherry-pink lips and took a big gulp or two. Hoshi breathed in deeply after she had and then looked to Iemochi. "Do you know anything about the mission yet?"
The man's blonde hair tousled as he shook his head a little, Seino went to say something, realised a long tendril of gold was hanging a little awkwardly across one emerald eye. Brushing it up and over, out of the way before it became a problem he continued. "Nothing so far, at least nothing more than anyone else."
"Well," Hoshi smiled,"there are people that know quite a bit. I'll tell you what. Let's sit back down somewhere more comfortable. Let me take you to the observation deck with our coffees."
Taking not even a moment to give his forsaken breakfast a thought, Mochi shifted the smooth bench he had been perced upon backwards. Rising up, he took the seam of his green-panel and straightened it out properly. "Of course!" he nodded perhaps a little too excitedly. Whatever she could tell him would undoubtedly be useful to the entire team.
She led the two of them through the ship and to the first deck, if it could be called that. Iemochi would know a lot about the sensor dome as it was made with scientists in mind with its combined science lab. She took the to the prow of the ship, facing the direction they were going, West of Yamatai. She sat down in one of the lounge-like chairs and sat back, looking to see that Iemochi got comfortable as well.
Mochi was pleasantly surprised with Hoshi's choice of destination, the whole top floor of their Fuji was effectively all to him. Nowhere else would he be more at home. Passing through the floodlit corridors the amount of familiar faces they passed slowly lessened, to the point once they entered the "penthouse" - as he liked to call it - there was not a soul in sight.
He got more than a little worried as they passed the entrance to the combined lab - almost nobody was permitted to enter and he wondered how much Hoshi knew or wanted to know about his true work. Eventually, they came to the plushy observation area, a place for thought and relaxation, a place he often came to for answers. The Juni settled himself down besiide his well-dressed superior, glimpsing the deep blackness outside as he waited for the slim woman to speak.
"There is a lot we don't know about this species — the L'Kor. I hear you're the foremost expert. Is there anything you can tell me about them?" Hoshi asked.
Mochi nodded as Hoshi spoke, "I know a lot and for my crimes, probably a few things classified high in SAINT." He continued, recalling the various SAINT reports that had been forwarded for him to memorise following his dissection of their bodies and language. "I supposed that you want to know their weaknessess, hmm?" The raven gandered she probably wasn't a woman to waste time on superficial information. Redacting some of the more morally-grey information from his response, the Juni recounted his experiences in a soft and hushed tone, leaning forward in his seat.
"Most interesting I found in my experiments is their inability to feel pain, almost at all. They obviously can't fight if their body is crippled, however, which is the main way of stopping them. This is easy as their bones are hollow and brittle yet they bleed very little. I'd reccomend blunt-force, kinetic weapons over almost any others, my Chusa." Flashes of the birdmen screeching on his table echoed around his mind, some things were best classified.
"Thank you for that information," Hoshi told Iemochi the raven. She looked out at the stars beyond them that they fast approached. She took in a breath and looked at the bonsai trees below the window to the space before them. She leaned forward and touched a leafed branch of one of the small trees and she let it go just as quickly. "There are a very few things in this galaxy a Neko knows to fear and L'Kor are not one of them. Though, for some of them, the Kuvexian threat it is known. And the L'Kor work for the Kuvexians and, thus, against us."
Seinosuke followed the gaze of the shorter, blue-haired woman into the vast nothingness that was their garden. Even through these months he always felt like that dusty fabric that was space looked back at him somehow, watching. With the Neko's hand brushing over the tiny foliage, Mochi's emerald eyes wandered back to her, absorbing what she was saying. It sounded as if she wanted something from him...
"I don't want the next generations of Yamataians to know to fear the L'Kor. The Kuvexians. I want to be sure of that. There are only a few ways towards that end. What way do you see best for doing something of that magnitude?" Hoshi was quiet even as she spoke.
Now this he did not expect. He suppose it made sense, yet in times long past Yamatai supposedly out exaggerated reports to flare fear and cause a uproar in the general population. It was only ever used when volunteers were badly needed, however, which certainly wasn't the case these days. Whatever the case, he was Hoshi's advisor and advise he would. "Fear?" the scientist appeared to ponder the problem, leaning forwards a fraction in his seat and examining the slightly overgrown bonsai before him absentmindedly. It needed a bit of a trim.
He began after maybe half a minute of thought, "You could leak material to the public of the battles they lose, how little of a threat they post, how petty and weak they are compared to our forces. Technically such things would be classified in some way but scratching SAINT's back goes a long way I suppose.."
Hoshi picked up the nearby small pair of scissors and took a long moment to move them from their original position to a branch of the bonsai nearest her. She snipped off the miniscule branch and held it in her hand as she set down the scissors next to Iemochi.
"We do what we must..." Hoshi said, trailing off. "If that is what we must, I will do it."
Seinosuke crossed his legs as Hoshi rose in her white officer's uniform, leaning back in his seat and retrieving a small gold disk from a side pocket. Pushing on the top of the golden object, the face popped open to reveal a clock, which he took a second to take in before slipping back away as Hoshi came close. Not that he was in a rush, it was just a habit of his to play with the item. "If I may be so bold.. Why do you ask?" he queried softly, eyes full of curiosity.
"I ask because I speak for all of Yamatai," Hoshi said simply.
Mochi nodded slowly, placing his hands carefully on the armrests, as if in two minds whether to get up. He was silent for a few seconds, gazing at the stars as they moved and danced outside. "Admirable, your compassion.." he muttered, staring out the window, almost as if he didn't realise he was speaking.
"There is only so much in life in which you can be sure about. Compassion is one of those many instances in which you can be sure of it." Hoshi looked around herself and then laid back on the chair while adjusting the seat to lean back.
As Hoshi settled down into her seat to admire the glorious view, the Juni leaned forwards in his seat. All this talk of compassion was making him think of a couple of things, his wife, the children that were sure to come. The blonde man brushed a few hairs from his eyes, smiling a silly smile to himself as a picture of his little soulmate earler that day, pouting as she stole one of his jumpers like an adorable ninja.
"Hoshi, you're coming to the baby shower, mhm?" his mind wandered, still leaning forwards a little.
Hoshi tilted her head as she looked out at the great infinite beyond. She spoke out in a soft voice, "You're excited aren't you? The best kind of excited, is it?"
Mochi grinned like a boy opening his christmas presents, eyes practically sparkling with anticipation. "A little scared, it's a big responsibility but I can't wait." Still leaning forwards, one hand strayed to the neck of his uniform idly, absentmindedly tracing the seam of his collar. "Do you like kids?" he asked curiously, returning his gaze to the blackness.
"When they're not doing the screaming thing, I can tolerate them being on shows and movies, but I've never had to directly be around a child, no. So I wouldn't know." Hoshi answered him while shifting uncomfortably in her seat.
"I see." he smirked, nodding a few times as he watched a comet soar past, chalk-white tail leaving its mark on the cosmos. "I never really thought myself as a father but I hope I'm up to the challenge." His voice shined with optimism as he did. Running the hand that had been toying with his collar upwards a little, the Juni hooked a piece of paracord that had been hidden inside his uniform and extracted it from its resting place. Letting it fall into his other palm, the item seemed to be an elaborate key with many flanges and indents across its surface.
Hoshi was puzzled. Despite searching PANTHEON, she could not connect the dots to what that key was for.
"Would you mind explaining what that is for, Juni?" Hoshi asked.
Mochi held the strange-looking object out to the slim woman, offering it up to her across the gap between them.
"I've been getting further in my work and some of it is.. sensitive. I need you to have this masterkey to the biocontainment safe in case I'm..." he paused
"It was changed yesterday to fit their standards so you need this along with your clearance." he explained sentence by sentence, toying with it a little in his outstretched hand, clearly nervous.
"I take this responsibility with honor, Juni," Hoshi said. Then she added as she took the key gingerly. "It means a great deal to be asked to safeguard your life's work —yes, I know what you're doing up there," she shoved a thumb softly towards the stern where the sensor and science lab was. "It's good to have more than the military for some."
The Elysian smiles warmly, leaning back into his chair and exhaling a sigh of calm. "Thank you, Hoshi, glad we're on the same page." Slipping one hand back into a pocket, he stroked the smooth, worn casing of his pocketwatch. Moving off the subject, he make a hmm sound - "We should have a show. Or a music night or something. I've been itching to play my violin again.."
"I want to have a movie viewing night for Candy Festival," the pink smol one said aloud.
"What an idea! Arbs and I marathoned those movies about the Doctor and Professor a while back, sounds like a great plan!" he spoke reassuringly, it wasn't often he had such casual conversations like this unfortunately. "If I could ask.. what made you join the Star Army? I've always been curious."
"I do not have the luxury yourself and your wife have, as I was a vat born Neko. I was born in YE 26. For nearly a decade I served as sensors for one ship until I and it were killed." Taiyou Hoshi looked morose and went on, "I've always been with the First Expeditionary Fleet, though. I guess you could say I know my place."
Seino had never really had the guts to bring up how Nekos felt about their early births - something he couldn't really comprehend from his narrow perspective. The phoenix felt her emanating waves of sadness, the news of her first life's end, her wish for a longer life and then instinctively reached over, placing a hand on hers, instinct to comfort misfiring perhaps. "I'm so sorry your ship was destroyed, I can't imagine how that felt."
"You know," Hoshi said, eyes twinkling. "Or at least I thought you knew." She stood abruptly and turned to the bonsai, tending them a little more as she stood. She was so small what most people would have to do squatting or sitting, she could do like this, straight-legged. "Best to go back to the comforts of our daily taks," she said after putting down the scissors. "I would like visits to become at least occassional, if not common place, Sein."
A moment of clarity washed over the disowned, hunted Iemochi - of course, she knew everything about everyone here. Those simple words, the way she had looked at him with such empathy brought years of repressed loneliness and loss to his thoughts, fresh and raw. As the little Hoshi turned her attention to the even smaller plant, he bowed his head low, eyes beginning to water uncontrollably.
There weren't many people he had even met that had experienced such pain as himself, in fact he couldn't recall a single time someone who had a hope of understanding had connected with him, intentionally or otherwise. He loved Arbs with all his heart but some things were too hard to talk about, even after all they'd been through.
Mochi was glad for the fact the Chusa was pre-occupied at least for now, taking the moment to bring his double-striped sleeve to his jade eyes and hastily wipe away the tears forming there. "I.." he began, choking up a little, "would like that."
Hoshi sometimes wished she was an Eihei with skin vision. The quietest and almost imperceivable sniff and wipe of clothe against skin sounded from behind her hairless pink downturned Neko ears. She did not turn, though, and let her meditative thoughts about the bonsai occupy her thoughts while she let the thoughts of Sein's past slip back. After a long minute, Hoshi spoke again and said it as she sat back up and set the scissors and mister down in their little holder on the top shelf.
"I do not have the experience of a life before the Star Army, but being a part of a community made up of members that have had lives before this one. Perhaps, lives isn't the right word. Chapters. People on board this ship have had many many chapters in their lives before this one. I like to know about the chapters of people's lives that they are most excited to share. If there ever comes a time for that or if this time is one where you could see yourself sharing a chapter, let me know and I'll be receptive."
Sein was statuesque, his ravenlike wings drooping visibly. A hand still rested on the thin gold disk inside his pocket, which he withdrew inch by inch once more. Meaningfully, he opened the small watch with a click. This time, however, he didn't cover the top with his palm as he had before. Instead, it was laid bare, revealing a tiny, worn and battered picture. A small family of well-dressed people arranged around a sinister looking man sat in a plush chair, every one of which had shining golden locks. Exactly the same as his own.
Flashing images: running for his life as a child with the crack of gunfire ringing out behind, a doctor tending to him in hospital reaching for a hidden syringe, the miserable damp of a night spent in a moonlit street. "..chapters.." he almost whispered, the silence permeating the air like fog suddenly shattering into pieces. "..history.." he added gently, in acceptance of her thoughts.
Hoshi's pink hand extended and her fingers gripped tightly around Iemochi's own free hand. She brought her body a little bit closer and raised her eyes to look into his.
"History is good to have," she said.
Mochi squeezed her hand gently, her deep sapphire eyes met his own brilliant jade, filled with understanding. Wordlessly, a sad smile danced on his lips in uncertain agreement. Slowly, a wave of vunerability crept over the Elysian, feeling very small all of a sudden, Hoshi a beacon in the unfeeling world around them.
Hoshi returned the hand gesture and let her pink skin rest against his cream-colored palm.
"You're a worthwhile man without having to run from your past. With and without it you're quite the example of what a person can be," Hoshi told him.
Those words almost sounded like.. respect? Caring?
"T.. Thank you, Hoshi." he gazed up at her, then looked back to where their hands touched. "I'd.. better go." the pheonix muttered reluctantly, though not breaking contact himself, her warm skin smooth in his.
Hoshi's pink hand glided off of the scientist's seamlessly and before she did, she told him one thing, "I look forward to watching you continue to prove me right, Sein. I have faith in you. So does command."
Her hand was off of his and in her lap. She turned her blue eyes away from Mochi and to the starry sky as they zoomed through it.
A small smile swept onto Seinosuke's face, corners of his mouth turning up a fraction. Gently, he pushed out of his seat, pausing as he stood fully to gaze out of the window one moment longer.
He contemplated saying something else but it seemed everything that was worth saying had come forth. With that, Mochi turned from the small pink woman and moved to the exit. He felt relieved and a little exhausted at the emotion and discoveries that had taken place and yet his smile lingered as he left the room.
The same type of smile tugged at the corners of the captain's lips as she watched the stars outside of the ship move by.
