RP (18+) Yoi-no-Myōjō/Evenstar [Motoyoshi Rising] To A New Star

[Andrew]

RP Date

YE 45.1

RP Location

Becurn System

ISS Shiori​

Kosuke Sector - Becurn (YC-56K) System
Becurn (YC-56K)-III


The ISS Shiroi had spent almost two weeks beneath the ocean on Becurn as they observed the commencement of a new and brutal war between the Cemlae and the Mocadians. In their time hidden beneath the waves and disguised as they moved among the Mocadians, they learned many things about the planet. Then Misha-Class Explorer was soon too small for what had bubbled up around them, after multiple near misses as the two nations began to savagely bomb each other with thermonuclear weapons the decision was made for the ISS Shiori to leave the battle-torn planet along with the information they had gained about the two nations there.

It came at a good timing, Eidan had grown a bit claustrophobic in the small ship. The majestic craft tore upwards and out of the ocean with a tremendous funnel of water that formed around it as it pierced the surface. The ship's engines roared and it tore off into the atmosphere and away from Becurn. It was no doubt further attention would be given to the planet, not by them, however. The ship engaged its hyperspace drive when it was free of the planet and had burned its way to the edge of the system.

Eidan laid on his bed, the room to his quarters open as to communicate that he didn't mind being bothered at the time. He tossed a fabric sac filled with beans up and then caught it as he said to Kuroko, "Yugumo Merchant Spacy, this is definitely Obasaan's doing. Are you excited?" he asked, then caught the bean bag again and turned toward her, propped up on one elbow. "You've been quiet, do I need to get Lumi and Yuki in here?" he asked her, then leaned down to shove his face down between where she had her arm and the pillow to look her in the eyes. He took his finger then and booped her on the nose, "Eidan to Kuruoko, you appear to have left the ship without your body!" he exclaimed as he tried to regain her attention.

"I am about to be your Shipmaster! Arise great Kraken!" he said again. No doubt he had been loud enough to get anyone else on the ship's attention. It felt cramped now, perhaps it was that which had changed their orders suddenly. As fun as it was beneath the waves of the ocean on becurn, it all seemed to fade when the two sides began to try and blow each other off the face of the planet all became some AI told them to. It was a backward world and he planned on finding out later what would happen to it. Eidan still had to send that message Obaasan had asked him to about the Cemlae.

Meanwhile, the ISS Shirori shot through hyperspace toward its intended rendezvous with a surprise vessel, Hitomi seemed to keep a lid on it.

 

[Yuuki]

Three decks of two hundred meters sounds huge until you're stuck underwater for weeks in it. Being out in space in the same sized ship was exhilarating. The stars ever changing, the knowledge one can go anywhere was freedom. The murk outside– the Shiori had hidden at its maximum depth, was instead oppressive as a prison. Kuroko wrinkled her nose as Eidan booped it, and narrowed her eyes. Without responding with words, Kuroko's hand whipped across and seized the makeshift hacky-sack from Eidan. After a moment where it seemed like she'd kill him with her withering glare alone, Kuroko inhaled and exhaled loudly. "Technically we've been at Cadet rank in our specialties in the Merchant Spacy this entire time. The pay increase is trivial compared to our family's fortune and the responsibility is the same."

Kuroko looked towards the door to Eidan's stateroom, left open, as was the door to the crew bunks across the corridor, but she could only see a bit of the unoccupied common area. "That hum. We just hit hyperspace."

Turning back to Eidan, Kuroko whipped the beanbag sidearm at him. "A whole planet at war and I didn't even get to launch a single torpedo," she mused, wistfully, almost sadly.

 

[Andrew]

Eidan observed Kuroko's swift retrieval of the hacky sack from his hand, noting the mix of annoyance and contemplation evident in her facial expressions—a wrinkled nose and narrowed eyes. Her initial silence hinted at irritation, but she eventually let out an audible exhale, seemingly releasing her annoyance.

"I don't give a damn about pay – not that I'm opposed to the fact I'm about to be making bank doing something twice my age wishes they could do," Eidan remarked, acknowledging the benefits of their impending promotion.

With a grin, he deftly caught the beanbag, appreciating Kuroko's sense of humor even during their journey to meet another ship. "That depends on what you consider a torpedo," he quipped, adding with a playful toss of the beanbag, "Or has sneaking yourself into my bed every night lost its appeal now that Takagawa-Sensei doesn't seem to worry about it?"

Eidan's gaze shifted toward the open door, prompting him to wonder aloud, "Where the heck is everyone?" He suspected Yuki, Leon, and Lumi might be in the greenhouse, indulging in his strawberries. Turning back to Kuroko, he playfully accused her, "I bet they're eating my strawberries! And don't you try to look innocent to that either – you've eaten more than your share." With a slight movement, he let the beanbag fall onto her chest. Then, in a hushed and intimate whisper, he leaned in for a quick kiss and commented, "You even taste like strawberries still. Eating your shipmaster's harvest... I wonder what the punishment should be for that?" he mused, and locked eyes with her.

As Eidan and Kuroko engaged in their playful banter, the ISS Shiori continued its journey through hyperspace, headed toward its rendezvous with the Evenstar.

 

[Nakshatra]

ISS Shiori​

Kosuke Sector - Becurn (YC-56K) System
Becurn (YC-56K)-III

There had been plenty of time to get ample paintings done in her off time. Though it was much needed after the fiasco that unfolded while they were under the waves. The flight out was possibly one of the biggest test of her abilities in addition to the level of stress. After that painting did little to relax her, a problem Eidan was more than willing to help out with. "Well that's a first for the books." she thought to herself afterwards.

A few mornings later she woke up from a deep slumber in just her itty bitty pink jammies. She figured she should see what the others are up to and did not even bother putting anything else on. Right as she approached the direction of Eidan's door she heard him asking where everyone was. Seeing as his door was open she popped right on in with a cheerful yet mischief filled motion. "You know she's not the only one thats been eating your strawberries. What will you ever do about that hmm?" she said to Eidan, plopping herself on a chair near the bed.

 

[demibear]

ISS Shiori​

Kosuke Sector - Becurn (YC-56K) System
Becurn (YC-56K)-III

With their backgrounds being completely different, he didn't find himself interacting with him beyond being his subordinate. But that didn't stop him from being curious as to what he was up to. Especially if he was going to keep his bloody open all the time. Leon peeked his head into Eidan's room to see what he was doing. He quickly looked around and gave the biggest Nepleslian grin he could before he made his way to see what anyone else was up to.

 

[Charaa]

ISS Shiori​

Kosuke Sector - Becurn (YC-56K) System
Becurn (YC-56K)-III
“Is it a crime, to eat strawberries?” another voice piped up, as the ship’s resident random alien made her appearance. A smile formed on her lips, as her nostrils flared, taking in the scent of the room, to check things out as much as she listened. As her mind processed the scent and when she was seeing and hearing. Her lips curled upwards and became Cheshire cat esk. “if it’s a crime, than poor Tomoko shall have to spend time in the brig.”

 

[Yuuki]

Eidan's Stateroom: Kuroko

The next attempt to snatch the beanbag had failed, when Eidan's comment made Kuroko flinch and miss. She ended up catching it anyway when he'd let it fall onto her, a distraction that redirected her gaze and occupied her hands. It left her wide open for his sly kiss, catching her by surprise once more. His subsequent accusation, and the strawberry taste that implicated her guilt left her helplessly open to him, and, blushing deeply with eyes closed, Kuroko leaned in for one more kiss.

The moment was short lived. Before their lips could even brush, she was thrown back into that narrow-eyed scowl by a Nira'las accent. Yet more implications and innuendo drove her jealous annoyance even deeper. Just because Kuroko knew didn't mean she like it to be said. "Well," she clipped sharply at the two of them, without looking directly at either, "I suppose he did grow enough of them to go around."

Then, when Tomoko arrived, and remarked, Kuroko could only stare and ponder whether Tomoko was referring to literal or metaphorical ones, or both. It was often hard to tell.

Upper Deck Corridor: Marika

Down the corridor from Eidan's Stateroom, where he was hosting a growing number of young ladies, was Leon's fellow Nepleslian, albeit a seriously augmented Lily Clone, fellow Bunk Prefect, and fellow oldest among youth, Marika. With the assistance of the KAIMON/Ascendant Carrier, formerly known in its prototype phase as the Type 42 Forklift Robot, she was moving the equipment and supplies out of the infirmary-laboratory and taking them down to the cargo hold. Engrossed in her task, she hadn't yet noticed him so far down the length of the ship.

Shiori Bridge: Hitomi

At the unoccupied bridge stations, a signature pinged Navigation, Communications, and Tactical. Out here in the outer edges of the YC-56k System, far from Becurn's habitable zone orbit, a Taka-Class Shuttle dropped out of Hyperspace Fold. The Shiori's shuttle bay being full, it instead maneuvered alongside and extended a pressurized gangway to the Shiori's power armor bay's airlock. Hitomi had everything packed in secret when the prodigies were occupied taking advantage of the liberty she'd granted them when they were auto-cruising on the burn to the edge of the system. The grizzled Star Army veteran she was, it all fit into a single duffel for her personals, and one for her Yugumo-issue items. Hitomi herself wore one of her gauchely Nepleslian off-duty casual outfits that was built around worn jeans, a lacy blouse, and a leather flight jacket.

Hitomi, no longer Takagawa-sensei for the time being, waited until the last moment before crossing the threshold of the airlock before paging the entire ship: "All hands, my ride is here," she crisply chirped, "be careful parking the ship, even if it is getting a full drydock refit. I'll see you when you get there. Coordinates to come!"

She crossed the scant few gangway steps then the airlocks sealed and the gangway retracted, and the prodigies were on their own, for now.

 

[Andrew]

Eidan reclined in his stateroom, a sense of relaxed contentment washing over him as he admired the features of his girlfriend. The banter with Kuroko had momentarily diverted his attention from the stress of their recent mission. Their playful exchange, complete with the unexpected kisses, had put a smile on his face.

As the atmosphere in the room shifted with the arrival of others, Eidan couldn't help but chuckle at the unexpected intrusion of Leon's Nepleslian grin and his casual presence. The man's curiosity was evident, and Eidan appreciated his fellow crew member's laid-back approach.

"Hey Leon, you ready for the next big challenge? Any chance you've caught wind of where we are headed? What ship we're being transferred to?" he asked curiously.

Eidan's attention then turned to Yuki, a Norian girl, as he remarked, "It's not a crime to eat strawberries, but it should be if you've been indulging in my stash." He grinned playfully, his tone suggesting he didn't mind sharing. "Looks like the days of tromping around in our PJs are almost over, Yuki," he added, his curiosity piqued. "Did you do any more painting?" he inquired, genuinely interested in her artistic pursuits.

Kuroko's response carried a touch of jealousy and annoyance, her clipped words revealing her irritation. Eidan couldn't help but find her reaction endearing, and he shot her a mischievous glance before turning his attention to Tomoko. He sent a telepathic whisper to Kuroko, //"You seem upset. Do we need to remind each other of the rules?"//, adding a playful nudge to their dynamic.

Tomoko's Cheshire cat-like grin and her cryptic remark added another layer of intrigue to the situation. Eidan raised an eyebrow, wondering whether she meant literal or metaphorical strawberries, or perhaps both. In the eclectic group they traveled with, deciphering such comments was often a challenge.

Eidan listened to Hitomi's crisp message, acknowledging her seasoned authority as a Star Army veteran. He understood the importance of her mission, and although they would part ways for a time, he looked forward to their reunion. She was a great teacher.

"What the ...?" he exclaimed to those gathered in his stateroom, "She's leaving?" He blinked as he turned to Kuroko. "Where the heck is she going?" he inquired before declaring, "Well, everyone in uniform. Let's see what this is about." Eager to get to the bottom of this development, he started changing into his uniform without waiting for the others. It was not a minute between when he stripped down and had his Yugumo Uniform on, he reached for his boots and worked them on as well.

The atmosphere aboard the ISS Shiori remained a mix of camaraderie, curiosity, and anticipation as the crew members continued their journeys, each with their unique roles and responsibilities.

 

[Commissar Farzi]

The smell of grease permeated the air as he worked, carefully removing each part while uttering prayers to the spirits, the purring engine of the traditional powered armor that he had donned in place of his Yugumo standard issue belching smoke. "You know," Came a slightly distorted voice from beside him, clearly female, kind, and patient, yet annoyed, "You're either going to end up causing a power outage or a fire alarm to go off at this rate." Beldagor, a sharp-featured, pale fellow raised the odd half-helm of his armor, its myriad of instruments clicking into place. "I think I can manage a little power box there Steelbender." He voice was wry as he grinned at the little drone-with aforementioned drone sighing before hovering closer, before turning back to the power junction, "Besides, my armor has yet to-" A flash of light combined with a bang sent the man flying, slamming him into a wall with enough force to cause his ears to ring. The drone floated over, holding the part of the power conduit he'd been working on. "I told you," it chided, before looking on, "You've caught on fire by the way." Beldagor made to pat it out before a nearby rating blasted him with extinguishing foam.

Coughing and sputtering, the woman, one of those Minkans glared down at him. "If you're finished, we really need the power conduit fixed." She turned with a sigh as the barbarian picked himself up, his ears still ringing as he shook off the foam before picking his tools back up. Steelbender just watched him, waiting for the inevitable moment when he got thrown against the wall again...

 

[Yuuki]

Kuroko merely did her best to smile politely, and ignore any further talk of strawberries. When Eidan began to change into uniform there, on the spot, she stood, stretched, and began to cross the hall back to the crew bunks to get her own uniform. A small, polite Yamataian bow was given as Kuroko stopped in the doorway and turned back, then she made her way to her bunk with an obviously-defiant stride to dress.

Meanwhile...

"Haaaa~" Hitomi exhaled in satisfaction as she fell back onto the plush, luxe bed of the Fleetmaster's Stateroom, a two story apartment with an office and two adjoining VIP suites in the dome of the ship. After transmitting her command manifest to higher, Hitomi intended to relax a bit. "Well," she said aloud, to herself and the ship's computer, "I suppose I should transmit those coordinates..."

 

[Nakshatra]

ISS Shiori​

Kosuke Sector - Becurn (YC-56K) System
Becurn (YC-56K)-III

Yuki simply ignored Kuroko's tone, smiling bright she said "Well if you are nice, maybe next time I go to get some strawberries, I will hand deliver them to you." Her eyes flicked up at the beefcake that popped in and smiled, "Leon!" she exclaimed running over to give him a quick hug before going back to her seat. "Tomoko if it is a crime then I will be right in the brig with you." she smirked turning her attention from the door back to the conversation. Her ears twitched turning to face Eidan when he spoke to her.

A large grin spread across her face as she offered up her wrists pressed together, "Cuff me then." she responded in an equally playful manner. After a moment she rested her hands back on her thighs with a joyful expression. That expression quickly soured, her nose wrinkling when Eidan mentioned the ending of the PJ era. "Yes, actually I did! I have been practicing more starship painting, you might like this particular piece. Perhaps a bit later I will show you and Kuroko." she said nodding to Kuroko.

Hitomi's message made Yuki's jaw drop. "Was my piloting really that bad?" she thought to herself. When Eidan ordered everyone into their uniforms she got up, walking towards the door getting a little peek at him while he changed. She padded down the hall to her room and changed into her uniform without another word. Deftly her fingers finished braiding her hair, giving her uniform a once over to make sure everything was right. That's when he realized boss man had never told them where to gather. She walked back down the hall knocking firmly on his door.

 

[Charmaylarg Dufrain]

Greenhouse

Kazumi... Ate another strawberry.

Her teeth coming together she took off just the red flesh of the fruit, leaving the white unripened top, and savored the taste all the while pressing the uneaten top and greens into the little bit of soil by the base of the vine.

It would absorb some of the nutrients back, and recycle the nitrates back into the plant over a few days as the natural acids seeped into the soil.

Not indulging too much in guilty pleasures the blue-skinned Dai Oni girl moved along small planters and vertical cells; Enjoying the scent of ozone and she moved about taking small notes here and there and checking tags.

Passing a cell once, she paused. As if sensing it more than seeing it Kazumi turned sharply to stare at a vine as her mind played at what had caught her attention before sighting in on a small leaf near the base. Taking a closer look she sucked air in through her teeth as her cherry blossom pink eyes looked at the several small quarter-inch holes chewed into asymmetrical circles and shapes.

"Aphids?" She murmured aloud, her soft-silken voice more inquisitive than anything as she looked about and found not a single insect present on the plant but more at the same time evidence that something had been eating on the leaves, stem, and even a few flesh spots on fruit.

There shouldn't be any outside contamination, she knew. But somehow something had been brought into the greenhouse. Likely a pupa inside a seed, or something tracked in from the outside. Without natural predators such as ants, spiders, scolipendra, and the like aphids would propagate and in time could cause damage to plants and crops.

Moving to spread a white powder on the small petea of several nearby plants she washed the pesticide off her hands and then let them air-dry in the almost unoticeable breeze that was cultivated to give plants stress fibers so they would not fall over from weakness.

Noticing that her actions had gone unnoticed and that the greenhouse was virtually empty Kazumi grabbed just one more strawberry before plopping the entire thing in her mouth bud and all and started shuffling more than walking down the cooridors. With the Shiori essentially submerged as of late the young oni girl despite knowing better had fallen into a malaise of sorts as if sensing the near stationary and idle nature of the ship. It had become easy for her to simply zone out and shuffle idle about the few decks in a near daze until she came about somebody or snapped out of the torpor.

Doing so now she eventually came about a source of disturbance finding herself not but a cooridor away from lord Eidan's quarters. Giving a simple shake at the wrong title for the lord, Kazumi shuffled closer to the wall and peaked just around the corner into the door and...

Personal displays of affection! lingerie! giggling! And more bordering into accusations of heinous crimes the imaginative Oni could only blush at with talks of restraining impliments. And then Nepleslians! Aelfs! It was enough to get Kazumi to cover her mouth with one hand in shock at the sight.

The lords harem was... Outstandingly cliche if her novels were anything to go off of amongst most of yamatais nobles. Only one male courtier? Somehow that part disappointed Kazumi the most in a way she could not yet articulate how that made her feel.

Nevertheless. Meaning no offense to the young lord and his excentricities Kazumi leaned in closer and extended a hand towards the pad next to the door seeking the button to close it and save her new lord as he began undressing before anyone else arrived to see such a scandal!

 

[Yuuki]

ISS Shiori: Main Deck Corridor

Marika could only stare, incredulous and agape as Kazumi emerged from the greenhouse. She saw Daizo more than she'd seen Kazumi, by an order of magnitude. It was a two-hundred meter, four-decked ship with only a handful of crew aboard, so it was easy to disappear, especially among the endless stacks of the cargo hold, but two weeks underwater and it was still like encountering a mythical being. It was such a rare occurrence, that the heavily-augmented Nepleslian actually engaged her enhanced vision systems to verify she wasn't hallucinating from the stress of weeks under the surface of the briny abyss. No amount of blinking or scanning could dispel the illusion, so she had no choice but to believe. Her eyes turned back to the approaching Leon, to see if he was equally bemused by the Oni sighting.

ISS Evenstar: Admiral's Suite

Hitomi pressed a virtual button on the volumetric display by the bed she still hadn't got up from, and transmitted the rendezvous to the Shiori's captain.

 

[Andrew]

Eidan observed Kuroko exiting the room, inadvertently bumping into Kazumi in the process. He hadn’t realized she was there, silently watching. "Oh..." he uttered, "Sorry, wasn’t paying attention..." He caught a whiff of strawberry scent as they collided. "You’ve got to be kidding me, the new girl too? Eating my strawberries. Our next ship better have a huge greenhouse, or we’ll have issues..." he muttered, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he was still standing too close to Kazumi, his hands resting on her shoulders from when he steadied her during the collision. "Oh, right, new girl. Kazumi, isn’t it? Welcome aboard," he added, though their stay on the Shori was short-lived.

"You’re into botany, right? General or Xenobotany?" he inquired, genuinely interested in her expertise. Amidst this, he received a message from Hitomi, sharing coordinates for their rendezvous with the new ship. He was clueless about the new ship. 'Shit,' he thought, 'Hands. Dammit.' He let go of Kazumi’s shoulders, lowered his gaze a bit, and scratched the back of his head, "Uh, sorry about that."

He briefly diverted his attention, "Yuki, head to the bridge and set our course to the new coordinates. Just got them from Hitomi," he directed in a loud call before turning his focus back to Kazumi.

He wondered about the whereabouts of the other newcomer, Beldagor, and Lumi. The Shori was small, making it a relief that no one was ever too far away, even when scattered across different areas of the ship.

He mentally conveyed to Kuroko, "Hope you're packed. Whatever ship we're on, let's skip the usual antics this time. Move into my quarters." Despite their playful, often emotionally charged exchanges, their bond remained unbroken. He was well aware of her fondness for the attention he showered on her, and he reveled in giving it. However, his thoughts were currently scattered, thanks to the new Oni girl aboard. She was an exotic allure he was eager to explore...maybe get his hands on again.

 

[Charmaylarg Dufrain]

The Lord Quarters

Spoiler

(How scandalous!)

Never the fastest on the uptake half of Eidans words simply passed over and through her after she jumped slightly when his admittedly strong grip landed on her shoulders and trapped her within her nemesis that was societal convention.

The thought of too close! too close! too close! raced through her mind as she matched Eidans stare surprisingly impassively as her stoicism was only backed by at most three or four functioning braincells.

And then he was just staring at her someone looking through her and at her and the young maidens heart hammered in her chest even as she wrung her hands wondering where his mind was going even as heat crawled up the nape of her neck and turned her azure-blue skin a slightly warmer shade as she flushed. And then- It was over as the lord released her and Kazumi took a precautious step back so that Eidan was no longer looking up into her chest considering his proximity and her height so she could more casually meet his gaze.

While he spoke to another briefly she appraised the young lord. He was healthy and energetic with not unkind eyes with a noticeable degree of intelligence behind them that belied more than what Kazumi would have thought from hearsay and her own speculation. He was also short, as most yamatains were, and was to be expected considering Kazumi carried the blood of the Valk from her father who was almost eight foot tall himself and likely weighed seven or eight of what lord Eidan did.

Once again looking at her Kazumi while aloof herself and having missed most of what Eidan had already said noticed the absence in his eyes she had come to attribute to telepathy she had noticed with younger neko and some minkan and made a mental note of that as he focussed back on her. What she saw in those eyes then was foreign to the maiden that she was but she met his gaze all the same.

Eyes already drawn to a naturally thin line as tight as her lips were drawn with her chin tilted up thoughtfully it came across quite easily that Kazumi may have appeared to be looking down on her lord as her naturally imperious demeanor showed through as she left a healthy pause before speaking with a thoughtful "Ah." She inclined her head with a pause and some deference. Always soft spoken, Kazumi shared her fathers' preference for deadpan stoicism and her mothers' soft-spoken mannerisms. "Think nothing of it, young lord."

Now what had he said about the strawberries again?

 

[Miyako]

ISS Shiori​

Kosuke Sector - Becurn (YC-56K) System
Bridge

"If you miss me *too* much you can always send me an ab-so-lutely graphic and sexual vid. Don't worry though! I'll take care of you some more, Hitomi-chan!" Promptly came in a saucy message for their teacher. It was as if the engineered and modded Helashio had some kind of sensor inside of them to exactly know when their teacher had started to relax for even a few minutes. Probably the culprit of eating more than just the strawberry part of the strawberries, Lumi was on the bridge watching his companion drone buzz around over the top of his head. The little ball of light with wings let shimmering dust sprinkle down over them until fading away.

Someone had to be on the bridge at all times when not docked, that was something they had learned before they showed up on the Shiori, they had watched a Star Army veteran rip another member of the company a new hole for dozing off during watch, which was the same as leaving the place abandoned even while they were just getting ready to move along.

"Ichi-zero-ichi-ni-sai-yo-nara." They sang quietly, slowly absorbing a text through their connection to the ship's library, until or if they got a response from their teacher, there was new learning to be done. It was one way the engineer had found it much easier than some of the others to stave off what he didn't understand was ennui. Having ample food, beds to sleep in, and something entertaining to do for such a short period while watching (finally) a different sector's culture kick off a massive war was entertaining enough, even if they wished the two sides could handle their troubles in a slightly less planet-ending manner.

"Hi cute stuff, coming up here or want me to plug in those and adjust our heading?" The terribly young, feminine voice of the Chief Engineer tickled into Eidan's ear.

With his smile growing, he used his monitor on the internal systems to pinpoint where the rest were, including Kuroko, whom he also whispered to. "Is he being a good boy in there? Did I miss a hot party? Send nudes!"

 

[Andrew]

Eidan couldn’t help but chuckle at the saucy message from Lumi, it was typical of their playful banter. The light-heartedness amidst their peculiar and sometimes tense interactions was a breath of fresh air. He shook his head slightly, trying to keep his focus on the task at hand while the enticing thoughts of the new Oni girl and the light-hearted banter buzzed in the background of his mind. She thought back to Lumi, //"Work to do sadly, otherwise, I'd skip the sending and we could have another private encounter in the armory. Hopefully, the new ship is a larger class of ship - more places to tuck ourselves away, but here's a taste for later."// He sent one of the naughty pictures he had takenearlier to Lumi.

"Kazumi, you might want to figure out what seeds and plants you want to be transferred when we get there," he suggested, rather than ordering the attractive botanist.

The Chief Engineer's voice in his ear brought him back from his musings. His youthful, feminine tone was quite a contrast to the situation at hand. "I'll come to the bridge," he responded, the casual flirtation in her tone not lost on him. As he made his way to the bridge, he passed by Kazumi once more, offering a casual nod before quickening his pace. He didn't want to keep Lumi waiting; there were important tasks to handle, and time was of the essence.

Reaching the bridge, he exchanged a playful smile with Lumi. "Let's wait for Yuki, she can get our heading adjusted, we've got a rendezvous to make," he said, momentarily distracted by the dance of the drone above Lumi’s head. He admired how Lumi could make light of situations, a quality that surely eased the tension on board, especially with the recent new arrivals and the imminent rendezvous. "In the meantime, can you send me those efficiency reports on the Misu IIs, even if we're disembarking, we should aim to leave things in tip-top shape."

He managed to suppress a grin as he took a brief look around the Explorer's bridge. The camaraderie between them was something he cherished, a slice of normalcy in the otherwise rigorous and unpredictable life they led in their Clan. He had come up with a name for them, the Azure Legion -- it brought him back to his love for fantasy fiction, as he imagined them all a brave group of knights carrying the banner of Yamatai through the new sector on epic adventures.

He got on the comm and called to the armor bay, "Beldagor, can you make sure our Tenshi's are all ready to go? I don't want to be issued some generic model," he called down to the grease monkey Vahallan. He loved his custom black, dark blue, and phased violet and gold Tenshi II. His KAIMON companion returned to him from its recharge, with a weird electronic pop it went from the standard orb to his usual, floating neon purple octopus friend.

 

[Commissar Farzi]

"Very well Kikyo-Eidan, we shall prepare your armor," Beldagor responded voice solemn as if he was to conduct some grave task before cutting the comm. With a sigh, he closed the conduit-it hummed pleasantly yet it did not soothe the admittedly abrupt onset of contempt he suddenly felt at the orders. Could his fellows be so inept that the shipmaster and his retainers be unable to maintain, let alone build their own armor?

He quashed the thought immediately as he made his way over the armor storage-he'd recalled the instructor's bemused expression during his certification; what had initially been seen as insubordination turned to confusion and then understanding. His people's tradition, that of the Armoring, expected those who to come of age to not only assemble but use and survive their powered armor. He bore that particular scar from a damaged coolant line with pride, and after showing the scar and his personal armor his teacher had explained to him that the job of an engineer was also to assist and maintain the large amounts of equipment Yugumo used; including power armor. Detaching his toolbox from his own suit, he opened it, pulling a small metal bowl, followed by a container made of metal with the top covered in stiff leather and bound with twine. As he began the prep sequence for the armor, cycling the rack while carefully adjusting the throttle of his own suit; much to the annoyance and amusement of his fellow crew. More smoke filled the room, but was quickly cycled out by the ship's life support system

"Want some help Beldagor?" One asked-the man sipping from a can as he leaned against a table, with two of his fellow-those cat things-looked on, to which the barbarian shook his head. "I can handle this Kikyo," He replied, setting the bowl down and murmuring prayers as he carefully removed the covering. "Why do you always call us that?" It was one of the women; she sounded genuinely curious. "That is because that's what you are." He responded as he set the covering carefully aside, "You are Kikyo, I am Eradani." To him, the explanation was simple. She got up, and waltzed over to him. "Yes but that-" She saw the contents of the container before he finished, and wrinkled her nose; inside was a sickly yellow goop, which he lifted in his left hand to one of the exhaust ports of his armor, letting the heat gradually soften it before ever so carefully depositing a small amount in the bowl itself before striking his vambrace with his right-a series of yellow sparks drifting downwards, with them touch the substance for but a moment before setting it alight-a pale white flame with a green flare. A rancid, greasy smell suddenly filled the armor bay, much to the chagrin of those around. "Beldagor!" One of them snapped, even as the woman made to extinguish it, "What is that stuff?!" Beldagor chuckled as he intercepted her hand, batting it aside. "Part of the ritual-it is to ward off evil spirits that may plague the armor during its readying." That didn't seem to satisfy them, and the woman redoubled her efforts. "Really, a ritual?" He covered his nose as the woman finally gave up with a huff and walked back to the table as her friend consoled her, "That's...interesting."

To that the barbarian chuckled before nodding. "Yes, my friend." The stench abated as the substance burned out but still lingered on in a low-key manner, "It is a tradition of my people that one undergoes before donning their armor." Checking the computer, Beldagor smiled as everything was in the green, before, producing yet another vial, this one of a more conventional crimson color-within the bowl the substance had left a strange, greenish residue-he carefully mixed both together, before applying it to the various joints on their suits-the grease would not only ensure smooth movement but also once it had time to cure would keep debris out. Muttering as he made an odd gesture; fore and middle finger raised upwards with the thumb sticking out, ring and pinky down and fully extended before making an odd turn-push motion. Repeating this in kind, even he checked the diagnostic computers to make sure he hadn't angered the spirits and caused a malfunction.

They were fickle things and prone to causing all manner of ill fortune whether you were in armor or not. Better to be safe than sorry rather than trust wholly in a simple device.

The final part, and to this Steelbender simply sighed-the drone had simply been observing up until this point before grabbing yet another vial-this one white. He retrieved a small brush, and ever so carefully began the delicate process of inscribing protective wards on the armor to further protect it from malignant forces. It was a long tense silence before he finished-runic symbols combined with strange, almost eldritch machines had been carefully placed on each one to ensure maximum protection without interfering with the user's ability to use them effectively.

"Ya know, the boss and his people probably won't be too happy about this." Beldagor simply ignored the drone, pleased with his handiwork, even as the onlookers watched with a mixture of amusement, astonishment, and confusion as to what in the fuck they had just witnessed.

 

[Nakshatra]

ISS Shiori​

Kosuke Sector - Becurn (YC-56K) System
Becurn (YC-56K)-III

Yuki snorted when she heard the manner of Eidan's directions. "On it boss." she said and immediately headed to the bridge. Eidan was not there when she arrived naturally being pre-occupied, so she slipped into her seat at the navigation console. "You trying to take over my job already Lumi?" she chirped sassily. When she heard Eidan's voice she peeked around her seat to look at him dumbfounded. "Wow." she said flatly before she saw that he was distracted and rolled her eyes before looking back to her console. Surely when he was thinking with the right head he would give her proper orders.

 

[Charaa]

ISS Shiori​

Kosuke Sector - Becurn (YC-56K) System
Becurn (YC-56K)-III
Tomoko kept up her Cheshire grin as she watched their interactions, and she was so amused by their reaction to her response, that she almost wanted to laugh. She giggled at Yuki’s response, “We’d make the cutest prisoners” she said as she tried out a bit of joking tones with her voice. Then Hitomi-sensei made her announcement, and then giggled at Eidan’s response, though it changed as Eidan started changing, and she thought maybe she should leave.

Indeed, since Eidan ordered them into uniforms, Tomoko sighed before she returned to where hers was. Tomoko liked her uniform but she preferred how she had been dressed more. But when she caught sight of Kazumi, previous thoughts of stealing Kuroko disappeared from her mind. The alien remembered that this was Kazumi, a new crew member. She smiled as she waved “Looking cute, Kazumi’ she told the Dai-Oni and shifted some hair that was caught in her collar. The blue girl then turned and made her way to the bridge, since she was a comms officer, she’ll likely be needed there, for when they make contact.