RP: 4th Fleet [Taiie] Breath of Life

It wasn't much longer after the Taisho and the others in her staff arrived that Honoka showed up. Spotting Akina, the aide strode over and bowed deeply. "Konbanwa gozaimasu, Shimizu-Taisho." She then bowed to the others, "Konbanwa gozaumasu," she repeated.

Honoka smiled to the new people that were accompanying the Taisho. She couldn't recall meeting any of them, considering the only person she's met on the ship thus far would be Akina. "Etto, watashi wa Hakumei Honoka-Juni, desu."

"This is Hakumei-Juni, my Fleet Aide, and over there is part of the new combat detachment. Mnnn..you know mostly protection. I think you'll notice he's quite unique. Haruto, welcome. Everyone take their seats." Akina assumed they were waiting for her as decorum dictated, so she took her place at the head of the table, so it happened that her back was to the large projection of the nebula that the fleet had made it headquarters at.

"I think they've given us a sprite for help today, so order a drink first, I want to get the business settled first. The girls are hungry and aren't letting me forget it." The woman laughed quietly, better to joke about it than let it put her in a bad mood.

Haruto's tail curled around his waist as he bowed low, again. "Thenk you, Teisho-sama," he said. After a quick bow to the others, he walked around to take his seat. He refrained from saying anything for the moment, instead glancing briefly over the faces at the table.

Sitting down in a seat somewhat close to Akina, Setsuko wanted to be sure that the Taisho was eating propperly for a woman in her condition. Smiling as the others entered, the Xenobiologist's eyes went wide at the sight of Haruto, and his long, swaying tail. Instantly her digital mind went into scientific overdrive.

"Ooh! What'sthatwhoareyouwhatareyoudoyoufeelwithitcanyoucontrollit?" Setsuko ranted faster than was possible for anyone to understand, no matter how accute their hearing. Leaning over the table, the medical made a frantic attempt to grasp Haruto's tail to examine it.

"Uwah!" Haruto responded with a start. Just for a moment, his left hand was on the handle of his gun, but he eased back when it was apparent this wasn't a threat. He turned sideways and flicked his tail up when the physician reached for it. "I, eh... I'm Itto Hei Haruto," he said nervously. "I'm a Helashio... And yes, it's, eeh..." He paused for a moment, looking for the right word. "Prehenseil."

"Good evening, Taisho." A short, pink-haired sprite smiled. "May I take your wine order?"

"I won't be having any, jasmine tea please." Akina replied, smirking at what was going on between Haruto and Mishima. "Don't shed on the tablecloth, now." She cautioned jokingly.

The sprite took Akina's glass and set it on her tray, since she wouldn't be drinking. "Good evening everyone, we have a fairly well stocked bar if you'd like to let me know what you would like with dinner." Her eyes of course drifted to the tail a moment, but she waited for anyone to give her an order.

Faye ordered a non-alcoholic beverage soon after taking a seat near Akina as well. The now-Neko-again still didn't care for alcohol, even though her body would break the poison down fairly quickly. It's just not her cup of tea... so to speak. She quietly waited for her drink as the other people seemed to mingle with each other. Not for me... she told herself, as if reminding her of some oath that she took or something.

"Hmmm, how about... I try a 'Yuuko!'" Honoka exclaimed rather loudly, before she noticed just how loud that was. Hopefully the Taisho wouldn't catch that and think she had a crazy person on her staff.

She took a seat at the Taisho's table, a happy grin on her face, as she watched the Helashio and doctor squabble over the tail. Honoka might have joined in, were she not trying to act 'normal and calm,' though she couldn't help but start giggling.

"Huh?" Mishima said at Akina's words as they brought her out of her frenzied curiosity as she had been on the verge of grasping a dinner knife to sample and examine Haruto's tail, leaving the good doctor in kind of an odd position as she was half-standing and half-sprawled over the table, trying to reach the Helaisho's rear appendage.

"Shedding?" Setsuko asked curiously as she eased herself back into her seat, eyeing the Taisho curiously to try and understand her words as she ordered a non-alcoholic drink, as she had sternly been told during her training that if the Nekovalkyrja was ever to consume alcohol, it'd probably spell doom for whatever ship she was currently serving on, as the substance had the odd quality of removing what few inhibitions the medical officer placed on herself.

"Let him be for now, Mishima-hei. It's supper time." Akina calmly told the scientist, a smirk on her lips from the near outburst Honoka had made to draw attention to herself. Can I pick a staff or can't I? She thought wryly to Faye, strumming her fingers on the edge of the table. "That reminds me, I need to get a spare moment to examine the ship I was sent."

"Jasmine, two bloody lemonades, a Yuuko, andd....you?" The Sprite asked Haruto, her smile a little crooked as she tried not to laugh at the scene in front of her.

Haruto removed his hand from his handgun again as he watched Mishima move away from the knife. "Eeh... You cin ask me all about it later, if you like," he said with a worried smile, flicking his tail back behind himself. He glanced over to the pink-haired sprite. "Green tea, please," he said with a short bow. "Thenk you."

Honoka settled back in her seat, calmed down from her giggling, now that the entertainment had ceased. She sipped away at her drink, glancing around the room for something new to take interest in. She was smiling again, delighting in the taste of the Yuuko she was drinking.

The aide set down her drink and turned to the Taisho, realizing that she had totally forgotten something. To learn who these other people were. Instead of bothering Akina with such simple matter, she merely queried the AI for information about the others sitting at the table. Honoka read over the files as she returned to taking small little sips of her drink at a time.

Faye quietly thanked the sprite before taking a sip of her lemonade. It was a bit sweet for her taste.. probably too much sugar and strawberries, she suspected. This aide closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of everything around her. It kept her relaxed as she continued to sip her drink without care.

Nodding in thanks to the sprite as she recieved her lemonade, which she sipped happily (making her appear as more of a child than normal), she continued to glance towards Haruto and his tail, her curiosity still not satisfied, but restrained, for now at least.

"Oh yes, Taisho? Where are we headed after Taiie, if such information is declassified?" Setsuko asked, trying to vent her curiosity at other matters while she awaited dinner to arrive. Looking around the table, she wondered briefly what a 'Yuuko' was while she glanced at Honoka.

"Thenks," Haruto said quietly with a wide smile as his tea was brought out. He sat up a little straighter as he poured it, his eyes still flicking about the others at the table. He listened to the conversation closely, quite curious as to what he would be doing here.

Noticing Setsuko look toward her, Honoka came back to reality, leaving behind the computer files. She set down the glass that had been on her lips before she tilted her head slightly as she looked curiously at the doctor. She did a quick reference to the files just to make sure of who she was addressing, before she spoke, "Mishima-hei, could I help you with something?"

Akina tapped the table a bit louder for a moment, "Let's get right to it, shall we?" She asked, not waiting for an answer. "Tomorrow, I'll be holding a memorial for everyone we lost here." The woman's hand motioned out to the projection behind her. "I've invited a few of the families we have left, and we'll be using one of the Nadare's bays for that. However, following that I'll go to Spirit City, our Iori for a press conference. I'll tell you all what's going to happen so you'll have to pretend to be shocked." The redheaded officer smiled, and stopped to take a sip of her tea. "I'm going to make an announcement about the colony my new company intends to build here, and detail a few operations that have already gone underway such as the exploration of the four new systems under our control."

Giving herself another moment to examine the faces of her new staff, she smiled bittersweetly, "Since my family has forgotten about us, I've been given no choice but to make one for my girls. The Shimizu Clan has already been approved by the Imperial. As the last order of business I'll make that announcement. I hope you'll all support me. Now! One last thing...I received a strange communication from the system codenamed 'E2' and have decided we're going to investigate. The group that I sent hasn't returned, old ships or no I intend to find out what's the matter. After the release is over, we'll transfer back to this ship, and get underway. Tonight, however is now yours. Please enjoy the meal."

Raising her glass in toast, the Taisho smiled. "To the Fourth."

Nodding at Shimizu-Taisho's words, Setsuko nodded simply, and raised her own glass with a smile, following the CO's toast while her digital mind worked on the recent information she had just recieved. Colony work, new company, investigation. Investigation first.

"For the Fourth!" The medical officer replied cheerfully and took a long swig of her lemonade as she curiously gazed around the table, apparently having forgotten Honoka and her drink.

A little concerned about this 'E2' mystery, Faye barely remembers saying "To the Fourth." with everyone else. It probably was nothing, but... The Neko just couldn't shake the feeling that something bad might happen. It was like a cold snake slithering up her spine from her rump to the back of her mind.