>>21198900
>[ ] Other
who touched our shit

File: 1350692036134.png-(49 KB, 428x193, 1309496693901.png)

>>21198900
[x] Clean up our desk

Organization is the key to success. Isn't that right, Kota?

>>21198900
[X] Look at picture of Socks, sigh longingly and daydream about consentacles.

>>21199001
You currently do not have a photo of Socks on your desk.

>>21198900
[x] Clean up your desk

>>21198900

[x] Clean up our desk.

ALSO, What the hell, why is there a "Hey, an alien ninja hacked our phone system and gave his friend the defecting alien scientist a ring. He wants to get coffee" form.

Is it a 14Z? I never could figure out what those things were for.

>>21199072
Hmm. All the photos of socks are probably classified and hidden in secret files and shit. And I doubt we have our own camera. This is a serious problem.

>>21199072
Ah. So we keep it in the drawer with our "educational reading" and "anatomical diagrams". I gotcha.

>>21198900
[x]clean up our desk
If that's what's needed to report the fact that Martian Intelligence knows our goddamned phone number, then that's what we'll do.

>>21199072
Why the fuck not?

>>21199237
You have not photographed him.

File: 1350693451908.png-(92 KB, 1000x820, test-logo.png)

You'll deal with Boser's attitude another time. She's stuck here for a week and a half, after all. You instead decide to deal with the insurmountable task before you. Organization really isn't your thing. You suppose you could simply learn the new positions of your papers...or you could take this opportunity to try and actually get yourself set straight.

You take several minutes grouping things; empty mugs (did you really drink so much coffee?), waste paper and trash, reports, forms, profiles, shit from MacArthur and the brass, quick little memos about how the trainees are progressing...

Hey, that's new. Under a pile of forms (including a generic "incident" form you'll probably end up having to use to report Socks' phone call...though if you found a "Martian wants to contact Friendly Martian form, you wouldn't be surprised) is a stack of envelopes. Picking them up, you read the destination address. They have a few different addresses listed, but the name of the receiver is the same:

CPO Cleona Kuykendall

Looks like your mail finally caught up to you. As for the senders, you have a few things from the folks back home, one of your acquaintances from the west coast, and...

CPL Tom Kuykendall

You read the name over several times. Tom. Well well, haven't contacted him in awhile.

[ ] Read a letter
[ ] Set it aside
[ ] Other

>>21199240
Note it in our to-do list.

>>21199307
You make a mental note to photograph Socks.

>>21199302
Read a letter.

Brother, cousin, father, husband?

>>21199302

[x] Read a letter.

Is he alive? For that matter, why HAVEN'T we contacted him in a while.

If this is our ex-husband, I will find myself irked.

>>21199302
Set it aside. We can read the letters after we hand in the incident form. The incident form is kind of important.

>>21199302
>[ ] Read a letter

>>21199302
Read and write.

File: 1350694281963.jpg-(723 KB, 1651x2327, Tom_Letter_01.jpg)

You carefully open the envelope on the bottom of the stack from Tom. Inside, you find a piece of paper with words scribbled in your brother's handwriting. Heh, messy as ever. It reads:

-
February 18th, 1943.

Hey Cleo. It's Tom. Haven't seen you in a while so I figured I really should write. How you doing these days?

Finally got deployed to... Canada. Fancy that. Weren't told why, so I guess we're both on top secret assignments, huh? Except there's nothing happening here. We're on some base with a few witches right now AND BEFORE YOU PANIC there's like twenty of us and five of them. You know I don't really stand out anyway. I mean, there was this one girl with glasses who was pretty that started talking to the crew. But I'm not anyone important, just a loader. Nobody cares about us, I tell you! It's a travesty!

So, anyways, last time I wrote was back in training, huh? Been a while, so I should probably tell you what's been happening. So we get shuffled up to Vancouver, no idea why, Sporton is flipping his lid about it. So THEN they tell us we're moving to Vancouver Island, still haven't told us why. 'Reorganizing defence' or some bull. So they ship us and the Shermans to the island and tell us to deliver a witch to this base in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. So we did that, us, three other Shermans and the truck carrying the princess' stuff. And now we're stuck here until we get further orders.

>>21199302
>[ ] Read a letter
read it

>>21199471


At least we've got pretty girls with no pants walking around. Can't really complain. The pilots on base keep telling us not to trust the redhead, but the rest seem innocent enough. There's a blonde, a couple younger ones and the glasses girl I mentioned. So no worries, Cleo. Tom ain't getting hitched that easy. Speaking of which, how you doing in that area? Haven't heard anything in a while. Not getting any younger, sis...

Love, Tom
-

Haha, top secret? Well, you suppose the Substriker program wasn't exactly public knowledge and those backing it wouldn't have wanted to draw much attention to it lest the brass decided kill it. Those politi-er, high ranking officers love "trimming the fat" to pad their own projects, after all.

As for the comments about the witches, you shake your head. Always playing the part of a hornball, though you never knew him to actually act like an idiot around women. Hell, he's still concerned about you and your love life. You smile. Sorry, Tom. Nothing yet. Maybe next time.

[ ] Open the next
[ ] Set them aside
[ ] Other

>>21199479
[x] Open the next

>>21199479
[x] Set them aside

Read the rest later we have an incident to report

>>21199479
[x] Write a reply, explaining how you've fallen in love with a martian.

>>21199479
>[x] Open the next

>>21199479
Move onto the forms. We can get the rest of the mail after, now that the named plotting is out of the way.

>>21199479
[x] Other

Do the Macarena

>>21199505
Have you fallen in love with a Martian?

>>21199536
No I just want to see what happens when they read our mail to make sure we're not spilling any secrets.

>>21199479
>[ ] Open the next
Let's see what's up with Tom more recently!

>>21199536
Have *you*?

File: 1350694896459.jpg-(63 KB, 218x150, my-favorite-martian.jpg)

>>21199559
Now that you mention it...

>>21199471
>Canada
>nothing is happening
Goddamnit Kotters, I know where this is headed. You are a cruel and hateful person.
>>21199479
[x] Set them aside
We can read them later. Right now, we're being productive.

>>21199536
We have feelings about the Martian that we have difficulty expressing in words. We are still trying to figure it out.

Let's not say anything about it to anyone yet.

>>21199536
No, we're just using him for his body.

File: 1350695149076.jpg-(94 KB, 708x964, 1311042608976.jpg)

>>21199600
What could possibly go wrong in Canada? I mean, it's Canada, right? It's like lumberjacks and mountains up there.

>>21199536

Me personally? Socks is adorable.

Cleo? Well, she's got strong feelings for him, he's saved her life, she's saved his, she thinks he's adorable and they share their innermost thoughts.

Noooooo... I don't think she's in love with Socks. Yet.

>>21199643
The mountains are secretly Martian Battle Mountains.

File: 1350695410814.png-(692 KB, 1000x901, test-logo2-bright.png)

What a pleasant surprise this has turned out to be. You haven't had much of a chance to write anyone, really, other than the occasional "not dead yet" note scribbled on whatever paper you had handy. Eagerly, you open the next letter:

-
March 19th, 1943.

Hey Cleo. Tom again. So, you may have heard we just got invaded. Fancy that.

Yesterday was pretty exciting for us. And terrifying. Lot of terror. They've got these new walkers that have been giving us hell. Really small, really fast and they stick to the trees. We ended up letting one get by us and it got onto the airfield. I heard one of the witches got messed up real bad. The Brig. Gen. is pissed at us, Sporton is pissed at the other tank commanders and here I am stuck wondering... What if that was you? None of the other guys know any witches, so they aren't exactly sympathetic. Figured I'd just write you to calm my nerves.

So yeah. We lost our air cover because of that. Funny how one little mistake can screw you up so bad. Well, not really funny, but you know what I mean. We ended up losing one of our Shermans. One of the ones I mentioned last time. I think a couple of their guys made it out. At least, I hope so.

So that's what's new from me. Sudbury says hi. You probably don't know him, he's the gunner and looks like Sporton's evil twin. They look so damn the same. It's creepy.

Hope to hear from you soon. Oh, and I hope that secret assignment of yours is going well. Please don't die.

Love, Tom.
-

>>21199701
You read it again. Hope to hear from you soon. Please don't die.

Please don't die.

How many times have you faced death recently? It's war, so death is expected, but...you're a lucky witch. If you'd have failed and died...Oh hell, you've probably already got Tom worried sick. You haven't written him ages! ...Man. Tom's out there on the front line, it seems.

Please don't die.

In your head, you silently ask him to do the same.

[ ] Open the next
[ ] Set them aside
[ ] Other

>>21199711
oh fuck oh shit

read the next one

>>21199711
Let's get that form out of the way before we read the letter telling us he's dead because that will probably distract us a bit.

File: 1350695611379.jpg-(746 KB, 1651x2327, Tom_Letter_02.jpg)

>>21199711
>forgot the letter

>>21199748
"LOADER BOUGHT THE FARM"

>>21199711
Keep reading.

>>21199711
I guess there's no stopping now.
[x] Open the next
Despair Train has left the station, and there's nobody in the driver's seat.

>>21199711

Next letter, next letter

>>21199711
Can't stop now, open the next.

And… what is the current date? How old are these letters?

>>21199839
It's like July or early August. Shit's old.

>>21199711
[x] Open the next

File: 1350696284019.jpg-(772 KB, 1651x2327, Tom_Letter_03.jpg)

You've only got one left for now, it seems. May as well read it too. Tom....

-
March 20th, 1943.

Hey sis. It's Tom. Second letter in two days. Guess we both know that means. Excitement. And as I have learned: excitement sucks.

Ended up with those witches again. Had to escort a couple of theirs that crashed at like nine o'clock at nine. I have to say, that was probably the most terrifying thing I've ever experienced.

They sent us on some back roads AROUND the line to get out there. Backroads through the forest, which I'll remind you is infested with mini-walkers. Eventually, we come out onto the highway behind their line and... dead silence. Just the sound of our tanks rumbling down the road. Stupid me decided to take a look outside. Three Shermans, a few witches in the air and a handful of jeeps behind enemy lines in the dead of night. That's the stuff movies are made of.

So, we get to this lone truck hauling ass down the highway, we take a u-turn as fast as we can to keep pace. So we're screaming down the road and Sporton won't shut up about these things in the trees. So yeah, we had mini-walkers on our ass the entire time and didn't notice. So the witches start firing off into the woods to try and flush them out and then WHAM! One of the things just pounces on one of the tanks beside us. I have never loaded so fast in my life. We managed to get the thing off, but it took the tank's gun off.

>>21199874

So we're hauling ass, firing backwards at these walkers as we're going. Christ, it was like for every one we killed a bunch more popped up. It was like that... what do you call it... HYDRA! That's the one. It was like one of those things. So eventually we see the cut-off to our super secret route and we're all hooting and shouting and stuff. Turns out the martians prepared a nice welcoming party for us right there. So, Webbs, our driver, just GUNS IT. So does everyone else. And you wouldn't believe it. As soon as we hit the martian line the witches did this... thing. There was a super bright flash and this huge sound like and explosion. I opened my eyes and we were there. Home free.

I hate adventures. Oh, and Sudbury says I shouldn't say 'hauling ass' to my sister. Sorry sis.

Love, Tom
-

Your chest tightens as you read. Maybe it's just your concern taking over, but as you read his words it feels like you're right there with him, stuck in a metal box with tracks while the enemy surrounds you, your survival uncertain. You can't do anything but keep fighting and hope to god you don't screw up, that you're prepared enough, that luck's on your side. You can't help it. You tear up. Tom, you bastard, what are you doing out there fighting a war!?

>>21199880

...Because someone has to. Because you all have to.

That doesn't make it any easier, though. When it's some faceless young men and women out there, it's a tragedy. When it's someone you care about...

[ ] Write a response – What do you say?
[ ] You need to clear your head.
[ ] Other.

>>21199885
>[ ] You need to clear your head.
We can find time to write back tomorrow, or maybe later today.

>>21199885

[ ] File DAT REPORT. IN TRIPLICATE.

And even though MacArthur is a douchebag, he is still a general and he needs to be notified.

Even better. Address it to Admiral Chester J Nimitz.

>>21199885
[x] You... you need to clear your head.

>>21199885
[x] Clear your head

Let's file that report or something.

>>21199885
[x] You need to clear your head.

>>21199885
[x] Other.
File that fucking report to MacArthur.

>>21199885
Write report, clear head

File: 1350698022574.png-(39 KB, 154x179, kenji_seen_some_shit.png)

...This is messing with you. You've gotta clear your head somehow. Maybe...maybe doing something proper and official will help you get this out of your head. Setting aside your letters, you grab some of the forms. Sifting through them, you find the general incident form. You fill in the boring blanks with your name, rank, current assignment, etc. etc. etc....

Then your eyes come to a stop. Description of Incident. Well, that's easy enough. Socks answered a phone call that happened to be a Martian attached to the Harbinger who wants to meet with Socks.

But then your thoughts slide further into the future. What if Socks did go to meet this "Sp'jook?" What if things go south? What if it was all a ruse?

What if you lose Socks?

You slap yourself. Idiot. That's what you're going to be there for. MacArthur might not even let the meeting happen, anyway! It'll all be fine. Tom's not going to die. Socks isn't going to die. None of your friends are going to die. None of them. You guys are safe.

...Ogawa. Harumi Ogawa. They still haven't found out what happened to her. You didn't know her very long. Hell, you'd pretty much forgotten her existence until recently. The unofficial verdict is that she's probably dead. You knew her. She wasn't safe. Why should your friends be any different?

[ ] ...You need to talk to someone.
[ ] Buck up, finish this report.
[ ] Other.

>>21200152
>[x] ...You need to talk to someone.
Cookie helped everyone else with their breakdowns, now it's their turn, dammit.

>>21200152
[x]...You need to talk to someone.

Who isn't busy right now? Miranda? Yetta? We've been hanging out with Socks a bit much lately.

>>21200152
[x] Buck up, finish this report.
We are Cleona Kuykendall, and we get shit done.

>>21200152
>[ ] Buck up, finish this report.

>>21200152
Well shit. We're an emotional wreck. D:

>>21200152
[x] ...You need to talk to someone.

Caulders, Miranda, or Wackett, in that order of priority.

>>21200152
[x] ...You need to talk to someone.
It has been far too long since we hugged Yetta.

>>21200152
Yetta.
Now.

>>21200152
[x] Buck up, finish this report.
Kotters is writing your quest. Everyone's going to die, just lay back and accept it. It will be easier that way.

>>21200235
>Everyone is going to die
>0 confirmed deaths

>>21200243
>Somebody is not going to die
>0 confirmed immortals

>>21200252
>somebody is going to die
>0 confirmed mortals

>>21200243
Should we expect some sort of incest chicken, then?

>>21200243
Tom's dead, Ogawa's dead, and half of these trainees are going to die in their first combat action.

>>21200243
Then what do you call Harumi's head popping like a ripe watermelon shot with a 12-gauge?
Or all of the men who died on the Tullabee?

>>21200268
Tom walks into your office.

"Hi sis"

[ ] Chicken
[ ] Chicken

Or that wacked out Aussie that got shot when he rushed Socks?

>>21200152
>[ ] Buck up, finish this report.

>>21200274
>[x] Chicken

>>21200274
Oh god I didn't mean it

>>21200271
>reading the backstory

Holy fuck what

File: 1350699063398.jpg-(192 KB, 855x636, israelhexen_italian_semia(...).jpg)

...You stop yourself. You need to talk to someone. Fast. You rub your temples a few times before getting up. Who's free right now? Alice and Socks are probably busy doing their things, though they'd probably drop what they're doing to help you out. It's tempting, but...the weren't there on the Tullibee. They didn't go through what you did, though Socks might be able to get a good idea secondhand.

No, you need someone further back, someone that knows what it's like to really face death and disaster in the face. Out of those still around, that's...Yetta. Miranda. Rae. You'd probably head to Rae first, even though you feel like she wouldn't be the best at examining feelings and the like. She's out, though, doing something for you. Yetta's teaching and probably looks up to you. Wouldn't do to let her see you like this. That leaves...

Miranda. Where is Miranda, anyway? What does she do? Where does she go? It suddenly strikes you that you don't really know her that well. She's a radio witch, the former radio officer on the Tullibee. She's proficient with chopsticks, and...

You draw a blank.

[ ] Check some of the rack rooms
[ ] Maybe she's taking a break in the cafeteria
[ ] Wander the halls
[ ] Other

>>21200381
[x] Other
We're both radio witches, yes?
Maybe use magical radio to contact her?

>>21200381
[x] Use the witch radio to ask where she is

>>21200381
Get her on the magic radio

>>21200381
>[ ] Check some of the rack rooms
this

>>21200381
Witch radio, or failing that, rack rooms.

>>21200381
[x] Other
Witch Radio.

>>21200454
>Wanting to check out her rack
This isn't the time, anon.

>>21200381
>We're magic, use magic.

>>21200470
Kotters which witch has the best rack?

>>21200486
Define "best"

>>21200499
perkiest.

>>21200499
Perhaps it would be easier for you to provide a list of their general qualities and we will make an informed decision.

>>21200499
Better than all the rest.

>>21200499
Judged by size and shapeliness, ten points in each category.

>>21200516
>>21200513
>>21200512
>>21200510
>>21200486
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you /tg/ on a Friday night.

Wait. She's a radio witch. Duh.

<Miranda, you there?> you ask, using one of your more conventional abilities for once.

<Oh, Cleona! This is a surprise. Hello!> Miranda answers.

<Hey. Do you have a moment to...talk?>

After several seconds, <Yes, meet me in the lounge.>

You blink. <We have a lounge?>

<Yes, it's a civilian facility, you know. It's the first left turn past the Cafeteria stairwell, think you can figure out how to get here?>

Just past the Cafeteria? <Yeah, I think so. Talk to you in a bit.>

Grabbing Tom's letters, you head on over, your mind still muddled by your morbid thoughts. As you walk into the room you notice that it has several comfortable-looking couches and chairs scattered about. There are several tables in the middle of the room. A radio is tucked into the corner. The lounge is well-lit and scarcely populated. There's one person in the room besides Miranda, seated in the opposite corner.

"Hello, Cleona," Miranda greets. "What did you want to talk about?"

[ ] Um...can we talk privately?
[ ] I just got these...
[ ] Other

>>21200587

[ ] Kiss her.

>>21200587
>[ ] I just got these...

>>21200587
>[x] Um...can we talk privately?
It's kind of private.

>>21200608
Having a hard time not seconding this.

>>21200587
[x] I just got these...

Miranda gibe hugs ;_;

>>21200587
[x] Um...can we talk privately?
Breaking down in view of the help is generally considered poor form.

>>21200587
[x] I just got these

>[x ] Kiss her.

>>21200679
Go back to being better and more popular.

Or I'll write lewd Merlin.

>>21200634
Yeah fuck it.

[x] Kiss her

>>21200608
>>21200679
Can't resist anymore.
>[x ] Kiss her.
Or hugs.

>>21200685
I will kill you in your sleep.

Merlin is pure.

>>21200608
How can I say no

>>21200608
>>21200634
>>21200679
>>21200694
>>21200762
What the Hell?
Besides being wildly out of character, it's like you've completely forgotten that Yetta and Odessa exist.

>>21200685
I might accept that if she was being innocently suggestive while trying to get/eating more godly cake.

>>21200783
Yetta and Odessa are little-sister tier.

>>21200783

Yetta is training Odessa. With other witches.

>>21200783

shit, you're right.

changing my vote to

[ ] I just got these...

>>21200783
I'm just going with the flow.

>>21200587
[x] kiss her

>>21200783

I had no idea that this would go out of hand. All the hands.

Officially changing to

>[ ] I just got these...

>>21200798
Yetta, maybe, but Odessa is far from.
And you want to cheat on them, and Socks, with a girl we barely know.

>>21200830
Well thanks for your trolltastic answer, anon.

>>21200844
I'd prefer a Caulders but she isn't around.

>>21200783
And Socks.

File: 1350701342263.jpg-(62 KB, 253x750, shit_i_put_up_with.jpg)

>Do my best to write around this fucking turn of events
>Anon gets guilty behind my back

Fuck it, I toned it down anyway.

---

Emotion overwhelms you. Clenching your fists (and slightly crumpling Tom's letters in the process), you try to contain yourself.

"Cleona?" Miranda asks. "Are you ok?"

No. No. Dammit. This is what you wanted, but her tender voice's concern is breaking down your self control. You can't, you won't—

"Miranda!!" you cry as you step forward. Grim visions of the future flash through your mind all at once. It's too much to bear. You cling to her as well as you can as your legs give way.

"C-Cleona! What's wrong!?" Miranda's voice is full of worry. "Did something happen?"

"I..." you begin, but you can't speak. Is this really you? Are so easily taken by your imagination?

"Here, Cleona, sit down! Take some deep breaths!" She carefully grips you, aiding you as you try to take a seat. The other room's occupant shifts uncomfortably.

You take her advice, spending several minutes recollecting yourself. Finally returning to something like normal, you look at your fist. Oh. Tom's letters. That nearly gets you going again.

"What are those?" Miranda asks, pointing to the letters.

[ ] I just got my mail...
[ ] Hand them to her
[ ] Other

>>21200864
[x] I just got my mail...

>>21200864
[x] Hand them to her

Also, >taking troll answers seriously

>>21200864
[x] I just got my mail...

>>21200864
>[ ] I just got my mail...

>>21200864
[x] Other

Kiss her

>>21200864

>[ ] I just got my mail...

>>21200864
>[X] Hand them to her

>>21200888
Not the right time.

>>21200864
[x] Hand them to her
Eh, good enough Kotters.

>>21200897
I guess you are right.

Maybe later then.

Alright we may as well settle this democratically as it seemed to work in Strikers '89 so far

Waifu Poll:
[ ] Socks
[ ] Miranda
[ ] Rae
[ ] Yetta
[ ] Odessa
[ ] Other

Also
>implying martians have genders

>>21201004
[x] Yetta

Yetta is olev.

You open your fist. Slowly, pathetically, you flatten them out. Why did you do that? Why are you acting like such a wreck? This isn't you. You don't break apart. "I just got my mail," you say. You thought your voice would be steady. It was croaky.

"...Oh," Miranda says, understanding. "Did someone...?"

You shake your head. "No. Not yet. Not...yet...."

Miranda nods. "Then what happened?"

"My brother. He's out there. Fighting. He's in battles. He's already...already almost died."

Miranda waits expectantly.

"...What if he dies, Miranda? What if you die? What if we all die? What about everyone that has died?" you ask.

"...If we die, if he dies...then that's that. That's War, Cleona," she answers solemnly.

[ ] But!
[ ] Nod quietly
[ ] Other

>>21201004
[x] Socks
No question.

>>21201021
[x] Nod quietly

Cookie a strong independant American subwitch ;_;

>>21201021
Miranda is remarkably unhelpful while also being remarkably helpful.

Nod quietly and realize that billions of people are dealing with the exact same shit as we are right now and we can handle it as well as anyone.

>>21201004
[x] Odessa

dem batwings mang

>>21201021
[x] Nod quietly
We're a warrant officer. We don't break apart like this.

>>21201021
Kotters make another note to ask Socks if there are girl martians.

>>21201021
>[ ] But!

>>21201004
Shush.
Which is to say, Socks AND Odessa.

>>21201021

[x] Nod quietly

>>21201021
[x] Nod quietly.

>>21201021
>[ ] Nod quietly and wait for obligatory head pat.

>>21201060
You make a mental note to ask Socks.

>>21201021
>[x]But!
Followed immediately by quieting down and
>[x]Nod quietly

Miranda has a point, this is war, and it happens, the best you can do is to keep it together and try to get through until the war is over and done.

>>21201021
>[ ] Nod quietly
keep it together dammit. We have made it through tough times before

You want to protest. That's not right. People shouldn't just die. Then it hits you: millions of people are dealing with this right now. Every one of them. This war affects every person on the planet, and several off it if you include the Martians. The slightest twist of fate and poof! There they go, inflating the death count and fading into the background. That's life. You're your own main character, but your story is just a drop in the bucket.

It chills you to your core, this realization. It threatens to make your brittle calmness shatter into a million pieces. Then the injustice of it all hits you. You shouldn't have to put your life on the line. Your friends shouldn't. Millions of people shouldn't.

Tom shouldn't.

And it's this anger that saves you. You feel yourself thaw, coming back to life. This war...it has to end. Life still won't be perfect, but at least young men and women won't be sent off to die on strange battlefields...or worse, familiar ones.

All this comes to you instinctively, in an instant. You know what you have to do. It's back, you realize. You're back. War sucks. Make it end.

You nod silently at Miranda's words.

"Don't worry," Miranda continues. "You're not alone."

And those simple words threaten to send you tumbling back over again.

[ ] What do you mean?
[ ] Collect and nurture the flames.
[ ] Other.

>>21201194
[ ] What do you mean?

Share our feels?

>>21201194
>[ ] Collect and nurture the flames.
Get mad, Cleo.

>>21201194
[x] Collect and nurture the flames.

Punch the nearest Martian!

>>21201194
[x] What do you mean?

>>21201194
[x] Other.
"Thanks Miranda. I needed that."
Hug Miranda. Get your shit together; CPO Cleona Kuykendall has work to do, and we're not some pansy-ass commissioned that needs enlisted to do their lifting for them.

>>21201220
He's already been crushed today.

>>21201238
Speaking of which, are all of the other witches officers?

What was our deal again that made us different?

>>21201194
Hugs.
Maybe [ ] What do you mean?

>>21201253
>are all of the other witches officers?
Yeah, they're all commissioned.

>What was our deal again that made us different?
We're a warrant officer. We specifically refused the automatic commission that Witches are entitled to. It means we work for a living.

>>21201276
Not ALL just most.

Examples: Miyafuji and Wilma Bishop.

>>21201253
Well, in my notes, Cookie is someone who initially disliked most other witches as they tend to take the easy way out and use their special status to get special treatment. She deliberately enlisted as a result. She gained this sense of working for your rewards during the Depression.

>>21201263
What... -_-?

File: 1350703945889.jpg-(187 KB, 1440x900, cookie.jpg)

>>21201004
Fuck you guys. Let's keep this platonic.

You're teetering on that edge again, but...this piques your interest. You don't know much about Miranda.

"What do you mean?" you ask.

Miranda looks at her feet. "My friend, Felix. His letters stopped coming about five months ago." Miranda shugs. "I was...torn up about it, you know. Being on a submarine means mail can't get to you as often, but when I got assigned to the Tullibee, I had a chance to get caught up. His old letters showed up, but nothing new. Finally, I got a letter from his friend."

"What happened?"

"Killed in action. Hit by a stray bullet while his platoon was retreating."

A stray bullet. Not even a targeted attack, maybe even friendly fire.

"I know what you're thinking," Miranda says, "and I thought it too. I was a wreck while we were on the Tullibee."

You blink. What? Miranda seemed fine.

Miranda chuckles as she reads your face. "I know, I did a good job of hiding it, didn't I?"

>>21201540


"Yeah, I didn't even..."

"You know what got me over it? When we were on that alien submarine, death or worse facing us...I realized that's just how things are. You can fight them, you can try to change them, but that's how it is. If things don't go happy, then that's that. You have to move on or life will pass you by. If you don't have life afterwards...then I guess you won't be around to regret it." Miranda's somber voice somehow steadies you.

"So when we escaped...?"

"I had decided that whatever happens happens. The only alternative is moping around, not even trying to have a hand in your future." She puts a hand on your shoulder. "It's not an easy thing, fighting, trying to live. But it's better than nothing."

You look at her in a new light. She's accepted reality. No, that's not right. She's accepted the nature of reality. Even as she fights for change, for an end to this war, she knows that things could end badly for no reason at all. She's accepted that.

You don't know if you can do that.

[ ] But you'll try.
[ ] You're just not that kind of person.
[ ] Other.

>>21201546
>[x] You're just not that kind of person.
Optimism, ho!

>>21201546
[x] You're just not that kind of person.

Things will not end badly because we will not let them.

>>21201546
[x] You're just not that kind of person.

When you become fine with war... that's when you're the worst off.

>>21201546
[x] But you'll try.

[x]But you'll try

Less moping, more doing things. Let's not turn into an emo here.

You're just not that kind of person. It's not in your nature to just accept things as they are; if you did, you'd probably be some shiny Commander somewhere, relaxing as some poor enlisted saps clean your Strikers or something. You fight to make points, to do better, to change things. Miranda's fighting for a change (the end of the war), but it's different: if the war goes badly, or if she drops dead, she'd be ok with it.

You wouldn't.

But now you know. Even with a different viewpoint, Miranda's helped you. You can see now what you need to do, what you need to focus on. You don't like that everyone's lives are in danger? Remove the danger. Keep fighting. Keep trucking. Keep training. Keep trying. For Miranda, those actions are...mechanical. No, that's not it; she's emotionally invested in this fight, but not the way you are. Not so deeply. Not down to your core.

Not personally. Not anymore.

"I don't think I can see things your way, Miranda," you say at last, "but I think I know how to deal with it now."

Miranda nods. "That's alright. I'm still trying to figure myself out. Maybe I'll see things differently one day...As long as I helped, though, that's enough." She smiles. "That it?"

[ ] Yeah
[ ] Actually...
[ ] Other

>>21201867
[x]Actually...

So yeah, what do you think about working with Martians? 'Cause we might be a whole boatload of them.

>>21201915
>we might be a whole boatload of them

Oh dear sweet jesus what

>>21201938
Would you a boatload of Martians?

>>21201938
That's how martians reproduce. They infest witches with their spores and then the witches explode into thousands of baby martians.

File: 1350706495994.gif-(598 KB, 300x168, sweet_jesus.gif)

>>21201952

>>21201867
[x] Yeah
"Thanks Miranda."
Now it's time to get work done.

>>21201938
Goddammit.

We might be *getting* a whole boatload of them.

I just accidentally a whole boatload of martians. Is this bad?

>>21201867
[x] Yeah...

And then lets get around to writing Tom. Poor thing's probably worried about us.

>>21202064
or dead

>>21202113
Or dead worried.

>>21201004
[x]Socks

You nod. "Yeah, thanks." You get up from the chair next to Miranda and turn to her. "Sorry about all this."

"No no, it's no trouble."

You smile and offer her your hand. Miranda looks at it for a moment, then looks up at your face. A few awkward seconds pass before...

"Dammit, Cleona!" Miranda gets up and hugs you. "Don't mope around, alright? Don't die on us, don't let us down. We care, you know!"

Surprised, it takes you a moment to reciprocate. "I do, I do. Else you'd all have tossed me overboard before we even saw Jayapura."

Miranda smiles. "You'd better believe it."

As you leave, you realize you have a lot to think about, a lot to digest. Hell, you still have a report for MacArthur to read that you need to finish. But first, maybe you'll get around to writing Tom. How would you start? Maybe something like...

Dear Tom, how are you doing? I'm doing alright, though I've had a few close encounters. Still nothing on the love front, though I've made some great friends...

NEXT TIME ON SUBWITCHES: MORE CHARACTERIZATION IS MORE GOODER RIGHT?
WEDNESDAY, 8 PM EST

>>21201915
Maybe we should finish informing Brass about the other Martian before telling everyone else. Go finish that incident report.

File: 1350707495416.jpg-(Spoiler Image, 201 KB, 711x517)

>>21201915
>>21201947
>>21201952

Sure is Subwitches fapfiction in here

>>21202184
TWQ when?

>>21202184
Is that a giant sperm?

Also, write some fucking tankwitches goddamn.

>>21202184
I believe thats the squidbaby from that shit tier movie... Fuck what was it called... Prometheus?

>>21202164
Dear Tom

Not dead yet.

How about you?

>>21202234
Return to Sender: Killed in Action

>>21202289
For Sale
Baby Shoes
Never Worn

>>21202318
Kotters you never answered which witch has the best knockers.

File: 1350708674320.png-(Spoiler Image, 217 KB, 1000x700)

>>21202359
There can only be one

>>21202375
For real though panzer, I actually enjoy TWQ. When are you going to run it again?

>>21202359
The dead one.

>>21202386
I'm moving across the barren wastelands of Kanadia in a weeks time, so some time after that. I swear. It will happen as soon as I can make it happen

Sylwia X Yetta adorable polack fics fucking when?

>>21202359
Define "Best"

>>21202474
Rate them by size and shapeliness, both categories each having a score out of 10, allowing a total of 20 points.

>>21202495
Cookie has the best breasts.

>>21201004
Socks