>>2561073
4/4
>Rendezvous with Akashi—Staff Assignment (Medical Unit)
>Review the MagiTek Requisition Approval (Compound Office, Magitek Administrator)
>Standard Requisition Review (Compound Office, Requisition Staff)*
>Supply Unit Check
>KanMusu Facilities Review
>Admiralty Liaison (Main Office)*
>Meet with Unassigned KanMusu
>District Management (Fingers's Office)

Also, to kind souls wishing to keep me up all night, you can "Buy Me A Coffee" at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/CnaZ3B8yg

>>2561082
>>Admiralty Liaison (Main Office)*
>find Ooyodo to meet with the new recruits
please tell me if im remembering this right Mech

>>2561157
Supporting.

>>2561157
supporting

File: Pony Tailed Guy With Glasses.jpg (14 KB, 210x240)

14 KB JPG

You step into the welcome warmth of the Admiralty Liaison’s Office, stretching and yawning as you throw a look around the place. As before, it was in impeccable order. As was the Liaison who was in the middle of the bustle of work, looking as though he had sprouted out from between the sheets of words than the tryst of a man and a woman. Your entrance immediately gets his attention as he shuffles a set of files and places them in an out-box, moving from behind the table and stepping his gangly form to square off against yours, standing barely a foot away from you.

‘I believe that I told you that there wouldn’t be any assignments until next week,’ he starts coolly, ‘or do you have another reason that you’ve come this early in the morning to see me?’

‘Good morning to you, too,’ you grumble, tucking your own files underneath your armpits as you meet his gaze. ‘I see that you’ve got everything still in order.’

‘One does not take up a role that they’re not prepared to make efficient,’ the Liaison replies neutrally, looking you up and down with an expression between disdain, scrutiny … and impatience. It was as if you were wasting his time. ‘One that I hope that the last several weeks of your command have at least taught you, Commander.’

You don’t give him the satisfaction of a reply.

>‘You sure you don’t have any assignments for me?’
>‘How’re my approval ratings looking?’
>‘You mentioned the ISSF yesterday. Any chance you’d be willing to share a friendly chat about that?’
>‘Fine, I was just paying courtesy anyway. Ciao.’ (Leave)
>Write-In

>>2561272
>‘Fine, I was just paying courtesy anyway. Ciao.’ (Leave)

>>2561272
>>‘How’re my approval ratings looking?’

Just for sake of curiosity

>>2561272
>>‘How’re my approval ratings looking?’
yea why not
doesnt hurt to check

File: Old Timey Music.jpg (9 KB, 225x225)

9 KB JPG

Since you were around, you decide to ask anyway, ‘So, how are my approval ratings looking?’

The Liaison steps away from you (although he did still keep one eye on your person) as he approaches his table, randomly picking up a piece of paper and mumbling as he read off the top of the sheet before looking up, a small twinge of … amusement in his cheeks. He crosses his arms, the paper crumpling into the crook of elbow as his nostrils flared in tandem with dancing colours in his eyes.

‘Everybody thinks that you’re a pain in the ass,’ the Liaison utters. That wasn’t surprising, of course. ‘Except for the Haszadians.’

That was.

‘Oh?’

‘Yes.’ He nods. ‘They want to dump you into an active volcano with a stick of dynamite shoved down your throat.’

You shrug.

It was … understandable.

>‘You sure you don’t have any assignments for me?’
>‘How’re my approval ratings looking?’
>‘You mentioned the ISSF yesterday. Any chance you’d be willing to share a friendly chat about that?’
>‘Fine, I was just paying courtesy anyway. Ciao.’ (Leave)
>Write-In

>>2561358
>>‘You mentioned the ISSF yesterday. Any chance you’d be willing to share a friendly chat about that?’
i can understand the hate

>>2561358
>‘Fine, I was just paying courtesy anyway. Ciao.’ (Leave)

Do some stuff

>>2561358
>‘Fine, I was just paying courtesy anyway. Ciao.’ (Leave)

File: HmmmHm.jpg (25 KB, 704x396)

25 KB JPG

‘Fine,’ you sigh, raising a hand and turning on your heel. ‘I was just paying my courtesies anyway.’

He doesn’t even bother to throw up a hand back. You enter the cold corridor, immediately missing the toasty warmth of the room you had just departed, even as it shuts itself to your back with a loud slam. A glance at your watch tells you that there was still a lot of work to do. A lot of work that involved a more hands-on, in-your-face experience compared to the dregs of paperwork that you had been subjected to before. You’d actually assumed the opposite before: that the higher-up you went, the less walking around you were expected to perform.

Staring at the task sheet, you sadly lament how it wasn’t the case anymore.

3/4
>Rendezvous with Akashi—Staff Assignment (Medical Unit)
>Review the MagiTek Requisition Approval (Compound Office, Magitek Administrator)
>Standard Requisition Review (Compound Office, Requisition Staff)*
>Supply Unit Check
>KanMusu Facilities Review
>Admiralty Liaison (Main Office)*
>Meet with Unassigned KanMusu
>District Management (Fingers's Office)

>>2561413
>>Supply Unit Check
we didnt do this last time so lets check on it

>>2561413
>>Supply Unit Check

File: Spoiler Image (687 KB, 700x950)

687 KB PNG

You run your arms as you jog across the compound, trying to find the supply unit office. You pivot on the spot, throwing an uncertain glance to your left … then to your right. You weren’t sure where the supply units were. Yesterday, you’d had the good luck of Takao being around to guide you through the motion. Today? It was an issue that you had to sort out for your—

‘Sorry, sir!’

You step out of the way, instantly recognizing the purple-haired KanMusu as Akebono, carrying something that was much too bulky for her to balance or carry … if she was the junior high girl whose visage she sported. She throws an apologetic glance your way as you stare at her, then at the line of Destroyers that appeared to have taken the responsibility of hauling the bulky-looking boxes, crates and the like, which probably weighed less than notebook to them at their full activation potential.

‘No, I’m the one who should be saying sorry,’ you apologize, moving further away from them. ‘Where are you girls carrying that stuff?’

‘We’re headin’ to the Supply Unit Quartermaster to make sure that everything we got’s in order.’

‘R-Really? You mind if I tag along with you?’

Akebono shrugs.

That was as good a reply as any.

You’re an odd sight. Half a dozen girls who could pass for junior high entrants carrying huge, bulky materials as though they weighed little more than fruits and half-filled sacks march in front of you in a line reminding you of an ant trail, the large items hovering over their heads and would most probably kill them if they so much as lost their balance … if they were human. Akebono and the girls lead you to the edge of the compound (closer to the water than to the city) to what appeared to be a new building. It wasn’t that big; it was barely larger than the Admiral’s own mobile office. The paint hadn’t even been applied yet. The place looked more like a fisherman’s rental shack than it did anything resembling a professional office.

The warehouse next door, however, immediately addressed that concern.

It was at least the length of the RAY’s docks, if not a little bit more. Akebono waves you off as you break off from her lead, throwing up a salute as you call out your thanks and head into the door … and immediately find yourself surprised by the person manning the counter.

‘Tenryuu? What are you doing here?’

‘Doing my job,’ Tenryuu answers nonchalantly, leaning over and placing her hands on her palms. ‘And you were meant to be in here yesterday. What gives?’

You look around. The place was eerily identical to the manner of order that the Liaison had set his office in. You can tell that much. Files, cabinets and rows upon rows of shelves were set behind Tenryuu as a makeshift light shone from above.

She was also clad in her bikini.

‘I …’

>>2561680
>'So, I'm supposed to do a supply check here? That's it?'
>'Why are you wearing a swimsuit? I'm getting colder just looking at you.'
>'Yeah, sorry. I had a full schedule yesterday.'
>'I just saw you on the beach. How'd you get here so fast?'
>Write-In

>>2561695
>>'Yeah, sorry. I had a full schedule yesterday.'
>i had to talk with the Admiral for awhile yesterday about something

>>2561699
basically this

File: You're A Bad Influence.jpg (128 KB, 850x696)

128 KB JPG

‘Yeah, sorry, had a full schedule yesterday.’ You take a brief pause, thinking back to the events of the day before … and realizing that you still had quite a schedule ahead of you right now. There was quite a bit to catch up with, really. ‘I had to talk to the Admiral about a few things … things that I’ll hopefully be able to sort out by today.’

‘Oh, you mean about the new Secretary, huh?’

You wear a tight smile, already knowing where the conversation was going to veer towards.

‘I don’t blame you.’

You blink, staring at your Light Cruiser in surprise.

‘It’s a hard sell, that position,’ she utters agreeably, sagely nodding for emphasis. You have to wonder for a moment if what you were hearing was real. ‘I’d be putting my resume up myself … and I’d welcome it, but with everything that’s going on, I think this is one time that I’ll be glad for someone else to take the reins.’

That … was something you didn’t quite expect. ‘Why?’ you ask.

‘Well,’ Tenryuu chuckles slightly, scratching the back of the head, ‘no offence meant, sir, but you’re a little … [i[off your rocker for me. You’re not what I’d call a hive-kicker, but considering the circumstances, you’re probably going to need someone either used to operating in discretion with no feedback relay or someone that’s actually as crazy as you to follow through with the kind of madcap stuff that you get up to in your free time. I ain’t saying anything, but I’ve seen the records. I think Yuubari’s considering forms of intoxication as a method of adjusting herself to your pace.’

You grimace.

‘That’s not praise, is it?’

‘Not in the slightest, no. You’re a grown man and I’m not going to … knock you anymore than I already have, but whoever you choose—and I, again, mean no offence by this—is going to have to deal with you on the whole, and as much as I want the position … I don’t think that I’ll be able to cope with how breakneck you take terminology and comprehension of the possible outcomes.’

‘And that means …’

‘It means that if I’m somehow your choice, I don’t have confidence at keeping my sanity,’ she states bluntly, wearing a coy smirk, ‘and as much as an entertaining Command—Vice-Admiral you are, I’d rather see someone who can either tug you back to the right side of the road to take that post.’

‘You don’t trust yourself?’

‘Sir,’ Tenryuu laughs, jabbing a playful finger into your chest. ‘With all due respect, you’re a bad influence on me as is. I don’t need to go around thinking that I’m some transcendent revenant with designs on integrating into humanity anymore than I do your lack of discipline, recklessness and unorthodoxy. I’m fine where I am, thank you very much.’

She frowns.

‘Although, if the Admiral asked …’

‘Tenryuu.’

She grins, drawing her finger back.

>>2561966
>'It's too bad. I was thinking of giving you the job.' (Offer Tenryuu the position of Secretary)
>'Let's get down to business, then.' (Supply Tutorial)
>'So why the swimsuit?'
>'Right, see ya.'
>Write-In

>>2561976
>Already gave Takao the job.

>>2561976
>>'So why the swimsuit?'

>>2561976
>>'Let's get down to business, then.' (Supply Tutorial)

Rolled 3 (1d3)

>>2561995
>>2561999
>>2562010
Rolling a 3-sided (digital) die and ...

File: Drink it It's safe.jpg (563 KB, 1536x2048)

563 KB JPG

‘So, let’s get down to business, then,’ you declare, getting a professional nod of acknowledgement from your subordinate, who takes her elbow off the table and steadies herself into an upright stance and wears an expectant glance. ‘What’s this section supposed to be responsible for?’

‘Supplies is a bit of a misnomer,’ Tenryuu begins, letting out a sigh. ‘This is actually a depot for anything the patrols bring in. Think of it as the storage basin for a surplus that you can use to do whatever you want. You can keep stockpiling and stockpiling, no one’s stopping you there, but you’re going to be sending us out without proper enhancements, so I’d really like if you’d be able to get the balance right.’

‘That goes without saying,’ you snort, right as Tenryuu moves to the back and picks up a thick-looking file, pulling it up and dropping it onto the counter. You take a step back in surprise, a little intimidated by how much strain the string holding the thing was under.

‘What’s that?’

Tenryuu grins. ‘The basics, of course.’

It takes an hour and some to cover half the basics. Most of it was drivel on the government regulation on the retrieval of Abyssal Red-corrupted minerals, but some of the important details actually detailed how research institutes were practically exempt from any scrutiny. It was the one of the few things that the Congregation of Lords and the League of Nations agreed to in regards to the stockpiling of Abyssal Red … in that due to its inherent danger, there was a set amount that could be stockpiled … and the rest would be given to a joint holding between the Admiralty, the League and the Congregation of Lords. They treated it as though it was a cancerous growth … and that the grades of it were only available in set limits in regards to current weapons development.

That was probably why your KanMusu still had their guns. You were still picking out from previous stockpiles to keep their gear up and running.

‘So, basically,’ you drone—again—and rub your temples. ‘Everything goes here until I request it to be sent to …’

‘The three uses of Abyssal Red stocks are: to the MagiTek Department if you want to put your stock towards gear development or to hasten research; to Akashi’s unit if you need us out there within 24 hours … or to Yuubari if you want to keep her happy. There’s a restriction on stock as it counts as a hazardous material, but … well, you can keep as much Uncorrupted Blood as you can, if you can recover it, but per Command? 50 units tops. Anything after that gets sent to the Admiralty.’

‘Right. So …’

‘You only need to come here to check your stockpile. That’s it.’

‘Thanks, Tenryuu.’

She throws up a salute and a wink as you move to leave.

‘You’re welcome, sir.’

2/4
>Rendezvous with Akashi—Staff Assignment (Medical Unit)
>Review the MagiTek Requisition Approval (Compound Office, Magitek Administrator)
>Standard Requisition Review (Compound Office, Requisition Staff)
>Supply Unit Check
>KanMusu Facilities Review
>Admiralty Liaison (Main Office)
>Meet with Unassigned KanMusu
>District Management (Fingers's Office)

>>2562181
>>KanMusu Facilities Review
this is the other thing we didnt check last time

>>2562181
>KanMusu Facilities Review

>>2562181
>>KanMusu Facilities Review

>>2562181
>>KanMusu Facilities Review

>>2562181
>>Rendezvous with Akashi—Staff Assignment (Medical Unit)

To the Singaporeans coming back from work in an hour, I'll be posting up the next phase in a bit.

File: Spoiler Image (150 KB, 850x1202)

150 KB JPG

Finding the KanMusu Facilities Review Office was looking to be a much easier task compared to your search for Tenryuu’s office. In a welcoming turn, it also turned out to be inside the main building, which meant that the moment you found the office, you’d be rolling in toasty, comfortable warmth again. It was mid-morning now, the afternoon closer to you than daybreak … and the whole dig was easy to understand. The KanMusu Facilities Review was a sort of—you glance down at the piece of paper—extra-curricular luxuries and requisition unit that had been headed by Ooyodo, Yuubari and Nagato in the past, but according to Takao’s notes, none of those three were actively involved in its day-to-day management, and it’d been too busy to properly regroup their priorities in the wake of the Abyssal Assault. Priorities that … once you actually had a look-see, amounted to little more than …

Extra-curricular activities. As had been detailed before.

Tennis. Baseball. Stargazing.

“Things for us to do when we’re not doing anything” as written by Takao’s own shorthand probably didn’t do it justice. You’d just have to find out who was in charge to see just what did.

The door—as with many other rooms—wasn’t properly-installed yet.

You choose not to be cynical or assume the worst: that they hadn’t bothered with it just yet precisely because the KanMusus were using the room. You step into the place … and find yourself overlooking a trio of girls, who, from your size, you surmise to be … a Cruiser (Light or Heavy you couldn’t tell) in what was a wheelchair and two KanMusu who you recognize to be Hamakaze and …

No, you weren’t sure who the other one was.

You know you had seen her before, though.

Even if …

Ah, that was right. You’d encountered her that one time, with her sister … Naganami! What was her name again?

‘You think that they’re going to let us run this again? The only time they let us do stuff is when Ooyodo or Nagato were helping out …’

‘Don’t be so fussy,’ Hamakaze sounds, nodding sagely. ‘You’ve met the new Vice-Admiral, right?’

‘I don’t think he’s a bad guy, but … I heard from Samidare-chan that he can be pretty tight when it comes to it, you know? What if he tells us that this is just a waste of time?’

‘Then we’ll still have weekends free,’ Hamakaze encouraged. ‘It’s not like it’s the end of the world, right? They can’t stop us from—’

She stops, biting her lip and stepping away from the other silver-haired KanMusu. There’s an uncertain look in her eyes as she rubs her arm as the latter’s feet dangled from the edge of the table she was sitting on as they both wore mirrored looks.

‘Vice-Admiral, sir!’

You raise a hand, shutting the door behind you.

The KanMusu in the wheelchair frowns as she gazes at you … but otherwise says nothing, bobbing her head with a small nod.

>>2563129
>'You're right, extra-curricular activities are a waste of time. I'm nipping this in the bud.' (Dismantle it)
>'It's still Commander, actually.' (Casual)
>'I'd like to know what this ... department entails.' (Professional)
>'Sorry, uh ... I seem to have forgotten your name. And I've never seen you before.' (Embarrassed)
>Write-In

>>2563131
>>Write-In
>'It's still Commander, actually.' (Casual)
>'I'd like to know what this ... department entails.' (Professional)

show that we are chill but also be pro when needed

>>2563132
Both options lead to differing/conflicting branches.

>>2563131
>>'It's still Commander, actually.' (Casual)

>>2563131
>>'It's still Commander, actually.' (Casual)
this then

>>2563131
>'It's still Commander, actually.' (Casual)
>Write-in
“Good to see you two, Hamakaze, Kiyoshimo. And who might you be?”

>>2563141
>Kiyoshimo
ah yes, one of my favorite DD's

>>2563141
Oh, you remembered her.

>>2563143
Have to take the effort to remember things or be disliked by girls.

File: __hamakaze_kantai_collect(...).jpg (154 KB, 850x1201)

154 KB JPG

‘It’s still Commander, actually,’ you correct them, closing the door behind you. ‘And it’s nice to see you again, Hamakaze and …’

Oh, no, you had to think up something quick. What was her name again?

Ah, that was right.

‘Kiyohime.’

‘Just because Kiyo’s in our name doesn’t make us both Kiyos!’ she shrills, raising her hands and stomping her feet in one impressive motion. You give a slight chortle as she glares as you at the misstep of her name, but otherwise make up for it with a gentle pat on her head. She doesn’t appear to be properly sated, but the fact that your arm hadn’t been bent out of its socket tells you that the action wasn’t an unwelcome one.

Hamakaze snickers behind a gloved hand, turning to properly face you again.

‘Still getting used to things, are we?’

‘You could say that,’ you muse. ‘It’s a lot more gruelling than being behind a desk the whole day … I thought that the ink, paper and desk were the only things that were meant to get bigger with every promotion?’

‘Everything gets a little bit bigger and more hands-on as you go up the ladder,’ Hamakaze imparts sagely, wearing a sympathetic—and rather motherly—smile. ‘That’s just the way things work, after all. To that, though, I’m really sorry that our office has fallen onto your sheet of considerations, but … the Admiral seemed to think that you were more suited for it than the oth—I mean, the Vice-Admiral. So, I suppose that … we’ll be under your guidance?’

‘No, no, nothing so formal as that.’ You raise a hand, flapping it about and trying to bring a more relaxed atmosphere to the room. There wasn’t much tension, of course, but seeing Hamakaze’s gentle demeanour even show the slightest twinge of being intimidated, well … it was like dealing with a slightly older Samidare (although it really wasn’t—you got the drill). ‘I’m just here to do my job. You don’t have to call me boss or anything, just tell me what you girls need done.’

‘Can we have a table hockey machine?’

Oh, no. You weren’t going through that again.

You absently feel your shoulder. Bad memories, there.

‘We’ll see,’ you concede, ‘so this is …’

‘You can think of it as an activities board, of a sort,’ Hamakaze explains, ‘the name’s a little archaic because it used to be a petition unit for things like football fields or volleyball courts that some of the KanMusu want to build. Now, it’s mostly for KanMusu … luxuries, in a sense.’

‘Is that what Facilities Review stands for?’

‘Old title,’ Hamakaze repeats. ‘Our current agendas are to survey and meet requests for extra facilities that KanMusu would like to have around the base. New basketballs, a projector screen …’

File: __maya_kantai_collection_(...).jpg (236 KB, 850x1046)

236 KB JPG

'Basketball?'

'Th-There are those of us that play! I … I play!’

'Oh, maybe one of these days we can have a little one-on-one,' you joke, 'I always wanted to know what it'd be like to have a girl score on me.'

It takes about five seconds for the meaning behind your words to make sense to you. Hamakaze—bless her artificial core—doesn’t say a word, wearing a tight smile as her features turned a slight purple from the unfortunate wording. Kiyoshimo seems to get the gist of it, wearing a wry smile and staring down at her feet as the silence permeated through the room … before being broken by the wet snort of amusement from the wheelchair-bound KanMusu, who proceeds to turn it into a hacking laugh, shaking her head.

‘Man, when they told me that you were unconventional, they weren’t kiddin’! They dug you up somewhere fresh, I reckon?’

‘M-Maya-chan!’

She pushes her wheels forward, holding out a hand and smiling brightly in your direction.

‘We haven’t met before,’ The KanMusu known as Maya lets out happily, her previous reluctance and her lack of introduction but a distant memory in the face of the rather perky brown-haired woman. ‘I’m a transfer here from inland … well, I kinda transferred myself, but, hey, sometimes you just gotta be the one to push your own case through. They talk about you, you know?’

Her statements come hard and fast. You’re not sure—

Oh, grow up.

‘Maya’s the name,’ she introduces herself, almost squeezing the bones out of your fingers with her strong grip. ‘Whoops, sorry! Bad control!’

>‘Ow.’ (Whine)
>‘Nice to meet you, Maya. Why the wheelchair?’ (Introduce yourself)
>‘Maya … Maya … why does that sound familiar?’ (SPECIAL: TAKAO)
>‘They?’ (Curious)
>Write-In

>>2563166
>>‘Maya … Maya … why does that sound familiar?’ (SPECIAL: TAKAO)

>>2563166
>‘Maya … Maya … why does that sound familiar?’ (SPECIAL: TAKAO)

>>2563166
>>‘Maya … Maya … why does that sound familiar?’ (SPECIAL: TAKAO)

>>2563166
>‘Maya … Maya … why does that sound familiar?’ (SPECIAL: TAKAO)

File: Smile. Smile..jpg (162 KB, 850x1057)

162 KB JPG

‘Maya?’ You frown, turning your head up to the ceiling. You’d heard that name before … but where? ‘Why does that … sound familiar?’

No, it would be wrong to say that you’d heard that name before. You’d seen it before … and not on a variety show. It wasn’t even that far back either; that much you were aware of. You’d scanned through stacks and stacks of paper and plastic, going through forms and statements. You’d seen her name before; you were sure of it. The KanMusu in question tilts her head in confusion as you continued to scrutinize the origins of her familiarity. Where had you seen it before? Where had you read it before? She was a new arrival, so you couldn’t have actually encountered her, but that name … that name …

Then it hits you.

‘WAIT, YOU’RE TAKAO’S SISTER, AREN’T YOU?!’

‘Oh? You know Takao-nee?’

That wasn’t the question that you shouldn’t have been asking.

‘Wait, wait … Takao’s file had her coming out of evaluation because she lost all her sisters,’ you point out. ‘No offence, but … her career history specifically mentions you as being … dead.’

The other two girls shuffle uncomfortably in the corner of your eye, while Maya herself wears a wry smile as she rolls her chair back and hums in a manner you find much too casual for someone who had just been accused of being deceased. No, no, that hadn’t been a typo. You remembered it now. Takao’s evaluation had specifically warned you of her mental state—and that while it was stable, long-term reads on her situation were based on speculation. You’d elected to keep an eye on that in taking her on, but …

It didn’t make sense now. Maya, Takao’s sister, was alive. So why had—

‘On a technicality, yes, I am dead.’

‘What?’

‘My core, it’s … it’s damaged,’ she confesses, ‘and I’m not sure how long I got left. Every day a little something shuts down. I … lose a little more control, need a little less control. I’m not in full control of my body, yeah?’

As if for emphasis, Maya raises both her arms, turning her hands before setting them down on her chair rests.

‘I mean, we drop by the shelf,’ the KanMusu muses, her voice a lot more steady than you could see anyone else try to manage, ‘but I kind of got the slow burn. A direct hit to the core and a corruption that’s eating me from an inner layer to an outer one and back again. Already lost my legs! Nothing doing about that!’

She sounds much more cheerful than she should be.

You find yourself … almost blind-sided by how much she still has left in her.

Maya snickers, continuing, ‘You’d think that if they’re going to shove an arm into my diaphragm, they’d make it a clean hit, huh? Bastards. But it can’t be helped, right?’

She grins, the only bright spot in an otherwise silent chamber.

>Write-In

>>2563194
>>Write-In
im just going to pat her on the head lovingly while giving her a nice smile

>>2563194
>Write-In
“I don’t know if I would be as strong as you when my time comes.”

Apply soft headpats while smiling at the good girl.

“Thank you. For all that you have done. If you need help with anything, just let me know.”

The last thing she wants to hear is platitudes, pity or ‘im sorries’. Thanks though. That and gratitude for their sacrifices is always in short supply, especially for shipgirls out of commission.

>>2563199
Supporting

>>2563199
support

>>2563199
supporting

>>2563199
this

No session now, just a few supplementary prompts coming up if people wanna play.

>>2563874
you could post for when the session is over atleast

>>2563874
Sounds good, I'm here

File: __hamakaze_kantai_collect(...).jpg (71 KB, 827x1167)

71 KB JPG

You honestly don’t know what to say to that.

Neither do the girls around you, for that matter. In fact, they look downright uncomfortable at Maya’s admission. The girl in question doesn’t even show herself to be bothered by the statement … or to the reactions all around here. There was a strange confidence in her smile, even faced with a stark white truth. You’re not sure where she’s able to drag it out from, but you’re much too—and there was no two ways about it—impressed to question it. You take a deep breath, and (with a brain empty on other forms of input) you place your hand on her head. To your credit, she doesn’t immediately snap at your wrist.

‘Eh?’

You probably needed to come up with a quick response, however. She wasn’t one of yours.

‘Thank you for … all of your hard work.’ You try your best to sound reassuring. However, even for you, it comes off like the start of a cheesy retirement speech than anything with actual substance. ‘If there’s anything that you need at all, just let me know.’

‘Eh, that’s what I’m here for, right?’ Maya grins, grunting—and wincing—as she shifts herself in her seat. ‘Ya don’t have to pay tribute or nothing, sir. I’m not an invalid … just yet. I still got a few tricks up the old sleeve, yeah? I may look like this, but I can do a lot more than you think I can!’

‘I don’t doubt that one bit,’ you return, tussling her hair—which she strangely … seems to enjoy. ‘I do doubt that I’d be … as enthusiastic about you facing down my own mortality, though.’

‘We already died—’

‘MAYA-CHAN!’

You’re shaken from your casual talk (If it could be anything casual, anyway) by Kiyoshimo’s sudden—and furious—outburst. She looks … angry. Not the sort of triggered anger that you saw from when your usual … idiotic antics with your Division. Hamakaze actually looked furious. Her eyes, usually straightforward and certain, had an aggressive light to them, barely held in check. There was no personal animosity between the two, but what Maya had started on—and what you had followed—seemed to … set something alight within her. You open your mouth to say something to calm her down, but another glance at Maya, who throws a tight, apologetic smile, accompanied by a raised hand and a nonchalant wave as you detach yourself from her.

‘Yeah, yeah … we should get to work.’

Kiyoshimo releases a breath, patting her chest and taking a step back, but not before throwing you an uncertain look.

Hamakaze rubs the back of her neck and averting her eyes.

>‘What’s … going on?’ (Push the issue)
>‘Yeah, let’s get to work.’ (Call to business)
>‘Have you spoken to Takao?’ (Personal)
>Write-In

>>2564105
>>‘Yeah, let’s get to work.’ (Call to business)

>>2564105
>What’s … going on?’ (Push the issue)

>>2564105
>>‘Yeah, let’s get to work.’ (Call to business)

>>2564105
>‘Have you spoken to Takao?’ (Personal)

>>2564105
>‘Have you spoken to Takao?’ (Personal)

>>2564110
>>2564161
>>2564168
>>2564171
GM flips the coin and ... it lands! AND LEBRON JAMES MISSES THE FINALS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN EIGHT YEARS!

File: __maya_kantai_collection_(...).jpg (293 KB, 448x692)

293 KB JPG

‘Yeah, let’s get to work,’ you concur, not wishing to push the issue. ‘So what is it that I do here?’

‘Well,’ Kiyoshimo starts, picking up small collection of files from the table before walking over and handing them for you to take a look at. ‘a lot of the things that go on here are mostly independent of the Admiralty’s authority. That means we’re the ones in charge! I mean … you’re in charge of course, sir, but we kind of cover the basics. Uh, you’re not going to go around asking if people wanna have a go at tetherball or football yourself, so we kind of … form the committee on that. Right, Hamakaze?’

Hamakaze hesitates, briefly.

‘All of us do, I suppose,’ she agrees, biting her lip. ‘This used to be a petition office for extra-curricular activities and requisition for … anything that didn’t drop into the scope of combat or operations. It’s a sub-let of a logistical unit, in a sense, only focused on things that aren’t … critical. It used to intersect with the maintenance unit, but since the Admiralty pulled them into a more direct line of sight with operations, the office has mostly been left to its own devices. Ooyodo, Yuubari and Nagato have headed Yokosuka’s, but, well …’

‘Nagato-san’s only idea of fun is rock bands and cars,’ Kiyoshimo huffs, turning up her nose. ‘I can still hear them …’

That was an amusing fact.

One that you’d probably visit in the future if you had the chance.

‘Anyway,’ Hamakaze starts again, refocusing the flow of the conversation, ‘what we do here is basically listen to KanMusus who want to requisition things that aren’t … standard. Luxuries aren’t what we’re particularly inclined to, but, well, it’s hard to keep a bird from pecking.’

‘What kind of birds usually do the pecking, then?’

‘Not much,’ Maya joins in. ‘Most of the time, it’s a request for comics, books, some basketballs and sporting equipment …’

They were right. The “Facilities” part of the office label was a little bit of an artefact.

‘So, basically, all I do is come in, sign off on some things and just wait for them to come in? That kind of sounds a little too … direct, don’t you think?’

Maya and Hamakaze share a look. The latter proceeds to glance back at you, crossing her arms over her chest.

‘You also have to make sure that we don’t start asking for too much. I don’t like to say it, but KanMusu are kinda … fickle when it comes to knowing just how much of a good thing is a good thing. A little fun’s nice, but … we’re still a para-military operation. There needs to be a rigid line that we draw between addressing what we want … and prioritizing what you need.’

‘So, basically, I just stop before the complaints come in?’

‘In a sense,’ Maya chuckles. ‘Hopefully before.’

>>2564282
>‘Why do I have to do this again? I thought I was only meant to make sure my Division was happy?’ (Frustrated)
>‘How do I know if the KanMusu are having … too much fun?’ (Confused)
>‘Do we have a cost-benefit analysis of decision making processes?’ (Analytical)
>‘So what’re we requisitioning for today?’ (Start)
>Write-In

>>2564286
>>‘So what’re we requisitioning for today?’ (Start)

>>2564286
>So what’re we requisitioning for today?’ (Start)

>>2564286
>‘So what’re we requisitioning for today?’ (Start)

>>2564286
>‘So what’re we requisitioning for today?’ (Start)

>>2564332
sorry, ignore this vote.

>>2564286
>>‘So what’re we requisitioning for today?’ (Start)

File: DD_Hamakaze_B_Kai_558_Full.png (307 KB, 474x741)

307 KB PNG

‘So, what’re we requisitioning today?

Hamakaze moves to explain, taking a place beside you and pointing at a particular point on the form.

‘There’s three separate types of requisitions. We don’t have a proper quantification, but Yuubari-san was nice enough to give a scale that we operate on. The categories are small, moderate … or considerable. Each of these has a pull and push effect based on the logistics of the request, which … well, you can get. Small requests are for requests on a personal level. They don’t boost a lot of morale or lose a lot if they’re denied, either. More importantly, they don’t usually get the psych unit or Ooyodo’s current department angry.’

‘Huh?’

‘The psych unit kind of wants us a little … sharper than the median,’ Maya explains, tilting her head. ‘Something something killing instinct, something something dulling the edge and something something about treating us like kids and teenagers only inhibits us or whatever it was the Shamans taught ‘em. They’re also … kinda right, I guess? That a lot of us can get distracted mentally, so you don’t want to … indulge in the masses too much. One-on-one, in your Division? You can clarify and actually keep things levelled. When you’re addressing the whole base? Too much of a good thing does apply.’

You nod. ‘Right.’

Hamakaze moves to continue her work.

‘Moderate requests take more time to sort out … and more manpower and paperwork, so they become a little bit more tedious for the departments to sync around. They’re usually when more than just your usual bunch of KanMusu wants something … and they do provide a boost to morale, but again, you’re going to have to pull a balancing act with what you give around and what you get. Again, it’s not your Division that you’re dealing with, so if there’re any complaints, well, you know who’s going to come after you. You could probably get away with organizing two or three moderate events a week, but … anymore than that and you’re going to have a knock on your door.’

‘Right. And … considerable?’

‘Considerable requests are the ones that have huge affect on the logistical departments. You approval means that they’re righting themselves to sort your approval out, so if you really think that there’s a bit of a downer around the base, fulfilling a considerable request is a great way to push base morale right back up. They’re usually things like excursions or the erection of private facilities, so you have to be sure that you’re willing to take the heat and the aftermath.’

‘Got it. So what do we have?’

REQUESTS (DAY 59)
>New baseball kits for base use (Moderate)
>Kawakaze (DD) wants a pet cat (Small)
>Shigure (DD) requests a movie night (Small)
>Re-stock comics (Moderate)

>>2564531
Basically just APPROVE or DON'T APPROVE and remember APPROVING TOO MUCH TOO SOON = PISSED OFF DEPARTMENTS.

>>2564542
I'm also unsure on this mechanic on whether it needs a "time limit" on requests or should just disappear.

>>2564531
>Kawakaze (DD) wants a pet cat (Small)
>Shigure (DD) requests a movie night (Small)
Approve these ones.
Start off small, get something bigger after a while.

>>2564547
This one works.

>New baseball kits for base use (Moderate)
Approve
>Kawakaze (DD) wants a pet cat (Small)
Dont approve
not sure about pets on base
>Shigure (DD) requests a movie night (Small)
Approve
>Re-stock comics (Moderate)
Dont approve

What do you guys think? Baseball keeps em more active than comics and though its small, a pet can cause other issues

>>2564569
ill support this

>>2564569
this one

>>2564569
I find it hard to believe no one else has a pet in the entire base.

>>2564531
>New baseball kits for base use (Moderate)
No
>Kawakaze (DD) wants a pet cat (Small)
Yes
>Shigure (DD) requests a movie night (Small)
Yes
>Re-stock comics (Moderate)
No

>>2564603
Even if they do, its a little different from command *giving* you a pet. Taking in a stray might be overlooked even if its not allowed. Also, its the only request that only benefits one kanmusu, making it the least justifiable and helpful.

>>2564633
I'm willing to change vote if that can be arranged.
Is it possible?

>>2564636
General rule is no. Its why we are supposed to discuss before locking in.

File: __maya_kantai_collection_(...).jpg (132 KB, 850x1020)

132 KB JPG

It takes about an hour—and some consultants in the form of Ooyodo’s logistical assistants who fix you with a gaze that you could only fathom as sarcastic disapproval—to fill everything out, but the whole thing seems like an honest-to-goodness blur because, well … you were more curious about Maya. She may have been a bright spot in the room, but when it came to the negotiations; the talking, justification of your decisions, it became more apparent that the both of them were, indeed, sisters. There were quirks that differentiated them, of course. Maya liked to raise her voice and stamp it down a lot more than Takao ever did … and she was more upfront than Takao ever was, but seeing her work, even in her state, spoke—in volumes—just how sisterhood worked among KanMusu. More than genetic connections or ideals …

There were some things that just clicked.

‘All right, Vice—I mean, Admira—no, no, Commander. We’re all done here. If there’s a notification, we’ll hand it off to your Secretary.’

‘Of course.’ You nod, getting to your feet as Maya grunts with a push of her chair, trying to make her way behind a desk. ‘You sure that’s all you need?’

‘Yup!’ Maya cheerfully imparts. ‘Thanks for that! Feel free to drop by to have a chat, though! Usually the only ones that come around want something from the office.’

You pause.

>‘Actually … I’m willing to have a small chat now, if you’d like.’ (Skip work – CONSEQUENCES IN-BOUND)
>‘Will do, Maya. Take care of yourself.’ (Continue your rounds)
>Write-In

>>2564693
>>‘Will do, Maya. Take care of yourself.’ (Continue your rounds)

>>2564693
>‘Will do, Maya. Take care of yourself.’ (Continue your rounds)

>>2564693
>‘Will do, Maya. Take care of yourself.’ (Continue your rounds)

>>2564693
>>‘Will do, Maya. Take care of yourself.’ (Continue your rounds)
>Drop by the Dorm if you wanna have a chat or visit Takao

>>2564726
this one

File: __maya_kantai_collection_(...).jpg (141 KB, 850x1105)

141 KB JPG

‘Will do, Maya. Take care of yourself.’

She throws up a friendly wave …

But accompanies it with a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

>Rendezvous with Akashi—Staff Assignment (Medical Unit)
>Review the MagiTek Requisition Approval (Compound Office, Magitek Administrator)
>Standard Requisition Review (Compound Office, Requisition Staff)
>Supply Unit Check
>KanMusu Facilities Review
>Admiralty Liaison (Main Office)
>Meet with Unassigned KanMusu
>District Management (Fingers's Office)

>>2564779
>>Rendezvous with Akashi—Staff Assignment (Medical Unit)

>>2564779
>>District Management (Fingers's Office)

>>2564779
>>Rendezvous with Akashi—Staff Assignment (Medical Unit)

>>2564781 >>2564792
we did that yesterday guys

here is an iverview of what we've did yesterday and today
okay we did this stuff yesterday
>Rendezvous with Akashi—Staff Assignment (Medical Unit)
>Standard Requisition Review (Compound Office, Requisition Staff)
>Admiralty Liaison (Main Office)
and talked to the Admiral
and we did this today
>Supply Unit Check
>KanMusu Facilities Review
>Admiralty Liaison (Main Office)

>>2564795
No you didn't. You visited Akashi. You didn't "work" with Akashi. It's the same as seeing Tenryuu. There's "seeing" Tenryuu and then there's going to her shack and checking on the stock.

>>2564779
>District Management (Fingers's Office)

>>2564801
ah right then, thanks boss
ignore that part of the overview then

>>2564779
>>Rendezvous with Akashi—Staff Assignment (Medical Unit)

break time lads

>>2564779
>District Management (Fingers's Office)
>Ask about his gf

>>2564920
That's a social call. Not a work call.

>>2564779
>Rendezvous with Akashi—Staff Assignment (Medical Unit)

File: __akashi_kantai_collectio(...).jpg (604 KB, 838x1181)

604 KB JPG

When you’d entered the medical compound-within-a-compound, you didn’t have anything in mind that involved exiting said compound-within-a-compound and entering the cold air of the morn again, but … here you were. The building in front? That was fancy, clean … and tidy. What you were standing in front of was a walkway in front of what appeared to be the entrance to a bunker. Yet, this was where the staff members had directed you … and you can’t help but wonder what a fallout shelter was doing here: you’d never seen the place before. In fact, compared to the rest of HQ, which was open and professional, this part gave off a feel of a … forbidden section.

From what you were told, it was merely repurposed, but …

Deciding that it couldn’t be worse than what the rest of the bureaucracy threw at you, you key in the code, stepping into the empty chamber—which appeared to be an elevator of sorts, surrounded by concrete, claustrophobic walls … and smelling of salted fish. The drop isn’t far. At best, it’s only about twenty-five feet, with the eerie sound of clanging chains hitting your ears as you descend. The place was … old, and as they had said, definitely been repurposed. From what and to what wasn’t a question that you suspected would be getting much trouble asking around.

Four burly guards stand as the caged door of the elevator opens, allowing you to step into a dim, foreboding catwalk. You’re eerily reminded of the facility in Haszad, stepping through the corridors into what was a high-ceilinged corridor with doors lined by hazard markers, restricting entry to all but a few. You briefly wonder if this was some sort of hi-tech facility that was off the books … and that you were being drawn into something—

‘Oh, finally decided to pay a visit, aye?’

You turn around to see your pink-haired attendee, this time not in her uniform … or her bikini.

In fact, she was in the nude.

Not that anyone cared.

Not that there was anyone around to care.

She was covered head-to-toe in what you surmised to be sweat, the only thing resembling clothing the pair of dark blue goggles that were around her eyes, her hands on her hips and a small smirk on her face. You’re unsure what to make of it, but you’d seen one too many naked woman to have any sort of discernible reaction to the occurrence … so you gravitate towards the only logical step forward.

‘I see that you still haven’t done away with your pubic hair.’

Akashi gives your shins a swift kick.

It doesn’t really do anything.

‘So, how do you like the place? Pretty fancy, huh?’

>‘Can we just get to the crux of what I’m supposed to do here?’ (To the point)
>‘You have the mad scientist thing down pat. Sealed doors, slight mist. Impressive.’ (Joke)
>‘Fancy?’ (Confused)
>‘How long has it been here?’ (Inquire)
>Write-In

>>2566539
>>‘You have the mad scientist thing down pat. Sealed doors, slight mist. Impressive.’ (Joke)

>>2566539
>‘You have the mad scientist thing down pat. Sealed doors, slight mist. Impressive.’ (Joke)

>>2566539
>‘You have the mad scientist thing down pat. Sealed doors, slight mist. Impressive.’ (Joke)

>>2566539
>‘You have the mad scientist thing down pat. Sealed doors, slight mist. Impressive.’ (Joke)

DIGIMON
I
G
I
M
O
NOMIGID

To those disappointed at the lack of a session: I present to you one of the best introspective Sci-Fi films to pass the time, available on Youtube. Watch it. Enjoy it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYfFFOtXvXU

45 minutes until session of Shipgirl Commander re-starts.

File: Akashi In Bikini.jpg (108 KB, 600x800)

108 KB JPG

You give the place another look around. While you wouldn’t peg it as claustrophobic, it definitely had a … foreboding feel. Everything was black, grey or dull, the corridors were dimly lit and despite the very naked nature of the woman in charge … there was little in the frame of comfort among your surroundings. While you didn’t feel particularly in danger, you didn’t feel the inclination to want to spend the night here any more than you did in bear’s cave. The aesthetic was impressive, though. Having watched through one too many cheesy science fiction shows complete with the bad acting—and the occasional wink and smirk to the audience—you actually had an appreciation for what you took in; this place reeked of effort, if nothing else.

‘You have the mad scientist thing down pat,’ you let out with an impressive nod, folding your hands behind your back as you gave it another appreciative glance. ‘Sealed doors, slight mist. Impressive.’

Akashi snorts, rolling her eyes.

Apparently it wasn’t the first time someone had dropped critique on the feel of facility.

‘You’re the fourth person to say that to me,’ she replies, brushing the beads of swatting the apparent beads of sweat off the tips of her nipples. ‘It’s not as if I try to do this sort of thing, you know?’

‘Never said you did,’ you counter, still looking around. It did look cool, if nothing else. ‘So this is the …’

‘Specialized Medical Unit, yup.’

Her bright smile and the puff of her chest almost lightens the mood out.

>‘And is there a reason the head of the unit is stark naked?’ (Pointed)
>‘Right, let’s get started.’ (Get to business)
>‘You’re the only one around? I thought that I’m supposed to assign staff members.’ (Reference)
>‘Is there a reason it … smells like salted fish?’ (Casual)
>Write-In

>>2567377
>‘Is there a reason it … smells like salted fish?’ (Casual)

>>2567377
>>‘Is there a reason it … smells like salted fish?’ (Casual

>>2567377
>‘You’re the only one around? I thought that I’m supposed to assign staff members.’ (Reference)

File: __akashi_kantai_collectio(...).jpg (171 KB, 850x927)

171 KB JPG

‘Is there a reason it smells like salted fish?’

Akashi makes a face, holding up her hand and making a sound.

‘Akashi?’

‘It’s the charged concentration of the Fairy’s Tears,’ she admits. As if on cue, you spy a trio of fairies rolling out from one of the open doors at the end of the corridor, chirping loud enough for you to catch the sound of chatter; one of them seemed to be angry with another one, the both of them carrying what looked like a monkey wrench. ‘This is already more than enough to kill you, mind. So I wouldn’t be putting this in anyone’s drink unless it’s a hundred percent alcohol.’

You get the hint.

‘Just asking.’

She lets out another sigh, wiping the beads off her form as a man walks out of a door behind her, not so much as sparing Akashi a glance, but giving you a nod of acknowledgement before keying in the codes to another door in the corridor and disappearing inside. She whirls around to stare at the end of the path, letting out a hum before turning on her heel and returning her attentions to you.

‘The Fairy’s Tears concentration here is a lot more … potent to the usual dosage,’ Akashi imparts further, gesturing for you to follow her dripping, nude and utterly unabashed form. ‘It was meant to just be an experimental basis, but after the attack we were able to get a few more trials run … but at the same time, we also discovered that some components weren’t able to be separated from the synthesized compounds. Hence, this facility … and the smell. What you think is salted fish … is actually the compound making contact with atmospheric gasses. It took some time bringing just how bad it was down to a more manageable level.’

‘So this is just … what you’re covered in?’

‘Mine’s … a milder mix. This is meant to make us more battle-ready and recover our faculties enough for immediate operation, but, well … there’s only so much that you can factor in and push. You should see the ones that actually have to go through the ultra-concentrate and the full charge. It’s hard enough getting the mental part even … the pressure to their core was fucking herculean to try before this. So if you’re asking if all this is worth the smell … yes it is. We stink to high Hell to make sure that you’re alive long enough to criticize us that we stink to high Hell.’

‘Akashi, I’m not—’

‘I know, I know,’ she sighs, ‘you’re not here to drop a form on me. I know. I’m still getting used to some of the saturation thresholds. We don’t know how much is too much just yet, but … it’ll be enough for operations, I reckon.’

Akashi takes a brief pause, tapping her chin.

‘At least I hope so.’

>>2567499
>‘And is there a reason the head of the unit is stark naked?’ (Pointed)
>‘Right, let’s get started.’ (Get to business)
>'So, that smell ... it's going to linger?' (Casual)
>Write-In

>>2567499
>‘Right, let’s get started.’ (Get to business)

>>2567509
>>‘Right, let’s get started.’ (Get to business)

>>2567509
>‘Right, let’s get started.’ (Get to business)

On a scale from silly cow to absolutely insane, how detrimental would it be to try and take a look around with our special eye?

>>2567561
You can do it. But it won't do anything except show you what Akashi is about to tell you.

>>2567509
>‘Right, let’s get started.’ (Get to business)

>>2567561
We might find our brand

File: Screw You, Akashi..jpg (116 KB, 600x1300)

116 KB JPG

‘Right, let’s get started. What am I supposed to do here?’

‘This is an Experimental Recovery Facility. I’d get rid of the “experimental” part but it came with the building, so we’re stuck with it,’ she grumbles, crossing her arms. ‘What this place essentially is, is a facility to hasten the repairs to KanMusu—’

‘Wait, I thought you guys already did that?’ you question, frowning. ‘I mean … it only took Nagato something like a day or two to get better, right?’

Akashi glares at you. You’d forgotten how much she didn’t like being interrupted.

‘It takes a day or two to mostly recover from any external injuries,’ she says agreeably, crossing her arms over her bare chest. ‘When a KanMusu takes a hit, there’s a lot more to repair and regrow than just your usual shallow wounds. Organs and innards aside, there’s also recalibrating their Cores—our Cores—to make sure that everything’s back to working order. Externally, they’re the same mechanics, the same components … but after covering up the cracks, damage to the foundation still needs to be maintained. That’s what the downtime is for after mission operation. I’m not saying it’s an easy thing to re-grow … ovaries or a lung, but stressing the Core isn’t something that you want to just … try for the sake of trying. Damaging it’s one thing. Rendering it incapable of recovery, though …’

‘So … this isn’t a recovery unit, then?’ You inquire further, finding yourself confused.

‘It’s … a high-speed recovery unit,’ she reveal further, nodding. ‘It’s for KanMusu that you really need to be out there, regardless of how they were before. Instant fix. Instant recovery. Battle-ready states within a span of six to nine hours, twelve tops.’

That actually … sounded useful.

At the same time, however …

‘But if it was such a casual luxury,’ you start again, ‘I wouldn’t be here getting the explanation as to the what and the why, would I?’

Akashi snorts, wearing a wry half-smirk and gesturing towards one of the shut doors.

‘KanMusu physiology is different from humans. We’re more durable, malleable … and more responsive to external alchemical influences than the average human being. We’re built to last … but we’re hard to piece together beyond the first few layers. The facility … hastens every part of the recovery process. Everything. The spiritual structure, the flow … it realigns at the same speed at the same time it takes to grow a new finger or a leg.’

You had a feeling, however, that that wasn’t the downside.

‘At what cost?’

She wears a wry smirk, tossing her hair behind her shoulder and tapping the side of her head as she glanced up at you.

‘Sanity.’

>>2567673
>'So why would this even be an option, then?' (Outrage)
>'You ... don't look insane to me.' (Innocent)
>'Insanity?' (Confused)
>Prompt her to continue
>Write-In

>>2567679
>>Prompt her to continue
>always a heavy price to pay isnt there huh

>>2567679
>Prompt her to continue

>>2567673
>>Prompt her to continue

File: I'm A Doctor Not A Mechanic.png (276 KB, 600x763)

276 KB PNG

You nod, prompting her to continue … but otherwise staying silent.

‘It’s never a first option … and we’ve rarely use it in cases where a total systems failure of the KanMusu is the only outcome by exposure, but,’ she pauses, running a hand through hair, ‘we do know that … there always needs to be a body between the shore and the Abyssals. As things have gone … it’s a miracle that this place hasn’t seen much use since the attack, but—well, let’s face it, there’s no way that you’re not going to need another body out there protecting the line. That is what this place is for.’

‘And the girls just go along with it?’

‘You’re sending us off to take shrapnel and get blown to smithereens and you’re getting cold feet putting any of us in these machines?’ Akashi clicks her tongue as the words leave her mouth, sounding more cruel … and upfront than you’d seen her before. ‘But if you’re really asking … it’s generally bad for morale, yes. Not as bad as flipping the Override, but I’ve observed a greater tendency to … instability with continued exposure to the process. It’s a little … safer, now, for what it’s worth, but long-term effects are … well, you know what the Hunter’s Lodge is there for.’

‘So why—’

‘Because the only thing that can kill an Abyssal is a KanMusu,’ Akashi declares, an echo of finality in her voice. ‘I’m doing all I can to make it a … comfortable experience, so to speak, and I think that I have things down pat, but … well, even if they don’t go insane, you’re trading in trust and morale to get their guns up by dawn. That’ll be up to you to decide, though.’

She wears a defeated upturn of the lips. Not a smile, not a grin … not a smirk. It is a communication of disdain … and acceptance.

‘That’s your job, after all.’

There is a bitterness in her voice, a sort of … weird, insulting underline to the tone that she takes with you. One that is, oddly, also laced with sympathy. Akashi doesn’t want to be here, but she must. She does all she can to make sure her comrades do not fall … to the sea or to themselves. She knows what this place is for. It is why she puts on a brave face and covers herself in a chemical compound you lack even the most basic level of understanding in. Akashi does not want to see you here. She does not want to see her friends, her comrades, shoved into tubes and chambers to go out, their minds warped and battle the only sight beyond the horizon.

But she doesn’t say it.

Turning on your heel, you wave a goodbye, leaving the good doctor to continue her work.

It is painful, thankless … and she knows her friends will never look at her the same way because of it.

And the most she does is roll her eyes, moving back to tinker and turn.

It was her job, after all.

>>2567759
4/4
>EXECUTE TASK (Specify)
>Look for KanMusu (Specify)
>Seek out Officers/Staff (Specify)
>Visit Location (Specify)
>Wander
>Write-In

>>2567764
>>Seek out Officers/Staff (Specify)
>Admiral
lets go turn our Secretary form in

>>2567778
this

All right. Cutting the session and I'll be running later in the afternoon/late-morning. Need my breakfast.

>>2567778
This

File: Admiral 3.jpg (45 KB, 263x225)

45 KB JPG

You didn’t like it.

But it had to be done.

You bite down and run through the cold, cold afternoon, the mid-day sun doing little more than propping itself up as a decoration over doing its actual work in distributing some much-needed warmth. You run your hands up and down your bodice, your teeth clattering with every stiff rebound from the ground to your heel. While it wasn’t what you’d call the liquefying of your bones and muscles, the cold air certainly did its job in trying to make it feel as though every step was like lifting a boot filled with water and making sure the contents didn’t spill. You wonder how long this passive-aggressive bout of weather would go along. Slightly cloudy skies and a decent glare supplemented with biting cold oceanic winds wasn’t something that you were willing to go with just yet. Or ever.

The KanMusu being able to regulate their own body temperature to preference was a point of envy, especially as you watched Kawakaze practically skipping with a barrel twice her size on her shoulder, Akebono and Inazuma following right behind.

‘You heard about what happened down south?’

‘Another attack, huh? Straits-side?’

‘Yeah. I think they lost about a hundred …’

‘Two days ago …’

You stop in your tracks, glancing at the trudging figures of two maintenance members, shaking their heads and wearing grim faces as they marched up the tarred road. Another attack. Another gross of souls … gone. You open your mouth to say something, but as they marched away, you realize … it wouldn’t do any good. You could offer your condolences, your regrets … but the lost would continue to be lost. This was war. War meant casualties. Casualties that you couldn’t do anything more than look at a piece of paper at strike off as numbers and names for record. It wasn’t your job to dwell on it.

You’d heard it before, sitting in your apartment and letting that radio run.

More ships gone. More people vanishing without a trace. Cities turning into silent ruins, cursed and feared. Maybe it had been foolish that you could think that everything would change just because you’d been in the seat for two months, but …

The only thing you knew was how to fight.

If nothing else … you hoped that would mean a damn by the time the sun closed its eye on this war.

You knock on the door to the Admiral’s office, not bothering to wait for an answer and stepping in, closing it behind you. The warmth is more than welcome; if nothing else, the Admiral’s mobile office was insulated enough for you to actually unbutton the top of your collar.

‘Oh, Commander? This a social call?’

You turn to face the Admiral … who was already leaning over with his lunch on the table, its contents untouched.

>>2568173
>'I'm here to turn in my Secretary assignment, sir.' (COMPLETE: AN OFFICE FOR A LADY)
>'Is that a bento?' (Refer to his lunch)
>'It is.' (Casual)
>'Just came in to check on the state of things, sir. How're the politics going?' (Talk about the Admiralty and the Congregation)
>'Just getting used to my Vice-Admiral rounds; decided to stop by to shoot the breeze, if that's all right with you?' (Talk about job dissatisfaction/satisfaction)
>Write-In

>>2568178
>>'I'm here to turn in my Secretary assignment, sir.' (COMPLETE: AN OFFICE FOR A LADY)

>>2568178
>'I'm here to turn in my Secretary assignment, sir.' (COMPLETE: AN OFFICE FOR A LADY)

>>2568173
>'I'm here to turn in my Secretary assignment, sir.' (COMPLETE: AN OFFICE FOR A LADY)

File: TTK.jpg (50 KB, 340x503)

50 KB JPG

You decide to get to the point, pulling out the pad from its place underneath your armpits and marching right up to the Admiral, who raises an eyebrow at the sudden—and admittedly aggressive—notion, but otherwise says nothing. You flick a thumb through the clipped sheets of paper, finding the offending form and triumphantly—and carefully—pulling it out, setting it down on the Admiral’s table.

‘Commander?’

‘Yes, sir?’

He fixes you with a wary gaze, turning the form around and facing it in your particular direction.

‘This sheet isn’t filled out yet.’

You could’ve sworn you’d—

No. You’d neglected that particular detail.

You’d discussed it; you’d deliberated over the pros and cons … but you’d actually neglected to pen the details of this particular assignment. The Admiral sighs, pushing his chair back and picking it up … before moving to hand it over to you.

‘However, considering your enthusiasm,’ he quips dryly, ‘I believe that you’ve already named your choice?’

You give a confident nod, plucking it out of his hands.

‘Yes, sir.’

>Iowa
>Nagato
>Musashi
>Houshou
>Kaga (UNAVAILABLE)
>Houshou
>Takao (Active Promise)
>Nachi
>Tenryuu
>Murakumo
>Samidare
>Shigure

Give a reason for your selection. Comprehensible, detailed … and concise.

>>2568226
>>Takao (Active Promise)
>because she is diplomatic, strong, has experience in paperwork and has the nuance for this kind of work

>>2568226
>takao
she is calm, collected, strong, has diplomaticm pepole skills and experience in this jobs
she also has nuance and is dedicated

>>2568226
>Takao (Active Promise)
"I've already spoken to, and chosen, Takao as my secretary. She's an diplomat/bureaucrat that that has both the experience and the confidence to work with humans of various stations. She is disciplined, loyal, takes her responsibilities very seriously, and she's very organized. She even prepared a schedule for me without even asking. I have no doubt she'll thrive in her new position."

>>2568233
This

‘Takao.’

‘You’re sure about that?’

‘I’m positive, sir,’ you declare, nodding. You’re sure of your decision—to that you have no regret. ‘I’ve already gone over the possible prospectus to my decision and can heartily endorse her taking the position.’

You hand him the form, which he takes from you with a small nod.

‘Any reason why you’re handing her role? I believe that you had Houshou as a frontrunner prior to this.’

You internally wince. You did have Houshou as a frontrunner. You’d said as much. In fact, you’d been ninety-nine percent sure of your choice back then. Houshou had experience in rank, was the more emotionally-attuned of those that had made your mental shortlist and was a respected figure among the KanMusu. In her patience dealing with you, she’d practically locked her position in. You know she’d honour the position; of that you had no doubt.

And yet …

‘It wasn’t an easy choice, sir, but … uh, I guess I feel like I can communicate what I want to do through Takao better than I can Houshou, I guess. That’s not a knock on Houshou, though, don’t get me wrong, I … I do trust her, but Takao’s a professional through and through. I can’t trust myself not to trip up time to time, and Takao’s shown more clarity than I’ve ever done myself, frankly speaking, sir?’

‘Is that what you think?’

‘It’s about putting the best possible people in the places they can do their best, right? I think to that, I can actually endorse Takao. She’s a professional, patient and can probably sniff more snakes out from a hundred miles than I can in a room.’

The Admiral smirks, placing the note in the outbox.

‘Well, then … it’s your decision, Commander.’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘But you respect your decision.’

‘YES, SIR!’

Now all you had to do was break out the news this evening. That’d be a blast, for sure …

>‘Sir, am I … a Vice-Admiral now? For real? Because I got half of the base calling me Commander and the other …’
>‘Anything in the rumour mill, sir?’
>‘So, who made you the bento? Mamiya?’
>‘What’s the word from the Court and the Congregation? Anything big or juicy?’
>‘I should go, sir. Have a good … lunch.’
>Write-In

>>2568402
>>‘So, who made you the bento? Mamiya?’

>>2568402
>Sir, am I … a Vice-Admiral now? For real? Because I got half of the base calling me Commander and the other …’
It's a reasonable question, everyone else seems confused by it too

>>2568402
>‘So, who made you the bento? Mamiya?’

Also ask him if his food came in yesterday.

>>2568402
>‘Sir, am I … a Vice-Admiral now? For real? Because I got half of the base calling me Commander and the other …’

>>2568402
>>‘So, who made you the bento? Mamiya?’

>>2568450
>>2568768
Im not sure its a good idea though. The wording of the prompt showcases a distinct lack of confidence in ourselves and the very last thing we should be projecting.

In any case we have the responsibilities of a VA. We just have to work it till we get it.

>>2568778
For me its mostly about why this promotion would remain unofficial, it has nothing to do with confidence as much as the reasoning behind it.
After all from what I gathered the promotion is entirely based on stream capacity. My only assumption on why it's unofficial is because the brass hates us as much as most other officials do.

>>2568402
>‘So, who made you the bento? Mamiya?

>>2568803
Its probably more on the brevet rank thing.

An officer can be temporarily promoted into a higher position to see how they handle the additional duties and can be lowered back to the old post if they’re not up to scratch without loss of face.

Also promotions probably based on who actually survived. And we did report back surviving a princess after all.

I'll be running in about half an hour.

Sorry guys. Tack on another hour. Ramadhan Ceramah still on-going.

‘So, who made the bento? Mamiya?

‘Hah,’ the older man chortles, sticking his spoon in the middle of the rice, ‘no offence meant to the little lady, but when it comes to the intricacies of a detailed lunch … I’d rather leave it into the hands of someone with a little bit more delicacy. She’s a fine cook … when it comes to anything big, sloppy and with volume and content over taste. Her assistant chef made this for me. Felt a little bit nostalgic for the Missus’s dishes, so I slid a little extra details into my specs for supplies.’

You overlook the contents.

For the frontline, it was almost, no—borderline luxurious[/o]. Shrimp, cutlets, a side of lemon for extra zest, a sprinkle of parsley and sesame on the rise for added texture. Lettuce and tomatoes, sprinkled with dots of onion and a pinch of lime. You’d seen better presentation, of course, but for someone who had been reduced to preparing their own meals with limited time to put into how a meal looked themselves, you couldn’t help but admire the Admiral’s lunch. It was tidy, plentiful; and admittedly even a little better than anything that you could dish out on your best day.

The arrangement, however, felt as though it was something a mother arranged for her eight year-old child rather than something the Admiral would ask to specification. If the man minded, however, there wasn’t a flaw that caught enough of his annoyance to bring up a response of the sort.

‘Looks great,’ you comment, giving an approving nod. ‘Makes me wanna go out and grab a bite myself.’

‘You can’t have any of mine, if that’s what you’re wondering,’ the Admiral warns, playfully tugging the box, before snapping his fingers. ‘Say, why don’t you go and meet up with him? I’m sure the both of you could swap some cooking tips.’

>‘It’s a nice offer, sir, but he’s already putting me up for a few lessons. I think I’ve tried his patience enough.’
>‘If he can make food look that good, I think I might have to hit him up for a few extra tips.’
>‘It’s nice for you to suggest, but … I don’t think that I’d have the time for it, sir.’
>‘Maybe we can continue this conversation another time? I … need to settle a few more things on my list.’ (Leave)
>Write-In

>>2569348
>>‘It’s a nice offer, sir, but he’s already putting me up for a few lessons. I think I’ve tried his patience enough.’

>>2569348
>It’s a nice offer, sir, but he’s already putting me up for a few lessons. I think I’ve tried his patience enough.’

>>2569348
>‘It’s a nice offer, sir, but he’s already putting me up for a few lessons. I think I’ve tried his patience enough.’

>>2569348
>>‘If he can make food look that good, I think I might have to hit him up for a few extra tips.’

File: TTK Understands.jpg (67 KB, 541x380)

67 KB JPG

‘It’s a nice offer, sir, but he’s already putting me up for a few lessons as is,’ you respond, rubbing the back of your neck. ‘I think I’ve tried his patience enough.’

The Admiral cocks one eyebrow, picking the spoon out of the fancy spread. ‘Oh, is that so?’

‘Yes, sir.’

It wasn’t much, but … considering how he and Mamiya were the only ones running one of the few haunts that were still open in town, you didn’t have it in you to pressure him for more than you already had. KanMusu didn’t need to eat. You’d been told that more times than you cared to remember … and as a person who once made meals for a living, the fact that you couldn’t damn well reconcile that particular part had felt a little … off-putting. He’d given you tips in making a decent chicken mix with a solid compound that could mostly kill you in high concentrations, but other than that one dish that you’d made … there hadn’t been much that you could say you’d been up to in the ways of the kitchen and KanMusu.

Perhaps you could change that today.

‘Well, it might be a little blatant, but if you’re planning on making any feasts, you can sure toss a note my way,’ says the Admiral, throwing a hopeful look. ‘No pressure, of course. It’s just been a while since I had a good meal at a table.’

You hold back a small laugh, throwing him as warm a smile as you can muster.

‘Haven’t been home in a while, sir?’

The Admiral’s form slumps slightly at the query. For a moment, you wonder if you’d said something wrong—or worse, something deserving of a strike to the nose. He leans forward slightly, his elbows on either side of his lunch, taking off his hat and wearing a tight, neutral line as he seems to consider the question. You’d struck a nerve, apparently; the Admiral looks like someone who’d come one digit off a lottery draw, his eyes focused on the edge of his desk. There is an odd … humanistic quality to his silence, his pondering.

He lays like a man that’s stuck waiting for something to move, but is unable to move himself.

‘I get letters,’ he starts, ‘but I have a war to fight and, well, people have their own lives to live. I could rant about how no one wants to spend time with an old hawk like me, but I’d be a hypocrite telling them off to drag them away from their responsibilities when I can’t even push myself off the desk without wondering where my damn stapler went.’

He laughs, throwing his head back and throwing a tight smile your way.

‘Forget about it,’ he dismisses, waving his hand. ‘We all got responsibilities, right?’

>‘If it’d please you … I can try to whip up something together for a table.’ (ACCEPT QUEST)
>‘Yeah … we do.’ (DECLINE QUEST)

>>2570378
>>‘If it’d please you … I can try to whip up something together for a table.’ (ACCEPT QUEST)

>>2570378
>‘If it’d please you … I can try to whip up something together for a table.’ (ACCEPT QUEST)

>>2570378
>>‘If it’d please you … I can try to whip up something together for a table.’ (ACCEPT QUEST)

File: TTK Old Man.png (304 KB, 611x466)

304 KB PNG

‘If it’d please you … I can try to whip up something together for a table.’

The Admiral looks up at you in surprise, before letting out a light laugh and shaking his head.

‘Damn,’ he replies, shaking his head. ‘That obvious, huh?’

‘Actually,’ you clear your throat as the word leaves your mouth, a little uncertain of how to proceed. Then again, you’d pretty much felt and stumbled your way through this job, so it’d be going against nature to stop winging it just because of this. ‘Well, I was actually thinking of getting some of the staff members together for us to hold a sort of dinner anyway. It’s been some time since I had my hands greasy with butter and salt; should be a good time to get things running.’

‘Who do you have in mind?’

‘You and the Vice-Admiral are definitely on that list, sir.’ You give a nod, wearing a coy smile. ‘Mostly because I’m not willing to risk my livelihood by telling no to either of you.’

‘Ever the joker.’

‘Someone’s gotta be in these times.’

The older man concurs with a nod. ‘Ain’t that right?’

‘Anything you’d like in particular, sir?’

The Admiral pauses, stroking his chin and considering your query. Something expensive? Something heavy? Something light? Were there any allergies you would need to be aware of? Did he like more or less salt on his meals? Did he want something hearty or something spread?

‘No empty chairs.’

You can’t help but smile at that.

‘Will do, sir.’

>‘Anything in the rumour mill lately?’
>‘What’s the word from the Court or the Congregation? Anything big or juicy?’
>‘Sir, about my rank …’
>‘Have a good one, sir.’ (Leave)
>Write-In

>>2570486
>>‘Anything in the rumour mill lately?’

>>2570486
>‘Anything in the rumour mill lately?’

>>2570486
>‘What’s the word from the Court or the Congregation? Anything big or juicy?’

>>2570486
>>‘Anything in the rumour mill lately?’

File: Nagato.jpg (58 KB, 882x588)

58 KB JPG

‘Anything in the rumour mill lately?’

‘I got a few, if you’re interested on following up on them in your free time,’ he reveals. ‘There’s a Priest trying to get a proper shelter going for the orphanage, for starters. They’ve got a few things running, but apparently without proper legal approval, they can’t leave the care of the military or the Admiralty. He’s been trying to get proper accommodation, but everything’s tied up in red tape. I offered some volunteer services, but … he’s kind of been stubborn. Something about us being emissaries of hedonism and barbarity, whatever that is.’

‘I’m aware of that.’ You nod. You’d dealt with the priest before; you just weren’t aware that word of it reached all the way up to the Admiral. ‘He’s still being stubborn with that?’

‘Well … considering that we deal in a belief and practice that most people who pick up a Book of Mithra would gladly burn and ship us out for, I’m not willing to bet anything’s going to be changing his mind. There’s legal action that we could undertake, but the orphanage is strictly part of a religious organization. No one wants to stir up that debate again.’

‘I guess.’

‘Still, if you want to do something, maybe you could go and talk to him. I think I’ve tossed everything but a proper order … and I’m not willing to ship those kids into limbo Hell, if you know what I’m getting at.’

‘Right.’ You nod again, crossing your arms.

‘Also,’ he continues, ‘I heard that there’s some sort of weird basketball hang going around and “taking over” parks at night. They’re not bothering anyone, but a lot of the returning townies are getting restless because according to them, they might start trouble. I’m not sure if it’s anything of interest to you, but that’s that. Personally, I think that if the Army hasn’t dealt with it, then it’s not worth our notice, either, but … brownie points are a thing and maybe you could check up on it on one of your weekends. That’s when they’re most active.’

That didn’t sound too interesting, if you were being honest … but it was something to look at, you supposed.

‘Basketball? Really?’

‘It’s mostly at night, but, well, people are paranoid. And they claim to have never seen these folks around. If nothing else, you’ll be addressing a noise complaint.’

‘Eh.’ You tilt your head left and right. You’re not sure if it was something for you to check. Maybe you could just hand it off to someone else.

‘Also, another one: apparently Nagato’s been a little … on edge lately. Maybe you could pay her a visit to see if there’s anything wrong.’

‘She hasn’t told me anything.’

The Admiral only nods in return.

For some reason, that only makes it sting a little bit more.

>>2570697
>‘Sir, am I … a Vice-Admiral now? For real? Because I got half of the base calling me Commander and the other …’
>‘Anything in the rumour mill, sir?’
>‘What’s the word from the Court and the Congregation? Anything big or juicy?’
>‘I should go, sir. Have a good … lunch.’
>Write-In

>>2570699
>>‘I should go, sir. Have a good … lunch.’

>>2570699
>‘I should go, sir. Have a good … lunch.’

>>2570699
>>‘I should go, sir. Have a good … lunch.’

‘I should go, sir. Don't want to keep you from your meal; have a good lunch.’

You tuck your files underneath your armpits, following it up with a stiff salute and the click of your heels.

‘That I will, Commander.’

The Admiral tucks into his meal as you turn your back to him and move to leave, throwing a last farewell to a man completely engrossed in the act of devouring his meal. The door closes behind you with a gentle tap and pull, and you release the knob to find yourself back in the embrace of autumn’s chill. The sun was completely covered by the thick clouds above now … and the slightly dark hue tells you that a pour would be coming down. Hopefully, it wouldn’t derail your errands—

‘You got your raincoat?’

‘You damn right I do. Always prepared!’

You grumble as you walk past the two staff members giving each other enthusiastic pats on the shoulder. Some people. Really.

3/4
>EXECUTE TASK (Specify)
>Look for KanMusu (Specify)
>Seek out Officers/Staff (Specify)
>Visit Location (Specify)
>Wander
>Write-In

>>2570747
>EXECUTE TASK (Specify)
Meet the recruits.

>>2570751
this

>>2570751
This

>>2570751
We get one of the girls to accompany us and then we meet them, its always good to have the reference material on hand

Maybe have iowa accompany us?

>>2570759
Sounds like a good idea, honestly. But iowa a good choice or houshou/nagato?

File: Kiddo.jpg (14 KB, 450x256)

14 KB JPG

You hop off the buggy and into the gates of Teitan High. It’d been a while since you’d been here.

In fact, the last time you’d been here was before you’d even been given the title of Commander. As the buggy thunders off, you step into the compound. The gates weren’t open and there wasn’t any security to see … which was odd considering that this was where the KanMusu had told you where the recruits were. You’d think that there’d be a little bit more … delicacy in handling the situation. Nonetheless, you step inside, glancing around to see if there was anyone present: no such luck. Pulling out your pad and going through the details again, you mutter the lines, making sure you had the right place.

The place looked deserted.

Tucking the item back under your arm, you continue your search. It would be silly to put your assumptions based on a mere glimpse of the place. You head towards the gym, humming as you looked around again: the place was deserted. There wasn’t so much as a tent or a table set up. If this was where they were huddled together, it sure didn’t look like it.

The shuffling of feet catches your attention.

‘You sure there’s a working water fountain here?’

‘I am friggin’ positive. It worked yesterday.’

‘Wait up, you two!’

You turn to your right, seeing three adults—two women and a young man—marching in what appeared to be tracksuits … of a sort. They appeared to be wrapped around their bodies rather than draped over them. They were too big for their bodies. None of them were taller than you … and you certainly doubt that they were older than you, at all. They looked like they were college students, if you had to peg their age gap, more than likely freshmen or just about to exit their sophomoric years at best. The two girls hung their shoulders, frustration looking to be at the tip of their thoughts.

‘Oh?’

The male of group runs up to you, clutching his bottle and stopping about an arm’s length away, wearing an oddly-wide smile.

‘You’re the next instructor, huh? Were you looking for us?’

‘Oh, you’re the … recruits?’

‘Ah,’ he gives an apologetic snicker as the two girls run to catch up to him, wearing annoyed frowns of their own. ‘Sorry, hope you don’t mind that we snuck out for a bit … no one came in to check on us and we were getting a little thirsty. Forgot to fill up, see?’

He shakes his bottle for emphasis.

‘You don’t have to apologize to me,’ you reply, waving a hand. ‘I’m not an Instructor.’

‘Ah.’ He blinks, rubbing the back of his head. ‘Sorry, I, uh … I’m still trying to get the designations right. So you’re a … technician?’

The two girls hurriedly move to join him, wearing the same scowls they had on before.

>‘Commander, actually.’ (Strict)
>‘So you are a recruit, then?’ (Query)
>‘Don’t worry, I got lost on my first day, too.’ (Empathize)
>Write-In

>>2571007
>>‘Don’t worry, I got lost on my first day, too.’ (Empathize)

>>2571007
>>‘Don’t worry, I got lost on my first day, too.’ (Empathize)

>>2571007
>‘Don’t worry, I got lost on my first day, too.’ (Empathize)

>>2571007
>‘Don’t worry, I got lost on my first day, too.’ (Empathize)
And then i took an arrow to the shoulder

TESTING

Testing again
Testing again
Testing again
Hopefully it works

>>2571007
>‘Don’t worry, I got lost on my first day, too.’ (Empathize)

>>2571007
>>‘Don’t worry, I got lost on my first day, too.’ (Empathize)

Is it okay if I run in an hour?

>>2572262
Go for it

File: Red-headed version.jpg (70 KB, 1200x800)

70 KB JPG

‘Don’t worry,’ you reassure, holding out your hand, which he takes with a firm shake. ‘I had a hard time finding my way around on my first day, too. Although, my problem was probably a little bit bigger than trying to zero in on a water fountain.’

He gives a hopeful glance. ‘You find one?’

You shake your head. ‘No, sorry … last time I was here was in the aftermath of the Abyssal Assault. The Admiralty had this school as a sort of … emergency base while they got the compound fixed and the temp HQ set up. I thought that the kids would be back by now, to be honest. The rest of the town looks like it’s dripping in well enough.’

The girl to your right flips her hair over her shoulder, scowling. ‘No offence but I don’t blame them … can’t believe that I had to drop out of college for this.’

‘You didn’t drop out,’ the other girl calls out, rolling her eyes. ‘They gave you leave.’

‘Same thing. Not like they’re going to expect me back after all that … this better be worth it.’

The second girl, the one with the red hair and frizzy ponytails, pinches the bridge of her nose as she looks away from her friend, mumbling her frustrations to herself

‘Why would you even join up if you didn’t want to in the first place?’

‘Because I like living, of course,’ the second girl replies haughtily, crossing her arms. ‘If the KanMusu fall, so do we. It’s not something that I’d sign up for if I didn’t think that we needed the manpower to help shore up the cracks. We’re down to four active Commanders. That’s not worrying to you?’

‘I know, I know,’ her friend sighs, raising her hands. ‘You do complain about it a lot, though? Ain’t that right, yeah?’

The young man scratches the back of his head, giving an affirmative nod. The first girl scowls, wrinkling her nose and turning her head away. Whatever your thoughts of them, it would seem that the three had a sort of rapport going on. In fact, they vaguely reminded you of how your relationship with Kasumi used to be … a lot of jabbing, a little more ribbing, some snarling and most certainly a smacked noggin or two for the season. You don’t want to use the word nostalgic, but …

Maybe if you hadn’t over-thought the situation, maybe you could have had this instead of …

You shake your head. No, now wasn’t the time to dwell on the past.

‘So, are you here to cover for the Instructor?’ the red-haired girl cuts in, looking up at you.

‘Excuse me?’

‘You’re staff, right?’ She points at your uniform for emphasis. ‘Dunno the designations yet, but you probably wouldn’t even be around here with that’—she indicates your clipboard and pad—‘if you weren’t here for somethin’, huh?’

Her male friend raises his hand, in hoping of pacifying her. ‘Hey …’

‘Am I right?’

She grins brightly at you, her eyes practically shining with the query.

>Write-In

>>2572466
“Well yes, you’re right on that. I did need to check on our new recruits but i’m not actually an Instructor.”

Smile brightly.

“It’s Commander, actually.”

>>2572466
>strangely enough, im actually the commander of this base
>are you the recruits?

File: Sarcastic.jpg (60 KB, 754x720)

60 KB JPG

‘Close,’ you chuckle, grabbing the clipboard and pad and stepping away with a slight shuffle, ‘I’m the Commander, actually.’

You’re instantly met with three sceptical looks. The three of them look to each other, then back to you … and then back to each other … and then back to you again, before taking a step back themselves, rubbing their arms, uncertainty creeping onto their features as they look you up and down. For some reason you suddenly felt … underdressed and inadequate, despite the fact that you were faced with college kids that looked as though they could pass as your underclassmen, dressed in tracksuits and with spots on their hands. The red-haired woman coughs into her fist … and the other one steps forward, fixing you with a scrutinizing look worthy of a prospective mother-in-law surveying a suitor to her daughter.

‘Eh … you don’t look like it,’ she states bluntly, squinting as she leaned barely an inch and a half from your chin. ‘Maybe … half a Commander? A third? Not a full Commander, that’s for sure.’

‘O-Oi,’ the black-haired young man fretted, raising his hands in an attempt to get the spitfire of a woman to back off. ‘What are you—’

‘You think so too, right?’ she inquires confidently and aggressively, glancing at her short-haired friend. ‘A little young, ain’t he?’

‘What’re you saying?’ he cautions, throwing you an apologetic look. ‘Those aren’t the kind of things you just let out like that, right? Even if he is only half a—’

He catches himself, wincing and turning away.

>‘Don’t worry, you’re not the first person to have that opinion … and you definitely won’t be the last.’ (Humour them)
>‘Like it or not, I am.’ (Strict)
>‘Half a Commander?’ (Take it personally)
>Write-In

>>2572573
>‘Like it or not, I am.’
that be enough laughing for now

>>2572573
>>‘Don’t worry, you’re not the first person to have that opinion … and you definitely won’t be the last.’ (Humour them)

>>2572573
>‘Don’t worry, you’re not the first person to have that opinion … and you definitely won’t be the last.’ (Humour them)

>>2572573
>Write-In
“Won’t be the first time i heard that.”

Take off the eyepatch to clean it. To unsettle them abit.

“Still, a word of friendly advise. Whatever your opinions are on other people keep them to yourselves and at the very least, be polite. This is the military and rudeness easily becomes insurbodination.”

>>2572573
>>‘Don’t worry, you’re not the first person to have that opinion … and you definitely won’t be the last.’ (Humour them)

File: Redhaired.jpg (319 KB, 630x538)

319 KB JPG

‘Don’t worry,’ you let out with a chuckle, tilting your head. ‘You’re not the first person to have that opinion … and you’re definitely not going to be the last.’

‘E-Eh? So you really are a Commander?’

‘Guilty as charged,’ you answer, throwing a nod to go with your amused smile, glancing at the three youthful faces as their curious looks returned to that of the surprise they held before. The aggressive lady stares at you, wide-eyed, while her male friend lets out an impressed whistle, his gaze hovering up and down your form as if he was expecting wings or spikes to sprout from non-existent ridges. ‘And I wouldn’t be wrong in assuming that you’re the class of recruits, would I?’

‘Oh? Uh … yeah, uh,’ the red-haired girl half-heartedly answers, sounding more like she was paying attention to her scrutiny of your appearance than she was interested in giving you a clear cut answer. ‘It’s not really fancy, is it? Nothing at all like the TV Show.’

‘If you’re expecting me burst out with some kind of fighting aura and skate on water,’ you announce crisply, wearing a wry smile. ‘Then you’ve watched one episode too many.’

I could fix—

‘Shut up.’

‘Huh?’

‘Nothing.’ You wave it off, sparing the three of them another look. ‘Anyway, uh, I seem to have been given some misinformation, so if you folks would be able to direct me to, uh … wherever it is you’re holed up in, it’d be a favour to me. I don’t have any stark details on what or where you guys are and I’d appreciate if you’d lead the way.’

‘Of course, sir!’ The red-haired girl cheerfully returns, throwing up a salute before turning on her heel. ‘Right this way!’

‘Suck up,’ the dark-haired girl mutters.

‘Thank you.’

The four of you enter a corridor, not marching the empty stretches of white and green hallways, untouched by the bustle of human activity. In a way, it was almost eerie to be in a place that should have been sprawling and noisy with chatter and the shuffling of feet, only for the only sound to be heard to be a distant return echo as the only indication of a once-human presence being the outdated notices on the many bulletin boards on the walls … and several projectors and cut cables that had been left on the side in large coils, more than likely a remnant of the Admiralty’s brief residency.

‘Hey, so, you’re a Commander, right?’

You turn to the red-haired girl, who was staring up at you with bright eyes.

‘I was always curious, but … the stream feedback, is that really a thing where you …’

She makes a face, shaking her head left and right and stick her tongue out, her fingers wiggling perpendicular to the motion.

>‘It is if you’re not trained.’ (Serious)
>‘It doesn’t make your face do that, if that’s what you’re asking.’ (Joke)
>‘Shouldn’t you know that by now?’ (Dismissive)
>Write-In

>>2572693
>‘It is if you’re not trained.’ (Serious)

>>2572693
>>‘It is if you’re not trained.’ (Serious)

>>2572693
>>‘It is if you’re not trained.’ (Serious)
the Stream aint nothing to joke about

>>2572693
>>‘It is if you’re not trained.’ (Serious)

>>2572693
>‘It is if you’re not trained.’ (Serious)

File: Nagato Pout.jpg (69 KB, 410x497)

69 KB JPG

‘It is if you’re not trained,’ you answer seriously. ‘Stream capacity, stress limitations … they’re all inherent, but an imbalance … or even a wrong balance can trigger a chain reaction. The horror stories that you hear are true … but only if you don’t bother to attune yourself properly to your KanMusu.’

‘Ah, so that’s it. isn’t it? At the end it’s all about how you and your KanMusu are of one mind and all that?’

‘Yes … and no.’ Your words are adamant, stiff … and borne through experience. ‘Certain command styles dictate different outcomes. Just because you’re not on the same page in personality doesn’t mean that the process of Stream establishment—the handshaking—won’t happen. Mental toughness, discipline … a lot of intangibles key themselves into how well your mind copes with the idea of melding your mind with the KanMusus. So if you’re asking me if the feedback’s what makes you go crazy … well, I’m not going to say no. But it’s only if you’re not attuned or untrained.’

The short-haired man jogs up to you, throwing a curious look.

‘How do you even train yourself for that? I mean … I know they got like three-layer screening process and an interview and stuff’—you snort at that; the irony was almost palpable—‘but, how do you get that kind of mental toughness? Are they gonna pump us up with drugs or something? I mean … it’s like a psychic link—’

The sound of a hard smack has you turning your head to your right, to which you see the sight of the dark-haired woman, her hand extended in the manner of a karate chop and her nose wrinkled in annoyance. Apparently she didn’t enjoy the road that he’d been taking the conversation down.

‘Those aren’t the kind of questions you ask, moron.’

‘Hey, it’s m—’

‘Actually, it’s the same way they try to flex and build muscle,’ you explain. ‘The stress tests and the screening is to see how far they can drag your capacity out before it snaps. There’s a bunch of math and notes involved, so I ain’t going to get into that, but … when you’re hooked up to the simulations, the machine kind of tries to do its own thin when you’re doing your own thing. The Admiralty’s a little … strict when it comes to the screening process; if nothing else, the fact that you made it this far has you guaranteed no headaches at all unless they saddle you with a Battleship.’

‘Yeah … it’d be stupid for me to expect a Battleship on my first go, huh?’

You turn to face the young man. He actually looks … sullen. Disappointed.

>‘It’s progressive. You have to warm-up before you exercise.’ (Warning)
>‘You a fan of Battleship-classes?’ (Interest)
>‘It would be, yes.’ (Stern)
>‘Cheer up. They were desperate enough to give me Nagato on my first assignment. Maybe you’ll get yours.’ (Fanboy)
>Write-In

>>2572852
>‘Cheer up. They were desperate enough to give me Nagato on my first assignment. Maybe you’ll get yours.’ (Fanboy)

>>2572852
>‘It’s progressive. You have to warm-up before you exercise.’ (Warning)

“And i think everyone involved would prefer not to kill you on your first day. Besides, do well enough and you will definitely be assigned one. Think of it as a goal to work towards.”

>>2572852
>>‘It’s progressive. You have to warm-up before you exercise.’ (Warning)
>my case is an extreme outlier cause of the situation that we are in

>>2572852
>>2572858
This

>>2572858
this

>>2572858
this one

>>2572858
This.

Be running in (hopefully) an hour. Happy breaking fast to those over the world! And remember: we strike at dawn.

File: anzai-sensei.png (273 KB, 640x480)

273 KB PNG

‘It’s a progressive ladder,’ you impart, a timbre of warning rumbling through your throat in emphasis. ‘You have to warm-up before you exercise, you have to start light before you go heavy. No moron on this planet would risk a resource for an immediate gain … especially when Stream-capable individuals area luxury. If you live long enough, get your numbers up … maybe you’ll be able to get there, but no one’s going to saddle you with a high-tier KanMusu who can break you brain in five pieces without the proper training.’

‘Yeah, it’d be stupid, huh?’

You nod.

It wasn’t that it was stupid, but a higher carrying capacity had more risk than anyone would be willing to put a new recruit with, especially considering that this new batch was the first since the massacre of the prospectus of all three bases. Aside from you (and perhaps the Vice-Admiral, but you weren’t going to ask him unless he spoke first) there wasn’t anyone else to your knowledge that held both the rank of Commander and held a battalion that could fit more in line with a lower-tier Admiral or the average Vice-Admiral’s capacity. If you were being frank, you don’t think you’d want to sit any of the recruits with that kind of responsibility on Day One.

But that, you fear, wouldn’t be for you to decide.

If it could happen to you, then …

‘Take it one step at a time,’ you advise, the red-haired skipping a few steps ahead and gesturing towards a room with the label “Audio Visual 3” on the sign. That was probably where it was going to be held. ‘Follow protocol, don’t piss anyone off that you know is going to make your life Hell … and trust your Division and your team. As far the philosophy of combat goes, you’re going to be following their lead more than they’re going to be following yours. They’ve been out there for longer than any of us have, so it doesn’t matter if she’s a Destroyer or a Heavy Cruiser. You’re going to be learning and fighting at the same time … if you ever get out there on assignment.’

The red-haired girl opens the door, gesturing you inside. You bid her a gentle thanks, entering to find … a more diverse second half to the three college-age students that had guided you here, each and every one of them in the similar-looking jumpsuit.

There was an elderly man who looked as though he was the king of whatever festivities was around the corner, looking jolly and full … very full. And you’d thought you were overweight. In another chair was a rail-thin bespectacled man with an unkempt goatee, probably only a little older than you, looking around with a squint despite the thick glasses he wore. There was also a mature—but admittedly attractive—woman somewhere past her thirties, her hands folded over the table, sitting beside an elderly lady with more wrinkles and craters than you’d seen before.

‘Good afternoon,’ you greet.

None of them answer.

>Write-In

>>2573401
how about

>Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you for your courage in stepping up to the challenge.

>>2573412
oughta work

>>2573412
I am honestly thankful that you didn't vote to fire a gun in the air and perpetuate that idiotic in-joke invasion.

File: c2d50f77dda5f80cfaa346fdd(...).jpg (44 KB, 1024x575)

44 KB JPG

‘Welcome, ladies and gentle—’

The elderly lady raises a shaking hand, wearing a smile that you are instantly unable to throw an authoritative glare at. By appearance, she was probably as old as the First Admiral, but very much of a shorter stature and a slightly more bent build. In fact, you wonder if she actually belonged here. She didn’t seem to even have the strength to stand on her own, if the walking stick on the side was any indication on her physical abilities. You approach her, leaning over and smiling, trying your best to not sound too disrespectful.

‘Yes, ma’am?’

‘Excuse me, young man, I’m sorry to ask, but I’m a little old, see … and I’m wondering if it would be raining right now?’

Raining? It was cloudy, but …

‘Um, no,’ you answer, frowning at the query. That was an odd first impression. ‘I … I don’t think so. It’s cloudy, though.’

She lets out a sigh, shaking her head. ‘Oh dear, I hope I can reach my quarters in time. Should’ve listened to my knee-quakes instead of doing the laundry today.’

‘Uh … right.’

You turn to the rest of the room, now feeling a little bristled by that query. The three college-aged recruits take a seat in their chairs, the dark-haired girl rubbing her lips and cursing. Their eyes are on you again … and you immediately step to the middle of the room, trying to find your pace. You don’t know how much cowing to the old lady’s demands had cost you in points, but you were unwilling to dwell on it.

‘Right.’ You clear your throat, throwing a stern gaze. ‘I’m the Commander of the First Operations Division. I’ve been on the job for the last two months and—’

‘E-Excuse me, what do you mean by two months?’

You turn your gaze to the mature woman, staring at you with wide—and slightly fearful—eyes.

‘I mean that that I’ve only been assigned to this post for the last two months.’

The jaw of the dark-haired girl slackens, before shutting up and taking a stony, hesitant quality. The young man from before places his elbows on the table, staring at you with an aura of interest. It was nice to know that one person didn’t think your tenure mattered. Clearing your throat, you clap your hands and take a step closer to the rest of the class. You were here to scrutinize them. Not the other way around.

‘Are you the only Commander on this base?’ the elderly, portly man inquires. His voice sounded neither malicious nor condescending; it was an inquiry. ‘I know that there’s an Admiral and a Vice-Admiral … but are you … really the only one left?’

‘There are other Commanders on other bases,’ you nod. ‘However, I am the only one posted here.’

‘W-Wait a minute,’ the rail-thin man stands, raising a hand. ‘The Admiralty told us that … that the borders were secure. Are they …’

You close your eyes, wondering how it’d descended into this in the opening five minutes.

>Write-In

>>2573598
>that is why we have brought you here, to make our land our pepole, all of humanity, safe
but before that, we will give you the best raining we have, and my expeirience
>do not worry, you and the borders are in safehands

>>2573598
"Secure" in military jargon means there's no imminent threat. As you all know, the ocean is rife with abyssals.

That's why you're here. To help us ensure safety of the people further inland, and to help us take the seas back.

>>2573598
>>2573681

Yeah lets go for this

>>2573611
This

File: 222117.jpg (29 KB, 225x350)

29 KB JPG

‘The borders are secure,’ you reassure, your voice clear and concise. ‘There are stragglers and raiding parties, but for the most part, we’ve got some semblance of a partition that separates us and them. There is no imminent threat—and even if there is, I can guarantee you that my team will intercept any and all threats short of a full raiding party.’

‘Is that what you told the last bunch that came through here?’ The bespectacled, thin man questions with a dab of arrogance, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair as the shadow of a scowl began to show upon his features.

‘I am the last bunch that came through here.’

He looks away, clicking his tongue but otherwise silent. The tension of the room was still heavy, but … for some reason, you felt a certain redirection to the flow. The woman from before gets to her feet, rubbing her chin and biting her lip … before parting them, a question finally coming to mind.

‘The Instructor from before … said that we’re the only ones that made it through the screening process. Do you … no, that’s wrong; I mean … I’m a single mother. My boyfriend died before my son was born and I don’t have anything to offer except what they said I could give. I’m not a fighter and I’m still waiting for the results of my professional teaching degree.’

‘Your point?’

She gestures to the whole class.

‘My point is … are we really what you want out there?’

‘Speak for yourself, lady! KanMusu are fine!’ the bespectacled man howls, getting a wry chuckle from the portly man in front.

The woman hisses through gritted teeth.

‘I joined at a recruiting booth on a whim,’ she explains, ‘and … frankly, I don’t know what I’m in for. All I know about the Admiralty, everything about the KanMusu … I know through my son. My question is, sir, is that … I want to know what you honestly believe that we can bring? We … know that there’s a process, some kind of mental connection, but … I’m sorry to say, but I don’t know anything about fighting and frankly, if it weren’t for my boyfriend, I wouldn’t even know what a wargame would be. But the Instructor tells me that I’ll have a purpose and that I can bring something, but frankly … seeing everything now, I have to wonder if it’s not just talk.’

‘You want to know if you have a use, huh?’

‘I want to know what my use is. If a professional teaching degree’s at all useful here, I’ll be happy to give my life and sanity, but … I just want to understand what we’re really here for.’

She wears an apologetic smile.

‘Preferably, without the smokes and mirrors?’

>>2574244
>'The KanMusu practically handle themselves. What you're essentially acting as is a ... anchor of sorts. A grounding point.' (Specific)
>'You can call yourself a battery, I guess.' (Dismissive)
>'The KanMusu require Stream to unlock their full potential. Certain individuals have that in greater capacities than the average human. You're here because you're the safest bet for operations. (Direct)
>'The Instructor will brief you on that. Not my place.' (Leave)
>Write-In