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>>4195301
The idea that someone could help me in dealing with this misery suddenly felt quite appealing. I would very much prefer for her to have her company, but what reason could I use to convince her?

“Would you like a drink as well?”
I brought up the idea, hoping that would be enough to make her stay.
However, Hibari did not seem to share the same positive sentiment on my proposal, instead staring back at me with a raised eyebrow.

“Did you not hear what I just said about drinking?”
She shook the bottle in her hand, causing it to make a soft rattle.

“Just this once?” I urged, remembering the past occasion where the two of us had a small, private chat over a glass of liquor.
“Like we did in Kure?”

She maintained the ‘are you serious’ disposition for a second, then eventually gave off a sigh and relented.
“Fine, just don’t make this a habit.”
“Thanks, let me get you a glass.”
…
...
“That’s enough.”
I stopped pouring upon her demand, pooling the liquid at a fifth of the glass’s capacity. Hibari took her share while I worked on my own, also filling it to a similar amount.

“Where’d you even get this thing?” She asked, giving the dark amber liquid a sniff.
“From Captain Suwabe’s stash,” I answered and held up my cup, prompting her to a toast.
“Figures.”

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>>4195307
We toasted in complete silence, followed by a soft, crisp ‘clink’. Our minds were not connected by the joy of victory or festivities, but rather, the sorrow and memories of those we held dearest.

“So,” I began, taking a short sip from my glass. “If you wouldn’t mind asking, Koishimizu-senpai.”
“Go on.”
“What kind of person was your fiance?”

“Well…”
Cheeks coated with a tint of red, Hibari set her glass aside and stared into the empty lounge in reminiscence. She took a moment of silence to gather her thoughts, then unleashed her memories like a torrent from an opened faucet.

“He was a womanizing scumbag.”

“Huh?” I stared at her in confusion. Why would she describe someone she had genuine affection for with such harsh words?
“He spent most of his life chasing after women, one after the other.” She stared into the glass and gave its contents a light whirl. “Until he ran into me.”

“What happened then?”
“He tried to hit on me.”
She finished off the remainder of the alcohol in her glass, making a soft ‘ack’ as the liquor passed her throat.
“I told him to fuck off, but he just wouldn’t. He then tried everything in the book to win me over.”

Noticing that her glass had been emptied, Hibari took the bottle to refill her glass, only to stop and stare straight into the amber liquid glistening from the dimly lit lamps.

“I remember when he first took me to the skies.” She kept her gaze on the container- or rather, her own reflection on the crystal glass.
“It started off as a bet- he demanded a kiss if I got scared on the trip.”

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>>4195312
“Did you?”
“No. He failed miserably, but I ended up giving him a peck nevertheless.” A wry, yet sentimental smile formed over her reddened face. “I fully enjoyed the trip, so I suppose he’s earned himself a reasonable reward for honest work.”
“Plus.” She lets out a small giggle. “Watching him squirm in defeat really did put a smile on my face, and...”

The fighter ace drifted off as she placed the bottle aside and slumped her forehead onto the palm of her free hand, supported by her elbow. Despite her best efforts, Hibari found herself unable to keep speaking, instead choosing to remain silent as her emotions washed over her.

“Any fond memories from your side?”
After a few minutes of silence, Hibari raised her head and turned her gaze towards me.
“Huh?”
“Oh come on.” She scoffed and passed the ball to my court. “You started this, now it’s your turn.”

Fond memories… quite a few did pop into mind, but there was one that stood out amongst the rest.

“My family lived in Kure, and sometimes in Formosa.” I began recounting. “ Since Mother passed away when we were young, Father almost never came home from work... It’s usually just the two of us.”
I stared into the glass as I recalled the precious moments I shared with Tewi.
“She took celebrations very seriously- on festive occasions, she would set up decorations, prepare dinner, presents and all that every year, even if it was just the two of us.”

Like a movie recorded on a roll film, memories of the past were so vivid and strong I could see the scenes play out in my head, frame by frame.
“Among the celebrations, her absolute favorite was birthdays, which she always associated with surprises. She made sure to give me a different one every year, but the one I remembered the most was the Jack in the box.”

“Jack in the box? She hid in a box and hopped out to scare you?”

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>>4195315
“Precisely that.”
I gave Hibari a soft nod before continuing.

“It was the year when Mother had just passed away- I was twelve, and she was eight. It was a hard time for us both, yet…”

A single drop of tear slid down my cheek and dripped onto the exposed cushion between my legs, leaving a circular mark the size of a 1-yen coin.

“... she still tried her best to bring joy back into our house.”

I left the cup on the stand next to my seat, then held onto the one memento dangling in front of the chest...the omamori she made for me.

“I’ll be back for you as soon as the operation is over. So please...”

My vision blurred, my nose clogged as my mind spiraled wildly into a storm of regret, grief, and a million what if’s that I knew deep down to be all but futile.
“Hey.” I felt a gentle pat on my shoulder. “It’s alright.”
“Tewi… I couldn’t protect you.”
The single drop quickly turned to droplets, and soon streams of tears started cascading down my cheeks. It was then when I felt a light tug on my shoulders that pulled me into an embrace.
“There, there...”

Gently, Hibari rested my head onto her shoulder and patted me on the back. She made no attempts to calm me down but rather welcomed me to pour my heart out. I heard a door open and close, but I couldn’t care less about it. For now, all that mattered was the solace I found as I wept away silently in her embrace.

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I opened my eyes to find myself staring into an unlit and unfamiliar ceiling. As soon as my mind cleared enough to recall the last memory I had, I quickly remembered where I was- in one of the armchairs of the Officers’ lounge.

Oh dear, have I fallen asleep?

A flaring, extremely uncomfortable stiffness locked my neck back in place the moment I tried to shift my current position. It was as if my neck was forcibly glued onto my shoulder, which only meant I’ve been asleep for far longer than I was supposed to be. As I raised my left hand to massage the stiff region and hopefully ease the discomfort, I pulled onto a blanket laying over my body from the shoulder down.

There was only one person in mind who could have placed it here.

“Koishimizu-senpai...”

I felt a surge of warmth filling my heart as I held onto Hibari’s gesture of kindness.
Under her feisty exterior was a gentle and kindred spirit, who deeply cared for the well being of someone she barely knew, simply because she understood their pain and loss.
I guess Shirataki-senpai was right, after all: there was another side of her, one that endears and tugs on the heartstrings.
Now I felt obliged to return her the favor… perhaps starting by sorting myself out and handling my duties the best I could.

Setting the blanket aside after folding it into a neat block, I stood up from the armchair and immediately began stretching, feeling that getting the blood flowing would alleviate the pain. It promptly did- albeit my neck still felt awkward when turning, I felt fine enough to move about and get on with my day. I then turned my attention towards the clock that hung on the wall near the counter.

7:16 am. Just about time to get to work.

Following the schedule of the previous day, I picked up breakfast for Margaret and myself and got on my way heading straight for the sickbay. While part of the stiffness on my neck persisted, the restlessness from last night had more or less dissipated, and I felt confident enough to tackle the new day.

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“Good morning, Subaru-kun!”
Stepping into the sickbay, I was immediately met with a warm welcome from the wounded Valkyria.
“Good morning, Margaret-san.”
Just like our last encounter, Margaret made some space on her bed for me to occupy. To my surprise, she did not greet me in her signature bear hug. Was it because her wounds had not healed up yet?

“Here, breakfast. Haruta-dono made us sandwiches today.” I passed her the paper bag. “How are your wounds? Are you feeling better?”
“Absolutely!” She declared with her eyes glimmering with brimming pride as she lifted her shirt, displaying the midsection of her torso. The bruise on her right rib cage has considerably dulled to a point where it was only slightly discolored from the surrounding skin.

The doctor identified three fractured ribs yesterday- without the use of ragnaid, an injury like that would take at least a month to recover. Even with ragnaid, healing would still take multiple weeks, and I remember Dr.Kiyama issued only the most basic medications to Margaret’s condition.

“See, the bruises have...”
Her movements and voice came to a sudden halt like a short-circuited radio. I noticed her gaze traveling down, eventually stopping to view her own exposed belly. Her cheeks suddenly flushed a deep shade of red and, in a flash, the Valkyria disappeared from my view, leaving in her place an eyeful of the blanket she now wrapped herself in, like a bagworm.

“Margaret-san, are you alright?”

“Y-yes! Definitely!”

Margaret’s muffled reply came from within the blanket wrap, her voice in a higher pitch than her usual speaking tone.

>Ask for permission to check her injuries again, just to make sure.
>Ask for permission to check her injuries, tease her a bit.
>Change the topic, ask where Dr. Kiyama is
>Write in

>>4195326
>Ask for permission to check her injuries, tease her a bit.

>>4195326
>Change the topic, ask where Dr. Kiyama is

>>4195326
>Change the topic, ask where Dr. Kiyama is

>>4195326
>>Change the topic, ask where Dr. Kiyama is
begone thot

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>>4195326
>Ask for permission to check her injuries, tease her a bit.
Cute Tummy

>>4195326
>Ask for permission to check her injuries, tease her a bit.

>>4195326
>Ask for permission to check her injuries, tease her a bit.

Time to stop being a pushover for a while

>>4196491
And who is pushing us right now, pray tell?

>>4196501
Taking the incentive?
Her reaction at the last part is OOC considering how open she was during our previous engagements. Unless the QM fucked up, then it's likely a signal that Margaret had developed some sort of crush on Subaru beyond just a temporary stand-in for her brother.

tl;dr Don't be a dumbass harem protag.

>>4196523
Grasping at the first peek of bare skin IS being a pushover. Choose a girl based on your preferences and her character, not on which one is more available.

Yanagi is the superior choice, btw.

>>4196527
Personally, I just want to see the Valkyria win for once since the childhood friend archetype character won in both of Merc's VC Quests.

At least for now, Yanagi always felt more like a sibling than that of a love interest. Though I'll admit I like the Maiden in the Tower/Rapunzel type scenario which I guess is what the QM(s) are going for should Margaret win the Subarubowl.
Which is another thing I should bring up. Most quests, including the previous three VC quests have the waifu win and that's all for the character. There's a glint of something more to do in Margaret's case even after if she wins the Subarubowl, aka whatever shady shit her brother is up to.

Of course, this is all up to the QM so please don't disappoint.

>>4196589
>Yanagi always felt more like a sibling
Yanagi is supportive, understanding and compassionate, you mean. All qualities that are desirable in a life partner, in my opinion.
Meanwhile all Margaret offers is big tits and shady backstory.

>>4196596
>big tits and shady backstory.
That's more of a requirement to be a Valkyria, just as integral as the platinum hair and red eyes.

>>4196666
Alicia managed to be a Valkyria without all of that though.

>>4196696
More like Selvaria set the standard/trend for all the others to follow suit with the exception of children like Alisse.

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>>4196589
>>4196596
>>4196523
>qualities that are desirable in a life partner

I think this really is the point of contestation that sets the two waifus (and half of the playerbase) apart. Known vs Unknown

Yanagi has every quality that makes her desireable as Subaru's partner, and that's everything she has and probably what she only needs. Margaret does not have those qualities, but everything about her is tied to the plot. She offers a lot more stuff down the line in terms of narrative compared to Yanagi, but whether or not she's a good partner is questionable.
Especially when we still have no idea how Subaru weighs in her heart compared to her brother. The way she deliberately avoids the topic when it's brought up doesn't help either.

This whole triangle reminds me of the waifu wars between Sam and Karla in Valkyrian Mercs, just that Margaret doesn't have the disadvantage of being absent for 90% of the narrative. I'll be willing to toss my hat in for Margaret once she learns to be supportive and stops treating Subaru like a body pillow of another man she likes, but as it stands right now, Yanagi is overall the better waifu.

>>4199873
We could also encourage Focus to give Yanagi a bigger role in the plot.

>>4195326
Come on, Focus, do it.

>>4199873
Actually, now that I think of it, exploring Margaret's plot ties does not really require following her route, does it?

>>4199887
>>4199888
Plot involvemnt as in the general scope of the setup. Yanagi's involvement in the narrative is on the same scope as anyone else on the ship, about as much as your average squadmates in a VC story.

Margaret's family sponsored and directs this entire operation, and you can't really be more plot-influential than that. Conflict with Constantine is just as unavoidable as conflict with Aiteng.

The question then isn't even if Margaret would aid Subaru at that point, but rather if she ends up returning to her family once everything's done. QM has made it very clear that the family isn't exactly the healthiest place she could return to. Yet the fastest, most failsafe way to achieve that is to make her Subaru's waifu.

By doing so you're now stuck with trying to deprogram her ONII-SAMA complex, and there's no guarantee how well it's going to pay off. A leap of faith essentially.

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“Margaret-san, may I take one more look at your injuries?”
Confused by her sudden retreat, I decided to ask her for permission to do a closer examination.
While it wasn’t unreasonable for someone to shy from displaying their body, the behavior was just so… not like Margaret.

“B-but…” Margaret’s wavering and a muffled reply came from under the blanket, followed by her peeking her head out of the wrap.

“Please, I want to make sure you’re okay.”

“....”
With her face glowing red, she gave a soft nod, then slowly began unwrapping herself from the blanket. Shedding the blanket from her shoulder, she gingerly raised the tunic she was wearing, allowing her midriff to come back into view.
I got myself closer to her to get a clearer look at the slightly discolored portion of her ribcage.
"Umm…”
“Does it still hurt?” I lifted my face as Margaret huffed a soft grunt, her shallow breaths causing her ample bosom to rise and fall rapidly.
“N-no.” She murmured with her eyes shut tightly and the blush never leaving her cheeks.

It was hard to imagine that just some days ago, she was still perfectly fine with this sort of skinship. Compared to everything she did before the incident with Lynn, Margaret right now conducted herself like a completely different entity.

But on the other hand, I found her in this state to be quite adorable… temptingly so.
Maybe if I…
I gently placed the tip of my index finger on her lower sternum, her pristine skin smooth and warm to the touch.

“A-aagh!?”
Upon contact, Margaret let out a high pitched wheeze as her body flinched reflexively as if she had been unexpectedly touched by an ice cube. From the tip of my finger, I could feel the vibrations of her heartbeat accentuate by the second.

With my index finger, I softly traced along the faint lines of musculature of her finely toned abs.
Margaret gave a small wince, her body slightly shivering as my finger gently traveled down her midriff. She held her mouth with her left hand as if trying to contain the little yelps that might just escape.

“Deep, slow breaths, Margaret-san,” I whispered, reminding her of Dr. Kiyama’s orders. However, words alone did little in helping Margaret regain control over her breathing rhythm, as her heart continued to race and her cheeks still as pink as a ripe peach.

“S-S-Subaru-kun...” Her anxious whisper was faint but audible.

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“Am I troubling you?” I glanced upwards to meet her squinty opened eyes, smiling playfully while Margaret flushed even deeper shade of red.

“N-No! I-I...” She stuttered, turning her head aside to avoid direct eye contact. Despite this flustered display, she remained to hold the lifted tunic in place, as if inviting me to continue the exploration.
Taking the cue, I continued tracing, gliding down her linea alba, reaching just above her navel…
then stopped, upon noticing an irregularity on her body.

On her lower abdomen were two small groupings of tiny, nearly unnoticeable needle marks- one to the lower left of her belly button, and the other to the lower right.
I frowned at the unexpected discovery. Did Dr. Kiyama run tests on Margaret without permission?
If not, then what could these marks possibly be…?


“Oi.”
Other than almost giving me a heart attack, Doctor Kiyama’s sudden intrusion triggered my fight-or-flight response to overdrive. In a flash, I found myself fully disengaged from Margaret, springing back like a startled cat to the other end of the bed from Margaret.
“D-Doctor Kiyama!” Margaret, upon seeing the doctor, instantly pulled down her tunic and grabbed tightly onto the edge of her clothing. While the Valkyria put on her best smile to greet the doctor, her stutter and reddened cheeks betrayed her intentions to pretend everything was normal.

Doctor Kiyama answered only with a rough, tired groan, then turned her attention to me.
“What were you doing?”
“Um, um, just you know. Checking...” My eyes darted across the room as I struggled to come up with any legitimate response, yet the shame of getting caught in the act severely hampered my ability to think straight. This prompted a pair of raised eyebrows and a highly judgemental glance from the otherwise inexpressive doctor.

“S-Subaru-kun was only checking my injuries!” Margaret spoke up to my defense amongst her anxious wheezes. “B-brother Konstantin did the same when I was hurt in a sparring match with Sister Vione.”

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...
It was hard to describe what exactly felt wrong, but Margaret’s mere mention of her brother was enough to instantly cool off what passion had built up within me from our earlier intimacy, as if a bucket of ice-cold water had been poured over my head.

“and he would…”
“Doctor,” I interrupted Margaret halfway through her account, not wishing to hear any more of it. “Is Lieutenant Lynn awake?”
“Left wing, bed 012.” Kiyama informed me in her usual, utterly disinterested tone. “Kept a whole department between these two.”
“We should check on her then,” I said, getting off the bed. “Would you mind leading the way?”

“Ugh…” The doctor lets out another low, dissatisfied groan. She shifted her head, and gestured towards the passage leading to the center wing. “Come.”

“See you later, Subaru-kun!” Margaret clasped my right hand between both of hers, and bid me farewell with her characteristic wide, angelic smile; the blush on her cheeks never once fading since the beginning of our encounter.
However, I somehow found myself less… eager to respond in kind this time.

“Sure thing, Margaret-san.”
I returned her send off with a smile as I retracted my hand, holding some ambivalence to her supposedly her warm gesture in my heart. I could not tell if her actions were out of genuine affection for me, or was I a mere stand-in for her brother, to which she used to project her affection for him.
The possibility of the latter left an unbearably sour taste in my mouth.

The Doctor led me across rows of hospital beds, then into the sickbay’s center wing.
As expected, Dr. Kiyama remained quiet throughout the short walk, but there were quite a few items I wanted to learn from her.

>Ask Dr. Kiyama about the needle marks, did she run tests on Margaret?
>Ask about the progress of Lynn’s recovery
>Ask if any other members of the crew had come to pay her a visit
>Inquire about the Doctor’s past, and her life before Operation Ten-Go.
>Write in

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>>4204739
>Ask Dr. Kiyama about the needle marks, did she run tests on Margaret?
>>4204738
>Gave Margaretfags the ecchi they wanted then immediately follows up with a gut-punch
SASUGA

>>4204739
>Ask about the progress of Lynn’s recovery
>Ask if any other members of the crew had come to pay her a visit
As tempting as it is, I don't think Subaru would be in the mood to discuss anything related to Margaret for a while.

>>4204739
>Ask Dr. Kiyama about the needle marks, did she run tests on Margaret?

>>4204739
>Ask Dr. Kiyama about the needle marks, did she run tests on Margaret?
>Ask about the progress of Lynn’s recovery

>>4204739
>Ask Dr. Kiyama about the needle marks, did she run tests on Margaret?
>Inquire about the Doctor’s past, and her life before Operation Ten-Go.

On one hand, I don't think Margaret really sees Subaru that way. But on the other hand, it's entirely logical for him to feel this way. So much for going for the lewd choice.

>>4204739
>Ask Dr. Kiyama about the needle marks, did she run tests on Margaret?

>>4205137
I'm more surprised that QM actually took what we said and incorporated it into the update in a natural way.

>>4204739
>Ask Dr. Kiyama about the needle marks, did she run tests on Margaret?
>Inquire about the Doctor’s past, and her life before Operation Ten-Go.

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Despite the previous encounter with Margaret has left a sour taste in my mouth, there was one little detail I just could not shake off from the top of my head. The two tiny sets of needle marks on Margaret’s midriff just felt so… unnatural.
I had to know where they came from.

“Doctor.”
“Hm?” Kiyama snorted as she continued walking, somewhat acknowledging my presence. Noting the doctor’s disdain for small talk, I decided to not beat around the bush and get straight to the point.
“Have you run tests on Denisov-san yesterday?”

“No.”
Concise and straight to the point, the Doctor quickly shot me a reply, without even stopping to make eye contact.

“Then what’s up with the needle marks?”
Doctor Kiyama’s stroll came to an abrupt halt. Slowly, she turned her figure around and stared at my face to face.
“What needle marks?”
“The groupings on her lower abdomen? Around her navel?” I traced around the general spot on my own body for emphasis. The insomniac raised a questioning eyebrow, but nevertheless closely took in what I described.

“No clue”

“Oh…”
The sheer bluntness of her approach made me feel foolish to have even doubted her in the first place.

“Then… have you got any idea what might have caused them? ”
Despite the constant air of apathy surrounding her, this topic seemed to have brought forth a glint of interest in her eye. Doctor Kiyama crossed her arms under her chest and pondered.

“Lower abdomen injections... Subdermal, intestines, kidneys, ovaries…” She quietly muttered those words in quick succession, then paused for a full second.
“Ovaries… repeated needle groupings… induced ovulation?” Her head jerked up in a sudden as if she came to some divine revelation.

“Excuse me?”
“Induced ovulation. Common procedure for Valkyrur repopulation projects.”
“Repopulation?” My eyes widened as a wave of revulsion coursed through my very being. “Wait, what do you mean by...”

"State-backed breeding experiments. Get Valkyrurs to spawn more Valkyrurs." The tired surgeon spelled out each word clear and loud staring at me as if she was dealing with a simpleton. As soon as she was done with the last word, she turned and continued walking.

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I followed Kiyama closely behind, still trying to take in what she had said. The revelation came down on me like an anvil dropping on my chest, on the brink of crushing my body and soul. The Denisov family had always felt ‘wrong’ in many aspects, going by Margaret’s accounts alone. Yet this?

This was far more horrifying than I ever imagined.
In fact, I didn’t know which was more horrifying, the fact that Margaret’s family was involved in something this immoral, or the fact that Margaret herself has no idea that she’s being treated like a hen. Moreover, if she had already gone through such a procedure, wouldn’t that mean…

“Doctor, does this mean... she has been forced to carry a child before?”
“Insufficient information.” Kiyama paused in her tracks again. Slightly turning her head around, the doctor shot me an intrigued glance. “You want me to check?”

>Please do, don’t tell her I asked you to do this
>Yes, but only if she agrees
>Let me talk with her first
>Write in

>>4208552
>Yes, but only if she agrees
It could cause complications down the line, for various reasons.

>>4208552
>Let me talk with her first

>>4208552
>Let me talk with her first
>>4208584
You mean what insane tricks Kiyama might pull? Or what has already been done on Margaret?

>>4208552
>Yes, but only if she agrees

I always wondered why both the Empire never went with this line of approach. Growing a population of loyal Ubermensch sounds like a much better deal compared to using them like expendable war machines.

>>4208552
>Let me talk with her first
Is nobody picking up the fact that Kiyama somehow knows all this despite Valkyrian research being one of those classified military secrets? She's not part of the crew appointed by the last captain, and that leaves only one possible explanation as to why she's here.
We should keep Margaret as far away from her as possible.

>>4208552
>Let me talk with her first
>>4208725
If Doc was part of the Denisov group she would've done checkups on Margaret already. That's not saying we should give her the greenlight though

>>4208552
>Let me talk with her first

>>4208653
>>4208584
>>4208725
This one's on the same level of human rights violation as VC4 where they used little girls as nukes. (Though I think Yamato operates on the same principal as the snow cruisers?)
It's actually more revolting that the Denisovs are sacrificing one of their own kin for this shit. Unless Margaret is one of those kids they abducted and adopted into the family, which may just be the case here.

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“Let me talk with her first.” I decided after thorough contemplation of my options. While I had no problem with the doctor’s skills in general practice, her sudden spikes of enthusiasm upon mentioning Valkyrur research came off all too unnerving. As with the case in regards to Lynn, I should at least seek Margaret’s consent before greenlighting anything with Dr. Kiyama.

“Suit yourself.” Kiyama shrugged with complete disinterest before resuming the long walk down the hall and into the left-wing. This portion of the sickbay had the exact same layout as that of the right, only mirrored. Amongst a seemingly endless row of empty beds, the bed with its curtains pulled over stuck out like a sore thumb.

“There.” She muttered, gesturing towards the single occupied bed.
“Thank you, Doctor-”
Her guide duty completed, Dr. Kiyama simply retreated back into the center before I could even finish- though at this point, I’ve found myself strangely used to her conduct.

Steeling myself, I carefully approached “Bed 012” and gently lifted the curtains away.
“Good Morning, Lieutenant Lynn.” I greeted Lynn formally, standing at an arms’ length away from the Gallian officer.
“G-good morning, Captain!” Lynn’s immediate response was to sit upright on her bed, returning the formalities with a salute.
Lynn donned a similar patient’s tunic as Margaret, only several sizes smaller. Her dark, long blue hair was tied to a clean ponytail like mine, dangling on her shoulder. As our eyes met, I could see that she was much more anxious than how she usually presented herself.

This time, her professional attitude was marred with a deflated tone. It wasn’t hard to tell that she felt a massive embarrassment over what had transpired yesterday, but I didn’t plan to fault her just yet.

“How are you feeling, Lieutenant?”
“I-I am feeling fine, sir!”
“Good, may I have a seat?” I asked with a faint smile as I pointed at one of the folded chairs lined against the wall.
“O-of course, sir.”
For a moment, she seemed unsure, taken slightly aback by my approach. I grabbed the chair and set it up, placing it right next to her bed then took a seat, keeping the smile up as I continued.
“I would like to discuss a certain event that had transpired yesterday. You are aware of said incident, correct?”
“Yessir,” She nodded, maintaining a consistent air of professionalism while trying to contain her obvious anxiety. “I’ve heard it all from the Doctor.”

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>>4216895
“From Doctor Kiyama?” I raised an eyebrow over her answer. “Do you not have any recollection of the events?”
“I-I’m afraid not, sir.”
Lynn’s gaze lowered onto her bed, the confidence in her blue eyes rapidly dwindled as my questioning continued. I, on the other hand, couldn’t help but cast some doubts on her claims.
It’s highly unlikely that anyone could simply forget about getting into life-or-death close combat with a superhuman, let alone one that had happened less than 24 hours ago.
Furthermore, my knowledge about Dr. Kiyama told me that she was not the type who has the interest or patience to recount any of the events in detail.
I had to make sure Lynn and I were on the same page, and that she was not lying or hiding anything.

“Alright then, what did she tell you?” I began the questioning, trying to sound as amiable as possible.
“I got into a fight…” Lynn uncharacteristically paused mid-sentence as her voice got softer by each word. Her gaze drifted away as her eyebrows furrowed as if the words were stuck at the back of her tongue.

“With who?”

“W-with a… Valkyria.”
I noticed Lynn grasping hard onto the blanket as droplets of sweat began to form over her forehead.
Additionally, she had a hard time completing her reply, particularly when she reached the word ‘Valkyria’. It’s almost as if she was consciously trying to avoid using the word, for some reason.
“I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright, no need to worry about her.” I raised my right hand, gesturing to her to keep calm.
I was almost certain I have gotten her full cooperation at this point. The question was, how I should proceed...

>Inquire about the physical augmentations
>Ask about her violent response to Margaret. She did not fear Margaret during the encounter
>Ask about her past service record, perhaps it could shed light about her past
>Write in.

>>4216901
>Ask about her violent response to Margaret. She did not fear Margaret during the encounter

>>4216901
>Ask about her violent response to Margaret. She did not fear Margaret during the encounter
is this going to jeopardize her position aboard the ship, are there measures that she thinks we should take to avoid a repeat of events.

>>4216901
>Ask about her violent response to Margaret. She did not fear Margaret during the encounter
>>4216954
Just keep Lynn away from the core? It's not like Margaret goes anywhere else.

>>4216901
>Ask about her violent response to Margaret. She did not fear Margaret during the encounter

>>4216901
>Ask about her violent response to Margaret. She did not fear Margaret during the encounter

Sounds like another Imca situation. How old is Lynn again?

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“Do you fear her kind, Lieutenant?”
I started off with a probe, hoping to gain insight on her psyche.
“Ye--Yes sir. I… I do.” She nodded while stuttering all of her words, making her actions just more puzzling.

“If that is the case, what compels you to assault her?”
“I...” Lynn placed a hand over her forehead. “I’m sorry, but I really do not have any recollection of the event.”
“What was the last thing you remember from yesterday?”
“I remember stepping into the lounge, and...”

“And?”
She stopped and furrowed her brows into a scowl, as if she was trying very hard to recall a memory that she herself was not certain on the validity of. Finally, the Darcsen shook her head in frustration.
“...Next thing I knew, I found myself waking up in this bed.”

I rubbed the bottom of my chin as the topic once again came to a screeching dead end. Suppose she has been truthful, what could possibly have made her flip out at the mere sight of a Valkyrur?

“What made you fearful of Valkyrurs, lieutenant? ”

Lynn stared blankly onto her lap while I waited patiently for her to collect her thoughts.
“My family... we lived in a small village in Northeastern Gallia.”
After a good few minutes, she finally took a deep breath and broke her silence.
“ When the war began… our village was among the first to be occupied.”
Lynn’s breathing became noticeably faster the further she delved into her memories, but she kept going nevertheless

“I woke up one day to siren, gunfire, explosions.” Her hands began to shake as she spoke, to which she responded by grasping tightly onto the blanket on her lap. “The adults of the village… my father… took up arms to fight against the invaders, but…”
Lynn held onto her knees tightly in one last attempt to maintain some composure, while beads of sweat formed on her forehead like morning dew.
“The Valkyria… the Valkyria…”

Lynn trembled violently, shaken to her core. The words stuck at the back of her throat were now choking out her breath like a tight noose.

“S-she disintegrated them, r-right in front of us... *sob*… every one of them…”

Lynn pulled her knees close to her head then buried her face into them as she broke down into tears.
Watching her reaction recounting such a traumatic experience was more than enough to convince me that she was telling the truth. Hence, I decided to give Lynn some time to vent out her sorrow.

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As I stood up to make some space and give Lynn some privacy, I caught a glimpse of a folded letter laying on the other side of her pillow. Beside said letter was a neatly-folded orizuru, a goodwill symbol for a speedy recovery. While I waited outside the curtain for Lynn to calm down, I couldn’t help but ponder how the orizuru got there.
From what I’ve seen of the doctor, never in a million years would she be bothered to make a gesture like this. Someone else must’ve paid her a visit earlier… who could it have been?

“Captain?”

I was caught off guard by Lynn’s voice calling for my attention, much earlier than I had anticipated.

“Yes, lieutenant?” I replied, stepping back into the enclosed curtain to rejoin her.

“I-I’m sorry, for the outburst...” The Darcsen officer has recovered sufficiently to sit back up and wiped her face with a huff. “It was so unprofessional...”
“It’s alright Lieutenant. I understand.” I returned with a pardon as I watched her speak through clogged breaths and a reddened face. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

Lynn returned with a wry smile, to which I gave her a reassuring nod. At the end of the day, we both went through similar experiences of loss.

However, the questions still remained: how did her trauma translate to such an involuntarily violent response? How did the physical augmentations on her body tie in? With how unreliable her fragmented memory has been, there might only be one reliable way to find out.
“Lieutenant, there is something I would like to request from you.”
“Pray tell, Captain.”

> ”For the safety of yourself and my crew, I would need you to cooperate in a thorough physical examination.”
> ”The Doctor noticed some irregularities when checking on you yesterday. Would you allow us to do some non-intrusive examinations on your body?
>Bring up the topic some other time, she has gone through enough.
>Write in

>>4226003
>”The Doctor noticed some irregularities when checking on you yesterday. Would you allow us to do some non-intrusive examinations on your body?

>>4226003
>”For the safety of yourself and my crew, I would need you to cooperate in a thorough physical examination.”

>>4226003
>”The Doctor noticed some irregularities when checking on you yesterday. Would you allow us to do some non-intrusive examinations on your body?

>>4226003
>”The Doctor noticed some irregularities when checking on you yesterday. Would you allow us to do some non-intrusive examinations on your body?

>>4226003
>”For the safety of yourself and my crew, I would need you to cooperate in a thorough physical examination.”

>>4225995
So was it Vione or Selvaria?
Selvaria seems more likely given the timeframe but the way Lynn reacted to Margaret alludes to Vione, being sisters so the likeness matches and all.

I've archived the thread and the final update of this thread is under post production. As usual it'll be posted here if the thread's still on the board by the time it's done.

Last but not least, thank you for participating and hope you've all enjoyed the run so far.