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Petals of Carbon Steel -- You're a Pilot, Not an Ace. Try your best.

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I don't really view "harem protagonist" as a gendered term, it is more a term to imply that basically everyone ends up either evil or fawning all over them. Violent little girls will inevitably end up as a daughter-figure if they don't end up on the romance path, which I feel safe is not going to happen in this particular anime.
 
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Update 007: Burial
  • Threadmarks
    • Sunny didn't make it: 30

    Kitty didn't make it: 27



    It is with extreme reluctance that Doc Goodwell finally leaves the room — for food, or a washroom, or something else that can't be put off for another hour.

    "You will buzz me if there is any change in either of them," she says. "Touch nothing else."

    Honestly, it's like she thinks you'll just steal anything not nailed down, if given half a chance. Cruel and unjustified, toward a comrade in the valiant struggle for Jovian independence. Part of you thinks you really should rob her now, just to teach her a lesson about putting ideas in the heads of bad people. Instead, as Goodwell drifts her way out of the medical module, you just keep reading like a good little girl.

    You're not sure what it is that makes you look up from your book. Some minute sound, barely audible perhaps. But when you do, there's someone looking back at you. Kitty's green eyes are glazed at first, taking a moment to focus on your face. In this timeframe, you reluctantly reach over and activate a nearby interface in order to buzz Goodwell back, as instructed.

    "... Kana," Kitty murmurs, placing you.

    "Kitty," you echo back.

    She processes this response, and gets it enough to roll her eyes sluggishly at you. She still looks half asleep as well as utterly bedraggled, blonde hair a mess, bruises reaching from the left side of her face down to her left arm at least. "Jennifer?" she asks, immediately.

    "Dead," you say. Your tone is quiet, but you're not going to candy-coat things. "Same with Sunny and Shen."

    Kitty grimaces. "All the squad leaders," she manages. "Fuck. Sorry about Sunny. He was..."

    "Good to work with," you offer. You'll miss him — he was a friend, and the crucial balance for you and Azara's combined irreverence. His quiet, serious patience and military training will be sorely missed.

    Kitty glances around the room, freezing up as she recognises Azara. She takes a moment to find her tongue again after that, demanding, "Is she okay?"

    You shrug. "She's beat up bad. Her left eye's gone, and we're lucky we got to her before brain damage had really set in. She had an O2 leak. She'll bounce back, though."

    Looking miserable, Kitty closes her eyes, going limp. Only her lips moving gives her away as still awake. "Her eyes are... this deep brown. Pretty, but you have to look to notice."

    She sounds so desolate, despite Azara having made it out alive when she really shouldn't have, that you can't help but give a quiet scoff. "She's still got the one left, lover-girl."

    KItty cracks her eyes open to fix you with a blurry glare, just holding it for a moment or two. "You know something, Kana?"

    "Yeah?"

    "You're kind of a dick."

    You laugh, brief and sharp. "Guess a lot of that's going around, then." Before she can make you explain, Goodwell is back, fussy little features schooled into professional concern. The moment is lost amid questions and instructions and absolutely no room for conversation.

    /////PoCS/////

    SRI Commander Milo Owusu watches as Captain Leski takes a swallow of something he strongly suspects isn't water. It's only one swallow, though, and after the disaster they've all weathered, he doesn't bedrudge anyone a little ethanol-based comfort.

    The shouting has stopped, leaving the three occupants of the cramped office in an icy silence. The kind that either means Milo is about to be thrown out... or that the real work is finally about to get underway. Whatever the risk, at some point, you have to speak up, or opportunities would pass you by. Hadn't his favourite subordinate reminded him of that? "You have the heading they left on?" Milo raises a water pouch — actual water! — to his lips.

    Booker nods. She's a quiet woman with a dark complexion and a gaze icy enough to be a match for a certain old friend of Milo's. Booker makes the AIJ jacket look like an actual uniform, through sheer attitude. "We do. It's considerably off from their original one, and the combat maneuvering made them drift to begin with." Without waiting for Leski's permission, Booker glides over to her captain's private workstation, flicking it on. She brings up a map displaying the False Verdant's original course as planned, as well as a captured image projecting its last recorded course. "They didn't just accelerate away from us, though. They changed vector entirely."

    Leski, who is still floating by the wall his liquor cabinet is mounted in, takes a look at the drink pouch in his hand, considers it, then lets it go deliberately. It drifts away across the office. With him there, Booker at the workstation and Milo still floating by the hatch, the three of them form an equilateral triangle of sorts. Booker's distance is merely to give Leski the space he clearly needs — the man seems half-poised to explode again if prodded too sharply, and she knows her captain, as any good first officer should. Milo, of course, is the outsider. The other two are genuinely avoiding him, in this moment of loss.

    "What are the chances they miss their rendezvous?" Milo presses.

    Leski frowns. "They could still adjust."

    "They're banged up," Milo says. "They got in their licks, sure, but between Monseratto's squad and your guns, they're hurting. Check the rate of acceleration at the end of the battle."

    "They're limping," Booker agrees, after a moment. "They'll have a lot of trouble catching up to their escort fleet now."

    Leski nods slowly. "Is there a port friendly to them within range, though?"

    Booker takes a moment to search through the Esther Strova's charts. "There's a fortified, loyalist shipyard," she confirms. "Small, but still guarded. Do we want to take this gamble?"

    Leski frowns. "We're not really in any shape to do this ourselves, right now."

    Milo drifts over to the workstation, stopping himself beside Booker. "I might be able to help with that," he says with a smirk. Before they can ask, he punches in a set of coordinates, making that point in space light up on the same map showing the enemy's possible destination. Fortuitously, it's almost directly on the way. "I'm not the only asset that the SRI has in the system," he says.

    /////PoCS/////

    You all wait until Azara is finally awake, and lucid enough to get out of bed. It's a wordless agreement, born from a sense that failing to do so will somehow be admitting defeat. Look, here she is — woozy from painkillers and with her face half-bandaged, but she's alive, and she's one of you.

    As glad as you are to see her up and floating, you're still a little concerned. From your place at the back of the room, one leg curled around the leg of a magnetic table to anchor yourself in place, you have a good view of her, and you're very certain that if you'd been in any kind of a gravved up environment, she would not be out of bed. Weightlessness has its benefits.

    The six of you form a rough circle around the pilot module's recreation area. You all fill up the cramped space easily enough, but the absences are still felt keenly. In your hands is a drinking pouch, its contents neon-orange. Just something that some enterprising soul had squirrelled away for a rainy day.

    It was you. The enterprising soul was you. Hence why it's your favourite fruit-flavour liqueur, instead of something harder to stomach. You take a sip of it, then pass it to Azara. Who promptly takes a generous gulp, easily enough alcohol for two people.

    Jay raises his eyebrows, the only change on an otherwise flat expression. "Sure that's a good idea on your meds?" he asks.

    "It'll be fine," Azara says, grinning breezily. "I asked, sort of."

    "Sort of?" you ask.

    Azara shrugs, tossing the pouch to Jay in the same motion. "Well, doctors aren't exactly going to endorse getting drunk at the best of times, right? So long as I don't go on a binge or whatever, I'll be fine, though." She glances back at you. "... do you have enough for a binge, Pirate?"

    "No," you say, firmly. At least, that's your answer under these circumstances.

    Jay examines the drinking pouch critically for a moment, then just passes it off to Kitty. Carefully, while she's still so obviously favouring one arm over the other. "Well, it'd be a bad idea on mine."

    "Sure you don't need better meds?" Kitty suggests, taking her own gulp.

    "I need meds that actually keep me alive, so... no." He doesn't twitch a smile, but you get the slight sense of one from his tone, somehow. You all know that Jay takes a cocktail of pharmaceuticals every day, the supply of which was part of his original agreement to work with the AIJ. You don't know the exact purpose of these, but you can take a guess — for a man with a cybernetically augmented nervous system, rejection could be quite lethal.

    "Well, you're not missing much," Kitty says, making a face. "Sol, Kana, did you rob a middle-school party for this shit? What is this, mango?"

    "It's mango-melon," you tell her, primly. "I'm very sorry if it's not up to your ladyship's exacting standards." Excuse you for enjoying something that actually tastes nice. As far as you're concerned, alcohol is disgusting, and if you can get a buzz without having to taste it beneath layers of sugar and fake fruit, more's the better.

    Kitty rolls her eyes, tossing the pouch to Cam. The throw is a little off, and the much-shorter woman needs to dart up to grab it in fumbling hands, facing going red as she takes her swig and hastily passes it off to Ryan. He's last, silently taking as small a sip as possible before giving it back to you.

    Now that you've all had a drink, you can begin. And, lucky you, you're the one who has to start things off. That's what you get for supplying the booze. "The first time I ever met Commander Sails," you say, "she told me... 'I don't care where you came from, as long as you're reliable.'" You feel a complex mix of emotions, thinking back to that day. Her hair had been a little less grey then, her face a little less lined, but her eyes had been just as steady and intense. You're glad you weren't present when they'd had to scrape all that was left of her out of her Pennant's ruined cockpit. "Guess... she meant it," you sum up with a shrug. You take your second drink, and once again make the pass to Azara. "Go easy on this stuff, will you, Zar?"

    "You're not my mother!" Azara says. She flashes you a quick smile, one that promptly wilts as she turns her attention back to the matter at hand. "I can't think of just... one story about Sunny," she says. "He was like... he really knew how to put up with us. You all know I get on people's nerves, and Kana's... Kana." There's a round of strained laughter around the room, at your expense.

    "Ouch," you mutter.

    "Shut up, Pirate," she says, amiably enough on the surface. There's still a tremor in her voice you're not used to, beneath it. "Sunny, though... even with being all stiff and military from all that zealot training, he just... rolled with it. He knew when to shut up and just let us have our fun, and when to get us on track. And he was horrible at any kind of betting game, so I could clean him out every time." She drinks again, just as generously as before, apparently taking it upon herself to down Jay's share in his stead.

    Jay sighs as he accepts the pouch, closing his eyes. He's still for a moment, a pale, white-haired statue. It's long seconds before he's ready to speak up. "Monseratto saw some dark shit, in the Divine Navy. Did some of it too, I think — he never liked to go into details. That's the kind of thing that weighs on a person. Drags you down a little, every day. He was out here, trying to do something about it, though. He told me once, fighting the HSE now was his way to atone for some of that. He died exactly where he wanted to be."

    Kitty takes the pouch again as if it's filled with something deeply unpleasant, but doesn't let that ruin the moment. "Jennifer was a great commander," she says. "And Sunny, he was a friend. Zhìháo, though? Him... I knew him all my life. He worked with my parents, back in the early days, when the movement was just getting started." She takes an early sip, stealing herself against the memories, although she makes a disgusted face as soon as the syrupy liquor touches her tongue. "He was like an uncle, I guess. He looked out for me, after mom and dad were gone. I'm going to miss that old man."

    Cam accepts the pouch from Kitty — not a throw this time — and stares at it. She opens her mouth briefly, then closes it again. What she finally manages is brief, strained: "They all deserved better." Then she takes a quick gulp, and shoves the pouch toward Ryan.

    Ryan looks around at you all bleakly. "Zhìháo was all business with his squad, usually." Cam nodded numbly beside him. "The man was a rock. A fixed point. That's what you need sometimes — it's what keeps everyone else going. But, I worked with him for two and a half years before I even heard he had a family, back before the Civil War." Ryan takes a healthy gulp of liqueur, displaying less obvious distaste than Kitty had. "Here's hoping he's with them again, I guess."

    You go around the circle several more times until the bag is empty, telling stories about the departed. About the the girls Sunny turned down, or the hardest anyone had ever heard Commander Sails laugh. Or, more topically, what kind of a drunk Zhìháo had been. The bodies are long gone, blown out an airlock as reverently as possible, but this is how you bury them. Not just the dead husks they left behind, but the people they were — friends and mentors and leaders, their troubled pasts, their hopes for the future, their mortal foibles and annoying habits. It's the best you can do.

    A small, morbid thought at the back of your head can't help but wonder what will be said about you if you're not so lucky next time.

    /////PoCS/////

    You and your fellow pilots are left reeling in the wake of a disastrous hijacking attempt that decapitated your squads' leadership. All the while, unbeknownst to you, your ship's remaining leadership is making plans to take you all on a new and unexpected course. You will be informed of the desperate measures they've decided on in due time.

    Following that, you have a short stretch of travel ahead of you in which you, a pilot, are somewhat at loose ends. What do you do of note during that time?

    Choose three from the following list, these will be tallied together:

    [ ] Try to set Azara up with Kitty
    [ ] Have a talk with Jay about his family
    [ ] Check on Cam, she seems rattled
    [ ] Badger Nazaret for more reading material
    [ ] Try to convince Ryan to watch anime that isn't trash

    Additionally, choose one from this list. This vote is counted separately from the above.

    [ ] Keep an eye on Owusu
    [ ] Gather information on the mysterious source that's apparently led you astray
    [ ] Harass Yorke for some way you can help with the mecha repairs
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • [x] Try to set Azara up with Kitty
    [x] Have a talk with Jay about his family
    [x] Try to convince Ryan to watch anime that isn't trash

    [x] Harass Yorke for some way you can help with the mecha repairs

    Let's just get up in everyone's business in as many ways as possible.
     
    I have a feeling I know which of these choices are gonna lead *ahem* ship choice *ahem*

    [X] Have a talk with Jay about his family
    [X] Check on Cam, she seems rattled
    [X] Badger Nazaret for more reading material

    I choose to fight against the madness

    [X] Gather information on the mysterious source that's apparently led you astray
     
    [X] Gather information on the mysterious source that's apparently led you astray

    Either this or Owusu. Something's strange about that one.
     
    I have absolutely no idea what to vote for. :V

    One set of using dice rolls to pick options later...

    [X] Try to set Azara up with Kitty
    [X] Have a talk with Jay about his family
    [X] Try to convince Ryan to watch anime that isn't trash

    [X] Keep an eye on Owusu

    O W U S U
     
    Should we plan vote for these?
    [X] Try to set Azara up with Kitty
    [X] Check on Cam, she seems rattled
    [X] Try to convince Ryan to watch anime that isn't trash

    [X] Gather information on the mysterious source that's apparently led you astray
     
    Last edited:
    [X] Try to set Azara up with Kitty
    [X] Have a talk with Jay about his family
    [X] Check on Cam, she seems rattled

    [X] Gather information on the mysterious source that's apparently led you astray
     
    [X] Try to set Azara up with Kitty
    [X] Check on Cam, she seems rattled
    [x] Try to convince Ryan to watch anime that isn't trash

    [X] Gather information on the mysterious source that's apparently led you astray
     
    KreenWarrior said:
    Should we plan vote for these?
    [X] Plan Love and War
    -[X] Try to set Azara up with Kitty
    -[X] Check on Cam, she seems rattled
    -[X] Try to convince Ryan to watch anime that isn't trash

    [X] Gather information on the mysterious source that's apparently led you astray
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    In the interests of me comparing the two approaches, we're not doing plan-voting this time.
     
    I have a strong feeling the shipping choice will happen no matter what, so may as well not bother :V

    Edit: may as well not bother, but I'm going to anyway because it's still just a bit closer than I thought

    [X] Try to set Azara up with Kitty
    [X] Have a talk with Jay about his family
    [X] Try to convince Ryan to watch anime that isn't trash

    [X] Gather information on the mysterious source that's apparently led you astray
     
    Last edited:
    [X] Try to set Azara up with Kitty
    [X] Have a talk with Jay about his family
    [X] Try to convince Ryan to watch anime that isn't trash

    [X] Keep an eye on Owusu
     
    [x] Try to set Azara up with Kitty
    [X] Have a talk with Jay about his family
    [X] Check on Cam, she seems rattled

    [X] Gather information on the mysterious source that's apparently led you astray
     
    [X] Try to set Azara up with Kitty
    [X] Have a talk with Jay about his family
    [X] Check on Cam, she seems rattled

    [X] Gather information on the mysterious source that's apparently led you astray
     
    [X] Try to set Azara up with Kitty
    Since we went to all the trouble to get them out alive, might as well
    It'll be fun!
    [X] Check on Cam, she seems rattled
    She really does
    [X] Try to convince Ryan to watch anime that isn't trash
    But of course

    [X] Gather information on the mysterious source that's apparently led you astray
    All so that in the penultimate episode we could reveal ourselves as the mastermind all other players danced in the palm of, as we dramatically proclaim Independent Jovian System under our benevolent rule
     
    [X] Try to set Azara up with Kitty
    [X] Check on Cam, she seems rattled
    [X] Badger Nazaret for more reading material

    [X] Gather information on the mysterious source that's apparently led you astray
     
    [X] Try to set Azara up with Kitty
    [X] Check on Cam, she seems rattled
    [X] Try to convince Ryan to watch anime that isn't trash

    [X] Gather information on the mysterious source that's apparently led you astray
     
    [x] Try to set Azara up with Kitty
    [x] Have a talk with Jay about his family
    [x] Try to convince Ryan to watch anime that isn't trash

    [x] Harass Yorke for some way you can help with the mecha repairs
     
    [X] Have a talk with Jay about his family
    [X] Try to convince Ryan to watch anime that isn't trash
    [X] Check on Cam, she seems rattled

    [X] Gather information on the mysterious source that's apparently led you astray

    Jay because I wanna hear about more J-Project shit, Ryan because it sounds funny (both on the face of it and also because last time we talked to him, we were trying to build bridges a bit, and I'm imagining us trying to continue that by trying to chat about shows a bit but not being able to help ourselves from talking shit), and Cam because it seems prudent.
    Gather information so that Kana can be like one of her detective novels because it sounds like a bit of interesting mystery. Not going for Owusu on this because I'm worried that if we go with him too often it'll run his schtick dry.
     
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