- Location
- The Garden
I know I had a change of heart considering the captain was the one who actually saw the ship's brief manifestation, that counts for a lot more then anyone else on the ship that is currently available.
Steel and Humanity (A Kantai Collection Quest)
- Thread starter Spectral Waltz
- Start date
Spectral Waltz
Scatterbrained Writer
- Location
- Walking the Endless Corridors
Captain is the only one currently available who saw her directly, a few minor crew members also caught glimpses of her but with everything going on it's harder to sort out the rumours from the facts as to who they were.
Luminous
God Save The Queen
- Location
- Victoria, BC, Canada
Really I'm not that worried about it. I kind of want this quest to be focused on humans serving on a Naval vessel.
Spectral Waltz
Scatterbrained Writer
- Location
- Walking the Endless Corridors
Speaking of which, would you guys like me to handle each shore scene individually so you guys can make votes on how certain events go? (i.e. how the press conference questions get answered).
Or would you prefer it if I took the characters according to their written personalities and wrote out the events all at once so that who you send to an event matters more since what they know and say will determine how they behave?
Or would you prefer it if I took the characters according to their written personalities and wrote out the events all at once so that who you send to an event matters more since what they know and say will determine how they behave?
- Location
- The Garden
Well yeah me too, but why half ass the job? The captain is the best one for it, I really don't think the division will order the ship to be scuttled just to try and get another shipgirl they're just curious about what happened.
Hmm, that's tough. I'd be fine with either way but the second option sounds more appealing. By the way is there a chance of messing up so bad our ship ends up as an abyssal?
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Luminous
God Save The Queen
- Location
- Victoria, BC, Canada
But as a high-ranking officer, not to mention the ship's CO, he'll be very useful during the press conference.
I would suggest doing the former and if it turns out that that slows the quest down to much we can move to the latter.
Spectral Waltz
Scatterbrained Writer
- Location
- Walking the Endless Corridors
They already know that scuttling a ship usually doesn't result in a successful summoning, even one with a few victories under her belt.
Heck, they don't know it and neither do your crew, but scuttling her right after this victory would probably be one of the kinds of things that really could get her to come back as an abyssal. I didn't have any plans for that to necessarily occur otherwise because there would have to be some pretty gross mistreatment going down in order to cause that kind of thing but if things do go really badly I do have that in my back pocket as a bad end of sorts...
- Location
- The Garden
Yep, let's avoid that. I've seen enough bad ends quite recently, thank you very much.
Spectral Waltz
Scatterbrained Writer
- Location
- Walking the Endless Corridors
Yep, let's avoid that. I've seen enough bad ends quite recently, thank you very much.
I was gonna say I thought you would have known better than to give the QM ideas on how to cause upsetting things given a certain Lapine individual's quest...
On that note, I think I'm gonna conduct each scene with breaks to let you guys decide how to answer questions or what to say to particular people for this one at least just to test the idea and see if it'll bog down the quest or not. If it does then I'll change it up next time. If it doesn't, I think the extra character control would make for some more interesting quest choices and results down the line.
ConfusedPotato
Unverified Verifier
- Location
- Australia
It doesn't take long for the news of your victory to get out and in a matter of days there are reporters at the gate requesting to talk to the crew. In the interests of trying to keep questions from getting out of hand the decision is made to hold a press conference featuring at least one of LBJ's Officers.
[X] Captain Johnathan Lukas Picard
[X] Executive Officer Lieutenant Commander Matthew Horner
After mentions of your apparent partial summoning make their way to the division stationed on the base in charge of attempting summonings they request to speak further with someone from your ship in order to hopefully learn a little more about the events of the night.
[X] Operations Officer Lieutenant Sarah Atinway
Two of your gunnery crew were killed in the line of duty during the explosion that blew apart your aft. Their families will be informed of course but it might be worth lending a more personal and heartfelt touch to it by having someone visit them to pass on the information in person.
[X] Chief Hospital Corpsman James Baxton
[X] Captain Johnathan Lukas Picard
[X] Executive Officer Lieutenant Commander Matthew Horner
After mentions of your apparent partial summoning make their way to the division stationed on the base in charge of attempting summonings they request to speak further with someone from your ship in order to hopefully learn a little more about the events of the night.
[X] Operations Officer Lieutenant Sarah Atinway
Two of your gunnery crew were killed in the line of duty during the explosion that blew apart your aft. Their families will be informed of course but it might be worth lending a more personal and heartfelt touch to it by having someone visit them to pass on the information in person.
[X] Chief Hospital Corpsman James Baxton
- Location
- The Garden
The serious nature of Picard doesn't strike me as the kind of man who wants to deal with the media. I see him preferring to address, in anyway he can right now, what is going on with his ship. We already have our XO going there with our operations officer, that seems to be enough for me.
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- Location
- Meycauayan, Bulacan, Philippines
It doesn't take long for the news of your victory to get out and in a matter of days there are reporters at the gate requesting to talk to the crew. In the interests of trying to keep questions from getting out of hand the decision is made to hold a press conference featuring at least one of LBJ's Officers.
[X] Captain Johnathan Lukas Picard
[X] Executive Officer Lieutenant Commander Matthew Horner
After mentions of your apparent partial summoning make their way to the division stationed on the base in charge of attempting summonings they request to speak further with someone from your ship in order to hopefully learn a little more about the events of the night.
[X] Operations Officer Lieutenant Sarah Atinway
Two of your gunnery crew were killed in the line of duty during the explosion that blew apart your aft. Their families will be informed of course but it might be worth lending a more personal and heartfelt touch to it by having someone visit them to pass on the information in person.
[X] Chief Hospital Corpsman James Baxton
[X] Captain Johnathan Lukas Picard
[X] Executive Officer Lieutenant Commander Matthew Horner
After mentions of your apparent partial summoning make their way to the division stationed on the base in charge of attempting summonings they request to speak further with someone from your ship in order to hopefully learn a little more about the events of the night.
[X] Operations Officer Lieutenant Sarah Atinway
Two of your gunnery crew were killed in the line of duty during the explosion that blew apart your aft. Their families will be informed of course but it might be worth lending a more personal and heartfelt touch to it by having someone visit them to pass on the information in person.
[X] Chief Hospital Corpsman James Baxton
Sir_Braazmiir
Tiefling Paladin
- Location
- Wherever I am
It doesn't take long for the news of your victory to get out and in a matter of days there are reporters at the gate requesting to talk to the crew. In the interests of trying to keep questions from getting out of hand the decision is made to hold a press conference featuring at least one of LBJ's Officers.
[X] Executive Officer Lieutenant Commander Matthew Horner
-[X] Operations Officer Lieutenant Sarah Atinway
After mentions of your apparent partial summoning make their way to the division stationed on the base in charge of attempting summonings they request to speak further with someone from your ship in order to hopefully learn a little more about the events of the night.
[X] Captain Johnathan Lukas Picard
Two of your gunnery crew were killed in the line of duty during the explosion that blew apart your aft. Their families will be informed of course but it might be worth lending a more personal and heartfelt touch to it by having someone visit them to pass on the information in person.
[X] Chief Hospital Corpsman James Baxton
Since Picard saw us directly, this seems like the best choice. Matt and Sarah know what they're doing, and the ship's medical officer is the one I expect to deliver the news of fatalities via visits.
[X] Executive Officer Lieutenant Commander Matthew Horner
-[X] Operations Officer Lieutenant Sarah Atinway
After mentions of your apparent partial summoning make their way to the division stationed on the base in charge of attempting summonings they request to speak further with someone from your ship in order to hopefully learn a little more about the events of the night.
[X] Captain Johnathan Lukas Picard
Two of your gunnery crew were killed in the line of duty during the explosion that blew apart your aft. Their families will be informed of course but it might be worth lending a more personal and heartfelt touch to it by having someone visit them to pass on the information in person.
[X] Chief Hospital Corpsman James Baxton
Since Picard saw us directly, this seems like the best choice. Matt and Sarah know what they're doing, and the ship's medical officer is the one I expect to deliver the news of fatalities via visits.
Spectral Waltz
Scatterbrained Writer
- Location
- Walking the Endless Corridors
Hmm... I should have laid out the voting structure for this better, the tally is a mess.
Not closing votes just yet, but soon.
Not closing votes just yet, but soon.
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Thors_Alumni
Proud member of Thors Class VII from Liberl
- Location
- Liberl Zemuria.
It doesn't take long for the news of your victory to get out and in a matter of days there are reporters at the gate requesting to talk to the crew. In the interests of trying to keep questions from getting out of hand the decision is made to hold a press conference featuring at least one of LBJ's Officers.
[X] Executive Officer Lieutenant Commander Matthew Horner
-[X] Operations Officer Lieutenant Sarah Atinway
After mentions of your apparent partial summoning make their way to the division stationed on the base in charge of attempting summonings they request to speak further with someone from your ship in order to hopefully learn a little more about the events of the night.
[X] Captain Johnathan Lukas Picard
Two of your gunnery crew were killed in the line of duty during the explosion that blew apart your aft. Their families will be informed of course but it might be worth lending a more personal and heartfelt touch to it by having someone visit them to pass on the information in person.
[X] Chief Hospital Corpsman James Baxton
Since Picard saw us directly, this seems like the best choice. Matt and Sarah know what they're doing, and the ship's medical officer is the one I expect to deliver the news of fatalities via visits.
[X] Executive Officer Lieutenant Commander Matthew Horner
-[X] Operations Officer Lieutenant Sarah Atinway
After mentions of your apparent partial summoning make their way to the division stationed on the base in charge of attempting summonings they request to speak further with someone from your ship in order to hopefully learn a little more about the events of the night.
[X] Captain Johnathan Lukas Picard
Two of your gunnery crew were killed in the line of duty during the explosion that blew apart your aft. Their families will be informed of course but it might be worth lending a more personal and heartfelt touch to it by having someone visit them to pass on the information in person.
[X] Chief Hospital Corpsman James Baxton
Since Picard saw us directly, this seems like the best choice. Matt and Sarah know what they're doing, and the ship's medical officer is the one I expect to deliver the news of fatalities via visits.
Sir_Braazmiir
Tiefling Paladin
- Location
- Wherever I am
Did you have to copy my reasoning?
Thors_Alumni
Proud member of Thors Class VII from Liberl
- Location
- Liberl Zemuria.
sorry I just copy pasted. I wasn't really paying attention after I read your choices and agreed with them.
- Location
- The Garden
So looks like we have a tie, it seems to come down to whether Picard goes to the soul crushing machine that is the media (I mean I guess having the captain of the ship be there would look nice in the headlines...) or head on to the shipgirl summoning division because he's really the only one capable of giving concrete information about our girl. I've said it once already but I think our XO and operations officer are more then capable of handling the reporters, Picard will be more useful at the division.
Also no worries, this quest will stay about humans steering a navel vessel (albeit a spiritually charged kickass vessel) against the abyssals. The GM has made that clear.
Also no worries, this quest will stay about humans steering a navel vessel (albeit a spiritually charged kickass vessel) against the abyssals. The GM has made that clear.
Spectral Waltz
Scatterbrained Writer
- Location
- Walking the Endless Corridors
Yep! As long as you can keep the ship alive, I will continue to write for the crew.
And not to worry, it won't all be battles like that. I have interesting ideas in mind...
As for the tie, if no one else votes for a tiebreaker by say... Probably tomorrow? Maybe Saturday? Whenever I get around to tallying for an update at any rate, if no one has voted a tie-breaker in by then I will flip a coin using the dice roller to decide.
JoshieWoshie
Mister Doge
[X] Executive Officer Lieutenant Commander Matthew Horner
-[X] Operations Officer Lieutenant Sarah Atinway
After mentions of your apparent partial summoning make their way to the division stationed on the base in charge of attempting summonings they request to speak further with someone from your ship in order to hopefully learn a little more about the events of the night.
[X] Captain Johnathan Lukas Picard
Two of your gunnery crew were killed in the line of duty during the explosion that blew apart your aft. Their families will be informed of course but it might be worth lending a more personal and heartfelt touch to it by having someone visit them to pass on the information in person.
[X] Chief Hospital Corpsman James Baxton
-[X] Operations Officer Lieutenant Sarah Atinway
After mentions of your apparent partial summoning make their way to the division stationed on the base in charge of attempting summonings they request to speak further with someone from your ship in order to hopefully learn a little more about the events of the night.
[X] Captain Johnathan Lukas Picard
Two of your gunnery crew were killed in the line of duty during the explosion that blew apart your aft. Their families will be informed of course but it might be worth lending a more personal and heartfelt touch to it by having someone visit them to pass on the information in person.
[X] Chief Hospital Corpsman James Baxton
Spectral Waltz
Scatterbrained Writer
- Location
- Walking the Endless Corridors
Or we can just get another vote right away that's cool too.
I'll update when I can.
I'll update when I can.
In the future this is exactly the sort of vote that Tasks help in. The inbuilt tally doesn't currently support it, it's on the list of planned features, but NetTally does.
In case you are unfamiliar with how Tasks work you put a Task inside square brackets at the start of each well task. For example with the previous vote:
Words and Deeds Part 1
Spectral Waltz
Scatterbrained Writer
- Location
- Walking the Endless Corridors
Press Conference
[X] Executive Officer Lieutenant Commander Matthew Horner
[X] Operations Officer Lieutenant Sarah Atinway
Standing at parade rest, Horner and Atinway strike an imposing duo at the press podium. He with the seriousness of knowing that his station is everything here, and she with the natural discipline that has been close companion to her rise through the ranks. They are both relatively young for their patches but while neither of them have the stern demeanour of Picard, they have enough collective weight to their presence to quiet the room for a moment.
Then the questions start. there is a press liaison here to try and help keep order and pick people for questions but there's a current of excitement in the room. Finally the liaison nods to a blonde woman in the second row.
"Allison Walker, CNN, How does it feel being the first human crew to face down an abyssal strike force and come back both victorious and with an intact ship?"
The two of them glance at each other for a moment, then one nods, and the other speaks.
[] Horner: "Shaky... It's good to have a victory like this but we lost sailors during the fight to death or injury, and the damage to Lynn' will take weeks to repair. We're just glad to have made it out for now."
[] Atinway: "Lucky. We only survived by the skin of our teeth and guidance, even if she wasn't physically there it felt like LBJ was watching over us. If the Abyssals had managed to last a minute longer and land even one more hit I wouldn't be talking to you."
[] Write in
A quieter moment passes as the words are digested and the liaison takes advantage of the lull to scope out the attending press for the next question, finally pointing to a curly-haired man in the third row. "Danny Concannon, Washington Post, does this victory mean we might start seeing a turnaround in the use of steel hulls to combat the abyssal threat? Do you think that this victory justifies the efforts put in place to keep them an active part of the navy?"
The Liaison looks distinctly uncomfortable but reluctantly looks to Matt and Sarah first.
[] Horner: "To be honest I can't say. Maybe there's something in all that information that will push us forwards again but that's for the eggheads and the tactical experts to figure out. For though now we haven't heard of any changes in doctrine coming down the line."
-[] "That said, given the sacrifices made both by Lyn's crew and the crews of other ships I hope we have found something..."
[] Atinway: "I doubt it, maybe there's a few things to slightly improve our chances buried in the data but little improvements aren't going to make the difference right now. Naval doctrine is still playing catch up with the threat and little steps simply aren't enough."
-[] "As for the efforts, even if our success has made some difference, there is no amount of victory that can completely make up for the lives lost obtaining it."
[] Liaison: After a moment's stiff silence "No comment, next Question."
Summoning Talk
[X] Captain Johnathan Lukas Picard
Talking to the summoners is perhaps a less unpleasant duty than facing down the press or speaking to grieving families but it is still not quite pleasant either. The smell of incense and powder hangs around them like a shroud and they stare at Picard with the look he has always associated with people who think that they are smarter than him.
He won't debate that they probably know more about shipgirl summoning than he does, but it is also strange to be spoken to in that way by -of all people- a catholic priest, a buddhist monk, a supposed medium, and a literature professor. There are enough accounts between the crew telling the same stories about the same girl that something approaching a summoning can be concluded to have happened but after retelling what he saw and experienced for the fourth time he is beginning to feel just ever so slightly worn.
Even if the battle was a victory it was still a battle, men and women were hurt, men and women were dead, his ship, Johnson had been savaged by enemy fire, and they were making him think through every wound the Abyssals had given her, over and over again.
He had been asked politely by the admiral to be cooperative with them and so he sat and stewed in the moments between answering questions but his patience was startin to near it's limit. Fortunately the hour and a half he'd set aside for this was coming to an end but as Picard made to excuse himself at last one of them, the monk, turned to him with a smile. "Captain, while this has been... enlightening. I feel like we could make much more progress if we were to investigate Lyndon B. Johnson herself, perhaps attempt to commune with the spirit. Would you mind terribly if we took some time to explore her? The sooner the better of course."
[] "I don't mind but the repairs take first priority. You'll have to wait until she's fixed up and in the water again."
[] "I don't mind at all... I'll talk to Lieutenant Winters about arranging to keep the repair crews out of your way for a day."
[] "Lyn is hurt, and I don't think trying to awaken or commune with her in that state is something I can condone."
[] "With all due respect Summoners. Stay the hell off my ship."
Bearing Bad News
[X] Chief Hospital Corpsman James Baxton
When someone has served as long as Baxton they've done this before, and he'd be first to tell you that it doesn't get any easier, but that's the devil of it, it does get easier. As the years go by, he's learned to recognize the forms grief takes, learned the right words for the right states of mind, for the right times. It makes his skin crawl when he tells people, tweaking his responses to ease them down, because as much as he tells himself it's for the best that they are able to move on, he can't help but feel like he's halfway between truth and lies with every word.
It grates on him, more than anything else.
Neither of the sailors that died did so under his care. Mina Samuels was preparing a launch cell with Robert Blake right next to her when it was struck by abyssal shellfire. They were dead before they really knew what was happening, blown to bits by high explosives. It was quick, it was painless, and he tells them that, but they always want to know more. 'Was it worth it?' they ask 'Did they make a difference?'
Did they give their lives in vain? Or in Glory? How can you even answer that question...
They died of bad luck, in the course of a futile effort, loading one more missile that had maybe a two in ten chance of striking it's target.
You don't want to be doing this, but it's your job.
[] Sigh. "They were indispensable members of our crew..."
[] Nod, try and fail to meet their eyes.
[] Look away as the silence stretches out, then excuse yourself quietly.
[] Write In. (Certain write-ins may be vetoed or require justification given Baxton's character.)
[X] Executive Officer Lieutenant Commander Matthew Horner
[X] Operations Officer Lieutenant Sarah Atinway
Standing at parade rest, Horner and Atinway strike an imposing duo at the press podium. He with the seriousness of knowing that his station is everything here, and she with the natural discipline that has been close companion to her rise through the ranks. They are both relatively young for their patches but while neither of them have the stern demeanour of Picard, they have enough collective weight to their presence to quiet the room for a moment.
Then the questions start. there is a press liaison here to try and help keep order and pick people for questions but there's a current of excitement in the room. Finally the liaison nods to a blonde woman in the second row.
"Allison Walker, CNN, How does it feel being the first human crew to face down an abyssal strike force and come back both victorious and with an intact ship?"
The two of them glance at each other for a moment, then one nods, and the other speaks.
[] Horner: "Shaky... It's good to have a victory like this but we lost sailors during the fight to death or injury, and the damage to Lynn' will take weeks to repair. We're just glad to have made it out for now."
[] Atinway: "Lucky. We only survived by the skin of our teeth and guidance, even if she wasn't physically there it felt like LBJ was watching over us. If the Abyssals had managed to last a minute longer and land even one more hit I wouldn't be talking to you."
[] Write in
A quieter moment passes as the words are digested and the liaison takes advantage of the lull to scope out the attending press for the next question, finally pointing to a curly-haired man in the third row. "Danny Concannon, Washington Post, does this victory mean we might start seeing a turnaround in the use of steel hulls to combat the abyssal threat? Do you think that this victory justifies the efforts put in place to keep them an active part of the navy?"
The Liaison looks distinctly uncomfortable but reluctantly looks to Matt and Sarah first.
[] Horner: "To be honest I can't say. Maybe there's something in all that information that will push us forwards again but that's for the eggheads and the tactical experts to figure out. For though now we haven't heard of any changes in doctrine coming down the line."
-[] "That said, given the sacrifices made both by Lyn's crew and the crews of other ships I hope we have found something..."
[] Atinway: "I doubt it, maybe there's a few things to slightly improve our chances buried in the data but little improvements aren't going to make the difference right now. Naval doctrine is still playing catch up with the threat and little steps simply aren't enough."
-[] "As for the efforts, even if our success has made some difference, there is no amount of victory that can completely make up for the lives lost obtaining it."
[] Liaison: After a moment's stiff silence "No comment, next Question."
Summoning Talk
[X] Captain Johnathan Lukas Picard
Talking to the summoners is perhaps a less unpleasant duty than facing down the press or speaking to grieving families but it is still not quite pleasant either. The smell of incense and powder hangs around them like a shroud and they stare at Picard with the look he has always associated with people who think that they are smarter than him.
He won't debate that they probably know more about shipgirl summoning than he does, but it is also strange to be spoken to in that way by -of all people- a catholic priest, a buddhist monk, a supposed medium, and a literature professor. There are enough accounts between the crew telling the same stories about the same girl that something approaching a summoning can be concluded to have happened but after retelling what he saw and experienced for the fourth time he is beginning to feel just ever so slightly worn.
Even if the battle was a victory it was still a battle, men and women were hurt, men and women were dead, his ship, Johnson had been savaged by enemy fire, and they were making him think through every wound the Abyssals had given her, over and over again.
He had been asked politely by the admiral to be cooperative with them and so he sat and stewed in the moments between answering questions but his patience was startin to near it's limit. Fortunately the hour and a half he'd set aside for this was coming to an end but as Picard made to excuse himself at last one of them, the monk, turned to him with a smile. "Captain, while this has been... enlightening. I feel like we could make much more progress if we were to investigate Lyndon B. Johnson herself, perhaps attempt to commune with the spirit. Would you mind terribly if we took some time to explore her? The sooner the better of course."
[] "I don't mind but the repairs take first priority. You'll have to wait until she's fixed up and in the water again."
[] "I don't mind at all... I'll talk to Lieutenant Winters about arranging to keep the repair crews out of your way for a day."
[] "Lyn is hurt, and I don't think trying to awaken or commune with her in that state is something I can condone."
[] "With all due respect Summoners. Stay the hell off my ship."
Bearing Bad News
[X] Chief Hospital Corpsman James Baxton
When someone has served as long as Baxton they've done this before, and he'd be first to tell you that it doesn't get any easier, but that's the devil of it, it does get easier. As the years go by, he's learned to recognize the forms grief takes, learned the right words for the right states of mind, for the right times. It makes his skin crawl when he tells people, tweaking his responses to ease them down, because as much as he tells himself it's for the best that they are able to move on, he can't help but feel like he's halfway between truth and lies with every word.
It grates on him, more than anything else.
Neither of the sailors that died did so under his care. Mina Samuels was preparing a launch cell with Robert Blake right next to her when it was struck by abyssal shellfire. They were dead before they really knew what was happening, blown to bits by high explosives. It was quick, it was painless, and he tells them that, but they always want to know more. 'Was it worth it?' they ask 'Did they make a difference?'
Did they give their lives in vain? Or in Glory? How can you even answer that question...
They died of bad luck, in the course of a futile effort, loading one more missile that had maybe a two in ten chance of striking it's target.
You don't want to be doing this, but it's your job.
[] Sigh. "They were indispensable members of our crew..."
[] Nod, try and fail to meet their eyes.
[] Look away as the silence stretches out, then excuse yourself quietly.
[] Write In. (Certain write-ins may be vetoed or require justification given Baxton's character.)
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- Location
- Rockford, USA
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Well, before anything else: the press crew's answer to the second question should be a flat refusal to comment. Not a sheepish silence followed by somebody else inferring that no answer is forthcoming; any military personnel should shut that question down hard. Come straight out with, "It would be wildly inappropriate for us to comment on military procedure."
Is a write in to that effect an option?
Is a write in to that effect an option?
Spectral Waltz
Scatterbrained Writer
- Location
- Walking the Endless Corridors
Hope the sheer number of votes isn't too chaotic to follow... I wanted you guys to have agency and input in these parts while still moving forwards at a good clip.