>>1542999
>'I didn't mean any offense by it.' (Placate)
>'You have to admit that she has at least that much to her credit.' (Defensive)
>'I don't think I appreciate that tone, Shigure.' (Lord)
>'Is that a little pride I sense? From you?' (Humor)
>'Let's change the topic before this goes somewhere we're both not comfortable with.' (CHANGE TOPIC)
>Write-In

>>1542999
>>'Is that a little pride I sense? From you?' (Humor)

>>1543014
>'Is that a little pride I sense? From you?' (Humor)

>>1543014
>>'Is that a little pride I sense? From you?' (Humor)

File: Shigure.jpg (221 KB, 729x517)

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‘Is that a little pride I sense?’ You tease, smirking and visibly raising an eyebrow. ‘From you?’

To your surprise, Shigure’s expression doesn’t soften. Her cheeks don’t puff out like she always did when she was displeased with something. You’d poked and prodded her before, but the way that she looked right now reminded you much of the time the city inspectors came to check in on the restaurants. She looked downright icy; not that you hadn’t seen a cold expression on her before, of course, but the way she bored holes into your eyes—or tried to, at least—showed a distinct lack of patience or cheerfulness.

‘It is an insult to my station—to my former post—for you to compare patrol and defensive duties to my tenure with special operations,’ she replies stiffly, folding her hands over her front, her tone still somewhat neutral. ‘I assure you, Commander, there is a very visible difference in frame and risk between what I do and what Samidare did.’

Despite all the warnings, you can’t help but let a chuckle escape your throat.

‘Yup,’ you take on a teasing tone, placing your hands on your hips as you consider your subordinate, ‘it definitely sounds like you have at least some measure of pride in your work. Gotta say this is a—’

‘It is not a matter of pride,’ she interrupts, an edge to her voice as she goes on. ‘You’re comparing low-risk high-visibility situations with a marked difference in casualty and success rate to-to a—’

Her expression changes again.

Her face contorts angrily as she cuts herself off with a hiss, her hands falling to her side as she practically shakes, staring right up at you with what you can only describe as indignant, righteous anger—one that you were all to familiar with. You try to open your mouth to apologize, but fear the follow-up could make things even worse … and the way she was going, it didn’t look like she was willing to give you the chance to open your mouth, anyway.

You had failed to read just where she was coming from. You had made a mistake in assuming this was something she would take in humor.

‘It’s not the same!’ she exclaims, her voice soft, but the feelings behind it as harsh as ever. ‘That you can say that what Samidare used to do … and what I was a part of to be on the same piece of paper is—’

She cuts herself off again, closing her eyes and letting out a breath, her shoulders slumping as a sullen mood begins to permeate through the walls.

‘Look, Shigure, I didn’t mean to—’

‘I’m sorry, sir,’ she cut you off, giving a hurried bow, ‘My evaluation sessions must be re-commencing by now. Have a good day.’

With that, she bolts out the door.

Sometimes, you wonder, why you didn’t quit while you were ahead.

3/5
>Meet with a KanMusu (Specify)
>Meet with On-Base Staff
>Visit Location
>EXECUTE TASK (Specify)
>Write-In

Well that could've gone better

So what next, guys

>>1543240
>>EXECUTE TASK (Specify)
Atago's grave plot

>>1543240
This >>1543262
Has my vote

>>1543262
>>1543274
And my axe.

Uh, vote.

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You run your finger over your eyepatch, frustration coursing through your veins. After what you had thought had been a good start to the day, your lack of control over your words had led you down what you could only describe as a mess of your own making. Shigure hadn’t been tearful—or you hope she hadn’t become so once out of your sight—but sometimes you wonder if trying to make light of things wasn’t the proper way to defuse situations. Today, of course, marking the most recent example of your inability to properly read and defuse a situation. To be completely fair on yourself, however … there wasn’t much to be expected of you there when you had put your name in for a job, and a small part of you reasoned that you couldn’t have been expected to read and act according to the situation’s wiles…

But it was a very small part. The Admiralty wasn’t interested in drafting normal men.

Deciding to get a head-start—and salvage—on the rest of your day, you head back outside to the noise and … overcast.

Above, you see the clouds beginning to gather … to which you reflexively tighten your jacket around you; an overcast in autumn meant that there would be a biting breeze to follow, and you were loathe to catch yourself in one of those unprepared. You have half a mind to head back to the barracks and just kick up with some coffee, but the way your mood was heading, you don’t think that you would have the capacity to enjoy it right about now … perhaps later you could get the opportunity; preferably when you had properly apologized to Shigure. Just as the thought leaves you, a harsh, if light, breeze hits you square in the face, causing you to flinch.

This had never been a problem back when you were in the city.

You try to focus your thoughts on something warm … when a stray reminder hits you.

You had yet to follow-up on the Captain’s reply to your request for a review on Takao’s form for her sister’s grave plot.

But as far as you knew, there hadn’t been a—

‘That’s right … Ooyodo handles the incoming mail.’

You shake your head; you don’t know why you’d thought it would have come straight to your inbox, but for now, it was your duty to at least see this part of the assigned task through. You jog past a few of the Admiralty staff members, their own busy selves appraising some newly-delivered crates with some gibberish scribbled on the side, making your way to the entrance of the compound. The place was as noisy as Ominato was right now; you could see several cement trucks parked on the grass patches, men in masks and jumpsuits moving to attend to them as you spied the odd KanMusu sitting on the crates or chatting away, several fairies flying in defiance of the wind’s harshness like it was nothing.

Just as your luck would have it, a buggy screeches to a halt right in front of the entrance.

TBC

File: Ooyodo.jpg (205 KB, 807x1000)

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Even better, with the departing crew, you were the only one boarding this one.

‘Got somewhere specific in mind?’

You pause.

The first thing to come to mind was to find Ooyodo … but you doubt that mail would be sorted out in the middle of MP Headquarters. You rub your chin, thinking just where to head, before…

‘MP Headquarters.’

It’s not like you were sure where they stored the mail anyway—and even if you had to make another roundabout, the most obvious action for now was to follow-through on what you did know … and seeing as the only thing, much to your embarrassment, that you could actually do for now was just go straight to the one KanMusu who was actually doing the sorting.

As the buggy guns towards your destination, you wonder if you should ask your attendants about anything else that you would have to know about base operations … or even Nagato, seeing as how lost you ended up being when it didn’t involve paperwork on your Division members.

‘We’re here, Commander.’

Thanking him, you leap out of your seat and onto the pavement. MP Headquarters looks like you remember it … only with much more Imperial Army personnel compared to before. They looked like they were forming a line of sorts, which, upon closer inspection … led to what appeared to be a table where a few MPs were seated, a messy sign emblazoned on the front.

SIGN UP HERE – FEE UPFRONT

You briefly wonder what it could be for … before deciding that whatever it was, it could wait until you sorted out your current business. You make a beeline for the tent, pushing through the flaps to find…

That there couldn’t have been a worse time for you to conduct your business here.

‘I can’t find my son—’

‘Are you even here to protect us?’

‘I lived here all my life—’

It was filled to the brim. People of all sorts were waving their hands, making pleas to the MPs for all sorts of requests … or making their displeasure known with as much vigor as they could muster.

Thankfully, however, Ooyodo’s table—and by extension, the KanMusu herself—was free of any of the civilians’ tirades.

‘Ooyodo!’

Despite the din, your call gets her attention. You approach her table, counting your blessings in realizing that there was no one to delay your order of business.

‘Commander.’

‘Ah, um, you look … busy,’ you observe—though she really didn’t, save for the in and out boxand the small form on the table. ‘I was wondering if—!’

‘This arrived for you,’ she announces, swiftly producing a letter. ‘I believe that it is what you have come here for, is it not?’

Elation taking you over, you reach for it … only for her to pull it away.

‘If I may ask … why is there an official Navy Letterhead on this?’

>Tell Ooyodo what it is
>Keep yourself, and yourself alone, privy to its contents.
>Lie

>>1543824
>>1543824
>Tell Ooyodo what it is
Doesn't seem to be any harm in telling her, just try to be a little considerate of takao' personal problems and be a little vague on who it's specifically for.

>>1543824
>>Tell Ooyodo what it is
Just keep it as vague as possible and don't name names

>>1543824
>>Tell Ooyodo what it is

>>1543824
>>Tell Ooyodo what it is

I don't think this has a satisfactory answer so I'll just go with the flow

>>1543862
I gave you the option to keep it privy right over there.

>>1543904
That takao was looking for a burial plot, was it relatively widely known?

>>1543927
You don't know.

>>1543930
Or have we heard of it mentioned by other people.

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>>1543927
Does it matter?

It'll be now.

>>1543824
>Keep yourself, and yourself alone, privy to its contents.

File: Ooyodo3.jpg (144 KB, 850x1176)

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‘It is what it is—letter from the Navy,’ you grimace, moving to snatch the envelope out of her hand. She doesn’t make a move to avoid you this time, allowing you to do so with ease. ‘Anything else you got for me?’

‘As far as I know, you do not have any ties to the Imperial Navy,’ she begins, curiosity staring at you, her palms pressing into each other—it keeps escaping your thoughts just how much like a bloodhound she could be akin to when it came to something that piqued her interest. ‘Does this concern your current … status?’

You blink, finding yourself lost.

‘My what?’

‘The Court of Admirals … does this happen to have anything to do with your recent … disregard for their bylaws?’

You blink again, staring right back at the stoic woman seated before you. It heckled your thoughts just how much she did know, if the succinct and broad choice of words was any indication … or if it was just an elaborate scheme to get you to spill the details on an as-you-know basis. A ghost of a smile plays on her lips, testing you, teasing you … and leaving you wondering just why she had to be so vague if she wanted to know so badly.

Then again, looking at the office stamped on the envelope, you suppose you couldn’t fault anyone for wondering what kind of business a former fry cook that had made the cut on humanity’s last bastion by virtue of being the only breathing soul capable of standing on that wall would have with a Captain of the Imperial Navy.

‘No, it’s,’ you sigh, ‘it’s a request of a more personal nature.’

‘Ah,’ there is a tightness in her voice as she makes the soft exclamation of realization, ‘Takao-kun.’

That she would be so direct with her intentions—her leanings—was something that you were unprepared for. Much like Shigure, you had thought her to be less of an inquisitive body more of a casual observer with her own narrow body of interests … being curious about the contents of a letter was hardly something you would associate with Ooyodo.

Then again, you didn’t know her that well outside of the several encounters since you’d taken the post … and the few times she had visited you during your first stay in the MASH.

‘You know about Takao’s…?’

Ooyodo nods, slowly, a hint of something flashing in her eyes.

‘I am aware of it,’ she reveals, folding her hands in front of her. ‘I just didn’t consider she would be so single-minded to keep pursuing the matter—especially not through a channel such as you.’

‘You don’t approve?’

‘I find her concerns superficial,’ Ooyodo replies, a little more harshly than you would have expected from the KanMusu, ‘but it’s hardly my place.’

>‘Um, thanks again.’ (Leave with the letter)
>‘I don’t think it’s superficial at all—she lost her sister.’ (Argue your point)
>‘I guess … I can see where you’re coming from.’ (Agree with her)
>Write-In

>>1544291
>>‘Um, thanks again.’ (Leave with the letter)
Get out before we spaghetti

>>1544291
>>‘Um, thanks again.’ (Leave with the letter)

>>1544291
>>Write-In
"In light of our current existential threats? Of course. Most pursuits are, in comparison. Still, funerals and burials are more for the living than the dead. Who am I to judge how she deals with her grief." (Agree somewhat but don't see the harm and is sympathetic to takao's grief, especially since it doesn't appear to affect her work.)

>>1544291
>‘I don’t think it’s superficial at all—she lost her sister.’ (Argue your point)

i know you, you are cold, you keep yourelsf from all other shipgirls to you cant feel the pain of her dying, thats why you are a cold officer

>>1544291
>>‘I don’t think it’s superficial at all—she lost her sister.’ (Argue your point)

>>1544291
>>1544304
This

>>1544291
>‘I don’t think it’s superficial at all—she lost her sister.’ (Argue your point)

File: very emotional.png (735 KB, 1280x738)

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We really do just have to be a shonen hero don't we, just jumping in to defend our ideals at every opportunity

>>1544349
we ARE the only guy that will, and our ideals boil down to "shipgirls are pepole too"

>>1544291

Lets go with >>1544304

>>1544304
going with this

>>1544291
>‘Um, thanks again.’ (Leave with the letter)

>>1544349
No, you just have to know when to be shouty, when to be quiet and listen, and when to know there is no need to make battle where there is no need to. A trait that applies in real life: knowing that there's a time and place for everything.

>>1544291
>‘Um, thanks again.’ (Leave with the letter)
No reason to get into an argument over nothing.

>>1544291
>>‘Um, thanks again.’ (Leave with the letter

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You honestly don’t know how to reply to that.

As much as it sounded—and read—like an insult, the distinct monotone that Ooyodo took in delivering it didn’t differ it much from a casual, if flippant, observation or opinion … and the deadpan manner of her delivery made it hard for you to pursue any sort of defense for your absent Heavy Cruiser. Ooyodo, meanwhile, goes back to her paperwork, scribbling down something you couldn’t make heads or tails of. For someone who looked so prim and robotic, she had quite the messy stroke on some of her characters.

You decided not to say anything—you came here to get a letter, and now that it was in your hands, there was only one other thing to do.

‘Um, thanks again.’

You shimmy your way out of the tent, the din of complaints and the outcry of malcontent townies filling your ears. Even a month and change on, the stories stayed the same: a lack of proper water propagation; missing folks; the odd raid by a delinquent looking to get a cheap leg up; those wanting to get their homes back … the list went on and on, until it was muffled by your stepping outside into the soldier and MP-laden streets of Yokosuka, a large truck thundering past, carrying barrels and crates.

‘Hey, buddy, you’re in the way.’

You turn, startled, to see a large man in a large hat staring down at you, dressed in a mix of Army fatigues and what you could only describe as a sort of … poncho … made of wool.

‘Hey, ya deaf or somethin’?’

‘Ah, sorry.’

He shakes his head as you move out of the way, stepping out onto the pavement proper and maneuvering out of the main pathway towards MP Headquarters. The place was more of a hive of activity than anything … and you suspect that it probably had to do with whatever that table was having people sign up for—not that you were interested at the moment, of course. Right now, you had something that little bit more pressing on your hands.

Namely, your own curiosity as to the contents of the letter.

Had your request been accepted?

Had it in been rejected?

Were there more hoops that you had to jump through?

And the most important of all: was this something that you even deserved to open first?

You had done all you could, after all—this letter, whatever it held, was the culmination of your efforts in this little endeavor. You could look through it now, of course … if there had been a rejection, you could at least have the opportunity to brace Takao…

But did you honestly lack enough delicacy and consideration on that part to take a purely cerebral approach?

Your thumb on the edge of the envelope, you consider your options.

‘All right, now…’

>Open and check the contents of the letter yourself first
>Look for Takao CONSUMES ACTION POINT
>Put the letter away for now DELAY TASK PROGRESS
>Write-In

>>1549611
>Open and check the contents of the letter yourself first
and if its a no, keep on tryin'

>>1549611
>>Look for Takao CONSUMES ACTION POINT

>>1549611
>Open and check the contents of the letter yourself first

>>1549611
>>Open and check the contents of the letter yourself first

>>1549611
>Look for Takao CONSUMES ACTION POINT

>>1549611
>Open and check the contents of the letter yourself first
It'll better prepare us when we talk to takao, I am nervous about if it went through or not.

>>1549611
>>Open and check the contents of the letter yourself first

File: military-resume-example-c(...).gif (12 KB, 215x270)

12 KB GIF

The letter was for you, anyway.

At least, that was the conclusion that you came to in opening tearing the off the top of the envelope.

You pull out a sheet of paper, the regal emblem of Taiyouga’s Imperial Navy emblazoned on the top corner … but the letter looked anything but formal-looking. It was written in some elegant, if slightly harsh, cursive—a stark contrast to the typewriter lettering that you were used to from the official documents you’d plowed your way through day after day. A feeling of dread comes over you as you lift the letter close to your nose.

To the Commander of the Yokosuka First Operations Division,

We, the Committee of Ceremonies of the Imperial Navy, have received your inquiry on the possibility of a military burial in regards to a deceased KanMusu and a burial plot within the Imperial Navy by inclusion of honor guard and full tribute and have re-reviewed the circumstances upon which the eligibility of the deceased is considered. However, to our mutual agreement, we have concluded that while the service of the KanMusu in question is without a doubt, commendable, the tradition of the Imperial Navy, in its 250 years of existence, cannot be ignored or exempted, even in the case of service.

The conclusion that we have arrived to—as we had before in previous inquiries regarding the deceased—is that due to the status of the deceased as an unrecognized entity nor a registered member of personnel under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Navy, as stated in the bylaws, we are unable to comply with your request for a burial detail nor a grave plot within the Imperial Service Cemetery to accommodate your needs. As much as we recognize the service and sacrifice of our fellow men-in-arms, we are not able to comply due to the fact that the deceased does not fit the eligible points to constitute such a burial in its current incarnation.

However, considering the unusual nature of your request, and in recognition of the efforts of your quarry, we are willing to reconsider an appeal should you wish from your person in the event you wish to continue the pursuit of this endeavor.

Signed,

The Committee of Ceremonies

You close your good eye, letting out a sigh.

A shiver of frustration rushes from your head to your shoulders as you lift the piece of paper again, feeling as though you had been punched in the sternum with a bronze knuckle. Biting your lip, you feel something boil in your bowels, your breath getting hotter as you skimmed through the words once more … before allowing your shoulders to slump, a sense of failure washing over you like never before.

You say the only thing that comes to your mind.

‘Fuck.’

>Look for Takao
>Put the letter away for now DELAY TASK PROGRESS
>Write-In

>>1549977
Looking for Takao still consumes an action point.

>>1549977
>Look for Takao

>>1549977
>>Look for Takao

>>1549977
>Look for Takao

>>1549977
>>Look for Takao

>>1549977
>Look for Takao
the sooner the better

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You decide to find Takao. She had to know about this as soon as possible.

You don’t need to pull out the timetable to know where she was; she had volunteered to help with the children at the former community center. After several minutes of waiting, you hold your hand up, hailing a passing—and filled—buggy, excusing yourself as you squeezed in the back seat, flashing your ID and stating your destination. The buggy thunders off, your prosthetic holding on to one of the horizontal bars as you tried not to step on anyone’s laps or toes in the back seat. As the view speeds past you, you manage to make out the suburbs on the slope of the hill.

There were the shapes of people, stepping into a battered, if standing, home.

There was an old man on a hill, talking to a group of young men and women, a soapbox helping him tower over them.

A child in a straw hat climbed up a tree while another stood on a wall, waving to someone in the distance.

A sense of normalcy had at least returned … even if it was just a sliver of it.

‘This your stop?’

You’d arrived at the community center … or at least, the one belonging to this neighborhood. It was probably the only one still standing, by virtue of being the one furthest from the sea.

Hopping off and thanking the driver, you make your way to the entrance of the square building, barely larger than the barracks that you dwelt.

The place still looked as worn as the rest of the buildings in town, but the lack of combat damage look minute compared to the patches that Town Hall needed to run over its cracks to even give the illusion that it was a building standing on its own merits. There was a playground on the side—or what remained of it, as there was a renovation sign on it dating back to the year before—practically taken apart, and several young stumps where there were once trees.

Rather than shell damage, this place had probably been left to rot until—

‘Commander!’

You raise your head to see Takao, clad in her office wear, her eyes wide with surprise as she makes her way down the steps, clutching what looked to be a mix of books, ranging from comic books to light novels … and a tote bag that swung in a manner that hinted the presence of more. The clatter of heels reaches your ears as she marches right up to you, wearing a warm, welcoming smile.

‘What are you doing here? Came to see how I was doing?’

Your mouth dries up, your hand feeling the pocket that held the letter.

She tilts her head, evidently confused by your silence.’

‘Takao…’

>‘They … approved of your request.’ (Lie to her)
>‘The Committee of Ceremony from the Navy sent me this.’ (Show her the letter)
>‘Actually, yeah, I just came to see how you were doing with the volunteer work.’ (Conceal it from her)
>Write-in

>>1550348
>>‘The Committee of Ceremony from the Navy sent me this.’ (Show her the letter)

>>1550348
>>‘The Committee of Ceremony from the Navy sent me this.’ (Show her the letter)

>>1550348
>‘The Committee of Ceremony from the Navy sent me this.’ (Show her the letter)

>>1550348
>>‘The Committee of Ceremony from the Navy sent me this.’ (Show her the letter)

>>1550348
Can we add on to the original vote to highlight to her the wording of the letter, that an appeal will be considered.

>>1550412
We'll try to sell that to her after she's done reading it.

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‘The Committee of Ceremony sent this,’ you disclose, diving into your pockets. ‘I don’t know what to make of it myself, but… whatever you decide, it’s your decision.’

It’s a half-lie.

Meant to assure, meant to placate.

It doesn’t work.

You produce the letter, which she takes with tentative hands.

Takao mumbles the contents, glossing over the words before handing it back to you.

She doesn’t give anything away.

Takao looks the same as Nagato at her desk, Kaga when throwing a coy jab or even Yuubari with a pen and pad in hand. There is no disappointment apparent on her face, no sadness, no show of displeasure. You don’t even see anger or frustration there, just a sense of … resignation, as if it was all that she could have expected. A ghost of a smile falls upon her face as she raises the sheet of paper, which you take back. She lets out a small hum, an enigmatic glow in her eyes as she regards you with a look you can’t quite place.

Was she angry at you? Disappointed at your lack of progress? That this was as far as you were able to go after weeks upon weeks of jumping through hoops? You couldn’t tell, not right now—Takao didn’t give anything away when she didn’t want to, and considering the negative, if not necessarily damning, response of the Committee, even if she didn’t show it, there was no way that she would be jumping for the ceiling in joy.

Not at all.

‘I guess that’s that, then.’

She does something that you don’t expect.

She laughs. It’s small, like a cracked bell. Forced, like a blunt nail.

Her shoulders quake, if only slightly, before you notice a flash of something in her eyes.

Emotion.

‘I have to admit, though,’ she wears a wry curve upon her lips. Not a grin. Not a grimace. Just a curve with nothing behind it. Empty. ‘I never would have expected something hand-written … it’s something, at least. The most I got was one them fancy type letters—goes to show what gets you where, right?’

The joking tone that she takes is like rough stone against your skin.

There is an entity of disbelief, of rage, permeating through her words.

‘They said that they’d at least listen to an appeal,’ you try to reason with her; you don’t know if it’s more a plea to yourself or just a statement to let her keep an open mind on the letter’s contents—something to remain upbeat. ‘If I can organize something, there might be the chance some sort of consideration might—!’

‘Commander,’ Takao interrupts, looking away. Her voice was so low that you could have just run over with your sentence any other time. ‘If it’s all the same to you, I … I think I’ve had enough.’

She smiles at you.

‘I’m fine with this, really. Thank you for everything you tried—I know you did your best.’

>‘We can keep trying, there’s no harm in that.’
>‘If that’s what you want … I’ll agree to it.’
>Write-In

And that's the session for now. Will resume in about 2-3 hours.

>>1550595
>‘We can keep trying, there’s no harm in that.’

>>1550595
>"Sorry but I don't think I could give up on this now, I've seemed to have persuaded enough people that they seem a least somewhat more willing to listen to the request, It's still not much but I think I could work with this and get atago her plot. I honestly believe there is still a chance and I couldn't forgive myself if I give up now."

>>1550595
Hold her tightly
and this>>1550661 Tell her of our meeting with that old man and that we convinced him to argue our case to the board. We CAN win this. We just need one more good push and we can do it if she'll trust us with it.

>>1550661
this

>>1550681
I don't think hugging her out in public is a good idea, and it's not really about takao anymore for me. I honestly believe that we made decent progress when you consider how stubborn the navy was about it to begin with, there's been clear progress and it would annoy the hell out of me if we didn't keep going with this when I truly feel like we can win this. Plus, kanmusu do deserve plots and memorials, they're damn heroes and winning this case would give us a good precedent for getting the kanmusu more respect in later cases. It's slowly earning they're rights and forcing people to acknowledge they're existence.

>>1550701
It is quite about her. The funeral and plot is the last way for takao to do something for her sister. Funerals are for the living after all.

Shes also tired, exhausted of all the fights to reach this point. If she doesnt wish to go forward with it, it wont. She needs some comfort and encouragement right now and a good hug will help since its quite clear shes trying not to cry.

Lastly who cares what others think. We're a maverick and most other people think kanmusu as undesirables.

>>1550727
I said for me, as in out of quest, can't speak for the commander(everyone).
>Lastly who cares what others think. We're a maverick and most other people think kanmusu as undesirables.
Mostly cause sub, she hates us enough to do anything to mess with us. Let's at least wait till we're back home to do hugs .

>>1550661
Voting this

>>1550661
this
plus, they put on the letter that we can try again, and by god we gonna try again untill its works

>>1550595
>>1550661
>>1550681
these

>>1550661
i whould change a lot of i's into we's but overall its on spot

>>1550661
>>1551470
How about rewording that a bit?

"We can't give up on this, Takao. We've gotten this far, haven't we? (Gesture to the letter) We still have the appeal. It's an unusual chance, and I believe we can succeed if we keep pushing for it."

>>1551499
sounds good enough

>>1550661
I'm not able to read the intent as well I probably should, but this comes off as arrogant and kind of self-serving, but considering the sentiment. Is it meant to come off as such or is there a more altruistic ideal behind it? Because from what I'm reading makes it feel like you're doing this for your own pride rather than actually addressing the promise of hope.

>>1551994
I'd say the intent is indeed altruistic. Commander has a habit of not being direct/clear enough, after all.

I don't think any of us here have voted for the commander to be an arrogant prick, at least not to his division.

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‘We shouldn’t give up on this now,’ you argue, a little bit more distraught than you usually would have been. Seeing Takao so resigned wasn’t something that you were used to—or wanted to be used to, for that matter. ‘There’s at least another chance right there … and it looks like they’re at least willing to give another listen. A little bit more and who—’

Takao raises a hand, cutting you off.

‘Commander, you know as well as I do that any words there are gestures—terms—no more, no less,’ she begins, calmly. ‘I’m not unappreciative of your efforts, Commander, I … I probably wouldn’t have even come this far if I did it myself, and even more than anything else, I think that you should be commended for getting them to at least get something so hand-written and personal instead of a tight font.’

Her attempts at humor are pitiable.

Disappointment leaks out, but there’s something different about this. Takao’s eyes don’t focus on you, her thoughts seemed to be anywhere but in the moment, biting her lip as her brows creased. There’s nothing said between the both of you

‘Takao, you can’t just give up now,’ you repeat yourself, attempting to grasp her hand.

She doesn’t let you.

‘Commander,’ she shakes her head, a note of impatience in her voice. ‘This is enough.’

‘The letter says that they’re willing to consider an appeal for your case—that means that they’re not wholly against it,’ you reason further, desperation practically permeating from every fiber of your being. There was no way that you would let this end as she said it would. ‘There’s no harm in trying—and there’s no harm at just keeping at it. Atago deserves that much, right?’

‘It’ll just end up the same,’ she counters, her voice practically rasping with barely-held aggression; that your pursuit of this was only succeeding in drawing on her ire. ‘However they word it, however they send it, the answer won’t change. If I couldn’t do it—if this is as far as you can go, then we know—I know—that this is as far as I should be willing to step. Another letter, another appeal, nothing you can do will change what’s been set.’

She leans back, letting out a breath you just know she’d been holding for a while.

You had that effect on people.

Takao places a hand on your shoulder.

‘Thank you—but this is enough.’

Her bangs cover her eyes, her form shaking, expectant…

>‘You know what? You’re right—another letter won’t do. Let’s get straight to the matter. Clear your schedule for tomorrow.’ (Directly confront the Committee of Ceremonies’ decision) PREEMPT’S TOMORROW’S SCHEDULE
>‘Is there really no one that we can talk to, at all? Not even the Admiral?’ (Explore Options)
>‘I’ll keep writing. They’ll raise their hands up sooner or later.’ (Insist)
>‘If you say so. I’m sorry that this is as far as it went.’ END TASK
>Write-In

>>1553720
>>‘Is there really no one that we can talk to, at all? Not even the Admiral?’ (Explore Options)

>>1553720
>>‘You know what? You’re right—another letter won’t do. Let’s get straight to the matter. Clear your schedule for tomorrow.’ (Directly confront the Committee of Ceremonies’ decision) PREEMPT’S TOMORROW’S SCHEDULE
Who dares wins, gents.

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>>1553720
>‘You know what? You’re right—another letter won’t do. Let’s get straight to the matter. Clear your schedule for tomorrow.’ (Directly confront the Committee of Ceremonies’ decision) PREEMPT’S TOMORROW’S SCHEDULE

Gentlemen it's been an honor

>>1553720
>>‘You know what? You’re right—another letter won’t do. Let’s get straight to the matter. Clear your schedule for tomorrow.’ (Directly confront the Committee of Ceremonies’ decision) PREEMPT’S TOMORROW’S SCHEDULE

Let's fucking go, son

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChCp9knOnII

>>1553720
>>‘You know what? You’re right—another letter won’t do. Let’s get straight to the matter. Clear your schedule for tomorrow.’ (Directly confront the Committee of Ceremonies’ decision) PREEMPT’S TOMORROW’S SCHEDULE

We have had a good run.

God speed lads, see you all on the other side.

>>1553735
>>1553760
>>1553771
>>1553774
Just who are my Questers?

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>>1553829
White knights who will do anything for a lady

>>1553829
Masochists to your sadism

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>>1553829
Just a guy trying to help a friend get some closure

>>1553829
Absolute degenerates

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Takao wasn’t wrong.

Whatever the words they used, in the end, there hadn’t been any visible progress. There was a possibility of success at the end, but by her words, the piece of paper that laid with you was nothing more than a holding action—a reminder of repeated pleas gone unrecognized and cast away. The fact still remained that the grave of a woman who gave her life in the service of humanity’s continued survival was still nothing more than a dream … and by Takao’s own reaction, her own reluctance to continue, it was something that she held nothing more than blind hope for—one with no expectation, but still one that she hoped for.

The most rational thing to do would be to just do it all again.

After all, it was just ink on paper … and it wasn’t as if it would take more than a few minutes to write a dignified response, right? It was what people in your position did—they went through the proper channels, they waited, and they got their reply, just like everyone else who had a table and a job.

And yet…

‘You know what? You’re right,’ you declare firmly. ‘Another letter won’t do. Let’s get straight to the matter. Clear your schedule for tomorrow.’

Takao drops the books onto the floor, her eyes wide as saucers.

‘D—Do you even know what you’re saying?’ she practically shrieks, flailing her arms wildly. ‘What you’re impl— what you’re suggesting?’

‘If there’s one thing that I learned from my time as a cook,’ you begin, crossing your arms—maybe you should pay a visit to Akashi soon, it was feeling a little stiffer than usual—to affirm your stance. ‘There’re some things that you just can’t do without getting right up in someone’s face to solve.’

She makes a look of bewilderment, whispers of disbelief dripping from her lips.

She was definitely at a loss for words now, if she wasn’t before.

‘I don’t think that that’s something you can learn from the experience of being a cook…’

‘You’ve been doing this for some time, haven’t you?’ you press on, fixing your gaze on her, not missing a beat. ‘That means you got a lot of paperwork, past proposals … if you can get your hands on those again, I’m sure I can pull something together to help you out.’

‘I, uh…’

‘Takao, you’re right,’ you repeat. ‘Another letter’s not going to change much … and if you’re right about what the letter’s really about, then it’d just be a waste of time to try again—and even if they say no, then … that’s that. You don’t deserve to be led around like this—not after what you did, not after what Atago gave and certainly not after what all the others that stand on that line have done. So, at least … if they want to be ungrateful pricks, you deserve it to be done with at least some honesty from their end.’

Takao looks away, clutching her elbows.

‘Be honest with me, sir. What’s this for, really?’

>Write-In

>>1553971
>"As long as there's still a chance, why not take it? The worst thing they can do is say no again, but for all we know, if we light a fire under their asses, they might listen. We haven't exhausted all of our options yet, and I'm not going to give up while we've still got a chance."

>>1553971
>Because I'm helping someone I care about, and because Atago was a hero. She and the rest of the Kanmusu deserve at least this much, to be honored for everything they do to protect humanity.

>>1553999
I vote this

Trips only confirm

>>1553999
this
its not just takao
its ALL THE KANMUSU
its the right thing to do

>>1553999
best thing we got really.
plus trips demand it

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‘Who’s this … for?’

You cock your head, confused—this was for Atago’s sake, of course.

‘You have a terrible habit of falling back on yourself when it comes to these sort of things, sir—if you don’t mind me saying.’

Your cheeks turn red.

Nagato’s old words echo in your thoughts, making you rub the back of your head in embarrassment. It did sound like that you were just trying to prove a point more than it was your promise to help.

‘I—uh, I guess, yeah, you have a point.’

Maybe it was.

‘I’m all right with this much. I really am—everything that I tried, I … I held no illusions that success was a distinct possibility, and I won’t—I’d never—hold it against you. Trying was enough; that you’d even listen…’ she trails off, going immediately stone-faced as she fixed her searching eyes upon you, ‘but I need to know what this is for—who this is really for. If this is about just pushing something through to the end for the sake of an ideal, or some sort of promise that you made with yourself, I will have to decline.’

Not knowing what else to do, you nod dumbly.

‘So, if I may, I’d like you to pardon my rudeness—but I have no intention of being part of a facade.’

Despite the heavy atmosphere … you really can’t help but let out a small laugh.

‘Yeah, I can’t blame you there,’ you concede, wearing a grimace, ‘but, you know what really gets me here? Personally?’

You put your hands on your hips, staring straight at her with the utmost seriousness you could muster.

‘I was a cook, and one of the things that I really can’t stand,’ you start, pausing for dramatic effect, ‘is rudeness.’

Takao furrows her brows, unamused.

‘Excuse me?’

‘You do a good job, you clean the stove, mop the floors—you even scribble down the next day’s menu because that one girl sneaked out with her boyfriend for a good time at the bijou and what do you get? Nothing but a thank you,’ you raise your hands and lift your shoulders, as if moving for an embrace, ‘but you get a thank you. One from the bottom of your sloppy heart.’

Takao’s mouth flaps open … before closing again, her puzzlement more than evident.

‘I’ve never met Atago—as far as I know, she might as well be a non-entity,’ you continue firmly, ‘but I can’t stand rudeness—and I can’t stand knowing that someone breathed their last for someone else’s sake … and can’t even be afforded a simple thank you.’

You let out a sigh, your shoulders slumping. Takao’s puzzlement doesn’t change.

‘Maybe this is a little bit of my ego—maybe some ideals are there—but even at the last, even if I can’t get her a fancy send-off or a place in that cemetery…’

You look straight at her.

‘I’ll definitely get them to say thank you.’

She pauses, shoulders quaking … before breaking out in loud, hooting laughter.

>>1558278
>‘Come on, it’s not that cheesy!’ (Indignant)
>‘Yeah, laugh it up.’ (Annoyed)
>Keep silent
> Write-In

>>1558278
>>‘Come on, it’s not that cheesy!’ (Indignant)

>>1558278
>‘Come on, it’s not that cheesy!’ (Indignant)

>>1558289
>>‘Yeah, laugh it up.’ (Annoyed)

>>1558278
>‘Come on, it’s not that cheesy!’ (Indignant)

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‘Come on,’ you feel your cheeks heat up, suddenly feeling embarrassed, ‘it’s not that cheesy!’

Her laughter subsides—a little slower than you would have liked, of course, but it does die off—leaving your subordinate looking significantly perkier than she had been before. Looking closer, however, you could see that the skepticism hadn’t quite left her … but now, at least, you had set a course for the both of you to take. Black or white, win, lose, this is where you would draw the line. It was a brazen declaration on your front, of course, one that the logic center of your brain questioned the sanity of even considering in the first place, but…

Despite all that logic entailed, you just couldn’t bear to see something like this.

Perhaps you could be wrong; perhaps Takao was wrong too and that the Committee did have a consideration for an appeal waiting in the wings for you to follow up and you just had to put one in and wait like a good soldier.

But you also knew that if it wasn’t, you were just setting Takao up for another fall—and for someone who had already given so much … maybe this was the one time you didn’t want that kind of thing left up to the chance on the possibility of human kindness. Not this time.

‘I’m sorry, it’s just … I guess that’s what I kind of expected of you,’ Takao lets out one last laugh, adorably coughing into a fist to regain her composure, ‘but I suppose that if I wasn’t expecting you to start spouting romantic cliches in some simplistic comic book manner, you wouldn’t be my Commander, would you?’

You frown, wondering what she meant by that … and just what that enigmatic smile that she now wore tried to convey.

She crouches down, picking up her dropped assortment of books. You follow suit, of course, handing what you could pick up in the collection of comics, novels and novella and handing it back to her.

‘The Man-Bat?’ you read aloud, handing the book—the novella—to Takao. ‘Are you sure that won’t give the kids nightmares?’

‘This is hardly just their material, sir,’ Takao huffs, her heels clicking on stone, ‘besides, even if I did, I hardly think the story of a monster bat would be something to be frightened about—it’s so unrealistic!’

Tell that to the children…

‘I still have some time,’ she continues, ‘so I’ll try to organize something with Yuubari and the Department before I return to my errands.’

‘Oh, where are you going off to now?’

‘I need to scrounge up my old details, files,’ she arranged the books in her hands, ‘I’m actually running late as it is. Not to mention having to find my old submissions on the Navy about this little issue…’

‘Oh,’ you pause—you hadn’t thought about Takao’s part in that little declaration of yours. ‘Sorry.’

She offers a comforting smile.

‘Anything else before I go, sir?’

>>1558471
>‘How’s your little community service run going?’
>'Now that I think about it ... how did people take to your application for Atago's arrangements?'
>'How's everyone in the Division doing?'
>'Anything you can see that needs improving?'
>'Do you juggle these duties or is it strictly on a free-time basis?'
>'Nothing. Carry on, Takao.'
>Write-In

>>1558478
>>'How's everyone in the Division doing?'

>>1558478
>>'Anything you can see that needs improving?'

>>1558478
>'Anything you can see that needs improving?'

>>1558478
>>‘How’s your little community service run going?’

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‘Is there anything you think needs improving around here?’

Takao tilts her head, confused.

‘Anything that you want a particular focus on?’

You stroke your chin—you really needed to start to shave; the stubble was beginning to feel uneven—as you consider Takao’s query. You hadn’t had anything in mind—nothing in particular—but you did want to at least put something in back to the community outside of fighting eldritch monsters from the cracks beneath the waves; namely because doing that alone didn’t seem to be placing you at any higher standard of bearing than anyone else.

Giving back a little more did seem like a good thing to do, anyway.

You were already getting at least one good meal a day. That was more than what you could say for the rest of the town.

‘Well,’ you begin, ‘the Army’s got the people moving along just fine, but considering everything else, is there something you think that we can do to make things better than they are?’

‘I … I’m not sure, actually,’ she answers, looking thoughtful, ‘you could ask Nagato, Murakumo or Tenryuu if you want a bigger scope on what the Division can do for the town, but…’

‘But?’

‘It’d be great if you could organize something like a book drive or something for the children,’ she admits, suddenly looking antsy. ‘A lot of them are slipping through the cracks and the way things are going, I’m not sure if the Admiralty or the Imperial Army are able to sort them or Yokosuka’s logistics fast enough.’

‘Don’t we already have food drives and the like?’ you question—a book drive wasn’t something you would count as being a particularly immediate need. ‘I thought the Army was helping on that front, too.’

Takao huffs indignantly.

‘They’re children,’ she clarifies further, shifting the books in her arms. ‘They need a little more reason to be happy than just … this. I’m not sure how much we’re able to do, but I can tell that they really like when I read them some of these books.’

Briefly, you see her expression light up.

‘And maybe if I can scrounge some up something to keep them pre-occupied—maybe even engrossed—they could at least keep their minds off things,’ she wears a tight, toothy smile, looking positively pathetic to you right now. She bore a resemblance to a college student that was begging for someone to sign a petition. ‘They don’t have much left to look forward to than a bus back inland … if they can manage to get lined up for one.’

She hisses, wearing a strange smile as she waits for your answers.

You consider the pros and cons…

>‘Sure, I can run a book drive for the kids. Maybe Fingers, the Vice-Admiral or whoever can help out, too.’ ACCEPT TASK
>‘I’m not sure if that’s under our jurisdiction or an immediate concern, to be honest. Things are tight as they are, anyway.’ DECLINE TASK

>>1558650
>‘Sure, I can run a book drive for the kids. Maybe Fingers, the Vice-Admiral or whoever can help out, too.’ ACCEPT TASK
Time to get these kids some KNOWLEDGE.

>>1558650
>>‘Sure, I can run a book drive for the kids. Maybe Fingers, the Vice-Admiral or whoever can help out, too.’ ACCEPT TASK

>>1558650
>‘Sure, I can run a book drive for the kids. Maybe Fingers, the Vice-Admiral or whoever can help out, too.’ ACCEPT TASK
We'll probably talk to fingers anyway today, just another thing to talk about. We can bring it up with the admiral next time we see him. And know we even have a better reason to talk to kumo

>>1558650
>ACCEPT TASK

Yay Murakumo gonna get some screen time

>>1558678
We were gonna talk to her anyway, now we have an important reason to, still want to play vidya games while do though.

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>>1558681
How can we tell her to shave THOSE without coming off as weird?

They're way too distracting.

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>>1558704
...shave what now?

>>1559325
lets not go there
for the sake of both parties

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>>1559346
I...

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You consider it carefully. For one, there was the opportunity cost of running the drive—you’d have to pull up quite a few people from their shifts, minuscule as it was a task, to get the whole operation running proper. If you got Fingers involved, your crew would likely suffer some form of cutback; you’d probably annoy the Vice-Admiral or the Admiral if you pulled them off duty to announce something like this, on short or long notice. As selfless and light-hearted as they could be at times, you knew just how busy their days were—and if you took at least half a day and then some to sort through your Division, you could only imagine what they could be going through.

As it was, you couldn’t badger the Major or the MP Chief. Not with the reputation you had right now—you’d be asking for a sock in the jaw or a glare.

You’re not even sure if Mamiya would appreciate being roped into it; she could get the KanMusu involved, but you doubt they’d be appreciative of being reeled in off duty—never mind the fact that the stinking suspicion that folks would be reluctant at participating in a book drive with them at the fore, given their reputation with the folks of Yokosuka.

Then again … kindness and charity were their own reward, and you would be lying if you thought yourself above the influence of Takao’s ruby red orbs.

‘I guess I can run a book drive for the kids,’ you concede. ‘Maybe I can get Fingers, The Vice-Admiral or whomever to help me get it up and running, if they feel like doing some charity.’

‘Really?’

‘Scout’s honor,’ you jest, ‘if I ever was one, that is.’

Takao giggles, shifting the books in her hands again.

‘I’ll tell the teachers and caretakers the good news, then—they could use some good news that doesn’t just involve extra rations or a transport out,’ she says, ‘is there any particular time frame you have in mind?’

You think carefully.

That hadn’t crossed your mind quite yet—as it was, you didn’t even know if you could convince any of your prospective partners to take part in this sudden mode of altruism. If things could be done today, then today it could be … but there were also quite a few things that you wanted to sort out before the sun went down … and tomorrow was your big drop-in with the Committee.

‘I’ll inform you,’ you finally decide, ‘when I finally get something properly organized.’

Takao gives an understanding nod, before throwing up a salute of her own.

‘Permission to resume duty, sir!’ She declares playfully.

At ease for the first time since morning, you give one of your own.

‘Granted.’

1/5
>Meet with KanMusu (Specify)
>Meet with On-Base Staff
>Visit Location
>EXECUTE TASK
>Write-In

>>1562548
>>Meet with KanMusu (Specify)
Fluffykumo

>>1562548
>>Meet with KanMusu (Specify)
Fluffykumo

>>1562548
>Meet with KanMusu (Specify)
murakumo

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You decide to check on what Murakumo was up to.

It had been a while since you’d caught up on her progress.

Grabbing a buggy from here was out of the question; there wasn’t much by the way of Admiralty operations here. In fact, this was probably closer to suburbia than it was to the town itself; the highway was going right in the other direction. Without complaint—and after throwing one last glance to Takao’s retreating back, heading in another direction—you begin to make your way back to town. You step back onto the tarmac, you hum a tune, feeling at ease for the first time in a while. It was a lot less damaged around these parts. Aside for a few tell-tale signs of blasted tree stumps and the houses that were abandoned, you wouldn’t have actually thought that the place was overrun by Abyssals several weeks prior.

Not that that had inspired confidence in the dwellers of the homes around here to stay on and test their luck further, of course.

Back within the limits proper, you pull out the schedule, bringing it to your nose.

You knew where to find her.

Tucking the piece of paper away, you trek through the town, intent on making time before dusk settled.

It’s not long before you arrive at the beach, MPs and soldiers basking in the evening sun while KanMusu skated across the water, just under the horizon … and the familiar sight of Yuubari’s Quartermaster tent washes you with a sense of deja vu. There weren’t many civilians here, save for a few children off to the far end of the beach, playing what looked to be a game of collective keepy-uppy. You walk down the stone steps, your eyes searching for your Destroyer.

There were two KanMusu still tending to the tent—Ushio and Naganami, if you recalled correctly—sorting out boxes that would have been too large for any one human being to lift by their own merits.

A familiar voice—a familiar yell—reaches your ears, and you turn to see your subordinate acrobatically playing with her naginata close to shore, expertly spinning with it as she shifts from thrust to jab and back to an upward slash. She seemed oblivious to her surroundings, concentrating on connecting attack to attack, relentlessly shifting her hold on her weapon with an almost instinctual ease.

‘Murakumo!’

Finally noticing you, she relinquishes her gear, floating away like tiny embers before stepping onto the stand.

‘Commander, what’s up?’

You frown. Maybe you were being a little too lenient on your Division.

>‘Still sticking with the Naginata, I see.’ (Talk about her melee training)
>‘How’s filling in for Yuubari going for you?’
> ‘I came to get some advice on how you think the Division’s coming along.’
>‘Anything you think we can actually get around to doing around here?’ (Ask if there are anything you can further contribute)
>‘Actually, it’s nothing—I’ll see you back at the barracks.’ END
>Write-In

>>1562726
>>‘Still sticking with the Naginata, I see.’ (Talk about her melee training)

>>1562726
>‘Still sticking with the Naginata, I see.’ (Talk about her melee training)

>>1562726
>>‘Still sticking with the Naginata, I see.’ (Talk about her melee training)

>>1562726
>‘Still sticking with the Naginata, I see.’ (Talk about her melee training

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‘Still sticking with the Naginata, I see,’ you point out her choice of weapon, resting over her shoulder as casually as a fishing rod on a bad day.

Murakumo grins widely in response.

‘You damn right I am,’ she proudly declares, ‘considering I can barely punch a hole in anything that breaks the C-grade, this beauty’s my ultimate back-up plan?’

It towered impressively next to her—it was half a head taller than you.

‘Any particular reason you stick with that?’ you inquire further. ‘Or are we just operating on the fact that you find it aesthetically impressive?’

Murakumo grumbles, crossing her arms, the pole now resting snugly against her tricep.

‘My arms are short,’ she huffs indignantly. ‘Whatever the rules of this world are, they saw fit to issue me the length and maturity of one of your high school freshmen … it’s hardly something that I’d like to think practical. I chose the Naginata as my fallback because it has reach and practicality to keep my battle performance as constant as I am with a full charge of ammo. Battles don’t stop just because I run out of shells.’

‘KanMusu definitely have some seriously specific needs when it comes to that front, yeah,’ you concede in an understanding tone. ‘I don’t think I even understand how your ammo storage thing works.’

Murakumo raises a finger.

‘We can fight normally without a proper weapons system installation. That’s what goes by RANK 0 on the paperwork by the way—and that doesn’t mean that ranks are equal. Think of the KanMusu Class as a sort of multiplier for certain ranks. The more advanced and efficient the system, the better it performs—ammo and fuel storage and all that stuff helps us pull a little bit more against the higher tiers … but don’t expect me to pull some hero ball on a Command Unit or anything … although,’ she wears a coy grin, her floating appendages twitching, ‘if you do get that itch, I’ll try my best not to disappoint.’

‘You know, I really thought the reason you took the Naginata was because you wanted something cool-looking to swing on the battlefield,’ ‘is that part of your default weapons loadout?’

‘Nope—it’s a bitch to keep stored up,’ she sighs, before robotically droning on, ‘synthesized and synchronized Kantai Steel imbued with Fairy Magic.’

Something strikes you.

‘Tenryuu has a sword—is it the same for her?’

‘She’s a Cruiser class … it’s easier to manage for her, but a Destroyer like me?’ She lets out another sigh. ‘It’s like trying to shove a sausage into a can plug socket.’

>‘How’s filling in for Yuubari going for you?’
>‘I came to get some advice on how you think the Division’s coming along.’
>‘Anything you think we can actually get around to doing around here?’ (Ask if there are anything you can further contribute)
>‘I’ll see you back at the barracks.’ END
>Write-In

>>1563236
>>‘How’s filling in for Yuubari going for you?’

>>1563236
>‘How’s filling in for Yuubari going for you?’

>>1563236
>>‘How’s filling in for Yuubari going for you?’

>>1563236
‘You damn right I am,’ she proudly declares, ‘considering I can barely punch a hole in anything that breaks the C-grade, this beauty’s my ultimate back-up plan?’

CORRECTION:

‘You damn right I am,’ she proudly declares, ‘considering I can barely punch a hole in anything that breaks the C-grade, you're surprised that this beauty’s my ultimate back-up plan?’

>>1563236
>>‘How’s filling in for Yuubari going for you?’

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‘How’s filling in for Yuubari going for you?’

She makes a sound of displeasure, stomping onto the sand and glaring up at you.

‘All I know is that I’d have a lot less to do if it weren’t for you, you know!’

You blink your good eye, surprised at the sudden outburst. How were you the source of her misery? As far as you knew, you only fell into Yuubari’s scope whenever you wrecked the RAY … and you definitely don’t remember signing off on anything remotely associated specifically to Murakumo’s section.

‘I’m beginning to see why she gets ticked off something bad every time your name comes up,’ she grumbles again, pouting as she continues to glare at you. ‘Do you even read some of the requests you put in for your forms? Do you know what you ask the MagiTek and Logistics guys every time you put a request in?’

‘Of course I do,’ you affirm, nodding and placing your hands on your hips. You were capable of that much, at least! ‘You think that I’d just sign or decline on the grounds of workload?’

Murakumo doesn’t answer, the butt of her Naginata hitting the sand as she lets out a pitiable noise.

‘I wish I had Shigure’s job,’ she sounds, crouching down and glaring at your feet, ‘all she does is stand still and put holes in stuff—not that she’s suited for anything else, mind, cuckoo as she is.’

‘Hey,’ you raise a finger, keeping her from going any further.

‘I know, sir, it’s outta line, sorry,’ she sighs, pausing briefly as she appeared to let her feelings stew. ‘But really, I didn’t think being a Quartermaster was this hard—Tenryuu told me all I had to do was tell people to put stuff and give things that they need; now with those Army guys running around I gotta take out a form, talk to people, cancel orders, sort out our Division requests, then talk to the Forces and rotate. It’s crazy!’

‘Comes with the desk,’ you nod, trying to reassure her, ‘but we manage the best we can.’

‘I’m surprised you haven’t gone crazy yet,’ she shrills, getting to her feet—it was strange how much she resembled Samidare at the very moment, ‘stuck behind the table half a day signing off and trying to make sense of things.’

‘It’s just a job to me at the end of the day—and seeing as I’m one of the last Commanders on this ride, I think that kind of falls down to me to shut up and just do his work,’ ‘It’s still a step up from my days as a cook, though. A hot stove and a broken ventilation fan can make your day Hell.’

She eyes you suspiciously.

‘It’s just a job, huh?’

You stroke your chin with your prosthetic, before cracking a confident smile.

‘One that I’m focused on doing to the best of my ability. I promise.’

She hits your knee with the blunt side of the blade.

‘I’ll hold you to that!’

>>1563304
>'Have you and Loudmouth congregated on anything at all? That's what I hired her for.'
>‘I came to get some advice on how you think the Division’s coming along.’
>‘Anything you think we can actually get around to doing around here?’ (Ask if there are anything you can further contribute)
>‘I’ll see you back at the barracks.’ END
>Write-In

>>1563306
>>'Have you and Loudmouth congregated on anything at all? That's what I hired her for.'

>>1563306
>>'Have you and Loudmouth congregated on anything at all? That's what I hired her for.'

>>1563304
>‘Anything you think we can actually get around to doing around here?’ (Ask if there are anything you can further contribute)

>>1563306
>>'Have you and Loudmouth congregated on anything at all? That's what I hired her for.'

>>1563306
>'Have you and Loudmouth congregated on anything at all? That's what I hired her for.'

File: Murasitto.jpg (181 KB, 700x1000)

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‘Have you and Loudmouth congregated anything yet?’ you inquire further. ‘That’s what I hired her for, after all.’

‘She’s pretty badass as far as you humans go—I think she could take you down before you even knew she had a hand on your neck,’ Murakumo disinterestedly offers, making you grimace—trust her of all people to make such a morbid comparison, ‘but honestly, tactics-wise, she doesn’t tell us anything that we don’t already … know to an extent. Going for a killing blow, being pragmatic over being zealous, we kind of grind those details out after the first year on the field’—she spits out some sand from her mouth, having carelessly lifted the butt of the Naginata too close to her face—‘not that she’s not good at her job, of course.’

‘Kind of hard to feel like you’re learning anything from the way you described it,’ you grimace—maybe hiring Loudmouth hadn’t been such a stellar proposal after all, ‘sounds a lot like all you’re doing is going through the motions.’

Murakumo fixes you with a flat look.

‘Warfare is routine,’ she begins, the butt of the weapon making a grainy thud in the sand, ‘it’s nice to have someone to keep you on your toes, even if that’s all that they’re capable of. Credit’s due when credit’s due; she spot a mistake from a mile away … and she doesn’t coddle you; she’s got the knowledge of how much is at stake down pat … not a lot of humans can understand just how hard it is to keep up the intensity to the point it becomes second nature.’

‘I think we do,’ you blurt, before hurrying back and checking yourself, ‘but considering how different we are … I guess your concept of that would be a little bit out of our field,’ you pause, stroking your chin, ‘or at least, that’d be how it’d look like, right?’

‘A little wonky,’ she teases, smirking, ‘but correct—no offense, Commander, but you can be a little too soft on us than we’re entirely comfortable with.’

You huff, suddenly feeling indignant.

‘I am not,’ you reply in defense, ‘I’m just as hard on you as the Vice-Admiral … I think.’

Murakumo’s eyes practically bug out of their sockets … before she doubles over in laughter.

‘Sorry,’ she shakes her head, somehow managing to find her voice, ‘but no; Hiei and Ikazuchi know where they stand with the Vice-Admiral at the end of the day—you, on the other hand, is what we girls like to call an anomaly.’

‘Anomaly?’

‘You blur the line,’ she pauses, looking thoughtful, ‘which isn’t entirely bad, Commander, but … at the end of the day, you need to realize just what you are in this war. The Specialist at least, draws that line—and I can say that I at least appreciate her for being able to do that.’

‘And I don’t?’

‘If I’m being honest, sir,’ Murakumo begins patiently, ‘to you we’re not just an Operations Division.’

You don’t reply.

>>1563452
>‘I came to get some advice on how you think the Division’s coming along.’
>‘Anything you think we can actually get around to doing around here?’ (Ask if there are anything you can further contribute)
>‘I’ll see you back at the barracks.’ END
>Write-In

>>1563456
>>‘Anything you think we can actually get around to doing around here?’ (Ask if there are anything you can further contribute)

>>1563456
>>‘I came to get some advice on how you think the Division’s coming along.’

>>1563452
>‘I came to get some advice on how you think the Division’s coming along.’

>>1563456
>‘Anything you think we can actually get around to doing around here?’ (Ask if there are anything you can further contribute)

>>1563456
>‘Anything you think we can actually get around to doing around here?’ (Ask if there are anything you can further contribute)

File: I Couldn't Find A Pic I Wanted.png (557 KB, 562x1010)

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‘Anything you think we can actually get around to doing around here?’

Murakumo’s ears—both sets of them—perk up.

‘Now that you mention it, actually,’ she begins in a sing-song voice, wearing a grin just dripping with false niceties, ‘there is something that you can help me organize.’

You sigh, placing your hands in the pocket of your jacket. It was getting pretty cold—evening was probably just a stone’s throw away.

The night breeze wouldn’t be that far behind.

‘All right; let’s hear it.’

She claps her hands together, letting out a whoop of triumph … before realizing that her naginata wouldn’t stand well enough on its own. Clumsily, she bounces the Kantai Steel weapon from one hand to the other in a sudden, uncharacteristic and panicky manner, before adopting her prior dignity. You eye her with a bored expression, eager to hear her out and get to somewhere that was warm.

‘You know that we’re a pretty hardy bunch … but you’d be surprised at how terrible KanMusu are at keeping up with the pace of battle when their guns drop down to zero—some of them have a little experience that they bring, but a lot of us just rely on our raw strength when our weapons fail us,’ she rolls the pole in her hand, expertly spinning it around her smaller body before cocking it back like a pool cue. ‘That’s why I wanna broaden the horizons a bit … show them the benefits of goin’ a little up close…’

She thrusts the blade forwards…

‘AND PERSONAL!’

And halts it an inch from your face.

‘You want to run a weaponry introduction class?’

She perks up, puffing her cheeks.

‘I would’ve called it a dojo, but that sounds a lot fancier,’ Murakumo cheerily raises a fist as she lets out the declaration, her eyes sparkling, ‘so what about it?’

‘This must have been done before, right?’

‘You’d think so, but you’d be surprised at how many of them are uncomfortable having to master a weapon that isn’t naturally a part of their arsenal,’ Murakumo grumbles, crossing her arms again … before realizing, again, that her weapon needed at least one hand to stand. ‘Think of it as dragging them out of their comfort zone—I don’t want them to just have a fallback that can just get blown off on a whim.’

‘All right, what’s the catch here?’

Those were always present.

‘You’d be toeing a few authority lines … especially with the unassigned girls.’

You sigh—of course. You’d be stepping in on your superior’s toes in that sense … not to mention cutting off established schedules.

‘Because I’m not their Commander, right?’

Murakumo doesn’t confirm or deny your inference.

‘So, what do you think? Good idea or great idea?’

>‘I think we should leave them to their own devices. It's not my place to break up routine.’ DECLINE
>‘That’s a pretty good idea; I’ll see who I can scrounge up.’ ACCEPT

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>>1563696
>>‘That’s a pretty good idea; I’ll see who I can scrounge up.’ ACCEPT
And then everybody was kung fu fighting

>>1563696
>ACCEPT

Greatest idea

>>1563696
>‘That’s a pretty good idea; I’ll see who I can scrounge up.’ ACCEPT
i mean this IS a good idea
never know when the gun is gonna drop you
or an i-class outtanowhere

>>1563696
ACCEPT

>>1563696
>‘That’s a pretty good idea; I’ll see who I can scrounge up.’ ACCEPT
While I am a little wary about pissing off superiors even more than we already have, the truth is that kumo actually does make a very good point, there really doesn't seem to be an argument you can make against having kanmusu trained in melee weaponry.

>>1563696
>>‘That’s a pretty good idea; I’ll see who I can scrounge up.’ ACCEPT

https://my.mixtape.moe/upqdhw.mp4

File: SO FLUFFY I'M GONNA.png (463 KB, 660x948)

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‘That’s a pretty good idea, actually,’ you acknowledge—there were certainly benefits at having a fallback that didn’t involve a game of keep-away with your life as the ball. ‘I’ll see who I can scrounge up.’

‘Oh, don’t worry, I already have a to-do list for ya!’

Before you could ask or protest, your blue-haired Destroyer pulls out a small—but otherwise thick—pamphlet, with several hastily-drawn scribbles and stick figures of what you made out to be Murakumo and several KanMusu—you could tell one of them to be Kawakaze, Samidare’s friend from her station—standing back and cheering while holding a loft weapons of every bladed sort. Despite yourself, you open the pamphlet—held together messily by staples and threatening to come apart—to see a well-organized, if slightly grammatically unsound, list of what her little project required.

‘You’ve had this on your time quite a bit, huh?’

She puffs her chest proudly in response, scooting over to you and tapping the top of the so-called list—the only portion written in differently-colored ink, several exclamation points emphasizing its call to attention.

‘Well, first, you gotta go see the MagiTek boys to see if they can got any stuff to spare—with the way we get rough, anything less than Kantai Steel’s just gonna break after five or six clashes,’ she begins, her finger scrolling down the piece of paper. ‘I don’t care how sharp they are or how many times they’re folded.’

You nod in understanding.

‘Right, and this?’

‘Well … you’re not going to go far without asking The Admiral for permission … I mean, you can do it on the sly; it won’t be the first time someone tried to sneak off and do their own thing, of course,’ she continues reluctantly, ‘and everyone’s really busy, so … maybe a re-shuffle’ll lessen whatever we’re taking the others off for.’

‘Definitely,’ you agree—getting the Admiral annoyed was the last thing you wanted, ‘and who are the Grand Masters, if you don’t mind me asking?’

‘Y-You don’t have to read it aloud, you know!’

‘Murakumo.’

‘They’re … they’re some of the KanMusu that had the same idea that I did … picked up a weapon that wasn’t already synchronized to their cores and made a living out of swinging them around,’ she sighs, stepping back and raising her fingers, ‘that’s Tenryuu, Ikazuchi, Sendai and … if you can convince her, Yamato.’

You blink, surprised.

‘Yamato?’

‘That’s a big ask on my part,’ she hastily adds, ‘so if she says no … don’t push it, all right?’

You nod.

‘So—MagiTek Department; Admiral’s permission; Grand Mas’—Murakumo coughs into her fist—‘assistants. I got this right?’

Her face splits into another grin.

‘Yup!’

>>1565978
>'I need some information about the class you want to organize.'
>‘Anything you think we can actually get around to doing around here?’ (Ask if there are anything you can further contribute)
>‘I’ll see you back at the barracks.’ END
>Write-In

Damn we are picking up ALL the quests right now^^.
What was that thing about getting Murakumo to do childrens book circle earlier though are we gonna mention that?

>>1565979
>>'I need some information about the class you want to organize.'

>>1565980
Murakumo was never on that.

>>1565979
>'I need some information about the class you want to organize.'

we gotta talk to yamato to be the grand master
she is strong skilled and gives her a reason to keep going
this is best idea

>>1565979
>'I need some information about the class you want to organize.'
>when's the next time you're free to game?

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‘Before I do anything else, I’m going to need some information about this class,’

Murakumo tilts her head and cradles her weapon.

‘Sure, what do you want to know?’

>‘Is the MagiTek Department going to take some hard convincing? This kind of thing takes them off the ball, doesn’t it?’
>‘How likely would be the Admiral be willing to actually give the opportunity to run this class?’
>‘What does Tenryuu bring to the table?’
>‘Why is Ikazuchi so important? Didn’t think of her as the type to get up close and personal.’
>‘Sendai? That crazy girl?’
>‘Yamato … she’ll be a tricky one to convince.’
>‘Actually, never mind.’
>Write-In

>>1566184
>‘How likely would be the Admiral be willing to actually give the opportunity to run this class?’

>>1566184
>>‘Is the MagiTek Department going to take some hard convincing? This kind of thing takes them off the ball, doesn’t it?’

>>1566184
>‘Yamato … she’ll be a tricky one to convince.’

Rolled 2 (1d3)

>>1566189
>>1566192
>>1566196

File: NEEEERD.jpg (21 KB, 400x400)

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‘Seems like a lot of opportunity cost is going to go into this,’ you point out, considering her request again. Now that you had thought about it, getting them to drop their sticks and work on one request—especially for an off-the-usual-cart session as this—probably wasn’t on their agenda.

Murakumo only tilts her head.

‘Opportunity cost?’

‘I mean—if you’re going to put together some practice gear for this, the Magitek guys are going to need some convincing to stop their work shifts,’ you explain; it was like telling a kitchen staff member to drop whatever it was they were doing to work on a more immediate order—it worked in practice, of course, but there were downsides to dropping one order for another. ‘Considering the fact that they’re probably starved for materials trying to keep the girls running in ship-shape—no pun intended—you’re gonna have to need to give me a good reason to tell them to quit their work and get something done for this.’

Namely the fact that it put off an otherwise more urgently-perceived product for a more immediate, from-the-top order. It disrupted routine.

‘Well, that’s what you’re here for, then!’

‘Murakumo,’ you sigh, pinching the bridge of your nose.

‘I’m serious,’ she implores further, ‘I’ve always been an on-the-field girl; jumping off that end right into bureaucracy isn’t something that I’m comfortable at doing … besides, what’s how hard can it be? You’ve talked to that Mayor guy and the Court of Admirals. You’re going to tell me that convincing some techies that hammering a sword and a shield for practice is right out of your scope?’

You try to point out that yes they would. Especially when they probably had outstanding duties. The Admiral and Vice-Admiral had been mercifully light on the re-direction of work designations when going your way. With the way the Admiralty was handling Yokosuka—alongside the Army, of course—you were lucky to have Nagato handling some of the deluge.

A leg-up that you were very thankful for.

‘They’re going to ask me why I’m requesting something off the usual request barge.’

‘I’m sure you can come up with something convincing, right?’ she replies quickly. ‘Besides, it’s not like I’m asking them for naginatas and axes ready for combat use; just sturdy enough they won’t break when we’re out smacking each other silly!’

‘I can try,’ you offer. No promises there.

‘If it helps,’ she pauses briefly, trying to sound as helpful as possible, ‘they’re not particularly feely … so if you can bring them to a logical roundabout, they might be more open to it.’

>‘How likely would the Admiral be willing to consider this?’
>‘What does Tenryuu bring to the table?’
>‘Why is Ikazuchi so important?'
>‘Sendai? That crazy girl?’
>‘Yamato … she’ll be a tricky one to convince.’
>‘Actually, never mind.’
>Write-In

>>1566420
>‘Yamato … she’ll be a tricky one to convince.’
i really could do some info there

>>1566420
>>‘Yamato … she’ll be a tricky one to convince.’

File: Yamato Umbrella.png (501 KB, 600x800)

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‘Yamato’ll be a tricky one to convince,’ you admit—she didn’t look to be interested in anything save for getting herself back in the saddle nowadays. You’d tried to get her to open up a little bit before … but your efforts had only resulted in her doubling down on her own convictions. ‘Why do you want to bring her aboard anyway? What kind of weaponry does she specialize in.’

Murakumo opens her mouth … before closing it and crossing her arms. You wait for a while, watching the Destroyer before you seem to rack herself down to the bone trying to explain the simple quest. She had the same expression as you probably did whenever a word was on the edge of your tongue but was unable to explain the essence of it in the proper, accurate context.

‘Um, she uses an umbrella.’

You clear out your ear, wondering if you had heard correctly.

‘I must have misheard—could you repeat that for me, Murakumo.’

‘I know it sounds weird… but Yamato had an umbrella as a melee weapon.’

You raise a hand to get her to pause, trying to process what she had just said.

‘Is that … is that even possible?’

Murakumo huffs.

‘Don’t underestimate her,’ Murakumo says warningly. ‘I’ve seen her fight with it—and she’s damn good with it, too.’

You raise your hand again, asking for a moment to register the sudden reveal of information.

Then you realize that you had almost had your arm chewed off by an eldritch footsoldier from the depths that gave all sorts of phallic vibes, only to have it replace with an infinitely more-useful exoskeleton that had saved your lives more times than you could begin to blubber in thanks; were professed an emotion of the most promising and affection sort—without so much as a hint of condition outside of your mutual trust—by a plethora of women who were willing to place you above all else and considered you one of their own within moments of getting to know them; you had, in all unpreparedness and by your wiles alone, taken on a technologically-enhanced and brutal Senator of a foreign nation in single combat and had come out victorious where a Squadron of the nation’s most elite barely had the ability to scratch; you were in charge of an effective battalion at the frontlines of humanity’s last bastion for its very survival.

The stench of an uncleaned kitchen was still fresh in your memory.

Did the proficiency of combat with an umbrella really stand out among those?

‘Yeah, I can dig it.’

>‘What does Tenryuu bring to the table?’
>‘Why is Ikazuchi so important? Didn’t think of her as the type to get up close and personal.’
>‘Sendai? That crazy girl?’
>‘Yamato … she’ll be a tricky one to convince.’
>‘Actually, never mind. I can sort the rest out myself.’
>Write-In

>>1566528
>‘Yamato … she’ll be a tricky one to convince.’

>>1566528
>‘Is the MagiTek Department going to take some hard convincing? This kind of thing takes them off the ball, doesn’t it?’
>‘How likely would the Admiral be willing to consider this?’
>‘What does Tenryuu bring to the table?’
>‘Why is Ikazuchi so important?'
>‘Sendai? That crazy girl?’
>‘Actually, never mind.’
>Write-In

>>1566528
>>‘What does Tenryuu bring to the table?’

>>1566552
>>‘Why is Ikazuchi so important?'
Plasma-chan?

>>1566552
>‘Why is Ikazuchi so important?'

>>1566561
Wrong Raiden.

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‘Why is Ikazuchi so important?’

‘She’s really good at hitting things.’

You wait for further explanation … before realizing that one wasn’t coming.

‘That’s it?’

‘That’s it,’ she puffs her chest. ‘Good example to show that size and power mean squat when you got the right technique in your hands.’

‘How good is she?’

Murakumo opens her mouth … before closing it again, mirroring her attitude with Yamato.

‘She’s still alive,’ Murakumo justifies, closing the point. ‘I’d say that’s a pretty good indicator, right?’

You could only agree.

>‘Is the MagiTek Department going to take some hard convincing? This kind of thing takes them off the ball, doesn’t it?’
>‘How likely would the Admiral be willing to consider this?’
>‘What does Tenryuu bring to the table?’
>‘Sendai? That crazy girl?’
>‘Yamato … she’ll be a tricky one to convince.’
>‘Actually, never mind.’
>Write-In

>>1566741
>>‘How likely would the Admiral be willing to consider this?’

>>1566741
>>‘How likely would the Admiral be willing to consider this?’

>>1566741
>>‘How likely would the Admiral be willing to consider this?

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‘How likely would the Admiral be willing to consider this proposal of yours?’

‘Not very, really,’ Murakumo sighs, running a hand through her hair. ‘With everything that’s been going on and the sheer number of us pulling double and triple duty, you’re gonna have to convince him that this is something worth throwing some time at.’

You furrow your brows, surprised.

‘It seems out of character that he might be reluctant on the idea of a class being organized.’

Murakumo regards you with a flat look, holding up a fist … and flipping her thumb open.

‘We’re short six Commanders; half the current staff members are volunteers; the townies that elected to stay have been restless as all Hell and reluctant to help out in any way possible because they blame us,’ she rants breathlessly, two more digits on her hand prominently sticking out to emphasise her point, ‘not to mention the fact that supplies and requisition requests aren’t coming in as easily or frequently as they used to because of how many early warning posts that we lost … or the fact that a lot of us are harangued by the demands of the Admiralty as it is, with taking KanMusu off work schedules, supplies being stopped—’

You hold up your hand again, wincing.

You had heard enough.

‘Okay, okay, I get the picture,’ you cut in, letting out a sigh as Murakumo fixes you with a satisfied gaze. ‘We’re not as out of the red as I thought we were; I get it.’

She bites her lip, considering you for a moment, her toe digging into the sand as silence reigns. Maybe you hadn’t really seen the worst of the town’s state; after seeing some progress over the last few weeks, you’d had this image that things had been restored as close to the status quo as it could; that the only thing missing were the droves of thankful townspeople riding back on convoys, glad to be back home.

Perhaps there was a little bit more of a stretch to this than you had thought.

‘All I suggest is that before anything else, you should talk to him first,’ Murakumo advises. ‘That could make convincing the rest of them a little bit easier.’

That did seem the sensible way to take this, but…

‘And if I can’t?’

‘Well … then that’s that,’ she hesitates, before continuing, ‘unless you’re willing to go behind his back, that is.’

You glare at her, crossing your arms at the mere suggestion of insubordinate behavior.

‘Murakumo’

She would have none of it, however.

‘Sir, you’re as maverick as they come—and you’re only two months into this job,’ ‘not as if you can’t afford to push anymore buttons—’

You’re interrupted by the sound of toppling containers. Under the tent, a stack of them had found their place on the floor.

Murakumo turns towards the mess, grumbling.

‘I coulda sworn that I stacked those properly.’

>>1566912
>‘Is the MagiTek Department going to take some hard convincing? This kind of thing takes them off the ball, doesn’t it?’
>‘What does Tenryuu bring to the table?’
>‘Why is Ikazuchi so important? Didn’t think of her as the type to get up close and personal.’
>‘Sendai? That crazy girl?’
>‘Yamato … she’ll be a tricky one to convince.’
>‘Actually, never mind.’
>Write-In

>>1566916
>>‘Sendai? That crazy girl?’

>>1566916
>>‘Actually, never mind.’
"I should go."

>>1566916
>>‘Sendai? That crazy girl?’

Yasen intensifies

>>1566939
I'm the Operations Division Commander, and this is my favorite spot in Yokosuka.

>>1566916
>‘Sendai? That crazy girl?’

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‘This is Sendai you’re asking for, right?’ you raise an eyebrow, remembering your one encounter with her. ‘That crazy girl?’

‘I appreciate the epithet,’ Murakumo giggles, covering her mouth, ‘but crazy’s stretching it a little, isn’t it?’

‘I guess,’ you concede, albeit reluctantly. Tenryuu had been a little stern with her while you, of course, had been a little more lenient with her—even if she did almost decapitate you with her idea of a greeting. ‘Not that I’d know anything more than a stranger; I only met her once.’

Murakumo nods in understanding.

‘She may act a little cuckoo, but Sendai’s—’

She halts mid-sentence, suddenly sounding as if she was struggling with something.

‘Well, she’s good,’ Murakumo manages, ‘real good. I think Sendai’s the only one of us able to actually use human weaponry and not feel like it’s some kind of soppy stick.’

‘Human weapons?’

‘She’s,’ Murakumo pauses again, rubbing her chin, ‘Sendai took a huge liking to Taiyouga’s ancient warfare days … you know, the Great Opening Era and the Culture War and all that jazz. I don’t wanna bore you with the details of your own history; you probably know more about it than I do.’

You hold back a grimace.

You hadn’t been a particularly good student on that front, either. You just found Taiyouga’s history so boring when it came to the finer details.

Not that you didn’t know enough not to at least give a skeletal detail of Taiyouga’s history to pass the subject, of course. The Great Opening had been when Taiyouga’s doors had actually re-opened to the foreign nations after achieving independence from the former alliance that consisted of the Haszad states, eventually paving the way for the Culture Wars to come along … well, actually three of them to come along, with gusto. You were a little bit fuzzy at that point, but the amalgamation, integration and assimilation of several other cultural aspects all around the globe had practically set the first stones that shaped modern Taiyouga.

The Lords agreeing that killing each other was detrimental for the long game was probably a factor, too.

‘Commander?’

‘Sorry,’ you shake your head, ‘just remembering something.’

‘Well,’ Murakumo continues, ‘that’s Sendai—she’s probably got the most custom weapons requests with the MagiTek Department … not that a lot of us do it, of course, but Sendai, uh, she’s a real enthusiast … and when she asks for stuff, they don’t really say no so long as she keeps up her end.’

‘Of course.’

‘I think her old Admiral slapped her with a warning, though…’

>‘Is the MagiTek Department going to take some hard convincing?’
>‘How willing would the Admiral be in giving permission?’
>‘What does Tenryuu bring to the table?’
>‘Why's Ikazuchi important?’
>‘Yamato … she’ll be hard to convince.’
>‘I should go.’
>Write-In

>>1567405
>‘What does Tenryuu bring to the table?

>>1567405
>‘How willing would the Admiral be in giving permission?’

>>1567405
>>‘I should go.’

>>1567405
>>‘I should go.’

Rolled 3 (1d3)

>>1567431
>>1567488
>>1567501

>>1567405
>>Write-In
Jusy hypothetically, you vs Tenryuu, you think you'd be able to beat her?

>>1567625
Murakumo would win in-story. Tenryuu likes to use her blade a lot; Murakumo may have less field experience but she's seen a lot more combat - she'll deploy whatever she can to eke out a win.

>>1567642
Just wanted to watch her boast abit. It'll be cute and it'll be just shooting the shit for abit before we leave.

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‘I should go.’

Murakumo nods in acknowledgment.

‘I gotta finish up myself,’ she jabs a thumb in the direction of the boxes. ‘I’ll be a little late, so don’t lock me out all right, sir?’

‘No promises,’ you joke, raising your hand in a salute.

Murakumo wears a mischievous smile, turning on her heel and calling out to the white-clad KanMusu now stepping on the beach themselves. The sun was beginning to nest beyond the horizon, and you decide to head back yourself. Heading back up the stone steps, several of the men on the beach—which you recognize as your own men—raise their hands in greeting, who you give a small wave to in return. The sight of falling blue dust catches your attention as you look up and turn to see a small group of fairies flying over to the group of KanMusu, their small forms lifting the boxes and barrels with the ease of any strongman.

‘I thought I’d find you here.’

You look up to see a familiar face—slightly mussed, her hair a little out of place but otherwise as serene and bemused as ever.

‘Houshou?’

‘I just saw Takao head back to the barracks; I thought I’d accompany you on the way back,’ she offers—not that you could decline, of course. You were headed back there yourself.

A biting cold breeze hitting the back of your neck reminds you just why you desired to do so.

‘I don’t mind,’ you pull your jacket closer, amazed that Houshou didn’t even bother to hug herself to preserve warmth—it must have been one of the perks of being a magical construct to not be discomforted in the slightest by the cold. ‘Shall we?’

Houshou snags onto your arm, giggling as she nuzzles into the fabric of the jacket.

‘I hope I’m not being too direct,’ Houshou takes a slightly hesitant tone as you make your way back down the now-busy street. ‘Especially after that fiasco this morning.’

You sigh.

‘I know I should be a lot more considerate for your needs and Kaga’s,’ you take an apologetic stance—the discussion in the morning hadn’t come to any sort of proper resolution after Takao’s arrival. ‘Instead of just indulging in … you know, just—‘

Houshou brings a hand to your lips, offering you a reassuring smile.

You take it away.

‘I should pay more attention to you,’ you push on, ‘and if it’s what you need … then I don’t mind at all, you know, giving myself if you need me. It’s not about what you deserve or what you need, but as your … you know …you’re my responsibility—and I promise to do better by you and Kaga from now on. Commander’s honor.’

Her blue eyes widen as they take a sudden, glowing quality.

‘It’s settled, then!’

Houshou grabs you by the collar, pulling you in as her eyes take a maddened, enthused quality, drool practically dripping from her lips and her grip on you only growing tighter by the moment.

‘Tonight, you make me your bitch.’

What had you unleashed?

END DAY 47

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Floor is open to trivia, questions, whatever, so long as they're not spoiler-related.

Ask away.

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>>1567720
Would a chainsword be a viable kanmusu weapon?

>>1567723
If the techies have the blueprints, resources and the KanMusu in question is willing to have something installed that isn't natural to them, it's an option.

>>1567720
Who was the last Kanmusu to be summoned?
And who is the last Kanmusu to be summoned in our squad?

>>1567720
Is laying with commander more fulfilling for houshou?

>>1567731
The first question is spoiler-dependent, so I can't reveal that quite yet.

The last one to be summoned in your Division is Shigure. But she's still the ELDER sister.

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Dumping some convo stuff

>>1567746
As of right now, it's a lot more intimate, but that could change. She's so used to just having herself stuffed in whatever gangbang would have her and just feeling a little wobbly, crusty, unfulfilled and awkward in the morning. The idea of exclusivity is a welcome return for her. They're a little bit more quiet now compared to before, and that's a much better thing.

She doesn't know what she wants, but as far as she cares, your approach is a welcome one.

>>1567763
so what you're saying is we should give her mouth present.

>>1567833
Anything that floats your boat, I guess.

>>1567837
That advise to speak to our idol still stands right.

JUST SO YA ALL KNOW
odds are that the submarine heard ALL about the murakumo dialoge
including the training with or without permision thing
so heads up for that

>>1568772
well it's not like we've done anything against the rules, I don't see what she could possibly penalize us for. At most all she can do is harass us a bit and even then she can't push it too far. She's still a kanmusu and we're still human, despite the fact she's meant to observe us if she goes too far she's basically asking to be punished. We'll just have to wait and see though.

>>1568792
well it fodder that she can use againts us, so it wont be a bad idea to keep it on mind

also stupid trivia question to mech
how does zuluvans feel on kanmusu?

>>1568792
Personally I'd rather not go over the admiral's head anyway, the man tolerates too much of our dumb crap to disrespect him like that and make his job even harder than it already clearly is. If we really can't get permission, then the least we can do is have the kanmusu under our own command trained in melee weaponry and train with them during division practice. Mechanic would still probably consider the overall quest a failure, but at least we'll be able to use murakumo's idea to improve our own division, which is always a good thing to do.

>>1568801
Man I got no idea, you'd have to ask mech directly on discord. They probably don't have an overall opinion on them considering the fact they have no kanmusu on their own and they're so busy with their warhammer-esque tribal warzone shit that they aren't even helping against the abyssals. I could be wrong though.

>>1568802
yeah plus im sure the admiral will think this is a good idea
its plain "prepare for the worst" training
and even sodding tank crews there days have knives just in case

>>1568801
They don't care. A weapon that can't be used for GLORIOUS CONQUEST OF THE MOTHERLAND is as interesting to them as a rock in the ocean.

>>1569284
>Implying rocks from the ocean aren't cool as hell
>http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2014/08/28/breaking-down-rocks/

The zuluvans are truly a primitive group of people

New thread here
>>1571312