2022-07-17: Gadflies

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<Pose Tracker> Calas Zelinn has posed.

        The Nazca-class Socrates is firmly in dock, it's modifications recently completed. It will likely be reentering the battlefields in a few days. But right now, many of the crew are taking the opportunity for shore leave, catching up with family, etc.

        Many, but not all.

        Captain Oono has asked that those who are available and willing meet on the Socrates for a small meeting. The briefing room is set up conference table style, but the Captain is... absent.

        Instead, on one end of the table is a rice cooker- almost but not quite finished cooking- a pile of Japanese style bowls, chopsticks, forks and spoons. They're all neatly sorted.

        Where, then, is the Captain? 

<Pose Tracker> Lily Jung has posed.

"Captaaain." Pause.

Curious eyes look beneath the table with the rice cooker. "Captain?"

Just moments ago, Lily Jung had entered the meeting room with the intention of meeting this new Captain, as it was likely she'd be working with her once again. She'd protected her ship a few weeks back, when the Vajra attacked. So she wanted to at least say hi.

The young woman, hands on the table still, comes up and looks at the others who have gathered. She then playfully touches a hand to the side of her hand and sticks her tongue out. "Of course she wouldn't be under the table. Sorry everyone." She apologizes playfully, while excuding this sweet and warm presence. A NewType amongst Coordinators, it may be hard for the most of them to notice. 

<Pose Tracker> Calas Zelinn has posed.


Calas Zelinn definitely should be leaving for the PLANTs, to catch up with her family. But on the other hand... her husband and the 'uncle' probably have her children fine. She'd only disrupt their routine, if she came back without warning. So it's fine, to say she'll be there soon, and meet them after the meeting. Maybe she'll bring them a souvenir...

But for now, the Captain probably needs her, too. However, when Calas arrives, indeed the Captain is... absent. She peers at the rice cooker, and at the utensils and bowls, as she steps into the room. She lifts an eyebrow, and glances to the others arriving. "Hm. I could use a meal," she muses.

Calas is a woman in her thirties, the XO of the Socrates, short with brown hair and brown eyes. "...It's fine," she says of the table. 

<Pose Tracker> Hifumi Nakaya has posed.

Hifumi Nakaya is a new addition to the Socrates - though it's a new ship in general, so that's not saying much.

The young woman's appearance and demeanor certainly does, though, as she steps into the conference room. Besides her full uniform, her aesthetic could be firmly called...gothic. She's wearing thick makeup, her colorful hair falls just past her shoulders, and she's humming a song.

Despite this, she takes a seat very politely, as she sniffs the air. Her voice carries a mischievious tone. "Ufufu...rice. The captain's cooking us something up to go with this, isn't she?"

With the others there, she turns, a smile as she hums. "Hifumi Nakaya, Dark Rival of ZAFT. It's a pleasure~." 

<Pose Tracker> Riika Sheder has posed.

Riika Sheder has had a very (very) (VERY) busy day and change.

Those 24 hours are over and she has been ordered to take a break instead of, in order:

- Flying to Junius Seven
- Fighting kaiju (this one wasn't ordered)
- Flying back... from Tsutsujidai
- Explaining what the hell happened and why a bunch of NERV units just left PLANTs space
- Writing a report for ZAFT consumption
- Writing a report for the science crew
- Taking a 2 hour nap
- Writing a different report for the science crew on a different topic
- Remembering she should eat at one point and doing that
- Talking to about three commanders, all of whom wanted an explanation about something different
- Getting all the pictures off her guncam

...

Well, it kept going for a bit longer, and the net result is that she has had about four hours of sleep and one meal since she got up 30 hours ago. And while she's a Coordinator and she can *do* that, it's not fun!

Which explains why she basically just kind of lurched into the room, fell onto a seat and stayed there. She has to actually stay awake for another two or three hours to not *completely* mess up the schedule she's been assigned for tomorrow but that doesn't mean she's at her brightest, even if she's been told to stop doing work at least for a bit. Even her hair is a little bedraggled... though it still manages its normal straight-until-puff, just a little touseled.

"Ah?" she asks, as someone she doesn't know enters. Riika pulls herself up to a straighter seat, blinking behind her pink-tinted glasses. "Do captains... normally cook?" 

<Pose Tracker> Serinas Nikola has posed.


        Oh boy, new friends to meet! From the Jupiter Energy Fleet! Serinas walks in, smiling and waving to Lily and Riika and looking around at various new friends-to-be with cheerful exhuberance.

        But Hifumi immediately draws her attention. What style! She looks like a character who stepped out of a movie! Serinas strides over and extends a hand to shake, "That's so cool! How did you get to be a Dark Rival? You look so cool! I'm Serinas, nice to meet you!"

<Pose Tracker> Michiru Tenjou has posed.

Not all indeed. In fact, many people needing to make visits to family and back have found themselves being offered an assist. Michiru herself was, apparently, not making any personal visits. And so she offered to ferry people back and forth in groups. But that's been the past few days and weeks.

NOW, she's at the table in the meeting room, watching Lily look for the Captain. She knows perfectly well where the girl is, but... where's the point in explaining now and ruining the surprise? Her bubblegum pink hair likely doesn't stand out terribly much amongst ZAFT's ranks. Certainly less than it does in... other places. But she's using a casual variant on the uniform today, with the jacket open and around her shoulders in cape-fashion instead of worn like a normal person.

Here and there, her squad are seated around the table. Mostly anyway. Some are still off on leave. "Right on time Miss Riika. Still plenty seats, so just pull up where you're comfortable." 

<Pose Tracker> Shiho Hahnenfuss has posed.

Shiho has actually had a comparatively easy time of the last 24 hours, comparatively. She got shuffled back onto research and development duty for a little while after her excursion with the CGUE DEEP Arms proved essentially positive; now, though, she's been shuffled into the Socrates's orbit for live fire testing.

That means she's supposed to get to know everyone, anyway; instead of actively doing that, she settles in next to the least unfamiliar person in the room: Riika, her fellow test pilot.

"Not usually. Shipboard food is supposed to be as good as we can afford, and there aren't a lot of captains who're also great cooks," she answers, ever the practical one. She's eager to see if this is happening because their captain is a do-everything obsessive or if she's just also an exceptional cook.

<Pose Tracker> Rau Le Creuset has posed.

        The man who enters towards the tail end of the arrivals was not actually invited. Though his white uniform likely provides some potential insight into why he has shown up. But the real draw of the eye is the mask on his face. It's a rather well known one throughout ZAFT.

        Rau Le Creuset steps into the room and glances around at those within. Not only is this not what he was expecting, none of them appear to be the person he's looking for. No matter.

        Rau nods his head to those present, saying, "Apologies. I seem to have interrupted something. I have business with the Socrates's Captain and was told she would be here." He looks between those present, vaguely recalling some of the faces though he has never met any of them in person. But he does like to keep an eye on the reports coming out of ZAFT's Academy, those who graduate as reds in particular. And of course, further reports of recent events.

<Pose Tracker> Lily Jung has posed.

Lily claps her hands together as folks roll in, and she chimes with bemusemetn when Hifumi speaks up. "Oh wow! I think one of my old friends used to be a Dark Rival too!" She remarks in the sweetest of tones. "That's wonderful." Pause "My friend, he'd be like."

She postures and pretends to grab a sword. "He'd have this wooden sword you see and be like." She continues to posture. "I am the great Dark Rival, I have the soul of Devil Gundam, but use it to defeat the horrid Angels of Federa!" The girl then halts her posture. "I think his name was actually just 'Olive'. Did you happen to know him? He lived back in my neighbourhood. He was such a sweet kid."

She's about to say more when Rau Le Creuset comes in. Knowing of his reputation, she immediately positions to salute him, bright faced and all. 

<Pose Tracker> Himeyuri Oono has posed.


        There is a quiet rattling down the hall as someone pushes a cart. She's singing quietly to herself. "Yume ga asu o yonteiru tamashii no no sakebi sa..." and then the door opens and Captain Oono walks into the room.

        She's a tall woman, 5'7", with brown eyes and meedium length brown hair- slightly puffy, held in place with a yellow headband. She's wearing her white uniform, with a white, slightly frilly apron. Both are spotless. And on the cart are a number of covered dishes. "Oh! Welcome everyone, my apologies for running late, I just wanted to make sure I had enough. One moment!"

        Hime moves around the room like a skilled hostess, placing the dishes out- Beef Tataki, Tamagoyaki, Miso Salmon, Hayashi Beef, Chicken Karaagi, Tonkatsu, Tempura Vegetables, and Tsukemono- Pickled Ginger, Cucumber and Daikon Radish in this case. There's not *a lot* of each, but with rice, soy sauce, mayo, bulldog sauce and pre-slicing everything, it goes much further. Provide a variety, filler and save some dessert forever. It's a good use of the care package she received today.

        The Rice Cooker beeps, and Hime immediately moves to start dishing up. "Thank you all for coming, I felt it would be good to meet as many of my fellows as possible, given I'm new at this, and I could hardly expect not to give hospitality." Lily gets an... odd look. The poor thing....

        The masked man does earn her attention. "Ah, Le Creuset-san, did I hold you up, I'm dreadfully sorry! Please, do help yourself." She offers Rau the first bowl, and he has first chance to dig in. He's the man in the room, after all.

        That done, Hime hands a bowl to Calas, then to everyone else, serving herself last. On the upside: It's really good food. *Really* good. 

<Pose Tracker> Hifumi Nakaya has posed.

Hifumi shakes Serinas' hand firmly after a few seconds. "You want to know my origin story already? How forward!~ I'm afraid some things are to be left for discovery...but the specters that haunt me will certainly not be kept secret for long...!"

Lily gets a mild laugh. "Ah, chuunibyou...a boy after my own heart, yet not possessing the true darkness...I am the untested, yet the one who tests. Heroes will challenge me, and I will measure their worth before I break them...!" Another, longer, darker 'ufufu'.

Rau le Creuset is known, so he gets a salute. It's very formal, despite the rest of her attitude.

Once the Captain arrives with the food, Hifumi salutes as she did Rau, but slightly less formally. "Captain Oono. Thank you for the meal." Seems she can be formal, at least, and once the food's in her hands she digs in.

There's also something slightly odd about how Hifumi regards Himeyuri: she doesn't. She cares very little that the captain is wearing an apron. 

<Pose Tracker> Riika Sheder has posed.

Riika smiles in gratitude to Michiru. "Thank you," she says. It's true - that pink hair isn't going to stand out very much here. Riika certainly doesn't see anything unusual about it. Hifumi is a little weirder, but well within expected levels. She's met worse.

"I know that," Riika says to Shiho, a slight smile on her face - because if Shiho has a flaw in Riika's mind it is that she's extremely serious. Not that Riika isn't just as serious when it comes to work, but, well... she takes it to extremes.

Tired she might be, but Riika rises for Le Creuset with a salute, because he is a boss in a way that she isn't. And for the captain.

The captain in a frilly apron.

Riika's already kind of tired brain skips tracks. what, Riika thinks, but she doesn't say. She keeps the smile on her face. Which colony did *she* train in? "I, uh, don't think the captain normally does the hospitality, Captain," she says, sounding more baffled than anything else. Normally she'd be more discreet or polite, but...

Well, four hours of sleep to 26 hours awake. Also, she's hungry, though that at least is apparently a solved problem.

<Pose Tracker> Calas Zelinn has posed.


Calas recognizes some of the students she helped before among those gathering; she nods to each, distant but not mean about it. She just tends to be pretty formal in this environment. Moreso than most, anyway. But as for the matter of Captains who cook--well, Shiho has the answer, and Calas in the moment is more interested in Rau Le Creuset's arrival. She salutes. "She'll be along shortly," Calas explains of the Captain, and indeed, she is correct.

The aprn the Captain has is adorable. And Calas accepts her food, taking a seat to have somewhere to put it all. Then, she offers for those who aren't familiar with her or her position, "Zelinn, XO. You've prepared a fine meal, Captain. I was admittedly pretty hungry."

Oono cooking for her doesn't stop her calling her Captain, anyway.

But Riika says it, and... Calas laughs a little. "Not usually," she agrees. "But in this case..." 

<Pose Tracker> Shiho Hahnenfuss has posed.

The captain in an apron... that's -- new. She's young, too; Shiho is indeed fairly certain that Himeyuri is younger than she herself is. And she's...

... Shiho cants her head slightly. This whole situation is weird. She looks to Riika, brow furrowing a bit, then back to the Captain. Well. This is fine, she thinks.

Besides: she's hungry. It's enough to make her a little less stiff than she otherwise might be.

"I think it's better this way," Shiho affirms. (She has a certain fondness for 'nurturing femme leader' in the back of her brain. ... She misses the labs.) She gets soem food, and takes a bite before even sitting down. "This is really good," she says. "Thank you for the meal." This is partially introductions, though, so Shiho finally gets around to that: "Shiho Hahnenfuss. I'm assigned to the Socrates as part of a field testing initiative, but I expect to get bounced around a bit."

<Pose Tracker> Serinas Nikola has posed.


        Serinas just stares at Hifumi in amazement as she continues Being Hifumi.

        Crueset, Zelinn, and when she arrives, Oono get salutes. She does briefly greet with a "Long time no see, Mrs. Zelinn..." but then food is being handed out and it smells *really good* and Serinas sits next to Riika or Lily and curiously tries a bite and

        THIS IS THE BEST FOOD SHE'S EVER TASTED IN HER LIFE.

        She quickly stuffs a couple more bites in her mouth, then slows down to savor it. And somewhere between bites gets out, "This is *so good*! I didn't know you could make food taste like this! How did you do it??" she asks the captain with innocent enthusiasm.

<Pose Tracker> Rau Le Creuset has posed.

        Salutes are sent Rau's way and he returns them in earnest. Then he is informed that the ship's Captain will be along shortly, "Ah, excellent. Though given the apparent situation, perhaps it's best I..." Rau trails off though as he hears faint... Singing?

        Sure enough, Captain Oono enters. And while it doesn't register on his face, Rau does a bit of a double take. He was aware of her somewhat young age. That much isn't unusual in ZAFT lately and with his access level, he'd read her file. It's the bubbly attitude and serving of meals that is far from what Rau had expected.

        It's somewhat annoying.

        But Rau none-the-less accepts the quirk nature of this particular ship's Captain. Given her unusual origins. It appears that the Le Creuset Team and Oono Team will be working together in the future. So it would be best to maintain a smooth relationship.

        Rau accepts the offered bowl, saying, "No apologies necessary, Captain. My arrival is somewhat abrupt. I just happened to be in the area on other business and thought we should meet, given our teams will likely be on missions together soon."

        Rau gathers up just a little bit of food, enough to not seem impolite towards the hospitality of the ship's Captain. He let's out a simple 'Mmmmm' and light nod in agreement to Riika's statement on the matter. Tasting the food, he has to admit it's good.

        That doesn't help with the annoyance.

<Pose Tracker> Michiru Tenjou has posed.

Perhaps the slowest to salute with respect to Le Creuset is Michiru. Not because she's disrespectful so much, but given the way this ship runs, it's just not something she has to do often. It's a little odd though. That is, how her motion to do it seems slightly stiff. "Welcome to the Socrates, everyone."

She offers a slight introduction of herself while food is being passed around. That her name is Michiru, and she was the one piloting the unfamiliar unit when the Vajra showed up. "You've never had ANYTHING quite like the Captain's food, I promise you that. It's a miracle of love across the galaxy!" Oh, but despite some modesty with herself, she'll happily praise Hime's skills, huh? She's heard a lot in the day or so before this mission, about the importance of a good first impression. ...And she doesn't want people thinking she's BOASTING after all. Heroes don't do that, even when they're proud of their own skills! 

<Pose Tracker> Lily Jung has posed.

Lily Jung seems to be 'bothered' by Himeyuri's look at first. She thinks at first - this is the typical situation. She is used to being given such looks when she is amongst Coordinators. As if she is lacking, faulty. How many people have asked her in the past if she regretted being born Natural. Asking her why her parents decided not to make her a Coordinator.

But then she picks up on a bit more detail, and she gets confused. Her head tilting ever so slightly and the young woman steps back to make room, as she touches her lip with one finger. Looking at Himeyuri with curiousity. Though it fades quickly. After all, there's plenty of times that communication is unclear. It's not like she's a mind-reader.

When she finally drops her salute, she smile to Hifumi. "Hmm! Yes. Untested hmm? Well, let me know if you have time in your busy testing schedule. I can always use more testing." She expresses.

The young woman then settles with Serinas and Riika, taking the bowl in question. But she only takes a few small bite while turning back to look the way of the rest.

"Hello Shiho. I'm Lily - Lily Jung. I'm one of the pilots usually under Talia Gladys." She expresses, kind of posing that introduction to the others she doesn't know yet. A nod follows as Michiru welcomes them all, and she quiets so the Captain can speak on anything important. 

<Pose Tracker> Himeyuri Oono has posed.


        "Oh, I really don't mind Riika-san." It's a slightly odd, outdated... bizarre way of speaking. But it seems to be Hime's. "I was on standby anyway and cooking is relaxing! And besides, it's my duty as Captain to make sure my crew are looked after. Or in this case, my guests!"

        She says it all so earnestly, but there's something under those words. Like she's quoting something. "Thank you, Zelinn-san. I'm glad you like it." She's very earnest- and also slightly deferential- towards Calas, but nowhere near as much as she seems to be towards Rau. "I had to choose between making the salmon or miso soup, but I felt like heartier food was needed."

        Shiho introduces herself, and Hime gives her a big smile. "Welcome aboard, Shiho-chan!" Oh it's *straight* to that, huh. "Captain Himeyuri Oono, I'll be looking after you and making sure you have a place to come back to!" And then Serinas starts talking and Hime's eyes light up. "Well, some of it is old family recipes, and knowing that when you don't have as much to work with, you need the taste to carry on with the rice!" She looks utterly enthused. "And of course- the most important ingredient is love!" Michiru's calling it a miracle of love.... Well. Maybe, if there were a man here who fit.

        She's sure Rau has a reason for his mask, but it's not really her ideal of 'manly'. After all... Masks are really the mark of an evil general where she come froms. But ZAFT *are* in a desperate situation.

        She still really wants to know if he likes it.

        Hime takes an awfully dainty amount of food, for the person who expended all the energy cooking it. Hrm.

<Pose Tracker> Riika Sheder has posed.

'A miracle of love??'

Riika is getting increasingly confused here because this is not how any captain she's ever served with has acted. "Yes, well..." is her unclear response to both Calas and Shiho. But - well, there is one ship that it reminds her of, in a weird way:

The Nadesico, where she was 'jailed' (closed in quarters and treated very well). Yurika is the only captain she can think of who acted anything like that. Riika's expression softens again. "Well - thank you," she says. "I'm Riika Sheder. I'm a test pilot, though I'm currently not really on assignment - I was on the Auerbach but then I got moved to a science vessel, and now I've been sent - well, all over."

...

"This *is* good," she adds, a moment later. Because it is. Though to be fair she'd have eaten CalorieMate and liked it. (And, in fact did, for her last meal this morning.) 

<Pose Tracker> Calas Zelinn has posed.


"Nice to see you, Nikola," Calas answers when Serinas specifically greets her. Then she looks to Rau, and considers him for a few moments. She says nothing about it. Instead she looks to Himeyuri again and nods, making a point of continuing to eat while she's not talking. She has had a chance to mull over the Captain's manner a little by now, but if she's formed any conclusions, she hasn't said so just yet.

"A miracle of love, hm? I may have to get the recipes from you. I don't have as much time to cook for my family as I used to."

That might be her way of trying to make them comfortable. Maybe.

"As for better this way, I can't say I'm complaining. Captain, when we're done here, I do have a few reports you'll need to review." 

<Pose Tracker> Hifumi Nakaya has posed.

As Hifumi eats rather quickly, she thanks Himeyuri - not overly, as if by habit. But then..."Ah, yes. Hifumi Nakaya, once more~. I will be piloting for the Socrates - Cielnova Onna-Musha. You'll recognize the ferocious might, I'm sure..."

Finishing her plate fast, she speaks up again. "Captain! Do you know our next operation yet?" Calas's talk of reports gets an 'oooo'. "Guess we might find out soon enough, either way...!"

<Pose Tracker> Serinas Nikola has posed.


        Technically, EVERYONE behaves weirdly, to Serinas, so she doesn't pick up as much on the oddity of Hime's behavior. Old Family Recipes may be an important part of good food? "Maybe I should ask gramma an' grampa if they have any recipes..." Oh, poor Serinas. Don't ask the doctors for family recipes, who knows what science they'll put in them.

        She listens raptly and intently, looking from Captain Hime to the food. "Love... how do you put love in food?" she asks in wonder, prodding and shifting some of the rice on her plate with a utensil as if looking for the bits of love mixed in with the food.

<Pose Tracker> Rau Le Creuset has posed.

        Rumours about Rau Le Creuset's mask are about as common as Coordinators with pink hair. The more reasonable rumour, and the one most likely to be true, is he suffered an injury during combat at some point and so wears the mask to cover it up. But there are more outlandish rumours out there. Such as he's the disowned son of the Britannian Emperor. Or actually an alien.

        Rau has never confirmed nor denied any of these rumours.

        He does confirm that he likes the food, "Your skill at cooking is quite impressive, Captain. I am ashamed to admit that my own skill in the area is rather... Lacking." So love is the most important ingredient...

        Absurd.

        Hifumi brings up the question of future operations. A knowing smile tugs at Rau's mouth for a moment, though he doesn't actually say anything.

<Pose Tracker> Shiho Hahnenfuss has posed.

"Good to meet you, Lily," Shiho answers, pleasant. "I understand you're in capable hands with Captain Gladys." She continues eating for a little while; she's not a total wallflower, but she's more focused on getting herself situated than on making a particularly big impressio --

'Welcome aboard, Shiho-chan!'

She blinks a little. ZAFT is decidedly less formal than the Federation and it makes perfect sense for a captain to decide how her ship is going to be, but --

"Uh." A blink. "Thank you??" The two question marks are important, because one of them needs to stay there as punctuation and the other needs to hover over Shiho's head.

Still, there's a sense of... it's not a totally unfamiliar dynamic, however strange it may be. Nevertheless, she leans over and asks Riika: "Is this an Aprilius thing, or...?" 

<Pose Tracker> Michiru Tenjou has posed.

At this point, Michiru is focusing foremost on quietly eating. Well... mostly quiet anyway. She's not the sort of polite, mild eater Hime is though. She's a bit... ravenous, actually. The type of pilot who works herself ragged, then tears though a large meal. She's not messy though, or rude about it, which is the real saving grace on the whole thing.

While eating she glances to each of their guests in turn. They seem like great people, by and large. She'd be overjoyed to work alongside any of them! And unlike Hime, there's no sense that she's got any sort of pity or anything less than absolute respect for them all, at this moment. Even Rau's mask doesn't bother her much. No evil general would sit with all of them and eat peacefully, after all! She absolutely believes the rumor regarding an injury, as his reason for it. It might be bad for team morale, to see their leader's face scarred!

<Pose Tracker> Himeyuri Oono has posed.


        Hime does start to blush more as praise comes her way. "Ah, well, I could share sme of them I suppose!" Calas talking about cooking for her family *immediately* increases that social link. "I'm looking forward to the day I can do that. But that won't be until after we throw off the earthling's oppression." Earthling, not earthnoid.

        Women test piloting seems slightly more normal than women piloting, but it's still not... ideal. Shiho and Riika both. "Oh, I used to be in research myself! Honestly I prefer it." Hime's excited to talk about this too. "I designed the Examacs that Michiru-chan and Hifumi-chan use!" And once they start mobilising the reworked Porta Nova's out here...

        Hime seems relaxed about Rau's comments. "Thank you, sir! But that's hardly surprising, you have far more important tasks befitting a man of your station. You shouldn't be required to take care of things like cooking." Then the next mission comes up, and she nods. "Oh, I think that's what Le Creuset-san wished to speak with me about." She shifts slightly more serious. "Though I apologize if I am wrong, sir." She takes a breath to stand up. "The Socrates is here to help you destroy the Federation despots, and although I did not expect to find myself her captain, I will do my utmost to ensure we do, so we can all return to the lives we deserve."

<Pose Tracker> Riika Sheder has posed.

"I grew up on October Seven," Riika replies to Shiho. "The only time I spent on Aprilius I was real busy with training." So that's a 'maybe'.

Riika brightens. "Oh, you design? I wouldn't say I'm that skilled - I didn't finish the full engineering design course or anything. I work in mechanics; I'm a test pilot, so I have to be able to repair and adjust my own things, but I don't build from scratch really. I mean, I've done some doodles, who hasn't, but that's about it..."

Well, there are some things that will perk her up, apparently.

<Pose Tracker> Lily Jung has posed.

"You just really put your own love into the food." Lily tries to explain Serinas. "You must really love the cooking you do for them. You must take extra care and everything." The young woman notes. "But it's important to know that love is an extra ingredient. If the rest is bad, not even Love can save your food."

She then nods to Shiho. "Hmm! Yes. She's a wonderful captain." She explains to Hahnenfuss. Before turning towards the front of the room and bringing one foot onto her knee, and finally settling in to eat more. She's never had a Captain's dinner before. And she wonders how often the Captain invites her subordinates for personal dinners.

It must be great for Morale.

<Pose Tracker> Calas Zelinn has posed.


"I appreciate that," Calas says to Himeyuri of the recipes. "Yes, I won't be able to go back to mine until then, either." ....That's not technically true. She could at any time! No one would probably blame her. But she still doesn't; she has things to do out here, duties to perform. And some of them concern this new crew...

Fascinating talk of design, of course. But the mission... Hmmm.

"Indeed," Calas says of the reports she has. "We may just find out."

She looks to Serinas, "I'll explain more about cooking later. For now..." SHe looks to Rau, and the Captain. 

<Pose Tracker> Serinas Nikola has posed.


        Research! "Ooh, my Mom's in research!" Serinas looks up from searching for the bits of Love in her food. "Although... I don't know exactly what she's working on..."

        She nods at the bit about lives they deserve. Sometimes she thinks about it, the life she's dreamed of and seen little pieces of, living in the earth sphere in peace with her mom and her mom's family... She doesn't know what it'll be like, but it seems fun!

        "I grew up in the belt with my dad on a mining colony..." she frowns. Despite everything... life in the Earth Sphere is so much more interesting and exciting, even if she has to fight.

        Lily mentions the love in the food and Serinas looks at her plate and pokes at it again. Scrutinizing it. Which bits of food are the love that make it taste so good?

        "...He's still there, but my mom, her wife, and my half-brother live on the PLANTS... I visit them when I get leave, and I'm gonna live with them when this is all over."

<Pose Tracker> Rau Le Creuset has posed.

        Rau is not that familiar with the culture from which Himeyuri comes, so this is proving to be somewhat of an enlightening experience. Though at the same time, her reply to him seems to suggest some... Outdated(?) concepts.

        It doesn't really matter though. What's important to Rau right now is Himeyuri's skill as a Captain. Though that may change in the future...

        But right now, Rau is given the floor, so to speak, as Himeyuri provides a passionate and heartfelt, if somewhat vague, declaration as to the Socrates's future. Rau nods along in agreement with her, "Correct, Captain. Operational security prevents me from going into too great of detail... But Command is not happy with the progress of our Earthside fronts. As such, a series of operations have been planned, in which the Le Creuset and Oono teams will be playing key roles. With support from other teams where possible. They're not going to be easy... But then that's why we've been assigned to this."

        Rau glances around at the various people present, before finishing with, "So. Expect a trip to Earth soon."

<Pose Tracker> Serinas Nikola has posed.


        Serinas salutes at Rau's pronouncement. "I'll be ready, sir!" OH BOY, SHE GETS TO GO TO EARTH! AGAIN!

        ...After a moment, she continues eating her food. It IS delicious, after all.

<Pose Tracker> Michiru Tenjou has posed.

As she polishes off her own meal, Michiru slides her chair back to get up. Everybody here has caught her interest in some form or another, but that's not presently important. An operation taking them planetside. To see how and where those monsters in human guise live first-hand. ...Excellent. She can't wait for the opportunity. That it might allow for an aquatic sortie, her specialty, is left unstated.

"If you all wouldn't mind holding tight for a minute, I need to fetch something. I think you'll appreciate it." Himeyuri may well be the only person who knows what's going on here... and it's one of the few aspects of Michiru she wholeheartedly approves of. "Oh, Hime-hime? Maybe you can talk design with Riika and Shiho while I'm gone!" Trying to push them all to embrace the thing they love doing. Michiru's a lot of things, but subtle has never once been on the list. Interestingly, while she mostly has a similar 'outdated' speech pattern to Himeyuri... her version is different in starkly obvious ways. 

<Pose Tracker> Himeyuri Oono has posed.


        "Oh! I'd love to see them! We can compare notebooks later! I'm afraid I've got a lot of drafts I couldn't work out what to do with. Maybe you'll have ideas!" She nods to Calas. The plants are truly desperate, forcing a woman like her into the battlefield... She has so much else to teach. "Well. Then let us put a definitive end to this war as soon as we can."

        And Rau puts down that opportunity. "Understood, sir. We won't fail." Still... ZAFT has a shortage of pilots, just as the Jovians though. It would be fine to provide some additional help discreetly, wouldn't it?

        But she can't bring up Operational Security matters.

        Michiru steps out, and Hime nods. "Oh, yes! Of course!" She looks around the room. "Well, did any of you want more, or are you full? We don't want to waste anything." She switches gears so easily, but also: Food Wastage on the PLANTS might well be a capital crime. 

<Pose Tracker> Calas Zelinn has posed.


"To Earth," Calas repeats thoughtfully, and looks to Rau for a few moments, before she looks to the Captain. She maintains that thoughtful look for the moment, even as she takes the moment to bring herself another bite of food.

Support from other teams 'where possible', of course.

"My family's on the PLANTs too of course," she says to Serinas, and then says to everyone else, "We'll get it done." A pause. "...Sure," she says, "I'll accept some more." 

<Pose Tracker> Rau Le Creuset has posed.

        Rau stands there, occasionally taking a bite from the bowl he holds. It's hard to tell where he's looking, given his mask, but he seems to be observing everyone as they continue to talk. Occasionally he'll nod in response to the replies sent his way regarding his words. This continues and continues and continues...

        Finally, Rau places his bowl down on the table. He turns to Himeyuri, "Thank you Captain, but I'm afraid I must decline. I have much work left to do before we depart from the PLANTs and I must return to it." He turns to the rest of the room, finishing, "I look forward to working with you all in our common goal for the PLANTs."

        Rau nods to them all and turns, beginning to make his way out of the room. He believes he's accomplished his reason for coming, as well as gaining some additional information he hadn't expected.

        Plus he's reached the limit of how much of this he can endure.

<Pose Tracker> Michiru Tenjou has posed.

The sound of squeaky cart wheels is heard long before anyone can SEE anything. The precursor to a disaster unlike any encountered before. Following that, they can hear an amount of deep, cheerful laughter. Definitely Michiru's voice, though nobody here has to know why or what she's laughing about, yet. But soon. Soon they will.

She'd spent much of the trip there and back talking to herself. Collecting her thoughts in an organized fashion by spreading them aloud. She really is just so incredibly happy about the turnout they received today, and a part of her hopes some of them will stick around a while. Maybe even join the crew on a longer-term basis. She'd been particularly impressed by what she saw during the recent attack, and... Well, one of the most true ways you can get to know someone is in the heat of battle. Whether by matching fists or piloting alongside one another. At a time when a person's passion burns its highest, and their hearts are on full display to the galaxy!

And maybe they'll get through to Hime-hime where Michiru can't quite always reach. That would be nice too.

Eventually, the doors open, to reveal Michiru carting in... Dear lord that is a lot of cake. Decorated with a scene of Hime's Nova-Series machines, posing victoriously together in a perfect replication of the famous Double Gekigangers image. Though most people would be forgiven for not knowing that scene by heart, like SOME PEOPLE do. This is very obviously not Himeyuri's handiwork. She simply could not ever heap this much praise on herself in any capacity. 

<Pose Tracker> Serinas Nikola has posed.


        MORE? Serinas, chewing a mouthful of food, looks over from her empty plate and raises her hand. She has been offered more of The Most Delicious Food She Has Ever Tasted, you bet she wants more!

<Pose Tracker> Serinas Nikola has posed.


        AND THERE'S ALSO CAKE TOO? ...Okay, Serinas thinks maybe she can manage another serving of DELICIOUS FOOD and still try a slice of cake, too.

<Pose Tracker> Riika Sheder has posed.

Riika had been kind of trailing off because she is at the end of a very long shift, but...

"Did you make that cake?" she asks, uncertain which one of them did. Surely the captain didn't do that. Surely. The food was enough. And the decorations... "You decorated the cake with robots? But those aren't Gekigangers"

You better believe that Riika recognized the image. She is, after all, extremely Riika.

<Pose Tracker> Serinas Nikola has posed.


        Serinas asks, innocently, once she swallows the food she's currently chewing, "What's a Gekigengar?"

        Oh no.

<Pose Tracker> Lily Jung has posed.

Lily's eyes widen up big as cake is brought in, shortly after Rau got out. "Serinas, try not to over eat." The moment that hand goes up. "Gosh, that looks wonderful. You're such an artist!" Lily declares as she raises her hand next to Serina. She was telling her not to eat too much, and here she is doing the exact same thing!

To be fair, she had less rice.

<Pose Tracker> Himeyuri Oono has posed.


        Hime had respected the sanctity of kitchen secrecy. She knew that Michiru was working on a surprise of her own. She gives Rau a small bow as he leaves. ZAFT's rank structure is hideously confusing but she knows he's more important than her. She gets ready to dish out seconds- and pack away leftovers. But then...

        "Ah, Michiru-chan, that's *incredible*!" It must have taken ages...

        Something becomes immediately clear. Riika Sheder is a woman of refined tastes, while Serinas must be one of the most deprived youths she's ever heard off.

        "You really didn't have to do this, though... but it does look so delicious. And so artistic! The Gard and the Rever, and you even managed to incorporate the Ciel as Texas Robo as support.... This is amazing! Once this is all over you really should look into opening a bakery." She's not thinking as she says it, and it's clear she isn't. Hime's just caught up in the moment.

        "I don't suppose I could have just a small slice, do you?" 

<Pose Tracker> Michiru Tenjou has posed.

There's a bright smile that spreads across Michiru's face as she's asked who made it. She did it herself after all. The skyscape of stars on the inside of her hair only seems to sparkle all the more radiantly when paired with her joy in this moment. "I made it myself earlier today, preparing for this meeting. Though I do wish everyone had been able to stay for it." She's not letting that bring down her mood though, not even remotely!

She didn't forget a knife this time, thankfully, so she can start cutting up pieces for everyone. It is... a lot of cake. Enough that everyone could have multiple pieces. Himeyuri gets the first slice of course, with the next going to Riika. And along down the line until everyone who wants cake is provided with such. Everyone's praise makes her smile all the more, enough that the mention of a bakery... Well... It's not like she hates baking. But she doesn't have a desire for that sort of life. In her own mind, she was born to pilot, and to inspire people as far as her heart and soul can reach! She enjoys baking as a hobby, and to do it for friends, family, and her sworn allies, but... not as her life's work. "These robots are all Hime-hime's personal designs. Gardnova, Revernova, and Cielnova. But I figured as celebration of our driving off that horde of menacing, fiendish space bugs some time back, Gekiganger was the perfect theme!"

She made a promise before coming out here. She couldn't go on exhaustive Gekiganger rants. It's been a struggle to keep that going all this time. Especially in the moment, she wants to badly to extoll upon all its glorious virtues. But no! Not over dinner and dessert! Instead... "Riika, since you're familiar with the source, perhaps you'd like to join me in a viewing party? To show our guests who don't know about it?" Instead, frame it as a friendly watch party. She learned a number of things about the how people socialize during her academy time, thanks in large part to a few of the girls who became members of her squad after graduation. 

<Pose Tracker> Riika Sheder has posed.

"Well, I think it's very good," Riika says, though to be fair that's the kind of thing you say to anyone who is willing to give you cake they made themselves.

Riika does indeed know Gekiganger. A lot of mecha designers (and mecha geeks; she is both) do, even given its age. It's a classic! Though she's only seen it once, because it is a classic and there are plenty of newer things to watch, too...

"Oh! Certainly. But not tonight, if it's not a problem? I have been on my feet for, uh, about thirty hours. With minimal downtime. The only reason I'm still awake is because if I don't stay up a little longer I'm not going to be at my best when I need to make a flight tomorrow..."

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