1759/Scouting Operations

Scouting Operations
Date of Scene:	08 March 2015
Location:	Boston-666
Synopsis:	The Wo-Class vessel visits Boston to determine if it is suitable for the Abyssal Fleet to visit.
Cast of Characters:	253, Wo, 637

---

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Owing to an amount of patience to the alien mentality of the Abyssal Fleet, Psyber has agreed to a meeting at what could arguably be called 'Late O'Clock' so that Wo can pre-scout the city of Boston for her bosses and act as the Abyssal Envoy.

    This doesn't mean he can't be grouchy as the dickens about it, though. It's right at freezing temperature and, though the city was spared snowfall for the night, the weather is bitter cold with ocean breezes around the docks. The half-angel and most famous inhabitant is, to that end, dressed slightly warmer than usual. Slightly being the addition of a red scarf and black gloves to his normal attire.

    He's also hanging out by the docks, sitting on a bench, with a thermos in his hands. He unscrews it and steam wafts out before he fills the cap with some sort of soup (like any good New Englander, it's a lobster bisque) and sips from it slightly.

Kongou (637) has posed:
    Gathered a few paces behind Psyber is a trio of girls, each one younger than the last.

    Akizuki elbows Isuzu in the hip, "Waiting is boring, why'd you have to take my game?"

    Isuzu, the eldest of the trio, keeps her arms folded and her eyes closed, "Because we're a diplomatic delegation and you beeping away in the back would make us all look terrible." One eye opens, fixing on the younger destroyer, "You should take up a quieter hobby like Zuihou."

    Zuihou, to her credit, has her nose buried in a magazine about the Smithsonian Aircraft Museum. Oblivious to the conversation, she suddenly squeaks and holds it out, pointing, "Look! It's one of the Suisei I carried! How nice of them to give it a home!"

    Closer to Psyber, standing nearly shoulder to shoulder with him, is Fast Battleship Kongou. Radars swiveling, she beams a smile so bright it might act as a lighthouse. For once, she's remarkably quiet, too.

Wo has posed:
    Making it all the stranger would have been the way the request for clearance had even come: via shortwave wireless telegraph. It's a good way to reliably communicate across the strange landscape the Multiverse presents, and is less likely to be intercepted - hopefully Psyber's stomping grounds were still equipped to receive it. Regardless of that, they come. A light disturbance at the surface is the first visual trace, though a hundred or two meters out, they eventually rise fully out of the water and make their presence known. Five destroyers, at first - glowing eyes being the most visible thing about them, with their sleek, black exteriors well suited for night operations. Four pairs of eyes in all, and a cyclopian specimen adding a ninth. Shortly after, a larger upwelling yields the expected Wo-class carrier. Her hat skimming across the water at first, before the rest of her body does so.

    Their approach is rapid, but not nearly as much as it would be if they were here for offensive operations. Once the docks themselves are reached, the destroyers move from their guarding ring formation into two flanks, parting to allow Wo to go before them. A sign of trust, perhaps, or simply obedient to her mental order. When she slides along the water up to the pier, itself, rather than suffer the indignity of climbing out, her feet visibly rise the short distance above the water necessary, before her booted feet set down on the surface. The destroyers appear to do the same, though rather than coming to rest there, one of the two-eyed ones actually seems to stand on two vestigal legs -- any fleet daughters in attendance would recognise this as a permutation that has been rarely sighted, but has become more numerous recently. The 'late model'.

    Lifting a hand to the brim of her hat, the more humanoid abyssal gives a quick glance around with similarly glowing, turquoise eyes. Eventually coming to rest on Psyber. She gives him a stare down for a few moments, and then lowers her hands to the corners of her mouth, lifting it up into the best facsimile of a smile she can give. "Psyber. I appreciate - your co-operation. And..hospitality." Lowering her hands further, she beckons to the destroyers, which float (or wobble, in the case of the legged ship) on forward, opening their mouths and producing garbled sounds that might be vocalizations of some kind, but it's honestly hard to say. "Sisters..will obey. Won't attack."

    Beyond Psyber, fleet daughters can be seen. Foremost, Kongou gets the longest stare from the Wo-class. She had promised herself that she would not react as comes natural to her kind; but a trace of a furrowing of the brow can still be seen. "Kon-gou," she stresses out, but doesn't offer her a smile that her commander got. "..these are - your fleet?"

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Telegraph was at least accomodated, in no small part owing to Kongou and her small group of ships. The Hikari Fleet had brought it back as at least some method of communication he had around. The half-angel has alerted the Coast Guard of the approaching Abyssals, meaning that while the approach is detected, they're not harassed. The Coast Guard ships do still circle around and seem to post an uncomfortable distance while keeping an eye on the destroyers. These are still the people that put a bloody nose on the city a few weeks prior.

    He tilts his head a bit as she pushes her hands into the corner of her mouth, "You do not have to force yourself to smile if you are unable. I am quite experienced with Elites incapable of expression and I can understand intent from words if you wish to maintain an unexpressive demeanor. I will take no offense." It's true, too. When you hang around with Nathan for years, you learn to divine emotion from monotones.

    When one of the destroyers wobbles close enough, Psyber leans over the dock and pats it on the side a couple times, hand pressing against it, "Sisters? I see," Psyber notes, tilting his head. And then a few moments later, Wo addresses Kongou and the ships.

    "Yes. Kongou is my ship, I suppose you could say, and so I have taken responsibility for her Squadron as they were assigned to her. They are all very capable," He notes, pointing to each one in kind, "Akizuki, a destroyer. Isuzu, a light cruiser. And Zuihou, a light carrier. After the events which led to Kongou's second sinking, they came around to make sure she would not go unescorted to field deployments."

    "Welcome to Boston. Not too far from here is the USS Constitution, and you can visit the Naval Yard at some point. Presently it's in drydock for a restoration over the next three years, but I know some associates who may arrange a viewing." He thinks, "The other famous Naval battle of note was the Battle of Boston Harbor in 1812, in which the USS Chesapeake was taken and refitted to the HMS Chesapeake after a harsh battle."

    He's trying to talk ships, despite being nowhere near a Naval buff, to keep Wo relaxed. This is the extent of his knowledge, however, since he's a Boston Historian not a Naval historian.

Kongou (637) has posed:
    "<Welcome To Boston!>" Kongou echoes after Psyber's through with his crash course of local nautical history.

    Behind the pair, the three other members of the Fourth Mobile straighten up one after the other when her name is mentioned, not quite reaching Attention but certainly trying to look attentive. However, the arrival of the Abyssals is also enough to get them to stop chattering amongst themselves. The Enemy is present on a diplomatic mission, time to look like something other than schoolgirls!

    The wobbling legged I-class, however, gets a curious second look from Isuzu. She might be surprised to see one like that just milling around with a Wo-class aircraft carrier.

    Kongou meanwhile smiles towards Psyber, "Good Effort! As expected from Admiral!" And then, she turns towards Wo more directly, hands folded primly in front of herself, "Though~ there are also things further from the water that you and your friends might like, too. Like restaurants!"

Wo has posed:
    The I-class destroyer that had hopped close enough initially freezes for a moment, a gesture that despite its semi-rigid shell still easily comes across as being startled. It strains to pivot its head to look to its flagship, the Wo-class carrier, and she can be seen to give a subtle nod of her head. After this, it seems a bit more comfortable being patted, its toothed jaw hanging open and seeming somehow -- appreciative. They often aren't shown this kind of attention.

    As Psyber takes charge and makes his introductions, the be-hatted abyssal scans her eyes in turn between each one. As he'd said, her expression remains difficult to read, though she's at least restraining herself from displaying any hostile intent. "..hmm," she finally offers, to his explanation that she doesn't have to make any extra emotive effort, for his sake. She then continues, in a soft monotone, "..okay." Honestly, that seems to put surface people off more than not even trying, usually, anyway..so maybe she should reconsider, or try practicing in a mirror, instead.

    The other destroyers begin meandering closer to the fleet daughters, though with the calming influence of a Wo-class flagship here, they honestly do seem more curious about the fleet daughters than trying to size them up. Not that this likely makes it any more comfortable. Wo, herself, also steps forward to seemingly get a better look, reaching a hand out at none other than Akizuki. It seems at first she might be reaching for that pattable Yamato Nadeshiko-looking head, but at the last minute her eyebrows draw in, and she hesitates, eventually bringing her hand back down. She let it get the better of her with Kuma, she mustn't here...

    The primary hosts of this get-together, Psyber and Kongou, are whom she turns to next. A vague recognition of some of the names Psyber is dropping is hinted at with a furrowing of the most expressive part of her face, those eyes and brows of hers. But..even though she might feel she should remember, it is still..hazy. "..I..think I would. Like to visit." Maybe that might be a clue she requires. 1812 seems like an awful long time ago for it to be relevant to her, but she honestly can't say how long she was alone in the dark, with those voices. She manages to give Kongou a slightly puzzled expression, before realizing, "--ah. ..surface food. Curry..?"

    Some things remain common.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber embarassedly rubs the back of his head as Kongou praises, "Aheh, thanks. I wish I could have more interesting ship stuff, but we're not the New England area for that. You usually want Maryland, they have a bunch of ships. The only other one we have is uh... USS Cassin Young, the Fletcher-class Destroyer. Otherwise, there's Fall River like an hour South. But that would probably be awkward, since most of you guys are from that era. Be like visiting a friend in the old folks home, right?" He probably made a faux pas there.

    He scuffs his foot. He used up MOST of his diplomacy yesterday, so cut him some slack. He coughs a bit and then holds out the thermos towards Wo, "Would you like some Lobster Bisque? Seafood is a specialty of the city, so we're great with crabs, clams, that kind of thing. Curry is more of a Kongou-speciality than a Boston thing." If Wo tries some, it'll be pretty good.

    "Otherwise, uhm. Welcome to my city and is there anything I can show you in particular? Restaurants, sights, that kind of deal?"

Kongou (637) has posed:
    "Mmm~..." Kongou mulls over Psyber's words for a moment, then closes her eyes with a grin, "More like when old war vets from opposite sides get together! I might want to play <Checkers> with her~!" It's hard to tell if she's serious or joking, the level of energy and her tone are the same as ever. Returning her attention to Wo, Kongou nods twice, "Admiral is right! This city prefers seafood. Curry is my <Specialty> though~! If you want, I don't mind making some for your whole fleet."

    Isuzu is apprehensive at the concept of approaching destroyers, even though she's fully aware that they're not hostile. There's a bit of distrust just in her posture. However, she doesn't flinch away. Instead she permits their approach with a nervous little grin, "Nice to meet you, little guys. Just don't get any ideas, huh?"

    Akizuki is too distracted by an outstretched Hand Of Headpatting. She does take a step back, eyes locked on Wo even after the taller woman's withdrawn her hand. After a moment, though, she straightens up and marches right past the Angel and the Battleship, holding her own hand out, "--I'm sorry, you're not here to cause trouble, I shouldn't act like that."

    Zuihou lifts her magazine to look underneath it when Abyssal Destroyers start milling around close by. She lets out an "Oh!" of surprise and promptly closes the book, tucking it under one arm while she digs in her pockets. After a moment, she pulls out a handful of ... something.. and tosses it to the little ships. They're little silver cubes, about the size of dice.

    ... Yeah. She just tossed steel bits to them like how you'd toss bread to ducks.

Wo has posed:
    A slight tilt of the head is given in Psyber's direction, and she lets her single syllable of a designation be uttered in a puzzled way, if barely perceptible as such. She had been used to seeing him confident. Trying insane things just to win Kongou back to his side. And yet right now he seems as inscrutable as most surface people remain to her. Even seeming a bit, vulnerable, somehow. Then she finally has the presence of mind to put two and two together, at least in her head. Surface people, and sometimes even fleet daughters that more closely emulate their form, are more affected by the weather than they are. Her eyes wander to the red scarf wrapped around him, and easily betray the conclusion she comes to. He must be acting strangely because it's so cold for his kind.

    With that realization, and she definitely wouldn't want Akizuki's boiler to get fouled with the weather - even if she did get a bit of a cold reaction, she makes a surprisingly conscious suggestion, "Let's..go inside. Talk more, on the way." She gestures with a hand again, this time adding a slight raise of the shank of metal she always seems to carry in some capacity.

    The destroyers have been mostly content to mill around, never getting so close that they'd be mistaken for cats instead of ships. That is, until the tossed steel cubes attract the attention of two of the hungrier ones, both non-legged I-class, which scoop them somewhat awkwardly into their mouth-openings with their hinged lower jaw. --yeah, you try eating without hands or much of a neck, and see if you do better! With Wo's gesture, though, all of them seem to direct their attention to her, and gather around her booted feet. It seems they're ready to follow her suggestion. It also gives the Psyber's protectorate a bit of a reprieve, no doubt.

    Where they head inside is mostly unimportant to her, though several suggestions are being made to her. She remains quiet, mostly, while Kongou's excitedness and Psyber's awkwardness do the talking for her. After, she lowers her head slightly, a movement more exaggerated with the pendulous mass atop it, and sending the tentacles attached to her hat draping on the ground. "Mostly here..to confirm, security arrangements. Not - used to..sight-seeing?" She sounds uncertain whether the latter is the right word, though continues, with the slightest trace of a hopeful tone, "I'd..like to taste, Kon-gou's curry. Then..can visit, sleeping sisters." An odd terminology for museum ships, perhaps?

    And then she attends to Psyber's worry, with a shake of her head, another gesture that becomes amplified with that jellyfish-like adornment, and seems slightly in agreement with Kongou's assessment, "..we all fought, for our own..peace. Some, were able - to rest." But apparently, not all were ready to.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber can't correct the strange mental connections Wo is making between weather and Confidence Levels, so he can't bother to correct it. Not that he would, because the explanation would sail right over her head. So instead, when she motions that they should move. He blinks a few times, "Oh, sure."

    Will Wo ever figure out that, outside of his insane antics and battlefield presence, Psyber endeavors to be a regular dude? Find out Next Time on KanColle Z.

    And by next time we mean right now: She won't. Because he doesn't make the connection that she made a misconception.

    "Security arrangements are basic. You can call ahead to me, I'll clear it with the Coast Guard, and they'll let you through. If you show up unannounced, they'll ask you to stop so they can contact me via radio and wave you through or raise an alert." Psyber notes, trying to be as official as possible about it.

    He watches the small destroyers play, and doesn't comment on the statements of either girls about the museum ships. He does smile after a few moments and then say, "Sure. We can arrange it." He pauses and then says, "I am very happy this neutral ground appears to be moving forward. I hope the rest of your fleet is as amicable as you and Samar have been towards it."

    He takes off at a relaxed walk, probably meaning to guide Wo towards a late-night Diner or something else that would be open at the late hour.

Kongou (637) has posed:
    "Mm~!" Kongou shifts her hands as she walks, keeping them folded behind herself. "We all have telegraphs, so we can receive any uncoded message you send and relay it to Admiral for you." To accentuate this, Kongou's radars twitch slightly, while she beams a smile towards the quiet carrier.

    "...Oh!" When the Abyssal destroyers shuffle back to Wo, Zuihou starts and then rises up from her watching-them-eat crouch. With quick steps, she trots up to walk beside the Wo-class, leaning forward slightly to watch how the destroyers shuffle and move around, "They're kind of cute like this. I didn't really get a good look before."

    "You think they're /cute/?" Isuzu maintains a respectful distance, raising her arms up behind her head and closing her eyes, "You're so weird sometimes."

    Akizuki sticks near Isuzu though seems to have nothing to say. The youngest looking shipgirl seems more thoughtful than apprehensive, though, staring at the sidewalk in front of her during the trip. At the diner, she declines, raising her hands, "Ah, I'm not hungry. I'll stay out here for a bit."

    Kongou, however, holds the door not just for Psyber, but for Wo and her entourage as well, "It'll be warm inside~! Though I don't think they'll let me use their kitchen, maybe next time~!"

Wo has posed:
    And we're walking, and we're walking. Perhaps owing to the weather, the Wo-class doesn't seem to be dripping as much sea water as she usually does after freshly surfacing. A bit more mindful, after the last several social calls, she does reach to her cape and make a token effort at shaking out a bit of excess moisture. Some of it splashes on the Ha-class destroyer, which causes the non-like destroyers to start making an alternating buzzing, hissing sound, as their jaws move in tune with it. Is that..laughter? As playful as many destroyers Kongou would know, in their own way. Their flagship for the day reaches down, perhaps in some semblance of an apology, and gives the one she'd splashed a pat on the head. They all settle down after that, and move to follow with her and Psyber, after Zuihou gets her own closer look. As she rises up, the fellow carrier gets an uncertain look, then she agrees in a firm monotone, "They are - cute." Take that, Isuzu. You've been outvoted.

    It's a short trip to the closest all night diner, which suits Wo and her escorts just fine. As promised, while they're moving, she does her best to talk about things. Though her words are strained, it seems she understands well enough. "..yes. Telegraph. ..easiest way. Voice, not as - reliable." It can be a little hard to talk over the voices sometimes, and likely the least thing Psyber needs in his office are even more ghostly, polyphonic voices of subocean terrors crying in torment, but even more than that, it can be hard to predict how their 'technology' interfaces with the unified radio system, at times. She casts a look back to the sea, where the Coast Guard is likely still being watchful, with the mention of security. They can't really be blamed for that, she *did* kind of participate in a raid on the place.

    "That..is acceptable," she confirms to Kongou. While everything is in relatively good spirits, though, when Psyber mentions how well the neutrality agreement is working out so far, she feels she must say, "..we - won't stop, just because..of this. Wounds, run deep. But.. ..perhaps, sometimes. --can, talk it over - in-stead." That small measure might save a bit of oilshed here and there, which is certainly better than no attempts at all. Her eyes get distant for a moment, then, allowing her mind to wonder about how Samar is taking this back at Iron Bottom Sound.

    Such thoughts are soon interrupted, as Akizuki stops short of entering once they actually reach their destination. The Wo-class gives an odd look, perhaps with a barely readable tinge of disapproval, or is that worry? Unless she pulls away or is particularly insistant, though, Wo will reach out to try and take her hand, "It's cold. Come.." She's not used to leaving destoyers behind, as the ones that toddle in the door as if it were perfectly natural to do so prove. Regardless, she also looks a bit disappointed that she won't eat Kongou's cooking, but gives a firm nod of her head, before removing her cover when entering, placing its bulk under an arm. "..yes. Next - time, then."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    To it's credit, Boston is fairly paranormally integrated, so when Wo comes in with her destroyers, all the man behind the counter says is, "Eeeeeeh, make sure they don' make a fahkin' mess on the flo'."

    Otherwise, they're free to grab a big booth as a group, which Psyber does, pulling a chair up so he doesn't have to sit in a booth but the others can all cram in. The menus are a basic diner affair of latenight food: Burgers, breakfast food, malts, sodas. The standard roster of food.

    Psyber doesn't take too long to order, sifting through a menu, "I'll have the waffles and some bacon with two eggs over hard," He says to a woman standing nearby and jotting down orders with a pen. After he finishes folding up his menu and handing it to the waitress, he looks over to Wo.

    "So Wo. Is there anything you need us to do specifically so that you feel you're doing your job as an envoy?"

Kongou (637) has posed:
    Isuzu slides in first, with Zuihou filling in the middle and Kongou occupying the outboard seat--where she can be closer to Psyber's impromptu head-of-the-table seating. Isuzu collects her menu and flips through it, intensely concentrating. Zuihou's choice comes by what amounts to randomly pointing at something when the waitress shows up, "This looks tasty! I'll have it, please."

    "Tea please~," Kongou's order is expected. She leans forward a bit, glancing down at Isuzu, "Are you going to <Order?>"

    "...I..." Isuzu mutters, "...don't recognize any of these."

    Taking the initiative, Kongou glances Waitress-wards, "And a <Short Stack.>"

    Wo insisted Akizuki come in out of the cold, but she lingers outside for a moment, scuffing her feet. After a bit of thought, closing her eyes with a sigh, the destroyer turns and enters several minutes after the Abyssal Entourage had already done so, "Fiiiine, I'm here."

Wo has posed:
    The abyssal destroyers, for their part, don't make too much of a mess. Their flagship for the day is well under control of herself, so they are influenced by the relative calm. The most trouble they would cause is by their curiosity, hobbling closer to various bits of decor in the place to take a closer look, though never causing any real damage. They also don't seem to stray too far from the Wo-class carrier that brought them along, though as far as the beings alien to them go, they seem to be most comfortable with Zuihou, as far as proximity goes. Perhaps they sense her greater patience with them, or bribes of raw material go a long way. Or...nah, probably best not to overthink it.

    Their carrier's face retains most of its mask-like nature, her pallor not really helping that impression much. She continues looking to the hesitant Akizuki for a while longer, before her duty to her own destroyers wins out, and she continues inside. Thankfully, her persuasion also seems to have gotten the better of their fleet counterpart, and while her neutral expression doesn't change much - something about her eyes gives the impression she is pleased with this.

    She must not dwell on it, though. This is still an official diplomatic meeting and security review, and Psyber's question remind her of it. As she wanders further in, she glances around at the diner, finding some things oddly familiar - yet she honestly could not say why. It also gives her a chance to properly assemble her words in her head, though there's obvious difficulty in actually speaking them, still. "..there is..something." She reaches down to her hat, and makes a gesture with a hand that almost looks like she was turning an old-school, analog volume knob to the 'off' position. She also casts a glance to the destroyers, which all snap to attention at some unheard instruction.

    Taking a seat afterward, her voice somehow gets even more serious, despite her monotone. "Psyber. Kon-gou. ..even be-fore, I saw.. There had, been rumors. Among sisters.." The destroyers give a bit of their buzzing, almost static hissing, as though discussing something amongst themselves from the floor nearby, before hopping in turn up into the seats. "--Samar, does not..like us to.. ..talk about it. But..some sisters. Remain..curious." A moment is taken as she retrieves a menu, though she seems less intent on reading it than catching her breath. If only she were as articulate as the greater demons and princesses. "..it could - put them at risk. If it, spreads - around." In a round-about way, it's obvious that she's asking for privacy for her kind that normally don't have it.

    Even if she never asks directly, she continues, "..Samar's orders..absolute. But -- I also, care for sisters. So.."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber stops as he hears the words from Wo. He doesn't react to anything else in the room. Normally, he'd tease Isuzu about her ordering problems or make a couple light jokes at the group about it. Instead, Wo goes right to some very major business.

    "I do not like sinking you all," Psyber says in a very dark tone, staring down at the table in front of himself. He takes a slow breath and says, "When I first recovered Kongou, I didn't sink her so much as tackle her. When she sank again and I could hear the pain and anger, it tore at me. When I had to put her under the water with my own two hands, that was a daunting task for me."

    He looks to Wo, "I feel like the decision, Abyssal or Fleet Daughter, is up to you as individuals." He pauses, "I feel you should make your choices, research your options, and then choose where you want to be with a clear head and a strong basis of knowledge."

    He scowls a bit, "If you say you want to be Wo, you're Wo. I'm not going to force you to be someone else."

Kongou (637) has posed:
    "I understand why you feel that way," Kongou points out, eyes closed while she waits, "Sinking is like death. You don't want to kill people if you can avoid it." Eyes staying closed, she turns them upward with a smile, "That's just one of the things I like about Admiral~!"

    Those blue eyes open finally, focusing on Wo more directly, "As a battleship you know I will not hesitate to fight if I am needed. But I think that Admiral's plan is the better one. Life shouldn't be about pain, but about love, yes? Such as your love for your little sisters~!" One hand unfolds, sweeping out to indicate the destroyers milling about.

    Speaking of destroyers: Akizuki, apparently not hungry, has crouched down with her hands on her knees, staring one of the I-class down with a neutral expression. It's almost like she's not sure what to do with herself when they aren't shooting at her.

    Zuihou has gone back to staring at pictures in the menu. Isuzu just sort of glowers down the table at Kongou. That'll probably pass soon enough.

Wo has posed:
    She realizes, even if she lacks human sensibilities in many ways, that it was a big weight to drop right after they'd just settled in, but it had to fall eventually. With that out of the way, and especially with Psyber's and Kongou's responses, a weight almost visibly lifts from her caped shoulders, and not just because she has her hat removed. For the briefest of moments, one might almost swear they saw a pink tinge appear on those pale, white cheeks of hers - but that'd be physically impossible. "Th..thank you," she replies, lowering her head so that her eyes glance to the table, "..for understanding. ..should be - a choice. Not..absolute." When she raises her eyes again, she gives Kongou a particular look of understanding. It doesn't mean they won't have reason to fight, but to her mind, this neutral ground should be a place where each can sort out of their own feelings.

    Despite the positive response, though, on the identity issue - she further reveals, her expression souring almost imperceptibly, "..many sisters. Can't remember.. Some, con-tent, but..all, struggle." The destroyers, at least the ones not having a staring contest with Akizuki, all seem to slow their restless, energetic activity for a moment, as though recalling some internal confusion of their own, on point. Never moving her eyes from looking forward, she reaches a hand over to rest atop the Ha-class' neckline, presumably reassuring. "Surface world..holds many answers. I feel.. For, Ko-class..she met, her commander. Again.." Don't think she didn't replay her personal recordings of that over and over when Samar wasn't looking, trying to figure it out.

    After a few moments of inner reflection, she gives a subdued shake of her head, "..aside from that -- we can, deal with..material requirements, la-ter. For now.." The Wo-class takes to browsing her menu a bit more purposefully, "..surface food, not necessary. But - nice." She orders some burgers for the abyssal destroyers, and perhaps remembering something she read about the surface world, quizzically asks for them to have little flags planted in them. Hopefully the wait staff doesn't get confused by her halting speech. For herself, a glass of cola will have to substitute for high grade motor oil. Just a trace of an actual smile, easily missed with its brevity and subtlety, plays across her face as she turns to the energetic destroyers again, seemingly excited about food. "Love.. ..yes. Hard to believe..perhaps."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "Wo, there's only one question I think you really need to ask yourself," Psyber notes, looking across the table at her. He tilts his head to the side, "And if you take away one question I ever ask you that sticks with you, I want it to be this one."

    "'Are you happy?'."

    He takes a long moment and then explains, "I think that's what matters, and I realize that more and more. If you can sit and be truly happy as an Abyssal, that is where I think you should be. If you aren't, maybe you should search for what makes you truly happy." Psyber adds, elaborating on his point as he lets her browse the menu.

    Kongou has her own points to make, and Psyber agrees with them. He also doesn't expect Wo to come to any life-changing decisions overnight. He just wanted to give her the best answer that he thought he could.

Kongou (637) has posed:
    "Mm!" It's just a noise Kongou makes, rather than pursuing the conversation herself. The look on her face pretty clearly states what she feels: That Psyber's point is a very good one. It's also remarkably close to Kongou's own philosophy, which she alluded to just a few moments ago. Though she doesn't out and voice her thoughts on the Abyssals themselves, that they live an existence of pain and hate. This Wo class in front of her doesn't seem to be all that hateful, after all. Could she be wrong?

    But then what of that feeling she gets whenever Ko-class is brought up? That lonely sadness in the back of her mind. Is that not how they all are?

    To hide the disappearance of her smile, Kongou folds her hands in front of her mouth, leaning on them with a thoughtful look in her eyes.

    Meanwhile, Akizuki finally moves, reaching out with a single finger extended to just ... poke the I-class in the side. Not even very forceful, a nudge at least. Perhaps to see what they feel like when they aren't all teeth and flying at her face. "...You guys aren't so bad, huh? I'm Akizuki, nice to meet you."

    Zuihou, waiting for her food, has returned to her magazine. Isuzu is listening intently but has nothing to contribute, by the look on her face.

Wo has posed:
    It would be a mistake to say that the Wo-class has no pain and resentment. Her continued development as a flagship, however, has given her the control necessary to channel it until it's necessary. Perhaps someday, that same clarity will come to a certain troubled sister she's currently dealing with - the Ri-class that has become somewhat known around the multiverse. It also feeds back into what she'd just disclosed. She needs more answers as to why she was so angry, for so long. Distinct feelings of abandonment and betrayal had to have come from somewhere.. None of this comes into view on her face, but she listens in silence for some time, sorting some things in her head of her own. Is she happy? She can honestly say, "..don't know. Only - that there, is something..missing." Many of the abyssals feel the same, she's gathered, but not all are able to express it in actual words.

    "Samar, made us whole. Gave us - something, where we had..nothing. But, a hole - remains." That's about as well as she can put it, the reasons for the apparently rampant loyalty to Samar's cause, their cause, and to each other. Thinking about it even this deeply causes her to pause, lifting a black gloved hand to her forehead as she abruptly drops her menu. She looks to be in physical pain for a moment, a softly enunciated grunt accompanying the most expression her face has managed in likely anyone gathered's memory. After it's passed, she expresses flatly, "..won't..talk about it, more. For now."

    The abyssal destroyers had cast a slightly troubled look to the Wo-class, but soon resume their previous activity level. They really do seem like children in this atmosphere. The one that seems preoccupied with Akizuki, and vice versa, makes an alternating garbled sound while its jaw works in tune with it, almost as if it were laughing at the touch. Ticklish? Its flesh is actually soft, to a degree, though quickly meets resistance, as though there's probably an armor shell beneath. To the introduction, it turns to look at her more directly, and its mouth hangs open for a moment as if expressing its bewilderment, but then tries really hard to express something. It almost, for a moment, sounds like a voice might come out, but in the end it's lost in the same frustrating static. It gives up shortly after, its mouth closing, and it somehow seems..disappointed.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Despite her attempt to hide it, Psyber spots the file as it fades from Kongou. The half-angel reaches out quickly and pokes her in the side, trying to tickle her just a little so she'll buck up and break that serious look.

    "Samar seems like she relies on you a great deal," Psyber says deflectively. It's not a compliment or an insult, but it can easily be taken as him speaking well of her. He adds a moment later, "And she seems very attached to you. Though it was odd of her to risk Ko-Class like she did, don't you think?"

    Either way, Psyber lets it go at that and looks to Wo with a smile, "Follow your own path. If Samar is a good leader, she will understand that you need to be who you want to be, right?" Psyber says in a reassuring tone.

Kongou (637) has posed:
    "Yah~!" The poke in her side surprises Kongou, prompting the shipgirl to jump in her seat. Quickly recovering, she teases right back at Psyber, "<Hey> Ad~mi~ral~! I don't mind if you touch, but there's a time and a place for everything~!" The poke is also returned. Seems like she's been brought quite easily back to her cheerful, playful self.

    Isuzu finally speaks up, eyes closed, "It's a pretty cut and dry 'Follow your heart' sort of message. Do what feels right to you. Nobody really has the power to make you do otherwise, right?" Eyes opening, she adds, "Of course I'm biased, so I'll keep my opinion on what's right to myself." It's pretty obvious anyway what her thoughts on what the right path would be.

    Zuihou's eyes light up and she sets her magazine down, "Oh, a Dauntless! Miss Wo-class, do you have these?" She pushes the magazine out, pointing at a handsome picture of a restored SBD-3 dive bomber.

    Akizuki meanwhile is oblivious to the heavy conversation going on in the booth, since she's not over there. Instead, she seems preoccupied with her new deep sea friend. The noise the I-Class makes when it tries to speak gets her head to tilt, "Huh... You can't talk? Is it something only the bigger ships can do?" Eyes closing, she just pats the destroyer's head lightly, "I understand. Until you can tell me your name, is it okay if I call you Icchan?" but that could be /any/ of them in this room other than the cyclopean Ha-class over there.

Wo has posed:
    There's just a bit of discomfort. The Wo-class had really gone out on a limb there, even if there's little risk of it becoming a liability. All this encouragement isn't lost on her, but given her difficult position, it's not something that's easy to accept. She also holds back her own feelings on Samar's mission with the Ko-class fast battleship, which were conflicted from the beginning, but also brings to mind their leader's words before retreat that day. So much to absorb, but she must project a strong presence for the sake of her destroyers, whom like Akizuki has learned a facet of, aren't as able to do so for themselves.

    "Yes," she finally states, simply, though to which question or statement - Psyber or Isuzu - in particular is left up to interpretation. Her still glowing eyes, despite the absence of the shade from her hat, watches the lighter-hearted play between Psyber and Kongou, before they close. Before she can get lost in her thoughts, Zuihou drags her back to the here and now, and she gives a glance. Her eyebrow draws in again, as something in the back of her consciousness says she should remember something like this. Either personally, or as part of a greater awareness. "..no," she says, with a somehow displaced firmness, and just a tinge of regret. "Abyssal planes.. ..mm. ..also, from uncertain - memories." She has enough awareness to realize that the owners of the diner likely would not care for her conjuring one up, and it might spook the current company too much, anyway.

    The destroyer that had seemed disheartened, at not being able to communicate, nonetheless seems to perk up again as Akizuki gives it a nickname. Even if it's going to be impossible for her to know which one this is -- or will it be? There's definitely no sad future ahead for them at all.

    "The important..thing," the Wo-class finally begins to summarizes her case, as the burgers arrive for the abyssal destroyers. Their mouths all hang open and their eyes seem to glow just a little brighter, before they do their best to eat properly. The one that had been interacting with Akizuki is a little hesitant to break away from her, but even as it does, it is a bit more careful and measured with its portion than the others. Perhaps it's trying to project a bit more dignity now that it has made a friend? Regardless, after the pause, the carrier continues, "..I - am thankful. For your hosting..us. It..won't stop things. But.. ..maybe, can help - fill that hole."

    "Psyber -- I find, the arrangements. Satis-factory." And even though he had told her it was unnecessary, she still lifts her fingers to the edges of her mouth, to give that forced smile again.