Luna Arctic Base Establishment Expedition
- Report on Deadbeat Expedition for Gelanora Northern Base, Entry #1, 1123
- Report on Deadbeat LABEE, Entry #2, 1123
- Report on Deadbeat LABEE, Entry #3, 1173
- Report on Deadbeat LABEE, Entry #3
- Report on Deadbeat LABEE, Entry #4
- Report on Deadbeat LABEE, Entry #5
- Report on Deadbeat LABEE, Entry #6
- REPORT ON DEADBEAT LABEE, Entry #7
- Report on Deadbeat LABEE, Entry #8
- Late Spring 1123
To Professor Beatus of the Black Fleet, nanora:
After consulting with the Grand Council of Luknights, we have decided to accept your proposal for a base to fight the schizo menace.
We have arranged a welcoming party for you in the city of Nadex, highlighted on this map, so please employ our royal riverboat service to reach here.
Nadex contains plenty of amenities for tourists and the Hime-curious from /hlgg/, and we welcome you to enjoy yourselves and partake of the sweet treats before your journey, nanora.
From here, we will take a route up the river through Chunora to the capitol for discussing specifics with the Grand Council, and then take the Hajime no Road up through Himehearth, Nasedina, and Himenth to your destination of Gelanora, our northernmost city (not under dispute by Matsurisus), where you may construct your base.
Please inform us of your favorite sweet treat of yourself and other deadbeats, so we may prepare it for your arrival in the capitol, nanora.
Signed,
Ambassador to /morig/
Lady Noravera Jaggery
Spring 1123
Salmon, her favorite! She’d better enjoy it, they were getting far from the Holosea coast. Who knew whether the pink-fleshed wonder could be found up there?
Gaia was apprehensive about how damn far up the map they were headed. Deadbeats were infamously not well-adapted to cold temperatures, lacking in natural insulation. Doctor Niwa, drawing on his experience in the forsaken Arctic expedition of 1107 VTE had ensured all the equipment needed to stay warm in the frigid tundra were in the quartermaster’s preparations, but Gaea couldn’t help but worry, the coldest she’d ever been was patrolling the /nasfaqg/ waters during a gentle Fall.
The young commander looked around the table while devouring her fish steak. The leaders of the expedition ate together in a private room of the inn, while the rest of the crew supped in the mess hall, or in their quarters when seating was lacking.
Next to her was the military leader of the mission, Rear Admiral Shige Magnus. He was a deadly old man, though his person seemed rather genial based on first impressions. This wasn’t Gaia’s first time under his command, and she trusted him more than anyone else here; his calls had saved her life before, and Mori preserve them, she expected they would again, if she saw as much schizo action as she expected. He had led joint operations with a plethora of allied or neutral Holonations over the duration of his career, including one with Luknights. He’d praised their skill in battle while recounting this engagement more times than Gaia could bother to remember. This was probably a part of why the Admiralty had selected him.
He was engaged in a visibly enthralling conversation with his brother, Chief Engineer Kenichi. His selection for the expedition prompted obvious rumors of nepotism, but looking at Kenichi’s achievements, no one could say he wasn’t a good fit for the job. Construction, ships, weapon design, R&D, he was a true jack-of-all-trades of the technical domains. Perhaps even a master, considering his contributions to the Naval Engineering Academy’s publications.
On her left, the other Black Fleet officers were telling each other inane jokes and jests. This mission was scientific in nature, but most of their leadership was still military. This was to be expected; with schizos, fighting and studying came as a package. All those officers were blooded, and varying degrees of hardened, but Gaia knew it would be the first genuine test of their mettle for some of them.
On the other side of the table was Professor Endus, Professor Beatus’ pupil. Her eminence in schizo sciences made her the best woman to lead their research, but Gaia couldn’t be the judge of that. Not like it was her job. She seemed a bit too soft and academic to brave the fury of the far North and her schizoid research subjects, but she trusted Doctor Niwa would keep her straight. Kotio Niwa was a bit of a legend among Black Fleet sailors; a man of science, yes, but he’d led an expedition that rounded the entire West Holocontinent to reach far toward the North Pole. Trapped in the Arctic Circle by treacherous Fall ice shelves, the doomed crew had had to winter over in their three ships, with subpar equipment, and insufficient supplies. Many had died, hardships beyond the imagination were endured by these men. But nearly half the crew had limped back home, traumatized, but alive. And now, Doctor Niwa had volunteered to provide his experience in another, hopefully more successful venture to the frozen wastes. Gaia thought he was heroic, or mad. Likely both.
Finally, quietly chatting with Niwa was Lucia. This one, Gaia didn’t like her. Even Gaia wasn’t perfectly certain what role Lucia Asahina and her underlings had in the team. For agents of the Shrine of the Purging Flame, they were terrifying warriors. Most agents specialized in skulking among shadows and information gathering, but not these. All of them had failed out of priestess training despite fulfilling the physical requirements and passing the tests. Based on the gear they had packed, Gaia suspected they were here to deal with schizo threats deemed too severe for the Black Fleet soldiers to deal with, but Gaia hated this idea; in her mind, there was no such thing.
Well, she was out of salmon. Gaia stood from her chair to walk to her room, she could get a bit more studying of common Lunaito phrases in before nodding off. Akira was trying to explain to Shige the unwisdom in telling their new friends their favorite sweet was “Bitter chocolate, as dark as it goes”, but he wouldn’t hear of it. Gaia chuckled at the admiral’s antics.
The inn was on the northernmost border of /hlgg/; they were entering Nadex on the morrow.
Report on Deadbeat Expedition for Gelanora Northern Base, Entry #1, 1123
Nadex's outskirts are as beautiful as ever, the young sugarcanes, beets, pumpkins and grain lining the countryside, the tractors carrying seeds and tourists alike.
Myself an my entourage of 4 other Luknights of diplomacy are the last to make it to the city proper, after the 5 Luknights of confection, led by head chef Sir Graham Cinnama, the 20 Luknights of battle, led by squad leader Lady Fruce Citrora, and the 10 Luknights of schizo research, led by University of Nanonanora professor Sir Puffison Marsh.
Nadex's many hotels are all in working order, though we have chosen the grand 'Lady Hime' as our stop for our Deadbeat guests, and adorned it with a banner welcoming them. Though we haven't received a formal request of treats for the capitol, my diplomatic experience has taught me deadbeats appreciate a dark chocolate and a good wine. Our darkest chocolates await in the capital, but for now we have a suitable assortment for our guests, and we have cooperated with the 'Lady Hime' bar to serve sweet, locally grown berry wines, rich and flavor. Sir Cinnama has taken over the specifics of this, and though he can be secretive and eccentric, I have faith in his ability.
More importantly, Nadex is a hub for Lu-bishops to preach to visitors the good word of Luna to the many non-Luknight visitors and residents. While we do have a few Lubeat diaspora throughout the kingdom, I have asked them to tone themselves down for the sake of diplomacy. It feels wrong, nanora, but it is ultimately in the Hime's best interest.
Sir Marsh enthusiastically tells me about the nature of schizos, their tribal and violent nature, their intense desire to bring low the goddesses. Lady Citrora tells me they are fierce in battle but weak in will, often begging for their lives but being unable to stop their nature. I will honest, I feel fear.
Their riverboat will come tomorrow, and after are welcoming party, we will join it on the ride back to the capitol. In all honesty, I have never been a fan of boats, but Hime will guide my path and protect me, nanora. When I look at the Nadex statue of her, reaching out for a hug, I feel comfort.
Loyalty to Luna, Lady Noravera Jaggery
Spring 1123
The verdant valleys of /luna/ were even more beautiful than Akira had imagined. The air smelled fragrant and sweet everywhere they went, unless they were passing by a pig ranch. And dozens of crops she had only read about in her textbooks sprouted from the fertile soil. Anywhere she looked, the colors seemed more vibrant than they should be, it was almost overwhelming her senses. After the chaotic and jumbled experience of traveling through the core of the Old HoloEmpire, this new land shaped up to be a pleasant and aesthetic experience.
The riverboat was splitting the calm waters, forging upriver towards their first stop. Rear Admiral Magnus had convinced the vessel’s captain to let the Black Fleet sailor take the place of many of his rowers. “Can’t let the lads go soft, this ain’t a pleasure cruise.” A credit to his understanding of his men, the sailors seemed to enjoy the exercise, and it sure felt like the oars had a steadier and faster beat since this had been implemented.
Ah, and here was the Nadex port! The city had been visible for some time now, the buildings were colorful, many painted in shades of pink, a sacred and revered color back on Mori’s Island. This palette put everyone in the crew in a good mood.
The ship made his final approach and slowed to prepare for docking. Akira could now see a group of official-looking Lunaitos in the harbor. They made for a resplendent display, with their beautiful opal-inset plate armor. They shone in the sun like so many silver statues, Akira practically had stars in her eyes.
Next to the armored Luknights were groups dressed in fabric shaped to resemble armor. Some of them were clearly not warriors, but an attention to knightly decorum was apparent in all.
Lucia silently slid in next to her, and rested her elbows on the taffrail. Compared to the Lunaitos, Lucia and her fellow agents made for a different image. They never wore it outside of missions, but given the respect given to heavy armor in this land, they had elected to meet them in their full battle dress, at least for the first time. A set of interlocking blackened steel plates covered her entire body, down to her clawed toes, for maximal mobility, in a design reminiscent of a Ghostling’s armor, though the plate wasn’t as thick. An armored Death Mask picturing a four-eyed, horned demon was fastened to her waist.
“They look excited to meet us.” Lucia’s voice was cool and aloof, as always. Akira was a little scared of the agents’ leader, to be honest, but she had a certain charisma and steadfastness the professor enjoyed. “Aren’t you, Lucia? Look how beautiful they are. You look like a nightmare, in comparison. I hope they don’t judge books by their covers.” The agent laughed brightly and her pale pink, almost white hair caught the sunlight. “That is as intended. Schizos ought to meet their worst nightmare before they get to enjoy Mori’s embrace.”
Akira sighed. Hopefully Lucia would keep the edgelord within under control as far as diplomatic matters were concerned.
The Admiral and his second-in-command, Gaia, joined them on the deck while longshoremen threw ropes over to the riverboat. In fact, the entire expedition’s crew soon came up from the hold to meet the Lunaitos.
Admiral Magnus had insisted that Professor Akira Endus be the symbolic first contact between the expedition and their host, claiming that this was a “scientific venture first and foremost”. Akira didn’t think he wanted to weasel out of the job, he probably just wanted to see her squirm. Well, she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. She was Professor Beatus’ pupil, not some shaking grad student, for Mori’s sake! She could handle a handshake with a shiny Luknight.
The gangway was lowered and the group descended to shore, with Akira in the lead. On the Lunaito’s side, a female knight advanced toward her. She must have been their diplomatic correspondence with /luna/.
Akira bowed deeply. “Salutations, Lady Noravera Jaggery. I am Professor Akira Endus, the leader of this expedition. We thank you in advance for hosting and assisting us in our great shared purpose.”
“I welcome you to our land, Professor. We have made arrangements for a welcome party in Nadex’ finest hotel.”
Akira put her arm forward, and Lady Jaggery shook her hand, firmly. It was done. Akira had to admit she felt a weight being lifted from her shoulders.
The leaders of each group then came together and had seemingly endless rounds of hand-shaking, and finally they began marching to the ‘Lady Hime” Grand Hotel, with both crews in tow. They seemed to mingle nicely. All the Deadbeats had either volunteered or been handpicked for the expedition, so an interest in the Candy Kingdom in many of them was not unexpected. The Mori Faith was uncommon in /luna/, however the Princess Goddess was surprisingly popular on the island. The theological links between the two were faint, but praise for “Pink Supremacy” was a common occurrence in Deadbeat cities.
And here they were. The hotel was as grand as advertised, with a beautifully sculpted facade, detailed trimmings, and painted low-reliefs. A banner was draped above the entrance, painted with welcomes written in perfect Morinese calligraphy.
Sir Puffison Marsh, a fellow professor in schizology had let her know plenty of excellent wine was waiting for them, prepared by a certain Sir Cinnama. Time to show those Lunaitos how you partied on /morig/. Akira doubted there would be a drop of wine left in the hotel before the hundred-and-eight Deadbeats were done.
Report on Deadbeat LABEE, Entry #2, 1123
Our initial meeting with the deadbeats has gone well. There were some concerns that we had prepared too much blackberry wine and chocolates, but as the night went on it became clear we had not prepared enough. Sir Cinnama was a little upset such fine Luknight vintage was being 'wantonly guzzled' instead of 'properly savored', but he understood it might be a cultural difference. Nevertheless, the Deadbeats were all highly satisfied with his team's creations. The pumpkin pie, with cinnamon freshly bought from local Teamate traders, was a unexpected favorite. For some reason, 4 particular Deadbeats (I believe one of them was named Lucia) insisted on remaining sober, but did eat some of the food. Peculiar, but I don't sense malice from her.
Early on, I could see Marsh, Endus, and Niwa immediately hit it off, each passionate about the nature of schizos and their wastes. Endus and Niwa were in particular eager to learn about a schizo chieftain well known to Kingdom; his tribe are obsessed with capturing Luknights and citizens of /aqua/, then making them endure cruel contests to determine which goddess is, as he has been quoted, "dumber". I do not understand this (Himesama is obviously the wiser), but alas, trying to understand schizos is fool's errand unless you dedicate your life as those three. One of the non-drinking Deadbeats briefly scolded Endus and Niwa for not knowing of this particular schizo, but they brushed it off.
As the night went on, I ventured with warrior Luknights and Deadbeats out on the town. Many of them went on an impromptu pub crawl as the wine supplies of the Lady Hime got low, but some, including Gaia and Shige, visited the famous Nadex night markets, where outsiders can buy souvenirs, and locals can buy foreign goods designed to appeal to Luknight tastes. Many Deadbeats were surprised at how sweet the 'authentic' KFP fried chicken ended up being. To a Luknight, such tastes are quite mild, nanora...
Tomorrow morning, we board the riverboat and ride towards Chunora. It is far more of agricultural village than the bustling Nadex, but has a hospitable community. There is even a group of Lubeats there, which would be glad to help the Deadbeats interested in the Candy Kingdom learn about our way of life.
Your home is generous and welcoming, Himesama, I am loyal to you always.
Lady Noravera Jaggery
Spring 1123
Oh, oh sweet Death… A thousand sloths stampeding on his thick skull, with every minute lurch of the barge on the gentle river. This berry wine was a devious substance. It tasted like honeyed juice going down, but its alcohol content slammed into one’s nervous system just the same. Kotio must have guzzled liters of the stuff last night. At least… He thought so? He was getting too old for this kind of shit. A haze shrouded his recollection of the last night, the blur only intensified by the pounding behind his eyes.
The old Doctor flailed his arm out of his hammock and miraculously happened upon his hanging coat. His trained hands fiddled with the garment for some time before finding their mark. Hurriedly, he brought the flask to his lips and wet them with some distilled saké, just to take his hangover’s edge off.
He let the shielding buzz develop for a second, before finally gathering up the herculean strength needed to swing his legs out of the canvas onto the hardwood floor. Fuck, he truly boned it, he didn’t even know how he’d gotten back on the ship. Guess he should be glad they hadn’t left without him. He split his crusted eyelids apart. Rubbing the sand out of them with his strong, bony hands made his headache even worse.
The Deadbeat sailors saluted and clapped the grey man on his shoulders as he passed them in the hold. No looks of disgust, horror, or disdain. At the worst, some mild amusement. Good, then he couldn’t have shamed himself that much. The ship, now carrying the entire Lunaito group in addition to the Deadbeats, was quite packed with people.
Finally, Kotio stumbled out into the sunlight. The bright sky drilled into his eye sockets painfully, but the fresh air gave him life after the stuffiness of the hold. Once his eyes had adapted, he surveyed the deck and planned his sampling run. The riverside was now mostly farm fields and those Luboar ranches. His odds were best with the group gathered around a crate near the stern. He heard them chattering while lumbering their way.
“My good Lady Citrora, are sure of what you’re saying? Have I been swindled?”
“I am no geologist, Shige, but you can put it alongside my armor’s and compare how they catch the light. It’s a pretty stone, to be sure, but it’s no true Luknight opal.” The Admiral’s face shifted to an annoyed frown. “This is unacceptable! I can’t gift her a fake!” Gaia sighed softly. “I did tell you this price was a bit too good to be true, Admiral. It’s still a beautiful pendant, I’m sure your daughter will like it.”
“Too good? This damn rat told me he was selling them 50 percent off, a liquidation! I should have just wasted my pay buying damn maps like you, Gaia. You do know we already have maps of the North HoloContinent, right? We’re the Mori-doomed Black Fleet.” Lady Citrora chuckled while the other girl puffed up in indignation. “I am well aware, Admiral, these maps aren’t for navigation, they are works of art. They are illuminated in silver ink on every trimming, and decorated with designs of fantastical creatures near points of interest. It was drawn by the Lunaito master cartographer Sir Nugemt Nugat, and exists in only five hundred and seventy-two copies-” Shige threw his hands up in surrender. “Yes, yes, they’ll look great on the walls of your ice cave. Let’s protect the Doctor from any more of your nerdy ranting, I can smell him approaching.”
He turned towards Kotio and leaned on the crate. “This is why they say “Don’t meet your heroes”, Gaia.” He was all smiles, but it still hurt a bit. Didn’t hurt as much as much as the young commander’s look of mild… Pity? Disappointment? Sadness? None of these felt good.
Lady Citrora either made the effort to hide her feelings, or didn’t feel strongly about Kotio’s sorry state. “You really drank all those whippersnappers under the table, Doctor Niwa! It was quite a sight. This… It doesn’t hurt too bad?” She pointed towards his head, probably referring to his hangover. “Ah, I slept well, I feel refreshed already. Thank you for your concern, Lady Citrora.” Kotio lied, smiling. “I wanted to thank the one responsible for seeing me safely back to the ship.” Shige’s smile grew while Gaia looked to the floor and began fiddling with her hands. “That is very considerate of you, Doctor. We lost sight of you when we headed towards the markets while you and the other academics went on a quest for wine-filled bars.” Nodding, Kotio thanked the Admiral shortly before walking off. Gaia seemed to quietly chastize her superior. Niwa would have thrown a zinger at the old bastard himself, but his wits were still a bit too foggy to pull that off.
The “Academics” were also chatting the day away nearby, they hadn’t noticed him yet. “Wait, did you have weapons?” Professor Marsh exclaimed, flabbergasted by something. Agent Suiko, one of Lucia’s fellow agents, answered. “Professor, we’re always armed, that’s our job. It’s nothing personal, everyone getting wasted in a closed room is a rather vulnerable position to be in. Foul play, or a successful ambush could spell doom for the expedition.” Puffison put his hand on his chin, still a bit unsure. “Well, that is true. So one agent went with each leader once we split off?” Lucia seemed amused by something. “That’s right, though Cassandra had little to do, Gaia is a fine bodyguard herself. Saimei took care of the second Magnus brother. Suiko was assigned to the four-eyes here;” Lucia’s thumb points toward a bespectacled Akira, “once we left the hotel I was off the clock. I stuck around though, I had a feeling your group would be more of a handful.”
The banter makes Akira roll her eyes before noticing the doctor. A cloud passes over her eyes before she composes herself. “Doctor Niwa, how are you feeling?” Lucia seems worried about something. That’s a new one, from her at least. Kotio grins through the pain. “I’m well, just a bit of drinking, nothing I haven’t dealt with before. I wanted to thank the person who helped me to the ship after I fell asleep.” Akira and Puffison look at each other awkwardly, while Suiko guffaws. Between laughs, Suiko explains: “Good Doctor, are you sure you’re not looking for whoever put you to sleep?” This doesn’t explain anything.
Akira explains better: “Doctor, you have a black eye.” He touches his right eye and realizes a fraction of the painful throbbing is physical instead of chemical. “Mori help me, how the hell did that happen?” The quiet hangs in the air. Suika speaks up again. “Looks like Akira is silenced by your seniority, Marsh by his unfamiliarity, and Lucia by her guilt. I’ll give you the recap.”
Suika seems to enjoy the sound of her own voice tremendously as she recounts the tale. “We had just moved into a new bar, nice second floor place. Oh, that’s where they had that fried chicken! Delicious, it’s like it’s encrusted in honey. Anyway, you were gone. You’re a fun drunk! Well, until you started getting handsy with the cutest Lunaito archivist.” Akira palms her forehead and sighs. “She’s a part of the expedition, too…” Suiko continues. “She tried every trick under the sun, changed seats, told you about her boyfriend, pretended to see her colleague over there, but you just didn’t take the hint. Finally, while you were getting increasingly physical, our selfless friend Lucia here kindly asked you to take it.” Kotio hated all of this. He hated Suiko’s delight quite a lot, but he felt he wasn’t gonna enjoy what was coming next either. “And then?” Suiko smirks at Lucia, who mutters something before laying it out, grim. “You responded poorly. You shoved me, said some expletives, and I knocked you out.”
Ugh. At least she had the decency to feel guilty about it. Sir Puffison piped up. “Err, I’m the one who carried you back, with Suika’s help. Deadbeats don’t look like it, but you sure are heavy.” He lets out a nervous laugh. Finally, Kotio reacts. “I see. I hope there are no hard feelings, Lucia. It’s good that you… Made me see reason.”
The now familiar sound of Suiko’s laughter resounds once more. “Oh, no hard feelings, if anything she should be thankful! As it turns out, the sweetest thing to eat here isn’t the candy, it’s the Lunaito archivist pussy! Bahahaha” Lucia’s face is a mask of stone, but she’s blushing furiously, in so far as a Deadbeat’s deathly pallor can redden. Akira seems incredibly disappointed in everyone involved. The poor Lunaito professor seems to wish he was literally anywhere else on all of Vitubia.
Kotio truly is too old for this shit. At least he had the excuse of getting drunk out of his mind before acting like a lecherous fool. He is this close to swearing off the drink, until the temperature hits twenty under zero, at the least.
This is gonna be a long boat ride. Here’s hoping Chunora is a bit more relaxing…
Report on Deadbeat LABEE, Entry #3, 1173
Ah, Chunora. The agricultural capitol of Lunanora Province, and arguably the whole Himedom. We're docking here to resupply for the trip to the capitol. It's not as impressive or beautiful as Nadex, but is just as important for Candy Kingdom's prosperity, if not more, nanora.
Our reputation preceded us as we unboarded and stretched our legs at the river dock, with a mass of locals come to greet us. First, the regular Luknights of farming, bearing gifts of sugar pressed into the shapes of skulls and bones. A bit tacky, but they meant well.
Second are the Bunaitos. Chunora acts as the westernmost town where Bunaitos are common, and mostly here to ship their wares on to Nanonanora. Lady Citrora was a bit cagey at their presence, but calmed down when they began interacting with the Deadbeats, showing them leashed Luboars and their thick brown fur, and providing gifts of Lupork sandwiches and Luboar-fur coats. It was all going well until the Bunaitos started going on about their "special feelings" toward Himesama, and the activities they wish to do with her... Oh, Bunaitos. We were able to get the Deadbeats to move on before too much damage was done to our reputation, nanora...
Lastly, the local Lubeat population came to visit, an even mix between ethnic Deadbeats in Luknight armor, and Lumans in "Deadbeatified" armor. Their happiness with the diplomatic trust between the Kingdom and the Deadbeats filled the air with "Naguhoras", their sacred word. They presented their berry wines (unaware of last night) and though some Deadbeats eyes widened with fear, they accepted graciously.
Most of our crew has gone out to seek out fresh produce themselves, as we still have a few hours before the riverboat is resupplied, nanora. May Himesama smile upon our final trip on the boat to the capitol.
Loyalty to Luna,
Lady Noravera Jaggery
Spring 1123
Kenichi was a bit hesitant when Lady Citrora suggested the restaurant. It seemed like a waste to go to a “Deadbeat”-style restaurant while traveling through a country world-renowned for its cookery. But the Luknight had assured him the “White Luboar” offered a fusion cuisine that could not be experienced anywhere else in the Himedom.
So far, the engineer had to admit her suggestion had not disappointed. The decor was tacky to an extreme; even by Deadbeat standards, this was far too many skulls, bones and rib cages plastered anywhere that could receive them. His eyes could only see black and red all around him, and the lighting was a bit too dark for his liking. He gathered the establishment wanted to provide what native Lunaitos would consider a genuine /morig/ experience.
But! The food, praise Mori. It delivered. The meals were served in Deadbeat fashion, with the customers sitting on the cushioned floor and a big low table piled high with meals. A contraption in the center allowed a part of the table to rotate, making easier for everyone to have a taste of every dish. No chopsticks, which did not surprise him. The fried rice looked somewhat similar to what he was used to, but eating it was an entirely different experience. It was much softer, almost like a rice porridge instead, and as expected, incredibly sweet, probably simmered with some fruit juice, and the chunks of fatty Lupork ham burst into his mouth with juiciness. Instead of endless platters of grilled seafood, various parts of the Luboar were manipulated into an infinity of forms. Fine herb-coated prime rib roast wrapped into a crispy pastry, lightly flamed belly sashimi sprinkled with a sweet-sour sauce, and strange chewy noodles that were apparently made with locally grown sweet potato flour. The differences between the local takoyaki and the sort he was familiar with were also striking. Obviously, they were a little sweeter, but less than he would have expected from the rest of the dishes, and the batter was incredibly fluffy. It melted in his mouth, leaving the soft chunks of octopus to be chewed.
While enjoying the meal, the group was discussing Bunaito society. The table seated two Deadbeat engineers, a Luknight of Cooking who had joined the expedition at Nadex, Lady Citrora, Agent Saimei and Kenichi himself. Saimei was a quiet presence, so much so Kenichi sometimes forgot she was his shadow for all his movements far from the rest of the expedition. When spoken to, she was bashful, quite different from her fellow agents. Though a less conspicuous personality was probably desirable for most Agents of the Shrine of the Purging Flame. Lucia and Suiko were an exception in that regard.
Citrora seemed a bit flustered by the current topic, for some reason. “Kenichi, I’m telling you that the proper worship of a Goddess cannot include things such as l-lewding her. It’s unthinkable nanora.” The engineer shook his head while biting a tempura fried sweet potato. “I imagine this must be a cultural distinction between our people. It’s not so strange for a Deadbeat to grow to desire Our Mori carnally, she is undeniably an immensely attractive entity. I believe the same could be said of your Princess.” This seemed to put the Luknight off-balance. “Well, yes, Hime is an icon of beauty, but you shouldn’t let your admiration be tainted by this kind of feeling nanora!” Kenichi responded with a surprising amount of gravitas. “Desire is not a taint, Fruce. It can be a source of power, or of motivation. Our most elite warriors are driven almost mad by their Mori Love, but it is what makes their bones so strong.”
In her time of need, Citrora saw someone approaching the table. The place was ran by couple, a Deadbeat huntsman married with a certified Luknight Chef, Lady Anisa Corish. The matron was quite a character, she had visited the group in the middle of their meal. Fruce was a good friend of hers. Citrora introduced the Deadbeats to her before explaining the expedition to her. “I already know, Fruce, everyone in town heard about it. You’re really going back up there, huh?” Citrora nodded slowly. “The Himedom needs my skills in the North, once more nanora.” Lady Corish stared at the Luknight for some time. Citrora was around ten years her junior, and Anisa seemed a bit concerned. The younger Luknight seemed to read her gaze. “It won’t be like last time, Anisa. It’s not a desperate stand against the hordes, it’s a well-equipped scientific expedition.” The Chef Knight shakes her head in disapproval. “It doesn’t matter how much gold the Deadbeats have brought, or how high-minded your goals are. Soon enough, you’ll be faced with a schizo filled with hate and frosted in icicles. And you won’t have me watching your back.”
Lady Citrora crosses her arms and smirks, as if she was thinking: “Ah, so this is what it’s about”. “I’ll have plenty of people watching my back. Fellow Luknights, and Deadbeat warriors.” The older woman exhales. “I guess you have to let the bird fly to the high Arctic one day.” A smile grew on her lips. “If you get yourself killed, I’ll murder you.” Fruce giggled, it was a sweet, heartwarming sound. “I’ll keep that in mind, you worrywart crone nora.” The cook faked some anger and began laughing with the rest of the table.
Report on Deadbeat LABEE, Entry #3
"Nanonanora ahead, Naaaaaaaa!," the Luknight captain of the royal riverboat announced, as the many modest Luknight homes appeared on the riverbank. Some of the Luknight stopped to look at the Deadbeats and Luknights on the boat, naaa-ing at the nontypical sight.
Soon enough, the familiar river docks and tall stone walls of Nanonanora appeared on the horizon, with only a small amount of the tall buildings peaking over, a first for many of our Deadbeat guests, but comfortably familiar to me. Kenichi asked me how such walls could be built so high and last so long. I had no answer for him, other than the grace of our Hime and the skills of our knights of architecture and engineering. It felt slightly embarassing to be left wanting of knowledge, nanora.
It was a bittersweet farewell to the riverboat. Citrora and Shige had their forces load their supplies onto the carriages set aside for our convoy to the north. A few Luknights of trade would be joining us as we traveled, but for now, our progress would need to wait, as the capitol is preparing for the Festival of the Sheep, a celebration of the birthday of one our Hime's sister goddesses. Hard labor will be hard to come by today and tomorrow (thankfully this is not the Festival of the Dragon, or it might be the whole week), but I imagine the Deadbeats are happy to explore the city, and it will give me time to check in with the wishes of the Luknight Council, and any news from /morig/ that might've be lost to us on our trip. Himesama will also address the city during the Festival, something all of us look forward to.
After an inspect of our armor and opals, they let us and the Deadbeats inside, the market stands lining the street, trying to sell cotton candy and wool armor liners before the Festival parade makes them move their stands to the sides. Cinnama informed the Deadbeats their dark chocolate would be ready tomorrow morning for them in a tasting gallery with a view of Luna's inner sanctum, talking about how Luknight chocolate is made with the candifying powers of Luna Chuubanite, and is distilled to create darker and darker chocolate. They were a bit bothered they would have to wait, but as Cinnama said, "Have it any later than 10 am and you won't sleep that night, nanora." Unfortunately, I can personally attest to this.
Puffison wished to return to his office in the University, to collect more detailed notes on arctic schizos, and recent developments after the fall of the butterfly goddess. I understand this can be a sensitive subject amongst Deadbeats, as this goddess was part of one the 'Divine Trifectas' with theirs, so I have asked him to do this covertly, though with those Agents I can never be sure I am not unheard.
For the moment, I shall accompany any Deadbeat who asks, in interest of our nations' relationship. Himesama, look upon me, both in your physical form and divine, and guide me to the noble path of Luchivalry, nanora.
Loyalty to Luna,
Lady Noravera Jaggery
The “Honeyed Stallion” was having one of its best nights of the year. The local Lunaito regulars were at the bar, like most evenings, but there were also horned sheep people going out to celebrate the upcoming festival. More significantly, however, this bar was where much of the LABEE had elected to congregate and spend their evening. Most of the current customers were Deadbeats and their accompanying Luknights.
In the noisy basement, even a bony hand slapping an oak table repeatedly did not draw attention. “No, no, no! I’m telling you Shige, this LAB ain’t gonna be like your average goddamn Black Fleet warehouse! We gotsa castle the shit outta this, tall-ass stone walls to keepsa’ all the schizos out! Otherwhere, we’ll be overrun stat.” The admiral was laughing and laughing. “Ah, brother, you’re drunk! Either on those sexy Lunaito bricks, or on all that mead you’re chugging! You’ll see, once we’ve got good, strong frigates patrolling the ice cube sea, we won’t even need to lock the LAB’s doors, we’ll sink any pirates before they even get to look at it, har!”
The glasses rattled when Kenichi’s palms struck the bench. “Bah, I’ll be the one making those boats too, you know? Those ice cubes of yours get pretty big, I dread how much we’ll need to plate the hulls if we want ‘em to shrug off impacts.” Professor Marsh pointed an accusatory finger at the Deadbeats as he interjected: “Bah, you skeletons and your boats! Admiral, surely you remember the schizo encounter density charts I showed you! Our Arctic schizos do a bit of boating, but they’re fucking shite at it, they can’t sail to save their lives, literally! If the base got attacked, odds are it would be a land assault, coming in from our border with the devious Matsurisu, or perhaps beach walkers from /moon/. These Northern coasts are poorly guarded, everywhere in the North of the continent.”
Shige thumbed off a tear of laughter before responding. “Well, maybe we can add a crenellation or two on there, if it gets your bones so hard, hahaha.”
Gaia repressed a sigh while the middle-aged men acted out their antics. After excusing herself to get a fresh mug, she headed to the upper floor of the tavern. It seemed a bit more quiet. In the last couple of days, Gaia had felt all this expedition was doing was traveling through pretty vistas and cities, getting wasted and eating too much overly sweet food. Was this why her friends told her she hated fun?
This floor seemed a bit more her speed. The conversation was quieter, the lighting more relaxed. A sheep-like harpist was playing an ambiance tune on a small stage. Gaia hailed Suiko and Akira and joined them in a more private booth. Just as she was sitting she noticed their unusually serious expressions. “Hey gals, what’s going on?” Akira gave Suiko the side-eye before going off. “This shady-ass individual is trying to make me do her dirty work.” The agent lifted her hands in mock despair. “Oh, the humanity, I ask my good friend the professor for a little help and now I’m an evil schemer. Look, no need to be shady about it, I just want you to bring it up. I’m sure if you’re cool about it, he’ll spill some beans.” Gaia lifted an eyebrow. “Beans? What beans?” Lunaitos seemed to enjoy some bean-based dishes, but Gaia failed to see how this related to the topic.
Suiko gave her a rundown while Akira crossed her arms. Gaia had followed the developments of the Rushian Cataclysm closely, and with horror. Many Fandead refugees had arrived to Moriji following the event. Hounded as they were by schizos of all sorts, the Deadbeat’s island was one of the few places with both the will and the capability to keep them safe. Saiko claimed there were rumors of a new group coagulating in the ruined wasteland, but intel was lacking. However, couriers coming from that corner of the continent had entered the Campus district recently… Which Professor Marsh had visited that day.
Gaia already felt a headache coming. “Sure, fine, what’s the big deal, can’t you just ask Puffison for news of /rushia/, Suiko?” Suiko scratches her head. “Ah well, that’s just the thing, I’ve no reason to even think of talking about /rushia/ with him. He doesn’t know that I followed him to the entrance of the University, or that I pickpocketed the courier’s wallet to check where came from. It would be hella suspicious if I came to him with that.” Suiko shrugged casually, just as Gaia quietly screamed: “Y-you did what!?” Suiko dismissed her anger with a smile. “Hey, chill, don’t worry about it! I dropped the wallet near one of those patrolling Luknights, I’m sure it found its way back to him, probably thought it fell out of his pocket somehow. But ANYWAY, that’s why if ol’ reliable Akira could go chat with Puffison, she could find a way to bring up the topic naturally, right?”
Gaia was extremely annoyed, mainly because this Mori-doomed girl had a point. Lunaitos getting reports from the devastated land of the Fandead was good intel that they’d have to investigate. Their refugees from /rushia/ lived comfortably, but if their homeland was inhabitable once more, they’d probably want to be repatriated. “If the Lunaitos don’t share those reports, I guess we might not have their full trust yet. Let’s not rush into anything for now. I think Lucia would let this sit for some time before pushing any further. It’s not like our Fandead diaspora can’t wait a couple more weeks.”
A grin snaked its way onto Suiko’s face, and she chuckled. “Ah, well, if I have to get Lucia’s permission, I’ll definitely have to wait. She’s booked for the evening.” Gaia turned her head towards where Suiko was staring, and felt her cheeks flush. Lucia was seated in a dark corner, her arm on the shoulder of that one Lunaito archivist she’d been spending time with. The blue-haired lady giggled while the tall Deadbeat girl whispered something in her ear. ‘Definitely not gonna interfere with that.’ Akira calmly noted: “These two have really been getting along.”
Gaia’s forehead was now buried in her hands and said: “Is there anyone here I know, who is neither annoying, nor shady, nor getting laid?” A finger snap rang in the cubicle and Suiko offered: “I got you! The Honourable Luknights over there are certainly none of those things! Got chat with them, if you’re too good for us.”
Gaia stood up and headed to Citrora’s and Jaggery’s table. Fruce hailed her first. “Naaa Commander Suzuka! You still owe me that sparring match, Rear Admiral Magnus let it slip that you fight with two swords! I must see that before we get to the coast.” Gaia clasped the Luknight’s forearm while agreeing. “That we should, Lady Citrora. It’s a useful stance when outnumbered. It’s commonly taught to Deadbeats headed into schizo territories.”
Fruce and Gaia talked shop for some time while Noravera stared at the harpist. She wasn’t even playing, just chatting with some Deadbeat officer, a Junior Lieutenant, based on his uniform. “Do you enjoy the music of the Watamates, Lady Jaggery?” Gaia’s question snapped the Luknight out of her distraction.
“Ah, it’s quite nice, I prefer traditional Lunaito pieces, but it’s fine. Much better than rap at least.” Gaia’s eyes lit up. She always felt like the only officer in the whole Black Fleet to prefer the Goddess’ more melodic blessings instead of her aggressive raps. “Ah, I totally get what you mean!”
This is when the Deadbeat climbed onto the stage with the Watamate harpist, and Noravera’s gaze snapped back to that direction.
Lady Citrora had a strange smile while she asked Gaia a question. “Say, do you know the name of this officer?” Commander Suzuka looked again. The man now faced them. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with thin limbs. His jaw was to shave with, and his cheekbones, sharp. Unusual for male Deadbeat, he had short hair, white with the slightest tinge of pink. The vast majority of their men were bald. Undeniably handsome, Gaia had to admit.
“That’s my younger brother, Calvinus. Don’t mind him, he’s rather unserious. Speaking of, he practices his rap more than his katana. I fear that his climbing on stage means we’ll be subjected to his skills.”
Fruce chuckled for a bit. “Oh, we' know what he’s up to. Me and and Lady Jaggery have been… ‘Subjected’ to nearly every performance of his in the ship’s hold.” Before Gaia could answer, the voices of the younger Suzuka sibling and the Watamate rose in unison.
The harpist played and sang a duo performance with the officer. Gaia recognized it as a musical blessing which appeared simultaneously on Moriji and in /bakatare/. The opportunities for both complementary parts of the song to be performed together were rare. Within her brother’s repertoire, Gaia had to concede this was one of her favorites.
The voices of the rapper, singer and harp made for a beautiful harmony. Noravera was utterly transfixed by the song. Applause and cheers erupted when the duo concluded, but the Luknight remained conspicuously silent.
After thanking the harpist and hugging her, the officer headed towards his sister. “Hey sis, nice to see you making friends!” Gaia scowled. “Watch it, you’re talking to a superior.” The man laughed it off. “Aye aye sir, no need to rub it in every time. Anyway, why don’t you introduce me?”
Gaia was sorely tempted to tell him to fuck off, but she didn’t want to act like that in front of the Luknights. “I present to you, veteran of the Kiryu-Kai wars and Luknight of Battle, Lady Fruce Citrora. And the Noble Luknight Lady Noravera Jaggery, the nation’s Moriji ambassador, and the one to thank for this expedition occurring.”
Calvinus bowed deeply. “Nice to meet you, my ladies. I am honoured to have rapped for such an august audience.” He kissed the warrior’s gauntlet and Jaggery’s hand. “Noravera, can I call you Nora? Nora, I did not see you cheer; did you dislike my performance? You seemed to enjoy it, since I noticed you mouthing the lyrics.”
Gears seemed to literally turn in Noravera’s head for a moment until she answered. “Ah, hm, sorry, it was… ᵍᵒᵒᵈ.” Calvinus smiled brightly. He seemed to hear her, despite her whispering the end of the sentence. “I’m glad to hear it! Say, if you’re my dear sister’s friend, you must be an interesting person. Might I accompany you to the Sheep’s Festival?”
Redness crept up Noravera’s neck while she gave her diplomatic response. “Well, it would only in our nations’ relationship best interest that I present our culture to one of our Deadbeat companions. I accept your invitation for the glory of Himesama, nanora.”
‘She must feel embarrassed to have to go with Calvinus. I shouldn’t have let him put her on the spot like that,’ thought Gaia, oblivious.
Report on Deadbeat LABEE, Entry #4
A Deadbeat named Calvinus, brother of Gaia Suzuka, deemed it appropriate to accompany me during the Festival of the Sheep. He is very skilled in traditional Deadbeat music styles, and I must confess I may have been grateful he was the one to ask... But such feelings must wait, nanora.
The Nanonanora Hotelier's Association has allowed us have our Deadbeat guests have their dark chocolate tasting. We have prepared the finest dark chocolates in the Himedom, excluding the princess's private selection. There were round trays of dark chocolate squares, some infused with various flavors of berry. Sir Cinnama was overjoyed with having such a perfect veranda, with a view of both Himesama's tower and the main street below.
Soon, Luna was speaking from her balcony to all the Luknights below. "Nnnnaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!," she said into the speaking horn. I and my fellow Luknights Nnnaa-ed in turn. Many of the Deadbeats were surprised to see a goddess in the flesh, even if it was at such a distance as to make her as small as a grain of Deadbeat rice. "Today, we celebrate the cuddly happy supa supa sweet creatures that let us build our strong-strongest Kingdom, nanora! We celebrate Luboars, Lusheep, Lucattle, Nnaaaaaa! We love happy nice supa Luna animals, nanora! We love Watame and Watamates, nanora! We love Lunaitos, nnaaaaaaaaaa!"
Himesama's words always speak right to the heart. So simple, so innocent, yet so full of meaning. Even the Watamates and Deadbeats are touched. I couldn't help but shout "Nnaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, Nanora!" to support her, not that I would want to resist it. Himesama then graced us with a performance of her ballad of love to all of us, "Hajime no Chu", as the parade below started. As was tradition, Lunaito farmers and Bunaito ranchers paraded their livestock, then various Lunaitos paraded their pets and other small animals, and lastly, the Lunaito cavalry rode their horses through the street. Some of the Deadbeat scholars debated whether Deadsloths would belong in the parade, or if they were not lowly enough. Many of the Deadbeat soldiers were interested in the Lu-cavalry, and how the horses' longer legs provided increased mobility over Deadsloth riders, though it does sacrifice defense. Citrora stopped to ask me if we could ask for Deadsloths to improve our forces, though Niwa quickly shot that down. We have no idea how Deadsloths would react to gummy lichen. I shuddered the at the image of such a beast, it would take many Luknights to take down such a thing...
Tomorrow we join with the caravan heading North toward Himehearth, a city known for lumber and woodcraft, especially our Himedom's famed pianos. The trek will be slower and more vulnerable to bandits, but thankfully we shall have armor carriages for all parties who wish for them, and Lunoxen to pull them.
The wind brought the hearty scent of the forest’s hummus to Shige’s hooked nose. It was sugary and moist. Shige was almost looking forward to their arrival in the tundra. He’d never had a sweet tooth, so it was bad enough that everything he was eating these days gave him toothaches. At least once they got near the coast, the sea breeze might cover up the overbearing smell of candy. He missed salt, kelp, and briny mist. Hell, maybe he can spend all his time out on sea. Mori knows the reason he took this on was that he was tired of sitting in the HQ dealing with meetings and bureaucracy.
His horse whinnied a bit and the Rear Admiral patted its neck. Shige was fairly familiar with horses, but he was no centaur. Still, he was better off than many of his men. Being drilled on slothriding was fairly common back on the island; most Deadbeats interested got to at least learn the basics, but the mechanics were quite different compared to horse riding. The saddles gave you sores in different spots for one, he’d heard some lads whinging about that.
And the horses lent to them spooked more easily than a deadsloth, but these were riding horses, not destriers bred for the front lines. He’d pick it over being packed in one of the transport wagons, or walking after the convoy, like some camp followers had taken to doing. The Luknights had explained this was a common and harmless practice; there was a lot of money to be made providing services to an army on the road, and the Deadbeats had plenty of personal gold to spend on food, equipment maintenance or companionship.
Speaking of gold, Shige slowed down his horse to check on the cart carrying the expedition’s treasury. Building a military base was always expensive; doing it in a foreign land in inhospitable tundra made the bill grow pretty fast. Good Deadbeat gold was going to pay for this, and they’d brought what they needed. No need to rack up a credit debt on the continent.
He was riding alongside the armored wagon now, pulled by four horses. On the front of the car, things were as he left them. The Lunaito coachman was minding the horses with a Deadbeat sailor riding shotgun, gun in hand and katana at his side. Farther back, skeletal warriors were riding along, alert. They saluted the admiral.
“Everything looks in order, Gaia?” Gaia was familiar with this game of his; the Admiral was able to ascertain the state of a patrol. He wanted to see if she was.
“Sir, all seems to be as it should-” Gaia paused. “Wait, where are the outriders? There should be two on each side, there’s no one port side. Sabius?” The soldier, a bit uncomfortable on his horse, answered promptly: “Ma’am, Gallia and Koi are taking a shit, they stopped on the roadside some minutes back. They should be back soon.” Shige lifted an eyebrow. “Both of them? At the same time?” Sabius shrugged. “They grumbled about something they ate. Maybe their bellies aren’t used to all the syrup yet.”
The Admiral frowned. “Gaia, bring in a few men and reinforce this-” Then, multiple things happened, quickly.
Shige heard the sound of ceramic shattering on the steel wagon, followed by the whistles of arrows gliding by. Through pure instinct, the admiral threw his hand down, grasped his Death Mask and put it on, in a smooth motion.
He felt his blood run cold and took in the situation in an instant. Gaia had her mask on, katanas out, and was standing on her horse. These youths and their quick reflexes; she always was a tryhard in that regard. The smoke from the broken pottery was spreading. They’d thrown three pots, one on the front of the cart, one on Sabius, and Shige wasn’t sure where the third had ended up.
He drew his gun and got his horse moving forwards while Gaia vaulted from hers and landed on the back of the cart. Her urgency was appropriate; a bandit jumped from the roof onto the coach bench and kicked the Deadbeat soldier off of it. He was coughing his lungs out, and minuscule pink crystals seemed to shimmer on his skin. The smoke was probably a candification-based irritant. He hadn’t had the time to put on his mask before gulping a lungful. Shige’s mask was protecting him from the worst of it; the Moriji chuubanite haze prevented a lot of foreign particulates from getting into the user’s mouth and nose. Sabius was similarly incapacitated, while the bandit had a moist scarf over his face as a filter.
He threw off the wheezing Lunaito coach and took a hold of the reins, snapping them hard and expertly.
The carriage, heavy with gold, swerved off the road, to the left toward a small path in the forest, leaving five men coughing in the sand. A bandit stood up on the roof and raised a musket, toward the admiral…
The gunshot echoed through the forest.
The bandit flew back onto the wagon’s roof, hit at the shoulder, smoke billowing out of Shige’s revolver, and he heeled his horse into sprinting. To no one in particular he ordered “With me!”
‘This foolish girl, it’s only gold. We could have caught up with them later, now we risk running into an ambush.’ Shige would have to work better risk management into her.
Speaking of Gaia, she was now also standing on the unsteady roof of the carriage, driving one of her blades into something at her feet, probably executing the bandit. The Commander dropped into a squat while arrows whistled above her. Shige could now see two other mounted bandits, armed with bows.
He glanced back and saw two Luknights riding their horses hard behind him. They caught up and passed him; these knights rode beautifully, as if they were one with the saddle. They split off, each taking one bandit on. The Luknight to his left caught an arrow on his shield before catching up to the brigand and bringing his mace onto his head. His brittle skull cracked loudly. To Shige’s right, the other knight had to work a bit harder to get to his mark. That thief was riding hard after the armored cart. He caught up all the same, though; his brilliant greatsword came down as a silver arc and opened a huge scarlet smile on the man’s back, shoulder to waist.
The supports taken care of, Shige brought his attention back to the cart. It was almost out of sight now, but he could still see the wheel tracks in the soft, sweet forest mosses. Soon, the distance began getting shorter; the wagon was stopped.
When Shige and the two Luknights got there, the four horses were calmly grazing on the mosses, and Gaia was leaning over a man on the coach bench. She saw them arrive and put her boot on a body’s chest before saluting. “Sir. Disturbance is neutralized. A prisoner has been taken into custody.”
The body was actually the other bandit, Shige could hear his pained whimpers. His right arm was cut at the elbow, and Gaia had already put in a field tourniquet in place, so he didn’t bleed out before being questioned. This girl…
Other Deadbeats from the convoy were now reaching them. “Go back to the road and tell them the situation is resolved. Have the convoy come to a stop for now.” He then turned to the Luknights. “Madeleine, Frambois, thank you for your help and bravery. Would you return to Citrora and let her know I request this prisoner be put into the custody of the Black Fleet?” The armored man and woman acquiesced, and carried the message back.
Finally, Shige turned to Gaia, pride and annoyance battling within. “You’re not in the spec ops anymore, Gaia. You’re brass. We’ll speak of this again. Let’s get this dumb bastard and the gold back to the road for now.”
The young Commander saluted, and took off her demonic Death Mask, shaking her hair out in the calm forest air.
“Sir, yes sir.”
Report on Deadbeat LABEE, Entry #5
We have taken up camp just outside Himehearth, nanora. I will not lie, though I know it is relatively safe, this town has always filled me with a sense of unease. Something about the way the pines make the dark green bushes and grasses even darker disturbs me, and the occasional sharp note from a Crafts-naito testing their piano makes my hairs stand on end. Really, Menthora has always had this strangeness for me.
The convoy is resting here for several reasons, so I dared not suggest we hurry past. The Luknights of trade want to load up on lumber to sell in Nanoramune. As we go further north, the fewer standard lumber trees we receive and the more "Lollipop" trees form. Their lumber is next to useless; it deforms when wet. Our Luknights are taking the opportunity to prepare themselves for the colder climate, buying warmer armor lining, though many are waiting until Nasedina to buy new armor entirely. The only real exceptions are Puffison and the Luknights of Cooking, who seem to have built up a more ...natural layer of insulation.
It's also starting to get cold enough at night that some of the greener Deadbeats are distressed. Shige is always telling them, "Run your lazy asses around the wagon circle a few times if you want to be warm!". Myself and a couple of other Luknights have begun making adjustments to Luknight armor linings to make them fit Deadbeat armor. I was a little surprised when I had finished one of them, only to discover it would be going to Calvinus! I had hoped he would be more prepared or responsible...
Himesama, I have also heard two of our Luknights have proven themselves in battle defending our guests the other day. Citrora and I agree, when we arrive at our destination, we will send our recommendations for their opals back to Nanonanora. The brigands' weapons have also been recovered at great interest to Endus and Gaia, especially the powderized pots of Luna-chuubanite. Cinnama, Puffison, and Citrora could only view the powderization with disgust, as a waste of chuubanite, a dangerous health and environmental hazard. "They'll be pulling little marshmallows out of the carriage walls for weeks," Citrora said. Thankfully, royal diplomatic Luknights of Cooking are trained to make excellent remedies as well as food.
Himesama bless us,
Lady Noravera Jaggery
On one hand, this day had been incredibly interesting and educational to Professor Marsh. On the other hand, this was the eighth resource extraction company he had visited today, with Lead Engineer Kenichi Magnus and a handful of his subordinates in tow. And he was beginning to feel the mental strain.
“My friend, Puffison, a project means materials, and materials mean suppliers. If our ships are made of rotten wood and porous steel, Shige will never let me hear the end of it. So yes, I want a list of every wood, iron, copper, coal, cord, textile and tar producers or manufacturers in Menthora. I want to verify the products while I’m there in person.”
At first, Puffison was happy to come with and help smoothen any cultural differences that could arise in Kenichi’s merciless negotiation style, but he quickly found himself simply standing there while the gaggle of engineers piled on endless questions on the poor Lunaito entrepreneurs.
“What is your production capacity? Do you have material specification data sheets? Is this steel certified as per HOS 12.373? What is the chuubanite content of this wood? What do you mean, it hasn’t been quantified? Do you have the logistics to deliver orders to Gelanora? Do you make bronze in this foundry? Is that candification contamination on the metal? What is the carbon content? Can you produce bronze sheets instead of tubing? What is the dimensional tolerance on thickness? What’s the composition of this alloy? Can you pre-anneal this stock? Has this tar been used for ship waterproofing? What is the defect occurrence in those ingots? Are your tallest trees long and straight enough to make masts? Do you only have linen, no cotton? How much per ton of coal? What if it’s a 100 ton order? Do you accept gold for payment?”
And on, and on, and on, and on… Marsh had spent time with less mind-numbing schizos. Still, they came out of those meetings either with a good contact, a certainty that it was best to avoid this supplier, or a deal signed in ink. Among others, wood and steel shipments would begin leaving Menthora for the Gelanora base before the expedition even reached its destination.
Ten visits, the Princess preserve him. And Kenichi planned on doing four more tomorrow before the party left the city. ‘Be strong, Marsh. Do it for the Himedom.’ A heavy, calloused hand clapped his shoulder. “A good day of getting shit done, Puffison. We make a pretty good team, huh? We had those snake oil tradesmen shaking in their boots, hah! Now boys, how about a beer? First round’s on me!”
While cheers rose from the poorly socialized Deadbeats around him, the professor could only despair: ‘I should have stuck with Akira for today...’ The group entered a bar while a squad of Deadbeat sailors jogged their fifth lap of the city block behind them, mist leaving their mouths in controlled breaths.
Report on Deadbeat LABEE, Entry #6
Nasedina, a mining town, and the last Lunaito settlement before the mountain divide. The Deadbeat engineers watched with amazement at the efficiency of the mines. Luna Chuubanite "lampposts" are scattered around the mines, which candify the rocks and dirt we can't use.
Shige, Gaia, and most of the Soldiers have gotten along well with the hard Lunaitos of Pick and Lantern that make up most of the population. Cinnama may be a little disheartened at how well they enjoy freshly-mined, totally unprepared hardy candy, but he'll recover.
Still, some of our guests are uneasy. Some of the researchers and engineers feel the mining tunnels would make all too great a habitat for a giant mythical Morijian snake. Worse still, one of Puffison's students has confided in me her nervousness about a possible Deadbeat vulnerability to gummy lichen. Citrora, Akira, and I assured her that gummy zombification is far too slow to catch a Deadbeat unawares, even if they were vulnerable. Visting Zomrades have been known to detach offending limbs, collect replacements from their personal luggage, and eat the gummified body part.
Still, gummy bear or gummy horse attacks are always risk traveling the mountains and north. Our squadron can take them, but for diplomacy's sake, conflict must be minimized. We come equipped with salt cannons to desiccate the gummies if needs must.
Your glorious frozen north awaits, Himesama,
Lady Noravera Jaggery
Late Spring 1123
A beam of reddish sunlight filtered through a ground level window above his head, almost more of a sewer grate than a window. The floor was covered in mud, and the dive smelled like sweet piss and sweet beer.
But Kotio felt right at home. He shook a mug of eye-wateringly strong Luunshine in his right hand while the left gestured through the air, tracing incoherent naval trajectories through the Arctic Sea.
“Ya know kids that feckin far up yer compass aint even doing fucking shite, just spins ‘round an ‘round tryin to figure the fuck is where and what, we’d just look at the damn stars an sun, and fuck me if clouds or fog roll the fuck in, yer fucked! Fucked I tell ya! Can’t believe we manage to find the fuckin strait again, we oughta all have died up there, we really oughta...” Kotio took another long swig from the mug, draining half of it. Cinnama, one of his apprentice chefs and the pink-bearded barkeep were listening with rapt attention.
The Knight of Cooking wiped some beer foam from his mouth before inquiring: “But, what did you all eat up there? The expedition lasted longer than expected, right?”
A dark smile formed on Kotio’s thin white lips. “Wha’ we ate on that forsaken sea, you ask? Fucking nothing, for the most part. Longer than expected? Fuckig hell, we were supposed to be outta there in FUCKING FALL, Mori take me!” The old man slammed the mug on the table. He muttered some curses under his breath while the sous-chef looked at Cinnama, a bit worried. A shrug is all that came out of the cook.
Scratching his bushy beard, the barman, Peary Hickorypuff puts his big paw of a hand on the Deadbeat’s shoulder. “Mister Niwa, was it? I’ve been up North, looking for rare ingredients. Lots of fancy crops up there, scary shit too. Scariest’s the weather. You never know what’s gonna pop up when and how long it’s gonna stick around. Sticking to a schedule up there, you had an impossible job.”
The captain’s bony palm slapped away the Lunaito’s. His sunk eyes stared into the barkeep, two angry light grey jewels, full of poison. “Ya take me for a fool? I knew damn well what we were sailing into, we could have sailed back, like the expedition of ‘98. Peeked through the strait, sniffed around, improved the maps and taken weather measurements some, even with our tail between our legs, we woulda been welcomed as heroes. But no, I knew we could make it to the pole, had the crew, and this was such a warm summer, who knew when we’d get a chance the like again... It was my call and I made it. I was already old, but still stupid as ever, I made the call and I killed them damnit, got our ships iced in a whole winter and fu-uhu, fuckin got my boys killed, two ships starved to death, anothe-er half killed itself over the starving FUCK.” Tears were streaming over the ranting drunk’s cheeks. He dumped the rest of the mug of hard liquor into his maw before slamming his face into his dark blue leather sleeves.
Cinnama lifted his hands toward the old man, now clearly concerned, but he got waved off. “Let me be, kid. This stuff is too damn strong and sweet...”
Peary returned to his bar counter, shaking his head, while Cinnama stood there, considering his next action.
Light flooded the basement bar when the entrance doors were swung open. “Damn you, there you are.” Rear Admiral Magnus strode down the stairs into the dirty bar. “Had lads looking for you all day. You know we only stopped here for supplies, don’t you? You should be back with the convoy already. God, you stink.”
The Luknight of Cooking stood and saluted, before starting: “Admiral Magnus, we were about to return, time err, got away from us...”
Shige massaged his forehead for a second before answering. “Ah, don’t worry Cinnama, I know how chatty Kotio can get.” The admiral grabbed Kotio’s waist under his right arm and easily carried the weakly resisting man up the stairs.
Snow greeted his alcohol-bloated face, and shocked Kotio awake. He was splayed out on a snowbank. The high-ranking officer, who’d just thrown him there, looked at him, a strange mix of boredom, annoyance and pity filling out his face.
He sighed, arms gloved in fur crossed over his chest, black coat billowing in the wind. A cloud of mist billowed out of his mouth with a sigh. “Doctor Kotio Niwa. We are nearing our goal. I was hoping those antics would be pushed aside by your sense of duty, as cold winds rose and the need for your experience increased. But it’s only getting worse. I wouldn’t care if you decided to throw your death away into a barrel of hard red. That is your choice to make. But when you were invited to this expedition, and I interviewed you, I felt something in that depressed mug of yours. I didn’t ask for you just because you’d be good for a morale. You’re a damn fine Arctic explorer, you know it, and you want to be known for something other than the “Forsaken 1107 Expedition”. So what’s the holdup?"
The faces of comrades, how thin they were... It was hard to imagine how damn thin a starving Deadbeat could get. Even healthy, they looked emaciated, but after months camping around a boat stuck in ice, rations reduced to dozens of calories per day, looking at the frozen corpses of friends with sickening urges... Then, they truly became living skeletons, ribs individually jutting out of the torso, radius and ulna almost having a hole in between ‘em, so little flesh there left on there... Eyes sunken so far into the eye socket, they might as well be a black emptiness, were it not for a wet spot in the back reflecting the light of the torches...
“Yyou-oou... You don’ geddit!” The foolishness of the words struck him as soon as they left his lips.
There was no anger, or indignation in the response. Shige simply smiled, squatted down and extended his arm towards the doctor. “You think a Rear Admiral of the Black Fleet doesn’t know what it’s like, to send his men to their death, in service to the Mission?” Kotio grasped his forearm and stood up, with his help. “Let’s get you back to a wagon. I still need to check on Asahina. The cold bitch is probably fine, but she was really gummed up after tearing the head off those bears. Hah, I hope that Lunaito girlfriend of hers likes her Deadbeats well-salted, har!”
The admiral’s laugh boomed in the quiet village’s street. Kotio shook his drunk head while hobbling along with him. ‘That Luunshine stuff is trouble. I’ll need to bring a bottle South to the family once I’m done here.'
REPORT ON DEADBEAT LABEE, Entry #7
I have never been to Himenth before, but according to the testimony of Lady Citrora, it doesn't change much. The provincial captial of Menthora Province, Himenth functions mostly as a trade hub between the northwest, northeast, and southern areas of the Himedom. Unfortunately, that means a rather criminal element seems to take refuge here, but the presence of an official Luna-sanctioned convoy should have them on their best behavior, nanora.
The city itself is sprawling, organically sweeping around a ridge. Right on the northern side of the mountains, the land is flat and very dry. Retired Luknights bring out little heater/humidifiers, where they boil some water, sitting and chatting around it like a campfire, enjoying sugary warm teas. There are no real local specialties here, but the goods are varied and quality. Lollipop tree leaves are wetted to make them flexible, rolled up and redried to make "Lunaito Cigars", sticks of hard, sweet candy, that seems to be a big hit with the deadbeats. I can only hope they'll soon learn they aren't to be smoked, however...
It was my duty to check in and greet the local government. Citrora, Magnus, Cassandra and I had a dinner with them, high quality Lunish fish, with much of the interior meat not yet gummified, yet still juicy and sweet (a favorite of Citrora, I learned). They're all very happy for the extra protection; secure goods benefit the city, after all.
Everything, objectively, is good, nanora, but when I hear the cold winds howl through the streets, I can't help but feel scared for our trip into Nanoramune. For my and the Hime's sake, I will tell myself to have courage. Citrora won't admit it, but facing the arctic schizos isn't something she has finished preparing her mind for. "The land is flat," she told me last night, "I will see them coming."
Loyalty to Luna,
Lady Noravera Jaggery
Late Spring 1123
The mayor’s jowls swayed intensely as he engulfed the food set before him. A bite of sweet bread, a desperate gulp of honey mead, a chunk of fish down his gullet, all while blabbering endlessly to his guests about everything and nothing. Cassandra was a big eater, but he was putting her to shame in that regard.
Noravera was still picking at her food, but she’d finished eating some time prior. She took a lull in the conversation to get a word in. “Thank you again for your hospitality, Sir Mayor. I hope our expedition is not disturbing your tranquil city too much.”
The important man shook his head vehemently. “Oh, Lady Jaggery, not at all, not at all, your visit is a source of joy. Such an exotic party, and headed towards the cold wastes with such a noble purpose. You deserve all the support you receive. If there is one thing we respect here in Himenth, it’s powerful warriors looking for selfless deeds.” He punctuated his effusion by closing his lips around a sweet roasted cherry potato.
Rear Admiral Magnus spoke a well-practiced sentence with a rather monotone voice. “The schizo threat preys on us all; pushing back against it is a natural duty for men and women of strength.”
Words escaped the Mayor’s lips in between food inhalations: “You know, my good Sir Admiral Magnus, I have some schizo experience myself nanora.”
Shige let himself enjoy the silence for a second. Then, “Is that so, Mister Appleton? Do tell us how that came to occur, I’m curious. We are still quite far from their raiding territories, are we not?”. There was a twinge of genuine pain in the Admiral’s eyes, as he intentionally, in full possession of his faculties, asked the Mayor to talk more. On the other side of the table, there was at least one member of their party genuinely enjoying themselves. Fruce was savoring every bite of the grilled Luunish fillets brought to them from the Mayor’s kitchens. Cassandra didn’t much get the hype. The texture near the skin was kind of interesting, and the meat beneath near melted in her mouth, but... Like everything here, the damn sugar. According to some of Akira’s papers, the Luna chuubanite was supposed to propagate less far into the ocean than the Mori-type, something about a repulsion between salt and the substance. Cassandra just hoped there would be some nice, sugar free, salty seafood to fish in the Arctic Sea. This was a hope she was clinging to desperately...
“Right you are, right you are my friend, we didn’t get raided or any such dangerous thing norahaha. Some schizos got caught after attacking a patrol of brave Luknights. Fools they were, they got themselves shipwrecked on our mighty rock sugar shores, most of them drowned. Our Luknights came upon them as the two were warming their frigid bones near a fire. Their resistance was feeble, and they were taken alive, for a change.” At long last, this seemed to grab his audience’s genuine attention, which the Mayor relished. The Admiral’s gaze moved from some fascinating empty spot of the ceiling to the Mayor’s eyes, and even Citrora paused her meal to listen.
The fat man turned to his wife, a beautiful pink-haired lady at least fifteen years his junior. “Ah, you were with me that day, right, my sweet fruit? We were inspecting the prisons.” Which prompted enthusiastic nodding on her part.
“Yes, yes, I was! Oh how scary that was, just seeing them in their cages chilled my heart. They’re unpleasant beasts.” Sephira put the back of her hand to head, dramatically. “It was a cold winter day, some months ago, they’d been taken from the Gelanora dungeons to make more space, if my memory doesn’t fail me.”
Shige was growing more interested. “Sounds frightful, my lady. What did they look like? Any morphological mutations? Were they able to speak?” This barrage of questions was perhaps a bit excessive, but this was the most recent and local witness they’d come across yet, Cassandra was also intensely curious. Shige’s fingers were interlocked over the table, as he waited for Sephira’s account.
Hand on her chin, the mayor’s wife thought for a few seconds, assembling her recollection of the day. “Let’s see, I remember they smelled truly awful, not a hint of sweetness on them, and they were all covered in thick coarse hair. I don’t remember them speaking, however. They were quite inert when I saw them na, I’m not sure they could speak nanora... Do they speak, normally?”
The Admiral scratched his chin. “It varies immensely, Sephira. Some are intelligent, scheming creatures, able to plan on the long term, congregate, form strategies. Kronie schizos often turn out like this. Others are mindless beasts, unable to do anything but react to their rawest senses and instincts, completely consumed by their affliction, with only being put to rest as a fate. And there’s everything in between...” The Admiral looked to Cassandra and an instantaneous understanding struck them.
“Say, Mister Appleton, what happened to those captives?”
Cassandra felt bad for Noravera. Citrora volunteered to guide the Deadbeats to the prisons, which prompted a look of utter despair from Lady Jaggery, who’d be left alone with the municipal leader and his “sweet fruit”.
But beside the timely release from this torment, Cassandra was genuinely interested in what they’d find in the damp cell. So was the Rear Admiral. She was a bit curious about Citrora, however. The Luknight seemed to have a hardness to her gaze, as if she’d steeled herself for the encounter.
“Fruce, how are you?” Cassandra’s voice was kind, and soft. She didn’t want to hurt the warrior’s pride.
Fruce smiled, the ice melting from her eyes as she focused on the conversation instead of what was swirling in her head. “I’m well, why do you ask?”
“You look very determined to meet those schizo prisoners. We could have found the prison without you, there was no need to trouble yourself.” Citrora looked to the side at that, her hand on the back of her neck. A bit of embarrassment, perhaps?
“Hah, and stay in that dining room for another hour or two, listening to diatribes about South Himedom nobles? No thank you!” Fruce laughed at her jab, a pleasant sound always, but Cassandra let silence fill the space. Magnus was plodding along, a few paces ahead in the hallway. He’d always been a fast walker.
The Luknight broke the quiescence of the sleeping prison, finally. “To be honest... I’m not quite sure my mind is as ready for the North as my arm is. I feel strong, but there is this uncertainty... It’s been so long since I faced schizos, and they’re a peculiar opponent, they do something to you... You would know that, right?”
Cassandra had the full image, now. “Yes, they do. Schizos, they’re not just mad people, they resonate with our world is strange ways...” Citrora raised an eyebrow at that. “Resonate?”
“Yes, resonate. So, you’re afraid you won’t be able to fight them?” The Luknight stopped and rebuked the notion strongly.
“No, that isn’t it, if I’m faced with a schizo, I know my sword will dance her dance, as it’s meant to. But schizos... They’re devious, tricky... Unpredictable.” Memories were flowing through Citrora’s mind’s eye.
Cassandra thought for a few seconds, and made a decision. “Fruce, schizos resonate with our world in strange ways. This is how they can strike fear in even hardened warriors. It’s most significant in trolls and shamans, but even the most base schizo can make some small waves, if fully afflicted. Some of the fear you felt back then was genuine, natural, but they amplify those emotions.”
Citrora seemed interested by this concept. “Is that so?”
The Deadbeat agent continued. “Indeed. But in Moriji, and other places, I imagine, this power has been turned back against them. Our priestesses have developed schizolocation. A calm mind can separate the genuine fear from the encroaching influence of the schizo, and the latter can inform us on them.”
Some incredulousness made it to Citrora’s face. “Truly? This works?”
“Certainly. Our two schizos are two floors below us, about two-hundred meters in front and to the right. I think most people have the capability for this, but a sizeable amount of chuubanite is needed. For me and the Goddess Faithful, it’s in our bones. For you... Your armor has a lot of chuubanite, right? Try pressing... Ah, press your lips against your gauntlets while we walk. The lips are one of the most sensitive parts of the body.” Citrora smelled trickery.
“This sounds like a jape at my expense. You might have used the prison’s floor plan to locate the prisoners, no need for strange magicks.”
Cassandra just smiled. “Come on, you’re too curious not to try, are you not? Do it now while we’re a bit far.”
Citrora looked around, and saw no one besides them. The Rear Admiral had already gone down the stairs, and the walls of the hall were featureless. The Luknight felt incredibly silly doing so, but pressed her lips against the metal regardless, and waited.
Nothing.
“It was a jape! Damn you!”
The agent shook her head and insisted. “Keep doing it, and let’s keep walking towards them. Clear your mind of all distractions and focus on your fear. Because there is fear in your heart, is there not? Try to visualize its shape, it color, where it is. And look at how it changes as we walk.” Citrora dearly wanted to put a stop to this folly, but she couldn’t help herself. She did exactly as Cassandra said.
As they walked, she couldn’t notice anything. It was true, a tension was pulling at her heart, but it seemed like the natural apprehension of facing her enemy. But once they went down one set of stairs, and the next, there was... Something. Something growing. There was a fear and... More fear, identical, but additional. Unnatural. And as they got closer and closer to the cell, she could almost feels a shimmer on her lips from the gauntlet, as if the intrusion was vibrating its way in from there... It took all her focus, and it only came into effect within a few meters of the schizos, but there was the slightest hint of something there.
“It’s... It’s true. This is incredible.” Cassandra was beaming now, and clasped Citrora’s shoulder with her hand. “More practice will make it much more useful! And now, as long as you’ve got your armor, hopefully they won’t get the jump on you.”
The Luknight turned to Cassandra and bowed, in Moriji fashion. “This is a great gift you’ve made me, how can I repay you?”
She put her hands up, still smiling. “Oh, I just like helping. If anyone asks you how you learned to do this, tell them you came up with it, this is supposed to be a bit of a secret technique.” Cassandra stood straight once more and thanked her new friend one more time.
“Don’t worry about it... Now, what is our Rear Admiral up to?”
He’d been there for this entire exchange, seemingly unconcerned with any friendships, leakages of secret techniques, or anything besides the contents of the cell. He’d pulled out one of those Lunaito cigars, and was a third of the way through smoking it. That he was not coughing his life out was a tribute to the resilience of his lungs. “Trying to get anything out of those schizos, but they’re not playing ball. Mutes, or smart enough to keep their mouth shut. It’s good to see them, though... This musculature, and fur, these Arctic schizos undergo significant mutations. I wonder which country these guys came from in the first place...”
Cassandra took out a small notebook from her pocket and began jotting down notes on the creature’s physiology.
“Let’s get to work, Admiral.”
Citrora bursted out laughing while the two were seriously considering the task ahead. They turned to her, confused. “Fruce?”
“Hahaha, Admiral Magnus... They’re for eating, not smoking!”
“Eating? It’s a lump of sugar, why the hell would I eat that?”
“Why smoke it nanora?”
The two schizos remained stone-faced, as the laughter resounded around them.
Report on Deadbeat LABEE, Entry #8
At long last, we've arrived at Gelanora. The road across Nanoramune was long, but straightfoward. It seems Citrora was right, and bandits want no part of a military convoy that can spot and kill them at 300 paces, though there was a singular incident with a rogue bootlegger trying to supplement his income. Thankfully, through some quick thinking from Niwa, we incapacitated them.
Gelanora, the northernmost undisputed city of the Himedom, is built around and above a sea cave with natural hot springs, an almost fitting final destination of our Deadbeat guests. For a settlement so cold, it has a surprising number of tourist amenities, nanora. To the west of the cliff face with the main sea cave is the rocky, industrial coast, where the Luknights of the Sea bring in their catches of large arctic tuna with a hearty "Nnaaa", a rare uncandied delicacy for the Himedom. Luknights of trade also frequent these ports with goods from across the arctic sea. To the east lie the white sugar sand beaches, where little Lupages play in the water while it is still a bearable temperature. During the fall and spring, when the seas freeze by it is not yet too cold to play outside, I am told local vendors like to sell "snow syrups" for making one's own icy treat. I should try to see if we may acquire some out of season for our Deadbeat guests.
As specified by the Hime's decree, I have shown Magnus the plot provided by the Deadbeat base/embassy, on the far west of Gelanora. It contains a nice space of both solid land and coast, and Magnus seemed more than satisfied (though not before testing the soil a bit). While the base is constructed, we have been lodging in prized hotel, the Sweet Hime Sorbet Lodge. While not the Lady Hime by any means, its interior is warm and inviting, with a sweetbread-aromatized sauna room and private (though small) hot spring tub.
Loyalty to Luna,
Lady Noravera Jaggery
Late Spring 1123
All the tiredness, soreness, stress in her body were melting into the scalding pool, like salt in boiling water. Most anyone born in Rengoku-Shi loved the hot springs. The mountains were close enough for them to be a common day-trip destination. Gaia stretched her arms out and inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with the cleansing steam.
The girls were gossiping about some insipid going-ons, as they were wont to do. Jaggery was inspecting Akira’s upper arm with enthusiasm. “Your bodies really are hairless... Completely? Oh, completely!” This got a chuckle out of the Deadbeat ladies.
Akira whispered, as though speaking of myths and conspiracies. “I’ve heard the priestesses do get a bit of pubic hair...” Lucia nodded sagely. “That’s true, they do. It’s the same color as their hair.” Akira gently elbowed the agent in the rib. “Oh, I bet you’d know all about that. Speaking of your conquests, why didn’t you bring your Lunaito friend here?” Lucia had the decency to blush a little, insofar as Deadbeats can blush.
Citrora answered in her place: “I think those two, naked in a bath, might be too indecent for a friendly gathering.” Even Gaia had to laugh at that jab. Seeing a rare instance of a flustered Lucia was always entertaining.
However, Lucia had a riposte ready, or at least a deflection. “Hey, I’m not the only one getting up to some indecency. Say Nora, you were talking with Gaia’s little brother again the other day, how are things going between you two, any progress?” A flustered Noravera made flustered Lucia look like a stoic statue.
“Pr-progress? We were only discussing the latest shipment of building materials, nothing indecent.” Akira rolled her eyes with an exaggerated motion. “Oh, building materials, how exciting, did you guys have all that fun at the festival talking about building materials?”
Nora simply lowered herself into the water. “I was fulfilling my diplomatic duties, that’s all. Cal is very pleasant, but, I don’t know...”
An evil glint lit up Lucia’s eyes. “You don’t know what to do about Cal, huh? Maybe we can help. Gaia, you’d know your little bro best, got any tips for our Nora dearest?” Predator like, the Agent slid closer to the outnumbered Luknight of Diplomacy.
Gaia jumped a bit at being queried thus. “Ah, uh...” Gaia didn’t much enjoy being put in the spotlight, especially in such vapid conversations. “Well, I think you can do better, Nora. He’s not a very serious man, I feel like he cares more about music than his career. And he’s a decent fighter, but he could be much better if he trained rigorously.”
Akira shook her head with a smile. “So you’re saying he’s fun, a musician, and a good soldier without being a combat autist? Sounds like a real catch. Nora’s got a tall order.” Gaia rolled her eyes, half annoyed, half amused, while the rest of the group slapped the water, laughing.
Agent Lucia Asahina moved in for the kill. “Hey hey, Nora’s a catch too, have you caught an eyeful of these?” Her fingers sunk into two handfuls of Nora’s ample bosom.
“Kyaaa!”
“Well said. You know, us Deadbeats top out at like C-cup, max, right? Well, besides priestesses. That’s an advantage you’re gonna have over any girl he’s been with, I bet.” Noravera wriggled out of Lucia’s arms. “I, I like to think this isn’t a significant factor...”
Citrora had been entering a state of complete relaxation in the past few minutes. With her hands behind her head, the others just about heard her talk: “Well, as they say, all is fair in love and war...”
“How many men can be housed in those barracks?”
The hotel’s room was warm and cozy despite the biting cold wind outside. Gaia, limber and refreshed from her time in the hot springs was standing in for Rear Admiral Magnus. With her was the admiral’s brother, as well as Doctor Niwa. Reviewing the latest revision of the Luna Arctic Base was proving more interesting than she expected. Looking at the map, images of the installations once it would be complete popped up in her head, and it was a glorious thing indeed.
“The initial building will have a capacity for 200 souls, with expansions planned in five and ten years, once the base grows.” Kenichi was in his element, completely. He’d drafted most of these floor plans, after all.
Gaia nodded, satisfied. Gelanora was a good few hours of hard horse riding away from the base, so having as much of the corps living on-site was ideal. “How long before we can get our first corvette on the water?”
The engineer rubbed his chin for a few seconds, grumbling. “A new shipyard can be functional within a year, another year to build the first ship. The seasoning process I’m less sure about, the cold will probably make it slower than we’re used to. Call it four or five years to get the first vessel, though we’ll begin work on many boats in parallel.”
“We could commission some boats from the Gelanora shipyard as well”, Niwa added.
Since arriving to Gelanora, the doctor had been a changed man. There had been an incident en-route to the Arctic city. He’d set a thief’s pink beard on fire with an improvised burning flask of Luushine, which had breathed some pride into his spine.
Kenichi looked to him. “Good point, doctor. I believe you spoke with one of the yardmasters yesterday?” Niwa looked out the window briefly. The manager was a gruff, hard man, fitting for an arctic shipbuilder. “Indeed. They had a few ships on the racks, almost ready. We can probably start maritime operations within the year.”
“Regarding on-base operations, what protocols will we follow regarding chuubanite applications?” Gaia, as a Black Fleet officer, was well-acquainted with Mori-type chuubanite procedures, but other types were a bit foreign to her.
Niwa had the answer to her question. “New protocols we’ll have to develop. Luna-type is fairly available, and the Lunaito can help us adapt our devices to it. Moreover, the vitubium density measurements from my previous expeditions suggest large sources of chuubanite of unknown type may exist in the Arctic. Prospecting and exploiting those resources should be one of our objectives. Might be related to the high schizo occurrence as well...”
“Sounds like a plan. Let’s go check out the construction site.” Gaia showed a rare smile. She was glad that the admiral couldn’t make it.