You've Gotta Be In It To Win It! [THOR]

[Vio]

Athens Island, Marine Base
Cafeteria
1145 Hours

It was the second lunch rotation for Fort Wisdom, the primary Marine fortress constructed upon Athens, and the typical midday rush was in full swing. However, this day was anything but normal for the Marines stationed here, for the lunch hall was now to be shared with a far more intriguing group of law enforcers.

Assigned to a mission regarding a piratical force that had last been sighted approaching the island, the 86th Marine Division had arrived upon the country’s shores just two hours prior. With their ship docked, the force had taken up temporary residence within the walls and halls of the fortress, preparing for the trial ahead as they awaited the order of their superior – Captain Jacob Talon. Of course, the men and women of the division had to get their priorities straight. Food came first, and thus the hundred or so troops had packed themselves into the cafeteria without much hesitation.

That included the group’s second-in-command:

Lieutenant, Junior Grade
Yvionne Yngvildr
‘The Hammer of Justice’

A tall woman possessed of an hourglass figure, of which the top was far heavier than the bottom, the silver-haired siren currently stood amidst a line of her followers as they retrieved their respective meals. Said line was currently rather spacious, particularly around where she stood, though nobody but a few of the base’s own staff seemed to pay any mind to it as the line slowly cycled. So far, the woman’s tray consisted of little more than a round of salad-based sandwich and a glass of pineapple juice – a stark contrast to the plates of those before and after, who were cramming as much into their meals as the cafeteria cooks were willing to allow them.

Another man finished his order, the line shuffled along. A bowl of thick mushroom soup was soon added to Miss Yngvildr’s tray, filling out the meal a bit before she turned and made to sit down. However, one look at the officers’ table made her think twice about accompanying her superior, and so she made to sit elsewhere amidst the numbers of her allies.

-~-

“So,” said one of Fort Wisdom’s officers to the man opposite. “HQ sent you guys in to deal with these pirates, eh?”

“That’s right,” the target replied. A man of perhaps equal height to Yvionne, if not a smidgeon taller, dark golden blond hair framed his sharp visage and accentuated hawkish hazel eyes. He too was broad shouldered, but his build sleeker and distinctly more compact. Lithe musculature and powerful hands, skin a light bronze, but with a few pock marks here and there around his cheeks. Certainly not the most handsome of individuals – a deep looking scar ran from near the knuckle of his right ring index and vanished beneath the sleeve of his sky blue shirt – but by no means an unattractive fellow on the whole. This was the leader of the 86th Marine Division:

Captain
Jacob Talon
‘The Golden Eagle’

“They could’ve just warned us,” the base official replied, raising his flat palm as if to emphasise that Fort Wisdom’s forces could bear the additional weight with ease. Talon simply smiled a soft smile, taking a swig of his coffee, before scanning the officers around him. All of them were commissioned individuals placed in charge of the base and various associated units, his own LT not amongst them, and for good reason. As far as officers’ tables went, this one was on the small side, seating rather packed. Too much risk of an unintentional elbow to the breast for his second to be comfortable, though it wasn’t exactly her he was worried about, but more the consequences of an accidental clip.

“True, but from what I hear, you boys have already got your hands full with these smugglers and the people from Hannai?” Jacob commented knowingly.

“Hannai isn’t a problem – they keep to themselves and their scouting parties keep the peace,” another spoke up. “But those damnable smugglers and their Ageranil are what have really got us on the brink. We’ve had a few busts, took a load in last month, but it turns out that they were just a piece of the whole puzzle. Apparently this business has been going for decades, nigh on a century I’m willing to bet! But enough about our problems, Captain. What of yours? Are you sure you can handle this by yourselves?”

“Depends…”

“On what, might I ask?”

“What’s this ‘Ageranil’ like, Commander?” Talon asked.

-~-

Occupying an appropriately spacious seat between two of her compatriots, close to the end of a table, Lieutenant Yvie remained her usual quiet and emotionless self, listening half-heartedly to the conversations that went on between the seamen of her division and those of Wisdom’s forces. The typical naval banter was exchanged willy-nilly between mouths and ears, adding a buzz of liveliness to the cafeteria’s atmosphere which was only further enhanced by the presence of her associates.

Though certainly not the most ragtag bunch of maritime law enforcers amongst the rank and file of the World Navy, 86 did at least offer its troops a degree of leniency that they respected, and through that did the unit forge a mutual respect that made them one heck of a force to be reckoned with. As of now, however, conversation was mostly the men of the fort boasting about their effective assaults on the smuggling ring, and it was quite obvious that none of Yvionne and Jacob’s troops were all that fascinated by such exclamations…

SPOILER: Click to show

{*OOC*}

[/b]

[/font] (8e4585)
Jacob Talon (a28f2d)
Base Commander (111111)
Base Lieutenant (ffffff)[/ul][/ul][/spoiler][/font][/blockquote][/div][/div][/div]

[Blaka]

Nadya was hungry. Exhausted and hungry. And in need of a shower. But mainly hungry. Together with the other new seamen of her age, she was just returning from circuit training and accordingly worn out. Busy chatter was all around her, impatient comrades shoving each other towards the doors of the lunch hall. The corridors of Fort Wisdom were unusually cramped today for some reason. As if the base had had a sudden influx of new recruits and all of them went eating at the exact same time. The young redhead looked down at her feet while she skilfully dodged the fools around her trying to push forward and make it to the food a second earlier. She would have liked to punch some of them in the face for childish behaviour like that. Good luck to justice if this herd of monkeys were its future!

"Oy Orlov! You're slowing us down with those sails!", nagged the one right behind her, referring to the skygirl's huge wings that blocked half the hallway. Nadya didn't consider comments like that worthy of a reply. She was used to stings like that, especially from brash idiots like this one. So, instead of a verbal response, the marked maiden suddenly stopped walking. The result was loud laughter from the crowd behind her as the blockhead walked straight into her and recieved a mouthful of feathers. Coughing, he stumbled back and gnarled, likely turning bright red behind her back.
"You were saying?", she scoffed and walked ahead without waiting for an answer.

The commotion took long enough for the crowd in front of them to gain a head start, so the seawoman could walk ahead into the hall without being pushed or bothered. Very similar to somebody else just a moment ago, there was a quite bit of room left and right of her in the meal queue. However, in her case the reasons for it were apparent instantly: There was just no way anyone balance a tray next to the large feathery flaps on her back.

While waiting, the dark skinned recruit let her blue eyes wander absentmindedly around the hall. There were indeed a lot lot more people sitting at the tables than there normally were. That was about everything she took in, her mind already flew off in a different direction entirely. The busy soldier trainee had a tight schedule as always. Some guard duty, more training, even more guard duty, dinner, perhaps time to tend to her guns in the evening. She hadn't gotten an opportunity to properly scrub Baryschny in a few days now, something desperatly wanted to get to. Maybe she would just skip sleeping? It wasn't like there was anything to do around the Fort that required her to be at her best. Then again, as a good soldier you had to always be at your best. Perhaps no skipping sleep after all then.

A rude not about how her "plate's done" and she should "get out of the damn way" ripped the sky islander from her thoughts. Hastily, she nodded and stepped out of the line. A little frown appeared on her face when she realised that almost all of the tables were full. Instinctively moving in a direction opposite to the officers' table, she took the first seat she could see for herself. An exhausted sigh escaped her rosy lips. Finally being able to relax her legs a little felt good. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a fellow recruit sitting himself down to her right. Yrian Ozwiena was his name, an average dude with a mane of curly blonde hair on his head that covered his entire head down to the point of his chubby nose. He and Nadya has been acquaintances ever since their mutual time as chore kids on the 24th Marine Base. A good guy, this one. Even if he disagreed with her on a lot. The two of them had had longwinded and quite heated discussions about seafolk rights before. He claimed they should be allowed to walk freely anywhere in the world without discrimination. By the end of their talk it was apparent that Yrian was way more interested in looking at mermaids walking around all day than he was interested in them being free people. Nevertheless, the young Ozwiena was just as conscientious as Miss Orlov herself, so they got along relatively well. Completely immersed in the memory of the mermaid discussion, the winged redhead spooning her meal without paying attention to anyone else around her. The sooner she was done eating, the more time she would have in the rest of the day.

"N-nad?"
"What is it Rian?" she snapped annoyed
"Look up."

Rolling her eyes, Nad did as she was told - and gulped. There was a person in front of her who looked like she most definitely did not belong here at the regular soldiers' table. Not dressed in a uniform, the woman was instead wearing a white shirt, blue tie and a sleeveless plum-coloured jumper on top of it. Certainly an officer of some sort. Instantly, Nadya turned red from nervousness. Luckily the rouge on her cheeks made this barely noticeable. Hopefully, her snapping into a straight sitting poisition and her vacant stare would attract more attention.

"Good morning ma'am!" she managed to get out. Despite the emotional distress it always cost her, the recruit was still always on point when it came to etiquette in front of a superior "Seawoman Apprentice Nadya Orlov, reporting for duty!"

Eagerly, she awaited a response, and order to let her carry on eating or something similar, hoping to a higher power that the other woman wasn't a chatty one. Without a reaction, she would keep sitting where she was, dreading to come off as impolite, let alone impudent. To her incredible embaressement, Yrian didn't have that problem at all.

"Man, Nad! Cheer up a bit! We are so lucky today!"

Shut up shut up shut up shut up!

"Do you know who this is?!"

No I don't SHUT UP!

"You're sitting on the same table as Lieutenant Yvionne Yngvildr, Officer of the THOR Unit!"

Wether or not it was impolite not to share her comrade's enthusiam at this point, Nadya couldn't say. So she just kept sitting there staring straight at the Lieutenant. Never before had she heard of this "THOR Unit". Thankfully, Rian soon enough enlightened her.

"You know, the ones that go around and scorch out pirate bases all day every day! They must be here because of the ruckus in the maze, right?!"

Internally, Nadya was sinking in to the ground in shame about her seatmate at this point.
Have a little respect why don't you!

[Vio]

Quietly partaking of her mushroom soup amidst the assortment of seamen and women, Yvionne Yngvildr merrily retained a rather blank, uncaring expression as she went about the business of lunch. Though a devout follower of the cause and an upholder of Justice in its most Absolute form, the woman herself was nothing shy of an apathetic individual and was showcasing her disinterest by paying no mind to any of the soldiers that surrounded her. The lack of her Justice Coat upon her shoulders only further camouflaged her from afar, the usual officer’s garb often dropped by such men and women when entering the mess so as to avoid unwanted food particles from committing sacrilege upon the Kanji. Admittedly, her standard attire was anything but normal for a soldier, but it did take a closer inspection for one to realise that this was indeed an officer sitting amidst the disorderly rank and file.

“Good morning, Ma’am!”

“Cheer up a bit!”

For Nadya Orlov, Seawoman Apprentice currently stationed at Fort Wisdom, ‘cheer up a bit’ was apparently not something she was capable of doing. Her associate, a Mister Ozwiena, seemed the far more vocal sort, however. Even so, neither the excessively respectful efforts of the former – nor the praise and chattiness of the latter – seemed to faze the silver-haired sailor. Soup was most definitely the most attention grabbing item on today’s menu of madness as of current, for Yvie was quite content with an apparent ignorance for a few seconds longer than was probably courteous.

“You’re sitting on the same table as Lieutenant Yvionne Yngvildr!”

“Huh…?” Finally looking up at the mention of her name and approximate rank, dark plum irises quickly scanned the two troopers sat opposite, though by no means was her attention to detail manifested. A dark-skinned woman with a mass of vivid scarlet curls upon her head, strange white plumes protruding from her back, and a young man with blond hair and a slightly pudgy façade had taken up residence on the other side of the table. Though many thought otherwise about the former, neither one nor the other really stood out all that much for the likes of the LT. Daughter of a martyr – Alberton Yngvildr, who had given his life to the cause during the Summit War of Marineford – it was no surprise that Yvionne had already seen her fair share of peculiarities among the world’s populace.

-~-

“Ageranil’s a steroid of sorts, harvested from local flora that grows almost exclusively here on Athens,” the Commander explained in response to Talon’s odd query. Just why was it that the Captain would be concerned about such a thing when it had little to no relevance toward his current objective? Nonetheless, the answer continued; “It’s potent stuff that aggravates the adrenal glands, essentially sending the consumer into overdrive. In the right doses, it can be a powerful battle steroid – there’s rumours regarding a medical use for the compound. But even the slightest overdose puts you at severe risk of total heart failure, which is why it’s such a big deal for us to shut down the smugglers. They couldn’t care less how you take it, so long as they get their pay.”

“Only someone who knew about it could regulate the dosage.”

“Bingo.”

“The stuff can be taken raw – ground straight from the leaves or roots – but they usually press it into pills, little black triangles which can kill because the concentration’s never regulated,” added the assisting LT. Jacob raised his hand to his chin, pinching it between forefinger and thumb as his eyes narrowed in thought.

“Not going to lie; I think Ageranil could lead to some serious medical breakthroughs.”

“With you on that, Commander.”

“So, what’s your take on this one, Captain? What does Ageranil have to do with these pirates your chasing?” the Commander enquired, no doubt asking the question that was on the mind of everyone present. 86’s leader looked up, face drawn out as if he was running through some complex algorithmic arithmetic. He clicked his tongue, lowered his hands and turned to assess the numbers around him, the cafeteria packed pretty much to the brim with bodies. Or, as he currently saw them through those hazel hues, viable candidates. His eyes lingered elsewhere for a moment before he turned back to his lunch partners.

“I don’t think there’s any solid connection – seems too far-fetched that they’d be in on the smuggling ring,” the ‘Golden Eagle’ explained sharply, knowingly. “However, I don’t want to take any chances regarding this steroid that they’re pumping out, especially after I got the heads up about the labyrinth. They’re pretty strong in numbers, though THOR outnumbers three-to-two, but it’s them who hold the effective ‘high ground’ here.”

-~-

“They must be here because of the ruckus in the maze, right?” Seaman Ozwiena suggested with uncanny precision. To be fair, it was no secret as to why the 86th Marine Division had come to the island in the first place – it was a group that only made landfall at major bases to stock supplies and rotate their regiments, whilst smaller forts and outposts were graced with their presence when something was awry in the vicinity. Very few of the smaller naval fortifications could spare the time and numbers to deal with runaway pirate crews and Revolutionary occupation, hence the need for such a force in these regions of the world. It was for similar reasons that the name ‘THOR’ was relatively hit and miss within the World Navy; some heard the name, others did not, all depending on when and where they had served, or if their interests dictated so.

“You betcha!”

“Sure are.”

“Somebody said you’ve got some roaches,” commented yet another of the unit’s men. “Well, we’re the exterminators.”

A few of them glanced to Miss Yngvildr, who had quietly returned to sipping soup.

“You’re probably better off not stressin’, Orlov,” added another soldier from nearby. “The LT ain’t exactly the most… formal type, so long as you’re doin’ good.”

“Hm? Oh… Sorry… Carry on… At ease…”

Needless to say, the ‘Hammer of Justice’ was surprisingly inadequate at hitting the nail on the head when it came to talking to subordinates. Such an obvious flaw – or blessing as many of the THOR troops called it – was quickly made manifest when she realised how much of her attentions had been wasted on the consumption of soup.

“What does THOR stand for, anyway?”

“The Heavy Ordnance Regiment,” sang about three different men in near perfect unison…

SPOILER: Click to show

{*OOC*}

[/b]

[/font] (8e4585)
Jacob Talon (a28f2d)
Base Commander (111111)
Base Lieutenant (ffffff)[/ul][/ul][/spoiler][/font][/blockquote][/div][/div][/div]

[Blaka]

The longer the officer took to react, the more anxious Nadya got. For sure, Yrian's disrespect just got them into big trouble. On top of the ominous silence from the woman, the gazes of everybody else at the table drilled into her. Surely, they were all thinking the same: This crappy fort didn't have its soldiers under control. No wonder the crime rate on Athens was through the roof despite the navy base stationed here. Any chance of getting on the strangers' good side had vanished in an instant.

An especially crushing thought when their job actually sounded interesting. Months and months as a trainee really couldn't compare to the adventure these guys and gals were surely going through every day. Here on land, all a recruit could do was eat and train all day. Dish washing, defending herself against idiotic colleagues or a biweekly patrol through the market place were the only things that broke up the routine. These people though, they were in the thick of it from what was being said. Always on edge, battleing pirates out sea, raiding revolutionary countries! The "exterminators" to the "roaches" that regular people called notorious criminals! That was the life Nad was dreaming of! Unfortunately, thanks to Mr. Ozwiena, this chance had passed...

Or did it?
For a split second the baffleing surprise about THOR's actual reaction appeared on her reddened face before snapping back to normal. Only a frequent blinking hinted at the utter disbelief of what she was experiencing. The Lieutenant, who she had expected to explode at Yrian any second now, barely seemed to care. If that. One could even speculate that she simply forgot she was supposed to react to a fellow soldier's greeting? Of course Miss Orlov wouldn't dare suggest this out loud, or even allow herself to think this way. Surely, the woman was just in some deep thoughts about today's mission and didn't want to be disturbed.

"Thank you ma'am!" the redhead nodded and turned her head towards her seatmate. Who didn't even look like he percieved the importance of the situation at all. Instead, he was chatting with the stranger soldiers as if he was friends with them.

"Heavy Ordenance? Are you going to fire at the maze with your canons?! That's a long way from the shore you know, what kind of guns does your ship have?"

"Rian you idiot!" laughed the Athen soldier on his right "As if you could beat with Primetimes with guns!"

"Yeah man!" yelled somebody a little further down the table "We are talking 'Prime Time' Bob here! They beat the damn maze monsters and set up camp in there! As if these guys could do more against them than our men! It's not just that we don't have the men, they just own those parts now! These guys can't do any more about it than us, haha!

"Whaaat?" Mr. Ozwiena was visibly affronted by his fellow men "Have you not heard? Where THOR goes, no bad guy comes out again in one p- "

"Rian!" Nad hissed. The blank expression on her face had turned into fury. If not for the LT still sitting there, she was ready to beat him black and blue just about now. Just her look made the curly head shut up immediately and duck a little. Keeping her wrathful gaze on him, Miss Orlov spoke up for the sake of everyone. "Please excuse my colleagues ma'am and sirs. They don't usually behave like little kids!"

[odango]

*I was quite hoping to get a bigger variety of herbs. Perhaps I should just look for more shops*

These were the thoughts of a female officer, a dark-haired, hazel eyed marine, dressed in a slightly oversized uniform shirt to hide her hourglass features – yet, to no avail. If someone were curious of her reasons, it was simple: Tsubaki did not wish to be noticed by her rack first and everything else later. Besides, she got picked on when she was younger, so the teen still held some insecurity and felt dressing in baggy clothing helpful.

A frail skinned, slender arm reached up to drive through her brown hair. Today she did not have the waist-long locks fully pulled up, just one side pinned back. Now, staring through the glass at her soon meal-to be, she couldn’t help but ponder on where to go next in her search for tea leaves. She had heard Athens was a great culinary center. The cooking competitions are supposedly quite exciting and the variety of ingredients one could gain was supposed to be superb. However, her journey had left her slightly disappointed. The young tea fan did not get all she expected.

*Then again, perhaps my expectations were too high. I did get a few high quality portions of Jasmine, ginger and mint. I’ll be set for green teas for a while. And on my way back to this base I did get to score a couple bottles of my favorite soy sauce. On sale, even!*

She took a deep breath and a slight smile curled her lips. Right, she found the bright side. The teenager usually looked for the bright side - it helped her keep inner peace. Or rather – it helped her keep a hold of all the things she had not gotten over before joining the marines and that still troubled her. So, instead of facing all of her demons head on and risking changing herself or not knowing herself anymore, she realized that taking an “observing” role in the world suited her quite good. It mostly had perks, but it also meant she didn’t really feel worthy of attachments or relationships, while some think she wanted them.

It was time, once again, the line for food moved forward. While the young officer had been deep in thought and just staring off into space now and then, now came the time to start focusing. What was it she really wanted to eat? It would be best if she decided already. It would be impolite to make the people behind her wait. And, she couldn’t take the same thing as the person in front of her, now could she? That would seem like copying and she did not wish to be considered a stalker in a new place. Now, desperately, her hazel eyes searched once again for the menu (in case she could not spot everything laid out).

*Where is-oh… Right. Right… why don’t they have a lot of things fried in soy sauce? Don’t people like teriyaki here? Oh, no, there is squid. Hmmmm. I kind of dislike squid. Then again, last time I had it, mom was experimenting. I guess, since it’s teriyaki, I can give it another shot* Tsubaki nodded to herself and a slight frown formed on her forehead. It seemed she had just made a rather important decision. The nineteen year old felt a bit more like an adult now. While she technically was one, at times it felt like she was not yet a “real one”. Even as a newly promoted Petty Officer, which meant that she would be in charge of other people, she felt like she'd rather have a real adult to ask for advice.

While looking away from the menu and letting her gaze fall wherever fate had planned, she later spotted the salad bar and it made her wonder. *As much as I love fried things, I should probably eat healthier. Yes, I could even do a couple extra laps every morning. I do hate running. And some salads look very pretty. I bet I will stop feeling like lettuce is only meant for rabbits after some point. I love the taste of tomatoes and cucumbers. Carrots are fine as well, so that means I’d be a good salad eater. I heard people get happier once they go green… or is it they tell themselves they are happy and actually just are to proud to admit otherwise? Oh wow, that could be sad…*

Without her noticing, the person in front of her had already gotten all of his food and now it was her turn to order something from the main courses. She didn’t feel like getting any of the soups or appetizers, so this would be her main and only dish.

”Yes, how can I help you?” The lady behind the counter asked and Tsubaki could feel herself getting a little nervous for reasons unknown. In these situations – especially with a new person, she felt like in the piano recitals from her childhood. Also, with the next breath she took, the hazel eyed brunette took in a big whiff of the lady’s perfume. It was sweet. A nice scent, but the Taighana family descendant didn’t really enjoy sweets. The only way she could think of describing the scent was a fifty-fifty mix of vanilla and freshly baked cookies.

”Uh, yes…” the teen snapped out of the sweetness induced daze and returned to the important task, which was her lunch order. ”I’ll have the Teriyaki squid with a double portion of sweet potatoes and sour cream. And a cup of whichever Ceylon-type teas you have with a teaspoon of honey and a slice of lemon, if possible. If not, I understand.” The last part of what she said came quite humbly. Not just because she was in a new place and practically knew no one, but because she thought that people working in the food industry often got weirdly specific requests. While she didn’t think hers was too over the top, she also did not wish to cause extra trouble.

”Ok, understood. Would you like any salad on the side, as well?” the older woman asked, rustling around in search for something she seemed to have misplaced. The lady seemed a couple decades older than Tsubaki yet had a remarkable posture, her hair tied up neatly and her face holding a warm, friendly look that Tsubaki was sure this woman was born with.

”Oh no, thanks, I don’t think I’ll be able to eat it all otherwise.” She replied with a bashful smile, knowing very well, she took a double portion of potatoes and just a moment ago was thinking about changing diets. It made her feel bad, yet good at the same time, because she really, really wanted to eat the teriyaki. It didn’t take long for the food to reach her tray and now she could finally step out of the humanoid train, which was forming the line for food. Oh, the smell of the food was something to adore. Perhaps, she felt that way because there had been a larger gap between her meals as usual, but she could feel drool building up in her mouth and her stomach seemed to do a wave on its own beneath her shirt.

The only thing she needed now was a seat. She never expected it to be this full. They never got the cafeteria so full at the 80th. Then again, it was bigger there. Also, there was another problem at the back of her head which now quickly grew into a sad realization with possibly damaging effects.

*Right…. I have no friends here.* Her lips kneaded shut at the realization and she just stared down at her tray, suppressing the urge of sighing heavily. She hadn’t met any of the happy-go-lucky type even. When she arrived to the base, she was pretty sure that they kind of didn’t really notice because of an otherwise huge commotion. Ah well, she would ask for the details after she ate. Or maybe they did notice and just deemed her so uninteresting that they just gave a nonchalant attitude. At that moment, she had no clue.

Her stomach growled and once again she snapped herself out of a daze. Right! The goal was to sit down somewhere now. She did, in fact, see a free space. After taking a glance back at the line of people still waiting, she decided that the place might stay free for a best of half a minute. Only after making her way over did she realize someone might be actually holding it for a friend.

”I apologize, but is this seat taken?” The busty teenager asked in general to the people at the table. The nearest ones were a blonde lad and a red-head with a weird back-pack. Or was it a backpack. Funny, it looked fluffy. Also there was another woman, her physical build seemed quite similar to Tsubaki’s. Except for the attempt to conceal her form, that is. There was also a different feel around the woman. It was calming. Not exactly warm, but calming - at least to Tsubaki. However, something drew her gaze back to the girl with red locks.

*Oh. My. God. Wings. Like… real wings?! Perhaps it’s a trend on this island? I kind of want to touch them now. I wonder if they’re soft… Or maybe it is a backpack. I can’t really tell from this angle.* She shortly got lost in thought again, but this time lasted just a second, so she was sure no one noticed. Also, she did not want to stare. That would be rude. For now she just waited for the response about the seat and at the same time glanced around to see if any other seats might be free in case this one was indeed taken.

[Vio]

_{“Looks like we’ve got ourselves a real fanboy…”}

_{“You ain’t kiddin’.”}

_{“Least a few of ‘em have got a good ‘ead on their shoulders.”}

Ozwiena’s enthusiasm over the force of the 86th Division was astounding, a more secluded handful of the unit’s troops exchanging words of awkward neutrality between them whilst the aforementioned Seaman continued to converse relentlessly. For the men and woman who made up the seafaring crew, being asked what THOR stood for was a surprisingly common occurrence. What was not so common an occurrence, however, was to be inundated with questions bordering on the excessive about their purpose; but alas the troops simply replied to the fanatic’s talking with most unintendedly choreographed eye-roll in recorded history. As for their LT… well, Yvionne Yngvildr was maintaining her typically equanimous outlook on all things unrelated to the enforcement of Absolute Justice. Finishing her meal was far more important on her current agenda.

“Please, excuse my colleagues, ma’am and sirs.” Orlov.

It was only a moment or so after that a new face showed up. Some grade of Petty Officer, judging by choice of attire, but that was practically all that the woman known as the ‘Hammer of Justice’ paid attention to before returning to the consumption of soup. Even so, this new woman was of moderate stature and attractive build – almost comparable to Yvie’s own in terms of hourglass shape, but nowhere near as top heavy overall. Even as heavy in the chest as she was, the brunette did not share the same sort of upper body as the THOR Division’s second-in-command, lacking the same broadness of shoulder. A few wandering eyes of Fort Wisdom went here and there, whilst their guests seemed not to care of the additional ‘feminine charms’.

“…Is this seat taken?”

Though PO Taighana’s query was not directed at her, the Junior Lieutenant’s neighbouring co-workers did do something that might have seemed rather rude in response. Though it was hardly noticeable to any untrained eye, the corners of their mouths respected dipped by the slightest degree at the prospect of space invasion; their eyes briefly checking the surrounding area to make sure the biggest threat to their well-being would not come to pass. Sure enough, it appeared that the inquisitor had her own hazel hues set on an opposing seat, rather than the vestiges of space that were maintained between them and their superior. Though Athens’ men and women might not have been aware of it, the men of the Eighty-Sixth were well acquainted – physical contact with the silver-haired lady was not a good idea.

-~-

“Hmm, I see what you mean,” the Commander replied. Talon’s assessment of the situation was sharp, the man seemingly wanted to take every possible facet of danger into account before sending his troops in, and in a way it made Athens’ officer feel inadequate. No, not inadequate – this was a chance to learn from one of the best in the business. This man with blond hair, the ‘Golden Eagle’, knew the precautions one needed to take against the fiercest of pirates on this half of the Grand Line. “The PTP’s are no pushovers, as I’m certain you know. What’s worse is their M.O., putting a man through their paces like that is sick and twisted, and we don’t even know the exact details of what happens…”

“All the more reason to take it slow, if you ask me.”

“But what if they escape?” the LT inquired quickly.

“They won’t,” Jacob answered, taking a swig of his coffee, his lips furled into a smile. “We all know ‘Prime-Time’ Bob’s favoured saying by now, don’t we? The man’s a show-off and can’t control himself when there’s an audience; that much we’re well aware of – all the reports and recon teams say the same thing. How long’s it been since they arrived on Athens…?”

“Three days.” Lieutenant.
“Your lot showed up like lightning.”

“Three days of bunkering down into the labyrinth, and our scouting parties only found the corpses of some of that place’s fauna,” the Commander explained, gritting his teeth. Eyes then looked to THOR’s Captain; that sharp face seemed to display no sense of urgency in regards to the Prime-Time Pirates and their reign of chaos upon the seas. However, it was not a look of procrastination. This man was not shirking his duties by any means. That much they could tell just by the glint in his eyes. In fact, it almost seemed as if he had planned every little detail in advance – he might have known what they were doing even before they did. Unnerving, but inspiring.

“So, what is it you need…?”

-~-

“Nah, you’re fine,” replied one of the sailors to Tsubaki’s question, budging along slightly to make room for the Petty Officer between himself and Nadya. By this point in time, one side of the table was looking comparatively more cramped than the other. More importantly, Miss Yngvildr had finished her mushroom soup, taking a break to drink some of her pineapple juice before proceeding to her sandwiches. Granary bread wrapped around spinach, sliced tomato and white onion, mayonnaise – an entirely salad-based morsel which she steadily began to eat her way through with the smallest of bites, otherwise paying little attention to her environment. Her face might not have said so, but her mind was utterly focused on the upcoming mission.

…

Unfortunately, her ability to take into account the smaller factors was minimal at best, and so any personal planning another officer might have tended to was utterly absent. As far as she was concerned, all Yvionne needed to do was walk in and introduce the faces of Prime-Time Bob and his cohorts to that of ‘Sans-Serif’. Speaking of which, said weapon of choice was currently being stored in the armoury of THOR’s main vessel, Thrúdheim. Let’s face it; carrying around a whopping great big mallet whose head is forged of solid Kairōseki is anything but practical outside of battle situations…

SPOILER: Click to show

{*OOC*}

'll give you this round to get acquainted and such before Talon makes his move. I'm still setting up, so to speak.

Starring

[/font] (8e4585)
Jacob Talon (a28f2d)
Base Commander (111111)
Base Lieutenant (ffffff)
Nadya Orlov (990000)
Tsubaki Taighana (550055)
Rian Ozwiena (009999)[/ul][/ul][/spoiler][/font][/blockquote][/div][/div][/div]

[Blaka]

“…Is this seat taken?”

The winged girl's fiery gaze turned from the sorry Yrian to the origin of a new voice. She was a few centimeters shorter than herself but not enough that Nadya would have to look down in front of her. A low ranked officer perhaps. Judging by her age, it couldn't be high enough to deserve the same amount of respect as the Lieutenant. Likely, she was just a 'soldier in charge' as Nad liked to call them. People that were allowed to order her around, but were still seen as equals. Equals that could be advised, judged and even questioned in their decision making. And boy did the redhead question this one's decision making right of the bat.

For one, the choice of attire. This rank of soldier was allowed to chose any clothing they wanted and didn't have to go with whatever they were supplied with. There was no fault in staying in Marine colours - at least get something that fits though, right? Instead, the stranger had gone for a uniform that lacked any form, a size or so two big, bogged and impractical. Speaking of impractical, the long brown mane surely would be in the way during a fight constantly. Same for that scarf of hers. For this reason, Miss Orlov's own hair was kept in a ponytail lest she was on vacation. Minor complaints, sure, but this was her first impression. Of course, she wouldn't deny a superior rank a seat in the presence of an officer. So, Nadya made sure to budge as well.

Almost, this resulted in a face full of feathers for Yrian. However the blonde was already experienced in situations like this. Needless to say, he dodged skillfully - even managed to keep his eyes on the new gal. Where they would stay for the entire rest of the meal, this was something Nadya already had experience with. The young man's hairstyle, covering the upper half of his face, made him think that people couldn't see where he was looking. His eyes were hidden under a mass of curls after all. Clearly, he was blissfully unaware that one could still tell where his nose was pointing. Multiple times, his winged companion had pointed out that his trick didn't work if he turned his head. To no avail of course. It was always like that with him and new girls. Wherever they turned to, Rian's head would follow them, visible to everyone. Somebody had once mockingly compared him to a "Southbird" for this. Not entirely sure what a southbird was supposed to be, Nadya liked to keep it to "idiot".

Despite not believing in the same amount of respect, the sky lass still kept up formalities as the curvy officer would sit down.
"Good day, ma'am! Enjoy your meal, ma- blurgh"
Her good manners fell apart the moment her blue hues fell on the brunette's plate. Something squishy, slimy and absolutely disgusting was sitting there: squid. As much as the otherwise attentive soldier wanted to hold it in, a loud retching sound escaped her mouth. Even the thought of somebody putting fish or similar things in their mouth was unimaginably gross to her. Seafood was smelly, icky, heck even out of this world disgusting!

Any appetite for her own soup was instantly gone. More and more the dark skinned angel was regretting her choice of table. Normally this was the sign for her to get up and leave, but she wouldn't risk being rude in front of Miss Yngvildr.
Just power through. Distract yourself.
"S-so, you are new here in the Fort right?" she would nervously attempt to start a conversation, desperately ignoring her slip up gagging entirely. As well as doing her best to keep her eyes up instead of staring at the squid with open loathing. Once again she felt the looks of the entire table resting on her. Keeping her mouth shut about about it couldn't be so hard either.
"Seawoman Apprentice Nadya Orlov by the way. The food here is nice right?" She just couldn't stop herself. "Plenty of options aside from dried up fishy slimeballs."
Damnit.

[odango]

*Eh? Did I not say it politely enough?* Tsubaki thought, noticing a slight change of attitude right after she asked the residents of the table. There was tension. Why? She wouldn’t know. Perhaps all of them were really close and now with this act she was invading their privacy... That could have been it. Besides, she had apologized already. What would she do now? It seemed the other table she was eyeing just got packed. The young officer did not want to return to those annoying situations she faced long ago, when still being bullied by her peers, and finding herself alone with no place to go.

Odd, the idea called a flashback to the time. There was nothing specific, just the concept of the situation. However, she did remember the feeling - the heavy feeling in her gut and how she froze, not knowing what to do. She had tried to say something but there were just so many people. All of them found it funny how she wouldn’t have anywhere to sit and that no one wanted to sit with her. They continued to promise it to her over and over. In the end, holding back the urge to cry, a ten or eleven year old version of Tsubaki would just leave and dine alone for the rest of her studies with them.

One of the seamen did actually respond to her and move to the side, making room for the brunette between himself and the redhead with those wing-like anomalies on her back. To this the young noble gave a polite smile and proceeded to put her tray down first and then sit down. While taking a seat, her arm accidentally touched Nadya’s wing for no more than half a second. It was soft. The brush-by actually tickled quite a bit. It came as a shock – Tsubaki genuinely believed Nadya was in possession of wings, real wings. Fascinating! The young noble did recall reading about people with wings but as most times – she didn’t actually stand to imagine what that might look like. Oh, what if that was just it – Nadya was how winged people looked like? Or perhaps they all looked completely different from one another…

*I kind of… want to touch them now. However, that would be rude, I think.* the young marine pondered, while getting ready to eat. She would first pay attention to the tea, stirring the liquid long enough until she couldn’t feel any lumps of honey left in the cup. Also, the process resulted with bringing out a sweet scent which made her happy. There was something about the smell of honey that lifted her spirits every time.

As she was picking up her dining tools, the red haired girl next to her spoke up with a greeting and proceeded to wish Tsubaki a good meal. But then, in an unexpected turn of events, something got caught in her throat and the darker skinned angel lost the ability to finish her sentence. Perhaps the sound and halt of words was also caused by a sneeze. Officer Taighana did not know how this woman sneezed but she planned on being polite about it, just in case.

”Ah, thank you very much! Have a great meal and … bless you… I guess?” the more fair-skinned teen replied to Nadya. Now that Tsubaki would be able to take a closer look, she noticed the other girl could not be far off from her age. So, she was probably new to the force? That would be nice. If Tsubaki could, she would offer help in any way possible. Then again – she was new and did not know how this marine base functioned. Back at the 80th they were not really formal during lunch breaks. After observing how Nadya was acting, she started to think that it might not have been the case here.

*I hope she’s fine. Perhaps this girl is overly allergic to honey or something similar?*

Tsubaki Taighana was not one who liked to talk a lot while eating – especially while eating something fried in soy sauce – but she figured socialization was a must if she were to stay at Athens for a longer period of time. In the meantime, while the red head was occupied with something else, the young noble could attend to her meal. Before even starting to think about getting started on her sweet potatoes and squid, the girl reached out for her cup of tea. With one of the picks provided for picking up lemon slices Tsubaki did just that and added the citrus fruit to her cup. A smile curled her lips, since the scent of the tea changed from a warm and nostalgic one to a now fresh fusion of feelings. Her face now holding a smile, the young brunette happily took her first sip of the liquid, making her fingers curl around the cup from the pleasurable feeling roaming through her mouth, throat and then traveling lower into her body while leaving behind a warm sensation.

Needless to say – Tsubaki liked tea a lot.

Her lunch neighbor soon spoke again, bringing Tsubaki’s attention away from her tea and back to the flare head. *Huh?* Right. Small talk. It was a custom, since they had already spoken. Her hazel eyes now set on her new acquaintance, the new officer listened to her question, wondering how much did this girl need and want to know about Tsubaki. The piano-loving teen figured this was more out of being polite or even “looking like being polite” so that the norm for interaction with higher ranks was kept. It was probably that or Nadya actually cared. Now, that would make Tsubaki’s day a lot better, but she doubted it would be the case.

Her overall composure channeled warmth still and while holding the feeling of a smile on her face, the girl responded in a polite tone: ”Ah, I am new. I arrived just this morning. This place seems quite interesting, I must say. she began, genuinely happy to have walked through the markets. The scenery was also quite beautiful in her opinion.
”Petty Officer Tsubaki Taighana, pleasure to meet you, mis.”

Then she began to pay attention to her food. Our heroine was quite excited to see what this place called “teriyaki”. Her hopes and prayers went with the cook. She might have to look for a different place to eat if the teriyaki was unacceptable. But truth be told, she rarely found a bad version of teriyaki at all so the cafeteria was probably going to be fine.

This time Tsubaki had taken a knife and a fork since the tools were better for manipulating heavier sauces like sour cream. Taking her fork in her left hand and her knife in her right hand, she proceeded to cut a piece of honey and soy sauce glazed squid into three smaller pieces, then she switched the fork to her other hand, put the knife down and started to eat. As she thought, the teriyaki was just fine. Good, the nineteen year old would be able to come to this same place for food, if needed.

Tsubaki had just taken a mouthful when Nadya spoke again. This time she officially introduced herself as a seawoman recruit by the name of Nadya Orlov. *Nadya is a pretty name…* Officer Taighana said in her thoughts and as much as she wanted to respond, her mouth was still full of food and there was no way she was going to speak before chewing her food first. Then – before the hazel eyed marine could swallow the first bits of food, Nadya spoke again. It looked like the winged girl did not approve of her choice of food? Or was that her unique way of trying to be funny? For a moment Tsubaki just smiled in an awkward manner until Nad’s final comment which clearly was directed to the seafood on PO Taighana’s plate.

”But… it’s Teriyaki.” she pointed out and was a bit confused as to why there were any doubts since it had something to do with soy sauce.

[Vio]

Blissfully unaware of the goings on around her, Yvionne Yngvildr seemed to pay no mind to the discussions of her own crewmen; let alone the odd talk of food preferences in which Orlov and Taighana were the chief participants. Casual talking was nothing to do with the enforcement of the law and the deliverance of justice in its most absolute forms, so why would the LT care? Only fleeting fragments of their conversation actually reached her ears:

“The food here is nice, right…?”

“But… it’s Teriyaki…”

--~--

“A full unit of capable soldiers from your troops,” Captain Talon replied, quite suddenly cutting to the chase in the moment he had been asked. That glint in his eye, passing like a shooting star, was now burning bright like a fire. He continued, passing off his company’s looks of surprise: “Recon teams and estimations show Bob’s forces to number within the range of one-twenty and one-forty, as per my previous statement.”

“Wait, so you only have a crew of two hundred?” Fort Wisdom’s LT commented, his own surprised look growing increasingly more prevalent by the minutes. “That’s barely a regiment, Captain.”

“That’s all they need.”

“Eh…?”

“Two hundred men and women are on duty at any one given time, with the crew numbers totally four hundred. One half on, one half off – we’re not like your typical crew,” Jacob explained. His hands made gestures on the table, as if explaining the crew’s mechanic. “In bigger circumstances, we switch to full active duty; that’s all four hundred troops and supporting officers, with a small flotilla of three vessels, main ship included. But we’re not purging an island today – just smoking ourselves out some rats. I don’t plan on going in with my full crew, either. It’ll be myself and by Junior Lieutenant, Miss Yngvildr, plus eighty men. The remainder of the 86th will set up outposts around all known exit points to the labyrinth.”

“How many extra hands do you need?”

“Forty should suffice. That secures an overall two-to-one.”

“Then consider it done, Captain,” the Commander replied. “Will you choose them yourself, or shall I recommend…?”

--~--

“‘Tension!”

In unison, all the soldiers of THOR that were present turned in their seats. Those that could not abandoned them entirely, standing so as to provide eye contact and certainty where it was due. The typical banter of the cafeteria was silenced within a second, the respect for the Captain of the 86th Division dominating the room. Junior Lieutenant Yngvildr herself suddenly adopted an entirely different aura. The indifference and quietness that had possessed her in the presence of all these faces – new and familiar alike – completely ebbed away at the word of her commanding officer. Abandoning her sandwich, quickly swallowing the small mouthful of granary and salad dressings, she stood and turned to face the blond sir who stood likewise at the opposite end of the room.

“Yes, sir.”

Though the look on her face had hardly even changed, it was clear enough by her stature that Yvionne was paying full attention. Quite frankly, she towered over nearly everyone else in the room, regardless of whether they were standing or not, and was perhaps the only one to match her superior’s height exactly. Dark plum irises were focused entirely upon the ‘Golden Eagle’ as he paced slowly into a better position from which to speak his mind and, whilst the majority of her subordinates were treating this more casually, she was in full call to arms stance. Feet together, back straight (which had the unfortunate side effect of making her chest stick out further), left arm down, right in salute.

“You should all be aware of the recent arrival of the piratical force known as the ‘Prime Time’ Pirates. That is why we – THOR – are presently sharing your facilities. And I have to say, the Teriyaki is delicious,” Talon added, not at all surrendering the intonations of import that currently laced his words. By now, he stood in the midst of the tides of seamen and women, turning slowly as he spoke and making sure to catch the eye of each and every soldier present. “The enemy has taken refuge within the confines of Athens’ labyrinth – a network of ancient underground tunnels rumoured to span much of the length of the island. It is several layers deep, the full extent unknown, but we will be marching in without hesitation. I will be delegating orders as necessary over the course of the next few hours, but first I wish to ask you all something. Save for my own men and women, within whom I have every ounce of faith, how many of you here are willing to lend your assistance?”

A tense pause filled the room. Many soldiers exchanged glances here and there. Some looked to fellow Athens’ troops, as if questioning their associates about whether to join or not. Others eyed the 86th’s forces, almost questioning of their Captain’s means and motives, for it was certainly an unusual thing. Alas, Yvie knew this behaviour all too well – all of their troops did. Talon was not one to force a man’s hand without good reason, although she somewhat resented his course of action at times; overall her respect for him was immense. She, and indeed many other officers, would have picked from the litter available as she saw fit. Her superior did not do that; he always gave the choice, and was about to explain why.

“THOR is unlike your typical division that sails the seas in search of pirates and Revolutionary threats. What we do is not for the faint of heart, nor the weak of mind. In our quest for justice, we have scorched entire towns to ashes and rubble. As much as we may care for the people, we cannot let our love of them interfere, lest we expose ourselves to the horrors that dare to terrorise the oceans of our world. So,” he concluded. “I, Captain Jacob Talon, will not order you to aid our cause. Nor will I accept the recommendations of fellow superior officers. As soldiers – as people – this is your choice to make. I will speak with Fort Wisdom’s command chain. When you’ve made your decision, speak with your commanding officers. You have until sixteen hundred hours. Thank you, and as you were!”

Always giving them the choice, even though they should always be willing to act… Steadily abandoning her salute, the silver-haired siren watched as her superior walked calmly out of the mess. Everyone else had long since given him the nod of approval and returned to their business, the hubbub of activity and talk now focusing more on the CO’s words than the more trivial conversations of before, but it was not until Jacob left the room that the Junior Grade Lieutenant resumed her seat…

SPOILER: Click to show

{*OOC*}

t's up to you two how to go from here. If you want to time skip to talking to your superior(s), or just skip that and go straight to meeting up at 1600, then you can do so. We'll be all meeting up outside Fort Wisdom, then marching to one of the labyrinth entrances.

Starring

[/font] (8e4585)
Jacob Talon (a28f2d)
Base Commander (111111)
Base Lieutenant (ffffff)
Nadya Orlov (990000)
Tsubaki Taighana (550055)
Rian Ozwiena (009999)[/ul][/ul][/spoiler][/font][/blockquote][/div][/div][/div]

[Blaka]

"But… it's Teriyaki…"

Way too ashamed of her slip up, Nadya did not even attempt to continue the argument. Blushing once more, she looked down at her soup. The Teriyaki comment had gotten a few laughs from soldiers on both sides. Yrian laughed the loudest by far, though probably not because he actually found it funny. On top of that, it was likely not even meant as a joke. At least Nad couldn't find humor in it. That happened to her quite a lot and was usually a sure-fire way to rile her up. Yet, the presence of Miss Yngvildr still weighed heavily on the winged soldier. Thus, the different feelings just stacked up inside her, making her feel like there was a ticking bomb on her chest ready to explode any second.

For one, her intense disgust concerning the squid. Images of teeth crushing the slimey substance in Tsubaki's mouth flashed before her eyes. Even listening to the noises of the petty officer eating created an unbearable urge to throw up right there onto the table. Eating something herself was pretty much out of question now, no matter how much her stomach roared.
Then there was her own failure to contain herself just now. Despite the clear lack of care from the LT, attracting her attention in a positive way as she usually did would be impossible. Having herself under control was the seawoman's strong point after all, which she had not been able to show off at all now.
Additionally, an inconceivable desire to cut Rian's stupid tongue out could barely be held down. Times like these made her wonder how the bloke even got this far. Back in the day on Marineford, Nad's old chore boy gang would have mercilessly made fun of him for a brain this thick!
And on top of all that, the crushing realisation: Nadya Orlov would spend her time with these two on Athens for all eternity, any hope of escaping on the exterminators' ship was shattered forever...


"'Tension!"

Just like the men and women of THOR, Nadya's reflexes activated. In an instant she was up on her feet, her palm at her forehead saluting, every muslce in her body tense. An officer had called out, one even superior to the Hammer Of Justice. In this situation, nothing else mattered. Her large wings slapping both Miss Taighana and Yrian in the face as the dark skinned angel rose from her seat even went unnoticed by herself. Lieutenant Yngvildr and seawoman Orlov spoke in unintentional unison:

"Yes, sir!"

The two women were about the same height and Yvionne was standing directly in front of her. Accordingly, the massive shoulders made it hard to catch a glimpse of who had called near the officer table. It certainly couldn't be an Athens man, it was the voice of a stranger. Even though she couldn't see him, the man's words were sure enough to let her know what was needed: The opportunity to prove herself was not yet over after all! As the Captain mentioned the need of the Fort's soldiers assistance, Nad did not exchange looks with anyone. Blankly, the girl kept staring at the humongous back of the woman in plum without so much as a twitch in her face. Instead, under all the negative emotions inside her, joy peeked through. Even better, the longer the guy talked, the greater her happiness got. What he was saying about the necessary measures to deal with pirate scum was perfectly in line with the "Spiking Nad"'s own view of the world. Even if she had spoiled things with the LT, if she could prove herself to her boss on this upcoming mission, her life would certainly take a huge turn for the better!

As soon as they were let go, the sky lass turned aroun on the spot and hurried out of the cafeteria without another word. Behind her she could hear Yrian sighing in relieve. Obviously, Nad's plans for today were scrapped. He knew, as long as his female friend was occupied, he'd escape a fight with her. Very likely, he'd use the time until the reckoning wisely.
"So, Tsubaki-chan! Would you like to accompany us to the maze?"
Maybe not that wisely.

---

An hour later, Miss Orlov hadn't gotten very far. Instead of the much needed shower, the apprentice had hurried to her quarters. Where she had proceeded to fall face forward into her bed and stay there, shivering all over and cursing at her cushion. Anxiety was an awful thing, one that the skylander was experiencing far too often. While in the presence of COs, she was the best there was, always on point with her behaviour, showing as much respect as possible. However, this kind of focus also stretched her to the limit. Extreme exhaustion and worry over the simplest (normally non-existant) mistakes were the ramifications. What if she had messed up somewhere? What if somebody reported the squid incident? The worst part about it was that she knew her mind was just playing tricks on her. Yet, that didn't mean she could just ignore it did it? After all, her own brain ignoring itself would be a little paradoxic.

Lying there, slowly her thoughts returned to normal. By now the bedclothes smelled like hell, she'd have to get new ones. Also actually shuffle to the bathroom. And grab at least a little snack. Then talk to Captain Bannik. Yes. Good plan. If she wanted to make it until 4 and get over the inevitable second anxious fit of the day after meeting with Bannik, she'd have to start soon. Not yet though...

"Nad?" That was Yrian knocking on the door. "You in there?"
Silence.
"I went to the Captain!"
More silence.
"Sorry for ear-"
The door opened from the inside. A palm met the young man's cheek at full speed, causing him to stumble backwards. The door closed again.
"Thank you. See you there."

[odango]

One could notice that Nadya and Tsubaki’s conversation did amuse some of the other diners but to the hazel eyed teen it did not matter too much. The swapping of words had ended and, as much as she liked socializing, it was time to return to her food. For the following moments she focused mainly on it. The Teriyaki was really good – she could feel her stomach getting happy. Thus far coming to Athens hadn’t been that bad.

*I should definitely go to one of those cooking competitions someday. Perhaps, tomorrow? Oh, I wonder if they let the spectators taste the food…*

Her thoughts were disrupted by a sudden call to attention. Most of the troops hopped to their feet, some only turned in their chairs. Tsubaki was hoping she would be able to see the speaker from her seat as well but that was impossible. To top it off, just as she was about to take another, pre-standing-up, sip of tea, a portion of feathers crashed in the side of her face. It was strange. The feeling was not a bad one. Nadya’s wings were soft, so in short – she had gotten hit but liked it. The teen began to think that might mean she has a liking for getting smacked but quickly dismissed it as an exception.

When standing up, the girl hesitated to leave her tea cup on the table. As mentioned before, the 80th was not as formal as this base seemed to be. Once she had been basically abducted by an SO – he really picked her up and then picked up another recruit, as if both were bags of flour, and walked off with them. While she did raise her hand in a salute, the girl did not go along with the wave of “Yes, sir!” mainly because she had missed most of it and felt it would be awkward to say it later, on her own. People would assume she was slow-witted or something. *I’ll say it louder, next time.*

The man she was listening to was rugged looking. He was one of those “I look like I’ve seen the world” types and there was something charming in him. Being the hopeless romantic that she was, the girl began thinking of how it might be to meet a slightly younger version of Talon and roam the seas together… She would continue to daydream, if he hadn’t mentioned the Teriyaki. As an alarm, the word snapped her back to reality and she could not agree more. This man knew what he was talking about!

…

So, she was stuck with a choice now. In her opinion, it was natural to volunteer to help out. Such actions were basic and needed. After all, as Marines, they would strive to help out the world. He did mention extreme measures and, while she was usually the one to offer a compromise for nearly everything, Tsubaki did know that the world would not function well if no one did what was necessary for the greater good. The young soldier was not fully aware of what extremes the members of THOR were willing to go to but she saw nothing bad in trying to help out.

*I have never been in a labyrinth which is underground… it could be interesting. I wonder how exactly it might look like. Will there be a light source or does it give daylight the opportunity to shine in? How old is it? How are the walls still holding up? Is it ancient and has traps, I wonder… Oh, oh! What if it has secret passages?! Maybe I should join and bring a sketch-book, while I am at it?*

The hazel eyed Toroan was getting excited by the looks of it. Still in thought, she took her seat once again. The man gave them until sixteen hundred hours to decide. It was about half past twelve when he finished talking so there was not a lot of time. Then again, a lot of time might not be needed for most of the troops to decide. Tsubaki was now considering how agreeing might affect her schedule. She had been shipped over for extra training and to also get to know her way around the bases. The girl considered herself lucky in a way. It appeared the Marines sometimes yanked out a few newer soldiers and pushed them around the globe for training purposes – this was also an experimental way of training, to see if the trainees would later adapt better to new environments.

The blonde who had shared their table spoke up to Tsubaki in quite a familiar way. *C-chan??!* She was surprised. The teenager did not even know this man’s name. Or maybe she had been introduced but had forgotten already? Did it happen while she was eating? If she had, in fact, forgotten, it could turn out quite embarrassing for the young woman.

”Ah, so you decided already? That’s good. I think I will go – I just have to ask if it is allowed for me.” While replying, it dawned on her, that Nadya had left already. Honest to god, Tsubaki had not noticed. Perhaps she really was sensitive to the scent of honey from her tea? That would make the brunette feel quite bad about not magically guessing the tastes of her previous neighbor. Also, the angel’s absence reminded her once more just how much she wanted to continue her meal…

***

”And you really want to go? It is true, your first training session was supposed to start tomorrow but I guess, we can just put you in with the next group when you return.” a man stretching to six feet and three inches said, stroking his darkly tanned hand through the black goatee on his chin. The officer was Taighana’s superior and was of thirty-six years of age. His hair was cut short – especially on the sides – and he was of a toned build. There were no visual scars on him but then again most of his body was covered by a suit and the justice coat, which was actually pulled on, not just hanging over his shoulders.

”Yes, sir! Thank you, sir! I think this mission would provide me with more valuable experience and help me learn more not only about myself but how THOR operates. As a new soldier, it would be a waste to let this chance slide.” the busty teen responded, explaining well why she wished to embark on this adventure.

”Very well. You may go.” the man named Lieutenant James Marble replied. After those words he stood up from his desk and went over to yet another stack of papers on an opposing shelf, reaching out a hand to scratch a spot at the back of his head. It appeared he was looking for something.

”Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!” With a salute, the girl turned around and exited the lightly painted room to then find her-self in a quite busy hall and slowly make her way to wherever all of them were supposed to meet up. At least, that was a plan. It was only two o’clock, so she would probably sit somewhere and contemplate life… at least, that was the plan.

*Wait, I did not pack. Heck, I didn’t even take Ryūran… Great! Sometimes I think my brain is in the form of an old fishnet.*

With that thought, Tsubaki pushed out her lower lip in a slight pout and spun on her heel. She would go to her room, if she could find it, and attempt to pack something. This way, the girl would only make it to the meeting point a mere twenty minutes early.

[Vio]

Athens Island, Naval Docks
Thrúdheim
1450 Hours

“Are you sure you want me to stay behind, Captain?” asked a rather corpulent example of a Marine. He did not even so much as scrape six feet, but his beefy physique made him seem powerful all the same. Supporting Warrant Officer, Mikael North, stood on the deck of the 86th Division’s main vessel, conversing with his commanding officer in regards to the imminent operation. With them stood many others, including Yvionne Yngvildr, who rested the hefty head of her hammer upon the heavy timbers at her feet. The breeze rippled through the feathered silver locks upon her head as she silently awaited her next order. In approximately one hour’s time, they would be laying siege to the network of tunnels known as the Labyrinth; yet while many waited in anticipation, she remained her usual insouciant self.

“Yes, North,” Talon responded. “You’re our chief navigator. I’m leaving a skeleton crew in your charge in case of any escape attempts by the Prime-Time Pirates. Should our enemy try to flee the maze before we can apprehend them, Thrúdheim should be quick enough to break and circumnavigate the island – with your expertise – in order to cut off their escape route. Understood?”

“Understood!”

“Regiments ‘Thjálfi’ and ‘Röskva’ have been assigned fifty men each and will be making their way to their assigned outposts on the hour. This should secure as many possible retreat routes as possible, should Bob and his crew decide to try and high-tail it. However, there is the possibility that they may be aware of exits that have not been recorded,” the CO continued, now pacing back and forth as his blond locks rippled curiously in the wind. The ‘Golden Eagle’ was doing what he did best – forming contingency plans for his contingency plans. That being said, that was why he was the Captain. He continued: “Lieutenant Yngvildr and I shall be leading the primary expedition into the tunnels themselves, with an accompaniment totalling of one-twenty. That includes the forty volunteers, who will be acting under our charge for the purpose of this mission. Otherwise, we are to abide by standard invasion procedure. We meet outside Fort Wisdom at sixteen hundred; you have until then to prepare yourselves, men.”

“Aye-aye, Captain!”

With that, the sharp-faced sir nodded and turned, disappearing into the confines of his office aboard THOR’s primary vessel. Plum eyes watched him do so before shifting indifferently towards the silhouette of Athens’ scenery. Yvionne had to admit, the island itself was quite a beautiful example of a landscape. Beyond the sight of Wisdom and the great city of Chryse, one could see a vast assortment of rocky hills and plateaus laced with all manner of rich greenery, gleaming vivid emerald in the late afternoon sun. It was within those great geological structures, hidden from the eyes of the masses, that an arrangement of ancient passageways wove themselves like a spider’s web. The Labyrinth was as much a mystery to her as it was to her men – even the island’s inhabitants seemed somewhat unaware of its true extent…

SPOILER: Click to show

{*OOC*}

eally not much to this one, save for establishing some things. I'm giving Blaka time to have Nadya talk with Captain Bannik, if that's what you want, before we gather up. After that, unless you want to filler it out a bit, we can put ourselves at the Labyrinth entrance by my next post.

Starring

[/font][/font][/a] (8e4585)
Jacob Talon (a28f2d)
Base Commander (111111)
Base Lieutenant (ffffff)
Nadya Orlov (990000)
Tsubaki Taighana (550055)
Rian Ozwiena (009999)
Mikael North (005599)[/ul][/ul][/spoiler][/font][/blockquote][/div][/div][/div]

[Blaka]

Half past 2 PM. Having recovered from her anxiety attack, she had taken a good long shower first. Drying her wings always took ages. Plus, it got the back of her shirt wet as well if she put it on too soon. So the riflewoman had taken the time to sit in her room and clean her weapons.

In preparation for a full on assault, Nadya had to take everything she got with her. This meant not only as many grenades as fit into her belt. Those didn't need cleaning anyway. Nor did the old flame dial really. Luckily, she still had it charged. Going around looking for a smoking fellow soldier and ask for his lighter was never fun. Especially just wrapped in a towel, Nady prefered to avoid it. Handcuffs and Den Den Mushi weren't in need of a wash either, she just put those in her pants' backpocket.

Her guns however had to look shiny and well-kept if she was to be seen with them in public! Gordyi, was first. Something told her that daddy's old revolver would have to serve her more than usual. A maze was tight and narrow; not many long distances to use her other gun. Close combat situations could easily arise, thus Gordyi would be her best option.

Of course she would not leave Baryschny behind. One could never know, perhaps the sniper rifle would come in handy. For example, in long hallways, a round of this caliber could easily safe her life - and shred an enemy to pieces in the process....

Quarter to 2 PM. Somewhat unfortunately, the redhead did this routine daily. Hence, her metallic friends were almost speckless anyway. Removing a tiny grain of dust was pretty much all she had to do. In the end, only about fiveteen minutes passed and she was done. Trapped in her chamber with little else to do, the winged lass took the time to look at some wanted posters. Ever since her arrival on Athens, Miss Orlov collected the bounty letters coming in the papers everyday to keep track of who to look out for. Sure, having only started recently, she only had recently updated ones in her collection. If any of the Showtime Pirates had kept quiet for a while, they would not be in here. Yet, her keen eyes quickly found one from just a few weeks back.

"'Hamster Wheel' Vivek Tarrant" she mouthed to herself. Yeah, this was a story she remembered all too well. How annoyed she had been at it! The article had spoken of a dangerous pirate with a humongous head. Not much else had been in there, the piece had read like a roast on how truly big the man's noggin was. So big in fact, apparently, that the incompetent photographers had not managed to take a proper picture. At the end, the author was asking his readers in a roundabout way to send him details on the evildoer's actual appearance should they spot him.

Amusingly, the picture was very likely pretty embarassing to Tarrant himself. Seemingly, the camera had zoomed in so much that half of the photograph was filled with a huge conk and two big eyes in each upper corner. Meanwhile, the bottom half was completely occupied by a mass of white and black striped hair that could only be some kind of mustache.

3 PM. Time to dress up, sneak into the kitchen and grab a bun or something. No battle should be fought on an empty stomach...

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}
You can assume that Nadya made it in time to the meetup.

[odango]

*I have no idea, where to go... do I?*

She was nervous. While successful in packing some basic supplies in a backpack, strapping on her longer-than-normal katana and making sure to restock not one but two senbon pouches now held around each thigh with the aid of yet more straps, the young PO had failed in memorizing her favored path… Then again, it was not really something she could forget, since she had never taken the same path. Long story short – she had attempted to go to the labyrinth but the amount of people on the streets during the time of day paired with the constant tremor she felt in her heart had left Tsubaki slightly confused. She knew in theory how one could get to what was supposed to be the labyrinth. That was about it. She could pull out a note with directions if she had one. The hazel eyed brunette was not surprised if the locals knew the way – especially the local marines – but she had just arrived that morning. There was still a chance to seek out the names of the streets but the young noble did have bit of a problem with it, since most of the view was always covered up by people. There was no wonder there would be people out in such a wonderful day in a city so interesting. The girl figured it was just her luck.

*Great. I’m lost now, what am I going to do in the labyrinth? Try not to lose my way after the first turn? Great, Tsubaki! Maybe my cousins were right, the name “Baka-Baki” could fit me better.*

Letting out a frustrated, deep sigh, the girl tried to get on her toes, as if this action could, in fact, make her a couple feet longer than all the other people and she could see a magical way out of her predicament. Also, while trying to elongate her body, a very disturbing thought dawned on her. Was she even correct to assume the labyrinth was through the town? Was it not on the other side of the Marine base? Most of all – was she certain all these questions could not hint to the truth? She could feel tension in her shoulders at the realization of this possibility. Sure, she had gone out early, but just how far was it? She had planned to take her time walking and still end up at her destination early enough to take a good look around. The curiosity had gotten the better of her. Thus far, she had just kept trying to grow herself to the sky or acquire the feeling of being much higher than the others. Jumping on some of the objects near hear might be seen as rude, if she did it. Perhaps, her plan would work?

It did not happen… What did happen was her spotting a couple of other marine soldiers, both looking packed and not wasting time to march somewhere. She was going to take the leap of fate and assume that the base was not having many people leave on so many missions, that their meet-up times actually overlaid.

”I can just ask them, when I catch up, I guess.” she told herself before taking off after the two other officers.

SPOILER: Click to show

{”OOC”}You can assume Tsubaki is there for the meet up. Also, I assumed some of you might have explored this island ber=fore so I did not wish to force my exact description of the labyrinth entrance… yeah… that’s because this post is so “meh”… >.>;

[Vio]

Athens Island, Plateau
Labyrinth Entrance
1640 Hours

As expected of well-drilled Marines, the regiment of one hundred and twenty men – plus a few women – had organised themselves without Fort Wisdom. Eighty soldiers of the 86th Marine Division, plus forty willing volunteers of the island’s own forces, made for a substantial squadron. Similarly, their march had been swift, and the rank and file of uniforms now stood at the entrance to Athens’ most mysterious maze.

“It looks like it’s been blasted open…”

“By a cannon…? Or dynamite?”

“Neither,” Captain Jacob Talon spoke up, examining the cavernous entrance. The platoon currently stood within the late afternoon shadows of a steep plateau of chalky rock, far from the settlements that dotted the landscape. Though it had taken them only half an hour, their march had been swift. Too swift, as some of the slightly exhausted Athens agents were likely thinking as they brought up the rear. That was something any potential recruits would have to get used to – when THOR was on the move, they were like a surging tide.

“Then… what did…?”

“Likely by some sort of battering ram, perhaps even a catapult. Look at the edges. They’re smoothed off a little from erosion, so whatever happened likely occurred centuries ago. Nothing for us to worry about,” he said as he waltzed on ahead, hands held behind his back. After a few odd exchanges, some of the formation began to split and follow. Yvionne Yngvildr, however, lingered for a moment. Plum eyes observed the entryway with a passing scrutiny, following the cracked contours of the opening. It had once been a seal of stone – a large circular plug of solid rock engraved with all manner of unusual etchings that had, over the years, been worn and reinforced by natural processes.

It must’ve been used to keep people out… or something in…? Thoughts recited the age old cliché, but alas the woman herself showed no physical signs of recognition. Her thoughts and her façade were oftentimes two completely different things, and this occasion was not at all an exception. Whoever had placed the seal had likely done so for a reason, but it seemed it had not lasted for all eternity as they had perhaps intended. Through mudslides, erosion and the steady sprawl of mosses and shrubbery, the doorway to the depths had become barely recognisable. For the briefest second, she entertained the thought of its masons seeing their work’s current state. How saddening.

_{“What do you reckon these markings meant?”}

_{“It was probably some ancient burial rite knowin’ our luck!”}

“…Yngvildr…” Talon’s voice echoed incomprehensibly from the cave mouth, drawing his second-in-command’s attentions to what lurked within. Half of the squad had already filed their way inside, some wielding burning oil lanterns to help banish the shadows that so quickly clustered like demons sheltering from the sun. Without hesitation, the Hammer of Justice marched forth to join them, Sans-Serif’s lengthy haft rested upon her left shoulder.

Within the labyrinth’s entrance halls was a stark difference to the ruination of the opening. Outside, the weather was still warm and the air laced with the mild humidity of an Athenian afternoon. Inside, the climes had changed drastically – cold and surprisingly dry for an underground network. Coolness was to be expected, but the lack of moisture was uncharacteristic of your typical caves. It was almost akin to walking into a cold storage, but without the chilled meats hanging from ceiling hooks.

“Captain wants you, LT.”

“I heard,” she replied sharply. She did not need to be told twice, though funnily enough she was not as adverse to such things as she might have seemed. Her reaction was honest, even if her intonations (which were never really defined by emotional cues) suggested otherwise. The sound of her boots upon the solid stone ground resonated through the passageway; a sloping tunnel with mild and heavily spaced steps, with an arched ceiling and walls so smooth they looked as if they had been carved by expert craftsmen. The tunnel was just about wide enough for four men to stand shoulder to shoulder, with a little room left over, and THOR’s troops pressed themselves against the passage flanks as their superior walked through the middle.

“Junior Lieutenant Yngvildr reporting, Sir!” She saluted, forcing a man to duck to prevent a face full of elbow.

“What do you make of this…?”

The silver-haired siren turned her gaze as the Golden Eagle gestured. The two of them stood at the end of the tunnel’s confines, looking out into a cavernous opening of truly enormous proportions. At least a hundred feet from floor to ceiling, and thrice that distance in diameter, the chamber was something truly impressive to behold. It was domed in shape, the pinnacle of which connected to the floor by a pillar of stone. Natural or man-made, none could tell.

“It’s some kind of cave, Sir.”

“Exactly my point, Yvionne; where’s the labyrinth? I was expecting a network of tunnels and small chambers, not this,” the blond gentleman explained. His hawkish features were trained upon every facet of their immediate environment, though not before gesturing for the troops to enter as well. Approaching the great stone stack that seemed to support the geological roofing, he turned and spoke: “All troops split and search for a way to progress. There has to be more to this than meets the eye – even Command told us that this was where the labyrinth’s entrance was located. Any men and women of Fort Wisdom, if you have any knowledge that may be of us in this situation, please come forward.”

“I could just smash it…”

“And bring the whole place down on top of us?” Talon chuckled. “Save that skill of yours for the Prime-Times. I’m sure Bob would love for you to reshape his image!”

SPOILER: Click to show

{*OOC*}

[/i][/b]

Yvionne Yngvildr (8e4585)
Jacob Talon (a28f2d)
Base Commander (111111)
Base Lieutenant (ffffff)
Nadya Orlov (990000)
Tsubaki Taighana (550055)
Rian Ozwiena (009999)
Mikael North (005599)
Seamen (333333 ~ 999999)

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