/vt/ - Virtual Youtubers

>>25086742
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.

Expedition Roster: https://rentry.org/85ybo

>>24945538
Anchor doko

I just really love coming up with characters, I can't help myself. Probably won't ever mention any of them again kek.