O Captain, Where Art Thou?

Aboard the Dauntless

"Mmm-mm-hmmm~"

Marines hastily move back and forth across the deck of the massive ship, regularly disappearing below to store or check cargo and generally making sure everything is in order. The only person not eternally busy is Mioka, the assistant to the ship's captain. At the moment she seems more preoccupied with dancing. Her body spins to the rhythm of the tune she hums, gracefully weaving between coworkers without a care in the world as her coat flutters in the wind. She simply couldn't focus on work when they'd received such great news.

"Oh, isn't it wonderful, Captain? We've been entrusted with protecting someone so important! Have you ever met a noble, Captain? What are they like? Ah~! They must be absolutely beautiful! I'll have to take out my best dress in case they ask me to dance for them! But what if they don't like purple? And what about the pattern? I'll have to give this some serious thought if I want to impress them..."

The ensign babbles on at a mile-a-minute, offering little chance to answer the myriad of questions she had. It was hard for her to not get excited when she thought of someone even more amazing than her captain, for Vice Admiral Grace was already the pinnacle of beauty in her world. And the romantic potential — any chance for a valiant marine to protect the innocent and noble was ripe with the opportunity to show off her own beauty. If the novellas she preoccupied herself with held an ounce of truth, then this was also the perfect opportunity for love to bloom.

"A woman like me proving herself in front of a noble... Doesn't it fill you with passion? Soon we'll both b-"

'W-whoa! It's gonna fall! Watch out!"

One of the sailors cries out as a stack of crates threatens to fall over, damaging their contents and crushing anyone too slow to escape their radius. The seemingly inattentive ensign springs into action rather literally as her previously compressed legs launch her forward with frightening speed. Mioka's limbs splay out somewhat awkwardly to catch out to catch the crates and she holds her pose for a moment to show off.

"Did you see that, Captain? There's no way they won't be- Captain!?"

Mioka nearly drops the rescued crates as her eyes frantically scan for her conversation partner who had been exceptionally quiet up until now. Rather than simply being a good listener, the Vice Admiral had apparently wandered off at some point — possibly before they even got on the ship. She huffs and places the crates down, fists clenching as she resigns herself to the possibility of searching the entire island.

"This isn't the time to be a mysterious hero! It won't be elegant at all if we're late! And I really need your opinion on my dress..."

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Pub: 10 Nov 2023 15:26 UTC

Views: 228