Meet the folks (a post in several parts!)

[empress_without_a_throne]

[1]

[Mizuki's going about her business recently exclusively wearing her Abyss Empress clothing... and anyone in the Sakihama Base's hangar will notice the DuskBird's got several Solaris mechanics working on it virtually around the clock.  But more importantly-]

Ow.

Ow.

Ow.

[Even if she's just walking down the hall, the Abyssian is frequently wincing or reacting to unseen sources of pain.  And then-]

[Video]



Hello, everyone!  As you may remember, when the Unity Group began combat operations, I introduced to you an unlikely ally: the Abyss Empress herself.  And now... I give you her very followers!  The Grand Vizier Zangango and General Salanshiel!

[The video screen shifts to show the two other Abyssians, who actually are wearing normal clothing and just sort of sheepishly wave at the camera before they start to speak to each other.]

I hope Mizuki doesn't get too embarassed about this.

Well it's a special occasion, hopefully she'll understand.

[What's to understand?  It's just Sara pulling another melodramatic prank... and that's reason enough to storm down the halls!]

[2]



[And after THAT's all been sorted out, Mizuki's still happy about her parents paying a visit.]

So... yeah.  These are my parents... legally "Ichi Onodera" and "Haru Onodera".



A pleasure to meet all of you.  And thank you so much for helping take care of our daughter.



We apologize for the short notice of the visit, we would've let Mizuki know in advance but Sara thought to make it more of a surprise.  That said.... we also didn't come empty handed.

[Indeed they didn't.  In fact, they're carrying several hand-bags filled with sealed containers labeled 'Safe' or 'Sol only'.]

We were hoping to have a meal together with Mizuki, like a family... but we brought along extras just in case anyone wanted to join us.

Comments

[majestic_keiki]

I didn't know that...Why would she push more stress on you on top of that?

[empress_without_a_throne]

Perhaps...

No. More than that.

[She smiles.]

She wants me to have something to take my mind off of this. I haven't seen my parents in months. And they're just two of the people I'm doing this for.

[majestic_keiki]

I can understand that. Having something else to think about might help. [Even if Kei wasn't quite sure that introducing your parents to the eccentrics of Unity Group might make things less stressful.]

[empress_without_a_throne]

What about you though? Any chance your parents might give us a visit or send a letter some time?

[Oh Mizuki. The things you don't know about the Princes.]

[majestic_keiki]

No. Or if they try they will be escorted away. [There was a pause as she debated whether to continue or not.] I prefer it that way, I don't know anything about them, but they'll remember me. It will just be uncomfortable for everyone.

[empress_without_a_throne]

You can't... remember them?

[Oh boy, there's a trail of shit here isn't there?]

[majestic_keiki]

None of us can. We can't remember anything else from before we came to the academy either. [She paused for a bit.] Our memories were wiped to prevent the trauma of missing what we had before. At least that's the reason we were told.

[empress_without_a_throne]

... I hope someone eventually burns for this. And I hope those memories get restored somehow too. That kind of logic is just insulting to you and your friends as people and as soldiers.

[majestic_keiki]

Do you think I'm not angry as well?

...But it's hard to really know what to do about it. I've never known anything else, at least that I can remember.