"Hey Amarat, good morning."

"Good morning love, kiss?"

"No, not before you brush your teeth, I told you last time. Ew."

"You ain't brushed your teeth either, I take it?"

"No, but I call dibs!"

"What's our plan for today?"

"We're on leave, so we got nothing specific to do, Amarat."

"Yeah, I know, that's why we're here, back in Responsible Disclosure.  It's a bit of a ride from Megamisama, maybe I should get myself an apartment..."

"Why not at state?  You're doubling up as a diplomat anyway."

"I thought about that, but that's not where I am expected to berth."

"Oh, and where are you expected to berth?"

"Sigh, if you must know, I'm calling dibs, by default, on Shen's rooms at the palace."

"By default?"

"I'm the Domei of Megamisama now, so I get the second best room in the palace."

"Second?"

"Yeah after Meihomei.  Right across the hall, actually."

"Why isn't that Nameihomei's?"

"Because Nameihomei's supposed to be more temporary.  Bameimeito is intended to be until I become Meihomei myself."

"And your mom?"

"As a visiting Domei twice-over, she gets a guest room."

"So you're a resident, but she's a guest?"

"Yeah, she is the ruler of the neck of the heart, except for Megamisama."

"What, and you are?"

"Yeah, twelve million people, gives me the willies."

"I'm taking you shopping."

"Oh, in Veneer?"

"Hmm, yeah, why not?"

"I like to shop in Dunkehl, fewer people see me that way."

"Well, tough, you're coming with me, and we're shopping in Veneer."

"Sure, ok, and what do we do if we grab attention?"

"You're their landlord, they'd try something?"

"Mostly just stare..."

"You'll just have to get used to it, besides, if they give me guff, I'll have my Kon lay hands on them!"

"What, you can't do that, you're not on duty..."

"Most of them have no idea, dear..."

"What, well... Hmm."

"Come on, get dressed.  And not that fancy either, no wonder they're staring, that thing is so tight it looks painted on."

"Hmm, ok, like this?"

"Yeah, who'd expect a Namei to wear slack pants and a drab shirt?"

"Do you hit on men in front of their wives often?"

"What?"

"I saw you making eyes at my husband, i do not approve."

"Sorry, he's just so... handsome, and, I guess, wholesome."

"I know."

"I never have that problem when I dress up..."

"You!"

"No, I'm serious, when I dress down..."

"What, no!  Please don't throw me in jail!"

"I wouldn't."

"Do you recognize him now?"

"Err, no.  I'm just getting from context... Oh, elements, those green eyes, he's royalty?"

"Got it in one.  He's your landlord."

"What, Feyd Veneer is a... Namei?"

"Bameimeito.  Namei, Na-Domei, If it's a title, I probably have it."

"Not to mention Meritant..."

"That one you share..."

"What, you both..."

"Next to our skin, as is proper, since we're off-duty."

"Seriously, relax.  We're not here to make a fuss, just don't make eyes or grope my husband, and we'll get along fine, I want to get him new pants, getting him into yours is in the way of that."

"Of course."

"And you, you don't want anything?"

"No, I got all five International Occult Diplomacy official shirts, this store only carries knock-offs..."

"Well, we aren't supposed to tell customers, but we will be getting the sixth shirt, next week, based on the sixth album, Alchemical Mayhem.  An authentic, we're trying to carry the real thing, but we sell out immediately."

"Oh, oh!"

"Relax, we bought tickets for the show, they're going to send us a shirt."

"But I want two shirts, dear, I want one for you too..."

"You never told me which was your favourite album, by the way?"

"Oh, that's easy, it's Oblivion Void's Undeniable Attraction, the fifth album, it's so much more polished."

"Even better than Alchemical Mayhem?"

"What, that's not out yet."

"We heard all the songs at the concert though."

"Yeah, but it's not the same, the studio does things."

"Ok, I'll grant you that.  And that's out next week too?"

"Pre-ordered dear."

"Aw, come on, I wanted to make one a gift..."

"You can't' give me IOD stuff, Amarat, not without becoming a bigger fan than I am."

"Ugh."

"But I like other bands too, like Kantsumi."

"I like that one better than you do, pre-order is coming, at the end of this week possibly."

"Aw, are you sharing?"

"Hmm, should I?"

"Hmm, well, I am sharing my IOD pre-order with you..."

"I'll keep that in mind."  He said wryly.

"Hey, welcome back Amarat, you better sit down."

"What?  Did something happen while I was getting us some wine?"

"It's complicated, do sit down.  They're calling it the day the K-Music died."  She turned to the screen on the wall of the living room, and pressed a button on the remote.  "Five musical performers of the K-Music genre died in the crash of their airplane near Jean-Wolfgang Motzbach City Airport in Lavali this morning.  The K-Electronic sensation K-Kool, the spoken word wizard J-Fly and the three members of Kantsumi, Ominous Hum, Storm Guard and War Pig were found dead at the scene.  This is the second death in the entertainment industry this month, after the passing, by murder-suicide of Bobby McHappy.  Some Kantsumi fans were shocked that all members of the group were female, after their stage personas worked so hard on a fiction that let them believe they were all male, and in a borderline abusive relationship with Storm Guard.  Sources close to the group indicated this was a deliberate ploy, as the stories of smallish females in the notoriously female-unfriendly K-Music scene had let them fearing mistreatment if they presented as themselves."

"Kantsumi is dead, also, they were cute girls?"

"Shocking, I know, I'm not as big a fan as you were, but I liked Kaniapiscau a lot."

"So they were disguised as ..."

"Jade Bank, display armour vs no armour, Kantsumi pics."

"War Pig was only 1m54?  She looked huge."

"Motion Capture, on a portable level, it was cutting-edge stuff."

"And the other two?"

"Never seen without the armour, who would have fit a man of 1m80 and 1m95 respectively.  Storm Guard's eyes were level with her armour's pecs..."

"And Ominous Hum?"

"Her too, but she was even shorter... 1m45"

"Damn, this is a lot to process.  Do we know anything about the accident?"

"No, right now, the only thing coming out is that J-Fly was dating Storm Guard and the other two girls were off and on with K-Kool."

"Good thing we have access..."

"What do you mean?"

"Jade bank, secure connection, Kagomine Fly Forces Headquarters."

"Ambiguous request, should I open a connection secured Via Thistle Protocol?"

"Kon-Protocol only, and do not filter for officer eyes."

"Understood, securing connection."

"You got a secure Thistle-Only protocol?"

"When you can fire an Eagle, you have to take some extra precautions."

"I'm only a Falcon!"

"I didn't mean you, or anyone else, I meant in general.  If I have to see an officer's file at the highest levels, I have to take extra precautions."

"And what's this filter for officer eyes?"

"If I was doing something Kon-related that was in confidence to me by the troops, about you, the screen wouldn't show you..."

"Oh, and that happens?"

"Not yet, but it pays to be prepared."

"And I was in the hospital when the last time that happened."

"No, nothing they said was confidential then, you were just too wounded to participate.  I'd have welcomed your company on that tour."

"I still feel like I failed my troops, just not being there."

"We're a team, Zim, we didn't fail them, but that's why there's a chain of command, if we'd have both been too wounded to attend, someone would have gone in our place, it was too time sensitive to wait."

"Jade Bank, note down some orders, I want 51st Skycutter Squadron's Flag to contact me on this number."

RRRRRRRRRRRRing less than thirty seconds later.

"51st Skycutter Squadron-Actual, FFOF-03 Skua Piersa Ouranos, what can I do for you, Kon?"

"Skua Ouranos, with me is Falcon Flora Rolli, I imagine someone will call you officially about this, soon, but I want you to sequester for legal deposition your records for Lavali City Airspace for the last 72 hours."

"Do I hear you correctly, Kon?  You want me to testify in court over something that happened back in Kagomei today?"

"I want you to testify to what you and your crews saw, I suspect foul play, Skua Ouranos."

"I'm off-duty, let me call Treaty Authority."

"Conference Bridge, please?  I want to reassure them I don't think they are at fault in any way here."

"Appreciated Falcon Rolli, conferencing."

Bzzt-Bong, Bzzt-Bong.

"51st Skycutter Squadron desk, Northern Diagonal Flare, FFOF-02 Kestrel Keetoo responding."

"K-T, link us up with Right-On, and stay on the line please."  Spoke Skua Ouranos.

"Righteous Indignation-flag-actual, Skua Danthelig Dandelion speaking." Spoke a new voice.

"Skua Dandelion, this is your Squadron Officer speaking.  With me is Fleet Thistle Meritant Kon Veneer and Wingling Meritant Raptor Rolli, I don't need to introduce them to someone on Right-On, do I?"

"Zim-No-Zim, we remember both, anyone who doesn't is going to have a chat with Squadron Thistle."

"You have one of those now?"  Asked Flora.

"Yes, finally.  Six-Pointed-Star Matsumoto was selected."

"How come you got an OR-04 for Kon, but only an OR-03 for an officer?"

"Someone at fleet isn't signing my Red Leathers, I'm told.  Some... Thistle."

"What, Mariwolfe?"

"No, she's Sixth Fleet, we're Third Fleet, remember."

"Oops.  I'll review it ASAP."  That was Amarat, contrite.

"Back to the matter at hand, Skua Dandelion, Kon Veneer, had a request."

"It will be my pleasure to collaborate to any such request the Thistle has for me..."

"I'm not making this request as your Thistle, Skua, I'm making this request as the Domei of Megamisama, Aumhavar of Megamisama City.  I want you to sequester for legal affidavit your records over Lavali City, in case anything happened that you recorded that could indicate foul play in the accident over there, today, and going over 72 hours, as is regulation."

There was a rush of air over the conference bridge, like a force 7 wind being recorded.

"Do not do this again! Sorry Zims, our pilot face-planted into the controls, seems he is not aware of your pedigree, Zim-Kon-Zim."

"I'll make a note to remind Kon Matsumoto to give a refresher.  I should not be negatively affecting the performance of the unit just by using a different part of my name or titles."

"Just how big a book are talking here, Zim?"

"Three pages, last I checked, if I include the medals."

"Skua Dandelion to Kon Veneer, we are complying now.  Will you need us for anything else, Kon?"

"No, that's good for now."

"Permission to buy rights to play Kaniapiscau over the intercom for those not on duty, Zims?"

"Granted.  It's a sad day."  Flora interjected.

"Sorry Zim, you're insixth fleet."

"Granted, I'll ..."

"Never mind, I'll authorize it for all Sixth Fleet, Piersa?"

"Zim?"

"You and Kon Veneer work the details out, so World Surfers don't get short-changed.  I want those rights for everyone deployed with sixth fleet, 51st included."

"Zim-Zim-Zim."

"What?"

"Zim, you just asked us to do the obvious, Zim, it's part of the standing orders for all combined-service force groups like a fleet.  Nessuna-Honour Comma's doing."

"Oh.  Carry on."

"Are you going to be okay?"

"Still not over War Pig and Ominous Hum, really."

"What, not Storm Guard?"

"Was always a bit over the top, protesting too much."

"And the supposed romance between Storm Guard and War Pig?"

"Always had a wink attached to it, I never paid that much attention."

"Oh, so you didn't have same-sex fantasies about them?"

"No, well, I did imagine one threesome back when I caught their concert in Lolland... But oddly enough, I had Ominous Hum and War Pig with me, not Storm Guard."

"Oh?"

"Was back when Ninu was telling me all about what she was learning as an initiate of Forbidden."

"Oh, and ..."

"I've never thought of cheating as a magical power source quite the same since."

"Oh, and would you cheat on me then?"

"I don't see the appeal."

"Why not?"

"When I needed extra power, I needed a whole circle, not a measly 20% boost..."

"Ok, and ?"

"Risking losing you is too expensive for that..."

"Hmm, who died and let you know how to talk to your Miptun, huh?"

"I'd say I lost my favourite band, but that'd be tasteless..."

"Well, as your Miptun, I can't exactly let you adrift in your time of need, can I?  I'm still a little shocked that you had a crush on someone presenting as male, by the way."

"Not my first, not my last, although, I do have someone to keep me from giving into those crushes now..."

"Oh, no, and I wanted to watch..."

"You just want me to get in trouble."

"Guilty."