2022-01-28: Bread and 'Circuses'
- Log: Bread and 'Circuses'
- Cast: Mayvy Hawkins, Ruri Hoshino
- Where: The Nadesico (Frontier 7)
- Date: 2022-01-28
- Summary: Mayvy delivers a delightful Haro to Ruri, and the two of them studiously avoid discussing the uncomfortable moral quandary of fighting enemies who were just hungry. For some reason, Ruri names her Haro 'Archimedes', even though she feels female, to her.
<Pose Tracker> Mayvy Hawkins has posed.
As the Nadesico withstands a final impact from the missiles in the enemy's retreat, Mayvy goes boneless, a lump in the seat. "Guhhh." She closes her eyes a moment, before querying the Dreisstrager's AOS for a status check. "Ah, the guns are back online back home..."
She glances over at Ruri. "Tell Omoikane thanks for me. I, don't really think I know how to talk to him like you do."
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
"Damage report," Ruri reads out, for the Captain, "Damage sustained in our nuclear pulse engines... ten wounded, zero casualties. No critical injuries. Mr. Uribatake is reporting minor to moderate damage to the Aestivalis wing."
"Seems we're still fine," Minato comments, with warm relief, adding a little more vivacity than Ruri's blank-voiced recital.
Ruri sighs, looking down at the console. She looks aside, to Mayvy, and nods. "All right." There's no sagging to her voice, no collapse, aside from that one little sigh, but --
Even so, maybe there's a slight hint she's not entirely happy about what just happened.
It's a mood which suits the Nadesico, as they assist with the colony clean-up. And...
----
Once they're situated and safe -- or safe enough -- the bridge crew are able to run as a skeleton, to give people some breathing room. (This took some time; it's not as if a battle can just end and everyone can stand up.) Ruri was convinced to take a quick break, too, as much as she'd rather stay on the console -- so she's come to the cafeteria. Perhaps with someone in tow!
She collects a muffin from one of the Howmei Girls, tirelessly putting out snacks for the crew, and brings it back to one of the long benches of the dining area. That tray clips against the table, as she slides it down, and sits on the bench herself. Her legs swing underneath it; she can reach the ground, but she also doesn't have to, when she's this short.
It's a moment still before Ruri speaks up, still entirely measured.
"Thank you for your assistance. Your additional data feed was valuable during that conflict."
Still quite stoic; still task-focused. Other people on the bridge questioned Yurika, or voiced their feelings about the situation. (The feelings were bad. Those weren't Jovian Lizards, out there.) But Ruri... Ruri just executed those orders. Doesn't she feel anything about them..?
<Pose Tracker> Mayvy Hawkins has posed.
Mayvy has indeed accompanied Ruri; she'd come aboard with the expectation that she'd be back soon, and she has *definitely* missed a snack. She's got that silver ball in her arms, still, and holds it under one arm like a helmet while she grabs one for herself. Blueberry! "I've been needing one of these for hours..."
She smiles a little. "And thank you. Omoikane is brilliant. Felt like he was giving me *exactly* what I needed to improve what I was feeding back in..." She rests her chin on her hand, quiet a long moment. "What's on your mind?" she asks, finally.
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
Ruri nibbles her muffin. It's chocolate, obviously. Howmei's girls are always very good about giving Ruri the sorts of snacks she would enjoy at her age. (And so she has learned, through them, what sort of snacks she's supposed to like at her age.) "It's very good," she agrees, mildly.
She nods. "Omoikane is very helpful. I couldn't do my work without his help." This is approximating, a little -- Ruri has all the knowledge to run the Nadesico, and she probably has the brainpower, thanks to the electronic subbrain of the IFS and other alterations she isn't quite so aware of. But the ship's output would be fractions of what it ought to be, because the Nadesico was designed with AI assistance in mind.
(Even if they weren't planning on that AI being...)
But, that question.
That question.
Ruri looks down at her muffin, and she's quiet; her expression doesn't shift, which isn't saying much, because it's still stuck solidly in neutral.
I guess stealing a loaf of bread is a crime, in the Federation.
Well, not that it's as simple as that.
Dear Federation, why are you keeping people hungry, anyway..?
The thoughts run through her head, and she's silent. Finally, she looks up, again.
"I was wondering," Ruri says, and it's not a lie, even if it wasn't nearly her highest priority. "What are you carrying, Mayvy-san?" It feels friend-like, from where she's sitting...
<Pose Tracker> Mayvy Hawkins has posed.
Expertly avoided, Ruri. Mayvy's eyes light up when she brings up the big silver sphere, which she puts down on the table with a gentle thunk. Characteristic panel lines are visible... and as she turns it around, those Haro eyes greet Ruri. Mayvy turns it on.
"Haro! Haro! Ruri-san!" it proclaims, flapping its little 'wings' in a friendly manner as it tips forward toward her. There are little hands secreted away inside there, even!
Mayvy's beaming, and maybe wiggling just slightly in her seat. "I wanted to give you this. This is why I came aboard!"
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
It's not that Ruri is trying to avoid the subject. It's just...
Her thoughts on that sort of thing...
She'd rather ask about Mayvy's package, which Ruri has dutifully considered up to this point might not be for her, because it would be rude to be eager. But thunk goes the sphere, and --
Ruri's eyes widen; there's a shift in her expression, at once surprise and recognition both. She puts her muffin down on her plate so she can reach out, with both hands, to steady the Haro.
And then they just kind of... stay there, holding it.
"... Archimedes..." Ruri mumbles, looking down a dark well at night, only to hear the splash at the bottom.
... she knows her name, she thinks, and it's a happy thought.
Her expression softens, looking at the Haro, and soon enough she remembers to look back up to Mayvy, too. "She's wonderful," Ruri says, having decided, apparently, that this Haro is a girl. Or perhaps she asked. Who knows, with Ruri? "Thank you, Mayvy-san."
<Pose Tracker> Mayvy Hawkins has posed.
They'll discuss those things later, maybe. For now, May just enjoys the look on her friend's face. She's quiet as Ruri... well, she's not sure what Ruri's doing. But it's a good time to take a bite from her muffin.
"Awesome! I'm so glad you like her... Archimedes, hm? I like it. Oh, uh, the extra data area in her BIOS is mostly blank right now--you can use it to store any data you *really* need her to remember... but otherwise, I've mostly just taught her your name."
She'd considered putting some complex math problems in, but... ultimately, using it for education-storage would mean it got outpaced by the genius-level intellect in front of her pretty quickly.
"I've been wanting to give you this all week. I wrote a new BIOS from scratch, and there are some IO ports with standard hookups under her flaps, as well as wireless connectivity. She'll have no trouble accessing the Nadesico's library."
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
Ruri isn't sure what about that Haro made her think of that particular name; it isn't even a woman's name. She just... has dreams, sometimes...
But dreams are dreams, and this is life, and now this Haro is Archimedes. (And Archimedes is a girl. Obviously.) "Haro! Haro!" Archimedes Haros, cheerfully.
Ruri considers Archimedes, intent, queries running through her fingertips to the heart of her.
Is that all right?
My name is Ruri.
You're all brand new, aren't you...
Her head cants, a gentle shade to her neutrality. It's still much more muted than Mayvy's excitement, but she's still pleased. Maybe all of Ruri's emotions are turned down low like this, slow to express. "You've been working hard," she says, after a moment. "Her BIOS is very good, Mayvy-san. I'm sure Archimedes will be a valuable part of our crew, too."
<Pose Tracker> Mayvy Hawkins has posed.
Mayvy had guessed at that; she's watching Ruri's face a bit more intently than she had at the party, for exactly that reason. She reaches out to gently pat the Haro on the head. "You can tell just from touching her?" She glances at the girl's hands. "Hmm... that's more than just the IFS, I think, isn't it? You really are something else, Ruri." She says it with admiration, nothing but a smile on her face. It's no wonder she's got so much empathy for machines...
There's a little laugh. "I just hope she gets along with everyone... but Haros are charming little folks, I think. Especially with someone like you to help a bit."
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
"Mm," Ruri nods, with an affirmative noise. It's true that her hands are marked with the image feedback system, but... "I don't know her very well, but since I'm holding her like this, I can still sense some things. When I'm speaking to strangers, it's not as easy as being able to see everything... especially when they're far away."
There's something a little distant, in her eyes, as she remarks: "I hope the Huckebeins didn't think I was being impolite. But the Nadesico promised to assist, so I wanted to help them, too."
And I do want to help you, too.
"Haro!" Says the Haro, and wriggles, one little arm extending to grasp Ruri's muffin in her little claws and hold it up to her. "Ruri-san! Ruri-san!"
Haro... is helping?!
"Oh," Ruri says, gently, releasing the Haro (Haros wobble, but they don't fall down!) so she can take her muffin again. "Thank you." There may even be the briefest hint of a smile, for new technology friend, though it's faded back to neutrality when she looks up to Mayvy again. "I think she'll get along very well."
<Pose Tracker> Mayvy Hawkins has posed.
"I don't think they minded too much, no," Mayvy replies, still grinning wide. "Ah, that's fantastic...!" she claps her hands together once. "But... no, I think they appreciated the help. Edge was struggling bit out there, in particular... I think he and his sister might have some latent abilities, actually. I hope they won't mind a quick exam..."
And then her mind drifts toward the *reason* ZAFT was fighting, out there. Her smile fades, and she broods a little. What would she have done, in the captain's chair...?
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
"I can't communicate with humans like that," Ruri says, not entirely understanding the shape of it, giving her best explanation. "So I didn't get a sense for how Ms. Sainklaus and Mr. Sainklaus were approaching the battle. The Huckebeins were... strange, so I'm not entirely sure I understood their feelings, but... they accepted the combat data optimisation I could offer, anyway." She sighs, and nibbles on her muffin, again. "... I got the sense they didn't want me to look too closely, but that's not too strange. Many units have feelings like that. It would be rude to try and look anyway."
She doesn't comment on the idea of exams, but she does wonder whether Mayvy has worked in many laboratories, before she came here.
... it's an inside thought.
"Archimedes is much more open," Ruri goes on, instead, looking back to the silver Haro. (She flaps her little wings, rolling about.) "I guess it's because she's been reinitialised... so she doesn't know to be cautious. But she seems very happy. I really feel like... like this..."
She pauses; after a moment, she shakes her head. It's gone, like a fish slipping through her fingers. Why do Haros feel like friends..? It's... it's probably fine.
Ruri starts again, looking over to Mayvy. "I'm glad she's here. Thank you bringing her."
She's evidently shy of talking about the actual conflict, but maybe it's fine to eat snacks, for now.