2022-07-28: Not My Circus, Not My Newtypes
- Cast: Doctor Salamedes, Puru Ten, Tsugumi Saionji, Banagher Links
- Where: Endra-class Battleship "Mithra"
- Date: U.C. 0096 07 28
- Summary: The forces led by Rau le Creuset suffered some losses during their battle. Fortunately, the Endra-class battleship "Mithra" has made its way from the PLANTs to provide resupplying, repairs, medical treatment, and even replacing entire Mobile Suits. The Garancieres is one of the ships that is benefitting from the stockpiles of the PMC known as "Crescent". However, what should be an amicable preparation for war almost turns into a death match on the bridge.
<Pose Tracker> Tsugumi Saionji has posed.
Given the considerable distance to Earth, the forces involved in the attack led by Rau Le Creuset who had need of resupplies, repairs, and other assorted tasks had to get assistance from close by in order to still be ready for the larger scale assault. While that is not the entire reason for the Endra-class ship, 'Mithra' of the Crescent PMC to be in the area, providing replacement mobile suits, ammunition, and medical treatment WAS something it was doing. Before the battleship departed a damaged PLANT that was being repaired and turned into something more like a tourist trap, Commander Saionji was seated in a cafe, waiting to have lunch with her estranged daughter. However, the officer was called away because a certain Doctor had somehow made their way aboard, and that was a matter that required Tsugumi's full attention.
While her first showing in eight years upon the battlefield ended with her completely losing the Geara Zulu she was piloting, she did get out without any injury herself, and helped contribute to the defeat of a skilled VF pilot. So she thought she had time before the adjustments to her personal unit were completed.
Not so, thanks to the good Doctor.
The black battleship with red trim is practically just a silhouette against the stars. The red isn't visible from the front, producing the eerie vision of the stars being obscured by something unseen until it exits the shadow of a planet or moon, or one gets close enough to see the texture.
The Garancieres is, itself, in the shadow of the Mithra, but there is a docking bridge linking the two. Supplies are being shepherded aboard by other Sleeves personnel who crew the battleship, leaving passengers and other crew to take some temporary leave, socialize, sleep, feed themselves, bathe, or whatever else.
But on the bridge there is a woman of what would be considered 'Eleven'-heritage on Earth, though shockingly tall for someone from a Japanese ethnic background. She is wearing her officer's uniform, hat included, and rather than sitting she is standing on the upraised platform in the middle of the room, arms folded behind her back, watching the sky from the polarized, reinforced screen that separates her from the void.
Yes. She thought that she had time for lunch with her own daughter. But the Doctor had other ideas. Some new unit he wanted her to test out. As if she has the time for that right now.
Her grim expression becomes more so.
<Pose Tracker> Puru Ten has posed.
In the hangar bay, there are two Mobile Suits that stand apart from the rest. One of those is not intended as a replacement for one lost. It is blue-green, with large double-layered shoulder binders, and a bird-like head set between them. On the right binder is a single white 'wing' symbol. On the left pauldron, also in white paint, is the Roman numeral 'X'. In the cockpit is a girl in a normal suit that matches the mobile suit's color scheme. The hatch is open, but only hints of a bob of orange hair can be seen from below, if anything.
Someone is busy maintaining her own machine.
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
Banagher wasn't entirely sure who they were helping resupply, but most everyone who could answer his questions seemed occupied. Left to his own devices, he wanders down to the area with the most activity, Haro in his arms.
After spending a few minutes watching everyone bustle around, Banagher notices Tsugumi standing on her own, looking out to space. The energy around her felt... unsettled, decidedly unhappy. Wondering if he could do anything to help, Banagher pushes off the ground, floating gently up to the platform she stands on.
"Hey there," Banagher says, with a polite smile. "Is everything okay?"
<Pose Tracker> Doctor Salamedes has posed.
The 'good' Doctor. Yes. That is a fitting epithet, with all the caustic sarcasm it was intended with.
The Qubeley in the hangar bay, and the other one covered in a huge tarp that drapes from it like a shroud, are both recent additions to the cargo of the ship. The latter is the test unit intended for the Commander to pilot. However, the reluctance to do so has made it necessary for the one who brought them here to go see the captain of the ship in person to make their point.
There are a lot of horrified facial expressions, staring eyes, pale faces, and averted gazes along the way, as those used to seeing this particular Doctor know to just mind their own business while those unaccustomed just stand around like the next victims in a slasher movie.
The shuffling, cloaked figure with the too-thin robotic arms and the steel-encased head pays them no mind, just humming to themself as they navigate towards the bridge.
The humming is a single deep note, then a pause, then the same note repeated. No tune. Just a deep, deep, guttural sound, over and over. It carries like a dirge.
It sounds like a funeral procession making its way through the battleship corridors.
It'll take a while longer to arrive, as the Doctor is not hurrying overly. It is likely others will reach their destinations first, if they have any.
<Pose Tracker> Tsugumi Saionji has posed.
Tsugumi is on the bridge, with the bridge crew at their stations and other military personnel on their way to or from other locations. Tsugumi Saionji is the only one wearing her particular colors though. She turns her head when she feels someone approaching her with intent, just enough to see Banagher in her peripheral vision. Doesn't look like a soldier, and isn't dressed like one either. Her black eyes remain at their sedate quarter-lidded level, not detecting any threat. Instead of answering the question posed, she instead asks her own. "Who are you, and why are you on the bridge?" Not the friendliest reception, but it's worth asking!
Still, no one stopped him in the halls or at the door, so he presumably has some sort of permission to be here, right? Perhaps another of the Doctor's pets? She looks beyond Banagher, turning more fully to survey the port-side entrance. She mutters some invectives under her breath and then sighs. "I never look forward to losing soldiers." she offers after a moment to school her countenance back towards impassively stern. "And I do not like taking orders, implied or otherwise, from your handler."
Or whom she is assuming is this boy's handler. Perhaps he is the pilot of the Qubeley in the hangar? He definitely has a sort of... Presence about him.
Tsugumi has her own presence, but it's carefully controlled. Ice-cold hate and anger, frozen solid beneath the surface rather than boiling constantly or driving her actions. It's so calm and stable that the fact it's become integrated is a little bit frightening in itself. To have such ordinarily intense emotions so carefully regulated that they aren't even emotions anymore, just a set of instructions on how the body will function...
The frozen soul is insidiously peaceful, as though one could just lie down on it and rest. But the river covered in ice will eventually melt, and then there's nothing but hungry cold and darkness waiting to drown someone who delves too deep.
Maybe that's why her subordinates respect her. Maybe it's why her enemies fear her. Maybe it's why her daughter doesn't even want to talk to her.
The Commander takes off her hat and rubs the bridge of her nose with two fingers as though she has a headache. She ordinarily wouldn't open up even this small amount or allow herself to seem vulnerable even this tiny bit in front of others, let alone some stranger child. "Are you looking for something to do?"
<Pose Tracker> Puru Ten has posed.
'Hup!' comes the voice of a young girl as she hefts herself over the lip of the cockpit and begins descending towards the floor of the hangar bay on one of those winch-like devices people use for getting down from Mobile Suits. With a single long strand of orange hair on her head bobbing along while she walks, she pushes off the ground and begins heading out of there. "Hey! Hey, Doctor! I finished with my diagnostics! Hey, where are you?" she yells without concern for anyone else's work, concentration, or conversations while she drifts through the low gravity, on a trajectory to the catwalk above. "HEEYYYYYYYYY!" the girl yells with her hands cupped around her mouth. This will definitely summon her handler and caretaker to her side at once!
When her gloved hands hit the catwalk railing she uses them to stop herself, then looks around the hangar again, ignoring the annoyed looks from others, and instead just looking annoyed herself.
"Geez! I have to chase them down? Why can't they ever just stay in one place...!" Looking like she wants to stomp her foot in disgust, the orange-haired girl forward-somersaults over the handrail, letting go so that she lands on her feet on the catwalk, and then proceeds to barge through the doorway to the adjacent corridor, forcing someone coming through at the same time to dodge aside to avoid her.
Grumble grumble preteen girl angry noises grumble grumble. Is that them up on the bridge? Something is weird about this ship.
With her helmet bouncing against her back, connected as it is to her normal suit, the eleven-year-old starts making her way for the bridge, navigating more by intuition than knowledge of the ship's layout.
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
Banagher is, indeed, not dressed like a soldier. His double-hoodie outfit has returned, and he's carrying around a pet Haro, to boot. Said Haro speaks up in response to Tsugumi's question -- "Banagher!" He chirps, waving his little winglets in a cheerful fashion.
"Haro -- sorry, he gets excited." The young man pats his companion, settling it down. "My name is Banagher Links. I just came to look around -- I'm from the Garencieres. Since we're helping each other, I thought it'd be fine to explore." A frown, as he stands next to the woman, turning his gaze out to space as well. "Why would you be losing soldiers? Is someone after you..?
Her next statement gets a confused look. "I don't have a handler. I--" What was his role on the Garencieres, really? Besides 'Unicorn Pilot', he was esentially allowed to do whatever he wanted. "I'm here to help." He decides, "If you can tell me what's wrong, maybe I can do something?"
Despite his great potential, Banagher is still an amateur when it comes to the senses of a Newtype -- he doesn't pick much up from Tsugumi, yet. The false sense of calm and peace about her is well-crafted enough that he believes it. "Everyone on board the Garencieres is a good person. We do a lot to help out our allies. I'm sure your crew would be no different."
Banagher's own presence is warm and earnest, completely sincere in every facet possible. His messy hair floats gently in the low gravity, curls twisting around each other when he turns his head. Somehow, this young man on board a 'terrorist' ship has kept his innocence -- that much is clear.
The faux sense of peace fades, as a sort of... creeping sense of horror approaches. It's enough to make the hair stand up on Banagher's neck, and clutch his Haro close. Turning from the window, he looks toward the door. Something bad was coming. "Ma'am --" he glances back at Tsugumi, "I -- have this feeling. Something -- ah... Something bad. I feel like something bad is on your ship, and it's coming this way. Please, stay behind me!"
<Pose Tracker> Doctor Salamedes has posed.
Shadows on the walls. The air 'clipping' and 'derezzing' like the spots and stains on old movie film. Something shuffling and ambulating blindly like a dog under a blanket except the dog is dead and has been for weeks. The hissing of a mechanical respirator comes first. Then the rest of it.
The ceiling practically *drips* with some dark, viscous fluid as the Doctor passes through the starboard entrance to the bridge and finally appears. Blinking rapidly, rubbing one's eyes, taking the time to re-evaluate the nature of reality in any way causes such sensory hallucinations to vanish, but the Thing remains.
Over here.
Over here.
Look over here.
The figure heads towards the platform the Commander and Banagher are on/near at the center of the room, winding its way slowly around the outer curve like a shark circling its prey The prey is you, my boy, and your little unicorn too. but eventually making its way to stand How can it stand with no feet, how many roaches is it sitting on to carry all of that rot-- and then folding its robotic arms behind its back.
The plus-shaped visual track in its black steel 'mask' lights up at the center as a prominent red sensor eye activates, scanning around the area rapidly, taking everything in, even as a clear, deep voice emanates from a vocalizer of some kind, almost but not quite drowning out the hissing from the bottom of a pool of mud and hate respirator that continues ceaselessly.
"Commander," the monster says. Then the Doctor tilts their head at an angle that can't be very comfortable for a human as the sensor eye locks onto Banagher. "...A new friend?" they ask with interest if interest is a knife being sharpened.
<Pose Tracker> Tsugumi Saionji has posed.
"Ah. You're from the Garancieres. Good to meet you, Mister Links." She eyes the robot cautiously, but it seems harmless. Even if it's a symbol of Amuro Ray, the one who crushed so many of her dreams. "I apologize then. I thought you were with--" the feeling of her flesh crawling is familiar enough by this point that all Tsugumi does is pause in her speech to take a steadying breath before letting it out slowly. "...That." The Commander puts her hat back on her head and steadies it so that it sits properly, then waits. "I know, Mister Links." she acknowledges as Banagher warns her before the sensation even reaches her. The Commander takes a second look at the teenager. Perhaps he's more than he appears after all.
"Just stay near and try not to make any sudden movement." Then she stands where she is while the traveling circus of horrors rolls to a stop in front of them, the rest of the bridge crew trying very studiously to ignore any hallucinated whispers and just focus on their work. The ship's counselor has been very busy ever since the Doctor came aboard.
"Doctor Salamedes." Tsugumi addresses the interloper in return. "A crewman from the Garancieres. He is none of your concern. Why are you on my bridge?" she asks. It's the same question she asks Banagher earlier, but there is an EDGE to it now that wasn't there then. It's not just a question, but rather a suggestion the Doctor should avail itself of the exit at the soonest opportunity, and it is also a threat about what might happen if it does not.
<Pose Tracker> Puru Ten has posed.
Muttering her very limited selection of curse words, the small female MS pilot continues bouncing her way through the halls of the Endra-class ship, closing in on the feeling of Doctor Salamedes. But... It's weird. The presence is sort of... Muted. Like there's something making the dark spot smaller? A light? The redhead is not a Supa Nu Taipu so she doesn't have the fine-tuned awareness or range that others do. She just has her list of mental descriptions based off of how people make her feel tucked away in the back of her mind.
Using the power of sass and elbows, the girl eventually makes it to an elevator that will take her up to the bridge. She doesn't know how she knows that, she just does. "What the heck is happening on this ship?" she asks only half as complaint, as she starts to wonder seriously if there's actually something happening before they reach the battlefield.
The moment the elevator doors open, the short girl bellows out, "THERE YOU ARE!" heedless of the mood that the Doctor took the time to establish. Gosh, she must just have, like, no sense for drama or theater! Marching up to the cyborg, the girl props her hands on her hips and says, "I finished the diagnostics! Where the heck were you? You knew I would be done soon! You should've stayed nearby!" Then she becomes dimly aware that other people exist, and looks over at the captain of the ship and the boy next to her. She tilts her head curiosly and very much at a comfortable-for-humans angle as she lets out an annoyed, "Hm!? What has you so pale, kid?"
The girl calling Banagher a kid looks about five or six years younger than him. She seems oblivious to this fact.
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
Banagher stands as though he's going to launch himself at Doctor Salamedes at any moment -- one foot slightly in front of the other, muscles tensed. The hallucinations wash over him, the whispers making Banagher's eyes narrow. "What -- is that? What are you?" He hisses, to the amalgamation approaching him. Banagher blinks his eyes quickly, getting rid of the worst of the visions, but the horrible feeling remains. "I'm not your friend. You're -- something bad."
The desperate fear rolling off this... creature... translates itself to anger, to the desire to fight. "Banagher! Danger!" Haro proclaims, waving its little winglets. "Danger!"
Someone had called him a royal knight, recently. Perhaps it was a tease, but the image stuck. No hallucinations accompany the sight of the young man, of course, but -- as he stands in front of the Commander, he gives off the feeling of a knight, shining armor or not. One false move from the Doctor and Banagher would surely put his own life on the line to protect the people around him -- whether they wanted him to, or not.
Just when he thought his sense of horror couldn't get any worse, an honest-to-goodness child appears beside that monster. Banagher immediately rushes forward, putting himself between Puru Ten and the Doctor, his teeth gritted. "Stay the hell away from her." Haro is tucked under one arm, freeing up the other to be held out, making a barrier between the little girl and the monstrous Doctor.
It hasn't yet occured to Banagher how similar this girl looks to someone he knows...
<Pose Tracker> Doctor Salamedes has posed.
No mocking words or condescending reprimands are offered in response to Banagher's condemnation. The sensor eye just follows the movements of the youth, and the Things yes, we're all full up here, but we still have room for you and her as well inside the cybernetic chassis because there's no way just one creature is producing this kind of presence, it has to be at least three too, but no there's others under the surface, trapped and screaming nothing normal about this doctor, and it knows when it has met someone who is distinctly NOT a friend, just like Banagher does.
Still, they do nothing but answer Tsugumi, all attention focused on Banagher and that defiant stance of his. "I came to attempt to avail myself of your services in testing--" is as far as Salamedes gets before the elevator opens and the red-haired girl emerges. Salamedes slouches slowly down to half of its previous already-hunched height, and its presence diminishes rapidly.
But then Banagher gets between the Doctor and the girl, and it all comes rushing back, but focused solely on Banagher now. It's no longer semi-thoughts alien to his psyche that intrude nonetheless or visual distortions that would make normal people doubt their sanity, it's just a red eye on a black sun radiating darkness over a dead, silent world forever.
One of the robotic arms slowly comes forward from around the monster's back, as the 'hand' portion clicks downwards to reveal a hole in the wrist. However, whatever was going to emerge from there is going to remain unseen because the Commander is about to--
<Pose Tracker> Tsugumi Saionji has posed.
Mentally cursing as Banagher ignores the explicit warning she gave him in order to defend her from an ally, however dubious the ally may be, and then leaps over to shield someone else as well, Tsugumi Saionji raises her voice as the Doctor seems to be preparing to do something that everyone is sure to regret, and yells out, "THAT'S ENOUGH!" Despite the warning she gave Banagher, she stalks over quickly, reaching a hand out to try to grab the boy by one shoulder and pull him away, while her other hand goes to the child's shoulder to do the same for her. Tsugumi doesn't know the situation yet, but she assumes that the girl is the pilot of the Qubeley in the hangar if Banagher isn't.
"This is not a situation into which we can interject our first impulses." she says chastisingly, looking at Banagher, and then at Salamedes, and then giving a disapproving mom-glare at the Puru. "And this is a military vessel during war time, so you shouldn't just be coming and going from the bridge. Any of you!" She casts her gaze around the entire bridge, making sure the entire crew understands this and that they can't just let any random Gundam Protagonist/Antagonist/Purutagonist come through the door.
"Stand down, or I'm throwing you off my ship and you can try to SWIM back to somewhere with air. Am I clear?"
<Pose Tracker> Puru Ten has posed.
Whatever smart aleck response she was going to give is forestalled in stammering surprise, 'Wh... What do you think you're doing!?' as Banagher leaps in front of her, and the Doctor turns its full malice towards the older boy. Even if it's directed at Banagher, she is standing right behind him, and she freezes up from the edges of that Intent unsure of what to do next, or if she should do anything. Fortunatelly, the Commander's yell breaks her out of it, and she is most assuredly tossed gently back a couple feet, hopping a couple times to kill her momentum before coming back to reality. Remembering to breathe, the girl musters all of her indignation and says, "You're not the boss of m--" but then she gets that Mom-Glare and she wilts under it, and the threat of being ejected into the void, however unlikely, has her looking away and scowling at the floor, finally letting out, "Tch!" as she crosses her arms.
She does glance towards Banagher out of the corner of her eye though. What's going on with him? He looked like was about to fight the Doctor to the death or something...!
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
"Nnh--" Banagher hunches his shoulders, momentarily overwhelmed by the horrible black sun. Eyes clouding over with the vision of malice, Banagher's hands tremble. All the same, he doesn't falter, managing to stand strong between the Doctor and the little Puru, blind to the amalgamation surely drawing their weapon..!
Golden eyes clear when Tsugumi grabs him, Banagher easily manhandled away. "W--wh--" He looks between Tsugumi and the Doctor, appearing completely confused at the shouting. "But there's a child! You can't just let him--"
Finally, Banagher looks at Puru Ten, truly taking in her looks. There was only one person he knew to have orange hair so vibrant -- and Leina had told him there were others. He inclines his head to Tsugumi, quickly, offering her a distracted. "I'm sorry, ma'am." Before turning his full attention to the little girl.
"Hello," He starts, excitement glimmering in his eyes. He's still on edge from the presence of the Doctor, still glancing back up at them and glaring every few words, but -- this could mean everything to Marida and Leina both! "My name is Banagher. What's yours?" The words tumble from Banagher's mouth. "I know your sister. Her name's Marida, and she's on board the Garencieres with me. You don't have to stay with that... thing. Come back with me and meet her."
<Pose Tracker> Doctor Salamedes has posed.
The black radiance collapses back into itself as Tsugumi interjects, and the hand clicks back into place after a few more seconds as the other limb reaches around to adjust it. "Yes. Of course. We shall certainly be more careful from now on, shan't we?" Doctor Salamedes says calmly and semi-condescendingly. Though whom it is condescending to is unclear. "Our apologies for the bad first impression... It has been a long trip and we are very tired." The head has straightened up at this point, and the sensor eye is trained on Puru Ten, watching warily as Banagher starts to interact with her. "It leads to... Being on edge."
Both arms go back behind the cloaked form and Doctor Salamedes, surprisingly, just moves on and allows Banagher to talk to the orange-haired girl. "Do be gentle with her. She has been through quite a lot." is the last thing said to the teen Newtype before the cyborg seemingly dismisses the Natural Enemy it just met from its mind. It is still unsettling but its presence is virtually non-existent. If it can mask itself so well, why did it ooze such an odious aura that would bother everyone nearby? Just because it was tired? Whatever. Weird cyborg horrors are gonna' weird cyborg horror.
"As I was saying, there is a unit in your hangar intended for your use. I do not know of anyone else--DID not know of anyone else--" Salamedes corrects as its sensor eye dips towards Banagher briefly before returning to Tsugumi. "--who has the qualifications to pilot it, and we need test data before it can be operationally deployed tomorrow. Please do take a few hours from your busy schedule, hm? We'll be sure to let the children have a chat about this or that without interruption. Won't that be nice?"
<Pose Tracker> Tsugumi Saionji has posed.
This is such a headache. Dealing with Salamedes always is, but it's almost comforting given the nearly two decades Tsugumi has spent on the battlefield, where 'being on edge' was her default state of mind. But with everyone else around, and so many other factors to worry about, it just quickly becomes a pain. Especially when Salamedes makes little power plays like the previous one, forcing Tsugumi to take action or else implicitly allow the Doctor to do as it wishes.
Even that promise about 'allowing the children to chat' is a subtle threat that may or may not have any intention of being followed through on, and the only way to find out is for her to act or else she will be stuck REacting.
"Will you stay in your assigned quarters and not bother me about this again if I do you this favor?" Tsugumi is no stranger to playing power games herself. She looks concernedly at Banagher and the girl, obviously hearing what is being said. Sighing, the 30-year old woman says, "Mister Links. Just... Look out for yourself," she says. "You are very brave, but bravery isn't a shield. Learn how to protect before trying to become a protector." If only she knew, but it's still valid advice. Can't protect someone if Banagher gets shot in the face, right?
She jerks her head towards one of the bridge crew to call her over and then says, "Make sure Mister Links and our other guest are accompanied wherever they wish to go. Arrange quarters if they need them for the duration of their stay, and make sure they are watered, fed, and any other needs attended to." It's not the job an Ensign would normally be given, but under these tense circumstances...
The officer salutes. "Yes, ma'am!" Then the officer moves over towards Banagher and Puru while doing her best not to look at Salamedes. "Hey, kids! I'm Ensign Ambley Norad. You can call me Ambley. Why don't we head down to the mess hall, huh?"
The long black hair of Tsugumi Saionji flows behind her as she turns and begins making her way from the bridge, expecting Salamedes to follow behind her. She will cast a baleful glare over her shoulder if that is not the case.
<Pose Tracker> Puru Ten has posed.
...What?
"I... Uh... What?" the redhead echoes out loud in response to Banagher.
She looks like a deer caught in the headlights of a car, wide-eyed, staring, not processing the situation fully. There's too much happening at once. Too many big hits. "My... What?" She was just about to give Banagher a hair flip and a 'hmph!' of peak tsundere-ness at his familiar greeting, but Banagher is just going RB-79 Balls to the wall right off the bat and it leaves her flustered and off-balance.
"I'm Puru Ten, and you know my--Marida? What!? Onboard the..." The Cyber Newtype is enduring a Puru Screen of Death mentally, but eventually she stammers out a complete sentence. "I-I-I'm on my way to see my sisters right now! I know I don't have to stay with the Doctor! He's the one who brought me here so I could rejoin them!" She may be creeped out by Salamedes like everyone else, but the cyber-doc has never done her wrong. She looks suspicious suddenly. "Why are you so eager to take me to some other ship? I don't know anyone named 'Marida'." Getting a look of realization on her face she points accusingly at Banagher and says loudly, "Ah-HAH! I know your game! You're one of those >perverts< I've heard abou-" The embarrassing verbal attack is called off when Tsugumi orders 'the kids' get some mandated childing time with Ensign Norad as their chaperone. Her extended finger drops at the knuckle so that she's just pointing at the ground as she squints her eyes, breathing in and out through her nose to try to keep her temper under control.
She looks pretty red. Then her eyes snap all the way open! "Fine! If you insist, then I will allow you to host me! H-hmph!" There's the hair-flip! A perfect tsun! "But you better be prepared! It's been a long trip and I need my nutrition!"
With another 'hmph', Puru Ten attempts to lead the way off the bridge, even though she has no idea where the mess hall is. But she looks back at Banagher with her big, violet eyes. What if he's telling the truth? Are her sisters that close after all? It's been a year since she has seen them. She needs to find out how the battle went! Maybe if she plays along with this kid, she can confirm his story and find out the many things she's still ignorant of.
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
Being called a child so many times is irritating, but... there were bigger problems at hand. As the Doctor has chosen to ignore him, Banagher offers the same courtesy. No more words are spoken, but one final look. They would certainly meet again, Banagher thinks, probably under far less peaceful circumstances. And Banagher would defeat them, whatever it took. His golden eyes are determined, hard and cold, before he looks away.
"Oh, yes. I will." Banagher offers Tsugumi a little smile. "Thank you. I meant what I said earlier, if you need help..." He very pointedly does not look at the Doctor. "I'll be there. You seem like a good person."
Ensign Ambley gets a quick look, and then a nod. "Thank you, Ambley. I'm Banagher -- some food sounds great." Now that he can relax, Bangaher holds Haro in his arms normally once more. The little robot seems pleased by this, but chooses not to comment for the moment.
Banagher fumbles with Haro, opening it to reveal a little screen within. "Here, look -- she looks just like you, right?" Just as he says, the image comes into existence. Banagher and a tall woman with orange hair and purple eyes. They both look pretty banged up -- Banagher has blood on his face, and one of his shoulders is bleeding fairly badly, and Marida is in a similar state. The young man is smiling, but Marida looks rather confused -- though not unhappy.
"Puru Ten, it's nice to meet you. I --" At the rest of her words, Banagher looks puzzled. Leina made it sound like the rest of Marida's sisters were... gone. Maybe she was mistaken? If Marida was out there, and this girl, surely there must be others. "Oh, well -- it'd be nice to see Marida before you go, right? I know she'd be so happy. And --" He recoils as Puru Ten calls him a pervert. "What -- that's not! I mean it, I just want you to meet your sister -- we can take Ambley with us, if it'll make you feel better!"
When she quickly drops the pervert line of thinking, Banagher relaxes. Who knew Marida had such volatile sisters... "We can get food first. I'll send a message to Marida so she knows we're on the way -- if that's okay with you. I'm sure she could come here, if you'd be more comfortable.."
<Pose Tracker> Doctor Salamedes has posed.
Salamedes sounds delightedly disgusted by Tsugumi turning around their threat on them by turning it into her doing them a favor. Absolutely wonderful arrogance! This is why Salamedes enjoys working with Tsugumi! Not just as an ends to a means but because there's so few that they can actually >engage< with mentally. Even if it's only verbal sparring, it's >something< at least. A second sensor eye opens up on the back of Salamedes's steel helmet, where it was previously concealed. It meets Banagher's own eyes in the moment the young Newtype looks at the retreating Doctor, and closes up again just as quickly.
Unlike that boy. Banagher is a Problem.
"Of course, of course~... Let's move along then. As repayment for this favor, we shall let you keep this unit! We're sure you'll find it to your liking... And your other unit is still being worked on. You know how it is scrubbing out the gamma radiation and blood stains..." The voice of Salamedes gradually fades out with distance, but the room still feels... Tainted by its very presence. It will take time and good vibes to get rid of these stains as well, it seems.
<Pose Tracker> Puru Ten has posed.
Puru Ten was shown the picture, but she wasn't sure how to react to it. Now, as she hangs onto a handle that drags her through the air alongs one side of the hallway, her brow furrows in confusion and concern. There's no way that's one of her sisters, despite the familiar appearance. Much too old. She chews her bottom lip as Banagher and Ambley follow after her, thinking furiously. This doesn't make sense at all. It has to be a trick of some kind. People are always lying to her, using her...! Maybe it was a faked picture! It's on a computer after all!
"I... Would like to hear more about her first." she replies non-commitally. But she does look back at Banagher with a perplexed expression. "And about you. I have a lot of questions to ask about a lot of things."
What an understatement that will turn out to be.
But this mysterious boy might be her best shot at finding out the truth when her entire life has been spent as a tool.