2022-10-15: Fragmentation
- Cast: Alouette Pommier, Rikka Takarada, Yuta Hibiki
- Where: Tsutsujidai - Lakefront Park
- Date: U.C. 0096 10 15
- Summary: Their conversations with Alexis Kerib still fresh in their minds, Yuta and Rikka invite Alouette out to hang out at the park to check in on her and possibly get some answers.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka went to school today for the first time in a while. Her attendance had declined a little due to everything going on... but, having recently learned about the influx of transfer students, she decided it might be a good idea to get back into the habit. It also provides a great opportunity to see Alouette, and pass on an invitation to meet up with herself and Yuta at the park after school.
School has come and gone, and now Rikka currently sits on one of the benches facing the lake, waiting for everyone to arrive. She decided to arrive early, coming straight here from school, so she hasn't changed out of her uniform yet - though there's plenty of time before for anyone else to go change.
It is, as ever, a warm day, but it is at least a bearable one.
<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.
Much like Rikka, Yuta's attendance record is less than spotless. It's difficult to find school very important when he's regularly fighting against world-ending terrors, after all. Lately, the more he wears his school uniform, the more it irritates him. He's left behind the knit vest today, thankfully. Tsutsujidai is far too hot for such things.
"Hey, Rikka." Yuta says, with a little wave. He takes a seat next to her on the bench, looking out across the lake as well. "Are you nervous? I talked to Ouka yesterday, and she was so different... I learned a lot of things that made me feel really worried about her. If the same thing happens with Alouette, I really don't know what we should do."
It's something he's put a lot of thought into. Gridman has little advice when it comes to human matters, but maybe they could turn to their mentors in the Shuffle Alliance?
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
Ever since she transferred in, Alouette has been wondering where Rikka and Yuta have been, seeing as they haven't been present at school for the past week or so. She knows that they for one haven't abandoned their duties yet, so it's a reasonable explanation, but a week is a while to miss school. Alouette was hoping that nothing horrible happened to them, or that they aren't trying to avoid her...
But eventually, Alouette received in invitation to the park at Tsutsujidai, nothing descript, simply asking to hang out as friends. This is good.. the entire reason she moved in was so she could be closer to her friends, after all. It made her a little nervous when those friends were no-shows for so long.
And so, after school, she makes her way to the designated location, Tsutsujidai's beautiful lakefront park. She's wearing her red, broken-heart jacket that Akane picked out for her. On a day like this, it should be pretty hot to wear. Alouette doesn't mind nor notice.
Alouette is the last to arrive, as she spots Yuta and Rikka sitting on the bench together. It's a long bench so there's plenty of room for three to sit. Still, Alouette elects to take as little space as possible.
"Bonjour, Rikka-chan, Yuta-kun". Her typical French greeting, coupled with switching to the Japanese honorifics she's been using lately to fit in more at Tsutsujidai High. Her Japanese has always been quite good, but it's been getting better. She's also offered fruit snacks left over from lunch, if either are interested.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka returns Yuta's wave with one of her own and a small smile. She's quiet for a moment, before nodding.
"...Yeah. A little." She admits. What should they do...? "...I don't know, either."
They'll have to... figure things out first. It wouldn't do to jump to conclusions before figuring out how she actually feels.
Soon enough, though, Alouette arrives. Rikka does smile when she sees her. Whatever the situation is, she's still their friend. She waves, and as she does she takes note of the jacket. That's a new one...
"Hi, Alouette! It's good to see you. Sorry we missed your first day..." Rikka apologises. "How's school been?"
She notes the way she tries not to take up too much space. And when she offers some fruit snacks Rikka accepts some, with a nod of thanks.
<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.
Alouette appears, wearing -- wow, a new jacket! "It's great to see you! Um, Bonjour!" Yuta tries, pronouncing it fairly poorly. "That jacket looks great on you, Alouette."
Yuta stands and offers his place to Alouette so she can sit between himself and Rikka. That way it'll be easier for everyone to chat. When offered fruit snacks, he smiles and thankfully grabs some. "Thanks, I love these." Letting Rikka take the lead in the conversation, Yuta pops the little colorful gummies into his mouth.
Rikka is always so kind and calm in situations like this. Yuta feels like his heart is thudding loud enough for the whole park to hear. What if Alouette is about to tell them some kind of horrific story, like Ouka? Has he been letting his friends down this whole time by not paying attention to their home lives?
"How have you been liking class so far?" He asks, speaking up. They've got to keep things casual. "Have you decided on any clubs, or anything? Sorry we've been absent -- you know how it goes, sometimes." A rueful smile and a little shrug. Yuta pops another fruit snack into his mouth, gathers his courage, and asks, "So, what made you decide to move all the way out here? It's gotta be a big change!"
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
Alouette returns a glowing smile back. "I'm glad to see you too! And don't worry yourself about it, I know you're both busy with a lot, even without the kaiju attacks." Alouette wouldn't be surprised, of course, if the members of the Gridman Alliance were aware and empathetic enough to throw themselves headfirst into the other crises of the outside world. She just hopes they don't overwhelm themselves, like Alouette did herself.
"As for school.. it's been great, honestly! Akane-chan's been very welcoming." Alouette isn't aware of the falling out of sorts that Rikka had with Akane, unfortunately...
Still, the subject changes quickly enough. "I think it was only a matter of time before I transferred in. After all, I helped you out in the Millympic Games, right?" It's true that Alouette absolutely had fun during those events, even if Tsutsujidai didn't take first place.
Alouette smiles when Yuta and Rikka accept the fruit snacks. And when Yuta compliments the new jacket, Alouette ruffles it a bit. "Thank you! I've been trying out new fashion styles lately.. red is a striking colour, don't you think?"
Yuta asks about clubs, and conveniently, Alouette does have an answer to this. "I'm considering the Music Club with Kaworu! He showed me the piano basics, and I'd like to learn how to sing one day... it's a talent I've never studied before."
And finally, the bombshell question. Alouette goes for the full truth on this one. "I.. left my post at Orbit Base." Her previously glowing smile dims into a frown momentarily. She doesn't go into the details of they why, but she leaves that part open for any questions. "Akane offered me a place to stay.. we're not enemies ever since she stopped attacking with her kaiju after all. Personally, I'm glad she sees BioNet for who they really are now." She's not sure if she's told either of them the whole story of her history with BioNet, but it's clear it wasn't friendly.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"Yeah, that's really nice." Rikka chimes in, genuinely, as Yuta comments on Alouette's jacket.
Alouette says not to worry, and Rikka nods.
"Thanks..." She replies with a nod. Alouette says that school has been great, and Rikka smiles - though it becomes a little complex when she mentions Akane.
"I'm glad to hear that... I was worried it might be difficult for you to adapt, but it's good that Akane's helping you out..." Rikka replies... and then hesitates a bit, looking uncertain for a moment. "How's, um... how's she doing, by the way...?"
The topic of conversation turns to the Millympic games, and Rikka nods.
"That's true - I guess that makes it destiny, in a way." She comments. Her attention is drawn back to Alouette's jacket as she comments on it, taking in the design. "It does really stand out."
She can't help but smile a little, though, when Alouette says she's considering Music Club with Kaworu.
"He's really talented. I think you'd have a good time with it." Rikka comments.
And then, Alouette explains that she left her post at Orbit Base, and Akane offered her a place to stay.
"She did...? Well, I'm glad you at least had somewhere to go..." She replies. As for Akane and BioNet, Rikka nods. "...Yeah. I hope she's done with them for good. I just hope they don't try anything, after what happened..."
She's quiet for a moment longer. There's one question
"...It's okay if you don't want to talk about it right now, but why did you leave Orbit Base?" Rikka asks.
<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.
Even if something weird is going on, it's really great to see Alouette so happy. Like with Ouka the day before, Yuta feels a strong sense of confliction. If his friends are so much happier here, is it right to investigate their choices? Would a true friend support Alouette, or try and dig into her past?
Gridman really never prepared him for a moment like this!
"O--oh! You made friends with Akane." Yuta's smile turns a bit wobbly, but he keeps it together. "I hope she doesn't mind you hanging out with us, I wouldn't want to come between you guys. And yeah, you were great at the Games! We wouldn't have gotten as far without you, for sure."
"I've been trying new fashion stuff too, lately. I really discovered how much I like clothes and things during the Pageant." Yuta smiles, then waves his feet a little, displaying the brilliantly red sneakers he always wears. "I definitely love red, too. It's so vibrant and eye-catching. It makes me feel brave." At the mention of the Music Club, Yuta lights up. "Oh! I'm joining the Dance Club this time, I know Kaworu sometimes plays the piano for them. Maybe our club meetings will be together!"
Alouette does have a really nice voice. She'll probably do great in the Music Club.
Yuta's heart sinks when Alouette's smile fades. It feels awful to pry like this... But he can't shake Ouka's words, talking about how her brother would 'survive' 'recalibration', how she 'broke free' and escaped... What if the Orbit Base was treating Alouette the same way? He can't take that chance. All Yuta can do is hope Alouette will forgive him.
"I'm glad she sees the truth of them, too." Is Yuta's quiet reply. That battlefield, when the BioNet pilot died... It still haunts him. "I don't really know much about BioNet, but from what I've seen, I don't want Akane anywhere near them." There's a pause, as Rikka speaks. "I'm really sorry to pry, but I'd like to know why you left your post, too. You always seemed so dedicated to it before. It's gotta be a really big change for you." Yuta gently backs up Rikka, softly pressing at the source of his worries.
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
"I think Akane is doing much better lately.. we spend a lot of time together and she always seems to be smiling," Alouette replies to Rikka. Alouette currently can't see the darkness under that smile of hers; conversely Akane can fully see the darkness behind Alouette's. The two of them are used to unfair partnerships..
To Yuta, she adds, "I don't think she would be against us spending time together; she said she doesn't mind who I'm friends with." She almost wishes that Rikka and Yuta would clear up any remaining misunderstandings they have with Akane, so the four of them can hang out. But it would be selfish to push the issue, wouldn't it?
As Yuta talks about fashion, Alouette looks down at his sneakers that he shows off. He may be wearing the standard uniform, but that's one way to show off your sense of style. "I noticed! And I think red would look good on you too. It matches with your hair colour, even!"
Alouette also wasn't aware that Yuta was joining the Dance Club, but she's glad to hear it. And thank you.. I hope one day I can play music for the Dance Club too." And to Rikka, who mentions how talented Kaworu is, Alouette nods in agreement. "He's amazing.. I was able to match his speed and precision, but the way he can do all that and make a beautiful song out of it.. it's incredible."
"I don't think BioNet will try anything else for a while.. a lot of their projects are now out of order, and they lost a huge amount of money trying to repair their facilities. Sadly, one such "project" was that pilot who died.." She looks quite pained when she mentions this. "He deserved a better life."
And then Rikka and Yuta both ask why she left Orbit Base, a question Alouette would be stupid not to expect. She takes in a deep breath. "I'm sure you're both aware of Triple Zero. The phenomenon that influenced both Renais and 'Gridman's brother'. The truth is, I knew many of the 3G members affected by it personally. And I can't... fight them." It seems most of them aren't interested in being 'saved' anyways...
Tying back into the topic of BioNet... "The main reason I became a Mobile Corps Operator was because of the intelligence BioNet gave me. And although I'm grateful for everything 3G did for me, Akane offered me a world where I can have the teenage years I missed, and continue to learn new things.. like music!" A somewhat forced smile emerges upon that last line. "I feel happy here, not fighting for my life against people I once called family."
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"I-Is she...? That's good, I'm glad..." Rikka replies, with a bit of a smile. It is good that Akane is doing better... But it hurts to hear a little, too. She'd only had Alexis's word on it so far, but if Alouette's saying the same thing it must be true. She took their conversation so hard, but Akane seems to have just moved right on from it... ...Is it selfish to think that way...?
...She should probably actually talk to her herself at some point, but. ...It's still hard.
"She said that...? That's good." Rikka says. She hadn't really thought about that, but... it makes sense that it would be a potential concern.
Yuta talks about fashion and mentions... that he's joining the Dance Club!
"Oh, I didn't know about that. After that show you put on during the pageant, I'm sure you'll do great." Rikka comments, before looking back toward Alouette. "Yeah... It's really impressive."
BioNet...
"...Yeah. It's awful." Rikka murmurs in agreement.
And then, Alouette explains why she left. How she can't fight people she considers family.
It... makes a lot of sense.
"...I guess... I never realised how much it must weigh on you all. I'm sorry." Rikka murmurs. She stares down at the lake quietly for a moment. It hurts, having to fight someone you care about. If that's really her reason for leaving... can she really say anything against that?
But then again, there's that smile...
"I hope... you enjoy your time here, then." Rikka says. She hesitates a bit, then, and after a moment decides to say something that's been weighing on her a bit ever since she heard the news. "Still, I wish you would've told us you were moving in... We could've done something to welcome you."
<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.
"It's good to hear she's doing well." The thought of Akane smiling, really smiling, seems so farfetched, now. "I text her sometimes, but she doesn't reply. I think she's going to be content to keep me at arm's length." It's a diplomatic way to put it, but Yuta isn't going to talk bad about a friend. "I'm glad she won't mind us hanging out, though!"
With a laugh, Yuta shakes his head. "You wouldn't believe how hard it is to match the red of my hair. Anything that isn't the same color just looks awful. It's kind of fashion quest, to find the perfect red."
"Just keeping up with Kaworu is a sign of how talented you are, Alouette. I've seen him play! Either way, I'll be certain to come to your shows, or competitions. I'm not sure what they'd be called." A little pause as Yuta smiles at Rikka. "Thank you! I'll be counting on you guy's support!" It's nice, talking about normal things like this. If only it could last...
But soon, the conversation turns back to BioNet. When Alouette mentions the pilot, Yuta leans forward a bit on the bench, looking out across the lake to try and collect himself. "They were only out there because of me. I know Shinji did everything he could to try and save that pilot. It's hurting him to this day." It's hurting Yuta, too. "I can't believe there are people out there who would use real, living beings as experiments and projects. It's too horrible."
Straightening back up, Yuta listens to Alouette's decisions. He nods when appropiate, but stays quiet until she's finished. "I don't think I could fight people I considered family, either. I don't blame you." Brow furrowing as Alouette mentions BioNet giving her something, he takes a breath, and decides to press once more. "I'm sorry... BioNet gave you something? I'm afraid I didn't know that. Like Rikka said, you don't have to talk about anything you don't want to, but, um." Yuta clears his throat. "After thinking about that pilot, I'm a little worried."
Alouette's wording puts Yuta on edge. Akane gave her a world. Alexis told him... creating a world required a piece of someone's heart. Is that true for Alouette, as well..? It's not wrong for her to choose to give up fighting, and it's not wrong to want to experience the things she missed, and find her own happiness. But what if she did give up a piece of her heart? Is that the point where the Gridman Alliance should step in?
Do they even have that right?
Beep.
"Ah--" Yuta blushes bright red, stuffing his arm under his legs awkwardly, seeming to try and hide his... wristband? When no further beeps come forth, he relaxes, but a look of frustration stays on his face. "S--sorry! My phone..." With a nervous laugh, he straightens back up, one hand placed on top of the wristband.
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
Rikka looks happy that Akane really does seem to be doing better. Although deep down, she seems bothered by something as she hesitates while speaking. So Alouette speaks her mind on that topic. "Hey, Rikka.. I'm not sure if something happened between you and Akane-chan at France, or maybe after that, but.. I think if something's bothering you, you should try talking to her. At least once you're ready." Alouette looks lost in thought for a moment. "I think Akane would appreciate the chance to talk as well."
As Yuta mentions coming to their shows, that reminds Alouette of what she talked about with Kaworu. "By the way, Kaworu invited me to a recital of his at Tokyo-3 Municipal. I wonder if he would be okay with me bringing you two along? I think it would be very fun to watch him outside the practice room."
As Yuta says that the pilot only came because of him.. because of Gridman, Alouette shakes her head. "It's not your fault. The blame is squarely on BioNet for their irresponsibility and cruelty." When he says he can't believe there are real people experimented on, she notes the irony of herself standing in front of him.
Thankfully both Rikka and Yuta are understanding of her situation and reasoning for leaving. It really is difficult to fight family. "It's okay-" she simply nods to Rikka, reassuredly. "Triple Zero was classified until very recently. I imagine it was hard for Gridman to fight his brother under the same circumstances.
Like with Kaworu on the rooftop, she feels comfortable saying the things she's always kept close to her chest; it must be the sense of safety Tsutsujidai provides as well as her trust in Yuta and Rikka. "I was another one of BioNet's experiments. I know you don't really make distinctions like Coordinator in Tsutsujidai, but in short, they modified me in the womb before I was born, and then took me away from mom. They wanted a loyal child genius to make weapons for them, and that was our working agreement until 3G rescued me."
Her cheeks puff up as if about to cry, no matter how much she tells herself her past shouldn't bother her anymore. "I knew how to make bombs before I knew how to make friends. That's.. that's why this is so important to me."
And then Rikka has one final statement, about how she wishes Alouette let her and Yuta know, which makes Alouette feel a bit guilty. She knows they were busy the week she moved in, but she probably could have texted. "Ah, I'm sorry.. I probably should've told you. Truthfully, it was a short-notice decision so-"
"Beep. Yuta plays it off as his phone, but not much gets past Alouette. "That's.. the kaiju alarm, isn't it?" A puzzled expression on her face. "But there shouldn't be any kaiju around..." None of course, except for the one that clawed its way into Alouette's heart.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Alouette notices how she looks down. Rikka pauses for a moment. Has she really been that obvious about it...?
"...Well, to to you the truth... we kind of got into a bit of an argument while everything was happening..." Rikka admits. "I still haven't... quite gotten over it, I guess."
She nods quietly, then.
"...Yeah, I know I should try to talk to her before it's too late. It's just..." She trails off, unable to really come up with an excuse. Is 'I still feel hurt' good enough...?
They talk about their respective clubs, and Alouette brings up that Kaworu invited her to a recital.
"If he's okay with it, I'd definitely be glad to go. I'd love to see him in action." Rikka replies.
Yuta... blames himself for what happened to the BioNet pilot, and Rikka offers him a look of sympathy. She didn't know he felt that way...
"She's right. They must've known something would happen, but they went through with it anyway..." She replies with a shake of her head. "You were trying to save people, to stop that kaiju, to help Akane... It isn't your fault."
She nods, then, as Alouette assures her that it's okay.
"...Yeah. We only learned of it because of everything that happened to Renais. You must have been living with that for so much longer..." Rikka replies. Yuta asks, then, what BioNet gave her. ...Rikka was a little curious about that, too, so she listens.
...And, the reality was horrifying. She was made, from birth, to make weapons. Rikka stares, eyes open wide in shock. It's... awful. She knows a little what it's like to be made for a specific purpose, now... but her situation is so much worse.
"Oh, Alouette... That's... that's horrible. It isn't right what they took from you." Rikka murmurs. What can she even say...? It doesn't really feel like there anything she can say. And the way it looks like she's about to cry... She can make an offer, at least. "Would... would you like a hug?"
Alouette says it was short notice, and Rikka nods. It does make her feel a little better, though she should really think on that - but the beeping of the acceptor interrupts her train of thought, and she looks toward Yuta's wrist.
...Of course Alouette would see right through it.
"...Yeah, that's the thing. It's been doing that for a while..." Rikka says. "Yuta, have you figured anything out yet?"
<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.
A recital from Kaworu sounds like a rare treat. "I'd love to go, if he doesn't mind. A while ago I told Shinji he and Kaworu should play together, so I'd love to hear even one of them."
"Thank you, Alouette, and you too, Rikka." Yuta's eyebrows are still drawn together in distress, but their words make a difference. It's the logical answer, even if Yuta can't quite get his heart to accept it. "I'm never going to stop feeling like I should've done more, but all we can do is move forward, right..?"
Then, on the Topic of Triple Zero, "Gridman didn't remember his brother, but I think that made it harder on him. Someone he feels he should be able to protect who he has no memories of." Yuta sighs. "He doesn't talk about himself much, though."
Face serious, Yuta listens to Alouette describe her past. It confirms all of Yuta's fears. It wasn't the Orbit Base crew hurting Alouette, but there was serious trauma and pain in her background. A lost childhood, a forced mission. This connecting thread, between her and Ouka... What does it mean?
For the moment, what matters is comforting Alouette. She looks like she's on the verge of tears, and Yuta can't bear to see anyone cry. "Thank you for telling us. I'm honored to have your trust." His voice is soft, trying to be comforting. "I'm so sorry you've been through all this, and I'm so thankful you were rescued." Carefully, he reaches out, patting Alouette on the shoulder. It's a clumsy gesture, but meant with care. "I'm grateful to have you in my life, Alouette. No matter what happened in the past. You make for a fantastic friend."
Yuta's heart flutters in his chest, feeling like a trapped bird. What is the right thing to do, here? What's happening to his friends? How could he have been so blind to their pain, before all this? It shouldn't take someone spelling out their trauma for Yuta to notice that they're hurting.
The Acceptor's odd beep serves as a good distraction from this spiral. "Yeah, um. Usually, when there's a kaiju, it goes wild. Beeping a ton, flashing lights. But lately I've been getting just the one beep. Gridman doesn't know if it's a malfunction or some kind of kaiju we can't pick up on the sensors." At least he won't have to decieve Alouette about this. "I'm worried about it. And it's been waking me up at night!" Yuta adds, grumpily.
"The furthest we've gotten is Calibur and Anti finding some kaiju's footprints in Spain. Anti says he chased it halfway across the countryside, and it just vanished in front of his eyes. Other than that, we haven't had any notable kaiju sightings." Yuta taps his wristband, like someone would tap a stuck watch. "I don't know what to think. And I have no idea who to turn to if this thing is broken, I can't exactly take it off for maintenance."
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
When Rikka explains her fight with Akane, Alouette slowly nods in understanding. "I can't blame you at all for still feeling upset... I hope you two are able to work things out, even if it takes time. And..." a smile flashes on her face. "I don't think there's such a thing as 'too late'.. I have a feeling that Akane will always accept you, even if you need time away." From the way Akane always talked about Rikka, not just as her creator, but something more. "She still cares, I think."
Yuta mentions that Gridman didn't recognize his brother, but still had a difficult time fighting him. "That makes sense.. I didn't initially recognize him, either, because he took on a new form, but it turns out he was also Todo-san, one of 3G's programmers." The story goes that Takeshi Todo eventually gained the power to transform into Gridman Sigma, but then he succumbed to Triple Zero with the rest of 3G Green. "Even though I couldn't recognize him at first, I really struggled to fight him.." She adds.
Despite talking about the trauma of her past with BioNet, Alouette feels a little better, due to getting it off her chest and hearing the kind words of Yuta and Rikka. "...Thank you, it really means a lot to hear that," she rubs her eyes while Yuta tells her she's a fantastic friend. She doesn't blame Yuta for not noticing sooner, in many ways she's adjusted quite well since her childhood, but on the other hand there is much she leaves buried inside.
"Yes, please," she responds softly at Rikka's offer of a hug, shifting her body to get into position for it. Although she is sometimes avoidant when it comes to physical touch, in this case, a hug from a trusted friend feels genuinely warm.
Alouette stares at the acceptor for a few moments, taking in the information. "Hmm. I would offer to take a look at it, but if even the Neon Genesis... guys," she finishes, unable to remember the full acronym, "don't know what's wrong, I'm not sure what I can do." Besides, Akane probably wouldn't want her messing with the Gridman Alliance's tech, but she doesn't add that part. "I wonder what a kaiju like that is doing in Spain, though."
All the talk about wristwatches leads Alouette to check her phone for the time. "It's getting close to dinner time, so I should probably head back to the apartment." She packs up her bag, putting the remaining few packets of fruit snacks in the front pocket for tomorrow. "Thanks for reaching out to me.. we should definitely get in touch more often. Especially since we live so close now." Although they were friends, the Gridman Alliance had only ever seen the brave and confident side of Alouette.. she wonders what they think of her now that they've seen her significantly more vulnerable side.