2023-02-27: Ice Cream Social
- Cast: Banagher Links, Marida Cruz, Zoltan Akkanen
- Where: The Ra Mari II
- Date: U.C. 0097 02 27
- Summary: Banagher returns to the Ra Mari II with a small present for Marida. Zoltan, never one to miss a party, invites himself along.
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
The Ra Mari's return to Earth came at a very convenient time for one young Gundam pilot. After yet another attack by the Banshee -- this time at one of the most secure areas on the planet -- Banagher has realized he has to make a change.
...said change might be a bad idea, but he's out of options.
Laying back in his quarters, Banagher taps on his phone. His HaroCon presentation is almost finished, but... Blah. Dreadfully uninspired, he lets his phone fall onto his chest. If he's here anyway, maybe...
A message goes out to one Marida Cruz. Should she wish to join him, the door to his quarters is left open. Banagher himself has moved out to the main social area, sitting on the couch. A rare curiosity waits on the table before him -- ice cream encapsulated in a candy shell. The PPL had all sorts of weird vending machines, after all. Marida's going to /love/ it.
It's been so long since they were last able to talk, this is going to be great.
<Pose Tracker> Marida Cruz has posed.
Marida had been going over reports in her own, quite spartan, quarters. She saw no need for anything but a place to sit and a place to sleep, so any living quarters she occupied found themselves rather bare. She's just about to get to the report of the fight against the Banshee when Banagher's message reaches her. Hmm, her legs were beginning to cramp a bit, so perhaps a bit of a walk would do some good. Plus, he was there at the battle, so she could get information direct from him.
She made her way over to the quarters where Banagher and Mineva were staying, back straight, boots clacking on the floor. As she makes her way to the doorway, she notices Banagher waiting for her.
"Mr. Links."
Her gaze is caught by the colorful treat sitting on the table. She had to admit, she hadn't really had much of a chance to sample much of what the PPL's vending machines had to offer. Tempting.
<Pose Tracker> Zoltan Akkanen has posed.
There's no reason to stay cooped up. Thoughts eating away at him one after the other, no reason to stay still. He's been wandering the Ra Mari II near-absentmindedly at this point, enough sembalance of self to not even try poking his foot into the more Prestigious Quarters of this vessel. Around and around, a light bit of exercise while exercising his own sense of self...However abrasive that was.
Rounding a corner, muttering to himself about the Phenex, about this and that, about how that damn Frontal was so full of himself. And stopping. And staring.
And smiling.
"Oh? What do we have here? The pilot of the Unicorn and the hand of the Garencieres? I was wondering when you two would cross each other's paths again? Mind if I...join in?"
He says, already intruding in the budding conversation with a cocky step.
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
The door to Banagher's quarters remains open, for better or worse. Zoltan has a clear line of sight to the two friends meeting.
"Miss Marida!" Banagher gets to his feet as she enters, a bright smile on his face. No matter how terrible the rest of the world is, at least she's safe. "It's been so long since we talked. I just wanted to see you, and -- I have something to tell you that'll be hard to hear."
"But first, I found these at the PPL." Banagher gestures to the little container of novelty ice cream. "They made me think of you. They're all yours, if you want to try them. I'd really like to catch up -- how are you doing, after we lost the Garencieres?"
Banagher himself has certainly looked better. He's thinner than he was the last time Marida saw him, and dark circles hang beneath his eyes. Despite his genuine happiness at seeing Marida, he's clearly in a bad way.
At Zoltan's appearance, Banagher glances back to Marida. Who the hell is this strange looking man?
"Uh -- Sure, as long as Miss Marida doesn't mind. You're welcome to have some ice cream too, there should be enough." Banagher sits back down on the couch, inviting his guests to take a seat as they please. Along with the couch, there are two additional chairs lining the table. "...who are you?"
Banagher doesn't bother asking how Zoltan knows who he is. By this time, the Unicorn's a big enough spectacle to have earned him plenty of attention from strangers.
<Pose Tracker> Marida Cruz has posed.
Marida gives a slight nod of her head in response to Banagher's greeting, her face unchanged from its usually blank expression. The Unicorn pilot has probably been around her enough to know that this is the most affection she usually shows in public.
"Of course. I had intended on catching up with you and Miss Burne at some point anyway."
Her glance now more openly turns to the ice cream on the table, picking up the container. The Photon Power League employed some of the most brilliant scientists in the Sphere and...they had miniaturized ice cream.
Science truly is marvelous.
"Thank you. I was getting hungry."
When Zoltan joins the conversation, Marida's expression barely changes aside from an almost imperceptible twitch of the eye. Zoltan Akkanen was a loud, boisterious, nosy, and insecure man who annoyed Miss Marida very much.
"Lieutenant Akkanen." She addresses him with a polite bow. Despite her opinions on the man personally, he was her superior. "Banagher, this is Lieutenant Zoltan Akkanen. He is also an officer in the Sleeves."
<Pose Tracker> Zoltan Akkanen has posed.
"Don't mind if I do." It's one of the few luxuries of the Zeon heads trying to make the best use out of a "failure" like him: At least, he's technically a bit higher up on the totem pole compared to most in the sleeves. With a self-confident, completely unabashed countenance, he accepted a small bit of the ice cream while sitting himself down on the chair, taking the time to look it over.
Really, those bastards at the Photon Lab sure outdid themselves today.
"Pilot Marida. Don't keep yourself so uptight for me." Besides, the aura of distaste was obvious enough; He had been around quite a few people with that sort of eyetwitch. Blatant, even. "It's as she says. Lieutenant Zoltan Akkanen, part of the sleeves, same thing Full Frontal's from." A shrug, making himself right at home, ice cream and all.
"I haven't seen the Unicorn in action myself, but I'm sure you're used to people learning about you. Thought I'd pass by, see how two people are now that we're close to Laplace's Box and all." Not that he really cared. Just an interesting thing to interfere with in passing.
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
Banagher grins at that slight nod. "Audrey's back at the PPL. I insisted, after yesterday. But she'd love to see you, we were just talking about you. If you want, I can give you her VERTEX handle. We both have secure phones now, so I think it'd be fine."
Marida earns an eager, excited glance as she picks up the ice cream. Banagher really, really hopes she likes it... It was pretty tricky to keep it cold on his journey.
"Lieutenant Akkanen." Banagher nods at the strange-looking man. "My name is Banagher Links. It's nice to meet you."
There's a moment of quiet as Zoltan brings up the Box -- Banagher's shoulders slumping. "So you know about that too? Does everyone in the Sleeves know? I've been trying to keep it a secret to protect people, but I guess there's not much point if the Vists are going to go after me in broad daylight."
"Are you after the Box too, Lieutenant Akkanen?" Exhausted golden eyes search Zoltan's face. "I'm afraid there's a line at this point."
"Miss Marida," Banagher begins, "Something happened at the battle yesterday. Something -- personal, for you. Are you okay with me saying it in front of Lieutenant Akkanen, or would you rather wait?"
<Pose Tracker> Marida Cruz has posed.
Marida takes a bite of the quantum-sized frozen treat, barely holding in a smile as she let the flavors melt onto her tongue. This was one of the few human pleasures she would allow herself. She may not be a full person, but her body and mind were still that of a human being, and annoyingly drove her to seek out such pleasure. In a way, she was fueling up the mobile suit of flesh driven by her soul.
"It's good."
She blinks as the discussion returns to the box. "As one of the higher-ranked officers of the Sleeves, the Lieutenant is privy to information about the Box, yes. I don't know if he has any desire for it himself, however."
Taking another bite, she ponders Banagher's question to her. Something...personal to herself? She had no connections to the world outside of the Garincieres, what could possibly concern her about an altercation with the Vist Foundation? "You may speak. If we waited for the Lieutenant to leave, he would simply find out some other way."
<Pose Tracker> Zoltan Akkanen has posed.
He had to admit; This was some good ice cream. Even out in space, it was obvious that the treat was well-cared for and all that jazz, the taste melting in hos mouth. The wisest thing he's going to do today is keep silent at Marida's exclamation: It was a gift for her in the first place, obviously.
That being said... "It's as she says. I don't really care about the Box. You want to yell at people who want to endlessly slave over it, that's Frontal's territory in its entirety." Another bite. "Even if we do get the Box, it's just a pathway for something, not the solution itself." Seriously, it's just a Box with something for Zeon. For the Spacenoids. Why would he want it?
"What the Sleeves want can be done without the box, but it'll take time. And, well." A cracked smirk. "We're running out of it, so its the best option we got."
Another bite. There's the recognition that he won't get another treat like this for a while. Slowing down, taking the time to allow the ice cream to dissolve in his mouth. Savor it a bit. Damn, that's good. "Oh...?" The instinct of curiosity. And nothing more; Never interrupt a person when they're stepping on rakes.
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
/She likes it!/
Banagher feels a thrill of happiness cut through his exhaustion and fear. "I'm so glad, Miss Marida. I'll bring more the next time I come visit. There's all kinds of flavors."
"That's a relief at least." Banagher sighs. "I'm really tired of being suspicious of people." With a little smile, he goes on. "It looks like you're enjoying the ice cream too, Lieutenant. I'll bring more for you next time, too." "Alright." Banagher gives Zoltan one last glance before taking a deep breath. "Yesterday, the Banshee attacked the PPL where Audrey and I are staying. They demanded Audrey and I surrender and give them the Unicorn, as usual, and they deployed the Banshee to try and force us."
"At one point, the Banshee seemed like it didn't want to fight. My Aunt Martha," He practically spits the title, disgusted. "Activated some kind of brainwashing in the pilot. She said. 'Puru-1, dance for me.' And then the Banshee... Fought us. Specifically, it went after Judau..."
Banagher leans forward, covering his face with his hands. "Judau said it felt like her. Like Elpeo. I don't -- I swear, I tried to stop the Banshee and save the pilot. I gave it everything I have, but it -- wasn't enough."
"At the end, I even stepped out of the Unicorn to try and bait the pilot out, but.... The Banshee just left, back to the Vist Foundation's Garuda. I'm -- I'm so sorry. I know what your sisters mean to you, and... This is happening because of me."
<Pose Tracker> Marida Cruz has posed.
Marida's eyes constrict. Her muscles tense. Her grip tightens so much that the plastic spoon in her hand breaks in two.
Puru-1
Elpeo Puru
My sister
Her arms are trembling. Vision...blurring...Must keep composed...
"Elpeo Puru is dead. She died before I was born. You know this. Judau Ashta knows this. This is an attempt to throw you off. Nothing more. Do you understand me, Banagher Links?"
<Pose Tracker> Zoltan Akkanen has posed.
"Mhm, thanks. Not often we get stuff like this in space, so..." He twirls his finger around. There's not much of a way to end that sentence, so it trails off. The next wisest decision to stay silent, to think and to listen.
Purus, huh? A raised eyebrow, that gaunt face turning to face the obvious elephant in the room. Puru-1? Here? Now? "...Doesn't sit right. Doesn't sit right at all." A small mutter. Amuro Ray, then Puru-1? But it's not Triple Zero, so what if...The other obvious thing?
Oh, he's watching that spoon snap. Interesting.
"Could be something worse than that. Banagher, you've listened to Frontal's triades, right? How he's a "vessel" for Char and all that bullcrap?" If there's one, there could be others. "No one's disproven it couldn't happen with others." Che, why he's being so frank about this?
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
"Miss Marida..." Banagher hurries to her side as the plastic spoon breaks, reaching out carefully to put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I know -- you must be hurting from this. I know Elpeo died, but."
Squeezing his eyes shut, he forces the words out. "Lieutenant Akkanen is right. Amuro came back from the dead. Full Frontal is... some kind of person possessed by Char. If anyone would have the guts to do something so horrible, it'd be my family."
"I don't want it to be true, but Judau knows Elpeo best of anyone in the world, and he was convinced." Banagher murmurs. "I don't know if I can fight -- a child who was put through that kind of hell. But I can't give them the Box, either. I don't know what to do."
<Pose Tracker> Marida Cruz has posed.
Her fingers tighten around the frozen container. The cold stung at her skin, the pain another reminder of her pesky shell. If Elpeo Puru was alive, what did that mean for 12? A shiver runs down her spine. Could they make more? To recreate the folly of Glemy Toto?
Banagher was right. He couldn't fight her. Judau couldn't. It would be cruel to ask that of either of them.
"I'll fight her. I'm the only one who can. I'm the only one who truly knows..."
<Pose Tracker> Zoltan Akkanen has posed.
"Oh? Your family, Banagher?" He's got a grin on him, subdued as it is. Ple Twelve and all that baggage, but what's more important is that there's someone worth disposing of, isn't there?
"You're going to do it all alone, Marida? Without anyone, and ledt the remnants sort it out?" A scoff. Idiocy. "Come on, at least learn some proper battle tactics. You can't just fight one against one against someone who wants nothing more than the Box or something more. Think about it! If one prevails over the other, that means it'll be even worse, won't it?"
A wide sweep. "That means they'll just try and make more if they think she's a success, whatever they're doing."
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
Banagher looks at Marida in shock. "I can't ask you to do that! That's horrible! I didn't come here to try and pass this burden to you, Miss Marida! If anything, you should stay far away from her. Lieutenant Akkanen is right! If anything, we have to do this together."
"The way she reacted to Judau, she'll target you for sure!" Banagher's voice trembles. "I can't -- and the way she fights, this horrible psychic aura... It's like a thousand hands reaching out and grabbing you. They always try to cover my eyes." Even softer, then: "It's terrifying." Banagher looks ashamed at Zoltan's question. "...yeah. I'm a son of Cardeas Vist. Martha Carbine-Vist is my aunt. She's the one responsible for all of this. I've never met her."
"Don't even say that. Please." Banagher implores Zoltan. "It's bad enough one person has been torn apart, if they do it to anyone else -- I can't even think about it. My brother said every moment I resist them, someone is suffering because of me. And I know it's not my fault, but it's still true."
<Pose Tracker> Marida Cruz has posed.
"I know. I know. But how else am I supposed...to respond to this? The Lieutenant...is right? What if they make more? What if they cast more souls into the fate of..."
...being me. That's what she wanted to say. She had no right to exist. She had no right to steal the life Elpeo Puru never had. The Vist Foundation had no right to defile her memory further than Marida already was by insisting to live. Her hand clenches, finally dropping the pieces of spoon. The ice cream in her other hand was beginning to melt.
"This is...troublesome."
<Pose Tracker> Zoltan Akkanen has posed.
"Explains quite a bit." Namely, why he was entrusted with the Unicorn in the fight place. Vist blood? What more does he have to say? Even if there's more to it, the fact that it's blood-related, well... "So? What, your aunt wants the box for what? To keep the Federation going?" There's only two reasons to get the Box, and if not one, then the other...
"Then, it's obvious what you need to do, right?" A click of the tongue, turning his gaze towards Marida. What else was there to do? "If they try and make more, what's the obvious solution to that? You don't need me to say the damn obvious thing you need to do, right, Marida?"
"You just need to win and prove that the Puru legacy just needs to stay where it needs to be." In the past.
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
When Marida drops the spoon pieces, Banagher catches them. Thank goodness for Newtype reflexes. Placing them onto the table, he gently takes the ice cream from her -- should she allow him to.
Once her hands are empty, Banagher wraps his arms around Marida. It's a slightly awkward hug, with him leaning in and her on a chair, but he does his best.
"You don't have to face this alone. We'll talk to the Captain, he'll know what to do." Straightening back up -- Marida doesn't seem the type for long hugs -- Banagher tries to give her a brave smile.
"I don't know /exactly/ what she's planning, or what she wants. She's a horrible, cruel, empty woman. But as far as I know." Banagher takes a breath. "My family has been using the secret of the Box to blackmail the Federation for nearly a hundred years. I have no idea what's inside, but... It must be something big, to give them this much power over the Earth's government."
"I've been trying to figure out the next thing to do. LaPlace's Box works like a treasure hunt. Certain coordinates have to be reached, in order, to find it. I haven't moved to the next coordinate since... Torrington." Banagher sits back down on the couch, fussing with the hem of his hoodie. "I've been told a lot of different things, but the decision comes down to... Whether I should wait and plan, or whether I should charge to the next coordinate. If you two were in my place, what would you do?"
Banagher values Marida's opinion very much, and Zoltan... seems like a unique enough guy to have something interesting to say to the question.
<Pose Tracker> Marida Cruz has posed.
Her muscles relax slightly as Banagher embraces her. She takes a few deep breaths, slowing down her wavelength. She's fine. She's fine.
"You're right. Master will let me know what to do." In her lapse of emotion, she had almost thought for herself. Must remember to avoid that.
"The Vist family truly is vile. Like the rest of the Federation. ....Present company excluded." Banagher likely didn't consider himself truly a part of the Vists, but best to avoid any offense. "In my opinion...the sooner we get our hands on the Box, the more power we have over the Foundation. We could bring them to their knees without firing a single shot."
<Pose Tracker> Zoltan Akkanen has posed.
He doesn't bother providing Marida with any sort of comfort. A Lieutenant shouldn't be parading himself around like that...And he wasn't the biggest fan, anyways. No, he just keeps that slightly annoyed scowl, doing his best to be /polite/ about it. There's no reason to interfere with that.
"Charge, obviously. Think of it this way. You don't want anyone to get it, right?" Duh. "So, what's the next step? How can you stop people from getting something if you don't know where it is? Some random kid from some random colony could just trip and fall onto it and change the course of history five times over."
He's quite well aware of what he's saying. 'Oh, but it's against Frontal's wishes and it'll embolden him and all!' Che, fuck Frontal.
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
"Not like that-- I just mean asking his opinion!" Banagher clarifies, quickly. "But I trust the Captain."
Even with their fight in the past, and the slaughter at Torrington... Banagher recognizes the good in Zinnerman's heart, and trusts in that to guide him when it matters most.
Going slightly pale, the young man stares at Zoltan. "I... never thought about that. They must've hidden it, right? It can't just be out there in the open for anyone." Banagher runs a hand through his messy bangs. "Damn it..."
"Don't worry. Alberto made it very clear I'm not one of them. And... I agree. I thought I could reach my brother, but..." Banagher shakes his head. "I guess not. I don't want to give up on him, but if he's hurting the Banshee's pilot, I can't accept it. So you think we should rush forward, Miss Marida. I think you're right. I... don't know about bringing down the Federation. I just want people to stop being hurt."
"I guess. Next, I talk to the Captain and Captain York, and maybe Sayla... But none of them really agree on how to use it. I don't want this to be another Torrington." Banagher looks away. "I want to use the Box to help everyone, on Earth and in space. I want it to be a symbol of hope..."
<Pose Tracker> Marida Cruz has posed.
"Whatever you end up doing with the Box is no business nor concern of mine. As long as it's not in the hands of the Vists." Marida nods and stands, putting her unfinished ice cream on the table in front of her.
"This has been...enlightening. I think I need some time to...process. Give Audrey my regards."
<Pose Tracker> Zoltan Akkanen has posed.
"Ah? It's basically rule number one of trying to convince your enemies. There's also the other theory as to why the Vist Foundation needs to go through this song and dance..." A preposterous notion, but it's certainly an idea. "They might have just lost it soon after the first deal." See? Crazy talk.
"Or it's probably something real easy and already dismantled after all this time. Who knows! There's five million ways to lose or hide something that no one even knows /what/ it has in the first place. A symbol, an idea, a bit of words, something, anything." A shrug, rolling his shoulders. Course, it is what he has engraved inside him. "You just need to move people with something and they'll practically dance on your hand." Yes, another Frontal jab.
"Worst comes to worst?" A twinkle in his eyes. A smirk. "You could just blow it up. If the Axis Shock won't change people's minds, what's a thing in a box going to do after such an event?" And everything that happened afterwards? Everyone united for a moment, and then they immediately went to stabbing each other. What's the damn point?
"But, you didn't hear it from me. Frontal's still in love with that box, probably just as empty as him." A stand up, a customary salute out of the "goodness" of his heart. "Don't dwell on it too long. Gundam pilots aren't known for staying put in one place forever."
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
"Of course, Miss Marida." Banagher says, softly. "Thanks for talking with me. I'm, um. Here if you need me."
Is she going to be okay? Standing as well, Banagher watches Marida, brows furrowed in worry.
As he listens to Zoltan, Banagher's eyes widen. So many possibilities he'd never even considered -- he was right about Zoltan having a unique perspective. Blow it up...
A wry smile. "You sound like Leina. Don't worry, I won't say anything to Frontal." Banagher is /not/ looking forward to the imminent conversation with the man, anyway. No need to make it any more unpleasant than it has to be.
Looking a little baffled at being saluted, Banagher just kind of... nods. "Thank you too, Lieutenant Akkanen. I won't forget the ice cream for next time."
Once his guests leave, Banagher will flop back down on the couch. With so much to think about, he feels like he can finally finish his HaroCon presentation. Better to get it done before he talks with Frontal, just in case.