2023-07-08: An Oath Sworn Eternal ~MYTHOLOGY~
- Cast: Guy Shishioh, Alouette Pommier
- Where: GGG Orbit Base
- Date: U.C. 0097 07 08
- Summary: Submitting an after-action report after the Eleventh Angel's fall, Alouette stays to chat with Guy, affirming that this is the place where she belongs. Eventually, the hard topic of the Trinary Solar System emerges, giving Guy a chance to finally express some of the raw emotions associated with it. Ultimately, they both remind each other of the oath they swore through courage, believing in the strength it gives them no matter what.
- CW: Discussions of brainwashing and mind control
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
GGG's Orbit Base - a massive beacon in space with an important mission in duty. But despite all that, today's yet another slower shift with nothing being immediately on fire right now.
Finished with her exams, Alouette returns to write and submit an action report about their recent sortie against the Eleventh Angel. Technically, it involves a meeting with 3G Green's chief, but really, it's a looser thing than that here.
So here she is! "Bonsoir, Guy," she greets, rather casually. "I've finished writing my report. To give you the short and low of it... all repairs to the GaoMachines and the Goldion DoubleHammer are complete. Additionally, we've proven operation of the DoubleHammer is possible without a Super AI." She moves through the details briskly and matter of fact. "Although... it's unlikely to be authorized unless it's an emergency. That'll be between you and Chief Akamatsu... and Advisor Yang will probably have opinions as well." It's not a dig at the man; advising through these difficult questions is kind of his job.
She doesn't linger on the report, though.. it's not the only reason she wanted to see Guy. "With that out of the way... how are you doing, Guy?" She asks, tapping the paper on her hands before finally leaving it on the desk.
"I'm pretty well, at least. Exams are over, and I'm actually really looking forward to this summer." She explains, with a soft smile. "Oh, right! And I got to have coffee with Renais the other day. She seems... really happy these days."
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
Guy's slowly been decorating his office. It looks, if one were to judge, more like Chief Akamatsu's than Taiga's. Taiga was a man who ultimately came from business, management, and politics, and demonstrated his spaces with rich wooden furniture and trophies of his gold achievements. Akamatsu, ever the engineer, keeps half-assembled doodads around, as well as a few limited edition figurines of Akamatsu mecha sourced from Keita. Guy's is turning into more of a scientist's domain, with maps of the Earth Sphere, the Solar System, and even a full starmap on the walls, globes, dense literature on the shelves--
Well, maybe Alouette only has two of those reference points. He's got something open at his terminal when she enters. "Ah, Alouette! Come in!" he greets, just as casual. Alouette is on the list that can just walk right in the door, of course. It's a long list, honestly.
He nods through her summary. He picks it up off his desk once she hands it off, flipping through it briefly. "It's about what we expected," he affirms. "Without Goldy, all modes are operational, but using both Hammers at once is more than a little risky. I'm pretty sure he could get Clacker Mode's shockwaves much more precise, too." He chuckles a little. "Or at least, he'd consider it a point of professional pride to work on it until he did."
He sets it aside when she changes the subject, face splitting into a grin. "I'm glad you are," he says, entirely skipping past himself. "It's really remarkable, everything you're juggling. Hana didn't join Orbit Base until she'd finished High School entirely, you know. And you're picking up speed even right after what happened." He smiles even more widely. "I'm so glad I get to watch over you while you're pushing so hard. I'll do my best to keep the skies clear for you, alright?"
Oh, coffee? "Oh, did you? She's been on the ground for a while, so we haven't spoken." 3G's already quietly opened investigations into Vist, even if they aren't quite in position to crack down hard yet, so that's got the new GGG Green Mobile Captain doing her old job of detective. "Koji getting that bodysuit figured out for her has been a godsend...I think the poor woman didn't think she'd ever have a reason to smile again. I'm glad we could prove her wrong on that."
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
Alouette appreciates the slowly changing atmosphere of Guy's office - in many ways it feels like an astronaut's office, with the way it marks humanity's journey from the Earth to the stars. Knowing that was his original dream, it feels all the more special that way.
She smiles at he greets her, not feeling the need to ask before she takes a seat. He was probably busy with whatever was on that terminal, she imagines... but he probably needed the break anyways.
"It's like I told Renais... only Goldy's bullheaded enough to handle something like the Goldion Hammer." She grins. "As for that Clacker Mode... I admit I was kind of skeptical about it when I read the design documents." It's a lot of extra oversight for the Operator to commit to, after all. "But with enough precision, it could have a lot of use. Putting it to the test against a sufficiently large target as an Angel proved that."
Guy skipped over answering how he's doing... Hm. Alouette files that away for later. And then proceeds to look bashful when Guy compliments her ability to juggle so much at once.
"I think it's just..." She starts, considering how to say what she means to. "This is where I'm meant to be." She answers, with a calm smile on her face. "And I don't mean because of something as silly as fate. Back then, I made the decision to turn away from BioNet because of you and GGG. And last month on the Garuda, I fought so hard to escape with Akane and Rikka for the exact same reason. I'm here because I'm really glad to be."
Still, no matter how calm she sounds... Guy's words already make her want to cry tears of happiness, even if just for a second. "Oh... t-thank you." She sniffles. Moving the mountains, clearing the skies - what isn't Guy capable of doing? "Right! So as long as you're watching me... I'm certain I've made the right decision."
"She wanted to make some time to see me." Alouette answers about Renais, although she knows her important her current work is. "It really has. Her fashion sense is actually incredible? And it meant we got to go shopping after coffee. I'm so glad that's one more joy she gets." She replies, cheerfully. "Seriously, though.. I've never seen her with such a brilliant smile before."
"She had some really interesting stories for me, too. They were... about the time you all spent in the Trinary Solar System." Alouette changes the subject a little then, more quietly in tone. She didn't know much about what went down before, and never really felt it was right to ask. Has enough time passed? "I've always looked up so much to Mikoto... but from everything she did there, it sounds like I still have a long road to go, actually." She knows how difficult it is to mention Mikoto around Guy. "When she comes home, I want her to teach me everything she knows." She smiles; because she believes in her heart it will be before graduation.
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
In the end, even with his reason for questing to Jupiter resolved, Guy has become a man who loves the stars, and when allowed to demonstrate it, that slowly bubbles through.
"It's a bit extravagant, huh? The Clackers are hard to operate even for the pilot, too. Got to move around a bunch. The original draft turned it into more of a kendama, apparently. I wasn't even back yet when they were testing that one," Guy says, mostly amused.
As for Alouette...his smile goes soft. "I'm glad to have you, Alouette. You really demonstrated incredible strength and courage. Not exactly thrilled it happened at all, still, but..." His smile turns just a bit crooked. "Lot of things I wish I could prevent. What matters is working fast and with courage, to make people safe. You and Akane did that and more. If here's where you're happy to be, I couldn't be happier about it."
He brightens up as she does, and the topic turns to Renais. "I never had her figured for it?" Guy laughs. "By the time I knew her she was near the best she'd ever been and she was still a grump with anger issues." He gets a smile again, distant and thoughtful. "I don't think even Uncle Liger thought we'd get her to the point she can smile like this, express herself so naturally." He scratches his head. "Not looking forward to what she thinks of my suits, though."
Oh. His good cheer does falter, a little, as the Trinary Solar System comes up, and Mikoto, too. "That was...tough. Mikoto was as much the Key to Victory in there as Mamoru and Genesic were. She had to overcome a lot, but she never let go of her courage. Even Palparepa's Paras Particles couldn't do that for long."
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
Alouette is also intrigued by the design philosophy of the Goldion Clackers, and their original kendama-like form. "Very much so. It's really... Akamatsu-esque." She concludes - although many of 3G's key to victories were toy-like, this feels like a new engineer's unique spin on the concept.
As for the bravery she showed on the Garuda... "I simply did what I had to. They made me think I gave up, you know... for all I knew, I delivered the Final Fusion program directly into their hands." She admits, a little resigned for a moment. "His methods weren't all so different from Gimlet's, come to think..." She muses, in aside. Dr. Murasame is just a LOT less cartoonish.
"It took Akane and I reinforcing each other's courage until the very end. It's all we had left... and I think it served us well." She concludes, on a much more positive note.
"I met her all the way back then too, remember?" Alouette brings up. "Don't stain my coat with your blood, runt, I think she said." She can't help but spare a little laugh about it thinking back, though. "Even back then, though, she cared... and her words didn't seem match her actions. At the time, I could never understand someone so emotional as her. But now? It doesn't surprise me at all the type of person she turned out to be, given the chance." The suits, though? "I think whatever she has to say about them... will be completely deserved." She sasses.
But as much fun as she's been having in this conversation, being close to someone means talking about the hard parts sometimes, too. "I never got to see that side of her..." Alouette says, of Mikoto. "Still, it all makes intuitive sense. She was always just as strong as you in my mind, you know." Which makes seeing her as she is now so hard. Even still... "I'll make sure you don't have to stand alone against her, Guy. And I'll show her the courage she taught me."
There's still one more thing tugging at her about the Trinary Solar System, though. "You left with GaoFighGar, right? And.. if my assumption is correct it never made the return trip." They probably wouldn't have had to dust off the Prototype, otherwise. "Whatever came to be, I hope those little ones were able to empower you to fight bravely in that short time."
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
Guy grimaces. "I didn't, actually. But...in the end, you never did." He pulls a smile up after that. "Remember that. Trust in it. Rely on the oath you swore through courage."
...he says, but MAN he wants to DECK this Murasame creep!!
"Thinking back, I'm not completely sure leaving a child with her was my best plan," he chuckles, scratching his cheek. "Well, it worked out. As you say...even back then, when she was still so raw and angry, she had a good heart. That's a lesson it's tough to keep in mind, sometimes. Peoples' pain can make it hard to find the people they really are. But sometimes when they hurt people because of it..." ...he raises his hand. "That's when things get unclear, I guess."
And Alouette...says the rough part. Guy can't muster a big smile, but he does give her an earnest look, nodding seriously. "Thank you, Alouette. I don't...know if I'd be able to face her just myself. And the worst part is I'm sure they know that. Taiga's already flaunted that at us."
As for the fate of GaoFighGar...well, that memory also sucks, actually. He gives her a crooked look, not quite a smile. "Palparepa's mechanoid form tore it apart while everyone was under the effects of the Paras Particles," he says, simply. "...then they used the Pas Q-machine to make a replica for me to pilot under the Chemical Bolts' control."
Half consciously, he scratches there, on his neck. There's no scar. But he'll never forget. "...turned a lot of Repli-Braves to light."
Fun fact, did you know this is already more than he's already told nearly anyone about the battles in the Trinary Solar System? And even then, he circles it back: "If I'm honest...back when Akane's Bujack had everyone, that kind of thing was what I was afraid of most. In the end, that was never her desire. But it was hard to get out of my head."
He pauses, and then laughs awkwardly. "Ah, but -- sorry, that wasn't quite what you were looking for, huh? Despite all that, it really did give me everything it possibly could until the very end."
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
"It's become a common trick these days." Alouette says, of people trying to force her courage out of her. "But you're right... I never did." She smiles. As long as she keeps that oath in her heart... they can never make her. "Akane must've been counting on that, too - the same trick not working twice."
"I wasn't really sure what you were thinking, either... but I was in good hands, it turned out." She waves her hand a little.
"In a way I was like her mirror opposite. I still regret being so cold to people like Hana..." Alouette considers. "But as you said, there ended up being a lot more to both of us than the pain BioNet left behind." She concludes. "...I guess it's not always that easy, though." She frowns, of the type of people who use their pain to harm others.
"You're welcome." She nods resolutely in turn. "They fight this way because they know how powerful bonds can be. That's why they're so dangerous, right?" They might even think it's a mercy, if Mikoto's words to her in Tsutsujidai are any indication.
Alouette listens very closely then, as Guy recounts the final fate of GaoFighGar - an intense expression forms in her deep blue eyes. "...I see." She murmurs, of what Palparepa did first.
But then Guy scratches his neck. He made that motion a lot, when she was under of the influence of Bujack, didn't he? At the time, Alouette thought nothing of it - just a simple reflex. Now she understands. "Oh gosh... they made you...?" She covers her mouth with her hand in shock, not even able to make out the full sentence.
Alouette knew Bujack was rough on Guy, but not quite to the catastrophic extent as that. Looking down, she starts, "I can't blame you for that. It's awful. But despite that fear... you still came to visit. And you believed in us. Thank you." She reveals her face again with the slightest ghost of a smile.
"Maybe it's not what I was looking for. But it's still the truth... and I'd rather face that than anything else." The wreckage of PhantomGao's production model may be long gone in a time far past, but... "The courage poured into it isn't gone, after all. Without the prototype, we would never have brought you back home. Now it's in Akane's hands... and it's up to her to decide what happens next." She is satisfied with that much.
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
"Sometimes we lose one," Guy says, earnestly. "Pretty often, actually. What matters is not letting that beat you. Stoke your courage, and get back up. Even if they had done something to you...believe in yourself, OK?" He gets that smile back on his face after that.
Well. For a bit. Her assurance about Mikoto gives him strength, but remembering the Trinary Solar System is clearly hard for him still. It was such a short time for them, barely a matter of days, and yet still...it was an incredible trial. And one he hasn't really had time to unwind from, yet. Not with their encounter with Triple Zero happening on the way home.
"Palparepa was a master of the mind. He'd say, as long as I had a mortal body, I could never escape." Guy has a troubled smile at alouette's shocked look. "I barely remember it. Mamoru and Mikoto were able to help Purify me, at the end, so it wasn't so bad. But..." He has to force his hands to his desk. "I still remember, sometimes, that anger and hate it forced through me." Destroy. Destroy.
But he smiles anyway. "I couldn't stand the thought that you had something like that being done to you. Fortunately, that wasn't Akane's move." Though it was pretty much what they did to Rikka, in a way... ...he's not sure if that's something he should talk to her about or not. Maybe not. "Though, it was still pretty hard to see you like that."
"But you're right," he adds. "Exactly so. That's a legacy in Akane's hands now."
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
Guy's advice is something she's heard - and repeated - many times. But it always helps to hear it. "I have a feeling I'll need to keep that advice close for what's to come." She cups a finger on her chin. "So... I will. I'll do my best to believe in myself no matter what happens." She smiles, too.
"I don't even know his smug face... but I already hate him." Is Alouette's opinion about Palparepa. It's hard to hear Guy talk about the Trinary Solar System, listening to him recount that sheer anger and hate. But he's kept it bottled up for so long... is this one of the first times he's really processed any of this to another person, she wonders?
"...I don't even want to imagine." Alouette says, of herself being forced into a similar position. The last thing she wants is to hurt those who showed her so much care. "It's still hazy, sometimes." Alouette admits quietly, when it comes to Bujack. "I was alive, but it didn't really feel like living." She can see why it was so hard to see her lively and courageous heart reduced to something like that. "Thankfully, I had a place to come back to." She's able to add, with a smile.
"I look forward to see what she does with it," she says of Akane and GaoFighGar. "But just like before, it'll be up to me to watch over that legacy."
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
It is, though maybe it's not the most obvious. Yang has most of the details he needs from the reports, Shigeru and Guy are, although they're cousins, not quite the kind that discusses their hurts that way. And Mamoru...well, it's a little different talking about it to someone who was there.
"Oh, you would have anyway," Guy says, with a mirthless chuckle. "He was a jerk. We might have video of him, actually. He was the one who came to collect the Pas-Q Machine." But...he does look like he's smiling a little more, having said it. Much as when he ultimately confronted Akane, speaking of the demon kills it a little.
He nods at her experience of Bujack. "That's why it's so important. To remember the person at the heart of it. It hurts, sometimes. But keeping their way home open is the most important thing."
"Hah. Well, ask if you need any help. With *whatever* she's doing to get Fusion with Phantom Gao, you might need an Evoluder to read some of the logs." He's grinning...though it does sober up, after a moment. "...keep a close eye on her. She's more than proven herself, but I think right now's the kind of time she might push her limits too far. It's not the Primeval War anymore. I get to sleep eight hours most nights." He laughs. "She can, too."