2023-09-30: Two 'Separate' Voyages
- Cast: Yurika Misumaru, Sheryl Nome
- Where: Orbital Ring - Shakuyaku
- Date: U.C. 0097 09 30
- Summary: Sheryl helps Yurika get over a messy parting of ways!
<Pose Tracker> Yurika Misumaru has posed.
Everything's just fine! It's not like one of the three captains of the imminent expedition to Gallia-IV just had her heart suddenly and cruelly demolished! Even though she's a little shivery and sniffly at the end of the party and her morale's totally busted, Yurika's making it through it the best she can! She's a little unresponsive, and she has to ask Captain Aihara to do any closing statements on her behalf, but she keeps it together! (It's a little obvious to everyone involved, however, that the normally impossibly cheery Yurika is. . . not . . . doing too well.)
That comes to a head when everyone starts filtering out and cleanup starts happening, with a rather downcast Yurika clearly pushing herself a little hard to tidy up all the chairs and tables and get the convention room (yes these ships have on-board convention rooms) all clear for whenever they might be used next. Little things feel heavy in her arms. Bending over seems to take a fair bit out of her! But she's diligent, even if she has to admit that she needs more help than the 'pick up every object in one great big ball and toss it in a closet' type of cleanup she usually does.
Everything's just fine. Totally fine! Until near the end, when things are finally winding down, that Yurika excuses herself to the bathroom, assuming nobody else will follow her-
Aaaaaaaand that's where she starts rather loudly sobbing over the sink, crumpled to her knees and clinging to the porcelain for dear life. She thinks she's doing it rather covertly, but like...everyone still lingering in the conference room can hear it. They've all figured out Yurika's in a bad way right now, but they're mostly Shakuyaku staff, so they also...don't really know how to confront it, much as they'd sort of like to, with how worriedly they glance over at that bathroom door.
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
Sheryl, who's in a love triangle of her own, and who might have had only a vague awareness of Yurika's whole Thing with Akito and Megumi but nonetheless did have an awareness, is sympathetic. It's the worst possible time--but then, how much time did they have in the first place, really? She lets Yurika carry out the remainder of her duties without saying anything, but when she finally takes off--
It's silly of her to assume no one would follow her, really. Sheryl even said that they ought to talk later. But, well, if she maybe wasn't fully listening or thinking thing through, surely she can be forgiven. At least, Sheryl's willing to forgive her.
If everyone in the conference room can hear Yurika sobbing, Sheryl can hear it especially well, hanging out as she is at the bathroom door. She gives a Look to anyone who does approach, silently shooing them away with a flick of her hands--I've got this, don't crowd her, she means to convey.
It might be arrogant considering there's not just Shakuyaku staff here, but Sheryl is both blessed and cursed with an abundance of self-assurance.
When Yurika's sobs start to weaken, it's then that she slips inside. Crouching next to Yurika, she offers her a handkerchief and a soft smile.
"Keep it," she says. "Do you want to talk? Take this somewhere else?"
<Pose Tracker> Yurika Misumaru has posed.
It certainly isn't easy suddenly losing the stability of the triangle. Now Yurika's just a line sitting on the floor! And the fated love of her life forever and ever is happily wandering off to be a V with someone else! (Once upon a time, Yurika tried to resolve the conundrum by maybe just accepting a third. Megumi pretty well shot that down.)
Sheryl's a comforting sight for weepy eyes, as ever. Yurika's a little scared that in front of this amazing resplendent famous idol, her pathetic sniffly self might be a bit prone to being kinda embarrassing, but -
"Aaaah, yes please anywhere but here, g-give me a second to-" Yurika takes that handkerchief and buries her face in it to dry off tears, shakily pulling herself back to her feet.
"T-this is...the woooorst, aaaa, it's unfaaair that they sprung this on me last minute, and MEGA unfair that...that...I'm taking it so hard...I can't really fairly convince them otherwise too, it's...it's really not like they did anything unreasonable...and...it's true that they were closer to being together than I ever was. I mean I saw them kiss once! I never got kissed! I've been losing this battle for over a year! They were totally right, weren't they, Sheryl? We...we really didn't have anything, no matter how hard I tried. But it doesn't make any sense, we had our fated reunion after a lost childhood and everything so HOW, isn't that the closest your fate can be entwined ever in the whole world? If I can't make THAT work when in the world was I ever going to fall in love aaaaaa-"
Not wanting to spoil Sheryl's handkerchief (despite it being kinda soaked in tears), Yurika grabs a bundle of toilet paper and blows her nose oh so messily in it, then hurriedly throws that out and washes her hands at lightning speed. "...w-where's a better place than this anyway. I...don't want a lot of people seeing me like this."
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
It isn't a fun experience, to be sure. Sheryl had been too busy to attend prom earlier in the spring, and hearing later that Ranka and Alto had attended it together... It's not like she's fallen off to be a line all on her own. But it did give her a keener awareness of the progress Ranka has with him at this point.
To be totally honest, Sheryl wouldn't mind accepting a third either, as long as it's Ranka... Her pride keeps her from just giving in on that point, though. Ranka might be making her meteoric rise, but Sheryl's still the Galactic Fairy; she likes having a rival, but that means competing with her, not just cozily accepting they're going to share the spotlight. There's no guarantee Alto and Ranka would be okay with it, either.
But that's all beside the point. Yurika accepts the handkerchief and launches into the unfairness of this thing she's seen coming for a year now. Sheryl pats her back, grimacing from time to time as she listens. Yeah, it doesn't sound good for Yurika's leg of the triangle...
"The layout's supposed to be close to the Nadesico, I heard," Sheryl says. "How about we take this over to an empty meeting room." She looks over at the sink as Yurika blows her nose and washes her hands, then adds, "We'd better take some tissue paper with us."
Or, more likely, a roll or two of toilet paper. Either way, they'll be able to find somewhere quiet with a door that can be kept shut soon enough. Once they're settled in, Sheryl sits next to Yurika, patting her shoulder.
"So you were saying something about how you were childhood friends with Akito?" she prompts. "Can you tell me more about that? I never really talked to him or Megumi, so I don't know much about them."
<Pose Tracker> Yurika Misumaru has posed.
...The entire roll of tissues is probably a wise decision. Yurika's using several bundles of it on the way over, and trying to avoid prying eyes all the way into the meeting room.
Sitting down with a huff upon the seat, leaning into Sheryl's comforting shoulder pressure, Yurika sniffs once, then slowly tells her story as best she can...
"...Way back when I used to live on Mars, when I was just a little girl, me and Akito were just normal kids playing around. He's the first boy I ever kissed! I thought it was super cute and romantic, though he was always really grumpy and shy about it all..."
Maybe already a bit of a contradiction...Yurika talking about it like fate as her driving force, but weren't there perhaps slightly one-sided feelings from the start?
"But then! But then. I had to leave with my dad to go back to Earth, since the Federation was recalling lots of fleets from Mars! I had lots of precious memories there...it was really hard for me to get over saying goodbye. ...I always dreamed about going back, and Nergal planning a mission to return to Mars is a huge part of why I accepted the offer to leave the military training program! I'd heard that some seriously terrible stuff was happening there, and worried endlessly about everyone I left behind..."
"But that's when I bumped into him again! Like a miracle! I didn't even know he was here on Earth! It was a surprise and fated encounter when we met...I almost couldn't believe it! That's when I knew! He had to be the one, who else possibly could be? That's a fairytale romance right there! Years and years apart, longing across planets, a fear-stricken heart that destiny claimed his soul, only to find him in my arms once more! Aaaah...it should've been perfect...it should've been."
Toppling over onto the table, face buried in a mound of tissue paper, rolling her face around in it, Yurika's poor little brain is struggling to accept how this could possibly happen. "D-did I think it was too inevitable and wait too patiently? Or did I push too hard and scare him away? Was I just not good enough for my dashing prince? ...Was I supposed to be the dashing prince for his tender heart? I just don't know. I just don't!!! And n-now...maybe I never will!?"
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
The prying eyes part is the hardest part, really. Between Yurika being the Nadesico's captain, Sheryl being the Galactic Fairy, and that very loud, very public farewell earlier, there's going to be a lot of people who want to see what's up. Fortunately, Sheryl is very good at telling people off.
Right now, Sheryl is here for Yurika, though, and listens to her story. She smiles gently, and a little ruefully. Grumpy and shy, huh... Sheryl understands that feeling well too--though Alto hadn't been like that when they were children. Of course, that's because he was a star of the stage, and she one of his fans. You always put your best face forward for your fans. Sheryl knows that feeling best of all.
Her smile fades with that thought and Yurika's story. It sounds like Yurika had been under a lot of stress with the problems Jupiter has been causing Mars and Earth, and then she happened to run into Akito again. Yurika's a romantic--hell, Sheryl's a romantic, albeit in a somewhat different way--so it's easy to see how she'd think of it as destiny.
"I have someone like that in my life too, actually. But he's also got another girl he's got eyes for," Sheryl says quietly. She leans her cheek on one hand. "I should be straight with him about how I feel about him, but it isn't easy, is it? If you come on too strong, they run away, and if you come on not strong enough, they don't notice. It's so frustrating. If he ran off with her all of a sudden, I'm sure I'd be sobbing just like you are right now."
Did she do the wrong thing? Would Akito still be here if Yurika had handled it differently somehow? Sheryl has no idea, and she's not going to insult Yurika by speculating about someone she barely knows.
But at least she can let Yurika know she's not alone in this. Sheryl knows that'd mean a lot to her.
<Pose Tracker> Yurika Misumaru has posed.
"T-that's really hard to imagine out of you, ahaha..." Yurika giggles between a few messy sniffles - pivoting herself to thinking about that situation for Sheryl almost...well, it definitely makes her feel a little strangely better. "...I mean. It's hard to even imagine it being that hard to conquer what you're after. After all, the galaxy itself seems to bend to your voice! Hearing that even you struggle with that kind of pursuit..."
"Ugh, it's REALLY annoyingly difficult and complicated, isn't it?" Yurika gets back to that more usual Yurika-ey poutiness and getting on something in her own little energetic way. "...I...I think...people have more going on than you expect, and it never really just...happens, that you find out about them. Secrets and personal troubles are hard to pry out, and some people just refuse to let them out, no matter how many meet cutes you try to make, no matter what way you ask!"
Pushing her fingers together, Yurika thinks on just what about Akito might've never really come to fruition. "...nnn. He always had something on his mind. He was always struggling with something. Somehow, he always wound up bearing a lot of burdens. And...every so often it seemed like...he didn't want to show it, but he got REALLY distressed from time to time. I think one of Howmei's girls let slip that sometimes he'd just...zone out in the kitchen and have a bit of an episode and seem really terrified of something. But I just never figured out what. And any time I tried to lead into asking...it didn't work out, or he deflected it, and I just couldn't help but think there was SOMETHING important he felt extremely uncomfortable talking to me about..."
Yurika sits upright all the sudden, eyes laser focused on the window outside this meeting room. "...That just doesn't make sense. You're telling me something as vulnerable as your own love troubles, Sheryl. A bunch of other people open up a lot and want me to help them with what they're going through. It's not that I'm somehow bad at being a reliable shoulder for people...nnn, I put so much effort into being that! I try to make it clear that I'm there for them and that I'll give it 100%! ...And I always thought that no matter what, any problem was better if you had a helping hand, but...is...is that just not true for some people? Are there some problems any given person just has to solve entirely on their own? Even if it's something horrible and painful? That sounds...so sad, though..."
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
Pink rises in Sheryl's cheeks as Yurika observes that love troubles seems uncharacteristic of her. "Th-this is different from that! I'm talking about someone who isn't impressed by things like intergalactic fame or prestige. That's just the way I'd like it, but it means I don't have any kind of unusual advantage here!" she insists, heated.
It's probably not hard for Yurika to guess who Sheryl means--or who the other corner of the triangle is. After all, Alto and Ranka are openly Sheryl's closest companions, aside from Grace and--to a lesser extent--Brera. But Grace is her manager and more like her mom than any kind of love interest or rival, and Brera is a rock, emotionally speaking. Granted, Alto isn't much better, but he is still better.
Still, the topic is ultimately about Yurika and Akito. Yurika knows Akito exists--she's had his cooking, no doubt--but as she mentioned earlier, she hasn't really spoken to him before. Hearing that he tends to space out in the kitchen and then freak out, that he has some silent struggles he's dealing with, that he's keeping secrets that he just isn't comfortable talking to Yurika about... Sheryl's eyelashes dip.
"I barely know Akito. He was always just sort of 'around' for me. So I can't even begin to imagine what he's gone through, or why he'd refuse to talk to you about it," Sheryl replies. "But I've been through a few things myself, and they're hard for me to talk about, too. I'd rather leave the past behind and focus on being the most incredible version of myself I can possibly be!" She tosses her hair and smiles a brief but brilliant smile. She soon sobers. "Maybe Akito wants to leave the past behind too."
And, as deeply unfortunate as that is for Yurika, she's a part of it.
"Of course, maybe he's just scared of going out into space. He did say that joining this expedition was too much for him," Sheryl adds, shrugging. "In that case, maybe you can pick him up again when we come back, but..." She leans her cheek back on her hand. "The fact that Megumi left with him isn't a good sign. Even if they return to the Nadesico later, I'm betting she wouldn't want either of them to come back to the ship where her rival in love is."
<Pose Tracker> Yurika Misumaru has posed.
In all truth...Yurika hasn't quite sussed out that Alto is who Sheryl's referring to. After all - to her, Alto's someone she's just kind of noticed frequently in her orbit, but never really knew how to approach herself? That strangely pretty SMS pilot...besides, it also felt weird to think of prying into Sheryl's potential love life! And life in general! That strange self-aware aura where once you're in frequent contact with a celebrity, you possibly want to avoid getting too deeply involved, since - you're co-workers, it wouldn't do to bother a co-worker on an axis they're bothered on lots!
"It's a little hard to hear, but - I like that you're not about to pull punches to say what's kind of real, Sheryl," Yurika sighs out. "That's the toughest part. That...maybe I never considered what he actually wanted. And now that I remember he was just a chef that somehow wound up having to be one of our pilots, maybe I didn't advocate for his position well enough. We just assumed that since he was good at it, we could just keep relying on him, and he never said no, maybe because he felt he...had...to..."
Suddenly, Yurika blanches immensely. "Oh my god I never actually asked him if he actually wanted to do any of this I just kept assigning him that duty out of inertia." Her hands slam on the table, standing upright, raising one to her lips - looking back and forth between her pile of tissues, and Sheryl herself. "...I didn't even consider that! I didn't even think of how he probably fought as hard as he did because he maybe wanted to get it over with, because he was afraid, because he couldn't say no, oh SHERYL WHAT THE HECK HAVE I DONE AAAAAAGH---!"
Yurika almost sounds like she's about to turn tail and march after him - but it's like twelve hours before the expedition launches, and it's been several since they left? If Yurika storms out right now, she'll probably not make it back in time, and she realizes that, freezing in place! "A-and I'm not even going to be able to apologize to him!? Until we all get back!? I should've asked how he felt about this whole trip, but instead I just assumed he'd like it and kept going! ...no way...I..."
A terse swallow, before Yurika asks, almost shakily, "...am I a really insensitive woman that you're helping so much just because I'm important to this job we're doing...?" oh noooo
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
That works out all the better for Sheryl, then. As freely and flagrantly as she'll tease other people, she's not immensely keen on getting teased herself--not on something as dear to her as her feelings for Alto. That Yurika is discreet enough to not try to butt into her private life is something else she'd appreciate... if she realized that's what she was trying to do. After their last conversation, Sheryl assumes that it's just that she's starstruck. (And it is partially that. But it's not just that--right?)
"I could soothe you with reassurances that Akito will come back to you eventually, but I respect you too much to just tell you what I think you want to hear," Sheryl replies. "You're a grown woman, not a child. It's okay to cry for now after a shock like that, but once you're done crying, you'll have to pull yourself together."
At least they're in a position where Yurika does have some leeway to cry about it. If this were the middle of a battle where people's lives were at stake, she wouldn't even have that. Sheryl doesn't say that, though. She's sure Yurika knows that far better than she does.
But Yurika goes on, and in talking things through, comes to an epiphany. Sheryl gets to her feet too when Yurika does, but she doesn't actually run out, so Sheryl simply watches her for a moment. Sheryl likes that about her--that she would have gone and decisively done something about Akito immediately, but stops herself because she knows she's got a lot more people counting on her than just him.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm helping you because I like you. I don't have time to soothe the egos of just anyone I know, no matter what their position is," Sheryl replies, folding her arms. "But you are important to this job, and it sounds like you have been insensitive to Akito. I don't think you're totally at fault either, though. Weren't you saying earlier that you've been trying to ask him about he feels and he wouldn't talk to you about it? He's not a child either. He can use his words to tell you how he feels."
Of cours, that's what Akito just did a few hours ago, but it's not great if he only did that at the very last second, after he'd already made his decision. But then, if he thought Yurika wouldn't listen, maybe he figured that's how he'd have to do it. Who knows? Regardless, her stern look turns back to sympathetic. "I absolutely get wanting to go and do something about it, though. Do you have his personal contact information? Try calling him and talking to him that way. Even if it's just a message saying you're sorry and you want to talk things over once you're back, it's better than doing nothing."
<Pose Tracker> Yurika Misumaru has posed.
A wiping of Yurika's face with her handkerchief, and Sheryl's realistic, emboldening words. "You're right. You're right!! ...It's...It's on the both of us. For not making our feelings clear. You're totally right! We both screwed up. I can be a bit mad at Akito for staying so bottled up. That's totally fair! And I can know that I didn't make sure this was happening on his terms. That I was so enthusiastic about what really is a huge risky decision for everyone that I didn't even consider he might have conflicting feelings."
One deep breath in, one balling up of her fists...before a still somewhat red-eyed, sniffly Yurika reels her arm back, then, towards the specter of the Orbital Ring out the window-
Pushes her hand out with a big V, to some distant moving light along its structure. Maybe that's where Akito is. Maybe not. "...Well. WELL! You're on your own journey out there, and I bet you want to find something important down on Earth, just like I'm hoping to find out in the stars! WHEN I GET BACK, we're sharing what we found, damn it! I'm not gonna accept any kind of 'oh it was just alright', and I'm not gonna hold back the good and bad of whatever my voyage holds! If it's unfair to you, for me to call what we have 'destiny' then...then...!"
The shaky V-sign retreats, Yurika holding her fists to both sides of her face, eyes squeezes shut as though to wring out the last of her tears. "I'm gonna shake that whole planet of mystery for something not just for ME, but for YOU. I'm gonna make sure you know what you were missing, and so YOU promise ME that you'll do the same!!"
What a bold and passionate statement to thin air. She almost looks sorta heroic proclaiming that. It's only afterwards that Yurika sort of creakily turns back to Sheryl with an awkward smile, and confesses, rubbing the back of her head, "...I kiiiind of have to yell it that way and hope he hears, cause I kiiiiiind of never managed to get his phone number. Ehehehehe...I expended all my best romantic heroine energy really just making myself feel better there, huh?~"
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
There is the possibility that the reason Akito didn't open up to Yurika is because he just doesn't like her like that and didn't want to tell her. He is--or was--her subordinate, after all, and Yurika can get pretty intense. And how much more 'I'm not into you' can you get than dating a different woman? But again, Sheryl doesn't know Akito that well, and so doesn't know what kind of relationship he has with Yurika, so she refrains from saying that much.
...Considering she doesn't have his phone number and so has to shout her feelings to the air, though, it REALLY isn't a good sign. Sheryl smiles ruefully and shakes her head a bit.
"You really are a mess, you know that, Yurika? But that's what makes you fun to be around," she replies. She wraps an arm around Yurika's shoulders if she lets her. "That was some top-grade romantic heroine energy, though. Who knows? Maybe destiny will guide you to someone even more incredible out there in the stars!" She winks, smile growing. "Suffering a setback of the heart is just an opportunity to grow even stronger and more beautiful!"
Just imagine if Yurika did shake Gallia IV only to find herself her true miracle romance. Wouldn't that be something? Sheryl well understands the allure of falling for someone you knew in your childhood, but Akito already left with another woman. Yurika and Akito should both make the most of their individual journeys, then. If Yurika finds someone else, that'd be great--and if she gets a chance to examine her own feelings and realize it's got to be Akito after all, then at least she'll know her own heart that much better.
Until then...
"Now let's finish getting ready," Sheryl proposes. She might be going not as the Galactic Fairy but a student of the flight program at Mihoshi Academy, but-- "It's going to be a long trip, and we've each got to be at the top of our game. The galaxy won't know what hit it once we're out there, you and I!"