2024-01-17: Show Everyone Our Courage
- Log: Show Everyone Our Courage
- Cast: Rikka Takarada, Guy Shishioh
- Where: Orbit Base
- OOC - IC Date: U.C. 0098, March
- Summary: Rikka goes up to Orbit Base for her first day as a member of GGG. Guy finds her while she's on break, and the two of them talk - about how her first day has been going, world events, and the importance of relying on others in the face of everything.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Maybe it was a surprise to some - or, maybe it was completely expected. But... among the applicants to GGG to is one Rikka Takarada. She's been making the gradual steps toward the future she wants, bit by bit - and this, too, is one of them.
The process was easy, at least, thanks in part to Akane volunteering to ferry the paperwork for her so she didn't have to go in herself. And now, Rikka arrives on Orbit Base herself - for the first time, not as just a friend or a civilian volunteer, but as an official member.
Today has largely been the usual 'first day' business - the sort of boring but necessary tasks that are important to set in place going forward. Finally, though, she's been released for a break...
So now, she's settled into the Orbit Base cafeteria. She's finished her meal but she still has some time left to kill, and nothing pressing to use it towards... which is fine by her.
She's in uniform, today. It does look good on her.
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
Of course, GGG isn't afraid to fast track the people it already knows. Kotaro Taiga has always been a man to hand-pick his staff, and Rikka had more than ample opportunity to catch his eye during the battles at Jupiter.
The steps of boots draw nearer to the settling GGG member, and then the flash of the green GGG pin on Guy Shishioh's black Chief jacket. No longer Acting, not anymore; Taiga had him appointed as the full Chief of GGG Green as soon as his own new office was settled. "Takarada," Guy says with a greeting warmth, standing with his G-Stone inscribed hand at his side, the other, gloved one in his jacket pocket. "How's day one treating you? Mind if I sit?"
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka looks up at the sound of boots, offering Guy a smile as he arrives. She spots that green pin with an approving look.
"Hey, Guy." Rikka greets - then, pauses. "Or, should I call you Chief Shishioh? I still don't know how formal I should be..."
She takes it in stride, though.
"Congrats, by the way. I heard about your promotion - you definitely deserve it." She adds, then shakes her head. "Not at all, feel free."
She waits for him to get settled in before addressing his question.
"It was a lot to take in. My head's still reeling a little. But... I guess that's normal for a first day." Rikka replies, with a small laugh. "It's going to take some getting used to... it's nothing like managing the junk shop."
She smiles, despite that.
"...I think things are going to work out, though."
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
Guy, invited, settles himself in, grinning his usual smile. "Guy's fine. The ranks are for the Order Room." Or for Taiga. Everyone calls Taiga 'chief' because he just...wears it in his every atom.
He puffs up and tugs the lapels. "Gonna feel weird, I think. Chief's a whole different job from Mobile Captain. But...I think Renais has the mobile division covered." He smiles, a little ruefully. "Especially with Galeon in the state he's in now...Guess I won't be in the field for a while."
He nods along to her bewilderment. "It is...but, I think you'll do fine. You really impressed Chief Taiga out there. You and Akane both. I think you can expect him to take a real interest in you."
He laughs, lightly. "That's a good thing, promise. Not a better mentor out there. Yeah..." He looks around, eyes scanning across the many new faces wearing GGG Green badges. Old faces, rather - returned from the abyss of Ruin. "Yeah. I think things are gonna be just fine."
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"Got it." Rikka replies, as Guy assures her that just Guy is fine. Taiga, though... that's definitely the feeling Rikka gets. It just suits him - not in a bad way.
Rikka nods, as Guy admits that Chief is going to feel weird.
"...Yeah. I bet." She replies. "I think you'll do great, though - and she will, too."
She nods, as he mentions Galeon's state.
"Do you know when, uh..." She starts, trailing off. She doesn't really know how to word it. When he'll 'get better'? 'Be alright'?
Guy says she'll do fine, though, and Rikka nods. If he says that, then that's a good sign. Her eyebrows raise as he mentions Chief Taiga.
"Really? You think so?" She asks. "...That's good. Akane was worried about what kind of impression she'd make."
...Rikka was worried about herself, too, for that matter. Hearing that he might take an interest in her does feel like a lot of pressure, but he lightens it quickly. Rikka relaxes visibly.
"In that case, I'll have to do what I can to learn from him." She says with a resolute nod. If people have that kind of faith in her, she'll rise to meet it. She catches his gaze, then, following it to those new old faces.
They've faced losses - but so many have returned, as well. If that's not a good omen...
"We'll make sure they are." She says.
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
Guy puffs up. "Yeah. There's a lot going on...even on our end things went crazy, to say nothing of everything that happened with the Frontier expedition, and back on Earth too. Hard to believe everything that happened even just in Japan alone..." All those people...
He shakes his head, turning his attention back to her slightly abortive question about Galeon. "Galeon and the Genesic Machines are regenerating even faster than we expected...won't be more than another mother or two before the whole outer frames are back to working order. But the AIs are..." ...he grimaces. "Just hard to say. That's the very deepest parts of Trinary Solar System tech. Uncle Liger's working on if there's anything we can do to speed it up, but until he has results, all we can do is believe in them.
He lets himself smile, as they contemplate the room. "Won't all be smooth sailing from here, but...even if Galeon's asleep for a long time, I have a lot of people I can count on now to cover for us. I believe you can do just that, Rikka."
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka nods. ...It was so much to take in. So much happened while they were gone. Japan, the North Pole, the strain between the OCU and the Federation... so much. They came back to a very different world.
"...Yeah." Rikka replies, exhaling sharply. "...I'm still a little in disbelief over it all, honestly. It's just... so much to take in."
She shakes her head, running a hand through her hair. In Japan, especially. It... hurt to hear about.
"There's a lot up in the air right now..." She says. "...But that's part of why I'm here. It made me realise... now's the time for people to stick together."
She nods, then, as Guy explains the situation with Galeon and the Genesis Machines. The other frames are recovering quickly, but the AIs...
"...Then I'll hope they have a good rest - and that they come back to us soon." She says... and a smiles, as he says he has a lot of people he can count on to cover for him - that he believes she can.
"I'm glad. That's what I'm here for - I want to be able to back everyone up, even when things get rough." She replies.
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
"We knew things were pretty dicey when we left, but..." Guy can only laugh helplessly, shrugging at the craziness of all that's occurred. "Hard to believe everything that happened. But still."
He turns it into a smile anyway. "That's why we do what we do. Sometimes...we wish we could put our hands on the scale. Sometimes maybe we should've. But we do what we do so humankind can keep fighting its other battles."
"Fortunately," he adds, and looks out across the buzzing cafeteria again, "the more people we get, the more we can fight whatever battles the world throws at us. So, you're right. We have to stick together, and put our courage out there for all to see."
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"...Yeah." Rikka admits with a small, wry laugh of her own. Their departure certainly was... fraught. But it's not like they had any option but to go when they did, either. Guy smiles, though, despite everything.
Putting their hands on the scale... Rikka looks thoughtful for a moment, as she rolls his words over in her mind. That's certainly something they could do... but that's not a decision to be made lightly. They probably realise that better than anyone. She nods, understanding crossing her face.
...It's an important lesson.
"...I never thought about it that way. It must be difficult." She considers, then follows his gaze out over the cafeteria again. So many people, working together... She nods, sending a smile his way.
"...Yeah." She says. "I think... I'm ready to show everyone my courage."
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
Guy hums. "Hard as hell, sometimes. Keeping our hands at our sides during the formation of Area 11...even Chief Taiga could barely keep his cool. And we've seen..." His eyes flick to Rikka, just briefly; he's thinking of the incident on the Garuda, "...that our enemies will take advantage of that. with the Federation falling apart we might just end up having to make some tough calls, someday. Calls that won't be as simple as pointing a rocket punch at the guy that looks the most like a buzzsaw."
"But that's why we rely on each other. For our courage, for our strength, and for our wisdom, too."
He grins, hands tensing on the table to stand. "I'm glad," he affirms. "I've seen just how brave you are. I think you'll amaze a lot more people than just me. Welcome aboard, Rikka."
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka nods sympathetically. She can imagine that. She catches the look her way, too. Tough calls...
It really is looking more and more like it.
Still... she nods.
"...Yeah. Relying on others... no one could carry the weight of the world on their own." She agrees - and then smiles. He stands, and she follows suit.
"Thanks. I'm looking forward to working with you, Guy - you and everyone else." She says with a resolute nod.
She feels more ready now to face the rest of her first day - and the future that lies beyond it.