2024-08-11: Big Rock Shooter

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<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        It could have been a lot worse, you know. Two teams coming into a large asteroid, unaware of each other and hyperaware of the Vajra inhabiting it, both ready to fire at the first sign of aggression?

        Instead, it became the start of a miracle, the confirmation of a potential weapon that could be used against these deadly insectlike beasts from beyond. How poetic that it's using the power of song? It's the sort of thing that makes history.

        What doesn't make history is the _mess_.

        With the Nadesico at the end of the asteroid the pilots find themselves on, it is only fair that they offer safe passage for those involved to the other side. And while they are parked, well, they'll clearly need to have their exteriors cleaned. Which means guts and goo and grime, oh my!

        "Jovian lizard droids at least have the dignity to give you free parts," complains Uribatake, scratching his chin at the varied units parked inside. "Imagine the stink this is gonna leave in a few days."

        Another man's mess could be another man's treasure, however; what counts for Mr. Prospector's reasons for allowing such a diverse crew aboard the Nadesico hangar, even temporarily, is likely better left unsaid. Better to live in a world of altruism and acts of kindness than realize that the guts and gore that may come out of it may be more useful than some of its pilots may realize. In other words, it's very likely his eyeglasses are reflecting light as he steeples his fingers in his office, alone. What an odd mannerism!

        (He may not, in fact, be doing this.)

        As the Dianthus's hatches open, Lucine takes off her helmet and hops down from the Dianthus. She frowns, looking out at the other pilots, some of which may be coming out, or still in their vehicles.

        "... What was that?!"

         Normally, she'd have the sense to not ask the question aloud. However, perhaps this may be the start of more discussion, while they're all held 'captive' by the Nadesico's generosity. 

<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.

        After the mission had ended, the Koenig Monster had returned to the Nazca that had brought it here. It was damaged after all and those on board were eager to take a rest after the battle.

        Unfortunately, the ones in charge had other plans. Orders were given: Collect the Vajra corpses for transport back to the PLANTs. This also meant any that the Nadesico and its contingent had managed to 'collect'. And who was roped into ensuring that the supposedly civilian vessel was going to comply?

        Of course it's Alto. Who sighs in mild frustration as his Messiah fighter-taken out in lieu of the damaged Koenig-settles down onto the deck of the Nadesico's hangar. He figured something like this was bound to happen sooner or later. After all, he was assigned under contract to the Space Assembly League.

        Tugging his helmet off and leaving it behind, Alto jumps out of the cockpit and lands on the hangar floor, trademark ponytail trailing and then settling down behind him. He calmly walks up towards the gathering pilots casually, like this is no big deal and he's not here to try and make the Nadesico do something they might not want to. Though really, it's not a big deal to give up some bug corpses anyway. So it'll be fine. Right?

        Right?

        Alto raises a hand in greeting, only for an intent question to come from Lucine, surprisingly. It's a fair question... There was some weird stuff going on. And Alto isn't sure how to respond right off the bat, not expecting it. So he rubs at the back of his head for a moment as he thinks, before replying, "I think that could be called a successful experiment?"

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Kaworu had accepted the Nadesico's charitable offer to wash off Evangelion Unit Beta's exterior before he returned to the NUNE ships. Unit Beta's too big to comfortably fit in the hangar, but she floats placidly outside while Kaworu waits within the hangar in his dark plug suit. He came here without heading back first with the anticipation that Ranka would come by soon. But the Koenig returned, and the only one to head to the Nadesico afterwards was Alto--at least, of those who were on the Koenig.
        
        He doesn't comment on the Vajra's 'free parts.' He seems unusually sober.
        
        Lucine emerges, with Alto following soon after. Alto calls it a 'successful experiment.' Kaworu doesn't comment on that either--nor does he offer his own take. He looks past Alto at the Messiah, and past it still towards the Koenig, despite the Koenig being nowhere nearby. Even so, he gaze remains high and removed, settled on a point far away. 

<Pose Tracker> Rose Tritten has posed.

The Tritten Team had been deep inside the asteroid, right at the hive when the entire thing went up, making sure there was nothing to come back. To be frank it was nothing short of a miracle that they did make it out, and the trio's ZAKU Warriors certainly told the tale of the tape. From a hole on the far side of the asteroid, the trio emerged, ZAKU Warriors scorched and covered in insect viscera, with quite a few dents in their armour and a lot of spent ordinance. Rose led the way, both legs of her ZAKU missing and sparking, holding hands with Sushila's which was emerging without a head and a long jettisoned beam cannon which was now probably a melted mess deep inside the ruined asteroid. Aspyn's wasn't much better, missing its right arm.

"Well...we managed to make it out mostly intact." Rose said, the adrenaline of the fight starting to fade away, and her body really starting to let her know how fatigued it was. The alarms in her ZAKU had been shut down, she was more than aware of its current state.

"Do you think they're gonna be mad that all of our ZAKU's are smashed up?" Aspyn's voice came in over the radio, her normally perky self also starting to show exactly how exhausted she was, her proclivity for melee combat starting to catch up with her.

"There are probably enough parts left that we could duct-tape together a single one." Sushila added.

Rose's reply was interrupted by yet another caution lighting up on the console, an issue with her ZAKU's propellant load. Rose quickly tapped at the avionics pad next to her left hand and pulled up the information. Her propellant was dangerously low, and soon she'd be stranded. Which of course made sense considering how much they had been moving, the secondary storage tanks in the legs were gone, and how she was towing along a second ZAKU."We may not end up making that trip. How's everyone's propellant?" She asked. Sushila and Aspyn reported theirs to be very low. Great. Rose activated the long range encoded broadcast and reported their status to the One Fine Day, who were relieved to know they were still alive. Rose expected a SAR team to come retrieve them, but to their surprised they are given authorization to at the very least top off at a civilian ship nearby. Her IFF already reports a number of NUNE affiliated mobile weapons heading towards it. They had just enough to land, but weren't certain if they had an ability to launch again. The trio parked their ZAKU warriors near one of the hangars, and as the technicians came out to hose them off, they were invited to rest in the gravity of the hangar itself. The trio agreed, and soon, were emerging back into artificial gravity. They could already see the discussion unfolding as the trio arrived, helmets off and attached to the back collars of their pilot suits. 

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.


        Kaworu isn't the only NERV pilot waiting in the hangar. Liam leans against a nearby repair scaffold, clad in his black-and-maroon flightsuit; his helmet rests on the deck, at his feet. Outside, his Akashima undergoes the same thorough cleaning offered to Unit Beta. Liam hasn't said much of anything since he boarded. His psyche is a tight, roiling knot. Ranka's song is still stuck in his head in the worst possible way.

        "Lucine," Liam says, as his girlfriend approaches. He forces a little smile, and waves his hand. The smile falls right off as Alto speaks. "A tactical success," he says. It's true. Why is he so quick to qualify it, though?

        In the background, three ZAKUs come to rest nearby. Liam's gaze darts in their direction, and darts back to the conversation just as quickly. Blink, and you'll miss it, but the spike of fear lingers after.

<Pose Tracker> Flay Allster has posed.

Flay wasn't entirely sure what to expect, tagging along with the Space Assembly League for a mission like this. Thanks to the power of Ranka Lee's song, it wasn't exactly a long battle - but that didn't make it any less draining for the pilots, either. She won't turn down the Nadesico's generous offer - especially since NUNE seems to have designs for the leftover Vajra bits, anyway.

The Aile Strike E docks in the Nadesico's hangar, Phase Shift deactivated, giving the Gundam some time to recharge its batteries. The cockpit hatch flings open, and Flay sets her helmet aside, climbing out of the set, with a squint and a frown - less because of the Nadesico and more to being greeted to the smell of Vajra guts.

"I have to say, I appreciate the Nadesico's hospitality. It's a pretty nice ship, all things considered..." She smiles, though her tone somewhat suggests she wouldn't have taken no for an answer. She's not lying about it being nice, though, that goes without saying compared to a military ship. It even has full gravity, even in the middle of space!

She sees Lucine first, and then Alto - surmising that the Space Assembly League must have sent him. Flay is way more willing to get to the point than he is, though. "You should consider yourselves lucky then," She answers Uribatake's complaints. "Seems NUNE's decided to handle all the bug cleanup themselves." Her eyes wander around the ship. "Well, I guess it wouldn't be very forthcoming to leave it all to the civilian helpers..."

She regards Lucine, then, as she asks what this was supposed to be about, and then Alto as he calls it a 'successful experiment'. "Pretty cold way of putting it, but you might be right? When there's threats like the Vajra around... people will use anything as a weapon." She concludes, neutrally. "If anything, I'm just glad we all made it out of that battle alive thanks to it."

Flay watches the trio of ZAKU pilots enter, and then her gaze lingers on Kaworu - who hasn't commented on anything just yet. 

<Pose Tracker> Marian Cross has posed.

A figure in white pops out of the Murasame that's been riddled with holes and covered with Vajra blood and bits. Her white pilot suit standing out in the colorful hangar as she hops down to the floor. The hangar is currently hosting a colorful assortment of mobile weapons and characters, all from a myriad of (possibly opposing) factions.

She isn't supposed to be here. Neither are these NUNE characters. She would've refused their entry or kicked them off, but this isn't Orb's ship and she unfortunately has no jurisdiction here. Well, time to bullshit a story if anyone asks.

The clasp on her helmet releases and off it comes with one hand. Another tugs at her collar before pulling it apart and revealing military-issued tank top underneath. (Figurative) mask on as she observes the new guests.

Flay Allster, of course, is the one that caught her eye first. Given her former relationship with Orb... She says nothing for now, but she does note her comment on the bug cleanup... And how NUNE is seemingly trying to hoard all the remains. They could be useful for research, sure, but...all of them? She eyes at a leg that got stuck within the Murasame's plating. It should be out of view of everyone. If she doesn't call attention to it, she can at least bring it back to Orb to be studied.

She looks at Lucine after, but seems she's in good hands right now. Then... "And what's this experiment about?" She probes, putting on an innocent smile.

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        Lucine's initial bluntness following her question is instantly dulled by the two punch combo of Alto's greeting, and Liam, who, beyond being Liam, also makes a good point. "... I... suppose you're right," she concedes softly, glancing down. "... It would have been a hairy situation if it wasn't for her." Which is the worst part of it, really.

        Looking back up and seeing Kaworu, Lucine's gaze discreetly flicks back towards the direction he goes looking in. It doesn't seem to be anything, but perhaps, he's thinking. Maybe she should be more direct, since he felt as strongly about this as she and Liam did, if not moreso.

        She looks up towards Alto. "... Is she doing okay? If this was this her decision, then--" Flay enters the conversation, who jumps quickly to the point, and then some.

        Uribatake grins. "Hey, if he wants to be clean-up, I'm all for it." The scraggly-bearded man may or may not be entirely truthful here; the Vajra's biomechanical nature did leave some interesting mysteries to be had.

        ...... Whiccch may be why he's quickly walking back in, saying something about 'getting some more coffee'. Who knows?

        'People will use anything as a weapon.' ".... I admit... that's what I'm worried about," Lucine says, spurred on by Flay. "We're pilots, so... we deal with these sorts of things as part of our job. Ranka..."

        Rose's crew settles in; Lucine sees a hint towards their possible affiliation from that spike of anxiety from Liam's direction. *What* that means is a little more vague.

        It's certainly a motley crew that's here. Weren't Marian and Flay at each other over the radio?

        Looking to Marian, Lucine frowns. ".... I'm not sure, since... I'm not the crew that did it, but... there's been talk that the Vajra respond to specific types of sound. Why, and why certain kinds of sounds... that's the mystery." She's dropped asking about Ranka for now; it may be a little too personal a question for Alto to answer now. But, isn't the fact that they're all here the reason they're having the conversation? 

<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.

        Alto had stood his ground when Ranka insisted in joining him on his trip to the Nadesico. It technically wasn't her first time being directly in the middle of a battle. But it's not something she does often and so Alto pressured her into staying on the Nazca to get some rest. Especially since she didn't seem to be particularly well immediately after the battle ended. Though Alto figured it was a result of the stress of battle and the physical exertion from being in a mobile weapon under attack.

        Plus Alto didn't want Ranka to be here given his purpose for coming.

        Which is why when Kaworu looks in his general direction, Alto expects he might be looking to see if Ranka came too. And Alto just gives a mild shrug back, not actually saying anything about it right now.

        A few more units show up, including the ZAKUs from the Tritten team. Alto notices they're extremely banged up. They were in the thick of it after all, inside the resource asteroid. But that fact that there wasn't a single loss today just goes to show that these three are clearly good pilots. Rarely does a battle with the Vajra go by where one or more pilots don't lose their lives.

        Flay and Marian, Alto has no idea who they are. Other than what he saw during the battle. And Flay's affiliation, of course. He wonders about Marian's... Her unit is one of the newer Orb ones, isn't it? She could be Orb military. Or possibly a pilot with one of the country's famous manufacturers. Alto doesn't ask though, not wanting to drag this meeting out any more than necessary.

        Liam agrees with Alto, who nods in response, only to look in Marian's direction as she asks The Question. Alto seems to be mulling over an answer when Lucine alsso asks about Ranka. He nods in response, "She's resting after the battle, but she's fine. She seems determined to do what she can to help fight back against the Vajra." And so far it seems like she can do quite a bit.

        Lucine tries to provide an answer to Marian, but Alto corrects her, "Actually, it's not sound." Sound doesn't travel in space after all. And it's not like they can shoot speaker pods into the enemy cockpits. Alto clarifies, "It's fold waves. Or so I gather from what bits of explanations from the scientists I can understand... For some reason Ranka is able to generate fold waves as she sings. And they have an effect on the Vajra." For some reason. Alto glances towards the hangar doors, "The mission was to confirm this. And also gather data to try and figure out more about how Ranka does it."

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Kaworu is not familiar with Flay, but her words are extremely so. His gaze turns from that distant point over to her as he smiles a resigned smile. "That's true. When faced with extinction, Lilim will do anything to survive. Even use that which they hate and fear--and even desecrate the pure."
        
        His gaze goes to Marian and Team Tritten next--more unfamiliar faces. He gives them a courteous smile of greeting. His hands would be in his pockets, but plug suits don't have pockets, so they remain at his sides. Marian asks about the experiment; Lucine and Alto answer to the best of their knowledge. Of course, one's knowledge is a bit better than the other's.
        
        His lashes droop at Liam's tight response, though Lucine acknowledges the necessity of it. He, too, has an interest in Ranka, and looks to Alto for his response accordingly, but Alto only shrugs and says she's resting. Regardless, if she isn't here, he won't be quick to speak up again. What he wants to discuss with her... is not something to be shared lightly. 

<Pose Tracker> Rose Tritten has posed.

Upon hearing the actual science...well the explanation, of how Ranka's song worked, both Rose and Sushila looked to Aspyn, the most musically oriented of the trio, who shrugged and had an expression on her face just as clueless as her friends.

"Don't look at me, I just know when music is good."

Rose sighed, but it's understandable. Then she started to think back to the team's first encounter with the Vajra, over Lagos, where Sheryl Nome had tried the same trick, which kind of worked, certainly not as well as it had here. "Well the important thing is...it worked!" She said, an exhausted smile on her face. The motley assembly in the hangar is an interesting one to say the least. Especially the auxiliaries from the rest of the SAL. "Of course, not gonna lie, AAR point, would be to have a couple more people inside the hive next time. It got pretty exciting in there!"

As though to put the exclamation point on, the other arm of Aspyn's ZAKU suddenly broke free and dropped a few meters, still held on and swinging by most of the cabling, the technicians quickly getting to work on reattaching it. 

<Pose Tracker> Flay Allster has posed.

Kaworu's words, despite his unfamiliarity, could convince Flay otherwise. Though he's agreeing with her, the way he put it... she looks away from his smile with growing discomfort, thinking of the person she used, hated, and loved. "...Yeah. I can't argue with that," is all she says in response.

Lucine says that the idea that people will use anyone as a weapon is exactly what worries her. "Honestly, I wasn't entirely sure about it, at first," Flay admits, brushing her hair back a little. "But I don't think it's like anyone's forcing her to do this." At least, that's mostly the impression she got on the radio - she doesn't know Ranka beyond her image as a performer.

"So if this is her own way of fighting... is there any need to worry?" Alto, who seems to be a more personal friend of Ranka's, comes to a similar conclusion, so she feels more confident in her answer. His answer on what the experiment was also sparks her attention. It's a level of science that's beyond her, but it's good to know they aren't guessing at nothing.

When Aspyn calls the music good, Flay gives her a sideways look. "Was it, though? I thought it sounded kind of... strange, if I'm being honest." That might be asking for trouble if it's a Ranka Lee superfan she's talking to. "It was way more like a military march than a pop song, not to mention the lyrics..." Not entirely unfitting for the weapon it's supposed to be, though.

Flay notices Marian's attention on her first, and she gets hers in turn. "Mmm, I suppose not all of you on this ship are just civilian helpers." She tilts her head. "After all, it didn't escape my attention that was Orb's latest model flying with the Nadesico." Easily explained away as a joint collaboration between Nergal and Morgenroete, but considering Marian's knowledge about herself and the Strike, she wonders if there's something else to it. 

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.


        "It would've," Liam says, his gaze flicking towards Lucine, then Kaworu. At Kaworu's assessment, something dark flickers through his eyes. He bends down to pick up his helmet, and braces it under an arm. "That wasn't a good song," he mutters, under his breath.

        He wants to tell everyone here that this is a mistake, but how can he? Ranka might've just saved all their lives. Instead, his gaze fixes on one of the unknown elements--Marian--and stays there. Flay's remark about 'civilian helpers' draws a tic of an eye from him, but his anger is otherwise bottled.

<Pose Tracker> Marian Cross has posed.

Kaworu's presence has been pretty un-noteworthy to her, given his relative silence. But Marian listens to Alto's explanation after Lucine's. Whatever 'fold waves' are, it's clearly beyond her understanding. So's music. But it's clear that Ranka's singing did have an effect on the Vajra. It's definitely something to look into, if the Vajra's going to be a threat. She hummed in acknowledgment though and agreed with Rose, "mhm. Whatever it is, it worked." She noted the idol's absence too, but decided not to press. Likely just post battle stress, she assumes. Inexperience'll do that to you.

The sudden drop of a ZAKU's arm put her on edge, making her taking a step back. If this was Morgenroete, she'd be drilling into them right now. A sigh, then after which Flay addresses Marian's presence.

"I'm conducting a test on my own." She thumbs at the Murasame behind her. It is Orb's newest mass production MS. It would make sense for someone to test it. "I came across the Nadesico and I decided to stick around for a bit. Wouldn't do for the 'Hero of Orb' to say no when her former colleagues asked for some help now, would it?" Most of her story is true. Some of the best lies are layered with truth. She believed it was sufficient to fool most people. Nadesico's crew and by extension, Terminal, knew the real reason she was here though. But she hopes Lucine keeps quiet about her. 

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        Alto's answer seems to assuage Lucine's worries; she nods.

        "... I see. If it's Ranka's decision..." As Flay had said. "... After everything you guys have been through, I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't recognize someone else wanting to do whatever they could to help." She places a hand on her chest. "It's why I started working with the Nadesico, after all... I imagine it's the same for Dr. Inez as well. There's no way either of us could've gone back to our normal lives, after what happened on Mars. It's just..."

        '--and even desecrate the pure.' Perhaps Lucine had been too quick to think she needed to ask questions in Kaworu's stead; he's plenty able to be as sharp with his words when he needs to be. That song-writing ability doesn't come from a vacuum, after all. But his words still hold true. Her and Inez's situations did not compare; they weren't pressured to become parts of the crew due to any unique abilities.

        Lucine nods to Flay and Aspyn. ".... It's a remake of a popular song of hers. If you can find a recording of it, of the original... I recommend it. No doubt this version will be released soon too, so... you'll be able to compare for yourself." She can't help but smile slightly as she catches Liam's disagreement.

        Rose brings up another point, as well. "Yes. The fact that we could have easily shot at each other... I'm glad none of us were of a mind to shoot first and ask questions later. With how odd the Vajra were acting, I wasn't sure if they simply didn't have the same protective instinct, despite their eggs being there."

        What's more, Alto reveals more about how Ranka's singing works. ".... I see..." Lucine's lips flatten out in a neutral line.

        It just makes what Flay and Kaworu say more applicable. Perhaps what Lucine and Ranka thought was a Newtype ability was something else, and something just as liable to turn Ranka into a tool for others to use.

        ".... Just... I'm worried about her. But... if she's surrounded by people like you, my worries might just be unfounded. She's strong, but that might make her try to carry more on her shoulders than any of us ever could. You know her pretty well, so... you might be able to make sure that doesn't happen."

        Lucine eeps as a part of Aspyn's ZAKU breaks off; it keeps her from coming to Marian's defense immediately.

        "... -Ah, well, there's a lot of people who pass through the Nadesico. She was kind enough to accompany me here, so..." _is Lucine making it worse_

         "H-how about we just.... go down to the cafeteria, and eat? Ms. Howmei's cooking is the best!" Liam will clearly see Lucine is at it again: trying to be the peacemaker. 

<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.

        Alto gives Kaworu a bit of a hard stare. Those words certainly do have a strong implication to them. Alto crosses his arms, asking, "You got a problem with that? When people are dying I'd rather do everything I can to stop that, than let it happen all so I can claim some moral high ground." Something about this guy is annoying Alto.

        Alto is distracted though as Flay appears to understand Ranka's resolve, but then questions her song choice. It actually does get Alto looking a little thoughtful. He'd been a bit distracted in the moment... Then forgotten about it after.

        But now that she brings it up...

        "It's certainly a little different to what she usually sings." It almost doesn't seem like Ranka... Alto wonders, "Maybe she's trying something different to use during the fight with the Vajra... Admittedly singing her usual stuff might not be as appropriate?" Though for all the time he spends around idols, there's still a lot about music that Alto doesn't understand.

        Alto is still thinking about it as there is the sudden sound of a structural failure in a mobile weapon. Anyone who spends any amount of time in hangars around damaged units would recognize the sound and Alto instinctively looks around on alert to make sure it's not him that could potentially get crushed beneath a ton of falling robot. Thankfully no one's in danger. Though Rose's suggestion brings a shrug from Alto, "We work with what we're given. Easier option would have been to just blow up the entire rock." Alto sounds fond of that plan. Though one would expect ZAFT's leadership to be against destroying a valuable resource asteroid, even if it's currently not in operation.

        Alto hears the name 'Hero of Orb'. He's heard it before, though not paid much attention to it, not being from Orb (or even Earth) himself. Still, he glances in Marian's direction, sizing her up for a moment... And like the others point out, it's not surprising that she was helping out the Nergal vessel.

        But Alto's attention is drawn back to Lucine as she expresses her concern for Ranka. He nods a little in understanding, but says, "I think she's doing fine. So far the PLANT government has been rather accommodating to her. Plus Grace being around to help out makes things a lot easier." Brera is there too. But Alto doesn't speak of him.

        However, when Lucine suggests they go grab something to eat, Alto groans quietly, rubbing his neck, "Don't think I can... I'm still technically on the clock. Got to sort out those Vajra remains and get them transported back to the Nazca." Referring to the subject which he thankfully did not have to bring up first. Thanks, Flay!

<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.

        Kaworu's lashes droop as Liam mutters. It might be under his breath, but Kaworu has better senses than most. He quite agrees--but he doesn't say that aloud, either.
        
        Ranka's own way of fighting... Perhaps that's so. But Kaworu intends to speak with Ranka directly about it, to hear directly from her what she thinks and feels. Kaworu has better senses than most, but he still can't read minds.
        
        Accordingly, he takes Marian's introduction and explanation at face value. When Aspyn's ZAKU's arm falls off and hangs by a literal thread, Kaworu doesn't even flinch, though. It barely gets as much as a glance, so quick it looks like it was before it fell. But surely that can't be.
        
        It did all work out for the Lilim. That should be enough. But Ranka's sound... shouldn't be for this.
        
        Alto addresses him, and Kaworu looks his way. "I see," he says. "I, too, have someone I want to protect at any cost, and so like you, I've also chosen to end beings like the Vajra. What I'm concerned about is how this will affect Ranka. If she continues in this way, it will scar her soul."
        
        As for the specifics of that song--Flay's already pointed it out. Though it's not quite what Kaworu meant, he leaves it at that.
        
        Lucine suggests they all head to the kitchen for something to eat. "Thank you for the offer, but I'm not hungry," Kaworu tells her with a gentle smile. "I'll stay here. You all can go on ahead if you like."
        
        That means he'll be sticking around here with Alto, but he's fine with that. 

<Pose Tracker> Rose Tritten has posed.

Aspyn starts to look a little withdrawn at the criticism. "I only thought it was okay...like a 6/10. Not in line with her normal output but every artist can experiment." She said, sheepishly, pressing her two pointer fingers together nervously, sensing that there was a lot of unspoken criticism of the song itself.

"I'm just saying everyone was pretty quick to get out of dodge without even blowing up the hive itself." Rose muttered under her breath.

But it's the very mention of food that makes the three women's faces perk up.

"Lunch sounds really good about now." Sushila said, rubbing her stomach.

"Can we stay?" Aspyn turned to Rose, her eyes going puppy-dog-like. "They only had those icky nutrient slabs for lunch today!"

"It would be rude to turn down the offer..." Rose said, her stomach growling. 

<Pose Tracker> Flay Allster has posed.

Flay misses the tic of anger in Liam's eye, but despite her dismissive tone about 'civilian helpers', she'd really just rather they don't get dragged into more than they need to. Even if she's aware the Nadesico is a hyper-competent ship.

Flay kind of shrugs when Alto reasons at Ranka's style of music suddenly changing so drastically. "It doesn't need to sound good to be effective," She quickly points out, especially when even Aspyn lowers her enthusiasm too. "If I was her, I'd probably rather keep this all tidy and separate from my music career too."

Though oddly, in contrast to her own logic, Lucine points out that this was a remake of one of her existing songs. "Really? Huh... I can see why it might be worth making the comparison." Though what really gets her attention is the idea that they'll release this version of the song, too. What, as some kind of propaganda tool for the Space Assembly League?

Flay decides it's just better to accept Marian's explanation for being here, it's not like it really causes any major problems. But she does scoff at how Marian delivers such an explanation. "It's laughable that you expect me to take a title like the 'Hero of Orb' seriously, but fine, I won't press you any further." She concludes, her hair swinging as she turns her head.

Lucine's offer of lunch does get Flay to consider it for a moment, but as Alto puts it, it's probably about time they return to their own ships. "Thanks for the offer, but I've got to head back, too. My ship's supposed to be escorting the Nazca, so..." She turns back to face the Strike E, reaching for her helmet. "I hope we can cooperate like this next time, too." Next time?

<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.


        Liam jolts upright at the sound of snapping metal, his head whipping to face the source. He stares at the damaged ZAKU--ZAKU, he reminds himself, not Zaku, they insist it's different--for a few seconds, breathing through his teeth. He deliberately unclenches his hands, but he keeps his helmet pressed to his chest. The solid structure helps him feel a little more grounded.

        'If she continues in this way, it will scar her soul.'

        Liam turns to Kaworu. He knows better than to assume that's a metaphor. "SAL found out what she can do," he says. "And she's their weapon now. Even if she's willing, she's still their weapon." Who in SAL, now, that's the question.

        Lucine makes an offer. "I have time," Liam says. "But I can't stay too long." Tension lines his face as he turns to Lucine. He doesn't feel much like eating after that, but for her, he will.

<Pose Tracker> Marian Cross has posed.

Kaworu responded to Alto, with mentions of someone he wanted to protect at any cost which finally caught her attention. She can certainly empathize. But instead of a singular person, hers is an entire country and the ideals it holds. Nevertheless, she now noted his guarded demeanor. Something she mistook as just simply being silent at first.

Alto remarks that Ranka's song was different than usual. But with Marian being musically ignorant, it didn't register to her that it would be a pertinent aspect in the experiment.

An eye twitched when Lucine added an unnecessary detail to her story. If it comes under scrutiny, she'll be in trouble, especially if it leads back High Command. She was about to shoot her a glare to hint 'shut up', but she caught Liam's gaze before she could. So instead it changed into a look of...puzzlement? He is Lucine's boyfriend, right? Maybe Lucine could convince him to not investigate...

When Flay scoffed at her though, there's another twitch in her eye. There's just something about these girls that keeps ticking her off. In Flay's case though, she called out on her title. It is true that it's just an empty title they've given her, but she wasn't about to accept that slight just like that when she's done so much behind the scenes for the Athhas. And so with a smirk, she snapped back, "takes one to know one, doesn't it, 'Heliopolis's Princess'?" But with a more sincere tone as she says the next thing, "but I thank you for not pressing."

And Lucine finally mentioned food... Marian's not hungry, but if the Pixie team is staying on the Nadesico, she should keep an eye out. Her concern is likely unfounded though, given how innocently childish they appear in her eyes. 

<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.

        Lucine nods to Rose and her fellow crew. "It's cafeteria style, so you'll still have to pay, but... Howmei and her staff put a lot of love into it. I, ah, actually work as the greenhouse manager here on top of being a pilot, so... we have fresh vegetables too. And some fruit. The strawberry coupe is very good."

        If there's any indication of how upsidedown the Nadesico can be, here is Exhibit A: the head (and only) gardener is also a pilot.

        "There'll likely be times like that, I imagine," Lucine says, charitably, towards Flay. In a way, it's great that Flay was here; she had no reason to hold back on her words, though with how her and Marian are beginning to spar... maybe it's good that this meeting is cut short, before they all begin to remember what they were doing *before* this.

        "It's alright, Kaworu." Why does she seem to forget that Kaworu doesn't eat? Or, at least, he doesn't eat in front of others. She smiles and nods. "It was good to see you again, still. Perhaps you'll get a chance to talk to Ranka soon." Did she know that was Kaworu's intent?

        ..... Not really. She just assumed.

        Looking now to Alto, Lucine nods. Alto definitely seems to believe in his words; why can't she find that same assurance? "Okay. If Grace is there, I imagine she'd want everyone to take good care of her." She tries to grin; Liam and Kaworu's half-heard comments do little to help. "Ah, if you like, I can bring you a meal to-go-- maybe Ranka would appreciate that too. Even if we have our doubts about the methods being used... she still did it for us, ultimately. One day, there may be a better way for her to do so, but until then, some homecooked food may be in order."

        Lucine looks towards Liam, both seeing and sensing that tension from him like a fraying rope. She feels guilt over how glad she feels, to sneak some time in with him, but perhaps this will give him some time to rest, as well. "... Just follow me. It's not too far from here."

<Pose Tracker> Flay Allster has posed.

One should probably expect to be hit back when you take the first punch, but for Marian to invoke Heliopolis... Flay can't give her a second look as she continues to move for the Strike. "I'll thank you to do the same," she replies, instead of dragging it on. While she was getting along with some of the Nadesico's crew, like Lucine, she finds herself agreeing it probably was for the best to move along.

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