2024-09-14: How 'Everyone' Is Feeling
- Log: How 'Everyone' Is Feeling
- Cast: Eight Orlodhari, Ruri Hoshino
- Where: The Nadesico
- Date: September 14, 0099
- Summary: Eight arranges to have lunch with Ruri. Ruri initially declines, but Minato comes to the rescue, and the two of them have a conversation involving recent revelations...
<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.
Eight Orlodhari is on the Nadesico again. She has a lot of work on her plate lately, but she has time to drop by the ship to....
Well, whyever else she's here, everybody knows she's actually here to check up on Ruri Hoshino.
So it is that sees the Admiral step onto the bridge and saunter past the entryway towards the operations stations.
While she looks a bit tired, despite the makeup that helps her not look so tired, she has a smile on her face. She carries a datapad and nothing else for the moment, finally making her way over to stop in front of--
"Hi, Ruri."
It's a lovely day on Magallanica. And the Nadesico's gravity is deeply convenient today.
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
Finding out that our enemies were in fact the descendants of humans banished to Jupiter seems to have been a shock for most everyone here.
Meanwhile, some people are getting closer, and some people are being trapped more and more.
A lot sure happens on this ship.
"Admiral on the bridge," Goat Hoary announces, from where he's working at his security station. And, of course, everyone is happy to help Eight with her work. Except, when she gets to Ruri's station...
"I'm working, Admiral," Ruri says, without looking up from her screen. "Nergal-san was quite upset, so I'm taking responsibility. Do you need something?" She's already gone through sixteen pages of code, just as she was talking.
<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.
Eight nods to Goat Hoary in response. She doesn't expect salutes; this is not a military ship. But of course her presence will be noticed. She looks each crew member who acknowledges her in the eye--some get wider smiles because she likes them, or for other reasons. But Ruri is her target. And Ruri...
"Not anymore," Eight says to Ruri about working. "Your new assignment is to accompany me for a lunch break."
Eight stands and waits. She does not appear to be going anywhere.
"I'm sure Nergal won't deny me your company."
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
"That's okay," Ruri says, blatantly defying the authority of the Admiral herself. "I don't need to eat yet."
Minato, beside her, leans over and whispers something. Whisper, whisper...
"Oh, I see," Ruri says, straightening back up. "It's an excuse." Does she have to say it out loud like that?!
Minato flashes Eight a peace-sign, behind Ruri, as she closes out the debugging she was working on and carefully places Break Tanuki on her chair.
"I'll leave and come back," she assures her co-workers, in the style of the office.
Finally, Ruri follows Eight to the cafeteria...!
<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.
Defiance...! Eight actually laughs despite herself at this. "Ruri," she starts--but Minato's got it. An excuse. Eight grins at her. "I want to talk to you later too," she says. "Maybe before I have to head back? Personal business."
She definitely wants to talk to Minato about it, after all.
Ruri assures her co-workers she will return, and Eight, knowing the way, leads to the cafeteria.
"Hi," she says with a wave to the Howmei Girls, and says, "...What kind of meat dishes do you have today?" She seems--hungry. She is not grabbing coffee this time, though. Instead she goes for a nice fruity soda.
"So," Eight says. "How are you feeling, Ruri? They haven't been too hard on you, have they? You are entitled to breaks. And not just coming to see the twins, either."
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
"Sure, sure!" Minato replies, chipper, as she gets back to her own work. Her own work looks suspiciously like reading a gossip magazine, but trust her, it's vital company research.
(She was keeping Ruri company.)
Eri, at the counter, says: "We've got chicken sandwiches, Mrs. Orlodhari! And if you want something heftier, Mikako made a beef shank stew..."
"One chicken sandwich, please," Ruri says, quite stoic.
"Sure thing, Ruri-Ruri!"
Soon enough, they have their trays -- and it's not that hard to find a table. Ruri sips at her orange juice, because she likes orange juice. The adults all drink coffee, but it's still far too bitter. ... give her a few more years.
Or a few more late nights.
"Not really," Ruri says. "Erina-san found a lot more work for me, but the Captain wouldn't let her censure me too badly. Since I was the one who broke the privacy lockout, it's fine for me to make Nergal-san happy." She's... not betraying Mr. Prospector's betrayal. Technically speaking, she's told the whole truth!
If Eight gets the sense that it's an extremely technical truth, neither will she get the sense that it's done with any malice.
"It's only been a day," she points out, quite sensibly. "Though everyone is quite upset. A lot of people are taking leave. And a lot of people think they're being subtle by crying in the bathroom... well, I guess most people wouldn't know." And Ruri does? Anyway, "It seems like there's much more demand for Dr. Fressange's counselling, now. Though she just explains why everyone is feeling sad. Even so, it's becoming more popular. I guess that's the placebo effect."
Well, that's a great overview of how the crew of the Nadesico is feeling, anyway.
<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.
Eight smiles at the alternative form of address from 'Admiral'. She's proud of her work, but she's happy with that part, too. "Hmmm. How about the stew then?" she asks. "I thought I smelled beef..."
Once at the table, Eight sets down her tray and listens to Ruri talk about the Nadesico. "I'm glad the Captain is looking out for you," she says first. "If Ms. Won ever gives you too much trouble, you can tell me." A pause. "Making Nergal happy is fine, so long as you don't to it your own detriment. Your well-being aside, if you do too much work you won't be alert for your duties."
It's definitely a technical truth, but Eight doesn't press it. There are some things that it's better for the Admiral not to know.
It has only been a day, Ruri is right. But everyone... Hmm.
Dr. Fressange doing counseling still disturbs Eight a little, but that's not a fight she's likely to win here. Nergal isn't going to hire more of those. "I'm sure," she says. "It makes sense for them to be upset, even to take leave." A grimace. "...Crying makes sense, too. It's natural, to get your feelings out."
The placebo effect. That's actually kind of funny, but--
"But how are you feeling, Ruri? Not the Nadesico."
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
"You have a good nose!" The Howmei girls are romantics; of course they're always gossiping about Eight's marriage, and especially now, when they need a distraction so badly. They're harmless, though. One day they'll find some nice men, too...
(Or a nice woman, in at least one case.)
Ruri pauses, and nods. "That's true," she says, of Eight's logic. "It would be bad if I worked too hard before the Jovians attacked again. I'll make sure to get enough sleep." That's... reassuring?
She blinks, though, when Eight asks how she's feeling. "But I just told you how everyone is feeling," she says, nonplussed.
Eight may get the distinct feeling that the Captain and Minato have had their work cut out for them. It's not even a psychic feeling, this time. It's just an ineffable fact of the universe: Ruri is so used to narrating episodes that she forgot she's an actor within them.
She quiets down, looking at her chicken sandwich.
"I feel like everyone," she settles on.
<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.
Eight smiles. "Thanks," she says. She does hope that they do find those nice people--she's only taken up two of them herself, there are plenty more out there!
"Good," Eight says. It's not the same as taking breaks and caring for herself better, but it's a step above working herself to exhaustion. And so, as Ruri blinks, she...
Ah. Yes, Eight can tell that Ruri's gotten caught up in it...
"I see," Eight answers. "So you're upset. That's fair. It's natural to be upset, after something like that. ...I was angry. Angry, that they'd hide it from everyone, but especially all of you. That they were part of the same old things that led us to..."
She sighs. She's not going to unload all her feelings on Nergal to Ruri, but she does want to model, "But right now I'm mostly tired. This is one thing on top of a lot of others. I'm not sure what will happen next..."
"So I'm taking the time to see a friend while I have the time. That's you."
"It used to be hard for me, to isolate my own feelings," she offers.
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
Ruri listens to Eight's own feelings, and nods. "Thank you," she says, of visiting her. "It's nice to see you, Eight-san."
She takes a bite of her sandwich. Munch, munch...
"I think Nergal-san must be keeping a lot of secrets," she says, finally. "But I already knew that, since I'm here, too." They bought a child. Ruri has read a lot of encyclopedia entries about how that's generally frowned upon in society. "Since it isn't a surprise, I don't really think I should be shocked."
Chomp, munch, munch.
"But I didn't think the Jovians were people. I wonder why those two knew they were?"
Chomp, chomp, munch.
"I wonder if Goat-san and Mr. Prospector know, too."
... why would Ruri associate those two with them?
<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.
"Likewise," Eight answers Ruri. She is pleased to hear that. She finally digs into her stew; she is quiet for a few not just because she's listening, but because she's eating, and she does look to be very hungry. But she pauses, at 'shouldn't be shocked.
"I think, as secrets go, that it's a pretty surprising one to hear. After all, even the history books were doctored for it." She grimaces again. "I was shocked."
But maybe she shouldn't have been. Considering Laplace's Box...
"Hmm." Why did those two know? Eight doesn't have an answer for that. Or rather, she doesn't have an answer that she's sharing. Instead...
"It wouldn't surprise me," Eight admits. "Both of them are good at keeping secrets." Like the secret of Ruri. "Though I'm curious what brings those two in particular in mind for you."
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
"That's true," Ruri agrees. Maybe it's okay for it to be a little shocking, if even the encyclopedias are wrong.
(Wait, if the encyclopedias are wrong... questions for later.)
Munch, munch...
"It's because they bought me," Ruri just says it, out loud, in front of Eight and God. "I met the rest of the crew later, but they're the ones who handled my transfer."
She pauses, for a moment.
"Well, I don't think Minato-san knows that."
<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.
Tink. Tink. Spoon against bowl. Eight continues to eat between bits of conversation, usesd by now to making sure to fit food wherever she can. And she does get some time to do just that, before Ruri comes out with the plain truth.
"I see," Eight answers, and sets down her spoon. Mr. Prospector she suspected, but Goat... no, he'd be involved with something like that. It's not so surprising.
"...Maybe she doesn't," Eight admits. "I doubt most of the crew does."
She's conflicted there; this might be something Minato should know, and yet...
"I still don't like it," she admits. "Buying a person. You've been an asset, of course. And you've been a friend. ...But you should decide where you go."
The same for Omoikane, but she knows why that's... complicated.
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
"I guess it would be a problem," Ruri says, "if I wanted to go somewhere else. But I won't leave Omoikane. And the Nadesico is my home."
She finishes off her sandwich, and reaches for her juice, again.
"Though I guess it's easy that I feel that way, too. Maybe Nergal-san already thought of that when they had me work with Omoikane in the first place."
It doesn't feel so strange to accuse them of something that sinister, now.
Turns out, capitalists just aren't good people.
<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.
"...Right," Eight says. "I know. Omoikane is important, too. And the Nadesico has a lot of good people on it." It's not ideal, a child on a warship... but she's not as young as she once was. If she had chosen it, she'd be old enough to pilot by now. Eight doesn't like it much all the same.
Eight finishes her stew. "...That's sharp thinking," Eight says. "You're probably right."
Sinister. Eight knows it--she knew it. And still, she relied on them. But what else could they do?
"...Just keep me updated, all right? I want to make sure you're safe. I'm not the only one looking out for you--but I am one."
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
"I know," Ruri nods, and... actually seems to smile, for a second.
Just a second, though. Blink, and it's gone.
"We heard what you said to Erina-san," she says, mildly. "But I don't think anyone will tell. Since she's the Chairman's secretary, the crew of the Nadesico can't really go against her too much... but you're still the Admiral."
Which is to say: she appreciates it.
Maybe violence is sometimes okay!
<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.
A smile! Eight is pretty sure she didn't imagine it. But the next part--Eight's expression doesn't shift much as Ruri mildly states that her threat was heard by everyone, except that she quiets and stops moving for a moment. "...Right," Eight says. "So you did hear that..."
A smile back. "Well," she says, "So long as she remembers."
Then she takes a sip of her soda finally and--
"Hrm," Eight says, lowering it from her lips and eyeing it. "Maybe I got a bad can..."
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
"I don't think so," Ruri says. "Your senses of taste and smell are altered, so I think you should take another pregnancy test. It's the same thing which happened to you before."
oh no.
<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.
Ruri makes an assertion. Eight almost spits the drink she just said was probably bad.
"Ruri!" she says, and then--laughs. "You're sharp, aren't you?"
She leans in, "Well, keep it a secret, but I have taken another one, actually. But it'll be just between you, me, and Minato, all right?"
Since obviously she's telling Minato.
"...And Lavhi, obviously. But he's not here." She realizes she might have to specify, considering.
She leans back in her chair again, and smiles.
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
"Eight-san, my IQ scores consistently over three hundred. I'm capable of maintaining communications with many separate systems simultaneously, and my brain can process information fast enough to keep up with how quickly they talk. But you said you could smell the beef, and now you've said your soda tastes bad, even though it's the same one you liked before. So actually, I don't need to be all that sharp to figure it out."
She sips her orange juice.
"Fool."
In the hangar, Izumi Mako stamps a card, and grins at the camera. "Hey," she says, lazily. "Looks like a bingo ate your daby."
"Are these shipments that predictable?" Ms. Howmei sighs, looking up at the crate.
"When your bottle's empty... that's a pre-ship table."