2024-09-29: A Return Home
- Cast: Akito Tenkawa, Anita Rosetta, Eight Orlodhari, Hikaru Amano, Kaworu Nagisa, Liam 7-020, Lucine Azul, Maya Jintek, Ruri Hoshino, Ryoko Subaru, Shinji Ikari, Yurika Misumaru
- Where: The Nadesico Hanger
- Date: U.C. 0099 09 29
- Summary: Akito Tenkawa returns to the Nadesico. Drama ensues.
<Pose Tracker> Akito Tenkawa has posed.
It has been journey for Akito Tenkawa since he left the Nadesico. It wasn't unlike life BEFORE the Nadesico, going from restaurant job to the next. Always striking out after some air raid siren set off Akito's trauma and weirded out the clientele. Still, Akito kept moving on after each set back. However, it wasn't long before Megumi left to go pursue her goals in voice over, leaving Akito to climb the mountain of culinary arts on his own.
And yet, it never felt right. His heart was always with the Nadesico, wondering how everyone was. Remembering the good times between being yelled by his current mentor for making the steak "BLOODY RAW". Being yelled at for his broth. Being yelled at for overcooking the sushi rice.
So why didn't he go back? Akito asked himself this many times. Why didn't he just get on the next shuttle for the ship? It wasn't a secret that Nergal wanted him back where he could be experimented on more readily. To put it simply, Akito felt that the Nadesico didn't need an unexperienced pilot like him and they certainly had better culinary representation. He didn't belong there.
So Akito kept going with his head down. Day after day. Dealing with customers. With panic attacks. With temporary unemployment. With temporary employment. With Nergal's check ins and offers.
And then Nergal told him that testing could move forward WITHOUT him. In some ways that could be a relief. One less thing to worry about. The nightmare could end. But that didn't stop Akito's worries. It made them more pronounced in a way that made his chest hurt. Someone else would be put through the wringer.
And that was what brought us to today.
Akito stands on in the cargo bay of the shuttle bound for the Nadesico. He is dressed in his familiar yellow uniform, designating him a cook despite his status as a "pilot". He still wants to serve in both roles just like the good ol days. For now, Akito just bent his knees, feeling the heavy backpack's weight against him as his wok gently shifted with each movement.
He isn't sure if they'd remember him. It had been so long. Sure Yurika probably remembered him but the rest? It had been a couple of years. He hadn't even sent word he was coming back either. They probably just got an alert that Nergal was sending new personnel to the ship, including an Aestivalis and frames for this "pilot" to utilize.
"Preparing to dock." The shuttle pilot announces over the intercom, sending a shiver down Akito's back. This was really happening. The shuttle sets down roughly, almost knocking the brown haired boy over. He braces against a wall to keep from ending up on his back. Finally, after confirming they were set down, Akito stands up straight and waits for exit.
"Good to be home. Can I still say that?" Akito says to himself as he hears docking procedures begin. He waits for them to complete, fidgeting in place. "Alright just keep it professional...They probably don't remember a guy like me. If they do, good. If they don't,...that's alright. Easy does it." He continues to mumble to himself as he gets ready to step on board, feeling his legs shake ever so slightly. His wok bangs against the large backpack with each step. Taking a deep breath, he remembers why he is here. This is going to be hard but it must be done.
Akito feels the anxiety take hold as he looks around with a sense of nostalgia. He frowns, wondering what would happen next as he stands in the middle of the hangar. "Uh, Hello? I'm Akito Tenkawa, the new pilot. Well...newish? I also cook!" His eyes attempt to adjust to the light as he looks to see if anyone is there.
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
"Excuse me," Ruri transmits a message across the Nadesico, from her position on the bridge. Still as stoic as ever: "May I have your attention... thank you. Akito Tenkawa has returned. He's on the shuttle which just boarded... here are the directions. That's all."
The transmission cuts out, and Ruri gets up from her seat in Operations, placing Break Tanuki carefully down. "I'll leave and come back," she promises, as she exits out the door. (Was it already halfway through closing, because someone else ran through first?)
And finally, a girl enters the hangar. She's sixteen, now -- a whole /four foot eight,/ which is /almost/ a normal adult height! Her hair is still pale blue-white, though, and her eyes still an unnaturally bright gold, just like the colours of Akito's uniform. She's wearing the bridge uniform, of course -- though there's a pink and blue tie added to it, now, to hearken back to Terminal's influence. She /just about/ fits into the smallest standard uniform size, these days, which is a victory for capitalism.
Finding someone to stand behind -- let's say it's /Hikaru/ -- Ruri peers out, from behind her. "Hello," she says, still quite flat.
Not a word of criticism about him /leaving./
<Pose Tracker> Ryoko Subaru has posed.
Ryoko Subaru had finished her daily 'task' of unloading the Supply Shuttle while the hangar crew put their feet up and fanned themselves in the control booth. She's still there right now, in her half-ready pilot suit with black tank top on, mid-riff bared, wearing pants from the waist down.
Toweling off her hair as the other shuttle set down, she spied the gathering to greet it when...
'May I have your attention... thank you. Akito Tenkawa has returned.'
...as... her heart skipped three beats... maybe four at the message
Was he really coming back? Was this happening?
The old anxieties come back too, as she hurries over into position leans casually against an emplacement like she was simply always there, loitering, arms crossing, waiting for him, uncertain about how to greet him.
Playing through like about six casual greetings until - she sees him banging down the ramp, greeting them like...
... like...
'The hell?' (She thinks, but doesn't say) becoming more and more annoyed by him being like... like /that/.
Ruri may go with a simple 'Hello,' but... Ryoko chooses something a little different after hearing Akito say that.
"Well look what the cat dragged in. Oi, Tenkawa. The hell's with this acting like you're some raw-faced recruit?"
Her dark blue eyes give him this surly look of infinite displeasure, "That how you're gonna greet your old crew, pretending like we don't know each other?"
<Pose Tracker> Yurika Misumaru has posed.
With how vast the cosmos are, it can sometimes feel unbelievable that anyone in the world can ever re-unite.
When Yurika first had to say goodbye to Akito that fateful day on Mars, it felt like a distance that would never be conquerable. And yet, the second time they said farewell, it was to traverse an unimaginably vast distance - towards stars you could barely even see in the night sky.
It's been on her mind, ever since she met with Daba Myroad, the leader of a rebellion from those very distant lights, and how inexplicably their war's spilled over into Earth's troubles. Is the world really that vast? Is the world really that small? On this seemingly ordinary day, Yurika's spinning in the captain's chair pondering these super duper deep questions.
"Oh, announcing something over the PA, Ruri? That's unusually social butterfly stuff for you. Keep at i-" Yurika pauses as the name takes a few moments to sink in.
"Ahaha, I'm sorry, I must've misheard. I could've sworn you just said it was Akito Tenkawa, but I'm probably just a little lost in memory~" Yurika sighs in relief, switching her display to the camera of the hangar. See? Just as she thought. That's not Akito, it's clearly Aki-
Yurika bolts up from her chair and sprints towards the lower decks at a pace, breathlessly calling the kitchens. "Howmei!!! I need to cash in a favor RIGHT NOW we gotta get a whole hotpot setup down to the hangar IMMEDIATELY okay thanks bye!" She's rummaging through a storage locker and leaving a mess in her wake-
And once the doors hiss open to the hangar, a Yurika-driven category-5 hurricane of folding tables and chairs descends upon Akito. It's honestly aggressively in the way of normal hangar activities, putting down so much emergency furniture in front of him. "Aaaaaaa Akito you're actually back I thought that was the last time I was ever seeing you I can't even believe it why did you decide to come back here were you happy while you were gone I was so worried sick about you but I couldn't even work up the courage to call and it felt like I lost where it was important so even thinking about it made me feel kinda dirty and it was a huge mess and I honestly sometimes worried you were dead or something and maybe you worried I was too and-"
The exertion catches up with Yurika, and she's doubled over against a folding table, gasping raggedly before tumbling into a chair. She might need a bit.
<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.
Akito may or may not already know who that special someone they were referring to, if he suspected anyone at all. It wouldn't be above Nergal to say something in order to draw their real target back in. However, if he has any suspicions is has to do with being from Mars, the list of suspects is rather low: there's Inez, Yurika, and... the quiet blue teal haired pilot and gardener, who flew in like a bat out of hell during their disastrous visit to Mars years ago.
"... It's good to see you back. Are you doing well?" The slightly younger pilot looks older than when they last possibly met, but the way she looks at him, with those wide yellow eyes that make Ruri's seem even crystalline in comparison. ".... Howmei's cooking is excellent... but few people know how to make fried rice Alba City style." Exactly what that 'style' is is.... something Lucine has never defined!
The very tall, very large young man beside her may realize *exactly* what the Newtype is doing: trying to make someone who is very anxious feel at home, while, at the same time, having to guess how to.
Lucine always remembered the pilot who was dealing with many of the same problems she did, even if, at the time, it was hard for her to truly be around him at times. But that was years ago.
".... You may not remember him, but... this is my boyfriend, Liam." She motions to Liam. "He comes to help sometimes." She's mentioned Akito a few times to Liam in passing, especially when explaining how many people have had to deal with what happened on Mars.
As well as a passing comment of confusion as to the timeframe of when he arrived on Earth, as he and Yurika were the two lone Martians beforehand.
Speaking of that, Lucine moves to Yurika, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Ah, breathe, Captain!"
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Amano has posed.
A new pilot! It's been quite a while since the Nadesico got any new pilots, so Hikaru is pretty excited to see who comes out of that shuttle. If they're coming to the Nadesico, it's certain they'll be quite the quirky character - but Hikaru still elbows Ryoko anyways. "I wonder what kinda pilot we're getting. Think they'll be handsome? Maybe it's your chance!"
Hikaru leaves for a couple minutes, and like it's magic re-enters the hangar with a complement of party poppers, and a giant handmade poster that reads 'WELCOME'. She planned this welcome out perfectly, at least until she hears Ruri's voice over the speaker. Akito Tenkawa is... /returning/ to the ship? "Oh! The Gekiganger guy," Hikaru exclaims, putting the name together. "And your knight in shining armour~" It's an open question whether she's talking to Ryoko or Yurika there.
By the time Ruri hides behind her, a perfect choice considering the cover the poster provides, Hikaru's already scribbling with a glittery marker. It now reads 'WECLOME BACK', though Hikaru lowers it a little to give Lucine and Liam some room to come in. "I thought something like this might happen," She winks. But even her good cheer fades for a moment, when Akito acts like he's a totally new guy.
Ruri simply says hello, while Ryoko goes off on him. Hikaru just waves, and blows one of those party poppers. "Come on, Tenkawa... don't be a stranger! It's me, Hikaru Amano, blood type B, and all that." Hikaru smiles. "There's no way you'd forget a crew like ours... and I wouldn't forget about crying over Joe's death together either!"
She tilts her head, then, letting Yurika have her much needed, long-winded moment with him, before asking, "But seriously... what in the /world/ have you been up to, Tenkawa? It was like you totally disappeared! Yeah, we were kind of worried." Maybe more than kind of worried in Yurika's case.
<Pose Tracker> Maya Jintek has posed.
While Maya had not gotten the chance to really meet Akito, as he had left only shortly after she had joined, she definitely remembered the impact his absence had left, particularly on the Captain. It had been rough seeing her so dejected, after she had done so much to welcome her aboard the Nadesico. So when the announcement from Ruri went over the intercom, and not-so-subtly directed everyone towards the hanger, she had an idea of what was expected of her. The mechanics and engineers around her all quickly stashed their tools and started moving to the hanger indicated.
It didn't take them long to get there, but there were already a few other people there as the shuttle landed. And they were LOUD. Ryoko's chiding, and Yurika doing her best impression of a speeding missile as she barrelled in. It made Maya smile to see how happy everyone was to welcome back an old comrade, even one she barely knew. It made the whole ship feel more like family, rather than just a job or even something to believe in. "Welcome back, Akito! I think you were a little bit missed!" Maya called out, laughing and firing off one of her own party poppers. There was a large bowl of them for people to grab, because of course there was.
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
Lucine has a companion.
Liam was an irregular presence on the Nadesico, at best, back when it was still working with the Federation. A pilot from NERV, with the telltale marks of someone who'd undergone some sort of experimental surgery. He didn't talk much. He liked Howmei's cooking, but stayed close to Lucine. Once, they both fell asleep together in the hangar. She definitely didn't introduce him as her 'boyfriend.
The young man at Lucine's side /right now/ is clearly the same person, but there's a subtle difference to him. Gas-flame-blue eyes focus on Akito, tired but inquisitive--not overly alert in a way that would indicate hyperarousal. His head and jaw are freshly-shaved, as they were back then, but the scar on his brow has faded. He wears a simple grey jumpsuit and combat boots. He is six and a half feet tall, and looks like he could snap someone over his knee if he really wanted to.
"Akito," Liam says, with a warm smile. He's still exhausted, but it's earnest. "It's... good to meet you again? I don't think we ever really met, the first time."
Luanova Luckwright teleports out.
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
Shinji had been the one to insist to Kaworu that they go out down to Nouvelle Tokyo to see that concert he was interested in as a belated birthday celebration, but he never expected that the performer of the night was a) a kaiju-user b) would summon a kaiju literally while on stage. Fortunately, the Black King hasn't gone on a rampage--has honestly been quite docile afterwards, almost like the Galactron that appeared on Huffman Isle a while back--but it was still incredibly stressful for Shinji.
Thus, he's taken a ride aboard the Nadesico to return to Magallanica. Normally it would be the Ra Mari II, but Eight happens to be here today, so they all agreed to meet up here. Kaworu would see him off, and Shinji would head away to his new home, far away from any giant monsters...
That's the idea, anyway.
Shinji and Kaworu are, by coincidence, on that same shuttle that Akito is riding in on. As they're disembarking, Shinji notices the brunet man with the wok on his back(pack). He's had enough time to calm down since that kaiju appeared, so he can actually look at him with curiosity and not wariness. He can hear him mumbling, but not exactly what. He looks vaguely familiar... but Shinji never really interacted with Akito.
He instead recognizes Ruri, there to greet Akito, and several other Nadesico crewmates chewing out and/or greeting Akito, and the captain storming in with the raw enthusiasm of a cyclone--
"Waugh," he utters, jumping to one side and scrambling behind Kaworu, who is as unruffled as ever as people start rushing in and throwing furniture and stuff. "Wh-what's going on?!"
"That's Akito Tenkawa. He's a crewmate who has just returned to the Nadesico," Kaworu explains over his shoulder, functionally relaying the announcement Ruri made just moments ago.
"Ehhh...?" Shinji peeks out from behind him to stare at Akito, then at Ruri. He gives her a timid wave--Kaworu joins in with a smile and a friendly ping--but everything sure is happening all at once. Even the familiar presences of Liam and Lucine don't help, at least not right this second. Shinji has been aboard the Nadesico before, but he's certainly not familiar with the entire crew, and certainly not with crew members who are just returning after a couple of years away.
"He sure seems popular," he says without thinking.
Kaworu chuckles.
"Wh-what?"
"Oh--it's just that Gridman said that about you, too."
Shinji remembers this but doesn't know what to say to that, so he says nothing.
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
It's a stroke of luck that Anita happens to be visiting the Nadesico to discuss something with their engineers when something big happens. 'Big', in this case, is the return of one of their long-lost crew members. It's enough for Ruri to broadcast a message, and that makes it momentous in its own right.
Naturally, Anita has to check it out - so she's among those who filter down to the hangar to receive the new-old arrival. The crew of the Nadesico has already approached him, but for Anita's part she finds something to lean against. It sounds like he's already nervous /enough/, so she doesn't want to crowd him - and he might not even know or remember who she is, given she's on a different ship.
That much is evident by the way she wears the Magallanica Defense Force uniform, rather than the Nadesico's.
"Hey. Welcome back." She greets with a casual wave, leaving the more pointed questions and greetings for those who knew him personally.
<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.
Eight Orlodhari occasionally spends time on the Nadesico! ...Not so often as she does on the Ra Mari II, but lately the RMII is less than welcome in Earth airspace. And she's here! She's dressed in uniform, and stps out of her own shuttle just in time to hear the announcement...
"Oh," she says, noticing Kaworu and Shinji and waving, and then--ah, yes.
"Mr. Tenkawa!" Eight greets. She is an an /Admiral's uniform/. An MDF Admiral's uniform, but that is her rank all the same, complete with hat. "Captain Misumaru has missed you," she says, with a smile like the cat who got the cream.
She waves at Annie and steps over towards Kaworu and Shinji. Helping!
<Pose Tracker> Akito Tenkawa has posed.
Akito stops dead in his tracks when the intercom announces his arrival. His shoulders already start to sag, feeling the weight of this place. It was a lot and to have it focused on -you-. Akito frowns, feeling his eyes widen as he can already start to see eyes on him. First Ruri, who looks older and in a new uniform. Somethings changed after all. He offers a small wave.
And it's about then that Ryoko comes in like a hurricane. Akito leans back, almost becoming a turtle thanks to that backpack. "I....I mean of course I remember you. Just didn't think...well...you...remembered...me?" Akito is trying to remember if this is her normal or pissed. It's hard to gauge at the moment. He is busy dealing with -that- that he isn't processing the other hurricane named Yurika at first. It's her run on sentence that makes him back up more. "What I'm fine You could've called well when the phone worked I moved alot due to the job market not that you should worry wait why are you This is too much!" Akito feels himself starting to forget the anxiety for one thing and just kinda fit back into place. He feels a hand over his face as he watches the woman overexert herself over him.
He looks over to Lucine, opening his mouth to want to say something. He manages a smile caked in concern for the doubled over Yurika. "It's nice to see you again. And your boyfriend. Again? Yeah I don't think we've met."
Then Hikaru talking about Gekiganger and welcoming him back. "Sorry! Its just been like two years...I wasn't sure if anyone remembered me...And of course I remember crying over Joe's death!"
Then Anita welcomes him back. He isn't sure he remembers her but this rush of faces new and old are starting to get overwhelming.
Maya's party popper does it however. The man attempts to jump back and ends up falling down on his back with a loud bang. The bag holds him down like a turtle flipped. "Ah! A little help! WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME!"
Akito looks over at the Admiral, looking helpless. He is really trying here.
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
He's... back.
It's been two years -- and Ruri's older, now -- and he missed her sixteenth birthday. But Ruri won't criticise him for that. He was working... a lot of different jobs, so... "You were busy," she says, "weren't you?"
She pauses, hands folded one over the other, in front of her. She does not pop a party popper; she's far too dignified for that. "The Nadesico missed you," she tells him, quite mild and proper.
You know. The ship. Don't ask about /her./ "But," she adds, a the light ghost of a dusting of a frown over her eyes, "why now? Did something happen?"
<Pose Tracker> Ryoko Subaru has posed.
Back then Ryoko at least had answered Hikaru with, "Beats me! Hopefully he's good enough that we can finally tell Akatsuki to take a hike out the airlock."
Look, she's always tolerated the guy and his antics but something recently got her just upset enough that she's now Anti-Akatsuki.
Hurricane Yurika enters the room, and her presence is enough for Ryoko to jolt in alarm, shifting just sideways on her crate just in case she comes near, sideeyeing her display.
It's enough to call to mind the rivalry that was there before, between Yurika and Megumi, which Megumi ultimately seemed to win, but Yurika always insisted they were meant to be together.
Now Megumi's not here? Which made... ... ... ...
Her nose sorta scrunches up, as if in consideration of Yurika, then looking down as she makes a noise of frustration as Hikaru's party poppers go off, "Nnngh." Certain that even with Akito's resistance to Yurika's advances before, she probably can't compete with her.
"Hey Captain, stop throwing yourself at the guy! You heard what he said right?"
'Knight in Shining Armor.' causes her to blush faintly red, but it's ambiguous enough who she's talking to that Hikaru gets nothing more than darted by a surly look. "What's shining about him? His wok?" She mutters, annoyed at being called out but unable to do anything about it without giving herself away.
Akito however, replies, and Ryoko squints at him, 'didn't think... well... you... remembered...me?' And Ryoko's eyes briefly widen, before her arms unlace...
... for a while she just stands there, and it's hard to understand what she's thinking. Ruri wants to know why, the circumstances, details- suddenly she just doesn't care about that. Then she just walks up to him, and holds out her hand as if to help the Turtle up, but some may get the impression she's upset in just, her vibe?
"Sure. I'll give you a hand."
And once he's on his feet, her other arm reels back, and before she twists at the hips, pivoting to smack him square in the left cheek with her fist.
"You didn't think we'd remember you!?"
Do you really think so little of us? Do you really think so little of the time you spent WITH us?
She completely misunderstands, as she stands nearby, upset - perhaps some part of her hoping he'll hit back just so she can work this feeling out.
(Sorry Shinji, no matter where you go... there are perhaps some things you cannot escape in this genre.)
"Two years is long enough that you think we'd just be strangers?!"
<Pose Tracker> Yurika Misumaru has posed.
Yurika -definitely- overdid it - you can just about see the spirals in her eyes if she's tipped back upright, as though zero oxygen molecules are reaching her brain. There's lots of long, loud 'huaaaaahs' and 'haaaahs' as she recovers her breath from the Emergency Furniture Arrangement.
It's about the time Howmei and her girls cart out a big old hotpot setup for everyone with all the fixins that Yurika recovers - and Yurika helps herself to getting the pot going by staking a slice of beef into the pot, along with a little helping of noodles. "...Well. WELL. ...Anyone who wants some can have some! I thought, yknow...oh heck, I THOUGHT that what would be nice for Akito was to have something to eat and not have to cook once he gets back, but then, maybe that's actually invalidating what you want?! -Ruri does ask the important question, why're you coming back around now, no really? ...Did something happen...?"
Yurika looks around to the rest of the gathered crew to see how they're reacting, and...sees the decidedly unfamiliar visage of Kaworu and Shinji. "Eh? ...We're getting more crew too? Are these your friends, Akito? Uhm. Ah! I'm Yurika Misumaru V! Er, the V isn't part of my name! Welcome aboard, uh, you can help yourself to some of the food!"
<Pose Tracker> Maya Jintek has posed.
Maya giggled a bit at Akito falling over in surprise. It seemed like he had NOT expected this reception. But then, this is the Nadesico. You've gotta expect the unexpected. Even though he was shrieking and complaining like a... well, like a turtle on its back that had learned how to shriek and complain, she got the impression that he was happy. Hopefully. Why wouldn't you be when you've got so many friends?
/Wait, WERE they friends?/ She already knew that Yurika had been pining for the boy - that much was obvious. But Ryoko...? Maybe she was wrong, but Hikaru had been making her watch a lot of anime, and the half-Zentradi woman had never stopped listening to pop music. And there was the matter of Akito having left with another woman from the ship, who wasn't here now. She sidled over to Hikaru, who she hoped knew a little more, and nudged her slightly, trying to keep her voice a little lower. "Hey, I didn't get to know him before he left... is Akito actually a ladykiller?" Maya didn't get it looking at him, but she was suspicious!
<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.
For all of Lucine's Newtype abilities, singling out emotions from others is... not her best trait. What Akito may want to say, as well as whatever feelings she might percieve behind that push, are obscured in the loud but cozy noise of the entire crew being in one room with a singular focal point: Akito, of course.
'And of course I remember crying over Joe's death!'
"... Joe. That was... around the time I joined." She solemnly looks aside to Liam. "... He was a well-liked crewmember who--" Wait. No. Hikari joined close to when Lucine herself did, so naturally, she wouldn't have asked about him, but instead, about-- "..... wait, that was... Gekiganger..." Lucine smushes her face in her hands. ".... Oh nooo..." Is it despair over her mistake, or despair that she was able to remember a character from that series?
It may be both.
Lucine waves her hands as Ryoko smacks Akito. "H-he didn't mean it like that! He's anxious! ... And I'm not saying that because he's from Mars too!" ..... Minato is so much better at fielding these things. Ruri is great in her own way as well, but... there's a strange sense of 'hurt' from the younger girl. Akito really managed to make such an impression on people.
And then, Yurika notices Kaworu and Shinji. Aughghgh-- "Ah, that's... Kaworu Nagisa, from NERV, and Shinji, who's--" ... not from NERV, right now. "He's good friends with many people here." Looking between Shinji and Akito, and sensing the underlying current of 'ANXIETY' between them, Lucine says, "... Kaworu and Shinji have been great for---" --their piloting, she wants to say, but no, that's not it! ".... Ah, Shinji, this is Akito, and... you two... may... get along." Is she really that good a judge of character?
She now looks to Eight, helplessly.
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Amano has posed.
Hikaru was in agreement with Ryoko about one thing at least - she'd be happy if this new pilot was half the anime-elitist jerk Akatsuki carried himself as. Especially since he made it clear he was never 'one of them' in the first place, never their friend.
What's so shining about him, though? "That doesn't sound like the kind of question someone who always used to call for 'Teeeenkawa!' in the heat of battle needs to ask." She blinks. "I could really go for some of that, though." Are they all going to take turns making Akito COOK for them now that he's back?!
Hikaru shoots Lucine an /awkward/ look when she almost thinks Joe was a real person who died. "Oh yeah, don't worry... I was just talking about Gekiganger! Funny story, when I first came to the Nadesico, I had to crawl through the airducts because we were escaping an attack... then I heard the episode through the vents. And well, I just had to drop in uninvited~" Right on Akito's face, she's sure he remmebers.
"Still the most emotional episode of Gekiganger ever, right? Or wait, didn't you prefer the Aquamarine episode... ehh, we'll catch up." Even Hikaru understands that there are probably more important topics than anime right now. "It's fine, really! Two years isn't /that/ long... so we just missed having you around is all."
She whistles when Ryoko makes such a thing clear by outright decking him in the face. It's not very nice, Hikaru thinks, but she understands why Ryoko's emotions about him might be so heated. "I don't think it's like... he /wanted/ us to forget about him." Hikaru considers, but other than that, she thinks it's a feeling that she and Akito need to work out together. There's plenty of time for it now that he's back.
Maya's question gets Hikaru to burst into laughter, she just can't help it. "Hehehe, that guy? A ladykiller?" But between Yurika, Ryoko, and Megumi... there's a lot of girls hoping to shoot their shot with Akito. Hikaru isn't one of them, but... "I mean... I guess I can see the charm? I think a lot of girls are into the kind of guy who can cook a good meal~"
Ruri asks why he came back with a hint of worry in her voice, and Hikaru decides to follow up on that. "Yeah, I was wondering the same thing... you never liked piloting, did you? I'd get it if you decided to become our cook again, but are you really gonna fight again?"
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
Akito is the center of attention, but Liam hasn't missed the two familiar faces that disembarked with him. His smile brightens a little, and he raises a hand to give the both of them a demure wave. Yurika has a good heart, but frankly, this sudden flurry of last-minute welcome-back party preparations is making Liam anxious. Kaworu's perpetual calm is a welcome counterweight.
Especially given the energy in the air right now. Liam flinches as Ryoko socks Akito, who already seems overwhelmed. Lucine, too. Liam curls an arm around her waist in a hug.
"Would you like to sit down?" he says, to Akito, reaching out with the other hand to pull out a folding chair. "You've come a long way." And you look overstimulated. And the reaction to the party popper speaks of the same horrid trauma response Liam has had to deal with. "Do you want a glass of water? What about you, Lucine?"
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
Shinji breaks into a relieved smile at the sight of Eight. Anita's here too--he spots her an instant later, and it's nice to see her too, and when Liam spots them and waves, Shinji gives him an equally demure wave back--but Eight's the one he's closer to by far. "Ms. Eight, hi," he murmurs, stepping out from behind Kaworu a little. (There's still a big crowd in here, but they're all focused on Akito for obvious reasons.)
"It's good to see you again, Eight," Kaworu adds pleasantly. He'll be going back on that shuttle when it leaves, but that won't be for a while yet. He turns that smile to Liam next, nodding amiably in greeting to him.
"What a coincidence we came in on the same shuttle as a returning crewmate," Shinji adds, peering back over at Akito. He winces in sympathy to see him fall over thanks to Maya's party popper. There's a lot of people here to help him up, so he doesn't try to rush in, but he does tense up when he sees him looking his way, not realizing it's actually at Eight. It turns into a whole-hearted grimace when that green-haired girl Asukas her way into Akito's face and DECKS him after helping him up. He REALLY feels for Akito now...
"Who's Joe?" he whispers to Eight. It's awful if a friend of theirs died, but the way Hikaru and Akito talk about it, it doesn't actually sound that heavy, somehow...? Except then Lucine does talk about it like it's that heavy? Is he just totally misreading this? ...oh, wait, it's an anime. Shinji sure is glad he kept his mouth shut OH WAIT.
Kaworu meanwhile watches Akito and Ruri as the latter asks the former what changed. She seems quite wholly focused on him, so this must be very serious indeed. When Yurika addresses them, he smiles at her. "No, we're just here to visit," he tells her. "Shinji-kun here is a member of the Ra Mari II's crew, and I came along to keep him company." He nods affably to Lucine, who adds her own explanations and introductions.
"Oh--hi," Shinji says, bowing quickly to Yurika. He's not good friends with THAT many people here (or so he thinks), but he doesn't correct Lucine. Lucine takes that opportunity to introduce him to Akito too. "Uh... hi." Awkward pause. What do you say to a guy who just got punched in the face?? Before he can take in what Hikaru says about how Akito never liked piloting, he blurts out, "I like your wok?"
Shinji immediately dies a little inside.
<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.
"Shinji," Eight says warmly. "Kaworu. It's nice to see you both." A pause. Eight looks at the group assembling, and then at Akito as he looks to her for help. But right about the time that Ryoko helps him...
Eight turns away instead of helping. This is Nadesico business, and she's not going to get into their interpersonal stuff right now. Ryoko would probably run from her again anyway.
"Shinji," she suggests. "Why don't you come with me for a bit? I'd like an escort across the way."
A beat, "I won't keep you from Kaworu too long."
She has a feeling the Admiral is needed elsewhere.... As they go she says, "I think Joe's an anime character. But I'm not /entirely/ sure. I read a synposis of 'Gekiganger' recently but I didn't really get it..."
<Pose Tracker> Akito Tenkawa has posed.
Akito looks over at Ruri. "I mean trying to survive out there." At first, he's going to respond to the ship missing him, seeing between the lines, but it's last question that makes Akito frown. "Well...I'll talk to you about that later. It's complicated." He looks rather ridiculous in his current predicament. Not the place for a cool return talk. It would be kinda absurd to bring up the experiments while stuck on the floor like this.
Still hes trying to take off his backpack so he can stand again but Ryoko offers him a hand. "Oh thanks so---OMPH!" Akito takes the slap and falls back down, bouncing on the floor with a crash before he's back to being a turtle. He is in shock for a moment. In his mind, the cast of Gekiganger tells him to yell that she's wrong. Tell her she's wrong about this, Akito. He just lays there, looking at the ceiling. Maybe you can't go home. "It isn't..."
For the moment it is.
Akito looks over at Yurika from his place on the floor. "You didn't need to! I--It's complicated!" He wants to let out all his insecurities but he isn't sure the hanger is the best place for that. Not very manly either. He tries to think of what Gai would do in this situation. Probably not wear an oversized backpack. Yeah, that would be step one.
Akito freezes when he hears someone explain his feelings as if they were reading his mind. He struggles, wiggling on the floor as he tries to get back up, pointing at Lucine. "Yes! That! That is what it is! I'm not going to understand how you did that but yes!" He is still on the floor however. It is about now he first notices Kaworu and Shinji. New people and someone he'd get along with? That was cryptic.
He turns his head to look at Hikaru, gritting his teeth. "I--It's complicated!" Should he just tell them? Akito struggles again, sighing as he gives up.
He hears Liam's offer of a chair and some water. "Yes, please." He finally manages to sit up, taking a deep sigh.
"Thanks. It's a nice wok." Akito says to Shinji, freezing slightly. Why did he say that? So freaking ridiculous.
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
"Ah --" Ruri starts, when Ryoko /helps./ Lucine -- and Eight -- will likely feel how startled she /is,/ even though her eyes just widen a little and her hand just lifts a little. It must sting even more, she thinks, with Maya giggling at him right before the blow. (Hikaru... seems to be handling it better, at least.) "It's okay, Ryoko-san," she tries, a moment later. Is she joining in on Liam's peace-keeping?! "... he's just being a fool."
Scathing.
"That's Kaworu-san, Captain," Ruri pipes up, then, turning to the matter of Ruri not recognising the fey boy. "He's a friend of Omoikane and I. And that's Shinji-san. He's with the Ra Mari II." She pauses. "I don't know how to assess a wok. Is it good because it's just a little concave?" She's /trying./
<Pose Tracker> Ryoko Subaru has posed.
'I don't think it's like... he /wanted/ us to forget about him.'
Hikaru comments, and Ryoko already with her mouth ahead of her own thought, asks, "What do you mean by that Hikaru? We all heard what he said!"
'... is Akito actually a ladykiller?'
Pay no attention to the tiny flush over Ryoko's nose as she barely catches that whisper, giving Hikaru a sideways look on 'You better not answer that' but she knows she's doomed.
Lucine however tries to get in the middle of it, and Ryoko gives her a suspicious look at the idea it's not just Martian solidarity, and for a moment she's about to reject that idea, but then Akito outright confirms it!?
Ryoko's brain needs a second to reassess this and-! Nope! Still mad!
"So what!? What reason do you even have to feel anxious!?"
As if she weren't anxious herself, and as if Akito weren't you know immediately accosted by a violent young woman who immediately punched him for saying the wrong thing.
You know, things you tend to feel justifiably anxious about.
She glowers at him for a long moment, then Ruri notes 'It's okay Ryoko-san, he's just being a fool.' As Ryoko then confirms, as if in approval, "... Couldn't have said it better than myself, Ruri." Before she glares at Akito, as if in she's finally done processing his excuse and is ready to pass judgment, "Fine, if the thought of seeing us again upsets you so much, then don't worry - I'll make life much easier for you."
As she then turns, and flounces off, pushing past everyone as she makes her way towards the other side of the hangar.
~Later~
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Ryoko's thoughts have now caught up to her mouth, as she keeps lightly smacking her forehead against her bunk's wall, not enough to actually hurt, but enough to make it clear...
"Why am I like this?"
That she thinks the biggest fool in the room was in fact, herself.
<Pose Tracker> Yurika Misumaru has posed.
"Well, friends of Omoikane and of Captain Orlodhari are friends of mine!" Yurika assures Kaworu and Shinji alike. "Though, for what it's worth, Akito -is- someone who can tend to isolate himself a little more than is healthy, so it's not like it's a BAD thing if he befriends you two!"
Akito's insistence that the situation is complicated just makes Yurika pout, clapping her hands on the table. "Mou, mou - it can't be THAT complicated. ...Really, Akito, you should...tell us about what you've been through! What you've seen and done? Is there something we can do for...you?"
Ryoko's sudden outburst elicits a headtilt from Yurika, and the moment she starts storming off, the captain reaches out, with a breathy, "Wait, Ryokooooo, now -you're- making it complicated too?! Why can't people just sit down and catch up on their lives, aaaaaugh-! Hikaru, do you have any idea what's got her in such a bind? Should I go after her!?"
Pushing her fingers together, Yurika can only sigh, retrieving a helping from her pot and slurping it up. "Aaaah...Liam, Lucine, you two are always a refreshingly stabilizing presence. I know I'm maybe a bit too worked up for welcoming Akito back, but I'm so glad you're here...mmm, maybe there were more unresolved feelings than I thought there were after he headed off..." The captain's leaning forward over the table, chin upon folded forearms, pressure faintly pushing up her cheeks.
"...So uh...is Megumi alright, Akito...?" Just get that elephant in the room out of the way.
<Pose Tracker> Maya Jintek has posed.
/Through the vents?/ Maya doesn't think she's heard Hikaru tell that story of how she arrived on the ship before, but that's certainly dramatic. She'd joined in a much more normal way, although you probably don't always go shopping with the Captain on your first day, either. Lucine seems to be pretty insightful, if a little scatterbrained. That's definitely not a mistake Maya would want to make. She didn't /quite/ get her suspicions confirmed or denied about Akito; it seemed more complicated than just that. "Cooking's definitely a positive, that's for sure." Hopefully it wasn't going to be some sort of weird harem comedy. They were all adults here!
It did look like they were starting to overwhelm him a bit, though, with his constant assertions of things being complicated. Maya didn't want to overwhelm him, even if she felt like she wasn't the one doing the overwhelming. Party popper notwithstanding. It must be something to come back here after a few years and be greeted in this manner. And Ryoko storming off like that too... maybe this IS a harem comedy. Although they're generally less funny in real life.
"Hopefully we're not all being too much. We didn't really get to meet before you left, but I'm Maya Jintek. Pleasure to meet you." The engineer-slash-pilot's pointed ears poked out through her red hair. "I'm... sure Ryoko will calm down in a bit. Hot one minute, cold the next, right? Ummmm... did you maybe want to show off your wok skills? I've got prawn chips!" She didn't, but she was trying to defuse the situation, and How Mei surely had some stashed away, right? /Smooth./
<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.
Lucine's still got her hands on her face; what parts of her face peek through are a blazing red of embarrassment. Oh god oh god oh god she mixed up the name of a well-loved crew member with the name of _an anime character_ Hikaru is being so nice, trying to break it to her quietly oh god she wants to go someplace to politely die
'Yeah, I was wondering the same thing... you never liked piloting, did you? I'd get it if you decided to become our cook again, but are you really gonna fight again?'
This question manages to make Lucine unturtle herself, moments before Liam sneaks an arm around her waist in a hug. ".... I thought that was because of his PTSD..." she murmurs quietly, to Liam. ".... I didn't think he hated fighting itself..." Two feelings placed in the same emotion have gotten past Lucine before; her ability to decipher minds is as good as her ability to guess.
Or... is it? She considers that as her eyes look towards the now very embarrassed Shinji.
Liam offers Akito some water, and extends the offer to her too. "... That'd be good," she says, her voice squeaking momentairely.
..... Where did Ryoko go
Yurika mentions her and Liam being refreshingly stabilizing presences. Lucine leans over, eyes wide with worry, as she whispers, ".... y-you get that was an honest mistake, right, Captain...? I know his real name! It's.... wait... that's the name of the GGG leader..." Maya may have it in one.
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
It must be complicated, given how many times Akito has to repeat it. Shinji continues to feel for him, even when he responds to his ridiculous compliment. He rubs the back of his neck in embarrassment, but despite everything, Akito seems like a nice enough guy. Maybe that's why Lucine thought they'd get along. The self-isolation stuff sure sounds familiar at least, assuming Yurika's description is accurate. At least Liam's on top of the stuff that matters... even if Ruri decrees Akito a fool.
It tracks, though. Going back to a place you left because you hate fighting? That would definitely be the height of foolishness. ...and yet, Shinji feels like he probably understands.
He double-takes at Eight when she seems to shrug off the punching, though, and asks him for an escort. "O-oh--sure? Um--" Color rises in his cheeks for some reason, but he exchanges a nod with Kaworu, gives another farewell bow to Yurika and Akito, briefly meets Lucine's look, and then hurries along after Eight. "Gekiganger? I've heard of that show. It's pretty old, though, so I've never seen it..."
That'll be the last the assembled crew hears from Shinji before he and Eight go for a walk. With Ryoko flouncing too, leaving and letting the tension cool off seems like the move.
Kaworu watches them go. Then he looks back at the others. Ruri gives Yurika further context to why he would be here, and he gives them both a smile, eyes squinting briefly shut. "Friends are good to have. Shinji-kun is a little shy too, but one couldn't ask for a better friend."
Maybe when things have calmed down, Shinji and Akito will get a chance to properly speak and befriend each other, too.
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Amano has posed.
Hikaru can tell Lucine's embarrassed, but she's not really sure why. She never got to know Gai, but anyone who DID know him would know that being mistaken Joe Umitsubame from Gekiganger would be his greatest honour.
'It's complicated!', Akito keeps on insisting. "Yeah, I bet it was! It's been pretty complicated for us, too, though... so if you're gonna stick around, you should definitely be ready for it." Being smothered by Yurika and then subsequently punched in the face by Ryoko probably suffices as a sample taste of what's to come, though.
As for what she meant to Ryoko, Hikaru just shrugs. Ruri calls him a fool, but... "I dunno... I mean, if he wanted nothing to do with us, it's not like he HAD to come back to the Nadesico. Nergal's a big company, and we're not even their biggest ship anymore... just their most famous one. He'd be just fine somewhere else, but he chose us to come back to. That's gotta count for something, right?" She frowns, still, because Ryoko is still upset with him. Enough to storm right off.
When Yurika asks if she has any insight, and whether they should go after her, Hikaru hesitates. "I think Ryoko really likes Akito. But she's also way more similar to him than she thinks. I kind of want to go after her... but I don't want to force her to come back either. Maybe she just needs some space after seeing him?" Is it as simple as that? Ryoko's really been struggling lately, and Hikaru doesn't want her to isolate herself like Akito did.
"Hey, that's a good idea!" Hikaru chimes to Maya's suggestion. "What's a welcome back party without some tasty snacks?" ...Well, for one, you usually don't make the person being welcomed back do the cooking. "...Maybe that'll get Ryoko to come back, too."
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
Liam glances between Lucine and Akito at the mention of 'his PTSD'. The big man's face sets itself in as gentle a smile as he can manage while Akito endures the social equivalent of being slowly lowered into a pit of very angry fire ants. He has to stop this. It's getting out of hand. Liam glances at Eight for a moment, trying to steady himself, but his brain can't /quite/ boil down the communication strategies he and Lucine have been implementing into something he can tell Ryoko aaaaand there she goes.
"Asuka would've screamed more," Liam mutters, Shinji-wards, as he rubs at his temple.
Shinji has the luxury of escape. Liam has to stay and tend to the wounded.
Liam slides out another chair. Water. Where's the water? He starts to sort through the contents of Houmei's cart, before finding a cooler of water bottles on the second shelf. "I think there were a lot of unresolved feelings, Captain," says Liam. He presses a water bottle into Akito's hand, before doing the same for Lucine.
"Gai is... a popular name," Liam concludes. "Jun and Tetsuya named their son Gai." After Guy Shishioh, but still!
<Pose Tracker> Akito Tenkawa has posed.
Akito hears that he's a fool, wincing from his spot on the floor. Somethings change...others are exactly the same.
He can't do more than just stare at Ryoko as she passes judgement on him. "I--" He grits his teeth, about to let her have it but she is gone by the time he gets even the thought of having the nerve to fight back. With nothing else, Akito just looks over at Yurika, feeling the heat from having everyone dogpile him start to reach a tipping point. "It is complicated! It's really complicated! How do I even explain that they threatened to do experiments on people here?! How do I explain that I hated the world out there. That all I did was work in terrible restaurants. And I had to get up and face it?! How do I say I just wanted to be back here but I assumed I wasn't good enough for here?! That everyone probably moved on and I couldn't! Eh?! See COMPLICATED!" Akito is breathing heavily, not really registering what he just said. However, he hears the last question. "Megumi?...That...She left because I was miserable. I don't know what happened to her." He states this flatly, slightly ashamed.
He blinks as it just hits him and he turns red. "Uh...I don't think now is the time for Wok skills. I think I just made a terrible mistake..." He looks over at Maya with a look of someone who just did something really embarassing.
Akito robotically takes the water from Liam and start to drink it. What the hell is he doing?
"I'll fight, ok. I'm not running away anymore...I'm back."
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
Ruri is quiet, on the matter of Gai. She remembers him. It's just... a little sad. "So I guess it's hard for the Nadesico to forget," she says, softly, to herself.
It's probably too much, just as Maya says. But instead of making it /less/ too much --
"I know that," Ruri says, quite simply, on the topic of Nergal's experiments. "I was raised in a lab, too, Akito-san. Ever since I could remember. Well," she adds, with all the insight she has into the situation, "Nergal-san bought me from the people who raised me, but people who are willing to do that would probably do it themselves too."
She looks to Lucine, and says: "Nergal-san are pretty shady. Don't you think?" Why is she asking /Lucine?!/ Well...
... it's hard to hide things from the girl who handles the Nadesico's data.
<Pose Tracker> Yurika Misumaru has posed.
"...It doesn't sound THAT complicated, Akito." Yurika muses, slurping on a few noodles. "...We went our separate ways, it wasn't the relief you hoped it'd be, so you're back," Yurika surmises. "Given that Megumi sounds like she's off on her own too, must've been tough times. ...They've been for everyone. I wish I could say it's been easier on the Nadesico!"
Setting down her bowl, Yurika looks Akito a little more seriously in the eyes, her own wide open. "...The difference is that we really do have the responsibility to do something about that. ...I'm glad to see you back, but I do want to be sure, Akito-"
"...You're not only here because you're running away from what you ran away to, right? If you're here of your own will, it's because you actually have some sort of faith in what the Nadesico does, since for so long you were just kind of wrapped up in our mess, right? That's what I thought when you left, that nobody had ever really asked you what you really wanted...but I guess I'm asking now!"
Hikaru's very simple appraisal of Ryoko's running away does make Yurika blush. "Eh? Ryoko? Wait, -Ryoko- had something like that for him? I had no idea! I had more competition than I thought!?" ...that whole idea of a battle over Akito's heart suddenly makes Yurika a little more thoughtful - gazing down at herself and murmuring, "...well I guess I have feelings to sort out too, given I sort of had to say I ought to move on over the years, huh...? ...Now what...? ...Ahaha, well, if you -do- feel lonely, Akito, it's not like I've had guys courting me for marriage or anything, just so you know!"
...Why does her saying that seem so much more awkward than the lovey dovey excess she once billowed out?
<Pose Tracker> Maya Jintek has posed.
Would prawn chips attract Ryoko back? She wasn't exactly a dog begging for treats... was she? Maya figured that she'd come back when she was ready and didn't want to force her to. As she said, she'd burn herself out fast... although she didn't exactly know how her relationship with Akito was exactly. Maybe she wouldn't? Hopefully she would. She liked Ryoko, and didn't like to see her hurting or anything.
It definitely sounded like Akito had been through his own share of suffering. And what was that? Experiments? Maybe now wasn't the time to joke about woks.
Wait. /RURI/ had been raised in a lab? Maya blinked. /BOUGHT/ from her family? It... would explain way too many things. She turned back and forth between the two of them, wondering how to react to such news. "Eh?" She said intelligently at the news, before saying something a little bit smarter. "Are... you both OK?" Was this the real face of the company that she'd been so proud of working for? "If... you need anything, I'll be there for you!" She wasn't sure if that'd mean much to a man she'd barely met before or the quiet young lady, but if even listening could help, she'd do it!
<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.
'How do I even explain that they threatened to do experiments on people here?'
'Nergal-san are pretty shady. Don't you think?'
"....." Lucine's eyes widen, as Ruri looks towards her, and asks that question.
And naturally, due to the power of the Nadesico... she gets the wrong idea.
.... Which means she panicks. "That got out?! The Psychommu tech was just.... Nergal may have meant badly by it, but, I was the one who was looking for it. It's been handled, due... to some friends, but--" Wait, why is she trying to defend Nergal, she wonders? Especially when there's something so much bigger. "--But that's besides the point! The bigger point is they were covering up the truth about the Jovians, Akito! The Jovians, they were human, this entire time! Nergal, and probably a lot of people, long dead, kept it a secret from us for nearly a century. They're from Earth! Well.... the moon. The... Lunar Independence War, I think. They fled to Mars, but got kicked out of there too, with nuclear weapons, because they might tell someone about what happened, and--" Why is she making the Jovians seem like the victims?! "They went to Jupiter, and now, they're having their revenge!"
The volume of her voice, as well as the way her demeanor shifts, is significant, going from the awkward but well-meaning gardener to...
.... someone very, very angry.
And then, there's the feel of that water bottle in her hand, and Liam's presence. With a blink, it passes, and Lucine steps back from Akito, looking embarrassed, as well as a little sad. "...... sorry... ah, that's... way too much to have thrown at you."
Yurila comes in the better take, and Lucine is once again reminded of why she is glad Yurika's her captain. "....."
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Amano has posed.
Akito says a whole lot all at once, including about human experimentation?! Which Ruri flatly confirms, is true. "I don't want to say all that stuff isn't true just because we don't see it... and I hate how Ruri was treated," Hikaru considers.
"And Nergal /is/ pretty shady. But we're not just Nergal, right? We're the Nadesico! And... we won't let each other suffer like that." She concludes, firmly. "So... if you're serious about fighting, welcome back, Akito!" She upgraded from last to first name basis in the span of like, one conversation, dind't she?
"Well... I think it's complicated, but we've been using that word a whole lot today," Hikaru answers Yurika, about Ryoko's alleged crush on Akito. "But why else would someone storm out like that if they didn't feel like their heart was broken?" She wonders. "Anyway, you better not tell her I said all that, 'kay?" Somehow... she feels like Ryoko would know anyways.
/Lucine/ says a whole lot too, and Hikaru knows for a fact it's all true. She looks down, though, still in a little bit of disbelief about it all. "That's... ah, what I meant when I said it was complicated for us, too. But it's true." She looks to Akito. "I don't know if you remember those two Gekiganger fangirls we were always fighting from ZAFT... but turns out they were actually Jovians all along. Your guess is good as mine why the Jovians are so obsessed with Gekiganger too!" She beams, but that fades when she says the last part of the story. "But they were the ones who really made Junius Seven fall. Even though people are blaming the PLANTs. Isn't that messed up?"
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
'How do I even explain that they threatened to do experiments on people here?!'
The frayed-yet-earnest smile falls off Liam's face. He turns to Akito. The harsh glare of the hangar lights gives his eyes an almost luminescent quality, like they really are glowing. His jaw tightens. He wants to set a hand on Akito's shoulder and tell him he can just... talk, and get it off his chest.
Ruri.
Liam's gaze darts to her, next, and his stomach drops at the matter-of-fact way she speaks. Like always. And Lucine...
Liam's hand clasps Lucine's shoulder, instead. "Did they name names?" he asks Akito, and in his eyes, Lucine can see a shade of the focus she saw when he came to save her from Knives. "Or was it vague?"
<Pose Tracker> Akito Tenkawa has posed.
Akito just opens his mouth when Ruri flatly mentions the experiments. It takes him a moment to get back his nerve. He just looks at the grey haired teenager and shakes his head. "Well I'm not ok with that! I'd rather it be me. So I came back, alright? I'm taking responsibility!"
Then Yurika kinda just sums it all up while eating. Akito is floored...on the floor no less. He opens his mouth several times to try to say -something.- "No. I came back because...I want to be here. I made a mistake by leaving....And what do you mean guys courting you? What does that--?" He raises a brow, finally removing the backpack and getting to his feet. He is kinda missing the point of that statement or why it sort of irks him. Instead he just dusts himself off and looks her in the eye. "I'm done running away, Yurika. I'm gonna make sure to protect everyone here."
And then the bombshell drops and Akito starts to looks a little pale. "Humans. Huh..." He takes a moment, nodding toward Lucine. "Alright. That...doesn't bother me." Akito is slightly lying. It was hard to accept just right away. This said, it didn't change that people were dying due to these people from Jupiter...even if they had a reason.
Hikaru even confirms it. "Wait...Gekiganger fangirls from Jupiter." He looks at his water, wondering if it was spiked or if he was dreaming.
"No. Just that it was me or them" Akito looks over at Liam, still trying to figure out what is real. "If I want to figure out what happened to my parents I need to fight. If I want to protect people here I need to fight."
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
There are a lot of revelation bombs happening all at once. Between Akito's explanation of what he'd been through while he was gone and why he had to come back, to Ruri casually explaining how she'd been bought from the lab that raised her, to Lucine passionately explaining the recent news about the Jovians, Shinji would be rapidly overwhelmed if he were still here.
Eight's timing is impeccable. Kaworu, the one who is still here, takes it all in stride without so much as batting an eyelash. Of course, some of it he already knew. All the same, he listens with the proper sobriety.
Even the parts about the Gekiganger fangirls from Jupiter.
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
"I wasn't damaged," Ruri assures(?) Maya, with the same stoic tone she's used this whole time. (Is that really true?) "If I wasn't raised in an intellectually stimulating environment, I wouldn't be able to operate the Nadesico like I do. You see, Omoikane and I were raised together for a long time. Long enough that I had to grow up." She says it, and her face doesn't shift from its usual mild expression. "You know, lying. I'm older than Omoikane, so it was my responsibility... or something like that."
Just like it's Akito's responsibility to take this on, now?
"I guess it's easy to think that way in that kind of situation... or maybe we're all fools."
She smiles -- lightly, and briefly -- and tilts her head. "If you want to be here... that's good. It was different without you, Akito-san. But I left our latest combat data half-parsed, so it's time to go. Let's work hard together."
Ruri bows her head, and turns to walk from the hangar.
She wouldn't say it, but it's overwhelming for her, too.
Is Megumi okay...?
<Pose Tracker> Yurika Misumaru has posed.
"Ah, ah, ah, Akito." Yurika raises a finger up, waggling it side to side. "Let's cut off talk of 'protect everyone here' stuff, okay? Y'know why? I feel like I figured at least -this- much since we parted ways, but-"
"Between the two of us, it's really me who's suited to that kind of responsibility, isn't it? You're part of the effort, like everyone else here - and it's my job to make sure the crew of the Nadesico can see it through to the end. So, Akito, part of my conditions are simple!"
A bright, resolute grin crosses Yurika's face. "Let me be the one to protect you this time!"
...So many of those unresolved feelings untangle then and there all the sudden. ...That's right. That's what was eating Yurika up. It was backwards this whole time - having Akito out there believing in some duty to be the hero, having herself imagined as a princess in need of knights.
Turning the tables on it...it all feels so 'right' now.
"But for now, don't think too hard on it! Let's get your stuff moved in! Everyone -did- miss you, and I can tell listening to Ruri-ruri that she missed you most of all! And besides, like Hikaru said..."
"Apparently being a Gekiganger understander is strategically important now, so your wisdom and counsel couldn't have come at a better time, Akito!~"
<Pose Tracker> Maya Jintek has posed.
That's... true. Hikaru's words about the Nadesico being the Nadesico. That made a difference, right? "We're all in this together, regardless of circumstances!" While Ruri reassured her that she was 'undamaged', Maya got the feeling that the fact that she said it like that indicated that the damage was already done. "I'm glad you and Omoikane have each other at least." She says as Ruri leaves, sad that the girl didn't get to have a proper childhood.
It was good to see Yurika in high spirits, though - possibly the highest of spirits she's ever been, and she was always spirited! Akito and Yurika, knights to each other. "We're all in this together..." She says again, a bit more quietly, but perhaps more emotional, as Maya resolves to always try and do right by her crew, by humanity, and of course, by herself.
<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.
Lucine feels a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, Lucine sees the sharp flint of Liam's bright blue eyes intensify.
Ah. This would... be personal for Liam, wouldn't it?
Just like how he always kept asking her how the scenerio of the whole 'Psychommu' offbrand unit ended up, and if anything else was going to happen.
He doesn't want her to be a lab experiment, like he was.
But how could she really stop that, if she was able to fall into that trap before.
Gekiganger fangirls from Jupiter, says Hikaru.
Gekiganger fangirls.... from Jupiter.
Wait.
Wait, says Akito.
".... Wait," Lucine parrots, after Akito. Lucine's head tilts, owl-like. "...... Gekiganger's... that old...?"
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Amano has posed.
"That part's true, too. Trust me!" Hikaru clarifies, for Akito, when it comes to Gekiganger fangirls from Jupiter. It might go a little beyond that, if anything... considering one of them claimed to be the living embodiment of Miss Nanako.
Yurika's resolve is also really nice to see, after helping her through it so much... "I think Yurika's right!" Hikaru agrees. "As pilots, we have to do our best out there all the time... but I think we'd be pretty lost without the Captain. So it doesn't hurt to lean on her from time to time," She gives a knowing smile. "Especially since she REALLY wants to be there for you in particular."
"I'm kinda glad, to not be the only one anymore, hehe..." Hikaru says, of Gekiganger experts. Case in point, Lucine's question. "The animation is surprisingly good for a Middle Ages show but it really is one! They probably brought it with them or something, but it's weird we have that in common." She blinks. "I guess this probably calls for a rewatch once you're all situated, huh?"
Hikaru hopes Megumi comes back too, but for now, she can only wonder if /Ruri/ is okay, no matter how frankly she speaks of being engineered to control the Nadesico. It just makes her agree more with Maya's sentiment. "Yep, in this together. So no more acting like strangers, all right?"
<Pose Tracker> Akito Tenkawa has posed.
Akito watches Ruri go, nodding. He does understand something is up with her. He is at least that perceptive. "Seeya later, Ruri."
However, Yurika's words bring a blush to his face. Protect him? Why was that so comforting? He just smiles. "Sure thing, Captain."
Akito looks to where Ruri left. She missed him the most of all? Even he had trouble reading that but it seemed true considering the treatment he got earlier. He sighs before nodding. "I'll talk to her after I settle in. Her and Ryoko." He touches his face where he was hit, wincing slightly.
Akito nods to Maya. "Yeah we're in this together. Wouldn't have it any other way." In truth he's happy to be back as a part of this crazy team. Certainly beat bowing down to bratty Britannian children.
"Gekiganger is about a 100 years old." Akito says without missing a beat. "It's an amazing work of art."
"I never thought of it like that...I guess I needed to come back all the more." He replies to Hikaru, feeling kinda glad to be back.
Akito does worry about Megumi. It wasn't like they abandoned each other...It just...Akito sighs to himself, wondering if the next shuttle will have her on it.
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
Liam pulls his hand away from Lucine's shoulder, and retrieves a water bottle and chair for himself. He's terrified. He's haggard. This is likely /not/ news to Lucine. But...
He has to trust in these people. He's trusted in them before: Yurika, Ruri, Hikaru and Ryoko. Why is now any different?
Liam takes a seat. Maybe what Akito needs right now is to have someone listen to him talk about his favorite show. Liam can do that.