View source for 2023-04-16: Foolish Food and 'Friendship'

*'''Log:''' Foolish Food and 'Friendship'
*'''Cast:''' [[Character :: Ruri Hoshino]], [[Character :: Eight York]]
*'''Where:''' The Nadesico's cafeteria
*'''Date:''' 2023-04-16
*'''Summary''': ''Ruri and Eight take a moment over lunch to catch up, after Eight gets out of another meeting with Mr. Prospector to help keep the Three Ships Alliance afloat. Ruri criticises Eight's culinary choices and invites her to a concert.''
----

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Phase 1, Turn 3]]


 <Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
<poem>

        Ruri inputs a report -- which does not, strictly speaking, involve ''typing'' -- as the Nadesico idles in formation. There are no threats nearby. If there were, she'd be the first to see them, here at her Operator's station on the bridge.

        "Eight's shuttle has come aboard!" Megumi Reinard, their communications officer, offers cheerfully. "Looks like the meeting will go forward at the right time after all!"

        Mr. Prospector pushes his glasses up his nose. "Of course, corporately speaking, I'd never malign Captain York for taking some time to orient herself."

        "Corporately speaking?" Minato Haruka pouts, leaning back to look up at him. "Isn't that just code for pregnant women struggling with the ladder even in this day and age?"

        "Ahem," Mr. Prospector clears his throat.

        ~*~*~

        Anyway, the adults get their business settled, and Ruri finishes her reports, too. A communication window finds Eight -- Omoikane is very good at finding people inside himself! -- to invite her to come get lunch at the cafeteria, since Ruri has a break scheduled. She's a ''real'' employee, so she has mandated lunches.

        Well, she's more or less a real employee, anyway.

        It's not like Ruri really needs a salary right ''now,'' being thirteen, and all. (Almost fourteen! July's only a stone's throw away!)

        She has to make her way to the cafeteria herself, of course. And so, when she walks in, she beholds --


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
<poem>

Eight York has lots of important business to take care of, naturally.  Despite the 'corporate speak'.  But once that's handled, she finds herself ravenously hungry, so she's more than happy to accept that invitation with Ruri.  Even if she weren't hungry it'd be nice to see Ruri, of course, but....

The Nadesico's cafeteria is something special, too.

~*~*~

Ruri beholds a very full tray.  There is tea!  Tea is the most normal thing present, even with the (real) honey in it thanks to the Nadesico.  The actual entree involves an unholy sandwich inlaid with cheese, pickle, banana, and... some kind of meat.  It's probably a normal meat because it's the Nadesico, but one never knows for sure.  In fact there's... actually rather a lot of meat, since she also has a side of bacon and a couple of sausages, on top of a few pancakes because breakfast can be for all times of day if you believe in yourself.

Eight is just sitting down with it when Ruri arrives.  "Ruri!" she says with a smile.


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
<poem>

        Ms. Howmei leans out from the ''kitchen'' area of the cafeteria to call out, cheerfully: "Hey, Lucky! Your stuffed sweet potatoes will be ready soon!" She hasn't forgotten Eight's name; it just happens to also be the luckiest number, according to the DHZ. She doesn't say what they're stuffed ''with,'' because Eight surely knows. "And Ruri-chan, it's on the counter!"

        Ruri ''doesn't'' know what those potatos are stuffed with, though, and she finds herself staring at the massive tray of food in front of her. Blink, blink. "Eight-san," she says, borrowing from her Japanese to give her that traditional bit of distance, "are you hungry?"

        Obviously yes.

        She hurries off to the counter to fetch a tray of her own, with a can of orange juice, a muffin, and sliced chicken sandwiches. "Thank you," she says -- calls out, really, since Ms. Howmei is currently invested in what she's cooking. (She always makes sure to give her all to her meals; you never know when the soldiers you're feeding will have their last ones.) Picking it up, she heads over to the table Eight is sitting at, and slides her own tray into an empty spot.

        "I don't really get mixing all those foods..." Ruri confesses, with a little wrinkle of her nose.


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
<poem>

"Thank you!" Eight replies cheerfully to Ms. Howmei, and she doesn't mind being 'Lucky'.  After all, she feels pretty lucky at the moment.  For a variety of reasons!  She... does not share what they're stuffed with, no.  Perhaps it's better not to question it.

Eight-san, Ruri says, and Eight looks toward her friend with a serious nod.  "Very," she answers.

But Ruri heads off to get her stuff, and Eight waits for her, despite her obvious hunger, because that's just what you do when you're planning to eat with a friend.  So she waits!  And then she looks across at Ruri.  She appreciates Howmei's approach, frankly.  ...And just her cooking in general.

"Well," Eight says of mixing them, "The sour of the pickle and the sweet of the banana really come together," she explains.  "And then the meat is..."  Pause.  "I just really want meat lately," she admits.  "I see meat in my dreams."

She stares into space for a moment, and then brightens, before sipping her tea in preparation to EAT.

"But I admit it's probably weird.  I want it anyway, though.  Apparently little half-Zentradi have weird tastes!"

Smile.  "How are you, Ruri?"



</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
<poem>

        Ruri tilts her head, fixing Eight with a quizzical expression. "Fool," she settles on, reflecting on the qualities of Eight's dreams.

        There might have been a fish, in Ruri's dreams, but who can really be sure what that splashing is?

        It wasn't on a ''plate,'' anyway.

        She's just as weirded out by mixing ''pickles'' and ''bananas,'' but -- "I looked it up," Ruri says, "and this is something you'll be dealing with in the second trimester a lot. They say it's because your hormones are changing, or because you need more calcium and stuff..." Of ''course'' Ruri read the encyclopedia to try and figure out Eight's Exciting New Condition. Of course she did that.

        Why would she ask Eight what's happening when she can just read about it?! Come ''on.''

        She takes a bite out of her sandwich, and it would be ''nice'' to say that's giving Eight permission to eat, but actually, she's just hungry too. "I'm okay," she says, with her usual mildness. There's no layer of tension underneath her stoic expression which would suggest she's doing too badly, though. As it happens, it ''is'' possible to read Ruri's face, with enough practice and care. "There are a lot of reports to catch up on, but it's mostly boring stuff right now. Omoikane and I are trying to optimise our fuel usage data since Mr. Uribatake was asking about it earlier." The head ''engineer,'' that is. Ruri's a ''computer'' engineer, which is entirely different.

        "What about you, Eight-san?" Ruri asks, and looks over to the mountain of snacks. "... aside from being hungry."


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
<poem>

Fool!  That's Ruri all right.  Eight laughs a little, and doesn't really seem too troubled.

She should have fish next...

Maybe pickled banana, next.  That could be good.  "Oh, so?" Eight inquires, and tilts her head thoughtfully.  "That makes sense with what I've read, too.  But I hear there's a lot of data that isn't known because Zentradi''human hybrid pregnancies haven't been studied in enough detail yet..."

Of course Ruri did that.  But Eight also did the research, which may or may not be a surprise.

Eight starts eating her own sandwich at that point though, chomping with relish into the... somehow creamy combination.  It's delicious, apparently.  Eight keeps listening though, and watching.

Omoikane... "I see," Eight says once she sets her sandwich down.  "Fuel economy is important. That came up with Mr. Prospector, too.  I suppose going rogue invites such concerns."

Very different!

"I'm..."  Eight considers.  "Well, lately of course i've been very busy.  It's not the first time I've gotten away from the ship this month, but I don't get a lot of time lately to relax like this; I'm working or resting, mostly.  But I'm starting to get more energy again.  I was pretty fatigued for a while there."

She pauses.  "...But overall, I feel... Well.  I can say it here, since we're not on my ship; I'm still concerned with the situation with the Sleeves.  I don't think Palau is going to result in a great deal of cohesion among their forces and ours after all, despite the success..."



</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
<poem>

        "That's why you should be careful," Ruri insists. "Especially since you're a human. Since Zentradi were cloned for war for a long time, their bodies are a lot stronger than a human's. So it's important to take care of yourself." Translation: Ruri's worried about her! Aww!

        No, she can't express that any other way than being critical.

        "Our safe harbour ratio has gone down by 56.4%," Ruri reports, on the matter of fuel economy, entirely too matter-of-fact. She doesn't dwell on that, though. They both know!

        That's probably ''why'' Eight is so busy, Ruri supposes. She nibbles her chicken sandwich, as she listens to Eight's woes. "Stress is bad for babies," Ruri says. "I read that, too. You shouldn't push yourself so hard that you're always tired. If the Captain can be this irresponsible, there's no way you can't delegate, too."

        She sighs, reaching over to crack open her can of orange juice and take a big gulp. "I don't think they're all bad... but since Full Frontal believes he's following in Char's footsteps, it's obviously going to go bad now those footsteps are going straight into Oath Over Omega." Siiip. Ruri frowns. "... is Callisto-san okay?" She asks, looking over to Eight. "I guess things are even more complicated, for her."


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
<poem>

"Hm."  Careful... Eight is of course being careful, but when Ruri puts it this way it makes her think that there might be other ways she should be being careful, too.  "Thanks," she says, "For your concern.  I'll do my best, all right?"  She sys the quiet part out loud! Oh no!

But they both know, so, "...True," Eight admits of stress being bad.  "I'm trying to delegate more.  I'm going to have to, eventually.  Even Londo Bell's guidelines suggest taking leave at five months, and I'm at three..."  Which means time is rapidly climbing along.  She appreciates Yurika's 'irresponsibility' of course, but, "I'm at least less tired than I was!  Some of it I think was just getting used to not having much caffeine.  Since I had to quit for the baby."

But Ruri sighs, and--"Yes.  I think a lot of them are good people, and even the ones I couldn't say that about are at least just trying to get by.  But their leadership... I don't see that going well."

She pauses, and frowns, looking down and shaking her head.  "...No," Eight says, "I don't think she is.  I'm hoping to talk to her some more myself, but she's definitely having a rough time.  We all need to try to do our best for her right now, I think."

"Minae's been trying to help, at least.  And with Arriety back, that's nice, too."


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
<poem>

        "All right," Ruri says, and looks a ''little'' embarrassed that Eight drags the quiet part out, but somehow she'll survive.

        "Is it hard to stop drinking coffee?" She asks, tilting her head. "I always thought it was a mature habit." Just wait until she gets a little older and starts thinking ''alcohol'' is mature. These are the horrors which keep Minato up at night! Probably.

        She frowns, though, thinking of Callisto. "I'm glad Arriety-san and Minae are with her," she says, and -- Minae gets a yobisute reference, much like Ruri speaks of Omoikane. It's a subtle nod to the difference in natures between the two. "And I guess she can come to the Nadesico whenever she really needs to get away from the Sleeves, too, but..." She trails off, glancing aside, and puts her can down. She picks up her muffin, instead. Nibble.

        "I wonder if some things are too bad for people to get along again?" She asks her muffin, looking down at it. "I guess we have to decide how that works, now we're on our own. Not that we ever listened to Federation-san much, even when we worked with them." Did they ever pick Admiral Munetake up, when they ditched him? Ruri thinks of it, idly, and doesn't bother spending any words thinking of him out loud.

        "But it hasn't been all bad," she says, looking back to Eight. "Ms. Nome and the others had their movie debut the other day, too. I watched it remotely, since I had work on the Nadesico to do, but I was happy everyone got special treatment for their hard work." A pause, and she adds: "I think Ranka-san deserved it most of all."


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
<poem>

"A little.  You get used to the energy boost, so when you stop you end up a little more tired than you would've been." A mature habit... "Hmm.  I suppose it is, in a way.  But that's mostly because you have to be an adult to stand the taste..."  Her lips quirk into another smile.  It doesn't last long, though, given the topic.

"Yes," Eight agrees. "I'm glad, too.  Minae's been a big help to me, too.  So has Arriety.  ...But I think it's a good idea to come here to get away, a little.  For them."  And for her, really.

For her, too, but...

"Maybe," Eight says.  "Some things... people just can't let go.  I thought there were more of those things for me, but I have to set aside my personal feelings and do what's best for the Alliance, so I can't refuse to work with people just because they're on a 'side' I opposed."

They didn't listen to the Federation too much... That's true, too.  "You're right.  We decide for ourselves what we can forgive, and hope that people can forgive us in turn."

Not all bad?  Eight smiles.  "That sounds great," Eight answers.  "I was busy so I didn't get a chance to see... but I think Chovan was in one of the flight scenes, too."  A minor role, but even so!

"...Ranka definitely deserves a lot of good things," Eight agrees. "She's great."


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
<poem>

        "Strange," is what Ruri decides, of all these mature habits.

        Minae and Arriety ''are'' a big help; Ruri nods along. She listens, too, as Eight talks about lines in the sand. "Putting aside your feelings... I wonder why that's how adults always get things done," she says, lightly. "Though I guess I can't really criticise it, all things considered." Ruri is, after all, the ''least'' openly emotional person on the bridge crew -- tied with Goat Hoary, anyway.

        This doesn't necessarily mean she doesn't ''have'' emotions.

        "She was," Ruri confirms, of Licia Chovan. "I even piloted something, in that scene, with Minato-san. Though, it didn't look like a Messer after the special effects were applied. I remember they had trouble with the dithering algorithm... so, I had to fix it." Ruri wasn't generally an ''actor'' on that film, after all. She was ''technical support.''

        It helps to have a code whisperer on your side when you're making a modern film!

        Ruri's expression gentles, as her attention turns to Ranka. "She's actually debuting soon," she says. "As an idol, I mean. Her first concert is at the end of the month... she invited me, and I want to go. Omoikane's excited, too."


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
<poem>

Strange indeed.  But feelings, "Feelings are important.  But sometimes they get in the way of doing the thing that helps everyone, so you have to put aside resentment--or you're afraid, so you have to put aside fear and act anyway.  ...I guess you don't usually have to put aside positive feelings, but even that you have to do sometimes.  To be fair and unbiased, for instance."

No, Ruri can't criticize it, but Eight wants to show some understanding anyway.  "I suppose I just have so ''many'' feelings that they get in the way sometimes," she admits.

Especially lately.

But the blonde smiles at the talk of her friend.  "That's fun," she says, hearing that Ruri was able to pilot something too.  "...I'm glad you got to.  And they were pretty lucky to have your help, it sounds like."

But Ranka is debuting... "Maybe I'll try to get tickets," Eight says of the concert.  "...I'm nto sure, though; the volume tends to get to me a little.  But it would be nice to support her somehow."

"I'm glad you're both excited.  It sounds wonderful."

...Eight has moved onto the bacon and pancakes.  There are also strawberries.  With the bacon.  For some reason.


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
<poem>

        "Well, I guess that's fine right now," Ruri says, of Eight having ''so'' many feelings. "Since that's a normal part of being pregnant, too." She leaves the 'I looked it up!' implicit, this time. Ruri doesn't have any ''personal'' experience with growing smaller humans, but she ''does'' have access to a vast data bank.

        She nods, polishing off her muffin. "They were," she agrees, "but I wanted to help Ms. Nome's project, too. Since she cared about it a lot." She still remembers the hiking trip. It sure wasn't just a marketing opportunity!

        "You can come with me," Ruri offers, when Eight wonders whether she could come, too. But the volume might get to her, so Omoikane pops up a communication window with a picture of earmuffs. Another appears behind and to the left of it, and a third to the right:

                        < ADJUST VOLUME ? >
                        < FILTER ACTIVATION >

        "That's right," Ruri nods, to him. "There are things you can do so you won't have to worry, Eight-san."

        Beat.

        "It's weird that you're putting strawberries on your bacon."

        This is, of course, the very moment Ms. Howmei comes out with a steaming tray of stuffed sweet potatoes. "Here you go!" She remarks, cheerfully. "Full of cheese and kale, just like you wanted!"

        Ruri stares, as she puts the tray down beside Eight. "Fool," she remarks, as she finishes off her ''perfectly normal chicken sandwiches.''

        As understanding as she is, she's still going to judge Eight's culinary abominations.
</poem>