View source for 2024-05-05: It's All About the Tomatoes

*'''Log: It's All About The Tomatos'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Character :: Miorine Rembran]], [[Character :: Stella Loussier]]
*'''Where:''' Asticassia
*'''OOC - IC Date:''' May 5th 0099
*'''Summary''': ''Miorine accuses Stella of being a patsy for Miorine's campus rivals but Stella is just a totally normal, innocent student who just wanted to look at the tomatoes!''

----


 <Pose Tracker> Miorine Rembran has posed.
<poem>

Days at Asticassia are always much the same.  The only sign of time passing the
 sky changing sequentially as the panels shift from day to dusk.  Class has
 been out for several hours now.

And Miorine Rembran has been running away ever since.  Not in the traditional
 sense perhaps.  Her escapism is trying to be as far away from others as
 possible, in her sanctuary.

A place of safety and security.  Each day - she chooses to 'gain one'.

The Greenhouse is near a closed off 'bunker' of entryway into the bowels of the
 Front, twin elevated spheres conjoined by corridor between.

Here today, Miorine sticks a probe into the soil of one of the containers of
 her beloved tomatoes.

After a moment's note, she gave the readout a critical look.

"Dryer than expected."

A hatch was opened up, as she descended into the bowels down a ladder,
 crouching down to inspect the drainage system.

It didn't take long inspecting it to realize that one of her osmotic filters
 needed changing.

It's the sort of easy, routine mechanical job she's used to, that'd only look
 impressive to someone who didn't realize her know how.

But more importantly, it gives her a blindspot, as the upper reaches of her
 Greenhouse are right now unguarded.

A few adjustments, and- "There now to calibrate its permeability and..."

It was a short job at least, but just long enough, "...  done." She notes to
 herself, and there's a sound of a tap being turned on beneath the Greenhouse,
 water dispensing and filling something hollow and metallic.

The watering can is then set up top, off to the side of the hatch...

...  as she begins to climb right back up the ladder.

</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Stella Loussier has posed.
<poem>
        A short job it may have been, but it was plenty enough time! For as
 Miorine rises again she may be surprised to spot a person just suddenly there.
 There was no warning, no sound of arrival, no polite knock or calling out to
 whoever was inside.

        There is just a blonde girl in a student uniform crouching down beside
 some of the plants, staring intently at them.

        While Miorine might be surprised by this sudden stranger, said stranger
 does not seem surprised by Miorine in kind. Though neither does she seem to
 care, or show any interest in the other girl, though it's doubtful that
 Miorine hasn't been noticed.

        The girl just seems content to stare with curious eyes at the tomatoes.


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Miorine Rembran has posed.
<poem>

The ladder's ascent is completed, as Miorine flips the hatch back closed, and
 grabs the watering can.  Her mind was already calculating how much more water
 she'd need to make up for this when...

...  there's just some blonde girl, a student crouched down beside her tomato
 plants.  While her footsteps stop for a moment in just shock at the
 unexpected...

"GET OUT!"

... Stella finds a shape being hurled in her direction, the metal watering can.
  It's not aimed too well, so it's likely to miss, but if she doesn't move - it
 will almost certainly at least graze her head.

Footsteps storm up to her with an almost violence gait, "You can't just BARGE
 IN HERE!"

As Miorine tries to grab her by the arm and - she's absolutely trying to haul
 her out of the main greenhouse, at least out the main door.

If it was a boy intruding perhaps she'd show a little more caution, but -
 Stella doesn't have the vibe of someone who's an intense threat, even for
 someone of her diminutive height and unathletic physique.


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Stella Loussier has posed.
<poem>
        'GET OUT!'

        Even the shout doesn't seem to draw Stella's attention, her eyes still
 transfixed on the red fruits. Or are they vegetables? She's not quite sure...

        But Stella DOES more her head as the watering can comes flying her way,
 just enough to let it pass by without hurting her. It was actually some
 noticeable reflexes there! Yet even the hurling of a gardening tool doesn't
 earn Miorine a glance.

        It's when Miorine grabs at Stella's arm that she finally draws Stella's
 full attention. For Stella moves ''quickly'', slipping out of Miorine's grasp
 while making her own grab in return. Rising and slipping around behind Miorine
 in one graceful move, Stella pulls the other girl's arm behind her back in a
 classic arm lock. Painful, but it won't seriously injure.

        Despite looking harmless, this girl's moves are deceptively far from
 it. Could she be a Coordinator?

        What she definitely is, is serious as she says with a tone that borders
 on murderous, "Don't touch Stella." The arm lock intensifies a bit more...

        There's a brief pause as Stella thinks. She's not supposed to hurt the
 other students. That's what she was told... So Stella does what she was told.
 Miorine is released from the arm lock.

        Then, as if nothing had happened, Stella is back to crouching by the
 plants, staring at the tomatoes. She proceeds to point at them, her violet
 eyes glancing in Miorine's direction, Stella asking with a curious tone,
 "Tomatoes... In a school?"


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Miorine Rembran has posed.
<poem>

Miorine Rembran isn't used to violence being performed upon her.  It's not
 unprecedented certainly, not long ago Guel shoved her so hard that she was
 knocked to the ground.

In the end, she is privileged in that her outbursts are normally met with
 people being cowed simply because of who she is.

Which is why when the grab is reversed into an arm lock, she stumbles forward
 in disbelief, even as her face twists in pain, "LET GO!  LET GO OF-"

'Don't touch Stella.'

The intensification of the arm lock cuts her off, into a squeal of pain as she
 clinches down her teeth and closes her eyes.

Already feeling the tears behind them, but she won't let anyone see that. 
 Wordlessly, she nods - quickly, and again, in too much pain to verbalize
 agreement otherwise beyond this nasally sound of agony.

As she's released, Miorine sags for a moment, stumbling on her heeled boots
 before she catches herself, rubbing her arm.

"What's your problem!?" She asks, thoroughly upset, but now keeping her back to
 the door.  This was the only place where she could truly call 'Home' and - it
 was being transgressed upon.

As she's asked that, Miorine asks with a sense of bitterness, "What's unusual
 about that?  You're not gonna tell me I'm playing at being on Earth, are you?"
 It was at least, a running theory that this girl was one of Guel's fangirls,
 it would make sense in her mind why she is trespassing here.

Another effort perhaps, to take her back to Jeturk House, but then again why
 release her if that's the case?

Still wary, she warns, "Don't touch my tomatoes or..." Yet the second part of
 that statement doesn't fall out of her mouth.

'I'll kill you'

Because she understands there's probably nothing she can do if this girl
 decides to touch them.  Then like she's reasserting her confidence, her poise,
 she suddenly declares. "Out - here!" She points, to just beyond the threshold.

"You can look from out here!  You just can't come in!"

And yet, as Stella demonstrated, if she doesn't want to obey, there's not
 really all that much Miorine can do.


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Stella Loussier has posed.
<poem>
        Stella doesn't seem at all guilty at the pain she just inflicted on
 Miorine. Though neither does she revel in it. It's as if she's just completely
 dropped the incident. Like that was 'before' and is unrelated to 'now'.

        Stella does look a little confused though as her question is met with
 bitterness. She blinks at Miorine, briefly asking in return, "Playing?" She
 glances back at the tomato plants, simply looking at them for a moment. Then
 shakes her head a little, "Stella doesn't think that tomatoes would look this
 good from 'playing'." She closes her eyes for a moment, humming thoughtfully,
 before saying, "Stella just doesn't remember there being tomatoes growing at
 her last school. But then Stella's memory can be unreliable... So maybe it's
 not unusual?"

        It's a good thing that the last half of the next sentence is silent. As
 otherwise things might have gotten rather out of hand. As it stands though,
 Stella doesn't seem to recognise the threat. She just shakes her head, "No
 touch. They're not ready..."

        But she is then ordered to stand outside and look from there. Stella
 seems to consider it for a moment... And believes that to be an acceptable
 request. So she quietly stands, turning and walking to stand where Miorine
 pointed.

        Looking back in, at Miorine specifically this time, Stella asks, "Are
 you Botany track?" Does Asticassia even have a major like that? Stella
 genuinely seems clueless!

</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Miorine Rembran has posed.
<poem>

Honestly, Miorine wouldn't expect anyone to feel guilt over such things. 
 That's just the environment of Asticassia.  This is the school of the dog eat
 dog.  Those that care for others are considered weak prey.

So few do, in her opinion.

There's this subtle widening of her eyes as she says that, but in her grey
 eyes, she looks ''suspicious''. "You think you'll get in my good graces that
 easily after you butt in here like this?" She mutters, as if were the only
 reason why someone might compliment her tomatoes.

Still, she warily finds her watering can and slowly, puts it upright, looking
 dourly at the puddling water like it too was a sign of Stella's continued
 invasion.

Despite the fact Miorine caused it, not her.

"Look at this mess." The intruder wasn't resolved yet but - there's not much
 she can do, is there?  Eventually she strides towards the back with the now
 mostly empty can and puts it down, instead grabbing a rag, and striding back.

"I don't know why it even matters to you." She replies in such a surly way, "If
 you can't remember you can't remember.  You don't need to go bothering
 everyone about it."

Miorine at the very least is too self absorbed to read into the idea that a
 girl her age has memory problems, but likely she just thinks that it's normal
 for people not to remember every detail of when they were younger.

Dabbing up the water puddle, with the rag, she watches her like a hawk. "That's
 not why.  I just don't want anyone to touch them!"

Indeed in a sense Stella is correct, they're underripe, most of them in various
 states of green in hue on THIS side of the greenhouse.  Miorine has them grow
 where some will always be ready for harvest but-

-she's already done that for the ones that were, they're hidden away in a
 compartment that's sunk into the floor.

Miorine's expression looks even less impressed as she's asked if she's in the
 Botany track, and more annoyed.

"There's no Botany track here.  Even a new transfer should know that much. 
 What's with you?"

Miorine asks after a moment, irritated, "There's no way this is for real.  This
 whole playing dumb act?  Noone is this much of an airhead but can do something
 like what you just did!" She straightens up and points a finger at her, "I'm
 onto you!  You're a spy, aren't you!"

Oh no - is this seriously going to go there...

"Who sent you!?  Was it Sabina?  Renee?  Maisie!?  ...  If this is some stupid
 dare!"

...  No she's just made the wrong conclusions in every conceivable way.

</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Stella Loussier has posed.
<poem>
        Stella wouldn't know anything about the dog eat dog nature of the
 school. That would actually require her to pay attention to what's happening
 there. She barely pays attention in class! It's no wonder she's ranked so
 lowly in their grade, probably seeming like one of those weak prey.

        But again, Stella doesn't know anything about that. Which is why she
 maintains the same mildly confused look as Miorine proceeds to clean up,
 questioning Stella's motives at the same time. Stella doesn't actually help,
 or anything. Of course Miorine did tell her to stay outside. So she does so,
 simply watching and letting the annoyed tomato farmer's tirade continue.
 Whether it be about her memory, or the tomatoes, or the lack of her knowledge
 about simple things like there being no Botany track.

        Stella just stands there, letting it wash over her.

        Until Miorine calls her out for being a spy.

        There's a subtle shift in Stella's demeanor, as she discreetly reaches
 behind her back beneath her jacket to the knife hidden there...

        Stella blinks again in confusion, "Sabina? Renee? Maisie?"

        Both hands in front of her again, both empty, Stella raises them and
 starts to count off on her fingers, "Stella knows Auel. Sting. Neo. And was
 told about Shaddiq. Guel. Elan. And Miorine. She doesn't know any others..."

</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Miorine Rembran has posed.
<poem>

Miorine of course has no idea that she's reaching for a knife.  That'd be
 stupid for a kid on campus to carry around a weapon right?  Who even does
 that!?

But the accusation happens and Stella- starts reciting names?  At first Miorine
 looks vaguely puzzled, but by the time she hits ''Shaddiq''...

... that vibe decisively changes to irritated as she mutters, mostly to
 herself. "Sting?  Neo?  Noone would walk around campus with such tryhard
 names.  What do they even think this is?  Some stupid kid's show?"

What Miorine is actually thinking is 'Chuuni' names but she's grown out of
 anime - which is definitely just for kids and sex-crazed perverts, and she's
 not about to recite that she knows that lingo aloud.

Still, the hand drops, and there's an almost thoughtful, albeit resentful look,
 with a certain intensity as she considers that.

"Playing dumb again?  Whatever - look.  If you need to report back that you
 ''annoyed'' Miorine then you found her!"

Miorine steps up to the front of the Greenhouse, rag still in hand, "Not that
 you don't already know that." As she sounds positively cross at her still.

"I know this is some stupid initiation test Shaddiq's girls are putting you up
 to.  There's no way it isn't!"

Because certainly, she's still making that assumption, "Given Renee...  he
 definitely takes a shine to girls like you." She declares, derisively.

</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Stella Loussier has posed.
<poem>
        Stella giggles.

        Yes, she actually giggles as she manages to hear Miorine's comments to
 herself about Sting and Neo's names. That was a good joke! It was a joke,
 right?

        Miorine continues on with the insistence that Stella is here on some
 orders specifically to annoy Miorine. Stella does have orders. Some even
 involve Miorine! But they don't include anything about annoying her. So why
 does Miorine think they do?

        Miorine mentions one of those names again, which Stella repeats
 questioningly, "Renee...?" She misses the underlying meaning of Miorine's
 words regarding taking a 'shine' to girls like Stella. Instead Stella racks
 her brain, trying to figure out what Miorine is going on about. What's the
 connection between these people are her?

        Then there seems to be a dawning sense of realization in Stella's eyes.
 She looks at Miorine closely, "These people... Do they try to hurt you?"


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Miorine Rembran has posed.
<poem>

Miorine certainly would have no idea that she has ''orders'' regarding her.  But
 then again she doesn't think Stella is anything special.  Probably just some
 Piloting brat who's getting taken in by Grassley House.

However as Stella repeats it, for half a second Miorine genuinely wonders if
 this is an act or not.

But Miorine's taken off guard momentarily by the question, the implication, the
 wild shift in expectations, "Of course not!  They wouldn't-  Shaddiq would
 never-"

Miorine however realizes she's getting upset, and tears her gaze to look away,
 upset but reining it in.

"Why would you even think that!" Miorine exclaims, now having no idea what to
 think of her, "Look, I don't know what you think is going on, but I fight my
 own battles.  This is ''my life''." A beat, "Besides, if you think for even a
 moment that you can take ''them'' on."

Now she gives her a scathing look, "Then you're so in over your head here that
 it isn't even funny."


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Stella Loussier has posed.
<poem>
        Stella can look at someone and tell within moments what kind of threat
 they might represent.

        But when it comes to feelings and emotions... Well, point is she
 believes Miorine's words, nodding along as at the denial of any actual harm,
 "Good." And when asked about why she would think that, a shadow falls over
 Stella's face as a hint of fear creeps into her voice, "There are lots of
 people in the world... Who want to hurt." Miorine may just get the impression
 that Stella might have actually tried to do something, if Miorine had
 responded more obviously in the affirmative. Perhaps she really isn't one of
 their lackeys?

        This may be further evidenced as she replies dismissively, "They don't
 seem that strong?" Surely if she was one of their fangirls, she wouldn't say
 something like that. Both because of the disrespect it shows towards them. And
 because it's just plain stupid. Anyone can see that their piloting skills are
 no joke.

        Of course, Stella wasn't talking about their piloting skills. But that
 probably wasn't clear.

        "Farming... Managing... Fighting your own battles..." Stella glances
 around the quiet greenhouse, "Alone... Aren't you in over your head too?"

</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Miorine Rembran has posed.
<poem>

Miorine is kinda unsettled here, and she can't quite parse why, but since she
 can't figure this girl out other than 'Do not try to touch her again' she
 falls back on her tried and true methods of acerbic self-confidence.

"Obviously." She replies, bitingly, "That's just the way things are.  If you
 didn't want to get hurt - then this was the last place you should have come."

Yet, there is no sense of solidarity from Miorine, she doesn't know Stella but
 - Stella could leave anytime in her mind.

Miorine cannot, this is her cage.

But that doesn't mean there's despair, there's resolve.  Stella instead recites
 it, and for a moment there's a gleam in her eyes at 'Farming' because that's
 what Guel calls it too.

But the rest...

"Not even once."

She declares with a certain confidence, as if she packed far too much anger
 into that small frame to ever consider admitting weakness.

"I'm leaving this place, for Earth.  It's the only thing I want, and nothing -
 noone is going to stop me from getting there."

</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Stella Loussier has posed.
<poem>

"Stella had no choice..." It sounds like Stella doesn't exactly want to be here
 either.

        As Miorine speaks with confidence about her plans, Stella looks on with
 what could be a small amount of awe in her eyes. Though that is once again
 replaced with a mild confused look, "Go to Earth? Aren't there transports that
 go there?" Stella clearly not aware of just how trapped Miorine is.

        Explanations may have to wait though as another voice calls out in the
 distance, "Stella?"

        Stella's eyes light up a little as she spins around. She leaves Miorine
 and their conversation behind just like that, running off to meet up with a
 guy with light green hair who looks to be another student. She calls out his
 name, "Sting!" Apparently a person with that name does exist!

        Sting waves Stella over, "Come on. Neo's asking for as." He glances
 between her and the greenhouse, not actually at an angle where he's able to
 see into it and Miorine inside, "What were you doing?"

        Stella happily explains, "Tomatoes! There were real tomatoes growing in
 there!"

        Sting huhs, "Must be for the school cafeteria or something." The two
 begin to walk away, their voices fading as Stella goes on to talk more about
 the tomato plants, completely omitting anything about Miorine, though not out
 of any intention to hide her. But simply because she clearly wasn't the most
 interesting thing in the greenhouse!

</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Miorine Rembran has posed.
<poem>

Apparently a man named Sting existed on campus.

As the two leave, Miorine just mutters as her eyes follow the boy and the girl
 with him, "Who does he even think he's impressing?"

As if a name like that were chumming the water for hungry sharks at Asticassia.

Still upset over the whole ordeal and feeling more than a little ruffled, she
 rubs her arm one last time and - moves to refill her watering can.

That patch of underwatered tomato plans need her care.

Nothing else matters to her right now.

</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Phase 2]]
[[Category:Phase 2, Turn 1]]