View source for 2024-06-05: The Peace We've Been Waiting For

*'''Log: 2024-06-05: The Peace We've Been Waiting For'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Character :: Mikoto Utsugi]], [[Character :: Guy Shishioh]]
*'''Where:''' GGG Orbit Base
*'''OOC - IC Date:''' Early January 0099 (Backscene)
*'''Summary''': ''A week after the final battle between Betterman and Genesic GaiGar, Guy finally awakens from surviving that final battle against the Triple Zero within himself. Mikoto, waiting at his bedside, is there to be the first face he wakes up to. Finally, the can discuss their future together after many long years of waiting.''

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 <Pose Tracker> Mikoto Utsugi has posed.
<poem>

        It had been a week since the clash of Kings- a week since the Animus fruit had grown on Guy. A week since her King of Braves had won against Triple Zero's corruption.

        A week since he had fallen unconscious and had yet to wake.

        Mikoto had stayed by Guy's bed in the medbay the whole time- the way she had during the early days of the Gutsy Geoid Guard- where every battle it seemed the man she loved came closer and closer to death. She didn't dare risk the chance that she wouldn't be there for his last moments.

        This time, she wanted to be there when he woke up. She wanted to be the first face he saw.

        After all, Guy had won. There was no way that he wouldn't wake up. There was no way he wouldn't come back to her.

        Right now, she leaned over him, seated in the chair next to his bed, her head on his chest. More than once the medical staff had found her asleep like this. More than once, Mikoto woke to find a blanket over her and a meal or a drink on the table next to her.

        After all, not a one of them would tell her to leave at this point.

        But right now, she was awake, eyes closed, listening to his breathing, listening to his heartbeat. She was even listening with her sixth sense, for any sign Guy was stirring.

        She'd be here. As long as it took.
</poem>

 <Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
<poem>
Already, the King of Braves had achieved one more miracle for his belt, surviving the bloom of an animus fruit on his body. Did that mean he'd somehow had Algernon, as well as the nascent Triple Zero infection?  Did that mean they were somehow linked afflictions? Problems for Hinoki, who is already busy earning herself a spot among the Ten Great Minds from her work curing Algernon.

But the strain had been inconceivable. He'd fallen into a thing more like torpor than slumber, a deep hibernation as something inconceivable occurred within his body, long after the Animus Fruit was plucked. As he recovered, from once again transforming into something new.

But the wait wouldn't be long. Guy Shishioh could never keep himself idle for long. And as ever, a light beckoned him back to the surface. He had something still to do. Something to return to. Something far more valuable than whatever clinging exhaustion might anchor a man to the deep-down of endless sleep.

Intention. Attention. Across the Limpid Channel. A shift in his breathing and a shift in his heartbeat.

His eyes creak open, and he's surprised to find a stiffness in his bones as he shifts up just enough to peer down his bedside. "Mikoto," he says, and splits into a toothy smile. "Good morning."
</poem>

 <Pose Tracker> Mikoto Utsugi has posed.
<poem>

        She feels it. She hears it. That slight change, that simple sound. Mikoto's eyes open suddenly as she does, but she doesn't sit up. Not yet.

        Not until she hears his voice, sees his lips move, sees his eyes open.

        And she sits up for a second, to move from her current position to stand. Little tears form in the corners of her eyes, but she's smiling brightly. "...Good morning, Guy." She says-

        And that seems to be the limit of her ability to be controlled about this, throwing herself on top of Guy to wrap her arms around him tightly, her head against Guy's shoulder.

        Those tears of happiness drip against him.

        "...You did it. You won. I knew you would." There's no sadness in her voice. No worry.

        "It's gone. For real this time."
</poem>

 <Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
<poem>
Guy feels like he slept for a thousand years, though there's something else he's having trouble placing. Nonetheless...it feels good. So, he's ready to catch Mikoto's lunge, arms wrapping around her as she comes down on him, hand against her head to hold her comfortably to his shoulder. "For a while there...I almost wasn't so sure," he says. "If I had to...maybe I would've had to. If anything could've made me."

His grasp tightens, fractionally, securing himself and her. "But you believed in me. So it was all right."

He sits like that for some time, absorbing warmth and presence from Mikoto.

"So they're sure now?"
</poem>

 <Pose Tracker> Mikoto Utsugi has posed.
<poem>

        Guy's arms around her are a comfort. He's well enough for that. She was fearing a much longer, rougher recovery.

        She listens quietly to Guy's fears of what could have been. Of what could have happened.

        'But you believed in me. So it was all right.'

        "...then I guess it will always be all right. Because I'll always believe in you."

        She too sits in the quiet with Guy, just. Being there. In the moment. Enjoying it. Calm. Much needed, desperate calm and the serenity of being together.

        "Yeah. They're sure. There's been no detection of Z0 similar particules in the solar system since then. Not even remnants. Tamara said you're clear, but they were still waiting on some other results.""

        There's another long moment of silence before Mikoto pops her head up from Guy's shoulder. She looks down at his face, her own expression at ease and happy before leaning forward-

        And placing a kiss on Guy's lips.

        It's gentle and warm and she lingers on it for a long time, like she's waited for this a long time. In many ways, she has.

        Finally, when the time comes to break the kiss, she stays close, smiling. "...Maybe we could start every morning like-"

        And then the door to the medbay opens, with a rapidfire voice coming through.

        "Utsugi-san we've noticed a change in Captain Shishioh's readings I just need to check a few things just give me a moment and I'll start working."

        She doesn't look up from her tablet until she finishes speaking and, for a moment, the unstoppable speed at which Dr Tamara Gogol speaks falters.

        Mikoto stares at her, blushing bright red.

        And then, as if nothing was happening. "Oh good you're awake excellent I can get Dr Sai in here and we can discuss the results."

        She reaches to activate her pager, completely indifferent to Guy and Mikoto's current states.
</poem>

 <Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
<poem>
IS he feeling better? He feels...good? Yeah. But strong isn't the right word, either. Actually, he aches in ways he can't say he finds familiar. This isn't like the racking pain that's put him on his back before, the convulsing agony that he's had to put aside for the sake of this world. This just. Sucks a little?

But Mikoto's kiss takes his mind off it, and Guy audibly, detectably relaxes backwards as it lingers. Yes. He's been waiting for this, too.

Guy's breaking out in a smile himself, about to speak, when the moment explodes apart at the hands of Tamara Gogol, adult human who is indeed alive and back at work.

Guy rasps out a laugh and lets himself sink back into the bed, sighing at length.
</poem>

 <Pose Tracker> Mikoto Utsugi has posed.
<poem>

        Mikoto gives Guy a plaintive look at the ruining of the moment, then sighs a lets out a giggle.

        They can miss one moment. There's so many more to come.

        It's only a few moments after that Hinoki Sai- who knocks, Tamara- enters the room. "...This could have waited a few minutes, Tamara."

        "Nonsense we can resolve this now and get back to other duties."

        Hinoki takes a few seconds, at the fact that Mikoto has not actually. Moved from the hug yet. "Are you two going to- never mind. I'll get out of your hair as quick as possible." Some people have decorum at work, after all. "Guy, your body has no Triple Zero. You're in excellent health. As Akane theorized, that was the Somniums' goal."

        Mikoto does finally shift, sitting up on the edge of Guy's bed, her hand moving to take Guy's. "Um, Hinoki... Do you know how Gai survived? Given what Animus seeds feed on?"

        Hinoki shrugs. "...Lamia once said the G-Stone is a gem of life. Presumably the Animus fruit came from the G-Stones rather than Guy's soul. The Animus seed you gave to Lamia seems to have... largely been made of G-Stones."

        She looks to Guy.

        "Long term, you're closer to a Semi-Evoluder now, the G-Stones in your body were essentially... processed into the Animus seed."

        Mikoto blinks once, then twice, then.

        "...Gai, does that mean we're in the clear now?" She studied Guy's face for a moment, then a smile appears on her face as she eagerly leaned towards Hinoki. As she did so, her hand fell onto a button built into the side of the bed, and a little red light turns on on the console next to Guy's bed. "It's okay for us to make babies now, right!?"
</poem>


 <Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
<poem>
They have so much time now. Maybe the battles aren't over forever, but GGG can stop and recuperate for a while. THEY can.

Mikoto just. lies completely on him and Guy is TOTALLY FINE WITH THAT as Hinoki walks in, giving the good doctor a very satisfied smile. "I thought it might be. Lamia...I guess he's the type to put himself on the line so others can walk away. I think I get it now."

Mikoto finally sits up, and Guy accepts the offered hand. He doesn't really shift for himself; proof enough that as well as he speaks, there's still a deep lethargy in him.

And Hinoki explains why. "Oh," Guy says, and there's a strange feeling. A little trepidation, a little ease. One way then the other. He's been...his body's been changed. That's why he's so tired. That's why he hurts in little ways that he didn't recognize. They'll find out his new limits over the coming weeks and months, surely. His uncle will want to know that just as surely as his father would have. And, he can't just leave Galeon without a partner. But...that body that felt like a burden from God is...

Guy's face blooms into a calm smile. "Yeah, I think so," he agrees. In the clear. He doesn't have to be Earth's Strongest Anything, anymore. He can--

Oh, Mikoto has an idea. Guy coughs and does start a little in his bed. "Now?!"
</poem>

 <Pose Tracker> Mikoto Utsugi has posed.
<poem>

        "I guess you two have that in common," Mikoto says quietly- while Hinoki simply nods at Guy. With her hand in Guy's, Makoto stays close. She was perfectly fine with the arrangement earlier but Hinoki seemed to be getting a little uncomfortable.

        "Yes. You'll probably need some time to recover, but-" Hinoki starts, before she is cut off by Mikoto's question, turning bright red herself and flustering. "Well, the dominant trait is gone. So... your children wouldn't necessarily become Evoluders. So... Yes." Hinoki tries desperately to grasp onto the straws of professionalism in reach. "I can assure you that it's all right."

        Hinoki barely finishes speaking before Mikoto lets out a "WOOHOO!", and goes straight back for that hug, clinging to Guy and lying on top of him, brimming with happiness.

        Conveniently, that hug takes her hand off the comms button before the &#42;rest&#42; of the conversation gets broadcast everywhere.

        Guy's startled 'now' gets a giggle from Mikoto. "Well, Hinoki said you'll need time to recover." Guy is given a brief reprieve. "...Besides. There's something else we have to resolve first."

        Hinoki Sai, reading the room, quickly grabs Tamara by the wrist and starts moving. "Well, I'll leave you to it! Come on Tamara, work calls."

        She even has the decency to turn on the 'Do Not Disturb' panel as she leaves.

        Now it's just them again, Mikoto's eyes lock with Guy's. "...I know in the Trinary Solar System, we said we'd wait until the Earth was out of danger." Her voice is unusually quiet, given the high energy she showed a second ago. "...But. I don't want to wait that long. Not after how long we've waited already. You've got to be getting impatient too, right?"

        She moves to interlace her fingers with Guy's. "It's about time, isn't it?"
</poem>

 <Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
<poem>
Once again, Guy Shishioh faces down a new foe more ferocious than any of the last.

Fortunately he gets some nap time first. "I do think I could use it," he admits. "I didn't know I could hurt this way. I'm all achey." Most people who've been through what Guy has are &#42;dead&#42; so some aches and pains are maybe a minor cost. He chuckles, good-natured. "Gosh. Normal bones. I guess I'll have to start exercising again..."

He sees Hinoki and Tamara make for the door, and gives them a small nod of thanks. He &#42;also&#42; hasn't noticed the transmission going out, which will later prove fascinating as a proof that he is no longer constantly exposed to all radio bands always. That will in turn be after the mortifying embarrassment and wild laughter.

Mikoto has something very earnest to present, though, and though he finds his strength slipping back away from him, he turns his attention to her fully.

He smiles like a man, not a hero, and holds her hand tightly. "Perhaps...this is a sign that we have the peace we we were waiting for," he agrees. "Let's do it."
</poem>

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[[Category:Phase 1]]
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