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*'''Log:''' A Pirate's Life And 'Machinery' *'''Cast:''' [[Character :: Trevor Teach]], [[Character :: Ruri Hoshino]] *'''Where:''' The Nadesico - Hangars *'''Date:''' 2023-05-21 *'''Summary''': ''Ruri gets to talking with Isadore, Trevor's mobile suit -- and eventually gets around to talking to Trevor, too. They make a connection over their shared love of machines, and how young they were when they started out. Ruri learns all about pirates and their dread. (This is a secret tool that will help us later!)'' ---- [[Category:Logs]] [[Category:Phase 1, Turn 3]] <Pose Tracker> Trevor Teach has posed. <poem> To say that the Isadore is a strange beast is an understatement. The machine is a hodgepodge of different salvaged parts from all across the Solar System, and whatever monster of an OS it mounts is able to interface seamlessly with them regardless of make or model. Moreover, it has exhibited... unusual behavior on the regular, and often independent of its pilot. It is... Wwwwweird. It is also: Very badly damaged. Thanks to the terrible power of the Narrative's NT-D, Isadore is down an arm, most of a leg, and its head has been thoroughly savaged-- revealing what looks to be a mechanical fascimile of a face underneath. The Ra Mari II's crew is busy-- playing first responders to a gaping hole in a colony wall will do that. As such, the Isadore has been sent over to another of the vessels in the Three Ships Alliance for repairs: the Nadesico. The mobile suit stands in the vessel's hangar, its pilot leaning against a container near its heel as gantries and engineers begin moving in to do their work. ... At least it's an easy repair. Even if it gets more hodgepodge with every one. </poem> <Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed. <poem> "Alright, boys!! Steady on!" Seiya Uribatake yells, as a pair of Zentradi in the overalls which mark the Nadesico's maintenance uniform hoist up a panel. Another man directs it onto Isadore, to replace a piece of armor torn off. It's ''kind'' of a boy's club in here; the head engineer sets the tone of their workplace, and Uribatake is... Well, let's just say he's been slapped by a lot of women. Even his wife. ESPECIALLY his wife. There is ''one'' girl in here, though. Explicitly a girl -- there are plenty of women on the Nadesico, but Ruri Hoshino won't be an adult for a good few years, yet. (It's getting closer, though. She's turning fourteen in a month! Okay, a month and a week. Okay, like 42 days. Not that she's counting or anything.) All four feet of her is dressed up in a uniform she had to get custom-tailored because most of Nergal's staff don't need ''guardianship'' arrangements, and her silver-blue hair is tied up in twin pigtails, on either side of her head. She holds a tablet, as she approaches Isadore, but it's really just a formality. No, what she has to say -- to the machine -- is something she communicates when she reaches up to put a hand on its broad foot, perhaps not so far from its pilot. You were badly hurt, is the vibe of the feeling she offers, to Isadore. They're not English words, of course -- she's meeting the machine in its own language. It will do, as a translation. Thank you for working so hard. My name is Ruri. What do you need, Isadore? Note that she hasn't bothered to greet any of the humans here. ... the dudes working on the ship seem pretty used to that, though. No one here would say a harsh word to Ruri. (And they'd probably show up in force if anyone ''else'' did.) </poem> <Pose Tracker> Trevor Teach has posed. <poem> Seiya Uribatake is-- He's a person. He is absolutely a human being who exists and somehow has not yet been ejected from most of his non-work relationships. There's definitely something under all the rough edges, but you'd be hard pressed to find someone patient enough to find it. Uribatake and the others do their work under Trevor's watchful... eye. His eyepatch is back on his face, but this time over the OTHER EYE (though if you haven't met him before, it'd seem like it was over the objectively correct eye, considering the way the bandages have been wrapped around his brow). He's... protective of his machine, in a way that only a few pilots are-- and most of those are mechanics themselves, and spend a good deal of their time tinkering with their favorite suits. Trevor ''has'' mechanical skill, but not like ''that.'' Even still, he watches carefully, especially when-- Someone... makes her way to Isadore's foot. There is a presence within the machine when Ruri makes her connection. In some ways, it feels familiar to the intelligence within Omoikane-- though naturally, substantially less vast. After all, it'd be a miracle to fit any machine intelligence comparable in enormity to Omoikane into something the size of a Mobile Suit. Maybe the Green and Red planets might have pulled off something of the sort in ancient days long past, but now... Not so much. Even still, there is a presence, that is undeniable. It's good to meet you properly, little miss Ruri, the machine replies, with-- something of an accent. Why does it have an accent? It hangs out with a pirate perhaps a little too much, maybe. I appear to be missing an arm and half my left leg. There's also considerable damage to many of my servos, and I'm runnin' on backup wired connections for most of my controls. But there's-- also another presence there. One that's... connected to the one she's speaking to, but through a channel that is clearly not a strictly technopathic one. It's a presence that... seems to be watching her. Trevor. Is watching her. His gaze seems to suggest that he's noticed something about her, too. "...You havin' a good talk, there?" He asks with a forced grin that barely disguises the anxiety eating him up inside. After all, after he's done here... Well. He has a Phenex to chase. </poem> <Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed. <poem> Ruri nods, intent and serious, as she looks up (and up, and up, and UP) to the machine in front of her. I'll make sure they fix them, is how the assurance goes. Can we make you more comfortable? Do machines have... comfort needs??? Ruri is intent on Isadore, and doesn't notice, at first, the man watching her. She blinks, a shadow of surprise crossing over her stoic features, before she drops her hand and turns to face him. "Oh," she says, after a moment, and asks in confirmation: "Mr. Teach?" She nods, and looks down to her data pad, tapping in some entries. Reminders for the mechanics. "Yes," she answers his own question, belatedly, without looking up. "Isadore sustained a lot of damage. You had a difficult fight, didn't you?" </poem> <Pose Tracker> Trevor Teach has posed. <poem> Isadore is in fact approximately Mobile Suit sized. For anyone, it is tall-- but Ruri is especially small, so the height difference is even more pronounced. That's kind of you, miss Ruri. I'd appreciate if you used non-synthetic oil to grease my gears. The synthetic stuff is fine but nothing beats the luxury of naturally extracted hydrocarbons. Robots: They have comfort needs!! Just like people!? (People probably don't select their oils for how 'natural' they are. Or maybe they do, considering how popular Organic food is in some quarters...?) "Aye, that's me," Trevor says with a smile, pushing from his leaning spot with a bit of a shrug. His hands slip lazily into his pockets as he approaches. "Trevor Teach, at your service, little miss. I appreciate you looking after my friend here." Isadore sustained a lot of damage. That is the truth. Trevor nods sheepishly, "...Aye. Some monster of a machine. Or, maybe it's more accurate to say that there was a system in the machine that was monstrous. Never thought I'd feel that kind of killing intent from a mobile suit. Was like it wanted to erase me completely." He shudders, visibly. "...Me and Isadore, both, that is. It wanted us dead and gone. We almost got it, but the damn thing somehow fused with another monster and made its getaway. We'll be pursuing it after I deal with some other business first." Beat. "Your name is... Ruri, right? Nice to meet you properly. I think we ran into each other in the fight against those bugs in orbit?" </poem> <Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed. <poem> I'll make sure they know, Ruri's sure to assure him. And, indeed, this too she'll note down on the data pad. A comment on that input reads: 'Please don't consider this an optional expense', stamped with a little chibi Ruri head. She has to make sure to clarify things like that, sometimes. Capitalism. You know. Mr. Prospector is always watching... Ruri tilts her head, just so, as Trevor describes the system as ''monstrous.'' Still... he doesn't seem to be exaggerating. "You're describing the Narrative Gundam loading into Neo Zeong II and escaping, aren't you?" She asks -- she's read the Ra Mari II's report. She nods, just the once. "Yes. Ruri Hoshino, Nadesico Systems Operator. It's nice to meet you properly." They might have worked together! She's on the bridge of the Nadesico ''very'' often, though it's safe enough now for her to leave her post. "The Vajra?" She asks. "... last year. I remember." They were with the Federation, then. How times change! </poem> <Pose Tracker> Trevor Teach has posed. <poem> Ostensibly, Trevor is still with the Sleeves! But functionally, uh. Uh. Considering the kinds of people the Sleeves seem to be promoting recently, that... might change. The Garancieries Crew is already essentially attached to the Ra Mari II, and with Trevor bunking with them more often than not, his loyalties are pretty well spoken for. "Has it really been a year?" Trevor asks, scratching at his cheek. It doesn't feel like it's been that long, but... Maybe it has. Maybe this is what happens when you live a life at war. Time just... passes by. "Aye, that's right," he nods, then. "Think we provided your ship a bit of cover at the time. That was a fight and a half, though. But even the Vajra just felt 'alien' rather than..." The Narrative Gundam. "...That thing," he shudders again, the shiver running all the way down his spine from where the memory is lodged in his hippocampus. "I could hardly even sense its pilot underneath all the... the ''hate.'' We had to push ourselves hard to disable its original body, but even that wasn't enough. It just picked itself back up, and... Now it's gotten even worse." Somehow. Very kind of you indeed, miss Ruri. Many thanks. Isadore inexplicably presents the machine-language equivalent to a thumbs up emoji. Mentally projected directly into Ruri's mind. She's probably used to it by now though. </poem> <Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed. <poem> Ruri is, indeed, used to it. Machines have a lot of different ways of talking! And ''Isadore'' can feel how warm and welcoming she feels to him, at least. Even if it's not particularly expressed on her face. :| "That's right," Ruri confirms, with a nod. "You were a big help, with the Vajra." She makes a few more notes on her data pad, and then... puts it to one side??? The youth are putting down their devices! The apocalypse has come! "But now you're not fighting what you're used to fighting," is her assessment of his description. "Actually, the Nadesico is familiar with that. Since we were signed to fight the Jovians, but we're often fighting humans, now." She frowns, glancing aside. "I wonder what kind of system could be so angry... maybe I should talk to it." Oh no. Oh no! </poem> <Pose Tracker> Trevor Teach has posed. <poem> Truly the most expressive of technopaths, Ruri Hoshino is. (Though she really is! Just, not on the outside. The full breadth of her emotional spectrum is reserved solely for her mechanical friends!) "Eh...? But Jovians are..." He pauses, then nods, "Ohhh. You mean ''those'' Jovians. Right." He's-- pretty sure he knows which Jovians she means. Trevor is from out in the Belt, after all! The trouble is that the Jovian Sphere is a very big place. There's the Energy Fleet, the Lizards, gas extractors on Ganymede... It's a very diverse place. "...I'd say 'humans' are enemies that I'm more familiar with fighting than anything else-- as pilots, anyway. Except maybe ships." He shakes his head slowly, "...But I don't know if I'd call what I fought 'human.' ''That'' was very different. Like I said, it's real rare that you run into something that wants you gone on such a... primal level. It wanted to... deny my existence, violently." He blanches visibly at Ruri's intention to make happy friends with the NT-D System. "Oh, that-- might not be a good plan, miss Ruri. Something that full of hate... could probably hurt you badly if you tried to make direct contact with it. Especially if it thought you were one of the things that shouldn't exist." </poem> <Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed. <poem> Ruri blinks, staring at Trevor, for a moment. Jovians are... "The Jovian Lizards are a purely mechanical force," she explains, stoic. "Though I haven't been able to reach them, either." For some reason, that sounds like something she expected to be able to do. Kids are weird. She frowns, though. "I don't know why it wouldn't want me to exist," she says, and she doesn't pout, and her words aren't all that petulant, so why is it ''so easy to imagine her pouting???'' Give her a moment, though, and she sighs, a hand reaching up to rub at her opposite arm. "... but... I guess you're right, Mr. Teach. It didn't go very well when I reached out to the Banshee, either, I guess. It was..." Now it's ''her'' turn to pale, though it's kind of difficult to tell, with how her skin has apparently never once seen the sun. "... grabby." She frowns, again, as she thinks. "If it's not human, is it related to the Devil Gundam incident? I read about that. Back then, there was a machine which ate the pilots inside, and the machines kept fighting. They were infectious, too." She pauses, and looks up to Trevor. "We have a medical bay," she informs him, entirely too matter-of-fact. </poem> <Pose Tracker> Trevor Teach has posed. <poem> Are they, though??? Trevor scratches awkwardly at the back of his neck. It's true that he's never actually seen a Jovian Lizard before, but... "Why're they called Lizards if they're purely mechanical, though...? Wouldn't that mean they would be the 'Jovian Robots?'" Unless they're purely mechanical lizards!? Mechazillas!?!? "Banshee..." Trevor closes his eye(s) and shudders again. He's doing that a ''lot'' today. Even Ruri's adorably pouty face doesn't keep him from not-shuddering (nevermind that she's not actually pouting, he can just-- it's so easy to ''imagine'' it is all. "...The Black Lion. Aye. That's not necessarily a machine you were feeling, miss Ruri. There's some kind of a Newtype aboard that one. I could feel 'em, even from afar. What is ''with'' Luio & Co. and fieldin' extremely uncomfortable-feelin' Newtypes...?" "...But if it's at all like the Phenex, then its pilot might've left an impression on their machine. So maybe it is ''also''" Trevor remembers feeling that awful sensation of-- of so many ''hands'' reaching out. He was never their focus, but damned if he couldn't make out the shape of them. "... 'grabby.'" Is it related to the Devil Gundam...? "Wh-- no! I don't think so, anyway? Why would I need to go to the medical bay? I've already got myself bandaged up!" Pause. "I'm not infected! Promise! If I were, then Isadore would be too, right? And he doesn't seem that way to you, does he?" "...No, it's more-- uh. I'm not used to fighting that kind of hate? It's like-- you know how I said Newtypes leave can apparently leave 'impressions' on machines? It's... kinda like that. A fake ghost that hates so much that it hates itself into existence." </poem> <Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed. <poem> "I don't actually know," Ruri admits, looking a little surprised. "I'll have to look that up." She might be a genius with too many hundreds of the IQ, but she's not above admitting gaps in her knowledge. That's the ''real'' smart thing to do. She frowns, thinking of the Banshee. "Um... yeah. Elpeo-san. Ms. Leina told me about her." Ruri wouldn't normally use someone's first name without even having met them -- machines get a free pass, humans don't -- so it's ''extra'' convenient she can steal from her other language to get some extra lexical distance in between them. "She said she died... but Mr. Links won't die, even though the Phenex's pilot and the Banshee's pilot are both dead." ... she's still kind of worried about that, but she doesn't want to make Leina upset, either. "And... yes, you're right," she decides, looking from Isadore to Trevor. "Isadore didn't sound sick when we were talking." They were... talking?! She just pat his foot! Maybe she communicated with the machine while she was messing with her data pad. "I guess that's a bad theory. I just don't know what to think about this, Mr. Teach. I guess in that way, we're not so different." She scratches at a cheek, tilting her head. "Sorry everyone is having their emotions at you so much. That happens here a lot, too. Everyone is very loud. They're a bunch of fools." A light pause, and she sighs. "Though no one really hates like you're describing, so at least that's good." </poem> <Pose Tracker> Trevor Teach has posed. <poem> Sometimes even the smartest person doesn't know something. But it's true, what really makes someone smart is that they actually go out of their way to fill in the gaps in their knowledge. That's what a proper non-fool person does!! "Let me know when you find out," Trevor answers with a smile, "I'm interested in knowing too!" "Her name's Elpeo, huh...?" He looks thoughtful at that. He'd... he might have been trying to not put a name to that awful grabby ghost. It's easier to fight against if you don't know the name of something so full of suffering. You're less overwhelmed by the sadness of it all. Too late now though. "So she's like Rita. Her 'sister.' I wonder if that has to do with the specific model of mobile suit...? What kind of system lets a mobile suit carry ghosts inside them?" They are both dead, then. But... "Banagher's not dead yet, no. And he won't die if the Garancieres' crew has anything to say about it." This is a dangerous Solar System, though. So-- who knows? 'Talking.' Trevor looks surprised-- but not for the reason you might think. "...I thought I was just bein' figurative. You can talk to him, too...?" 'Too?' "...Yeah. It's difficult. Is it a system? Is it a ghost? Whatever it is, I've never felt anything like it before. But-- I know it wants me dead just for existing, so there's not exactly much room for parlay." "...The pilot onboard complicates things, though. He's not going to last forever, and he's important to Rita. So... I need to catch them sooner rather than later." "Ahaha, don't worry about it," Trevor smiles, though his eye(s) do look mighty tired. "That's... just part of being a Newtype, I guess. Though I gotta say, it's ''way worse'' since I started running into all these ''Gundams.''" You might say Trevor's got a terminal case of the Gundams. It's a terrible condition, that. "...These people seem like they're decent, though. After all, you wouldn't be helping them if all they were was a 'bunch of fools,' right?" Beat. "I'm glad you've got yourself a decent family. It's important." </poem> <Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed. <poem> Trevor thusly earns five Ruri Points by being interested in learning answers. They can be redeemed for fabulous Ruri Prizes! Probably. "Ms. Ashta did say Mr. Links was different," Ruri says, of the Unicorn, though... she's still troubled, underneath her frosty exterior. But she's not about to ''say'' that. Leina got very upset, and she doesn't want to upset Trevor, too. She nods, when Trevor asks if she can talk to them, but she doesn't elaborate immediately. "I don't think it's either entirely mechanical or entirely a ghost," she suggests, instead, though her tone is uncertain. "Or maybe it's something else." Just like Asuka's... well, she can't really talk about that. She's still friends with a lot of people in NERV, so she won't go blabbing about their secrets, even now they've left the Federation. It's only after Trevor describes himself as a Newtype -- and describes the Nadesico -- that Ruri nods, again. "I want to be here. I want to stay with the Nadesico." A moment's more of a pause, and she adds: "I'm... a different kind of that thing, I guess. A Newtype for machines... I've never met anyone quite like me." There are some people with similar powers, but -- they all have key differences, really. "That's why Nergal made me the Nadesico's Operator, even though they don't usually hire young women my age." Hence the special tailored suit! A pause, and she adds: "I was talking to Isadore, before. Since I don't know him well, it's easier to have physical contact... I can reach out without that if I have to, but it's harder, with strangers." Another beat passes. "He likes non-synthetic oil grease best. Did you know? Apparently, those hydrocarbons are nicer." </poem> <Pose Tracker> Trevor Teach has posed. <poem> Ruri Prizes are valuable. For Nazo Naze Reasons, every pilot should own a kitty cat kigurumi of some stripe, after all! "He's a good kid, but I'm not sure how 'different' he is... Except for his machine, I guess? The Unicorn is pretty spooky too, but it's a lot less scary than the Banshee." Ruri didn't even need to worry about Trevor getting upset about the Unicorn-- he thinks it's pretty weird, too! But perhaps not in the exact same way. "Neither mechanical, nor entirely a ghost, eh...?" Trevor's brow furrows thoughtfully. It definitely didn't feel ''completely'' like a person, that's true. But then, what is it? "...S' hard for me to say. The only machines I've ever been able to connect with on that level have been the Phenex and its siblings-- and Isadore, 'course." "I didn't know he liked non-synthetic oil, though. That's new." Trevor casts a long gaze up at his machine's face as the almost... 'human' features are covered up by a new visor. "...I wonder where he picked that up...? Must've been since we've been in the Earth Sphere. Don't often get non-synthetic out in the Belt unless we loop near Jupiter, but Titanic Gas isn't generally lubricant-grade." It's all light hydrocarbons, nothing thick enough to make a good grease. "I'll keep that in mind, though. Thanks, Ruri. Isadore and I haven't had a chance to really 'talk' properly much, recently. Way too much... ''stuff'' going on." Maybe he needs to be more careful about that. "Well, I'm glad for you. It's a real talent, bein' able to speak to machines like that. It's something a lot of people don't think about, I think. They're our friends, even ones that can't talk to us. Without them, we wouldn't even be able to live out in space, and a whole bunch of other things." It's a shame that more people ''can't'' talk to their machines, Trevor thinks. They're not merely 'tools' but 'companions...' "My old crew, they don't have standards like that. But they went out on a limb for me, young as I was when they found me. So, I think I get it." "You want to do your best for the people who believe in what you can do, right?" </poem> <Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed. <poem> Meow...! Ruri shakes her head, just so. "I mean that he's alive," she clarifies, of how Banagher is different. Elpeo and Rita, after all, are both... well. That other option. Ruri does brighten up when Trevor mentions connecting to the Unicorns and Isadore, though. Humans who machines like are good people! This is Ruri's wisdom. She wonders whether it was frightening, flying so close to the Jovian Lizard's presumed base of operations, but... well, it would be tactless to ask. "It's good to find out what you like," she says, instead. "For instance, I only like fried rice. Steamed rice is no good. And it should have chicken, not pork or beef. Those meats are too heavy for rice, I think." She's of the age to be a picky eater, apparently. It's ''like'' having oil preferences. "Thank you. They are our friends," Ruri agrees, nodding. "And... well, the humans on the Nadesico... I guess they're my friends too," she presses her hands together, trying not to look too embarrassed to admit it. "They believe in me, so... yeah. Anyway, they're hopeless without me, so I'd better look out for them." She's ''still thirteen,'' but what young teenager ''doesn't'' think they're the lynchpin running the show? She pauses, and adds, glancing back up to him. "It's... nice to know other people got started on ships young, too. Ms. Ashta also said she was like that... well, sometimes I feel a little awkward, since everyone's older, and a lot of people worry about me, but I guess I wasn't the first one to start out like this." Imagine ''not being the only one something happened to.'' This, too, is a revelation for young Ruri. (It's not a bad feeling, though.) </poem> <Pose Tracker> Trevor Teach has posed. <poem> "Oh!!" That-- is a very important difference between Banagher and the other two. "Well, yes, that is very true. He is certainly alive, ahahaha~" Though a spirit can be 'alive' in a way, too. Or at least, Rita certainly acted very 'alive', though she is undeniably dead. Ruri only likes fried rice. For some reason, Trevor wonders if she would like... "...What about fish?" He asks, scratching his cheek. "There's this one type of fried rice that uses salted fish. It's ''really'' flavorful, and not heavy at all." Nevermind that he only knows about salted fish fried rice because the ''only'' kind of fish they could get on Vesta was the extremely preserved variety. "You're right, though. It's good that I'm not the only one enjoying our time away from home. Heh." 'Home' is still Vesta, it seems. A place so close to the Jovian Lizards... But perhaps also a place far beneath their notice. "It's important to find a bunch of different kinds of friends," Trevor nods wisely. "It's one of the things I'm most thankful for finding, coming out all this way. Your world is much smaller if all your friends are the same, isn't it?" Maybe they would be helpless without their Electronic Fairy, though. After all, she ''is'' on casual chatting terms with Omoikane, and that's pretty dang important! He flashes her a warm, if DECIDEDLY ROGUISH grin. "Ah, yeah! It's actually not too uncommon out in space. So if you ever need any advice on how to get by with anything, don't be afraid to drop me a line! I'm sure Isadore would like hearing from you, too. Us shipboard kids need to stick together, no matter how old we are. It's like we're a really spread out family too, right? So if you've got something you're worried about, just let your big brothers know, eh?" And 'family' is very important. ... Besides, Ruri has POWERFUL 'little sister' energy. </poem> <Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed. <poem> "I do like fish," Ruri says, "but I don't really like eating them. Ever since I can remember, they've always been my favourite animals. I've always had hanging decorations with them... and a big whale, too. They're not fish, but I still like them, anyway. I look at them every night, before I go to sleep." oh noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo It's fine, though. Having a bunch of different friends is important! "It is," Ruri supposes, "though they're still a bunch of fools." On the bright side, Ruri is so attached to ''her'' F-word that she hasn't picked up any ''other'' F-words, as the youth tend to do. She blinks in surprise, though, when she beholds that ROGUISH GRIN. "I've never had a big brother before," she says, a little stunned. Omoikane is family to her, but he's also younger than her! She's the ''big sister!'' SHE HAS BIG SISTER ENERGY!! Luckily, she doesn't get embarrassed about that, because she's not psychic enough towards ''humans'' to realise that's the feeling at issue. "But the word for it is 'shipboard child'... okay. I'll have to look that up," Ruri decides, with a nod. She copes with an awful lot of things by checking the encyclopedia entry, doesn't she? "I'm happy I can rely on you, Trevor-san," Ruri decides, and -- well, she keeps borrowing from Japanese to keep some remove between her and everyone else using their first names, but it's a victory in two parts that she's ''willing'' to, here. (Broadly, because her friends have finally gotten her willing to trust people; narrowly, because she's gotten the impression she can trust ''Trevor.'') "Anyone who gets along with machines like you is a good person, I think." </poem> <Pose Tracker> Trevor Teach has posed. <poem> OH NO SHE'S TOO DAMN CUTE "A-ahaha, I see, I see! That's good to know!" Already, Trevor has ideas for SPECIAL PRESENTS to bring back to the Nadesico. The image of Ruri hugging a giant stuffed fish or whale pops into his head and almost unleashes a psychic pulse of ADORABLE CREATURE IMPULSE through the Nadesico's crew. They might, admittedly, all be relatively resistant to that sort of thing by now, though. After all, Trevor's just visiting. They ''live'' with this ultra cute entity. "Well, I won't say I'm not a bit of a fool myself, sometimes," Trevor strokes contemplatively at his chin, "But I'll do my best to be a good brother, even if I'm not sure how often I'll actually be onboard." Though with the Garencieres Crew essentially acting as part of the 3SA these days, it won't be too infrequent. "A lot of us weren't born and raised on 'ships,' but little asteroid colonies out in the boonies are almost the same thing. Nowhere near as fancy as the Nadesico, though. You've got way better food than we did." Nutripaste is vastly inferior to even steamed rice. "If you ever require the services of a Dread Pirate, or just need someone to talk to, I'd be glad to help, Ruri~" Trevor is NOT Japanese in even the slightest. The finer points of the language are utterly lost on him, but he's not entirely unfamiliar with at least some of the nuance. "I think the same of you. Anyone who looks at machines as friends instead of just as tools or weapons, is a good person. Though I'll admit, I'm closest to Isadore, myself." He can't easily talk to most other machines after all. </poem> <Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed. <poem> Inez Fressange, on the other end of the ship, turns to the camera. "Actually, while whales are cetaceans, you might be interested to know that sharks are fish! Manta rays are considered fish, too!" Jun Aoi gives her an utterly queer expression, from where she was bandaging up his hand from a completely unrelated hijink. "Why is that important...?" Inez smiles to him, all too mysterious, and keeps bandaging. She felt an opportunity to explain, and by God, she took it. Ruri, on the other hand, is busy listening closely to Trevor's asteroid stories. "Ms. Howmei is the best at what she does," she agrees. "Akito-san is good, too, though he doesn't have enough confidence in himself, I think. Arriety-san's been studying under her, and she's also doing well... I wonder if she'd be happier if she did more cooking." And, implicitly, less robot warring. She's been worried about her, with the things she's heard and seen. "It's okay," Ruri decides. "I'm closest to Omoikane, but I have lots of other friends, too. That's normal." She pauses, and adds: "I don't know much about pirates, though, Trevor-san. Can you tell me what Dread Pirates do?" IT'S STORY TIME! TIME FOR A HUNDRED STORIES! The camera won't be able to ''cope'' with all these stories. </poem>