2023-12-15: Meeting of the Minds

• Log: Meeting of the Minds
• Cast: Shari Loom, Naoko Suzuki
• Where: Hangar Bay, Ra Mari II
• OOC - IC Date: 0097-12-15
• Summary: One Whispered calls on another for assistance in keeping safe from the Void's Empress, and a collaborative effort is agreed upon.

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<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.

From Spain to space...

Well, that's what Shari assumed it would be, but as it happens, the Ra Mari II is in Orb at the moment, and so Shari ended up taking a flight out there. It was...

Well, it would've been boring, except for the fact that she had Leina around to hang out with. Today it's been a clear day from Her, but last night wasn't, so she ended up sleeping for a lot of the trip. Now, though...

Well, 'now' is premature. 'An hour ago' is more appropriate.

An hour ago, Nova got a text from Leina saying that she was on the Ra Mari II, and so was Shari Loom. Shari is going to go see her shortly! Leina dropped in on Naoko to set things up, and now...

Shari refused to go in a crate. Especially a crate done up like a cake. So she walks over to the appointed space and--

Knock knock. "Um..."

"Naoko?" Shari greets. "It's uh. It's Shari."

<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.

An hour ago. You give an hour notice to someone who is acutely aware of the game you're playing, saying you're bringing the other player involved. What was Nova supposed to think, Leina?! Needless to say, absolutely nothing could be said to her to remove any anxiety involved on such short notice.

The best she was capable of was to redirect it. Shari needing her help, she can't very well ignore that. Even if these circumstances are extremely suspicious... she had no reason to assume Leina would have lied about Shari's predicament, which makes it all the more baffling that she's come all the way over here. She knows better than to ask Leina her questions, though. She'll ask them of Shari herself. ...Which is probably what Leina would prefer, anyway. Ugh, she just can't win.

In any case, arrangements were made, sort of. Naoko gave directions to a door behind a messy work area in the corner of the hangar, leading to the adjoining parts storage area. Because that way, she could get out of a sight for a moment, try and calm herself down talking to her friends... that usually helps well enough. So by the time there's a knock on the door... well, no, Naoko is still anxious, that doesn't completely go away so easily. Especially since she doesn't want to fall back onto the Nova persona, not for this. But she'll do her best.

The door opens only a crack at first, a single green eye peeking out. Just... making sure it's only Shari. Only then does she fully open it the rest of the way.

"Uh, hi."

...Is that all she's going to say?? Awkward. It takes a few agonizing seconds before she continues.

"Um. I don't know where's best to go...? Like, should this be a private thing, or..." She shakes her head, attempting to refocus. "But, wait, how are you here, anyway? I mean, good, but, I thought it was super dangerous for you to just... leave. Are you gonna be okay?"

<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.

An hour!!

It is indeed just Shari, gray-eyed and pink-haired and be-overalled. It is awkward when she starts to not say anything, and Shari glances to the side. "Hi..."

Oh. Is that all?

"Here's fine," Shari says, "Wherever you can... work, I guess." Pause.

"Well, the Empress has been yelling at me about it," Shari says, "But I'm not sure She's noticed that I left. It's just the normal yelling."

"And my aunts might or might not be following me, but Leina and I have been pretty careful..."

"Um. Well, I couldn't stay. Finding out that Elisa is also Her was..."

"I mean, Elisa was always nice to me. And She never was. I can't..."

"I can't take it from both ways, like that. And... you said you might have a solution to my problem, so..."

"Um... is it okay?" Shari asks. "I know I kinda dropped in on you... I'm kinda on the run, you know?"

<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.

Naoko doesn't quite understand 'wherever she can work'. As long as she has tools - and she usually does, they can be heard clanging around in her roomy pockets right now - she can work basically anywhere. She just can't function everywhere. Which is why this is a quiet corner of the hangar where she hangs out, away from the busier sections.

Empress yelling... she frowns at that. Not a greater concern, then, but still the regular amount. She would've loved to be able to immediately say that she has the solution all ready to go, but... not quite, just yet.

But that's something that she can work on. If Shari's aunts decided to get involved, she wouldn't even begin to know how to solve that problem. "Well... you know them better than I do, but. You haven't been teleported back yet." Which is what she expected would happen if they'd tried to free Shari, much like what happened before. She's not sure what to think about that, she can only hope there isn't some kind of scheme involved here. Of the Kafims, of course. Shari isn't scheming anything, she's pretty sure.

Naoko scratches the back of her head. "I don't know whether it's 'okay', in general, but it's okay by me. I'd rather you be here than anywhere else, it's best if you stay close by me."

It takes her a moment to replay her own words back to herself, and realize how that might have sounded. Upon which she frantically waves her hands in front of her. "Wait, no, that's not-- I mean, do-over, do-over!" She is so easily embarrassed. And half the time it's her own fault!

Very quickly, she corrects herself, "W-what I mean is... you know what I said, about my friends? If you're close by, then they don't have to leave me, but they can still help you, if you need it. That's... the best I can think of, for you, while we work on something to more permanently solve the problem."

Still just as sincerely invested about helping as she was before, as awkward as she is about communicating. Best not linger on it for too long, in her estimation. "...I'm sorry, though, about the way that all went. That must suck, when someone turns out to be so different than you thought they were for a very long time."

<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.

"That's true. I had a... crystal, that drew on energy from that dimension. It was how Elisa could keep track of me. But I left it behind. So she doesn't have a way of just, tracking me easily. ...She's got a great IT guy, though, and he could probably find me if he wanted to."

"Not sure why he hasn't yet."

But whether it's 'okay'... Probably, Leina warned Enba. Probably. "I--"

Shari actually smiles, when Naoko suddenly goes frantic. "That's sweet," she says. "Thanks."

She corrects herself, but Shari still remembers that sincerity in the first place. "You're a good friend," she tells her. "Hmmm, OK. Yeah, that's... it."

"...Yeah," Shari says. "I mean, I'm not stupid. I know she's an immortal horror witch and she kills people. But she was always nice to me. So I was able to just... let it slide, you know? Not think about it. But I can't do that anymore."

"I..." Pause. "I also thought about your solution, and I think I have some ways to test it?"

"Usually when I work on this kind of tech I'm afraid of her noticing, but... If your friends are around to help, then maybe I can tinker at it without Her shouting at me so much..."

She pauses. "Um."

"Thanks."

<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.

Ah, so this Void stuff can act as a kind of homing beacon. Stands to reason that someone who's actually from The Other Place would be able to tell where pieces of it are. Thankfully some of this still makes logical sense. And it's a relief that it's not so much of a factor, because Naoko wouldn't be confident in her ability to oppose that. An IT guy, though... that actually makes her smile at the prospect.

"Ooh. You think you might be needing a bit of counter-hacking? I've always wanted to have a programmer battle, especially against somebody really good."

She may be easily embarrassed, but it won't be about her nerdiness. Naoko has fully embraced that aspect of herself, genuinely excited about nerding out as hard as she can.

...Has anyone ever called her 'sweet' before, though? In a non-candy-related context? Right now, she isn't sure, but she is sure that this is horribly embarrassing. A good friend, though... "...I try to be," she quietly admits. She'd rather not talk about how much effort it was for her to make friends at all, in the past. Perhaps it's obvious, regardless.

Somehow, it's easier for her to talk about things like horror witches, making her a bit more animated again, and actually chuckle. "Hey, you don't have to explain, I totally get it. How do you think I felt when I discovered my favorite comfort streamer was actually committing terrorism on the regular?" ...Maybe that's not exactly the same, but it feels similar enough to her. And she's still basically letting that slide a lot more than she probably should. So she has no room to talk here.

But there's few more comfortable topics than work, in the end. Especially with someone who is actually on the same level, in that regard. "Oh yeah? Best I could figure was trying to replicate the process, basically make a new Friend just for you. I've just, uh, sorta figured out that one of my Things is miniaturization? So if you need something to be smaller than it normally is, that's something I can help with. But uh, yeah, I'd love to see what you've come up with, I'm sure between the two of us we can put together something really amazing. And, maybe you can help me too, I could really use your help in fine-tuning my idea for fighting against Void Stuff, which, maybe is something you could use too!"

She pauses. "Sorry, just, I ramble, it happens." Another pause. "...You're welcome."

<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.

"Really?" Shari asks. "Well, you'd have a fight on your hands. He was part of the REA's whole operation until he left to work for Elisa and Yuliana." But if Naoko wants to try... It's kind of impressive, that she goes for it for that immediately.

Still, Shari doesn't harp on Naoko's embarrassment--not now, anyway. The teasing would be kind of a hard way to repay her...

She notices the difference, though. "Oh, wow. That would be something," Shari says, though, "But I mean, I do terrorism too, so..."

Work! "Hmm. That's a good idea," Shari says. "That's cool. Miniaturization is really impressive! But... What I'd come up with? Well..."

"The thing about Void Stuff is that that dimension is just energy--like, it's not good or bad, it just is. It's the Empress in the Void that you have to worry about. Like, I can do lots of stuff with that energy that aren't related to Her. It's a very potent energy source. But more to the point..."

A smile. "I don't mind rambling. It's OK. And..." She gestures. "I just--I'm not used to people... Liking my stuff, either."

"Anyway what I meant was--"

"I can make crystals that are attuned to that dimension--they absorb energy. Elisa can do... weird things with those crystals, but what I can do is test for the presence of that energy, and maybe..."

"If you can keep me safe long enough to work on it, maybe I can absorb that attention?"

<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.

(Yes Naoko's good on teasing, someone else is bound to have that covered.)

Well, if it's impressive to be confident in your skills, then Naoko is certainly that. A chance to try and out-code a fellow expert is something she'd more more readily commit to than... having a conversation, any given one. "Good! Wouldn't be a point if it was gonna be easy."

She instantly feels bad when Shari calls herself out on committing terrorism also. "What? No, that's... that's different. It's not like you did that because you just really like terrorism, right? And, and besides, I guess I sorta did that too, from a certain point of view? It's, it's all relative isn't it? Uhhh, I forgot what point I was making..." Politics, also not something Naoko is any good with. Maybe she should have just said the streamer was toxic IRL or something...

Back to Work! The Void energy comparison seems to be exciting to Naoko, for a reason which she can't wait to interject about. "Oh, I know! Just like Photon Power, the whole 'God or Devil' deal." It's just that the God/Devil thing can refer to more than just the robots using it, in this case. Close enough.

"I... I know the feeling," she answers Shari with a faint smile of her own. "People don't understand, do they? And, from what Leina said... I guess it would be bad for people to know too much about what we're doing." Which means they only have others of their kind to talk to about their work. It's still such a big relief, to know that there's others. Which reminds her...

She tables that thought, for a short moment, rubbing her chin. "I seeee... so that isn't just something the flowers did, it's a property of things related to the Void, in general. Like, it's energy, but also anti-energy? Or it's more like energy conversion, I guess. Fascinating..." It's something she'll need to take into account. No point in fighting energy with energy, if your own energy could just be absorbed and used against you.

"So... you're thinking like a crystal shield, basically? But instead of reflecting, absorbing. Sounds pretty awesome! And uh, gotta admit. Probably better than my idea, in the end. I'm starting to figure out that maybe what works best for me isn't what would work best for everyone. But I'm sure it'll work for the mean time! I'll think of something if need be, I won't let you down!"

Even if she said it with the same level of confidence, that visibly did embarrass her a little to say. Well. Prime opportunity to say the other important thing. "...Hey, Shari? If it helps. I think you should know that... there's a reason. I've learned that there's a source, someone the Whispers come from. It's not just... something that's wrong with us."

<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.

"Haha. Okay. Good luck. He's... I mean, the thing with him is he does everything because it's 'funny'. So maybe that'll help?"

Shari listens as Naoko tries to talk her out about the terrorism thing. "...I guess," Shari admits, that she doesn't just Really Like Terrorism. "But really? Oh, I guess the Alliance is kind of illegal, huh?"

That helps. Work, though. "Exactly," Shari says. "..It's just, there's something that lives there that you want to avoid, too."

But Naoko gets it. "...Yeah," she says. "Even before She started yelling at me, I always... Well, I was always weird, I guess. It's why my parents were so glad to get a 'normal' kid, probably."

But? "Right! It sort of... converts everything to be Like It, if that makes sense? And that means absorbing energy, for the most part."

"Mm-hm. If I can sort of reverse what Elisa does with the crystals, then maybe I can shield people from it. " She smiles. "I think a Friend would still be good though. Even if only for a while. It works for you, after all." She won't...

"I'm sure you won't." Then--she tilts her head. "Huh?"

"A... a reason?" she asks. "There is?"

<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.

"Hm. So he'd do the funniest thing, rather than the smartest thing? Guess we'd finally have an answer to who would win in a fight, smart or funny." ...That has to be something that people have always wondered about, right? Maybe we'll find out, one day...

She will cop to her lack of smarts in another area though, sheepishly admitting, "Gotta be honest, I really don't know how it works. I just know bad guys when I see 'em, and I've seen none on this ship." Big claim, for a big ship. True though, as far as Naoko's been able to tell. The Good vs. Evil mentality tends to generally be enough for her to get by... if it gets more complicated than that, she's in trouble.

Naoko waves a hand, in regards to the Void. "Well don't worry about me, I'm not looking to intrude. It's good that you know how to handle it, I'll stick to my own stuff, which... should be able to repel it in its own way. Wish I could tell you more, but a lot of it's still theory, right now. And it's kind of... large-scale, so it could take me a while. But I'll show you when I've got something!"

Naoko smiles, running her fingers across the hairclips she wears. Not so weird for her to pet her own accessories, when you know they're alive. Silent now, though, because while their corner may be quiet, it's still the main hangar, other people are passing by all the time. "I'm glad you think so... but, they can be a lot, too. They've been with me for so long that I've adapted, but, uh..."

She looks pensive for a moment. It's a bit hard to explain to someone who hasn't experienced it. Probably best to keep to simple. "They kind of... influence you. Like... well, I'd pick Ariel to look after you, but while she's attuned to you, you might feel a bit... calmer than usual. More cautious, maybe... skittish, even. And with only Uriel, I may be a little bit more the opposite. Louder, more excitable, more, um... rude. It's a hassle, if they're not working in tandem. I hope it won't be too bad, if it's only for a little while."

The topic of the Whispers, though... it was a major relief for Naoko, hearing that there was something 'behind' them. Now that she's said it, she's a bit worried that Shari won't take it the same way. But, she's already committed, now. She takes a deep breath. "...Okay, so... I guess what I'm saying is, us being not 'normal' kids, all the... Mind Stuff, that we got. Someone is behind that. I don't know who, or what the reason is, but... I know it exists. It's a real thing, an answer that can be found."

She looks away briefly. "...I only just now realized that it might sound a lot like the Empress to you. I guess I can't really disprove that it isn't like that. But... it doesn't feel that way to me. Right now, it feels more like... we're being given the tools we need to protect ourselves. Even if I don't know what greater plan there might be... after I found out about that, I feel like everything I've been through could have meant something. That it could have been good for something. I hope you can look at it that way, too."

<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.

"He's good enough that it's usually both, so don't underestimate him. But... yeah. I think he'd be willing to lose if he thought it was funnier."

But good and bad guys? Shari 'hmms' a little at that. "I don't," she admits. "I don't know anything about stuff like that. I just... Don't want to sit around and not do anything, anymore."

"It's totally not intruding," Shari answers. "Ooh theory. Well, I'll look forward to seeing it when you do, OK?"

The accessories... "Oh, is it like that...?" Shari 'hmms'. "So they attune that way... Well, I don't want to mess you up or anything. Do you think it'd work if I just... stayed near you when things got bad?"

"...Otherwise I'll just try to look out for it."

Shari might, or might not. It depends. "Oh..."

A real thing--indeed, Shari does worry about it for a moment. A big moment. "It does a little," Shari says. "But the Whispers except for that one Voice never hurt me. So... I'm still kinda suspicious, but... It's not like I can turn them off. Or.. Or want to. I like working with this stuff."

"I hope... I can feel that way about the Empress, too. One day."

<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.

Naoko's face scrunches up at the notion of 'losing if it was funnier'. If she takes on a challenge, she'll do whatever it takes to win. She can't even imagine a bit worth committing to so hard that you'd choose to lose over it. Somehow, this is making it sound like even more a challenge.

It's much easier to identify with, "That, that's it, just not being able to sit and watch a thing when there's something you know you could be doing about it, right? That's... well, I guess now that I have a robot, it's been a lot more than it used to be. I think I've helped to make a difference here and there, but... I keep feeling like there's more I should be doing." Which is what led to the bigger project she's planning to start on soon. But Shari's safety must take priority, there's no question about that. After that, once she has something to show, "I will!"

Naoko looks a little uncomfortable, scratching her cheek. "Weeeell, I might get a little messed up, but it's probably fine, as long as you realize that I might not be totally myself for a bit. Unfortunately it might be necessary, since that's how they shield your mind. They can't really do anything unless they're, you know... connected, as it were." She shrugs, exaggeratedly. "But, hey, who knows, maybe we won't need to go that far. Yeah, you just make sure to stay near me, and--" Hold on. Naoko needs a moment. Okay, just gonna try to gloss over that and finish the sentence. "--and, uh, if something happens, I'll just, do what I can." Not great, but it'll have to do.

Shari's take on the Whispers... it's a relief that it's not taken too badly. Naoko can only nod slightly. "I get that. I mean, yeah, I wouldn't give up what I can do for anything. I just think it's good to know that... one day, I might know Why." There's an emphasis on that last word. There's a lot of Whys involved. She can't help but frown a little, at the notion of somehow... managing to get along with the Empress. Not something she'd be looking to do, but... she says nothing about it. Not her place, she's not the one who had to deal with it so directly for so long.

If nothing else, she can at least state one thing with a confident smile. "Well then... I look forward to working with you, Shari."