2024-03-01: Weird But Nice

• Cutscene: Weird But Nice
• Cast: Shari Loom, Gerardo Aritza
• Where: Barcelona, Spain, AEU / Fujinomiya City, Japan, OCU
• Date: September 0098
• Summary: Gerardo and Shari have a chance to catch up about their future apartment together! ...But while they're at it, they talk about peace and conflict.

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Shari and Gerardo are on a video call, pictures and printouts spread out before both of them on their respective sides. It's about seven in the evening for her, and morning for him. He's at home; she's in a room at the PPL.

Gerardo looks over the floor plan for the place they'd settled on, at a few more of the pictures Shari sent him of the complex. "You were thorough with these. They did not mind you taking so many?"

"Not at all! They seemed happy I was interested." Shari pauses, and her eyes light up on the screen. "Oh! That reminds me, heheh. When I was doing tours at this other complex--not this one, this other one--there was this weird lady doing the touring."

"A weird lady? How unkind," Gerardo laughs. "That you would call her so."

"Pff." Shari laughs. "I guess. But no, she was really nice. Just weird. Called herself 'the Second'. She was 'Had a tablet full of things in alien language' weird."

"Oh. So your type of weird, then." He sounds rather more serious at that. Probably.

"Rude." Pause. "Accurate, but rude. ...yeah. My kind of weird. But not my kind, either. Supposedly she was looking for 'monsters'... but I told her I got out of that kind of thing, and she said I shouldn't get involved, in that case."

"Ahah..." Gerardo looks contrite, "I apologize. I had meant no offense."

"It's fine. That kind of thing is my kind of weird. ...But not this time. I didn't get involved. She left. I'm... I'm enjoying, not doing fighting. Just making technology for more 'heroic' people."

"All right. Yes, it is so. ...Did you wish to, though?"

"...No," Shari thinks. "No, not really. I'm enjoying 'peace'. I'm looking forward to living like that. With you."

"The romance of battle! ...It is not really my way, either," he says, with a more lopsided smile for her.

"Right. Mine, either. My friend, she said that you've gotta be a little crazy to think that way. ...And I'm not so sure that's true, but it makes me feel a little better, not wanting to fight either."

"This friend... Perhaps I would not say it that way. But it is usual, is it not? To wish to live in peace. Especially in this difficult world of ours."

"...Right," Shari answers. "And don't worry about that--she's just kind of like that. It's one of her charm points!"

"And one of yours is that you think so much. is it not so?"

"You can't really /like/ hearing me babble about stuff like that."

"Ah, ha ha! But I do! ...Still, you say that things will be ready when I arrive, then?"

"Yes. It's all sorted out now. You just need to bring you and your stuff!"

"You know? I have not been outside the AEU! This will be very interesting. It is you who will have to teach me of the language, this time."

"Heheh. I don't know the food here as well as you do there, but... I've gotten some good advice, anyway." A beat, "This cool artsy girl I met said that university cafeterias are surprisingly good, say. And I'm still looking at that school here..."

"Enjoy your gap year before you finish settling in too much," he advises. "That is what they say. That this is a year for seeing the world and finding a place in it!"

"Sure, sure. But I bet you'll have it down in weeks anyway. And I still can't wait to show you around the PPL..."

"Yes, yes! This will be excellent. If they are not too busy I wish to meet the two Doctors!"

"Haha, right. Dork. I can't believe you're such a big fan of my bosses."

"Anyone might be! If I ever chose to fight, it would be in a manner like them, hoping I could bring such passion to bear."

"Totally. It's a lot better than how I used to do it, anyway." A beat, "So things are good on your end, then? Your mom's not upset about you leaving soon?"

"Mama has changed to managing my departure," he says with a fond sigh. "She wishes to ensure every detail is perfect. At first I thought the help was nice but now it is all I can do to remind her that I am the one going, and not her! But she has also insisted that I brush up on my own cooking. 'If I cannot be there to feed her, then you had best ensure you do', she says of you. I understand why you are reluctant to come back within NUNE, but she wishes to hear from you again soon."

"Your mom liking me that much makes me nervous," Shari admits. "...But it's nice, too. I can call her in a bit, OK?"

"Very good!" Gerardo says, "She will be pleased to hear it. And I will be pleased to have some peace!" He jokes. "...But no, I am appreciative of what I have. And that this will soon include your presence all the more."

"Me too," Shari answers. "I know we used to go a long while without seeing each other in person, but since it's getting closer, it's... harder to wait. Right? It's like that for me, anyway."

"And for me as well! And not only for 'seeing', hm?"

"Heheh. Definitely. ...Ah, but I should be getting out of the office, I'm way off shift. You can still talk later too, right?"

"Yes," he says. "It is yet early here!"

"Great. ...Then I'll talk to you later. Check out the in-suite laundry, by the way--so much better than how it was back in my last place. OK, bye!"

Shari can imagine Gerardo looking into a blank screen a moment the same way she does. But as she does, she thinks back to what they talked about. "Fighting with passion, huh...?"

She stands up, stretches, and then starts to gather up her stuff. "Maybe everybody else can do it, but..."

"I'm not the type..."