2024-12-05: Fond Friends and Fondue
- Log: Fond Friends and Fondue
- Cast: Rikka Takarada, Akane Shinjo, Lina Lombardi, Qivi, Alouette Pommier, Kaworu Nagisa
- Where: Tokyo
- OOC - IC Date: U.C. 0099 12 05
- Summary: Today, Rikka Takarada turns twenty years old. A milestone like that deserves to be celebrated - and so, she's invited her friends and coworkers out to a casual get-together at one of Tokyo's finest cheese fondue places to share one of her favorite foods. It's an opportunity to just relax, catch up, and spend time with each other at the tail end of a rather turbulent year - one with the some of the highest highs and the lowest lows.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Today, Rikka Takarada turns twenty years old. She and Akane had discussed whether they wanted to celebrate the occasion with just the two of them, but eventually Rikka decided that it would be fun to extend and invitation to their general circle. She has a tendency to prefer a more low-key celebration... but this is a pretty big milestone in her life, and it seems like a good time to surround herself with people she knows.
It's been quite the year. She was selected as Chief of 3G Red, and helped prevent a diplomatic incident on Huffman Island... but this was also the year the world broke, the aftershocks of which are still felt to this day. Now is definitely the time to relax while they have this chance, and catch up with one another... and, of course, partake in some excellent food. For Rikka's twentieth, there's only one thing she has in mind.
Which is why, today, everyone is gathered in a certain restaurant in Tokyo famous for its cheese-based dishes. Today specifically, they're here for the cheese fondue, one of Rikka's favorite foods - which is why the party-sized booth they're all seated around features prominently in the center a fondue pot, kept at the optimal temperature. This place uses only the best cheeses, and naturally, they're accompanied by a spread of similar quality of meats, bread, veggies, and even a few select fruits.
"Let me know if we run out of anything you want. It's a big day, so I'm fine with going all out." Rikka advises as she carefully spears a chunk of french bread with one of the provided long-handled forks, each one with a color-coded handle to tell which is who's. The bread is dipped in the cheese and carefully removed, and then... It's hard to miss the look of delight that crosses Rikka's face. "...This was a great idea."
She leans back in the booth a little, taking a moment to sip at her tea.
"Thanks for coming, everyone. I figured we could all use something like this..." Rikka says. "It's been a rough year, but we've made it through. Here we all are."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Today, Rikka Takarada turns twenty years old -- and there are few people more delighted by that than Akane. The power to grow and change... that's a power the two of them have seized, the power to live life on their own terms. To be alive in the world, together. To be sixteen, to be seventeen, to be eighteen, to be nineteen -- and now, twenty.
Well, almost, for Akane. Just a few more weeks.
Right now, though -- she's celebrating Rikka's achievements. To be trusted with such responsibility at such a young age -- daunting, but also a powerful vote of confidence. To have potentially prevented another Huffman Conflict -- a sure sign of the ability to make the world better with her in it. ... It's the year the world broke -- but that means they have to keep moving forward. You can't live life flying standby, after all.
Akane is not quite as lucky on the cheese front as Rikka; she's, indeed, mildly lactose intolerant. ... which is, of course, why she medicated up for this. It's important to be able to go apeshit with your girlfriend.
"Hmm... I've eaten really clean for the last two weeks so I'm kind of craving salt... I want a double plate of the sausage, I think," she says, spearing it and dipping it in. She looks like she might well eat the second entire plate herself if she's left to her own devices, though hopefully she means for the table...
Nodding as Rikka offers a summation, Akane agrees, "... yeah. We're still here." They have this moment -- and of course, they have fondue. "Happy birthday, Rikka."
<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.
Lina had to admit, she really looked up to Lina. It definitely felt weird to say that about someone now ten years younger, but she had long since learned to push aside such hang-ups. With everything that had happened to her, and all she had accomplished despite that, a day like this was worth celebrating.
And so she took a fork, green handle, of course, taking a piece of bread and dipping it in. She had even brought a gift, conspicuously bottle-shaped and set on the table beside her. Before pulling her fork out, she made sure to guard her turtleneck with a napkin, tapping the bread on the side of the pot to shake off drippings and bringing it to her mouth.
"I definitely have no intention of not being here anytime soon. Buon compleanno."
<Pose Tracker> Qivi has posed.
Today, Rikka Takarada is twenty years old!
Qivi, from the infinitely older age of twenty-three (twenty-four in two days; her birthday is the 7th) is perfectly willing to come along to a celebration. She's coworkers with Rikka, but she knew her long before that, and she likes her, she likes Akane now that they've worked past most of their awkwardness... and she likes fondue, which she has just found out as she hasn't actually had it before. Hot pot yes; fondue no.
"Here we all are," she agrees, spinning the fork between her fingers before reaching over and snagging one of Akane's extra pieces of sausage with her fork, because she assumed it was for the table. She wiggles it slightly either in vague apology or triumph before it goes into the cheese, spinning it reasonably adroitly - she learned the trick.
It's the year the world broke, but it's also the year Qivi returned from space (and being thought dead) and so she is inclined to celebrate it. "Happy birthday!" she says, with rather more volume than is probably necessary. Qivi tends to boom a little bit when she gets excited.
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
The year is nearing its end - and it really has been a year. But there is still plenty to celebrate... like Rikka's birthday! Everything that happened this year aside, Alouette doesn't think GGG would be where it is right now without Rikka suddenly stepping up to leadership as young as she is - so she deserves to have time to enjoy the end of her teenage years, too.
And a sampling of the world's finest cheese fondue is an interesting way to do it, but as a French person, Alouette can approve of that. She takes a modest plate of a spread of her preference, though her inclination is to let the birthday girl go first.
In the many years they've known each other, they've made a lot of memories - of course, not all of them were pleasant, but today is a day to keep the good ones at heart. "It's hard to believe we've already been friends for four years now," Alouette muses. They've all had a lot of growing to do in that time... but not everyone makes Chief of a branch of GGG. "Happy birthday, Rikka!"
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
Kaworu is not much of a food person. He can eat, and he even will on occasion, but generally speaking he doesn't. His presence here at this Tokyo restaurant is thus not to indulge in delicious cheese fondue with Rikka, Akane, and the others, but simply to hang out and enjoy everyone's presence. Simply watching them eat with such lavish pleasure is plenty for him, and indeed, he's seated with naught but a cup of tea as a kindness to the waiter, watching the others feast with his ever-present smile.
"Happy birthday," he chimes in after Qivi and Alouette, smile focusing in on Rikka. "You truly have much to celebrate on this day."
He may simply leave it at that, but Kaworu is comfortable with being a silent but supportive presence.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"It's nice to indulge yourself every now and then." Rikka comments, as Akane says she wants a double plate of sausage. This is a celebration, after all.
Her own assortment, as it happens, is primarily bread and veggies, with some meat and fruit. It's the roast, seasoned potato that goes into the cheese next, though. It, too, receives a nod of approval.
"Thanks, everyone." Rikka says with a smile as she receives well-wishes. She glances, briefly, to the conspicuously bottled-shaped object Lina has brought with her. Rikka looks around at the entire table, taking the sight of everyone in. This really is a good group she's gathered. She's pretty lucky.
"It really is, though." Rikka agrees with a small laugh, at Alouette's comment. "Here's to four more, and beyond."
She takes a sip of her tea, then, and considers.
They're all still here - and they have no intentions of not being here.
"Anyone have any plans for next year?" Rikka asks, curious. "We're still house-hunting, but we have it narrowed down pretty well, I think."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane's eyed that conspicuously bottle-shaped gift a few times; she can guess what it is, and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't at least a little curious about it. ... All things being equal, though, she's hoping it waits until they get home.
Spearing another bit of sausage, Akane lazily twirls it in the cheese. "... Four years and then some... it really doesn't feel like that," she muses. Her eyes turn briefly to Kaworu as she says it. "The world's changed a lot... we've changed a lot too!" As far as she's concerned, the changes in them have been for the better -- and indeed, for a girl who never believed 'growing up' was on the table in the first place...
... it's a welcome time indeed.
Rikka prompts for plans for the next year, and Akane has to shoot Qivi and Alouette a quick capital-L Look. It's blink-and-you'll-miss-it, but even so... "I haven't really locked down anything for after our trip to see your mom," she says. "You already know most of the rest..."
She seems eager to hear from the rest of the table on this one, though. Another quick stab of food -- this time some bread. She's not going to exclusively eat the sausage.
<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.
"I can get you the number of the agent Sonia got me when I was hunting a couple years ago." Lina grabs a couple pieces of sausage, giving one a good dip. "As for me, I've finalized the blueprints for my new VF, so I'll likely be spending most of my time with R&D on base as we get it together."
She gingerly pops the dipped meat in her mouth, washing it down with a gulp of water. "I've also been meaning to block off some time to get back to Italy. It's been too long since I've been home, and especially after Rome, well..." She trailed off, deciding better than to bring up what everyone was aware of. "Well, my sister has been nagging me to stop by, help around the winery a bit, come hug her in person because it's not the same over video."
<Pose Tracker> Qivi has posed.
Qivi likes pretty much everything in the fondue and is being pretty indiscriminate about what she tries. She apparently believes in trying everything once.
"Hey, not everything's different," Qivi says, before admitting, "Though I'd have trouble picking something that's really not these days." She still feels like her, but does that count as 'not different', or only that she's used to - and comfortable with - the changes?
She chews thoughtfully for a moment, then catches that gaze from Akane. It's a bit of an effort to not respond or react to it; she freezes up for a moment...
...and then answers the question. "I think I'm gonna get back into the gladiator business," Qivi says. "I mean... maybe not the same way as before. I've got a job, now, after all. But I miss it. And I miss my wanzer. Sarangay's gone, but I've been working on a replacement. Akane knew, since I've been looking at parts since that meeting with the industry folks." She glances toward Lina. "Bit like that, except I want to do the heavy lifting myself. Like I used to."
"Past that, I've got a bunch of stuff I'm up to. I've been thinking..." Qivi trails off for a moment. "Maybe I should take equivalency tests. I mean, I'm not likely to go back to high school or anything, but technically, I never graduated."
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
"To many years of friendship," Alouette agrees with a smile, taking a long sip of her own tea - mint flavoured.
"Oh, by the way... it was a surprise, but I ran into Sheryl during work last week." Alouette brings up, while she adds some sausage (courtesy of Akane) and vegetables to her plate. And while Sheryl couldn't be here today, it might not be hard to imagine why. "I wish I could say that she was doing better... but she was thinking of you, Rikka."
Rikka asks about everyone's plans for next year, and Alouette is briefly distractly by Akane giving her that look. Alouette gives her a wink, the angle of her face conveniently obscured from Rikka by the moving of plates for just a moment. "Oh, househunting? Good luck with that... I'm sure you'll be able to find a nice place to settle down together."
"As for myself... well, next year is my 20th, so maybe I should start thinking about it." She considers. "...I think I'm finally happy where I'm at, though."
She looks to Lina, too, when she mentions how long it's been since she visited home. "I think it's a good idea to make some time for your family, if you can... I could even give that new fighter of yours' operating system a quick touch-up while you're on vacation." Alouette agrees, and offers at once. "I've definitely been spending a lot more time with my mom ever since this summer."
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
"None in particular. I'm simply waiting for the next crisis," Kaworu tells Rikka with an easygoing matter-of-factness that might make what he says sound like a joke. It is not a joke. "It's good to spend these moments in between them with friends."
Especially since, as Akane says, while the world may change, so have they, and for the better. He catches her look and smiles a bit wider, eyes shutting briefly. He turns his look next to Lina, red eyes sympathetic as she mentions wanting to go home to Italy, especially after what happened to Rome. Yes, no need to spell that one out. "It's good to see family when you're on good terms with them. I hope you get the chance," he tells her instead.
"Gladiator business?" he wonders, giving Qivi an inquisitive look. He nods otherwise, though. It sounds like she's keeping herself busy in productive ways. That's a good thing.
He takes a sip of tea while Alouette brings up Sheryl. His gaze turns a little more wistful as she talks about making it to twenty, though. There are things he could say about that, but he (soul) refrains. "Yes. It's important to find a home where you can be happy together," he chimes in after Alouette to Rikka instead. The time he spent in that home with Rei and Mari will remain a cherished memory for a long time to come.
He sees the furtive looks and shared winks, but does not read into them. Lilim are so charmingly strange sometimes.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"Oh, you did?" Rikka replies, looking toward Alouette with interest. She breathes a sigh of relief, and it's easy to tell that's a weight off her shoulders. "That's good. I've been worried about her... Even if she isn't doing better, it's nice to know she's still getting things done."
Akane agrees that it hasn't felt like four years. The world's changed a lot, and so have they... Rikka smiles, at that.
"We have. Older, and hopefully wiser... If only the me of a few years ago knew where she'd end up." Rikka says, and laughs just a little at Qivi's comment. "True. I guess some things do stay the same. There are some things I'm not in a hurry to make different... It's important to strike a fine balance, I guess."
She looks toward Akane as she continues. If she catches that Look, she doesn't call it out. Instead, she smiles. "I'm looking forward to that. It'll be nice to visit in person."
She looks toward Lina, then.
"Thanks. We could use some extra perspectives - and some extra people in our corner. It can be a little rough for us sometimes." Rikka replies with a nod. They have some already - but it doesn't hurt to have more options. Mention of a new VF, though, sparks a look of interest. "Oh, it's done? I'm looking forward to seeing the finished project once it's built."
She has an interest in machines, after all, and her college classes have only helped further that.
Qivi, meanwhile, is thinking about the gladiator business. Rikka nods thoughtfully.
"Your skills still seem pretty sharp... I bet you'll make a killing." Rikka says. Metaphorically. Equivalency tests, though - that gets another look of interest. "That's a great idea. If you need any help studying... let me know?"
She can't promise everyone's help, but she can at least offer her own.
"Thanks. And... it's true. I'm looking forward to it." Rikka offers Alouette with a smile as her wish for luck, and Kaworu at his sentiments. "...And we'll finally be able to stop hiding the cat, so that's a big plus."
Alouette is finally happy where she is... Rikka offers her a smile. "I'm glad. That's important."
As Alouette replies to Lina, Rikka nods.
"Yeah. Take the time out where you can... I'm sure they'd appreciate it."
She looks toward Kaworu, then. She nods. His tone is easygoing - but she knows him well enough by now to tell that what he says isn't a joke.
"It is." Rikka agrees with a smile. "It makes it all worthwhile when something does eventually happen."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
"Oh, that'd be a huge help," Akane answers Lina. "Thanks." ... It still feels strange -- having people volunteer to help. It's not how things went when she was a child -- at all, really. The feeling is warm, but it's also a little confusing sometimes... Since the topic lingers on househunting for a little bit, Akane says, "I think we're going to lock in on a place a couple blocks from Hinoki and Keita's. It's close to work, the train service to school is just a five minute walk... There's a couple other candidates if it doesn't work out, though."
(It's very obvious her heart is almost set on this one, though.)
Qivi's mention of the gladiator business gets a small, surprised expression from Akane -- but she doesn't seem condemnatory of it, either. "... Huh. Good luck!" Equivalency tests seem a little more her speed. "I thought about testing out of high school once... if you're doing it on the OCU side, it's not super hard. You're probably using harder math working on your Wanzer. I hear the English language test is a little easier if you're on the fence about which language?"
With a small 'crunch' as a couple of pieces of the stalk bend, Akane spears a piece of broccoli. "Sheryl... I'm seriously worried about her," Akane admits. "She did a lot for us..." The idea of leaving that debt unpaid makes her uneasy.
Nodding to Alouette, Akane adds, "The offer's still open if the two of you decide she should get OCU citizenship? I know it's a lot to ask to move, but..." The thought of being a parent of a Coordinator -- a known 'project' Coordinator, no less -- in the AEU still makes Akane uneasy right now.
Kaworu's comment about 'waiting for the next crisis' is something Akane is acutely aware is not a joke. "I'm not going to ask you to talk about work, but I hope NERV's handling things okay? We've been kind of slammed over here... it's more Blue's job than ours, but I can't imagine it's much easier for a multi-bloc initiative to juggle everything that's been going on."
For a few moments, Akane just looks at Rikka with a slightly-dreamy expression, listening to her talk. It's not until the cat comes up that she manages to drag herself out of her reverie. "I dunno, I kind of like the secret box mountain..." she admits, playfully. "We have had a couple of pretty close calls." Absently going through house floor plans in her head, she adds, "... We should put a cat tree in every room."
<Pose Tracker> Qivi has posed.
Qivi is perfectly happy to go on when Kaworu gives her a good excuse to.
"I used to be a wanzer gladiator," she explains. "Down on Huffman Island it's... well I'm not gonna say it's big business, but it's business. I used to be pretty big there... I was Rupidis' champion before I moved to Freedom City. It's where my callsign Sarangay came from, and the logo I use on my units."
"But I've been gone for a couple years. So I'd be starting again - I mean, I've got an advantage, I've done it before and I'm probably one of the best out there, but fans move on." Qivi grins. "It'll be a fun challenge. Except when I was missing in space," after the whole Jupiter event when she was MIA, "my old wanzer got sold for parts. I made that myself... I need to build something before I could enter again. That or use a shitty Tendus they had lying around or something, or all gimmick matches."
She pauses, then clarifies, "The Tendus is an ancient design. I do not want to use a Tendus." It has a *windshield*.
Qivi laughs. "Akane, I'm bilingual, the language part is not going to be the problem. I grew up in eastern Huffman, remember?" Which means Britannian Huffman. "Writing an essay is. I was never any good at that and I haven't tried in years. And math... maybe I use harder stuff with the wanzers, but it's different. But thanks." That to Rikka. "I'll try not to waste your time."
A pause. "Wait, you got a secret box mountain for the cat?" Did she miss that part? Well, if it is secret...
<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.
"I'd appreciate that, Alouette. We're going to incorporate a navigation AI into the system. Not on the level of one of the Super AIs, but I've always felt most comfortable with someone watching my back. And tell Sheryl next time I'm thinking of her."
She chuckles and gives Qivi a playful punch to the shoulder. "Heh, I know how you feel. Sometimes I miss the races I used to run in. Lemme know when you got a match and I'll check it out." She then turns to Rikka. "I'm very excited. I've never had something built from scratch before. It's going to be amazing. I've even got a name for it already."
"It'll be the Lombardi Custom. Just like my Papa's."
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
"She was... near Shanghai, while we were helping rebuild with the Carpenters. She seemed like she was interested in seeing how the state of the world looked with her own eyes," Alouette explains, as to what Sheryl was up to. "After what happened... I don't really blame her. But it sounds like she's hired some people to look after her... so I'm confident she's safe and sound." She adds, hearing Rikka's sigh of relief.
She seems pretty interested in Qivi's talk about her Wanzer Gladiator life, just out of her love for technology. But there's a slight shudder when Qivi brings up the Tendus. "I'd say 'it isn't the performance of the mobile weapon that matters', but in this case... I think it does." She says, with a small giggle. "That thing wasn't even good enough to clear a high school obstacle course." Collectively failing the Millympics and embarassing themselves is just one fond memory Alouette shares with Rikka.
Alouette nods when Akane mentions the offer for OCU citizenship is still open. "Yes... I appreciate it. It seems she's on board with it, so we got most of the paperwork done... so it just comes down to finding a good time to move." She understands Akane's unease, and shares much of it herself. "Doing that during the holidays doesn't sound fun, so that's likely an early next year project."
Alouette looks to Kaworu and Akane again, when the topic of the 'next crisis' comes up. "As the Captain of Blue's mobile team, I might be the primary point of contact on that," She says. "But I'm still of the opinion that we should handle some of these problems together, if we can. Giant kaiju and science criminals don't exactly pay care to beurocratic splits, after all~" That's about all she says when it comes to the more poltic-y side of work, though.
It's also important that they don't have to hide the cat anymore. "I definitely need to visit little Balam... that's long overdue," Alouette remarks. And from what they plan to do... they might as well put the house under the cat's name instead.
Alouette nods, when Lina explains her plans for the new 'Lombardi Custom'. "De rien. A navigation support AI... I should be able to help with that." She knows it's often one of the first additions when converting a Coordinator-made OS to something more user-friendly - it's something a lot of pilots seem to be comfortable with. "I look forward to seeing how the Custom flies once it's all ready." She smiles.
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
Rikka understands well. But of that, Kaworu never had any doubt. "Indeed," he agrees. In the same way, she and Akane both understand that the next crisis is never far away. Though NERV and GGG have split, their goals remain much the same.
Superficially, anyway.
"It's all right for now. We're busy, but the next Angel is taking their time to appear," Kaworu tells Akane. "The finances department is pleased about that much." No Angels means not as much need to deploy more than one Evangelion at a time. He smiles over at Alouette when she suggests they ought to work together more often. "I agree. I have no interest in political divisions, and we're all friends here. There's no reason we can't cooperate when it comes to those things."
...for now.
He listens, thoughtful and curious, to Qivi's explanation. He hadn't noticed that when he'd been at Huffman Island, but then, he'd been there for very different reasons. "It sounds fascinating." Lina weighs in on checking out a match, and he nods agreement. "Yes, I'm interested in seeing one too."
He chuckles fondly as Rikka and Akane talk about not having to hide the cat anymore. It sounds like they have a fine life ahead of them.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"It'd be really convenient for us, honestly." Rikka replies with a nod, as Akane describes the place they're looking at. She listens in turn as Akane speaks, and at Qivi's comment about the secret box mountain, Rikka cracks a smirk.
"It might be not-so-secret if we're not careful. We aren't strictly supposed to have pets, but... if you saw him, you would understand. Hence, the need for a secret box mountain." Rikka replies. A cat tree in everyone room... "I don't know about every room, but... it'll be nice to give him extra space to play and explore."
She chuckles, and nods toward Alouette.
"We'll have to have you over to visit sometime, then." She replies.
As for being worried about Sheryl... Rikka nods.
"...Yeah. Me too." She agrees quietly, listening then as Alouette explains. "That sounds like her. I'm not surprised she'd want to see it for herself... Still, I'm glad to know she has good people with her."
She listens to everyone's back and forth, as they discuss current and future plans. Qivi brings up the Tendus, and Alouette mentions the Millympics, and Rikka laughs.
"I remember that. It might be because I grew up in a junk shop, but I felt a kind of rapport with it..." She pauses, and shakes her head. "...Not that I would want to jump into a real fight in one."
She looks toward Lina. A machine built from scratch just for her...
"That does sound incredible. I bet it'll fly like a dream." Rikka replies.
<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.
"You bet it will, especially with the ace pilot of 3G at the stick!" The ever-modest Lina chuckles, shoving another piece of bread in her mouth.
<Pose Tracker> Qivi has posed.
"I got nothing against the Tendus *in theory*," Qivi says, emphasizing this with another stab of her fork at a loose piece of sausage. "But bringing it to an arena match is ... that's a challenge match. Plus, I always do better in a machine I've tuned and worked with myself."
To Alouette, she explains, "It's because the Tendus isn't really meant for that. I mean it's what we use it for, it turns out to be a fantastic trainer, but it's actually not a combat machine at all. They built it to do military engineering, carrying bridge parts and doing earthworks and such. Some variants do mine-clearing or laying, and like Rikka guessed, salvage recovery. It's just fine at all of that. But during the first Huffman War they threw pretty much everything they had on the field, so... Honestly, if you *could* get it through an obstacle course I'd be impressed."
People seem interested, though. Even Kaworu, who she was not expecting. "I can get you tickets," she promises. "I can do that even if I'm not competing. But give me some time and I'll get you seats for a day I've got a match."
...
"I kinda want to meet the cat, too. Balam?" Qivi thinks she heard the name right. "Don't worry. I'm not gonna rat you out or anything. 'Not allowed to have a pet' is bullshit if it's big enough for one."
She may not have seen Rikka and Akane's current place.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane nods to Qivi, and adds, "I can help with exam stuff too. It can't be much worse than the U-FITS..." Akane... does not miss studying for the U-FITS. Very merciful thing to have in the rear-view -- and to be able to pay that effort forward is nice, too.
Akane loops around to the Lombardi Custom. "A navigation AI, huh... that's a good idea." She doesn't know as much about the technical side of things as ... anyone else at the table, actually; there's a reason that she landed in Intelligence and not Research or Mobile Corps. Still, that doesn't mean she's not interested.
Nodding to Alouette, she says, "I might be a little busy then, but let me know? You might try talking to Swan too..." Grinning at the mention of Balam, she says, "He's the best! He's really friendly to new people... you do wanna bring your hand around on his good side when you pet him, though. You don't wanna startle him." With a little more Balam talk at hand, she adds for Qivi, "Yeah, Balam. He's really good... though maybe sometimes he's a little too affectionate." There have been moments he's needed a wet food bribe to avoid being... inconveniently positioned.
Kaworu gets a smile and a nod. "If you want, I can come with. I've never seen that kind of stuff before either... it didn't really seem like my thing, but I bet it'd be fun with a group." ... Weird sentence to hear herself say sometimes, even still.
Akane finally returns her attention to the sausage -- and it slips off in the fondue! Oh no!!
"I hear in Britannia, if you lose something in the fondue..." Akane leans in toward Rikka -- and gives her a kiss on the cheek. "You gotta kiss someone~"
... then she gets that sausage back out of the fondue and eats it. ... so cheesy...
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
Little-known fact about Kaworu: he actually enjoys battling. This mostly applies to Evangelions, but there is a purity in the battles of others, too. He smiles (continues to smile) when Qivi agrees to get him tickets, and when Akane offers to go see a match with him (and Lina?). "I'd enjoy that," he tells them both.
Rikka continues to enjoy herself, from talking about her cat's secret box mountain to her relief at Sheryl Nome's situation to lightly effusing about machines built from scratch, all surrounded by her friends and love. It's truly endearing to watch. Kaworu takes another sip of his tea. Yes, this truly is a good moment in between crises.
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
Alouette nods in agreement, when Kaworu says they're all friends, and that's more important to her than the political divisions.
"Right... she's always been stubborn when she sets her mind to something," Alouette says, of Sheryl. "I hope she knows, the world cares about her, just as much as she cares about it." She concludes.
The Tendus though... "When you put it like that... it's kind of an adorable machine, you know? It might be outdated, but it still pushes itself to the limit." She agrees, when Rikka says she has a certain affection to it. And Qivi explains that's because it wasn't meant to fight at all. "Isn't that wonderful?" She remarks, of all the things it can do. "Thanks... I'll be cheering you on!" Alouette adds, when Qivi offers tickets.
"That's a good idea," Alouette considers, about asking Swan. "I'm sure there's no shortage of people willing to help... we just have to find the right time for it." As for Balam... "I'm not very used to cats... but he sounds very charming. Hopefully we can be friends," She grins - and keeps the advice in mind too.
And then she blinks when Akane mentions a Britannian tradition for dropping things in fondue. "You totally made that one up, didn't you?" Alouette squints. "I doubt you two need a good excuse for a birthday kiss."
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"Especially." Rikka agrees, with a chuckle at Lina's bravado.
She listens intently as Qivi explains the intended purpose behind the Tendus.
"That's fascinating... It makes a lot of sense, too. I can definitely see how that would be useful." Rikka says, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I think there's a lot of room for a machine with uses outside of battle. That's something I've been looking into. My interest is rescue, but salvage is important, too."
Rikka nods at Alouette's comment.
"It is adorable. It makes me want to cheer it on." She agrees.
Akane enthuses about Balam, and Rikka smiles fondly.
"I think you'll love him. And... I'm sure you'll get along well. He might be cautious at first, but he has a big heart." Rikka says to Qivi, and then to Alouette. She laughs just a bit sheepishly as Akane brings up the bribes. "That's part of having a cat, I guess. You run the risk of losing time because he's decided it's time to cuddle."
As for the size of the place,
"It's... a little small, but we've made it work for the three of us. It probably wouldn't be right for, like, a dog, but one cat..." She shakes her head. "Still, it'll be kind of nice to have some open space again."
Akane tries to dip something in the fondue... and loses it! Rikka looks toward Akane as she leans - and lets out a fond laugh as she receives a kiss on the cheek!
"Is that so~? I'll have to remember that one." Rikka replies - and Alouette's comment gets a laugh, too. "We don't... but I'm not going to complain about having more reasons."
There's an air of warm, friendly cheer around. Rikka is satisfied - she's glad she decided she wanted to do this with a group. She needed this - they all needed this - and with them, they've made her twentieth a day she won't soon forget.