2022-03-23: Essential Travel
- Log: 2022-03-23: Essential Travel
- Cast: Emilia Eschonbach, Milly Ashford, Kallen Kozuki
- Where: Tenchu Orbital Elevator, Orbital Ring
- OOC - IC Date: 24 March 0096
- Summary: As Student Council President, Milly Ashford has chosen to intervene in a bullying case by... taking the victim to the orbital ring for a Sheryl Nome concert. She has taken a fellow Student Council member to help. Somehow.
<Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.
Emilia Eschonbach, dressed in mild pastels that are definitely from a thrift store, has spent the trip up the orbital elevator strapped into her seat and being quiet and small. Internally, she is oscillating between excitement and terror. Excitement to finally, *finally* go into space for even a little bit.
The terror is about what her Grandfather will do when he finds out.
But when Milly informed her that this was happening- and some of the reasoning she sort of followed, Emilia went with it.
As they make their way to the elevator, it's pretty clear Emilia has no idea how to move in space, clinging to a railing and or, if desperate, *maybe* grabbing for one of her fellow students. Her body may be light as a feather, but her soul is weighed down by anxiety. She's much more stable when she lands- clumsily- in the arrival lounge. It's crowded, busy, and people are moving left and right.
But not long after, it also has that view, and Emilia steps forward, slightly awed. Her eyes are wide as dinnerplates, looking out at stars as close as she's ever seen them. In the distance, the colonies she simultaneously desperately wants to and never dared go to. Her mouth drops open slightly at the sight of it, so vast and limitless, and free. Somewhere, perhaps, you couldn't be found, or hemmed in. This was what her father knew...
She may be caught up in the awe and her romanticized vision so much that she's definitely going to get bumped into or knocked over by someone if no one interferes.
<Pose Tracker> Milly Ashford has posed.
> Due to recent bullying incidents at Ashford Academy, Emilia Eschonbach has been assigned one-hour check-ins, twice weekly, with a member of the Ashford Academy Student Council.
> Many student council members are unavailable due to spring break travel. As a goodwill gesture, Ashford Academy has paid for Emilia Eschonbach to accompany Student Council representatives as needed to ensure peer support check-ins occur.
> No further action from you is required. If you have questions, contact the Ashford Academy Student Life Department.
Milly doesn't seem hurried or anxious or bothered. The Student Council President -- three years running, now! Three cheers for fourth-year student at a three-year high school, Milly Ashford! -- allows Emilia the chance to be small, though she does give her the gentle prompts of, 'Do you want anything from the drink cart?' and 'Are you okay?' a couple times during the train ride.
The arrival lounge is welcome, though. Glancing to her charges (which is absolutely how she thinks of them), Milly says, "Pace yourself," with a confident smile. "We've got a few days." Emilia also gets a gentle tap on the shoulder that transitions into a slightly firmer clasp. "Let's keep moving -- don't want to get trampled by the next wave of passengers out."
She then turns her attention to the *other* Student Council member accompanying her. "I can't imagine you've been here often either... I'm kind of surprised you held up as well on the ride as you did." She's never sure if she fully buys Kallen's waifish act -- there's a little too much color to those cheeks, a little too much alertness in the face of surprises -- but many times, it's best to avoid commenting when you don't know the whole story.
<Pose Tracker> Kallen Kozuki has posed.
Kallen Stadtfeld is only slightly embarrassed with herself. When Milly had asked if anyone wanted to join her on this excursion, she'd been unable to resist. Well, asked might have been the wrong word for what happened.
Milly apparently had some sort of secret charm power none of them know about, that partners with a pouty expression and crocodile tears. Because with every word, Kallen felt her resolve breaking down. Is this how everyone felt at first, when being roped into her fun? ...She could get used to it.
Kallen had few occasions to pull from her casual closet as well, so this was one such time. Her father had insisted over the phone that she enjoy herself to the fullest as well, and so while she's outwardly wearing a sleeveless, pink sundress with a blue jacket over-top, she also had something in case the musical performances demand a more... daring approach.
How fitting, for one who wears two faces. "Ahh... I've taken a few flights with my father. But none too recently." The field trip onto that warship was her last time up, and she'd had to be far more guarded then. Right now she's not as tense. Milly is sharp behind her veneer of being a high-spirited goofball. Kallen can recognize somebody else who's putting up a front... or at least she THINKS she can. With varying degrees of success, given how much of the Student Council actually is taken up by exactly that kind of people, many of whom she isn't quite so aware of, even if she has suspicions.
"But I've been doing better. They say my health has been taking a sharp upturn since I joined you and everyone else." And it is true that she's been absent far less, partially thanks to the organizational efforts of certain masked figures.
<Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.
When Kallen had joined them, Emilia had been polite, but not talkative. Indeed, even when Milly asked her questions, she only got a nod or a shake of the head. It was all so overwhelming.
Now it was overwhelming in a different way, but still no easier to speak. That tap on the shoulder startles her slightly, but brings her out of it. The clasp on the shoulder- that makes her suppress a wince. Milly's just guiding her, she knows that. And Kallen's there too and she's also on the student council. They should be safe.
Still, Emilia is more than content with being a charge, in this case. It's better than what she's used to. She looks over to Kallen as she describes talk of going to space with her father, and Emilia's feelings get messier. Just bottle it up. She's not trying to needle you. She doesn't know what you were denied. It's fine. Kallen talking about her health, though... "...I hope it continues to improve." Even in Emilia's muted tone, there is a desperate earnestness behind it. Like she's wanting to prevent something she wouldn't wish on anyone.
"...A few days..." The way Emilia says it it's like she's being presented something unimaginable. "It's the longest time I've been away from school or Grandfather's manor..." It's a real day of firsts for her. She keeps gazing out the windows as they walk past them, but at least now is careful to mind Milly's response not to block up traffic.
<Pose Tracker> Milly Ashford has posed.
Never underestimate the power of Milly wanting to see you get out of the house.
"That's good! I think it's good to get off campus sometimes," Milly agrees, with Kallen. "And, huh... it really shows." It's not that Milly thinks Kallen's mystery illness -- if indeed it ever existed -- is psychosomatic, but if she *were* ill and being honest... this would validate much of Milly's mental landscape in its own way. Sometimes, you need to be forced to take action.
As they get going in earnest, Milly notes, "We're here on the Student Council's dime, so feel free to spend a little. With the large number of club dissolutions this year, we've got a decent budget surplus." It's not *as* big as she makes it sound, but it's certainly enough to have some fun prior to the concert too.
"Hmmm..." Milly's gaze tracks over to a kiosk selling concert gear. There's a few T-shirts, a large number of copies of albums on adorable minidisks... This is a fairly big upcoming event, after all, and people are already setting up to milk it for all it's worth. "Why don't you two pick some things up?" she asks, with the tone of the indulging big sister.
<Pose Tracker> Kallen Kozuki has posed.
It's honestly a stroke of luck this excuse works at all, and that Kallen is, seemingly, keeping it held together even this well. But she's certainly not going to dwell on that. "Do you have anything you might suggest?" There's a hint that she might actually be suggesting this for Emilia's sake more than her own. She offers the more withdrawn girl her hand, so she still has someone to shrink behind.
She's also just trying to keep the topic away from her health, honestly. "I wonder... what other events will be here with the concert." After all, it's also a festival, isn't it?
<Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.
Emilia, frankly, has no idea what to buy and- to be honest- isn't counting herself as being here on the student council's dime. She's not part of the student council, after all. Still, she looks, pausing at the branded glowsticks. "...What are these?" She asks, not entirely to her fellow students or anyone, just voicing it. She moves on through- minidiscs, wristbands, posters, t-shirts, there's a lot.
And then she sees the prices and her eyes go wide. Merch is expensive, after all and Emilia, really doesn't have the money for it. The shirts are cute, too, the way Emilia's eyes linger on them. "It's fine, really." She says, in that bland way she does when she's trying to get someone to let her fade into the background. ...Not that any of them know her well enough yet to know that's what she's doing.
Kallen gives her another topic of conversation, to try and mask how feigned her disinterest was. "I... didn't know there was a festival involved. Is that normal? I've never actually been to a concert." She sees Kallen's hand, offered to her. Her own comes up, but she hesitates.
She's reaching out that hand because if she loses you, it's on the Student Council. Grandfather would be so delighted that you disappeared he'd probably donate enough for a new wing. She's known you for all of a train ride and an elevator. Besides, she's sick. Do you really want to go through that again, on the offchance she does care?
Emilia, in this moment, lacks the courage to reach out and take that hand, as she looks down at her feet.
<Pose Tracker> Milly Ashford has posed.
"Hmmm... well, to be honest -- glowsticks are kind of a concert necessity. Sure, at that point you're just part of the sea of glowsticks instead of the sea of people, but it's better to be a mobile nothing than a static nothing," Milly suggests, after a thought or two. "The T-shirts are..." She pauses, here, scooting up to touch.
"Hmmm. The quality is pretty good, actually," she muses. "Sometimes the merch is junk, but it's always worth checking."
She glances back, considering Emilia and Kallen for a moment. She sees that hand -- both of those hands, really -- and then spots the lack.
She practically *teleports* back toward Kallen and Emilia -- not that they're far, but. She gathers up Emilia's hand, then Kallen's, in one of her own -- seemingly it's just with enthusiasm for the opportunity to Buy Crap, as she says, "I need to make sure the wristbands will fit," but she *also* takes the chance to subtly plop Emilia's hand into Kallen's.
After a few seconds' observation, she offers, "Okay -- that settles it." ... it might not be the wristband issue she's settling.
Turning back around, she gathers three wristbands, three T-shirts, two minidiscs, and... two posters. "I think *I'll* spring for the collector's edition, but they don't have that here," she muses, reaching into her bag and fishing out a couple hundred gilla -- and leaving Emilia and Kallen to their newly-forced handholding.
Just as she planned.
<Pose Tracker> Kallen Kozuki has posed.
Certain things are easy to see when you're experienced with them. Like the way the sky changes in the leadup to a storm. Or the pain of a personal loss. Or just... trust issues. The jaded eyes that scream about how dangerous it is to give people a chance. Thankfully as Kallen's thinking about these things, Milly takes a bundle of Raw Sakuradite to the train tracks of her brain. "H-huuuhhhh?"
Milly is a dangerous force... but one who clearly seeks to use her power to help people. And thus, she is Kallen's ally in some way. "I... I might buy that too. Once I've heard her music for myself." And so a secret is revealed! Kallen doesn't know a singular thing about this famous artist's songs.
But first, she'll just nudge Emilia a little, with the clasped hand. Toward some of the vendors that aren't Sheryl-focused. Early vendors for the Spring Festival, selling cherry-blossom themed attire. She manages to find one selling some good-quality yukatas even, a surprise to her, but... This is an opportunity to safely let a little of her Japanese pride show. "Would you like to try one of these? They're a classic for spring festivals." It's not necessarily directed Milly's way, but it's not leaving her out either. She's welcome to 'intrude' and give something just a little scandalous a try. Well... scandalous for a Britannian anyway.
<Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.
Sometimes, you suddenly get caught in a riptide you can't get out of. Sadly,the point about being a mobile nothing rather than a static nothing goes right over Emilia's head. She's honestly a bit too caught up in everything for any point to land. But a necessity, and they're so...
As she steps back, in that caution, Milly forces the issue in a way only Milly can. Suddenly she's holding hands with Kallen as Milly just buys... way more than she needs.
No she hasn't put two and two together yet. That would require being able to count to four.
Really, it's a mix of both, plus some resentment for the opportunity coming too late. Emilia blinks a bit, when Kallen admits to not having heard the music before. "...You haven't heard her either?" Kallen's reasoning probably isn't as pathetic as hers. 'Because it wasn't music Grandfather approved of must sound hideously useless.
And then Kallen puts in front of Emilia one of the few things she's been allowed to express interest in- well. Sort of. Not yet dissuaded. The yukata causes a slight sparkle in her eyes, the way thouse outfits the club dress her in sometimes too. "Can I?" She asks a little nervous. "I thought only Elev-" Emilia realizes what she's saying, and where she is and WHO she's with, and catches herself, a little later. She looks immediately guilty. "S-sorry. I meant... Only people from Japan could wear this."
This is patently untrue, but it's certainly something Emilia could have been told. She's had a lot of misinformation in her life.
Like a Britannian education.
<Pose Tracker> Milly Ashford has posed.
"Oh, there's no need for that," Milly calls back to Kallen, once she's finished making her purchases. (Despite what she said about this being on the student council's dime... so far, she's spent her own money.) Once she's gotten the purchase sorted out (with a 'can I get separate bags?'), she starts to head back over to Emilia and Kallen.
She holds out the separate bags with a big smirk, asking, "When is an album not an album?" Promptly answering her own question, she explains, "When it's a souvenir."
She looks at the yukatas. Hm, this might be a bit of an expense and hard to justify putting on the Student Council bud -- wait no, she knows exactly what she's doing. "The Student Council will be doing some events for incoming students during cherry blossom season, so..." Milly pulls out the *actual* student council credit card, saying, "Feel free. For some reason, we never manage to keep a treasurer more than a few weeks, so I can approve the purchase myself. It's for school spirit."
It would absolutely not be the first time Milly has pulled out the Student Council card for clothes. Some of them find their way to the Fantasy Seduction Club -- or, here and there, other clubs -- eventually. Some of them just go in a closet. Some of them stay with their wearers. It's fine.
<Pose Tracker> Kallen Kozuki has posed.
The slip is noticed, but not really held against her. Emilia seems to be a good soul, even if she's terribly shy. And maybe a touch dense. Well... there's a lot of that last one going around anyway. She takes one of the offered bags from Milly, as she goes in on her strategy for giving this girl better information. "It's not at all a restricted outfit. It used to be commonplace for visiting tourists, people who came for the festivals from Britannia or anywhere else, to wear these. I could teach you more about the festivals if you like? My father has a... significant interest in Japanese culture, so I'd heard his lectures any number of times." A true statement, even if she's leaving out a lot of particular information. Like how one of these festivals was how her parents met.
She had, truthfully, been planning to pay for these out of her own pocket. For several reasons, of which spiting that detestable harpy of a stepmother was only one. A large one, but still. Milly has rendered that a non-issue. "Oh, we should pick up one for Nunnally while we're here then. Do you happen to know the proper size?" Does she... even if Milly's never subjected the poor girl to the sort of things Shirley and Kallen herself have experienced, she certainly knows her clothing sizes by heart, as she does every girl on the Council. It's vital for school events and formal occasions.
<Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.
Emilia is, to be fair, deliriously sheltered. That's the euphemistic way of putting it. And when Milly comes back with bags for each of them she looks a little... cautious? But with what Milly's said- over and over again so far, she takes it, and clutches it so tight you'd think she's worried someone might take it from her. (She is.)
Emilia looks a little surprised- but to be fair she's only been IN Area 11 three or four months. Not long enough to really know the area- just a very strong 'anti-foreign' sentiment from where she grew up. Enough that's she's cautious in case, somehow, still this is a trap, but... "I... Yes, please?" If nothing else, it's something Grandfather wouldn't want her to know. And there's no way he SHOULD know about it. So. Okay. She can make that little rebellion.
It's much lower risk than piloting a KMF into a Police Station. So why is it scarier.
(It's because without the KMF you're powerless and there's nothing to protect you.)
She blinks a bit at Milly, but less so once she clarifies it's the schools money. That makes sense. "Oh, okay." Her mind fills in the gaps here- she'll be involved in the events, so she'll need a Yukata. That makes sense, she had to do something to make up for being here, and that's not too different fro club activities, so she's happy to go with that. She doesn't sound sad, or bland this time at least. But as things go into full Yukata shopping, Emilia will trust herself to the seeming expert. These are expensive, and good quality. Trying to make a decision that expensive would probably cause her to overthink herself into a hole.
<Pose Tracker> Milly Ashford has posed.
"Oooh, I had no idea you were this familiar with the Japanese," comes Milly's casual remark at Kallen, with a sidenote of, "I'm gonna need you to make sure your bag has a disc in it. I lost track."
Getting Nunnally a yukata... "... That'll actually come out of a different card," Milly says -- and starts fussing with her bag again. Nunnally is probably *too* much of a 'I'm doing this because I'm a chaos agent' expense to justify as a Student Council expense -- but it's nice to think about getting her involved, and the Ashfords already see to much of her care anyway. "Of course. It's not the first time I've been called in to shop for the Lamperouges."
She rattles it off, then says, "I think I'll put you in charge of this one, Ms. Expert." Despite her hands-on management style, Milly *does* know the value of letting someone else take the driver's seat -- Kallen, in this case.
She doesn't say anything to Emilia yet -- but she can see the budding enthusiasm...
<Pose Tracker> Kallen Kozuki has posed.
Kallen quickly glances down into her bag to give it a check. It's not that she's unaware of the risks with letting her familiarity loose. But she thinks it's safe in a... roundabout way. It's not like she's giving away her BIG secret, even if Milly puts two and two together about her family, somewhere down the line. And would she even care if she does piece it together? Probably not.
"I appreciate your confidence. At a first thought, I'm envisioning a sunset pattern over a quiet pond for Nunnally. Something tranquil and relaxing, that brings smiles to other people. And I believe I saw one like that just a moment ago." Matching people to a fitting style of artistry is difficult, but she knows a thing or two about it. She's already eyed one she's using her own money for. A peace-offering toward Shirley, of an ocean wave pattern. For certain misunderstandings about her intentions and Lelouch, given practically everyone can see the swimmer's feelings worn squarely on her sleeve. Some things are more difficult to place though, so she'll be asking Emilia a few questions as they look through the selection. They should gradually draw her a little more out of her shell, and into the interest that's been sparked. "Would you prefer a solid color, or something patterned? Maybe cherry blossom patterns, to match the event?"
She's not entirely at her natural level of energy, but it's certainly a change from how she just looks and sounds tired at school. The biggest tie to how she usually is at school, is keeping most of her inflections distinctly proper. As opposed to the shorter, more clipped and informal way she speaks... elsewhere.
<Pose Tracker> Emilia Eschonbach has posed.
Emilia is- as Milly can attest- hard to draw out. The questions about colours, and styles are easy. Questions about her personally, she finds to difficult to answer, and she stumbles over words, or goes quiet. Still, the cherry blossom pattern- "My hair and the pink would match the cherry blossoms- and since they're the focus of the pattern, everything else is quiet enough to work..." Something's very obvious here- Emilia wants to say yes, but she doesn't have the confidence. not to make a call with that, with other people's money.
So she looks to Milly, Agent of Chaos, to give her permission, or make the call for her. This is a mistake, most likely but otherwise they might be here another hour. And there's so much to do still. They haven't even reached Frontier City yet.
There's also something else. Imagine having parents who let you spend freely (imagine having parents), even business funds for a fancy outfit you might wear once. Is that what it means to have the person responsible for you care for you? Or are they spoiled?
No, Grandfather reminded her she was the spoiled (rotten) one...
Emilia is probably going to be in her own head for a while-
But, when someone breaks- the way she receives the Yukata is with a look of wonder and astonishment, a little like it's hard to believe it's real. As tightly as she holds the bag of souvenirs, she holds the Yukata tighter.
It's already the nicest (first) (only) trip with friends she's ever had.
<Pose Tracker> Milly Ashford has posed.
Milly has bigger secrets than Kallen's, and she's generally avoided airing other people's dirty laundry, unbeknownst to ... most of them. Besides -- every Britannian noble family has a few skeletons in the closet, here and there.
"Oh -- this one?" Milly finds the one Kallen described for Nunnally, and gives it a look over. "This might be a *little* big for her, but not that big." Besides... Sayoko can probably handle any necessary alterations. "I like it. I'll take this one, okay?" She lets Kallen fuss with Emilia's potential options while going to pay for that. It'll be easier to switch cards if she rings this one up *now*.
She does, however, notice the look; she looks *back*, in turn, and says, "I like the color choices. Go for it."
As she turns back again, she says, "We've got a little while before the next leg of the trip -- anything either of you have always wanted to do on the Ring? The trains here are pretty fast, so we can probably take a look at anything you want." Usually she might push them a little more, but... these two need a little more of a delicate touch. The bullying is more for Lelouch, Shirley, and Hathaway, anyway.