2022-07-21: Youth And Innocence
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- Cast: Serinas Nikola, Tsugumi Saionji
- Where: An Under-Repair Colony, Lagrange Point 4
- Date: U.C. 0096 07 24
- Summary: Just an officer from the former Principality of Zeon, waiting to have lunch with her daughter, and a gigantic teenager who comes along instead.
<Pose Tracker> Tsugumi Saionji has posed.
A colony still under repair, but usable, is host to an Endra-class battleship bearing black and red colors. It is the Mithra, one of the surplus ships of the revived Neo-Zeon when Char Aznable took command, purchased after the fact by the Sleeves-aligned PMC, 'Crescent'. Docked presently, the crew is split between attending to their duties and enjoying the limited luxuries available on their equivalent of shore leave. Most of the crew are Sleeves rather than Crescent, but the commanding officer is one of the Originals: the founding members of Crescent, who have fought in virtually every war since the One Year War.
Known as the Specter of Axis, Tsugumi Saionji has many rumors associated with her. She may not be as much of a 'big name' as Char Aznable, Anavel Gato, or Dozle Zabi, but she has her own fame and infamy. Namely, she is said to have been slain by the Federation over a dozen times, only to return from the grave to harvest more Feddie lives each time. Ridiculous stuff like that.
What the rumors definitely do NOT cover is that she is pretty and looks nice for a vengeful ghost. In her officer's dress clothes, Tsugumi sits at an outdoor cafe, beneath the umbrella attached to a glass table, itself attached to the ground securely since this is low gravity. She is wearing a mix of black, dark-green, and gold, with a white blouse underneath the jacket, and a short pencil skirt. Her hat is sitting on her lap while she crosses one leg over the other, occasionally sipping at some beverage while she waits for her expected company to join her.
The insignias on her jacket, shoulders, and hat should all make clear she is (or was) a high-ranking Zeonic officer. It's peculiar, because she appears rather young for that.
<Pose Tracker> Serinas Nikola has posed.
The colony isn't all that's under repair. After yesterday's sortie, a lot of ZAFT mobile suits and other machines need repair. And there isn't much for Serinas to do while stuck here. Until she saw the colony repair work and asked if they needed any help... Well, the repair workers certainly had use for someone who is at least passingly familiar with industrial equipment and colony maintenance... and can be 30 feet tall.
But she is still a living person, and flesh needs breaks and rest. So it is that Serinas, wearing a construction worker's jumpsuit, *very carefully* looks for a place to sit down by the cafe and rest. "Phew!" After a breath and looking around a bit, just happily taking in her surroundings, all the people living their normal lives, her eyes fall on Tsugumi. "I like your hat!" she smiles.
<Pose Tracker> Tsugumi Saionji has posed.
Tsugumi has on eyeliner and black lipstick, but not much else in the way of makeup. The former make her eyes really 'pop'. So when the teenage girl compliments the hat in her lap, and the older woman glances towards her, locking eyes, Tsugumi's gaze is pretty intense. She inclines her head after a moment's analysis, and says, "Thank you." She hesitates and then says, "I like your... Construction jumpsuit too." It's a pretty lame compliment, but so is 'I like your hat'. Leave her alone. What else is she supposed to say? 'Yeah, I got it from Haman Karn before she kicked the bucket.' Not a great icebreaker that one.
She looks away, scanning the area, looking for someone. Does she know this girl? Her voice sounds familiar at least. Yesterday's battle? On which side? ZAFT? Yes, that's the one.
Sorting through her memory while looking around, she says conversationally, "It is good to see that you made it out alive."
<Pose Tracker> Serinas Nikola has posed.
Serinas doesn't have any makeup on. No one has taught her about that CULTURE yet. She smiles at the compliment nonetheless. "Oh, thank you! It's, uh, all they had. And uh..." She rubs the back of her head awkwardly, "Yeah! I like to think that I'm proving worthy of the war machines they're letting me pilot, you know?" more somberly, she adds, "...And protecting the PLANTs and other people the Earth Federation is oppressing. You probably didn't hear over the jamming, but yesterday that feddie pilot asked to "please stop shooting our ships." The nerve! They started this war!"
<Pose Tracker> Tsugumi Saionji has posed.
The old hatred and anger that Tsugumi has lived with since she was even younger than the girl speaking to her is now is a carefully controlled but always-present element. Tsugumi has long since mastered it, so it is no longer something that gets away from her, affects her decision making, or emerges unexpectedly. It is a resource, a cultivated emotional fuel that can be turned on and off like a faucet, and regulated. So nothing shows on the surface at Serinas's words, as Tsugumi looks down at the lidded glass in her hand, feeling the bite of the cold from the ice inside of it against her palm and fingers but not letting go, and answering simply, "Yes. Yes, they did."
She doesn't go on a rant about the wrongs inflicted, or equivocate the actions of the Spacenoids with the Federation's, or correct Serinas about the fact that Zeon 'started' the war technically. None of that matters. She has nothing to defend anymore, and no words will undo what has been done. The Federation must die and as many Earthnoids as possible along with it.
"But they keep recruiting children. Children who don't know that, or if they DO know they don't really UNDERSTAND it. They perpetuate the cycle because the Federation can never just let go of power or stop trying to control the lives of others. If they stop, they will cease to exist. And like all old monsters, they aren't fond of the idea of just giving in to their own rotting carcass and dying quietly without bothering anyone else."
<Pose Tracker> Serinas Nikola has posed.
Serinas wiggles the fingers of one giant hand as Tsugumi focuses on that cold glass. Listening to the speech, she makes an annoyed grunt, feeling that anger rise. "That's exactly it! They're *using* their own people! ...Just like they used us, well, spacenoids, when the colonies were 'their people' too... It's all they do! They have to be stopped!" She pounds a fist on her leg, and some passers-by look her way while walking significantly faster.
Serinas shakes her head, and focuses on calming down for a moment. It's not good to get angry when macronized. She thought she was better than that... "Sorry. We'll stop them, though. And then we can... well, then I can enjoy life in the Earth Sphere seeing and learning all this wonderful culture, and you can do what you want to do!" she smiles.
<Pose Tracker> Tsugumi Saionji has posed.
Tsugumi nods along agreeably to the giantess's sentiments. "Yes." She doesn't correct Serinas about what she intends to do to the Earth Sphere. That if it were up to her, the cradle of human life would be scorched black and uninhabitable. Instead, she just says, "What I want to do, is to make a future where children are not at risk of going through what we have." She intentionally includes Serinas in the statement. After all, the Meltrandi is fighting and risking her life. The Federation has robbed her future too.
"My name is Tsugumi, by the way." the older woman offers. She would hold out her hand for a shake but that might be awkward with their size discrepency. "May I ask how old you are?"
<Pose Tracker> Serinas Nikola has posed.
Serinas nods. "I... My life until this year wasn't their fault. My parents..." she looks away. "...Well, anyway, things *should* have been better now, but I come to the Earth Sphere and find a war. The humans are letting bad people run things. Bad people who want to divide them. First it'll be Naturals vs Coordinators, but that doesn't even have a place for Zentradi or *Half*-Zentradi either, now does it? They want to take what the people of the Earth sphere have and give them a future of endless war instead, just like the Meltrandi and Zentradi fought." She shakes her head. "I won't let that future happen if there's *anything* I can do about it.
[OOC] Tsugumi Saionji says, "Or just leave it here." [OOC] Tsugumi Saionji says, "Ah!" [OOC] Tsugumi Saionji will do a final pose.
<Pose Tracker> Serinas Nikola has posed.
She looks at Tsugumi, and holds out her index finger in something like a handshake. "I'm Serinas. Nice to meet you." She gives some number, in the 16-18 range.
<Pose Tracker> Tsugumi Saionji has posed.
"A noble sentiment." Tsugumi replies calmly. She closes her eyes at the age given by Serinas though. With a sigh, she says, "You are barely older than my daughter. Hopefully, time will not find her having to be taught how to wage war by you." Not because Serinas would be a bad teacher, but because that would mean Tsugumi is no longer there to do so herself. She would never let Suzuha actually join in these endless wars. A point of contention between them.
Speaking of her daughter, it seems she can't keep waiting for the rebellious teenager to show up to lunch with her. Someone from the Mithra comes running up, looking around. They seem rather harried. After a few seconds, the soldier spots Tsugumi and comes to her side. "Commander Saionji!" The young woman stands at attention, saluting.
Tsugumi sighs, stands from her seat, putting her hat back on her head and adjusting it so that it sits properly, before saluting in return. "Report, crewman."
The soldier nervously says, "You... Have a guest waiting for you on the Mithra. A 'Doctor Salamedes'. We don't know how they got aboard, but they have the proper credentials."
Tsugumi reaches out to the proferred index finger, doing her best to give it a 'handshake' as her expression darkens noticeably. "Understood. I will accompany you back momentarily." Then, looking up at Serinas, Commander Tsugumi Saionji says, "Keep up the good work, Serinas. And if at all possible, don't die. They've taken too many futures already. I'd rather they not have yours too."
<Pose Tracker> Serinas Nikola has posed.
> Hopefully, time will not find her having to be taught how to wage war by you.
Serinas blinks. "What? It couldn't last that long, right?? We're gonna fix this..." Ah, the naievete of youth. "My little brother's not going to have to fight either!"
She offers a smile and a hello to the soldier. And smiles at the fingershake. "You too! See you around!"