2022-12-22: Reveal/Repair/Refuse
- Cast: Seolla Schweizer, Sayoko Shinozaki, Rikka Takarada, Liam 7-020, Yuta Hibiki, Alouette Pommier, Namiko
- Where: Tsutsujidai High School
- Date: U.C. 0096 12 22
- Summary: Rainwater collection becomes a confrontation of intentions - and a hand far too hard to accept.
<Pose Tracker> Seolla Schweizer has posed.
The rainfall has been constant in Tsutsujidai. You'd think that would at least come with the upside of water not being a problem...but the reality of civil engineering begs to differ! Without major collection infrastructure, rainwater is effectively wasted - and as the PLANT is a closed system with damage to its water pipelines, a lot of that water is likely pooling up in inaccessible areas.
A lot pulverized by damage has been cleared to rectify that problem, volunteers lining up with shovels and pickaxes to help clear the space. It's about four blocks from the high school, so well within reach of many central, dense neighborhoods.
Among those lined up, equipped with a hard hat and all - is Seolla, drenched from the rain after several hours working out here on the clearing, tank top thoroughly soaked through, grit and dirt lining her cheek. It's...odd, how fast she was to appear at the orientation for the Rescue Team - though she didn't really say all that much throughout. Some sense of odd duty, perhaps? Now, finally, the large steel panels making up the actual tank are being carried in, and Seolla's underneath a small tent stand to dry off for a moment, toweling her face as the noise and din heralds screwing and bolting together of components...
<Pose Tracker> Sayoko Shinozaki has posed.
Sayoko Shinozaki is not technically part of the Rescue Team. However it's been made known amongst those struggling within Tsutsujidai that her services are available should they be required. What services can a maid offer to the efforts for constructing water catchers?
Why, the maidly type, of course!
"Please be careful everyone about not spending too much time in the rain. In our current circumstances we must be wary to not do anything that weakens our immune system unduly. Overwork and sickness can be just as dangerous as dehydration and starvation in survival situations."
Sayoko isn't of course just spouting advice. She has set herself up underneath some nearby cover, where it's relatively dry, with some folding chairs and tables.
"Please remember to take frequent breaks to dry up and recover! I have numerous towels at the ready, as well as some nice hot tea to warm you up." Indeed, the maid has set up an impressive mobile station for making tea through the use of some salvaged cups, a gas powered hot plate and an impressive selection of available teas.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
This far out, many of the initial, immediate problems facing Tsutsujidai have been dealt with. Now, however, they need to consider the long term issues - food, water, things they need for survival over a long period. There's no telling how long they'll be here, cut off from any outside resources. They'll need to source what they can by themselves.
Today's project - constructing a rainwater collection system! Rikka has gladly pitched in. Currently, she's sporting a heavy duty coat and hard hat for protection against the rain. Rikka's job, primarily, is to coordinate - but she's done some small tasks here and there that she's able handle. Her stamina for physical activity is usually infamously low, but... lately, she feels motivated to keep going.
"We're making good progress today..." Rikka says, looking everything over. It's good to see everyone working together like this. ...It feels good.
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
Liam has been keeping himself very, very busy. This might have something to do with what's happening to another cleared lot next to a nearby office building--one lucky to survive with almost no structural damage. People have been clearing the grounds, hauling in topsoil from elsewhere in the city, and adding fertilizer reclaimed from the PLANT's waste-processing systems. Liam is, to put it mildly, nervous as hell; he is not the sole brain behind the Tsutsujidai Community Garden, but he was the one who brought most of the seeds. He helped link people together. Despite everything, Liam has become responsible for something bigger than himself, through no fault of his own, and it's terrifying. He can't bail out now.
And he still has other commitments, like this one: where he's shoveled mud for the better part of three hours in a hard hat and poncho. Now, he's taking a break in the rest tent, because certain individuals have helped impress upon him the value of regular rest breaks. (It has done little to stop the gnawing nervousness that sets in whenever he does take one.) His hood is pulled back, revealing that he's still found the time and effort to keep his head and face shaved, despite everything. Is it a matter of identity? A compulsion? Both?
The cyborg sits on a folding chair, cradling a cup of tea in one hand. "Think they'll have it finished by tonight?" Liam asks Rikka. He's a good, dependable worker, if nothing else: selfless to a worrying degree. He's much stronger and tougher than the average person, and that seems to translate into working harder, in his mind.
<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.
"Alright, out of the way!" Borr shouts, carrying an enormous basin. "Coming through! Move or get squished!"
Thankfully, people seem to move out of the way pretty quickly when you're carrying something twice the size of your body. Borr's strength and speed is sure to help the work move fast -- though she's conserving her strength, not choosing to flashstep too often. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
Once the basin meets the earth with a resounding THUD, Borr stretches her arms up over her head. There's some cute girl with tea? Hell yeah. Making her way over, Borr squeezes some water out of her ponytails.
"Hey, I'll take some of that. Cute look, by the way." The Hyper Agent greets Sayoko. "This little setup is a great thought, nice work!"
Plopping down heavily by Rikka, Borr yawns. "Think we're making good progress. If you really want it done, I'll get Max over here. He's had the easy job all this time anyway, he should be the one getting his suit dirty!"
Not that Borr really minds her suit getting dirty.
Liam gets a look, then a tilt of Borr's head. "Heyy... You're the kid Yuta went shopping with, yeah? Good to see you. This is a better look." A grin. "You're working hard out there. Makes me proud to see it. We'll be at the garden thing, too."
You need to be a programmer to eval code.
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
Alouette was happy to join Rikka's rescue team and help out on the ground. And it's a fact that means having to get yourself soaked in the rain sometimes. And so she is here, wearing a heavy raincoat and a hardhat that's probably more for the purpose of protecting her adorable hair.
As with Rikka, Alouette's task today in regards to the new rainwater collection project is mostly coordination - although she'd have you know she's stronger than she looks, and did some light lifting herself.
Alouette makes her way over to the rest area, nodding at the maid in respect. "...Miss Shinozaki, right? Thank you very much for the tea... I've seriously been craving apple lately." And as soon as it's ready, she takes in the aroma, a pleasant change of pace to the murky smell of rainwater.
Rikka and Liam, as well as Borr are present nearby. She nods with a smile when Rikka brings up how much progress they're making. "Definitely. I was prepared for a complete slog, but everyone's been working well together."
And to Liam... "If we keep up this pace we might just be." She takes a long sip of her own tea. "Not that there's anything wrong with taking a break..." she clarifies.
<Pose Tracker> Sayoko Shinozaki has posed.
Sayoko finishes placing a fresh, dry towel on the table beside Liam before she quickly makes her way over to the one Borr has seated herself. Sayoko pours some fresh hot tea out before bowing a little in response to the womans compliment, "Thank you for the kind words. I'm quite happy that I've been able to provide such assistance in these trying times."
Sayoko glances at the large basin that Borr had just dropped off, "I must say that your physical abilities are quite impressive! I had concerns that this might be a daunting task without appropriate heavy equipment. But clearly that is not the case."
Ah, another request! Sayoko is quick to work, "Of course Miss Pommier. And calling me Sayoko is perfectly fine, if you wish." Soon enough, the tea is poured for Alouette. As she does so, Sayoko laments somewhat, "It's unfortunate but the supply of fresh tea leaves has quickly dwindled. I was able to find a stock of prepackaged tea bags and have done what I can to improve upon the taste. But I apologize if it is lacking."
Wait, this is prepackaged stuff? With this high quality taste!?
... Such frightening skill!
<Pose Tracker> Seolla Schweizer has posed.
The towel descends from Seolla's face after a somewhat long time of burying herself in it, muffling away the sights and sounds. They're easy to tune out when she has a task to do - they're much harder when she has no choice but to rest.
She re-emerges to the sight of Borr hauling around an unreasonably massive basin, bolting upright in sudden alarm - that kid's gonna get hurt doing that! But then she observes longer, and it's clear that...no, whoever this is, they're blessed with some unthinkable amount of ant-like ratio defying strength. Throwing a coat on, though keeping it wide open, Seolla tiredly meanders to Sayoko's tea outpost, swirling the piping hot liquid a little...then downing the whole thing in one go. Phew. "...This is...pretty good stuff."
One hand finds Liam's shoulder, settling upon it in a quiet solidarity. "...Hey. I know it's easy to push and push and push, to get everything off your mind. I'd love it if I didn't have to stop. I go stir-crazy too when it's like this. Mmn, just be careful, alright?"
A pause. Rikka makes Seolla raise an eyebrow. Familiar, familiar - from which date, from which time? ... "...Oh. That's pretty fortunate. You're one of Shinjo's classmates, right? I remember seeing her looking at you back when...she'd taken Ouka." A glance over to Alouette, her vivid blue eyes narrow and focused. "And you're someone who was in a similar boat. That's good. I'm actually tasked with looking for her, if you two have any leads."
"After all, I'm assigned to remove her for all the damages she's caused."
<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.
Namiko has been helping out wherever she can since things went wild. She had friends in the Yumi Foundation to give her a start, but obviously her best girl Rikka started her own and Namiko showed up with bells on!
Also, picking up and moving objects helps her not think about how vacuously empty the space directly next to her is!
Namiko has appeared with a red rain jacket with the hood pulled up, a hard hat OVER it, a beige skirt and some nice warm leggings. Namiko's house got out of the destruction OK so that means she has a wardrobe!
She has tapped into her long-dormant Sports Girl powers today, because her role as Party Teapot has been usurped. She doesn't know Nothin' about welding or dead lifting industrial steel but has been doing her best to help.
For the moment she hovers around Shinozaki with eyes sparkling. "So this is a maid..." she says, in awe.
Namiko does not watch enough movies to quite catch the meaning of 'remove' on first utterance, so she just says, "Nobody's seen her since this all started. Gettin' worried, really..."
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Will they be finished by tonight? Rikka frowns consideringly. Alouette offers her own opinion, and Rikka nods.
"Yeah. We don't want to rush things and exhaust ourselves when we still have a lot of other work ahead of us. If we don't finish it, we don't finish it. We can get back to it soon, or find someone else to handle it." Rikka replies. But of course, as Borr points out, there is another option. Rikka chuckles. "That's true. I bet he'd do it if you asked him."
She gravitates toward the others, where Sayoko has been preparing some hot tea. ...That does sound nice, and she could use the warming up. It's good to see Namiko, too - and she chuckles a little, at her awe toward Sayoko.
"Oh, thanks, this is just thing..." Rikka says to Sayoko, pleased. She accepts a cup of tea, sipping at it gratefully. She looks over to Seolla, then, as she approaches.
"Oh, yeah... Rikka - Rikka Takarada. I remember you." Rikka replies. Seolla's been looking for Akane? ...Rikka's actually been looking for her, too, so she starts to ask if she's heard anything, until Seolla continues.
Rikka pauses, setting down her cup. She might crush it, otherwise, and they can't spare more than they have. Her usual friendliness has gone out of her face.
"...Akane is a friend of mine, actually. She's a person, not an obstacle you can 'remove'." Rikka replies, keeping her tone level. "...Who sent you?"
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
"Thank you," Liam says, offering Sayoko a smile and grateful nod. There are dark circles around his eyes, and the beginnings of a gauntness that wasn't there before in his cheeks. The hard work and rationing have been working at cross purposes, especially given the demands of his metabolism. He takes off his poncho, folds it up, and sets it on the corner of the table. Only then does he towel himself off. The clothes beneath--jeans, tank top, combat boots--are all muddy, because no one here has been spared the mud (except maybe Sayoko, who is as mysterious as she is calming.)
"...Yeah," Liam says, to Borr. He's gotten used to the four weirdos in suits--they're clearly not human, but they're helpful--so Borr's feat has earned them zero surprised looks from Liam. "Thanks. Everyone's worked hard on it. It... won't be much to begin with, but maybe with vegetable scraps we can expand. Going to be hydroponics in the office building." A faint smile crosses his face, despite the gnawing worry that something will go horribly wrong because he's under pressure and invested. "I know," Liam says, to Seolla. "...Thank you, though." His brow furrows as Seolla raises the matter of Akane. Knowing what happened to her is of vital importance; this city is linked to her, and everything they do will be fruitless if she can't somehow break out of this self-destructive spiral.
Then Seolla says a few things that sound like mission objectives. Liam's chest tightens, like his heart is being squeezed in a vise. He takes a few deep breaths, his broad shoulders visibly bunching. The surgical alloy of his spinal implants glimmers with rain-water. "No," he says, to Seolla, as he meets her eyes. There is a deep intensity to his tone that was not there a moment ago.
<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.
"Sayoko! Thanks." Borr says, drinking down at least half of the hot tea in one go. "Oh yeah, that's warm. I like it, great stuff!"
Borr doesn't exactly have the refined tastes to appreciate such efforts, but they're going to be grateful all the same. Really, they could've been handed a cup of hot water, and would've reacted the same way.
Seolla approaches, and Borr politely raises their cup to her. Have they seen this one around before? Who knows. "Thanks for working so hard. You come take a rest too. The drinks are great." Though as... Seolla goes on, Borr frowns. "Don't like the sound of that. What exactly are your plans with her, saying you find her?"
"Ooh, you've got it all figured out, huh?" Borr grins at Liam. "Good. I don't like wasting time on stuff. You'll know just what to tell us to do once everyone shows up."
While drinking the other half of her tea, Borr notices Namiko, giving her a nod once she approaches. The girl's seemed down, lately. Maybe Borr should give her a knife, too? Hmm. It might keep her safe, considering what happened to the other one. A girl can always use a knife, anyway. Something to think about.
Mid-knife thoughts, Rikka speaks up on Akane's behalf. A proud grin crosses the Hyper Agent's face. That's their Rikka. With the way this Seolla girl is acting... Borr privately hopes Rikka brought her knife, just in case. Not that they'd let anything happen! But it's good to be prepared.
"Just what Rikka said." Borr's grin fades, as they look at Seolla. "No matter what she's done, Akane's a person. And she'll be treated like one, come hell or high water." Hopefully nobody will comment on the "high water" thing. They're practically at that point already!
"Hang in there, kid." This is directed at Liam. His stress response is noticed. "We're okay. We're just having a friendly chat, yeah, Seolla?"
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
"Oh! All right, Sayoko. I don't mind being called just 'Alouette' either," Alouette responds, at Sayoko's offer to use her first name. Alouette is normally pretty careful with using honorifics and such, but she's quick to drop them if she doesn't find them necessary.
Whatever secret techniques she used to improve the taste, Alouette is certainly curious. "It's actually.. really good! Almost tastes like fresh apple." And normally, she's pretty picky with her tea, so this is high praise indeed.
And then Alouette listens curiously at Liam and Borr's conversation. "A garden? That would be very helpful for rations. I'll see what I can do to make sure it goes well." She offers, with a smile.
Seolla approaches, meeting Alouette with a gaze. She's been a helpful, hard worker, so Alouette expects a friendly conversation but... "A similar boat? You could say that... but no. I haven't seen Miss Shinjo at all, ever since she..."
Alouette pauses for a moment, and she's very glad she did, when Seolla explains she's been sent to "remove" Akane Shinjo. "Wait a moment. Who are you here for?" She echoes Rikka own question. Her own blue eyes look blade-sharp - she doesn't even have it in her to laugh at Borr's unintended pun!
"Miss Shinjo's hurt a lot of people, I know. But she's also hurting, herself, more than she can imagine. So I'm not interested in revenge or anything close to that." Alouette ultimately answers, resolutely.
<Pose Tracker> Seolla Schweizer has posed.
There's a sudden wariness beneath this tent, and Seolla takes a wary step back. It really, really does not help the situation she's landed in that her first instinct is assessing the people around her in a combative sense. Rikka: seemingly not a problem. Normal, not very in shape girl. Namiko: slightly higher stamina, but nothing special. Alouette: much the same. Borr: might be able to throw a car at her. Liam: also might be able to throw a car, so if the two joined forces, definitely able to. Sayoko: should be normal? And yet - the refinement of her movements is a little too precise. A maid doesn't need to be that clockwork perfectly poised.
This analysis is a solid twenty second of leering everyone! It's not a great look at all. She should shut up and weasel her way out of the misunderstanding.
Nothing comes to mind, though. Not a good liar at all.
"...I'm Ouka's sister, that's all it is. Our parents-" The word comes out...strangely. "-have sky high expenses getting her all fixed up from being abducted. They're upset and want me to handle it, so that's what I'm supposed to do. If Shinjo didn't want to get herself killed, she shouldn't have tampered with people worth more than a single life."
Seolla says it so matter of factly, like it's an inconvenience, but she doesn't even realize she's sweating bullets from the atmosphere. Lips worrying together, glancing out to the collection tank- "Oh, it looks like they need more hands now that they're building the top. If you all don't know anything, that's fine." And she takes a few bold steps trying to extricate herself from this mess and into something that will stay her mind.
*beepbeepbeep* *beepbeepbeep* chimes one of those odd metal wrist-modules (how, exactly, would those come off...?), a light flashing on the blue panel. Seolla stops in her tracks, retrieves a simple looking bottle from her pocket, and pops it over her mouth.
Nothing comes out.
...Her grip tightens, and she's only trying to move faster now-
<Pose Tracker> Sayoko Shinozaki has posed.
Sayoko seems to have no problem being observed and admired by Namiko as she works. She certainly puts a lot of herself into her work so of course she likes to be appreciated! She continues to maintain her calm aura, complete with small smile, as she works to clean up while the others enjoy the tea. It's said that a maid's patience and focus is second only to that of a ninja's.
Okay. So maybe that's not an especially common saying. But someone's probably said it at least once?
It's also true that her white maid uniform is almost spotless. Though truth be told it's no special gift, just a matter of circumstance as Sayoko has spent most of her time in the dryer undercover area, thus managing to avoid most of the fallout from the rain.
Sayoko gives Alouette a polite bow in response to the offer to use her first name, as well as the praise for the tea, "Thank you, Miss Alouette." Well, it's an improvement?
"Ah yes, I have heard about your project, Master Liam. I of course have some gardening experience and so would be happy to provide assistance. I can also make good use of whatever we manage to grow in said garden."
Sayoko continues her work of providing tea and managing the distribution or collection of towels, that calm expression on her face even as the conversation grows a little more tense. She has a passing understanding of what it is about, having been present during some conversations about those involved.
Sayoko is apparently distracted with her work as Seolla studies her briefly. But then the maid looks up and straight at Seolla for a moment. Then... A friendly smile. Before she goes back to work like the dutiful maid she is.
You are empty-handed.
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
"We'd appreciate it," Liam says, and he manages another smile, this one frayed. Most of his focus is on Seolla.
Liam knows that look. He's done it many, many times, often without even realizing he's doing it. It's how he first identified Sousuke as something other than just a high school student who also wanted the last pallet of CalorieMarks. His fingers twitch. For a moment, he wonders where "Doctor Setme" is. If she's here, minding her experiment. If something could happen to make her disappear in this place where she couldn't get a message out.
Liam's stomach flips. He catches that inflection. Seolla's thoughts are running down a track parallel to his own. He hates it. He hates himself. He hates the people who did this to Seolla, and him, and Akane. He's angry at Akane for hiding, or whatever she's doing, and he hates that he's angry. It's all coiling together into a knot in his chest. Borr tries to reassure him, but it doesn't help.
"Bullshit!" Liam spits. Rage boils out of him as he rises from his seat, inadvertently brushing Borr's hand away. "That's what they told you, right? Your 'parents'?" There is shocking venom in his voice as he says that word. "She was in a coma and they didn't help her! Asuka and I were there and neither of us saw them! You SAW what she did to their ship, right?! Was she valuable, or just--"
Liam's hands spasm. "Just a weapon they couldn't control, that broke, and now they have to fix her. And make an example of whomever broke her."
Beep beep beep.
Liam's eyes darts down to the shackle-like module. His mouth opens, and then shuts. "Are you going to waste away, too?" Is he talking about Ouka, himself, or both?
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
There's an awkward twenty seconds or so of silence, as Seolla leers at them. Rikka leers back. ...She's thankful that everyone else is here to back her up. She would've done it anyway even if they weren't, but... it's nice.
But... she's Ouka's sister... Rikka frowns, just slightly.
"...What kind of parent sends their child out to kill people?" Rikka asks. "I'm really sorry about what happened to Ouka. If it helps, I don't think Akane meant for that to happen."
She frowns, though.
"...You can't just write all of that off with just, 'it's fine'." Rikka says. Seolla goes to move, and Rikka follows after her - picking up the pace when she starts to.
"Don't talk so casually about killing people!" Rikka calls out. "Akane - she's... hurting, and lonely, and desperate. I can't let you just - go off and hurt her more."
She pauses, though, her train of thought momentarily derailed as Liam speaks up. He seemed so calm before - it's kind of a surprise...
<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.
"Ah, hell." Another fucked up kid. As Seolla leers at everyone, Borr stands, shoving his chair aside, and moves directly in front of Rikka. "Don't like that look on your face. What's up with you, girlie?" What had Yuta said about Ouka? Someone hurting her? "You getting hurt like Ouka? Nobody can reach you here, you're safe. Talk to us."
Borr hasn't even brought out a knife yet. He's really being such a great role model! Worth more than a single life... Maybe he really should've called Max in. Max is the one good at speeches and everything. Borr's really the most comfortable with just... knife-related things.
"Hang on, don't walk off--" Borr starts, seeing Seolla sweat. Her wrist module sweats, and Borr practically startles. Too much like the Primal Acceptor. "Huh. Looks like you're out of something important." Sharp blue eyes watch Seolla fail to provide herself with... something. "What do you need? I'm a lot faster than I look. You come back here and talk this out, and I'll get you whatever it is you've gotta have."
Borr doesn't mind his hand being knocked away. Liam's upset. This is personal for him, for some reason. Borr runs a hand through one of his ponytails. What would Gridman do here? Vaguely, he thinks of Yuta's pledge to never turn away from the sorrow of his friends again. Ugh, shit.
"Hey. We'll figure this out. We're not gonna let her be hurt. Her or Ouka or Akane. Or you. Okay?" Borr's trying. "Take a breath for me. We're all gonna be okay."
As Rikka moves, Borr keeps pace with her, always one half-step ahead, ready to jump between Rikka and Seolla at a moment's notice. "Rikka. Careful, okay?" He doesn't want to scare Seolla off, but Rikka... she's gotta be the most fragile person here.
<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.
Namiko sees Borr and lights up immediately. She's recovering - quite well, in fact - from the suffering Celebro inflicted on her. She's the kind of girl who is best and brightest when she can help people. Be the moodmaker, be the shining light who hypes everyone up. She's getting that center back, these weeks on. Hass is missing and it worries her so, but...
But Hass swore they'd find each other. She holds that promise close at night.
So maybe she's not all smiles. But she's able to favor Borr with a grin. "'ey, twintails," she says. "Come check this out, the brew's so precise!"
look you don't join tea ceremony club with a normal person's interest in teamaking, ok
But...now she can tell things are accelerating, and she blinks up a little owlishly, a cup in her own hand. "Uhm," she says, a bit nervously.
She starts edging toward Rikka, but Rikka's also in all this, and...
And Liam's popping the entire way off.
...she finds a seat and puts her butt in it, hands folding nervously around her teacup and tries to make herself small.
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
As Seolla scans each of the present to assess for combat ability, Alouette instinctively prepares to make any necessary quick movements. She might not be a trained fighter, but she is quick on her feet.
She listens to Seolla's explanation - that her parents sent her here to extract revenge for her sister, Ouka, whose life is worth more than any one person's. It's upsetting, really, but she tries to stay calm.
"...No matter what your parents want, I'm afraid you're out of luck. No one here knows where she is, and even if we did..." They wouldn't tell her yes, but she also doubts Akane would let herself stay found, either.
Seolla's mention of parents, and the tone she spoke in though... it leaves Alouette very uneasy. When they were both Bujack's victims, and Ouka fell terribly ill, she learned a little about the horrible situation she escaped from. Is it that they aren't parents, but rather what BioNet was to Alouette?
<Pose Tracker> Seolla Schweizer has posed.
Ice runs through Seolla's veins. This is why you don't ask for help. There's a twitch in her free hand, as though prepared for this to escalate. If these people have a problem with what she's about to do, surely they're about to dispatch her preventatively, right? Alouette hopping faster to her feet than expected validates this idea for just a moment, Seolla sucking a deep breath in and crossing the threshold of the tent, rain flashing over her. It helps, just a little bit - venting the intense rise in her body temperature with the chill of the rain and wind.
"...Don't talk about her that way," Seolla murmurs, even when it's clear where Liam's directing the idea of Ouka being a weapon. "Sometimes you have to make an example of people. That's just the way the world works. I don't write the rules. When something precious is hurt, it's important to return that. Anyone can understand it. If you don't accept this, there's nothing that'd stop the pain from running rampant. I doubt Shinjo has 300 million gilla on hand to cover the damages, and so we're left with the only way to deter that in the future." This is why you don't ask for help.
There's an added flinch when Borr and Liam alike both stare at that bottle. "This is just - no. It's nothing I need to tell you. I'll be fine. I have to be the strongest of my family, after all." It came out so wrong, Seolla realizes - only more suspicion. This is why you don't ask for help.
Seolla has stopped in her tracks, however, gazing upwards at the eerily manufactured sky, where blues and greens cascade in clear blocks and units now. A click of her tongue, a grinding of her boot against the asphalt below. "It's not supposed to be this complicated. This was something we could do on our own, but now everything's closed off, and we can't get in touch with home. Hmph. ...I see how it is," Seolla muses to Rikka. "Yeah. Just like last time, Shinjo used the fake nice treatment. That's what this place is all about. I can smell it. It's happy and comfortable and fake as hell. Heh, and you're gonna try to do the same to me? Unfortunately, all of you are gonna have to try and get rid of me the hard way. I'm not as fragile, you see!" An irrational instinct, aimed at everyone - she knows damn well Liam isn't 'from' here, after all.
"...s-so go on! Try it! See what happens! This is why I don't ask for help. It's always a trap." ...It almost sounds pleading. A request to justify her fear.
<Pose Tracker> Sayoko Shinozaki has posed.
The situation grows ever more tense... Which has led to Sayoko pausing in her work and moving to stand off to the side patiently. Waiting. Hands clapsed down at her waist, eyes closed. And yet she still sees. Still hears.
And the more she hears, the more Sayoko understands. Even sympathises to a degree, given her own family tree. Though she suspects that her upbringing and that of these sisters is vastly different. Not to mention how more recent events have turned out.
Alouette's words are true of course, Sayoko too having no idea where the girl in question is. Though if she did... Sayoko is actually uncertain what she would do with that information. It's not something she had considered, too busy with other matters given their current situation.
The maid remains dutifully silent for the moment though. An island of calm amidst the churning tides of emotion.
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
"Did your parents teach you that?" There's that venom, back again. It's even worse this time. His eyes dart back and forth to reestablish situational awareness--he sees how Sayoko's stopped working, how Namiko's curling in on himself, and he knows he should feel awful for exploding like this. No one should ever have to see him like this. He only frightens them, because that's what monsters do.
Three hundred million gilla. "She's an asset, Seolla. Just like you. They only care about you because you're expensive to replace."
Borr intervenes.
"I don't," Liam says, and he takes a deep, shuddering breath. His hands unclench, forcibly. Tears well up in his eyes. "Seolla, please. You don't have to like her. I'm /furious/ with her." And he hates that he is, he hates it so much, it feels like his brain is coming open and all the things he's kept buried are falling out. "But if she dies, so does everyone here. So does the /universe/, if Dr. Cektru's right. Is what your 'parents' told you really worth that/"
He's talking to a stone. She's going to walk off any second now, isn't she? Liam thinks.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka feels Namiko moving closer to her - and then, she feels her shrinking away. ...The feeling hurts. She looks back at her, sending her an apologetic look, before looking toward Borr.
"...I know." Rikka says. ...She says that, but... this is Rikka they're talking about, who has a known habit of throwing herself into dangerous situation. She looks back at Seolla.
"That's..." She starts, shaking her head. "...Then where does it stop? When you return pain with pain, that's just inviting someone else to do the same to you in return. Where does it stop? ...Hurting Akane wouldn't stop anything, anyway. She's a victim, too." Rikka asks, then shakes her head.
"You're talking about killing someone. It's always complicated. There's always the pain and suffering of those left behind." She says.
...Fake. Rikka flinches back a little, at that. Being called 'fake' actually hurts a little... but she takes a deep breath. She's angry at first, of course... but her gaze softens as Seolla continues. It sounds like she's... pleading with them. Asking for help is always a trap, huh...
"...We aren't 'fake'. None of us are. We're people, too - just like you. But... no one here wants to hurt you, either." Rikka says, then looks back at Borr.
"...Borr, could you take a step back?" She requests.
%With that said, Rikka opens her arms to show that she doesn't have any weapons on her - couldn't draw any, like this.
"...As you can see, I'm unarmed." Rikka says. ...This is risky, she knows. If Seolla lashes out at her... well, she'll probably lose. But putting herself at risk is the only way she knows to show that she means it. "I'm going to take a step forward now, okay? Just one."
She waits for a moment and, as she said, takes a step.
<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.
With a whirr of motion, Borr vanishes. She reappears by Sayoko's side. "Hey, take care of Namiko for me. I'll owe ya one."
Appearing again at Namiko's elbow, Borr takes her hand. "It's gonna be okay. I'm gonna protect you. You and Rikka both. Nobody's getting hurt today." Borr squeezes Namiko's hand softly. "You watch my back for me, okay?"
And again, she vanishes. Reappearing just before Rikka, slightly to the side, so Rikka and Seolla can still speak.
"Listen, girlie. Seolla." Borr corrects herself. "None of us are gonna hurt you, unless you hurt us first. I promise, alright? Hyper Agent pinkie swear, or whatever."
Borr doesn't really know what a pinkie swear is.
"We want to help Ouka. We want to help Akane. And we want to help you, too, yeah? And I've got the feeling that begins with finding you some meds. I'm really familiar with the hospital nearby." A breath. "You can be strong and accept a bit of care, too. We won't tell anyone. Let's just keep you healthy. Then we can work out all this other stuff. Can't move forward with the mission if you fall into a coma, right?"
A shrug from the small Hyper Agent. "Yeah, I'm not that nice. But I'm trying here, and that counts. I'm not gonna hit you with some kinda dream kaiju or whatever. I killed that thing with my own hands! Not a trap. Here."
With a gesture, a serrated knife appears in Borr's hands. Immediately, she spins it in her hand, holding it by the blade. The handle is offered to Seolla.
"This knife is my favorite thing in the whole world. You can hold it. You can keep it until we're done talking. If I fuck up, go ahead and stab me."
Liam takes a breath. Borr shoots him a glance, and a thumbs up motion. "Hell yeah, kid. You're doing great. Keep speaking your truth."
When Rikka flinches, Borr shoots her a look, just in case. The girl's okay. Just emotionally stung. Alright. When Rikka asks, Borr takes two steps back, nodding. "You got this, Rikka."
...she still takes a breath in as Rikka approaches. Damn. Shouldn't have given Seolla a knife, if Rikka was gonna do this. Shit, if she gets stabbed, mama's gonna be pissed.
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
Seolla's words are.. quite a lot to take in. Although, Alouette notices a running theme in them - it's fear. She remains on-guard, but she softens a bit. Like Rikka, she's not armed either. It's not like she can just conjure up a Will Knife from seemingly nowhere.
She feels the venom in Liam's words, calling her an asset to her so-called parents. "Liam-" she starts, but he immediately seemingly shrinks down.
So too does she notice Rikka's pain, of Seolla's claim that her association with Tsutsujidai makes her fake. She looks at her sympathetically for a moment, as well as Namiko. And then she takes a deep breath. "Is that what you think?" She inquires calmly. Their very current situation is a grim reminder of how real Tsutsujidai has become. "Tsutsujidai is more awake than it ever has been. That's why we're all here, isn't it?"
Another breath, as Soella continues to quake with fear and anger. "You're scared, aren't you? I promise I can't hurt you. Or is it them you're scared of..." The parents. The 300 million debt is nothing short of insane.
"We're - 3G is working on a way out. And once we do, I hope we'll able to help you. But it can't involve bringing Akane Shinjo to harm." She remains firm on that last point, even if her voice doesn't noticeable differ in tone.
Borr offers her knife, and Rikka proves she's unarmed. She leaves them to it, but she can't help but remain tense as Rikka stands so close to Seolla holding Borr's knife.
<Pose Tracker> Seolla Schweizer has posed.
"It's not about if I like her, don't get me wrong." Something answerable. Something deniable. Something becomes clear on Seolla's face as Liam seems to pivot from anger to sadness. "Even though it was fake comfort, I guess it was comfort for a bit. It's not even something personal. It's just...what I have to do. Fakeness is like any weapon - it's not something inherently good or bad, it's just how it's used. I'm okay with it being used to help, but am not supposed to forgive it being used as an obstacle."
"...ne, but don't give me any crap about the universe. I'm not about to fall far that. She's just some girl. This was supposed to be quick and easy." Both hands rise up to Seolla's cheeks. One step taken backwards...on a razor's edge as Borr flickers from place to place. There's a grimace at how the twintailed Hyper Agent protects Namiko - it's not supposed to be this heavy.
Her combative instincts see the handle of a knife, and her hand moves down at air-cleaving speeds to grasp it - before stopping halfway...and shaking her head. Leaving it in Borr's hands. "...I'm not...I'm not about to...you've got it all totally wrong. I'm not here for any of you. There's no reason I'd have to get rid of you. If you're trying to protect someone important to you, it's you who has the reason to get rid of me. Giving me something puts it all backwards."
Rikka steps forward, and Seolla's posture tightens even more. "It...it stops when I'm told to stop it, that's all. Pain and suffering will go away when you need it to. It's not that hard to forget people who aren't there anymore, you know-!"
|=_it's impossible so why has%'# it been ea_+sy?|-
Fear is forbidden. A step back from the completely, provably unarmed Rikka. "I'm not afraid-! Don't even think of telling me that!" Another step back, knees shaking. "I'm not. ...If...if you don't have anything to hurt me, then why are you coming closer???"
The rain should be matting down Seolla's hair over her eyes - that's the posture she's adopting, utterly unshielded from the downpour. It's just too short to get in the way. Blinding oneself this way isn't allowed, either, even when it'd be comfortable.
<Pose Tracker> Sayoko Shinozaki has posed.
Sayoko looks a little surprised at first as Borr just suddenly appears beside her. But that is quickly gone as a request is made of her. Sayoko simply smiles and bows a little, "Of course." Annnnnd he's gone again. A rather impressive ability. Hard to counter.
Now's not really the time to ponder that though, as Sayoko can certainly feel the pressure in the air. If the others can't diffuse the situation, the escalation that follows could be problematic. Of course, should that happen, Sayoko would focus on making sure those who can't protect themselves are able to escape.
Sayoko makes her way over to stand beside Namiko shortly after Borr leaves her. Sayoko reaches out, gently placing a hand on Namiko's shoulder. She doesn't say anything, but she does give the younger girl a reassuring smile. One filled with calm confidence and certainty that Things Will Be Alright.
Is this the true power of a maid?
<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.
Namiko knows it's important. This. What this Seolla lady's saying isn't right, but she doesn't have the context. Somehow she didn't think it was....but...
Her thoughts start to scatter. This isn't the kind of confrontation she knows how to defuse. But she feels silly sitting down with a teacup while the others are all passionately explaining what they believe.
No, more than that. Passionately explaining that they are dedicated to saving Akane, even if she's done terrible things. Namiko doesn't...get, everything. But she's picked up bits and pieces. Enough to understand why this is even coming up. But. She. Uhm.
Borr shows up and Namiko takes that offered hand with a briefly fierce squeeze. But she nods. "OK," she says, with a strained smile. Watch her back. It's a mollifying kind of mission, but it gives her something to pin herself to. She stands up too, stepping just a few steps closer. Rikka and Borr are the ones up close. She...
Sayoko's hand brings her back to reality. She reaches up with her own, acknowledging it briefly. "...thanks," she offers.
But then she stands, bravely forcing her hands down, and watches the woman her friend has become with just as much quiet awe as seeing her machine rumble away. "Rikka," she says, softly, worried.
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
'Liam-'
Liam glances sidelong at Alouette, his eyes wide. He can't even offer her reassurance like this--just a weak, sad little smile that says far too much. This is familiar. This is hardly the first time he's had to try and talk someone like him out of a bad decision.
"Alouette's right. This place is waking up. The people here are suffering. You were helping them ten minutes ago. Please, I--" Liam's breath hitches as Borr steps forward, and Seolla goes for her knife. Panic flashes through the cyborg's eyes as he weighs the odds of being able to stop Seolla before she stabs someone in anger. He steps forward, shifts his weight, tenses like a coiled spring.
Seolla lets go of the knife, and Liam breathes again.
"Seolla, please breathe," Liam says. "You're panicking." God, he thinks, what did those monsters do to her?
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Borr and Alouette back Rikka up, too. They provide some good, logical points, and help reinforce her own. She's really glad they're both there. And, Borr has given Seolla a knife - or at least tried to, but Seolla rejects it.
...She listens, then, and frowns as Seolla speaks. It's not hard to forget people who aren't there anymore... What lead her to think that way? ...She looks back at Namiko briefly. She can see her worry for her. ...What she's about to say... is probably going to only make her more worried, but she can't hold it back.
"...You might not believe me, but... not too long ago, this was a place where memories, traces of the dead were erased. But even then, there were still signs that they were there. Entries in the school directory that shouldn't be there. Families still grieving to this day. ...And I remember all of them. Seeing the number of desks dwindle, and being one of only a few who knew what it meant. Seeing groups with fewer members than before..." Rikka shakes her head. "...Trust me when I say that forgetting those who've been lost is one of the hardest things you can do, even if you want to."
And Seolla asks, if she doesn't have anything to hurt her, why is she coming closer?
"It's because I don't want to hurt you. Because I can't hurt you." Rikka explains. "You have the power here. It'll be okay."
She looks toward Liam, asking Seolla to breathe.
"I'm going to hold out a hand to you. Please take it, if you want." Rikka says. She gives her enough time to register that before extending her hand. "...Match your breathing to mine. In, and out. It'll be okay."
<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.
Borr vanishes the knife as its rejected. Whoo, close one. "Alright, it's gone. You're okay, we're okay. Everyone's safe. You gotta understand, though. Akane is one of us. Even if she doesn't know it yet."
For a moment, an image of Yuta lying on a pool of his own blood flashes before Borr's eyes. They shake their head slightly, sending their twintails shaking back and forth. This is what Gridman wants. They all talked it over. Saving Akane Shinjo is their top priority, even above stopping Alexis Kerib.
"We're not gonna get rid of you." Borr tries to be reassuring. "But you get to choose how this goes down. We'll help you. We can keep you safe, but only if that's what you want."
Seolla starts to panic as Rikka comes closer. Borr takes another breath in, wishing fervently for Max's presence. Namiko's fear reaches Borr's sharp ears, and the Hyper Agent looks back, giving her a nod. They aren't sure what exactly they're nodding to. Maybe just... the general shape of being worried about Rikka.
As she's been asked to step back from Rikka's side, Borr chooses to walk over to Liam. The young man's clearly struggling. They'd like to put a hand on his shoulder, but... That height difference. Instead, they pat his arm. Hopefully it's just as good. Just a little gesture of solidarity.
Damn, Rikka's good at this... Borr feels a swell of pride in their chest. Their kids are really gonna be alright.
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
Alouette notices Liam, eyes widening, followed by a weak, melancholic smile. Alouette simply returns a nod of reassurance of her own. "Do you see it too?" She asides, vaguely, in reference to Seolla's demeanour. The fear and anger coming together.. those parents of hers and Ouka's must be very cruel people.
Soella denies that she's scared, or perhaps refuses the very possibility of being scared. But her body language tells another story as her knees tremble.
On the other hand, Rikka is so brave as she takes charge with her own kindness. As always, she does the best she can to back her up. "Yes.. it's okay. Nobody here wants to hurt you. If anything we'd like to understand you better, because you're hurting too. But..." She pauses for a moment, glancing once again at Rikka, defenseless, yet wholly in control of the situation.
"I can't ask you to understand Miss Shinjo. Still, I'd like to help you find out a way to settle this without hurting her. Is that okay?" Standing clearly behind Rikka still, she extends her own arm forward to match her offer. Even if Seolla may not accept, she's been doing a lot of reaching out lately, hasn't she?
<Pose Tracker> Seolla Schweizer has posed.
Seolla does the exact opposite of breathing. At everything, she's just . . . still, like a statue. Eyes unflinching - staring at the space where Borr's head was one minute ago, and which is now just aimed at a distant chair. Rikka and Alouette's hands are left hanging for an awfully long time.
Her mouth briefly opens...How do they understand the wrongness of there being fewer people than there shThey don't understand at all. Don't be deluded. --And then it closes.
Yet once more she tries to speak...How come they keep trying so hard to make everything be on her terThey are not trying to accommodate you. It's all to exploit you. --And then it closes.
Seolla's fingers twitch. Her hands move forward, even though they feel like they are made of lead. It would be so warm just to holAccepting an unfamiliar hand will only serve to make this process more painful. The only thing you should remember is that fact.
There's no noise. No herald. Seolla just sprints away from the scene, throwing aside her coat, leaving a wake of bewildered volunteers in her wake, shoving them aside heedlessly as though pursued by some feral thing only she can see. Going, and going, and going, at this utterly fight or flight pace. Anywhere except here.
-
Seolla's hands reach forward in front of her, and grip tightly, needily. "You have to PROMISE me that-"
There is only air in her fists. She looks around, left and right - the awning of a fruit distribution warehouse long abandoned shelters her seated, drenched form from the rain. Legs burning...hyperventilating, but only for a minute. Where is this?
"...What was I about to...say? Is someone here?" She swears she still sees them. Their eyes are so bright and determined, the two figures in front of her face. That mature and elegant one keeping the small figure safe. The other small one - but brighter. The familiar one - right, that's Liam. No, he's not here at all. "...They were so...near. ...oh." Seolla does remember one thing very clearly - glancing at the bottle clutched in her fist. "...damn it, I can't go hallucinating weird stuff now. Not when I don't even know how to get home. It's never been this fast when I run out...how long have I been out? Is that why my legs hurt? Ugh..."
<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.
Namiko's worried, sure, because this is all a whole other dimension for her. But she's amazed, too. She knew she'd see things she didn't expect, she just didn't quite expect it to be this way? And she resolved herself, didn't she?
So she keeps standing, watching. But...what Rikka says to Seolla is...
Her hand comes up to her chest, her pulse in her ears. But she pins the other to her side with all the strength she has.
She spends the rest of the exchange remembering what it feels like to be afraid of her own mind. She swallows thickly.
She sees Borr nod at her, and that pulls her back into the present. That bright smile she's been trying to bring out is thoroughly banished, but she still tries to look assembled for the Hyper Agent, and for Rikka as things boil over and Seolla suddenly bolts.
Namiko...quietly retreats back to her seat and just sits with Sayoko and the tea. She needs a minute.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Borr puts their trust in her, and sees to Liam's care. Alouette takes up a position behind her, extending a hand as well. And Rikka waits. She doesn't try to get closer to her, letting whatever happens next be Seolla's decision to make. Her hands move forward, just slightly -
...But ultimately, Seolla's decision to run. Rikka watches her leave for a moment before bending down to pick up the coat that was thrown aside.
"...We should probably take care of this in case she wants it back." She decides, moving to set it somewhere it won't get rained on. She looks back to Alouette, Borr, and everyone. "...Thanks for backing me up there. Let's... take a break for now, okay?"
With that said, she moves to take a seat next to Namiko.
"...I'm sorry you had to find out that way." She murmurs. She says nothing further - letting herself fade into silence. She's... kind of exhausted, physically and mentally, after that. She doesn't think it was the wrong thing to do, though. It was worth doing.
<Pose Tracker> Sayoko Shinozaki has posed.
Sayoko imagines there's is quite the struggle taking place in Seolla's heart right now. It's the eyes. The eyes can be so telling. Unfortunately the sudden retreat is not all that unsurprising. Facing such overwhelming acceptance like that which the group was trying to offer can seem like an insurmountable challenge. Sayoko knows from experience.
"Give her some time. There will be more chances to try in the future. And as long as that is the case, there will always be hope."
The dejected feeling in the air is clear though. As is Sayoko's duty in this situation. She quickly prepares a fresh batch of tea for the group, confident that it will help provide them with the strength to pull through.
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
What is Rikka talking about? The only time Liam's seen something like that happen is when everyone in Tsutsujidai forgot the attack on Sheryl's concert, and blamed its disruption on inclement weather. But that's not true--and people died, Liam saw it. He learned that those kaiju were responsible for wiping people's memories, but could they wipe the dead from existence, retroactively?
And if that's the case, what does that mean about the other attacks? How many people have just been erased? And what does that imply about Akane? Liam meets Rikka's eyes, and despite his tears, his expression says what he cannot: 'We will talk.'
But God, she's trying so hard, and here he is making an idiot of himself. Borr puts her hand on his arm, and he twitches away--but he does manage an apologetic look as he meets the Hyper Agent's eyes for a moment. Yuta also found out: Liam does not like being touched by people he doesn't know well. But he breathes, and tries to focus again.
"Seolla," Liam says, "what are you feeling?"
There's no answer. Seolla just bolts like a spooked animal. Liam blinks, once, and then shouts at her back. "Seolla, WAIT!" It's no use.
Liam steps back to his chair, and sits back down. His tea is edging toward lukewarm. He realizes Alouette asked him something, and he turns to her now, his eyes haunted. "She's like us," he says. "Like Ouka." And like Ouka, he couldn't do a damned thing to save her from her tormentors. His shoulders sag. His breathing starts to grow ragged. It isn't long before the sobbing starts.
<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.
So close... for a moment, so close...
Borr sighs as Seolla sprints away. A thumbs up to Liam -- no worries, kid, not everyone likes being touched -- then he steps forward to Rikka and Alouette. "Hey, you did your best. Sometimes it takes a few tries to reach people like that. I'd bet she's only known pain for so long. You've gotta go slow on giving her hope and kindness."
But that empty canister... Will Seolla even survive for "next time"? Borr resolves to find Sayla Mass. She'd done something to help Ouka, maybe she can do something for Seolla. Then Borr can... run that medicine around Tsutsujidai until he finds wherever Seolla's hiding out. Ugh, what a pain. Maybe he'll make Calibur play medicine delivery boy...
Liam is crying. Borr feels his hands get sweaty. He's the adult here, he's gotta do something about that. Damn, he wishes he could text Max to take over. Okay. Okay. He can do this.
"Hey." Borr walks up to Liam, pulling a chair next to his. He doesn't touch Liam again, he got the message there, but he puts his hand just next to the young man's. Tapping out a gentle pattern. Tap-tap, tap. Tap-tap, tap. A steady sort of thing. "It's gonna be okay. I'll make sure she gets her meds. Dr. Mass is good at that kind of thing. We made progress. That's enough for now. Next time, we'll make more progress. Just like growing one of your plants, right? It's not gonna be ready to feed us right away. We've gotta nurture it a little." Borr smiles, hoping it comes across as encouraging. "We're not giving up. Around here, nobody knows how to give up. You included. Buncha crazy kids."
Namiko is struggling too... Borr reaches out, hoping his arm is long enough to reach Namiko's hand. He repeats that thumb-stroking motion. "You kicked ass, Namiko. Every bit as brave as a Hyper Agent. Hell, we should get you a suit right now. Facing a situation like that, after what you've been through, and not running away screaming your head off?" Borr gives her a grin. "Real hero material, girl. Now... I've been dying to hear about this tea. The flavor's different than I'm used to. Think you can tell me what's up with that?"
Having used up both of his hands, Borr hopes fervently the other kids won't need care immediately. No wonder Yuta was always crying about his friends' pain, these kids have a LOT going on. Shit! It's no mystery at all why Akane Shinjo wanted to escape the larger world. What is going on out there?
Rikka... seems okay for the moment. Borr's sure she'll suffer about this later, but privately. Rikka's not the type of gal to allow herself the luxury of a public cry. "I'll take it back to her. Gotta find her to give her whatever Dr. Mass cooks up anyway." Damn, what happened to making Calibur do it? Oh well. What's one more errand for the kids?
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
As willing as Alouette is to extend her hand forward, Soella doesn't take it, and instead turns to run. Sad as it is, it's what Alouette expected. It's not just Akane, there are millions of girls out there, scared, too scared to even accept help. She knows this, but she still doesn't want to give up on them.
Rikka thanks them for backing her up suggests they take a break, and ultimately, Alouette agrees; they all need it. "Mhm.. we might not finish the project tonight but that's okay. I'm sure we all need some time to decompress."
She takes a seat next to Liam, and politely accepts a new cup of tea from Sayoko. 'She's like us'. "Yes. There's so many people out there like us, isn't there?" She takes a long, slow sip, noticing his shoulders sink. "I hope we can help her too."
And then Borr tries their very best to offer both encouragement and a solution. "Dr Mass.. she should definitely be able to help." Alouette nods. "And you're certainly right about that," she smiles, in regards to no one around here being able to give up.
Similarly, when Borr offers some friendly encouragement, Alouette chimes in. "You got the Hyper Agent seal of approval.. why not GGG's as well." She grins. Namiko probably still only barely knows what a Gutsy Something Guard is, but then again, the same goes for Hyper Agents. "You're strong, but that's not very surprising considering you're Rikka's friend, right?" She lightly teases.
It's never easy, failing to reach out to someone the first time. Especially when the residual pain from it is clear. Although Seolla is gone, Alouette won't forget this encounter.
<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.
Namiko just...breathes for a bit.
Rikka does her best to console her, but it's...about reality. A truth she had no idea about. "So it's true?" she says, not so much because she doubted Rikka as because every neuron in her brain hates the idea completely. She quietly reaches to take Rikka's hand, a silent expression and request of strength. They can help each other hold up together, right? "I don't... ...remember anything like that," she says. With how recently her own thoughts were torn apart, the thought of them being unreliable made her stomach turn and twist.
But Borr comes to her too, and, doesn't entirely catch why she feels like she's falling back apart. But God he does try, and she giggles a little, rallying. She knows someone trying a bit too hard when she sees it. But she appreciates how hard he's trying, too, and the words warm her up. She squeezes the offered hand, grateful.
"I knew asking to be part of this would mean seeing some stuff I might not know about yet. Things I'm not expecting. It's not easy, but...I want to be able to help. I promised Rikka and myself I would."
And Borr does direct her to tea. She does brighten up. "Oh yeah, that! That was really interesting, I almost didn't catch it. Tea ceremony's always about the powdered matcha, so you don't learn all the tricks you can use for more traditional brews like this!"
She winds up, ready to talk about it for a good long while.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"...It is." Rikka replies with a nod. ...It's part of the reason she hadn't wanted to tell Namiko and Hass everything going on with her. How do you even begin to explain that - except in a moment like now, where it came out out of necessity? "...Not many people from here do. It's just me, Yuta, Utsumi... and Akane, who remember."
...Except for those she doesn't know about herself, of course.
But she takes that hand in her own, that quiet request of strength. She might be exhausted, but she still has enough strength to offer Namiko. And as the topic moves on, she'll lighten up too, herself.