2023-01-30: The Science of Friendship
- Cast: Teletha Testarossa, Alouette Pommier
- Where: Cafe, Nouvelle Tokyo
- Date: U.C. 0097 01 30
- Summary: A blind date(?) setup by a third party leads to two overworked, tired science gals to being a friendship.
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
After Alouette expressed a desire to be able to partially live the life of an ordinary teenage girl, it wasn't long before Leina was easily set her up with someone else with much similar feelings - Teletha Testarossa. Who by some twist of fate, would be in her class at Jindai -- geez, how does Leina know so many people?
Alouette waits in a small Nouvelle Tokyo cafe near the school for her "blind date" (as Leina might put it), wearing a slightly modified, frilly Jindai uniform. A cup of chamomile tea sits in front of her, and she kicks her legs and scrolls her phone rather anxiously.
On Tessa's side, she might recognize the name 'Alouette Pommier' from a few places. She's on the class roster, but never seems to show up, allegedly preferring to do her work remotely.
It was the name of the 3G operative Sayla Mass called upon to speak with the awakening Super AI paired with the Arbalest. And if she's delved into programming, she'd recognize it as the author of 3G's revolutionary, still not replicated Program Ring technology -- written five years ago to support GaoFighGar's Final Fusion.
Regardless, the Alouette Pommier that waits for Tessa is a totally ordinary-looking teenage girl (if not for her hairstyle), simply eager to meet new friends and see corners of the world she isn't quite used to.
<Pose Tracker> Teletha Testarossa has posed.
An ordinary teenage life. Tessa had occasionally dabbled in this aspect, by choice or by brute-forcing some "coincidence" to indulge in the dreams of a simple life, away from her ship, away from management, away from...Everything. Leina's connections were welcomed at this point; Webs to places she'd never been able to see, and attempted understandings that wouldn't remind her of her middle school attempts.
...Enough doomsaying. Tessa was heading along, dressed in the usual Jindai uniform; Pressed to exact details, not a hem or stitch out of place on that. (Mardukas's habits had rubbed on her the slightest bit; Unifroms were uniforms, so they had to be spic-and-span, as a certain blonde romantic would say.) Granted, she's bringing nothing along; The mind is the best receptacle when everything is easily absorbed.
Alouette, Alouette...Sounding the name out in her head, that word did have a nice spring to it. Like it could burst into song. Remote work, but if she's involved with 3G and Sayla...Mmh, Al's results from that time weren't pretty, but she could hardly be at fault for something that Bani programmed in, especially concerning Tsutsujidai. It simply was out of her scope.
Though, Program Ring...Mithril glanced at it. She glanced at it. Her own knowledge only went so far; Her own code for DANA was merely advancements and streamlining of current conventions. Not...something entirely new.
Regardless of anything, the sight of the blonde compared with the official photo stashed back at Mithril...A match! With a smile on her lips and a spring in her steps, she trotted towards the gal...And tripped to collapse right in front of that same table in a completely unceremonious fashion over her own two feet. A yelp included.
"...Owowow..." Nothing broken, just a light scrape without lasting injury. "Ahaha, sorry about the scare...Alouette, right?" Brushing herself off, and standing back up. "Tessa. Leina set us two up, huh?"
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
Alouette smiles right back as the silver-haired girl approaches her and then... gasps as she makes that fall in front of the table. "Oh geez... are you okay?" She confirms, as Tessa stands up and brushes herself off. "That looked like a pretty bad fall... but I'm relieved it's nothing serious." The tension deflates from her, as Tessa moves on like it was nothing, and doesn't seem to need assistance getting up.
"That's right. It's a pleasure, Tessa." Alouette greets, letting Tessa take a seat. "Honestly... I'm not sure how Leina would know you, but she's certainly full of surprises." A naturally inquistive look emerges on her face. It's not something she really pushes hard though - she knows the Yumi Foundation work takes her all over the place.
And then she pauses... ahh, how do you start a conversation in a moment like this? There's probably a reason a cafe was chosen for this, and she's had plenty of conversations with Ikumi over tea, so she starts with that.
"So, Tessa.. what kind of tea do you like? Or would you prefer coffee?" She takes a sip of her chamomile before reaching for the plate set in the middle of the table; a plate of French pastries for both of them to have at. "Ahaaa, I can't believe what I was missing out on, taking tea without a side for so long." She asides, a small smile on her face. "But these are good... try some if you'd like."
<Pose Tracker> Teletha Testarossa has posed.
"I don't think I've ever had a bad fall. Sometimes worrying, but never really...bad, I think?" No, no broken bones, only the occasional scrape every so often. The perks of being who she is. Just move along; It's only worse if she brought a focus to it.
She accepts that seat, brushing off the final bits of dust as she took a cgood look at the...Blind date? Hookup? Friendship creator? She wasn't sure what to call it, but it was something! "Leina's a unique one, isn't she? I wouldn't be surprised if she had someone for everyone." Ah, this was...Considering the lack of surprise, she wasn't told about Tessa, was she... "I do think I know how she knows you."
...Well, that realization results in nothing more but a smile, glancing over to check at the menu. "I've commonly had coffee for when I need to be out of school, but I do enjoy a nice tea every now and then. Some green, some mint, but I think chamomile works best before bed." So frank about her drinking habits...A blink, straightening herself out. Ah, she's zoning out, zoning out! "I don't think I've not drunk a cup of coffee a day since..." ...When? "...Since around last month." ...Since Tsutsujidai disappeared.
"Though, I haven't had to drink one for a few days, and I hope I don't have to anytime soon." Reaching forward, snagging a pastry and taking an inquisitve bite. Ooooh, the taste of sugar on her tongue... "Mhm, it is good...And you, Alouette? How's school life treating you? Jindai's a place where every day is new, isn't it?"
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
"Ahh, well... if it's fine, it's fine." Alouette slightly shrugs, wishing to avoid embarrassing her partner for today.
"Seriously..." She smiles at Tessa's statement about Leina, how she always seems to have someone for everyone - and pays careful attention to the relationships of others. "It's not hard to see why though, with how friendly she is.. making friends and making her friends friends must come easy to her," Alouette tries to maneuver around that tongue twister.
Her eyebrows do perk up in interest, when Tessa mentions she can guess why Leina knows Alouette. "Aha, is that so? Honestly.. the only explanation I can think of for you is if you volunteer with the Yumi Foundation." And she can sort of see it: Tessa definitely looks the type. There's really another possible connection she considers, but smart as she is, of course she wouldn't flag Tessa as the TDD-1 captain Sayla mentioned. And she promised Sayla she wouldn't be so blunt about these hunches... so she files it away.
"Coffee.. mm, I don't enjoy the taste nearly as much as tea... too bitter, unless it's very carefully brewed." And by that, she basically means coffee as good as Renais makes it. "My favourites are apple and chamomile... I really like the sweet stuff." She takes a good, long sip.
She also notices how Tessa seems to zone out. "Sorry to ask again but.. are you okay? You looked a little dazed there for a moment." But stopping at the mention of "last month" is very telling. A lot's happened.
"School... I'm wearing this uniform right now, but I haven't attended in quite a while. A lot's been happening, and..."
Ugh, she doesn't like twisting her words like this... she wants normal, but it doesn't mean she wants to lie through her teeth. She takes a deep breath. "You've probably already figured this out Tessa, but I'm with the Gutsy Global Guard. And besides that, for the past almost two months, I was trapped in Tsutsujidai. So.. that's why I haven't been at Jindai for awhile, even if I'm wearing this right now." She admits.
"It was mostly meant to be a cover, but I wouldn't be terribly opposed to having a school life?" She'd have to think about it, after her time under Bujack.. but it might not be so bad if it's for real this time. "I'd like to graduate, even if it's mostly just an obligation. It's just..." she shakes her head. "The stunt Blue Cosmos pulled with GUTS had me worried."
She stares into her cup of tea, hoping she hasn't made the mood too heavy, or overwhelmed Tessa. But this too, is part of being a normal girl isn't it? "I don't think it would be so bad if I know a few people. Even if we just met, it'd be nice if you showed me around the school sometime. I don't remember the layout so well, you see." She kind of laughs on that last line - it's sort of funny to feel so stumped by something as simple as a school.
<Pose Tracker> Teletha Testarossa has posed.
Friends making friends making friends, huh...Like a cascade? Her mind flits back to all the depictions: One drop in the pool, and the ripples spread... "Do you think that she'll have an entire web to keep track of? I can't imagine being able to play friendmaker for more than about..." How many were in her crew? "About 200 people?" Friendly friends friending friendrily...? Felicitiously? Fantastically? This tongue twister was running away from her.
"The Yumi Foundation? It's related, but I'll have to say you're wrong." No, the only relation was...Well, she did technically destroy a base used by the Yumi Foundation (with cause). "I think it's...more higher up than that?" Mmh, it felt nice to tease someone for a slight bit without having to deal with things like duty and differing command levels and such...Wait, she was supposed to be a schoolgirl right now. "I'm sure you can figure it out~" Oh, so chipper! She's trying her best to not allow work to bleed over...
"I have to sweeten my coffee, but its the best for keeping awake." A gaze down at the cup, biting on her pastry. Coffee. Her eyes are faintly marked by bags of fatigue; They've faded in the days since Tsutsujidai's return, but the mark of that month was left there. "Though, I haven't needed coffee since I went on land." Some tea would do her well.
...She was zoning. A bit. Looking out onto the horizon, acutely towards Jindai. It takes a bit to jolt her back into lucidity, eyes snapping back towards Alouette. Keeping a firm, conscious grasp on the situation, lips wavering between neutrality and an attempt at relaxing.
"I know." On both counts; GGG and Tsutsujidai. It's hard to not trawl through the list of GUTS people who were gone. By alphabet, by relations, by anything and everything. "I was earthside when it happened." So much in that month. "We made a list of everyone who disappeared in GUTS. I'm glad everyone is back, but..." A deep breath in. A deep breath out. Nearly two months of everything changes a person. "Two months is two months, isn't it?"
A smile. She's managing that, at least. Her hands are clasping together, tensing and releasing. "I can understand both the cover and the school life. You might not have as much time as you think you do for school life, but it's a fun thing, right?" Graduation. Over a year, was it? She had this and another year, and then...Mmh, the future was depressing. "We should celebrate every moment we have."
...Blue Cosmos, huh. "After what happened with Colonel Garland, I think they're laying low for now. There's the stunt, but after everyone returned, it's hard for it to not seem like a farce." Ah, so much in the future...But for now.
"The layout of the school? I don't mind it...Not that I haven't spent much time inside as I'd like, but it's not something hard to learn. Considering who you are, you're going to ace physics, I hope! ...Though, if you had friends, that means you need to learn their birthdays, right?"
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
"200 people... geez, even that sounds like a lot." Although she thinks about how many people are stationed on Orbit Base that she accounts for as operator... can't be that much less, right? Formidable flood of friends...
Tessa boldly decides to reject Alouette's veil of plausible deniability, teasing her with the idea of an organization related but higher up. Alouette can't help but grin at that playful boldness. "Maybe I already have~ who knows.. but either way, that's not what we're here for, right?" Alouette teases right back, while also keeping her mind drifting away from work.
"Coffee's always good if I'm about to work on a big project," Alouette nods. God knows how many long, cafeinnated nights she spent putting together her personal pet project, Guardienne Aviaire. "Buuut I've always been too stubborn to put sweetener in it, even if I would definitely prefer it that way." She thinks of the different possible sweetener flavours, though, and some of them sound really good. "Maybe I'll have to take your advice.. or I could just avoid working so hard I don't need coffee for once."
As Tessa returns to lucidity, Alouette does keep that sharp gaze on her... mostly to ensure she doesn't fall asleep flat on the table.. gosh that would be awkward. But once she has that relaxed, yet alert look, Alouette's gaze returns to her tea and pastries.
"Very meticulous," Alouette comments on all the work GUTS did on keeping track of the missing. "I feel like a lesser student body would've collapsed immediately from the pressure... but you could say the same for all of us gathered in Tsutsujidai." She goes to fidget with her glove a little but, oh right, she's not wearing it right now. "Yeah, seriously... two months. It didn't feel so long when we were in there. And it sounded like things were just as difficult out here, too." Coups, invasions, defections.. the Federation is falling apart, and all the ugliest parts are showing at the seams.
And then they return to talking about school life. "We should, absolutely. I might just be making up for lost time here but.. I want to have fun before it's too late." Goodness, what if she ends up like GUY, who doesn't even know who Sheryl Nome is? (Alouette, Guy isn't that old. He's still only 20ish!).
"Ahaha, just kidding. I think it's perfectly possible for adults to have plenty of fun too. It'll just be different.. and I want to experience this life for everything it can offer." Not just what it was created for.
And then finally, Blue Cosmos, truly the ugliest seam the Federation has to offer right now - which Tessa tries to reassure her about. "Mmm, I don't want to let a band of dirty cowards ruin that for me." She grins. That's part of being brave - it's reasonable to fear what they stand for, but nothing says she has to respect them.
"That's good to know. I've only been once or twice, but if I can navigate Orbit Base, surely a high school will be just fine." Another sip. "Probably but.. yeah, you're right. And I'll need to think of suitable gifts too! But no worries - I'll remember them all and I'll never forget them." She says with an unusual intensity, for just remembering birthdays. "Then... why don't we start with yours, Tessa?"
<Pose Tracker> Teletha Testarossa has posed.
200? 300? She's sure she checked over the prerequisite crew list enough times; There's a few new people who came in with the start of the year, and some that decided enough was enough, they should spend more time with their families, or get other things sorted out before their demise, untimely or not. "It's only as complicated as it needs to be." People sort themselves out. Usually.
Alouette has the right of it. There's no real use to teasing her further with this; That's not what either of them are here for! A smile and a knowing shrug are all she gives in response. Work was work, and two people desperately trying to not wallow in that was just that!
"It's a lifesaver, though I've heard about the addiction sides. Have you heard? Some people need a whole cup of espresso to stay awake." Granted, special ops needed that kind of focus for stakeouts. "I can't imagine doing that and going back to normal cups afterwards." ...She definitely didn't want to depend on something that much. Or any drink, for that matter.
...Best to keep alcohol to a minimum, too.
"From what I know of the person who orchestrated it all, they've pulled some harsh strings everywhere." Pastry: Chomp. "That they've been able to keep it going is a miracle in of itself, and to keep it going in her absence..." Milly Ashford, was it? Strong willed gal. "I think we've both had our fair share of problems on either side, didn't we? Tsutsujidai and everything that happened there, and Earth with Orb and the Blue Cosmos coup." Aaaah, so much. Everything was so much, and the Blue Cosmos GUTS stunt turning out to be a farce was only galvanizing them.
She could see the writing on the wall. It's only fair to look when you have early notice.
"I can't even count that as lost time. There's time you lost because of what you do, but I don't think lost time counts on situations like yours." For Tsutsujidai, right? ...Right? "Of course I want to know life...It's the only one we have." Strange circumstances or not, a human's desire for play was instinctual.
"Any building is better to learn than Orbit Base. After all, you only have to think in three directions." No need for curvature or circle loops or any freefloating structure. Rectangles were king on earth! The solemn phrasing did catch her attention, an eyebrow raised right at that. ...It did make sense. "December 24th." Same as any other.
And the question digging in the back of her mind, with equal intensity. "And yours, Alouette?"
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
Tessa asks if she's heard of people needing espresso to stay awake... even just to live if you think about it that way. Alouette nods. "I knew a guy like that who used to work at 3G. Constantly took all nighters even though the chief insisted him to stop." She skips over the rest of the story that involves Triple Zero and her vicious coding back-and-forth at Central Dogma. "When he comes back, I'd love to make sure he knows there's someone smart enough to take on his work... and maybe even compare notes." There's a hint of pride in that statement.
"Right.. the President was in Tsutsujidai too, I remember. And she was a lot of help making sure the students were all coordinated, even putting together a rooftop garden. I'll definitely have to thank her for her help sometime." But the fact that GUTS could keep going even without her... she chose her subordinates well.
And then just hearing about all the problems that occurred inside and outside Tsutsujidai lets a long sigh, not of frustration, but simply of trying to relieve some of that pent up stress. "It's so much.. and I still haven't even internalized everything in Tsutsujidai yet. But... I feel very lucky that we can still sit here and chat despite it all."
Tessa brings up an interesting point, and although she thinks it's about lost time in Tsutsujidai, it does ease some of her other worries as well. "Maybe not. And even if it was because of something I did... I don't regret any bit of it." If that lost time is what saved Mikoto's life, and in equal measure, will let them reunite one day, it's all worth it.
Alouette does muster a laugh at Tessa's comment about Orbit Base. "I wouldn't underestimate Miss Hirata's gravity system, though. It's almost like walking on an Earth base. Almost!"
And then the question about birthdays - December 24th... a Christmas baby, then. "And mine's December 26th... what a coincidence, just two days apart." Alouette notes, almost sounding surprised.
<Pose Tracker> Teletha Testarossa has posed.
"You need the proper amount of sleep, but..." Mhm, working on something repeatedly, poring over it again and again, putting together the pieces, putting it together in her mind, and seeing it all click together. "I can understand where he's coming from. There's nothing like making your own thing and being proud of it." Whether it's a submarine or a giant robot. "I hope he understads them~ Writing at 3 AM is hard." Personal experience.
"...Do you think they'll try to keep that going? The garden, I mean." A glance upwards. Towards the sky. There's no obvious speck of a Colony Ship, but the intention rings loud and clear. "Being able to keep things going out there and then suddenly spreading them across the schools..." It's wicked, if you looked at it from a paranoid angle. "Should be lucky that it's not anything more."
Pessimism aside, she does attempt to keep a relaxing smile. They're just two girls having a cafe talk. "It'll hit one day." The events. "Make sure you're near someone you can trust when it does." It carries the weight of knowledge.
That being said, time...Time was always ticking, wasn't it. "That's the best thing to know." That you don't regret it. Any of it.
But Orbit Base making sense? Mmh, it did have a flat layout, relatively; It's hard to shift from planes to spheres and back, but...She can see it. It does depend on who built it. "If you say so..."
But, the 26th...Two days. The age was confirmation enough, but that pretty much cemented her own thoughts. "Just two days." ...Just two days between normalcy(?) and her own curse. "I'll have to keep an extra Christmas purchase in mind~!"
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
<poem> "Oh, I totally understand it too. And I really can't claim to be better than him... I just find it's easier when you have someone watching your back." But yeah... writing at 3AM really is hard.
The question of the garden is an interesting one... it would be really easy to just forget about it. "...I doubt it. Tsutsujidai has plenty of people looking after it.. a whole city of them. So even if all of us out here forgot... I'd be sure it's fine."
Alouette's gaze follows Tessa, into the sky, following her implications. "Right... even now I haven't really dropped my guard. But hopefully one day, we can make a world where that is possible." Her eyes linger at the window of the ornate cafe.
Especially when Tessa tells her one day it will all hit, it will all come together. Alouette nods. "Mhm... I will. I did some things I still can't really believe out there, you know.. it was actually Leina who helped me through some of that. But it definitely still hasn't all clicked yet." She decides on. Whether she'll ever use Hell and Heaven again is probably a choice she'll make when it truly matters.
She moves past Tessa's apprehension of Orbit Base and the designer of the gravity system. And back towards the birthdays. "Same here! Like I said, I won't forget~"
She finally gets to the bottom of her tea... signifying that this meeting is about to come to a close. It went better than she expected in a lot of ways. "Let's keep in touch, shall we, Tessa? We won't know what to get each other if we're not sure what we like, right?"