2023-06-13: Tomorrow's Memories
- Cast: Alouette Pommier, Sho Tachibana
- Where: Lyon, AEU France
- Date: U.C. 0097 06 13
- Summary: Immediately after getting the clear for one's week leave after the harrowing situation at Nouvelle Tokyo, Sho visits Alouette at her home. Alouette explains her circumstances, and both the ways she's doing better and still struggling. In the hopes of making new memories and providing a positive source of company, Sho crashes at her place for the week.
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
Alouette's recovery has been going quite well - she spends a lot of her time between her home and the Wadatsumi, and has been receptive to seeing visitors. To her, the worst thing is stewing in the bad feelings, after all, so the companionship is important.
There is one visitor she's been wanting to see in particular though, who she's currently waiting for. Her home, by necessity is very close to 3G France's headquarters in Lyon, so it doesn't take long for Sho to get there once she's out from Nouvelle Tokyo.
They haven't planned anything particularly grandiose, and indeed the most important part will probably be talking in person.
There are freshly baked snacks by Madame Pommier - is it surprising that her specialty is apple pie? It's set up on a mini-table with just-as-fresh tea to go with it.
Alouette's actual room in here... hasn't been redecorated in a long time. There's a shelf that's about approximately half extremely dry academic-like text on a variety of subjects... and half shoujo manga. If Sho looked closer, she might notice that the majority of the love interests on the covers have an androgynous appearance, which probably isn't a surprise.
Alouette's quick to greet Sho when she comes in - she doesn't go right for the big bear hug like with Guy, but she does take her hand immediately. "...Gosh, I missed you. I hope you fought extra hard to come see me." She teases, which is probably a good thing - even in recovery, her sass is still there. "Come on, do you want to sit down? I think... we have a lot to talk about. But I'll let you ask questions first."
<Pose Tracker> Sho Tachibana has posed.
When one is a Getter Pilot - that is, a person naturally moved to action and confronting a problem - and there's nothing you can do about a problem is one of the most frustrating experiences you can have.
Finding out that Alouette escaped captivity almost as soon as she was captured surprisingly did very little to alleviate Sho Tachibana's frustration - especially while her team was still on active duty dealing with the issues in Nouvelle Tokyo.
Eventually, though, the situation was under control enough for the green light to be given for combatants to leave the floating city - at which point she immediately booked some personal leave, grabbed Neo Jaguar, and blazed across the sky to AEU France.
Stepping into Alouette's room, Sho is quite a sight - her hair is messy, there are shadows under her eyes, and she hasn't changed out of her pilot suit, suggesting she went straight from the Lyon base to Alouette's hometown. She has a duffel bag slung over her shoulder and her helmet tucked under one arm.
Alouette grabs her hand pretty much immediately, and seeing her have enough energy for that brings a warmth back to Sho's cheeks as she smiles. "I missed you too. I might have lost it if Gai and Go hadn't been able to ground me... I booked a week's leave from NISAR." The young woman is a chronic workaholic, so for her to book any leave at all instead of Hayato or Gai forcing her to take it is a significant marker.
"I have so many questions," she admits, dumping her duffel bag and helmet next to Alouette's bed, "but I guess the first question is 'how are you holding up?'" She sits down next to the blonde and then leans in for a tight hug.
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
First and foremost, Alouette returns the hug, letting it linger for a good few seconds. Before taking in how exhausted she looks. "Oh geez, you look..." She considers for a moment how to word this. "Still beautiful as ever, but... have you got a moment's rest?" She doesn't quite note the irony in her fussing over someone else right now.
"It's been a process," she admits, about how she's holding up. "That doctor... put a lot of things in my head, about terrible things, I didn't actually do. And... I've had to untangle it ever since." She explains, about the gaslighting she received on the Garuda. "Even now, it's hard to have much energy. I hope I get it back soon... there's still so much I want to do."
"But... I never gave up." She adds, firmly. "Thinking about the people I loved and was desperate to see again was the only thing that kept me going. That... includes you, you know." She rests her head on Sho's shoulder, relaxing her tension bit by bit.
"I don't know if you've met Operator Shinjo, but I don't think I could've pulled off the escape without her, either. I showed her what it means to be brave before... and she kept it to her heart." She doesn't go into the full story, assuming Sho has read the full report... but she does say what it meant to her.
"Oh, and.. I know you're worried about me, but I might have a question for you, too. How did things go at Nouvelle Tokyo? I've only heard the short of it, and some brief reports... and a lot of people seemed unnerved by it." She can imagine - an entire city corrupted by Triple Zero. It couldn't have been easy to survive that while worrying about someone else.
<Pose Tracker> Sho Tachibana has posed.
"It's been non-stop since the Nouvelle Tokyo outbreak and I went straight from that getting the all-clear to here," Sho admits with a faintly-embarrassed smile. "I might need to borrow your shower."
She makes a face when Alouette describes what she went through and how she held out. "... I'm glad I was one of the reasons you kept going," she says with a little blush, kissing the other girl's forehead. "If you need help talking through it - I mean, I know your team on Orbit Base are good at this stuff, but if you need to vent to someone... I'll put Gai in front of you." She grins. "No I'm kidding, he's a great listener, but it should be me."
"Shinjo..." She frowns. "You mean the girl who - with the PLANT thing? She orchestrated your capture, but..." She goes over the details of the report in her head and her grin broadens. "So she was playing them the entire time, huh? I think Captain Jin would be proud of her. I should thank her in person for lookin' out for you."
Nouvelle Tokyo... Her face falls. "It was rough. The old 3G have been taking a bunch of notes - there was a CK-00 down there, with the memory gas. Made me relive watching New Yark." She leans a little closer into the hug. "I was basically escorting a bunch of other GUTS students in crappy machines through the outbreak - two of 'em were crammed into a sports Labor? Nobody got turned, though, so... Mission success, I guess."
There's something bothering her about it. "Are you familiar with one of the Ashford students, a miss Eschonbach?"
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
There's something reassuring about Sho immediately dropping everything to come see her after getting clear from Nouvelle Tokyo... the sort of thing she'd dream of before. "Feel free to," She nods, about the shower. "You must be pretty hungry too then, huh? My mom made pie earlier if you're up to having a slice." She offers.
Flustering at the forehead kiss, she takes Sho's offer to heart, with a brief smile about her joke about dragging Gai in.
"I think one of the parts that bothered me the most was when the Vists had the labs put on... a demonstration to demoralize Princess Mineva. I don't think it was pleasant for anyone involved... and it was hard not to let my frustration boil over." But if it was any consolation, she was glad the situation at least provided the means for her to give Mineva hope.
"She felt really awful about having to involve me," Alouette clarifies, when Sho brings up her orchestrating her capture. "She even tried to give me some subtle signs to hopefully prevent me from coming... I guess it's not easy to turn me away, though. But in the end, it bought us the room to move. She was counting on me to make that happen." Captain Jin, though... "And from how you talk about him, getting praise out of him doesn't happen every day. I think it's warranted, though."
CK-00... the stone guardians who controlled Tsutsujidai. "They made you relive that... that's horrible." She nods, her tone noticeably sharpened. She remembers how Sho felt about Musashi. Still, she softens when Sho leans in closer. GUTS students though? Wasn't Namiko there? "I'm glad you were able to keep them safe. And that you're safe, too."
Alouette pauses at the next question. A Miss Eschonbach? "Hmm... Emilia Eschonbach? I think I've seen her at some of the GUTS events. ...She didn't stand out much, but not really in a bad way. What about her?"
<Pose Tracker> Sho Tachibana has posed.
"... Now that you mention it, yeah, it's been field rations and what the relief area could scrounge up for a week." Sho grabs a slice of pie pretty much immediately upon being given permission to do so and bites in eagerly. "Mmm. This is your mother's specialty? Bringing Gai over would definitely be a bad idea, he'll empty the pantry." She grins.
"Yeah I can imagine," Sho says with a frown when Alouette mentions Akane apparently felt really bad about involving her, "but it sounds like the two of you put together a pretty good plan? Sometimes you have to make risky decisions to get the cards in hand you need - or just play a bluff to the hilt and hope you don't get called on it. It's the kind of mindset a Getter Team really values." It's her mindset too, after all.
"Yeah, that's her. She piloted in the Millympic Games, too." Sho looks concerned, which is unlike her. "She's a New Yarker. That Blue Cosmos brat I kicked the ass of - she was bullying Emilia during a duelling class, called her 'New Yark's Weakest'. We were kind of friends? I gave her a few tips about her fighting style, called her grandfather a jackass."
"She was part of the op in Nouvelle Tokyo, one of the civilian units I was covering for, and I was so exhausted at the end of it, after that ordeal with the memory gas, that I didn't isolate Go and Gai's frequency when they checked in - and Go brought up Getter."
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
"It is! Runs in the family, I think... so I have to learn how to make it sooner or later." She takes her own slice, past the point of feeling shy about digging into it, and laughs about Gai emptying the pantry. "Honestly? I don't even think mom would mind. But it's nice sharing it between the two of us."
"I think you're right," she nods, about Akane's mindset. "She had to pretend to be a much worse person than she is, so she could convince them that Rikka was much worse off than she was. Ah - Rikka's her girlfriend, and also a close friend of mine. I don't think her prognosis would be nearly as good if it wasn't for that." She explains, about Akane's moves. "As for me... once I learned it was all fake, I played into that and acted the part. And once I got my chance, I did as much damage as I could before we got out." She recalls the sheer pressure and tension behind her attempts to scramble the Garuda's computer systems, knowing full well if the plan goes slightly wrong, they might be in Murasame's hands forever.
So she turns the topic to something a little more easy. "I see what you mean. A Getter Team has specialists for a number of roles, right? A strategist - that's you, a heart that keeps the team together - Gai. And I'll be charitable and call Go 'the berserker'." She considers what her own role might be. "Guardienne Aviaire can do a little bit of everything... but it's always a massive strain to put everything together alone." She likens it to the stress of combining protection and destruction into your one person as part of Hell and Heaven. "I guess that's why it's so important that Getter is a team effort.."
She listens to Sho talk about Emmy, remembering the Blue Cosmos jerk she fought. But she's from New Yark, and Go brought up Getter Robo... Alouette's expression slowly turns into a frown. "Oh, no... what happened after that?" She asks the obvious. "...Are you still 'kind of friends'?"
<Pose Tracker> Sho Tachibana has posed.
"I'll volunteer to be your taste-tester if it's half as good as this," Sho says after swallowing her mouthful of pie.
She nods. "You get what I mean, yeah. Tactical foresight, constant forward motion, and a solid foundation are all the critical parts of what make a Getter Team work. It sounds like Akane would make a great pilot for a Second Form." She smiles. "Ah, she has a girlfriend? Well, then, once you and her are both recovered enough, we should plan a double date."
Sho grimaces when Alouette asks what happened with Emilia. "I haven't heard from her since I made sure they got out safe - she asked one of her friends on-site to handle the escort out. I think she might hate me... and I'm not even sure I can blame her?"
She shakes her head. "I never thought I'd be worrying about what other people think of me while I was piloting."
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
"Well..." She starts, on Sho being a taste-tester. "That's a lot to live up to! But... it's good motivation, so I'll take it as a challenge." Practicing baking could be a good thing to try while she's here at home... it's never really something she had to learn before.
"It's a little hard to imagine her making one of those faces, though..." She laughs, about Akane piloting Getter 2. "That's a good idea, though. Like I said.. there's so much I still want to do." There's almost a longing tone to her voice, like she wishes she was just better already. "You'd probably get along with them though. I hope Rikka's feeling herself soon, too. She seemed to be holding up okay the last time I checked on her, but..." She trails off, not really sure how to end that thought. What she said to Rikka during the 'demonstration' still hits close.
"So nothing happened at all." That can be a good thing or a bad thing. "I think I get it too, but.. what happened in New Yark hurt you just as much, didn't it? I don't know her of course, but I can't imagine you're the person she'd have a grudge against." She leans closer to Sho's shoulder. "It probably can't hurt to VERTEX her sometime. It might just be that she's just as anxious about it as you are.. but you won't know if you don't try." She suggests.
"Although.. if you never worried about what other people think, then you'd probably never realize how sweet I think you are, Tachi-chan." She... ambushes with a peck on the cheek! The first time she really initiated it, in this conversation.
And then she gets embarrassed about her own move, blushing and looking away. "...When you spend several days in a cell, it turns out you have a lot of spare time to come up with the perfect nickname for your partner."
<Pose Tracker> Sho Tachibana has posed.
Sho grins. "Something to look forward to, then!"
She frowns a little when Alouette sounds frustrated about having so much to do. "What is it that takes it out of you, is it just... spending the mental energy sorting through what's true?"
About Emilia: "... I guess I could try VERTEXing her. If she doesn't want to talk, that's... well, it's not fine but it's her choice."
She looks down at her bag, where her phone must be (no pockets on her pilot suit, after all). "... Later, though. Right now, I should be focused on - "
Alouette drops the nickname and kisses her on the cheek, and is rewarded with Sho's face going as scarlet as her hair. "... oh."
"Well."
"I know one thing to be true for sure, then." She cups Alouette's face and leans in to kiss her firmly on the lips. "That even though we've only been dating a little while, I'm kinda crazy about you, 'Lou-chan." She kisses her again, then pulls away. "... So. I know there's a cute little B&B down the road, so I've got options, buuuuut... What are the chances of your mama killing me if I angle to spend the week here with you?"
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
She considers for a moment, when Sho asks why she's having a hard time of things. "Well.. I think I have an accurate recollection of the timeline of events at this point. I'm confident in that." She answers, but then pauses. "...But I've already lost my memories before. The way they weaponized it like that... it feels hard to trust myself sometimes." She admits. "It's pretty frustrating, but I've been talking about this sort of thing a lot with Dr. Sai."
About Emilia, Alouette nods. "Either she blocks you and it's just.. over with, or she accepts and maybe you'll have a good conversation."
But Sho leaves that for later and is met with... a critical hit! Her embarrassment immediately fades at her victory, replaced with pride, as she just beams. "Well? What do you think?"
She's not actually taken by surprise by Sho's reaction, easily predicting it from a mile away but she pretends it, letting it happen. It's nice.
"Geez, you're way too good at this. And where do you get these lines from?" She laughs, and then the question... she takes it actually seriously. "I mean, it's a pretty roomy place. And quiet, too. I don't think she'd mind... she might just be happy I'm finally socializing enough to bring someone here." She answers. "Although, I have to be in and out a lot to get to the Wadatsumi and... if you see a holographic ninja phase into your line of sight no you didn't. And also, you have to cook me breakfast. Deal?"
<Pose Tracker> Sho Tachibana has posed.
Sho smiles. "Then we should make lots of good memories together, so we can share them, right?" She glances to her duffel bag. "I even brought a bokken in case you need to get the rust off... Although, if you don't have much energy for that after your sessions on the Wadatsumi, we can just... chill. Watch a bad movie, or something."
Maybe Alouette isn't taken by surprise, but the anticipation of the moment can make it sweeter too, a fact that Sho was definitely counting on. "I think it's a perfect nickname," she replies, before leaning in to whisper. "Truth be told: Gai's workshopped a couple of them with me, but mostly they're spur of the moment. Something about your eyes is inspiring, maybe?" She grins, seeing if that one landed.
"... Yeah I figured between work, your therapy, and Jindai, we wouldn't be spending all our time here, but I'd like to get to know your home - and your family - a little better. Cook breakfast, huh?" She grins. "Well, no promises, but I'll do my best!"
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
"Yes! Memories I could never forget." She nods, enthusiastically at Sho's suggestion. "A bokken, huh? That's pretty considerate... if I get even a little rusty, there's no way I'd be able to beat you." If she ever feels like she needs to let off some energy... she'll keep practice in mind.
But it's not an obligation, either. "That could be pretty fun... we could even make popcorn for it."
It's true! Sometimes just knowing something is coming is just as sweet. "I'm so glad you think so," Alouette smiles, before Sho whispers in her ear. "That one is really cheesy," Alouette laughs at Sho and Gai's combined effort. "Spur of the moment's pretty cute on you too, though~"
"It'll be nice to make new memories here, I think." She agrees, about the home. "Until I can go back to Orbit Base completely refreshed." As for breakfast... "It'll be something to look forward in the morning... it's the thought that counts or so the saying goes."