2023-02-17: GUTSy Guidance
- Cast: Alouette Pommier, Milly Ashford
- Where: Ashford Academy
- Date: U.C. 0097 02 17
- Summary: Milly and Alouette have a chat; Milly gleams from Alouette the circumstances that lead to people falling from the roster so easily, and Alouette gets an understanding of what the work of the GUTS president entails.. and why it's so important to her.
<Pose Tracker> Milly Ashford has posed.
Milly has been tracking a little better than she had been; her abdomen is healed enough that she can get around okay, but the mental and balance side effects of ongoing treatment are still not great. Nevertheless, it is the tail end of the school year, and that means Milly has to get Ashford's ducks in a row. For that matter, she has to get GUTS's ducks in a row, which means...
... a lot of checking up on club rooms, mostly. There's been a lot of budgetary confusion lately, too... though she can at least handle getting paperwork from people. She's heading from club room to club room, a messenger bag slung over her shoulder.
She's still using a cane. Even if she no longer needs to take weight off her abdomen, she... really needs the emergency balance improvement every now and again. Even so, she -- for the most part -- looks like the same old Milly.
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
Starting with the unusual series of transfers, and then the disappearance of the entire Tsutsujidai colony, Alouette's GUTS situation has been.. kind of a total mess.
Now's a good time as any to get that fixed up, but instead of handing the paperwork straight to Jindai... she's decided to pay a visit to Ashford in Nagoya.
Partly because talking with Tessa reminded her that the GUTS president left in pretty bad shape. After everything she did to help, it certainly can't hurt to check in.. even if they were both too busy to pass anything resembling acquaintances.
And as Alouette passes through the halls, she runs into just the person on her mind, Milly still working as hard as she can. "Oh! Bonjour, Miss Ashford." With her condition... can't hurt to interrupt her, can it?
"I'd say 'on behalf of the Gutsy Global Guard, thank you for all your help in Tsutsujidai' or something like that... but I'm hardly here on formal business. Just a little GUTS paperwork." A faint smile. "I just hope you're holding up fine."
She looks around momentarily, taking in the surrounding club rooms. "...There's a lot of really interesting clubs here. Fantasy Seduction Club...? I can't say I've ever seen anything like that back in France."
<Pose Tracker> Milly Ashford has posed.
Area 11 is a little different from Nouvelle Tokyo. It's hard to miss the military checkpoints here and there, the signs that -- even if the Federation is content to pretend everything is fine between its member nations -- this is still fundamentally occupied territory. To the residents, they're background noise -- but to an outsider, they're no doubt a little jarring.
"Ah -- Alouette, right?" Milly asks, smiling. "It looks like you're doing well. I saw you transferred back to Jindai..." She does wonder a little if there was indeed a connection between Tsutsujidai's... disconnection, and what happened immediately before. "It seems like everything worked out!"
As to the thanks... "I'm doing well, for the circumstances. I'm not at a hundred percent yet, but what's a couple weeks' downtime?" She laughs a bit, though it's not quite as enthused and vibrant as she'd like.
... club topics are pretty easy. She starts walking, moving toward one of the rooms she knows is unoccupied -- because the club involved just folded. "Do you want to sit down for a little while?" she asks, before continuing, "Club participation is mandatory at Ashford unless you have a health waiver, so we've had some interesting clubs. I did Fantasy Seduction Club in my first year -- but as President I feel like my judgment's a little compromised if I do anything else, so it's just 'Miss Prez' from second year to now." Wryly, she asks, "Thinking of starting a chapter at Jindai? Or is something else on your mind?"
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
It is admittedly a little hard to get used to the more "dire" atmosphere than she's used to in Nouvelle Tokyo and G-Island City. And it's not pleasant either to think about the "why" it feels so different. Milly doesn't seem like such a bad person though, and Alouette gets the feeling she's here making the best of a bad situation.
"That's right." Alouette nods, in regards to transferring back to Jindai. "Thanks to meeting some classmates, I might be attending more classes in person... another crisis not-withstanding."
She grins, and then her expression turns more serious. "...You were really on-top of that, weren't you? I think you even reached out to Guy... I guess a good 'Miss Prez' looks out for everyone." She read the GUTS letter after the fact, and it's really not too hard for Alouette to put two and two together on who this 'leader of a government-affiliated anti-science crime organization' is. "Still, I'm glad it all worked out, too."
Alouette looks thoughtfully as Milly seems to be taking the situation easy, even if she's not quite high-energy yet. "That's a good way of looking at it. I'm not quite top-shape myself, and it makes me pretty anxious... but I'm starting to learn the merits of downtime, too." Relaxing comes easier now for Alouette than it did before.. but sometimes it's hard not to fall back on old habits and go marching across Tsutusjidai looking for the BioNet remnants still hiding.
"Of course," Alouette agrees and follows Milly, taking a seat at one of the club table set-ups, and more importantly, letting Milly take a seat as well.
"Pretty bold question..." Alouette glances at Milly, seeing that wry expression. "That's ah, not quite what I had in mind at all. But now that you mention it... something fashion related might actually be kind of fun." Alouette considers. "Or maybe the music club again.. maybe not as much as Ashford, but I've heard that Jindai has an eager club culture too. So I'm sure I'll be able to find something if I put my mind to it."
<Pose Tracker> Milly Ashford has posed.
"That sounds like it could be good for you. I'm... not sure what happened and I'm not going to pry, but it seems like anyone who'd get plucked out of class like that probably needs a little more in-person class time." If Alouette came out of things better, maybe noticing the absence was a help in a small way.
"Pretty much every school in GUTS has a great Student Council. It makes it pretty easy to focus on just the stuff that applies to everyone in GUTS," Milly explains, with a small nod as she gets situated. ... It feels really good to sit, even if her abdomen doesn't hurt so much. The amount of mental effort she's putting into her balance is more than she thinks it is.
"If you try to solve every problem while you're at 50 percent, it'll take you twice as much effort than if you rested," Milly says, gently affirming Alouette's newfound impulse to spend some time on downtime. "Anyway -- I'll always recommend Student Council for someone like you, but given Guy Shishioh is your emergency contact I bet you have plenty on your plate. Still -- maybe third year?"
... it's a bit of wishful thinking. Milly hopes, desperately, that the world will be in a position to ease up the burdens on people like 3G by Alouette's third year. "Obviously whatever you pick, you'll have GUTS's full support... assuming the people who don't graduate keep up the work."
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
"Oh, definitely. More for the social aspects, admittedly.. I don't know many people my age." Alouette laughs. "It seems like there are a lot of people with situations like mine at Jindai, so it's been pretty accomodating in that regard." She thinks about Sousuke and Tessa, who she's beyond certain are more than ordinary high-school students. Not to mention one of the Neo Getter pilots being one of her classmates there.. she was really cool, too.
"That's sound advice.. I should keep that in mind." Alouette notes. "I never settle for subpar efficiency with my programs, so why should I with myself after all?" A small, unstrained smile.
Milly then brings up student council, a position Alouette never really considered.. but it's a natural fit with her real job. "You're not wrong, though.. it'd be pretty bad if an emergency made me do student council work at 50%." Alouette laughs a little nervously. "It's not a bad suggestion though, I could definitely see myself doing something like that."
"The GUTS prom is coming up soon, isn't it?" Alouette remembers - she's almost certain some of her friends are excited about that, at any rate. "It would be fun to get to help run next year's, if I join the student council." That capstoning into graduation.. a little more specific than Milly's own wishful thinking, she just hopes Mikoto will be there to see it. "Either way, I'll probably be attending this year.. I bet everyone's working hard to make it a great time."
An eager nod when Milly says she'll have their full support. "Thank you very much. And it sounds like it'll be a big void to fill after you graduate." She laughs. "I'm sure there's a lot of people eager to try, anyways."
<Pose Tracker> Mitsuba Greyvalley has posed.
Milly starts to draw a picture of Alouette in her head, the more she talks. Someone who doesn't know many people her age -- someone easy to pluck from the rosters -- someone who connects best with people in situations like hers. ... she must have it rough. Her thoughts move, in turn, to a pair of students at Ashford who live in the Student Council building.
... for being the 'Universal' Century, it sure does make for a lot of isolated people.
"I can get that for sure, but at the same time, you're never doing it alone. I've been leaning a lot on the officers... and the at-large members have been picking up the slack that leaves behind for them. One person resting isn't going to bring the whole thing down." Milly shifts her weight a little -- then thinks better of it and shifts the other direction instead. This time, at least, it's something she catches before it's bad enough to wince.
Alouette mentions a lot of people would be eager to try to fill Milly's shoes, and she admits, "That's true, but it's kind of the problem. Ashford has a real Blue Cosmos problem. ... part of the reason I'm hoping you get involved in student government is because I think there needs to be other voices." Milly feels a little weird about this now that she's said it; is she really doing everything she can, or just kicking responsibility for dealing with that kind of thing to Alouette?
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
"That makes sense. It's a council for a reason, right? It wouldn't really be working as intended if it fell apart with one person..." That, at least, eases some of the pressure she felt about joining student council. If she could do it without overwhelming herself all over again, it sounds like it would be a great opportunity.
Alouette's expression darkens at the mention of Blue Cosmos, though. "Ah.. I see what you mean." She replies quietly. "The stunt they tried with the vigil not long ago.. if I was in your position, I'd be livid, but I'm guessing you were too, right?" Like Milly said, if she was in student government, she'd push back against that sort of thing best she could.
"Maybe it amounted to nothing in the end.. but from my understanding what it tried to do completely goes against what GUTS stands for, doesn't it." She frowns. She trusts Milly, but she also tries to word it in a way that doesn't immediately give away she's not a natural in case of overhearing ears.
"Either way, I'm still considering it. Not just because of what you said but.. I also think it's important that no one else has to feel so lonely at school." She smiles again, as she adds, "Not that you're doing a bad job. It's just as you said: it's better to have someone good take your place than a whole line of people who don't actually care about GUTS' mission statement."
<Pose Tracker> Milly Ashford has posed.
"You'd be surprised! There's definitely people who think I've been running this as a little bit more of a cult of personality than I actually have," Milly explains, with a smile and a small roll of her eyes. "... Of course, it does take a certain amount of drive and charisma to be president... but what that looks like is often different from President to President. Hayashimizu's style is completely different from mine."
"I was upset. I'm actually still upset... I don't like being used as a martyr for a cause I don't believe in." Milly rubs at her temples, saying, "But I'm only at 80 percent right now on a good day. I can't fight back the way I'd like and support GUTS Prom and send myself off with a bang..." It sounds like Ms. Supersenior Prez intends to graduate, at least.
Alouette affirming that she's considering it now gives Milly a smile. "You don't have to if you decide it's not for you, but I think it's important for everyone to at least consider it. If you're working with 3G you might enjoy a Secretary or Treasurer position -- you don't have to be Prez. Someone has to handle minutes and numbers."
God, it's a relief to have good first-years. ... but maybe they shouldn't be too good. Shifting her weight a little again to a more comfortable position, Milly says, "... and you can get up to a little mischief if you're an officer. Don't count that part out."
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
"Ahaaa.. I kind of do get it. It's a little like the different chiefs 3G's had throughout the years." Alouette points out the first connection that clicks in her brain. Everyone remembers Taiga and his legendary charisma, but it doesn't mean Akamatsu and Guy are doing a bad job with the hands they were dealt.
Alouette gives Milly a sympathetic look as she explains she's still upset about it. "I don't blame you for that at all, but..." She clasps her hands together. "It's the same thing you told me - you don't have to get it all done alone anyways. You don't have to give up on your goals, as long as there are people you trust, at least."
Alouette then thinks about the secretary and treasurer positions. "Hmm.. I'm good at crunching numbers, and my working memory is pretty strong.. so it's probably exactly my speed." She says, almost a hint of pride. She does briefly worry that it might fall into the understimulation problem.. but she's sure there's more to it. And besides, from what she hears about Jindai, understimulation is hardly an issue.
"Mischief, hmm? Then why don't you tell me some of the things you've gotten up to... just so I know what I'm working with of course." A sly smile. Alouette has never been much a troublemaker, but she is a little curious.
<Pose Tracker> Milly Ashford has posed.
Alouette affirms something Milly keeps hearing -- that as long as she relies on everyone else, she doesn't have to give up on those things. Soon she'll even start believing it! "I know -- I did reassign a lot of the day-to-day to Rivalz and Shirley," Milly says, with a nod. It's not just them she kicked things to, either -- but they've definitely gotten the lion's share of it.
If Milly knew about Alouette's understimulation worries, well... she'd probably have a few more anecdotes for that. But what she's been prompted for is mischief, so what Alouette gets is mischief. "So I think people don't quite understand why Ashford has so many budget multiplier events. It's mostly that Britannians are competitive, so that kind of energy needs a harmless outlet... but sometimes it's just that I noticed something interesting on campus and I want to see who cares about it. The first time we did Absolute Silence Day it was really about making it as easy as possible for the Disciplinary Committee to ferret something totally unrelated out. A few of these have literally just been about seeing who'd get startled." With a breath-laugh out of her nose, Milly admits, "I'm not saying I'm bribing people for the sake of intelligence gathering and counter-delinquency operations, but..."
Grinning, she admits, "I'm not exactly not saying that, either. If your endowment isn't as large, you might have to come up with other ideas, but there's no shortage of things to follow up on when you're in a position like this."
... Milly are you operating a student council or a nonstate intelligence service
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
"Good, good," Alouette affirms Milly, on delegating the tasks. Never mind that she doesn't actually know who Shirley and Rivalz are.
Alouette then listens carefully as Milly explains what kind of mischief she gets up to, in the form of intelligence gathering..? "Not what I was expecting to hear at all, but honestly? I respect it." A small laugh of her own at Milly's admittance.
"I don't know I'd be willing to pull off something like that without a really good reason.. but something tells me the 'really good reasons' are more common than I'd think." She nods.
Alouette clicks open her phone and checks the time, realizing she got sucked into a conversation way longer than she expected to. "Mmm, I should probably be on my way to catch a train." She taps a few times before she closes it. "Before I go I should probably give you my VERTEX.. because I don't know I'll be in the area that much." She admits.
Once everything's settled, she leaves Milly with a wave. "Still, it was nice getting to chat... take care, okay?"