2024-09-10: Feeling-Out Process
- Log: 2024-09-10- Feeling-Out Process
- Cast: Akane Shinjo, Rikka Takarada, Lina Lombardi, Qivi, Cagalli Yula Athha
- Where: NUNE Administrative Region of Dakar
- OOC - IC Date: 0099-09-10
- Summary: In the wake of Break the World, 3G reaches out to the Orb Union as another potential partner in the Pacific. It doesn't go that well, but it does give the parties involved -- most of them college-aged and stepping into big positions -- the opportunity to get their feet wet and get to know each other.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Nothing like having to do work to cap off an extended vacation.
After Break The World, all bets are a little bit off, to say the least, in terms of the geopolitical situation. On the one hand, Orb's commitment to its neutrality has certainly outlasted the One Year War and the Impact Wars; on the other hand, the nature of the strain is also changing. It's worth, at the very least, seeing if Orb is interested in participating in nonmilitary international cooperation on civil defense; certainly they've cooperated in secret with the Earth Federation before its untimely demise.
If nothing else, a feeling-out where there's nothing to lose save 'status quo antebellum' is a great opportunity to give 3G's new generation of heroes a chance to get their feet wet with the less combative side of 3G duties.
Akane... is a little nervous, and has overdressed a bit. Rather than her 3G duty uniform, she's here in a business jacket, blouse, skirt, and heels, with just a bit of silver necklace visible. (There's also the very faint silhouette of something purple -- possibly some sort of shapewear -- underneath; sometimes she might not bother, but...)
(... look, thieboudienne is good, vacation encourages bad habits, and Akane wants to look good.)
Despite that, this is a lunch meeting. The formality isn't that high. Everyone's settled in by this point.
"Thank you for coming. This is Chief Takarada; I'm her administrative assistant, Akane Shinjo. I'll let everyone else introduce themselves." (Maybe they'll hear her actual job if they become a partner government.) "It's good to meet a potential partner in the Pacific, even if the circumstances aren't great... Anyway -- try not to think of this as a negotiation for the moment. This is just about feeling out. We can talk about any topics you think are important!"
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Having to work on her vacation... With the current state of the world, a diplomatic visit over lunch is probably the best reason to have to put on her uniform while otherwise off-duty. Rikka can't complain about that, when things could be a lot worse.
She arrives with Akane, herself in full uniform - with the long, black and gold coat designating her as Chief alongside a grey waistcoat, white dress shirt, purple tie with 3G Red tie clip, black pants and a pair of nice shoes.
And soon enough, they're all settled in. Rikka nods as Akane introduces her. She doesn't even flinch as Akane introduces herself as her administrative assistant - though she does smile internally.
"Yes, it's good to meet you. I'm glad we were able to do this in person." Rikka agrees with a smile, before going quiet to let Akane continue. It's good to see her take point on this, honestly.
<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.
Lina Lombardi's mind was a mess.
The losses of the Junius Seven fall had taken their toll on the entire Earth Sphere, but as Lina had found, the simultaneous murder of millions of people tends to have a hell of an effect on the supernaturally empathetic, read: Newtype, read: Lina. Their screams sent the chorus of her mind into a din that she had only experienced twice in her life; after Amuro Ray at Torrington, and when she took a personal excursion into the realm of Yapool. It made her sick to her stomach, feeling so helpless. The screams kept her up at night. But, there was work to be done, action to take.
She had arrived at the meeting in her uniform, feeling slightly underdressed next to Akane, but this was what she felt the most comfortable in lately. In this uniform, she was a Brave. She had the courage to get through this. She had the power to help the world.
Besides, it's not 'that' casual.
"Lina Lombardi, 3G Green. A pleasure to work with you."
<Pose Tracker> Qivi has posed.
Qivi is... also here!
Qivi probably has a GGG uniform, by now, given she's an official member and everything. She doesn't know because she never picked it up; she is somewhat allergic to uniforms, in a metaphorical if not actual sense.
But she dressed nicely, at least. Qivi's idea of 'nicely' is black slacks, a short-sleeved but otherwise nice shirt that is kind of a shimmery silver that suggests silk (it is not, as that is not in Qivi's budget, but synthetics are pretty good these days), and absolutely no tie, because she is allergic to those in the same sort of way she's opposed to uniforms. Her hair is impossible to tame and still makes a thick, voluminous, floofy mane that's down to her waist in back and her shoulders in front, no matter what she does with it.
She also has the Asteriser, a bracer on her left arm in white and blue and gold, with a socket currently left empty. It does not match the rest of her outfit, and is part of the reason she went sleeveless: it looks even worse over a dress shirt.
Qivi did not have a good time recently. Break the World was hard on her, too, and not just her. But having something to focus on helps, and though she is a bit of an unusual pick to come along, she's here anyway. She gave Akane and Rikka friendly smiles, Lina a more polite nod, and then dropped down into a chair. Despite her formal outfit, she manages to look casual, almost relaxed.
"I'm Qivi," she says, polite nonetheless. "I'm with 3G Green also - well, I kinda work with all of them, it's a little irregular. But Green's the relevant one, right now, I think. Unless Blue is..." She spends a lot of time with Blue too, and checks in with Red. Her brows furrow as she thinks about it.
<Pose Tracker> Cagalli Yula Athha has posed.
It wasn't surprising that the Grand Glorious Guard wanted to meet in the fallout of Break The World. But what is surprising to Cagalli is how the meeting isn't going through official channels. What Akane says make sense, of course. A lunch meeting to feel each other out instead of a negotiation... If someone in Orb, or even NUNE, is determined to stop something like this from taking place, then it's logical that they sought a meeting with her specifically.
Cagalli gave everyone a nod at the table. "I'm Chief Representative Cagalli Yula Athha," she introduces. For her part, she's dressed in a business suit instead of her Commander uniform. Mostly purple and no tie. "...but just Cagalli is fine," she added after, seeing Qivi's demeanor. Not that Qivi's coming off as rude or unprofessional, but Cagalli does prefer the more casual approach.
"Yes, it's good to meet you all. I'm surprised 3G wanted to have a lunch meeting with me."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Introductions go just fine. (Akane takes note of the purple, of course. She's a fan.)
At Cagalli offering them the first name basis, Akane visibly relaxes. She knew this was informal, but still -- it's good to have permission to be really informal. "I used to work with Blue before Red was a thing," Akane says. "We've got people here from a bunch of different branches, so I guess I should get you up to speed on that..."
Settling in next to Rikka, Akane explains, "Red's primary responsibility is metareality phenomena; Green's is alien technology and... well, actually the other stuff might be sensitive information; Blue spends the most time on science crime." ... Best to leave 'the cyclical nature of the universe' off the table because that discussion might be too heavy for someone not already a little bit read in.
Speaking of lunch -- their food arrives! It's a solid mix of local favorites. Akane has taken to the fataya (basically empanadas); she was a little surprised they're on offer here, but upscale versions of street food aren't actually that uncommon.
"Do you have any questions about, like, the basics, Cagalli?" ... It feels weird for her -- especially given she's Japanese -- to skip straight to first name... but she's also inclined to take it as a favorable sign.
This sort of coordination work is something Akane finds easy -- these very structured, precise interactions give her a bit of a crutch to lean on in what could otherwise be a stressful situation. Leave the freestyling to the people who can actually freestyle, and all that.
<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.
Lina settles next to Qivi, taking a good look at the food on offer. "Oh, this looks good!" She beams, her foodie instincts temporarily driving the fatigue of Atlas' shoulders away from her mind as she begins to fill her plate.
"In times like this, we need every ally we can get. Strength in numbers, eh?" After remarking, she begins to sample from her plate, a little of everything on offer.
<Pose Tracker> Qivi has posed.
Given the colour of Qivi's hair, she comes purple by default... especially when she dresses in monochrome otherwise, which makes it particularly striking. (Which she knows and encourages - her hair is her best feature.)
"You two have a good trip?" she asides to Rikka and Akane - she'll ask them more later, probably, because right now she's actually going to be focused on the discussion as such.
"All right, Cagalli it is," Qivi says; she doesn't use her surname so she is perhaps a little too used to calling people by theirs, in exactly the opposite situation as Akane. But she can tell it went over well enough, so...
"I can tell you a little more about Green that Akane left out that's not classified at all." And it won't even make the discussion too heavy: "It's not just alien tech, it's alien contact. I'm half-alien, obviously," and Qivi brushes her hair back slightly, tucking a bit behind one of her pointed ears to show them off in a way that she's still not entirely used to. "Earth is good at making contact with aliens. And we'd rather do that than fight if we can. Strength in numbers, I guess," she agrees with Lina, "but also just, you know. Making friends. But that *also* means if we can't, or they don't want to cooperate, sometimes we do have to fight, to protect."
"So I know NERV does a lot of alien defense, but they're not the only people in the world who work on that." Qivi pauses for a moment to investigate her food; she does not know fataya and the one she picks first is fish, which seems to agree with her once she figures out what it is.
"Sorry, didn't mean to talk over you, if you do have questions." Qivi seems a little sheepish afterwards. She is not good at hiding her emotions, which makes her either a very bad or a very good diplomat depending on how honest you want to be.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"It's been great, thank you." Rikka offers Qivi with a smile. "We definitely needed this."
Cagalli introduces herself, and says that just Cagalli is fine - and Rikka nods.
"In that case, you can call me Rikka." She replies. If Cagalli prefers the casual approach, then it's easier if she drops the title, too.
She offers Cagalli a smile at her surprise at their wanting to meet with her - the inflection doesn't escape her.
"It's easier talking with someone closer to our age." Rikka says. "And you seem like you've got a good head on your shoulders."
Akane gives Cagalli the breakdown of what each of the branches is responsible for - and in the process, their food arrives! Akane's taken to the fataya - and so, too, has Rikka, it seems.
Akane asks if Cagalli has any questions - and Rikka nods, at Lina's comment.
"That's right. Right now, everyone should be working together." She agrees.
<Pose Tracker> Cagalli Yula Athha has posed.
Akane explains and she listens. Seems simple enough. Even the things she's speaking of is beyond her understanding.
Cagalli's expression does change slightly when Rikka says she's got a good head on her shoulders. Does she really? But talking to someone closer to their age... It made sense. And she's happy to not push that line of questioning.
When the food arrives, Cagalli took to it easily. While the tension hasn't exactly left her body given the heavy circumstances surrounding her, she does loosen up a little when her kebab arrives. A generous application of chili sauce on top and...a little bit of yogurt. It...doesn't taste half bad. But maybe that's just the hunger talking. She'll have to try the other dishes on offer too, but nothing beats a doner kebab laden with chili sauce (and yogurt, apparently)!
She shows a little surprise when Qivi reveals her ancestry and pointed ear. Half-alien... She doesn't dwell on it, however. Orb's commitment to neutrality means even aliens are accepted, so long as they adhere to its laws. It's an ideal she's keen on protecting.
"So... Basically, you guys fight kaijus, aliens and science crimes?" She asks.
Cagalli agrees though, "yes. We could always use more allies, with everything that's happened recently."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
"Yeah! The trip's been pretty good overall. Rikka and I have been doing a lot to take in the local food while we're here..." Akane absently brings a hand to her stomach, murmuring, "... Maybe I've been taking in a little too much of it..." She laughs nervously, letting Lina and Qivi take point.
"Qivi is right," she adds, a little bit later. "I'm guessing you guys are going to get the same pitch from NUNE, but until the OCU and the Federation split, 3G was under the NERV umbrella, so we've got a bit of a branding problem we're overcoming." Another slightly awkward laugh.
... It's not lost on Akane, as she sits at the table, that other than Lina this table trends young. How did the world get like this, where college students are deciding international diplomacy? (She knows the answer, but it's best not to think about it.)
"That's a big part of it, yeah," Akane eventually answers. "We're a research organization too, though." Akane pauses, trying to figure out how much she should say -- and then just goes for it. "We did cure Algernon... though I don't know if the medicine cocktail has reached the approval stage in Orb yet."
Something nags at her -- but she mentally sets it aside for now, taking a few seconds to eat. "Between the recent catastrophe and smaller events like the Galactron attack on Huffman Island, things are kinda heating up in the Pacific... we'd be happy to be partners in dealing with that, even if you aren't an OCU member state."
<Pose Tracker> Qivi has posed.
"That's what vacation's for," is Qivi's response, with a grin. She makes a note to check in again later, though, when they're back. "Glad you got the break you needed, though."
Qivi herself has had enough of waiting around. No vacation for her! Not right now, anyway.
Which means it's time to actually do work: "It's like she said. I'm from Huffman myself - Britannian side, then OCU. I get the way it feels when people look over the border at you and think about invading. And with - everything - "
Qivi trails off for a moment, then picks up a few moments later. "... yeah. It's a bad time to be alone. I'm not exactly clever enough to manage the research myself. I'm more of, uh, an active agent." She gestures, realizes she's waving her arm, and very deliberately stops doing so. "Which means that me and my partner - and the rest of my team - have got a good interest in keeping things safe."
<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.
"What's the old curse? 'May you live in interesting times?' Things are certainly getting interesting, that's for sure." She sighs as she dabs at her mouth with a napkin. "There's only so much we can do alone, especially after splitting off of NERV. It took almost all I had to rescue one man on Huffman."
"That being said, I know Orb prides itself on its neutrality, so it might be a tough ask. But I'm a NUNE national working with an OCU organization, so anything's possible."
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka laughs just a bit awkwardly as Akane admits that they've been doing a lot to take in the local food.
"It has been really good. We'll just... have to redouble our exercise routine."
Rikka pauses for a moment.
"...When we get home." She decides. ...They can still enjoy it while they're here. It's fine. She nods, though, as Qivi continues.
"Thanks." She replies with a nod."
Rikka continues to listen, watching Akane as she gets back to business. ...She's really good at this. She's incredible. She doesn't let herself get distracted, though - nodding when Akane says they're a research organization, too.
"That's right. It's not just the fighting. Learning what we're up against, doing what we can to understand it... that's important, too. And if it means we can avoid fighting, all the better." Rikka says. She listens to Qivi and Lina both. She can see why it'd be especially important to both of them, too.
<Pose Tracker> Cagalli Yula Athha has posed.
The 'pitch from NUNE', huh? It's more than just a pitch now, as the day of her marriage draws close.
"Oh... I suppose you haven't heard..." Cagalli releases a deep breath as she places her half-finished kebab back on the plate. "Orb has...decided to join NUNE. The treaty will be signed on the day of my marriage," she says neutrally. But the pain in her face and voice isn't as well hidden.
She eventually nods when Akane speaks of the Algernon cure. "I'll see what I can do about that."
Rikka confirms the research part of 3G, and how they prefer to avoid fighting. She nodded once more in agreement.
"Well... You all seem like a good sort. I don't have any objections to an alliance between us so long as our neutrality isn't intruded upon." But she can't decide unilaterally for Orb, as she tilts her head to the side, thoughtful, before turning back towards the table. "But for the rest of the Senate... I'll bring this up, but I can't promise anything."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Lina points out that they've been cursed to live in interesting times, and Akane weighs that one. "Ehhh... I kinda feel like how bad it is is getting kinda boring in its own way," Akane admits, with a small sigh, before moving on.
"Ehehe... well, yeah. And -- yeah, it's been pretty... I think we needed it after everything that happened," Akane agrees with Qivi.
Back on topic, she continues, "Sometimes, yeah, there isn't really a need for firhging. Knowing when it is and isn't... that's kinda 3G's job too."
Well, that's an intelligence failure. Downsides of doing this sort of thing as a vacation interrupt -- Akane hasn't had nearly enough time to brief herself. At the mention of not only joining NUNE but a wedding (and one that Cagalli obviously meets with the enthusiasm of a dental visit) to seal the deal, Akane frowns. "I, uh. I see!" she replies. "That's all we can really ask of you. We do have partnerships with NUNE organizations -- that means the Benerit Group will probably end up involved with anything we agree to, too..."
... yeah, that's a downer. Between missing something crucial, Cagalli's obvious unhappiness, and a no-promises kind of response, Akane's skidding out. She resists the urge to sulk, but it primarily comes by eating fataya. She looks to the rest of 3G with an only-barely-suppressed grimace.
<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.
"Just our luck." Some of Lina's weariness had returned to her voice in response.
"The effort is much appreciated, but I'm personally not going to get my hopes up about the Senate. I can tell a lot of political games are going on and there'll be no room for us, most likely."
<Pose Tracker> Qivi has posed.
"If you want a hand with that," Qivi asides to Rikka, because she spends plenty of time in the gym. Those arms don't tone themselves! And these days, it helps her with Nova - not that she's talking about that now, even if she brought the Asteriser. She's rarely without it these days.
But, work: "Your marriage? Cong...ratulations?" Weddings are supposed to be good things - and indeed Qivi likes attending weddings, even if they always make her sniffly, whether or not she knows the people involved particularly well or not - but Cagalli really doesn't seem thrilled about hers.
There's the link with the date, though... "Wait, is this an arranged thing? A treaty thing? Is Orb really giving away someone to seal a treaty - we're nearly in UC 100! That kind of thing is from the Dark Ages!" Qivi's voice raises slightly, and then a bit more than slightly, as she gets heated up. It takes her a few moments to manage to throttle it back, which she covers for by taking a big bite and chewing fiercely.
Qivi says 'quietly', which from her is still perfectly audible for the table, "Is there anything you, uh, want to say about that? Like, off the record. Even more off the record than the rest of this conversation."
Apparently Qivi has Opinions. Though to be fair, they link perfectly with her other opinions about authority. Hopefully she hasn't just put her foot very firmly in her mouth.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
"I'll be sure to let you know once we've figured out where we're at." Rikka replies, offering Qivi a nod. They might need to take things at their own pace, depending - but it never hurts to have a helping hand.
But Cagalli... Rikka listens as she explains that Orb has decided to join NUNE. The treaty will be signed on the day of her marriage...
Her tone's neutral, but Rikka can see her pain clearly.
"...I'm sorry." Rikka apologises. She doesn't know what about it pains her... but it's clear there's grief, there.
Qivi raises her voice, and Rikka doesn't stop her. Instead, she just nods, listening to Akane's reply. Rikka meets her suppressed grimace with an apologetic look before looking toward Cagalli. Rikka can see that moods are starting to downturn. She'd be lying if she said hers wasn't - but she still has a job to do as Chief.
"Yeah... that's all we can ask." Rikka replies. "Even if all that comes of this is that we got to meet you... that's fine. That much is worth it. Even if the partnership falls through, meeting other people from other places and maintaining a friendly relationship is still important."
<Pose Tracker> Cagalli Yula Athha has posed.
Qivi's congratulations and Rikka's sympathy... even Lina's weary voice that in turn made Cagalli feeling a little guilty that she's powerless to do anything... She could only manage a pained smile.
And on Qivi's mention of speaking off the record, and if she's allowed to be honest... "Well, if we're all friends here... I don't want the marriage... But it's my duty..." She clutches her chest - more specifically, Athrun's ring she has tied to a necklace - as her emotions eat up at her. "One girl's happiness versus the safety of an entire nation..." NUNE's subtle stance of 'if you're not with us you're against us'... Orb's tenuous internal politics... The Dark Ages comparison is rather apt.
She could tell the mood around the table has turned rather sour. If wasn't her intention, but it's difficult when the subject was brought up.
Still, she tries to maintain some semblance of professionalism as she continues, "yes. Thank you... I can't promise anything, but once the circumstances changes... Maybe after I got married, we could revisit this."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane is still recovering from her skid-out, a bit; everyone else seems to have the conversation in hand -- and Qivi, indeed, says the sort of thing Akane would have liked to express herself but doesn't have the guts. (She's sentimental, despite everything. The idea of marraige still holds romance for her, even if her own parents sort of crashed out on it...)
"... Sorry," Akane eventually echoes Rikka, nodding. When Cagalli admits she's not interested in the wedding, clutching that ring with some clearly mixed emotions... that catches her attention even more.
Something in her gut is screaming at her to say something, and indeed she forces it out -- at a little strain. "... Don't... let position questions get in the way of your personal life," she offers, clearly a little shaky. "You're going to make yourself crazy."
Then again, she can't exactly stop her. So instead, she finishes, "But I get that you've got obligations." Pressing her too hard will just make her retreat into it -- a lesson hard-won. "... Yeah. We can revisit this once things cool down in Orb a little bit," Akane agrees, careful not to specifically tie it to the wedding.
There's not a lot they can do as far as making headway goes, either, at this point... Akane eventually offers a slightly tepid, "Do you... wanna ask anything?"
<Pose Tracker> Qivi has posed.
Qivi is very, very good at jumping to conclusions and putting her foot in her mouth, which is another reason she might not be the best option for most diplomatic jobs, but it seems to have worked out here. More or less.
'More or less', because Qivi is still agitated, though she's not about to shout given Cagalli's response. She lets out a puff of breath as she slumps down in her chair. "It ain't right to trade someone like they're a sack of beans," is what she actually says, grumbling. Should she offer to get Cagalli out of that duty? But what could she do? She can't really fight over it -
Well, she could if it was Britannia, probably, but the people she'd be fighting - it wouldn't be their fault. She'd feel wrong about it.
"Just don't do anything you'll regret," Qivi says. "And if you need to call someone, call. My number's open." She digs in her pockets - hopefully she has a piece of paper and a pen.
"...But beyond that... yeah. We can talk about it more." She has to follow GGG's official lead here. Even if the official lead sucks!
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
She doesn't want it... Rikka's face turns downcast for a moment. A marriage should be important - a significant moment between you and the person you love. She has strong feelings about that...
...but her hands are tied on what she can actually say, with her position in mind. And... she can understand that feeling, a bit - doing what you need to to keep people safe, even at personal cost to yourself.
She can offer a nod, though, in agreement to Akane and Qivi's thoughts.
"Right. We can figure things out." She says, and after a moment of hesitation...
"I hope things go well for you." Rikka offers - and then listens, in case she does end up having questions.
<Pose Tracker> Cagalli Yula Athha has posed.
Cagalli shakes her head when Akane too, offers her sympathy. And when Akane says with straining effort she replies, "...how could I not? I promised myself to someone... But I have to betray him for my duty..." But then Akane softens a little, and she does the same. The grip on her ring loosens as she relaxes.
It's not right though, she agrees with Qivi. When she tells her not to do anything she'll regret, she gives a little chuckle, pained as it may be. She's certainly not going to do anything drastic like that. "I won't," she says simply.
Akane and Rikka offers after, and there's a little moment of hesitation, before she works up the courage to ask, albeit jokingly... "I don't suppose I could ask you to blow up the wedding venue or something?"
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
The offers of support are probably all 3G can muster at the moment. Akane chews at her lower lip as people continue to offer their support -- and she eventually echoes Rikka with a, "Yeah. I hope whatever happens works out."
Cagalli jokes about blowing up the wedding venue. Something about that, too, is familiar for Akane. "Ehehehe... ahahah..." she starts, with a laughing grimace. "Blowing up the venue to get out of some obligations..."
She reaches to one side, absently grasping her left wrist with her right hand. Her eyes shut for a few seconds. "There's -- well, I mean..."
/////
"Do you miss it?"
"I don't think anyone can really give up on their dream."
/////
... Akane lets it out rather than sit on it, this time. It's not as though this is an unknown quantity to anyone in the room except Cagalli. "Wouldn't be the first time, actually! Honestly as far as ruining people getting together this would be a way bigger dub for me than the last time I did it. It'd even be somewhere I could rock some swimwear again!" ... a moment later, she looks to Rikka and affirms, "... Iiiii probably shouldn't."
(The thought comes back, a second time, in a slightly different form -- but then she reminds herself what that would entail and decides that's a non-starter.)
<Pose Tracker> Qivi has posed.
'I don't suppose I could ask you to blow up the wedding venue or something?'
Qivi opens her mouth, thinks better of it, and falls silent for a moment. Then: "Officially, I think I have to say no."
But then she gives a wink that isn't *that* subtle, and pushes the paper she'd scribbled her contact information on across the table.
"Though if you want to go swimming, hell, we're on the sea here." Now Qivi has that idea in her head, which is a shame because *she* didn't bring her swimwear. Oh well, she thinks, she probably should save that for later.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
...It's horrible. To have to betray someone you love for your duty... How much must she be hurting right now? If she didn't have her own responsibilities... she might very well consider it. But instead, Cagalli's joke only gets an awkward laugh from her.
She looks toward Akane, though, as she follows up. ...That's certainly familiar. Rikka opens her mouth to say something -
...And decides it might be a little inappropriate considering the situation, and decides against it.
"...That's true..." Rikka says with a small laugh - but nods, when Akane says she probably shouldn't. "...Yeah. I'm sorry."
But that doesn't mean that she can't intentionally not notice the hints Qivi's giving out.
Swimming, though...
"That would be nice..." Rikka considers.
<Pose Tracker> Cagalli Yula Athha has posed.
Cagalli lets something of a relaxed laugh out. That little joke of hers have lightened the mood up (even if it's not actually a joke to her deep inside) which she is grateful for. She wasn't expecting much to come out of it, and their responses are fair, given their positions. Akane mentioning that it wasn't the first time got a thoughtful consideration from her however.
Qivi slid a piece of paper to her though, and that not so subtle wink... Cagalli returns an incredulous look. But, she did ask. Without a second thought then, she pockets the paper. She doesn't know if it'd be right to call on her for help, especially since they've just met. But... it's something for later.
Swimming was mentioned though, and Cagalli's expression visibly brightens. Cagalli didn't bring a swimwear with her either, but there's no reason they couldn't buy one here. "Let's do that! I'll have to buy something to wear, something not so revealing... But let's go swimming!"
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane lets out a small sigh, glancing off as Cagalli laughs. She's having a bit of a complicated emotion, and needs a second.
Fortunately, the topic gets put aside in favor of swimming. "... Yeah -- that actually does sound pretty good. Might as well," she agrees. "Once we finish up here, I don't mind hitting the beach at all."
... She's still a little bit off her game, though, as they continue eating. It eventually passes -- but not until they're out swimming. She stays a little on the quiet side, too, as she eats -- she's not unresponsive, but she's definitely more off her game than she'd like to admit, after some of the ups and downs of the meeting...
<Pose Tracker> Qivi has posed.
They weren't hints so much as a statement of fact. To stop someone from being forced into doing something they don't want to do, that they're being pushed into, that people have simply assumed they will do and fall into line over without any thought of what the person - Cagalli - thinks about it -
Well. Qivi understands that. She's not sure she can actually blow up anywhere. She doesn't want to fight Orb over it; it's probably not the soldiers' fault. But there's got to be something she can do, if Cagalli wants her to try...
Sometimes Qivi is very predictable. And very direct.
"Great! Sounds like a plan!" Qivi grins, instead, when a vague statement from her becomes a solid idea that people want to follow through on. "I'll need something, too. That or I get to work on a tan in shorts..."