Super Robot Wars ∀: Deep Space IC Thread - Part 2: Of Dire Tides

[TheRoon]

"Eight..." She repeated. Looking pretty surprised. Oh yeah. The girl wore her heart on her sleeve and had extreme difficulty hiding any of it. Olivia knew that already just from first impressions no doubt. However what Olivia didn't know was that Aliza never gets rated herself. She's rated cute girls and some guys before but no one really took the time to return the gesture. This was her first time and boy howdy was she over the moon right now. Well, on the outside she did her best to play it cool but on the inside... HOLYCRAPHOLYCRAPHOLYCRAPHOLYCRAPHOLYCRAP.' After another minute she cleared her voice to answer. "Good to know I'll be staying a while too." She took a slight wink. 'Cool as a cucumber~'

Yeah sure.

Then she brought up Hicks' personal plight, or rather glossed over it. Probably for the best however because Aliza didn't quite want the mood to lift off either considering she still had some lingering thoughts on the subject. Besides she wanted to get to know this girl dammit! "Hm? Oh yeah I'm a pilot." She grinned and made a small salute. "Fresh out of the academy actually. Little surprised the captain asked me to stay all things considered...but I gave her my word and I won't let her down." She put a hand on her hip. "So you been here long yourself, Olivia?"

[Sandalphon]

Nikolai nodded, still pondering Tarquin's proposal. He was inclined to agree, that the other girl was clearly... unsuited for the battlefield. "Besides, she might die. She might be unpleasant, but is sibling right? No need to be friend or even loyal, but maybe is bad if she die out there on battlefield. No, you are right, maybe is best if I pilot mech."

He joined Tarquin near the sink, noting what seemed to be an electric kettle seated on the reflective metal surface. He gently lifted it, popping the lid open a few times experimentally. The operation of it seemed logical enough to figure out: pour water in, turn on, boil, pour, pray that the result is palatable. 

"I do sometimes, is a bit... hard to get," He started, "we did not have a constant supply, but when we can... borrow, we drink. It's nice, but very bitter. Warm, wakes you up, keeps you alert. He would try to find sugar and dairy, I drink it plain." He added with a melancholy smile. Despite everything, things always seemed to come back to him. "Not fond of sweet things. How about you, do you want sugar and cream?"

[Shin]

Tarquin watched Nikolai toy with the kettle, giving him a few moments to engage with the vessel. He didn't really consider Talia a sibling, their dynamic was far too strained for that. It amazed him how two people with the same design had turned out so differently, it was almost painful to watch how pathetic she was. Unless she were somehow going to turn her life around, things weren't going to change - he'd learned that you needed to actually try for yourself otherwise nothing would get better. Especially if you went around sharing other people's secrets. It would be kinder to let her just sit on the sideline, the pressure of battle would probably drive her insane and the results would be less than satisfactory. He only hoped that Cheryl would be able fix her. He wasn't sure how much he'd benefited from her personally, but his current condition was very different to a week ago.

"She's not quite like a sister, I didn't know she existed until today. I don't hate her, but I don't like her very much either." Tarquin replied, offering a hand to accept the kettle from Nikolai so he could fill it. Cream and sugar were both things he had been told to avoid, and part of him wanted to try them out of rebellion. However, he wanted to experience coffee for the first time along with Nikolai."I want to drink it like you, we would probably spend too long looking for them anyway."
 

-

Talia dropped to her knees, the people in the room were too much for her. Her idol was seeing how pathetic she truly was, there would be no way to correct her opinion after this. She looked about the room, everyone was swarming her, asking her questions. Was she OK? No, she wasn't OK, her entire life was a mess and it was only getting worse. People were looking at her as if she were some sort of freakish disaster. She hadn't asked to be the way she was, she only wanted to be a normal girl without all the pressure she was going through. None of them understood, not even T-4. He had all the talent, he didn't have to try for anything and she was left to struggle just to scrape by.

Megumi was too much, the strict authority radiating from her reminded her too much of Corona Ten. Tears began to fill her eyes, the girl putting her hands over her ears. "No more questions... stop looking at me like that." she wailed, lowering her head and staring at the floor. "Please... I did my best, please... I'm sorry, I'll try better, I promise. T-1... please, come back..."

She just wanted to disappear from the spot right there, or go back to the days before she started piloting. Being a child was far easier, she'd have everything. Friends, no pressure... and she'd be able to see T-1 again.

-

Bill couldn't quite say he understood what was exactly wrong... or right, in this situation. This telemarketing thing sounded serious, but apparently it was something he could keep to himself. If it wasn't giving him any bother, he was fine, but he didn't want to be the one spreading things around. "Good to know it ain't too much of a problem. Can't say an ocker like me can understand the whole story, but no point worrying about that." Bill replied, standing himself up. With everything fixed, he had a job to get back to. He was still a couple of minutes ahead, his detour hadn't been too detrimental. "Thanks for the look-over. Never thought someone like me would be anything interesting!"

Edited December 3, 2017 by Shin

[Sandalphon]

Nikolai nodded once more as he listened, handing the kettle over to Tarquin so the other boy could fill it. He clumsily grabbed a pair of tin mugs from a shelf while the younger pilot filled the kettle, setting them down with the inelegant clang of metal on metal.

"That is fair, I do not blame you for not immediately making friend. I know a lot of people say blood is thicker than water, but who cares... if you are seeing the blood, that mean shit already hit fan and having family not particularly useful anyway. Not like I ever need one anyway," he said with a scoff, "but maybe is not very good example. Still, is best not to make too many enemies..."

It was probably already too late in Nikolai's case, but he figured that, since Tarquin was quite a bit younger that he'd had less time to accrue a list of people who would want him dead than Nikolai had. Nikolai wasn't sure exactly how long that list was, but one thing was certain: he didn't particularly care for the possibility of the boy getting a similar one.

"Alright," He continued, spooning some of the dark, dirt-like powder into the cups with the enclosed scoop, "but I warn you: is pretty bitter. If is too bitter, can add milk or cream or sugar okay?"

[Nanami Touko]

Not Gonna Work

Well, this had turned into an unfortunate mess. Cheryl looked back at the few people speaking to Talia, the girl crumpling under the pressure of having to talk. Was she really that far gone? Cheryl didn't quite know what was best, but perhaps time to relax and get away from everything would do her good enough. She sighed, hoping that it wouldn't be a hassle to get her downstairs. "Sorry about this," she muttered both for Megumi and Talia, squeezing herself into the setup and scooping Talia up. She wasn't heavy, but she wasn't light, and Cheryl wasn't exactly a quarterback. Still, the most walking she had to do was on the bottom floor. She'd manage.

"Just try to stay calm, Talia." Arm around her back, the other under her legs, Cheryl started carting her off. Maybe some time in a comfy room away from everyone would make this easier for her. Then they could come at her one at a time.

Robo Plans

"Boo," Hannah joked, but still smiled, leading Brant and Firmia out of the meeting room. the hall was as good a place as any to get some conversations and idea sharing done. "I wad wondering if the Mantle and the Regalia would be able to perform a combination attack of sorts. A two pronged strike against an enemy unit, if timed properly, could leave them disoriented, and deal major damage to their systems. I believe that Brant is skilled enough to perform something that would require coordination, and I can have such pattern programmed into me, or learn it through experience." She hoped the idea would go over well with Firmia, Hannah was fairly confident that Brant would already be interested.

"I ask, only because from what I have noticed, these apotheosis troops do not seem to work in tandem, or rather, as units. They may concentrate fire together on a single target, but I have not seen coordinated assaults, save for the movement against Lieutenant Kim from Vera and the unknown machine. I would expect the higher ups to perform that way, but the grunts, they all seem very fresh. What do the two of you think?" Her eyes scanned both faces with a smile, hoping for a positive reaction.

Finally Freeeeeeeeee

Jess didn't appreciate being recorded, like she couldn't be trusted at her word, but it didn't really matter at this point. She was just glad things were done. First thing she did as the Russians and Hannah left was send a message off to Avery saying 'give Firmia the TK Rippers' and 'we need to talk at some point'. Probably a bit ominous, but she was already tired, and the day had barely started. "So draining," she grumbled, wiping her eyes and adjusting her hat. "Okay... Time to get back to the bridge and make sure everything's running fine, then send those messages off to Avery. Probably tell Buck too... And inform the pilots that Brant's the go-to for takeoff, if I can't be reached." She ran her list of chores out loud to remind herself, not really minding if Roxanna heard them.

Then I have to get ready to see Abby... I wonder what she'd want to do? Movie? Talk...? I dunno... Feelings were difficult, especially someone else's. "Was there anything else you needed to add, XO?" Might as well treat Roxanna like she was in the room... Jess could do that much.

Slept it Off

"Hey... Er... Haha, yeah. Uh..." Avery blushed, grinned awkwardly, and then sighed. "Sorry 'bout that, Thorvald." She'd been inspecting the Ceres as he came over, fittingly apt. "Astin came t'see me, an'... I slept it off, alright. Had a nice pillow. Hah. Sorry... Meant t'come see ya, but, got, uh... Geez, ain't no good way t'say this, ain't there?" Avery sighed, shaking her head. "I was too busy sleepin' with Astin t'come see ya. Then th'fight started, an' you went off, an'... Yeah. It worked out, though... Told Astin' 'bout the problems. 'Bout... The whole trauma. Details still ain't pretty, so don't mind me iffin I don't get inta them again, during work. Ye really wanna hear, I'll set time aside tonight. Jus'... Get the tissue's ready, ain't gonna be dry eyed by the end o' things." Hopefully that would suffice for Thorvald, if he wanted to know badly enough. Hopefully, he just wanted to see if she was okay.

Picked Up

Nail on the head with that one. Were this a more private setting, Olivia probably would've laughed. As it stood, this wasn't the place for that, so she contained it to a giggle, and shook her head. "Yeah... I got onto the ship off of the colony, volunteering to help around with the doctor's needs, along with," she quickly pointed over at Val, "that one. I figured it was better than sitting around there, waiting for get attacked again, and doing nothing to help end this mess..." Really, you came along for Valerie, but only an idiot would tell the new girl that. "So I get cooped up in here reading and waiting for orders, most of the time. Bit curious that the captain would do that, though. Are they that strapped for soldiers? They should get us taught, then. Every body counts, right?"

Edited December 3, 2017 by SnakeMomMelissa

[Phoenix]

Cheryl's empathy really could get the better of her sometimes. It might have just been overwhelming second hand embarrassment. Megumi was certainly feeling it. Still, the whole fiasco left the doctor with a bitter taste in her mouth. Having a carrot dangled in front of you and then immediately yanked away was never fun. The next time a headcase was dangled in front of her, she would have to decline. At least initially.

Everything was taken care of for the most part. Now it was just a matter of periodically checking in on the Artemis girls. Until then, Megumi supposed she should try to catch up on her studies. "I'll be at my desk," she indicated the far left corner of the infirmary, "if anyone needs anything." She was half a step into her retreat when her phone rang. She stopped and pulled out a very basic looking flip phone, checking the screen to see who was trying to get her on the line. "... no ID ..." That was weird. Hopefully it wasn't anyone she knew. Megumi opened the phone and placed it by her ear. "Doctor Amparo speaking ..."

"Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you~"

Megumi's whole body tensed as a flash of white hot anger enveloped her. There was only one voice in this world that infuriated her more than her own: Nicholas'.

"Happy birthday Michelle Number Twooo ... Happy birthday to you~ Whew! Am I glad you picked up!"

"I'm the youngest, you stupid--Ahem ..." Not quite being out of earshot, Megumi quickly shifted gears and started back for her desk, "Would you mind telling me how you got this number?"

"Michelle gave it to me. I just had to promise not to interfere with your work."

Megumi immediately pivoted and started back toward the Seung-Min and Christina. "Mm, bad timing. I've got two very important cases to see to."

---

Brant was only able to spare some of his attention, as the infirmary was abuzz with distracting sensations. Even Firmia looked in that direction briefly when what felt like murderous rage caught her off guard. It was a wonder they weren't hearing a flurry of gunfire at this point. Cheryl making her way out of the area with one of the sources of the disturbances definitely wasn't the complete picture, but it was ... something. Fortunately, both TKs had caught enough of Hannah's idea that it didn't bear repeating.

Firmia gave a nod to the suggestion. "That's definitely doable." It was refreshing to see--or at least talk about some of the tactics she was used to. Hannah couldn't have picked a better partner in mechanized violence. "Brant's good at setting up those kinds of maneuvers, so it should be simple enough." All the better that they were piloting mobile suits with that kind of malicious intent in mind.

"Yeah, it's doable ... assuming I'm not too distracted," Brant gave Firmia a look that brought her back to the copiloting 'issue.'

<"Oh please,"> Firmia scowled, "Are you going to use 'I was distracted' as an excuse anytime something bad happens? 'Sorry the Regalia got damaged, I was distracted,' 'Sorry I let that enemy slip by, Firmia distracted me!' It's a flaw, not an quirk, so get over it. If you were in the air force, they would laugh at you."

... yeah, probably, Brant agreed. Individual weaknesses weren't overcome so easily, though.

[scorri]

"Mmmm, no problem... Come back up if your head starts hurting again." Val was only half paying attention to Bill at this point, more distracted by the sight of Olivia chatting up one of the new girls. She's seriously flirting with her? I'm right here, have some decency... Ugh, shut up Val. You told her you weren't interested. Even if it was a lie.... She sighed, stuffing those thoughts back to the depths of her mind from which they came from and turned back to the medbay. Sighing, she walked over to Mai. "How are you doing, ma'am? Any pain or any issues we should know about?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Astin wandered into the kitchen as Tarquin and Nikolai were discovering the wonders of instant coffee. "You two know we have a pod machine that can make coffee just as fast, right? Not judging if you like the way instant tastes, but most people tend to like it more. The pods are over there if you want. Just stick water in the machine, pop the pod in the top, and it'll do the rest. Oh, and remember to put a mug under the spout. Otherwise it won't end well." A lesson that Astin had learned well their first time trying to use one of those machines. That had been a mess to explain to their roommate. She'd never let Astin use the machine alone again after that.

Leaving the two younger pilots to their business, Astin made their way over to the fridge and dug through the offerings. She's working on robots, so probably best to make something easy and something that she can leave sitting around for a bit... Eh, sandwiches are easy. Pulling some cold cuts, tomato, lettuce, and cheese out of the fridge, Astin set them down before digging through a drawer and finding some buns. These'll do. The last few pieces were some mustard and mayo packs, two packs of chips and two cans of pop. Portioning out enough of each item to make two healthy sandwiches, but not building them just yet, they piled everything up on a plate to make carrying things easier. This way she can pick what she wants on the sandwich and I don't accidentally put anything she doesn't like. Everything sorted, they began to pick it all up to make their way out and back up to the hangar.

Edited December 4, 2017 by scorri

[Ether]

And with that, Talia had been taken... somewhere. Kim had seen fan anxiety before but that was... something else, to be certain. Lowering herself slowly back down onto the bed with a sporadic mix between a low groan and a sharp hiss escaping her lips as she set back down to rest. At least the place was clearing out some, that would help Christina relax, hopefully. Shooting her copilot a sympathetic look at what this new situation must have entailed for her, Kim allowed herself to rest a bit, attempting to shift into a more comfortable position after she had unfortunately moved out of her previous one.

[TheRoon]

She beamed a bit. Oooh boy, star talk. Just what she loves. Aliza couldn't get enough of it, but to Olivia it was probably very standard. She took a look over at the girl she pointed out, Valerie. She was a looker too, this ship sure was full of em. She was long haired, a bit muscly but not too much. It was just right. Solid 8/10. However she didn't stray on that very long, had to keep focus on the person before her. Would be rude to flirt with someone while flirting with someone...yeah. "I guess that's a good plan. Gotta do your part. All hands on deck, that's why they asked me to stay." She smiled. Olivia sure was fun to talk to. "So then...how's life on the colony? It's gotta be pretty interesting."

[Balcerzak]

Avery seemed rather embarrassed to answer Thorvald, and at first it wasn't exactly clear why, but as the mechanic continued to explain, he couldn't help but grin and shake his head. "I said 'two', you goon, that shouldn't be enough to put you under," then clapping her on the shoulder continued, "But sounds like all's well that ends well, huh. Hope you make each other happy."

Then, when she mentioned not wanting to discuss the trauma further, especially not at work, Thorvald waved a hand to banish the notion. "No obligation at all. If you've got things all under control now, and it sounds like you have, no need to get back into things just on account of me. As long as I'm here though, maybe I should pitch in? Got any simple work a fellow could help out with?"

[Xinnidy]

Second In Command, sorta.

Unsurprisingly, the meeting was adjourned with very little for the XO to work off of. Firmia was keeping the ball on her field, and Jess was almost eager to please. Why hand over the Rippers so easily? She could have at least asked Avery first, not last... Furthermore, they were being recorded, and while richsqueak was seemingly surprised by it as well, it didn't give her team points in Roxanna's eyes, almost scoffing at the notice. Whatever their plan is, if it works, we better keep something.

The Russians left, and all that remained was a Jessica that didn't even bother acknowledging that Roxanna was there, mumbling about her near future schedule casually. Roxanna glared daggers at the pipsqueak, already soured from being ignored from the take-off hierarchy for no good reason! Hmph! You can't pretend I don't exist forever, you child. Ugh, she didn't need any of this. Roxanna just wanted any sense of agency around the ship that day, was it too late to get her chance? Jessica can't... she can't fire me for that day, right? It was all sound until Roxanna remembered that she gave the first slap, which brought her to wince.

Surprisingly, Jessica would finally address her, staggering the XO's answer for a moment. "Um..." Was there anything of worth she actually could add? "I managed to contact central, well, kind of." It was really just the Earth Navy Admiral, but that in itself was... something. "Apotheosis activity has been seen around the Great Lakes... the actual ones. It might be the same team that brought down the Russian Craft, from the profile of their attack." But that in itself meant their field mobility was obscenely absurd, likely on par with Vera's group. Probably had to do with those warps. "It was successful. The ANF is only going to get weaker from that, so reaching HQ is even more important." How bizarre, to be talking about her father's likely demise a few hours after, like this... Roxanna didn't like it.

Wikihow: Making Friends with War Patients

Well, whatever that girl was feeling, it was just the wrong move to try to approach her more directly, she seemed to have gone through an internal meltdown or something. Cripes! Makoto wasn't trained or educated enough to deal with that, and instantly backed away. Good thing Cheryl came to the rescue soon enough, taking the girl back in a heroic carry. Whew. Now I feel bad... did I just make things worse? Despite his justice feelings being genuine.. some things about the world were just weirdly apathetic.

Megumi seemed to want her space after that, and Makoto didn't really want to stand around uselessly if the doctor wasn't around, so instead he took the chance to know more about the pilots around him --specifically the injured ones! Their efforts against the purple monstrosity were valiant after all. "Heya, everything good there?" He waved a welcoming greeting, "Name's Makoto, I saw you guys in the fight --well, I wasn't supposed to be there, but details, haha!" Awkward laugh, smooth. Scratch the back of own head to disguise. "I just wanted to say, you guy-- girls, were pretty gutsy out there! That Apotheosis machine is insane, but you guys made it out alive, and I heard we got something out of it, so, uh, guess I just wanted to say you did a good work, and I hope you get better soon! Being hurt sucks!"

Man, talking to girls was weird. "W-well, I don't think I'm legally allowed to prescribe you stuff, but if you need bed sheets, a comfy pillow, or a glass of water, feel free to ask!" Thumbs up.

Mom problems

Mai was perfectly used to watching things go by from her observer's point by now. There wasn't much to worry about in the ship that would be productive, and worrying about Juuzou was proving to be more stress than she needed. Thankfully, the busy noise of the infirmary was good for her distraction. She could just relax on the few days left until her legs were stable again. Surprisingly enough, it seemed that someone was interested in talking to her after all. "Thank you. I'm doing fine, aside from a few muscle sprains when I try to move. I hope it doesn't last for much longer, it's frustrating to be stuck on a bed for this long."

Edited December 4, 2017 by Xinnidy

[Nanami Touko]

Backseat Driver

Hannah was pleased to hear that her idea was a good one, but the issue of Firmia riding behind Brant still seemed to be prevalent. Hannah looked between them both before speaking her mind. "Brant, I believe that further resistance towards the issue will simply cause problems. Not for you or Firmia, but for Jess. I believe, since the Captain put the decision in your hands, were Firmia to try and force the issue, it would result in the Captain putting her foot down. She does care about you, and would respect your choice above any else. Would you not escalate things then, Firmia, to have your way?" Hannah posed the question and gave it a second to stew. "That said, while you may be worried about having another human on board while piloting, I believe that any dip in performance over these worries could be made up by having her there. Unless Firmia is not a skilled pilot, there is no way her addition would be technically detrimental."

"Firmia," she started, then turning to the girl, no expression changed on her face. "You need to be less afraid." That was the best way Hannah could put the girl's behaviour. "The captain is too nice to use you, and in our current situation, you are by all rights a mercenary company working with her. The top brass above her would be unable to attempt anything with your machinery, even once we reach their HQ. Or, by definitions listed in their terms and conditions, it would be legally impossible for them to apprehend you and your materials. Though, I will permit that considering the current situation of the ANF and these terrorists, some illegal measures may be taken. Some level of worry may not be inappropriate."

"And Sasha!" she started, but it was short, "don't record people without asking!" She smiled at him, then back at Brant and Firmia, tilting her head. "If I have come to any wrong conclusions, please feel free to correct me, but analyzing your body language and what you have said in these meetings has led me to these conclusions... They are better said and proven wrong, than held onto, potentially causing real issues. No?"

Contact!?

"Wait really!? How!? Ahhh, crap! I just lied to Thorvald-- why didn't you bring that up during the meeting?" That was so crucial, Jess almost forgot her list of things to do right there. How could Roxanna have not mentioned thaaaaaaaaaat... She sunk back into her chair, groaning. "How did you make contact with them? Who answered? Was it a secure line or a personal one? Did they give us any orders? Christ, Roxanna, I know you hate me, but for God's sake you can't keep this sort of stuff secret!" And when she'd done so well during the fighting, too... Jess was trying so hard not to snap, biting her lip to stop another groan.

Awkwardly Amusing

Thank God that bomb of anxiety was gone, Christina could feel her headache turning into a migraine. The small worry from Kim and-- "Agh!" Th-The new bomb of anger from the doctor... Who was she talking to, to make her feel like that? Whatever the case, she was walking back over to them... Luckily, focusing on Makoto had proven rather effective. As she kept trying, he didn't really seem worried, more... Awkward, and embarrassed, but not unpleasantly so. Probably because he was being so awkward... It was still welcome, over everything else. Christina tried to smile.

"My head feels like it'll split open any second now... Other than that, I'm fine. And don't thank me, really... Kim did ninety percent of the work. Probably ninety five percent. I mostly sit around as a pretty cockpit decoration... Take care of the computing while Kim pilots." She did a bit more, regulating the T-Link and all that, but... It didn't feel like much. "What about you, Makoto? It's Makoto, right?" She thought she remembered his name from when he came onto the ship. "I didn't get to see any of your own fighting, but you're alive, and in one piece. You probably did a lot..." Headache's getting a bit better... I guess talking to them helps focus. Or maybe the advil's kicking in.

Life on The Colony...

"How's life there?" Olivia had to hold back a sigh. "It was pretty boring. I'd guess it's something with the filtered air, or the artificial sunlight... Just didn't feel real. Eventually I started losing track of days, had to keep some pretty serious alarms to stay on schedule. It's a wonder anything gets done on them... Then again, it might just be me. Was pretty exciting seeing so much action there, though, as dangerous as it was. Perhaps I've got problems for thinking that, but seeing those ANF machines in action was just... Cool. Probably part of why I'm here, hoped to catch a glimpse of what goes on. Maybe you can give me a tour of your machine when I'm off work? Seems like a good place to start..." Wonder how much space the cockpit has.

Take it All

"Yeah, well... Woulda been th'whole bottle, iffin Astin hadn't stopped me halfway. Took a bit more'n two. That's what really kinda, put me out." Embarrassing... Too embarrassing. "A-Anyway! Yeah, y'can help! Was almost done writin' a list fer the Ceres, was gonna lookit the number y'did t'yer own bot. The thing's gonna fall 'part iffin ye keep doin' this sorta stuff to it, y'know." Avery waved him along, but... Stopped short of the Legionary. "Y'know. Y'think one o' those guards we picked up'd give us their machines? Ain't no way I'm makin' the Mark III any better'n what it is... But I could do a helluva lot to a Mark IV..." A juicy grin spread onto her face, immediately getting some ideas.

Edited December 4, 2017 by SnakeMomMelissa

[Ether]

"Good not exactly word would use." Kim replied, not malicious in her intent, but well... things hadn't exactly turned out swimmingly, that much could be realized at a glance, Kim shaking her head a bit at Makoto's appraisal of their work, and Christina's own inflection towards their little setup.

"Manage hold off at distance, but couldn't do anything close range, not mobile enough keep machine like Luna at distance long enough deal with. And Chrissy sell self short... had taken full brunt feedback attack like that, almost certain unconscious, maybe worse. If not for Chrissy disrupt funnel from new machine, probably would have just die outright... not have much wiggle room." Kim replied sombrely, shaking her head again.

"Not worth worry about... just need get stronger. Though, if still offer, water sound nice."

[Phoenix]

"Hey, don't go, yet," Nicholas pleaded, though his voice was as annoyingly 'jockish' as it could possibly get, "I haven't told you about the present I sent you."

Megumi sighed as her pace slowed. "Well, it's not your death certificate, so I don't care."

"Nope, but I've got something far better than that~"

"No you don't. Oh, looks like one of my patients is flat lining or something. Have to go." Megumi quickly ended the call and turned off her phone. She had half a mind to toss it for good, but thought better of it. No matter how much she hated that man, there was no reason to start acting irrationally. Megumi was at a loss for a moment, having made it back over to the crowded part of the infirmary.

"Not everyone who calls to wish you a happy birthday is entirely sane. Anyway, I know it's been less than a minute, but how are you feeling?" she asked Christina, approaching the girl's bed. "You too, Lieutenant." It was nice to see Makoto embracing the whole nurse role, even if he was just bored and had nothing better to do.

---

Brant didn't so much mind Jessica taking his side on this. Given the stakes, he welcomed it, even if things did become a little tense for a while. Flying solo meant his life was the only one he had to take responsibility for. It was fine to have an ally in a separate machine, but being stuck in the same cockpit ... Brant wasn't afraid of dying, but the one thing the Alkaevs hadn't blown clean off of him was the fear of getting someone else killed. All the worse if his passenger died and he didn't. It was pure nightmare fuel. Just thinking about it dampened his forehead and neck. The last thing Brant wanted to deal with on the battlefield was a copilot.

"With how much Brant's let down in his training," Firmia crossed her arms, leaving the tablet dangling in one hand, "I'll be a better pilot within a week or two. The reason I didn't try to settle things in the meeting room is because I don't want to have to force the issue. The captain may be 'nice,' but she can't read a situation at all if there aren't guns going off everywhere. Brant doesn't have a good reason to pilot by himself anymore, so the best way to handle this," she glared at Brant, "is to beat you over the head with some common sense until you give up, and then explain the situation to her." That elicited a heavy sigh from Brant.

As for the wartime legalities ... "There's no reason for me to let my guard down, so I won't, especially when I don't know what the captain's superiors are like." Being cautious wasn't especially difficult in this situation, thankfully. The hardest part was actually managing Brant and the others, making sure they didn't complicate things. Hannah was steadily working her way into that bunch of 'managed' individuals. As for worry, it would certainly be easier not to worry so much if the ship didn't have half a dozen security faults the enemy could exploit. There was a lot more than just the ANF to consider.

Sasha had been waiting by the lifts when Hannah's request ... demand ...? When her words reached him, he waved back, seemingly in acknowledgement, before stepping into the lift.

"Look," Brant's gaze leaped between Firmia and Hannah, "I get what you're both saying, but there's a lot you could do from here on the ship. Hell, you were talking my ear off for most of the mission, earlier. It was almost like you were right there with me, and that didn't help the situation." Brant felt a surge of anger smack into him like a wave when he said that, and he knew he had to tread carefully. He didn't want to imply that Firmia was the reason he'd taken so much damage, even if he might have had a case, there. "I'm just saying, you don't have to physically be in the Regalia with me to help out."

"Okay then, have Avery build a long range T-Link and then we'll talk about copiloting from the ship," Firmia shot the point down with contemptuous ease. "Of course I don't have to be your copilot. It's just the best option we have, right now." As far as Firmia was concerned, there was no better one, period.

Edited December 4, 2017 by Phoenix

[Nanami Touko]

Downplay

Christina had been about to shoot down Kim's reassurance, but the doctor was back, feeling a lot less... Mad. It really had just been pure mad, hadn't it? Scary... "Head still hurts... I think the Advil's kicking in a bit. Uh, c-can I go back to my room? I... I think being around less people would help this more. Probably..." There was no telling who was downstairs right now, but it was probably better than figuring out how to deal with all of this. At least her range didn't seem long. Better than nothing...

What is This?

A new feeling? Hannah paused and looked off into the distance, away from the bickering two, before realizing it was... Frustration! How wonderful. Well, not wonderful, but she couldn't help but smile, new feelings were always interesting. Hannah paused, but it didn't take long into her thinking before the ever present Galatea was issuing orders again. No, I can't do that! That's horrible. Also, incredibly petty and entirely pointless. I can't, please do not make me-- Her personal wishes were overwritten as this issue wouldn't ruin things, at least in the eyes of Galatea. She sighed, beginning to formulate how to go about it rather than attempt to override the system. It only took a few moments, but still...

"Brant, I am sure things will be fine with Firmia inside the Regalia. I will back you up, so you will not have to worry as much! The both of us can keep her safe, it is as simple as that. Also, Firmia, I feel that with my actions in the meeting, it is important to let you know that I have fully explained my feelings to Brant, and to clarify, I will be sharing his room as my living space. We will figure out a bed situation at a later time... Perhaps Tonya would not mind if I shared his other side?" She almost asked if Firmia was alright with that, but it wasn't really her thing to be alright with, was it? "Simply informing you so that you do not worry, as I decided to tell you first. Oh." That was something important to ask.

"As well, when going through the Mantle's data, I found a file written by someone named Rex. I haven't read it yet, as I assumed that I did not have permission to access the files within the Mantle, so I will ask now. Am I free to see to it? Or should I not?" It couldn't have been too important if it was simply left laying around the Mantle's drive...

Edited December 4, 2017 by SnakeMomMelissa

[Phoenix]

So Christina still wanted to go someplace quieter? Megumi couldn't exactly blame her, not with other people's baggage pressing in on her from multiple directions. That call must have startled her a little ... "Fine, you can go, but only if someone carries you back," the doctor teased, "It's customary." While letting the damsel in others' arms recount her various mishaps, Megumi fetched a small monitoring device. It looked like a high tech watch. Its plain gray-white color and smooth shape made it too inconspicuous to warrant more than a cursory inspection. "I still want you monitored for now, so you'll need to wear this for a bit." If Seung-Min wanted to ditch the infirmary as well, she would be getting a new accessory just like her copilot. ... she'd passed out, too, after all.

---

Brant still wasn't convinced that he needed a copilot at this point. It would obviously be helpful, but all the same, he would rather redouble his efforts to become a better pilot. He would rather focus on becoming less distractable, and more effective. Unfortunately for Brant, and he damn well knew this, having Firmia in the cockpit with him would more than likely speed up the process, just like having her on the battlefield had made him more effective in training. Her vulnerabilities heightened his awareness, even as he coached her through their deadly exercises. He couldn't think of a way to win the argument like this ...

While it was nice of Hannah to be up front about the latest developments regarding her room and board, it wasn't helping Firmia's mood in the slightest. "Yeah," the Alkaev fixed Hannah with a fresh hot glare, "I already figured that out. And you!" She unfolded her arms and pointed at Brant, "I know things back home were ... different, b-but ... f-freaking boundaries! Urgh!"

When Hannah mentioned the notes, Firmia nearly smacked her own forehead. She'd nearly forgotten about Rex's notes. The suits were typically partially locked down, so there was little chance of some random mechanic coming across them in the system. Still, with Hannah as the Mantle's pilot, it was only a matter of time--possibly seconds--before she came across the file. It was a wonder she was keeping her mechanical paws off that one while at the same time working her way into Brant's bed. "Yeah, don't ... don't open those, right now." Firmia recalled a famous movie quote from an old space opera series. 'Only pain will you find ...' If that wasn't the awful truth.

Brant recalled the horrors outlined in Rex's notes, and realized that what he, his brother, and Tonya had gone through was just the tip of the iceberg. There were thousands of entries, weren't there? They might not get through them all before the war with Apotheosis was over. Hannah probably could, but Firmia had definitely made the right call, here.

... the right call ... Brant's eyes narrowed as the beginnings of an idea emerged.

[Shin]

Tarquin accepted the kettle, filling it with water and setting it to boil. Nikolai raised a valid point about family, social cohesion seemed to matter more than any innate ties. Thinking about it all, Tarquin's loyalties to the Professor existed purely because he had nothing else. If he'd been exposed to more meaningful connections, would he have even wanted to be around him? Was the attention he received a substitute for the parental bond that he had never had? If he'd rejected that, would there really be an alternative... it was almost as if he'd ended his childhood. That was if he'd actually ever began one at all.

Nikolai making coffee was somehow oddly remeniscent of an ape shovel dirt into a pool, it was a welcome distraction from his thoughts about family. The kettle had clicked, signifying its completion. He looked over at Astin, their comrade had quite the background in brewing coffee apparently. Not that they stopped for long, they seemed to be in a rush to obtain food. He didn't feel too inclined to consider why, it was easier to leave them to it. He reached over to the kettle, pouring water into the mugs.

"Is it supposed to look like that?" Tarquin asked, watching as the black brew began to take its form. It smelled strong, the mixture swirling around like some sort of sludgy pool. It had the right kind of scent, and it was probably the right colour. Maybe this was what adults enjoyed?
 

[Xinnidy]

We've Achieved Conversation

"Ah, yeah, I'm Makoto, Makoto Watanabe! Sorry to hear about your headache, but you already got some medicine for that, right? I guess the next best thing is to keep yourself distracted and wait for it to die down." It wasn't very inspiring advice, which bothered the teen a bit, internally, but it was the best that Makoto had. ...And she heard about him fielding that day, oops. "I... waaaaasn't really supposed to be out there, not in that Phalanx, but I managed. Missiles and bullets still work against those bulky monsters, they just take more to drop!" That was enough said, right? He wasn't about to go on a long spiel about Apotheosis' mechs in front of a resting girl... was he staring too much? He didn't even know, would it be better to look at her hair? It was pretty, flowing locks. Blonde was a pretty color for hair-- Ah! The other girl spoke!

"Uh, it sure can't be nice, to almost lose it... but thanks to you working together, you're here, right?" Makoto didn't want to say 'die' outright, but was that childish of him? At least, the team tangent that was ever present in his shows was no less effective in real life "As long as you're breathing and the machine can be fixed, well, I don't think anybody would ask for more." Really, it's been risky, but they managed to disarm the Luna thanks to it, and had Apotheosis turning their tails. "We'll just have to prepare for Apotheosis' aces better. We got a lot of info." Strength was nice and all, but there were more ways to win a fight. The Riese was a team, a very strong team when they managed! "--Right, water, give me a moment!" Quickly, the boy turned away to get them the precious cup of water... there was a water faucet in the infirmary, right? Right. Across the room he went.

Coming back in hardly a minute with a cup of water, Makoto was able to catch Megumi there, questioning the girls on their health and comfort. At least things seemed positive enough with... Christina, that was her name, right? Anyways, it seemed the infirmary was no longer the peace and quiet she needed --understandable. "Ah, uh, here's the water." He interjected, offering the cup to Kim with extended hands. "I've never seen the infirmary this crowded with visitors, to be honest, but it's mostly just been my mom. People care about you two." Not just them, but it was a nice thought to share, nonetheless. As long as his mom didn't think he was downplaying her, goodness, he was basically living in the infirmary. "So, uh, if you need help..." Makoto wasn't tactful enough to suggest carrying one the girls back. It'd probably be annoying with him not knowing where their rooms were and needing guidance... but he wasn't doing anything else that time of the day. Why not?

Saving You From Your Angry Boss!

That was enough to make Roxanna flinch back against her chair. Jessica was... actually upset at her. Crap. In retrospect, the way she worded it made it sound much more important than it was... no, it was probably important to say nonetheless. Ugh... "It was private, and it wasn't a formal contact, just... I needed to talk with Admiral Alphonse, for personal reasons." Saying that she was indignant about her current predicament with Jess and the Riese crew and wanting answers wouldn't help things go along, even Roxanna knew when to refrain on that. "I wouldn't say it was a safe connection, and that's not smart... but I wanted to talk to him, a lot, so I did it." She was fiddling the tip of her hair over two busy fingers, avoiding her gaze from meeting Jess', it was unusual to see the XO this meek.

"...I contacted him very early today, around six in the morning, I want to say. Admiral Alphonse told me about the attack during our conversation. It seems HQ is very busy with meetings, since he was in the main building that early in the day." Roxanna needed to start talking before the atmosphere got more awkward and less in her favor, and so she did. A part of her was honestly scared of pulling that last straw that would convince Jessica to dismiss her, and with her mind awash with feelings of her father's likely fate, the sense of insecurity that it brought was... new, and very scary. "I didn't get much more than that, though... I... s..." Roxanna winced and closed her eyes, it seemed she was having trouble spelling out whatever she wanted to. When she did, it was quiet, under her breath, and hard to discern. "...rry."

Edited December 5, 2017 by Xinnidy

[Ether]

If Christina was feeling well enough that she thought she could rest in her room instead, that was a good sign. It meant that aside from the headache brought on by her sudden telekinetic issues, her physical injuries likely weren't that severe. Compounding that idea was that the doctor seemed mostly okay with the idea, so long as she wore a monitoring device in the case things went South. As much as Kim wished to get moving, her earlier attempt clearly showed that wasn't yet an option. Accepting the water as it was brought back and taking a light drink... so this Makoto had deployed without permission as well, likely in pursuit of Tarquin in the first place. Well, none of the other pilots were lying in the infirmary, so she supposed it had at least worked out in practice, if nothing else.

"Doctor, how long expect take back shape? Situation too dire, not time waste lying around bed." Kim asked, not feeling the need to interject into the other conversations. Information was only as good as what progress they could make with it, and Vera's mental state had clearly been rocked by their encounter, various spikes throughout the fight in her mental state, especially when faced with Hannah, made that abundantly clear.

"Won't surprise Vera again. If can't find other edge use, won't get away just injury and fixable machine next time."

[Nanami Touko]

Acknowledged

"Okay. Archivi-- Archiving complete. I will return it to my main dock once I have permission to view it." If that permission never came, then her own copy could sit there and gather digital dust. Ahh, but that glare Firmia gave her was... Satisfying. Perhaps being petty sometimes would be worthwhile? If she was to be human, it would be human to experience such emotions every once in a while, no? Still, she smiled like normal, despite her increased happiness. Perhaps Galatea knew what it was doing... More than she did, at any rate.

"I believe that Brant will set all boundaries he is comfortable with. Now, shall we all head down and see about what the Mantle and Regalia could do together?" Hannah stepped onto the lift after Sasha, returning his previous wave with a confident one of her own. "Thank you for not arguing with me."

Frustration Mounting

Jess' groans only grew louder until she finally sighed. "You... You have been on my ass since day one. You question everything I do. You go so far as to instigate an argument long enough to assault me, and now this? I'm not perfect, Roxanna, and as Firmia is happy to remind me, I've got a lot of faults to cover if I'm ever going to be a better captain... But you, you take an unsecured channel, call your uncle, for undisclosed personal reasons that you just have to discuss... And then make me into a liar, telling Thorvald we've had no contact." Jess had half a mind to fire her on the spot. Seriously, this went beyond negligence, this was just... Stupid. It took all of Jess' patience to say what she did next.

"Get out." She'd almost changed it into 'you're fired', but they needed all the help they could get, even if that help was this inept. "And if I hear a single word of backtalk from you, I will fire you. I've got enough problems with Russian Supreme dogging my ankles while I try to pilot the goddamn ship to deal with your background issues." That was all Jess could handle. Really, she just wanted to scream and make the problems go away, but that wouldn't solve anything, would it? Avery... Avery first.

All Too Eager

Christina strapped that monitor to her wrist without a second thought. If that was all it took to get her out of here and to a nice, quiet room, then she'd do it. Hopefully Kim would be able to get out of there soon, even if she could regulate these emotions floating about, it was still probably really boring to have to lay there...

So, Makoto was good enough to take down the bigger machines? "That's pretty good, Makoto. In a robot so tiny... I guess it's about how you use it." She didn't really know if sending that thing out was a good idea, but if he helped, then he helped. Speaking of helping... "I... No offense, but I don't think Makoto's strong enough to literally carry me all the way down there. Is it fine if I just use his shoulder? I can walk... Probably." She hadn't tried since waking up, but shuffling her legs gently under the infirmary bed's sheets, they felt fine. She'd be good, right?

Carry On

"Hope you're alright with elevators, Talia." There wasn't really much time to get confirmation, Cheryl was already feeling the strain of carrying her... It was a short walk after the elevators, she could make it. "You'll be okay. The beds here are really comfortable. You can even watch TV or whatever else you want." Hopefully she wanted something. From the sounds of things, she didn't even know what she wanted, less than Tarquin did. Other than time travel, but that was impossible.

Edited December 5, 2017 by SnakeMomMelissa

[Xinnidy]

One Fear

"I didn't mean to make you a liar. It was personal, I--" That was the first time Jessica had so effectively shut Roxanna up. She had done something that jeopardized their safety and the HQ's for personal reasons, at the end of the day. Once the girl threatened to fire her for any more backtalk, the XO shrunk against her chair, gaze falling down to the floor beneath. Her blood ran cold and her body tensed, hands holding at her pencil skirt. "I..." Her voice came out almost akin to the squeaks she judged Jess so much for. Combined with Jess' anger, the threat of being dismissed was too much in the end, and so Roxanna shut up, head hanging low.

It took a moment of intensely uncomfortable silence for the XO to stand up from her seat, her walk far more shaky as she made it to the door, seeing herself out as fast as possible. Roxanna was at a loss at what to say, and had been told to get out, so she sure wasn't going to remain there, looking more pathetic than ever... not that she looked that much less pathetic right then. The XO made as quick a sprint as she could towards the elevators, hoping for one thing at that point: The calm and peace of her bedroom, once again. She was relying on that too much ever since she joined the Riese crew, but still... what was she to do?

Split the Weights

"Ah, maybe she'll know what to expect, but maybe the new prototypes we got will push the edge in our favor, huh? Unless she does some massive upgrades to her machine, we can try catching up to the worst scenario... I think!" Sheesh, this Kim was not optimistic at all about their chances, but it's not like the group could do much better, could they? They certainly didn't have good chances fighting Vera one-on-one. "A-Anyways, she retreated, so it isn't like we lost-- Nevermind that, there's no point in worrying while you need to recover first!" Whatever her mindset was, she was still the Artemis pilot, and that thing kicked butt out there, and it couldn't kick butt while she was out. They could at least agree to that.

Ah, Christina was complimenting his Phalanx piloting skills --at least that was a compliment as far as he was concerned!--, which made the boy sport a big grin. "Well, big guns still cause damage whether they're from a tank or a Velite, right? And there were a lot of bigger targets... I do have to be careful, though." His grin faded for a moment as the memory of the Hyperion's beams came back, their cannons able to fire shots larger than the Phalanx meant real trouble for him, and there was also his promise to Mai on top of that. At least Christina was considering his help, though not to the point of getting carried. "Ah, just make sure your legs aren't hurting. Can't go around making things worse!" Makoto wasn't the strongest, but it's not like Christina was that tall, she was shorter than him! ...Alright, maybe his stamina would make that sketchy if it was a long way across the ship, but still!

Edited December 5, 2017 by Xinnidy

[Sandalphon]

Nikolai shrugged as he gave the mixture a tentative sniff. It smelled pretty close, but he was pretty sure that his spoon shouldn't be standing like that in the mixture as he attempted to give the viscous semi-solid a good stir. 

"Is close enough, da?" He said with a weak grin, "No matter, we can add more water if you like it more... liquid. You do not need to drink if you do not like. Be careful though, is probably hot and I do not want your tongue to be burned."

He leaned back onto the countertop as he took a sip of the hot, slightly soupy liquid. It was pretty terrible, about as terrible as he always remembered it being, but there was something comforting about the strong, bitter, earthy taste that overpowered his tastebuds. It was reminiscent of the time spent hunched around a makeshift campfire, pilfered semi-automatic laid across his lap as he tried not to fall asleep listening to the words of Frank L Baum read to him by a soft, quiet, gentle voice. Almost a pleasant memory, really.

"Do you have something on your mind?" He added, noting the younger boy's pensive expression, "do not need to share if it is uncomfortable, but old friend tell me sometimes is better to let out thoughts instead of letting them become obsessions."

[TheRoon]

"Oh, boring? That's a shame." She looked aside a little. "I just heard some cool stuff about the colonies and I'm really into stargazing. So I thought it'd be spectacular. Then again you've been there for a while and I've never been up in space, so I guess it would make sense." She laughed a little, finding the situation a bit funny. Still didn't deter her from her dream of reaching space...but hey, if she stuck on this ship maybe it'll happen sooner than she thinks. At least that's what she wanted to hope for. "Oh you want a tour sometime? Well I'd be happy to give you one whenever!" She smiled. "Heck maybe we can take it on a joy ride when no one's looking....nah just kidding~" She grinned again. 'Although I'll have to remember to not bring chips next time, was a real pain in the ass to clean...'

[Phoenix]

"That kind of injury takes a while to heal," Megumi began, "There's pretty much no chance you'll be back to 100% before we run into Apotheosis again ... not at this rate. I don't think we can afford to have the Artemis grounded, though, so if you need to deploy again after I'm finished monitoring you both, I'll okay it. You're going to need medication, though." Someone seriously needed to design a SKINsuit that would do more than allow for a stable connection with a T-Link. The girls wouldn't have been nearly as banged up with thicker gear. It was a wonder Brant had been piloting an Accensus without a proper G-suit ...

It seemed like Christina was ready to get the hell out of Dodge. "Fine. You can try to walk, but Makoto is going to help you along. Fair warning. You get one attempt and then I'm calling Abrams." Another joke, but you'd be forgiven for thinking Megumi was all serious all the time.

---

No he wouldn't, Firmia thought, images of her mother rushing to the forefront. Brant had been drugged to high heaven and conditioned to be as pliable as a body-kun model. Firmia wasn't sure how she could explain that to Hannah without everything coming back to those notes Rex gave them. Until she could anticipate and prepare for how Hannah would react to all of that information, Firmia wouldn't be ready to share it.

Holding the elevator felt a little awkward, but there were only two on this deck, and Cheryl clearly had places to be. Sasha did hid good deed for the day, and then shrugged amusingly at Hannah as they filed into the lift. "Middle deck, right?" Sasha got the lift moving.

"Please," Firmia groaned as the doors shut, "Brant would have to have ground glass in his lungs before he would start complaining."

"... attitude of gratitude?" Brant smiled helplessly. "Anyway, is this the best time to be working on this? Have the suits been repaired, yet?" The Regalia was fine, really ... just a badly damaged shield and exposed missile module. The Mantle needed some attention the last time he saw it, though. Brant supposed if he was going to try and convince Firmia to drop the copiloting issue for now, then at least the Regalia should be ready to go. If the shield was currently being worked on, then he was in trouble. Despite being optional equipment in MS mode, it formed the nose and belly of the Regalia in flight mode. The machine wouldn't handle properly without it.

"All we need for what Hannah's suggesting are the cockpits," Firmia noted, her own method of facilitating easy combination attacks nearly complete in her mind, "Hannah, can you handle direct feeds from the Mantle's cameras?" If the android could efficiently process all of that information herself, then this would be a very profitable configuration. All Firmia would have to do is establish a connection, switch the Mantle's cockpit imaging system to display the Regalia's view of the battlefield, and they were done. The android could see the battlefield in 360 degrees without the use of her own eyes. She would instead use those to confirm what Brant was facing, and respond accordingly. Ridding the android of any relevant blind spots was reason enough to try this, but it somewhat hinged on Hannah's current processing limits. If she wasn't up to the task, they would need a slightly refined setup. Firmia could only imagine what the finished interface would feel like if it worked. Hannah would be able to see herself piloting the Mantle from the outside, just like an RC plane.

"If you can handle most of the processing yourself," Firmia continued, "We can use the cockpit's display to show you what Brant and I are seeing, and you'll just have a mental picture of what the Mantle's doing. I think that's a better use of your eyes, if nothing else."

Edited December 7, 2017 by Phoenix

[Ether]

So Makoto was going to take Christina to her room, and there was pretty well no chance she would recover in time... well, good news couldn't come without bad in this day and age, she supposed. 

"Whatever need do, Doctor. Don't have time recover proper, just need find way around." Kim replied somberly, letting out a sigh.