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Super Robot Wars ∀: Deep Space IC Thread - Part 3: Crisis Point


Nanami Touko
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The crew had managed to gather enough of a team to get a volleyball game going, all that was left was to decide how to divide them into teams. Chris' display was enough to demonstrate the difference in ability between the young novices and the more experienced adults. Makoto had been defenseless against such prowess. They'd either have to split the teams fairly, learn quickly... or face utter defeat. It may have only been a game, but there was no excuse for Tarquin to give it his all. He'd be trying something entirely new, like fried chicken or a strange arcade game, the only difference was that Nikolai wasn't there to stumble through the experience with him. This time it'd be Makoto along for the ride, the two weren't really interchangeable but the absence of Nikolai still lingered on his mind.

"Volleyball's a team game, Makoto, we shall have to find a way to familiarise ourselves with the game whilst integrating within the team." Tarquin replied, his mind recalling both Bill's advice and Chris' demonstration. "Throwing a ball is something I am familiar with, however, striking the ball as required is something that may prove more difficult."

Bill laughed, patting Tarquin on the head firmly, catching the boy somewhat off guard. "Ambitious little tyke, don't think about it too hard, your noggin'll burn out otherwise. Just try and get the direction right, you don't need to put too much welly into it at your stage, a good pozzy is more important." he laughed, looking over at Makoto. "If your feet are in the right place, you can't go much wrong. Toss the ball up, I'll show you tykes what this ocker can do."

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Sasha tried to imagine the drive back with Cheryl resting in his lap. It was obviously sunset in his version, and it was also really chilly for ... some reason, so his lucky jacket was draped over her. All in all, pretty nice. Would it distract him in reality, though? Not too much, he wagered. "By all means," Sasha grinned.

Sasha Hart, though. That would be the best phonecall he ever made. 'Papa! Mama! Sestra! I'm getting married!' They would rejoice while Sasha struggled like a drowning man to hold in his laughter. 'Soon, I'll be Mr. Hart,' he would say, with all the enthusiasm of a naive idiot ... and then finally he could let his laughter loose when his father and mother got into it with each other over the name change. All the while, his little sister would just do the smart thing and ask him for some details, like how he met Cheryl and why he was taking her name instead of going the traditional route. That would be hilarious. Sasha was already chuckling at the prospect. "Whew, the old man would hate that one. It's fine, though. I'd just want us to match as much as possible."


Firmia's question turned out to be quite apt, so much so that she subconsciously moved it up the list of her default greetings. As far as investors went, the Alkaev still had her list of candidates. That reminded her of the multimillionaire aviation enthusiast down in Texas. He was going to be the first potential investor any of her people met with in person, assuming Apotheosis didn't have anything to say on the matter. Since they always seemed to appear out of nowhere to put in their two volleys, Firmia wanted to see if Tonya would be able to get around solo without being accosted. It was pointless to take the risk now, though, especially when the best case scenario this early was gaining access to an airfield they no longer needed. Even without the Avalon, this alliance with the ANF would get them easy access to reasonably well defended airfields throughout the war. A privately owned, completely undefended airfield was in no way shape or form worth the trouble, any longer ...

This situation with Roxanna was a lot more favorable, though, particularly since she was right here. There was no need to worry about Apotheosis picking her off in her home at some random point during the conflict, or having to constantly assure her of her company's progress on whatever the current project was. She was literally right here. It was just a shame that she was now fatherless and struggling with how to manage her inheritance. There was a small chance she might regret coming to Firmia so hastily. Still, the young Alkaev smiled at her, encouragingly. "I'd be happy to hear your offer." Firmia knew she ought to be the one making a bid for Martinson's credits and resources, but sometimes the situation could wind up inverted, like what seemed to be the case, here.


"Well I'm thorough," Tonya shrugged, "but I don't handle technical stuff outside of hand to hand combat since that's not really my ... thing." How to feel the ebb and flow of battle, see an entire war zone with a bird's eye view, how to stay calm while even the machine you're piloting is crying out in terror, how to lead an opponent into your attacks instead of chasing them down ... that was Tonya's 'thing,' and passing that on to the Abrams brothers, as well as several other Alkaev pilots, hadn't been easy. Even as an instructor, she wasn't technically qualified to operate Alkaev mobile suits, so training other pilots to do so had always been a little awkward once they got into specifics. Tonya could recall giving out more 'study material' than she had any right to simply because the ins and outs of the machines and their specific applications and limitations were all confusing technobabble to her. There were just things about these machines she could only ever understand intuitively. Thankfully, that had been enough in her case. "I guess if there's time, I wouldn't mind. It's better than waiting around on standby all day."

Come to think of it, Firmia hadn't been expecting such an overwhelming success in negotiating with the ANF. Really. Tonya was on standby to go check in with a potential investor. Sure, the guy was the least important of those the young Alkaev had her eyes on, acting more as a test case to see if Tonya could operate with even the slightest bit of freedom, but he was someone Firmia wanted to strike up a deal with. Now that she had such a massive head start, was Tonya's mission going to change entirely? What did they need the man's airfield for now that they had a ship with such a large carrying capacity? It was also worth considering due to the crew issue. As far As Firmia's group was concerned, that Megalodon only had a captain and a handful of pilots.

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Hand to hand combat sounded like exactly the kind of training she needed. The ‘technical stuff’, if it was what Elaine thought it was, was what she had been studying for the better part of her life. She cpuld study all day long about the prowess of machines and how to make them work in a situation, but it was physical practice, among ither things, that she felt lacking. Maybe Tonya was the opportunity that Elaine needed to better herself. Maybe. 

“Well, I can’t speak for the rest of the crew, but if you ever got some free time, I know I’d appreciate some hand to hand training. It’s probably the biggest area I’m lacking in. But, enough about that, for now,” Elaine said as she began stretching and warming up. “Which side are you gonna be on? Feel like giving your ‘student’ the smackdown?” A sly grin came across her face. She wasn’t sure that she would be facing down Brant in this game, but she had to admit that it would be fun if she did. So long as he didn’t cheat with his TK abilities.

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Ah, well look at that. The little fella is all tuckered out. "Working on machines got you that buff, you say? Maybe I'll have to chip in and help out sometime. But yeah, take a break, lay on the sand. ...Build sand mecha. Whatever floats your boat, Buckeroo." Giving him a pat on the shoulder, Thorvald turned and swam back toward the rest of the crowd, albeit at a much more leisurely pace.

When he arrived though, he rather wished he'd hurried! It looked as if a volleyball match was fixing to break out, but at what seemed to be an even number of players, he didn't want to just butt in. That said, 5 on 5 was kind of awkward, it would be more proper with 6s, so that just meant he had to look around for someone not occupied.

Surveying the area, he noticed someone off on their lonesome, buying food from a vender. It was the new girl, and fellow Legionary pilot. Wonder if she'd be interested, or if she was going to content herself with beach fare and just relax. Only one way to find out. Padding off in that direction, he turned up just as an exchange of goods was being made. An ice cream stand, hmm.

"Oh, hey, this could be refreshing. You wouldn't happen to have one of those red, white, and blue popsicles in there, would you?" Thorvald pointed at the cooler as he asked the saleswoman. Then he turned and looked at Aliza. "Some folk seem to be fixing for a friendly game of beach volley. Not sure if you're into that, but didn't want you to feel left out if you were. I haven't asked, but I don't think they'd turn us away."

 


 

Jess flinched a bit at the doctor's uncanny diagnosis. Especially when she pointed out that the man in the tank--no, he really was a boy, wasn't he--didn't fit the description of broken pilot any longer. Broken civilian, was more like it. That just made the hurt worse.

"Yes, it probably was," she sighed, shoulders slouching, and turned to face Megumi. "You probably see a lot of that, in this line of work, so no point fighting your diagnosis." She did wish the doctor had pulled her punch just a little, though. "And what sort of treatment would you recommend for that? The survivor's guilt, I mean. You've been doing fine enough work with the rest, near as I can tell."

 


 

Hmm, nobody home in the locker room, wonder if she'd just missed he--

A playful slap in the middle of her back caught Abigail by surprise. "Watch it, Lieutenant," she shot back as she turned, her crooked smile showing she was in an equally sporting mood. "If you aimed much lower, gone for that 'bait'..." She trailed off and shook her head.

"Oh," she paused short a little when her eyes caught up with things. Giving the Korean a more thorough once over, Abby added, "New suit? I mean, wait, that's not what I was calling you for."

Brushing herself down, and doing that little elastic snap thing to make sure her bottom was actually properly situated, perhaps too late considering it had apparently already been the subject of some scrutiny, Abigail chimed in with her original purpose for seeking Kim out.

"Was looking for someone interested in some chicken fights, thought you'd be a worthy foe. You game? We'd need to find you a second, but..."

 

(a very different set of circumstances, in a very different changing room)

Jess was whining some, but Abigail got the feeling she didn't really mean it. Was it the radiant expression on her face, the lilting tone to her voice, or just some sixth sense that gave things away? She didn't know, and she didn't care.

Not only was the captain not serious about her grumbles, but she was working wonders on inflating Abby's already sizable ego, what with the constant buttering up. While she still didn't quite feel 'herself' in the item she was currently trying out, the emphatic 'you should buy it's really added up. A smile, a nod, and an "Okay, I guess I will."

Reaching out to grab the dress Jess had brought back, a flight of whimsy took Abigail, or maybe it was just giving in to a devilish temptation. Rather than taking hold of the hanger, the rebel's grasp landed on the captain's wrist and she started to drag her into the changing room with her. "It's been so long, I'm gonna need some help getting into that thing, you're coming with me."

"Hey, awesome. That's the spirit. I knew you'd be up for, whaaaa, wha, A-Abby? Coming with you!? Behind closed curtains-- w-we're in public, you know...?" Jess shrank, considerably, wondering what had taken hold of the woman, if anything, before being pulled quietly into the changing stall. Dress in hand, staring down Abby, she tried to put on a brave face.

"You know, we... We should just be here for clothes, you know? I... I mean, I don't, know if you're actually planning anything, but if you are, I... I just... I dunno." That was all she had to say, holding the dress out like some miniature shield. She knew how well it wouldn't work.

"Oh don't be such a stick in the mud," Abby retorted. "Do you want to see me in that or don't you?"

Now shielded from prying eyes, she really did have pretty much free reign over everything, and Jess knew it. But rather than jump right in and get started on anything spicy, Abigail figured it would be better to let the girl stew a bit. Taking the offered dress away from the captain, who'd almost been seeming to hope she could use it to ward off an (un?)welcome advance, Abby pulled her close, shoulder to shoulder, and holding the outfit at arms length away from both of them, turned to give it a cursory glance. Or, at least that was her intention, but with a closer look, she actually had to appreciate how much Jess had tried for her sake.

"Mmmm, maybe," she murmurred. "But after all, mental picturing only goes so far. Gotta get outta these, before I can get into that and get a proper look."

Then, figuring she shouldn't stall too much further, Abby guided Jess's hand down to her waist. "Go ahead and free me up down there, while I remember how I even got this top on so I can get back out of it."

"A stick in the mud? What if an employee comes over? We could BOTH get fired, I'm-- ahhhh, Abby...!" The dress was removed and Jess had been tugged over, flushing a brilliant red in response, trying to hide exactly how embarrassed and worried she was... Near an impossibility, as she'd been afraid of. She really can't help herself, can she? The maybe was encouraging, at the least, it seemed Abby was taking the dress idea seriously. Her next idea was also serious-- seriously alarming.

"You want me to-- Abby, come on! I..." But a small part of Jess quickly whispered, do it, as though she knew that this was exciting, dangerous as it could potentially get. With a bitten lip, Jess slipped a hand to the front of Abby's jeans, messing with the button until it popped off, sliding them down with the other. "C-Can't you do this yourself...?" It was an honest question... Embarrassing as it would be to watch or participate.

"Fired, for helping me try on clothes?" Abby balked, with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. She knew exactly why Jess was objecting, but it felt much more fun to play the fool. It seemed to have worked though, as Abigail felt her lover began to fumble around with the clasp on her jeans, ultimately freeing it and starting her lower body along the path to freedom.

The blue garment she'd been trying on was cut very differently than the typical tee shirt, so whereas for one of those Abigail would have ordinarily gone to grab from the bottom, and twist her arms as she raised it over her head, that maneuver was neither necessary, nor would it even work with something that just hung as loose as this one did. Truth be told, it really was a pretty simple thing to get on or off, but she felt she had to play it up a little to get Jess to go along with her. Accordingly, Abby let it get caught on her ponytail as she was lifting it from the shoulders, and stumbled some. The result ended up with her pressing up against the captain, running her nearly into one of the walls to the side of the curtain.

"Oopsy~ I guess that answers that question," Abigail nearly sang out her reply. "Probably shouldn't have been in such a rush, my bad." It wasn't entirely untrue. Feeling Jess's nervous hands so close to her privates had certainly got the blood flowing. Stepping back slightly, giving the captain a little more room, Abby trod on the cuffs of her jeans and began to wiggle her hips, starting them on a slow descent. With any luck, someone would chip in and help speed things along. "Almost done up here, I think, just got a little tangle to work out."

Abby was definitely planning, and shoving her up against the wall proved it, without a doubt. Jess bit back a squeak, flushing scarlet, trying not to shove at her, any sudden movements that would encourage her or make some extra noise. Her heart was beating like mad, pounding in her chest, this was so foolish! And yet, and yet! Some stupid part of her couldn't help how excited she was getting, like breaking the rules this way was the most interesting thing she'd ever done... It was definitely up there, that was for sure.

"O-Oops nothing, you horn dog," Jess shot back, grumbling. In such a rush... Pfehh. Maybe if you were actually rushing, you'd have changed properly. Jess continued to grumble, as mild as it was, and when Abby got to shaking her hips to further this silly engagement, Jess couldn't take it anymore. With both hands on her jeans, Jess gave them a hard pull, getting the fabric down to Abby's knees, leaving her standing there, almost declothed.

"F-Figure out your tangle, then. I'm waiting..."

Agibail laughed lightly as she finished extricating her head from the neckhole, and tossed the garment, and then the undershirt that had been paired with it, to the floor in the corner of the dressing stall. "Well, looks like I wasn't the only one in a hurry," she piped back, after having her pants yanked rather unceremoniously down, rather than the more gentle affair she'd maybe been envisioning. Then again, she had learned that Jess did have that sort of side to her as well...

Grabbing onto the captain's shoulder for balance, Abby lifted first one leg, then the other, and finally kicked the discarded denim to join its fellow unwanteds in the corner.

"Thanks, I couldn't have done it without you," she lied, as she pulled Jess close, leaning in for a kiss.

Now she was just in her underwear... This girl was dangerous! Incredibly dangerous! And Jess didn't have the will to stop her from being that way. With a hefty gulp, and a bitten lip, Jess shook her head. "You would've done fine without me, now... P-Put some clothes on, would you? This is already-- H-Huh-- Mmm... Mmmm!" A kiss, now!? Wearing this!? Jess shuddered, backing up a bit-- except, she was already up against the wall. A small whimper left her as the kiss continued, making her genuinely shiver. Please let this be all this is...

On the one hand, Abigail found herself wishing she'd worn her A-game underwear. On the other hand, she didn't actually have any. This whole shopping excursion had been to replenish her nonexistent wardrobe after all. ...Maybe it was a good thing that she hadn't been trying on a set right now though, there would have been no way to return them after this point.

Abby felt Jess start to shudder as the kiss went on, and urged by that to end it on a high note, she slid a hand down the other girl's back, bringing it down to deliver an appreciative squeeze to her butt. Breaking off the kiss at that point, slight strands of saliva still bridging their lips, she gave a breathy sigh, and briefly buried her head in the crook of the captain's neck.

"I suppose you're right, really should do what we came for and get that on," Abigail slid backwards, lowering herself to a seat on the ledge as she picked up the dress again and held it in front of her, turning it back and forth. No laces, no ribbons, short sleeves. Had to hand it to the girl, she'd actually listened. It didn't zipper either, looked to be a slip-on sort of thing.

"Well, here goes nothing..."

"Hahh... Ahhn!" Jess slapped a hand over her mouth so fast it hurt, flushed a further red, nearly glowing. Wh-What had that grab been for!? Really? It was so hard to stay quiet, and Abby was just pushing the envelope further... Jess was so glad when the woman sat down to try on the dress, finally giving her a moment to breathe, a moment to compose herself. Anything.

"J... Just, slip into it... Hahh... And, n-no more, touching. I can't... I'm, buh..." A melted mess of improper captain. God, if Alphonse saw me right now... Jess shuddered at the thought, swallowing hard. All his faith in her would be shattered in an instant. Focus, Jess, focus...

"It'll, look good on you. It's a good color. And... It isn't anything t-too girly, or overly fancy. I tried my best..."

"Yeah, no, I know. I can really tell," Abigail moved to cut off the other girl from doubting her choice of selection. "You paid attention and did your best to find something as close to me as you could. That makes me happy, honest."

Lifting it up, sliding into it, then standing again with a twirl, she glided back over to Jess. "And a good girl like you deserves a reward, so... Name it," Abby invited, stroking a finger along the nape of the captain's neck. "Tell me what you want in return for everything you're doing for me today."

It fit her really well... Almost too well. What was Abby talking about, when she said she wasn't beautiful? This was breathtaking... If it just took a good dress to make her look like this, then... Jess would have to convince her this was a good thing. That was later. Now, was dealing with Abby again, playing the best top Jess had ever met... Not a big ballpark, but hitting home runs still counted, even if you were the only batter.

"G-Good girls, huh..." A reward... Her mind shot to something more than improper, causing that near glow to come back. Jess shrunk further, taking a moment to swallow, trying to find words. "A reward... I... I dunno." She really didn't, to be fair. Yes, her mind had gone to something perverted, but that was just fueled by the atmosphere. Did she want anything practical? Maybe... "Don't... Don't let me hate myself, anymore. If I start getting down... Do anything to stop me. Even if it's ridiculous. Spank on the rear, interrupt me with a kiss, swat the back of my head, anything... If that's... Alright." Maybe too serious, but, if she was going to change, she couldn't do it alone.

Abigail hadn't really known what she'd expected to hear--she had a good list of things she'd maybe been hoping for, but not all of them were realistic or probable. This answer Jess had given, her request though, it was a serious one. No doubts about that.

Frowning a bit, chewing on her lower lip as she considered, Abby moved her hand from where it had been playfully toying with the other girl's neck to rest firmly on her shoulder instead. Slowly, she spoke. "You know I'm no ESPer, so I'll have to figure out when you're hating yourself the old fashioned way. And right now, regular old human me has to say... when this is the reward you ask for when we have a nice playful mood going? Well... sounds to me like someone's depressed and needs that wake-up call already."

Reaching up and pinching Jess on the cheek, Abby sat back down on the changing ledge and pulled the captain with her, setting her on her lap. "Talk to me, where'd I steer us wrong? Why are you stuck in a dark place. How can we shine in some light and brighten things up? I thought you were having fun?"

Figuring it out the old way meant guessing and asking, Jess could handle that... But, depressed? Her, really? ...Thinking about it, yeah, probably. Brant's words kept eating at her, making her think, not that this was the wrong thing to be trying, but, would it work out? Jess had a horrible question that kept popping up in her mind, it wasn't right to ask it right now, but with Abby prodding, when was better?

She managed to come back to earth at the pinch, squeaking and wobbling as she was pulled over. "I am having fun. I am... I..." Now or never? Or was there a later? Probably. But the question came out anyway. "If Calina came back tomorrow, where would I be?" Oh God I said it. She immediately pulled herself off of Abby's lap, recoiling back against the opposite wall, hiding her face behind her hands. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry... Forget I said that, please, please just forget it..."

Well, that was certainly a punch to the gut. Words Abigail had never expected to hear suddenly assaulted her. She had no way of knowing just what manner of pained expression crossed her face, but it surely couldn't have been pleasant to look at. Abby needed oxygen, but it was hard to breathe with the clawed fist clenching down on her heart, choking her airway.

Squeezing shut her eyes, Abigail suffered until the pressure eased up, finally relented. She... had to answer, even though Jess was protesting, telling her to forget she'd ever said anything. "If Calina came back tomorrow? You'd be single... because I'd be dead. She'd murder me." It was a very Abby answer, trying to make light of a bad situation, but not treating it so trivially as to toss away all the meaning entirely.

"But that won't happen. Can't happen. I showed you that clip, you checked it out right? Looked into your ANF connections, got it verified and everything. I can't imagine you didn't, and then when I was down and out you took it upon yourself to come visit me, try to cheer me up, to give me something else worth living for." Abigail's voice wavered, on the edge of cracking but without tottering over into the chasm. "And it worked. Thank you."

Another deep breath, then two, and she opened her eyes and tried to smile. It may have even worked. "Chris said we shouldn't be expecting any clones either, but hell. If they were anything like that damaged bitch, it'd just be another non-issue on that point." Oh. Oops. Her hand was over her chest, and in her struggle to work past her demons, Abby had grabbed the fabric of the dress's bosom and done a mighty fine job of wrinkling it up. Time to try to smooth that out a little. She awkwardly kept from meeting Jess's gaze as she went about doing so.

"Abby..." It sounded good, but something wasn't hitting Jess right. She... She hadn't really answered. Even if it couldn't happen. "Take it as a hypothetical, then... What if? Where would I be?" Now wasn't the time to be doing this, but not getting a proper answer, even if asking it hurt, she had to try and press, just one more time. Because if Abby couldn't answer, then... Then...

How quickly she went from 'forget I asked' to 'that's not a real answer'. But Abigail supposed she couldn't blame Jess at this point. Not after the shit that went down with Brant last night. And well, maybe she shouldn't have tried even the light dodge she'd done to try to get the mood back to happy. Fine, if deadly serious was what was called for, so be it.

"Look, maybe my answer won't be exactly what you're looking for because you're obviously fishing for something, but at least hear me out until the end before you make up your mind, alright?" Dress smoothing forgotten, Abigail brought her hands to her knees and began unconsciously working on wrinkling up that area of the dress too.

"Hypothetically, Calina comes to me tomorrow, same as she was in life. What do I do? Way I see it, there's only one thing to do. I get both of you together, we go out somewhere, and I try to show each of you the reasons why I fell in love with the other. I probably fail, and end up losing you both because why would anything nice ever happen to Abigail Casson without some impossible cost to pay. But I'd try. I'm too greedy to give up on someone I love not to try. And I do. Both of you. So, I'm sorry, I'm sorry if that's not what you wanted to hear. But I'm not about to lie to you and just take the easy way out, though."

A trickle of tears had begun streaming down her face at some point. Part of Abby wanted to reach up and start wiping them away, but the bigger part of her knew that if she did she'd be too distracted to properly watch and catch Jess's reaction, and that was more important. So they just continued to roll down her cheeks for now.

Maybe she was fishing. She'd only pressed because Abby had dodged so expertly the first time... And getting the real answer, Jess wasn't entirely sure what she'd been expecting. It was the only answer that made sense for someone like Abby, and Jess couldn't blame her... She also couldn't find herself angry at the response. Of course she'd try to get both to work out. Why wouldn't she? This was an unfair question.

Jess shifted forward and brought herself over to hug Abby, running a hand through her hair, trying not to join in on the crying. "I'm sorry. I'm overthinking things, aren't I? Of course that's what you'd do. Anyone would. How is it fair to make you pick like that? It isn't... And I'm being an idiot." Jess ended up squeezing her tighter, swallowing hard, feeling those tears start to well up. Emotions were hard. "Your answer is fine. I promise. I shouldn't have made you say it, but it's more than fine. I don't want you to think I'm about to storm out of here... I just couldn't stop thinking. That's my fault... And I'm so sorry..."

"Well, Jessica Gefalscht, if there's one thing to be said about this, at least you'll admit when you're being unfair," Abigail started to laugh, but only made it about halfway through before the spasm turned into something else. Thank God the captain had closed the distance and hugged her, it made it easy to bury her face in her chest until the silent sobs stopped. Abby really hadn't been prepared for any of this, for the wounds she'd hastily covered up and tried to pretend were healed to be torn open again, raw and bleeding. It was hard enough to not think about what she'd lost, but to have it dragged out in front of her and be forced to choose between...

Maybe a minute had passed, maybe more, maybe only a moment? Raising her head, she snuffled slightly and finally moved her hands from where she'd grasped Jess during the embrace to start to wipe away at her eyes. "Ha, now look who's the depressed mess, hating herself," she snorted in self-deprecating amusement. Then, turning up her eyes to look at Jess, her mind snapped back to the captain's request of her. What a mirror image this was, but maybe...

"Kiss me?"

Jess could only hold on when Abby started sobbing, hoping that she hadn't gone too far. Being unfair... This whole situation was unfair. Being pit against these feelings and thoughts, and having to go through Abby to resolve them, when she was already hurting so much... She felt disgusting. No, she wouldn't cry right now, she didn't deserve it. She'd stabbed Abby in the heart, pulled the knife out, and was trying to cover it up nice and pretty.

"It's not your fault, Abby. Not even close. Please, don't hate yourself... This is all my fault, you don't have to." Jess just kept petting her hair, not quite expecting the request that followed, but how much more mean could she get? "Of course. Of course, Abby. I love you... I mean it." She leaned down and gave her a kiss, hoping the contact would help her warm back up. Jess had made her so cold in the first place... It was the least she could do.

Having her hair stroked like this was surprisingly calming for Abigail, and even if she'd had to ask for it--even if Jess may have been reluctant, after having not got the reply she'd hoped to hear ('fine' being a barely passing grade, after all)--the kiss was also balm for the soul. Leaning into it, wrapping her own hands around the back of the captain's head, digging her fingers into her luscious locks, Abby thirstily drank it up. It probably wasn't the healthiest approach, running away from her pain into the bliss of physical love, but sometimes the hurt was too much to care about whether it was wrong or right.

Even Abigail had to pause, though, draw the line somewhere, when she'd noticed her hand had slid down the back of Jess's cardigan, and begun fumbling with her bra from over her clothing, seeking unconsciously to free her perky puppies from their sweater kennel. Hadn't she promised herself last night she'd be better? If this was the only thing she could turn to any time difficulty cropped up, how were things any better than what Brant had tried branding them as, a 'stupid fling'.
Pulling her face away, Jess's upper lip still stuck between her own for a few moments before parting to snap back into place, Abby sighed and opened her eyes. Some problems couldn't just be solved with sex. So she would prove it. She was better than Brant gave her credit for. Stopping the attempt that had begun in the pitch of a fever, she slid her hand down further to Jess's waist, giving instead an reassuring squeeze.

"Don't worry too much about me," Abby managed. "Sure, I hit a rough patch there, took a stumble. But you know me, I'm a tough girl, a fighter, a survivor. I might need some help at times, to pull myself together, to pick up the pieces, but every time I get knocked down I'll be sure to stand up again, a stronger woman because of it. And, yeah, maybe I can't give up my ghosts yet. Maybe I'll never be able to? But nobody is a blank slate, everybody comes along with some baggage or other. So, if I haven't sent you packing, running for the hills already, if you're willing to accept me, warts and all, I'd like to keep facing the rest of life's challenges with you, to keep growing together, to help you when you need it too."

Jess had expected the tugging as soon as Abby got more into the kiss, but that she'd stopped herself was a wonderful moment of relaxation and confirmation for Jess. It means things had sunk in, even for Abby... And it meant this was more than physical for her. They'd been at each other for the whole week since Jess had said yes to the endeavor, maybe the wakeup call was necessary. For the both of them. Jess smiled as the kiss parted, though the lingering bite made her blush probably more than necessary.

"I know you are. I'm sorry for challenging you... But I think all this is going to turn out for the better, for both of us. If we can get hit with challenge and get over it, then it was meant to work out, right?" Definitely... Jess was going to show Brant that this was a good idea. Abby was helping her believe that, more and more. "You even tried on a dress for me... You're already making great improvements, aren't you?" That was more of a joke, Jess smiling silly like to try and help it along. Bending over a bit more and giving Abby a bit hug, she sighed. "I really am sorry... We should do something else fun today, to go way from this. I won't forget your answer though. Thank you, love." Jess felt something less direct would fit better here... A calm kiss on the forehead.

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Matching Set

"Wouldn't it be nice to go against the grain for once? Not that I'm super fussed, as you seem to be... We must be crazy talking about marriage so soon. Well, it's fun thoughts for the future, at least." Cheryl thought about her own family, but she'd only have a sister to tell things about, her parents not exactly pleased with her career decisions. Their loss, her life was great now. The theater was coming into view, which made Cheryl smile just a bit. "I'm having too much fun talking to you... I can't believe I have to stay quiet for almost two hours... Can I even manage that? What about you, are you a talker during movies? I can get pretty annoying if I end up getting involved in what's going on on screen."

Investment

This was surprising... Hannah hadn't expected Roxanna to be interested in much of anyone on the crew, less so Firmia... Maybe it was their shared dislike of the captain. Still, a founder for the company, one right on their doorstep, that was more worth than they could ever hope for. Firmia was excited, for obvious reasons, but Hannah did have an important question... They did have to worry about spies on the Riese, after all. "What's your interest in Firmia's company, Roxanna?" It would be good to get her reasoning. "It's wonderful that we have an interested investor so close to us, and easily reachable, but the company is still quite small, and aside from engaging in battle with the Riese, hasn't exactly proven its worth yet. Why would you want to invest money so readily?" It would probably hurt Firmia a bit to hear all of that, but it was necessary.

Setup

Good, Makoto and Tarquin were talking about how to play... Christina came on over, waving at Chris as she got closer, getting a tiny wave of acknowledgement in return. Chris was still thinking about how to balance teams, and was coming to an unfortunate head on the situation. She sighed, stepping over to Brant and Tonya, Avery catching them moving, and nudging for Astin to follow. "Looks like they're gonna get t'talkin' 'bout teams. We should hop on over t'pitch in."

Chris had a hand on her chin, thinking rather intensely about this. With all the people they had, it would be easy to form two decent teams, the only problem was... With a sigh, she started throwing out her opinions. "I think the teams should be as follows: Elaine, Bill, Tonya, Christina, and Makoto, versus myself, Brant, Tarquin, Avery and Astin." The sigh was because she'd been planning on showing Brant what for... But, with how much he knew Tonya...

"Any questions? If people want reasons why, I can get into it, but it should be fairly obvious at a glance. Trying to balance out the people who know less with the people who know more... And keeping Brant away from his obvious advantage of a team mate." She smirked just a bit, while Christina nodded.

"I don't really have a problem with the setup... I'm not really the most fit, so while I know the rules, I don't think I'll be managing much."

"I ain't got no problem either... What 'bout y'all? An', Astin? Y'wanted t'be on the same team, right?" Avery couldn't help giving them a bit of an elbow poke.

Chris was mostly focused on Brant. He'd probably be bothered about not being on the same team as Tonya, but... With how long they'd known each other, and how well they got along, it would be an unfair synergy. Astin and Avery were a couple, but they hadn't know each other before getting onto the Riese. Much as they probably liked each other, developing a deep sense of comfortableness with each other would take more than a week.

Soak in the Sun

Jess flopped herself down on one of the beach chairs sighing and lowering her sun hat some. This was the life... When they weren't firing beams of plasma at unknown terrorists... Clones... Whatever. Apotheosis was such an imposing enemy, what were they even going to do to win this war? How were they going to track down the base and destroy whoever was leading this? Could they? They'd been surviving attacks so far, but when were they to go on the assault? Jess sighed. "Leave that to HQ... Not my spot." Whatever the Commander and the Admirals chose, that's what she'd go with. Until then... Be a good soldier. That was enough, right?

Edited by SnakeMomMelissa
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"What if... I had?" Kim replied, returning Abigail's grin with one of her own, listening to what the blonde had to say. Chicken fights? What was a chicken fight? Well, first things first, at any rate.

"Actually it's... an older suit. I had worried it might be too small... so I brought an extra, but it seems... to be just fine." The Lieutenant began, chuckling a bit as Abigail trailed off, before moving on to her own inquiry.

"I'm afraid... I can't say I know what... a chicken fight is. You would have to explain it to me... oh, but we should go and see Jessica... along the way. She went to sit down... when you called for me. I wouldn't want to... leave her hanging."

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With a shrug, Elaine responded to Chris with her agreement towards team balancing. “Sounds good to me. I think if there are some issues in the game we can swap players around until we find something that’s balanced. Or fun.” Really, Elaine just didn’t want to be on a team with Tarquin. Much as she wanted to try and make friends, she knew they would not get along, at all. 

“Don’t need to be that fit for volleyball, Christina, but I don’t think we’re expecting you to pull anything crazy. Just play at your own pace.” She said, smiling encouragingly at the not-so-confident blonde. 

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"Aaah..." She quietly listened to the fighter jet story and noticed the vibes turned a bit south. She blamed herself for that, it wasn't quite like her to sour a mood like this and she felt pretty bad swiftly after it happened. Although she did admit it was nice to have people understand her problems, she still had to come forward with something. "Oh uh...?" Then Caroline offered a brownie with the package. Aw how sweet. The smile helped too. So Aliza returned the smile with her own and added a slight giggle with it. "Well...if you insist. I'll remember you for this, Caroline." She took the goods offered.

Then Thorvald approached. Aliza remembered him from the battlefield and meeting room. They didn't have a chance to interact, but he seemed like an alright fellow from what she saw so far. "Hm? Volleyball?" Oooh did that sound like fun. "Absolutely! I love volleyball. Used to be a pretty good player when I was in school." With her things in hand she took a nod at Caroline. "Thanks again. Hope to talk again later."

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Sasha smirked. "Wouldn't be the first time I went against the grain," he noted, thinking of his debates with the Alkaev company's R&D staff. It was hard to settle matters with those people when only the theories were affected. The equations always got balanced and always accurately represented what needed representing. "I personally think it's a good idea. Get the serious stuff out of the way so we can have more fun later. Besides, you can delay or call the whole thing off if you're not feeling comfortable. As long as we're being up front with each other, I~ think the rest can get sorted."

It turned out that Cheryl was one of the notorious cinema talkers. One step up from the heavy laughers, and two steps up from the smartphone users and the bootleggers. It was probably more amusing to Sasha than it should have been, but again, he felt that this too could get sorted. "First viewing I'm just a fly on the wall," he answered with a chuckle, "Second viewing I'm nitpicking the crap out of things. Can't help it after my brain turns back on, so don't take me to any sci-fi flicks more than once. Third viewing and beyond, I'm just trying to chill with you~"


Firmia wanted to hear Roxanna's offer first. Curiosity and all. But sooner or later the question of motives was bound to come up. She was still recovering from her shattered expectations with Commander Vance and the admiralty. She'd been expecting to be working from the Riese still, at least until they had a ship ready for her, along with the other items she'd requested. The blessing addled Alkaev had been utterly convinced she would have to make a lot more heads roll before anything like this could ever happen, and yet here they were, lounging around on a beach, speaking with a potential investor when they weren't tossing around ideas.


Hadn't Chris wanted to play against him when she first dragged him over? In the case of Tonya, Chris apparently thought that despite how sore they both were, Brant and his teacher of ten plus years could still pull off some strong combinations. Brant highly doubted it. He wasn't just sore, he was too mentally exhausted, and didn't even want to be showy, today. He supposed Chris had also opted to keep him on her team so she would have an easier time keeping the downhearted TK focused on the game. That's what friends were for, right? ... at this point, Brant just wanted to get it over with and go lie down.

One after another the responses to Chris' suggestion for the teams came in, and with each of those affirming responses Brant felt his resolve wavering. Of course he took issue with the team setup; he wanted to play with Tonya, not against her. He'd gotten enough of that yesterday ... but what was the point in saying so, now? Everyone else was more or less happy with the arrangement. Brant's feelings went a lot deeper than the game itself, but that was all the more reason not to protest. Why cast a shadow over things when it wasn't even about the game? Wouldn't it be better to let the others enjoy themselves, finish things here, and then go recuperate somewhere?

Brant didn't protest in the end. He didn't say a single word, actually. On the outside he looked quite bored, like he was just waiting for the game to start. On the inside, he was doing rushed patch jobs on his heart to try and get through the rest of the day. Little by little he was suppressing his emotions. Tonya wasn't sure what to make of the silence, at first. She'd been about to speak up about the suggested teams herself, but almost immediately changed her mind. If Brant wasn't going to make a big deal out of it, she wasn't doing either of them any favors by making a fuss, either.

"... eh," Tonya shrugged, letting Chris know she wasn't overly miffed about the current roster.

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'Eh'? Really? Fucking hell, what is up with these two, today? Elaine gave both Brant and Tonya a good look over, and she could easily tell that whatever was ailing Brant was more than just physical. His body language alone gave off an aura of depression that was ruining any happy mood Elaine had before, and Tonya wasn't doing anything to help that either, with her lackluster response. The entire point of this day at the artificial beach was to just put away all those negative thoughts for a day, but the Russian looked like he was having none of it. This can't just be about splitting themselves up, can it? He's not whining about it, but the signals are all there. Elaine looked back at Chris, held up her pointer finger, and said "One minute." Then, he grabbed Brant's wrist and, as gentle as she could, dragged him over until they were far enough away to whisper without being heard.

"Alright, what the heck is going on?" She asked, quietly, letting go of Brant before turning to face him. "You look and act like you're half dead, and don't be telling me that it's just yesterday's workout or that it's 'nothing', either." She frowned, then sighed. "Look, I don't wanna press too hard or anything, but you don't look like you wanna be doing any of this. Just...can you tell me what's going on, Brant? Please? ...Or at least tell me what you really want to do?" He was there for her, and now Elaine was going to be there for Brant. This is going to be a happy and relaxing day for everyone, god dammit.

 

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Jezebel's issue--the one that wasn't affecting her vision, though one could say her mind's eye was being slightly veiled by it ... that was something that overlapped more with Cheryl's field than Megumi's. That wasn't to say the doctor hadn't done her fair share of counseling, but since it wasn't her field, she wasn't confident she could help Jezebel much in the long term. Get her to tomorrow fully functional? Simple enough. Have her still be in good shape mentally by this time next week? Maybe. By this time next month? Not a clue ...

"My first recommendation is 'no substance abuse.'" Megumi wanted to throw a 'do as I say, not as I do' in there as well, in order to offset the wounded pilot's reaction should she ever notice the 190 proof bottle on the doctor's own desk. It was less substance abuse in her eyes and more ... crude compensation. "Second, look at the situation logically: The battle was an overwhelming victory for us, even if only technically." It usually was, though the margins between overwhelming victory and more conventional results, the kind of results that would see a couple of pilots in body bags and a few barely salvageable allied machines, were getting narrower.

"I suppose the last two things I should point out are that as long as you're willing to help us fight Apotheosis, you can avenge your squad ... if that's something that interests you. And if you're feeling especially bad about this, you should speak with Doctor Hart when she gets back. She's the ship's psychotherapist. I'm also available if you just want to talk, but you should know we have professional help on board. Rather ... we will once everyone gets back ..."


Brant hoped that getting dragged around wasn't going to become a new thing. He didn't like making big scenes, and he didn't like being a part of them, either. It was no surprise that Elaine wanted to know what was bothering him. In terms of the volleyball game, however, it really was 'nothing.' That wasn't an answer she was about to accept, apparently. She wanted to know what was going on, and boy, just going over it all quickly in his head again made Brant want to go shut down even more. Why was he even here and socializing, right now? He didn't have the spiritual strength for any of this, today. Brant was genuinely pondering the timing as he tried to put together some kind of response for Elaine.

"What do I really want to do? I want to lie down somewhere," Brant eventually said, glancing over briefly at the beach chairs. He saw Firmia and Hannah speaking with the XO, and his eyes also caught Jessica ... relaxing by herself. By herself ... dammit. Just ... dammit. She was right over there, and seemingly had no interest whatsoever in speaking with him or even acknowledging him. And of course, if he went over there to see her, the situation would inevitably blow up in his face, somehow. Everything had changed, and more or less overnight. She'd gone from wanting to be around him to avoiding him like a disease, and in the moment, Brant was hard pressed to come up with anything that made him feel worse than that.

Abram's gaze passed over Firmia and Hannah again as he turned back toward Elaine. He'd only wasted about two seconds on the beach chairs and their occupants. "To make a short story even shorter," Brant sighed, "Vance picked the wrong time to order me to have fun. I just want to play my part out here so no one else's day is ruined and then get back to the ship." The ship ... right, that wasn't quite how things were going to pan out, now. There were two ships in this fledgling battle group, and there was no way in hell the Regalia would remain aboard the Riese if Firmia had any say in the matter. That meant Brant wouldn't be assigned to that ship any longer, either. "Well, there's no going back to the Riese at this point, but I still just want to get someplace air conditioned and sterile ..." ... and then stop being conscious for a little while. Just stop being for a little while.

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Okay, maybe not everyone gets a happy day. Brant was tired, that much was certain. From what, though, she couldn't tell. Brant's explanation was short, and not too helpful as a result. It was obvious he was hiding something, more for his own sake then for convenience, and it was disheartening, especially after Elaine had broken down to Brant in an elevator about her own problems, earlier that week. ...No, they weren't close enough friends yet for that, she supposed. Either way, the more Brant withheld, the less she was able to help him. If she was able to help him at all. Elaine crossed her arms, and her mouth twisted into an inquisitive frown, and looked around the beach. There were plenty of beach chairs he could lie down on, though air conditioning wasn't likely out in the sand. Then, she spotted Hannah off with Firmia and Roxanna. Hmmm...Didn't she say she was built to provide all sorts of comfort? ...Shit, but would she want to. It's not very human to use some sort of fan built into you. Elaine breathed in, and sighed through her nose, then turned back to Brant.

"Well, if you wanna lie down, then you wanna lie down. Just because you're at a beach doesn't mean you gotta be physically active, right?" Elaine said, thinking about how Chris might wander over and try to drag him back like she did earlier. What was the point of asking if you didn't respect the answer, anyway? Okay, maybe that's a little hypocritical of me considering I just dragged him away from the group, but...Well, that's different in this instance! "I can't say much about how sterile this place is, but if you want something to cool you off while you sleep, maybe ask Hannah? I know all androids have a built in cooling system, but maybe she has a way to...I dunno, produce a fan and blow some cool air your way? Either that, or we go back to Volleyball. I'm leaving the choice up to you." Elaine looked at Brant, and the pathetic state of his face just made her sigh again. "Look, I'm not sure how much you wanna hear this right now, but the way you're looking is looking an awful lot like how I was when I came to you in that elevator. I'm not gonna press if you don't want me to, but...If there's something bugging you and you want a sympathetic ear, then let me know. Worst comes to worst, I drag you off to see Doctor Hart...Er, Cheryl. Doctor Cheryl? Y-you know who I mean."

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Astin had seemingly gotten lost in their own thoughts again, staring off into the crowds around them with a small frown on their face. The poke from Avery jolted them back into attention as they jumped about half a foot in the air from the unexpected contact. "Wha, er, yeah, sure, seems like fine teams." Though they didn't really even know what the teams were and it looked like the plans might get ruined by Elaine dragging Brant away. "Err, assuming everyone actually wants to play. I guess." The small frown returned to their face, and they began staring off into the distance again. "Wonder what the others are up to..."

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Okay, Kim was playful, almost too playful. Well, that's not really true, it's just that the line her mind first leapt to, about how 'sometimes when you go for the bait, you get hooked', well, that was something she could only really pull off while single.

"Well, I'd have been obliged to meet you tit for tat, and that probably would've ended with us wrestling on the sand, haha." Abigail laughed a bit, then laughed some more when she realized that wasn't altogether too different than what she was aiming for from the start. Stopping to think about it, chicken fighting was pretty much just glorified team wrestling in the water, in a way. She'd have to do a better job explaining to the apparently clueless Korean though, if she wanted to actually get her interest, most likely.

"Hmm, never chicken fought, huh, that might put you at a bit of disadvantage, but..." Abby paused and nodded, as Kim directed her attention over to the beach chairs and Jess. "Sure, I'll explain as we walk. Basically, it's sort of a pair game, played in the water, ideally deep enough so one's chest is fully covered when they have their feet on the ground. You have one person on each team sitting on top the others' shoulders. Only the top people are allowed to use their hands, and the goal is to try to knock the other team's top off balance and into the water however possible: shoving, twisting, pushing, pulling, you name it. The bottom people are mostly there to provide support and to keep their charge where they're supposed to be, but can technically body check or ram into the other bottom member too, or trip them with their legs. That can be a lot more risky, double-edged sword and all, but it's technically fair game so long as they don't use their hands... which should really be occupied with holding on to the person riding them to begin with."

That should be at least a decent enough primer on the subject. And they were just about over to where Jess was now, so there was also that. "Anyway, even if it's not new, that suit does look good on you, Kim. And Jess, yours is lovely too. Just sunning yourself for now?"

 


 

"So I can't count on you for indefinite access to prescription pain meds then, I take it," Jess managed a bit of a sad smile, as the doctor began trying to help her adjust to the aftermath. It was probably cruel to joke about a serious issue like this, but then again, life is cruel.

The rest of her advice was harder to swallow, it just didn't seem like there was enough sugar to make the medicine go down. An 'overwhelming victory'? Eeeeh. Maybe technically? "I suppose... I suppose that is a lot of craft the enemy can't use against us in the future, and... some intel on new advances they have that we were unaware of before. Not the sort of things to ever come completely without cost. But... that way of thinking feels so utterly detached from the reality," the wounded pilot sighed, and raised a hand to massage her temples. "You're right though, I should be seeing the shrink, when she has the time."

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Crash Course

Of course, Makoto and Tarquin weren't going to get a lot done if they didn't get a feel for the ball to begin with. "Y-yeah, we're probably not getting the star roles on our teams, but at least we should make sure we're not bringing them down!" A chain was only as strong as its weakest link, or something like that. "So, what do you think of... let's start with a few throws then?" Makoto considered throwing the ball right there and hoping Tarquin would have the reaction to catch, but they were quickly interrupted by a somewhat familiar man with a very strong accent. Who was he again? One of the ground crew? If your feet are in the right place... I think I get it. A proper stance would help them get a better shot lined up, or stuff like that, Makoto imagined. "R-right, yeah, thanks for the tip. Heads up, mister!" Planting his feet a fair space apart on the ground, Makoto threw the ball up as instructed.

Offers and Motivations

"M-my offer..." Perhaps it made some sense for Firmia to be the one asking, since Roxanna did come after her. The XO wasn't quite expecting that, though, and had to stop for a moment to think. At least the Alkaev had taken the offer positively and was interested, Roxanna should have considered that a blessing on its own, but she couldn't help but feel more nervous about being put on the spot when she hadn't even thought that far, not thoroughly. Why did I decide to do this here... "Right now, the most I can offer is funds... perhaps some intel with ANF battleships, if you ever need that, but mostly I have flexible access to my father's inheritance now." Probably not, with that android by her side. "Obviously, if it comes to that, I'm pitching to become a shareholder. As an ANF citizen, I can strike deals taking advantage of the federation's trade laws, I could save you a lot on limitations and taxes depending on how your company is labeled. And... I know a couple of corporations that do owe some forgiven debt to my father. Specifically, I think I could get a hold of Bismarck Industries, if you need it." Roxanna wasn't completely oblivious to politics ever since she left, but she certainly lacked the charisma on her own.

Then came the android's question. That sort of question was quick to put the XO on edge too. She knew the implications, they were already worried enough with moles in the Riese alone that somebody from the ship trying to make such a timely offer was almost too suspicious. Roxanna hoped she wasn't looking too iffy, but having a machine suspect her was something else. "I want Apotheosis to end, more than anything right now. Terrorists like them took away the last support I had, and now I'm being forced to make a move. I... really don't know where my future stands, but I don't think my time in the Earth Navy is going to last very long." And in the Space Navy she'd just been a bitter afterthought... "I need to branch out, but much as I try, my mind only comes back to this war on Apotheosis." It was almost pitiful, she was basically admitting revenge was the only idea her business mind had. Firmia would probably be disappointed.

More Customers

"Please, don't think about it." Caroline seemed to have recovered swiftly, or maybe it was just easier to suppress her emotions when in a business mind? "We're all going through horrible things right now. The least we can do is have each other's back, right?" It seemed her successful attempt to cheer up Aliza also reflected well on the girl, taking a slow breath as she started digging around her cooler again. "And you, mister. Red, white and blue, right?" She picked up a couple of the colored popsicles from the cooler, still in their packaging. "Yeah, I got a few from this brand, in the mood for a patriotic snack?" She snickered, "I just heard these sell better on the 4th of july, don't mind me. Personally I never tried them, so I don't know how they taste."

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Thorvald flashed Caroline his winningest smile, "Of course, can't hurt to show a little ANF spirit the whole year round, especially when we should be rallying to beat back the terrorists." He dug for his wallet, thankfully still there though now well sogged and a little worse for wear. "If you've never had one, then so help me, I'm buying a second and giving it to you, my treat."

Once the transaction was all wrapped up, a final wave of the hand and nod of the head as he bid farewell to the enterprising saleswoman, and turned back to Aliza. "Wow, you were on an actual team, then? Hopefully you don't put the rest of us to shame. I've only ever tossed around real casually." The pair approached the rest of the volleyball group that had been clumping up, and trying to figure out which one was in charge of organizing the thing, Thorvald settled on Avery, for no particular reason other than gut feeling, and called out, "Hey, you have room on the teams for two more somewhere?"

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"Hmm... that'd be no good. I'm under contract, no bikini wrestling... unless it's on camera." Upon Abigail's initial response, Kim decided to toss a quick quip her way, adding onto it by blowing a light raspberry the blonde's way, before allowing her to explain what it was she had come over for. So it was a pool game... well, beach in this case, though it did seem more suited for pools, what with the sudden falls and likely tendency to take in a deep gulp of water... salt or otherwise, when one careened into the drink... still, it seemed like a neat little distraction. Of course, she mentioned as well that having never done it, she might be at a disadvantage, seemingly ignoring the obvious advantage that she would have had in her favour in such a thing. As they approached Jessica and eventually, reached the Captain, Kim continued to wonder about that... 

"It sounds... interesting. But I have to wonder why... you'd want me for something like a chicken fight. Especially as what seems... like a rather early pick."

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Bill primed himself as the ball rose into the air, bending his knees and drawing his right arm back. "That's a decent toss, an important part of a good serve." Bill commended, leaping into the air ready to strike the ball. Tarquin hadn't quite expected such an enthusiastic display from the janitor, he'd met Bill a few times, but it was rather difficult to understand much of what he had to say. However, it was clear the man had some sort of aptitude for sport and the outdoors. It made him question one thing... why was he a janitor? Surely there were other things he could use his abilities for?

Swinging his arm, his fist struck the ball, sending it hurtling towards the ground ahead of him. Landing gracefully, Bill watched as the ball crashed against the sand, bouncing and rolling away after it landed. The move only took a matter of seconds with no hesitation at all. Despite its rapid pace, it was a demonstration that he could learn from, although it would take time to be able to replicate it - likely far longer than the day they had off.

"If there's six a side, it might be a little closer to regular volleyball than beach volleyball." Bill affirmed, looking around to count the people around them. "It's just a bash about though, I'm sure we'll have a corker anyway!"

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Graining

"If you think it's best to have that all up front, then sure, I'll keep bringing things up. Whenever I can think of any others~" The only serious thing in her mind past marriage was kids... She was far from too old to have them, but the real question was if she wanted them. The actual kids on the ship were already enough of a handful to keep an eye on when she had the time to actually catch up to them. She really did have to check up on Tarquin, and probably Makoto, after they got their day off. See how they were coping with the fighting. And Nikolai...

"Should I be a fly on the wall too, then? Else I'm gonna spend a bunch of time talking, first viewing or not." Hopefully Sasha didn't mind... That whole thing of picking at problems in a film was something she did on viewing number one.

Messyball

Chris cocked an eyebrow at Elaine, pulling Brant off. Did she know about any of this? Maybe, maybe not... Whatever the case, he still felt pretty defeated. She'd been about to head on over there, but another voice calling out stopped her from approaching the two. Thorvald and... That new girl, right? Seems he was calling after Avery, she could handle that. Hmm... Chris went after Tonya instead, tapping her shoulder and turning away from everyone else. "This mess with Brant is still over the Jess stuff, right? Just... Want to make sure you didn't put him through a serious wringer. We seem to have gathered two more people, so if the both of you would rather sit out, you can... I'm..." She looked over at Brant again, folding her arms and sighing.

"Brooding over things is just going to make him feel worse. I wanted to get his mind off of them for a bit, but... He doesn't seem very excited, at all. Probably isn't looking forward to playing against you either, but you two on the same team? That'd be way unfair for all the newer players. Anyway, I'll let you two choose if you want to sit out or not, okay? Just don't let him do nothing but think. Force him to go talk to Jess if he has to. Thinking is the last thing he needs right now..."

New Players!

"Astin... C'mon, get'chur head outta th'clouds." Avery wasn't about to let them stay up there, sliding a hand around their waste and leaning up to plant a kiss on their cheek. "Front an' center, darlin'. Seems we got more people. Thorvald, over here!" Avery waved back, letting Astin go free, knowing that'd be embarrassed in front of people so close like that. That was fine, for now, but Avery was probably gonna get some quality time after the game. "Sure, ain't seein' no issue with two more people." Bill didn't seem to find one either, after spiking the ball in an almost professional manner. Avery nearly whistled. "Guess some people already got th'game down pat. This'll be fun~"

Lovely?

"Mmmm?" Jess had almost passed out when Abby came over with her comments, slowly sitting up and pushing her back up some against the chair. "My swimsuit? It's just the same as last time... Nothing special. I didn't pick out anything new while we were shopping, and swimming is such a rare occasion... I don't think I need more than one. Doesn't really surprise me that Kim has extra, though. What're you two up to, then? I was just trying to take it easy... Get my mind off of things." The last bit, that was the real kicker for her. Getting her mind off of Apotheosis and onto the beach was difficult.

Edited by SnakeMomMelissa
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With one last smile and a slight wink to Caroline the Italian had walked off with the older gentleman. "Well it was a while ago but I still got some moves." She kept her smile on as she bit into a brownie. The taste was pretty alright! Caroline knew how to please a customer alright. She turned to reach into her back and pulled out her notebook, quickly writing something down in it. Though she kept it out of Thorvald's sight so he couldn't see. She wrote down Caroline's name and a prelim score then quickly shut it to continue onward.

When the two met up with Avery and Astin it caused Aliza to let out a bit of an audible gasp. "Oh, hey!" She waved a bit. "Nice seeing you two here, Astin aaaaand Avery right?" The last time they met was at Orange Theocracy, Aliza felt she made an awkward impression with the Abby business. So she kept her best smile on. "Oh yeah. Hope you don't mind a vet on the field here. I used to play for a team when I was at school."

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"I'm afraid not," Megumi shook her head at the injured pilot's joke, amused but still mostly blank faced.

Jezebel handled the doctor's battle assessment with some reluctance, not really liking the impersonal impression it gave. "I suppose it is detached to a degree," Megumi nodded, "but I'm playing doctor, so the reality of the situation is never lost on me." She was just glad that she had the ability to deal with it. She was used to people just dying; rarely could she actually save anyone when things got this bad. Now that Jezebel was up and about, her eye problem would need to be at least partly addressed at some point ... though that might prove tricky, if the frequency of their battles was any indication.

"Try not to push yourself too hard," Megumi urged, "Now that we're at Central, there's a chance we could wind up with a surplus of pilots and other specialists. We might not have to keep fielding everyone we have in each battle." At least that's what she hoped. Having people in reserve in case of the unforeseen was just common sense, but up until this point, the Riese had been operating with a very light crew. Even worse, they were far below capacity on both pilots and mechs, which meant they had a very limited--albeit it a very reputable--operational range. While it was nice to be beating the tar out of Apotheosis' regulars with such a large handicap, they really shouldn't take any chances going forward if they could help it.


It seemed like Mr. Pasternak and Ms. Hart would both be on the lookout for more issues to sort out. Once they took care of enough of them, maybe they could start seriously considering some long term entanglements. For now, there was just the issue of whether or not Cheryl could chat during the movie. "Will it be tough on you?" Sasha smirked at her question. "It's just a Disney movie first, right? It'll be fine."


Firmia listened intently and carefully as Roxanna hit on each of her points.

Funds: Absolutely necessary. The ANF might handle some of the bills along the way, but Firmia's endeavors had to be self sustaining by war's end. For now, the market was war profiteering. Mainly, selling special designs to the ANF in the same way the Alkaev company sold designs to the Kremlin. Firmia wouldn't have near the production capability, but she wasn't limited to mobile suits and MS exclusive weapons systems. Now that her livelihood no longer felt so thoroughly shackled to Jessica and her actions, ideas and improvements came to her faster than she could write them down.

Intel: Needful. The ANF was already going to provide what they could, but it was good to have multiple sources. Even if they overlapped with each other, it was always possible to glean more each time the same information came in. If nothing else, a lack of discrepancies was good for confirmation on certain things. Unfortunately, Firmia would still have to go through her own family to figure out anything useful about what was going on back in Russia. That meant staying on good terms with her grandfather. She needed to contact him later when she got the chance, come to think of it ...

Bismarck Industries: Excellent, if true. Firmia wanted to get her hands on as much of their data as possible. Captaining the Avalon personally would be a waste of her potential as a TK if she didn't incorporate a T-Link into the control scheme. Without the processor suites she requested, her commanding the vessel would also be a handicap for it, as well. With no actual experience in commanding large vessels, that unique control scheme, plus the processor suites, were her only saving grace for now. She would have to learn everything else as time went on, and upgrade the Avalon's equipment along the way, as well. Simply tacking funnels onto an area near the bridge wasn't enough.

Firmia continued to listen as Roxanna moved onto Hannah's question, tilting her head slightly as the woman said she wanted Apotheosis to end. Didn't they all ... minus those three moles--and counting?--in their midst. Things got more interesting when her potential investor/shareholder touched on her current limitations. It wasn't simply that she wanted Apotheosis to end. No, apparently the war had afflicted her with a kind of tunnel vision. Firmia felt she had the same problem, only more centered around Jessica than Apotheosis. There was this constant sense of helplessness being on the Riese. It didn't matter that it was the most powerful ship on record at the moment; it was being captained by a woman that cared more about sex and leisure than the safety and well being of her crew. Firmia figured it was only a matter of time until Apotheosis boarded them for a good old fashioned hostile takeover, and much of what the Alkaev had done had been in anticipation and preparation for that. Now that the situation was changing, it was getting easier to think, and ideas were coming naturally. They were inspired, not desperation manifested. She couldn't help but wonder if she should try to help Roxanna branch out further ... past Apotheosis. The war was important, but Firmia couldn't afford to build her company specifically to defeat Apotheosis. She couldn't even build it for war in general. War would be just one source of revenue, and prayerfully a relatively small portion in the long run. Firmia kept reminding herself of that just to be sure she wouldn't forget.

"None of us will have any future to look forward to if Apotheosis wins," Firmia noted, wincing faintly as she began to see that vague image of herself, again, the mortally wounded, half insane girl. She was staring back from beyond the grave, still surrounded by darkness, still wishing things had gone differently. At least she wasn't so vivid and real this time around ... "Alkaev Plus--that's just a provisional name, mind you--isn't about war, though. Once this giant mess is over, we'll be branching out as well and providing a greater variety of services and products." Hopefully that didn't come across as judgmental or the like. The ambitious Alkaev hoped it would provide some hope for Roxanna more than anything.


Being a natural brooder herself, Tonya didn't feel particularly suited to helping Brant past simply keeping his head above water. Chris' gusto was fading too for some reason ... "That's funny. I was going to suggest you look after him and I play the game to keep the numbers even," Tonya explained, a bitter smile on her face. "You did well enough at the mall, at least from what I heard. Truth is, I can't do much for him other than just being there if he needs me." Brant's situation wasn't like hers. Ilya died. He didn't quietly sneak away from her. She didn't have to spend the last decade plagued by thoughts of him being with someone else. Her woes came from the fact that he was killed by his own employer ... and she only found out about that recently. What she thought was an old, well healed wound, was torn open again. In some ways, she was in the same boat as Brant, but their situations were still, on the whole, different. Brant had mentioned something important about that outing to the mall though, and that informed Tonya's suggestion of swapping places with Chris for a few minutes. All things considered, she doubted Brant would pass on the whole game simply because he didn't feel like it. He hadn't kicked his mental conditioning, just yet.


While it was a nice thought, Brant hadn't meant it quite so literally when he told Elaine he wanted someplace cool and sterile to lie down. It was far preferable to a hot beach, but at this point, just sprawling out on the sand and tuning out the whole world would work. Of course he couldn't do that, though. Too much suspicious activity from him would just draw more and more attention before long. It wasn't much different from the mall, really. Everyone just wanted to have a good time while they still had the chance; nothing good could possibly come from even more people knowing about his situation, or from him acting unusual because of it.

Your problems don't matter, right now, Brant reminded himself. "No more dragging, please ... Look, I already went over what's bothering me enough times. Hasn't helped even a little, and knowing the details is just going to make it harder for you to enjoy the game," he shook his head. As he did, he caught Jessica again out of the corner of his eye. He didn't see exactly who the two women were, but his mind quickly resolved it for him. It was what he'd expected when he first spotted her, that by the time he went over to speak with her, Abigail at the very least would have shown up. Barring that, something even worse could happen. "I'll rest when we get back to the ships ... after I figure out what the room situation is like, I guess." Endure this. Just endure it. Use your rage if you have to since the alcohol's out. Aim it all inward and keep it there where it belongs.

There it was. Finally. The only strength Brant had left was returning to him. His blank expression hadn't changed; he still looked bored and disinterested, but his mind was ablaze now. Everything that riled him up about his life, going as far back as the loss of contact with his parents, it was all being turned inward directly on himself. Chris wouldn't like it, but at least he could play the game with some kind of vigor.

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Staying Quiet

"We'll see how much I get into the movie. If it turns out to be a real emotional one, I might get too invested and start crying. Bit different than talking, but probably not as loud. Here's hoping for you, hmmm?" She could probably manage to keep her words down just this once, anyway. It was a good time to make positive first stage impressions.

The theater was pretty empty, which wasn't all too surprising to Cheryl, and it would make for a pretty cozy experience. "Want anything with your popcorn, then?"

Fundraising

Firmia handled the situation as well as Hannah could have hoped, the extra question from the android providing fruitful answers. Roxanna felt it would be best to quell Apotheosis if she invested in Firmia's company, did she? She wouldn't be disappointed, both during and after the war. Hannah made a mental note of the XO's reasoning and Firmia's answers, not sure if she could add much to the conversation. She felt a bit like a secretary... It wasn't at all a bad feeling, a small smile perking up on her face. It did bother her a bit that Roxanna was so hellbent on this, though... To come to Firmia instead of considering all her options first. It had only been a few days, surely there were other things to mull over... Then again, since it was family that died, could she really be blamed? Hannah didn't really know. Too much was unknown with these sorts of situations and her... Thinking about it, though, if Firmia or Brant were to ever be killed... "I can sympathize with you, Roxanna." That was a necessary comment.

Keeping Eyes On

"Wait, what? Really? ... Wh-What did he say?" This was Tonya, saying this... Did she really want Chris looking after the idiot? Could she even help him? What had she done that was so great at the mall? He seemed alright by the end of things, but wasn't that just because he was happy to help her, not the other way around? "That's fuckin' confusing..." She really did want an answer from Tonya, if it was possible, but with the sudden spike of anger from Brant, her attention was elsewhere. He didn't look at all pissed, but there was no mistaking that... Did Elaine do something? No... It wasn't directed at her, it was just... There. Yikes.

"... I'll do that, then. I dunno what happened, but he just got really angry. I know he's getting tugged about, but... if you're willing to hang around and play instead, then, sure." Chris waved back over at Christina, catching the girl's attention, the other blonde cocking her head to the side a bit. "Gonna take Brant and do something else! Have fun playing!"

"W-Wait, what!? Chris? What's going on!?"

"Nothing important!" not for you, anyway, "just changed my mind! You're all here, go have fun. Tonya said she'd take my spot, so you should still have a good five versus five with those two showing up. Teach Makoto and Tarquin what's up, they seem eager." With that, leaving the bewildered Christina staring between her and the rest of the people there, Chris turned towards Brant and his emotional turmoil.

It was as uncomfortable as it probably felt for him, but that wasn't about to deter her. "Hey, taking him. Have fun playing. Spike a few for me too, Elaine." And much like the ball, Brant was getting taken by another person, dragged away from the group of gathered people.

"Sorry about this, but Tonya wants me to look after you... And with whatever fuel you just put into yourself, yeah, gonna do that. Just... Focus on me, okay? She said... Sh-She said I did something right yesterday, and I dunno what it was, but if I did, then I can keep doing it, right? Anything to keep you feeling okay." It was especially painful to feel this anger resonating from him given the context of where they were, really. At the beach, trying to play a game, otherwise just trying to relax? And here he was, feeling like this. "Won't force you to talk or anything... Only if you want to. Just wanted to give you something better to focus on that how you're feeling."

And there was poor Christina, looking confused, stuck in the headlights. "Uhm... Um! Well! We can all still play! We still have ten people, the ball, uh... I-Is everyone still interested? Tonya?"

Avery snickered. "Still here, Chrissy. Ain't goin' nowhere cuz yer sister's temperamental."

Christina sighed. "Sorry... Dunno what's going on there, but... Y-Yeah. We've still got ten. We'll be fine."

Edited by SnakeMomMelissa
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"I'm not saying to tell me right now, you dolt. I'm saying-" That was as far as Elaine got before Chris stepped over to drag Brant away, just as she feared. However, she didn't drag him back towards the volleyball court, but instead towards somewhere farther away. Apparently, Chris was giving up her spot in the game to spend some time with Brant. Guess I'm not helping him...Fat load of good I could probably do, anyway. Elaine could have said something back to Chris before she left, but instead she simply turned around and walked back over to the group. She looked at Tonya, and shrugged. "I tried." Did I really try? "So...This change up team composition? I'm ready to get started."

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"Ah right," Sasha nodded, realizing the movie might be one of Disney's genuine tearjerkers and not just a fun romp. "I'll grab some extra napkins for you on the way in just in case. Don't want to cry on the first date myself, though. I've got my pride, after all," he explained, suppressing a chuckle. He could almost hear a 'challenge accepted' from the theater, and knew it was on.

That just left what they were going to do with the popcorn and grabbing their tickets. Sasha had to keep lunch in mind, as well as just how far he was going with the junk food. "Mm, going to play it relatively safe and just get a little extra butter. Should taste fine."


"We both do," Firmia added, glad for a late opportunity rather than none at all. She was immediately distracted by a feeling of ... well ... pure rage. It was weak compared to her own, without the kind of killing intent one would expect, but it was also relatively close by. She only glanced in its general direction for a brief second, and her mind quickly settled on the source being Brant. She was too busy to help, so she set her sights back on Roxanna. It was strange, though. Why anger? Had he finally realized that getting romantically involved with ANF personnel was a mistake? That would be for the best, in Firmia's view ... but still, that anger didn't feel like it was being projected anywhere in particular. She hoped it wasn't self loathing, but what else could it be? If he was closer she would have a better idea, but again, she was busy, right now.


"Just the synopsis for the most part," Tonya assured Chris. She was feeling a bit reluctant to get into specifics about what Brant told her. He tended to share things with her openly and in detail, including his personal feelings on matters. Tonya knew about the clothes shopping and how he had suddenly decided to make her a friend, despite his initial reservations. She also knew about the alcohol and how he'd let himself get a bit too comfortable during the drive back to the Riese. It was more interesting that Chris had let him, but again, that was why she seemed better suited for this. Tonya was such a constant in Brant's life that she couldn't really distract him from other people in the usual sense. Hopefully Chris would have better luck. It was ironic that the woman Brant trusted so openly in the beginning was causing him so much grief, while the one he was wary of came in any time something seemed off with him. Being a TK really was something else ...

"I'm still interested," Tonya said, taking a moment to check her arms over. She was still sore, too. Oh well.

Tonya shrugged back and smiled at Elaine when the lone pilot returned. She knew personally just how challenging helping out her student could be. "Don't worry, he'll be fine until the game's over ..." Even if he was keeping the facade up with a swell of anger, at least it was just temporary. Hopefully ... She noticed Chris was moving him even farther from the gathering. It looked like they really were leaving things as a five on five. They could check up on the two of them once things wrapped up on the volleyball court, then. "Well, I offered to take Chris' spot so I'll move to that team if no one minds." That should even things out, though the overall skill gap might still be in question.


Brant was a little confused by Elaine's response as it came. She sounded like she wanted to know what was going on then and there if he was willing to tell her. Granted, there was the implication toward the end that she was willing to wait until later, though going that route wouldn't have helped him at all in the moment. Elaine didn't even get to finish what she was saying though, as Chris homed in on Brant like a missile and ... started dragging him away. Again.

Chris' explanation of why she led him off was brief, but just mentioning Tonya and having come over so quickly told him a lot about the situation he was in. Brant felt a little guilty now, having set up the rough equivalent of a signal flare like that. Just focus on her for now? That sounded ... nice. Trying to improve her mood was always better than focusing on himself, but without a series of walls and the like to separate people, it would definitely be harder this time around. "I'll try ... I just ... I'm just trying to get through today without causing any problems. There aren't any walls or anything in the way, though. No vodka, either. If I look that way I can see her. It's ... nothing but pure distance, and it sucks. I know it's pathetic, but that's why I'm trying not to cause a scene over it. Sorry."

Brant could feel the fury inside flickering, wavering slightly. It was no surprise. How could he keep that kind of inner flame going so strongly when it was affecting them both? That had definitely been a poor move. It was a poor move because Brant was wasting Chris' leisure time on this, and Jessica might even spot them alone together. He could just imagine her reaction, and her congratulatory smile would conceal the utter relief she must have felt. Jessica might be put off by the fact that it was Chris today and not Hannah, but she would at least feel vindicated seeing that Brant was never alone. She could carry on comfortably while his friends picked up the pieces. That was the real terrible part of all of this: The time and energy mutually invested between Brant and his friends had been used against him, and that would likely continue until the end. Short of shutting them out, he had little hope of convincing Jessica to give him another chance ... and he just couldn't do that. What Brant could do for now was bite the bullet and change his focus like Chris was asking.

Edited by Phoenix
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Heroic Customers

"W-wait, really? Oh, thank you, mister..." Thorvald's nice gesture seemed to catch Caroline off guard, the ice cream girl taking a pause before handing one of the popsicles to the man, and keeping one to herself. Seeming a bit interested about the gathering of people, likely a good prospect for customers, Caroline gave in to curiosity and followed Thorvald a few steps behind. "You're all in the army too, right?" As she looked into the group, Caroline seemed a bit surprised by their overall appearance. "You've got quite a pack, some of them look real young." An argument could be made that they could be children or something, but it wouldn't be necessary as the topic subject quickly shifted. "...Wait. Are you... are you from the Riese crew?" Her eyes seemed to widen for a moment with the sudden realization. "My squad leader mentioned you guys... Thorvald Eriksson, there's a Kim there too --an ex-idol, right?--, a-and a Russian guy! Brant Abrams, doesn't really sound very Russian..." Caroline seemed quite elated with her realization, a sparkle coming to her eyes. "You guys are heroes around here! Wow... m-mind if I watch?" At least, she had a snack ready.

Spike Two

"W-whoa..." Makoto certainly wasn't expecting the sudden spike from the janitor, of all people, but the man sure proved he was capable of some good volleyballing! "That was fast! Nice!" Makoto went after the ball, having to pick up his pace to catch it before it rolled onto the water. If they could learn from Bill, they wouldn't fear a shameful loss... probably! Time wasn't on their side, though. "Alright... so I can strike with a punch like that... I can leap high just fine, I think." There was no need to be nervous, it was just volleyball! "What about you, Tarquin. Why don't you give it a try now?" He turned to look at his younger friend, seemed lost in thought as always. Some things in life just weren't easy to pick up from a book! "Ready? One, two... go!" He tossed the ball up again, Tarquin's way this time, hoping he'd get to see some initiative!  

Hopeful Prospects

"...You are right." None of them would have a future at all, Roxanna understood that well. Things would change drastically at best, at best assuming they'd keep their lives. It was relieving that her argument didn't fall in any further scrutiny. It was disheartening to be turned down after finally trying to move. "I figured... I took a gamble and assumed you were going to focus on mobile suit development for now, what with the machines already in hand... knowing that you have a few other ideas is reassuring." If Firmia wanted to provide safety, she was working well to have some of the XO's fears calmed. "I must admit I'm curious. If you're going to branch out eventually, what were your first targets? Off the top of my head, I imagine security --people will still be on high alert once the war is over, scrambling to ensure they're safe as can be." It was just a sensible guess, though.

To hear the android say she sympathized with Roxanna was a bit... well, Roxanna knew about Hannah's quirks by this point, but seeing them in action was a shock. She didn't know how to react at first: Did a machine really say that to her? Firmia's own follow up was the edge Roxanna needed to ease up and accept it. "Thank you... thank you both." Honestly, Roxanna was a pile of nerves, yet these two were being thoughtful of her... that was nice. 

Edited by Xinnidy
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