[Lacus will get hit with this text at some point, sort of out of nowhere.]
do you think you could pilot the duel blitz, if push came to shove
[That's it, that's the whole message. No clarification on whether he's asking if she literally knows how, or if he's checking to see if she's morally opposed to it. Probably because he's kind of asking both things.]
i mean, that's fair. i wouldn't want to ask you to get in the thick of things anyway.
i'm just mulling some things over. like if this kaiju we came to find finally makes an appearance... it's there and it has no pilot right now, and i know the access codes.
it'd just feel stupid not to make some use of it, just because yzak is
you know
[He refuses to commit to an actual word, for whatever Yzak is right now.]
No, I appreciate the thought - both as a commander, and as a person.
When it comes to blows, I don't want to be the person holding you and Shinn back. I have... abilities now that I could not access before going to Foundation, but my combat capacity remains low.
The Duel could be an added protective shield, until I can give it over to Commander Jule.
[He's relieved she seems so amenable to it. If shit breaks bad, it'll be good to know she has an extra layer of protection available to her.]
hey, my thoughts exactly.
and with all that said... i should tell you the duel works a little bit differently here, due to the resize it underwent when LILITH brought it over. kinda functions almost more like a suit of armor than an aircraft, in a lot of ways; might be a good idea to get you acquainted when we both have a second.
and maybe you can fill me in a bit on these new abilities of yours while we're at it?
[ She's seen the mini MS in the simulation and yet it's hard to wrap her head around them... How does the tech to power them adequately even fit when most of the body needs to accommodate the pilot...?? Well, that's a question for the mechanics and regular pilots, she guesses. ]
You can call for me whenever. It's best we be prepared for the worst sooner rather than later.
As for my abilities... Though privacy through verbal conversation is nothing but an illusion as we are now, I think I'd still like to tell you face to face.
[ In moments like this, remembering her occular implant just makes her want to scream. ]
[Yeah it's really better not to think about it too hard, Lacus
Anyway, he gets it. At least maybe with the lot of them cut off from LILITH right now, the AI probably doesn't have access to their conversations at present? He hopes?]
Yeah, I get it. No problem. I'm out helping with a search of the western edge of the forest right now but I'll let you know when I'm back. We can meet up then, if you're free.
As much as I try to keep busy and gather information... It will not be anything I cannot interrupt. Just let me know and I'll be with you right away.
[ She may have started martial arts training with Shinn, but... it is a long way before she can do things like proper patrols without holding back the rest of the group. So she's stuck running through the same conversations with villagers over and over and over.
Needless to say, she'll be at Dearka's specified location in a heartbeat once he calls. ]
[It'll come... At some point. The specific time doesn't really matter, what's important is Dearka tells her when he's ready and lets her know that the mobile suits are. Parked?? Out behind the inn.
She'll find him leaning back against the leg of the Buster, looking as broody and exhausted as he has been ever since this started.
He does at least notice when she arrives, giving her a little wave of acknowledgement.]
[ Circumstances being as they are, Lacus can't manage to even give him a proper smile when she arrives. For someone else, she'd be able to put on a front, but when it comes to her teammates... She's allowing herself to just be miserable with them. Still, there's a little wave in return as she walks over to him.
Since this is close to the inn, Mr. Pink is actually with her, waggling his ear-flaps from where Lacus is holding him in a tight grip. ]
... nothing on your end as well?
[ Of course they found nothing. It's just... courteous to ask. ]
[It was better to keep them close by to where they were staying, they'd figured at the time. Keep them in eyesight. Not that villagers would be able to move the suits or DO anything to them really, but the team did come here to investigate a kaiju. They ought to have their weapons of choice close at hand.
Anyway... At the question Dearka shakes his head.]
I'm starting to wonder if it might not be better to have a team hoof it out of town far enough to reach a point where we can at least contact LILITH HQ.
[But OOCly that's not actually a feasible option within the parameters of this event, SO, quickly moving on...! He musters a small, wry smile. There's not much humor in it; it's just his typical 'laughing in the face of adversity' kind of reaction...]
Ladies' choice on which comes first: talking or piloting?
Let's go with talking. I think that might actually be helpful to the piloting as well.
[ The talking is long overdue - she should have had this conversation with the others before they even set foot on the plane. If she is to be an active part of the team, then she can't hold back on them with what might well be tide-turning abilities. ]
You heard what Foundation claimed about me, right? What is your understanding of an 'Accord' as of right now?
[ It's not a term she truly wants to embrace for herself. Lacus is Lacus is Lacus. Natural, Coordinator, Accord... It should not matter to who they all are at their core. But for the mere sake of establishing all this, the words are still useful. So she lets it pass her tongue and simply endures the bitterness of the aftertaste. ]
[Ah. Right. He should've guessed this had something to do with all that from the very moment Foundation first came up...]
My understanding? Mostly pretty limited to what that shrimp said in his big threatening broadcast.
[He'd been, uh, busy, when the message had been actually going live. But he'd gotten the rundown.]
Something about how they're the 'ultimate coordinators', destined to shepherd humanity? Or something along those lines... [His frown deepens.] Early intel reports also mentioned rumors of mind control, but I don't know if that was ever substantiated.
[He and Yzak both got yoinked here from a point in time pretty soon after the coup was successfully dealt with. Not much of a chance for following up on leads.]
[ 'That shrimp'.............. Orphee is a lot of things in Lacus' mind right now (some of them very unflattering, some of them fearful, some of them just melancholy), but that's a new one........ ]
The bit about mind control is true.
[ She didn't have time yet to properly talk to Kira about what he experienced, but the details don't really matter when she gets the gist - and when she's felt the gravitational pull of Orphee's mind on her own. ]
And... all that Orphee claimed about my political stances is obviously untrue, but it is true that I am such an Accord. I had just not been aware of it until that point.
[ And adding quickly, due to uhhhh the context: ] I do not know how to use mind control personally, and I am not clamoring to find out.
[Honestly, Dearka has zero reason to call Orphee a shrimp; he was just trying to think of a name to call him that was just the right amount of insulting without being overly crude, and that was the first thing he came up with :/
Who cares about that guy though? Lacus is the real focus here. He blinks at her, taking in everything she just imparted. Processing. This is, after all, the first time he's gotten her side of the story on what went down.
...A while back, long before Lacus showed up here, he'd made a rather mean-spirited joke to Yzak around the claim that she might be one of the (allegedly) mind-controlling Accords. He's... Starting to feel kind of bad about making that joke now. This can't be easy for her to disclose. ]
...Damn.
[It's all he can think to say at first. He scratches the back of his head, contemplating for another moment. Mind control. In their home world? Apparently it was more likely than he thought! Hearing the initial reports was one thing, but hearing it confirmed from Lacus herself really drives the reality of it home.]
Well... Alright. I mean, I believe you; mind whammying the free will of humanity doesn't exactly mesh with the kind of philosophy you tend to preach. [He musters a smile when he says that; it's a glimpse of the normal jokey-joke Dearka, rare to see these days, trying to put her more at ease.] So what can you do instead?
[ At least somebody remembers the speech she gave during Durandal's attempt at the Destiny Plan. There was something deeply disturbing about her name being evoked for the exact opposite message and the public just... swallowing it. It's confirmation, in some way, that it doesn't matter which 'Lacus Clyne' it truly is. Whether it be Meer singing to the troops or Lacus herself in the resistance... What matters it that there is a 'Lacus Clyne' that claims to have the answers, no matter which direction. She wonders if this is how the Gods of old religions feel - so revered, yet so utterly ignored.
But all of that is her personal burden to carry, and it doesn't help them save Yzak and the others.
So let's get to the point. ]
Close your eyes. That might make it less startling.
[ And once Dearka does, he'll suddenly feel intrinsically aware of their surroundings. The terrain around them is going to feel as intuitive as mapping his own body - where the buildings are, where the individual villagers are moving... He can sense it, easily. The knowledge of it remains even as Lacus stops projecting it, but it isn't being live updated anymore. A snapshot of their surroundings in that moment.
And then Lacus' voice is in his head: ] This is what I can do.
[Dearka cocks his head slightly, curiosity mounting.]
Alright...
[He does that! He looks a little uncomfortable when he does, but that's only because they're in enemy territory as far as he's concerned, and it kind of goes against his instincts to let his guard down.
...
Spoilers: even with his eyes closed, this is still pretty startling. Startling enough that he actually opens them again very quickly, as he sucks in a surprised breath. But the briefly overlapping images are disorienting enough to force them shut again, and he holds them that after that.
Voices inside his head are nothing new, at this point: it's not terribly different from getting an audio message via the ocular. But there is still... Some kind of difference, he can't quite put her finger on. This feels like a more direct connection, if that makes any sense at all. And he can only figure that it's significant, that she's saying something in here and not aloud.
Dearka's brow furrows. He has a LOT of questions, and he's come to no conclusion about how he feels about the current situation. But first thing's first: trying to sound calm (and probably failing a little bit), he thinks as clearly as he can right back at her.]
[ It takes a moment before any kind of response comes. That is owed to the fact that Lacus can absolutely not hear him and takes a second to even realize that he might be attempting to contact her nonverbally without the help of the implant.
Her response is mostly a guess, and comes out of her mouth like normal speech should: ]
Oh! If you're trying to answer me, I can't receive it! With Kira, I was able to hear feel his thoughts as well, but... Nothing like that has happened since I came here.
[ So it's anyone's guess on whether or not it was because Kira is Kira and they're in love, or simply because her abilities are weakened in some way. ]
[Dearka opens his eyes again and actually looks a tiny bit embarrassed that he was sitting there for so long waiting for some kind of psychic answer.]
A-ah, right. Gotcha.
[His rebound is pretty quick, though.]
But, I mean, that... What was that? I don't even know what to call it, that... Heightened state of awareness. Is that just how the world looks to you all the time? And... What, you can broadcast messages into people's heads now, too?
[Sorry he's not being very sensitive about this, gurl. He's still trying to wrap his head around what he just experienced.]
[ It feels weird to talk about this one way or another, it honestly doesn't matter if he's sensitive or not... THIS IS A LITTLE FAST THOUGH. ]
Uhm... Let me try and go through this one thing at a time...
[ There is so much happening in her own body that she had no idea about until a month ago. This is like puberty but way worse and infinitely more psychic. ]
It's not all the time. I have to focus to activate it, and it works better when I am feeling tense. When I tried to do it back at the base, it was fairly unreliable - but it always worked in the simulator.
[ Yay for high stress SEED mode activation!! ]
And the messages... Yes, I believe that's about what it is. I can link up my consciousness with others and share what I am perceiving or thinking. In... In principle, it should be the same technique that the Black Knights used to manipulate Kira, but... as you can see, it can also be applied to merely share information without applying force of suggestion to somebody else.
[ But Dearka can see why she hasn't exactly broken down the door to tell them all about this. The associations are... bad. Real bad. ]
[Yeah they're not great! And there's a good chance that by the end of this conversation, Dearka might finally do a little pulse check to see how she's feeling, having to delve into all this stuff. There's even a flash of something like sympathy on his face.
For the moment though, he's pretty focused in on wrapping his head around these new abilities of hers, and figuring out how they can best make use of them in the coming days.
He exhales, calming back down a little bit.]
Right... Okay. I can definitely see how that could come in handy in the right situation, too. Especially now, when our tech keeps crapping out at inopportune times.
[He hesitates a second; there's almost certainly no reason to ask what he's going to ask next, but he has to, for his own peace of mind.]
...I'm sure you already would've said if this were the case, but... You can't use it to sense if any of the missing are nearby, can you? Or even just confirming their absence, that would be helpful too.
[There's a desperately hopeful glint in his eye, despite his better judgement.]
[ This is indeed entirely out of left field because 'Godzilla is trying to talk me into cannibalism' made Lacus log off and go smell the flowers. (She thinks she's making progress befriending the greenhouse bot she's named Smiley. She's probably delusional about that.)
And so, here is Dearka. Completely at odds with the tone of that message, Lacus actually goes !! in delight at being spoken to so candidly. ]
I imagine there are a lot of more pragmatic answers they would have given you at the Academy, but I would say it's because being isolated is a sad thing that makes you close off your heart.
What happened? Would you like some tea or to listen to Mr. Pink cursing for a moment?
[Frankly, Lacus is swiftly rocketing up to being Dearka's number two confidant after Yzak, because who the hell else can he talk to about this nonsense? Not Lucy, obviously. Elan? Hell no. Shinn? Absolutely fucking not. Godzilla? absolutely fucking not, numero dos.
Lacus is the only non-Yzak person who 1) knows about PLANT's marriage bullshit and 2) also has the emotional maturity to discuss this stuff in a non-aggravating way. Ergo...]
You know, face to face might not actually be a bad idea, considering what a goddamn mess the comms are right now. Easier to explain that way too.
[Also he'd love to listen to Mr. Pink curse for a bit.]
Dearka's actually already by her quarters when she arrives with the tea; kind of like he was just pacing around the base agitatedly instead of doing anything useful, and was able to just head straight over. He at least doesn't look as mad as he sounded over his message; if anything, he just looks tired, and more than a little put out.
He looks up and lifts a hand for a meager wave when she arrives.]
Hey. [...] Uh... Thanks for going out of your way for this.
[He's feeling maybe a little bit sheepish about his outburst before.]
[ Contrary to promises of curses, Mr. Pink bounces up to Dearka before Lacus can even get there with a cheery greeting: ] Haro! Doing fine!
[ At least he's not also asking the counter-question. Maybe even little pet robots can tell Dearka is very much not 'doing fine' right now. Lacus gives him a little smile. ]
It is no bother at all. What are friends for, if not this?
[ And how delightful it is, to call the friends! Lacus shoves the tray with tea into his hands for a second so she can unlock and let them in. Her desk is nice and clear, so he can easily deposit the tray again as soon as they're in. ]
[Friends. It's good to have them... Even though they're also the source of Dearka's current vexation. It bears repeating, his best friend has beacome something more than that, and he's no longer sure he has any others here of a level that he can truly confide in. Suffice to say... It's actually nice, from his end, to hear Lacus call him that. Even if it catches him somewhat by surprise for some reason.
He sets the tea tray down where indicated, then seeks out and flops down heavily a chair; sitting on her bed feels a bit odd and presumptuous to him.]
Geez... Where do I even start?
[He dips his head slightly and rubs his forehead, his expression pinched.]
Maybe with an apology? I kinda hit your DMs all hot-headed and probably made this sound like a bigger deal than it actually is... [He looks up at her again, smiling ruefully.] Feels like that's been happening more and more, lately. Me, losing my cool... Not how I prefer to operate.
[Between blasting into her inbox and the whole... Threatening civilians with a knife. Thing.]
[ Lacus is going to take the bed for her own seat, and though she is probably physically incapable of not sitting in a way that could be described as 'dainty' it's still pretty casual for her standards.
Which is why the litany of disclaimers makes her tilt her head. It's sooo tiresome that all the boys seem to be hell-bent on keeping a good face in front of her. ]
We've all been in a lot of high stress situations. It's for the best to not bottle it up, wouldn't you say?
[ The knife thing notwithstanding. That was indeed a low point, but it doesn't count. ]
I hope you aren't already talking yourself out of telling me your gripes - I'm deathly curious about what's got you so bent out of shape, so don't hold out on me now!
[At least this time, it's less about her and more about failing his own self-perception. While walking over here he became a little more self-aware that he's basically pissed off from arguing with a teenager over the internet. Like, an actual teenager, even. Not a Coordinator "totally definitely an adult legally" teen. And there's obviously more to it than that, but considering he's already in kind of a crappy state of mind, he's really hung up on those baseline details.]
Nah, I'm not holding back, I guess I'm just... A little bit embarrassed?
[God, somehow admitting that feels even MORE embarrassing... He just can't win against himself here. He takes a deep breath and lets his shoulders slump, changing tack, deciding to just dive into it.]
I guess I should update you first: Uh... It happened. For real, this time. [Dearka clears his throat, a little awkwardly.] Yzak and I. I told him how I felt, and he-- Well he ran away at first, actually. But then he came back! And we're still figuring some stuff out, but. Yeah.
[ That hope hurts to see, but at least Lacus is prepared for the question. She's been trying around with this power a lot for the last few days - though it had taken her until a little after the kidnapping to remember that this was something she could do at all. ]
I don't believe they're in the village, yes. I have not yet had time to test these powers extensively, so I can't give you a perfect guarantee. There may be something I could miss, like underground caverns or something similar.
But I have been periodically taking looks around from every vantage point I could think of, and I've never found a concentration of people that could be our missing.
[ Picture Lacus climbing onto second floors and into cellars in order to run her SEED mode scan... that's been her daily life here!! ]
[ The early morning of the 25th there's no sound of sleigh bells, instead there's the sound of rotors humming in the halls of the base. Why wonder around the base with a sack and a ridiculous outfit when Kaga can just send out her little helicopters to do the job, using their rescue winches to transport the packages to their recipients.
For Lacus, pink wrapping paper and blue ribbon containing; One (1) bottle of good sake. One (1) box of handmade daifuku in various seasonally appropriate colors. One (1) set of basic maintenance tools and cleaning supplies for the drones that are so common in Neo Tokyo. Upon closer inspection this stuff looks like it's perfectly suited for Mr. Pink
And a note! Penned in the exact kind of handwriting you'd probably expect from a perfectionist warrior. IE, almost unnaturally nice. ]
Clyne-san,
You have the type of spirit that makes for a good warrior, it is painfully obvious. Even if you only seek to turn that to defending others you'll be more than capable of it, keep working on yourself. If you ever need support do not hesitate to reach me.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
@bustermove, text; October, probably sometime between the 10th and the 14th
do you think you could pilot the duel blitz, if push came to shove
[That's it, that's the whole message. No clarification on whether he's asking if she literally knows how, or if he's checking to see if she's morally opposed to it. Probably because he's kind of asking both things.]
no subject
I've been in both the Justice and the Freedom cockpit now, so I think I could get a handle on the controls if you gave me a moment to adjust.
But I would not be an asset in combat.
[ Morally opposed... well, things have changed a lot in that front. ]
no subject
i'm just mulling some things over. like if this kaiju we came to find finally makes an appearance... it's there and it has no pilot right now, and i know the access codes.
it'd just feel stupid not to make some use of it, just because yzak is
you know
[He refuses to commit to an actual word, for whatever Yzak is right now.]
no subject
When it comes to blows, I don't want to be the person holding you and Shinn back. I have... abilities now that I could not access before going to Foundation, but my combat capacity remains low.
The Duel could be an added protective shield, until I can give it over to Commander Jule.
no subject
hey, my thoughts exactly.
and with all that said... i should tell you the duel works a little bit differently here, due to the resize it underwent when LILITH brought it over. kinda functions almost more like a suit of armor than an aircraft, in a lot of ways; might be a good idea to get you acquainted when we both have a second.
and maybe you can fill me in a bit on these new abilities of yours while we're at it?
no subject
You can call for me whenever. It's best we be prepared for the worst sooner rather than later.
As for my abilities... Though privacy through verbal conversation is nothing but an illusion as we are now, I think I'd still like to tell you face to face.
[ In moments like this, remembering her occular implant just makes her want to scream. ]
no subject
Anyway, he gets it. At least maybe with the lot of them cut off from LILITH right now, the AI probably doesn't have access to their conversations at present? He hopes?]
Yeah, I get it. No problem. I'm out helping with a search of the western edge of the forest right now but I'll let you know when I'm back. We can meet up then, if you're free.
no subject
[ She may have started martial arts training with Shinn, but... it is a long way before she can do things like proper patrols without holding back the rest of the group. So she's stuck running through the same conversations with villagers over and over and over.
Needless to say, she'll be at Dearka's specified location in a heartbeat once he calls. ]
> Action?
She'll find him leaning back against the leg of the Buster, looking as broody and exhausted as he has been ever since this started.
He does at least notice when she arrives, giving her a little wave of acknowledgement.]
action!
Since this is close to the inn, Mr. Pink is actually with her, waggling his ear-flaps from where Lacus is holding him in a tight grip. ]
... nothing on your end as well?
[ Of course they found nothing. It's just... courteous to ask. ]
no subject
Anyway... At the question Dearka shakes his head.]
I'm starting to wonder if it might not be better to have a team hoof it out of town far enough to reach a point where we can at least contact LILITH HQ.
[But OOCly that's not actually a feasible option within the parameters of this event, SO, quickly moving on...! He musters a small, wry smile. There's not much humor in it; it's just his typical 'laughing in the face of adversity' kind of reaction...]
Ladies' choice on which comes first: talking or piloting?
no subject
[ The talking is long overdue - she should have had this conversation with the others before they even set foot on the plane. If she is to be an active part of the team, then she can't hold back on them with what might well be tide-turning abilities. ]
You heard what Foundation claimed about me, right? What is your understanding of an 'Accord' as of right now?
[ It's not a term she truly wants to embrace for herself. Lacus is Lacus is Lacus. Natural, Coordinator, Accord... It should not matter to who they all are at their core. But for the mere sake of establishing all this, the words are still useful. So she lets it pass her tongue and simply endures the bitterness of the aftertaste. ]
no subject
My understanding? Mostly pretty limited to what that shrimp said in his big threatening broadcast.
[He'd been, uh, busy, when the message had been actually going live. But he'd gotten the rundown.]
Something about how they're the 'ultimate coordinators', destined to shepherd humanity? Or something along those lines... [His frown deepens.] Early intel reports also mentioned rumors of mind control, but I don't know if that was ever substantiated.
[He and Yzak both got yoinked here from a point in time pretty soon after the coup was successfully dealt with. Not much of a chance for following up on leads.]
no subject
The bit about mind control is true.
[ She didn't have time yet to properly talk to Kira about what he experienced, but the details don't really matter when she gets the gist - and when she's felt the gravitational pull of Orphee's mind on her own. ]
And... all that Orphee claimed about my political stances is obviously untrue, but it is true that I am such an Accord. I had just not been aware of it until that point.
[ And adding quickly, due to uhhhh the context: ] I do not know how to use mind control personally, and I am not clamoring to find out.
no subject
Who cares about that guy though? Lacus is the real focus here. He blinks at her, taking in everything she just imparted. Processing. This is, after all, the first time he's gotten her side of the story on what went down.
...A while back, long before Lacus showed up here, he'd made a rather mean-spirited joke to Yzak around the claim that she might be one of the (allegedly) mind-controlling Accords. He's... Starting to feel kind of bad about making that joke now. This can't be easy for her to disclose. ]
...Damn.
[It's all he can think to say at first. He scratches the back of his head, contemplating for another moment. Mind control. In their home world?
Apparently it was more likely than he thought!Hearing the initial reports was one thing, but hearing it confirmed from Lacus herself really drives the reality of it home.]Well... Alright. I mean, I believe you; mind whammying the free will of humanity doesn't exactly mesh with the kind of philosophy you tend to preach. [He musters a smile when he says that; it's a glimpse of the normal jokey-joke Dearka, rare to see these days, trying to put her more at ease.] So what can you do instead?
[Straight to the point.]
no subject
[ At least somebody remembers the speech she gave during Durandal's attempt at the Destiny Plan. There was something deeply disturbing about her name being evoked for the exact opposite message and the public just... swallowing it. It's confirmation, in some way, that it doesn't matter which 'Lacus Clyne' it truly is. Whether it be Meer singing to the troops or Lacus herself in the resistance... What matters it that there is a 'Lacus Clyne' that claims to have the answers, no matter which direction. She wonders if this is how the Gods of old religions feel - so revered, yet so utterly ignored.
But all of that is her personal burden to carry, and it doesn't help them save Yzak and the others.
So let's get to the point. ]
Close your eyes. That might make it less startling.
[ And once Dearka does, he'll suddenly feel intrinsically aware of their surroundings. The terrain around them is going to feel as intuitive as mapping his own body - where the buildings are, where the individual villagers are moving... He can sense it, easily. The knowledge of it remains even as Lacus stops projecting it, but it isn't being live updated anymore. A snapshot of their surroundings in that moment.
And then Lacus' voice is in his head: ] This is what I can do.
no subject
Alright...
[He does that! He looks a little uncomfortable when he does, but that's only because they're in enemy territory as far as he's concerned, and it kind of goes against his instincts to let his guard down.
...
Spoilers: even with his eyes closed, this is still pretty startling. Startling enough that he actually opens them again very quickly, as he sucks in a surprised breath. But the briefly overlapping images are disorienting enough to force them shut again, and he holds them that after that.
Voices inside his head are nothing new, at this point: it's not terribly different from getting an audio message via the ocular. But there is still... Some kind of difference, he can't quite put her finger on. This feels like a more direct connection, if that makes any sense at all. And he can only figure that it's significant, that she's saying something in here and not aloud.
Dearka's brow furrows. He has a LOT of questions, and he's come to no conclusion about how he feels about the current situation. But first thing's first: trying to sound calm (and probably failing a little bit), he thinks as clearly as he can right back at her.]
Is this a two-way connection?
no subject
Her response is mostly a guess, and comes out of her mouth like normal speech should: ]
Oh! If you're trying to answer me, I can't receive it! With Kira, I was able to hear feel his thoughts as well, but... Nothing like that has happened since I came here.
[ So it's anyone's guess on whether or not it was because Kira is Kira and they're in love, or simply because her abilities are weakened in some way. ]
Lacus! Doing fine! Doing fine!!
no subject
A-ah, right. Gotcha.
[His rebound is pretty quick, though.]
But, I mean, that... What was that? I don't even know what to call it, that... Heightened state of awareness. Is that just how the world looks to you all the time? And... What, you can broadcast messages into people's heads now, too?
[Sorry he's not being very sensitive about this, gurl. He's still trying to wrap his head around what he just experienced.]
no subject
Uhm... Let me try and go through this one thing at a time...
[ There is so much happening in her own body that she had no idea about until a month ago. This is like puberty but way worse and infinitely more psychic. ]
It's not all the time. I have to focus to activate it, and it works better when I am feeling tense. When I tried to do it back at the base, it was fairly unreliable - but it always worked in the simulator.
[ Yay for high stress SEED mode activation!! ]
And the messages... Yes, I believe that's about what it is. I can link up my consciousness with others and share what I am perceiving or thinking. In... In principle, it should be the same technique that the Black Knights used to manipulate Kira, but... as you can see, it can also be applied to merely share information without applying force of suggestion to somebody else.
[ But Dearka can see why she hasn't exactly broken down the door to tell them all about this. The associations are... bad. Real bad. ]
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For the moment though, he's pretty focused in on wrapping his head around these new abilities of hers, and figuring out how they can best make use of them in the coming days.
He exhales, calming back down a little bit.]
Right... Okay. I can definitely see how that could come in handy in the right situation, too. Especially now, when our tech keeps crapping out at inopportune times.
[He hesitates a second; there's almost certainly no reason to ask what he's going to ask next, but he has to, for his own peace of mind.]
...I'm sure you already would've said if this were the case, but... You can't use it to sense if any of the missing are nearby, can you? Or even just confirming their absence, that would be helpful too.
[There's a desperately hopeful glint in his eye, despite his better judgement.]
Nov, some time after the Lucy debacle
I need a reality check, remind me why I even bother trying to get along with half the assholes here on base?
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And so, here is Dearka. Completely at odds with the tone of that message, Lacus actually goes !! in delight at being spoken to so candidly. ]
I imagine there are a lot of more pragmatic answers they would have given you at the Academy, but I would say it's because being isolated is a sad thing that makes you close off your heart.
What happened? Would you like some tea or to listen to Mr. Pink cursing for a moment?
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Lacus is the only non-Yzak person who 1) knows about PLANT's marriage bullshit and 2) also has the emotional maturity to discuss this stuff in a non-aggravating way. Ergo...]
You know, face to face might not actually be a bad idea, considering what a goddamn mess the comms are right now. Easier to explain that way too.
[Also he'd love to listen to Mr. Pink curse for a bit.]
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Then I'll be waiting by my quarters in 15 minutes.
[ Gotta say goodbye to a plant-care-bot that is ignoring her and also make a quick kitchen trip for tea.
Hanging out with a friend!! She is winning today?! ]
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Dearka's actually already by her quarters when she arrives with the tea; kind of like he was just pacing around the base agitatedly instead of doing anything useful, and was able to just head straight over. He at least doesn't look as mad as he sounded over his message; if anything, he just looks tired, and more than a little put out.
He looks up and lifts a hand for a meager wave when she arrives.]
Hey. [...] Uh... Thanks for going out of your way for this.
[He's feeling maybe a little bit sheepish about his outburst before.]
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[ At least he's not also asking the counter-question. Maybe even little pet robots can tell Dearka is very much not 'doing fine' right now. Lacus gives him a little smile. ]
It is no bother at all. What are friends for, if not this?
[ And how delightful it is, to call the friends! Lacus shoves the tray with tea into his hands for a second so she can unlock and let them in. Her desk is nice and clear, so he can easily deposit the tray again as soon as they're in. ]
So, what happened?
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He sets the tea tray down where indicated, then seeks out and flops down heavily a chair; sitting on her bed feels a bit odd and presumptuous to him.]
Geez... Where do I even start?
[He dips his head slightly and rubs his forehead, his expression pinched.]
Maybe with an apology? I kinda hit your DMs all hot-headed and probably made this sound like a bigger deal than it actually is... [He looks up at her again, smiling ruefully.] Feels like that's been happening more and more, lately. Me, losing my cool... Not how I prefer to operate.
[Between blasting into her inbox and the whole... Threatening civilians with a knife. Thing.]
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Which is why the litany of disclaimers makes her tilt her head. It's sooo tiresome that all the boys seem to be hell-bent on keeping a good face in front of her. ]
We've all been in a lot of high stress situations. It's for the best to not bottle it up, wouldn't you say?
[ The knife thing notwithstanding. That was indeed a low point, but it doesn't count. ]
I hope you aren't already talking yourself out of telling me your gripes - I'm deathly curious about what's got you so bent out of shape, so don't hold out on me now!
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Nah, I'm not holding back, I guess I'm just... A little bit embarrassed?
[God, somehow admitting that feels even MORE embarrassing... He just can't win against himself here. He takes a deep breath and lets his shoulders slump, changing tack, deciding to just dive into it.]
I guess I should update you first: Uh... It happened. For real, this time. [Dearka clears his throat, a little awkwardly.] Yzak and I. I told him how I felt, and he-- Well he ran away at first, actually. But then he came back! And we're still figuring some stuff out, but. Yeah.
[Godzilla's a prophet, turns out.]
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I don't believe they're in the village, yes. I have not yet had time to test these powers extensively, so I can't give you a perfect guarantee. There may be something I could miss, like underground caverns or something similar.
But I have been periodically taking looks around from every vantage point I could think of, and I've never found a concentration of people that could be our missing.
[ Picture Lacus climbing onto second floors and into cellars in order to run her SEED mode scan... that's been her daily life here!! ]
Delivery, Forward Dated to 12/25
For Lacus, pink wrapping paper and blue ribbon containing;
One (1) bottle of good sake.
One (1) box of handmade daifuku in various seasonally appropriate colors.
One (1) set of basic maintenance tools and cleaning supplies for the drones that are so common in Neo Tokyo. Upon closer inspection this stuff looks like it's perfectly suited for Mr. Pink
And a note! Penned in the exact kind of handwriting you'd probably expect from a perfectionist warrior. IE, almost unnaturally nice. ]
Clyne-san,
You have the type of spirit that makes for a good warrior, it is painfully obvious. Even if you only seek to turn that to defending others you'll be more than capable of it, keep working on yourself. If you ever need support do not hesitate to reach me.
Enjoy what's left of the holidays,
Kaga.