srwug_alpha_rp | Phase Eleven: Keep Calm and Drink Tea

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Phase Eleven: Keep Calm and Drink Tea

1. (the hangar)

[After the chaos of the fight, the hangar crew are working overtime on cleanup duty. Laura's pitching in, flying around in The Great Pretender, righting fallen mechs and clearing heavy objects.

For now, though, she's in the open cockpit of the Knightpolice she's been working on in her own time for the last while, and which came through the confusion blessedly unscathed. There's one last finishing touch to cap off her modifications to it, and this is just the time to make it. There are some odd whistling noises, a fan whirring, and what looks like - no, it's not smoke, it's steam rising...

Laura sinks back into the pilot's seat, out of armour and so with her leg propped up in a cast, and takes a deep, satisfied drink from the mug with the 501st's insignia emblazoned on it.]

Ahhh... got the kettle working at least.

2. (the Arboretum)

[Even using the Pretender for all her activity, Laura's under doctor's orders not to push herself too hard, so she's sitting untransformed under a tree trying not to scratch at her leg in its cast. She's not exactly relaxed, though - tapping away at a tablet, it looks like whatever she's reading or writing is giving her some grief.]

They probably won't even recognize me. Maybe they'll just think it's a sick prank.

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W-What are you up to there, Laura? And what h-happened to your leg?

[Here's Sora, uninjured but with a noticeable stutter (that she frowns when she notices), and shaking somewhat.]

I'm writing a letter. And the hit on the hangar happened. Specifically, I was suddenly between the leg of one of the Knightmare Frames, downhill, and a heavy equipment trolley, uphill.

[Laura hasn't forgotten promising Momo she'd talk to Sora... but goodness, is the other girl in any state to talk? What's eating at her?]

Are you all right, Sora?

Ah. F-Fair enough... Damn this stutter... why am I... [Sora shakes her head.] I'm g-glad you weren't hurt worse, at least.

I just... I have s-some issues that need sorting out. Being on top of the Chalice and almost hit b-by the shots from that girl earlier didn't help, so I'm really o-on edge right now...

[She sure sounds like it.]

...Why don't you sit down? [Laura indicates a clear space nearby to do so.]

Okay. [Sora settles in to the indicated spot, though a bit more slowly than usual to account for her trembling. She's silent for a moment, frowning.]

S-sorry, this must be kinda awkward...

Not really. Momo told me you were worried, though.

She's... not wrong. E-everything's falling apart, and I feel like I'm losing it. Hell, I'm s-surprised you're even t-talking to me right now. That'd j-just make everything complete!

[Sora shakes her head.] I just w-want to help, want people to l-like me... but everything k-keeps going wrong...

[Laura sighs quietly and puts her tablet aside, drawing her good leg up to her chest and hugging it to herself.]

You did make me angry the last time we talked. You gave me some very bad news about a friend in trouble, and then acted as though I didn't care because I wanted to find something we could do to help.

But it sounds like there's a lot more than Momo that's causing you trouble. More than the fight we just had, too.

I c-can't even apologize for that. For the life of me, I couldn't think of anything b-better to say... I did the same thing to M-Mad, too. It's probably better that I l-left it to you anyway. I'd just have made her angry, or sad, or... [She shakes her head.] I w-wouldn't have wanted that.

And she's not the only p-problem. The thing with you was weighing on my mind t-too. But aside from those... I f-feel like I'm losing it. Every time I talk to s-someone, it just feels... hollow. Like I'm d-detached from it. And since Hana left, and Momo took over, and Kamille made me want to h-hate him... I feel like I'm alone.

It's been pretty non-stop for you ever since you came aboard, hasn't it? All sorts of problems hitting the people close to you, and you trying to solve them all.

[Laura closes her eyes for a moment. Is this really something she can...? But then, it can only do Momo good for her roommate to be on a more even keel.]

Maybe you need some activity with less pressure than piloting, with people who aren't your teammates...?

...What happened with Kamille?

[The ghost of a smile appears on Sora's face.] It's w-what I enjoy. It makes me feel like I can make a d-difference. It just hasn't b-been going well lately.

I started to take up c-cooking, but... [The girl holds her shaking hands up.] I don't know if that's a g-good idea like this. Being here and taking care of the flowers... reminds me that Hana i-isn't here.

[At mention of Kamille, Sora's face falls further.] We were down at the f-festival, a few days ago. We were standing in front of one of those shooting games, and he was t-trying to win me a plushie... It wasn't going well, s-so he cheated. He beat up the p-person running it and took the plushie while my back was turned. And then he tried to give it to me like h-he'd done something good. I r-returned it and ran off. When K-Kamille came to apologize... he told me he just wanted to make me happy...! [The girl puts her head in her hands, moaning.]

[...What can you say to that? Obviously Sora already realizes how messed up that is.]

Okay. You...

You've every reason to be upset about that, and you've just had a big shock on top of it. For now you can probably afford to just try to relax. Cooking might help in the long term, once you're calm enough for it.

Or... you study martial arts, did I hear that from someone? Maybe that would help.

...I don't w-want to relax, that's the problem. If I stop m-moving... I start thinking too much. Sometimes a good imagination is a c-curse. I keep thinking of how everything could g-go wrong. I almost didn't talk to you b-because I just saw you yelling at me and walking away.

...I'll t-try cooking again later, sure. H-Hoshi was teaching me, so maybe I'll ask her again. As for martial a-arts, my parents run a dojo, so I know the f-family style. I don't p-practice it so often lately, though.

[Laura really must be hanging out around the Wolves too much. She actually feels a moment of regret that her leg prevents her from suggesting Sora throw her around the mats a bit to work some of the stress out.]

I'm sure there are a few people around who'd be interested in learning anything you can show them. It'd probably be some help.

For now, though... well, if you can't relax normally, maybe you should go down to the medbay. After a close call like that, you could even be in shock. I know they have things to give you a proper night's sleep with no dreams - maybe you could do with something like that, now.

[Sora nods, though it comes out with a jerk to it.] I'll a-ask around. It'll take more than a near-death e-experience to affect my martial arts, at any rate.

[The girl sighs.] It's hard to admit, but maybe I'll stop down by m-medbay later. I don't think it's even c-caught up to me yet. I don't f-feel scared, but I'm shaking and stuttering. Sleep will just bring p-purple death beams, along with Seiren m-murdering me, wondering w-what Hana and Eri are doing, and Mad falling d-down the stairs again and again.

Mad...?

[Laura gives her head a little shake; no, that's probably a can of worms best left unopened.]

...I suppose it must be... tense, rooming with Momo at the moment. Maybe someone would be willing to share a larger room with you both...?

[Sora hears the comment anyway, shaking her head.]

I was spacing out, trying to get a g-grip, and I... almost walked off a s-staircase. Mad literally d-dove in and shoved me out of the way, but he w-went down the stairs for it. I think he's all right; I f-followed him down and proceeded to throw all the energy I could muster into trying to h-heal him. It seemed to work, but I was so t-tired for a day or two after... I don't think I can do that freely if I'm not r-really worried about whatever I'm doing it to.

[The girl has the social grace to cough.] We c-could ask about switching rooms... it's not a big deal. I can be a-anywhere, really... it's just people I need to have.

[How badly must he have been hurt? But... probably best not to let Sora dwell on that.]

It might be good for Momo, too, to get to know more people better, as herself. If you put up a message on the ship's network, I'm sure there are probably one or two people who might like the chance to change.

[She's been dwelling on it anyway for a couple of days now, it's not like Laura could make it worse at this point. Sora nods at the suggestion.]

Sure, I can d-do that. Thanks for the a-advice...

...I've been kinda horrible, h-haven't I? You were here doing something i-important, and I'm venting all my issues on you. I'm s-sorry, Laura.

It's all right. I'm just chewing over a problem. Your situation is more... acute.

A-are you sure? I mean, I can try and h-help... it might not be w-worth much, but it's something.

...is what I'd l-like to say, but I don't think I'll have any advice. N-not like this. [Sora shakes her head, her depression mounting.]

I'm gonna g-go to medbay. I can't f-function like this. Sorry, Laura.

[Slowly, the girl pushes herself up, using the tree for support, smiling sadly to Laura once she gets upright.]

Good luck, Sora. I hope things improve for you soon.

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Phase Eleven: Keep Calm and Drink Tea

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