Device ~Survival

[srwuga_npc]

[During the recent conference on the Gigafloat, a delegation from Tatsumiya Island was present as well. And, after the attack, some of them moved to White Chalice temporarily instead of returning to the island. Among those? Soushi. And right now what's on his mind is fulfilling something Maya asked him to do. He has to find a certain Fafner pilot.]

Kazuki? We need to talk.

Comments

[possibly_here]

[Something Kazuki was all too eager to do, actually. Between the possibility of using the Mobile Dolls on the Festum, among other things, having a chat with Soushi was a long time coming. And so soon enough he arrived at his friend's temporary lodgings on the ship.]

Anything in particular? Besides the obvious, of course.

[srwuga_npc]

Nothing specific.

[Soushi's room, even for a temporarily-used one, is ridiculously bare. Did he even bring anything with him here? He sits down on the only chair, trying (and failing ridiculously) not to appear stiff and awkward.]

Make yourself at home.

[possibly_here]

[Fun fact. Hilariously fun fact: Kazuki never actually saw Soushi's room back at Tatsumiya Island. So when Kazuki saw Soushi's brief home away from home, he just stood there for confusion in a moment.]

That's... a bit of a tall order.

When I was a prisoner of the Federation my cell had more in it than this. Just how light did you and the other representatives travel?

[And with the only chair occupied, Kazuki had to settle for Soushi's bed.]

[srwuga_npc]

I always live like this. I have a lot of things: this chair, the bed, a desk, a sofa. The picture.

[He gestures towards the wall. There's a photo of the whole Tatsumiya Island gang there. Soushi gets up to open a nearby door.]

I also have a compact bathroom. It's very convenient.

[There's a shelf with lots of jars of medicine on it as well, on the side. It doesn't seem like Soushi cares to mention that though.]

[possibly_here]

A lot of that barely counts as thin-

[His voice trails off though when he looks at the picture. Shouko, Maya, Mamoru, people from the older graduation class who'd served onboard the L-Boat.]

... I stand corrected.

Though what's with the pills? You don't look sick, and it's not like you need them for your eye either.

[srwuga_npc]

Don't touch. They're for the flashbacks from the Siegfried system. Sometimes the pain returns even after the pilot no longer controls the Fafner.

The Siegfried system went here with me, so I need the medicine as well.

[possibly_here]

Flashbacks? But that's-

[... Honestly, he had no right to be surprised about that at all. Especially considering his little swim inside of an active volcano that let him feeling like his skin was melting off.]

So even though you're not piloting, you're bearing the same burden as everyone else.

It's a messed up system we've had to rely on to have an edge against the Festum, isn't it?

[srwuga_npc]

Maybe. But is there another option? This is the only way.

[possibly_here]

There might be.

I sent some information back to Tatsumiya Island a while ago about the possibility of using the Mobile Doll system against the Festum. And with the AEUG, the DC, and the other members of Bian's alliance, we might even be able to get the production capabilities needed to field an army large enough to be rid of them.

With the Titans unwilling to share we can't pursue it unless something shakes things up in our favor, but it might just be the solution the world needs.

[srwuga_npc]

What would make them do that? You saw what happened during the talks. Even a new alien invasion is not enough to make the Titans share their tech.

[possibly_here]

There's always taking it by force, which honestly isn't that likely. But if if they were able to steal it from Adventus, we might be able to do the same with them.

[srwuga_npc]

Stealing, huh? If that's the best option, then it's the one we'll have to do. Let's just hope it works.

In the meantime, we have the Siegfried system. And me.

[possibly_here]

Right. And thanks... for everything.

[He can't help but smile.]

It's been a rough road for everyone, but we've still made progress and gained a foothold that might just become something that's a lot more. And you and the System helped make it that way.

I've been piloting for months, and I'm still in a good condition. If not for you and the sacrifices of everyone that came beforehand, that probably wouldn't be the case.

[Those occasional moments of blurry vision barely an issue, at least at this point.]

[srwuga_npc]

[Soushi stays quiet for a while, probably wondering what to say in his awkward state. Finally, he gets up.]

I appreciate it. Come.

[Soushi leads Kazuki towards a nearby vending machine.]

It's only 11 steps away from my room. That's very convenient when you're thirsty.

Want a drink?