TSW 11

	Mary	is one evening knocking on Kasras door, her college block in hands, fiddling a bit unsure with it and wearing a long yellow summer dress
	-->|	Reagan (chatzilla@6D368B7.A8C60A9D.465BBD23.IP) has joined #TSWshenanigans
	Kasra	"Just a minute!" There is the customary sound of paper being put away and drawers being shut a moment before the door swings open. "Hey, Joh-oh. Oh, uh, hi Mary. What can I do for you?"
	Mary	"Uh, can I come in? I got something for you"
	Mary	is holding the block behind her back to hide it.
	|<--	Kasra has left irc.systemnet.info (Ping timeout: 123 seconds)
	-->|	Kasra (chatzilla@SystemNet-87D9EA92.hsd1.wa.comcast.net) has joined #TSWshenanigans
	Kasra	"I, uh, actually may-" After a moment of fumbling, Kasra clears his throat and stands up straighter and steps slightly to the side. "Of course, come in."
	Mary	smiles a bit unsure for a and then enters looking around at what is in his room.
	Kasra	The room is essentially exactly what Mary envisioned Kasra's room might be like. The bed is tidy and in military fashion, each corner meticulously tucked and the only other piece of furniture, a desk and it's affiliated chair at almost perfect angles with the walls. It is completely clear of anything and the only object that indicates this room has had any human occupation is the bookmarked...
	Kasra	...language textbook which rests on the bedside drawers.
	Mary	"Very uh... crisp and .. prcise " she says unsure after a moment as she walks along the wall, "I am surprise that there isn't anything hobby related.."
	Kasra	"I keep most of my recreational items in my locker when they're not in use." He points out a small trunk underneath his bed that had escaped notice until now. Cleanliness is godliness and all." He laughs a bit, though there didn't appear to be a particular joke.
	Mary	"Why? , that seems a bit strange as they would give a bit more colour to the room. Not that there is anything wrong with aclean room as at least you don't have a pigsty  here.
	Kasra	"I...I don't think it's that strange. Military upbringing I guess; order is more important than things like aesthetics."
	Mary	"Oh right, Sorry I forgot it for a moment, as well, my brother is.." she shakes her head for a moment " was bit more colourfull and made sure that his room wasn't bare when he came back to visit. And are aesthethics necessarily hurting the order of this room?"
	Kasra	"Not right now, and I don't intend to let them." A slightly triumphant smile creeps onto his face. "But anyways, did you need something?"
	Mary	"Well, your attention "
	Mary	"As I got a present for you."
	Kasra	"Oh, that's...nice. Wh-what's the occasion?"
	Mary	"Well you asked me for it. "And with that she presents him the college block which seems to be fully written with Mathematical symbols, and some graphical explanations.
	IcePickLobotomy	Kasra: Somehow it is workable MetBio. . . If you used only High-School level math and then choose to take the most obtuse, difficult, hard to follow, and awkward mathematical route and method in order to explain things. In short it is a horrific abomination that makes your eyes and head hurt just trying to follow it.
	IcePickLobotomy	But it works.
	IcePickLobotomy	It's working MetBio from someone with, (to your knowledge) no background in the subject.
	Kasra	"Wow, this is...uh, very nice, I." His voice is strained for a moment until he begins to leaf through it. After a moment he speaks again, his condescending note gone, along with his perfect posture. "Did someone help you with this?"
	Mary	"No? I did it myself, as well I would not even know who to ask there so I sat down with only a glance of two into the textbook to fill some holes that I had in standart notation."
	Mary	blushes for a moment and fidges.
	Kasra	"Well it's actually-oh, I see what you're doing with that one now- it's actually quite impressive. Did...did you want some help with it?"
	Kasra	"I-I mean, it actually is /really/ cool that you got this by yourself! It's just that there's some, uh, shortcuts that I could show you."
	Mary	"Uh, well I would like to ? If you are okay with it that is . And you really think it is impressive?"
	Mary	fidges more
	Kasra	"Yeah, I mean, just waving around in the dark and you got this far? Yeah, you had no right to figure out as much as you did."
	Mary	"Well, I am not stupid, and well, it was logical for me to do it like that..."
	Mary	basks in the praise
	Kasra	mutters something under his breath before continuing. "Y-yeah, some good reasoning in here. Anyways, I'll probably read through some of this tonight, and if you have any questions, please let me know."
	Mary	"I hope it is all cleary but if you need help with my handwriting or my explanation somewhere , even if that would surprise me as it is all fairly logical, don't hesitate to call on me , my door is always open for you."
	|<--	Arina has left irc.systemnet.info (Ping timeout: 123 seconds)
	Mary	flinches slight at his comment and then will exunts stage left if nothing else happens
	Kasra	"Y-yeah, always open, thanks." Kasra is beaming. "It'll be good to have someone else to talk about this to!"

------------------------------------------------------------

	IcePickLobotomy	Time: June 31st, 1988. 4:32 Location: Pilot Housing.
	-->|	Kasra (chatzilla@SystemNet-C46C1321.hsd1.wa.comcast.net) has joined #TSWIC
	IcePickLobotomy	The tv has been set to BBC news, Walker half-listening to it as she reads a book on the couch. "- has finalized the talks between the EF and US. The United States has agreed to remove all US Military Personal from main-land Europe bases over the next ten years. Many US bases are already being withdrawn to the continental US, UK, Turkey, and Gibraltar. While many agree that US forces are no...
	IcePickLobotomy	...longer needed, some, such as presidential candidate Johnathan Sinclair, have criticized the move, stating that is weakens the US Strategic presence to a unacceptable degree in light of increased activity by militant extremist groups in north Africa.  IN response the METI Peacekeeping presence in the area will be augmented using US personal transferred from Europe." Walker flips the...
	IcePickLobotomy	...channel over to MTV before she can continue.
	Arina	was already watching but perks up a bit at that anyway.
	Mary	furrows her brow as she looks up from the college block on which she was scribling something
	RobinE	glances up from her notebook as the channel changes, but goes back to writing in it.
	JohnH	sits up intently at the mention of "US Forces"
	IcePickLobotomy	Walker blinks. "Uh, were you guys watching that? I can change it back."
	RobinE	"nope."
	JohnH	"Please, Ma'am"
	Arina	nods. "Worth keeping an eye on what the reactions are."
	IcePickLobotomy	Walker changes it back. The woman is still talking. '-er news from the USSR, Classified files on the events of November 27th, 1988, including the citations of the personal from the 313th Motorized Rifle Division, who will be formally recognized as the first combatants to engage to the Intruders in 3 weeks." She then moves onto a analyst discussing the ramifications of the EF's cooperation...
	IcePickLobotomy	...with the USSR in light of the recent border skirmishes.
	Arina	's expression tightens slightly at the announcement.
	Kasra	"Are you alright, Arina? You look upset."
	Arina	"... It's fine."
	-->|	Reagan (chatzilla@6D368B7.A8C60A9D.465BBD23.IP) has joined #TSWIC
	Mary	looks a bit unsure at her and then sinks down a bit in her comfy seat.
	Arina	watches the news intently.
	|<--	Kasra has left irc.systemnet.info (Ping timeout: 123 seconds)
	-->|	Kasra (chatzilla@SystemNet-87D9EA92.hsd1.wa.comcast.net) has joined #TSWIC
	Mary	"I hope that North africa, won't turn worse, considering the last peacekeeping..." She says with some pain.
	Reagan	"...Just to be clear Lieutenant, by 'Americans', it doesn't mean us, correct?" She glances pointedly at John and Mary.
	Arina	coughs. "We're in Gibraltar, Reagan. That's been British territory for centuries."
	Reagan	"Ah, so, 'Europe' doesn't refer to Britian, does it?"
	JohnH	"Britain is in Europe, so it could"
	Arina	"Continental. Britain is still part of NATO."
	JohnH	"NATO is part of Europe, though."
	Reagan	"Ah."
	Mary	"The british are only part of Europe as long as it helps them , and else prefer to manipulate them. I am more concerned about Africa.
	Arina	"Mm. Hard to tell, I'm not very familiar with the region, unfortunately."
	Mary	"As far as I know it is not as bad as Vietnam yet, but it is on the way there."
	Mary	"To many men dying in a senseless way
	Mary	sounds bitter.
	Arina	shrugs. "Such is the fate of empires."
	Mary	"People dying for ideals, and the interests of power."
	JohnH	"And here you are, risking your life, so that mankind can endure."
	Arina	"Well. As long as one group wants to control people and one group doesn't want to be controlled..."
	Arina	nods. "... It's good work to do."
	JohnH	"I wouldn't have it any other way"
	Arina	"Well I'd really rather mankind's survival not be in enough doubt that we 0x1dneed0x1d to risk our lives..."
	RobinE	raises her pencil, almost like a cheers, to Arina's words, before continuing to write.
	JohnH	"I agree with that whole heartedly. But if someone is going to do it, I don't mind signing up."
	Arina	"We all did, after all."
	JohnH	"Part of me thinks we wouldn'
	JohnH	t have had much of a choice, seeing as it is so hard to find pilots..."
	Mary	"And north africa is , senseless in the same way as vietnam was, the threat is mentioned, but considering what happend with the soviet union and vietnam.."
	Mary	sounds bitter.
	JohnH	"We should take these robots to Vietnam. Show those suckers who's boss"
	Arina	eyes John askance.
	IcePickLobotomy	Walker looks up from her book to give John a flat unamused look.
	Reagan	stands up, patting her jacket pocket. "I need a cigarette."
	Mary	looks not to happy at john
	Kasra	stands up and stretches. "Are you stepping outside, Reagan? I think I might come along."
	JohnH	gives Mary an inquisitive look but does not say anything
	Reagan	"Of course." She heads for the balcony as she pulls out her pack.
	RobinE	offers Reagan her lighter as Reagan makes her way out.
	Arina	glances after them with a little curiousity, but doesn't get up to follow them.
	Reagan	"Aw, baby." She takes the lighter and pats her head before she exits.
	Mary	"Maybe Arine would, if the situation was different would like to liberate some people in Southern Texas where she like you. A Outrider should not be a weapon of war."
	Mary	sounds sharper
	JohnH	"Anything can be used as a weapon if it ends combat quickly and with minimal violence. An outrider would not face much opposition, unless Vietnam has nuclear capability."
	Arina	"You might recall which side of that I'd be on, John?"
	IcePickLobotomy	"A outrider would be wasted. They are defensive weapons. They /do/ require a rather large amount of infrastructure for even the most basic of operations."
	JohnH	"No doubt they'd be useful, if deployed though."
	Arina	"It's not their purpose."
	IcePickLobotomy	"But by the time we would be able to deploy them, the situation would be mostly resolved anyways. Besides, against conventional units a Outrider is far from efficent."
	Arina	"They are an 0x1dinternational0x1d trust, not a toy for the United States."
	JohnH	"I never said they were free for us to use"
	JohnH	"Only that they would be useful in a prolonged combat for ending said combat"
	Reagan	Outside, you can see Reagan offering Kasra a cigarette.
	Arina	"Perhaps. So which suckers would be seeing who their boss is? The theocrats who held power in the south? Or the current government of Vietnam, for the crime of having fought against America?"
	JohnH	"The suckers" John air quotes the word "would be those who tried to defend their country for a government that doesn't support its people"
	Mary	is for a second distracted by the balcony. "Or the Administration of the states that would be happy if Jim Crow would be returned as a law. "
	Arina	"Unfortunately, those ones were dragged into a war that never should have happened. When the country finally realized it, it wasn't particularly kind to the people it had sent to prosecute that war."
	IcePickLobotomy	Walker silently blames the french for this mess
	JohnH	"And like I said earlier, I don't advocate violence unless necessary. And I only said the outriders would serve well to end the conflict"
	Arina	"That depends on what end you want."
	Arina	"They could win quite a few conflicts, but just being better at violence doesn't extinguish the reasons for a conflict."
	JohnH	"But it removes a desire to fight unnecessarily"
	JohnH	"Look at Japan. They don't screw with people anymore"
	Arina	"But it doesn't. It removes the 0x1dloser's0x1d desire to fight unnecessarily. But if the winner can win any fight he enters, casually, quickly, and easily, what reason does he have not to go stamping the entire globe into the shape he wants?"
	Arina	"The shorter and easier conflict gets, the more willing people are to engage in it."
	JohnH	"Because in most cases, the winner wants peace."
	Arina	"Everyone wants peace."
	Arina	"The 0x1dterms0x1d of that peace are what are in question."
	JohnH	"I never disputed that" John appears to be getting annoyed
	Arina	"So if one party can easily win any war it cares to engage in, without extended conflict or losses, what will stop them from simply deciding on new terms of peace to be enforced on everyone else?"
	RobinE	closes her notebook and gets up to head to her room.
	Mary	"Oh please john, you know just as I would how close the gouverment came to shot at us because it did not like us getting upty , Look at what the various alpabeth soup agencies did!
	JohnH	"And they did that to prevent war"
	JohnH	is visibly agitated
	Mary	"Because it was nicer to have us go yes Massa, insteast of having equal right. "
	Mary	is also getting louder.
	Arina	"There are many things a nation can do to prevent war."
	IcePickLobotomy	Walker clears her throat. Loudly.
	JohnH	stands up, knocking his chair over, and walks out
	IcePickLobotomy	"Look I. . " She sighs "Well. . . that was. ." She shrugs "Not unexpected really."
	Arina	rubs her temples. "Ugh."
	Mary	"He is so.. argh"
	Arina	lays a hand on Mary's shoulder, and shakes her head. "It's not that."
	Mary	hits the arm rest angrilywith her fist.
	IcePickLobotomy	"He isn't malicious."
	Arina	"No, he just doesn't want to hear things against what his father has done with his life."
	Mary	"They are like that because it is in there nature. We don't matter for them as a person."
	IcePickLobotomy	"His father is well regarded in both the US army and METI." Walker taps her leg "It was. . . It's not my place to say, but Mr. Hunter has done a great deal of good in the world Mary. He may well have done some bad things, but I have no doubt that he's done more good than bad."
	Mary	"For whom, and please john and those like him are only reaching out to take something."
	|<--	Arina has left irc.systemnet.info (Ping timeout: 123 seconds)
	-->|	Arina (Pale_Wolf@SystemNet-7827C8D.cpe.net.cable.rogers.com) has joined #TSWIC
	Arina	shakes her head. "It's not that."
	Arina	"And Mary... isn't talking about how nasty things are 'in their nature' exactly the way the mistreatment of American Africans was justified for so long? Isn't that their trick?"
	Arina	tsks, standing up and walking outside.
	IcePickLobotomy	"Mary, I really think you're being a tad unfair to John here. I'm not saying he's right, but I /really/ don't think he's racist, or agrees with that sort of thing either. He's pretty egalitarian, in a vaguely fascist manner, but still. . ."
	Mary	"Oh please I am not saying that it is in the nature, and not the racism thing , but the whole, I am the top dog male, the white part is just a example there as it threathens his power."
	|<--	Reagan has left irc.systemnet.info (Quit: ChatZilla 0.9.92 [Firefox 45.0.2/20160407164938])
	IcePickLobotomy	"I don't think that's really it Mary." Walker sighs "It's. . . I'm not sure how to say it, but your anger /is/ justified, just try to not take it out on John ok?"
	Mary	"I am not trying to start a fight with him."
	Mary	say that trying , and failing to calm down
	IcePickLobotomy	"I'm not on anyone's side here." Walker says tiredly "I'm just trying to keep you guys as best off as I can get you."
	Mary	"Then maybe you want to look at how you only talk about me changing my behaviour. I thought you where on my side.
	Mary	sounds a bit hurt.
	IcePickLobotomy	"I wasn't telling you to not be angry Mary. Christ you of all people have reason enough to be angry. I'm just asking that you try and avoid aiming it at you /squadmates/ . You need to be able to trust eachother with your lives."
	Mary	"I am trusting him to do his duty in a fight and to stand at my side there." unspoken is the "not necesarily elsewhere."
	IcePickLobotomy	Walker mulls this over. "Fair enough."
	Mary	"And I am sorry for the trouble that I am making you"
	IcePickLobotomy	"It's fine. Tempers flare and the two of you are. . . well I'm honestly surprised it took this long for things to flare up. So long as it doesn't become a constant issue I'm going to just leave it be for now."
	Mary	"Uh yeah...."
	Mary	isn't mentioning the constant troubles between the two of them
	IcePickLobotomy	". . . Unless you want me to try and step in."
	Mary	fidges with her fingers "I am not sure that is needed."
	IcePickLobotomy	"Alright then. If that changes just let me know and I'll try to work things out between you two fairly."

-----------------------------------------------------

	Arina	spots John as she steps outside, and jogs after him - not dashing flat-out, if he doesn't let her catch up she won't, but if he does, she will.
	Arina	picks up the pace a little to close in with his jogging form.
	JohnH	keeps his pace, not talking
	Arina	draws up alongside him, if he allows it.
	JohnH	keeps his pace
	Arina	jogs at his side for a bit, before speaking. "I'm sorry."
	Arina	"I didn't mean anything against your father."
	JohnH	is silent
	Arina	licks her lips. "As a soldier of a nation that's been at odds with mine for a long time, I'm sure he was involved in a lot of things I consider to be wrong."
	Arina	"But I don't think he was wrong to do them."
	JohnH	slows down - just barely - and sharply exhales through his nose
	Arina	"I disagree with the actions. But he followed orders he had every reason to trust. Any quarrel to be had with those actions is not to be directed at him."
	Arina	"Your soldiers in Vietnam fought a war that I believe was 0x1dwrong0x1d. But that war was not their choice, it was their duty. They deserved a better homecoming than they received."
	JohnH	stops abruptly "I don't think the war was right, either. It was a losing effort." He says sharply
	JohnH	"I don't agree that war is necessary, or even good."
	JohnH	continues, talking quickly and angrily
	Arina	comes to a halt and listens.
	JohnH	"I am not here to fight against giant aliens because I want to, I do it because I am one of a few that can."
	JohnH	"We didn't get involved in worldw ar two because we wanted to, we did it because we were attacked and conflict needed to end."
	JohnH	is quite flustered
	JohnH	"We went to war with Vietnam because we thought it would be good in the long run."
	JohnH	"It wasn't"
	JohnH	"We're here now because we have to be, not because we want to be"
	JohnH	"You - And Mary - Seem to have this idea that I love to fight and that I want to be the best. That's not the case at all"
	Arina	shakes her head. "I won't speak for Mary, but I don't."
	Arina	"I'm quite aware you're only interested in fights that must be fought."
	JohnH	"I can't speak for the plague, and what my country did, but I know that they did what was best"
	JohnH	"This isn't just about my Dad, who did what was required of him, but also of me, who is here because he needs to be. And all I get from you people is criticism"
	JohnH	stops talking about has fast as he stopped walking, trying to have more to say, with nothing coming up
	Arina	hums, reaching into her pocket and laying her hand on something. "Some criticism is unavoidable - we aren't going to agree with you on everything, and we're going to think some ideas you have are wrong."
	Arina	"There are a lot of humans with a lot of different ideas, and what they think is best varies."
	Arina	"But it is possible to go too far with that, and we stumbled over that line today."
	Arina	"So I'm sorry."
	Arina	sighs. "I won't speak for Mary - I can't, really, and she has a lot of things to be bitter about. But I don't think you're that sort of warmonger."
	Arina	"I apologize if I gave you that impression."
	Arina	"I know you only want to fight if it's necessary. We just disagree on whether some of the fights our nations have gotten in 0x1dare0x1d necessary."
	JohnH	looks to have gotten a bit of resolve back but says nothing
	Arina	"If it helps, I actually disagree with a good bit of what my own nation has done in the past." She tilts her head. "Though that's not an incredibly uncommon opinion, we did fight a civil war over it around when I was born."
	JohnH	"Well...just stick to what you believe"
	JohnH	starts jogging again
	Arina	resumes as well. "I'll apologize again. We got heated and failed to communicate well."
	JohnH	"That's not something that should be happening with us. Our lives depend on eachother"
	Arina	"We have our tensions. And nearly fifty years of propaganda against one another. It's hard."
	Arina	"We didn't do as well as we could have. But we can learn from that and do better tomorrow."
	JohnH	continues to jog silently
	Arina	jogs alongside him.
	JohnH	jogs until his legs are heavy and his brow is dripping with sweat before heading back
	Arina	is pretty worked out too at that point, but sticks with it and heads back with him.
	JohnH	before going back inside, John quietly says, without turning around, "Thanks"
	Arina	"You're welcome. I ended up communicating things I didn't want to say."
	JohnH	relaxes a bit and headbutts the door before heading back in
	Arina	giggles slightly, and stumbles in after him.
	JohnH	is thankful he had his back to her, or she might have seen him smile

----------------------------------------------------------------

	IcePickLobotomy	The next Day.
	-->|	Arina (Pale_Wolf@SystemNet-7827C8D.cpe.net.cable.rogers.com) has joined #TSWshenanigans
	-->|	JohnH (Thunderbir@SystemNet-2FD170B0.hsd1.wa.comcast.net) has joined #TSWshenanigans
	IcePickLobotomy	Abigail, the members who attended the club meeting, and a several other students you don't recognize, and some you do, are there. Alexander Glebov, the head of the urban explorer's 'club" is lounging off to the side with a few others of his friends, while Sergei and his friends are busy setting up a volleyball net and intermittently shooting the other Russian with dirty glances. Abigail is...
	IcePickLobotomy	...busy directing people to and fro as they set up food, drinks, and music. And the party is only growing larger based on the other kids starting to wander in as well. Mary, you notice Hikari standing in the shade of the snack area.
	Arina	is busily setting up the music section.
	IcePickLobotomy	The sun is bright and warm, with a wonderful sea-breaze drifting off the inviting waters of the Mediterranean.
	|<--	Reagan has left irc.systemnet.info (Quit: ChatZilla 0.9.92 [Firefox 45.0.2/20160407164938])
	IcePickLobotomy	Abigail waves John and Kasra down. "Hey, glad you could make. You guys brought your stuff right?"
	Kasra	sighs heavily. "Yeah, we did."
	JohnH	"Drinks, eh"
	IcePickLobotomy	"So, is Lana coming? I thought she'd show up with you guys?"
	JohnH	has an unsure look for a second "Not sure where Lana is"
	IcePickLobotomy	"Ah well. . . that's too bad I guess." She shrugs with a small frown "Oh well, she wasn't the only one bringing food so it'll work out."
	Kasra	"I, uh, think /Robin/ didn't want to come."
	IcePickLobotomy	She blinks. "Robin is Lana's sister right?"
	JohnH	"errr...." John trails off
	IcePickLobotomy	"Guess that makes sense. Twins can be pretty close."
	JohnH	glances at Kasra "...yeah"
	IcePickLobotomy	Abigail's eyes flicker between the two of you. "Right, I won't press the topic, and I'll make sure no one else does either."
	Mary	in her long bathing suit , with a tight lengh T-shirt over it heads over to Hikari "Hey"
	IcePickLobotomy	Hikari blinks. "Oh, hey Mary, good to see you here." She's sporting a tastefully modest bikini.
	Mary	"Likewise, nice two pice, unlike me you got the figre to show it off " She says not really jealous.
	IcePickLobotomy	"Don't tell my father," she stage whispers "He thinks I'm actually wearing that old one piece of mine."
	Mary	looks her over "Depending on how old it is some of hte boys would also not say no to that."
	IcePickLobotomy	"You know boys, they won't say no to anything that shows a bit of skin."
	Mary	"Well yeah, "/me points  at herself and then moves her hand up and down "There is a reason that I am wearing something less comment inducing. "
	IcePickLobotomy	"Oh come on Mary, you look fine." She shrugs "But whatever you're comfortable with really is what matters."
	Mary	"Well yeah I am not fat fat but "
	Mary	shrugs " and yeah, comfortable is that what matters."
	IcePickLobotomy	"Oh, and fair warning, someone spiked the punch." Hikari says this innocently
	JohnH	nudges Kasra "I think I just heard someone say that the punch is spiked."
	Mary	"I don't think that doing that is a good idea ...There are no teachers around so there is no real need to hide it."
	IcePickLobotomy	"Which is why I'm telling you."
	Mary	"Well, and you don't want anyone getting to drun , and.. and for example go swimming "
	IcePickLobotomy	Abigail shrugs, "Yeah, someone spiked the punch. Not sure why, not like it's a official school event but whatever. . . Actually," She pulls out some papaer and writes a note on it 'SPIKED PUNCHED, BE AWARE" and places it next to the large bowl of punch. "Just so that everyone is clear."
	IcePickLobotomy	Hikari rolls her eyes "That's on them, beside there's body-guards, and it's salt-water."
	Mary	goes a bit more meekly "still.."
	JohnH	walks up to the punch and sees the note "Who wrote this?"
	JohnH	isn't fazed, and goes for a cup
	IcePickLobotomy	Abigail gives John a strange look. "I /just/ did that. Right in front of you."
	IcePickLobotomy	Hikari smiles "It'll be fine Mary, besides, Mike is bringing another bowl of punch if you want somethig that's more tame."
	Mary	"Yeah and sorry for being a party pooper... And I am willing to drag your behind to your ninja mom if you can#t walk"
	IcePickLobotomy	"Nah, it's fine. I'm not going to give you a hard time for not wanting a hard drink."
	JohnH	says, without turning around "I might"
	Mary	"Well I am a bit of a lightweight..."
	JohnH	doesn't wait for an answer and goes back to join kasra
	IcePickLobotomy	"No problem, there's cola, water, . . " She frowns " /sweet tea/ " she hisses
	Mary	"Did you ever even try it " She says a bit amused" Or are you melting when it touches you?
	IcePickLobotomy	"No! God no! Why on earth would I!?" She looks offended at the notion. "My mother would disown me!"
	IcePickLobotomy	She blinks. "Oh god, Mary sorry. I forgot about well. . . Sorry I forgot your parents arn't around. . >"
	Mary	"So you have no problem with alcoholic teenage rebellion  but not with a sip of tea."
	IcePickLobotomy	"A sip of /sweet/ tea."
	Mary	"It is okay, you can't always take that into consideration. and well considering the plague and the unrest I am not the only one that lacks one or two after all.
	Mary	"But if you want to make ammends.."
	IcePickLobotomy	Kasra, JohnH: A few others have started to congregate around the area of the punch. "So," a upperclassman with a Persian accent looks you two over "You two are pilots for those giant robots?"
	IcePickLobotomy	Mary: Hikari smiles "What do you have in mind?"
	Mary	"Well I had a idea or two there..."
	Mary	sets up a innocent smile
	IcePickLobotomy	"Come on, don't leave me hanging." She whines
	Arina	walks up to the group, dusting off her hands. "All right, Abigail, the music's set up."
	JohnH	"Depends who's asking" John responds to the upperclassman
	JohnH	(not sarcastically)
	Kasra	"Why, uh, why do you ask?"
	Mary	"Well one idea would be to make you atone with a sip of the devils own brew , by your words, Scouts honour that I wont tell your Mum
	IcePickLobotomy	Abigail gives Arina a thumbs up "Awesome." As she says that Sergei approaches as well. "Miss O'Connel, the," He casts a skeptical look back to the volleyball net "volley-ball net is set up according to the specification." He then turns to Arina "And Comrade Alkeava, I want to thank you for your efforts as well. And for lending you presence here today." He gives you a charming smile.
	Arina	smiles. "You're welcome. I did join the club, after all."
	IcePickLobotomy	Kasra: "Rumor has it you are. I was curious if it was true."
	Kasra	"Oh, well, yes I am. Is that all?"
	IcePickLobotomy	Mary: Hikari's eyes go wide. "Nooooooo! Mary don't be so mean! That's evil! Don't make me drink it!"
	[INFO]	There is nothing to tab-complete. Use F6 to cycle through the user list, input box and the chat output.
	JohnH	Something clicks in John's head and he tries to make himself appear taller
	IcePickLobotomy	Arina: Abigail takes a small step back. Sergei nods. "Ah, yes it's a good club to be in, though my own duties prevent me from participating."
	Arina	nods. "Understandable. Please enjoy the party."
	Arina	nods goodbye, heading off to where her Russian tea senses inform her blasphemy is afoot.
	Mary	"Well there are bad things that could happen, like you starting to enjoy it ..~ You are lucky that reagan is not in hearing range right now ."
	JohnH	goes to the punch table and fills a second cup. He brings it to the Sergei "Here, have some punch. Good stuff."
	IcePickLobotomy	Arina: He blinks "Uh, yes. You as well." You get the feeling Abigail is trying very hard to not laugh.
	Arina	stands up on tiptoes to peek over Hikari's shoulder. "Mary are you trying to tempt your friend into a life of sin?"
	IcePickLobotomy	Hikari whips around, jumping back. ". . . Oh it's you. Hi!"
	Mary	"You are a soviet, sin does not matter to you as a category, "she smiles " and only the enjoyable ones."
	Arina	"Good afternoon. I heard 'sweet tea' being mentioned and thought I should prevent an atrocity before it occurred."
	IcePickLobotomy	JohnH: Sergei looks you over a moment. "Ah, no thank you. I am going to try this, volleyball, game once we get a pair of opponents. I wish to keep my wits about me."
	Kasra	"Oh, well...have fun!"
	JohnH	dumps it out in front of him and looks snidely "...good luck"
	IcePickLobotomy	Arina, Mary: "Yeah, Mary wants me to drink some to make up me being a butt. But that's just evil!"
	Mary	"And because you are making a mountain out of a molehill"
	IcePickLobotomy	"Oh, so I don't have to drink it?"
	Arina	"I have to say that would get you a 0x1dlot0x1d of credit."
	Mary	"hm?"
	Arina	"I'm just saying, Hikari would have to have been 0x1dquite0x1d a butt to merit that sort of payment."
	Kasra	"So, uh, John. Do you want to...uh, hang out with Arina for a bit, maybe?"
	IcePickLobotomy	JohnH: He gives you a unimpressed look. "And to you as well." He says before joining his own friends.
	JohnH	looks surprised "Uhh..sure" he quickly shoots Kasra a dirty look
	Kasra	"...what?"
	Mary	"Well she is asian, overblown honour gestures and all that " She says in jest
	IcePickLobotomy	"It was the samuri who were big on honor. I'm from a family of ninja remember? Assassins, spies, not big on the honor thing."
	IcePickLobotomy	*Samurai
	Mary	"Well then clearly you have to sneak past yor mom and taste it as a sign of rebellion"
	Arina	"Tea ninja. She has her own honour, Mary."
	Mary	"Ah well, I can be a kind lady and find a less painfull punishment "
	Kasra	"John, are you okay?"
	Mary	mood seems to have risen back up again with that talk
	JohnH	"Why would I not be?"
	Kasra	"You uh, seemed...upset just in general, but then at me too."
	JohnH	"Not upset at all"
	Kasra	"Okay, come on, what's bothering you? You're at a pretense to walk around shirtless, get drunk, ogle girls and represent America in a volleyball game, and you're just doing...this. Something's wrong."
	JohnH	"I'm not drunk, I've just had one drink"
	JohnH	"I'm limber"
	Mary	exagertes thinks for a moment before joking"Hm any ideas arina?You are russian after all"
	Kasra	"That's what I mean, you fought for those drinks. You seem off. Are you sure you don't wanna talk about it?"
	JohnH	"Well you're not drinking. Don't want to get drunk by myself."
	Arina	"You're asking a 0x1dRussian0x1d for a 0x1dless0x1d painful punishment? I think you might be misunderstanding my national expertise, Mary."
	Mary	"Well considering how important russians consider tea I had assumed you had .. ripping out her nails or so as a lesser one "
	Kasra	looks fit to cry for a moment then stalks over to the drinks in question and begins hastily procuring one.
	IcePickLobotomy	". . ." Hikari pouts "Fine, I'll drink the tea." Hikari joins Kasra in getting a drink, looking like she's going to cry as she pours herself some sweet tea.
	JohnH	runs over to Kasra and stops him from breaking his personal vows
	JohnH	leans in and whispers to him
	JohnH	says quietly to him*
	Mary	sights and holds her hand as she tries to raise it to her lips
	Arina	gently pats Hikari's shoulder. "I'll only judge you a little."
	Mary	"Stop that, , can't make a girl cry"
	Mary	tries and fails to quip
	IcePickLobotomy	She gives Arina a mock glare before taking a small sip. ". . . . Ok, it's not . . . not the /worst/ thing I've drunk." She sets the cup aside "Still not to my taste."
	Kasra	"Yeah, it's not bad. And besides, John, soldiers drink all the time when off duty. We're fine."
	JohnH	"But you've never had a drink!"
	Kasra	"Have now."
	Mary	widens her eyes "Uh Hello Mrs Mori
	Arina	chuckles, grabbing some punch. "Mary, don't be cruel."
	IcePickLobotomy	Hikari's eyes go very wide. " . . . . Eeeep?" She looks like she's stuck between the urge to cry and the urge to flee
	IcePickLobotomy	And then narrows them. "Mary! That was extra mean!"
	JohnH	"Kasra, I'm not your commanding officer, but please don't drink anymore. It doesn't suit you. Someone will have to do the explaining to walker, and it will likely be best if you did"
	Mary	"Okay okay,, I owe you one for this "
	JohnH	isnt sure yet what will need to be explained, but is sure that something will be
	IcePickLobotomy	She takes a deep breathe, leaning against a nearby table for support. "You really had me going on that one."
	Mary	smiles a bit, okay okay, I might have delivered it to good, so you now hold one over me in terms of punishements."
	Arina	blinks over at Kasra. "Yeah, if you're not comfortable with it, drink something else. Even the..." She pauses. "... sweet tea."
	IcePickLobotomy	Hikari smiles. "I'll keep that in mind."
	Mary	"Offer is only good today.." She hastly ads trying to save herself
	Kasra	's eyes widen. "Oh, shoot, will I?! I didn't even think about that!"
	IcePickLobotomy	"No taksie backsies~" She teases "I get to call that in /whenever/ I want!"
	Mary	"Uh yeah, John is for once right, you should not drink.And I don't think it suits you as you are not the type of person for it.
	Mary	pouts at Hikari, her face rapidly turning back after turning towards Kasra
	IcePickLobotomy	"Fine, fine, let's go swimming for a bit and I'll call us even alright?"
	Kasra	"I'll drink if I want to, Mary!" Kasra proclaims this retrieving his Dixie cup and angling towards un-spiked beverages. "And I do, just...just not that."
	Arina	nods. "That's fair. To be honest it's not really good alchohol anyway."
	Mary	nods towards hikari " If you want to kasra right, but you are adult enough to know when there is no need to drink . " And swimming as a punishment?"
	Mary	shrugs and does not seem to have a problem with tat
	Mary	that
	IcePickLobotomy	Several hours later. . .
	IcePickLobotomy	The sun is setting, casting the waters in brilliant pastel shades. Someone had brought out a grill, adding hot dogs, hamburgers and the like to the food. By now things have settled down, the part goers enjoying the remnants of the feast.
	Arina	is over by the sound system, having switched out the music for a background instrumental and her own singing.
	JohnH	drags Kasra to the front lines of the audience to Listen to Arina sing
	Kasra	"I'm going!"\
	Mary	took a bit of clothing damage in the meantime and has the t-shirt now around her hips as she walks to the /FOOD/
	IcePickLobotomy	A cool evening breeze sweeps in from the sea. Off in the distance, the silhouette of the Enterprise stands in stark contrast to the golden-orange of the setting sun.
	Kasra	"Well, the venue has a nice setting at least."
	JohnH	slurs something back
	IcePickLobotomy	Arina: The crowd seems happy with you, and quite contended with the food and sun.
	Kasra	"John? Are you...really drunk?"
	Mary	smiles and after starting to gather stuff leans against hikari as she sits down
	JohnH	looks over, slightly overturning "Not quite"
	JohnH	leans in a bit closer "Just a little bit. Only a tiny bit. Just a bit"
	Kasra	"Ooookay, sitting you down slowly now."
	Arina	keeps up the performance, singing and dancing like she's on-stage.
	JohnH	"I'm fine, you don't need to handle me like I'm some kind of child who can't be bothered to listen to their parents"
	JohnH	sits down on his own, only landing a little bit hard
	IcePickLobotomy	It starts with a few excited and confused murmurs as the crowds attention shifts from Arina to the sea. Or rather the disturbance in the water.
	Arina	glances over that way as she keeps it up.
	IcePickLobotomy	There's a faint build in the water between the shore and the Enterprise. The water slowly being pushed upward, as if a massive sphere was emerging from the water. The mood of the crowd, and the beach, turns from curious to worried.
	JohnH	's focus doesn't shift
	Kasra	"Hey, John, I...sorry. W-want me to, uh...let you just listen for a bit?"
	Mary	blinks and then utters "Oh shit."
	Arina	stops, turning to the crowd. "Everyone, 0x1drun0x1d. Get to the shelters!"
	Arina	"Go!"
	Kasra	"Oh, no. Oh, come on. John, are you actually good to run?"
	IcePickLobotomy	[  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIos0ya-yss ] The siren starts a moment later as it emerges from the water. At first there's nothing but air. Several heart beats later it emerges, looking like a floating box made of bronze, inlayed with black black geometric engravings along it's sides. A pale golden light seems to leak through the  engraving, and a rippling distortion marks the edge of...
	IcePickLobotomy	...the invisible sphere surrounding it.
	JohnH	stands up, suddenly almost sober and looks for Kasra's lead "What's going on?"
	Arina	suits her action to her words, making sure the students are moving and dashing to join the other pilots. "Intruder!"
	Mary	tries to pull hikari up and looks out for others that also got a bit to much punch
	Kasra	"Unidentified object moving in the water, large, almost certainly an intruder. We need to get to base now."
	IcePickLobotomy	The crowd hesitates a moment, as if in shock. Before they break and run, heading for the shelters further in. Another moment passes before the deafening roar of the cities defenses opens up on it. Streams of tracers lash out at it, there flight lighting the beach in harsh yellow and red lights, only for them to slam into the sphere around it in a maelstrom of fire and shrapnel.
	JohnH	takes off behind Kasra
	IcePickLobotomy	Mary: Those that hit the punch too hard are being helped to their feet by the others. Hikari staggers to her feet in shock "But. . this isn't happening. This is not happening!"
	Kasra	"Arina! Mary! Group up!"
	Mary	"It is, so move!"
	Mary	tries to drag her away from the waterfront
	Arina	rejoins the group. "Mary, does she have any other friends that can get her going safely? We need to get to base."
	IcePickLobotomy	"I-i-i I'm fine! I can get to shelter on my on." She takes a breathe, steadying her nerves "You guys take care of your stuff, I'll take care of myself."
	JohnH	turns and sprints back to help Hikari
	IcePickLobotomy	She glares at John "Are you fucking stupid?! You have a a. . a thing to kill!" She gestures to the stream of people heading to the shelters "I'll be fine you dipshit!"
	JohnH	is visibly torn, then turns back, sense of duty kicking in
	Arina	nods. "Holding you to that, now go!" She moves towards their stuff to grab a communicator and move towards pickup.
	IcePickLobotomy	Hikari gives you all a last wave before disappearing from your sight as she enters the rest of the crowd.
	|<--	Kasra has left irc.systemnet.info (Ping timeout: 127 seconds)
	-->|	Kasra (chatzilla@SystemNet-C46C1321.hsd1.wa.comcast.net) has joined #TSWshenanigans
	Arina	"Okay, let's get moving to the nearest pickup."
	Kasra	jolts out of his reverie.