GBG Session 19.5: Back in Action

<Darkling> Another week passed in the base. Wilhelm was allowed to stay with Rasia after a lengthy explanation how it would be best for the girl's mental health. The days are slow, not much to do around the base and the menial tasks you are given are boring.
<Darkling> Corrin's situation hasn't really improved. still comatose and his face wrapped in bloody bandages that get changed twice daily, never when the pilots are around.
<Darkling> Currently everyone is down in the holding cells. Lit's monitoring the live feeds of the room with Lahja while Wilhelm occupies her.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja observes, her mood consistently bleak all this time aside from the occasional outburst of smiles. Even that has diminished over the week.
<Darkling> "Well, at least she's less hostile lately." He notes with a sigh.
<Rasia> Indeed! Though she's still out months of progress; not much better than how she was when this war all started.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Yes, sir. It's progress." Lahja says it quietly, not exactly sounding sullen so much as drained.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Progress...hm. He sits on the edge of the provided cot, watching the Israeli. Occasionally he glances toward their observers.
Rasia busily tears into her steak, feeding frenzy tuned down to a dull growl.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Beats the days of her attacking him for getting too close to the oven.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja waves during one of those glances. It's a bit on the mechanical side.
<Darkling> Lit takes a seat. "Well, hopefully soon enough they'll consider letting her out."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "I hope so, sir. But what happens after? All of what's happened lately seems like it changes things."
<Rasia> She licks the bowl idly, lying on her side. "Rrr..."
<Darkling> "Well, no school anymore. That'll be a big change I suppose. There's a lot of internal investigations going on right now too, so don't be surprised if someone wants to ask you some questions at some point."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Enjoying yourself?"
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Noted, sir." She sounds almost dismayed and visibly slumps as the lack of school is mentioned. "I hope that someone can be trusted."
<Rasia> She rolls onto her back, chewing on the bowl's edge. Yeah even if she made a full recovery, there'd be no point in sending her back to school in the time it'd take.
<Darkling> "We can move back to the apartment once she's stabler. Until then it's going to be a bit dull here." Lit looks none too pleased.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Still...not much for table manners. Hrm. He folds his arms over his chest and rests back against the wall.
<Rasia> Eventually she tires of it, sitting up and letting it rattle away. Her eyes wander towards the window and door, then back to Wilhelm, asking the same question they have for a week. 'Out?'
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "When they say so."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja doesn't look especially thrilled, either. Cleaning NERV's toilets is about as depressing as every other aspect of the situation. "What if there's a Jotun attack? Is she considered fit to pilot?"
<Darkling> "I wouldn't want her to, but according to higher ups, she is."
<Rasia> Unfit for home, but fit to save the world. Classic.
<Darkling> "Really I wish they would get off their ass and find out where the troll that attacked you is. They won't spare the resources to try and detect it."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "How are you feeling? Aside from restless."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja nods, looking only mildly annoyed at that. "That seems strange. Unless they're confident it can't burrow into the base."
Rasia looks at her feet, biting her lip. Hmmmm. She finger-draws a basic :| face.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Neutral? What would make you happy?"
<Rasia> Knowing better than to simply answer 'outside', she makes the same exaggerated kissy-face Lahja does.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Is that so? You don't mind they're watching?" He motions.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja cracks a momentary smile, feeling some small amount of pride. Perhaps this signals the successful creation of a monster.
<Rasia> Far less lightning and blood... Well, far less lightning than the movies would have you believe, Lahja. Rasia shakes her head defiantly.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He smiles weakly at her and holds out a hand to beckon her closer. Lit will just have to look away.
<Darkling> He already has, heading over to another console to mind his business.
Rasia delivers facial affection upon the Aryan, more than a few bites as well.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja lazily salutes the image on the monitor, watching just long enough to make sure Rasia isn't going to bite him before she too looks away. Lethal biting, anyway.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> The biting you get used to, the affection around it makes up for it and he's more than happy to return it to her with his hands resting on her hips.
<Darkling> A doctor in the observation room coughs. "Should they be doing that?"
<Darkling> "Don't you have better things to do?" Lit asks, frowning at the doctor.
<Darkling> The doctor glares back and stalks off.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Some military regimes actually instituted that sort of thing under the belief that it was good for morale." Lahja comments in an absent tone, and then that maniacal smile makes its first appearance in a while.
<Darkling> The doctor casts a glace back at Lahja but makes no comment.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "It's not like he's gushing blood from somewhere and screaming about her teeth feeling like a cheese grater." Lahja comments more to herself than anyone else. She looks and sounds entirely too amused.
<Darkling> "I've got a few things to do." Lit comments to Lahja. "You can either stay here.. or they've given you access to the gym or gardens until I'm back."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "I'll give them some privacy, sir. The gardens sound nice." She salutes Lit, then casts a final glance at the monitor.
<Rasia> Omonomnom~
<Darkling> =================
<Darkling> A few hours later Lit is back down in the holding cells, giving a knock on Rasia' door to alert them he's coming in.
<Rasia> Well and good. Rasia's napping under the cot.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Wil sits on the edge of the cot. "Wake up, perhaps this is what you've been waiting to hear."
<Rasia> An Israeli's head perks.
<Darkling> Lit comes in, happy enough looking.
<Rasia> "Rr?"
<Darkling> "Well, I managed to pull a few strings, and it's mostly due to your help Wilhelm. Rasia, you'll be happy to know we can leave the room for awhile. I'm to take you up to the gardens where Lahja currently is."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Perhaps not exactly what she might have hoped for, but out was out.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He stood up and left the way Lit came in, giving them time to talk if needed.
<Rasia> Rasia hops to her feet, grinning as wide as she can and jogging for the exit.
<Darkling> "Rasia, I know you're excited." Lit starts before she can pass him. "Please, I want to be able to take you home soon, be on your best behavior."
<Rasia> Scolded, the Israeli checks herself, making it a point to walk very upright and ladylike.
<Darkling> Lit tries not to laugh, not quite what he meant, but glad she was trying. He leads them up to the garden.
Rasia looks about, nose twitching.
Wilhelm_Faustus hesitates briefly, half expecting to encounter Willow again. Woe for that girl should they meet again. Actually...shouldn't he worry about the homicidal feeling toward the girl?
<Rasia> Indeed. Especially since our genes are quite the narcissists...
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja is sitting around on the ground with her hand held against her temple, obviously pretending she has a gun. She's also talking to herself very quietly.
Rasia drops to all fours, creeping towards Lahja and her imaginary gun.
Wilhelm_Faustus frowns as decides to walk down a different row of flowers, hands deep in his pockets.
<Darkling> Well, this garden is somewhat similar to the one back home Wilhelm, it'd be easy enough to hear the pattering of feet running down an aisle near you.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> She doesn't seem to notice. Whatever she's saying is awfully strange... is that English? It's certainly far less mangled in terms of accent than her German. "Wondrous... and..." She stops, not noticing Rasia. It's clear that she finds whatever she's doing pretty stupid. She pulls the imaginary trigger.
<Rasia> "Bang!" Rasia yells without thinking about it.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja jumps with a squeal, tripping as she tries to get up and falling flat on her back. She stares at Rasia afterwards, then laughs. "Bang!" Then she pulls the trigger again.
<Rasia> Well, she's showing play-instinct. Maybe she's just in a good mood seeing plants again. The Israeli backs off to let Lahja get up, still staring at her like the girl was doing magic.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja rises, putting on a polite smile. "So how much of that nonsense did you hear?" She asks, switching to German.
<Rasia> A gentle shake of the head. Nada.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "It wasn't anything important. Just something I was thinking about writing." She says that dismissively. "Are they letting you out for good?"
<Rasia> Another shake. She points along the barriers of the garden.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "I guess it's a start. Lit says we'll be able to go back to the apartment once they let you out."
<Darkling> Lit meanwhile is meandering at the far end of the garden, able to see all the pilots, also able to pick himself an apple from a tree.
<Rasia> An Apple of Knowledge? Rasia walks a short circle, taking in all the smells and sounds the garden had to offer.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Wilhelm is having an internal conversation, trying to get a handle of the different voices that seemed to be slowly spawning. Perhaps a side-effect from taking on the memories of previous clones each with their own thoughts of independence from the rest?
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja stretches out, looking a little better off. It's a little closer to normal than before, anyway. Even if normal seems a bit further away than it did before.
<Rasia> And what the fuck does normal even MEAN, for this dysfunctional little family?
<Lahja_Ilvainen> School. Clashing with fellow students. Shooting holes into Jotun and mentally connecting the dots to make pretty designs. Harassing Corrin. Other stuff. There goes Lahja's good mood again.
<Rasia> Snnnap. Rasia pulls a flower out of the garden.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Seeing things in splat marks is pretty nice, too. But don't normal people do that with speckled ceilings and wood grain instead?
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja comes out of it after a while, approaching Wilhelm. She gives him a casual salute. "How are you holding up, Wilhelm? Your current arrangement is intriguing."
<Darkling> *crunch* Lit eats the apple while watching.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "How so?" He glances to her, then back around the rest of the garden.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "I know what solitary confinement does to a person. It's interesting. But I don't really know anything about sharing a cell with someone else. Is it interesting?"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Aside from the pacing and growling at strange noises...she isn't all too different it seems. Some regression."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "I think she'll get over it. But how about you? It's not exactly confinement in your case, but does it ever make you hallucinate?"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "No."
<Rasia> Rasia peeks from between two bushes. Hai gaiz what's goin' on over here?
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja nods. "I guess it wouldn't. No need to imagine company when you've got it right there." She waves toward Rasia. "We're just talking about hallucinations."
<Rasia> Hmm. Would Rasia even understand the concept of a hallucination? She lives by her senses, and might lack the abstract reasoning of not-real.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "If you ever see a redhead with my face, let me know, alright?"
<Darkling> Lit coughs from the distance, patting his chest. Maybe choking on apple, but looks fine after a moment.
<Rasia> A quiet nod.
<Darkling> A howl goes out through the base as alarms start to raise.
<Rasia> "!" Muscles wind taught and she growls.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> A redhead with your face? For a moment Lahja imagines a redhead skinning a prone Wilhelm and then attaching his face to her own. She smiles for a moment, then bites her tongue.
<Darkling> "...shit." Lit grabs his phone and heads for the pilots. "Come on, looks like you've got work to do, you too Rasia."
Rasia bolts to follow Lit, her upright posture gone.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "A little early..." He mutters.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja salutes Lit, then sighs at herself rather than the alarm as she heads after him.
<Darkling> Back through the base towards the cages, Lit barking orders on his phone the whole time, getting confirmation on a few other things. He stops at the change rooms. "Get changed, all of you. They're sending the three of you out. Show em what you're capable of." He's directing this towards Rasia more than the others, then he turns and heads off to the control room.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja gives Rasia a quick thumbs up, then she's off to change. All the while she feels a bit apprehensive, lacking her usual pre-combat enthusiasm.
<Rasia> Rasia nods quietly to Lahja. Piloting... Hopefully nothing serious will--what did they do to Null Ein...
Wilhelm_Faustus changes, stopping briefly to wonder about this new plugsuit. A bit...revealing...wasn't it? No matter. He went out to join Null Drei.
Rasia pauses to ogle Wilhelm, her own armored and actually boasting a full helmet now!
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Null Vier." Lahja salutes the Aesir as she heads toward the plug, favoring it with the rare utterly serious salute.
<Darkling> Crews run about the cages in a mad panic tryign to get things ready.
Rasia settles back into her saddle, almost a little sad she can only just barely feel it now. Oh well. Deep breaths as the taste of LCL screams 'blood' to her senses, already-fragile psyche dangled over a bucket of chum. This armor's heavy...
Wilhelm_Faustus settles into his piloting seat, carefully gripping the controls. It's just me Loki, Wilhelm. Just like the others.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja casts an annoyed look at the LCL the moment it starts flooding the plug. She tries not to think of her father, but without much luck, prompting some quiet profanity.
<Darkling> Lit's face pops up in a vid-screen for you. Pilots, we've managed to identify the Jotun and estimate it's course. It's headed straight for the dome from the north east. We'll be deploying you momentarily."
<Rasia> A helmeted nod.
<Darkling> Another screen opens in Rasia's plug, blacked out. "Do not disappoint me pilot." Then it closes.
Rasia growls, adjusting her weight. Was this armor seriously rated for re-entry? Impressive.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja salutes Lit in a delayed response, a bit caught up in her thoughts. It's just LCL. LCL is your friend, right? It lets you make this thing move and shoot things.
<Darkling> Lit speaks up again. "All levels are within an acceptable range. Jotun identified as Gunnlod. Give it Hell pilots." And you're launched.
<Rasia> Rasia grips her controls, chanting a mantra to herself breathlessly. The plug's microphones might pick it up: "Shield."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja manages to gather her resolve and snap out of her mental state to some degree, perking up as the Aesir launches. "Gunnlod! I hope you'll help me become a better person tonight!"
<Darkling> ===============END===============