GBG Session 16.5: Bursting the Bubble

<Darkling> It's a bit of a grey, hazy day out due to the amount of snowfall making it through the still under repair dome.
<Darkling> It's still early, not even 7:00AM yet, but you can hear someone working out quite vigorously in the apartment.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja opens her eyes, pulling the covers a little more over herself. She briefly wonders if something is wrong with the climate control, and then her eyes go from being almost entirely closed to saucer-like proportions as she just stares at Ivy next to her in bed.
<Darkling> Ivy snuggles closer, somehow having intertwined herself around you during your sleep Lahja.
Rasia rustles, pulling her head out from under the sheets and yawning. It's like sleeping on an ice pack.
Wilhelm_Faustus is still fast asleep, arms loosely wrapped around Rasia.
Rasia :3's, rolling off to watch him sleep.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja stares a little longer before she more or less resigns herself to the predicament, her eyes settling back to half mast as she wonders if she's giving off some scent that's attractive to moon aliens.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Say, Rasia, is the blanket you were sharing lifting up because he's having a -good- dream?
<Rasia> ...uhh. "Wilhelm?"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Nnh..." Is all the response you get, though it's quickly becoming apparent it isn't the blanket lifting up so much as your Aryan.
<Rasia> "!" She grabs at his ankle. "Wilhelm!"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> His eyes snap open, gaze turning to find Rasia. Why...does he have to look down to see her?
<Darkling> She's really wormed her way in there, legs locked around yours and hand placed on your stomach. How did you not wake up?
<Rasia> "Fly!" She blurts out, pulling him back down.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> After a while Lahja ventures to halfheartedly slip an arm around Ivy, wondering just that. And what the attraction of watching people sleep was. "Ivy?" she asks quietly.
<Darkling> "Mmmm?" She responds, smiling even in her sleep.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Easy enough to pull him back down into place given your strength. "...the fuck is going on?" Is all he can say, though he's fairly certain he knows the cause.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Why..." she pauses, considering her words. "Was I acting strange last night, or did I say anything about having any dreams?"
<Darkling> Ivy blinks, opening her eyes. "Huh?" She doesn't seem to have registered your question.
<Rasia> Unsure of how to proceed, she lets the boy go to create a makeshift rope out of her pillowcase, tying his ankle to hers. It's long enough to have some give, but short enough he won't bonk his head. "Um..."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "I was just wondering if I said or did anything strange last night. Sometimes I'm weird if I'm stressed out."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He closes his eyes, folding his arms over his chest. In that moment he looks a lot like Null Drei. He takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Concentrate on putting your feet back on the ground.
<Darkling> "Not that I know of. I went to bed right away. I think everyone was stressed."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "... You, too, I bet." Lahja says after a pause, not quite sure how to proceed. At least not until a thought crosses her mind. "Do you normally do this, Ivy?"
<Darkling> It takes a moment for Ivy to realize what she's talking about. When she does she startles back, rolling off the bed and onto her mattress with a thump.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He frowns, seemingly unable to force himself to land.
<Darkling> "I'm sorry." She seems a bit ashamed.
Rasia stands, the cord pulling taught. "Lit?" She sounds worried by this point, gazing up at Wilhelm from his navel/chest.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "I wasn't complaining. I was just curious." Lahja absently rubs at her stomach as if to warm it up. Then she twitches. What if she got some kind of moon alien implant?
<Darkling> "I've been caught sleep walking before.." She still looks quite ashamed of herself.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> As he's about to answer he comes crashing back down. "Oof!"
<Rasia> "Ahn!"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "I...don't think we'll be telling Lit about this." He lays where he fell, staring up.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja pats the edge of her bed against her better judgment. "Maybe I was, too. Normally I think I'd notice something like that and wake up."
Rasia nods quietly, rubbing the back of the boy's head.
<Darkling> Ivy shuffles over, a bit hesitantly, and sits on the edge of the bed.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "So...Null Drei has passed on it's ability to hover." He stares at one of his hands as if it had the answers.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "I guess in my case I might have been sleep... sleeping?" Sleep sleeping. Lahja reflects on the lameness of that as she moves to a sitting position.
<Darkling> "Maybe I just, needed..." She scrunches up her mouth stopping herself.
Rasia growls, taking his hand.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Hm?" Lahja asks somewhat sharply, but then stops. "You're not going to offend a girl who's watched a recording of a chunk of someone's brain flying out their nose a couple hundred times."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He gives it a squeeze, looking to her.
<Rasia> "Drei bad.” She murmurs.
<Darkling> She looks away. "Maybe I just needed, comfort. And you're kinda warm and cozy."
Corrin stands, slightly unsteady on his feet. It had taken a while for him to fall asleep, and his dreams weren't pleasant. Blankets at his feet, he rubs his face, bleary-eyed.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja's combat smile creeps up on her face. Probably a good thing Ivy looked away. "And that's why you like me so much? Because I'm warm and cozy?"
<Darkling> She murmurs a response back.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Bad?"
Corrin steps free of the blankets, brow furrowing as he remembers the events of the past day. Frowning, he quickly dresses in the clothes he'd left on the floor and steps out into the hallway.
<Rasia> "Tried to steal Wilhelm. Now make him fly."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Null Drei and I have a blood bond, but no one will be taking me away from you."
<Rasia> "Hmf." A pause. "Breakfast?"
Corrin shuffles towards the living room, usual enthusiasm muted.
<Darkling> There's still quite a racket coming from the fitness area.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "I'm still full from last night." A knowing a smile and a bump as he stands, offering a hand. "Lets get you some breakfast."
Corrin looks up, then changes course, picking up the pace as he heads towards the noise.
<Rasia> She hops up, heading for the kitchen. She never bothers to untie their ankles, of course.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Yeeeah...he catches on quickly. "...this makes walking difficult Rasia."
<Darkling> Lit's giving the punching a bag a beating, breathing hard ans sweating quite profusely.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Well... I'm not really a stranger to bad dreams or solitude." Lahja says as she hops off the bed, wiping the smile off of her face. She goes off to collect her brush. "But promise me something?"
<Rasia> Fiiiine. She simply lifts her leg, untying without ever bending over. "There." And she sticks her tongue out.
Corrin stops, then heads over. A reflexive salute. "Sir."
<Darkling> "What's that?"
<Darkling> "Yeah?" He puffs.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Even with his leg untied it seems instinctive now to keep close to her.
<Rasia> Suits her just fine. The exercise finally catches her ear.
<Corrin> "You said I could talk to you, sir." Corrin starts, quashing the inner voice that's telling him that it's not his place to question. "At the range."
<Darkling> "Yep." Another few jabs follow with a grunt.
Corrin presses on. "What happened to Pilot Wilhelm's Unit, sir?"
<Darkling> "It's in the cages, like the rest of them."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja begins brushing her hair out, locking her eyes on Ivy. "If you need someone warm and cozy I'm here for you. But if at any point you feel like sticking a moon alien feeding tube in me to suck out my brain fluid or whatever, wake me up first."
<Darkling> "....what?" She can't tell if that was a joke or not, and looks a little mortified.
Corrin hesitates. "Sir, could it go out of control again?"
<Darkling> "I'm not a scientist, so I wouldn't know." He gives the bag a heel kick, knocking it loose from it's hook on the ceiling, dust and plaster falling.
Wilhelm_Faustus works at making breakfast. So many damn eggs, all the bacon and sausage...how much money does this cost NERV?
<Rasia> Who cares? Certainly not Rasia. She's licking her chops the whole time.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Say ahhh."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "... I'm just saying there's no need to hide anything." Lahja says a bit awkwardly, wishing she could get in the combat mood again and stop giving a damn. "If you're a moon alien I'd be fine with that. You'd still be Ivy."
<Rasia> "Ahhhh."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Rasia receives bacon!
Corrin nods, a coating of dust in his hair. "Yes, sir." Those nagging questions aren't going to go away. He starts to move away.
<Rasia> "Om!" Rasia is delighted! She giggles, chewing happily.
<Darkling> "Alright. I'm from California though, not the moon." She seems to be knocked out of her faze at least and begins changing.
<Darkling> "Don't worry about it, it's not your problem currently." Lit pats his hands and steps towards you Corrin. "They'll be deciding what to do with it."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "California? Never heard of it. Was it pretty there?" Lahja puts her brush away, being considerably less obsessive over her hair. But she does obsess over what to wear.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> What to do with it? He turns ridged.
<Darkling> "It was a very pretty place before the Second Impact I heard, and very densely populated. I have some photos of it." Ivy begins rummaging through her tiny bag for a shirt to wear. She finds a bright yellow one to replace hers.
Corrin stops and turns. "Yes, sir." he replies automatically, in the same tone as his last response. "What about the others?"
<Darkling> "Most of the Units received massive damage and need repairs. It will be awhile before they are functional again."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "I'd like to see them sometime." Lahja eventually seems to settle on something white and pink with obnoxious flower designs, and then she mutters quietly. "I'm sorry I'm weird."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Hm. That worked out well. He takes a new piece of bacon, holding one end between his teeth as the other is offered to Rasia.
<Rasia> Chomp. She doesn't take any lip with her, but nor does she give the kiss she was supposed to. Oh well.
<Darkling> "You're not weird." She pulls the shirt on and her pajama bottoms off, replacing them with some shorts.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Oh well. He starts plating the large portions of food.
Corrin nods, then heads off, frowning again.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja mutters something else in response under her breath. She changes quickly and without much enthusiasm, feeling a bit like a moon alien herself for a change.
Corrin heads towards the living room, still subdued and frowning.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> A bowl of eggs, plates of bacon, sausage and toast. Looks like breakfast is served, gang.
Rasia watches Corrin go by, three strips of bacon sticking out of her mouth.
<Darkling> Lit walks out into the kitchen, still breathing heavily. "Thank you Wilhelm." He says upon seeing the food.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "...glad to help."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "See you are the table." Lahja wanders out of her room, nodding to the others. She takes a few deep breaths, looking indecisive.
Corrin realizes his mistake and heads back a moment later, clued in by the smell. He doesn't say anything.
Wilhelm_Faustus sits at the table but doesn't eat anything, thinking about something else as his gaze burns a hole in the toast.
<Darkling> Lit loads up a big plate of food as Ivy enters the kitchen a moment later.
Rasia stuffs her face quite contentedly. Somewhere there's a graph where Rasia's silhouette is filled with Ethiopian children.
Corrin eats automatically, not bothering to smell it first. He looks up. "Hi, Ivy."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja eventually takes a seat, seeming similarly disinterested in the food. "Hello everyone. Is everyone well?" she asks languidly as she stares at her plate.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Tell me Lahja. What happened when you shot at Null Drei?"
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "The shot bounced." she says after a delay. Seems she's taken to playing with her food now.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Hm.
Corrin eats another spoonful of food, still looking up.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "I am a sausage. Somewhere my mother is weeping bitter tears for her lost child. I, too, weep bitter tears, but the bacon is no comfort to me. The eggs do not care."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He grabs the edges of the table and...acts as if it isn't strange at all.
Corrin takes in Lahja's speech. Or tries to for a few seconds, then gives up. Talking about something else sounds good to him right now. "What about the toast?"
Corrin says through a mouthful of said toast.
Rasia jerks her head, taking only a handful of seconds to puzzle it out. She plants her foot on his lap under the table. Good?
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Well, he lets go of the table.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Thank you." He hides that behind a bite into some toast.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja doesn't seem to notice Wilhelm. She's a bit too busy arranging the bacon and sausage into a vague semblance of a tank. She rotates the plate so the sausage turret points at Corrin. "The toast was my only friend, and you ate it."
<Rasia> Om chom chom. It's useful being denser than most ores. "Lit."
<Darkling> Lit's sitting in the living room, eating away, Ivy across from him watching and munching on a piece of toast.
<Corrin> "Sorry." Corrin shrugs. Chomp.
Rasia cranes her neck. Bah, guess it can wait.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Sorry? You cruelly destroyed the one thing I had going for me and all you can say is sorry? I am sorry, but I must kill you." Lahja makes a few noises to imitate gunfire. Seems she's getting at least some of the fun back in her voice that she might normally have while playing with her food.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He watches Rasia when not trying to will himself back down. "Lahja, we should have a talk later."
Corrin goes with the madness. The last of the toast disappears. "It died for a worthy cause." Corrin replies, spraying crumbs everywhere.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "I agree. A serious talk." Her tone goes back to its earlier blandness.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Don't sound so excited."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Whenever you've got the time. I'm just in a mood." Her tone is slightly apologetic.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> A snort. "No one blames you for being so."
Corrin looks to Wilhelm, brow furrowing again. What comes next seems to leave a bitter taste in his mouth. "Pil...Wilhelm. You alright?"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> His gaze turns to Corrin. "More or less. Do you know what happened to me? Inside the plug?"
<Corrin> "No." Corrin replies flatly, looking back. "I know you weren't piloting it." His eyes flicker to Lahja, then back.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja cracks a smile at that. Mood elevated by 2%!
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Is that so?" He leans forward. "It ate me, Corrin. Null Drei devoured my physical form."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "That is why they lost their connection with me in the plug. My body wasn't there, reduced to LCL."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Do you remember what that was like?" Lahja turns her plate again, pointing her sausage tank away from Corrin.
Corrin stares. "It ate you." he repeats.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "No. It's all very vague."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Disappointing. Lahja looks to Corrin, "I told you so." written all over her face. Then a brief glance over at Ivy before refocusing on the conversation.
<Darkling> Lit rises from the couch heading over to the kitchen to set his empty plate down.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He sits back, one hand reaching down to run up and down the leg holding him down.
Rasia jumps, biting her lip and quickly eating another slice of toast.
<Darkling> Lit leans down, face close to Corrin's. "Best not let your Unit eat you, eh?" Then he's back up and off to his room.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Don't let him fool you, it isn't up to you." Then he goes quiet, rubbing a brown leg.
Corrin sits there, barely noticing Lahja's look or even the Captain as he stews over the information. There's a knot in his stomach that might be the toast, or, more likely, worry. "Look, Wilhelm..." he begins, then stops. "I'm sorry." he finally finishes.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Would you like my sau..." Lahja stops herself, looking a little annoyed. "my plate, Rasia? I'm just not feeling like eating."
<Rasia> She nods, not wanting to interrupt the moment Corrin and Wilhelm are having. She quite enjoys devouring Lahja's sausage.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "...don't worry about it, Corrin."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Thanks. I'll just keep this and think about abortion." Lahja keeps her bowl of eggs, but only casually picks at it.
<Darkling> --------------------
<Darkling> It's later that evening, Lit has called everyone into the living room saying he's got some news.
Corrin heads in, looking up at the Captain. "Sir."
<Darkling> He's sitting on a stool in front of the television. This is a first, and seems a little serious.
Rasia sits on the couch, probably in Wilhelm's lap or vice versa.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He watches and listens, slightly distracted by the weight in his lap.
Corrin stands there and looks at the television.
<Darkling> "I've got some news from the Commander to pass on to you, so keep quiet please." He sighs.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja looks to Lit from her stretched out position on the floor, her tablet resting on her stomach.
Corrin nods, straightening reflexively and looking back to the Captain.
<Darkling> Ivy squirms on the floor.
<Darkling> "So, the Aesir are in pretty rough shape, which should be obvious. They've begun repairs, but such things take time. They don't expect them to be in full working condition for at least a month. Lahja, your Unit is the only one currently operational."
Corrin listens, brow furrowed again.
Rasia looks down at Lahja. Psh. Ein will be in fighting shape by tomorrow. They're just babies.
<Darkling> "They expect Rasia's to be the first fully repaired." He adds.
Rasia smiles, a little smug.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja seems smug for a moment, but it quickly falters and gives way to a worried look. A solo killing machine Null Vier is not.
<Darkling> "As for you Ivy, they've had to send your Unit back to the UN Dome. We're apparently not equipped for some of it's components."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "...aside from the Lance, Null Drei wasn't badly damaged."
<Darkling> "I.. will get to that."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Oh, thats not good. He already looks unhappy.
Corrin looks relieved for a moment at the Captain's last announcement, then goes back to standing at attention.
<Darkling> "Ivy, you'll be transferred back as well, at the end of the week, arrangements have already been made."
<Darkling> "As for you
Corrin is frowning. At attention.
<Darkling> Wilhelm, you're being suspended from duty"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "What? ... What?!"
Rasia sits up straighter, emotional but...unsure how to react.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja goes through a series of expressions in rapid fire. First a sigh at the news of Ivy, then a look of mild relief over Wilhelm's suspension, and finally a wide eyed look of disbelief.
<Darkling> "Pending further investigation of the cause into your loss of control over Unit 2, you are restricted from accessing the base and it's facilities."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "They can't."
<Darkling> "They can, and you know they can."
 Corrin stands in place, listening. He feels more than a little empathy with the other Pilot, but stays silent as ordered.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "They don't understand what they're doing." His gaze turns to look out the window.
Rasia chews her lip.
<Darkling> "Unfortunately it doesn't matter, the order came from high up. There was no arguing the matter."
<Darkling> Lit's phone rings, and he looks at it with a sigh. "One moment."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He runs a hand through his hair, expression reverting to something familiar. Cold distance. Annoyance.
<Darkling> "What do you mean?"
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "I think it will be fine, WIlhelm. Just an annoyance. They study Null Drei for a while, realize they have no clue, and then it will be back to normal." Lahja says quietly, not exactly wanting it to be heard clearly as background noise over the phone.
<Darkling> "That's, not possible." A frown.
<Darkling> "Do what you have to to disable it, I don't care."
Corrin is listening intently, attention on the Captain.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "...I guess he's pissed about this too."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Now this had Lahja's interest, enough to get her to tilt her head back further against the floor and get an almost upside down view of Lit.
<Darkling> "You're in charge of the facility when I'm not around, just shut it down!" He hangs up, taking a moment before putting the phone away.
Rasia touches her lip.
<Corrin> "Sir? Is it the enemy?" Corrin asks.
<Darkling> "You would hear sirens if it was." He rubs at his head.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "But it's something."
<Darkling> "Yeah, something with the Aesir powering on without assistance. I think the science division is just screwing with them, testing out new equipment."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "All of them?"
<Ugolino> "But no one's piloting."
Rasia growls.
Ugolino looks around quickly.
<Darkling> "No." He rubs his face again. It looks like he's had a rough day.
<Darkling> "Anyway, things will go on mostly as normal here, school will resume tomorrow, and I'll keep you updated on the status of your Units."
<Rasia> "..."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja stops straining her neck to look at Lit. "I think I can guess the rest. Thank you."
Corrin nods. "Yes, sir."
<Darkling> "You're dismissed." He gets up, heading out onto the balcony without another word.
Rasia looks back at Wilhelm.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja turns her head to watch Lit go. She'd look annoyed if she didn't feel so apathetic. "The less you know about sausages and the law making process..."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> His face is buried in your back. He isn't crying, just...hiding?
<Darkling> Ivy gets up. "Well.. I guess I better pack then."
<Rasia> D'aw. Rasia twists around to hug him, whispering. "Worried..."
Corrin nods, looking down. "I guess." he echoes glumly, foot scuffling the floor. None of this seems right. "Need a hand?"
<Darkling> "Not really, but thanks. I do only have a few things.." She sticks her hands in her pockets.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Might as well. I'll bother you with sappy sentimental stuff later, Ivy." Lahja says with a sigh. If only that sausage tank were a real tank. Then she could show people what she thought of all this. Sure, she'd have to get it out of Rasia's stomach first somehow, but it's still a somewhat comforting thought.
<Corrin> "Damnit." Corrin mutters, scraping the floor again, hands in his pockets. If he was a few feet away, he might have kicked the wall, even after what happened last time.
<Darkling> Ivy shrugs and walks off to Lahja's room watching the floor.
Corrin shuffles from foot to foot and just stares at a blank patch of wall.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja musters up enough energy to get up off the floor. She paces around, eventually looking mildly annoyed rather than depressed.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "I...believe I'll retire early this evening." His face has unburied itseld from Rasia.
<Rasia> "Rr?" She makes to stand, always ready to follow.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Good night Wilhelm, Rasia."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "You don't have to...though I doubt I'll sleep." He's likely to spend the night reading, to Rasia is she decides to listen. "Good night, Lahja. We'll have our chat soon."
Corrin looks at the pair. "See you two tomorrow."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja flashes a weary smile at Corrin, and then a nod. Then she mutters, more to herself than Corrin. "First time I'm happy I don't have to shoot someone."
<Darkling> ============END============