alteathing

06[19:13] * Altea is walking to someplace familiar, but her mind isn't in it at all. She pushes open the doors to the old gym.
[19:15] <Ikiryo> "Hey Altea!" A familiar friendly voice comes from nearby...
06[19:16] * Altea looks over, snapping out of her thoughts.
[19:17] <Ikiryo> Nadia is standing there in a blue sports bra and shorts, her gym bag slung over her back. "Hey, lost in your thoughts? That's a new one~"
01[19:17] <Altea> "We gotta talk Nadia. Some bad stuff is going on."
[19:18] <Ikiryo> She frowns. "Should we talk here? Or do you want to go get coffee?"
01[19:18] <Altea> "Let's go get coffee."
[19:19] <Ikiryo> She nods, putting her gym bag behind the counter. "Right." She puts an arm around Altea's shoulder and leads on towards a familiar, well liked coffe shop.
06[19:20] * Altea follows along, sitting down at a table when they place their order. "Some bad people are coming here." She sends a file transfer over.
[19:22] <Ikiryo> "What sort of bad? Skeevy guys like when I dragged you clubbing?" She raises an eyebrow, clearly havn't not looked at the file yet.
01[19:22] <Altea> "Worse. They want to disturb the giants. They want to pillage the new tomb. They're bringing gigantic weapons." She struggles to not raise her voice.
[19:23] <Ikiryo> "...what?" She looks a bit blank.
01[19:23] <Altea> "I don't know how to explain it, but one of my teammates put that file together I just sent you."
[19:24] <Ikiryo> She nods, opening it up. She reads, her face getting more and more pale.
01[19:25] <Altea> "We're getting people together to fight this. We've got the garrison, but anyone else that can help will be welcome."
[19:26] <Ikiryo> She nods "I...ah...wow." She's still staring at the data.
06[19:26] * Altea nods. "Yeah. It's pretty bad." She leans back. "I don't have doubt we can win...but I don't want anyone to get hurt either. They're attacking so much, bringing such destruction to our planet...I don't want to let them succeed at anything, but I don't want people to get hurt for it either."
[19:28] <Ikiryo> "Right...well...I mean. I'm Giantblooded but I'm not really TSAB trained." She sighs. "...but you'll need medical support as much as anything else."
01[19:28] <Altea> "Yeah. If you can even just spread the word for volunteers from other Giantblooded, that'd be enough."
[19:31] <Ikiryo> She bites her lip and sighs again. "...I'm not letting my best friend go out there without help. I'll do what I can on the medical front."
01[19:32] <Altea> "Thanks Nad. I'm gonna take my coffee to go though. I've got something else I need to do."
[19:33] <Ikiryo> She pulls Altea into a massive hug. "Alright. Just be careful, ok?"
06[19:33] * Altea returns the hug. "I will. You too."
[19:34] <Ikiryo> "Sure thing."
06[19:34] * Altea takes her coffee and heads to the tram system. She's probably not supposed to be up at the tomb again, but anyone can try to stop her.
[19:36] <Ikiryo> There doesn't seem to be anyone about right now. There is a sign set up and signed by Marcos asking people to keep clear of the area due to 'Garrison operations'
06[19:37] * Altea walks past the sign. She's already finished her coffee and put it in the trash can at the tram stop. She walks into the tomb, following the corridor.
[19:38] <Ikiryo> It's just as it was last time, in all it's stark glory.
06[19:38] * Altea walks into the tomb, approaching the dais. "And here I am again."
[19:39] <Ikiryo> The tomb is silent, the giant seemingly unmoving...though according to Epsilon they are breathing slightly.
06[19:39] * Altea sits down, leaning her back against the raised platform. "I don't know why I came here. I guess it felt like the right thing to do."
01[19:41] <Altea> "I was thinking a lot about the vision I saw when I touched the sword. I don't know what it means still. Maybe I was just seeing a memory. Or a thought. I still don't know."
[19:42] <Ikiryo> Her voice echos back at her. The room radiates calmness in many ways, not just solitude.
01[19:42] <Altea> "But what I do know is that...it must be what you thought about. All of you did, when you came here. When we were invaded. You could have left. You were advanced enough to do so. But you stood here and died. Died to protect us."
01[19:43] <Altea> "And I think that's why I'm so mad right now. After all of your sacrifice...you dying for people you didn't even know, just because it was right, and someone wants to take that sacrifice and twist it into monstrosity..." Her fist clenches.
01[19:44] <Altea> "It makes me madder than anything else that I've ever seen or heard in my life. I want to cut loose and rampage...tear them and their weapons and golems apart with my bare hands...but then I come back to the vision."
[19:45] <Ikiryo> This time, there is no echo.
01[19:45] <Altea> "That you could have unleashed your great might and destroyed your enemies, but you chose not to. You chose to stand and die to protect what's important. To do what's right."
06[19:46] * Altea relaxes. "I think that's the kind of person I want to be. So I think what I want to say is...don't worry. Nobody's going to hurt you, or your brothers or cousins or sisters or families. Nobody is going to disturb your resting place."
01[19:46] <Altea> "I'm going to stand for what's right, with my feet planted on the ground, and if that means death, I'm okay with that."
[19:47] <Ikiryo> "Altea?" A voice comes from the entrance to the cavern.
06[19:47] * Altea turns around.
[19:50] <Ikiryo> Marcos is standing there in full uniform, for once not looking like he's just woken up from a nap. "Juliana has been watching here...she saw you go in."
01[19:51] <Altea> "Oh, I didn't even see her."
[19:51] <Ikiryo> "She's good at that." He heads over. "...you alright?"
01[19:51] <Altea> "Yeah, just...talking myself through some stuff."
[19:52] <Ikiryo> He nods. "Right. If you want to talk about it at some point, I mean...it's been a while since we saw each other but I'd like to think we are still friends."
06[19:54] * Altea sits down again. "I was really mad at you you know. Over the bet."
01[19:54] <Altea> "You bet me you'd beat me on the TSAB entrance scores, but when I brought mine, you told me you hadn't even applied."
[19:56] <Ikiryo> "Well, you'd been listening to that ass at school and were not going to apply. I knew you couldn't turn down a bet so..." He shrugs but frowns.
01[19:57] <Altea> "That wasn't the point. I got so excited when I passed. I knew we'd both go and I'd have a friend over there when I got to Mid..."
[19:58] <Ikiryo> "...ah." He sighs. "I wouldn't have passed, anyway. You're giantblooded, I'm pretty normal."
01[19:58] <Altea> "Yes you would! You're really good at everything you do, but you just gave up!"
[19:59] <Ikiryo> "Well..." He sighs again and sits down next to Altea. "Do you want me to say I'm sorry?"
01[19:59] <Altea> "No. I just want to know why."
01[19:59] <Altea> "And I'm not mad now. I made some really good friends and met some great people...but the whole reason you told me was to get me to try, but then you didn't even do that for yourself."
[20:00] <Ikiryo> "Oh, you know me. I'm just a lazy sod." His voice is more than a little self-mocking.
01[20:00] <Altea> "That's not it either."
[20:01] <Ikiryo> "You sure? I'm pretty good at being lazy." He doesn't meet her eyes.
06[20:01] * Altea lifts his chin up and looks him in the eyes.
[20:02] <Ikiryo> "Hey, stop that..." He averts his eyes.
01[20:03] <Altea> "You can tell me Marcos. You said you want to be friends right?"
[20:05] <Ikiryo> "Yeah but..." He trails off.
06[20:05] * Altea leans back. "I promise I'm not gonna get mad or anything."
[20:07] <Ikiryo> "Fine? You want to know why? I'm afraid."
01[20:07] <Altea> "Afraid?" She seems confused.
[20:09] <Ikiryo> "Yes. Of messing it all up."
01[20:09] <Altea> "Of messing what up?"
[20:11] <Ikiryo> "Everything. Messing up the test...messing up when I get there...whole lot of things I could mess up. Here? At least I know where I stand."
01[20:11] <Altea> "Marcos..."
[20:13] <Ikiryo> He stares at the ground. "I knew you could do it, you're damn special. Me? I'm an ok mage...but I was too afraid to risk it."
06[20:14] * Altea puts her arm on his shoulder. "You need to give yourself more credit than you do. You're more than okay, and you're smart enough to keep improving even if you were just okay."
[20:15] <Ikiryo> "...and if I didn't? If I passed and got there and everyone was better? I'm not like you and Nadia, I don't have anything special about me."
01[20:16] <Altea> "Being smart and hardworking isn't special? You must not have spent as much time around my papa as I thought you did."
[20:18] <Ikiryo> "You are hardworking too." He rubs his temples. "Sorry...you must think I'm useless after this."
01[20:18] <Altea> "I think you're like a squadmate of mine. She has problems with what she thinks about herself too. But when she tries, she can do things I could never do. I think you're the same way."
01[20:19] <Altea> "But I've got a way to prove it." She grins.
[20:20] <Ikiryo> "Which one? The belkan, The Scaglietti cyborg or the girl with the unison device?" He pauses "...yeah, it's pretty obvious that Tazzari is a scaglietti cyborg. She weighs too much for an unaugmented human and Juliana can feel her passively trying to look at all the systems nearby."
01[20:21] <Altea> "Really? I didn't know she was a spaghetti cyborg until she told us. But yeah, her. She keeps talking about being 'not finished' and 'not in control' but it's more her mind getting in her way."
01[20:22] <Altea> "But here's the deal." She stands up. "This battle, I want you to give it everything you have. And if you don't, I'll know. Show everyone what you're capable of, and if it's not good enough I won't ever bring this up again. But if it is good...well I'll leave you a pamphlet, okay?"
06[20:24] * Altea extends her hand. "We got a deal?"
[20:25] <Ikiryo> "Battle now? Like a duel? Or do you mean with the golem?"
01[20:25] <Altea> "With the golem."
[20:27] <Ikiryo> He nods. "I thought the garrison was going to be guarding here though..."
01[20:28] <Altea> "You are, but I'm pretty sure they've got someone coming here."
[20:30] <Ikiryo> "Right. I'll see what I can do...I mean, I'll do my job." He sighs but holds out his hand.
06[20:31] * Altea shakes it. "And thanks for coming. I feel a lot better now." She turns and puts her hand on the giant's armor. "I'm gonna come see you again before I leave the planet."
06[20:31] * Altea turns to Marcos. "As for you..." She hesitates for a moment, then darts in to kiss him on the cheek.
06[20:31] * Altea turns and walks out of the tomb briskly.
[20:32] <Ikiryo> He just stares as she leaves