ABS FIESTA REDUX

[Gojira]

Yui dozes off for a little bit.

[Ad Bot]

[ZombiLoin]

Yamashiro and Xiaomei exchange a look before returning their attention to you.
: Would it be rude to-
: What problem did your father have?

"My father went missing. We live- lived in a town which now straddles the front line between Aesthian and Imperial forces. Almost all of the civilians were evacuated, but my dad wasn't among them. They haven't given me any specifics, but I can hazard a guess."

Faw pauses for a moment and looks down at his plate.

"The worse case scenario is that he joined one of the civilian militias that seem to pop up in front-line towns. That seems like something he would do."

[Qwepir]

Jaakko remembers Tocatlan vividly.

"Would any of you ever go back to the Delta? If it was safe to go back? I think I'd go back to see Tocatlan, if only just once," he says somberly.

He looks like he tries to find more words, but he can't.

: Obviously.

She looks at Elu. "A lot of humans do, yeah," Cualli says, absently messing with the lid of her water bottle. "We tend to fear what we don't know, and death is a big unknown. I'm told that faith helps with getting over that fear, though."

She pauses for several moments. "...do you fear it?" she asks, her voice somewhat quieter.

: No. For a time I actively wanted to cease to exist.

"My father went missing. We live- lived in a town which now straddles the front line between Aesthian and Imperial forces. Almost all of the civilians were evacuated, but my dad wasn't among them. They haven't given me any specifics, but I can hazard a guess."
Faw pauses for a moment and looks down at his plate.
"The worse case scenario is that he joined one of the civilian militias that seem to pop up in front-line towns. That seems like something he would do."

: I'm sure if he was with the militia, and he died, you would be informed.

[carolcat]

: No. For a time I actively wanted to cease to exist.

Cualli looks upset to hear Elu say that. "Back when you first got here?" she asks.

[Mr. Hurricane]

"Well, it is your homeland," Jaakko says quietly.

He thinks for a moment, playing with his hands.

"I would go back to Tocatlan... For, uhm,"

He seems to be convincing himself to admit it.

"I don't feel like there was much of a sense of- closure, I guess. Geary did it- uh, he. He died so quickly to save us that there wasn't time to say much of anything. And we were kicked off the base within an hour or two. I've come to terms with his death but I can't help but feel bad when I think about it, that is that it seems like there is no closure. Nor is there with Yukamo,"

Jaakko collects his thoughts.

"I hope they buried her before Tocatlan got burned. I can't imagine what Tippy would do, if she would ever go back to Tocatlan to see Yukamo's grave. It's affected her, anyone can tell I'm sure, but I don't know if she could bring herself to go back,"

[CypherX]

theme

Gus tenses up but says nothing in response to Jaakko.

"...yes. Austerra. I- forgot. It would make more sense for them to flee to Imperial territory."

The obvious next question sticks on the tip of his tongue.

[Qwepir]

Cualli looks upset to hear Elu say that. "Back when you first got here?" she asks.

: And for some time after.

"Well, it is your homeland," Jaakko says quietly.

He thinks for a moment, playing with his hands.

"I would go back to Tocatlan... For, uhm,"

He seems to be convincing himself to admit it.

"I don't feel like there was much of a sense of- closure, I guess. Geary did it- uh, he. He died so quickly to save us that there wasn't time to say much of anything. And we were kicked off the base within an hour or two. I've come to terms with his death but I can't help but feel bad when I think about it, that is that it seems like there is no closure. Nor is there with Yukamo,"

Jaakko collects his thoughts.

"I hope they buried her before Tocatlan got burned. I can't imagine what Tippy would do, if she would ever go back to Tocatlan to see Yukamo's grave. It's affected her, anyone can tell I'm sure, but I don't know if she could bring herself to go back,"

Musashi gets up and gestures for Crash to follow her.

theme

Gus tenses up but says nothing in response to Jaakko.

"...yes. Austerra. I- forgot. It would make more sense for them to flee to Imperial territory."

The obvious next question sticks on the tip of his tongue.

: It may not be that far to get there, but I cannot imagine what would happen to those whose boats did not make it through the trip.

[xxxxkill]

Meanwhile, in the afterlife:

[Mr. Hurricane]

Jaakko obliges and follows Musashi.

[Qwepir]

Jaakko obliges and follows Musashi.

She pulls him aside, away from the table.
: Let me begin by saying I mean you no disrespect, but you need to stop talking. I don't know if you're trying to make her upset, or if you just don't realize what you're doing, or if you're stressed and cannot stop talking, but you need to stop. Tocatlan is a very sore subject for her, not only did she lose friends in the fighting, but she believes the general's death was the point where her country was broken beyond saving. The fact that the rest of my unit resents her for her role in the attack does not help things.

[carolcat]

: And for some time after.

"And how do you feel now?" Cualli puts her water bottle down and picks her tools back up.

[Mr. Hurricane]

Jaakko nods his head gently.

"Tocatlan was a brutal battle, I didn't mean to upset her with that question, or my- rambling I suppose. I'd really considered going back if it was ever safe. It still hurts to think about it, but for me getting it out helps," Jaakko replies quietly.

He looks like he is trying to find more words, but he can't. He finds another subject.

"With the argument about freedom. It's hard to hear that your nation doesn't appreciate freedom coming from a citizen of a nation with legal slavery- Especially when I can't stop feeling like she's an adversary. You know, I know in my mind she isn't our enemy but I can't help but feel it in my gut, a feeling of distrust and even resentment, even since the Deltan theatre closed,"

He pauses briefly and swallows his pride.

"It's unfair to her I know, and I owe her an apology. We may disagree on some stuff but she is still deserving of the respect of a person,"

Jaakko plays with his hands out of some combination of nervousness and guilt.

[CypherX]

Gus watches Ilona and Jaakko leave in confusion before turning back to Coaxoch. He considers her response for a moment before continuing.

"Why didn't you go with them? To Austerra or Imperial lines, instead of here."

[Qwepir]

"And how do you feel now?" Cualli puts her water bottle down and picks her tools back up.

Elu puts up the O.K. hand sign.

Jaakko nods his head gently.

"Tocatlan was a brutal battle, I didn't mean to upset her with that question, or my- rambling I suppose. I'd really considered going back if it was ever safe. It still hurts to think about it, but for me getting it out helps," Jaakko replies quietly.

He looks like he is trying to find more words, but he can't. He finds another subject.

"With the argument about freedom. It's hard to hear that your nation doesn't appreciate freedom coming from a citizen of a nation with legal slavery- Especially when I can't stop feeling like she's an adversary. You know, I know in my mind she isn't our enemy but I can't help but feel it in my gut, a feeling of distrust and even resentment, even since the Deltan theatre closed,"

He pauses briefly and swallows his pride.

"It's unfair to her I know, and I owe her an apology. We may disagree on some stuff but she is still deserving of the respect of a person,"

Jaakko plays with his hands out of some combination of nervousness and guilt.

Musashi lowers her voice.
: She thinks you don't understand because she lived as a slave until she was 24. Clearly, she is going to have a different interpretation of freedom from someone who has never been subjected to those conditions for any amount of time.

Gus watches Ilona and Jaakko leave in confusion before turning back to Coaxoch. He considers her response for a moment before continuing.

"Why didn't you go with them? To Austerra or Imperial lines, instead of here."

: Because I have not had an opportunity. When I came here, I was to help hunt down members of the armed forces who would not surrender. The Emperor did not die until I was already here.

[carolcat]

Elu puts up the O.K. hand sign.

"Well... That's good, at least." She gets back to work. "Hopefully you keep feeling better."