ABS FIESTA REDUX

[CypherX]

"Oh? Like what?"

He searches Cualli's face with an inquisitive expression of his own, the smile returning, though a little different.

[Ad Bot]

[carolcat]

Cualli looks a bit sheepish as her ears redden. Still avoiding eye contact, she replies, "oh, just... stuff with... someone. Too much to drink, and..." she shrugs. "You get the idea."

Cualli finally brings herself to look at Gus' face again and she looks more embarrassed at his peculiar smile. "What?"

[CypherX]

"Nothing," Gus says, still smiling. He searches her face for a moment more before sitting back in his chair again.

"Stuff, huh? Why don't we discuss that when we land?"

[carolcat]

She raises her eyebrows at him. "Oh?" She thinks about the offer for a moment, briefly glancing over him as he leans back, and a mischievous twinkle comes into her eyes. "Alright, then." Cualli does her best to hide a smile (her best being not that great at all). "We'll do that."

Cualli seems to suddenly remember that Elu is next to her, having gotten so caught up in her conversation. "Not a word," she says to the robot, her grin showing through. She hopes that he at least didn't understand any of their conversation.

[Tayasaurus]

Jaakko appears in the mess. He goes through the line and picks up some light snacks and looks around the mess for seating or familiar faces.

He finds Tippy leaving the mess kitchen.

"Taylor," he says, wearing a look of displeasure.

"Problem?" Tippy says, drying her hands on a towel.

[Mr. Hurricane]

Jaakko has trouble looking for what to say next.

"We- I, had to shoot down a hijacked airliner, the one that was heading this way," he says.

He looks around and lowers his voice.

"Deltans hijacked it," he says quietly, "And that's not all of it either. I would prefer to talk about it in somewhere else than the mess."

[Tayasaurus]

"Sure. Let's go talk about it somewhere more quiet."

[Mr. Hurricane]

Jaakko just decides to grab a few of the snacks he can carry and trashes the rest. He leads the her to the common room outside of Mjolnir's bunks. He takes a seat and starts to compose his thoughts.

"Well," he starts, "I feel a bit better because Gus, of all people, listened to me talk about this bullstuff already. He was even receptive, imagine that. The world must be ending,"

He shifts uncomfortably.

"I didn't, or- it was more that I couldn't tell him everything,"

Jaakko recaps his conversation with Gus, and what he'd said regarding how he felt about all of it. He expresses his anger, grief, and shock, and mentions that he knows that he didn't have another option. Another mention is that Jaakko is aware of the stresses of recent events and how landing will be a time to get their thoughts in order. He then begins sharing what he didn't tell Gus.

"Those loving Huit bastards left the mic open for our flight to hear the loving screams," Jaakko laments in a bitter and grieving tone.

He pinches the bridge of his nose with his head hung over his lap.

"I— I haven't hated the Huits this much since the Delta. And I'm conflicted about it! It's not fair the people like Cualli, but those worthless forgeters have killed so many of us Gods damnit! The Deltan theatre made me feel nothing but hatred for them, and now there's this loving stuff. And like I said, it's not fair to them, I know that it's not all of them and there are refugees that need our help in the Delta but I can't help but feel much more than spite," Jaakko laments, alternating between morose and angry tone.

He looks to Tippy.

"I'm sick of it. I don't want to be a hateful person, but I can't help but feel that I loving hate them, after all this time they've been trying to loving kill us,"

[Tayasaurus]

Tippy had been sitting attentively and listening to Jaakko vent his grief and anger, and the subject only made her think of what she had lost as well. The thoughts of those taken from her in battle made her share a large pool of sympathy for her wingmate.

"Jaakko, since this war had been going, hatred has always been a factor between those who fight in them. It can infect all places of the world, from the Deltans to the Imperials and even NAUC. Speaking from my own experiences and one recent incident, I can say for a fact that that's not something you should let fester in your heart for very long..."

Tippy takes a breath and thinks for a moment.

"The Huits have been a mess for some time now since their defeat. From this, it's inevitable that hate would find a place to grow. Don't let it blind you from people like Cualli, or Coaxoch or any of them. Being angry yourself won't help you. You know what's right and you need to reinforce that. There are consequences that are within and outside our control, like the airliner. Evil will take and sometimes you can't get it back, and you can't take it back. You did what was within your control and I cannot blame you for that. But I won't say it won't ever haunt you, no matter what I say. What I can and will beg you to understand is that... hatred is a double edged sword, and it cuts both ways. Don't make hatred a foundation..."

Tippy leans back in her chair a bit and lets out a very light hearted chuckle.

"As If I were any shining example of that right? I've been fighting my own sea of emotions since Yukamo passed. I haven't treated others very well and after I woke up from nearly shooting a helpless cadet, I've decided I want to remedy that. Don't be like me and start a toxic cycle... keep your senses. If you're to hate something, only hate evil and seek to counter it at every corner."

[Mr. Hurricane]

Jaakko stares at the floor, resting his arms on his knees, taking in Tippy's words. When she finishes, he nods and looks up to her.

"You're the one whose dealt with this stuff before," He replies.

Jaakko looks for more to say.

"You're the one I can really confide in. Usually I'd be pretty open out my problems, at least that's something I learned that helps me. Here in the Air Force though, and more as the flight lead, there's nobody I can confide in. Not really at least, except for you. Despite what I told Gus already, I can't really go tell him 'I hate the loving Huits but I don't want to,'- even though I think he got the gist of it. I can't really tell him that I had to loving listen to the screams of those people the whole way down either. Or, rather I feel like I can't or shouldn't. I'm their commander first, something like that, you know? I don't really have a place complaining to them."

He twists his head sideways to crack his neck, his face looks more grieving than angry. Jaakko looks back to Tippy.

"Something like that," he says, his voice easing up some.

[Tayasaurus]

"You're our commander yes, but you're also our friend. Emotion is normal, and bottling it up can do more hurt than good."

Tippy smiles and then lightly punches Jaakko on the shoulder

"Wanna go blow off some steam at the gym? It might help."

[Mr. Hurricane]

"Like I said, I usually am pretty open, or would be if this position allowed it. You've been the one who gets to listen to my nonsense more than anyone because, you're the person I talk with the most, at least,"

Jaakko goes to thump Tippy on the head.

"Take your own advice sometime, Captain Boone. Consider that an order," he says, wearing a faint smile.

He looks at the palms of his hands.

"About lifting, I don't know. I don't feel like being up and around right now but I know I shouldn't be left alone. I guess I'm rather indifferent. If you drag me down there I'll come along," Jaakko says in a flatter tone.

"Oh, Gus seems to think we're getting leave so and I think that's a fairly realistic possibility," he says in a slightly livelier tone, "Any plans on what you're doing?"

[Tayasaurus]

"I should probably be in on someone elses plans if they have them. Beats leaning with my head against the wall in the shower for a week."

[Mr. Hurricane]

"I went to Mercana last time I got leave as you know. I haven't given any thought to where to go this time. It depends a lot too on how much time we actually get. I wouldn't mind going to another country again, but it all hinges on time,"

Jaakko looks to Tippy.

"I can't say I've seen Kintharia, and I know you've been learning the language," he says with a faint smile.

[Tayasaurus]

["I like men"] Tippy says, smiling.

"I just told you the phrase for good luck. The kintharians like to pass that phrase to eachother before a mission or general activities. Just in case you find yourself working with one. Don't forget it."