ABS FIESTA REDUX

Poll

period race

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Author Topic: ABS FIESTA REDUX  (Read 1230039 times)

"I thought you might say that." Elu had never responded well to such broad questions, she knew. But she didn't have anything more specific to ask him, really. "What if Arkhip finds us again? Or we find him?" Cualli wanted to keep telling herself that they'd see him again. Even if she was deluding herself, it was one of the things keeping her going.
: It seems unlikely.

“Hello Nagato, how are you?” he asks quietly.

His voice a weary but with hints of Jaakko trying to make his tone sound warmer.
She glances up at him and shrugs.
: Not good.

"Maybe. I guess. Probably." She sighs. "Do you miss him? What would you do if you saw him again?"

Jaakko nods and is silent for half a minute.

“I understand,” he says finally, “I’ve been pretty broken up about everything,”

He falls silent again.

“I wanted to check up on you... because you were close to Tippy...” Jaakko has to force the words out of his mouth.

Sadness starts burning in his chest.

“I think she would want me... to check up on you...”

A tear runs down his face. He grabs the bridge of his nose and looks at the floor.

“Sorry,” he laments.

"Maybe. I guess. Probably." She sighs. "Do you miss him? What would you do if you saw him again?"
: I would punch him.

Jaakko nods and is silent for half a minute.
“I understand,” he says finally, “I’ve been pretty broken up about everything,”
He falls silent again.
“I wanted to check up on you... because you were close to Tippy...” Jaakko has to force the words out of his mouth.
Sadness starts burning in his chest.
“I think she would want me... to check up on you...”
A tear runs down his face. He grabs the bridge of his nose and looks at the floor.
“Sorry,” he laments.
: What do you mean?

"Punch him?" Cualli opens her eyes and sits up so she can look down at Elu. "Why?"

Jaakko looks up, taken aback.

"Wha-? Oh my Gods,"

He is silent for a moment.

"Search and rescue couldn't find Tippy... Sorry... I'm sorry," Jaakko laments.

"Punch him?" Cualli opens her eyes and sits up so she can look down at Elu. "Why?"
: He put you through a great deal of stress and likely endangered your life as well by joining the enemy.

Jaakko looks up, taken aback.
"Wha-? Oh my Gods,"
He is silent for a moment.
"Search and rescue couldn't find Tippy... Sorry... I'm sorry," Jaakko laments.
: Oh.

Nagato closes her eyes and looks away from Jaakko.

"He... did put me through a lot of pain," Cualli admits heavily. "But I've realized why he left. He had to. I've accepted it, and... I guess I want to forgive him. I don't want to hurt over him leaving." She leans forward, resting her elbows on her thighs and her face in her hands. "I miss him so much. I just want to see him again."

A few more tears run down Jaakko’s face.

“...I’m so sorry, I don’t know what else to say,”

He is silent again for a few moments.

“I know she means a lot to you. She means a lot to me. I know myself and your squadron have been at odds in the past... but if you need or want something or want to talk, let me know,”

"That victory didn't come for free, but I guess you don't need anyone to tell you that." Ellie tenses up, crossing her arms and tightening her grip on her sleeves.

"..It's kind of hard to believe that only six of us made it."
She adjusts herself to get a better look at Ellie, trying her best to turn her body sideways.

"It's hard for me to believe," Ajka says, "The last thing I remembered was a missile on my tail. And then I woke up at a field hospital."

She goes over the events leading up to her last memory of that day.

"What happened there? I remember the remaining two carriers getting destroyed, but the two gunships and the flagship were mere moments away from impacting." She has an astonished look on her face, the full weight of what had happened slowly settling in. "How were we able to do it?"

"He... did put me through a lot of pain," Cualli admits heavily. "But I've realized why he left. He had to. I've accepted it, and... I guess I want to forgive him. I don't want to hurt over him leaving." She leans forward, resting her elbows on her thighs and her face in her hands. "I miss him so much. I just want to see him again."
: Okay. I will not punch him then.

A few more tears run down Jaakko’s face.
“...I’m so sorry, I don’t know what else to say,”
He is silent again for a few moments.
“I know she means a lot to you. She means a lot to me. I know myself and your squadron have been at odds in the past... but if you need or want something or want to talk, let me know,”
Nagato is now waving you away.

Jaakko nods.

"Get well," he says quietly.

He walks back towards Ash and Lorens, glancing at Musashi to see whether or not she is conscious.

: Okay. I will not punch him then.
"Thanks." Cualli lets out a shaky sigh. She tries to focus her thoughts on something more positive, namely the possibilities for her future.

After nearly a minute of silence, Cualli speaks again. "If you could choose, where would you want us to live once we're out of prison?" She asks, moving her hands away from her eyes and looking tiredly up at Elu.

Jaakko nods.

"Get well," he says quietly.

He walks back towards Ash and Lorens, glancing at Musashi to see whether or not she is conscious.
She is.

"Thanks." Cualli lets out a shaky sigh. She tries to focus her thoughts on something more positive, namely the possibilities for her future.

After nearly a minute of silence, Cualli speaks again. "If you could choose, where would you want us to live once we're out of prison?" She asks, moving her hands away from her eyes and looking tiredly up at Elu.
: Moratov.

Cualli feels a pang in her chest at the mention of Arkhip's hometown. The memories of their time on leave there come flooding back: Arkhip inviting her to share the bed with him at night, Arkhip getting stabbed and Cualli confessing to him in the hospital and staying by his side as he recovered, their dates together and late nights in the bars and evenings spent laid up on the couch together with hot cocoa and a movie. She has to close her eyes, feeling the tears threatening to well up in her eyes as she fights the thought that she'll never be able to have those experiences with Arkhip again.

"How come? For the observatory?" Cualli says, her voice quiet and throat tight.