ABS FIESTA REDUX

[Qwepir]

Jaakko sits down. He begins picking apart his food quietly. He wonders how well Coaxoch has adapted to Aesthia. He finally works up the courage to ask.

"Coaxoch, how well have you adapted to living here in Aesthia?" Jaakko asks.

: Not well at all.
: We're trying to sort out the paperwork to get her cleared to move to Kintharia.

Tippy looks at Nagato with tired eyes.

"I've lost control of my life i think."

: What do you mean?

"How'd they earn their nicknames? On that note, how did you, Virvel, and Pansar earn your nicknames?"

: Oh jeez, let's see if I can even remember.

He starts counting off on his fingers.
: Recoil was a terrible shot, and she always blamed something else for her failings; Cortex tried psychobrown townyzing Echo, so he made fun of her and stuck her with that name; Skids landed with the gear up; Chopper allegedly stole cars to chop up for parts in his body shop, which he didn't, I helped run that place for a while, if he was doing that I would've known; and Pansar... well, look at him. Was it not obvious?

[Ad Bot]

[Gojira]

"Right, he's a giant. What about you and Virvel, then?"

[Tayasaurus]

: What do you mean?

"It's like, one moment at a point in your life, your life is moving so fast and you get used to that pace. And then you hit that period where everything is slow and you feel like you're more of a burden to the world than you are a help. Not to be too cryptic or anything. I just feel like up to this point, all my friends who've been killed or hurt was because of me."

[Badger]

"Good question, I'm just talking about the war in general though."

[Mr. Hurricane]

"Asylum?" Jaakko asks.

[carolcat]

: Why would people intentionally endanger their own lives?

"For the thrill of it, I guess. Or because they don't feel like their in danger."

She glances from her work to Elu. "Personally, I feel far safer on the ground than I do in the air."

[Qwepir]

"Right, he's a giant. What about you and Virvel, then?"

: To be honest, I don't know what Virvel's name means, but I got mine because my last name was already easy to remember.

"It's like, one moment at a point in your life, your life is moving so fast and you get used to that pace. And then you hit that period where everything is slow and you feel like you're more of a burden to the world than you are a help. Not to be too cryptic or anything. I just feel like up to this point, all my friends who've been killed or hurt was because of me."

: I get what you mean. It must have taken me a year to stop blaming myself for Mako's death.

"Good question, I'm just talking about the war in general though."

: I know it's rough for a lot of people, but I'm having a blast. No shortage of thrills, plenty of opportunities for advancement... It's great!

"Asylum?" Jaakko asks.

: Actually, we're hoping it result in something more permanent.

"For the thrill of it, I guess. Or because they don't feel like their in danger."

She glances from her work to Elu. "Personally, I feel far safer on the ground than I do in the air."

: I can say from experience that the ground is not necessarily safe.

[Gojira]

"That's fair. How long have you been flying with Djuriskas?"
While she waits for an answer, she tries to figure out what Virvel's nickname means. She fails, for the moment.

[Mr. Hurricane]

"I can't imagine the trouble of trying to find a new home when you've become stateless and have been a soldier on the- uh- wrong side of the war. I don't what else to call it, sorry," Jaakko says, hoping Coaxoch doesn't take it the wrong way.

[Tayasaurus]

: I get what you mean. It must have taken me a year to stop blaming myself for Mako's death.

"I can't stop thinking about Aiori... If i had just been faster..."

Tippy buries her face into her hands.

"I know though that... I still need to do my best to protect everyone else. Even those outside my squadron. Every mission i miss the feeling gets worse. Any time Jaakko needs me to be flight lead my heart stops. How does someone deal with that kind of pressure? I joke about Jaakko being a coward but, he has something that i don't."

[carolcat]

: I can say from experience that the ground is not necessarily safe.

"And what's your experience?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

[Badger]

"It's good to hear some positivity about it, most people are always down on it and it's just a drain to listen too sometimes."

Walter takes another drink

[ZombiLoin]

Faw arrives in the mess hall. He walks over to the counter and gets a tray full of food and a cup of herbal tea, then moves over to the Yamashiro and Xiaomei's table.

"Hello."

He makes a hand motion towards an empty seat, pointing with the mug in his hand.

"Mind if I eat here?"

[Qwepir]

"That's fair. How long have you been flying with Djuriskas?"
While she waits for an answer, she tries to figure out what Virvel's nickname means.

: I think around a decade now. Feels like it, at least. What about you, how long have you been flying?

"I can't imagine the trouble of trying to find a new home when you've become stateless and have been a soldier on the- uh- wrong side of the war. I don't what else to call it, sorry," Jaakko says, hoping Coaxoch doesn't take it the wrong way.

: The losing side, yes.

Musashi speaks up before Coaxoch can continue.
: It's probably going to take a while, so we're thinking I'll let her stay at my place while we get it sorted out. Of course, I'm probably still going to be deployed for an indefinite period of time, but it's probably better than having her stay here.

"I can't stop thinking about Aiori... If i had just been faster..."

Tippy buries her face into her hands.

"I know though that... I still need to do my best to protect everyone else. Even those outside my squadron. Every mission i miss the feeling gets worse. Any time Jaakko needs me to be flight lead my heart stops. How does someone deal with that kind of pressure? I joke about Jaakko being a coward but, he has something that i don't."

: Yeah, and if I'd gone to get the grub for the rest of the unit instead of Mako, she'd still be here. Or maybe she still would have got killed somehow, and I would have died in her place anyway. Hindsight isn't as 20/20 as you think, so... try not to let it bother you. I know that doesn't help now, but...

She trails off as she notices Nagato swiping her hand horizontally across her neck to display the universal gesture for "cut it out".

"And what's your experience?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

: I believe I have told you.

"It's good to hear some positivity about it, most people are always down on it and it's just a drain to listen too sometimes."
Walter takes another drink

: Yeah, well, stay away from Eri then if that gets you down.

She puts on a mocking tone.
: "Why are we still fighting? The Delta's on fire, and it was their fault so why haven't we made peace with the Goths waah waah waah".

Faw arrives in the mess hall. He walks over to the counter and gets a tray full of food and a cup of herbal tea, then moves over to the Yamashiro and Xiaomei's table.
"Hello."
He makes a hand motion towards an empty seat, pointing with the mug in his hand.
"Mind if I eat here?"

: No.

[Mr. Hurricane]

Jaakko looks to his food.

"Gods' blessings to the people who kept you out of a POW camp. I can't imagine the stroke some of those HiCom guys or presidential advisors would have if they knew a Deltan pilot was allowed to stay on our airbase," Jaakko says.

He looks to Musashi.

"You're incredibly selfless," he comments.