The celebration

[srwu_mods]

"Hey guys, the place feels like a morgue today. Glum faces everywhere... someone died or something?"

Look who's back at Sakihama - FightSaber is in the hangar, and Loni is walking around the base corridors. He seems to be heading towards the kitchens, in search of cake and other festive foods.

"Me and friends just took down a big cell of those Good Men weirdoes, so I'm here to resupply. Our victory calls for a celebration, let's party!"

Comments

[break_the_nine]

[Yeah Loni, see about what you just said. Leos is going to block your way to the kitchens. A very blank look on his face.]

...Get out. I don't care if you managed to beat an entire alien species. Get out and never come back.

[srwu_mods]

"Dude, what's your problem?"

Apollonius shrugs dismissively, an expression of disbelief and slight annoyance on his face.

"I'm just asking."

[break_the_nine]

People DID die! That's my problem!! I've lost two friends! A person who I wanted to be friends with...

[Leos teeth grind harshly as he glares at Loni.]

Me and everyone else are still hurting...

AND YOU WANT TO HAVE A PARTY!?

[srwu_mods]

"Relax. How was I supposed to know that?"

"And yeah. Everybody risked their lives to fight the bad guys and they did good, so they deserve a celebration. Everyone from UG is free to join too, ease the pain by having fun, you know what I'm saying?"

[break_the_nine]

...I know what you're saying...

[Leos is trembling badly, fists tight and voice shaky.]

What you're saying is... PLEASE BEAT THE EVERLOVING SHIT OUT OF ME FOR BEING AN ASSHOLE!

[Yeah no. Loni, Leos isn't even going to accept that line of thought and just bull rushes you in an attempt to stop his fist with your face.]

[actuallyselfish]

"Dude." Dido says wearily, bags under her eyes.

"Not cool. I mean, talk about putting your foot in your mouth."

[srwu_mods]

"Huh? So you mean someone really died?"

[actuallyselfish]

"Several people died." Dido clarifies. "Yancy Beckett got killed defeating a Kaiju off the coast of Anchorage. Kanade Amou gave her life to wipe out a horde of Noise that was attacking concert-goers...and that was after the Noise basilisked a few hundred of 'em."

She clenches her hand into a fist. "And my friend Sara Harper got kidnapped by invaders from another dimension, and is probably getting tortured for info right now."

She shakes her head. "You couldn't have known. But I don't think there's going to be a lot of party-goers, dude."

[srwu_mods]

"So... yeah. Bad timing, huh."

"Shame about the party, and what happened. I'll try later then."

[actuallyselfish]

"You do that." Dido says. Then, curious, despite the gloomy mood, she asks.

"So what happened when you took down the Good Men cell?"

[way_of_vengeance]

Ah, so it's the man from the Masochist club.

...Several hundred people died, actually. Some of whom were quite close friends or even members of the staff here.

Far be it from me to intrude, but you may wish to hold your festivities elsewhere.

[srwu_mods]

"Masochist? Why're you calling me that again?"

"But yeah, thanks for telling me, I didn't know that." Loni puts a hand on his chin.

"That's the more reason to hold the party here. It'll help cheer everyone up."

[way_of_vengeance]

...


...

...Sure. That sounds like a fine idea. All your friends here can come.

And they can tell you just how much they appreciate you.

[srwu_mods]

"Are you trying to make fun of me?"

[way_of_vengeance]

Oh dear. That was hardly my intention.

Mistress, objectively speaking, we are making a joke of Mr. Gavin.

Does it still count if the joke writes itself?

I'm afraid it does.

Oh, dear, it seems I still have much to learn...

[keep_your_dignity]

[Kagura's massive form turns its "head" slightly towards the talking person. It observes Loni impassively just long enough for it to become unnerving, before a robotic voice comes out]

I GIVE YOU TWO MINUTES.

[srwu_mods]

"Two minutes? Two minutes for what?"

[keep_your_dignity]

BEFORE SOMEONE KICKS YOUR SORRY ASS INTO A BLOOD PUDDLE.

WHAT'S BEING PREPARED RIGHT NOW, PRETTYBOY, IS THE SENDOFF OF DEAD SOLDIERS.

[Kagura can't growl or use a menacing voice - but somehow her computerized monotone is more than a little unnerving. Especially when coming from a fully armed robot with creepy insignias]

[srwu_mods]

"So you're going to take it out on me? Like it's my fault they died?"

Loni crosses his arms.

"Where I stand, it sounds like you're just lashing out at a convenient target."

[keep_your_dignity]

THE HILARIOUS THING IS THAT YOU ACTUALLY BELIEVE THAT FUCKING ASININE THING YOU JUST SAID.

LET'S EXPLAIN IT MORE CLEARLY FOR THE RETARDED CHILD, THEN. I'M GIVING YOU A CHANCE TO GET OUT BEFORE SOMEONE HURTS YOU, BRAT, SINCE YOU HAVE THE SOCIAL AWARENESS OF A MUTILATED LEMMING. TAKE IT BEFORE YOU ANNOY ME TOO.

[ugyuuya]

[Stella happens upon Loni during his declaration and looks at him with an upset look on her face. The general tone of Stella's lecture is composed but surprisingly cold towards the exuberant pilot.]

While I'll congratulate your victory I think this is a rather poor time to choose to try to start a party in our facilities. To answer your first questions yes, several hundred civilians, two pilots, one pilot is MIA and the other is in the med-bay undergoing evaluation for feedback from having the second pilot in a linked piloting system forcibly removed and killed while the link was active.

Most of these occurred in the last twelve hours and due to the circumstances of the death we are having to plan funerals in abstentia because there were no bodies due to the nature of the deaths.

If you were so quick to read the poor mood among the pilots and staff it would have been better to refrain from your declarations of victory and celebration in favor of finding out what was wrong first just to prevent any further agitation of base personnel.

[srwu_mods]

"That bad, huh..."

"In that case, don't you think a party will make everyone feel better?"

[ugyuuya]

[Stella's face shifts from being upset to disappointment with a bit of pity.]

Is it really so hard for you to empathize with others even when given so clear a description of the situation? It's sad that you'd be so quick to continue in your own self-indulgent celebrations when everyone else is obviously still in shock over what occurred.

Perhaps you'd understand better if I were to propose another scenario, that you're team was on R&R and one of these cells you're so obsessed over ambushes you with their mecha. In the ensuing chaos hundreds of people are killed around you while you struggle to make it to your machines alive. When you do they have a new gift that makes most of your weapons useless and only by self-destructing can one of your teammates buy you enough time and space to escape and complete evacuations. You finally stagger back to base and less then four hours later one of our teams comes in jubilant over another unrelated victory before the proverbial body has a chance to cool or you can perform a proper memorial for your fallen comrade.

Would you be particularly enthusiastic about said party or would you be more inclined to have the other party restrain themselves or leave?

[srwu_mods]

"I'd be pissed off... okay, I see what you mean."

"So the timing is really bad, I get it. Think I'll just come back later after people cool down. But I still need resupplies and that's mostly why I'm here."

[ugyuuya]

I appreciate your understanding, if your team were to want to hold a more private celebration of your achievements I'm certain a proper location could be found or you could wait until after the proper funerals have been completed and we've had a bit more time to mourn.