Where are you?

[star_of_sad]

[1]
[Setsuko is busy, very busy. She's sitting in front of a computer console, and the surrounding area is covered in notes she made during her research.]

Kaiju, BETA, Wulgaru, the Noise, so many others... it's hard to judge if humanity is winning, or losing.

[Just taking a glance on her reading material makes it obvious that she's focused not only on enemies of humanity.

She's searching for something, anything at all, related to the now-defeated black stranger, the Virgolas, and their mass produced version, the Canis. Beating her head against military secrets, insufficient clearance and plain old lack of news means Setsuko learnt very little.]

Just... where are you? I know you must be somewhere out there. You have to be.

Wouldn't it be better to go out into the world and hope to randomly stumble upon, well, something? That sounds exactly what Lt Watson would do. But if I do that, there's no guarantee I'll find anything.

[She sighs and goes back to work.]

[2]
[The work lasted long into the night. Setsuko is still at her desk - asleep on her own stack of papers, without any sheet or cover.]

Comments

1

[deathflag_survivor]

He's alive. And safe.

Don't ever stop believing that.

[star_of_sad]

I won't.

But...

[Setsuko hesitates to admit it out loud.]

I'd expect lt Watson to come in contact by now. What is stopping him?

[deathflag_survivor]

Well, it could be any number of things. You said you lost your memory at first when we found you in Paradigm. Maybe something similar happened to him?

[star_of_sad]

That's possible. I don't know how likely is it, but I know very little of how everything played out...

I know he's not in Paradigm City, at least.

[deathflag_survivor]

We all know very little... but I can't imagine that the anomaly would send you somewhere safe but throw the others to the winds.

I know it isn't much, but if you're willing, I'll let Captain Symphonia know the truth about what happened. He's a good man, and Team Jelba's no stranger to keeping secrets, or traveling far and wide while keeping their eyes and ears open.

They might find nothing, but they wouldn't stop trying until they found signs of Toby. The Team's no fan of fractured squads, after all.

2

[caressthedarkness]

...

[Seta stumbles upon this, and is initially stumped on what to do.

But then she gets an idea: after summoning the winter coat that she uses for cold climates, she drapes it over the sleeping girl, and quietly turns around to leave...]

[star_of_sad]

Mm...?

[There's some shuffle and movement from the now covered Setsuko. A few pages drop down to the floor.]

[caressthedarkness]

Ah...!

[That startles her enough to cause her to miss her next step and fall flat on her face.

The crash is rather loud.]

[star_of_sad]

Mugyu...huh?

[Setsuko stirs awake.]

S...Seta?

2

[tiger_ken]

[Ken was heading back to his quarters after a late night of his own activities... but stops, when he spots the sleeping Setsuko. He briefly considers things, and then...

Well, next thing he knows, he's putting his jacket over her. Not much, but probably a bit warmer than just the clothes on her back.]

...Well, you've been reading...

[Ken mutters to himself, deciding to try and peruse through the documents himself, curious on what Setsuko would be reading so much for.]

[star_of_sad]

[Sightings of the Black Stranger - none. Virgola - nothing. Canis - anything but the most basic data is classified.

Setsuko seemed to have looked into places that were under attack by various hostiles. As if expecting for someone to show up there.]

[tiger_ken]

[A wide collection of attacks, not all of which they necessarily had a tie to... so there had to be some other connection. Or what Setsuko had hoped to be a connection...

Ken can think of a few possibilities, though without directly asking, it'd be hard to be certain on whether his fellow pilot was being concerned, or hopeful.

His head turned back, considering asking... but then he shook at the thought of disturbing her. If anything, he could at least organise some of this stuff, by the various assailants, easier to go through for whenever Setsuko awoke.

Though, this sort of thing did rather hammer home how many enemies humanity seemed to have...]

1

[majestic_keiki]

Still nothing?

[Walking up to the busy worker, Kei put down a cup of tea for her in an open space between the papers.]

[star_of_sad]

It's not entirely nothing. Just... nothing that is useful.

At least I know there have been no important Noise attacks since two months ago.

[majestic_keiki]

That would have been bad, Tsubasa would have had to deal with them alone.

And I see...He's got to be somewhere and sooner or later someone will find him.

[star_of_sad]

I know. I know we'll find him - but not by sitting around and doing nothing.

There must be more to do than this.

[Setsuko gestures at the ever-growing stacks of paper, frustrated.]

I wish I had some kind of connection network. Finding one person on a big planet is so hard...

1

[cloningblues]

Still no news about Toby?

When that... incident happened, everyone was looking for both of you. We couldn't find anything until your emergency beacon activated.

[star_of_sad]

I know. Thanks.

And his... never activated, did it?

[cloningblues]

As far as I know. But your beacon should've activated soon after you disappeared, shouldn't it? And yet it took more time. Maybe because you ended in Paradigm, maybe for another reason.

...I think Toby is in another similar location. Somewhere safe, but hidden.

[star_of_sad]

[Setsuko just had a really bad thought.]

I... really hope he's not trapped in La Gias.

2

[63rd_shockwave]

[Sarah gently prods Setsuko.]

Hey. You'll wreck your back, sleeping like that.

[star_of_sad]

Gwuh? ... Ah!

[Setsuko catapults herself to a normal sitting position and blinks rapidly.]

I must've dozed off...

[63rd_shockwave]

Well, try not to work so late. You've gotta get a good night's sleep, you know.

...What were you up to?

[star_of_sad]

I know, I know. I get plenty of rest usually, this is just... special.

I am a part of a squad, Glory Stars. Did you know?

[2]

[ugyuuya]

[Yuuya is walking through the hallways and notes the light from Setsuko's office. Looking in he sees her laying on the papers and debates waking her for a moment. Deciding against it he lays his uniform jacket over her and takes a look at the notes and files around the desk.]

Always doing things the hard way aren't you Setsuko. Taking more burdens than you deserve and giving yourself too little credit for what you do.

[With that Yuuya turns off the screen and begins to straighten the papers on the desk to make it less likely to scatter should Setsuko awaken suddenly or shift in her sleep.]