After All This Time...

[tiger_ken]

[1]

[It's late at night at Sakihama base. And the only people up this late should be workaholics, and those with active night lives.

So who then, is that you catch out of the corner of your eye?]



Hm... Must be around here somewhere...

[One of them is clearly female, a woman likely in and around her late thirties, but in remarkable physical form. The other...]



Did we really have to do this at night dear? If it were the day, we could at least track him back to his quarters.

[The other is practically her male counterpart, similarly aged, equally fit. He bears something of a resemblance to a certain young pilot...]

Or perhaps...

[Suddenly, he turns on his heel, and throws out a quick series of shuriken, aimed to pin an unfortunate eavesdropper to the walls by their sleeves!]



We could ask them?



Sounds like a plan. Where is Kentaro Torao's room?

[2]

(OOC: Feel free to enter this prompt from the previous by changing the prompt number when you wanna timeskip)



So... my baby boy really has become a man...



Be honest, we surprised you didn't we son?



...

Comments

[tiger_ken]

Don't go talking as if we would intend such things! Or should we list off your 'Unity Group's' failings, without care or consideration for context?



Or perhaps we should start guessing at sordid failures in front of us? An AI has to learn, and I hardly imagine one learned to swear like a sailor - or a rotten child - because they're the picture of certain success.

[keep_your_dignity]

INTENT?

[There Kagura turns and "looks" at them straight on. Nerve: touched]

NOBODY CARES ABOUT WHAT YOU INTEND. ONLY ABOUT WHAT YOU DO. BEING A PARENT IS LIKE BEING AN OFFICER. WHATEVER HAPPENS IS YOUR FAULT. THERE'S NO I DIDN'T MEAN TO OR WELL I WANTED OR I COULD NOT HAVE EXPECTED. YOU. ARE. RESPONSIBLE. YOU ACCEPT THAT OR STAND DOWN. ANYTHING ELSE IS SOPHISTRY.

AND YES, I HAVE FAILED. I HAVE ACCEPTED MY FAILURES AND LEARNED FROM THEM. WHILE YOU'RE TRYING TO SHUNT AND MINIMIZE THE BLAME.

DON'T TRY TO TREAT ME LIKE I'M THE LESSER ONE HERE.

[tiger_ken]

Oh, but except you are. Such a closed mind... I may have to take back the notion that you could learn. Understand the difference between a blade swung with killing intent, and swung by an uneasy or misplaced grip. I can be responsible for either, but I understand that how may differ. I should be glad that you're an officer - you'd make a horrid judge at the trial you threatened us with.



I think you may be missing where the blade is falling in this case, dear. The Executor is trying to say we may have failed in how we handled the situation. Which, given how it turned out, is likely the case. So even if what happened to Ken wasn't deliberate, its still severe enough that we must acknowledge that, and forwardly in this case.



I would say however, officer, that you should keep a more open mind - not to say you have a closed one...

[He glances at Ryuko.]

But that to some, yes, these things do matter. I would certainly have never been able to marry, had I not given consideration to the reasons as to why my wife tried to kill me seventeen times prior to our confession.

[...]

In any case... what we sought to do was for our son's sake. Accepting his wishes, in a way. Though it seems that doing so only drew him back in, in a way...

[There is... much more of a tinge of regret in Tora's voice this time.]

[keep_your_dignity]

YOU'D BE SURPRISED AT WHAT I HAVE LEARNED. DO YOU WANT A LITTLE DEMONSTRATION, NINJA? YOU PEOPLE ARE NOT EXACTLY THE COMPLEX THINGS YOU FANCY YOURSELVES TO BE.

[And that could have gone pretty bad if Tora hadn't intervened with a more diplomatic response. Kagura stands absolutely still for more seconds than it's comfortable, in that absolute immobility of a suit of armor with nobody inside, until she finally speaks again]

DAMNATION. I SHOULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN WORKED UP OVER THIS. WHAT THE HELL DO I EVEN CARE. THAT WAS FUCKING UNPROFESSIONAL.

BUT YES. THAT IS WHAT I WAS SAYING. AND YES, I KNOW THAT SOME PEOPLE THINK INTENT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. AND IN SOME PLACES IT IS. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO IMPORTANT THINGS, I SIMPLY DON'T AGREE. ACTIONS MUST BEAT INTENTIONS. IF GOOD INTENTIONS EXEMPTED ONE FROM BAD ACTIONS EARTH WOULDN'T BE IN THE STRAITS IT IS.

[tiger_ken]

What I would hope for here is not exemption, but consideration. Isn't that right dear?



[Ryuko grumbles something too hard to hear.]



Right then... Perhaps we could star over? I am Tora Torao, and this is my wife, Ryuko Torao, formerly Kohakuryu. We are Kentaro Torao's parents, and would wish to be shown his room, so in turn, we can see him. Perhaps you'd like to know some stories from veteran pilots, to pass the time?

[keep_your_dignity]

MAJOR KAGURA, GRAVEYARD EXECUTOR. CURRENTLY GRAVEYARD'S LIAISON WITH UNITY GROUP.

WE ARE HALFWAY TO TORAO'S ROOM. [Kagura begins walking again] YOU WILL WAIT OUTSIDE UNTIL HE IS INFORMED. EVEN IF I KNOW IT MYSELF I STILL HAVE NO TANGIBLE PROOF THAT YOU ARE WHO YOU SAY YOU ARE, AND THAT MEANS THERE'S A PROCEDURE TO FOLLOW HERE. ACTING LIKE I DON'T CARE IF UNITY'S PEOPLE GET KILLED BY NINJAS WOULD NOT EXACTLY HELP RELATIONS WITH GRAVEYARD.