Scene #4804: Catching up with Wo-ld Friends

Owner	Pose
Guest Psyber	Psyber had been notoriously busy lately. He was a teacher, a problem solver, and a business owner. That means that he was prone to periods of extreme busy, particularly around the end of the year. Thus it was that he hadn't had nearly as much time to devote to his ongoing quest to bother Wo as he would like. That didn't mean he had quite forgotten about her, she was always somewhere in the back of his mind as a person he should check up on. And that's what brings us to tonight. Despite the bitter cold and the freezing rain, Psyber is trudging his way up to the front door of a dock-side cottage that sits right on the water. The half-angel is carrying what looks like a plastic bag in one hand and sheltering it from the wind and cold with his other arm as he approaches. This is, of course, the safehouse that Wo took the time to shop for a buy some time back on the outskirts of the city. He wasn't sure if she'd be in, since a safehouse is by definition very hit and miss on if a person will be there. Nonetheless, he raises his knuckles to the front door and gives a few firm knocks on it.
Wo	It's a bit of an open secret, among those that the humanoid carrier trusts. As a neutral port, this particular Boston is located far away from the daily strife of more contested regions of the multiverse, so it isn't held too securely. ( Still, better that some never hear of it. ) Accordingly, there are no devious traps or laser fences to navigate to make it to the front door, and it's about as unassuming as one can get. It looks like the perfect place for any small, nominally human family or old retiree couple to be housed in, and not too out of place in the neighborhood. In fact, are those Christmas lights that have been strung around the roofline? They aren't lit up, though. Not yet. While the date might not be quite right, the seasonal weather finally is. Psyber is left out in the terrible cold for just a few moments more, after the brisk knocking, though some shifting sounds can be heard from inside, the obvious being someone getting up from a piece of furniture. Heavy footsteps come after, approaching the door, and then finally there is...well, Psyber is a fairly tall guy, so he's eye level with a pale girl that isn't the one he might be expecting, especially since she's taller, and has enormous gauntlets on either arm -- or maybe those are her arms. How did she retain enough manual dexterity to even open the door without breaking it? "..." Her pale eyes study him for a time, before some recognition dawns, and she steps away from the door to un-bar it, "In-side." There's your security, a Tsu-class light cruiser escort.
Guest Psyber	"HI W- oah. You are not Wo. Hi," Psyber says in surprise, getting ready to greet Wo and only finding that she has door security since the last time he met. The aircraft carrier seems to be moving up in authority, scope, and influence. He's internally glad he got in on the ground floor of that particular friendship between the two of them. After a few moments, he nods to her and then steps in past the cruiser. He seems relatively adaptive and quickly just accepts the intimidating girl with the gauntlets on. He shouts into the interior, "Hey Wo! I brought some crab cakes for you! I figured we could catch up and you could tell me what you've been up to over food!" He holds up the bag of precious cargo a bit and gets a good look of the interior. He may just be talking to air, but a few moments later, he adds, "Oh. And I saw your decorations. Are you going to be coming by the office for Thanksgiving this week? I'd love to have you." It's a big American Holiday, Wo. It beckons you.
Wo	The Tsu-class closes the door behind, the standard door handle seeming way too small for those enormous hands-or-gauntlets, but she seems to have no trouble. The interior is actually not that much warmer than outside, due to the Abyssal ships within not needing to keep the heat turned up, but it's at least sheltered from the stinging drizzle, and is not quite so cold that every breath turns into a fog cloud. Despite that, there are sounds coming from further inside, along where the short hall branches into the closet and a kitchen and dining area, more toward what would probably be the living room. It's the sound of a currently popular, young adult television program on the cable network Bizney, and should Psyber step further in that direction, he would find an I-class destroyer resting on a beanbag seat in front of the modest flatscreen. It lets out what might almost be a cute giggle, if not for the reverb and hissing sounds, at a corny joke. And there is Wo, on the sofa, whom had apparently just stirred at the sounds of the approach. She's in the civilian sort of clothing that Psyber had seen once or twice before; still her general style, but able to blend in better. Her flight deck and cape can be seen supported on a hanger rack, nearby, just in case. "Ah...Psy-ber," she walks up to greet him properly. "Sorry, I wasn't...ex-pecting company." The place is an absolute mess, by which Wo's standards are mainly that a few books have been left out, and the plate of snacks for the I-class hasn't been cleaned up yet. She glances to his bag for a moment, then gives a nod of her head. "I don't have, any plans. And, the decor-ations...the destroyers like them." Kids are still kids, you know, but she hasn't the faintest idea what gift you buy for an abyssal destroyer, despite being around them so much. After a few seconds, she begins stepping toward the kitchen and dining room that had been passed before. It's a decent place for Psyber to unload what he was carrying, as well as get things sorted out, physically and verbally. The Tsu-class from before seems to have invited herself in, as well, though she mainly remains standing to the side. "This is, Tsu," Wo says, realizing that the two hadn't properly met, despite the light cruiser's extensive service record. "She's...in progress. But, nice." The tall girl remains quiet during this.
Guest Psyber	"Ah, you do seem to have settled in alright," Psyber looks around carefully and takes in the sight of the interior of the cottage. He eventually crosses his arms and looks towards the Tsu-class, nodding his head at her, "Hi, Tsu! It's really nice to meet you. My name is Psyber. Any friend of Wo's is a friend of mine. Please feel free to come to me any time you need help." Psyber looks around for a bit and then sits down in a chair that looks empty, leaning forward to place the bag down next to Wo. It has delicious-smelling crabcakes in it, "Please, do feel free to stop by my offices this Thursday and we will celebrate your first Thanksgiving. I would love it if you could come and spend the evening with me. It's not too far for you to travel." He implores her a bit, though doesn't want to pressure the somewhat wallflower carrier. "You seem to be building quite the following, Wo. Tell me what you've been up to these past few months."
Wo	There isn't much for Tsu to do or say in this regard. She's much better getting her thoughts across through typing things out than actually speaking. Instead, she simply raises one of the large gloves as a means to respond. After being satisfied, seemingly, with the arrangements as they are, the cruiser ducks back out of the kitchen, almost literally, and heavily steps back toward the living room area. "I've been...ana-lyzing her equipment," Wo says, in that off-the-record tone of voice. "It matches, the Atlanta class. ...but, un-less she remembers, herself, there is no way...of know-ing." Still, that likely pins another American into Psyber's town. "Just in case, don't men-tion it to any-one." With that out of the way, though, Wo takes a seat at the table Psyber had, which has been sandwiched in to the somewhat limited area of the kitchen. It's cozy, to say the least, and there's only room for three people, or others, at a time. The bag is withdrawn and its contents carefully examined. It seems that she doesn't really cue off smells as people would, as there's no distinctive breaths to catch the aroma. Though, she at least recognizes them as edible items. "Thanksgiving..." Judging by the length of her drawing the holiday's name out, she hadn't really thought much about it. She's certainly aware of the customs surrounding it, since it's been all over the I-class' television specials, but there was seemingly little for Abyssals to be thankful for. "May-be. There will be the, sur-face bird?" As for the following, she hesitates a bit on that, while she draws the gloves from her pale hands, since it's not good manners to eat with them on. "There are, a few, that think like I do," she allows. "That, may-be...Samar was wrong, about some things." That kind of language might have once shaken the very earth beneath their feet, as a gigantic symbiote hand reached through to shake more sense into the carrier. Yet, what once might have been voiced only in softer terms now has more conviction behind it. "The surface people, are still wrong, too. But...there was, some-thing going on. It feels like, to get our an-swers...we need to do it, a-lone." She glances over, toward where the Tsu-class had last been, "We are...still few, and I love all my sis-ters deeply, but I must save, what I can. That is...where I am."
Guest Psyber	"Whoever she becomes, as long as she's happy in whatever form, that is most important, I think. I've always thought that, Wo." Psyber says he leans back in the chair. He's not lying to her, either. This has been the stance Psyber had since the day he rescued Kongou from the ocean as a Ko-Class. That he just wants each ship to be happy, regardless of their form. Snapping out of a few moments of thought, he looks towards her, "Yes. There will be turkey. And probably stuffing. And some corn. And I think we're gonna do mashed potatoes. And uh... I think probably gravy. Maybe ham too." Psyber rubs the underside of his chin as he considers it, "It's meant to gather together all the friends who are most important to you to be thankful for them." "Hey, if you're thinking of going your own way, can I ask you a favor?" Psyber asks her suddenly, looking serious, "Darwin. I want you to get her out of there. She's much too nice for the kind of war-like situation that Samar is putting people into. She's the one I really want you to save."
Wo	"I feel...the same," Wo agrees. As painful as it is to see them leave 'the family,' as it were, part of her promise to Nagato, as part of her own New Deal, was to support the recovery of those that wanted to find their own way. Those that were showing the signs of being ready, like that other Wo, not so long ago. "No one, should be forced...to fight. I still feel, that Sa-mar cares for us, in her own...way. But, by smothering them...they al-so can not grow." She takes a deep breath after this. The conditioning was deep, and it has taken almost a year of distancing to be able to put it even that calmly, and she reaches up a hand to rub at her head. The shared song that she spoke of so often is still there, and will likely continue to be for some time. She's simply become better able to compartmentalize it, like one might tinnitus. The contrast of ligthhearted conversation about holiday dinners is somewhat welcome, since it helps break up and punctuate that, and makes it easier to manage. After that wave passes, Wo is much less tense again, as she withdraws some plates and tableware, both for herself and for Psyber. She at least knows better than to eat with her hands, now. "...hmm, then, perhaps Tsu-class, as well. It will be...good for her." And probably won't create quite as much trouble as the time they all tried to get the Ri-class out for socializing. "We have, our differences. But...it will still, be nice. To see some of 'them' again." And perhaps even meet some new faces in the process! There's another pause as she withdraws what looks like a salt or pepper shaker, but which as its contents are sprinkled, Psyber would recognize as steel shavings. Tsk. Around a bite of food, Wo looks thoughtful, then has a bit more difficulty swallowing when he not only successfully guesses what she might be planning, but also makes his request. It's not quite choking -- it's doubtful her kind can physically do so. While her expression is still subdued, there's a slight pain to it, as she finally finishes and is able to speak again, "It is...com-plicated. Darwin is, gentle. She is...the one I feel, would most i-dentify with this, and is well loved. But...it may not, be easy. To pry her a-way. Much as it was, for me. It is a-bout, family." It's obvious from her stare, now directed away from Psyber and into the distance, that she had felt the same, but hadn't arrived on a certain way to get her out of there. "...I may need, your help. For this, and for Dar-win. If she can be con-vinced...there is something worth pro-tecting, that there will be less pain, then...may-be."
Guest Psyber	Psyber nods his head, "Tsu-class is definitely welcome. Your destroyers can come play with the Fourth, as well." Psyber says firmly. The office building is definitely big enough to accomodate all of them and he doesn't want Wo's charges to be un-looked-after for the time she'll be at his office. That eliminates the purpose of thanksgiving in the first place. And then the conversation turns a bit more serious. Psyber rests his chin in his hands and looks across the table at Wo. As much as Kongou, Psyber considered Wo a part of his, personal, Navy. One of the two ships he would do almost anything for and go out of his way to help. That's why his answer comes with almost no hesitation, "Of course I will." "Wo. No matter where you go and who you become, I want you to know I consider you my carrier." Psyber tells her seriously, staring at the girl across the table, "I mean. Not my property, but like... if I'm an Admiral, you're one of the two most valuable ships I know. If you need my help on something, don't ever hesitate to ask for it. I will try my best to come through for you every time."
Wo	There's a heart inside Wo. Maybe it doesn't serve the same purpose as it does in a human being. She could probably reach in and rip it out right this moment if she wanted, and still be up and walking around, if not a bit injured from the process. It nonetheless manages to be stirred a beat or two, with a strange bluish-purple tint coming to Wo's cheeks, with her eyes widening just a bit. It's more that it took her by surprise to hear that, though, rather than being a romantic kind of feeling. She has had friends, certainly, but it's still a new thing to hear those kinds of words, especially from a surface dweller like Psyber. It's probably a good thing she didn't have a bite of food in her mouth about to be swallowed, at the moment. "Mm," she utters, having to think of how she should respond, not being quite so free-flowing in thought and heart as Psyber. There's a weird puffing of air, as she looks down at the table surface. Had the half-angel spoken a bit too much at once? The weird huffing then takes on a distinctive tone, which is, laughter? It's trying desperately to be stifled, but she can't help it, even if it never rises to be a bellowing guffaw or even much of a giggle. When she finally does look up, her mouth is contorted into an actual, if subtle smile, one that her fingers don't have to make. "You're the sort...that just speaks what, he wants. Psy-ber." She reaches a hand up to her mouth to stifle the rest of the laugh behind it, as she regains her more usual composure. "It's...clum-sy, but a part that, makes you different. From most surface, people." Now that she's finally caught her breath, she gives a nod of her head, "I'll be count-ing on you, then." Unseen, the Tsu-class from before stands motionless in the hallway, having been ready to hand a paper she'd been working on to Wo. She overheard much of it, but how she processes it is indecipherable, as her face is still that stoney mask that Wo once had. She thinks for a moment, then leaves it alone, for now. It's nothing too vital yet.