No, compared to what she left back home, this is...
Well. Besides the faintest twitch from her mouth, there is no comment following that statement.
And despite the question posed to her, Sakura grows mute for a few seconds longer than is probably polite, only rousing herself back into the conversation after a careful sidestep, avoiding a collision with one of the many people now flooding into the conference room. It presses her slightly closer to her companion than she anticipates, but if nothing else, she's not so meanspirited as to use the opportunity to dart into the crowd]
Part of Fuyuki could be considered a city... across the river. There are many shops and businesses on that side. [Another pause, and then a delicate dip of her head]
I never really went there, so...
[For her, yes. It might as well have been a small pond.
It's nothing worth dwelling over, in her eyes. So once again, she moves the conversation along with far more assertiveness than she expects of herself (if only because she will wither the moment she's faced with an awkward pause.)]
[ he doesn't seem to mind; he doesn't even acknowledge it, in fact. It's to be expected with the crowds. Similarly, despite her fear of awkward pauses, Bucciarati seems perfectly fine with them - her long silence in the meanwhile as she formulates her answer passes by without even a flinch in his expression. Awkwardness, in general, is not something he's sensitive to. For better or for worse. ]
Mm. Not so much the city itself, but the people. There are a lot of us on this ship, but there's no replacing the neighborhood.
[ or his small circle of friends-slash-employees, for that matter, but he made his peace with leaving them long ago; now it's only a bittersweet ache to remember them. ]
It's unusual to never visit the other side of town. [ a pause. ] Were you afraid?
[ of crime, perhaps? the irony would be pretty thick. ]
[The concept of a neighborhood -- of any type of shared camaraderie between people, really -- is so alien that Sakura can only glance at Bruno from the corner of her eyes, a little mystified.
And that is to say nothing of the follow-up question. It isn't the type of inquiry she's expecting, and so rather than a pause, a half-truth stumbles from her mouth before she can consider it properly:]
Oh-- no, I--
[An abrupt pause, and then a slight cant of her shoulders into a shrug]
I don't... um, there was no one to go with. [Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, gaze blank and forward] What I mean is, I just kept to myself growing up, so there was no reason to visit the city.
[ this type of disconnect from society is nothing new to him; he's surrounded by people with history like this, or he was before he was on a spaceship, anyway. It's not like he was a particularly sociable kid, either. Unlike him, however, Sakura's answer makes him suspect that her homebody nature wasn't something she chose for herself. Parent trouble, perhaps - another problem that's nothing new to him. Regardless, he doesn't miss a beat, despite her awkward demeanor. ]
I see. Well, it's certainly no place to go alone.
[ just because it would be ironic if she was afraid doesn't mean it wouldn't also be sensible... although he's heard Japan is a pretty peaceful place. ]
It's nothing to be ashamed of. We don't choose where we're born. [ he looks over at her. ] If you're interested, I'm sure you'll get your chance to explore soon enough. Although an alien city might be even more intimidating.
[ as he speaks, his attention is drawn, briefly, to a beeping noise emanating from one of the ship attendant's communicators; it's not particularly loud, but he doesn't think he's heard that particular tone before, though it stops when they lift the device up to their ear. Time to go, maybe...? ]
... Maybe in the vague sense of being surrounded by a culture that is not her own, on a world that sees her as the alien, but Sakura is on a mission: find this girl with Bruno, and then make herself scarce. Once she's fulfilled her promise, it's likely she'll never see either of them again by virtue of refusing to leave her room unless absolutely necessary.
But she doesn't miss how Bruno's attention wanders for a brief second. Slowing her step, she glances around him and stares, wondering, at the ship attendant]
... Are we getting ready to leave already?
[If so -- this complicates matters. Her hope was to find this mystery girl before the mission started, not after. Their chances might dwindle if they're out on the field.]
at her question, his brow furrows, and he shakes his head faintly. ]
No... I don't think so.
[ on what basis does he not think so? Well, none, really, other than the fact that it's still early for them to be leaving - he has absolutely no idea what the protocol is for flying a spaceship, even a little one, despite his attempts to try and absorb some knowledge. They could be doing anything. Maybe they're ready to go early.
For a moment, that does seem to be the case. The operator says something into the communicator that Bucciarati can't make out, then lifts a hand, calling for everyone to start coming forward. He glances over at Sakura briefly, then, with the faintest of shrugs, starts to walk forward. Time to start brainstorming a better excuse to stick with her. She's definitely going to try and escape the first chance she gets - he can tell.
Unfortunately, he doesn't have much time for brainstorming. Out of nowhere, the entire deck suddenly shifts under his (and everyone's) feet as the ship itself shakes mightily, accompanied by a low and not-so-distant industrial grinding sound the likes of which he's never heard. Barely, he keeps his footing, one hand shooting out to grab her upper arm instinctively so she can keep hers, too. ]
What?!
[ that's all he gets out before a loud klaxon begins to blare. Clearly, something just happened... ]
We even have Exhibit A on why she should never bother socializing when this is what it gets her -- nearly jolted to the floor as the ship shakes (a collision?), barely managing to squeak out a sound of panic before Bruno has a hand on her arm. She's too frozen to be of much use, and once the sirens blare, her eyes remain wide-eyed and glazed.]
A-Ah--
[And that's of course when the chaos begins anew. The more panicked members of the group yell for explanations, and hordes of people are already shifting for the exits. It's for the best that Bruno has a grip on her; a stampede might break out if no one gives the crowd some answers.]
[ he doesn't respond - his attention is already split between the rumblings of the crowd, the flustered attendant trying to keep everyone orderly (while clearly being bewildered herself), and the grinding noise, which hasn't ceased, though it's quieted from the initial impact. The operator has a hand raised, and she's talking loudly over the group, telling everyone to start boarding, something which they're all too happy to do. Bucciarati keeps a firm grip on Sakura's arm as the sea of other transplants begins to sweep towards the secondary ship's docking entrance. He himself, however, isn't moving.
It would not do to get caught in a crush on the way into the ship. Besides, he has a bad feeling about all of this. After a moment of crowd-jostling, he looks over at her again, stern expression not entirely concealing his slight anxiety. ]
... Stay close. I have a way for us to get out. You might not understand what you see, but you can't--
[ whatever he's about to say is interrupted by the grinding sound coming to a head; suddenly, a piece of metal plating rockets from the floor into the ceiling, embedding itself there, as some kind of enormous tube-like structure pulses up from the bottom of the ship. It looks halfway between a tree root and an enormous leech, and as it surges up into the open space, it begins leaning over until it flops onto the deck with a wet noise. The sight is disgusting, but not entirely unfamiliar. The imperial fleet, after all, was an entity, its ships living, and while he's never seen this particular... thing, he recognizes the "design," such as it is. They're under attack right now. The others recognize it too, clearly; panic sets in, with some immediately rushing towards the ship and others pushing forward to fight. A bulge can be seen pushing through the root, like food swallowed by a snake, undoubtedly containing imperial soldiers prepared to fight as soon as they're spit out. ]
She should be brought to her knees in terror. A number of her fellow civilians are already doing their best to rush for the exits, for the walls if it will grant them escape, and a distant part of mind agrees with their panic. The organic nature of the ships is usually just a passing thought for those living upon them; having to see the squirming proof of their sentience is jarring, like having the walls of your home turned against you.
... Maybe that's why she can only manage a stiff, blank expression of discomfort at that root that reminds her of so many of the worms she saw in her childhood. Hideous in its familiarity. A reminder to keep a tight reign on her crest before it smells the danger its host is in.
There's a tug on Bruno's arm. Apparently, she is not eager to leave his side anymore.]
We have to go.
[To where, she doesn't know. Is it possible to escape when so many soldiers will be vomited into the room? Running might be a delayed death under these circumstances, but he promised her escape. So she waits patiently amongst the chaos, eyes quietly turned on him]
[ he's expecting her to panic, considering how she'd seemed nervous simply talking to him before - he's nervous, even if he's keeping a cool head. But no - she's completely straight-faced. There's little doubt in his mind that this reaction could only result from a difficult past; even so, he sees it as a mark of strength. It's a sign she learned to survive. She won't be waiting on him long; he doesn't bother replying, instead calling out his Stand at once, which launches a fist at the ground. The impact leaves in its wake what looks like a giant zipper - and it's soon proven to be exactly that as it opens up of its own accord. Bruno doesn't waste any time, tightening his grip on Sakura's arm and jumping through it with her.
It's fortunate that he has a general idea of how the ship is laid out, even if he doesn't understand the details. How much of this was purely luck will stay with him. After passing briefly through a sort of liminal space, they pop out approximately a floor below, dropping down onto what looks like a sort of engineering tunnel. The sound of the alarm is echoing even in the narrow hallway. The crowds, however, are gone; they're alone in the passage, save for the trunk of one of the roots coursing from the floor through the ceiling towards the area they just left. ]
This way. We can get in through the back. If nothing else, there should be escape pods.
[-- And to think, Sakura had the nerve to assume the surprises would end at a sentient root nearly dissecting their space ship.
But no, now there's a strange creature punching zippers into the floor. Bruno gives her no quarter, either, immediately dragging her through what she can only assume is a dimensional pocket (???), one that spits them out at a predetermined location and would have left her stumbling if not for Bruno's grip on her arm.]
Wha--?
[She has so many, many complaints about all of this (all of which would go straight over her companion's head, he's not a magus, he wouldn't understand why this is a cosmically sick joke she's been shown) -- but there is no time for it, the hallway won't stay clear forever. Even though the idea of having to escape into the vastness of space leaves her heart in her throat, Sakura doesn't dawdle in her haste. She has to survive.
It's the only thing she knows how to do.]
B-but what about your friend? The girl?
[Looking wildly over her shoulder as she follows the other. Listen, she cannot say with confidence that she'd be willing to turn back for a stranger, but at the very least, it seems important to remind Bruno, no matter the iron grip she has on the back of his jacket]
[ so there is a limit to what she'll just silently accept - he supposes that if anything were too strange to believe, it would be Stands, especially if one can't actually see what's happening, as Bucciarati assumes she can't. She's given him no reason to think she's got anything to do with the supernatural at all. Once they're back on solid ground, he takes a step forward, though he keeps a firm grasp on her arm. ]
It's a power I have. Don't be afraid.
[ that's all he offers in explanation - the rest can come later if she needs to hear it. He starts moving, hurrying with her in tow around the unsettling alien structure lodged through the flooring. Distantly above, the sounds of gunfire can be heard.
It doesn't feel good to leave people up there, but he's not stupid enough to think he can save everyone by himself. Were he to run back in, he'd just get himself killed. There's no one up there that he knows is depending on him - despite Sakura's urgent question. He glances over his shoulder at her, briefly. ]
[Mouth dropping open in slight shock, only for her teeth to click shut when another rumble of gunfire thunders overhead. Her heart trembles inside her ribcage -- not from panic, not yet, she can't afford to drown in fear, but there's suddenly too many variables that require her attention, and that's to say nothing of that steady, unyielding grip on her arm. For whatever reason, Bruno means to prioritize her life.]
I don't understand, why me--
[She knows it's childish to want an answer when all their efforts should be focused on escape. The question slips out anyway, unbidden, and then is soon lost in a second rumble of noise when the parasitic structure begin to bulge outward in their corridor, like it's ready to rupture out a new wave of soldiers if they don't hurry.
If nothing else, that is all the motivation Sakura needs to stay quiet and keep pace, blindly following wherever Bruno chooses to lead her.]
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no subject
No, compared to what she left back home, this is...
Well. Besides the faintest twitch from her mouth, there is no comment following that statement.
And despite the question posed to her, Sakura grows mute for a few seconds longer than is probably polite, only rousing herself back into the conversation after a careful sidestep, avoiding a collision with one of the many people now flooding into the conference room. It presses her slightly closer to her companion than she anticipates, but if nothing else, she's not so meanspirited as to use the opportunity to dart into the crowd]
Part of Fuyuki could be considered a city... across the river. There are many shops and businesses on that side. [Another pause, and then a delicate dip of her head]
I never really went there, so...
[For her, yes. It might as well have been a small pond.
It's nothing worth dwelling over, in her eyes. So once again, she moves the conversation along with far more assertiveness than she expects of herself (if only because she will wither the moment she's faced with an awkward pause.)]
Do you miss it? Being in a city, I mean...
no subject
Mm. Not so much the city itself, but the people. There are a lot of us on this ship, but there's no replacing the neighborhood.
[ or his small circle of friends-slash-employees, for that matter, but he made his peace with leaving them long ago; now it's only a bittersweet ache to remember them. ]
It's unusual to never visit the other side of town. [ a pause. ] Were you afraid?
[ of crime, perhaps? the irony would be pretty thick. ]
no subject
And that is to say nothing of the follow-up question. It isn't the type of inquiry she's expecting, and so rather than a pause, a half-truth stumbles from her mouth before she can consider it properly:]
Oh-- no, I--
[An abrupt pause, and then a slight cant of her shoulders into a shrug]
I don't... um, there was no one to go with. [Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, gaze blank and forward] What I mean is, I just kept to myself growing up, so there was no reason to visit the city.
no subject
I see. Well, it's certainly no place to go alone.
[ just because it would be ironic if she was afraid doesn't mean it wouldn't also be sensible... although he's heard Japan is a pretty peaceful place. ]
It's nothing to be ashamed of. We don't choose where we're born. [ he looks over at her. ] If you're interested, I'm sure you'll get your chance to explore soon enough. Although an alien city might be even more intimidating.
[ as he speaks, his attention is drawn, briefly, to a beeping noise emanating from one of the ship attendant's communicators; it's not particularly loud, but he doesn't think he's heard that particular tone before, though it stops when they lift the device up to their ear. Time to go, maybe...? ]
no subject
... Maybe in the vague sense of being surrounded by a culture that is not her own, on a world that sees her as the alien, but Sakura is on a mission: find this girl with Bruno, and then make herself scarce. Once she's fulfilled her promise, it's likely she'll never see either of them again by virtue of refusing to leave her room unless absolutely necessary.
But she doesn't miss how Bruno's attention wanders for a brief second. Slowing her step, she glances around him and stares, wondering, at the ship attendant]
... Are we getting ready to leave already?
[If so -- this complicates matters. Her hope was to find this mystery girl before the mission started, not after. Their chances might dwindle if they're out on the field.]
no subject
at her question, his brow furrows, and he shakes his head faintly. ]
No... I don't think so.
[ on what basis does he not think so? Well, none, really, other than the fact that it's still early for them to be leaving - he has absolutely no idea what the protocol is for flying a spaceship, even a little one, despite his attempts to try and absorb some knowledge. They could be doing anything. Maybe they're ready to go early.
For a moment, that does seem to be the case. The operator says something into the communicator that Bucciarati can't make out, then lifts a hand, calling for everyone to start coming forward. He glances over at Sakura briefly, then, with the faintest of shrugs, starts to walk forward. Time to start brainstorming a better excuse to stick with her. She's definitely going to try and escape the first chance she gets - he can tell.
Unfortunately, he doesn't have much time for brainstorming. Out of nowhere, the entire deck suddenly shifts under his (and everyone's) feet as the ship itself shakes mightily, accompanied by a low and not-so-distant industrial grinding sound the likes of which he's never heard. Barely, he keeps his footing, one hand shooting out to grab her upper arm instinctively so she can keep hers, too. ]
What?!
[ that's all he gets out before a loud klaxon begins to blare. Clearly, something just happened... ]
no subject
We even have Exhibit A on why she should never bother socializing when this is what it gets her -- nearly jolted to the floor as the ship shakes (a collision?), barely managing to squeak out a sound of panic before Bruno has a hand on her arm. She's too frozen to be of much use, and once the sirens blare, her eyes remain wide-eyed and glazed.]
A-Ah--
[And that's of course when the chaos begins anew. The more panicked members of the group yell for explanations, and hordes of people are already shifting for the exits. It's for the best that Bruno has a grip on her; a stampede might break out if no one gives the crowd some answers.]
B-bruno-san, should we leave?
no subject
It would not do to get caught in a crush on the way into the ship. Besides, he has a bad feeling about all of this. After a moment of crowd-jostling, he looks over at her again, stern expression not entirely concealing his slight anxiety. ]
... Stay close. I have a way for us to get out. You might not understand what you see, but you can't--
[ whatever he's about to say is interrupted by the grinding sound coming to a head; suddenly, a piece of metal plating rockets from the floor into the ceiling, embedding itself there, as some kind of enormous tube-like structure pulses up from the bottom of the ship. It looks halfway between a tree root and an enormous leech, and as it surges up into the open space, it begins leaning over until it flops onto the deck with a wet noise. The sight is disgusting, but not entirely unfamiliar. The imperial fleet, after all, was an entity, its ships living, and while he's never seen this particular... thing, he recognizes the "design," such as it is. They're under attack right now. The others recognize it too, clearly; panic sets in, with some immediately rushing towards the ship and others pushing forward to fight. A bulge can be seen pushing through the root, like food swallowed by a snake, undoubtedly containing imperial soldiers prepared to fight as soon as they're spit out. ]
GOOD LORD
She should be brought to her knees in terror. A number of her fellow civilians are already doing their best to rush for the exits, for the walls if it will grant them escape, and a distant part of mind agrees with their panic. The organic nature of the ships is usually just a passing thought for those living upon them; having to see the squirming proof of their sentience is jarring, like having the walls of your home turned against you.
... Maybe that's why she can only manage a stiff, blank expression of discomfort at that root that reminds her of so many of the worms she saw in her childhood. Hideous in its familiarity. A reminder to keep a tight reign on her crest before it smells the danger its host is in.
There's a tug on Bruno's arm. Apparently, she is not eager to leave his side anymore.]
We have to go.
[To where, she doesn't know. Is it possible to escape when so many soldiers will be vomited into the room? Running might be a delayed death under these circumstances, but he promised her escape. So she waits patiently amongst the chaos, eyes quietly turned on him]
ME SLAPPIN THE DANGER BUTTON
It's fortunate that he has a general idea of how the ship is laid out, even if he doesn't understand the details. How much of this was purely luck will stay with him. After passing briefly through a sort of liminal space, they pop out approximately a floor below, dropping down onto what looks like a sort of engineering tunnel. The sound of the alarm is echoing even in the narrow hallway. The crowds, however, are gone; they're alone in the passage, save for the trunk of one of the roots coursing from the floor through the ceiling towards the area they just left. ]
This way. We can get in through the back. If nothing else, there should be escape pods.
[ but they better hurry... ]
no subject
But no, now there's a strange creature punching zippers into the floor. Bruno gives her no quarter, either, immediately dragging her through what she can only assume is a dimensional pocket (???), one that spits them out at a predetermined location and would have left her stumbling if not for Bruno's grip on her arm.]
Wha--?
[She has so many, many complaints about all of this (all of which would go straight over her companion's head, he's not a magus, he wouldn't understand why this is a cosmically sick joke she's been shown) -- but there is no time for it, the hallway won't stay clear forever. Even though the idea of having to escape into the vastness of space leaves her heart in her throat, Sakura doesn't dawdle in her haste. She has to survive.
It's the only thing she knows how to do.]
B-but what about your friend? The girl?
[Looking wildly over her shoulder as she follows the other. Listen, she cannot say with confidence that she'd be willing to turn back for a stranger, but at the very least, it seems important to remind Bruno, no matter the iron grip she has on the back of his jacket]
UERGH i'm alive
It's a power I have. Don't be afraid.
[ that's all he offers in explanation - the rest can come later if she needs to hear it. He starts moving, hurrying with her in tow around the unsettling alien structure lodged through the flooring. Distantly above, the sounds of gunfire can be heard.
It doesn't feel good to leave people up there, but he's not stupid enough to think he can save everyone by himself. Were he to run back in, he'd just get himself killed. There's no one up there that he knows is depending on him - despite Sakura's urgent question. He glances over his shoulder at her, briefly. ]
That was a lie.
no subject
[Mouth dropping open in slight shock, only for her teeth to click shut when another rumble of gunfire thunders overhead. Her heart trembles inside her ribcage -- not from panic, not yet, she can't afford to drown in fear, but there's suddenly too many variables that require her attention, and that's to say nothing of that steady, unyielding grip on her arm. For whatever reason, Bruno means to prioritize her life.]
I don't understand, why me--
[She knows it's childish to want an answer when all their efforts should be focused on escape. The question slips out anyway, unbidden, and then is soon lost in a second rumble of noise when the parasitic structure begin to bulge outward in their corridor, like it's ready to rupture out a new wave of soldiers if they don't hurry.
If nothing else, that is all the motivation Sakura needs to stay quiet and keep pace, blindly following wherever Bruno chooses to lead her.]