D1 MA Expecting - Horses of a Feather...Fly Together?

[Shinjo Suh-Hyun]

Suh-Hyun blushes a little when the offer was accepted. She smiles, "No I guess it doesn't"

The Shinjo buckles herself and watches the Utaku began preflight checks, "It does seem a quieter place, I got a decent look at the planet from the station."

"An idol and a witch-hunter sounds like one of those melodramas," She chuckles, "What group was the karo wit before coming here? I have heard that's a pretty rough business. Didn't one of those Crane pretty boys in Usagi Drop have a public fight with Susumu Yakumo?"

Her eyes shifted to the window as speed was gained, feeling the familiar rush as the plane started to lift off the water.

"Rumors about the beach? The good kind or the bad kind?"

[Utaku Itsuka]

"Must've missed that fight, I guess. Yakamo... is that the first public fight she got into?" She shrugs. "I'm not really much of an idol person, but Umiko-dono... Aoi48. The one that sometimes sounds like they had 48 different formations already, you know? Maybe more than 48... Wouldn't know. But yeah, she was in it until..." she does the mental math, and you see her expression darken a bit, just for a moment. "Three years ago, I guess. huh."

They start flying parallel to the coast, the plane tilts right, then left, then right again. They start seeing some shapes in the horizon, the larger one in the horizon, a bit to their left and far in the distance, probably corresponding to Mt Jinsei.

"I've always found it a good place to live, really. Not always calm, I guess. The plan seems to be to increase the hustle and bustle too. But still..." she looks outside the window, falls quiet for a long while.

"Oh. Azuma Beach. More superstition than rumours, I guess? Most locals find it ominous, as it apparently reminds them of ancient stories about the cursed lands." She shrugs. "Made it easier to find a good spot for the Wherever, I suppose. So I'll count it as blessing."

She points at a darker area, somewhere to their left. "That part's mostly wet forests, then some miles across it and to the west you'll find Namigashira Bay. Won't fly too close to it on our way to Mt Jinsei, but we may be able to see it on the way back."

She falls silent again for a moment before speaking again. "I wonder what kind of views other investors are bringing to the island."

(Note: If you don't have something specific in mind to bring up here, we might fade to small talk at some point and get another thread going in a future day )

[Shinjo Suh-Hyun]

"Honestly I am not that up on idol news either," Suh-Hyun takes in the sights. "But some of my squadron mates were fully in the whole subculture around idols. You'd be surprised how quickly your stoic kinfolk turn into giggling fans when you bring up their favorite groups."

"Utaku-san," The Shinjo's tone grew serious, "I don't know what happened to you exactly but I've seen that look you have before. I'd wager I've felt some of the pain behind it. I won't pry into your business but your a Unicorn. We have always been something of the outsiders and we have always turned to each when needed. If you need anything or even want anything from me, I'll offer it as best I am able. We may not be related by blood but all of us are family."

She looks away. "I just wanted to remind you, you aren't alone out here."

[Utaku Itsuka]

The scenery keeps on rolling gently, first mostly to their left, then eventually all around as they turn left and follow the course of a river north towards the inner part of the island, the shadow of Mt Jinsei now considerably closer and to their right.

For a long time after the Shinjo's words, no answer comes. Not directly, at least. If she looked at Itsuka, Suh-Hyun would see her looking away, as if following the sun's path towards the west, then back. At one point, her eyes drift towards the Shinjo, but recede. Twice, it seems like she's about to say something, then falls silent again.

"I don't..." her voice finally starts, but stops again before a sentence is formed. She looks east towards their target, points the plane's nose down a bit, closer to the river, but still a good distance from the ground, and starts following the course of the water more closely for some time. As soon as the path is steadied, she shakes her head slightly, a very faint smile maybe on her lips.

"... Thanks, Shinjo-san.", she finally says. "Family..." she shakes her head again. "It's... not easy. But thank you nonetheless. And, at least while you're here, please count on me as well."

She falls silent for a long time again, the roar of the propeller and the wind the only sounds around them.

"... how did you dull it?" She finally says again. "The pain. And.... the uncertainty? I imagine you're no stranger to it as well, ne, Shinjo-san?"

[Shinjo Suh-Hyun]

"I had friends, grief shared is like any other burden," She answered, willing herself to look at the Utaku. Her own memories weren't pleasant. "And of course there was duty. Some of us left the carrier, some never came back. Time in the mess hall remembering the friend lost to the void. Watching their name disappear from the duty rotation. Then back out again."

"We didn't lose people every time, or indeed most of the time," Her eyes dropped to the control panel, "But there was always that fear. Sort of an unspoken question. 'Is this our last drink, laugh, meal together?' You just had to push it out and stay focused on the mission."

She reaches over and places a hand on the other woman's shoulder, "It wasn't the healthiest coping mechanism but it got me, and I suspect a few others, through the tour."

"I wish I had better advice." Suh-Hyun added as her hand slipped and went back to her own lap. She turned her head to watch the ground, for a moment. The pilot had made peace with many of her own demons a while ago, but dredging them up had hurt. Penance for inflicting pain on a fellow Unicorn, she wagered. Her eyes briefly shifting back to the Utaku.

[Utaku Itsuka]

"I had friends, grief shared is like any other burden," She answered, willing herself to look at the Utaku. Her own memories weren't pleasant. "And of course there was duty. Some of us left the carrier, some never came back. Time in the mess hall remembering the friend lost to the void. Watching their name disappear from the duty rotation. Then back out again."

"We didn't lose people every time, or indeed most of the time," Her eyes dropped to the control panel, "But there was always that fear. Sort of an unspoken question. 'Is this our last drink, laugh, meal together?' You just had to push it out and stay focused on the mission."

She reaches over and places a hand on the other woman's shoulder, "It wasn't the healthiest coping mechanism but it got me, and I suspect a few others, through the tour."

"I wish I had better advice." Suh-Hyun added as her hand slipped and went back to her own lap. She turned her head to watch the ground, for a moment. The pilot had made peace with many of her own demons a while ago, but dredging them up had hurt. Penance for inflicting pain on a fellow Unicorn, she wagered. Her eyes briefly shifting back to the Utaku.

The Utaku listens to the Shinjo's words in thoughtful silence, nods along, blinks, her otherwise blank face this time clearly showing compassion.

"That..." she tries to start speaking, but stops halfway. Shakes her head slightly. "Before here, I'd been mostly on courier missions. There was a... similar feeling... but much rarer." She says this matter-of factly, it almost sound like she's not quite talking about her own life. She lowers her head slightly. "It.... I'm sorry, Shinjo-sama. And thank you. It's good advice, Even if..."

She shakes her head slightly.

"One shouldn't attach oneself too much. We heard that from a tender age. And still..." She shakes her head again, falls silent again, then finally repeats.

"Thank you, Shinjo-sama. Really, for everything. And please count on me as well."

[Shinjo Suh-Hyun]

Suh-Hyun considered saying more, how she had seen that hollow expression on squadron mates who had lost more then a friend. How some of them had filled it with hatred, throwing themselves at the enemy to inflict as much pain as possible. She shook her head and finally just said, "Utaku are fierce warriors, pain or no I never doubted you."

She looks out the window, "What about that mountain over there? Is it the volcano I have been hearing about?"

/Fade to Small talk and scene?

[Utaku Itsuka]

(/fade to small talk! Thanks for the scene )