002; i'm pulling my questions from my shelf

[truthvalue]

Who: Souji Seta and ... you???
Broadcast: Network; open
Action: Marsiva; kitchen; open
When: The evening of the 12th.

[Souji turns on the camera, gives it an absent glance, then sets it off to the side before returning his attention to the simmering pot on the stove in front of him.]

Seta here ... I have a question. I'm wondering, is it possible - assuming we eventually return to our assigned ships - to transfer to a different one?

[He taps the stirring spoon on the edge of the pot, then replaces the lid and turns the heat down to just below simmer.]

Also, there's a new pot of stew in the kitchen. Please come by if you're hungry.

Comments

[truthvalue]

[Souji sees that, and he pushes a reassuring smile onto his face. See? Nothing wrong here.]

It's all right. It didn't happen to her, and she doesn't know about it, I don't think. Either way, I think we'd like to be on the same ship, so yes, that's why I was asking.

[takeabow]

[ well it doesn't help ]

Yeah. I... that makes sense. Sorry.

[truthvalue]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I don't usually talk about this.

[He's only told one other person, back when he was Traveling, and a couple more learned of it in the Calibrations.]

I just didn't want you to think I don't like you.

[Once again, Souji finds truth causing more harm than good.]

[takeabow]

I'm always uncomfortable. That's not your fault.

[truthvalue]

I didn't mean to make it worse.

[He falls silent for a few awkward moments before he thinks of a way to change the subject.]

You should meet her sometime. My cousin - her name's Nanako.

[takeabow]

I'm sure I will. I mean, if you transfer, who's going to feed me?

[truthvalue]

I can still come back and cook for you.

[takeabow]

Yeah?

[truthvalue]

Sure. It's not so hard to move between ships.

[takeabow]

I guess.

I hope it works out for you, though.

[truthvalue]

Thanks. I know we'll work something out.

[takeabow]

I hope so.

I've found it a little hard to meet a lot of people here. But you're not all bad.

[truthvalue]

[Souji gives her a quiet smile.]

It's hard to meet people anywhere, at first. You get better with practice.

[He would know; he's had plenty of practice.]

You're not bad either, Nova.

[takeabow]

Thanks.

You'd think that. The practice thing. But I never really can manage it.

[truthvalue]

It takes a lot of practice. But the trick is to keep practicing.

[takeabow]

That sounds exhausting.

[truthvalue]

It can be, sometimes. My parents moved around a lot for work, so I really didn't have much choice but to practice.

[giving her a thin smile.]

[takeabow]

That sounds difficult.

[truthvalue]

A little bit. Sometimes. But I got to see a lot of places I probably wouldn't have if I lived in the same city my whole life.

[So there's a bit of a balance, at least. He shrugs.]

[takeabow]

And you like that?

[truthvalue]

[He shrugs again.]

It's all I know.

[takeabow]

That's kind of a non-answer.

[truthvalue]

[It is a non-answer, the sort of thing he's been conditioned to say because it's polite, because it doesn't rock the boat, because it's what he's supposed to say. Souji isn't used to being called on it, though.]

I guess I don't know. My life hasn't been bad because of it. [Again, he shrugs.] It doesn't seem too important right now. I'm here, and ... it's a little strange, but I try to do my best.

[takeabow]

Yeah. It's weird, here.

Is any of this even kind of familiar?

[truthvalue]

What, being on a ship in space? [He shakes his head.] I was Traveling for a while before here, but not on a ship like this.