(Untitled)

[zeronator]

WHO: Heero Yuy/Zero & Viral Sassoon
WHERE: Some out-of-the-way location at the edges of the City.
WHEN: July 9, around 7pm
WARNINGS: Paranoia and BS about giant mecha technology because both muses top their muns at this stuff.
SUMMARY: Viral and Heero meet up to exchange some information. Conversation and other shenanigans may follow.
FORMAT:

Comments

[sharkykitty]

It was odd, this city. Just yesterday there had been that unearthly noise, and Viral had turned to the comm, watching the conversations, trying to work out what was happening, and getting the distinct impression, judging by some of the things that had been said, that he was out of his league. Something that could get so called 'heroes' running for cover like that -- skipping the country. Something like that had to be big.

He was new here, he had no job, no power beyond the one he knew, and he was pretty sure that whatever it was, if it could make a noise like that, then there was nothing someone like him was going to be able to do a thing to stop it. Even if he wasn't new. Still, it was hard to ignore the panic in the air around him even now. It was almost tangible, and it made this meeting more nervewracking than it truly ought to be

[zeronator]

Much of the same thoughts concerning the mecha technology was going through Heero's head as well when he saw movement to his side. Pushing himself off the pole, he straightened deliberately and calmly, careful not to present himself as threatening in anyway.

He assumed that the new arrival was the man he was supposed to meet, and the long cardboard tube the other carried certainly added to that possibility. Walking toward the other man, Heero stopped a couple yards away. "Are you Viral?"

[sharkykitty]

The boy came closer, and it was much clearer now how young he was. Viral was small, but only by Beastman standards; in his blue and red he probably cut something of an imposing figure, but even so, the boy had just approached him boldly, as though he had nothing to fear.

Looks could be deceiving -- hadn't someone told him something very similar over the comm just a few days ago?

Clearly he had a lot to learn.

"Yes," he said, "I'm Viral."

He would leave the opening to the stranger.

[zeronator]

Heero is rather used to coming against imposing figures; he was wary, but not afraid, no. The other man carried himself like a soldier, which was not unexpected since he was probably something equivalent to a mobile suit pilot in his own world

[sharkykitty]

His eyes dropped curiously to the disk as the boy withdrew it, curious as to what it was. A recording of some kind, made into a hard copy. Yes, that made sense. This world had advances that his own didn't, and yet it also had such unnecessary things as this. He didn't make out to take it. Instead he turned, moving away from Heero to the edge of the walkway, looking down into the deep water for a moment before turning around.

"I'm in no hurry to make the exchange unless you are," he said, boldly. "I'm...curious. About things other than just your Ganmen. You said you were a pilot, too... Who were you fighting?"

He moved the cardboard tube in front of him, placing both of his gloved hands on it and holding it against his body, secure until it was time to hand it over. He had to be sure he was giving this to the right person, after all, didn't he? What if even the basic version of Enki was much more advanced than this boy's weapons, and he took that knowledge back to his own universe?

[zeronator]

There was a beat of silence as Heero contemplated both the offer for conversation, and the question. While he had planned to conduct this meeting as swiftly and efficiently as possible, he wasn't really in any hurry and it might prove a good time to see whether this person had more potential to be considered enemy or ally. His eyes followed the other's movement closely, and after a few seconds, Heero tucked the disk away again and followed Viral to the walkway's edge and stared out at the water. It was at once, both a familiar and alien sight, much like the City itself. Familiar in its generalities, but alien once you took notice of all the details and peculiarities of the coastline

[sharkykitty]

Heero didn't leave, which was something he'd briefly considered. The boy must be curious too, so Viral instantly gave way to the feeling of ease that crept over him. He liked him -- whether he'd admit to that or not -- for a human. He couldn't quite put his clawed finger on why.

After a few more moments of looking into the deep water he finally allowed his feline eyes to return to his companion, observing him as he talked, because he didn't say much, and he didn't seem to reveal much through his actions or expressions, either. It was important that he took everything in -- what little there was -- so that he didn't miss anything important that hadn't been spoken.

His answer was a good one. I fight whomever my enemies are. It was accurate, and honest. It said a lot about the kind of battle Heero was fighting, that the sides wouldn't be clear, and most of all, it sounded familiar

[zeronator]

Heero listened to Viral's words carefully, even if nothing changed about his stance to show it. It sounded like a familiar old reel to him, and despite himself, there was a slight feeling of kinship for this man who's battles and doubts seemed to so closely mirror his own. The Alliance, OZ, the Treize Faction, White Fang-- a litany of enemies and not-quite-allies in turn. It wasn't unsimilar to the instinctive kinship of that he felt upon initially meeting all the other pilots, though to a lesser degree

[sharkykitty]

Heero's words struck home with Viral more than he'd expected them to. It was as though the other pilot could see into the very depths of his heart to draw out the things he was feeling, even if he had no words to say them. He mirrored Heero's words when he spoke again, musing over them, tasting them on his tongue. "A fight with an ever corrupted meaning..."

And he closed his eyes, turning away again.

He'd spent his entire life fighting to keep the humans below the surface, never questioning why. He'd never been designed to question it. But his lust for the fight had been worn away. Well...the lust for that fight. His curiosity had led him down a different path after that. Life had opened up where it hadn't existed before. He'd become more than just another unit in the Spiral King's army, and his identity, his sense of self had flourished

[zeronator]

Again, that feeling of something shared, but then, it should not be surprising that wars were still wars and spawned the same tragedies even across different worlds.

Similarly, he understood well the feeling of living your life for something, in his case: the mission, and later, peace. But the war was over now; Operation Meteor had just-- finally, finally-- ended only a few days before he found himself here, so ... "No." It was a short, succinct answer, but there was also an ocean of relief and complexity underneath the calm layer of his voice. (Shhh, he hasn't been told about the Mariemaia incident yet.) "I've completed my mission."

Then, because Heero did understand, he offered, "I hope you return in time to complete yours."

[sharkykitty]

Viral met the other pilot's cobalt eyes for a moment, then dropped them away again, returning to his study of the reflections on the water. He couldn't decide whether that would be better or worse, in the end he decided on the latter, and closed his eyes as he spoke, so that he could better choose his words.

"If my mission were already over, coming here to fight another battle would be my idea of hell."

Viral exhaled, lifting his free hand from the rail to run it back through his hair, digging his clawed fingers briefly into his scalp before dropping them back onto the rail once more. "At least with a reason to return, there's a purpose in all of this. If I get to remember it, then it might make all the difference."

[zeronator]

Instead of looking to the water, Heero looked upwards to the sky. It certainly wasn't a pleasant surprise to have been dragged into this world's conflicts so soon after he'd finished his own battles, but for him, it would have been worse had he been taken here in the middle of his fight.

"If your battles had been won, you wouldn't have a purpose anymore?" He could certainly remember a time when the mission had been the end-all-be-all of his existence as well.

[sharkykitty]

Viral didn't have to think about that, but when he did it struck home as though it were an iron clad fist driven right into his chest. He opened his eyes again, staring straight ahead, as though the ripples could somehow help him to negotiate this odd feeling. Heero was right. Completely right

[zeronator]

The lengthy pause combined with Viral's abrupt swerve of subject matter told Heero that his question had hit somewhere close to home. He studied the man, and heard an echo of his own voice saying, Life is cheap. Especially mine. And now, with the mission over, Heero still felt, more often than not to be perfectly honest with himself, a sense of drifting-- of loss. He hadn't known what to do next, and what his heart told him wasn't always so clear. Or perhaps, he wasn't always able to hear it so well.

He didn't press the point, however, and took the shift in their conversation without questions. Accepting the cardboard tube, Heero nodded and slipped the paper inside out without a word, unrolling it carefully and studying it in the fading light of the sun. There were similarities in the design, to be sure, and maybe even the technology (though he couldn't be sure of that yet), but there were also differences, both major and subtle. He said as much to Viral at his side.

[ooc: I have no idea how similar they'd be, so

[sharkykitty]

Viral watched unsubtly as the other pilot examined the documents. In the meantime he reached down, returning the gloves to his hands: they were a little more difficult to put on than they had been to take off. When he was done, he stepped forward, as though he needed to see the plans to understand, nodding quietly in agreement.

"The Enki was the most advanced Ganmen of its type; the multi-directional sockets and the excess number of joints allowed for more flexibility than in some other types..." He reached down and touched the paper, fondly, then curled his hand into a fist and dropped it aside. What he wouldn't give to have Enki back...

[zeronator]

Heero nodded at the other's description, and curiously, he caught the hand movement. For a second, he debated asking further on it, but then he rejected the idea. Their acquaintance was too new, and Heero was not one to poke about in other's private affairs unless it concerned him or his mission to know. Instead, he took out the disk containing the Leo data and, instead of offering it to Viral, inserted it into his comm, entered the passcode, and called up the blueprint image on the screen. It was small, but still clearly visible.

"Manoeuvrability wasn't the primary design function for the suits on our world. This Leo is the standard mobile suit; there is a space variation, but I figured that the land use model would be more suitable."