[OOM] Eiattu - Palace Courtyard

[fighting_mad]

It's a beautiful Eiattu day; hot and humid as ever, sun shining through the heat haze. Plourr has a seat on an ornately carved bench in a quiet courtyard, surrounded by green and orange and purple. She flicks off the small, portable comm unit and sits for a moment, frowning.

Comments

[eiattu_pride]

"If something's happened, do you think you would be notified?"

Takes a seat on another bench directly across from her.

[fighting_mad]

"By the Alliance? No. They're not that well-organized, and I'm not family." But nothing that bad could have happened; she's seen Wedge and Tycho and Wes and Hobbie at Milliways, eight years in her future.

Right?

She sets the comm unit down and leans forward to rest her elbows on her knees.

[eiattu_pride]

"It'll be okay."

Still speaking gently, as one would to a child.

"I'm sure they're fine."

[fighting_mad]

"Of course they are," she snaps.

But if they're not, she can't do a damn thing about it.

[eiattu_pride]

Eyes her with something like faint hurt.

"I'm just trying to help."

[fighting_mad]

"I know." She runs a hand through her hair and presses her hand to her face. "I know. I'm sorry."

[eiattu_pride]

"It's okay."

Sighs.

"You're upset and tired and stressed out. Anything I can do to help?"

[fighting_mad]

"No." She stares at the comm unit a moment, but a call doesn't miraculously come through. "No, it's fine." It's a lie and they both know it, but she goes on. "What's on the agenda for tonight?"

[eiattu_pride]

"Reception."

Gets up to sit next to her, resting large hands on her shoulders.

"And yes, you have to be there."

[fighting_mad]

Plourr's face goes blank.

When she finally speaks, it's with an uncharacteristic calm. "If I have to host another diplomatic reception, I am going to start a fight just to keep myself awake." She is serious. Dead serious.

[eiattu_pride]

"Get through this one, and we'll talk."

[fighting_mad]

"I'm not kidding."

[eiattu_pride]

"I know."

He looks...old. Tired.

"Like I said, do this one. Then we'll try and figure something out."

[fighting_mad]

Plourr is tired, too. Tired of playing nice. Tired of sitting. Tired of pretending to laugh at foreign dignitaries' anecdotes while her friends put their lives on the line out there. Tired of feeling useless.

"What does 'figure something out' mean?"

[eiattu_pride]

"I don't know," he snaps.

"You come up with a suggestion for once."

[fighting_mad]

"I don't kriffing know! All I do know is that I'm worried, Rial, and there's nothing I can damn well do about it!"

[eiattu_pride]

"I can't kriffing do anything about it either, so it'd be nice if you would quit taking your temper out on whoever happens to be nearest!"

[fighting_mad]

Her mouth opens and then snaps closed. She pulls her feet up onto the bench, resting her arms on her knees. One calming breath, two, three--

She glances over at him. "Sorry."

[eiattu_pride]

The anger leaves him a rush, and he glances away, studying the sky.

"I'm sorry as well. That was," a muscle jumps in his cheek as he briefly clenches his jaw, "uncalled for."

[fighting_mad]

"Considering that I do tend to take my temper out on whoever happens to be nearest, not really." She follows his lead and watches the sky, expression fierce with longing.

[eiattu_pride]

"You don't want to be here."

Quietly.

"You want to leave, don't you?"

[fighting_mad]

She is quiet herself. "I just-- I want to do something." Her fingers tie themselves in frustrated knpts.

[eiattu_pride]

"Yeah."

Sighs.

"I made an offer a little while ago - said that if you wanted to take off for a bit, I'd cover for you."

[fighting_mad]

She wants to. Oh but her restless nature wants to. But--

"I know I'm not a huge help around here anyway, but," she shakes her head. "I don't want to just leave you with everything."

[eiattu_pride]

"Hey, you help a lot."

Glances at her.

"More then I could ask. It's okay."

[fighting_mad]

It's not okay, she thinks; she's the princess. She should be more than helping.

Princess Isplourrdacartha feels badly. But Flight Officer Ilo wants to go.

She looks away, quiet, thinking.

[eiattu_pride]

For his part, Rial sits in silence.

[fighting_mad]

Right. "I'm going to go find them and haul their asses out of the fire, and tell them what a bunch of kriffing idiots they are," she says firmly.

[eiattu_pride]

Rial can't help it, he smiles.

"I'll hold down the fort."

[fighting_mad]

Plourr is a little relieved, honestly, to see the smile. "Thank you," she says, holding his eyes a moment.

And then everything is a whirl of planning; of tracking coordinates (some dump of a planet called Malrev IV), running diagnostics on her X-wing, barking orders, organizing the twelve-pilot Eiattu Navy squadron of Z-95 Headhunters that is going with her.

She's going to do this, and she's going to do this right.