for striker_eureka

[gipsy_danger]

((starting here))

True to her word, Gipsy waits.

Of course, she can't do much other than that -- she's fairly constrained by previous injuries, and though her arm has been reattached and repaired she still can't quite walk on her own. This, Gipsy makes abundantly clear in beeps and grumbles, but it's mostly ignored because there's nothing they can do about it quite yet. Progress is being made, but it's not nearly fast enough for her satisfaction.

It's why she's grumpy as hell when he comes the next day; beeps decidedly irritated and far too loud for someone that had been drifting solo with a jaeger the previous day.

(( other conclusions Here. ))

Comments

[striker_eureka]

Herc can absently hear Tendo and Chuck and Stacker shouting in the control room, can sense some kind of commotion happening down on the floor, but he's being pulled along with Mako into her memories.

He has enough faculties left to try to reassure Gipsy first, though. I'll try to get her out. Fight this, Gipsy. Do not let her fire that cannon—

And then down he goes, into the deep recesses of Mako's mind. He's known the girl for a long time, actually, almost since Stacker rescued her. They fought alongside each other when the Jaeger program was in its infancy, so Mako and Chuck were often thrown together to keep each other busy while their parents discussed strategy or trained or whatever. So he knows instantly what she's reliving.

He still tries to stop her, though.

[gipsy_danger]

I will stop her, Hercules Hansen. Good luck.

Gipsy knows that they are safe inside of the Jaeger -- it's everyone else in the Shatterdome in a whole pack of trouble.

Distancing herself from Hercules and Mako, Gipsy begins to fight with Mako over the control of the weapons. She doesn't like doing it, and feels a little like she's abandoning him but Gipsy knows that if she's going to regain control of the weapons systems, she needs her full concentration and the ability to focus only on that. She cannot be lost in a memory while trying to power down her weapons.

If Hercules can calm Mako enough to 'let go', Gipsy will be able to wrench the power back. Right now though, Mako's got a strong grip on that plasma cannon trigger and everything that Gipsy tries fails.

She can hear the shouting in the command room, but she pays it no mind. Instead she fights against Mako's fear, issuing calm and soothing vibes as she tries to override what it is Mako is doing. The memory is an intense one, but still Gipsy tries.

[striker_eureka]

Herc does his best to project his faith in Gipsy before he goes down with Mako, but he's not sure if she got it.

Regardless, he can't think of that now.

Now he spends all his energy trying to convince Mako to let go of her memories, to surface, to realize reality is different for her now that she's not longer a terrified child. But it doesn't work. Nothing works, and eventually Hercules gives up. Wrenching himself out of Mako's head, he starts the shut-down sequence from inside.

I gotta go, Gipsy. I'm sorry.

And then he's loose from his moorings and rushing over to physically yank Mako out of her conn-pod. The instant she's unplugged she collapses into his arms and the cannon starts to power down.

"Mako! Mako, are you okay?" He has to fumble her helmet off so he can pat her cheeks, relieved when he sees her eyelids fluttering as she wakes up.

"Gipsy, are you okay?"

[gipsy_danger]

Gipsy doesn't panic, to her credit. She works and fights fights to wrestle control of the weapons from Mako, and very nearly has it when Herc breaks the connection and she's left snatching at air, startled from the sudden and jarring disconnect.

As soon as Gipsy feels Mako break free as well, she starts to power everything down, including her processor. Mako isn't connected anymore, but Gipsy isn't going to take the chance. Not today.

She can't answer Hercules much since she's powering down, but she manages a soft beep before she offlines herself for the time being.

[striker_eureka]

He heaves a huge sigh of relief when he hears Gipsy beep at him once in their "one for yes, two for no" system before all her systems shut down.

Well.

That was something of a disaster.

[gipsy_danger]

It kind of was, yes. Luckily for Gipsy, she doesn't get to deal with the aftermath like Hercules does. She has a feeling they're going to be grounded after this and she might be getting a talking to from Hercules...

But it's not like he hadn't warned the girl.

So for once, Gipsy doesn't feel immeasurably guilty about something. A little, of course, because she obviously should have had more self restraint, but still.

Gipsy knows that he's probably going to come chew her out, so she allows minimum power, and waits.

[striker_eureka]

The fallout is pretty bad, yeah.

But when Herc comes to visit Gipsy, it's not to yell at her. It's, first, to just sit down in her cockpit and relax a little, take a bit of a rest. Only after a few moments of silence does he strap in and link up.

Gipsy? Are you alright, love?

[gipsy_danger]

Gipsy is to the point where she can feel his presence in the cockpit, and while she's anxious to see him, she waits until he's ready. Once she is aware that he is alone, the avatar appears behind him in the Drift, hands resting on his shoulders.

Yes. Are you?

[striker_eureka]

Hercules has, for whatever reason, decided to be sitting on the 'ground' today, so when she steps up behind him, he lets himself lean against her and sigh, his hands lifting to rest against hers.

I'm alright, yeah. Bit tired, though.

[gipsy_danger]

She gives a gentle squeeze, fingers kneading lightly.

It was a rough first Drift. It happens.

Just usually not with a fully loaded Jaeger, but, you know. Times of war and all.

You can rest here, as much as you are able.

[striker_eureka]

I know. I just hoped that Mako would be able to resist.

He had such high hopes for her. He's not going to berate Gipsy for snapping at the girl, because he knows it's going to be pointless. Plus, Mako needs to learn sometime that in the Drift, nothing is private. Even fleeing thoughts can be sensed.

I'd love to, but I can't. Not properly, anyway.

[gipsy_danger]

She's young. Gipsy can sense that much. Give her another chance. And Gipsy, too. It wasn't all Mako's fault.

I'm sorry I cannot do more for you. All she can do is provide her avatar and pull him into her embrace, arms dropping from his shoulders to circle around his middle, gently pulling him closer until his back rests against her chest.

[striker_eureka]

It's not about whether or not I will, it's up to Stacker.

Oh, she must have gotten down on the 'ground' too. He's happy to lean back against her, though, tipping his head back to rest on her shoulder as he huffs out another quiet little sigh through his nose.

Not your fault.

[gipsy_danger]

He should give her another chance. She rests her cheek against his head, and smiles. And tell her that jaegers speak Japanese.

Gipsy's movements in the Drift are fluid and instant; she's standing one moment and down the next, simply one then the other. There's no standing or getting seated involved, not for her.

One of the more frustrating parts of being a jaeger is not being able to do everything for your pilots that you would like.

[striker_eureka]

I think she got the message, love.

If only movements in real life were like that too. It would make his life a lot easier.

Mm? And what would you like to do for me? He's back to teasing her, so clearly he's not feeling too bad.

[gipsy_danger]

Gipsy is a little sheepish.

Tell her I'm sorry.

She does feel bad, you know/

Lots of things.

[striker_eureka]

I will. I think she's the one who feels bad, though. But it was her first Drift, I told her not to worry about it.

He lets his hands settle over hers where she's wrapped them about his waist.

Anything in particular?

[gipsy_danger]

You are a good man.

She gives him an affectionate little squeeze.

Yes.

She's being purposefully obtuse.

[striker_eureka]

I try.

He smiles a little, a soft chuckle rumbling in his chest.

You're not going to make me guess, are you?

[gipsy_danger]

You can try to guess.

She's amused herself, though she's very pointedly shielding pieces of her mind from him at the moment.

[striker_eureka]

Hmmm. He pretends to think about this for a moment, though really, he has no idea. She's much better at shielding than he is.

It's not a back massage, is it?

[gipsy_danger]

That's a very good guess. It's one of the many.

She'll give him that one. It is something that she'd like to do.

[striker_eureka]

That's one I'd like. These old bones aren't as nimble as they used to be.

He really has no idea. He was never good at this game.

[gipsy_danger]

Thank heaven for small favors. Gipsy would be humiliated if he guessed correctly.

You are always very tense. She'd like to relieve him of those stresses. She can mimic it here, but it isn't the same.

[striker_eureka]

Gipsy Danger, you big hypocrite.

I got a rough job, you know. And nobody is really concerned with massage therapy here in what's left of the Jaeger program.