first sortie.

[unbr8kable]

[Six hours previous, everything had been so much simpler. The Eta cohort had made it to live combat training, out in one of the few areas the Tenno had claimed back from the invaders. Xia had been vibrating the whole day, grinning wide as she suited up in the boring steel training mech (hers would be blue, she decided, or maybe black, with bold red stripes on the limbs) and deployed to the field, not even cracking on Wimperson, the Support (not his real name, but it may as well have been).

The Heralds didn't come up on radar until they were practically on top of the trainees. Maybe if there'd been more lead time, it would've been less of a shitshow, but who the hell knows.

The grimy details aren't important, but they aren't great. Damage to all suits, with two damaged beyond repair; the Leader froze under pressure, the Shadow couldn't keep up with the speedy Heralds. Wimperson actually came through. Johnson the Medic went down right there, in front of them.

Xia and Jacob have only just gotten out of their debriefing, another unexpected first for the day.

She and Jacob did good, Xia knows. They kept their heads, were barely hurt, they moved together well. "You'll make a good team," Corporal Kuwahara tells them before turning towards the medical ward to check on Johnson's surgery. "Go get some rest."

But no, rest is pretty much the opposite of what they need right now, Xia thinks. She turns to Jacob, giving her best attempt at a normal expression.]

Wanna get out of here?

Comments

[unbr8kable]

[She is shaken, and attempts to look appropriately irritated or excited but just ends up wary.]

Well...

[The man plops Jacob's parfait unceremoniously in front of him, then places the fancy platter in front of Xia, pulling off the cover with a fancy flourish.

What's inside is more or less the same shape as the grey blob. The hook looks like it's sliced from banana, the dome is wrapped in foil, like chocolate. Pale soft cream swirls in the middle; the flakes at the bottom of the glass are dark, like raisin bran. The squiggles around the side look like tan tan men, and smell like it, too.

As Xia goggles, the shopkeep adds a sparkler to the top, lighting it. then, in the absolute worst French accent, "bon appetit"]

[crossmyheartandhope]

Oh, man. I wish I had a camera. It comes with its own firework.

[The shopkeeper adds one single sprig of parsley to the top, just at the base of the sparkler. Then he turns to head back toward the kitchen.]

[unbr8kable]

I...I don't know what to say.

[the parsley!! And is that garlic nestled among the chocolate chips??]

[crossmyheartandhope]

What else is there to say, besides "let's eat"?

[Handing over a spoon. He's still grinning like crazy, plainly delighted by the presentation of it all.]

[unbr8kable]

[takes it, bemused]

...

[picks gingerly at the soft cream]

I think there's something else in here...

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Leans in.]

What is it?

[unbr8kable]

[she picks again, and a thin brown liquid begins to stream out... within, some golden brown lump with the light char of pan frying...]

[crossmyheartandhope]

Is that - ?

[Oh my god. It totally is. He just starts laughing.]

[unbr8kable]

................

[why, though. Why this. Aliens were one thing but this travesty??? She pokes at it with dismay]

But now the gyoza are all wet.

[crossmyheartandhope]

With - with cream.

[He can barely get the words out, he is laughing so hard.]

[unbr8kable]

[trying real hard to keep a serious face when incredulous laughter makes so much more sense. she smacks him on the shoulder anyway]

You would laugh! Yuk it up now before you get a taste.

[eho says she's bad at sharing!]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Wiping at his eyes. Holy hell this shouldn't be that funny.]

You gotta go first.

[unbr8kable]

...

....

[with a grimace, takes her spoon and lifts it, then searches around for a safe spoonful, one that's only a little bit noodles]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Manages to stifle the laughter down to a gleeful silence. He leans in to watch, so very intent.]

[unbr8kable]

[takes the bite]

...

...

The soft cream is ramen-flavored...

[crossmyheartandhope]

...huh. So the whole thing's savory?

Is it any good?

[unbr8kable]

It's sweet. Like, if you made ramen noodles and added a sugary sauce, and then put spices and ground meat on it. --That part is meat. I think that other brown part is chocolate. ...You like chocolate. I think that part is for you.

[crossmyheartandhope]

You really don't pull punches, do you?

[Fine, he'll get some of the chocolate. And some of the noodles and garlic, why not, let's live a little.]

[Too bad he's instantly making the most horrified face ever as soon as he puts it in his mouth.]

[unbr8kable]

[smiles sweetly

Okay no, it's not sweet at all]

Pfft--pfffffft! Good?

[crossmyheartandhope]

[He is having so many regrets right now. 90% of them involve not having a napkin to spit this out into and not having had the foresight to order a drink.]

[Eventually - reluctantly - he swallows.]

What kind of sadist invented this thing?

[unbr8kable]

Maybe it's just an acquired taste. Keep going to see if you acquire it!

[crossmyheartandhope]

Better idea.

[He nudges the "This is parfait?!?" back toward the back of the counter and drags his own parfait over between the two of them.]

No one has to acquire that taste, ever.

[unbr8kable]

Well... I guess. If you wanna give up.

[spoilers: she is happy to give up]

[crossmyheartandhope]

You gotta pick your battles, man. I am not fighting this one.

[He hands her over the other spoon and digs into the pudding, himself.]

[unbr8kable]

Okay, okay. I suppose I'll back you up on this one.

[and by now she's not even trying to sound like she's complaining, taking the spoon but letting him have at the pudding for now]

...Speaking of backup. You think they're gonna bump us up to official, now? We were pretty impressive, after all.

[well, she's always been the type to prod at bruises, though that's hardly the part of the day she's trying to avoid thinking about, at least]