While many times faster than the train, Harmonia still takes time to get back to the Pit, and Tasha can't spend all of it sitting in the command chair. And since Neesa actually managed to create a meal from Tasha's supplies, it was only fair to join her and Eli for it!
There's no galley, just an unused room off of the hangar, but Neesa found the faux-Vartan bar and figured the dancing tables are good enough for use as actual tables, and served the food there. Unfortunately Tasha and Raehab had already finished off the beer, meaning water was the beverage of necessity.
"I hope you like the stew," Neesa says. "I used to make it often from leftovers back on Caroban."
"Whatever it is, I'm sure it's better than what I was making," Tasha insistsm smiling over the bowl as she ladels out her own portion. "And everything's better than what I used to eat back on Sinai." Once her own bowl is full, she sits back and slides it and several pieces of hard tack to her side. "It's ncie to have a real cook on board, anyway."
"I'm hardly a real cook," Neesa notes. "I can make stew, soup and.. sandwiches. Sandwiches are easy. Especially if you have stuff to dip them in! But.. I've never managed chili."
"It wasn't made by a machine, so I'm counting this as a home-cooked meal," Eli notes, and then glances at Tasha. "I'm surprised you haven't been asking more about the Dark Horse, Tasha."
"I know all about sandwiches," insists the Cadet, who dips a large piece of hard tack in to her soup. She pulls it out, eyes it, dips it several more times then just shakes her head and leaves it in the soup to soften -- or so the impossible hope goes. Instead she grabs a military surplus spork and has at the stew directly, eating both quickly and neatly, giving the impression of having had a great deal of practice with quick and efficient eating practice. She does pause at the question, though. "The Dark Horse?" She repeats, ears perking. "I guess I just have been too busy. I've been weighing starting a war, dealing with gods, my home and my friends were attacked ... It was enough to know it's not in danger."
"Oh.. yes.. it wasn't in danger.." Eli says, before focusing on his own stew.
Tasha nods slowly as she sips her soup, stopping again to say, "See? That's just about all I had room for. I spent the last week or so on this ship planning an attack against a godlike being. Before that I was dealing with the attack on Bellerophon, and before that -- and this was rigth before I returned to Belle -- I spent almost a week flying around Sinai almost non-stop looking for answers. I spoke to the Source, I even spoke to Bridge Officer Nimitz. A Bridge Officer! Alone. I was so worked up it felt like I demanded and audience, but of course I didn't." Another spoonful, then she asks, "Why, is there something I should know?"
"Well," Eli says, and clears his throat for a moment. "Kaa wanted to do some 'shakedown' trials," he explains. "Too see what the Horse was capable of in different circumstances. A lot of this had to do with the Maelstrom itself, since we.. Terrans, I mean.. have almost no experience with it. So.. there might have been a few accidents while figuring things out.."
Tasha is in the midst of plucking out the hard tack when she hears the word 'accidents.' She looks over and peers at Doctor Zerachiel, not masking her suspicion. "What sort of accidents? Did you break my ship?"
"I did not," Eli promises. "The 'space kraken' scratched the hull a bit though, and Kaa wanted to paint over them with, and I quote, 'wicked flames'. Ever since he saw part of the Horse appear inside the Ningyo he's been wanting to test it out for himself. As a result.. uh.. there are some asteroids with Horse-shaped chunks missing from them, which may have introduced anomalous masses into the Maelstrom itself, like.. icebergs. And of course there's the one big one that we accidentally destroyed through gravitational shearing. At least, that's the theory.."
Tasha carefully puts the tack down, then drops her head in to her hands and rubs her face. Really rubs. And her head shakes. Really shakes.
"It's the mass that matters, you see," Eli explains. "Ningyo is pretty massive for a ship, because it's full of water, but it's still a relatively small mass as celestial objects go. That's why it wasn't torn apart. But for serious masses, the Horse can sort of leak hyperspace, which can cause all sorts of structural damage.. are you alright Tasha?"
The two Karnor hear something that sounds distinctly like a desire to make fish tacos, but then her hands fall with deliberate effort from her face even as her head tilts towards the ceiling. She takes in a deep, deep breath, flexing her hands open and closed, and then in a somewhat strained tone insists she is, "Fine, fine! I'm fine!" And then she's looking at the two, blinking a little too often, staring a little too hard. "So. Kaa has been punching holes in asteroids with my ship. Hokay, great. So. At least you learned something, right? We can destroy larger masses with hyperspace ramming, something like that? Right?"
"Well, that and we probably shouldn't let him try surface the airlock into another ship or structure if possible," Eli says. "A few folks were curious about the 'wildcat mining', but those ships were easy to evade. That system is pretty much lawless, after all. Until the Mega-Titan showed up. That's when the kraken incident occurred, since we were trying to stay submerged to avoid any notice. With the Maelstrom-creature attack though, we had to surface and run. We don't think the Silent-Ones noticed, because they didn't do anything. Our gravitic signature is unlike that of a Nagai ship.. and they don't have anything warp-capable as small as the Horse. The actual horse may have been.. shaken? I'm not sure. There's no way to tell if it was injured or scared or stressed. But Kaa didn't submerge for ten days, to make sure the predator wasn't just waiting around."
All of this makes Tasha frown quite deeply. It makes her look older. Eli has hard tack shaken at him when she speaks. "I'll have to have a word with Kaa when I get back about safety and stealth. There's nothing I can do about it right now, but I'm not happy that my ship has been rammed in to asteroids, damaged and detected. We haven't even begun on our journey. I may have to think about having the Horse disguised, or, I don't know. Something. But later." She looks down, peering at the tack in her hand as if just noticing it, frowning a little more. It gets deposited in her soup, which she returns to. "Any good news? What's a Megatitan anyway?"
"Well, the good news is that we know there is life of some sort in the Maelstrom, and that the horse is probably from there originally," Eli says. "I'm thinking they're fractal entities, with the half-dimensions being real. But.. ah, well, that's for future study." He watches the biscuit warily, before saying, "The Mega-Titan is a Silent-Ones warship. It's.. a giant Titan, with a starship on its back. It's got a sword. Oh, which brings up the other thing I gleaned from Kaa's tests: I'm pretty sure the Dark Horse was made to fight your Ogdru-hem creatures.. or else really, really big gravity stators."
"The Source said beings like my Horse are prey animals. I think the higher gravity beings -- and large Maelstrom ones too -- see them as prey in the same way a beasthound looks at a vermite. The Source, Katha-hem, Sedu-hem, they may be more like hunters. Like you and me and how we are to animals we'd hunt, just different scales and realities." Tasha taps the buscuit's upper rim, perhaps as a warning, perhaps just to see if it's soft yet. "The Titanians think there are a specific number of Ogdru-hem, something like one hundred. Their destruction is one way to preserve things, but the Sifra are also a problem. Katha-hem said in two of three futures it foresaw, I destroyed it and the Sifra or the Ogdoad win. The third, someone else does and it lives. It's just one more reason to go to the Hall. So, I have about a week before that happens. That reminds me ... um ... " She pulls out her datapadm then taps in a note with the rapid precision of familiarity. "I should write a will. Katie said I should."
In the midst of typing, Tsha's muzzle scrunches up and she mumbles, "A space ship sized sword ... " In distracted, somewhat disapproving confusion.
"Well, a bit bigger than that," Eli says. "It's about a 1.2 kilometers long. No idea what the hell it's made of, or if it can be swung or is just a weapon that's made to look like a sword because.. damn it, a mile-long sword is intimidating."
"Maybe they're overcompensating," Neesa offers.
"It is very intimidating," As she types, Tasha murmurs in the distracted, condescending tone of someone not very intimidated at all. "Very big." She continues to type.
"We did make a few supply runs to Caltrop of course," Eli notes. "That's how we ended up with the cats. There was an actual vending machine that sold kittens in bio-stasis boxes. It was near the Tandu embassy though.. I think they like to eat them."
"The Jotoki really like the kittens, and let them ride around on their.. uh.. heads," the Karnor continues. "At least when they're not in the dolphin's quarters. Very amphibious, the Jotoki."
Tasha wrinkles her nose at the idea of eating kittens, proving that she is, indeed, paying attention no matter how distracted or jaded she migth be. After entering a few more lines she pauses for the moment, needing more details and consideration before she continues writing. She goes to lower the pad, then stops, quickly making a note about getting some gifts for Mariel, Hakeber, and Gabriel. Then the pad is down and she looks up. "So the Jotoki are doing well? Does it make me a bad person I hadn't thought much about them, lately? I've had so much on my mind. I leave for the Hall in about a week."
"You mentioned that," Eli says. "I assume that means the PCs were able to be restored from backup?"
"Gabriel-- The Captain is working on it," Tasha reports, tappinf her datapad indicatively. "Not all of them can be restored, but I don't actually need the Bellerophon to reach Arcadia if it comes down to it: I can use the Harmonia. Since I'm the only on going in, we'd mainly be losing the support of the whole crew and the sensor data, if Belle can get what Harmonia can't. Either way it's time for me to get going and finish what I started."
"Harmonia isn't really suited for manned interplanetary travel," Eli points out. "And doesn't have the sort of sensing gear that Belle does. And Belle is actually armed, just in case. She won't be able to land on Arcadia - because nothing can land on Arcadia and hope to take off again if it sits still for more than an hour."
"I'm prepared to make a one way trip and expect the Progenitors to help me find my way back," Tasha insists, but inclines her head a moment later. "But you're right about Belle. A longer vacation wouldn't hurt, but I'm worried something else might happen. I don't know what the 'cosmic timetable' is, the game all the gods and demigods are playing, but I've seen a little of the machinery of it all to know that we're looking at a very near timeframe for some events, and, that I'm part of it now. I've accepted my role, or what we rhink it is, so I'd like to face it while I have the nerve."
"So, what did you figure out your role to be then?" Eli asks, while Neesa focuses her attention on Tasha as well.
Tasha pauses in the process of mucnhing on the long-softening hard tack, removing it from her muzzle and licking her lips before blinking at the two Karnor. "Adam doesn't understand his Archons anymore. They didn't come back when He called, they're individuals now. They're protecting their children. But without their energies, Adam is weakened, and Adam can't act to deal deal with what the Cill found. He may be in pain -- from rejection or because the Archons did somethingto Him to prevent Him from acting against them." She then reaches and taps her nose, knowingly. "Adam needs someone who lives between gods and mortals to explain to Him what has gone wrong. That's me."
"How're you going to do it?" Eli follow ups with. "I mean.. so far you've dealt with the Source, He-Who-Moves, Lord Yama and now Katha-hem. Did you have to explain anything to them, or did they already understand how you thought?"
"They understand me. Part of that is the Source's doing, when I touched the Source and made a deal the Source touched me in return. Katha-hem said I shared their blood; that I'm a little like them now. It's why I can speak to Katha-hem, and why Harmonia can too. Harmonia has it in her stators, I have it in my resonance. Maybe more." Tasha gives a little shrug, as if having alien horror blood in her were just a fact of life, liek bad weather or a stubbed toe: 'What can you do.' "But there's more. I've always been interacting with gods, even if I didn't know it. Tisiphone made me, and had plans for me. I was made to fulfill a god's wish. I've always been in-between, and not just between gods and mortals, but between species and places. I'm even between organics and machines now. So, why not me?" The young woman gives a little shrug. "I think after I understood it all, after the horror, and the fear, the uncertainty ... I think I just accept it. I feel less special and more like one of the g
ears in Harmonia's bridge display."
"Have you thought about.. well.. practicing somehow?" Eli asks, looking thoughtful himself. "That is, if we can find a mind that is divorced from us. I don't think the AIs on Sheol would count, as they were created to understand their creators and fit their needs. I can't imagine programming a simulation for it. Ugh.. maybe forget that I mentioned the idea."
"Explain color to someone blind from birth, or flavor to a Naga," Neesa suggests.
Tasha leans in though, ears perking. She taps the table between her and Eli and gives him her full attention. "No, go on. What do you have in mind?"
"Just that I can't think of anything," Eli admits. "You'd need a pristine, first-contact alien with nothing in common with biological life. And even Adam can't be pristine, if the he had contact with the First Ones. The closest we've come to that is the Niss, and they figured us out pretty quickly."
"Maybe I don't need to explain the absolutely new, just the somewhat diffrent. There's been some idea that Adam doesn't understand individuality and may not be an individual, or may be something like an AI, except an AI of a different nature possibily created by beings from another universe entirely. Besides ... " Here Tasha leans back, tapping her own forehead now with the same finger. "It seems like I was chosen even as i chose to do this. I should have some faith Adam knows what He's doing. Even if He doesn't, we can try and figure it out together. We'd have each other and whatever remaisn of their works, and we'd have everyone on Abaddon, and the whole universe in our range of travel. And if that's not enough, well, there's the other things and the other universes. What I'm saying is it'll be a lot better once I we've met and I know. Trying to figure out all of a god-like being's plan is hard if they can't or won't tell you, that I know."
"Hmm, when did this become Adam's plan though?" Eli asks. "Have you had more visions about it? I thought this was all set in motion by a few of the Origin Marker species."
"It might be the Progenitor's plan. I just mention Adam because it's Adam I'll probably be answering to. It's Adam who I am going to meet, not Horus, Ahriman or Neith. It'll probably be Adam who decides if I'm worth it. I can't know until I get there, though. Which reminds me." Tasha grabs her datapad and enters a quick note before looking up again, tapping the pad now. "Apollyon's PersoCom warned me Adam might not be alone. It may not be Adam, but one of the Archons too, or, even something else. I may end up in a fight. Either way, it's goingto be dangerous and I might not come back. Or come back the same, I don't know. I think we should be ready here, too."
"Well.. assuming the Progenitor base on Arcadia is made of the same non-stuff as the markers.. I don't think there's anything we can do if any of that comes under hostile control," Eli says, looking into his empty bowl. "The Khattas had to throw their Marker into a sun didn't they?"
The Cadet nods to this. "It's probably still there, too. Maybe Crazy Kaa can try flying us in to the sun, next, to pick it up." The suggestion comes with a little grin as Tasha nibbles on her hard tack.
"That probably wouldn't be wise," Eli says. "I ran simulations of just how close we could get to a solar gravity well, and the side effects were nasty. Even exposing the hull to that level of energy could cause spatial distortion."
"I'll mark that as a 'last resort' option then," the young woman notes, though no actual note taking occurs. She settles back, crossing one leg over the other and folding her arms, hugging them to her chest. "Well, anyway, the Hall is Adam and maybe some else -- or someones. I think Ahriman is aware of me, now, too, or at least his Marker is. That could be a problem, but maybe not." Her shoulders roll. She isn't sure when it happened, but sometime in the last two weeks she's become able to deal with these tremendous threats and realizations. It's as if she's reached a new plane of being, a new step in acceptance and interaction. She's stepped on to the stage between it all and now feels, on some level, that she belongs there and that this is her reality. Maybe it was Yue, she considers, ... or my time on Harmonia. Something for later thought, perhaps. "I am worried about what it means if I'm asked to do it full-time, though. If what I'm asked to do conflicts with what I have to do here. I am n
ow supporting the daikaiju on some level. Gabriel thinks it's okay, but it doesn't help knowing I'll be sitting back and watching."
"You don't have to watch," Eli suggests. "I have no idea what the fallout from going to the Hall of Souls is going to be, or what you'll be doing afterwards. So.. maybe be sure to enjoy yourself as best you can beforehand. Like you said.. you can't plan for what you'll encounter, until you encounter it. You did all sorts of planning for Katha-hem, and then.. it didn't matter in the end. Or for the moment, at least."
Tasha conceeds the point, leaning in to her nod. But then she insists as she looks up, "I'm glad I did it, though, I learned things. About war, but also about myself and the world. I needed to step back and stop trying to do everything myself and see the big picture. Not the big picture of the work of the gods, or the history of the universe, but the big picture in life and being. I;d always been very persnal before, immediate, now. Seeing Harmona's mind, Mel's, that started it. Yue too, she helped. But it wasn't until I was here that I really understood it." She scratches her nose, glancing between the two. "It's also when I statarted to accept what I might have to do, though that came a bit later. Mel and I fogured it out in a moment of clarity. But you're right, I may not have a lot of time left. I should enjoy it. In fact, once we hit the Pit I've been ordered off duty."
"Is there anything fun to do in the Pit?" Zerachiel has to asks. "I never left my room much, except to go to the Titan hangar.."
"There's Katie," Tasha answers, tail wagging behind her through the hole in her seat. But then her ears flick and she shrugs, right in to a stretch as she leans back and arches. "Buuuuut, not a lot. Maybe Katie and I can go to the city, or maybe Mr. V. will help. I still need to drop off all the evidence I've found, but I'd like to do it in person."
"Drop off.. ah, to Vasterlion.. Mr. V," Eli realizes. "I thought for a moment you meant Katie's ... manager? But that's Mr. I."
Tasha drops back in her seat with an audible thud, then waggles her Karnor hand Eli-ward. "Better not confuse The Misters, they're both powerful men in their own way. I'll probably run in to Mr. I., too. I think I should, so he knows what the score is with me. That I'll be leaving soon, that maybe I won't come back. Mr. I. can help Katie, if taht's the case." She frowsn, but then shakes her head out, clearing it and the mindset that comes along with it. "Anyway, Mr. V. needs to know about K-hem, since he's already 'in.' The Captain's decided to support Vasterlion because he can help us and because he's the best choice for Cinfederate stability -- which also helps us -- and I totally agree."
"I've missed out on some developments it seems," Eli says with a sigh. "I left Moka in charge when I left Dark Horse. She has actual command experience.. but more importantly she can control Kaa and is close to the Jotoki. Even Jonas likes her. He's still our main agent for dealing with things on Caltrop."
"I knew she was the right choice," Tasha agrees, nodding her head again and rocking in her chair. "Can't have Kaa do it, he's too much like I was. In the moment. But he has skill and people like him. That's what we need on a ship like ours." She glances at her pad, checking the time. "How's Jonas doing? I don't think he ever realized what he was getting in to. He takes the shuttle out to get supplies, doesn't he? Doesn't anyone wonder where a in-system shuttle is coming from out there?"
"Nobody asks questions at Caltrop," Eli points out. "They let the Titanians dock at the station itself. I don't know that anybody there is doing fully legitimate business, especially the embassies."
"From respectable organziation to shady bunch of backwater sneaks. We cover a lot of ground, don't we?" Tasha asks with a laugh, using her hooves to tilt her chair back so she balances on two of its legs, arms folded. "Speaking of the Titanians, I confronted Bumper to make sure they weren't planning on coming at us for digging too deep in to artifacts and gods and such. Bumper offered me a position on the Mauler! I was surprised. I think she has plans foris I survive, too, but that's fine. We need them, I need them. Maybe we could even dress the Dark Horse up as a small Titanian ship, Bumper said she thought the ship might be a drive section, so what about driving a larger ship? It'd give us the shield of Titanian support; no one wants to pick a fight with Titanians."
"We'd need a derelict ship we could hollow out.." Eli says. "But really, individual ships don't want to pick a fight with the Titanians. Planetary fleets, on the other hand, have no qualms. The Titanians wouldn't dare approach a core world or home world. If anyone but the Mauler showed up at Caltrop I don't doubt the Silent-Ones would open fire."
"Then a ship that can changes its identity. Even if the ship's origin and nature are doubted, it's still better than seeing we're a highly valuable alien vessel. The second that gets around, really gets around, we may have a big problem. Right now we're just 'Titanian junk,' and people expect Titanians to find weird artifacts and vessels. We're still associated with them; I think the Library may report us that way. But stilll, I think finding new ways to conceal ourselves may be the best way." Tasha sucks a breath, leaning almost too far, then exhales and settles down again. "For later though. Later."
"There was a suggestion of painting it black," Eli notes. "With or without the flames.."
"This is a bit to take in," the Viceroy says as he slowly rotates his chair. "But.. we've got years to worry about it before another likely daikaiju incident. I'm not sure that the Knights need that threat to maintain themselves.. but it does help, certainly." The Eeee seems to be staring at a point on the curved, soft ceiling.
Tasha looks up, having never sat herself as standing felt like the best way to deliver such a tremendous revelation as the presence and interference of an ancient alien being -- and her agreement to let it continue its experiment. In a way standing felt like presenting herself for assessment, perhaps doubt of punishment, over her actions, A way to make herself available and accountable, even if she wouldn't change her decision for them she could at least be there to suffer disagreement. "I'm sorry it's such a mess, but I'm positive it's all accurate. I've spoken to being like Katha-hem before, and there's much that's the same. On the upswing, um--" She checks her pad and nods. "We've agreed to support your efforts and supply you with the alien artifacts needed as raw materials. We hope to provide more in the future, once things settle down."
"We still haven't figured out the crab's metabolism," Vasterlion says, turning back to a more immediate issue. "We've got EEG sensors attached to the bases of the space-crystals though and have started to collect data. It doesn't seem like the creature is generating that much power to stay afloat."
"Do you think it's pulling power from high dimensions or alternate universe spaces?" Tasha asks, tilting her head, but otherwise not showing and particular surprise that this might be the case. She bites her lip, then adds, "I shouldn't stay too long. Mr. V. I'm just supposed to provide you with an update and notify you of our support, then I've been ordered to take a three day vacation. I'll be very busy in ten or so days and may not be available, so I can try and answer any questions now."
"Vacation?" Vasterlion asks, stopping his rotation to face Tasha. "For only three days? It would take me that long to figure out what to do," he says, then grins. "If you'd like to stay at the Overlook, I can easily arrange it, of course."
At this, Tasha brightens. She bounces slightly on her hooves, a smile coming to her face. "/Really?/ I /love/ the Overlook! I wasn't sure what to /do./ I know I sort of /live/ here, but I'm not in town a lot and it's very much a, um, /working town. as Gabri-- The Captain put it." Her head tilts the other way. "That'd be great though. Mr. V. Do you think it'd be alright is I had guests, though? Ka-- Miss Vesuvius?"
"Can I claim that Katie Kaboom stays at the Overlook?" Vasterlion asks with a big playful grin.
"Uh, you'd better ask her that. Or Mr. I. Ask Mr. I. I don't want him mad at me, that's the last thing I need. This vacation has to be special," Tasha insists and actually takes a step back, holding her hands out, at the suggestions to might go over Mr. Invention's head.
"I'll extend the invitation to her formidable manager of course," Vasterlion says, spreading his hands.
"That's the safest choice," Tasha agrees with a nod. She then realizes she forgot her manners, and adds, "Mr. V."
There's a momentary pause, the young woman biting her lip, then she suddenly asks, "Mr. V., you've been around here a long time, and you know the Confederacy and this world. Do you think, um, do you think my coming here has been a good thing for the world? The JEF? What I was able to do?"
"Well now.. I never thought about it," Vasterlion says, putting his elbows on his desk. "I'm more concerned with what happens next than what happened last. To me, the important thing you've done is find us water for the Pit. And your spaceship has done similar orbital scans of the entire planet now. Those are the things that really make a difference, you see. They aren't really big, or dramatic or violent things. But they will make things better in time. They will prevent conflict, since in the past when someone found useful resources, everyone else would fight over them. But now we know where everything is. It's not about gods and monsters and ancient history and aliens - it's about water, Tasha. Water and minerals."
Tasha dips her head to acknowledge the point, leaving it there with her ears partially canted back. "Then I'll just have to accept I was able to do some good and have to be happy with that. In the future those kinds of support will probably come from others. I, um, I'm not sure how much I'll be around here in the future. This vacation is sort of my last before I complete something that I'd started before the JEF was properly founded. I don't know what happens after that. Not really." She looks up, then glances off and scratches at her nose as she often does. "But I wanted to say that I'm glad I got to meet you. I hope things work out, you know, just in case I'm not around to see what happens. I'm sure everthing will be fine. Uh." Now she's staringat the ceiling. "Did you have any other questions?"
"Well, I would ask you to do everything you can to come back," Vasterlion says. "I have an idea for creating a Titan based sport. I just haven't decided if the ball should explode after a set amount of time. I need all the players I can get." He smiles.
Despite herself Tasha finds herself smiling. She then swallows, realizing this is harder than she thought it'd be -- and probably the reason she'd never made the effort before. Better to rush in and not worry about what's left behind or the consequences, but individuals like Katherine have reminded her that there are things left behind, people left behind, that might go without an answer. This time she's vowed not to let that happens, painful as it's turned out to be. She swallows, then gives another little nod. "I'll try. Um. I sh-should go now?"
"If you must," Vasterlion says, a bit unhappily. "But if you do not return, I will commission a memorial statue of you for the airfield. I can't guarantee it won't be a Titan-sized nude though. Tasteful, with some sort of sash or wrap that looks properly wind blown. And a sword, I think. Maybe two swords.. I know an artist. Have fun tonight though."
Another smile flashes to the young woman's face, but she can't quite managed to say anything more. She turns and inclines her had to te man respectfully, not wanting to rush out of the room, then turns and makes sure to walk out with her dignity largely intact, holding herself back. By thetime she's exited the building she feels like choking, but at least the cool night air -- stinging her eyes as it's dryness always does -- helps snap her in to focus. She steps off the usual concourse and sits herself down on a curb, both to better control herself and to fish out her datapad for use.
There's a rumble in the distance.. a motor. Possibly a motorcycle.
Ears perk and Tasha sits up. It can't be -- can it? And if so, how does she know? To be safe, the young woman swallows hard and sucks in a breath, wiping her eyes on the back of her sleeve. It wouldn't do to be found crying.
A minute later, Katie's motorcycle is idling on the road. The Karnor removes her helmet and shakes out her hair. "There you are!" she declares, pointing at Tasha. "Where you waiting for someone?"
Tasha realizes as she looks up at the Karnor woman that she is exactly who she'd been waiting for, she just didn't know it. Someone to come and save her when her spirits were down; someone to help her reconnect to this place that has become her home, even as it feels like it miht slip away from her. What she never mentions about standing between men and gods is the alienation, the feeling she might slip in to the stars, never to return. She blinks at Katherine in the low light of deep sunset, almost night, and can't quite seem to say anything. So instead she just holds her arms out.
Katie swings her leg over the bike and strides forward to lean over and hug Tasha. "Wanna go get blitzed?" she asks.
Tasha hugs Katie back, very tightly. She uses her for support as she stands then nods a little, not quite looking her in the eye, but smiling now. "Alright," she answers, almost whisper-quiet. "I know just the place." Inhaling, she stands up a little straighter and pushes herself to try and meet the starlet's eyes. "It looks like I'm booked for the Overlook."