2010-04-23 - Pursuit

AXIS

SPACE

NOW

Princess Mineva Lao Zabi /worries/ about her Regent so!

But there's no one she can /confide/ in. The Princess of Zeon has appealed to, of all things, Neo Twitter, but they've been no help at all. She's tried going it solo, but all that ended with was Shin Matsunaga getting flowers, which, frankly, no one wants. The enterprising pre-pubescent ruler has decided that what she needs is a /co-conspirator/ in her grand scheme to make Haman Karn happy.

What Mineva would need is someone dedicated, loyal, industrious, independent, respectful, sensitive, bold, and outgoing. Apparently, this list was not required in its entirety, and "capacity for scheming in the name of romance" wasn't even considered at all. Or maybe Mineva just sees what she wants to see. In any event, she has summoned Puru Two.

The communique labeled it a 'matter of great importance to the Zeonic State.'

Mineva is dressed in her tiny uniform. She's seated at a table in her chambers -- which are probably the most excessive tribute to little-girldom that anyone has ever seen, until they've been in Shine Hausen's room -- going through a pile of pictures. All of them are...

...men.

Puru Two has been going back and forth between Earth and Axis so much the past few days, it would make any normal person - nay, INFERIOR BEING - spacesick. In between keeping up appearances at the Earth Cradle, she's been making regular stopovers just to witness the repairs being done on the Psyco Gundam. It's gotten to be a regular occurance to see her hovering up on the hangar catwalks like some kind of tiny angel of death. Just watching, waiting for the time to finally come.

That being the case, it wasn't actually that much of an upset of her routine to receive a summons from Axis. But it certainly was odd. Ordinarily these kinds of... officialiaties are a rarity, especially for ordinary soldiers like herself, yet this is the second in barely over a week. But that wasn't the oddest thing. Why was it /Mineva/ summoning her? There's no need for such pretense, Puru Two knows very well who's really running the show. Lady Haman's ways truly are inscrutable.

Since it wasn't labelled as the highest urgency this time, Puru Two takes a little extra time to get properly changed for important stately matters, and arrives in her own uniform, in a size not unlike Mineva's own. She doesn't get to wear it often, and while it's certainly a point of pride to have one at all, it still feels wholly uncomfortable to be dressed in anything else than a flight suit. She fiddles with the outfit a bit to make sure no wrinkles are visible, before knocking and proceeding one step into the chambers she was summoned to, announcing herself with a short bow.

"I apologise for the intrusion," comes the familiar introduction. "Puru Two, reporting as ordered..." She trails off a little at the end, scanning the room with her eyes. That's odd, is Mineva the only one here? Did Haman get stuck in space traffic or something?

Mineva looks up when Puru Two enters -- there's a wide-eyed look of curiosity that brightens instantly into the sort of sickly sweet smile that's so tooth-rotting it could only be completely genuine. "Ah, Puru Two!" Mineva chirps, setting down a photograph of Johnny Ridden that she'd been considering.

Mineva spies Puru's glance around the room, and quickly deduces what the issue is. Despite her age, her reputation, and the fact that she believes everything Haman Karn tells her, Mineva is nonetheless no dullard -- in fact, she's rather sharp, when it suits her. Princesses have to be. "Oh," Mineva says, her smile becoming a little sheepish as she stands. "Lady Haman isn't here. She's away on business of some sort."

"/I/ summoned you, myself. I hope it's not an inconvenience!" That's the difference between Mineva and Haman, no matter how much Haman tries to scrub it out of the girl monarch. "But, you see, I have a matter of the /utmost/ concern to our great people -- one that must be handled with delicacy and /secrecy/!"

Mineva comes in close, gripping Puru Two's sleeve as sshe speaks in a near-whisper, looking around with wide eyes as if /spies/ were listening in. At least she's inherited Haman's flair for the dramatic, if skewed toward a much younger, more play-oriented mindset. "You see, something is /amiss/ with Lady Haman!"

There's that narrowing of the eyes again when Puru Two first looks directly at Mineva. It's almost as if she never even saw the other girl before her name was called out. Either way, she quickly assumes a more neutral expression. Which lasts only a few seconds, upon the admission that it really was Mineva summoning her, and not Haman.

There's sooo many things Puru Two would be saying about this, were the situation any different, chiefly among which a number of variations on 'are you kidding me?!' She may not know Mineva very well, but from what little she's seen it's pretty clear that despite being the last of the Zabis, this is very much a little girl we're talking about. She can't handle little girls! Let alone little girls she should be obeying without question.

The moment of panic is clearly visible in her wide-eyed stare, but Puru Two settles down a little when it appears that, despite the way in which the news is delivered, this is still going to be a serious business matter. Phew. "...of course, it's no inconvenience at all, Lady Mineva. I stand ready to assist however I can."

She raises an eyebrow when the sleeve she /just/ got the last wrinkles out of is grabbed - sigh, all this effort is wasted on Mineva - but still resists the urge to remark things that would be out of line. Especially when finally, The Truth comes out. "What...?" She /did/ notice something was off during that last meeting. Could there be some kind of illness involved? She straightens up immediately, pledging, "If there is any way I can be service, then I stand ready to lend my assistance in any way I can."

Puru Two's pledge is met with as grim and grave a look as Mineva Lao Zabi can muster -- that is to say, not much of one. She does manage a fairly officious nod, though, and lets go of Puru's sleeve, straightening her own tunic. Again, she looks around, as if she expects a one of the gargantuan stuffed animals to suddenly explode and reveal Chibodee Crockett with a tape recorder or something.

"Good! I /knew/ you were the right person for the job." Despite her attempts to appear professional and -- well, Hamanesque, Mineva can't keep a schoolgirlish excitement out of her voice, like all of this cloak and dagger business was, in addition to a serious state affair, quite a lot of fun. To be fair, though, it must be a change from her usual days of schooling followed by figurehead duties and idle luxury. Mineva's just getting to the age when that isn't as satisfying as everyone probably imagines it should be.

Mineva begins ushering Puru Two toward the table, taking the other girl's hand as if she were tugging along a school friend. What's particularly strange about this is that Mineva doesn't /have/ school friends. She's privately tutored.

"You see, Puru Two, I have this... terrible suspicion that Lady Haman is /hiding/ something. The way she's been behaving lately... she's like a /shell/ of herself!" Mineva turns and emphatically frowns. She can't keep the concern out of her voice, and because she's so young, it's an unregulated, overblown emotion. "But I think Lady Haman is too proud to admit that there's a problem! Puru Two... I think Lady Haman is..."

Cue dramatic musical sting.

".../unhappy/!"

Puru Two doesn't bother to unwrinkle her uniform again, because well, what's the use. Despite pledging her aid, she really, really doesn't want to be here. She just wants to be told what to do so she can get out, and get to whatever it is she needs to do. And hope that it somehow involves shooting something.

But it's not that simple. Of course not. Of course Mineva is one of those... /little girls/ who likes to hold hands. Puru Two doesn't like to be touched, go away, leave her alone. Ugh, it sucks not being able to actually object to any of this, having to let herself get dragged along like that. When is this girl going to get to the freaking point already?

Finally then, to the matter at hand. Puru Two can't claim to know what goes on in Haman's head, because it's a scary place that she really doesn't want to try looking into very deeply. The 'shell of herself' description seems accurate enough, however. Looking so bored about such an extremely exciting development like obtaining a Psyco Gundam, how is that even possible? So something is clearly wrong... but what?

And then, Mineva drops the bombshell. It is responded to with silence. A long, uncomfortable silence. Unhappy, what, so? How could you do anything about that? Puru Two, meanwhile, has noticed the photographs scattered around on Mineva's table, which helps her in putting two and two together.

She turns to Mineva with an incredulous look. "You're not seriously suggesting..." She can't even say it. It's just too ridiculous. She has to be wrong about this, right? Tell her she's wrong.

"/Yes/," Mineva says, with a grand self-satisfaction, as if it's obvious to her that Puru Two thinks this is the greatest plan in the entire world. Despite the obvious discomfort and the obvious incredulous stare. 'Seeing what she wants to see' may not be wholly inaccurate.

"For you see, Puru Two, a woman of Lady Haman's age and standing requires certain considerations! Without them, her life is not /complete/!" Mineva moves to the table, fanning out a swath of pictures as if she were offering a game to Puru -- which, in effect, she is. The pictures range far and wide: Mashymere Cello, Johnny Ridden, Char Aznable, Archibald Grims, Axel Almer, Vindel Mauser, Adler Koch, Alberto the Shockwave... nearly everyone remotely associated with Neo Zeon or the Divine Crusaders, really. "And until Lady Haman has everything that her position requires, she /can't/ be happy, I'm just sure of it!"

Mineva picks up a picture of Nohman at random and waves it around for emphasis. "So you see, Puru Two, you are to aid me in what is surely the most important task you've ever recieved -- we are to /find Lady Haman a husband/!"

Mineva Lao Zabi honestly believes that Puru Two will jump at the chance. More fool she.

It's not often that Puru Two is rendered speechless. But this, /this/... She can only stare at the pictures, and stare at Mineva, as if the little regent-to-be had just told her that she's pregnant. It's THAT unbelievable.

With this, Puru Two's considerable lack of patience runs out. She can't deal with this sort of thing. And why should she, this is clearly /not/ a stately matter! It's been hard enough to keep up this act towards someone she's never regarded as anything but a regular little girl acting as convenient figurehead for the one who's really in power. A hand is brought up to her forehead, slowly running down her face. "You... you..." Maybe she should just take that hand, and wrap it around her little...!

No, wait. Calm down. Deep breaths. You can handle this, Puru Two. Don't cause any incidents that may cost you everything you've worked so hard to achieve. That, and only that, allows her to restrain the full fury of her exasperation.

But she certainly can't keep up the facade at this point. All the remnants of formality are now gone from Puru Two's posture, expression and speech, as she crosses her arms and looks upon Mineva with a frown that clearly displays open disapproval, speaking in a flat, accusing tone. "Really? That's what you summoned me for? And nothing about this sounds like abuse of your position to you?" Not to mention how STUPID this all is, dear lord, how she needs to hold herself back from saying what she /really/ wants to say.

Puru Two may be holding back, but she still might as well have slapped Mineva Lao Zabi across the cheek. The Princess is not used to this sort of reaction -- that is, a negative one. The only person who ever even /tries/ to express disapproval with her is Haman Karn, and even then, it's generally offset by the fact that Haman is also her caretaker and confidant. Even then, Haman would never be so -- so /cruel/.

(She totally would.)

Mineva is stunned into silence, just as Puru was a moment ago. But this one isn't the silence of sneering disbelief -- it's a wounded, betrayed silence, as if Puru's words were a knife jutting out of her spine. "...a-abuse of my...?"

The hand holding up the picture of Nohman goes limp. Puru's arms drop to her sides for a moment. She looks over at her table full of pictures -- Full Frontal at the top, unsmiling -- and then back at Puru Two. The Princess wraps her arms around herself, limply and defensively. It's as if she suddenly feels very vulnerable. Her eyes are watering.

"Wh-- Puru Two... what are you saying...?"

Oh, Puru Two hasn't yet /begun/ to be cruel. The fact that Mineva doesn't seem to understand what is so wrong about all this is just /infuriating/. This girl is just going around making assumptions about what other people - what /Haman Karn/ needs. Hasn't she ever learned not to stick her nose where it doesn't belong? God, if Haman found out about this she might be /dead/, Zabi or no Zabi.

Puru Two throws up her hands in disbelief, continuing her torrent of rapid-fire rhetorical questions. "What does it sound like I'm saying? Exactly /what/ makes you so convinced that a Lady Haman needs a husband, anyway? How can you just assume that's what would make her feel better?"

Puru Two snatches the picture of Nohman from Mineva's hand and turns it around, slapping a finger against it as if presenting it as some kind of Exhabit A. "You think a face like that could make /anyone/ happy?" She waves her free hand in the direction of the table. "You even have Char Aznable in there, don't you know that he slapped Lady Haman right in the face in the middle of a negotiation? Do you really think she'd want someone like that?"

(She totally would.)

Dropping Nohman's ugly mug on the floor, Puru Two lets out a deep sigh, bringing her hand to her forehead once more. This is giving her a headache. "You don't even have the slighest clue what you're doing, do you?"

Mineva can only stare and stammer as Puru Two continues her full-court press. Her eyes only get wetter, and she seems ready to just break down and bawl under the verbal slings and arrows being proffered by the tiny terror. When Puru snatches the picture away, Mineva lets out a squeak of a yelp and backs away, as if she expects Puru to slug her next.

Which she kind of does, at this rate. Mineva grabs the back of her chair and looks away again, as if ashamed. Her cheeks are flush and pink. "I... I just want to help Lady Haman... be happy, I..."

Mineva trails off, and her head dips as her eyes close. She's never been in a situation like this before. What Puru Two says makes sense, but it also really, really hurts to listen to -- Mineva isn't mature enough to distinguish between 'a logical point being made' and 'a personal attack against her,' although the line is admittedly thin here. So Mineva withdraws. Still holding the chair, still looking away, Mineva says weakly, "I think I should like it if you left my quarters at once."

Puru Two isn't mature enough to distinguish between teaching someone a life lesson and a personal attack, which helps to explain the rather spectacular trainwreck that just happened. The truth may hurt, but she's never learned to sugarcoat the truth. Whatever Mineva's intentions were, this was just a really stupid thing to do, and it will be better for her to learn that lesson now before she learns it the hard way. No, this was not the hard way, at least not as hard as it could have been.

After all that, it must be difficult to believe that somewhere deep down, Puru Two's motivation for the speech was not solely about frustration, getting her time wasted like this. Part of it was actually genuine concern, as expressed by someone who doesn't know how to express that sort of thing very well. After all, she could have just walked out right away without saying anything, why should she even care what Haman Karn does to stupid kids?

Naturally, this is not something that Puru Two consciously realizes, let alone that she explain herself. Instead, when requested to leave, she merely repeats the short bow from before, turns, and marches out without a word.

Until she gets to the door, when she speaks over her shoulder, "I suggest you destroy all evidence of your activities towards this... project of yours." Because if Haman finds out, that would be terrible. Then again, why would she care? Puru Two doesn't leave any room for questions, turning the corner into the hallway immediately afterwards.

After Puru Two leaves, Mineva Lao Zabi, Princess of Zeon, does little more than flop down onto her bed, bury her face in her pillow, and begin to cry. It's a pathetic thing to watch. So it's good that no one can see, one supposes.