open to any Go-Busters players from any universe incl Mushverse, ogods what am I doing

[loveenetronkurorin]

I sit back in my chair, tapping a pencil on the desk idly as I think about the latest reports.

We've made so much headway. But there's still so far to go.

Comments

[loveenetronkurorin]

I rub my forehead and stare back at him.

"Why on Earth would I do that?" I ask, honestly cranky. "The placement of your lips has nothing to do with your ability of, or commitment to, fight. Takosawa is not in charge."

[greypleather]

The tone of his voice catches me off guard and I take a step back.

"I didn't mean to be rude, Commander." I grumble, turning away. "I'm not oblivious. I know what he wants. I just want to be sure that he's the only one who feels that way."

[loveenetronkurorin]

"What Takosawa wants?" I confirm. "Don't worry about that, Etienne."

I run a hand through my hair. While I'd like nothing more than for these children to be allowed to be children, to be cared for, to have proper childhoods, he's over 20 now and it was never an option for him. Never. "You're not a child, and if Takosawa brings this to me and tries to sell it as an actual health concern, it won't do him any good."

[greypleather]

"He still treats me like a child." I complain, maybe a little pathetically, but what else can I do? "He's managed to keep me from piloting OS-04 into battle, after all."

[loveenetronkurorin]

I don't want to piss him off, but it's a secondary concern. "Takosawa's right about that," I say baldly. "We need to work on ways to make you more safe in OS-04 but for now, he's right. You're too much at risk."

[greypleather]

I open my mouth to argue but give up before I can find words.

"Fine." I grumble petulantly, feeling a bit childish but no more so than I feel every time the others risk their lives fighting giant robots and I stay on the ground, worse than useless.

[loveenetronkurorin]

"Etienne." I make notations with my stylus, then tap in my authorisation code, to reassign him for the next day. He can still come out to fight if necessary. "You're with the engineers tomorrow. Work with them. See if you can find a way for OS-04 to safeguard you if you black out."

I look at him severely over the top of my screen. "I'm not guaranteeing that I'll authorise any scheme you may come up with, but you're right. You should be in the field."

[greypleather]

I'd drifted over to the little alcove to retrieve a cup of coffee, but I spin when he reassigns me. My heart's in my throat for a second, but then he elaborates and I dash back over to stand in front of his desk.

"You mean it? Really?"

I'm not hugely optimistic, I've been trying to figure out my Weak Point in vain for thirteen years. But even the little show of support...

"Merci, commandant, merci beaucoup!"

[loveenetronkurorin]

I raise a hand. "Don't thank me yet. You may not find a workable solution, and you know the realities. You know being in the field isn't exactly a walk in the park."

But I can't help smile, a little, at his enthusiastic gratitude.

[greypleather]

I take a step back at the near-reprimand, hunching my shoulders and sighing a little.

"Oui, oui, I know." I glance up at him again and then offer a salute. "But still. Thank you for the opportunity."

[loveenetronkurorin]

Good, he's still optimistic but quieter, now. I don't want him going in there tomorrow expecting to find some perfect solution, then mooning around for days because he hasn't.

He's a good kid. They all are. But they're *kids*, who let things affect them too much.