2022-07-03: Of Plushes and Video Games and Gundams
- Cast: Banagher Links, Rena Lancaster
- Where: Tsutsujidai
- Date: U.C. 0096 07 03
- Summary: Rena and Banagher meet at a video game store in Tsutsujidai. They discuss the war -- and plushes, love, and video games too.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
Londenion is one of the better off, well-appointed colonies in Side 1; one of the ones receiving Federation largesse instead of neglect.
It has the distinction, perhaps dubiously, of being a city. There are skyscrapers (albeit small ones) inside the colony, and the sort of densely packed urban structure that isn't all that common on colonies. There are still parks and green spaces -- necessary for oxygen regulation and the like -- but it makes it somewhere quite different to visit.
It is also a natural gathering place for Londo Bell soldiers off duty, but also a large group of people who live here and support the Federation's independent task force.
And thus, this evening, Rena Lancaster is on the street in the downtown area, and gazing into a storefront. Her eyes are on some of the merchandise on display: plastic cases for video games, peering in and wrinkling her nose, and sizing up one in particular; it has cartoonish Zaku heads on it, and the title on it reads "DOZOO DEGWA."
Rena Lancaster is a woman in her very early twenties, with ash-blue hair that has been cut short -- down to just the base of her neck -- and, more recently, a streak of red dyed at her bangs. She has brown eyes, and is currently wearing a light black jacket and blue jeans. The black jacket has some lightly glowing teal portions, which owes to some fashion trends that came back with the Macross fleets.
Of course, to a Newtype who met her before, she might register as familiar... or might not!
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
After his experience fighting alongside soldiers of the Federation, Banagher decided to explore nearby Federation settlements. Not that the Captain wasn't great, but... There was so much he hadn't known about Zeon. The same could be true for the Federation.
Banagher spent his pocket change on street food, and wandered down to the downtown area. This was much more what he was used to, back at school. The bustle of the city, the slight run-down aura of it all... He could almost pretend he was simply out for a weekend stroll, with studies and friends awaiting him.
A slight echo of familiarity presses against his awareness. "Hmm..?" Chomping down the rest of his hot dog, Banagher stores the trash in his hoodie pocket. It's his typical outfit today -- jeans, unmanaged hair. He hadn't really been planning on seeing anyone, but... He was here to learn, so he may as well say hello.
"Excuse me," he begins, walking to the side of the woman with the glowing jacket. "I think we've met before, right? I was just in the area, and -- well. Hello."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
Rena peers a moment longer into the storefront. She wobbles back and forth, almost a visual cue that she is weighing a decision. She feels that same pulse of familiarity, though; Rena's eyes blink once, before she stands up straighter, and she adjusts her jacket as she does. It's not necessary; more of a nervous habit.
She smiles, then she blinks. "Oh!" She puts it together, sort of -- a sense of familiarity, someone she met before, and it takes her a moment to think of where, even as she realizes the source. "Hi! Um--right."
She extends a hand out. "I think... I recognize your voice. From the fight with the Vajra, right?" she says. "Ah--I'm Rena! Rena Lancaster. Um, Lieutenant Rena Lancaster, but you don't need to call me that."
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
Banagher gives a somewhat shy smile, taking her hand and shaking it firmly. "It's nice to meet you. Can I call you Rena? I'm Banagher Links. I pilot the Unicorn."
"Your jacket is really cool. How do you make it glow like that? Does it take batteries?" He glances at the store front she was focused on. "This is a games store.. did you want to get something? I don't want to be a bother. I'm really just here to explore the Federation. I don't know as much about them as I thought I did."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"Oh--oh, yes, please!" Rena says, with a quick nod of her head. "Just Rena is fine. I feel a little weird when people call me Lieutenant Lancaster, if I'm being honest." She laughs, and then she scratches at the back of her head -- and then holds that hand up, showing the cuff. It has some of the glowing neon fabric built into it.
"It's something from one of the returning Macross Fleets," Rena says. "I'm not totally sure how it works... they figured out a way to make the fabric glow. It doesn't need batteries, but I do have to make it's in the sun."
Then, she blinks her eyes -- but nods. "I was thinking of buying a game. I'm not sure, though... did you want to go in?" She looks at the store, then back at Banagher. "You're... learning more about the Federation?"
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
"Thanks." Banagher smiles, putting his hands back into his hoodie pocket. "That's amazing. I wonder if you could put something like that on a Haro?" He half-laughs at the image. "It'd be way less creepy than just the red eyes glowing in the dark at night."
Banagher looks at the store. "They have games about mobile suits..? I've never really played video games, to be honest. I wouldn't mind trying one. It's weird, but I have a lot of free time, when Unicorn doesn't need to be deployed, and there's not much to do."
At Rena's question, he looks a little embarrassed. "Yeah. I thought I knew enough about the Federation and Neo Zeon and everything, but then I visited a museum on Zeon's history. There was a lot I'd never heard about. And -- well. I might be... making an important decision, with those two. I wanted to make sure I knew the truth." Banagher glances back at her, his wild hair fluffing up as a gentle breeze passes through. "You work for the Federation, right? What do you... think of it?"
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"I bet you could! They sell stuff like this on some of the ships--I heard the Frontier fleet has a lot of cool things. I got this one from the import store. Maybe someone there could... modify a Haro?" Rena asks. Is that the sort of thing that Anita would like, she wonders? She puts a pin in it, to ask her about later.
"Well--ah--some, yeah. That's a puzzle game, though," she says. She looks at the copy of Dozoo Degwa. "That one's a special edition. You don't usually see them, and it costs a lot, but..."
She glances at Banagher, then; she blinks. A history of Zeon? She hesitates, and glances to the side. There is a pulse of something from her; some complicated emotion, between regret and frustration, and familiarity. She hesitates for a moment, and then she decides to settle on what Banagher asked her.
"It's... complicated," she says. "I'm a spacenoid. I grew up in Side 1--not this colony, though it's close by. The Federation hasn't treated the colonies very well. But... it's kind of disingenuous to talk about the Federation like it's one thing. It's a bunch of different groups, trying to work together. Sometimes, it's... not really doing the right thing."
Rena hesitates. "I'm still glad I'm working for them, though. Because... there's a lot of good they do. And there's a lot of good they could do, and fighting the Federation won't make them do that."
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
"I'd like to try it, I think." Banagher smiles to himself, clearly imagining Haro with glowing decals. "Thanks for the tip."
"A puzzle game..?" He murmurs. "It must be something you're interested, if you know it's a special edition. You should get it!" He smiles, rummaginging in his pockets. "I have... a bit of money left, if you need some help." Banagher's hand returns to view with... not a lot of money, but enough to make a difference, perhaps. "I was only going to use it to get more food, so this is a better use."
His fingers twitch, feeling those emotions echo off Rena. "S--sorry. I didn't mean to ask something personal." He listens to her quietly, nodding when she finishes.
"I'm a spacenoid too. I know a lot of people are angry at the Federation for what they've done in the past. But the same is true for Neo Zeon..." He hesitates. "Yeah. It's individuals that matter. Individuals that make a difference. You're doing the right thing, I think. You see a problem, and you're trying to change it." Banagher's eyes are soft. "I respect that a lot."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"Tell me what happens!" Rena says, with a smile. "I have a friend who likes customizing Haros. She'd love to hear about it."
Then, she nods to Banagher, with a thoughtful look -- and her eyes widen a little bit when she sees him offer his money. "Oh--that's nice, but--but really, it's okay! I can afford it." She hesitates, before she looks back at it, then nods. "It's a puzzle game I'm really into. There's competitions and stuff... I've done really well at them, in the past."
Then, she holds her hands up -- a shake of her head, quickly. There's a flush to her face; sometimes, she can't help but showing what she feels.
"...yeah. A lot of people are mad at both," she admits, hesitating. But she has some anger at Zeon, too, and she can't hide that. "Individuals matter a lot." She looks back at Banagher, then, and she tilts her head. But, she smiles now. "Thanks. I'm glad you think so. I'd like to tell you I'm always sure of what I'm doing... but I think it's the right thing to do. The Federation can be a lot more than it is. And if I work at it, then... maybe it will be."
She hesitates. "What... what about you? You pilot a Gundam, right?"
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
Banagher returns the money to his pocket, nodding. "Alright. It's amazing there's still time for game competitions with all the conflict going on. It's really cool that you're good enough to do well at them! I've never had a talent like that."
How much was it safe to tell Rena? She seemed like a good and trustworthy person, but would telling her about Laplace's Box put her in danger? Banagher hunches into himself a little, looking away. "Yeah. It all happened so fast, and now..." He looks down. "Now I'm facing all these decisions. I know I might end up hurting people, or killing them, and -- I really don't want to do that. Unicorn will only let me pilot it, you see, and..."
Shaking his head, he smiles, a little embarrssed. "Sorry. I'm talking so much. I guess... If you had something you were told would change everything, for everyone -- what would you do with it? Who would you give it to?"
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"Well... the thing about war is it doesn't stop life from going on," Rena says. "Some of the competitions got delayed or cancelled. And sometimes players couldn't come, since..." Since they were on the wrong side -- or they died in one of the attacks. Rena hesitates for a moment, before she glances down at her feet. "But it's nice, too. It reminds me of before I became a soldier."
Then she laughs. "And it's, you know, it's a nice way to turn my brain off a little."
She looks back up, then. What would she do, if she was given a power that could change everything? Who would she give it to? She hesitates, as she thinks about it. "I don't think it's an easy decision," she says. "I--um. I know... things move really fast, now. I've felt overwhelmed, a lot, with how things change. One of my friends ended up piloting when she never thought she would..."
Rena trails off. She isn't answering the question. "...I guess... I'd look to the people I know and trust. And try to figure it out. But... that's not really an answer, is it?"
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
Banagher smiles as Rena laughs. "You have a nice laugh -- it's good to see you smile." He looks away, embarrassed at himself for a moment. "I feel that way when I'm modifying Haro, or working on Unicorn. It's nice to just focus on something small. Maybe I should try one of these puzzle games..."
"That's what I've been thinking too -- giving it to who I trust the most." He smiles again. "It's not much of an answer, but I don't know if there really is one true answer to this. I really don't feel qualified to be the one making this decision, but --" He sighs, shrugging. "That's what I'm facing. Rena, do you think... I could spend time with your, um, unit?" He wasn't sure what the proper term was. "I need to see all sides to make a decision. Not right away, or anything, but is it a possibility?"
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
Rena turns red in the face at the compliment. But, she smiles, too; she ends up tugging on some of the longer locks of hair coming down in front of her ears. "Th-thanks," she says, with a stammer. Then, she nods. "Dozoo Degwa is great! If you like those, you might like it. It has levels that look like Mobile Suit heads, and they fill up with colored orbs, and you match the colors up to make the orbs disappear. And the orbs are called Dozoos or Degwas, and have cute little eyes, and... it's a lot of fun."
She blinks. She doesn't think she sold it very well.
She looks at him, after a moment -- and then she smiles again. "Yeah! Of course! Um--we're called the Kakapo Squadron. We're based on the Ra Mari, a Clop-class ship. Most of us grew up together, since we were... about twelve years old, give or take," Rena says. "I could introduce you to everyone. And, um, if... you want to learn more about Zeon and the Federation..."
Rena hesitates. She could tell him -- and the temptation is there. But if she talks about her experiences, when does she stop being Rena Lancaster? What does saying it aloud to someone else do?
She gives up on that. "...You should meet Eight York. She's... someone really important to me. I don't want to speak for her, though." She holds her hands up. "But--I'll make sure you can come and go, and no one will bother you, okay?"
Just in case someone else in the Federation gets an idea.
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
"That sounds... cute. Fun." Banagher smiles at Rena's eager explanation. "I'm sold, at least. Will you help me pick out the right one? I don't know how this stuff works, really." He can't help but wonder if Unicorn would ever be in a game like this -- if it'd be famous like Amuro Ray's Gundam. Probably not, with how secret everything is. Oh well.
Banagher nods, listening. "Oh, if you've all grown up together, I wouldn't want to intrude... You sound like a family." He hesitates. "...does this mean you've all been soldiers since you were that young? Or..."
"I think I met Eight York, briefly. We didn't get to say much to each other, but she seemed like a good person. And -- thank you. I need to be certain no one will harm Unicorn, or try anything. I've learned the most about Zeon through living with them, talking to them. I'm certain the Federation will be the same way. Maybe we could have a little competition for this game, if I'm able to stay with you guys for a while?"
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"I can help!" Rena says, eagerly. She grins, and scratches at the back of her head. "I'm pretty familiar with it, and um, most of the copies in there won't be special editions. We could find one that's not too pricy."
She starts to walk into the store. She looks over her shoulder -- then shakes her head. "No, no, it's okay. We've also got newer people with us. And--no, we're... no, we didn't all become soldiers when we were young. After we graduated high school, for most of us," Rena says. Callisto and Eight were complicated, though.
"We kinda all... ended up in the same unit," she says. "It's funny how it worked out."
Rena smiles, then, and tilts her head. "I'll pull a few strings. I'll... make it clear you're not, you know--you're visiting. And talk to Eight, since she's the captain." Rena cracks a smile. "We can do a competition! I'm pretty good, though."
She is absolutely downplaying how good she is. She may be planning to take it easy on him until he learns the ropes, though.
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
Following behind her, Banagher looks excited. "That'd be great. I don't need anything fancy." Immediately, he's struck by the sheer amount of merchendise and games on display. "Wow... There's so much stuff!" He wanders over to look at a selection of plush verions of mobile suits. "Look at this!" Banagher holds up an RX-78-2.
Still smiling, he looks up from the plushie. "I'm so glad you weren't child soldiers or something. I hear stories sometimes, and I can't bear it." He waves the Gundam's arm up and down a bit. "You really are a little family, all together. I know you're still fighting, but it sounds kinda nice."
Banagher walks up to Rena, looking over the video games. They all looked so similar... He was thankful to have an expert on hand. "Thank you, um, in advance. I'd like to meet everyone, and hear about their lives." He ducks his head. "I'm sure you'd tear me apart in the game, but -- maybe I can pick up some pointers from an expert?"
With his quiet excitement over the video games, it's easy to see how young Banagher is. He appears far less the pilot of a fearsome Gundam and far more a typical young man. "Which one's the best, of all these games?"
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<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"Mm-hm! They have a lot of stuff, not just games, and--" Rena follows after. She tilts her head behind him, looking at the plush version of the RX-78-2. Then, she grins, and nods. "It's really something else? It's kind of funny, how they can make a Gundam look cute..."
She trails off after that, and then she looks at Banagher for a moment. She hesitates, as she considers child soldiers -- and Rena shakes her head. "I'm glad, too. I... know people who were," she admits. Her voice is quieter, then.
She finds her hand balling into a fist. "...It's unforgiveable. When people are forced to do that. I, um--yeah."
She hesitates, then she smiles. She follows after him, to the video games, and then looks them over for a moment more. "I'd happy to show you. I'm--well, actually, I've placed in regional championships. I guess I am an expert," she admits. "And... yeah, we are kind of like a family."
She peers at the games, then picks up one; it has a giant super deformed pink Rick Dom on it, holding its hands out. The text on the front reads 'DOZOO DEGWA DX KANPEITO KAMPELLO.'
"This one! It's my favorite," she says. "Kanpeito Kampello is really good, it's super cute and the gameplay's the best... and it's what most people still play, casually and in the competitions!"
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
"Yeah, I've never seen a cute Gundam before." He smiles down at the little plushie. "I like it. It'd be a great friend for Haro. I think I'll get it, if I have enough."
His smile fades at the talk of child soldiers. It didn't seem like Rena wanted to speak of it more, so he simply nods to her and looks back to the video games. "Regional championships! That's impressive." He looks over Rena's arm to examine the game. "...they made that Rick Dom cute, too. I guess this is a whole industry. It doesn't look too expensive, either." Banagher picks up another copy of DOZOO DEGWA DX KANPEITO KAMPELLO, reading the back of the package.
"This is perfect. Are you going to get that special edition?" Banagher holds the plushie and game close to his chest. "I admit, I'm excited to try this. I haven't done anything just for fun since I started to pilot Unicorn."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"It takes some doing, but... it's nice when they pull it off," Rena says, with a grin. And a grateful look, that he doesn't press on child soldiers -- even if she feels that flash of guilt, for not being more forthcoming. She hesitates a second, and then she smiles.
"They did! There's all sorts of mobile weapon heads--those are the stages," she says. "I think I will get it, too--let's see..."
She picks it up. The special edition is the same game, but the box is larger, and has a foil cover. It also, notably, is a little larger and promises a keychain is inside. Rena clings it to her. Then, she tilts her head. "Really? That's a shame... well, we'll have to fix that. What sorts of things did you like to do, before you piloted Unicorn? Mechanical stuff, right?"
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
"I had friends who really liked video games back at college." Banagher explains, looking at the shimmering cover of the special edition. "But I was there on a scholarship, so I always focused on studying. My mom passed away, and if I got kicked out... I wouldn't have had anywhere to go." His voice is soft. "The day I met Unicorn, most of my friends were killed. Our colony was attacked, and my school is gone, now. It hasn't... felt right to take breaks, or do something fun."
Banagher looks down. "Sorry. I guess I feel pretty comfortable with you, saying all this! Um, things I like..." He thinks. "I've always really liked my Haro. It's a special edition, made to be just like the one Amuro Ray had. Rena, do you think it's right to have fun and relax when so many people are depending on you? Wouldn't that make them angry?"
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<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"That makes sense," Rena says. She scratches at her cheek with her free hand. She hadn't gone to college; it was right into the military, then Officer Candidacy School, for her. She took some college level courses there, but it was a different experience. Though, her expression turns more solemn for a moment. "I'm sorry, Banagher. I didn't know. I guess..."
She hesitates, not finishing that thought. She smiles, then shakes her head. "It's the same for me. I've probably said more than I usually do." Rena tilts her head to the side for a second -- even if her eyes widen, clearly impressed that Banagher has a Haro just like Amuro Ray's. She didn't know they had those!
But he asks a question. "I think... I used to think it was wrong," she admits. "And sometimes, when things are bad, I still do. But... a person who taught me a lot said that you have to give time for yourself. Or you'll run out of 'you' to give to other people. I try to remember that." She smiles. "Sometimes, I even succeed!"
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
"It's alright." Banagher says, gently. "You know, I haven't thought about it that way. If I ran out of energy to help, I'd be no good to anyone. I guess that makes things like this all the more important, then?" He holds up the plushie and game.
He thinks of asking about Rena's family for a moment, but... if she had been living with her soldier-family since she was 12... He can't imagine her biological family would be in any happy state. What mattered is the people you choose to stay with, anyway.
"Hey, Rena?" Banagher asks, looking back at the plushies. "Do girls like stuff like this? Girls in -- general. You would know, right?" He blushes softly. "There's someone I'd like to give a present to, and so far my ideas have been kinda lame. I've never thought much about women before."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"That's it," Rena says, with a smile. "It's important to make sure you take care of yourself. So you can take care of other people!" She hesitates for a second. "Just, you know, I'm a lot better at giving that advice than following it. Just ask my friends."
The way she laughs after she says that, though, it's not something that bothers her too much (in the present, at least).
She looks at the plushies -- then blinks -- and looks back at Banagher. She puts a hand on the back of her neck. "Well... I like plushies!" she says. "And I know plenty of girls who do. So I think you're pretty safe, getting her a plushie. I don't think anyone would dislike one." She cracks a smile after that. "And, um, you know. Congratulations!"
Is that what she should say about a (probable) crush? She isn't sure.
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
"I'm sure your friends watch out for you, just like you do for them, right?" Banagher smiles as Rena laughs.
He walks back to the plushie display, looking through the offerings. "Well, you see... she's used to fancy things. I don't know anything about that world." He blushes all the more deeply. "Ah -- we're not together, or anything, I just..." He seems very, very interested in rummaging through the plushies. This certainly has nothing to do with the blush covering his face. "I want her to know I'm thinking of her, even though we're apart."
A few mobile suit plushies are lined up in front of the others. It looks like another RX-78-2, a Zaku, and a Rick Dom, all cutely deformed. "Er... What do you think? Which one is best?"
"Do you have anyone you... want to get a present for?" Banagher asks, stumbling on his words a little. It was only polite to ask in return, right?
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"Mm-hm. They've picked me up a few times," Rena says. She hesitates for a second. "Sometimes literally when I'm overworked."
She follows him back to the plushie display. She looks sideways at Banagher -- hesitating for a moment. Fancy things, she thinks. She knows a thing or two about that. "I think... people who are used to fancy things don't always want to get something fancy," she says, after a moment's thought. "So I think--something you think is cute, or fun, that you want to share... I think she would appreciate that."
She looks over the three of them, and she wrinkles her nose for a second. "I like the Rick Dom because of the cross-shaped head. It looks funny, that way," she says. "I--er--"
She laughs, turning red. "Y-Yeah. There's a couple of people, actually... I guess I'm kind of hopeless."
She hesitates, before she grabs a couple of the RX-78-2 plushies. "You know, I bet they'd like these. The eyes are great, huh?"
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
"Really? That's a relief." Banagher sighs, smiling. "I collected these flower petals, a while ago, but they got all crunchy, and crushed. So I've been looking for something else." He looks critically at the Rick Dom, brushing some of the fluff one way to show off its embroidery a little more. "Hmm... Yeah, this one's pretty nice. If nothing else, it'll make her laugh, right?"
Gathering the Rick Dom up into his arms, Banagher laughs softly. "It's stressful enough having just one person to worry about. Having a few must be rough! What are they like? If you want to talk about it." He nods seriously at the choice of the RX-78-2. "Yeah, and it was Amuro Ray's mobile suit! Everyone likes him! He was such a great hero."
Trying to balance all three items was getting a little precarious. "I guess we should go pay for these, right? I should've brought a bag or something."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"Flower petals seem hard to preserve..." Rena trails off. "I've never tried. Fortunately, plushies are going to be pretty sturdy." She laughs, then she nods her head. "And that's right! A laugh's good, too."
She looks sideways at Banagher, and considers for a second. "Well... one's really funny, even if she drives me crazy sometimes. The other is kind of shy but really nice. And sometimes sarcastic, when you least expect it."
She pauses. "They both make me laugh... so maybe that's another vote for the Rick Dom."
Rena laughs, then she looks at Banagher. Her arms are full of merchandise, too; she has the two plushies and the game in an awkward bear hug. "You really look up to Amuro Ray, huh?" she says. "I don't blame you. Ah--well, they'll have bags at the counter! C'mon, let's see how much they charge us."
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
Banagher smiles, nodding. "Making you laugh is important. I hpoe things work out with them. Maybe you should teach them to play this game, too. Kind of an excuse to spend time together, maybe?"
"Yeah. Amuro is the greatest." He looks down at the RX-78-2 plushie. "I hope I can be as brave as him."
Following Rena to the counter, Banagher does, in fact, have just enough money.