2022-09-29: An Offer I Don't Recognize
- Cast: Ako Furuma, Leina Ashta
- Where: MacDaniels, Tsutsujidai
- Date: U.C. 0096 09 29
- Summary: Leina invites Ako out for lunch. They talk about the future and how to make a difference, and Ako gets a difficult offer.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
Leina couldn't be happier with how the moving party turned out, for her ulterior motive. However, for all of its success, she found herself wanting to get to know the girl that Ramo was friends with. That had had trouble voicing her feelings for eight months, such that the two were likely dating long before it ever became official.
She wishes she could take credit for that positive outcome, but it all felt like an accident, that she stumbled blindly into awakening Ramo to the world.
She can't though, she just has to live with that.
Today she's back in Tsutsujidai, and just sent Ako a casual invite, if she'd like to catch lunch together. Like before, she picks a MacDaniels near the Foundation office, because she knows that Ramo tends to meet up with friends at places like this. She's dressed ultra casually, a shirt with a monochromatic Haro of black and white, denim shorts, and a pair of sneakers.
She's picked a booth in a distant corner to offer them privacy. Seated at the table she has her datapad out, with earbuds in her ears as she listens to Sagitarrius 9 PM Don't be Late by Sheryl Nome. Mostly she's tapping back some responses to a few grant applications. In front of her is some cheap MacDaniels coffee and a still wrapped up Neo-Chicken sandwich. She's ordered but hasn't started eating.
<Pose Tracker> Ako Furuma has posed.
Ako was slow on the response to the invite - weighing it over. She didn't know Leina well, but she knew she was Fine. That wasn't the actual problem to the social visit - it was everything else: noise, bus-ride, menu indecisi- oh, it's MacDaniels. Sold.
Ako is dressed as she usually does - her 'garish' purple jacket, white undershirt, and skirt. She gets some odd looks as she enters the place, and some people shuffle away 'subtly', but she notices. It's how the world is.
It's less crowded here than the one near school, good. Ako nods towards Leina, before ordering her food - a large order of Chicken MacNuggets and a large cola. She'll take whatever she doesn't eat home.
Once she's ready, Ako steadily moves over towards the booth, taking a seat across from Leina. "Hey.
Listening to music. Cheap MacDaniels coffee. Doing datawork. She really is an adult, yet a safer one, huh? Not too far from her to be alien, yet far enough that Ako feels ever so slightly awkward. She still hasn't decided her own future.
"What's up?"
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
Leina senses her coming long before she actually greets her, but she doesn't look up. She knows that being a bit too 'alert' can be off putting to people. So instead she waits, then smiles at her and takes out her earbuds. "Hey."
If only she knew. Leina Ashta has been an adult since she was ten years old. However, even if she's figured out her goal, she doesn't yet know how to reach it, and what her place is in achieving it.
"Nothing too interesting. Just processing some applications for my volunteer work, homework, memorizing lines for my school's next drama club auditions."
She says, sounding sheepish, "I'm, chronically busy. Sorry we haven't gotten to talk much before now. Wanted to thank you for helping out the other day." Pause, "And well, to be honest, I'd like to get to know you better. Most of what I know about you comes from Ramo."
She smiles her way after a moment, "Couldn't be happier for the two of you, by the way."
<Pose Tracker> Ako Furuma has posed.
"Sounds like a pain." Ako replies, checking her chicken nugget count to make sure they didn't miss one once she gets them. "How...do you fit drama club into everything else? What if there's a conflict?"
Ako does nod at the thanks, though she tilts her head after. Get to know her better...well, Leina's friends with Marusan, and- apparently knows they're dating. Guess she told her...
"There's not much to know. Going home club, no part time job since they're not allowed, and I spend most of my time at home or with Marusan when she's free."
She considers saying it. Leina can feel the mild emotions well up, of confusion. Why her? They've met, but Ako isn't that interesting, and definitely doesn't give off a vibe of being approachable. Is Leina just that kind of person? Or is there an ulterior motive? It doesn't matter which.
She has MacNuggets, after all.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
"Depends on the conflict." Leina answers honestly, "Some things can't be helped. But I try to make as much time as I can, it's the theater kid life. It helps that most of my club is willing to make some accommodations for me."
Though there's a mischievous sparkle in her eyes as she also adds, "Sometimes it is a pain though."
Not much to know? She doubts that. However, at first she just lets her talk about it, not interrupting her. Then she smiles at her, "I think you might be underselling yourself a little. Ramo told me how you dyed your hair, got you in a load of trouble with your parents."
Unwrapping her chicken sandwich, she takes a sip of her coffee, as her green eyes settle upon her, as if she's working through her confusion, "So it sure sounds like there's a lot more to you than just not being a part of clubs, and not working. That's not all there is to life."
It might be a bit surreal to hear that from her, given how busy she is, how much she invests her time in such things. However, there it is, she's interested in her despite all of that.
"For example. How do you see the world? What do you think your place in it is? To me that's a lot more important than things you do with your time. If it's none of my business, you can always tell me to back off. Promise I won't get offended."
<Pose Tracker> Ako Furuma has posed.
Ako takes a sip of her soda as Leina explains the 'theater kid life', before she starts spinning her straw around by the curve absent-mindedly. She becomes more alert when Marusan spilling the beans is mentioned again, but, hey, she must trust Leina, even if it miffs her a bit. "Yeah. They thought I'd ruined it forever, too. Old people stuff, you know?"
But then Ako pauses. The straw stops, briefly. That's not all there is to life, and then a query. Ako takes a moment, and then opens her chicken nuggets, eating one slowly before continuing. It allows her to parse her thoughts.
"Guidance counselor asks me similar. I don't have much of an answer. It's about time I decide that, but." Ako considers asking Leina to back off, but...
Leina's trying to help her, and is a friend of her girlfriend. She should at least humor her until it becomes uncomfortable.
"I've never left the PLANT, but I know that the world inside and out can be cruel. It's peaceful here, but that doesn't mean people don't judge you. People were giving me looks as I entered, just for being different. Hell, you mentioned my parents. I see it as a world that wants you to conform, and if you don't, it tries to push you into a box anyways. My place is..."
Ako frowns. She masks it with a sip of her drink. She can't answer that, easily, because the answer coming to her is 'do I have one?'. So, she diverts, but doesn't lie. "I dunno."
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
"They focus on the pettiest things. It's your hair isn't it? Not like they own it." Leina at least seems to come out on the side of teenagers when it comes to such things, rather than adults. Perhaps that's because she was raised by a good one though.
Taking a bite of her chicken sandwich, she listens to Ako mull over the answer, she can already sense the uncertainty there. However, then she listens to her answer without interruption, her expression pregnant with sympathy.
'I dunno.'
Swallowing, she puts an elbow on the table, propping her up by the chin. "It is cruel, out there. And peaceful as it is, there's cruelty in here too. It has to do with the horrible status quo, and everything that props it up. Out there, people expect you just to accept that it's the way things are. In here too, even if it's a different status quo."
There's a frown, and a sigh, a small shake of her head, like she's experienced all of what Ako is talking about first hand, and maybe more. "For me. I think my place in the world is, overturning the status quo."
Leina says after a moment, "As impossible as that sounds." There's a small chuckle, "And I know I sound like every other classmate you've probably ever had out there that said one day, they're going to change the world. But... I mean it, I have to try to be a part of the change. I don't think I could live with myself otherwise."
Lifting her face off her palm her cheek, her eyes tilt to the side, "I just don't know how yet. There's things I could do, like politics... but that involves doing things that..." Pause, "literally make me ill, even thinking about them."
Like even being in a room with politicians, feeling the hollowness in their hearts, the hunger for even the smallest scraps of power.
"I keep thinking it through, and keep..." She loops a wrist, as if trying to explain it, and then seems to fail and... "...running into walls, myself."
<Pose Tracker> Ako Furuma has posed.
Ako eats, and listens. She doesn't interject at any point, because she's mulling over the frankly kinda heavy stuff Leina is saying. But it's important to hear. And gears are clicking in her brain - they're not in place, and won't be without further catalyst, but she's getting there. "No, that's pretty cool. Trying to be part of it. I worry that you can't without...violence. The end of the One Year War..." This is probably going to hurt, especially because Leina can't just explain why Ako's wrong, and that the world still sucks!
"Have you ran these ideas by other people? Besides someone you barely know. Can't smash a wall without a sledgehammer, so you might need to borrow one." It's a terrible analogy. Stupid. Don't say that, Ako!
If only she had her own sledgehammer, to break through the noise holding her back.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
"That's what they want you to think." Leina says quietly, there's no sense of condescension in her words, "To believe it can only be overturned by, war, or revolution. Because then they can shift the blame to you, make you a scapegoat for all of the problems they haven't fixed, and line their pockets profiting off the war. Inevitably, no matter how good intentioned you would be, innocent people would become collateral damage."
There's a soft shake of her head, "That's why I have to think of a way to do it without violence. As impossible as that sounds. I'm not a total pacifist, violence is necessary to stop bad things from happening. But... trying to overturn the status quo with it, I feel that would just uphold it."
It's interesting perhaps that she thinks that way, in a way that sounds incongruent perhaps with the state of Tsutsujidai, but Leina is carefully avoiding anything that would trigger the idea that there's something not quite right with this world's history.
Then she offers a subdued smile her way, "Countless times. Most people tell me I'm just some naive kid who doesn't know the way things work but... I'm not. I know exactly how difficult it is, the kind of change I want. Sayla... supports me, but she doesn't know the answer either."
After a moment, there's a soft shrug, "I'll work it out over my last year in high school. I don't want to go to the university without having a plan, so I can study exactly what I need to get there."
<Pose Tracker> Ako Furuma has posed.
"Man, Earth must be way worse than the PLANTS." Ako shrugs her shoulders, saddened by this knowledge. Something is cooking in her brain. She still hasn't found Her Answer, but...as Leina mentioned not going to university, Ako's shoulders sag. She barely thinks of college. She has to change the subject.
"You work with Marusan at the Yumi Foundation office, right? What's kind of work do you do? Food aid?"
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
"It is. I'm a Side 1 girl myself." Leina says after a moment, with a shake of her head, "I like my life on Earth, but I hate Earth."
Leina perks up when she asks about the Yumi foundation, and Leina tilts her head to the side, as if trying to figure out how to be diplomatic about this. She doesn't want to... have what happened with Ramo happen to Ako, not without her consent. Even if Ramo says she preferred knowing to not knowing.
"We help disadvantaged children mostly. Children who lost their parents or live in poverty." Leina actually smiles at that, "We do good work there. Right now I'm actually working on a project to bring aid to kids who need it in the other PLANTS."
... she just can't mention the war going on...
"Which is why I actually wanted to ask, would you have any interest working with us?" As she tries to assess her interest there, "Ramo and I checked, it's not against school rules. And, working for a charity could help smooth things out with your parents."
And... there's a small amount of mischief on her expression, but only a small amount, "It'd give you more time to spend with Ramo too. We're casual at the Yumi foundation. Maybe you noticed by how I set up the office."
The office is not exactly the most formal atmosphere, and has appliances one wouldn't necessarily expect in an office, as well as an entertainment center, a washing machine and dryer, and even enough appliances for a humble kitchen. Leina wanted to set it up so in case Ramo needed a place to stay overnight, she had one.
"We realize you have lives to live."
<Pose Tracker> Ako Furuma has posed.
Ako finally smiles a small bit. Helping disadvantaged children...that's a good cause, she thinks. But then, Leina asks an important question. Ako, meanwhile, has been demolishing her nuggets, and is back to playing with her straw.
"Wow, that's...a big question. I don't...know if I can decide right now, it's kinda overwhelming to think about." There's no sign of distrust, it just feels like Big Responsibility to her.
"Can I think about it? I'll message you my answer."
Breaking the school charter already, even if it's allowed. A life of helping others. Is this what she wants? Is this what she needs?
...is this enough for her? She can't answer that anytime soon. There's still something missing.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
Leina takes another bite of her chicken sandwich as Ako mulls it over, but she can tell she's a bit overwhelmed by the implications of the question even before she says she is.
"Sure. There's no pressure there." She says reassuringly, trying to deescalate it in her head, making it seem like a more manageable responsibility.
"I don't need an answer anytime soon, so take all the time you need thinking about it. And even if your answer is 'no' consider it still on the table if anything changes in the future."
<Pose Tracker> Ako Furuma has posed.
"Alright. I'll think on it, then."
Ako continues to finish her food. Once the nuggets are done, and Leina's either done with her sandwich or packing it up, Ako nods to her, moving to steal a refill to bring home. "Thanks for inviting me. Marusan's in good company...even if I don't help you guys out, please take care of her."
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
Part of her wishes she could tell Ako. Tell her that part of their charity effort is for Ramo, so that she doesn't have to do seedy jobs in awful places anymore. So that she could just have a better state of being... and that was even before she awakened to the truth of the world.
"Hey, you're welcome. It was nice getting to know you Ako."
Before her smile turns positively sunny in just this earnest way, "Promise. Me and Sayla? We'll make sure she's taken care of, no matter what happens."