2022-11-02: Luminescence
- Cast: Leina Ashta, Sayaka Yumi
- Where: Fujinomiya City - Boss Ramen
- Date: U.C. 0096 11 02
- Summary: Leina invites Sayaka out for lunch. Sayaka tries to be a beacon of hope, but Leina can sense that Sayaka still holds onto some regrets of her own.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
Its been a whirlwind past few weeks, and yet Leina still had business in Fujinomiya. Namely that Shiro was blowing up her phone making certain she's alright. It's very sweet of course, and it's easier for her to come to him, than him to come to her given that he's in the OCU's Ichinana Corps.
So she went to visit him. Answered most of his questions... reassured him that the wheelchair was in fact only temporary. That she'd be out of it next month. That it wouldn't be nearly a year with physical therapy like last time...
... fended off the inevitable crisis as he got upset at 'how' this happened to her. It's been a busy morning, however, once it's done, she texted Sayaka.
>in town today
>wanna catch some lunch together?
And where else but Boss Ramen. "Never expected you to come into my joint sitting in that thing again. Still remember the day we celebrated you getting out of it." He tells her, and Leina smiles, "Won't be long enough to even warrant a celebration this time. Couple more weeks. Little physical therapy, I'll be right as rain."
She's not sitting at the counter, it's not the most wheelchair accessible area with the seats, instead situated at a table near the back where the wheelchair is pulled up towards. She's just wearing a simple cream colored jumper, a pair of jeans, and there's a sun barrette the left side of her brown fluffy and curly brown hair.
The wheelchair itself is the same one she had eight years ago. It's pink and white, with faded magical girl stickers on the back. A child's wheelchair perhaps, she doesn't seem embarrassed by it. It still fits her as she hasn't grown much taller.
"On the house today little lady." Boss tells her, "Gotta eat right for a speedy recovery." Leina arches an eyebrow looking amused, "Didn't realize your ramen was so healthy."
"'is for the soul." He says with a wry smile, and Leina laughs, "Can't argue with that."
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
No matter how busy she is today, Sayaka absolutely can't turn down an invite to Boss Ramen from Leina, and so she makes sure her subordinates have things under control before breaking for lunch. She had been meaning to visit Leina herself, ever since she heard Sayla so desperately protecting her and how worried Shiro was about her.
Sayaka seats herself next to Leina, already in conversation with the ever-friendly Boss, with a friendly wave to both. With Mucha available to take her order, she gets the classic Boss Special.
"I'm glad you're here, Leina," Sayaka smiles. But of course, the first thing she noticed was the wheelchair... With her quick thinking with the Pilder Off, Sayaka was able to escape the battle mostly unscathed except for a.. rather inconvenient hospital visit. Leina wasn't so lucky then.. even if it's only for about a month. It doesn't make her think any differently of Leina, though. She's a strong girl. "How's Sayla doing?" she asks. Koji and I were going to visit you two sometime soon, but we've also been occupied helping GGG with their own crisis."
Silence for a moment as she sips some more of her ramen. "It seems like our help's been needed for a lot of people. But I don't mind it one bit after everything they did for us in the Hell war."
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
"Me too. It feels like I'm never here long enough these days."
Leina says as she cracks her chopsticks and well... she actually has to hold the bowl and bring it closer to her face, so she doesn't have to bend quite so far with her back injury. This leads to her having to put it down pretty often to prevent her hand from being scalded. Sometimes she uses the sleeve of her jumper to help.
"Understandable given the magnitude of the crisis... and... Not great." Leina answers honestly, "She hasn't been alright since... Axis. And now with Amuro back... this way, it's reopening all of those old wounds."
There's this small shake of her head, and this sad smile, "I want to tell her to stay away for her own sake, but I know she never would."
Leina's seagreen eyes give her a serious look and a nod, "Well... I'm glad Koji, you and Tetsuya will be there. Honestly makes me feel much better about all this."
There's a twinkle of amusement in her eyes, "I'm guessing that Ichinana you piloted at Torrington wasn't the... secret project Koji and you were playing coy about though."
Eventually the look softens as she asks more quietly, "How are you holding up on your own end? This can't be easy for all of you either. Feels like you and Koji just had that breakthrough then... it all goes to..."
Pause.
"... heck." Leina finishes with, sheepishly.
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
Sayaka slowly nods as Leina explains the truth of Sayla's mental state. Of course, she knew this. She knew about Sayla hiding those intense emotions underneath that strong front of hers. But hearing it from her own daughter is particularly sobering.
"It was hard to believe it was really Amuro at first. Still, I'm no Newtype, but I could almost 'feel his presence'. Not just from his piloting." She sighs, looking sullen. "Sayla doesn't deserve this... and from what I know about Triple Zero, neither does Amuro. If only they could have some kind of happy ending."
When Leina says she's glad that Koji, Tetsuya, and her will be there for Sayla, that grim expression on her face fades a bit. "Of course. We'll do everything we can, promise. And I don't break promises, as it happens."
"Haha, definitely not," Sayaka replies, about the Ichinana. "The Federation requested me to deploy on incredibly short notice. The Ichinana is a reliable machine, but it practically melted to those Fin Funnels." She's really banking on Areia's superior Super Alloy New Z armor if she ever has to go up against Amuro again. And that Photon Barrier could really come in handy too... "And now, the Federation wants to keep his presence totally under wraps." Scumbags. "That didn't stop me from briefing my people; at least Fa-" Ahem. "Prime Minister Yumi shouldn't mind." She wonders what his next move will be... The Photon Power Labs have made their stance clear, but barely a word from OCU Japan's government.
How is Sayaka holding up? That's a good question. "I can't speak for Koji, but I became director to lead photon power into an age of peace. But in an age of war, I can't just back down, either." No mention of her personal feelings there. Right from the Sayla Mass school of barricading emotions. "It's pretty difficult seeing old friends like Sayla and Guy so upset, all for different reasons. Not to mention, seeing you get hurt at Torrington." She gestures at the wheelchair. "But I'll be fine. Not the first war I survived, right?" And obviously, she can't help but hold back a laugh at Leina chickening out of the word hell, especially considering it's the name of Sayaka's former nemesis. Who might be alive?
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
"It's not a common thing for a Newtype - I can sometimes do it. Reach out to someone who isn't one from afar, usually only in times of great distress. Amuro though... his pressure was immense. It's no wonder you could feel it."
At times she picks up the bowl gingerly, and slurps up more of it, but always its put back down in pretty short order, her cheeks a bit aflush.
There's sadness though, as she thinks of that photo album from '81. Of Sayla and Amuro together. "I think that door closed a long time ago." She tells Sayaka, quietly of happy endings for the two of them. "And between you and me? I was kind of glad he was out of her life. I find I'm not really impressed by a guy who immediately after parting ways with Sayla dates progressively younger women to get his 'groove' back."
She glowers when Sayaka tells her the Federation wants to keep it under wraps, "Of course, it's inconvenient to their status quo if the guy who died to bring everyone a miracle turned out to be still alive. He was always 'inconvenient' to them. A bunch of old men so terrified of the idea of Newtype that they put him on a leash and wouldn't let him live out his life."
Maybe she's not Amuro's biggest fan but she can at least sympathize with him in that regard.
There's a prolonged sigh, "It's more than that though, there's so many other things about Torrington they'll want to bury. Believe it or not the Federation actually detained me at my high school just the other day... because they had 'questions'... figured they could intimidate me into giving them answers." Leina adds after a moment wryly, defiantly, "Morons. As if I didn't have to deal with Manhunters giving the Spacenoid girl's papers a 'closer look' for years."
Listening to Sayaka having to transition from an age of peace back to an age of war, Leina actually sighs. She always admired the Photon Power Labs being an institution of peace but - like it or not, that's just the way the world is. "You wouldn't be the same Sayaka I admired growing up if you backed down from that kind of challenge."
Leina says with a smile. However she can't help but wonder if Koji and Sayaka are both backing down a bit from harder questions. Still - another time. Now doesn't feel like the time to ask her on this when she's transitioning into wartime.
"Yeah. Not the first. Not the last - for either of us I guess. It'll get worse before it gets better. Just... take care of yourself alright? Just because its wartime you don't have to... put the things you want aside."
That reminds her, she needs to go visit Jun and her new baby while she's here. Leina sighs and gestures at her wheelchair, "Shiro's taking this pretty hard, he's pretty protective of me. Wanted to deck the guy responsible." She gives Sayaka another wry smile, "Except I'm dating the guy responsible, and it's only like... 20 percent his fault and 80 percent mine."
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
"It felt like sadness... disappointment." Sayaka corroborates. "I suppose it checks out, considering how sad Guy's friends seemed to be, carrying out their duties as Ruin Apostles."
When Leina says that the door closed a long time ago, Sayaka wholly agrees. "I never said that happy ending had to be together. I just hope one day, Sayla can move on and genuinely smile again." Her gaze turns downward. "As for Amuro, I get it. I had far too many questions for him on the battlefield too. But becoming a Ruin Apostle forced to eradicate humanity after trying to save it? It's just cruel." Still, her tone suggests she's not chastising Leina. "But you're absolutely right that Sayla deserves better than him."
"Good on you for standing your ground, Leina." Sayaka grins. Sayaka has absolutely had many experiences of Federation officers trying to intimidate her, and finding themselves intimidated instead. That's how the Photon Power Labs got its reputation as practically politically untouchable.
Sayaka is honored about the comment about being the person Leina admired growing up, but Leina's intuition is also correct about backing down from more difficult questions. Rekindling the spark in their personal life kind of came to a halt once they threw themselves back into their work.. no matter how important that work is.
"Thank you.. I will. The best I can. I hope Koji does too." Putting aside the things they want... it's a lot to think about.
"Hahaha, that sounds like Shiro, alright. That sort of thing happens more often than you'd think, though." Sort of like the times when Hell would try some sort of plot to control Mazinger Z himself. "Don't take it too hard on yourself. You both made it out, and that's what matters."
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
Leina nods slowly at how Sayaka says it felt...
... "He kept broadcasting the same feelings over and over. The idea that 'It all went wrong.' The only time it was different was..." Leina has to take a moment, "... when he turned on the Unicorn and almost killed us - almost killed Sayla, it changed to 'It'll be ok. Lie down. Close your eyes.'"
Leina seems unnerved recalling it.
However Sayaka clarifies that the happy ending didn't have be with each other. And Leina feels sheepish yet again, "Ah sorry. Just been exposed to too much hero worship of Amuro over the years I guess, jumped to conclusions." Leina rubs her face with both hands, "Drives me nuts typically. Classmates - randos on the internet thinking of him and Sayla as some fairy tale power couple - or starcrossed lovers or something."
Eventually she drops her hands, "You're right. No matter what my feelings are on his personal life... it is too cruel." A beat. "And she does."
Leina lets herself smile a little again when she tells her good on her for standing her ground, "They actually sucked at being fascists." Leina tells her, in a very teenager sort of way. "Hmmm." She thinks of her doing the best she can, and that Koji does too. That's a little noncommittal. Maybe she'll need to nudge things along, just like she's intending to with Judau and Roux. "Good. The two of you deserve good things."
Before she then sighs, "And yeah I know. I'm taking it pretty well. For me the worst part of it is missing a month of swim training. Banagher's wallowing a bit - like it's all his fault, and hard to dissuade him otherwise." Leina eyes her for a moment then, "Was it ever like that with you and Koji? If you have any advice on how to help snap him out of it, it'd be appreciated..."
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
"It all went wrong." That's right. That was the feeling that swamped over her when the Fin Funnels tore into the Ichinana. "It was still him, though," Sayaka nods. "I was mostly too mad to care at the time, but..." she doesn't finish that sentence. The next phrase repeated by Leina is even more terrifying. Is that how the Ruin Apostles think? Is that how they treat their loved ones?
"You're right on that." Sayaka agrees, about the incessant shipping of Amuro and Sayla. "I thought for a long time they could try to work things out, like Koji and I did. But Koji's problem was never with other women., just being too dense."
"You're not wrong. They like to think they're tough, especially towards women, but god forbid one glares back. Saved the Labs countless times when Britannia tried to integrate us." Sayaka looks proud of herself.
They deserve good things.. Sayaka hopes one day they can have the family she wants to badly, and honestly, at this point, the world has progressed enough that she could be the one to propose if she really wanted to but.. she's genuinely really curious to see how Koji plays it! Either he does it really well and she's happy, or he screws it up real bad and it's funny. Or it never comes and... Sayaka will feel like an idiot for never asking. Best not to dwell on that.
"I see... well, as you know, we have a philosophy at the Labs about how our power can be used to become a god or a devil. In truth, none of us are fully one or the other. If we mistakeningly hurt someone, we have to do our best to see them healed. That's the only way to responsibly use power." She explains, it's a bit abstract and she doesn't know if it will directly help Banagher. "That's how Koji and I moved past it if we ever hurt each other."
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
"It was. I never met him but..." Leina looks abstracted, distant, "... there are some things you can feel second hand as a Newtype. Through your connections with someone else you've connected strongly to." She concludes succinctly with absolute certainty, "It was him."
Again there's a sigh on Sayla and Amuro, "Yeah. And I think... I think Sayla gave far more to that relationship than Amuro ever did, even if it's not solely his fault why it ended. It sounds like he was focused almost completely on how the Federation was controlling his life. And while I can't blame him for being resentful of that..." She trails off, and it's obvious that she definitely has blame she can assign him, "... and well. Yeah." Leina laughs lightly, "Koji's different. I think I'd rather take a dense guy any day. I have a fondness for that kind of sincerity I suppose? It's frustrating sometimes - but it's also endearing."
Leina grins at Sayaka's pride over that situation, "Yeah I was happy when I heard how you fended them off. If Britannia wanted free energy for their bloc then they should learn to play nice and not be complete imperialist assholes."
... As to Sayaka's hopes, Leina's definitely still considering plan 'Nudge Koji towards it and make him think it was his idea.' Though Koji is sharper than Judau, and he knows about Leina's matchmaking heart so it might be tougher.
The subject though turns to how Koji and her healed if they ever hurt each other, "So keeping it in balance. Kind of making it... restorative in a way for how he perceives the harm done to me." Leina rubs her forehead, it's an interesting idea, but still she groans. "Nnngh."
Leina clearly seems reluctant with this idea, she's stubborn herself, she hates to encourage this mindset in him - and she hates letting other people take care of her... but eventually there's some give, "Maybe... it'd do him some good if I let him help out with... my physical therapy or something."
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
Sayaka can't say much about the personal inner-goings of Sayla and Amuro's relationship; she does get the sense that Sayla was a lot more invested, though, which is a shame. What she can say for sure, is that yeah, she would take Koji over a guy like Amuro any day of the week. "As Jun put it, Koji's smart, but he's stupid when it comes to love. But yeah.. he's very sincere and I respect that a lot."
"It seems like they have their own forms of energy now. I've been meaning to investigate, to see if they're just copying photon power's homework." Sayaka briefly segways when the conversation switches to Britannia and energy. Although, even if they are, that just proves the worth of photon power anyways.
"Balance is good," Sayaka agrees. "He needs to realize that even if he's no god, it doesn't make him a devil, either." She can easily tell Leina's reluctance, likely from her strong and self-sufficient nature, but she gives in at the end. "I think that would be best for you both," in regards to helping with physical therapy. "It's less taking responsibility and more showing kindness."
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
"Yeah." Leina thinks again of how much Sayaka and Roux are having the same problem right now in a sense, with some very dense guys who are stupid when it comes to love. Leina ends up shaking her head, "One day he'll see sense."
Part of her thinks about how Shiro got a little messed up by Tetsuya and and Koji still being with the first girl they fell in love with, and how it led to him taking her for granted when he doubled down on his commitment to the military.
"One day."
Britannia having their own forms of energy? Leina arches an eyebrow, "I'd hate it if they just happened to stumble upon another Japanium deposit out there in their territories." Leina just sighs at the thought, "That'd really suck. It'd just be another way they'd oppress their people. Unlimited energy to the elite - and to the rest...?"
God forbid they ever figure out a way to create Super Alloy Z for their Knightmare Frames.
Sayaka advocates for how it'd be best for them both. Less taking responsibility and more showing kindness. And Leina eventually just gives a small nod, "Showing kindness." Recently she told herself she doesn't... want to reject kindness from other people just out of her desire to take care of them instead. "I'll... figure something out. There's gotta be some way for him to participate."
Leina stares at her Ramen bowl again, and picks it up as she tries to eat more of it... before putting it back down, "God or Devil." Leina thinks about Koji's recent conversation with Banagher on the Unicorn. And her own fears for the future, "... Honestly some part of me hopes he chooses neither, in the end."