2023-05-30: Sleepless Despair, Hopeful Rest
- Log: 2023-05-30: Sleepless Despair, Hopeful Rest
- Cast: Sayla Mass, Rikka Takarada's mother Orie Takarada, Akane Shinjo
- Where: Junk Shop Aya, Tsutsujidai/3G France HQ
- OOC - IC Date: 30 May 0097
- Summary: Sayla finally musters up the will to tell Rikka's mother what happened to her- only for them to be interrupted by a message from Akane. The two rush to 3G France, where Akane waits nervously for them, to provide a moment of hope. CW: Detailed references to brainwashing and torture.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
She had put this off far longer than she had had any right to do so.
She had told herself that giving the orders to the Alliance to scramble everything, lock down security and to make sure no one else had been compromised.
On an operational level, that was true- but she didn't have to be the one to do it.She could leave that to Diamond-2. After a while she had done.
She had told herself she had to be there when Casval woke up. To see if the process had worked, to make sure that none of her allies would take a much needed revenge. To see if anything was left of him. Even then she ended up tearing strips off him when there was, unleashing all that anger and worry.
Perhaps she was right… but she could have done this while he was going through the treatment 3G had devised from Rain's DG Cell inoculation.
Instead, she had avoided it. Avoided what only he could do, and could not put on to anyone else. No other member of the Shuffle Alliance could have had this conversation- not properly. If she didn't…
She had pulled up her phone- her personal one, not the Alliance one- and entered a long distance colony code. She prayed she'd hit an answering machine.
"Mrs. Takarada," Not Orie. She didn't deserve a first name basis here. "I need to speak to you about Rikka in person." She takes a deep breath. "It's… bad. I'll be in Tsutsujidai within the hour."
—--
Sayla Mass is as good as her word, standing outside Aya in 48 minutes, 38 seconds. It's clear even from here she hasn't slept more than a few hours since Dakar. She's getting by on caffeine and stimulant patches that she really shouldn't be using with the amount of caffeine (or alcohol) she's had in the past four days.
Four days. She held off on that phone call for four days, finding 'more important things'.
As if there was anything more important than telling a parent about what's befallen about her child.
She really was a coward.
She knocked on the window of the door twice, and then stepped in, closing Aya's sliding door behind her.
This wasn't the sort of thing anyone could be allowed to walk in on.
<Pose Tracker> Orie Takarada has posed.
Unfortunately for Sayla, Orie picks up right away. It's a normal business day for Junk Shop Aya, which means slow.
"Heyyy, Sayla." Orie greets, in her usual casual tone - but perhaps she can tell that something's wrong, because she doesn't follow that up with anything else right away. And when Sayla gives her news for a time she's met with nothing but silence, until... "...Alright. I'm closing up. I'll leave the door unlocked."
Approximately 48 minutes later, Orie can be found pacing around Aya's shop floor, carefully nursing a mug of coffee. She's the kind of person who always seems to be in charge. She can be surprised, of course, but she always defaults back to her usual relaxed state.
...But right now...
She looks worried and uncertain. As far as anyone knows, she's only been like this once before in recent memory. Rikka had been the one to pull her out of it, then, by immediately putting her mind on what was important. Now, though, she only has her thoughts, and it feels like ages since time has moved so slowly for her.
When Sayla arrives, she'll find the junk shop's blinds drawn, and the sign flipped to closed. True to Orie's word, though, the door is unlocked - and when Sayla steps through, Orie turns immediately.
"Sayla. Thanks for coming." Orie offers, and considers for a moment, tapping her fingernails against the side of her mug as she thinks of what to say. "...I'd offer you some coffee, but you look like any more might kill you. Water? Juice?"
If Sayla accepts, Orie will prepare her a glass - but before long, seats herself on the shop floor couch and looks at Sayla expectantly.
"Sit down." Orie says. It's polite and she means well for Sayla's sake, but the tone suggests it isn't optional. She's quiet a moment longer, before... "...So. Rikka."
There's so many things she could follow that up with. Statements. Questions. ...But in the end, she says nothing and waits.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
"Water, thank you." Sayla says, the tiredness obvious in her voice. She could use it, even if just to throw it in her face to keep her going. She doesn't initially sit when Orie does- but when Orie forces the issue she agrees, grabbing one of the cafe bar seats to sit across from her.
Sayla decides not to sugar coat it. "...Rikka is currently a prisoner of the Vist Foundation, along with Akane. I believe they've both been mentally tortured and… exposed to brainwashing." She tries to keep her voice level, but even now it's clear that saying it out loud is tearing at her. There's no way in her mind that Akane would sit by and let this happen to Rikka, or vice versa. There's no way Leina would have really….
She sips the water, to keep herself on task. "They have both been deployed by Vist at Dakar-" Her voice halts again, and she has to force herself to continue. "Rikka was…"
She can't. She has to say it, but she can't. "...she's not… herself anymore."
That's all she can manage here? That's the weak, pathetic response she can give to another mother whose child has been tortured, who has had her very identity stolen from her? Who has been tortured by one of the Earthsphere's worst government enabled science criminals. She fights back the tears in her eyes, and tries to discreetly wipe them away when she takes a sip of the water.
"I'm sorry. I failed her."
<Pose Tracker> Orie Takarada has posed.
Orie retreats behind the counter for a moment to get a glass of water for Sayla, but before long she's back in her seat and listening as Sayla explains.
"The Vist Foundation - the art group? Why-" Orie asks first - but then Sayla continues, and she finds herself struck speechless. Her mug slips from her fingers, falling heavily and spilling clay fragments and the remains of her coffee across the floor. Right now, though, that's the furthest thing from her mind. "...Oh, Rikka... Akane..."
That would be bad enough, if that was the worst of it. But unfortunately, it isn't.
"Deployed? Like- like in a battle?" Orie asks in disbelief. And Rikka - she isn't herself anymore. Orie's hands clasp over her mouth, her breath caught in her throat and tears forming at her eyes. She shakes her head for a brief moment, slumping defeated into the couch. "...My girl... My baby girl..."
...Something like this, it's enough to cause one to lose one's faith in humanity. Even for her, it's taking everything she has to maintain her composure. For someone like Orie, that would be a long way to fall.
She shuts her eyes tight, taking a moment to regulate her breathing - and then Sayla speaks again. Orie's attention returns to her.
"You didn't- ...It wasn't you." Orie points out.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
"I…" Where does she begin. "Vist want to keep something buried. Something they think would cost them everything." The full conspiracy is… a lot. And why Rikka? Why Akane? "And someone working for them was interested in Akane's powers… or maybe the people of Tsutsujidai. I don't know… but I know Alexis Kerib was working with them." She's assuming Orie knows a lot that maybe she doesn't.
Sayla stares at the broken mug on the ground. "...Orie. How much do you know about Rikka's involvement in what's been happening in Tsutsujidai? Or Akane's?" She has to ask now. Because if she doesn't…
"Rikka's been working with an organization I'm part of almost as long as she's been able to see the Kaiju in Tsutsujidai. An organization that's supposed to stop things like this happening. She's been piloting that whole time. I've fought alongside her multiple times…"
Orie asks for clarification on deployment. "In a mobile suit. A Gundam. Against her will. Akane was deployed to… operate for her." Her hands are shaking. "Akane's brother tried to stop her, along with Miss Pommier… Alouette." Why. Why did this have to happen?
"But they knew about Akane and Rikka because… because they've had Leina for months." The words feel like they're burning her throat. "They've had her for months and I didn't notice, because I was too damned focused on trying to stop my brother and now they don't just have Rikka, Akane and Leina, they have Banagher. Audrey and Alouette too!" Her nails are digging into her palms so hard they draw blood.
"Even if I didn't do this, I still failed all of them." Rikka should have been coming home today. Not turned into a weapon.
"Martha Vist has almost everything she wants now. She doesn't need to keep her hostages alive. She threatened to kill Leina on the spot. And I… couldn't take that chance. I chose Leina's life over all of them. Even if I could have gotten Rikka out of there…"
She can't look Orie in the eye right now. She can't look around the room, filled with the family's small moments and every day lives. She stares down at that water she doesn't dare drink.
"I'm sorry," she says again, even weaker than before.
<Pose Tracker> Orie Takarada has posed.
Sayla explains and Orie listens, folding her arms in front of her as she does. Their reasons for doing it... and, how Alexis Kerib was working with them.
"Alexis, huh..." Orie murmurs. There's some recognition, there - though that might be addressed by her answer to Sayla's question.
"Rikka told me everything when things went strange in December. And she and Akane told me about her situation, too, after introducing her to me." Orie explains. ...And, she actually manages a small, if sad, smile for a moment as she reminisces. "I already knew she was up to something before she told me anything, though. That girl... she's never been subtle."
Sayla explains that Rikka has been working with an organization she's a part of. Orie nods in understanding.
"So that's how you two got to know each other." She comments. ...But Sayla continues. Rikka was deployed in a Gundam against her will, with Akane operating for her... and Akane's brother as well as Alouette - who she recognizes as another of their friends - tried to stop her.
...And then...
"Oh, god... Leina too?" Orie asks quietly. That must be tearing Sayla up inside, too - to not notice for so long, because she was focused elsewhere. And it's not just Leina - others, too. She doesn't recognize Audrey and Banagher, but Alouette... She looks uncertain for a moment. And Sayla explains why else she thinks she failed them. Orie goes quiet.
There's a lot of things she could say. But eventually...
"...I'm not going to tell you that you should've chosen my daughter over your own." Orie replies quietly. "That's not a choice anyone should have to make."
She shakes her head, then.
"...Don't. Don't apologize. And don't torture yourself, either." Orie insists - her tone heavier than she's ever heard it, but not unkind. "It's not helping either of us. What I need you to do now is figure out what you're going to do next."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Sayla's phone makes a noise.
Sayla's phone makes a noise.
Sayla's phone makes 17 overlapping noises.
[VERTEX] aumerei_seijin has changed display name to a_shinjo.
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: sayla i'm sitting in the back of rikka's cockpit with alouette. we're safe. probably. i don't know what leina's status is i had to leave her to banagher and mineva. we're heading to 3g france, thies isn't a main branch and doesn't have the kind of stuff we need.
rikka is more okay than she seemed when you last heard from us but still like. not actually okay. we had to play along or they'd tear her apart. i had to deprogram her but i could only do so much without equipment and it's not really appropriate for me to do that anyway but it was the only thing i could do
she's going to need a lot of help and right now only the france, japan, orbit base, and britannia offices have what she needs
and afaik japan branch is a no go right now and no shot i go to a britannia branch
i'm writing smth up for swan/kamuy/yamajii/hinoki rn about everything i remember about what they did, everything i did to try to help. i think i want at least a basic check on my OWN brain too because like. i'm scared that I'M still secretly compromised or something. i'm missing time for at least two rounds of the stuff they put rikka through. i think i was asleep but i don't KNOW i was asleep anymore
but
right now, at least, we're escaping
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: i'm sorry i couldn't tell you
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: i'm sorry i couldn't save leina myself too. god. banagher was a wreck about it for so long
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: i'm sorry i almost got marusan involved too but i knew if anyone was gonna detect 'i'm having a problem and can't say anything' it would be her. don't let her beat herself up over this she did great
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: i'm sorry it took this long
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: did you already tell takarada-san
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: god she must be inconsolable thinking her daughter is another victim of my stupid world
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: ... i didn't kill murasame. i couldn't. not even for leina. not even for rikka.
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: no, it's not that i couldn't. i just.
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: it wouldn't help rikka and might even set her back. it's like i said when you pulled me up on abusing knight
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: i don't think her heart could have taken me taking control of the situation and killing someone. it might have helped leina if he died but. not rikka
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: not like she is rn
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: god i wish he was dead god i wish he was dead but. ... rikka's heart is fragile right now and i need to keep it safe and that's more important to me than anything and it's ok if you hate me for picking what i thought would help her over what i thought would help leina
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: i bet banagher does. if it were the other way around i'd definitely be so mad.
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: did you block me? i would have blocked me after friday. god i hope this gets
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: fjLSDFDSHG.. no. oh my god. no. OH MY GOD
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: oh my god i'm so stupid
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: THIS IS RUNNING ON A MINOVSKY REACTOR
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: I'M SO USED TO 3G TECH OH MY GOD I'M AN IDIOT
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: ok i just plugged into the comms suite on this thing
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: lmao you're going to get like 40 messages at once.
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: please pretend i did not freak out about you hating me because of minovsky interference
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: i... hope i see you soon. we're most of the way to france rn.
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: i'm probably a half hour checkup job in the chair unless something's secretly way wrong with me. guessing rikka will be a 3+ hour stabilize session and then a bunch of follow-ups. she got whatever it was worse than i did. alouette... we'll see.
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: i think dr. sai will be attending. you two get along, right?
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: ... that or it's tamara, idk if you met her
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: anyway
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: ... idk. i bet namiko and hass already know if marusan knows. gghh. i wish i could just say it was over
[VERTEX] a_shinjo: but it's more like we're one step into what comes next.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Sayla nods, slowly, as Orie lays out what Rikka had told her. Seeing that sad smile hurts. "I see… I wasn't sure how much of an effect the Kaiju had had on your memory before that". Maybe the Synchrotank sitting under a tarp in Aya's junkyard was normal to her by that point.
The silence is crushing- but when Orie breaks it Sayla finally looks up at her. Sayla Mass has never been a woman who was prone to looking small, or fragile. Right now, with the colour drained from her face, she seemed like a porcelain statue that would break in a stiff breeze.
"I'm-"
Her phone beeps. A VERTEX message. An issue at Yumi, maybe? But she told Sakura to block her calls. It can wait.
Her phone beeps a second time. "I'll mute it." She says, as she reaches for her phone.
Her phone explodes into noise as she picks it up, and when she sees why her eyes widen. Her mouth opens slightly, and the tears start flowing again.
"It's… It's Akane." She says, shock clear in her voice.
"They got out." The words don't seem real as she says them. "She's escaping with Rikka and Alouette. They got out."
Her fingers seem to respond faster than her brain or heart do.
[VERTEX] Sayla.Mass: I read you, Akane.
[VERTEX] Sayla.Mass: I read you.
"France. They're headed for the 3G Office in France." She couldn't track the Garuda's trajectory, but…
[VERTEX] Sayla.Mass: I'm with Mrs Takarada right now.
Sayla turns her eyes away from the phone to look to Orie. "I have a contact who can get us from here to the orbital ring in a few hours, and I can get customs sorted on the way. 3G can get us clearance and if not, I know people who can." She starts typing before Orie can respond.
[VERTEX] Sayla.Mass: We'll be there in three hours.
[VERTEX] Sayla.Mass: Thank you so much for trying.
[VERTEX] Sayla.Mass: I'm so glad you got away.
[VERTEX] Sayla.Mass: I'll see you as soon as I can.
When she finishes typing, she stands up, and for once, there's relief on Sayla's face. Desperate, much needed relief.
"How quickly can you get to the spaceport?" She asks, the exhaustion in her voice giving way to hope for the first time in days.
<Pose Tracker> Orie Takarada has posed.
"I couldn't tell you what's mine and what's from the kaiju. But when it comes to my shop, I'm pretty sharp." Orie explains.
There's silence - and then it's broken, and suddenly, Sayla seems very small. Orie feels a pang of sympathy, and briefly she wonders if she may have been too harsh...
...But in the end, a beep from Sayla's phone interrupts her train of thought. A beep - which soon becomes many. And what's more...
"Akane?" Orie repeats, sitting up and unfolding her arms. ...She's escaping with Rikka and Alouette. They got out.
...They got out.
These words release the tension she was holding in, and she allows herself to slump against the sofa again - this time, out of relief. They're in France - and Sayla can get things sorted.
"Thank goodness... Oh, thank goodness..." Orie murmurs. She has to admit to some trepidation about what state Rikka might be in... but nothing will stop her from going to her, no matter who or what she may have become.
While Sayla responds to Akane, Orie leans down, carefully picking up the pieces of the broken mug. She busies herself for a moment trying to piece it back together. ...The damage is pretty bad. But she figures with the right care and attention, it'll see another day yet.
Sayla stands up, relieved, and Orie sets the mug aside, standing up right after her. She offers her a relieved smile.
"As quickly as I need to. I just need a minute to lock up." Orie replies.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
3G France is the AEU's 'main' 3G branch, and accordingly, it's well-staffed. Indeed, it has the good fortune to be overstaffed right now, as people traveling between branches of Brave Police and 3G offices have been instructed not to go to Nouvelle Tokyo until it's designated safe.
It's not total chaos, but there's personnel from almost every major branch here right now. Part of the current moment means preparing for the worst case with Nouvelle Tokyo... which means that --
"... not really int... ...ed in you sh... up right now. You wouldn't ev... ...ere if it weren't for the Aura of Dawn event!"
"... dn't be, but that doesn'... ... just happy you're... ...mal, still --"
"Can it! I already have the paperwork filled out to get my own family register, I'm just killing time on bringing it to Sayla!" (There's also the issue of residency, which is why she's been sitting on it, but that's neither here nor there.)
"...ne, then. That's... ...must be your mother's... ...should've expected..."
"You know what? Just go. You haven't been around since you two divorced anyway! Did you even care when --" A frustrated, strangled noise. "Never mind. I am going to talk to Dr. Sai again! My coworker. With 3G. Without you. Because I'm interning with 3G! Without you!"
Footfalls leave the opposite direction from which Orie and Sayla are, by this point, approaching. Akane slumps into a bench outside the room with the brainwave monitor, and lets out a frustrated noise before pounding against the wall behind her just once.
Akane, for all her frustrations, for all her anger... still does her best to keep some things in check. There are a lot of things she doesn't let herself say. She does her best to be a good girl. ... then again, all these damn Westerners have had some influence on her.
"Fuck!"
She slumps forward, hands balling into fists.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
The transport to earth was uncomfortable, cramped and the fastest direct flight Sayla could call in from all her contacts- and she had many. After some carefully placed bribes, it was a fast trip though customs and a priority transport to France- and from there, Sayla's driver came to pick them up.
She can feel Akane before she steps out of the elevator. She can feel the distress. Something's wrong. What starts out as normal footsteps from the elevator becomes a rapid walk, moving through the throng of people almost preternaturally, hearing her voice rising.
And when she hears a single curse she breaks into a full run that Orie may struggle to keep up with.
"Akane!" Sayla shouts, loud enough for anyone in earshot to hear-
And kneels down in front of the seated teenager and wraps her arms around her as tightly as she can, as tight a hug as she can manage. Fear and trepidation give way to relief and hope again.
She doesn't say anything else. Not yet.
This is more important than anything she could say.
<Pose Tracker> Orie Takarada has posed.
An uncomfortable, cramped flight... Well, it could be worse. She wouldn't have gotten this far without Sayla, not on such short notice - it might've been days before she was able to arrange anything.
Orie steps out of the elevator alongside Sayla - but it's Sayla who picks up on what's going on first. Orie can only barely pick out the voices amongst the murmur of the crowd. ...And then, Sayla goes into a rapid walk, which soon breaks into a full run.
"Hey, wait, this is place is crowded, hold on-" Orie protests as she's left behind. For her, it takes a bit longer to work her way through the crowd, and when she finally emerges, just a little out of breath... she's greeted to the sight of Sayla giving Akane a big hug. Orie sighs with a satisfied, 'what-can-you-do' smile, folding her arms in front of her as whatever feelings of frustration toward being left behind, however slight, melt at the sight of the warm scene ahead of her. It doesn't even feel right to make a joke.
"Akane. It's really good to see you again." Orie greets with a smile. There's so much she could say, wants to say, but she doesn't want to interrupt their moment. ...So instead, her eyes drift to the door. Her smile fades, just a little.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Within moments of seeing Sayla approaching, Akane runs to her. It's difficult for her to make physical contact -- difficult for a kaiju user to love, in the best of circumstances. This is far from the best of circumstances.
Right now, though -- right now all she can do is pick herself up and reach out and hug Sayla. Those hands feel almost like they're digging into her -- she's so, so close, and the last week and change has been so nightmarish. All the worst things she could have ever imagined.
Releasing the tension in her body, she lets out an agonized sob -- then looks up to see Orie, and it turns into a wail, as she grips Sayla even tighter, forcing herself to take a deep breath.
... she can't do this forever, though, as much as she wants to. They -- they need an explanation, they need to know what's happening, they --
"I -- I," she stammers. "They're -- working with Rikka now. Dr. Sai is -- handling it. It's -- I shouldn't, be, the one doing that. I just -- got out, of, we were talking..." She swallows, then tries again. She takes another breath in, and gets a throatful of snot despite having tried to avoid that; after sputtering a little, she takes a third crack at it.
"Dr. Sai says that things look... good, for the situation. There's some... identity fragmentation and bleed-over. Some of it is kind of -- on me, for doing some stuff I thought would help shore up her defenses. And it kind of -- did, and, Dr. Sai said things would probably have gotten way worse if I didn't do that." She lets out a shuddering breath, saying, "... in the long term, it's good, but it's kinda -- um." Rubbing at the back of her head and grimace-smiling, she explains, "... well, the analogy they gave me was I did a pen tube tracheotomy, hahaha..."
Her eyes shut for a moment. When she opens them, she says, "I wish I could've done more. I wish Leina was here too. But... well, that's what it is right now. This could be anywhere from 'done in another hour' to 'daily sessions for a month.' But... like I said, it's -- about as good of news as you could expect after Friday."
Her shoulders finally sag. "This sucks."
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
As tight as Akane's grip is- as much as those hands feel as though they're digging in- Sayla doesn't flinch. Not for a second. When the sobs become a wail, one of Sayla's hands moves up to gently rub Akane's back. "You're safe now. You got out. It's real. We're all here."
Not all of them. But enough, in this moment.
She's reluctant to let go when Akane gives her explanation, but she understands the necessity. She looks back to Orie, watching her reaction. "...She's in the best hand she could be, then." Sayla says, in part to try and reassure- but there's no one she'd trust more than 3G for this. Not even the Alliance.
With one hand she reaches inside her jacket for a handkerchief, and offers it to Akane. She's been through so much, but the fact that her biggest thoughts are for everyone else… that's reassuring beyond belief to Sayla.
"I wish she was here too, Akane. More than anything. But it could have been so, so much worse if you hadn't. I was… I was so afraid I'd lost all of you.." The smile Sayla gives Akane is pained, but it's real. The tears in her eyes that she's blinking back are just as real. "Banagher and Min-" She stops herself. "And Audrey won't give up on her, and I won't either."
She breathes out, before looking Akane in the eye. "I'm so, so proud of you, Akane," she says, before pulling her back into that hug again, more for herself this time.
<Pose Tracker> Orie Takarada has posed.
It's clear to see the connection Sayla and Akane have - and Akane's sobbing, wailing, hurts to listen to. She must have gone through so much. Orie waits quietly. She isn't going to interrupt what she needs.
Eventually, Akane starts and Orie listens quietly, one arm folded in front of her and the other bracing on it, hand resting against her cheek. She's concerned, of course. She nods quietly in understanding, eyes briefly tracking toward Sayla when she looks toward her - and then toward the door, where Rikka is.
"Oh, Rikka..." Orie murmurs... but then she looks toward Akane, and offers her a small smile. "Hey. You took care of her. You took care of yourself. That's all anyone could - should, ask of you."
"...Thank you, Akane. For being there for her." She says genuinely. And then, after a moment...
"...It does suck." She admits.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
"Y-yeah. Dr. Sai did... my first few psych workups, after I got out," Akane stammers out, stumbles her way through. "Algernon stuff. But -- she's one of the most qualified people there. It's between her and Swan." Talking her way through it starts to get her to level off.
She accepts the handkerchief, wiping off her face and then blowing her nose. "Yeah. I'm -- counting on them, too." If this is what trusting in someone else's courage feels like -- it's scary, but...
'I'm proud of you, Akane.' She manages not to cry, this time.
Taking a slower, less ragged breath, Akane looks to Orie. The near-match on delivery... that gets her to laugh -- or at least forcefully exhale with the cadence of a laugh. Pushing her hair out of her face, she says, "You're welcome." Her gaze tracks past Orie, then back to her.
"I... can I come stay with you guys? Just -- for a week or two. I don't want to move back into town or anything, but..." With Sayla and Orie both this close to her, something clicks into place.
She swallows once. Then: "... I'm asking for -- your paella recipe. I don't want to move out yet. But I need it." Once she's thinking about something functional, things seem to get a little easier. "Takarada-san, I'm going to need -- everything on it. And -- radish sprouts. And tomato paste. And... there's a fruit salad with key lime yogurt dressing and granola I wanted to try surprising her with on the day we got back."
It feels pointless and small, when she starts talking. It feels like less than nothing.
By the time she gets past 'radish sprouts,' she's got the serious look of someone asking for a defibrillator.
She might as well be.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Sayla nods, slowly. She'd worked with Dr Sai when Akane first came out of Tsutsujidai. And if Swan was back too... Rikka really couldn't be in better hands.
The request catches her off guard, initially. But as Akane starts to get more serious, she starts to understand. It all comes together.
"...Of course." Sayla says, reaching for her phone. She always kept a copy near her. Moments later, Sayla's recipe is vertexed to Akane, both transcription and a photo of the original hand written recipe.
Well, the copy she had made from memory in medical school at least.
The ingredients list goes to Orie as well. "...You might have a hard time getting all the ingredients in Tsutsujidai," she admits. Some of the rules of being a PLANT have started to apply.
Fine then. There were other ways.
"...Akane, once Rikka's ready to go home," she doesn't let the word 'if' sneak into her language. She won't allow it. "How about you and Orie go back with her, and I'll go back home and pack a bag for you, and bring anything Orie can't source locally?" It's a big ask of trust for Akane...
But Sayla has no reason not to believe she can manage it now.
"And... I have one request, if you're okay with it." Sayla says, as she silences her phone and slips it back into a pocket in her jacket.
"I'd like to cook it with you, the first time. It's a part of the whole tradition." The word family is skipped, but it's there loud and clear between the lines.
<Pose Tracker> Orie Takarada has posed.
It is a bit of a relief to hear about the kind of hands Rikka is in. Knowing that she's in the best care possible... It's a weight off her shoulders. Orie smiles, just a little, at Akane's near-laugh, and then nods. Akane, though... has a request. And of course there's only one possible answer.
"Of course you can. You're always welcome with us. You can stay as long as you feel comfortable." Orie assures. "I think... Rikka would appreciate that, too."
And there's more to it, as well. She listens with interest as Akane requests a recipe from Sayla, and from her, ingredients. She can tell how much this means to her, with that look on her face. When she looks like that... how could she possibly refuse?
"I think that's a great idea." Orie replies, and then pulls out her own phone as Sayla sends over the ingredients.
"Yeah, some of these are pretty region-specific..." Orie considers with a frown. Not that she isn't willing to try. She's willing to jump through whatever hoops she needs to to make this happen - it wouldn't be the first time she's had to navigate through some murky waters...
...Though ultimately, Sayla seems to have a plan, and it's a whole lot more workable than hers. She nods.
"I'll let you know what I can and can't get a hold of." Orie says with a nod toward Sayla - and then, a smile toward Akane. "Don't worry. Between the two of us, we'll make sure you have everything you need."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
'Of course.' It relieves the tension so quickly. Akane will see Rikka, healthy and whole and happy, again. She'll be someone different from her experiences -- but she'll have the same heart. And Akane -- and Sayla, and Orie, and Gridman, and Utsumi, and --
There's such a list of people who --
-- will be there every step of the way. Akane had to affirm that to Rikka -- and in doing it, affirmed it to herself.
Love spreads, after all.
Cooking with Sayla and Takarada-san, for Rikka's sake...
"Okay," she affirms to Sayla. "That sounds like a good idea. I... are you sure you don't wanna leave that to someone else, though?" It's hard for her not to worry a little about leaving Sayla alone, given the circumstances, but...
She looks to Orie, now, realizing that Rikka's mom... deserves more of an explanation. She doesn't know where to start, though.
... fortunately, she knows that she can just ask. "Is there anything you want to ask? I get if you don't want to even think about it..."
She wishes she had more to say -- wishes she just knew exactly what Orie needed to hear. But all she can do is ask.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Sayla gives a pause, then shakes her head. "It's something I can do to help." Her eyes look away from Akane. "Maybe it's selfish, but... I'd rather spend my time helping the two of you right now."
There's a small smile cracking onto her face. "Beside, do you really want me asking Knight or Chris to go through your things for you?" There's something faintly amusing there, to Sayla. And even being able to feel faintly amused is so much in this moment. "I'll get someone else to handle the driving, though. It's not like my office is far, I can call the chauffeur."
When Sayla asks Orie that most important question though, she moves beside Akane to let them speak face to face. They're still blocking the hall a bit but...
3G has a lot of room for people reuniting after something terrible. And the Brave Police and Chausseur can just deal.
If there's anything Orie needs or wants to know that Akane can't answer, well, Sayla can maybe help there. But right now... well, sometimes the best support you can manage is someone leaning in the opposite direction.
<Pose Tracker> Orie Takarada has posed.
It's a good question, if Sayla wants to leave it to someone else - but she wants to do it, so she can be helping them in some way. Orie can understand that line of thinking. And for her, Akane asks if there's anything she wants to ask. Orie frowns consideringly for a moment. She sends Sayla an appreciative nod, as she gives them some space. There are things she wants to ask. There also things she wants to ask, but knows that the answer would be painful to hear - and to tell.
...But she has to ask, either way.
"...It's alright if it's too painful to talk about. You can message me instead if saying it would be difficult, or just tell me 'no'. But... If possible, I need to know what they..." She hesitates for a moment. "...What they did to her. So I can know how best to take care of her, and if there's anything I should avoid that might reopen old wounds." Orie says. "...And that question goes to you, too, Akane. I want to know what I can best do for you, too."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane thinks about the possibility of Chris, a woman a little older than Sayla, or Knight, her whole-ass brother, going through her room.
"I'm good," Akane replies, and it feels -- there's a momentary relief in having to think, 'No, I am DEFINITELY not letting either of them see what's under my bed,' instead of anything heavier.
The question comes. It's the one she would've expected. At the same time, she can't quite look Orie in the eye when she has to answer it... but after a few moments, she does start talking. "There were -- a few rounds of... brainwashing regimen. It was -- all different stuff, kind of. They kept me away from her for some of it."
A long pause. How does she explain... "The first one was more like --" Oh jeez. She's going to have to explain this to someone who, as far as she knows, has no context. "... sorry, I was going to get into jargon. The first round was them drugging her and putting her through a simulated fight she thought was real, and -- messing with her memories and her sense of self." A beat. "U-um, stay away from puns with her name. They were calling her Treasure Chest. ... by the end of it she was calling herself Treasure Chest."
She looks down. "The second, I... don't -- she mentioned Hibiki. I'm guessing that round was about trying to get her to hurt her friends or something. I don't think it stuck, but they put her through another round of the first stuff there too." The third, the one she thinks is cruelest, though... "... the third one was -- making her kill people in... I guess you could call it emotional virtual reality. That one was the one that started sticking, because they --"
Cringing away from both Orie and Sayla, Akane looks down the hall. "-- they made it about protecting me." Her eyes shut. She can't meet anyone's gaze right now. There's too much shame there. "I know there was a fourth one, but all they said was that it was about making her more aggressive and that it didn't work."
... she does keep talking, though. Communication is the lesson she was given at strain.
"They... made me watch. For most of it. Then they made her deploy, and had me operate." With a shudder, she explains, "I -- did the best I could to keep her safe and make sure she didn't kill anyone. But they made me..."
She looks, briefly, at Sayla. Then, she explains, "There was -- something in the Gundam. Think of it like... a Newtype is someone who hears people's hearts. The system... makes you hear more, better, and -- shouts aggression in your ear." For Sayla's benefit, she says, "HADES." Before the serious possibility of catastrophizing on Sayla's part starts, she adds, "The mass production version." That's a very different statement and one she probably should have led with!
A long pause. Akane already told Dr. Sai this because it was medically necessary to tell her, but still.
"They made it clear that they expected at least two stages of data on how she responded to it. If it didn't get used they might've tortured us both again. I kept it as low as I could. ... less than half." ... but, indeed --
"I had to turn it on, though."
It bridges to the question of what they did to her neatly. "I -- don't think they did as much to me. Dr. Sai did a basic workup on me." Akane hated that, but she's had the good sense not to say it. "But... Alexis was there, too. And he made it obvious that he wants to do the same thing to Leina as he did to me. ... or maybe he just wants to see me hurt about it." She doesn't underline that they made her watch, or loop back to the misery of serving as Rikka's operator, or having to play 'recruiter' across from more and more of her best friends. To her, those things feel like -- it's unfair to claim them as her own suffering.
With that bouncing around in her thoughts, Akane opens her mouth. Was there more? Did they do anything else to her? If they did --
"... I -- can't handle telling this whole thing again. I can't. Dr. Sai's already heard it. You -- if you need any more details about it, ask her. Please." In the end... she's too weak a person, still.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
As Akane recounts the tale, the horror Sayla feels only rises. It's the sort of thing you can't put words to. She's seen it before, and it never gets less awful.
But it's somehow even worse when it's happening to her family.
The thoughts of Alexis turning Leina into a kaiju like he did Akane. The thoughts of what Murasame did to Rikka. The thoughts of Akane having to take part in torturing the person she loved most.
It's a competition for the worst feelings she's ever felt.
Her eyes flick to Orie, then back to Akane throughout, trying to keep calm for Akane's sake. She offers a hand to Orie, a simple gesture of support- if she'll take it.
She slowly, ever so gently places a hand on Akane's shoulder. "I understand. We'll talk to Dr Sai... once she finishes with Rikka." She gives a firm squeeze- a grounding sensation. "Come on, let's... let's sit down, okay?"
If allowed, she'll guide the both of them back to the bench Akane was sitting on, and encourage them both to sit, Akane in the middle. She reaches into her bag for something- a bottle of water. Half full and left over from the flight, but it's something. She wipes the rim of the bottle with another handkerchief before handing it to Akane.
"It's okay. You're here, in 3G France. With us. Rikka's with Dr Sai. She's in the best place she can be right now. And so are you. It'll..." She finds herself pausing.
For so long, she had refused to make promises she couldn't keep. She would word things carefully, or try to avoid them.
That meant she just had to follow through when she made this one. That's what the people here always did. And besides...
She pulls out the green Gutsy Geoid Guard pager, and holds it tightly while offering the other side for Akane to hold..
"It'll be okay. I promise."
<Pose Tracker> Orie Takarada has posed.
Orie is patient. She doesn't push Akane, doesn't try to rush her. She waits for her to start at her own pace - and when she does, she listens attentively. She does accept that hand Sayla offers, holding onto it tightly.
It's difficult to hear - even for her, such direct, pointed cruelty... it's difficult to listen to, especially hearing it done to someone who means everything to her, her own daughter. 'Treasure Chest' gets a pointed frown and a nod of understanding as Akane tells her to stay away from puns on her name - but for everything else, it's clear that she's doing her best to keep her emotions in check. The fact that they used her love for Akane against her gets a disgusted shake of the head, as well.
...Eventually, they leave the topic of what happened to Rikka, for the topic of what happened to Akane - and she reaches the limit of what she's able to say. Orie exhales and then quietly, she steps forward and opens her arms - and, if Akane doesn't shy away from her, pulls her into a hug.
"...It's alright. You don't have to say anything else. Thank you so much for saying what you did. I'm so sorry." Orie murmurs. Sayla suggests they sit down, so with a nod Orie releases her and moves to sit on Akane's other side.
Sayla assures Akane that she's here, in the best place she and Rikka can be. Orie nods... and smiles, just slightly, as she makes a promise.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
That's right. She's here in France. With 3G. Rikka's in the best place in the world for the kind of care she needs. Akane can sit. Akane can let Sayla squeeze her shoulder and make a promise.
Akane holds Sayla's pager. (Another thing they took from her on that ship.) It'll be -- no, they'll make it okay. She looks up to Orie, and -- yes, accepts the hug, her own arms wrapping around Rikka's mother.
"... thanks," she affirms, as she's told she doesn't need to say anything else. It's a relief -- she needs that sort of quiet, patient care right now.
For a long time, she's silent. She eventually says, "The, uh -- if you go around the corner you can get into the monitoring room, if you want to talk to Dr. Sai or -- anyone else helping. That door goes into the actual room, and I'd be pretty careful about that right now." A long sigh as she admits, "I wanna be in there too, but..."
Her shoulders slump a bit. Being seated again -- after explaining all that, again -- makes her notice just how tired she is. She wants to stay awake for Rikka, no matter how long they have her in there, but...
"Takarada-san..." Akane yawns. She's definitely tired. "If you -- uh, if it'll keep you from spiraling, can you... look up concerts coming up by bands your daughter likes? Speaking of promises, I made one to her..." She has to break the hand-holding to rub at her eyes to stay awake.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Sayla doesn't let go of Orie's hand until she moves in to hug Akane, and Sayla lets go to let her do so.
A promise sworn with courage. It felt... right somehow.
It's the sort of promise she should have been making sooner.
But the best time to plant an apple tree and all that...
When Akane yawns, it's contagious. Sayla doesn't bother to stifle her own. She's had a long, long... few years, really.
"I'll stay with Akane," she says quietly, "if you want to talk to Dr. Sai."
She says that, but... there's another yawn. And a few seconds later, Akane will feel gentle weight next to her.
It's been a long, exhausting few years.
But right now, she can rest, if just for now. The girl next to her is safe- and they'll fight tooth and nail for Leina. They'll all do their best to help Rikka....All of that counts for so, so much.
For once, Sayla Mass sleeps comfortably, on a bench in a crowded office, slumped next to someone she cares for.
She can rest well enough to hope.
<Pose Tracker> Orie Takarada has posed.
Orie nods as Akane thanks her, and listens as she explains which door leads to the monitoring room and which leads to the room where Rikka is. She understands Akane's feelings - she'd like to be with her, too, but... it seems like Rikka's in a delicate state. The last thing she wants is to do anything that might disrupt her, so for now she'll have to wait.
Akane is clearly getting tired, but Orie listens when she addresses her... and what she says gets a smile out of her.
"Of course, that's a great idea. Thank you. I'll see what I can do." Orie replies. She'll definitely keep that in mind for later - they could probably both use that right now.
And Sayla says she'll stay with Akane if she wants to see the doctor responsible.
"...Yes, I think I'll do just that. I'll be back." Orie says, rising from her seat. She smiles, just a little. It looks like Sayla is getting tired, too. As for herself, well...
...All else said, there's no way she can sleep until she sees Rikka again. She waits for just a moment to watch the two of them before stepping away from the monitoring room - and making a mental note to grab a blanket for the two of them on the way back.