2023-09-26: Someone to Lean On
- Log: 2023-09-26: Someone to Lean On
- Cast: Eight York, Rena Lancaster
- Where: Ra Mari II
- OOC - IC Date: 2023-09-26
- Summary: Rena pays a visit to Eight after she resumes usual duties. They talk about Denver Colony and the looming arrival of the twins.
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
While Eight would like to get out of her quarters a lot more right now, she really shouldn't. Her feet don't agree with her and getting around is increasingly difficult, especially on her own. It's a little chafing...
But her quarters are at least lovely as always; nice furniture with little pillows here and there, some artwork and photographs on the walls (including the picture Hikaru drew, now), and other touches of home.
So it is that when Rena comes over, Eight doesn't actually get up to answer the door this time; she says, "Come on in!" The door opens automatically, so it's fine.
Eight is dressed for comfort more than going out at the moment, with her hair down and some fuzzy slippers. She has a pitcher of tea before her (cold), and a couple of glasses.
Lavhi just left to go to work; it's Rena's turn to keep her company!
"I still can't believe you got us a macronizeable teddy bear..." She smiles.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
Rena, of course, feels for Eight being cooped up. It's not something Eight ever took well, she thought, and it's unavoidable right now. Not that Eight can't, but there are limits.
By virtue of being pregnant.
Rena walks through the door as it opens; she has her uniform on, as she just came from being on duty. She waves, as she approaches, and she cracks a smile.
"It took some looking," she says, "and, well, following trade magazines and happening to see it was in development a few months ago..."
She grins. "So a little luck, too."
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
Eight lights up to see Rena, as it happens. Uniform and all. "Have I mentioned how good you look in that uniform lately?" A beat, "Haha, I see. Well, I definitely appreciate it. I always wanted a giant teddy bear... not that I'm keeping it for myself, of course."
She smiles back. "Come and give me a hug! How was work? How are you? How's Annie?"
The questions are a little rapidfire; beside her on the table is a knitting project, a tablet (Ruri's tablet?), and the TV remote, though the TV turned off when Rena came in.
"I want to know everything!"
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"Hmm, maybe not lately, but you've certainly made sure I know it," Rena says with a laugh -- and then she runs her fingers through her hair, flicking out the blue-and-red strands. She tilts her head to the side.
Then she walks over, wrapping an arm around Eight and gives her a good, one-armed hug -- and sits down beside her.
"I'm sure you can share it with the twins," Rena says. She smiles. "Work went fine. It was my first full day back on duty. Everything's... mostly healed up, by now. There's still some lifting restrictions until the weekend. But after that, I'm fully cleared."
Then, she smiles. "Annie's doing good! I think she's relieved I'm back and up and about."
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
Eight resists the urge to lean on Rena at first--she doesn't know yet how well she's feeling as regards her... injury. But she does offer her a glass with a gesture at the tea.
"I remember," she says of the first day. "I'm glad to hear that. And your head's clear? No strange aftereffects mentally?"
Lifting restrictions... That's fair. At least she's healing.
"I bet she is!" Eight says. "I am, too. We were all really worried about you."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
Rena takes the glass of tea, gratefully, and she has a sip from it. "Mm," she murmurs, as she looks sideways at Eight. As it happens, an advantage of being a Newtype is she can sense that uncertainty. So she gently tugs Eight over, to lean against her.
If a little lightly.
"It's clear," she confirms. "I can... feel the Gaia Gear Alpha. But it's not clouding my mind or anything. It's... just... like I can feel it. More if it's close by."
Which it is, relatively speaking, whenever she is aboard the Ra Mari II.
Rena's smile flickers a little; then, she looks down. "...Yeah. I'm sorry that I put all of you through that."
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
Eight closes her eyes for a moment, just enjoying being with Rena. Just a moment, though, while she's leaning there. Then they're talking again.
"I see... Well, that would make sense. And it's relatively close all the time, considering." They are on the ship.
But when Rena's smile flickers, Eight picks herslef up and reaches out to put a hand on Rena's. "No," she says firmly. "It's not your fault."
"...Enba told me how it happened. How you couldn't get away in time. And then of course I know how it was. The others, how they drew you in."
"...It's not your fault," she says again.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
It's a nice, familiar sensation. Even pregnancy and the events at Denver can't change that for them. Rena's arm tightens just a little around Eight's shoulder.
"Mm-hm. When I was on Earth... it was a more distant thing," Rena admits. "But I could still feel it."
She looks sideways at Eight, then. Rena hesitates for a moment, then she looks down. Eight does know how it is; Eight felt that. She felt the same things that Rena did, then.
"I... know," Rena says. "But... knowing sometimes doesn't make it easier to believe. But... I'm trying to not take it all on my shoulders, too."
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
Denver... Eight isn't likely to forget it soon.
"I see," Eight says. "I guess it's a permanent tie, now. It even changed its color."
But when Rena hesitates--Eight is gentle. She knows, and she knows Rena is like this, but...
"It's okay," Eight says. "I'll be here to remind you of that. Besides... Though i wish it hadn't happened the way it did.. I think we might not have been able to help them, if not for you. One way or another. And I'm glad they're at peace, now."
"But if you ever need to just... feel about it, it's all right. I'm here. We don't have to say anything."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
Rena can't imagine she will ever forget Denver -- even if it is now reduced to an opened colony shell, exposed to the void. The Denver Colony they all went to is now long, long gone.
Rena hesitates for a moment, as Eight speaks.
"I know," she says. "Because of me, we could learn who they were. If we hadn't... we wouldn't have had the chance to help them."
She swallows, and looks down, and then she leans against Eight. Her head rests on her shoulder. "...I'll be okay," she says. "I am doing better. I was a wreck, but... you saw that."
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
Eight leans on Rena again, wrapping her far arm around her gently. "But we did."
"I'm glad to hear that," she says. "And you really are. I did see. It's totally different, now. And now you're healing. Soon, you'll be overworking yourself again just like normal," she teases softly. "...I love you. I'm so glad you're safe."
"And..."
Eight thinks for a moment. "Well, I do think you're doing a lot better."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"We did," Rena agrees.
She smiles at Eight, glancing sideways at her, and then she nuzzles the top of her head against her neck. "I love you, too," she says. "I... y-yeah. I am too. And I'm... I'm always going to be so grateful to all of you. For coming to get me. Especially you and Annie."
She closes her eyes.
"I'll make sure I am," she says. "It's... not just guilt. I need to make sure I don't waste what all of you did for me."
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
Eight strokes Rena's arm, lightly. "I didn't even think I could do that," Eight admits of what she did. "...I'm not sure I ever could again. But one way or another, I'll always come for you, Rena. Always."
Make sure...
Eight nods. "So long as you don't forget what you do for us, too. It's not like we're pouring things into an empty cup, here. We support each other. All of us."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"Mm... well, I'd like to say I won't need to ask you do it again," Rena says. "But... it was an unusual situation. I think we all pushed ourselves to our limits. In different ways."
Both of them as Newtypes; Anita in a more physical sense, but equally important.
Rena smiles, though, and lifts her head to look into Eight's red eyes. "I know," she says. "I don't doubt that at all, Octo."
She falls quiet for a moment, then. But Rena nods. "I know. We're in this together, and we're... not measuring who's done more for who."
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
Even if she weren't pregnant, Eight couldn't have broken through the crystal like that, not captaining a ship. "That's true. It was really unusual. And we all did our best. When Annie reached you I was so relieved. We'd talked about it, you know--talked about how to reach you. Promised to each other that we'd both go from whatever direction we could."
Then she smiles back and looks down into Rena's eyes, too. "...Good. You're still super important to me. I followed you so far that I found a path of my own along the way. ...That's kind of big."
Then, "That's just right. Together." She leans down to kiss Rena, and after she pulls back, she squeezes her shoulder. "We'll both remember that."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"You did...?" Rena asks, blinking. She looks touched, then, raising one hand up -- over where the crystal is, though her uniform coat hides that from sight right now. Still, she knows where it is. "I-I'm glad. I'm... glad you both get along so well."
She smiles, then, and she tilts her head to the side. "You did," she said. "And... our paths go along side each other, now, too."
She smiles, then -- kissing Eight back. She sighs, as she pulls away; she missed that. She nods, then. "Mm-hm."
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
She smiles back. And... she recognizes where that spot is; she won't forget, after seeing Rena wake up in the hospital wing. "We always have. ...Though I could see worrying that might change since we're both into the same girl, now." She winks. "It hasn't, though."
Their paths... "They do. And that makes me happy."
Eight is still smiling, when she does. She has, too. There's a lot of things she's missed, really. "Good."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
Rena laughs a little, then she shakes her head. "I know. I... was pretty sure it wouldn't be a problem," she admits. "When this started. I mean, I couldn't be entirely sure -- you never know til you try, but..."
She smiles a little more, then she hugs Eight again about the shoulders.
"Me, too," she says. She hesitates for a second. "So... it's not much longer at all, is it? Til the twins arrive."
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
"But pretty sure!" Eight grins. "Yeah. Annie and I are too easygoing for it to be otherwise. ...Not that I get to be easygoing that much these days, but you know, I was before!"
Hug. Eight smiles. Then--
"Not long," Eight says. "I have a 'feeling' it'll be before the day. They already don't have a lot of room to move around in there anymore. I don't feel kicks so much as... shifting, now."
"..I'm a little worried," she admits. "We've got everything in order, and the docs say it's all looking good. We even have that specialist who came in for me."
"But still."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"And you will again!" Rena says, with a laugh. "Just a little more negotiating to do, right?"
She blinks her eyes, then -- and nods. She tries to imagine feeling twins inside her, but can't quite. Fortunately, she can just get the imporession from Eight as she thinks about it.
She falls quiet for a second.
"...It's okay to be worried," Rena says. "I don't think you could not be worried. It's... a really big thing," she says. "But... I think it's going to all go great. I just have a feeling about it."
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
"A little bit. It's... A little concerning, to see the Federation shrinking while we're trying to negotiate, but maybe that's for the best, too. It's not like we thought they were doing things right either."
Eight's impression of it is pretty strong! It's definitely not hard to pick up that feeling.
But, "...Thanks," Eight says. "I guess you're right. It's really big. Big like me!" She laughs, but it's not entirely funny. She sighs, at that one. "...But okay. If you believe it, I'll believe you."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"Yeah... it means we probably have to reach deals with the OCU and other breakaways separately," Rena says. But... maybe that wouldn't be so bad, either.
She cracks a smile, then, and she nods. "Yeah. But... don't overdo it, okay? And we're all here, if you need someone to lean on."
About this or about anything else, for that matter.