2023-10-10: You're Not Getting Me To No Secondary Location

• Log: You're Not Getting Me To No Secondary Location
• Cast: Leina Ashta, Shari Loom
• Where: Ashford Academy Dormitories
• Date: October 10, 0097
• Summary: Leina, who is definitely a cop, comes to talk with Shari after the big battle, at her dormitory. Shari is only a little suspicious, and still hungry for friendship. They talk about Elisa and Yuliana, Shari's situation, and other serious matters. And then about boys! (TW: torture, mind control, frank discussion of sex)

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

On Ashford Campus, she was in her own uniform, a red blazer, a tie, and slacks. Her own modification away from the usually required girl's dress skirt. Perhaps the main nod to her femininity was the small bird shaped barrette nestled in the left side of her short curly brown hair. With a bag over her shoulder, she looked like she was here for some GUTS activity. It was after school of course, just long enough to let the 'Go Home' club get back to their Dorms. Leina certainly knew that Shari didn't have many friends.

It was a difficult sell to her Cathedra security team. Not knowing whom she was speaking to, not sending someone with her into the dorms. Instead all she had on her person was a simple panic switch on her phone which would release the dorm room's location to them with an alarm, should Leina press it.

The team was in plainclothes for this one, spread out over the campus. Most of them young enough that they could ambiguously fit in as staff, or even students if need be. This was a disquieting fact to Leina, as she knows what she could utilize them for in a heartbeat. In every way it felt like even the team for her protection made her more a cop.

And that this was a sting.

But she had no choice, like it or not, she was an individual that Cathedra wouldn't allow to be unescorted and unprotected. And even she had trouble denying that after saying 'Something only I can do.' often enough. It was a strange trade, accepting her 'uniqueness', to grant so many others their freedom.

The best thing she could do is to never forget where she came from, to never forget where the people in her life came from.

Checking in at the front of the dorm, she walked briskly up the stairs - and fielded several stares from Ashford students, until she came in front of Shari's dorm room. And then, she knocked, then waited, then called out, "Hey Shari, it's me, Leina. Can we talk? It doesn't have to be in your room if you don't want. Wherever you feel comfortable."

It was an ambush in part, certainly, if she asked in permission to talk in advance, Shari might just evade it indefinitely. So instead she had taken away that part, and just showed up. Give her as many choices as possible that aren't avoiding the conversation altogether.

Remind herself for the thirtieth time that even if she was technically a cop, she didn't have to /act/ like one.

<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.

Leina's in luck; no Tennis Club today. Shari doesn't have a lot of friends, but she does keep up with one activity, though some days it gets a little weird, since she can only make so many 'headache' excuses when things get bad.

She doesn't have bodyguards or a security team; she does have a dorm. And Shari's door is emblazoned with a little star that says 'Shari' on it, a few other decorations, and a little whiteboard for people to leave messages for her. And then, when Leina /totally ambushes/ her...

Shari opens the door after a moment, and squints. It's easy to miss the bags under her eyes through her makeup; she does a pretty good job of covering it up. She looks over Leina, looks as if there might be someone behind her. "I think I feel safer /not/ going to a secondary location," Shari admits.

"...Nah, that's not fair. It's nice to see you. C'mon in."

Her room is a little messy; she doesn't have a roommate, but there's a desk, a bed, a dresser, and various other necessities. Her computer is closed. There's parts strewn about her desk from her last project. And there's a lot of black.

"But being all careful like that makes you sound /more/ like a cop, you know."

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

Does Leina notice the bags? She is a theater kid, so she at least notices the makeup. And she can certainly guess what working for Elisa and Yuliana might be like.

Despite Shari saying that's 'Not fair' Leina was about to say 'That's fair.' There's a breath, then a chuckle, "It's good to see you too." Leina puts her bag down when they go inside, just near the door, not presuming upon her space otherwise. It's messy, and there's certainly space where she's working, she makes certain not to stare too long at those areas, instead focusing in on her.

"You doing alright? You have that worn out feel." She noticed, and she does ask, but, doesn't dwell upon it for too long.

A smile at that moment, it looks wan, tired. "I am a cop, but I don't have to act like one. This wasn't really my career choice, it was more an ultimatum 'do this or you and everyone you care about won't be allowed to exist in polite society for the rest of your lives /because/ some assholes turned you into an existential threat to humanity's bottom line." Leina lets out a small shrug, "That I take a glass half full approach on most days, is more- well, the influence of the people precious to me. It's always been an active choice of mine to hope for better."

And so she puts up a hand, "So, honest truth. You've been left out of any and all reports to Cathedra. Your name, all details about you. Noone knows I'm here to speak to you. And I wasn't a cop when I first met you, so the people I told you about? The people that help people like you? They have nothing to do with them. They're not exactly on the..." Leina cants her head to the side, thinking about how to put it as she lowers that hand, "... any side of the law really, but they're not terrorists either. They're more like paramilitary do-gooders?"

Another shrug, as she sighs, raking a hand through her hair, "It's complicated, the world is growing more complicated."

She takes some more time to consider things, what to say? And...

"So, full disclosure? I will say that I've known Yuliana Kafim and Doctor Elisa Kafim for some time? Since before I met you. When the two of us, connected? When that happened? Well - I made the connection between you and that 'entity' that they both talk about and them at the time. I've kept my mouth shut about knowing you to both of them, because I didn't want to assume what your relationship is with them based on /that/. And I didn't want to put /you/ in an awkward position."

There is a sigh at that point, "I promise I wasn't only interested in talking to you, being your friend because of that, even though I realize how that sounds. I genuinely thought you were a way more interesting person than most people out there were giving you credit for."

She certainly is talking a lot? Definitely more than a cop being a cop would, but she genuinely wants to put her cards on the table.

"So yeah? That's about it. I'm not here to make ultimatums, threats - anything like that. I just wanna talk, make sure you're okay. See if there's anything I can to help you. You don't want my help? I back off. And noone hears about it but - I'm worried it's only a matter of time before something stupid happens and you get outed to someone who doesn't give a shit you're between a rock and a hard place. That you've got something going on in your head - coercing you to be a part of this, torturing you if you don't. Or worse? That they try to disappear you to some lab because of it."

A beat.

"Like they did to me, under everyone's nose."

And indeed the look in her seagreen eyes is is definitely, more than just concerned, as she concludes on a simple.

"I'm worried about you, Shari."

<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.

"Little tired," Shari admits. "You guys did a number on the Da Xukong. We're gonna have to rebuild whole parts of it..." Which means she's going to have to do a lot of work, mostly.

"Oh," Shari says. "So it's like that." Pause. "That's pretty weird. Super weird. But I guess that's how it is for you."

Honest truth... "Ah. Do-gooders. Super great. Well, whatever, I'm a mega terrorist or something, so I guess it's fine."

She listens, anyway. The world is more complicated. Shari, in the meantime, pushes some stuff off her bed and gestures to Leina. "You can sit down." She turns her desk chair around for a seat for herself, and then she listens some more. "Obviously I've known them a while too," Shari says. "Since before they were married."

Hm...

"Well, I like not being in an awkward position."

"...Mm. Sure." More interesting than she gets credit for. Maybe. But...

"It's not like I don't appreciate your concern," Shari says after a little while. "I super do, and if you can keep all these... other organizations off my back, that's great, because if you don't, Elisa's gonna kill a /whole/ lot of people to get me back." Pause. "She protects me. She helps me out. And she gives me ways to protect myself. ...Plus, I mean, a lot of her stuff comes from my tech in the first place, so..."

Shari gestures. "I do have stuff going on in my head. The voices are quieter when I help Elisa out. And it's not that bad a deal, when the workload isn't too high. We're ending war, right? So that's cool."

"So I'm fine. Just tired. I have this... handled, you know? I mean, except the part where apparently there's other people after me. That part kinda sucks."

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

"That sucks." Leina says, and sincerely means it, "I'm not sorry for stopping her but I am sorry you're having to burn the midnight oil fixing it on your schedule."

And indeed, Leina sighs, "Yeah, it's like that. It's? A long story. Let's just say the Fed is upset that I helped render one of their dirty secrets to be a moot point - and terrified what that means for the future if everyone starts a Newtype Arms Race."

Leina then just gives her a tired look, perhaps frustrated? Though more with the situation, as she crosses her arms. "You're not a mega terrorist, Shari. Good lord. You're being tortured by some, extradimensional entity. That's like - several orders of magnitude different from someone committing political violence for some ideology. But? Yeah? it's fine. They extract people out of terrorist organizations all the time."

And indeed, she takes her offer to sit down, settling her weight down on the bed, she can't say she isn't tired about ALL THIS, lately, along with her makeup homework, and therapy. Just trying to get her whole life back together. Her hands shift to settle in on either side of her.

"Ha... same, they invited me to their wedding." She says weakly, "Who knew that's how I'd be meeting the thing that sorta, changed my life." She means the Banshee of course. Even if at the time it had no such connection to her.

She then listens to Shari, and... just lets her talk. Kill a lot of people? Yeah, she expected that, and Leina looks abstracted for a moment. "Ah that makes sense, so you're the reason she can do everything she can do." That would horrify Tessa, but not surprise her certainly, and Leina just shifts her weight back as she considers the implications. "Makes it more important I not say anything to anyone, because there are people out there who would take killing you as the easy solution to trying to defang her."

And indeed, Leina certainly doesn't sound like she's even considering telling anyone. "Yeah, I getcha but? It sounds like a pretty shit deal to me, like. You don't have a choice? You're literally being tortured if you don't do it. Like, if being told you're doing a good thing helps you deal with it, I'm not gonna tell you not to but, Shari come on."

She spreads out her hands and - "It really does feel untenable. Eventually you're gonna be found out and you're just gonna be a fixture in their weird castle because that's the only place safe for you. That'll, be your life? It'll be the kind of life I'd have had if I hadn't joined Cathedra, only worse really. You saw how Yuliana hates the shit out of you - and people like you."

She gives her a pleading look, "Like they mind controlled a friend of mine, and made her Yuliana's messed up 'support animal' and I still can't figure out why other than 'just because' then later 'getting back at Lilith'. They tried to do it to my girlfriend. Doctor Kafim /likes/ me, and I still am terrified of even making conference calls with her because of the things she can do. I get that Doctor Kafim considers you super vital to everything, but it really feels like it can only last so long before you're just as miserable - just living your life, as you are when that thing is making a house call on the inside of your head."

Leina folds her hands in her lap, curling her hands together, "Okay so, I still want to put you in touch with those people. Like, I can't promise anything, but there are other people out there like you that - have similar struggles and, figure out ways to cope. Like? Given your situation I'm not thinking 'exit strategy' yet. I get it, I get what Doctor Kafim is capable of, so many people underestimate her - I'm not gonna assume they can just get you out of there and somehow it'll work out! But maybe - if they can figure out ways for you to deal that - one day you could at least have the ability to choose the future you want?"

She gives her a pleading look, but she's also just assessing her reaction, "Does that sound reasonable at least? Just something on the side - where she's not /seeing/ you acting against her, because you're just making friends right?"

<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.

"Sure does." Pause. "Well, that's OK. You do what you gotta do. It's a pain in my ass, but I'm not gonna tell you not to follow your convictions or whatever." She sounds pretty vague on the idea, but she's not going to be mad at Leina about it. Indeed...

"Ohhhh, yeah. Well, Newtype arms race is bad. Though that's what Yuliana's for, I guess."

Then she notices that look, and Shari says, "I guess I don't care that much about the ideology," Shari admits. "But I do think ending war is cool." She stops. "Huh, yeah? Well, not that i need /extracting/, but..."

Right, the wedding! "Oh, yeah. That's some stuff."

"Not everything," Shari says. "She was... different, when we first met," Shari admits. "Much more on the ideology. Before we got Yuliana involved, you know?" More important... "It wouldn't work anyway. My stuff is useful, but she doesn't need my tech anymore to do the whole 'horrible witch' thing. The Voidframe was her. I don't know /how/, she's not an engineeer, but it must just be magic stuff."

A shit deal... Shari shrugs. "It sucks, but it is what it is."

She considers. "Yeah... I wouldn't like that much. And hey--Yuliana doesn't hate me. She likes me. I mean, she hasn't always, but..."

"Oh, Alma was your friend? She was really creepy." Pause. Why... Hmm. "I dunno, we didn't talk about it. She creeped me out."

"Well, good that you're not making me act openly against he because I'm not willing to act against them. That's just dangerous. And besides, Elisa /does/ look out for me. But..."

"But if you want to give me some more friends, I guess. I'm kinda..."

"I dunno. Every time I meet someone 'like me' things just get worse. Like with that Sukeban chick."

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

It's a tough thing to hear that 'that's what Yuliana is for.' Because of course science crime is the answer to any arms race, "I mean the REA thought so, but all that did was lead to a bunch of stillborn clones in tanks. And the real problem is that anyone with enough exposure can get used to... her interference. I've learned to sense her through just detecting the 'absence'. And psycho-frame still functions within it, in fact it /resonates/ with the Voidframe."

As she sighs, brushing a hand through her hair, "The real problem is that any Newtype that's utilized a suit like I have to grow experienced enough could if they wanted to? Probably just push the Earth off its rotational axis with a Psycho-field before anyone could even field an adequate response. Or make a whole 'Side' of Colonies disappear."

'Not that she needs extracting', Leina tries not to say how that makes her feel as obviously Shari has gotten so inured to the idea of helping them or being tortured that it's hard to imagine her getting away from her.

"Yeah. I figured, I've seen hints of it, when I talk about her old academic work on Kaiju." Leina tells her quietly of Dr. Kafim, "Now everything is about Yuliana. And I figure part of it is just because something about her is making her capable of reaching a goal she couldn't imagine accomplishing before? But the rest is..." Leina actually puts a hand to her mouth, then looks sideways, as if disturbed, "... this feels horrible to say, but can someone like her actually love someone? The way she looks at me sometimes..."

Still she lowers her hand after a moment, taking a breath, and closing her eyes, "Yeah I get it, the problem is that people might believe that anyway. Like, 'even cut off some of her power' or 'cut off her inspiration.' just the more people get exposed to her as a problem, the more they'll accept anything that they think might hurt her even a little as a solution."

She gestures Shari's way, "And the way it works, who knows? Even if she managed that /now/ you could always get inspiration for something much better any day now. Unfortunately the uncertainty might be a problem to people who just want the future threat dealt with by any means necessary."

She does give Shari a confused look as she says she doesn't hate her, but then slowly seems to nod in acceptance, "I guess it must be like with me then. Well I'm glad she's not... trying to hurt you or anything. She ah, grew accustomed to me I guess? Dunno, she still calls me something that 'defiles reality' but... I guess I'm an exception she likes? Not sure."

There's a worn look in her eyes as Shari talks about Alma, "She's... not normally like that. She's usually very sweet. Elisa got her good. Like she came to us with this whole new vibe, different look, totally obsessed with Yuliana. She tried to mind control me and my girlfriend? Like, reduced her to a wreck for a while."

Leina kinda circles her hand in the air, "You know like, when I connected with you on accident and - made contact with 'Her'? It was like that but worse for her."

There is a small laugh, and...

"Nova Stellar is a lot. A whole lot. When I was brainwashed she yelled at me that 'this is anime' and declared that we're in an anime right now. I promise they're not ALL like that."

Though, it is interesting to get confirmation that Nova is like her, not something she'd yet managed, in part as Nova was avoiding her some after she got embarrassed.

<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.

"Hm..." Shari can keep up with the idea of what the Psychoframe can do. "Yeah, I guess that's true." She pauses. "Ugh. That /is/ an arms race. I guess that's a big deal. ...Ugh. I don't even like thinking about that kind of thing."

But, "Yeah. She's like that again sometimes, but she's..." Shari thinks about it. "She's colder, I guess. Less interested in things outside her work. She was always kinda single-minded but now it's like she doesn't even notice things that aren't 'important'."

Can she love someone...? "I think she can," Shari says. "Or at least, they act like it. Around Yuliana, she almost seems like... normal, sometimes."

But, "Oh. Yeah, that'd be a problem. Yikes. And I'm not exactly eager to relocate to the Castle..."

Like with Leina. "...Well," Shari says, "That's not... exaaaactly true." Pause. "I mean, she /super/ hated me to start. Super super super hated. I thought she was going to like, eat me? But Elisa said a few words and suddenly it wasn't like that anymore. I think she controlled her..."

"But now it's fine! It's super fine."

But Alma? "Oh," Shari says. "I guess that makes sense."

Nova, though... "Nova Stellar? What kind of a stupid name is that?" Shari grumps. "Well, whatever. 'Miracle Worker'. Whatever." She shakes her head. "Okay. As long as they're not /all/ like that." ...But she sounds more grumpy than genuinely hateful, at least.

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

As Shari talks about how it's a big deal, Leina just nods dully, offering a soft, chuckle, "Yeah me neither that's... kinda the real reason I made the deal I did? We're trying to stop this from happening, and it was the only... chance we saw towards maybe making that happen?"

Her head tilts slightly as she considers that again, "I wonder, if you've seen her normal..." Leina considers that for a time, before slowly shaking her head, "No... I don't have enough evidence to even guess in that direction." A hand rubs at her eyes.

"Well, that's good to know. It's just... sometimes she seems so disconnected, save for a few moments of monstrous clarity. Then it's just like you're being looked at by a serpent."

Leina in some ways has trouble believing Shari hasn't thought about things this way but, she gets it? Not every teenager, especially a teenager in Britannia cares to even think about the world in certain ways.

She's different for a reason.

"Yeah and I don't want you to have to either? Like, that seems more like to put you under her thumb even more." Then her head jerks up, and she stares at Shari, "God really? She actually just mind controlled her to make an exception for you?" There's just, this frustrated motion on the side of her head, "Goddamnit, and if Elisa's subtle about it she won't have an /Alma/ situation."

There's a moment of disquiet, as Leina drops the hand, as she whispers softly, "Wait, Yuliana said once that Elisa told her I was..." Now it's both hands to her face, "God, Oh God, did she do the same thing to her about ME? Nnnghhhh-!"

Is Yuliana's seeming fixation on her due to ELISA? What is going on here? Leina just drops both her hands, "God, that's... it's too much." She whispers quietly, "It's freaking me out, I already am just, STARTING to feel like I can trust what's in my own head again after what Doctor Murasame did to me and now... now? The thought she can just do this any time."

Another pause and...

"God." She whispers again, in despair. It's not quite an anxiety attack, not yet, but there is a building agitation there at the thought she might be facing this too.

It's an active effort to get her off this subject, "It's... yeah, I don't really know what her deal is." And she's definitely still not there, "She's pretty adorable behind closed doors, she got so embarrassed by me just like, kissing my boyfriend on camera in front of her."

<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.

"Huh. That's..." Shari looks a little uncomfortable. "That's a pretty far way to go to make it not happen. I couldn't do that."

Her normal...? Hmmm. "Oh, yeah, she super does the whole snake look thing. I think it's because she forgets to act like a normal person, since she's busy doing her... mysterious witch thing, or whatever."

"Oh yeah. That'd suck. I mean, it wouldn't be /all/ bad. Parminder's fun..."

Pause. "Yeah. She did." Then, she pauses. Leina looks disquiet. In fact, she looks like she's freaking out. "Aah," Shari says. "Sorry, uh--I didn't mean to..." Pause. "Do you want like, a cigarette or something?"

Of course Shari has illicit cigarettes.

"Oh, that's real cute," Shari says. "Maybe she's not /all/ bad. But she still gets on my nerves."

"Anyway," Shari says, "I guess I'll talk to some of these friends of yours if you want me to. But that's all."

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

"More than just me needed someone to bite the bullet." She says after a moment, answering her discomfort, "Even if none of them would admit it. It's what needed to happen."

Is this even how she'd talk about it on any given day? Or is it perhaps just this day, or perhaps this is just the best version for Shari in the moment, to understand that even if she's a cop, she's not truly?

"He's sure a thing just - remember they all did wetwork." As Leina says softly, "Like, they killed so many girls like you and me just as a part of their every day job in the REA."

Shari's moral compass doesn't seem set especially high but... there are certainly warnings she can give about people like Parminder.

Still, Leina does look disturbed, and then- she smiles at her, "Ha nah, it's okay, I appreciate knowing. Prefer it than not. Just, you know, it freaks me out a little?" Instead she stretches out her legs a little, "I'll be okay. The fact that I'm even able to interrogate what's in my head, or whether she did anything to me is a good sign. The way Murasame had me before, trying to was near impossible?"

There's a pause...

"Not a cigarette but, a drink maybe if you've got one?"

She rubs the side of her face, "Yeah, she did mine too, it was like - taking my whole life real lightly." She looks distant for a moment, then, absently she nods, "I'll - talk to them. See what I can arrange. There's reasons why they haven't approached yet and none of them are anything against you. It's just, ordinarily they work by extracting people out of the bad situations they're in?"

She waves a hand her way, "And you don't want to be, which means instead they're sharing secrets that in some cases they're literally not allowed to talk about? It sucks. it sucks for them too, because the problem is if information about who - each of you are and what you can do gets out?" She eyes her after a moment, "Well there's a reason why most people like you are rescued /from labs/ - drugged out of their minds, Shari. There's so many assholes who'd want to make you disappear to some black site, and chance even Elisa's wrath to do it, just to get a crack at what's in your head."

And after a moment of broken laughter.

"Which sucks because! You hate what's in your head! What's in your head /tortures the hell out of you/!"

It'd be easy enough to think that Leina were just trying to scare her but... she's actually been there, hasn't she? She's said as much. Her agitation over the whole subject, it feels so personal.

<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.

"I guess."

But... wetwork. "Yeah, yeah," she says, grimacing. "But they're who I've got, right? Better than all the creepy thralls, anyway. Though the ones they pay aren't bad. They have to be a little weird to work at the Castle, though..."

"Okay," Shari says of her being all right. "I don't think she's gotten to you, though. You don't have the look, anyway."

Pause. "Sure," Shari says, and stands up to go get some of her stash to hand a bottle to Leina.

"Hmmmm yeah. Yeah, like--if they 'extract' me I'm screwed anyway, right? So that's kind of a thing. But I'm not relly talking about it..." She nods. Labs...

"Yeah, it sucks," Shari agrees. But she has kind of been there, hasn't she? Shari takes a seat with a drink of her own, though. "...At least I can make pretty rocks, right?"

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

"Yeah I... see what you mean. I've had some exposure to people she's released and..." She grimaces, "Well... there's a chance of recovery at least. It's slow."

Whereas Leina considers the matter, then asks Shari after a time, "The look?" As she takes the bottle from Shari, cracking it open to take a sip. She's definitely no alcoholic but - sometimes a drink does help to brace the nerves, and growing up in the AEU she is VERY used to alcohol with meals.

"Yeah, unless they found a way to keep you from her, but - like - noone really knows what Elisa's limits are? So like, someone would either have to be real confident, or real willing to risk getting turned inside out."

Rubbing her face, she takes another sip of it, before Shari mentions something, "Oh. Huh. You make those?" Leina blinks her eyes several times, "I've run across them, during the - weird rituals they do. My boyfriend had to tear it off of Yuliana once because she was literally dancing herself to death?"

She does give her a curious look, "What's even in them? Like, I can't even /touch/ them, it's just - psychic agony for Newtypes to even be exposed to them. And if someone breaks one? Ho boy - I puke my guts out even going near them. Most people don't get it? They're not... sensitive, so they can handle them just fine, but like - there's no way that's /healthy/ for them."

<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.

"Yeah. She doesn't have to go that hard on people, though."

The look? "Usually their eyes turn green if she's gone pretty hard on them."

Elisa's limits... "I sure don't know," Shari admits. "The stuff she does... It's way beyond the tech I make for her. It's weird. It shouldn't be possible."

But, "Yeah. But..." She pauses. "Oh, no. That's what Elisa does with them. The crystals themselves are just synthetic Fold crystals. Here, check my desk." She stands up, opens the drawer, and tosses Leina a green stone.

"I can make more."

"But I don't think I should let you keep it. Have a look, though. Normal rock, right?"

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

"Honestly at this point I was wondering if she wasn't sending a pointed message to me." Leina indicates with a gesture of the bottle, "Just - she knew I wanted Alma back, so she was showing me how that might not be such a good thing for her."

Still, their eyes turn green? She struggles to think about it but, she thinks Alma's eyes were green? In fact she's pretty sure, "Huh. Guess that makes sense, like the color of the crystals too..."

Yet, it's way beyond it? "Way beyond it? Really? Like - that's surprising if /you/ think it's way beyond what you do." In part because Whispered tech is usually generations beyond what humans ought to be capable of. How is she doing it?

And yet, Shari then names them, and Leina arches an eyebrow, "Fold like? Fold drives and stuff? Macross?" When she tosses the stone, Leina at first startles, and almost fumbles the catch, but then manages to salvage it the last second. It takes her a moment to realize she doesn't /feel/ anything from them.

"I'm surprised? It's like night and day. There's just - nothing surrounding this one." And indeed, Leina just shrugs her shoulders and- "Up to you. Like, it's your shiny rock. But-" She does stare at it, "-it is really cool? Kinda the color of my eyes." As she rolls it around in her fingers, "Maybe a little deeper. I'm not really into science so I'm not even sure what I'd /do/ with it, if I wasn't making it into jewelry?"

There's a small shrug, as she asks, "Like, what do you even use them for when, Elisa isn't you know - magicking them up?"

<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.

"Ohhh," Shari says. "I mean, I guess? Maybe." She pauses. "Right. Lots of green in the Castle."

"Yeah. Like, the /technology/ I can deal with--that, I can help with a lot. But she's got... magic. And she's really good with it. I can draw on the energy of the Void with my tech, but she can just pull it out of nothing."

Fold. "Yep. Just like that. I built a fold engine," she says casually, "And some other stuff." It's cool! "Yeah, probably better not. You might have your buddies research it and that'd be an issue."

"But yeah, it can enable Fold drives. I can draw on Void power with it--make beam sabers, beam pistols, stuff like that. I can make weapons out of it... and it's pretty."

"A lot of the tech I make keys off these."

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

"Huh. Wow. Like - it's weird even to hear it be called magic? She was a scientist. It feels like there's a time in her life when she probably would have scoffed at the idea. But - like, I know magic exists for real."

And when she speaks of building a FOLD Engine? "Wow, that's real impressive. Especially since, that tech is so tightly controlled after that pack of Neo-Colony assholes stole them from the Macross Fleets?"

She's not just saying that either. When Shari says that, Leina just shrugs, and sets the fold Crystal beside her on the bed, "Well yeah. I'm not sure what good it'd do anyway? We have some already with Elisa's magic in them that are being researched. Like - there's no way Doctor Kafim doesn't know? Like Yuliana was wearing a full necklace of them - and we took it off? Like, that thing didn't just disappear, and we were the only ones there."

She does tip her head towards her, "That's real cool though, honestly if I had it my way - you'd be out of this weird torture pact and just - making drives for the Colonies? Like - shit. Think of all the good that'd do?"

And indeed Leina adds after, "And you're right, it is real pretty." She eyes it again for a moment, before taking her eyes off of her. Perhaps the way to go is just not to act too fixated on getting it out the door. "I'd wear a gem like that. Synthetic? Feels pretty economical. I don't like spending a lot of money on Jewelry."

Instead, just act like it's real cool, because it is. "Huh. Void power? I'm not sure I really get it. I've never been like, anyone with a real head for science. Is that like, energy from the same place as 'Her'?"

<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.

"I mean..." Shari hesitates. "I'm not gonna talk too much about that. It's more the /how/ she does it that seems like magic, to me, than what she does in particular. Drawing energy is one thing, but..."

"Thanks! Yeah. I've only built the one, and she's got it, but... I could probably do it again, I guess."

Hmm. "Yeah, she'd probably know, then. Maybe she'll get mad about it." Pause. "That'd do some good," she supposes. "I guess."

"But it is pretty! Maybe I will give you one sometime, but... not today. I feel like I've given you a lot of intel, already, and if you use it against them, I'm gonna have issues. But... it was nice to talk about it with somebody, anyway."

She considers. "I can tell you that much. Energy from that place, yeah. Though I'm not sure you could call it a place..."

"Well, anyway. Let's talk about something else for a while. Maybe your boyfriend or something. I could go for a boyfriend or two."

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

There's something about the way Shari hesitates that makes Leina think the devil is in the details, her fingertips tap on the side of the bottle as she takes another ship, but she then nods, "Sure alright, remember, I'm not here to make you say anything you don't want to."

She does beam at her in the aftermath of saying she's built one, and could do it again, "Like - one is cool enough on it's own? It's just amazing that you can do it, you know? I'm a Spacenoid, so like - Macross stuff is just like iconic to me."

Leina waves the bottle sideways, "She hasn't even really asked about it? Like she could? But instead she just thanked me for stopping Yuliana. She's always more concerned about just how I'm treating Yuliana these days. But like I said, she likes me, I helped her take down the Institute?" A shrug in that moment, "Just - she may like me, but I'm scared of her? Because well - I'm not stupid? Just - at the same time..."

There's a prolonged sigh, and...

"I feel a responsibility to try and help people in bad situations I guess? Like you - like Yuliana too. She's an asshole but, like, I get it? There's this girl I once knew, as I kinda got - taken prisoner right by similar labs to the ones she was in? And - we got her out of it..." Her eyes lid slightly, "... but it was in the middle of a war, and she couldn't... really stop fighting..."

Her tone really doesn't leave it ambiguous what happened to her.

"So that's it I guess. Scared out of my mind of her but - I can't let it go."

She just exhales, a soft breath, and then sets the beer aside, "What I'm gonna do? I'm gonna keep it to myself, because if I used it - you could get in real trouble, and that'd be the - opposite of what I want, you know? I'm not looking to see you get hurt or - become more desperate here."

And indeed, she does mean that sincerely, because she can understand the coercion of the situation. Like, she'll probably have to tell Mithril some bare minimum, she just doesn't intend to tell them anything compromising her situation.

After a moment, Leina's eyebrow raises, and she actually smiles mirthfully, "Alright sure. Banagher's a sweet guy, he's sorta, new to dating and all, sex? He's pretty endearingly vanilla about it. But the Newtype part kinda makes - everything better? Like your souls touching."

As she tips the bottle towards her, "What's your type? If you could go for a boyfriend or two? Like - I could maybe set you up with someone." She winks at her, "Or 'two' someones, if that's what you're into."

<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.

Maybe it is! Shari doesn't say, for now--instead, she nods to Leina, when she says that she's not here for that. It's... reassuring?

For now though, she grins back. "Yeah! That makes sense. I'm Earthnoid as anybody," Shari says, "But I still think the Macross fleets are cool..."

But she hasn't asked? Hmm. "I see... Well, she does care a lot about Yuliana, I guess. Understatement, I mean. Yuliana's /all/ she seems to care about." But she helped... "Wow, yeah. ...Yeah." Leina's not stupid. But... That sigh?

"Mm..." Shari considers. "I don't think Yuliana thinks of herself as in a bad situation. So I dunno about 'helping' her that way. She's pretty on board with everything that's going on, you know?"

"...Sorry about your friend, though."

She can't let it go. That makes sense. Shari nods along, and listens. "...I appreciate it," she says, when Leina says she'll keep it to herself. "Right..."

But then Leina starts talking about a more 'fun' subject, and Shari latches onto it. "Ahahah, is that what he's like?" Shari laughs. Then, she tilts her head. "The Newtype thing... Hm. I dunno if I'd want souls touching so much. That feels a little too personal."

Shari takes a drink, and then--leans in. "Welllll," she says, "I guess I like kinda... darker types? You know, all brooding and mysterious and all that. I don't get enough of that. Most of the guys I know are more jock types, since--I mean, tennis and all. And around here there's a lot of really clean-cut kind of guys."

"But I haven't really..." She wobbles her hand. "I guess I haven't done a lot of real /relationships/, you know? It might be nice, but..."

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

It's too much to go into right now in depth, but- "Yeah I know she doesn't." Leina tells her quietly, after a moment, "But that doesn't mean she isn't? I thought while I was a part of the Vist Foundation, I was an equal partner to the people in charge. But... I was just brainwashed."

"Yeah... thanks." Mostly though she decides to keep it just this small explanation of it.

Because it's much easier to just let Shari move it to another conversation topic. "Tends to be. He's a sweetheart, not that good with people? Endearingly awkward, it's sorta like, he was too Newtype to function until he made his first strong connection with someone."

Leina smiles, and shrugs, "I know it sounds a little too intimate, it didn't get that way for a while for us. It's... hard to explain? I get why it doesn't sound like something you'd want though."

So instead she listens to what she says her types, and-

"Dark. Brooding. Mysterious." Leina sets her bottle aside, "Fun, classic. And I getcha, Britannian Preps are kinda... the worst?" Leina gives her an apologetic glance, "Like no offense, but, it's true."

She taps her chin, "Hmmmm, well. Like gonna ask you an honest question like - are you one of the girls that'd be like - for someone dark, brooding, mysterious that 'I can get him to open up to me' or 'I can fix him' or it's just-"

She gives her a long look, and then, "-don't get too embarrassed, just - it's important to know, but like - because you're thirsty and the vibe would make the sex better for you, you think?"

She then asks her, "Like, are you a virgin, Shari? It's okay if so! Like I'm not gonna be one of those girls that tries to make you feel shit if you are, like good lord. Assholes like that act like their first time wasn't fumbling and awkward and probably because they got pressured into it when /they/ weren't ready."

She allows another small shrug, "But it sorta helps me figure out what you're looking for? Romance? Sex? The whole - relationship experience of it all?"

<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.

"I guess so," Shari says, that it doesn't necessarily follow. "But it's weird. Since... Elisa seems to want to do everything she's doing /for/ Yuliana? So if she's also manipulating her it's like... why? I don't get it." Pause. "I mean, I guess I get it a little. Like in my case, I'm 'useful' and that's why she looks out for me, probably. Well, whatever."

But the next topic, "Aww. That's cute. I dunno much about Newtype stuff but it sounds adorable." She pauses, smiling back at the shrug. "It's cool. We all like different stuff."

"Ahahah. None taken," Shari answers, happy to conspire a little about something that isn't so serious. Then, honest question--Shari lifts her beer to her lips and makes a little 'go on' gesture to Leina. She listens! She responds to the first one, 'I can get him to open up', with a little shrug. 'I can fix him', a handwobble.

Then she stops short when Leina gives her that long look. And the question--Shari /does/ start blushing pretty much immediately, and it's obvious because her makeup goes for 'pale' when she does. But she doesn't sputter. She doesn't flail.

"...Definitely the 'thirsty' one," Shari admits. "The vibe is /really/ hot."

"I mean..." Her answer on whether she's a virgin starts with a little hesitation. But after a moment, she looks over Leina again, tilts her head as she thinks about her, and then, "Yeah," she says after a few moments. It feels like an admission despite Leina going out of her way to be cool about it, though.

"...I'm a little scared," she admits. "About... if I pick the wrong guy, and he blabs to everybody, and then everybody decides I'm this huge slut and they have even /more/ reasons not to want to talk to me, and--"

"Okay maybe a lot. I haven't met a guy I feel like I can... trust, like that. You know how Britannian schools are. Right? It's all vipers everywhere. And it sucks!" </poem>

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

"I guess the question is, is she really? Yuliana wasn't like this either, before she met Elisa, now she's - obsessed. She can't even think of arguing with Elisa. It gives her this intense anxiety, thinking she'd even be upset with her." Leina tells her quite easily, "Yuliana even says that her 'visions' from Her? That Elisa interprets them, not her. So uh - it'd be real easy for her to nudge the meaning to being whatever is more beneficial to her. So maybe Elisa thinks she's doing what's best for Yuliana - and trying to manipulate her thinking so she agrees with it."

Fortunately, the topic is moved on from something less heavy, and she shifts in the seat, taking her gestures entirely in stride. And when she blushes, and admits it, Leina nods after a moment, "I getcha. There's nothing wrong with that." Leina takes it into consideration, how best to go about this, "Alright."

And then Shari's anxiety comes out full force, as she makes the admission and-

"Whoa, whoa girl. It's okay!" Leina tries to give her a reassuring smile, "The anxiety's woven a whole narrative right? But I won't say there's nothing to it. Britannia's a different place than where I'm from. You've got this whole dumb slut shaming rape culture here."

Leina then points to her, "Yep! Totally get it, so maybe I can help?" She suggests, "The solution might be as simple as GUTS. Like you're scared of picking the wrong guy in Britannia who's gonna spread it around that you're easy or something? Well - maybe I set you up with a boy from my school or something. We're more sexually liberated in the AEU, and in Spain we've got a lot of guys that might fit the bill for you."

She gestures her way, "So like, if I set you up during GUTs - you go out with him when you're abroad. You're not really worrying about him spreading rumors back home? And we're not Britannia, I won't say there's no risk, but average guy from Spain wouldn't care about winning points with someone at Ashford?"

But she then folds her hands in her lap, "But first thing's first, do you have easy access to the pill? Can you get Condoms? Like - Britannia's weird about that, and I know you're connected to Doctor Kafim and all but - if you're too embarrassed to ask, then it wouldn't matter."

<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.

"Huh." Shari doesn't have an answer for Leina on Yuliana and Elisa. Some of this she already knew, of course--and some she just hadn't thought much about. But some...

"Hmm." She doesn't say much more on it, before the topic moves on. But Leina's gotten her thinking, anyway.

The topic they move to is easier for Shari, even with the anxiety she shares. "Ah, ha ha..." Shari rubs the back of her neck. "It has." Pause. "We super do." Have that culture.

"But you... do?" Then she thinks about Leina's solution. "That's..." It's pretty practical. "I didn't expect you to actually be able to /do/ it," Shari says, obviously surprised. "But yeah, that would totally..."

"I mean--"

Shari shifts gears at the questions. "...Elisa'd probably be willing to write me a prescription if I asked," the pinkhair reflects. "Or I guess I could just ask my usual doctor. That's probably a better idea."

"I can get condoms," Shari's pretty sure. "I uh, have some sources on... stuff I'm not supposed to have,' she says, gesturing with the bottle as demonstration. "So I can just get them online."

"...I thought you'd judge more. But I guess that's not how you are, huh? I knew it, but I didn't /believe/ it."

It might matter for more than /just/ Shari's theoretical sex life, too.

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

Getting her thinking is perhaps the entire intent. She realizes she can't just /revolt/ but... a start.

And indeed, she smiles at her, "I mean? It's not that hard to give someone the hook up if that's what they're looking for. I'll start thinking about candidates that are your type? Like I can't guarantee - but I think my chances are good."

There's a nod there, "Makes sense yeah. If she's just writing you a prescription there, should be fine. Though I'd do your own research on the side to be sure?" And there's another nod, "I getcha, I won't ask even. I just know it's tough to get in Britannia as it's a crazy country."

But then she indicates she thought she'd judge more, and Leina grins wryly, and- "Well, I get why you might think that but - lemme put things into perspective." As Leina stretches her legs out some, leaning back, "I'm not /only/ dating Banagher. I also have a girlfriend. Who is - also dating him. It's a whole thing. But it might put into your perspective that I'm not judgmental about sex stuff?"

Her expression does fade after a moment, "Let's just say I got taken in by someone who raised me right on the subject matter? And even then I wasn't weird about it or something? I lost my virginity when I was sixteen - to a guy I'd dated for a year. I /almost/ lost it before when I was almost fifteen, but that guy, my first ex." She grimaces, "Well, he made it a super uncomfortable experience so I demanded he stop before we got too far."

She shrugs, "I always thought I was the monogamous type? Heck I thought I was going to /marry/ my second boyfriend - but he decided to go hard on the military life and suddenly took for granted that I was always just going to be there for him so - I eventually had to break up with him."

Her hand encircles in the air, "Me dating two people? Didn't ever think it was going to happen. It's part, a Newtype thing? I'm usually a little more into guys too but-" She smiles at her, "-Audrey's really something special, you know?"

<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.

"Thanks!" Shari says, and she brightens after, like it takes her a moment to accept that she might be getting something she wants. "Hey, chances are better than what I've got now! Somebody you could recommend is bound to be a better shot anyway."

"What, like, researching pills?" Shari thinks she knows what Leina means, but she wants to be sure. But, "Cool. It's... Yeah. Britannia's Like That." She can say the capitals. She's good at that.

"Eh?" Perspective... Shari's eyes widen when Leina explains. "You--"

"You can do that???" is her first response. But what's the 'that'? It could be any number of things. Because that's a lot of things all at once!

But, Leina elaborates, and Shari nods. "I see..." Pause. "Wow. You just... made him stop, huh?" She's impressed by that much for sure. "That's cool."

"You're really good at this stuff," Shari finds herself thinking. "Relationships and all that." She smiles back. "Aw, that's cool. I bet she's great!"

"A Newtype thing, huh...?" There's a lot of those. Shari wonders about that.

"...My parents didn't really... ever talk to me about stuff like this. And the Kafims are kind of--" Shari pauses. "...Advanced. I'm not really ready for the kind of advice I think they'd give me..."

She's seen some things.

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

"/I/ definitely think so." She tells Shari with a smile. After all, most boys outside of Britannia alone will have that 'foreign' appeal, and that goes both ways for them. She just has to figure out the right guy. It does occur to her that it's perhaps not the most moral thing to get someone involved with Shari given her situation but?

She's not trying to hook them up for some long term romance opportunity, just the occasional dates and one night stands. What's the harm? And if things get more dicey, she can intervene then.

"Yeah not all birth control pills are the same you know? And some are better for teenagers to be on than others." Leina says casually, "Doctor Kafim is super smart, I don't doubt but - you've gotta be an active participant in your own care, since you know yourself better than anyone, right?"

There's a small laugh, and she grins at her at her reaction, "Yeah of course you can do that! Like - I get that it's not the mainstream attitude, especially here, but it's more accepted in different parts of the world. Just takes, communication between all partners? Setting down expectations."

Another nod, "Yeah like, he wasn't happy about it? In fact he was super shitty, which is why I broke up with him. Like I thought he was a good guy before, he just got super weird about sex, then super entitled when I told him to stop. Tried to guilt me into it keeping going which is when I knew I could just do better than some guy who doesn't care about my needs, or if I'm comfortable or not?"

She definitely cheers up when Shari says that, "She's incredible. Sadly I can't see her all the time, right now circumstances force her to live out past the Moon, but I intend to take trips frequently." And indeed Leina has this rueful look as she smiles at her, "A Newtype thing. Sometimes Newtypes just - bond like that? With someone they barely know. It's rare, but it happens, the more powerful one gets, the more risk of it just - happening with someone else just as powerful. You feel drawn to them and then 'bam'. Just... this connection forms."

There is a sort of thoughtful nod at what Shari has to say, and Leina gets up from the bed, leaving the fold crystal behind just on the bed right where she left it to grab her bag. Picking up her phone, she taps something, and texts Shari something, who gets a ping.

"What I'm sending you right now are sex ed slides that my Mom made." Leina gives her an even look, "Don't get embarrassed, like I know you know the basics or got a super dumb sex ed class in Britannia that was like..."

Leina suddenly poses, as if pointing at the board, "Stamen!" She snaps her finger lower, "Pistil!" Then lower, "Leave it to the man!" And then she gives the biggest eye roll, "What I'm talking about is actually useful information. About things you'd want to know. Things you're too embarrassed to ask. Comfortable positions, considerations for different kinds of birth controls. Ways to make certain it's good for both of you."

She makes her way back to the bed, sitting back down, "It's nothing too advanced, but it's things I knew before going into my first relationships. The appeal of 'innocence' and 'ignorance' for one's 'firsts' are way overrated, trust me."

<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.

Leina may have noticed that 'moral questions' in general are something that Shari seems to avoid. At the same time, she doesn't really like hurting people. It's not the most advanced ethical compass, but...

"Oh, I see. ...That's..." Knows herself better than anyone? "I mean, that's a cool thought. Maybe you're right. It's not like porn says much about birth control and condoms anyway..."

But Shari smiles at 'of course you can.' "Cool. Not a lot here is a mainstream attitude, you know? I mean, it's not quite 'lie back and think of Britannia' but it's close, right?"

He wasn't happy... "Man, I bet he wasn't. That sucks. That's sorta why I haven't gotten there with any of the guys I've gone out with. The worries I told you about before, but I didn't want to get... pressured, either."

But Audrey... "Oh, wow. That's a while away." A pause. "Newtypes... I don't know much about Newtypes. I mean, I don't buy into Yuliana and Elisa's thing about them or anything, but it still seems like a Space thing, you know? But I guess that's cool. Sort of love at first sight, kind of thing."

Shari gets a ping, and looks over her phone--Slides. Shari goes '!' and then looks back at her, "Oh. Man, from your Mom? She must be so cool if she talks to you about this stuff." Then she laughs. "Yeah. That's basically what I got. And I don't really have anybody to ask..."

"Yeah, I don't want to be innocent, I want to be cool! I want to know what I'm doing."

She trails off a little, "...Thanks, Leina. It seems like having all this tech and knowing how to do all this weird stuff hasn't really..."

"I mean it's not really a substitute for a good... friend."

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

She definitely /has/ noted, and while she might yell at her on moral decisions in the moment, this isn't her brother skipping school to knock off the Zeta Gundam from a warship. This isn't Yuliana melting civilians on the Sri Lanka streets to send a political message. This is a girl who's desperate and backed into a corner of things not entirely in her control.

"Porn is porn, and like, so much of it is made for male fantasies?" Leina after a time just shrugs, "So yeah, education is the last thing on their minds in making it. Personally if I'm in the mood for smut I read a romance novel, or some online fanfic."

Leina does wince at that statement, "You say 'not quite' but I'd say a lot of marriages in Britannia are very much like that? Like, especially for the lesbians who stay in the closet - and so many do here." Whereas her Ex? "I feel you. It's definitely a concern? Especially since Britannian guys aren't like - so they pretend to be all noble and princely, but they're often just super entitled? Look, while I won't try to claim the AEU is universally better or something I will say at least more guys respect the 'no' and body autonomy."

As Shari talks about Newtypes, Leina chuckles, and shakes her head, "Well - it's not really just a Space thing? Common misconception, but Newtypes get born on the Earth all the time, powerful ones even! Even if it happens more in space? But yeah - it's kinda like that! Soulmates kinda thing?"

Folding her arms, she moves the arm holding her phone in an almost tapping rhythm against the back of her other bicep. "I'm not even sure Doctor Kafim buys it herself? I think she's just - indulging Yuliana, or maybe she her thinking has shifted to worrying about us being a threat in general? I'm not sure - but Yuliana herself like?" Her eyes fall upon Shari, "Don't ever say this to her, but she's a Cyber Newtype herself? The REA injected alien cells into her Cerebrospinal Fluid to create what she is. She's in... super denial over it, and will get violent if you bring it up. There's - a lot of reasons for that."

She does look at Shari closely at that moment, "I'm not even sure if the entity you're connected with actually hates us? Or just hates /everyone/? It's - really tough to say, Yuliana gets super erratic and changes her mind on what she's about frequently, then gets Doctor Kafim to interpret 'Her' will."

There's a laugh, and Leina grins at her, "Yeah as Moms go she's pretty cool, I'm real lucky to have her. She made them for her charity work? She's a pediatrician. So I work with a lot of people that don't even have access to the internet out in rural areas of the world."

Leina then smiles and says, "Well, if you ever have any questions about the material, or anything at all about sex? Relationships? Feel free to text me. Like, I won't say I don't ever tease a little but I promise to keep it as a place that's safe to talk about these things anytime."

<Pose Tracker> Shari Loom has posed.

"I'm a pretty visual person," Shari hedges. "But I /have/ noticed it's like that..." She looks down at her beer again, and decides to drink a little more. Especially at the matter of Britannian marriages.

"Yeah. I'm just lucky Mom and Dad haven't bugged me about getting married yet." Noble and princely... Shari nods along. "That's true. But that's cool. I like 'respect'. Respect is good."

She tilts her head, her pink hair falling to the side a little as she does. "Huh. Earth, too, huh? The way they talk about it it's all these Spacenoid pilots and stuff."

"Obviously I don't exactly press Elisa on stuff like that," Shari says. "But I never hear her ranting about it like Yuliana does. ...Well, Elisa doesn't do a lot of ranting anyway." Pause. "...Yikes. I mean, I gathered some of that from the whole Institute thing, but... Definitely not saying that to her. I like being on her good side."

The entity... "I dunno if She hates everybody," Shari says. "Maybe She's just possessive. That's the impression I get, anyway. But I'm not sure I could tell the difference between Her liking and disliking somebody anyway..."

Shari smiles about Leina's mom. "That's really cool. Wait--she's that lady who talked to me in the mobile suit, right? The one who was able to chill me out some. She..." Shari nods. "She said she would 'find a way to help'. "

But Shari nods. "Okay," she says. "I'll do that. I don't mind a /little/ teasing..." A beat, "But I'd like that. It's kind of..."

"...I guess, the fantasy is that I can get so wrapped up in somebody that I don't notice the voices so much. At least for a while."

"Anyway. I'll read this stuff. And... Maybe I'll call you, sometime."