2024-02-09: Yuliana's Birthday
- Log: Yuliana's Birthday
- Cast: Yuliana Kafim, Elisa Kafim, Leina Ashta
- Where: The Photon Power Labs
- Date: 2024-02-09 (ICly 28th of July 0098)
- Summary: Yuliana's birthday falls in the middle of her therapy, and so Elisa comes for a rare visit -- only to find that Leina is already supporting her wife and offering her thoughtful gestures. Yuliana has a lovely birthday, and Pluyshokrova rises. Because her wife wished it, Elisa offers Leina her word.
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
It's late June, and Yuliana is in the middle of a course of Photonic Neuromodulation Therapy. The preliminaries went well, though they're still adjusting their frequencies and pulse intervals based on her tolerance...
... and when Yuliana tells them that she's going home in the middle because it's her birthday, they strongly urge her not to leave it half-done. If they'd known her birthday was coming up, they would have delayed treatment -- but of course she didn't tell anyone.
She's terribly grumpy about it when she rings Elisa to complain, but of course her wife encourages her not to go against medical advice in this instance, and so she keeps on going with the daily treatments. At least she knows what to expect, by now; the pulsing can give her a real headache, and she can be rather dizzy, coming out of it. (She's been instructed to alert Dr. Kimura at once if she starts feeling at risk of seizure; it's one of the things they have to watch closely, though, fortunately, they've managed to avoid it thus far.) And, of course -- the passion-inflaming nature of Photon Power absolutely swings her from depression back to mania, but she hasn't complained about that.
Once the treatment is done -- and it doesn't look terribly shocking, aside, perhaps, from the way Yuliana flinches on reflex when the energy pulses through her, a constant twitch and clench of her jaw from the muscles getting caught up in the excitement -- that strange helmet is unlatched and lifted from her head, and she sits in the chair, for a moment, to collect herself. She reaches out, beside herself, to grasp for the woman with her, "Ah, I feel... a touch unsteady..."
And it's nice that Leina will help her out into the waiting room despite that horrible aura beside her, isn't it?
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
Leina knew it was her birthday. Not because Yuliana actually told her mind you, it's just that after she read the Institute files she put it on her calendar.
It's a small detail ultimately, a thing she does for everyone she knows, because sometimes it's the little things that matter the most.
Leina ISN'T carrying her standard purse today, but a larger tote bag that has a box half hidden by other personal objects.
She's currently wearing her 'Meowzinger' shirt that she wore at the greatest disaster the world's ever known, because of course she can't help but keep REMINDING the PPL staff about it.
Indeed she's shown multiple members of the PPL staff the video today, to laughter and fanfare. That was before Yuliana's treatment though.
During her treatment she's attentive, and tries her best to give encouraging words and advice. She only involves herself in Yuliana trying to sign out AMA when the staff asks her to talk to her, but otherwise doesn't try to force her to do anything, only to validate the decision to do so.
When she calls Elisa, she stands by, and when she switches from depression to mania, she tries to at least somewhat match her mood and energy.
But for the most part she is trying to encourage agency - and that means not trying to force her to make certain medical decisions.
"S'okay, I've got you." Is Leina's statement, as she takes her hand, then moves to the side to put an arm around her. Now it's Leina who's experiencing symptoms, but they're low key. She's used to the silencing of her spatial senses, and the mute button upon people's intentions.
Still despite the unpleasantness of that, she tells her, "I have your post-treatment medications ready. Let's sit you down first."
And as the doors to the waiting room slide open, she notes out of nowhere, "I also have a little surprise for you."
Yeah there's a cake in the waiting room too. Spekkoek. Indonesian Layer Cake.
"Hopefully after you rest you won't be too nauseous." She says with a smile.
She also lied. That's just surprise #1 of 2. Her tote bag is still mysteriously large.
<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.
Elisa, of course, remembers Yuliana's birthday. She had grand plans... Which she changed, for her wife's good, because it would be a poor idea indeed to interrupt this treatment. Elisa is aware of the ins and outs, has studied it carefully before allowing them to try it on her wife.
But she has a surprise, as well.
The surprise is her!
In the waiting room stands one Elisa Kafim. She is dressed in casual clothes, for her--which is to say, a lovely blouse and skirt with gold jewelry and very tall heels. And she has a large box! A box that is nearly her size, in fact, set down beside her on the ground.
"Yuliana," she says, and if one can imagine it, it is as if flowers blossom over her head.
"And dear Miss Ashta. I am glad to see that you are taking such good care of my wife."
...She at least warned the security of the PPL that she was coming before she walked in.
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
Yuliana is, of course, in those non-confrontational casual clothes she always wears to the PPL -- a shirt with a flowery Lisa Frankesque dragon emblazoned on it which she naturally showed off to Leina, and a denim vest and jeans which could have been worn by any lesbian off the block. ... and her tentacles, but they have little hair scrunchies around their crests.
(That's not anything the PPL did, mind you. Maksim just thought they looked prettier with decorations.)
She leans on Leina, and smiles, gratefully. "You're a dear," she says, as she walks. "Haha... I'll be fine in a moment, I'll be fine! I just get dizzy --"
The doors open, and there's a surprise.
Two surprises, really, but she notices one first, her whole face lighting up. "Elya!" She gasps, as at once she disentangles from Leina's grasp to lunge for her wife -- and if she stumbles a little, surely Elisa will catch her. "Elya, you're here--!! Aaahhh!" She nuzzles her cheek against the horror witch's cheek, and it is, let's not mince words, very cute.
"Mmm!" She hums, happily, as she pulls back to look at her, one foot lifting up from the ground. "Elya!" And she sparkles, too, as she turns to face Leina again. She's happy enough that she's even being family-casual around her! "Leyasha, look! Look!!"
And that's when she looks around the rest of the waiting room. To see that massive box, and -- "Oh!" Yuliana gasps, at what's resting on the table. "Is that spekkoek?! I haven't had it in ages! Ahhh, mama always used to get me some for my birthday when I was young--!!" That wasn't in her file, but she's clearly thrilled.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
Leina resists the urge to say 'that makes two of us' when it comes to getting dizzy. "Even so, no rush." The door slides open and-
THE SURPRISE IS HER!
To which when Leina stops looking at Yuliana she visibly starts to see Elisa Kafim in front of her. Before she falls back into a more neutral pose as Yuliana lunges away.
She can hardly be upset at someone visiting their wife on their birthday. No matter what she thinks of their relationship.
"Doctor Kafim. It's good to see you."
She doesn't call her that in private anymore, after all the nature of her... relationship with humanity has changed in Leina's eyes.
But right now it's the most respectful address she can give her. "Of course. I want to make certain she receives the best possible care."
Leina catches sight of the large box, but then smiles at Yuliana's reaction. "It is." Leina says at least with a pleased smile, "Wasn't an Indonesian Bakery up to snuff in Fujinomiya, but Nouvelle Tokyo had one."
A pause and-
"I'm glad. It was a bit of a shot in the dark to keep up the surprise... but I figured it was a good guess."
After all, Yuliana's not a boy. She'd figure it out instantly if Leina asked probing questions about things like her cake tastes.
"Andddd...."
Shifting objects, she produces a large wrapped box, covered in wrapping paper Gundams. It's not as large as Elisa's of course, but it'd be uncouth to try and outdo someone's WIFE for birthday gifts.
"There's this too."
<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.
They are very cute hair scrunchies.
"Yuliana," she says again, and embraces her wife; she catches Yuliana obviously, and the horror witch allows her wife to be very cute. There is sparkling! And Yuliana perhaps does not notice how much chillier Leina and Elisa are with each other but Elisa isn't going to be the one to point it out.
Elisa smiles. "Likewise." A beat, "I am sure. You are very diligent in this way."
A beautiful cake for Yuliana... "Ahh," she says. "How lovely. I hope you enjoy it. It is so good to have friends who understand one's tastes, isn't it?"
Nouvelle Tokyo. "I would appreciate it if you would forward me the name of this bakery," she says to Leina. And then, "Yes, yes, let us see about presents for you, my darling."
Her own is in emerald green wrapping paper with gold ribbon and bow.
"I shall not be here very long... But I could not allow you birthday to go unseen by me."
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
Of course her wife and her friend get along like a house on fire. Why wouldn't they? See? Elisa's even praising Leina's diligence! With how diligent Elisa is, that's a high compliment!
"Oh, you went to so much trouble! How wonderful!" Yuliana exclaims, as she admires the cake, and -- even claps for her. Surely Elisa will hold her steady, even when she's not latched onto her. "It was a very good guess! Isn't she such a dear, Elya? I think Leyasha must be one of my very best friends...!"
And she takes that large wrapped box, turning it about, her endless eyes sparkling. "Wonderful!" She declares, though of course -- "Could you hold this for me a moment, zhenushka?" -- she hands it to her wife so that she can unwrap that giant present, first. Of course Elisa comes first!
"Oh, I wish you could stay," Yuliana sighs, as she unveils the box. "But... oh, what's this?!"
<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.
Within Elisa's gigantic box is: a life-sized PLUSH green tiger!! It is modeled after Sokrova down to his individual details, like the patterns on his face and the particular arrangements of his stripes. It is EXTREMELY HUGGABLE and has beautiful glass-looking eyes that really seem to stare into the soul!
This is Elisa's gift.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
Diligent. Quite a compliment, certainly, but it takes on a different meaning when it's Elisa calling one that.
"I definitely think so."
Leina replies to Elisa, deciding that she's not going to start some veiled war on Yuliana's birthday.
She just has to accept that she's here, that she's present. That her security and half the people in her life would be FREAKING out if they knew the two of them were the same room together.
She does manage a smile as Yuliana calls her her best friend. That at least is something she can accept easily, "I do try." She says, warmly. "I'm really glad I guessed right."
Elisa offers a request, "Absolutely." As she brings out her phone and taps a few buttons, sending her the location for the 'Kue Surga' bakery in Nouvelle Tokyo.
Elisa notes that it's time for presents, as she can't stay so long, and Leina just offers, "So soon?" It's not really an expression of relief, more like a polite 'A shame you can't stay longer on a day like this.'
She does watch Yuliana tear open the gift and, whistles, as if impressed, before saying, "Adorable."
Leina doesn't PROMPT Yuliana to tear her gift open next, after all, there's only one gift left but-
When she does, Yuliana will find a box for a Perfect Grade model kit for a Tendus. Something like 5000 plus tiny parts and about 0.66 m high when completed.
As well as an invitation congratulating on someone for entering the Premium Wanzer of the Month club. Which means - a new kit every month for at least the next year.
After Yuliana opens it, Leina notes with a smile, "I figured you'd enjoy some regular projects to work on. I'll probably need a redirect address that isn't the Silent Castle?" She offers, "Maybe somewhere in Greenland, if there's a good site for it."
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
"Oh!!" Yuliana gasps, as she unveils A PLUSH TIGER. "Plyushokrova!" And Elisa might know enough Zaftran, at least, to recognise the way she's shortened plyushevoye Sokrovishche -- 'plush Treasure'. Leina's translator, on the other hand will probably parse it as plyush korova... that is, plush cow. "Look, Leyasha! It's a plush Sokrova! Oh, he even has his little stripes over his little eyes!! And this is just like his collar!" It's a very fine, expensive collar. No doubt it's an exact replica, just like the rest of him.
She holds him up in her arms, and of course her arms are full of tiger, flopping over her as he does. This version of Sokrova is at least easier to hold up this way -- even Yuliana struggles to heft the real one. (She could do it, if push came to shove, but he's much wrigglier than a set of weights.) She does manage to shift him over more across one arm, though, as she finally gets to unwrapping... Gundam present!
Which is not, as it happens, a Gundam, but a Wanzer. "Hahahaha...!" Yuliana laughs, delighted, as she exposes a very complicated Tendus model. "Elya, look! Look here! Leyasha's gotten me a model of the very first Wanzer I used! These used to be so common in scrapyards -- Voyevoda trained me on them so that I could get proper leverage on the machines we were stripping down, you know?" Voyevoda, as Elisa would know, was the woman who Yuliana apprenticed under to learn mechanics -- and Leina's familiar with the name, too, since she's mentioned her before. "Terrible in a fight, absolutely miserable, but look at their little clawhands!"
And when she pulls out that invitation, she tilts her head, and wonders: "We could route through the Southern cities, couldn't we, darling?" They're all, notably, Southern cities -- whether you call it Greenland or Area 9, no one lives in the North. "Nuuk would be the natural choice, or perhaps Sisimiut... you'll get her an address, won't you, zhenushka?" Yuliana asks her wife, looking up at her quite sweetly. "It will be nice to work on projects which aren't my own design!" So she... was making little model Gundams... by hand?
(Engineers! They're like that.)
"Oh, but you'll at least stay long enough to have cake, won't you?" Yuliana pouts a little, to Elisa, before she turns to cut that cake into delicious layered slices. There's one for Elisa, and one for Leina, and, of course, one for her. She digs in the spoon, and remarks: "It's delicious...!!"
<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.
Best not to start a fight.
Kue Surga! Elisa will patronize them in the future. ...Through an intermediary, most likely.
"Not just yet," Elisa says to 'so soon', "But I wished to prepare. I do not wish to overtax the hospitality of our gracious Photon Power League..."
She is at least aware that having her here is stressful. But the gift--adorable!
Elisa smiles widely; she has the correct number of teeth, and even looks happy at this outcome. "Yes," Elisa says. "While you are away, perhaps you can have a piece of home with you. It is safe; it is merely plush, it will not interfere with your... treatments."
And then--Present!
Elisa is very interested in what Leina might get Yuliana--and when she sees it, she looks thoughtful. "My," she says. "How nice. Something to stimulate the mind and the hands... My Yuliana does so love her work."
The Tendus! "I see! Yes, the very first." A smile. "Yes, such adorable clawhands."
Routing through... Hmmm. "I will do this," she assures Yuliana of getting her an address. She pulls out a phone of her own--don't ask where she gets service--and taps out a reply to Leina with a proper address.
"Very well," Elisa says, "It would be rude to deny the guest right..."
Elisa comes to take a seat, long enough to eat some cake. "It is delicious."
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
She absolutely would never do that.
Leina's translator beeps with a push notice, and she doesn't QUESTION it, she just assumes the translation app is wrong.
Translation apps usually miss out on puns and nicknames and other cultural concepts, she simply assumes that.
"Wow! She really went all in on the detail!"
Leina enthuses, with a smile as Yuliana enthuses on it. Leina tries not to think what it took for Elisa to get such a LARGE CUSTOM ORDER MADE.
She hopes she simply paid for it. "I guess now you'll have your adorable fluffy boi with you even during travel, right?" As she does remark to Elisa in compliment, "A really thoughtful gift."
Leina does grin at Yuliana's response to her gift, "Well you did say that about your past history, so I figured it'd be the perfect choice for the first one they send you."
A beat.
"They're such beefy clawhands? Almost like real crabs in a way."
Leina thinks of the Banshee Armed Armor VN, and how clawhands have come a long way. Perhaps too far.
"I figured she'd enjoy it." Leina replies to Yuliana, "After all she liked to tell me how much she loved working on her own Wanzer, and Gundams."
Leina does wonder which route they'll pick for the MAIL to the Silent Castle, blinking as Yuliana indicated she was making little model Gundams by hand.
She almost asks 'With a 3D printer for the pieces right?'
It is a fortunate thing she doesn't. Instead hitting copy and paste on the address Elisa sends her, and entering it into the website.
(It is an encrypted account she's using that belongs to an individual that doesn't - technically - exist, but would require actually traveling to the area to confirm that.)
(That area being a small station on the Asteroid Belt)
Indeed, and there's cake, Leina smiles and takes a bite, "Mmmm-!" As she agrees with Elisa, putting a hand in front of her mouth until she chews it up and swallows, "I tried some of their Kue Maksuba while I was there..."
She's hardly an Indonesian culinary expert, but she has done charity work in the area.
"... but I do believe they outdid themselves with this one."
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
Why would Elisa and Leina ever fight? They'd never want to make Yuliana so upset.
Yuliana sighs. "I guess they are easily frightened," she says, with regret, and doesn't get so far as to think about the poor lab tech stuck a mere door away who is DEFINITELY terrified to walk out here now there's a horror witch in the waiting room. "Even though you'd never hurt someone who was helping me!" Is that true? Yuliana says it like it's true. "Surely Leyasha knows that -- you wouldn't hurt Leyasha, would you, darling?" Oh, no, Yuliana's asking Elisa directly, and she definitely expects a positive answer.
(She's so demanding.)
She gives Plyushokrova another squeeze, and chirps: "I love him! He's just right!" And she doesn't think too much on how a plush tiger could interfere with her treatments; after all, Elisa assured her it wouldn't. And Leina compliments her adorable fluffy boy, and Yuliana crows: "He's so fluffy!! Isn't my wife so thoughtful? She's so considerate..!" Of course Yuliana will show her wife off like that; she's proud of her.
And when she considers the Tendus, she's still smiling. "It is a wonderful choice," she praises Leina, warmly. (Apparently, Yuliana can speak warmly to other people, too.) "And they are rather crablike, aren't they? You know, some say that crabs are the perfect lifeform..."
She smiles, when Leina mentions her interests. "You remembered!" She says, cheerfully.
Being fair, a 3D printer was involved in the smallest pieces -- but a staggering amount of Yuliana's models were cut and soldered by hand.
... when Yuliana seats herself down, Plyushokrova thankfully takes up the other seat beside her, which gives Leina a good excuse to sit outside of her aura. (The first seat beside her, naturally, goes to her wife.) Nom, nom, nom, "I missed this so much!" Yuliana exclaims, and -- she's so emotional she's tearing up, but no one would think her delighted tone was sad. "I'd forgotten all about it...! Oh, it was so long ago... cake was just never the same, when we moved to Chukotka. It's wonderful..."
<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.
Elisa does so try to be thoughtful. As for the easily frightened staff, "I will not harm any in the League while you are in their care," Elisa confirms, and then, for a moment... Well. Yuliana is prompting her for a specific answer. Leina might see Elisa considering it for a few moments. "...True," Elisa says. "I will not harm Leina in this same way." A pause. "No, we are... allies, in your well-being, my darling."
So demanding!!
Fluffy boi.... Yes. Elisa is more pleased about the tiger. And the Tendus is a good choice.
"Crabs are a fine life form," Elisa agrees. "There are many kaiju who take the form of crabs. This is because the crustacean form is ideal in many respects..." Oh no, they've activated Elisa's special interest???
Well, besides Yuliana, of course.
"Well," Elisa says, "You have made my Yuliana very happy. ...This is deserving of remembrance."
She smiles. "I am so glad that you are enjoying it. I will also savor this cake..."
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
Never ever.
(Let's just ignore the fact they have already.)
Leina would think the PPL would try to be understanding, but even they have their limits if Dr. Hell were to walk into the waiting room to pick up Baron Ashura from therapy.
And thus she doesn't begrudge the lab tech. But she look at Yuliana in wonder, before eyeing Elisa.
Would such a promise keep her safe? Well, she can at least believe it would keep her safer.
"I appreciate the assurance. But, well, I hope that after recent events, we'll never have cause to come into conflict."
She is such an optimistic girl, isn't she? Despite all the reasons she shouldn't be. But...
Perhaps Elisa can be reasonable. They need not be enemies. And she perhaps understands better than most people the position that Elisa is in right now, even if she can't know the full extent.
"Besides, I do always prefer to use my words."
And indeed, there is a sincerity there. Does she actually think that she can engage in diplomacy with Elisa and change some parts of her course?
"I did!" She beams at Yuliana, even as she takes a bite, unaware of the dedication Yuliana has to her hobbies.
And then Elisa speaks of crabs, "Crab Kaiju. I'll have to ask Akane what she thinks of them. She was a pretty gifted Kaiju sculptor." Leina comments, idly, "What do you think about how- the most popular Kaiju media out there, Tarabaman, the protagonists fighting Kaiju have, crab based aesthetics?"
As Yuliana speaks on how she missed this... "Well, perhaps we can figure out a way to change that too. After all, shipping from Nouvelle Tokyo to Fujinomiya isn't really so burdensome for a small business?" She suggests, on perhaps getting Yuliana more Indonesian food and desserts.
There is a nod and a smile Elisa's way, "I do try." It's important to her, that girls like Yuliana be able to experience happiness... for however short- or long that might be.
"Happy Birthday, Yuliana."