2024-03-18: A Changing World And A Hard Choice
- Log: A Changing World And A Hard Choice
- Cast: Eight Orlodhari, Liam 7-020
- Where: Ra Mari II, outside Olofat in the United Emirates of Orb
- OOC - IC Date: March 18, 2024 (November 0098)
- Summary: Liam has come to an important decision--and the time has come to communicate that decision to the Admiral.
<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.
The Ra Mari II is undergoing repairs in Orb, after the battle with Caruleum and his strange mobile weapons. Engineers are jetting around the hull, inspecting each weapon emplacement, and each piece of armor. The shields largely held up, but there will be some fixes required, both to the hull and to the mobile suits deployed. No one died--though it was a live fire 'test'--but there are still some injuries. They were deemed 'able'... But what does that mean?
They'll find out. In the meantime, it's few hours after the attack, and Liam has requested a meeting with Eight Orlodhari. She's in an office now, not far from the bridge, talking idly with her assistant Rasima Qadir as she sets down Zaress, who she'd been feeding. By the time Liam comes in, she has her jacket over her shoulders and her shirt in place. Eight is putting Zaress in the stroller next to Aarmi.
When Liam notes his presence at the door, it opens for him; he'll see Eight look to Rasima--a dark-skinned woman with red hair--and say, "Thank you, Rasima. I think they'll settle for you."
"I'm sure, ma'am. I'll take care of them during your meeting."
"I appreciate it."
Rasima takes the stroller and--after a moment for Liam to wave to the twins--rolls it into the other room with herself.
"Please," Eight says, standing up from her desk, "Take a seat and tell me what's on your mind." She'll sit behind the desk too.
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
Liam needs to have this meeting. He's not looking forward to it. Eight is one of his closest friends, and this feels like a betrayal--but he has to do this. Things have gotten too risky not to. And isn't it better to leave on a positive note, insofar as one can exist after a fight like that?
The cyborg waits until he's invited in. He glances at Rasima, one eyebrow arching curiously--but, perhaps unfairly, the twins grab his attention. He offers Zaress and Aarmi a gentle smile and wave, and Rasima a nod of sincere thanks. Liam seats himself, closes his eyes, and takes a deep, square breath. "I wanted to talk about the Three Ships. Though... I guess it's more the Magellanica Defense Force now, right? Things have changed. And that's why I wanted to talk with you, Admiral."
"I think you're one of the bravest people I've ever met," Liam begins, "And this isn't about who you were, or where you were born. It was an honor to serve here. But..." Always a 'but'. Liam feels his throat tighten. "Things're changing. I can't move as freely as I used to. And I... can't afford to have my loyalties divided any further. I'm..."
The words stick in his throat. Liam tenses a little, as if he were forcing them out. "I'm resigning from the crew."
<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.
Eight can sense Liam's dismay... But she doesn't entirely have to. His discomfort is plain from his body language.
Rasima smiles at Liam, pleasant but fleeting; she doesn't know him. The twins are sleepy, so they don't immediately wave back, but they're adorable.
Adorable is not the name of the day, though. Liam needs to talk.
Eight listens; she looks right at Liam, will look into his eyes as he explains if he doesn't look away, and hears him out to the end.
"I see," she answers. "Well. I respect that," she says. "You have to choose where you think you can do the most good. And while I don't agree with all of NERV's decisions... I know they do important work."
"I'm glad that you feel the way you do. It's gratifying to hear something like that."
"Do you want to talk about it any more than that? Or is this it?"
She hasn't technically accepted his resignation yet--she has to say the words--but neither has she argued with him. She's just... offering a choice.
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
"Yeah," Liam says. "I want you to know it's nothing you or anyone else did. The world's changing." His shoulders sag as some of the tension leaves. "I... do want to talk, yeah."
That said, it takes a few minutes for him to gather his thoughts. He still struggles with his fear of punishment, and his fear of not being useful. Months of therapy have gotten him to the point where he can make decisions like this one, but that doesn't mean they're not emotionally taxing. (And, Liam reminds himself, that's normal. Lots of people would feel the same way.) "There's good people in NERV. 3G and STORAGE, Kaworu, Mari, Katsuragi." Rei and Asuka still remain in an uncomfortable liminal space, neither confirmed dead nor seen alive. Mentioning them would feel wrong. "I know Shinji's with you, and I know you'll take good care of him. He... went through something nobody should ever go through."
"I'm not going to lie. Part of why I'm doing this is--they need me. I already left people behind when I escaped Crucible. NERV still says Rei and Asuka are both alive and I haven't seen either of them since the last Angel attack, when... things went really bad."
"I have to--I don't know if I'll ever find out what happened, but I have to try. And it's not like the Angels or the Meteora are going away. I was... more comfortable fighting kaiju than other people."
<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.
"The world is changing," Eight agrees, and listens.
Well, first she waits. She lets the silence stretch out, not uncomfortable. He may have those fears, but frankly, Eight has come to treasure a few minutes of quiet herre and there.
"There are," Eight agrees, good people in NERV. "I consider Kaworu a friend, for one." But.. Shinji. Of course. "...he did."
But this...
"Then you've made the best choice for you," Eight says. "To be honest... It's not strange to me, to prefer protecting people from monsters, over the messy wars of 'humanity'."
"I'm sure you'll be an asset to their team. And I hope you can learn what you need to learn."
A pause. "...This is probably for the best," she admits. "We operate outside NUNE; NERV operates within. It would be... difficult, to continue in this way, even more than before."
Another pause. "But I accept your resignation. Pilot, you are relieved of duty."
"...But you don't have to go anywhere just yet. And you're welcome to visit at Magallanica."
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
Liam nods, silently. He doesn't know what Eight might have felt in her interactions with Shinji, and it's not his right to tell her what happened during Bardiel's attack.
More of the tension leaves when Eight tells him he's made the right choice (for him). The 'for him' has always been tricky, too, as Liam learned, early on, that most people didn't care what he wanted. "I hope NUNE will be better," Liam says. "I... don't like what Benerit's done to this world, but Cathedra's at least taking a stand against the kind of monsters that hurt us." How does that make him feel, though? Delling Rembran isn't a victim, is he?
Eight relieves him. Liam feels something almost like weightlessness, for a moment. He takes a breath, and meets her eyes again. "...Thanks. I appreciate it. Lu and I are going to have a place in Orb, too. Tokyo-3's not the kind of place we want to live together."
<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.
That's the key--the right choice for each of them. He's a talented pilot, but she isn't going to force him to stay when his heart lies elsewhere. "I hope so, too. We all do, I think. But 'hope' is only a starting point--it's not a plan."
Benerit... She nods. "Cathedra... I'm willing to work with them on that much, at least. If we can stamp out those things, we'll have made the world tangibly better. Every person saved makes it worth it."
Eight smiles, then. "Good. I can't come around too often, with my responsibilities... But Orb is a good place to live. I support you."
A place together... "It's different, when you start to live with someone. I'm sure you two will do well." Tokyo-3... She bets not.
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
"You're right. And I know you're not going to sit back and let NUNE repeat the Federation's mistakes." Eight is in a very different political position, now, but Liam has that confidence in her. "I'm going to miss this ship, this crew. But you have to do what's right for you, too."
"Yeah," Liam says. "It does." The way Lua's face lit up when she realized he'd survived. Seeing it was heartwarming--he was so worried she'd forgotten about him.
But on to more practical matters. "We're going to be moving in early December. I'm still anxious, but we made it work in a place a little over half the size."
<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.
"I'm not," Eight says. "As much as I can do, I aim to do it. And we're building a place here in Magallanica, too. I want to defend that." A smile. "We'll miss you too. I can't say that NERV will make you feel particularly welcome here... But we wish you well."
"I hope you get everything you're working towards."
%A pause, then. "Hmm. I see. And everything's set up? You have the renting done, insurance and so on?" A pause. "Oh, good. Having enough room is very important."
"You'll probably find that Lucine does a few things that drive you crazy, living with her," Eight says with a laugh. "And vice-versa. You learn to adapt to one another."
Arianna Passerini has arrived.
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
They'll miss him. They wish him well.
Liam's eyes drift closed, tears welling up from beneath his eyelids. "Thank you," he says, his voice tiny. When he opens his eyes again, they're wet, and so are his cheeks. "Yeah. We--we did all that. And I guess we'll find all that other stuff out as we go."
<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.
Eight watches those tears well up and there's a gentle smile on her face. "You've come so far, Liam." She says it quietly, but firmly--with certainty.
"Just a couple of years ago, you probably couldn't imagine where you'd be now. But here you are. And you're making your own choices, preparing to live your own life..."
"I'm proud of you."
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
Liam stops fighting the tears. He sinks forward, head in his hands, crying openly. It's a distinctly bittersweet feeling, and it lingers even after he's done crying.
"...Can I have a hug?" And the fear boils up a bit--is that too much?
<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.
Eight doesn't just wait; she pulls a handkerchief, and offers it across the desk to him. But after that she does take as long as Liam needs. She has the time, right now.
"Yes," Eight answers, and rises from her esk to step around. "You can. Come here."
Eight is good at hugs, as it turns out. It's not exactly suited to an Admiral's decorum...
But she won't tell if he doesn't.
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
Liam dabs at his eyes, and dries his face off. He folds the handkerchief up, and leaves it on the desk.
As Eight steps around, Liam rises, and returns her embrace, warm and gentle and firm.
"Thank you, Eight," Liam whispers. "For everything."