2024-09-02: More Time
- Log: 2024-09-02: More Time
- Cast: Marian Cross, Murasaki El-Amari
- Where: Marian Cross's house - Orb
- Date: U.C. 0099 09 02
- Summary: Having just barely woken up, Marian continues her work. With everything crumbling down around Orb, she needed to buy more time. And a little more time she'll have, thanks to Murasaki.
<Pose Tracker> Marian Cross has posed.
It's been barely 72 hours since the explosion of the tombstone of Junius Seven in the upper atmosphere...
And currently, in a house located in Orb - a family-sized house too big for one person to live in, is Marian Cross in her bed. She's still dressed in her hospital gown, after prematurely discharging herself from the hospital. There are doctors and nurses busying themselves, setting up an IV drip, heart monitor, and other medical equipment in her bedroom where she insisted she be nursed in.
She needed to continue her work in the aftermath. Given that she wouldn't be able to in the hospital under so many watchful eyes.
"All of my work gone, Murasaki. All of it gone! In just a single god damned night!" Marian yelled at the open door even before Murasaki steps inside. "Even the damn moderates' pushing for NUNE ascendancy now."
Papers and a tablet are scattered all around her on the bed. She's hastily writing something on them, supported only by the soft bed. Her breathing is heavy, cold sweat soaking through her gown. A nurse is tending to her, seemingly unfazed by the secretive personnel files of government officials around Marian. And neither is Marian apparently, if she's speaking so freely around the doctors and nurses.
<Pose Tracker> Murasaki El-Amari has posed.
The fact Marian was now openly talking about her deceit told Murasaki everything she needed to know about how the conversation was about to proceed. Of course, some of that may have been her painkillers talking for her. When the medical personnel finally give her some space and for the two to discuss things alone, Murasaki enters and closes the door shut behind her.
"Yeah, I uh...heard the reports while I was doing disaster monitoring over Tembaru Bay." She said, taking a seat next to who could most generously be described as her 'mentor'. "I'm just... I mean for the time being, people like me are still relatively safe with Orb going under a NUNE government, as much as I hate the idea, but...all the old Blue Cosmos talking points are coming back up, especially the nutjobs they're getting to 'provide commentary'."
Murasaki paused for a moment. Then tried to pry Marian's brain deeper. "Was there ever a chance it could have been stopped? Like seriously, I read the report you sent me and...it sounds like a lot of crazy stuff happened up there."
<Pose Tracker> Marian Cross has posed.
Would Murasaki be safe under a NUNE government? Perhaps... if the policies doesn't change after Orb becomes a part of NUNE - a fact that seems set in stone now. Half-coordinators are tolerated in Orb, even if discrimination from both naturals and coordinator exist. But if that changes because of NUNE and the growing anti-coordinator sentiments, not even she would be safe.
She clicks her tongue when Murasaki questioned. There were a lot of factors at play back then. So many mobile weapons involved. There were rumors that even Char Aznable was there, though she couldn't confirm if it was true yet. But if he was, why wasn't Amuro there? If Amuro was there, could he have produced another miracle? Even before that, could things have turned out differently if she killed Sato before he could detonate his reactor and damaged her machine? What if she was able to fire off another Ion Beam or two?
There were a lot of questions she don't have the answers to. A lot of self-doubt too. But none of that is important anymore.
"No... What's done is done," she says haggardly. There's a sigh afterwards before she continues. "It doesn't matter now. What I need is more time. More time..."
It'll take more work and time to convince the old fools at the Senate to turn away from NUNE. Time she doesn't have. Even Gaia Sabers had secured themselves a contract to defend the upcoming state wedding Seiran is clamoring for.
She picks up one of the papers around her and handed it to Murasaki. There's a picture on it. Of a man with known connections to the Seirans. Printed letters of his known associates, familial relations, general schedule, and even interests and notes about ways Marian could employ to manipulate him is on it. And freshly scribbled on are some of her notes she just written down in haste. Though it's practically illegible.
"This guy. I need you scare him a little. Make him delay the wedding."
<Pose Tracker> Murasaki El-Amari has posed.
Murasaki wanted to hear that there was a chance the whole thing could have been avoided, and did her best to hide her frown when Marian told her it wasn't.
She took the paper when handed it, and began to study it. She was vaguely familiar with the official, enough to knew his ties to the Seirans went deep. Make him delay the wedding huh? Murasaki wasn't really a hired goon by any means, but she did have a wide variety of skills she honed in North Africa. But make him scared...that could mean a lot of things. And better not immediately jump on it. Better establish some arcs on this one.
"So is this where we're at? I'm a henchwoman now?" Murasaki said, only somewhat joking.
<Pose Tracker> Marian Cross has posed.
There's a tired sigh as she leaned back. The exhaustion is slowly catching up to her from travel in her state.
"Don't be coy, Murasaki." In any other time, she'd reciprocate with a joke of her own. But she wasn't in the mood for it with everything that's come crashing down. "You knew what the deal was when I asked you to work for me."
She rubs at the bridge of her nose. "Besides, I'm not asking you to beat him or kill him. Just catch him somewhere and talk about his family or his dog. Do whatever you can as long as you don't hurt him."
"Hahh... God- I need time... I need to get Cagalli out of here... Lord Uzumi's legacy can't die to a Seiran plot..."
<Pose Tracker> Murasaki El-Amari has posed.
Murasaki's jokey demeanor dropped. Marian clearly wasn't in the mood for jokes, and she was right.
"Are we sure getting Cagalli out of the country is the right idea? I mean if she's not here to stop it..." Murasaki wasn't exactly best suited to long term planning, that was for certain. Action woman, that was her role, and she started to focus more on that.
"Don't hurt him hmm? Is property damage on the table? Considerable property damage? Because I know this guy has a ship he loves more than life itself."
<Pose Tracker> Marian Cross has posed.
'Property damage', huh? Marian has never considered it. Those were taxpayers' money (even if it's money that exchanged hands so many times). Damaging or destroying something the people worked so hard for has never crossed her mind. She thought Murasaki would be against doing such dirty work for her given her reluctance to kill one woman... It's a little surprising for her to learn otherwise, and it's visible in her slightly widened eyes when Murasaki asked.
"Fine... Hahh... Not what I would've done but- but if you think it works..."
As for getting Cagalli out of the country... "If... If Cagalli gets married to that Seiran boy, then... then Orb is as good as gone... She'd just be a puppet of the Seirans..." She explains as her voice is getting weaker and weaker by the minute.
"She... She just needs to be out of here... for awhile, at least... I just... I just need more time..." The desperation in her voice is unmistakable.
<Pose Tracker> Murasaki El-Amari has posed.
"Look, people like this guy would sell their own grandmothers for a dime. Taking away their toys is way more effective than you think." She explained quite simply. It was very odd to Murasaki that Marian could have such respect for a toy that some rich jerk bought for his own amusement, it's not like the lowly commoners got to borrow it on weekends.
"Do you have a plan to get her out then? It was a lot easier when she was just the little Princess who could slip away when no one was looking. We only had to hop on a plane to Europe and then sail across to Africa. Have you got an escape plan figured out? A safe place for her to go?"
<Pose Tracker> Marian Cross has posed.
"I... I'm working on it..." If the recent additions to secret meetings happening in Orb hasn't thrown a wrench in her plans, she could've whisked her away in the night. If she wasn't in such a state, she could've flown her somewhere in the Inazuma. But as it stands, she's at the mercy of destiny.
Of the many plans she's working on, the Nadesico would've been one of them... But given what happened up at the Junius Seven drop with the distortion field... She's highly suspicious of Nergal. But one other... is the Archangel. She sought Murrue out, and she promised Cagalli would have her, so she can only hope Murrue deliver on it when the time comes.
"The Ar... The Archangel..." She muttered. "You... You know the ship and the crew... Do you... Do you want to go with them...?" She offered. That would be the safest place for Murasaki to be too, if sentiments against coordinators and even half-coordinators takes a turn for the worse in Orb.
But she also asked, "I could use... use your help here... By my side..." Marian isn't entirely sure if things would worsen, but if Murasaki decides to stay... She'll promise her safety. Though she wasn't able to reassure her of that, as she slumps over, exhaustion finally caught up to her. The heart monitor connected is reading her heart beat slower now, though stable.
It's about time this meeting adjourned, with Marian now in a deep slumber. But there are more papers scattered around her. More of the same that was handed to Murasaki earlier.
<Pose Tracker> Murasaki El-Amari has posed.
Murasaki sighed. The Archangel was trustworthy, if a bit odd. Going with them would be safest... but then she looked at Marian and how...shockingly weak she looked. Besides there was only one inevitable way for Cagalli to return if she left, and it would be best for Murasaki to remain. Besides, it was mostly the Seirans and their ilk who hated Coordinators. Coordinators helped make Orb, and it wasn't an eternity ago, certainly not long enough for people to forget that.
"You're not getting rid of me that easily." Murasaki said, getting to her feet. She patted Marian on the shoulder, before tucking a few of the other papers in her jacket along with the one she was given. "You get some rest, I have a wedding to delay."