2024-11-12: .they require your care more than minE
- Log: .they require your care more than minE
- Cast: Yuliana Kafim, Sayaka Yumi
- Where: Forest Clearing, Sanc Kingdom
- Date: 2024-11-12
- Summary: Yuliana sends the Cyber-Newtypes who were living at the Silent Castle to the safety of the Photon Power Labs... except, notably, for herself. Sayaka takes the opportunity to connect with her and speak with her about recent events, and Yuliana tells her about her experiences with the Psychojammer and with Aurora. (Or, as she calls her, 'Avrorka'.)
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
OST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo1n6OTKb0k Florence + The Machine - Heavy In Your Arms
'IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOU!'
And that should have been the end of it. Yuliana vented her frustrations onto Boris, and he deserved it for being so insensitive. Except -- she's noticed he's grown jumpier around her, since Junius Seven. It really pisses her off --
It really pisses her off, but the girl, Forte, she doesn't know what to make of it all. And a young woman like that... she reminds her of Aurora, really, when she looks at her now. (So what is Yuliana teaching her, as Forte gives Boris her own cold shoulder?) And even that Boris, he's still looking to her for guidance -- and Jadgit's all caught in the middle of it all, and of course, Salvacion's still a mess.
It's because Yuliana resents having them around that she asks them if they'd like to go to the Photon Power Labs. It's just because it's a pain, that all. A real headache just to look at them! It's also a pain to get rid of Jadgit when he's teaching the children, of course, but that's why it took this long -- she's been having him show her mother all the resources she'll need to coordinate their education herself.
(She mustn't think much of his profession, if she thinks that can be done in a few months, but how hard could it be if he was the one doing it?)
She arranges the drop for an isolated region of the Sanc Kingdom. (Neutral ground.) She packs them and their things into the stealth shuttle, 'Ghost', and leaves; now the listening-posts close to the Silent Castle have been destroyed, it's at least easier to fly out.
They're still in their coats as they wait in the forest clearing, bags all stacked up; the Sanc Kingdom is pretty chilly, too, though not nearly as cold as the Castle. Yuliana's the one woman without any bags packed. She waits there, anyway, arms folded behind her head as she leans against the shuttle, one foot bent back against it.
"Do we really have to go?" Forte asks, beside her.
"What?" Yuliana scowls, glancing lengthways to her. "You don't want to, all a sudden?"
"I just realised... we probably won't see each other much any more," Forte frowns, herself, lacing her hands in front of her. "I thanked the High Priestess before we left... but..."
"Don't worry about it," Yuliana shrugs. "If I was going to visit anyone, it'd be Yaka. So I wouldn't say you're never bound to see me again."
"You're just being nice," Forte mutters, a touch sullen.
"I'm really not," Yuliana sighs, burdened by the weight of doing one decent thing in her life.
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
The Photon Power Labs, with the support of their Whispered allies in Satellicon, are nearing the completion of one of their greatest projects yet: a fearsome, next-generation Mazin prepared to stand against any who would threaten reality. Of course, this has nothing to do with Yuliana Kafim. Why would it?
Today, Sayaka is meeting with Yuliana for an entirely different reason: humanitarian efforts. Yuliana had already arranged to have one of the Silent Calling's Cyber-Newtypes in the Photon Power Lab's care... but all the sudden it's all of them now? It's not that Sayaka isn't willing to make sure they get the care they need, but she wonders if Yuliana sees it as 'getting rid of them'. ...They are Newtypes, after all.
The Photon Power Lab's private transport, officially here to 'do business' in the neutral Sanc Kingdom, lands near the forest clearing. Spotting Yuliana and a group of strangers, she exits. "Yuliana," Sayaka waves, approaching the group. "Considerate of you to meet up somewhere warm for once," She says, in full winter gear, for at least this isn't the Silent Castle.
She faces and addresses the group, then. "Sayaka Yumi, from the Photon Power Labs. Yuliana probably told you about me... but my people will do everything I can to make sure you're well taken care of." It's not just her either - Satellicon has a number of allies dedicated to rescuing Cyber-Newtypes and other enhanced humans.
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
It has everything to do with getting rid of them! Don't mistake this as Yuliana worrying about their welfare under her purview.
Well, it's hard for her to balance it, but she's trying to do... something, clearly.
"The temperature is technically still positive," Yuliana observes, as Sayaka makes her way up. "A balmy four degrees Celcius. Why, if my wife didn't worry so much, I'd be in shorts!" She's probably exaggerating. Probably. Maybe.
It's really cold on Kaffeklubben Island, though.
Salvacion steps up, clasping her fingers between her dark hands. "The voice has a cord which runs to the wall and through," she says, staring at her. "And through, and through, to you. You are."
"Yeah, that's her," Yuliana says, pushing off of the shuttle with a light shrug. "Like I said, she's not that kind of doctor... well, she really helped me out. This is for the best."
Boris rubs at the back of his head, turning to her. "Y'know, uh, I don't blame you -- for what happened? If this is about that..."
"You came to me for protection," Yuliana folds her arms, "and you ended up right back in the fight, and then that happened. This is for the best, I told you!"
Jadgit Singh has already explained to Sayaka, in their conversations before this arrangement, just what happened: Yuliana punched Boris out, after their fight in Junius Seven, when Wendy was killed in action. He just approached her, and she insisted it should have been him. To die out there, presumably.
Evidently, it bothers her.
"Anyway, you should get your stuff in the transport," Yuliana mutters, running a hand through her hair as she glances aside. "Yaka and I should have a word. You know."
"Sure," Jadgit agrees, shouldering his dufflebag. "I know it's hard to see her sometimes. Don't even worry 'bout it."
(Forte grabs Salvacion's bags, too. It's okay, she can carry them. She's a very strong nineteen-year-old.)
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
"I have warmer blood than most," Sayaka says, totally non-seriously. "But I thought I'd still be careful about it." She shrugs, and then laughs when Yuliana says she could've worn shorts in this weather. "Honestly, I'm surprised you aren't used enough to the weather that you can anyways," She quips. "But I suppose it's good that your wife looking out for your good health."
Salvacion speaks, then, and Sayaka can see what Yuliana meant by her similar style of speech. It seems like Salvacion knows who she is though, and Yuliana confirms that. "Right. I work with Photon Power... but that comes with a lot of unique applications, and lots of contacts too." She explains, as to her role.
Once she heard what happened between Boris and Yuliana, she agreed, this was probably for the best - both for the Cyber-Newtypes and for Yuliana herself. Once they make it to the transport, Sayaka already had some of her assistants stay behind to help get them situated.
She steps closer to Yuliana, then. "I heard... what happened. Why you decided to send these people off to the Photon Power Labs." She gazes to the transport, and then back to Yuliana. "...And about what happened to Wendy." She adds, after some thought. Somehow, the fact that Elisa is capable of raising the dead isn't too shocking, though.
"Between that, and NUNE's escalation, I don't blame you for wanting to make sure they get the help they need." Even if she's well aware it isn't all charity on Yuliana's part, she thinks this isn't something Yuliana would think to do before. And that means something, right? "How are things at home?" She asks, then, just as she always does.
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
"If only my blood were so warm!" Yuliana exclaims, gesturing with a hand. "But it's fine, it's fine -- a little cold won't kill you. You're tougher than that!" See? Yuliana likes Sayaka so much she'll even compliment her.
Well, she'd do that anyway, but it has an extra purpose right now, with all these Cyber-Newtypes who have an entire spread of good reasons not to trust anyone. Seeing their Oracle treat Sayaka warmly is bound to put them at ease, right?
Right.
(SHE'S TRYING.)
"It'll be pretty cool," Jadgit encourages them, too, when Sayaka talks about all those unique applications. They head over to the assistants to get themselves situated, and Yuliana --
Well, Yuliana doesn't follow them. She doesn't have anything to escape from, any more.
She rubs at her arm, still not entirely able to look at Sayaka. "Mm," she hums, through lips pressed tightly together. "Wendy's... okay, now. She's... well, I can't say she's right back to normal, but... all is well," she stops the thought, shaking her head. "And what happened, I -- tch, he should have known to leave me alone! I mean -- oh, you know -- it's not good for them. With me. It's the same thing that always happens... they made sure it would. Even messed with my memories so I'd forget the kid --"
She hisses through her teeth, and shakes her head again. "Don't worry about it," she insists, drumming her fingers against her arm. "Home is... home's fine. Home's good," she says, again, and finally looks to Sayaka so that she can smile about it. "I had a little scare when Leyasha used that infernal device of hers on me, you know, the... Psychojammer? She hit me with that, and I was overcome with this wretched sense of nihilism..." And the light flickers from her eyes, briefly, as she adds: "But my wife is real." Or -- did it leave? It's there, again, as she adds: "And she assures me I am, as well. Aside from that, things have been quiet... aside from NUNE sending assassins after me," she scowls, "but that's not all that unsurprising, I suppose. Elya was quite upset about that... I am, too. Of all the wetworkers to use, they chose her... but don't worry about that," Yuliana adds, smiling again. "Elya will handle it. All is well."
Is it?
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
"Guess I am," Sayaka laughs, and undoes one of the buttons on her coat - doing all of them was probably a little overkill. Besides, Sayaka appreciates Yuliana's efforts to make her seem approachable in front of the Cyber Newtypes. That's important, isn't it?
"Glad she's doing okay," Sayaka nods, when Yuliana explains Wendy's condition. "Well... I don't think anyone would be the same after going through that, even if she was able to come back," Sayaka frowns. Elisa made it clear that power comes through sacrifice, so what was sacrificed for Wendy to breathe again? "It must have been a roller coaster of emotions for Ms. Guanyu too, huh? I mean... it was right after they got engaged."
As for what happened between Yuliana and Boris... "It sounded like he didn't really blame you," Sayaka points out. "But just because they turned you against other Cyber-Newtypes... it doesn't mean you can never get along with them, right?" She purses her lips. "What kid?"
Sayaka mentally notes the way Yuliana's assessment of 'home' seems to shift from 'fine' to 'good' in an instant, before meeting her back in the eyes. "The Psychojammer? Is that what happened when you seemed really out of it back at Mongolia?" Her look turns to one of concern. That nihilism...
"I wondered what would happen if that technology was used on the void aura, but honestly... I wish we didn't have to find out." It's not that she looks down on Leina for using it in her situation... but it seems dangerous, in Yuliana's case. "She's right, though. All of us are real," She confirms, quick to add that they aren't the only two real people.
"Assassins, though... Sayaka wants to be surprised, but between NUNE increasingly showing its true colours and the Kafims' infamy, she's not. "Figured they'd be busy enough with all that propaganda they're cooking up." She mutters. "Did you see they tried a smear campaign against Koji?" For protecting the PLANTs from the Gaia Sabers' attempts at nuking it, of course. "I don't see how they're going to win people over by painting Mazinger Z as a villain..."
"More seriously though, I'm glad you're okay. They... sent someone who knew you?" That would make sense if they wanted someone who was familiar with Yuliana's abilities. But... the way Yuliana brushes over it, ironically worries her even more. "I'm sure she will. But I mean... it's your safety that's on the line, right? You're not worried about that even a little, as long as Elisa is around?"
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
"Yeah," Yuliana sighs, when Sayaka brings up Guanyu. "I'm... a little worried about her. She's been having some trouble adjusting... you know, saying Lettu, ah, Wendy treats her differently now. I haven't noticed anything untoward..." But then, she wouldn't, would she?
She frowns, thinking of (her fellow) Cyber-Newtypes. "I... take things out on them," she admits, slowly. "I thought I could get along with them, since it was us who saved them... but it just happened again. I..." Yuliana shakes her head, folding her arms across her chest. "Avrorka," she answers her question, and she's a little too upset to remember to translate that nickname, so that might well be her name.
"Ah -- yes," she adds, when Sayaka asks what happened in Mongolia. "I thought it wouldn't work on me, but... haa, I guess I'm really not that different."
She pauses, and adds: "I am glad you're real."
And Yuliana scoffs, when Sayaka brings up their communiques. "I did see that. Who do they think they are?! Koyan's a true defender of Earth!" He wasn't defending Earth, but nobody's perfect. "Honestly! I don't know how anyone trusts the news, these days." She huffs, again, brushing at her arm as if to brush such a ridiculous idea off.
"They sent Avrorka," Yuliana confirms, scowling. "I... think they assigned her to me when they made me a Captain. She was just a girl... not even old enough to pilot, not really. But they had me train her for black ops, anyway... wetwork, mostly. I didn't remember who she was -- they fucked with my memories after..." She shakes her head, grimacing. "I guess I didn't treat her well, but her and Ritechka, you know, they -- they were just girls. I couldn't... hate them so completely. Not enough. I guess they figured that out, so they made sure I forgot her. I don't know why they didn't do the same thing with Ritechka... maybe so I'd remember how she handled the experiments, beside me. The way it never fazed her, it really pissed me off. I guess that was still valuable to them. Well, after that, they only assigned adult Cyber-Newtypes to my squad... I suppose that didn't go well for them."
Concentric, nee Cascade Wattana, is still planning their revenge. Yuliana doesn't have to know that, though.
She leans back against the hull of the shuttle, a little too heavily. "Of course I know that," she says, glancing away again. "When her backup rolled in, a whole firing squad was on top of me... if my tentacles hadn't absorbed some of those bullets, I wouldn't have even made it back to the shuttle. And I know Elya's happy when I keep my self-preservation about me... I'm sure she'd be relieved if I had a healthy fear of dying out on my own. It's just..."
She sighs, and deflates a little more.
"... sometimes I feel like it's meant to be, you know? I can't explain it... but ever since I spent all that time with the Empress, death has felt familiar to me. I don't think about whether I'll die... if I had, maybe Wendy wouldn't have died to save me. I should feel bad about that, but I just feel like... I don't know what I feel like." The words taste numb in her mouth, as her gaze grows distant. It's hard to tell just where her eyes are even focusing, without pupils, but she's definitely not looking at Sayaka any more. "I'm upset because my wife would be upset... if I died. I don't want to upset her. But I go through my life without really thinking about preserving it... maybe it's because I'm a tool of war."
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
Sayaka can't help but passively wonder how much of the original Wendy is still there after she was reanimated, if her behaviour changed that much. But... "I suppose the most you can do is keep your eyes open for anything strange. And trust Guanyu's feelings on it. She knew her best after all," Sayaka concludes, shaking her head.
"Sadly, I think that's pretty normal," Sayaka frowns, about taking things out on other people. "But that also means it's something you could probably move past. Just takes... having a better outlook on not just them, but yourself, too." Sayaka hasn't forgotten that Yuliana, too, is a Cyber-Newtype. Perhaps highlighted by the way Yuliana reacts to the Psychojammer's effects. She nods, too, when Yuliana mentions a nickname... must mean that person is someone special.
"Better, is what they think they are. And unstoppable. Even the Titans didn't really try to challenge Mazinger Z until the war was almost over. So I think it'll be a shock to the system... when things finally come crashing down for them." Sayaka sighs. And shakes her head when Yuliana questions the news. "It's the only source of it they even get over there, I guess. Once people realize they're being lied to, though..."
Sayaka listens thoughtfully when Yuliana explains who Avrorka is - and then grimaces. "Just a kid... when you think the REA can't get any lower." And the way Yuliana describes her memory wiping... makes Sayaka wonder how much of the hateful person that Yuliana became, was a result of the REA's conditioning, making her forget the ways she could change.
"I think part of it is probably... desentitization." Sayaka suggests, to Yuliana's feelings of death. "You've been forced to confront it so much, you become numb to it." That kind of trauma, too, is something she probably shares with her fellow Cyber-Newtypes. "And there's nothing wrong with seeing your purpose to keep living in something, or someone else. But..." She sees how Yuliana can't meet her eyes. "Eventually, you have to live for your own sake, too." It's simple, straightforward advice... but Sayaka will always encourage Yuliana to see her worth beyond of her marriage.
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
"I wish she'd just be happy," Yuliana grumbles, on Guanyu's fate. "When she gets cold feet like that, it's so uncomfortable!" Surely she means she is uncomfortable, but she says it as if it's the objective truth. "Lettu died for her, after all... she should be more grateful."
(Or maybe it's Yuliana who could stand to be more grateful.)
Her smile is a little thin, as she says, "I should hold myself in more esteem, right? Elya's always encouraging me to treat myself better. It's embarrassing, but the truth is... I always act like I'm the best because I feel like I'm the worst. They really didn't treat me like I was human... well, I guess it's hard to be nice when I think like that. You know, about other people, too." She kind of has to deliberately tack that on at the end, but she made an effort.
She scowls, when Sayaka brings up the Titans. "Well, we'll just have to bring these ones down, too," she grumbles. "Can't believe they'd drag his name through the mud like that... ugh, who am I kidding? Of course I believe that." She did the mud-dragging for several officials, after all, but this is not about that.
"The REA is limitless in their atrocities," Yuliana says, dourly. "Even in the Institute -- there was this girl who ought to have been in elementary school, far too transgressive for her age." Far too powerful a Newtype, she means. "Kept talking about horses, of all things... at least you guys got her out. It's really no place for a child. Well, it's no place for anyone, really..."
She sighs, though, and smiles to Sayaka again as she encourages her. "Living for my own sake, huh...? I've never found anything more motivating than my wife... but maybe I can find some reason for me. She'd like that, too... so it would be better, that way."
Yuliana pauses.
"But even though you were talking about me, I just made it about her again... huh."
She's not entirely deaf to what she sounds like, these days. She's quiet, for a moment, before she steps forward. "Ah... I think I'd better go," she says, and hopes her smile doesn't look too wan. "Before I start thinking thoughts like, 'I rely too much on my wife'... I really should be stronger. But -- but I do -- I do appreciate you taking them on. I'll... make arrangements, if that's all well and good, to connect our people with you if they're having too much trouble... you know, the ones like, me. Maybe that would be better. Um --"
Awkwardly, she scratches at her ear, and asks, "... can I have a hug?" And said hug, if Sayaka offers it, is just as awkward from her end, latching on quite tightly for just a shade too long.
"I'll go on ahead," she says, when she steps back. "So -- so it isn't suspicious."
She made an effort, today, but how much progress can she make beside a wife like Elisa Kafim?
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
"I guess it can be complicated... when it comes to love,' Sayaka points out, carefully, when Yuliana complains Guanyu isn't grateful enough towards Wendy - clearly showing some discomfort of her own.
Sayaka nods, when Yuliana explains her 'act like I'm the best, because I feel like I'm the worst' mindset. It makes a lot of sense, to her... even if it doesn't always excuse her actions. "Right. But the truth is, you're all still human, no matter how much your experiments changed you. If you remember that..." She respects the effort all the same.
"They'll target anyone who doesn't perfectly fall in line with them," Sayaka shrugs. Even if not falling in line means opposing an attempted genocide. As for the REA's multitude of atrocities... "I remember her," Sayaka nods, contemplatively. "I'm glad we were able to save her, too. But it always makes me wonder about the ones we didn't..." Like that Avrorka, apparently. Sayaka wonders what she can find about that girl... but with a name like that, her first guess is the REA.
Sayaka smiles, too, seeing her words encourage Yuliana. Even if she only agrees because it would make Elisa happy as well. "You don't have to come up with something right away. I got that spark when I decided to dedicate my life to research... but that's not for everyone, either." Sayaka says, keeping her tone light. "Still, I think it would be good to at least give it some thought."
And she notices that self-awareness from Yuliana, too. "I'm not going to tell you it's a bad thing to reflect on your marriage," Sayaka prefaces. "But if you have to go... I'd appreciate being able to get in touch. I think we'll probably be able to help them better if our people are working together. And..." She lingers on Yuliana, as she works up the effort to ask that awkward question.
"...Of course!" Sayaka smiles, stepping forward and stretching out her for a wide hug, as awkward and long as it is. "You know, I'm glad we're still friends, Yuliana. So... take care!" She waves, as Yuliana steps back, and makes her leave. Sayaka saw Yuliana's effort... but she can't help but worry for what comes next.