2023-10-23: Welcome to the World

• Log: Welcome to the World
• Cast: Eight Orlodhari, Rena Lancaster, Anita Rosetta, Banagher Links, Shinji Ikari, Roux Louka, Leina Ashta, Lavnadim Orlodhari, Licia Chovan
• Where: Magallanica - Hospital
• IC Date: U.C. 0097 10 19
• Summary: After Eight's admittance to the hospital, her friends gather in the waiting room and talk anxiously amongst themselves, waiting for any news. Eventually, they're invited in - and greet the new lives entering this world.

Takes place after 2023-10-18: Abduction, Parturition, Repeated Commission and 2023-10-19: .the REA desired this unification in my blooD.

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<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.

The hospital at Magallanica is not very old, run by displaced staff from Industrial 7 and recently by other doctors and nurses that the Ra Mari II brought. But the facilities are good. This is important, because:

Eight is in labor.

This is not the room where that's happening, though: this is the waiting room. Lavnadim is with Eight, rather than here, leaving the room full of friends and well-wishers instead. It's fairly bare; there's a TV that's reporting various medical information on a schedule (do this for checkups; do that for nutrition), and a number of couches and chairs. There are windows that show the colony outside.

Licia Chovan is here, as the represenative of the Ra Mari II's bridge crew; the others are running the ship at the moment, particularly Enba Rezza, acting Captain. Her brown hair and laid-back attitude are distinctive, but even she's found herself a little tense just waiting. One of her best friends is back there, after all.

But it's been nine hours since Eight was checked in.

Lavhi was out earlier, explaining what happend with Yuliana and the trip over, but he's since gone back in to be with his wife, and didn't have many updates. Eight hasn't been in a position to come out and do much reassuring. She's still hard at work in her hospital room.

So, there's waiting. And more waiting. But by now there's been time for everyone to arrive. No bad news, at least. And...

<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.

Rena Lancaster is pacing back and forth across the waiting room.

This isn't new. She hasn't sat down in hours. She had been in the room with Eight a few times, to keep an eye on her and relieve Lahvi, but -- well, at the end of the day, she is a nervous wreck and her and Lahvi had to trade off on who talks to the people waiting.

She still looks nervous. For Newtypes, she exudes nervousness, but the way she bites her lip and balls her fists up does that too.

"I'm sure she's okay," she says, not for the first time. "I-It just takes time! It'll be over soon."

She paces to one end, does an about face, and starts pacing to the other end. "...Maybe I should go in. No, I shouldn't go in. Except--maybe I should go in."

She keeps pacing.

<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.

Naturally, once she got the news, Anita dropped everything and immediately made her way toward the hospital where Eight was admitted - and she's far from the only one. That was a while ago, now, and right now, there isn't much they can do, but... wait.

And so, Anita waits with everyone in the waiting room, leaning back in her chosen chair. She'd gotten dressed in a bit of hurry and her hair, already usually fashionably messy, is a little on the disheveled side. Given that this is Anita, she was probably napping at the time.

She taps away at her phone... but those who know her can tell that her focus isn't on the contents of the screen - not really. She takes quick, occasional glances up at those around her. Naturally, her attention focuses on Rena most of all. It's easy to tell how nervous she is. But then again, that's no surprise.

"Everything's gonna be alright." Anita assures, then pats the chair next to her. "C'mon. If you're not sure what you wanna do, then come sit back down. Wearing yourself out isn't going to do any good."

She takes another quick assessment of everyone gathered.

"...How's everyone doin'? Anyone need a drink? Licia?" Anita asks. Fortunately, she's good at keeping a cold head - and right now, that head's focused on helping everyone as relaxed as possible.

<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.

Banagher, not entirely sure he should be here, initially took a chair next to Rena. But Rena has been pacing for hours, and the young man looks more than a little shell-shocked at it all. He really didn't know having a baby took so long.

In his lap is a deep red Haro, a few shades darker than the Nanny-haro he presented as a baby shower gift to Eight. This one is switched off, and he tinkers away at the insides, purely for want of something to do with his hands.

"This is normal, right?" Banagher asks Anita, when she speaks up. He can feel Rena's anxiety keenly, and it's making him all the more nervous. "And everyone's okay... I can't believe people would actually try to kidnap someone on Magallanica. I think that's our first crime."

Does he want a drink? Banagher considers for a moment, then nods. "It's been a while. I could help you get some snacks and things. I think I'd feel better, stretching my legs a little, and some apple juice sounds nice."

<Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.

        Shinji doesn't know how long is normal for a woman, or anyone really, to be in labor. Nine hours... seems like a lot, though. Like, a lot a lot. He'd intended to keep his distance--it doesn't feel like his place to be here, even though he attended the baby shower--but as time went on and there was still no news of an actual birth, he started to get worried. Time went on further, and he started getting antsy. Having little else to do on the Ra Mari II, he decided to bake some cookies. He didn't bring the recipe that Gridman loved so much, but he remembers basically how it goes.
        
        Cookies aren't hard, anyway. Eggs, flour, butter, sugar, baking powder, and a little salt. Chocolate chips for good measure. It's just a matter of getting the proportions right.
        
        ...
        
        Shinji does not get the proportions right.
        
        They come out palatable, at least. Chocolate does a lot to heal the wounds of baking. They're overly gooey, though--not enough flour--and overly sweet--too much sugar--so when Shinji brings a Tupperwase-esque bin of them, he also brings a bunch of napkins and wetwipes, a thermos of unsweetened hot tea to balance out the sugar, and some paper cups. He's not sure if it's a good idea to bring them when they came out poorly, but he finds he's impatient for an update and this is the only excuse he's got.
        
        So, after slinking into the hospital and explaining at the front desk what he's there for, the former Evangelion pilot peeks into the waiting room. He spots Rena immediately, of course; she's moving around so much, and he recognizes her from the baby shower. He recognizes Anita and Banagher too. Licia... He's seen her around, he thinks? He thinks. Everyone comes to the kitchen eventually, especially since he assists at the residential kitchen. They're talking about drinks and snacks and not wearing themselves out. This is probably as good a moment as any.
        
        "U-um," he begins, and clears his throat. He takes a hesitant step out further into the waiting room. He's wearing what is now his standard Look: baseball cap, black-and-white moon-themed hoodie with the hood up, plain T-shirt, jeans, sneakers. He hesitates, then holds up what he's brought. "I, uh, I brought some already, actually... if that's okay..."

<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.

At least when Rena joined Eight she could see nothing was wrong; it's just as she says. It just takes time. It's been important to make sure Eight has company even when one of them needs a break. ...It may be wiser for those who aren't Zentradi not to hold her hand too much at the current moment though.

Given Eight's medical history, the doctors are at the ready in case something does go wrong. But so far there's been no rush, no alarms, no concerned looks from the nurse at the window. Just more waiting.

Licia happens to be looking down at her phone. "Enba just texted me looking for an update," she sighs, as Anita offers drinks. "So I could definitely use a drink. ...I also got texts from Tempo and Gidon."

"But you're probably just offering vending machine stuff," she jokes. Then, at Banagher's question, Licia waves her hand vaguely. "It takes a while. Don't worry too much." A beat, "A little's fine. I think Eight would be offended if we didn't worry any..."

Then Shinji shows up!! Licia knows about Shinji because she's been to the kitchen... and because Enba has asked her to keep an eye on him.

"Hey guy," Licia says to him casually. "You got great timing. Can I have one of those cookies?"

<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.

"R-Right," Rena says to Anita with a sigh. She walks over and then plops down next to her. Her hands are already wringing together, though. She looks sideways at Anita, then back down. She knows things should be all right.

But...

But...!

She looks back at Banagher, and she smiles -- it's a little awkward and a little sheepish. She already radiates anxiety; it's probably worse for him, given they're both Newtypes.

She looks at Licia, and then she tilts her head. "R-Right... some worry is natural. Right."

She looks at Anita, then she smiles wanly. Has pacing tired her out? At least a little bit. "...Y-Yeah," she admits, "Some--ah!"

Rena looks at Shinji, then smiles. She got a brief update -- part of being part of the Ra Mari II's command staff -- and she nods. "I... I'd love some tea and cookies. Pacing around for hours kind of works up an appetite."

<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.

"Yeah, it's normal, don't worry." Anita replies, offering Banagher a smile. ...Probably, she adds mentally, but she doesn't say that out loud. The truth is, she trusts the staff here, but it's normal to be a little worried when it's a friend. Rena follows her advice, though, and Anita offers her a smile and a gentle pat on the back once she's seated. She looks back at Banagher with a shake of her head.

"Seriously... it's ridiculous." She replies. No one should have to worry about that here - not even Yuliana.

She chuckles, then, at Licia's comment on her suggestion of drinks.

"Sorry. Pretty sure they'd throw me out if I snuck any of the hard stuff in here." She grins back at her. "Good job keepin' everyone updated, though."

She nods to Banagher, then.

"Sounds good. Then let's-" She starts and is about to stand up - when, Shinji arrives! She pauses, and offers him a smile when he clears his throat, then takes note of what he's got on hand. Some cookies and a thermos...

"Perfectly okay. Thanks for going through the trouble." Anita assures, then looks toward Banagher. "That alright with you?"

She resumes her seat, settling back in.

 <Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
<poem>
Banagher, trying to consolidate the Haro parts that he's strewn across his Garencieres jacket in the waiting hours, looks up at Shinji's voice. A bit of the anxiety leaves his expression -- how nice to see him again! With a somewhat subdued smile (this isn't exactly the place for enthusiastic greetings), Banagher gives the other young man a little wave.

"Hey, Shinji. That's great! Mind if I help pass things out?" Spare parts are slipped into one of many pockets, and the maroon Haro is placed onto Banagher's chair as he stands.

Really, Banagher is incredibly grateful that someone his age is here, especially a boy. He didn't want it to be strange that he showed up... But if Shinji's here, too, it's gotta be fine. As he holds out his hands to take the snacks, if Shinji desires, he whispers: "Is it alright for it to take this long? Nine hours? I'm a little embarrassed to ask the others."

As if overhearing his question to Shinji, Licia speaks up. Banagher nods to her, taking a breath. "Alright... That's good news at least."

He's seen movies, though, portrayals of women screaming in agony during childbirth. That's not happening here, right? They've got medicine to help? Maybe he should VERTEX Leina, she would know... Maybe he should just look it up.

Banagher, should Shinji have accepted his help to hand out cookies, hands one to Licia, then Rena. "I'm sure Eight wouldn't mind if you checked on her. But I think -- Magallanica is state-of-the-art, and we've got great doctors here. I think she's going to be alright." There's quite a bit of pride in the young man's voice as he describes Magallanica's growing improvements. The whole place was left to him, Audrey, and Leina, after all -- it's important to him that it thrives. But he will have to talk to Audrey about Yuliana's near-abduction soon. Foolishly, he still believed the threat of the Unicorn would be enough to keep bad actors away permanently. But of course, things don't work that way.

"Though -- yeah. It's normal to worry. It'd be weird if you didn't." Banagher smiles in what he hopes is an encouraging way. Anita laughs at what Licia said -- oh. That kind of drinks. Whoops.

"We need to come up with a defense force or something.." Banagher murmurs, mostly to himself. He offers a cookie to Anita. Her reassurance helps settle his heart just a bit more. "Yeah, these look great! Way better than vending machine food. I had enough of that stuff back after Torrington."

A little shudder. It's still hard to remember those days.

Once everyone who wants a cookie has one, Banagher scoops up his Haro-project and moves over by Shinji. "I didn't expect to see you today. I like your jacket."

Banagher, as always, is a fan of nice jackets.

"How are you doing?" It's an innocent question -- with all the worries of helping Audrey, developing the Destrier, and meeting with Vist and Anaheim corporate types, Banagher has seen very little of the news. A pause, as he gets settled, and then Banagher takes a bite of his cookie. Golden eyes, oddly flecked with green, widen in delight.

"Hey, Shinji, these are great!" Banagher takes a smaller bite this time, wanting to make it last. "So sweet. When I was a kid, we never had enough sugar to make cookies this tasty."

<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.

It isn't every day that your friend is having a baby. And in a sense that day has come for Roux -- *twice* -- because there are two babies.

TWO BABIES.

Roux has arrived, and since she had been in her normal suit because she flew here in her elite Gundam with the in-atmosphere infinite fuel cheat and pretty efficient engines otherwise, she is now dressed... casually. In other words, 'a tank top and leggings.'

And why didn't she appear earlier, anyway?

Roux looms behind Shinji Ikari, looking over his shoulder. At the cookies.

"Oh, those look good," Roux says, with a tone of Professional Approval even if she has not burst into heart-eyed lust for delectable baked goods. Maybe once she eats one. As she steps forwards and stops eclipsing Shinji, she raises one hand -

-- but doesn't clap him on the shoulder after a fraction of a second of hoverhand, instead tilting her hand to point her index-and-middle finger towards him. "You guys know Shinji, don't you? Banagher," she looks at him, "I think you knew him already even before everything, right?"

Her hand comes down to collect a cookie as she enters the room fully. "Any news?" she asks before biting into the cookie.

<Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.

        "It's why I brought them," Shinji tells Licia and Rena, and it's at least half the truth. Without smiling back, he holds out the plastic bin and everything else stacked on top of it, glancing around quickly if there's an end table or something that he could put them on instead. He gives a bit of a nod to Anita and adds, "I messed them up but they taste okay. Just... have some tea with them, I guess."
        
        The tea at least is good. Quite good, really. Shinji's had a lot of experience with making it. And if it's too bitter, well, have some overly sweet, structurally unsound cookies with it. It'll work out. Maybe.
        
        Banagher offers to pass the cookies out, so Shinji hands the cookie bin, napkins and wetwipes to him. He'll start pouring tea for everyone, but pauses at Banagher's whisper.
        
        "I don't know," he whispers back. "It seems like a really long time."
        
        His voice and expression are flat, but a Newtype like Banagher can easily tell he's worried.
        
        Once cookies and tea are passed out, Shinji... blinks at Banagher's compliment. "Oh... You think so?" he wonders, a little sideswiped. He's heard that Westerners have more of a sweet tooth than the Japanese do. Does Banagher count as a Westerner?
        
        A presence looms at his back. That Shinji notices at all is not a sign of any kind of latent psychic senses, but evidence of a long acquaintance with Mari Makinami Illustrious.
        
        "Waugh!!" he yelps all the same, flinching away from her. At least he doesn't spill hot tea over himself, and at least he doesn't outright jump as he would have if she'd clapped his shoulder. "W-we met at the same time," he stammers, a little heated.
        
        Roux also thinks Shinji's cookies look good, and he knows she's actually good at cooking. Maybe people
 from the colonies just really like sweet things.
        
        "Thanks," he mumbles instead, as much to Banagher about his hoodie as it is to Roux, and pours himself a cup of tea, caps the thermos and sets it aside. He doesn't drink yet, though, glancing at the others as Roux asks for news.

<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.

But!!

"It's fine," Licia says to Rena, hopefully reassuring. "You're her partner--you're more worried than any of us here. Though that does mean you've gotten in to see her at least..." Hmmm.

But to Anita, she nods, and then laughs about the matter of the hard stuff. "Pity pity. I could use a shot or three!" Then, "Thanks. I try. Enba's playing it cool, but they're definitely thinking about her."

And there are cookies! And a Banagher, too. Maybe Licia did overhear--she's a Newtype, too, so she gets insight into a lot of these things.

"True," Licia says to Banagher about Magallanica. "We brought over some of those expert doctors ourselves on our last trip, after all. And even if it's new, the facilities are pretty great..."

Then, "Roux!" Licia waves, standing up to come get the cookie she asked for. "Great to see you."

She asks for news, and Licia looks to Rena first, who's the last person here to have seen Eight. But then she adds, "The biggest news outside of Eight is that Yuliana Kafim, of all people, is the one who drove Eight to the hospital. ...Carjacked a guy to do it, though. Somebody tried to kidnap her, Eight stepped in, and the stress went pop! Baby time!"

Pause. "Or, well, T+9 hours baby time, I guess."

A beat, "These are good, Shinji. You say you messed them up, but I don't mind sweet. Reminds me of this lady in Winter Wonderland..." She grins. "Her cookies were sweet, too."

There is an end table to leave the boxes on, for the record. And Licia for one does take tea!

"Poor vending machines," she quips to Banagher. "Nobody appreciates them..."

Then she looks to Anita and Rena. "How are you two doing? You've got more history with her than the rest of us."

<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.

"Y-Yeah... it's awful. We'll have to step up security here. And I'll... have to thank her."Rena agrees a little belatedly -- though, maybe, one can't blame her for being distracted right now.

She looks sideways at Anita, and then smiles again at her. "W-Well, um. Probably best to not break the hospital rules," she says. But cookies and tea don't break any rules! (That she knows of.)

She takes the cookies and tea that Banagher offers her -- and brightens up a little bit, when he does. "Yeah. I know, we're... ah, we've got the best doctors in the Earth Sphere here. It's really amazing, that we have this place."

She laughs sheepishly. Then, she has a bite of Shinji's cookies -- and then she is hurriedly wolfing them down. She wipes her lips, then looks at Shinji. "These are great!"

This might be kindness -- or maybe spacenoids have a sweet tooth. Or, perhaps, something simpler: she has been fretting for nine hours and despite her love of baking (and thus knowing when a cookie didn't have enough flour and too much sugar), Rena is eating the first thing that isn't from a vending machine in hours.

She quickly drinks some tea back, before she looks at Roux. "None yet," she says. "It' fine! Everything is fine! Definitely fine. Completely fine. Absolutely fine." She looks at Licia.

Then Rena laughs and looks like she might be about to cry from the stress. "SUPER. FINE."

Rena chugs more of her tea.

<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.

Shinji seems worried about how long its taking too... Banagher nods, reassured once more. "Maybe having twins takes twice the time?" He replies, still in a whisper.

It seems like Shinji isn't the sort who likes being touched, so Banagher keeps a bit of distance between them. "I'm sure we'll know if anything happens. Especially with Rena here, the doctors would want to tell Eight's partners first... I think, right?"

Banagher, unlike Shinji, has very un-latent psychic abilities, and turns to greet Roux as she walks up. Shinji's yelp startles Banagher into jumping, causing a few Haro parts to jostle out of his pockets. He immediately drops to the ground to collect them, dignity be damned.

"You okay?" Banagher asks Shinji, once he's standing again. "And -- yeah, what he said, Roux. It's cool to reconnect at Magallanica of all places."

Yuliana Kafim driving Eight to the hospital sounds pretty tough to believe, even though Banagher knows its true. He almost breaks a smile at the thought of the carjacking. That's just Yuliana's way. Yuliana must really care about Eight to get that involved with driving her to the hospital.

...but. Banagher frowns. All the harm Yuliana has done recently... He can't overlook that, either. What a complicated woman.

Anita mentions thanking Yuliana, and he nods. "Maybe we send a card? I have no idea how to thank someone for carjacking a pregnant woman to the hospital."

Licia's words break Banagher from his thoughts. "Vending machines are like epi pens. You don't want to have to use them, but you're really grateful when you need them. I've given them enough money to fund a vending-machine theme park over the years, don't worry."

Rena looks like she's going to break into tears. Banagher gets antsy, looking from Anita to Licia to Roux. "I -- uh." He looks down, flustered. "I'm sure it won't be much longer, Rena. Miracles... take time!"

...they don't, really, considering how quickly he Ascended when Gryps-II fired, but... It's all he can think of to say.

Slightly overwhelmed by the amount of emotion in the room, Banagher hunches into himself slightly, hugging his in-progress Haro to his chest. His eyes squeeze closed. He's still not quite re-adjusted to groups of emotional people since he came back to this life.

It feels like a wall of static, almost, building behind his conscious thoughts. In an attempt to steady himself, Banagher spins his screwdriver through his fingers, forcing his gaze back into the inside workings of the maroon Haro.

"Shinji, um." Banagher points to a blue wire extending out of the open back hatch. "Could you hold that to the side for a second? I need to..."

He holds up a few tiny screws. They need to be put back into the little companion machine, but the wire is blocking his view. Words are hard.

<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.

"Yeah, that sounds like them." Anita replies to Licia with a small laugh - and then another toward Rena. "I'm doing my best to behave, for Eight's sake~."

Anita, when offered, accepts one of Shinji's cookies from Banagher! She takes a bite... and pauses. She doesn't say anything right away, but her lack of expression tells the story. They're too gooey, and too sweet... she doesn't mind sweet, but combined it's quite the overpowering combination. She sends Shinji a smile once she recovers, though. He's aware he messed up, so...

"It's a good start. Just keep it up. Was this your first go at it?" She assures, and takes a sip of the tea. That, however, is quite good. She takes another sip. "This tea is excellent, though."

She taps her thumb consideringly, though, as Banagher puts forth a question. How do you thank someone for that...?

"Do they sell 'sorry you almost got kidnapped, but thanks for saving our friends' bacon' cards? Maybe with like a goofy lil' bacon strip right below it." Anita jokes thoughtfully.

...Rena definitely seems like she might be at the end of her nerves, though. Once again, Anita reaches over to quietly pat her on the back. It might be best to just let it play out. The only one who can fix this problem... is currently going through an ordeal of her own. Good luck, Eight...

<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.

"It's great to see YOU, Licia, how have you been?" Roux replies to Licia, beaming.

Roux regards Shinji. "Oh! I had the vibe you guys knew each other already... Banagher's just that kind of person, I suppose." She eats the cookie, impassive to Shinji Ikari's suffering.

Though she seems to be analyzing it after the first bite. Gradually; a thoughtful look on her face. Her attention turns towards Rena then. "I'm not sure I got that," she answers Rena flatly. "Fine? Yeah?"

Munch, munch. To Banagher, she says, "It probably would take longer but I don't know if it's going to be twice as long. See, the main obstacle's going to be dilation and then dealing with the actual -- thing; I'm sure the doctor checked to make sure it wasn't going to be, like, impossible or anything, or she'd have been done already."

Munch. Thoughtful look. She glances at Banagher and then over towards Anita. Then Anita speaks. A pause, and she stops nibbling on the cookie to look at Banagher, then at Anita.

"I'm sorry, did you say carjacking? What the **** *happened,*" Roux demands. She looks towards Rena and Shinji in case they know. This is extremely unfair to Shinji.

<Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.

        When Licia shares the news about Yuliana Kafim's role in Eight getting to the hospital, Shinji can't stop himself from gawking. Seriously?? his incredulous gape seems to say, which will tell Roux's questing stare all she needs to know, at least vis-a-vis him knowing jack about shit. He's never met Yuliana in person, but he definitely knows of her. Driving a pregnant woman to the hospital... doesn't seem like the kind of thing she'd do?
        
        But apparently she did. So apparently Shinji has the wrong idea about the former military bully/present crazy cultist lady. The idea makes him deeply uncomfortable. Rena says they ought to step up security, and he gives that one a fervent nod.
        
        Not the thanks, though. Rena can do that if she wants, but he does not.
        
        Then Rena too is eagerly devouring his poorly-made cookies, and Shinji just looks bewildered about it. "Oh... okay," he says, because after three people have said so, he really has no choice but to accept it.
        
        ...of course, then Rena spirals, and Shinji wonders if maybe they're all just having a bit of a meltdown. Not that he doesn't get it... Anita's reaction feels more honest to him, and while he grimaces, he also relaxes.
        
        "No... I just tried to make them without a recipe, like an idiot," he replies. The compliment on the tea gets him to scratch his reddening cheek. That one, he says nothing to.
        
        "Is that how it works?" he whispers back to Banagher of twins taking twice as long, flummoxed. But it makes sense that the doctors would let everyone know if there was anything wrong, so he nods to that part.
        
        Banagher dropping several Haro parts gets Shinji to wince, though. "Sorry, I didn't mean to--" he starts saying reflexively. He stops when Banagher asks for help, and silently sits next to him and holds the blue wire as requested.
        
        It's something to do, at least. He snorts at Anita's joke about the right thank-you card to send Yuliana, but it's with humor--a ghost of it, anyway. Roux saying she had the vibe he and Banagher knew each other already gets a little shrug.
        
        "He knew my friend Kaworu-kun already," he offers. "Kaworu-kun's also just that kind of person."
        
        The kind who knows and is friends with everybody, he means. Banagher seems like he's like that, too, so to Shinji, it makes sense.
        
        The look in his eye grows lonelier, more distant, though. Banagher had joked about making him a Haro that's almost as good a friend as Kaworu, but right now, Shinji doesn't see how that could be possible.

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

It's at that moment, that the door to the L&D ward opens and Leina walks out. She's dressed casual, a soft pink sweater and a pair of jeans.

"So here to give the update. Eight's now fully dilated and has gone into active labor." She says, cheerily, as if she doesn't have the slightest hint of anxiety over this - in stark contrast to Rena.

"Mom's doing okay! Can't speak to the bones of Lavhi's hand but-! That's a sacrifice he's willing to make to the miracle of life."

She does add after a moment, "They've asked for no entries for a while? Room is pretty crowded right now with all the staff present."

She then promptly walks up and hands Rena a hot towel. "And... here you go. Eight asked me to deliver this to you." She promptly then pulls out an emesis bag, expanding this. "Keep this nearby too?"

As she murmurs more quietly, "In case you start hyperventilating. Me and her could feel all this-" As she gestures with a hand, "-from in there. Told me to tell you too that-" A smile her way, "-she appreciates that you're here. So don't feel bad, okay?"

<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.

Maybe it's all this other stuff that's the distraction for Rena, really.

"I'm--well, I'm worried about my buddy," she says. "But other than that I'm great. Enba and me have a trip planned after Eight comes back from maternity leave. So no rush or anything, right?" She gives a lopsidied grin back. She doesn't press the matter of breaking the rules, instead laughing along at Anita's response. It seems to be helping her to chat, anyway. She's not as worried as Rena--but she is worried. And of course, since she can sense Rena's worry, she's more worried...

"You guys can send her a card if you want," Licia says. "Eight might insist. But count me out." She grimaces. Then she's back to laughing at Anita's joke. "OK, that one I'm in for."

Then she smile at Banagher. "True enough," she says of vending machines.

And miracles... take time. "That's a nice approach," she says. Then she looks back to Roux. "So, Eight and Lavhi were out for a walk, and heard a commotion--turns out it was Kafim running from a van trying to black bag her. They took care of that--no fighting, if you were worried--and then Eight went into labor on the side of the road. One carjacking later, here they are!"

"Kafim left already--had a run-in with the cops, didn't stick around."

Then she looks to Shinji, "It is pretty weird, isn't it?" she caught that gawking.

But Leina comes in, and Licia listens for the news. "Whew," she says. "So she's just got the rest left. ...Can't believe she went the 'natural' route," Licia says. "I could never."

Does that mean she's thought about it for herself? Maybe. In the meantime, Rena feels it--a sharp pain, but also excitement. Fatigue, but hope. Eight's presence wraps around her warmly, for an instant as her partner thinks of her during labor. There are almost, but not quite, words; images, wishes to show Rena something.

Then Licia rises from her seat and walks over to Banagher and Shinji. "Hmmmm," she says. "Little whispers, huh? Hey Roux, you want to explain it or should I?"

<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.

"R-Right! They take time. And there's two of them." Rena answers Banagher, before she slumps, and has a little more of her tea. She takes a long drink of it. Then, she glances at him; she can see that this must be hard for him.

She takes a deep breath. She can't get so stressed out that she brings the mood in the room down.

She sighs, then leans against Anita after she pats her on the back. She squeezes her eyes shut, for a moment, and rests her head on her other partner's shoulder. Then, her eyes blink open.

"We could design a card like that," Rena says. "The bacon seems perfect."

Then, she looks at Roux. "Someone tried to kidnap Yuliana Kafim. On Magallanica, which is bad for a dozen reasons," Rena says. "We're gonna have to talk to the rest of the Alliance about how to increase security."

She leaves the full explanation to Roux, though.

She looks up -- eyes wide as Leina enters. It was Leina's turn in there to look after her, especially after all the advice she gave Eight. Rena swallows, as she listens to the news -- and then sighs with relief. "Th-that's good! I mean... poor Lahvi's hand, but... still good. Home stretch!"

Though it could still take awhile.

She feels that sensation from Eight -- winces with sympathy that's literal and squirms in her chair -- and then she relaxes back a little. Eight is okay, at least.

Rena smiles up at Leina, then, and takes the hot towel. She puts it around her head and sighs -- and then takes the bag. Her cheeks redden, and not from the heat of the towel.

"A-ah, sorry," she whines. "I'll... I'll try to not feel bad. It sounds like she's doing okay."

<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.

A bacon card? Banagher grins at the joke, but then tilts his head slightly. "Does Yuliana eat meat? I'm not actually sure. But she'd get the joke either way, right?"

He's quiet for a moment, thinking. Yuliana enjoys engineering. Maybe Banagher could send her something to build? He's about to have access to every type of Haro on the market, after all... Yeah, maybe something like that. A limited edition mini.

"I'll VERTEX you about it, Anita." Banagher decides on, after thinking it through. "If you want."

Another bite of his cookie, and the young man shakes his head bashfully. "No way, you're thinking of Leina. She knows everyone, I just fumble around." Shinji chimes in, and Banagher points to him with the cookie. "Kaworu, too. I don't know how they do it."

Roux begins to explain just a bit of the method of childbirth, and Banagher tries very hard to be normal about it. If he turns a little pale, well, he's doing his best. Thinking of... a body part dilating is pretty scary. People who choose to have children are so powerful.

"Thanks, Roux." Banagher says, seriously. Thankfully, the topic changes to something far less scary: the carjacking. This, he at least knows about. "Lavhi told us just before he went back with Eight. Some thugs tried to force Yuliana into a van here on Magallanica, and Eight and Lavhi happened to be walking by. They saved her, and then Eight's contractions started, and Yuliana, well."

Banagher shrugs helplessly. "She carjacked a guy and drove them all to the hospital. Including the guy. I'm not sure where she is now -- I hope she's safe."

Licia adds in more information about Yuliana. "I'm glad." Banagher says, softly. "I don't want her to wind up in danger because she helped Eight."

Shinji apologizes, and Banagher gives him a little smile. "It's alright. I should've put them in the zipper pocket, I'm just used to low gravity. Thanks."

As he fits each tiny screw back into place, Banagher is quiet, letting the emotion of the room wash over him like a wave. It recedes, thankfully -- everyone reassuring each other makes things so much easier to deal with. With a relieved sigh, he looks at Shinji again.

"How long are you going to be on Magallanica? If you've got time, we could start on your Haro, if you want." Banagher looks hopeful. "I, um... Well. It turns out I can get pretty much any model in the world, now, so -- it'd be a good time!"

The young man laughs a little nervously. So many life changes so quickly. At least he can use his newfound... corporate power to help out a friend.

"There's every color you can think of, two sizes -- and that's only the base models, there's so much you can do with mods and aftermarket stuff. It depends a lot on what you want your Haro to be able to do with you, or for you, and--"

Banagher raises his head, a sweet smile crossing his face. A second later, Leina walks into the room. And she brings news! With a relieved sigh, he places his screwdriver down -- nodding to Shinji. He can let go of the wire now.

"Thanks, love." Banagher walks up to Leina, kissing her cheek softly. "We've been a little stressed out here. I'm really glad it's going well. Shinji brought cookies and tea, would you like any? You must be tired."

Natural route, though? Banagher looks a little concerned, but isn't quite brave enough to ask. Licia approaches him and Shinji, and he looks up at her. In the course of the nine hours of waiting, Banagher's hair has grown chaotic, fluffing out wildly. It is, perhaps, a nostalgic sight -- making him look the part of the young man who first tumbled into the Ra Mari with the Unicorn.

"It's okay, Rena." Banagher murmurs, smiling gently. "Feel what you need to. This is -- a big deal. Don't worry about us."

<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.

"Ah... Yeah, that is gonna make it a little harder on yourself." Anita admits with a small laugh, as Shinji admits that he tried to make them without a recipe. "But, hey - you made something edible, and everyone seems to like 'em. That's a win, right?"

Rena rests her head on her shoulder, and the back pat transforms into a brief side hug as Anita reaches around. Naturally, Roux is baffled by what, exactly, happened - but thankfully, Rena, Banagher, and Licia fill her in, and Anita grins as her joke actually gets traction.

"Cool. Let's do it, then." She decides. Even if Yuliana doesn't appreciate the joke on the card, she'll certainly find it hilarious.

And then, Leina emerges! Anita looks up, and breathes a sigh of relief.

"Thanks for the update." She replies with a smile. That's definitely a relief... especially if it helps Rena relax, if her emotions are so intense even Eight can feel them from in there with everything she's going through.

"...Yeah, what he said." Anita adds, nodding in agreement with Banagher. This is a big day, after all - this, of all days, is the right day for big emotions.

<Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.

        First Roux, now Leina. There's that word again, 'dilated.' Shinji knows the word, but not in this context. He knows it like dilated eyes, or even dilated time. Neither of those make sense here. Still, if Eight's going into active labor, that means the wait's almost over, right? At the very least, Leina presents the news like it's good.
        
        He does wonder how many doctors it takes to deliver a baby. ...maybe it really does take twice as long with twins.
        
        He considers trying to offer Rena some comforting words, but nothing comes to mind and Shinji suspects he'd just mess it up anyway. He watches for a moment as Rena accepts that hot towel, listening as Licia gives more details about the carjacking story. At least Eight wasn't by herself...
        
        He blushes for a different reason when Licia catches his eye. "Um, yeah," he mumbles. He wonders what specifically is so bad about someone trying to kidnap Yuliana on Magallanica. He opts not to ask. It sounds like it should be obvious... Maybe he'll figure it out later.
        
        Banagher claims that it's Leina who's the social butterfly. Shinji doesn't really know either of them well enough to tell. "For a while, I guess," he says instead of being on Magallanica. "For however long the Ra Mari II's there." He lets go of the wire as bidded and tucks his hands in his lap. Banagher seems really excited to work on a Haro with him, but the, that makes sense; he seems to really love them. "I'd have to think about it... I don't actually know much about them," he admits.
        
        Anita's reassurance gets him to rub the back of his neck and almost--almost--smile. "...Yeah. I guess so."
        
        If the worst getting arrogant and messing everything up gets him is subpar but passable cookies, Shinji's doing pretty all right for himself right now. The thought is a little comforting. But only a little.
        
        He really wasn't ever cut out for piloting.
        
        He blinks up at Licia, startling a little. "Oh, uh... I-it's okay--it's fine as long as everything turns out okay. It's not like..."
        
        Shinji falters as his eyes cloud and he clenches his jaw. It's not like I'm going to become a father anytime soon, he'd been about to say.
        
        Not that long ago, he'd thought about what it would be like to have a child with Asuka. At the time, he'd low-key panicked about it for reasons he never put a finger on. Now...
        
        He hangs his head. His ragged bangs and the brim of his cap shadow his expression. "..."

<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.

The repair work on a haro looks like nervous energy to Roux, so she politely overlooks it. "Aah," she tells Shinji with a nod. The look of pain in Shinji's eye spares him from further probing questions from Roux.

For now.

"Leina! Don't worry about Lahvi, he's tough," she continues, even as Rena is given a hot towel and a -- puke bag. Roux's eyebrows raise slightly but - oh, hyperventilation. Ahhh, and that's what's causing it. Roux nods to herself. That explains everything.

She then looks at Rena, then Licia. Banagher validates the story. Roux's eyes widen.

"They were WHAT? She was HERE? Oh my god. That's like three different levels of double dipped awful. I... I guess I... hope she... left safely...?" It's a rather complex and ambiguous thing, given the nature of Yuliana Kafim and her primary hobbies of 'summoning awful things from the void' and 'science crime.'

And then -

"Oh, sure," Roux says to Licia. She takes her last bite of the cookie and considers matters as she steps a little so that she's sort of facing both of the boys. "So," Roux says, "As you no doubt know, about half of people get born with a uterus, which is the traditional place for babies. So it's kind of like -" She makes a loose fist with one hand, and curls her fingers and thumb like she's holding a light bulb or a small onion with the other, setting it on top of the fist. "This."

"And as the baby (or babies in this case) grow it swells up, obviously, which is why pregnant women get the big baby bump. And you see how they dock here? That's the cervix, it's like an airlock, BUT -- but. You also have to worry about *the pelvic bone.* Now a baby's head is actually naturally kind of soft - so you can sort of - squeeze 'em out, BUT if her pelvis is an awkward shape then it might not be easy. There's a bunch of things that can come into play," Roux says, detaching the... bottom component and raising up a finger to mime a little slash underneath her impromptu representation of the uterus: "so my mother had what they call a Caesarian section."

A second or two passes.

"I assume that's the doctor who invented it," Roux concludes. "I think Eight was trying to avoid that, and avoid pain medication but there's a whole muscle that really has to *relax* so it's not like it's trivial, even if you have a wide pelvis."

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

"No sweat. It's something I could do since they were shooing me off too." She tells Anita, just as she's quick to say to Licia, "I tried to sell the epidural to her previously but she was adamant."

She doesn't seem to look down on the option certainly, there is the appeal. She just doesn't want to ever be tempted to use a line about how many hours she spent in painful labor to her future children.

She does give Roux a 'Rouxful' look, "Yeah but so is Eight, remember..." A small gesture as if to remind her of the 'Cyber Newtype enhanced' thing.

She missed half the context, of what Roux's talking about though, on what was awful and who left safely, so she doesn't respond to that other than a curious glance as if to say 'Who?'

As Banagher kisses her on the cheek, she smiles, "Sure, tea and a snack sounds wonderful. Still nursing a headache from earlier - ah - just a whole thing with Yuliana. She came 'this' close to getting shot by the cops."

There's just this sighhhhhhh, "Me and Audrey are going to have to come up with a whole action plan for her visiting in the future."

There's this fond smile at Rena as she apologizes, "Hey - there's no need to apologize. I get it. You go through this four or five more times, you'll be a pro."

Wait, four or five times? Does she mean experiencing childbirth or EIGHT giving birth? Leina certainly isn't clarifying, so is she implying something about the size of Eight's future family!?

She does listen in on 'Roux explains it all' thinking nothing of it, it's just the basics. She even likes the Spacenoid friendly analogies.

When she is finished, she hands Roux a tiny flash drive that she fishes out of her pocket, "Here if you need any visual aids, we have a whole presentation."

Does she just, carry that thing around at all times!? WHY?

For moments like these obviously.

But in the end, her eyes focus upon Shinji, with his shadowed expression, "Hey there. I hear you're the guy to talk to about getting a cup of tea."

She could just get it herself but? ... It feels like he could use a distraction.

(Possibly from Roux, but she's not distracting him from that.)

<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.

There are two. That hasn't stopped being the case. But it is the home stretch!

"Lavhi should be OK anyway," Licia offers. "But if he's not, I think he won't mind too much..." She looks over to Leina, "Yeah, she told me how important it was to her, at least. I looked at her like she was crazy at first... But I understand, really. I might feel the same, if I were her."

Pause. "Yeah, she was here."



Licia doesn't explain to Banagher what she meant by the natural route at first. She's focusing on Rena instead, noticing her struggle with stress. But whatever she sees she seems OK with it, because she glances to the others again. Then eats another cookie. And resists the urge to cackle as Roux explains. "It's cool," Licia says to Shinji. "Learning is fundamental!"

She does sense that shadow over him, after that, but...

Leina's got that covered. And visual aids! She does look over Anita, but--Anita seems to be doing more than fine. But then...

It's about half an hour before there's any more news. Rena senses it before any of the rest of them do. A sudden sense of joy and wonder--and then redoubled effort. There are two, after all. But about twenty minutes after that, finally, a doctor comes out of the L&D room...

With a smile, he looks to Eight's assembled friends and family. "Good news," he says. "The twins are here, and Mom's doing fine. She needs a little while yet to recover, but we'll be able to bring visitors back soon. Give us about twenty more minutes, but be ready--she's done enough waiting today already, hm?"

A beat, "Except you," he says, glancing down to his notes and up to Rena. "She's asked for Rena specifically. We'll get you a mask along the way; ready?"

He'll take her back.

[OOC] Eight Orlodhari says, "oh bluray* out 'Licia doesn't explain to be 'Licia is focusing on Rena,"

<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.

Rena looks at Banagher -- and, well, it's still tired and stressed. She has bags under her eyes, her hair is a mess with the red and blue mixed together, and the blue crystal underneath her collarbone is flickering periodically instead of the periodic gleam. "Th-thanks, Banagher," she says. "I'll do my best."

She slides an arm around Anita's shoulders in turn, returning the side hug. Then, she smiles a bit, looking down.

"...yeah," she agrees. Her voice is quiet. "I remember when Eight hid behind me when we were kids, too scared to go anywhere. And when she'd barely talk. And now..."

She looks at the room. She sniffs, then, and she starts dabbing at her eyes with the hot towel. She takes a second to regain her composure, which lasts until Leina says 'four or five more times.' Her eyes widen.

"W-what."

She takes another moment to recover. She feels those thoughts from Shinji -- or, rather, the force of the emotion behind them. She sees the way his head hangs.

"Ah..." And then Roux explains. And explains. She coughs, once. "Th-that's... informative!" she says, with a little laugh. "Ah, Shinji, um--I bake too, sometimes. I could... show you the wood-burning oven I got for the Ra Mari II, later, if you want?"

She looks at Leina and smiles, and then drapes the towel over her neck. She sighs.

A half hour later, though, she perks up -- her eyes widen. "That's--" The people in the know might know what that means. "I think they're almost here!"

The door opens, and Rena is already at her feet. She looks relieved when the doctor explains, before she cheers, leaping to her feet -- and then nods, hurrying towards the doctor.

"Y-Yes! Of course! A mask would be great, ah--" She glances over her shoulder, back at Anita, then at all of them. "I-I'll go on ahead!"

She hurries after the doctor, almost stumbling over her feet.

<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.

Banagher looks curiously at Shinji. "Are you staying with the Ra Mari II? Let's meet up soon. I'll VERTEX you a list of models, if you want? And I can recommend a good beginner's guide, on a site called Haroics..."

"No pressure if you're not interested. We can hang out and do something else, if you want." Banagher offers, gently. Shinji seems fragile, more so than before.

Just as he wonders over Shinji's newfound emotional distress, Shinji seems to withdraw even further, hanging his head. Banagher looks at him, concerned. What would someone like Shinji need in a moment like this? Unable to read thoughts, Banagher can only go off the emotions echoing from Shinji.

"...Shinji, if you need..." Banagher tries, but his voice trails off. Shinji seemed a little calmer when he was helping hold that wire back. Maybe he needs to feel useful?

"I'm -- not a great cook." It's admitted gently. "My mother died before she could teach me anything, and I've lived on takeout and vending machine food since then, mostly. Do you think you could show me how to make these cookies sometime? Or -- other stuff, if you know how. Maybe it can be a trade. I'll help you with a Haro, you teach me how to cook?"

A pause. "If you want."

Roux chooses this moment to approach with a biology lesson. Banagher keeps a straight face -- at first. As the details pile up, the young man grows more and more pale. He knew... most of this, but he'd never really put it all together.

It isn't until Roux mentions 'avoiding pain medication' that Banagher makes a choked-off noise. "What? She isn't using --" He sinks into a chair, glancing toward Rena's throw-up bag. "O--oh my god."

Staring into space for a moment, Banagher comes back to himself when Leina confirms she wants a snack. He brings the cookie to her, looking distracted -- but his eyes clear at Leina's words.

"I -- uh. I'm okay without visual aids." Banagher adds, hastily. "Maybe later. Right now it's a -- lot."

"What do you mean, when she visits in the future? Have you been meeting with Yuliana?" A pause. "Leina -- you know she's not safe, but after what she's done recently? I can't --" He closes his eyes, breathing out. "Please tell me what you mean."

Only a few more minutes pass before a doctor steps out, informing them of the good news. Banagher's face brightens, and he takes Leina's hand in his own, squeezing it softly.

"That's wonderful!" He says, laughing softly. "It's okay if Eight needs more time -- nobody minds a few more minutes."

Rena prepares to go, and Banagher nods to her. There isn't anything to say, really, but his well-wishes echo from his heart.

<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.

"Hey, we still appreciate it." Anita replies with a grin in response to Leina. She then sends Rena a reassuring smile as she returns the hug. Roux, meanwhile, launches into a detailed explanation. Anita takes it all in stride... but she can't help but smirk slightly as she takes note of Banagher growing paler and paler.

"The miracle of life~." Anita notes, with an emphatic hand gesture. Not that she's going to opt for the visual aids Leina offers, either, mind you.

Time passes, and eventually... news! Good news. A doctor emerges, and explains the situation.

Anita pumps her fist with an emphatic 'woo!', perhaps just a bit too loudly for a hospital. She's excited and happy, though, and gives Rena a pat on the back when the doctor asks for her specifically.

"You're up, Rena." Anita replies, then nods toward the doctor. "Thanks so much, doc."

<Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.

        Shinji of course knows how babies are made. His teacher, the one who his father dumped him with, taught him, and it was a deeply unpleasant experience for them both. But he'd never actually given thought to the process of childbirth before now. As Roux explains it, complete with helpful hand visuals, he thinks through the logical result of where a child would have to come out. He simultaneously goes pale and very green. Licia and Anita are not helping.
        
        This doesn't actually stop him from entering a spiral about his own personal issues--about Asuka, about their relationship, about how it will never go anywhere again. There's so many reminders around him about what could have been--Eight's husband being with her as she gives birth, Banagher and Leina being cute together--and these things that should be positive just make him feel worse. Rena tries to extend a hand by way of offering to show him a wood-burning stove, something that would interest him in other circumstances but combined with Banagher trying to extend a hand by asking him for help with cooking (but mentioning his own dead mother, not that Banagher could know this might bother Shinji) feels like he's being pulled in two opposite directions, Rena suggesting his cooking is bad and Banagher suggesting his cooking is good.
        
        "I don't--I'm not--it isn't really--" he babbles, all but cringing away.
        
        That's when Leina approaches him about the tea. This is an immediate, very small thing he can focus on doing, and wordlessly, he pours her a cup. He's still in a rotten mood when he's done, but it's stable enough for him to murmur to Rena and Banagher, "...Fine. If you guys want."
        
        Which is far from an enthusiastic 'yes,' but it's not a 'no,' either. It's a window, however small, for later.
        
        After that, he sits and waits, wallowing in silence. It's not too much longer that the announcement comes, though, and that picks up his mood. He looks up as Rena's bid to enter with a mask, eyes widening with a light that wasn't there before.
        
        "Um--g-good luck!" he bids her, for lack of anything better to say. He immediately feels like an idiot, but the news that the twins have been safely born outweighs the feeling... for now.

<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.

"Oh, thanks," Roux tells Leina. She pauses, holding the flash drive. She raises it up and seems to be about to ask Leina a question, but then decides to not, in fact, ask that question.

"Nope!" Roux tells Banagher, with a shrug of one shoulder. "I don't get it, though I think stuff from when she was younger made it complicated anyway. Still, it's her babies and her -- body, so you know, I'm just feeling bad for Rena right now."

After this she looks to Shinji. With some concern, because he seems nauseated. There's more there, but it is beyond Roux's insight to see more than that; she says, "It's an impressive stove. The filtration system..." She makes a hand gesture of approval. It is surprisingly close to her 'uterus' hand gesture a moment ago.

There is an interval, afterwards. Roux puts her butt in a seat and reviews something on her phone before leaning back and staring into space, which is always something good to do for a couple of minutes. She jiggles her foot as she does this, which is also good exercise, after a fashion.

The foot jiggling stops.

"...?" And then, a doctor emerges!

Roux leans forwards. A small and inexplicable fist-pump at the news. "Of course, as long as she needs!" but then there is a REQUEST.

Roux looks at Rena then, solemnly. "Good luck," she states, with a faint smile.

After Rena goes, she asks Anita: "You have any insight on the names? I've been wondering..."

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

Leina smiles at Licia, "There isn't really a wrong choice, I suppose. If it's more meaningful for her to try this way then - I can't really gainsay it." Which she raises an eyebrow at Banagher at his reaction, "Huh? Love it's alright - women have been giving childbirth since the beginning of humanity. For thousands of years there wasn't the option. Just-" Leina shrugs, "-now that there is one... I'd pick the epidural."

And indeed Rena is gonna take a longer moment to recover because despite the spike of distress, Leina's already moving away. Nope - now she's left her with the image of a giant family.

Leina raises an eyebrow at Banagher's reaction and the implication, "For your information - she was visiting Jona Basta - not me. I was on my way here when I came upon her - spooked out of her mind, waving a gun around, thinking the cops were REA flunkies trying to nab her as that's what they tried to do earlier - pick her up into an unmarked van on the streets."

She gives him an exasperated look and raises her eyes, "Like God? Was I supposed to just let her get shot for being understandably paranoid? She'd just gotten Eight to the hospital! I defused the situation-"

Is that comforting to know she defused a situation where someone was waving a gun at the cops!? "-but the cops still had to be cops so I sat with her long enough for her to get cleared and sent her home." She gestures towards him, "And 'action plan' because if she shows up again and gets arrested for like - the usual public disorder crimes that follow her around - what do we do? Arrest her? Risk her wife swinging by and murdering a whole jail?"

Running her fingers through her hair in frustration, "The plan I was thinking was if she shows up to just put a security team on her 'for her protection' which of course is also preventing her from wreaking havoc."

"Anytime!" She beams to Roux but she does take the cookie from Banagher, eyeing Banagher as he gets squeamish, "Okay I can see that we're gonna have to go through the slides again before the next time I send you on a drugstore errand." She does give Shinji a look of wonder, wondering why he's so down. She does know he joined the crew but...

... his mood here feels, beyond that.

As she takes the cup of tea she smiles at him, "Thanks. Hospital coffee always sucks. It's a rule, so always better to have an outside source of a caffeine essential."

The doctor comes out eventually, and Leina smiles, "Sure, no rush. Take all the time y'all need." She does make a gesture like, 'You'll do fine!' and 'Take the bag!' which may seem like MIXED SIGNALS! But perhaps mixed signals are necessary when one knows Rena.

She DOES keep an ear out for Annie and Roux's conversation on the insight of the baby names, but she does decide to ask Shinji- "So I heard you signed up to be a cook?" She doesn't know WHY he's so gloomy but she at least figures it has something to do about... why he left NERV. "Great skills for a guy to have." She says with a smile, "Looking to focus on Japanese cooking mainly, or you know, branch out while you're up here?"

Mostly just small talk, perhaps, but she can talk about cooking forever and - it might help her learn more about him.

[OOC] Eight Orlodhari says, "well, if you aren't, I'll just bluray out your part I suppose"

<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.

Roux asks about baby names, and a mischievous grin crosses Anita's face.

"Well, I do have some idea... but, I don't wanna steal Eight's thunder, so you're just gonna have to wait. Look forward to 'em~." Anita replies. Such is part of her privilege. She sits back, then - and for now, listens as Leina engages Shinji in small talk. She doesn't join in - for now, it seems like it'd be easier on him to keep the voices chiming in to a minimum.

<Pose Tracker> Eight Orlodhari has posed.

When Rena gets back there, there's still a little to go, but she has the twins, and her eyes shine through tears as she looks up at her partner from beside her other partner, Lavhi.

"Rena..."

"Rena, look!" she says, excited even as she's clearly exhausted, beckoning her closer. "I did it..."

But the others will get to see her soon.

In the waiting room--the nurse lifts an eyebrow at Anita's 'woo!' but doesn't get onto her about it; it is good news, and they're the only ones here in this particular waiting room. The doctor even smiles at that and Roux's fist pump, before he takes Rena back.

"...Me too," Licia says to Leina, to finish the thought once Rena's been taken back. "Not that I plan to do it soon. I'm just going to enjoy Eight's while I can give them back."

She listens along to Leina about Yuliana, and admittedlly, she finds it sensible. There's time to talk names, and to make small talk, and to do all kinds of things for that matter, because it's another fifteen minutes or so before a nurse comes out.

"Ready?" she asks. "It's time."

It's not a long trip. And when they reach the room, Eight is holding a baby. The little child is green, with pointed ears, and is snoozing away in her arms. Lavhi has the other, still reddish but not green, this one resting with his father. For now, they are both fairly quiet. For now.

"Zaress," Eight says, nodding to Lavhi, "And Aarmi," she nods down at the baby in her own arms. She sounds proud--but also utterly exhausted, and she looks it too. Her eyes are red; she's been able to clean up the tear tracks, from multiple kinds of tears, but the signs are still there. But she's smiling, and the happiness radiates from her for those with the senses to feel it--and even those without them can see it in her.

Lavhi beams proudly, in the meantime. "Yes," he says. "She was incredible!"

Eight smiles at him, and looks to the others. Anita, of course, gets a warm smile, and Eight holds up Aarmi a little more so she can see. Leina gets a grateful look, Banagher a smile, Roux a beaming, proud look, and Shinji--Shinji is a surprise, but a welcome one. "I did it," she says, and starts tearing up again. "Look what we made."

"...Thank you all. I could feel your support..."

The doctor smiles. "Visit a little while. But go easy on her. She's had an ordeal."

<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.

"S-Sure," Rena says to Shinji -- even if she isn't entirely sure it was the right move. She gives Banagher an apologetic look, then back to Shinji. "Soon, okay?"

She looks at Leina -- smiling, and nods, and she does grab the bag. Mixed signals, but maybe a good idea.

Rena nods eagerly at Roux, as she stands up. She starts off -- with a look over her shoulder and a beaming smile at Anita on her way. She gets a mask on, and the walk through the halls is a bit of a blur.

When she enters the room, she looks around -- before her eyes settles on Eight, then Lahvi, and then the twins. She walks over to the bed, lying, and wiping at her eyes with the sleeve of her light jacket.

"Octo!" she says. "Y-Yeah, you did..." She waves at Lahvi -- it's belated, after realizing her smile wouldn't be seen behind her mask -- and then leans down, looking at the twins in turn.

"H-Hey there, Zaress and Aarmi," she stammers out. "I'm your Aunt Rena."

She reaches a hand out, clasping Eight's shoulder.

When the others arrive, she has stepped back to the side of the bed. She waves at them -- eagerly, even -- though she stays quiet. After all, they have someone to meet.

<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.

Banagher's worry only increases as Shinji reacts badly to his request. Maybe that was the wrong tactic... Either way, he's pushed far enough for now. "My VERTEX is thelastHaro. Message me if you want to hang out, Shinji."

Leaving the ball in Shinji's court.

Roux confirms that Eight isn't using pain medication -- and at least Shinji looks as horrified as Banagher feels. It's Eight's decision, of course, but. His mind boggles at the amount of pain she must've experienced. Giving birth not once, but twice... He can't suppress a little shudder.

"Eight's even stronger than I thought." Banagher murmurs, almost reverently. "Y--yeah, Leina, you're right, but... I'm still pretty impressed."

Leina explains, and he sighs with relief -- only to wince at the exasperated look. "I'm not upset about that. I'm really glad you helped her, Leina. I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions."

Banagher closes his eyes briefly. Leina's had trouble seeing clearly with Yuliana in the past. He has, too -- he's not sure if he's seeing clearly even now. Imagining Leina alone with Yuliana sets Banagher on edge. It's something he can't shake.

"I'm not sure she'll like a security team -- but it's a better idea than letting her run around on her own." Banagher's shoulders slump. "It's not like I want her banned or anything. I'm just worried. It's been barely any time since she attacked the REA."

A puff of breath. "I want you to be safe. That's -- all I'm worried about, here."

Leina's next words bring a flush of red to Banagher's cheeks, and he looks away shyly. "Y--yeah, alright. Anaheim didn't exactly have health classes..."

So Shinji signed up to be a cook? Banagher listens quietly. Maybe his request for Shinji's help was more appropriate than he suspected. Or maybe not. Would it be tiring to cook as a day job and come hang out and do more?

Hmm.

Thankfully, it's time to go back and greet the twins now, preventing Banagher from trying to puzzle out Shinji's mind. Once they reach Eight's room, Banagher feels a sudden thrill of nervousness -- and pauses before crossing the threshold. This 'small Miracle' has been out of reach for so long. Now, it's been realized. Another change.

This one, Banagher thinks to himself, for the better.

He doesn't try to approach the children right away -- there are others in the room who deserve that right more than he does. But there's no denying the way Banagher's eyes light up at the sight of the infants.

"Zaress." Banagher repeats, to himself, looking at the child in Lavhi's arms. His gaze turns to the other. "And Aarmi. Those are great names, Eight."

There's a reflex to ask if Eight is alright, but Banagher doesn't give voice to it. It'd be foolish. "They look perfect." Eight thanks everyone, and Banagher finds himself sniffling a little, eyes growing misty. "Y--you're amazing, Eight. This really is a Miracle..."

When his turn comes to meet the children, Banagher extends a finger toward Aarmi carefully, not quite making contact. His eyes glance between the two children slowly. "Hello. Welcome to our world. Everyone has been waiting to meet you for so long, and loved you so much."

"I hope -- you find everything you look for." He murmurs, tears spilling over from the sheer warmth of love in the room. Banagher steps back, wiping at his face quietly.

<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.

More time passes, and the nurse comes out to retrieve them.

"Lead the way." Anita replies and begins to follow, taking and putting on her own mask as she does. She follows her back to the room with the others, and...

...There they are. Anita's been able to stay fairly level up to this point, but seeing them now, finally, and that warm smile from Eight combined with her pride in their accomplishment... Anita tears up. She opens her mouth to say something - and can't quite get her words out.

...She has to cover her eyes with an arm for a moment.

"Ah, geez... Gave out right at the end. Good thing they're asleep, didn't want their first time seeing me to be like this..." Anita mutters, both crying and laughing at the same time. But for Eight, she smiles.

"...You did it. They're beautiful." Anita replies, in between their tears.

"Hey, Zaress, Aarmi... I'm so happy to finally meet you." Anita greets with a smile, wiping away her tears.

<Pose Tracker> Shinji Ikari has posed.

        why is roux making the uterus hand symbol again for the stove
        
        why is she like this
        
        why does he keep meeting women who are like this
        
        Shinji looks away from her, and in doing so looks towards Leina. "Just an assistant cook. Nothing fancy," he mumbles.
        
        ...keeping this conversation alive might be a challenge even for her.
        
        He shrugs a little at Rena and Banagher; whether it's the right move or not, there isn't time to worry about it. (He won't VERTEX Banagher, not to ghost him, but because he can't get the hang of his O-Sanshoo-san phone. It's not like he's leaving the Ra Mari II anytime soon though, so there'll be opportunities for them to just run into each other.)
        
        When everyone else gets the chance to enter the room, Shinji finds himself rising on his tip-toes to get a better look. Babies--fresh-born babies--are ugly. This is just a fact. Even so, even for someone was wounded and dense as he is, the joy and pride radiating off of Eight (however otherwise exhausted she looks) and Lavhi is palpable. It's a stab in the heart in its own way, but... Shinji finds it hard not to be a little happy for them.
        
        So he manages a small smile for both of them. "You did," he agrees with Eight quietly. "...Congratulations."
        
        Zaress and Aarmi... They really are already so loved. It's good for them. Shinji looks around the room to see what he already knows: that these are good people who will all be part of a caring family for these infants.
        
        He doesn't know if it's really right for him, a relative stranger, to be part of this.
        
        But...
        
        It feels nice that he could be, all the same.

<Pose Tracker> Roux Louka has posed.

"Sounds right," Roux tells Leina, about the security patrol. She glances back at Banagher with some concern, but... it fades out, aided by Shinji's tea.

Time passes -- and then there is time to bear witness. Roux gets her phone ready. She puts the face mask on without complaint, and when they come around, a mystery is revealed. Two of 'em!

Roux snaps a picture, winks at Eight, and says, "Congratulations!! Welcome to the world, you two!!"

The photo is promptly emailed to Lahvi for his own memories. He may be a little surprised when he finds it. But maybe not too surprised.

She takes in a huge breath and lets it out. "Geez," she muses. "It's been that long, huh..." But it seems to be a thought for herself, and she just watches, benign-eyed, for a while.

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

She does ease off some as Banagher apologizes for jumping to conclusions.

"She can't reasonably object when it's presented as protecting her from the REA - which has proven they're able to infiltrate here any time they want! Not my favorite fact of the day."

Placing a hand on his arm, she tells him, "My security detail was there the whole time, okay? They're here now just - you know, watching the exits rather than in Eight's room."

Her answer to him agreeing to the slides is, "Good. We're gonna go over it until it's not embarrassing anymore."

Oh God they'll be watching those slides for an eternity. It'll never end.

She does have trouble keeping the conversation going with Shinji, but - she tries.

"Still, 'assistant' to keeping some of my favorite people fed. I appreciate that."

"Any interest in Spanish recipes? Tapas?"

It goes on for a bit, even as she can sense he's moving further and further away from it. The cookie is polished off and so is the tea...

When it's time!

"Congratulations to one justifiably proud Mama!" Leina coos softly at the pair of them, "D'awwwwww you're both adorable!"

Leina is still focused on the newborns but she does mouth to Lavhi, "How's the hand?" Even though he's obviously holding one newborn.

"... Feels like it's been such a long road to get here, so much has happened since we found out the two of you were coming..."

She says softly, squeezing Banagher's hand, definitely not one to shame him for tears, "Zaress and Aarmi... it's wonderful to finally meet you."

She does not cry, but for a moment seems, briefly overwhelmed as if by some realization she just had, "... I'm... happy I - We - could be here for this..."