2024-09-11: Cry

• Cast: Ryoko Subaru, Cagalli Yula Athha
• Where: Yalafath, Orb
• Date: U.C. 0099 09 11
• Summary: A tense meeting of two after a bad day. One freely cries for her powerlessness. The other laments her stubborn inability to do so.

---

<Pose Tracker> Ryoko Subaru has posed.

After a day of serving the Witch Queen - Ryoko had decided her evening would be best served bar hopping. Usually she doesn't do this because she can barely afford a night out on her Salary but, she really needs a drink.

Today it's in a shitty dive bar in the Administrative part of Yalafath known as the 'Glass Orb.'

She was three drinks in before someone asked, "Say, you're that Nergal Pilot, aintcha?"

"Nah, mistaking me for someone else." She muttered, before she took a pull from the pint.

"No - I don't think I am, saw you on the internet after the Fed tried to take the island."

The man points to her green hair under her baseball cap, "It's distinctive. Come on - if you're such a hero, why not let me buy you a drink?"

He was handsome enough, as he sat down on the stool beside her, and smiled, "You don't have to go incognito. It's not right for a pretty young thing like yourself to drink alone, not in the nation she saved."

She stared forward, as if just focusing on something, anything else, "Listen Pal, you're mistaken. Why don't you just take a hint?"

He flashed a grin at her, leaning on the bar, "Oh I hear what you're laying down - I just think tough pilot gals like you play a little hard to get, to filter out the men from the boys."

Ryoko kept staring forward as he leaned closer, "And me? I'm aiming to stand out..."

-=-=-

"The hell's the matter with you!? He was just being friendly! You can't just beat up my regulars lady! Don't you ever come back here - or I'll kick your ass!"

The bartender was brandishing a baseball bat, while Ryoko sporting just a few more bruises started yelling back, "Like I would! I wouldn't drink your watered down swill again if my life depended on it!"

The man called back at her, while inside a duo of men were nursing their wounds, "Oh yeah?"

"YEAH!"

"Then what's that in your hand?!"

Ryoko looked down, spotting her half-full mug of beer, with a prominent crack near the top, then up at him again.

"Oh this-"

Pause - as the hypocrisy sets in before she doubles down.

"I'M KEEPING THIS ANYWAY JACKASS!"

Ryoko shouts as she walks off, taking a drink as she goes, before putting the cold drink up against a bruised cheek.

Eventually her pace slows, and she slumps down on a park bench, illuminated by the street light, "Shit." She knows what she said to Hikaru about how one meets guys, going to places alone like that for the attention but...

"Just being friendly..." She muttered, bitterly, with her impromptu mug ice pack.

<Pose Tracker> Cagalli Yula Athha has posed.

It's been a long day for Cagalli herself. Not long after having returned from Dakar after a day trip and she's already neck deep in work.

With the day over, she decided to take a walk around town. She's dressed in something casual, yet she can't help but feel like she's patrolling.

Streetlights popping on as her citizens just barely meet her gaze. They exchange greetings, and a smile.

The greetings and smiles Cagalli return is a little distracted, however. The sight of Naturals and Coordinators walking side by side doesn't make it easy to focus.

Thoughts of the coming treaty and marriage occupies most of her headspace. There's the worry for Coordinators, naturally. Orb is a place that allows peaceful co-existence of Naturals and Coordinators.

But there's no room to even think about anything beyond that. Not how the Seirans will displace Coordinators if they had their way. And not even Athrun.

It took awhile, but once the only light illuminating the streets are from the lamps and not the sky, she found herself in a quiet park.

Good place as any to sort her thoughts out. So she found an empty bench.

Absentmindedly watching nothing in particular.

-=-=-

Her solitude is soon interrupted by a voice coming from another bench besides her.

A muttered voice from a green haired girl. Cagalli didn't catch all of it, but it was enough for her to turn Ryoko's way.

The improvised ice pack on her face, the fresh bruises...

"A-Are you alright?" She simply asked the stranger.

They're not that much of strangers however. But Cagalli can't place where exactly she's seen her before.
"Eh?"

Ryoko turns her head, with pint mug against it to look sideways, blink blink.

Ryoko stares at Cagalli, Cagalli probably stares back.

"Oh I didn't... realize this bench was tak-"

LET'S FLASH BACK!

"Say Ryoko, what do you think of Orb's Princess?"

Hikaru, drawing a manga sketch, as she compares it to a shot on TV.

"Eh? That's the Athha Princess? She's pretty enough I guess." She scratches the back of her neck, "Looks like a bit of a Tomboy? Probably gives her Dad hell."

"Heh heh. Guess it takes Tom to know Tom."

AND NOW WE'RE BACK!

"-en- Holy hell you're the Princess."

Ryoko instantly look about, as if expecting suddenly like, five different sniper laser sights on her, before looking back at her, and waving a hand.

"Oh I'm good. Just you know. Got into a bar fight, and kicked a couple of dudes asses?" She rubs the back of her head, "Oh uh - probably not proper and shit to say that to a Princess."

She coughs into a hand, "Or that. Eh... uh, it's. Look - you probably have all kinds of important things to be sitting here thinking about after what just happened."

She considers, before saying, "And you had it first and shit- (forget I said that) -so I can just - move on."

ELSEWHERE

Erina straightens up from her aerobics workout in colorful layered workout attire, to towel the sweat from her hair, "Why do I feel like our company is on the precipice of another PR disaster?"

Pause.

"Certainly I'm just imagining things. My Horoscope indicated an unexpected event but surely that's already come and gone... right?"

Erina looks to the Recreation Room Robot that's been programmed to display her aerobics routine, who just shrugs and flashes on its screen.

QUERY: DEFINE UNEXPECTED TO OCCUPANTS OF THE NADESICO

Erina looks at that, and just slumps with a profound sigh.

"Eh?"

Ryoko turns her head, with pint mug against it to look sideways, blink blink.

Ryoko stares at Cagalli, Cagalli probably stares back.

"Oh I didn't... realize this bench was tak-"

LET'S FLASH BACK!

"Say Ryoko, what do you think of Orb's Princess?"

Hikaru, drawing a manga sketch, as she compares it to a shot on TV.

"Eh? That's the Athha Princess? She's pretty enough I guess." She scratches the back of her neck, "Looks like a bit of a Tomboy? Probably gives her Dad hell."

"Heh heh. Guess it takes Tom to know Tom."

AND NOW WE'RE BACK!

"-en- Holy hell you're the Princess."

Ryoko instantly look about, as if expecting suddenly like, five different sniper laser sights on her, before looking back at her, and waving a hand.

"Oh I'm good. Just you know. Got into a bar fight, and kicked a couple of dudes asses?" She rubs the back of her head, "Oh uh - probably not proper and shit to say that to a Princess."

She coughs into a hand, "Or that. Eh... uh, it's. Look - you probably have all kinds of important things to be sitting here thinking about after what just happened."

She considers, before saying, "And you had it first and shit- (forget I said that) -so I can just - move on."

ELSEWHERE

Erina straightens up from her aerobics workout in colorful layered workout attire, to towel the sweat from her hair, "Why do I feel like our company is on the precipice of another PR disaster?"

Pause.

"Certainly I'm just imagining things. My Horoscope indicated an unexpected event but surely that's already come and gone... right?"

Erina looks to the Recreation Room Robot that's been programmed to display her aerobics routine, who just shrugs and flashes on its screen.

QUERY: DEFINE UNEXPECTED EVENT TO OCCUPANTS OF VESSEL=NADESICO

Erina looks at that, and just slumps with a profound sigh.

<Pose Tracker> Ryoko Subaru has posed.

"Eh?"

Ryoko turns her head, with pint mug against it to look sideways, blink blink.

Ryoko stares at Cagalli, Cagalli probably stares back.

"Oh I didn't... realize this bench was tak-"

LET'S FLASH BACK!

"Say Ryoko, what do you think of Orb's Princess?"

Hikaru, drawing a manga sketch, as she compares it to a shot on TV.

"Eh? That's the Athha Princess? She's pretty enough I guess." She scratches the back of her neck, "Looks like a bit of a Tomboy? Probably gives her Dad hell."

"Heh heh. Guess it takes Tom to know Tom."

AND NOW WE'RE BACK!

"-en- Holy hell you're the Princess."

Ryoko instantly look about, as if expecting suddenly like, five different sniper laser sights on her, before looking back at her, and waving a hand.

"Oh I'm good. Just you know. Got into a bar fight, and kicked a couple of dudes asses?" She rubs the back of her head, "Oh uh - probably not proper and shit to say that to a Princess."

She coughs into a hand, "Or that. Eh... uh, it's. Look - you probably have all kinds of important things to be sitting here thinking about after what just happened."

She considers, before saying, "And you had it first and shit- (forget I said that) -so I can just - move on."

ELSEWHERE

Erina straightens up from her aerobics workout in colorful layered workout attire, to towel the sweat from her hair, "Why do I feel like our company is on the precipice of another PR disaster?"

Pause.

"Certainly I'm just imagining things. My Horoscope indicated an unexpected event but surely that's already come and gone... right?"

Erina looks to the Recreation Room Robot that's been programmed to display her aerobics routine, who just shrugs and flashes on its screen.

QUERY: DEFINE UNEXPECTED EVENT TO OCCUPANTS OF VESSEL=NADESICO

Erina looks at that, and just slumps with a profound sigh.

<Pose Tracker> Cagalli Yula Athha has posed.

Ryoka stares at Cagalli, Cagalli indeed stares back.

A lingering moment before Ryoko speaks up.

And when she did, Cagalli hears it. The 'Princess'.

A tired sigh of her own then, "don't worry 'bout it. It's a public bench. And please don't call Princess."

She's being nice, but her expression shows a clearly defeated one, if a bit annoyed. Plenty of people have been calling her that lately and quite frankly she's tired of correcting them.

There are no snipers around, and no laser sights. There are some guards tailing her at a distance however. But whether they're Athha's or Seiran's, she can't tell.

"I see..." She doesn't press. She got into enough fights of her own trying to prove herself.

But then, 'Princess', again.

She narrowed her eye at that.

"What just happened...? Had it first...?" She parrots.

A PR disaster...

Her narrowed eyes continues to stare at her... And that annoyance is slowly replaced by a realization as her eyes open wide.

"...wait a minute. Aren't you Nergal? On the Nadesico? You were here fighting two years ago, weren't you?" Ryoko for some reason has PROFOUND difficulty with not calling a Princess a Princes, even when she's a Representative.

<Pose Tracker> Ryoko Subaru has posed.

Ryoko for some reason has PROFOUND difficulty with not calling a Princess a Princes, even when she's a Representative.

I'm sure it's fine. There's definitely nothing to it.

Definitely not because she grew up in another nation with a Princess, with an innate national respect for the title.

Nope.

This time however, she's already making herself upright, dusting off her jeans and denim jacket over her striped T-Shirt. Taking a pull from the drink and-

'Aren't you Nergal? On the Nadesico?'

Ryoko has just walked past Cagalli, and the mug has now frozen on her lip like that.

What happens next is a sudden spit take (Thankfully not pointed at Cagalli) from that mouthful of beer, before she breaks into a coughing fit

(She recognizes me! I'm so dead! Erina is going to kill me!)

Ryoko coughs for a moment, then looks her way, "Wruh-Wrong pipe. Yeah- that's me? I guess?" She tries to shrug, like it's no big deal, which is hard to sell after she just did an actual spit take.

"Fought here and in Space after at the end of the Bloody Valentine War." There's a distinct pause for a moment, as she stares off away from Cagalli, "Thought after that Crazy ZAFT Commander... Rau bit it, that maybe... that as that. Nice and tidy ending to it all."

It's easy when one has an unhinged scapegoat to believe that, isn't it?

"Pretty stupid of me I guess. As a Colony Girl - should have known better."

At the time, she'd dismissed him as being nuts... it was easy to, that he was just a worse Red Comet, just doing the same thing that...

... his laughter echoes in her ears.

"These things never go down just once."

Ryoko holds up her mug to her face again, only to find there's not enough even for a mouthful.

She just sighs as she lowers it again.

<Pose Tracker> Cagalli Yula Athha has posed.

Eww. She thinks as Ryoko spits. Good thing she's not looking at her when she did. Her posture has withdrawn a little on the bench, like dodging some liquid that might come her way.

There were some rustling from behind, and mumbling, "-VIP is-", before it quickly settles.

Cagalli jerked her head towards the noise and only finding ghosts. This time, she audibly groans.

She picks herself up and stood besides Ryoko. If she walks, she'll follow.

"You guess?" She asks. And as if like educating a child, she points at herself, "I'm Cagalli. Ca-ga-li. You?"

She's probably not asking for her name so she could sue Nergal later. But she is interested in her. And it's better if she call Cagalli by name instead of Princess.

Cagalli shared the pause as Ryoko stared off.

And she listens intently.

When Ryoko finishes, she speaks in turn.

"...and it never gets any easier. I was hoping for a second miracle too when it happened... Maybe then the marriage wouldn't have to happen so fast..."

Cagalli shared her own troubles. Though it seems like it pales in comparison to what Ryoko's been through.

"...Thanks for being here. Orb wouldn't be here without people like you fighting."

But she does thank her.

<Pose Tracker> Ryoko Subaru has posed.

Ryoko perhaps stares at the rustling herself but...

... then looks away, no need to poke a hornet's nest.

"Ryoko. Ryoko Subaru."

It's not a name that might mean anything to anyone save those who really closely follow the Nadesico.

She was just briefly on the news after the Orb invasion was thwarted, but just as one of many.

She does walk, but only at a speed that won't alert Security that something dangerous is happening, and when Cagalli follows, she doesn't comment.

"That's what everyone says." She replies to the idea of a second miracle, "I didn't see that light at Axis though." She comments, wishing she was more drunk. Three and change was barely enough to feel a buzz. "This time? I saw it, but more than that, I saw a bunch of folks trying their hardest to save as many lives as they could."

Ryoko non-chalantly tosses the mug into the nearby bin. It lands in with a soft thud against it's inner contents.

"And they did just what they set out to do." She looks at Cagalli out of the side of periphery, "That we're standing here at all right now? That basically noone in Orb died? That's a miracle... just... noone gets it."

Noone sees it because Nergal put them all under NDA.

"To them it's a Zero Sum Game. All or nothing. If there's collateral damage then - it's not a miracle."

She notes it bitterly, "And they'll rip everything that we saved apart because they didn't get their goddamn miracle."

Ryoko eventually stops though, squinting in consideration, "Wait - Marriage... whose?" Blink blink, before a fingertip suddenly points towards Cagalli, "Yours?"

<Pose Tracker> Cagalli Yula Athha has posed.

"Ryoko... I'll remember it," she offered with a smile.

Cagalli may not follow the Nadesico closely, but she has a keen interest in the people who helped defend Orb. And Ryoko happens to be one of them.

"That light, huh... Rena...?" It was more of a mumble as she questioned. She wasn't there in person, but she did read the reports.

The bottle fall squarely in the bin. 'How much alcohol has this woman had?' She wondered. Not enough? She certainly seem like she's had too much for being so talkative.

Cagalli doesn't look back at Ryoko. Her eyes dipped low. Watching their shadows fading away and forming as they pass the streetlamps.

"They did... Yet millions still died... And Orb's getting blamed for it."

Coordinators, mainly. As far as blame goes. Naturally, Orb being blamed for having suffered no casualties is a hot topic for pundits, given its Coordinator population. A whole conspiracy that Orb conspired with the Coordinators to drop Junius Seven. And that's just one of many.

She thinks back too as Ryoko notes... There's another person just like that, isn't there?

When Ryoko finally asks however... "Mine. Me and Yuna's."

She releases a deep breath at that. She's not really a drinker, but somehow watching Ryoko's put her in the mood of wanting to drink.

"And we're signing the treaty to join NUNE on the same day too," she says. And then there's a painful, apologetic smile, "sorry to be the bearer of bad news."

<Pose Tracker> Ryoko Subaru has posed.

There's a hand wobble at the question of Rena. Like she's not entirely certain? Newtype stuff evades her.

It was definitely at least partly her, in Ryoko's eyes.

"And? What else is new?" Ryoko shrugs at Cagalli's statement, "The Federation spent years blaming their problems on the most convenient scapegoat, to distract from the real problems. Neo-Zeon remnants... Celestial Being..."

There's this snort of derision, "That Blue Cosmos asshole with the super punchable face was blaming Orb for them losing the war back then. You really think just because they slapped a new name on their government they'd stop doing that?"

Ryoko isn't the most politically... fluent, perhaps on the civics side. She couldn't tell someone the first thing about how government even works, but...

... you fight in the thick of it enough, you see patterns.

There's a long moment of silence as she says her and Yuna's. "Oh? Uh- Congratulations?" She scratches her hand to the back of her neck, "Seen him talk on TV I think, he's... handsome enough, I guess?"

FLASHBACK!

"Hey Hikaru add another dude to the Top 10 most punchable faces in politics list."

"Oh? How'd this guy make it Ryoko?"

"Well I'm not really well read on the topic and I'm only partially fluent in douchebag but pretty sure he just said 'Facts don't care about your feelings' to a war widow saying she could barely make ends meet."

BACK TO NOW.

"And... you know." She seems about to mention it before... there's, a long silence at what she says next, staring at her.

"Oh hey, thanks for letting me know. It'd suck to show up for the fight, knowing there isn't even going to be one. There'd be so much egg on my face."

While her tone is flat, the look on her face is furious, "So how much did it cost, for Orb to sell it's own people out?"

A hand clenches into a fist at her side, and even with bruised knuckles and security watching, she looks poised to explode.

At who? She hasn't even decided yet.

<Pose Tracker> Cagalli Yula Athha has posed.

Cagalli listens as Ryoko argues. She's making a lot of sense to her. She thinks, anyway. At the very least they're things she agrees with as Ryoko explains.

Celestial Beings tried to eradicate war as a concept itself. Their execution is...far from ideal. And hypocritical too.

Neo-Zeon? Much of the same story. In either case the Federation did try to scapegoat them as they are doing with Orb.

"You're... You're right," she simply replies. "But it doesn't feel good for Orb to be a scapegoat."

But facts really doesn't care about her feelings.

Cagalli didn't say anything in response to Ryoko's congratulation. It's not like Cagalli wanted it. And she doubts Ryoko is that invested in her happiness.

Then she stopped abruptly. The light casting a dark shadow underneath her. Even her face seem veiled in the gloom.

Her lips are shaking. Her fists unknowingly clenching in response to Ryoko's accusation.

Her watery eyes just barely reflecting enough light to almost shine in the darkness.

'How dare she?!' Cagalli wanted to lash out.

But she can't. Not when her Secret Service are around.

A furrowed brow as she looked back at her. A fury mirrored.

"It cost me god damn everything..." She tries to keep her tone composed. Her throat dry and harsh. "You think I wanted to marry a stupid man I don't even love? You think I wanted Orb to join a superbloc that tried to invade us? To destroy us and our ideals at every turn?"

There's a tear down her cheek as she swiftly rubs it off.

"Don't you dare."

There's more of her feelings talking.

<Pose Tracker> Ryoko Subaru has posed.

Invested in her happiness? Not really. She barely knows her. She's a face on a bench and on a TV.

But she's also just stated that Orb is selling out to NUNE, and in this moment Cagalli is Orb to her, in the same way that the Princess she grew up revering - even apart from her people - was still Zeon.

Cagalli's display of watery eyes, obvious anger, for a moment Ryoko does seem taken aback, but then she shifts into a stance of peering at her like she's waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Cagalli drops it.

Ryoko listens, she stares, the tear that gets rubbed off, and-

-there's maybe a moment of sympathy within her eyes before, "So what then? You're going to cry about it? In what world is that everything? Leave it to someone with a silver spoon to think that!"

Ryoko sweeps a hand out, gesticulating, "Every one of your people who DIED during the Invasion should have taught you what everything is!"

Ryoko won't say it, won't admit it - but she once actually left everything behind. Her nation, her family, her home. Everything that's meant even the slightest to her.

She's had to sell her soul to become a Corporate Dog.

And even she wouldn't say that's everything.

"As long as you're alive, dumbass! You didn't want this? So what? Don't fucking tell me that! You're on the same level as everyone those hundreds of millions of people left behind who have to pick up their lives from the ashes!"

She's shouting at her, because 'Don't you Dare' doesn't have much weight to someone who has a temper like hers.

"Don't cry to me about it-! Tell me what you're gonna do about it! And if your answer is go set up your Wedding Registry then lemme tell you - that doesn't CUT IT to the people who DIED for those ideals!"

Ryoko may have strong feelings about people who were tricked, and manipulated into dying for the ideals... of a man who didn't even believe in them.

What she wants to know right now, is whether this girl who 'didn't want this' believes enough in hers to not submit to this.

<Pose Tracker> Cagalli Yula Athha has posed.

In that moment, Cagalli launch forwards and grabs Ryoko by the collars. The grip of her fist is so tight she can feel her nails digging into her palms through the fabric.

She growls at her. Her teeth grinding against each other juxtaposed by her tears.

It was only the rustling of a few men in black suits comes into view out of nowhere stopped her from going further than this.

And so she releases her, and takes a step back.

Putting a distance between them before her guards get seriously involved.

All those people who died to Junius Seven drop. What an insult. Not to Cagalli. But to the people who actually suffered.

To put her on the same level as the people who lost their family, their loved ones, their homes, their lives. It's an insult to them.

Cagalli's taking that back, in hindsight. She didn't lose everything. She still has a mansion to live comfortably in. No worries about putting food on the table. Her (adoptive) uncle is still alive. Kira, Athrun, Lacus, Murasaki, Rena, the others. Even that frustrating vassal of hers. They're all still alive.

So fine, maybe she didn't lose everything.

But, "don't you dare," she echoes once more. Her voice is still harsh and unsteady. "They're not people for you to insult like that..."

She rubs her eyes then, clearing her tears off as if in response to 'don't cry to me about it'.

Her eyes are red in the aftermath. Dried tears sticking to her cheeks.

"You're right. It doesn't cut it. Nothing can." The sacrifices those men and women made for Orb. For her father. There's nothing she could do to repay them.

It's taking her everything she can muster just to hold it together. Just to do her best to live up to her father's ideals. To keep everything in place while everyone around her is keen on destroying it.

It's a thankless duty. No one sees the blood and sweat and tears she's exerting all to fulfill her responsibilities.

And today, that vessel that held everything in finally cracks.

"And what do you want me to do, huh?! You want me to run away again like a stupid little princess?! You want me to pick up a gun a kill everyone in that estate so I don't have to marry?! You want me to execute everyone who supports the idea of NUNE ascendancy?! Is that what you want?!"

The guards around them just looked at each other. Disbelief clear on their faces. But they didn't step forward. Not yet.

<Pose Tracker> Ryoko Subaru has posed.

As Cagalli grabs her by the collar, Ryoko for a moment looks at the shorter girl, jaw clenched, "Go ahead." She dares her, "I'll give you one free shot."

It's a goading thing, certainly, even as she raises her chin, as if to give her that.

Even as the men in black surround her, she doesn't even try to deescalate, even knowing what's at stake.

Then she lets go, and Ryoko lofts a single eyebrow, because she's surprised - she expected - she'd take it. And tell her, 'Don't you dare.'

There's this long moment of silence, before she tears her eyes away from her. Part of her can't stand to look at someone crying.

Because she knows it's more evidence of how Ryoko can't even be a woman right - can't cry when she ought to.

"By saying what, you're on the same level?" She clucks her tongue, because - she'll give her that, it was meant to be a kindness to say that.

To take her privilege out of it, because so many would kill to have what she has. Even twisted now as it is - to be married into a gilded cage and life of endless leisure and luxury.

As Cagalli cracks however, and asks what she wants her to do, Ryoko's nostrils flare after a moment, and those Guards who suddenly don't know what to do may suddenly know exactly what to do-

-because Ryoko attempts to lash out at Cagalli's face with her right hook as she tries to deck her on the spot. And despite almost certainly getting grabbed in the aftermath she just keeps shouting at her.

"How should I fucking know!? I'm just some asshole you met on a park bench! Do SOMETHING! ANYTHING that isn't sitting there CRYING ABOUT IT! Just MOVE!"

She should be thinking about how her life is probably over. How the people she care about are going to suffer for her choices.

But the fact is - she isn't thinking. She's feeling, she can't stop feeling, and something about this situation just hits her hard.

That little girl on the street, who dropped her doll evacuating...

... what would she think, if she knew that leaving everything they knew behind was pointless, if it only kicked it down the road?

"Just move, damnit." She says, more quietly, after.

<Pose Tracker> Cagalli Yula Athha has posed.

There was no time for Cagalli to react as her feet left the ground momentarily. Ryoko's fist connect squarely with her cheek and there's a thud of her landing after. The guards immediately grab at Ryoko. One putting himself between the two with his hand on his holster, and another comes up to check on Cagalli.

A spot of red forming on her face under the bright streetlamp.

"Lady Cagalli!" The man over her called out, checking if she's still conscious.

She is, of course. And the new tears enforces that as she sniffles and coughs. An involuntary reaction to being hurt physically. Just having cried before made way for it.

She turns herself around to get up... A palm on the rough pavement to push herself off. She spits some red that no doubt bled from inside her cheeks when Ryoko decked her. No teeth lost, at least.

The man helped her up before she managed to herself, and she stumbles in place.

"Lady Cagalli!"

"I- I'm fine..." She says. But of course the guard didn't believe her. And it's unlikely they'll let anyone get close to her again for the rest of the night.

But she still barks an order, coughing and sniffling all the while. "...Let her go."

"But Lady Ca-"

"I said let her go!"

The guards begrudgingly releases Ryoko at that. ...But they don't let her out of their sight. Nor do they let her attempt to get close after she just assaulted the ruler of their country.

Was it a kindness on Cagalli's part? She should be in prison right now. Maybe even have a lawsuit being written up right now.

But Ryoko did save Orb. Probably more than once.

For now, Ryoko's safe from her guards, and further prosecution. She'll let a punch or two go.

She doesn't say anything else in return. Ryoko tells her to move, and so she does. Not in the way she wants, however, as Cagalli just walks away in silence. Trying to stop her tears and sniffling.

'Just move', a quiet voice.

And she does, literally. Not looking back as she pulls her guards with her.

'Just move'? How? In what way? What is she supposed to do?

Ryoko hasn't given her an answer.

And she starts building that vessel back up.

<Pose Tracker> Ryoko Subaru has posed.

It's not the first time Ryoko has been grabbed by police... back where she lived growing up, the police knew her on a first name basis. And while she's not thinking about the consequences before, she might be now.

"Let go of me! Assholes! I'll thrash all of you one by one! LEGGO!"

Indeed, she seems like a violent hellcat now, just by how she's talking, but-

'... Let her go.'

The guards ask, 'But Lady Ca-'

Ryoko simply says, "Huh?" Blink, blink - as if this wasn't an anticipated outcome, you see she's quite accustomed to facing punishment for her actions.

Ryoko stops trying to futilely break the hold the Security has on her, and just lets it happen, as they let her go...

...

... she takes one last glance at Cagalli, before one of the Security officers gives her a look that indicates, 'Keep moving'

And another gives her one that tells her 'Just give us a reason. Just one.'

Part of her feels like she should say something, but... she wasn't a Princess, she was just 'Daddy's Princess'. She ran away from home - then ran away from her life, when that turned out to be the wrong decision.

But even that was still moving - and she ended up in a place where... she found people she cares about.

In the end, she can't communicate that to her, because she'd have to be honest about her feelings ...and risk the wrath of a security force itching to beat the shit out of her, but it's really the former that stays her hand more than the latter.

Ryoko while she feels deeply about so many things can rarely be honest about how she communicates those feelings - because her entire life...

... she's felt that her feelings are wrong.

-=-=-

Ryoko's first sight upon returning to the Nadesico was Erina Kinjo Wong, with crossed arms, "Getting into trouble I see."

Ryoko recoiled, before massaging her cheek, "Really? Were you just gonna wait here all night until I got back?"

Erina replies acerbically, "We're in the middle of an unprecedented crisis and under a strict NDA. Now you're going to tell me where you were and who you talked to, right now."

Ryoko looked past her, "Mostly I was out drinking - didn't do much talking." As she points to the bruise, before still looking past her, "Did deck Cagalli Yula Athha to cap off my night."

Erina appeared shocked at her gall, "Are you proud of yourself, making light of the situation by telling such lies?" Erina uncrossed her arms and began to storm up, "Be up at Oh-Six-Hundred - and you better not be hung over - you'll be working a double."

Ryoko mumbles, "Wish that I were." Of being hung over, "Would imply that I was drunk." There's a deep sigh, before she calls out, "Orb is joining up with NUNE, by the by."

Erina stopped suddenly, and turned around, giving her this serious look, "How did you come by this information?"

Ryoko studied Erina's face for a time before asking, "You already knew, didn't you?" "I know a great many things, Ms. Subaru. Answer the question." Ryoko rubbed the back of her neck with a hand, before uttering, "The Athha Princess told me?"

The other woman gave her a furious look at the obvious lie, "You wretched-! Make that Oh-Four-Hundred... and if you don't treat this information as also under our NDA, Ms. Subaru, I will end you."

Erina did finally leave at that point, leaving Ryoko to stare out a view port, looking at one of the only stars she could see in the Orb sky.

"Bet an Orb Princess has a lot of stars inside herself." There's a sigh, as she rubbed her cheek, perhaps mournfully, "Hope she has a way easier time finding them."