2022-11-23: Friend

• Cast: Rikka Takarada, Namiko
• Where: Junk Shop Aya, living room
• Date: U.C. 0096 11 23
• Summary: With Namiko pulled from Celebro's control, Rikka discovers the extent of the damage and helps her reconstruct her identity.

---

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

The events following yesterday's confrontation are something of a blur to Rikka. It feels like a lot happened - but not a lot, at the same time. The waiting is the worst part - there's no telling what state Namiko will wake up in. If she's still going to be in that trance she was before, or...

...

Rikka was, eventually, coaxed to get some rest. It's the next morning now, in the Aya's living room where they had prepared one of the sofa's for Namiko to rest in. Rikka elected to sleep on the sofa on the other side of the room rather than returning to her room. Now, the blanket is slightly askew from where she got up and Rikka sits at the living room table. She didn't sleep that much, so she has a mug of coffee in front of her to keep herself awake, sipping from it in between taking glances over to the sleeping Namiko, in case she wakes up. She has yet to leave the room since they returned.

The shop is, of course, closed today. They didn't tell her what happened, but somehow Orie understood that the situation was serious anyway.

<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.

Namiko has been asleep since Calibur took her away. Something about the situation just...overwhelmed her, in whatever trance she was in. Understandable enough; it was an overwhelming situation for everyone. She slept almost motionless for the remainder of the day. Overnight, as the fog churned, during the brief period there was nobody watching, she began slowly turning more.

The maintenance kaiju have their duties, after all. Repairing unplanned damage is one of them. They can't do the whole job, though. There is a difference between healing and repair, and only one of those is native to a world sculpted from Akane Shinjo's heart.

In other words, some of it, Namiko has to do for herself. Her dreams are clearly troubled, especially as time wears on and internal processes begin anew. A heart of clay was not meant to hurt like this. Cannot sustain pain like this. She will have to make for her own a heart of flesh.

When Namiko wakes up, it's with a loud gasp. She bolts upright, sucking in a breath deeply, immediately panting like waking up from a long, terrible dream. Her breathing is quick and rough and her eyes dart around like her first thought is to look for an enemy, and only after she's sure there isn't one does she even begin to process that she doesn't know the room. "I," she rasps out, licking dry lips, and then her eyes fall to Rikka.

In the smallest voice possible, she whispers, "Ri...kka?"

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Suddenly, Namiko wakes up with a loud gasp. Rikka looks up quickly, setting her mug down in a hurry - in her haste it nearly spills but she manages to catch it and stabilize it when she does. She stands up, hurrying over to Namiko's side. She notes her breathing, and the way her eyes dart around...

"It's okay... This is my place. You're safe here." Rikka whispers, standing at the foot of the sofa now, her tone of gentle reassurance. She's... never seen that sort of expression on Namiko's face before. But, she's a little relieved when she says her name. Rikka offers a small smile.

"Hey, Namiko... How are you feeling? Do you need anything?" Rikka asks. She's curious how much she remembers, if she remembers... but right now, she feels it more important to see to her needs first. She takes a seat next to her - slowly, so that she can stop and back off if Namiko seems stressed about it.

<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.

Namiko's never thought about something like enemies before in her life. The look on her face, soul-deep anxiety and piercing fear, is entirely foreign to her. Rikka's reassurances do help, but...

"I," she says again. "My head's all fuzzy, but....I think I..."

Rikka starts to sit and Namiko does, in fact, start to look worried. Her hands start rising, but she suddenly sees them in her own vision, and notices them like they're the most dangerous thing she can think of. She turns her head and LOOKS at them, examines them, flexing her fingers like....it's hard to say what like.

Like she's worried they're going to be holding something dangerous without her knowing, perhaps.

Eventually she curls them up, pulling them in towards her chest, posture small and anxious.

She looks to Rikka again and the look on her face is stricken.

"I think I," she says again, and then says, "Did I...." and the unspoken question dances in her eyes. Unspeakable, unthinkable, but inescapable.

'Hurt you?' she doesn't finish.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka notices the way Namiko's hands begin to rise and she pauses, ready to move and give her some more space. But then... she stops, as Namiko stops, looking at her hands. Rikka grimaces, sorrow and sympathy crossing over her expression. ...It hurts to see her this way. Looking so small and vulnerable. And then, the look on her face...

Namiko doesn't have to finish the question for Rikka to understand what she's asking. Briefly, anger flashes through her mind - not at Namiko, never at Namiko, but at the thing wearing Hass, that hurt her this way.

"...It's okay. It's not your fault." Rikka says, shaking her head. "You were... being used."

Lying wouldn't help. Because if she's asking the question... some part of her must remember.

<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.

Namiko looks like she's trying to swallow a basketball for a moment, a lump stuck in her throat, her eyes a mixture of a thousand-yard stare and total, imminent stress. Eventually she croaks, "O...okay," and puts her hands in her lap rather than go for a hug.

This is a side of Namiko Rikka hasn't seen before. It might not have EXISTED, before now.

"As long as...you're OK," Namiko mumbles. She wriggles her fingers again like she's afraid a knife is going to slip out from between them. "I remember...running up to Hass, the day after her stream gauntlet ended. And...and she had this...blaster thing."

... "It's not her," she croaks. "It's not Hass. Please...please don't hate Hass, too, Rikka..." 'too'?

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

...It's difficult, trying to navigate this new side of Namiko. But it must be infinitely harder for Namiko herself. Rikka listens as she manages an 'okay', folding her hands in her lap.

"I am. Don't worry." Rikka replies with a shake of her head. Her eyes are drawn to her hands, the way she almost seems... afraid, of them. She reaches over - stopping for a moment to look up to Namiko for confirmation - before taking her hand in her own. She doesn't squeeze - just holds it for the moment, gently, if Namiko lets her.

Namiko explains, then - that she ran up to Hass, and she had some kind of blaster. Is that what she used to control Namiko...? Before she can ask that, though, Namiko says something that's more pressing.

"'Too'...?" Rikka repeats. ...Does she remember someone else? Borr, maybe. But... "I know. She wouldn't do those things - say those things... She wouldn't use you like this, make you feel this way. That's how I knew it couldn't be her."

<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.

Namiko watches but nods, fractionally, when Rikka gently grasps her hand. The tension is palpable, and Namiko actually holds her breath for a moment, but...

...nothing happens. She releases a long, slow, shuddering breath, and finally allows enough tension out of herself that she slowly slumps to lean against Rikka. "I remember...some things," she mutters. "I was convenient since I kept...kept coming to her. She said...something about...the smoke monsters fixing something overnight...? I don't understand." She *does* grip.

"...I think...there was another person it had used before. I remember someone asking for help. Maybe...maybe a couple people?"

Her grip gets tighter. Her other hand is balled white-knuckle but she's trying not to hurt Rikka. She's so, so scared of hurting Rikka.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

There's tension there and Rikka waits, preparing to act appropriately... but ultimately Namiko exhales, and allows herself to lean against her. Rikka feels a little tension leave her, too.

Namiko continues... and Rikka flares another small flare of anger inside her. Taking advantage of Hass and Namiko's friendship like that... she can't forgive that. But, the 'smoke monsters'... She remembers that much...?

"I'll... tell you more about that later. It might be a lot to take in right now." Rikka says, as Namiko's grip tightens. ...Namiko deserves to know, now. Now that she's been through this much, she can't justify it to herself anymore.

Still, though - another person it had used, and someone asking for help. A couple of people... If she remembers that much, then...

"Don't force it if it starts to hurt, but... Do you remember anything else? Anything at all." Rikka asks."

Namiko's grip tightens even further. Rikka can feel her fear in her grip. She reaches over, resting her other hand over Namiko's own.

"It's okay. I'm okay..." Rikka murmurs, trying to reassure her.

<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.

"OK," Namiko says, quietly. With the initial fear of her own body slowly fading, Namiko is placing herself into Rikka's care and control. Trusting her because her other rudders are gone. If Rikka promises it can wait, then it can wait. Namiko...right now she just feels like...this needs to get out. An instinct in her, that she mustn't keep anything she knows. That it might be gone in a flash.

Especially when Rikka asks for more. "It was dark...I don't really remember coming or going. I think it must have been underground..." Which would mean the PLANT substructures? Maybe?

Rikka grips her other hand as well. Namiko turns to make it easier, face to face...but also leans forward, placing her head fully into Rikka's shoulder and shaking a little. "It's you," she murmurs. "It's definitely really you...and...and I think it's me...my head's all fuzzy..."

She breathes deeply, breath shuddering in her lungs. "She said something about me...developing. She said she stopped it. I don't get it, but...my head feels funny..."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Namiko says 'okay', and Rikka nods. Once Namiko is able to move on her own, once she can see, she'll tell her all about it. But for right now... Rikka frowns consideringly, as Namiko brings up the darkness. She doesn't remember coming or going... she thinks it might be underground. That's a good start. It narrows things down a little.

"Do you remember hearing anything? Or... smelling, even? Anything that might give us a clue to where it is." Rikka asks. She'll keep the questions up for as long as Namiko can handle them. Right now, she might be the only one who can lead them to Hass.

Namiko turns toward her. They're looking face to face now, and Namiko leans into her shoulder. Rikka leans in a little too, to reinforce her presence, to help remind her that she's here, they're both her.

"It's me." Rikka confirms. "And it's definitely really you, Namiko."

Namiko continues. Once again, Rikka feels that indignant anger.

"She... did something to you. Something to suppress your will. To keep you from thinking for yourself, and growing as a person." Rikka murmurs. It's a guess - but from what she knows of Repli-Compoids and what 'Hass' herself said, she has a feeling she's on the right track. "But... I know you, Namiko. You're... kind, and friendly, and compassionate, and you always speak your mind. You can get through this. I know you can. Just... try to remember who you are - focus on who and what's important to you..."

If Namiko can't get through this herself... she might need to introduce her to Gridman. But for now, she'll try this. Because she trusts her.

<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.

"Smelling," Namiko says, quietly. She always was a bit olfactory. Perhaps it's the tea drinker in her. "Hass...stopped caring, I think," she mumbles, not entirely on topic. "She used to smell really nice..." Slow breath, calming herself, but also, "Like you do..."

She forces herself to pull back a bit more. "I think it smelled bad," she says, her eyes cast down. Dire thoughts. But. Rikka's here. Rikka's holding her. She can count on Rikka, for now. "Really bad. Like...not like a sewer. Like a....a pet store. Like the fish section. Yeah. Like an aquarium." She nods, finally, satisfied that she's taken the association chain to where she wanted to be. "I think I heard something growling, too. Or...groaning...like it sounded really big, and in pain?"

She fidgets, and slumps into Rikka's shoulder again. She doesn't want to think about that now. "I think that's right," she says, quietly. "I could only think about Hass...it felt weird, like nothing else really...counted? I..."

Another deep breath. "I'm me," she says. "I'm Namiko. I am. I..."

A shudder runs through her and her eyes flutter, wet, and her hands clutch Rikka's tight. "I love my friends," she all but whispers. "That's me. Yeah. Rikka...is with me."

Her thumbs rub on the back of Rikka's hands, reassuring herself of that solidity. "Rikka's super smart. I know I can trust you."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

That seems to have done something. Rikka nods, listening as Namiko follows the train of thought. Hass stopped caring... yeah, that sounds right. The way she moved and acted... it's hard to believe that whatever's controlling her now would care about things like that. ...She can't help but smile a little, though, when Namiko comments on her smell.

"You think so...?" She starts. ...But, that's not important right now. She focuses, listening as Namiko continues. Somewhere that smells like an aquarium. Something growling - really big, and in pain... That helps. It's a potential landmark.

"That really narrows things down. There can't be a lot of places like that here in Tsutsujidai..." Rikka says consideringly. "Thank you, Namiko. I think we might really have a chance to find her now."

It's a hope. A faint hope, but it's something to cling to.

"I'm sorry. I'm... so sorry you had to go through that." Rikka murmurs. "That that thing controlling Hass would use her against you..."

But Namiko... Rikka closes her eyes for a moment, just taking her presence in for a moment. It feels like... it's helping. That Namiko's gradually coming back to her. Namiko's hands clutch hers and Rikka returns the favor now, squeezing gently. Namiko whispers her love for her friends, remarks on her smarts, and says she can trust her. Rikka smiles. Tears are starting to flow... but that's okay. This is okay.

"...And I love you - you and Hass. I don't say this enough, but... I rely on you so much. Knowing you're there to support me keeps me going. Helps me do what I need to do." Rikka murmurs. "I promise. From now on, I'll tell you everything."

<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.

Namiko rubs her face in Rikka's shoulder just briefly, rallying herself, and pulls herself away again. Trying to keep herself upright, though her gaze is still down in their laps.

She answers Rikka and thinks about herself in one breath. "I care about...that. What things smell like. The scent of tea is really important. It's really easy to not even think about it. But it's one of the best parts." ... She blushes a little. "...I like it for people, too. When it's nice, I do." She nods, like she's remembering something about herself.

Her own eyes are wet too, a tear streaking down. "We knew something was going on," she says, lightly. She actually manages to sneak out a ghost of a smile. "It was only so obvious! But...Hass said, you'll tell us when you're ready." She nods. "Hass always knows how to keep me steady when I go too far. I trust Hass." She flutters her eyes, blinking as more and more wetness comes to her eyes. "She loves us, too," she breathes. "She wouldn't...she'd never hurt us. Not ever. So..."

Her fingers curl. Anxiety, subtle though it is. "We have to save her," she breathes.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

"That sounds like you." Rikka replies, a fond smile creeping across her face. Of course she would care about that kind of thing. The sort of subtle, but important thing that completes the experience and enriches the world. "It's good."

Namiko admits, then, that she and Hass knew something was going on. That it was obvious. Rikka can't help but laugh a little at that, sheepish but genuine.

"I should have known... And here's me thinking I was so clever." She replies, shaking her head. "...I thought you two would be happier if you didn't know. That you'd be safer. But..."

...But, then this happened. She's not going to say she's at fault for that, at least.

"...I know. I trust her, too." Rikka replies with a nod. Namiko's fingers curl. She can feel her anxiety. Gently, Rikka brings them closer to herself. She looks at Namiko, a resolve in her eyes that might be new to her. "We will, I promise. We will save her."

<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.

Maybe she's not completely reassembled yet, but...well, wasn't Rikka so close to the heart of her world? She's worried. She's anxious, because of course she is. But Namiko still achieves a teary-eyed smile, tipping her head and looking up to see Rikka head on. "I don't have to know everything you get up to," she says. "Friends trust each other. But I want...to have a hug ready for you when you need it. That's Namiko." Ehehehe...she sniffles, blinking at tears and unwilling to pull her hands away. Her hands move more, fingers curling into Rikka's. That determined face of Rikka's is new for Namiko. "I don't think I've seen you so strong until now. I think you've gotten pretty cool lately."

... "I don't know...that I want to catch up. This kind of sucks." She chuckles a little, moving past her misery enough to laugh. "But I do want to stay with you, Rikka."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka nods. That level of trust... it means a lot to her. That's what she needs right now, when there's so much going on in the world.

"Thanks... I'll be counting on you for that." Rikka replies, offering her a smile. A friendly hug, whenever she needs it. That promise gives her strength. Namiko says she's gotten pretty cool lately.

"I'm always cool." Rikka says, to lighten the mood a little before admitting. "...But, I've had a lot of good influences lately to help remind me what's important."

She nods as Namiko continues. It's no surprise that it's still rough for her, but at least she can still laugh. But if she wants to stay with her...

"Yeah. Me too - as long as you need." She agrees with a nod.

<Pose Tracker> Namiko has posed.

Namiko giggles at Rikka's tease, and then actually does break herself from their gripping hands, in order to gently lean the rest of the way forward and hug her properly.

"I meant forever, silly," Namiko sighs, all warmth and fondness. Maybe normally she'd temper that with something a bit more achievable, but she leaves it at that, holding Rikka close. "You'll have to help me be cool enough to stick around," she teases. "But for today...just a few minutes more?" .. "And then maybe some tea."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Namiko releases her hands. This time, to lean in to a hug. Rikka reciprocates, wrapping her arms around her friend as well.

"Oh." Rikka replies, with a small sheepish laugh. Namiko teases her, then... and after everything they've been through, it's a warm, nostalgic feeling. She laughs again.

"I think I can manage that." She retorts, and then smiles a bit more softly. "...Yeah. And... tea sounds good."