2022-12-13: A Show of Faith

• Log: 2022-12-13: A Show of Faith
• Cast: Sayla Mass, Rikka Takarada
• Where: Yumi Foundation Office, Tsutsujidai
• OOC - IC Date: 13 December 2022
• Summary: After realizing Rikka has awakened as a newtype, Sayla invites her to talk. The conversation drifts to other important topics.

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<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.

        The Yumi Foundation office has been busy, serving as a communication hub with runners, tracking disaster updates and directing shelters. It's also become the place where a lot of the Yumi Foundation volunteers who can't or don't want to go home have been sleeping. Futons have been laid down in offices, and Sayla feels extremely justified in having a shower installed right now. And given that most offices are simply not in use at the moment, Sayla is giving serious thought to taking it over for more space as volunteers grow.

        Right now, though, Sayla's operating with her laptop and bag at her desk, her pilot suit stashed in the cockpit of the Dijeh. Her coat is over her chair and she's waiting in a slot that under normal circumstances would be reception, as she works on rosters.

        "That's odd... I was sure I'd booked Ramo off there..." At the moment they need all the help they can get. And maybe she needs the distraction...

        She looks down at a flier found at the night. Calibur should definitely have found her by now, so it's just a matter of time. She just has to wait for them to arrive- assuming there aren't issues being dealt with.

        "I should set up some time for myself in the School Nurse's office... Taking some pressure off the hospital is a good idea."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka has been hard at work. It's still early days, yet, and this is the time when her work is important... but, fortunately, she does have people to look after her and make sure she isn't working herself too hard. She has her mother, and Borr, and everyone else... and, the knowledge that Yuta would probably remind her that she shouldn't run herself ragged, if he were still awake. This all means that when Calibur arrives, she isn't in the middle of anything at present... and with him on the job, it doesn't take long at all for her to arrive at the Yumi Foundation office.

"Thanks, Calibur." Rikka says as she's set down, brushing herself off. ...She's never going to get used to getting carried like that... but, she has to admit, it's convenient.

She steps through the doors and is surprised to see Sayla at the reception desk, but she smiles and offers her a wave of greeting anyway.

"Hey, Sayla... You wanted to see me?" Rikka asks.

<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.

        Sayla stands up from behind her her desk, as Calibur enters behind Rikka- before his swords *slam* into the door and he falls over backwards. Sayla tries- badly- to hide a snicker under her hands. "Thank you for coming, Rikka. Are you holding up alright?" She picks up some notes she's written up in the time he was gone. "Calibur, could you run these messages for me? The first one's to Ramo at the school, check if she needs anything. The second's for the GGG encampment, the third is a stocktake of local perishables for Inoue Hospital and the last one," She hands this over with some cash in it. "Is my order from Aya. Don't spill it."

        "U- Understood." With a moment, Calibur leaps out a nearby window to work. Sayla dusts off her hands.

        "There, that should buy us fifteen minutes or so." Indeed, Sayla's the only one in the office, and she indicates that Rikka should move over to a couch as she grabs her handbag. And the flier.

"I heard about what happened, and I'm heard to talk about it if you feel you want to- but I won't push either." She pauses. "I also want to talk about your initiative, but before all that..." Sayla pulls out a little notebook. "We should talk about Newtypes."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka can hear Calibur enter behind her. ...The smack of his swords slamming into the doorframe is something else she'll never get used to, either, but that she at least finds amusing. Sayla asks if she's holding up alright and Rikka considers it for a moment before nodding.

"...Yeah. Much as I can be, at least." She admits. Sayla directs her over to a couch and so, with a nod, she moves to take a seat. Her eyes catch the flier, but then she looks back up at Sayla. She nods again.

"...I'm okay to talk about it. It's just a lot to take in and I'm... worried." Rikka starts. She wants to talk about her iniative too, but first... Newtypes. She nods for a third time.

"...Yeah. I know a little bit about them, but..." She trails off. It's still a very new experience for her.

<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.

        Sayla thought as much. Yuta's recovering, at least. But 'it could be worse' is often cold comfort. "I understand." It's... a whole lot to take in, isn't it. Fine. Let's get the pointy part out of the way. "Well, the fact that you could use those funnels is pretty undeniable proof- is it a recent development? I didn't awaken until I was 17, and even then it was under tense circumstances, so it's not unusual to awaken suddenly."

        Sayla flips open the notebook. "So I guess... Newtypes are people who can feel the feelings of others, and can have moments where they can be aware of danger a moment ahead of time. Sometimes they have other abilities, and they can form strong bonds with others. Some over time, some instantly. For some it's with just a touch but... that tends to happen with Newtypes who are stronger."

        Sayla takes a breather, leaning back. "Beyond that, well... It's kind of uncharted terrirtory. In my world, pretty much all newtype research went towards using Newtypes for war, and artificially creating them. Even then, they're not understood well. Once everything's resolved, I can get you some of the philosophy behind it, but even Zeon Zum Deikun's best guesses were just that."

        Sayla reaches up to put her hand on Rikka's shoulder. "I can't tell you what you will or won't be able to do. But you can do what you can do now, and it's up to you what you do with those abilities, and what being a Newtype means for you."
BBSYS: Post 527, 'Route Split Boards' has been published to Announcements by Beam Coat.

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Rikka nods and considers her words as continues.

"I'm worried about Yuta, of course... but, I'm worried about Akane, too. Is that weird?" RIkka asks. "She wasn't..."

She frowns, not really sure how to word it, and eventually decides to move on from that thought.

"...I know she's going to think back on this and make things worse for herself. ...And I'm worried about how other people might react to her about it, too."

...Yuta has a lot of friends, after all. Good friends.

As for Newtypes... Rikka nods.

"...Do you remember that kaiju that appeared last month? The one responsible for drawing people to Tsutsujidai." Rikka asks. "...Yuta, Utsumi and I were its last targets, on the day it was fought. I was dreaming - but through the kaiju, I could see everyone fighting it. And when I cheered for them... some of them could hear me."

She frowns a little before continuing.

"I don't know if it's something it did to me, or if the experience just... helped me realise potential I don't know I had. But... that's what did it, I think. Ever since then, I've been feeling, experiencing things I've never felt before."

She listens as Sayla continues, detailing some of the things Newtypes experience. Rikka nods along with it - some of those seem to line up with some of her experiences.

"...That's awful..." Rikka murmurs, in regard to using Newtypes for war and artificially creating them. She nods, though, when she brings up the philosophy behind it. "...I'd like to read that, I think."

Sayla places a hand on her shoulder, then. Rikka nods.

"...I know. But... it's nice having someone to talk to about it." Rikka said. She was going to ask Leina but, well... She thinks for a moment longer. "I don't think... I know what it means for me yet. I'm still figuring everything out. But... I'd like to think it's a good thing."

<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.

        "It's not weird," Sayla responds with the certainty of someone who's been there. "It's not weird at all. The people we care about can do stupid, foolish, harmful things... and we'll still care about them. And some of those bonds are stronger than others." Sayla's trying to keep her feelings from seeping into Rikka's, but right now it seems a little inevitable. So let her pick up a bit of concern, hurt for a brother lost. At least she can try and control what seeps through. "...If it gets too much, tell me."

        "Akane will have a lot to answer for, there's no doubt of that." Sayla picks her words carefully. "But she's done nothing she can't make amends for. She has no unforgivable sins. Even before you account for Alexis twisting her life. She just has to choose to."

        Sayla gives a nod, slowly. She's been mulling over that Kaiju too. "It's hard to say. You're the first person from Tsutsujidai to awaken as a newtype. Maybe it's both. And now you can start to hear other people's hearts- and sometimes it will be things you don't want to hear." She taps her fingers... "I might have something on my phone I can put in a more accessible phone, otherwise... Some of it might exist in the Tsutsujidai libraries."

        Sayla gives Rikka a smile, if a slightly tired one. "Then I'm happy to provide that service. I'm sure there will be others in here you can talk to too, and I'll keep an eye out. It's a lot to get used to, but I know you will. Especially thinking of it like that."

        Sayla looks at the flier she picked up. She knows Rikka will have more questions, but maybe need time to process. And she has something to bring up of her own. "Rikka... That Kaiju you mentioned." She pauses, wondering whether she should say something. "...I think that Akane tried to use it on me too." She taps her fingers on her leg, surprisingly anxious. "At the start of the month, I woke up from a nightmare, and got up to get fresh air. I ran into Anti, and he said he saw a kaiju and tried to attack it, but it ran away. We'd both assumed it was monitoring Anti, but after it was beaten and everyone came back..." Sayla pauses. "I remembered a dream, of the worst night of my life... except that Akane was there." She takes another few breaths.

        "That kaiju.... that's not the plan of a cold hearted killer. That's someone scared, and looking for help without knowing how to ask for it. Do you think I'm wrong?"

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Sayla assures her that it isn't weird and at that Rikka relaxes a little. But... she can hear that certainty that comes from experience in her voice, and she can feel that hurt and concern.

"Thanks. I will." Rikka replies with a nod and, after a moment of hesitation, she offers some sympathy. "...I'm sorry."

Sayla continues. Akane will have a lot to answer for... Rikka nods quietly.

"...I know." She murmurs. ...It helps, though, that Sayla doesn't think she's unforgivable. Akane just has to choose to make amends...

"...I'm the first?" Rikka asks, looking up. It's a little strange to think about. But... things she doesn't want to hear... It makes sense, she supposes. There are some things lying in the heart that are best left uncovered, sometimes. "...I guess it makes sense I can't pick and choose the good from the bad. ...But, I'm not sure I'd want to even if I could."

If she can hear the hearts of others, then she feels responsible for accepting the whole heart, not only the parts she wants to see. She nods, then.

"Thanks. I'd appreciate that - I'll go looking, too." Rikka said. And Sayla smiles a tired smile, but whose isn't, these days? Rikka smiles back. "Thanks."

Sayla speaks of her own encounter with the kaiju, then.

"She did...?" She replies, and listens quietly. A dream of the worst night of her life, but Akane was there... She pauses for a moment as Sayla offers a theory, and then shakes her head. "...No. No, I think you're right about that. And about her."

...That's all the more reason, then, that they do everything they can to help her.

<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.

        "Thank you." Sayla responds, starting to confirm more and more what sort of person Rikka is. Sayla's smile continues as Rikka affirms her feelings- her desire not to pick and choose. Honestly, it's what she wanted to hear. "It's not an easy road, but I think you're strong enough to handle this. And you have people who will support you."

        "I'm glad." Sayla says, before reaching into her bag for something. "I have to focus on coordinating Foundation efforts, but if the Rescue group needs support we can provide, it's yours." She pulls a white and silver gift box from her bag, with a ribbon wrapping it.

        "This is from Leina and myself, and Leina came up with the idea. We'd hoped to give it to you together but... we got a bit swamped." Sayla looks a touch sheepish. "Happy Birthday, Rikka."

        Inside the box are two tickets, for the Imperial Theater Revue in Neo-Japan, for one of their adaptations coming in 0097- Truthseeker Serena: The Stage. It is indeed the VIP Package- Three nights at a highly rated traditional hotel near the theater that includes private and public onsen, meet and greet with the actors, dinner at several excellent restaurants, and a number of tours and events. It's a big package- that would have been deliriously expensive if the Shuffle Alliance weren't major stakeholders. As it is, it's merely very expensive.

        Sayla leans back. "You've been through a lot. I thought you might like a show of our faith in you."

<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.

Sayla says that she thinks she's strong enough to handle it. That she has the confident means a lot to Rikka, knowing Sayla and everything she's been through.

"...Yeah. I'll do my best. I'm glad I don't have to do it alone." She replies. She nods, then, as Sayla continues.

"Thanks. Honestly, the Foundation being here, doing its thing, is more than enough help on its own. You do a lot of things that we wouldn't really be able to do..." Rikka says. "If we need anything specific, though, I'll be sure to let you know right away."

She pauses, though, as Sayla pulls out a white and silver gift box. Rikka watches it curiously, looking up at Sayla as she offers it to her. Rikka smiles.

"Really? Thank you so much..." She replies, and pauses for a moment. "...When this is all over... we'll have to thank her together."

When this is all over. Confidence in the future, that they'll see Leina again. . ...And the contents in the box express confidence in the future in another way.

Two tickets, to a theater adaptation of her favorite show next year - and not just that, the full VIP package. She stares at it, in awe. She knows how expensive these must be. She'd probably been eying the tickets for a while. And for there to be two of them... The meaning doesn't go over her head.

She stares, for a good, solid minute, completely overwhelmed. A show of faith... Rikka looks at the tickets, and back up at Sayla again. Carefully, she hugs the box to herself. ...She's tearing up a little, but she still manages to speak.

"...Th-thanks. I... I won't let you down. Any of you." Rikka says. Not 'either', not just Sayla and Leina. There's someone else she absolutely won't let down, as well.