2022-12-30: A Lunch Break
- Log: A Lunch Break
- Cast: Leina Ashta, Eight York
- Where: Dublin, Ireland
- OOC - IC Date: Dec 30 0096
- Summary: Eight York hopes to talk to Leina about the family she helped her find; Leina Ashta jumps at the chance for a break from her preparations for the gala.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
It's been a busy and frustrating day of planning. While she's been a part of planning for Yumi Foundation galas before, she's never been front and center for it.
There was always the safety net of Sayla being the voice of experience and the person making the final decisions.
Now she's working without a net, and she knows it far too well. Which is why when the message came in from Eight that she was in Dublin and wanted to talk whenever Leina had time came in...
... she sort of jumped on it for the break. Eight's first impression of Dublin is likely negative.
If someone had lied to her and said the Colony Drop had happened a month ago rather than eight years ago, it'd be believable. Britannia has done almost no rebuilding here.
The outskirts of the city are still intact, there are businesses open, but far too many people without homes unless tent cities count.
Leina's asked to meet at a local pub for lunch, and she's ordered ahead some Irish Stew and Boxty. She's currently dressed casual in a white turtleneck and jeans, as well as trainers. A tan coat lays in her booth over her purse, one wouldn't know she's planning an upscale gala by how she's dressed.
She's on the phone right now, "Yeah Vel - I promise, just needed a couple hours to clear my head. I'll be back before you know it."
Two fingertips rub at her nose, "Yeah I'll work with you on finalizing the seating arrangements when I get back. ... I know we're trying to rub their noses in it, but I don't want to start a war here."
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
Eight was, of course, willing to talk later if Leina was busy--she knows about the party, after all--but when Leina jumped at the chance, Eight was happy to meet up. Knowing it would give Leina a little time off too would make it even better! (If she doesn't know that then she doesn't know that. It's fine.)
But indeed--Eight York's first impression of Dublin is negative. Or rather, her opinion of Britannia is increasingly negative--there could've been rebuilding done here. There could've been a lot done here. Instead, there are tent cities. There are ruins. And there are... partially intact buildings.
Still, she doesn't let it show on her face; the Captain keeps up a bright impression for anyone she sees. She's dressed in white too--a white dress, knee-length, and a red coat against the chill. Boots--heeled, of course--complete her look. This is casual for Eight, as a rule.
So when she shows up and notices Leina on the phone, she doesn't call out; she instead moves into her seat and waves with a smile at Leina. She can wait a moment.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
Leina waves Eight's way as she arrives, and gives her an apologetic look, "Vel my lunch date is here, I've got to go. ... Thanks again for all your hard work. Talk to you soon."
Leina raises her drink - which Eight might recognize as a Hot Toddy, and takes a sip.
There's then a sigh, and a smile, "It's good to see you, Eight." She doesn't call her Captain since they're not on her ship.
(Also frankly better that she not announce to everyone she's a Federation Captain. The Federation isn't popular around here.)
"Didn't expect to see you in Dublin so early! But when you messaged me, I think I jumped at the opportunity to have lunch with you." A beat, "How was the trip to Side 3?"
She asks, but doesn't add the unspoken part 'Was it everything you hoped for?'
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
Eight doesn't like to be formal in civilian clothes anyway; it's weird to be called Captain while she's dressed like this... and she has a feeling about the Federation, here.
Eight will order some coffee when the server comes around; she doesn't drink alcohol much. She does notice the drink though.
"Likewise, Leina. I'm happy you decided to meet with me."
A beat, "Ahah, yeah? Well, that's always nice to hear, that someone really wants to see you! I figured I had some time so I could come on down ahead so I didn't have to check in to the hotel night-of. Lavhi's here too, though obviously," since he's not here here, "I didn't bring him; he back handling some stuff for us."
The trip... It's a very big question. Eight has to take a moment to think of where to start--but there's no wince, no sharp intake of breath, no obvious issue.
"...Chovan went with me to the orphanage first," she says. "That was... nice. We had a tour, met one of the nuns, who remembered me. They told me I had a birthday. It's a little different from the one I always celebrated, but maybe I'll just get to have two. That'd be nice, right?"
"And then the next day... Grandmother," she says. "It was totally different from what I was expecting. She was kind of blunt, really. I don't mind that, but I didn't expect her to be so sharp. She said 'you are my granddaughter, but part of why we're meeting here today is to see if you're interested in taking my name and I'm interested in extending it to you.' ...She was happy to see me, though. She told me a lot about... my father. Some about my aunt and uncle. What really surprised me is that she wanted to hear about my adoptive family, too."
"It was..." She trails off, "It was really good. I'm thinking about what my next steps are. What to do about... everything. She did give me some homework," Eight says, wryly. "But we're taking it a little slow. She still calls me 'Miss York', for now. ...There's a few things I need to tell her sooner than later, but... I'm hopeful that she'll take them well."
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
"Good good. I'm glad you could both make it for tomorrow."
Leina says of Lavhi being here with her for tomorrow with her.
Then she listens to the trip, "In my opinion, your birthday is whatever you decide it to be." Leina says quietly, "A lot of... people in your position that I've encountered don't know details like that about themselves."
She doesn't say the word 'Cyber Newtype' aloud since they're in this space but...
"If you want two though, I say go for it." She grins and winks, "Maybe tell your crew to only buy you gifts for one of them though if you don't want a mutiny."
Eight then talks about her Grandmother, and Leina takes another pull from her drink, but from what she says Leina is cautiously optimistic.
"That does sound like her, good to know she didn't become a different person once I left. But... homework?" Leina raises an eyebrow, "Is it the kind of homework like I suspected you might give her?"
Then... "Ah... it's about your uhm, dating preferences I assume?" Leina's grin turns lopsided, "Don't blame you for not scandalizing her with that right away. Right now I usually tell everyone I have a boyfriend, then work up to the 'a girlfriend too' part later."
Leina's eyes trail up to the ceiling, "Not ashamed of it, it's more just that telling people about Audrey can be a bit complicated if they ask to see a photo."
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
"We want to support you," Eight answers brightly. "...And I take the excuses I can to get Lavhi into fancy clothes," she says with a grin.
But hmm. "Yeah. I'm not sure what I think yet, but I wrote it down anyway, because, why not?" A laugh next. "Yeah, especially since they're not that far apart..."
"So she was like that with you, too?" The blonde--she keeps her coat on for the moment, incidentally--grins. "Actually, she wants me to study history. There's some stuff they didn't teach me in high school, apparently. ...She gave me a book on etiquette, too, but no ballet!"
Then, "Mm-hm." She laughs. "Right? ...But it's important to me to make sure she's OK with Lavhi, first." Because he's a Zentradi. "And then broach the 'I have both' part. It's the same for me. I'm definitely not ashamed... but it's a little complicated with people. Though not as complicated as it is for you," she admits. She doesn't say why, but they both know.
"...Someone asked me which one I was going to marry," she says with a sigh. "That was embarrassing. I didn't answer smoothly at all..." She doesn't seem that upset though. "She says she's going to look up various marriage traditions for me. Maybe she'll find one that fits! ...But jokes aside, you can imagine that's complicated anyway, and I'm not exactly ready to do it yet."
"...But it's nice. She hasn't really put a lot of pressure on me. But I'm still thinking about... you know, the future."
"Speaking of boyfriends and girlfriends... How are they?"
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
"Do you now?" Leina grins, her spoon going back and forth in a tapping motion in mid-air, before she scoops up some stew and takes a bite, "Is he a fan of fancy parties? Sadly the music is going to be all - highbrow."
Leina at least got them to move off straight up classical, because god if that wouldn't make things so much worse for her.
"Just history and etiquette huh? Glad she's going slow..." it reminds Leina that she needs to send Emilia some history stuff too... Britannian textbooks suck.
"And like I said, she wouldn't start you on ballet, they'd only bother with that if you were still a kid."
The Lavhi part...
"Ah. Luckily Zentradi are pretty popular even amongst the staunch traditionalists but..." Not to date, not to marry. Most nobles would definitely consider that beneath them. She hopes her Grandmother doesn't.
Her eyebrows shoot up though upon noting someone asked which one she was going to marry, "Sometimes I wonder if attitudes have really shifted at all..." Leina says quietly, before smiling at her, "...it's just still the default to assume that everyone wants to get married. And I mean I do, but..."
There's a shake of her head, "Don't be embarrassed, that's kind of a rude thing to ask unless you're close friends."
For a time, Leina wonders if that's because Eight's the only one... left, and that she's being more accepting than she would have been for her other children, but she doesn't say anything, "I'm glad she's not pressuring you much. That could put you in a really awkward position real fast."
She asks about Banagher and Audrey though and...
"Audrey's... recovering. You got my message about Alma right?" She gives her a meaningful look, "She's better now, but she was really shaken up for a while."
There's a light sigh, "And Banagher - Banagher's still getting used to me being in a mobile suit I think. He feels... guilty about it I think. Like it's his fault..." Her green eyes shift sideways, "But I wonder if it wasn't just... inevitable given everything everyone I care about is involved in. Either way he gets, real overprotective. We're working on that."
She does smile at her, "We did have a lovely Christmas though, so there's that."
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
"I do! And I think he actually might. It's hard to tell sometimes; it might just be that he likes seeing me in nice dresses. I know that part's true." She grins about the music. "That's fine. We're both used to that. So many events..."
But it is being a little slow. "True, you did say that," Eight answers, "She laughed about the hockey thing."
"...That's good," Eight says, but she's thinking the same thing. She's not so sure marrying or dating one is 'acceptable'. "He's too important to me to take chances on, and... Well, it's better to find out sooner than later."
"Ahahah," Eight says. "It is," she says, "I get it though. I didn't mind because--well, she's just like that? She asks a lot of blunt questions, but she doesn't mean them badly; she just wants to know. She's a good friend. ...I almost teared up with how supportive she was about it. That would've been a little embarrassing."
She smiles, though. "I do, too. I want to get married, have kids... It'd be nice if I could just... put the people I love in one big house." She doesn't mention the ship; it's not quite the same thing anyway. "But who knows when I'll have time? I'll do it eventually, though. I hope."
She does ask! She wants to know! And... That. Eight nods. "I did," Eight answers about the message. "I'm glad she's recovering, at least. That worries me a lot."
But Banagher... "Ahhh, yeah. That's... I get being protective, I do, but that's a choice everybody makes for themselves. I'm glad you're working on it. It's not like I have the right to stop Rena from going out, for instance."
She could say more about Rena--and she will--but Leina mentions Christmas, and Eight sighs, dreamily. "So did I," she says. "Lavhi met up with me at a hotel bar after my meeting with Grandmother. I wasn't quite ready to stay at her house, especially not with him, so I stayed there instead. It was..." She smiles. "It was great. And I got to figure out some of my feelings a little, too. He says he supports whatever I decide to do. Not in those words, but... You get it."
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
"Well, you do look good in one." Leina says of Eight in a nice dress, she did see her on a date recently after all.
"... That's a good sign I guess, that she did. And yeah. Better to know sooner rather than later how she'll take to... all that."
Leina blinks about Eight's friend just being like that. "Huh. She sounds like a really interesting person if she's like that."
Blunt behavior, curiosity, supportive? Leina wonders...
"Yeah, same. One day. I definitely want kids myself. Just... too soon to think about marriage or kids." She winks at her, "Already working on the 'one big house' part on my end."
As the subject moves to Audrey, "I'd just, recommend all your people stay away from her for now. I don't really have any idea the limits of... how she does it." She also adds, "Also it may have something to do with green jewelry that glows when she does it? So may want to monitor for... that."
Leina just sighsssss lightly, "Yeah, it's going to be a work in progress on that. We'll... figure it out. It'll probably involve some bickering."
She's all smiles though as she hears how Lavhi and her figured some things out on Christmas, after leaving her Grandmother, not wanting to stay with her, "I'm glad that he's there for you. This would be tough without someone like him on your side."
She does give her a worried look, "Do you think Renalle will take it well after... everything...?"
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
"Thanks!" Eight says brightly.
"Yeah. I... I already like her a lot. So it'll be hard if she doesn't." But there's a reason Eight needs to know, and it's not so she can 'decide' who's most important. That ship she's already on.
"She is!" Eight agrees of Ruri. She doesn't rat her out, though. It's fine.
"I admit," Eight says, "I'm already thinking about it. But... It's just thinking, for right now. I don't think it's a good time. Not yet, anyway."
For Alma, Eight is very quiet. "Agreed. I've put out the warning to those I can. I can't exactly order the entire crew to avoid a Federation officer, but those I can." She pauses. "Green jewerly that glows... Got it. I'll keep that in mind."
Bangher.. "I guess a little bickering is better than a lot of alternatives. But I'm sure he'll get it eventually."
Smiles!! Eight, too, is all smiles. "Me, too. We've already been together for over a year. I... Really wouldn't want to be doing all this I'm doing without him."
Or without Rena, for that matter--but Rena comes up next. "I do," she says. "Well. I should say," she says, "That she was there when I found all this out in the first place. So she already knows. And she was really supportive! As for actually wanting more to do with my birth family... Well. She's taken it OK so far, anyway. And besides, she's got a lot of good news lately, herself. Did you hear? I don't think it's secret. But her and Annie!"
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
There's a slow nod on the subject, as Leina takes a bite of the Boxty, it has that good comfort food feel, "It will be, though it might not be insurmountable? ... I got the impression she was incredibly lonely when we first met. And to have exacting standards for the only family you have left?"
There's a touch of sorrow in her eyes, "That'd be pretty self destructive, don't you think?"
Leina gets a ghost of a smile though as Eight says she's thinking about it, it's just not a good time, "Oh yeah? Well... when you're more sure about it, let me know. I love hearing about that kind of thing."
On the Federation officer point, Leina considers it for a time then, "I'm considering telling... your boss about it. I'll have to be careful on the framing, but it'd be a big security risk if I didn't."
She then laughs lightly, "Yeah I guess he'll have to, right now it's... a little nice I guess? I'm not that confident in my skills yet. Just... it makes things extra dangerous for him, and I know it."
It's a relief to know that Rena's supportive, but when she hears about the good news, "Her and Annie!? No way!"
Leina leans back in her chair, and she's just got the biggest smile, "Can already see it now, the two of them together would be absolutely adorable."
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
Eight is not too worried about food at the moment; she'll get something in a few, or maybe she's already waiting on something besides her coffee, which came not long ago. It's kind of mild. That's what she wants at the moment. And as for Grandmother...
"...We'll see," Eight says. "I got that impression, too. She said that for a few other things, too. Like I could tell... that while getting to know her is important to me, it's important to her, too. The things she said made me think that." She can't put it all into words; sometimes Eight just has 'impressions' more than reasoned opinions.
"...Because it really would be."
Eight smiles at her thoughts, too. "I will. There's just a lot I have to figure out. I love them both, but... I don't know if Rena's ready for 'serious', and... I don't want to push her away, either. And Lavhi, well..."
"I guess I'll just say I've thought a lot about matching shades of green."
But telling her boss... Hm. "That's true," Eight says. "It might be best if you do. It's already a risk."
But... "I'm glad you can enjoy it," she says. "Lavhi's a little protective of me like that, too. It's one of the reasons he pilots the Monster with me when I actually deployed in it. And he probably will again." she pauses, though. "...I guess it really would for him in particular, huh? I hadn't thought about that aspect..."
Eight beams, though, at the talk of Rena and her other girlfriend. "Right?" Eight says. "Super cute together. And they've been friends so long, it's that 'old friend turns romantic' thing... It's really sweet. They're taking it slow, I think, which is definitely for the best. And obviously I was sure to tell Annie it desn't have to change our relationship."
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
Another sip of her hot toddy, and she has a pleasant buzz going on, which is nice given the stress of everything right now. She's not someone who gets drunk often at all, drinking in moderation, but right now at least this is nice...
"It's nice at least that she's invested in getting to know the real you, rather than... deciding who you have to be."
There's a more serious look when it comes to Rena not being ready, "Give her time, it's probably just that she doesn't have much confidence in herself and ability to commit."
She smiles again when she talks about matching shades of green, "D'awwww... so cute."
On Banagher though? "Yeah like... I'm having to learn from scratch, while the sheer amount of Psychoframe in the Unicorn..." She trails off before starting back up, "... well, let's just say I want to stay away from that kind of thing and learn, properly, starting out."
Friends to lovers is definitely one of Leina's favorite tropes, it's so much easier when two people are friends first before they start dating. "You're right, that's super sweet..." Her eyes twinkle, "... and I'm glad you're supportive, can only imagine the amount of drama on the Ra Mari if you all weren't so mature about it."
Leina teases lightly, "Could probably write a whole soap opera about it."
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
Eight would be glad to know Leina's actually able to relax.
"Yes," Eight says. "I think... That's it. I don't feel like she's expecting me to be someone else, even if I can tell there's some ways in which she'd like me to start agreeing with her. Like... some stuff, she said she's 'not going to lose the chance to know her granddaughter because we might disagree on some things.'"
Then she nods, about Rena. "Yeah," Eight says. "I've been trying to give her time. And I can! But I still worry a little. What if I do push her away, being too... needy? But most of me doesn't think that, at least. I know how she feels about me. ...We always know what the other is thinking, just about. So I guess it's probably fine after all." She talks herself through it, and brightens a bit at that.
She smiles back, on matching. "I could go on for a while," she admits with a laugh.
She's contemplative on all that Psychoframe. "Even when I get out piloting," she admits, "I don't... like, the things that use our connections for war. They make me uncomfortable. I have good reason, sure, but it's still true. ...I do think that's the right approach, though. If you don't learn to walk before you learn to run, you'll always have problems."
It's one of Eight's, too! Even if that's not quite how she approached it with Lavhi. "Ahahahah," Eight laughs of the drama. "You totally could," she says, "Because it's not just us. I think the crew doesn't think I notice as much as I do about who's looking at who..." She winks. "I got to chat a little about it with Chovan while I was out with her, when we were waiting on some stuff. It was nice to just gossip a little."
"...It's kind of surprising how little I dated at work before Lavhi, though, now that I think of it. I guess I was just busy."
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
Like Guardian like Ward - Leina is at least less of a workaholic than Sayla but...
"Hmmm." Leina takes another sip of her hot toddy when Eight discusses the way her Grandmother would like her to start agreeing with her. With Sayla at least, she just gave her the material, but let Leina draw her own conclusions...
... but she can't expect everyone to be Sayla Mass. "Well, if you do disagree, it might be healthy just to see how she handles argument. I expect she's pretty formidable in that realm but..."
Leina smiles at her, "A little bit of bickering is healthy, I think. It shows you can withstand that disagreement."
Her brow furrows when it comes to Rena, "Honestly I'd be afraid of Renalle not asserting boundaries if you were too needy... rather than pushing you away." Her spoon taps on the side of the bowl edge, as she thinks about it, "Hmmm, I think it'll be fine, she's just gotta learn that confidence in herself. And having someone like you in her life will help her get there."
Leina laughs in turn about how she could go on for a while...
... before all the humor falls away from her face, and she becomes abstracted. Eight may feel her walls rise up high...
... because Leina doesn't want to traumatize Eight with something she doesn't need to see...
"I don't either. Machinery that can kill with a thought is... too dependent on the emotional state of the pilot." She's not looking at Eight right now, it's like she's seeing through her, "Even the smallest slip in control and... someone else pays the price."
Another sip, she needs it right now, the memory of Elpeo screaming as she disintegrated several blocks of Axis and all the civilians with it is just... too close to the surface.
"You probably heard about how at Torrington, the NT-D went... out of control. It attacked Callisto, Arriety, and my Brother."
The humor at least eases her back out of that state, as Leina smiles again, "So much fraternization... scandalous!" She teases, definitely not actually meaning it, before... "Hmmm." She grows more serious again, "I don't feel it's surprising. It probably just took you a little longer to get comfortable with it given-"
She makes a small gesture with her hand, "-recovery always kinda shifts the milestones a bit for some things."
Leina lost nearly two years herself to the war and recovery after all. She's nineteen, but not even in her final year of high school...
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
Very few people can be Sayla Mass, after all.
"Don't worry," Eight says. "I'm not the type to get pushed around too easy. Even when I care about somebody."
She smiles back. And on Rena, she thinks about it, and nods. "True," Eight says. "She's getting a lot better about going for what she wants, at least." Confidence... "I do try to help her build it. She's got a whole lot to be confident about, even if she can't always see it."
Eight notices the walls go up, all right. She has a feeling that's for the best.
"...Yeah," Eight says. She can see the difficulty Leina is having... but she doesn't press. She doesn't reach out. She remembers, after all, what happened before.
"I saw," Eight answers on Torrington. "There wasn't a lot I could do about it, at the time."
But at least she can help Leina ease out of that state--she decides to keep it light, for now. It's probably better for both of them that way. "Definitely scandalous," Eight laughs. "But it definitely keeps things interesting!"
But even this kind of serious isn't so bad as... what that was. "Oh, I used to date all the time in high school," Eight explains casually. "But I think you're right, all the same. The military environment again... I needed some time."
She smiles. "But how about I get some lunch, too? I'll flag someone down. Just a sec, OK?"