2023-09-07: Brighter Tomorrows
- Log: 2023-09-07: Brighter Tomorrows
- Cast: Rena Lancaster, Eight York
- Where: Ra Mari II
- OOC - IC Date: 2023-09-07
- Summary: Before going into Denver Colony, Rena and Eight have a conversation about Denver, the Three Ships Alliance, and the future.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
Beltorchika Irma gave them the information they needed. The Three Ships Alliance is returning to Denver Colony tomorrow; there will be reconnaissance missions, and then they will be entering the colony itself.
But that's tomorrow.
This evening, Rena is going to talk to Eight. She stops outside of her room -- with the Captain off duty, that makes the Ra Mari II more of a home. Besides, right now, asking Eight to meet her somewhere...
Well, it's not very nice.
Thus, Rena knocks on the door, wearing her uniform and tilting her head. She waits to be let in.
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
Soon, they go. And Eight doesn't have much to do. ...At least, not to do that's directly helpful to the mission, which means she's been troubled about that. Even if she doesn't show it, Rena will probably pick up on it before anyone else does.
And Eight doesn't show it; when she opens the door, she smiles at Rena. "Nice to see you," she says.
She's not in uniform, of course; she's in a long coral dress instead, more comfortable than most because it is really not very nice to ask her to go a lot of places these days. Her hair's down. And she looks over REna.
"Come on in. Do you want anything?"
She steps back, to let Rena in either way. The couches are where they always are; the kitchenette has harder chairs but more food. It's just Eight here, and now Rena, for the moment. "Everything go OK today?"
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"Oh, if you have some water or something, I won't say no," Rena says, with a smile. She steps in, and she stops by a couch, but not heading towards it. "I can get it, though."
Since Rena is certainly not asking her pregnant girlfriend to go get something for her.
"It did," she affirms, after a moment. "Did... Enba fill you in? About what Ms. Irma had to say, about what's been happening at Denver Colony?"
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
"I do," Eight says of water. "It's in the fridge." She's not going to argue that particular point; she is the pregnant girlfriend, after all. Regardless she stays standing until Rena has her water, and then she'll head over to the couch with her. That way, they can still talk while she does without her having to raise her voice.
But, for that, "...They did," Eight says. "Gave me a report in advance on what was being discussed. I appreciate it, even if.."
Rena will hear her feelings even though she doesn't say it: even if there's not anything she can do, right now.
"Anyway. I'm up to date, is the point. And I know I said I'd spend some time at Magalannica... But not yet."
"I need to be there."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
Rena cracks a smile, then she comes back with her water. She leans against the wall for a moment, and she looks down at her bottled water. Then, she twists the cap off, and she has a drink. She can feel those feelings, coming from Eight. The bond they share always made that possible.
Rena's feelings are easy to feel, in turn. Anticipation; worry; determination. Swirls of her blues and reds, bleeding to purple, at the edges of Eight's consciousness.
"It's hard to detach, isn't it?" Rena asks, her voice soft. She looks up. "...I do too. I told Rita, back when we left, that... that I'd help those still there. Denver's ghosts."
She is quiet. "Please be careful, Octo. If you're there. I need to know you're safe. And I--"
She puts a hand over her heart. "...I know how unfair it is to say that."
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
Eight takes a seat, then, settling into the red couch. There's less complicated feelings; her feet hurt. But she's more focused on those feelings of Rena's, that worry and determination both. She tries to be a presence of strength, of support.
And she mostloy succeeds.
"It's hard," she admits. "But you did. And you will. I believe in that, and in you. There's no one better suited."
But Rena...
Eight opens her mouth, surprised, and then closes it, a little chagrined. "It's..."
"No," she says. "It's fair. If I went with you I'd be a burden. I just... want to be close by. On the ship, at least."
"I'll stay here, where it's safe. I promise I won't take unnecessary risks."
She reaches out a hand, for Rena's. "But you be careful too, okay? Remember, you can't save anyone if you don't save yourself."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
Rena walks over to the sofa, and then sits down next to Eight. She looks sideways at her, hesitating for a moment. When Eight takes her hand, though, and her fingers squeeze Eight's back. She sighs, once.
"Yeah," Rena says. "But if you're on the Ra Mari II, then... I know it's one of the safest places in the Earth Sphere."
Even if it's still a dangerous place, sometimes.
She smiles, after a moment. "I will, okay? I... I'd say I won't take any risks, but there'll be risks involved. I'll still be careful."
Rena looks back down, for a moment. "I'm glad you believe in me, Octo. I... need that."
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
"All this armor counts for something, right?" Eight says with a small smile. She spots that sigh, and when Rena smiles, Eight leans on her girlfriend. "I know. You have to take some risks. That's how we operate. And it's... important. We can't just leave them."
"So long as you're careful, I can accept that."
"And I do, you know. You're the most amazing woman I know. Smart, brave, thoughtful... and beautiful, too."
"You're all of it. Just make sure you come back to me."
She glances down, "Annie tells me when I won't let go of my work that I remind her of you, but 'copy' Rena isn't quite good enough for me..." Even if she's the one being the copy!
She turns back with a little smile. "...Are you worried about it?" she wonders. "There's... a lot, there.'
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
Rena sighs a little when Eight leans against her, and her arm slides around her shoulders. She hugs her, gently, one arm around her shoulder. Her eyes shift, to look at her, and then she nods. "We can't," she agrees. "That's not we roll."
She smiles a little, then, and she looks ahead. Her cheeks start to redden after a second, though.
"O-Octo," she says, with a sigh. "But... thanks. I'll come back to you, no matter what. We went into this together, didn't we?"
She smiles a little -- and then she tilts her head, shaking her head. "You won't have to settle for imitating me." A moment's pause, and then she looks down. "I think... I have to be worried about it. We found a lot there already. And we knew we weren't done, yet."
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
"Right. ...It's our responsbility."
'Our', Eight says, because she chose to keep that name, even after she found another. She closes her eyes, briefly, when Rena hugs against her--but only briefly, because she wants to see Rena's eyes, too. ...And then her face, at that comment.
"Heheh."
She smiles differently when Rena reassures her. "Okay. I'll believe you. We did go into it together. And we'll come out together, too."
Have to be worried about it...
"I guess you do," Eight admits. "I won't tell you not to worry, then. There's a lot worth worrying about there." She sighs. "At least Annie will be with you."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"Mm... yeah. It was our choice," Rena says, her expression thoughtful. She looks sideways at Eight -- and she cracks a smile then, her head tilted. It makes her dyed red streak in her hair shift a little bit.
"We did," she agrees. "And we will. I know we're not getting married, but..." She trails off. They've been over that -- her and Lavhi are having a family together. Rena isn't ready for that. But it doesn't change some important things.
"I want to spend the rest of my days at your side," Rena says.
Then, she looks sideways, and Rena nods at her. "Annie will. And... I'm worried, but I'm hopeful, too. If I can help them, then... then I can do some good. I know I've done a lot of good. But this is... I'm tied to it."
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
Choice, and responsibility. They go together, for Eight.
They have been over that, but, "It's important whatever we say about it," Eight says, and she means documents and words both. "Our relationship. I want you with me, too. I want to spend those days together." There's Lavhi, too, but... There's also Annie now, isn't there?
"...I love you."
She won't talk of 'family' just now, but it's something that doe s matter to her. And at that sideways look...
She can count on Anita to bring her back. She's sure of that.
"There'd be no point in worrying if we didn't have hope," Eight says. "It'd just be certainty." A pause. "But you are. I don't want you to feel like it's all your responsibility alone, or anything. Definitely not. ...But you are tied to it. That place..."
"It's part of you. Of us."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
Their lives are a little complicated, romantically, but not in a bad way. Rena looks sideways at her and smiles, before she leans over. She presses her lips to Eight's, kissing her briefly for a moment.
"I know," she says. "I love you, too. And... I know that there's Lahvi and Annie, too. But that won't change."
She smiles a little bit more, then, and she nods.
"It's part of us," she agrees. "It's... it didn't start us on this journey. To make the Three Ships Alliance, to decide to make our own path. But... it's a big part of why."
Rena looks down. "And there's a lot of sadness there, too."
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
Eight is happy with this. Having Rena with her. That's what matters in the moment, and she opens her eyes again when the kiss is broken. "Right," Eight says. "That part stays true. ...Just like it has for a long time, now." Even before they were 'together', really.
"Right. We could've gone another way. We almost did. ...It was only by our own decisions that we came this far, and that we're in a position to do something about it." Eight squeezes Rena's hand.
"But now that we are... We will. You will. I know it. There's no way to erase all that sadness, but..."
"But you're going to make tomorrow brighter, Rena."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"Nothing will change it," Rena says, with a smile. She leans back a little, but her arm stays around Eight's shoulders. Her eyes remain on Eight's, and she considers for a moment, and then she nods.
"Yeah," she says. "But... we chose this. And nothing's happened to make me think that we made the wrong choice."
She smiles, though, and she looks back downward. Eight believes in her. That she'll make tomorrow brighter. Rena looks pleased with that, her expression thoughtful; Eight can feel those emotions, the happiness.
But the wondering, too.
"You... you really think I can?"
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
"For sure."
Eight smiles, too, but she looks more serious as they talk. She looks back into Rena's eyes, and those emotions of hers are clear; she isn't 'trying' to be strong anymore, but is a warm presence, brilliant red that might as well be embracing Rena already.
"I agree."
But when Rena looks downward... Yes, she's wondering. Of course; she always does. She's never believed in herself quite the way Eight has believed in her.
"I know you can," Eight says seriously. "And I know you will. I'm certain of it. ...And if you forget, I'll just remind you."
"Right?"
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
Rena feels that warmth, that light that's embracing her. It's been there for as long as she can remember; a constant presence, always holding her up, always supporting her. It's a warmth that has been with Rena for years, since she was young.
She keeps looking down as Eight speaks. She never did quite believe in herself, not the way that Eight did. Rena is quiet for a moment more, and then she looks up.
She smiles, and she squeezes Eight's hand. "I know. If I stumble, I know you'll be there to get me back on my feet. Like you've always been, Octo."