2022-04-24: Shallow Scrapes and Old Scars
- Log: 2022-04-24: Shallow Scrapes and Old Scars
- Cast: Sayla Mass, Kaname Chidori
- Where: Improvised Medical Bay, Unmarked Warehouse, Nouvelle Tokyo
- OOC - IC Date: 9:15PM, 24 April, 0096
- Summary: As the Shuffle Alliance take some time to breathe while they ready to assault Nagoya, Sayla takes a moment to make her own preparations. Kaname takes a moment to disinfect some minor injuries from the chase. They finally address the elephant in the room no one else would know to look for. This scene follows directly on from The Fuse of Battle.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
In the little improvised medbay in the warehouse safehouse, Sayla thinks she has time alone to work. Bunny Higgins was already on route, and working on securing transport. That was one problem off her plate. She'd have to talk to Tessa about the battle plan, but Jamil could do better work there than she could and since he was here, Sayla would take advantage of it.
Tiffa's warning had made her think about something else, as she rummaged around in the medical kit. Not laid out how she would like, but she finds what she's looking for, as she pulls it up. The container was still good. She grabbed two, and some injection syringes. wrapping them securely.
This is what she's up to, if anyone walks in.
<Pose Tracker> Kaname Chidori has posed.
And walk in someone does. Kaname Chidori steps past the partition, long blue mane swaying behind her as she does. "Oh--Dr. Mass! I was just looking for something to disinfect myself with. I, uh, sort of scraped up my legs getting out of the van," she explains, lifting up one of her legs. Her stockings are torn, with several angry red scrapes.
Her stress levels are rather elevated--it's understandable, between the events of the night, and how she knows Sayla to begin with.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Sayla isn't startled, but she does turn as soon as she hears Kaname walk in. Kaname's not the only one elevated stress levels- but she's the one who can't express that. Not that Kaname is doing that, either. It's just... Sayla is good at telling.
She places the bundle of vials and needles to one side- it's not quite tight enough to hide what it is though- morphine. Several full vials. Sayla walks over to the medical kit, grabbing liquid disinfectant, cotton balls, gauze, scissors and medical tape. "I can get that for you. Just sit on the table."
She seems to be falling into a comfortable familiar routine, doctoring. "You'll need to remove your stockings- we're going to want to dress them just in case, especially if you're coming with the transport." Sayla does not appear to be addressing the elephant in the room- if Kaname doesn't want to bring it up, she won't.
<Pose Tracker> Kaname Chidori has posed.
Kaname's eyes linger on the vials a moment. She doesn't question it, but it does seem a little odd to her. She slips off her sneakers and rolls her stockings down, looking a little morose. "This was my comfiest pair, too..."
She tucks them into her shoes and hops up onto the table. There's a long pause, before she asks, "... so, I'm guessing dad's the same as he's always been?"
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
That makes Sayla smirk. "It's something you get used to. We can cover the cost of replacing them, at least. Even if it may be difficult to find ones that fit." She pours disinfectant onto the cotton bud. "I'm about to apply the disinfectant. Let me know if it stings more than you're used to." It's a normal process, there should be nothing to worry about.
She continues to work, processing the question. "...It depends on how you determine always. He's pulled out of several dinners recently, but that doesn't surprise me, given the aid we were giving to the PLANTS after Junius Seven. Before ZAFT counterattacked." She's quite straightforward. "So, I may be having to adjust to some funding gaps." She puts disposes of the cotton wool, and starts wrapping the gause around Kaname's leg. "At least, that's where things are on a professional level."
She pauses. "That's not what you're asking though, is it?" Sayla decides to not make Kaname say it. "You're wondering why I would be working with a Titans apologist who hooked his lot in with an anti-coordinator political party, right? And if I'm doing that, why I'm here with Chibodee, and Sergeant Sagara's organization?" She gets the scissors cut the binding, before securing with tape. "Is your other leg fine?"
<Pose Tracker> Kaname Chidori has posed.
Kaname sucks in a breath as the disinfectant goes on, wincing a little. "... Yeah. I was kinda too young to get a bead on it back then, but... going by tonight, you really don't seem like his type."
"Too human." She gives a half-grin, gently swaying her other leg, leaning back and using her arms to support herself. "I think I get it, though. Need to court some real fuckers to get the resources to do what needs doing, I guess."
<Pose Tracker> Kaname Chidori has posed.
Kaname stretches her leg out, toes pointed, turning it over a bit to look. "Looks like it'll need a few patches too... doesn't look as bad as I thought it did, though."
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
So that's how bad the relationship was, hm? It explains something. "...You're not wrong." Sayla moves to the other leg. "...Nothing as nasty as on the other side. Should be quick." New bud, apply disinfectant, same procedure.
"You're not wrong, I'm afraid. Fortunately I have discretion on where all funding goes. So every gilla they give me to look good goes into contermanding their ideas, and it's a little less funding for the next Titans." She sighs. "Maybe that's jutification, though." Discard bud, start wrapping, less this time. Snip. Practiced, easy movements she could do in her sleep. "...I don't know I can say if that's how he always was. When he was an aide in my office he may have just hidden it better, or I may have just been oblivious. Twenty is young to be in the position I was, with no political experience. Maybe he just saw a politician younger than him he could take advantage of. Who can say."
She sighs. "But then again, he's easier than half the Britannians I deal with. A bottle of wine and an expensive dinner every few months is a cheap price for what the foundation gets out of it." Sayla's more cynical than one might expect, for a woman in charge of a charity. "But I suppose that answers your question. Naturally, he doesn't know I do this."
Still, the ice broken as she pulls away from Kaname, the wounds dressed. "There." She stands up, to dispose of and replace everything. "He became much more outspoken when he started coming to dinners alone." She sighs. "Shizu knew when to stomp on his foot, though I suppose that tension was there. Is she doing well?"
Even the great Dr Mass can be indelicate sometimes...
<Pose Tracker> Kaname Chidori has posed.
"Yeah, I think I was kinda leaning on my right knee when I pulled Captain Testarossa out, so I kinda fucked things up worse on that side..." She shakes her head, "Justification? No, I get it. I'm VP of the student council, I know the money's gotta come from *somewhere*, even if it sucks."
"Mm. Couldn't tell you if he was *always* like that--but, uh, pretty much as long as I can remember." She sighs, running a hand through her bangs while she looks up toward the warehouse ceiling.
Her heart drops like a rock when Sayla brings up her mom. "... she died in '92. He wasn't there for it." Her eyes cast downward there, more than a bit sullen. There's anger there, but it's more like the dull ache of an old injury.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Again, Sayla chuckles, but a little sadly. "People seem to be working that out younger and younger." Sometimes, you have to compromise on things. And sometimes it's satisfying to let someone think you have. Sayla gives one last glance. "Looks like you're all patched up. Normally I be so aggressive with the dressings, but given what's happening tonight, it's better to protect them in case of affection."
She's already adapting to 'Captain'. Honestly, at the rate she's going, Kaname reminds her of herself at the same an age. This isn't what Sayla considers a good thing. "If that's how he always was, I can only imagine that he must have been difficult to live with."
And then Sayla feels that drop, and curses herself. "I'm sorry for your loss." Old, dull pain. Things line up though, in her head. This gives her information she can use. "And that you had to deal with that callousness." Sayla sighs, and sits down on the bed next to Kaname, a polite distance away. The girl had wanted this to be over.
"...if Captain Neate brought Tiffa, that means there's a secure extraction to the two of them. You could go with them back to the Freeden, and then get back to your apartment when the danger's passed." She's, arguably, making a call she should ask Tessa about- but there's so much information she's missing. Like why Kaname. What it has to do with Mithril's mysterious objectives, and what are Kaname's attributes beyond 'ordinary teenage girl'. ...Apart from knowing about the make of that GM. Still, that's a conversation for later. "You don't have to go to Nagoya with the rest of us. I know the choice is not ideal, but what there is is yours."
<Pose Tracker> Kaname Chidori has posed.
Kaname shakes her head. "It was better when she was around--you're right, I think. She knew how to keep him in line. And-- don't worry about it. You didn't know. I've... had some time to move on."
Not enough. She's putting on a brave face, but it still hurts, dull ache or no. She looks at Sayla as the older woman takes a seat next to her, and makes an offer.
The chance to go home. To be safe, away from whatever craziness awaits these people in Nagoya. She closes her eyes. It's a tempting offer... But it only takes a couple of seconds for her to decide it's one she can't accept.
Her eyes open, watching the faint shadows of people moving on the other side of the divider before looking over at Sayla. "I don't think I can walk away like that, Dr. Mass. It's... I can help. I don't--" She pauses. "... I get these thoughts sometimes. Stuff I don't really... understand, but I *know*. I already saved Sousuke's ass once. Twice if you count tonight. And... there's a lot more than just him on the line tonight."
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Sayla gently puts her hand on Kaname's, and gives a gentle squeeze. "I was about the same age, when I lost my parents." Sayla doesn't need to put on a brave face. "I may be saying things you've heard before. That pain is always real, and it's always yours. It's not something you have to have moved on from, or get used to." There's gentleness in Sayla's voice, and real sympathy.
It's not like that happened twice, and had lasting, devastating effects both times.
She expects Kaname to take time to respond, but she doesn't. That certainty. "...When you pointed out that weakness, right?" Is that what Mithril is looking for? Young people who hear voices? Understand technical aptitude because of it? Would Mana count? Would Shelby's level of newtype powers?
There's so much going on tonight, and Sayla has almost forgotten where they are. She shakes her head, bringing herself back to reality. "... I understand, Miss Chidori." She smiles. She's a little too much like Sayla now. "In that case, I'm going to make three requests. The first is that you stay with the transport unless absolutely necessary. I'll get you into the communications loop. The second is that, as I'll be deploying, Captain Testarossa will be in command. Please follow her orders. If something happens to her, command falls to me, or Queen the Spade." She pauses. "Chibodee Crockett."
She stands up. "As for the third, I'll need to get something. We're likely to be entering Area 11 illegally, under fire. We're going to draw attention. For obvious reasons, I hide my identity. We can probably hide yours by the same method. Trust me, you don't want the Britannians thinking you're a terrorist. I'll be back in a moment."
Sayla ducks out from the partition. She's gone about eighty seconds, when she comes back she's got two helmets and two pilot suits, with darkened visors. She puts one set down for Chidori, taking the orange one for herself. "A pilot suit isn't ideal, but you can keep the visor up until we enter Area 11. It might be snug, but there's give." She pauses. "Also, it won't fit over your clothes, but underwear is fine. I'll give you some privacy. Let me know if you need a hand."
Sayla steps over, pulling a curtain that partitions the area into two. There is also a cover shade, not sorry Kurz.
For Sayla, though, this is a practiced motion, and she's changed in moments. Not sorry that either, Uruz-6.
<Pose Tracker> Kaname Chidori has posed.
Sayla's reassurance seems to help soothe Kaname, and she gives the older woman a warm smile. "I... thanks. I needed to hear that, I think."
Meanwhile, questions cascade in Sayla's mind, with Kaname none the wiser. She still thinks there's more cross-communication and understanding at play than there actually is. "Yeah, exactly."
The first two requests are simple enough, though she smiles at the clarification. "I would've guessed that was your codename, not his." As for the third... erk. She hadn't considered that. "Right... don't want the Knightpolice coming after me next time I go down for an inter-school meetup." Sousuke would probably cause an international incident.
Kaname takes a fair bit longer to change--it doesn't help that she needs to figure out how she'll be fitting all of that hair under her helmet... but when she opens the divider, she's in a form-fitting, white AS suit with red accents. There's a bit of a pink tint to her cheeks. "Ah... y-yeah, snug is right."
She's got a softball bat with Kurz's name on it if he does any 'peeking'. Not sorry.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Sayla nods. That's something to bring up with Tessa, after everything is resolved. She has to keep thinking that, despite Tiffa's grim warning, because to do otherwise would be charging into hopelessness. And that would be killing everyone under her command. And that's unacceptable and stupid. As is inaction.
This would be so much easier if Guy would answer his damn messages- but given the situation with his cousin...
The smile helps. "I'm glad I could help, even a little." Given it was Sayla who put clumsily stepped onto the landmine of a painful memory. "Even if we got any charges dropped, they'd make life difficult. They're petty like that." She pauses. "There's a reason I avoid Britannian customs."
Sayla's own pilot suit resembles the one she wore during the one year war, a touch more refined, and no EFSF markings. Unlike Kaname's, it has a magnetic shoulder holster, which holds Sayla's pistol. She walks over to Kaname, checking the seals, more out of habit than anything else. They're not going into space from here. "It'll be for a few hours, so get as comfortable as you can." Sayla walks to face her, and points to a spot near the 'jaw' of the helmet. "Comms switch is here, tap to activate, tap to deactivate, the mic is in the base here, speakers at each ear." She gives the quick brief, basic ass comms officer training. "And this point here," she says pointing to the right 'ear', "activates the visor." She double taps, and an opaque black visor masks Sayla's face. "When we hit the border, you'll want it down." She taps again, and pulls back up into the helmet.
Sayla's phone beeps, and she tsks. "...It's go time, Miss Chidori. Anything you can tell us will be helpful. Shall we?" She grabs the items she took from the medical kit. That's all she's taking from it.
Upon receiving Kaname's assent, she walks out. There is the sound of a very large truck pulling up. "Shuffle Alliance! We're heading for Nagoya!"