2022-07-20 The Hotdogs Of Shangri-La
- Cast: Banagher Links, Leina Ashta
- Where: Side 1: Shangri-La
- Date: U.C. 0096 07 20
- Summary: A girl treats a boy to lunch. Nothing else happens, why would anything else happen?
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
When you leave somewhere for good, you hope it's better off for you having been there. That's what Leina Ashta would like to believe. That the exploits of the Argama and her brother touched the lives of the residents in ways that improved their lot. Unfortunately, reality has a way of leaving hope and optimism in the dust.
Shangri-la is much the same as she left it, if not worse. From the port side it looks idyllic. Miles upon miles of rolling green hills and small mountains with stretches of road cutting across it. Manses of the elite leading into expanses of nearly as upper-class suburbs...
... then you get to the other side and see the dirty, dusty slums that have served as dumping grounds for those that Earth found inconvenient. Unpaved paths wend throughout the stretches of buildings decades old and in serious disrepair. An industrial district looms overhead, and beyond it are mountains of scrap metal and junk hinting at one of the few paying careers available to the poor.
Banagher, being a Spacenoid boy originally from 'Eden' on the same Side as Shangri-la, then later Anaheim Electronics' Industrial College, will almost certainly not be fooled by the name, or the presentation upon leaving port. Even before coming into the Colony, he'd be able to see the rotation of the Colony is erratic. There are still slapdash repair jobs of breaches on the outside that look years old. The Colony's weather is an eternal Spring when most others at least have some semblance of seasonal change purely because the Colony Company cannot be bothered to set it differently...
... however, it is one of the first Modern Colonies. The very first on Side 1. Could there be any sign Laplace's box be here? Banagher will feel something strange with his vast psychic powers ever since he came into port. It’s a subdued, muted presence he can't quite parse - something purposefully closed off to him. What is it... or who is it?
If he travels throughout the Colony, he'll not feel it get any closer, or more distant until he reaches the slums...
-=-=-
A girl in her late teens walks the streets of the dusty slums with no fear in her heart. This is where she came from after all. A little small for her age, but certainly much bigger than she was, she sports short and fluffy, curly brown hair sports a simple pink ribbon. A pink jumper for the mild weather, a pair of faded jeans and dirty old sneakers. She has a tote bag draped over her shoulder with an excited looking Haro imprinted upon it. In her hands an electronic pad that she seems to be using to jot down every now and then.
Green eyes wander to the place where she used to buy milk, sad that the old woman who tended it has passed on. To their old home, a closet on the corner of a backalley, now taken over by some desperate squatters. Notes are made about the school, the largest building around at three stories - nevertheless in disrepair. She brings up a copy of the curriculum, noting it hasn't been updated since long before she left.
"Really...?" Leina sighs, somehow unsurprised that the school cares less about education than she did. "... and there I was, so disappointed I never got to finish the year."
And that her brother almost never went. She knows she can't really blame them; she can see the pitiful budget the Colony has bestowed. Scratching the stylus against her temple, she digs a little deeper. With a few flicks on the screen she looks up run down and condemned properties, owners of the land they're on, appraisals of the property value.
Her eyes wander up from the numbers to a spot nearby where she remembers them loitering. In her mind's eye she can see all of them draped over their junk hauler, a phantom image of herself at age ten approaching, hands on hips to tell her brother off for his truancy.
Simpler times.
"I wonder who's succeeded them?" Leina smiles fondly, thinking of how her brother, Elle, Beecha, Mondo, and Lino running around from junk trading scheme to actual mobile suit theft, "Should ask around." She has a mischievous smile, "See if I can't find out. I wonder if they're the types who can manage to get on my good side."
It's only when Banagher walks through the streets of the dusty slums, that he'd get a better sense of it, the direction. It leads him mostly down a dusty street. To that girl just standing there pad out, Haro tote on her shoulder...
... and he'd understand abruptly that the presence isn't muted at all. It's a vast psychic pressure, that she somehow keeps contained. Only the faintest traces leak out. Someone less powerful than him wouldn't have been able to find her unless they were standing right beside her.
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
Banagher still isn't quite used to it, that sense of... pulling. A prickle at the back of his neck, a gentle whispered beckoning, maybe a glimmer of light -- and yet none of these. An extra-sensory experience. Whatever it was, he noted, it was guiding him to Shangri-la. Banagher frowns to himself. The name was cruel. This place was as much as disaster as it always had been. A sense of nervousness fills Banagher's stomach as he disguises the Unicorn as best he can, before proceeding on foot through the colony.
For someone unfamiliar with the area, Shangri-la was intimidating. The beckoning sensation leads him far past the upper-class suburbs -- somehow, this is unsurprising. Those who couldn't be bothered to care for others would hardly have anything mystical to offer. The slums grow worse, as Banagher proceeds, making him wonder if he should stop and try to fix anything. But the pulling sensation draws him forward. He looks away from the worst of the repair jobs. These people probably wouldn't welcome the meddling of an outsider, anyway.
The sensation grows stronger, until Banagher practically doesn't see the slums around him. All there is are his footsteps and the siren-song pulling him onward.
Banagher is so distracted that he almost walks directly into Leina, his golden eyes blinking rapidly as he comes back to reality. "Oh -- excuse me, I was just --" It's her. There can be no mistaking it. "Oh." He steps back a few paces, trying to get out of the woman's personal space. "I -- was looking for you. I think." Being so close to her, her power is obvious. It almost feels crushing in its vast potential -- how had she disguised it so well? Banagher rubs at his right eye, a little overwhelmed.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
Leina had been looking at her pad, but a moment that Banagher gets close. She freezes, looks up, then turns around. Looking right at him, stunned, as he steps back a few paces. "Oh my goodness, you're..."
Leina hasn't encountered a Newtype with this immense psychic potential since Haman Karn, and her own Brother. Unfortunately, closing her own pressure off has a side effect of causing her to be caught more flat-footed than she usually would, however that vast psychic pressure becomes instantly overwhelming now that its touching against hers. He sees her take a steadying deep breath as he says he's looking for her.
"...Let's start over." An easy smile forms upon her lips, as she dumps the pad in her bag, and turns towards him to offer him her hand to shake, "Leina Ashta. It's nice to meet you." He's about her age, maybe a year or two younger, so she guesses, "Not a local I take it? Unless you moved recently."
If he takes her hand, or even if he doesn't, she winks at him as she puts up her other hand as like a praying hand in an apologetic gesture, "Sorry I led you out all this way. Can I treat you to lunch at least for the trouble?"
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
Banagher offers a smile of his own. "Banagher Links." He shakes her hand politely. "No, I'm from Side One, but -- not here." Once they finish shaking hands, he laughs a little sheepishly. "Sorry, that probably sounds pretty weird, right? I just got this feeling, and it led me to you."
He takes a breath, steadying himself. Leina seemed kind, and he was pretty hungry... "Lunch sounds great. You seem like a local -- I'm sure you know the best places." With another little smile, he notices the Haro on her bag. "Hey, do you like Haros? I have one of my own. I've been getting into modding them lately, actually."
As they presumably walk to Leina's choice of lunch place, Banagher fidgets a little. Was it okay to ask someone why they had such an enormous psychic signature? He was so new at this whole Newtype situation, and he could certianly use guidance... He sneaks a glance sideways. "Uh... if you don't mind... Could I ask you about..." He fumbles for words for a moment. "Whatever led me here?"
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
Her handshake is firm but not overlong before she lets it go. Her mind filters through her memories to see if either name rings a bell, but it doesn't. It's not so surprising that a Newtype of his strength would be born out of a Side One Colony... after all, both she and her brother were as well.
"Really?" Her green eyes blink in surprise, "Wow, I hope I didn't put you out that far. Almost noone comes here if they can help it." Before she holds up a palm, "Oh no, not weird at all. Trust me I'm very much used to this kind of thing."
She hasn't used the word Newtype yet, though it's probably at the forefront of both of their minds. She starts moving them down the way towards an old food cart.
"That obvious huh?" On being a local. She winks at him again, "Haven't been here in... Nine years almost, but some things don't change."
Before, she gets the biggest smile, "Really?" She perks up, excited, "You'll have to tell me about yours! Haro ownership is like... a lifestyle to me. I have a Mark II named Giovanni, blue-violet... he's back home right now. I think the cats would be sad if I took him away from them for too long."
If Banagher is an old literature nerd, he might realize it's a reference to Night on the Galactic Railroad.
Though Banagher decides to ask about it right away and... Leina understands his potential is so vast, his pressure is already pushing against her, she couldn’t remain closed off for long even if she wanted to. "Sure." Leina takes a deep breath, and just let’s go. And suddenly her pressure just feels a vast sea unto itself, but not concentrated on a single point as it surrounds his. It's a warm and gentle feeling despite the immensity of it, there's no tension like she has any hostile intent towards him.
"It's a trick my Guardian taught me." She doesn't mention Sayla Mass yet because, knowing she's involved with an obscenely rich celebrity just complicates things. "Newtypes like you and me... it's not safe for us. There are so many people out there who would love to scoop us up and send us off to some lab. And I'm not some... fighter. I don't want to be a mobile suit pilot."
She looks sideways at him, and gives him a smile and a shrug, "I'm just a high school student, about to enter the university. I just want to live my life without getting involved in all that mess, you know?"
Once they arrive at the food cart, which doesn't look like much but smells incredible - an oasis amidst the smells of the slum, Leina indicates to Banagher, "Best hot dogs you'll find in Side One..." She winks again, "... or so he claims."
The proprietor, a middle aged man who seems worn down gives a good natured chuckle, "I /heard/ that Leina. Your usual?" She turns around, and offers him a smile, "I'm surprised you remembered after so long. Please. And whatever he wants too."
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
"Oh, it's no trouble." Banagher reassures her, "I've been all over, lately." He carefully doesn't say why, instead offering: "It's the best way to learn the truth about the world, I think. There's so much I still don't know."
He nods. "You seem comfortable here. A lot of people would be worried in a place like this, I think, and you're perfectly at ease." Banagher can't help but smile as the smell of the food cart reaches them. "Oh man, I love street hot dogs! We had a great stand outside my college." He smiles again, but there's a hint of sadness to it. "I'll let you know if these can compare. Maybe this really is the best spot."
Before they approach the cart too closely, Leina brings up her Haro. This is clearly a topic Banagher loves -- his face practically lights up. "That's so cool! Mine's a standard green, but it's off Amuro Ray's, an exact replica!" Unfortuately, he is not a literature nerd, so the reference goes by unnoted. "It almost feels wrong to alter it, does that make sense? Like it's a piece of history! But I'd really love to give him some cool stuff."
"W--woah." Banagher's eyes widen as Leina lets go. The sensation washes over him, making him pause in their walk. His eyes flicker closed, taking a moment to enjoy the gentle warmth -- a bit like sunshine, really. "You're incredible." Banagher murmurs, his eyes opening once again. "What an amazing feeling, it makes me -- almost feel like I could cry."
The feeling of safety brought on by Leina's aura dissipates as she says they're not safe. "We're -- not safe?" He frowns, his brow furrowed. "I thought Newtypes were heroes. People everyone liked, if they believed Newtypes were real. I--" Was that why he became Unicorn's pilot? Because he's a Newtype? Could that be the reason for the fragments of memory that appear every so often? "I... didn't know." He hesitates to mention his own status as a pilot, not wishing to upset his new companion.
Banagher manages a smile to the food vendor, though his quiet distress is clear, for one like her. "Oh, um -- one with everything, please!" His typical order.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
Leina at least seems relieved that he didn't go too far out of his way. And actually, seems to accept his reasoning. She perhaps senses there's more to it, but accepts his reasoning as truth all the same, "I couldn't agree more. I could have lived my whole life here, happily, I think. But... I'm also glad I didn't."
She's not ashamed of where she came from, but despite everything that happened she wouldn’t trade her life away from it.
Leina giggles with a hand near her mouth as he speaks of the hot dog stand. However when he invokes Amuro Ray- he gets a brief flash, of a blonde haired woman sobbing. It's just a split second. Leina's smile doesn't change though perhaps her eyes seem a bit sadder. "A classic, you have good taste in your choice of Haro. It's kind of how I got my start, living around that model."
Leina actually gets a bit flustered as he says he might cry, and reaches into her bag to get a tissue, "I'm sorry for doing that so suddenly... it can be a bit overwhelming if you're not used to it..." And offers it to him. "... I should have warned you."
However, her expression falls as Banagher doesn't realize that side of things. Again, that smile, with the sad green eyes. Like she doesn't want to say anything that might shatter this innocence, but knows she'll have to.
Once they get their hotdogs on a thin plate, Leina bids him down an alleyway, and sits down on an old stairwell that leads up to the second floor of some rundown shop before taking a seat. She takes a bite, knows hot dog bliss, then...
"It's like..." She starts, then stops again, there's a shake of her head, then she looks up towards the Colony's sky. "... okay." Leina puts a hand on his shoulder, as if to give him some support, "I'm almost completely certain you're a Newtype Banagher. And you're very powerful. Maybe as powerful as I've ever met." She tries to give him a sympathetic look, "I know it's a lot to take in. Newtypes offer so much possibility for humanity by their existence - infinite potential."
Leina sighs, and Banagher will get a brief image of a young girl with orange hair and blue eyes. Just a flash - like it's leaking over from her memory. "However, because the stories of pilots Amuro Ray are so famous, there are people out there that want to seize that potential, because they're selfish. Because they want to win at any cost. There are labs which study Newtypes, conduct these terrible experiments. All so they can create Newtypes artificially." A pause, and Leina says two words which may or may not be familiar to him, "They call them Cyber Newtypes. People they turn into weapons."
Leina pauses, and assesses his expression, trying to give him time to take all this in.
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
"I'm proud of where I'm from, too! My mother and I --" Then the flash of a crying blonde woman hits him. It only lasts for the length of a heartbeat, but it's jarring -- leaving Banagher shaken. He almost drops his hot dog, but manages to save it. "Did -- uh." Banagher wipes at his eyes, feeling the ghost sensation of the blonde woman's tears. "Did you see that too? A crying woman, with blonde hair?"
He gratefully takes the tissue, holding it tightly. While Banagher isn't actually crying, the simple offer of kindness does much to steady him. "Thank you. You're okay, I'm just -- new to this, I think. It wasn't a bad feeling, from you. It was really nice, warm and soft." He laughs softly, sitting down next to Leina. "Maybe like petting one of your cats?"
All of this is only bringing more questions to his mind. It isn't the first time Banagher has seen memories from others, or felt their emotions. There's so much he wants to ask about, but first -- An enormous bite of hot dog. "Wow," He mumbles, his mouth full. "That's pretty great." It's been months since he's had a street hot dog, he hadn't realized how much he missed them! Banagher feels grounded. The old stairway feels all the more real beneath him, as though his senses were fading back in from some spiritual plane. "Thanks for treating me, Leina."
Soft, golden eyes focus on Leina, as she speaks. "A Newtype.." At first, he's excited. Just like Amaro Ray..! Just like the heroes of the One Year War he's read about! "I have this memory, of when I was a kid, of --" As Banagher speaks, the memory fades in. Sitting at a piano, a small boy with tousled brown hair plays a classical piece. There's some kind of device over his face, almost like the tools an eye doctor would use to test someone's vision, but -- A sharp, lighting flash of pain. It's over as soon as it's begun, but -- the little boy's hands fall from the music he creates, slamming down on the keys as he stiffens in pain, adding an inharmonious sound to the discomfort he feels. "...I think my father was testing me. I -- wish I could ask him about all this. Possibility, potential... I've heard those words a lot, lately."
Banagher can't help but lean in to Leina's hand, a little shaken by this new information, and their shared memories. "Oh! Again -- a little girl, this time!" Was Leina sharing the same moments he was? Banagher takes another bite of the hot dog, relying on the grounding effect so he can continue their conversation. "What you've said makes sense. There's lots of... scary people out there. I think I've met a Cyber Newtype before. She's really kind, though, not what I'd picture as a human weapon. Is there --" He hesitates, again. What is it he wants, really? "Is there a way to help? To save people from -- those experiments?"
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
There's a slow blink of Leina's eyes. "It's someone I know." She says quietly, knowing its leaking out, "Often you can't help what you share." Despite her attitude one moment, she grins, "Flatterer. Trying to get on my good side?" Leina teases, but then her tone switches, "You're sweet, Banagher. I'll have to tell Foras and Buer you said that. They'll get /such/ big heads."
She's not serious right? She can't psychically commune with cats right? ... No she can't. But she enjoys talking to them all the same.
She's taking more bites of the hot dog as she goes, but really and truly her focus is entirely on him. "It's the least I could do." She has a feeling that unfortunately... this day is going to be a sad one for Banagher Links. She doesn't want to be the one to tell someone this but...
... it's important, and she can't shy away. That isn't the kind of adult she wants to be. Holding important things back from someone, leaving them in the dark, and vulnerable.
She smiles at his initial reaction, it's so different from Judau, who went around boasting he's a Newtype to the crew without realizing what the word actually meant. However it's nice. The conversation changes though, in a second. And suddenly she can't smile anymore. Those visions, coming faster and faster. And that final one, that pain shooting through her skull like an icepick migraine.
Taking a deep breath, she puts the hotdog down on the steps. Then reaches out and puts her other arm around him in a hug from the side.
"I'm sorry. I'm-" She closes her eyes, family to her means so much more to her than that. She can't imagine /experimenting/ on one's own child. "... sorry. That never should have happened to you. That should never happen to anyone."
Possibility, potential. Contolism, the theories of Zeon Zum Deikun, but right now this isn't about philosophy. It's about him. It's about what he went through.
She gives him time, and he hears another sharp inhalation as he mentions a little girl. "Someone else I... knew." Her voice falters, momentarily, before she leans back to give him space if he wants it. "Cyber Newtypes have so much stacked against them. Some, escape the terrible purpose forced upon them - and find their own way." Leina smiles, "I'm glad you met someone like that. Because it means she did."
Leina slowly nods her head, "Sometimes." She says with all honesty, "The best way is finding these places, shutting them down... before they can destroy too many lives."
Leina gives Banagher a more serious look with those green eyes of hers. "Which is why I'm going to ask you this. Banagher - I know people who make it their life's work to save these people, to shut down these awful places. If there's anything you can tell me about who your father is affiliated with. Or the Cyber Newtype you met. I can pass it along to them. They're good people, who do important work."
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
Banagher laughs, blushing softly. "I always wanted to have a pet -- a furry one, that is, more than Haro." He would believe she could commune with cats in a moment. Endless potential, right? Newtypes are mysterious..!
Just managing to place his own hotdog down, Banagher is surprised to be hugged. He wraps his arms around Leina in turn, hesitating, then laying his head against her shoulder. "Is it really that bad..? I'm sure he didn't mean to hurt me, but --" The weight of what he's said seems to sink in. "Oh. It's -- kind of the same as those Cyber Newtypes, isn't it." Maybe... No. That must be why his mother took him away. Banagher's shoulders tremble for a moment, and he's quiet for a long while.
"Sorry. I'm okay, really." Banagher pulls back, flipping his hoodie's hood up over his hair. "Like you said, there's a lot of people who have it way worse. And, well -- I have the power to help them." He takes a deep breath. "I pilot a Gundam, a really strong one. Nobody can beat it. I'm sure I could use it to -- save people! To put a stop to those laboratories!"
Banagher looks into Leina's green eyes for a long, long moment. She felt trustworthy. No one who felt like sunshine, like a happy memory -- no one like that could be bad. There was nothing scary in her heart, at least, that he could see. "My... father, was Cardeas Vist. But he's gone now. I don't really know anything about him, besides that he funded my school." His heart pounds at the memory. Flashes of fire and explosions pass between the two Newtypes before Banagher can wrench his mind away. "And, um. The Cyber-Newtype I met, her name's Marida. She's brave and kind, she's got this amazing red hair... A little like that girl I saw a moment ago, in your memory. But Marida's eyes are purple."
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
"Come down to Earth sometime and I'll introduce you to our fur babies. Foras will adore you. Buer might need a bit of time."
Leina embraces him as he leans against her, inhaling when he says that, "Only you can know how much it hurt Banagher. But, when you told me about it just now, I felt this spike of pain." And as he invokes it being the same as those Cyber Newtypes "Kind of." She agrees but doesn't quite know how to respond to that.
While Leina lets him pull away, as boundaries are important to her, she does admonish him quickly, "You're not! Okay!" It's the one time he's heard this sharp tone from her. However, it recedes soon after, "You're not." She says more softly, with eyes closed. "Banagher. So what if people have had it worse? It's not some competition. Don't just... sweep it under the rug."
It's only then that it registers he said, and she says, sounding startled, "A Gundam?" In that moment, Banagher might catch a flash of a young man with her same brown hair and green eyes, climbing into the hatch of a mobile suit which looks terribly like a Gundam.
"I should have guessed." She doesn't sound upset, in fact there's a fond kind of smile. "Banagher. I hope you will. I do. I know we haven't known each other long, but I can tell you have a kind heart." She points at his chest, "I can feel it. However you decide to use your Gundam from now on - for whatever cause you choose to champion." Leina gives him a sad look, "Don't let the sorrows of humanity, the indifference and cruelty of those who hold power - crush that out of you."
The longer and longer that Banagher is near Leina, he might be able to feel, the sorrows beneath the surface of her sea. It's not that she's trying to hide them, it's just she does not want them to dominate her life either. It would be too much for someone to bear. If he goes down deep enough, he might hear the sound of a phantom gunshot which seems to force him back out. "Vist?" Leina blinks, then says the whole name unable to contain her shock, "Cardeas Vist? Of the /Vist Foundation/?"
'But he's gone now' finally sinks in, as she remembers the headlines of his death.
"I'm sorry, even if you didn't know much about him... even if he did that to you... I'm sorry. It still can't be easy for you."
And then, he reveals that, and her mouth works, but no words come out. It's like she's gaping like a fish, then suddenly she surges forward and takes his hands, "/Really/? Banagher. Please - I need a favor from you. If you see her again, ask her if the name Elpeo Puru means anything to her. And if it does, can you put her in touch with me? I'll give you my contact info." The smile on her face is now as warm as sunshine, "It may help reunite a family."
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
The thought of petting some real-life cats makes Banagher smile. "I'd like that. Only if it's okay -- I don't want to disturb them or anything. I don't have much experience with animals."
"Er--!" Banagher ducks his head under Leina's admonishment. "It was painful... You're right. I guess -- it just felt selfish to think about my own problems after you've told me about how much others are suffering. I had a happy childhood with my mother, until she passed, and then I got a scholarship to my college." Another gentle smile, though his eyes are a bit faraway. "I won't sweep it under the rug. I promise. I wouldn't want anyone else to do that, after all." Banagher takes a bite of his hot dog -- a bit cold, now, but still good. "You're a really kind person, Leina. I'm glad I met you."
He does, in fact, catch a glimpse of a young man -- smiling at the image. "I guess you know other Gundam pilots. It's funny how many there are now, after the fuss the first one caused. Like you said with the Newtypes -- everyone wants power." He listens carefully to Leina's next words, then smiles warmly. "I will. I promise. I have... a big choice to make, I think -- something that will give one 'side' of the world power. I'm trying to learn as much as I can about everyone's point of view before then. I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me. I -- well. I want to help everyone." He blushes a little. "I know that's childish, but it's really the way I feel."
Banagher tilts his head softly, as though trying to listen to a faint noise. This isn't a memory, but.. the sorrow in the depths of Leina's heart. He spends a few moments wondering if he should bring it up. They've shared so much with each other so far, would it be appropiate to push for more?
This problem is quickly solved, with the extrasensory sound of a gunshot. Banagher jerks, abruptly sitting up straight. "Y--yeah! That's him. He loved art, and --" That's all he can really remember of his father. "...collected it." Banagher ends, lamely. "I do wish I could've gotten to know more about him. Why he did the things he did -- he's the one who gave me my Gundam. I don't know why, or what he wants me to do with it."
A bit of unkempt brown hair floofs down into Banagher's face from a stray breeze. He spends a moment fussing with it, allowing his hood to fall down as well, before Leina grabs his hands. "O--oh!" This is clearly very, very important. Earnest warmth is practically radiating from the woman. "Let me write that down, um -- how is it spelled? Marida's kinda introverted, but she's a really good person. I'm certain she'd be happy to help reunite a family." Banagher looks fond, as he writes down the name. "Her mobile suit has funnels in it, and she thinks of them as 'sisters' sometimes. It's not something she really talks about, but -- you know. I guess it's a Newtype thing."
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
"Foras won't reject anyone with hands. Buer... may need time." She reiterates of Buer. Time is possibly an understatement but, he can try to get on Buer’s good side!
Judau Ashta may have something to say about his arch-nemesis being talked up like this, but Leina smiles at him as he says he won't sweep it under the rug, "That's all I ask. You deserve the chance to work through that as much as anyone." A beat, "I'm glad I met you too."
Leina actually laughs, sharp and clear, a hand near her mouth as 'I guess you know other Gundam pilots.' 'It's funny how many there are now, after the fuss the first one caused.' "Either part of what you said might be the biggest understatement of the Universal Century - and I'm not sure which one."
There's a light brief laugh, but it's brief, because it's a serious moment in the discussion, "I think you have the right idea. Talk to as many people as you can, understand their perspective. Figure out how you want to use this power in your own way..."
Those green eyes seem careworn around the edges, "... because it is the power over life and death, Banagher. Mobile suits... someone important to me told me recently, she became a mobile suit pilot to do good things, but she mostly ended up stopping bad things." That smile returns, "If you want to use the power you have not to hurt anyone, to help everyone you can I don't think there's anything /childish/ about that."
Briefly she gesticulates with a finger, tapping his forehead, "Don't let /anyone/ convince you that idea is immature. That it's impractical. That the world doesn't work that way. That that isn't what being an adult is about. Stay kind Banagher. And stay true to yourself."
That responsibility. That power isn't one I would ever want.
It's not Leina speaking there consciously, it's just an echo from the depths of her heart - far closer to the surface of that warm sea.
Leina though falls silent, listening to him talk about his father, her own feelings are complicated, but she's willing to grieve with him, "Did he?" She inhales through her nostrils, "Well, if he didn't tell you, then wouldn't you say it's up to you now? Not him?" The smile on her face, while serious before, looks impish.
The subject turns to Marida, and she enunciates out every letter on the request to spell it, "E-L-P-E-O P-U-R-U." Then she leans back and just listens, and he brings up the funnels - how she thinks of her funnels as sisters...
... he gets another image from deep within the depths of her sea. A flash of the girl he saw before, except this isn't brief. Her eyes are wide with desperation. A much younger Leina's hands are handcuffed in the same cockpit as her, as she tries to snap her out of it.
Stop! Stop! Please stop! Don't do this!
Funnels descend upon a city street, the beams of the funnels criss crossing as several blocks explode, people disintegrating in the crossfire.
And then it's over.
A smile, with sad eyes, "A Newtype thing. That makes sense. I truly would love to meet her... but I’ll understand if she doesn't want to."
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
Banagher laughs at the 'understatement of the Universal Century'. "I guess I did. You can practically just throw a rock and you'll hit a Gundam, lately." He pauses, listening carefully. Leina clearly understands how deadly mobile suits -- especially Gundams -- can be. "...Leina, if you had the choice to give someone a great power, something that would change the world, something everyone wanted... Who would you trust with it? Who would you keep it away from? I have to decide, once I find it, and --" He sighs. "There's so many choices."
Golden eyes practically corss as Leina pokes his forehead. "Ah --" The feelings of Leina's heart twines with a memory from Banagher -- a middle-aged man whispering Banagher's name, before the cockpit of a mobile shut snaps shut. Somehow, you know the man is dead. "I -- will. I will, I promise."
A sense of gentle, familiar comfort surrounds the two. Banagher dutifully writes down Elpeo Puru, tearing off the piece of paper and storing it in his hoodie's pouch. There are clearly quite a few things in there -- but he seems like a dutiful young man. It'll reach Marida, surely.
As he turns to Leina and opens his mouth once more, the vision hits him. For long moments, Banagher is there with that younger Leina -- just as helpless, just as horrified by the destruction. He gasps as he resurfaces from the memory, sweat beading on his forehead. "Leina -- there was --" He takes a moment, trying to calm down his suddenly-frantic breathing. "You, and -- that girl again, but -- destroying a city..." Banagher reaches out to put a hand on Leina's shoulder, this time. Both for his own comfort, and her own. "A Newtype thing. I -- I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to go through that."
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
Leina still is smiling, but there's an audible sigh, as she just says, "Yeah..." To the idea of throwing a rock and hitting a Gundam. It's a mixture of both affectionate and world-weary. How it has done so much good, and so much ill at once.
He then asks, if she had the choice to give someone a great power, something that would change the world, something everyone wanted... Who would she trust with it? Who would you keep it away from? Leina's lips part, then close, as she thinks upon this one for a while. "Without knowing anything else..." Another lengthy pause, "...I'd give it to someone who wants to change the world for the better... and doesn't believe war is the answer to doing it. The Federation is corrupt Banagher, there are good people within it who try hard, but those at the top - their hearts - they're hollow..."
She looks down at her hands, "... I've felt it. However, the price of violent resistance is too high. Any kind of war - wouldn't even stand a chance of cutting out the roots. People-"
She gestures towards the slum, "-like the ones here would suffer more, not the people who hold the reins of power. And anything more decisive..." There's a pause, "... Char's plan may have accomplished this change, but it would have also killed ten billion people. I can't think of any more horrible a sacrifice for change, than that."
Leina is still staring at her hands, strangely, like there's something meaningful to them. In the gap between them, like the two hands are meant for applause that never comes. "More war and death just can't be the answer - it can't."
The way she says it, it's like a plea. A plea for humanity to be kinder, to care. To be /better/.
After the forehead poke though, Leina draws back, and there's a slow blink. "Your father, I think." She whispers, telling him that honestly... before adding, "I'm glad."
In that moment of distant emotion, of thinking of funnels and their power - a power and responsibility she never wants. Banagher tells her what he saw. "I-" It's like he steals the breath of her, then something in her eyes quavers, as he puts a hand on her shoulder. And then, the tears come, with an indelicate sniff, reaching to her bag, she takes out a tissue. "I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I can't help it. You're too strong for me to keep it under wraps. I don't like to burden anyone with that one." Dabbing at her eyes, there's only the slightest smudge of mascara, "Guhhhhh... I never cry in front of other people." As if she feels upset about her loss of control.
She takes a breath, then smiles at Banagher, "In the end, that girl. She wanted to be family with me and my big brother." Then softer, "She's gone now. Which is why I have to talk to her sisters - and reunite them. It's what she would have wanted."
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
Banagher nods. "Someone told me my father was going to give it to Neo-Zeon, but only if they promised to use it not to try and restore Zeon. I think he felt the same way you did, that it has to go to someone who doesn't want war. Someone without greed. I didn't know the Federation was so bad..." He murmurs, looking down. "All my history books made them sound like the good guys."
"I don't want war or death either. Anything but that." Banagher closes his eyes for a moment. "I don't want anyone to be sacrificed. I just -- want good things to come from this, whatever it is. But that's usually not how history goes, right? Change always leads to suffering, and all I know is that the Box will lead to great change."
Leina begins to cry, and Banagher initially fears he's done something wrong. His hands hover in his lap, before he reaches forward and pulls Leina into another hug -- this one tighter. "It's okay, it's okay." He murmurs, like she'd done for him. Her emotions are practically contagious, making tears spring to Banagher's eyes. "You did all you could. And -- it's okay to cry. I don't think you'd be a good person if you'd seen that and -- didn't cry." He sniffles softly. "It's horrible. I -- I'm sorry."
When Leina calms down, Banagher sits back -- once she's ready to let go of the hug, of course. Just as she did for him. He looks a bit surprised at Leina's words. Why would you want to be family with someone who committed such a horrible crime? But... He was certainly no better, wanting more time with his father.
"Then Marida is that girl's sister, the one in the cockpit. I understand. You could come with me, if you want. Marida lives on the Garencieres, like I do. It's... technically considered a terrorist ship," he laughs nervously. "But I promise they're not actually terrorists. They're good people, especially the Captain. I trust that you wouldn't try to hurt anyone."
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
When Banagher invokes Neo-Zeon as the recipient of this power, Leina audibly gasps - horrified. It takes her a moment, then slowly she nods as if to accept it. "I think to truly understand, you'd have to go to Earth. And see for yourself. I won't tell you the Earth Federation is worse than Zeon at its worst. I won't. It's just..."
She shakes her head slowly. How can she just /tell/ him what happened in Dakar? What happened that sent her big brother and Roux fleeing to Jupiter just to get as far away from Earth and the Colonies as possible. It's not that she wants to be dishonest, it's just she thinks telling him more now might end up /breaking/ his big heart in the long run - this truth should come as a slow drip so it can survive the blow, "...No... I think, this isn't something someone can just be told. You have to see it, feel it."
There's a sad smile his way, "Unfortunately true. Though great change also usually comes from violence, war, and destruction. It'd be easy to believe it's the only way Banagher, but /I/ want to believe that humanity can be better. I want to believe in the potential, the possibility. And I think you do too."
During her crying spell, she nestles against him, her fuzzy soft brown hair touching against him, as she keeps dabbing at her eyes as she tries to recompose, and gets overwhelmed, and instead just leans against him as she sniffles and cries. It's not outright sobbing, or bawling. However, it is still a release of sorts, a validation of that release. Eventually she hugs him back, in a quick but fierce hug.
She does calm down not long after, and while she grabs another tissue and goes to work again, she at least seems composed again, "Aha." She laughs lightly, "I'm a wreck. I didn't expect to encounter someone like you today. /Thanks/ /Banagher/." And she punctuates this by a small fake punch, that only barely touches his shoulder.
Banagher makes an offer. And it's an offer she wants to take very much. However 'terrorist' and 'Neo-Zeon' from earlier makes her pause. If it were anyone else, she might mercilessly chew them out and try to leave them a quivering pile on the floor, but she truly does believe in the earnestness of his innocence, that he means well and so she puts a hand on his shoulder, "Banagher. We've only just met; however I do trust you. If you say they're good people, I /absolutely/ believe you. I'm telling you this because... I have to turn you down. And I'm going to tell you why."
For this, Leina's green eyes look into his browns with a serious look, "I was a hostage of Neo-Zeon for nearly a year, during the regency of Haman Karn. They forced me into lessons on high society, to become a Lady of Neo-Zeon. I actually /debuted/ as part of Neo-Zeon - at a Federation party, like some debutante... not a hostage. Even though I was one. Depending on who was in charge on any given day though - they tied me to a mobile suit, to try to force people important to me to surrender."
She understands this a lot to take in so she decides not to tell him more immediately, not the worst parts, not yet "These people might really good people - terrorists or not. However, they might have superiors, who could decide that it's in their best interests to take me prisoner." Leina sums it up gently, "I /can't/ do that to my big brother again - or my Guardian. She's extremely influential. There are so many people who could use me to hurt her."
Leina smile is gentle, "I want to meet Marida desperately, and I promise I won't betray her if she comes to see me, but I can't put myself in a situation like that. No matter what."
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
Banagher looks -- and feels -- genuinely surprised at Leina's reaction. He's spent so much time on the Garencieres, he's practically forgotten the Sleeves' reputation. "To see... Earth? To see the things Zeon did?" Banagher nods. "I mean to do that. As soon as things calm down, and I can get away."
Banagher holds her tightly as she cries, smiling as she pulls back. "You're welcome," he says, quietly. "We both needed this, I think. Oh--!" He pretends to go reeling from the fake punch, giving her a bright smile.
His face falls slightly as Leina turns him down, but, really.. She's being entirely rational. He wouldn't go to a terrorist ship with someone he just met, either.
Banagher opens his mouth to tell her it's okay, that he understands, but... his mouth falls closed as she goes on. How could... things like this happen, outside of stupid movies? "Leina..." There's only truth in her words, in her countenance. "I'm sorry. I never would've asked if I knew about that." A hot, fierce burst of anger comes from deep inside him, as he clenches his fists. "I can't believe anyone would treat someone that way -- especially a child..! That's -- twisted, it's sick! I'm sorry, Leina. You never should've had to go through that. Nobody should!"
Suddenly remembering Leina could most likely feel his anger, Banagher takes a soft breath to calm himself down. She didn't need to deal with his own hysteria while talking about something traumatic. "I understand. And -- I'll bring her to meet you, if she wants to. I promise I'll keep her safe, and that I'll keep you safe, too. No matter how things go." He places his hand on hers, as though making an oath. "Somehow, we'll find a way to get you two together, in a way that nobody has to feel scared over. I know you two will absolutely love each other. You're both brave, and kind, and --" He laughs, blushing just a shade redder. "Really cool! Seriously, Leina, you're amazing. I'll do whatever I can to help, I promise."
"Here, maybe --" He brings out his communicator. Naturally, it's bright Haro-green. "I could message you, once I've talked to her? Or you guys could message each other. If you're comfortable with that."
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
"Please do. There's someone I'd like you to meet." Leina actually winks at him, "I'll leave who it is a surprise." And holds up a single finger while she makes her own vow, "I promise you won't be disappointed - so don't take too long. Or if it's not possible. Let me know and we'll see if we can't arrange something in space."
The idea of convincing Sayla to meet a boy in space who is riding around on a terrorist ship (That she suspects are the Sleeves?) though is one that MIGHT be near insurmountable, so she hopes he can just make it down to Earth so as not to have to climb that hill.
And after a moment, "You might be right about that."
Leina puts her hand on his shoulder again, "It's okay. You didn't know." She closes her eyes, and just nods mutely for a bit, riding out his anger. It's a fierce wave, but she's quite accomplished in fielding THAT emotion from other people.
"You're right." She reaches over and tousles his hair lightly, fondly, as his anger recedes, "So be kind to yourself for what you've been through, Banagher."
As she remembers the image of his father disappearing behind the hatch.
And Leina gives him a big smile again, "I trust you, Banagher. Thank you so much for doing this to me. It means the world." Leina doesn't actually fluster too much at being called Brave and Kind, living with Sayla Mass has won her some great amount of confidence in herself. Though as /he/ reddens, she takes a good look at his face, and teases him lightly, "My. Is someone not used to complimenting girls~?"
Though then she actually reaches out to touch his cheek lightly with her thumb, in a gesture he might not be able to discern if it's flirtatious or merely affectionate, "Don't let it go to your head - but I think you're amazing too Banagher. I'm glad you found me today. I usually don't want to be found like that, but for you-" Another unsubtle wink, "-I'll make an exception!"
He then offers his communicator, and she takes it, "Thank you. I'll keep it close. Call me once you've spoken to her, and we'll figure things out." Her smile widens, "You've given me a lot of hope that they will."
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
"Oh?" Banagher smiles at Leina's promise, nodding. "I could use a good surprise. I'll hold you to that, and I promise I won't take too long.
He flushes again as she tousles his hair. "I'll do my best, to be kind to myself. I hope you will too, Leina. Neither of us were at fault for the things that happened to us." A sudden idea hits him, and Banagher smiles. "Next time, I'll bring Haro! Maybe he can be friends with yours -- and the cats, too."
"I trust you, too." That flush burns all the more brightly as she teases him -- for a moment, he wishes he could hide in his hoodie. "W--well --! I spend most of my time in my Gundam, and --" That's not an excuse, Banagher! All the same, he manages a smile as she reaches out. "I -- uh. Thank you. I'm really glad I found you, Leina -- and I hope I will again, sometime."
Banagher stands, bundling up the trash of his hot dog and holding it in his hoodie pocket. The other one from the Elepo Puru note, thankfully. "I'll head out right now. I'm sure Marida is waiting back on the ship." He feels almost giddy with the hope and playful affection coming from Leina, it twines with his own excitement into a sugary-sweet, heady feeling. "She's going to be so surprised. I'll message you as soon as I can. Be safe, okay?"
With a little wave, he hurries off, back in the direction of the Unicorn. Surely, tomorrow would be an exciting day..!