2022-11-07: Concession
- Log: 2022-11-07: Concession
- Cast: Akane Shinjo, Sayla Mass
- Where: Tsutsujidai/Spain
- OOC - IC Date: 0096-11-07
- Summary: Sayla gets a business call as Akane approaches the hard end of a deadline. Akane can't ask for help, but she can change the situation. Goes directly into 2022-11-07: Intake.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Marusan's supposed grant deadline looms large in Akane's brain. She looks at the calendar in the corner of her computer screen and frowns.
"Ugh."
She heads downstairs to the kitchen, opening the fridge -- and crosschecking it with a notebook. She's out of what she'd need for her current best guess -- and really doesn't want to go shopping again.
"Rrrghh..."
Exasperated, she returns to her room. Looks at her Osanshoo phone -- the one she uses for conversations she doesn't necessarily want Alexis snooping on.
Sitting on a park bench, she gives her most communicative lizard friend a too-irritated squeeze after plugging in a comm number she only has on her other phone.
Ring. Ring.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
The evening in Spain is quiet and calm, crickets heard in the air. Sayla's been taking it as easy as she can, but she's retired to her study for the evening. Sorting out paperwork for upcoming events, financials...
And then her personal phone rings, the theme from 0082's heist action hit 'Heart of Space' cutting through the silence of her office.
She picks it up, looking at the number. She doesn't recognize it but- she's given her personal number to several people in case they needed to talk to her. A video call is odd, but Sayla sets the stand out for her phone, and swipes up on the phone with her good hand, her cast just out of frame.
"You've reached Sayla Mass," she says as she waits for the camera to load- only to partially mark her surprise at who is on the other end.
"Akane." Her tone is even, calm, but she's surprised the antagonistic god would just call her. From Tsutsujidai, based on the background. She flicks a switch on her desk, locking the study. "I'm in a secure location, so you can start when you're ready." She's not, oddly, offering any pushback. She's curious as to why Akane of all people would reach out, and imagines it would be serious.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane takes a breath and shoves a stray lock of hair out of her bangs. (She really needs to fix those; they're getting just a touch longer than she'd like. ... a haircut would be good, actually! Just a nice, normal haircut.)
"I'm not gonna dress this one up," she says, getting right down to business. "You know how people keep moving to my city? One of them has a problem I can't fix. I tried."
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Sayla's listens, her eyes on Akane. She doesn't admit to the movements, but...
"Okay. Tell me what you can about it, and what you need?" Sayla shifts, sliding her laptop over so she can take notes. This movement shows the cast on her arm, functioning as she can.
If she's reaching out for help... Now is the time to show she can receive it from people who aren't Alexis.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
When it's just rattling off facts... Akane can do that. "One of them is from an Earth Federation enhancement program and needs to eat different stuff than a normal person and right now she's mostly on bedrest." The words kind of spill out one after another.
Her gaze turns briefly to the cast, but... focus.
"I don't know what helps. I tried. I think she's more than I can handle."
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Sayla pauses at the facts... Quietly, she pulls up the photo Yuta sent her. Running them through the Shuffle database led to results. Maybe it's showing her hand. "...Miss Nagisa?" She asks, cross-checking the data Guy gave her.
"I see." She taps on the desk. "Do you want me to examine her myself? Or has the situation escalated?" Sayla's tone remains calm, controlled, in control.
The School... And Radha was occupied with her job.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
... just the facts. She can lay the facts out and let Sayla do what she wants. It's not... asking for help, it's just. Arranging the situation and letting heroes do what heroes do.
"Yeah," Akane says, staring off past the screen. "She's deteriorating pretty fast. I guess the thing I'm not doing right is electrolytes because it seems like she's dehydrating no matter how much she drinks but that's pretty hard so it's kinda up to you how you want to play this."
If Akane had the world to herself, this wouldn't be a problem -- she'd simply edit the whole world to forget her screwup. As is, though... she'd be leaving a wound that's big and obvious and fresh.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Sayla nods, for a moment. If she can't drink... "Alright." She's thoughtful. "I'm contacting a colleague who is familiar with what this program does, just in case they have any thoughts. I'm not giving any other information than is necessary- no one is going to come looking for her from this."
Sayla pauses for a few moments more. "Intravenous Fluids may help, but I'd want someone with medical training to watch over her if there's a negative reaction. Can she safely be moved to the hospital? That would give us more time."
Still... This might be beyond what she can handle too. "I'll get on the first flight I can, but before I start making arrangements-"
Now, Sayla refocuses on Akane. "Is there anyone you want kept out of this?" It's an odd question but with The School involved, they have to be discreet. And Sayla is good at discreet.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane takes a moment. "I don't think it's something that a normal IV would help. It's like... she processes food and water a whole different way from a normal person." Again staring off, Akane says something revealing: "I thought she wouldn't even need to eat here but I guess that wasn't true."
... that still makes it weird that she doesn't need to eat, but she pushes that aside.
"I'd like to keep this quiet. Ideally not even Leina finds out! ... Though if she's coming to deal with that grant application Marusan was talking about on the 12th we might not have a choice." She pauses, before adding, "She was gonna tell you if I didn't by then but I know way more about the situation than she does."
There's still no grant application.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
"...I see. Better to keep her where she is then." A quick tap of notes. Wouldn't need to Eat?
Sayla, to her credit, keeps a straight face. "I think it should be manageable. If there's time, I'll handle resolving the grant application. It's probably for the best right now." She considers revealing more but... she won't push.
"Alright, I can get a flight up to the Orbital Ring within the hour, then I'll charter transport on the way. I'll be there as soon as possible." Sayla takes a deep breath. "Thank you for being the one to call me. Shall I text you when I'm arriving?" She's not sure how close to the matter Akane will be, despite being the reason for her presence.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane seems -- surprised, and almost upset, at Sayla staying level here. It's... not her expected style, to say the least. "People are taking care of her. It's probably going to stay fine until you get here." She pauses, looking at Sayla over the phone for a bit. "I guess Marusan just kinda did the grant application herself. It just needs a signature. She's a hard worker... you're pretty lucky."
Sayla's really moving on this one, too... that kind of shocks her. Her brow furrows a bit.
"Why are you moving so quick on this? I'd get mad about it," she continues, head canting just a little to one side. "Oh, yeah. Text me and I'll take you to her apartment."
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Sayla's features turn a little stern. "I hope so, but you said she was deteriorating rapidly." But she has a timeline Akane doesn't know she has. "Someone's condition can turn quickly.
The blonde nods in response. "She is. I'm very lucky to have her on hand." So, it seems, is Akane.
"Akane. If I'm going to get angry, I'll do it after helping Miss Nagisa- her health comes first, and from what little I know, I don't want her having to go back." Sayla looks more concerned, her eyes darting to one side.
"I'm not sure who I'd be angry at here, apart from the ones who made her this way. This feels like a well meaning mistake on someone's part- and there's nothing that getting mad can change that." She's a little less calm here, finally, but still controlled. "Does that answer your question?"
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
... this definitely doesn't make sense. She would've been fine at the School (other than the constant risk of death or disposal). Doesn't that make this situation Akane's fault...?
... whatever. It's been clear since her kaiju's visit to Spain that she has no idea how Sayla thinks. May as well just accept that.
"Suit yourself," comes Akane's answer, back to more level, more noncommittal. Whatever comes of this -- it probably won't be her fault. "You can have my notes on what she's been eating and how she handled it. It's a little over a month."
Something gnaws at her. "Until this, I kinda thought the Federation stopped doing this stuff after the Titans." It's... nervewracking to admit this, but she's feeling -- a little too open. "One of my teachers in middle school rushed in and turned the TV off when some of us were watching one of the trials. I ended up watching the whole thing at home."
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
"That would be helpful. It at least gives me an idea of what options there might be." Sayla starts to get ready to pack up and say goodbye, but Akane's still talking... so she waits.
"...Sadly not." Frustration is in Sayla's voice, but it's a low, pained frustration. "The terms were to halt Cyber Newtype research, but plenty of labs shifted gears and went into other enhanced human 'research'. Not every awful member of the Federation was in the Titans, after all." She sighs. "And there were enough people who could be convinced of the danger of Neo-Zeon's Cyber Newtypes."
Sayla looks down now, sighing. "...Those trials didn't hold much back." Middle school, so no one to watch them with her. Sayla had been there for Leina at only a few years older.
"Things definitely changed, but AEUG were too ready to take the easy wins at that point."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
"Huh. Sounds like not much changed," Akane says, staring off a little again. ... She decides she doesn't want to deal with that -- doesn't want to be a person with a history and experiences anymore, after she hears that bringing that a little more to the fore has clearly wrecked the conversation a little more.
"Anyway, I'll start heading over in about two hours. Text me when you get here." She closes her eyes and breathes out, adding, "Don't freak out and call the whole squad if you see someone from the Gutsy Whatever Guard. Seems Renais isn't the only one who can't stop tripping over herself to feel like a hero despite everything. They won't attack if you don't!"
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Sayla puts her hand to her lips. It's not surprising that's how she sees it. But that's not quite true, is it. She doesn't try to correct her now. "Alright. I'll see you shortly. We'll see what I can do for her."
A pause. "...Understood. I'll be discreet. Unless there's anything else, I should get moving."
Sayla reaches to hang up her phone, but there's time for Akane to get a word in.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
"See you," is all Akane offers Sayla at this point. She needs some time to recover from even an implicit request for help under slight duress; this was... bad. She's still kind of feeling like the other shoe is going to drop -- if not with Sayla then with someone else who hears about it.
Giving her phone a squeeze so it hangs up, Akane mumbles, "Yeah, this is gonna suck," under her breath.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
The phone hung up, Sayla adds the number for later and slips it up. She stands up, and walks over the liqour cabinet, pulls out a bottle of the cheap stuff, and takes a quick swig. She's off painkillers now, she can afford it.
She returns to her desk, and gets working. Within an hour, Sayla has made her apologies and is on a flight, as she promised. Sitting in her first class seat, with supplies checked, she finds herself reading old medical texts and outdated reports. There's a sharp intake of breath. She hopes she's wrong but...
Yeah.
This is gonna suck.