2022-12-13: Holding Out For A Shiro
- Log: 2022-12-13: Holding Out For A Shiro
- Cast: Leina Ashta, Shiro Kabuto (NPCed)
- Where: Outside Fujinomiya City
- Date: U.C. 0096 12 13
- Summary: Leina asks her ex-boyfriend for a big favor.
"... Leina, come on. This is Koji we're talking about. I'm not worried. There's no way my brother's going to be beaten by some creepy Kaiju city! So what if there's some 'Hyperdevil' there? He could kick its butt back to hell in an Ichinana!"
Leina Ashta gave Shiro Kabuto a long, scrutinizing look, as if trying to determine if there was some hidden concern but... the young man suddenly grabbed her hand, and gave it a squeeze. "The same goes for Sayla too, okay? She's going to be fine. So many good people have her back out there."
The younger woman looked at him for a short time longer, then closed her eyes with a nod, squeezing it back in turn, "I know. I know. I've told myself that a thousand times... but..." Leina shook her head helplessly then told him quietly, "... I can't feel her or Mamoru or Renais or Kamille or... so many other people anymore! And it's driving me crazy, it's like a part of me is missing!"
Shiro pulled her into a hug at that moment, and for a time the two were quiet. After she finally released him and was dabbing at her eyes, Shiro clears his throat, "I can't... not bring this up. Leina, my superiors passed a report my way, about an incident. In Khanka." Shiro's expression turns more serious, "What the hell are you and your new boyfriend involved in? Do I need to kick his ass?" Leina wipes at her eyes with a hand, and says, "No. No you don't - let me explain..."
"I'm flying down there to kick /HER/ ass!" "You are n-!" "Is what I'd say if I didn't realize the position we're in. After what that Londo Bell Captain pulled - we've been in all kinds of reeducation briefings on 'jurisdiction, jurisdiction, jurisdiction.' Crossing bloc right now to attack the exact same person would just put all of the people counting on me in the line of fire."
Leina's lashes flutter, her expression genuinely startled, before she smiles from the pleasant surprise, "You've... matured a little. I'm impressed." Shiro looked pleased with himself, as he rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah, aha-" Shiro pauses mid-motion and looks thoughtful, "-I could always call her out for a duel." Leina replies instantly, sounding extremely annoyed, "No." "I'm just saying-" "I'm taking it back." "Fineeeee! ... Wow though, I'm glad you're alright. I mean piloting a mobile suit for the first time and it's against some... Anti-Newtype menace, and you made it out of there? Honestly impressive!"
"She... she wasn't aiming to kill any of us." Leina looked away, biting down on her lip, "Actually I... that brings me to something I need to talk to you about. I need... a favor Shiro." Shiro looked at her almost eagerly for a moment, then it suddenly struck him, "No way. No way! Leina you're not actually considering-!" "Look it would... behoove me to know what I was doing, if... I needed to do something like this again." "Yeah? Well it would be-hoo-ve /me/ to remind you that you've been telling me for years that you never wanted to do this!"
"I don't." Leina inhales, then exhales slowly, "But that doesn't mean it won't become necessary again; maybe even soon ... Please Shiro." "Why not someone else? Your brother is back right? And hell your boyfriend is a pilot. Even your brother's girlfriend is a pilot! There's no shortage of people to teach you." Leina suddenly looked awkward, vulnerable, "Because... Judau tried to keep me away from this kind of thing, Banagher? He'd definitely spend the whole time thinking he was responsible for this, just - guilty to the point where he couldn't concentrate and Roux? I can't do that to her, put her on the hook for doing this behind Judau's back." With a sheepish look and a fond smile she tells him, "I know you'll do it properly, because I know how serious you are about training."
For Shiro it would be simplicity itself for him to say no. While the two were dating they'd fought a lot over how hard he was committing to piloting for the OCU. And now she wanted to do it herself? But, he'd had time to cool down from all of that, time enough to reflect on how he'd done wrong. He knows it wasn't really the piloting, but how he was taking for granted that she'd always be there waiting for him. He wishes he could do it all over again, but he knows that window of opportunity is gone. Maybe this could be a step towards making up for it.
"... Alright. I'll have to set something up, but I can give you a crash course at least. Oh-five hundred tomorrow, there's a training ground I use when I'm off-duty. I'll send you the location." "Thank you! Thank you so much Shiro!" "Thank me /after/ you've made it through the day... you're trusting me to do it properly? That means I won't be going easy on you."
It was an early morning of fully familiarizing herself with the controls of the Double Zeta's little sibling, which didn't exactly have a manual. Shiro helped her patiently work through it until she had it all down, thankfully this time without any High Mega Cannon accidents, then practicing...
... the afternoon?
"Dead."
"Oh yeah dead."
"Dead again Leina."
"Gotcha, you're so dead!"
"Super dead."
"Whoa that sure was a... uh. Move. And also you're very dead."
"Very very dead. Ichinana wins against the Double Zeta once again!"
"You're enjoying this way too much." Leina groused at the start of the twenty fourth match, the tally currently, 23 Shiro - 0 Leina. Shirou laughed good-naturedly as his Ichinana flew circles around her, Leina struggling to keep up and target him with a trainer rifle, "Of course I am! I'm getting to train you in something I'm passionate about! You did say you didn't want me to hold back. And hey! Don't get down about the results. You're improving. You've got good instincts, you just don't have the muscle memory or battle experience to match yet. If you beat me even once on day one, then what was all that training for?"
A flash of intuition, as he came down at her and - the blunt of the training sword passed her guard again for an impact that jarred her in the cockpit. "Yeah that's twenty four to nothing. Back to starting positions, going to mix it up a little this time." As the two flew back down, an image of Leina appeared in Shiro's cockpit as she asked, "Aren't you going to say it?" Shiro flashed her a grin, "Say what?" "You know what!" "So eager!" He says jovially then, in a moment of seriousness, "Don't worry Leina ... I'll kill you as many times as it takes, to keep you alive out there."