2022-04-24: Case of the Missing Lancaster
- Cast: Rena Lancaster, Anita Rosetta
- Where: Ra Mari
- Date: U.C. 0096 04 24
- Summary: Rena Lancaster fell asleep from overworking. Fortunately, Anita Rosetta is on the case! And discussing of some worries follows.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
Where on the Ra Mari is Rena Lancaster?
She hasn't been seen for three hours. Some people are worried. More experienced friends, however, know where to go looking. Rena has a bad habit. She takes on too much, and so it is. In one of the observation decks, after volunteering to show some new transfers around after a twelve-hour shift and a one hour simulator tutoring session before that...
...Rena has fallen asleep.
This is where the Kakapo Commander has found herself. Slumped over on a bench, snoring, and leaning against one of the ship's bulkheads.
Fortunately, Anita probably knows where to look.
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
Rena's been missing for three hours. Anita would be worried... if she didn't already have an idea of what was going on. She keeps track of what her friends are doing - Rena especially, because she knows how much she tends to push herself. As such, it just takes a quick sweep of the usual places for Anita to find her, slumped up against one of the bulkheads and snoring away. Anita studies her for a moment, her hands in the pockets of her uniform.
A part of her feels inclined to just leave her there. She could probably use the rest... but, the trainees would be scandalized if they caught her like this, so it might be for the best.
"Renaaa~." Anita starts, her voice a soft lilt intended to draw her out of sleep rather than startle her awake. "You've been pushing yourself again, I see. When was the last time you took a break?"
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
Rena's eyes blink. Once, twice; then they open, and the ashen-haired woman looks up at Anita, registering only slowly that she is there. Then, she registers where she is; then, finally, her cheeks start to turn a bright red, and she glances away. "A-Anniiiiiie..."
She whines her name in greeting.
"...I-I'm sure I took one yesterday," she says, with an embarrassed look. She pushes herself up; to sit up. Then, she stretches her arms above her head. There is a moment's hesitation there, before she looks back at Anita.
Then to the side, looking embarrassed again. "D-Did anyone else see me...?"
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
Anita chuckles good-naturedly at that whine she receives in greeting.
"Rena." Anita repeats. She watches as Rena sits up, saying that she took a break... yesterday. Anita rolls her eyes at that.
"'Yesterday', huh. And how long were you going for today?" Anita asks. It's a faint scolding, but it's well-meaning - the care is evident in her tone. She grins slightly, though, as Rena asks if anyone saw her. Anita draws a hand from her uniforms pockets to give a dismissive wave.
"Nah, probably not - don't worry about it. I had a feeling you'd be around here, so I pointed folks to the other side of the ship when they asked after you." She replies, shaking her head. "I can give you some pointers if you need some ideas on good places to steal away a nap or two, though."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"I-I think about fourteen hours," Rena admits, sheepishly. She can't quite lie to her friend. For that matter, she is a terrible liar.
Her eyes look up, meeting Anita's. She catches the scolding; she also catches the fact that Annie cares. A smile crosses her face, as she does, and she tilts her head. "You really look out for me, huh?"
Rena scoots over -- making space for Annie to sit on the bench, if she wants -- and then she looks at her for a moment longer. "You... you have a secret list of napping spots...?"
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
Fourteen hours... Anita nods knowingly. Yeah, that tracks with everything she heard. She didn't think Rena would lie to her, but it's still good knowing she didn't. When Rena smiles Anita smiles back, and shrugs.
"Well, I try, but you don't make it easy sometimes." Anita says, teasing her lightly as she moves to join Rena on the bench. She's not upset, of course - that's just a part of who Rena is. She grins, then, as Rena asks about her list of secret napping spots.
"I sure do. I'm an expert at what I do, after all." Anita replies proudly.
...What she does includes 'napping', apparently??
"Let's see... for instance, this one is pretty much an open secret among the crew, but..." Anita starts, thinking, before listing off one of the Ra Mari's sectors. "There's a spare parts closet that no one really uses that makes a good napping spot. Just shut the view slot when you enter and open it up when you're done to show that's empty, and if anyone asks what you were doing when you leave you can just say you were fetching some spare parts for the repair crew."
Anita shrugs then, briefly.
"...Or for Myrme." She adds as an aside.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
Rena stares at Anita for a second, after she says that she is an expert at what she does. Then, her cheeks redden, and she glances to the side. "H-How are you so cool," she says, with a flustered look. Then she scratches at the back of her head.
She considers for a moment, as Anita explains a spare parts closet -- one she heard about. She never quite thought of using it as a space to nap. But, there is even a rule about it!
"That sounds... really convenient. Myrme would be a believable excuse, too," she says. "Do... um. Do you use it a lot?"
A beat.
"...Is it comfortable?"
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
"Well, I don't know if I'm that cool..." Anita replies with a shrug, thereby not proving her own point in the least.
As for the spare parts closet...
"Right? Just take some of the scrap with you when you leave, and if you've ever got some lying around you can donate it to the pile for others to take." Anita replies with a shrug. As for if she uses it a lot... "Only when I'm in the area and really need it. But since I've got other hidden places of my own, I try to keep it vacant when I can for everyone else."
How mysterious...
As for comfort, Anita nods.
"Surprisingly, yes? You might have to shift things around a bit, but you can get a pretty good nap in there once you settle in. ...It's a little small, though, so it's a no-go if you're claustrophobic." Anita replies.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"That's what someone cool would say!" Rena counters Anita, with a sigh.
But she smiles, and then she tilts her head a little. It makes sense, she supposes; Anita has several secret napping spots, so she keeps that one available. "That makes sense... it means you can bring some. Or, um, food to Myrme..."
She trails off a little. "Claustrophobic wouldn't be a problem." She scratches at her cheek.
"It would be nice to have a place to sneak off and sleep at," she says. A beat. "I'm not... sure if that's actually solving the overworking problem, though..."
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
Anita chuckles a little as Rena counters her point.
"Well, I guess I can't refute that..." She replies, and listens as Rena mulls over the napping spot. It is nice... but, she's right that it doesn't address the main problem.
"...That's true. If anything, it might be too encouraging..." Anita admits. "In the end, the problem is someone..."
Anita pokes Rena on the closest shoulder gently.
"Taking too much on her own shoulders. Knowing when to let others handle things is an important part of the job too, you know?" Anita comments. "There's plenty of folks around who'd be glad to take some of your share, I bet. Like..."
She pauses, hesitating for a moment.
"Like, I'm sure there's plenty of things even I could do." She concludes. This isn't something Anita says lightly - she is, after all, the kind of person who avoids putting extra responsibilities on her own shoulders like the plague.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
Rena blinks when her shoulder is poked -- but she smiles, and she looks at Anita with that very same smile. "...yeah, I know. I always end up doing this..."
She should know better. She would like to say she does, but the evidence suggests otherwise.
She looks surprised, though -- sitting up a little straighter. Her fingers curl around the bench's rim. "You... would? I know you--um--it's not really what you do... I don't want to put you out."
She frowns for a second. "Aah, I shouldn't be trying to talk you out of it right after you offer!"
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
Anita nods, at that. It's true, she does - she's not going to sugarcoat it. Rena seems surprised, though, at her offer... but can she really blame her? It's like Rena said - it's not really what she does. She usually prefers the kind of work where nobody even realises it's been done until someone stops doing it. Anita grins, and shrugs.
"I know, right?" She replies... but then, her expression goes a little more serious.
"...I appreciate it, but it's fine, really - I don't mind doing it." Anita replies. "You just have to promise that if you do, you'll try to stop tackling so many things at once, okay?"
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"Well... okay," Rena says, finally relenting. And, inwardly, reminding herself to not just agree and then not change anything. She doubts Anita would let her get away with that. "Thanks, Annie. I'll... I'll get your help with more. And try to say no to more."
She looks sideways at Anita, smiling. Though, after a moment, her expression turns more serious.
"I'm... trying to make sure spirits stay up," she says. "I know things have been hard. And I'm worried, too. So..."
Rena looks down. "I guess I'm pushing myself more," she admits. "To make up for it. And maybe... not feel like I decided to come here, and everyone who followed me made a mistake, or... or something."
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
"There it is, that's what I wanted to hear." Anita replies with a smile, as Rena says she'll get her help more, and say no to more. ...It's true, though - she probably wouldn't let her get away with it.
Rena says, then, that she's trying to make sure spirits stay up. Anita nods quietly at that, her gaze briefly drawn upward.
"...Yeah. I'd be lying if I said everything was perfect." She admits. They've seen a lot since they initially joined up. Some of it pretty rough. She looks back down to Rena, then. ...She can kind of get a picture of the weight on her shoulders. Why she pushes herself so hard.
"...We all appreciate everything you do. But you need to take time for yourself too, you know? None of us want to see you... grind yourself into nothing for our sake." Anita replies. "I don't think any of us think it was a mistake to follow you, whatever happens. We're here because we want to be. And Ah-ri... she got dragged into it. But that wasn't your fault."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"It's not perfect, Far from it," Rena says, quietly. She hesitates for a second more. Her shoulders slump a little, without thinking about it. But, she lets her guard down more around her friends than she does otherwise.
Anita explains more, though. They are here because they chose to be -- and even Ah-ri is here because of something unrelated to Rena.
"I know," she says. "I just... thought, since I was the one who was so gung-ho, I should be... the one who's trying to make things better."
She sighs.
"And the truth is, I'm not sure what I'm doing here, anymore, sometimes." Her fingers curls some of her hair around itself. "...I'm glad, though. That you don't resent me."
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
Anita nods quietly, noting that slump of the shoulders. Everything must be hitting her pretty hard...
"I get that... But you can lean on us if you need to, you know? It's like I said, you don't need to do everything yourself." Anita replies. She listens, then, as Rena admits that she's not sure what she's doing here anymore sometimes. Anita 'hm's to herself, though she does grin slightly when Rena says she's glad she doesn't resent her.
"Well, I can tell you that was never going to happen." Anita says, giving her a reassuring pat on the back. "I know you're doing your best. And besides - you mean the world to me, you know? You, Ah-ri, Eight, Callie, Minae... It'd take way more than that."
She trails off, though, clasping her hands in front of her and considering what Rena said earlier.
"But... if you're not sure what you're doing, then maybe it's time to... step back a little. Ask for leave for a bit, maybe. Take some time to yourself to... think about what it is you really want. Where you want to be going." Anita suggests.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
Rena's eyes are on the ground, at first. She frowns, but she nods. "Okay," she says. "I'll... I'll try to do that." It isn't easy, sometimes, for her to seek out that sort of support. But, they both know that already.
She looks up, though, when Anita says that she means the world to her. Rena's cheeks redden again, for a second, and then she leans over and hugs her. "Annie..." She sighs. "...thanks. You mean the world to me, too. You're..."
She hesitates. "You're always there for me. Even when I'm kind of a mess."
She is quiet, for a second, after that. Time to think about what she wants. "That's... maybe that's what I should do. I'm worried, though. That I'll be letting people down, or I'll be useless to them, or..."
She sighs. There she goes again, she thinks.
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
"Great, I'm glad to hear you say that." Anita replies with a nod. She knows it isn't easy... but, that's why she keeps reminding her that it's an option that's okay to seek.
She is surprised, though, when Rena leans over with a hug. After a moment, Anita returns the gesture, offering her a smile.
"Hey, we're all kind of a mess in our own way." She replies. "And, well... you're always there for us, doing your best. Someone has to be there for you, too."
Thankfully, it seems like Rena is considering her suggestion... though it does cycle back toward worry.
"Hey, don't worry. I'm sure they'll understand. You're a person, not a machine - and even machines have to go down for maintenance every now and then, right?" Anita replies. "...And besides, if anyone decides you're useless to them because you need to take time off, then..."
Anita frowns for a moment as she considers exactly how to word it, before deciding it's best to just throw eloquence out the window.
"Then screw them. If they think you're useless to them just because of that, then they don't deserve your consideration in the first place. They're not worth it." She decides with a shake of her head.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"I guess so," Rena says, with a smile, as she pulls back after a moment. She rests her hand on the back her of head. "Thanks, Anita. I, um, I do try. But..."
She glances to the side. "Let me know if I can do anything for you, too, okay?" Maybe she hasn't quite internalized this lesson yet. She makes a little noise in the back of her throat.
She listens, though, again.
She blinks at how strongly Anita worded that. It's positively heated, for her. Her eyes widen with surprise -- but then she smiles, and nods her head. "...yeah. You're right. They wouldn't want the best for me, if that's true."
She hesitates, before she smiles apologetically. "I just gotta... not beat myself up about it, too."
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
"Don't worry, I'll let you know." Anita replies with a nod. Well... it's not like she didn't know this would take some time, at least. Some things are difficult to learn.
She looks pleased, though, at Rena's reaction to her words. It looks like it had the intended effect.
"That's right. That kind of person is just always in it for themselves." Anita agrees. "You've got better things to do with your time and effort."
Rena says that she just has to not beat herself up about it, and Anita responds with a sad smile.
"Yeah... I guess that's the hard part." Anita admits. "Well, if you ever need a reminder of just how much you're worth, I'm sure any one of us would be glad to give you one."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
Rena smiles, and her fingers brush back some of her ash-colored hair. Her eyes glance sideways for a second -- and she nods her head. "Yeah," she says. "I know. I'll... I'll try to remember it."
And that she can go to them, if she feels like she needs a reminder. She smiles at Anita, then.
"...thanks, Annie," she says. She looks at her for a second longer. Her cheeks are still a little red, but Rena always blushed pretty easily.
"I, um--" She hesitates. "I really appreciate it. Let's--let's do something fun, soon. Or hang out, or... or something! Maybe you can show me how to fly a VF, or..."
Rena sputters a little.
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
As long as Rena tries, that's the important thing in Anita's eyes. When she thanks her, Anita smiles and nods.
"Hey, no problem at all." She replies. Rena's still blushing up a storm... but, Anita's used to this, so she politely doesn't comment on it.
Rena says she appreciates it, and Anita grins.
"Yeah, that'd be great sometime." She agrees... and pauses, her interest piqued as Rena suggests showing her how to fly a VF. "Oh, were you interested? I'd be glad to. You'd love it, trust me. Mobile suits are great and all, but nothing quite matches the feel of just... soaring through the air, you know?"
Anita considers for a moment.
"You'd probably want to learn how to use an EX-Gear first, but I don't think you'd have too much trouble with that..." She thinks. "They're so useful to have, anyway."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
Rena did always like sports. She couldn't participate in a lot of them on Winter Wonderland. Her parents always forbid it -- she never understood why, especially as she had a natural talent that tended to come out in the strangest ways.
She smiles, after a moment, and then Rena bobs her head once. "I'd be happy to start with EX-Gear," she says. "I always thought it looked fun..."
She scratches at her cheek, as she imagines it.
"Maybe we could try that, soon?" she asks. "And then I could get into VF's from there. I always thought they looked fun... and I like Mobile Suits, but..."
Branching out is always a good idea.
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
"They're great! I still appreciate the Homo Avis, but EX-Gear are such an improvement on freedom." Anita agrees. It's a rare sort of enthusiasm from Anita - it's one of the topics that means a lot to her. She nods, then. "Yeah, I'd love to. They're a little difficult at first, but with me around to look after you you'll be just fine, I think."
And then, VFs. Anita nods in agreement.
"Yeah, that sounds like a plan." She says with a nod. "Always good to try something new, right?"
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"Sure. I'll let you know as soon as I have some free time, then we can do it!" Rena says, eagerly. She grins, and then she nods. "It is. And it'll be fun!"
Then, she claps her hands onto her knees, and she stands up.
"I should get something to eat," she says. "I kinda skipped lunch. And dinner..." She flushes. "S-So... maybe, um. Want to come with?"
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
"Sounds good!" Anita replies with a grin of her own. "We can make some time if we have to. I'm looking forward to it."
Rena stands up then... and admits that she skipped lunch and dinner. Anita sighs, in a teasing but well-meaning way.
"I had a feeling you might have." Anita replies, and then smiles, and stands up. "That'd be great, though, I'd like that. I could use a bite to eat, myself."