2023-01-31: The Future We Fight For
- Log: The Future We Fight For
- Cast: Naoko Suzuki, Eight York, Rita Bernal
- Where: Meeting Room, Ra Mari II
- OOC - IC Date: 0093-01-31
- Summary: Following the destruction of Quintilis Five and the firing of GENESIS, Eight helps Naoko through her distress with assistance from Rita, who warns of things to come.
<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.
Naoko's sudden unauthorized sortie during the crisis at the PLANTs was a surprise to everybody. 'What was she thinking' would be a fair question, and the answer is: she wasn't. There was an impulse here, not a plan. Somehow, it worked out, in so far as she made it out alive, and her machine wasn't totally destroyed. What happened out there though... suffice it to say that she was woefully unprepared for absolutely everything. Surviving a fight against a powerful Gundam with a veteran pilot was enough of a challenge. But witnessing - on a level deeper than vision - a colony going up in a nuclear blast? That could mess up the best of people.
Naoko is not the best of people, in that sense. She quietly followed the other Ra Mari II pilots back to the hangar, not saying a word other than giving brief acknowledgements when she was addressed. After docking, and exiting her unit, she looked... dazed. Lost. Still not very responsive, on the whole. Her body moved, but her mind seemed virtually shut down.
This lasted until approximately the moment she saw Eight. The one person on the entire ship that she feels she has a deeper connection to, at present. The one she owes for helping her when she needed it most. Now, she needs that help again. Though the way she chooses to phrase it...
"Please, you have to tell me what I did wrong! What I could have done, or not done, to change what happened! Because, if you tell me I did everything I could... then what is the point of doing anything?!"
One of the few statements she was able to make clearly. 'Upset' would be heavily understating her condition at the time. There were tears, there were attempts to speak more that just didn't go anywhere... she needed help. Help that she only trusted Eight to give her.
It's been several minutes since she was taken to a quiet meeting room. The first glass of water she was offered was downed immediately, the refill is still half-full. She's been quiet again, after being taken aside. Taking the time to recover enough of her faculties to be able to have a proper conversation. A deep sigh heralds the moment she feels ready to do so, finally raising her head to look Eight in the eyes. There's something she has to say, before anything else.
"...I'm sorry. I know I was wrong, to do what I did. I caused you trouble. I'm still causing you trouble, you must have a million other things that need your attention right now... and here I am, taking it up again." She bows her head, repeating, "I'm so sorry."
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
Eight York was grieving those people herself. It was hard. But...
"Shh," she says.
She is the Captain, and Naoko is on her ship. She has put herself in the crew, if only for today; she is Eight's responsibility. And the repairs will take some time, over which Rezza can preside... And only she can provide the help Naoko needs right now. Eight judges she has the time, though not very much.
Enough, though. She won't abandon a single member of her crew while she can do something for them.
"You were brave," Eight says, "And you made a difference. You wouldn't be the first person to launch irregularly and help someone. ...A good friend of mine did, once."
She remembers what Naoko said...
"It's hard," she says. "It's hard, and it hurts. And yes--you should've told me in advance you wanted to be part of the battle. But that's in the past now; if you want to be part of this crew, you'll have to sign up properly next time."
"...But the battle... I remember what you said. And it won't be enough to heal you, or to bring anyone back."
"...But each of those missiles we destroyed was many lives saved. That we couldn't get them all... is a tragedy. But don't discount what we could do. It's the only way to stay sane in battles like this."
<Pose Tracker> Rita Bernal has posed.
Alighting on the Ra Mari II, the Phenex is still, crouched, as a large splinter of her beloved makes her way down, through the ship. Not wishing to frighten anyone, she does her best to pass through doors normally, only ducking through a wall or two when she's absolutely lost.
As ever, Rita Bernal appears as a woman in her early 20's. A white sundress leaves her shoulders exposed, and lovely blonde hair falls to her waist, cloud-like.
Eight's soul serves as a beacon enough for her to make her way to this meeting room. Shaking her head at the offer of refreshment, Rita waits quietly as Eight comforts Naoko.
"We did what we could." Rita has a sweet, breathy voice. "Please don't blame yourselves. This was always going to happen."
Green eyes turn to Eight. "It's a great burden to feel so much death at once. Please make sure you're caring for yourself. This isn't the end of the fight."
<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.
Under the table, Naoko's hands tighten around the fabric of her jeans. She doesn't feel she deserves to be praised for her bravery, and it's still hard to believe that her actions led to anything good. In a way, a scolding would have been easier. It would have been more familiar. As if seeking to deny that she was brave, she exposits more on her motivations.
"I didn't even go out there to fight. I did it because I knew that if I were in the Sukeban, I'd be able to give better support than I could from the bridge. But then, I... I don't know, I guess I got overconfident, and before I knew it...!"
This is when someone else arrives. Someone she's seen before, on the bridge of the original Ra Mari. Someone who would have greatly startled her otherwise. She's nothing if not adaptable - while she wouldn't claim this has made her used to Rita's nature, which she is still far from understanding, she does manage to stay calm this time, only looking mildly surprised at the Golden Gundam's occupant this time.
"It's... it's you. You were here again. I could tell, but..." That's not to say that it's easy for her to figure out how to speak to somebody who feels so Different. Someone from a world that she's never understood, but has always been connected to. Eight is the same way, but... most people are not. For a time, she can only look between Rita and Eight, uncertain of what to say... before she voices her thoughts in the most plain way she possibly could.
"I'm... not normal, am I?"
While she'd be lying if she said that bothered her a great deal, it is something that she seeks to understand better. She looks down at the table before she continues. "I suppose I've always known that, but, after all this, I suppose it just... feels different, realizing that if I'd been a normal person in the same circumstances... I don't think I would still be alive."
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
"Then yes, we'll have to talk about that," Eight says. "In a battlefield you can't just do what you feel like--we have to operate as a unified whole, all wanting the same thing."
The crew has seen Rita before, though not all of them--many can't, after all. But either way she is neither stopped nor slowed by people, though she will have to go through some doors and floors to get here. And when she approaches...
Eight looks to her for a moment, meeting her eyes, and does not smile. There's a little bit of acknowledgement of her eyes, a softening that suggests something apologetic.
She doesn't explain why, though. Instead she says, "There's more to come. I know. As soon as we have a plan in place, and the ship's weapons are ready..."
She looks back to Naoko, surprised--and then, thoughtful. "I wouldn't say 'not normal'," she says. "...But it's true that it's not a power everyone has. And it may have saved you, today. "It's important... to remember that it doesn't make you better or worse, than those people. You just have a few talents that they don't. They probably have some that you don't."
"You can see her," she says. "...You probably 'felt' the battle, too."
<Pose Tracker> Rita Bernal has posed.
Rita's smile warms, as she turns to Naoko. "My name is Rita Bernal. It's nice to get to talk. I hope I didn't frighten you, before. What's your name?"
Not normal? Those luminous green eyes blink, and then Rita laughs softly, tilting her head so her hair cascades down one shoulder. "No, you're just as you should be!"
With graceful steps, Rita approaches Naoko. Her presence is warm, like basking in a sunbeam. "This is what we're destined to become. Someday, everyone will be like us. And we'll all be able to communicate without hurting each other."
Eight is given a nod, understanding in Rita's eyes. "How is your crew holding up, Captain York? I can relieve any with simple jobs. I don't need to sleep, or rest."
Despite Rita's smile, and brilliant presence, there's... something different in the tilt of her shoulders, the lines around her eyes. Grief, clear and present. An odd emotion for a prophetess, and one she isn't used to.
"I'm grateful you both survived the battle. It must have been a terrible experience." With a gentle motion, Rita pulls three chairs toward the women, each one glowing with blue light as it floats. "I'm here to listen, and offer whatever help I can. We have twenty-two hours until we must act."
<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.
Working together, of course... that should make sense, probably would make sense, to most. But as for Naoko, "I'm sorry," she says once more, "I'm not... used to working together with people." There is much that could imply, but either way, her circumstances must have been pretty unusual, before. For the moment, the best she can promise is, "But I want to try my best to learn."
She nods, at the assertion that she can see Rita. She'd realized that not everyone could. Hearing voices not everyone can is just part of her normal at this point, but actually seeing, in a way that felt different than perceiving with her eyes... it was more shocking than her current calm state would suggest. But the way she chose to describe it just now makes it plain enough that she's never had any help in making sense of this ability. All she noticed was the things she could do, that others could not. To have it described as something other than 'not normal', even 'as she should be'... that visibly surprises her, in turn.
Rita may be an unusual existence beyond her understanding, but it is one that's strangely... reassuring. She finds herself responding to this with a smile of her own, the first she's displayed since returning to the ship. "Oh, that's right! My name's N--" There's an odd pause there, as if she has to think about her own name. "...Nova. Nova Stellar! Miracle Worker!" She flashes the v-sign, without which that introduction just doesn't feel complete.
...it's not time yet, she quietly decides. One day, but not now. For now, she just has to be Nova Stellar, and no one else.
Having gained a bit of a confidence boost, she seems capable of speaking easier now. "Well, I dunno about all that talent stuff, but I guess it helped me get this far! And it's a nice thought, that it helps to get along without hurting people. Getting along is what being a Miracle Worker is all about!" Best to just let that one go, she'll claim it's about anything that's currently relevant and convenient.
Sudden unusual chair-movement snaps her right back out of that, startling her with a tiny 'eep', though she settles down readily enough. "W-well... I'm not much for making good plans, I guess that's probably obvious... I just want to say one thing, about where we go from here." She turns to face Eight, stating her next words with full conviction.
"I'll do whatever you tell me to... as long as you don't tell me to stay behind and do nothing. I can't. Not now that I know what's at stake. I can't make right what happened... but if I can help with keeping things from getting worse, I want to do that. I need to do that. Please."
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
"...That's good enough," Eight says to Naoko. "If you want to learn, we'll teach you."
"Do you think so?" Eight wonders of destiny. "...When you put it that way," she says, "It sounds nice. To communicate without hurting each other." She smiles, faintly, and then shakes her head at an unspoken thought. Rita may have the insight to pick it up; Eight is thinking of the way she was never asked. Of the way she did not 'naturally' awaken. Rather than comment on that much, she smiles back at Nova's introduction.
But the question of the crew? "There were a few injuries in the battle. ...I appreciate the offer, but I think that the rest will do better with something to do. Something to occupy their minds, to help them feel like they're contributing."
Eight knows that if she weren't doing something, it would be harder for her, too.
Grief... yes, it's different. She notices it.
A Miracle Worker is about getting along, hm...? Eight will let that one go.
The chair movement surprises her, but doesn't startle her like it seems to Naoko. "Hm?" she says. "...Well, I can sit for a moment," she says, with the expectation that she will have to leave soon. But for now...
"Thank you," she says to Rita. Twenty-two hours... Hmm. But before she can consider that much, Naoko has something to say to her. And when she finishes... Eight nods.
"I respect that," Eight says. "All right, Pilot Nova Stellar. Your orders are to ensure that your Sukeban is in fighting condition in time for action in twenty-two hours. Then, you'll sortie with the others."
"We can do more together than we can apart. You, too. I believe that."
Then she looks to Rita. "Twenty-two hours, huh?"
<Pose Tracker> Rita Bernal has posed.
Nova introduces herself. Rita looks at her a little curiously, but nods. "Nova Stellar, Miracle Worker!" She laughs again. "You sound like a magical girl. I have a friend who loves them."
Rita perches on her own chair -- slightly above it, in truth, but it's close enough. It's difficult to interact properly with physical objects in this state.
"This life isn't all there is." Rita says, softly. "Humanity will get there, in the end. We just have to make sure they're safe to walk the path. This fight is just one step toward that goal."
Rita's head inclines softly to Eight, one half of a nod. Sympathy and understanding are expressed, echoing from the young woman's form. To be forced into these things... It's terrible. She saw what it did to Jona.
"Of course." Rita answers. "I understand that feeling. You have a brave crew, to have followed you here, Captain. I hope they make you proud."
"I'll be with you, Nova." Rita promises, as Eight tells Nova she'll deploy. "I can't promise to keep you safe, but I'll do my best. Trust in your intuition, and you'll come home with no regrets."
Rita's expression turns grave. "Yes. There is more to come. I've sent a message requesting reinforcements from some of my allies -- though I don't know if they'll come. Some parts of the future are very much in flux, while other things..."
Green eyes slip closed. She thinks of the smoldering ruin left by the nuclear missiles. "Other things are constant. All we can do is try to lessen the horror they bring. A terrible man is planning to use a terrible, terrible weapon. He won't be satisfied until the Earthsphere has destroyed itself."
"But." Rita opens her eyes. "The aftermath is fluid. In this instance, we can do so much to change what is to come. That's why I'm here. I did my best to warn people to evacuate, but it wasn't enough. So I'll fight by your side, to try and protect them."
<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.
When Rita calls Naoko out on her chosen alias sounding like a magical girl, she blanches, then blushes. "Wh-what, no, that-- I dunno what you're talking about, it doesn't sound like that at all!" She couldn't act any more busted. ...Does that mean she's a real magical girl?? (no)
She slams back the rest of her water, reminding herself to keep her cool. Nova Stellar would keep her cool. And is totally nothing like a magical girl. By the time she clears her throat, she's ready to respond more seriously. If a bit flippantly.
"Well, all I know is, if there's anything you can to do help, you should do it." The Miracle Worker's Motto, as she keeps repeating. "Even if it's something that big and complicated-sounding, just gotta keep your eye on that goal, and you'll get there." Once she gets going with this stuff, it's hard to stop. So she doesn't.
"I'm gonna tell you the big secret to being a Miracle Worker. The one thing you need to keep in mind at all times. You ready for this?" She raises a finger, pausing to build suspense, until she finally states: "The simple answer is usually the right one." She looks really proud of herself, planting her hands at her hips. "Hehehe. Surprised? It's true. Most people think too much. You're not gonna get anywhere if you make things more complicated than they need to be."
That... may explain a few things, about the way she does things. She's not trying to undercut the seriousness of the situation. This is just the way she manages to cope with such things.
And when she receives the response from Eight... well, she may not fully appreciate the use of 'Pilot' and 'orders' as making things more official, but she certainly does appreciate being told to do her own maintenance. Some pilots might find that a chore, but Eight has correctly deduced that Naoko, having designed her own machine, is both well-suited to and enjoys that particular task. Even if the Sukeban's armor wasn't left in great shape, she yet grins widely, raising a fist instead of the salute that would probably have been more appropriate at this juncture.
"Twenty-two hours? I've worked greater miracles in far less time than that! Consider it done!" She flashes another v-sign in Rita's direction, acknowledging the offer of assistance. "No need to worry about that, I always follow my intuition!"
It's difficult to keep up the high energy, in the wake of the sobering statements that follow. From the way it's phrased, she gets - and doesn't question - the implication that Rita somehow knows things about the future. This isn't difficult to believe, given everything she's already seen. She can't imagine what that must be like. She can only suggest what she has been, one more time. In a softer voice, but meant to be encouraging, all the same.
"...Sounds like you're already taking it to heart. Help where you can, keep it simple. Expecting anything more would be unreasonable."
And with that, she slips her hands in her pockets, whipping out two different types of wrenches, that she just... carries around, apparently. "Welp! I know what I've gotta do, so I'm gonna go do it! That aftermath won't know what hit it!"
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
A magical girl... It's true, isn't it? She does sound like one. But Eight's not gonna complain about Rita not quite sitting. It's fine.
Rita's answer makes Eight think a little more, as she looks to Rita. The path... "I see." She smiles at Rita, then, at that understanding. "...I hope to keep my crew walking that path a long time, yet." For Eight, the 'journey' is at least as important as the goal, in this case. She doesn't say it aloud, but her quiet hope may say it all the same.
"They have," Captain York answers of her crew. "And I'm doing my best to be worthy of their faith."
She listens to Nova's secrets. She smiles at her. And then--yes, she's making things more official, but she figured at least one of the approaches she was taking would reach her. And that's what counts! "Good," she says. "I'll be expecting you."
More to come... Eight nods. "Well," Eight says, "We'll take all the help we can get," she admits. She looks to Naoko. Intuition, and...
"...Yes. We'll do what we can," she agrees. Then, "I can't see the future. But I know the future I'm fighting for anyway. ...And we'll do our best, I promise. So... let's work together, for everyone's sake."
And then she grins. "Sounds good," Eight says to Naoko!
<Pose Tracker> Rita Bernal has posed.
Rita laughs again at Naoko's denial. If she doesn't wish to be a magical girl, she won't be a magical girl, of course. But it really does seem like Naoko would like to be one...
"Yes! You have to find the one thing that matters, and then make sure it happens. Whatever it takes." With such conviction in her voice, Rita might be missing the point of what Naoko is saying. "But simple answers? Really? Those seem so difficult to find."
Eight's words earn a gentle nod from Rita. "You will be. As long as you fight for what you believe in, they'll stay by your side."
Naoko flashes another v-sign, and Rita mirrors her this time, beaming. "I believe in you, Nova!"
"With the forces we have rallied, we'll be able to enact great change." Rita promises. "There will be other things to fear in the future, but that's not important now. Naoko's advice is what matters."
With another brilliant smile, Rita watches Naoko dual-wield her wrenches. "You can do this. You're going to be the best Miracle Worker there is."
Should she be allowed, the Phenex will ride with the Ra Mari II as long as possible, conserving her energy to repair herself. Once she's certain she's done all she can for Eight and her crew, Rita will vanish back to her Gundam. Twenty-two hours... She'll be ready.