2023-04-01: .a promise for palaU
- Log: .a promise for palaU
- Cast: Yuliana Kafim, Elisa Kafim
- Where: The Silent Castle, Kaffeklubben Island
- Date: 2023-04-01
- Summary: Yuliana tries to occupy herself with Elisa, but she can't just ignore Char Aznable. Luckily, Elisa can see just how important it is, to her. They'll save their Earth. (Content warning: domestic abuse)
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
Yuliana's outgoing text messages look something like this,
...
> Ugh. I'm done with Fujmomiya City. I'll be home shortly. Forwarding you the route now.
> I've arrived in Barcelona. I'll be careful when I'm meeting Lindy.
> I've prepared a private dining area in Catalyst as I dicsussed. They're not on to me.
> Im ok
> Do forgive me for missing the hour the meeting went bng. Better if she doesn't see this. But I have the information. I'll let her leave first. It's better if we're not seen going together. Is that ok?
> Attending a lovely little cinema by the railway. They're showing Natley's new spin on Gone with the Wind. Not as good as the classical adaptions.
> Finishing up at the rail food court. Had a chat with that Akane. Exposed to emptiness through her patron, I suppose. Interesting. But she left in a hurry after she heard how you were protecting me so I'm done with this stupid city now. No one here can understand me anyway
> I'm coming home now. I'll forward you the route.
(And as it happens, both her self-reporting and the routes she takes back to the Silent Castle are accurate, according to the tracking data from her bracelet. Even if she's lying to everyone else, she couldn't possibly deceive her wife.)
She was in a mood when she returned, but she often is, after coming back from her day trips into this world; there are so many ways for her to leave dissatisfied, compared to her perfect life in the Castle. Whether little annoyances are ever cultivated into larger grudges is... surely not a factor. Who would ever do that?
Here she is appreciated, here there are no transgressions she cannot crush under heel, here she need fear nothing -- here, where the Silent Castle has been designed for her safety and her comfort.
Best of all -- her wife is here. Yuliana keeps by her side so often, though the Castle is vast and echoing. (Or, perhaps, she is kept.) So often she leads Elisa to idle leisure, as she has now, curled in front of a cinematic projection showing some classical Zaftran film or another. Who is the power coming from all the way out here? Don't worry about that.
As she does, she's all but tumbled across Elisa's lap, legs slung across her, heels tucked by her knees; her black robes part at her back to free the tentacles which curl about the other woman's midsection, while her hands curl at her chest, head tucked in by her neck. (Her frill is long enough to tickle Elisa's own long ear. They match!) Sidelong she watches the film; more often she turns her head to visit her affection on Elisa, loving and gentled.
She loves these old movies, but she loves Elisa more. She used to pay more attention to them. At the rate she's going, some day she won't even be able to say what happened by the end.
Yuliana is watching for now, though, as the scratchy film -- a copy of a copy of a copy -- turns to scenes of war. Close to Elisa's ear, she hums discontent, as her head moves in an almost imperceptible shake. (Elisa, still, can perceive it, close as she is.) And it might have come and went, if not for the way the worries build and churn inside her head, until she lifts her head so she can look her wife in the eyes. "Elya," she starts, and her name is less playful now, "I'm troubled..."
Her fingers curl, at Elisa's shoulder. "It's Aznable," she explains herself, a moment later. "He's on the move." Char Aznable, of course, was a behemoth of the Earth Sphere's wars not so long ago -- one of Zeon's most notorious Newtypes. The Earth Sphere has had a great many wars. Yuliana was even involved in some of them!
(Parminder had plenty of details. "I pulled everyone's records for blackmail purposes ages back," he explained, fearlessly, "but I'm a nice guy, so how about I get you a copy?" And so, her contributions to the Gundam Fight, the Mycenae War, the Federation's civil wars, destabilising and corrupting Helmajistan and Australia and various other places in the AEU and OCU and further out, the Devil Gundam incident, opposing Char's Neo Zeon, Bloody Valentine... Yuliana has an extensive military history, when it's all declassified.)
(Well. Had an extensive career. She has Elisa, now.)
<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.
Elisa's texts are of course prompt, showing how interested she is in Yuliana's itinerary. She does not expect Yuliana to lie to her, after all.
> All is forgiven.
Ignore the texts before that to indicate that Yuliana has missed the hour.
She finds it interesting that she met Akane, though...
> Poor dear. To think, she would fear us so. We have been nothing but good to her and her things.
But Yuliana was in a Mood, and Yuliana should be so happy to be Home, rather than out among the Other in that terrible world, and Elisa is happy to ensure that it is so.
Elisa has paid vague attention to the film. Just enough that she can keep up if Yuliana asks her about it. But only vaguely; she is focused on Yuliana, in black robes as well. They do match. And...
"Tell me," Elisa says when Yuliana says she is troubled, and then she explains. In this case, Elisa is actually up on the news; her many spies have told her much about Char Aznable's message...
It would hardly affect her, what he plans to do. It might, it might not. But even so...
Especially with Parminder's useful help...
"Yes... That man," she says. "The marriage of the Newtype with this 'Cosmic Law'... It is an abomination."
She considers. "He would trouble you," she says, "Even were he not granted this great power."
"Tell me of your worries, my darling."
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
... it's easier to put those earlier texts aside once the forgiveness comes down the line.
Mostly.
Oh!, Yuliana laments inside herself, with guilt -- Elisa gets so worried.
And Akane fears them, together, that poor wretched child; but Elisa is as supportive as she always is, and of course Yuliana is happy to be home. Isn't that only natural?
Yuliana does so like talking about her movies. She gets so animated! But not today. No, today she looks up to Elisa, all sunk in against her, with a knit brow and pursed lips. Elisa bids she tell her, and, of course, she does.
(She told Elisa the Federation intel she got from her old comrade, as well, naturally. It's terribly convenient when even her wife is the sort to collect shady information.)
Of course she tells her, "... it's happening again," all gossamer-spun and fragile, fingers curled into Elisa's own black robes. (Where does one end, and the other begin?) "Those Zeon devils are dropping something else on our Earth... they won't stop until they've destroyed it entirely!" Whether it's through climate change or direct devastation, the intent has always been clear.
"I..." She takes a sharp breath, and swallows, perceptibly; her eys track away from Elisa, sidelong to the couch, before she lifts her gaze again. "I can't..."
let it happen,
A long, slow blink; she takes another breath. "I'm sorry," she starts with an apology, instead, "I know it's selfish, but... Elya... may I go?" Another breath of a pause, and she adds: "To stop him, I mean. I know it's dangerous... I don't want to worry you again... but it's important to me, Elya. Last time he tried this, Kadet Lim -- they killed him," and Yuliana forgets to explain who Li Qiu Lim is, but that was in her personnel file, too.
(Yuliana's old unit was the Hei Huyao, where they served under Captain Zhu -- and Officer Cadet Li was killed in action during Axis Shock.)
But the most interesting thing about it may not be that Yuliana asks -- she asks permission and seeks counsel so often, particularly now, after her rescue -- but the framing she adopts, finally, after so long of Elisa modelling correct action.
Whether she 'may', not whether she 'can'.
<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.
There is much that is natural.
Elisa does enjoy it when Yuliana gets so animated about her movies... but she is not thinking of that just now, not recalling such enjoyment. She instead holds onto Yuliana and listens and speaks. Shady information is useful, of course, but the directness here--
"I see..."
She 'can't'. She 'must'.
"Yes," Elisa says, perhaps faster than Yuliana expects. She does not care much for Kadet Lim, but there are other reasons that this is vital... though she is loath, as always, to risk her dear wife.
"We cannot fight for the future of our Earth if that man is permitted to destroy what we have built. We cannot allow him to have his way, and neither can we allow this Cosmic Law to win out. It must be kept in check."
"...I do not like you risking yourself," she admits. "But it is important to you to do so, I can tell. And it is necessary for our plans that we take some action. So go, with my blessing, and with all the strength I can give to you in the doing."
"I have one condition." She pauses. "...Nothing is more important than you, my darling. You must avoid that terrible power. Do not allow yourself to become corrupted by it. ...If there is no other way, then you must flee, despite our feelings of how important this is." 'Our', of course.
"But short of that, yes. Go. Do what you must, my love."
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.
Yes, Elisa agrees, quickly, and relief floods Yuliana's eyes. It is their Earth, and of course she sees how important it is. (How important it is, to Yuliana.) Yes, there is much they cannot allow. What must be done...
Her gaze softens, when Elisa admits she doesn't want to risk her. She causes her such trouble... but Elisa grants her blessing, and Yuliana smiles. Of course she listens, intent, as she adds conditions to her freedom to act; Yuliana's head tilts, obligingly, in that breath of a pause.
She lifts a hand, to cup Elisa's cheek, the picture of gentle care. "I'll see to it," she promises, softly, softly, softly. "I will bring Cosmic Law to heel... and it shall not take me. I won't let you down, zhenushka." It's so important to her... no, it's so important.
She's so important.
Yuliana's neck arches, as she lifts her face, presses her lips to hers. She remains so close, even as her eyes open to look to hers again. "With your strength, I cannot fail," she smiles, gaze veiled. "We will save them..."